You had finally managed to slip away from the Housekeeper’s attention, and with your broom and feather duster in hand, you had gone to the library, entering the place without raising any suspicion.

Sweeping, you had found the bookcases you loved exploring with your eyes only, and knew where to find the volume that interested you : a book about the many houses of the Riverlands.

There, you saw the sigil of that guard drawned on the page. You knew of his infamous house : they had betrayed the rightful King, Daeron II, in favor of his half brother, a bastard known as Daemon Blackfyre. They had been pardoned, but at a cost – they were to pay a yearly fine that had ruined them. Their treachery had cost them their reputation, honor, and gold.

Leaving the library without a sound, without a word, the guards closed the doors behind you, watching you go.

Crossing halls and hallways, climbing stairs up and down, you ended in the yard that led to the guard’s barracks. The very one where Maekar had watched you, standing at the bottom of the castle’s tower, with you above, face pressed to the bars, lost in his presence, in the power you’d just witnessed.

You stood there, rooted in place, watching the guards training in their field, swords clashing and parrying, the setting sun bathing them in magenta and gray, navy hues. The Ser you hated with a burning passion was there, of course, as you had been informed. He continuously barked orders as he fought, his guttural voice echoing all around.

You knew from hearsay that they would train until late in the night, as they did once every month to learn to fight in the dark.

Plenty of time before you, you began walking toward their barracks. Your broom and feather duster in hand, you once again met no resistance when you entered, looking as meek and innocent as you could. With a gold coin given to the right hand, you’d been told that the knight in question dwelled in his own quarters, a luxury afforded by his rank.

Climbing a set of stairs, you arrived in front of a door. Of course it was locked ; but once again, a coin given in the right hand, or wrong ones, had bought you a spare key, which you used to unlock said door.

Entering, you found a sparsely furnished room, devoid of any embellishments and personal possessions. You had, on the contrary, expected such a vainglorious character to fill his rooms with as many ornaments and finery as possible, and yet, only the half made bed proved that someone did in fact slept and lived here.

Your beating heart wild in your chest, you took Daella’s ring out of the chain, looking around for the best place to hide it in. To your dismay, there was no chest, no doublet, no bookshelf, and not even an old pair of boot to hide the ring in. It seems as if this man had completely erased himself into his position.

Biting your lip, you knew not to put it in the places he frequently used, then he would find it first, ruining your plan. There was only one place to hide the ring in then : under his mattress. Therefore, you went to the bed, wincing every time the old wooden floor creaked ; lifting the heavy sack of straw, you pushed the ring as far as you could, and then let the mattress fall back in its place. You sat on its edge, breathing deeply. Tomorrow, you would find a way to leave a note to the Captain of the Guard and tell him that one of his trusted men in arms had stolen Daella’s rings, with a line or two to describe their nefarious intents.

Done, you were about to get up and leave when someone put a key in the keyhole, fruitlessly trying to unlock it – you had no time and no place to hide when the door flew wide open.

“What in the-”

He saw you sitting on his bed. Oh, it took everything in you – all you had – to look calm. Collected. Serene.

“And what the fuck are you doing here ?” He barked, almost doubting what his eyes were seeing.

“I…” Yes, what were you doing here ? Why had fate put you in this room ? Closing your eyes, you bit your lips, before opening them again, your fear disguised as doubt. “Seeing you so close – the other day – it made it all come back, Ser. You are of House…” He stilled as you remembered his House correctly. “Though the Dornish wine I was served that night took away your name, it did not completely erase the outlines of your face. After facing you, I tossed and turned, memories coming back one after the other.” You elaborated, trying to sound as natural as you could.

“My nose wasn’t so ugly then – I’m sure you had a hard time associating this face with the one I had as a young man ; therefore, I forgive your deplorable memory.” He looked at you from the corner of his eyes, observing the room as if he expected an ally of yours to jump out of a dark corner at any moment.

“Yes, I remember that straight nose and the youthfulness of your face, yet the one you now have is only a testimony to your knightly devotion.” You were shooting arrows in the dark, praying that you wouldn’t have to use the carving knife that felt searing hot against your ankle’s skin.

He took a step forward, and you had to force yourself not to take one backward.

“Ser, you pretended to know my stepfamily, yet if you knew them truly, you should have gathered that my stepsister loathes me with a passion so strong it could level mountains. In the past, had you not believed her… Had you talked to me first… Well we – it’s too late now.” You sighed, fidgeting with your fingers and creasing your brows in feigned disappointment. “I simply wanted you to know, Ser. You’ll get your ring tomorrow anyway, do not worry ; I will be cleaning Daella’s bedchambers in the morning, we could meet here again. At night. I’ll give it to you with no delay.” You batted your lashes, taking tentative steps toward him, but more importantly, toward the only exit : the door.

The knight towered above you, like some haunted ruin looming overhead. His face betrayed nothing, which made you believe that he wasn’t buying your little act. Had you done too much ? Or too little ?

“Would you have betrayed your father’s wishes then ? Would you now ?” He looked down at you, his gravelly voice and empty eyes sending a series of shudders so strong that you had to cross your arms to repress each one.

“Had you not been so despondent upon his first refusal, I’m sure he would have admired your devotion to duty, your ambition, and your commitment to justice. There would have been no need to commit any betrayal.” You enumerated, feeling bile rise up in your throat with every lie.

His face lit up – you had done well in flattering his immense ego, yet his eyes were still narrowed at you. He was still too suspicious for you to dismiss yourself. What could you do ? How would you leave ?

“I fear you’ve mistaken me as much as I did you. We could perhaps take a stroll in the garden, and then you’d walk me back to the castle ? You’ll tell me all about what it is like to supervise so many soldiers.” You offered, tilting your head to the side while clasping your hand behind your back. The Ser observed your face, lit by the moonlight that filtered through the small window, and you wondered if it was beauty he stared at for long seconds, or if it was the evident deception in every smile and word you had just said.

Without saying more, he extended his armored elbow toward you, the corner of a crooked smile barely visible on his lips. Swallowing painfully, you flashed a tight smile before holding his forearm, keeping yourself at a respectable distance.

His smell made you tense, his proximity made you lurch. You only had to be strong for a little while longer, then you’d be rid of him for good.

He was walking slowly, which made you roll your eyes to the back of your head, knowing it would take a while to come back – the housekeeper would report your tardiness to the castellan, and you’d get lectured again. At least it was better than the brute of a knight by your side realizing that you had been pretending to have any semblance of affinity for him.

The two of you crossed the garden. And while he spoke of his great courage, of how hard and demanding it was to have so many men under his command, of how many lives he had ended while supposedly defending the entire continent, you nodded and hummed and praised and smiled.

“Earlier, I saw you training with your men, did it go well ?” You asked innocently, trying to get him to reveal why he had come back so soon, catching you in his room.

“No. The Prince decided to postpone the training session ; reports of storms and strong winds came from the eastern garrisons, where a part of the forest was flattened and a campsite was damaged. Apparently that is reason enough to halt an important training session.” Explained the poor excuse of a knight, his hatred evident from the disgusted tone he used.

“That is unfortunate indeed.” You mused, trying to sound sincere, while you knew that Maekar had absolutely been right. Of course he did not want his men to be injured during a training session that could simply be postponed.

You changed subjects and talked some more. Not once did he ever ask any questions about your life, but you were thankful, not surprised, because at least you did not have any lies to fabricate and tell while putting on a good act.

After some time, which to you felt like eternity, you finally arrived at the edge of the garden, not far from the set of steps that lead to Summerhall.

The two of you stood under a flower arch when he released your arm.

“Thank you for taking me back.” You said, suddenly feeling too drained to use any more honeyed words.

“It’s nothing.” He replied, eyes dark and shadowed, peering into yours. “What you told me earlier, a part of me always knew : had I not abandoned you to your father’s weakness, had I forced him to relinquish, you and I would never have needed to serve those fucking inbreds.” Something nefarious glimmered in his stare. He tightened his hold on your arm, bitterness emanating from every single inch of him. You wanted nothing more than to spit in his face, to tell him that you were doing all of this to survive, and then to run as far away from him as you could. You were about to answer when you heard steps.

“Tomorrow we shall send men to aid in the reconstruction of that garrison. Any word on the number of injured men ?” A familiar voice asked, determined, firm, and powerful.

Oh no. You closed your eyes in apprehension and embarrassment, knowing you couldn’t take back your arm and leave just like that. That would ruin your plan. Maekar was quick-tempered and if he knew what this man was trying to do to you, he’d kill him right then and there, leaving you without a witness to confirm your in-laws machinations. Then your stepmother would know that her head was in danger, and she would flee, all eventual ties to Daemon Blackfyre’s whereabouts lost with her. You absolutely had to wait until tomorrow to tell Maekar. With that man , he couldn’t harm or threaten the people you cared about anymore.

Maekar Targaryen, a couple of lords, and his two most loyal advisors came into your field of view.

His lilac pair of eyes landed on you, then the man at your side, and then at your joined arms under a flower arch. He froze instantly while his advisors kept on walking, talking to the wind. You saw him blink several times in disbelief, then his mouth curved, a flash of rage passed through his piercing eyes as you saw him clench his fist. You and the knight bowed, saluting the Prince in unison.

“Unhand the girl at once.” Maekar ordered, pointing his finger at the man at your side while the other hand was hovering above the hilt of his sword, his face contorted in rage and unbridled anger.

Sevens, he was going to involuntarily ruin your plans by trying to defend you.

“My Lord, she is here of her own volition. She came to me.” The knight proudly insisted, firther linking your arm with his, which almost made Maekar snarl. He was turning red, his jaw was ticking, his fists clenched like cannonballs at his sides.

“Let the girl go, and no trouble shall befall you.” Maekar lied, holding his hand open for you to take while nodding at you, encouraging you to come forward.

It broke your heart in a million pieces when you had to shake your head no. He snorted in disbelief, hand still held open.

“Come, maid. Is this not the very same man who manhandled you ?” Maekar demanded, a pointed look telling you to come back to your senses. Frustration and anger were twisting his face into an intimidating expression. Next to him, you noticed how the advisors and lords looked at him strangely, surely wondering why he was troubling himself with a “replaceable”, lowly servant.

“My Prince, I am honored by your concern, but I would be wrought if it meant bothering your companions because of me.” You sent a conspicuous glance toward the men by his side. They would talk. Wonder why. “We were actually mending our differences. I harbor no ill feeling toward him. And I can assure you that nothing ill-suited has happened in your gardens, my Prince – just a simple walk, arms in arms.” You explained sweetly, feigning nonchalance, hoping he would realize that he had an audience analyzing his every move.

Next to you, the stupid and despicable knight was gloating ; you could feel him puffing his chest, and you wished nothing more than to elbow him in the ribs for his lack of respect and deference.

“Still. It is late and unbecoming of you both to meander in the dark where any virtuous Ladies of the court could see. So go back to your quarters, impudent girl, and with haste, before I change my mind and send you to clean the Sept’s crypts for a week.” He ordered you in front of everyone. “And you Ser, will meet me on the morrow, I have a few things to tell you.”

You faintly nodded and curtsied, leaving the horrible knight alone under the flower arch, breathing out in relief as you passed the Prince.

Your hands clasped behind your straight back, chin and head held high, you climbed the stairs elegantly, feeling all of those intrigued men’s eyes upon you.

A guard stationed at the entrance pushed the tall, heavy doors for you, and in that moment, while the gates opened and closed, you almost forgot that you weren’t a Lady from a great House anymore.

After entering the castle, you climbed the servant’s stairs that lead to the dormitories, not making a sound as you moved with agility. Maekar’s angered and pained expression was haunting your mind – if only he knew, your lips burned with the need to tell him the truth. You saw how much he wanted to protect you, even putting his reputation and authority at risk while defending a servant against a Knight.

Tomorrow you would go back there, you thought while entering the hallway that led to the room where you and several other girls slept, you would steal the message that your stepmother had sent. You’d anonymously give it to someone competent along with a note informing them that he had stolen and hid Daella’s ring. Then they would deal with the lot of them without ever knowing that you had anything to do with it.

As your hand hovered above the handle, a shadow made you turn to the right. You crouched and grabbed the knife, brandishing it in the air, ready to strike. You had no time to react when a pair of hands grabbed your waist and swiftly took you in the empty storage room before pushing you into a wall.

You were left speechless and powerless as the hooded figure acted with such speed that you had no time to even blink.

“What game are you playing ?” The deep, low voice whispered in your ear.You put the knife to the shadow’s throat with one hand and lifted the hood with the other, already knowing who was under.

“My Prince.” You greeted insolently.

“Rivers.” He replied indignantly, pupils wide and dark as night. His hand were at your waist, a welcome but forbidden touch. You felt his ringed fingers almost desperately clutching at the fabric, pinning you in place. “Are you going to slit my throat with that butter knife ?” Maekar taunted you, lifting his chin as if he dared you to try.

“No, my Prince, I merely thought you were…”

“That knight ? The one you fucking dared to side with instead of me in front of everyone ? The very one who dared to hurt you ? Who with his cruelty, put you in an infirmary bed ? Who could have killed you without a single thought ? The man I’m trying not to go and find and pierce like a pig ?” He questioned you harshly, darkly, absolutely mad with rage.

“You’ll understand in due time.” You whispered, sheathing the knife back in its place, emphasizing each word with a calmness and assurance that only served to anger him some more.

“Who are you, woman ? Were you sent to torture me ? Sent by the enemy to push me into folly ?” The tormented expression on his face as he slowly broke was upsetting you deeply.

“And whose face plagues my mind when I try to rest ? And who makes my heart bleed every minute of the day, as if it had belonged to you in a life I cannot recollect ?” You cried out, lips quivering after such a long, difficult and draining day.

Maekar’s hands hurriedly left your waist and cupped your face, each movement whole and firm, never painful. You felt his rings graze deliciously against your skin.

You were staring at the other, wondering who would break first, who would first topple the carefully erected walls of restraints the two of you hid behind.

He breathed you in, and you felt his weight, his solidity, the strength of his body as he caged you so sweetly against him. You turned your head away, panting, afraid that you were going to let yourself fall – he was everywhere, inescapable, making the parts of you he had clawed himself in come forth.

“Maekar…” You whispered, his name naturally rolling off your tongue, like the last word of a dying soul. Every muscle in your body became numb and bent, pliant, greedily reaching for more. You heard him gasp, as if hit swuare in the ribs, the sound a mixture of both shock and satisfaction. Lacing your fingers between the leather clasp of his hood, you felt him become rigid, agitated and tense, like wood ready to break between powerful hands.

He leaned toward your face, bending his neck to reach you, his lips slowly starting their descent to meet yours. His nose brushed your nose, trembling, greeting you. His mouth hovered above yours, assessing, waiting to be granted the right to meet your mouth.

You put your open hands flat on his throat, feeling the hot, pulsating veins under your palms. He swallowed loudly and you felt his throat move, rising and falling while you wondered how you could still be standing after all of that.

You felt him smile against the corner of your mouth, his desperation and need equal to yours. He could feel your constraints behind every panted breath, your doubts in the tenseness of your jaw.

“You could ask me to kneel, and I would, woman, for that is testament of the effect you have in me. You’ve managed to reduce every semblance of resolve I ever had into dust. But letting you go ? That I cannot do. For the life of me, I can’t.” The Prince revealed, breathing you in.

“If you kiss me now, Maekar, I will not be able to resist what comes next. Under your ministrations, I’ll follow you to the ground. When you lay me down, I will look into your eyes and I’ll feel whole for the first time.” Your lips brushed his beard. “But when you dress yourself, I’ll glance around – I’ll see brooms, mops, buckets, rats scurrying over dirty floors.” A sob tore through you. “Then, I’ll spend a month worrying about what might grow in me, eyes open at night, wondering if I’ll give life to a child with silver blond hair. A bastard who, like his mother, will be cast away, wronged for a lifetime, who will hate me for not doing the right thing by him.” Tears rolled down your face, wetting his beard and face. “And if I bleed, I’ll resent you for putting me in that position, for what could have happened.” You whispered, trembling in his hands with sadness, want, anger, and frustration. “I’d rather mourn your touch for the decade to come than resent you for a day.” You whispered in the shell of his ear, threading your fingers into his white blond Valyrian hair.

“I find it is easier to slay enemies than to be denied your touch.” His lips landed on the corner of your mouth, leaving a tender kiss before he went to your ear. “If you cannot be mine in the flesh, can you be mine in some of your passing thoughts ? In a small part of your heart ?” His voice snaked itself into your ear as his index traced a path from your temples to your heart. He had no idea what he was doing to you.

“Only the fabricated laws of men separate the Prince from the maid and the maid from the Prince. The pull we feel, the invisible strings that bind us are real.” You took his index from your chest and kissed the back of it while closing your eyes.

It cost you your last strength to not latch onto him and succumb to his charms like a feral creature.

“Will you make me another promise ?” He barely managed to say, eyes darkening and sweat beading on his face. He placed his hands on the wall, planting them on either side of your head. You looked up to meet his passionate gaze, trying to memorize every little line and scar on his face.

“I already know what you will ask of me ; please say no more.” You sighed, dreading to breach the topic with him.

“What were you doing with him ? I know you lied, but to what extent ?”

“Trust me – I know what I’m doing.” You replied, the Lady you once were coming forth once again.

“Hmm.” The Prince raised a defiant eyebrow. “I too know what I must do – what I’ve waited too long to do – he is going to the western garrisons tomorrow at dawn. There’s no poor girl to harass over there.” Informed Maekar, thinking he was helping. “He’s already lucky that I haven’t sent him to the fucking wall.”

“You will do no such thing !” You exclaimed, irate, before trying to calm down, straightening up.

“Why does it bother you so ? I thought you’d be relieved, girl. I promised not to interfere with your life unless harm ever befell you – can you look me in the eyes and tell me that he harbors no ill will toward you ? That he isn’t the reason you look exhausted and careful with each step you take ?” Maekar accused you with a pointed look.

“He does not.” You lied, which made the infuriated Prince laugh sarcastically.

“I thought you were no liar, and yet here you are, lying to my face as if I was born yesterday. Everyday, they try to deceive me, to conspire against me – will you really partake in their connivance ?” He was trying to keep his voice low, aware that in every castle, walls had eyes and ears.

Perhaps, should you have told him the truth, but in that moment you wanted nothing more than to finally be in control ; to be able to protect those you cared for without associating them in schemes they would have never been involved in hadn’t they known you.

“Were you not quick-tempered, I’d let you know what it is that I’m doing, but anyway, there’s no need to, tomorrow night I’ll be rid of him.” You revealed, crossing your arms.

“You’re not going to kill him yourself, are you ?” He inquired seriously, taken aback and confused.

“Sevens, no !” You replied defensively, his shocked expression making you snort.

“You have until tomorrow night to do what it is you’re preparing – under surveillance that is – then I won’t accept any other excuses.” The Prince declared, wagging his finger. You could work with that.

“Fine, my Lord.” You sarcastically bowed, which made the Prince roll his eyes.

He then put his hood back on and took your hand in his, walking with you to your dormitories.

“Goodnight you insolent creature.” Maekar whispered, obviously wishing he could say more, do more. He turned away, but you caught him by the arm, feeling the strong muscles in your hand.

“Goodnight Maekar.” You sheepishly smiled at him. He smiled back – not a smirk, not a fake or sarcastic smile, a real one, honest and pure. He squeezed your hand before going, sending you one last glance before disappearing.

You opened the door and went to sleep, still in your dress of the day. In a matter of seconds, you were asleep, and though the crowded room was still as warm as it was during the day, you slept soundly without any disturbance, nightmare, or fear to make you wake.

Part 6 already! I hope you liked this new chapter, especially the second half. Any feedback is appreciated –I love to read your thoughts and comments. if you see any mistake lmk!

As always, if you want me to tag you, do tell me ♡ here is my masterlist and requests post if you’re interested for more.

tag list 🦢: @saltycomicsparentingfish , @evyiione , @bbblackmamba , @theprophaecy , @flockoff-featherface , @nalitali 🪉