#My understanding of Lucemond since I started shipping them two years ago

[lucemondbot]

Since I've only read the book, from my point of view, Lucerys' relationship with Aemond is based on Luke's guilt and the fact that they know each other well (I always find a way to make them interact more as I write), Lucerys' tolerance of Aemond's capriciousness, and his lowering of himself in front of Aemond's seemingly stubborn but desperate self-esteem. This makes Aemond feel 'hypocritical', a disguised 'offering', and he therefore mocks Lucerys' humility. But Luke is also a child with boundaries, which means that he does not tolerate Aemond unconditionally in all respects; he has his own individuality and his own resistance, and it is he who must be the first to surrender in the cold war. His role in the relationship as "the one who takes the first step in everything" - he apologises to Aemond, makes advances, pursues Aemond, hugs and kisses him --- making him willing to continue to lower himself to Aemond's "pedestal". They are like levers between Lucerys, who takes the initiative to bring them closer together but spends all his strength to maintain the fragile balance, and Aemond, who seems to be leaving in the next moment, but who can bring things back to normal again with just a little response. Aemond is like a sweet, rotten apple, poisonous but addictive; Luke may think he is 'purely in love' with Aemond, but in reality he is also enjoying the thrill of that addiction; Aemond is also Aemond is able to enjoy the satisfaction Lucerys brings him unilaterally, unburdened by his past and his hatred, and to ask for more, happy with Lucerys' repeated accommodation of him, so he refuses to Moved by his own ego, Lucerys continues to pursue him and keep him despite his past, eventually becoming suspicious and then choosing to let go, only to be pulled back in the middle by Aemond's outstretched hand. This is their fraught cycle, and their tragedy. They both need time to come to terms with this. From start to finish what they need most is time, time to let go of the past, time to understand each other, time to learn a lot. What they lacked most was also time. And yet they can't give each other time and space in this rush back and forth. So they cannot rise to the level of 'soul mates', but are confused and unhappy with each other. Their relationship is about love and sex, about hatred and forgiveness, about loving and being loved, about two young people swept along by the tide of time, about Lucerys Velaryon and Aemond Targaryen.