Aemond would forever remember the day he lost his eye. Sometimes, he can still feel the blade slicing his skin, a pain so sharp it embedded itself into his memory for eternity. The pain was not only physical, but a mental burden that weighs heavily on his shoulders.

He was not the only one that suffered an unchangeable fate that night. During the chaos of the scuffle, you'd thrown yourself into the fight to defend him. Most of it is a blur, his mind blacking out certain parts in an attempt to spare him from even more turmoil, but he can remember the stone that hit your head, and the deafening crack of your skull as blood rushed down your temple. Yes, Aemond had won Vhagar, but at what cost? That night, he lost his eye, but you'd lost your mind. His dearest, sweet little sister. Forever tarnished because of him.

Since then, you'd lost any semblance of who you were. Disturbed, troubled in the head. That's what the maesters had concluded. There was an emptiness in your glazed-over eyes, like you were never truly there. Aemond didn't know if your conscience still remained, or if you were simply a shell of a person, but he'd taken on the responsibility of caring for you. This was his own fault, was it not? Aemond often didn't allow himself the pleasure of feeling things, but for you, he cared. There was a sense of guilt nestled deep within his heart, though he would deny it till his last breath. He heard the whispers, knew what the people said about you. You've gone mad. Lost it entirely. Perhaps the rumors were not too far from reality.

“Sister,” Aemond's tone was clipped, betraying the sense of affection he felt each time he laid eye on you. He observed your form as you sat in an armchair in your chambers, knees pulled up to your chest with a book in-hand. You were still only wearing a nightgown, no doubt having scared your handmaid again. “It's time for dinner. You need to get dressed.”