Chapter 20.

A/N:

Hello there, my lovely degenerates ~

As you guys must have noticed, this took a while to be released.

Part of the reason is that I got really busy these days at work, and even as I'm typing right now, I'm about 4 hours away from a 12-hour shift, yay ~

Another reason was that I wasn't satisfied with the chapter before, so I've edited it many, many times.

Also, this is the last chapter of the first volume, be fucking happy ~

This will be also the last "sad chapter" for a while, as I think I've had enough of the drama ~

Anyway, don't forget to send me some stones and leave a review. It not only helps with visibility but also keeps me motivated to write more.

Enjoy the chapter!

~~O~~

Aemon Targaryen, 110 AC.

"Feeling better?" Rhaenyra's voice broke through the haze of sleep, accompanied by the sour sweetness of a tangerine. Aemon blinked groggily, his senses slowly returning. He had just woken up after passing out in her arms, exhausted from over two days without sleep.

"Yeah, I feel better," he replied sheepishly, chewing the piece of fruit she had handed him. He didn't like that he passed out as soon as she woke up. He felt like he had failed his task to protect her and was very ashamed for that.

Rhaenyra sighed, sensing his discomfort. "You know, sometimes you can be very childish about the smallest things," she chided gently. She passed him another peeled tangerine piece and took one for herself, savoring its sour-sweet flavor before continuing, "From what I've gathered from the servants, you haven't left my side for more than ten minutes at a time, for more than two days straight, without any rest or pause." She placed a hand on his, her violet eyes filled with tenderness. "You've taken great care of me, Aemon. Now let me also do the same for you."

Aemon couldn't help but relax under the gentle warmth of her touch and the sincerity in her eyes. He felt a wave of relief wash over him, making him sleepy once again, but he quickly dismissed any further thoughts of rest. They had too many pressing matters at hand.

"You're right," he admitted with a reluctant smile, squeezing her hand in return. "Thank you, Rae."

The weight of their responsibilities lingered heavily in the air, but they found solace in each other's company. Aemon shifted the conversation to more immediate concerns. "So, about our new 'powers.' What are your thoughts?"

Rhaenyra's expression grew serious. "We need to understand them first," she said thoughtfully. "They could be a blessing or a curse, depending on how we use them. We should explore them together, carefully."

It filled both of them with excitement and dread when they remembered the feeling of power and euphoria they both had when in that state.

Aemon knew that normally he was indeed strong, almost catching up with his best friend Harwin Strong, who was regarded as, well, really 'Strong'. But to beat Harwin and two other Kingsguard and Daemon at the same time? That was simply inhumane, and he could never do such a thing in his normal state. Perhaps in the future when he was fully grown, he could out-strength them individually, but never all at once, and never so young. He also remembered how his body felt almost indestructible and how the cuts from Daemon's sword had barely hurt him. They did cut him, and he still carried the many marks of the slashes from Dark Sister. But they were healing at an abnormal speed, completely defying his supposed normal physiology.

"That strength, that speed," Aemon murmured, his eyes dark with contemplation. "It feels... unnatural."

Rhaenyra nodded, her expression serious. "We must be cautious, Aemon. We can't let this power control us. We must control it."

Aemon nodded. "Agreed. But we must keep this between us for now. If anyone finds out, it could bring us more danger than we already face."

"It could be a valuable weapon," Rhaenyra mused. "Whatever its origin, we need to discover how to use it and how to manage it. For that, we need to recover—not only physically, but also mentally—so we can explore these powers with ease."

Aemon nodded to her words, acknowledging the importance of the matter.

Rhaenyra changed the subject as they couldn't really do much about their powers right now, asking, "On another note, what are your plans right now?"

She knew her brother well enough to predict that after this whole ordeal, he wouldn't want to stay in the capital anymore.

Aemon fixed his gaze on hers as he answered, "Let's go to the Stepstones."

This took Rhaenyra by surprise, as she didn't really see that coming. She thought that perhaps he would just move back to Dragonstone and be done with it for a while.

Aemon, noticing her confusion and having a fair estimate of her thoughts, explained his reasons, saying, "I don't want to go back to Dragonstone now, not only because it's too close to him, but also because I want to get away from here for some time."

Rhaenyra nodded, understanding some of his reasoning, but still not fully as she asked, "But why the Stepstones? We have dragons; we can basically travel to any place known to man." Although it wouldn't be wise for them to travel too far from their territory without an army, they could indeed survive without any problem out there, even without the dragons. Of course, two giant dragons made things much easier.

Aemon crossed his arms and sat back in his chair while he explained his reasons, "We could, but I don't want to be completely out of the game of thrones yet. The Stepstones are a pivotal and strategic place for the realm, and right now it's basically just there waiting to be taken." Before Rhaenyra interrupted him, he continued, "Yes, I am aware that it isn't this simple and that the Triarchy wouldn't just sit back and let us have our way, but we have all the tools to fight and win that place in our very hands. Why not use it?"

He then proceeded to say something that really surprised her, "I've already contacted the Sea Snake."

Rhaenyra couldn't hold her shock as she said, "What? When? Did you get his support? And why am I only hearing about this right now?"

Aemon chuckled at her behavior; it was very rare to see his dear sister drop her facade and be genuinely surprised by something.

He couldn't hold back a smug smile from forming on his face while he explained, "Calm down your horses, stupid sister. It was before the tourney, and we didn't really agree with anything yet. I've only made it clear that I wanted to discuss some things with him about it and that perhaps we could make some arrangements."

Rhaenyra nodded absentmindedly as she absorbed the information. 'This explains why Corlys was looking so interestedly at Aemon at the tourney, as if assessing something,' she thought.

She then said, "I see... if you can really get his support, then perhaps conquering the Stepstones wouldn't be so hard."

If they had the Velaryon fleet at their disposal, then they could indeed fight in this upcoming war. The only problem was that they both only had their dragons to offer, and although it was indeed one of, if not the greatest weapon of war of their time, dragons don't win wars—armies do. Even Aegon the Conqueror, who rode the biggest and fiercest dragon in their whole dynasty, couldn't conquer Westeros without an army.

He didn't want to be the king of ashes after all.

Sadly, they were still too young and had not much time to build their own army yet, even though they were already saving the money they got from their entrepreneurship and investments in many plagiarized technologies they had brought to life in this era. They didn't want sellswords or armies like the Golden Company could offer, that only cared about the money and transactions. This kind of army was disposable at best and only good for getting the numbers high in wars where the odds were in their favor. They needed to nurture a loyal and faithful army, a private army of their own. They studied the possibility of buying some of the Unsullied, but their more modern minds really abhorred the idea of owning slaves, especially since slavery was forbidden in Westeros. Their enemies and potential ones could use this as a weapon to smear their reputation that they built carefully over many years. Perhaps they could free them like Daenerys did, but Aemon didn't want to count on luck as she did. Her plan was pretty risky and stupid in his opinion.

They decided to gather enough money first and later think this through.

"We can talk about this later after we discuss things with the Sea Snake. But for now, come here for a second." She signaled him with her hands to come closer, as if she wanted to say something very important to him.

This got Aemon curious, and he obliged, thinking to himself that he was about to hear something good.

Unfortunately, what waited for him was a hard flick on his forehead, to which he recoiled back, hissing while saying with an aggrieved expression, "What was that for?"

He felt a shiver down his spine as a pair of violet, cold eyes stared back at him.

Rhaenyra's said to him with a smile that wasn't a smile, "That's for calling me stupid, stupid brother. Blame your own stupidity for it, stupid brother. Call me stupid again, and I'll break your nose, stupid brother."

He nodded fearfully at her, not knowing how serious she was about her threats.

Rhaenyra, seeing the honest and a bit scared expression on her brother's face, let out a little chuckle in return, which soon turned into a light laugh that filled the room.

She was glad that even after all they've been through and all the pain they had suffered, they could still banter about such small things. They were still pretty much grieving, but that didn't mean that their life had to be miserable forever from now on, and that they could never smile again.

Aemon also smiled back at her, happy to see a smile return to her face. He would do everything in his power to preserve that exquisite and perfect smile, even if he had to put his life on the line for it.

With a lighter mood than before, they decided to rest and focus on their mother's funeral arrangements for now. They knew they had to honor Aemma one last time.

~~O~~

Rhaenyra Targaryen, 110 AC.

The day of the funeral arrived, and the court was draped in black. A somber hush fell over the crowd as they gathered to pay their respects. The green field was filled with mourners, and the air was thick with sorrow and the sound of low, mournful chanting.

Aemon and Rhaenyra stood side by side, their faces solemn and their hearts heavy. Aemon had not spoken to Viserys since their confrontation, and he had no intention of doing so today or anytime soon. Rhaenyra, however, maintained her composure, her past experience as an actor aiding her in masking her true feelings.

Did that mean that any of them forgave Viserys? Absolutely not. It's just that unfortunately Viserys was still the king, and they couldn't completely cut him out for now. Aemon was too honest and upright to manipulate and act around Viserys, but Rhaenyra was not. She could and would use acting and manipulation to achieve their goals. She didn't mind the dirty work one bit, and even preferred to be the one to do it, as she didn't want this filthy part of politics to smear Aemon's good heart, even though she knew that he wasn't naive nor stupid about such matters. She just wanted to preserve him as much as she could, to protect his mind, just as he protected hers. Viserys would get what he deserved when the time was right, but not yet.

For now, she just wanted to pay their respects to their mother and move on with their lives. She watched with great pain the body of not only her mother wrapped in cloth, but also a small one by her side, both laying down on pyres. Although she said horrible things before about not caring about her unborn little brother, she still felt sad for the loss of such a young life, someone who was born from the same womb that both she and Aemon had come from. She didn't desire his death nor did she blame him for their mother's death.

As she was lost in thought, Rhaenys and her children, Laenor and Laena Velaryon, came to offer their condolences to the twins.

"Aemon, Rhaenyra," Rhaenys greeted them with a solemn nod. "My condolences. Queen Aemma will be greatly missed."

They could feel the genuine concern and grief in her voice, and they knew that she was indeed very sad and sorry for what had happened. Although they weren't as close as they once were, Aemma and Rhaenys had a very amiable relationship, often gossiping and drinking tea together at royal festivities. Rhaenys also knew how it was to lose a parent so young, so she could sympathize greatly with the twins' sorrow and was on their side about the whole episode with Mellos and Viserys.

"Thank you, Rhaenys," Aemon replied, his voice steady despite his grief. He, like Rhaenyra, had come to respect this older cousin of his greatly over the years and also saw her almost as an aunt to himself, even calling her "aunty" when they were alone. Rhaenys enjoyed this very much and teased him with comments like, "If you so wish, we could always make our family ties grow closer, especially you and Laena..." But to her frustration, Aemon always took that as he and Laena growing closer as siblings, always saying, "I'll always look after Laena as my own blood, you don't have to worry, aunty!"

Rhaenys could only sigh in defeat at the prince's oblivious nature to her daughter's advances. She thought to herself at the time, 'I've tried, Laena... good luck with him.'

Laenor, his eyes bright with a mixture of eagerness and nervousness, stepped forward. "The Velaryons are at your disposal, Aemon. We stand ready to support you with anything."

His pale lilac eyes shone brightly as he stared closely at Aemon, and he could barely control his excitement to be speaking with the prince, his idol, and crush for many years. He wished they could speak more and desired to have alone moments with the prince, but sadly his annoying little sister never let him be alone with Aemon for even a second.

And just on cue, she stepped up. Laena, her gaze lingering on Aemon with undisguised admiration, nodded in agreement, but not before pushing Laenor a bit to the side as she approached Aemon. "We'll do whatever it takes for you to feel better, Aemon. We are on your side." She abruptly touched his hands without any warning, taking not only Aemon by surprise but her mother, brother, and also Rhaenyra, each of them having a different reaction.

Aemon was a bit startled by her sudden closeness out of nowhere, but he thought that perhaps she was trying to convey her condolences in her own way. Laenor was fuming and also blaming himself for not having thought of doing the same before. Rhaenys was greatly pleased with her daughter's assertive behavior, thinking to herself, 'As expected of the blood of the dragon.'

Laena felt a shiver down her spine all of a sudden, and she looked in the direction of Rhaenyra as a reflex. Rhaenyra maintained her mostly stoic and calm expression, with a subdued smile and gentle demeanor. But at that moment, it felt fake and forced, and Laena could swear she saw a pair of cold dark stars for a fleeting moment inside Rhaenyra's violet eyes.

Laena felt like she was being stared down by a ferocious dragon when she looked back at the supposedly gentle Rhaenyra. She released Aemon's hand by instinct, remembering the time when she almost died when she tried to steal an egg from Dreamfyre, and the dragon stared down at her with the same cold eyes as Rhaenyra's. If Rhaenys and the dragon keepers hadn't arrived at that very moment to save her, she would be dead for sure.

She saw Rhaenyra's eyes morph back to normal once again, and Rhaenyra smiled at her gracefully while saying as if nothing had happened, "We appreciate your concerns, cousins. It's very kind of you." She said that as she grabbed Aemon's hand. Aemon didn't find it strange to have his hands touched by Rhaenyra, and actually enjoyed the close contact in such a time, but for some reason, her grip was stronger than normal, almost possessive in nature. He found it odd but dismissed it as perhaps a result of her grief.

She then continued saying, "If you excuse us," and then dragged a very confused Aemon away from the crowd and closer to the pyre, leaving the three Velaryons behind completely dumbfounded.

Rhaenys was the first one to get out of the stupor, and she just shook her head and touched her daughter's shoulder while saying, "Good luck with that..."

~~O~~

Rhaenyra felt confused as she dragged Aemon away from the Velaryons. She couldn't explain what and why she felt the way she did right now. Just the other day she was teasing Aemon about the many suitors he had and even expected him to fall in love with one of them and eventually marry. But after Aemma died, something changed inside of her. She didn't want to be separated from Aemon; she didn't want it at all. The thought of being away from him brought her to the verge of despair, and she just couldn't. She wouldn't. The way Laena looked at Aemon and how she touched him so casually filled her with an unexplained sensation of fury and anger towards the innocent girl. She felt like cutting off Laena's hands just to stop her from ever touching her brother again.

'This isn't me... It's just the grief and everything that has happened lately, making my emotions so scattered and wild,' she thought, trying to rationalize her feelings. Those wild and cruel instincts reminded her of her weird state when using her powers, the raw and powerful emotions she felt at the time. 'We really need to investigate this before it's too late...'

Her thoughts were interrupted by Aemon gently squeezing her hands while saying, "We're here." She got out of her daze and stared ahead. They were right in front of the pyre where their mother and brother lay. The pain of this scene brought her back to the present, and she turned her head again to her brother, asking, "Are you sure you want to do this?" She looked at him with a concerned expression while eyeing something on his back.

He slowly reached his hand towards the object, revealing it to be his beloved lute, a gift he got many years ago from their mother. His fingers gently traced the intricate details of the lute and stopped at a set of Valyrian words beautifully carved into the high-quality wood, that said, 'To my beloved Silver Minstrel.'

Rhaenyra's throat tightened as she read the words, remembering the scene where she saw her mother carving them carefully to not damage the instrument while saying with a happy and lovely smile, "I hope Aemon doesn't mind this little jest. I just wanted to leave a little something from myself, as I really didn't have any involvement with the crafting of the gift." She finished carving the words and nodded with a proud expression.

Aemon's grip on the lute tightened slightly as he drew a deep breath. "I'm sure," he said softly, his voice steady but filled with emotion. "I want to honor her in the best way I know how."

Rhaenyra nodded, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "She would love that," she whispered, squeezing his hand in return. She took a step back, giving him space to perform.

The people surrounding the vicinity were a little surprised by this, some of them even growing a bit excited for the chance to hear the famous Silver Minstrel play, but the vast majority kept quiet and just watched his next actions.

Aemon positioned himself in front of the pyre, the sunlight flickering in his eyes as he began to play.

This was a song that he loved very much in his past life, and after changing some of the lyrics, he felt it was a good song not only to release all of his bottled-up feelings of loss but also to express his love for his mother one last time.

(Play Portals of Light Acoustic by Falconer)

"I sit here by your side

And weep you goodbye

I'm singing songs of sorrow for you

True gentle rose of mine

Upon my arm I've tied a ribbon in black

Although I know too well that this

Will not ever bring you back"

The mournful melody filled the air, weaving through the silent crowd and wrapping them in its sorrowful embrace. Each note was a testament to the love and pain he felt, a final goodbye to the woman who had given him so much.

"I feel so astray inside

As I know you're far away

Let my love shine and be your guide

On your way towards the portals of light"

He wasn't a normal kid for a lot of reasons, and many times he rejected the love and care of Aemma on the grounds that he would only recognize one person as his mother, the mother that had raised him in his past life. But Aemma broke through his shell with time and patience, showing him the true meaning of motherly love. He recalled the many times when he was hugged by her warm embrace as he continued to sing his heart out.

He just never imagined the last time they would hug would be so soon.

"A lonely candle burns for you, my dear mother

Meanwhile you roam the clouds among

Heaven's Gods high above

What is there left to live for

As you've gone away

Hope's lost forevermore

I'll mourn you till the end of days"

He wondered if he had really been a good son for her; he regretted the days he spent training or away from her, not knowing that he would lose her so soon. He should have stayed by her side; he should have saved her.

"I feel so astray inside

As I know you're far away

Let my love shine and be your guide

On your way towards the portals of light"

He couldn't stop his voice from trembling as he tried to keep on singing, feeling like he was reliving all the precious moments they shared together—her smile, her enchanting voice that always calmed his troubled mind, her everlasting patience with him and Rhaenyra's weird antics. He felt like he didn't deserve such a great mother. He felt like he failed her, and he was trying desperately to convey one last time his feelings and regrets for her.

"Hear, mother

Hear my cry of deepest grief

As I weep for you eternally

Praying for your soul

And for light and for relief

As I shed your tears of misery"

Rhaenyra watched her brother's singing, and she could feel the raw emotions of pain and grief that resonated with her more than anyone else in the world. She had to stop herself from jumping on Aemon to hug him in an attempt to relieve some of his pain. But she knew she couldn't; this was Aemon's way of releasing all of his sorrow, and it was the only way he could express his love for their mother.

"I feel so astray inside

As I know you're far away

Let my love shine and be your guide

On your way towards the portals..."

He felt his voice faltering, and he couldn't sing the last part completely. But he steeled his heart while thinking that this was his last gift for his beloved mother, so he had to sing the full song perfectly. He sang the last verse with strength, as if he wanted her to hear his voice from wherever she was.

"I feel so astray inside

As I know you're far away

Let my love shine and be your guide

On your way towards the portals of light!"

The final note lingered in the air, a poignant echo of the love and grief Aemon poured into his song. The crowd remained silent, the weight of the moment pressing down on them.

Rhaenyra approached Aemon, tears streaming down her face as she wrapped her arms around him. He hugged her back, his own tears falling freely. It was a moment of shared grief and love, a testament to their bond.

Rhaenys wiped her own face, moved by the heartfelt tribute. Almost everyone around her had shed tears hearing Aemon's beautiful, emotion-filled voice. As she watched the twins' exchange, for the first time in her life, she felt a pang of jealousy as a mother, wondering if her own children would love and honor her as deeply as Aemon and Rhaenyra did for Aemma. But she quickly dismissed the thought, focusing instead on her wish for her children's happiness.

Rhaenys then cast a contemptuous gaze at Viserys, who looked aged and defeated, staring blankly at the twins. His eyes were filled with deep regret, but Rhaenys felt no pity for him. He had made his choice, and now he had to live with the consequences.

Aemon hugged his sister tightly, drawing strength from their shared sorrow. After a few moments, he released her and spoke quietly but firmly, "I'm okay, Rae. It's time."

Rhaenyra nodded, her eyes locked onto his, seeing the fire and determination returning to his gaze. She turned her attention to Silverwing, the silver dragon patiently waiting on a hill at the edge of the field. Originally, she had insisted that Vermithor perform the task, but Aemon had argued that Vermithor had grown too big. Both dragons had experienced growth spurts in recent years since being claimed by the twins. If things continued this way, Vermithor might become as large or even larger than Vhagar. Silverwing was still massive but not as massive as the Bronze Fury, so she could still fit on the hill.

Rhaenyra stepped forward, her steps measured and deliberate. Silverwing's watchful eyes followed her every move. She hesitated for a moment, taking one last look at her mother's body and then at Aemon, who nodded back reassuringly.

She took a deep breath and commanded, her voice trembling but resolute, "Dracarys."

Silverwing responded immediately, releasing a torrent of flames that engulfed the pyre. The fire roared to life, consuming the bodies of Aemma and her unborn child. The heat and light of the blaze were overwhelming, and the crowd watched in solemn silence.

Aemon and Rhaenyra stood side by side, their hands clasped together, watching the flames rise higher. It was a moment of finality, a moment of goodbye. As the flames danced, they whispered their silent promises to their mother: they would honor her memory, they would stand strong, and they would protect each other. Together, they would face whatever came next.