CHAPTER NINE

AEMOND had been confused. He didn't understand what Daemerys was talking about at dinner but it reminded him a lot of his sister and the riddles she'd utter under her breath.

The woman had been clutching his tunic since they left dinner, knuckles turning white and her eyes remained on the floor — wide as though she were in a daydream, a painful one at that.

She hadn't said anything. Not since Aemond dragged her away. Daemon had been hot on their heels after ordering the other children to their chambers. He watched the man with his daughter with a twitched eye but said nothing.

Once Aemond pushed open her chamber door, she let go of him abruptly. Daemon strolled in but Aemond remained stood by the door, arms crossed behind his back — watching the duo casually.

"Sweet girl", Daemon whispered to her as she stood in the middle of the room, watching the fire.

Wake the dragon.

The father stepped closer to stroke her wet cheek which made her flinch, finally snapping out of her dreams to look at him— his face holding no pity but concern.

"I do not know what is wrong with me", she finally said, the man's heart breaking at the sound of her broken voice. Daemon pulled her to his chest quickly and stroked her hair, her arms wrapping around his waist as she cried.

"There is nothing wrong with you, my sweet girl".

Aemond watched with a faltered gaze, not knowing what to do. He didn't get himself into situations like these, he hated tears, he hated vulnerability — but here she was. The love of his life, crying in her chambers in the arms of her father and he had no idea what to do.

Daemon looked from his daughter to Aemond in the door way and raised an eyebrow. The younger man blinked.

You want me to?... Aemond furrowed his brows, quickly moving when his Uncle rolled his eyes with a shake of his head.

Daemon stood and let Aemond take a hold of his daughter, he didn't like it. Not one bit. But the way she latched herself onto him so quickly made him back away, out the door, closing it behind him with a smirk.

"Shhh", he kissed her head when she eventually stopped crying, sniffing and the fire crackling behind the only things reaching their ears.

Daemerys pushed her head off his chest and wiped her face, suddenly feeling embarrassed by the whole ordeal. "I'm sorry, I'm not usually like this".

Aemond chuckled slightly, a thin smile on his lips, "I don't doubt that. You're tough to crack". His smile widened when she glared at him but it was true, she was hard to crack because she had walls built up ever since her father told her that she had been left for dead. Ever since she took Aemond's eye.

The woman fiddled with her fingers while he observed her. She didn't know what to say. She didn't expect him to stay this long. "Why?".

Aemond looked down at her confused. Daemerys cleared her throat knowing she would have to explain, "Why did you agree to marry me?".

He look slightly baffled for a moment, casting his eye to the floor in thought before looking back at her, "I don't know". He did know.

"After everything I did to you... I just didn't expect you to say yes", she admitted, her cold exterior icing it's way back which he wanted to try and get rid of so badly.

Aemond nodded, "It was a fair exchange", that was something he had told himself more often than not.

"No it wasn't", that had shocked him. "They're my family, and I'll always protect them. Even when we are wed, if I have to take you down to save my family... I will", her confession made him stare at her, her throat bobbed slightly at his lack of emotion but she understood why.

"Well, let's just hope it does not come to that", he stated, hands clasped in front of him. "I understand why you did it".

It was her turn to look at him with bafflement, "How do you mean?", she stood rooted to her spot as he approached her slowly, only a breaths distance from each other. Her heart pounded against her chest and she was sure he was able to hear it.

"We were just children, little bastard", he brushed a piece of hair out of her face. Oh how the tension in the room had changed. "I never blamed or hated you. I admired you".

He what? She thought, eyes held in an intense stare, both too afraid to move any closer. His hand slithered around her waist, pulling her closer, his other hand held behind his back.

"What do you want from me?", she whispered, lips close to his. Their breaths mingled close, too close. If they were to be found like this, it would ruin them. But nor cared in this precise moment.

"Nothing as of yet. I want to be courteous", he whispered back but his temptation was getting the best of him. He studied her face as she raised her eyebrows as though she were mocking him.

"Courteous? You wouldn't know what that was even if it hit you in the face", her eyes grew hard, she was teasing him. Of course. He should have known.

"You wound me, little bastard", sarcasm dripped from his tone. Her eyes growing harder every time he called her a bastard like she meant the whole world to him.

"I intended to", she bit back, a smirk held on her face like she was winning some game and he wanted her to win it just to see the look of accomplishment written on her face.

Aemond smirked back and let go of her waist, taking a few steps back — a nervous sigh escaped her lips quietly so he did not hear. "You should get some rest, wouldn't want to keep you up all night".

"No, suppose not. Thank you, Aemond", she looked him over once before turning around, hiding her disappointment and looking in the mirror as he stepped out of the room — closing the door behind him.

Daemerys closed her eyes and sat in the closest wooden chair, hands gripping the arm rest tightly. Heat rushed to her cheeks and she closed her eyes, flashes of his face being so closed to hers.

He made her nervous, he made her feel things. But she vowed there and then that despite her soon to be marriage to him, she would not fall for his wicked temptations.

She would not fall in love with Aemond Targaryen.