atruthuniversallyunacknowledged

[atruthuniversallyunacknowledged]

[atruthuniversallyunacknowledged]

Commission for @fellshish’s Dreamling fanfic in which Dream returns to the inn to finally see Hob again, but it turns out it’s a gay bar now

#dreamling #the sandman #sandman #dream of the endless #hob gadling #tom sturridge #sandman fanart #dreamling fanart #the sandman netflix #dc comics #dream x hob #morpheus #dc #fanart #artists on tumblr #sandmancentral #sandman art #the sandman art #dreamling art

[atruthuniversallyunacknowledged]

I know this is terribly off topic for my account's theme and aesthetic BUT would you like for me to post some fitness/workout/nutrition stuff? I'm really passionate about it as of late and I feel like sharing it could be great both for me and others

#fitness #work out #exercise #nutrition #lifestlye

[atruthuniversallyunacknowledged]

Thero waiting in the Red Tower cell trapped in Seregil's body

#luck in the shadows #nightrunner #nightrunner series #seregil #seregil i korit #thero #lysander #alec #alec of kerry #gay #queer #queer literature #gay literature #the nightrunner series

[atruthuniversallyunacknowledged]

could you please write something with aemond growing a scruffy beard or some juicy juice like that? 👉🏻🥺👈🏻

gwen’s thoughts: this was supposed to be smutty but went into a different direction, sorry!

“good morning, my beautiful wife.” you hear aemond’s voice as you fight against the sleep still on your body. opening your eyes you find your husband smiling down at you.

it’s a breathtaking view. his messy hair falls on his face, one lilac and one blue eye greeting you, his pale and soft chest painted with little red and purple hickeys, a reminder of the night you spent together.

“good morning, handsome.” you brush a strand of hair out of his face, your fingers feeling his four-day beard stubble.

aemond leans in to kiss you and you can’t help the laugh that escapes your lips as you try to move away from him. he frowns, looking at you confused, leaning one more time just for you to turn your cheek to him.

“it tickles!” aemond smirks, grabbing your wrists to pin them above your head with one of his hands while the other one grabs your chin to make you look at him.

your husband smiles teasingly as he leans again, this time to hide his face in the crook of your neck, his stubble making you squirm and laugh out loud. he just rubs his face against your neck and cheeks while he laughs too, enjoying this moment just as much as you.

“what? you don’t like it?” he asks, giving you a little time to breathe and calm yourself, chest heaving and cheeks red.

“of course i do like it,” he lets go of your wrist and you don’t hesitate to cradle his face, brushing your thumb over his that growing beard you’re getting used to see and feel every time he kisses you. “it makes you look… hot.”

aemond snorts, rolling his violet eye at you. “well, let’s see if it tickles you elsewhere.”

#deceased #dead #crying #shaking #screaming crying throwing up

[atruthuniversallyunacknowledged]

do me a solid and just reblog this saying what time it is where you are and what you’re thinking about in the tags.

#09:40 #i just had the nicest egg soufflé in ages #and a kiwi #and three little biscuits

[atruthuniversallyunacknowledged]

Did you guys know that Katya from Drag Race chose that name because of THAT CHARACTER in Goncharov (1973)? Because I just found out.

Such is the influence that movie still has until today.

Also, Katya would TOTALLY sell this line.

#Goncharov #goncharov #katya goncharov #katya zamolodchikova #drag race #goncharov 1973 #unreality #it's gonchin time #gonching

[atruthuniversallyunacknowledged]

~Of Letters & Dragons~

Aemond Targaryen x Male Reader

//

(Chapter 5)

//

Manuscript Excerpt found in the Chambers of Lord Baemond Velaryon in the Dragonstone Keep - Gathered by Maester Telmon. 

======================================

After that, our meetings grew scanty, and I could feel that he was behaving in a different way from our previous encounters. Gone were the easy afternoons spent reading in the candle light, and the battles of wits always ending in favour of one or the other. Now, an ominous silence fell on us, and I could feel the tension rise in his body whenever I looked at him. It also made me anxious the fact that when I caught him looking at me, he looked away; unlike in the past, when we would fight to see who could stand the tension the longest.

It was one particular afternoon, when I could no longer resist this newly created division between us, that I ended up bursting.

‘If you don’t wish to see me anymore, please tell me so. Do not let any notion of gallantry keep you doing something which you so clearly loathe.’ I said without looking up from my book, sitting against the altar, with him a mirror of myself.

He didn’t answer straight away, choosing to remain silent rather than betraying himself with some unplanned outburst of some dark emotion. It was but his next action that made me look up from my book. Slowly, he closed his book, put it aside, and slid towards me, not stopping until his knees found mine, and our bodies were merely three feet away from each other. He raised his hand slowly, reaching for my face, but he stopped when he was almost about to touch my cheek, and put it back on his lap.

‘It is not you that I do not wish to see, but you are one with your family, and as such I cannot but see them whenever I look at you.’ he answered without meeting my gaze, for the first time in all of our meetings.

‘So that is what this is about? You are going to let your hatred towards my brothers poison your heart?’ I said as I closed the book on my lap shut and threw it carelessly to the side.

‘I won’t deny that my, as you rightly call it, hatred towards your brothers has fuelled my heart and soul for many a year, but that hatred, however, does not apply to you.’ he answered in a rigid tone still not looking at me, but at my book on the floor, which enervated me greatly.

‘Why won’t you look at me? Do I disgust you still? Does the blood on my veins make you feel repulsion?’ I answered with clear anger in my voice as I drew closer to him, reaching for the collar of his leather couplet to draw him closer to me, action which he stopped by grabbing my wrist, finally lifting his gaze to find mine at the same time.

‘I cannot look at you because I’m already too deep into it myself. And I hate myself because of it.’ he said ultimately looking into my eyes, his very own now raging with poisonous passion.

‘Too deep into what? Tell me now!’ I demanded as I struggled to free my hand from his, failing miserably.

‘Too deep into my hatred towards your family and too deep into my feelings for you.’ he answered in a serious, severe tone, as he tightened the grip on my wrist, his eye still burning on mine.

I didn’t answer. How could I? What possible reply could I give to him after that?

The only thing I could do was to slowly draw my head closer to his, seeing his eye scan my face nervously and, closing my eyes, I drew my lips to his eyepatch and placed a soft kiss on it, tasting the tanginess of the leather and feeling the heat of his skin. Then, I set my forehead against his and kept my eyes closed, too sure of what I would do if I saw his lips from such proximity, feeling our breaths mingle between our mouths.

Finally, fighting against my will, I stood up and, freeing my hand from his, I turned around to leave. I wish I could say that he stood up to stop me, but he didn’t. All the answer I got was a whisper from his lips as I left, a whisper that went like an arrow straight into my heart:

‘Baemond…’

There was no point in meeting anymore after that, so the next time I saw him was when our family was summoned to attend the hearing regarding the matter of Driftmark’s inheritance.

It was hard enough to see how the Queen and the Hand took advantage of my grandfather’s absence, ruling in his stead as they saw fit, drawing my uncles and aunt into their brawl by extension; but it was a harder blow for me when I saw how Aemond smiled when my so called uncle Vaemond Velaryon declared us bastards, despite my grandfather having made the greatest effort to attend the hearing with great risk to his life, and called my mother a whore. I could stand being insulted by a lesser man like Vaemond Velaryon, but seeing the quiet joy on my uncle’s face created a nasty knot in my throat that made it almost impossible for me to take my breath. It was only when Vaemond Velaryon’s head laid severed on the floor that I felt I could breathe again.

I didn’t look at him after that, not throughout the afternoon and not until dinner time came, and both families were summoned by the King for a family supper. My cousin Rhaena, my betrothed, sat next to me, smiling at me kindly. I endeavoured to answer her kindness with the same coin, and treated her and talked to her with gentleness and familiarity. Rhaena’s main trait is her immense kindness, and I believe that is why she was the first one to see that something went wrong. As the toasts were made, dissipating the tension and setting the mood for what would have been an almost nice evening, I heard a loud bang on the table, and upon lifting my gaze I found my uncle Aemond with his cup raised to offer a toast.

‘Final tribute. To the health of my nephews; each of them handsome, wise and strong.’ he said looking at my brothers but avoiding my sight. ‘Come, let us drain our cups to these Strong boys.’

Then all seven hells broke loose, and before I knew it, both my brothers where upon both my uncles: Luke getting blocked by Aegon and having his head smashed against the table, and Jace landing a meaningless punch against Aemond, being pushed to the ground afterwards.

It was only thanks to the interventions of my mother and the Queen, alongside the silent authority of my mother’s husband, my great uncle Daemon, that the outburst came to an end.

Then, just as my brothers were leaving, and with my uncle still standing in front of him, I slowly and cautiously approached Aemond, catching everyone’s attention, but most importantly his; and looking up at his eye I said: ‘I am deeply sorry you saw it fit to do that, I really am.’

Next, I turned, and watching how everyone, but especially my mother, looked at me with the utmost interest, I left the room, trying as hard as I could to hide from my face the pain that was now quickly spreading across my chest.

Taglist: @ephemeralninon @joan2914 @demiromanticpansexualgorgon @lazypinkpig @thatcucumberwhore @narperist @whateverooooooo @westanronweasley @meepmeeplegend @jamieclearwater2314

#aemond targaryen #aemond one eye #aemond targaryen x reader #aemond x reader #aemond targaryen x male reader #prince aemond #house of the dragon #house of the dragon fanfiction #hotd #hotd fanfiction #hotd fanfic #aemond fic #aemond fanfiction #aemond x oc #hotd aemond #game of thrones #game of thrones fanfic #game of thrones fanfiction #got

[atruthuniversallyunacknowledged]

Now I wouldn't know what that feels like. I WANT UTTER PAIN AND DESTRUCTION WE TAKE NO PRISONERS HERE 🔥

been writing some aemond angst the past few days and oof it hurts so good

[atruthuniversallyunacknowledged]

<An apology> (Telling my truth)

To all the wondeful people who have been asking about my well being and about the Of Letters & Dragons fic: thank you so much for smothering me in love and appreciation, i am just overwhelmed! Also, I have been BURNED for the past couple of weeks and while i couldn't write much, I have been planning some stuff fic wise. I will publish the continuation soon, but I really mean to give something of quality, and being a deep perfectionist, it takes me ages to get my ideas on the page. For that I apologise. Also, new Ewan Mitchell pictures have been released and that has fueled the shipping fire inside my quasi bigorexic body, so be prepared for new content. Alas, I must now go to fulfil my writing schedules, which are non-existent but still constricting.

LONG STORY SHORT: AEMOND X MALE FIC COMING SOON

#it is an apology but also an excuse at the same time #you can take it as either #i wont mind #aemond targaryen #aemond one eye

[atruthuniversallyunacknowledged]

~Of Letters & Dragons~

Aemond Targaryen x Male Reader

//

(Chapter 4)

//

Manuscript Excerpt found in the Chambers of Lord Baemond Velaryon in the Dragonstone Keep - Gathered by Maester Telmon.

======================================

After that, we spent time together more often, but always in the confinement of the Dragon Vault, away from prying eyes and easy tongues. It was not much though, only a couple of times every week, but I looked forward to it, and I felt he did the same.

I wouldn’t have believed this myself if it wasn’t for the reason I now confess to you, my reader.

A day in which my arrival was delayed due to the training with my brothers being prolonged, as I approached the Vault, I heard hurried footsteps pacing back and forth across the chamber, not very loud, but still discernibly anxious.

Upon entering the Vault, I found him nervously walking around the room with his hands behind his back and an uneasy look on his face, look which disappeared as he heard me, and later saw me, coming in towards him.

‘Were you waiting for me?’ I asked almost nervously as he stopped opposite me in the middle of the chamber.

‘I thought something might have happened to you, nephew.’ he answered naturally, his hands still behind his back, straightening up to take advantage of his greater height.

‘And that made you anxious?’ I asked with a tint of playfulness in my voice.

Without saying anything else, though with a very nasty look on his face, he walked sternly past me towards the altar, and picked up his book. ‘If you are going to mock me, I shall meet you here no longer.’

‘No, please.’ I said in a hurry, grabbing his arm as I saw him heading for the exit. ‘I apologise, it was only a stupid tease. And I wouldn’t want for this, our meetings, to end.’

As I said this, I had softly let go of his arm and turned my gaze down with a sense of embarrassment. However, my looking at the floor allowed me to see how his feet stopped, and how they turned around to face me, slowly reducing the distance between us.

‘I accept your apology, nephew.’ he breathed into my face, delicately lifting it up with his thumb and index to look at me. ‘But you will have to do something for me.’ He muttered with one of his characteristic cocky smiles slowly appearing on his delicate lips as he let go of my chin.

‘What is it that you desire of me?’ I finally demanded in a soft voice, still fighting not to lose the battle between our eyes. It was strange nevertheless, his gaze being so intense regardless of its being only at half its might; or it was so strong precisely because of that.

His answer was not immediate, and as he slowly stepped away from me, I felt a tug in my chest, almost making me want to follow his body.  

‘I want you,’ he said as he took a step back ‘to train with me, with weapons; or try to at least.’ he added, placing his hands behind his back again and gifting me another one of his smug grins.

‘As in place of training with what, our wits?’ I asked amused by his display of cockiness.

‘In that regard, we both seem to have found our match in each other. I merely wonder if such “complicity” might extend to other fields, nephew.’ was his answer, still as cocky as his now fully displayed smiled. However, what set my soul ablaze was seeing how he withdrew one hand from his back and slowly presented it to me, palm up, as if offering it up to me.

Oh my unknown confessor, how my heartbeat soared in that moment! I was almost afraid he could hear it pounding inside my chest like a wild stallion running free after a long captivity!

Slowly, I stepped forward, reducing the distance between us once more until his hand was almost pressed against my chest, and looking into his eye I said: ‘I will do it on one condition: that you ask it of me by saying my name.’

I felt the same fire that burned inside me go into his eye, and as he kept his hand between us, now with his index finger pointing at my heart, he answered my appeal.

‘Baemond.’ he said in a low voice, slowly savouring every sound ‘will you train with me?’ he completed his request almost in a whisper, his finger now blatantly pointing at my heart, his eye piercing into mine.

By then the tension between us was so strong that he would have received a positive answer to anything he asked of me in that very second, and as such, so was my answer.

He arranged for the training session to take place two days later, in the small private courtyard annexed to his chambers, and when the agreed upon hour came, a member of the palace guard came to escort me to the place.

When I entered his chambers, I was surprised to find them completely empty; but not wanting to leave just yet, I roamed around the room waiting for his arrival. The piles of books were neatly organised in great wooden shelves, and loosing myself over them, I was startled when I heard his voice over my shoulder, once again.

‘I do hope you have better reflexes while fighting, nephew.’ he said mockingly as he saw me jump in surprise.   

All the answer that I gave was a low chuckle, and turning back to face the shelves again, I pointed at them and said: ‘You are truly a great reader.’

‘It is but my duty.’ he answered still behind me.

‘Not many take their duty as seriously as you do.’ I said as I turned around to face him again.

‘I am not many, I am only one.’ was his answer as he looked at me with his usual intensity. Nonetheless, it seemed different somehow; strong as ever yes, but different.

I held his gaze in mine for a couple of seconds, finding delight in how the small muscles of his face moved as he looked at my face studying it. When this was over though, I turned and made for the small courtyard, where our lesson would take place.

‘Then, let us be one and one together, for as long as our training lasts.’ I said, picking up one of the swords which had been placed on top of a nearby table, clearly for our exercise.

Without a word leaving his mouth, he stepped forward to where I stood, and reaching over the table, he picked a sword without looking at it, for his eye was still fixed on me.

‘Try not to hurt yourself, nephew.’ he whispered mockingly to me as he stepped back and drew his sword, his body shifting into a fighting stance.

‘I will do my best to not let you down.’ I answered, and then it began.

As I knew that he was physically stronger than me, I tried to use my smaller size and faster speed to land the first blow, but he seemed to know what my plan was, for he parried it with ease, looking mildly amused.

‘Now, did you really think I have not fought against faster opponents?’ he said.

He then attacked me, and after parrying it, we started to attack and defend, our swords crashing against each other, our breaths picking up, our brows starting to sweat profusely.

After almost an hour of intense laborious effort in which none of us seemed to take the upper hand, him being stronger and me being faster, we reached a dead end when our blades clashed and were blocked against one another, our faces dangerously close to the sharp edges and our eyes fighting for dominance as well in the empty space between them.

‘It seems we are in a stalemate, uncle. I honestly thought you would be able to beat me, but alas, I appear to have overestimated you.’ I said in mild mockery, struggling to keep the grip on my sword.

With no answer but a look of something close to anger at my jest, my uncle took advantage of his strength and pushed the swords down, making them fall from our hands and clatter on the floor.

He then stepped towards me, but I did the same, and we met in the middle; our chests, heaving intensely, pressed close together. We didn’t say anything, but there was no need for it. I knew he was feeling my hot breath on his face just as I was feeling his on mine. I knew he could smell my sweat just as I could smell his. And I knew that he could hear my heart pounding madly just as I could hear his do the same.

Then, with our foreheads drawing closer by the second, it all ended.

As we heard the knocking on the door, our bubble was burst; and as we separated we came back to the real world. Through the door came in one of the palace guards and standing straight he said: ‘Prince Aemond, the Queen requests your presence.’

Taglist: @ephemeralninon @joan2914 @demiromanticpansexualgorgon @lazypinkpig @thatcucumberwhore @narperist @whateverooooooo @westanronweasley

#aemond targaryen #aemond one eye #aemond targaryen x reader #aemond x reader #aemond targaryen x male reader #prince aemond #house of the dragon #house of the dragon fanfiction #hotd #hotd fanfiction #hotd fanfic #aemond fic #aemond fanfiction #aemond x oc #hotd aemond #game of thrones #game of thrones fanfic #game of thrones fanfiction #got

[atruthuniversallyunacknowledged]

How many chapters of the aemond fic are you planning on writing

they are really good btw 💜🐉

Probably 6-7! Thank you so much for the encouragement! I really appreciate it! 🥰

[atruthuniversallyunacknowledged]

I was wondering what days do the Aemond chapters come out

I really love your work 💜

I just publish them whenever I feel like it honestly! But thank you for the encouragement! It really helps me keep the mood up!

[atruthuniversallyunacknowledged]

~Of Letters & Dragons~

Aemond Targaryen x Male Reader

//

(Chapter 3)

//

Manuscript Excerpt found in the Chambers of Lord Baemond Velaryon in the Dragonstone Keep - Gathered by Maester Telmon.

======================================

As I said before, I shall tell no lies in this tale; and for such reason, I won’t deny that from that day on I found myself wandering around the keep towards the Dragon Vault, as I had baptised it, way more often that any normal interest would allow, hoping that one day I might encounter Aemond himself there.

Sitting on the floor, leaning the left side of his body against the altar and profiting from the light the candles cast, he was absorbed in the book that his hands gently held, slowly passing the pages as he kept on reading. There was no time for me to elaborate a plan from returning his previous fright, for as his remaining eye’s peripheral view was pointed to me, as soon as I moved, he stopped reading and lifted his gaze to look at me.

‘Trying to sneak up on me, nephew?’ he said carefully closing the book and lying his hands on top of it, looking at me with his usual intensity.

‘I would never dare, I have too much respect for you to do that.’

As I tried, and succeeded, to salvage my way out of that situation, I saw that my frank remark had hit right in the bullseye, and he didn’t know what to say. Coming closer to where he was sitting, I left my own book in an empty space on the altar, looking down on him for once. How the tables had turned.

‘What are you reading?’ I asked him looking down on the book under his hands.

‘Maester Othros’ Dealing Strategies for Family Members.’ he answered looking up at me, the candle light reflecting on his iris.

‘Fitting reading.’ I said, a smile dangerously looming on my mouth.

‘Do you want it?’ he asked, handing over the book to me, mimicking my smile.

‘Why don’t you tell me what it says.’ I answered with a half-smile now as I lowered myself to sit on the floor, not next to him, but close enough so that we wouldn’t have to raise our voices to hear each other.

I seemed to have scored another round for me, for I saw that my display of familiarity took him aback, and it took him a couple of seconds to pull himself together, seconds which I silently enjoyed, never looking away from his eye, as he would so often do with me.

‘I am not your nanny to tell you stories, if you want it, you can have it.’ he blurted out as he ran out of time to come up with an appropriate answer. As he said this, he put the book to the side, leaving it on the floor next to the altar, and stood up, looming over me once again.

‘Do I intimidate you?’ I asked with honesty as I slowly stood up, never looking away from his eye, confronting him.

‘What? Do you think yourself man enough to intimidate me?’ he fought back, taking a step towards me.

‘If you are not intimidated, what is it that you feel when you see me?’ I struck, meeting him halfway his step, always looking at his eye.

Once again, he remained silent, his eye travelling furiously across my face, thinking of, what I rightly presumed to be, a pain-inflicting answer.

‘Loathing.’ he said raggedly, getting close enough to me so the words wouldn’t be louder than a whisper. ‘Contempt, and pure disgust.’ he sentenced, standing inches away from my face.

‘I, for a change, find you most interesting and compelling.’ I clapped back after a few seconds of quiet tension, looking up at his beautiful face.

He wouldn’t say anything, and neither would I, but yet his eye travelled all across my face, studying it, just like mine did with his.

‘Will you leave, or will I have to humour you again?’ he asked in a whisper, never breaking the close distance between us.

I could feel how tense he was; it was easily visible in the way his jawline tightened, and how his body almost didn’t move. So I decided to call it a day, but not without reaffirming my victory over him this time. ‘I will leave. I don’t believe you could humour me though.’

I took a step away from him, feeling the tension of his body reach a dangerously high point. And with a smile spreading across my face all but due to such an achievement, I turned around and I left.

I knew, nevertheless, that my victory would only be temporary, as had been his, and that he would come and strike back when I least expected it. However, the choice of a day for his comeback could not have been any worse.

Feeling blue after a couple of weeks of heavy rain which made it impossible to go outside, and bored with the never-ending side looks my brothers and I received as we went through the halls of the Red Keep, I found myself one day in the Dragon Vault, crouched against the altar, my book of choice cast aside, and holding my knees to my chest in an attempt to keep my emotions under control.

Most silently, but not quite, I heard his footsteps come towards me, and upon looking up, I found him staring down at me, as usual.

‘I confess I did not expect to see you break so soon, you seemed to have your emotions under a tighter grip than your so very strong brothers.’ he said with a cocky smile on his lips a couple of seconds later, after I had withdrawn my gaze, staring at the mud on his boots.

‘Well, here I am.’ I answered looking back up at him, the knot on my throat perilously close to choking my voice.

My sadness could not stop me from admiring his gallant pose, with one of his arms behind his back and the other one holding a book against his side. His hair, as always, shone like the moonlight against the dark leather of his doublet, and I found myself wondering what it would feel like to run my fingers through it.

He did not say anything, but I truly believed he sensed how I was feeling, for without any other remark coming from his lips, he sat down there next to me, not very close though, leaned his back against the altar, opened his book, and started reading in silence.

I felt his presence soothe my nerves, and as the seconds slipped away, I also found myself opening my book, leaning my side against the altar as well, and pretending I was reading as I looked up at him to study his focused face. He, however, would not lift his gaze from the pages, and that gave me a sense of warmth that made my sadness vanish, for I realised that he was letting himself be the object of my study, closely and without regard, as I had done for him during our previous encounters. That gave me peace.

Taglist: @ephemeralninon @joan2914 @demiromanticpansexualgorgon @lazypinkpig @thatcucumberwhore

#aemond targaryen x male reader #aemond targaryen x reader #aemond x reader #aemond one eye #aemond targaryen #prince aemond #house of the dragon #house of the dragon fanfiction #hotd #hotd fanfiction #hotd fanfic #aemond fic #aemond fanfiction #aemond x oc #hotd aemond #game of thrones #got #game of thrones fanfic #game of thrones fanfiction

[atruthuniversallyunacknowledged]

THESE VIDEOS ARE KILLING ME

#aemond targaryen #house of the dragon #aemond one eye #prince aemond #house of the dragon spoilers #hotd

[atruthuniversallyunacknowledged]

Wait, my Lord Strong.

#house of the dragon #house of the dragon spoilers #aemond targaryen #aemond one eye #aemond stannies

[atruthuniversallyunacknowledged]

~Of Letters & Dragons~

Aemond Targaryen x Male Reader

//

(Chapter 2)

//

Manuscript Excerpt found in the Chambers of Lord Baemond Velaryon in the Dragonstone Keep - Gathered by Maester Telmon.

======================================

‘If you think that you have earned my grace thanks to that pitiful act you performed for me the other day, you are seriously mistaken, nephew.’

As I heard my uncle's voice behind me, I turned around to look at him, mildly startled by his intrusion. He stood with his hands behind his back, the strands of his snow white hair dancing in the soft wind like the soft branches of a willow tree. I could sense the sheer intensity on his gaze, and it almost choked me.

‘I understand your reluctance to believing my apologies, but they were sincere, regardless you believed them to be so or not.’ I answered calmly after a quiet moment of contemplation. ‘It is also true that it was not my hand, but those of my brothers who hurt you, but the same blood runs through our veins, and as their successes are my own, so are their crimes.’

The intensity on his gaze didn't waver, even as he silently came closer to me, standing amongst the roots of the Godswood's heart tree.

‘Nobody comes around here anymore; the old faith dies in the south.’ I said quietly, almost to myself, as he stood straight in front of me, looking down on me as I sat in a natural nook made by the roots on the back side of the heart tree, an old heavy book firmly grasped in my hands.

‘What are you reading?’ he asked looking down on the book over my knees.

‘Maester Vaemar's Lessons on Court Survival.’ I answered almost amused looking up again to meet his still intense gaze.

‘Fitting reading.’ was all the answer I got.

‘Do you want it?’ I asked, handing over the book to him.

‘I have already read it.’ he said almost with contempt, still looking down on me.

After that, he turned around and walked away, leaving me to ponder the reason for his unexpected and seemingly inconsequential visit.

The next time we had a meaningful encounter was during one of my private training lessons. I would train with my brothers in the courtyard, yes, but that sort of training felt constrictive and all the way pointless. Training for jousting and fighting in the melee in tournaments felt alien to me, but still it was a duty I had to fulfil, and which I did with notable success. However, when the "official" training was over, I would see myself back into the Godswood's, and inside the root nook of the heart tree, I would train my mind with the volumes of long forgotten maesters’ chronicles, tales of heroes and philosophical lessons.

That day, nevertheless, wasn't the day for it, for as our physical training came to an end, the storm that loomed over the city started to pour heavily, and the training was forcibly ended. As I knew that my nook would be an unfitting place for my private training, I decided then to find myself another reading spot, this time, indoors.

After walking through great halls and crossing heavy doors, gates and dark hallways, I found myself in a candle lit chamber, clearly subterranean, adorned with the bones of the late dragons of the family. Presiding over them, hanging from heavy iron chains, loomed the huge skull of the great Balerion, the Black Dread, its eyes empty but still looking over the room. Underneath it, hundreds of lit candles took it upon themselves to cast long unsettling shadows on the dark and heavy blood red walls, as well as to magnify Balerion's presence, making myself wary of coming closer to it.

‘Are you afraid, nephew?’

I startled as I heard his voice in a whisper over my shoulder, and upon turning around, I found him standing still, very close to my back, and staring at me intensely with his remaining eye, his long white hair, as well as his clothes, soaked with rain.

All the answer I could give was a little puff, and as I looked at him with a complicit look, I stepped away from him with my book still clenched under my arm.

‘I wouldn't call it fear; more like, deference or respect. Only a fool would not feel such emotions in the presence of such a beast, even if it's bones all that remains.’ I was finally able to say as I approached the candle-packed altar, looking at the skull looming over me, heavy and ominous, hearing his steps come closer to where I stood.

‘It must not be such a humbling sight for you though; after all, you are the rider of Vhagar, the biggest dragon alive in the known world.’ I said moving my gaze from Balerion's mighty skull back to his face.

That seemed to strike something inside him, for his answer came almost immediately, with a taste of something I wasn't able to recognise at the time, but which seemed fairly similar to loathing.

‘And I paid the price for it, as everyone, including yourself, knows.’

There was no answer from me this time, and after holding his gaze in mine for a couple of silent seconds, I turned around to look at the room.

‘Is this your secret place? If so, I shall leave you alone.’ I said without looking at him.

‘No.’

‘No to the secret place, or no to my leaving?’ I asked now friskily, turning to look at him.

‘No.’ he repeated sternly as he kept on looking at me.

‘I see that you are as fond of words as I myself am. Would you care to elaborate a bit further for those of us ungifted with beyond measure semantic comprehension?’ I asked playfully once again as I walked back up to him, looking up to save the little distance in height between our eyes.

‘No.’ he repeated for the third time, a cocky smile slowly appearing on his lips.

‘Oh! So you do have a sense of humour after all?’ I teased with an even more playful grin on my own face as I saw his.

‘It was an eye your brothers took from me, not my sense of humour.’ he answered still grinning down at me.

That felt like a bucket of ice cold water being poured over me, especially because I realised he had guided me into that dead end with extreme precision, and only with three words.

‘I shall go now.’ I said after a moment of silence in which I could see him rejoice in his victory over me in our battle of wits.

‘No, you got here first.’ he said quickly to me, grabbing my free arm as I tried to make a go for the exit. ‘The early bird catches the worm; I should know it well.’ This last part he whispered to my ear.

Seemingly frozen in time, with my pulse beating wildly on my temples and the place where his hand held my arm, and as close together as we were, I looked up from his hand into his eye, finding it already staring at me with its usual intensity, almost without blinking.

After that, he stepped away, gave me one last look, and turned around to leave, his wet hair deprived of its usual grace and airiness, but still as alluring as ever.

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