Little Bluebird
note: this idea came to me while I was looking out the window and saw our neighborhood cat catch a beautiful bird.
summary: choosing to honor your house had never seemed like a high cost until you are pushed too far by your husband, Prince Aerion Targaryen.
content warning: dark themes ahead, some smut (18+ only!) mention of suicide // MDNI ⤷ ゛honestly just a quick blurb of the brightflame prince that may turn into a series ˎˊ˗
word count: 4.9K (be so proud of me)
// Please prioritize your mental health and well-being before choosing to read \\
There was a bluebird on the sill of your window.
You had been in the middle of your embroidery, the shiny needle coming to stop between the fabric as you came to stare at the creature in awe. Its fidgeting body had hopped and fluttered on the stone ledge, chirping away as it observed you from across the room. Excitement pulsed through you as you gently settled your embroidery hoop onto the table as delicately as you could before you began approaching the bird.
Its song filled the silence, each chirp sending a little echo through the vast room as you dragged yourself to the creature in a crouch. Your skirts crumpled beneath your body as you approached. Your heart came to swell in your throat as you pushed down memories of your mother and sister, tears coming to collect at the edges of your eyes as you admire the delicate hues of blue on the birds wings.
You had been so captured by the bird of your family's history you didn't hear the door to your room open or shut behind you until the bird suddenly let out a hard cry and fled through the open window. You remained in a low crouch until your name being called behind you made your body instinctively straighten as you rose and turned around to face the only other person who was allowed into the room. Your fear left you with no choice but to stand still as heavy boots trudged into the room while your eyes found the floor.
"It seems my lady wife has forgotten how to greet her husband," although his tone came as a tease, Aerion's hardened gaze bore into the side of your face— your months of marriage letting you know well enough that he was not in a joking mood.
You bowed before the Prince as you spoke, "I did not expect you today, my prince". Your words coming out airy and rushed as you continued to avoid his gaze.
You knew what he had come for, its the only reason he had ever deigned to visit your secluded chambers in the Keep.
When he didn't respond, your eyes reluctantly left the stone floor and found his body a few feet from you though his gaze was now on the window behind you. You watch his eyes flicker between the stone ledge and your crumpled skirts, your hands coming to smooth your appearance despite futile attempts.
"Ah," he tutted, a smile slowly spreading to show his bright teeth that matched the color of his hair. "Let me guess. Was that your mother? Maybe it was your father?" his smile had turned wicked before he let out a chuckle as he approached until he was a step away from connecting your chests. "Or, perhaps it was your sister?"
Despite the amount of mockery or bullying he had done to you, you could still feel pure disbelief bubble beneath your skin.
Aerion knew that your family had the stories of old just as his ancestry did—how his family had dragons while your family had bluebirds that the departed would use to visit you during tough times and yet he still mocked your traditions and family legacy.
You swallow a sob as you steel yourself before the man you married.
Guilt fills you when—for a split second—you curse your sister for dying. It had originally been your sister that had been selected as the prince's intended, the waves of happiness that had overflowed from her at the mention of becoming a princess had left your family scrambling to depart from your home and only leaving your eldest brother and yourself to stay back.
Then news came of an upturned carriage. You could still remember the moment the scout had arrived, ears coming to ring and muffle the words of how he found the bodies of your beloved mother and father with their throats slit while your sister was found not a few feet away face down in the river.
You were only allowed a few days of mourning until a raven came with a message of acceptance of you being a suitable stand in. Your brother had come to explain how your father had owed a debt and the debt would need to be paid one way or another. The last time you had seen your brother was months ago when he put you into a carriage that arrived from Kings Landing, multiple guards attached to escort you to your new husband.
Aerion's fingers brushing your fallen tears brought you back to the present. His body had come to crouch down to look straight into your eyes that had dropped to stare at the floor. His iris' filled with unbridled lust as he shushed you, wiping away tears with false-sympathies.
"You should not cry for that old family," he whispered, the tone sounding so sweet you almost consider leaning into the falsehood for comfort. "I am your family now, the only one you should consider."
His words only make your body jolt in despair. He allows two more tears to slip before he lets out a loud sigh of annoyance and pulled himself away to sprawl onto the furs of your bed. His hands undo the strings of his shirt until his chest is exposed. Aerion adjusts his position before he looks at you and jerks his head at you. "Come."
Flashes from your wedding night peppered into your mind at the sight of him, saying the same words he did when the time came to consummate the marriage. The knot in your throat was just like the one you had then, blocking all words as you forced yourself into his lap. The fabric of your skirts separated your body from his as he gazed up at you with boredom before he pulled a blade from the scabbard on his hip. He had done the same thing that night, the only difference was that you now knew what to expect of Aerion Targaryen when he came to your chambers.
Bringing the edge of the blade to your corset, he gives no warning as he slowly drags the metal down and tears the front of your dress. The tip of his blade skims the surface of your chest and between the valley of your breasts while the sound of fabric tearing fills the room. You are forced to watch as the gown you had worn had now been reduced to scraps at the princes' sick attempt at seduction. His eyes found yours in bliss as he removed the top layer of your dress and left you bare.
"This is how you should be greeting me"
Your skin pebbled with the exposure to the cold air, the crackling fire in the hearth doing nothing but adding to the ambience within your chamber walls. Your chest rises and falls with each breath as Aerion comes close and brings your breast to his mouth, the sudden warmth making honey of your bones despite the distaste you felt in your heart for the man. His mouth latched on as his tongue circled, pebbling your nipple until the brush of his tongue made a small whimper rip from your throat. He repeated the action on the other as his hands traveled to the strings of your skirts and pulled at the knot until the fabric loosened, he pulled away and dragged the skirts over your head.
Aerion brought the blade back to your flesh, bringing the dagger to drag against your waist as he spoke. "You want to make your husband happy, yes?" You can only nod as you fix your gaze on the cherished knife of the prince. He seemed pleased with your response as he tossed the blade to the empty space beside him on the bed.
Your body felt three times heavier as he brought his hand up and grasped at your neck and forced you closer to look into his eyes. Irritation bloomed beneath his iris' as he squeezed the flesh of your throat, not hard enough to cut off your airway but enough to make your eyes widen as you looked down at him. You’re forced still as he works his stare over your face until he finally lets go and smacks your thigh hard enough to earn a small hiss from you. He comes to smile once more before he tells you to stand.
You knew better than to hope for his departure. He had done the jest too many times.
You roll off of his body and stand to the side as he rose from the furs and raised his hands in wait. Your body moved mindlessly as you brought your hands to pull at the strings quickly, earning a chuckle from Aerion who joked about your impatience for him.
You only wanted to get this over with.
You fiddle with the string of his trousers, eyes fixed on the fabric so as to still your shaking fingers when his hands stop yours with a swat and instructions to lay on the bed. You follow instructions as your fate was sealed the second you repeated the vows back to him in the Great Sept of Baelor, so you lie down and watch as Aerion removed his pants.
As you drag your gaze up his body, you hold the speckle of attraction you felt as the target of your resentment. You hated the way your body instinctively shifted and preened at the sight of his toned body, his figure shaped from his time training in the castle courtyard, his smooth flesh making one think he was untrained. It was when you look upon his hands that you can see the years of training etched into the creases of his palms, taut skin scarred with nicks and cuts. Your eyes land on his toned back that gleamed with the reflection of the flame in the center of the room.
His body turns to face you fully and you're quick to force your eyes to his face, avoiding the hardened part of his body that brought you both to pleasure and pain. His eyebrow raise at the sight of your reddened face, a low chuckle coming from his chest that came flush against yours as he brings his body over you with his entire weight. His eyes find yours as his brings his head to the side of your neck and bites down, his teeth grinding your skin in between each ridge so hard you cry.
He pulls away and you give your best smile, ignoring the tears pooling out of your eyes. He leans down again, licking at your tears as his hands come to fondle your chest. His thighs have now come up to straddle your hips, his hard cock resting against your lower belly. You can't ignore the heat he radiates or the weight of what laid between the two of you. He gives you one last glance before he pulls back off of your body and spits directly on your center, missing by a few inches but it didn't matter as his spit dripped down, his fingers come down and glide the glob of saliva up and down your lips before he pressed into you with his fingers.
The sudden intrusion makes a gasp whisper past your lips, his groan sounding over your noise. "You're so wet," he mumbled, pushing his fingers in deeper before gliding them back out. "'And you said you weren't expecting me? Was this for someone else?" his fingers come to curl inside you, your slick making a squelch sound as he curled his fingers over and over like a scratch. You shake your head at him, maybe as an answer or in protest but the response seemed to satisfy him enough to lean down and kiss your lips gently. His thumb comes to flick your clit, making your mouth open in shock before he plunges his tongue into your mouth. Simultaneously kissing and rubbing, you've no way to choose how to respond and he ends up biting you when you don't kiss back.
He hums at the sight of you, wet and undone by his fingers. He pulls his fingers from you, cutting you from reaching completion and flicks his hands of your slick before bringing his fingers into his mouth of the remnants. "My sweet girl, my wife" his breathless words mix with the lulling vibrations of your body and you can only watch as he rubs the head of his cock against you. His body rocks against you, bumping over and under your pearl all while he held himself up to hover over you and come up right to your eye line. It overwhelmed you, the intensity of his stare. All that you bubbled down to survive in his presense had started to come up. Your gaze travels up to the decorated canopy bed, focusing on the linen sheets that resembled your family house colors, the ones that matched the sky and the wings of the birds you wished you could become.
Aerion's eyebrows furrow at your expression, not looking at him but through him. It angered him to the point of stopping to reach up and pinch your face between his fingers, your eyes zoning back in and masking once more into a loving gaze.
But he could tell it was fake, the shining eyes he had caught a glimpse of when he entered your separate chambers, eyes on a stupid filthy bird that twittered and scraped its talons on stone—that got a look of devotion while he got antipathy. He couldn't help the snarl that came from him as he released his grip, kissing his teeth as he rose from the bed. He turned his back to dress, leaving you confused and listless as you watched his back muscles move.
You do your best to hide your relief from your face. He would most likely return to the streets of silk.
You sit up as he pulls on his white linen shirt, your hands coming to wrap your body with the sheets when a loud chirp sounds through the room. You both still, the sound not believed to be heard until it comes again more than once.
Not a bluebird, please don't be a bluebird.
Your eyes remain on Aerion as he drops the pants he intended to put on, letting out a chuckle as he turns toward the windowsill. You follow his gaze after you see his joyous expression, seeing a bluebird fidget on the stone as it looked about the room as if invited to comment on the decor. You feel the gasp before you hear it, finding its eyes look at you often.
Aerion walked over until he came up beside you and pulled the sheets from your chest to display you to the small audience the two of you gained. Your hands fly up to cover yourself but Aerion was always faster, his hands curling around your wrist before pushing them onto the bed and coming to hover over you once more.
"I think daddy dearest wanted to check on his little girl," he jeered, not caring that your gaze remained on the bird. You protest, your eyes filling with tears as your pleas go unheard. Aerion's free hand came down between you two and lined his pulsing cock to your core and slowly inched forward. His moan filled the room as he sheathed himself in you before he let go of your hands and brought both of his to frame your face and turn your gaze to him. "Let's show him, yeah? Show him that you are all mine"
Aerion's violet eyes fix on yours as he pumps into you, each rock making the head of his cock kiss your insides. He watched you fight the pleasure he knew you felt, your lips coming to form an 'o' like it had countless times before. He let go one side of your face to grip the underside of your thigh, brining it up to angle you so he could reach deeper. His panting breaths mixed with your shallow breathing, he licked his lips before he kissed you. His hand caressed your face once before he pulled out to turn you over.
You're face down in the mattress before you process what happened, the furs and sheets now rumpled beneath your two bodies coming together once more. His hands came down onto your head, fingers weaving into your hair and pulling to make you turn away from the sheets and toward the room, specifically toward the window.
"Aerion please—"
He shushes you sweetly, now petting your head as he continued his thrusts. "Your little birds gets to see what I get to do with mine"
His thrusts deepen as he holds you for balance by your head. His moans mix with the echoing slapping of skin coming together over and over. The fire continues to pop in its hearth and the bird continues to watch as your brought to completion despite your best efforts against it. He continues to thrust until he reached his rapture, filling you to the brim before removing himself from you and watched as his seed slowly glided down your leg and onto the floor.
His eyes travel to the side of your face before traveling to the window that was now vacant. He dressed himself, relishing in his satisfaction of the start of his early morning. He watched you until you rose from the bed. You take a moment to collect your expression before you turn to gaze at Aerion, ensuring your eyes meet his. He stays quiet a moment, looking over your face a few times before he reaches out and grasps your chin in between his fingers ever so gently.
“You slipped away for a little bird,” he stated, his grip cradling your chin a little. He skimmed the edge of your jaw with his rough fingers, a mock pout stretched across his face while he forced his deep violet eyes onto yours. His face is close enough to show off his unblemished skin and sharp cheekbones. He looked princely, but you knew better.
A hiss escapes you when his fingers come and tighten on your jaw hard enough for you to know that it would leave a mark.
“Ensure it doesn’t happen again”
Giving you a pointed look, he released your face with a push and made his way out of the room without a glance back. At the sound of the door clicking to a close, your gaze lingers on the door for a moment before you feel your body jolt forward and you hear yourself let out a quiet sob.
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It was hours later when a knock came at your door.
You knew it wasn't Aerion as he would've walked in without so much as a 'hello', so you stand and walk to the door. You take cautious steps toward the door, opening it a crack until you see it is a knight that usually follows your husband. His face holding a kind smile as he present you with a box wrapped in a singular red string bow.
"A gift from Prince Aerion, your grace"
Your face comes into a frown before you could stop yourself, the door creaking as you open it wider. You look behind the man expecting to see Aerion right beside him, smirking as he usually was—only, it was the lone knight and he looked confused as to why you had not responded. The question slips out before you could think of a more proper way of asking, your fear coming out a soft whisper.
"Is he on the way?"
The knight gives you a a frown of remorse, probably thinking the princess had missed her husband terribly in the few hours they spent apart. He shakes your head and relays the instructions he was given.
"I was told to present this on behalf of His Highness, the prince. He is in the courtyard just outside your window and says he wishes to see your face as you open your gift"
Aerion, in all your time wed, had never sent you a gift.
The knight entered the room and walked to the sill, placing the small box down before bowing to you once then leaving. The door closed with a groan and a click but you could only stare at the box that lay a few feet away, a deep forboding feeling filling you from your toes to the crown of your head.
A loud whistle just beyond the castle walls called out, the familiar tune letting you know that what the knight said was true. Your feet move before you realize and you are standing at the window looking down at Aerion, who was waiting for you just below on horseback. His familiar steed dressed in it's riding leathers made to look like scales of a dragon that no longer ruled the great skies.
"Open it," he called out, shrugging his shoulders with nonchalance as he stared up the stone wall. "I saw this while out this morning and knew you had to have it"
Your heart thumped right on the bone of your ribcage as you dragged your gaze from the smiling Targaryen prince to the box. Your shaky hands returned as you pulled the string and fumbled with box until it opened and you let out a cry before you fell to the floor.
There, in a box on the windowsill, laid the small body of a bluebird with broken wings and a note.
A bluebird for my bluebird —A.
The scream you let out as laughter traveled up the wall and through the window made your heart bleed just as deeply as you hurt. You don't know how long you stay there, screaming out your pain when just beyond the door, you hear the guards stand to attention and the door opens to reveal your husband.
Your eyes had swollen and your face was smeared with your tears and despair when you come to look up at the unfeeling prince. In all your time being married, this was the cruelest thing he had done. You'd forgiven him when he had your family colors removed from all your wardrobe, coming to understand that you were now under his protection in the eyes of the seven. You even forgave him when he had all your belongings removed and replaced with ones to his liking.
This was beyond forgiveness.
Aerion goes to lay on the fresh sheets that were replaced mere moments after he departed from your chambers, his eyes on you as you come to stand. He raised his eyebrow at you, the look of entitlement painted clear on his face. He adjusts himself on the bed before he jerks his head at you. "Come my little blue bird"
The wind is knocked out of you at his sadistic smile, beaming bright at the sight of your fresh tears. You are out of the room before you realized that you moved, the sight of the knight in the corridor making your feet carry you out of there faster as your name is called from behind you. You reach the flight of stairs, the long winding steps stretching out the longer you stared.
You couldn't do it anymore. It would never stop. He will never stop.
Your body had racked forward with each sob you couldn't keep at bay, your tears burning the already raw skin on your face. Your hand had come up to grasp the rail when Aerion's voice called out to you from behind.
You don't turn as you shake your head. You wouldn't go back, you'd rather—
You let out a breath and turn to face Aerion whose usual bored stance had come to attention as he gazed at you a few steps away, his brows scrunching together while he assessed your next move. It must've been written on your face because he was taking a few step forward until he was only an arms distance away.
"Step away," he muttered annoyed, keeping his eyes on yours. "If you wish to weep, you can do so in your chambers"
You shake your head and step back, stumbling until you catch yourself on the railing. He remained the bored princeling as you finally spoke. "Why do you do this?"
Aerion says nothing as he looks at you. A sob rocks your body as you ask again, your voice coming to yell loud enough to echo down the stair hall. Your hands are in your hair, pulling as if the answer will fall out along with your hair. He says something but you've come to ignore it as you cy out, hysterics taking over and making you pace until you stop and look at him.
As Aerion stands there was a dumb expression on his face, you decide then and there that the life you had dreamed of as a child would never come to pass. The image of a loving husband, who would come to kiss you the moment his eyes laid on you, would never come to pass. The laughter that echoed in your dreams of your partner and you sharing a look of love as your children say something funny or outlandish burned away along with any hope of anything getting better.
You call his name once, your voice coming out a whisper as he looks up to your vacant face. He knew it was going to happen, he could see it within your eyes that stared back void of any emotion or light. It was like you were looking at him but more like you were staring directly into his soul.
"I don't want to be your wife anymore"
Before he could say a word, you threw yourself back. The last thing you see is Aerion reaching out to you before the world goes black.
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You could feel the cold fingertips on your forehead before you felt the world of pain that followed right after. You try to sit up in your bed only to be pushed down and instructed to remain still. You hear a voice whisper instructions to fetch a maester before you hear footsteps rush out of the room. Your hand flies up to your head when darkness greets you, panic of the possibility of blindness making your hands begin to shake.
A woman's sweet voice reassured you that you were only bandaged for your head. "Maester Robynn will see to your bandages once he arrives but you must remain calm"
You settle yourself at the womans instruction, coming to trust her by the mere sound of her voice.
The peace only lasted so long before the sound of shouts and boots against pavement filled the halls. You had no choice but to lay there as the sounds approached until they were in the room with you. You listen as the boots come to stop at the threshold before the soft voice cuts the silence.
"Your Grace, we await the maester but the princess is awake"
You fidget before your hands grip the sheets that covered you and go to sit up once more. You hear movement before you feel a hand on your shoulder pushing you back down. "Don't move, wait for a maester" the voice that speaks sounds strained, tight with emotion as if the words were forced out.
You settle down again but notice the hand on your shoulder had not moved from its point of contact, the warmth seeping through your clothes and burning your skin. You shrug away the hand just as another set of footsteps arrive and enter the room.
You're patient when the disembodied voice explains that your stitches would heal nicely, understanding when you're told you'd be on bed rest for a while and demure when the maester tells you to rely on your ladies in waiting for any and every need as to not strain yourself.
The consultation is cut short when an irritated voice vocalized what you had been wanting to ask for since you woke. "Remove the linen before I have you replaced"
A body approached you before you felt the wrappings around your head begin to fall loose, light coming in with each wrap removed. The maester informed you that bright lights should be avoided just as the last linen cloth is removed. You blink a bit as you try to focus, seeing blobs that slowly shifted to focus to see a nurse, a maester and a few knights in the room.
All begin to welcome you back with a smile you have no choice but to return until your eyes find the only person in the room that had yet to say a word. You look around the room to see everyone giving the man with white hair a look of relief. The man lets out a low sigh as he comes to look into your eyes before a small smile spreads onto his face.
His hand comes to hold the one closest to him before he begins to speak. "You've been out for a few days now. They told me you might not make it but I knew," his voice faded into a breathy whisper as he continued. "I knew you'd wake. I knew it."
His fingers squeeze yours before he comes in close enough that you could smell the scent of wine and sharp smoke seeping off of his black and red clothes. He gave you another smile before he turned and began commanding everyone in the room to prepare a bath when you finally speak.
"I'm sorry, but who are you to me?"
note: let me know what you think! // might make this a series 𑣲⋆｡˚ ⤷ ゛link to part two here ˎˊ˗