You were preparing to receive your next patron, the soft fabric of your gown brushing delicately against your skin as you arranged the small, secluded corner of the brothel. The room was dimly lit, secluded enough to offer its patrons a measure of privacy, and for a moment you allowed yourself to become lost in your thoughts. Then you heard footsteps approaching.
"What would you like, my lord?" you asked, continuing to straighten the room without looking up. "You have the whole of the evening, if you can afford it."
"That you claim a dragon and perhaps keep me company," a familiar voice answered, laced with that unmistakable hint of mischief.
You froze.
For a moment, you were certain you had imagined it. Then you turned and found Daemon Targaryen standing before you, looking entirely too comfortable in a place where he had no business being. The sight of him stirred memories you had spent years forcing into the darkest corners of your mind.
"You know you should not be here," you said, taking a step back from him.
"Following the Queen's orders, I see," he replied, his eyes lingering on you with the same knowing amusement he had worn years ago. "Though I confess, I had not expected you to take them quite so seriously."
There was a familiarity in his voice that made your chest tighten. Years ago, you and Daemon had shared something that had never been given a proper name. An affair, perhaps, though calling it that seemed almost too simple for what had existed between you. There had been stolen nights, whispered words and a closeness neither of you had ever dared acknowledge in daylight. Then Daemon had chosen duty, choosing loyalty and the path that would eventually place a crown upon his head. After that, he had disappeared from your life entirely.
Until tonight.
"Congratulations, by the way," you murmured, finally meeting his gaze. "I imagine becoming King, even if only King Consort, must have been a matter of great pride for you."
The faint smile on your lips made it clear you were provoking him.
Daemon's expression shifted, amusement settling more deeply into his eyes as he took a slow step toward you.
"Careful," he said quietly. "You always did have a talent for making congratulations sound like insults."
"What do you want here, Daemon?" you asked more sharply, the irritation in your voice no longer concealed.
He smiled as though he enjoyed seeing you angry, as though your temper were something he had missed.
"I already told you. Your company, and that you try to..." he began, but you cut him off before he could finish.
"Let me see if I understand this correctly. You want me to go with you after appearing here out of nowhere as though nothing ever happened?"
Your voice was filled with indignation now. You stepped closer, refusing to let him intimidate you.
"I was not sitting here waiting for you to return, oh grand Daemon Targaryen," you added, your gaze fixed upon his.
Something in his expression softened, though the amusement never quite left his face.
"Your emotions have always fascinated me, ñuha ilībio," he said quietly.
The words struck deeper than they should have. You had learned High Valyrian years ago, during the time when you had been Daemon's lover, when he had made you feel as though you were the only woman in the world who mattered to him. He had taught you words in his language, whispered them to you in the privacy of his chambers, until you could understand more than he ever realized.
You had once been his.
You were not anymore.
"Perhaps I am not yours anymore, but that does not mean I stopped being a person simply because I became a prostitute," you said, your voice quieter now, though no less bitter. "You do not get to walk back into my life and expect me to follow you simply because you have decided you need me."
Daemon's smile faded.
For the first time since he had entered the room, there was no teasing in his expression. He looked at you with something far more vulnerable, something you had rarely seen in him.
"I know you hate me now," he said, his voice lower. "But I need you."
There was something almost pleading in the way he said it, and that alone unsettled you more than any threat could have.
Daemon Targaryen did not plead. Not for anyone. Yet here he was, standing before you as though whatever had brought him to this place had stripped away his pride and left him with nothing but the desperate need for you to say yes.
"What makes you believe a dragon would allow me anywhere near it?" you asked, though your resistance was beginning to falter despite yourself. There was still distrust in your eyes, but Daemon could see the curiosity beneath it, the part of you that had never truly stopped listening to him. "You have not even told me why you need me."
"You know as well as I do that your father was a Targaryen," Daemon said, his tone low and certain, as though he were speaking a truth that needed no embellishment. "That blood did not vanish because you were raised far from Dragonstone, far from court, far from everything that should have belonged to you. With the proper training, and the right dragon, you could claim one."
He took another step closer, his gaze fixed on yours, not unkind but relentless.
"And if you can," he continued, "we strengthen Rhaenyra's side in this war. Every dragon matters now. Every rider matters. We cannot afford to ignore someone with the blood to bond and the will to survive it."
You held his stare in silence for a moment, your expression unreadable even to yourself. Part of you wanted to laugh at the audacity of it, to remind him that he had vanished from your life once before and had no right to return asking for loyalty. Yet another part of you, the part that remembered him at his most convincing, found it difficult to dismiss the urgency in his voice.
"So that is what this is?" you asked at last, your voice quieter now. "You did not come because you remembered me. You came because you remembered my blood."
Daemon's jaw tightened, though he did not look away.
"I came because I remembered both," he said. "And because unlike many others in this war, you may yet prove useful to the right cause."
That should have offended you. Perhaps it did. Yet his words were not entirely a lie, and that was what made them dangerous. Daemon never wasted time on flattery when he believed a sharper truth would serve him better.
You exhaled slowly, crossing your arms as you studied him.
"Useful," you repeated, dryly. "You always did know how to make a woman feel cherished."
A faint smile touched his mouth, but it did not reach his eyes.
"Come with me," he said, and now there was less command in his voice than before, more restraint, as though he knew he could not simply order you the way he once might have tried. "If you still have any pride left, let it prove itself before a dragon. If you still have any courage left, let me see it."
And despite the bitterness that had hardened in your chest, despite every reason you had to turn him away, you found that you were listening.
"We are not doing this again," you murmured, your voice quieter now but firm enough to leave no room for misunderstanding. "Whatever we had between us has been dead for a long time, and I have no intention of breathing life into those ashes."
You turned toward the door, knowing that the moment you stepped beyond it, this would become nothing more than another encounter between a nobleman and a woman who had refused his request. You could return to your duties, and Daemon could return to the war. Whatever history had once existed between you would remain buried where you had left it.
But before you could reach the doorway, Daemon caught your arm.
You barely had time to turn before he pulled you back, sending you onto the bed. His grip closed around your wrists, holding your arms above your head as he leaned over you, his expression far too calm for the situation.
"Forget our past," he said, his voice low. "Do this for your Queen."
Anger flashed through you. You struggled against his hold, glaring at him with a fury that made the old memories feel like an insult.
"Let me go before I kill you right here and give our Queen the opportunity to find herself a new husband."
For a heartbeat, silence filled the room. Then Daemon smiled.
Of all the reactions you had expected, that was certainly not one of them. He looked almost amused by your threat, as though your fury were precisely what he had been trying to provoke.
"You always were more frightening when you were angry," he murmured, clearly far too entertained by the prospect of you trying to murder him.
"You think this is amusing?"
"I think," Daemon replied, loosening his grip just enough to make it clear that he could release you, "that threatening to kill the King Consort is a rather bold way of telling me you have not forgotten me."
Your eyes narrowed. "Do not flatter yourself."
His smile only widened. "Then prove me wrong."
"Stop trying to control me with your challenges," you said, your voice sharp with frustration. "I am not going to risk my life trying to bond with a dragon, nor am I going to give up the place I have fought to earn here simply to serve you."
Daemon's expression hardened slightly, the amusement in his eyes fading as he realized you were not simply being difficult. You had built a life for yourself in the only way you knew how, and whatever he was offering could take it away as easily as it had once taken him away from you.
"You think I am asking you to serve me?" he asked.
"Is that not what you came here for?"
"No." His answer came without hesitation. "I came because the war has already begun, and you have a choice to make before it reaches you."
You scoffed, turning your face away from him.
"I have already made my choice. I survive."
Daemon was quiet for a moment. Then he finally released your wrists and stepped back, giving you the space you had demanded.
"Then survive," he said. "But do not mistake the walls you have built around yourself for safety. Now that the war is here, it will not care whether you are a noblewoman, a dragonrider, or a woman working in a brothel."
His gaze remained fixed on you.
"And if you truly believe you have nothing left to lose, then perhaps you are the very person who should be willing to claim a dragon."
"Find someone else," you replied, your voice cold as you moved toward the door. "And if you have any respect for your own wife, do not come back here."
Daemon regarded you for a long moment. The words seemed to strike somewhere beneath his usual confidence, though he quickly concealed it.
"She and I are at odds," he admitted. "Bringing you into this would be another risk to my marriage, not a benefit."
You looked at him incredulously.
"And yet you still came."
"I did." His gaze did not leave yours. "Because I would rather take every risk necessary to help the Queen win this war than do everything in my power merely to keep my wife happy."
There was something almost bitter in the way he said it. You knew Daemon well enough to understand that this was not simply about duty. Whatever quarrel existed between him and Rhaenyra, whatever had driven him to seek you out after years of silence, he had chosen to place the war above the comfort of his own marriage.
"You have a strange way of showing loyalty," you murmured.
"Perhaps." He reached for the door. "But I have never claimed to be a good husband."
"At least you are honest about it."
The corner of his mouth lifted faintly, but this time he did not answer. He simply left.
You remained where you were, staring at the doorway long after his footsteps had disappeared. You told yourself you had made the sensible choice. You had survived without him before, and you could survive without him again.
Yet the longer the silence stretched, the more his words returned to you.
The war had already begun.
You thought of the dragons. Of the possibility that your blood might truly be enough. Of Daemon riding away from you once again, this time carrying your refusal back to Rhaenyra. You had spent years telling yourself that you wanted nothing to do with him, and yet the thought of never seeing him again felt strangely unbearable.
"Damn you, Daemon," you whispered.
You moved before you could change your mind.
By the time you reached the courtyard, Daemon was already beside his horse, one hand resting on the saddle as he prepared to mount. He looked toward you at the sound of hurried footsteps, surprise briefly crossing his face.
You stopped a few paces away, breathless from the run.
"I will try."
Daemon stared at you.
You swallowed, suddenly regretting every step that had brought you there, yet unable to take them back.
"I will try to claim a dragon," you repeated. "But if it does not work, you will never come looking for me again. Do you understand?"
His expression softened, though he made no attempt to hide the satisfaction in his eyes.
"You have my word."
"No," you said firmly. "I want more than your word. If the dragon rejects me, you leave me alone. You return to your Queen, your war and your marriage, and you never come back here asking me to risk my life for you again."
Daemon studied you for a long moment before nodding.
"Very well."
You hesitated.
"And Daemon?"
"Yes?"
"If I die trying, I will haunt you."
A quiet laugh escaped him, the first genuine amusement you had heard from him that night.
"I would expect nothing less from you."
He mounted his horse, but before he turned away, his eyes remained on you.
"Get yourself ready. I will return for you."
You watched him ride away, already wondering whether you had just made the greatest mistake of your life.
Your husband Daemon and you have an ugly fight after which you don't speak to each other. Your children are quick to notice it though and come up with a plan to make you reconcile.
I loved this request and I had so so much fun writing this so thank you very much <3 Also, please feel free to send me your requests and tell me what you would like me to write
Contains: angst, fighting, fluff
Wordcount: ~5.67k
Masterlist
You had your lips pressed together and head turned away.
Your hand gripped the edge of the table tightly, anger controlling your senses and you felt so heated that you just wished for a cold rain soaking your body.
"I said no, Daemon.", you hissed at him.
Your husband had his eyes closed as if he tried to calm himself but it clearly didn't worked because he pushed himself away from the wall against which he had rested and restlessly walked back and forth.
"And I'm asking you once again, why?! Why, y/n?"
You exhaled loudly and threw your hands in the air.
"Because she is too young. I can't believe I even have to discuss this with you. Visenya is 8 years old. Not old enough to climb on a dragon on her own. She can fly with you but she is not going to take off with Sirmai alone."
He rolled his eyes.
"Gods be good, y/n! Our daughter is made of fire. She belongs on that dragonback. It's where she is alive."
You laughed out madly and approached him with quick steps.
"Yes. I want her to be alive. And if she is on that dragon alone nothing can assure me that she'll get back on the ground alive."
Daemon shook his head and lowered his head. "Visenya claimed Sirmai, she is not going to get her in danger."
"But she is eight, Daemon! Saena was 10 when we first let her fly on Cloudchaser and Wyllam as well."
Your husband raised his chin and defiantly chewed on his buttom lip. "Visenya is tough. And she wants it too."
You threw your head back.
"This is so stupid, Daemon. I said no. I'm her mother and I'm not going to risk my daughter's life because you act irresponsible and emotional and without reason."
"Oh so I'm the bad father now, is that what you're trying to say?"
You crossed your arms in front of your chest.
"No, but it in this case, yes. You're putting your honor as a Targaryen and as a dragonrider above Visenya's well-being."
Now it was Daemon who laughed and rubbed his tired eyes.
"I can't believe you just said that…"
He abruptly turned around and lifted his finger to point at you.
"I love our daughter as much as a father can love his child. But she is ready and maybe you can't see that but I can. I'm telling you, we should allow her to mount Sirmai."
You shook your head, trying to make your expression look as cold as possible.
"No, Daemon. I will not allow it and so it's not going to happen."
He exhaled loudly and shook his head in disbelief.
"And I can't believe you are always coming up with 'she's meant for it as a Targaryen'. Yes, the blood of the dragon runs in her veins but that doesn't mean that you can use that fact as a justification. She is still my daughter and as much as I respect Targaryen tradition, she is still half dornish and sometimes I have the feeling that you think of your side as superior and more distinctive."
He turned to walk away from you.
"This is stupid…"
You glared at him and narrowed your eyes. "No it's not, Daemon."
"It is and I have no desire to listen to any more of your childish outbursts. I'm going to bed now."
You watched him with flashing eyes as he hasted through your chambers but before he passed you you held out your arm to stop him. Your head hit his chest and his eyes shot down to meet yours.
"You will not sleep in here tonight," you whispered dangerously and Daemon frowned.
"You're not being serious, are you?"
But you remained persistend and gestured to the door.
"I am. I don't want you in here."
He grinded his teeth and his eyes twinkled and yet he did as you had demanded and was quick to leave your chambers.
Once he was outside you inhaled deeply and sat down on a chair. You closed your eyes in a desperate attempt to make your boiling blood calm down but it took you some time until you opened them and you were able to think normally again.
~~~~~~~~~~
You saw your husband again the next day for breakfast. Your children were playing by the fire surrounded by maids and servants and septas and when you entered Daemon was just reading a piece of parchment but lowered it when he saw you.
You on the other hand completely ignored him and didn't look at him for a mere second. You had decided to give him the silent treatment and just act like he wasn't there. So instead of giving him a morning kiss like you usually would have done you walked to your children and caressed your daughter Saena's dark hair.
Your children were a mixture of your husband's and your features. While Visenya, Wyllam and Meradith came more after Daemon and his Targaryen looks, your eldest daughter Saena and Orlyn had your thick brown hair and darker eyes and skin as their siblings. Meralith on the other hand was the pure image of her father. Silver straight hair, light eyes and the only difference to Daemon was her darker tan. The girl would soon turn 6 and you lovingly watched your children while ignoring your husband's presence.
Orlyn, your youngest just brought you a little dragon that his uncle had gifted him for his name day and pulled it through the air.
"I called him Aero, mother. And when I have my dragon one day I'll call him Aero too."
You smiled softly and caressed your son's shoulder.
"That's a name fit for a fierce dragon, my darling."
Your son smiled contendly and babbled something while shifting his attention to his toy again. You straightened up again now and walked towards the breakfast table, still not giving a glance at Daemon. He on the other hand watched your every move but when he realized what it was you were doing he lowered his head as well and folded his hands in front of him.
He was way too proud to give in and talk to you. He was pissed and hurt (even if he wouldn't admit it) but definitely wouldn't communicate with you about his feelings now that you seemed so indifferent. So his expression changed to cold as well and he leaned back in his chair grabbing the parchment once more and fixed his eyes on the letter beneath him. If you were to treat him like this he would play along.
~~~~~~~~~~
The next days you spent almost entirely ignoring each other. Of course you saw Daemon during the meals and when you spent time with your children but you didn't say more than necessary, never looked at him and especially never exchanged any sort of loving affection. You were stubborn and still furious and wanted him to feel that.
In your head Daemon had acted unreasonable and childish and you just hated it because you felt like he didn't actually listen to you. Why was it that you always had to keep a light head while he came up with dangerous ideas and plans and acted as if you were too controlling and scared. You weren't scared, you simply wanted your children to be safe, seven hells.
Daemon on the other hand was equally angry and couldn't understand your behaviour any better. To him, his suggestion was the perfect proof of his love to his children and he simply knew that Visenya would be perfectly fine on her dragon. He felt like you were controlling him and taking part in a piece of his family history that you just couldn't understand that well because you weren't a dragon rider yourself. Daemon was secretly hurt because in his understanding you were trying to claim that part of his identity and that translated in his anger.
And yet through all of his fury, he couldn't help but glance at you when you entered a room. Just like you also took care of him from afar, he had to make sure that you were alright, that you were eating enough and that you weren't overwhelmed with taking care of the children.
One time you didn't attend supper and Daemon had been worried when he found out that you had a headache. Everything inside of his screamed to approach you to take care of you but he couldn't get over his pride and he also wasn't sure whether you would even want him there.
So instead of visiting you, Daemon sent servants to your rooms every 10 minutes and ordered them to make sure you were fine and ask you whether you needed anything. In the meantime the prince walked up and down in his chambers and nervously nibbled at his nails. He hated this so much but what was he to do? He was a stubborn and proud person and remained angry with you. He certainly wouldn't be the first one to give and come apologizing.
~~~~~~~~~~
Four days after your fight, things shifted though because while Daemon tied his hair in the morrow there was a knock on the door.
A part of him hoped that it was you who finally wanted to discuss things but once he had ordered the person to come in the door slowly opened. He turned to see who it was and his face softened when he saw his daughters one by one peeking into the room. Daemon smiled gently and gestured them to come in. The three girls walked to their father who sat down on a chair and lifted his eyebrows at their careful and uncertain expressions.
"What is it, girls? You seem serious."
Saena, your eldest daughter nibbled at her thumb while glaring at her sisters.
"I-Is there something wrong?"
Daemon frowned. "What do you mean, darling?"
Now it was Meralith who stared at her father with big eyes and seemingly was sad.
"You almost haven't spoken to mommy yesterday. And the day before. And the day before," she mumbled and Daemon felt a little stitch in his heart.
He reached down to grab the girl under her arms and lifed her onto his lap. Then he caressed her silver hair out of her face and determindly looked into his daughters' eyes.
"Everything is fine, girls. Your mother and I have been very stressed the past days and sometimes there isn't a lot of time to talk to each other. But we cherish and love every second we get to see each other, alright?"
The only one who looked a little more relieved was Meralith on his lap but Saena and Visenya frowned and pouted.
"But it's never like that," Visenya claimed and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "You never talk to mother or kiss her or even look at her."
Daemon shook his head.
"I promise you that we have everything under control. In a few days there will be less things going on and your mother and I will have more time for each other again. You on the other hand – " He caressed his daughter's head. "Don't need to worry about anything."
Visenya sighed while Saena still looked suspicious but the three girls decided not to uphold the discussion any longer and told their father they would go in the gardens to play now. Daemon nodded feeling relieved and told them he would have to attend a small council meeting and reminded them of their lessons with their septa later.
What the rogue prince didn't know was that you just had had quite a similar conversation with your sons only a few feet away. Because Wyllam and Orlyn had knocked on your door even earlier. Orlyn with his four years was your youngest child and Wyllam had come to you with him because his brother had felt very anxious the past days because just like his sisters, he had sensed that his parents weren't on good terms with each other.
And so you had assured your sons that everything was perfectly fine, just as Daemon had your daughters. Of course you knew that you shouldn't lie to your children but this whole situation was already exhausting enough so you didn't additionally need your children to suffer from this. It was easier that way. Telling them that mommy and daddy were fine and they didn't have to worry about anything. And perhaps you would be. Maybe.
But Daemon and you didn't know that your children were way too smart to be tricked like that. They had left the both of you alone and pretended to believe you to some extent but once your three daughters had left Daemon's room and walked outside the castle to sit on a bench in the gardens Visenya looked at her older sister with a deep frown between her eyebrows.
"Do you believe father, Sae?" she asked and Saena thoughtfully bit her buttom lip.
"I don't know. I can't believe that we imagined this."
Tears were glistening in Meralith's eyes as she pulled at her sister's sleeve.
"I-I want mommy and daddy to love each other," she whimpered and Saena caringly wrapped her arms around the little girl.
"It's fine, Mera. They do love each other."
But then she turned to Visenya again.
"But if father says so we are to believe him. He says we shouldn't worry and maybe – "
But her sister crossed her arms in front of her chest.
"I don't care what he says. I know that something's wrong."
Meralith stared at her other sister now and pouted.
"B-But no… Please Sae, do something."
Her eldest sister sighed and chewed on her lower lip. She wanted to say something when they were interrupted by their brother Wyllam who had sneaked up on his sisters from behind a tree.
"Arghhh," he made and Saena shrieked. "Oh Wyllam, stop it!"
Her brother laughed and held his stomach while Visenya angrily flashed her eyes at him.
"Not funny at all," she hissed.
Orlyn stumbled towards his sister behind his brother and as with his sister Meralith tears swam in his eyes. Wyllam turned to him and then sighed.
"He is sad all the time and I wanted to play with him but he didn't want to so I thought you could take him."
Visenya reared up in front of him.
"So you thought you could just bring him to us whenever he bores you?"
Her brother rolled his eyes and attempted to pat her head but the girl pushed away his hand.
"Relax, sister. You are… girls. You are better with emotions."
That made Visenya jump at Wyllam and her fists came down to hit him in his stomach.
"I make you feel emotions now, you little – " Saena came forward and wrapped her arms around her sister to pull her back.
"Oh stop it, the both of you."
Being older and stronger Saena was able to separate the fighting siblings and then once everyone was at calm again and Wyllam and Visenya only angrily glared at each other the eldest sibling kneeled down in front of Orlyn.
"What is it, little brother?"
The boy sucked on his thumb and stared up to his sister without bringing out a word.
Wyllam shrugged. "It's because of mother and father. He believes they are fighting because they haven't spoken that much and now his whole world has been destroyed."
He rolled his eyes and indifferently plucked an apple from a nearby tree which he examined closely for holes or worms.
"Oh Orlyn," Saena sighed and hugged her brother.
"I don't think there is reason to worry though," said Saena then. "We've spoken to father and everything is fine between them."
Visenya cleared her throat while her youngest brother looked from one sibling to the other.
"At least that's what he said. I believe that they have fought. It's always like this when they fight."
Saena shifted her attention from Orlyn to her sister. "What do you mean, always? They don't fight often."
Visenya rolled her eyes.
"Yes, I know. But when it happens they always ignore each other. Like today and the day before."
Saena tiredly rubbed her eyes.
"I mean… Maybe you are right after all. I sensed something as well but I thought now that father has claimed that we shouldn't worry…"
Wyllam had started to eat his apple but now that even his eldest sister doubted their parents' reassurances he also looked a little worried.
"I've taken Orlyn to mother in the morrow. He was so sad that I thought if we spoke to her, mother could calm him. But though she did, Orlyn remained panicky."
Visenya lifted her eyebrows. "You've spoken to mother? And she said that as well?"
Wyllam nodded. "Yes. She said that her and father were perfectly fine."
Saena put a hand to her lip and hummed to herself. "What should we do now?"
Everyone stared at each other as if they would find a solution in their sibling's faces but no one came forward with a suggestion. It was Meralith who opened her mouth first.
"I want mommy and daddy to love each other again," she whispered again with her eyes dropped to the ground.
Saena, who felt the most responsible and caring towards her siblings took a step towards her sister and pressed the girl's head to her chest.
"They still love each other even when they're fighting, Mera. They are just not talking at the moment but they are still in love, do you understand me?"
Saena kissed her hair and felt her sister nod slightly. So she pulled back, having made sure that Meralith was fine and questioningly looked around in the circle. Visenya cleared her throat and rested her hands on her hips.
"We should do something. Give them no choice but to talk to each other."
Wyllam agreed and nodded.
"We could lock them in the same room," he suggested, but Saena shook her head.
"That goes too far, brother. And how would you even do it? No, we have to come up with something else. Though I'm not sure if we even should interfere…"
Visenya rolled her eyes and walked back and forth.
"Of course we should interfere, sister. Otherwise they're never gonna speak again."
Her youngest siblings looked shocked at her words and fearfully stared at her with big eyes.
"Stop scaring them," complained Saena.
"She is not being serious," she then spoke to Meralith and Orlyn. "Of course mother and father are going to speak again."
Then the eldest girl sighed and looked at Visenya.
"Fine. Maybe we could try it. We should make them talk again."
Her sister nodded contendly and clapped her hands. "Perfect. I already have a plan."
Wyllam frowned. "You do?"
She nodded and pointed at Orlyn. "What is your favourite game?"
The boy widened his eyes and his gaze wandered over his sibling. "Hide and seek."
Visenya nodded. "Exactly. Mother and father will notice that Orlyn is feeling a little weary and sad. So he will go them, perhaps separately and tell them that he would love to play a round of hide and seek with the whole family." She smiled mischieviously. "And then we will manipulate the game so mother and father are in the same team. Then they will have no choice but to talk again and everything will be fine."
The girl smiled proudly and looked from Saena to Wyllam waiting for their admirations but her sister frowned.
"What if they don't have the time? Or they don't want to? Father said it himself, they're very stressed at the moment."
But Visenya shook her head and sighed. "You forget that this was only an excuse, sister. And Orlyn just has to be persistent with them."
"I can do that," her brother claimed and raised his chin.
Wyllam also thoughtfully hummed.
"But what if they won't talk? They can play the game with us and still just ignore each other…"
Visenya realized that he had a point and his sisters remained silent for a moment. Then it was Saena who shrugged.
"We could try it though, right? It's not a perfect plan but it's better than doing nothing."
Visenya nodded enthusiastically while Wyllam hesitatingly tilted his head but it was decided. Meralith and Orlyn were seemingly merely glad that something was happening to make their parents reconcile and so in the afternoon Orlyn shyly knocked at your door while your handmaidens were brushing your hair that always got so messy over the day.
When you saw who it was you smiled softly and sent away your servants. Your son still looked a little sad so you took him into your arms, lifted him and caressed his dark hair.
"My sweet boy," you purred while holding him closely to you.
Orlyn crouched against your neck which made you close your eyes simply enjoying the closeness to your youngest child.
"Mommy?" he then hummed against your neck after a while and you felt the vibrations in your whole body.
"Yes, love?"
"Can we play a game in the gardens? Please."
You sighed and drew your face in a painful smile.
"Oh Orlyn, it's really… I have so much to do…"
Your son pouted at you and you felt a little stitch in your heart at his dissatisfied expression. "Please mommy."
You chuckled at his dark puppy eyes that looked so much like your little sister's and suddenly you remembered the way she had looked at you as a child when she used to ask you to play with her and so you knew you couldn't refuse your son.
"Alright, sweetling. What do you want to play?"
Your son shrieked excitedly which made you deepen your smile and his hands grabbed your shoulders.
"I want to play hide and seek. With Meralith and Wyllam and Visenya and Saena."
You nodded and put Orlyn back to his feet. "Fine. As you wish, love."
And so the two of you walked out of your chambers and to the gardens where your other children were already waiting. You hadn't lied when you said that you had a lot of things to do, but when Orlyn had come to you earlier to ask about Daemon and you, you had sensed that your son was feeling a little worried and anxious, even after you had assured him that everything was the way it was supposed to be. And so you had decided to make some time for your youngest son to give him your love and affection and make sure he didn't feel sad and concerned anymore.
Now you stood with your children but just when you were about to ask them what teams each of you were playing in Orlyn excused himself. You didn't see the wink that was exchanged between your son and Visenya because their plan was it to get your husband now and in that way give Daemon and you no choice but to talk about your differences.
You didn't know that though and just watched your son haste inside the castle with a surprised expression but were quickly distracted by Meralith who showed you a bunch of beautiful flowers she had collected. You admired and complimented each of it and were leaned down to closely examine the flowers when suddenly your daughter shrieked and twitched. A bee had stung her on her arm and tears filled her eyes at once.
"Owww," she cried and you were shocked when you saw the sting starting to swell.
"Oh no no," you made and grabbed your daughter's arm to look at the sting. The girl cried in panic while your other children gathered around their sister.
"What is it, mother?" Wyllam asked, his voice thick with concern and you kneeled in front of Meralith.
"Saena, get the grand maester. Quickly."
Your eldest daughter looked equally shocked as your other children and swiftly ran off inside the castle.
"It's alright, sweet girl," you tried to sooth Meralith even though you felt really scared yourself. Her whole arm was swollen by now and your daughter looked pale in her face though you weren't sure if it might be caused by her shock.
"Everything will be fine, Mera. Just look at me and breathe."
You had to keep a clear head and clam your children who all nervously wandered around and Wyllam had started nibble at his thumb, a habit he had since he was a young boy.
"Mother, what's happening? It looks so scary," he asked.
You caressed Meralith's shoulders and tried to breathe steadily.
"It's just a bee sting. Saena will be back soon with the grand maester and then everything will be fine."
Your daughter's cheeks were coated with her tears and you just prayed that your words would turn out to be truthful. And then finally your eldest daughter returned, old grand maester Simon hasting behind her. He was breathless and held his chest as he kneeled down in front of your daughter.
"Oh gods be good. What happened here?" the old man asked and Meralith's lower lip trembled.
You took a step back to let Simon take a look at the sting and wrapped your arm around Wyllam and Visenya. Anxiously you bit your lip and waited while watching the grand maester doing his work when there was suddenly someone else entering the gardens. You had totally forgotten about Orlyn and the fact that he had mysteriously left the scene to get back to the castle but now your son walked out with Daemon.
All of a sudden there was a tightness in your throat and you felt the need to cry and just hug your husband. He narrowed his eyes when he understood the scene and hurried to Meralith who was still crying.
"Darling! What happened?"
It wasn't you who answered although you wanted to. Simon explained it to Daemon while your youngest frightened son ran to you and pressed himself to your legs. You petted his hair while you watched Daemon talking to his daughter with his eyebrows drawn together. His hands held hers tightly and then you head Simon speak again.
"First she should go to bed now and rest. I'll bring the medicine that she might require."
And so your husband picked your daughter up from the ground and carried her inside with Simon following close behind. For a brief moment Daemon and your eyes met and all he could see was the worry and angst on your face. Then they were inside and as much as you wanted to hurry inside too to by at your daughter's side, you had to calm and be there for your other children now.
~~~~~~~~~~
And that you did. You stayed with Orlyn, Wyllam, Saena and Visenya by the fireplace, read them from their favourite books and assured them that their sister would be fine.
It had gotten late and soon Wyllam expressed that he was tired and wanted to go to bed so that was what you did next. It took some time bringing each child to their rooms, covering them up with their blanket (the only exception was Visenya who insisted that she was old enough to do it herself), wishing them a good night and promising them that in the morrow they could see Meralith.
It was the hour of the owl when Saena drifted off to sleep and you sighed as you left her chambers. Your plan was to finally look after Meralith but just when you were about to enter her rooms grand maester Simon opened the door and put his finger to his lips.
"Shh. She has just fallen asleep."
He closed the door behind him so you didn't have a chance to peek inside the room.
"How is she? Please, I need to see her."
Simon looked pitiful as he shook his head.
"She is fine, my lady. She will be fine. But you shouldn't disturb her now, it has taken hours until she was calm enough to drift away to sleep."
You exhaled bitterly. Everything was just so overwhelming and the worry about your daughter restricted the air coming to your lungs.
"Fuck," you breathed because you had held back your emotions all evening and now all you wanted was to see that Meralith was fine and not even that you could do.
"I'm sorry. But she needs her rest, I recommend you come and see her first thing in the morrow."
You nodded though you felt disappointed and sad. Simon bowed his head and then turned to walk away from you. You were left feeling cold and lonely and in desperation. You inhaled a few times and then unwillingly returned to your chambers.
Once you were there you felt empty and numb but knew that you wouldn't be able to sleep now. You wished you could fall asleep next to your daughter because you were certain that her presence was all you needed right now to be calm. Knowing that you were denied that, you walked up and down in your chambers so close to tears but they just wouldn't spill for some reason.
Suddenly there was a knock on your door and absently you called "Come."
Only after the words had left your mouth did you realized what you had done. You couldn't bare the presence of anyone who was not Meralith right now and you wanted to slap yourself for not thinking before speaking.
But when the door opened your eyes rounded and it felt as though a weight dropped from your heart.
Daemon stood in the door watching you with tired eyes that in an instant made a warmth spread in your body. The lump in your throat seemed to somehow increase in size and now you felt that the tears started to form in the corner of your eyes.
You saw him gulp and then walk towards you and without speaking a word Daemon wrapped his arms around you. You held him equally tightly and for a moment you felt so relaxed and at calm that you forgot every worry or concern and the comfort of his body so close to yours made a few tears escape your eyes.
"She'll be fine, y/n," Daemon hummed against your hair and you nodded against him.
"Yes. Yes, she will be."
Then you pulled away from him but still had your hands on his shoulders.
"Did you see her? Is she in pain?"
Daemon smiled softly and caressed your back.
"I did see her. She was scared, but… no, she wasn't in great pain."
Then he pressed you against his chest again so you felt the warmth of his body and now you realized how much you had missed him these past days. Gods, how had you done it? How had you survived without laying next to him at nights, without smelling his familiar scent?
"I'm sorry, y/n," he now whispered against your ear and your thumb soothed his collarbone.
"Me too," you said and then once again pulled back to watch your husband.
"I know that all you did was act out of love for Visenya. I'm sorry for what I accused you of and I know that I perhaps was too hasty and I… I didn't think about what I was asking of you," Daemon stuttered and you smiled softly.
"And I shouldn't have said that you were acting like a bad father. I know that you're not."
He grabbed your hand while watching you with these puppy eyes that immediately made you melt.
"I know that you're right. Our daughter should always be safe and I-I don't know what possessed me. There's nothing wrong with waiting another year until she will mount her dragon and I want her to be safe too. I just… I guess I just felt hurt hearing you speak about how dangerous it is to be on dragonback. It felt like you thought of dragonriders as ridiculous and imprudent. And then... I thought you were trying to take this part of me and my identity away. And then maybe I was scared that you would never allow Visenya to mount her dragon and that made me act irrational and emotional. Gods… I know that it was so childish of me to come forward with this idea and stubbornly insist on it."
He kissed the back of your hand and then you reached up to hold the side of his beautiful face.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to feel you like that. And I know that you acted out of love as well. I know that you're proud of your family and your traditions and I respect that so much, love. I know that you want Visenya to carry this tradition as well and share it with her and just like you, I can't wait until she will. I don't think of dragonriders as imprudent. I think of them as fierce and brave and I know that Visenya will do an amazing job."
His eyes lovingly looked into yours and he squeezed your hand tightly.
"Thank you," he merely spoke and then you leaned forward to kiss Daemon on his lips.
That night you didn't throw out Daemon. That night you didn't feel cold or lonely.
That night you held your husband tightly with his arms wrapped around your back while your hands were buried in his hair. You both knew that it would probably get way too warm in the night because a thick blanket was additionally covering the both of you but you didn't care. All you wanted was to feel Daemon again and so you drew patterns on his scalp while the both of you drifted away with your thoughts.
"I love you, y/n. So much."
You smiled with closed eyes. "I love you, too, Daemon."
And then you fell asleep with your last thought being that you promised yourself you would never let such a stupid fight get between you.
the scene of Rhaenyra not being able to cut Otto's head pissed me of so much xD Why did you just show me her going crazy with grief for her 2 sons Otto's been scheming against since FOREVER, Rhaenyra knew Otto has been acting against her for years, from the every moment Aemma died and he pushed Viserys to remarry asap. She lost so fucking much, they took away what was promised to her and she's having any doubts? She should be fucking blood thirsty, mad with grief still, but giving this grief a form of bloody vengeance instead of spiralling into depression. How was she supposed to ever cut Aegon's head? Her half-brother she knew since he was born, who her sons grew up with? The Aegon that right now is so disabled he would be barely able to lay his head on the floor to have it cut. I FUCKING DESPISE THESE WRITERS for lobotomizing all these female chatacters, cause don't even get me started on Helaena and Alicent AND ALSO Baela. Jacaerys' body is not cold yet and they're making her entertain some bald guy I dont really give a fuck about😭 cause why would I?? Daemon had Helaena's LITTLE SONS HEAD CHOPPED OFF IN HIS BED WITH HIS TWIN SISTER BEING A WITNESS TO THAT and they had her cry for one episode and then move on. And now they lobotimzed (hotd women lobotomymaxxing) her to the max in this episode by making her say all these stupid lines stripping her away from any agency, deep emotions, thoughts and motivations of her own.
Men may not lobotomize women in real life anymore, but they sure do still lobotomize my dragon fictional characters.
But to conclude Rhaenyra's cutting Otto's head off scene - that's a really bad fucking look for her, if I was one of the ladies watching it I would nor trust neither belive in Rhaenyra as a queen to be xd
