The other side. The old king closed his eyes, and somewhere in the land of fire and smoke the white dragon opened his. And someone was waiting for him all this time. And never blamed him for anything.
Carved this cabochon from a red jasper river pebble, and was hit by all the thoughts about the dragon other side.
Just got a new knight! I sure hope his unwavering loyalty, mindless devotion, and tendency to kneel before me to kiss the palm of my hand before he commits atrocities in my name doesn't awaken anything in me.
As long as Baelor can remember all throughout his life, he was meeting /someone/. One specific person, who kept appearing in his life sporadically.
The memories of meeting him are hazy, very unlike his normal ones. He can't recall what they talk about or what else happens in those memories. He can't recall his name or his voice or his face. But he knows that whoever he is meeting must be a knight who was recently injured in a fight. And that the time doesn't seem to be moving for him like it does for Baelor, because from the earliest memory, when Baelor was but a small child, to the latest, shortly before Ashford, the knight's injuries seem to remain mostly unchanged.
When he meets Dunk, the hedge knight seems strangely familiar. Baelor is tempted to think of him as that knight from his memories, but Dunk clearly doesn't know him, and Dunk is completely injured besides.
Then the Trial happens, and Baelor survives it, tho injured. He wakes after a couple of day, and asks about Ser Duncan. Only, it turns out, that the hedge knight has disappeared. Not just left Ashford - his horses and belongings are still there, with Egg stubbornly watching over them - but completely disappeared without a trace.
That night Baelor sees the earliest memory of his stranger in the dream. It is much clearer than before. Clear enough for Baelor to recognise Dunk in it. Dunk who somehow looks like he left the Trial just days ago in a memory from decades in the past. In that memory Dunk stumbles upon Baelor hiding away in one of the hidden passages, crying over insults he heard about his Dornishness, and consoles him.
In the morning, Baelor thinks it's just a fluke. A trick of his mind desperately wanting to know what happend with Dunk. But it happens the next night too, with a different memory. And the next.
Night after night, Baelor dreams/remembers every meeting they had throughout his life. Sometimes they talk, sometimes Dunk helps him (once even saves his life), sometimes Baelor helps Dunk with his injuries or insists he eats and rests when possible, sometimes Baelor only gets small glimpses of Dunk in a crowd (he can't help but wake up disappointed after those night). As it is getting closer to their last meeting before Ashford, Baelor realises that he is falling in love/has already fallen in love with Dunk before, and wonders, if Dunk will return to the present when Baelor's memories finally run out.
I think Baelor gets off on taking care of Duncan--like, being Hand and later King is just a series of never ending problem solving and while Baelor does enjoy the problem solving aspect, he doesn't get to reap the rewards of his work the same he gets to do with Duncan. Getting Dunk access to the best trainers and all the food anyone could need or want show up in just how much bigger and stronger Dunk gets at the Keep. Baelor is ordering private feasts for him and his sworn sword WITHOUT UTENSILS thank you very much. In the morning, sheets are getting stained, Dunk is covered in bite marks and Baelor has regained the vigor to out argue all of his Small Counsel.
Dunk expected a lot of things to happen when he returned to King's Landing for the first time in years as Baelor's sworn sword. He thought that he was ready to face it all. He wasn't. He especially wasn't ready for Baelor and Jena to start seducing him. He isn't complaining, though.
Maekar notices first. He knows his brother better than himself. The little ticks that make Baelor are there, of course, the fiddling with rings, the way he has to have something in his hands at all times. He has this smile though, the one that he gets looking at his kids.
It doesn’t meet his eyes.
It’s the way he slowly starts ordering his meals with rarer, bloodier meat. He knew his brother didn’t like overcooked meals but it’s strange when he asks for something just a tad bloodier than before.
The cadence of his voice is there. Sort of. Something feels off but Maekar can’t put his finger on it.
When he orders a harsher punishment for Aerion (a stint at the wall instead of exile), Maekar holds his tongue.
His eyes though, they’re not there, they reflect light when it catches the profile in just the right way. It reflects like an animal would. And the slit, just ever so tiny, forms. His brother smiles and he sees teeth that are just a shade sharper than before.
(This is not his brother. Not really. Baelor came back wrong.)
Baelor got like really really really drunk one night sometime before he met Jena and ended up having a bit of misbegotten fun with a random maid as a young man. He didn't really think much of it tbh and lowkey kind of forgot about it, seeing how the woman never really turned back up. Then he married, fathered his kids and just kinda went on with life.
Enter: Ser Duncan the Tall, or Dunk, who is like reasonably sure that he's the bastard of some kinda noble but also isn't exactly keen on finding the father who abandoned his mother to die alone in childbirth. On an off note, wtf are Dragonseeds and why does his squire insist he is one!?
As he’s their sworn sword, House Targaryen takes responsibility for the care and outfitting of Dunk. But he’s out in the hedges for long long stretches and when he’s “in residence” fate contrives that the adults are always in another castle (Dunk at Summerhall and Baelor/Maekar in Kings Landing).
So it’s actually a while before anyone except the kids see how Dunk’s beefed up. Imagine their faces when Dunk turns up at a grand event dressed to the nines. That boy got big and handsome and damn he cleans up really really good. Like, almost unrecognizable, setting whispers around the hall, who’s gonna get that tall drink of water first, flirting free for all.
Are you planning on adding more to "The Darkness at the Heart of Things"?
I have been re-reding that almost every other day 🫣😅
I'd love to know what everyone's reaction would be to Dunk being an omega now - and Baelor's mate as well.
I imagine Lyonel would be crashing out, and having total envy of Baelor. Aerion would be pissed off that he didn't get his spectacle. I imagine Valarr would be Blue-Screeing - his new step-mum is the same age/younger than him. Also Daeron II would 100% know what's up, he delt with his father's bullshit after all.
I imagine Egg would just be thrilled his Ser is now family.
Anyway, I'd be grateful even for crumbs of this story 🙏
AHHHHHHHH Thank you!!!!!!! I'm so glad you like it!!!!!!! :D
I love the societal implications of it all - what would happen if the crown prince bitched a member of the smallfolk? Absolutely Daeron II is on the trail, Aerion is wilding out, and Valarr is just hoping he doesn't have to call Dunk "mom" lmao. Lyonel will def play a fun part for certain, i love a queen who crashes out
I'm working on it right now with a few other ideas in between my job, but here is a snippet i've got so far:
“I…” Valarr paused. He frowned at himself, brows furrowed. He spoke slowly, not looking at Baelor, “I don’t want to be rude, kepa. But, are you certain?”
“Certain?” Baelor tilted his head. He waited, letting Valarr think. His son looked up at him, still a few inches left to separate them. His two-colored eyes, the mirror of Baelor’s, glanced behind him to Dunacn, who was finally eating under Egg’s insistence.
Baelor’s hands itched to pick up some of the fruit to give Duncan – instincts still wanting to make sure his omega was well-fed. Based on how slowly Duncan ate, he thought perhaps Duncan’s instincts were telling him the same – to let his alpha take care of him.
“Not all are meant for the court,” Valarr said, quiet enough that only Baelor could hear. “Grandfather will have words, as will grandmother.”
Words they would have indeed. Baelor was the crown prince, but even the heir was not infallible. Hours of lectures on decorum, presentation, speaking, dancing, even standing in a princely fashion, and Baelor did it all with grace. He gave the realm two sons whom he loved dearly, even if their mother hated his Dornish blood. He did exactly as was required of him for so long that he had almost forgotten what it was to want rather than to follow. He suspected his parents would have a great deal to say about his new omega, much of it not for Ser Duncan’s ears.
“Not all are for the court,” Baelor agreed, just as quietly. “He is for me. I will deal with the court, and I will deal with your grandparents’ opinions on the matter.”
Valarr took the answer and thought on it. They finished their meal. Valarr ate quickly before getting up, kissing Kiera on the top of the head, and leaving to deal with the finalities of their departure. Egg stole pastries and hide them in his pockets before Kiera tugged him away to say their goodbyes to the little Lady Ashford. Maekar dragged Daeron away, promising his son would either sit a horse or in the litter like an invalid, which Daeron seemed more than fine with.
That left Duncan and Baelor alone. His omega had eaten some – not enough, even with Egg and Kiera’s attentions. He drank carefully, his hand trembling slightly as he held his cup. Baelor tucked his napkin away and pushed his chair back.
“You need to eat more than just that,” he said, looking carefully at Duncan. He wore the new clothing Baelor had commissioned. Clothed in black and red, smelling of Baelor, he was almost able to quiet the instincts that told him to keep him locked away in his nest so no one could come near him. Almost.
Duncan's shoulders rose up as he tucked into himself. “Ay, Maester Yormwell said such. I tried, just-” he swallowed hard, stopped himself. His ears were red at the top, and if he lowered his shoulders, Baelor would bet anything that a flush had taken over the tops of his cheeks.
“Here,” Baelor said, and patted his left thigh. “Let me help.”
I have literally seen nothing and no one make a gif about this particular specific moment and how this is him at his most attractive to me (what officially sealed the deal of me loving this man). The most subtle of playfulness of popping his snack into his mouth (unbroken fucking eye contact) and his "good boy, that'll do" energy toward Dunk for correctly recalling and naming the Grey Lion, thereby proving to Baelor he is not only not a liar, but a good squire who listens to his master. 👀👀👀
@hardsaltdilf did this absolutely gorgeous art as part of the Dunkbaelor Exchange and it is beautiful and everyone should go say nice things about it.
And I wrote this little tiny snippet for it.
"Governor, please, it will only take five minutes for Roland to pull the car around!"
"And it will only take three to walk."
"Sir, pardon my language, but it's pissing down rain out there! Neither of us has an umbrella, you'll be drenched."
"Oh, a little rain never hurt anyone, Duncan."
And Governor Targaryen is grinning up at him like he does just before he plunges into a crowd of people to start shaking hands heedless of whether or not Dunk is keeping up with him. Or when he's about to deliberately antagonize a political opponent (Dunk swears that Blackfyre character is going to take a swing one of these days).
"But your suit," Dunk tries one last futile attempt.
The governor's grin widens. "My suit will be fine, sir. And if yours is not, perhaps you will finally let me buy you some new ones. I still want to get you into a waistcoat."
I'd rather you got me out of it, Dunk thinks but does not say. Instead he sighs and starts removing his jacket. "Fine. But at least let me do this." He holds the jacket over both their heads.
The governor steps closer to him and Dunk can feel the heat of his body through his shirt. A hand comes to rest on the small of his back and he looks down to see a much softer smile on the handsome face.
thank you @inscrutablecryptid and @herefortheculture1010 for giving me the motivation to talk about this.
Basically the idea for this headcanon started from a simple problem: how does all of westeros speak the same language? I found this strange because I come from a country where there is a universal language, but there are also a LOT of dialects (most of which are actually fully different languages with similar roots, but that's beside the point) like, even between neighbour cities if one speaks only in dialect they may not understand each other.
So, since westeros is massive and extremely feudal I reasoned that they'd have a lot of dialects, starting with the main one speaken by nobles, known to commoners as "highborn" (I haven't decided what name the lords would give it).
Nobles use this as a univeral language, but in general every lord speaks at least 2 or three dialects: highborn, and the two most common lowborn dialects of their region, while the nobles that reside in KL court speak highborne, Crown (Crownlands main dialect) and High Valyryan (you will never convince me that nobles aren't foaming at the mouth to speak their liege native language).
Meanwhile commoners speak a number of dialects based on their lives: a normal farmer will probably never leave the land they were born in, as such they might go their entire life only speaking the dialect of their region, while a merchant will know a bunch of different dialects, among which highborn and hedges (dialect made to be understandable to most dialects, its name comes from the fact that most hedge knights speak it), while any lowborn who has to deal with nobles on the daily, like servants or guards will know a number of lowborn dialect while also speaking (or at least unbderstanding) highborn.
So, when a noble travels they usually bring a translator with them, to make sure that they will be able to communicate with lowborns should the need arise.
Now onto how this whole headcanon fits our blorbo: Dunk grew up speaking Flea, the dialect spoken in Flea Bottom, rumored to be so difficult to understand that only those born speaking it can understand it, and he could hold a conversation in Crown.
Later (once he was taken in by ser Arlan) he learned a lot of new languages (he still cannot read), even more than those ser Arlan knew, because he had a talent for understanding people, so learning new languages, as long as it was through speach, came easy to him.
Now, I don't know how many of you can speak more than one language, but it is easy to mix up and directly translate a sentence that doesn't make sense outside of its original language, this is partially the reason Dunk is so akward in the show, because he's speaking highborn, and as much as he's fluent in it, he still makes some mistakes, like when he say relatevly weird shit lik: "it is mine by right" or "I hope they will not be found dead" these sentences in the context they were spoken in eiuther made no sense or were in bad taste, but he was directly translating them from another dialect (for examle Crown) so they did not sound strange to him.
This is not to say that our blorbo isnt akward or shy or a bit socially stunted at times, but it is to say that he's these things even more when talking in Highborn simply because he's not as used to speaking it as he's used to speaking in more common lowborn dialects.
If you are interested in more about this (like, idk, what dialects Dunk speaks or how highborn came to be) you are welcome to ask.
Also a thanks to those amazing people on discord who first let me rant about this, I <3 you.
I fear I love a presumed dead situation! Dunk is visiting friends in the North/Storms End — his first vacation/ eat pray love trip post knighting Egg where he’s trying to figure out what he wants to do. Baelor had made noise about having him reside in the Red Keep but Dunk doesn’t know if he could remain so close to the man he loves without having him. But the rest of Westeros knows Baelor’s down bad so a leftover Blackfyre contingent decides to attack Dunk! They chase him into the woods, but ultimately they assume he’s dead bc of blood loss— he’s not. He’s just being smart and hiding and following the army in disguise as they head to KL (there are hijinks where he kills/sabotages them along the way. The army is essentially defunct by the time they get to LK). Word gets back to KL that Dunks dead and Baelor goes ballistic. Like alternating between wanting to go salt the earth and deeply dissociated. They reunite in the middle, when Dunk sneaks into Baelor’s tent and gives him shit for not letting the Kingsguard do their job. Baelor loses his self control and fucks him through the map table. He feels bad for leaving so many hickeys and for overstimulating the hell out of dunk and goes to apologize when he comes back to himself but Dunk laughs at him and says that he’s been trying to get Baelor’s attention for years now.
loving the idea of dunk in the middle of an (XL) sandwich between baelor and maekar, but he remains oblivious to how kinky they’re actually making it. Not his fault he’s inexperienced and easy to please, and all of their sex is so convoluted because the brothers are a. Odd and b. Competitive to a fault.
Dunk, reporting on the evening: We had sex in my bed. Must be change of pace for a prince, to lay on rough sheets and press close.
Actual Playback: Baelor and Maekar fighting all evening about who’s been monopolising more of his attention, and deciding (as per usual) to share but making it more exciting by playacting “Dornishman and Valyrian seize territory from the subdued Andal warrior” (Disclaimer: loose historical accuracy). A very obliging (read: not good at resisting invasion) Dunk gets his arms tied behind his back, pushed down into bed, immediately pressed against on both sides, and peacefully enjoys some very heavy petting and grinding as the brothers play-fight over his head about birthright and negotiate their spoils of conquest.
Rinse and repeat. They’re very odd, Dunk can agree, but he’s not had bad sex with them yet.
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