#OC: Alon Reyne

[queen--kenobi]

The Seven: The Father

Summary: Five months after the death of Daemon Targaryen, Aemond Targaryen and his Hand (and future Queen) Elayna Reyne, try to rebuild the Realm. These efforts are put on pause when Elayna’s family writes her father, the esteemed Alon Reyne, is dying. Elayna returns to Castamere, although she does not go alone. After all, it has been some time since a King has visited the High House Reyne.

King Aemond AU!

Pairings: Aemond Targaryen x OFC (Elayna Reyne), Aemond Targaryen x Elayna Reyne

Part I

Warnings: Lots of talk of death but specifically death of a father figure. A lil’ NSFT stuff thrown in (thigh riding, mutual masturbation, and breeding kink) but that’s not super explicit.

Author’s note: Thank you to my beloved @book-of-baba-fett​ for beta’ing this for me! This chapter is very heavy because it deals with the death of a parent. It doesn’t go fully into the grieving process, but it’s there. You’ve been warned. Also, I hope y’all like Alon!

The small council adjourns for the day.

Elayna stands with the rest of the council as they begin to filter out of the room. Tyland slowly stands and makes his way toward the door. The only indication he expects Elayna to join him for their weekly lunch is the look he gives her from across the table before disappearing out into the main hall.

Grand Maester Orwyle clearly wishes to speak with the King. He stands up and makes his way over toward Aemond. Elayna instinctively makes her way to Aemond’s side. At that, the Grand Maester’s expression changes. His features pinch. Aemond notices as well because he leans in towards Elayna.

“You have lunch with our Master of Coins today, do you not?” 

“I can postpone if need be. I would much rather hear what the Grand Maester has to allow.”

Grand Maester Orwyle stops in front of them. 

“My King. Lady Reyne.” The man’s voice is not as feeble and fragile as his predecessors, but it still quivers with age. 

“Grand Maester Orwyle.” Elayna greets. Aemond merely watches him. “I hear Maester Norcross is soon to be an Archmaester and go to the Citadel. I’m sure you must be proud of your colleague.”

A small smile makes its way onto Grand Maester Orwyle’s face.

“Yes. He has earned it. He will do well at the Citadel.” Grand Maester Orwyle looks at the two of them. “I’m afraid what I wish to discuss is less about current successes but future ones.”

Elayna raises an eyebrow. Aemond merely tilts his head.

“And what is the topic you wish to discuss?” 

Grand Maester Orwyle turns to Aemond. “This is not a subject that I feel should be brokered in front of a woman.’

“Lady Reyne is the Hand. If you have something you wish to say to me, you can say it in front of her as well.” Aemond’s tone is cold, holding an edge not to be ignored. The amount of times Aemond has reminded the men of the Council Elayna should not be excluded based on being a woman has been staggering. Tyland even jumped in on several occasions. Elayna knows it was to gain favor with Aemond, but she appreciates the gesture nonetheless. Orwyle’s face scrunches up for a second before he nods.

“It is time you thought about a wife, Your Grace.” Orwyle looks between the two of them. “It has been five months since you killed the traitor Daemon Targaryen.”

“Has it only been five?” Aemond raises an eyebrow. His posture remains open. However, no one can mistake the edge to his tone, the warning Grand Maester Orwyle should tread lightly.  “I must have forgotten.” 

“The Realm needs stability, Your Grace.” Grand Maester Orwyle seems to realize he’s going to get nowhere on this topic without Elayna’s help. He looks at her. Elayna dips her head in acknowledgement.

“The King and I are aware of the issue. We have been discussing options and have narrowed down his search considerably.” She smiles at Orwyle, willing it to be a friendly one. It works from the way Orwyle seems to relax as she speaks. “King Aemond has to be incredibly careful, given there are still traitors out there. We do not wish to accidentally invite a serpent into the King’s bed, do we not? So we must spend more time making sure each candidate is safe.”

The Grand Maester nods but doesn’t seem entirely convinced.

“That isn’t the only issue troubling you right now, is it?”

“I am aware of the... complications. It is just.” He stops to try and figure his next words carefully. He at least has the decency to look somewhat embarrassed. He turns to Aemond. “The people are talking, Your Grace. They worry you have already made a choice and not given the rest of the Realm a chance.”

Oh.

Oh, it’s this conversation. Elayna presses her lips together. Aemond tenses. He looks at Orwyle, regarding him carefully.

“Grand Maester Orwyle.” She does her best to smile. “The King and I are aware of what the people are saying. If you do recall, Lord Wylde brought up this topic of discussion not too long ago.”

Grand Maester Orwyle’s face pales at the memory. Aemond was not violent that day, but he certainly made it quite clear where he stood on those kinds of rumors. 

“I am considering each option carefully.” Aemond speaks clearly and calmly. “Lady Reyne is involved in the process as my Hand.”

“It is not that Lady Reyne is involved, it is-” Elayna watches as Aemond swallows and his jaw clenches.

“Grand Maester Orwyle.” Elayna interrupts. “Would it make you feel better if we provided a list of who the King has narrowed it down to?”

It isn’t the solution Orwyle is looking for based on the look on his face, but it clearly soothes whatever fears he has.

“It would, actually.”

“Excellent. It shall be sent over tomorrow? There are a few names the King would like my council on. It should be up to date by then. Do you have any other issues you wish to bring up with the King?”

“No.” Grand Maester Orwyle shakes his head. 

“Do congratulate Maester Norcross for me.”

Aemond and Elayna wait for the elderly Grand Maester to leave. Once the door shuts, Elayna lets out a sigh she didn’t know she was holding in. Aemond looks at her. The building rage within his eye slowly fades, but it doesn’t dissipate entirely.

“A list?” He raises an eyebrow. A slight tinge of amusement creeps into his tone. Elayna scoffs. She crosses her arms over her chest and leans against the table.

“He’s a stuffy old academic. They love lists.”

Aemond lets out a small ‘hhmmm’. He watches her carefully.

“I noticed you also mentioned my needing your council.” This time, the teasing is unmistakable. 

“Of course. I would not be a good Hand if I did not help.”

“I see.” Aemond slowly stands up. He approaches Elayna smoothly until he’s close to her. Not so close anyone could claim inappropriate activity were they to walk in suddenly, but certainly more close than he should be. “And I suppose this will take place in my chambers tonight?”

“It must be updated as soon as possible. And we must do it somewhere we know no outside influences can sway you.” Elayna blinks innocently at him. “It is in your best interest and in the name of safety.”

Aemond doesn’t say anything. Elayna can see him try to fight to keep a small smile from making its way onto his face. He reaches out and adjusts the pin on her stole. His fingers brush against her skin as he does so.

“Do remember you promised a physical list.” Aemond looks at her. He never fails to take her breath away when he looks at her like that. Elayna knows if they were married, he would have her flat on the table by now. As it is, she’s surprised he’s showing some sort of restraint right now. 

If they were in his chambers, no doubt his leg would be in-between hers while he guided her movements. 

“You sound as if you might try to make me forget.” 

Waiting until marriage is more difficult than either of them thought. In the early weeks of their courting, they did fine. Perhaps they brushed fingers and then shoulders and then fully by each other more often than they should have, but it was contained. At least, it felt as if they had it under control. 

Elayna doesn’t even remember what the inciting incident was. She thinks it may have been Lorence Tyrell. They got along well. Elayna never felt as if she had to be quite as guard with him as she did others in Court, although she never fully opened up to him. She did seek his counsel once or twice on some matters. Sometimes an outside opinion did help. Someone made a jest about how Elayna’s future husband must be okay openly being second to the King. Lorence had stepped in to defend Elayna’s honor.

The problem arose later. Elayna spoke to him to thank him and assure him while it wasn’t necessary, it was appreciated. She had information that the person who spoke let his wife be second to his mistress, a secret Elayna was not sworn to keep. Lorence very quietly informed he did not see Aemond to be the threat that other men may. If she was still looking for ways to infuriate the Lannisters without losing comfort, he could be of some use.

Throughout the conversation, Elayna could feel Aemond watching.

When she told Aemond later of what Lorence had to say, Aemond backed Elayna against a wall as he kissed her senseless. His thigh found its way between her legs. Elayna knew it was over the minute her breath audibly hitched at the friction.

Once the dam broke, it became harder and harder to wait. They had yet to see each other completely bare. Elayna knew once she saw Aemond completely, she would not be able to stop herself. The farthest the two of them have gone was pleasuring themselves beside the other. Again, this was due to Elayna. She told Aemond as much; if she did more than look him in the eye as he stroked himself, she would not be able to control herself.

Holding eye contact was a dangerous game in its own right. Watching Aemond’s face made her want more. She suspects he feels the same way when he watches her.

“Perhaps.”

Elayna smiles softly. She wants to tell him he can make her forget everything, including her own name. She can’t, though. Being overheard saying something like that would no doubt bring Elayna’s professionalism into question.

”I must attend lunch with Tyland.”

Aemond doesn’t move. He instead opts to take a stray strand of her hair in his hands and toys with the ends. The only indication he heard her is him letting out his soft ‘hmm’. 

“Aemond. I must.’

“Remind me why you attend these lunches.” He looks at her from underneath his eyelashes.

“Because I need to keep an eye on the Lannisters. That, and it is occasionally nice to talk to someone from home.” 

After a moment, Aemond steps away. 

“Lord Commander Cole wishes to go over some defense points.” Aemond informs Elayna. “If you need me, I shall be with him.”

“Is it the secret passages?” 

“Daemon made a map of all the passages. ‘Tis perhaps the only useful thing he did in his life.”

“That and die?” Elayna teases. Aemond lets out a small noise, but Elayna can hear the edge of amusement in his tone.

“Once I am done with my lunch, I shall come find you.” Elayna finally steps away from the table. Aemond gives her just enough room to scoot by but not so much she doesn’t press up against him some. 

When the two of them exit the council chambers, they look the picture of proper. 

“Your Grace.” Elayna excuses herself.

“Lady Reyne.” He dips his head.

Elayna makes her way towards where she and Tyland eat. They initially ate in Tyland’s chambers but switched locations for fear of someone, Tymon, reading too much into their interactions. Food sits on the table when she enters. Tyland sits in his usual place, an apple in his hands. He looks at Elayna quizzically when she enters.

“Grand Maester Orwyle give you trouble?” He raises an eyebrow.

“Yes. He seemed intent on bringing up a subject that might anger the King.” Elayna takes her seat on the other side of the table. A knowing smirk creeps onto Tyland’s face. 

“So he wished to know if the King has made progress picking a suitable bride?” Elayna gives Tyland a look. He merely leans back in his chair with a smug grin. “If one wishes to anger the King, that topic seems to be the best and fastest way.” Tyland pauses. “It also seems to work for you.”

Elayna nearly rolls her eyes. Tyland looks far too pleased with himself. 

“It only angers me because no one is giving the King the time he needs to make such an important decision.”

“And not because you are invested in the decision yourself?” He plays dumb with the way he says it, as if it truly is an innocent question. Elayna scoffs.

“You’ve shown me too much of your true self for the innocent fool act to work on me anymore.” Elayna begins plucking meat from the table, trying her best to not stab it viciously. “How is your brother? Are things at Casterly Rock holding?”

Elayna doesn’t miss the small smirk on Tyland’s face, fleeting as it is. He knows he’s gotten under her skin.

“Jason is... Jason.” Tyland shrugs. “He does appear to be having trouble reigning Tymon in. I hear he’s been quite upset these past couple months.”

“Upset over what?” Elayna raises an eyebrow. “I doubt anything has happened to threaten your holdings.”

“Jason won’t let Tymon come back here.” Tyland begins pulling pieces of meat onto his plate as well. “He seems to be under the impression Tymon might try something stupid.”

“Stupid in a he’ll hurt himself way? Or stupid in a 'Jason would do that' way?"

“Are those not one and the same?” Both of them snort at the comment. To most, Tyland would defend his brothers. However, Elayna is different. She knows the Lannisters well so she’s more acutely aware of Jason’s decision making capabilities. “No. Jason is afraid Tymon might try to go after a married woman.”

Elayna arches an eyebrow.

“I was not aware Tymon was pursuing anyone.” She cuts another slice off meat.

“Oh, no. He’s not pursuing someone new. He’s pursuing the same person as always.” Tyland hums. “He is quite dedicated to you, Lady Reyne.”

Elayna lets Tyland’s words sink in for a moment. That doesn’t make any sense; she is not married, nor is her courting of Aemond public.

Oh. The rumor must have changed to her marrying Aemond in secret. Perhaps not even that. Most likely Tyland is trying to figure out what exactly is going on between her and Aemond. A look at Tyland’s face confirms her suspicions.

Fucker. 

“Unless my father betrothed me without my knowledge, which is unlikely, I am not married or to be married. But I think you know that.” Elayna takes a sip of wine. “Not that it particularly matters in this case. I refuse to indulge Tymon.”

“So you’re denying the rumors you and the King have secretly gotten married, and that’s why the King has yet to pick a Queen?”

Elayna levels Tyland with a look. “Tyland. You may not know Aemond as well as I do, but you know him. Do you truly think he would get married and not let the Realm know? Not for the purposes of boasting but to make sure no one attempts to go after what is his.”

Tyland purses his lips. He slowly dips his head.

“I suppose you’re right. That does not seem in the King’s nature.” He picks up his goblet. “It does seem in your nature.”

“Why would I hide if I was Queen? It would mean your brother would be forced to call off his advances, so wouldn’t it make more sense for me to say something?”

“So you do think of Tymon on occasion. I was beginning to worry you did not share his affections.” Tyland hides his smirk in his goblet. Elayna nearly groans. At least the conversation was shifting in a more playful direction as opposed to one seeking information and weaknesses. She starts eating, not giving Tyland the benefit of a response. He merely takes a long drink of his wine.

The conversation naturally turns to other topics. They touch on the small council meetings over the past week, quietly dissecting certain points they both thought were uninspired or unintelligent. They also go over the latest gossip of the Court. That’s not to say it’s a peaceful conversation; neither of them are able to help themselves from making jibes and snide comments at the other.

A knock at the door makes both of them turn.

“Come.” Tyland calls. A servant comes in, a letter in their hand.

“A raven came in for Lady Reyne.” He comes over and hands it to her. Elayna notices the wax seal on it. It’s from Castamere.

“You may go.” Tyland dismisses the servant. Elayna opens the letter carefully. A pit begins to build in her stomach, and her hands start to tremble as she works it open. Eventually, she manages to get it open.

She reads it once. 

No, that can’t be right.

She reads it again. Her hands start to shake again. She scans the words, but none of them seem to want to stick in her brain. She shakes her head. It takes all of her strength to lift her head. Tyland watches her. 

“Are you alright?” He asks. She can’t tell if it’s genuine or if he’s playing sympathetic.

Elayna clears her throat.

“I... If you will excuse me for a moment, I must. I must go see the King.” She stands up. As she walks, she can feel Tyland watching her. 

Elayna makes her way through the halls. She feels off kilter. She needs to tell Aemond what the letter says. She needs someone else to read it. She needs him to tell her the news in the letter is wrong, that...

That her father isn’t dying.

Where did Aemond say he was going to be? Something about being with Lord Commander Criston. The back passages, she thinks. Okay, yeah. She shakes her head. If worst comes to worse, she supposes she can ask a servant. She has to take a moment to think where they might start.

The logical place would be either the passages to Aemond’s chambers or to hers.

Elayna swallows. They have to be in the ones leading to her chambers. Almost reflexively, she rubs the scar running across her forearm. Elayna has kept that door blockaded, not wishing for another night time visit from Blood and Cheese’s ilk. They beat her pretty badly, and no doubt would have killed her if Elayna hadn’t managed to grab a piece of a vase broken in the scuffle. She never knew she was capable of violence, much less severing a man’s Achilles tendon, until that night. 

Thankfully, she managed to kill Blood, and Aemond apprehended Cheese when the rat catcher attempted to escape. She almost regrets caving Blood’s skull in with the door. Aemond had only gotten the pair were sent by Daemon as retribution for Elayna aiding in Rhaenreya’s capture and subsequent execution. As soon as he had his confirmation, he had Vhagar deal with Cheese. His corpse was nothing more than charcoal.

Elayna never felt satisfied with the story. She doesn’t remember much of what they said, but she can’t shake the feeling they were not sent by just Daemon. Someone else helped. She never caught a name, but she knew. It wasn’t the work of Daemon by himself. He had help.

But, who? Who would want her dead that badly?

Elayna steps into her chambers. She can’t see either Aemond or Cole, but she can hear them in the passages. She steps towards the open marble door. She finds them not too far into the passage.

“My King.” Elayna clears her throat. Both Aemond and Lord Commander Cole turn to face Elayna. Aemond can clearly see the distress on Elayna’s face. “May I.... May I speak with you in private?”

“Of course.”

Aemond dismisses Cole. As soon as he and Elayna are alone, he comes to her. He stops just short of her. Carefully, he takes her forearms in his hands. The simple gesture makes tears well up despite her best efforts. His eye searches her face.

“What is it?”

“My father.” Elayna manages. “He’s fallen ill again, and he... He mostly like won’t make it.” Elayna clears her throat in an attempt to regain control of herself. “I am requesting permission to go back to Castamere to be with him.”

Aemond doesn’t say anything for a long moment. Eventually, he nods.

“Of course. Do you wish to go now or depart in the morning?” 

“The morning. Just so I may wrap up as many loose ends as possible before I leave.”

“Yes, that is the best course of action.The council will be short two members.” Aemond lets out a noise akin to a laugh at the look of shock on Elayna’s face. “Did you not think I would go with you to Castamere?” 

“I cannot ask you to do that for me. It would be irresponsible to-”

“You did not ask. I decided to.” Aemond steps closer.

“Yes but your duties to the Rea-”

“You are more important than that." Aemond almost snaps. He takes a deep breath.  "My mother is more than capable of running the Kingdom while we are away."

Elayna nods. A pit begins to build in her stomach despite his words. She wishes she could go back to not caring what people thought of their relationship. The unfortunate reality is now she must. She has to care, for her sake and Aemond's. Aemond studies her face. She forgets he can almost read her mind sometimes.

"They can talk all they like. It does not change anything. You are my Hand. I will not have another because I cannot trust another as I trust you." He considers his next words. Elayna wants to reach out and touch him.

"You were the only one there for me when my father died." Aemond confesses. His throat bobs for a second. Elayna succumbs to her desire and places her hand on his cheek. He looks at her.

"I will be there for you as you were for me." He speaks with utter authority.

Elayna nods. It's all she can do. Her throat tightens. If she tries anything more, she knows she'll burst into tears.

"Okay." She swallows. "Okay, you can come with me." A thought occurs to her. "I think... I've written to him a lot about you. He'll be glad to meet you."

"And I him. You have always spoken so highly of him." Aemond tilts his head. "You wrote your father about me?"

"Perhaps." Elayna hums. The urge to cry still presses against her, but she finds a smile for him. "Perhaps I still do."

"Hm." Aemond steps back. "I shall tell my mother we are to leave upon sunrise. Then I shall inform the Council."

"And what would you have me do?"

"Nothing. You need not do anything."

Elayna wants to find a joke or quip, some way to deflect her building sadness. Instead, all she can do is try her best not to cry.

“I don’t suppose you do this for all your friends.”

Aemond tilts his head. “I don’t.”

“Only for me?”

"Perhaps.”

Once Elayna leaves Aemond, she attempts to do as she said. Before either of them can leave, many loose ends must be resolved. She does what she can. Unfortunately, most of the issues require talking to people. Elayna does not have that kind of energy within her. Every time she thinks about talking to someone, her stomach and head hurt.

She feels guilty. She has so much to do and yet it feels as if none of it gets done.

She wants to express these feelings to Aemond but doesn’t. Elayna doesn’t want to saddle Aemond with more things.He no doubt has his own tasks he must accomplish before they leave in the morning.

Not surprisingly, Elayna does not sleep well. She does not toss and turn but instead lies in bed and stares at the wall. Everything about this feels unreal. This is not the first time her father, Alon, has been sick, but it sounds as if it is the final time. The thought makes her feel ill. It doesn’t make sense. Even when he was sick, he was still a giant of a man. How could... He can’t die. No. 

There must be some sort of mistake.

Elayna awakens to a knock on the door. She feels as if she hasn’t slept at all, but she must have. Soft light filters through the edges of her curtains. 

“Just a moment.” Elayna’s voice is raspy. Carefully, she stands up and grabs a robe, throwing it on over her nightgown before padding over to the door. A servant stands in her doorway. She curtsies. Another stands behind her with a pile of clothes neatly folded in her hands.

“The King requests your presence in the courtyard as soon as you are decent.”

Elayna nods.

“Of course.”

“The King also requests you wear this.” She gestures to the pile of clothes in the other servant’s hand. At first, Elayna is a little confused, until she realizes. Since they are riding on Vhagar, a dress would be impractical and most likely more than a little cold.

The servant helps Elayna get dressed. It doesn’t take nearly as long, simply for the fact Elayna doesn’t need to be laced into a dress. Elayna tries not to think too hard about the fact these riding clothes fit her perfectly. She did have riding clothes made once before, when she rode the one time on Dreamfyre with Helaena, but that was over a year ago, if not two. Those clothes could no longer fit her.

As Elayna looks at her reflection in the mirror, she knows Aemond specifically had this outfit made for her. It’s mostly plain black leather, one that no doubt matches his outfit. She does notice on the back of her leather coat an embroidered dragon, done in a thick silver thread. She smiles softly to herself. She can come up with an excuse for it later, no doubt something about being an envoy of the King, but for now, she simply lets herself enjoy the quiet possessiveness of the gesture.

She likes this. Elayna likes how Aemond shows she’s his.

Obviously, it’s fairly limited for now. The two of them can’t exactly go about flaunting their relationship, as much as Elayna wishes they could. She knows even when the gestures can become bigger and grander, she won’t mind. Not only because she very much loves the idea of being Aemond’s, and perhaps even the idea of the whole world knowing she is his and he is hers, but also because the gestures are never entirely about him. On some level they are about him as well, but they aren’t entirely. He clearly thinks of her.

Had this been a gift from Tymon, Elayna knows it would be all reds and golds. Everything Tymon ever gave her when attempting to win her over never reflected Elayna; it was all a reflection of Tymon and his ego. He gave her what he would want, not what she would want. Elayna could never tell if it was because he could not think of what she might want or if it was because he assumed she would want what he did. 

Aemond was obviously different. Every gift he ever gave her, every subtle way he showed people she was his, was done with her in mind. Elayna never got the concept of wanting to be somebody’s until she met Aemond. Not just because she fell in love for the first time but because he was different. The way Aemond treats her makes it appealing, makes her want to be his. She has never felt like an ornament or an object just to be shown off; she feels genuinely loved and wanted.

Tymon never made her feel that way. Everytime he did something “for her,” she just felt more trapped. It felt as if he was trying to take away everything that made her Elayna and try to turn her into what he wanted, something he could control.

Elayna’s upper lip curls. Even now, the thought disgusts her.

"My lady." One of the servants speaks. "I do not mean to overstep, but the King did seem in a hurry."

Right.

"Of course." Elayna clears her throat.

Elayna makes her way towards the courtyard. As she passes a window, Elayna sees Vhagar. Even now, her size takes Elayna's breath away. She looms over everything. She puts Elayna's life and size into perspective. Within these walls, she may be one of the largest metaphorical figures, but outside? Elayna is nothing compared to the might of nature.

To think her love, her future husband, her Aemond, rides such a massive creature. 

Aemond waits by Vhagar. Elayna sees him as she walks through one of the arches. The sun is only just beginning to rise. Thankfully, no one else seems to be up and about; Elayna would rather not deal with questions.

Aemond takes in her appearance. He seems happy with the way the garments fit her.

"Thank you for the gift." Elayna greets. Aemond's lips twitch. 

"I will not have you freeze."

"I appreciate that." Elayna stops beside him. Her nerves twist and turn in her stomach. "I... I must confess. I rode Dreamfyre once, but. I am not sure I am up for this."

A smug expression creeps onto Aemond's face. 

"Yes. Riding Vhagar is no doubt different." Aemond hums. He looks at Elayna. "You carry high honors. You are one of the few without the blood of the dragon running through your veins to ride one. Certainly the only one to ride two."

"Without the blood of the dragon, hmmm?" Elayna looks around the courtyard before stepping close to Aemond. "Perhaps it does not run through my veins, but it will run through my children's. I think that gives me a pass."

Aemond almost loses his composure at Elayna's words. They have never spoken of children before, although they both know Elayna will bear him heirs. She sees him clench his jaw to help keep himself grounded. He looks at her. Fire lurks in his eye.

"Do not tempt me." He steps towards her. They could barely fit a piece of paper between them. 

"Tempt you? 'Tis not temptation when I speak the truth. My children will have the blood of the dragon in their veins. Will they not?"

Aemond swallows.

"It is temptation when I cannot make that a reality yet." He lowers his head. His lips nearly brush the shell of her ear. "Were it not for those who seek to question us both, I would have you with child by now. I would not let you leave our bed until we were both satisfied my seed took. Even then, I would not be satiated. I cannot be when it comes to you." 

Elayna swallows. Her heartbeat thrums throughout her entire body. She wants nothing more than to make his words a reality. 

"You are not the only one who will be insatiable." She looks at him from underneath her eyelashes. She wants to speak, to tell him how she'd forsake her pride in order to be whatever he wanted. Instead, she stops herself. Any more talk like this, and she will be carrying his babe by the end of the day. Aemond watches her. 

"I think I'm ready."

Aemond almost smiles.

"Excellent." 

He directs her towards the netting on Vhagar's side. 

"You will sit in front of me." He gestures towards the net. Vhagar shifts. Elayna swallows. Her nerves rise to the forefront of her mind again. After a second, she grabs the net.

She begins to climb. Her palms feel sweaty. Thankfully the coarse texture of the rope means she does not slip. She can feel her legs tremble as she climbs. Not from exertion but the rising fear she will fall. Elayna keeps her head trained upward. Vhagar shifts some. Elayna almost screams. Instead, she bites down on her tongue.

This is going to be a long journey.

Eventually, she makes it up to the end of the net. She swings her leg over the saddle. She’s surprised she can’t see her leg trembling. As she adjusts so she’s comfortable, Elayna makes an effort to not look down. She grabs both pommels to help steady herself. Aemond doesn’t take nearly as long to climb, no doubt due to practiced ease and confidence. He smirks at her.

“Don’t.”

“I had no intention.” Aemond clearly did from the faux nature of his tone. He swings one of his long legs over the saddle and situates himself behind Elayna. He grabs the reins in his hands and then takes hold of one of the pommels. He snakes his other arm around Elayna’s waist.

“Hold on.” He whispers in her ear. 

"Dohaerās Vhagar. Sōvēs."

Vhagar rumbles.She begins to move. Instinctively, Elayna clutches the pommels of the saddle. Her eyes close. Aemond tightens his hold around her waist. She can’t hear his laugh, but she can feel it. His chest is pressed to her back. She feels his laughter against her, and she can feel the curve of his smile against her skin.

Elayna nearly screams when she feels Vhagar leave the ground. This time, she hears Aemond’s laugh. Thank the Seven for his arm around her. Not just because it makes her feel secure, as secure as she can in this situation which isn’t as secure as she would like, but it also helps ground her. No doubt she would pass out if it weren’t for his touch.

The wind whips past the two of them. Aemond clearly isn’t bothered by it, but Elayna screws her eyes shut even more. Part of her wants to look, wants to see, but she knows better. It would not end well. Instead, she tries to breathe through her nose and keep herself calm.

She waits until they’ve leveled off to open her eyes. She doesn’t look down. Not yet, at least. Instead, Elayna turns her head to look at Aemond. His good eye is closed. The expression of sheer joy and contentment on his face makes Elayna smile. He seems more at ease here than she’s ever seen him. She can feel he’s more relaxed; his shoulders have dropped some, and his jaw isn’t clenched. 

Elayna doesn’t know if it’s from the sheer exhilaration of flying, an exhilaration that is building in her despite the fear, or if it’s because up here, no one expects anything of him. She doesn’t care. All she wants is to see him like this.

Relaxed. Happy. Beautiful.

He opens his eye. Aemond takes a second to focus on her. Elayna swallows. She wonders if her expression matches her love-drunk thoughts.

“You’re beautiful.” She breathes before she can think better of it. Reverence bleeds into every syllable. Aemond swallows.

“Do not say things you do not mean.” He keeps his voice even, too even. He doesn’t look at her, opting instead to look at the landscape unfolding beneath them. Elayna huffs.

“Aemond. I mean it.” Elayna twists some in the saddle. She knows it’s old insecurities and other people’s opinions, but it doesn’t mean his words hurt her any less. “I would not, cannot, lie to you.” She pauses. Her lips twitch. “You know that I cannot lie to you. You would not make me your Hand if you thought I could, much less your wife.”

Aemond doesn’t say anything. His shoulders tense. 

“I do not wish for your kindness or platitudes right now.” He snaps. Elayna nearly recoils from him.

“Aemond...”

“Don’t.” He warns. Vhagar lets out a rumble, one that makes Elayna grab the pommels of the saddle harder. If Aemond notices her sudden fear, he doesn’t say anything. 

Elayna closes her eyes. She wants to argue with him, but Vhagar made a persuasive argument. The beginnings of a headache creep into her skull. She feels tears prickling behind her eyes. It’s not the small argument, one that might become a big one if she isn’t careful, that is really what makes her want to bawl.

She sighs. She leans forward some, almost as if she’s trying to build space between them. Elayna can’t do this today. 

For a second, Elayna thinks the subconscious gesture has gone unnoticed. That is, until Aemond’s arm comes back around her midriff and pulls her close to him. He presses her close to him, so close her back touches his upper chest. He places his chin in the crook of her neck.

Aemond doesn’t say anything. Elayna doesn’t either. It’s not necessarily a mad silence, but a hurt one. The hurt doesn’t last long, slowly melting away the longer he holds her. He won’t apologize. At least, not verbally. 

“Is that Gold Road?” Elayna asks after a second. “It looks...”

“Small?” Aemond offers, a hint of amusement in his tone. “Unimportant?”

Elayna nods. She turns her head slightly. “I suppose everything looks that way from up here. Especially on the largest dragon.”

Aemond almost preens at her words. He lets out a small yet pleased ‘hm’. Vhagar snorts beneath them.

“I wonder. How insignificant do you think Casterly Rock looks from here.” Elayna can’t help herself. The joke is too good for her to not make it.

“Very. But you do not need to be on the largest dragon to see that.” Aemond’s words make Elayna choke on a laugh. He moves his lips so they’re right by her ear. “Highgarden looks much the same.”

Elayna nearly scoffs. It has been at least three moons since Lorence made that offer, yet Aemond seems unable to forget it. 

“I have no desire to see Highgarden.” She leans back in Aemond’s embrace. “I am quite happy where I am.”

“Hm. Perhaps you should tell Lord Tyrell this.”

“If we are making announcements, I think Lord Tyrell is not the first person on my list I would tell.” Elayna tilts her head again to try and look at Aemond. “Tyland implied we got married in secret at lunch yesterday.”

“And what did you tell him?”

“The truth. We are not married.” Elayna shrugs. “He did not need to know more than that.”

They must have been flying longer than Elayna realized. The ground beneath them steadily becomes more rocky and rises towards them. Elayna sees a handful of places she recognizes, mostly from her trips down mountain towards King’s Landing.

Seeing the Westerlands from dragonback puts things into perspective. Growing up, Elayna always thought the hills and mountains were huge and all encompassing. She never quite grew out of that feeling; she just got used to their presence. The first time she left the Westerlands everything felt too flat and open. 

The pure majesty comes back to her as they begin to climb over the mountains. Elayna watches the landscape unfold beneath them. Despite her earlier fears of falling, she looks down. She can see Gold Road underneath them, running through one of the mountain passes.

Elayna knows they’re getting close to Castamere when the mountains begin to drop once more. Even if Elayna hadn’t recognized Deep Den, and then Hornvale, she knew they were going above the Highlands. The chain of mountains and valleys was too big to be anything else. 

On the other side of the Highlands, at the southernmost point of Pendric Hills, was home. 

Well, her initial home she supposes. She sneaks a look at Aemond. The Red Keep is now her home. It is home in ways that Castamere could never be. By the same token, Castamere is home in ways the Red Keep cannot be. Elayna presses her lips together. She doesn’t want her mind to get bogged down in the intricacies of what is home and not home. It leaves a sour taste in her mouth, the words polluted by Tymon. How many times had he begged her to “see reason” and “come home”? 

Castamere was her home. The Red Keep is her home. She may have lived at Casterly Rock, but it never was, and never will be, her home.

The ground flattens out again. She can see more hills on the horizon, growing larger very quickly. Ashemark stands out noticeably. She always hated going to Ashemark. Even though it had mountains on either side of it, she always felt exposed. It felt too flat out there, even if she could see it wasn’t. 

Aemond says something to Vhagar once they pass by Ashemark. Vhagar huffs and begins to slowly descend. Elayna squeezes Aemond’s hand. She knows the slower descent is meant for her, to help ease her nerves.

When they see the walls of Castamere, Vhagar begins a full descent. Elayna grips the saddle pommel tighter. She feels Aemond laugh. He moves to grip one of the pommels as well. He brings his free arm around her, pressing tight against her stomach to keep her in place. He rests his chin on her shoulder.

“You forgot how high up we are, did you?” He sounds more than a little bit amused. “Do not worry. I will not let you fall.”

Elayna doesn’t trust herself to speak. Instead, she merely nods and closes her eyes. The ground suddenly seems far too close when just hours ago it felt too far away. 

For her size, Vhagar lands gracefully. The courtyards at Castamere were not built with dragons in mind, and certainly not with dragons Vhagar’s size in consideration. She comes to rest outside the gates. Elayna has no doubt her family has already come outside. Missing Vhagar coming or going isn’t exactly an easy thing to do.

Aemond dismounts first. He swings himself off the saddle and down onto the ropes with ease. He drops to the ground when he only has about ten feet or so of net to go. Elayna clearly doesn’t have the experience he does. She can feel Vhagar shift as she moves down. Aemond murmurs something to her, and she stills.

“I thought you had ridden with Helaena before.” Aemond calls. Elayna looks down. She still has several feet to go down. Aemond looks almost smug. 

“Yes, well. I did not need a net of this size to get down from Dreamfyre.” 

“Do you trust me?”

Elayna screws her eyes shut. “I- Perhaps.”

Aemond laughs. “Jump. I will catch you.” 

Elayna wants to argue with him, but Vhagar makes up her mind for her. She moves in an impatient manner. Elayna knows the choice of how she gets down will not be up to her in a minute.

“Okay.” She takes a shaky breath in and exhales. “Okay.”

She shifts in the netting to make it easier and jumps. She doesn’t jump from nearly as high as Aemond did, but it still feels like too long of a fall. True to his word, Aemond does catch her. His hands find her hips, and he helps ease her down onto the ground. A sparkle Elayna has never seen before lights up his blue eye.

“You should consider yourself honored.” He murmurs before looking at Vhagar. “She seems to like you. She would have left already if it had been anyone else.”

“I think she only likes me because you do.”

Vhagar makes a noise that sounds almost suspiciously like a huff. Aemond reaches out once more and speaks to her in a low voice. Vhagar quickly launches herself skyward once more. Elayna watches. She’ll never get used to the sight.

“She really is beautiful.” The words fall from Elayna’s lips without her thinking. Aemond merely hums. She can hear the pride in the small noise.

The sound of the gate opening catches her attention. Both she and Aemond turn. Several guards stand at the gate.

“My King.” One of the guards greets. “Lady Elayna.”

It takes a moment for Elayna to place the voice, but when she does, she smiles.

“Ser Devron.” She steps forward. She tries to keep her voice cool and deceptively collected. She can see a slight grin on his face. “When did you get bumped down to gate duty?”

“I didn’t. Your father specifically wanted me to come escort you.” Ser Devron clears his throat. He turns towards Aemond. “Lord Reyne does extend his apologies. He may be a minute before he greets you.”

Elayna frowns. That doesn’t sound like good news. 

Devron guides them inside the castle walls. Elayna notices Aemond clasping his hands behind his back as they go in. She almost calls attention to it but decides against it. She doesn’t know if he slipped into King mode because that’s what’s expected of him or if it’s because he doesn’t know how her family will react to him.

“My King.” Several familiar voices call at once. All the figures bow. Elayna notices one person in particular. When he stands up, Seban looks at Elayna. He clearly tries to surprise a smile. “Lady Elayna.”

“Seban.” Elayna greets. She turns to Aemond. “My King, this is the Honorable Lord Seban, son of Alon Reyne. Lord Seban, this is King Aemond Targaryen.”

“King Aemond.” Seban steps forward. He looks more tired than the last time Elayna saw him. Dark circles underneath his eyes betray him, telling Elayna of how little sleep he’s been getting. “ ‘Tis a pleasure to welcome you to Castamere. I hope your flight was pleasant.”

“It was.” Aemond mirrors Seban’s movements and steps forward as well. Elayna moves with him. 

Seban turns to Elayna.

“Elayna.”

“Seban.”

The two stare at each other for a second. Elayna breaks first, stepping forward. Seban meets her half-way. He’s quick to envelope her in a hug. He pulls Elayna towards him as if he’s trying to crush her. Elayna does the same. When they pull away, Elayna swears there are tears in Seban’s eyes. She clears her throat and steps back.

“How is father?”

“Not well.” Seban sighs. His voice softens. “I’m glad you came.”

Elayna feels her throat constrict. It’s easy to read between the lines.

“My King. Lady Elayna.” Another, very familiar voice calls. Elayna whips her head around to see who it is. Elayna smiles and steps back from Seban, making her way back over to Aemond. 

“Lord Ryman.” Elayna greets. “My King, the Honorable Lord Ryman of House Reyne. Lord Ryman, King Aemond Targaryen.”

“King Aemond.” Ryman stops by Seban’s side. “We welcome you to Castamere. It is an honor to have you here.”

“ ‘Tis a pleasure to be here.” Aemond dips his head. Ryman looks to Elayna.

“Lady Elayna.” She can hear the teasing edge to his formal address.

“Lord Ryman.”

Ryman doesn’t hesitate like Seban did. As soon as Elayna steps forward, Ryman pulls her into a hug. He doesn’t squeeze her nearly as tightly as Seban, but it’s a powerful embrace nonetheless.

“I’ve missed you. We’ve missed you.” Ryman squeezes Elayna one last time before letting her go. 

“I’ve missed you too.” She murmurs.

“It’s been no fun without you here. I’m stuck with Ser Stuffy over here who thinks he’s too good for us.” Ryman speaks just loud enough for Seban to hear. Seban glares at Ryman. No doubt Aemond’s presence is the only thing preventing Ryman from meeting the Seven.

The doors to the castle begin to open. Instinctively, everyone moves into their positions. Seban and Ryman each fall on one side of the stairs leading up to the castle doors. Elayna moves to Aemond’s right side. 

“Introducing Lord Alon Reyne.”

Elayna misses the announcement of her father’s titles. She’s too focused on the fact she’s seeing him again after almost four years.

Somehow, Alon looks just the same as he did when she left and yet he looks worse. His face looks the same but gauntness haunts his cheeks and eyes. He seems smaller. Elayna isn’t sure if it’s because he’s stooped over more or if he’s truly gotten shorter since she last saw him. A certain kind of frailty sticks to him. It makes Elayna’s chest hurt. Her eyes meet her father’s.His eyes crinkle. He smiles, and for a second, it looks as if he might cry. Addison stands behind Alon. She smiles as well. Elayna absolutely sees a few tears at the corner of her mother’s eyes.

Elayna isn’t sure how she manages to introduce Aemond but does. Aemond must sense she’s overcome with emotion.

“Lord Reyne.” Aemond greets. He and Elayna almost walk in sync.

“Father.” Elayna manages “I’d like to introduce you to King Aemond Targaryen.” 

Alon makes his way down the stairs.

“King Aemond. It is a pleasure and an honor to have you at Castamere.” Alon stops when he’s close to Aemond. His expression sombers some. “I was sorry to hear about your father passing. I knew him when we were both boys, and he was always kind to me.”

“Yes. Elayna did mention you grew up with my father and my uncle.” Aemond tilts his head. “She speaks very highly of you.”

“You flatter an old man.” 

“I speak the truth.” Aemond looks at Elayna.

“He does, Father.” Elayna steps forward.

“‘Tis nice to see the Hand of the King can find time to visit her old and ailing father.” Alon sniffs delicately. The slight curve of his lips tells Elayna he’s merely messing with her. Elayna smiles back. She tries her best to fight the oncoming wave of tears by clearing her throat.

Wordlessly, she steps forward and hugs him. He hugs her back, pulling her as close as he can without hurting himself.

“I’ve missed you.” She murmurs. She can hear her voice start to crack.

“I missed you too.” Alon pulls back some to look at her. He smiles softly. Addison comes over. Elayna hugs her mother as well. As she does, Elayna hears Alon talking to the servants.

Addison smiles when they pull apart. “I’m glad you’re home.” 

“I’m glad to be home.” 

“Having only your brothers around has been driving your father up the wall.” Addison confides in Elayna.

“What? You mean that even Seban can get on father’s nerves?”

“Says the golden child.” Ryman nearly makes Elayna jump. He doesn’t cackle, but his eyes sparkle with barely contained mischief. 

“Please don’t call me that. You know how I feel about it.”

“Oh, excuse me. Says the ‘better than silver’ child.”

“Better.”

Elayna turns her head. She sees Alon and Aemond discussing something. She politely excuses herself and steps over to them.

“Elayna.” Alon turns to her. “While the servants prepare the King’s rooms, would you like to show the King around?”

“Of course.” Elayna turns to Aemond. “Shall we get started, my King?”

Elayna manages to give Aemond a tour of Castamere without getting distracted and making out with him in some corner. Mostly because Seban and Ryman end up following them for most of it. Ryman is at least good company. He asks questions about Vhagar and compliments her. Aemond nearly preens from the attention his dragon receives. 

Elayna gets the impression Seban is only there to make sure she and Aemond don't do anything stupid. Doing so was not her intention, but now that the option is no longer on the table, Elayna finds herself aggravated with Seban’s presence.

She is a grown woman. She’s the Hand, for the Seven’s sake! She can do as she pleases. If she wishes to kiss her future husband senseless in some corner, she should be allowed to do so.

Still. Despite her irritation at his presence, it is good to see him. The disparity in their ages meant they never got along. She was always too childish for him, and he was always too stuffy and formal for her. It meant plenty of arguments as Elayna grew. For a while, she wondered how she and Seban could even be related. He seemed so... different from her. Not just because of his looks, although looking at the two of them one would not think they were related at all, even as half-siblings. 

Seban’s mother, Marla Reyne, was not Elayna’s mother. Marla died in a tragic mining accident, one that took both her life and the life of Seban’s older brother, Reynard. Elayna knows the incident took its toll on Seban. He was five and in the mines when it happened. No one knows how he managed to survive. Once, when drunk, Seban confessed to Elayna someone else was down in the mines that night. He never got a good look at them, but they managed to lure him away from the site of the collapse.

Sometimes, Elayna wonders if it was a Lannister who saved Seban’s life. She and Seban bear no familial resemblance. Seban’s features show no trace of Alon. Not even the way his eyes crinkle when he smiles or his laugh seem similar. Once when at Casterly Rock, Elayna noticed Seban’s hair curls much the same way Tymon’s does, and his laugh is similar to Jason’s. Even the way he narrows his eyes when he’s thinking is far more similar to the way Tyland does than to Elayna or Ryman.

Not that it matters. Seban is Elayna’s brother. He was raised by Alon as a Reyne, and as far as Elayna’s concerned, he is one. Even when she hated him intensely, Elayna never thought to call Seban a bastard. She never met Marla; she never got a good look at the woman. For all Elayna knows, Seban could take far more after his mother than Alon. It is as simple as that.

Ryman and Seban stay with Aemond and Elayna until they’ve finished the tour. Elayna excuses herself once they loop back to the main hall. 

“I wish to speak with Father before the feast.” Elayna explains. “I have much to discuss with him.”

Elayna knows in her heart it will probably be the last time she gets to speak with her father. From the look on Ryman’s and Seban’s faces, they think the same. 

“I will make sure the King is seen to.” Seban takes control of the situation effortlessly. For once, Elayna is appreciative of it. She nods. She wants to open her mouth to tell Seban she’s grateful, but she can’t find the words. She doesn’t seem to need them. Seban’s look tells her he knows.

Elayna makes her way down through the halls. Even though it’s been years since she’s been home, her feet carry her along the familiar path. She doesn’t have to think about where she’s going; she just lets her body lead her. 

Elayna stands at her father’s door. She pauses. For a second, she considers turning and walking away. She doesn’t... What if she isn’t able to handle seeing her father like this? What if one of her last memories of her father is seeing him weak and broken? What if-

She takes a deep breath. 

No. She has to. Elayna will never forgive herself if she doesn’t see Alon now. 

Elayna knocks.

“Come in.” Alon croaks after a second. He sounds so weak and feeble, it hurts Elayna’s heart.

Elayna steps quietly into her father’s chambers. Alon sits in his chair. He must have been expecting her; he looks as if he would rather be in bed but is instead waiting. His chest rises and falls shakily. His eyes are closed, but when he hears Elayna, he opens one.

“Elayna.” He sits up, wincing as he moves. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“I just wanted to see you.” Elayna stops by his chair. She wants to ask how he’s feeling or if there’s anything she can do to make him more comfortable. The words get stuck in her throat. Instead, she sits down wordlessly.

“I am so proud of you.” Alon breaks the silence first.  He places one hand on her shoulder. “You were so scared when you left, but you stuck it out and made it. You found yourself while you were gone. That is not something most can say.”

“Are you sure ‘tis not just because I’m Hand?” Elayna jokes. She can feel tears threatening to fall. Hastily, she wipes them. Alon shakes his head.

“For becoming Hand? I must admit disappointment. I thought I taught you better than to get involved in politics.” Alon sighs. “Of course I am proud of you for that. I do not think there is a single thing you could do that would make me not proud.”

Elayna’s lower lip trembles. She clears her throat and wipes her face quickly. 

“Did you get a chance to talk with Aemond?” 

Alon shakes his head. He lets his head fall back on the headrest.

“I hope to speak with him upon the morrow.” 

“I think you will like him.”

Alon opens one eye again.

“Do you love him?” Alon scoffs. “Don’t look at me like that. Just because you fool others does not mean you can fool your father.”

Elayna huffs in mock offense. Alon levels her with a look. After a moment, Elayna nods.

“I do love him.” The words feel freeing. She’s only ever told Aemond she loves him. She’s been too afraid to tell anyone else. Alon watches her face. “I don’t think I have ever loved someone as much as I do him.” She laughs softly. “When he went to fight Daemon, I was so afraid he would not come back, and I... It physically hurt to think of my life without him in it. I could not conceive of my world without him in it.”

Elayna realizes she’s about to cry. She clears her throat and goes to wipe her eyes. Alon stops her by taking a gentle hold of her hand.

“I felt much the same way about your mother.” Alon keeps his voice soft. “I was lucky enough she felt the same.”

Once again, Elayna wants to speak but the words escape her. Instead, all she can do is nod. Alon seems to understand. He doesn’t press her to speak. The two of them sit in silence for a long moment. 

Just as Elayna gathers the courage to speak, a knock sounds. Elayna stands up as a servant opens the door.

“The King.” The servant announces. Aemond steps into the room. The door shuts behind him. Elayna can feel her expression soften as soon as she sees him. She moves forward to greet him.

“I hope I am not interrupting anything.” Aemond steps forward. He does sound sincere.

“You aren’t.” Elayna reassures him. She turns back to Alon. “You remember Aemond?”

Elayna makes sure to subtly stress she says Aemond’s name and that she is not calling him King here. Alon nods.

“Yes, we were acquainted this morning.” Alon nearly drawls at her. Elayna heads back towards Alon, Aemond following her. Aemond takes the chair across from Alon, and Elayna settles herself in the chair beside him. 

“King Aemond. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“You may call me Aemond.” Aemond speaks. He looks at Alon as he does so. 

“Very well then, Aemond.” Alon dips his head. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“I merely wish to speak with you some. You mean much to Elayna.” Alon nods.

“I should hope I do.”

Aemond pauses. He carefully studies Alon.

“Elayna mentioned you grew up with my father and uncle. She said you were one of the few people who beat my uncle.”

Alon lets out a low laugh.

“Yes. Up until our Lord Commander of the King’s Guard, I was the only one with that distinction. Although, I suppose the ultimate honor goes to you.” Aemond merely lets out a low noise. “I was far closer to your father than I was your uncle. I hold no ill will. The Daemon you fought is not the Daemon I grew up with.” 

“I see.” Alon’s words seem to soothe some part of Aemond. He leans back in his chair. Alon waits until Aemond sits fully back before speaking again.

“Besides, I would not risk my daughter’s happiness over that.” Alon looks at Aemond. This time, he looks appraisingly at Aemond. “She is happy, yes?”

“Yes.” Aemond speaks with absolute certainty. His lone eye meets Alon’s. “Even before I became King, I found myself with few people to trust. Your daughter has always been the exception. She knows that is something I can never repay. If she is wanting for anything, all she has to do is ask.” Aemond’s lips twitch. “Besides. Both you and I know if Elayna were unhappy, she would simply leave.”

Elayna can’t help the laugh that escapes her. Alon lets out a noise suspiciously close to a snort.

“Oh, I am well aware of that.” Alon turns his teasing towards Elayna. “I have had many a discussion with our dear esteemed Lord Lannister and his younger brother Tymon about that.”

“Yes, well. Miserable doesn’t even begin to encompass how I felt there.” Elayna tosses her head back with a dramatic flare. Aemond reaches out and lightly places his hand on her forearm for a second. Alon lets out a soft noise almost like a sigh.

“I should have never let Seban ward you to them.” Alon sounds legitimately sad. He shakes his head. Elayna stands up and makes her way over to her father. She kneels down and places a hand on top of his old and wrinkled one.

“You were sick. There was nothing you could do.”

Alon scoffs. “I could have. If I had fought more or made it more clear to Seban that you would be miserable, maybe...”

“I would not have met Aemond if Seban had not done what he did.” Elayna runs her thumb over the back of Alon’s hand. “Had Seban not sent me to Casterly Rock, and had you not protected me from Tymon by sending me to the Red Keep after you called me back, I would no doubt be married to some generic Lord and be incredibly dissatisfied with my life. I do not begrudge you or Seban. Things turned out the way they were meant to.”

Alon doesn’t say anything. He closes his eyes and leans back. He seems to be considering Elayna’s words. 

“Elayna is right.” Aemond’s voice nearly makes Elayna jump. “I have no fondness for the Lannisters. However, they were instrumental in her and I meeting so I must extend some grace.” 

Aemond looks at Elayna. She knows what he is referring to. Even before he was King, Aemond made it clear that once the Lannisters stopped being useful, he would burn Casterly Rock to the ground. At the time, Elayna merely thought it was Aemond expressing rage at how they had treated his friend, but now. Now Elayna knows it was a declaration of love.

Alon doesn’t say anything. After a moment, he sighs and leans back in his chair.

“I do not mean to be rude, but I am not feeling well. I must save my energy for the feast tonight.” Elayna stands. Aemond moves to stand as well. When Elayna reaches her full height, she presses a kiss to the top of her father’s head.

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Elayna quietly exits her father's chambers. Aemond stays close to her. 

It’s not long before they have to get ready for the feast. Thankfully, Elayna thought ahead. While she never spoke a word of it to Aemond, she sent clothes and other belongings for the both of them to Castamere for when they visited. Ideally, it would have been for when Aemond asked Alon for her hand, but Elayna also knew the reality of the situation. A grim affair was just as likely as a joyous one. 

Aemond stays with Elayna and walks her to her chambers. Neither of them speak. Elayna can’t. Her throat hurts too much. Her eyes almost burn with unshed tears. Aemond doesn’t force conversation. He merely keeps step with her. It takes Elayna a moment to realize he’s standing closer to her than normal, as if he expects her to start crying at any moment. Elayna doesn’t know how she manages to keep a hold of herself until they reach the door to her quarters.

“I shall see you at the feast tonight?” Elayna realizes she’s defaulting to tried and true scripts to keep her emotions at bay. Aemond’s expression wavers. His forehead furrows, and he looks upset. He steps towards Elayna. His eye scans her face for a second. He pauses. Aemond looks left and then right quickly before speaking.

“Elayna...” He takes a deep inhale. “I will not push you about your father. But do not take that as me giving you permission to hide from me.”

“Hiding from you?” Elayna starts to scoff. She realizes it sounds hollow, even to her ears. She sighs. “Aemond, I...” She clears her throat. “I will not hide from you. I promise.”

Aemond makes a low ‘hm’. He almost seems as if he doesn’t believe her for a second. Eventually, he takes a step back.

“I shall see you tonight.” His response is curt. 

Elayna makes her way to her designated room. Her head pounds. She feels the want, the need, to cry build within her. She swallows and stamps it down. She cannot afford to do this now. Tonight? Tonight when no one is around and no one will hear or see her, she can. But not now. 

There is too much to attend to.

One of what Elayna considers to be her few gifts is her gift of foresight. After the war was over, Elayna quietly sent several chests over to Castamere. Alon grew sicker and sicker by the day. Elayna knew she would be called to go home at some point. She also knew Aemond would not let her go by carriage; he would see her to Castamere himself. 

Sending several chests ahead for him as well may have been hopefully. She's glad she did so.

The chests were only sent two moons ago, so the dresses inside still fit. After a quick bath, more to wash the smell of ozone and dragon off than anything else, Elayna stares at the dresses. Each one seemed like an excellent choice at the time but now. She isn't sure.

Eventually, one catches her eye.

It's perfect. It's elegant and refined without being showstopping or attention grabbing. It's red but not Lannister red, Reyne red. Small details in the pattern reveal not a lion but a dragon, curled about her waist. Elayna pairs it with her silver stole and silver jewelry with sapphires encrusted in them. 

She takes her time. Elayna knows. Deep within herself, she knows. This is Alon's last feast. 

Elayna presses her hand to her mouth.

Gods old and new, she would give anything, anything, to either have that not be the case or to not have this knowledge. She wants to scream and lash out, break things because she can. 

Instead, she swallows. She can do that later tonight, when no one is around. 

A knock on her door nearly makes her jump.

"Come in."

Aemond enters silently. He shuts the door carefully behind him. Elayna almost bursts into tears then and there. He doesn't say anything. She takes a deep breath.

"You... you. You don't want me to hide from you?" Her voice almost breaks. He crosses the room.

"I do not."

"Even when it is ugly?"

"Especially then." Aemond reaches out and places a gentle hand on her cheek. Elayna leans into his touch. 

"It will be ugly."

"I don't care. I will not have you hide any part of you."

Elayna nods her assent.

"I won't, then." She wets her suddenly dry lips. "And you... you will not hide from me?"

Aemond dips his head.

"I will not."

"Okay."

They make their way down to the great hall together. Elayna walks close to him. She needs him to ground her. For his part, Aemond shortens his stride so she may keep up with him.

When they get to the hall, their presence and entrance is announced. Everyone stands as they walk through. She can feel everyone's eyes on her. She does not care. They don't matter. Her father and family sit at the table at the front of the hall. Elayna keeps her gaze trained on them. Seban and Ryman smile openly, as well as her mother.

Alon practically beams. 

They sit at the large table. Normally, as Aemond’s Hand, Elayna sits to Aemond’s right. Elayna goes to do so, but Alon waves her away.

“You are my daughter. I will sit on this side to protect the King.” Alon gestures for Elayna to sit to Aemond’s left. Elayna narrows her eyes but does as her father says. She feels as if her father might be trying to set something up, although she isn’t sure what exactly.  

Elayna and Aemond sit. Alon waits.

"Thank you, everyone, who is here tonight." Alon's voice rings out in the hall. "It is with much pleasure we have found ourselves host to the King and his Hand, my daughter, Elayna." Approving murmurs ring out around the room. "Our portion of the surrounding forest hopefully plays host to the great dragon, Vhagar." Small laughs break out. "It has been quite some time since Castamere has been blessed with the presence of a King or Queen, which makes the honor of hosting our King much stronger. I cannot think of any greater honor to be bestowed in my lifetime." Alon pauses. "To King Aemond!"

The crowd echoes Alon's statement. Aemond merely bows his head. 

The feast begins.

Ryman sits on Elayna's right. He's a welcome and grounding presence. Elayna missed her younger brother. It feels good to see him again, even if the circumstances aren't ideal. 

As the first course wraps up, Alon motions for his page to begin refilling his cup. When the boy leans in, Alon whispers something to him. The boy nods and begins refilling other cups. As he waits for this task to be finished, Alon turns to Aemond.

“Rumor has it,” Alon leans in conspiratorially as he speaks, “that Boros Baratheon has been rather insistent on pushing one of his daughters towards you.”

Aemond merely arches an eyebrow. “Rumors travel far these days.”

“Only as far as the raven flies.” Alon merely hums. “If you will indulge me on one topic. I would like to know who your considerations are for Queen. You seem very tight lipped about it. Besides. It’s not as if I would tell anyone.”

“Father.” Elayna hisses. “ ‘Tis not the time.”

“I’m an old man. I am allowed to have my indulgences.”

“I only have one person in mind.” Aemond trains his gaze on Alon. Even on Aemond’s other side, Elayna can feel the intensity of Aemond’s gaze. 

“Do I get a name?”

“Elayna Reyne.”

Elayna’s heart leaps into her throat. She doesn’t know how her father feels about Aemond now that he’s met him. She knows he seems to like him, but she described Aemond in letters. Meeting someone in person is entirely different. 

Alon’s eyes meet Elayna’s.

“I suppose you could do worse.” He grins at the small, fake offended noise that leaves Elayna. Alon begins to stand. Addison looks at Alon, concern written all over her face. She starts to help Alon, but he shakes his head. He reaches full height. Everyone turns to look at Alon. He holds his goblet out.

“A toast.” Alon begins. Everyone lifts their goblet. “To the King. May he live long and his reign prosper.” Murmurs of agreement break out. “And to my daughter, Hand of the King, and future Queen, Elayna. May their union be strong and unwavering.”

Instantly, shocked murmurs break out. Seban cranes his head to look at Elayna while Ryman elbows her hard. Alon clears his throat.

“To the King and Queen.”

“To the King and Queen!”

As soon as the toast is over, people break out into whispers. Alon catches Elayna’s eye and smiles at her. She smiles back. Underneath the table, Aemond’s hand finds hers. She intertwines their fingers. 

“When were you going to tell me?” Ryman hisses. Elayna shrugs.

“Perhaps you were the only one I didn’t tell.” She murmurs into her goblet. Ryman shifts his leg. “Ah, kicking me would count as a crime now.” She can’t help but to dissolve into giggles at the look on his face. 

“You are an asshole.” He hisses.

“You should not speak to the future Queen that way. You should address her with respect.” Aemond looks at Ryman. For a second, Aemond’s slightly icy tone throws Elayna. “Just because she is your sister does not mean you can leave out her title.”

Elayna smirks at Ryman. It takes a moment for the fear to leave Ryman’s eyes, but once it does, he almost snorts.

“Forgive me.” He turns to Elayna. “You are an asshole, my Queen.” 

“That is acceptable, yes.” Aemond murmurs. Elayna hides her face by pretending to wipe her face and clears her throat in an attempt not to snort with laughter.

“Of course, Your Grace. I would not want to cause any offense.” Elayna nearly splutters at Ryman’s words. She opens her mouth to ask him how exactly calling her an asshole wouldn’t cause any offense when she hears footsteps behind her.

“Your Grace.” Seban greets. “Queen Elayna. May I have a word?’

Seban’s words are polite and formal, almost overly so. Elayna stares at him. No doubt his approach to teasing her would be the opposite of Ryman’s, leaning so far into formalities people would think they weren’t siblings.

“Of course.” 

Ryman stands up. “I do believe I’m being called.” He winks at Seban. Both Elayna and Seban do their best not to roll their eyes. No one was calling Ryman. When Ryman is a suitable distance away, Seban takes his seat. He looks at Elayna. Alon strikes up a conversation with Aemond. Elayna isn’t sure if it’s because he wants Aemond’s opinion on something or if he’s giving Seban time to talk with Elayna. Knowing Alon, it was likely both.

“How long?” He keeps his voice low.

“I don’t kn-”

“Elayna.” Seban nearly hisses. “I know you. You wouldn’t make this decision on a whim.”

Oh. Elayna swallows. She never really thought about Seban noticing things like that about her. Since he was much older than her and from a previous marriage, it often felt as if he was more of an adult than her brother. He was, in a way. He was seven when Elayna was born. By the time Elayna reached the age where she could remember things, he was already twelve and much too old to be hanging around someone barely done being a toddler.

“I...” She sighs softly. “Five months.”

She watches Seban do the math.

“After he killed the traitor Daemon?”

Elayna nods. “The same night.”

Seban sighs. He leans back a little in the chair. He eyes her for a second.

“I’m surprised it took that long.” Elayna’s mouth nearly drops open. Seban shakes his head. “I have friends in Court as well. The King’s fondness for you is well known.”

“Yes. Tymon loves to remind me.” She huffs. The mention of Tymon makes Elayna’s stomach sink, though.

By the Seven.

What were they going to do about that? Panic rises to her throat. It would be a bad look for her and Aemond to announce their engagement while at Castamere. It should be done when they were at the Red Keep. Normally, she would not care about things like that, but given the two of them will no doubt face unending questions and attempts to delegitimize their relationship at every turn, she knows everything counts. 

Seban reaches out. He places a hand on hers.

“No one is going to say anything.” Seban murmurs. “I’ve already begun telling people to keep word to themselves until they two of you are ready to announce it to everyone.”

“Seban...” Elayna swallows. Seban moves his head. 

“I do ask one thing.”

“What?”

“I want to be the one to tell Jason.” Elayna laughs.

“Only if I get to be the one to tell Tymon.”

“Deal.”

Seban holds out his hand. Elayna shakes it.

The feast continues well into the night. As Elayna laughs and jokes with her brothers, as she watches Ryman and Seban easily accept Aemond as if he was meant to be part of the family, as she watches her father and Aemond converse, she finds. She finds she wants nothing more than to live in this moment for the rest of her life. 

It is a perfect last memory of her father.

She knows that's what it is, what it must be. As she squeezes her father's hand for the last time when he departs, her lower lip behind to tremble.

"I love you." She manages.

"I love you too." Alon presses his lips to her temple. "Remember. No matter what. I am always proud of you."

Elayna keeps his words close to her chest. She has to.

For she knows the Stranger will visit in the night. The Stranger may take her father away, but He cannot take their bond away. She won't let Him. As she watches her mother carefully guide Alon to their chambers, Elayna realizes. The Stranger takes everyone away. He cannot take the love away, though. 

She clings to that knowledge like a lifeline. She knows she will need it in the coming days, weeks, months, years.

Aemond reaches out with one hand. Not under the table but on top, in the open. Elayna accepts. She interlaced her fingers with his and squeezes. When he squeezes back, she knows.

The Stranger cannot take this away either. 

She won't let Him.

Tags: @writingbylee​

#OC: Elayna Reyne #Aemond Targaryen x OC #Aemond Targaryen x OFC #HotD OC #aemond targaryen x elayna reyne #OC: Alon Reyne #Persephone writes #Death cw

[lady--elayna]

Elayna's phone rings.

She nearly jolts at the sound. Alon doesn't stir. His chest rises and falls with regularity. Elayna grabs her phone, fully intending on ignoring the call. The name flashing across her screen makes her pause.

Katie, one of the younger nurses, walks by at that moment. Perhaps she came over to check on Elayna.

"We'll watch him." She offers.

"Thank you." Elayna stands. She accepts the call as she heads towards the doors. Alon taught her to always take calls outside when in public places, so as not to disturb anyone else.

"Hello?"

"Miss Reyne." Tyland's voice greets her from the other end. His tone is almost bland.

"Mr. Lannister." Elayna makes her way out of the chemo ward. "How are you? I heard you're back in Paris."

"Yes. I arrived last week." Tylands hums. "I must say, I could be better."

"Oh? What's wrong?"

"I just got a troubling call from Jason." Tyland keeps his tone friendly and approachable. "He says he had a meeting with the Targaryens, and we lost our contract."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Oh, I don't think it's news to you." Ah. Elayna smirks to herself. That's the crack in his benign bean counter facade she wants to see. "He said we lost the contract to Castamere Financial. More specifically, we lost it to you."

"To me?" Elayna hums. She walks out into the hospital courtyard. "That's very flattering, but everything is still run by my father."

"Jason seemed under the impression it was to you."

"I will be working closely with the Targaryens, yes. But that does not mean it was lost specifically to me or because of me."

Tyland makes a small noise over the phone. "I see."

"You know Otto Hightower is a fickle bitch. He probably got upset with Jason and decided to punish him."

"Oh, I have no doubt Jason upset him." Tyland sounds almost amused. "I talked to Otto as soon as I heard. He says you were the one who brought Jason's indiscretions to light."

Elayna rolls her eyes. She barely stops herself from muttering something derogatory about Otto. "You make it sound as if I tattled. All I did was bring up concerns, but they were not why the meeting was called."

Tyland makes a low noise, one indicating he's not convinced.

"I didn't know the meeting was even happening until last week. I didn't even know I was to do anything other than be there until today." She offers. "I thought I was just along to ease any future transitions."

"So you didn't know you were tapped to work with them?"

"I didn't." Of course Elayna had her suspicions. She never asked, though. Mostly so she could answer this question honestly and in a way that made her not a threat.

Tyland stays silent for a moment. She wonders... If circumstances were different, what would he say? She finds for the briefest of moments she wants his verbal approval, like she used to get.

"Do you need to talk Jason off a ledge?" She teases to fill the space.

"No. He merely asked me to talk some sense into you. If that hasn't worked by now, I'm afraid it never will."

Elayna places a hand over her heart.

"You wound me."

"Yes, the truth can hurt." Tyland hums. "How is your father?"

Elayna swallows.

"Are you asking in a business capacity or friend capacity?"

"Friend."

"As well as can be expected."

"And if I said I was asking in a business capacity?"

"As well as can be expected."

Tyland lets out a low chuckle. "It sounds as if you don't trust me."

"It’s more..." Elayna sighs. "I don't particularly want to talk about it." She stops. "That, and I don't trust you right now."

"Probably wise."

#oc: elayna reyne #blurbs: modern au #OC: Alon Reyne #tyland lannister x oc

[quaithe-seastar]

The Dragon's Gold

Chapter Two

Pairing: Aegon II Targaryen x Aerys Reyne (male oc)

Summary: Aerys Reyne, son of Naerys Targaryen, the second-born daughter of King Viserys and Queen Aemma, has been best friends with Aegon since childhood. As boys, they had been inseparable. Many said that it reminded them of the early days of King Jaehaerys reign. When the princes Aemon and Baelon were still children. Wherever one boy was, it wasn't long before the other came running behind him. That was until forbidden desires of the heart forced a wedge between them. After the death of his grandsire, King Viserys, Aerys finds himself torn between two sides: stand by his oldest friend or stand by the only mother he has ever known.

Warnings: (18+ MDNI), Smut between two women, prostitution, underage drinking, implied underage smut (nothing too graphic), incest, Otto Hightower, and homophobia.

a/n: I want to clarify that Aerys is the same age as Aegon. Dialogue in italics means that the characters are speaking in high valyrian. I was just too lazy to attempt to translate it. Though, there may be some high valyrian thrown in here and there. No beta, so I apologize for any or all grammar and spelling mistakes.

Aerys

Aerys curled himself deeper into his blankets. His eyes remained glaring at the stony walls of his chambers. The boy's stomach ached from refusing to eat his supper earlier. The room was dark and there was a slight chill in the air. Only the moonlight coming from the window lit up the cold gray stone walls. It had been an entire day since Rhaenyra had departed with her family. Hours since Aerys had moved from his bed. He had hoped to sleep his despair away, but it seemed like sleep was determined to evade him. The castle was quiet, too quiet for the boy. Everyone has most likely gone to sleep by now. Yet Aerys remained wide awake, to mull over his sad thoughts.

Since he was a little boy, Rhaenyra had been the only mother he had ever known. Having lost both of his parents at the ripe age of four. He could remember his mother’s voice, but her face was becoming a fading memory in his mind. Nyra had the ring with his mother’s portrait commissioned for his thirteenth name day. It was his most prized possession. Aerys also had many portraits of his parents that he had made himself, but he was never pleased with them. They always felt like they were missing something.

The slight creek of his chamber door freed him from his mind. Assuming it was a maid, he remained glaring at the gray stone wall, in hopes they would go away. Aerys let out a soft grunt as something collided with his back. The young man quickly sat up, turning to find the assailant. Aegon stood at the end of the bed dressed in beggar clothes. It was not an unfamiliar sight for Aerys. Aegon had stood at the bottom of Aerys’ bed and begged him to join him in his adventures many times.

“Put them on,” Aegon whispered.

Aerys turned his head down. There was a brown sack lying at his side. He began to pull the contents out of the bag. It was a disguise similar to the one Aegon wore. Aerys dropped the clothes on his lap.

“Aegon, I can’t-”

“No!” He whispered harshly. His face was scrunched up in anger. “I understand you are upset about Rhaenyra, but that is exactly why you must come. To get your mind off of it. Besides, how would you live with yourself if something happened to me? Something that you could have prevented if you came with me.”

“You've gone out alone plenty of times,” Aerys scoffed.

“So? Now, get dressed.”

Aerys rolled his eyes before getting out of bed. Perhaps Aegon was right. He needed to clear his head before his sadness consumed him. Aerys quickly changed into the clothes Aegon had given him. The Targaryen prince gave him a nod before motioning him to take his hand. The pair quickly and quietly made their way out of the room. They slipped into a nearby storage closet that had a hidden entrance to one of the castle's many secret passages. The two boys moved a large cart out of the way before placing their hands on the wall. They turned to each other and gave a nod. The two pushed with all the force they could muster until the wall gave in. The two nearly toppled over each other. Aerys was quickly able to grab Aegon's cloak, saving the boy from landing face-first on the ground.

The two boys shared a glance before slapping their hands over their mouths to stifle their laughter. Aegon took Aerys by the hand before leading them through the tunnel. Aerys was unsure of where they were. He didn’t have nearly as much experience using the secret passages as Aegon did. So he quietly let Aegon lead him forward. It wasn’t long before they came to the room that held the skull of Balerion, also known as The Black Dread. The dragon of Aegon the Conqueror, Maegor the Cruel, Princess Aerea, and King Viserys. Though his grandsire only rode the great dragon once, before he died of old age. Oh, what Aerys would give to have been able to simply look at Balerion in his prime.

In the darkness, it felt as though something was watching him. His eyes lingered on the skull as they passed. For a second he could have sworn he saw black eyes staring back at him. Aerys shook his head. His old wet nurse used to tell him that shadows liked to play tricks on the minds of men.

It didn’t take long before they made it outside of the castle gates. Aegon held onto Aerys’ hand as he led him through the crowded streets. The stench was the first thing to hit him. The city smelled of smoke, wine, piss, and what he could only assume was sex. Despite being so late into the night, the city seemed more alive than ever. A stark contrast to the dark quiet castle. There were hordes of people everywhere. Men clustered together as they drank and sang old songs of war. Men pulled women into their laps to fondle them. Women wearing scandalous dresses that left nothing to the imagination. Musicians were seated against the walls as they performed for all the see. The two boys came to a halt as a fight broke out before them. Aegon pulled Aerys to the side to keep him out of the way. One of the men dropped to the ground. He was quickly surrounded by people picking through his pockets.

It was all so thrilling. He could hear hundreds of different conversations all going on at once. As they turned the corner there was a woman on the ground on all fours as a man pumped inside her from the back. Her back arched as she moaned in pleasure. A deep blush crept onto his face. Never in his life had he seen such a sight. Aegon had told him many stories over the last two years since he began sneaking out of the castle, but now he was seeing it all for himself. Even as they passed the couple they did not stop, both eager to reach their climax.

“Riveting, isn’t it?” Aegon whispered into his ear.

Aerys gave him a shy nod. “Where are we going?”

“Don’t worry, we’re almost there.”

They squeezed their way through another crowded street.

“Out of the way boy!” A drunkard growled as he brushed past Aerys.

Multiple women leaned against the stone walls. Their dresses hiked up, flaunting their smooth legs. They waved and called out flirtatiously to all the men who passed. Their looks ranged from young to old, thin to large, tall to short, yellow-haired to raven-haired, pale-skinned to dark ebony.

The two came to a set of wide-opened doors of a two-story building. The entrance was lit up by two ornate lamps of gilded metal and emerald glass. The overwhelming scent of incense filled his nose. Men and women were constantly flowing in and out of the building. Aerys quickly realized it was a pleasure house. They made their way inside. From the entrance of the door, it was a straight shot to the common room. The room was filled with tapestries, colorful curtains, and rugs. Multiple women lounged upon cushioned alcoves. Some were seated on the laps of their patrons, grinding their bodies together, laughing at whatever the men whispered to them as if it were the funniest thing in the world. Some were intertwined with one another, sensually running their hands over each other.

An older woman approached the two of them. She had long yellow hair that reached past her hips. Her body was tall and lean. The two had to look up to meet her eyes. They were blue. They matched the dress she wore. She had a long aquiline nose, high cheekbones, and plump rosy lips. Her skin seemed to have a warm tan to it. The dress pushed her rather large bosoms up for display. Aerys blushed as he returned his eyes to her face.

“It’s been a while,” she smiled.

“Yes, it has. This is my friend's first time in the city. I want to make sure he enjoys himself.” Aegon said proudly as he wrapped his arm around Aerys’ shoulder.

“Of course. Is there anything in particular you’re looking for?” The woman asked.

Her soft honeyed voice was almost heavenly. Aerys believed he could listen to her speak for hours on end. Aegon moved towards the woman who leaned down. He whispered something into her ear that made her laugh. Aerys nervously clenched his hands into fists. There was no telling what Aegon was whispering to her, and the mystery unnerved him. The two finally pulled away from each other. Aegon moved back to Aerys' side.

“Right away my prince. For now, let me have one of my girls escort you to your room. Willa!” The woman called out.

A young woman approached them. Aerys assumed this was Willa. She was a pretty-looking woman. Her long brown hair was thick and curly. Large brown eyes stared at him apprehensively. They reminded him of a doe. A sweet little doe. She placed her hands on her hips in a seductive manner, but he could tell she was tense. Her baby pink dress showed off her voluptuous figure. She was tall and round, but not unpleasantly so. Her skin was a beautiful copper color that seemed to glow under the candlelight.

“Take these two gentlemen to a room.” The yellow-haired woman instructed.

“Of course, this way gentlemen.” Willa batted her eyelashes as she walked ahead of them.

Aegon intertwined their fingers, pulling Aerys along. They made their way up a set of stairs, careful to avoid the woman who leaned against the rails of the staircase. Many of them playfully toyed with his hair as he passed. Willa led them down a hall. The hall was filled with multiple rooms on both sides. Some doors were closed but you could very clearly hear what was going on inside. Some were open with women leaning seductively against the door frames. And then there were some open with small crowds of people inside watching as men pounded away at the women beneath them.

Aegon squeezed his hand, recapturing Aerys' attention. There was a wide smirk on his face as he looked at Aerys' flustered face. Willa led them down another hallway. This one was much quieter, with fewer rooms. All the rooms were dark and empty. She led them to the end of the hall, pushing open a beautifully carved door. The squared room was beautiful. It was lit up by lamps of gilded metal and decorated with colorful jewels. In the center of the room was a large canopy bed. The bed was covered with maroon and purple silks and velvet blankets. The floor was covered with purple rugs. The stone walls of the room were covered with colorful tapestries of nude women.

“Fetch us some wine!” Aegon commanded Willa as he removed his cloak.

“Right away,” the woman nodded before taking her leave.

Aerys waited for the door to close before speaking.

“What did you tell the woman downstairs?” He asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

Aegon let out a bored sigh as he walked over to Aerys. His fingers began tugging at the string of Aerys’ cloak.

“It’s a surprise, Aerys. Consider it a gift from your dear uncle.”

“A gift?” Aerys scoffed.

“Yes, a gift. Now quit squirming, I’m trying to get this off you.”

Aegon let out a shout of triumph as the cloak fell to the floor. The Targaryen prince moved to sit on the bed. He pulled off his tunic and kicked off his boots. He moved to lean against the headboard, resting on a mountain of pillows.

“Well come on, or do you plan on standing the entire evening?”

Aerys nodded before following suit. His skin prickled with goosebumps as the night air hit his skin. There was a quick knock at the door before it opened. Willa returned holding a tray with a flagon of wine and two glasses. Behind her came the yellowed-haired woman and two more people. It was hard for Aerys to discern if they were men or women. They wore thick black cloaks with hoods that concealed their faces. Willa set the tray down on the table next to the bed. She poured the wine and handed it to them. The yellow-haired woman dismissed her once she was done. Aerys found himself watching her until she disappeared behind the door.

“Gentlemen, I introduce you to the lovely ladies, Melira and Serenei.” The yellow-haired woman announced with a smile.

The two figures unlaced their cloaks before dropping them to the ground. The dark cloaks pooled at their feet. The first thing Aerys noticed was their beautiful silver hair. They had pale blue eyes, even prettier than the older woman beside them. As his eyes trailed down Aerys suddenly became aware of their nakedness.

“Two beauties from the island of Lys. Maidens, just as you asked.”

“They will do. Leave us.”

The yellow-haired woman bowed before leaving, pulling the door closed behind her. Aerys tried his best to look at their faces. Aegon jumped to his feet. He circled the two women, inspecting them. The shorter woman was around Aegon’s height while the other stood a head taller. The prince turned his head to gauge his reaction. Aerys cast his eyes down to the wine in his glass.

“Don’t be such a prude Aerys! Feast your eyes upon their beauty,” Aegon proclaimed as he fondled the shorter one’s breast from behind. “It’s what I bought them for. Which one are you?”

“Serenei, my prince.” The woman gasped as his fingers toyed with her nipples.

“Alright,” Aegon sighed. “My friend is new to this sort of thing. I want you both to put on a nice show for us.”

“Of course, my prince.” They both answered.

Aegon moved back to his spot on the bed. The two women crawled onto the bed. They sat on their knees at the edge of the bed. The taller one moved first. Pulling Serenei in for a kiss. Sweet simple pecks at first before they became longer and more passionate. Serenei moaned against Melira’s lips. Their hands pawed at one another. Gently caressing each other's breasts. Melira’s chest was much larger than Serenei’s. The shorter woman pulled back, getting on her hands and knees. She lowered her head to take one of Melira’s nipples in her mouth. Melira threw her head back slightly, moaning at the sensation. She trailed her nails down Serenei’s back. While she used the other to hold the woman’s head.

“Lovely aren’t they?” Aegon whispered into Aerys’ ear.

Aerys could only respond with a nod. He shifted in his seat as he watched Serenei dip a hand between the other woman’s legs. Her arm moved back and forth as she played with the woman’s cunt. Melira let out a loud moan before pushing the woman away. Serenei giggled as she fell onto her back, spreading her legs from Melira to crawl between them.

“Would you like me to taste her, my prince?” Melira asked.

“I’m not sure. Aerys, would you like that?” Aegon asked.

Aerys' face felt like it was on fire. No doubt his cheeks were as red as blood. The two women looked at him, giggling.

“Umm, I-I don’t...”

“Relax Aerys,” Aegon laughed. “Go ahead, taste her.”

The two carried on with what they were doing. Melira kissed down the woman’s body until her face reached her cunt.

“She’s so wet, my prince.” Melira moaned.

Aerys raised his cup to his lips, enjoying the warmth of the wine as it went down. He moved his cup towards Aegon, who was quick to fill it up again. And so the night carried on. The two boys watched as the women played with each other. Aerys was unsure of how long it had been. The wine had begun to cloud his mind long ago. There seemed to be no end to it. As soon as he finished a glass more appeared. Now it was Serenei between Melira’s legs. Her thin fingers pumping inside the woman’s sopping cunt. Feeling eyes on him, Aerys turned his head to find Aegon watching him.

“What?” Aerys asked, raising his glass to his lips. He cursed as he felt the liquid run down his chin.

“You’ve got a little...here.” Aegon laughed, pointing an unsteady finger toward the side of his mouth.

Aerys poked out his tongue, licking the corner of his mouth. “There?”

“No,” Aegon giggled. “Other side, other side.”

Aerys rolled his eyes as he moved his tongue to the other side. He could taste the slight bitterness of the spilled wine. “There, I think I got it.”

He turned his head to find Aegon glaring at him. He furrowed his brows in confusion. Had he done something? They were just fine a minute ago. He parted his lips to speak but something else happened. Aegon leaned in, capturing Aerys’ lips with his own. Dazed, Aerys found himself reciprocating. He felt Aegon slip his tongue into his mouth as if it were the most natural thing in the world. The bitter aftertaste of the wine lingered much stronger on his tongue. Aerys' body responded to Aegon’s affection before his mind could. His hands gripped the Targaryen prince’s hips pulling him closer. They both groaned as their bare chests pressed against each other.

As Aerys felt Aegon's hand slip down between his legs his mind quickly caught up to speed. He jerked his head back, finally breaking the kiss. Aegon tried to lean forward to reconnect but stopped when Aerys placed a hand on his chest.

“What? What happened?” He asked, his violet eyes shifting between Aerys’ eyes and lips.

“What are you- what are we doing?” Aerys swallowed, pressing his hand harder against Aegon's chest to keep him at bay.

“You taste sweet,” Aegon hummed.

“Aegon we- we can’t be doing that.”

“Why?” He frowned as if he was confused as to why what they just did was wrong.

If this were any other circumstance Aerys would have found it adorable.

“Because it’s- it’s wrong.”

“How is it wrong?”

“Because we- we’re family.”

“So? In case you haven’t noticed this is something quite common in our family.”

“We’re both men! It’s wicked and immoral.”

“Ser Laenor fancy’s men. Do you find him wicked or immoral?”

“No, I-. . . that’s not what I’m saying...” Aerys murmured.

He felt Aegon slip his fingers under his chin, lifting his head. Aerys stared into those warm familiar violet eyes. Something he had done many times before.

“This is not wrong, Aerys. It’s just a kiss. We’ve done it once before, you liked it then too.” Aegon smiled, tracing his thumb over Aerys’ lips. “I won’t take it any further than you allow, I swear it. I just...want to kiss you.”

Aerys could feel his self-control melting away.

“Just...kissing right?”

“Just kissing.” Aegon agreed.

Aerys gave a small nod, dropping his hand from the prince’s chest. His body was tense as Aegon leaned in once more, reconnecting their lips. It was awkward at first until Aegon's fingers slipped into his hair. Something that had always calmed him down. Aegon slipped his tongue back between Aerys' lips. And without hesitation, Aerys found his hands gripping onto Aegon's waist pulling him closer. The two women had been forgotten until Aerys felt one move behind him. Her bare breasts were pressed against his chest as she moved her hand to his hair to take Aegon’s place. Aegon pulled his head back.

“Get out!” He hissed.

The two women froze in confusion, until he raised his voice, ordering them out a second time. “Out!”

The two quickly grabbed their cloaks before sprinting out of the room.

“That was cruel,” Aerys giggled.

“I’ll make sure they’re well compensated,” Aegon smirked, as he moved onto his knees.

Aerys scooted his body down a bit so he could be more comfortable. His neck was slightly sore from leaning against the headboard for so long. Aegon crawled between his legs. His hands were placed on both sides of Aerys' head. He bent down and their lips met with such lustful urgency. Aerys pushed Aegon away just enough to roll over on top of him without breaking the kiss. He pressed his tongue deep inside the Targaryen prince’s mouth, taking control.

“I want you,” Aegon mumbled against his lips as they finally parted ways.

He cast his eyes downwards, refusing to look Aerys in the eyes. His voice was soft and timid, no longer holding its usual smug and insouciant tone. Aerys was unsure of what he wanted to do. He had never been with a man before, or anyone for that matter. Sex was never something he was interested in before now. Aegon would often tell him of the many late-night trysts he had with women on the street of silk, but he had never mentioned any men. Aerys wondered if he had ever been with one. And even more concerning for the young man, he found himself growing jealous at the thought of another man touching him like this.

“Are you sure?” There was a slight slur to his voice, another sign of the wine taking effect. “I’ve never-”

“I know Aerys...but I want this. I want to do this together. We’ve always done everything together.”

Aegon gave him a sweet smile. His fingertips trailed from the mole on Aerys’ right cheek down to his chin, pulling him down to kiss him again this time deeper, slower, hungrier.

Aerys felt Aegon dig his fingers into his hips and pull him closer, their clothed middles pressed against each other. He pulled back with a hiss but still rested his forehead against Aegons. Aerys rolled his hips closer, enjoying the feeling of Aegon’s nails digging into his skin. The night was just beginning for the two.

—

The candles in the room had burned out. The streets were beginning to quiet down, as dawn approached. The two boys were wrapped in each other’s embrace. Aegon rested his head against Aerys' chest, still fast asleep. However, once again Aerys’ mind had refused to let him rest. Aegon had opened the window shutters before he fell asleep, allowing the night air and moonlight to come through. He did not know what to think about what they had just done, but years of hearing how wrong it was began weighing down on him. Yet he could not bring himself to say he regretted it. In truth, he had never experienced something so thrilling, so...addicting.

“You're thinking too loud, it disturbed me from my slumber.”

“How inconsiderate,” Aerys smiled. “You have my apology.”

Aegon pushed himself up, shifting all his weight onto his elbow. His cold, long fingers sent a chill down Aerys’ spine, as they trailed down his chest.

“An apology? So gracious of you, perhaps you deserve a reward.”

Aerys’ face was burning something fierce, as Aegon's soft lips trailed kisses down his stomach.

“Do you want me to stop?” Aegon asked.

Aerys wanted anything but.

“No, keep going...please.” His face burned hotter.

His mind and body both begging to be touched. To feel those cold fingers trace every inch of his skin.

“I think I like it when you beg,” Aegon purred, his nails dug into the boy's skin. Dragging from his chest down to his hips.

Aerys let out a heavy sigh. The slight sting only added to the pleasure. His back arched against the dragon prince’s touch. Aerys’ stomach was filled with anticipation of what was to come. He felt his heart pounding in his chest, beating loudly against her ears. Aerys’ hands clenched tightly at the blanket, unsure of what to do with them. His hips bucked at the feeling of Aegon's warm breath against the skin of his lower stomach.

The sound of a loud bang and splintering wood made them jump in fear. The carved oak door creaked loudly, having nearly been knocked off its hinges. The two boys were frozen, their eyes wide with shock and horror. There at the entrance of the room stood a knight wearing the colors of House Hightower, and Otto Hightower himself. Staring at the two boys with nearly the same expression. Though in his eyes there was something dark, something almost malevolent.

“Grandfather, I-I didn’t know you were here. How did you find us?” Aegon asked, his voice shaky.

“Get dressed!” The man snarled, a look of disgust covering his face. “Both of you!”

The two boys quickly jumped away from each other. Roughly pulling on their clothes as fast as they could. Once they were done they stood a great distance apart, staring at their feet. The older man said nothing as he turned and left the room, his cape swishing behind him. The unknown knight growled at the two boys, motioning them to follow. Not a word was spoken as they followed the reinstated hand of the king. Aerys grew confused and anxious. The way he was leading them was not the way they had come. Yet he did not question it, too afraid of what might happen if he dared to speak. He stared at his feet, not bothering to try and remember the path they took. A door creaked quietly and he found himself stepping out into a small dark alley.

“Lift your hoods,” the hand commanded as they neared the end of the alley.

They walked until they made it to Fishmongers Square, where a small carriage awaited them. The ride back to the castle was silent. Though Aerys’ could feel the eyes of Otto Hightower glaring at him. He suddenly wished to have Nyra at his side. She would know what to do, she always did. She would not hesitate to speak up in his defense. But now she was gone, sailed off to Dragonstone. All that was left was his grandsire, King Viserys. The boy loved his grandsire he truly did, but the man was weak. Always so busy trying to keep everyone happy. Always trying to keep the peace between the queen and the princess. Something he often failed at miserably.

The two boys were taken to the tower of the hand. The castle was practically void of all life at this time, so they did not have to fear lurking eyes. The hand paced back and forth, glaring at them every so often before continuing. The boys sat across from each other at the table that sat in the hand’s bed chamber. The silence was deafening. They were unsure of what the old man was waiting for. Aerys could not bring himself to even look up from the worn-down wood of the table. He felt Aegon kick at his foot, trying to get his attention. But Aerys would not look at him. The door swung open. Aerys looked up to find that the queen had entered the room. She wore a thick green robe, most likely to cover her nightdress. Her hair was unkempt, an unusual sight for the usual well-put-together queen.

“Leave us, Ser Yoren,” Otto commanded.

The knight’s armor clinked as he took his leave. Aerys felt as if he were going to be sick. As soon as the door closed the queen spoke.

“What has happened?” She asked.

“What happened is that I found these two laying together in a brothel, with my grandson about to put his own nephew's cock in his mouth!” The old man hissed, his voice laced with venom.

Aerys jumped in his seat at the noise. The bile rose in his throat, threatening to spill out. His entire body was shaking, riddled with fear.

“What? That is a lie! They would never-”

“Do you believe I would lie about something like this? Something so odious, something so vile!”

“No, I only meant-”

“Your uncle told me there was nothing to fear with you alone at court, and I tried to believe him. I tried to have faith in you, but for you to let something like this happen-”

“I did not let this happen-”

“Silence!” He seethed.

The queen's eyes widened in fear before she quickly cast her eyes to the floor. The man sighed before turning away from her and walking towards the table.

“Fortunately for the two of you, no one was able to recognize you. The two whores have been dealt with. But make no mistake,” the man warned, his voice dangerously low. “This will never happen again, or there will be serious consequences for the both of you. Alicent, escort my grandson back to his chambers. Ensure that a knight is placed inside of his room, to keep an eye on him.”

“Yes, Father...and what of Aerys?” She asked.

“I will have him escorted by Ser Yoren, now go.”

“Yes Father, come Aegon!” She commanded, motioning the boy to go to her.

Aerys turned his head to look at Aegon. Surely he wouldn’t leave him. Aegon stood to his feet, his eyes shifted to look at the boy across the table. Aerys looked at him with the best pleading eyes he could muster, begging him to stay. Aegon lowered his head and walked to his mother. Aerys watched, devastated. His lip trembled, his eyes burned with tears, and his heart began pounding in his ears. He dropped his head, staring at his feet.

“Look at me boy.” Otto hissed.

Aerys remained still. How could he? How could Aegon abandon him like this? This was all his fault!

“Look at me!”

Aerys barely had time to raise his head before the back of the old man’s hand connected with his cheek.

The harsh smack echoed through the room. The ringing in his ear and the stinging in his eyes made it difficult to register what had happened. He looked at the man before him at a loss for words. The man’s hand was still in the air. For a second the man shared a look of bewilderment before his eyes burned with fury.

“How dare you!” The man spat. “How dare you befoul my grandson with your depravity-”

Aerys turned his head to look away but the old man was quick to catch his chin in his hand. Aerys winced at the pain, trying to wriggle away.

“What kind of perversion is this?” He hissed.

His eyes darkened with loathing.

“No doubt this is the influence of your dear aunt and her husband. They’ve spent the last decade flouting their transgressions at court without shame. And I see they have planted the seeds of their debauchery in you. But as I said, this will not happen again. Be grateful for who your family is, boy. If you were anyone else I would have you gelded and sent off to the wall. Though you may prefer that, being what you are. Being trapped with a bunch of men who are so desperate to satisfy their depraved urges that they’ll fuck anything that moves must sound like paradise to you.”

The man backed away, though his eyes still glared at the boy. He stood up tall, his head held high. Aerys could feel the burning heat still emanating from his cheek.

“Ser Yoren will escort you to your chambers. I’ll send someone to clean that up.” The old man pointed his finger toward the boy's face. Shakily, Aerys raised his fingers to touch his cheek. He pulled them back to find himself bleeding. Not a lot of blood, just a drop or two, mostly likely from the large rings on the man’s fingers.

“You will not breathe a word of this night to anyone. As far as you’re concerned it never happened. But heed my warning boy. This will never happen again. Am I understood?”

Aerys moved his eyes to meet the old man’s gaze. Still unable to speak, he nodded in response.

“Good, now go.”

The boy could feel his knees buckle as he stood. He moved hesitantly, scared that the man would strike him again. Their eyes never left each other until Aerys was out the door. He could hear the old man whisper something to the knight. A moment later he heard the sound of footsteps trailing behind him.

Aerys sat quietly, his nails digging into the palms of his hands. The maester dabbed at the small cut on his cheek. They didn’t speak a word. Only the sound of crackling firewood filled the room. The sky was just beginning to turn a light blue. It wouldn’t be long before the pitter-patter of rushing servants rang through the halls of the castle.

“Alright, it should heal up within a few days. No need for stitches. Expect some bruising. You really ought to be more careful. There have been many young lords who met their ends tumbling down a flight of stairs.”

“Of course maester, it was a foolish mistake. Too much wine I suppose.”

“Mmm yes, that sounds about right. Alright, you should try and sleep now. Perhaps some dreamwine would help-”

“No!” The boy snapped.

The maester looked at him taken aback.

“My apologies maester, but I’m alright. There is no need.”

“Of course, I shall take my leave.” The maester bowed his head before leaving.

Once the door slammed closed he moved to the looking glass in the corner of the room. His iris eyes almost could not recognize the boy who stared back at him. There was a small cut beneath his eyes. Dark from the dried blood, and the salve the maester placed on it to keep it from infecting. The skin of his left cheek, as well as his left eye, looked red and slightly swollen. But it was not his injury that perturbed him. He had been bruised before. From accidents during sword training and from actually falling down the stairs once. He undressed, tossing the tattered clothes to the side.

Perhaps Otto Hightower was right. The seeds of sin were planted within him. Such sins weighed heavy on his heart, on his soul. He felt unclean, tainted. His nails dug into his skin scratching away at some unremitting itch that would not go away. Could he ever be forgiven? Would the gods be able to forgive such blasphemy? Such filth...

Aerys turned his head back to the small round table he and the maester had been sitting at. There was a larger copper bowl sitting in the middle. He walked over to dip his fingers into the bowl. The water had cooled. The cold water caused the hair on his arms to rise. He grabbed the rag from the bowl, not bothering to wring it. Water dripped down his skin as he scrubbed with contempt. Sobs racked his body as he struggled to reach his back. In frustration, he tossed the rag to the floor. His chest heaved heavily as he struggled to breathe. He swung his arm out, swiping the bowl off the table. Water splashed everywhere and the metal echoed as it hit the floor.

Aerys allowed himself to drop with it. He rocked himself back and forth, burying his face into his hands. His skin was red and raw, it burned as the morning breeze brushed against him. The boy found himself utterly exhausted now. He lay on his side, curling himself into a ball. Wrapping his arms around himself, he began to hum a tune. It was the lullaby his mother used to sing for him. He could no longer remember the words, but he remembered the melody. At long last, darkness overtook him.

#aegon ii x oc #aegon ii targaryen #aegon ii fanfic #king aegon #house of the dragon fanfic #hotd #fire and blood #asoiaf fanfic #male!oc #hotd aegon #orginal character #targcest #aegon the second #aegon the elder #aegon angst #aegon x male!oc

[pqrachel]

So I came across @spicymancer's "Rumble after Dark" fighting game OCs and it kind of inspired me to think about a fighting game AU featuring a bunch of my OCs from different universes. (Mine wouldn't be as NSFW but maybe a little never hurt, since it's just for art anyways...)

None of this obviously would be canon but just thinking about the fighting game archetypes as a method of character exploration has been fun. And most of my fighting game experience comes from platform fighters so my archetype knowledge is a little whack but if you'll excuse that then,

My initial castings are these: (Long-ass ramble with multiple OCs and no sketches yet.)

Blanksford Series: -Gabby (Would be a Hit & Run Mix Up character. Using their teleportation and skateboarding to move around in a unique way. Might have a playstyle similar to Bridget Guilty Gear.) -Madi (While she's doesn't have any powers in-universe and wouldn't be much of a fighter on her own, her TTRPG char KyoVee would be a fun ranged zoner character. Definitely a lil shit, think Pac-Man / Pichu from Smash.) -Taylor (Give him a bit of gym time and training and he could be a well-rounded rushdown type of fighter, nothing too gimmicky prob my most standard fighter on the list. To make him more unique he could double as the announcer because that'd be super in character.) -Aeri (Even though she has powers in-universe she avoids conflict at all costs, so instead her TTRPG char (who doesn't have a name yet) would be an excellent grappler. A big orc with an axe. In my head I'm thinking of that scene in Drawtective where Gyorik put the bad guy in arm jail, mixed with Loxodont from Rivals 2.) -Artemis (Might take her off this list as I do sketches but for now she's a ranged zoner. Using her bow to keep distance, might play similar to Green Arrow from Injustice, idk) -Ultra-Dude (Of course I had to feature this dude as a heavy. He'd just be great for it. And it's not like I've been using him in-universe for anything other than that asshole with the strength and healing powers.)

Colostle: -Correll [Pirate Arc] (I think Correll would be a fun mid-range zoner. Using her spear to keep distance and her ice magic as a fun gimmick to make her a bit more unique. -Ivy Reyne (Definitely a fast and fun rushdown character. Like imagine Maypul from Rivals but grounded. She's agile AF and hits harder than you'd expect.) -Gratt & Tic Tac (I thought this would be a fun duo-fighter. Since Aanya's not my own OC I wanted to keep my Colostle reps pre-Tic Tac's death as far as timelines go but Tic alone wouldn't be enough. I didn't want to pair him with Correll cuz I thought that'd be a little hard and honestly the thought of leaving Gratt out felt bad, and with Tic Tac's help they could actually stand a chance.)

Mystic Mysteries: -Emra Corvus (The OG MysMys character. While I haven't focused on her a lot in-universe lately, I think she could be fun here. Using different elemental magic as stances. Like a mix of Robin and Shulk from Smash.) -Tehl (My biggest OC excluding actual gods and monsters. Xe'd easily be a heavy. Probably with a playstyle similar to Sylvanos from Rivals, instead of forest powers though xe'd used alien tech to backup xir playstyle.) -Dawn Ronik (I think she'd be a pretty well-rounded fighter. Again borrowing some of Tehl's alien tech for support but mostly just beign agile and powerful. Nothing too strong in any category but very hard to take advantage of.)

And my random OC to finish it off: -Syble (She was originally design as a rivals workshop character before I realized how much effort making an actual workshop character really was. She'd play kind of similar to Maypul or Shiek but with her own teleportation gimmicks. I've talked about these when I designed her and I think they're still on my tumblr somewhere though you might have to check back a bit to find them.) -pqkR6 (Easily a fighting game character, it'd be a robotic shoto fighter. Agile and able to take hits but also quick enough to get in its own damage.) -Hackphlegm (As a goblin sorcerer, he'd be a fun ranged hit&run/zoner type fighter. Might be too similar to Emra in playstyle would have to differentiate them somehow but other than that he's a solid inclusion.) -Darcy (Not a character I thought I'd bring back but looking at the archetypes I thought I needed more heavies. Darcy's werewolf form would be a grappler who's pretty big and would be weird to design around but fits really well into a fighting game.) -And also I might need one or two new OCs to tie it all together. (Off the top of my head I think one archetype I'm missing is the enby with a scythe archetype. You know characters like Thanatos, Testament, & Sawyer.) -And for another... (I'm also somehow missing a swordie. Like where's my over-inclusion of Fire Emblem characters. Like I have bladed weapons but they're mostly daggers. Gabby's skateboard maybe could be used like a sword but they wouldn't be a "swordie". Again Aanya's not my OC even though she's in my stories so I don't want to use her. Maybe make a few origin changes and my Terrarian could fit this role. Or Drake is an OC I haven't touched since I removed him from Blanksford canon years ago, he might fit here.)

#justsometext #fighting game au

[kadoodles-on-ao3]

So uh... How do you feel about Nikol's existence?

I technically shouldn't know who that is yet but... I do. And. Well. You can probably guess by how you worded this ask hahaha.

Not surprised at all, if you like them as a couple then good for you and hope you're enjoying the DLC, you don't need me on your side because they're canon so that can satisfy you content-wise plus my opinions are silly and don't matter, etc etc, all I've said before applies here.

Honestly, if anything, the only unique thing I have to add here* is how his design really demonstrates how much Shulk and Fiora look like siblings lmao. There's even a (really cool!) fan mod to alter Fiora's hair and skin color to look more like her (actual) brother, so I'm not alone in seeing this haha.

So, Nikol. He sure does exist. Dude looks just like Shulk because his dad and mom both look like Shulk so what else could he look like. That's about all the thoughts I have haha (at least until I actually play more of 3 and see what he's like).

Non-ask-related ramblings under the cut because it's me, of course I rambled haha.

As I really don't like to nor want to rain on anyone's parade, as well as enjoy talking about the ship I like (because of course), I've made an effort to mentally retrack my train of thought (? idk how else to describe it lol) whenever my NOTP comes up by converting it into an opportunity to talk about my OTP instead of complaining. (See also my comment on What If We Kissed In The Weapons Development Lab where I mentioned going back into my fic and adding more details of Shulk being enamored by Melia whenever I came across Shiora while writing it lol.)

So, Shulkelia kids! I'm personally not one for creating OCs, in general or for media I like. Not that I dislike them or even the thought/process of making them! It just doesn't come to me as easily or interest me as much as digging into canon details and playing around with them. But I did come up with a couple rough concepts for what they might look like and how their parents might decide on their names... if they even would want to have kids in the first place, that is, I'm still unsure about that haha. But fanfiction can be whatever you want it to be and that's the fun of it, so maybe sometime I'll try developing those small ideas into something more (especially if it's something people are interested in reading)! If anything I'm most attached to my little blurbs I wrote about how they and their kids would interact with Reyn and Sharla and their kids, lots of cute potential there :)

(*Well, I can add something more, and I originally was going to do it! Not to contradict my whole don't-like-raining-on-anyone's-parade point, but again I want to stress, my intention with this is I just really enjoy analyzing details and understanding why I react to things in the way that I do. But I did mention to a previous ask that I have in-game writing reasons for why I dislike Shiora, it's not just personal experience from my life outside of the fandom or in observing it. In fact on my first playthrough of the game I was all for it and even saved a bunch of fanart of the two together on my phone, I see it when scrolling through my gallery all the time! It really fascinates me how drastically my perspective shifted after just one small moment at the very end of the game, and then on replaying it everything fell apart like a house of cards to me, wild stuff I can't compare the experience to anything else haha. Anyway if anyone's interested in seeing my take on that aspect of their writing, once again, feel free to send me an ask about it!)

#ask #xenoblade chronicles spoilers #xenoblade spoilers #xenoblade 3 spoilers #xenoblade chronicles 3 spoilers #xc3 spoilers #thank you for the ask! hope my answer was satisfying despite being what you probably were expecting to hear haha #honestly i am a little conflicted on whether i want to keep playing 3... outside of how big of a time commitment it would be #it also really touches on something that is a major part of how i enjoy the media i do: #i'm very much a fan of stuff that is quite open to interpretation where they give you just enough fascinating details to act #as puzzle pieces that you're free to put together yourself or not or add your own pieces in that you made yourself if you want #see my undying love of the mother series haha #but xenoblade 1 very much taps into a lot of that for me #in fact that's basically what the prologue i'm writing right now is: me putting a magnifying glass on interesting #details and implications from the game about characters you don't see for half of it and putting together #my idea for what they could have been doing that we didn't get shown by the game #and one of the many (many many many) things i adore about 1 is its quite-open-ended conclusion #so to have a sequel that is basically directly telling you how the world and characters ended up years on #(especially when it was likely not planned from the start of writing 1's story as well #no hate or disrespect at all but you can just tell when it's something extending a story that wasn't originally meant to keep going) #it's hard for me to not lose some enthusiasm/interest in it #which is sad! i want to play it! i want to experience it how the devs and writers intended! #i want to join in and be hyped and happy and loving everything like everyone else seems to be! #i like the new characters more than i thought i would! the gameplay is great so far and there's a lot of good qol stuff there! #the music is phenomenal and i hear they reincorporate leitmotifs from 1 and 2 in key areas related to the themes and locations that #said leitmotifs are for and that sounds *incredible* to me as a musician and lover of orchestra/scoring! #but also i just can't help but feel like in the back of my head ''leave the story alone it was so good you don't need to add more'' #and ''please god let shulk and melia rest they look so tired'' lol #also it doesn't help that i have a pet (lmao accidental pun) peeve that i hate catgirls with a fiery passion so. yeah

[motleymoose]

Homecoming Pt 4: Nevarro Ch 3

Chapter 3

Getting to Know One Another

Fandom: The Mandalorian, Star Wars Characters: The Mandalorian (Din Djarin), Gender Neutral Reader, Various Unnamed Mandos, Paz Viszla, Drys Reyn (OC) - mention Words: 2.1k+ Warnings: Mostly friendly joshing, some angst (dang them emotions!)

Summary:

It would just be easier if I could punch all the things instead of dealing with emotions.

Notes:

The chapters for this part are short (I am just.... too tired to put out much more), but there are TWO MORE than the previous parts, so yay!

I mashed some Mando'a again, but THIS TIME I lurked on the mandoa dot org forums and gleaned a few noncanon words and learned a tiny bit about sentence structure (still not perfect, but it'll work for now, I hope???)

Thanks as always for reading, and stay tuned for more unwarranted anger and awkward fights!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Homecoming Masterlist

We left the Armorer’s sanctum and turned left out the door down a long, dimly lit hallway. A scattering of warriors, encased in beskar armor, lounged on the floor and leaned against the walls. The chattering between them stopped when we approached.

A mountain of a Mandalorian stepped in front of the rest, his blue-gray armor worn but well-maintained. The bounty hunter stopped two paces from the other. The crown of his head barely reached the lip of the blue warrior’s helmet.

“All debts are paid,” the bounty hunter growled, all the while staring straight into the larger Mandalorian’s chest plate.

The blue warrior gave a full-belly laugh, leaning away from the hunter as he slapped his solid thigh and shook his mighty helmet. “Oh, verd’ika. You never cease to amaze me.” His impossibly deep voice seemed bright and cheerful, something I had yet to experience with the bounty hunter.

The shorter Mandalorian stood rooted to the spot, fists clenched at his sides. “Then what do you want.”

Straightening up to his imposing height, the blue-gray Mandalorian nodded towards me. “Tion’tuur haar jatekara’la solus?”

Blushing in embarrassment but increasingly becoming bolder, I stepped closer until I was shoulder-to-shoulder with the bounty hunter. “You’re funny, guy” I cooed sarcastically. “But I’d much rather spend my nights in a cold bunk, thank you very much.”

All of the Mandalorians turned their attention to me. I scowled back at them.

“I like this one!” the giant chuckled, laying a heavy gauntlet on the bounty hunter’s pauldron and pulling him in for a side hug. “Keeps you on your toes.” The other warriors laughed in unison. They returned to their tasks as the blue-gray Mandalorian half-drug, half-marched the hunter down the hallway. Wearily, I followed close behind, the child’s protective crib humming along beside me.

With the low lighting and almost no landmarks, I soon lost all sense of direction in the underground covert as I lagged wearily behind. Every few yards, a doorway would appear cut into the tunnel wall, looking exactly like the last. From the briefest of glances, I noted several storage rooms (weapons, food, medical) and family areas. The long hall tapered, funneling us into a boxy lobby. The nearest door led into something akin to a school.

Children of all ages and species darted in and out of the last one, squealing and giggling as they chased one another up and down the chamber. Adults working within the family rooms and in the widened tunnel itself could be heard admonishing, teasing and teaching the young rabble. How were they able to learn anything in all the ruckus? I could barely understand my own thoughts let alone what anyone else was saying. It would’ve been impossible to hold any sort of conversation with all of the shrill whistles and high shrieks bouncing off the walls.

As soon as we were past the school, a short Mandalorian in pale green beskar stepped out of the room and yelled. “Gev, verdike!” Her clear, commanding voice cut through the hubbub, and the children obediently stopped their revelry, returning reluctantly to the classroom.

The larger Mandalorian had let go of the bounty hunter by then, picking his way thoughtfully through the stream of little ones, handing out fist bumps and hair ruffles to many of them. Smiles brightened their round little faces, and I spotted several gap-toothed grins. A thought, both terrible and validating, gripped my brain, and I hastened to catch up to him, puffing with the effort of dodging around distracted children.

“Are-are all of these kids foundlings?” I asked breathlessly when I reached the gray-blue giant.

Turning his helmet a fraction, the big warrior studied me for a moment. “No, not all of them.” We stopped momentarily, letting a frazzled-looking man with an armload of burlap sacks unload his cargo onto an awaiting wooden trolley. Once he had secured his sacks and steered the cart out of the way, we continued on. “Some are born into the Clan. But most come to us because the galaxy can be a cruel, unforgiving place.”

“Ah.” I was relieved to hear that my circumstances weren’t out of the norm, but really I had nothing more to say on the subject.

Once we left the echoing lobby, the larger Mando led us to a small room down a seemingly deserted corridor. Opening the simple door, he gestured for me and the bounty hunter to enter. The child, still snoring in his cradle, tagged immediately behind.

The room was sparsely decorated, with a low table, much like the one in the Armorer’s sanctuary, a boxy wardrobe against the far wall, and a pull-out bunk, already extended and ready for use, near the door. The only other things in the room were two days worth of rations stacked neatly on the table and a bedroll with several thick blankets set beside the bunk.

I turned to the blue-gray Mandalorian. “What’s going on?”

The giant looked from me to the hunter. I could almost picture his kind, bright eyes in behind his darkened visor. “Do you still not know how to communicate?” he laughed, slapping the bounty hunter roughly on the back. “You need to work on that, vod, lest it comes back to bite you in the ass!”

Smothering a grin, I turned away from the pair and surveyed my surroundings once more. Nothing unusual, nothing dangerous, just a snug and tidy room all to myself. “Thank you for your hospitality, but I think I’m going to turn in for the day…” I stepped closer, hoping to crowd the warriors out of the room.

“Oh, erm-” the bounty hunter started.

The blue-gray Mando snorted. “Oh, brother, you really haven’t changed at all, have you?” He silently backed into the hallway, a huge feat for someone so large and covered in heavy metal plates. “You should definitely be the one to explain that!” he said pointedly to the bounty hunter before shoving the door closed with a sharp click.

Bewildered, I bit my lip and furrowed my brow as I tried to piece together what he had been getting at.

The bounty hunter, meanwhile, shifted nervously from foot to foot, his cloak gently brushing against the beskar. It would have been comforting if I hadn’t found him so frustratingly aggravating.

“Will you stop that?” I finally snapped, tossing my bag at the foot of the bunk and collapsing on the stiff mattress. “No one is telling me anything, and I like it about as much as I like you.” I tugged off my boots and kicked them under the bed. “So spill. Why the heck are we here, and what was that all about?”

The bounty hunter hummed tunelessly, tapping his cuisses with a nervous finger. After a moment of internal debate, he strode across the room and slouched onto the table. The neat stacks of ration packets skittered lightly over the smooth surface, sliding over the edge and landing on a cushion with a muffled plisskff. Ignoring the food, the Mandalorian unfastened and stripped off his gloves, one finger at a time. Once removed, he laid them one at a time across each knee, smoothing the soft leather over and over again with his long, blunt fingers.

“W-what do you know about Reyn?” he asked, staring at the ground, his elbows resting heavily upon his thighs.

“I already told you everything I know,” I mumbled. Falling back onto the body-sized cushion at the head of the bunk, I wriggled deeper into the rough mattress, sighing as my muscles slowly relaxed. “I only know what he taught me, and as you can tell, it wasn’t much.”

Making a noncommittal sound, the bounty hunter continued to rub the gloves on his knees. He didn’t say anything for a long while.

I was dozing when he spoke next, and I had to fight myself awake in order to understand what he was telling me.

“-that was all before the Empire collapsed.”

I rolled to my side and squinted at him, suddenly very, very interested. “What’s this about the Empire?”

Huffing in frustration, the Mandalorian twisted both gloves between his fists and looked up at me. “Drys Reyn? He’s aruetii. He sold out his Clan, a Rebel-aligned faction of the Death Watch, to the Empire. When the Imperials arrived, instead of arresting the leaders of the rebellion, making examples of them, the troopers slaughtered all of them. Right down to the smallest foundling. Reyn took the credits the Moff paid him and ran.” The hitch in his voice was barely noticeable, the tremble in his fingers practically nonexistent, but the emotion was there and I saw it. “Rumor was he’d been killed in a firefight by a smuggler. And that’s what the covert believed until…” He swallowed audibly, the grip on his gloves tightening dangerously.

“Until what?” I whispered, unwilling to believe that my caretaker had done anything so heinous as getting his kindred murdered by the Imps. He had been a stern but kindly old man, blunt to the point of offense yet overly forgiving for any and all trouble I caused. There was still a little part of me that even loved my buir, no matter how much he had hurt me when he’d left.

The bounty hunter angled his helmet towards me, shoulders sagging as his hands drooped between his thighs. “You,” he replied. “Without you, the covert would’ve gone on believing he was dead. You are the key to finding him. To make him pay for his crimes against the Clans.”

“But he could still very well be dead!” I exclaimed. Dread and fear bloomed joyfully in my chest, the growing tension in my body sprouting painfully through my tired muscles. Piecing together what he was possibly getting at, I shot straight up in the bunk, clenching the cushion to my chest. “Last time I saw him was years ago, when he left me on my homeplanet to rot.” Exhaling fiercely, I let go of the pillow and struggled to the edge of the bed. I had to get out of the tunnels, away from the covert. It was all becoming too claustrophobic for my liking. “I haven’t heard anything of him since then,” I said, shoving my feet back into my boots. “And trust me, I looked.” With that statement, I jumped to my feet, grabbed my pack and swung it over my shoulders. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve gotta go… somewhere that isn’t here.” Discretion went out the window when I had leapt out of bed, so I opted for the quickest and least stealthy solution and lunged for the door.

As usual, the Mandalorian had seen my actions before I could even think them all the way through.

Hands like iron clamped onto my biceps from behind, spinning me in mid-air. I landed on my feet, somewhat wobbly but altogether upright. With a gentle shove, he directed me back to the bunk. Snarling, I tried to duck under his arm. He dragged me back to the bunk by the straps of my bag.

“Touch me again, chakaar, and I will punch you so hard that -”

“K’uur, vod’ika. Udesii! I don’t want to fight you,” he said when I whirled on him, fists raised. He raised his hands, palms out to show that he meant no harm.

I was wary in believing him.

“Then why can’t I leave? And what do you mean ‘vod’ika?’” I lowered my fists a fraction and glared at him. “You and me ain’t on friendly terms, bub.”

Stepping backwards slowly, the bounty hunter came to a stop when he was parallel to the door. “There’s no easy way to say this.”

“Okay?” I snorted derisively. “When has anything ever been easy between us?”

He flinched slightly, and I almost felt guilty about my words. Almost.

“The thing you have to understand is that when Mandalorians adopt a foundling, that child is a part of the Clan until it is reunited with its people or comes of age and chooses to leave. Some warriors take on many foundlings, and some can only care for one,” he explained patiently, his gaze somewhere at my knees. “D-Drys Reyn was one with many, from everywhere. Most he was able to return to their kind. But others like-” He stopped, swallowing once more. “Others like you and… and me. We would’ve had no family to be returned to.”

Stunned, my hands dropped heavily to my sides. I shuffled tentatively forward, unsure whether I was going to cry or hit something. “Are-are you saying that…?”

Clearing his throat, the Mandalorian looked directly into my eyes. “My name is Din Djarin,” he said softly. “And I am part of your Clan.”

__________________________________________

Notes:

verd’ika - private (rank) Can be used affectionately, often to a child; *little soldier* - context is critical. Tion’tuur haar jatekara’la solus? - (*furiously mashes Mando’a together*) When’s the lucky day? (lit. “Which day is the lucky one?”) Tion’tuur (which day); haar (the - definite article - rare and emphatic); jatekara’la (jate’kara - luck, ‘la - [-ly] adj. [ whole word from Taljair te Mir'ad on mandoa.org forums]) Gev, verdike! Pack it in, little soldiers! aruetii - traitor, foreigner, outsider chakaar - corpse robber, thief, petty criminal - general term of abuse K’uur, vod’ika. Udesii! - Hush, little sibling. Calm down! (Take it easy!)

#moose writes #the mandalorian #star wars #the mandalorian fanfic #the mandalorian fic #the mandalorian fanfiction #star wars fic #star wars fanfic #star wars fanfiction #fic #fanfic #fanfiction #mando #mando fic #mando fanfic #mando fanfiction #the covert #paz viszla #din djarin #din djarin fic #din djarin fanfic #din djarin fanfiction #let's go exploring the tunnels! #din djarin x reader #gender neutral reader

[bigfan-fanfic]

30 Day DA Challenge - Day 19: Courtship

(Doing this one for ALL my OCs :D - except for Tash because he’s a kid)

The Origins Crew

Aster of course falls in love with Alistair, slowly and strongly. He’s had crushes before, on Cullen, on a fellow apprentice, but Alistair is the only one he felt such a great level of trust and respect in. Alistair shows him the world outside the Circle, and Aster show Alistair that he is not alone in optimism and looking for the goodness in the world. Their relationship lasts even through Alistair becoming King. Aster becomes the Chancellor at his side and his not-so-secret lover before Alistair summons up the courage after six years to break protocol and marry his true love.

Morgan (when not being paired with @herald-divine-hell​‘s Alexandra) falls for Morrigan, although prior to that he has a brief tryst with Zevran. Morgan shows her unconditional love, which Morrigan really doesn’t know what to do with until she grows to care for him in return. She helps him conduct the Dark Ritual with her to keep their friends alive, and he swears to stay at her side. Which he does.

Katie doesn’t romance anyone, as she was only about fifteen when first coming to Thedas. She did, however, have a huge crush on Alistair and a huger crush on Leliana that has not worn off when they meet during Inquisition. However, meeting Ser Delrin Barris might make her forget about her infatuation.

Athalan once spent a night with Bann Teagan that both enjoyed, but never went anywhere. He considers the other companions family and does not develop romantic feelings for them. By Inquisition, however, he finds romance in Knight-Captain Rylen, who is a faithful lover to him, and the two maintain a relationship after Inquisition, moving to Antiva with Athalan’s adopted son Gale and his wife Josephine.

Delphi didn’t romance anyone in Origins, still having to sort out her feelings for her murdered fiancee. However, she met Cullen and was intrigued by Aster’s stories of him as a kind friend, not a tortured prisoner of a demon. She continued to encounter Cullen through the years, in Kirkwall, and finally as she joined the Inquisition, where she finally romances Cullen. She knows him, she is fond of telling him, and she knows he is a good man.

Reyn has bad experiences with romance in the past, of both genders. Being demiromantic, it takes a while before he feels anything like that, and he generally doesn’t let anyone get that close anymore. However, in the future he may end up finding someone to start a relationship with.

Hawke Kids

Ava, as an apostate mage, had a brief dalliance with Anders before he found out about her secret habitual use of blood magic and ended things, though he swore to keep her secret. She bonded greatly with Fenris, though after he left her she turned instead to Sebastian, mostly for power, though she grew to love him. When Fenris expressed regret, she invited him into the relationship, and though Sebastian was hesitant, he was too smitten to disagree with his Princess. It is safe to say she has thoroughly charmed them both... though how literal that statement is remains to be seen.

Cal had a brief and short-lived affair with Isabela before they decided they were better as friends. After all, Cal’s heart has always belonged to Varric. From early on Cal was smitten, and it only took Varric the better part of a decade to realize he felt the same. He generally preferred to help his siblings with their romances, helping Carver and Merrill get together and Bethany and Isabela find each other. He doesn’t get with Varric until Inquisition, but then they stay together forever.

Inquisition Peeps

Gale, though he is technically only the bodyguard of the Child of Andraste, becomes enamored with Josephine Montilyet. He spends quite a bit of his free time finding flowers and plants to make little gifts for her. Since Tash likes to help her and Cullen with paperwork, he also gets to spend quite a lot of time with her. The romance truly starts after Gale rescues her from being murdered in Skyhold by House of Repose assassins. From there, it continues with Tash assisting him through the protocol of Josie’s unexpected betrothal and subsequent duel for her hand. The relationship lasts, and after Inquisition, Gale (and his father) come to live at the Montilyet estate in Antiva, and Gale helps Josie with the new shipping company.

Henry and Lottie have a strange connection over romance. Originally, I shipped Lottie with Blackwall, but then I completely threw canon out the window. So now... here goes. They both were initially attracted to Solas, but Henry’s foreknowledge of what Solas will eventually become as Fen’Harel ruins the chance of love. Lottie is blessed with no such knowledge, and quickly begins a relationship with Solas over shared morals and hunger for information. She convinces Solas to let her go with him, and disappears after Inquisition, and is only mentioned by Solas in Trespasser as his right hand and bearer of his heart.

Henry, meanwhile, enters an unconventional relationship. Henry is asexual, although he isn’t sex-repulsed and doesn’t mind having sex if his partner needs it. Henry finds himself deeply in love with Blackwall, already knowing who he is. They enjoy a heavy flirtation in Haven before it grows. Blackwall finds Henry in his quarters, and Henry explains about his sexuality and how he knows Thom Rainier. It stops Blackwall only for a couple of days before he returns and begins a full relationship. When Cole becomes more human, he becomes a part of this, although being asexual and sex-repulsed, Cole will often leave during sex and return after to participate in comforting and cuddling. The three of them continue their relationship after Inqusition.

Owain (when I’m not shipping him with @herald-divine-hell‘s Amayian Trevelyan) romances the Iron Bull. It starts out mainly sexual, but becomes romantic as Owain realizes that he likes the person he allows himself to be with Bull. The relationship starts shortly after Owain joins the Inquisition as assistant ambassador and Inquisitor’s retainer, and continues on after Owain gifts Bull with the Necklace of the Kadan. Owain joins the Chargers eventually and rarely leaves The Iron Bull’s side.

#30dayDAchallenge #my ocs #dragon age #ocs #aster amell #morgan walker #katie cousland #athalan #delphi tabris #reyn caron #ava hawke #cal hawke #gale lavellan #henry lucas #lottie gamez #owain bonneville

[queen--kenobi]

🌞⭐✨

Behind the scene facts

Send me 🌞 through ask and I will answer you with some interesting facts or canons from my finished stories.

Hmmm. You know, I don't think I have any finished stories other than one shots? Uuuuhhhh

Leena ends up disappearing not too long after the events of Covetness.

Send me ⭐ and I will answer you with some interesting facts or canons from stories I'm writing right now

Okay so! From my Warden of the West!Elayna fic, here's some fun little tidbits

Alaryc Lefford, who's Elayna’s adopted dad- I mean, right hand man, lost one of his sons in the Stepstones. His son was a Goldcloak who decided to follow Daemon to the Stepstones. He also lost his only daughter, which is why he takes Elayna under his wing

There's a good several month period, I haven't decided how long, between the event that truly kicks off the civil war and the official first battle of the war. In this time period, Tyland does bring up the possibility he could marry Elayna. However, the offer never makes it to the Reynes because of other parties

Alon would have actually accepted the betrothal because a) it would have avoided a war, b) he knows Tyland would never hurt Elayna, and c) it would have gotten Elayna as far as it could from Casterly Rock. Elayna would have been scared at first, but if the events played out that way, she would have come to love him

Send me ✨ to know something more about main characters from my fics.

I've kinda alluded to it, but I've never actually specified what Alon's illness is. Alon dies from lung cancer. This is the same across all the AUs. Honestly Alon dying is a canonical timeline event oops

Elayna is absolutely bi, leaning towards more of an interest in women. The exceptions are Aemond and Tyland

#oc: elayna reyne #oc: alon reyne #oc: tymon lannister #oc: Alaryc Lefford #lmao I had more and my brain blanked

[queen--kenobi]

Elayna, writing a letter back home: I just don't know what to do anymore. Sometimes it feels like I can't win. Perhaps I should come back to Castamere and accept my fate

Alon Reyne:

#OC: Elayna Reyne #OC: Alon Reyne

[queen--kenobi]

Am I potentially on a mission to make all the Reynes ridiculously attractive? Maybe

Anyway. My FC for Elayna is Keira Knightley, and my FC for Alon (her dad) is Sam Elliott

#OC: Elayna Reyne #OC: Alon Reyne

[queen--kenobi]

Congrats on the Duke win!! 🥰💙🏀 Been very MIA lately, but I'm trying to get back in the swing of things. Playing some serious catch up. 😘 I know you've got an OC for HoT/HotD but tell me more!!

Welcome back!!!

Hell yeah!!! I didn't end up watching it because I had to get up way too early for work, but I'm happy with the results sfsgsh

Okay so this might get long, I hope you're okay with that. I have a shit ton of lore. Not even just for Elayna but for the Reynes. They're my OCs now

I've got two because they're stories are intertwined but not in a "we will always find each other way" (romantic) but in a "we will always find each other" (hateful) way

My main one is Elayna Reyne! She's the only daughter and third child of Lord Alon Reyne. She has one surviving older brother, Seban, and a younger brother, Ryman. Her other older brother, Reynard, died in a mine collapse that killed him and Seban's mom. Alon got remarried, so Elayna and Seban are half-siblings (or are they? Dun dun dun). Elayna is absolutely a Daddy's girl and Alon's favorite whoops

Alon gets really sick when she's a preteen, and Seban sends Elayna to be a Ward of the Lannisters. Now, Elayna doesn't necessarily like the Lannisters but it's not full on hate at this point. It's more like "oh. Them"

Enter Tymon Lannister

Tymon is a fuckhead to end all fuckheads. It's canon in a modern AU Tymon is the played lacrosse in high school (probably even competitively in college), khakis and a polo, legacy family at Harvard and Yale, "it's not pink it's Nantucket Red", "I'm a nice guy just give me a chance", top honors frat boy kind of guy

Anyway. Elayna gets warded to the Lannisters, and Tymon sees Elayna and is just like "She's mine. I'm gonna marry her some day, and she's gonna have my kids and be my wife. She was made for me." Elayna doesn't hate him at first, and even gets a tiny bit of a crush on him, because he is legitimately nice to her. It's just when she starts noticing how he treats literally everyone else she's just like "mmmmhhhmmmm. No." Unfortunately Tymon is the only Lannister that's been halfway decent with her, and when Tymon feels like Elayna is pulling away, he starts to get. Unpleasant

Eventually, Alon recovers. Alon asks Elayna is sent home if only for a few weeks because he's missed his daughter. The Lannisters let Elayna go back to Castamere. Alon takes one look at Elayna and realizes oh, she is miserable. It's been about 3 or 4 years of her with the Lannisters, and Elayna is clearly not doing well. Also Elayna ABSOLUTELY hates the Lannisters at this point and has decided her purpose in life is to bring that whole fucking family down to the ground

Alon, being a loving father and the GOAT, says fuck that and instead of sending Elayna back to Casterly Rock, sends Elayna to the Red Keep. Alon was at Court for a bit in his preteen and teenage years and was actually fairly decent friends with Viserys and had friendly rivalry going on with Daemon. Alon knows Viserys will find a place for Elayna, and he does. I'm leaning towards Elayna being one of Helaena's ladies in waiting, but I'm not sure

Elayna ends up befriending Helaena! She and Helaena end up very good friends. Elayna also meets Aemond and phew boy. Elayna falls hard and fast. Thankfully for her, Aemond does too. Unfortunately Aegon also kind of falls for Elayna. Yes Elayna has three of Alicent's children wrapped around her finger ssssshhhhh

Now. Remember how I mentioned Tymon has decided Elayna is his? Yeah, uh, he pops up at Court. He tries to claim it's so he can learn from Tyland blah blah blah, but it's blatantly obvious Tymon has no interest in that. Tymon is just there to persuade Elayna to "come home" and "come to her sense". And Tymon is a Lannister which means he's decided Elayna will be "back where she belongs, with who she belongs", and he will do anything to make that happen

I don't want to say too much more because I don't want to spoil what's coming. I will say this, though. Elayna's story is a tragedy because, ultimately, she is the reason the Reynes are massacred. Obviously she's not the inciting incident, but she sets everything up, if that makes sense? It's obviously not her intention but Elayna's actions ultimately doom future generations and her entire family/bloodline

Canon is not a happy story. I have a bunch of other AUs that are happy but. Canon is an absolute tragedy

#oc: elayna reyne #OC: Tymon Lannister #OC: Alon Reyne #OC: Seban Reyne #OC: Ryman Reyne #Aemond Targaryen x OC #Aemond Targaryen x OFC

[queen--kenobi]

Anyway, November will probably be Alon month so, you know, get ready for a bunch of lore about Elayna’s dad

#oc: alon reyne

[queen--kenobi]

OC: Tymon Lannister

(Art by @sleazyjanet)

GENERAL

Name: Tymon Lannister

Age: 19

Gender: Male

Sexuality: Straight

Faceclaim: Brandon Sklenar

BASICS

House: Lannister

Other names: N/A

Family: Jason and Tyland Lannister (Brothers), Regina Lannister (Wife)

Tag for additional info about Tymon is “OC: Tymon Lannister”

I would also recommend reading Elayna Reyne's page as well since their stories are so intertwined.

(Also, want a fun AU? Check out the Western AU I’ve started)

HISTORY

Tymon Lannister, the third son of Ceira Lannister, was born in 110 AC on the 3rd day of the 8th moon. He is much younger than his older brothers, twins Jason and Tyland Lannister.

In 121 AC, Tymon met Elayna Reyne when she was Warded to the Lannisters. He was instantly smitten with her. Over the course of three years, Tymon attempted to court Elayna. At first his efforts were successful but due to unknown reasons, they stopped working. However, this did not deter Tymon, who was convinced he was going to marry Elayna.

In 123, Tymon begged for his older brother, Jason, to write Alon Reyne, Elayna's father, and convince him to betroth him and Elayna. Alon refused the betrothal, much to Jason and Tymon's surprise. No one knows what was said between Jason and Alon. Tymon, angry at being denied what he wanted, began a campaign of convincing Elayna he was her only option and that no one else would love her like he did. This psychological warfare lasted over a year until Elayna was called back to Castamere to be with Alon in his presumed final days.

When Alon recovered, instead of sending Elayna back to Casterly Rock, Alon sent Elayna to the Red Keep to be one of Princess Helaena Targaryen's ladies-in-waiting. Tymon was not informed of this until Elayna had completed the trip to the Red Keep. His older brother Tyland, the then Master of Ships, sent word back to Tymon. It is said in his rage, Tymon made all sorts of threats to House Reyne. It was only when Jason read aloud the final words of Tyland's letter, which encouraged Tymon to come to Court, that Tymon began to calm down.

Tymon Lannister arrived at the Red Keep three months after Elayna. Many noted that Elayna had an air of nervousness about her as soon as Tymon arrived. The nerves only seemed to disappear when she was with Prince Aemond.

Tymon managed to charm most of the people at Court. Most did not believe the rumors of his cruelty to Elayna. It must be noted Tymon often found himself in disagreements with those he deemed to close to Elayna. He even accused his own brother, Tyland, of attempting to seduce Elayna and take her as his own bride. While many dismiss these as Tymon's protective, perhaps obsessive, nature, several accounts do seem to suggest Tymon may not have been wrong.

In 126, Tymon received word from Jason Alon had fallen ill once more. Tymon went back to Casterly Rock with a plan. He would wait until Alon died then ride to Castamere to comfort Elayna. While there, he would ask Seban to betroth him to Elayna. Seban was a good friend of Jason's so he would not think ill of Tymon.

A fortnight after Alon died, Tymon and Elayna were betrothed. Two days after the betrothal, Elayna disappeared. Tymon insisted that Elayna accompany them back to Casterly Rock. While at Casterly Rock, Elayna attempted to escape and get back to the Red Keep. This caused Tymon to move the wedding date up.

On the 12th day of the 6th moon in 126 AC, three days before Tymon and Elayna were to be wed, Prince Aemond arrived at Casterly Rock. Tymon was clearly displeased. He made multiple attempts to find out who told Aemond. Before Princs Aemond left to see Elayna, he informed Tymon that Tyland was the one who him of the upcoming wedding.

The same night, Prince Aemond and Elayna flew from Casterly Rock to the Red Keep where they eloped. Tymon did not need the letter from his brother to figure out what happened. In the field where Vhagar had waited, Tymon found a hair comb made of gold with rubies and pearls on it, a traditional Westerland gift given to brides when they accepted a courtship or betrothal. It was the clip he had given Elayna.

In 127 AC, Tymon attended the wedding festivities of Prince Aemond and Princess Elayna. He took part in the tournament in their honor. Tymon made it to the final round of the tournament where he faced Prince Daemon Targaryen. During the joust, the Rogue Prince not only knocked Tymon Lannister off of his horse, he stabbed Tymon in the shoulder, missing his neck by an inch. Thoroughly embarrassed, Tymon retreated to Casterly Rock until 130 AC

In 128 AC, Tymon married Regina Reyne, Seban Reyne's daughter and Elayna's Targaryen's niece. While it was never acknowledged, it was understood Tymon only married Regina due to her resemblance to Elayna. Many suspect this also played a role in her death. In 130 AC, after the news of Prince Aemond's death reached Casterly Rock, Regina Lannister was found dead in a burnt field. This same field was the one in which Aemond and Elayna left on Vhagar and rumored to be the field they shared their first kiss.

Tymon made his way back to the Red Keep in 130 AC, two months after Regina's death. It is believed he left due to the rumors surrounding his former wife's death. When Tymon reached the Red Keep, King Aegon II and Queen Elayna were there. Tymon was just in time to celebrate the coronation of Queen Elayna and the celebration of their wedding, despite it happening on Dragonston a mere month prior.

Tymon stayed at the Red Keep. After the death of Aegon II, Lord Lannister became more antagonistic of the Dowager Queen Elayna. She would not stay alone with him in a room, often using the new Lord Hand, Tyland Lannister, as a buffer. This did nothing to dissuade the rumors that Tyland had wished to marry Elayna.

In 133 AC, a hired sword attempted to take the eye of Prince Reynard Targaryen. Dowager Queen Elayna blinded the man instead and had him tortured and killed. While she never outright stated it, everyone knew she suspected Tymon of hiring the man.

As the years went on, Lord Tymon Lannister began to sew doubt into people's minds. Oftentimes he used the Dowager Queen's now open history of violence and the actions of her first husband, namely his burning of the Riverlands, to turn people against her. Many stayed loyal to Elayna, but the rumors could not be quelled. Some even accused Elayna of killing Witch Queen Alys Rivers, a supposed mistress of Aemond Targaryen.

In 141 AC, after an argument in the Throne Room, Tymon Lannister stabbed Queen Elayna to death. He stabbed her three times in the gut in rapid succession. Queen Elayna placed her hand upon the wound. She covered her hand in blood and placed it upon his face. She is rumored to have said "Thank you. For proving me right."

After the death of Queen Elayna, Lord Lannister was forced to go into hiding. His family was able to use their gold and influence to hide him. They also attempted to turn the tides against Elayna, even after her death. The common folk were swayed, but many of the lesser and Greater Houses remember both their names.

#oc: elayna reyne #oc: tymon lannister #aemond targaryen x ofc #Aegon ii Targaryen x ofc #aemond targaryen x oc #aegon ii x oc #tyland lannister x oc

[queen--kenobi]

My Dear Elayna, Letter #2

Summary: In which Tymon Lannister writes a series of letters to his dear friend his Joanna Elayna Reyne

Western AU, HotD/GoT crossover

This is a dark fic!

Pairings: (eventual) Aemond Targaryen x OFC (Elayna Reyne), unrequited OC x OFC (Tymon Lannister x Elayna Reyne)

Author’s note: This is a really heavy letter because of some of the topics touched upon in. The warnings are up top for a reason. Also, this letter is lore heavy. If y’all want explanations, feel free to ask! I throw a lot of backstory and lore into this one.

Warnings: Hi yes. So. Massive tw for talks of death, murder, branding, and drugging. Implied torture too? Elayna isn’t hurt/branded or drugged in this, but it’s there. Also Tymon romanticizes the fuck out of being branded. It’s not DD: DNE territory, but like. Better be safe than sorry on that one. Also tw for possessive behavior, although Tymon keeps in nebulous. General warnings for gaslighting as well and just all around creepy and terrible behavior.

My dear Elayna,

I know it has only been two weeks since my last letter, but a lot has happened since I last wrote you. Most of these things would be better said in person. Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to be an option at the moment. So I write.

Devron Tarbeck is dead. He was found in one of the fields, almost as if he'd been dumped there. They think some out of towners attacked him. Elayna, it was brutal to see. The family couldn't have an open casket funeral; he was too bloody and beat. His father found the body and said he wasn't even sure it was Devron anymore. A tattoo on his chest was his only proof. I hesitate to tell you the gory details, but you deserve to know. They could not even use the brand, the one meaning he earned a place in our community, to identify if he was one of ours. The attackers partially flayed him and ripped it right off his back. 

I ache for his mother and father, and his sisters. I could not imagine finding my child like that.

I suppose I ache for you too. Seban said the two of you were close. Devron was one of Alon's ranch hands, right? I know he was the one to escort you to the train station so that implies some closeness. I know Seban trusted him.

Everyone at the funeral asked where you were and how you were. It was difficult. I couldn't give them an answer other than you were in King's Landing. I almost felt a fool. I always promised I'd keep you safe, but I don't even know where you are. And as your friend, not knowing how you're doing? Oh, I felt a fool alright. I know you. I know you wouldn't try to make me feel that way on purpose. It doesn't change the fact I did.

Elayna, Devron's death has me so worried for you. You're all alone in an unfamiliar city. Who knows what people plan on doing? You have no one to trust or to turn to if things go wrong. I suppose you're relying on the protection of Viserys and his family, given your father's boyhood friendship with both Viserys and Daemon. But you don't know them well. Alon even admitted it's been some time since he's seen either of the elder Targaryen men. They might not be the men he remembers, especially given Alon's memory slowly seems to be slipping.

It's heartbreaking to watch. More and more I conduct business with Seban. Alon grows steadily sicker by the day. He is in so much pain. It hurts me. I like your father. He is almost family. 

Do you know what exactly ails your father? I ask because I noticed he takes laundnum for his pain. 

It's funny. I only took laundnum once, but I remember how well I slept. It actually touched my pain and let me rest. I've never experienced a sleep like that since. At least, not until the night you left. I know myself and Tywin never stirred once and didn't hear anything. The only thing we had to drink that night, other than water, was the tea your family offered. I got the same kind of tea in an attempt to see if that perhaps was it, but I did not sleep nearly as well.

Alon is an honorable man. He wouldn't do such a thing. I know he loves you. You're his only daughter, and he dotes upon you. I think he would do anything to ensure your safety from real or perceived threats. Drugging someone so you can slip away in the night without being caught seems extreme.

Your absence stays with me. I worry so for you to the point my day to day is affected. My worry bleeds into my regular life. My imagination is consumed with thoughts of all the terrible things that might have befallen you. Perhaps it is my overactive imagination making me suspect Alon.

Alon is an honorable man. Such a thing is beneath him.

Another thing of note. Ryman took the brand this week. Jason, Tyland, Tywin, and myself figured it was time. We also need the help, given what happened to Devron. Your younger brother is a strong man. He did not cry and barely whimpered. He would have made you proud. Besides, it is an honor, especially given he's fourteen. He is not yet a man yet he handled it better than many men do. 

I didn't even take the brand until I was sixteen. It is a life altering experience. I would not be the man I am today had I not done it. 

Do you ever think of taking it? It is unusual but not unheard of for women. Cersei did it. 

I have faith you could handle it. 

I remember the look on your face when I did it. You looked so worried and concerned for me. At one point, I thought you were going to be sick. You weren't, though. 

How sweetly you treated me after. You made sure I did not have a fever or do anything to infect or irritate it. Between your loyalty, caring nature, and smarts, you'll make a perfect wife. 

I hope that is not too forward of me. Marriage can be a sensitive topic. 

Although, I suppose you've grown used to talks of marriage. Alon was trying to find you a suitable husband. I must admit, I don't agree with some of his choices. You would want for the finer things in life, things you've no doubt become accustom to, if you were married off to someone outside of the Westerland territories. Imagine having to slog through life as a Tully, as a fucking trout.

We lions consume fish and birds, not marry them. 

The Tyrells are perhaps the only ones who could give you a life somewhat similar to what you have, but even then. It will always pale in comparison. Besides, Highgarden is boring, and the people pretentious. You would not fit in at all. It would never feel like home.

The Reach would be miserable. It's all conniving people who want power. The Stormlands? Why would you want to spend your life worrying about tornadoes? They’re too proud there, too stuffy. The Riverlands have nothing to do, unless you want to spend your life soggy and wet, worrying if the next rain event will be the one to make the rivers rise over the bank and wash away your house. The Vale is even worse. What good comes from there? What is there even to do in those particular mountains? Dorne might as well be another country, they're so close to the border. The Iron "Islands" are a joke. Being between three lakes does not an island make. And the North? Oh, the people are so plain and boring.

King’s Landing and the Red Keep are out of the question. No matter how close Viserys and Alon are, he would never marry any of his children to you. Why would he? All he would be doing is an old friend a favor. He needs more than that, something of use. Us Lannisters already do business with them; they don’t need the silver and gold from your mines or the oil from your land. They already have that.

No, the only place you could be comfortable and happy is here in the Westerlands.

I could never understand why Alon wanted to send you away. I would think with how close the two of you are, he would want you to stay near. Why not keep you here? You’d be safe. Content and satisfied even. You would not want for anything and live the life you were meant to. You’re not meant to work on some farm in the middle of nowhere; you’re meant to live life to the fullest. You’re meant to live a life of luxury. You’re meant to wear gold and pearls, the finest dresses from London, and silks from Paris. You are meant for the fashion from back East or San Francisco. Not some drab brown or beige smock with no jewelry to your name.

You could travel and see the world. You could sleep on silk sheets and wear satin nightgown to bed. You could drink the best wines imported straight from France and eat foods most would only dare dream of trying. 

So many women would kill to have a life like that. You could have it. All you have to do is come home.

I fear I may have gotten carried away. I recognize I may have overstepped my bounds, and if I made you uncomfortable, I apologize. It’s just that as your friend, I want what’s best for you. I want to see you live a happy and fulfilling life. I know you are destined for more than what you have now. You deserve more. 

Truly, this shows the depth of our friendship. I understand what you need without you telling me. We do not need to speak for me to know what you want and need. Do you know how rare that is, even in marriages? And for it to occur in a friendship is something special.

Elayna, I wish you would come home. I miss my dearest friend. I have not been myself since you left. You ground me, keep me sane. I fear I lose more and more of myself each day you are gone. It must be the same for you. You and I spent years with each other. Being apart from your most treasured friend changes you. It has changed me. I have no doubt it has changed you.

Come home. Come home before you lose yourself too.

Forever yours,

Tymon Lannister

#oc: elayna reyne #oc: tymon lannister #Aemond targaryen x OC #Aemond Targaryen x OFC #HotD OC #House of the Dragon OCs #Fic: My Dear Elayna #Branding cw #Western AU

[bigfan-fanfic]

Hi for the oc game 🌟❄️🥀💕 for morgan and reyn -Sarah

Hey Sarah! Thanks for the ask!

🌟 - When your OC loses all hope, who do they turn to first? What helps make them feel better? What calms them down and reassures them? Why?

Morgan - Morgan will never lose hope as long as he has Morrigan and Kieran. Seeing them gives him the strength to keep going. Especially seeing one of Morrigan’s increasingly frequent smiles or hearing Kieran’s laugh. Although, his mood can be lifted by a letter from any of his old friends, especially Aster, Alistair, Zevran, or Leliana. It just reminds him he isn’t alone.

Reyn - Reyn keeps in contact with both Morgan and Aster to appraise them of his hunt for the cure and to get advice. Both are so much more cheerful than he is that it gives him hope. After all, if they have faith in him, maybe he ought to as well.

❄️ -  What makes your OC sad, so sad that they can’t help but cry all day? How do they cheer themself up? Does their sadness upset any of their loved ones too?

Morgan - The thought of losing his family. Occasionally he’ll have nightmares about this and be inconsolable. Usually this happens if Morrigan is away. He’ll be cheered up by hugging his son tightly or kissing Morrigan when she returns. Sometimes it worries Kieran, but he tells his son that it’s alright to cry when you’re afraid or sad. He’ll have a big hug session with Kieran, and his fatherly nature helps him overcome his own emotions.

Reyn - He might get drunk enough to think about his past and the loves he’s left behind. Reyn doesn’t feel romantic attraction unless he’s developed a deep emotional connection, so he values those romances more. Usually getting sober cheers him up, or finding a partner to share his bed for the night. However, the healthiest cure seems to be a night of music and dance and joyful celebration. Reyn is often on his own or with a couple of fellow Wardens, so no one to upset.

🥀 - Has your OC ever been hurt by someone they love? Ever been betrayed? Abused, Attacked? Give me the angst!

Morgan - Morgan’s home life was not quite a warm one. He hadn’t wanted to go into sports in college, but his mother forced him. She was often verbally abusive, telling him he was nothing but a dumb musclehead who’d never amount to anything without a sports scholarship. His father urged the opposite and did his best to ensure Morgan got out of the house and He did get a sports scholarship, and used it to get away from his mother and start studying anthropology. 

Reyn - His romance with a young stable boy in his youth ended horribly when his father had the boy killed. “You’ll love whom I tell you to love and marry whom I deem worthy.” Reyn has also been attacked by his fellow classmates at the Chevalier academy after he refused to slaughter elves conducting a wedding celebration and he even killed a few of them in the defense of the elves.

💕 - How is your OC like with physical affection? What are their boundries? Do they enjoy being touched or is that a no go? Any reason behind this?

Morgan - Morgan loves physical affection! He’s all for hugs and kisses at any time of day (although Morrigan is sparing with her affection and he respects that). If he trusts you, he’s up for pretty much anything. He likes being touched, especially affectionately. This might be because he got little affection in his youth, or because he has a tender and nurturing personality and loves showing and being shown physical affection. Definitely a hugger.

Reyn - Not so much. He’ll only really be okay with being touched affectionately by someone he loves romantically. He’s okay with one-night-stands being physically affectionate during the act, but he won’t reciprocate. He’s learned to be guarded with his affections over time, and while he’ll smile at friends, he won’t cross the line into that kind of thing unless he means it.

#ask #my ocs #ocs #dragon age #morgan walker #reyn caron