ActionInfinity

Walking towards the exit and out into the parking lot, the automatic lights flicking off behind me as I lock the door. It’s been one of those days where your whole body is just drained. A Marine finally asked for help after ten years of pretending he didn’t need any. I should feel proud but that wasn’t the case…and then I saw my best friend.

Jake Seresin, leaning against my car like he owns the parking lot. Arms crossed with his stupidly perfect grin. The one he uses on women he forgets by sunrise. “Rough day?” he asks, pushing off the hood taking two steps towards me.

“Long…..hard….the usual I suppose.”

“You okay?”

I should’ve lied and said yes. But I knew I couldn’t keep this massive crush on him buried any longer, especially since he could get called for deployment at any moment and then I’d never have the chance to tell him.

Reaching into the pocket of my blue jeans I drew out a St. Michael medallion. My dad carried it on both deployments. My brother carried it too. Rubbing my thumb over it the edges worn smooth from years of being held during moments when fear was louder than faith. “This was my dad’s, my brothers. They carried it on deployment…. I want you to have it.”

His gaze lowered to his palm that I had pressed the object into before his eyes went bug eyed with fear. “W-why?”

“For protection. For coming home……and because I care about you.”

Jake stared at me for a moment before he suddenly started laughing like I had told him a hilarious joke. “Sweetheart, I don’t need a lucky charm. I’m Hangman.”

My chest goes tight, but I keep my face calm. Years of practice taught me how. Dealing with men who were good boyfriends until we jumped into bed and then that’s when things changed. They swore they weren’t “looking for anything serious.” Men who made me feel stupid for wanting more.

“Right. Of course.”

“Y/n?”

He reaches for my wrist instantly seeing how my whole body stiffened once the words came out of my mouth. I stumbled backwards confidently knowing I’m done being the girl who gets hurt because she hoped too hard. “I’m not doing this again, Jake.”

“Doing what?”

“Being the girl who loves you more than a friend while you pretend you don’t.” I meet his gaze and for once I don’t look away when his mouth opens but nothing comes out. “I’ve had enough flings to know when I’m about to be another one.”

“That’s not what I meant. I just - how long have you had feelings for me?”

Shifting my feet backwards I quickly reached inside my bag grabbing my car keys. Giving him a gentle shove I opened the driver's door, sitting down in the seat with a huff starting the car. “I’m your best friend. And I can’t watch you treat me like I’m temporary.”

“Y/n, stop for a second.”

Pushing my foot on the gas driving off without another word leaving him standing by his truck in the empty parking lot. “I’ll see you around.”

A few days later the Hard Deck is buzzing, but the squad’s table is dead silent when Jake drops into the seat beside Coyote, jaw tight, pretending he hasn’t been checking the door every time it opens. All because Y/n’s not here. She hasn’t been here since the parking‑lot disaster. Phoenix watches him for three seconds before she speaks. “You screwed up, Seresin.”

Jake scoffs, leaning back. “Didn’t do anything.”

Rooster raises a brow. “Exactly.”

Coyote leans forward, voice low. “She gave you her dad’s medallion, man.”

“Do you have any idea what that means to someone from a service family?”

“She’s a VA caseworker, Jake. She spends her days helping people who’ve been broken by this life. She doesn’t give pieces of her heart lightly.” Jake swallows hard when Rooster’s voice softens. “And you laughed. Like she was just another girl trying to get your attention.”

“She’s not a fling. She’s not one of your bar girls. And she sure as hell isn’t going to let you treat her like one.”

Jake’s hands curl into fists as Coyote nudges him. “You know she’s had her share of crappy relationships too. Guys who only treat her nicely so she’ll climb into bed with them. Then the next time they act like they don’t know her.”

Bob adds quietly. “She pulled away because she thinks that’s all you want from her.”

“That’s not - I don’t-”

Rooster cuts him off, firm. “Then why do you act like it?”

“I don’t - I’d never do that to her. I’ve - I’ve seen her after most of those breaks ups and have to pick up the pieces when she thinks she’s the problem-“

Jake looks down at his hands trailing off in thought at the faint imprint of the medallion he’s been carrying in his pocket like a secret. Coyote delivers the line that finally cracks him open. “And she’s the only one you’d trust with your dog tags.”

“We’ve all seen it. You guard those things like they’re your heartbeat. But when she held them that one time? You didn’t even blink.” Bob added onto what was said.

“Shit!” Jake dragged a hand down his face in a huff.

He stands abruptly, chair scraping making

Coyote smirks watching him rush out of the Hard Deck. “What kind of friend am I?….I gotta find her.”

“Go fix it, Hangman.” Rooster lifts his beer. “Go get the girl!”

Laying on my small apartment living room couch scrolling through old pictures on my phone I was honestly winding down for bed for tonight until I heard a hard pounding knock on the other side of my door. I went to ignore it until it got even louder where I swore whoever it was might punch a hole through the wood. Tossing my phone down I huffed getting up from the couch going to open the door, firing back at the person. “Hey asshole, in case you didn’t realize it I have neighbors and they certainly won’t appreciate you trying to break into my apartment like the Hulk!”

“Then I guess I’m lucky Ms. Alice finds me charming.”

Jake gave me that typical smirk of his with me leaning my side into the doorway, arms crossing over my chest and a scowl on my face. “What are you doing here, Hangman?”

“Hangman, it’s always been Jake for you.”

Snapping back I watched pure hurt spread across his face. “It used to be that way. Until I realized what kind of relationship we have. You made it very clear I’m clearly not good enough for you that’s why you haven’t been trying to get into my pants. You just tell me you don’t want any serious relationship, friend or otherwise.”

“I never said anything close to that.”

“You laughed at my family’s medallion. You laughed at me when I said I like you, more than a friend. And now this conversation is over.” Stepping beside the door I began pushing it closed till he placed his boot in between the door and the doorway keeping it open. He pushed it open, walking up to me where my back hit the wall behind me before he closed the door with one of his boots.

“I wasn't laughing at you or the family medallion. I didn’t even really mean to do that.”

Dropping my arms down to my sides I bite my lip scowling up at the aviator. Jake and I have been best friends for years, knowing each other better than we know ourselves. “And why should I believe a word you tell me now. How can I know you aren’t just lying to me like all the others so you can end up getting laid tonight hmm?”

“Because of this…” He tugged down the collar of his shirt pulling out a long silver chain that had two dog tag clips hanging on it yet that wasn’t what caught my attention. The other piece that was hanging around the chain was none other than my family’s medallion. Jake met my teary filled eyes as he took another step closer mixing our breathing. “I haven’t taken it off since you gave it to me. I didn’t have the heart to. Because every time I think about it I feel nervous because I would only ever trust one person with my dog tags and that’s you. It’s always going to be you Y/n.”

“Jake…”

He held his hands up letting the chain hang loose out the front of his shirt. Green eyes welling up with tears which I rarely ever got to see because most things didn't get to him. “Just let me get this out please. I screwed up and I know that. The Squad told me and I am so sorry for not seeing that until now. I never - I never wanted you to see me like the past boyfriends you've had. I know I'm better than them and so do you. You definitely deserve better than being a fling.”

“Then why did you laugh and say you don't need luck?”

He slumped his whole body in defeat looking like a sad dog that I'd just yelled at when he responded. “Because you scared the hell out of me….because I was stupid enough to think you only saw me as a friend. That's why I was hooking up with other girls cause you were doing it with other guys.”

“Wait so you knew and didn't say anything?” The question slipped out where I just stared at him till a fit of laughter came from my mouth. Hitting my hands on my knees feeling some happy tears falling down my face now. “What kind of pair are we, Seresin?”

Jake joined in my laughter showing me a genuine smile not the cocky one he showed everyone else. “Clearly the painfully unaware kind.”

“Yeah it seems that way.”

“Well I say screw that. I should've done this a long time ago.” He closed the distance between us, crashing his lips down onto mine with a hungry yet gentle passion. A gasp got cut off by his lips and my hands instantly flew into his short blonde hair. Tugging on some of it he drew out a moan, snacking his arms around my waist trailing down until he could lift me up by my thighs. Hooking my legs around his waist we walked to my bedroom down the short hallway while managing to never break the kiss.

I couldn’t really register what was happening till my back was pressing into the soft mattress underneath me because the feeling of my best friend kissing me was far too intoxicating to focus on anything else. Jake removed his lips from mine trailing kisses down the side of my neck which only makes me tug on his hair a little more. He leaned up grabbing the back of his shirt and tugging it over and throwing it across the room somewhere. Parting my lips I scanned his muscular body carefully, feeling a nervous pit building in my stomach when he went to reach for the bottom of my tea shirt.

“Jake, wait.”

Upon hearing my voice his hands stilled and he sat back with his knees bent on the bed. “What’s wrong?”

“I don't - I don't want this to be like the others…something casual. I refuse to go through that again, especially with you.”

Holding my breath I waited for the typical response. The one that I always dreaded. Yet that wasn’t what came from my best friend's mouth. He carefully lifted a hand brushing some hair out of my eyes. “Darling, we were clearly never meant to be casual. In fact ... .you have me just as much as the Navy does. You own my heart for however long you wanna love me. And I'll tell you right now I really love you a lot.” He grasped both my hands wrapping them around the chain of his tag and now the medallion. He pressed his forehead against mine.

“You love me?”

Butterflies spread across my body while I processed what he just said to me. Jake drew his head back cupping my face in his hands gently looking me directly in the eye. “Yeah, I do.”

“Jake.”

“You don’t have to say it back if you're not ready. Just know that I ain't looking for casual sex with you. I want more than that with the girl who calls her mama twice a week, who can pig out on cheese fries and dances around the kitchen in her pajamas to country music every chance she gets. I want her for the long hall.”

Laughing playfully at him I wrapped my arms around his neck climbing onto his lap, feeling his hands sneak underneath the back of my shirt touching my bare back. “I want the long hall with you, Jacob Seresin.”

“Urgh!.” He rolled his eyes pushing me onto my back, raging his body over top of mine. He glared down, shaking his head at me. “I can’t stand that name you know.”

“Yes, but I'm the only one you let call you it.”

He nodded his head connecting our lips starting another long make out session. “Damn straight, darling. Cause I love you.” He kept his hands pinned down on the mattress so as to not crush me with his body, keeping up a good pace of heated kissing.

Shortly after I push my hands on his chest making him pull away sending me a concerned expression on his face. “I - love - you too.” I slowly replied back to him watching a childish grin spread across his face. Wrapping my arms around his neck I instigated another long kiss, giggling when he flipped us so he was on his back and I was on top. And that's where we stayed, eventually getting tangled up with each other the next morning.

A lazy groan slipped out of my lips before my eyes had even begun to open this morning. Lifting my arms above my head I stretched my limbs out feeling slightly stiff from the events of last night. Blinking my eyes opened I laid my head further down on the pillow, feeling an arm draped over the middle of my stomach while hearing a light snore muffled into the other pillow next to me. Biting my bottom lip I found it difficult to not burst out in laughter at the sound because I had never heard it come from him until now. Turning my head I looked at the window, simply enjoying the peaceful moments of the morning instead of thinking about the reality that I lived in or I should say that we live in.

My life didn’t allow me to simply fall in love and marry that person by choice. For the crown on my head literally….was too much of a burden.

Glancing out the corner of my eye I smiled softly at the sleeping man beside me who was none other than Benedict Bridgerton. He looked so peaceful for a man who had fallen in love with someone who he couldn’t parade around the town with out in the open. For his natural dark hair wasn’t neat by any means and yet it had a charming tousled look to it. His bare chest slowly rose up and down with each breath he took that I got to witness in comfortable silence. And I would have stayed in that moment forever if my gaze hadn’t landed on the simple crown sitting on the table by his painting stand by one of the large windows of his bedroom / art studio.

The morning sunlight shined down on the simple silver crown with simple red rubies catching the light against the dark wooden table. Sitting up in the bed I carefully lifted the covers, careful to not wake Benedict who was still asleep beside me. My feet touched the bare floor crossing the room, picking up a discarded shirt from off the floor and shrugging it on over my head with it falling down to my knees with how big it was. Stopping in front of the table I brushed my fingers over the powerful accessory, picking it up to hold it up in my hands.

“Leaving so soon are you?”

Benedict’s husky morning voice came across the room where I glanced back over in his direction. He was laying on his back with his arms crossed behind the back of his head. His soft eyes were watching me with a fondness even with the fact that he wasn’t truly awake yet.

Dropping my shoulders in relief I ran a hand through my messy hair, holding the crown in my other hand. “Not leaving. Just simply letting my mind wander to all the responsibilities my real life has.”

“That sounds unpleasant if I’m being truly honest.”

Shifting the crown around in my hands I sighed heavily, sitting it gently on top of my head where it had been last night before we got lost in one another. “Well then it’s a good thing I am the one with royal blood and not you. You’d probably get bored attending your first finishing lesson before 8am.”

“Patience certainly isn’t my strong suit.” Benedict climbed out from under the covers, wrapping a green and black robe around himself yet leaving the front open for my viewing pleasure. Reaching me he wrapped his arms around my waist bringing me against his firm body with a smile on his face. “Admiring your beauty is more of my speed.”

A blush made its way up my neck and to my cheeks with me bending my chin down making the piece of jewelry slowly begin falling down to the floor. “Benedict….”

“Careful. We wouldn’t want something like last time now would we?” Raising a hand to my chin he made me look up into his eyes while he removed it with both hands chuckling at his own words.

The night that we had first met I was in a room full of people that were all my mothers subjects and every single one of them knew who I was. The daughter of Queen Charlotte and more importantly referred to as Princess Y/n. The evening had drowned on with people greeting me, discussing how I looked in my gown or how happy they were to see me at the particular ball tonight. All of it was so exhausting where I was nearly about to fall over and go to sleep wherever I could lean on something. My gown brushed against the floor with me striding across the busy packed room, doing my best to maneuver around the woman and men who were talking or dancing.

My mother had fallen ill so she wasn’t able to attend this season’s first ball and so I went in her stead to represent the royal family. Walking past a group of women gawking over my gown I felt my eyelids fluttering shut with how bored I was where I must have accidentally stepped on part of my dress tripping myself with my own feet. The crown in question nearly broke into pieces until a stranger caught it in one hand and kept me from falling at the same time, that stranger was none other than the Bridgerton before me now. The Bridgerton I shouldn’t love because we aren’t of the same class.

“It’s not like I wasn’t taught how to walk across a room perfectly. And I take offense that you insult me about that.”

“I’m not insulting you, Y/n.” Benedict’s smile softened as he brushed a stray strand of hair behind my ear. “I would never insult you. Though I will admit, watching you nearly topple over your own gown was… memorable.”

I nudged him lightly in the chest. “You’re impossible.”

“And yet,” he said, leaning in just enough that his breath warmed my face. I tried to step past him, but his hands slid gently to my waist. “you’re still here.”

“Benedict,” I warned, though there was no real warning in my voice.

“Yes?” he asked, far too innocently.

“You’re supposed to be helping me forget the weight of my responsibilities, not adding to them.”

“Oh, I can help with that.” His grin turned boyish, mischievous. “In fact, I’m rather talented at distracting you.”

“Hmm..”

A laugh left my mouth before I draped my arms around his neck smiling up at him. His fingers traced the hem of the shirt I’d stolen from his floor, the fabric brushing my knees. “You know, that looks far better on you than it ever did on me.”

“You’re just saying that to be charming.”

“And you’re avoiding my very reasonable request.”

I raised a brow. “Which is?”

“That you come back to bed,” he said simply, tugging me a fraction closer. “Just for a moment. Just until the sun moves a little higher.”

“Benedict…”

He dipped his head, his forehead resting gently against mine. “Stay.” he whispered, pressing his lips down against mine as a gentle gesture.

Leaning my body forward I kissed him back deepening it when my fingers threaded deeply into his dark hair. Tugging on some of it he released a moan, shifting his hands to be pressed up against the middle of my back. Benedict drew back briefly, shifting his focus onto pestering my neck with kisses. “My mother would have your head if she knew about what we are doing here. We can’t keep doing this without a plan in mind.”

“My plan right now is to keep you distracted like you have previously asked of me, princess.”

He slipped his hands underneath the white shirt, having goosebumps crawl up my soft bare skin. “Yes, I did say that but-“ He cut me off with another kiss, bringing my body closer so that our chests were pressing into one another.

“We will discuss the matters of your mother Queen Charlotte and the concern for my head another time.” Next thing I knew he brushed his thumb along my jaw, slowly making the last of my hesitation melt. “For now or should I say only for a moment let us return to our bed.”

“I suppose that wouldn’t be too terrible.”

He smiled like he’d won a battle he never expected to fight. “A moment.” he agreed, though we both knew neither of us meant it.

His hands slid to mine, guiding me back toward the bed with a tenderness. The sheets were still rumpled from the night before where we couldn’t resist making love to each other anymore. We’d been waiting too long and were cautious about me getting pregnant with his child. We hadn’t worked out all the details yet but we knew we deeply loved each other.

As I sank back onto the mattress, Benedict followed, bracing himself above me with a soft laugh. He murmured, brushing his nose against mine. “See, much better.”

“You are right on that, Mr. Bridgerton.” Snugging against his warm embrace when he pulled me into his arms again, kissing each other and forgetting everything else.

The wedding bells rang from the Red Keep and all the way down to the shipyards at the ports building up the anticipation of a Royal wedding that was going to take place later this morning. Every bell ding told me that my simple life was about to get more complicated than it already was.

A Tavern owner’s daughter has no business talking to a Targaryen prince.

No business falling for one.

And certainly no business marrying one.

Yet that’s exactly what happened to me.

But I’m getting ahead of myself so let’s start from the beginning……

The day I met Rhaegar Targaryen was just another working day for me. Another day where someone like me could never imagine meeting a prince of House Targaryen. Carrying a large sack of bread in my arms I took careful steps on the uneven cobblestone under my boots. I couldn’t see over the bag with how tall it was where I prayed that I didn’t accidentally run into someone and drop it. Stepping with my right foot I must have found a puddle from last night’s rain because my feet slipped out from underneath me and I went tumbling backwards, launching the bag forward at the same time.

“Watch out, my prince!”

A male voice called out as my body fell flat on the harsh ground, half of my simple gray dress getting soaked in the puddle. Baring my teeth I winced in pain twisting my right foot, making pain shoot from my ankle meaning I must have sprained it. Yet that wasn’t what made me freeze like I’d seen a ghost, no what scared the shit out of me was who was attempting to get up from the ground a few steps in front of me, the famous Rhaegar Targaryen.

“Seven hells. Your grace - your grace I’m so sorry.”

The color disappeared from my face watching him slowly push himself up to stand from laying on the ground. Scrambling to my feet I winced ignoring the pain that spread from my right ankle, too terrified at what I had just done.

Once he was on his feet he brushed his hands off on his black tunic, long silver hair blown in his face until he shook his head and met my gaze with those purple Taragaryn eyes. “You need not apologize, my lady. I wasn’t looking where I was going.”

“I am not a lady, your grace. And I am required to apologize for the events I caused. For I knocked you down and a prince should never be forced down onto his knees by a simple Tavern girl.” Biting my lip I dropped down onto one knee, bowing my head to him in respect knowing it was treason to disrespect a royal of House Targaryen. “Please forgive me.”

“There’s no need for formalities. We are outside the castle. Please get up, my lady.”

“Your grace, I’m simply a commoner-“

He cut me off extending his freehand down for me to take. “Please call me Rhaegar. Now would you get up from the ground so we can talk much easier. Neither of us need to strain our necks.”

Clearing my throat I slowly rose up from the harsh stone ground and did my best to stand yet my right ankle throbbed with a sharp pain. “Ah!” My ankle twisted as I fell down towards the ground until arms wrapped around my waist, holding me upright.

“Ser Selmy, help me find somewhere we can tend to this woman’s ankle.”

Shifting my gaze there was a knight with a grayish beard dressed in the Kingsguard armor and a sword attached to his hip. “Yes, my prince.” The knight nodded his head in our direction even though Rhaegar had his back to him so he could only see my facial expressions.

“Your grace, I -“ My sentence was cut short when he unexpectedly scooped me up bridal style where one arm went around his shoulder and my legs dangled from his other arm. Rhaegar lowered his gaze down to meet mine when I lifted mine up as a light pink blush covered my face.

“Call me Rhaegar.”

I whispered back. “I’m Y/n.”

The moons that followed that first meeting only included more frequent meetings that became more romantic than usual.

I didn’t expect to see him again.

Princes don’t return to taverns.

Princes don’t remember the names of girls who fall into puddles.

But three nights later, as I wiped down the counter, the tavern door creaked open and a hooded figure stepped inside. I didn’t look up until I heard his voice. “Y/n.”

Spinning around on my feet the rag in my hand fell down to the floor with my mouth falling open in shock watching as he pushed the hood back, silver hair spilling free, and my father stared in utter confusion. “What - what are you?”

Rhaegar only looked at me. “I came to see how your ankle fares.”

“It’s healing, your gra - Rhaegar.”

His lips curved into the smallest smile. “Good. I was…concerned.”

No prince should ever look at a tavern girl the way he looked at me then like I was something rare.

Something he shouldn’t want, but did anyway.

We were walking along the riverbank a few months after that, the moon reflecting off the water. He stopped suddenly, turning to me with an expression I’d never seen before, raw, unguarded, almost afraid.

“Y/n, I cannot keep pretending I do not feel what I feel.”

“Rhaegar…”

He cupped my face with trembling hands, as if asking permission to which I gave him a light nod. Shortly after he closed the gap kissing me like he’d been waiting his whole life for that moment. When we finally pulled apart, he rested his forehead against mine.

“I am lost,” he murmured. “And you are the only thing that feels like home.”

“I never thought you’d see me like that. But I am ever glad that you do.”

The dragon prince planted a kiss to my forehead gently, lowering his hands down to intertwine with mine. “There is something I must ask you. Something I cannot ask in daylight.”

“What is it?”

He looked at me like a man standing on the edge of a cliff. “Meet me tomorrow. At dawn. By the godswood.”

“Why?”

His thumb brushed my knuckles. “Because I cannot lose you to a future I never chose.”

The next morning that followed I did what he had asked of me. The sun had just started to rise when I reached the dock where we had talked about. Standing on the small dock I watched the water crash against the rocks hearing footsteps coming up behind me, but it sounded like a few sets. Hesitantly looking over my shoulder I found Rhaegar approaching me with one of his father’s Kingsguard and someone I didn’t recognize that was dressed in ceremony robes from the look of it.

Rhaegar strides up to me, cupping my face in his hands, kissing me without any hesitation as if we were completely alone. My hands clung to the fabric of his tunic, gripping it with a little fear till he broke the kiss whispering down to me. “You needn't worry about them, my love. They know about us.”

“Rhaegar, why are we here? Why are they here?” Drawing my head back I met his gaze worriedly.

“They are here to help us be wed. I refuse to wait any longer. I want to be a husband to the woman I love now and always if you'll have me.”

Smiling up at him I wrapped my arms around his neck kissing him deeply for a minute until the Septon clears his throat getting our attention. We turned to look at him as he began wrapping our intertwined hands with a light blue cloth. “Look upon one another and say the words.”

“Father. Smith. Warrior. Mother. Maiden. Crone. Stranger. I am hers / his, and she / he is mine….”

Now my ears drowned out the loud ringing of wedding ceremony bells inside the throne room of the Red Keep because the only thing I can focus on is Rhaegar standing beside Elia Martel dressed in his Royal wedding robes. A tiny kick came against my stomach making me place a hand over my swollen belly feeling a few more kicks hit against it. The septon stepped up by King Aerys II and wrapped the two hands together asking my lover. “Do you take this woman, my prince?”

“No.”

That simple word caused everyone else in the filled throne room to gasp, scoff or make whispers. Except it was the king that made my whole body shake, his eyes darted to his son as he got up from his throne, yanking him by the front of his tunic and yelling in his face with such anger. “What in the seven hells is wrong with you, boy!”

“I am already wed, father.”

The king threw his son harshly to the ground where Rhaegar lifted his head up looking in my direction. “That does not matter. I am the king. You will marry whoever I command you to and nothing can stop that!”

“My wife carries my child.” Rhaegar declares slowly getting up from the stone floor underneath him. He didn’t care how disheveled his hair was as he extended one out of his hands out in my direction. “Y/n?”

Raising my head back upright I walked out from my hiding spot behind one of the large pillars by the Iron Throne, careful and as graceful as I could manage. Ignoring the replies from the massive crowd and keeping ny focus on my husband who was crowned prince of the Realm. It only took me a few more steps to reach him before I watched him intertwine our hands together. “My prince.” I bowed my head to him since it was much harder for me to curtsy with the condition of the pregnancy.

“Rhaegar.” He growled under his breath. He nodded his head eyeing his father who looked ready to have his Kingsguard drag me out of the room any minute now. Rhaegar led me forward by our intertwined hands, directly in front of his father with his head held high, no hesitation in his tone. “Father, I will not be marrying Lady Martell today. Y/n is my wife now and always and you will recognize her as my Queen. And the baby inside of her will be the heir to my throne.”

Shutting my eyes tightly I waited for a fit of anger and shouting from the great king, yet after about ten minutes of dead silence where we could only hear the cracking of fire and the heavy breathing from the crowd I peaked one eye open. Aerys’s ragged breathing could be heard as he lurched toward us like a man possessed but his son wasn’t phased. He didn’t flinch, look away or loosen his grip on my hand. Instead… he lowered himself down on one knee.

Right there on the cold stone floor, in front of the Iron Throne, in front of the court, in front of his father, in front of Elia, in front of the realm. A ripple of shock tore through the hall. Even Aerys froze, his mouth hanging open mid‑snarl. Rhaegar bowed his head, silver hair falling like a curtain around his face, and lifted his voice, steady and unshakable. “I kneel to my wife. I kneel to the mother of my child. I kneel to the future of our House. If the realm must choose between my father’s madness and my family, then let them see where I stand.”

Aerys sputtered, pointing a shaking finger at him. “Get up. GET UP! You dare kneel to a-” But he didn’t get the chance to finish when Ser Arthur Dayne stepped forward and knelt beside Rhaegar. The next two follow were Ser Barristan, Ser Jonothor Darry and Ser Oswell Whent.

One by one, white cloaks fell to the floor like snow. The Kingsguard, the most honorable men in the realm knelt not to the king……but to the prince. Aerys staggered back, eyes wild, realizing too late that the room no longer belonged to him. Rhaegar rose slowly, gracefully, smiling down at me as he declared to his subjects. “This is your princess and soon, your queen. And the child she carries will be the heir to my throne.” Draping my arms around his neck I closed the gap kissing not a prince, but simply my Rhaegar.