Aemon Targaryen

-Chapter 114-

-POV Jeyne Arryn-

"It's really incredible what my cousin Aemon has managed to accomplish, isn't it?" said Aemon's cousin Perra, her arm wrapped around mine, as we watched the infantrymen secure the area and set up tents in the gardens so everyone could celebrate Prince Aemon's 18th name day.

"Hmm," I replied, interested in something else.

'The blacksmiths of Runestone are rushing to produce as many weapons and armors as possible for the infantry. This means a war is coming, and not a civil war, because otherwise Aemon would use his savages,' I thought, observing the commotion masked by the festivities.

"It's just a shame that all this is happening at the expense of others' suffering," I said distractedly, thinking about the news he had told me a few days ago.

Perra lowered her eyes, unsure of what to say, and I realized what I had just said:

"I apologize, I didn't mean to speak ill of your cousin…"

"It's alright, I don't blame you, and... I think I understand what you mean," Perra said, intriguing me because I wanted to know what she meant by that.

'Did Gerold's branch manage to plead their case to the king through the Hand?' I wondered, unable to stop the feeling of anticipation and hope that had been growing in me for several moons.

That feeling had been planted when Perra told me, a few moons ago, that she had learned by eavesdropping on her parents that her father was to secretly travel to the capital to speak with the Hand.

'The idiot thought he was going to talk about her marriage,' I thought, placing a hand on hers to reassure her and show my presence.

"What's wrong?" I asked, sensing that something was weighing on her heart.

Perra hesitated and then said, struggling to hold back tears that filled her eyes:

"It's my duty, I shouldn't complain."

"Tell me what's happening. Aren't we friends?" I asked, pretending to be hurt by the wall she was erecting between us.

She hesitated for a moment before finally giving in, and she said:

"I'm getting married in two weeks."

I frowned slightly, not understanding what was so terrible, as she seemed quite eager to become the queen's sister-in-law.

So I asked:

"Weren't you happy with your fiancé?"

She nodded firmly and said in a strong tone:

"Yes, I was very happy with Ser Bryndon, but cousin Aemon decided to unilaterally break off my engagement to the queen's brother and found me another match."

'So she's disappointed with her new match,' I thought, losing almost all interest in this problem while holding back from rolling my eyes at the banality of her concerns.

'If Gerold had received the king's permission to be named heir, or even Lord of Runestone, I could have allied with him by promising to marry his nephew William. But without that… I am simply Aemon's defenseless prisoner, while that bastard Arnold will defile Jessamyn with impunity,' I fumed inwardly, making sure not to let my anger show.

"And who is the lucky one?" I asked, trying to pretend to be interested in what she was saying so as not to dwell on the intense disappointment I felt.

"The leader of the Sons of the Dragon," she said in a desperate tone, as if this man would be her executioner.

"Robar Hawkeye?" I asked, surprised by her choice of partner.

She nodded, so I said, "That's a really surprising choice."

'It's almost too good a match, because even though he isn't a noble, he clearly has a firm grip on all the mountain clans and is one of Aemon's arms. She could amass a lot of power if she learned to whisper in his ear,' I thought, as I couldn't imagine Aemon giving so much power to a daughter of Gerold.

'Even though Bryndon Hightower was an incomparable match to the young leader of the mountain barbarians, he wasn't part of Aemon's inner circle and therefore wouldn't have any impact in case of a possible betrayal,' I thought, surprised.

"I know, but it's my cousin's choice," said Perra, not understanding the opportunity she had to elevate her status in the new hierarchy Aemon had established at Runestone.

Something nagged at me in Perra's words.

Even though Aemon was all-powerful in the Vale, he had always made sure to exercise some restraint in applying that power, and this seemed more like a form of public humiliation for Gerold.

'Gerold would never have consented to this if he had been able to resist it, knowing that his brother died at the hands of the mountain clans,' I thought, certain, and finding this marriage arrangement stranger and stranger as time passed.

"Did your father say anything?" I asked casually, and Perra's reaction reassured me that I was on the right track and that something was wrong.

Perra instantly lowered her eyes, remaining silent, so I said:

"I am your friend; you can tell me anything."

She hesitated for a long time this time, then turned her head to check our surroundings before leaning in and whispering as softly as possible, as if afraid someone might hear us:

"My father has been banished."

I raised my eyebrows, widening my eyes in sudden surprise, as I hadn't heard anything like that.

'So that's why he left a few days ago without saying anything to anyone, taking much of his staff with him. I thought he had found a fief to rule, but I can definitively remove him from my list of potential allies,' I thought, completely abandoning the idea of ever rallying him to my cause.

'That fool can't even protect himself and his own,' I thought.

"Since when?" I asked Perra in a shocked tone, pretending to be ignorant.

"A few days," said Perra, looking sadly at the ground.

"That's terrible news," I said, pretending to truly feel sorry for her and for what her family was going through.

"Why does no one know about this?" I asked, genuinely curious as to why no one was aware of her father's banishment.

"Cousin Aemon decided not to make it public to preserve my grandfather's honor, but the news will come out eventually. I've heard knights talking about it. It won't be long before everyone knows that my father angered my cousin to the point where he sent him to spend the rest of his days in a ruined dungeon, to avoid having to kill him," said Perra.

'Aemon must have found proof in the capital of Otto Hightower's involvement with Gerold,' I thought.

'With his downfall dies my hope of ever breaking free of my chains,' I thought.

'Jessamyn will continue to be defiled by Arnold for the rest of her life, and I'll have to stay here, waiting for the day they tell me she had an accident on the stairs, once he loses interest in her. Because that's what will happen,' I told myself, convinced that Arnold had accepted the offer from House Redfort only to harm me.

"I'm sorry for you," I said, taking her in my arms while I thought about how I could escape from here to help Jessamyn.