Valarr Targaryen x Fem reader
Betrothed and now married to prince valarr targaryen second in line to the iron throne was something you never expected to happen to you of all people. You are a lady of house l/n, the marriage and betrothal was so sudden you never got the chance to actually know your future husband. Now married to Valarr has taken a toll on you. He doesn’t treat you awful or disrespect you but he is distant with you. Could you really handle spending the rest of your life in a marriage like this?
chapter warnings: forced marriage and smut (I think that’s it hopefully)
a/n: first time writing in a while kinda nervous, sorry if it’s booty, and especially the smut part I have no experience lmao but I did try to read as much as I could while writing to make it as accurate as possible I also wanted to include small parts of valarr’s pov but next chap will be focused on his pov bc I love me a man who years I also made up a character his name is levi and I think he’s cool lol this post is not edited but anyways enjoy
Everything that was happening at this moment was so sudden you couldn’t even properly prospect what your parents were telling you. The sudden betrothal of Prince Valarr Targaryen and Kiera of Tyrosh was broken off in favor of your hand. The raven that arrived this morning delivering the news had it written on the letter. Your betrothal had recently been broken off. The lord you were to marry had died a week ago from wine poisoning. You did not know him well and he was a middle aged man but he was not an unpleasant man. His wife had died 5 years ago and he was a widowed man with a child that is five years of age. You had met him during tourneys and feasts to know him well enough to decide he was not a bad man. He just really loved wine. Now that your betrothal was no longer here, house Targaryen had sent a raven asking for your hand.
You are to marry Prince Valarr Targaryen second in line to the Iron Throne and you are to be his future queen. The mere thought of the future and what was to happen made you nauseous. You did not want such a burden on your shoulders, the whole weight of the Seven Kingdoms would be on your shoulders just as much as Valarr’s.
Your parents had informed you of the news after they had sent a raven accepting the offer. You could not say or do nothing to stop it now, you were officially betrothed to Valarr Targaryen.
The journey to Kingslanding was not a long one but it was also not short. It was a two week travel from your home to there. Your parents and older brother had accompanied you on your journey, they would also be staying with you until the wedding celebrations were over. It brought you comfort to know they would be staying with you even if it was only for a short time.
During your journey you had stayed in inns or some lord’s castle and made sure to enjoy the outside scenery while traveling, you made sure to breathe even deeper and take in as much fresh air as you could. You or your brother had never been to Kingslanding. You’ve heard of the strong smell that came with Kingsanding and you were making sure to prepare yourself. The closer you got to your destination the more the smell got intense. Now you know the smell your parents were talking about. Your brother had gagged because of the smell and while you laughed your mother was scolding him reminding him to mind his manners.
You knew you had arrived when the wheelhouse came to a stop. Your father gets up to get out first, you hear them announce your arrival as each of your family members get out, one by one.
You are the last to exit the wheelhouse.
Your brother holds his hand out to help you down the wheelhouse steps. The nerves that you did not know you had spiked up so fast you had almost missed a step. Your brother gives your hand a reassuring squeeze before letting go as you approach the others to introduce yourself.
Your breath hitches as you make eye contact with mismatched colored eyes. His hair is short and its color is a beautiful chestnut brown, with a streak of silver running through it. His face was decorated in light subtle freckles and the sunlight highlighted the dots so much it almost made you choke on air.
You break your gaze away to look at the man standing slightly in front of him. Your parents step aside as they introduce you. You approach the man that resembles the younger man you were looking at earlier. You introduce yourself and make sure your courtesy is on point. He gives you a smile of his own and introduces himself as: Prince Baelor Targaryen. He is the Prince of Dragonstone, Hand of the King and next in line to the Iron Throne.
“This is my son, Valarr Targaryen. Your betrothed, my lady.” Baelor says as he motions for his son to approach you.
You courtesy to him with a small smile wanting to seem respectful. He catches you off guard when he grasps your hand and brings it to his lips pressing a light kiss as he introduces himself.
"My lady, I hope your travels went well." he says as he lets your hand go.
You bring your hand back and give him a slightly bigger smile. "Yes they were, thank you."
Baelor suggests allowing both of you privacy, to help you get to know each other he says. Your parents along with your brother follow him as they leave you both alone with two Kingsguards, to watch over you.
Valarr offers his arm for you to hold onto as you walk alongside each other. He shows you around and speaks only of the places at the castle. You listen attentively, asking questions here and there to let him know you were listening and he answers you in short replies.
His distance catches you off guard. He seemed pleased to welcome you in front of everyone else but now that it was just the two of you he was different. Not in a rude way but in a distant way. It killed the way you tried to look at things in a good way.
After he finishes showing you around he doesn't say where he's taking you and you don't ask him. He takes you to your family, where they are with King Daeron and Prince Baelor. You greet the king and he gives you a warm smile in return. The King says you'll be married in two weeks time and that there will be celebrations and tourneys held during those two weeks to celebrate your union with Valarr.
You can only smile and nod respectfully as he speaks to you and your family. You all spend time together to discuss the wedding. You don't mind staying quiet as your mother discusses this part for you. Time is spent only discussing until the servants announce that dinner is ready.
There are light discussions while having dinner and once a reasonable time has passed you excuse yourself saying you were tired from the journey. Baelor, hearing this, tells Valarr to accompany you to show you your chambers. You hear the scrape of a chair but you stop him telling him that Valarr had already shown you your chambers. Valarr upon hearing this is caught off guard by your lie.
Has he done something to upset you?
He doesn't take his eyes off of you until the doors are closed shut behind you, sealing you from his vision. He looks back at the time you spent together while he showed you around and he thinks maybe he was a little more distant than he intended to. He couldn’t help it. He hates to admit it but he wasn’t exactly pleased with this union. He had spent time with Kiera of Tyrosh and the time they spent together had him quite enjoy her company. But his betrothal to her was cut off and she was instead betrothed to his cousin Daeron. Valarr had spent four moons getting to know her before he had started to enjoy her company and come to terms with marrying her. She was nothing but kind to him.
But the impression you left on him was a big one. Yes you are beautiful, too beautiful it genuinely makes him nervous. Is that why he was more distant than he had intended?
The eye contact you had shared makes his face feel hot now that he’s thinking back on it. Your attire was beautiful and it complemented you well. You were a perfect mix of your parents physical wise. He doesn’t know you well enough to know what kind of person you are but with how you acted today he can tell you’re good at composing yourself or at least you try.
Two weeks had gone by and your mother had woken you up early to help prepare you for your wedding. She helps with every step of getting you ready for today. The celebrations held for your union were grand. You couldn't help but wonder how today would go since today was the actual wedding day. By the time your mother was done with you her eyes were already glistening with tears. She embraces you and presses a kiss to the crown of your head.
Your chamber doors are opened and your father enters. He overlooks your attire with a soft look as he approaches you to embrace you as well. He would have never thought that his only daughter would be marrying his friend’s son. When the Blackfyre rebellion was happening your father never thought he’d live past the battle, and now he was here seeing his daughter get married. Your father had fought alongside not only Baelor but his little brother Maekar, however he and Baelor had struck a quick friendship that had lasted up until now. He trusted Valarr with you simply because he was Baelor’s son. That is only why he had accepted their marriage proposal.
Your mother exits the room and your father guides you to the wheelhouse where you are going to be taken to the Great Sept of Baelor, where your future husband, his family and many other guests are waiting.
When the wheelhouse comes to a stop your father helps you out while making sure your attire is laid out nice. You thank him with a smile.
He offers you his hand and you interlace your arm with his holding onto his bicep. “Are you ready?” he asks.
The doors to the Sept open and the guests that are there to witness the union turn to face you. Your breath hitches nervously as the eyes of many strangers are on you. You don’t stand at the entrance for very long, your father is the one to take the first step guiding you down the aisle. Your eyes are cast down on the aisle preferring to look there than at the many faces looking at you. The hold you have on your father’s bicep tightens briefly. Almost over halfway down the aisle you decide to lift your gaze off the floor to look at your future husband.
He was already looking at you.
Even before the doors of the Sept had opened Valarr’s gaze was still there. He doesn't know why he couldn’t take his eyes off of the doors and just when he was about to break his stare on the doors, they had opened revealing you. His breath stops for a moment, in awe at the sight before him.
The closer you get to him the more his nerves heighten much to his dismay. He’s the heir to the iron throne, future king of the seven kingdoms and yet here he stood nervous at his own wedding because his future wife is a sight for sore eyes.
His trace is cut off when your father offers you his hand. He accepts your hand and grasps it softly as you step up to stand beside him. You hold hands as the septon speaks the prayers. Your father who was standing aside removes the cloak off your shoulders. Valarr then grabs his family’s cloak, and drapes it onto your shoulders. Once the vows come you swallow and make sure to clear your throat. The both of you lock eyes as you say your vows.
“I am his and he is mine, from this day, until the end of my days," you say.
“I am hers and she is mine, from this day, until the end of my days," he says.
"With this kiss I pledge my love" the both of you say in unison.
Valarr takes your face into his own hands, his thumbs caressing the apples of your cheeks for a moment and brings his lips closer to your own until they touch. His lips are soft, you almost want to lean into it more but you decide to pull away from his touch even though deep down you didn’t really want to.
"…and take you for my lord and husband" you say.
"…and take you for my lady and wife," he says.
The septon declares you both to be man and wife, stating you both are “one flesh, one heart, one soul, now and forever”
The Sept is filled with various cheers and clapping as you both turn to face them. Some people even let out sounds of victory and whistling as you walk down the aisle with your now husband beside you.
The celebrations are grand for your wedding day. The feasts and food are grand as well. Everyone is celebrating in the large room where your wedding celebrations are being held. People feast, dance, sing, and enjoy themselves.
The celebrations last until the sun has retired and the moon has now cast over the night sky. You sit beside Valarr as you watch everyone enjoy themselves. Some people approach the both of you to congratulate you both and the both of you thank them as they do so. You do not get up to join your family as it would look unladylike your mother claims. You really want to though as this would probably be the last time you see them in a while.
The both of you had not spoken since the vows. He has busied himself with sipping his cup of wine or at times eating from his plate and you do the same. Baelor calls Valarr over, he excuses himself and you watch him leave to talk to his father.
You look over at them from time to time. Baelor does the talking while Valarr only listens and nods his head here and there.
Your mother had told you the news of the bedding. You were taken to your chambers to get you ready for the consummation. Your mother stays in the room, her presence offering you comfort and at times she speaks to try and soothe you, it brings you a bit of comfort to have your mother beside you. The servants bathe you, brush your hair, rub scented oils onto your skin and dress you in a nightgown. They finish it off by wrapping a robe to cover you up, your mother presses a kiss to your temple before you make your way to your husband’s chambers.
You knock on the doors and they open to reveal Valarr, he is no longer wearing his wedding attire and instead is wearing his night attire too. He steps aside to let you in and you do. You spare a look around and see a room divider, you could see the silhouette of who you assume is the maester standing behind the cover to make sure this marriage is consummated. You cannot help but let a wave of disappointment flow through you, seeing the divider has once again reminded you that this union was purely political.
Valarr seems to notice what you’re thinking. “Forgive me, this was the best I could do to allow us privacy.”
You smile reassuringly. “No, it's okay. I’m sure you did what you could do.” you were grateful he at least attempted to allow privacy during this intimate moment.
The both of you stand there for a moment not knowing how to proceed with the next move. A few moments pass by and just when Valarr was going to open his mouth to speak you had managed to cut him off with a kiss.
Valarr’s eyes widen for a moment in shock and soon he melts into the touch of your lips moving together. The kiss is soft, kind of awkward since this was the second kiss you had shared together. You can taste the wine that he was drinking. His hands seem to have a mind of their own as he wraps them around your waist pulling you closer. Feeling your weight on his groin Valarr cannot control the desperate movement of his hips.
Valarr breaks the kiss with a breathless gasp, the friction from his own hips had almost made him reach his peak. He presses his forehead to yours to try and ground himself, once he has calmed down his urges he busies his hands with undoing your robe.
The robe pools at your feet as it meets the ground, Valarr then moves to the nightgown you were wearing. You almost want to cover yourself and just when you’re about to Valarr brings you in for a kiss. This kiss is different. It's sloppy and desperate. Your teeth clash with his own at times, saliva begins to build up around your mouth with the heated kiss.
Instead of touching you Valarr begins to undress himself while kissing you. He makes haste to remove his attire and once he successfully does he manages to guide you onto his bed. When the back of your knees meet his bed you slowly lower yourself onto it, neither of you break away from the kiss.
You lay on the bed as Valarr is on top of your body, the palms of his hands at each side of your face to not rest his whole body weight on you. Valarr’s cock has now sprung up in full attention, he cannot help but shamelessly rub himself on you and the soft gasp you let out allows Valarr’s tongue to explore your mouth.
He continues to rub himself on you until he is sure the friction has allowed you to grow wet as well. He pulls away to look down at your mound, he brings two of his fingers to double check if your body has told him that you’re aroused as well. He almost moans at the slick he manages to collect with his fingers, curiously he brings those same fingers to his mouth and licks them clean.
You taste delicious. He has to get another taste, he has to have more. He is just about to lower his face to the source but you stop him. Confusion overflows his face for a second.
‘Please let's just get this over with’ you cannot help but think.
You felt humiliated enough with the lack of his touch he was giving you. You had heard of stories from married woman and their consummation night. They told you how their husbands let them touch them and how they were touched by their husbands as well.
Valarr had not tried to do that to you.
Valarr had brought his cock to your entrance, slowly and carefully he entered you until he was buried inside of you. He hisses at the overwhelming feeling of the tightness and warmth that his cock is feeling. Valarr brings his face to shove at the side of your neck, he stays completely still waiting for you to tell him that he can move.
His heavy breathing and featherlight kisses at your neck were soothing you from the uncomfortable fullness you felt in your lower body. You spend a moment trying to get used to the unfamiliar feeling and once you tell him he can move he starts doing so.
Valarr brought his hips back and then forward clumsily as if it was his first time ever having intercorse. He brings his face away from your neck and opts to bring his lips to your own, kissing you as he gets used to the feeling, as well as trying to find a good pace to his thrusts. He brings his thumb to rest on your bud and starts to rub it in circular motions. The action relaxes you and causes you to let out breathless gasps.
A particular thrust has you wrapping your arms around Valarr’s neck, you bring your hands to the nape of his neck slightly tugging on his hair. Valarr in return lets out a groan of pleasure. His pace begins to grow faster as he feels the euphoric feeling of his peak approaching. The sounds of squelching and skin slapping fills the room along with Valarr’s sounds of pleasure and your breathless gasps.
Valarr shoves his face in your neck, he presses various kisses to try and mask the noises coming out of his mouth. A couple of thrusts more causes Valarr to finish with an embarrassingly loud moan and he makes sure he’s buried inside of you completely as he fills you up. You feel yourself being filled with his seed, as you continue your action with softly tugging on his hair. Valarr accidently collapses on top of you, exhausted and overwhelmed with what his body has just experienced. Valarr stays in the same position for a moment trying to take everything in.
You hear the chamber doors open and close, knowing it is the maester leaving now that the marriage is now fully and completely consummated. The soft patting on Valarr’s shoulder causes him to snap out of his thoughts, he apologizes as he gets off of you.
He leaves the bed to grab a wet cloth to clean you up. The both of you quietly dress yourselves, you finish tying the robe you were previously wearing and you’re about to leave but Valarr calls out your name stopping you in your tracks.
He opens his mouth, closes it and then opens it again to speak. “It is considered to be bad luck for the marriage if the couple sleep apart from each other on their wedding night” What he said was true but in truth Valarr did not believe it as much. He doesn't know why he said that. No he said it to keep up appearances. If the servants were to see you leaving they would talk about this union and how unwell it was going to be going.
His words catch you completely off guard and you can only nod in agreement at his words. Yes he was right you've heard of this saying and even though you sort of believed it you were willing to put your beliefs aside to make Valarr comfortable and not make things more complicated.
Valarr, seeing that you've agreed with him can only sigh in relief at your cooperation. He is the first to get under the covers and you follow behind him. You lay next to each other with your backs facing each other. Valarr considers saying goodnight but decides not to, thinking you've probably drifted to your own slumber now. He closes his eyes and lets the exhaustion overtake his body and he too decides to try and slip into his own slumber.
You had woken up to an empty bed the next morning of your wedding night. He had left traces of his existence in his chambers but he was not there. You left his chambers to go to your own chambers and clean yourself up. You had decided to leave him as you did not want to bother him.
After giving him his own space you had decided to try and seek out Valarr to try and get to know him better as you were now officially married. However he seemed to only seek you at night, laying in your bed in hopes to conceive a child with you. He leaves you after finishing his business but he never leaves you to clean yourself up alone. No, he always makes sure you're okay and comfortable while he shares your bed and he always makes sure to clean you up himself before departing. Even so that makes it worse, if he had just laid with you and left you alone perhaps that could make it easier to hate him but you can’t. You believe you can never grow to hate a man like him. He was gentle but that did not mean it felt loving. There are some nights he seeks you out and some nights he doesn’t, too busy with his duties. He is not harsh during those nights instead he is gentle but that still does not help the way it makes you feel used.
Why are you complaining though? You have it much better than other wives. You had no right to be feeling like this, there were other women with husbands that beat them.
After two moons of trying to get to know your husband you slowly stop your persuasion until you don’t seek him out at all. A moon goes by where you haven't seeked him out at all. It's better like this, the only time you see him is at night as he lays with you or when showing yourselves at court. You can live like this, that is what you tell yourself. Even though you know it is a lie.
You had heard of Valarr even before you were married. You heard about how kind he is, and yet a firm man when need be, an exact copy of his father. Where was this man? You could not say, the only man you knew was someone who only knew how to be distant. Even now when you are laying in bed those thoughts keep you up at night.
You toss and turn on your bed, it is a bed made for two and yet there is only one person on it. You could not sleep tonight, the room felt too small and the night candles lit too brightly making the room fill with this frustrating and suffocating hotness. You throw the blankets off of your body and drape yourself in a night robe. You make your way towards your chamber doors, slowly and carefully you open them and to your luck there is no one on watch outside your doors. Although a little concerned for your safety since there was no one looking after you at night you would not think too much of it, you wanted to discreetly leave your chambers without someone from the Kingsguard trailing behind you.
With time you’ve slowly gotten the hang of knowing your way around the halls. It was hard and complicated with the many turns you had to make but you had slowly gotten used to it. You spot some servants walking the dimly lit halls, you only give them a short smile and nod as you pass by them. You were planning on going to the kitchen for a glass of water, your room’s atmosphere had made your throat oddly dry.
You make another turn and just when you’re about to approach another turn you unexpectedly collide with another body roaming the halls. You were able to catch yourself but the other person had stumbled as well causing them to meet the ground with a pained groan.
You hear the person’s pained sound and in concern you hurriedly try to help them up and to your horror it’s Prince Daeron. You’re quick to apologize, not wanting to offend him. “Prince Daeron, please forgive me I didn’t see you-”
He brings a finger to his lips indicating you to be quiet and that gesture was enough to close your lips. “My head hurts” is all he says as he tries to get up with your help and after a little bit of struggle he is able to stand.
“Should I call for a maester to look at you?” you ask.
Daeron shakes his head. “There is no need for that, I just need more wine.” he says and turns away to walk as best as he can in the direction you were heading to as well.
You watch him stumble with each step he takes and the further he gets the more you can’t help but worry. Sure he was a drunk but he had never done anything bad to you, in fact this was probably your first real interaction with him. You should just turn back around so you don’t have to deal with him, but a part of you can’t turn away.
Well you were heading in the same direction as him, not for wine but still…
After a little more thought you decide to go after him. You catch up to him and pace yourself to match his stumbling steps to the kitchen.
Daeron doesn’t acknowledge you beside him. The both of you walk side by side in silence. The silence isn’t suffocating though and it doesn't need to be filled with conversation.
Once the both of you make it to the kitchen Daeron stands at the entrance and you decide to walk past him to get a glass of water. You pour your water into a glass and look back at Daeron, he seems to be in some sort of trace. You softly call out to him and he meets your gaze for a split second and shakes his head as if to shake whatever was on his mind off.
While you quench your thirst you watch him as he tries to pick up a goblet of wine and a cup, he turns to walk away and when he takes a step to walk away he almost drops the objects in his hands. You set your now empty cup down and quickly approach him not wanting your anxiety levels to rise up and more. “I cannot watch this any further” you simply say as you grab the goblet filled with wine and the glass in his hands.
You walk out of the kitchen and once you take a couple of steps away you turn around to make sure Daeron is following you. That snaps Daeron out of his trace again, he grabs an extra cup and follows beside you. He thanks you for your help and you ask him where he plans on drinking his wine. He replies with a simple. “Follow me, my lady”
You follow closely by Daeron as he guides you to his usual spot where he likes to drink wine late at night. He brings you to a tree, its trunk is thick. You can still see the tree’s roots on the green grass. The leaves’ colors reflect a beautiful color in the moonlight.
Daeron notices you admiring the tree. “It is even more beautiful at night, especially when you lay down and look up at the stars.”
You look at him and nod in agreement, your lips lifted in a small smile.
Daeron sits down and rests his back on the tree’s thick trunk. You set down the goblet of wine and the cup down beside him. There you see in his hands another cup. He sees where your eyes are on and decides to clarify his actions. “May I interest you in a cup of wine? For your troubles of course.”
Honestly Daeron did not know why he decided to bring an extra cup when he had grabbed it the thought of sharing a cup with you had briefly run through his mind. He has seen you around since you've arrived and wedded his cousin and every time he sees you he can't help but feel a bit bad. He has seen the way you've slowly grown sadder as the loneliness caught up to you.
You stood there for a moment contemplating whether you should accept his offer. If you were to go back to your chambers you would only lay there alone, with your thoughts to keep you company. It would make you succumb to another sleepless night. After much thought you decide to accept his offer with a nod. You settle yourself beside Daeron who surprisingly is able to pour you a cup of wine. You thank him as he hands you your cup to which he only gives you a curt nod.
The both of you indulge in the sweet wine in silence for a moment, while looking up at the night sky and the bright stars. This is nice, you think. “You are right, it is especially even more beautiful at night.” you turn to look at Daeron with a small smile. “The sky” you clarify.
Daeron lets a smile come across his face as well and lets a laugh escape his throat. “Yes, the sky.” he replies and takes another drink of wine. Instead of you making the effort to talk first Daeron does it and it fills your night with joy as a conversation is sprung up. He talks and you listen or you talk and he listens, attentively too. The conversations drift to other topics as time passes, however you grow quiet as Daeron mentions Valarr asking how his cousin is treating you.
“I do not wish to stand alone,” you admit.
You meet his gaze and give him a small smile to which he slightly frowns in return. “He treats me well enough” you try to save your answer but the next words that you say come out so unexpectedly you almost want to slap yourself for being so vulnerable in front of Daeron. “It is lonely though.”
It is silent for a good moment after your words. He nods in understanding and opens his mouth to speak but you cut him off speaking again. “You are to be married soon, how is your betrothed?” you decide to ask, wanting to change the topic of conversation.
Daeron lets out a huff of air at the mention of his betrothed. “She is a wonderful lady. However I pity her for having to be stuck with a drunkard like me as her husband.” he says and finishes the last of what was in his cup before pouring himself another.
“Why do you drink so much?” you cannot help but ask.
“It is the only thing that helps me cloud my mind,” he admits truthfully. “Because of the dreams.” he clarifies.
“Dreams? Like night terrors?” you ask, confused at his reasoning.
Daeron nods at your answer. “Something like that, however my dreams are not like yours. Mine come true.”
Instead of laughing or judging him you seem intrigued and that alone causes Daeron’s anxiety to heighten. If he drags you into this he’ll start to have dreams about you too, and gods forbid he was going to condemn you to this. However, when you decide to ask him more about his dreams, Daeron answers them. You talk about them for a little while and decide to stop once you realize Daeron’s red eyes and cheeks are stained with the salty water of his tears.
You drift to a lighter conversation to lighten up the mood and Daeron seems to appreciate the change of topic as his mood seems to brighten as well. You exchange jokes, rumors circling around with laughs. Then you drift to lighter conversations where the topic of Valarr comes back up and you cannot help but tell Daeron how you truly feel.
After the goblet of wine is finished the both of you deem it as a sign to get to bed. You leave the used cups and empty goblet in the kitchen and make your way to your own respective chambers. The both of you bid each other goodnight before leaving each other.
As you lay back in bed, your chest feels lighter and your head occupies less thoughts for the first time since you’ve been married to Valarr. For the first time you manage to get a good night's sleep.
A week has gone by since your last interaction with Daeron. You haven't seen him since the late night talk you had with him and you were a bit disappointed to have not run into him. You weren't seeking him out exactly, you were just keeping an eye out for him. You had greatly enjoyed his company and the talk you had with him was something you didn’t realize you needed. It was like a breath of fresh air if you could put it into words. You didn’t need to go over your answers before talking to him, you just did. It was something that had come easy to you. You were family by law only but maybe you could make a friend here in Kingslanding.
Valarr had still made no effort to try and talk to you even. He has not paid you a visit to lay in your bed. However ever since you had stopped trying to seek him out you've never felt better and you felt even ten times more better after your interaction with Daeron. You had never realized that the only reason why you were so miserable was because of the person you were trying to seek out.
It doesn't matter now, you were better without his company anyways. Or that's what you tell yourself. Valarr is your husband whether you like it or not. He was the man you were going to build a family with. Your children would come from him only and they would be half of him and you. You would one day hold a child of your own, teach them things like the bow and arrow. You wanted your children to see their parents in love just as you saw your own parents. You wanted them to be made with love not duty.
However you married into the crown which means your children would be born into the crown, for the crown. From the moment they are born they will have to meet certain expectations. You would not have the luxury to be able to freely raise your children. If only you and Valarr were given more time together before you had gotten married, maybe the both of you could have tried to bend the rules when it came to stuff like this.
In all honesty you had no luxury at all.
You were on your way to enjoy your usual afternoon tea when you had almost tripped over a cat. You gasp in surprise at the fluffy creature, you sigh in relief at not having stepped on it. The cat meows as you bend down to take it into your arms. “Hello there, and what might your name be?” you ask, and the creature meows in response again. You nod as if you've understood it. “Ah I see, that's a lovely name.” you smile at the pet in your arms.
“Well I was on my way for a cup of tea, would you like to join me?” the cat makes a sound as if agreeing with your plans. You smile at the cat and make your way to your usual spot where you have tea, the servants had already made sure everything was prepared as you made your way towards the gardens.
As you settle down to drink your tea you make sure that your new friend is gifted with a snack as well. The both of you bask under the warm sun in solitude, you make a comment here and there, your new friend lets out noises of her own. However in the middle of conversation your friend decides to walk away, you watch as a child approaches in relief.
It is Prince Aegon, Daeron’s little brother.
You have not had the chance to talk to him as it seems his father tries to keep him busy with his studies, it is only a rare occasion to see him playing. “Thank the gods, there you are Syrax! I've been looking for you everywhere girl!” the child says as he quickly bends down to hold his dear cat.
Seeing the heartfelt reunion you decide to approach. “Forgive me, I brought her company with me. I did not want to leave her alone in the halls.” you explain to the little boy. He is quick to stand with Syrax in his arms.
“It is no trouble my lady, I thank you for taking care of my dear Syrax. I hope she wasn't too much trouble.” he says gratefully. He was previously running the halls looking for his lost cat.
“It was no trouble my prince, I am grateful to have run into her. She kept me good company.” you smile down at the boy as you pet the creature in his grasp.
Little Aegon formally introduces himself and you do the same. You invite him to join you and he agrees after seeing the sweet grapes that lay on a platter. The both of you speak while playing with Syrax. Laughter is filled in the air but it is soon brought to a dim moment when a throat is cleared. The both of you turn your attention to the noise and the person responsible is Daeron.
“I have been looking for Syrax for the past hour, you did not think to tell me that she has been found?” Daeron speaks a little annoyed that he has wasted time looking for his little brother’s cat but he is a little relieved that the cat has been found well.
“Sorry” Aegon can only say having forgotten that his brother was also helping him look for Syrax.
There is a moment of silence, the only thing heard is the rustling of trees and the blow of wind. “Would you like to join us Daeron, it is a lovely day and we were just spending time together.” you decide to offer wanting to cut the silence happening.
Daeron turns his attention to you. “Sure” is all he says as he approaches to sit with the both of you. He reaches for the fruits on the platter as conversation is brought up. He talks here and there not wanting to choke from the food in his mouth.
Now that another addition is brought into the space it is even more livelier, you talk about home and how much you miss fishing. Aegon upon hearing fishing brightens up even more. “I love fishing!” he admits. “Would you take me one day?” he asks hopefully, and you nod enthusiastically.
“Of course I can,” you beam, happily as you smile down at the boy. You bring up a plan on what day you could take him out to go fishing, Aegon nods at every word you say as Daeron says he’ll accompany you two to go as well. The three of you spend time together, you play with little Aegon and his cat while Daeron watches the interaction with a pleased look on his face, sometimes laughing.
Two days pass after that day. You've woken up extra early to break your fast and get yourself ready for your upcoming plans for today. Today you would go fishing with Aegon and Daeron. You had discussed your duties that you needed to do today before going out. Daeron would be in charge of getting the equipment which consisted of a bow and arrow. Aegon was in charge of making sure he showed up on time. You were tasked with asking someone to get the horses ready to depart. And so after breaking your fast the three of you made sure to get right onto your duties to depart.
Daeron was grabbing a long bow and packing recurve bows in its holder so he wouldn't have difficulty holding them. As he was doing this Valarr just happened to be seeing his cousin for the first time holding a weapon of any sort, to say he was shocked was an understatement. “Cousin” Daeron jumps in surprise at the voice behind him.
Daeron turns to face Valarr. “Cousin” he greets.
They stand there in silence for a moment until Daeron sees Valarr’s attention on the objects in his hand. “Ah, I am accompanying my brother Aegon to go fishing…” he trails off. “with the princess” he finishes his sentence hesitatively.
Valarr upon hearing Daeron’s words lifts his eyes to look at his cousin. “My wife?” he asks and Daeron nods at his question. You were going fishing and he had not known about it. He cannot help but hate the way his heart aches for a moment when he thinks about you. Truthfully everyday Valarr had found himself thinking about what he could do to spend time with you. He had wondered what you would like to do during the day, sometimes his thoughts would wander to activities you could do together.
“Yes Aegon has been asking nonstop when she'd take him out to go, y/n has deemed it a nice day to go today.” Daeron says and Valarr only nods at his words.
He swallows the lump in his throat. “I see, I wish you guys a safe and pleasant time.” Valarr says, lifting his lips from his frown into a curt smile.
“Thank you” Daeron says as he finishes gathering the objects and walking away to meet you at the stables. Valarr watches him leave and his lips return into a slight frown. It should be him accompanying you, but it was no harm that Daeron went after all he was his cousin. There was nothing bad about befriending his family as well. Valarr lets out a sigh as he returns to his training wanting to get rid of the slightly bitter thoughts overtaking his mind.
You are just about ready when Daeron arrives with a bow and arrows, Aegon had arrived shortly before his brother. The three of you guide the two horses at the entrance of the gate, that is when you get on them. Daeron shares his saddle with Aegon while you ride alone. Luckily there would be no kingsguards accompanying you, Daeron had informed you that he had dismissed them so that there would be no disruptions and you were thankful for that.
The gates open and the three of you ride to the kingswood. It is a peaceful ride as there is conversation and jokes exchanged or simply silence as you admire the scenery along the way. You keep an eye out for a body of water that is sure to have fish residing there. You come to a stop when you spot one. You are the first to get off to check it out and sure enough the river is home to plenty of fish. Daeron helps Aegon off and he takes after you.
“We can fish here, there are plenty of them in this body of water.” you speak as you motion for Daeron to come over. He comes over with the bow and arrow he brought, you thank him as he gives it to you.
You spend a good amount of time teaching Aegon how to properly hold the bow and how his body should be positioned. He is a fast learner, he manages to get in a good posture in a short amount of time. You cannot help but chuckle as Aegon’s cheeks get rosy from the praise you give him as you teach him. Daeron decides to step back and observe instead as he drinks from a small pouch filled with a bit of wine.
Aegon extends the bow’s string with an arrow now in place readying to aim and shoot, you stand behind him as you gently correct his arms. “Look there's one right there” you whisper as he further extends the string his elbow slightly lowers and you place your hand to straighten it. Aegon lets out a small breath and lets the arrow go as it pierces right through the water and hits the fish.
“There you go!” you exclaim happily, “go get it!” you encourage him with a hand to his back as he steps into the body of water to retrieve the fish. “Yeah! Aegon the mighty fisherman!” you let out a happy laugh as Aegon grabs the arrow piercing the fish, smiling so big you're sure his cheeks hurt. “There you go” Aegon almost drops the fish as it wiggles rapidly, wanting to show you what he caught.
“Woah” you whisper in surprise as you get a better look at the fish that was much bigger than you expected. “That's a big one” you comment as you lower yourself to reach his height grabbing the fish as Aegon grabs ahold on the arrow taking it out.
“It was right where you said” he says breathlessly as he smiles as bright as he could. You continue to watch over Aegon as he goes back to fishing. He manages to shoot six fish until his arms start to get tired. You deem it enough time for a break. You skin and clean fish as you tasked Daeron to start a small fire, to cook the fish. After finishing you are taken aback to see that the fire was not even lit. Daeron notices and looks at you, embarrassed.
“Forgive me, it seems I am having trouble with my task” he tries to cover up his lack of knowledge, however you put two and two together. Of course a prince of the realm had no knowledge of starting a fire. Everything is done for them.
You give him a comforting smile instead, understanding his lack of knowledge. “It seems so, no matter I shall start it then.” you set the readyed fish aside to start the fire, Daeron does not move instead he observes your actions planting them in the back of his head just in case.
“Where did you learn to do all of this?” Daeron cannot help but ask.
“My parents” you reveal a soft fond smile overcoming your lips. “My father claimed no daughter of his was going to be unknowledgeable in tasks like this. My mother is fond of the bow and arrow, she taught me how to shoot.” a soft sigh escapes your lips, suddenly missing your parents.
Daeron nods at your words. “Ah, that makes sense”
The fire is lit and the fish are almost done cooking when Aegon returns from changing his clothes to the dry ones you brought. He sits down beside you on the ground as you pass him a fish that had barely finished cooking. He thanks you as he carefully takes the food, he burns his mouth after his first bite and you gently remind him again to be careful. You give the next one to Daeron who thanks you as he takes the fish biting into it with a hum of satisfaction. You take your own after and begin to eat as well while taking care of the other fish that are cooking. A moment of solitude is spent as the three of you enjoy the fish.
Aegon ends up eating three fish, Daeron one, and you two. The three of you sit together, light conversations exchanged as you wait for the food to settle down for a bit. You all get ready to leave as the sun is in its early stages of retreating. The ride back does not take too long and you were able to return before dinner had even been served.
As the three of you return the horses to the stable you bid Aegon and Daeron farewell. Aegon, although a bit sad that he'll no longer be in your company, thanks you for taking him fishing and exclaims he wants to do it again. You smile at him reassuring him you'll take him again. Daeron gives you a curt nod at your departure.
You make your way to your chambers slightly exhausted now that you've realized it. You enter your chambers where a servant seemed to barely have finished preparing the bath you had asked to have prepared for when you came. You thank her as she finishes preparing the bath. You call out to her before she leaves.
“Would you be so kind and bring me a plate for dinner? If I am quite honest I am exhausted. I wish to eat in my chambers tonight.” the servant nods at your request and you thank her again before she leaves.
You bathe and clothe yourself in your night attire as you don't plan on leaving your chambers until tomorrow morning. You busy yourself with embroidering and reading until the servant brings you a plate of food. After you're done eating you finish your nightly routine and head to bed, exhausted.
Fishing with Aegon and Daeron was fun, you think. You're glad to have spent time with them. You hope to do it often. From today, sleep overcomes you easily tonight.
Two weeks had gone by and within those weeks grand celebrations and feasts were held in celebration of the upcoming wedding of Prince Daeron and Kiera of Tyrosh. Not as grand as the celebrations for your own wedding but still grand. They were celebrations worthy of the king’s grandson.
Today would be the actual wedding day. You were woken up early by the servants to help prepare you. They bathed, rubbed oils onto your body and hair, dressed you in a gown with the colors of your husband’s house, put on jewelry too extravagant for your tastes. However you had requested for your hair to be done in the traditions of your old house.
A knock on the door was heard as you had just finished getting ready. You were slightly taken aback as Valarr entered saying he would escort you to the carriage instead of waiting for you there. The both of you walk in silence as you make your way outside, it is even silent when you settle down in the carriage. You decide to distract yourself by looking at the outside scenery as the carriage moves to bring you both to the Sept.
You turn your face to meet his gaze with your own. His words were so sudden in the silence you were sure you had imagined them but Valarr was looking right at you as if he was waiting for a response or a clear reaction.
Instead you swallow nervously. “Thank you” you can only manage to say not wanting it to seem like you were nervous even though you were. Valarr gives you a nod in response to your answer and the carriage is filled with silence again.
‘Thank the gods’ you cannot help but think as the carriage comes to a stop and the door opens. Valarr exits first and extends a hand to help you down the steps. As you take his hand you cannot help but like the way it fits so perfectly on your own, as if it was a complete puzzle.
The both of you entered arm in arm at the Sept. The guests were already there, it seems only the bride was missing. You look around the Sept until your eyes land on a very nervous looking Daeron, you could not help but smile fondly at the sight. Seeing him nervous shows that he cares about this marriage.
During your blossoming friendship with Daeron he would seek you out at times for advice about Kiera and you were more than happy to oblige. Daeron tried and that made him a worthy husband than most in your eyes. Kiera is a lucky woman; her marriage was destined to be a happy one.
The doors open revealing the bride. Kiera wears a gown with fabrics so colorful it looks different than the dresses the brides from the south wear. It is beautiful, nonetheless. She walks down the aisle with her father beside her. You see how she and Daeron hold eye contact until she's right beside him and even then Daeron cannot take his eyes off of her.
The Septa says the prayers and the couple exchange vows, they kiss and once the septa declares them as husband and wife the guests cheer and clap. You remove your arm from Valarr’s to clap, happy to have witnessed a union destined for nothing but happiness.
The feast held for the newlywed couple is a grand one. You happen to enjoy yourself more than the feast for your own wedding. You drink wine, eat, and talk with the newlywed couple or little Aegon at the table consisting of the royal family. You watch as people get up from their seats as the music starts playing. Daeron and Kiera get up to dance together and you watch with a fond smile as they disappear into the crowd.
They return once they’ve danced three songs together, they are breathless as they drink from a shared cup. Your thoughts are cut off when Daeron calls out to you. “Come, join us!” he says motioning you over with a carefree smile.
You shake your head denying his offer, if it was one. “It is not a celebration if you do not dance!” Kiera speaks beside her husband as she offers you an encouraging smile as she also tries to motion for you to approach them.
You decline yet again and after much persuasion Daeron has enough of it, he approaches you instead and pulls you out of your seat. You are practically dragged into the dance floor. The both of them dance with you for a while, Daeron makes sure you are not left dancing alone. You exchange smiles and laughter while dancing. The dance is so chaotic there are times when you dance with complete strangers but you always manage to return to Daeron and Kiera or there are times when you and Daeron are stuck together as Kiera gets roped into another dance with someone else among the crowd.
At the royal family table Baelor continues to look at his first born son, Valarr. His son turns to him upon feeling his father’s gaze on him. Baelor gives his son a look and subtly shakes his head before turning away to return his attention to the guests dancing.
You do not notice a pair of mismatched eyes following your every move. Valarr has kept his attention solely on you since you’ve left his side. The familiar ach returns, the same one that always fills his heart when he sees you happy from afar, without him. You look happy, so happy and carefree he feels awful for wanting to keep that for himself only. In his time observing you throughout your marriage Valarr has realized that you seem to be happy in the company of everyone else except him. However he does not deserve your happiness or love, his distance is a consequence of that and he’ll have to atone for that.
You dance for the rest of the night not even bothering to return back to the table to rest or to quench your thirst.
During the first week of the union between Daeron and Kiera, King Daeron proposed a week's celebration of the union. Feasts and tournaments were held in Kingslanding, they were grand ones too. Everyday was something different which made you anticipate what was being held today.
You did not mind a good tourney, they were good distractions as everyone had their eyes on the competitors instead of the royal family. However to be honest you were not fond of the snapping of the lances or the noises of the startled horses.
The tourney held today would close the week's celebration. It was important that everyone was present. You had woken up early to prepare yourself for today's celebrations. Once the servants were done helping you get ready you had dismissed them wanting to be alone before the tournament.
You were looking at your reflection when a knock came to your chambers doors and they opened, revealing Baelor Prince of Dragonstone, hand of the king, heir to the iron throne and your father by law. You are quick to bow upon seeing him. “Your grace” you greet.
He gives you a smile in return. “Princess, I have come to accompany you on your way to the tournament.”
A moment of confusion crosses your features. Valarr was not going to escort you? Everyday when you had to present yourselves Valarr always made sure he was the one to escort you. Was he busy? If so, what was he busy with?
Baelor notices your confusion and chooses to address it. “It seems my son has other matters to attend to. He apologies for not being able to escort you himself.”
Your thoughts are cut off in response to Baelor's words. That makes sense. “I see, I appreciate you being my escort, your grace” you give him a smile. He offers you his arm and you take it.
While the both of you make your way to the tournament, there is conversation between you. Baelor speaks of different topics or asks you questions and you listen or reply when during your conversation with him. As you arrive at the royal box, you decide to sit next to Kiera on one side and Baelor on the other.
You settle into your seat as time passes and not too long after everyone is settled down the announcers shout, declaring that the tournament has begun. The audience erupts into cheers as the tournament begins. You watch as the two first participants enter the venue, the announcer introduces the competitors as they ride around making the crowd cheer even louder, eager to see the men go against each other.
As the joust began you found the wedding ring encased on your ring finger much more interesting. You fiddle with it, twisting it at times. Your gaze sometimes wandered to the skirt of your dress tracing the pattern on it. You can make out what's going on by the sound of lances breaking or the metal of armor meeting the ground as the cheers from the audience grow louder.
The drums are hit louder creating a rhythmic beat, the banner is changed into the banner of house Targaryen. “Prince Valarr of house Targaryen, the young prince, second in line to the iron throne, first born son of Prince Baelor breakspear Targaryen!” the announcer says and upon those words your head is shot up in surprise at the sight of Valarr wearing his armor while riding to ready himself for the joust to begin.
Valarr Targaryen, your husband. There he was on his horse in full armor, you watch as he readies himself with the help of his squire handing him his lance and shield. You cannot help but admire Valarr in his glory. This was your first time seeing him in this sort of attire. He looked different, confident he did not ride around to erupt the crowd into even more cheers. He simply rode to his destination and readied himself as if he did not need to bask in the cheers to boost his confidence. It was as if he already had it.
You hear a lord behind you bet on Valarr, the crowd’s cheering goes silent as Valarr and his opponent are on opposite ends, waiting for the announcer to begin the joust round. It seems like quite a while until the announcer blows the horn, Valarr and his opponent ride, their lances and shields ready. The both of them break their lances and return to meet each other again, you are not surprised to see that Valarr unhorses his opponent so easily.
Valarr is deemed as the victor for this round and makes it onto the next one.
You watch other men break lances as they get unhorsed, sometimes one would unsheath their swords declaring a fight. You see men get dragged out by knights or their squires. The sight makes you grimace in not being able to comprehend why men get so heated up about this. There are some men who are able to hold their ground and valiantly unhorse their opponents.
You watch in the rounds Valarr is in how he unhorses his opponents with ease you cannot help but feel a bit of pride for being married to such a man. He was a strong, capable man, and deep down you were silently cheering for his victory.
Valarr manages to make it into the last round with another man you had learned was named Levi of house Darkwell, house words: fearless in faith. House Darkwell was a great noble house and was famous for their unwavering loyalty. They were often referred to as the south’s north or the south’s Starks, as the people from house Darkwell remind everyone of the people from there.
Seeing the both of them ready themselves for the final round, you suddenly start to feel nervous. You're practically on the edge of your seat from the anticipation of who was going to win. You had seen the way Levi unhorsed his previous opponents; he was a good and skilled man.
They settle into their positions, ready to strike as soon as the horn blows. As soon as the horn blows both men set off, riding their horses to go faster. You watch as they break the first lance, they ride back and yell out to their squires to get another one. The motion is repeated various times you lose count.
They break another lance.
The action is repeated eight times.
By the time they are on their ninth lance to your surprise and everyone else's, Valarr is the one unhorsed.
Your lips part in shock and surprise at the sigh of Valarr on the ground along with a broken lance and his shield. The crowd cheers for Levi’s victory and the people in the royal box although shocked as well clap for the victorious man.
Levi makes his way to his squire where the lad hands him the decorated wreath of flowers the man had taken the time to put together before the tournament. Whenever he was made to enter the lists of a tourney he had made it a tradition to crown his mother the queen of love and beauty until he had found a woman worthy to be named so.
However this tournament was different. Instead of giving his mother the title he had rode right past her and rode until he stopped his horse, right in front of you. He removes his helmet, underneath was a man with dark raven hair, a dislocated undercut with a textured, parted top. His eyes have a dark and metallic blue-grey tint. He extends his arm that holds the wreath of flowers to you. “Princess, it would bring me the greatest honor a man could receive if you are to accept the title of Queen of Love and Beauty from me.”
Your lips part in shock at the man before you. This man was declaring you as his queen of love and beauty not only in front of everyone but also in front of your husband and his family. You look to your left to see Keira's and Daeron’s reaction. For a moment they give you a look of encouragement as if they're urging you to take the wreath from the man. You look to your right to see Baelor’s reaction, however he isn't looking at you, his gaze is set straight at the man before you. You take a quick scan around you and everyone is looking at you. Some have curious gazes while some already whisper to others behind their paper fans.
If you deny him it’ll be rude and you'd be looked down upon for rejecting such a title. If you accept you'd be putting yourself in a scandal, there could be rumors by tonight calling you unfaithful or there could be whispers about your marriage to Valarr and how unhappy it was.
It is a lose, lose situation.
You open your mouth to refuse but you see the look in his gaze. His face held no ill intent, his mouth was curved into a small smile and his eyes were not filled with hunger. It was as if he was simply asking you a question. His hand was still extended out holding the wreath just enough for you to reach it.
You do not know when or how the wreath was suddenly into your grasp but it was. You’re cut off from your daze when the crowd erupts into clapping and whistles, Levi gives you a bow once his hand is empty from the wreath. “I thank you for accepting the title, princess.” He gives you a smile.
You can only nod and give him a smile back. “Thank you for giving me such a title, my lord” you place the wreath of flowers upon the crown of your head. Levi’s smile brightens at the action.
“I hope to see you at tonight’s feast then” he curtly nods and you reply with a nod of your own. He leaves with a smile on his face.
You had changed into another gown for tonight’s feast. Tonight was the feast that would close the celebrations of the union between Keira and Daeron. To say it was grand was an understatement. Every lord and lady was here, even the king made sure he was present tonight. The feast is even grander than the previous ones, tables are filled to the brim with dishes and cups there is not a single space emptied.
You watch with a content look from the royal table as the crowd of people enjoy themselves with the music playing. People dance, laugh, and share breathless words to each other. You busy yourself with your plate of food or cup of wine as Daeron and Kiera leave the table for a dance. You look around your surroundings, looking around the decorated room filled with extravagant decorations.
Once two dances have passed you decide to get up from your seat to join the crowd of dancing people. You do not hear the scrape of a chair or hear the footsteps trailing behind you, the person decides to navigate themselves the opposite way of your direction hoping to make it seem like they’ve accidentally bumped into you.
You navigate around the crowd while doing so you catch eyes with Kiera, she waves you over and you carefully squeeze yourself in between others to approach her. “The feast tonight is especially grand and the decorations are beautiful” you compliment and Kiera’s cheeks flush in appreciation as she admits that she had picked out the color scheme for the feasts decorations. As the both of you conversate Daeron stays quiet deciding to instead listen and nod along your conversation.
Your conversation is cut short when a voice is spoken among the three of you. “Princess y/n” you turn around and to your utter surprise it’s Levi behind you. His attire is up to standards from a noble house like his. The both of you greet each other respectfully and he congratulates the married couple before giving you his attention once more.
“Would my Queen of Love and Beauty accept my invitation to dance?” he asks, his hand extended with his palm for you to take if you were to accept. His voice holds no pressure; it is sort of a light tone. As if he's telling you that you don’t need to accept. There would be no harm done if you were to deny his invitation. You feel a slight push at your back to know it’s Daeron’s touch encouraging you to dance, and so you do.
You accept Levi’s invitation to dance and take his hand into yours. When he takes you to the crowd you settle into the usual position of a dancing pair. You settle onto one side and he settles onto the other side of the group. As the music begins the both of you sync into the dance, eye contact is held not intensely but softly. When he touches you during the dance his touch lingers for a second and then he pulls away, wanting to be respectful to his princess. The both of you dance three songs before departing, before leaving though Levi decides to press a kiss to your hand.
Kiera pulls you in for a dance to share together and once it's over she recommends going back to the table for a quick drink before returning, you agree. The both of you make your way towards the table, arms interlaced together as laughter is exchanged upon certain remarks.
However you're stopped in your tracks as someone abruptly stands in your way, laughter is cut off, you gasp in slight surprise at the sudden blockage and to an even bigger surprise it is Valarr in your way. His attention is solely on you though and you cannot help but feel a bit nervous. It is silent for a moment until he decides to speak.
“May I have the next dance, princess y/n” he asks.
He tries to meet your trailing eyes and after he realizes that he’s been standing there for an awkward amount of time he simply nods at your answer, gives you a small bow and walks away. He's gone before you could straighten yourself.
Kiera looks over at you with a slight smirk as if she was teasing you for a reaction, realizing what you’ve done you hurriedly take her hand and drag her to a discreet corner where you can talk privately. Your drinks are long forgotten now. Your breath turns heavy for a moment.
“Did I just agree to dance with him?” you decide to ask, making sure the interaction wasn't just a figment of your imagination.
“He is your husband” she says, as if it were a fact because it in fact was a fact.
“Ah yes I forgot about that” you lightly joke trying to bring comfort to yourself. The joke lightens up the mood as Kiera laughs taken aback by your words, she cups your cheek to bring you comfort. The both of you continue to laugh as you make your way back to the celebration but not before quickly quenching your thirst.
You make it just in time, the next dance is just starting. You stood across from Valarr as he stood across from you, both of you on opposite sides of the crowd as they began to get in their own positions as well, to begin the dance. The music starts and everyone starts moving, the both of you follow your respective groups in sync. When you’re close enough at times to talk you decide to speak.
“I love this dance” you comment.
“Indeed, most invigorating” he replies back.
The both of you separate.
“It’s your turn to say something, prince Valarr.” you speak.
“Please advise me on what you would like for me to speak of.” he can only say.
You sigh softly in mild disappointment at his answer. “Now we may remain silent.” you decide to say.
It stays silent for a short moment and the both of you continue to dance, until surprisingly Valarr decides to speak.
“Do you talk as a rule while dancing?” he asks.
You show your amusement with a smile. “No i prefer to be insociable in taciturn, makes it all so much more enjoyable don't you think” you remark before following your respectable dancing crowd.
Valarr speaks when you meet each other again amongst the dance. “Tell me, do you enjoy the feasts in Kingslanding?”
“Yes, I find these feasts to be a great opportunity to meet new people.” you reply. “In fact I just had the pleasure of forming a new acquaintance, just today.” you finish.
“Lord Darkwell is blessed with such happy manners he is sure of making friends whether he's capable of retaining them is less said.” he says voice laced with a hidden bitterness you do not catch at the moment.
“Hes been so unfortunate as to lose your friendship, and I dare say that it is an irreversible event.” you bite back.
“It is.” Valarr is quick to reply.
The both of you close the distance between you two and instead of following the dance you stay in your positions, eyes holding this fierce contact that you cannot break away from.
“Why do you ask such a question?” he asks, voice still carrying a bitter tone.
“To make out your character, prince Valarr.”
“And what have you discovered?”
“Very little, we have been married for a couple of moons now. I hear such different accounts of you. It has puzzled me exceedingly.”
“I hope to offer you more clarity in the future.” he can only reply.
After his reply the both of you seem to snap out of your trace as the both of you continue to dance, however the atmosphere between you two is different. It's much more intense and the eye contact you hold together is captivating, the both of you cannot break it. It seems as if the room is completely empty as the both of you continue to dance, when you break away during the dance the eye contact you hold together remains unbroken.
When the dance comes to an end it’s as if the crowd returns once they break into an applause. The both of you respectively bow to each other when it’s over and you’re the first to walk away, you do not bother to hide your sour expression as you depart.
As the feast continues, you decide to leave the room in favor of going out for some fresh air. You decide to walk to the same tree Daeron took you to. You take in the silence and admire the moon as you take in deep breaths of fresh air. While basking in the silence you cannot help but let your thoughts wander to the dance you shared with Valarr.
It was the first dance you shared together. The thought made you a bit sad now, you have been married for moons now and still that interaction was probably the longest one you had with him. The longest interaction you had with him and it was still an unpleasant and bitter one, you could not even get along for a dance.
Why can’t the both of you just get along? You had given him his space and after realizing he had no intention of wanting to get to know you, you had distanced yourself as well. It was easier that way and yet still it seems as though there was something else that is the problem.
Does the fault lie with you? Have you done something wrong?
Perhaps he is bitter because you have not yet been with child, yes that must be it. That was the only time you saw each other. Is the act so unbearable because it is being done with you? Are you not pleasant to look at? You do not consider yourself to be the most beautiful but surely you are not that unpleasant, right?
No, surely you are since your own husband cannot stand the sight of you. Your breath shudders at the realization and your eyes start to burn with unshed growing tears. You swallow the lump forming in your throat.
A sudden cough makes you softly gasp in surprise, you turn around to the person who made the noise and to your surprise it is Levi, the victor of today’s tourney and the man who crowned you as his queen of love and beauty. He is the future lord of house Darkwell.
You quickly turn your face away to hide yourself, embarrassed to have been caught in such a state. You clear your throat and make sure to discreetly wipe the little water that had fallen from your eyes. Once you deem yourself presentable you turn around with a smile trying to mask your dampened mood.
“My lord, what a pleasant surprise” you decide to say.
“Please forgive me for intruding, I can take myself elsewhere if I am a bother.” Levi had left the room for a moment alone, he did not think he would run into anyone.
“No of course you’re not a bother” you’re quick to reassure him, you are slightly taken aback at his words, he is a thoughtful man you’ve concluded as you had recently learned that he is unmarried and there are whispers of him saying he plans on remaining unmarried, along the lines of talks saying he has named his sister’s second son his heir.
“Something is bothering you, princess.” he speaks.
“You’re observant.” You can only smile sadly, too tired to hide how you’re feeling now.
“It is not hard to observe what is obvious.” he replies back. It was not hard to conclude what is troubling you. If anyone were to actually open their eyes they could see how troubled you are. Valarr is a fool to treat such a woman as you so unfondly. A part of him resents the prince as he was able to get your hand with so much as a flick of his wrist. When Levi had learned that his proposal was rejected he was downhearted for moons, even now at times he finds himself so, especially when he sees you with your husband.
“I see..” your reply hangs in the air, dragging itself silently.
“If you wish to speak about your troubles I am here.” Levi speaks after a while of silence and you thank him.
The both of you stand in silence for a moment and as time passes you begin to realize how tired your legs seem to be. You decide to sit on the grass using the tree’s thick trunk to rest your back, Levi decides to join you as he seems tired as well. The both of you sit in silence hearing the wind blow and admiring the night sky littered with bright stars.
“Do you remember your twelveth nameday?” Levi's question catches you off guard but you reply nonetheless.
“Yes, why do you ask?” you say.
Levi cannot help but laugh at your response. “I am sure if you remembered, you would have remembered me,” he pauses for a moment, doubting if he should say what he wanted to say before continuing his sentence. “That was the first day we met, princess.” It's true, Levi remembers that day so vividly as if it was just a fortnight ago. In reality it was just six years ago, he was a shy and quiet thirteen year old boy when he met you.
His words catch you completely off guard. You’ve met him before? You try to recall that day and yes, you remember your name day. You remember how wonderful of a day it was, the food and the music but you cannot recall ever meeting the man before you.
You open your mouth and then close it again, before opening it again to speak. “I apologize but it seems I do not remember everything.”
Levi smiles at your words expecting that answer. He turns his attention to the night sky to speak. “There is nothing to apologize for, if anything I should be the one apologizing to you. I was a coward who couldn’t defend myself that day. If it hadn’t been for you I would have most likely cried in front of the whole lot of guests on your nameday. I would have embarrassed you if I had.” he turns to meet your eyes and he gives you a subtle smile.
Levi was a shy and quiet boy who preferred to keep to himself, in fact he would say he is still quite the same boy. However growing up he had forced himself to get out of his shell when he needed to. On your name day celebrations while boys his age were asking ladies out to dance he had opted to stay seated eating from a plate of food. A group of boys a couple of years older had come up to him and started teasing him calling him a lone dog to make matters worse they had used his parentage against him. Their words were true, he was a bastard. He was fathered by lord Darkwell’s younger brother. They had claimed no lady would want him because of his bastard blood. When the insults came, tears built up into his eyes and just when they were about to spill a gasp of surprise made him look up. One of the boys picking on him was covered in cake, when he looked over to see who had done such a thing he saw you.
He would never forget the look on your face, your face was scrunched up in anger. His breath had shuddered at the sight of seeing someone get angry for his sake. “I would gladly dance with lord Darkwell, from what I can see he is more good and noble than any of you here.” you spoke as you made your way to Levi. you had grasped his hand and pulled him with you into the crowd to not only dance but to take him away from the group of boys. Levi meets your gaze shyly as the both of you dance. He thanks you and you only give him a smile in return.
After that day you had never left his thoughts. He thought of you everyday. Before he had met you he had pushed away his title of future lord of house Darkwell refusing to take it because he felt unworthy of the title. But after meeting you he had welcomed the title and had actually pushed his father (his uncle by blood but he considers the man his father) to hurry his legitimization, not for him but for you. If he could become a good man with a good title and position he could be worthy of you.
That is why he is the man he is today, because of you.
You shake your head in denial at his words. “Of course you would not have, a man showing how he feels is a very noble thing to do.” you smile at him and he can only shake his head in bewilderment.
“Some people say otherwise.” he can only say.
“Who cares?” you simply say.
You look up at the night sky after your words but Levi remains looking at you in admiration. Of course you would say something like that, it is so you. He feels his face grow hot as he thinks about how admirable you are.
He cuts his attention off of you when he feels a pair of eyes watching the both of you. His abrupt turn to look elsewhere catches your attention.
A short second passes before he turns to you with a reassuring smile. “It is nothing princess, shall we head back?”
You softly sigh and nod at his words. Levi helps you get up and makes sure your dress is laid out perfectly on you before the both of you depart from the tree to head back to the celebrations.
You fail to see another pair of eyes overlooking you and Levi as the both of you made it back to the celebrations and the man secretly hiding in the shadows with a heavy heart lets the moon’s light hit him as he leaves the corner he was in.
js to clarify yes levi is a bastard, his real father is lord Darkwell’s younger brother. levi’s father fell in love with his mother who was a simple healer, they married in secret and levi was born. his mother died giving birth to him and shortly after his mother’s passing his father passed away as well. the maesters were never able to figure out why but lord Darkwell knew deep down his younger brother had died from a broken heart. lord Darkwell broken by the death of his younger brother declared levi as his own son and heir in honor of his younger brother who he loved deeply.
also I really wanna write ab gwayne but I seen a post saying if u write him w a fem reader ur homophobic (IM NOT I SWEAR) bc he’s gay but honestly I’ve always seen him as pansexual/unlabeled he lowkey gives those vibes. he seems like the kind of person to fall in love w someone bc of the kind of person they are if they makes sense but lmk if yall would read it. anyways idk when im gonna post the next part since im always super busy cuz I work 40+ hours a week and I always close💔💔