#summerhedge

Dunk is there when Daeron II Targaryen marries Myriah Martell. He is present when Baelor, Aerys, Rhaegal, and Maeker are born. He saw them through their infancy, childhood and then their teenage faze eventually he saw them as men grown.

Unfortunately his nephews inherited their Targaryen inclination towards family members, in particular, Dunk himself. Dunk is as always oblivious when it comes to romantic overtures.

It starts with Baelor saying when he is older he will marry Dunk and make him a proper Targaryen wife, then Aerys says he'll accompany Dunk into the shared bathing quarters and read to him, Rhaegal drags Dunk into dancing and making merry all the time, Maeker challenges him everyday and is relentless in making Dunk cross swords with him. Dunk just thinks their being good Targaryen Princes and that they like to keep up with their family members in all manner of ways, he does not notice when they start marking him in their scents or when other courtiers get scared away from their overzealous peacocking.

Lyonel is turned on and entertained. Maekar is bright red and turned on. Baelor is grinning like a fool and making plans and turned on. Raymun is off nodding in agreement and so full of pride (and also attracted to his future husband).

dunk himself never really addresses or treats maekar as a prince. when he first meets him, it's when he is spying on the targaryens and while he fumbles around with his words and all, his honorifics and respectful tone are toward baelor. the one he regards as a prince and treats as such is baelor. the one dunk speaks to as if he is addressing someone from the royal family is baelor, nor maekar.

toward the end, when maekar and dunk have their conversations, dunk addresses maekar very informally. Specifically when Maekar offers Dunk a place at Summerhall, Dunk, "I'm done with princes", would be taken awfully by almost any other Targaryen man. Meaning, other Targaryen royalty would've seen Dunk's tone as very dismissive and disrespectful given what Maekar just offered Dunk, but Maekar, did not get upset. He just, accepted it. If I were to say one thing he probably was upset on behalf of Egg, which is most likely one of the reasons he refused to allow Egg to go with Dunk. Because while he didn't feel Dunk insulted him with that, 'I'm done with princes' line, despite Maekar's offer being genuine and displaying his own vulnerability during his grief, Maekar probably knew Egg was listening.

Another thing I notice is that aside from Aerion, the Maekarlings themselves also break class and protocol with Dunk in a similar way to their father. They talk to Dunk like he is one of them or they are one of him, Daeron is drinking and speaking to Dunk and there are no honorifics or anything used, he just doesn't gaf. And then there is Egg. (it is a huge contrast to Valaar whom is very dismissive and short with Dunk, and treats him as a Targaryen prince would normally treat a small folk. And Dunk also views/addresses him as a prince. )

but the point is that, while maekar struggles with his own classism, dunk often time speaks to him out of turn and also addresses maekar as if he is not speaking to a prince. even more so after the death of baelor, the formalities are just not there, on both ends.

after dunk initially pulls the 'im done with princes line', he goes back to seek out maekar and HE, requests Maekar's presence. A small folk not only requests an audience with the prince, but he is granted it without having to go through any hoops and aside from Maekar being petty on Egg's behalf, there is still a breaking of class and formalities. Dunk is not talking to Maekar like a prince, and while Maekar does deny Dunk taking Egg on his journey first by saying, 'he is the blood of the dragon', he quickly refutes that and says, 'he's my las son'. a vulnerability that is rare for a prince to display to a commoner. and he is on the verge of tears when he is saying this.

the point is that while there is a thin veil of prince/small folk between those two, the lack of formalities and respect toward a prince between them is very unique. because they speak toward the end as equals, and even beofre, when Dunk is referring to the brother's in an honorific way as if he is speaking to nobility, it is usually Baelor he is speaking to. He views Baelor as a prince, as this untouchable and pure being that is on a different plane than him and everyone else. Almost a madonna like figure.

Dunk with a warhammer.

PLEASE I'M DESPERATE - drop your recs with a short summary of why you love it to help me see the vision 🙏🏼

As a trade I offer up these as my favourites (I have read them more than 3 times/I am haunting these narratives so to speak) at the moment:

SpearHedge

Will You Lay Down Your Armor by CrypticRanger

In Roses by bleakflamingos

Some part of me stayed alive (each time that you called) by nichestars

Lori the Small by anon (I'd be remiss if I didn't include my comfort series that also has a stormhedge au as part of it)

SummerHedge

Our Great Obsession is to End Up Just Where We Belong by HatlessHoneybee

i'm down on my knees (for you, for you) by Neekou

Entr’acte by minthepsychic

StormHedge

my black eye casts no shadow by snarwor

I am Leaving, but the Fighter still Remains by froggyfen

Storm x OC

When You Call the Last Light Down by matchest