"You! The dragonseed!" The King shouted once again silencing everyone in the feast.
Daemon looked up to see the King was looking straight at him 'Should've sat with the servants' he thought to himself as he stood up putting Tyrion next to him.
"How may I serve your grace," Daemon said respectfully with a bow, he was gestured over by the King and he walked around his table to the centre aisle in front of the upper dais.
The King inspected him "You look like my son boy, tell me who is who is your mother"
"I'm not sure your grace, I was raised by a relative and never knew my mother or father" Daemon answered honestly.
The King nods his head "You have a good colouring on you boy, but it's a shame you look too much like a Targaryen"
He then flares his aura almost pushing the table away from him "We just finished destroying the Blackfyre line barely 20 years ago, we don't need another pretender"
Daemon finds himself suffocating under the weight of the King's Aura, it feels as if the temperature starts to rise as well as he starts feeling hot and his skin starts to burn Rhaella flares her aura grabbing onto her husband's arm and whispers desperately into his ear.
As she continues whispering the King's Aura starts to recede as he contemplates the situation "Tell me boy, how is it you were able to defeat a faceless man" he says sceptically.
Daemon who was on his knees after almost being crushed by the weight of the King's aura breathed heavily "I didn't your grace, I just bought enough time for The Queen to escape to the safety of Ser Barristan" he explained as he struggled to catch his breath.
The King gestured to Ser Barristan who stood behind them "Is it true this boy is your squire"
"Yes your grace" Barristan simply states not offering any more than he needed to.
"Tell me Barristan the Bold, what makes you take a squire for the first time in your life," The King says mockingly.
Barristan sighs as he knows the King would catch him out on any lies "He shows great promise, your grace, he won the Riverrun Melee just five months after awakening his aura"
The hall is filled with gasps and shock, even Tywins eyes widen slightly while Rhaegar looks at the boy with interest, the King however continues to look at the Knight as if waiting for something.
"He also possesses the Crimson Eyes..." he finished, he felt guilty as he wished to keep this a secret from the king. The hall once again erupted into gasps and shocked murmurs, Rhaegar himself even raised his eyebrow at the news.
The King looked back to Daemon and smiled "I see... Ser Barristan your services will no longer be required as I will be taking the boy on, he shall squire under myself" he said, Rhaella gripped her fists underneath the table and bit her lip this was the worst scenario to happen and she was responsible. She had brought him here so it was her fault.
The king however sat there smugly 'They think they could make a weapon to use against me... no I'm too smart for them he will serve me and I will unleash him on the traitorous houses' he thought to himself.
Daemon bowed respectfully "I thank you for the opportunity your grace" he said as the King waved him off and he went back to take his seat.
"You'll be taking Jonothor Darry's place as the Queen's guard until a replacement can be found" The King commanded getting a nod of confirmation from Daemon.
———————————————————-
Daemon found himself walking through the castle at night as he walked towards the Queen's room, it was time for his first official shift guarding her, he would be replacing Ser Barristan allowing him to get some rest. He wasn't sure how to feel about the events that had transported him earlier in the evening, Ser Barristan was a great teacher and he had learned a lot in the short time he squired for him, however, the king was the strongest aura user in Westeros maybe even Essos.
He knew it was an opportunity to grow stronger but he can't help but feel the King isn't quite sane, he felt his death in the few moments that the king flared his aura, he would've died had Rhaella not stopped him. To so quickly decide to kill someone and to so easily do it made him shudder. He'd have to be careful around the king otherwise he may find himself turned to ash on a whim.
Daemon approached the door where Ser Barristan stood, he smiled when she see him however Barristan had a grim expression on his face "Listen, lad, the King has left the Queen's quarters for tonight so you won't know but whatever you hear in there when the King is with her... you ignore it"
Daemon felt his smile fade and a smile mar his face "What are you suggesting? That the King abuses the Queen and that I should simply do nothing"
Barristan looks at him emotionlessly but Daemon can see how much pain it causes him to say "Yes that's exactly right"
"But isn't it our duty to protect her!?" Daemon asked
"It is... but not from him," Barristan says solemnly.
"I'm sorry lad, but lest you wish to be turned to ash you won't get yourself involved" Barristan states as he starts to walk away.
Daemon however looks at his back resolutely "Barristan!" He says with resolve in his voice.
The man turns around at the call of his name "I am the same person I've always been, I won't change even if I die because of it"
Barristan sighs as he turns back around wiping something away from his eye "I know lad, I know" he says as he walks away and around the corridors.
Daemon stands there and watches him disappear before releasing his aura, this was standard Kingsguard practices as they must always be ready to defend their charge. He knocks on the door to the Queen's chambers, for a while no one answers but when he knocks again he hears someone talk in a low voice "Enter" she says weakly.
As Daemon walked into her room he found her sprawled out on her bed with bruises all over her body and face, her nightgown was ripped in places exposing her belly and thighs. Daemon found himself in shock that the Queen was in this state, so he quickly ran over to Rhaella's side.
"Your grace is there anything I can do," he asked desperately, she had saved his life not hours ago and he could only sit here while she suffered.
Rhaella shook her head as she stared at the ceiling "I wish you didn't have to see me in such a state Daemon" Rhaella said quietly with a small groan, her whole body was in pain, every part of her burned or ached or simply felt painful. She had bite marks on her neck down to her arms and legs and hand prints that looked to be burned into her.
"I'm so sorry Daemon... I should've never brought you here, even if you couldn't have married both girls you'd be a lot happier, and you wouldn't be corrupted by the rot of our family" she said with tears falling out of her eyes.
Daemon shook his head "Don't say such things you have given me the chance to live the life I wish, and I am thankful" he said.
He felt completely helpless, he saw how much pain Rhaella was in and his one desire at that moment was to take it away from her, a 'King Type' Aura is special as it is the one type that can respond to the wishes of the user, in his Desperation Daemon activated 'Aura Tether' and used a new ability created out of his desperation, he would later call this ability 'Poppy's Embrace'.
Rhaella found herself slowly starting to feel relief as her aches and pains slowly started to disappear. She looked at Daemon who smiled at her, his aura was connected to hers so she realised that he was using an ability on her "Daemon what is this?" She asked with confusion.
"I-Its a h-healing ability that I've been developing as I seem to get injured so often," he said with a fake smile.
Rhaella normally would've been suspicious of such words but found herself relaxing as his aura soothed her and helped her move again, she climbed underneath her blankets and started to drift off, forgetting that Daemon was even there.
Daemon was screaming on the inside, his new ability had come with a hefty cost, while it wouldn't heal her it would take away the pain she felt from her injuries, the drawback was that the pain was transferred to Daemon via their link and so he shouldered the pain she currently felt. It almost made him weep for her that she had been in this kind of pain while the Kingsguard stood outside doing nothing.
'I won't ever allow you to feel this pain ever again" Daemon thought to himself with clenched teeth. He got up on shaky legs as he left the room leaving the aura connection active as if he turned it off it would cause the pain to go rushing back to her. So for the rest of his shift, he stood guard and shouldered the pain of Rhaella not regretting a single moment of it.
(AN: Poor Rhaella, I always did feel bad for her. Imagine having to bang Aerys every day kinda grim tbh. Anyway as I'm sure you know I always give my characters happy endings, no one ever dies.)
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