Family Bonding

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The Following 16 Chapters are available for Patrons.

Chapter 57 (A Bond Between Siblings), Chapter 58 (Father and Son), Chapter 59 (A Targaryen Love), Chapter 60 (The Quiet Wolf), Chapter 61 (Mother and Son), Chapter 62 (A Night of Passion), Chapter 63 (Silverwing and Morning), Chapter 64 (The Jousting), Chapter 65 (A Dragon of House Targaryen), Chapter 66 (A Threat or Salvation), Chapter 67 (Cannibal, The Wild Dragon), Chapter 68 (Daenerys, The Dragon Princess), Chapter 69 (A Golden Flower), Chapter 70 (Tears of Direwolves), Chapter 71 (A Stark Without A Direwolf), and Chapter 72 (A Princess's Night) are already available for Patrons.

Rhaegar Targaryen

After his son left, Rhaegar told his children, little brother, and sister, to go to their chambers. What he wanted to discuss with his mother and Elia wasn't something they needed to be here for. They reluctantly followed his order, especially Rhaenys, for some reason.

Rhaegar briefly remembered the way she held his hand during the dinner. He wondered if he was missing something here. As far as he knew, this was the first time Rhaenys was meeting Aemon, so why show so much affection towards him? Of course, Rhaegar had nothing against it, he wanted Aemon to feel as welcomed as possible, but the way Rhaenys had gazed at him, the way she had held his hand, the way she smiled with affection, Rhaegar had never seen her smile like that to a boy before. Rhaegar knew that wasn't the proper way to look at a sibling, he knew they were Targaryens, but Dragons were no more, and Rhaegar himself had told Elia that he would stop brother/sister marriages.

Rhaegar wondered wherever he should talk with Rhaenys or Elia. His wife perhaps knew something he didn't. Perhaps she would either convince Rhaenys that Aemon was her brother or convince me that if they love each other. I shouldn't get in their way, Rhaegar thought, with a thoughtful look on his face, dropping on his chair with a huff. He felt exhausted, his back leaning against the back of the chair. He took a deep breath, his fingers going through his hair.

A part of him still couldn't believe that this was real. He thought that he would wake up at any moment from this dream, a beautiful dream, he thought, his lips twitching. Closing his eyes, her face was right in front of him. He could see the similarities were as clear as day. He wondered how he hadn't noticed before; Aemon looked exactly like Lyanna. He had taken everything after her. A boy so beautiful and pure. Just like her.

A growl escaped his mouth, the fire in the hearth burned brighter with him as if feeling Rhaegar's anger inside his heart; his fingers squeezed the arm of the chair, the wood hurting his skin, his teeth clenched together, as he saw his face in front of him, the face of the man that had lied to him, had lied to him about Lyanna's son, my son, a voice reminded, a part of him wanted to personally find Eddard Stark right now and punch him until he couldn't be recognized, he would have his head, I will personally cut his head off, Rhaegar thought, his blood boiling, his hands squeezed the arm of the chair even more, causing it to creak, all he could see was his face, lying through his teeth like a snake.

"I'm sorry, your grace, but my sister died giving birth, she And the little Girl, she was stillborn,"

Rhaegar's breath rapid. He felt like throwing something to the wall, everything. When he felt the gentle touch of Elia, looking up at her, he saw the way she was looking at him, with sadness and a hint of concern. He felt himself calming down. How much she could help just by a single touch.

"My King?" She asked tenderly, slowly sitting on his lap, her arms around his head, bringing him closer to her. He took a deep breath, her scent engulfing his nose. He already felt better as her hands caressed his long silver hair.

"I know you're angry, Rhaegar, trust me. I'm too, but let's wait until your mother arrives before deciding how to proceed. You said it yourself many times. War should be avoided at all costs." Elia spoke softly to his ear, following it with gentle kisses along his jaw and, finally, his lips.

Rhaegar wanted to shout that he didn't care if a War was fought. The North needed to learn their place. If they didn't understand why their liege lord was being executed, then he didn't care. If they wanted a War so bad, he would give it to them.

Elia herself was thinking the same things as Rhaegar, a part of her wanted to go and see if Aemon was alright, if he was comfortable, and another part wanted to have Lord Stark's head in a spear and for his entire family to be dropped as Lord of Winterfell. Before her revengeful thoughts could get the better of her, they both heard the door opening. Both turned to see Rhaella walking in; Elia saw Barristan closing the door as Rhaella walked in. Both Rhaegar and Elia stood up.

"Mother, why allow him to sleep there? He should be with us." Rhaegar asked right away. He couldn't understand why his mother had allowed Aemon to sleep in his old bedchamber, so far away from them, from where he belonged, instead of sleeping close to their enemies. Rhaegar had wanted to tell him good night, to make sure he was comfortable, completely slipping from his mind that he was married.

His mother raised her hand as if telling him to keep it down. She sat on the chair near the table. "Whatever you like it or not, Rhaegar, Aemon still doesn't know us. If he wants to sleep in his old chamber, then we should respect his wishes and not try to force him to sleep somewhere else." His mother said with a sad smile, she herself didn't like it, but she didn't want to force Aemon. When he was ready, he would sleep in the royal chambers.

"That's why he should have slept close to our chambers, to be closer to and feel more familiar with us." Rhaegar pointed out, licking his lips. He poured water for himself, his throat suddenly dry.

His mother let out a weary sigh before answering. "That might have worked, but right now, this is his first time meeting the rest of you. I don't want him to feel overwhelmed. Tomorrow when we break our fast, he promised he would join us." Rhaella countered with her own opinion; hearing that his son would join them when they broke their fast somehow eased his worries, but not enough.

Letting out a long sigh, he reluctantly accepted his mother's wishes, and then he decided to ask something he had wanted since his mother seemed to know about her.

"Very well, but Aemon mentioned having a wife. Do you know who she is and from which house she is?" Rhaegar asked, sending his mother a stern look. From what he understood during the dinner, his mother had known beforehand about Aemon's existence. She had said naught for unknown reasons, and when Aemon told them that he had a wife, his mother again hadn't looked surprised about that piece of information, letting Rhaegar come to the conclusion that she had known about that too. From the top of his head, he knew available ladies for Jon to marry from the northern houses weren't that many—the younger granddaughter of Lord Manderly, any of Maege Mormont's daughters.

Rhaegar wondered why his mother had kept something like this away from him. I should have known as soon as possible about Aemon's existence. Rhaegar thought, pursing his lips into a thin line in displeasure.

Hearing his son's question, Rhaella let out a heavy sigh, knowing this question was coming sooner or later. She motioned for him to sit down first. Once they sat, Rhaella poured water for herself, mixing it with honey, clearing her mind.

"I'm sure you remember Aemon saying he had been beyond the wall." Rhaella started, looking at her son intently.

Rhaegar simply nodded his head. His son hadn't said much about his life beyond the wall, only mentioning the White Walkers and Bloodraven. Things to discuss another day, Rhaegar thought, dismissing the thought of monsters from his head. His head was already overwhelmed. He didn't need to think about his great-great uncle and dead people walking.

"Well, what he failed to mention is that he lived there for many years, meeting and eventually marrying Val." His mother bluntly said—no point in dragging it more.

Rhaegar blinked once or twice before he understood what his mother said. She's a Wildling! Rhaegar concluded. His son had married a Wildling.

No. He's a Prince of The Realm. He's my son. He deserves the best, not a woman who is as wild as an animal, Rhaegar thought. He looked back at his mother, ready to deny this marriage. He wouldn't-couldn't allow it to continue when her mother slammed her hand on the table's surface, loud enough to make him swallow his words back. As if she somehow knew what he was thinking.

"I know what you're both thinking, and I'm afraid we can't do anything," Rhaella said, in a way as if they had to accept it.

Rhaella would be a liar if, at first, she hadn't thought of a way to get rid of Lady Val. Before meeting her, Rhaella had thought of plans to either sent her away or a drink, but after meeting her, Rhaella had to admit the girl truly loved her grandson. Still, love wouldn't change the fact that Prince Aemon had married a Wildling of all people. No one would approve of this match except Doran and Oberyn, she thought, mentally frowning, knowing Elia's brothers were a problem too, especially someone like Doran.

But the knowledge that Aemon would leave them had stopped her. Unlike Aegon, who has been raised as a prince his whole life, he didn't know a life outside of living as a Prince and wouldn't be able to survive out there. Aemon didn't have that problem. He had lived all by himself for many years. He knew how to survive, and living in luxury wasn't something he lusted after. She knew if the choice were right now, Aemon would choose Val over them. That had stopped her from doing anything drastic.

"Why not? We can't allow a Prince of The Realm to marry a Wildling of all people. What do you think the lords will think of us?" Rhaegar countered. It pained him to say it. He didn't know how true their love for each other was; perhaps it was the purest of love, but what would the other houses think of them when it known that Prince Aemon had married a wildling, his reputation would be dragged through the mud until there was nothing left.

Like Prince Duncan Targaryen, who married Lady Jenny of Old Stone in secret due to his denial of breaking the marriage and breaking the betrothal between him and Lord Lyonel Baratheon's daughter, because of his secret marriage, Prince Duncan relinquished his rights to the Iron Throne.

While Aemon wasn't the heir to the throne, his name held power.

"Who cares what some lords thinks? Our word is Law." his mother countered, her patience running thin.

"Rhaella. I understand your point, but what about Aemon's children? No one will consider them Princes or Princesses. Many will think of them as no different from commoners. Many will frown at marrying their daughters or sons to Aemon's children." Elia added with a worried tone, her arm around Rhaegar for support.

Rhaella wanted to point out that the first Baratheon had been a bastard, and everyone had considered his children as Highborns, but back then, House Targaryen held power. They had Dragons.

Elia didn't want to say any of this, but there was a danger to all of this. She herself thought that marrying Aemon to either Rhaenys or perhaps Dany would be a perfect fit. She saw the way both girls had looked at Aemon during the dinner—especially her daughter, who so far had denied every possible betrothal.

"What about Aemon's feelings?" Rhaella countered with a voice as cold as the Wall. Her eyes eyed them like a Hawk.

Rhaegar opened his mouth to speak but closed it right away. For a moment, nothing could be heard but the sound of the crackle and hiss of the log burning in the hearth.

Complete silence fell over the room, and the tension slowly left, leaving behind a somber atmosphere. Rhaegar didn't know what to say, and neither did Elia. They hadn't thought of Aemon's feelings as Rhaella cleared her throat.

"Don't fool yourself, Rhaegar; Aemon still doesn't know us. If you order him to break the marriage, he will leave us. Is that what you want? Because trust me, Aemon will leave. Maybe it's been only two months since he found out about his true identity; knowing the Starks weren't his family, Val was the person that became his family. I wasn't there to see it, but I'm sure she was there for him when he discovered the truth, and Aemon values her. I have met the girl, and she's not in simply because he's a Prince. They even told me that when they married, they didn't know about his heritage." Rhaella explained softly, leaning forward, her forearms resting on the table's surface.

Rhaegar looked at his hands, his purple eyes welling up with tears, imagining his son alone. Taking a deep breath, he imagined him cursing them all before leaving them forever.

"I-I-I'm sorry." Rhaegar apologized to no one in particular, he wasn't there, yet he felt as if his son could hear somehow.

He felt Elia slipping her hand on his before gently squeezing it.

"Aegon will marry Lady Margaery. He's the crown prince, Aemon has been alone his entire childhood, and I doubt the scars will ever truly heal. The best we can do is make sure he's Happy. That's all any of us can do," Rhaella finished, extending her own hand to squeeze her son's hand.

Rhaegar was silent about all of this. He didn't know what to say but didn't like that his first thought had been to break the marriage, not considering Aemon's feelings. My son would look at me the same way he looks at Lord Stark, Rhaegar thought, imagining his son looking at him with hateful eyes. He didn't want that. He would give everything to ensure that his son would live happily from now on.

"Tomorrow, when we break our fast, I want Lady Val to be there. I would like to see what kind of woman has captured our boy's heart." Rhaegar finally said with a little smile. Both Elia and Rhaella nodded in agreement, but Dornish's eyes moved to look at her good mother.

"Rhaella, why didn't you tell us from the beginning about Aemon?" Elia asked, looking at her mother-in-law with a slight frown.

Rhaella sighed, tucking a loose strand behind her ear. "I wanted to, but I wanted to make sure that he was who I thought he was before telling anyone everything."

"You still knew he was Aemon for a few days. Why wait?" Elia prompted. She knew her good mother had a good reason. She had never doubted her judgment. But to not tell them this, she felt betrayed in a way.

"Me and him needed to discuss some things before the truth was revealed and what will happen to House Stark," Rhaella answered; knowing what her son wanted and what she wanted his fate to be, she wanted his head to be on top of a spear, for Lady Stark to be sent to Silent Sisters, but she knew the decision would be on Rhaegar's hand.

Hearing his name again, his anger flared up like a blazing fire. "What is there to discuss? Lord Stark will be executed for treason, and one of his sons will be taken hostage in King's Landing to ensure that Robb Stark won't have a sudden desire to rebel." Rhaegar answered right away as if the answer was obvious.

While Rhaella agreed with both of them, she figured Aemon would sooner or later talk about what should be Lord Stark's punishment. She wanted to know what his opinion was and what he thought should be his punishment.

"I have already talked with Lord Stark about his crimes. He agreed to confess the truth in front of everyone as long as we don't harm his family." Rhaella explained, remembering the talk she had with the lord.

"His trial will be right after the Jousting, he will be arrested, and he will confess to make sure his lords won't start a War." Rhaella further added.

Rhaegar grunted but accepted what his mother was saying. He could wait until then. Right now, he wanted to sleep, and for the morrow to come, he could meet Aemon again. He had almost lost him when he fought against the Mount-

"The Tullys." Rhaegar suddenly growled, almost roaring like a Dragon. His hands balled into fists.

"Rhaegar?" Rhaella asked, for a moment not understanding why he suddenly mentioned their name when she remembered the crime they did by falsely accusing her grandson of attacking their worthless heir.

"They lied about what happened with their heir," Rhaegar all but shouted, standing up from his chair.

"Don't worry about House Tully, my son. I have already planned how to deal with them." Rhaella promised with suppressed fury in her voice. Since her grandson had been falsely accused of attacking Joffrey Tully, she had considered returning it tenfold to them.

House Tully should have not been allowed any longer to stay in power after the rebellion, but Rhaegar hadn't wanted to risk another rebellion.

Later

After discussing with his mother about House Tully, the king of the Seven Kingdoms finally allowed himself to go to bed with Elia, but the whole time all he could think of was Aemon.

A part of him really wished his son had decided to sleep in the royal chambers; Rhaegar would have wanted to check on him before he went to sleep as if trying to reassure himself that he wasn't dreaming. A part of him still thought he would wake up from this dream.

After laying together, Rhaegar's arm went around Elia, her warm body against his engulfed him in a comfortable heat, and he kissed the top of her head tenderly. Elia was quiet this night. She wasn't as talkative as usual. Elia loved to talk when they lay on their bed, she always liked to talk, but when they were in bed, her desire to talk would increase almost every night.

"Elia, you're quiet tonight," Rhaegar murmured, his voice cutting through the silence like a knife through butter, his eyes looking at her black eyes. Her breathing was the only sound he could hear. A candle in the chamber was the only sound of light—that and the moon illuminating the night. Elia snuggled against him, her arms around him, her head resting on his chest. She crawled upwards, her nose against his neck, and her hand moved away a strand of his silver hair.

"Do you think Aemon will be happy with us, love?" Elia asked her lips against the middle of his neck. That was a question Rhaegar feared to answer. He wanted to say 'yes,' but he knew all they could do was show Love.

"I don't know, but we will show him our love. I will. You will. We all will. I won't let him leave us. I want him to be a part of us." Rhaegar said he knew he could say anything he wanted to Elia. There was nothing they didn't reveal to each other. He knew he didn't need to hide anything when he was with her.

"Do you think your brothers will appreciate Aemon's existence?" Rhaegar hated himself for asking this, but he knew they wouldn't be happy knowing Aemon existed, especially someone like Doran Martell.

Elia wanted to say that her brothers were No Danger to Aemon and that he should trust them more, but even she knew that was wishful thinking. She just hoped Doran wouldn't try anything. Her brother could be quite cunning when he wanted to be.

"Don't worry, my love. I will set both of them straight if they step out of line." Elia promised before kissing his jaw, jawline, slowly reaching his lips.

Despite her voice, Rhaegar could see right through her. "You alright?" He asked his thumb on her chin, making her look up at him.

"I'm just afraid that all this will lead to war," she responded, and he softly kissed her lips.

"Don't worry, Elia. The war won't happen." He promised, despite not believing his own words.

"How do you know?" She prompted, wanting Rhaegar to reassure her that her children and Aemon wouldn't have to go through another Rebellion.

"If the war truly happens, we will have the support of The Reach, Dorne, Stormlands, houses sworn to Dragon Stone will support us, House Velayron. Half of Riverlands don't care about what Edmure Tully does, and Jon Arryn will be on our side," he said lovingly to Elia, knowing the danger.

"He's with Us, Lya," Rhaegar heard Elia whisper as her face sank into the crook of his neck.

"And He Will Be Happy."

Rhaella Targaryen - Tomorrow

The first thing she did in the morrow was called three of their most loyal Kingsguards to come. She had called for Ser Barristan, Arthur, and Ser Darry to come to her chamber. She would tell them the truth about Aemon and wanted Arthur to become Aemon's bodyguard. She knew her grandson was more than capable of protecting himself. She had seen his fight against the Mountain and His win in the Melee.

After the Kingsguards arrived in her chamber, she told them of Aemon's existence after learning everything.

"Your grace, where is the king? Shouldn't Lord Stark be put in jail?" Ser Barristan asked. Because of his years of experience, he kept his composure, unlike Ser Darry.

"He will, Ser Barristan, after the Jousting, he will confess his crimes, and Prince Aemon will come with us to King's Landing," Rhaella informed him before her eyes turned to Ser Arthur, who looked as if something was bothering him.

"Ser Arthur is your task to protect Prince Aemon. I'm sure you will do your job. Ser Darry will protect the King." Rhaella ordered the knight, who straightened up.

"Of course, my Queen." Ser Arthur was quick to reply. Ser Barristan has had doubts there was more to Queen Rhaella meeting Jon Snow in secret other than recruiting him, but hearing that Jon Snow was The King's hidden son wasn't something he had expected. He wondered how he hadn't seen it before. Jon Snow looked too much like The King.

He wondered what kind of person he was. So far, he thought of him as a good enough young man.

Aemon Targaryen

Opening his eyes, he felt at peace as Val's naked body pressed against his. After sleeping with Val, he woke up feeling lighter than he had ever felt. The dinner last night replayed in his mind, and he found himself smiling just at the thought. He remembered the way Rhaenys had held his hand. Dany was funny. His brother seemed a little serious. After meeting his family, Aemon wanted to see them again to talk to them and get to know them better.

Val had woken up when he joined their bed. She asked how it went. She seemed happy that he was smiling. He kissed the top of her head, her blonde hair glittering like jewels from the Sunlight coming from the window. She stirred up as he kissed her face again, and she smiled coyly.

Val wanted to kiss his lips when she felt her stomach churn up. She was quick to reach the toilet. She vomited everything she had.

"Val?" She heard Jon's concerned voice from behind. His light footsteps reached her.

"I'm fine, Jon. My sister had similar symptoms, which is unpleasant, but it still will be more than worth it in the end." Val said, wiping her mouth with a towel. She had seen her sister before, but it didn't matter. They would soon have a beautiful boy.

After drinking water, Val felt better. Her head felt lighter, her hand stroking her belly, and she suddenly felt his arms around her. She hummed pleasantly, her knees feeling weak.

Aemon felt his heart flutter, his arms slowly and gently sneaking around her from behind. She leaned back against him, humming as he rubbed her belly gently.

"I can't wait to see our child. They will be the most beautiful and happiest child in the world." Aemon promised, close to her ear. Val nodded. She imagined a beautiful boy running around with her blonde hair and Jon's grey eyes. She hadn't thought of a name yet, but she felt this one would be a beautiful boy. Her hands cupped his hands, still touching her belly, her thumb caressing his hand.

"He will be a beautiful boy and a great warrior," Val murmured softly, feeling Jon plant a kiss on her exposed neck. She felt a shudder just by that act alone, her core clenching in need; despite sleeping together so many times, he could turn her on just with a few kisses, moving a strand of hair, exposing more of her beautiful skin, his lips kissing her gently until he reached her ear. Biting her earlobe softly.

"Ahhh, Jon." She moaned, biting her lower lip. As his hands moved between her thighs, she was wet for him.

"Please." She begged as one of his fingers slipped inside her folds.

Later

After wearing their clothes, Aemon prepared himself to break his fast with his family. Val told him that he should go alone without her since, to her, this was a family meeting when they heard someone knocking on the door.

"Come In," Aemon called out as the door cracked open. He expected to see Arya or maybe Lord Stark but didn't expect Ser Arthur to walk inside, holding his helmet in his left hand.

Aemon wanted to ask why he was here when he bowed his head. "Your grace, I'm ordered to accompany you and Lady Val to the royal chambers." He said respectfully.

Aemon was pleased to know that his family wanted to meet Val. This would be a perfect opportunity for them to meet her. Maybe even tell them of her pregnancy.

"Thank you, Ser Arthur. Leave us for now." Aemon ordered the knight, who nodded, before leaving the bedchamber, waiting in front of the door.

"It seems your family wants to see me," Val said from behind him as soon as the door was closed. He walked up to her, holding her arms and making her look up at him.

"You have naught to worry. My grandmother has approved of you." Aemon reassured her.

Val felt a little silly that she cared about their approval. Beyond the wall, whenever you steal someone, that had nothing to do with the parents of whoever you stole, she wanted to say that she didn't care whether they approved of her. Still, a part of her knew how important this was for Jon and the future of her own people. My sister will live south of the wall and won't live with the fear that her next child will die again, Val thought, her hand rubbing her belly.

"I think we should tell them," Aemon suggested. She knew what she meant and understood why he would want to. She nodded in agreement before embracing each other.

Later

After wearing their best clothes, Aemon and Val walked outside, and just as they expected, Ser Arthur was waiting in front of the door. He turned to face them, putting on his helmet.

"Your grace, follow me." The knight said before leading them through the castle.

Your grace, Aemon repeated the word in his head. It sounded strange to be called that. He knew sooner or later, he would need to get used to it, but he found it a little annoying.

I will get used to it with time, Aemon thought, Val's arm arousing his, walking beside him, usually, she would just wear a dress that Dacey had brought her, but today, she had spent time fixing her hair, making a golden braid across one shoulder, Aemon suggested using perfume if she wanted, but Val found the aroma to be malodorous. She couldn't understand how ladies in the South could put something like that all over themselves and walk around without vomiting. And this was the first day Val had willingly left her weapons back at their chamber.

"Ser Arthur, I have wanted to ask you, why did you let me win in the melee?" Aemon asked, breaking the silence between them. He was certain that Arthur had the opportunity to win but had chosen not to at the very end.

"From the beginning of our fight, I saw similarities between you and the King, but when you pushed me to the ground with your shield. I saw it clearly. I didn't know who you were, but your similarities with the king stopped me, your grace." Ser Arthur explained, looking at Aemon over his shoulder, mainly at the closed wound on the side of his head that he had caused with the pommel of his sword.

"I'm really sorry about your wound, your grace." Ser Arthur apologized sincerely.

"There's no need, Ser Arthur. We were in a tourney, fighting. You have no reason to seek forgiveness." Aemon dismissed his worries with a wave of his hand.

Ser Arthur reluctantly nodded. The way he talked reminded him a little of Lyanna. He imagined she would have said the same thing.

Soon they reached the Royal Chambers, and Aemon noticed the odd looks they got from the servants. All of them were probably thinking why someone of his status was in the Royal Quarters.

He escaped his thoughts once they reached the chamber where The Royal Family broke their fast. Ser Barristan and Ser Darry were in front of the door guarding. Both stopped talking to each other the moment Aemon appeared.

They simply moved out of the way when they saw him. "Your grace." The old knights greeted him respectfully.

"Good Morrow."

Once Ser Barristan opened the door for him, Aemon saw almost everyone was already there. The only one missing was Prince Viserys.

"Good Morrow." Aemon greeted them with a smile. His father, Queen Elia, and Rhaenys were quick to stoop up.

"Good Morrow, Valonqar." Rhaenys greeted him with a broad smile. She hugged him first without a second thought, and Aemon returned the hug. Her warm body was pleasant, and her aroma was fragrant, like fresh flowers in the morrow.

"Son, it's good that you joined us." Rhaegar greeted him with a smile before hugging him; Aemon returned the hug his father gave, and Queen Elia kissed his cheeks before they all looked at Val, who had been silent.

"Your Grace, it's good to meet you." She said with as much courtesy as she could muster, bowing her head.

"There's no need for that, Lady Val. Now, why don't you all join us." Elia said pleasantly, eyeing the girl up and down. She had to admit the girl looked nothing like how she pictured her; knowing she was from beyond the wall, she pictured her to have a much colder face. While she could see the ice gaze, the girl was quite beautiful, and her blonde hair reminded her a little of Rhaegar's silver hair.

Walking up to the table, Aemon saw many different dishes lying on the table. His grandmother was quick to greet him.

"Good morrow, grandson." Queen Rhaella said, smiling warmly before she turned to greet her daughter-in-law.

"It's good to meet you again, Princess Val. I hope you find the stay here pleasant." Rhaella said with a smile. The Freefolk woman didn't know how to feel at being called a Princess.

"Just Val, your grace." Val quickly said as Aemon greeted Princess Daenerys and Prince Aegon.

"Brother, it's good to see you again. I hope we can spar later." Aegon greeted Aemon with a friendly smile before he addressed Val.

"My brother is fortunate to have someone like you. I hope he's not a bother." He japed.

Aemon noticed his uncle was absent but did not comment. "How did you sleep, Aemon?" Rhaegar couldn't help but ask. He was relieved that Aemon was here.

When he had woken up, he had been half convinced that it had been a dream until Elia told him that it hadn't been a dream. Rhaegar had ordered Arthur to go and retrieve his son and his wife.

The dishes were colorful and had an aroma that made their stomachs turn. All the while, the courses came and went. A thick soup of barley and venison. Salads of sweetgrass and spinach, and plums, sprinkled with crushed nuts. Snails in honey and garlic. Val had never eaten snails before; Princess Rhaenys showed her how to get the snail out of the shell. Then came trout fresh from the river, baked in clay; Aemon helped her crack open the hard casing to expose the flaky white flesh within. And when the meat course was brought out, he served her himself, slicing a queen's portion from the joint, smiling as he laid it on her plate.

Later came sweetbreads and pigeon pie and baked apples fragrant with cinnamon and lemon cakes frosted in sugar. Val had never eaten something with so many different flavors, it overwhelmed her, and with how hungry she was, she felt like she could eat even more, but she restrained herself from making a mess. Back at Winterfell, she hadn't cared if people thought she made a mess while eating. This time was different. They were Jon's family and the Royal Family. She didn't want to leave a bad impression.

Val couldn't help but notice how Princess Rhaenys was eyeing Aemon, unlike Princess Arianne, whose gaze was filled with lust and excitement. Rhaenys looked at Aemon with love and passion. Not the way a sister should look at their brother.

She couldn't help but find it a little strange since Aemon was her brother, and amongst the Wildlings, it is known that marriage inside the family birthed babies with sickness and deformed, but she kept those thoughts to herself. She knew House Targaryen was known for their tradition of marrying brothers and sisters since Aegon The Conqueror, who had married both of his sisters. She escaped her thoughts when she heard Queen Elia talk.

"Don't listen to Rhaenys, Aemon. When she was five name days, she decided to feed the Dragon Statues in Dragon Stone." Elia started, and from Rhaenys's face flushing red before giving her mother a warning look, Aemon knew his sister didn't want Queen Elia to continue.

"Rhaenys thought the stone statues were actually alive with dragons inside, and for a whole month, she ordered servants to bring food to them, in fear they would go hungry and die," Elia explained with a giggle, as Aemon laughed at the thought, even Val found herself giggling. Rhaenys was giving her mother a murderous look while flushing red in embarrassment.

"One night, when they were much younger, Rhaenys took both Aegon and Dany around Dragon Stone in the middle of the night. She convinced them there were Dragon Eggs hidden all over the Castle." Elia continued. Aegon groaned, being reminded, while Dany burst out laughing.

"Don't remind me. We organized a search party. It took almost two days to find them." Rhaegar added with a loud groan, remembering the day, that night he had been the most afraid since the rebellion.

Aemon snickered. He could already imagine it. A part of him really wished he had been there with them.

"Did you at least find any Dragon Eggs?" Aemon asked hopefully, looking at his brother, who left out a sight. All three shook their heads with frowns on their faces.

"No, we thought we found one, but it turned out to be just a stone that looked like an egg," Aegon added, sounding disappointed, drinking soup with his spoon; Aemon noticed the grimace from King Rhaegar when Aegon mentioned that.

"I always wanted to see Dragonstone. I used to read in the library about the castle, and especially the dragon statues. They were drawings, of course, but I'm sure nothing compares to seeing it for yourself." Aemon said with a sad smile before eating a piece of bread with honey.

"You can see it. As soon as the tourney ends, we can all go together there. It takes only two days for a boat to go from King's Landing to Dragon Stone." Daenerys suggested, with a little flirty smile, showing her beautiful teeth. In her hand was a goblet with wine. Perhaps the alcohol had caused her tongue to lose up a bit.

Dany had to admit that Aemon was incredibly handsome. She had seen many handsome people. Even her brother Rhaegar was one of them. But in her eyes, Aemon was just perfection. The way he smiled, his dark curly hair, and the little scar above his eyebrow made him look more appealing. Her hands shook with excitement. Her hands squeezed the goblet with wine a little too tight. She felt the need for her hands to go through his hair. She could only imagine what it would feel like to have his eyes look at her as he kissed her down there.

It took everything for Val not to giggle at the obvious way the Princess was flirting.

"Thank you, Aunt. I wouldn't mind that." Aemon thanked with a smile after a short pause, ignoring her way of smiling for now.

"Call me, Dany, Aemon. We are family, after all." She was quick to add, too quick.

Rhaella wondered if she should have a talk with her daughter later. If her daughter thought she was being discreet, then she was failing miserably. Now, both Dany and Rhaenys, she thought, knowing Elia's daughter had taken a liking to Aemon.

"How did you and Aemon meet, lady Val?" Rhaegar asked the lady. He wanted to know more about her. To see if she was worthy of being with his son.

Val felt everyone's eyes on her, and Aemon squeezed her hands for support, something she appreciated.

"We were hunting for Deer when we heard talking. We thought they were crows from the Night's Watch..." Val told the story of how she met Jon. Not hiding anything, when she mentioned that an Ice Spider and a White Walker had attacked them, she could see the look of disbelief. She told them of their journey back to Mance Rayder. During their time beyond the wall, every time she mentioned Jon doing something brave, which meant dangerous, she noticed the look both the queen and the king would give their son.

"Once, Jon fought against a fully grown bear with his sword," Val said slyly. Jon gave her a look as if she had just committed treason by saying that, while the King looked at his son with disbelief.

"What were you thinking?" The King almost shouted but restrained himself.

"I wasn't alone. Ghost and Kessa were with me." Aemon defended himself. He knew fighting a bear had been foolish. Thankfully his companions had been there to help him.

Rhaegar wanted to say that he still risked his life, that he should have run away or not faced the bear alone, but he held his tongue. He didn't want to shout at him right now.

Elia, on the other hand, smiled fondly. That was something she could see Lyanna doing. She was too reckless for her own good.

"As long as you don't try again," Rhaegar said, allowing it this one time.

"No promises." His traitorous mouth said before Aemon could stop himself.

This earned a burst of laughter from everyone except the king, who shook his head, but Val could see longing in his eyes. She wondered if Jon reminded him so much of Lyanna Stark.

"How did you end up together?" Aegon asked, taking a sip of wine, looking amused.

"Two months ago, he stole me," Val answered, and from their horror-filled faces, she could guess what they thought she was implying.

"Stole?"

Val explained about her people's customs and how they worked. All of them looked less tense, but she could tell from their faces that they weren't supportive of their way of finding a mate.

"You two seemed to have had quite a journey," Rhaegar said, wanting to change the subject to a happier one.

Seeing their faces, Aemon thought this would be an excellent opportunity to tell them about Val. He hoped they would be happy about them.

"...Father, me and Val wanted something to say to all of you." Aemon suddenly announced, grabbing Val's hand and standing up from their chairs.

"What is it?" Elia asked, eyeing Val as if she knew what they were about to say. Rhaella was the only one smiling.

Aemon cleared his throat while squeezing her hand. "Val is pregnant." He said bluntly, paying attention to their reactions, and from their surprised faces, he could tell they didn't expect this, except his grandmother, who was the first to stand up to congratulate them with a broad smile.

"This is amazing news, Aemon, Val. I'm so happy for both of you." His grandmother said, her eyes welling up with tears, before hugging both of them close. Aemon felt his own eyes welling up as he hugged her back.

"Did you know?" He whispered into her ear.

She pulled away, wiping away tears with her hand. "I had doubts when I first met her but didn't know for sure," Rhaella told him, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"I'm proud of you two. I wish you both a long and happy life." Rhaella congratulated, her hand touching Val's belly before turning to face everyone else.

Elia was the first to walk forward before kissing both Aemon and Val.

"Congratulations, my son. I can't wait to be a grandmother." Aemon felt his heart flutter, knowing she considered him as her son, he thought, his face brightened up more than ever before in his life. He couldn't stop himself from smiling.

Rhaenys, Aegon, and Dany, were quick to congratulate the couple, especially Rhaenys, who whispered something in Val's ear.

Aemon didn't know what his sister said, but the sly smirk forming on Val's face wasn't a good sign.

"Fathe-" Aemon couldn't complete his sentence as the king engulfed him in a big hug.

"I'm so happy for both of you. From the bottom of my heart. I can't remember the last time I have been so Happy." His father said genuinely, kissing his cheek. Aemon was left speechless, but he was happy to hear that. His heart was beating as if it would burst from his chest. He knew it hadn't been a day, but he felt as if he had known them for a long time.

Rhaegar turned to face Val. He put his hands on her shoulders. "Thank you for caring for my careless son for so many years. I wish you both a long and happy life." Val smiled brightly, she didn't know why, but she felt happy they accepted her, despite being a Free Folk. If things went well, soon, her sister would be safe South of the Wall. She will be safe and Happy. Soon, Dalla, she thought, hoping nothing would go Wrong.

Aemon gave Val a side hug before he heard a voice he hadn't heard in some time.

"I feel your happiness, Aemon. You deserve it." Aegarax said mentally to Aemon. Remembering his old raider. Since he had been woken up, memories of his old life returned. And Aemon reminded him of his old rider.

"But soon, we need to go to the top of The Mountains. Near the Sea." Aegarax warned with a loud growl.

"Why?" Aemon thought warily. The only place he could think of was the Mountains around Vale since they were the tallest.

"I felt a Dragon, Aemon. We need to see him." Aegarax answered grimly.

Aemon wondered who this other dragon was. Many had died during the Dance. Morning was rumored to have been killed by Aegon III the Dragonbane due to his fear and hatred towards Dragons. The only dragon he could think of that could be still alive were Sheepstealer and The Cannibal.

I hope you have enjoyed this one. Have A Wonderful Day.

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