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softquietsteadylove · 10 months

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A very rare Pokémon accidentally (gets spooked) poisons Gil, while he observed it and took some notes. and because this Pokémon is usually not here the berries and medication in the poke Centre are not helping him. Thena sees his notes and tries to find a antidote for him, while Gil’s health gets worse and worse by every hour!

It’s time for some drama and angst 😳

Thena ran her hand over the crescent moon in Teddiursa's fur. He was finally asleep after a harrowing couple of hours. She couldn't blame him for being upset, of course. He had been a mess of tears when Gil came into the medical wing for poisoning.

She had been at the ranger centre already to check in on her little cub, busy on a day of junior ranger duties. They had both been told that Gil was on the way back from the field with an undetermined cause of poisoning.

Dragonite had brought him in, carrying him in its arms and letting out distressed moans like a suffering Wailord. It hadn't seen what poisoned Gil; they didn't know if it was a pokemon, a plant, some kind of spore, a latent effect, an attack etc.

"Chansey," the nurse tending to Gil turned to her. The doctors had done all they could, and the Chansey and Blissey and Audino were administering antidotes and psn cures and pecha berries every half hour. They had even turned to using Heal Bell and Calm Mind on him, but nothing seemed to be working.

If anything, he just kept getting worse.

"Thank you," Thena whispered, nodding to the Chansey on its way to attend to the rest of the patients in the medical wing. Gil was privileged to have a private room, and she was grateful for it.

She stood, leaning over him to look at the continual damage the poison was doing. His lips had a bluish undertone, his skin was pale and sallow despite his high fever. The only reason his face wasn't contorted in pain was because he was sedated so heavily by not only medication but she had even asked Gallade to use Hypnosis on him.

"Oh, Gil," she whispered, tucking her hair behind her ear as she ran her free hand over his cheek, around his oxygen mask. She leaned forward to press a kiss to his cheek.

"Teddi?"

"I'm sorry, Luvdisc," she whispered as Teddiursa turned to look at her, rubbing at its eyes. He was tucked into Gil's side. "I didn't mean to wake you."

"Ted?" he looked up at her with watery eyes.

"No, I'm afraid not," she sighed. Teddi looked at Gil and then up at her, holding out his paws to be picked up. "Oh, come here."

Teddiursa had actually put on a very brave front when Gil had first arrived in his condition. He was a junior ranger, after all, and so followed procedure. He notified the rest of his team, checked in with Dragonite, informed the scouting team of the approximate region where it happened.

Only when Thena had brought him in with her to see Gil had he broken down into tears, wailing into her shoulder.

She had told him he was being a very brave little bear. But every time she thought it, she dreaded to think that she might have to tell him that more and more. She might even be the only one to ever call him that from now on...

"Teddi," he turned his face from her shoulder to look at her, swiping his paw pads - careful of his long claws - against her cheeks. "Ted-Teddi."

Thena sniffled, letting him brush her tears away, "thank you, darling. I'm sorry, I won't cry."

"Teddiursa."

"You're right, he will be," she agreed, no matter how out of reach that optimism truly was for her at the moment. She picked up Gil's notebook again.

They had all scoured it, looking for any clues as to what could have caused this. His condition was worsening because they couldn't narrow down the effectiveness of a cure. They needed more information.

His ranger team couldn't make heads or tails of his notes, turning to canvasing the whole route where he had been and collecting all the samples they could. Dragonite was heading that team, all of them with the case details in their ranger dexes.

Dragonite had left Thena the actual notebook, determined that if anyone had a chance of deciphering them, it was her.

Thena unfolded the little notebook again with a sigh. They had at least narrowed down the particular route within the valley where he was. He had drawn some truly horrendous pine trees, and a few blobs they had determined to be Oddish and Gloom. All of his notes were such a loose stream of consciousness, they weren't very coherent.

wild flowers!--pick some for Thena

Thena sniffled again but blinked her tears away. They weren't helping anyone.

There were a few musical notes drawn in the corner. The rangers had discussed which bird pokemon they could be referencing, but she had said that he would have just drawn the pokemon if that were the case. She was willing to bet that it meant it was windy wherever it was.

Pine trees and a lot of wind - as well as dense enough forest for Oddish and Gloom - indicated the north eastern cliffs, housing a lot of grass and bug pokemon.

someone DROPPED in to see me!

Gil loved silly jokes like that. They were stupid, and dumb, and by all the legends alive did she love them. She hated the idea that she would never get to tell him that.

Was it a Spinarak? Or even bigger--an Ariados? He hadn't been bitten, though. Maybe it was a poison sting, but they couldn't find any actual barbs in his skin when scanning him. Maybe it was toxic, but he wouldn't be incapacitated, he would be shaky and sick to his stomach and flushed with fever.

"Dropped in," she sighed, looking over the last filled out page again, and again and again. She hadn't stopped looking at it, until she was so frustrated that she wanted to start screaming.

There was a little drawing in the corner that looked like...well, it could look like anything. It could be a tomato berry, or a colbur or a babiri berry, for that matter. But they wouldn't be in that location, let alone high enough to fall on him. The little bumpy ball could be a Cascoon/Silcoon, a Ferroseed--even a Koffing or a Whirlipede would make some sense. Honestly, it could be a terribly drawn Quilfish or Goomy, they were desperate enough.

"Dropped in," she repeated again, running her thumb along the drawing he had made on the side of the page in the margins. It just looked like a blob on a stick, really--like a cattail blowing in the wind.

Dropped in; something had fallen down and spooked him, or he had spooked it. He had been able to write that note down, and sketch the thing before it attacked him, or he touched it, or whatever had happened. It wasn't Poison Sting, or Toxic, or even Pin Missile. All of those would have physical evidence on him.

What if it was something that dissolved?

Thena stood and leaned over him again. She tilted her head this way and that, looking for small details--constricted veins, bloodshot eyes, signs she could recognise when her pokemon experienced them. She run her thumb along his bluish lip before pulling his mouth open just a little. "Purplish tongue."

"Teddi?" Teddiursa rose from where he had been leaning against her in her visitors chair.

She opened the book, angling the drawing as right side up as she could guess it was drawn. "What does that look like to you, sweetheart?"

"Ted?"

"Please, honey, just think," she encouraged, ruffling the fur between its ears. "If you saw this pokemon, what would it be?"

Teddiursa made a face. It wasn't like any pokemon it could remember seeing. "Teeeeeeeeeeed..."

Thena stayed crouched down, holding out the picture, "I think it's a bug, or at least a poison type. I don't think it attacked him--I think it was a defense mechanism. Maybe he tried to pick it up and it had effect spore?"

"Ted-Ted," the little bear tilted its head at the funny drawing. He was trying to determine if it was hanging down or standing up. "Teddi?"

"A what?"

Teddiursa jumped down from the chair, mimicking first a little ball, and then splaying out his paws and claws and flailing them. "Teddi!"

"Drops from the trees," Thena narrated as she tried to extrapolate what pokemon Teddiursa was describing purely from young memory. "It's a ball?"

"Ted!" he waved his paws around again.

"But when it drops, it opens up," she guessed, and he pointed a claw at her. "So it's not a Ferroseed, or even connected to a Ferrothorn."

"Teddi!" he continued, now spinning around on his paw.

"Spins," she groaned, searching through every pokemon she could think of in her mind. Kids these days had it so easy with their pokedexes right in their pockets or on their wrists. "A little ball that drops down and spins...spins?--Rapid Spin?"

"Teddi! Teddi...ursa!" her little cub described, miming and Explosion.

It used Explosion and Self-Destruct. They weren't looking for a poison barb, they were looking for a defensive pokemon. One that didn't have much attack power and relied on high trees for its habitat. It dropped down when frightened and could only defend itself in close proximity (no limbs).

Thena reached for Gil's ranger gear, calling Dragonite. "It's a Pineco!"

It asked if she was sure, which she could understand.

"It's a Pineco--it dropped out of a tree when he found it," she continued, looking at the drawing that was now so obvious: it was a bagworm. The little blob was the Pineco itself, but the other drawing was because Pineco wasn't the pine cone pokemon, it was the Bagworm pokemon. "Sometimes they can know Toxic Spikes when they're young. Toxic Spikes are proximity based, and they dissolve into the skin once they've made contact."

Dragonite let out a roar on his end, directing the rangers with it to the area with Pineco in the trees. It let out a softer howl to her before signing off.

Thena dropped her head, letting her tears fall freely. They had an answer--it wasn't a solution yet, but it was a hell of a lot closer. "Thank Arceus, thank Celebi, thank anyone out there."

"Teddi?" her little cub latched onto her ankle as she hunched over Gil's bed.

She sniffled and smiled, picking up her little bear and pressing kisses to his furry cheek. "You deserve the medal of honour, you brilliant bear, you."

"Teddiursa!" the cub laughed as she tickled him. He didn't know what he had done, but he was glad to see her tears fade.

"Audino?" the nurse for the next treatment poked its head in.

"Please," Thena waved in the Hearing Pokemon. "I just called Dragonite's team. I think it was a Pineco with Toxic Spikes that did this."

"Aud!" the nurse gasped, its ears fluttering and snapping its fingers(?) at the realisation.

"It makes sense, right?" Thena sighed, to which the medical assistant agreed. She nodded, "Dragonite will be back with a sample as soon as possible. But if we know it was Toxic Spikes, then-"

"Aud-Audino," the nurse assured her that they could use a more specified - effective - treatment, even before they started synthesizing the antidote. It went to Gil's equipment, making a few adjustments to certain levels of things (whatever they were). "Aud!"

"Thank you," Thena nodded as the pink pokemon left to alert her colleagues to the situation. Thena leaned all the way over the bed, pressing her tears into the shoulder of Gil's shirt. "Thank Eternatus you're okay."

Gil's eyes fluttered.

"Sh, sh," Thena cooed, not wanting to wake him if he was just going to feel awful.

He blinked at her, "hey."

Thena blinked as tears started streaming from her eyes again. "Hey."

Gil moved his eyes around a little (the most movement he could muster at the moment). "Is...am I dying?"

Thena shook her head, kissing his forehead, "not anymore."

#Thenamesh Pokemon AU #poor Gil #we really do put him through it here #but never fear #we're all about happy endings #you know this about me #I was going through all the possibilities of how this might happen #I kind of wanted Pineco to have effect spore #but the only ability any Pineco can have is sturdy so...I guess #but it can know toxic spikes as an egg move #did I look up all that for this? yes #did literally anyone on earth ask? no #does anyone care? absolutely not #but I am not going to be out here misrepresenting pokemon science #Dragonite makes is back and just sits beside Gil's bed and sobs the whole time #because they're both big sensitive boys #Once Dragonite has calmed down at least a little he also falls asleep against Thena for comfort #Teddiursa is just a little bit miffed #this is HIS Mama excuse you dragon #but she lets Dragonite lay his head on her lap while Teddi is cradled in her arms #it works #That's the super cute family pic Gil wakes up to and then snaps #with his tablet #like a dad at graduation #he thinks it's a super cute picture while Thena is like please don't find this incredibly harrowing experience so funny

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just-a-mod · 9 months

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commission for @honeycomb-cacube!

her goddess Saipri and her son, my boy, Drakken uwu

him love he mama so very much and she love him in return so very much

he's a happy boy uwu

#justaart #art #honeycomb cacube #he's a happy dragon boy and he love he mama #and he love kisses #and he love getting cuddles #he's just a soft boy with the bite force that would put alligators to shame #and Saipri is fucking goregous i love drawing her #ive done it twice and i will do it again #well actually ive done it more than that but only oclored her twice

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thedeadthree · 1 year

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for the couple’s & their kids asks, how about 5, 8 and 11 for una and aegon? <3

NICO DEAR ! hi ty ty so much and i hope ur doing well! theyve been on the brain again <3

COUPLES AND THEIR KIDS QUESTIONNAIRE

5. how did they feel when they met their child for the first time?

una was caught off guard at first? as she was not aware until VERY VERY late that she was with child? and twins for that matter? i do think it is a moment for her where she realizes that in all she has sacrificed and will that it will all be worthwhile for them. and now the stakes are much higher now for her? she'll tear the world down for them! and her dragon the cannibal is right there with her! i think that surprisingly enough to her she falls in love with them at first sight!

8. are there any interests that they share with their kids? if not, how do they nurture their kids’ interests?

vaelor and helaenya (named after his best friend baelor iovannas son and his first wife and una's closest friend!) both shared una's love for dragonriding! as the twins had twin dragons of their own! the twins naslaarum and vaslaarum ! the dragons, a gift from vilemyr as una's mother being a scion of house maedhros. though vaelor was a more solitary child and preferred to take to the skies on his own, hela and una would fly together! hela also had a fascination with the arcane much like her grandmother (and totally not her mother hehe) and that was something they shared! vaelor, much like the namesake that inspired his, aspired and became a knight and was actually a member of aegon iii's kingsguard for a brief period, and though una was hesitant given his parentage she would offer wisdom on what knighthood meant and required!

11. how do they celebrate their kids birthdays? who goes overboard with the gift giving?

i would say that i think aeggy would be the most likely to gift the most? like anything they had their eyes on and took interest in that he could recall he would send to be found and gift them to the twins! she wanted to offer them a bit of normalcy in the midst of the dance and after the dance so a soiree or two would be something I could see her having for them! <3

#morvaris #ty ty so much dear and i apologize for the delay !#oc: una nathaira uller #x: hand in unlovable hand #x: una x aegon ii #BABIES BABIES MY ANGELS MY DEARS I MISSED AND MISS THEM! TERRIBLY!#though the t*lou dears have the braincell atm THEYRE ALWAYS ON MY HEART ALWAYS ON MY MIND !#its the 'uhhhhh OO they were starry eyed by horses yes they'll get those too hsbjabs' and he's iconic for that <3 #teehee at LAST i found the house nurellia unas mama hails from <3 the name indeed is the same as the dear boy!#though its merely alike in name kjackja as they're more inspired by the t*zimisce in v*tm? her mother though was a shadowbinder! <3 #and vilemyr still had their dragons and remained with the custom of gifting dragons to the newborns ! and they got twin dragons!#those dragons have cutest lore as well as they are often bonded to twins or siblings ! twin dragons ! babies!#she loved them at first-ish sight <3 #SOBBING SOBBING mo if u see this i am SOO normal about them rn jhsujajh #leg.asks #leg.ocs #leg.txt #TY TY AGAIN NICO DEAR <3 these were the loveliest to do!

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pearlywritings · 3 months

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"Bring your kid to work" day

synopsis: but sometimes it's very much unplanned.

pairing and characters: Zhongli x fem!reader, Xiao. Your family name is Rex-Lapis. Childe plays part in it too.

tw: modern AU, University AU, established relationship, fluff

word count: 2.8k+ words

a/n: Also a part of my University modern AU with history professor Zhongli

The day started perfectly. Your older daughter was already at school with your permission to stay at her friend's house for a sleepover later, you had your day off, lounging in the living room with your son cuddling to you with his most favorite dragon shaped toy pressed between your bodies, listening to your husband walking around the bedroom, getting ready for the lectures at the University, being blessed with afternoon classes.

The day was perfect indeed. Until it absolutely isn't.

Sometimes you really want to kill your boss. It must be today that you are called to work to help with an emergency, that no one knows how to deal with except for you. And the fact that your boss does not consider any possibility of you having trouble with doing what's required, makes you fume harder.

"Li, I don't know what to do!" You cry in frustration, buttoning your shirt. "We can't find a babysitter in ten minutes! You have to go to work, I have to now too, we can't just ask Ganyu to cancel her plans, she's been waiting for this sleepover for weeks, and I can't take Xiao with me - by the sound of it I won't have a single moment to look after him."

It's been no longer than five minutes since you received that call, but you are already as stressed as after a week of non-stop work. Why must've the stars aligned this way!?

Your husband - bless his soul - is fully dressed and is holding your little son perched on his arm, supporting his back with a hand, watching your frantic movements with sympathy.

"I don't think I'll have many spare moments either, my love. Only breaks between lessons. Let me think," the man hums, leaning Xiao’s body more onto his shoulder and reaching for his phone with a free hand. The boy wraps arms around his neck, watching you brush your hair with a pout. The plan was to spend the whole day together with mama, watching cartoons, playing, maybe going for a walk or, ideally, taking a nap, finishing it all with making dinner and welcoming papa home. Now, it seems to him, all these plans are thrown out of the window.

However, Xiao was always a very perceptive and patient kid - he sensed somehow when the situation couldn’t be helped and him throwing a fit - not like he would - would only cause more trouble. That is why he is quietly waiting for what comes next.

And finally Zhongli finds a solution.

“I’m calling Ajax. He mostly spends time at the teacher’s lounge. As far as I know he really loves kids and has several younger siblings, he should be able to handle our son. And during breaks I’ll be taking over” “Oh,” as good as it all sounds, there is an instant hesitation in your mind. “‘Li, you sure you can ask him that? It’s a big deal after all…” “I know, dear, I know. That’s why I am calling him now in advance to make sure it’s alright,” your husband dials the number of his department’s secretary and puts the phone to the ear. “I don’t even mind paying him if he agrees.”

In reality you had nothing to worry about. The gingerhead was more than willing to watch your five-year old son. Maybe willing isn’t the right word even - the young man is excited.

Zhongli is lucky to arrive before the current class ends - the less attention is drawn, the better. He collected everything he could think of to occupy Xiao during his time at the lounge in a bag, which he passes to Ajax the moment his son and him are introduced. However while the secretary is wearing a wide and kind smile, the boy is glaring up at him from under the brown bangs, boring his strikingly golden eyes in the tall figure.

“Dad, I don’t like him,” the little boy pouts, hugging his plushie even tighter and throwing daggers at the gingerhead from behind the dragon’s mane.

“Ouch, little guy,” with a dramatic gasp, the young man clutches the shirt on his chest and presses the back of his hand to the forehead. “How will I live? Hated by Mr Rex-Lapis’ son…”

“Now, now, Xiao,” Zhongli gently pats his head, bending down to look into his eyes and finding displeasure there. “It’s only for today, baby. Me and mom are really sorry for not spending time with you today. I promise that soon I’ll be home for two whole weeks.”

To that the boy’s eyes widen.

“Two weeks… That’s fourteen days?”

“That’s right, sweety.”

“That’s a lot!” He jumps, elated by the news, no trace of dissatisfaction written over his cute smiling face.

“Haha, it is, dear.”

“Wow, Mr Rex-Lapis, your son is really smart!” The secretary stopped playing hurt, instead clapping his hands together in praise and nodding his head in approval. “How old is he?”

“He is five. Yes, he learns really fast.”

“No wonder, he has you and your wife as parents.”

The remaining 20 minutes before his first lecture Zhongli spends in attempts to make his son comfortable not only around Ajax, but also at the new place as well. All that time Xiao doesn’t let go of his ever-present companion - a toy dragon, which he is hugging close to his chest. He politely greets every professor that comes to the lounge, which makes the secretary’s jaw drop since he is the only one who’s been initially rejected and, Zhongli can swear, he saw his boy smirking in the toy’s fluffy mane.

Other professors can’t help but mention how much the son resembles the father, even making small talk with the boy, whom they’ve only heard about before or seen in the framed picture of your family on Zhongli’s desk. By how polite (sorry, Ajax) and shyly sweet he is Xiao quickly becomes everyone’s favorite, pockets currently full with all kinds of treats.

When it’s time to go, the man kisses Xiao’s forehead goodbye, promising to be back in an hour and a half for a break, and grabs the materials. Once he leaves alongside his colleagues, Xiao sighs and, ignoring his temporary caretaker, moves to the bag his dad left, starting to dig out all the candies to put them into its side pocket.

“Whatcha doin’, little guy?” The young man is at his side in two long strides, curiously watching the boy’s actions. Xiao gives him a side eye, before deeming the question plausible and turning back to his task.

“I don’t want them right now. I’ll bring them home and share with mom and dad.”

“I am sure they’ll like that,” Ajax hums, busying himself with the contents of the main section. “Oh, would you look at that! It seems that your dad packed some coloring books, toys and… oh, puzzles! You like puzzles?”

The boy quietly nods. Tiptoeing, he tries to see the two boxes his temporary caretaker is holding, and the young man immediately crouches down to let him look.

“This one is new,” Xiao finally points to the box in his left hand. Ocean blue eyes skim over the picture of a phoenix, drawn in a simple yet elegant style. Yes, that definitely looks like something Mr Rex-Lapis would’ve bought for his child’s entertainment.

“Alright, let's get you behind your dad's desk,” golden eyes sparkle and a glimpse of wonder appears on the boy’s face. Dad showed him his own space at the lounge; it's tidy and organized, with all the necessities sorted inside the drawers and some notes and pictures pinned to the corkboard on the wall to the left. He wants to see them closer!

His caretaker drags the chair back, but climbing on it Xiao performs himself. As Ajax is humming something while tearing off the tape on the puzzle box, the boy turns to look at the photos Mr Rex-Lapis has on display. It’s so funny, really - not so long ago this little fella’s father was an image of reserve to students, no one knew who his wife was or the fact he had two kids. The secretary remembers how just half a year ago he used to be among those only ones who knew of the professor’s secret (which, in reality, wasn’t a secret at all). Why hasn't he ever spilled any info to the students who adore him?

Well, what fun would’ve been in it?

“Is that your big sister?” Xiao quickly glances up, taking notice of how the tall (but not as tall as dad) man hovers over where he is sitting and points at one of the pictures. The boy looks at it again.

“...yes. It’s Ganyu.”

“I have a sister too,” the fond expression on that freckle-covered face and a seemingly lightened color of those ocean-blue eyes disarms the five-year old a little. He blinks, waiting for what more he can tell. “Not one actually. Oh, and I have brothers too. One is your age, by the way!”

“Doesn’t it get too… loud?” Small hands reach for the carton box, lifting the lid.

“It does, in a good way though. But when our two huskies join in on the fun… Let’s just say it’s a good thing we have our own house.”

“You have dogs? That’s so cool! I want to have a pet too,” Xiao unceremoniously empties the contents onto the table, yet carefully places the lid with the picture against the monitor of the computer. “Mom promised that when I get older, they’ll buy me a bird.”

“Oh? You love those?”

“Mhm… Maybe we’ll buy something as pretty as…” he pauses, looking at the fiery bird. Ajax quickly realizes the struggle.

“A fo-nuhks,” Xiao prompts.

“Yeah… A fee-niks.”

As the minutes tick by, the boy’s initial hostility seems to evaporate. He still doesn’t talk unnecessarily much, but he does talk to Ajax, so that's progress. He is quite quick to finish the puzzles, and his temporary caretaker makes sure to praise the child. They talk a bit more about their respective families, Xiao even introduces him to his dragon companion. And the gingerhead picks the small fox-shaped keychain his elder sister knitted for him to play toy pals.

For another half an hour it manages to entertain the boy, but as the end of the class is nearing, he grows more and more distracted, glancing either at the door or the clock hanging high on the wall. It’s not hard to guess he is missing his father and is anticipating his return, but both Zhongli and Ajax can do nothing to just speed the time.

What professor can do though, is excusing his class ten minutes earlier, quite happy they got to get through all the material he prepared for this lecture. Bidding the students goodbye, he locks the door of the auditorium with his suitcase inside and puts the key in the pocket of his fancy vest to come back in twenty minutes.

When Zhongli enters the teacher’s lounge, he finds the secretary showing his son something on his own laptop. However, once Xiao’s eyes spot his dad’s figure in the doorframe, the little guy is down from his chair and running all the way to the man.

“Dad!” Mr Rex-Lapis barely has time to close the door and scoot down to catch his son, who nearly bumps into his legs, threatening the man’s balance. Finally in his arms, with his own tiny ones tightly wrapped around strong neck, the carbon copy of Zhongli happily smiles and Ajax has to rub his eyes to make sure he is not hallucinating. Wow, this boy can smile like that (sorry, my guy, you are just not his favorite, though now tolerable at least).

“Hello, Xiao,” Zhongli plants an affectionate kiss on his son’s cheek. “I see you’ve missed me,” the words are answered with eager nods. “Did you have fun with Ajax?” At least some of it.

The gingerhead lifts his eyebrow when the boy looks back at him, holds the gaze of ocean blue eyes for a moment, and then turns to his father once more.

“I suppose.”

The older man has to clear his throat with a polite cough so as not to break into a smile at the image of the assistant's slack jaw.

“That’s good, my dear.”

“Are we coming home now?” His son wonders, fingers playing with the longer locks of dark brown. Unfortunately, the answer is a dejected sigh.

“I am afraid we are not yet, sweety. But mommy texted me recently that she’ll be able to come get you after my second lecture. And then I’ll have one more.”

At the promise of you soon arriving to take him home, Xiao’s just building pout quickly disappeared. It’s okay, he can wait for a little bit longer. And that fox-like man isn’t bad, his company is quite nice. He even showed him some pictures of his family - almost all of them are ginger. Oh, and he promised to download some simple games onto his dad’s computer so he could play. And he still has his coloring books back there and he believes he saw you packing a small book - there is plenty to entertain him with.

Only for all these thoughts and motivation to be shuttered when someone knocked on the door and a second later some student’s head pushed through the gap. None of the three people currently present in the room could’ve anticipated what a black hole is about to be opened.

“Good afternoon, is Mr Rex-La- Oh, professor, you are here! We were wondering if we could take the key to leave our bags inside? As always? Oh, hey kiddo- Wait, a kid???”

“Dad, who is it?”

“DAD!?”

Before anyone could do anything, loud gasps break their way into the lounge. It appeared that almost the whole group was standing in the hall and heard everything crystally clear. Of course students are curious. Of course, they know about professor Rex-Lapis’ kid - the news and that cute picture from an online lecture were still the talk of the whole faculty just a couple of months ago. Of course, they want to see those sweet cheeks for crying out loud!

Ajax is the one who has to get everyone who does not belong in the room out and calm them all down as more than a dozen youngsters beg and plead with Zhongli to bring his baby boy to the lecture. And the said baby boy doesn’t help the situation either, looking at his father with those striking eyes, silently asking to stay with him. “I’m gonna sit very-very quiet,” he even promises.

Is it really a surprise that Xiao ends up sitting at his dad’s desk with his coloring books while the man is reading a lecture? (Students almost crumbled when their tall, handsome, enigmatic history professor walked into the auditorium with his son’s tiny hand clasped in his? Look, he even had to bend his body a little to do so!)

And, as much as students want to gush all over their favorite professor’s small-sized carbon copy, they keep their best behavior, because the situation gives the “once in a century” vibes and they’d be damned to destroy the magic of the moment.

Well, maybe a little, because the smallest interactions between Zhongli and his son as the man lets his students finish writing down information from the current slide are mind-blowing. Groupchat-blowing too.

Even cuter the whole occurrence becomes when the boy stops drawing and lifts his head, curious of what his dad is speaking about. He turns slightly in order to see the presentation, golden eyes skimming over the pictures and words, though he does not understand most of it. But it’s alright though - he can listen to his father instead.

Zhongli is pleasantly surprised when no one can answer one of his revision questions and Xiao lifts his hand, giving him the answer he wanted (he misspells the word a little, sure, but he knew the right response nonetheless). Aaaand that’s probably when the students finally lose it.

By the time the lesson is over and Zhongli meets with you in the teacher’s lounge to pass your very happy and very proud son to you so you two could be on your merry way home, the man feels a little drained. Nothing that can’t be fixed by your tender cheek kiss and soft rubbing on his back, but he still exhales heavily and swears that when he comes home, you are in for a new story.

And by what Ajax had time to tell while you’ve been waiting, you're sure it’s going to be a hilarious one.

taglist: @meimeimeirin Cause I remember how you once said you'd love to see more of this AU

#genshin impact #genshin impact x reader #zhongli x reader #zhongli x fem!reader #zhongli #xiao #genshin impact fluff #genshin impact modern au

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minhosimthings · 4 months

Text

Girl Dad!Skz headcannons

Pairings: husband!Skz × wife!fem!reader

Warnings: fluff fluff fluff, mentions of pregnancy, reader wears a dress, mentions of food, teensy swearing

A/N: GUESS WHO HAS BABY FEVER AYY ITS THIS BITCH RIGHT HERE. I am so DONE with watching my fav idols play with babies and not expect me to die. WHERE IS MY CHAN WHO'LL GIVE MR A BABY HUH? anyways enjoy my very drunken headcannons

Bang Christopher Chan

DID I JUST HEAR BEST DAD IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD

This man was born to be a dad istg

He'd be so amazing when you're pregnant, like he'd ask his mom for advice, give you belly rubs if your ask and will willingly lend his entire closet to you.

Would be so supportive through the birth process, is not disgusted or anything because he is him.

"She looks just like you."

Would be just a teensy bit overprotective, just a teensy bit.

"And you will bring her back by 7 yes? Oh and what's your address for unrelated purposes?"

*sends the address to Minho incase he needs to murder anyone*

Would be so comforting when she gets her period

"you know I used to do this to your mother.", While massaging her back.

The baby would grow up multilingual and Chan would be so smug about it

"my daughter is my second producer

Lee Minho/Lee Know

Would have such mixed emotions when you tell him you're pregnant

On the one hand A PERSON MADE UP OF BOTH OF YOU? WOAH

On the other hand OH SHIT A PERSON WHO HAS BOTH OUR GENES

Cooks all your weird ass cravings for you but not before giving you a side eye

"Alright y'all are gonna get a sibling." *Is talking to the cats*

Buys everything cat themed

"baby what if the baby is a dog person?"

Y'all have twins, a boy and a girl (manifesting my twin dad Minho fantasies)

Would dance for them when they're babies and would get elated when they try to copy him

Pouts when their first word is mama

Brags so much about them

"I mean they are MY spawn, obviously they're better at dance than your kid, Susan"

Seo Changbin

GIRL DAD GIRL DAD GIRL DAD

So elated when you tell him you're pregnant

PREGNANT CUDDLES KZKSNSNJ

Would be a 100% on board with lifting your belly to save your back

When you find out it's a girl, he straight on sobs.

"I CAN'T HANDLE ANOTHER PAIR OF ADORABLE YN EYES LOOKING AT ME"

Holds the baby extra carefully in his buff ass arms

She looks like you part 2

Tea parties with her are serious buisness for him

"jagi can't you see im currently discussing with the princess about her magical dragon I'll do the dishes later."

Would probably ask her if she wants to go to the gym with her dad and when she says yes he'd be so happy

"you're better than your mother she can't even lift her ass up and go to the gym"

Hwang Hyunjin

When I say this man would paint you a portrait when you tell him you're pregnant-

HE'LL PAINT YOU A FUCKING PORTRAIT

So sweet with you all throughout but also a nervous wreck

Much like me

Would love to paint your belly if you allow him to

Would try your weird cravings with you

And actually like them

Let's not pretend like Hyun doesn't do the pregnant woman pose everyday

Cries so hard when your baby is born

He doesn't mind the gender or anything, but when he found out it's a girl-

"GUYS ITS A MINI Y/N"

She looks like you part 3

Such a clumsy mess when it comes to taking care of her

ART CLASSES ART CLASSES ART CLASSES

"Darling, we painted this for you."

Han Jisung

Immediately freezes when you tell him

Jisung.exe has stopped working

"wait so the protection didn't.... Protect?"

Now Y/N.exe has stopped working trying to figure out whether you actually used protection or not

Talks to your belly all day

Treats the baby like a gossip partner

"girl you won't believe what Hyunjin did today."

"what did he do?"

"yn shush I'm talking to our baby girl."

Is your personal high school cheerleader during the birth

"jagi you are slaying right now you can do this."

Cries when baby is born part 3

Calls her a co-producer part 2

Spoils her shitless

She has him wrapped around her finger, much like her mother :)

Making playlists with her is his love language

Lee Felix Yongbok

Did I just hear breeding kink

Cries when you tell him

Bakes so many brownies when you tell him like one time that you're craving his brownies

Makes your weird cravings part 3

Idk what it is with me and DanceRacha making all your weird cravings

Runs you baths, with bath salts, bath bombs, scented candles and massages your aching muscles I WILL DIE RIGHT NOW

Is the best during the birth, holds your hand allowing you to squeeze it as hard as you want

Dresses baby up like the fashionista she is

Is so amazed and ecstatic when the baby gets an Aussie accent

"JAGI SHE JUST SAID BREKKIE"

Kim Seungmin

Tsundere daddy meow

Will literally melt like his face will be like 🥺

Buys all the cute stuff on day one

I'm talking cradles, blinkies, toys, bonnets for some reason

"of course she needs a ponyo outfit darling come on"

Tones down his teasing a bit

Still makes fun of your penguin walk tho

And if you cry, he will comfort you and never forgive himself for it

Is kinda disgusted by the birth process but he's a strong soldier

Cries when baby is born part 4

Like Kim Seungmin crying is a real thing chat

Singing lessons are free for her, and she has her dad's angel voice!!

Also inherits her dad's roasting style, and she's the only one who can roast him back hehe

He kinda died inside when she told him he was old (he's never been prouder)

Yang Jeongin/ I.N

Bruh this guy istg

Mixed emotions part 2

"IM TOO YOUNG TO HAVE A CHILD"

Calms down eventually (after a slap on the head)

BELLY RUBS

Spoils the shit out of you because obviously

Asks his mum for advice part 2

Sings to your belly at night when he thinks you're asleep

Secretly hopes baby will have his dimple

He loves kids, so parenting is a natural thing that comes to him

Probably more experienced at holding a baby than you are

Feeds her for the first few days when you're tired

Perfect husband honestly he should marry me

Loves braiding her hair and giving her fashion advice

Mini fashion shows!!!

Dances with her a lot

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acey-wacey · 1 year

Note

i’m a newer twst fan and came across your account while scrolling through tumblr and really liked your first year “meeting their future children” hcs ! May i request the same for all of the dorm leaders ? Or just Malleus, Azul and Leona as they’re my fav dorm leaders ^^ its okay if not , i hope u have a good day/night regardless !

I love these headcanons and I have already planned out the baby names for all the characters future children!!!!

...

🐲 Malleus Draconia 🐲

It was late at night and you were taking your usual evening walk with Malleus.

The two of you walked in comfortable silence, admiring the scenery of the campus peacefully.

At least it was peaceful before a little girl ran up to you and hid behind your leg, closely followed by two older boys.

"Mama, tell Killian to stop being mean!" the girl cried.

"I barely even touched you!" the shorter boy replied.

"He's pulling on my horns!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Hey!" you yelled, quieting the children.

You were quite used to wrangling kids at this point *cough* Grim *cough* so it didn't take more than a stern look to make them behave.

"Who are you kids anyway? Where are your parents?"

The three kids looked at each other in confusion.

"You're right there, mama. If we're playing hide and seek, you're not very good at it," the oldest boy said, confused but playful.

You perked up upon realizing he called you Mama.

You also noticed just then how strikingly similar that boy looked to Malleus.

All three children had dark horns just like the dragon fae but the girl and youngest boy had a hair color and texture more similar to your own.

"They're... Our children?" Malleus questioned, amused.

It wasn't the weirdest magical phenomenon he had witnessed in his years but it was definitely the best to him, considering how you became very flustered at the prospect of having children with him.

"It seems our timelines have gotten muddled. Would you mind introducing yourselves?" Malleus bent down to look the children in the eye.

The oldest beamed and stood up tall.

"I'm Adonis, he's Killian, and Agape is the baby!"

"You're adorable!" You cooed, patting each of them on the head.

You didn't notice Malleus gazing at you lovingly, quite enjoying the quiet domestic moment.

That glimpse of the future fueled his fantasies for many dreams to come.

...

🐙 Azul Ashengrotto 🐙

It was more than a shock when Jade called you to come to the Mostro Lounge only to find Azul playing with two little girls.

He lit up when you walked in, only to curl in on himself in embarrassment.

"Y/N, this is Claire and Mia Ashengrotto," he shyly introduced the two girls who waved enthusiastically.

"Your little sisters?"

"Nope."

"Cousins?"

"Uh-uh."

"Nieces?"

"For Seven's sake! They're your daughters from the future, Y/N! Keep up!" Floyd interrupted, sick of Azul's bashfulness.

"Our... daughters?"

"Mum!"

The two girls jumped off of Azul's lap to run to you.

They each hugged one of your legs with the younger one jumping up for you to pick her up.

You obliged and bounced her on your hips while she giggled.

Azul's embarrassment only grew as you smiled so lovingly at the little girl that shared his hair color and the pudginess from his childhood.

He told you how much he wanted to meet the little girls again in the future, but he forgot that he had yet to ask you out.

...

🦁 Leona Kingscholar 🦁

It wasn't a great surprise to find Leona napping, but he wasn't usually joined by two little boys.

The boys woke up first and were delighted to see you.

"Imma!"

The older boy, who looked about 11, sat up and reached for your hand. You took it, though you were very confused.

"Abba already told us that you won't know who we are. I'm Amir! Arlow, introduce yourself."

The younger boy rubbed the sleep from his eyes and yawned, his baby fangs showing and reminding you of a certain other beastman.

"I'm Arlow. Hi, Imma."

You giggled at the sleepy little boy and sat down on the bed.

"So you are the children of me and Leona, I suppose?"

"Mhm."

"Wouldn't be the worst husband in the world, I guess."

"I heard that."

You were startled by Leona suddenly speaking.

He had one eye cracked open and a lazy smirk on his face.

"You wouldn't be the worst spouse either, Y/N."

He chuckled, leaving you a blushing mess.

You refused to let him fluster you too much so you retorted.

"Are you sure you would want to marry a nasty herbivore like me?"

"Wouldn't doubt it for a second."

You were about to sputter back a rebuttal but Amir interrupted you with a tug on your arm.

"Imma, stop flirting and come cuddle with us!"

"Yeah, Imma."

Leona smirked at you and snuggled into the bed, an arm around both boys on either side of him.

You laid down next to Arlow, who turned to snuggle into your shoulder.

You guessed it wouldn't be that bad to marry Leona, but only because you want to see Amir and Arlow again obviously.

#twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland x reader #twst #twst x reader #disneytw #malleus draconia #malleus draconia x reader #azul ashengrotto #azul ashengrotto x reader #leona kingscholar #leona kingscholar x reader

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littlejuicebox · 24 days

Text

Little interruptions.

Summary: Parenting has its downsides. This is a drabble exploring that little slice of life no parent enjoys. Just a random bit stuck in my head today. Nothing special lol.

Tags/warnings: interrupted smut, parenting, not edited

Word count: 878

Soft dots of rain pitter-patter across the rooftop of the Ancunin estate. The children are asleep in their rooms down the hall, thoroughly exhausted after a long summer day of archery practice in the backyard. Evander had proven to be a surprisingly excellent shot for a four-year-old with a child’s practice bow; he held all the talent of a natural marksman and required little direction from Astarion.

The other two Ancunin boys had done well, though Finnick required significant curtailing to focus on the task – archery is not his preferred weaponry, he was much more interested in swords. Gale had been, as always, above average though uninterested in such pursuits.

A rumble of thunder overhead, right above the estate, greets the only two Ancunins still awake in the candlelit mansion. They pay no mind to the storm outside, for they are far too busy wrapped in one another’s arms.

Tav emits a delighted giggle as Astarion pulls away from their lazy, languid kiss and begins to lick a slow, winding trail down her body. His bare chest drags against hers on the way to his destination, and he briefly stops to suck a nipple in between his teeth. He nips just hard enough to pull a gasp from his wife before chuckling playfully and moving lower, lower, lower, until he’s hovering just above her mound. The scent of her arousal is intoxicating. She’s barren, completely exposed for him to admire. Her nightdress had been hiked up above her breasts long ago.

“And what do we have here, darling?” Astarion asks, as his fingers come to spread her slick folds. “A present for me?”

He’s about to press his tongue against that sensitive nub of nerves when the doorknob to their bedroom jiggles. There is no time to think. Astarion and Tav move quick as lightning; she yanks her nightdress down while he launches himself up and over to his side of the bed. The door swings open. They were narrowly fast enough to avoid mentally scarring the child standing in the dimly lit doorway.

“Gale, dear, what is it?” Tav asks, her head cocking to the side as she examines the worried expression on her eldest. Two more, slightly smaller figures appear behind him, each holding a stuffed dragon.

“The thunder woke us all up,” Gale explains with a frown. His voice sounds so small. “It was so loud, mama. Evan and Finn came into my room and then we all came here. Apple is hiding under my bed and she won’t come out.”

Astarion, eager to quell the concerns of his children and resume his prior adult activities nods and then says, “Yes, well, how about we get everyone back to their rooms—“

Lightning snaps like a whip through the sky, causing the twins to shout in surprise and hide their faces in their hands. Gale’s shoulders come up to either side of his perfectly pointed ears; his eyes are wide, green pools of concern. Tav turns her head to look at her husband, and he emits a slow, belabored sigh in response to her gaze. He knows where this is going.

“Fine, you three, come here.” Astarion grumpily beckons with a wave of his hand. The three boys quickly climb onto the bed and wedge themselves between their parents.

Tav pulls the blankets over the entire family, wrapping their children in a warm, down feather filled cocoon. Another rumble of thunder overhead causes all three Ancunin boys to tremble.

“You three are safe here,” Tav coos, fingers coming to lightly stroke against each of her children’s cheeks, one at a time. “Papa and I will take care of you.”

Astarion nods and hums in agreement as he begins to reluctantly settle himself into bed. This was not the night he’d been eagerly envisioning after a day of stolen glances between him and his wife. But the boys follow his lead and soon the entire family is locked in a snuggle pile. Tav begins to hum an old Elvish lullaby and the children drift off into reverie, a symphony of soft snores signaling their sleep.

Astarion is on his side and has one of the twins curled against his chest, his hand stroking a head of soft brunette locks. The other twin is facing the opposite way and clinging to his older brother; Gale is reciprocating the embrace, his chin resting on his brother’s head.

“Suppose we will have to pick up our activities where we left off tomorrow, my love,” Tav finally murmurs as she extinguishes the lights in the room with a flick of her hand.

“What activities, mama?” Gale asks with a yawn.

The two parents exchange wild-eyed glances from across the bed. Astarion panics and says the first thing that comes to mind. “Exercise, Gale. We were just about to exercise.”

“Oh…” the eldest Ancunin responds and with another yawn he slips into slumber with his brothers.

Tav and Astarion share a soft sigh of relief and then tuck themselves into bed with whispered goodnights to one another. Just before he slips into reverie, Astarion thinks that he and Tav will have to exercise twice as hard tomorrow to make up for tonight.

What a noble sacrifice on his children’s behalf.

#astarion fanfic #astarion x tav #astarion x f!tav #astarion x female tav #astarion smut #smut #astarion x female oc #dadstarion fic #dadstarion #papastarion

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haru-natsuka · 6 months

Text

Left with father (Malleus Draconia x Child)

Genre: Fluff

(I will do for Ace Trappola tomorrow for both a daughter and a son)

Out of everyone, Malleus knew the best of the meaning behind loneliness. He spent most of his time in his childhood alone because almost everyone was scared of him due to his excessive power. His only companion was Lilia at that time who was willing to do anything for him, becoming a parent figure for the dragon fae. Therefore, when he had his own child, he promised he would never let him feel the loneliness that used to consume him. There would be no moment where his child would eat a whole cake by himself.

When he saw his wife was contemplating the decision to accept her friend’s invitation, he was about to disagree at first. Although he knew his one-year-old child was a big resemblance of his features and strength, it was well known the prince was a mama boy as he always wanted to stick with his mother whenever he saw her. Even when his wife tried to take a shower, his child would crawl up to her and hold her legs to follow along. Indeed, his son followed him in terms of stamina too but dear my child, I bathed with my wife first before you came so, please wait in line.

Malleus never wanted to confine his wife in the castle as she deserved to have her own freedom and ever since their marriage, this was the first time you conveyed to him about an outing. It took him for a while to make the decision but he chose to let you have your own free time for a while as you deserved it more. He could take care of our child so just trust him and go and yet he was surprised when you showed him your reluctance to leave.

"Maybe I should just stay at home. It's not an obligation for me to meet them. I should cancel my reunion" You babble a lot as you get ready in your outdoor outfit, sometimes stop in the middle to give a thought whether you should go out meeting your friends or not.

"Dear, you can go this time to have some meaningful moments with your friends. You already did a good job as our son's mother." Malleus tried to calm your nerves as he combed your hair. A sight that no one even witnessed for him being very gentle.

"But I love spending time with you and our child more and our child just learns to walk" You stared at Malleus through the mirror, still contemplating whether you should go or not. "Dear, it is just for 5 hours. I will be with him for the entire time" "Alright, I will go but please, don’t let Lilia food be near our child and stop Silver and Sebek from spoiling him so much, especially Sebek"

He promised to do as you said but not more than 10 minutes after you left, his life became hectic already. He was just trying to get his child's meal ready before he woke up from his deep slumber. Unfortunately, when he returned back to his child’s cradle, he had already disappeared without any trace left. It was impossible for a fairy clan to betray their master and any assassination attempt would be futile as the whole castle had a special spell for every intruder. Only the worst among worst actions left which Malleus did not want it to be true. Today, he still has yet to meet Lilia, Sebek and Silver. He tried to spot the prince with his magic and found out he was in the throne room. As he arrived in the room, his prediction was correct as the missing three were playing with his son. It was fine if they just wanted to play with him but what happened to his son now? There were a lot of jewelleries on him from head to toe and the boy was even properly sitting on the throne chair as if the rightful owner was him while Lilia tried to feed him something which the prince was about to eat if it was not for Malleus to intervene in the situation.

“Lilia, it is not a good idea for my child to eat your cooking yet.” Malleus gaze at the purplish dish in the bowl Lilia was holding and immediately stand in between him and his son.

“Doesn’t he get bored eating the same food every day? You used to eat the same food too when you were a child. Look how healthy you become” The latter tried to feed the prince again, who just stared at him in confusion whether he would get to eat or not.

“We will save your food for another special occasion, Lilia and why was my son decorated with all of these jewelleries?”

“Young Master! Look at my effort in making sure the rightful prince is satisfied! I have given him all of my jewelry and he likes it so much!” Sebek clearly wanted to be complimented with his effort by his master.

“Lord Malleus, I’m sorry that I fail to stop them”

Malleus did understand why you tried your best to not let the three of them be near the prince and he just could laugh at the situation. It was so hectic but not to the extent it was that bad except for Lilia’s food.

“You guys just show your care for my child, there is no need to be angry off”

“It feels like yesterday you were this big Malleus. Now, I can feel the age get to me. You even married to The Queen and have your own child” Lilia smiles contently as he recalls the past and the current time of Malleus' life.

“Lilia, never mention-“ Malleus' eyes went wide when he realised the word said by Lilia. He looked at his child who started to look on his left and right, clearly trying to find a certain figure near him. The child whisper,

“Ueen? Mama?” When the boy realised his mother was not by his side, the once confuse voice turned to a high pierced screaming as he continuously called for his mother. The four people inside the room were in panic as they tried to comfort the kid but everything was futile as he was just screaming and crying louder than before.

“My child, I have a gift for you to play with. You must love it as the game is very interesting” Malleus took out his retro digital pet game only for his son to throw it across the room and destroy it into pieces which made Malleus just look at the destroyed gadget but paid it no further attention.

“MAMA! MAMA! MAMA!” In the end, his son never stopped crying until you returned back to the castle and he saw your face and happily greeted you at the door, playing an innocent card with his adorable face and doe eyes. You picked him up from the floor but was caught by surprise with the face of the 4 guys who were also waiting for you at the door who looked more tired than ever. Moreover, why was the castle being covered with ice?

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em-writes-stuff-sometimes · 7 months

Text

darilaros (princess) │ Chapter 8: Birthright

terms of endearment ‘verse: see my Masterlist for the correct series order!

Chapter 1 │Chapter 2 │Chapter 3 │Chapter 4 │Chapter 5 │Chapter 6 │Chapter 7 │Chapter 8 (COMPLETE!)

Synopsis: As the second daughter of King Viserys, you experience firsthand what it means to belong to the House of the Dragon. Your wish comes true.

Hello! Welcome to the FINAL CHAPTER of this instalment, another 8000+ word chapter! Everyone's long-anticipated 'claiming scene' is here, so please give a round of applause to our angryboi, the Cannibal! Keep in mind that I've officially retconned Luke and Daeron's ages (they're 8 and 9 in gevivys now, not 5 and 6 like they were originally - please let me know if I've missed any instances so far!), Thank you to my boobear @ewanmitchellcrumbs for beta-ing this thingo!

TRIGGERS: more abandonment issues, reference to pervy suitors.

Scarcely any time passes between that eve and the arrival of Rhaenyra’s firstborn son, Jacaerys.

’Nyra’s world changes when her baby comes. She is as perfect a mother as you think any woman could be, spending nearly all the hours of the day looking at him or holding him or caring for him. Having a babe has changed her, softened her hard edges and given her a calmness she had once lacked. All she wants to talk about is him. When she is not talking about him or being with him, she is in Council meetings, or she is with Papa performing whatever tasks the heir to the Throne is expected to do. She tries to find moments to spare for you, though it is far less often than it used to be, and she always brings her boy with her.

Jace is a pretty babe, dark-haired and dark-eyed, so unlike either of his parents, and he always seems quite serious in expression—but there is something that holds you back with him. Even though you love him—and he is one half of ’Nyra, so of course you love him—it is like a wall exists between you and him. His mother is your sister, and his father is your cousin, and you… you have no place there. You are on the outside looking in at a life you cannot have.

A part of you wants to stare down at the babe and tell him that you were here first. That you will always have known his mama for longer than he ever shall, that nothing can take away the fact that she belonged to you before she belonged to him. But you don’t. ’Nyra is a new mother, and her child should be all that matters. If you were her babe, that is what you would want. She does not need the petty jealousy of her little sister to ruin things. It is better for you, for her, for him that you find other ways to fill your days.

Daeron’s birth makes it easier.

It is almost like Alicent barely even notices the arrival of her third son, though you do not blame her. She had screamed so loud that even you had heard her in your own chambers. It was not like that with Aegon or Helaena or Aemond. The commotion had been enough to rouse you from your bed to creep toward the Queen’s apartments, to hear Grand Maester Mellos tell Papa that her belly might need to be laid open like—

No. No. The throb of nausea is so vile just thinking of it. You put it out of your mind, doing your best to ignore the prickle of an old hurt and the word ‘Mama’ on the tip of your tongue, hushed and afraid.

Alicent is weak after the birth, and so you take it upon yourself to visit your new little brother, to keep him company where everyone else would have left him to attendants. He is so, so quiet, as though he is ashamed of the way he had entered the world, the way he had hurt his mother coming out. It is like he is an apology for the pain she was made to go through. He is sweet, barely crying though he goes for times without the attention he deserves, and he never fusses when you reach into the cradle to lift him up. You are not quite strong enough to carry him around places, but it is relatively easy to take him to the chair to prop him on your lap in the nursery while Helaena plays.

When Alicent heals, she makes no attempt to disturb your routine, and it is like you have your very own baby to match ’Nyra’s. Sometimes, you imagine that Daeron is yours like Jace is hers and that you are ’El’s mama too, and that you have the important task of being their whole world. Even though the idea of having babies is beginning to scare you a great deal, being a mama is nice. Playing pretend is nice.

But then, the wet nurses come or Alicent comes, and your brother and sister are taken away. It reminds you that you really are alone, after all. ’Nyra giving birth to her next son, Lucerys—Luke—only worsens that feeling. Her family is growingand growing while yours seems to only exist on borrowed moments. Still, you take what love you can and bury the rest of it—the despair, the resentment, the soft tender parts of you that cry out for someone, anyone at all to really, truly see you—far, far below the surface, so deep that no one can touch it, not even you.

You seek solace in knowledge.

Books become your very best friends. The older you get, the easier reading becomes—you leave behind folktales and children’s myths to begin browsing through tomes with smaller letters and larger, more difficult words. Stories turn into histories and treatises on all manner of topics, with dragons, direwolves, men, and the fall of Old Valyria being but some of your preferred subjects of study. You learn the names of the Lannister kings before the Conquest; you gather as many legends on the Age of Heroes as you can; you peruse chronicles detailing the first coming of the Andals to Westerosi shores. Through books, the very land you live upon seems to unfold like a map through time itself, all the secrets of the continent opening themselves up to you through tooled leather and yellowed pages.

It makes Papa immensely proud. “If a woman is to sit the Iron Throne after I am gone,” he says, “then perhaps a woman ought to be her right hand!”

You can tell this makes his other Councilmen nervous by the way they share glances. For all that Rhaenyra has been heir for years now, there are still many among the court who believe your brother ought to succeed him. But Papa does not seem to want to change his mind, for he is as determined to see your sister continue to attend Small Council as he always has been.

Still, you take it to heart. Being Hand of the Queen someday means that you will get to stay with your sister even if you are made to be married. It means you will be important in a way that you haven’t really been so far. But a good Hand has to know so so much about all the lands and people a King or Queen might encounter during the years of their reign. You outgrew Septa’s lessons moons ago, and the more you read, the more it becomes apparent that books aren’t enough to teach you all you need to know. There is no one and nothing that can help you become the cleverest possible version of yourself in King’s Landing—at least, not one willing to do such a task. The maesters would not abide by schooling a girl in the higher arts.

Thus, you firmly decide upon the gift you would like for your name day. Standing in the King’s solar two moons before the occasion is to take place, you impart your desire to your audience of one.

“I wish for a tutor, please,” you tell Papa. “Someone who can teach me anything I wish to know.”

Papa laughs. “And what is it you wish to know, my girl?” he asks. You are unsure if he is amused or delighted by your request.

His question makes you think. What do I want to know? There is no single answer you can produce. How do you describe the feeling of wanting to know something you don’t know enough about to be sure you want to learn it?

“Anything,” is what you reply with. “Everything.”

“Anything and everything.” Papa takes a drink from his cup, his nose scrunching when the liquid inside hits his tongue. You do not think it is wine. He returns the cup to the table beside him, reaching his hand out to you. You move forward to take it. “A lofty request. But you are soon to be ten summers!” He grins. A scab at his temple cracks with the motion. “That, I think, is a milestone worthy of celebration. Very well, daughter,” he says with a grunt. “If a tutor is what you want, then a tutor we shall find.”

He stays true to his word. Not long after you make your appeal to him, all manner of strangers the Realm over make their way to King’s Landing to seek an audience with you and Papa. It is the first time you are allowed to remain by his side in the Great Hall, though it means you must balance atop a twist of melted-together swords to rest your rear against the edge of the armrest, one of the few places upon the Throne that cannot cut you should you make contact with it. Papa insists, however, for these people have gathered to seek employment with you, and so you must be the one to approve them.

There is frightfully little to approve. Several of those who come to answer Papa’s ravens ignore you wholly, their eyes sliding over you as though you are not even there. One of them, a man named Robert, outright refuses to answer your query as to what would make cyvasse lessons so appealing to a girl of your station. It is enough to put you off the game entirely. But his conduct is by no means the worst. There are younger lads who possess no more skill than the average knight’s squire, clearly hastened to the Red Keep by the promise of a lucrative wage and companionship with the King’s daughter. More than one Septon shuffles in to lecture you and Papa on the merits of providing a holy education to the female mind, sinful as it is. Even noblemen like Lord Rosby come to offer to take wardship of you, suggesting that growing up with another girl your age is more than enough learning for a Princess. You suspect his proposal has more to do with the large sum he owes over East.

You and Papa reject them all, sending them away with nary a further glance. Those who grow angered by the refusal are easily frightened off by Ser Criston’s hand coming to rest on his pommel at the foot of the steps. Since Alicent had appointed him your sworn shield some moons after Rhaenyra’s wedding, he has taken to his task with a dedication that would worry you if not for the fact that he is made to take breaks. You think that if he were allowed, he would set up a pallet beside the door to your rooms to keep constant guard over you.

Four days after your tenth name day, someone different arrives. Someone new.

“Presenting Ser Lysan Marios of… er… the Free Cities!” the guard announces.

You crane your neck in curiosity as this Ser Lysan makes his way into the hall. He is dark-skinned, light-haired, and his robes are an odd assortment of various fabrics stitched together. It appears well-made, if unusual, and the colours are bright. Reds, blues, yellows, greens, oranges—it seems as though every shade is represented in the patches making up his attire, though you note that purple is missing. Not a noble, then. The man ambles slowly inside, helped by the use of a cane.

“I am from Volantis, Your Grace,” he says when he is finally within earshot, bowing lowly. His voice is deep and rich; if a hug were to have a sound, you think this would be the closest you might come to finding it. “But I do suppose ‘of the Free Cities’ works just as well as any other epithet.”

“You have come a long way, Ser,” Papa says. He is smiling like he always does when these visits begin. You wonder how long it will take for it to fade this time. “You are welcome here in King’s Landing.”

Ser Lysan laughs. “I certainly feel welcome! Such pleasant people you have here, Your Grace. Not a single one has attempted to steal my books thus far—and I confess I have brought plenty!”

This is what spurs you to finally speak up. “Books?” you ask. “What kind?”

When his eyes meet yours, it is like they twinkle, like stars. His mouth widens, exposing pearl-white teeth. “And this must be the young Princess to whom I would be most glad to embark upon the journey of erudition with! Salutations to you, Your Highness!”

He bows again, attempting to cast his arm wide in a flourish—but it appears he had forgotten he was carrying one of his aforementioned books in hand, for it promptly clatters to the floor when he flings his hand out. You giggle, charmed. You cannot help it. He seems so kindly.

“Oh! Oh dear,” he mutters, crouching to the ground to collect his quarry. “My apologies, Your Grace, Your Highness. Oh dear…”

Ser Criston darts forward as if to help, but the man has already taken hold of his prized tome by the time he is close enough.

“Ah—might I ask what areas you are learned in, Ser Lysan?” Papa asks, clearing his throat. His brow has furrowed ever-so-slightly, which means he finds the man before him a little confusing. It is more than a little funny. “My daughter has yet to decide upon an avenue of study.”

The embarrassment slides straight off Ser Lysan’s face. It is as though a bolt of lightning courses through him, such is the sudden shift of his expression into one of sparking joy. “Oh! What am I not a scholar of? I have studied in the physicians’ arts with the Healer’s Guild of Lorath; I have attended the great histories of Westeros and Essos with the esteemed intellectuals of Braavos; I have amassed a more-than-considerable lexicon of tongues across the known world—”

For a reason unknown to you, this piques your interest. “Languages? You know different languages?”

He nods. “Oh, yes! I am quite proficient in your ancestral tongue, Princess. Valyrio Eglio udrir jaehenka issa.” High Valyrian is the language of the godly. He winks. “I am also well-versed in the Eastern dialects of Valyrian, though admittedly they have not the lyricism of their originator. But I must confess, it is my particular interest to devote my academic prowess to the Lekh Dothraki, the tongue of those who ride.”

Papa’s knee twitches beside you. “The Dothraki? How have you come to make dealings with them?”

Ser Lysan waves him off. “Oh, I would not profess to be so grand as to make dealings with the horse-riders of the East! Ah, but mine wife was a Dothraki woman, who gave herself to me in payment for preventing a Volantene herbalist from poisoning her brother. A strange and alarming custom, I once thought. She was the most marvellous of creatures.” He sighs. For a moment, he is silent—then he jerks nearly full-bodied, as though he is awakening from some reverie. “The Dothraki are a misunderstood civilisation, Your Grace,” he says to Papa. “It is my hope that, in time, I am able to repay my wife’s goodness and bring knowledge to those who are ignorant of their ways.”

“I see,” Papa says. He coughs awkwardly. I don’t think he has ever met someone so inclined to talking, you muse. “And… what of your wife now? I had thought the Dothraki were opposed to crossing the sea.”

“They are.” Ser Lysan’s expression becomes shadowed, drawn. “It is my great sorrow that she has passed on to the nightlands, to roam the skies among the starry khalasar of her people.”

“My condolences.” This sounds more genuine; you know that Papa too still mourns your mother, even though he has Alicent now.

“My gratitude, Your Grace. But”—at this, he lightens, forcing a smile to his face once more—“that is not what I have come to discuss, is it?” He turns to you. “My apologies, Princess! If I am so fortunate as to be deemed worthy by you, you may well find such tangents a price to pay for the lessons I have to impart. I am not well known for brevity, I am afraid.”

He’s the one. He’s my tutor. You know it. The way he speaks so happily about all the things he has learned; the way he cares so much about showing that some people are not always what everyone else thinks of them; the way he talks to you as though you are a person rather than just a means of earning coin or living in a palace. You want to know what it is like to be surrounded by that happiness, to spend your days learning from a person such as he rather than continue to quail under the yoke of Septa Marlow.

You readjust to curl into Papa, to lean forward and whisper into the shell of his ear. “I like Ser Lysan, Papa.”

“You do?” He exhales, a long-suffering sigh of resignation. His stare narrows at you as though irritated, though it slowly morphs into a grudging sort of smile. “Naturally.” If he were ’Nyra, he would be rolling his eyes by now. To Ser Lysan, he projects his voice far louder and says, “It appears my daughter has no taste for brevity, Ser. If you wish to take up this post, we would be… honoured… to accommodate you.”

Ser Lysan’s brows raise in surprise. “Oh! No, Your Grace! The honour is mine!” He bows a third time, and it really ought to be excessive, but you cannot help how amiable you find him. “I pray I will not disappoint you, Princess.”

“I am very glad to meet you, Ser Lysan,” you say, fighting the urge to leave Papa’s side and go forth to follow the man before you wherever he might go, to let yourself be enthralled by his tales and his rambling, half-formed thoughts. “I hope we shall have a very good time together.”

You are not to know it at this precise moment—but you will.

“We have made our introductions, Princess, and I have learned the lay of the land as best I can, so to speak.”

Ser Lysan is settled in the chair opposite you, having just completed his surveyance of the room around him. You have been granted a solar for the very first time, a whole new chamber to fill with the tools necessary to begin your education. It is empty for now, though the bare necessities are present—namely, the considerable size of the bookshelves just waiting for their occupants to rest safely upon their surfaces. These will, in time, be filled by both your own and your tutor’s collections, or so he has assured you.

The crinkle of a page rouses you from your thoughts. Ser Lysan has unrolled a scroll of parchment, the nib of his quill already inked and prepared for some unknown purpose. He stares assessingly at you.

“What is it you wish to know?” he asks, hand poised to write.

It blurts out of you before you can think to stop it. “You can only be called ‘Ser’ if you are a knight, but you have said you are a scholar. How is it that you have come to be called ‘Ser’, then?”

You wince. Your question is far ruder than you had intended it to be. Thankfully, Septa is not here—she has begun spending more time with Helaena as of late. She would surely have reprimanded you. The query only serves to make the man smile indulgently at you, though. He lays the quill to the side upon his blotting paper. The ink pools dark across the fibres.

“If you must know, Princess… I was a soldier in the Battle of the Borderland. The triarchs sent us in to attempt to wrest control of the Disputed Lands from Lys, Tyrosh and Myr. They were once under Volantene rule, did you know?”

Ser Lysan gazes at a spot on the wall just past you, and it is like he is seeing something altogether different. Something from another time and place.

“At first, we were sure of victory. Volantis has long held dominion in the East for a reason, after all. Our armies were larger; our armour finer; our steel sharper. But then…” He sighs. “Those cities joined forces. Formed the Triarchy. No one saw it coming. We ought to have. Such is hindsight, is it not? We understand now the things we missed then.”

Ser Criston shifts by the door, clearly uncomfortable. You wonder when he will interrupt, when he will instruct Ser Lysan not to tell you such dark-natured stories. You can only hope it will not turn violent.

“One morn—the sun had barely risen—our garrison was set upon by the Triarchy’s forces,” the man continues. “It was… carnage. So few of us survived. Of those of us that did, even fewer still were able to stand. The alliance’s warriors enjoyed leaving a rather particular token behind on the battlefield, as we were to learn. Severed legs are quite effective deterrents, it turns out.”

“That’s enough,” Ser Criston barks, face set in a glare. Secretly, you are glad for the interruption. The tale had grown far too frightening for you.

“My apologies!” Ser Lysan says, coughing lightly. “I forget myself sometimes. To answer your question, Princess—I was able to make my way back to the main encampment, to warn the commanders just in time for our troops to pull back from the region. Many a life was lost; but thousands more were saved that day. I was knighted in the field.” A wan smile curves his lips. “That is where my title of ‘Ser’ comes from.”

“Thank you for telling me,” you say. “I… I am sure it is not a pleasant memory. I am sorry.”

“It is quite alright. I became stronger for it. I learned that if I wish to survive, I must fight for it with everything I have in me. The fires of adversity strengthen the spirit.” He pauses, eyes locked onto your own. They are dark, almost black, like all the light in the world has been quenched. “Let this be my first lesson unto you—if you want something, you must do whatever is in your power to achieve it.”

Silence lingers for one moment; two; three. All of a sudden, he is cheerful again, shuffling his papers like nothing of import has occurred. You share an uncertain look with Ser Criston, who looks positively bewildered by the shift. Ser Lysan is an eccentric man, you decide. This is no bad thing.

“Back to my previous question, Princess.” Ser Lysan picks up his quill once more, dipping it in the inkwell and tapping it against the rim to return the excess to the bottle. “I am knowledgeable in a great deal about the world in which we live. What is it that you would have me instruct you in? Histories, statecraft, linguistics?”

Before you is a man who has lived. He has come from a strange land bearing a strange name, learned in all manner of strange subjects. He fought for Volantis. His wife was a Dothraki woman. He bears the title ‘Ser’ and yet wears a patchwork robe. What you know of him is bleak and terrifying, and yet here he sits before you, as jovial as a young man in his cups. There is a steady peace to him despite all he has seen, all he has likely experienced.

How has he come to be so merry? You think about the manner in which he’d brightened at the talk of his learning. Could one achieve such simple tranquillity through knowledge alone? Can books, can foreign tongues and foreign disciplines empower you with that sense of fulfilment you crave, that sense of belonging you have felt absent all your life?

You want dearly to discover the answer. It is this that permits you to finally settle upon your response to him.

“Anything,” you breathe. “Everything.”

You are not as brave as your sister. She is able to stand face to face against even the staunchest of her detractors—as of late, this being your very own lady stepmother, determined to discover what she believes to be ‘the truth’ of Jacaerys’s parentage, for a boy so dark of hair cannot possibly be Laenor’s, by her reckoning—without so much as a quiver in her lip. She can endure shouting, the strike of a switch, the endless train of whispers that seep through every crack in the walls of the Keep with barely a pause in her breath to mark the ignominy of it. She can laugh in the face of humiliation and continue on her way with her head held high and some cutting remark poised on the tip of her tongue like a steel barb waiting to meet its target. These are not things you are capable of. But then, you are only a girl; younger than Rhaenyra was when she was made heir.

Yet old enough to finally—finally—claim your own dragon.

It had taken you years to wear down Papa, the scar on your arm serving as a perpetual reminder of the dangers that lie ahead in seeking out your birthright. Whenever you had made the request—“oh, please, Papa! I swear that I am ready!”—he had only to look upon the mark bisecting your flesh before his eyes hardened, the musculature of his neck clenched and poised to shake in refusal.

Once, his rejection had been sufficient to prevent your asking for several moons’ turns at the least; but Ser Lysan has been of great influence in his two years serving as your teacher, your companion, and your dear friend. If you want something, you must do whatever is in your power to achieve it. These words have remained as carvings in stone within your mind since that very first meeting. It is not within your power to unleash fire and fury the way your sister might—but you have come to learn that such a thing was never in your power. Your strength lay in other qualities. Your courtesy. Your placidity. Your modesty. These are strengths in their own way.

You had continued to ask. Over time, the nature of your appeals changed from churlish, infantile insistence to restrained, unaffected enquiry. Upon rebuff, you had smiled and said, “Very well, Papa. Thank you for listening.” You had repeated this same tactic over and over, sennight after sennight, until, at last, Papa had been worn down to his bones from weariness.

“You’ll not let up, will you, my girl?” he had asked, utterly fed up.

Instead of responding, you had simply maintained your carefully blank gaze, prepared to don your quiet acceptance like armour when his denial should strike. He had sighed; rubbed his eyes. The pull of his skin had cracked open another fissure in the lines of his face, red slowly beading up to the surface.

“Fine!” he had finally exclaimed, his hand thumping down upon the table so hard that you had wondered at his not feeling it. This was before the maesters agreed to remove it from his person, and so the flesh was mottled grey and black from rot. “Do as you will, daughter. Far be it from me to dissuade you.”

Thus, the ravens had been sent to the Dragonkeepers residing on the ancestral isle of House Targaryen; the ship had been made ready; your retinue arranged; and you had been sent off on your first great journey.

The moment you step foot upon the shore in the low light of early evening, you hear it. You feel it. Like a rattling in the core of your bones, or an unearthly siren song catching faintly on the wind. It is not a sound, though, nor a sensation that you can describe in any language you know. All that you are sure of is that there is something here, something… expecting you.

Come, it says. I am waiting.

The Keepers linger past the shoreline, scarcely a stone’s throw away. “Urnēbās, darilaros!” one says, eyes darting nervously about. Be watchful, Princess! “Va īlō Zōbrios issa.” The Dark One is near.

“The Dark One?” you ask, frowning. “Who is that?”

Septa Marlow’s face pales so starkly that she looks like she has applied paints to her skin. She seems entirely distasteful of the island itself, a curl to her lip that she only gets when seeing or hearing something she does not like. Meanwhile, Ser Criston’s fist tightens on the grip of his sheathed sword. He too glances around, tracking the skies like a shadowy shape will make its appearance at any moment. He seems familiar with the name.

It must be a dragon, you think. Very few living creatures reside upon the island, save for those that had been introduced by your blood long ago. Dragons are the only wild things that can weather such inhospitable climes.

The Keeper leans in. “The Cannibal.” He shivers. “He is most wroth as of late. Beware of the beaches—too many of our Order have been lost to his appetites.”

The Cannibal. It is a story you have heard only when one had sought to frighten you—that of a winged beast so monstrous that not even his own kind would endure him. A creature so malevolent that he found his joy through death and destruction, ripping apart the younger members of his species so thoroughly that, at times, it was as though blood rained down from the heavens. The Cannibal, a being so malignant that any man who attempted to ride him had vanished cleanly from the face of the earth, consumed whole or left to rot away in some deep, dank pit below the mountainous terrain.

And yet—for all his supposed cruelties—no cities, no villages, no lands have been brought to waste beneath his flames. It is the one part of those tales that had never made sense to you. If he were as awful as that, surely there would be no one and nothing safe from him?

“Let us not waste our time, then,” Ser Criston says firmly, hand pressed between your shoulders to spur you onward. The weight of it grounds you in the present. He turns to bark orders at the attendants making their way ashore. “To the Keep!”

You are taken past the Great Hall, catching a glimpse of the Painted Table on your way to a smaller chamber. You know the name of Aegon I’s table is not quite correct; that it is made mostly of wood and rock, and that the rock itself is what Ser Lysan has told you is thermoluminescent, ‘thermo’ meaning heat and ‘luminescent’ meaning light. The table glows like lava when you ignite the candles below it, casting the great map of Westeros into fire. You should very much like to see it. But this visit is not to take in the sights of your family’s seat.

Much to the Keepers’ confusion and consternation, you reject the offer to examine the eggs they have concealed within the hatchery. Or rather, you feel that the eggs would reject you if you should try to seek your companion in one. It is difficult to explain even in your own mind, so you make no attempt at voicing these thoughts—these almost-whispers at the back of your mind, like a soft brush of fingers at the base of your skull.

Septa Marlow huffs her displeasure. “This is most unbecoming of you, Princess. You ought to know better than to refuse a gift such as this.”

‘They are not for me,’ you want to say. ‘The thought of them does not rouse me.’

You know not why you feel certain of this—that the mere prospect should stir you beyond simple anticipation. But it is as though you have always known this, for you do not find yourself disappointed by the missed opportunity nor by the censure.

A faint recollection sparks from your earliest youth, an old fear of what should occur if an egg comes into your possession and refuses to hatch, turning to stone over years and years. You do not wish for such a future. No; it is for the best that the eggs are left for another. Another time, another day, another person. Perhaps when it comes time to have your own children, you will revisit the notion.

To make matters even more complicated, however, there are no hatchlings upon the isle. It is what you had counted on all this time, but it seems that this is not to be, either.

“Zōbrios pōnte iprattas,” Acolyte Zūgis tells you, wringing his hands for good measure. The Dark One ate them all.

What a nervous man, you think. Since meeting him on the beach, he has been continuously anxious, ready to jump clear out of his skin at the slightest disturbance. You wonder if his path is best suited to Dragonkeeping if he is so afraid of it.

“Pōntālosa sikagon kostis, yn jēdraro toliot dorolviktys se dorolviktys sittaksi.” His mouth twists. Sometimes they hatch by themselves… but that has become rarer and rarer over the years. Your stomach twists at this. There was once a time where dragons hatched aplenty upon the isle. No more, it seems. “Vermithor dārligon kostā, darilaros. Yn uēpys issa se zaldrīzāeksio bōso jēdo syt mijetas. Qopsa kessa, se avy hinikilāks.”

You can try to claim Vermithor, Princess, he concludes. But he is old and has long since been without a rider. It will be difficult, and dangerous.

Neither Septa Marlow nor Ser Criston understand High Valyrian—but the name Vermithor agitates them nonetheless.

“A dragon of such size and stature is not appropriate for a well-bred lady,” Septa exclaims, fingers like claws clasped together before her. “What of Silverwing? Good Queen Alysanne’s mount? Does it not reside here? ‘Tis far more suitable beast.”

The Keeper shakes his head. “We believe Silverwing is gravid. She has shown much aggression as of late. The last of us to attempt approach…” The silence that hangs at the end of the sentence leaves no mistaking his meaning. He clears his throat. “Well. It is far too perilous at present. Vermithor is the Princess’s best option.”

“The Princess is a child,” Ser Criston says, expression flat and eyes flinty. “Vermithor is a dragon of war. I am sorry, Princess”—he kneels before you, angling his head up so he can look directly at you, and one hand folds around your elbow—“but I cannot let you risk yourself so.”

You know what you are being told, albeit in a roundabout way. The despair renders you mute. What am I to do? What am I to do? You nod, an agreement to your sworn shield’s words, though your heart is scarcely in it.

“Perhaps on the morrow,” the Keeper says, “we may… reattempt with the eggs, then. We have several, though they have been kept for some years now.”

Ser Criston makes his agreements to Acolyte Zūgis, entering into discussion with him and Septa Marlow as to the following day’s schedule. None of them so much as turn their faces to include you, despite the fact that you are central to their plans.

While they talk, another thought comes to mind. You wonder why none have so much as dared to broach another possibility—that there are three wild dragons upon the isle. Silverwing and Vermithor are not your only options.

Sleep is hard to come by, that same, pulsing sensation tingling through your limbs and keeping you awake.

Come, it seems to say. I am waiting.

You rise before the sun comes up. Septa Marlow is likely to be awake at this time, but she will not venture your way until the skies are bathed in light. Ser Criston does not begin his shift until an hour after you rise; his replacement is usually whomever can be spared.

It is even easier than usual to make your escape.

Dragonstone is an old fortress, and so there are a great many secret passages winding between rooms. You need only to check behind the tapestry along the inner wall to determine that an opening has been concealed. Brandishing the candle from your bedside, you slip into the looming maw that awaits.

Inside, it smells of damp and salt, and you can hear a faint, steady drip. It continues no matter which direction your feet take you, and you feel your breath stream from your mouth and nose in a cloud of warmth that gives the skin of your face and neck momentary respite from the wintry chill. The walls are rough-hewn, made for function rather than appeal, so you are careful where you place your hands.

Because you are so unfamiliar with the layout, you wander for what seems an age before you finally surface upon the outdoors, a dim glow emanating from between metal grates at the end of a dark tunnel. The hinges squeak shrilly as you push them open, shutting behind you with a clang. Your slippered feet sink into the sand upon the beach.

You do not know where you are headed—to find Vermithor or Silverwing, to find one of the wild ones, or simply to wander. All you know is that one of them is calling to you through the magic of old, the magic that ’Nyra and Papa have always said lives in the blood of the Targaryen line. It is how Papa knew that he was destined to be Balerion’s last rider. It is how ’Nyra found the courage to mount Syrax when she was so young. You feel it now, singing in your blood as it has since you crossed into the shallows surrounding the island.

Come and find me, it says. I am waiting.

You trudge along the beach, allowing the sand to sink into the opening of your shoes, to fill the small spaces between shoe and skin with stinging grit that collects between your toes and rubs to rawness. The wind whips at your hair and your robe—you did not bother to change from your evening wear—and the sound of the waves crash like thunder.

You walk. And, as you walk, you wait for the purpose to reveal itself, a part of you hoping that whomever you are meant to claim will find you.

You ought to be more careful of what you wish.

A dark shape swoops across the sky above you, casting you even further into shadow, and you hear the rumble of something powerful. The beat of its wings is great enough to be heard from a distance, you think, and stirs up the sand before you into a cloud of dirt and dust. The beast growls, deep and terrifying, raising the hairs on the back of your neck.

It lands ahead.

Oh, no. Oh, no.

The Cannibal.

He is enormous, far greater in size than Syrax, than Caraxes, than any dragon you have ever seen or read about. His scales are black—no—blacker than black, the complete absence of colour or brightness, and each muscle honed from years upon years of eking out his existence ripple below the skin. His lips peel back, exposing at least two rows of sharp, jagged teeth. Perfect for tearing me to bits, your mind supplies in your panic. His stocky frame hunches low, claws sunk into the sand, as though poised to attack, and he hisses, a rattling threat that fills you with the urge to run.

His eyes glow green. You feel it again.

Come. I am waiting.

What is it Ser Lysan said, again? If you want something, you must do whatever is in your power to achieve it.

Come. I am waiting.

It may be courage, it may be madness, but you are moving onward before you realise it. The dragon hisses again as you approach, and any moment you expect to be bathed in dragonfire or snapped up in his almighty jaws, but your footsteps remain as rapid as your heartbeat.

The attack does not come. The fire does not come.

Something more is at play here. You may only be twelve summers, but this you know. A dragon as fierce as the Cannibal would never let a person so close as this under ordinary circumstances. Old magic thrums through the air, a tether forming between you and the form ahead. A bond. A claim.

You reach out a hand. Skin to scale. Heat that ought to burn courses through you, but you are safe. You feel his pulse, your pulse, pounding through dermis, reforming your own to match.

Your eyes well. “Gierior glaeson ñuhon avy rhaenagon jumptan,” you whisper. I have waited my whole life to meet you. In the rumble he releases, you think he must believe the same of you.

Dressed only in your nightgown, you make the climb up his wing. He lets you, chuffing irritably as you seek out the correct handholds and footholds to make your way up. It is entirely different from mounting Caraxes; this dragon is much, much larger, and so you are forced to actively coordinate your movements to ascend the perilous terrain. Still, there is enough of memory remaining to you of that day, years ago, that you can draw some reference from. You rely on those recollections to hoist yourself up. Finally, you are able to settle somewhat awkwardly between the blunted spikes below his neck.

From far off, you can hear faint voices. Atop the crest of the Cannibal’s shoulder, you look to the horizon. The sun has risen. The world is awake, which means that Ser Criston and Septa Marlow will be leading the search for their wayward princess.

It startles the dragon. Before you are ready—before you would even have dared to tell him to fly—he shifts, growling so deep that the vibrations buzz through your legs, your toes. You jostle where you have perched, gripping frantically to the spike in front of you as he sets off on a crawl that morphs to a run, building momentum to flap his wings up and up and up—

“Princess!” echoes through the breeze as you rise. Below, you see the forms of the guards, of Ser Criston, of Septa, growing smaller and smaller as the dragon—your dragon—takes to the air.

You keep hold of the Cannibal’s spike as he soars through the skies, letting the wind billow your hair about. It is both the same and so, so very different from your first flight. It is freezing up here, for one thing, and you can discern no sound but that of the air whistling so stridently in your ears that it is like a shriek, and the dragon below you is warm enough to keep the worst of the chill at bay. Your belly swoops and twists with each wingbeat, the momentum rocking you forward every time, but none of the discomfort is enough to tamp down the sheer exhilaration.

The Cannibal turns, revolving away from the distant line where sky and sea meet toward the island again. The change in direction gives you a momentary reprieve from the rush of air hindering all noise, and you hear something else.

Beneath your legs, beneath your skin, you feel it as the Cannibal bellows to the world, a roar that pierces the still of morning and announces to all that his wait is over. That he has claimed his rider, that you have claimed your mount—that you have done what no one else has been able to and emerged victorious.

That feeling—the one that has plagued you—has changed, you realise. You have found me, it seems to say.

Yes, you think, turning your head to admire the expanse of this creature, this being who is and was always meant to be yours. I have.

When you land, Ser Criston and Septa Marlow nearly shake you from your body with the force of their panic, their vexation, their “You do not ever run off like that, do you hear me, Princess?” and their “Just wait until your father hears of this!” They try to dissuade you from your course, but the Keepers wring their hands and mutter that the deed has been done; there is no unbinding what has been bound by the magic of old.

Still, their refrain is just as shocked, just as bewildered. “The Cannibal, Princess,” they say, shaking their heads. “The Cannibal…”

“No,” you reply. “His name is Athfiezar.”

Dothraki is fairly new to you, ‘tis true, for Ser Lysan did not agree to teach you until well into your acquaintance. And there is a certain irony in the choice; many a person will surely raise their brows in question of your use of such a savage tongue, which is rather best suited for a dragon of his reputation. But the word—the name, for he has long gone without one, and it seems only right that he should have something of his own, free of the censure of old—seems apt enough. Love. That pure, uncorrupted kind, the kind you think you have been searching for your whole life, the kind you find in small moments that are never, ever enough for the gaping maw that is your heart awaiting someone to fill it. You just know the Cannibal—Athfiezar—is a creature with a soul like yours. How long has he gone without love?

Never again, you think. Not with me.

You hold onto that thought as Papa rails at you upon seeing the hulking behemoth touch upon the top of the Dragonpit, heralding your return to King’s Landing.

“You could have died! What in the blazes were you thinking, girl?” he yells.

He has never yelled at you before, and perhaps you might have cried once, but you keep firm to the memory of Athfiezar’s eyes upon yours, the life palpitating through his immense form into yours like some sort of cycle, elemental, mysterious. No matter what Papa says, no matter how he says it, it is as the Keepers said. The deed is done.

The news spreads like wildfire, bringing with it a most unwelcome attention. For much of your life, you had been largely ignored by court and commons—now, with having claimed such a dragon for your own, many a considering eye falls upon you. Their thoughts are louder than if they spoke them: perhaps we have gotten the wrong measure of this one. Perhaps she is worth more notice than we had given her. Invitations to tea come to your door with a regularity that is almost predictable; and, maybe worse, many an enquiring lord approaches Papa with the pivotal question upon their lips: “When is she to be wed, Your Grace?”

Your mother was wed at eleven—it is not impossible that you should be given to some man to settle a treaty or forge an alliance in due course. It is your duty as Princess, after all. One day, yes; but not now. Besides, all they truly desire is the power you have suddenly amassed. They do not want you.

You retreat into yourself, using all the courtesies Septa had imbued into you like plate steel to shield yourself from the worst of it. Save for your two freedoms—your Ser Lysan and your boy, Athfiezar—you commit to being the most polite, the most recalcitrant, the most dull creature you can be. You help ’Nyra with her boys where you can, for a useful girl is best kept than discarded, and your sister is the heir which means her rule will someday be law. You take on two ladies, noblewomen from Houses in the Reach, in accordance with your stepmother’s wishes. You try your very best to devote time to each, spreading yourself between what is rapidly developing into entirely separate factions in the Keep—the Princess and the Queen, the Blacks and the Greens, or so they are called. Such silly names, you think. And, over time, it all becomes less performative and more intrinsic. Your propriety is your defence, and you use it well.

But it will not last forever. One day—one day soon—you will be called in by Papa. You will be told that your life is no longer to be your own, but passed on into the care of a man you will call husband. You will be asked to choose he who will be your master, he who will use your womb to give his House sons and daughters of royal blood, and you will be expected to be glad for the opportunity to make the decision, that it was not taken out of your hands entirely.

You wait for the day, spending what evening hours you can in the Sept entreating the gods for their intercession. Please, you think, on your knees before an effigy of the Maiden. Please. Deliver to me a husband who will love me as I am.

You wait, you hold your breath, and you pray.

“The claiming of the Cannibal came as a great shock to the Realm, not least because of she who had claimed him. King Viserys’s younger daughter by his late Queen Aemma Arryn was by all accounts a diffident, well-mannered girl most unlike her elder sister… Several parties were of the view that the Princess ought to be wed quickly to keep her mighty mount out of the hands of those considered less than desirable. However, it was not until the year of 126 A.C. that the King finally consented to the courtship of the girl, with many a man seeking her hand. Of those suitors, only three were truly deemed worthy—Lord Jason of House Lannister, Lord Denys of House Tyrell, and the Princess’s own half-brother, the Prince Aegon.”

- 'Fire & Blood, Being a History of the Targaryen Kings of Westeros' by Archmaester Gyldayn

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