#the forge

do Maekar and Baelor have a convo about the Clear and Present Feelings they both have for their hedge knight?

Maekar is also obviously struggling with everything he saw, and like you said - with Dunk healing, it's the perfect time for cuddles! I'm just imagining Maekar stubbornly trying to "keep watch" over Dunk while he heals, sitting in the chair next to his bed any time he can, until Dunk is awake and just - the first thing Dunk does is panic and try to search for him, panicked at the thought that he failed. it takes a few tries - Dunk isn't exactly coherent the first few times he wakes up so the reassurances only work in the moment and he panics when he wakes up again - until Maekar (and the other Targs) realize that Dunk doesn't panic if there's someone in the bed with him and he can feel that they're okay

Yes! Ask away!!

((Part 6 of the Flea Bottom Tour)) ((Part 1))

You have peeked into my brain and seen the vision! If Maekar doesn't have any duties that absolutely require his presence, then he's at Duncan’s bedside. If he's constantly holding Duncan’s hand, thats his business!

Baelor asks exactly once if Maekar and Dunk are an item now. Maekar sputters and denies while going an interesting shade of red. He'd be more convincing if he hadn't absently touched his mouth a few moments later, remembering their victory kiss. Baelor's heart just sinks, and he will NOT acknowledge why.

Between the painkillers and the trauma, I think Dunk might get some hellish nightterrors. He is soothed if there's family nearby, as you've envisioned, so if Baelor and Maekar can't be there, then a kid or four is probably burrowing into Dunk’s good side. They enjoy the silly conversations with a groggy Dunk, and secretly like the hair ruffles, gentle nudges under the chin and firm hugs he gives out without reservation. The king and queen even come to sit with Dunk a couple times!

Once, after a particularly bad nightmare, when it's only Maekar there with him, he climbs in the bed with Dunk. Curls around him like he did while they were in Flea Bottom. And Dunk's kinda out of it, so he frees an arm to wrap around Maekar, pull him in closer, and lays a greatful kiss on his forehead, thanks the gods he's alive in rough quiet voice.

I can't stop thinking about the pining. I think you mentioned somewhere it goes on all three directions and that sounds so delicious

Also, I get the feeling (or willful wish) Dunk and Maekar would become a couple first? Cause that's a dynamic we don't see often and I'm slightly feral for it lol

Also ALSO how deep goes the angsty pining while Dunk is unconscious

I love this AU so much! Are you thinking of making it a fullblown fic or will it remain as Tumblr rants? (love it either way!)

Aaaa! Thanks for the ask, Im so glad people are playing in this sandbox with me! It will probably remain in tumblr rant style. I'm working more than I have in a long time, and I don't think I have the energy for it right now. Not to say I'll never write it! But probably not.

((Part 5 of the Flea Bottom Tour)) ((Part 6))

Yes! The pining is in all directions!! Dunk is of course smitten with Baelor, who takes him seriously and talks with him casually. They were basically obsessed with each other at first sight, as we all know. But now, post poison plot, Maekar is the one that has seen Dunk at his meanest, angriest, most dangerous, and Maekar sought him out for safety and shelter anyway. He is pining after BOTH of them! They're so handsome and competent and fussing over him! Flea Bottom Hedgeknight Dunk! And of course he will say or do NOTHING about it. Because they're already giving him so much attention, he really doesn't deserve all these good things. And they might be... pining after each other, if he's reading that right. Targaryens, what're you gonna do. He Does Not picture them kissing when the thought first occurs to him. He DOESN'T. That'd be rude and weird. NO he is not blushing, Egg, thank you ever so much.

Maekar, of course, has been beating down his not-brotherly feelings for Baelor for years. Its always harder to do when he's feeling vulnerable. And he's still reeling from all he's learned about Dunk, from seeing his feats of strength and his own brand of competence. Both men he's desperately trying not to yearn for have nearly died by his own hand (at least in his own mind), and he doesn't want to let either of them out of his sight right now.

Though its a little painful. He wouldn't approach either of them. He knows they've been slowly circling each other since Ashford. He'd never interfere or get between his two most beloved people. But, oh he yearns! He pines!

Baelor might be in hell. He'd been keeping a tight lid on his own not-brotherly feelings towards Maekar, and had been marginally more successful than his brother at ignoring it. But then he'd been forcibly reminded of is brother's mortality and now he's so thankful he's safe that all he wants to do is kiss him...

Baelor's not doing well, actually, because what he views as the resurgence of "Targaryen/Dornish tastes" leaves him with a lot of internal conflict.

And Maekar isn't the only one he wants to kiss. His honorable knight, returned injured from saving his brother and the realm. The most chivalrous man he had ever met, come from such horrific beginnings. Baelor longed-

Baelor notices Dunk noticing Maekar, watches Maekar watching Dunk, and absolutely DOES NOT get jealous. No ser, no jealousy here! Which man is he jealous of? Both- Neither! He. Is. Not. Jealous. He WANTS his two favorites to get along! This is FINE.

And the ANGST!!! while Dunk is unconscious! sitting vigil with him as he potentially dies right there in front of them. The self-blame is so thick in the air you could choke. Baelor wasn’t part of the search parties. Would they have found them earlier if he was? He should have asked what Dunk was up to, should have sent him with reinforcements... Maekar believes he should have been better, if he'd fought harder, then Duncan wouldn't be injured.

They each hold one of his hands, sitting either side of him. Maekar speaks in fits and bursts, but mostly not at all. Baelor does his best to be gentle as he explained what happened, that Dunk may not make it, to the young kids as they sneak in. They curl into their fathers, and they all pray silent prayers to every god they think might hear them.

I'm so glad you're enjoying it!!!

(Ngl, this the second time im tapping this out cause my phone did an oops and deleted the first try. Aaaagh!!)

((Part 4 of the Flea Bottom Tour)) ((Part 5))

Dunk has a decently long healing journey ahead of him, so he starts out frustrated. Add in the memories/nightmares that got stirred up from Flea Bottom, he's not having a great time. I think it's a great opportunity for some snuggles with his favorite princes (the kids included). If this was a real fic, and just a tumblr rant/not-fic, there would be a TON of dialog about Dunk's past, and insistence from basically the entire royal family (up to and including the king!) that Dunk is family now.

Dunk had extremely mixed feelings about Maekar before the whole poisoning fiasco, and now it's even more confusing for him, if more positive. One the one hand, Maekar's a stubborn prideful (listen to your family, dear gods man), lavishly dressed (ostentatious and wasteful to a hedgeknight), aggressive pain-in-the-ass. On the other, Maekar loves fiercely, provids every chance and opportunity for his kids, and is endlessly loyal to his family. Dunk DOES think he's a pretty decent father. (Ser Arlan was a complicated, if not outright a shitty father figure imo, even if he was a decent man for not letting dunk die as a child. This has skewed Dunk's perception of fatherhood in others). And yeah he's handsome what with the silver hair and pale, expressive eyes, but he's mostly swooning over Baelor, who he's closer to and chats with frequently.

Once they're back safe and Dunk has the wherewithal to contemplate it, Dunk definitely feels some sort of way about Maekar that he didn’t before. Now he's seen Maekar be vulnerable, been trusted with that vulnerability when they curled up together on the streets to keep warm. Dunk's notices anew how much Egg takes after his father, and Maekar's faults become more endearing than aggravating.

Maekar does go into detail on the "Spring Sickness" poisoning plot, along with his own attempted assassination, but mostly so what conspirators are left get properly hunted down by Uncle Bloodraven. But after that, he's very quiet, which freaks out his family. Maybe, late at night when Egg (and Matarys, Daella and Rhae) have fallen asleep curled against Dunks legs and in their father's laps, Maekar croaks,

"It's hell."

"What?" Baelor asks, startled out of his own thoughts.

"Flea Bottom. Children kick around severed heads like balls. The bowls of brown have hanged men in them. They're all drowning in shit-" Maekar breaks off, breathing hard. Baelor waits, eyes wide in horror.

((Part 3 of The Flea Bottom Tour)) ((Part 4))

Baelor wasn’t exactly idle while Dunk and Maekar have been gone. Last he knew, Maekar had been gone a while (no one had thought he was missing at first, just sulking somewhere), and then Dunk had gone to find him. And that was odd, Dunk didn’t usually go out of his way to interact with his brother. He had seen a servant trade whispers with his sworn sword right before Dunk left though, so Baelor knew something was up.

And then neither turned up again. Missed supper. Gone all night. When Dunk didn’t show up for his shift in the morning, Baelor knew something was very, very wrong.

Baelor sends out a search party, and by retracing Dunks steps and asking his friends amongst the servants, the pile of broken corpses Dunk left behind is found. And Baelor loses his godsdamned mind.

His little brother has been having the worst fucking time recently, his guilt over Baelor’s injury, Aerion showing his true colors beyond a shadow of a doubt to even his father, their father the king reprimanding him for how he's raised his kids, and then the discovery of what Aerion did to Egg; it's all been piling up and Baelor’s terrified for Maekar's mental health. And his hedgeknight, sweet, protective Ser Duncan, unendingly devoted to the safety of his family, was naive and vulnerable to the machinations of the viper pit known as the royal court. His two most favorite people in the entire world are not just missing, they are being hunted.

And Baelor’s stuck in the Keep by the king's and his son's insistence. He's pacing the corridors of the Red Keep, biting off heads and snarling in a way the court has genuinely never seen before from Daeron II's level-headed first born son. To say that the pressure is on to find Dunk and Maekar would be an understatement. No one (including the rest of the royal family) wants to see if Baelor will actually figure out how to breath fire, because he is certainly trying.

The search party finds them just in time. They're close enough to hear Maekar call Dunk's name desperately, and find them collapsed in a heap, surrounded by more bodies. Dunk is bleeding, badly. Maekar is half pinned underneath him, wild-eyed and snarling and clinging desperately.

They're rushed to the Keep, and when the maester goes to look at the prince first, Maekar almost screams at him to treat Ser Duncan first.

Baelor rushes in and Maekar collapses into him as he holds him close. He barely manages to wait for privacy before he's sobbing in Baelor’s arms. Maybe he bleats out broken sentences about the past three or so days, about the horror of Flea Bottom and Ser Duncan's torment there. Maybe he tries to explain the poison plot, but is too unsteady to make complete sentences happen.

It takes a while for him to calm. Daeron II comes in to also comfort and hold his youngest son. He's also been worried about Maekar's mental health, and regrets his sharp words regarding his parenting. They were needed, but the king had been too harsh about it, reacting to the scare of Baelor’s almost-demise. His apologies only set Maekar to shaking, but at least he's clinging to his father a little now, too.

Eggs entrance, and subsequent inquiry about Ser Duncan sets off a fresh wave of tears. "He's strong. He'll pull through," Maekar fights the block in his throat to tell him. He doesn't sound like he believes it. He sounds like he's begging the gods for it to be true.

Egg wriggles into his father's arms, let's Maekar squeeze him tight, for the first time since Aerion's abuse came out.

Daeron and Baelor fuss over Maekar's injuries and let him hold on to them for hours while the maesters work to keep Dunk alive. Eventually the message comes- they've done all they can. It's up to Dunk to survive the night. If he wakes, he'll have a decent shot at recovery.

He may not wake.

Baelor, Maekar and Egg (who refuses to be sent away) sit vigil with Dunk, holding his hands and silently begging both him and the gods for him to stay.

Maekar does tell the king, and then Bloodraven, about the "Spring Sickness" plot, explaining how he and Dunk couldn’t come back or send word until they had dismantled all the traps. Brynden swoops off to make so many arrests. Daeron tries to tell Maekar that he's proud of him, but he's not in a place to hear it. In his mind, Ser Duncan did most of the heroics, Maekar was just the one that needed saving.

((Technically Part 2.5 of The Flea Bottom Tour)) ((Part 3))

“Get up, you oaf!”

It was not supposed to be like this.

“Ser Duncan, you're too heavy, get your feet under you, man!”

Aegon will never forgive him.

“Come on, get up!”

Baelor will never forgive him.

“Duncan, get up!”

Maekar will never forgive himself.

“Ser Dunc- Dunk! Get up! Get up! Get-” the copper tang of blood saturated the air, the warmth of it squishing between his fingers, seeping through his doublet. The great knight trembled as he tried valiantly to obey his order, trying to get his legs underneath himself.

He failed.

“Dunk!” the thin terrified cry left his mouth as he went down with Duncan, scrambling to not land flat on his back or drop the man's head and shoulders. “Dunk!” He called again. The great knight remained quiet and still, head heavy against Maekar’s chest.