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Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
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F/MM/M
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Game of Thrones (TV)House of the Dragon (TV)A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Relationships:
Jon Snow & Daemon TargaryenJon Snow & Rhaenyra TargaryenJon Snow & Aemond "One-Eye" TargaryenJon Snow & Aegon II TargaryenJon Snow/Helaena Targaryen
Characters:
Jon SnowDaemon TargaryenRhaenyra TargaryenOtto HightowerAemond "One-Eye" TargaryenAegon II TargaryenAlicent HightowerHelaena Targaryen
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Forced adoptionProtective Daemon TargaryenPossessive Daemon TargaryenPossessive Targaryen'sTime TravelUnreliable Narrator
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English
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← Previous Work Part 2 of Jon Snow Vs the Targverse
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Published:2023-02-21Updated:2024-07-24Words:86,389Chapters:28/32Comments:3,772Kudos:8,997Bookmarks:2,970Hits:529,991
Be careful what you wish for
IronicallyPresent
Chapter 2: The Hightower princes
Summary:
Aemon and Aegon encounter their new cousin
Notes:
writing the names Aegon, Aemond, and Aemon in one scene was a nightmare! I really hope I haven't mixed up the last two at any point!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
"Stop dragging your feet! You're going to make us both fall!" Aemond hissed to his drunken brother.
Said brother was currently using Aemond as a walking stick, his inebriated state robbing him of his ability to walk unaccompanied.
"Mmhh not my fault you're to short to hold me up!" Aegon slurred as he tilted precariously.
Prompting an eye roll from his brother.
Aemond was only a head shorter than his elder brother, despite being three years his junior. The Grand Maester had already predicted that he would outgrow his brother by the years end, and would likely go on to grow more in the years to follow. Aegon on the other hand, had seemed to have ceased growing, and at five and ten he stood only a little taller than their mother. Privately Aemond thought that all the wine had stunted Aegon's growth, and he'd be lying if he said it didn't fill him with a smug glee. Aegon may be the elder, but soon Aemond would be looking down at him.
"It's the middle of the day. Who gets this drunk at this time? I doubt the brothels you so love to indulge in are even open." Grumbled Aemond, as he shuffled down the hall, practically carrying his brother.
"You wound me little brother, I would never get this drunk at this hour… I'm simply still sobering from the effects of last night's drinks!" Aegon hollered, his loudness betraying how little he had in fact 'sobered up'.
Aemond fought a curse, how drunk must his brother have been the previous night for this to be the morning after?
So court up in his musings, Aemond failed to notice the open stairway to their left. It was only a momentary lapse, but it was all that was necessary for his brother to begin stumbling towards it- and out of his reach. Aemond feared for a moment he was about to watch his brother fall to his death. An accident though it would be, he had no doubt he would be blamed for it. Ever since his menace of a nephew had taken his eye, people had watched him wearily. He knew why, Aemond looked like a monster. It was ironic really, he the victim was given a hellish visage. While his beastly nephew remained the picture of innocence, with his guileless big brown eyes and soft ringlets.
"Careful!" A voice cried, and suddenly Aegon was not falling to his death, but in the arms of a stranger.
The man was taller than his brother but only slightly, and had inky dark hair that for a moment obscured his face with curls.
With a jolt, Aemond realised the man was no stranger after all, but his uncle's bastard.
"Snow." Aemond greeted tersely.
He was unaware of what to make of the elder boy, his mother had warned him to keep his distance. As the bastard son of his wild uncle could only be trouble. But first impressions of Aemon Snow had left him uncertain.
His new cousin had little resemblance to his father, in manner or appearance. Aemond had watched him be introduced to the King from his mother's side, and had been surprised by the almost shy character he displayed. A stark contrast to the taunting confidence of his father. Not at all what Aemond had expected of the only rider of the revered Cannibal.
"Is Prince Aegon ill?" Snow questioned. Shifting so as to better support Aemond's idiot brother's weight, and moving them both away from the open stairs.
"I have no doubt he will be feeling ill shortly." Aemond ground out from between his teeth.
"Ah" hummed the bastard "he's just drunk then. That is a relief. Is this the direction to his chambers?" He asked pointing down the corridor.
"Yes?" Aemond answered, unsure why the elder boy would ask.
He waited for his brother to be shoved back into his arms, only to be left shocked when Aemon hoisted Aegon into a bridal carry and began to walk down the hall.
Aemond hurried to keep pace.
Noticing his evident surprise, the bastard laughed and said,"your brothers lighter than he looks. Besides he's not the first drunk lordling I've had to put to bed… Though I suppose princeling would be a more correct term now."
Aemond could only look at the other boy incredulously. As someone who had the unfortunate task of manhandling his drunken brother frequently, he knew Aegon was not in fact that light. His brother's fondness for alcohol, and his dislike of arms training, had led Aegon to develop a much puffier appearance than earlier years.
"Mhmhh, whoa why is the world spinning?" Slurred Aegon. His drunken mind likely unable to keep up with how he had gone from walking to being carried.
Snow paid him no mind and continued to walk down the hall at a steady pace, showing no sign of strain under his weight.
"Who was this drunken lordling you had to nurse?" Aemond asked as he walked beside his bastard cousin, shooting sharp looks occasionally at his brother, who seemed to have fallen unconscious in the elder boy's arms.
"My father- no sorry my uncle's ward. In truth, he was a hostage though he was treated far better than most. Despite that, he still resented my uncle, and his behavior often reflected that. We were never close, we clashed often. Likely over having the similarity of being on the outskirts of the family, but differing in nearly every other aspect of our characters… Still, we both loved my brother, and when he asked me to help escort the drunken idiot home I could never refuse him."
"Your cousin you mean?" Aemond corrected.
"Right… of course my mistake." Replied Snow, a faraway look in his eyes.
The tale was an interesting insight into the mysterious young man. Clearly, he still held his cousin in high esteem, still thinking of him as a brother- hence his slip of the tongue. It surprised Aemond slightly, though he did not show it, that Snow would still view his maternal kin positively.
From the little information Aemond's family had learned since his uncle had presented his bastard at court, Snow had not received the type of upbringing one would expect to garner feelings of positivity. Lied too about his heritage, and if the whispers of the maids were to be believed, abused. Snow had little reason to still be so visibly attached to his past. How did he not hate these cousins? Even if they had not played apart in his treatment, how had resentment not blossomed seeing them treated better?
Aemond's grandfather would no doubt want a full run-through of the encounter. The hand of the king had taken his second grandson aside, just prior to the arrival of his sister and her party, and had tasked Aemond with learning as much about Aemon Snow as he was able. Sir Otto had been correct in his assumption that Daemon and Rhaenyra would be vigilant in keeping the elder members of the green faction from the bastard boy, but we're less so when it came to the younger set. For all it benefited them, Aemond burned at the dismissal, how dare his uncle not see him as a threat.
"Did you not resent your cousin for it?" Aemond asked.
Privately, Aemond was all to aware that he resented the constant expectations of his family to be his brother's keeper.
"Oh of course!" Snow agreed glibly, smiling amusedly at the fair-haired youth.
"But I would have also resented if Robb had gone off after the idiot without me… And I believe he knew that. He also always had this blind belief that if he forced the two of us together enough, maybe by the power of his sheer stubbornness and forced proximity, we would bond!" Laughed Snow, his eyes had a slight mistiness if Aemond was not mistaken.
The dark-haired young man was so distracted by his reminiscing he had failed to notice his slip in giving his cousin's name. Snow had been so careful about staying silent about his past, it seemed even his own father knew little. A fact Sir Otto fluctuated between being amused by, and disbelieving whether Daemon was faking his lack of knowledge. Aemond felt slightly giddy at the thought of knowing information that others did not, surely his grandfather would be proud of him when he told him of what he had learned.
"I imagine you're not overly fond of having to look after your own drunken charge here." Snow surmised.
"It is my duty as his brother." Replied Aemond, trying not to let his frustration show.
So was the duty of the second son, always in his brother's shadow, always held responsible, never shown the regard he was due.
"Duty… it can be a difficult thing." Snow paused his strides and turned to face the younger boy who had been walking by his side. Aegon was still dead to the world and made no response to the cease in movement.
"You're a good brother Aemond, probably better than Aegon deserves when he acts the way he does. And I'm sure your parents must be proud of the dedication you put into your duty… But that doesn't mean you're not allowed to resent it or Aegon, it doesn't make you any less… One could even argue that the very fact you still work so hard, even though you resent it, reflects even better on your character."
Aemond felt himself choke with the emotion that rose within him. It was foolish, he knew, he was no longer a child to be so reliant on validation. But Aemond Targaryen had always been hungry for praise, for attention, for love. So went the curse of the second son, always ambitious for what was not theirs to claim.
The crust of it was, Aemond had never had someone praise him the way his cousin just had. Not his father who barely acknowledged his existence. Not his grandfather who dealt out his orders with cold detachment. Not even his mother who despite being the person he was closest to, saw little point in praising his efforts. Queen Alicent seemed to think being dutiful was second nature to Aemond, rather than being something he had to work to achieve.
This was another sin that Aemond lay at his elder brother's feet. If Aegon was not such a colossal fuck up, would their mother have put Aemond on such a pedestal? A precarious seat that he had sat uncomfortably his entire life, fearful of failing his only true parent and falling from grace.
"Thank you." Aemond choked out, then grew embarrassed by how strangled it sounded.
He received a nod in return.
"Are these your brother's rooms here?" Asked Aemon as they resumed their walk.
Nodding in reply, not trusting his voice to answer verbally. Aemond walked forward and opened the door to his brother's chambers, so Aemon could carry him inside.
Placing Aegon carefully on his bed, Aemon rose and straightened his black doublet. Only now did Aemond notice that his cousin was in training garb.
"Should we call for a Maester for the Prince?" Aemon asked, looking at him for an answer.
"No… Mother said the next time he got himself in such a state he would have to make it through without the aid of a Maester. I believe she's hoping it would teach him a lesson." And his mother didn't want talk of her eldest son's disreputable behavior making the rounds of the castle, especially with the Princess in attendance.
Aemond clenched his fists in frustration, seeing his cousin's clothing reminded him of his own training. Training which he would now have to miss in order to babysit his brother. The Queen may not want her elder son assisted by a Maester, but that did not mean she wanted him left unattended. So it was left to Aemond to insure his brother did not choke on his own vomit.
"Were you coming from training, cousin?" Aemond asked, and if his tone was much friendlier than it had been at the beginning of their interaction, neither made mention of it.
"Yes… While being a guest of the King is a great honour, the attention it brings is rather stressful. I needed a release, and training seemed the perfect outlet. I had a friendly bout with Sir Criston Cole in fact. Your trainer, I believe?"
Aemond felt his brow rise in shock, Sir Criston was far from subtle in his dislike of prince Daemon. He couldn't help his disbelief that he would have a 'friendly bout' with the man's son.
"Yes, he's been my primary arms trainer my entire life… How did your bout go?" He asked, now looking about his cousin's form for any sign of injury.
Aemon laughed softly "I'd say it went better for me than Sir Cole, he was quite shocked when I beat him. I've promised a rematch in the near future."
"You… You beat him?" Aemond echoed, shocked.
Aemon nodded abashedly "Yes he was rather shocked as well, as were many of the fight's onlookers. He's quite the swordsman! I'm sure there was a large element of luck that went towards my win" he said modestly.
Aemond, and much of the Seven Kingdoms, had long considered Sir Criston the finest swordsman in the realm. The Kings guard had even bested his uncle when the Rogue Prince was still in his prime. That Aemon had managed to beat the knight at all, an element of luck regardless, demonstrated his cousin's martial prowess starkly.
"I'm sure your father must be proud. He and Sir Criston have quite the rivalry."
Aemond had long grown used to the knight's rants on his uncle's character, as he trained Aemond to beat the elder Prince.
It had been made clear to Aemond once he had claimed Vhagar, that it would eventually fall to him to defeat prince Daemon in the inevitable war of succession that would follow his father's death. Second son Vs second son. So Aemond trained diligently, yet even he had yet to come close to defeating Sir Criston.
"He doesn't know yet… I was on my way back from the training yard when I came upon yourself and Prince Aegon" replied Aemon.
"I'm sure you're eager to tell him then… I won't keep you any longer." Aemond said, moving so the path to the door was clear.
"And you my Prince? What plans do you have?" Aemon spoke, making no move to exit.
"I had planned to join Sir Criston for my own training." Admitted Aemond, looking down at his feet so that his cousin could not see the frustration in his eye.
"Had?" Aemon inquired.
"My mother may not want Aegon to be attended by a Maester, but that does not mean she wants him completely left alone. So it falls to me to make sure he does not kill himself through his own idiocy." Aemond ground out through clenched teeth.
His cousin looked at him with pity, before flicking his eyes to Aegon.
"Why don't I watch your brother?" He offered.
"What?" Aemond asked, so entirely baffled he thought he must have heard his cousin wrong.
"I could watch Aegon while you go do your training. It would only be what, a couple of hours? I have little else to do. And in truth, I wouldn't mind hiding from the prying eyes of the court for a little while."
Aemond was tempted, extremely so. He knew what his mother would want him to do. The knowledge that he left his brother under the supervision of Daemon's eldest child would no doubt send her into hysterics. But Aemon had been nothing but honorable during their interaction, nothing like his father or the rest of Rhaenyra's rambunctious brood.
His mother may disagree, but Aemond felt he could trust his cousin.
"You would be willing to do that? Truly?" Aemond inquired.
"Of course! It's no hardship, besides helping each other is what family does and Prince Daemon is insistent on me bonding with the family." Aemon replied, taking the seat beside Aegon's bed.
Privately, Aemond thought that he and his brother were unlikely to be included in his uncle's preview of the 'family', that Aemon should be bonding with. But he would not be telling his cousin that.
"I'll be sure to tell Sir Criston that my training session today will need to be a short one." Aemond began to head for the door. "Oh and cousin… Thank you."
He left before he could hear Aemon's reply.
Notes:
Aemond: I hate Luke's stupid pretty face
I hope this was okay! Up next we get to see Sir Crispy's POV of the fight, and then I was thinking Aegon
Edited: 13th Feb 2025
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