continued from ( x ) @worthyheir
One year had passed since Cregan Stark had last set foot in King's Landing, and much had changed. She still bore the scars of the dance, but had steadily recovered beneath the rule of Rhaenyra Targaryen. Having fulfilled his oath, Cregan wouldn't have returned to King's Landing if his queen hadn't summoned him. During the Hour of the Wolf, he had taken control of the city, acting as Queen Rhaenyra's Hand. Those that still supported Aegon the Usurper were met with swift justice. Ice had cleaved the heads off many shoulders, staining the floors of the Keep with blood. His justice extended to men who were guilty of not doing enough. Corlys Velaryon, among several others, were forced to answer for their indiscretion. Ultimately the Sea Snake was spared, restored to his office, while Lord Larys and Ser Gyles were executed. For six days, Cregan had maintained an iron grip on the city while Rhaneyra grieved.
Departing for Winterfell, he had left a mark, and displayed both the ferocity and loyalty of the North. His short tenure as Hand would become known as the Hour of the Wolf, which amused Cregan. He couldn't help but wonder what Jace would think of the whole ordeal. Would he have admonished him for doling out justice indiscriminately, or praised him for it? Cregan didn't allow himself to dwell on the prince for too long. It was only when Winterfell had fallen asleep, and Rickon had been put to bed, that he allowed Jacaerys to haunt him. Cregan would often sit by the fire, reading over the letters Jace had sent to him before being claimed by the sea. Drunk, heartbroken, and forlorn, he would read them over and over again. They were all painfully formal, made so in fear that they might be intercepted. Even so, he could hear Jace's voice when pouring them over, and this only amplified his grief. Cregan found respite at the bottom of each letter where Jace signed his name.
Your Prince, Jacaerys Velaryon.
His prince. His lover. His heart. Over a year had passed, and Cregan still longed for him. He would look toward the sky, hoping to catch the sight of olive green wings breaking over the horizon. Cregan determined that if he willed Jace to return to him, someday, he would. It was if the Old God's had been listening to his prayers, for he received an urgent letter from King's Landing, informing him that Prince Jacaerys was alive, having lost his memory, but alive. Cregan could seldom believe it, and had been skeptical until Rickon pointed at Vermax soaring around the Red Keep. Having spent the entire day traveling, he was exhausted, but couldn't retire for the evening. Not when his prince was somewhere in the castle. Departing from his son and entourage, Cregan focused on finding Jace.
Outside the counsel chamber, on a balcony overlooking the city, Cregan finds Jace there. Just as beautiful as the day he departed from Winterfell. Cregan finally makes himself known, willing away the knot that has formed in his throat. Tears shimmer at the edges of his peripheral while he gives his prince a formal bow. "Do you know who I am?" He asks, uncertain if he wants to know the answer. Queen Rhaenyra informed him in her letter that Jace had forgotten everything that had transpired, leaving her both bewildered and perplexed. Knowing that Jace and Cregan had developed a deep bond, she hoped the sight of him would help. Jace's answer makes his heart sink. Had he truly forgotten everything that transpired between them?
Cregan swallows thickly, gathering his composure. He wouldn't overwhelm Jace with a blizzard of emotion. I am yours, he wants to say, and you are mine. Cregan wants to pull Jace into his arms and never let go, but he cannot. Not yet. "I'm a friend." That was a white lie. What they had transcended the bonds of friendship. They were soulmates, bound together by blood, and sworn to one another. Friend would have to do for now. "If you know of me, then you know of your time in Winterfell, and what you accomplished there. It's still as impressive now as it was then." Cregan moves to join Jace at the balcony, standing beside him so he can look out at the city below. "Tis' a shame you can't remember it."
