‣ Pairing: Baelor Targaryen x fem!maid!reader
‣ Summary : You are a maid in the red keep and a small accident brings you into the focus of the crown prince himself, maybe Baelor does believe in love at first sight.
‣ Additional Information: Pre-Akotsk, no use of Y/N, no description of reader, Baelor is a sweetheart and reader completely oblivious to it.
‣ Note: I would really love to hear your thoughts about this fanfiction and if any of you would be interested in it being published on Ao3 as well ! I also have proof read it once and hope I haven’t overlooked any mistakes.
find part two here & click here to read on ao3
The Red Keep was bustling with servants and maids, some were speaking excitingly and others were busy preparing the halls. Banners with the Targaryen symbol were pulled across arcs and alongside it a black banner adorned with a wolf’s head. After the Blackfyre Rebellion had died down there was still the sense of unease and fear roaming through the tight alleys of Kings Landing, Dearon the Good therefor had decided to host a feast. His oldest and most loyal ally, the Starks, had been invited to demonstrate two strong houses standing side by side as a unity. It was a sensible idea in such challenging times, it would prove that even in the face of darker times the two houses stood unwavering.
You had never truly seen the Starks before, only heard mutters when you sat with the other maids after the Keep was asleep, to say you were excited was an understatement. In your hands you carried a basket with freshly washed sheets for the guest rooms, you had always been someone to daydream if the tasks given to you were becoming too boring and so you tried to imagine how the noble guests might look like. Would they wear fur or lighter clothes considering the souths heat? Would dire wolves walk beside them, those majestic beasts scanning the crowd for any danger ? How does the King look ? Your thoughts were quickly interrupted when you bumped into something firm. It made you stumble, your foot catching in the hem of your dress as you began to fall backwards. A gasp escaped your lips, eyes closing to brace for the impact on the unforgiving stones of the Red Keep and yet the collide never happened.
You felt it before you saw it: a warm hand had gripped your waist, holding you upright and preventing your fall. Upon opening your eyes, a thousand apologies ready to spill out, your eyes widened and your heart fully stopped. The man the warm hand belonged to was no other than Baelor Targaryen. The heir to the iron throne, a man you were supposed to serve and not be a burden to. The second you found your footing again, you immediately knelt, head bowed “please forgive me, your grace. I hadn’t watched where I was heading and-“ but before you could continue voicing how truly sorry you were, his voice interrupted “Please rise, there is no need for apologies, I fear it was my mistake” and his tone was so gentle and reassuring that you felt your heart finally pick up a beat again.
You rose to your feet whilst keeping your gaze cast down, Baelor was known to be gentler and much kinder than his brother and yet you still feared the consequences. You didn’t know what to say, after all apologies hadn’t been granted. As you began to bend down to pick the basket and fallen out sheets up the prince beat you to it. Your eyes widened “Oh no please, your grace, I shall take care of it and get out of your way” you quickly spoke. The simple idea of the crown prince bending in front of you to help you, made a cold shiver run down your spine. But all he gave you was a small almost unnoticeable smile that appeared as fast as it left again. He picked up the basket and carefully laid the sheets back inside and gave it into your waiting hands. “May I ask your name, my lady?”
You were surprised at the use of ‘my lady’ after all it was a title reserved for when a prince talked to a noble woman and not a maid. Most addressed you by your given name or simply with maid, but never my lady. After you had stated your name and thanked him more than was probably needed, he had let you tend to your duties again assuring you that no offense had been taken. You had walked, or rather fled, after his allowance to leave. Rounding the corner to the guest rooms, you quickly leaned back against the stone wall, the coldness of it seeping through your gown and into your skin, it grounded you and calmed the racing beat of your heart. You knew that if you had bumped into anyone other than Prince Baelor you would have found yourself on the streets outside the Keep. With a shaky inhale and a moment of gathering your thoughts you hurried along into the guest rooms to tend to the beds preparing everything with care so that it might erase the mistake you’ve done just moments ago.
Even as your hands were busy with straighten the sheets and ensuring there was not a crease to be found you couldn’t stop to think about the encounter, not even when you had finished all your duties for the day and found yourself in the bed chambers which you shared with the other maids. A single candle flickered in the dark next to your bed as your braided your hair, your eyes followed the dance of the flame as the wind made it curve and straighten again. You knew sleep would either fail you completely or be hard to get with the way your mind was still wide awake. Standing from the bed as quite as possible to not wake the others, you slipped into your shoes and grabbed a thinner coat to tug around your shoulders as you were only dressed in your shift. Picking up the candle holder you exited the room and began your walk towards the gardens, the guards barely paid attention to you as you passed them. The garden was beautiful, adorned with all sorts of flowers which had been shipped from neighboring towns. It felt like a coming together of Westeros and a place where you could, if even for a moment, simply be. You sat down on one of the stone benches right across the rose bushes which wrapped around a stone pillar, the candle sitting next to you had picked up a faster pace to dance to.
A small sigh escaped you lips, the first you had allowed yourself all day. It wasn’t the exhaustion of your tasks but a deep rooted one that had found home inside of you ever since you were just a little girl following her mother around the Red Keep. She had been a maid just like you but with a much more important task: she was the personal maid of the queen. You remember when you first saw the Queen Mother for the first time, you remember thinking of her as beautiful almost like a star to be found in the night sky. But that had been long ago and now that you were older you barely remembered her face. As a simple maid that tended to the castle rather than a noble you barely saw the family you served. The wind that found its way into the garden picked up a little making you wrap your coat closer around you.
“They are beautiful, aren’t they ?” A voice to your left spoke, a voice you had heard just a few hours before. Your head quickly whipped to the side making a slight dizziness blur your vision before it cleared and gave way to Baelor. “I hope I did not scare you,” he added gently and he once again took you by surprise. “No, your grace.” You answered gently and stood up to bow your heard “There is no need for that I assure you,” and the smile you had been granted to see in the hallway, had returned to his face but stayed longer this time. “May I be so free to ask: what brings a lady like yourself into the gardens this late at night?” and you wondered once more why he was being so… polite? He asked for allowance to place his question, yet you knew you were not in a position to ever decline such a request. Baelor slowly walked over and sat down on the bench before gesturing you to take a seat again yourself. Hesitantly you did. “I found it hard to fall asleep, your grace” you answered with your hand folded into your lap and gaze drawn to them. “I hope nothing is troubling you,” and at that gentle inquiry, that could’ve been mistaken for worry, you shook your head “I find myself rather often searching for a time to simply be, these gardens are peaceful, calming even and will surely bring the tiredness I need, your grace” At that he nodded and let his gaze wander to the roses.
You chewed on the inside of your cheek for a moment before you spoke again “May I ask the same question ? What brings the Crown Prince into the garden at such an hour ?” When his gaze returned to you, you feared for a moment that you had stepped out of line but before the worry could manifest his reply soothed it all away. “Meetings with the King and letters to be answered tend to take up most of my time during the day and so I take a walk, usually at night, to clear my head and enjoy some quiet from the noises at court” He explained gently, you returned the gesture of before and nodded. A silence build between the two of you but it wasn’t uncomfortable just two people taking in the calm before the storm. A storm dressed in wolfs skin.
As a few minutes went by you found your eyes beginning to drop, the tiredness you had hoped for finally seeping into your bones. “Your grace, please forgive me but I shall head to my chambers as I find myself rather exhausted” and just as you were about to rise he stopped you with a small hand gesture. “Allow me to walk you there, it isn’t safe for a lady to wander these halls so late at night.” Suddenly you were rather thankful that the only light, after the candle had went out, was that of the moon as anything brighter would’ve surely revealed your blushing face. “Thank you, your grace, but I would not want to be a bother” He just shook his head and offered you his arm “I insist,” and who would be able to ever argue against that?
Swallowing down your words of protest you let your arm move under his and your hand rest on his forearm before you began the walk back to your chambers. “You are too kind, your grace, truly,” you said gently and he gave you a small nod “It was me who kept you in the garden for longer than you would have stayed it is only right that I assure you get to your chamber safely.”
You could feel the warmth radiating from his arm into your colder one and the realization that you were walking with the Heir of House Targaryen, arm in arm, made your heart do a small flutter. He didn’t treat you like a maid, at least you did not feel like one ever since you had first met him in the hallway, around him you felt like a simple woman escorted by a kind man who was seeking to provide she was safe. As you drew closer to the door you felt the small disappointment from your walk being cut shorter than you would’ve wanted bloom in your chest. Slowly removing your arm from his you moved into a small curtesy, one you had seen your mother do when she was facing the Queen all these years ago. “Thank you for bringing me to my chambers, your grace” You lifted your gaze and what you saw was the most gentle look a noble man had ever granted you “It was my pleasure my lady, I hope you can now find the rest you deserve and have no thoughts troubling you” You nodded and returned the smile “I wish the same for you, your grace” and with a bow of your head you quietly opened the door before casting one last glance at the prince before closing the door again.
You let out a shaky breath that you had been holding in ever since he had joined you in the gardens, you could not believe that what had happened had actually been reality, that he had actually spoken to you like a person rather than an object to command. The smile which was forming on your lips simply couldn’t be helped as you quietly made your way under the covers of your bed. Pulling the blanket around your shoulders to keep away the cold breeze that came through the small cracks of the stone, you felt a warm feeling spread through you.
Baelor Targaryen was just as the elderly maids had told you, gentle, kind and generous. Baelor Targaryen had spend the time he had away from duties with you in the garden. And for the first time since your mother left, the Red Keep felt warmer again.
Morning came faster than you liked, your name was called with the command to get ready and you didn’t have it in you to get lectured if you stayed under the covers any longer. You changed into your working dress and tied your hair up and under the cap to protect it from dirt. As you made your way out of the chambers a Guard approached you “My lady, the Head Housemaid is requesting to see you,” you furrowed your brows but still followed behind him into the small office of the Head Housemaid with the name Ademar. “Ah, sweet child please have a seat I have rather fortunate news” She said offering you the seat across from her, you were still rather confused as to what she deemed as fortunate. “You have been now assigned to serve the Crown Prince Baelor, he had requested you only this Morgen.” For a moment time stood still, your heart giving an involuntary clench.. “Now now don’t look so surprised and rather hurry to his chambers and do make sure to gather your belongings you shall be assigned a new chamber.” It felt too much and too fast when you were already hurried out the door. As it shut behind you, you tried to calm your breathing, why had he requested you? You had no experience in the matter of tending to a Prince, you did not know what he would need or what you could assist him with. Quickly gathering your thoughts you hurried down the hall and past your usual station as you took the stairs to the royal chambers, you let your hands move over your skirts in an attempt to straighten the material before you gently knocked on the door. “Come in,” his voice called and with one last deep breath you opened it and stepped inside.
“Your Grace,” you said once the doors were closed behind you, this time the bow of your head was proper for a maid facing a prince. “I can only repeat myself but there truly is no need to bow, I believe we can address each other on the same level,” this man was truly the embodiment of your confusion, everything he told you felt like a breach in a codex that had been taught to you for years. “Is your grace certain? I would not want to ever disrespect or overstep..” you replied and soon his boots came into view before you felt his finger gently lift your chin “I am quite certain” and you could feel your heart wanting to escape your chest.
“As you wish, your grace,”
“Baelor,” he corrected “in private there is no need for titles that I’m weary of wearing,” you blinked up at him before you gave a small nod “Yes your – Baelor.” You quickly corrected yourself which earned you another one of his smiles. “What can I assist you with?” you asked gently before his finger left your chin, the warmth of it still tingling on your skin. “I find myself looking for new entertainment, I believe you know of the library within these halls?” You nodded “Good, if you would be so kind to go there and find me a few new books to read I would be grateful.” Your eyes lightened up at that, when you were young you would at times sneak off to read the books in the library, your mother having deemed it important that her daughter knew how to write and read. “As you wish, Baelor” The name still strange on your tongue.
As he left his chambers to tend to his duties as heir of the realm, you made your way to tend to your duties as his maid. Opening the doors to the library the scent of parchment and ink filled your lungs, a scent that made your shoulders relax and a natural smile form on your lips. You took your time to walk between the tall shelves, scanning them with your eyes as you added book after book to the growing pile in your arms. You truly hoped you were selecting books that would be to his liking, it would be rather embarrassing to fail at your first given task. Once you deemed the pile of books high enough you made your way back to his chamber, just opening the door without knocking felt improper and yet you were acutely aware that you had the allowance as the maid of the prince. Carrying the books inside you gently laid them on the table and assured they were not disturbing the papers on it. Straightening up you took a look around the room, it was large as you had expected, his bed standing against a wall in the middle of the room, black and red details adorning the walls and bedding. Targaryen colors. You made your way to his bed and began to right the sheets and pillows, before you cleaned up the space around it without touching anything that seemed personal.
As time passed you were just kneeling on the ground cleaning the fur before the doors opened, it had taken you so by surprise that you quickly stood up with your eyes wide. “Apologies, I seem I keep scaring you,” he huffed out and it sounded close to a laugh. “For a man of your height you move rather quietly,” you said with a small laugh of your own. His eyes warmed at the sound before he moved them to his desk where the books were stacked. “I see you have finished my request,” he concluded and walked over, he regarded them for a moment, reading the titles before turning to look at you. “You have a good taste in literature,” and the praise made heat rise into your face. “Thank you, Baelor.” You replied with a small bow of your head. “Is there one under these which might interest you ?” He asked his eyes finding yours, you hadn’t expected such a question and yet you answered rather fast. “The one about old Valyria,” he nodded and picked it up, closing the distance between the two of you before he offered the book to you. “Read it for me and then report back to me how you found it,” you immediately smiled and nodded before taking the book from his hands, the tip of your fingers brushing slightly together. “I will,” you promised before he gave you the space to leave.
You left his chambers and made your way to the old one you used to occupy, you grabbed the few things you could call your own before a Kingsguard showed you to your new chambers, they were closer to the royal ones and when he opened the door for you to step in, your breath caught in your throat. The room was almost as big as the shared chamber you had just left, the bed was close to the size of the princes, truly it seemed more fitting for a princess than a simple maid. As night drew closer, you had changed out of your shift after having checked with the prince that he needed no further assistance. You climbed under the covers and lit the oil lamp next to your bed before taking the book he had asked you to read. Losing yourself in the passages of the old history of Valyria your brain kept conjuring up Baelor in the place of Aegon the Conqueror, perched atop a dragon and riding far over the clouds of Westeros. As you kept on reading your eyes grew tired, the letters beginning to blur together. Rubbing them you quickly set the book aside so you wouldn’t loose the page you had just been on. Lowering the lamps light to a soft dim, sleep began to take you under and the last thought was of the prince who was asleep just a few doors down the hall.
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