Chapter 18.

A/N:

Hello there, my lovely degenerates!

It's been a busy week at work, but surprisingly I was able to write a lot more than I thought. I just have to edit them this weekend and release them later. This chapter is more of a transition, so it's about 2.5k+ words, which is still the minimum I like to keep my chapters at. I should be able to post another chapter by tomorrow, I think. Let's see if it's possible ~

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

Enjoy the chapter!

~~O~~

Rhaenyra Targaryen, 110 AC.

'I couldn't save her again' was the only thought that filled her mind as she hugged Aemma's body. When she entered the room and saw her mother's body, she zoned out from everything and everyone, and all she could see was Aemma.

Her memories were mixing together in a chaotic and confusing manner. She saw Ai's bloody face instead of Aemma's looking at her with vacant eyes, and she could hear the whispers of the many, many people she let down in her past life.

She heard Ruby's voice, her tone a mix of sadness and anger, saying, 'You couldn't save Mama again... Just as you couldn't save me either. You can't save anyone, can you?'

Next was Kana's voice, a voice that used to be so eager and happy, now carrying a chilling and somber tone as she said, 'You left us. It's all your fault that we died, and this is also all your fault.'

And lastly, she heard Akane's voice, tinged with sadness and disappointment, 'Your quest for revenge led to this. If only you had trusted me back then and asked for help, all of this could've been avoided.'

To Rhaenyra, the voices were right. It was all her fault. Had she been a better daughter, her mother would still be alive. Her warm and gentle smile would still be preserved, not the expression of pain and horror frozen on her face, staring at her for eternity as if asking why she didn't save her.

She could still hear Aemma's screams of pain in the back of her mind, calling her name desperately,

Rhaenyra was on the verge of collapse. After so many ups and downs and three lives of experience, she had grown tired and lost. Her sense of self was beginning to break apart as time passed.

'Who am I?' She questioned herself many times. Was she a doctor? An actor? A princess? She didn't know. She really didn't know.

The idea of simply letting everything go and just letting her heart and body die was growing stronger and tempting. As her mind deteriorated into an abyss of self-doubt and insanity, she heard a faint but firm voice in her mind calling her name.

'Rhaenyra!' It was Aemon's voice. She had grown so used to his beautiful and enchanting voice over all these years that she could recognize it instantly.

'Please don't leave me...' His voice said. She recalled how distressed and lost he was when he would wake up from his nightmares at night. How his eyes would stare at her unblinkingly, as if afraid that the second he blinked, she would be gone forever. At the time, she was very hurt and worried for her brother, but it also both warmed and disturbed her heart to see someone so completely obsessed with her presence, to the point of desperation.

She simply couldn't comprehend when and why she began to feel this way; it amazed her to no end how Aemon affected her. Rhaenyra knew that she couldn't betray those purple eyes, she couldn't leave him behind. She had betrayed the trust of every single person in her entire existence; only he was left. Only Aemon.

But would he hate her for failing him? Would he blame her for not saving their mother?

She was overwhelmed with anguish and fear, as she didn't want to lose the only person she had left.

"Aemon... Aemon..." As she called his name quietly, all of the noise of the room ceased. She saw his eyes across the room, and even if they weren't in the same piercing and beautiful purple that she was so used to, she knew it was him. "I couldn't save her... I couldn't save Ai..." She tried to explain to him, to convey her feelings. She wanted to beg him not to blame her, but the words didn't come out as she wanted.

She watched as his eyes turned back to normal, overflowing with tears as he said, "Rhaenyra... I'm so sorry." Her heart ached as she saw his tears. 'That's not it...' she thought. She didn't want him to apologize to her; it was all her fault, after all. She didn't want to see him cry; she just wanted his forgiveness, but why didn't the words come out as she wanted them to?

She saw him walking slowly in her direction, and he knelt beside her. Tears gushed down from his eyes as he stared at her. Rhaenyra's already dried eyes were filled with tears once again, but now for her brother, as seeing him crying brought her great sorrow. She felt his callused but gentle hands touching her face carefully, wiping her tears. She wanted to do the same to him, but she felt like all the vitality had left her body, and she couldn't express herself clearly. She once again tried to say to him, "I couldn't save Ai, Aemon... I couldn't save her again..." but what she wanted to say was, 'Please forgive me, Aemon...'

His expression only worsened, and she could see that he was trying his best not to cry. 'I'm your big sister, I should be the one protecting you,' the thought crossed her mind briefly before her mind became foggy again.

She felt Aemon's warm and caring embrace, and she immediately latched onto him, as if afraid he would change his mind and leave her behind, never forgiving her sins. "Aemon... Don't leave me..." 

Those were her last words before she passed out in his arms.

~~O~~

After that day, the realm was plunged into turmoil. The queen had died, and her newborn son had perished with her. Both Aemon and Rhaenyra were reported to have fallen gravely ill and went missing from the public eye for days.

Rumors about what had happened in the Queen's chambers began to spread, creating many versions of the event. They were quickly quashed by the combined efforts of Viserys and Daemon, but they couldn't completely disappear. 

The fact that Maester Mellos wasn't seen after that day and that the king was seen using an arm sling served to fuel the veracity of such rumors. Many in the realm, especially women who had given birth and men who had lost their mothers or wives in childbirth, took the side of the twins, thinking in their hearts that Aemon's actions were justified and that his filial feelings for his mother were commendable and honorable. Many secretly shed tears for the twins and wished that their grief would pass soon. On the other hand, there were those who considered their actions cruel and treasonous, stating that the queen was only doing her duty and that the king was justified in his actions, protecting the royal family and its interests.

News of their dragons wreaking havoc in the Dragonpit also spread like wildfire. The whole capital could hear the roars of Vermithor and Silverwing echoing across King's Landing. It was said that more than five dragon keepers were killed trying to calm down the pair, but they simply couldn't. Many who were closer to the pit cowered in fear as they heard the frenzied roars of the beasts. They feared that if set loose, these two behemoths would burn down the whole kingdom on their own.

The sheer ferocity and power of Vermithor and Silverwing were terrifying. The dragons' roars shook the ground, and the heat from their fiery breath was felt even from a distance. The dragon keepers, despite their years of experience, found themselves helpless against the raging beasts. The bond between dragon and rider was strong, and it was clear that Vermithor and Silverwing were reacting to the immense grief and fury of their riders.

In the city, people whispered in fear and awe. The Targaryens' control over their dragons was both a source of their power and a constant reminder of the danger they posed. The sight of the dragons in such a wrathful condition was a stark reminder of that precarious balance.

"It is fortunate that they left this state soon after," a courtier remarked, trembling with relief. "Or we could only beg for Prince Daemon and Princess Rhaenys to use their dragons to stop them."

Daemon and Rhaenys, both skilled dragonriders, were prepared to intervene if necessary. Their dragons, Caraxes and Meleys, stood ready, but the prospect of a dragon fight within the city was a nightmare no one wanted to face. The potential for destruction was unimaginable.

The incident left the city on edge. The smallfolk and nobles alike were reminded of the volatile nature of the dragons and the Targaryens who rode them. The roars of Vermithor and Silverwing echoed in their minds, a haunting reminder of the power that lay beneath the surface, ready to erupt at any moment.

Aemon and Rhaenyra, though absent from the public eye, were at the center of the storm. Their grief and the raw power of their dragons had sent ripples through the realm, and the consequences of that fateful day in the Queen's chambers would be felt for a long time to come.

The eyes of the nobles and smallfolk alike were all pointed to the throne, eagerly waiting for the changes that this event would cause to the realm. 

~~O~~ 

Aemon Targaryen, 110 AC.

It's been three days since Aemma's passing, and things were slowly getting back to normal. At least on the surface. In the corridors of the castle, you could hear the whisperings of some of the attendants.

"Is it true? Prince Aemon almost killed Maester Mellos?" a young and petite attendant inquired, her eyes wide with curiosity and concern.

Her senior colleague nodded her head in response. "Aye, I saw it myself, the state of his body as they dragged that old man from the room. To me, it's still hard to believe he survived that."

The older attendant would never forget Mellos's completely disfigured face and how his hollow eye sockets 'stared' at her. She shivered at the memory.

The young attendant bit her lips and argued, "B-but I'm sure the prince had his reasons, right? I don't believe that Prince Aemon would do such a barbaric act without a proper explanation." She couldn't connect the ever charming and gallant prince with someone who would do such a thing, at least not without a reason.

The older attendant shook her head and smiled knowingly. She could see the devotion and affection that the young attendant had for the prince, and she honestly couldn't blame her. Had she been a little younger, she might also daydream and desire the prince, as the vast majority of women in the realm did.

She thought for a second and nodded her head. "Aye, in my opinion, the prince was indeed justified, lass." Her expression morphed into one of contempt as she continued, "That old lecher had it coming. I'm pretty sure Princess Rhaenyra could've saved the queen." She knew the inside story, as one of her friends had carried water to the room and heard the heated discussion between the princess and the king. She knew the struggles of giving birth, being a mother herself, so she could sympathize with the twins and their grief. She was also one of the many people who had their lives saved by Rhaenyra's methods, so she had great faith in the princess.

As they were about to continue their gossip, they heard the creak of a door and a figure slowly walking out of it.

They knew which room it was and were startled by what they saw next.

A completely disheveled Aemon was coming in their direction, his steps faltering as he walked. They could see his face was paler than normal, as if devoid of any blood, and his eyes had dark circles around them, showing that he had barely slept lately.

For reasons unbeknownst to them, he was still wearing armor, as if he were prepared to go to war at any moment. But this armor was silvery and not the bronze-colored one he normally used. The silvery hue gave him an ethereal, almost ghostly appearance, contrasting sharply with his disheveled state and the dark circles under his eyes.

His aura was chilling, and even the young attendant who had an infatuation with the prince felt shivers down her spine as she was stared down by those cold purple orbits.

When he finally arrived, he said in a stoic and cold tone, without any of his past politeness and sunny smile, "Bring me water and soup, and hurry your steps." With that, he walked back to the room, which was Princess Rhaenyra's.

The two attendants traded shocked looks, and the younger one looked worriedly at his receding back.

She then got out of her stupor as the older attendant said, "We should hurry, lass, the prince has been in a weird mood lately."

She nodded, and they both proceeded to carry out their orders.

~~O~~

Aemon closed the door behind his back and walked back deep into the room. Every single muscle of his body ached, and he felt like collapsing with each step.

'So there are side effects, huh?' he thought absently as he struggled to approach the bed. He knew that his state from before was abnormal and that he didn't possess such strength normally. He also heard of Rhaenyra's burst against the guards, so he knew that something had awoken inside them both, and it seemed there was a price to be paid for using whatever it was.

In the first day after using this "power," he could barely lift a finger without feeling like his body was breaking apart, and even opening his eyes was a difficult task.

The only reason he could walk at all right now was because of his sheer will and helplessness as he couldn't just stay inside his room without Rhaenyra.

He had to be by her side no matter what, especially as she had fallen into a coma after that day.

He finally reached the bed and sat in a chair by the side of it.

His eyes threatened to burst into tears as he looked at the sleeping beauty in the bed.

She looked like an immaculate goddess, cursed to eternal slumber in punishment for her otherworldly allure.

It's been three days since she had fallen into such a state, and for three whole days, he had spent almost every single moment he could by her side, silently guarding her.

His head couldn't think straight anymore because of the sleep deprivation, and more than once, he caught himself on the verge of passing out.

Even after he drank some highly dangerous stimulants, he still felt tired and sleepy after more than 72 hours of no rest.

But he would persist, even if it meant being tortured like he felt he was right now.

He touched her face tenderly with trembling hands while muttering, "Please wake up soon, Rae... I need you..."

He didn't know what to do if Rhaenyra never woke up and felt like his last traces of sanity were slowly leaving him as he thought about such possibility.

She was everything he had left, and the only anchor to his existence in this treacherous world.

Aemon couldn't imagine life without Rhaenyra. She was his rock, his confidant, and the one person who understood him completely. As he sat by her bedside, holding her hand, he realized just how deeply intertwined their lives were. They had faced so much together, and now, in the wake of their mother's death, their bond felt more crucial than ever.

He even amused the idea of burning the whole castle with everyone inside if Rhaenyra never woke up, but quickly shook his head and tried his best to not let his mind wander into that dark and mad corner of his mind. 

Just as he was about rest his back against the chair again, he felt a gentle and weak hand reaching out for his retreating one. His eyes followed the pale hand until he was greeted with a pair of violet and beautiful eyes shining against the rays of sunlight coming from the window, staring at him.

He couldn't control his emotions anymore, and his eyes burst into tears as he heard the calm and sweet voice that he missed so much saying weakly, with a spark of joy in her tone, "Such a crybaby... What would you do without me around, stupid brother?"

She delicately moved her hand to caress his face as she looked at his disheveled visage with pain and guilt in her eyes.

He just hugged her hand as he sobbed with both relief and grief for everything that happened.

Rhaenyra tried her best to muster a smile and said softly, "I'm sorry for the wait, Aemon... I'm back."