Fandom: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
Pairing/Characters: Lyonel Baratheon x reader
Word count: ~1000
Includes: fluff, female!reader, bookworm!reader
Warnings: mentions of alcohol and drinking, reader is implied to have anxiety when it comes to people and crowds (same, girl)
Other: I'm baaaaaaaack!!! Took a bit more time than I intended to, I was visiting my family and english escaped my head totally while there, so I had to reorient my brain back into it when I got back. I'm slowly working on some new pieces as well as a new updated list for upcoming fics, with some new characters included.
"My beloved’ crooned the man, a knight from a distant land. You continue to bewitch my dreams, haunt my living hours. Not a moment of my life goes by when I do not think of your loveliness, my heart vexing poetry of your beauty!" He sighs wistfully, hand rising to grasp his chest to emphasize the turmoil of his emotions as he falls to a knee. Esmeraldha gasps as he continues to vow his never-ending love to her. Her mouth opens to answer, rosy lips parting.
You lean forward in anticipation, gasping in delight. The flame of your candle dances, casting shadows over the words, but you barely notice. Two books of build-up, of anticipation, sleepless nights, and it has come down to this. The page ends, and your fingers hook under the next one, savoring the moment. The rustle of the page fills the silence in the tent, ready to see what the author has in store for these characters. Your breath hitches as the moment is almost there, the first words catching your eyes as the page settles…
And the candle snuffs out.
“No!” A whispered gasp leaves you as the tent is plunged into darkness. Your hand fumbles on the bedside table for a new one, desperate for more light, to see what happens. It is empty, and the drawer below houses only another book, with your comb rattling in your desperate search, but there are no candles.
You make to call for your lady’s maid, but realize that you and Lyonel allowed them to have the night free in honor of the first night of the tourney. Most of them are probably at the feast Lyonel is hosting, drinking and being merry. The guards are the same. No one, save for Lyonel, knows that you are at the tent, most assuming that you would be by your husband’s side to feast. You would like to be with Lyonel, but you find the loud crowd exceedingly tiring.
Sighing, you hoist yourself up from the bed, nerves tickling at the bottom of your stomach as you know you’ll have to fetch someone from the main tent to help you with the candles. You’d much rather just stay in bed, but you cannot leave the book unfinished. You could try and sleep, but it would be pointless, knowing it would be impossible for you to sleep before you get to finish that book.
And your corset is digging into your ribs quite painfully, so you’d have to wait for Lyonel’s return nonetheless. It would be late then. Although, even if drunk, Lyonel has never had an issue or a complaint in helping you undressing.
****
Your hands shake as you duck into the doorway of your tent, the guards bowing deep with bright smiles. You are not often seen at a feast such as this, especially after the formalities have been conducted. You usually slip away unnoticed as your husband takes over as the host.
“Welcome, Lady Baratheon. Shall we-“
"No need to announce me and ruin the momentum.” You rush out, not wanting to be the centre of attention. Their faces flash with doubt, but they step aside and allow you to enter.
“I’ll just quickly get one of my maids to assist me, and I’ll be out before anyone can spot me. If I require him, I’ll find Lyonel myself. I am sure he is not hard to find.”
Oh, how right you are. Lyonel is holding court at the long table at the front of the tent, voice booming over the loud laughter and music. Your heart warms as you spot him, and you allow yourself a moment to appreciate him in his element, loud laughter booming over everyone, that infectious grin of his face as his stein collides with another and the ale spills.
Your eyes scrutinize the crowd for one of your ladies, trying to spot their hairdos in the mess of people dancing and laughing, the crowd weaving between one another with a haste that has your head spinning.
In your concentration, you’ve not noticed that Lyonel has left his spot at the table and has disappeared into the crowd. Strong hands find your waist, and your gasp is swallowed into the bustle of the crowd as Lyonel spins you around before allowing you to drop to his chest, his embrace tightening, the spectacle (to your horror) drawing eyes from all around the tent.
“My dove!” He bellows, smacking a kiss onto your lips. His breath is warm and smells of ale, and his eyes have gained the gleam of night and drink, but they still melt into a pool of affection when he gazes at you, nose nuzzling into your neck.
“You smell good.”
“L-“ You try, but your husband does not give you a chance, too much gone in the wine and dance.
“Dance with me?” You open your mouth to refuse, feeling the stares of the people around, their eyes feeling almost like needles on your skin. But when your eyes meet his, pleading and soft, it all disappears, his gaze like armor against their pointed stares, his hold like balm to your frayed nerves. So despite everything, your face splits into a smile, and you nod.
“Just one. Then, I’ll need someone to help me with a candle.”
You steal a few sips of Lyonel’s wine, and one dance turns into two and soon, into three. You can still feel the stares of the crowd, but the wine is slowly taking over the minds of the crowd, the food and drink turning the dance floor into a flurry of movement without a discernible way to see where it begins and where it ends.
Why would you go back to your book when you have a real-world fairytale right here, in this tent?
Now, it is 'just this one last dance' instead of 'just this one last chapter', but you don't really mind. The wine coursing through your veins eases your mind, and with Lyonel by your side, nothing can truly bother you.
*****
All AKOT7K characters taglist: @baelorandmaekarinparis @qardasngan @jtrstp @thatshadowintheuniverse
To join all characters' Taglists, leave a comment here!
Lyonel Baratheon taglist: @nerdypinupcrystal @shoxji @jaybeefoxy @madlyimmortalnerd @umadirectioner
To join the Lyonel Baratheon taglist, leave a comment on the masterlist!
I just got on the elevator with Maggie and some other guy I've never seen before in my entire life. None of us said anything getting on but he hit my floor button and then his. He just knew what floor we were going to. With such confidence. Said not a word.
For those wondering why almond water, earlier stories about the backrooms mention an almond smell. Now a bunch of people who don't know how to do horror well seem to have jumped to the idea that this almond smell is some magic cure all almond water
It should be noted that an almond smell is a common sign of cyanide which flew over those people's heads
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