and if I add dadson² and unclenephew/brothercest² fries to this????? Baelor taking Maekar in as a ward of sorts, seeing his mother and father's age when Maekar needed raising leaving him at a disadvantage.
his sour pup of a little brother needed a wiser, more focused hand. needed more attention. needed a sturdy alpha to raise him up. so he took Maekar in with his brood, a son of the same age and one slightly younger, when Maekar was about 7 or 8.
he taught him on horseback and sword, histories, politics, the like. and in the end, betrothed the omega to his alpha son, Valarr. to keep him close, of course. Baelor didn't want either of his sons to leave him, ever.
not his first born, not the boy born to him as a brother. he had a fodness for both boys that went beyond fatherly love. beyond brotherly love.
he found both boys beautiful. and both were so desperate for his attention, not even fighting for it. seeking kisses and the shelter of the crook of his arm, leaning into his touches and groping. but for one reason or another— perhaps he was happily married with Jena for now. or there were too many eyes on their marriage for him to take risks. perhaps he was attempting to be a good heir, and still had a grip on himself. maybe he didn't want to sully them as pups. something different all togehter —things never went much farther than that.
and for Maekar and Valarr themselves, they were happy to be brothers, attached at the hip since they were first made brothers by wardship. happy to share their father, knowing he loved them both, and sing that against him to get even more love and spoiling. and happily betrothed, it was puppy love, but love nonetheless.
Valarr could handle Maekar's sullen nature, and even urge a smile out of him. and he believed he was beautiful, scars and all. Maekar was smitten over it, and gives Valarr a place to confide in, to be "imperfect"- to whine and complain about things, or spar till they both bled, or a place to... misbehave... before they're officially wed.
taking to one another's chambers after dark, sharing their beds. their heats and ruts, with a steady flow of moon tea. Valarr had wanted a pup so bad, but insisted they wait, for Maekar's honor. people would speak of both of them, but he didn't want to hear an ill word about his mate. so he hushed Maekar's every argument to just let a pup take to his womb.
so when Valarr slips away to the sickness, both Baelor and Maekar are grieving the loss. grieving their sweet Valarr. a son, a brother, a nephew, a lover. Maekar is grieving a pup he will never get to carry because his foolish boy was too sweet for his own good.
but Maekar also had something that Baelor hadn't.
he had been bedded by Valarr, where Baelor never took the chance, like the fool he was. and now the man, widowed, heirless, has a chance to at least enjoy his sweet son, sullen brother. to love him as he deserved.
Baelor beds him. sometimes he asks Maekar how Valarr had fucked him, and repeats it, with greater skill. other times, he calls Maekar by Valarr's name, taking him how he'd imagined taking his son again and again over the years. and others, he just soothes his sweet brother, his sweet son. his boy, whose heart is aching with the loss of his betrothed, who Baelor has wanted, simply because it is in his blood to love his brother.
"you'll be mine now, sweet thing. I won't leave you."
they'll make plenty of heirs. while they attempt to mend the wounds in their hearts.
I just think it would be rather nice if they became a tangled mess of incest. and think of the layers.
maybe Baelor seemed to favor his son over his brother and Maekar was jealous at times. maybe after being betrothed, both boys preferred each other, over their father, and Baelor was the jealous one.
either way, perhaps Maekar resents Baelor for bedding him, and is a sullen bride, even outside of his grief alone. because why did his big brother only want him, truly want him, now? was it really only because his precious son was dead? or was Maekar now resenting the love he once begged for, because he only wanted to be Valarr's now? or are they having requited grief sex and Valarr is smiling on from the heavens?
I would deadass heavily invest in this. like. the whole dynamic.