slutty snow angel’s full masterlist❄️🦋🌀🩵🫐🪬
house of the dragon: cregan stark, jacaerys targaryen, benjicot blackwood/ davos blackwood — taking requests
squid game: choi su bong/ thanos — no requests
Xuebing Du
Sweet Seals For You, Always
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"I'm Dorothy Gale from Kansas"
NASA
hello vonnie

if i look back, i am lost

Love Begins
EXPECTATIONS

shark vs the universe

Andulka
The Bowery Presents
taylor price

❣ Chile in a Photography ❣

roma★

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todays bird
Cookie Run:Kingdom Official!

Game Changer & Make Some Noise
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@sluttysnowangel666
slutty snow angel’s full masterlist❄️🦋🌀🩵🫐🪬
house of the dragon: cregan stark, jacaerys targaryen, benjicot blackwood/ davos blackwood — taking requests
squid game: choi su bong/ thanos — no requests
harry collett on instagram tagging the actor for lucerys… no the fuck he did not 💔💔
well good morning hotd fans bc based on my notifications clearly the fandom has awaken 😭😭😭
Though his fifteenth nameday was still half a year away, Prince Jacaerys proved himself a man, and a worthy heir to the Iron Throne.
HOUSE OF THE DRAGON
Season 3 Episode 1 - Salt and Sea, Fire and Blood
oh my baby 💔
UPCOMING CREGAN WORKS (just in time for season 3) 🙏😛
all x readers!!
the girl made in king’s landing - cregan recounts a story about his first love who gets promised to another.
spoiled rotten - rhaenyra’s bratty daughter is wed to cregan stark as a punishment for her behavior, but cregan feels like the punishment is on him.
forgive me, my love - your half brother aegon attacks you, provoking your dire wolf to step in. with no other choice your father demands cregan to kill your pet, but you demand he disobey the king.
tag list? comment!
cregan stark is so noah kahan coded like first with northern attitude but now ESPECIALLY after hearing orbiter like pls release me💔
no grave can hold my body down, i’ll crawl home to you
cregan stark x reader , part 1: before there was you, there was her
summary: a year following a rumor that tore apart you and Cregan’s strong foundation, you and your husband find yourself as strangers in your union, constantly at odds with one another. when the truth comes to light, you and Cregan must rebuild your trust within each other to conquer the enemy you’ve both always known.
cw: smut mwahaha, angst to fluff, inaccurate dance of dragons timeline (aka canon divergence) , brief mentions of pregnancy, mean/angry/slightly toxic reader. erm that’s it i think
taglist: @whotftookalltheusernames1 @pearldaisy @chaotickittenanchor @evajzcks @angel-faced-heartstopper @cloudyzip
The nightmares had started the day you found out,
and they only grew worse.
They were different each night, but occasionally you saw a repeat of one you had previously. Sometimes they were long, sometimes they were short; but every time they sent you into a panic, and in each one there was always him and her, together.
She would look at you, moaning his name, all while you stood frozen, unable to move or scream. Tears would stream down your face as it felt like you choked on the air around you, and when you would finally find the strength to speak his name all he would do was smirk.
And that was just before your father died. After that, they only grew worse; spreading, like the roots of a tree, your grief only giving your nightmares power.
Yet, every night without fail, he was there to comfort you, and tonight was no exception.
You sat straight up, screaming, hand clutching your chest, fingers feeling for the necklace you no longer wore, and hadn’t worn in almost a year. So instead, your fingers clawed at your sternum for relief, fighting to come back to reality.
“My love, hey, hey.” Cregan says, pulling your hands from your chest. “I’m here, just relax.”
My love. Must’ve been a slip of the tongue; he didn’t usually call you that anymore, but he was panicked too. You normally woke up from the nightmares crying and gasping, but you didn’t usually wake up screaming.
“I-It’s nothing, I’m sorry.” You say, out of breath, feverishly waving your hand. He catches it softly, setting it against your stomach.
“Are you feeling alright? It seems like they’re growing worse lately.”
“I-I just am a little warm is all. I’m fine.” You lie. Your other hand unconsciously comes to your stomach, resting on top of his.
You hated him sometimes, if not most times. You couldn’t even stand to look at his stupid, handsome face anymore. But, in times like this you yearned for his comfort.
“You do feel a bit warm.” He says, rubbing your stomach. “The babe might be making you sick.”
“Probably.” You say, hoarsely.
You wipe the sweat from your forehead, still catching your breath. He was probably right. This pregnancy already wasn’t going smoothly, and it only made sense you would catch a chill just weeks from being due.
If there were gods, whether they be the new or old, the seven or the drowned, they hated you. A pregnancy following your husband’s affair? On top of the death of your father? Oh yes, they hated you so.
“Do you want some water?” He asks you. You look at his stupid face, sneering. You may have been good about keeping your emotions silent, but you were not very good at hiding them from your expressions.
“Okay.” You said, voice laced with attitude. He ignored it—he’d gotten pretty good at that—stepping out of bed to get you a glass of water.
Precious moments he had with you were few and far in between these days. You’d made it pretty clear you couldn’t stand him most of the time. But, every once in a while he woke up and you were in his arms, or you woke up scared, yearning to know he was still beside you, your hand touching his for confirmation. Sometimes, you even said a quick ‘love you, bye’ in passing.
Most of the time when you were cold and angry he brushed it off, but there had been times he lost his temper and showed you the same behavior, which only escalated to screaming arguments that all ended up back at the same root: his affair.
You believed if he just admitted it that you both could find a way to move past it with time. But the longer he carried on the lie the more bitter you grew, and the more love you lost.
Cregan believed Willow had made up the lie out of spite, jealous to see he didn’t make her the Lady of Winterfell, even though she had been the one to break his heart. Either way, he refused to admit to something he didn’t do, even if that tore his marriage apart. He thought if you didn’t believe him, then you never truly trusted him. And, honestly, maybe you hadn’t. You came from a place where even the most noble men had countless bastards with whores and cheated on their wives every night. Why would the north have been different? It was a double edged sword in his case; Admit to the lie, then he really is lying. Don’t admit, and you still see him as a liar.
He brought back the water, and you held out your hand for it. But rather than hand it to you, he set it on your night table. You wanted to strangle him, and your hands fisted the sheets. You’d seen the little smirk he tried to hide as he walked to his side of the bed. He thought he was so clever.
You were gonna let it go, let him win this battle so that you could go back to sleep, but a sharp pain in your stomach made you drop the water on the floor, gasping in pain.
“Princess, what is it? What’s wrong?” He asks, panicked, rushing to you beside the bed
“I-I don’t know.” You managed to choke out, hardly even able to breathe. He lifts the blanket off you, blood pooling between your legs.
“I think it’s coming.” He says, worriedly, lifting you off the bed.
“No, no, it’s too early. The maester said there’s still a fortnight left!” You cried.
“I think he’s wrong.”
The maester had been wrong.
About a day or so after, you had pushed out what felt like the fattest babe ever.
It was you and Cregan’s first boy together, who you both decided to call Jonnel.
The labor was horrendous, but Cregan didn’t leave your side once. At one point you screamed at him, “Get out, I don’t want you here.” which broke his heart more than any thing ever could, but when you seen the hurt on his face you immediately pled, “Wait, I changed my mind, please don’t leave me.”
You’d wanted to be with Jonnel all the time, but you were limited. Your hand was still damaged from your rage in Cregan’s war council nine moons ago, and your fingers couldn’t do most things like changing and carrying for long periods. Not even to mention the scar you still bore from Alicent, which had permanently damaged some of the nerves in your other arm. You could still do everything okay most of the time, but your arm got tired quicker than it used to, and sometimes there were spots in your arm where you felt nothing at all. You sobbed when the maester told you that you needed to not push yourself, lest you ruin all the work you had done to restore the function of your fingers.
But, you were bitter watching Cregan get to hold Jonnel all the time. You knew you shouldn’t have been, Jonnel was his too, after all. But, your jealousy and anger about his affair made you want your son all to yourself. The pregnancy had been tedious, and even though Cregan had been there to help every step of the way that you allowed, you still felt he had less of a right than you did. Your emotions were spiraling out of control, just as they had when you were first pregnant and didn’t know it, the maester blaming it on the hormone changes that occur with pregnancy.
But, as moons passed, your emotions regulated and your jealousy faded. Your hand recovered with each day and with the help of the maester, allowing you to hold and care for Jonnel more. All this anger and resentment you held towards Cregan shifted to sadness and hopelessness.
Your union remained tense, nonetheless. Cregan shifted further away from you now that you were no longer pregnant, and some days you didn’t see even see him, which only harbored your belief there may have been other maids he was entertaining.
You looked down, fiddling with the necklace you no longer wore; the one Cregan had gifted to you when you were first wed. You were both so young and awkward then, so blind to the hell that would become your union.
Tears threatened you, and in the isolation of your room, you allowed them to break free, your fingers gripping the necklace in agony. You just wanted things to go back to how they were before you knew. You just wanted your husband back; the one who was sweet, kind, and caring, the one who didn’t sneak around, the one who didn’t go back to his first love, the one who made love to you and only you.
Every time he showed his love or concern now it felt so performative, like he was trying to prove he didn’t do it when you knew he did.
You rest your head in your hands. Part of you wondered if there was a chance you were wrong, if all of this really was a rumor. But the letter felt too incriminating, and the fact the maids whispered and knew of her, and then when she came to see you in King’s Landing. Anger coursed through your veins again at the thought.
Cregan says your name.
“What?!” You snap, looking up, not bothering to wipe the tears off your face.
“Why are you yelling?” He asks, calm but irritated.
“Oh my gods, what did you come in here for?” You ask, voice lowered but still agitated.
You were wearing his patience so thin, but he hid it well.
“There’s a feast tomorrow. I really would appreciate if you came so that the other northern houses will aid me when I have to go to King’s Landing.”
“It’s the middle of winter. Why are you having a feast for that?” You spit.
“Can you come or not?” He asks, fidgeting. “This is to help your sister’s claim.”
“Obviously I’ll come.” You say, looking back down at the necklace in your hands. He doesn’t say anything, but also doesn’t make a motion to leave, watching you stare at the necklace. He was surprised to see you holding it, his eyes fixed on your scarred hand.
“Did you need something else?” You ask, rudely. You break his focus and he huffs, turning and slamming the door as he walks out. There was no point in trying to talk to you, comfort you, ask if you were okay. He’d tried so many times before, and each time you only pushed him away.
The next night, you donned one of the best dresses you owned for the feast. The neckline was low, revealing much of your chest, and your corset was strung so tight you could hardly breathe. You may not have been a northern beauty, but you were a southern one, and the men would be gawking at you all night long. Whether they meant to or not.
You had no intentions on fornicating, but you wanted Cregan to know you had the choice. You wanted him to know choosing his first over you was a mistake.
Cregan sat at the head of the table, your seat next to him empty, as he politely greeted each northern lord that came in.
He was livid. He’d specifically asked you to come because he needed you to help prove to these lords why sparing men to fight for your sister was pertinent to the north. If Aegon remained in power, who knew how badly he would mess with the dynamics of the north? You knew politics, knew the properties of war. With your help these men would be practically begging to go march with Cregan.
And while you did know those things, you intended on gaining their allegiance in much easier ways.
You pushed the doors open loudly, an hour late to the feast, making your appearance known as the knights at the door announced your entrance. Hundreds of men and their wives turned to look at you, but your eyes stared down the middle of the hall, right at your husband. He sat in his chair, eyes glaring right back at yours.
Men bowed as you walked past them, with you finally breaking eye contact from your husband to look at them as you passed. Cregan was already mad before, but now he was raging. His fingers gripped the handles of the chair, nails scratching the wood, but his face remained composed, as if he wasn’t even fazed by you.
But gods, he was.
You looked divine. Your hair was in northern braids, sneaky and intentional on your part, the neckline of your dress hung low, leaving almost nothing to imagination, and your dress was tight, hugging your curves in all the right ways.
He shuffled, trying to keep his length from growing at the mouth watering sight of you. He wanted you so bad, wanted to bend you over that table and show every lord drooling at you that you were his. It’d been too long since he had you, had to have been at least a full year by now. But, he couldn’t stand to go any longer. Hells, he started contemplating admitting to the affair if it meant you could be his once again.
You came beside him to the empty chair. “Lord Stark.”
He whimpered a little, trying to hide it as he stood to formally greet you.
“Princess.” He said, kissing your cheek for appearances, but his hand gripped the back of your neck. You knew he was pissed, and you loved it.
He pulled your chair out for you as you sat beside him, both of you smiling out at the lords in the halls. The facade of a happy and thriving union.
Still smiling, he leans close to you, making it appear to everyone else as if you’re both having a normal conversation. “Where have you been?”
“Around.” You look into his eyes, smiling.
“You were supposed to be here an hour ago.” He whispers, laughing angrily.
“I don’t fucking care.” You whisper back, pretending to laugh as if he said something funny, hand holding his on the table.
He sighs shakily, his fake-happy exterior deteriorating. “I’m trying, gods I’m trying, I’m trying, I’m trying to be cordial with you, but you’re- oh, you pretty little thing-” His fingers grip your cheeks, tightly, a warning to you but a display of affection to others. “You’re wearing my patience so thin.”
“Oh, my dear husband,” You say, leaning in close to his face. “We’ve just barely even started.”
You pinch his cheek, laughing as you stand to go greet the lords.
“Sit down, sit down.” He whispers, but you ignore him, patting his cheek before pushing his forehead.
He tilts his head away from your hand, watching as you gracefully walk to go mingle with the lords. His eyes didn’t break from you, no matter where you went.
Each lord was a nervous wreck when you approached them, stuttering and shuffling to avoid staring too long at your chest. But, the more you talked, the less intimidated they became. Your charisma flowed effortlessly, enchanting them as their wives jealously watched. You tapped into the patriarchy— playing the dumb princess act— when really you were smarter than every man in the room. You knew about the dynamics of politics, war strategies, history, but none of it mattered when you were talking to a man. To only talk about those things would bore them, but to give them a show while you talked about them? You were playing the game of thrones, and you were winning.
Cregan watched every moment of it, eyes burning through your skull, and it was impressive. You had these men drawn in, nodding and drooling at your every word. You’d easily won every house in the north that night. Cregan found himself smiling at you with pride as the night progressed…
until you had too many drinks in your system.
He was trying so hard not to intervene, to let you do what you felt like you needed to win these houses, but then you got physical.
The lines for you were blurring, your fingers would gently graze their arm, making a comment about the loyalty and strength of their ancestors, or touch the sigil on their chest plate, admiring the symbol of their house. You’d laugh harder than necessary at their jokes, your voice grew in volume, your balance became uneven as you practically leaned into them for support.
He knew what you were doing. You were playing this ditsy princess act, and it was cute at first, but now it was aggravating. These lords didn’t care about their wives. If you told one of them ‘take off my clothes and fuck me’ they’d do it right there, in less than a heartbeat.
But as far as Cregan knew, you were a woman scorned. You had nothing stopping you from fucking one of these lords if you so pleased. You were princess of the seven kingdoms, the youngest realm’s delight, babe of Viserys and Aemma. What was stopping you from getting whatever you wanted?
But, then you looked at Cregan.
He was what you wanted.
The one man you yearned for more than anybody in the realm. Despite him wronging you, you wanted him so bad, wanted to break the oath you made to yourself that you’d never be with him again. Your fingers gripped your cup at the thought of him on top of you, just like old times.
But, the one hand, your barely healed right hand, unconsciously rested against the arm of a Lord… Lord… Who was this again? Lord Karstark, right. Cregan’s cousin. Your other hand gave his arm a mindless squeeze at about the same time you gripped your cup, and Cregan noticed, no longer able to bear the sight.
He stood, coming down from his seat and walking straight towards you.
“Cousin.” Lord Karstark broke his gaze from your chest, greeting Cregan with a pat on the back. “Your wife was just telling me about a hunt you went on recently. Said you-”
“Yes, right, that’s great, Brandon.” He interrupts, then addresses you. “Can I have a word with you?”
“I’m busy.” You say, not even looking at him.
“I’m not asking.” He says, leaning in closer so only you could hear.
“Well, I don’t care.” You say, giving him a dirty look. He leans back, eyes still locked on yours as you both challenged each other silently.
“Lord Karstark.” You say, looking back at him with a smile. “Tell me more about your trip a few years ago to King’s Landing. What was it for, again?”
“It was for my brother.” He says. “One was about to be wed so he wanted to, uh, go to the all the brothels there.”
“Alright, we must be getting on now.” Cregan says, hooking his arm with yours to give you a tug, but you plant your feet, unmoving.
“Interesting, tell me more.” You say.
“L-Like what, princess?” He laughs a bit, shuffling.
“The whores?” You say, laughing as if it were obvious. Cregan was stunned. You hated prostitution, said you hoped your sister outlawed it when she took the crown. So, to hear you asking about it? “Which girl was your favorite?”
Cregan’s cousin looked at him, almost like asking for reassurance to speak.
“A-A blonde.” He says, and you give his chest a soft tap.
“Pretty close to Targaryen.” You tease, and Cregan snaps. He reaches to grab your cup from your hand, but your fingers are locked.
“Let go.” You whisper.
“You’re finished.” He says, hand still trying to pull the cup from your grasp.
“Fine!” You say, letting it go. The motion slingshots Cregan’s hand backwards, spilling the cup on his chest.
The facade had faded, as people nearby noticed, but thankfully only a few.
He sighs, dropping the cup on the floor as he looks at you. Your hand covered your mouth, stifling a laugh, which only angered him more.
“Excuse us, Lord Karstark.” You giggle out, waving Cregan’s cousin away.
“You think this is funny?” Cregan asks, and you nod, letting your laughter spill out.
He grabs your arm, pulling you into him as you gasp. Your hand falls to his chest for balance, and he looks down at you, saying nothing.
“You’re drunk.” He whispers. And in that moment you found yourself yearning for him, so, so bad.
“No, you are.” You whisper back. His gaze falls from your eyes down to your plump lips, then down to your chest on full display. He laughs softly.
Oh gods, help me. That laugh.
The silence between you is so intense it’s almost tangible. For a second, you both forget you’re in a crowded room of people. His fingers gently graze up and down your back.
“Stop.” You whisper.
“You want me to stop?” He teases.
“Yes.” You whimper, blatantly lying.
“I don’t think you do.” His fingers move to grip your waist. “Now, go to bed.”
He twists you around, giving you a soft push to walk away. But, you stand firm.
“Go. Seriously.” He warns. You smirk, unmoving. “You’re not going to like it if I have to make you.”
“On the contrary,” You say, turning back to face him. “I think I will.”
He sighs, picking you up and tossing you over his shoulder as you laugh, maybe you really were drunk. He carries you all the way to your bedroom, mumbling under his breath as you giggle.
He tosses you on your bed, looking down at you as you’re a giggling mess.
“Come here.” You smile at him.
“What?”
You sit up on your knees, pulling him by his collar towards you.
“Come here.” You repeat, fingers lacing in his hair as you pull him in to kiss you.
He’s hesitant to kiss you back, but slowly, his fingers find their way to your cheeks, and his tongue seperates your lips, deepening the kiss. He lifts you up, hands snaking under your dress to hold you by your thighs.
“My love.” He whispers into your lips. “Why have you been flaunting about to these other lords?”
“Sh. Don’t worry about that.” You whisper. “Just lay me down and take me, Lord Stark.”
You didn’t need to tell him twice. He drops you on the bed, making you giggle again, as he strips his layers.
“Take this off me.” You say, referring to your dress. He flips you onto your stomach, rushing to unlace your corset.
“Gods, why is this so fucking tight?!” He yells, ripping the corset down the middle in frustration.
“This is a good dress!” You cry out.
“Don’t worry, I know.” He says, “Me and everyone else in the fucking north.”
You slip the torn dress off, spreading your legs as he hovers over you. He kisses you again, rough and deep, biting your lips fervently, fingers digging a bruising touch into your waist. You whimper into the kiss, fingers scratching his chest.
“Fuck me, please,” You beg, in between kisses. “Do it so hard I’m screaming.”
“Oh my gods.” He moans at your lascivious words, pushing himself inside you. Shivers run up his body at the feeling. It had been so long, too long. He didn’t realize how badly he’d been aching for you until now.
You felt the same, cunt leaking around him, staining the furs beneath you. Your heart may have rejected him, but your body was begging for him.
“I can’t believe you.” He moans out, “Embarrassing me in front of all those men, flaunting about like some scarlet.”
“Me a scarlet?!” You yell, and his hand covers your mouth.
“You’re going to let me talk.” He says, slowing his thrusts. “Or I’ll stop.”
“No, fine, fine.” You plead, underneath his hand, which moves to grip your cheeks.
“I asked you one thing, one thing. Be at the hall, on time.” he pants, still thrusting. “And you show up late, looking so fucking good, knowing you’re getting me and everyone else in there worked up, putting their wives to shame. Why? Why would you do that?”
You smirk up at him, and he drops his head, gripping your waist tighter.
“Can’t I have my own paramour?”
“Don’t even fucking say that.” He says, wrapping his hand around your throat. You moan, and put your scarred hand over his. His eyes fall on it, a wave of guilt washing over him. “I don’t have one.”
You slap him across the face, “Liar!”
“I don’t!” He yells, and you slap him again. You go for a third, but he catches your wrist, pinning it to the bed. “When will you believe me?”
You want to answer, but the way he’s holding you and fucking you just right makes it hard to get out anything besides a whimper. He looks into your eyes, searching for the answer, but they’re so clouded with lust it’s impossible.
“I hate you.” You moan, looking at him. “You didn’t just break my heart, you broke my soul. I hate you more than anything.”
He was suspicious that you’d felt that way for a long time, but you never actually said it, confirming his worst fears.
“But, I love you.” He moans, tears brimming his eyes, fingers caressing your cheeks. “I love you so much, my princess.”
“Can we just forget about everything else for once?” You plead the sentence slowly, gasping between every other word. “Just be here with me. Forget about what I did, what you did, forget about what I’ve said, forget about her-”
“There’s only you, there’s no her.” He says, tears falling down his eyes. “When I die and they lay me to rest no grave can hold my body down, I’ll crawl home to you.”
You sob, pulling him down so his chest was touching yours, arms wrapping around him. His head rests against your shoulder, pressing soft kisses to your skin.
“Cregan, I can’t hear anymore of this.” You plead, pushing his hips with yours to try to remind you both where you were. It all just felt like a lie, like a sick and twisted lie. Your fingers scratched his back, trying to anchor yourself.
He lifts his head, locking eyes with yours, cupping your cheek. “Then, let me kiss you.”
Your lips meet his, both of you fighting to dominate the kiss. His hands play with your chest, wanting to feel every part of you, assuming as though it would be the last time.
Your body shakes, tightening as you feel your release coming. “Please, oh gods, please don’t stop.”
He listens, fighting his own release, sweat dripping down his forehead. “I’ve got you, my girl.”
You kiss him again as you cum, tears stinging your eyes at the feeling that lights through your stomach, making your legs shake in ecstasy. You’re lightheaded as you come down, stomach still fluttering as Cregan continues. You want to tell him pull out, to cum on your stomach or your cunt, but as your hand rests against his chest, fingers grazing his skin softly, you decide against it.
But, he was already one step ahead, pulling out with weak groans and whimpers as he released onto your stomach, fingers digging into your hips. You looked at him, eyes shut tight as he relished in the feeling, his hands shaking against you.
When he opened his eyes you were already looking at him. You looked so beautiful, cheeks red and flushed, hands twitching from the comedown, and your big doe eyes yearning for more. But, you were silent, and so he was he. And the room was tense again, awkward even.
“You should probably go back out there.” You say, quietly.
“I don’t have to.” He says, sitting beside you. “I can stay here and we can just sleep, we can forget about everything outside of here for just one night.”
“I don’t want you here.” You lie. “Haven’t I made it clear enough? You’ve broken me, I don’t love you.”
He squeezes his temple, standing to dress. “You’re delusional.”
“Excuse me?!” You say, covering yourself with your robe.
“I’ve tried so hard for you.” He says, no longer hiding his defeat. “I’ve tried so hard to prove to you that you’re wrong, that you’re believing in a lie. But, after all I’ve done, all I’ve said, nights I got on my knees and begged you to believe me. Your husband who loves you, who’d kill for you! If you don’t believe me after all that, then you never truly loved me.”
“What am I supposed to do with a handwritten letter addressed directly from your whore?!”
“Trust me! I worshipped the damned ground you walked on! I’d never betray you! Not then, not now, now ever! Not even when you curse me, and tell me you hate me, and look at me like I’ve…” His voice trails off.
“Like you’ve what? Broken my heart? Slept with a woman who disrespected me?” You ask bitterly.
He stares you down, silent for a moment as he contemplates his next words.
“Fine.” He says, lowly. “I did it.”
“When?” You ask, voice quivering, but not breaking.
“When we went to King’s Landing.”
“And how long before that? The whole time we’ve been wed? The whole time I was pregnant with Aemma?”
“Sure.” He lies, but it was what you wanted to hear.
“You stupid fucking-” You yell, throwing anything you could find at him. “Get out!”
He covers his head to deflect a few items thrown, but eventually turns and walks out, slamming the door.
You follow him out, grabbing him by his arm.
“Don’t come out here making a scene.” He commands you, lowly. But, you don’t care, smacking and punching his chest and as you sob.
“Bastard! You’re a bastard, Cregan Stark!”
He gives you a gentle push away from him, leaving you to walk back to the banquet hall.
You turn and sob, fist slamming against the wall as you sink to the floor, crying in your hands. You couldn’t move from the wall, didn’t even have the strength to try it. So, you stayed. Stayed like that until the tears dried and sleep overwhelmed you.
Cregan was surprised when he came back a few hours later to see you asleep there. The maids had checked on you, but you shooed them all away.
He sighed, lifting you up and carrying you to your bed, making sure to cover you with the furs. You’d cried yourself out pretty good, because when he lifted you all you did was snore.
He looked at you in the bed, admiring how peaceful you were when you weren’t cursing his name, pressing a soft kiss to your tear-stained cheeks. You were hardly ever that anymore, instead always looking angry or sad. He didn’t blame you, he just hoped telling you this lie would bring you peace.
A moon had passed from the feast, and you and Cregan had exchanged maybe a total of 15 words in the entire duration. And your relationship only grew more strained.
You both slept separately now, ate separately, spent time with the kids separately. Sometimes, you wouldn’t even see him; and the children weren’t blind to it. You and Cregan’s divide made Rickon stressed and anxious, no matter how much you both tried lying to bring him comfort. Aemma and Jonnel, while too young to understand the strain, still felt the tension between you and their father, only making them fussy and cranky.
Feeling at a loss, you made a risky decision to go see your sister on Dragonstone. Thankfully, shortly before your father’s death, you had gone and retrieved your dragon from King’s Landing, making a point to not bring Cregan that time. If he wanted to see his paramour she would have to come to him.
You knocked on his war chamber door, softly. He almost didn’t hear it. “Come in.”
When he looked up from the letter he was reading, you were the last person he had expected to see.
“Hi.” He said, surprised.
“Hi.” You said, mindlessly playing with your hands.
A silence filled the air for a moment.
“May I sit?” You ask, and he nods, moving aside letters and pens so that you could sit across from him.
“How are you?” You ask, trying to butter him up for what you were about to ask him.
“Fine.” He says, laughing softly, trying to hide his confusion. “How are you?”
You shrug, giving him a nervous smile. “Me too.”
“Did you come in here to ask me something?” He says, already suspect. You felt caught.
“I, um… would like to go visit my sister.”
He immediately shakes his head, putting down the letter. “No, no. You can’t.”
“Cregan, please-”
“No!” He laughs, incredulously. “You have no idea what is going on in the south right now.”
“Oh, you mean since you’ve stopped telling me?”
“Exactly.” He leans back in his chair, folding his hands on his lap.
“I’m not asking.” You say.
“So, then why’d you come ask?”
“I was trying to not go over your head.”
“Which you’re doing anyway.” He sighs, shaking his head. “Go then. I can’t stop you.”
You go to leave, but he says your name, stopping you in your tracks.
“Be safe, please.” your heart flutters a bit at his words, until he says, “My kids need a mother.”
You nod, closing the door behind you.
After saying goodbye to the children, you left a few days later.
Your sister was surprised when you showed up 3 weeks later, since you hadn’t wrote to her of your coming, at risk of alerting any enemies of your whereabouts. You stayed there for a full moon, having forgotten how beautiful Dragonstone was, finding yourself jealous that it belonged to your sister.
“It can be yours.” She says, “I can annul your union, you can bring Jonnel and Aemma here.”
“I can’t do it.” You say, looking down and shaking your head. “I’d rather live in misery than separate them from him. He loves them so much, just as I love his son.”
“How bad is it?” Rhaenyra asks.
“Bad.” You say, staring off at your dragon playing with Syrax over the ocean. “It’s as though we’re strangers, we never speak anymore. When we do, it’s just arguing and fighting. And… I miss him. I miss him more than anything.”
“I can’t even imagine.” Rhaenyra says.
“I just wish it made sense.” You admit. “I never expected it of him.”
“Neither did I, nor father.”
“Sometimes, I feel like it’s tearing me apart from the inside out.” You say, “I feel as though I see her face everywhere. I dream about her every night, with him, it’s just… I’ve lost my best friend.”
“And he still hasn’t admitted to it?”
“He did, but it just… it felt forced. As if he didn’t say it out of admittance, but out of defeat.”
“I saw how he protected you that day. He would’ve slain Criston Cole if you had let him, probably would’ve slain everyone in that room.” Rhaenyra says, “I can’t help but feel as though a man would fight for someone so hard, just to risk losing them so easily.”
You sigh, looking down. “Sometimes, I feel the same way. But, I think that’s just me hoping for a better outcome between us than what there will be.”
The night before you were set to leave, you were awoken by Rhaenyra.
“What is it?” You groaned, half asleep, waving your hand around to push her away.
“You must come downstairs with me right away.” She whispers.
“What?” You ask, waking up more.
“Sh. There is someone here to see us.”
You both walk downstairs in your robes, but you’re shocked to see none other than Alicent Hightower.
“Rhaenyra, what? I- What is this?” You ask your sister.
“Just listen.”
“I must confess something to you,” She says, “before I leave King’s Landing, leave this war behind. I… I didn’t expect to see you here when I came, but I can’t help feel like it may be fate we crossed paths at this time.”
“Okay.” You say, still confused. She looks at Rhaenyra, almost for approval it seems.
“The rumor of Cregan Stark’s affair,” She says, swallowing. “is not the truth.”
“What?” You ask.
“Larys Strong and I… we fabricated it after the fight amongst our children, as an attempt to divide your family for collateral for what happened to my sons.”
Your fingers touched the scar that was still prominent on your arm. “You… you can’t be serious.”
“I am.” She admits. “Larys found the girl working in King’s Landing through whispers. We told her to spread the lie to everyone she knew.”
“Alicent.” You say, “I’m going to fucking kill you.”
“No, no, you won’t.” Rhaenyra says, grabbing your arms to steady you. “I’ve promised her she can leave here safely in exchange for her confession.”
You break from Rhaenyra’s grasp.
“I need to leave, Rhaenyra.” You say, tears falling. “I need to fix this.”
“Go.”
Cregan’s eyes fluttered open at the undeniable sound of a dragon roaring in the distance.
You were home.
For the first time in almost three moons, he felt like he could finally sleep knowing you were back here safe. When you had been gone, he’d heard nothing from you. No letters of your arrival, no idea how long you’d be staying, when you’d be returning. He knew why you couldn’t send them. Any letter intercepted was a risk for both of you, but it didn’t make him worry any less.
He fell back asleep, only waking again when you burst through his bedroom door, jumping on him in his bed. The snow stuck to your furs made him gasp in shock, the wet ice freezing against his bare chest.
“What’s wrong?! What is it?!” He asked, sitting up in a panic as you sobbed against him. “Are you hurt? Talk to me!”
“Oh, Cregan.” You bawled, as he wrapped his arms around you. “I’m so sorry.”
He brushes his fingers through your cold hair, gently shushing you. “Sh, sh, talk to me. What’s going on?”
“I was wrong.” You say, pulling away to look at him, your nose and cheeks red from the bitter cold. “I was wrong about you, and I’m so, so sorry.”
“What are you talking about?” He asks, still confused.
“Alicent came to Dragonstone.” You sniffled. He wiped your tears, still gently shushing you. “She confessed that her and Larys Strong lied.”
“Lied? Lied about what?”
“You.” You say. “You never had an affair… You were always mine.”
“Wait, go back. Alicent came to Dragonstone?”
“Cregan, none of it matters. None of it.” You say, fingers caressing his cheeks. He shivers at your touch. “What matters is if you can find it in your heart to forgive me.”
“Forgive you?” He asks, laughing in offense before yelling, “Forgive you?!”
“I’m so sorry.” You repeat, knowing it didn’t make any of your behavior right. You felt so much guilt knowing you’d hated him for all the wrong reasons, treated him like a fool. In the end, it hadn’t been Alicent or Willow that ruined your union, but you.
“No, I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I’m not trying to be cross, this is just a lot to take in.” He says, resting his head in his hands. Your cold hand touches his chest.
“Cregan.” You say, and he looks up at you. “I love you.”
It felt like the air left his body when you said that.
“You do?” he barely squeaks out.
You nod. “And I understand if you can’t forgive me, I understand if you’ve checked out. I’m so sorry for how cold I’ve been to you this past year. Because despite it all, you were still never cold to me. You stayed the best husband, the best father. You didn’t break how I had. You kept faith in me, kept faith in us, always.”
Your words felt like the sun melting the last bit of frost after a long winter, revealing the grass that was hope underneath the bitter ice. Like sweat dripping down his back in the summer, cooling him off. It was relieving, freeing, comforting, healing. Words he dreamed of you saying every night, sleep bringing him a peace he yearned for.
“I can’t even blame you for how you acted.” He admits, “I still betrayed your trust by keeping her a secret. Alicent and Larys made it work well, the odds were stacked against me. It just makes so much sense now.”
You look at him, teary eyed. He still felt angry with you, but he also felt an unrelenting love. A love that bit and nagged at him every damned day, reaching out for you as you ran. No matter how much he tried to push it down, telling himself neither of you would ever return to what once was, the love lingered.
“But, you broke my heart at times, my love. Sometimes, I wondered if I hated you too,” He says, and you bite your lip in anxiety, tears streaming down your cheeks. “then every night when you fell asleep beside me, I knew I could never hate you. My love for you is undying, it burns so my heart so badly I fear it may turn to ash.”
His hand caresses your cheek, “And now you’ve been gone, away for so long. I’ve yearned, in the most unimaginable ways, to just feel you near me. I’ve missed your soul, so, so much.”
You laugh softly, tears falling down your cheeks as he wipes them away for the last time. “Are you gonna kiss me then or what, Lord Stark?”
“I’ll do more than that.” He breathes, pulling you on top of him as he falls back on the bed, lips pressed against yours. His fingers are loving, gentle against your skin, a reminder that you both knew where home was.
He was warm, inviting,
he was yours.
before there was you, there was her
cregan stark x reader
summary: after a visit with your family turns sour, rumors swirl in king’s landing of a supposed affair between the lord of the north and a maiden. when the news reaches winterfell, your world is torn apart as you and cregan’s loyalty and trust in one another is put to the test. part one
warnings: lots of angst, smut, p in v, targ!reader, lots of fighting (the fight after aemond claims vhagar), blood, implications of assault (aegon speaking about the reader), rumors of an affair, reader crashes out, talks of trauma bonded relationships and abuse
word count: 7800
do yall say it like cree-gen or creh-gen 😭😭send me ur requests btw :p 18+ below da cut , tag list: @isansstuff @drytanamine
A trip home had been the last thing on your mind, of late.
But here you were, packing and sniffling tears of frustration onto the dresses you intended to bring. It wasn’t like you could exactly deny your father the request. He grew more and more sick by the day, and this trip could be the last chance to see him.
“Why are you so sad?” Cregan asks, coming up behind you to hold you. “I hate seeing you cry.”
“I just hate seeing my stepmother.” You sniffle. “Where she goes, trouble follows.”
“You’re not wrong.” He says, kissing the back of your head. “But at least you’ll get to see your sister and your father.”
You sigh. After all these years, you still had a hard time forgiving your father for what happened to your mother. And even worse, what came after with his choice to marry Alicent. That was even harder to forgive. However, you did miss your big sister, and you didn’t want her to have to face Alicent’s wrath alone.
“It won’t be for long,” Cregan assures you. “And I’m with you for every part of it.”
You couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief at his words.
“I just worry for them.” You say, quietly, eyes falling onto Cregan’s son holding your shared newborn. Rickon was a product of Cregan’s first marriage, but his first wife had died young, and when you and Cregan wed, you raised Rickon as your own.
“The children?” Cregan asks.
“Yes.” You say, “The whole reason we’re going is so they can meet Aemma, and I already know the things they’ll say. Dark of hair-“
“I’m dark of hair.” Cregan mumbles, offended.
“Plain-faced, bastard-“
“Come on, love, I think you’re being paranoid.” He says, turning you to face him.
“They say it about my sister’s boys.” You say, looking up at him.
“Well… Aren’t they?” He asks, cautiously.
“Likely.” You sigh, turning to look at yours. “But, they’re still hers, and yet, it’s not enough for Alicent to accept.”
“You know I won’t let anything happen to you or our children, right?” He asks. You rest your head on his chest, and he wraps his arms around you.
“Your family can’t be that bad.”
Gods, was he wrong.
You and Cregan had been up there for only four days, and from the moment you arrived, things went bad.
The second you had stepped into the castle, a handmaiden approached you, telling you that your presence was requested immediately in the King and Queen’s council.
“It’s late.” You tell the girl. “I’ve just arrived from a two-week trip.”
“The Queen wishes to see the babe.” The girl says, hesitantly. You scoff, looking over at Cregan, who was also in disbelief.
“Don’t get upset.” He says, as you both begin to walk, his arm resting around you.
You exhale, fighting back the tears. “This is so ridiculous. I’m exhausted.”
“I know.” He whispers. “But, don’t let her see you break.”
He takes the babe from you, holding her in his left arm while still comforting you with the other.
You all enter the room, smiling, like there was no worry in the world.
“Daughter!” Viserys says, upon seeing you. “I’ve missed you.”
“Hi, father.” You say, approaching him, gently wrapping your arms around him. “You’re looking well today.”
“I have my good days and bad days.” He says. You look over, feeling Alicent’s gaze at you, straight-faced.
“Hello, Your Grace.” You say, kindly.
“Princess,” She greets you. “You’re looking radiant. Motherhood becomes you.”
“You’re too kind.”
“Lord Stark,” She turns her gaze to Cregan, and your heart nearly beats out of your chest. “How are you adjusting to a two-child household?”
“Very well, Your Grace.” He says, politely, showing no intimidation.
“Who might you be?” She asks, softening her voice to acknowledge Rickon, who stood beside Cregan quietly.
“I am Rickon Stark, Your Grace.” He answers, also showing no fear. You felt like you were gonna faint.
“You seem like a brave young boy,” Viserys says to him. “How do you like having a sister?”
Rickon hesitates, looking up at you and Cregan for approval. Cregan nods at him.
“I am very pleased, Your Grace,” Rickon says.
Viserys laughs, “You seem like a very mature boy for your age. Most boys would rather have a brother to play with. In fact, you might get along quite well with your uncles and cousins in your time here.”
You nearly choke at the thought of Rickon playing with Aegon and Aemond, which you’re sure Alicent feels the same.
“Very pleased to meet you.” She says to Rickon, before finally turning her gaze upon Aemma. Alicent’s fingers graze the swaddle, pulling down the blanket to fully look at Aemma’s face and hair.
“She’s beautiful,” Alicent says, and Viserys stands next to Alicent to see her.
“She is.” He says. “She looks just like you, my daughter.”
“Yes, aside from the dark and curly hair.” Alicent jabs. You and Cregan say nothing in response.
“May I?” Viserys asks, holding his arms out. Cregan sets her against him gently.
“I can’t wait to see your next one, daughter.” He says, smiling at you. You smile in return, biting your lip to fight back the tears that sting your eyes.
“Yes, do keep trying, princess. I imagine the next one will look a bit more Targaryen.” Alicent says.
Viserys hands her back to Cregan. “You all go rest. I imagine the journey was tiring. We will see you in the morning.”
“Thank you, Your Grace.” You and Cregan both respond to your father. Your hand rests on Rickon’s shoulder, guiding him out with you and Cregan.
While he hid it well, you could tell Cregan was bothered by the exchange.
And that was pretty much how it’d been going the entire time. Alicent’s passive-aggressive remarks to you and your sister, every single day, and your father clueless to the comments. Whether it was a remark on you or your parenting, she always had something to say about you.
“I feel sorry now that I didn’t realize how serious it was,” Cregan says, guilty.
“You don’t have to be sorry.” You say, sitting next to him in front of the fireplace in your room. Your eyes watch the dancing flames, embracing the warmth they let off.
“I just thought that it was family disagreements, you know? I didn’t realize how deep her disdain for Viserys’ firstborns went.” Cregan says.
“Yes… Her bitterness runs deep, and she’s passed it down to her children.”
“I couldn’t imagine Rickon behaving the way they do.” He shakes his head, admitting his frustration after a moment of silence. “I’d smack him simple.”
You giggle. It was probably the first time you’d laughed since being here all week. He smiles at you.
“You look so beautiful.” He says.
“Thank you.”
“I always see you in warm dresses.” His fingers graze your arm, sending chills up your body. “It’s a bit of a change seeing you in these tighter dresses, showing more skin.”
“Yeah?” You whisper.”
“Yeah.” He whispers back. “Gods, red is your color.”
“The queen says red is the color of a slut.”
“Fuck the queen,” Cregan says, breathlessly, leaning in to kiss you. You practically throw yourself onto him, sitting on his lap and wrapping your arms around him. His fingers dance around your jaw, gripping your cheeks to pull you even closer into his lips.
You grind against his lap, tracing your fingers up his armored chest. You go to slip off your dress, but he stops you.
“Let me make love to you just like this.” He pleads, so you oblige, leaving the red and silky dress on.
“Are you going to give me another babe, Lord Stark?” You whisper, lustfully, fingers threading under his small-clothes to play with him.
“Gods, yes, I’ll give you anything you want.” He moans, throwing his head back against the floor. You decide to stop teasing him, sitting on his length to make him gasp in relief.
“Fuck.” He whines, fingers going underneath your dress to grab your waist. You lean down to kiss his neck, and his fingers grip you harder. He kisses your cheek, one hand gripping your hair to hold you close to him as you grind your hips onto him.
“Get up.” He whispers.
“Huh?” You moan, lost in the feeling of him inside you.
He lifts you off, standing to pull you up.
You giggle, “What are you-“
“Sh.” He moans shakily, pushing you against the wall. He lifts your leg, dress still on, pushing the fabric up to your waist.
He pushes his length back into you, and you grip his arms for support.
“Cregan,” You moan, fingers scratching his armor. He kisses your neck, fucking you softly, looking deep into your soul. Your hand grips his hair, pressing your forehead to his.
“I love you.” He moans. “I love you so much.”
“You’re going to make me cum talking to me like that.” You moan.
“Would that be such a bad thing?” He asks, breathlessly.
“Yes, it would. I intend to fuck you all night.”
“And so you shall.” He says.
“Come on, my girl.” He kisses and bites your jaw. “I can make you do it again.”
“Oh, really?” You ask, your voice shaking.
“I can tell you’re close.” He whispers. “Don’t fight it.”
You pull him closer to you, arms wrapped around his neck, fingers scratching at his back.
“Fuck, stop talking.” You whine, fighting to hold back your release.
“No, I know you like that.” He moans, licking and sucking your neck, all the while still fucking you.
“Please.” You beg. “Please, I know I’ll get tired when I cum. I want to fuck you all night, just slow down.”
“Are you sure?” He asks, teasing, slowing his motions.
“Fuck!” You throw your head back. “No, don’t stop.”
He whispers in your ear, urging your release; saying things that would make a septa faint and make your father take his head.
You whine, head falling on his shoulder, gripping his armor as you cum.
“There you go, good girl.” He says, talking you through it. “You’re so good, you’re so fucking good, so beautiful-“
“Lord Stark! Princess!”
Cregan stops his thrusts, eyes avoiding the maid who had burst into the room without knocking. Was that the custom in King’s Landing? No privacy? Everything out on display for the townsfolk to see? If so, he wanted to leave and never come back.
“What is it?” You ask, head still against his shoulder.
“Your presence is needed immediately. There was a fight amongst the children.”
You look over at the maid, standing in the door way of your room.
“A fight?” You gently push Cregan off you.
“Everyone is in the council room waiting.” She says, turning and leaving. You push your dress down, as Cregan ties his belt closed.
“Gods sake, what could it be this time?!” He yells, angrily, smoothing his hair back and trying to appear presentable as you do the same.
You both walk quickly to the room, but you had not been prepared for just how badly the fight had been.
“Oh, Gods, Rickon!” You say, rushing to him. He immediately cries, wrapping his arms around you and Cregan. “What happened to you?”
You look at his nose, bloody and out of place, gently touching and wiping with your sleeve to clean him up.
“Perhaps, you should be asking what he did!” Alicent cries.
“My son’s nose is broken! Who is responsible for this?!” You yell.
“He is not your son. Cregan Stark’s son and Rhaenyra’s sons attacked mine! They are responsible for what’s happened to Aemond!”
“You don’t speak the truth, Alicent.” You say. “Rickon would do no such thing.”
“How dare you speak to the queen that way?” She asks.
“You are lying!” Rhaenyra yells. “It was our children who were the victims of your son’s insults! Questioning the legitimacy of my sons’ birthrights!”
“Over an insult? My son has lost an eye.”
“Aemond.” Viserys says, “Where did you hear this lie?”
Aemond says nothing.
“Look at me!”
“Rickon.” You come to his eye level, while your father questions Aemond. “Look at me, babe.”
His gaze darts between you and Cregan, as he sobs breathlessly.
You look up at your husband, who was clearly in a state of rage, with Rickon assuming it was at him. “Cregan,”
He kneels beside you, his voice calm as to not upset the boy, but you could hear the quiver he struggled to hide. His anger was not with Rickon, but with your family. “Son, it’s okay, we promise. But, you must tell us what happened.”
He still says nothing, only looking at you. “You’re not in trouble, Rickon… Just tell us what happened.”
“He… He was saying vile things.”
“Who?” You ask, shushing him softly as he sobbed, brushing his curls out of his face.
“Aegon.” Rickon says. “I cannot repeat them, mother.”
“Rickon, you must.” Cregan says. Rickon’s eyes look back and forth between you both again, before he leans in to whisper into Cregan’s ear, talking for at least a full two minutes.
Cregan leans away, looking at you in shock.
“What?”
“I- I can’t repeat that to you.”
“Cregan!” You exclaim, angrily.
“Your Grace,” Cregan stands, addressing your father. “Your vile son is to be handled immediately.”
“What is the meaning of this?” Alicent asks.
“Aegon and Aemond attacked not only my child, but Rhaenyra’s and Corlys’ as well. This is treason, your grace, and cannot go unpunished.”
“Treason?!” Alicent yells.
“I will not repeat the things Aegon spoke about my wife. As for what my son has told me of Aemond, the boy was attacking the girls when Lucerys and Jacaerys defended them.”
“He’s lying! No, they’re lying! She’s lying! I did nothing, mother!” All the children began crying out.
You looked at Cregan, who avoided your gaze, but his eyes held an anger that you had never seen from him. You didn’t want to wake the wolf, so you said nothing for now.
“Enough!” Viserys yelled, silencing the room.
“Aegon, you will tell me right now what you said about your sister.”
“The Lord Stark is delusional.” Aegon says. “I said nothing.”
“Tell me the truth. Now, boy.” Viserys says. Aegon looks at you, then at Cregan.
“The northern brat is a liar.” Alicent says. “Learning it from his stepmother, I’d venture.”
Viserys glares at her, but says nothing, turning back to Aegon, who remains silent.
“Lord Stark,” Viserys doesn’t take his eyes off Aegon, “What did your boy tell you?”
“I… I really wish not to repeat such things about my wife, your grace.” He says. You look at Cregan, as he looks down, intentionally avoiding your gaze.
“Aegon, I’ll give you one last chance to tell me. If I have to pry it out of Lord Stark, you’re not gonna be happy with what I do with you.”
“Why is Aegon on trial when Lucerys took Aemond’s eye? You should be questioning him.” Alicent says.
“I did nothing, father!” Aegon whines.
“He said my mother… I mean, stepmother… was a whore and that…” Rickon looks at you, then at Cregan, then back to Viserys. “That… he was gonna come in their room, kill my father, and take the princess because he can do whatever he wants since he will be heir to the iron throne. He said he’ll make me watch while he kills her, and he said… all the things he was gonna do to her.”
“What?!” You cried out.
In truth, Rickon had watered down the version of what he had told the king. What Aegon had really said was much worse, making Cregan feel sick at the thought of your own blood saying things like that about you, joke or not. Cregan couldn’t even look in your eyes, the intrusive image of Aegon’s proposed assault swimming in his head. He worried if he looked at you, he’d see the potential pain in your eyes. He’d have no choice but to walk over and slay the king’s son right then and there.
“Lord Stark, your child is clearly not well to be making up things like this in his mind.” Alicent says.
“My son would never-“ “You need to get your vicious children under control-“ “This is treason to speak about the princess like this!” “You’re accusing a child of lying to protect your pervert son!”
“Enough of this nonsense!” Viserys yells, silencing the room again. “We are a family!”
He turns back to Aegon, slapping him, and knocking him to the floor. You didn’t even know your father could still do that.
“Aegon, you will apologize to your sister, Lord Stark, and his son this instant. Then, let this matter be resolved. And as for Aemond and the rest of you, let it be known that anyone whose tongue dares to question the birthright of Rhaenyra’s children shall have it removed.”
“That is insufficient.” Alicent cries. “Aemond has been permanently damaged.”
“I know, Alicent, but what would you have me do? I cannot restore his eye.”
“No, because it’s been taken. There is a debt to be paid. I shall have one of her son’s eyes in return.”
Mumbles echoed around the room.
“Ser Criston, bring me the eye of Lucerys Velaryon. He can choose which eye to keep a privilege he did not grant my son!”
“You will do no such thing.”
“Stay your hand, Cole!”
“Do not allow your temper to cloud your judgement, my dear wife.”
“Criston, you are sworn to me!”
“As your protector, my queen.”
“Alicent, this matter is finished. Am I clear?”
Your father turns to leave, as Rhaenyra thanks him. She comes to you, wrapping her arms around you.
“Is he alright?” She asks, looking at Cregan holding Rickon.
“His nose is broken.” You tell her, quietly. “But, I imagine he’ll recover okay. How are the boys?”
“I’m worried, sister, worried for us.” She whispers quietly. “Worried for them. Alicent is-“
“Alicent!” Your father cries, as commotion erupts around the room. You and Rhaenyra turn, seeing Alicent charging you both with your father’s blade as your children scream.
You push Rhaenyra, grabbing Alicent to hold her from her war path.
“You’ve gone too far!” You yell.
“I? What have I done but what was expected of me? Where is duty, where is sacrifice? Trampled under both of you and your sister’s pretty feet again!”
You look at the blade, the valyrian steel glowing in the light of the fire. Chaos blurs around you; your father and sister yelling, children crying, Cregan and Daemon holding back Criston.
“Exhausting, wasn’t it?! Hiding beneath the cloak of your own righteousness.” You whisper the next part. “But, now they see you as you are.”
Alicent breaks your hold, swinging the blade down your arm. The room turns into a frenzy; Criston slams his elbow into Cregan’s nose, and Rhaenyra shoves Alicent from you.
Criston, ever so quick to be involved, grabs you and Rhaenyra’s hair, yanking you both away from Alicent and throwing you on the ground as you both shriek. Ser Harrold rushes to pull back Criston, but Cregan pushes him away, pulling out his sword to challenge Criston.
“Stark! Cole!” Viserys yells.
Cregan, nose bloodier than Rickon’s, doesn’t back down, swinging at Criston who uses his own sword.
“Cregan!” You yell, from the floor.
“Sister,” Rhaenyra says. “your arm…”
You look down, blood dripping from the top of your arm down to the wrist. You couldn’t even tell where the cut started and ended, you just knew it was bad.
“Get a maester!” Rhaenyra yells, all the while Cregan and Criston still fighting.
“Mother!” Rickon cries, coming to your side. “Please don’t die!”
“It’s not me you have to worry about dying!” You yell, “Cregan! Stop it now!”
With one last swing, Cregan knocks Cole to the ground, sword aimed at his face.
Criston looks up in fear, until Cregan drops the sword, grabs him by the collar and swings, and swings, and swings, until Cole is out like a light.
You look at your husband, jaw dropped.
I didn’t even know he could fight like that.
He turns to look at you, finally, face bloodied and knuckles bruised. The chaos in the room is still in full swing, screaming and yelling emerging from every corner.
“Oh, gods, your arm.” He says, worriedly, kneeling beside you.
“No, no, Cregan, your nose.” You say, holding his cheek with your good arm.
He says nothing, still only looking at your injury. The room spins and voices blur together as Cregan lifts you onto his lap, sensing your adrenaline fading as you pass out.
“Where’s the fucking maester?!” Rhaenyra yells again.
“Oh, gods, mother is dying!” Rickon sobs, dropping his head on your lap.
“Rickon!” Cregan yells, not wanting him to get any more hysterical.
Cregan refused to put you down as the maester stitched you up. The cut had been long, but not as deep as you had thought. Now, he seen it; your family was truly mad. It made sense why you made your visits so infrequent.
When you awoke, it was still night. Yet, you could tell you had been asleep for a while. Your left arm felt funny, tingly almost. Your eyes adjusted to the dark, seeing Rickon asleep on your arm. When you tried to use your other, it had even less feeling. It felt stiff, and sore, like your muscles had been ripped out and poorly stuffed back in.
You sat up, pulling your arm from under Rickon. Your mouth was dry and faintly sweet; likely milk of the poppy.
When you stepped beyond your bed to the fireplace you saw Cregan sitting on the floor, back against the table, snoring softly.
You didn’t wanna disturb him so you sat quietly next to him, resting your head softly against his shoulder. But, he woke instantly, sitting up straight and turning back and forth sharply until his eyes locked onto you.
“Oh my gods, you’re awake. Are you okay?” He said, loudly.
“Sh, sh, calm down. I’m alright… Why do you have a dagger in your hand?” You ask, looking down and seeing his bruised knuckles stiffened around his dagger.
“We’re not safe here.” was all he said.
“How long have I been out?”
“A day.” He says, wiping his face. “Your sister has left for Dragonstone. Your father… he’s not doing well with the stress.”
“Where’s Aemma?”
“Sleeping.” He says, nodding to the bassinet by your bed. You breathed a sigh of relief.
“I’m sorry to have gotten you involved in all of this.” You say.
He looks at you like you just cursed his mother. “Don’t say something so foolish. You’re my wife… and I failed. I didn’t protect you from that whiny king’sguard Cole.”
“My love, you didn’t fail.” You say, hand holding his cheek. He leans into your touch, his fingers resting on yours.
“Your hands don’t look good.” You say. He brings his hand down, looking at the violet and red bruised knuckles.
“They don’t. Do they?”
“They’re proof you didn’t fail.” You say. Your fingers graze his nose, his under eyes a similar soft hue of violet from the hit he took. “How is your nose fairing?”
“Not broken.” He says. “But, Rickon’s is. It’ll heal crooked.”
You bite your lip, tears dwelling your eyes.
“Don’t cry.” Cregan says, his voice cracking. “Please.”
“I’m sorry.” You say, hand covering your eyes, sobs breaking loose. You couldn’t help but cry more hearing his voice crack, knowing he wanted to cry too.
He pulled your hand, forcing you to look at him, and the emotion on his face only made you cry more. His lip quivered, like a scared boy, only reminding you more of what Rickon had endured.
He pulled you into him, arms wrapping around you, being gentle of your bad arm. You cried into his neck, hand gripping him to stable yourself.
“He’ll be okay.” Cregan managed to choke out. “We’ll be okay.”
Outside your halls, Alicent had already made her plot for revenge.
She sat in her private room, waiting for Larys Strong to bring her the perfect girl.
The ones he had brought before hadn’t been right; too blonde, too skinny, too short, too big, too ugly, too pretty, too redhead (the irony), too tall, and a plethora of other qualities that weren’t right.
But then, it seemed like the perfect girl had fallen from the sky, or perhaps, Larys was too good at his job being a Master of Whisperers.
A knock on her door.
“Come in.” Alicent said, softly.
“Your grace.” An unfamiliar voice greets her. “I’m your new handmaiden.”
“New handmaiden?” Alicent asks, not looking up from her book.
“Yes, you sent the last one away. I’m her replacement.”
“Oh.” Alicent hummed, reminded of the girl she had sent out of King’s Landing; a poor, innocent handmaiden, who became another pregnant victim of Aegon’s incessant lust.
She finally looked up at the girl in front of her.
“You’re northern.” Alicent said.
“Yes, your grace.”
“How did you end up this far south?”
“Opportunity, your grace.”
“Yes… Opportunity, indeed.”
The girl was perfect. A pale and dark haired northern beauty. Much more Cregan’s type than your Targaryen features.
“What’s your name?”
“Willow, your grace.”
“Pretty name.” Alicent says. “Fits your features.”
“Thank you, your grace.”
“Do you know the Lord Stark?” Alicent asks. The girl looks down, blushing.
“I know of him.” She says, almost a slight twinge of excitement in her voice.
“How?”
“I just meant it as… I know who he is. I’ve never met him, personally.”
“And who is he to you?”
“Well, he’s my lord, your grace.”
“No…” Alicent says. “He’s more than that.”
She stands, approaching the girl, trying to read her features.
“You should know it is treason to lie to your queen.”
The girl pauses.
“He… He was my lover once, your grace.”
Alicent almost squeals in excitement.
“Perfect.”
After that, it was almost too easy. Alicent and Larys spread the false news: that Cregan had come to King’s Landing with the intention of seeing his former lover. Now, how the girl and Cregan had once been lovers, Alicent didn’t know nor care, but she needed the girl to speak as if it were still true, and she needed the girl to stay out of Cregan’s sight.
And so she did.
Willow told the lie to anyone who would listen, and in King’s Landing it had been many. The word spread like wildfyre, and in such a short amount of time.
You had wanted to leave King’s Landing the moment you woke up, but the maesters urged you to stay until your arm healed; at least an extra fortnight. Alicent gave you a half-hearted apology, but only at the request of your father, which neither of them would admit.
Things had felt… off. People in the castle had begun to act strangely towards you, almost pitiful. You figured the reason for it to be Alicent’s outburst, but you couldn’t help feel like maybe there was more to people’s reactions.
On the day you planned to leave, your father walked with you in the garden.
“How do you like Winterfell?” He asked, as you held his arm to help him walk.
“I love it, father. I miss everyone, especially Silverwing, but Winterfell is so calm, so quiet.”
“Yes, I can tell you’ve outgrown King’s Landing.” He says, genuinely happy for you. “I couldn’t imagine a better match than a Stark for my youngest.”
“I’m not your youngest anymore, father.”
“You’ll always be my youngest babe, at least to me.”
“I wouldn’t let the queen hear that.”
“Alicent means well, daughter, she’s just… I don’t know. I believe the boys trouble her more than she’d like to admit. Her anger is misdirected towards you and ‘Nyra.”
“Of course, father, I understand.” You say, not wanting to hurt his feelings.
He pats your arm, “How are you healing?”
“I still can’t move it very well, but the pain is mostly gone.”
“And Rickon’s nose?”
“It will heal crooked the maester says.”
“I wish I could express how sorry I am-“
“Sh. Don’t worry, father.” You say.
“I must confess something to you, my love.” He says, stopping. You look back at him. “I worry for your union.”
You scoff. “You mean my marriage? That I’ve been in for five years?”
“Yes, yes, same thing.” He says, walking now. “I just want to know that the Stark lord is treating you well, and being honest with you.”
“Father, what are you implying?”
“There is a rumor that has been going around the castle.” He says. “That lord Stark came to King’s Landing to meet an old paramour.”
You laugh, “That’s a bit of a lame jest, isn’t it, father?”
“I’m being serious, my girl.”
“Come on, father. Cregan with a paramour? The dead would walk before a Stark forgot an oath.”
Your father chuckles softly, shaking his head. “You’re probably right. I don’t know how these things spread so easily.”
Later that night, you and Cregan lay in your bed, letting the humid air come through the window.
“I miss the cold. The air stinks here. ” You sigh.
“We’ll be back there soon.” He says, kissing the back of your head, cuddling up against your back. He wraps his arm around your stomach, pulling you as close to him as he can.
You push your bottom against him, moving it in soft circles.
“Don’t tease me.” He moans into your hair, moving his hand to rub your waist.
“It’s just been so long since I’ve had you.” You sigh, looking over at Rickon sleeping in the corner. You didn’t feel safe with him sleeping on his own anymore after the fight, so you moved his bed to the other side of your large bedroom.
He sighs, pushing his growing length against you, mumbling to himself. “Just one more night ‘til we leave, just one more night.”
The next morning, Cregan had been setting up the horses to prepare for your leave, as you stood on the balcony, watching from above.
“Princess,” A soft, feminine voice said from behind you. “Is there anything I can assist you with before your departure?”
You turn, eyes falling onto an unfamiliar face.
“You’re a long way from home.” You say, eyeing the Northern girl in your presence, walking into your room from the stoop.
“I am.” She says, “But, I prefer the warmth.”
You hum, rocking Aemma gently.
“Would you like me to hold her so you can rest your arm?” She asks, holding her arms out. You didn’t want to, but your arm had been growing tired, so you handed her to the girl.
She looks at Aemma, stone faced as if she were irritated, yet making soft baby sounds. “She looks just like him.”
You hum again. You weren’t trying to be rude, but something felt off about this girl. But, what exactly? Maybe it was just unnatural seeing a Northerner in the South.
“How are you and Cregan fairing?” She asks.
“What?” You ask, confused. Cregan? Why would she address a lord by name?
“I take it you’re both happy?” She says, smiling, but her tone almost jealous.
“We are.” You say. “We’re very happy.”
“You’re a lucky woman.” She says.
You take Aemma back from the girl.
“That will be all.” You tell her. She nods, turning to leave.
“Wait.” You say. She turns back around. “What’s your name?”
“My name is Willow, princess.” She says smiling, and then leaves.
You stand there alone, confused and put off by the interaction.
“Princess.” Cregan says from outside.
You step back out onto the balcony, looking down at him.
“We’re all ready to go.” He says, squinting from the sun as he looks up at you. You giggle.
“What are you laughing at?” He asks, his voice playful.
“You’re just so handsome.” You smile at him.
He smirks, “Get down here so I can take you home.”
The fortnight trip back to Winterfell went mostly smooth, but it seemed somehow every trip had its fault whether it was illness, or raiders, or weather that slowed you down, turning a two week trip into a moon long one.
But, the second you arrived home, things were off. Just as off as they had been when you left King’s Landing.
Cregan seemed oblivious to it when you asked him, saying, “You know you’re a Targaryen in Winterfell, right? You’re green grass in the snow. Where you go, their eyes will follow. You’re just a beauty.”
Which was sweet of him, but it didn’t help your unease. It wasn’t even the stares that made you uneasy, it was just the feeling; the feeling of dread in your bones, like something awful was happening. But, what? You were home. What trouble would follow you all this way?
Kisses on your neck distracted you from your thoughts.
Your eyes closed, arching your back off the bed to lean into Cregan. His hand snaked behind your neck, fingers combing through your hair.
“Gods, how long has it been?” He moaned.
“Nearly two moons.” You breathed out.
“No wonder I’m so desperate.” Cregan said, head resting between your breasts.
“You’re telling me.” You say, pushing him beside you to straddle him. He pushes your shift up, hands kneading your breasts as he kisses your neck more. You reach into his pajamas, hand rubbing his aching length as you pull it out to rub between your slit.
He whines, throwing his head back into the pillow. He bucks his hips up, eager for you to sit on him, so you do, not wanting to leave your husband aching any longer.
His moans are whiny and short, his chest shaking in such a desperate need for you. His fingers dig into your waist, holding you firm as he moved his hips underneath you.
“Gods, I didn’t know you were that worked up.” You moan, putting your hands on his chest to hold yourself up.
“Fuck, are you joking me? I would’ve taken you every god damned day in King’s Landing if I could’ve.” He moans. You lean down, pressing your lips onto his. He grabs the back of your neck, trapping you in the kiss as he keeps thrusting into you, swallowing every moan you cried into his lips.
Your fingers scratch his chest, pushing to pull yourself back as you chase your release, but his hand behind your neck is firm in keeping your chest against his.
“I’m gonna, fuck,-“ You whimper.
“I know.” He groans, “Cum all over me. Be my little mess.”
“Fucking seven hells.” You moan. “Where’s this wolf been?”
“Stalking his prey, dreaming of her every night, watching her every moment.”
“You yearn like no man ever has before, Stark.”
“You make it so easy to yearn when you’re so breathtaking.” He moans. “Seeing you walk around with a little babe on your hip. Fuck, I’m giving you another.”
“Give me a whole litter.” You moan, and his fingers fist your hair at that one.
His pull on your hair is enough, sending you over the edge as you cum all over his lap. He’s so starved he’s tempted to ask to eat the rest out of you, until your relentless motion of your hips sends him to his own release.
His moans are loud, desperate, and so hot. He trembles like a leaf underneath you. Gods, you’d never seen a man be so desperate for his wife.
You press a soft kiss to his lips, holding your hair to the side so it doesn’t fall in his face. “Wake me up later when you’re ready for more.”
“Gods, princess.” He moans, “I’m ready now.”
You smirk, crawling under the covers as he cuddles against you, falling asleep only a few minutes later. You slept too, but not for long. Assuming the trip had messed up your sleep schedule, you went to go for a walk around the castle you had missed so dearly.
Your feet pattered softly against the cold stone floor as you gazed out into the dark night. The cold, clean smelling air, hitting your skin.
A sound stole your gaze, as your eyes fell on your closest handmaiden walking past you.
“Nora.” You said, “What are you doing?”
“Forgive me, princess, I’m just off to bed.” She says quickly, attempting to keep the conversation short.
“I haven’t seen you since I’ve been home,” You say, “and I’ve been home since the dawn.”
“Forgive me. I have been busy since you and the lord Stark’s arrival.” She says, eyes focused on the ground, refusing to look at you.
“Nora.” You say. “What is the matter?”
“I don’t know what you mean, princess.” She lies.
“Why are you acting so strange towards me?”
“I… I am sorry if you feel that way, princess. It isn’t intentional.”
“Nora," You approach her, taking her hands in your's. "Why is everyone acting so strange? I know that you know."
She stays silent for a moment.
“I really shouldn’t say.”
“Consider it a command.”
“Princess… there is a rumor going around."
Rumor. Hearing it in King's Landing was coincidence, but in the North? Rumors did not spread lightly. Not here.
"Rumor?" You ask, voice barely above a whisper.
"That lord Stark is having an affair." She matches your volume.
"Who is the girl?" You ask, trying to hide the shaking in your hands.
"The other maids... they've been saying it's Willow."
Willow. Willow, Willow, Willow. Why did that name sound so familiar?
"Why do I know that name?" You ask yourself, hoping Nora had the answer.
"She's his first."
"First? No, you mean Alysanne."
"No, princess, his very first."
"So, you're saying there was someone before her?"
"Yes," She whispers, as if afraid of getting caught. "and she broke his heart dearly. Sometimes, the other maids whisper that he never got over it."
"Nora, I beg you to tell me this is a joke." You plead, but she shakes her head 'no'.
And then, like divine intervention, the question you couldn't fully answer clicked.
The maid in King's Landing.
"No. No, no, no, no."
It had to be true. The timing could not be a coincidence; word spreading just before your departure, then arriving at Winterfell before you had. It was adding up. There had been times in King’s Landing you hadn’t seen Cregan all day, falling asleep before he would return from whatever ‘duties’ he had been doing.
You suddenly felt sick, dirty even. Your husband had been intimate with someone else, and then you. The thought was stomach wrenching, but the image played in your head like a song on repeat: him on top of her, touching her, kissing her, fucking her, saying things you thought he only said to you. You choked back a gag, hand covering your mouth as you were ready to retch onto the floor.
“Are you alright? Shall I get you water?” Nora asks, kneeling beside you. You shook your head.
“Nora, I need you to tell me every bit of detail that you know of about this rumor.”
“Why don’t I just show you?”
She took you to the maid who had first spread the rumor; a girl named Mara. Your head was spinning, and you felt so unbelievably warm. You were ready to fall apart, but you waited for now, holding on to the knowing of confrontation. Only once you confronted him, then would you fall apart after.
“I received it from Willow herself.” She says, handing you the folded letter.
Dearest Mara,
I met Lord Stark here in King’s Landing. We’ve spent many days walking the gardens and beaches, amongst other activities when dusk falls. I erred leaving so long ago. While I have loved it here, I realize I love him more. He says he’s never stopped loving me. Not when he was with Alysanne, and not even now when he has been with the princess. Some “Realm’s Delight”. I suppose a man truly never forgets his first. I have him wrapped around my finger. He’s left now, but he tells me he’ll be back soon and to wait for his love. Do not tell the princess, no matter what. Write me back soon.
Willow ㅤꨄ︎
You stood in Cregan’s war chambers, alone, holding the letter you had crushed, staring at the jumping embers from the flame in the hearth. You hadn’t returned to the chambers all night, and dawn was finally beginning to creep in.
The thoughts were overwhelming. It was all you could see anymore: him and her, bodies blending, moans whimpering, whispers of love and secrecy amongst each other-
Your fist slammed the table, interrupting your own thoughts, over and over and over and over again as your body moved with a mind of its own. The rage had overtaken you, leaving you a shell of a princess. Tears streamed down your face, angry and heartbroken cries erupted from your throat, and the bones in your hand and wrist popped with unnatural sounds.
Blood gushed from your hand onto the letter, but you couldn’t stop pounding that fucking table, as bad as it burned and throbbed, you were entranced.
“Oh my gods, stop, stop. What are you doing?!” Cregan yelled.
He had awoke at some point, hearing your screams echo through the halls, and rushed down to see what was wrong. But, he had not expected to find you in a fiery rage, hand bloodied and broken as you seemed bent on destroying the table, or your hand, whichever came first.
“Get off me!” You cried, as he grabbed your arm with a tight grip, trying to keep you from injuring yourself anymore.
Your anger was fierce, and with it came a strength he didn’t know you had. As you tugged your arm from him, you pulled him with it. He had no choice but to wrap his arms around you completely, disabling your hands but not your feet. So, when you kicked your leg into his, he had no choice but to drop you, both of you falling to the ground, Cregan wincing as he held his now throbbing knee.
You pushed yourself up, still using your mangled hand, and diverted your rage on every item in the room. You threw candles, and books, and northern ancestral weapons; anything that could be thrown, was. Cregan watched from the ground, worried and scared for you,
and of you.
He quickly stood, grabbing you by the back of your dress, but your hand held a thick book on field training, which you turned and smacked across his face. Only then did you come back to reality.
He stumbled back, hand flying to his nose, which had only just recently fully recovered from Criston’s elbow.
So, there he was again, holding his nose, blood seeping through his fingers. Except this time instead of an enemy, you stood across from him. You, who he had never seen as a threat, now his biggest.
You dropped the book, but your broken hand still held the letter as you stared him down, cuts and blood scattered across your face from your own doing.
He didn’t even know what to say. He was so confused, so angry, so scared.
Thankfully, you spoke first.
“You.” was all you said though.
“Me?” He asked, calmly at first. “Me?!”
He raised his voice with you, louder than he ever had. “What of me?! What have I done to incite this much of a rage from you?! Have you gone mad, truly?! Tell me now!”
“I think I fucking have!” You cried, “Listen to this, husband.”
You began to read from the letter, tears streaming down your cheeks. “I met Lord Stark here in King’s Landing. We’ve spent many days walking the gardens and beaches,- oh, how cute, Cregan-amongst other activities when dusk falls-wow, I wonder what she means by that- I erred leaving so long ago. While I have loved it here, I realize I love him more. He says he’s NEVER STOPPED LOVING ME. Not when he was with Alysanne, and NOT EVEN NOW WHEN HE’S BEEN WITH THE PRINCESS. Some “Realm’s Delight”-you laugh bitterly- I suppose a man truly never forgets his first. I have him wrapped around my finger. He’s left now, but he tells me he’ll be back soon, and to wait for his love. Do not tell the princess, no. matter. what.”
You throw the bloody and crumpled letter on the ground in front of him. He picks it up, reading it himself.
His anger only ignites more. “Don’t tell me you truly fucking believe this! You’ve gone that mad over this?! A RUMOR?! Broken your hand?! Destroyed my council room?!”
“Rumor?!” You scream. “You lied to me! I met her in King’s Landing! She was there for you! She came in our room, mocking me, laughing in my face! Holding my daughter like she was no more than a servant! I’m a Princess of the Seven Kingdoms, and now I’m a fucking joke in all of them! The laughing stock of the Westeros!”
“I haven’t seen her in years!”
“Which comes to my next issue; there was someone else, and you didn’t tell me! And don’t you fucking tell me it was no rumor, Cregan Stark.”
“You’re right.” He says, voice coming down, but he still panted, breathlessly. “Before there was you, there was her.”
He stepped towards you, but you stepped back. “But, there hasn’t been a her in a long time. Since I was 15 there hasn’t been a her. I didn’t lie to you, my wife, but I didn’t tell you, which is just as bad.”
“Why?” You cried, voice broken and hoarse. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
He stepped forward again, but this time you didn’t step back. “I-She… She broke my heart so badly. I had just lost my father, had just reclaimed Winterfell. It was such a dark time for me. I was so alone, and I thought I could trust her. But, she took my heart.”
“Does she still have it?” You ask, softly.
“No.” He says, “You stole it back.”
“You had a wife before me, Cregan.”
“I know.” He answers, sadly. “And it was still only you who reclaimed it.”
His hand cups your cheek, as he breaks the distance between you.
“This changes nothing.” You say. “That doesn’t change this letter, this rumor. Everybody knows. Everybody but me. I’ve seen their stares-“
“You still don’t believe me?” He asks, heartbroken.
“How can I?” You spit, “We’ve been together for five years! How could you never tell me?!”
“I hate thinking of her.” He sobs, feeling like that lonely young boy again, tears streaming down his face. “She broke me, every part of me. And I felt this trauma keeping me with her, isolating me from everything and everyone. And I feel it happening again. I feel our life being split apart.”
You didn’t know what to say. You could see the hopelessness he had once felt from her radiating off him, but you were still on edge. What if that’s just a reason for him to keep going back? A reason to keep this affair at an arms length?
“Oh, Cregan.” You say, unable to help in feeling somewhat guilty for him. You wrap your arms around him, and he wraps his arms around your waist tightly, squeezing you so hard it hurts. He sobs into your shoulder, trying to compose himself but unable to.
You knew how badly it hurt to be broken by love, yet he knew of your heartbreak. You didn’t hide it, didn’t hide the scars that former lovers had left on your heart and body. He had so many chances to tell you, and he didn’t. Your guilt only went so far.
He calmed down eventually, both of you sitting at the bloody table. He held his head in his hands, his breath still hiccuping occasionally.
He had wanted to clean up your arm himself, but the damage was too great. Instead, he was forced to sit and watch as the maester cleaned and wrapped up your arm.
“Princess, this damage you’ve done to yourself is severe. Every bone in your wrist is shattered, along with a few of your fingers. It will take a year, at the very least, to fully recover.”
When he left, you and Cregan both sat in silence for a long time. At least an hour.
“Have you slept?” He asks.
“No.”
“I think you really need to.”
You both look at each other. His eyes are pleading, yours are burning.
“Fuck you, Cregan.” You say, standing and walking past him to exit the room.
guys part 2 is literally finished everyone on the tag list start geekin and goonin😜
A Dress as Red as Blood - cregan stark x reader
summary: in a plot disguised as a raid, low house lords desperate for status and wealth accept a bounty on your head sent by the Hightowers, staging an ‘attack’ against Winterfell. when Cregan returns from the suspiciously easy fight, you are no where to be found.
cw: dark themes !!! pls read this with discretion!! no direct sa but heavy allusions to it, starts with fluff but then there’s lots of angst, antagonist haunting the narrative, crash out cregan, blood and death and dying (bad guys), not the happiest ending in the world it’s open ended in a way
That dress on you was everything.
He had searched miles and miles for that fabric,
because he knew how significant it was to you.
The soft shade of blue, gentle like the morning sky, mixed with the grays and whites of airy clouds; a nod to your late mother’s Arryn house. Silver patterns stitched in the folds of the skirt, just barely peaking to make themselves known.
You told him the story, the promise your mother had made to you just before she died.
“Someday, my love, this dress will be yours.”
You had only been 10 when she passed, and did you love that blue dress she donned. Your father, the king Viserys, let you keep it in your closet, waiting for the day you could finally fit into it.
But, then he was suddenly remarried to Alicent Hightower. And one day after a big fight between you and her and your sister, the dress suddenly disappeared. You were only 15 then. One more year and who knows? The time for the dress may have finally came. But, you never found out.
So, not long after marrying Cregan Stark you told him the story, and it struck him deep. He became strangely invested in the dress, wanting to know every single detail down to the stitches in the bodice.
He wanted it to be a late wedding present, but the journey to create the dress faired harder than he imagined. By the time it was ready, you had both been wed for two years.
“I have something for you.” He said, unable to keep the secret any longer. He intended on saving it for your nameday, but after a trip to King’s Landing left you feeling on edge, he wanted to lift your spirits.
“You do?”
“Close your eyes.” He said, barely able to contain his smile. You laughed, covering your hands with your eyes.
“Cregan, what is this?” You giggled.
He gently guided you into your closet, something else he had made special for you to accommodate your large dress collection from King’s Landing.
“I’m nervous.” You giggled, excitedly.
“Don’t be.” He said, pulling your hands from your eyes.
Your jaw dropped at the sight in front of you, you almost couldn’t believe it.
“I-Is that…”
“Not the exact one, unfortunately.” Cregan says, not wanting to get your hopes too high. “But, I had this made specially for you.”
You stepped forward, fingers grazing the silken fabric of the blue gown, just as soft and beautiful as you remembered your mother’s being.
“It was supposed to be a wedding present.” He says, coming to stand beside you. “But, it took longer than I expected… I had the fabric sent all the way from Dorne, and the stitching- Are you alright?”
Your hand covered your mouth, sobs breaking past your lips.
“My love, hey, hey, what’s wrong? Is something missing? I can get it remade if there is something wrong-”
“No.” You sobbed. “It’s perfect. It’s just like her’s.”
“Do you like it?”
“Like it? This is the most beautiful and most genuine gift I’ve ever received.” You say, wrapping your arms around him, crying into his chest. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
“I’m so glad you like it.” He says, kissing your head. “I just thought you should have a little piece of her here.”
He lifts the sleeve of the dress, revealing the falcon and moon of House Arryn stitched inside the arm.
It was perfect, almost too perfect.
You had been nervous to wear it, loving it so much that you didn’t want anything to happen to it. But, when Cregan told you his sister Sara would be getting married, he convinced you to finally put it on.
So now, here you were, in that dress, dancing with him on the floor of the ballroom.
And that dress on you was everything.
“You look so beautiful.” He says. You smile at him, warm and delicate. A smile that reminds him of summer.
“It’s only because I’m so in love.”
“If that’s the case, I must be the most handsome lord in the seven kingdoms.” He jokes.
“You really are.” You kiss his lips gently, standing on the tips of your feet to reach him. “I imagine then that makes us the most beautiful couple.”
“My girl.” He sighs, fingers brushing your hair and admiring you so deeply, loving you so hard it was hurting his heart. “I’ll never let anything happen to you.”
“I know you won’t, my wolf.” You stand back on your toes to whisper in his ear, “But, I do hope there are some things you’ll do to me tonight.”
Chills go up his spine. “Don’t get me worked up in here, princess, or we’ll have to turn in early.”
You wink at him.
“Dance with me for now?” He asks, pulling you in closer to him. You nod, resting your head against his chest, pressing your cheek against his cold armor. His fingers play with your hair, swaying you both back and forth.
The party went on for hours, Sara refusing to let it die, finding more songs to sing and drinking games to play.
You both got tipsy, but didn’t drink quite enough to be hammered. Instead, just enough to keep you warm from the cold.
The party had begun to die about two hours after the hour of the owl, with all of your family and friends leaving to attend the bars, leaving you and Cregan sitting alone in the banquet hall, talking and enjoying each other’s company.
“Quit cheating.” You say, play fighting with Cregan, giggling as you both smacked each other’s arms.
“I’m not! I swear!” He laughed, readying up for another game of a thumb war.
“You’re yanking my arm!” You laugh, struggling as his large hand dominated yours every time.
“Lord Stark!” One of Cregan’s men yelled, rushing into the room.
“Ha! I win.” You say, using the distraction to your advantage.
“What is it, Beron?” Cregan asks, eyes locked on yours, both of you still pushing each other.
“Raiders, just outside the tree line.”
He stands up immediately, his chair scraping against the cobble floor.
“Must you go?” You ask, nervously.
“Afraid so.” He says, pressing a kiss to your head. You grab his arm, looking up at him with your big doe eyes.
“Don’t do that.” He smirks, leaning down to kiss your head again. “Ser Arryk came all this way to protect you for when I’m not around. I’ll walk you to our room.”
He holds his hand out for you, and you take it as he walks you down the hall. The wind whistles outside, only adding to your anxiety. He presses more kisses to your cheek when you’re outside your room, clearly not worried for the potential danger outside.
“I’ll be back soon. I promise.”
“I’ll have my dress off by the time you’re back.” You say, as he walks away.
“I guess I’d better be quick then, huh?” He says, turning to look at you. You kiss your hand and wave, and he pretends to catch it and hold it at his heart.
A sigh escapes your lips as you go to wait in your room, Ser Arryk following behind. You laid on your bear rug, one that Cregan had hunted for you, in front of the hearth for a while, trying to stay awake. But eventually, your eyes fluttered shut.
When you awoke, the hearth was dim, leaving only a few stray embers.
“Ser Arryk?” You asked, groggily. It was still dark out, so you know not too much time could have passed.
Your door was left open, but the halls outside were eerily silent.
“Ser Arryk?” You asked louder, standing up this time.
You stepped out of your room, looking left and right for any sign of him, or anyone for that matter.
Suddenly, commotion came from the far end of the hall, grunting and yelling. You rubbed your hands together to comfort yourself, playing with the House Arryn stitch inside your sleeve.
The yelling grew louder, footsteps beginning to approach your direction as you stepped back into your room.
“Princess.” Ser Arryk groans out, rushing into your room and slamming the door shut.
“Oh my gods.” You gasp at the sight; a dagger in his rib cage, his metal plated armor covered in blood.
“Stay behind me.” He groans, weakly holding out his sword to the door.
The door flew open. One man, also weak and injured it appeared, swung his sword at Arryk. They both fought, metal clanging and clashing with each strike they took at each other.
Arryk pushed him out of the doorway, moving the fight into the hall. Even injured, it was clear why he had followed you all this way to protect you. He was a strong knight, and your father picking him was the best choice he could’ve made.
Arryk’s sword pierced the attacker in his chest, ending the fight.
“Princess, I’m so sorry.” He said, looking at you, eyes glossy and glazed, as he fell to the ground.
“No, no, Ser Arryk, please.” You cried, rushing beside him on the ground.
He wasn’t fully unconscious, but he was teetering on the edge. Sweat dripped down his forehead, and blood pooled out of the injury from his rib.
You had no choice but to try to move him, your adrenaline giving you a strength you didn’t know you had. You grunted, sweating as you dragged him into your room, the armor making him even more heavy.
You fell onto the floor, resting him on your lap.
“Another.” He said, so quiet you didn’t even hear.
“What?” You asked, holding your head closer so you could hear him.
“Another raider.”
Your heart sank.
“What do I do?” You asked him, panicked.
Without hesitation, he ripped the dagger out of his ribs, groaning as blood trickled out. You put pressure on the wound, blood flowing onto your sleeves.
“Princess, princess, it’s okay.” He whispered, hand holding yours.
“No, no.” You cried, holding him tightly. “Don’t go, Ser Arryk, I’ll get you the maester, just wait.”
He shakes his head, eyes drifting shut.
“Fuck, fuck!” You cried out. Where are you Cregan? Oh, gods, please don’t be dead.
You look up just as the other raider entered the room, only he had three more men with him than Arryk had seen. You kept your hand hidden underneath Ser Arryk’s body, holding the dagger.
“You must be her.” The man says. He was shorter, young like you and Cregan, with black of hair.
“Who are you?” You asked, sniffling.
“Now, that’s not something you need to concern your pretty little head with.” He says, leaning in and lifting your chin. You pull your head away, looking up in disgust and confusion. “But, for a thousand gold dragons you must be a hell of a damsel.”
“A thousand gold dragons?” You ask. “I’ll… I’ll double it, triple it. My father is the king.”
“Yeah, well, he was, but a thousand gold dragons… and a beautiful princess to warm our beds? We'll take our chances. I imagine you’re like an investment, more valuable as time goes on.”
“Was?” His arm grabs yours, “Touch me, and my husband will kill you.”
They all laugh at you, acting like they had an inside joke that you weren’t apart of.
“That fool doesn’t even know what hit him yet.” The guy says, yanking you out from underneath Arryk.
You fall to your knees, dagger tucked underneath your other arm.
When he pulls you to your feet, you let the blade slip, ripping across his throat as blood spits on your face.
He stumbles backward, clawing at his throat, gagging on the blood that began to drown him.
“You bitch.” He choked out, and that was the last thing you heard before it went dark.
“That the last one?” Cregan asks from his horse, looking down at his best man, standing over the raider on the ground.
“It would seem so.” Beron says, poking the guy with his sword. “Why’d you come here?”
“I’m not telling you anything.” He says, spitting blood onto the ground in Cregan’s direction.
Cregan looked around, the darkness that once enveloped everything in his vision had started to fade as the sky now turned a dusty gray with the rising sun. So much cloud coverage; It’d likely snow later.
“That felt like it didn’t take very long. What’d we run into, maybe four raiders?” Cregan asks.
“Seems about right.” Beron says, pulling the raider to his feet.
Cregan couldn’t help but feel like something was… off. A raid that lasted less than three hours? He knew men could be stupid, but who would even bother at that point? Especially a castle like Winterfell that was so heavily guarded.
He looked back at the raider in front of him and noticed he had already been staring, a twisted smile on his face.
“Something funny?” Cregan asks.
“Oh, like you wouldn’t believe it, Lord Stark.” The man gruffed. Cregan furrowed his eyebrows.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Oh, nothing.” The raider played dumb. “Why would I tell you? I’m a dead man anyway.”
“I can fix that.” Cregan says.
“How so?”
“I’ll let you take the black.”
The man pretended to think about it, then slowly shook his head. It was putting Cregan off, so he turned away, looking back at the castle.
“They’re gonna kill her.”
Cregan turned back. “What did you just say?”
“I didn’t say anything.”
Cregan dismounted his horse. “No, you said something. What did you just say?”
The man shrugged.
Cregan takes off his glove, fist swinging at the man’s mouth. The raider falls to the ground, groaning, blood pooling on his lips.
“Leave it, Cregan. He’s just trying to get a rise out of you.”
“Don’t you ever speak about her.” Cregan says, looking at the guy on the ground, then turning to go back on his horse. He clenches his fist, nails digging into his palm in anger. It likely wasn't the smartest choice to reveal his hand: you. But, even the whisper of a threat against you made his blood boil, he just couldn’t help it.
“Did I strike a nerve? It’s gonna be even worse when she gets sent back to you in a thousand pieces!” He yells from the ground.
Cregan turns back around.
“Cregan-”
But he ignores his friend, kicking and stomping the raider, who only laughed in between blows.
“Knock it off, man!” Beron yells, pushing Cregan off. “It’s just words. They’re not gonna actually do anything to her.”
“Right.” The man spits, “Let your liege lord think that.”
Cregan rests his head in his hands, sighing, trying to brush the words off. Beron was right, they really were just words. They held no weight, because there was no way those men were reaching you in the confines of Winterfell.
But then, far, far off, a horn rang. It was so faint Cregan almost wasn’t sure he heard it.
“Did you hear that?” Cregan asks Beron.
“Yeah, I did. What was that?”
The man from the ground laughs hysterically, so hard Cregan is sure he’ll pass out.
“You fools!” He cries. “You made it so easy!”
Cregan and Beron look at each other, confused.
Finally, the raider catches his breath, sighing with satisfaction.
“You really thought this was a raid?” He says, “Oh, no, no, no, my lord. They put a pretty price on her head, and she was so worth it.”
“What?” Cregan asks.
“Your wife, lord Stark,” He says, “and the one thousand gold dragon reward for her head.”
It felt like time froze around Cregan. His breath hitched in his throat, he could feel his heartbeat in his ears, and his stomach felt like it was gonna sink through the ground.
“I’ll-I’ll double it, triple it. I’ll let you all go.” He stutters out.
“We figured you’d say that. But, it’s not every day a man gets to have his way with a princess. That right there is worth a thousand dragons itself.”
Cregan stumbles backwards, his ears ringing as all of his senses blurred out of focus.
“Cregan.” Beron says, but he didn’t even hear it.
He got on his horse, immediately turning and riding back to Winterfell as fast the nag would carry him. He wasn't far, just barely beyond the treeline. But, the raider had stalled them intentionally, rubbing the cluelessness in Cregan's face. Only when he arrived at Winterfell would he see their true plot.
When he made it, he sprinted all the way to your chambers, hoping to the gods, praying to the gods you were there.
Please be okay.
He stumbled into your chambers, horrified at the sight in front of him.
Arryk lay barely conscious, a maester attending to a gaping wound in his side, and two dead raiders on the floor near him. And blood, oh the blood, was everywhere.
"Is he dead?" Cregan asks of Arryk.
"Dying, my lord, but not dead yet."
"Ser Arryk." Cregan says, kneeling beside your knight.
"Lord Stark," He groans out, voice low. "I failed her."
"Where is she?"
"They took her." He winces as the maester touches his wound. "I didn't recognize th-the house."
"House?" Cregan asks, assuming the raiders had been low born. Arryk weakly hands Cregan a bloody piece of cheap cloth, ripped off the shirts of one of the raiders. A green and yellow checkered lion.
"Who the seven hells is this?" He asks.
"My lord, that is House Osgrey." The maester says.
"Osgrey?"
"They are a very weak, minor house in the Reach, seated in Castle Standfast."
"Cregan." Ser Arryk groans, pointing. "She killed the one,"
Cregan looks over at the Osgrey raider, throat slit, a dagger in front of his body.
"but they will avenge the death of their friend. They will kill her too, if not worse."
A chill ran up his spine, his stomach turning at the thought.
"Ser Arryk, who placed this reward?"
"It has to be the Greens. They themselves cannot reach her here during the heart of war, where winter thrives in foreign soil. Th-They will be coming for all of Viserys' children and grandchildren besides their own,
for anyone who is a threat to Aegon's claim."
Cregan spent days mulling over plots, but not before he had went mad and destroyed half the castle, drinking and smashing as he pleased.
Sara and Beron tried to calm him down on the day of your disappearance, but Cregan was at an all time low.
In the banquet hall, just where you both had been the night before, laughing and dancing, Cregan was destroying any reminder of the sweet pleasantries you had shared, in your beautiful blue dress he worked so hard to get. He broke plates and windows, flipping the table at one point, even.
When he ran out of things to break in there, he moved to his council room, where Beron and Sara followed.
"Do you really think this is helping?" Sara asked, watching Cregan break a chair against the wall.
"Why are you asking me stupid questions?!" He yelled, misdirecting his anger towards his sister.
"I get this is hard, but it's not your fault-"
"It is, actually! It is my fault because I should’ve been here with her and I wasn't. I wasn't!" Cregan says, sinking down the wall to cry in his hands. "Now, Ser Arryk is dying and I have no idea where my wife is, or how to reach her before they kill her."
"We'll find her." Sara says, kneeling in front of him. "We will, I promise, brother."
She wraps her arms around him, letting him cry against her.
Two days following that, Cregan couldn't remain trapped up in Winterfell working on the perfect plot, so he left with Beron and a stack of men, praying to the gods you would be alive and uninjured.
When you awoke, about four hours after being taken from Winterfell, your hands were tied in front of your chest as you lay across someone's lap on a slow moving horse.
"Where am I?" You asked, disoriented. Your head throbbed, and when your fingers touched your temple they came away sticky with blood.
"Sh, sh, don't you worry about that now." The man said. His knee bumped your ribs with each uneven step of the horse, making you feel nauseous, and his arm had a hold around your waist, keeping you from slipping from off.
You scanned your surroundings, noticing you were still in the snowy white North. Your body trembled from the cold, your blood-stained blue dress doing what it could to shield you from the sharp winds.
After about 8 hours of riding, you arrived at a small and abandoned windmill.
"Here's our stop. Apologies if it's not up to your standards, princess." The man insults you, inciting laughter from his friends, stepping off the horse and tossing you over his shoulder.
"And don't even think about trying anything stupid, or we'll kill you." The other says, grabbing your cheeks roughly to make you look at him. You shook your head from his grasp, his eyes still penetrating yours.
You barely step, or get carried, inside the windmill,
"Did it work? Do you have her?" A slightly older man asks immediately.
The one holding you tosses you to the ground in front of the man, landing on your hip as you cry out in pain.
"Don't be rough with her! They want her alive!" The man yells, rushing by your side to make sure you’re okay.
"They didn't specifiy a condition." One of them mocked, "Besides, she killed Torros. Let the bitch get a little bruised up."
"Apologies for my boys, princess." The man says, standing and looking over you. "Not all of us are as gentle as Cregan Stark."
They laugh, but the sound of your husband's name makes your heart sink.
"I'll never see him again. Will I?" You ask the man, and the group stops laughing.
"I venture not." He says. "Don't be sad about that, though. You have plenty of handsome lads here willing to fight over you. That is, until we turn you over to Otto."
You look around at the three men, who looked back at you with anger, resentment, bitterness, and lust.
"Why?" You ask. "We'd raise the reward and you know it."
"Maybe. Except you don't have access to the treasury of King's Landing anymore. Do you?"
They were right. With Aegon's succession, all the money you had was tied up at Winterfell, and it wasn't enough to exceed Otto's reward, only match it.
The name clicked in your head.
"Wait. Did you say Otto? As in Otto Hightower?"
"I think I’ve said too much already." He says, laughing with the others.
You didn't know why it came as a shock to you. Maybe you were just surprised they'd stoop that low as to pay for your head, too weak and cowardly to come fight Cregan for it themselves.
"Besides, we get a lot more out of this than money." The man says, tilting your chin to look up at him. "We get a very, very long trip to the Reach with a beautiful princess, almost two moons. And we get a nice big castle to rest up in, and then the Osgreys get invited to all the parties and weddings in King's Landing. You don't even know our house. Do you, princess? Can your northern lord offer that to us? Status? Honor?"
"You find honor in holding a princess for ransom?"
"Oh, yes I do. Especially a traitor princess standing by the side of her cunt sister, who believes she’ll usurp the throne from the rightful king. They'll sing songs about us for ages." You pull away as he leans in to kiss your neck, "And they'll sing many songs about your beauty... and the virtue you once held before we took you."
“Don’t!” You yell, being pulled to your feet by the men. The leader grabs you by the neckline of your dress, so you jump from the ground, using the leverage of the men holding you, and kick your foot center in the leader’s face.
He falls, hand holding his nose that now dripped with blood.
“You little brat...” He says, standing and walking back towards you, his men putting their feet on yours this time to keep you from doing it again. He smears the blood from his hand on your face and dress, as if you weren’t already red as a beet from Arryk and the other raider’s.
“Hold her down. She’s all mine.”
Cregan knew he wasn’t far behind. It had to have been the biggest pack of idiots that took you, because they left him every drop of a hint where they had last been. He just couldn’t believe he’d been hoodwinked so good, given they weren’t at all subtle with what they did. In the end, him not realizing their plan sooner made him the biggest idiot of them all.
For two weeks, he was close on the trail of the Osgreys. They knew it too, leaving hints here and there to tease him, but it’d ultimately lead to their demise. They left things like blood stained rags, weapons, and litter where they last slept. All the while still heading for the Reach.
Cregan’s men were tired, frustrated, antsy. Riding day and night with little breaks in between, but none as much as him. He was almost never rude to his men, but during this journey they had seen a new side of him, acting like a tyrant rather than a lord. A moon’s trip in, Beron finally warned him.
“Cregan, you’ve got to lighten up on the rides, or our horses are going to get injured. We might be able to go without rest to find her, but they cannot.” Beron warns him.
“Beron, put yourself in my fucking place and tell me again to go without resting. My wife is in danger, gods know what they’re doing to her, what the result of these blood stained rags are.” He says, hands fisting the bloody rags.
“You’re right, it’s not my place to say. But, you cannot go mad before we make it to her. They won’t harm her. The reward is for bringing her to the Greens alive, not dead.”
He wanted to believe his friend, he really did. But, Beron had already been wrong once when he said not to take the words of the raider they’d captured seriously, and look where that left Cregan.
“Lord Stark.” One of his men said, exiting a bar where they believed you to had last been.
“What?” He asks, turning to see the man holding a red piece of fabric, but it looked familiar. “What’s this?”
“That’s the blue fabric from Dorne.” Sara says, taking it from the man. “You can tell by the texture.”
Cregan takes it, pinching the fabric between his fingers, sighing in defeated anger.
When he slept that night, finally giving his men and horses a break, he held the blood stained fabric close to him, reminded of the once blue silk you had donned the last time he had seen you. Almost a full moon turn by this point, if not more. He had begun to lose track of time, lose track of himself. Dreams brought him a peace he once knew, waking up pulled him back to reality.
The texture of the dress reminded him of a time you were okay, safe in his arms. Now, it felt like a sign that you’d never be his love in the soft, blue, untainted dress again. The red blood dyeing the fabric embodied the peaceful girl you were, to the dying girl you were becoming with each brutally waking moment.
He could only pray and push forward.
More days passed as he trekked on, returning back to only taking breaks momentarily. Days and nights of riding until everyone was swore, tired, and hungry.
One night, the men pleaded Cregan to stop at a bar for just one drink. Let them rest their legs, stretch, and use the bathroom just for an hour.
He initially wanted to keep going, but Sara urged him to rest.
“You look terrible.” She says. “I’m telling you, you’re no good to her dead.”
“I’m no good to her sitting in a bar drinking a pint either.” He scratched the beard growing on his face, imaging Sara was probably right about his appearance.
“You just need to rest, just for a moment.” His sister says. So, he let the men go in the bar as he sat outside. He couldn’t find pleasure in enjoying a drink knowing you weren’t okay, but Sara brought him one anyway.
“This might not be the right time, but you’re not the only one missing her, Cregan.” Sara says, resting her hand on his as he drinks. He looks at her, waiting for her to continue.
“Many people in Winterfell look up to her, especially because of Rhaenyra’s claim. These men that have followed you all this way are doing it because they care what happens to the lady of Winterfell. They want to bring her home, but none of us are immune to the harshness that comes with weeks of being on horseback. Remember that when you yell at them, or deny them a chance to rest. They followed you, for her. Don’t forget that, brother.”
He looks down, falling apart again as he sobs into his hands.
“Gods, I’ve failed her so miserably.”
“You couldn’t have known.” She says, handing resting on his back.
“Who knows what they’re doing to her?” He sobs. “A man with nothing to lose but everything to gain is a man who’s willing to do horrible things to get them.”
“I imagine you’re correct.” Sara admits, not wanting to lie but not wanting to tell him the truth either. “But, she’s strong.”
“She won’t come back the same.”
“Don’t say that.” Sara says. “Don’t even think like that.”
“How can I help it?” He cries.
A commotion breaks out inside, louder than one Cregan had typically ever heard from a bar.
“That can’t be good.” He sniffles, recognizing the sound of his men yelling.
A hoard of men burst out the door, swinging and yelling as Cregan and Sara watched it all play out.
“What the seven hells is going on?!” Sara yells over the chaos.
“It’s one of them! It’s one of the Osgreys!”
Cregan stands, pushing through the bodies of his men to find the unfamiliar face. He stumbles to the middle, where two men lay bruised and bloodied on the dirty grass.
“How do you know?” Cregan asks his men.
“The tall fuckin’ idiot admitted it. Basically bragged about it, not realizing who we were.” Someone says.
“Bragged about what?” Cregan asks, and his men suddenly went quiet, no one wanting to say the words.
Cregan steps towards the man, pulling the drunken Osgrey off the ground.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa! It wasn’t me. I swear, lord Stark! We just went and got her, he didn’t let us touch her.”
“What’d you say to my men? About her?” Cregan asks, fists gripping the Osgrey’s collar. He was silent, afraid of the wrath Cregan would inflict if he repeated it.
Cregan pulls out his dagger, holding it to the man’s throat.
“Whoa, whoa! I said we kidnapped the youngest princess of Viserys and Aemma, and the Hightowers were paying us good.”
“Did you just say the Hightowers? Aegon the Usurper paid you?” Cregan asks, affirming the suspicions Ser Arryk had.
“He said more than that!” one of Cregan’s men yelled.
Cregan pressed the knife deeper, just barely breaking the skin to let the blood seep out.
“Hey, hey! I don’t know what they’re talking about! Yes, yes, Aegon Targaryen and Otto Hightower sent us to retrieve her!”
“No! You said something else about where she is!” the men’s voices jumbled together.
“Yes, yes, my uncle Unwin is keeping her about two miles from here. It’s the abandoned Dunstonbury Castle. Please, please don’t kill me, lord Stark.”
“Kill this traitor, my lord! Kill both of them! They were both bragging about defiling the princess.” the northern men yell.
“You spoke about harming my wife?” Cregan asks, calmly.
“I-I…”
“Is it true?”
“No! Gods, No! I swear it. Only my uncle took her. He wouldn’t let us. He wanted to prove a point to her.”
“What point?”
“That she couldn’t outsmart him.”
Cregan laughed, softly at first, then harder, lowering the knife. He bent over, hands on his knees to steady himself, laughing and laughing, tears brimming his eyes. Cregan’s men watched silently.
He straightened up, laughing and patting the Osgrey on the shoulder. The man laughed with him, unsure of what was funny, but feeling the tension fade. Cregan finally caught his breath, laughter turning to small chuckles, but he still smiled at the man.
And then, he slipped the knife across the man’s throat, grinning as the blood spit on his face. His men gasped, never seeing a side of Cregan that didn’t allow a man to take the black before killing them. The dying man stumbled back, falling onto the ground next to his brother.
“You fucker!” He said, standing. “I’m gonna kill you!”
The other Osgrey charged at Cregan, who did nothing except stick the same dagger into his brother’s chest. He coughed, looking at Cregan, who still smiled down.
Cregan pulled out the dagger, grabbing the man by his hair and pulling his face just inches from his own.
“The North remembers,” He stabbed the dagger back into the man’s chest. “and my men are going to go to Standfast and kill your entire bloodline.”
He pulled the dagger out for the last time, pushing the man’s chest with his fingers lightly, as he stumbled back and fell against his dead brother.
“You heard me,” Cregan said, looking up at his men who looked at him in shock. “Go to Standfast. Don’t leave a single Osgrey man alive.”
Cregan walked past them, mounting his horse, and riding to Dunstonbury.
The rain began to pour as he drew closer and closer to the castle, arriving only after an hour or so ride.
He stepped off his horse, boots squeaking against the cobblestone path, rain pattering around him. It was quiet, no hint of anybody being there. But, at the top of the castle was a window, the dimmest light flickering around inside. He walked into the castle, unsheathing his sword, climbing the spiral staircase.
The door at the top was ajar, the shadows of the light dancing on the wall outside. Cregan pushed it fully open, stepping into the room.
“You idiots better have found something good if it took you that long. I’ve been waiting all damned day.” Unwin said, not turning from his seat at the hearth to look at Cregan.
“And you’ll keep waiting.” Cregan says.
Unwin stands, knocking the chair over, and immediately backing against the wall.
“L-Lord Stark.” He says. “Forgive me, I didn’t know you’d be arriving so soon.”
Cregan says nothing, shutting the door and walking closer into the room.
“But, you expected me?”
“O-Of course. The princess promised y-you’d raise the price of the bounty. I’d expect no less from a Stark, so we’ve taken good care of her.”
“Hm.” Cregan smirks, but the anger was apparent on his face. “So I’ve heard.”
“I-I’m not sure what my nephews may have told you. I tried to keep them from being rough with her, but you know how young men are. They-”
“Let’s cut the small talk, Lord Unwin.” Cregan says, “I want to know where my wife is.”
“You’ll never find her if you kill me. I-I’ll only tell you if you promise to let me take the black. As a Stark, you have to keep that oath.”
“Of course. You have my word, Lord Unwin.” Cregan says, sheathing his sword.
He walks past Cregan hesitantly, unlocking a door in the corner of the room.
“Princess, y-you have a visitor.” Unwin says nervously. Cregan doesn’t move from his spot, waiting to see if you’ll come out. He keeps his hands folded in front of him, trying to hide the shaking.
Cregan faintly hears your soft moan, but you don’t leave the room.
“She’s- She must be feeling tired.” Unwin says.
“I have to admit,” Cregan begins to say, pointing. “You got me good, Lord Unwin.”
“W-What do you mean?” Unwin asks.
“With the plot to ‘raid’ Winterfell, drawing me out past the woods while you sent your nephews in to take my wife.” Cregan says calmly, only making Unwin feel more uneasy.
“It’s nothing personal, Lord Stark, truly. I don’t mind a woman being crowned. I-In fact, I was initially all for Rhaenyra’s claim! But, the Hightowers offered money, status. My house is small. I just wanted to make sure my lineage was well off.”
“Oh, Lord Unwin, you don’t have to worry about that anymore.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Lord Unwin, I’ve just had my men go to Standfast to slay your entire living blood.”
“B-But, there were woman and children there! I have nieces and daughters!”
“Don’t worry,” Cregan says, finally revealing his anger. “I don’t stoop so low as to harm a fucking woman for personal gain.”
“Fine.” Unwin says, “You want a fight, Stark? Come get it.”
Unwin draws his sword, but Cregan? He didn’t want it to end so quickly. Oh, no. He wanted this fight to be long, painful, agonizing. He wanted to be fighting so long that it ended with him dripping in sweat and blood.
Cregan unties his sword from his back, setting it on the table beside him, removing the dagger from his waist as well.
Unwin charges at him, but Cregan was fast, dodging the swing and grabbing his arm, slamming his elbow into it, shattering the bone.
Unwin cries, falling to his knees and holding his arm.
“You know, Lord Unwin,” Cregan says, circling him. “Your nephews had some interesting things to say for you.”
Cregan kicks Unwin in the rib, as he falls to the side groaning.
“They said you were my wife’s sole attacker.” Cregan continues. “Of course, I am misusing the word ‘attacker.’ No, what you did to my wife was much, much worse.”
“You mean I fucked your wife?” Unwin says, spitting at Cregan’s feet.
“That’s one word for it.”
“You’re right, I fucking did. And I should’ve let my nephews do it too! I should’ve let them fuck her bloody-”
Cregan twitches.
“And don’t let the little bitch lie to you! She loved it, loved every god damned minute. She was practically begging me for it.”
“Shut your fucking mouth.” Cregan says, kicking Unwin in the nose. He grabs him by the collar, ripping him off the ground.
“You picked the wrong girl, Unwin. The wrong damned girl.”
“The truth hurts. Doesn’t it, Lord Stark?”
Cregan slams his fist into Unwin’s eye, stepping back after to let Unwin regain himself.
“Judge me all you want.” Unwin says, holding his eye. “You would’ve done it too if you were in my position.”
“It’s not my place to judge you.” Cregan says. “Just to kill you.”
“I may die today, Stark,” Unwin says, “But, I’ll haunt the both of you as long as you live. It will never be just you and her again, it will always be you, her, and me. You’ll kill me, but I already killed her soul. So, enjoy picking up the pieces of the life and the girl you once had. By the time you’re finished, I’m sure I’ll see you in the seven hells.”
Cregan couldn’t hear any more of it, of the terrible and gods’ forsaken truth. He went to swing at Unwin, who was high with adrenaline, knowing these moments were about to be his last. Cregan's swings had been sloppy and uncalculated, knowing that Unwin wouldn't best him, but now, Unwin was fueled by revenge. Unwin dodged the hit, landing the only one he would get against Cregan's jaw.
He ducked under Cregan, rushing to the room in the corner. He ripped you off the ground by the bodice of your dress, tearing the fabric even more. You whimpered, broken and hoarse pleads escaping your lips as he pulled you to your feet, pressing your back against his chest with his arm wrapped around your throat.
Your fingers gripped Unwin's arm, trying to loosen his grasp on your throat. For the briefest moment, Cregan wasn't sure who he was looking at. Your hair was messy, your face was skinny and bruised, but the lower half of you was a completely different story. Your dress was red, no longer the sky blue he had once known. Now, it was red as blood, inch to inch, seam to seam, tattered and ragged, barely clinging to your body anymore. Your dainty fingers held the torn bodice against your chest, eyes shut tight as you struggled to breathe.
"Open your eyes." Unwin commands you, grabbing you by your jaw. "Look who came to join us."
Your eyes flutter open, and Cregan felt like he finally saw you this time. For almost two moons, he had worked tirelessly to get to you. He was unshaved, bloody, sweaty, smelly, just an all around mess. Now, the moment was finally here. He was finally, finally back to you.
"Cregan." You whispered. He bit his lip, holding back a sob. "You came."
"My dear, you called."
"How sweet," Unwin says, tightening his arm on your throat until you're gasping. "but if you step any closer, Stark, I'll break her neck."
Cregan was at a loss on how to go about it, until you tilted your head down and bit Unwin's arm so hard blood flew into your eyes. He released his grip on you, screaming as you stumbled off him, fingers wiping your burning eyes. You spit the remaining blood in your mouth onto the ground, and his fist was quick to connect with your nose.
The room went dark for you again, leaving you and Cregan's reunion short as you hit the floor.
Cregan ripped a distracted Unwin to the ground, straddling his chest, and slamming his fist down over and over until Unwin’s face was a bloody and broken mess, but Cregan didn’t fully kill him, oh no. He left him just barely conscious, letting him drown in his own blood.
Cregan stayed there for a moment, catching his breath as he looked down at Unwin, dying so good beneath his weight.
After he made sure Unwin was good and dead he climbed off him, crawling to where you lay limp on the floor. He lifted you into his lap, pulling your head into his chest as he sobbed into your hair.
“Oh, my girl.” He cried.
Cregan needed this moment for him, and him alone, because he knew once you were awake you would need the strongest version of him.
When you awoke, you were dazed and confused. Your body was working before your mind was, as you felt your surroundings before seeing them. There was a blanket over you, and you were sat upright against the chest of who you assumed to be Unwin.
But, the fur blanket was a thick and familiar warmth and smell, and the chest, no... the chest you were laying on was far too big to be Unwin's, and it was armored. Your hand unconsciously touched the chest of whoever you were sitting against, feeling for any sort of pattern you might recognize. Your eyes shot open when you felt the direwolf sigil that could only be your husband's.
You sat upright, nearly losing your balance as he caught you.
"Easy, easy, you'll spook the horse." He says, hand resting against your back. "How are you feeling?"
You looked around, noticing northern men all around you. The blanket fell off your shoulder, the cold and wet wind biting your skin.
"Keep that up." Cregan says quietly, adjusting the blanket to fully cover you. "You don't have much of a dress left."
You looked underneath the blanket at the red fabric that remained, and he was right. There was more skin than dress.
"Are we... still in the Reach?" You finally spoke, voice raspy.
"Yes." He said, brushing your damp hair.
"Is that water?" You practically yell, hands snatching the canteen on his hip. You chug it all, choking on the water as he warns you to slow down. When it was gone, you stuck your tongue out, letting the damp rain fall into your mouth. He wanted to laugh, it was kind of cute, until he remembered you’d probably been deprived of such simplicities like water and food for two moons.
“Are you hungry?” He asked, but was surprised when you shook your head no.
“Hard to have an appetite lately.” You said it like it was nothing, and his heart sunk.
“I’m here when you’re ready.”
Those words made you want to cry. They were so simple, but so deep in meaning. He wasn’t gonna push you to talk, even if it meant never talking, but he was also never gonna shy away from the difficult conversation if you needed to have it.
“You don’t want to know the things I’ve had to do to get back to you, Cregan.” You whisper, head falling against his chest.
You were probably right. For weeks, Cregan had fought to push down the thoughts of what you were going through. But every time he’d seen a breadcrumb on the trail of where you had been, they would reappear, and he felt himself growing sick with each thought that lingered.
“You might be right.” Cregan admits. “But, I’ll listen anyway.”
The two moon trip home was rough, for both of you. You were jumpy, quick to anger, hardly eating or sleeping, just always on edge no matter how much Cregan tried to convince you that you were safe. But, he didn’t blame you for not believing him anymore. He liked to think one day this would all just be a bad memory, but Unwin’s words started to weigh on him. Haunting, in a way.
Word had spread through the seven kingdoms of your kidnapping, but not the extent. And still, the people of King’s Landing found themselves revolting against Aegon for the crime that had been committed against you. Cregan had made a point to not bother you with any political affairs. You needed to adjust to the return back home, and it would take time. Time he was worried neither of you had with winter coming and a war brewing.
About a moon after being home he sat on the bed, while you bathed alone. Before you were taken, Cregan would sit with you while you bathed all the time, or even just bathe with you. But now, you insisted on being left alone, and he didn’t need to ask why. He’d seen the marks when he wrapped that blanket over you to take you home.
Cregan looked down, fingers gripping your tattered dress tightly. It was so red. So unnaturally red one would’ve thought it came like that.
When you first changed out of it, into an oversized tunic and pants that Cregan brought for himself, cluelessly not thinking to bring anything for you, you had told him to get rid of it.
“What?” He asked, unsure he heard you right.
“Burn it.”
‘Burn it’ , when it had originally meant so much to you. And now, you couldn’t even think of the color blue without being reminded of what you and that dress had endured, could barely even look at the sky on a sunny day.
“A-Are you sure?”
“Don’t ask me that again.”
He knew he should’ve did it the second you asked. But, he just couldn’t. For him the blue, now red, dress was the last good memory he had with you. But, for you the dress was just a reminder that you were weak, fragile, broken.
He didn’t know what he was holding on to by saving it. Maybe it was a reminder to himself; A reminder he failed you and needed to live with that guilt.
He stuffed the dress under the bed, and you walked in shortly after.
“How do you feel?” He asks you.
“Clean.” You sighed, brush combing through your wet hair. You climbed into bed underneath the covers, hand resting on Cregan’s chest. His fingers hold yours, giving you a soft, comforting squeeze.
It wasn’t really what he meant by the question, but he was pleased if it meant you were feeling okay. He tried not to pry too much, but it was hard to find balance again. In your eyes he was walking on eggshells around you, and you hated it.
Your fingers played with his chest, sliding up and down his abdomen. His heart thumped. Were you really trying to get him going? His breath hitched in his throat, and his question was answered when your fingers toyed with the waistband of his small clothes.
“What are you doing?” He asked nervously.
“What does it look like I’m doing?”
“I-I can’t, I’m sorry.” He said, moving your wrist and sitting up.
“Why?” You asked, sitting up beside him.
“It’s just…” He held his hand over his eyes.
“Just, just, just. Just what?” You asked, agitated. He looked up at you.
“What’s wrong?” He asked, finger caressing your cheek. You pushed his hand off, lying back down and turning on your side.
“Will you stop asking me that, for gods sake?”
“Asking if you’re okay? No, I’m worried about you.” He says, lying back behind you and resting his arm on your shoulder.
“You’re always worried. Always treating me like some broken little doll. You and everyone else in this bloody castle.”
“Well, what else do you want me to do? Tell me.”
“I want you to love me how you did before I left.” You say, turning and looking at him. “I’m not broken, so stop treating me like I am.”
It was a lie, but you thought maybe if you lied to him then you could lie to yourself.
“I love you so much-”
“That’s not what I mean!” You yell. “You’re distant, quiet. You act like if you say the wrong thing I’ll snap!”
“You mean like how you are right now?”
“Yes, yes, that’s my husband talking right there.” You say, fingers holding his cheeks. “My husband gives me an attitude. My husband hugs me so hard my back pops. He touches me and he kisses me and he loves me.”
“I do all of those things.”
“Not how you used to.” You say, “I’m still your wife. I’m still me. But, sometimes, I don’t know if you’re still you.”
“Maybe I’m not.”
“Come on, Cregan.” You scoff. “You would’ve been just fine without me.”
“Do you think you were the only one whose life was ruined that day?!” He snaps
Your face drops, and he immediately regrets it.
“Wait, listen, I’m sorry. I just meant it as-”
“My life wasn’t ruined.” You say, “It was changed, but not ruined. Are you letting what’s happened to me ruin your life? Is that what this is about? You see me as some… harlot?”
“No! Gods, no. I’d never think that about you.”
“I’d have stayed if I knew I was gonna come back to you being like this.” You mumbled.
“That is an evil, evil thing to say. How dare you say that?” He says, heartbroken.
You huff, rolling your eyes as you turned away from him. You knew it was wrong, and you’d never truly mean something like that, but you wanted to get him where it hurt most. Maybe that wasn’t very nice, but you hadn’t been so nice since being back home. You were angry at the world, misdirecting your bitterness towards your husband.
“Put out the hearth, I want it cold.” You demand him, and he listens, getting up and putting it out, the room darkening as the fire dims.
He lies back down behind you, facing your back. Neither of you say anything else, but you fall asleep before him. He slips your robe off your shoulder, the moonlight from the window illuminating the healing scars on your back. As his fingers trace them, he fights to quiet the sobs that escape his chest, other hand covering his mouth. Unwin was right, and you were both being haunted by the ghost of him.
The tide of your breathing washes him to sleep.
before there was you, there was her
cregan stark x reader
summary: after a visit with your family turns sour, rumors swirl in king’s landing of a supposed affair between the lord of the north and a maiden. when the news reaches winterfell, your world is torn apart as you and cregan’s loyalty and trust in one another is put to the test. part one
warnings: lots of angst, smut, p in v, targ!reader, lots of fighting (the fight after aemond claims vhagar), blood, implications of assault (aegon speaking about the reader), rumors of an affair, reader crashes out, talks of trauma bonded relationships and abuse
word count: 7800
do yall say it like cree-gen or creh-gen 😭😭send me ur requests btw :p 18+ below da cut , tag list: @isansstuff @drytanamine
part 2: no grave can hold my body down, i’ll crawl home to her
A trip home had been the last thing on your mind, of late.
But here you were, packing and sniffling tears of frustration onto the dresses you intended to bring. It wasn’t like you could exactly deny your father the request. He grew more and more sick by the day, and this trip could be the last chance to see him.
“Why are you so sad?” Cregan asks, coming up behind you to hold you. “I hate seeing you cry.”
“I just hate seeing my stepmother.” You sniffle. “Where she goes, trouble follows.”
“You’re not wrong.” He says, kissing the back of your head. “But at least you’ll get to see your sister and your father.”
You sigh. After all these years, you still had a hard time forgiving your father for what happened to your mother. And even worse, what came after with his choice to marry Alicent. That was even harder to forgive. However, you did miss your big sister, and you didn’t want her to have to face Alicent’s wrath alone.
“It won’t be for long,” Cregan assures you. “And I’m with you for every part of it.”
You couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief at his words.
“I just worry for them.” You say, quietly, eyes falling onto Cregan’s son holding your shared newborn. Rickon was a product of Cregan’s first marriage, but his first wife had died young, and when you and Cregan wed, you raised Rickon as your own.
“The children?” Cregan asks.
“Yes.” You say, “The whole reason we’re going is so they can meet Aemma, and I already know the things they’ll say. Dark of hair-“
“I’m dark of hair.” Cregan mumbles, offended.
“Plain-faced, bastard-“
“Come on, love, I think you’re being paranoid.” He says, turning you to face him.
“They say it about my sister’s boys.” You say, looking up at him.
“Well… Aren’t they?” He asks, cautiously.
“Likely.” You sigh, turning to look at yours. “But, they’re still hers, and yet, it’s not enough for Alicent to accept.”
“You know I won’t let anything happen to you or our children, right?” He asks. You rest your head on his chest, and he wraps his arms around you.
“Your family can’t be that bad.”
Gods, was he wrong.
You and Cregan had been up there for only four days, and from the moment you arrived, things went bad.
The second you had stepped into the castle, a handmaiden approached you, telling you that your presence was requested immediately in the King and Queen’s council.
“It’s late.” You tell the girl. “I’ve just arrived from a two-week trip.”
“The Queen wishes to see the babe.” The girl says, hesitantly. You scoff, looking over at Cregan, who was also in disbelief.
“Don’t get upset.” He says, as you both begin to walk, his arm resting around you.
You exhale, fighting back the tears. “This is so ridiculous. I’m exhausted.”
“I know.” He whispers. “But, don’t let her see you break.”
He takes the babe from you, holding her in his left arm while still comforting you with the other.
You all enter the room, smiling, like there was no worry in the world.
“Daughter!” Viserys says, upon seeing you. “I’ve missed you.”
“Hi, father.” You say, approaching him, gently wrapping your arms around him. “You’re looking well today.”
“I have my good days and bad days.” He says. You look over, feeling Alicent’s gaze at you, straight-faced.
“Hello, Your Grace.” You say, kindly.
“Princess,” She greets you. “You’re looking radiant. Motherhood becomes you.”
“You’re too kind.”
“Lord Stark,” She turns her gaze to Cregan, and your heart nearly beats out of your chest. “How are you adjusting to a two-child household?”
“Very well, Your Grace.” He says, politely, showing no intimidation.
“Who might you be?” She asks, softening her voice to acknowledge Rickon, who stood beside Cregan quietly.
“I am Rickon Stark, Your Grace.” He answers, also showing no fear. You felt like you were gonna faint.
“You seem like a brave young boy,” Viserys says to him. “How do you like having a sister?”
Rickon hesitates, looking up at you and Cregan for approval. Cregan nods at him.
“I am very pleased, Your Grace,” Rickon says.
Viserys laughs, “You seem like a very mature boy for your age. Most boys would rather have a brother to play with. In fact, you might get along quite well with your uncles and cousins in your time here.”
You nearly choke at the thought of Rickon playing with Aegon and Aemond, which you’re sure Alicent feels the same.
“Very pleased to meet you.” She says to Rickon, before finally turning her gaze upon Aemma. Alicent’s fingers graze the swaddle, pulling down the blanket to fully look at Aemma’s face and hair.
“She’s beautiful,” Alicent says, and Viserys stands next to Alicent to see her.
“She is.” He says. “She looks just like you, my daughter.”
“Yes, aside from the dark and curly hair.” Alicent jabs. You and Cregan say nothing in response.
“May I?” Viserys asks, holding his arms out. Cregan sets her against him gently.
“I can’t wait to see your next one, daughter.” He says, smiling at you. You smile in return, biting your lip to fight back the tears that sting your eyes.
“Yes, do keep trying, princess. I imagine the next one will look a bit more Targaryen.” Alicent says.
Viserys hands her back to Cregan. “You all go rest. I imagine the journey was tiring. We will see you in the morning.”
“Thank you, Your Grace.” You and Cregan both respond to your father. Your hand rests on Rickon’s shoulder, guiding him out with you and Cregan.
While he hid it well, you could tell Cregan was bothered by the exchange.
And that was pretty much how it’d been going the entire time. Alicent’s passive-aggressive remarks to you and your sister, every single day, and your father clueless to the comments. Whether it was a remark on you or your parenting, she always had something to say about you.
“I feel sorry now that I didn’t realize how serious it was,” Cregan says, guilty.
“You don’t have to be sorry.” You say, sitting next to him in front of the fireplace in your room. Your eyes watch the dancing flames, embracing the warmth they let off.
“I just thought that it was family disagreements, you know? I didn’t realize how deep her disdain for Viserys’ firstborns went.” Cregan says.
“Yes… Her bitterness runs deep, and she’s passed it down to her children.”
“I couldn’t imagine Rickon behaving the way they do.” He shakes his head, admitting his frustration after a moment of silence. “I’d smack him simple.”
You giggle. It was probably the first time you’d laughed since being here all week. He smiles at you.
“You look so beautiful.” He says.
“Thank you.”
“I always see you in warm dresses.” His fingers graze your arm, sending chills up your body. “It’s a bit of a change seeing you in these tighter dresses, showing more skin.”
“Yeah?” You whisper.”
“Yeah.” He whispers back. “Gods, red is your color.”
“The queen says red is the color of a slut.”
“Fuck the queen,” Cregan says, breathlessly, leaning in to kiss you. You practically throw yourself onto him, sitting on his lap and wrapping your arms around him. His fingers dance around your jaw, gripping your cheeks to pull you even closer into his lips.
You grind against his lap, tracing your fingers up his armored chest. You go to slip off your dress, but he stops you.
“Let me make love to you just like this.” He pleads, so you oblige, leaving the red and silky dress on.
“Are you going to give me another babe, Lord Stark?” You whisper, lustfully, fingers threading under his small-clothes to play with him.
“Gods, yes, I’ll give you anything you want.” He moans, throwing his head back against the floor. You decide to stop teasing him, sitting on his length to make him gasp in relief.
“Fuck.” He whines, fingers going underneath your dress to grab your waist. You lean down to kiss his neck, and his fingers grip you harder. He kisses your cheek, one hand gripping your hair to hold you close to him as you grind your hips onto him.
“Get up.” He whispers.
“Huh?” You moan, lost in the feeling of him inside you.
He lifts you off, standing to pull you up.
You giggle, “What are you-“
“Sh.” He moans shakily, pushing you against the wall. He lifts your leg, dress still on, pushing the fabric up to your waist.
He pushes his length back into you, and you grip his arms for support.
“Cregan,” You moan, fingers scratching his armor. He kisses your neck, fucking you softly, looking deep into your soul. Your hand grips his hair, pressing your forehead to his.
“I love you.” He moans. “I love you so much.”
“You’re going to make me cum talking to me like that.” You moan.
“Would that be such a bad thing?” He asks, breathlessly.
“Yes, it would. I intend to fuck you all night.”
“And so you shall.” He says.
“Come on, my girl.” He kisses and bites your jaw. “I can make you do it again.”
“Oh, really?” You ask, your voice shaking.
“I can tell you’re close.” He whispers. “Don’t fight it.”
You pull him closer to you, arms wrapped around his neck, fingers scratching at his back.
“Fuck, stop talking.” You whine, fighting to hold back your release.
“No, I know you like that.” He moans, licking and sucking your neck, all the while still fucking you.
“Please.” You beg. “Please, I know I’ll get tired when I cum. I want to fuck you all night, just slow down.”
“Are you sure?” He asks, teasing, slowing his motions.
“Fuck!” You throw your head back. “No, don’t stop.”
He whispers in your ear, urging your release; saying things that would make a septa faint and make your father take his head.
You whine, head falling on his shoulder, gripping his armor as you cum.
“There you go, good girl.” He says, talking you through it. “You’re so good, you’re so fucking good, so beautiful-“
“Lord Stark! Princess!”
Cregan stops his thrusts, eyes avoiding the maid who had burst into the room without knocking. Was that the custom in King’s Landing? No privacy? Everything out on display for the townsfolk to see? If so, he wanted to leave and never come back.
“What is it?” You ask, head still against his shoulder.
“Your presence is needed immediately. There was a fight amongst the children.”
You look over at the maid, standing in the door way of your room.
“A fight?” You gently push Cregan off you.
“Everyone is in the council room waiting.” She says, turning and leaving. You push your dress down, as Cregan ties his belt closed.
“Gods sake, what could it be this time?!” He yells, angrily, smoothing his hair back and trying to appear presentable as you do the same.
You both walk quickly to the room, but you had not been prepared for just how badly the fight had been.
“Oh, Gods, Rickon!” You say, rushing to him. He immediately cries, wrapping his arms around you and Cregan. “What happened to you?”
You look at his nose, bloody and out of place, gently touching and wiping with your sleeve to clean him up.
“Perhaps, you should be asking what he did!” Alicent cries.
“My son’s nose is broken! Who is responsible for this?!” You yell.
“He is not your son. Cregan Stark’s son and Rhaenyra’s sons attacked mine! They are responsible for what’s happened to Aemond!”
“You don’t speak the truth, Alicent.” You say. “Rickon would do no such thing.”
“How dare you speak to the queen that way?” She asks.
“You are lying!” Rhaenyra yells. “It was our children who were the victims of your son’s insults! Questioning the legitimacy of my sons’ birthrights!”
“Over an insult? My son has lost an eye.”
“Aemond.” Viserys says, “Where did you hear this lie?”
Aemond says nothing.
“Look at me!”
“Rickon.” You come to his eye level, while your father questions Aemond. “Look at me, babe.”
His gaze darts between you and Cregan, as he sobs breathlessly.
You look up at your husband, who was clearly in a state of rage, with Rickon assuming it was at him. “Cregan,”
He kneels beside you, his voice calm as to not upset the boy, but you could hear the quiver he struggled to hide. His anger was not with Rickon, but with your family. “Son, it’s okay, we promise. But, you must tell us what happened.”
He still says nothing, only looking at you. “You’re not in trouble, Rickon… Just tell us what happened.”
“He… He was saying vile things.”
“Who?” You ask, shushing him softly as he sobbed, brushing his curls out of his face.
“Aegon.” Rickon says. “I cannot repeat them, mother.”
“Rickon, you must.” Cregan says. Rickon’s eyes look back and forth between you both again, before he leans in to whisper into Cregan’s ear, talking for at least a full two minutes.
Cregan leans away, looking at you in shock.
“What?”
“I- I can’t repeat that to you.”
“Cregan!” You exclaim, angrily.
“Your Grace,” Cregan stands, addressing your father. “Your vile son is to be handled immediately.”
“What is the meaning of this?” Alicent asks.
“Aegon and Aemond attacked not only my child, but Rhaenyra’s and Corlys’ as well. This is treason, your grace, and cannot go unpunished.”
“Treason?!” Alicent yells.
“I will not repeat the things Aegon spoke about my wife. As for what my son has told me of Aemond, the boy was attacking the girls when Lucerys and Jacaerys defended them.”
“He’s lying! No, they’re lying! She’s lying! I did nothing, mother!” All the children began crying out.
You looked at Cregan, who avoided your gaze, but his eyes held an anger that you had never seen from him. You didn’t want to wake the wolf, so you said nothing for now.
“Enough!” Viserys yelled, silencing the room.
“Aegon, you will tell me right now what you said about your sister.”
“The Lord Stark is delusional.” Aegon says. “I said nothing.”
“Tell me the truth. Now, boy.” Viserys says. Aegon looks at you, then at Cregan.
“The northern brat is a liar.” Alicent says. “Learning it from his stepmother, I’d venture.”
Viserys glares at her, but says nothing, turning back to Aegon, who remains silent.
“Lord Stark,” Viserys doesn’t take his eyes off Aegon, “What did your boy tell you?”
“I… I really wish not to repeat such things about my wife, your grace.” He says. You look at Cregan, as he looks down, intentionally avoiding your gaze.
“Aegon, I’ll give you one last chance to tell me. If I have to pry it out of Lord Stark, you’re not gonna be happy with what I do with you.”
“Why is Aegon on trial when Lucerys took Aemond’s eye? You should be questioning him.” Alicent says.
“I did nothing, father!” Aegon whines.
“He said my mother… I mean, stepmother… was a whore and that…” Rickon looks at you, then at Cregan, then back to Viserys. “That… he was gonna come in their room, kill my father, and take the princess because he can do whatever he wants since he will be heir to the iron throne. He said he’ll make me watch while he kills her, and he said… all the things he was gonna do to her.”
“What?!” You cried out.
In truth, Rickon had watered down the version of what he had told the king. What Aegon had really said was much worse, making Cregan feel sick at the thought of your own blood saying things like that about you, joke or not. Cregan couldn’t even look in your eyes, the intrusive image of Aegon’s proposed assault swimming in his head. He worried if he looked at you, he’d see the potential pain in your eyes. He’d have no choice but to walk over and slay the king’s son right then and there.
“Lord Stark, your child is clearly not well to be making up things like this in his mind.” Alicent says.
“My son would never-“ “You need to get your vicious children under control-“ “This is treason to speak about the princess like this!” “You’re accusing a child of lying to protect your pervert son!”
“Enough of this nonsense!” Viserys yells, silencing the room again. “We are a family!”
He turns back to Aegon, slapping him, and knocking him to the floor. You didn’t even know your father could still do that.
“Aegon, you will apologize to your sister, Lord Stark, and his son this instant. Then, let this matter be resolved. And as for Aemond and the rest of you, let it be known that anyone whose tongue dares to question the birthright of Rhaenyra’s children shall have it removed.”
“That is insufficient.” Alicent cries. “Aemond has been permanently damaged.”
“I know, Alicent, but what would you have me do? I cannot restore his eye.”
“No, because it’s been taken. There is a debt to be paid. I shall have one of her son’s eyes in return.”
Mumbles echoed around the room.
“Ser Criston, bring me the eye of Lucerys Velaryon. He can choose which eye to keep a privilege he did not grant my son!”
“You will do no such thing.”
“Stay your hand, Cole!”
“Do not allow your temper to cloud your judgement, my dear wife.”
“Criston, you are sworn to me!”
“As your protector, my queen.”
“Alicent, this matter is finished. Am I clear?”
Your father turns to leave, as Rhaenyra thanks him. She comes to you, wrapping her arms around you.
“Is he alright?” She asks, looking at Cregan holding Rickon.
“His nose is broken.” You tell her, quietly. “But, I imagine he’ll recover okay. How are the boys?”
“I’m worried, sister, worried for us.” She whispers quietly. “Worried for them. Alicent is-“
“Alicent!” Your father cries, as commotion erupts around the room. You and Rhaenyra turn, seeing Alicent charging you both with your father’s blade as your children scream.
You push Rhaenyra, grabbing Alicent to hold her from her war path.
“You’ve gone too far!” You yell.
“I? What have I done but what was expected of me? Where is duty, where is sacrifice? Trampled under both of you and your sister’s pretty feet again!”
You look at the blade, the valyrian steel glowing in the light of the fire. Chaos blurs around you; your father and sister yelling, children crying, Cregan and Daemon holding back Criston.
“Exhausting, wasn’t it?! Hiding beneath the cloak of your own righteousness.” You whisper the next part. “But, now they see you as you are.”
Alicent breaks your hold, swinging the blade down your arm. The room turns into a frenzy; Criston slams his elbow into Cregan’s nose, and Rhaenyra shoves Alicent from you.
Criston, ever so quick to be involved, grabs you and Rhaenyra’s hair, yanking you both away from Alicent and throwing you on the ground as you both shriek. Ser Harrold rushes to pull back Criston, but Cregan pushes him away, pulling out his sword to challenge Criston.
“Stark! Cole!” Viserys yells.
Cregan, nose bloodier than Rickon’s, doesn’t back down, swinging at Criston who uses his own sword.
“Cregan!” You yell, from the floor.
“Sister,” Rhaenyra says. “your arm…”
You look down, blood dripping from the top of your arm down to the wrist. You couldn’t even tell where the cut started and ended, you just knew it was bad.
“Get a maester!” Rhaenyra yells, all the while Cregan and Criston still fighting.
“Mother!” Rickon cries, coming to your side. “Please don’t die!”
“It’s not me you have to worry about dying!” You yell, “Cregan! Stop it now!”
With one last swing, Cregan knocks Cole to the ground, sword aimed at his face.
Criston looks up in fear, until Cregan drops the sword, grabs him by the collar and swings, and swings, and swings, until Cole is out like a light.
You look at your husband, jaw dropped.
I didn’t even know he could fight like that.
He turns to look at you, finally, face bloodied and knuckles bruised. The chaos in the room is still in full swing, screaming and yelling emerging from every corner.
“Oh, gods, your arm.” He says, worriedly, kneeling beside you.
“No, no, Cregan, your nose.” You say, holding his cheek with your good arm.
He says nothing, still only looking at your injury. The room spins and voices blur together as Cregan lifts you onto his lap, sensing your adrenaline fading as you pass out.
“Where’s the fucking maester?!” Rhaenyra yells again.
“Oh, gods, mother is dying!” Rickon sobs, dropping his head on your lap.
“Rickon!” Cregan yells, not wanting him to get any more hysterical.
Cregan refused to put you down as the maester stitched you up. The cut had been long, but not as deep as you had thought. Now, he seen it; your family was truly mad. It made sense why you made your visits so infrequent.
When you awoke, it was still night. Yet, you could tell you had been asleep for a while. Your left arm felt funny, tingly almost. Your eyes adjusted to the dark, seeing Rickon asleep on your arm. When you tried to use your other, it had even less feeling. It felt stiff, and sore, like your muscles had been ripped out and poorly stuffed back in.
You sat up, pulling your arm from under Rickon. Your mouth was dry and faintly sweet; likely milk of the poppy.
When you stepped beyond your bed to the fireplace you saw Cregan sitting on the floor, back against the table, snoring softly.
You didn’t wanna disturb him so you sat quietly next to him, resting your head softly against his shoulder. But, he woke instantly, sitting up straight and turning back and forth sharply until his eyes locked onto you.
“Oh my gods, you’re awake. Are you okay?” He said, loudly.
“Sh, sh, calm down. I’m alright… Why do you have a dagger in your hand?” You ask, looking down and seeing his bruised knuckles stiffened around his dagger.
“We’re not safe here.” was all he said.
“How long have I been out?”
“A day.” He says, wiping his face. “Your sister has left for Dragonstone. Your father… he’s not doing well with the stress.”
“Where’s Aemma?”
“Sleeping.” He says, nodding to the bassinet by your bed. You breathed a sigh of relief.
“I’m sorry to have gotten you involved in all of this.” You say.
He looks at you like you just cursed his mother. “Don’t say something so foolish. You’re my wife… and I failed. I didn’t protect you from that whiny king’sguard Cole.”
“My love, you didn’t fail.” You say, hand holding his cheek. He leans into your touch, his fingers resting on yours.
“Your hands don’t look good.” You say. He brings his hand down, looking at the violet and red bruised knuckles.
“They don’t. Do they?”
“They’re proof you didn’t fail.” You say. Your fingers graze his nose, his under eyes a similar soft hue of violet from the hit he took. “How is your nose fairing?”
“Not broken.” He says. “But, Rickon’s is. It’ll heal crooked.”
You bite your lip, tears dwelling your eyes.
“Don’t cry.” Cregan says, his voice cracking. “Please.”
“I’m sorry.” You say, hand covering your eyes, sobs breaking loose. You couldn’t help but cry more hearing his voice crack, knowing he wanted to cry too.
He pulled your hand, forcing you to look at him, and the emotion on his face only made you cry more. His lip quivered, like a scared boy, only reminding you more of what Rickon had endured.
He pulled you into him, arms wrapping around you, being gentle of your bad arm. You cried into his neck, hand gripping him to stable yourself.
“He’ll be okay.” Cregan managed to choke out. “We’ll be okay.”
Outside your halls, Alicent had already made her plot for revenge.
She sat in her private room, waiting for Larys Strong to bring her the perfect girl.
The ones he had brought before hadn’t been right; too blonde, too skinny, too short, too big, too ugly, too pretty, too redhead (the irony), too tall, and a plethora of other qualities that weren’t right.
But then, it seemed like the perfect girl had fallen from the sky, or perhaps, Larys was too good at his job being a Master of Whisperers.
A knock on her door.
“Come in.” Alicent said, softly.
“Your grace.” An unfamiliar voice greets her. “I’m your new handmaiden.”
“New handmaiden?” Alicent asks, not looking up from her book.
“Yes, you sent the last one away. I’m her replacement.”
“Oh.” Alicent hummed, reminded of the girl she had sent out of King’s Landing; a poor, innocent handmaiden, who became another pregnant victim of Aegon’s incessant lust.
She finally looked up at the girl in front of her.
“You’re northern.” Alicent said.
“Yes, your grace.”
“How did you end up this far south?”
“Opportunity, your grace.”
“Yes… Opportunity, indeed.”
The girl was perfect. A pale and dark haired northern beauty. Much more Cregan’s type than your Targaryen features.
“What’s your name?”
“Willow, your grace.”
“Pretty name.” Alicent says. “Fits your features.”
“Thank you, your grace.”
“Do you know the Lord Stark?” Alicent asks. The girl looks down, blushing.
“I know of him.” She says, almost a slight twinge of excitement in her voice.
“How?”
“I just meant it as… I know who he is. I’ve never met him, personally.”
“And who is he to you?”
“Well, he’s my lord, your grace.”
“No…” Alicent says. “He’s more than that.”
She stands, approaching the girl, trying to read her features.
“You should know it is treason to lie to your queen.”
The girl pauses.
“He… He was my lover once, your grace.”
Alicent almost squeals in excitement.
“Perfect.”
After that, it was almost too easy. Alicent and Larys spread the false news: that Cregan had come to King’s Landing with the intention of seeing his former lover. Now, how the girl and Cregan had once been lovers, Alicent didn’t know nor care, but she needed the girl to speak as if it were still true, and she needed the girl to stay out of Cregan’s sight.
And so she did.
Willow told the lie to anyone who would listen, and in King’s Landing it had been many. The word spread like wildfyre, and in such a short amount of time.
You had wanted to leave King’s Landing the moment you woke up, but the maesters urged you to stay until your arm healed; at least an extra fortnight. Alicent gave you a half-hearted apology, but only at the request of your father, which neither of them would admit.
Things had felt… off. People in the castle had begun to act strangely towards you, almost pitiful. You figured the reason for it to be Alicent’s outburst, but you couldn’t help feel like maybe there was more to people’s reactions.
On the day you planned to leave, your father walked with you in the garden.
“How do you like Winterfell?” He asked, as you held his arm to help him walk.
“I love it, father. I miss everyone, especially Silverwing, but Winterfell is so calm, so quiet.”
“Yes, I can tell you’ve outgrown King’s Landing.” He says, genuinely happy for you. “I couldn’t imagine a better match than a Stark for my youngest.”
“I’m not your youngest anymore, father.”
“You’ll always be my youngest babe, at least to me.”
“I wouldn’t let the queen hear that.”
“Alicent means well, daughter, she’s just… I don’t know. I believe the boys trouble her more than she’d like to admit. Her anger is misdirected towards you and ‘Nyra.”
“Of course, father, I understand.” You say, not wanting to hurt his feelings.
He pats your arm, “How are you healing?”
“I still can’t move it very well, but the pain is mostly gone.”
“And Rickon’s nose?”
“It will heal crooked the maester says.”
“I wish I could express how sorry I am-“
“Sh. Don’t worry, father.” You say.
“I must confess something to you, my love.” He says, stopping. You look back at him. “I worry for your union.”
You scoff. “You mean my marriage? That I’ve been in for five years?”
“Yes, yes, same thing.” He says, walking now. “I just want to know that the Stark lord is treating you well, and being honest with you.”
“Father, what are you implying?”
“There is a rumor that has been going around the castle.” He says. “That lord Stark came to King’s Landing to meet an old paramour.”
You laugh, “That’s a bit of a lame jest, isn’t it, father?”
“I’m being serious, my girl.”
“Come on, father. Cregan with a paramour? The dead would walk before a Stark forgot an oath.”
Your father chuckles softly, shaking his head. “You’re probably right. I don’t know how these things spread so easily.”
Later that night, you and Cregan lay in your bed, letting the humid air come through the window.
“I miss the cold. The air stinks here. ” You sigh.
“We’ll be back there soon.” He says, kissing the back of your head, cuddling up against your back. He wraps his arm around your stomach, pulling you as close to him as he can.
You push your bottom against him, moving it in soft circles.
“Don’t tease me.” He moans into your hair, moving his hand to rub your waist.
“It’s just been so long since I’ve had you.” You sigh, looking over at Rickon sleeping in the corner. You didn’t feel safe with him sleeping on his own anymore after the fight, so you moved his bed to the other side of your large bedroom.
He sighs, pushing his growing length against you, mumbling to himself. “Just one more night ‘til we leave, just one more night.”
The next morning, Cregan had been setting up the horses to prepare for your leave, as you stood on the balcony, watching from above.
“Princess,” A soft, feminine voice said from behind you. “Is there anything I can assist you with before your departure?”
You turn, eyes falling onto an unfamiliar face.
“You’re a long way from home.” You say, eyeing the Northern girl in your presence, walking into your room from the stoop.
“I am.” She says, “But, I prefer the warmth.”
You hum, rocking Aemma gently.
“Would you like me to hold her so you can rest your arm?” She asks, holding her arms out. You didn’t want to, but your arm had been growing tired, so you handed her to the girl.
She looks at Aemma, stone faced as if she were irritated, yet making soft baby sounds. “She looks just like him.”
You hum again. You weren’t trying to be rude, but something felt off about this girl. But, what exactly? Maybe it was just unnatural seeing a Northerner in the South.
“How are you and Cregan fairing?” She asks.
“What?” You ask, confused. Cregan? Why would she address a lord by name?
“I take it you’re both happy?” She says, smiling, but her tone almost jealous.
“We are.” You say. “We’re very happy.”
“You’re a lucky woman.” She says.
You take Aemma back from the girl.
“That will be all.” You tell her. She nods, turning to leave.
“Wait.” You say. She turns back around. “What’s your name?”
“My name is Willow, princess.” She says smiling, and then leaves.
You stand there alone, confused and put off by the interaction.
“Princess.” Cregan says from outside.
You step back out onto the balcony, looking down at him.
“We’re all ready to go.” He says, squinting from the sun as he looks up at you. You giggle.
“What are you laughing at?” He asks, his voice playful.
“You’re just so handsome.” You smile at him.
He smirks, “Get down here so I can take you home.”
The fortnight trip back to Winterfell went mostly smooth, but it seemed somehow every trip had its fault whether it was illness, or raiders, or weather that slowed you down, turning a two week trip into a moon long one.
But, the second you arrived home, things were off. Just as off as they had been when you left King’s Landing.
Cregan seemed oblivious to it when you asked him, saying, “You know you’re a Targaryen in Winterfell, right? You’re green grass in the snow. Where you go, their eyes will follow. You’re just a beauty.”
Which was sweet of him, but it didn’t help your unease. It wasn’t even the stares that made you uneasy, it was just the feeling; the feeling of dread in your bones, like something awful was happening. But, what? You were home. What trouble would follow you all this way?
Kisses on your neck distracted you from your thoughts.
Your eyes closed, arching your back off the bed to lean into Cregan. His hand snaked behind your neck, fingers combing through your hair.
“Gods, how long has it been?” He moaned.
“Nearly two moons.” You breathed out.
“No wonder I’m so desperate.” Cregan said, head resting between your breasts.
“You’re telling me.” You say, pushing him beside you to straddle him. He pushes your shift up, hands kneading your breasts as he kisses your neck more. You reach into his pajamas, hand rubbing his aching length as you pull it out to rub between your slit.
He whines, throwing his head back into the pillow. He bucks his hips up, eager for you to sit on him, so you do, not wanting to leave your husband aching any longer.
His moans are whiny and short, his chest shaking in such a desperate need for you. His fingers dig into your waist, holding you firm as he moved his hips underneath you.
“Gods, I didn’t know you were that worked up.” You moan, putting your hands on his chest to hold yourself up.
“Fuck, are you joking me? I would’ve taken you every god damned day in King’s Landing if I could’ve.” He moans. You lean down, pressing your lips onto his. He grabs the back of your neck, trapping you in the kiss as he keeps thrusting into you, swallowing every moan you cried into his lips.
Your fingers scratch his chest, pushing to pull yourself back as you chase your release, but his hand behind your neck is firm in keeping your chest against his.
“I’m gonna, fuck,-“ You whimper.
“I know.” He groans, “Cum all over me. Be my little mess.”
“Fucking seven hells.” You moan. “Where’s this wolf been?”
“Stalking his prey, dreaming of her every night, watching her every moment.”
“You yearn like no man ever has before, Stark.”
“You make it so easy to yearn when you’re so breathtaking.” He moans. “Seeing you walk around with a little babe on your hip. Fuck, I’m giving you another.”
“Give me a whole litter.” You moan, and his fingers fist your hair at that one.
His pull on your hair is enough, sending you over the edge as you cum all over his lap. He’s so starved he’s tempted to ask to eat the rest out of you, until your relentless motion of your hips sends him to his own release.
His moans are loud, desperate, and so hot. He trembles like a leaf underneath you. Gods, you’d never seen a man be so desperate for his wife.
You press a soft kiss to his lips, holding your hair to the side so it doesn’t fall in his face. “Wake me up later when you’re ready for more.”
“Gods, princess.” He moans, “I’m ready now.”
You smirk, crawling under the covers as he cuddles against you, falling asleep only a few minutes later. You slept too, but not for long. Assuming the trip had messed up your sleep schedule, you went to go for a walk around the castle you had missed so dearly.
Your feet pattered softly against the cold stone floor as you gazed out into the dark night. The cold, clean smelling air, hitting your skin.
A sound stole your gaze, as your eyes fell on your closest handmaiden walking past you.
“Nora.” You said, “What are you doing?”
“Forgive me, princess, I’m just off to bed.” She says quickly, attempting to keep the conversation short.
“I haven’t seen you since I’ve been home,” You say, “and I’ve been home since the dawn.”
“Forgive me. I have been busy since you and the lord Stark’s arrival.” She says, eyes focused on the ground, refusing to look at you.
“Nora.” You say. “What is the matter?”
“I don’t know what you mean, princess.” She lies.
“Why are you acting so strange towards me?”
“I… I am sorry if you feel that way, princess. It isn’t intentional.”
“Nora," You approach her, taking her hands in your's. "Why is everyone acting so strange? I know that you know."
She stays silent for a moment.
“I really shouldn’t say.”
“Consider it a command.”
“Princess… there is a rumor going around."
Rumor. Hearing it in King's Landing was coincidence, but in the North? Rumors did not spread lightly. Not here.
"Rumor?" You ask, voice barely above a whisper.
"That lord Stark is having an affair." She matches your volume.
"Who is the girl?" You ask, trying to hide the shaking in your hands.
"The other maids... they've been saying it's Willow."
Willow. Willow, Willow, Willow. Why did that name sound so familiar?
"Why do I know that name?" You ask yourself, hoping Nora had the answer.
"She's his first."
"First? No, you mean Alysanne."
"No, princess, his very first."
"So, you're saying there was someone before her?"
"Yes," She whispers, as if afraid of getting caught. "and she broke his heart dearly. Sometimes, the other maids whisper that he never got over it."
"Nora, I beg you to tell me this is a joke." You plead, but she shakes her head 'no'.
And then, like divine intervention, the question you couldn't fully answer clicked.
The maid in King's Landing.
"No. No, no, no, no."
It had to be true. The timing could not be a coincidence; word spreading just before your departure, then arriving at Winterfell before you had. It was adding up. There had been times in King’s Landing you hadn’t seen Cregan all day, falling asleep before he would return from whatever ‘duties’ he had been doing.
You suddenly felt sick, dirty even. Your husband had been intimate with someone else, and then you. The thought was stomach wrenching, but the image played in your head like a song on repeat: him on top of her, touching her, kissing her, fucking her, saying things you thought he only said to you. You choked back a gag, hand covering your mouth as you were ready to retch onto the floor.
“Are you alright? Shall I get you water?” Nora asks, kneeling beside you. You shook your head.
“Nora, I need you to tell me every bit of detail that you know of about this rumor.”
“Why don’t I just show you?”
She took you to the maid who had first spread the rumor; a girl named Mara. Your head was spinning, and you felt so unbelievably warm. You were ready to fall apart, but you waited for now, holding on to the knowing of confrontation. Only once you confronted him, then would you fall apart after.
“I received it from Willow herself.” She says, handing you the folded letter.
Dearest Mara,
I met Lord Stark here in King’s Landing. We’ve spent many days walking the gardens and beaches, amongst other activities when dusk falls. I erred leaving so long ago. While I have loved it here, I realize I love him more. He says he’s never stopped loving me. Not when he was with Alysanne, and not even now when he has been with the princess. Some “Realm’s Delight”. I suppose a man truly never forgets his first. I have him wrapped around my finger. He’s left now, but he tells me he’ll be back soon and to wait for his love. Do not tell the princess, no matter what. Write me back soon.
Willow ㅤꨄ︎
You stood in Cregan’s war chambers, alone, holding the letter you had crushed, staring at the jumping embers from the flame in the hearth. You hadn’t returned to the chambers all night, and dawn was finally beginning to creep in.
The thoughts were overwhelming. It was all you could see anymore: him and her, bodies blending, moans whimpering, whispers of love and secrecy amongst each other-
Your fist slammed the table, interrupting your own thoughts, over and over and over and over again as your body moved with a mind of its own. The rage had overtaken you, leaving you a shell of a princess. Tears streamed down your face, angry and heartbroken cries erupted from your throat, and the bones in your hand and wrist popped with unnatural sounds.
Blood gushed from your hand onto the letter, but you couldn’t stop pounding that fucking table, as bad as it burned and throbbed, you were entranced.
“Oh my gods, stop, stop. What are you doing?!” Cregan yelled.
He had awoke at some point, hearing your screams echo through the halls, and rushed down to see what was wrong. But, he had not expected to find you in a fiery rage, hand bloodied and broken as you seemed bent on destroying the table, or your hand, whichever came first.
“Get off me!” You cried, as he grabbed your arm with a tight grip, trying to keep you from injuring yourself anymore.
Your anger was fierce, and with it came a strength he didn’t know you had. As you tugged your arm from him, you pulled him with it. He had no choice but to wrap his arms around you completely, disabling your hands but not your feet. So, when you kicked your leg into his, he had no choice but to drop you, both of you falling to the ground, Cregan wincing as he held his now throbbing knee.
You pushed yourself up, still using your mangled hand, and diverted your rage on every item in the room. You threw candles, and books, and northern ancestral weapons; anything that could be thrown, was. Cregan watched from the ground, worried and scared for you,
and of you.
He quickly stood, grabbing you by the back of your dress, but your hand held a thick book on field training, which you turned and smacked across his face. Only then did you come back to reality.
He stumbled back, hand flying to his nose, which had only just recently fully recovered from Criston’s elbow.
So, there he was again, holding his nose, blood seeping through his fingers. Except this time instead of an enemy, you stood across from him. You, who he had never seen as a threat, now his biggest.
You dropped the book, but your broken hand still held the letter as you stared him down, cuts and blood scattered across your face from your own doing.
He didn’t even know what to say. He was so confused, so angry, so scared.
Thankfully, you spoke first.
“You.” was all you said though.
“Me?” He asked, calmly at first. “Me?!”
He raised his voice with you, louder than he ever had. “What of me?! What have I done to incite this much of a rage from you?! Have you gone mad, truly?! Tell me now!”
“I think I fucking have!” You cried, “Listen to this, husband.”
You began to read from the letter, tears streaming down your cheeks. “I met Lord Stark here in King’s Landing. We’ve spent many days walking the gardens and beaches,- oh, how cute, Cregan-amongst other activities when dusk falls-wow, I wonder what she means by that- I erred leaving so long ago. While I have loved it here, I realize I love him more. He says he’s NEVER STOPPED LOVING ME. Not when he was with Alysanne, and NOT EVEN NOW WHEN HE’S BEEN WITH THE PRINCESS. Some “Realm’s Delight”-you laugh bitterly- I suppose a man truly never forgets his first. I have him wrapped around my finger. He’s left now, but he tells me he’ll be back soon, and to wait for his love. Do not tell the princess, no. matter. what.”
You throw the bloody and crumpled letter on the ground in front of him. He picks it up, reading it himself.
His anger only ignites more. “Don’t tell me you truly fucking believe this! You’ve gone that mad over this?! A RUMOR?! Broken your hand?! Destroyed my council room?!”
“Rumor?!” You scream. “You lied to me! I met her in King’s Landing! She was there for you! She came in our room, mocking me, laughing in my face! Holding my daughter like she was no more than a servant! I’m a Princess of the Seven Kingdoms, and now I’m a fucking joke in all of them! The laughing stock of the Westeros!”
“I haven’t seen her in years!”
“Which comes to my next issue; there was someone else, and you didn’t tell me! And don’t you fucking tell me it was no rumor, Cregan Stark.”
“You’re right.” He says, voice coming down, but he still panted, breathlessly. “Before there was you, there was her.”
He stepped towards you, but you stepped back. “But, there hasn’t been a her in a long time. Since I was 15 there hasn’t been a her. I didn’t lie to you, my wife, but I didn’t tell you, which is just as bad.”
“Why?” You cried, voice broken and hoarse. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
He stepped forward again, but this time you didn’t step back. “I-She… She broke my heart so badly. I had just lost my father, had just reclaimed Winterfell. It was such a dark time for me. I was so alone, and I thought I could trust her. But, she took my heart.”
“Does she still have it?” You ask, softly.
“No.” He says, “You stole it back.”
“You had a wife before me, Cregan.”
“I know.” He answers, sadly. “And it was still only you who reclaimed it.”
His hand cups your cheek, as he breaks the distance between you.
“This changes nothing.” You say. “That doesn’t change this letter, this rumor. Everybody knows. Everybody but me. I’ve seen their stares-“
“You still don’t believe me?” He asks, heartbroken.
“How can I?” You spit, “We’ve been together for five years! How could you never tell me?!”
“I hate thinking of her.” He sobs, feeling like that lonely young boy again, tears streaming down his face. “She broke me, every part of me. And I felt this trauma keeping me with her, isolating me from everything and everyone. And I feel it happening again. I feel our life being split apart.”
You didn’t know what to say. You could see the hopelessness he had once felt from her radiating off him, but you were still on edge. What if that’s just a reason for him to keep going back? A reason to keep this affair at an arms length?
“Oh, Cregan.” You say, unable to help in feeling somewhat guilty for him. You wrap your arms around him, and he wraps his arms around your waist tightly, squeezing you so hard it hurts. He sobs into your shoulder, trying to compose himself but unable to.
You knew how badly it hurt to be broken by love, yet he knew of your heartbreak. You didn’t hide it, didn’t hide the scars that former lovers had left on your heart and body. He had so many chances to tell you, and he didn’t. Your guilt only went so far.
He calmed down eventually, both of you sitting at the bloody table. He held his head in his hands, his breath still hiccuping occasionally.
He had wanted to clean up your arm himself, but the damage was too great. Instead, he was forced to sit and watch as the maester cleaned and wrapped up your arm.
“Princess, this damage you’ve done to yourself is severe. Every bone in your wrist is shattered, along with a few of your fingers. It will take a year, at the very least, to fully recover.”
When he left, you and Cregan both sat in silence for a long time. At least an hour.
“Have you slept?” He asks.
“No.”
“I think you really need to.”
You both look at each other. His eyes are pleading, yours are burning.
“Fuck you, Cregan.” You say, standing and walking past him to exit the room.
No hotd suggestions from me today
bitch !!! now i’m FUMMINGGGGGGGGGGG
send me hotd requests or i’m gonna be fucking FUMINGGGGG
house tour - a cregan stark x reader
summary: a young, inexperienced cregan takes a trip with his friends outside winterfell. after they convince him to go into a brothel, he crosses paths with a jaw dropping woman who’s unlike anyone he’s ever met.
warnings: “locker room” talk, objectification (not cregan) of women, cregan’s friends suck but he’s a sweetie duhh, sex, virgin cregan, older(barely)/experienced/prostitute reader (hear me out), canon divergence, lowk not accurate distancing and locations 😭
tag list: @drytanamine @isansstuff
“Come on, Cregan! Don’t be such a girl.”
“Can you seriously quit? I’m trying to focus here.” Cregan says to his friend, Beron, voice laced with irritation. He turns his attention back to his other friend, Alaric.
“Alright, man. I hope you’re ready.” Alaric says, all too confidently.
“Ready for what?”
“This!” Alaric swings his wood sword, rushing towards Cregan. Very, very slowly.
Cregan sticks his foot out, tripping Alaric into the mud.
Beron and Donnor bust out laughing, falling off their seats and onto the ground. “That was great! Do it again!”
“Not cool, man!” Alaric yells at Cregan, sitting up and wiping the mud off him.
“What? I was ready. Don’t be like that.” Cregan says, giving him a hand up.
“Alaric, maybe next time try not running like an old septa.” Beron says, sending him and Donnor back into a fit of laughter, unintentionally spilling their ale all over the ground.
“Fuck off, Beron!”
“Wait, wait, Alaric, come on, man, seriously we were just playing.” Donnor says. “Oh, you… you’ve got a little something.” Donnor points at his cheek, implying for Alaric to wipe, but when he does his hand comes away clean.
Donnor and Beron start laughing, again.
“I’m leaving!” Alaric yells, turning to storm off.
“Oh, come on!” Cregan says, pulling his friend back.
“Alright, everyone be quiet and listen, seriously. We’ve got plans tonight, and you’re coming, Cregan.” Beron says.
“I don’t know-“
“Come on! We haven’t even told you what it is yet!” He cries. Cregan scratches the back of his neck, nervously.
“Alright, what is it?”
“We’re not telling you! You’ll chicken out!”
“Man, then I’m not going!”
“No, Cregan, you have to go.” Alaric says. “Trust me, it’s gonna be amazing. Everyone has to go.”
“You’re in on this too?” Cregan asks.
“Yes, he is, and you know it’s fine if he’s saying to go.” Donnor says.
“Meaning what, exactly?” Alaric asks, offended.
“Welllll, you’re not exactly a ladies man, Alaric.” Donnor teases.
“So, there will be girls? No, guys, I’m not going, seriously.” Cregan says.
“Nobody said there will be girls, man! You’re gonna be the only girl there with the way you’re acting.” Beron says.
“What’s so great about saving yourself for marriage anyway? Shouldn’t you want to have a few notches on your belt by the time you’re gonna marry?” Donnor says.
Beron kicks his leg, mumbling ‘Shut up, idiot, or he’s gonna back out’
“Well, how’s it fair if I’m not a virgin and my wife is?” Cregan asks.
“Ugh, Cregan, you have got to lighten up. Women like a guy with experience! It makes the first time for them so much better.”
“And you’re speaking from experience, Beron?” Cregan asks.
“Wellll, not exactly-“
“Yeah, we know.” Alaric interrupts him, citing laugher.
“Listen, I’m just repeating what my father told me.” Beron says.
“Since when do you listen to your father?” Alaric asks.
“Hey, man, I’ll always listen to anything that includes talk of girls.” Beron says, “But… he didn’t say it to me… I overheard him say it to his friends at the dining hall once.”
They laugh at Beron, and Cregan folds. “Fine, I suppose I’ll go.”
“Good!” Beron says, mumbling the next part to Donnor loud enough for Cregan to hear. “I was starting to think girls weren’t his type.”
“Oh, very funny.” Cregan says, smacking the cup of ale out of his hand as he walks away.
“Fuck you, Stark!”
*****
As Cregan got ready, he found himself at a loss of what to wear. He had no idea where he was going, and had no idea who would be there. He didn’t want to get drunk and make a fool of himself around any lords or ladies.
“Come on, Alaric, just tell me.” Cregan insists.
“No, man. Just trust me when I say you’ll love it.”
“Is it a party?”
“Well, sure!” Alaric says, stifling a laugh.
“I’m not going.”
“Cregan! Not a party man, it’s just casual. I misspoke.”
Cregan sighs, wrapping his warm cloak around him, but leaving the dire wolf crest showing.
“Cover that, or even take it off.”
“Why? You’re making me not want to go.”
“Come on, will you just relax and trust me?”
“I do,” Cregan covers the wolf sigil. “but I don’t like the risk of temptation.”
“That’s why girls make you so nervous?”
Cregan sighs, “Sort of. It’s like, I know if I go gamble I’ll spend too much money. So, why bother, right?”
“So, you think if you get around too many girls, you’ll fuck too many girls?”
“I never said that, in even the slightest.” Cregan says. “I’m a man of honor, Alaric. I take that stuff seriously. My father always did and that’s just who I need to resemble if I’m Warden of the North.”
“I get it… But, no man is perfect. You might as well break one rule in your life, right? Now’s the time, when the consequences won’t mean as much as they will when you’re five and twenty.”
Cregan sighs, “Let’s go, before I change my mind.”
Cregan and Alaric walk the two mile road to Beron and Donnor’s house, waiting outside.
“Let’s go, fools!” Alaric yells, shivering from the cold. Beron and Donnor stumble outside, already drunk, clearly.
They look at Cregan, with huge smirks on their faces, saying nothing.
“What?” Cregan asks. They laugh, drunken and obnoxiously.
“Oh, just you wait, man.” Donnor says, busting out laughing.
“Shh! Fucking idiot.” Beron says, pushing him, and Donnor pushes him back.
“Let’s just go.” Cregan mumbles, walking ahead, irritated and nervous.
They walk, down the dark and rocky road, the only light coming from the moon.
“Nobody thought to bring a lamp?” Alaric asks.
“No, Alaric! Nobody thought that!” Beron yells.
They walk for about 2 more miles, when Cregan starts to hear the sound of music.
“So, Alaric, the ‘casual party’ has a band?” Cregan asks.
“I guess so. Neat, right?” Alaric plays dumb. Cregan wants to turn around, but he’d already walked about 4 miles. He didn’t want the whole journey to be a waste of his night, so he pushed on. He’d at least see the party out before deciding if he should leave or not.
But, when they eventually turn the curve of the road, Cregan realizes he’s been tricked.
“Wait,” Cregan says, “We’re in Moles Town. You brought me to fucking Moles Town? Fuck all of you, I’m leaving.” He says, immediately going to turn around.
“Cregan, wait, come on!” They yell. He waves them off, but Alaric follows after him.
“Cregan, listen-“
“I’m wearing my fucking armor, Alaric! Do you know what people will say if they see me here?!”
“Oh, come on- wait, just stop for a second- Come on, man, like a Stark’s never gone to a brothel?”
“No?!” Cregan says, irritated at the obvious answer.
“Shit, really? Well, come on, we can pop the ancestral cherry.”
“You’re ridiculous.” Cregan keeps walking.
“Wait, stop. Listen, I didn’t tell you because I want us to have fun tonight. Besides, you know I’m not lucky with girls. This is our chance.”
“Alaric, these aren’t girls. These are gonna be women, ugly women.”
“Okay, first of all, that’s rude, especially for you, and second, they’re gonna be, like, middle 20s at the most. Please, just give it a try.”
“I just told you I’ve got my fucking armor on!”
“Well, I told you not to wear it! Just cover it, it’ll be fine.”
“You think people aren’t gonna recognize the son of Rickon Stark?”
“Hey, man, you’re hot, but not that hot.”
Cregan looks at Alaric, at a loss for words. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
“Nothing, let’s just go inside.” Alaric says.
“Yeah, come on, Creg, I’m freezing my ass off over here.” Beron says.
“No, I’m leaving, don’t let me ruin your night.” He walks away, leaving Alaric and his friends behind him.
He takes maybe 15 paces, then stops. He stands there, motionless, deciding if he really wanted to walk home or try it out.
“Fuck.” His hands grip his hair.
He turns around, where his friends sat watching him. He look down and shakes his head, knowing the night won’t end well, then walks back toward them.
“Yes! Let’s fucking do this! This is gonna be great!” They cheer, running and patting Cregan on the back.
“Don’t worry, man.” Alaric assures him, “We can seriously leave if you don’t like it… After I pay for a woman to sit on my-“
“Alright, yes, I got it, thank you.” Cregan cuts him off.
They walk inside, the smell of alcohol, sweat, and cheap perfume in the air. The music was deafening, but lively.
It seemed to be a half brothel, half bar, because the place was packed. He’d never been around so many people before; so many loud and drunk ones at that.
Men and women filled the place, some dressed… some not.
Cregan was naive, but the boys knew he was their eye candy, and the women would be flocking to them like vultures on a carcass, hungry for their money and hungry for the secret handsome lord.
Women winked and intentionally grazed his arms as he walked by, fingers lingering against his armor. He towered above them; in fact, he towered above most of the people in the bar, sticking out like a flower in the weeds.
“Buy a girl a drink?” One woman stepped in front of him to ask. He stuttered.
“Sorry, I-um, I’m just here with my friends.” He said, pointing at them.
“What about you, big boy?” She asked Alaric. He nodded, the words stuck in his throat. She grabbed him, pulling him to the bar as the boys followed their friend.
“Damn! I can’t believe Alaric got a girl first.” Beron yells, over the loud music.
“Technically, it was Cregan.” Donnor says.
Beron rolls his eyes, “Always the wolf that catches the fox.”
Eventually, they found a corner to sit in, and the girls came flowing like water, one by one.
Cregan managed to steer them away to his friends, but at some point each friend had two girls, and Cregan had none, choosing to instead reject any girl that came up to him.
Cregan sipped on his ale, making sure to drink slow enough as to not get drunk, as his friends got more and more trashed by the minute.
Eventually, it started to feel like too much. The music was too loud, the room was too damp, the smell was too sweet. He needed air.
He weaved through the crowd, managing to find a back door to take a step outside. He grabbed the handle, giving the door a push; but, the lock or something was stuck. No matter how hard he tried, the handle wouldn’t budge.
He started to feel suffocated, so in a moment of panic he pushed his weight through the door, slipping a bit as he stepped outside.
“Ow!” He heard a cry, the voice soft and feminine.
He leaned over, catching his breath, nearly choking on the fresh air.
“Sorry.” He sputtered out, “So sorry, I… just…”
He finally caught his breath, looking over at the girl standing next to the door he just burst through. She held her nose, blood dripping through her fingers.
“Oh, gods, I’m so sorry.” He says, approaching her. “I’m so, so, sorry. The door was stuck. I- Are you okay?”
“Is it broken?” You ask, hands still covering your nose.
Cregan gently pulls your wrists down to your sides, reaching one hand back up to touch the bridge of your nose.
“Does that hurt?” He asks, touching it gently.
“Uh, it doesn’t feel good.” You answer. He pinches the bridge of your nose, and you wince slightly.
“What about that?”
“Not horrible, but still not great.”
“I think it’s okay.” He says. “Hang on.”
He goes back inside, grabbing a clean rag from the bar to clean the blood.
“Just hold it on there.” He says, pinching your nose with the rag. “I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay, ser.” You say, voice kind, holding not even an ounce of hostility.
“I’m not a ser.” He answers.
“Oh, sorry, you just seem like one.”
“Why is that?” He asks, smiling.
“Well, you’re very tall, for one,” You say, “and most men wouldn’t care about hitting someone with a door.”
“Well, I guess I’m not most men.” Cregan answers.
“Yes… I can see that.”
He pulls the rag off, dipping it in water to wipe the blood off your face.
“Does it look bad?” You ask, once it’s all cleaned. “Do I look okay?”
“Yeah, you look great- or well, you know you don’t look great, you look better, or I mean nice- or, you look okay, it looks fine. Gods, um… yeah… you-you look great.”
You laugh, a cute, sweet, and soft laugh.
“Well, thank you, um…?”
“Cregan.”
“Cregan,” you hum, “Nice name.”
“Thank you, miss…?”
You say your name, and Cregan repeats it, letting it roll off his tongue.
“That’s pretty.” He says, the words coming out before he can stop them. He blushes at himself.
“Thank you.” You smile, “Did you come for the band?”
“Well, my friends tricked me into coming. They said it was a party, but they left out the part where it was a brothel… or, I guess a bar… or, both?”
He was so nervous. He’d never had a conversation with a girl last this long before, or with a girl that wasn’t family or a septa. This girl was jaw droppingly beautiful to him, even when she had all that blood on her face.
“Oh, I take it you don’t like brothels?” You ask, sitting on the table outside, sipping from your cup.
“I’ve never been to one, truth be told. I’m not really into that sort of thing.” Cregan says.
You shrug, “Nothing wrong with that.”
“It’s just, you know, I don’t think a prostitute” you raise your eyebrow “is really a type of girl I would go towards.” Cregan says.
“Oh?” You ask, almost sounding playfully offended. “What is the type of girl you’d go for then?”
He shrugs, letting the charisma roll off his back. “A girl like you, I guess.”
You giggle. “You’re funny.”
“Y-You’re beautiful.” He says, nervously.
You shrug, “I thought I wasn’t your type.”
“What do you mean?” Cregan asks. You laugh.
“Well, I’m a whore.”
He pauses for a moment, the gears in his brain turning.
“Really?”
“Yeah.” You nod.
“You’re messing with me.” He says.
“Why would I?” You ask, and he can see that you’re serious.
“Oh, fuck, I’m so sorry- I didn’t mean to offend you-“
“You didn’t. It’s fine, I’m only messing with you.”
“Oh, so, you’re not a prostitute?”
“No… I am, I was messing with you about what you said.”
“Fuck, I’m really sorry-“
“You don’t have to be sorry. It’s a good trait to have, really. Most men with self respect don’t go for prostitutes.” You poke his arm, “Not like you would have an issue with girls anyway. I bet every girl in there wanted you.”
“Not really.” He says modestly, playing with his gloves. He wants to know more about you, but he doesn’t wanna pry. “You seem… rather young to be doing this line of work.”
“I guess you could say that. If we’re on the subject, you look a little young to be here.”
“I didn’t know what ‘here’ was until I got here, to be fair, otherwise I probably wouldn’t have came.”
“Fair enough.” You say, “I’m glad you did.”
“Yeah… Me too.” He answers, truthfully, surprised to even hear himself say the words. “How old are you?”
You hesitate, “Three and twenty… What about you?”
“One and twenty. I would’ve guessed you to be the same.”
“Yeah, a lot of people think that.”
A lull fills the conversation.
“I think I better go.” You say. “It was nice meeting you.”
Cregan feels a bit sad, and you can see the little drop of emotion on his face.
“Right, yeah, well, it was nice meeting you as well. Sorry again about your nose.” He says, reaching out his hand to shake yours. You were a bit taken aback. He was so kind that it was untraditional. It was the first time someone had treated you as a lady, not as a whore.
“You too.” You smile, taking his hand. He felt weak, seeing your pearly white teeth, your gentle smile… He wanted you, bad. He couldn’t even believe it, he was ready to break for this girl.
But then you walked inside, and he missed his opportunity to tell you that. He felt like maybe that needed to happen. He couldn’t be wanting a girl like that; it would only end up hurting him, end with you stepping on his heart like a leaf on the ground.
And, yet, he yearned for that feeling of heartbreak, just so he had the chance to say he tried it; he was with a girl, a beautiful one at that. You weren’t a commoner beauty, but a high born one, or maybe you just took better care of yourself than most commoners cared to, maybe you were a bastard. Either way, he didn’t care; he wanted you.
He walked inside, initially searching for his friends in the corner, but then his eyes fell on you, standing by the bar and talking to another girl.
“Hey, man!” His friends yelled, spotting him.
“I’m finished!” Cregan yells, walking over and sitting down by them.
“Why? What happened?” Alaric asks.
“I want that girl.” He says, nodding at you, then dropping his head in his hands.
“My Gods! She’s gorgeous. She’s got to be a high born.” Donnor says.
“No, Don, she’s a prostitute!”
“What?! I want her first.” Beron says, standing up from the girl he was with to approach you.
“Sit down, you ass!” Alaric yells, pulling him back down.
“Oh,” A girl with Alaric says, “That’s y/n.”
The girl rolls her eyes a bit, sticking her nose up at you. “She thinks she’s too good for common men, so good luck with that, pretty boy.”
“What does that mean?” Cregan asks.
“She only goes for high lords.” The girl says, “The big payers. They come from miles just to get a kiss on the cheek, and they pay handsomely.”
“Cregan, man,” Alaric grabs Cregan by the arms, “This is your chance. You’re a… Stark… She’ll want you. Hell, she might even come back to Winterfell with you.”
“Cregan, do not screw this.” Beron says. “Go get that girl, please, I need to live vicariously through you.”
Cregan stands up, shaking like a leaf, and walks towards you.
Your eyes catch his, and you whisper something to your friend, who turns and looks at Cregan, gasping when she sees him.
“Hi.” You say, when he reaches you.
“Can I have a moment with you?” He asks, and your friend takes the hint, walking away.
“Okay, should we go somewhere more quiet?”
“That’d be great.”
You take his hand, leading him towards the front door. Cregan looks over at his friends, who are giggling and clapping in the corner, cheering on their friend. He can’t help but smirk a little.
“Lucky bastard.” Beron says.
You and Cregan walk outside, his thumb unintentionally tracing your fingers as you guide him to wherever it was you were taking him. Truthfully, it could’ve been his grave and he probably would have said thank you.
“Where are we going?” He asks.
“Wherever you want.” You say, stopping in your tracks to face him.
“I’m not from here.” He says, voice shaky. “Can we go somewhere private? Like, really private?”
You turn back around, continuing to pull him wherever it was you had been heading before.
You hadn’t gone far, maybe just a few minutes south of the bar, because Cregan could still hear the hum of the music.
You let go of his hand, walking off the gravel road to a small trail.
“Do you live here?” He asks, watching you undo the locks to a small, stone house.
“What do you think?” You tease him, playfully. You step inside the dark building, appearing like you were swallowed by the darkness. And like a sailor enchanted by a siren, Cregan followed.
You lit a candle, the warmth of the light spreading throughout the room. Your home was cute, very well kept, and nicely furnished; It was clear the high lords were paying you well.
His fingers brushed the little gray cat that came to his feet.
“That’s Gray.” You said, leaning down to light a fire in the hearth.
“You must’ve spent a lot of time on that one.” Cregan said, the joke coming effortlessly. Normally, he wouldn’t have ever even thought of teasing a girl like that. You laughed.
“Do you wanna sit down?” You asked, setting your hand on the couch beside where you just sat. He fully stepped into the room, he was so tall for the little thing.
He sat beside you, folding his hands on his lap, trying to hide the shaking.
“You seem nervous.” You say.
“Is it that obvious?” He asks, looking into your eyes.
“Why’d you follow me here?” You ask him.
“I… I don’t fully know. I think, that I thought, maybe…” He trailed off.
Slowly, to avoid scaring him, you crawled onto his lap.
“Have you ever been with a girl?”
Cregan shakes his head, the words trapped in his throat.
“Do you want me to lead?” You ask, hands resting against his the sides of his neck.
He nods, and ever so slowly, you lean forward to kiss him. He doesn’t react right away, his lips remaining motionless. Your fingers spread, gently caressing his hair and cheeks. The pads of your fingers sent shockwaves through him, the feeling was so strong, and so good.
“Don’t be afraid.” You whisper against his, still motionless, lips. He nods, finally kissing you back. Your hands come down, grabbing his, and resting them on your hips. Evolution played the next part, as he mindlessly gripped his fingers on your thighs, eventually moving them to your bottom.
He felt the slight movement of your hips, causing him to gasp. You used that opportunity to slip your tongue into his mouth, fingers gently gripping his jaw. A moan escaped his lips, and his fingers grabbed you harder for support. His hands started to form a mind of their own, gliding up your spine and grabbing the back of your neck, pushing you more into him. The moan that slipped out came from you this time, only adding fuel to his fire. He grew harder and harder by the minute.
His hand rested against the back of your head, fingers playing with your hair. The kiss was growing more and more intense by the second, your bodies flowing with the rhythm of each other. While still nervous, his fear faded slowly; you were making him feel safe.
“Do you wanna take off your armor?” You asked, breaking away from the kiss, breathless.
“I wish to leave it on.” He said, nervous. You nodded, leaning back in to kiss him. “But, I can take off my pants…”
You smirked, reaching down to undo his buckle.
“I…” He stuttered, wanting to flirt but not knowing what to say.
“What?” You asked, with a smile.
“I think… you should take off your dress.”
“Oh, should I?” You played, “Do you wanna take it off me?”
He nodded, fingers bunching up the fabric to push it off. The dress had only done you minimal justice, underneath it was outstanding. Cregan couldn’t help but stare, mesmerized.
“Do you wanna keep going?” You asked, testing the waters.
He nods, so you reach your hand into his pants, leading him to gasp again. You pull his length out, and he’s back to shivering like a leaf.
“Uh...” You mumble to yourself.
“What?” He asks, sitting up and nearly knocking you off him, your only savior being his hand catching your lower back. “Did I do something wrong?”
“No, no, nothing at all.” You say, “You’re just…”
“What?” He asks, nearly sweating.
“You’re just big… bigger than I’ve been with before.”
He blushed so hard he thought his cheeks might catch on fire.
“Really?” He asks.
“Well, don’t look so surprised, you’re not exactly a small guy. Your head nearly touches the ceiling in here.” You say.
He laughs, harder than he meant to, but he was so nervous. It was really about to happen, his friends were not gonna believe him.
You rub his length against your slit, making him throw his head back at the feeling of your wetness alone. His fingers dig into your thighs, leaving little red marks in their wake.
You sat down, gasping and moaning as you eased yourself onto him. He was a wreck, squirming and groaning underneath you, his boots scraping against the floor, with a string of curse words leaving his lips.
“Gods, you’re so wet.” Cregan moans, his head falling onto your shoulder as he trembled.
“Does that feel good?” You purr in his ear, and he nods against you.
Your motions started soft, gentle, rocking back and forth, slow enough to not send him over the edge right away.
“Fuck, you feel so fucking good.” He groaned, moving his hips to match your motion. You moaned, his length pressing against your spot with each little thrust of his hips.
You leaned forward, pressing a kiss into his lips. He wasn’t shy to kiss you back this time, his tongue separating your lips and finding yours. One hand caressed and grasped your bottom, while the other fisted the back of your hair, using it as leverage to keep pulling you onto him.
You moaned, feeling him grow more and more confident, building the pleasure in your stomach.
“Fuck, I think I’m going to.” Cregan moans.
“Fuck, wait, I’m so close.” You beg, and he listens, fighting to hold back from spilling into you. Sweat drips down his forehead, tears gleam his eyes, his fingers dig into your hips.
Your hips move faster, chasing your release, and finally catching it. You lean in, moaning into his neck, leaving kisses and bites as you cum. He barely lifts you up in time, cumming all over your stomach and pelvis.
“Oh, Gods.” He moans, head falling back against the couch. He was dizzy, and Gods, he wished he’d taken off his cloak and armor because he was so hot.
Stars danced in his vision, and his hand grazed up and down your back as you both caught your breath. He was worried, cause he knew now he would want more of you, but he didn’t know if he’d be able to quit you.
“How was it?” You ask, “Your first time?”
“I can’t even describe it.” Cregan says, all too smiley.
You stand, wiping your stomach before picking up your dress and slipping it back on.
“Um…” Cregan hesitates, not quite sure how to ask. “What do I owe you?”
“What?” You ask, wiping the thin gloss of sweat from your forehead.
“You know, how much do I owe you? For the sex?”
“Oh,” You laugh, “You don’t have to worry about that, Cregan.”
“What?” It was his turn to be confused.
“You don’t have to pay me.” You say. “I wanted to fuck you.”
“But, I thought…”
“What’d you think?” You tease.
“I guess I thought prostitutes only have sex for money.”
“Some do, I suppose… But, I just wanted to give you the house tour.”
“But, why me? Without wanting me to pay?”
“You made a good impression on me, I guess.”
He was baffled. Good impression? He had nearly broken your nose.
“Why’s it so shocking I wanted to fuck you? You’re a handsome man.”
“Well, I’m… I was a virgin, I busted your nose, those girls said you’re a top dollar prostitute, and that you only go for high lords.”
You smirked, rolling your eyes. “I just know my worth.”
“I’m a Stark.” He blurts out.
You laugh, “Really? I figured you were highborn, but Stark? I’ll be damned.”
He was baffled again; You didn’t fuck him because you knew his status, you did it for the love of the game.
“Come on, let me pay you for the trouble.” He stands, pulling out a bag of coins.
“No.” You say, pushing his hand down. “If I take your money, your first time loses its value.”
“So, you’re taking pity on me?”
“Do I look like the type of girl who fucks pitiful men?”
Not at all, he thought. You looked like the type of girl who’d be sitting in a castle.
“If I fucked any man that threw himself at me, I’d be rich. I fucked you, because I like you. You could’ve been piss poor, I would’ve still fucked you.”
“Wouldn’t that make me a pitiful man?”
You shrug, nonchalantly, looking up at him.
“You are… a very enamoring woman.” He says, fingers caressing your jaw. You sink to your knees, hands toying with his belt buckle.
“Wanna go again?”
Cregan had spent the night with you, and after going with you three more times he felt like he was finally spent.
“You’re a fast learner.” You say, drawing patterns on his bare chest.
At some point (he had lost track), you both had moved to your bed, which was much more spacious, and made it much easier for Cregan to take the lead with you.
“You’re a good teacher.” He says, and you smirk.
“You’ve got a lot of energy.”
“Nah,” Cregan says, arms resting behind his head. “I’ve just never felt something so good. You’re like a drug, I just can’t stop.”
“So,” You say, looking up at him from his chest, “Tell me more about your lordly duties.”
He chuckles, “Well, I don’t know… I’ve only been doing it for a few years. Honestly, the maesters still help me with a lot of tasks. We discuss things like rationing and military strategy, you know, boring stuff.”
“Oh, how bureaucratic you are, Lord Stark.”
“And how tragically beautiful you are.”
“Why is that tragic?” You ask.
“Your beauty is wasted on your profession.”
For the first time, he sees you frown. You sit up.
“How ignorant.” You didn’t sugarcoat your irritation. “Not all of us can be born as the son of Rickon Stark. Do you really think this is a profession I would have picked for myself if I had other options?”
He presses his palm to his forehead, realizing his ignorance. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that.”
“Well, how did you mean it? I’m too beautiful to be a whore? Would it be any different if I were a handmaiden living in a castle that a king or lord got to fuck when he pleased?”
He sat up beside you, but you didn’t give him a chance to speak. “I’m more than a surface level beauty, Cregan. You sound just like those other girls.”
“I just meant it as, why keep fucking these lords when you can marry one and get out of this life? Then, you’re set forever, you wouldn’t have to-“
“And here I was thinking you were different. Gods, I’m stupid, and so are you! What kind of lord would marry a whore before highborn, Cregan? Honestly. This is what I get for fucking a boy.”
“A boy? I’m barely younger than you. Who declared you a maester with all this knowledge that burdens you?”
You sigh, “I think you should go now.”
He didn’t argue with you, feeling too righteous in his opinion. He didn’t even have the slightest idea of what you had to go through, he couldn’t deny it, but he still felt you were in the wrong. You two barely knew each other, and you both didn’t know the dynamics of each other’s lives; you were just too different.
He dressed, as you sat there in your bed, looking out of the window. He wanted to say something before leaving, but had no idea what. You had been great to him, so kind, and so hot, he couldn’t have imagined another girl taking his virginity, but he didn’t want to leave you on bad terms knowing he’d likely never see you again.
Cregan came back up to the bed, resting his hand on your bare back. “I imagine I won’t see you again… So, thank you for everything. You gave me the best night I’ve ever had.”
You looked down, biting your lip to hold back tears. Sniffing them away, you looked up at him.
“Good.”
Your answer was short, not what he wanted to hear but, nothing he could do. He kissed your head, turning and walking down the stairs, leaving his entire pouch of money on your table.
Cregan walked 4 miles home, the walk feeling oddly shameful. He fell asleep the second he got home and hit his pillow, but his sleep didn’t last long.
Beron, Donnor, and Alaric showed up maybe three hours into his sleep, all hungover.
“You awake?” They ask, knocking and entering without an answer.
“What does it look like?” Cregan mumbles into his pillow, drooling.
They all crawled into his bed next to him, packed together tightly.
“Why are you all on here?” He asked, sitting up irritated.
“Cregan, we’re all hungover as the seven hells, we just walked two miles to get here, just so you could tell us what happened with that girl.” Beron said.
Cregan laid back down, mumbling into his pillow. “I don’t wanna talk about it.”
“What’d he say?” Donnor asked.
“He said he doesn’t wanna talk about it.” Alaric answered.
“That bad, huh?” Beron teases.
“No, no… It was amazing.” Cregan says.
“No way. You really did it? You got with her?” Beron asks.
“I don’t kiss and tell.” Cregan answers quickly.
“He definitely fucking did it! Look at him, he’s all glowing. That’s the face of a man who got fucked.” Donnor says.
“And heartbroken.” Cregan says.
“Well, that’s your own fault. Why would you catch feelings for a whore?” Beron says.
“Trust me, if you went through what I did, you would too.”
“Fuck, I wish I had.” Donnor says.
“What about you, Alaric?” Cregan asks.
“Yeah, I got with one, it was great… But, now I feel bad. You take your oaths all seriously, and now you broke one for a girl who broke your heart. I feel partly responsible.”
“You’re not responsible. I guess she didn’t break my heart, I barely knew her.” Cregan says, looking at the wall.
“She broke mine and I didn’t even talk to her.” Beron says.
“Fuck, what do I do?” Cregan says, into the pillow. “She didn’t even make me pay-“
“She didn’t?! What the fuck, man, you’re the richest out of all of us. Why do you always get so lucky?”
“Yeah, well, I left her the money anyway.”
“Oh my Gods, this cunt.” Donnor whines.
“I wanna see her again…”
“Why can’t you?” Alaric asks.
“I can’t get more attached, man. I’ll probably be betrothed soon anyway.”
“You might as well make it count while you can.” Donnor says.
“I doubt she wants to see me ever again. I kind of insulted her.”
“Say no more. I’ll go cheer her up right now.” Beron says, and Alaric pushes his shoulder.
“Ow! Don’t do that, Alaric, I’ll throw up.”
“Well, tough luck, man. Sorry that happened.” Alaric says.
“Don’t be, it was the best night of my life. I wouldn’t trade it for the seven kingdoms.”
“I’m gonna strangle him. Every time he talks I get more pissed.” Beron says, pulling at his hair.
“Tell me about it.”
Cregan laid there, listening to his friends talk, using the distraction to clear his mind of you.
“You know, one of the girls there said she is a high born.” Alaric says.
“Really?” Cregan asked, uninterested. They were distracting him from his distractions.
“Yeah, apparently she’s a Baratheon bastard.”
“I thought they said Velaryon?” Donnor says.
“I heard she was a Dornish princess.” Beron said, leading to an argument among the three men.
“Oh, Gods.” Cregan said, putting his face in his pillow, assuming they were all wrong.
“Yeah, but, she looks Baratheon.”
“There’s no way! Baratheons are tall, like, Cregan tall. She’s very beautiful, she’s gotta be a Targaryen bastard. Didn’t Aegon have tons?”
“He’s too young, stupid! She’s probably Lannister, or even Tyrell.”
“Can we please let the subject go?” Cregan pleaded.
“Sorry, man. Forgot you were there for a minute.” Beron says, “So, now that you’re done with her, you wouldn’t mind if I asked her out right?”
“Yes, I actually would mind!” Cregan yells.
“Too soon, that’s my fault for pushing.”
Cregan closed his eyes. If he were lucky, sleep would come,
and he would dream of you.
fanfic writers, here's your reminder to write whatever you want, however you want
"but I fear people will —" well, fuck them. you write for your own enjoyment, not theirs. and you certainly don't need a stranger's permission to write about fictional characters, no matter how wild or cliche or crazy or disturbing or violent or fucked up that thing you want to write about is. write it proudly and write it unapologetically. no one can stop you.
you have the powers to write and the powers to block anyone who tries to shame or tell you what you can or can't do. (fun fact: these people are just noises. you can hit mute anytime by blocking them)
repeat after me, you have all the powers.
specifically @ that one person who used to freak out on every single hotd writer when jace wasn’t written to their perfect standard of him being a soft innocent baby 😭😭😭😭😭
a sneak peak of my upcoming cregan stark works !!
a dress as red as blood
summary: cregan is played for a fool by a band of bounty hunters after you
house tour
summary: a young, virgin, naive cregan finds his way into a brothel thanks to the convincing of his friends
her grace
summary: final part to his second wife, cregan marches with you to king’s landing to take the iron throne
before there was you, there was her
summary: a rumor with merit in king’s landing divides you and cregan’s strong marriage
stay tuned!!! lmk if u want to be on tag list!
His Second Chance - a cregan stark x reader
summary: with the threat of war looming over the kingdom, your hand is forced in asking cregan a huge request. to do so, cregan must take a calculated risk of deciding what matters more: your life or a chance Winterfell may never get again.
cw: smut, fingering, oral!f receiving, p in v, teasing, some praising, YEARNINGGG, lots of angst to sex and sex to angst and angst to fluff idk wtf happened, lots of arguing, a little bit of ooc behavior but nothing too bad, not very lore accurate dance of dragons but not entirely inaccurate either just basically an au at this point,
word count: really fucking long guys like at least 8k idk what happened i lost the plot bc now there has to be a part 4
part 1: his second wife
part 2: his second child (not necessary to read prior parts but worth it)
taglist: @targaryenprincess1 @nics-fxy
two years after your first born daughter
“I don’t think they like it when I sit in.”
It had been the third meeting this week between the houses in the North; a clear sign tensions were rising throughout the kingdom. You told Cregan you had wanted to sit in, and he was all for it. It was your mother’s claim he was defending, after all.
But, the Northern lords had made it clear you were not welcome. Whether that was because you were a Southerner, or a lady, you had no idea. But, you could tell they weren’t happy. In fact, the reason for their disliking was probably due to both of those things.
“Who cares?” Cregan replies, clearly starving as he slams down his third plate of meat. “You’re the Lady of Winterfell, not to mention Princess of the Seven Kingdoms.”
“I know, but-“
“Who is it? Do you want me to send them to the Wall?” He asks, trying to make you feel better. You smile softly.
“No, Cregan, I just… I don’t know.” You answer, not fully knowing how to put your feelings into words.
He puts down his fork, noticing how much the situation bothers you, despite your attempts to hide it.
“Alright, look,” he wipes his mouth on the back of his sleeve. “on the next council meeting I’ll make it clear any affairs in Winterfell are the affairs of the Princess. If any man even looks at you wrong, I’ll send him to take the black.” He says, resting his hand on yours.
“Thank you, my love.” You say. He looks at you, reassuringly. Despite the situation being resolved, he could tell you were still saddened. He looks at you, softly playing with your food. “I’m tired of rabbit.”
He pauses to think for a moment. “Would you like me to take you hunting tomorrow?”
You perk up, instantly. “Really? You don’t mean it.”
“Of course I do. We’ll go bright and early, so try to sleep through the night instead of waking up to have me-“
“Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!” You cut his risqué sentence off, jumping on his lap to give him a kiss. Your hands rest on his cheeks, kissing him all over his face.
He doesn’t resist, enjoying your sweet kisses. “You can still wake me up, by the way.”
“Oh, would you like that?” You tease, hand sliding down his chest.
“I would love it.” He sighs, leaning his head back.
The winds of winter rush outside, whining against the windows of the dining hall.
“Are the children asleep?” You whisper into his lips.
“Not likely.” He sighs, running his hands along your waist.
“I’d better go take care of that then.” You stand off his lap, walking away from the table.
“Nooooo.” Cregan whines, reaching his arm out for you, although you are far out of his reach. “Come back, my love.”
You tease him, unlacing the back of your dress as you walk.
“Oh, Gods, you’ve got it coming for you, girl.” He moans.
“Have I?” You turn to face him, sinking to your knees. “I’m so frightened.”
The wooden chair scrapes as Cregan stands abruptly to rush you, but you stand back on your feet quickly, giggling as you walk out the door.
“Gods, give me strength.” He mumbles to himself, sitting back down.
You enter the children’s room, shaking your head at the mess that Rickon and Lyanna have torn up.
“You’re both supposed to be abed.”
“There’s a bear, mama.” Rickon says.
“A bear? Impossible, my love. This winter is far too cold for a bear.”
“Closet.” Lyanna says.
“Now, there is no such thing to be afraid of, my children. You have wolf and dragon blood in you.” You say, checking the closet to bring them comfort. “See? Only your clothes.”
“It’s hiding in the clothes.” Rickon says. You sigh, leaning further into the closet to sift through the clothes, knowing you’ll find nothing.
“Still nothing.” You turn, just as Cregan comes up to scare you with a bark.
“Fuck!” You yell, nearly falling back into the closet, until your lord husband catches you with a firm grasp on the wrist, pulling you into his chest. He and the children laugh, before Rickon gasps and covers his mouth while pointing at you.
“You’re not supposed to say that.” He says.
“Don’t worry, Rickon. Your mother will be dealt with accordingly.” Cregan winks at you. “As for you lot, you’ll be dealing with much worse than a bear if you don’t get to bed.”
“What’s worse than a bear?” Rickon asks. Cregan is silent for a minute.
“A wolf!” He yells, scaring them under the covers as they scream. Cregan smiles at you.
“Good one.” You say, sarcastically.
“What did I do?” He asks, sneaking a pat on your bottom as you walk towards the children.
“I’ll protect you, Lya.” Rickon says, holding her.
“Aw, such a sweet boy.” You say, smoothing his curls out of his face. “We have to always protect and love each other.”
“Why?” Lyanna asks, innocently. Cregan kneels beside you, wrapping his arm around your shoulder.
“That’s just what family does. Especially Starks.” Cregan says, “Although, your mother’s side is a little too good at it.”
“Oh, hush.” You say, smacking his arm while the children giggle at the joke that clearly went over their heads. You stand, “Goodnight, my loves.”
You and Cregan exit, closing the door softly behind you.
“Really?” You ask him, hiding a smile.
“Oh, come on. I’m just teasing.” He says, kissing your cheek.
“You annoy me so.” You say, walking past him. “I can still get this annulled and be with my brother, if I please.”
“That’s repulsive.” He says, but you simply smirk.
You enter your chambers, falling back onto your bed. “Now, what did you say earlier, Stark? That I had something coming to me? That’d I be dealt with accordingly?”
“Aye, and the Gods are just in giving me the power to do so.” He shuts the door behind him, not taking his eyes off you. He removes his warmer layers, agonizingly slow. “This just won’t do, love, you are far too dressed.”
He flips you on your stomach, tearing the remaining laces of your corset in two. You gasp, but he pushes you into the mattress with his hips, making you moan in the soft furs.
“Teasing me in the dining hall,” Cregan pushes your dress off your shoulders, “cursing in front of our children,” he runs his hands down your smooth waist. “You’ve been awful troublesome today, wife.”
“Have I? For that, I do apologize.” You say, your voice thick with lust. He pulls your dress off your hips, kissing your bare shoulders as he places his hands on your waist, grinding his clothed length against your bottom.
“I liked that dress.” You complain, staring at the torn garment.
“I’ll buy you another.” He says, more kisses to your bare skin. “I’ll buy you whatever you want.”
“I have you wrapped around my finger. Don’t I, Stark?”
“Gods, yes.” He moans, resting his forehead onto your back. He sinks to his knees, pulling you toward him so your lower half hangs off the bed, then presses gentle kisses to your bottom, running his fingers on your smooth thighs.
“You make me so weak.” He admits, kissing softly on your cunt.
“That’s no good.” You say, breathlessly.
“No, it isn’t.” He says, licking a stripe up your cunt. You hold back a moan, instead flipping over so you can see him.
You sit up, resting your left leg on his shoulder so he has easier access. He looks up at you, longingly, as his cheek rests into the palm of your right hand. You caress his soft face with your thumb, admiring the Stark below you.
“After all that you ate earlier, you’re still hungry?” You ask. He nods, kissing your palm. “Are you gonna keep me in anticipation?”
He shakes his head, wrapping his arms around your legs and pulling you onto his tongue. You throw your head back, soft whimpers and moans escaping your lips.
“Fuck, Cregan.” You whine, hands gripping his hair. He holds you still, despite the desperate movement of your hips into his face. “You act as though you’re starved.”
“I fucking am.” He breathes, eating you relentlessly. His fingers tease your entrance, leaving you gripping the sheets of your bed in a desperate urge for him. “I love the taste of you.”
Your hand finds his hair, pulling on it as an attempt to get him even closer to you.
“Gods.” You whine. “I’m so close.”
“Stop moving.” He mumbles in you, trying to hold you still.
You moan, fighting to catch your breath, still wiggling in his arms. He wraps his forearm around your lower back, his other arm moves to hold your leg beside his head. He finally gets a grip on you, holding you still enough so he can savor your taste.
“How bad do you want it?” He teases you.
“So bad.” Your moans are short and quick, your body focusing in on the feeling of sweet release.
“I’ve got you, my princess, come on.” He urges. You pull his hair, still fighting his grip as you fuck yourself against his face to finish on his tongue. Your other hand grabs your temple, fighting to choke back your moans from being too loud.
He cleans up every drop, not shy to hide his moans and groans of ecstasy at your taste.
He kisses up your body, moving painfully slow to get to your face. You grab him by his collar, pulling him the rest of the way up to meet your lips.
“You’re teasing.” You moan in his lips.
“Am I? For that, I do apologize.” He mimics you.
“Undress,” You whisper in his lips, “and then come fuck your wife, Lord Stark.”
He wasted no time the second you said those words, immediately ripping off his lower layers as you moved up to the top of the bed.
You turned, ass facing him, crawling seductively towards the pillows.
“Gods, stop.” He moans, hands shaking with adrenaline as he fumbled with the buttons his shirt.
“Or what? Tell me what you’ll do to me.” You say, leaning back on the bed and watching him still struggle.
“Please,” He begs, “You’re killing me, my princess.”
“Will you haunt my cunt?”
Your words send him over the edge.
He grabs you by the ankle, still not done undressing, and pulls you right back to where you just were on the edge. You shriek, giggling, but he finds nothing funny, and you quickly find out the joke was on you.
He rips his shirt off, buttons scattering on the floor.
“That’s the second item of clothing you’ve-“ He leans over you; one hand covers your mouth, and the other positions himself at your entrance before sliding in like water. You gasp into his hand, immediately gripping his strong arms for support.
He thrusts into you, slowly at first to build you up before picking up the pace. You throw your head back, mouth still covered as you moan into his hand.
“All day.” He moans. “All fucking day.”
“All fucking day I’ve had to hear that sweet voice and not get to…” He looks down at himself fucking you, groaning at his lustful thoughts; they were so shameful to want to do to a princess. “Gods, I can’t even say it. All day I’ve had to watch you walk in that fucking dress- Gods, I love that dress- and then- fuck- and then I have to hear you, and watch you tease me while I can’t get this fucking shirt off. Gods, you’ve got me so worked up.” He moans, fucking you relentlessly.
“My princess… If I hear that sweet voice one more time, I think I might start crying.” You look him in the eyes, smirking underneath his hand. You had him right where you wanted him, it was too perfect. He knew it, too.
He pulls out, flipping you on your stomach before pushing back in. His hands grip your waist with a bruising touch, too lost in your cunt to realize how rough he was being. But, you ate it up, loving the side of him that knew how to get the job done. He was a giver, after all.
His forehead rests against the back of your head, trying, fighting, breaking, to hold back tears from how good you felt. He fucked you into the mattress, letting the spring push you back into him, inching as deep as he could without hurting you.
“Please, my- fuck- beautiful wife…” He groans, so close to releasing. “Get on your knees.”
Your fingers gripped the mattress, an ounce of frustration hitting you.
Ever since… ever fucking since you had Lya he just refused.
Every time you were in the bedroom, he would cum. Every time without fail, just never where you wanted.
On your chest, his chest, on your stomach, on your ass, on your back, your throat, your tongue, your hands, your god damned thighs, fuck even on your cunt itself, but never inside you.
And you knew why. You knew even just the thought of what happened last time scared him to death. So, you didn’t push it. You didn’t want to make him uncomfortable, and for a time you were perfectly content not having another.
But, it’d been so long. He’d only ever finished inside you once. Once, and it gave you Lya. You yearned for the feeling of his warmth inside you, yearned so bad you might have even killed for it.
As he went to pull out, you grabbed him by his wrist, pulling him down so his chest was on your back.
“Don’t.” You begged. “Don’t leave me.”
“I’m not going anywhere.” His thrusts continued.
“Please, Cregan.” You begged, “Give me another child.”
You felt the hesitation, felt even the twitch in his cock at the sentence. Because fuck, did he want to fill you up so bad. He wanted you walking the halls with it leaking out of you, wanted your stomach round and your breasts heavy. The thought alone gave him chills.
“What?” He breathed out, knowing full well he heard you.
“Cum in me.” You moaned, fucking yourself onto him when he stopped moving. “Give me a boy.”
“You’ve gone mad.” He tried playing it off as a jest, but you were so serious.
“I’m not joking.” You say, still fucking yourself on him. His hands grip your waist, finally halting your movements. He pulls out completely, stepping away from you and wiping himself off with his torn shirt.
“Cregan.” You say, sitting up; frustration in your voice, or maybe desperation.
“I’m finished.” He answers.
“What about me?” You ask.
“I have two perfectly good fingers on my right hand. Maybe even three, if you so wish it.”
You fume with anger. He hears Silverwing roar outside; you and that damned dragon were too in sync.
You’re so angry you could cry, and he senses it. “My wife…”
“You are a fucking bastard.” You curse. You can see the shock on his face for a moment, but it quickly fades. He says nothing, sighing as he walks into the closet for night clothes.
He dresses quickly, wanting to be able to come calm you down, and comes out with a sleep gown for you.
“Gods, you’re being serious?!” You yell, noticing he was dressed for bed. He still says nothing, handing you your clothes and sitting beside you on the bed.
It was moments like these his stoic features frustrated you so. He’d let that guard down most of the time around you, but he was able to hide his emotions behind that stone face when needed.
“Listen-“ He begins, but you ignore him, indeed not listening.
“It’s been two fucking years, Cregan. No, three! Three years since you’ve cum in me and I’ve said nothing. I’ve given you your peace, I’ve let you give it to me every other possible way for your sake. But, I can’t-I can’t do this any longer.”
You can’t hide the desperation anymore. You crawl on his lap, still naked, holding his cheeks in your hands as he looks down to avoid your gaze.
“Please, please, I need this.” You beg, kissing his cheeks and his lips softly. You grind on him, wetness leaking from you onto his clothes. His hands rest on the small of your back, savoring the feeling of your restless movement on his length.
He grows hard, you feel it underneath you.
“Yes.” You whisper, your hand reaches down, slipping underneath the waistband to rub him. You pull his length out just as he pushes his bottoms down, urging himself against your slit, his nails digging into your back at the sensation.
You sit down, both of you gasping into each other’s lips.
“Yes.” You moan, “Yes, my lord.”
Gods did you know all the ways to make him fall apart into your hands like glass.
He whimpers into your lips, loving the way you bounce your hips on him.
“So good to me.” You pur. His head falls on your shoulder, unable to contain his moans. “Look at me.”
He listens, staring at you with those glossy, gray eyes.
“You’re so good.” You moan. “Such a good boy.”
“Fuck.” He chokes out, nearly breaking. “Keep saying it.”
“You like when I tell you that?” You whisper, filling his head more with your praises, and he nods, whimpering against your shoulder.
He holds you close to his chest, your breast rubbing against him with each bounce of your ass on his cock.
“Fuck, oh gods… I… Fuck, I can’t.” He folds, feeling himself on the edge of cumming. He lifts you off him, steadying you on your feet before pulling his bottoms back up.
You stand before him, naked, but he looks down again, right hand smoothing over his forehead in anguish.
You were ready to cry again, and he didn’t have to look up to notice.
“I love you.” He says, looking at you now. “I love you so much, it hurts. It aches my damn heart when I think about how much I love you.”
You say nothing, letting him continue.
“But…” His voice breaks. “What I had to watch you go through with Lyanna.” He pauses, trying to keep his composure without breaking down into tears. “All of those bloody late nights… holding you as you cried in pain, sick and chilled constantly… laying next to you all night as you tossed and turned, crying cause you were just so bloody tired… holding you as I watched the fucking life drain from your eyes…”
He exhales, wiping his eyes and speaking in a firm voice, a voice that couldn’t be persuaded with no amount of pleading or begging or cursing or lusting. “I can’t in good conscience put you through that again.”
“Ever?” Your voice barely above a whisper.
He shakes his head, eyes closed and holding a fist to his mouth. “Ever.”
You wanted to fall to your knees. Now, you needed to dress. You pulled the slip on over you, sitting next to him on the bed.
“I want to give you what you want so bad, my wife. You are so beautiful. I want nothing more than to fill you every damned day.” He pauses, trying to drive the lust driven thoughts away. “There is no worse feeling in this world than telling you no, except losing you and never getting the chance to tell you it again.”
“Cregan, I want this.” You say. “I know what I went through, and I’d do it all again, a thousand times over.”
He shakes his head. “I can’t do it.”
The anger comes back.
“What do you think will happen when this war ends?” You ask. “Be honest with yourself. Be honest with me.”
He looks at you, saying nothing.
“Cregan, when this war ends, and it will end one way or another, who do you see sitting the Iron Throne?”
“Your mother.” He says. “If not her, your brother.”
“Jacaerys fights on the battle field as we speak, Daemon has died killing Aemond, my mother-“
“How could you even think like that?” Cregan stands, looking at you.
“Me?!” You ask. He shakes his head. “Cregan, this war is coming to a close. Winter is here, and if my mother and my brother-“ You’re yelling at this point, but Cregan interrupts.
“I won’t hear more of this, Y/N!” He yells back. “If you get pregnant again in this life, it will not be by me!”
“Oh, yet how could I think like that?” You cry out. “We need heirs!”
“For what?! Do you truly expect to sit the Iron Throne?!”
“Jacaerys will die! I’ve seen it!” You cry out, tears falling.
“What do you mean you’ve seen it?” He asks, lowly.
“Daenys, my ancestor, saw the Doom of Valyria.” You say. “Targaryens are dreamers.”
“I can’t believe what I’m hearing.” Cregan shakes his head again, scoffing.
“My brother will die, Cregan. Whether you believe me or not, it will happen and I will be the heir to my mother’s claim.”
“And… you’ve just never thought to tell me this before?”
“Tell you what exactly, Cregan? I’ve had visions and dreams of the future? How exactly does one tell their husband that information without looking mad? When does one tell you that information, hm? When the first part of our marriage was spent in silence and the second part was spent pregnant and dying?”
“I get it. The timing was never right.”
“Is it ever?”
You’re both silent for a moment.
“You support her claim. Would you support mine?” You speak up.
“Of course I would.”
“Despite what they call my brothers?”
“You are no bastard, and neither are they. But, when it comes to you, there can be no claims against your birth right when you look exactly like your mother.”
“Do you know what they call her? The Whore of Dragonstone. Will you stand by me when they call me the Whore of Winterfell?”
“Don’t you dare ask me that.” He points at you. “I’ll stand by you until the day I die, and I’ll kill any man who’d dare to disrespect your name.”
“And you’d rule with me? In King’s Landing?”
“I made an oath to your mother, just as I made one to you. I’d follow you to the seven hells and back.”
“So, we need heirs-“
“We. Have. Lyanna! I will not say it again! Do you realize what you’re asking of me?! You’re asking me to mark you for death! I will not kill you too!” He holds you by your arms, desperate to get it through your head.
“You didn’t kill her and you didn’t kill me!” You yell. “You cannot blame yourself for what is natural any longer!”
“So, then, tell me what else did you see. Did you see these halls running with children?” He asks.
“I suppose, in a sense. I-I don’t know, maybe they were ours. I can’t tell, fully.” You answer, truthfully, your voices coming back down.
“Tell me it honestly, right now, my princess.” He says, “Did you see yourself sitting that throne?”
“Yes.” Your voice is barely above a whisper.
His hand covers his mouth, still in disbelief.
“You must train Rickon-“
“I cannot hear this any longer, truly. I’m going to bed.” He says, walking around you. He grabs a bucket of water, throwing it in the hearth to put out the fire that was meant to keep you warm.
“Oh my Gods, you’re being so dramatic!” You yell, as the room goes dark, except for a few small candles. 
“I do not wish to fight with you. I love you, I’m sorry I yelled, and I’m- I’m really confused how to feel right now. I want- no, need to sleep.” He says, and the guilt hits you. You had said so much information in less than 10 minutes, no wonder he was uneasy.
“Please come lay with me.” He says, getting into bed. You sit on the bed next to him, but don’t lay down. The questions eat him alive.
“When did you have these dreams?”
“Years ago.” You answer. “Sometimes, I still see them. But, they didn’t make sense then. They only do now. I’ve had to grieve my mother and my brother while they are still living, Cregan. How does one live with that?”
“I do not know.”
Silence for a moment.
“Cregan…”
“Don’t.”
“If you train Rickon-“
“I’m warning you.” An empty threat.
“If you train him, and give us more children, I will restore the North as an independent kingdom.”
Cregan sits up, looking at you in disbelief. You couldn’t have just said that. He’s sure he misheard you.
“What?”
Your hand finds his.
“If you prepare Rickon to take your place,” You say, slower. “I will restore the North as an independent kingdom.”
“You’re lying.” He says, still shocked.
“I would not lie to you.” You say. Cregan falls back in the pillow, palms covering his eyes. He takes them away after a few moments to look at you.
“You’re being serious, my wife?”
You nod. “You told Jacaerys your gaze is forever torn between North and South. Let me take that burden from you.”
“I… I need to sleep. I cannot think about this right now.” He says.
You concede. If that didn’t get him up right then and there to do it, nothing would. You kiss his temple, blow out the last few candles, and get under the furs to lay beside him. You stare up at the dark ceiling, the only light in the room coming from the moon into the window.
Cregan faces away from you, eyes wide open as he stares at the wall. Your hand covers your mouth, choking back sobs, but he feels your frame shaking.
“Oh, my princess.” He whispers, turning to hold you. You don’t hide it anymore, sobbing into his bare chest. “I’m sorry.”
You sob. “I’m cursed.”
“Sh, no, no.” He whispers, brushing his fingers through your long hair. “I love you. I’m so sorry if I was unkind. I love you so deeply.”
You held him tight against you, refusing to let go until you fell asleep.
You were alone when you awoke, which wasn’t a surprise to you. You had already expected him to wake up earlier to go be on his own, but the truth was he never slept.
You put on a robe, exiting your chambers to find him. Your bare feet pattered against the cold floor on the short walk to the children’s room, which was just a few doors down from your chambers.
And there he was, sitting beside the bed and softly playing with Lyanna’s hair while she slept. He loved his children both so much, but she was his angel, much like you.
“Cregan.” You said, softly, trying not to wake them. The sun hadn’t even begun to rise.
He looked up, and wiped his eyes quickly.
“Sorry, my love.” He said, standing and coming to you at the door. “I was just saying goodbye.”
“Goodbye?” You said, louder than intended.
“Mummy?” Rickon stirred awake.
“Hey, hey, hey.” You and Cregan both whispered, walking towards the bed.
“What’s wrong?” Rickon asked, as you both sat on the edge of their bed. They had their own, yet insisted on sleeping together every night.
“Nothing, my sweet. I’m so sorry, I did not mean to wake you.” You assure him. “We just were checking on you both.” Cregan brushed his fingers through Rickon’s curls.
“Why were you fighting?” He asks. You and Cregan look at each other. What else had they heard being so close to your room? Perhaps, it was time they switched halls.
“We, uh…” You hesitate. “We weren’t, my love.”
“I heard yelling.”
“Tell them the truth.” Cregan mumbles.
“Stop it.” You mumble back.
You both look at Rickon and smile, trying to reassure him nothing was wrong, despite the fact everything was wrong. Lya had woken as well, quietly staring at you and Cregan.
“Well, we were fighting, my children.” You admit. “Adults fight sometimes. You both fight sometimes too, yes? Over your toys?”
He nods.
“What’s important is you love each other, despite your arguments.”
“Were you and father fighting over a toy?” Rickon asks.
“Sure.” You smile at him. “You’re quiet, Lya. Do you have anything you want to say?” She doesn’t react, too small to understand your words.
“Go back to sleep, it’s late. We’re sorry we woke you.” Cregan says, tucking them back in and kissing them both on the head.
You close the door softly on your exit. “Why would you tell them that?”
“They knew we were fighting, I’m sure the whole bloody castle did. It’s better they know.”
“Where are you going?” You cross your arms.
“We have a hunt, remember?” He says. You nod, the conversation returning to you. You had gotten so wrapped up in your argument you forgot he promised you a day out.
“Go dress. I’ll wait for you outside.” He kisses your cheek for a long time, his hands on your arms, not wanting to let you go.
There was clearly still tension between the both of you, but you decided it best to move past it. You loved him to death, whether he gave you more children or not.
Cregan was at war with himself the whole night you slept. You wanted more children so badly that you were willing to give him the North; the entire bloody North.
But, even with that offer, your life meant so much more to him. He had nearly died when you did. He could not do that again. His ancestors would have given everything for an offer like that, and who knew if his lineage would ever get this chance again? He didn’t know if he wanted to take that risk.
Sitting with his children brought him to the wrong answer: more heirs. Especially, Lyanna. She looked just like you, and how could he not want more of that? Then, Rickon, who was not yours but who you loved so deeply he may as well have been. He wanted a son with you, with both of your blood, of course, to sit in either Winterfell or King’s Landing. Which brought him to his next issue: with Lyanna as your first born and heir to your throne, who would she wed? A Targaryen always needed to sit the Iron Throne. But, Lya was a Stark which meant she needed wed to a Targaryen, and he refused to see his daughter marry one of your brothers, or her uncles.
To make matters more complicated, Cregan would be King in the North until Rickon came of age. He was barely four, how was Cregan to rule in the North and you in the South? Then, the worst thought of all: what if you were advised by your future council to wed Lyanna and Rickon? He couldn’t accept.
“Cregan? Are you ready?”
You interrupted his racing thoughts, and you couldn’t have picked better timing.
“You warm enough?” He asks, standing to greet you at the door of the council chambers.
“I think so.” You say, looking down at your thick layers of furs. He rests his hand on your back, walking you outside to the dark cold.
You stood aside as he made sure the saddle and supplies were secure on the house, the only light coming from the moon.
He held your hand as you placed your foot in the stirrups, making sure you got up okay. When you were settled he sat behind you, his warmth sending a chill up your spine. You scooted closer into him, wanting to feel it everywhere. He wrapped his arm around your stomach, securing you while holding the reins.
You rode in silence, but your ass against Cregan’s crotch was sending him into a frenzy. Each little bump in the trail bounced you against him, and you weren’t even trying.
He had made a silent vow to himself: you would not be having sex until he could get himself under control, no matter how long that took. He knew if he was intimate with you, he’d give you just want you wanted. Gods, he nearly broke last night when you sat on his length to take it yourself.
You were dangerous, and your cunt even more so.
“Sorry.” You said quietly, as the wind blew your hair into his face. He wasn’t complaining though, the floral scent of the soap in your hair was keeping him grounded.
“Perhaps, a hot bath when we get back?” You proposed. Gods, he was gonna fucking break.
“Okay.” He answered, dryly, only adding to the tension between you both. But really, he was just trying to keep himself under control. How couldn’t you see it? He didn’t need the North, he just needed you.
You rode further, but a sound nearby made him stop the horse in its tracks, taking his racing thoughts elsewhere.
“Quiet.” He whispered.
“I didn’t say anything.” You whispered back. You watched him take the bow off his back, poising an arrow and aiming, but you couldn’t see where.
The sun had slowly started to rise, turning the sky into a low blue, but your vision was not as perceptive as Cregan’s, who had clearly been doing this for a long time.
You leaned forward, trying to give him more arm space to aim, unintentionally pushing your ass into him even more. He gripped the bow, trying to keep his focus on the large elk in front of him.
He released the arrow, missing by a mile.
“Fuck.” He said, watching the animal run away into the woods.
“Stop squirming around, I can’t focus with you moving on my cock like that.” He said, bluntly.
You couldn’t help but scoff, smiling a little. It really was unintentional.
“Perhaps, you could just get better.” You taunted, still leaning forward. He grabbed the back of your collar, pulling you to sit back up against his chest. But, he said nothing. You had bested him.
The tension of your argument had faded, and now, a new kind formed.
You went a little further down the trail, the sky turning a softer, but still low shade of blue as your search continued.
He was surprised this time when you grabbed the reins to stop the horse.
“What are you-“ He asked, his voice agitated.
“Sh.” Your turned slightly to have your hand cover his mouth, pointing with the other. “There.”
He saw it, another elk, and it was huge. He didn’t know how he had missed it. Seeing one was lucky, but two in a day was rare. He knew he couldn’t miss this shot. You took your hand off his mouth as he grabbed another arrow
“Do. Not. Move.” He whispered, and although you hadn’t the first time, you really held still for this one. You didn’t even dare breathe.
Cregan aimed, and hit it, the animal groaning and falling to the ground. You couldn’t help but shriek in excitement, before he quickly covered your mouth. But, he couldn’t hide his excitement either, smiling ear to ear.
“Sh, sh, sh.” He said, trying not to laugh. He stepped off the horse, helping you down after him. You both approached the animal slowly, Cregan holding his arm out to shield you behind him, just in case.
It was dead; a clean quick, death for the elk. You covered your mouth in excitement, jumping up and down in the snow.
He grabbed the antlers, lifting its head to hold it up for you.
“My Gods, it’s huge!” You said. “It’s almost as big as you!”
“Very funny.” He says, dropping it.
“That’s a compliment.” You say. Thankfully, his already red cheeks hid the blush.
He dragged it over to the horse as you watched, sweat dripping down his forehead, despite the cold.
“Could I get a hand here?” He asks, wiping it with the back of his hand.
“Looks like you’ve got it all figured out.” You tease. He huffs at you.
He gets the elk on the horse, only finally getting help from you at the end. He ties it down, panting in exhaustion. Dawn nearly breaks.
“Shall we call it a day?” He asks.
“I haven’t got anything.” You whine.
“Princess,” he laughs, “We should consider ourselves lucky we even saw two elks this quickly in the day. We won’t find anything else in this cold without being out here for hours.”
You pout, your nose and cheeks red from the bitter cold.
“Look at you,” He says. “I know you’re freezing, I can tell by your nose. Besides, I’ve got blood on me I want to go clean up.”
You pout more as he gets on the horse. He looks down at you standing beside it, and holds his hand out for you.
You both stare at each other for a really long time, his arm getting tired as he finally breaks. “Get on the damn horse.”
You sigh, taking his hand and straddling the horse, purposely pushing your ass on his crotch this time.
“Seven hells, I cannot stand you.” He moans.
“Good thing you’re sitting down.”
Cregan turns the horse, heading back the way you came. His arm is wrapped around your stomach again to hold you in place, and his gloved hand weaves under your layers, rubbing patterns against your skin to warm you up.
You lean back into him, head resting against his shoulder.
“I love you.” You say to him. He wraps his arm tighter around you.
“I know.” He says, kissing your temple.
It’s there he realizes he can’t resist you anymore. His vow to himself had lasted five hours, maybe. Maybe it was your warmth, or the way your ass moved against him each time the trail was rough, or the way your little red nose and cheeks brought out the sharp violet of your Targaryen eyes. Either way, it was all too much.
He pulls his hand from you, removing the glove and putting his bare hand back against your stomach. He trails his fingers up and down your sternum, sending chills up your spine. Your hands place themselves against his legs, anchoring you for support.
“You’re so mean to me, my lord husband.” You breathe, voice coated with lust. “You yell at me all night and then wish to touch me.”
“Let me make it up to you.” He whispers in your ear, his hand moving to massage your breasts, fingers pinching and playing with the skin.
You moan, and he drops the reins to take off his other glove, moving another hand down into your pants.
“Hold the reins.” He whispers against you, fingers rubbing against your slit. “Keep us on the trail.”
You moan, shaky hands grabbing to hold the reins and keep the horse steady.
You’re a whimpering mess, and your body naturally bucks forward, but Cregan holds you tight against him, still playing with your chest.
His fingers are relentless against your cunt, leaving you crying and shaking against him.
“Sit still.” He says, lowly, but his fingers on your breasts and the ones threatening to enter your cunt are too much. He slips two inside, knowing you’ll squirm even more.
“You’re gonna scare the horse.” He warns, yet thrusts his fingers into you without a care in the world. Your hand grips his thigh, still trying to hold the reins with the other, but the horse veers left and right from time to time.
“Are you gonna cum all over my fingers, wife? Have it leak out and stain my saddle?” He teases.
“Fuck you.” You moan, and he smirks. “You’re cruel.”
“Look at that,” He purs, “You’re confusing my horse.”
The horse moves back and forth on the trail, and his hand threatens to leave you and take the reins.
“No, no, please!” You beg, closing in on not only your release but the castle too, which grows closer and closer through the tree line.
“Then, keep the horse straight and keep your voice down.”
“I’m so close.” You whimper.
“I know you are.” He whispers into your hair, “You’re running out of time though, my love.”
You drop the reins, hands moving to the wrist in your pants, pushing his fingers with your own in desperate need to finish before you’re out of the woods.
“Be quiet.” He warns, “I can tell you’re about to scream.”
and he was right. The volume of your breathless whimpers grew more and more. He was so hard against you, his cock begging to break from his pants and fuck you.
You were right there, stuck on the edge of release but held back by the anxiety of finishing fast enough. You just needed that one thing, something to push you over, whether it was something dirty said from Cregan or a motion of his hand, just something.
He knew it, too, so his hand moved from your breast and wrapped around your throat, softly at first, then tighter to quiet the moans that were eliciting from your lips.
“Oh, fuck, oh, fuck.” You cried, attempting to lean forward and out of his reach again as you came, but his grip on your throat held you against him, and he let your screams go, saving them in his head to think about later.
Your grip on his wrist tightened, nails scratching at his skin as he groaned in pain, but he let you do it. He pulled out his fingers, wiping them on his pants and letting go of your throat, finally letting you lean forward to catch your breath. Your ass still arched against him, and his hands rested on your waist.
“Are you okay?” He asks. You nod against the horse, still shaking and whimpering.
“That’s my good girl.” He says, patting your back. “Let’s get back home.”
The horse pushes on, straight now that Cregan had the reins, and you eventually sit back up to lean against his chest. You exhale softly, falling asleep against him before reaching the castle. He let you rest, riding extra slow so you had more time, adjusting your buttons and straightening your furs before arriving back at the castle.
He shook you gently, seeing the kids waiting for you both in the yard. You opened your eyes, smiling upon seeing them wait.
“What’d you get? What’d you get?” Rickon asks, jumping up and down as you enter.
“Nice elk. He was big and strong.” Cregan says, flexing his arms to make them laugh. Lya points at him.
“Like you, father.” Rickon speaks for her.
“My sweet babes.” He says, picking them up to show them the elk on the horse.
You step down, Cregan shifting the kids in his arms to give you a hand.
“Don’t touch, Lya.” You say, catching her hand going to poke the dead elk.
“Can you take me, father?” He asks.
“Soon.” Cregan tells him, “It’s about time for your naps right now. Let’s go inside.”
You walk inside, Cregan carrying both of the children to their room as you hold the door open for him. He lays them down, while you light the hearth in their room to keep them warm.
You sit at the end of the bed, while Cregan sits at the headboard, one child under each arm lying on his chest. For some reason, he avoids your eyes. The tension of being home and needing to face reality at some point lingered in the air still.
Cregan was faced with his decision again, and being in the woods had given him a brief moment of peace for it to be forgotten. He didn’t have an answer, but felt like he owed you one. But, you knew his answer, or at least thought you did. You would only ever have one true born child, and she would be your only heir to the Iron Throne.
This didn’t stop the fact Cregan knew she would be betrothed to a Targaryen, which he would not accept for his only daughter.
“What troubles you?” You finally ask quietly, once the kids are sleeping. “We had a good morning. Forget about last night.”
He hesitates, “I’m not a gambling man but if I had to bet, you’ll wed her to a Targaryen, won’t you?”
“I… I haven’t even thought about that, Cregan. Gods. She’s two years old.”
“Don’t lie.” He says, “A Targaryen must always sit the Iron Throne, and while you’ll always be a Targaryen in the South, Lyanna is a Stark everywhere.”
“Well, now that you bring it up, yes. I will wed her to a Targaryen.”
“How could you?!” He says, quietly but aggressively, slightly leaning forward to show his anger, but still trying not to wake them. “It’s her choice!”
“I didn’t get to choose!” You spit back.
“You had a fucking easy choice, you didn’t need to! We had history.” He says. Lyanna shuffles in her sleep, crawling closer onto Cregan’s chest.
“I’d barely call it history.” You scoff and roll your eyes, standing to leave the room, him still trapped under the children.
“Come back here, now!” He whispers, quietly snapping his gloved fingers at you. You look at him from the door.
“Oh, you want me to come over there?” You mess with him. “Where, right here? Outside the door? Be specific.”
“Oh, my pretty wife, you are such a-“ You close the door, turning and walking to your room.
Cregan, as swiftly and calmly as possible, moves the kids off his chest, shushing them to stay asleep while putting the blankets over them.
He follows you to the bedroom, slamming the door behind him and walking to you on the bed.
“You will not name her heir.” Cregan says.
“Try me!” You yell.
“Name one of your twin brothers, or Joffrey even as your heir, but not her!”
“Listen to yourself!” You cry out. “She’s my first born daughter, I am my mother’s first daughter, my mother is my grandfather’s first born daughter. If I do not name her my heir, everything we do will be for nothing!”
“Not my daughter.” Cregan repeats.
“Our daughter! I carried her for nine torturous months-“
“You would not have her if it weren’t for me!”
“I’d have more if it weren’t for you!”
“I can’t keep having this fucking argument!” He says, flipping a night table over.
“Oh, please spare me the dramatics.” You sigh, pressing your fingers to your temples.
“You are trying my patience, wife.” He says it with venom. “You’re hardly the woman I fell in love with anymore.”
“Funny!” You yell. “I was just going to say the same about you!”
He says nothing, instead turning and leaving.
You sigh into your hands. You hadn’t even sat on the Iron Throne, yet the prospect of it was tearing your marriage apart.
He was gone for maybe 5 minutes when the door opens again, and you’re surprised to look up and see it’s him.
“What? Come to flip another table, maybe punch the wall this time?” You ask, but he says nothing. You’re trying to read his features, sensing shock coming from him.
“What is it?” You ask, your tone much softer. He’s struggling to find the words. “Cregan, you’re scaring me. What is it?”
“Y-Your brother.” He says. “We just received word from a raven he was killed in the Gullet.”
You knew it was coming, you foresaw it years ago, and yet the words sent you falling apart.
He’s frozen in place. The news of your brother was a shock to him, of course. But, you really had seen it, that shocked him more.
He breaks out of his trance, pulling you into him to let you cry, but he can’t find the words to comfort you. You’d said it yourself, you grieved him while he was still living.
Then, your mother. Gods, it really would happen. You really would take the Iron Throne. He hadn’t fully processed it until now.
He was panicking inside. You were already a target, only no one dared threaten you here in the safety of the North when winter was at its climax. Now, when your mother inevitably announced to the kingdom that she named you as her next heir in line, Aegon would send his army hunting for your head.
And not just yours, but any heirs you had, including his Lyanna.
He had so many questions, and it felt like there was so little time to ask them.
You awoke to an empty bed again. The sun was barely rising, and your room was dimly lit with the blue hues of the early morning sky. There was a hot tea left on your nightstand, and you took a drink before going to find Cregan again.
He was not in the children’s room, or his council chambers, or the dining hall. It was only when you stepped outside for some fresh air, did you find him on accident.
He stood in the training yard swinging his sword against a training dummy. He was so skilled in combat, you at times forgot you and your husband were both still young, only in your 20s.
“Cregan.” You say from atop the balcony. “When’s the last time you’ve slept?”
He looks at you, his eyes clearly tired. “I wish I knew, my princess.”
He looks back down at his sword, finger tracing the blade. “Another raven arrived in the night… You’ve been named heir to the iron throne… and your mother has left King’s Landing until it is safe to return.”
You say nothing, taking time to process the information. You had a target on your back now, and you knew if Winter ended early the Greens still might try to march here, despite your dragon and the foreign soil.
“I will give you what it is you want, princess.” Cregan says. “But, I must stay here.”
“Cregan-“
“You do not need to restore the North as an independent kingdom. I think it best if when this war ends, you rule here and the South. I’ll ensure you sit that throne, and I’ll bend the knee and pledge my oath to you once again.”
You walk down the stairs to the yard, straight to him without stopping. He drops his sword, wrapping his arms around you as you press your lips to his.
“I won’t do any of it without you by my side.” You say, holding his cheeks. His gloved hands holds yours against his face, closing his eyes to embrace your touch.
“My place is here.” He says.
“But, my place is with you.”
“My love… Duty is sacrifice.” He says. “You know that you must serve the realm when the time comes.”
Tears fall from your eyes, and he wipes them away.
“You and I will march when this winter ends. I’ll ensure you’re safe-“
“No.”
“I’ll bring- look at me- I’ll bring you a sworn protector. I will give you a babe over and over, as many times as you want-“
“You don’t mean this.” You say, stepping out of his hold.
“I…” He pauses. He didn’t mean this, he had said it himself he would’ve followed you anywhere, but he was at a loss of what to do. “I don’t know what to do any longer. How are we meant to rule two places at once, or to have Rickon rule here at four years old? And what of Lya? No where is safe for you or her.”
“We’re safe wherever you are, Cregan.” You press your forehead to his chest, before looking up at him. “Our children will come with us wherever we go. We rule in King’s Landing, you name a hand for Winterfell to rule until Rickon is of age, and Lya… I will name one of my brother’s as my heir instead of her, and I will let the courtships come to her.”
Cregan paused. He did not want Lya on the throne, and he did not want Lya wedding a Targaryen, and you knew it. He’d seen how King’s Landing treated your mother, the rightful heir, he’d seen how they treated your brothers, calling them bastards of Harwin Strong, and he had seen how they treated you… the shameful ways they spoke about your beauty… He did not want Lyanna to go through that, which she would if she ruled in King’s Landing.
Talking of prospects of the throne felt so strange, like you were plotting against your mother. But, you could not change fate no matter how hard you tried. All you knew is you would sit the throne, that meant the only thing you could do was prepare for it. You had written her letters of your visions, maybe that was why she left King’s Landing. Wherever she was going, you hoped she was safe.
“Stay with me.” You plead, pressing a kiss to his lips. “I’m losing you.”
The truth was you would never lose him, despite all this arguing and fucking, and fucking and arguing, he was always yours. He thought he knew love before you, with Alysanne, but he only knew the idea of it. But, your love with him was enough to make him fall on his sword for you, if you had asked.
“Not even close.” He says, pressing a deep kiss into your lips. “Oh, my sweet girl, I am so tired of fighting with you.”
“As am I.” You breathe into the kiss. “But, I fear we have a dangerous road ahead of us.”
to be continued…