Snippet of an imagined part of a fic id like to write where instead of Aerion being exiled to lys hes made to go with ser dunc and egg on their journey to be humbled. This is a scene where dunc discovers Aerion’s tramp stamp (note the tunic is damp bcuz there was a storm not because of any activities lol)
Dunk rose without sound, peeling off his damp tunic from the night before. The cool air hit his bare chest—broad, scarred, heavy with road-earned muscle. He hung the shirt on a low branch, letting it air, then crouched to stir the embers back to life. Flames licked up thin and hesitant.
Aerion stirred behind him. A soft exhale, then the rustle of fabric. Dunk felt the prince’s gaze before he turned—violet eyes cracking open, lazy and sharp. Aerion propped on one elbow, watching Dunk’s back with that calm, predatory interest.
“Generous view this morning,” he murmured, voice still rough from sleep.
Dunk snorted, not turning. “Eyes up, princeling.”
Aerion laughed low—private, amused, and sat up fully. He stretched, slow and deliberate, arms overhead, spine arching just enough to pull his loose shirt high. The hem rode up his back, exposing the small of it. There, inked bold and low, curved a pair of dragon wings: crimson and black, scales etched fine, tips flaring like they were caught mid-beat. The design sat right above the dip of his waist—hidden unless someone got close, unless clothes shifted in the right (or wrong) moment. It was unmistakably a tramp stamp: seductive, provocative, placed where fingers might linger during a tumble, where a lover’s mouth could trace the lines in the dark. Yes, it echoed his dragon madness—wings waiting to unfurl, fire in the blood but more than that, it was an invitation. A pretty monster marking himself for hands that dared.
Dunk’s eyes locked on it. Breath snagged in his throat. The ink looked alive against pale skin—crimson bleeding into black, curves sharp and elegant, matching the prince’s lethal beauty in every arrogant line. Heat crawled up Dunk’s neck, pooling low. Seven hells. It wasn’t just a tattoo; it was a test. Low. Secret. Made for seduction. For someone to peel clothes back and follow those wings with fingertips, with lips, until the prince arched and purred. Dunk’s big hands flexed, imagining the smooth skin under them, the way Aerion might shiver if he pressed just right. Want hit him hard, raw, twisting with something darker: the urge to claim, to mark over that ink with his own touch. His pulse thudded heavy, righteous mind scrambling to keep up. He put that there with intent. Knows exactly what purpose it serves.
Aerion glanced over his shoulder, catching the stare. He didn’t cover it right away. Instead he shifted—subtle roll of his hips, letting the shirt stay hiked just long enough for the full design to catch the light.
“Like it?” he asked, voice soft, teasing. “I had it done on a whim. Felt… true.”
Dunk swallowed, voice coming rough. “Low place for something that bold.”
Aerion’s smile curved slow, satisfied. “Well that may be the point, ser. Hidden until it isn’t.” He rose fluidly, stepping close—close enough, Dunk could see the faint gooseflesh on the prince’s arms from the morning chill. “Meant for worthy eyes. Hands that earn it.” His fingers brushed Dunk’s bare forearm, light, deliberate, then trailed up to rest over the knight’s heart. “You’re staring like you want a view of it in action yourself.”
Dunk didn’t deny it. Couldn’t. He was uncontrollably and awkwardly honest that way. The mark burned in his mind now—crimson wings, pale dip of waist, promise of heat. He felt the pull sharper than ever, body responding even as his mind berated never.
Aerion leaned in, breath warm against Dunk’s collarbone. “One day you might. When you stop pretending you’re above it.”












