CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

THE library was the only place that Daemerys felt at peace these days. The smell of book and the the heat coming from the fireplace made her remember the times she had spent with Corlys.

She missed him more often than not, she missed their sparring lessons, when he'd read to her and teach her new things but most of all she missed the way she didn't hear voices when he was around — his wise wisdom made her forget such things that happened in her mind.

One son must fall for the dragons to dance.

But even then, the way she was feeling now made her head pound and voices awaken. She didn't get the voices as much as Helaena, a part of her was thankful because she knew it would drive her mad, she was slowly going that way as it was.

Aemond had sauntered off after the woman, Criston not far behind as well as Daemon and Rhaenyra. Lucerys sat back in his chair with a look of shock before turning to Jacaerys — who stared down at his plate of food wide eyed.

Did this mean that she was their...?

There were so many questions and the only people who could answer them were either dead or hadn't told the truth when they should have.

Daemerys placed her hands on a bookshelf, tears flowing from her eyes — all she did was cry these days, she was exhausted. Her breathes were ragged as she gasped for any air she could get from the heated room.

Aemond opened the door and stopped when he saw her, "Daemerys". His body was tense and hair was pulled back behind his shoulders from walking at a good speed to get to her.

"Don't", she stopped him and turned away, hands coming off the shelf to hug herself. She couldn't look at him, he was promised to another now and she was simply nothing more than just a bastard who had no claim over him — her love was gone.

She knew she was a bastard, she had known since the night she took Aemond's eye but she had always hoped that perhaps Daemon would be enough to convince herself that she was worth loving. She thought her real father was just some high born who didn't care about anything but instead it was a man, a brave man who helped raise her brothers.

Was she not enough for him to take her and raise her as well? Did he even know? Did Ser Harwin Strong know about her? Did he want to know her? Or did he cast her aside in favour of her brothers?

There were so many questions that Daemerys wasn't sure she wanted answers to. She was scared, terrified and most of all she felt betrayed.

Rhaenyra and Daemon betrayed her, how could she ever look them in the eye after this? After they kept this from her?

Aemond watched the women he grew to love crumble in front of him, "Where's Criston?", he furrowed his brows at her question but didn't have time to answer when the man himself came into the room and walked directly to her.

Daemerys turned when she heard his steps, she could tell when Criston was coming for her, she turned quickly and walked into his armoured chest — she grew used to the metal digging into her cheek by now to ignore it.

Criston Cole often made Aemond jealous, Daemerys often found herself in his arms more often than Aemond's and they'd have tea together, sharing laughs and jokes while he buried his head into books and trained — he felt like a second choice when it came to the knight but he knew deep down it was silly to think that, Daemerys only had eyes for him.

Criston rubbed the woman's back with one hand and stroked her hair with the other as Daemon and Rhaenyra rushed in, earning a glare from Aemond. "Oh look, the liars are here".

"Watch your mouth, boy", Daemon spat as himself and Aemond stood in front of each other glaring. Rhaenyra rolled her eyes at them and slowly walked forward to where are daughter was sobbing, Criston turned his head and tightened his hold on his lady, his friend.

Rhaenyra eyes flamed when Criston looked at her, the man she had history with was protecting her daughter from her. How ironic.

Daemerys turned her head away from her mother's direction and held Cristons upper arm in support as she continued to cry. Rhaenyra's eyes went soft, "I'm sorry. We both are, we— we didn't want you to find out like this".

Daemerys scoffed and removed her head from Criston to look at the three others in the room, her knight held her shoulders from behind protectively, "I don't believe you wanted me to know at all".

"Would it of made a difference? I am your father, am I not?", Daemon's words were harsh but his heart was throbbing at the idea of rejection.

His daughter turned to him then and wiped a tear that had fallen, "Of course you are but I deserved to know! I deserved to know who abandoned me, I-", Daemerys' face contorted into a look of pain as she yelled, "I deserved to know the truth. You owed me that".

"I owed? I saved you! Your cunt of a mother left you to die, I took you in, I raised you and here you are crying for a man you never even met".

"You should've left me there".

Daemon's face when from hardened grief to soft confusion and hurt. How could she say that? "I did this for us, so you didn't have to bare the thought of another person leaving you behind".

Aemond knew that people had left Daemerys, that Rhea had left her for dead, had Damon not been there at the right time, then she would have been but hearing Daemon say it and Daemerys look to the floor hurt, made him want to murder anyone who thought of hurting her again.

"You did this for yourself, because you're insecure!", Daemon blinked at his daughters words before laughing and stepping closer.

"I am not insecure, you're my daughter, my girl and I vowed to protect you the day I held you in my arms when you were nothing but a young babe", Daemon had started growing desperate for her forgiveness, his brows were furrowed and his eyes pleading but she shook her head in defiance.

"You had every opportunity to say something, but no, yet again you have casted me aside and denied me the truth!".

By now, her father had enough and slammed his hand against the side of a bookshelf making her flinch slightly but not back down, "I will not be blamed for Ser Harwin's actions! I shall not let you be like this after recent events, crumbling after hearing a hard truth. You are a Targaryen, a dragon, so act like one!".

"After recent events, I'm better off as dead".

Rhaenyra cupped a hand over her mouth in shock, Aemond clenched his jaw. Daemon's face softened, all anger drifted from his body as Criston tightened a hand on her shoulder.

"How could you say such a thing?", Rhaenyra asked her daughter, eyes welling in tears as she rubbed her belly in self comfort — something she did often.

Daemerys eyes flashed to her, "Look at my life! I'm a bastard that will never be accepted not matter how hard you try, I was nearly defiled in my own chambers because I was to wed Aemond and now I have to stand and watch the love of my pathetic little life wed another! There is no fate worse than death for me now".

"I'm not going near that Baratheon girl", Aemond spat, fists clenched as he listened to her. He was hurt and disgusted that his mother had set him up and that Daemerys, his sweet love thought he'd actually go through such a horrendous act.

Daemerys looked at him for the first time since they left the hall and her eyes seemed to soften when she looked at him, like he was her entire world but there was also hurt behind her eyes, "You do not have a choice, Aemond. You are to be wed and I am going back to Dragonstone".

Aemond's face shifted from anger to hurt to anger again, for a moment she almost thought she was imagining it. He stepped forward and crossed the distance between them and cupped her face, Criston letting her shoulders go and stepping back a bit, "I can't let you go".

"You must".

Aemond shook his head, eyes rimming red as he looked like he were about to cry or fume from anger, "They cannot do this, our story hasn't even started yet".

Rhaenyra watched softly as her brothers hands trembled against the woman's face, Daemerys herself trying to stop the sobs escaping her throat as her hands came up to hold the ones holding her, "He's right".

Rhaenyra felt Daemon stand beside her in support, "My sweet girl, I know we have wronged you and I know that you are hurt but let us make this right".

Daemerys looked from Aemond to her father with confusion, "How?". She felt her heart was ripping itself apart until Daemon spoke again.

"I give Aemond my permission to wed you", Aemond's head shot up and Daemerys opened her mouth before closing it again with bafflement written over her face. "You mother and I wed in secret, as can you".

Criston shifted in his spot making Daemerys turn to him knowing he was itching to speak his opinion so she nodded for him to speak, "I think you should, Daemerys".

"Criston, do not speak to please me".

The knight shook his head with a fond smile, "I do not. I merely want to see you happy and the young prince Aemond make you so. I do not wish to go behind the Queens back but I do not believe the King would have annulled your betrothal".

Daemerys looked down and rubbed her forehead, "I do not forgive you for what you've both done and I'm still angry that you kept it from me, I only ask that you don't keep things from me anymore, I cannot handle when you lie to me".

Daemon smiled and nodded, pulling her in for a hug, "I promise".

"And I want to know about him, Ser Harwin".

Rhaenyra glanced at Daemon who's eye twitched and jaw clenched but nodded nonetheless. Daemerys noticed and walked past Aemond to him, hugging him — making him sigh in relief, she was still his little girl, this was her way of saying that.

Aemond turned to Daemerys and the woman softly smiled at him when she pulled away from her father to reach her hands to interlock with his, "Prince Aemond, will you wed me this evening?".

The man smiled and leaned down to kiss her before whispering against her lips, "You forget yourself, but I accept".

Rhaenyra smiled as did Daemon despite the urge to vomit at seeing the pair in such close proximity. Criston fist bumped the air like a child before collecting himself and stood next to Rhaenyra which shocked not only her but himself.

"We must hurry before the Queen finds us", Daemon ushered the pair along — the group sneaking through the secret passage to wed Aemond Targaryen and Daemerys — soon to be Targaryen.