𖦹𖦹𖦹

“Come Egg,” Maekar fought his son from your handhold and you released him at once moving deeper into the room, hands slightly splayed out before you incase something had been moved. But your vanity was exactly where it had been when you left it. “You’ll behave for your grandmother.” Daella was already attached to your mother’s side. Savoring the attention and the new dress that your mother had promised the little girl.

Maekar delivered egg to your mother. You did not see the concerned look she gave him, the worry that a mother never shook for her child. This new version of you was still so new for them.

“I can join you mother,” you began to say just at the door creaked. Maekar was already closing it. “I should go, incase they get uneasy. They are strangers to them after all.”

You stilled when his heads hands settled down onto your shoulders. “I have faith your mother can handle a winging child.”

You laughed, dryly. “Are you saying that you imagine I winged?” Fiend offense.

“no…gods no, I speak of your sisters.” You laughed and the action of that eased your tension some.

“thank you.” You whispered turning to face him and tucking your cheek to his collar. You were glad he had orchestrated this moment alone. “It’s just been overwhelming.” You admit. The carriage had made you feel sick, all the movement with not ability to lock your eyes on a landmark in the distance, and then having two toddler to deal with and three other groaning sons. It had been a test for you.

You only got sick once, only needed to call the end to a day of travel earlier than anticipated once. Maekar did not fault you for either of this instances. Truly he hated that it was becoming clear that lengthy travel would be complicated for you. He did not want your world to become small. He did not want you to feel suffocated by him, by Summerhall or by the family you two had built together. That was why he had organized this trip, getting things in order for it to occur before you had even thought of suggesting it.

“You should rest for a bit.” He thought and kissed the top of your head, which had you lifting your chin, distant, unfocused, eyes pointed towards his. “Don’t-“ he saw you about to shake things off and say you were alright to go have tea and show the older boys around and sit with your father for awhile. “I can manage conversation with my good father and your mother only wants to fuss over the children. Now is a good time for you to lay down for a bit.” His hand wraped around your hip and easily moved you back until you were sat on the edge of the bed. He knelt down and undid your boots, putting them at the foot of the bed for you. That was where you always kept your shoes now.

You reached a hand down after crawling under the covers smiling slightly when his rough palm rubbed against yours. “Stay until I fall asleep?” You requested and then settled back against the pillows when the bed dipped from his weight.

“I must admit,” he muttered hand in your hair soothingly pushing the little hairs at your hairline back. “I am looking forward to fucking you in this bed later.”

“Maekar!” You flushed deeply and pulled your hand from his to cover your face a bit. “Gods you are unbelievable…this is my parents home.” You scold.

“Your parents surly must recall what a, was it lively that they used? daughter they raised!” He chuckled to himself at the memory. “You’ve brought with you five children my love, I hardly think they assume we keep separate chambers.”

You rolled over onto time side and pressed your head against his lap. Fingers slipping under the bottom of his jacket and running over his tunic.

“I was strong willed…I hope they did not think me a whore…” your nails dragged against his back. “You know as well as I do that I was very much pure when we married.” You reminded him eyes closing.

“I recall.” He leaned down and his nose brushed against yours. Your lips parted and ran against his stern ones. “Quite the eventful evening, I’ll not ever forget that.”

“the look on your face…” you smirked and his teeth bumped yours. You quickly pursed yours to peck at him. “I can still see you then.” You admitted against his lips. You were glad that those images still lingered so distinctly in your memories.

His headed pivoted and you whimpered when his beard dragged against your sensitive neck. “Maekar-“ your hand squeezed against his back the moment he started to kiss at you there. “You said I needed to rest.” You reminded him and turned your head towards him cutting off his kissing. “And we agreed, no marks.” You whispered to him. Sighing a bit when he sat back up and his thumb rubbed over where he had been slightly sucking.

“Can I go back on my word?”

You laughed and shifted back into the comfortable pillows shaking your head. “You can certinly try…but I’m stubborn, as you know.”

Your husband just nodded looking down at you, laid against the light bedding and the brightly embroidered quilt. “Yes, I do know that.”

You liked feeling the tenderness on your neck when Maekar sucked a mark onto your skin…and you had worn them proudly before losing your sight, but now you worried that people saw you…saw the mark and thought you a woman who was just being tampered with without your knowledge. You did not enjoy people thinking you’d hide them if only you knew. You knew, you did not want to hide them.

Maekar did as you asked, stayed until you were asleep, and then stayed a little longer. Just watching you, soaking in the relaxed expression on your face and calming himself from listening to your soft snoring and then he willed himself to not crawl under the covers and join you because he knew you’d have his neck if your children were all left alone to likely terrorize your poor parents for much longer.

Approximately two hours later he was following Daeron down a hallway he saw him discreetly slip down, but his persuit stopped when he heard you. Your chuckle.

Giggle.

Outright laughing?

Maekar was a man that normally walked with a sure gait but he found himself stopping and starting his feet a few times over before his curiosity got the better of him and he could not help but investigate what was amusing you so much.

“you turned my tongue blue for a week!”

Maekar lingered in the open doorway, watching as you held your chest as you laughed and nodded.

“you were a wonderful patient! It is a shock you are even alive to this day.” You were speaking to one of the younger guards, a man who had come to stay in your fathers hall as a household guard when you were five and ten.

“your little potions were most harmless.”

“tinctures.” You corrected. “I thought myself a maester not a witch.”

“you thought yourself a great many things my lady. Your imagination was boundless.”

Maekar’s fist tightened, the guards words were far too familiar with you for his comfort but it was the way that the man was gazing at you that was really making his blood boil. That his hand was tightening at the hilt of his sword and he was shifting closer to you. That his eyes were taking their time in studying all the ways you’d changed since he last saw you. That you still had a youthfulness but motherhood had alerted you, widened your hips and swelled your chest and the pretty young lady he had often escorted into the nearby city had matured into a proper woman.

“Was yours?” He cut in. You turned slightly towards his voice.

“Maekar,” you held a hand out to call him to your side. “This is Ser torent, he may-“ you were trying to introduce the two but Maekar had put aside his manners as soon as he interupted your nostalgia laced conversation.

“was your imagination boundless, Ser?” He bit out and your hand waited to feel his because you heard his footsteps approaching.

“no, my prince, it was not.” He spoke lowly and seriously, he sounded guilty honestly which made the entire interaction all the more strange from your point of view. Why did he sound caught?

“I’m sure you tried quite hard to not let it run wild…restrain it now too.” He warned and suddenly you felt Maekars strong arm wrap wound your side. It pulled you back a bit and when your arm flew up to reach for something other than your husband to steady you Maekar shifted you fully so both of you were facing away from somebody you considered a old friend.

“let go!” You snapped hands pushing his away from you and when you turned towards him he caught a cutting scowl. “This is my home,” you remind him, jaw tense and voice low. “Do not be rude-“ you began to warn him but maekar cut you off.

“Your honorable guard has peered at your tits three times since I’ve been in the doorway.” He informed you and your hand flew up to cover yourself a bit. Feet shifting with unease and frustration. You didn’t like imagining being gawked at-but you also thought Maekar was being a jealous petulant child and so you did not exactly want to fold into his arms.

“you should be flattered a man envies what you have.” You eventually responded, lips twitching slightly by the end because it was not exactly what tin really wished to say but it was the only thing you could think of at the moment that wouldn’t fully give your husband that satisfaction he looked for.

“It’s not a crime to be viewed, to be desired…” you added and heard feet that were not Maekars shuffle out of the room. He must have had quite the fearsome expression if ser Torent was fleeing the scene of your argument.

“you wish to be gawked at? By a man who is not your husband?” He questioned you and your arms crossed over yourself while your brows raised.

“Perhaps it is just nice to still no I am pretty-“

“you know very well how fucking beautiful you are woman, do not jest with me.”

“do not coddle me!” You stepped back when his boot raised from the floor you knew he was in pursuit of you. “And-“ you took in a breath that got stuck in your lungs as you attempt to fight through the frustration and insecurity that was pushing you to say things you really should not say. “Do not wait for me in bed.” You settled on saying. You’d stay in one of your sisters olds rooms, or sleep with aemon perhaps?

He did not understand, did not get why you got so snippy and angry with him when these moment came up. When he was just trying to look out for you, it was like it bothered you that he cared? That he did not want anything amiss occuring. He hadn’t yet come to the conclusion that you weren’t yet used to needing his judgment on situations. He’d been protective before, pointed looks and well placed possessive touches of your at tourneys or feast but you had always know why is was happening, had been able to manage the situation yourself, his involvement was sweet but hardly needed. You needed it now and that drove you bloody mad! Feeling less competent.

You took it out on him because there wasn’t really anybody else you could so he suffered the groans and tense moods and tonight he suffered sleeping alone in your childhood bed. He was very much awake just thinking about you, thinking about what he could say or do and how to resolve things. He was now ever going to be able to just stand there and way men ogle at you when you had no clue! He couldn’t. When the door opened he blinked through the darkness and for a second thought it was one of the children paddling in. Because their breathing was fast and they scurried to the bed. But when the bed dipped he knew it was you.

The thunder outside, that he had barely been paying attention to had drew you back to him. The storm so erratic over the rolling hills that you could not calm yourself enough to sleep, startled by the clapping thunder.

neither of you said anything for a while, until he cleared his throat.

“you are holding your breath.” He finally said after a few mintues of you laying their silently and jumping a bit each time the thunder boomed.

“it’s startling.”

He grunted in agreement and the mattress shifted, he moved closer to you and that had your body slipping down the divot towards him.

“can we delay our fight?” You whispered into the room, that was dark for both of you given the hour.

“for how long wife?” His arm laid over your side and his head pressed to your back, his nose nudging between your shoulders and it calmed you some.

“ Indefinitely, please.” He chuckled drly moving his jaw to your shoulder and you felt his lips mouth at the side of your neck.

“I can agree to that.” He sucked a bit at the spot where your collar and neck met and you reached an arm back to cup the back of his head keeping him there.

“leave a mark.” He barely heard the request, but when you moved back against him he understood what you wanted. What you needed.

“Whose wife are you?”

“Yours,” you whimpered at he sucked a dark bruise into your neck. “I’m your wife.”

“I am your husband.” He growled. “You are mine to look at. Only mine”

“yours, yes….only yours.” Your head rested back against him, lips parted open as you moaned. “Maekar-“ you whimpered legs squeezing together beneath your night gown and within seconds his hand had fished up the fabric and pulled your leg back so it rested over his leg, giving him perfect access to your cunt. His fingers rubbing softly at first against your pearl and then quickly increasing the intensity.

“you’re beautiful.” He spoke lowly to you while you squirmed and took every attention his fingers gave your cunt. “My gorgeous wife.” He doubled down. “So pretty I want to light every bloody candle in this room to see your face while you cum against my fingers.”

“ugh!” You turn your face into the pillow and bit down on your lip to hush yourself some. “Fucks sake-mm please don’t stop!” You growl and he nods kissing the tender spot on your neck.

“I’m not going to stop pretty girl…I know you need this.” He hummed as your face wrinkled and thighs shook. “Go on, let me feel it.”

You came against his hand with a deep vibrating groan and then instantly flipped over to hide in his chest. Cheek pressed over a scar and hands wrapped around him gripping to his back.

“you are the most beautiful woman in all the seven kingdoms.” He informed you and kissed the top of your head, warm hand rubbing up and down your back to soothe you. “But that does not mean any man can look upon you as a husband does-as I do.” He clarified.

The thunder boomed outside but this time you settled against him, no jump, no fear, no concern about the unknown while his heart beat in your ear and his hands held you tight.

Maekar Masterlist

You did not bleed, did not cramp, did not feel anything but that exhaustion and ache.

You were holding aemon in the nursery, pacing and bouncing him while weakly singing a lullaby. Just trying to settle him down for his nap. That was when the warmth spread across your back and your lips suddenly felt tingly and cold. You squeezed him tighter because the feeling in your limbs was rapidly lessening.

“call for my husband.” You told the wetnurse who was sat waiting incase the little prince could not be lulled by you. “Quickly.” You reiterate voice distant but stern.

“shhh…shhh,” Aemon started crying, his little hands pawing at your jaw and you smiled weakly down at him for a moment. “It’s okay my handsome boy…it’s okay.” You kiss his temple and then startle when a heavy hands land son your shoulder and squeezes.

You were so out of it that you did not even hear maekar enter the room.

“I can’t get him to sleep.” You admit still facing away from him.

“That is what you called me for?” He raised a brow and looked to the wetnurse. “He’s rest better with a full belly.” You did not put up a fight when she slipped aemon from your arms to her chest and sat with him in the nursing chair.

“are you feeling well-“ the prince began to inquire but your turned around as he spoke and he saw the redness across your nose and cheeks, the pale blue color on your lips and the classy crystal quality of your eyes. “Sit down.” He ordered you, hands gripping the sides of your arms and putting you down on one of the trunks. “The aching still? Did your blood come?” He pushed your hair back and was surprised to feel how clammy your skin was. You looked like you were going to faint.

“I feel odd.” You whisper, a hand coming out to hold to his bicep, like you just need something to ground yourself. You almost were flattened when the back of his hand pressed to your forehead and then under your jaw against your neck. He wasn’t being rough, at all, it was just that even mild pressure against your body was to much for you to stay strong against at the moment.

“You are fucking burning.” He concluded and stooped down to grab you. One hand at your side and the under scooped under your bottom to haul you up. You did not even wrap a leg around him to help with the carry. He had to hold you laid out across his strong arms and nuzzled against his shoulder and chest. “Stay with the boy, have a maid call for a maester if he starts up with a fever.” The anvil ordered the wetnurse while he carried you out of the room and right up to the maesters study.

Things became significantly more hazy for you after you were quickly put into a soaking tub. So quickly upon the maesters suggestion that you were still in your gown. The maids could not get the soaked strings of your corset undone so Maekar used the blade on his hip to cut it off you eventually.

It got so bad that somebody, most often your husband, had to hold you up in the water so your head did not dip back to far.

“I need to cut Daeron’s hair…” you whispered at one point. Head turned to toward where Maekar was knelt at your bedside. They did not even bother dressing you when he lifted you out, just wrapped a robe around you and tucked the blanket around your sides to settle the shivering. You’d need to go back into the cold bath soon anyways.

“you do not.” Maekar sighed, palm to the hollow spot of your cheek as he swiped your damp hair back. “He can survive a day without you fussing over him.”

“it’s scraggly.” You exhale, even talking took it out of you.

“My lady, you must get this tonic down.” The maester urged and you frowned shaking your head. “It will help the fever break.” He explained and Maekar had his hand in the back of your neck lifting it up so he could hold the cup to your lips and make your drink it down.

“there you go,” he kissed your temple as you coughed a bit from the medicine mixed into the liquid irritating your throat. “We can get you better and then worry about our son looking like a commoner.” He assured you.

You couldn’t even crack a smile. Perhaps some part of you knew you weren’t going to wake tomorrow feeling better. After that first day you were on conscious on occasion, the poppy that Maekar demanded be given to you kept your asleep most of the time because when it wore off you cried and fought and pulled so fiercely at your own hair in a attempt to ease the pain in your head that Maekar was sure the ere going to rip the hair right out.

You remembered little of the weeks, Maekar’s hand running over your tender back, he didn’t talk to you much but his breathing was a comforted his presence alone calmed you. Occasionally you woke when he fought with the maester….and the new one he brought on when you were not better after a week.

You’d been sick for a moon when the septa who came to pray for you suggested that perhaps the older boys could at least be brought in to see you. That it might bring you some comfort and remind you why you needed to be strong and get better.

Maekar had agreed, and after a long discussion with Daeron and Aerion where he made it clear that they wouldn’t be bickering in your presence or whinning or doing anything but being sweet little boys, he brought them to your bedside.

“We miss you.” Daeron said, head pressed into your stomach as he wrapped his arms around you. Aerion stayed closer to his father, not scared exactly but just uncomfortable with seeing you looking so sickly. Maekar understood that, he felt similarly. It was alarming to see the person you loved so deeply, the person who was your home look like death.

“I miss you too my love.” Your hand trembled as it rubbed his back, fingers finding the back of his head and running through his long hair. “You need to listen to your nan for now, keep being my sweet boy and do as she bids.” You remind him.

“okay…” Daeron lifted his head looking up at you “I want you to be better.” He whispered and you nodded weakly, eyes welling up as you turned your chin down towards him.

“I know, I want to feel better to…” you pulled his head in and kissed the crown of his head. “Can you keep being my sweet boy? Keep looking after your brothers until I’m better?” You asked and when he nodded against your neck you sniffled a bit and tried to keep your emotions contained. “I need to get better so we can trim this unruly hair.” You whisper to him and smile slightly when you feel his hand reach back to fix his much too grown out hair.

“your mother needs to rest.” He gently squeezed Aerion’s shoulder and he rushed to the door.

“I love you too Aerion.” You called before Maekar untangled Daeron from your side and led both the boys out of the room.

“Father…” something weighed heavy on Daeron’s shoulders as he walked because he was slower than the other two and kept looking back at your room. “Why was mother not looking at me?”

You hadn’t seen anything since opening your eyes that morning but wouldn’t admit it for another day or so, even after Maekar came in to confront you as gentle as he could.

Maekar Masterlist

“It would be a honor to marry Prince Baelor he seems so kind and so handsome-“

“Then you go marry him sister, gods-“ you push your cup into her hand and move away from the wall you were leaned against. One hand holding your skirts up slightly so you did not trip as you made your way across the entire length of the room.

Maekar was stood there, slightly behind his eldest brother, letting Baelor do much of the talking. This whole event felt quite strange.

“The crown thanks your brother for his contribution.”

“I’ve no brother.”

He paused and squared his shoulders “-your father then.”

“Perhaps for his coin but he’s certinly not sacrificed much more than bags of that and his banner man.” He did not fight himself in the war.

Maekar eyed you for a moment and then turned slightly back towards the group at large. He wasn’t sure what to say beyond taking the families gathered for their sacrifices. Many had lost sons or fathers. This whole event was to show gratitude to the houses who had been most loyal or had faced immense loss.

“I attempted to go, act as a nurse to help when the battles neared our hall.” You’d taken a great interest in many things throughout your short life, perhaps because your father had no son to fuss over he allowed you more freedom, more exploration. You’d gone to oldtown as a young girl and studied at the stary sept and the citadel for more than a year. You knew how to sew a wound closed and you had gotten it into your mind that it was a skill likely welcome within the war camps. You wanted to be useful, feel like you were doing something.

“it was good you remained in your keep. A war camp is no place for a girl.”

“I heard you were wounded.” Perhaps you brought it up to continue conversation, or maybe you just mentioned it to get under his skin. You were only making conversation-showing you had supported the cause he’d been focused on for so long. Now he was just dismissing you? Calling you girl?

Maekar head turned slowly and when he saw you looking up at him with a ever so soft upward tilt of your lips his jaw tensed and he grabbed your wrist as you went to reach for a goblet off the nearest table.

“what the fuck do you know of me or the war?!”

“brother-“ Baelor shifted through the group he was working and grabbed his brothers shoulder firmly. He shot you a apologetic look with his mismatched eyes but you were far more focused on the piercing stern one’s attempting to burn you through a glare.

“You remained after the battle of the Redgrass field finished. For more than fortnight they say, remaining even after Prince Baelor pressed on.” That was a resounding victory for the throne but the youngest of the kings sons and one of the leading commanders of the war remaining there for some time after meant he had to of been disposed in one way or another. You knew not if he was actually injured but it felt obvious to you that he likely was.

“And how does a lady find out about a war commanders movements?” Baelor mused trying to ease the tension, though he did give his brothers hand a rough squeeze until your wrist was released. Your father and mother were rushing over by the point pulling you back and muttering apologies for how lively you were.

“how does a girl find out of that?” Maekar hissed glaring at his brother. He had been injured, quite badly despite how well he’d done pushing the blackfyres army back.

“You would have to ask her.” Baelor said lowly. “Do not make mother worry, no more grabbing at curious ladies brother.” He warned and turned back to conversation with their guests.

“And that was what exactly you fool?” Your sisters whispered grabing your arm and tucking you into her side, keeping you there in the corner so you could not further ruin your own chance and theirs at a courtship!

“conversation sister, a riveting one actually.” You smirked and your finger gently traced over your wrist and the small green bruise that formed there from the princes grasp.

You went outside as the night went on, needing some air, though breathing became even more a struggle when suddenly there was a warmth behind you, not close enough to feel their frame but close enough that their body heat radiated towards you in the nippy night air in kings landing.

“how did you know i was injured?”

“so you are confirming the matter?” You did not give him the satisfaction of turning around to face him.

“you’ve no brother in the battle and your father is to frail to fight.” His brow raise was audible. You’d gotten under his skin.

“A maester came to our hall.” You informed him. “Practically emptied us of all the salve we had.” You glanced over your shoulder. “It must of been a very large wound he was trying to keep the infection out of.”

Maekar’s jaw eased, slightly, by a degree.

“I rode out there a few days after and saw the guards. They don’t place white cloaks outside a maesters tent for just any boy hurt in battle.”

He supposed it was fair for you to come to the conclusion you had earlier.

“is that satisfying enough of a answer for you?” You turned to look at him now, arms crossed over your chest, your wrist showing off the bruise he’d left.

“I may have been a bit-“

“paranoia is natural i imagine,” You told him and stepped around him to walk deep into the gardens. There were people wandering about but they all seemed focused more on their own conversations than yours. “I’d be a bit uneasy too, if I was in your position.” He was following. You could hear his heavy footsteps. “Fighting a war for so long, not knowing who could be trusted, wanting to appear as a beacon of strength…”

Maekar swallowed, stiffly, you had somehow seen into him and that made him deeply uneasy. “I simply wanted to know if there was a leak of information.” He said after clearing his throat.

“are we not in times of peace again?” You turned on your heel, head tilted slightly to the side and he had to reach out to press his hand against your side to steady himself as he stopped short so you did not end up trampled over by him.

“we are.” He pulled his hand from you quickly and you sighed raising up your bruised wrist holding it up for him to see.

“then it seems gravely inappropriate to bruise a lady over a supposed leak.” You hummed and watched his light eyes take in the marking. “If we really are safe now from the blackfyres…”

“we are.” He answered that part instantly and then reached out to take your wrist in his large hand his thumb easing over the mark. “You do not seems like a lady who would be worried about a bruise.” He accurately decided. You weren’t. It hardly hurt, but you knew as well as he did that it look bad, physically and socially.

“I’m not.”

“you wouldn’t be, would you girl. Wanting to work in the bloody camps!” His shoulders raised in a single laugh and you pushed your hand forward, his fingers coming undone around your wrist and you touched his lapel.

“Have they healed well?” You inquired. He had no limp so you assumed the wounds were on his chest or stomach more than likely.

“very well, your maesters salves were appreciated.” He almost flinched when your hand spread over his chest but he stopped himself from doing it, he didn't want to give you that satisfaction of seeing him flinch. Be it because of propriety reasons or otherwise.

“I’m glad to hear that they served you well,” you smiled, beamed actually, more genuine that the past playful ones. “They were mine.” You admit.

“yours?” His brow was raised again and you could feel his heart quicken under your hand.

“aye.” Now you were far too proud of yourself

“well it worked just as well as any other salve.”

“Though you said it worked very well my prince.” He wasn’t sure if he wanted to rid your face of the over pleased smirk or let it keep warming your cheeks.

“did i?”

“mhm, those works exactly. Very. Well.” You punctuated. You felt far more pride than what was good for you right now, ego beyond inflated.

“than it makes sense you are here tonight,” he settled onto the heels of his feet a bit. “Honoring those who have helped us win the war.”

“I need no flattery, hearing you admit that my product worked is thanks enough.”

“come back inside.” He told you and your brow flickered up.

“It’s grown too stuffy in there, too many people who like hearing themselves speak.” He was looking at you studying your little expressions. The wrinkle of your nose.

“Baelor does indulge the war stories too much.”

“I mean’t no offense to the prince.” You assured. You hadn’t.

“Really? You had no qualms about offending me?” He reminded and you smirked at first and then shyly flushed fidgeting a bit with your wrist.

“well I was not attempting to gain his attention…”

Maekar, as senseless as he was at that age had found reason somewhere in his thick head, or from some brotherly pressure from Baelor, and gifted you a jeweled bracelet the next day. It was beautiful and lovely and it made your father proud and your mother flattered and the action gave your parents and his much to talk about. Which was as great because it allowed him to quietly led you through the keep to one of the maesters studies and let you look at everything within it.

Insisting that you make a oil for him, something that could be applied to the scars to lesson their color and puff. You’d have the bracelet forever, a token of his blossoming affection but it mostly acted as a reminder to you, of the bruise, of the sparing conversation and of the day he let you in to do as you pleased in that room.

The only reason he held off on asking for your hand was because he feared you did not want a courtly life. That perhaps you wished to study more, become a midwife or something of that nature.

After returning home, when letters, and his simple responses to them become irritating to you it was you who wrote to him, told him you wanted to be called to Summerhall, that he needed somebody to look after him, in smaller font you explained that you wished for somebody to watch over you in return. It was lovely, an oasis for you both. Quiet, compared to your lives previously with siblings and nagging parents and courtly expectations.

Then one day you both found the quiet had grown a bit dull, Daeron was born nine moons later.

Series: Prequel, Prequel 2, One, Drabble(2), Drabble(3), four, five

Maekar Masterlist, Prompt Masterlist

Your ladies said he hardly left the bedside and when he did it was only to write ravens to the citadel to request somebody with greater medical insight! That devotion he had to you did not seemed to remain. The only thing that had changed was you and your capabilities. It was impossible not to feel his distance was because of the blindness.

“Aemon, back to me now darling.” You held a little stuffed animal in your hand and smiled when suddenly his little chubby hands pressed into your lap. Your fingers touched gently to his side and held him up under his arm to keep him more stable.

“What animal is this?” You rattle the stiff animal, hopefully close to his line of sight. “Hmm? Tell me is it a dragon?” Motherhood had come naturally to you with Daeron and Aerion, you worried aemon was receiving less of your love than they had because you had been unwell for so long. He would never know how you were before, that you took pride in handling most of your child’s care, that you would run about the gardens with them and bring them to the kitchens to help make rolls for supper. You had not yet ventured into the gardens and people got nervous when you even neared the kitchens and all the sharp and hot things it contained.

“Tell me, what animal is it?” You grinned when his one hand grabbed the toy and the other squeezed your cheek.

“bear!” Aemon shouted in his precious two year old voice. You savored these moments, smiling, being with somebody who did not know yet that something was amiss with you.

“it’s a dragon.”

The voice was unmistakable. Maekar’s. Not the guard who you knew stood within the room to be available if you required help, and it was far to deep to have come from any of your ladies that you had begged to remain in the hall so you could have a moment of normalcy with tour your youngest.

Your head snapped in the direction of the sound and your mind fumbled over responding. It felt important that you say the right thing. But that pressure of saying something good, something that might endear him to being in your presence more and actually speaking to you, it was just alot.

Had he just been standing there? How long had he been watching?

“He’s full of shit, it’s got a bloody tail.” Maekar shared his voice sounded a bit closer this time and your pulled Aemon into your lap, letting him take the toy to keep him content.

“he’s two.” You reminded.

“…and he knows the difference between a bear and a dragon he can see the distinction.” His voice did not cut out. Maekar said many things he began to regret as the words left his tongue but he was horrible a bitting them back. He would just let out a huffed sigh after.

You bent your head down and kissed the top of your son’s head. Choosing to ignore that you were not even capable of determining if a babe was right or wrong while playing.

“mayhaps he likes to play tricks?”

“perhaps.” Maekar agreed stiffly for your sake.

“da!” Aemon squirmed and your grip on his loosened. Shield gone as he stumbled across the floor to his father.

“Did the maids find you last night?” You suddenly asked when Aemon’s babbling lulled.

“yes.” Short, direct. That is how he always was now.

Distant.

“Then why did you not come to my chambers?” You weren’t sure if you were greatful for this boldness or if you’d regret confronting him entirely?

“there were reports, you know they require my attention.” He excused his absence. It was horrible reason, there were always reports and that had not ever kept him from you in the past.

“these ones specifically required a entire nights worth of your attention?” You pressed, the bitterness in your tone unable to be hidden. You knew it was not to much for a wife to wish to see her husband, for you to want to be in his company. You missed so much. His touch, the intimacy, his private grumbling, you missed him making your tea in the morning when you woke and keeping everybody from your room so he could soak in as much quality time with you as was possible. Now he seemed content to avoid you or outright flee your attempts at contact.

“reports do not disappear if I chuff the duty of dealing with them to another day.” He was being short now, like your attempt at expressing he was neglecting you was not fair.

“Do I?”

That stung him, it chipped at the barrier he’d build up around himself to keep distant. Even Aemon was silent after that. Your hand shifted from your lap to the floor and your began to push yourself up to your feet.

“you are well looked after, your ladies are there-the maesters are helping you understand how to navigate as well.”

Looked after? As if you were a bloody child to be managed? Perhaps that was the reason for his distance, he resented that you were more complicated now? That you were not an independent as you were before? Another task on his plate.

Your jaw was clenched so hard that you could not speak. He was lucky for that because whatever you would of said to as likely to be incredibly cruel.

“Stop-“ you heard his heavy feet move against the floor and you hated that you listened to him, that you paused your movements and that you prayed he might grab you for one reason or another. “The rugs corner is turned up.” He informed you.

You paused, despite yourself, hope suddenly spiking as you thought he might reach out to you and guide you around the obstacle. One hand letting go of your tense grip on the side of your dress, opening a hand for him to take as you heard his heavy booted steps get closer to you.

Maekar knelt down, right before you and easily flipped the rolled corner down flat.

“go ahead.” He stood up, stepped back and watched as you made your way from the room and back to the grouping of people he paid to do what he could not find the strength to himself.

You regretted letting your hopes raise. Finding out quickly that it hurt more when you acknowledged, even just to yourself, what you desperately wanted from him.

That sting lingered in you all day. Tugging at you emotions still when you sat for supper at the large dinning table. That dreadful embarrassed feeling of rejection keeping your heart from being able to even celebrate what you would consider a small win. Maekar Correcting you when you first sat at the table and reached for what you thought was your cup. It had been Daerons and Maekar was quick to correct you and suggest the one near your left hand.

The wistful part of you wanted to read into it as meaning he was watching you, caring for you. But you rationalized it quickly as him just ensuring that Daeron did not get your wine and you his tea.

Your jaw clenched and you said nothing, just retracted your right hand and reached with you left. Nose wrinkling when you felt something that was distinctly not a cup.

“now your fingers been in it-“ Aerion huffed sitting up in his chair to pull the plate back towards him. “You can’t do anything right anymore.” The boy grumbled and the table went deathly silently.

You pulled your hands back wiping them on the napkin in your lap and you swallowed tensely. You were the boys mother, you should lecture him, punish him, but your confidence was so deflated by this point that his childish, yet cruel, words were close to making your cry! You knew if you spoke with a tremble in your voice that it wouldn't sway Aerion's behavior.

“Maekar?” You questioned when suddenly the suffocating silence broke with the loud screech of a wooden chair over stone. Your husband steps were unmistakable to your ears.

“Maekar it is alright-“ the fact that he was not shouting was giving you serious dread. He was not a man to jabbered about but when he was displeased he swore, horribly, and he shouted. It was just apart of his nature.

Perhaps when he entered a furious enough state he forgot to shout entirely?

“I’m sorry! Mother I’m sorry-please.” Aerion began to pour out apologies and you found you were also breathing faster.

“it’s alright-we are all adjusting-“

“That was not fucking alright!” Maekar bellowed and you put the napkin up on the table when the chair across from you was pulled out from the table.

Daeron, who was sat beside you wished for a moment that he might be blind. Then he would not have to see the brutal clout Aerion received to the head. Or witness that his brother was crying and reaching back for you because he knew father was likely to beat him for saying such a cruel remark.

“Maekar this is hardly necessary!” You stand from your seat and at once a lady is at your side holding to your forearm.

Aerion should be punished but you did not think a boy of his age deserved such a stern hand. He was angry, frustrated with the trial the gods had upon your family. His rage was misdirected, at you, but his feelings were understandable! He wasn’t the only one frustrated with your sudden lack of ability.

You said far more hurtful things about yourself in the privacy of your own mind!.

“this is the little princes room m’lady.” The maid informed you gently after guiding you out of the dinning hall and to your sons chambers. Laying your hand on the door.

“leave us, please.” You felt the knob and took in a deep breath, attempting to relax your shoulders as you exhaled. You could hear your husbands muffled voice and Aerion’s crying.

“Are you sure my lady?” The sweet maid asked. They’d all been kind to you, so you’d regret snapping, but only later.

“I am blind not incompetent. I know what I say, leave me!”

You only twisted the door open after the maids footsteps sound distant.

You strode into the room, hands gently splayed out at your sides. You had learned to brace your hands out a bit to avoid bumping into things. Though the bruises on your sides and hips gave away that you were only partially successful at avoiding colliding with furniture.

“you will respect your mother!” Meakar grunted a bit from the exertion of pulling his arm back and brining it down over Aerion’s rump. “Honor her-help her as she suffers this curse!” These were not suggestions, but demands.

It was somewhat ironic because from your perspective somebody should be telling maekar those things. He was quite the hypocrite to demand Aerion support you when he hardly made time to be in your company!

“Enough-Maekar, seven hells!” You stepped into the room more when Aerion had let out another sob. Speaking up to try and stop this madness. Instantly receiving a backhand to your throat and collar bone that sent you stumbling back and hitting into one of your son’s wardrobes.

You’d approached the two of them from behind Maekar, which meant neither of you had seen the other, and unfortunately walked right into the backwards motion of his hand.

"Maekar...was that you?" Your voice was quiet as your hand rubbed at the tender spot. The rest of you staying completely still. It was a genuine question. You needed to confirmation because you could not see the truth.

Maekar, who had faced armies of men and tore them down without his feet wavering for a second, was concerned his knees might give out.

"Yes" You nodded at the confirmation, moved your hand from the red spot on your neck and knelt down fingertips brushing against the wood floor to stabilize yourself.

"Come here Aerion," he was pressing against you a second later. His little sniffles stiffed against your shoulder as you wrapped your arms around him. "Breathe, slowly son." you urged as a hand rubbed soothing lines up and down his back.

Maekar said nothing. You knew he was still there though, you never heard the sound of his boots so surely he'd remained there in the middle of the room.

Aerion whispered to you that he was sorry. That you weren't useless, that you did not ruin everything. It was as genuine as a five year olds apology could be. He was forgiven in your mind, that went without saying.

You managed to get him to his bed, tucked under the covers and had found him his favorite stuffed dragon. Maekar almost interjected then, Aerion like this little black one you'd made for his cradle when he was first born. He could see it laid right there in the basket that you were digging through. He didn't speak though, he just watched as you felt the seams.

You'd held this thing a hundred times, you made it with your own hands and mended a spot by the wing a dozen times by now. You could feel which one was his favorite and retrieved it eventually for him. You’d done it without needing Maekars help. You sat on the edge of his bed, humming him a calming song to settle him to sleep after he had the dragons snuggly comfort. Your humming died in your throat when his little snore filled the room.

"Don't" you warned when you stood and instantly heard Maekars shoe slide against the floor. It stopped and you took a deep breath before walking back to where you thought the door was. Managing to get out into the hall easily and walking slowly with one hand out to trail against the cool stone wall. You felt spiteful now, not wanting his help.

"Im going to your chambers." You informed him, speaking over your shoulder so he could hear you and follow.

Your world had changed. The fever had altered your reality forever and no matter how stubborn the both of you were neither of you could avoid what the gods had dealt you any longer.

He was surprised that you found his chamber so seamlessly. You’d made this walk before he realized when he took note of the soft whispered counting you did. You'd made some map in your mind of how to reach this spot. His room.

"Sit, I'll call for the maester." He was looking at the red mark his hand had left on your skin.

"Im fine." you bit out and took in a breath for some courage.

"Though if the Maester can fix whatever has been broken between us than i would gladly accept his presence!"

Maekar's eyes closed and he took in a deep breath through his nose.

"There is no problem"

"Perhaps not for you but I'm quite certain my husband can no longer stand to be in my presence. Or too listen to my voice. Gods-" your voice got sharper "He wont even accept an invitation to my bed!”

"I've been busy, and you've been healing."

"You have been busy since they day we wed Maekar, and It has not kept you distant like this…." He was silent. "And i am healed, No fever plagues my head, no shivers wrack through my body or food hurts my stomach. I am no longer sick."

"You are-" He began, about to defend himself with a poorly thought out excuse.

"I am blind. No bedrest will fix that. nor tonic. And No distance from my husband will heal me."

He felt like he was being invasive all of a sudden, Because he was watching your eyes well up and you did not get to see in return that his were beyond glossy.

"I should have done more." There it was, his guilt. The shame and frustration he felt at himself for not being able to take care of you better.

You floundered to find something to say, the vulnerability in his tone had been somewhat unexpected.

”Maekar, you were there for me. Next to my bedside holding my hand as the fever broke. That is all I needed from you.” That did not settle his feelings of inadequacy though because he remained silent.

“You remember…after I had Daeron, when I said the bleeding had remained for moons?

“when you lied?” He remembered. Bitterly.

You’d been so distant after laboring with Daeron. The maester had told him you were more than healed and yet anytime your husband kissed your shoulder you told him things were still not right. That you bled a bit still, that that maester said you could not lay with him quite yet.

All of it had been untrue and Maekar had known. He had let you have space until you eventually cracked and came to him and admitted all of that. Quietly sharing that you’d been embarrassed and insecure about how motherhood had changed you.

Changes that mattered not to him.

“I’ve less patience than you husband, I will not provide you with more space.”

He laughed at that, a dry and sad thing but still, some amusement.

“It is hard to have less of that than I.” He watched your hand, your fingers going white from gripping the side of your skirt so hard. This conversation was not easy for you.

“admit to your lie and let us move forward.” You stepped closer a bit. “You are not busy-you are avoiding me.”

“there are reports….and ravens and silly fucking squabbles,” his shoulders were high and tense, you could tell from how he was breathing. You did not speak. Letting the silence between you linger in hopes that it might will him to fill it.

”i cannot bare it.” His voice sounded jaded, like he was trying to keep it even.

“You cannot bare to love me any longer?” Your voice cracked. It could not be held together any longer. Perhaps he would response better to seeing the honesty in how you felt instead of the composure you fought to maintain.

"No." It came out roughly. A tone you’d heard him use when discussing important matters. When somebody suggested something that he would not even hear more of!

"No, gods, no."

"What else am I to think?" Your voice trembled. "I reach for my husband in my bed and feel cold sheets. I call for you and get silence! What should I think?”

"that I am a coward."

"Maekar-“ you frowned, he was many things but a coward was not one of them.

"I failed you." The admission pulled from deep inside him.

“You cannot prevent a fever.” You whispered, softening slightly.

“you were in pain.” He was angry, not at you. at the memory of your cries, your pleads for water and cool air, you stomach rejecting anything that was put in it. He was furious that he had watched you suffer unable to heal you himself or find somebody who fucking could!

You stepped forward, your hand letting go of your skirt and moving in the direction his voice came from.

“pain is not something that can be avoided, even by the most fearsome of princes.” Your fingertips bumped into his side. “Mourning my sight is not nearly as painful as mourning the loss of you.”

His hand rose to your cheek as you got closer.

“End my suffering now.” You beg. Cheek pressing into his palm as your feet stopped right infront of his. “Please-“

His mouth, lips that you had never needed vision to recognize pressed harshly to yours.

You grabbed his wrist urging his hand to keep it in place at your cheek. You’d longed for that touch for moons. Craved it. Need it.

“Forgive me.” He breathed into your mouth, lips barely backing away from yours.

“kiss me-“ you pushed up onto your toes to press your mouth fully to his again, your tongue gently sliding between his lips and tracing a place that you knew so well. Everything about him was familiar and familiar felt safe!

“forgive me-“ he grabbed both your cheeks and pulled your head back. “Forgive your foolish fucking husband.” He breathed heavy looking down at you. A thumb moving over to stroke gently under your eye and wipe away a tear that rested there. How lip twitched when he saw your eyes shift slightly, they almost looked like they’d focused on his.

“I love you.” You squeezed his wrists fingers stroking the veins there and smiling up towards him softly. “But no more separate rooms.” You plead.

Maekar responded by backing you up until your knees touched the side of his bed and you sat, hands never letting go of him just drifting from his arms to his sides. Holding his firm, strong frame.

”no more…your place is here.” He bend in half and kisses your jaw. You melt into the feeling and start to lean back fingers looping into his belt though dragging him to follow you.

“I’m still mad.” You told him as his bread pleasingly scratched at the skin of your collar. His nose rubbing against the column of your neck as he pressed his warm lips to your tender neck. Focusing his attention to the redness he had caused there earlier.

“I know, you can be cross with me in the morning.” His mouth continued it pursuit. He’d clearly missed and needed you as much as you had! Idiot man, suffered due to his own guilty mental cage!

“v-very well.” You nodded voice getting airy when his lips got at the tops of your breasts and you felt your body raise up towards him because his hands were frantically beneath you to get at the back of your gown. Your own hands fumbled about a bit looking for his shirts buttons. You found one and then struggled to locate the other.

“Maekar-“ you groaned, getting a bit frustrated at not being able to do this properly.

“rip it woman!” He urged you as he pulled your dress down over your wide hips and he smiled at the sight of the silvery stretch marks that covered much of the skin there.

You made a small struggling sound before feeling the fabric give away and your hands were able to get at his warm chest now that the buttons were all popped off.

Both of you were a bit uncoordinated as his trouser were pulled down and you wiggled free from your tights. That coordination wasn’t suffering because of your blindness it was caused by the build up of need, the frantic reaching and needing to be joined back together as one.

“don’t you dare, Maekar!” You warned him grabbing at his perfectly aligned hair when he started to kiss down your body, hands already rubbing your thighs to get them open.

“let me taste you.” He growled out hungrily. His nose just reaching the soft hair at the apex of your legs when you tugged at his hair to bring him up.

“you could have licked my cunt every night for the last two moons had you not been such a foolish sensitive man!.” He groaned at the scolding but followed your urging and laid himself out over you. Careful to not crush you with his weight.

“what does my wife want?” He kissed you, lips harsh and warm against yours. “You need me within you?” He asked, brow raised as he felt your legs come up to wrap around his body’s settled around his sides with your heels pressed low against his back.

“Gods, yes,” you nod, face getting soft and your mouth opening as you feel a pulsing heat graze against your folds. “Please Maekar.” You spoke softly while pushing your hips up. Trying to make his tip catch against your core but your slit was so wet from the anticipation of getting what you’d need finally that his length just slid right up and bumped your clit.

The contact against your pearl had you moaning, lips already a swollen mess from the kissing and now your teeth pressed against them to add to the damage.

“Maekar….M-Maekar-“ you squirmed voice desperate. He wouldn’t deny you, wouldn’t make you wait one second longer for something that he never should have withheld from you for so long!

“breathe,” he urged you hand cupping your cheek against as his hand pressed to the matress beside your waist and he aligned himself with your dripping core. He thrusted in fully. Searing through your warm velvety walls into he was seated to the hilt inside of you.

Both your brow knitted together and you turned your face to kiss at his calloused palm as your body remembered how he filled ever inch of you. How his cock stretched your walls and gave your stomach a pleasant ache.

He showered kisses overtop your shoulder, slured compliments and praised into your soft skin. Admission of how deeply he missed you and acknowledgments of how neglectful he had been!

He would learn from this. Adjust so he never did this to you again. He should be better than letting his own self frustration effect his marriage. You and your happiness were to important for that to ever happen again!

Both of your bodies adjusted quickly and Maekar was able to put a bit more power behind his hips. Thrusting into you enough that your breasts bounced up against your neck every time his hips smacked your inner thighs.

“harder…” you moaned he’s spreading back against the bed as your blinked up at the ceiling. He watched for a moment, wishing your eyes would lock on his, that he would feel you looking at him see that love in them again. He would mourn that loss for a very, very long time. You were the only person to ever look at him with that much understanding. You looked at him and saw deep into his being and he could always tell by how your eyes softened that you loved what yuh saw.

“your taking me so well,” he praised and began to move your legs up higher. They were being settled up over his shoulders and you realized quickly that he was moving you both into a mating press. “You need this, don’t you wife?”

Your moans for louder and you nodded and your hands grabed at the sheets below you. Gasping as he sunk in further which felt like an impossible feat but this position let him in deep!

“I feel you….” You groaned turning your jaw up and kissing at his face. Moaning when he guided you to his lips.

“where?” He asked breathlessly as his hips snapped and he watched your stomach bulge.

“So deep Maekar…so-“ you cried out when another pound from his hips came and your toes curled up by his shoulders. “Here-deep right here!” You hand slithered between you two so you could press at where he was reaching. That pressure pushed bed rattling moans out of you both.

You were beginning to squeeze at his cock…he could tell it wasn’t the intentional clenching you did to get him dizzy…this was uncontrolled, your body was simply doing this as it took every bit of attention he was giving you.

You gasped every time he pressed himself against you pointedly after burying himself in deep. Your clit getting squished and it was starting to make you delirious.

“I can’t-Maekar it’s so much!” You cried out and he let go of one of your legs to grab you jaw. Brining you into his neck and holding you there as he pounded into you faster.

“you can…I can feel you. You are so close.” He guided. His voice was always tender when you got close, when your fingers tensed and body went taught and you got scared of how you uncontrollable the orgasm felt inside you.

He’d been your rock since the marriage was consummated. Made sure you knew he was there to ensure that the overwhelming feeling wasn’t going to rip you apart. Not with him right here.

Every roll of his hips pushed another stuttering moan from your chest and when Maekar made a low, long groan behind your ear your eyes squeezed closed.

“your cunts too warm.” He breathed, beard tickling your ear. “I need to fill you.” He grunts and you let go of the waning grasp you have on your body and relax so the orgasm and rush through you.

“ahh!” You hide against his sweaty flesh and whimper as the after shocks run up and down your limbs. Your cheeks get red when you feel him fill you with a deep growl. He keeps himself pressed deeply into you both of your panting and not moving.

Slowly as he starts to go soft inside you and he feels your cunts fluttering calm he lets your legs down and wraps an arm around your back. Pulling you up as he settles himself agains the headboard.

You broke the silence first, while finding a comfortable position sat over him, still plugged by his length.

“you are completely mad,” you hum. Hand grazing over some of the scars on his side as your body rested against one half of his chest. “You know it will thicken.” You press a kiss to the center of his chest.

“We’d agreed to another one Aemon was older,” he grumbled. Hand stroking up and down your soft back. “I cannot help myself.” He admitted when your fingers paused on his flesh urging him to admit to truth.

“Does it not please you?” He questioned, a bit concerned that you may not want more children now that you could not see.

“Will you describe them to me?” You asked. Quieter. Worry obvious in how your fingers trembled over a deep scar on his chest by his heart.

“yes,” he kissed the top of your head.

“I’m serious, not that they are handsome or pretty. I want to know weather their hair in the color of sand or the color of milk…and what their smile looks like.” He looked down at you hand tangling in your hair to soothingly rub at the back of your neck. “You must be detailed Maekar.” You couldn’t imagine having a child that you’d not ever see. That you may never know how they smiled. Aerion for example, he smirked, but would you know that it’s a pursed crooked thing if you never saw it with your own two eyes?

“I will study them closer than the fucking maesters read those tombs.” His tone was serious. “You’ll know them fully…you’ll manage to see them better than I even do I am sure.” He kissed you. Fiercely. He would be your rock, here in this bed and every other corner of this realm. He could not slash a fever, save you from that, but he could ensure you were never scared, never felt alone in this world.

Series: Prequel, Prequel 2, One, Drabble(2), Drabble(3), four, five

Taglist: @sacha1slytherin, @eowyns-fantasy, @xglittergoddess, @niceforcum22, @winkymar, @faelinda, @carnationworld, @uroborosvirus, @dixie-elocin, @glowingtoenailswrites, @rporter19, @xyahx, @starkleila, @theladycalianna, @umadirectioner, @jjstarpeep, @birdyman-momon, @ghostlybfgf, galactict3a

Maekar had made that clear. You knew before the wedding that he had not sought you out. You’d just been conveniently there when the topic of him taking a second wife came up. It was all rather flattering, the Queen herself suggested you to Maekar. She’d seen you knelt down in the gardens helping his children catch little red lady bugs and worms. His mother had convinced him of the value a maternal figure might bring to his household…that additional stability from another an adult could temper issues before they began.

You’d been so excited, foolishly so, but he was a prince it made sense that you were flattered and thrilled by it all. You’d even found yourself remarking on his serious but striking apperence, on the deep tome of his voice…you’d told your lady maids, with flushed cheeks, that you were looking forward to your wedding night.

You hadn’t been looking forward to the bedding ceremony…being grabbed at by random men and touched. Though when he deny the event at the end of the feast you had known something was off right away. He had not asked you of your feelings in the matter so it did not come across like he was doing you some great kindness by avoiding it.

He denied it for himself. You found that out the moment you entered his chambers and he handed you a cup of wine. He did not sit with you on the edge of the bed…did not even look up when you got down to your chemise and chewed your lip eagerly waiting for him to make some sort of advance. You knew what happened in a marriage bed but not enough of the specifics to initiate anything yourself. He stay in the chair by the fireplace that entire night. Not moving as he told you he had taken your hand for his children, so they could have another person looking after them, he told you he wanted no more children, did not need companionship and had no desire to bed you.

Maekar was many things but he was not a liar. All those things he had made painfully clear to you on the wedding night had remained true. You were not here for him, just them.

“Look mother! There’s a red feather!” Rhae exclaimed. She and Aegon had each slipped and called you that. It always made you feel quite important but you were truthfully worried about Maekar hearing it. What would he think? Had you been to involved with them? Should you correct them?

Slowly you let go of Aegon’s arm after giving him one more warning look and then you followed Rhae towards the tree that had a vibrant feather laid on one of the branches. You were mid lifting her up so she could try and grab it when you heard a piercing shriek.

It was so loud, in an otherwise quiet woods, that every bird suddenly flew up out of the trees just as started as you were.

Rhae looked around, gripping onto your shoulders. “What was that?” She whispered her legs winding around your midsection as you began to move in the direction of the sound.

“Daella?!” You called. It sounded like her shout.

When there was no answer to your call you began to run in the direction of the sound. Dropping Rhae down the moment you saw the pond.

Gods, oh gods. You were here to look after them.

Before your eyes Maekars oldest daughter was grasping at the edge of broken ice, her upper body was above the water but everything below her hips was submerged. The air infront of you was clouded white from how quickly you were breathing, your lungs burning a bit from brining in so much of the cold air.

“help!” She cried and you instantly started out onto the pond. It wasn’t nearly cold enough here for the ice to get so thick that it could safely support a person. You should have been watching them better.

“Rhae, go back to the hall, tell the first person you come across about this.” She urged the child and heard her little feet pad against the frozen ground back up to the keep.

You bent down, basically crawling out to her, knowing you needed to distribute your weight so the ice would give out under you as well.

“I’ve got you, just-“ you grabbed her wrists trying to pull her towards you. “Can you kick your legs?” Her skirts were waterlogged and that made them very heavy.

“Come on Daella!” You grunted as you got closer and grabbed her under the arms hoisting her up over the jagged edge of of the hole and she landed right over you. Both of you panting, Rhaella shaking and her teeth chattering loudly.

“Breathe, I’ve got you.” You were holding the back of her head, squeezing her against you as your adrenaline came down. “I’ve got you.” You kissed her head and started to try and sit you both up.

“Egg…” she whimpered. Her teeth were rattling so much it was hard for her to speak. “Egg fell in.” She eventually got out and you scurried out from under her quickly looking at the hole and freezing water.

“Go to the bank!” You directed her sternly and knelt over the edge gasping as you reached your arms down into the water feeling for him. The fact that there was no thrashing around made you uneasy. Had he sunk down to the bottom? Did he breathe in the water?

You took in the largest breath you possibly could and willed yourself right down into the water. The air was pushed out of your lungs almost Instantly from the shock but you attempted to keep moving as much as you could.

It would destroy this family…another loss. Especially rambunctious but loving egg!

Your long dark hair swirled around your face in the water making it hard to see but your foot bumped Into something and you grabbed at it. The only warmth, as mild as it was, in the blinding cold. The pond was not that deep, and so on your tip toes your hands could breach the surface. You shoved Aegon on and somehow dragged your own self up onto the ice.

“no…no wake up.” You started to shake at the little boy a bit and when you saw his hands and lips were purple you found the strength to lift him up into your arms. His feet dragged as you carried him through the woods but it was the most you could manage. Daella shaking, terrified and dazed from it all held to your stiff heavy skirts as you went. He had to get inside, needed to be warmed and see the maester. He was coughing into your chest now, water heaving from his lungs.

You were one of sorts yourself from being submerged and althought you heard shouting you did not actually see anybody coming your way. Not until suddenly Aegon was being lifted off of you and Daella was snatched up as well.

“get her inside!” Maekar, who had been informed after the first guard had been alerted to the issue at the pond, managed to barrel ahead of any other person heading down toward the forests edge. At the time all that was known was that Daella had been on the pond and the ice cream as broken. That was more than enough to put him in this state. The knight would get there, but not as quickly as he would.

The prince was sprinting up the pathway to the keep and you started right after him before any guard reached you to assist. Aegon looked limp in his father’s arms and you were so terrified that you just continued through the hall after the three of them despite maids urging you to stop.

“get off of me!” You warned pushing their hands away and successfully getting into the maesters work room. Aegon was already stripped and being covered in blankets and warmed stone and you saw Rhaella shaking in one of her septa’s arms as she was brought away to be changed and looked over. She seemed, scared and if that was all than she was quite lucky because her brother had still not opened his eyes.

“I told them to stay away from the pond-“ you began trying to squeeze your way closer to the bed the little prince was laid out it. “H-he was coughing when I pulled him out, there was water in-in his lungs.” You managed to shared with the maester, dark eyes wild and frantic as you spoke.

“Get her out of this bloody gown” Maekar directed the comment towards a young women stood near the door, clearly unsure what she should be doing in the mist of this chaos. “now!” He barked snapping his hand against the side table to jostle the maid from her stagnant position. He had pulled his hand off of its spot on his sons head, he’d been stroking the light silver hair back since getting him into this bed.

“I’m quite a-a-alright.” You told the maid quickly, teeth were clattering so much that it took you so long to get that sentence out that the use of ‘alright’ was quite unbelievable.

Maekar could feel the chill that was emanating off your body behind him and suddenly he turned at once, wide shoulders clearing his way as he grabbed the soaked fabric around your waist and backed you up towards the bathing chambers.

“m’lord-Aegon needs you.” You start but are quickly turned around. You supposed it made sense that he could move you and your heavy waterlogged dress so easily, his strength during the rebellion had resulted in songs after all!

“Fucks sake”

You gasp when his fingers sink between the little spaces in the lacing down your back and he pulls the fabric and strings apart. All the grommets would be torn, it was completly wrecked. it was also handing down at your feet now, some relief did come from no longer being squeezed in by such cold fabric.

“He needs you to still be breathing when he wakes…” Maekar muttered out grabbing your chemise and tearing that fabric as if it was nothing more than a single piece of parchment.

He wasn’t wrong, staying dressed like this would have you catching your death. Had you been less panicked you would have likely attempted to get some of the layers off of you down by the pond but the adrenaline had not allowed for proper thinking.

“Your grace,” the maester called from the other room. There was alot of coughing and voices of people telling Aegon to lay back down. You shivered in front of him, back still turned away and your arms had wrapped around yourself half for warmth and half for shielding. You’d never been undressed with him present.

Your eyes facing forward was a gift to the prince because it gave him a moment to take in the sounds of life that were obvious in the other room. His son was alive. He wasn’t losing somebody else, he had not failed again. His chest deflated a bit as his eyes closed and he took in the coughing. They opened again when the maester called once more and he pressed his hands down against your shoulders.

The touch warmed you so much you whimpered a bit, his palms did not retract at the noise right away but when he heard your teeth begin to clatter together again he gave you a squeeze before letting go.

“Get in the bath.” He demanded, there was not alternative option that could even be thought of in your mind when you heard his tone. Instantly the maid came towards with warmed buckets of water and began filling the soaking tub that you had obediently stepped into.

He closed the door on his way out and as the warmth engulfed you your eyes began to close, the feeling of being okay mixed with the combination of your adrenaline crashing left you utterly exhausted.

The next thing you felt was a rumbling against your cheek. Which made you groan and shift about some.

“Give me that,” Maekar sighed pulling the blanket from the maids hands, his forhead had not relaxed for one second since the knight had entered his study two hours prior and told him what his youngest had been shouting as she came up towards the stables.

You leaned towards the sound and your arms, which finally felt less stiff, wrapped around your husbands neck as he lifted you from the now room tempature bath. The towel was draped over you but he was holding you to his chest so you were getting him quite wet.

“Have broth be brought to my chambers.” He directed and carried you from the maesters quarters through the keep. You hadn’t fully smarted to the concept that your husband, you husband who had not even kissed you on the lips when you married was holding you…letting you nuzzled your face against his warm neck. He knew you were seeking more heat.

Gradually, when he set you down in his bed, tucking the towel around the front of you now, you realized Maekar had been the one taking you from the bath. He did not like how red your cheeks still were of that your fingers were still slightly blue.

He’d had a conversation with Daella, an interrogation was more correct of a name for it thought because Maekar demanded to know exactly what had happened. How this, possibly deadly, mess came to be. He’d waited until she was in her thickest dress, wrapped in a fur and being given her favorite tea before he started but he had not given her any time to rest, he needed to know it all as soon as possible. He did not like having to use his imagination to fill in the blanks.

You grabbed the ends of the towel and pulled the fabric around you tighter brining your feet up as well so your knees were tucked into your chest. You’d never been in his chambers. It felt odd…almost intimate.

“you jumped into the water?” He was laying a dark fur across a chair near the fireplace.

“is he alright?” You finally spoke, voice a bit horse from all the shouting earlier.

“Do Starks believe they cannot freeze?” He glanced over his shoulder at you.

“no more than Targaryen think they cannot burn.” You exhale and straighten your shoulders. “Is Aegon well?” You insist to know. Surely he would not be speaking to you if the boy was dead, right?

Maekar shoulders raised a bit, like he had chuckled at your attempt to demand something from him but the sound did not quite reach your ears.

“he is already telling stories of fish frozen in place in the water.” He informed you, finally looking back at you and seeing the relief flood through you.

You smiled, a bright real thing and you chuckled a bit. He was as such a clown of a little boy, it was charming to you even if it came with some wreckless behavior.

“I think he was the only frozen thing in that pond.” You remark shaking your head a bit.

“I think my son is alive because you went down in that water to save him.”

The comment stopped your giggling instantly. It was serious and honest and…this was more sensitive than you had ever known him be. The intensity of his eyes on you, the shock witnessing his forehead ease, it made your skin tingle and every hair on your rise.

“you could have died attempting to rescue them from something that I know they have been warned about.”

You swallowed looking down gripping a bit tighter to the damp towel and you took a moment to figure out what it was that you should say…what you wanted to say.

“I love them Maekar, I could not just watch it happen.” You looked back up to him finding that he had made his way from in front of the fire back to the bedside, that he had taken his cloak off and had as currently undoing the laces that kept his tunic on.

“Thank you.”

You blinked, he’d not thanked you for anything in the 7 moons that had come to pass since you wed. It was obvious that he was not the type to lean to flattery in conversation. That did not bother you, not as much it might some other lady, it wasn’t as if people in the north were exceptionally warm.

Actually when you thought about it they were quite kind, deeply loyal and unmistakably dedicated to people…if they deserved it. If they had good reason to value the person infront of them.

Maekar was not much different. He did. Or bother with unwarranted flattery. You could appreciate that.

“You can go see them later, once you’re warm enough.” He assured you when it seemed like your attention drifted to the door.

“I will dress, I’m warm enough.” You made to stand but his hand was back on your shoulder again, stopping you in your tracks.

“I will deem when you are warm enough wife.”

His jaw tightening gave away that your surpised reaction to the title made him feel bad. Had he truly never used the term once? Was denying you any affection for his first wife’s sake or was it just him being cruel. He’d always told himself he was distance out of respect for Dyanna’s memory. What would she thinking about the women caring for her children never being thanked? Never being welcomed as she should have been into their family?

You watched his light eyes water and stayed still and silent. She must have been very kind…very beautiful. You had heard from the staff of the hall how deeply he had loved her, how he laughed with her.

When he cleared his throat and looked back down at you there was some new found understand of himself in his eyes. He’d hated you, simply because he resented that the longer you were around the more he noticed how attractive you were and worse…that he felt genuinely drawn to your personality. But What favor was he doing Dyanna, or his family by becoming more cold and bitter simply because he wanted to deny anything that brought him joy while she was not beside him?

When your shoulders shook twice, the shiver impossible to suppress Maekar came back to the moment. Back to you.

He motioned for you to stand up and finally undid the last tie that kept his chest covered.

“Clothes and a blanket would do.” You assured him, but your eyes were looking at the expanse of his chest..the pink skin there that you knew would be so warm.

“Body heat is best, I thought you’d know that. What did they teach you in Winterfell woman?” He raised a brow while you got up on your feet. Once you were up he touched your side, grunting at the damp towel that was wrapped there and he pulled it away, quickly pulling you in front of the fire. He sat down first in the chair and then looked to his lap. When you hesitated he sighed. The exasperation that you were used to seeing from him flaring up.

“you are my wife, it is not indecent to sit down.” He rolled his eyes a bit and his hand touched your bare back urging you down to his lap. Pulling the fur that had been warming in front of the flame over you at once. He felt your freezing fingers nervously grabbing at the fur, brushing against his stomach in the process. Quickly Maekar gathered them in one hand and brought them up to his neck cupping them there in that hot region.

You kept your eyes on him, waiting for his feeling for change, for him to suddenly decide again being so close to you. Especially in this state of undress. When he lifted your fingers up to his mouth and cupped them against his lips so he could blow warm air onto the icy digits you realized belatedly that he was not likely to push you away. You relaxed some as that understanding sunk into your mind, and you allowed yourself to sink back against him. Back naturally bent instead of all rigid to keep your figure away from his.

“your warm.” You breath out eyes closing as your cheek rested against one side of hai chest.

“Aye” he grunted in agreement. He would not of been sat beneath you if he wasn’t, he of found something warmer.

He could feel your legs curl up a bit so that your knees pressed to his side. He quickly brought a hand under the fur and wrapped it across your back and around your waist. Hand rubbing over your side pushing the chill off of you.

You savored the heat he offered and eventually you pulled your hands from his palm and held his shoulders rubbing slightly as you gained feeling back. It let him have use of his other hand to rub down the length of your leg and give your feet a few squeezes to ensure blood was flowing there as well.

His hand settled at your hip rubbing the join firmly as he looked down at you. His breathing had gotten a bit deeper, his nostrils flared some when he exhaled and you found that despite your mind telling you to look away from him your eyes were trapped on his. Your hands slowly sliding down from his muscular shoulders to his chest under the blanket and you trailed your fingertips over his pectoral muscles. Straightening some of the hair there as you went.

“I thought of this, before today.” He gripped you hip a bit harder and you pushed yourself instinctually against him more, chest to chest. He could feel how hard and cold your nipples were as they dragged across his chest. He knew how to warm those. It made his mouth salivate a bit.

“of what m’lord?” You blinked once before he slumped his head and down sought out your lips with his. Somehow that part of you was pink and warm and now he craved more contact there. Quickly raising his hand to hold your jaw up towards him so he could devour you in a kiss.

Your lips were clumsy and deeply unsure of what they should be doing but when he felt your soft tongue suddenly slip against his he groaned. You wanted him. He’d been to blind on the wedding night by his own mourning and guilt to notice that that nerves you were showing were those of uncertainty…and excitement. Not anxiety and disinterest. He felt even more guilty for his coldness now knowing that you would of been open to advances over that past many moons.

He groaned when you sat up some more to try and reach his mouth better, you’d been putting quite a bit of weight right over his lap…right over the growing bulge he had and now that that contact was lifted he could suddenly feel that aching need!

You moaned at his calloused hands drifting to your back, warm and thick fingers trailing against either side of your spine and you straighten up a bit which let the fur slip off of your shoulders, letting him see you better. The way her looked you up and down made you feel warmer than the bloody bath did.

When Maekar’s eyes raised back, finally, to meet your own after cataloging every inch of you he smiled, small, but it was unmistakably affection.

You lurched forward and kissed at the corner of his mouth where his lips at tilted up and you grinned the moment his hands found your bottom, callouses from his hilt feeling rough against that delicate pale skin.

You let your head fall back between your shoulders when his beard tickled your neck and his lips pressed pecks until he reached your collar bone and began to lay wet hungry kisses there. Your hand dropped from his chest and shoulder and one hand kept you stead in this position by holding his firm stomach, the other found its way to his breeches. Looking briefly up at him for assurance.

He groaned, deep and throat rattling and it was so assuring to you that you sunk your hand right down into the cloth and felt for him. He was hard and pulsing and extraordinarily erect so your fingers simply needed to fan out to feel him.

“it’s so hard…” you breath out, the earnestness of your surprise had his head spinning and pratically all of his blood rushing down to his cock.

“I am old, but not so old that my prick remains soft.” He lectured and you giggled a bit at the feeling of his hand squeezing your bum as a warning. Acknowledging your innocence, that he had denied you the understanding of how husband and wives function was to much for him to address internally at the moment so he’d decided to pretend you had been taunting him. That was easier for him!

“harder-“ he grunted hand sliding up your side looking for the handhold he wanted while your small fist wrapped around his shaft. “You can grip me tighter than that.” He breathed out nodding as you instantly corrected. “Good, that’s a good girl.” His four fingers settled wrapping against your ribs and his thumb splayed out under your breast lifting it up slightly and he puffed his chest out some to feel your hard nipple slide over his scarred skin.

“like this?” You looked at him bitting your lip as you squeezed much harder at his pulsing length and brought your hand up and down. Your fingers glided easily, he was producing plenty of lubricant himself. when his eyes closed while trying to reign in a moan and you leaned forward kissing the tension away. He held it in lines at the top of his noses bridge.

“I don’t deserve you.” He lowered his head when you kissed his forhead and his mouth dragged against the tops of your chest. It seemed like he was finding the perfect spot before settling in but when he did you gasped at the feeling of his tongue streching out to graze over one of your nipples.

“no…” you breathed out nodding a bit as you stroked him faster. “You don’t.” Your voice was breathy from how nice his mouth felt on your skin. How his nose nuzzled into the soft meat of your tits and he consumed as much of you as he could fit between his lips.

“Easy.” He warned you while his hand let go of your arse and he slipped his hand under your thigh finding your spot instantly because that part of you was radiating heat. You were wet as well, enough that he could feel that the raven black hair on your cunny was slicked into a mess.

When your hand faltered in its motion and your breath hitched at the suddenly presence of his fingertip dipping between you, breaching into your body, Maekar felt the shiver. Unsure if it was genuine chill or nerves he kissed your jaw and lifted you up with him as he got off the chair and then was over you on the fur rug infront of the fire.

“it’ll hurt-won’t it?” He could feel you tensing, feel your core squeezing at just the first bit of his finger entering. It was the princes turn to kiss you worry away, to stroke your cheek and hush you.

“it will hardly be worse than a frozen pond.” It was the truth, he wouldn’t offer you lies, and for that you were glad.

You breathed slowly, to calm yourself and soaked in the feeling of his hand on your hip, his weight leaned strategically against you, how he panted into your neck while slowly working two fingers into your core.

“Ahh!” You gasped at how filling they felt, at how odd…and electrifying it was to be able to feel him moving within you.

“Seven save me-“ he grunted kissing your lips and rubbing soothing with his thumb against your pearl. You realized quickly when an inner warmth began to bloom in your belly, that you would benefit greatly from his experience. He knew how to please a women. You suppose a man did not end up with as many children as he had without his wife wanting him in her bed!

He recognized the expression right away, the parting of your lips…the scrunching of your brows and how the column of your neck hallowed out a bit from how you tensed.

Your climax rolled through you before he could even comment on it. One moment you were getting stiff and tense under him, your knees rising up to push against into his sides and then next you were panting and as soft as dough under him.

Maekar pulled his soaked fingers from you and nodded at your whinny breathing. For a moment when you had clearly reached your release he considered ending it there. Letting you simply enjoy what had just happened. Though that whimpered strained noise you man when his hand was removed from you had the last good sense in him dissolving. You wanted more of him, wanted to feel him there between your legs.

“while you’re still calmed,” he pushed your hair back and then planted his bent elbow beside your head “I’ll- fuck me” he groaned his hand pulling his straining cock free from his breeches and instantly it slapped down against your swollen lips.

“please…” you mewd hands splayed out over your stomach where you had felt the intensity just moments ago.

Between your soft begs and the fact that he her not felt a women, in this way, for years Maekar could not resist a moment more. His eyes closed as he fed himself into your fluttering core. Pratically growling at how the warm squishy sensation of you hugged his prick so deliciously. His hand was fisted at your side, helping to keep him hovered above you some so he would not be fully engulfed by your sweet pussy.

“Oh gods” your teeth were clenched and your fingers dug in a bit to your stomach as it felt like his length began to displace things within you. He seemed large, it felt quite giant to you. Maekar’s hand suddenly went back to your hair the moment he saw your eyes fly shut and felt a warmth flood within you.

“That’s?” He picked up on the unease in your tone and saw how a little tear squeezed its way out of your shut eye. His hips stopped pushing ahead instantly. Actually he pulled out of you an inch or so. Glancing down to see the ring of blood around his shaft.

“it’s just blood…same as a cut.” He assured you, fingers flowing through your raven hair trying to bring you comfort. He wasn’t an overly affectionate or gentle man, and from what he saw you northern women did not want coddling. It made it easier for him to give you some small comforting remarks, ease that worry because this had been the first time he ever sense anxiety within you.

You breathed a bit slowly as the hand he had at your side rubbed under your clenched fingers to ease the tension in your lower belly. You opened you eyes now looking up at him, he was sweating some…the end sod his hair glued to his temple and the stern line between his brows was back. That worry was there for you, his concern and attention was on you in this moment, not the papers in his study, or a mess bis children created.

“it doesn’t really hurt.” You finally told him, it hadn’t ever really hurt, it was just pressure and a feeling you hadn’t anticipated.

“such a strong women.” He murmured. The affectionate tilt to his voice was not covered up at all by some put on huffing and puffing that you imagine he had not actually meant to say it outloud.

You looked down to see half of his cock was out of you and his body was being held up away from you. You wanted all of him-not just half!

“you are meant to be keeping me warm m’prince” Shivering for good measure before wrapping your feet up over him trying to weigh his back down so he would sink down against you.

He grinned some, hand shifting from your stomach to the small of your back and lifting you up towards him a bit more.

“Very well, wife.”

Finally Maekar pushed into you completely, in the manner that had started to haunt his mind over the past few moons when you were near him. He’d begun to have distasteful daydreams of pinning you to the break of fast table in his solar, stoping you on your walk to to rookery and pressing himself to you u til your back was flush against the stone wall. All of these imaginary scenarios ended the same.

His cock pressed fully into you. Tip twitching against your cervix and his stones slapping against you as he rocked in and out of you.

His mind has let him conjure up details about these various situation and still not one had come close to capturing how wonderful you felt beneath him, how dizzying the feeling of his cock engulfed fully within you left him!

“mmmm fucking hells” you swore when he continually bottomed out within you. The cursing made him kiss your jaw. He liked that you had a mouth on you, that you weren’t some sensitive flustered lady. Perhaps this pairing had been made with more thought, on his parents part, than just political strengthening?

“I can finish in my hand-“ your eyes searched for his instantly when he said that. “If you wish me too” he added after seeing the wave of worry in your eyes.

“n-no, I need-please keep going Maekar.” If not for a babe than at least for the orgasm that was building up in you so heavily that the tops of your ears felt heated.

Maekar kissed you, for a moment on the lips and then he pressed one to your temple, hand brushing down your hair and keeping your body pressed down towards his pelvis so your body took each thrust he gave, instead of getting bumped back and forth against the rug.

He felt how your hands squeezed at his sides, they were trembling a bit so he knew you were quite close to another peak. Finally you felt him start to lose his restraint, his weight was heavier over you, his hips rutting more than fully thrusting in and out. But you enjoyed that motion because it provide lovely contact for your clit against his pelvis. It had you moaning quite loudly-your eyes closing because you needed to focus on the intense wave building within you.

“ugh-“ he came with a low grunt, so deep that it came out muddled by vibrations and you gasped. Feeling him come appart, feeling his warm seed squish within you, it made you see stars.

Both of you were breathing heavily though your youth allowed you to revived before him.

“I must admit…I do feel quite warm now.”

You turned your chin up slightly to feel the sun on your face, it felt warmer then it had a bit ago, either time was moving quicker than you had realized or the sun had been perpetually behind a cloud all morning. You wanted Daeron and Aerion to join you once their lessons in the training yard were done. If it was midday already then they should long be done and your oldest boys should be with you picking at tarts and little cheese sandwiches for the rest of the afternoon in the garden. Maekar had even said he would join after handling some additional tasks in the training yard.

“aemon, is the sun in the middle of the sky?” You asked working your way up to your feet, shifting egg to your hip and smiling when you felt the weight of Daellas hands pulling at your skirt.

“Um, yes just about.” He informed you and then his nose was back in his book.

“they’ll not get out of this-“ you grumble to yourself, the older two were at those particular ages when they felt too mature to play in the gardens with their mother and siblings. But you knew any boys who found the name egg as hilarious as they did were very much still little boys themselves. You wanted this time with them. “Stay here on the blanket with your brother.” You untangle your daughter’s hands from your skirt and position her closer to where you knew Aemon was. “Watch her.” You instructed before taking a few steps on the path.

There had been stone paths that were put in around most of the gardens and yards of Summerhall. Physical directions for you to follow and adhere to. It was ways to leave the keep, set out in the direction of the stables and just ensure your footing stayed on the stones. It worked well, normally, so long as the stones did not get shifted about.

Today, of course, the stones had shifted.

A full hour had not even come to pass before the staff of the hall realized something was amiss when Aemon came inside half dragging Daella in his hold.

“Lady Targaryen is not in the garden.” A maid informed maekar rushing through the hall, she did not even stop to properly greet him or field his questions because she was headed to the garden to look herself

“Ser Farland accompanied her this morning to the yards. He is still stood within the gardens gates.” That was the rule. It was Maekar’s rule, one that he did not think you knew about. A guard remained somewhere near, lingering whenever you were outside of the keeps walls.

“My prince,” the woman stopped, her face softened to an apologetic look. “Your lady wife knows of Ser Farland.” Maekar’s jaw tensed and he was standing suddenly only half of his armor off from training.

“excuse me?” He blinked and his eyebrow cocks. “My wife knows of this and you all know she is aware and I have not been informed?!” He barked.

The maid opened her mouth, closed it and when Maekar stormed closer she swallowed down her fear. “Forgive me, the lady forbid us from informing you.”

“Fucks sake!” He snapped and moved from the room with haste heading towards the gardens.

“you-“ he points to the knight who stood just inside the hall with Aemon and Daella. A nurse maid now held the upset little girl and was soothingly running her fingers through the young intelligent boys hair. “You left your post?!” He slammed the white cloak against the stone wall, despite the man being inches taller than him. Nobody in this keep was as strong as the anvil and that gap grew larger when he was enraged… even larger when he was fearful.

“the lady bid me to leave her be-“ he explained groaning when his head was knocked back against the wall. “My prince please-“

“Mother doesn’t like to be watched.” Aemon piped up, hesitantly looking up at his father. “She always tells the guards and maids to leave us be.” He explained and the knight nodded quickly, greatful that this little prince was vouching for him.

“Y-your lady wife can be quite insistent m’prince.” The man sputtered out.

He knew that was true, he knew it in his bones.

Maekar gripped the man’s jaw making him look at him. “You wear a white cloak yet are bending to the wills of a woman?!” It wasn’t that he thought your words should not be followed it was just that he’d arranged this secrecy so you would remain safe and not feel like a child being looked after. “Bloody fucking useless.” He released the man tearing out the doors and down the steps to the garden. “I want men out along the perimeter!” He demanded not even looking to over his shoulder.

You had no idea how long you’d been wandering around, for at least half the time you had convinced yourself you weren’t lost, that the path from the garden to the training yard was just longer than you had recalled. But when you ran into a thick tree and could feel the grass starting to grow taller you knew that you were lost and far beyond the gardens and stables and the training yard.

“shhh, shh.” You comfort Egg rubbing the back of his head and keeping him close to your chest, “I’ll find our way back.” You promise him.

After a while longer of walking, and feeling your feet sink into the ground a bit you decided that walking seemed ill advised. You could just be making yourself more lost. So you backtracked the way you came and stayed under the trees shade. Humming to egg to manage you anxiety, until you heard a noise, panting, and heavy thuds of feet.

“hello?!” You called, startled when a hand grabed your head. “Let go of me!” You bark twisting away shielding egg.

“you will make my heart give out.” Maekar’s arm wrapped around you from behind and he pulled you back into his frame. You instantly calmed. Turned to him at once and let go of egg with one hand to feel the side of your husbands face.

“Thank the gods…” you exhale and then the tears begin at once.

“I’ve half a mind to paddle your arse. All this insolence fussing at the maids and guards? You could truly not have just forgotten they were there!?” He kissed your temple. “Let me keep you safe. Gods sake, don’t fight me on it anymore.!” He sighed, the worry clear in his voice. He was scared, scared enough to put those safety nets in place and he became terrified know that even those had not been enough!

You were a mess of tears and shaking hands and struggled breaths. This had been the most scared you ever were. Lost, wandering, you infant on your hip and two of your children abandoned in the gardens. “Daella? She was will aemon-are they okay?” You hiccuped “gods forgive me…forgive me Maekar.” Anything could have happened to you or to them. You cared not for his panicked scolding you just needed reassurance that all was alright.

“Breathe. They are both alright, unharmed.” He instructed but you just continued to ramble on. Mind racing.

“I’m not fit t-to be a mother. I cannot do this. I can’t even look after myself. Gods I’m a bloody fool!” You sob. Things had been going so well, you’d managed expertly but something like this was bound to eventually happen. You just had not anticipated it being this terrifying! “I-I, fucks sake,” you sniffled hard. “I was wrong-I can’t do this. Your right,” you whisper, jaw shaking “no more babes, I can hardly mother the ones we have.” He was appalled. He had never seen you so worked up, so self doubting. His hand cooled the heat of your swollen under-eye and he shook his head.

“no.” You were a good mother, a loving mother, and you had done well with Daella and Egg despite your limitation. He hated that his hesitation to grow the family large was now being used in your campaign against yourself!

“I’m useless-“

“none of that,” it came out harsh. Which wasn’t all that odd, he wasn’t a man who cooed often unless it was at the newest babe snuggled into your breast. The only time he’d truly been that gentle with you was the day you wed and he’d so gently taken your maidenhead, and while you’d been sick with the blinding fever. He hadn’t intended for his words right now to come out so brash.

“Shh,” his thumb wiped under your eye, getting rid of the tears. “There is no need to spiral my love.” He assured you, gentler this time. “I’ll not hear any of that nonsense, incompetence and inability are two words that have no place in anybody’s mouth when it comes to you.” He took egg from your hip, cradling the bald boy in the crook of his elbow and Maekar smushed you into his shoulder with his other hand. “Least of all should it come from your own lips.” He warned pressing a firm kiss to the back of your head.

“but what if I’d wandered further? Egg is just a b-babe he cannot be out here overnight.” You were worked up, all your anxiety finally coming to the surface now that you felt safe. Now that you did not feel like you needed to focus on practical things.

“I’d of found you.” He pushed your hair down your back. “Or do you doubt me now too?” His brow raised looking down at you and you shook your head against his chest.

“N-no I-“ you wiped your jaw because some tears dripped over the edge of it. “I’m just scared.” You whisper, your other hand still gripping to his vest. Not daring to let go.

“There’s no reason for that anymore, you are well, our son is grand, and you’ve raised a smart enough boy that he took Daella in and alerted a guard when you’d been gone a while.” Maekar pulled you back in and his hand dropped from your head and scooped up under your bum lifting you up and you instantly wrapped your legs around his side.

“Maekar-“ you objected, though your face was already nuzzling into his neck face hidden by his skin and beard and your arms looped around his neck. “I should walk, what will people think?”

“they’ll think whatever i desire them to.” He said plainly as he began to walk about towards the hall, you in one arm and Aegon in the other.

“don’t ever scare me like that again-” He whispered to you and pressed another tender kiss to your temple before you were back in the gardens. “Now I think I was promised a picnic with my family.” He hummed gently settling you down and you felt egg be deposited into your lap.

“yes, I do think something like that was promised.” You sniffled and kissed eggs head.

“stay here, breathe, I’ll go fetch the rest of our brood.”

Maekar Masterlist

“He’s my son.” Maekar says rubbing looking down at the cooing babe in his arms, the little boy holding his father’s finger in his little hand.

“He’s mine too.” You laugh, not minding that he’s stolen your baby from you. Happy he loves his children so much, him not always able to show it.

“You got to carry him for nine moons, let me hold him now.” Maekar say turning away from you as if you were going to steal the babe of him. You just wanting to kiss him.

“But-.”

“I’m sure the older boys would love some time with their mother.” He tells you, him having been working all day and unable to be with your sons.

“Would they now?” You ask raising an eyebrow at your husband. Daeron and Aerion both sleeping as it’s late. You having just read Daeron back to sleep. You giving your husband a look. “Stop sniffing him.”

“I’ve missed having a newborn.” Maekar muses swaying slightly with the boy, while kissing his forehead. “You’re already more well behaved than your brothers.”

“Maekar.” You say sternly giving him a look. “It’s time for bed.”

“Wife.” He teases a smirk apart in his face, him at his happiest with you and the children, a newborn babe in his arms.

“You get so mushy when we have a baby.” You say rolling your eyes while you get ready for bed. Letting him cuddle Aemon for a while longer, the babe needing to actually sleep in his crib for a change.

“I love you.” Maekar whispers to you later while you cuddle in bed, your head resting on his chest while he holds you close to him. All the children sleeping in their beds.

“I love you too.” You say kissing his chest softly. Tired but also wanting to spent time with just Maekar.

“Can we have more?” He asks quietly as if saying it any louder would scare the idea away.

“Isn’t three enough?” You ask, happy with any amount of children you have.

“Just a few more?” He whispers kissing the top of your head, already picturing a future with more children.

“We’ll see.”

“Thank you.” He says softly, loving you and the children more than anything in the world.

“What for?” You ask in genuine confusion, not knowing what you’ve done to warrant being thanked.

Three knocks sounded off against the wooden chamber door. 

Aerion would have been annoyed at the sudden interruption, if it wasn't for the amusing reaction of your panicked state. Your eyes had grown wide, lips parted in shock as your hands unconsciously come up to quickly fist his shirt before traveling to his hands, hurriedly pulling at the entertained princeling in attempts to get him up from the bed and behind the privacy screen. 

The main thing he noted was your hands, what others would never consider to do, you'd done it in less than a thought. You had never initiated touch first and the mere action left his speechless.

He kept forgetting about your temporary lapse in sense—forced to understand why you were panicked at the thought of being caught alone with your husband. Nonetheless, he humored you and let you drag his body behind the divider with a chuckle. The walls of the Red Keep were the only witness to Aerion's sudden compliance when your finger unconsciously traveled up to his smile, the cool touch smooth against his lips to shush his unspoken words. His smile turns to a serious frown as you pull away and walk toward the door, not seeing the way his eyes traveled up and down your backside. 

He could look all he wanted—you were his wife. His deluded wife.

Finally pulling his gaze away, his eyes find the tossed dress you wore earlier in the day, fingers gripping the blue fabric in distaste as he listens to someone enter. It should be red, was all he could think over the hushed tones coming from the door. The interaction lasts for a moment longer than necessary before the door shut and he strolled out to find you standing near the hearth, picking underneath your fingers with a far off expression he had come to dislike.

He called your name once, only earning a low hum of inattentiveness before he marched forward and stood just before you. You finally knock back to the present at his proximity, forcing a polite smile you had learned to maintain decorum. 

Just like that, the small moment you had come alive was gone.

Aerion's anger was quick, fingers suddenly grasping your face tight as he angled your stare upright and into his violent one. Before he could speak a word, another set of knocks sounded off just behind him. Rage bristled Aerion's frame as he turned to the door—ready to throw the wooden slab open and demand everyone within the keep to leave—only to stop with his hand at the handle, your hands simple touch on his skin calming him. You pull open the door, trapping him just behind in utter disbelief, as you grab the tray the maid brought and urge her to close the door behind you. With the swing close, Aerion appeared from the shadows with a scowl as you made your way deeper into the room. 

You hear him follow behind, no doubt stewing in his wrath, before you settle the tray on the table. Aerion doesn't hide his confusion at the sight of a cup, a flagon and a small dish of orange hard candies—he was most surprised when you began to serve a cup that poured out red instead of clear. 

A flash of your shared wedding night slipped into his mind at the sight of you pouring a cup with shaky hands, the memories may have left you but the person you were remained. That night being the first time the two of you were alone together—Aerion would never forget the way you kept glancing up at him, the whisper of your lashes fluttering against your wet cheeks as you mumbled your promises to be a good wife then calling him 'my prince' as he laid himself into you with a definitive thrust.

It seems too long since he's heard you say that to him.

Aerion blinked back the memory, focusing back onto your hands that now plopped a single candy into your mouth before you offered the drink to him with a small voice. "You were interrupted and I could tell you were getting a little…tense, your grace"

He gave you a puzzled expression as you offered him the drink once more, his hand slowly reaching forward and grabbing the cup. Your fingertips linger on the stem, ensuring his slack hand had grasped the cup correctly, only to pause as his fingers cover yours. Aerion could feel it, the fingers beneath his own flexing before letting go, leaving him to grab the drink before it fell while you turn back to the table.

"You mentioned you were to depart to Summerhall, is that right your grace?" you ask, busying your body with tidying as you send him a polite smile over your shoulder. You don't give him a chance to speak before you continued. "It's odd that you depart so soon since my brother arrives in three days time with my sister"

Aerion scoffs, taking one gulp of his drink before slamming the chalice down onto the table with a thud, sloshing a little bit of liquid onto the mahogany. You jump at the sound and watch as his face twists into unrestrained outrage. "You have truly lost all sense— why would you be here? If your sister was meant to be my bride, why would you be here?!"

A frown greets the prince as you explain, "Your uncle and Maester Robynn informed me that I was sent here before my sister to help get things ready for the princess to be— settling her chambers and preferences—being that I am her closest friend and family member. Apparently my fall caused more lapses in my memory than they thought because I believed my sister arrived before me" 

"Your fall?" he asked, skepticism clear in his tone. His face pinched tight in strained frustration as he watched you step away and continue. "Yes, I was told I was prepping my sisters' chambers when I slipped and fell down the stairs"

Your answer only makes him spin around and curse his uncle before vowing to have the maester sent to the wall. He doesn't say anything else as he grabbed the drink off the table harshly, letting out a deep sigh before drinking down the rest of the cup. Aerion placed the cup on the table, licking his teeth before settling his gaze on you, which you misinterpret. You move forward and reach for the cup to refill it while ignoring his fierce stare. You pour again and hand it to him, offering a meek smile without looking at his face, turning back to the task at hand.

His stopped midway of bringing it to his lips, his eyes finding your body back at the table, cleaning his spill, when a sudden though pops into his head. "I don't get one?"

"Your grace?" you ask turning, eyes following his head jutting toward the small tray of hard candies by your side. "Oh," you grab the small bowl and keep it to your chest. "I take these to help with sleep, I'm told too many can make ones senses hinder so—"

"—so give me one and be done with it" he cut off, voice growing more irate by the second. 

Not wanting to anger the prince, you pluck a small candy from the tray and outstretch your hand and to dangle the piece on the edge of your fingers. He shook his head and licked his lips before gesturing you to come closer. 

"Too many of these can hinder my senses?" he asked, playfully shaking his body as if in fear while cocking his brow at your approaching fingers that lingered in the air, the orange candy distracting him from what he originally came for. You nod and go to put the candy back into the cup when he tuts and opens his mouth. His unoccupied hand comes out to your waist and brings you closer, ignoring the way your eyes widened or how your feet dragged. He finds joy in your thwarted expression, sticking out his tongue while wiggling his eyebrows with a tightened grip on your waist.

You are quick to push the candy into his mouth, trying and failing to avoid his tongue that flicked out against your skin. The warmth from his tongue had you jolt back and avoid his lust-filled eyes. You clear your throat before finally gaining the courage to speak. "Did you need anything else, your grace?"

He stayed quiet while letting out a low chuckle, looking you over and sipping on his wine. 

A loud crunch snapped through the room, the candied sweet now in smithereens in Aerion's mouth. "Summerhall." he said curtly, biting down once more with a tense jaw. "You seem to think these candies have 'hindered my senses' as much as yours were when you woke weeks ago"

You open your mouth but he cuts you off, waving his hand to silence you. "You mentioned being sent here to help settle your sister— well then, you are to settle things for your sister. In Summerhall."

Aerion watched as you fumbled with the candy dish, his own body coming toward you despite the sluggish feeling that enveloped his muscles. He reached forward and plucked the tray from your grip and placed it beside his cup on the tabletop. He could feel his body burning as he breathed in, your chambers being a nest of your essence as he looked you over, a sudden drunk-ish feeling filling him up. 

He couldn't help but notice your eyes, wide with suspicion. Part of him had the idea to knock you upside the head to get you to remember him, but after the countless hours of waiting to see if you would live—it awoke something within him. Now what he spoke in the sept had echoed loudly in his head, his half-hearted vows now full of weight since the sight of your vacant look when you asked him who he was. 

It didn't matter now— all that mattered was that he had you once more and nothing would take that away, not even you. 

He let out a small sigh as he smiled down at you, hand coming up to brush your hair from your face. You can't hide your disbelief as he gives you a mock pout to match your own, his plump lips fighting back a smile as his thumb rubs your cheekbones. Aerion's eyes become a little heavy, low-lidded as they try focusing on your face. His lips pursed as he squinted at you, slowly slouching forward with a stumble into your frame.Your hands fly up to catch him while he let out a husky laugh and mumbled oops. His arms come around your waist, securing himself upright before he spun and sent the two of you toppling toward the bed.He managed to land onto his back, arms coming to lock around your waist as he landed with a small grunt onto the mattress. Your face is now a breath away from his and you remain there despite your attempts to free yourself.

"I need my wife by my side," he mumbled, eyes scanning your face as he kept one hand locked around you while the other came to poke at your furrowed brow.

"Your Grace, I—"

"—My prince," he cut you off, whispering and bringing his thumb to your bottom lip. "Just say it once" 

You almost do it, answer his plea with just two words. His eyes had filled with a look of longing enough to make you gasp at the vulnerability you'd never seen before from him. It leaves you still as Aerion's hands come to brush against your face as he muttered little nothing's, pleased with your gentle presence as he settled himself deeper into the sheets. 

Then you hear what he had been stuttering over and over. My bird.

The nickname punched a hole in your chest, gasping and leaving you to pull away harder until you are finally free and standing over him. Aerion's head had fallen back to onto your pillow, no longer mumbling as he gazed up at you with an unreadable look from the bed. The two of you stare at another for a long moment of silence until Aerion huffed out a wistful sigh, eyes blinking to a close when he finally spoke. 

"Maybe it is best you don't remember"

The silence that followed had no effect in calming your over-beating heart, keeping the steady rise and fall of Aerion's chest in your sights as you stood a foot away from the bod on your mattress. It's a few minutes before you are able to pull your eyes away from him and toward the door you had desperately wanted to escape through. You had come up with a million different ways to approach the usually creaky door, not able to find the one that had no noise. 

You had half a mind when you asked for your regular sedative, the small candy the maesters made for your aversion to milk of the poppy, it worked just the same only went down easier. You had originally wanted to take one, enough to get him to see you needed to sleep but then he demanded one of his own. Maester Robynn explained the potency of each candy, one being enough to get your pain down while causing severe sedation and loss of consciousness and two would leave you out for more than a day. 

He had to be out for more than a few hours… maybe you could make it out before he would be the wiser.

Feeling the starting effects of your medicine, you begin to head to the door when Aerion's warm hand reached out as you passed and gripped your hand as tight as the day you woke. He mumbled and groaned before pulling you over him and onto the bed, nestling you beneath his body. His head comes to rest on top of your head while his large hand is sprawled out over your belly. Aerion's lips brushed the top of your head, his deep breath shushing your struggles as he settles you down until you both are quietly breathing in each others scent. 

You decide to wait for him to fall back asleep to make your escape but before you know it, your breathing had matched his own and you were lulled to sleep alongside Aerion.

────────────

Your sleep is disrupted with a ticklish feeling along your brow, the light tracing followed until it reached your cheekbone and stopped when you twitched. You settle after a few moments only to feel warm fingers caressing your arm, smooth skin brushing your own. You let out a hum and lean closer to the warmth until you hear a small chuckle come from above you. With one eye open, you lean back and look upon Aerion's serene expression, his hair was mussed and in all directions.

You say nothing as you pull yourself upright to sit, keeping your eyes on Aerion's pleased expression as he adjusts in his spot. You never considered the infamous prince to be a morning person but at the sight of his smile, you learn to never take things for their appearances. 

"Your grace, my apologies," you mumble, voice cracking until he hands you a cup of water from the bedside table. Your eyes remain on the cup as you drink, panicking at the thought of anyone knowing Aerion was in your chambers. He must've noted your expression because he explained calling his knight to bring the refreshments before being told to leave. You settle into your spot and let the morning sleepiness fade, through it all Aerion remained at your side with nothing to be said. It becomes unbearable, the silence eating through you more than the stare Aerion gave at your side. You finish off the cup and move to stand when he suddenly speaks. 

"A knock came at your door this morning" his words have you freeze, trying to process his reaction as well as your own, you remain silent—the safest option—and wait for him to continue.

"It seems," he started by grabbing the empty cup from your hands and placing it on the bedside. "My new brother has arrived this morning" He came to face you, his eyes remained fixed on your face. 

He was waiting for a reaction at the news of your brothers arrival to Kings Landing days before he was supposed to. 

He sees surprise register in your eyes before he pats your free hands, clutching them under his palm. He stays like that for a moment before he stood and turned to you. "Dress, we can both go down to greet him" 

He gestured toward your screened divider, making a dramatic show of throwing himself onto the bed and throwing his arm over his eyes when you protested at his presence. He mumbled something under his breath when you continued and finally got up and walked to the door. He stopped at the handle and turned to look at you, a deep look on his face before he stepped out of the room. When the door clicked to a close, you allow your mask to slip and your body slips into a cold sweat. 

Maekar had said to be at the ready and you ended up sleeping with his son. 

You give yourself a few seconds before you rush for your bag, stuffing it with items of importance. You fill it with just enough things that you needed before walking over to your privacy screen and begin looking through your trunks of clothing only to stop at the sight of a single black and red dress intermingled but delicately folded within your dresses. It's design was worthy of a princess and the embroidery was beyond what you could imagine, but this was not your dress.

You hold up the dress between your fingers, dangling the fabric in the air as you admire it before settling it back down. It felt like a trap. You retreat, deciding to play it safe and wear what you wore already. You made your way to the door and open it only to stop at Aerion's bored expression leaning against the wall just opposite of your bedroom, a knight by his side and at the ready. At your arrival, the other man greeted you by bowing while Aerion's bored expression was replaced with a frown at the sight of you. 

"Is something amiss, your highness?" you hesitantly ask, not liking his approaching figure that glanced between you and the room behind you. He shook his head and offered his arm to you, still clothed in his dressings from the previous night. Deciding to play it safe, you grab onto his arm, grasping your light blue gown and make your way toward the dining hall. 

Before entering the main corridor that lead toward the dining room, you are quick to pull away from Aerion and walk forward a few paces with your head looking forward. You can hear him mutter a curse, the profanity so low you let it go and approach the doors and wait for your announcement of arrival.

The second the doors opened and you spotted the familiar silhouette of your brother, your body had thrown itself forward and into his expecting embrace. You couldn't hear anything over the sound of your crying as you tightened your arms around his tall frame. He didn't say anything to soothe you but you could feel it in his hold that he had missed you . The reunion is cut short when a throat clearing off to your side calls your attention and you face Baelor Targaryen who wore that all too familiar everything-is-okay smile. You try to regain your composure to which he insists to give you two a moment and clears the room.

You keep your head low until the room is slowly cleared of a certain lingering princeling who finally relented in his refusal to depart. The room grew quiet once the door closed and all that was left was the silence between you two as you embraced once more. After another round of cries, your elder brother shushed you with news.

"You've come just as Prince Baelor had brought me up to the recent events," he said. Grasping your hand, he brought you to a chair and sat you down, and delivered news you hadn't expected.

────────────

In his solar, Baelor Targaryen raised his voice to his younger brother while his nephew watched just as enraged. "You went behind my back, that would be considered treason to others!"

Maekar remained ever poised. "Treason? I agreed to your suggestions to send the girl home!"

"Send her home to recover—not this misconstrued nonsense of annulling their marriage—did you know this?" Baelor glanced at his nephew whose jaw tightened with a glare fixed toward his father. He spoke up before the young prince could. "Not only was a raven sent in secrecy but now her brother arrives to collect her in an unmarked carriage? You've outdone yourself brother" 

Baelor couldn't believe the underhanded attempt Maekar had attempted. Aerion said nothing as his father spoke with his brother, his entire mind was catching up to the information. His own father—behind his back— had attempted to take what he had given his devotion to.

Baelor silenced the disagreement with a simple wave of his hand and looked between the two starry-blonde men and gave them both a look of disappointment. One was a schemer annulling a marriage while the other may have possibly thrown his wife down a few steps. 

The Targaryen madness came in many forms of inane.

"It doesn't matter," he professed to the room. "The decisions been made and it is final"

Baelor looks between the two, noting the way Aerion's eyes were wild while Maekar kept his expression stoic— but Baelor knew his brother. 

He knew the reason Maekar tried to get rid of you was for your safety and the secrecy was to ensure Aerion wouldn't get upset as he was known to. Many wondered when the princeling had shifted to such harsh attitudes but to Baelor it was obviously after his mother's passing. He was young when it happened and it reflected in his relationships with his siblings. 

Aerion shifted under his uncle's intense stare before he finally spoke up, "Well?"

Baelor took a deep breath, leaning back into his chair before looking between the two.

"The marriage between you two has not been annulled but she is to be sent home until she has shown signs of recovery—they leave as soon as all her items have been gathered and she is ready to depart"

The second Baelor finished his statement, Aerion had flown out of the room in rage and rushed back to the room he had left you in. When he didn't find you there, he rushed to your room that had nothing but servants tidying up and resettling the room, his anger quick to dismiss them from the premises. His name is called from behind him, he registered one as his father while the other was his uncle—but he was still stalking into other rooms you frequented. 

He is pulled to a stop by a large hand on his shoulder belonging to his father who held a regretful frown. "Aerion—"

"No." he snapped, pushing his father's hand away. 

He knew what his father would say, he just didn't wouldn't accept it. You were gone—without a word—and he could do nothing but accept it? Wrong. 

Baelor arrived just behind Maekar, knights stationed on either side of the Hand of the King. He stood between father and son, gesturing the knights to take a step back, before he spoke. "I understand your anger Aerion," he said calmly despite the hard anger behind the young prince's eyes. "We must give it time—there is to be a tournament, in Ashford. Give it until then—maybe you could visit" he reasoned, voice going down a tilt.

Aerion shook his head at both of his supposed family members and pushed past them, heading to the room you occupied for weeks for a lingering sliver of you. This continued until he was forced out of the room and onto his steed to head toward Ashford.

note: tysm for all the support on little bluebird! 𐔌՞ ܸ.ˬ.ܸ՞𐦯♡ ⤷ if you'd like to be added to the taglist, let me know in comment ˎˊ˗

Now, he’s not on some eat, pray, love shit. There have been no ghosts of Christmas past, or future, or whatever the fuck. It’s just that–He came here, he saw you and he knew he had to have you. As far as he’s concerned, you’re already his. All he’s waiting for is you to catch up, and he knows better than to rush. He’s an animal of prey, a hunter; the kill is sweeter when he’s earned it. That, and he’s met your kind before. If he pushes, you won’t fall and in fact, might use the momentum to take off so far in the opposite direction, all he’ll have at the end of this summer are lofty daydreams and an unsated libido. 

So, he’s trying. 

Back when he was trading all his bad habits for only slightly better ones, he rediscovered a raging sweet tooth. Apparently, the itch he began soothing with binge drinking in his teenage years, can just as easily be solved with sugar. It means he carries around five packs of gum, a bundle of lollipops and a fizzy drink at all times. He has the kind of diet that makes gym rats like Dunk drop their jaws. You, however, don’t seem to mind. 

Of course, neither do the kids, which means he has to be quadruple-stocked at all times, because if they catch him unwrapping a bar of chocolate, they know they can irritate their way into a share of his sugary spoils. Or, it’ll be especially hot, they’ll have been especially well behaved. Whatever, maybe he's easily convinced but it does still take convincing. The only person who gets it for free is you. 

With lollipops fanned between his fingers like playing cards, he’ll ask, “Want one?” and feel his lips twitch upwards at how easy it is to get you to smile. He makes sure to turn up the chivalry if there are other counselors around. Even if it’s only small, he likes staking his claim on you. Look, he imagines the action says, I provide. Your beaming smile and the way you thank him, perpetually stunned and shy despite a whole summer of these little favours. 

It occurs to him that if it was any harder to impress you, he wouldn’t bother. Like this, it’s so worth the effort that he’s constantly looking for ways to one-up himself. He saves you marshmallows at campfires, makes sure he’s the first to bend down when your laces come undone, and that he’s always close enough on forest walks that he can pluck stray leaves from your hair. Though, of course it’s easy, he thinks. You’re already his. 

"Go to bed," he said softly, placing his hand on your shoulder. "I got it."

"I can't—"

"Go to fuckin' bed, baby. I'm not askin'."

When you woke up the next morning, the house was quiet. For a second, you thought you'd dreamed it all. Then you heard the low murmur of voices coming from the living room. You got up, your body aching, your head pounding. Pounding so hard you felt like your skull might crack open. And the dryness of your throat made it almost impossible to swallow. When you walked out, you found Aerion on the couch with Maegor curled up against him, watching cartoons.

"He's better," Aerion said before you could ask. "Fever's down. He's been askin' for you, though."

You sat beside them, reaching out to brush Maegor's hair back from his forehead. "Hey, baby. How're you feeling?"

"Better," Maegor whispered, leaning into you. "Can I get more juice?"

Aerion got up to get it, and that's when you realized how bad you felt. Your throat hurt, your nose was stuffy, and your body felt like it was on fire. You must've looked as bad as you felt because when Aerion came back, he frowned.

"You sick, baby?"

"I'm fine," you mumbled, but you weren't. You were far from fine.

By that evening, you were worse. Your fever spiked to 40. You had to call out of work for the first time in months. Aerion took over completely. He got Maegor dinner, bathed him, and put him to bed while you shivered under a blanket on the couch. When Maegor was asleep, he came back to you. His face fell when he placed the back of his hand on your forehead.

"You're burnin' up. Why didn't you say anythin'?"

"I didn't want to worry you," you whispered with your eyes closed. "You're already doing so much..."

"Now you're just bein' stupid," he muttered. "C'mon. Let's get you to bed."

You don't remember much of the next few days. You remember being so cold your teeth chattered. You remember Aerion wrapping you in blankets and holding you against his chest to warm you up. You remember him forcing you to drink water, to eat soup he made from scratch. You remember hearing him on the phone with the diner, telling them you'd be out all week. You remember Maegor visiting your bedside and patting your arm with his small hand.

"Mommy's sick," he'd said to Aerion at one point, his voice full of concern. "Is she gonna die?"

"Don't go sayin' no shit like that, Maegor. Your mama just needs to rest. And she won't get none if you don't quit talkin' so loud."

"Sorry, Mommy," Maegor whispered, leaning over to kiss your cheek.

"Go play in your room, bug. Let mommy sleep."

Aerion took care of everything. The laundry, the dishes, Maegor's meals, the grocery shopping. He cleaned the bathroom, changed your sheets when you sweated through them, mopped the floors, handled Maegor's pickup and drop-off from school, and he didn't complain once. He didn't even leave. And on the fifth day, when you finally woke up feeling almost human again, you found him barefoot at the very top of a ladder in your kitchen. He was dealing with the water stain on the ceiling. The one you'd been complaining about.

"What are you doing?" you croaked.

"Fuck's sake, get your ass back to bed," he snapped. "I told you not to get up."

"You're fixing my ceiling?"

"Someone's gotta. You said you'd have somebody do it when you got your check, but you didn't. So I'm fixin' it."

"Well come down, you're gonna fall and die."

He grumbled but climbed down, setting the ladder aside. His hand was on your forehead again the second he reached you. "Fever's gone. How d'you feel?"

"Better. Better than I've felt in days"

He nodded, his jaw tight like he was trying not to smile. "Good. 'Cause you've been a pain in my ass."

You laughed; the sound was scratchy from disuse. "Sorry."

"Don't be sorry. Just get better."

You looked around the house and it was spotless. You saw the clean counters and floor, the restocked fridge. The laundry was folded in neat piles on the couch. He'd done everything you usually did, everything you'd insisted only you could handle.

"You didn't have to do all this... But thank you."

"Yeah, I did." He stepped closer so that he could cup your neck. "I wanna take care of you, baby. You and him. That's all I wanna do."

You swallowed hard, your eyes stinging with tears you prayed wouldn't fall. "I've missed you."

His thumb brushed your cheek. "I been right here, darlin'."

And he had been. All week. Taking care of you, taking care of Maegor, fixing things, making sure everything ran like it always did. Because that's what he did best. That's how he loved you.

"Are you going to kiss me?"

You tried to convince yourself you had no idea why you said it. That it was just because you were still a little out of it, still sick and disoriented from days of fever dreams and worrying about Maegor. But that wasn't true. You said it because you'd been lying in that bed, drifting in and out of sleep, and every time you'd opened your eyes, you'd seen him. Bringing you water, taking your temperature, sitting on the edge of the bed with Maegor in his lap. And it felt like you were back in that tiny trailer you'd shared.

"Baby, I ain't gonna kiss you. You're still—"

"Fine," you insisted, your fingers gripping the hem of his shirt. "I'm fine."

He sighed, his hand still cupping your neck. You could feel the heat of it, the roughness of his palm against your skin. "You're gonna get me sick."

"Fuck off."

That made him laugh, just a little. "Yeah, alright. But if I get sick, you're takin' care of me."

"Never."

He kissed you softly, his lips barely brushed yours at first, like he was testing you, making sure you weren't too weak to take more. When you opened your mouth and let him in, he moaned quietly and let his hand slide to the back of your head to hold you closer. He held you steady as he licked into your mouth and you felt it everywhere—in your teeth, chest, your stomach, between your thighs. It was deep and a little desperate, and you never wanted it to end.

When he finally pulled back, you were still trying to pull him back in, and he had to catch your wrists to stop you from wrapping your arms around him. "Easy, baby. You're still sick. You need to rest."

"Later then."

He kissed your forehead, then your nose, then the corner of your mouth. "Fine."

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