(Aerion's POV)
"Our Young Lord is finally a married man!" Willam shouted with joy as he stood up and raised his mugs, "Drink up!!"
The other knights raised their mugs and shouted excitedly, laughing as they all looked at me with smiles.
"Congratulations." Gerold told me, patting my shoulder, "At long last, we can celebrate privately!"
I raised an eyebrow, "The wedding was not enough for you lot?" I asked, "You sure love doing things your own way."
"Ah, don't be that way!" Yohn said with a laugh, "We cannot let loose in the presence of the Royals!"
"Enough." Mother said, "Enjoy the drinks, tonight we celebrate my son's marriage.....again...."
All of them raised their mugs and shouted once again.
We had reserved a tavern in the city, thanks to Mother and Father asking the owner. The Royce Knights wanted to celebrate my marriage in a private manner. I can understand, they are used to having festive events at Runestone and they did not feel appropriate to celebrate normally in the Red Keep.
I am a Targaryen, however.....but they wish to remind themselves that I am a Royce as well.
I was looking at the mug of ale that Gerold handed me, it did not look tempting one bit. I have not drank much alcohol since I returned from the Stepstones. And perhaps there was a good reason for that. I was unsure of what would happen if I took too much of it into my body.
These jolly Knights sure love to get drunk the times they are not doing their duty. I do wonder how busy they have been the past two years...compared to Uncle and I....
It still feels surreal, coming back home after what had happened back then. Two whole years of pure fighting and carnage.
I did not know how to properly adjust.
Mother looks at me with a look of worry and concern, there's a hint of fear in her eyes. I can tell, even Father looks at me the same way.
But why? Why do people look at me like I am a monster? I merely did what I think was-
"Aerion." Mother called out to me, "You have not had anything from your drink."
I looked at her, she was looking at me with her beautiful eyes, "I am sorry, Mother." I said, "I do not feel the cravings of ale...."
"Hm...." She said, "Perhaps some wine?"
"I am fine." I told her
After returning, the mere sight of my Mother eased my mind. It was expected, I did miss her after all. I know she missed me terribly, the thought of her losing he son was something I did not want her to have. I do feel regret for leaving her so worried and concerned but I returned, fine and healthy.
The stories were true after all, I had not received a single wound in the war.
But there was so much blood, however.
So much blood.
So much fire.
Many men were cut down by my blade, and burned by my dragon's flames.
It was a sight from hell. How can a single force muster up so many men to be thrown to their deaths?
That is War, though. You just do not know.
The sounds of my blade cutting through flesh is still prominent in my mind. The fact that I can close my eyes and see the splattering of the blood, the sounds of men crying out of pain and horror. The smell of burnt flesh was strong, I can remember every second of it.
How can someone be so fine with War? Only madmen can-
"Aerion." Mother called out to me, "You are staring into nothing."
I blinked, "Oh."
I looked around, while the rest of the room were drinking and laughing, Willam and Gerold were looking at me with concerned looks alongside Mother.
Willam cleared his throat, "So..." He said, "Do we expect a little heir soon?"
I looked at him, "What do you mean?"
"You married the Princess, Lord Aerion." Gerold said, "Rhaenyra is the Heir, there is no doubt that His Grace wishes to continue to line."
"He does." I said, "I did my duty."
Willam smirked slightly, "Attaboy." He said, "That is our Aerion!"
"Calm down, Willam." Mother chuckled, "I would love nothing for grandchildren that look like my precious Aerion. Do make me proud, my boy."
I nodded, "I will do my duty."
"Duty." Gerold chuckled, "It is more than just that, Aerion. You are married, you might become a Father. You need something like this."
"Is that so?" I asked as I looked at the mug
"Yes!" He said with a laugh, "After everything....you need to distract yourself...."
"Gerold..." Mother said
"Way to be blunt..." I heard Willam say
"Distraction...." I said, "Is that what you think Rhaenyra is?"
"Uhm..." Gerold said, "N-No....that is not what I meant...."
"Hm....." I said
A distraction.
The thought never crossed my mind.
Perhaps marrying Rhaenyra did ease the memories of that place. Perhaps being in her presence made me feel more at ease. But it is not just with her but with Mother and my Cousins, my Kin, my Family.
The sounds of them laughing as they drank is much more accepted than the sounds of clashing steel and horrified screams.
I would much rather accept this than that.
The sound of bones crushing under Vermithor's wings.
The disturbing sound that men made when he snatched them up in his maw.
The sound of flesh being pierced when I stabbed men in the chest as they lunged at me.
The sound of their final gasping breaths.
All of this....
It is much better.
I much rather prefer this.
There was so much blood, so much-
"Aerion." Mother placed her hand on my shoulder, "Sweetling, you need rest. Why don't you go with Rhaenyra? We will wrap up here, okay?"
I blinked, "Right..."
****************
"You did not have to accompany me." I told Mother as we reached the courtyard of the Red Keep, "You can go and relax as well, Mother."
"Ah." She said with a chuckle, "It is not a good look if the Lady of Runestone is celebrating with drunk men and women without her husband in sight."
I stopped and looked to the side, "You know where he is right now."
"Right....." She said softly, "About that....I take it that you....well...."
"I cannot believe he does that to you." I said with a serious frown, "To think that he would insult you by taking in whores."
"Aerion...." She said, "It is co-"
"Complicated." I cut her off, "Yes, I know. The two of you have told me that all of my life. But it is not your fault, he is not being faithful, he does not do his duty as a husband."
"But he does his duty as a Father." She said, "That is all that matters to me. He is there for you, Aerion."
"That is not the point." I said, "What he does.....so blatantly....I cannot tolerate that."
"I know." She said, "I have spoken to him about that."
"Is that so?" I asked her
"That woman you saw him with....." She said softly, "She is his lover."
I narrowed my eyes, "She is not a whore?"
"No...well....yes." She said, "Daemon took a liking to her since you were young, possibly right after you were born."
The woman she was referring to was an Essosi woman I caught him having sex with over in the outposts in the Stepstones. It was during a brief two-week grace period at the final breaths of the War.
I was so angry, the fact that he was so willing to insult my own mother.
And he was so obsessed with Rhaenyra insulting me when we were betrothed. How could he be so hypocritical when he cannot help but insult his own wife?!
"Aerion." Mother said
"It is not right." I said, "I will not tolerate that."
"You must not fight your Father." She told me, "He loves you. He did not mean for you to see that, he did not mean to hurt you...."
"I do not care." I said, "I....."
"Aerion." She said
I looked at her, "Yes?"
"I want him to give me another child." She told me
"What?" I said with a bit of surprise
She nodded, "I...." She said as she looked down, "I wish to bear another child....to give you a sibling....or at the very least, to have another Heir."
"I am your Heir." I said
"Yes, but you are to be Rhaenyra's Consort." She said as she looked at me, "When she ascends the Throne, you will be King-Consort. Gods be good, I will still be alive by then so I need a proper Heir when that comes to be."
"Oh..." I said as I looked down, "Well....that does make sense."
"The trick is to get your Father to agree." She told me, "He is a very complicated man."
"That is nothing but an understatement," I said seriously
She walked up to me and held my hand, "Enough of me....and us...." She said with a smile, "I want you to be happy. You are married, my sweet boy. One day, you will have children of your own, who will make you so happy.....you will understand my words....when it happens. When you hold your son....or daughter....when you see their small faces....when you feel their warmth...."
"Mother..." I said
She patted my cheek, "I felt so happy...." She said, "When I held you for the first time. I was overjoyed, I felt so fortunate.....I gave King Baelon his first Grandson....I gave my Father his only grandchild...I gave your Father his son....I loved you with every ounce of my being the moment I saw you. You....you are perfect...."
"Hm..." I said
"You...." She said as she patted my other cheek, "Are my pride and joy, Aerion. Do not forget that. You are young, so young....but you are a man nonetheless...."
"I...." I said, "I will try my best to live up to your expectations."
"My sweetling...." She smiled, "You have already exceeded them."
*********************
I sat in the chair next to the fireplace in my chambers in the Red Keep.
The flames flickered and it reminded me of how bodies burned in the beaches of Bloodstone, how trees were reduced to ashes further inland. It reminded me of how stone melted and how sand turned into glass.
It was not a fond memory.
But it was a memory nonetheless.
I could not help but think about what Mother told me
She wanted to have another child. That will be an adversity she will face herself, considering that Father is nothing but stubborn.
Even as a child, I knew that he only came to Runestone to see me and not my Mother. He respects her, in his own way, I suppose.
He does not respect her fully because he has whores and lovers in his bed when she is not there.
It angers me so.
How can he do something like that?
Why would he think it will not get to light? Does he not care what others think?
Who am I kidding? Of course he does not.
I could say what I want about Father, but there is one thing that I learned about him during the two years....
And that he is a formidable warrior and Dragonrider. He did teach me everything I know about riding a dragon, so that is not a surprise. To be fair, I learned rather quickly shortly after I claimed Vermithor so there is that.
I remember the night we fought a vicious battle on the ground, both of us stepping over corpses as the hordes of enemies swarmed us. There was nothing but blood everywhere, the sounds of his sword cleanly cutting through necks is quite vivid my mind.
I saw nothing but red.
That is how much blood there was.
I cannot get the smell out of my mind.
There was so much-
"Aerion?" I heard a voice call me
I turned my head to see Rhaenyra standing next to me, the light of the flame causing her beautiful skin to glow as she wore a pure white nightgown. Her hair was let loose and it draped over her shoulders, reaching down halfway to her back, I could tell.
"Princess..." I said as I straightened up in my seat, "What do I owe the pleasure?"
She smiled slightly, "You are my husband." She said, "I wished to see you tonight."
"Is that so?" I said, "T-That.....well, that makes sense."
"What are you doing?" She asked me
I looked at the flames, "Staring at the flames." I said, "It is something, isn't it?"
"What is?" She asked
"How flames like these are so much different than our dragons'." I said as I stared at the flames, "So.....inferior....."
"Is that so?" she said
I nodded, "Yes."
"You have too much on your mind, do you not?" She said, "Do you wish for me to keep you company?"
"I do not think that I need it." I said, "You can go and rest, Rhaenyra."
"Hm.." She said as she walked over to me and sat on my lap, causing me to lean back, "No."
I looked at her with a raised eyebrow, "What are you doing?"
"Am I heavy?" She asked with a smile, "This bothers you?"
"No." I said
"Then it is fine." She said as she leaned her head on my chest, snuggling up, "Do as you wish, my Husband. Stare at your flames....I will sit here.....silently."
Why was she doing this?
"Hm...." I said
I reluctantly raised my hand and held her waist, feeling the nice warmth of her body.
"So....comfortable..." She said softly
"I suppose so...." I replied
"Your body is so....big...and strong...." She said as I looked at the flames, "It is like you were blessed by the gods."
"That is what I am told." i said
"Do you wish for me to stay quiet?" She asked
"It matters not to me." I said, "You can speak. If you do, I will answer. If you do not, well....I will not."
She chuckled, "Oh Aerion." She said, "Do not change much. I adore that blunt nature of yours."
"I will stay with you tonight."