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Current King of Fic: 👑Demon_Fire 🎉
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101 AC (After Conquest)
Kingslanding
The Red Keep
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XXX
I stood outside my father's closed door in the hallway. It was empty, just me, the candlelight, and relics that liked the halls. I leaned against the wooden door in the sudden silence. I don't know what to do for once. But I do know I can't stay here forever. So I started walking in the direction of my room. I took long contemplative steps through the dimly lit hallways. Each step echoed aimlessly almost as aimless as my thoughts felt.
Had I done it?
Had I achieved my goal?
Did I convince him to be closer to his brother?
Could this path prevent the dance of dragons?
Was I even a single step closer to my goals?
Somehow it felt like not a single word that had been said during that conversation made sense to me. I'm not sure if I succeeded or even made an impact with those words. Maybe I failed and it was entirely meaningless. Hopefully, it will prevent Daemon from falling into another one of his drunken stupors and get started on gathering support for Viserys.
All this thinking was making me feel like I was going mad as if my thoughts were being flushed down into a toilet bowl. I wanted to rest now more than I ever had since the time I was an infant. Who knows what effect I will have on the future events of this world? I have always felt a certain disconnect from the world around me.
Despite the ancient paintings and relics it felt less like I was in a medieval fantasy world. Stepping through a hundred possibly more than that year-old castle in the middle of the night. Instead more like a random kid on the set of his favorite TV series getting to talk to the characters while they were acting. Yet the few true connections bonded me to it in a strange way. Sure I've grown familiar with a few others but the only few I genuinely feel bonded to in any way are family mostly. Even then they all felt less like uncles and aunts and cousins but something far more distant than that. Like a family member, you only meet at family reunions.
Soon I was met by the stern face of Ser Gerold standing outside my door next to another guard whose name I didn't know or care to. Before he could speak a lecture about it being very late and how upset my mother would be that I was going to bed at such an hour. I'm not sure why but this strange mental exhaustion I was feeling was starting to cloud my mind. So I cut him off not feeling like talking or taking a lecture right now.
"My Prince I-" "Goodnight Ser Gerold." Then I simply walked past him and into my room. He seemed startled not that I really care. I flung the door closed with a strength no three-year-old should be capable of exerting. It didn't really matter to me though.
I walked in and as I surveyed the room I noticed a few things off. For one the thing the hearth was on even though I hadn't started it. Second is that there were several objects that I myself had made into toys really that were scattered across the floor in some mess. But the most prominent thing wrong with it was a small brown skinned and white haired girl snoring away in my bed. She wore a sleeping gown and was halfway under my covers a toy carving of mine in one of her hands. Her pale hair splayed all over the left pillow of my bed.
She was impossible for me not to recognize her as I'd spent plenty of time with her in the past few days. Just about as much time as I've been spending avoiding her mother. The girl in question was my cousin Laena Velaryon daughter of the Sea Snake and the soon-to-be Queen who never was.
Though I was mildly shocked by her presence alone what surprised me a bit more was that Laenor wasn't here with her. The twins usually spent all their time together. But what I wasn't shocked by was that the little girl had found her way in and made a complete mess of the place. Had Ser Gerold known and tried to tell me? Was I too distracted by my own thoughts? Not to mention that he did know she was here where where are her guards? I doubt the Sea snake would leave his daughter unguarded especially in the red keep of all places?
Though Kings Landing isn't the seething viper pit that stinks of poverty and shit that it will be. It is still a very dangerous place to live and it always will be. But now that I think about there is one way to get around this pit undetected that I haven't yet considered. One that is particularly used by the schemers here in the Red Keep. There are a plethora of secret passages both below and in the walls of the Red Keep. Could she have used one to enter undetected? That would explain the lack of guards for her.
Did this six-year-old girl really go through so much trouble just to see me? And if she did that also means there is a secret entrance to this room. An entrance that I need to find and may need to use at some point. Although I doubt I will anytime soon unless to flee something or someone. Thoughts of Laena's mother flickered through my mind at that.
I know a near conflict will come sooner between my branch of the family and hers and I also know that it won't escalate but will be ended by the great council. However, I also know that this is not the world of the books nor the show. It is some strange alternate amalgamation of the two and Laena herself is living proof of that. It's been years since I spoke to the angel that sent me here and that conversation exactly the most coherent either.
Still, there is some good news with this new development in my temporary bed chamber. Luckily for me, we are far too young for this to be considered a scandal. That being said it is still a bit annoying to deal with. But instead of waking her up and getting her to leave I simply caved to my exhaustion. Normally I would bathe, cover myself in some oil that smelled pleasant enough thanks to the lack of proper lotions and scopes, change into something suitable, and go to bed.
But most people in this world don't bathe every single day and I have been repeatedly mocked for my supposedly obsessive care for hygiene despite my young age. But for tonight I made an exception and just changed into the first outfit I could find for sleeping in. Then I crawled into bed opposite Laena and turned away from her. I attempted to get comfortable and close my eyes.
"System wake me up when the sun rises," I said still shifting in the sheets.
["Very well good night you fucking baby."]
I sighed 'I really need to find a way to get the system to start respecting me.' I thought but respect wasn't my true desire in that moment. Rather I just wanted the darkness of sleep to come quickly but even in this life I still have trouble sleeping. Sighing a few times I tossed and turned and eventually fell into that deep sleep.
XXX
101 AC (After Conquest)
Kingslanding
The Red Keep
[Beep beep beep beep]
I woke to the sound of an alarm ringing in my head. For the briefest of moments, I thought I was slowly to a strange sensation on the back of my head. My eyes slowly opened bleary before blinking away the fog. Quickly blinking away the fog in my eyes I realized something or rather someone. Turning around slowly my neon purple eyes locked with pale ones not quite the lilac of her grandfather but more of a bright amethyst. I blinked at her and then looked down at her hands.
Between her fingers were my own pale gold curls. I always straighten it I the morning but yet again my mother's curls prevail every single day. I blinked slowly at her hands then looked back up at her eyes. Her hands stopped playing with my hair and she smiled.
"Good Morrow Aem." She says in a high-pitched voice and I just know she's going to be troublesome this morning. Frankly, I'm rather exasperated with this little girl but I also don't really mind that too much. Still, she's rather cute not in a I'm attracted to her sort of way of course because that would be weird. I lean my head up and shoot out an arm to take my hair back from her hands. She giggles at that and sits up from her side and crosses her legs applesauce style.
"You shouldn't break into people's chambers at night you know," I say quietly at first then louder as I get up and stretch. She giggles at that but I just roll my eyes and turn around to slide out of bed. Before I could get too far though she grabbed me from behind and pulled me back towards her.
"Hey! Are you not happy to see me?" She says hugging me closer and nosing her head into my neck. She's always been quite fond of me but this is a brand new level and I'm not sure why. Still, I suppose this is a good thing I suppose.
"Of course I am Lae but what are you doing here? And can you please let go of me?" I said still a little sleepy so I shook my head to wake up faster. But while I was whipping my head back and forth I accidentally hit her in the face with my hair and she let out a yelp that made me turn my head quickly again hitting her in the face once more. This time I caught it though and I made sure not to turn so quickly anymore.
'Note to selfit might be time for a haircut.' I thought as Laena sneezed and puffed up her face in a pout. Before she might start crying or something I said sorry and patted her on the head to calm her down. At that, her pout faded into a frown and she crossed her arms.
"So can you tell me why you came?" I said as sincerely as I could but on the inside, I was both finding the situation funny and honestly couldn't care less. Still, she wouldn't answer the question and I did have more but I was becoming more and more invested in this one. But if she wouldn't answer I might as well have some amusement to start out my day.
"Laena?" I said playfully leaning towards her. She turns her head away from me petulantly and I roll my eyes.
'Fine two can play at that game' I move to be back in front of her and ask again.
"Will you please tell me?" I say but she just moves away from me again this time fully turning her body right. I moved again this time channeling all the childish energy I could muster. For the sake of gaining information of course and no other reason.
"Will you tell me Laena pleeeaaaassssseee?" I drew out the last word for as long as I could but she still wouldn't answer me. Instead, she just turned her back yo me again. As funny as this little game of ours was I was getting a little tired of it so instead of continuing to play her games I decided to pull out my ultimate weapon.
"Well if you won't speak to me I guess you'll never know about the next gift I made for you," I said carelessly, or rather pretending to be careless. My whole time here in Kings Landing I've been giving small gifts to Laena and Rhaenyra. I made them in advance for this event to make sure I'd be on good terms with at least one of them. She pirked up at my words and almost instantly turned to look at me. This time I looked away because I'm petty like that.
"I suppose if you don't want to know it I'll just forget about it," I say hopping off the bed and walking away towards a nearby dresser.
"Wait! wait! I wanna know!" She said excitedly all occurring to my plan.
"Really? Then answer my question and I'll tell you what it is. I might even decide to give it to you earlier than I planned." I turned back to her and crossed my arms. She turned her frown into a grin and frankly, it was quite cute. But I was much more interested in the words she said next.
"I was going to tell you Great Great-grandfather wants us all to sup together tomorrow morning. Well, I suppose that's this morning. I wanted to tell you before any of the servants could."
"Is that so very well the it's best if you leave my chambers and go get dressed." But as soon as I finished a knock came at the door.
"Prince Aemon are you awake my prince?" A new voice not Ser Gerold but Ser Willam. It seems my guard was changed in the night.
"I am Ser what is it?" I called out quickly while motioning for Laena to be silent.
"Your servants are here to help dress you for the morn. Also, Ser Harrold is here with a message for you." He said which made me slightly. Why would a knight of the Kingsguard be sent to deliver a simple message?
"What message?"
"He says it's from the Queen." Now that's somewhat odd she usually waits for after breakfast to ask to see me. Of course, I have no problem eating breakfast with them but it's not usual behavior. Perhaps she just wants to walk there together.
"Very well."
"It's time for you to go now, Leana I'll see you when we break fast. I'll bring you your gift after so be patient. Okay?" I said hoping she wouldn't start pointing again. Honestly, it's annoying sometimes how I have to change my way of speaking so as not to sound odd. For example, they don't say breakfast in this world. Instead, they say break fast which is kind of irritating to remember.
"Okay!" She said happily clapping her hands together before spinning around.
"Ser Willam you may let them in and please escort Lady Laena to her chambers." Then Ser Willam opened the door and looked into the room with a confused face. Laena sprang up from the bed and sprinted towards the door all smiles. When she reached it she stopped and waved at Ser William.
"Hello Ser follow me please." She says sweetly and with that she walks off past a rather confused Ser Harrold and William. Still, after a few moments, he jolts and turns to me. I shrug and nod which seems to be enough for him to turn around and follow her. Then Ser Harrold stepped into the room followed by the servants. Their heads were bowed low and they scurried forth in two lines. The actions were much more restrained than the ones at Runestone.
"My Prince." Ser Harrold said as the servants fanned out in a semi-circle around me. They kept their heads down and their mouths shut while Ser Harrold spoke.
'Now that I think about it, Ser Harrold looks familiar. Sure we've met before but that's not why oh well I'm sure it's nothing.'
"Her Grace the Queen has summoned you to the King's chambers. I am to escort you as soon as you are finished dressing." Ser Harrold said quickly as he looked down at me. At this point, I moved to stand in front of him.
"Is there a reason why?" I asked as I stared up at him.
"I do not know but even if I did I am not able to say my prince." He said and although for some reason his words offended me a little I do not think he meant to do so. So I'll let it go for now and focus on the most important thing.
'What could they possibly want from me at this hour?'
[Chapter image here]
Today's Question: Who is your favorite Targaryen King and why? Mine is Daeron the young dragon.