-Chapter 92-
-POV Aemon Targaryen-
"OPEN THE GATES!" shouted one of the knights from atop the castle gates.
Once the gates were opened, I urged my horse through, feeling content and calm, knowing that I had begun to understand and influence Aegon's mindset.
'Though it seems like it will be a long journey. His life of privilege has deeply shaped his personality, and the agreement I made with Alicent stipulated that he'd spend half the year in the capital,' I thought, hesitating over whether to break that agreement to keep him here full-time.
'No, if I break my word, I lose credibility. Besides, I wouldn't be facing Alicent but her father, that snake. He's not as easily swayed or fooled as his daughter, even with my uncle's support.'
Before I could dismount, I saw my mother approaching in the distance, accompanied by her hound, pulling me from my thoughts. Judging by her expression, I sighed; she looked slightly upset.
'Another argument,' I thought, irritated that this was becoming a pattern.
"Where were you?" she asked in a slightly aggressive tone.
'Probably because I didn't tell her where I was going, as usual,' I thought.
"I took my wards to Blackstone to bring this back," I said, gesturing toward the cart filled with meat that we had brought from Hugh's butcher shop.
'Or rather, my butcher shop,' I thought, as I was the primary owner.
My mother nodded and said, "We need to talk."
"About what exactly?" I asked, confused.
'I hope she doesn't want to talk about her hound.'
"About the fact that you invited some…"
"…savages?" I interrupted.
She didn't correct me and added, "Without my consent."
'Since when is that an issue?' I thought, observing my mother, whose opinions seemed to be shifting.
'She's always supported me, but lately, she's been increasingly at odds with my vision of the future.'
'It wouldn't surprise me if he had something to do with it,' I thought, glancing briefly away from her to meet her hound's gaze.
"Aemon," my mother said, trying to sound authoritative, forcing me to refocus on her.
I sighed slightly, realizing we were finally going to have this conversation.
I dismounted, then instructed Ser Bennett to escort Aegon and Cregan to their rooms and gave a few instructions to the waiting servants. Then, offering my right arm to my mother, I said:
"Let's take a walk."
She accepted without hesitation, and as we began to walk, I turned to her hound and said:
"Wait here."
My mother's hound said, "I am her sworn shield…"
"Don't make me repeat myself, Ser Willem," I said coldly.
"Wait for us here, Ser," my mother ordered her "sworn shield," who eventually nodded.
"Let's go," I said, leading my mother away to talk privately.
We walked for a few moments in silence until we were well away from the crowd.
I took a deep breath before saying, "Mother, since I was five years old, and even before, I've been advising you as best as I could, just as I have done with Daemon."
She furrowed her brow without saying anything, visibly confused about the relevance of my words to our current conversation.
'But I'm getting there.'
I continued, "Every piece of advice I've given you over the years wasn't just good; it was excellent, and they've allowed us to reach the point where today, I'm practically the king without a crown in the Vale."
I smiled and added in a slightly smug tone, "My advice was so good that an arrogant fool like Daemon now controls the most important economic hub in the known world, where we'll soon take an active part."
My mother slightly furrowed her brow, hearing that I was about to partner with Daemon, something I hadn't yet told her, but she said nothing, waiting for me to finish.
"For as long as I can remember, I've never lacked love from you, but what I've been sorely missing these past few years is your trust," I said, looking her straight in the eye before continuing, "At first, I didn't understand what was wrong. I thought perhaps it was Daemon's public renouncement of me that drove you to try to… restrain me…"
My mother's brow furrowed even more, almost offended, and I finished my sentence softly:
"…But I finally understood that we had stopped being a team."
"Don't say that," she said, upset that I would even suggest such a thing.
I ignored her comment and added, "I don't blame you; I feel no resentment or even disgust, something many in my position might feel."
'Given your situation and the times we live in,' I thought.
"To tell you the truth, I'm even relieved because I knew that once I was fully committed to Laena and reached my majority, you'd lose your position as Lady of Runestone, and I didn't want you to feel replaced."
"We are still a team," she said, placing a hand on my cheek.
'No, and you made sure of that all on your own,' I thought, a bit saddened to have to express my true thoughts.
I smiled and shook my head, "It's been a few years since we stopped being one, and you know very well why. You're still my mother, and I love and respect you, but I no longer trust you, because I don't trust the person who shares your life."
"If you would give him a chance to show you what I see in him, you'd know he could be a man of trust at your side," she said, trying to convince me.
"A servant or an ally?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.