#/soz this got so long

[deviousnumbers]

002 | Gladiators These Days

@pleinsdemuses

She couldn't know nothing. She simply couldn't. So the watching and waiting had begun. She worked a lot in a hospital and so she was easy enough to find. Always walking into work bright and early and always walking out late at night.

Finally, she was at the end of her shift and walking out of the building, away, into the darkness. From the safety of his own home, Alfie created a window which replicated one of the larger windows that flanked the hospital.

For someone with such formidable powers, she tended to use them indiscriminately. It was perplexing to see her heal someone with a compound fracture in one room, watch her walk to the next room to heal someone with undiagnosed abdominal pain right after. She didn't seem to care how great or how small the pain was, she would simply take it on. This didn't make sense to Alfie.

Zara walked past, oblivious to the amount of eyes on her, when from behind another approached, lapping her in speed. The other wore a heavy cloak which covered his body and confused his true size.

Alfie knew he was watching one of the bookkeepers shamelessly attempting an assault from behind. He also knew Zara hadn't stolen any spellbooks since he'd begun surveying her. Which begged the question: Was this attack now a result of her interfering and healing him? He'd been left for dead because somebody wanted him dead. And Zara had stood in the way of this.

"I suppose a favor is a favor." He whispered to himself. His digits danced as he recalled a string of numbers in his head. Seemingly arbitrary numbers, yet strung together in just the right order. His small window of view grew in size, widening and lengthening until it resembled that of a door.

He stepped through into the world outside that hospital, onto the street where Zara was, and the bookkeeper was uttering a spell, no doubt, under his lips. Attempting to conjure something? Alfie thought not.

"Touch her and I kill you." Alfie decreed. Though he was speaking directly to the man behind her, his harsh, cold eyes were locked with hers.

Finishing his utterance, a bright light shone behind Zara's back and the unmistakable growling or a predatory beast filled the air. A familiar, of sorts. An animal companion, a bengal tiger, loyal to this bookkeeper was now crouched low to the ground, its eyes trained on Zara's neck.

Alfie's eyes shifted from the beast to it's commander. "Your pet, too." He promised the bookkeeper.

[kathairoette]

My part for the @ygomerzine! Ocean researcher Yuugi gets some new friends while exploring the ocean floor...

Oh and if you want some Totally Necessary Lore about the Tentayamis (trademark pending), read below~!

All three Tentayamis live in different ocean zones. Mao/s0 Yami lives in the Epipelagic Zone, DM Yami lives in the upper border of the Mesopelagic Zone, and Atem lives in the Bathypelagic Zone.

The Tentayamis are all technically original designs, but each does have specific inspo as the base:

Mao/s0 Yami: Blue Ringed Octopus DM Yami: Argonaut Atem: Vent Octopus

Mao has thick, shorter tentacles that give him more strength and maneuverability. Yami has longer tentacles, but the 'shell' under his arms are paper-thin sacs filled with air, which helps him boost away from predators. Atem's tentacles are the thinnest and weakest of the bunch, but has webbing around them to help him stick onto the hydrothermal vents.

All three Tentayamis have some form of bioluminesence, typically from the spots on their tentacles or the third eye on their foreheads, if they have one. That, paired with their yellow 'fringes', helps them attract prey who mistake the fringe for seaweed.

Atem is somewhat blind as where he lives barely has any sunlight, but his third eye in particular is highly sensitive to certain rays of light. Yuugi eventually moves him to a separate tank when he notices the spotlights make him uncomfortable.

Thus, instead of moving with sight, he moves by touch! Atem recognizes the other Tentayamis or Yuugi himself by wrapping his own tentacles around them, and is often the first to play with any new toy Yuugi drops into their tank.

All three of them are curious about the two-legger that visits them, but Yami follows Yuugi more closely compared to the others. He's often being the first to greet him when Yuugi arrives and loves mimicking his movements.

The plastic thing floating behind Mao (who's eating a fish) is a baby bottle. It's based on an actual experiment where a scientist tested if an octopus could untwist the bottle to get the fish trapped inside. But instead, the octopus ripped off the rubber from the baby bottle and got the fish that way. So of course, Mao does that too XD (coincidentally, this also implies that Atem is more dextrous, as he was able to unscrew the cap in the photo next to him XD)

[callmebeem]

Robert(a) Marks they could never make me hate you

[lozzamation]

:) Every :) days :) great :) at :) your :) Junes :)

[autistic-katara]

icl i would be at least a little happy with almost any ending for stranger things but one thing that would ruin all of it would be an epilogue (of a decade or more later)

[oceanwithouthermoon]

ive been unhealthily fixated on kubosai for the past few weeks, i just have no idea how to put it into words. kuboyasu aren and saiki kusuo are in love btw

[naileadevoras]

zarayna + luciano : your love is all i wanna know .

ship headcanon ideas for @pcrtrait based on this post !

how   did   your   muses   meet   ?

i'm now realizing how much of a throwback this ask meme is going to be bc omg ? i can't believe they met through his father ... & we all know how much of a mess that era was 👀 like , from zara just being an assistant to them now married im ... yeah <3

how   long   have   your   muses   known   each   other   ?

pleaseee i know it's only been about 3 years since we first started writing them but like , they've gone through so much together ( they are literally married hello ) & i genuinely think they've lived so many different lives together too ?? surely they've been together for more than five years now ... & a billion more to go ? they find each other in every lifetime type vibe ? yes .

have   your   muses   ever   traveled   together   ?

yes !! aside from their yearly holiday with the group , i can see zara attending almost every show he has bc that's our supportive queen ,,, catch her in the vip section every time yup 😌 & lucio would most def. surprise her with cute trips abroad as a date :') he'd be like ' wake up babe , we're going to morocco today '

what   was   the   last   place   your   muses   went   to   together   ?

i feel like it would be somewhere lucio would've performed at ; like , them trying out a new restaurant in every country they visit . so they'd be somewhere like reykjavik , iceland & even though lucio would b a bit tired from performing , he'd still insist on going out w zara & they'd prolly have a cute lil sushi date at night im so :(

what   was   the   last   movie   your   muses   watched   together   ?

okay so zara's definitely the type to love old romcom / coming of age movies from the 90s ,,, & she has made it her mission to re - watch all of her favorite ones w lucio . so every time both of them have a few hours of free time , she's setting up the living room with cute pillows + soft blankets ( maybe even building a fort ?? ) for them to watch on ,, & tonight's movie of choice would be sixteen candles !

do   your   muses   have   playlists   made   for   each   other   ?

why yes 🤭 like , it's absolutely canon that lucio will sneak in some of his own songs he's written about zara in the playlist & she secretly loves it LMAO . as for zarayna , she's totally the type to make a playlist for every major / minor event in her life so she'd have a specific playlist for that time they went to london ... or that time they cooked breakfast together at germany ... or that time they got lost in bora bora , & etc etc .

what   was   the   last   gift   your   muses   got   for   each   other   ?

i also think it's canon that these two will just give each other cute trinkets & random gifts that remind them of the other ; there doesn't have to be a special occasion for them to be giving each other gifts yk ? so zara could be shopping & she'll see a hoodie that would look so good on him ,,, next thing you know she's walking out with five sets of outfits for lucio i'm 💀 also , they def. still continue their tradition of luca giving zara a new teddy bear for every country he tours at <3

does   your   muses   have   a   '   place   '   that's   just   for   the   two   of   them   ?

i'm sticking w the touring theme here but yk how in paris they have that love lock bridge ? i feel like zara & lucio would have a place similar to that , but it wouldn't be a popular tourist destination ... they would've found out about this ' secret ' place during one of their date nights ( of course it HAS to be in a country where they dont live smh ) & now every time they visit that country , it's another cute tradition for them to visit that place only the two of them know abt !

does   your   muses   want   children   ?

i had to giggle with this one bc we've both talked abt them & their future kids 48304830 times now 😭 i just knooow these two wanna build a soccer team so bad with how many kids they want omfg ... like u said , they'd probably end up having five kids ! so they better start trying rn because the clock is ticking ... cough cough

do   your   muses   want   to   get   married   ?

[ stares into the camera like im in the office ] ... do i have to answer this bc ? bff they are HAPPILY married & in love & we are manifesting that no more drama or scandals come their way !!! ( very unlikely but we can dream ofc ) sigh their wedding day must've been sooo fun though omg it definitely ended with them + the guests all jumping in the massive pool to end the night :')

do   your   muses   have   any   pets   together   ?

i'm aware they have rambo ( im a rambo stan btw ) & zara has the cats she left back in sweden ,,, although i feel like she would've brought them with her once she moved in w lucio , but i highly doubt they would adopt more right now esp. since they're never really home anyway ? so maybe they can have more pets once they've settled in & are ready to start a family .

what   do   your   muses   do   for   fun   together   ?

not my mind suddenly swerving to an nsfw answer i'm ... lock me up , goodbye !!! but i'm being so fr , they are always so busy & are constantly travelling that having days where they're just in a hotel room in their robes , in bed all day ordering room service must be incredibly fun for them 🥹 just wrapped up in each others arms , living their best life with no distractions yup ! they be having 30 minute intervals to rest before they're going at it again smh no decorum !

did   your   muses   take   each others   virginity   ?

i- well ... knowing zarayna's history with luca's father ? & him being for the streets before he met her ? the answer is definitely a no 😑 but we don't talk abt that anymore !! i refuse to speak about it ... although one drunken night , she would deffo share the embarrassing & awkward story of when she lost hers at 17 or smthn ,, just for the laffs xx

when   did   your   muses   realize they   had   fallen   for   each   other   ?

it's the way we've probably written this exact scenario back in our indies ... right before they both found out about the affair </3 i simply cannot think abt it or else i will actually go through the five stages of grief ... although for zara i'm pretty sure it was during one of their many dates <33 when he asked her to be his gf <333 she was like yuuup i have fallen for this man & i do Not want to get up .

which one of your muses is more affectionate ?

this is hard bc they show their affection in different ways , yk ? i feel like luca is the type of person who would see a puddle & offer to place his jacket over it just so zara wont have to step on it and get her heels dirty , while zarayna would be the type to notice the tiny details & would care for him , like bringing luca a glass of water when she notices he hasn't been drinking much all day , or giving him a forehead smooch & reminding him it's time for bed when she can clearly see he's been up all night writing song lyrics or smthn !

who's   most   likely   to   apologize   first   after   an   argument   ?

ooo , it depends on who started the argument ; whoever is in the wrong would more than likely apologize first . idk why but out of every one in our group , i can see these two being the most level - headed ones when it comes to disagreements ? ( ezra & rom can't relate btw ) it's like u can just tell they rarely ever argue because they're so good at communicating their thoughts and feelings w each other . we love the character development wow it's giving stable & healthy iktr !

what   was   your   muses   first   impressions   of   each   other   ?

i wanna say it was infatuation at first sight . bc bestie , lucio was sooo flirty with her when they first met i bet zarayna thought all he wanted from her was to be hook up buddies & yet she was like , ' how can u say no to him wtf he has such a pretty face ... & a nice body ... ' she did NOT stand on business and it showed 💀

what   is   one   word   that   would   describe   your   muses   relationship   ?

adventurous ♡

do   your   muses   have   a   '   song   '   that's   just   for   them   ?

bff we have an entire playlist for them !!! ( somehow i still cant add anymore songs to the list & im sad abt it ) but i rlly do love be honest by jorja smith though ,,, however , in their universe i can imagine luca writing a song just for zara . like a song / ep / mini album of unreleased songs just for her :((( ok let me go cry now ....

what   is   your   muse's   sex   life   like   ?   how   frequent   ?   what   are   they   into   ?

oh ok ending the ask meme with a spicy question i see ... i meaaan we both know they're 100% obsessed w each other & simply cannot keep their hands off each other for more than 5 seconds or else they'll go insane 💀 however , i just feel like zarayna is such a vanilla girlie ,, she likes to keep it sweet & simple yk ! but would also be willing to try anything lucio suggests bc she trusts that man w her entire soul fr <3 if he wants her to dress up as a sexy teacher ? hell yeah !! handcuffs in the bed room ? she's down !! she's out here doing tricks & twists for that man yup give that girl an award ,,,

wow what a ride ... the way i developed carpal tunnel from typing all of this was so worth it idk !!! i love them bad <333 KEJWKJDS hope u enjoyed <33

[r1caner]

they're just trying to let some air in but you hold your breath, you hold your breath, you hold it

rated t | 3.9k words

Well. Annabeth was very attractive. And she was Percy’s girlfriend. He was Annabeth’s boyfriend, more like.

And he thought that most people knew that, that they could tell. It wasn’t like either of them hid it, but there was close to no point in having to mention it in the first place, either. Pretty much everyone in their sphere knew who they were, both individually and together.

Maybe Percy’s six-ish years of demigod fame had gotten to his head, because how could he expect a mortal at a random college party to know that?

He couldn’t really help the voice in his head telling him that he should make this guy know it.

[3416]

'a veil will now forever separate our union. but it is a thin veil, and i'm always on the other side, face pressed up against your longing.'

like that is such a fujckdmnsbhfj CRAZY quote i can't stop thinking about it or this show.... i saw someone say lestat could never pull off the flowery title quotes and i'm like. WHAT are you talking about.. he's alwayhsujkd saying intense or romantic articulate shit likerflskdm.. WHAT IS THAT!!

[mewhenifreakit]

curled up by the fire, tail waggin

[reineyday]

i keep trying to write this mishanks christmas fic but it keeps stalling at the first scene 🤦🏻‍♀️ i guess shanks is just doomed to never leave this stupid party oh my god

[aestheticsyoutubers]

life of boris, nocturnoplays ↳ american food to a non-american (apple pie)

[sysig]

Hm ok what's your favorite or a really cool worlbuilding thing you've done? For any fandom or original or even an unimplemented idea

Hmm well at least in the past decade, my big worldbuilding projects have mostly come down to three-ish stories: Other Side of the Gun, Adventures of Gæilo and Ethon, and Just Desserts

OSG was an Invader ZiM fancomic concept I started around 2013 to justify every single Irken headcanon I ever came up with lol - I never finished it, or even really started it, but I put a lot of time and energy into its roughs back in the day :)

^A stick figure recap of Ch. 1, inspired by - what else - the Vargas stick figure recaps lol

One that you can see over here is all the work I did for my DnD campaign, AGE! (Though its sideblog hasn't been updated in a while haha - the AGE tag over here works just as well) I basically homebrewed a pantheon and had an absolute blast designing all the gods and their forms before they became gods and even things like architectural differences in their churches and the BBEG and his motivations and just ah <3 Such a fun project :D

It also laid the groundwork for things like Pokemon Homestyle, specifically all my papercrafts! You can really see how I leveled up haha

And my latest has been Just Desserts! Even with less time under its belt, it's still pretty expansive, as evidenced by my icon and theme and the backlog lol, and it's the one I have the most AUs of! (Though OSG does come close actually haha) There are still some thorny details I'm trying to iron out, especially to do with the magic system, but all the characters and creatures and the fact that I made my own fighting minigame, ah, pleased! I've never been so happy with a sona before Charm! ♥ From the very beginning it's been so fun to work on and I still want to improve!

[rowonlgc]

YOU’VE GOT MAIL !⠀›⠀@lgcbrooke

river,

it’s been a while since i last wrote. did i worry you? or were you secretly hoping that i went off and died in a ditch somewhere so there’s no obligation to write back? unfortunately, for you, i’m still alive and kicking (ha). but barely. it’s been busy. work really picks up around this time of year. i didn’t even go home for chuseok. same for you? what do you do? don’t think i ever asked.

remember when i told you about that little ba my friend’s roommate? the one who doesn’t like me for no reason. he’s been a pain in the ass lately. can’t even come by for a minute without him making a big deal out of it. weird, right? i haven’t done anything to him, but he’s here acting like i ran over his dog or stole his girlfriend - maybe i should, so he has an actual reason to hate me. kidding.

also i was thinking. since we’re in the same area now, isn’t it about time that we meet up? no pressure. only if you want to.

elias x

[glowxie]

visibly vibrating The founders cut has to be witnessed immediately or i will keel over and die

[sluttysnowangel666]

His Second Wife - cregan stark x reader (request)

summary: two years following the death of cregan’s first wife, he accepts an undesired marriage proposal to rhaenyra targaryen’s daughter. rhaenyra’s daughter, who had loved cregan the moment she first met him as a young girl, immediately loves and accepts cregan’s first child as her own. yet it is still not enough for cregan to find his own love for his new wife.

cw: mean cregan😓, widow!cregan, targ!reader, loss of virginity(reader), rhaenyra’s daughter, angst to fluff, unrequited love, sex, happy ending

do yall notice i always post a long ass story usually around midnight or later ( i’m unwell)also this is long af soz it was a detailed request and I wanted it to be to a T. this is SOO long. i prolly should have done two parts… oh well @lillithsalvatore hope you enjoy it love ❤️

“How do you feel, my love?” Your mother asked, placing a warm and comforting hand on yours.

You sighed. “Nervous.”

She gave you that warm and sweet smile of hers. “I know. I hope you know this choice was not easy for me to make, as I know this was a hard task for me to place upon you.”

“I know, mother.” You say with forgiveness, giving her hand a squeeze.

“Had it been any other lord I would have surely declined but… Starks are the most honorable among men. I know your union will be blessed by the gods.”

You give her a smile, blindly trusting her words. You had met him once, and you knew he was kind. In fact, he had left a paw shaped imprint on your heart. You thought to yourself no union could be more suitable. You knew he had married once before out of a prior marital alliance, but the marriage had been short lived, lasting only a year before his first wife died in her birthing chambers.

It took more than four moons before you arrived at Winterfell, as if every power in the world was set on preventing it. You were not a superstitious person, so you simply thought all the bad things that happened prior to your marriage was coincidence.

Each time you went to leave, something prevented you. Your mother miscarried your baby sister, Lucerys was killed by Aemond, Daemon went silent at Harrenhall, Rhaena ran away and was lost in the eyrie before revealing she claimed Sheep-stealer.

You arrived in the dead of winter, and the journey had not been kind to you. You got a chill on the way up, causing you to stop at an inn for a few nights, you had came across raiders who killed one of the many men escorting you, and your clothes were ill suited for the weather.

You did eventually arrive at Winterfell thankfully, all in one piece.

You stepped out of the carriage cautiously, eyeing the snowy landscape surrounding you. It went as far as the eye could see. You held your hand out, letting the thick snowflakes fall and melt in your hand.

“My princess.” You turn to see Cregan, walking towards you. He bows, forcing a politeness. “Winterfell is yours.”

You bow in return, “No need for such formalities, Lord Stark. This is your home, and I am honored to have you welcome me here.”

He nods, choosing to say nothing else to you.

“Please show the princess to her chambers.” He says to one of the servants, then immediately turning on his heels to leave. Your jaw falls slightly, surprised at his curt demeanor.

You compose yourself, trying to hide the slight hurt in your features before making your way to your private chambers.

You bathed immediately, welcoming the hot water against your skin. No water could be hot enough for your dragon blood, but what they had drawn up for you would do nicely.

Your wedding was a week after your arrival, the lord having given you time to settle in. You had not seen him much during that week so you chose not to bother him, assuming he was busy with duties.

When you walked down that snowy path to the red weirwood, Cregan stole a glance at you. You looked beautiful, and he felt horribly guilty for thinking it. He felt like what he was doing was betraying her.

You said your vows, swearing your love before the old gods. You smiled at Cregan and he gave you a forced one in return. Guilt wracked his whole body. He felt guilty for you, knowing he wouldn’t be able to give you a union where you were loved, he felt guilty for liking your smile, he felt guilty for forgetting hers.

There was a feast following the ceremony, nothing large due to the pains of winter, but it didn’t bother you. The small gathering felt intimate, compared to southern weddings where lords and ladies travelled from all over the realm to witness it.

It was here you met Cregan’s son, Rickon.

“Hi, little one.” You said. He was only two, a fat little babe who looked just like Cregan.

“Rickon, this is my new wife.” Cregan said. The way he worded it made you twitch, it had sounded so strained. He didn’t even use your name. You told the boy the name he could call you, but he said nothing as he hid behind his father’s leg.

“I apologize.” Cregan said, his voice showing no sign that he actually was sorry.

“It is alright, my lord. He is just a babe. He and I will have time to get to know each other.” You said. Cregan tensed up, suddenly remembering again this union was forever.

“Excuse me, princess.” He said, turning and walking away with Rickon. Your heart sunk a bit. You could start to sense it now, Cregan was not in the slightest invested in your union together. You felt lost, out of place suddenly.

You sat back down at the high table, overwhelmed with nervousness. You bit at your nails and the skin around them, biting until they bled. You missed your mother dearly. Being here, in this room among strangers who didn’t care much for southerners to begin with, made you feel small.

You had sat there for an hour or two, not moving or eating once, save for your cuticles.

Cregan came to you, not noticing your nervous state. If he had noticed, he chose to ignore it. “I’ve put Rickon down… Would you please accompany me to my chambers?”

You looked at him, the nail bed of your thumb resting between your teeth. You nodded, standing and staring at the hall one last time. You locked eyes with a man, who noticed you both about to take your leave.

“Is it time for the bedding ceremony, Lord Stark?” The man asked, erupting a few cheers from the men mostly.

“No!” Cregan nearly barked the order. “There will be no bedding ceremony.”

The men in the crowd shuffled awkwardly at his outburst but accepted.

“Princess.” Cregan said, walking away and not waiting to see if you were following.

You did anyway, struggling to keep up with his quick pace. You had the sense he wanted this to be over with quickly.

He held the door as you both entered his chambers. You took in your surroundings. It was a clean and large kept room with a lit hearth and a large bed. A thought passed your mind, even though you tried to push it down.

Did he share these chambers with her?

Cregan began to take off his armor and furs, again not watching to see if you did the same, only assuming you were. If you weren’t, he didn’t care.

“Um, could you help, my lord?” You asked, referring to the laces of your white wedding dress.

He sighed, walking over to you as you turned your back to him. Your eyes welled with tears, but you tried to hide it.

His hands were gentle with the laces, not tugging at them as you expected him to. He obviously had experience doing this before.

He grew emotional as he undid your dress, but he hid it well. It was a weird sense of deja vu. Your hair looked like hers from the back and he felt like he was back at his first wedding.

You pushed the dress off, revealing the sheer linen soft dress underneath. He hadn’t moved from behind you, trying to maintain his composure. You walked away from him, lying on the bed and biting your nails again.

He finished disrobing besides his briefs, and you stole a glance at his back. It was huge, muscular and scarred.

He walked over to the bed, getting between your legs and pushing up your shift.

“Is this alright with you, princess?” He asks. “We need not consummate this if you are not ready.”

For the first time it seemed like he kinda cared about how you felt. His hand still had a hold of your shift, which was resting on your pelvic bone.

You nodded, “Is it alright with you, Lord Stark?”

He nodded, pushing your shift up the rest of the way to reveal your chest. He wanted to fall on his sword for the way he kept stealing glances at your breasts.

He pushed his briefs down, and you choked on your breath at the reveal of his length.

“Oh, gods.” You mumbled under your breath.

He rubbed himself against your slit, and your heart stilled for a minute. The feeling was foreign and intense.

He gently grabbed your wrist, pulling your hand away from your mouth. You hadn’t even realized you were still doing it, it was starting to become like breathing. A natural, unintentional habit.

Your hands fell to his biceps to steady yourself. You looked at him, but he did not meet your gaze. He instead bowed his head, watching himself enter inside you.

You dug your nails into his arm, gasping in shock. He gently shushed you, telling you it was okay.

“Please, please.” You said, not knowing what you were even pleading for.

“What?” He asked gently, his voice low and almost mimicking of your whining. It sent a shiver up your spine.

He was slow and gentle with you, not in it for any pleasure himself.

You touched his chest and his hair and his arms, and while he didn’t stop you he made no effort to touch you himself. His hands rested beside your head, holding up his weight.

Your hands found his arms again and you moaned softly, feeling your peak building in your stomach. You closed your eyes and pressed your forehead to his head, moaning as you spilled onto him. He closed his eyes as he felt it, and guilt wracked him again.

He gently pulled out of you and stood up, immediately dressing himself into his nightwear. You pushed your shift back down and pulled the linen covers over you, immediately going back to biting your nails at his reaction.

He laid beside you, not facing you and not saying anything.

You said nothing, but it hadn’t gone unnoticed how he intentionally avoided spilling himself into you.

———

It had been 3 months since your arrival to Winterfell, and you had adjusted as well as you could given the circumstances.

You did not often see your lord husband, but you were used to it. He spent a lot of his free time in the crypt where she was. It hurt, but you gave him his peace and he appreciated that you didn’t hover.

“Mummy!”

“Sh, sh, love.” You say as Rickon runs into your chambers.

Cregan did not like when Rickon called you his mother. He’d gotten upset with you a few times over it, and you assured him you would correct Rickon when it happened.

“Mummy.” He repeated. You giggled. pulling him into your lap. You shook your head and tapped his nose, saying, “Nooo. Not mummy.”

“Mummy.” He laughed, and you ran your fingers through his thick brown curls.

“What ever will we do with this mop on your head, my son?”

“He is not your son.” You turned to see Cregan standing in the door way. “And his hair is fine.”

“Apologies, my lord.” You said, curtly. He ignored your attitude.

“Come, Rickon.” He said, beckoning his son.

“No, mummy.” Rickon whined, holding you.

“Go see papa.” You told him, and with your blessing Rickon ran to Cregan.

Cregan gave you a cold stare as he left, and you returned the favor.

You were growing ever so agitated with your husband. He had welcomed you into Winterfell, but not his heart. The only time you both had shared a bed was the night of your wedding, to which Cregan had made sure not to give you an heir.

You had no one. Rickon had you, Cregan had you even if he did not want you, yet you were alone here in Winterfell.

You decided to write to your mother on Dragonstone, requesting for Jacaerys to pick you up on dragon back so you could visit your family and hopefully receive advice. You had left your dragon, Silverwing, at home. You did not want to disrespect the already hesitant northern people, and you did not want Silverwing to be cold or hungry.

That night when you were brushing your hair before bed, there was a knock on your door.

“Come in.” You looked in the mirror and saw Cregan’s half sister, Sara, enter.

“Hi, Sara.” You said. She came up behind you, taking the brush from your hand and slowly combing it through your hair. You two had formed a unique bond, given you were both considered outcasts in Winterfell. You were a southerner, she was a bastard. They were two sides of the same coin here in Winterfell.

“I heard what happened today.” She said, and you hummed mindlessly. “My brother can be a bastard.”

You smiled at her in the mirror. “Is that so?”

She nods. “I wish I knew what to do, Sara.”

“We northerners love hard, princess. We are unwaveringly loyal. The wound of losing Aly is still fresh in my brother’s heart. Give him time. He knows you love Rickon, and that scares him. I don’t know why.”

“Was Aly pretty?” You ask.

“You have a southern beauty we do not see often in the North. Aly was not a beautiful woman, but she was a fierce fighter. That is how history will remember her. She was born fighting, and she died fighting. I know you are a fierce fighter as well, princess. You are the blood of the dragon. Do not let the grief my brother holds make you feel small.” She kisses the back of your head. “Throw a fucking book at his head if he acts like that again.”

You laugh, her joke comforting you. She turns and leaves you alone, your head clouded with thoughts of Aly.

You heard back from Jacaerys within a few days that he would arrive shortly to bring you home. You had not yet told Cregan, as you knew he wouldn’t care anyway.

A few days following the letter from the raven, it was Sara’s name day. Cregan had decided to celebrate with a feast, one bigger than your wedding.

You all sat at the high table, your husband and sister in law drinking heavily. Although Cregan was a big man, the amount of ale he consumed that night seemed enough to kill a horse.

“My princess.” A servant rested her hand on your shoulder. You and Cregan both turned to look at her, and she grew nervous, not expecting Cregan to pay any attention or perhaps she would not have asked the princess the request. “Rickon has had a nightmare and wants no comfort of the maids. He is requesting you by name specifically, princess.”

You turn to look at Cregan for his approval. He gives a quick nod, which you hadn’t expected. Perhaps he only obliged since Rickon had requested you by your name, rather than requesting his “mother.”

You walked with the maid to his chambers, opening the door.

“Mummy.” He said through sniffles. You turned to face the maid.

“I thought he requested me by my name.” You said.

“That is your name, princess… to him.” The maid closed the door.

You turn to face Rickon with a gentle sigh. “You know papa doesn’t like that word.”

“Mummy.” He just says again. You walk to his bed, fitting yourself in to lay with him. He cuddles into your chest, and you play with his hair to help him sleep.

“Say it okay.” He says.

“Hm? What do you mean, child?” You ask.

“She say it okay to call you mummy.”

“Who?”

“Mummy did.”

“No, you have to call me my name, sweet boy.”

“Not you, mummy. My other mummy said it okay.”

“You confuse me, Rickon.”

“Mummy says ignore papa.” You chuckle softly.

“Sleep now, my love.” You say, and he slowly falls asleep while you hum him a soft song.

You rise, tucking him in and giving his head a kiss.

You open his door to return to the feast, and Cregan is there waiting.

You gasp, covering your mouth quickly to not wake Rickon.

“Gods, you scared me!” You whisper/yell at him. He says nothing, his eyes in a glossy and drunken haze.

You close the door, nearly standing chest to chest with him.

“I heard you sing to him.” He says softly. “Where did you learn that song?”

“He taught me it.” You say, as you go to step past him when he stops you.

“Cregan?” You say confused, turning to look up at him.

He takes your cheeks in your hands and slams his lips on yours. You freeze for a second in shock, before immediately returning the kiss. He presses you against the door, and you moan into him as you quickly grow wet with Cregan’s sudden change of behavior.

He moves to press gentle kisses on your neck, biting softly here and there. His fingers dig into your hips, grinding himself into you. You moan softly, trying not to cause too much noise against the door.

“Not here.” You moan. He avoids your eyes, taking your hand and pulling you further down the hall to his chambers. It was only your second time in his room. He lifted you into his strong arms, wrapping your legs around his waist and pressing you against the wall.

You both hadn’t even undressed, but you loved the thrill. Your husband finally wanted you after three long grueling months. He pushed your dress up to your waist as you unlaced his breeches.

He took you there against the wall of his chambers, fucking you so sweetly, fucking you in a way that would surely produce an heir.

Your moans filled the halls, and the servants began to spread word that the lord had finally moved on from his first wife.

He carried you to the bed, placing you along the edge as he stood, fucking you with sloppy and drunken thrusts.

You moaned his name, both of you drawing so close to your peak as your hands rested against his stomach. He leaned closed to you as hand moved beside your head to hold his weight, and the other moved under your lower back to lift you slightly off the bed and pull you more into him. The angle sent you over the edge, crying and moaning his name.

Your moans pushed him over, but his next words made you sick.

“Fuck, Alysanne.” He groaned, burying his head in your neck and spilling his seed into you.

You gasped, not even sure you heard him right.

He kissed your neck a few times and then rolled off you, not noticing the look on your face.

You laid there unmoving, still in your dress which was now damp with sweat, and your thighs now sticky with Cregan.

He fell asleep the second his head hit his pillow, still in his clothes.

You choked back a sob, moving your hand to your mouth so he wouldn’t waken. In reality, you could’ve started screaming and he wouldn’t have woke, or even shuffled.

You exited his chambers, trying not to be sick on the way to yours.

“My sister!” Sara drunkenly yelled as she seen you in the hallway. She took notice of your disheveled dress and hair. “Oh my gods, did you and Cregan just…?”

You ignored her, but she noticed the tears on your face. “Wait, sister what is wrong? What happened?”

You slammed the door in her face, throwing yourself into your pillow and screaming.

—

“Mother would be furious if she knew you were sleeping this well past sunrise.”

You groaned, lifting your head from the pillow to find the voice in the room.

“Jacaerys?” You said, when your eyes landed on him.

“I take it the feast for Sara Snow was a success.” He says, making fun of you. Your hair was sticking to your face, wet with a mixture of tears and drool.

“I guess you could say that.” You said, wiping your hair to the side.

“You’re disgusting.” He says.

“Gods, five minutes you’ve been here and you already frustrate me! Get out!” You say, both of you immediately teasing and arguing like you had never left home.

You push him out of your room.

“Don’t touch me, wench!” He whines, smacking your arms.

“Piss off! Go harass the bloody Lord of Winterfell.”

“I’d rather harass the Lady.” You push him out of your doors, turning and pressing your back to slide down the wall.

You hear him knock again and you rise to your feet, angry. “Jace, I said-“

You don’t finish your sentence, since as you open the door it’s Sara.

“I wanna talk about last night.”

“I don’t.” You say, going to close the door on her before she pushes it back open.

“What happened?” She asks, angry. She closes the door behind her and follows you to the bed. You sit on the edge and rest your elbows on your thighs, burying your face in your hands.

“Did my brother hurt you?” She asks, worried.

“No, no.”

She rests on her knees in front of you, placing her hands on your knees. “Tell me what happened.”

You sigh, trying to hold back your tears, but you cannot. “We had sex.”

“Isn’t that good? What went wrong?”

“He called me Alysanne.” You sob out.

“Oh, no.” She says, moving to sit beside you and wrap her arms around you.

“I cannot stay here no longer, Sara. I am being haunted by Alysanne. I find letters she wrote to Cregan, her clothes, her weapons. Rickon thinks I am her and Cregan wishes I was.”

“I am sorry, princess.” She says, sadly. “I thought I knew my brother better than that… Perhaps, if you talk to him about these past few months things can be different. Just give it a try, yes? You have your brother here now. You can leave if things do not work and the marriage can be annulled.”

You did not even wish to think of that possibility. It would be so shameful for both of your houses. You would do everything in your power to make it work.

You cleaned yourself up and went to Cregan’s chambers, knowing he would be hungover.

And you were right.

You entered his room without knocking, finding him in a bath with a warm rag over his eyes. Three times now you’ve been in his chambers.

“You can set it on the table.” He says, not moving the rag.

“What?”

“Oh.” He says, his voice changing in tone. “I thought you were the maid.”

You say nothing, unsure of where to even begin.

“Can whatever you’ve barged into my chambers for wait until I am done.” He asks, only the question is more of a statement.

“No.” You say, angry. You walk over to him and pull the rag off his eyes. He squints at the brightness, then gagging on the air as if he might be sick. “We’re going to talk, Cregan. We’ve been married for months and I don’t think we’ve ever truly had a conversation once. It is all I am asking. You could at least give me that. You’ve given me the cold shoulder for three months, and I’m tired of it. I’ve helped raise your son, I’ve loved you and I’ve cared for you even when you didn’t want it. You owe this to me.”

He sighs, defeated. “You are right in that, my princess. I apologize. We can talk later, alright?”

“No, Cregan. We will talk now.”

“You wouldn’t rather talk when I am of a clear headspace?”

“No. Now.” You say. He sighs again.

“Say your piece.”

The words left your mind the second he said that. You had this conversation in your head many times before, but now it was here and you could not handle the heat of the moment.

He raised his eyebrow at you, as if you were dumb.

“Oh, do not do that. I thought you Starks were supposed to be the most honorable among men. This whole marriage I have been treated with everything but. You are a disrespectful man, Stark. I am truly sorry about Alysanne-“

“Do not speak to me about my wife, ever!” He yells, pointing at you.

“I am your wife!” You cry out. “You chose me, whether you were ready for another marriage or not! I left my home, my family, my dragon to be with you! If I cannot have your love, is it too much to ask for your fucking respect?!”

He goes quiet for a few moments, “You have always had my respect, princess… and I know I have erred in the way I’ve treated you these past moons. But this marriage is just a duty. Nothing more, nothing less. This marriage is not out of love… so do not expect me to love you back.”

You laugh, dryly. “You called me Alysanne last night… Do you remember that? No… I suppose you were too drunk. You never would have touched or cared for me like that sober.”

He says nothing, but his hands grip the side of the tub and his face is contorted with anger. You rise, hiding any sort of emotion on your face.

“The dead don’t need lovers. Only the living.” You said. He threw his rag at the door as you walked out, not even granting him a second glance.

The memories of last night flooded back to him, and he rested his face in his hands, crying at his behavior. He had let down Aly, his son, and you.

He did care about you, he did love you in his own way. He just didn’t know how to show it. He didn’t want to show it. If he had shown it, he only would have betrayed Aly even more.

You went down to the crypt, somewhere you had never gone before. You had no reason originally, no people to mourn.

You stood in front of her plot, staring at the statue of her. She had been a skinny girl, with long dark hair and ‘plain’ features. You thought she was a beauty in her own way. You saw why Cregan loved her.

You cried. “I’m sorry I couldn’t help him.”

Your hand touched her statue, then you stood and left the crypt.

You said goodbye to Rickon, Sara, and then you left with your brother on dragon back, ready to be home with your true family.

———

“You’re a fucking fool, brother.”

“You think I don’t know that? Gods.” Cregan rested his head in his hands. He had sent every raven in Winterfell to Dragonstone, yet not one had responded in the weeks since you’d left.

“We’ll be lucky if the bloody queen doesn’t declare war on us for you scorning her daughter.”

“I am trying here, Sara! I’ve sent my ravens, I’ve sent men to retrieve her. There is nothing more I can do!”

Sara slammed her hands on the table. “Go and get her your bloody self, Cregan. The trip to Dragonstone will give you plenty of time for reflection.”

Sara turned to leave, and Cregan knew it was his only option of getting you back here. He would go and get you and make things right. He had to.

You had your own time for reflection, riding home with Jacaerys made you realize how much you missed being on dragon back.

Your mother of course welcomed you with open arms, but was wracked with guilt that you and Cregan’s union was not working. You paid it no mind however, spending your days patrolling Dragonstone on Silverwing.

Cregan had taken his horse and a few men to retrieve you from Dragonstone. The trip by horse was long, more than several weeks.

The entire time he rode in silence he thought of you. He thought of your last conversation and the final words you had said to him. The dead don’t need lovers. And you were right. Alysanne would not have wished to see him treat you how he had, she would not have wanted Cregan to spend his time sulking or being angry. He only wished he had realized it before he left.

He loved you. If only it hadn’t taken you leaving for him to realize. You were kind, gentle, beautiful. Traits Alysanne didn’t have but it was what seperated you from her. It had been how he was able to find his own kind of love for you, even when he didn’t consciously realize it yet. His own bitterness from losing Aly had made forget his honor.

Cregan arrived about two moons after you had left. He was aching, frustrated, and desperate by the time he reached Dragonstone.

It was dark, pouring rain, and you were playing with your brothers Viserys and Aegon when he arrived.

“Your Grace!” A knight came into the room shouting. Your mother looked up from her book. “Cregan Stark of Winterfell has arrived and requests an immediate audience with you and the princess.”

Your mother looked at you, and you looked like you’d seen a ghost. Your heart sank and your face went pale, but you nodded.

You met him inside the council chambers with your mother and his men. He was soaked, shivering. You could hear your heart beating in your ears, that was how nervous you were.

“Cregan.” You said, walking towards him and pushing him by his arms to the hearth to warm him up. It was another thing he loved about you, your protective nature, so he said it.

“I love you.”

“Cregan…”

“Love her?” You both looked at your mother, whose face was angry. “You love my daughter?”

“Your Grace.” Cregan said, removing his sword and bending his knee. “I’ve come to beg your forgiveness.”

She walked towards you both. “It is not mine you need to beg for… I sent my only daughter to you, and you spurn her for your dead wife?!”

“Mother!”

“You will not interrupt the Queen when she is speaking.” She commands you. “What do you have to say for yourself, Lord Stark?”

He stands. “I have nothing to say, Your Grace. You are right. My behavior was unacceptable. The princess deserved none of it.”

“Why are you here?” Your mother asks him.

“I’ve come to ask the princess to return home.” Your mother scoffs at him.

She looks at you, then back to him. “You are lucky it is not my decision to make.”

She turns and exits, leaving and commanding his men to wait outside the doors so you both could be alone.

You were even more nervous with just the two of you in there. It is silent for a few moments before you speak.

“Why the sudden change of heart?” You ask Cregan.

“It took you leaving for me to realize I love you.” He says, taking your hands in his. You roll your eyes, taking your hands back and stepping away.

“I can’t believe you.” You say, starting to sob.

“I know, I know.” He steps closer to you again, taking you in his arms as you cry into his chest. “I’m so sorry.”

“I loved you, Cregan.” You say, crying. “Since I was a girl I loved you. I thought you were different from other men. But, you’re just like the rest.”

Cregan cries into your hair. “I’m so sorry, my princess. I’m so, so sorry.”

You both stand there, holding each other and crying.

“Please come home.” He says. “Let me take you home.”

“Rickon misses his mother, Sara misses her sister… I miss you, you my wife.”

You pull away to look at him, trying to read his normally stoic features. You can see he means it.

“Okay.”

———

You returned to Winterfell on Silverwing, no longer having the strength to remain apart from your dragon.

Cregan had to endure another long and grueling trip back to Winterfell, which you enjoyed knowing he was suffering while you road through the skies.

Rickon had cried tears of joy when you returned, and a week later when Cregan arrived Rickon cried again.

You and Cregan had remained in seperated chambers while you still navigated your marriage, but Cregan made a point to spend every moment of his free time with you.

But you had been keeping a secret from him.

After you returned home to Dragonstone originally, your blood never arrived. The maester determined you were with a babe, which would arrive several moons away in the dead of winter.

Your thick furs and dresses made it easier to hide from Cregan, as you were not ready to tell him.

The babe had complicated things. If you had not been pregnant, you might not have returned to Winterfell when Cregan came for you. But you knew you had a duty, and you believed if Cregan could love you then you could fix your union.

Cregan had indeed put the work in the second he arrived home. He attended to you, conversed with you, ate with you, laughed with you, but gave you the space you needed and gave you the option to be intimate with him when you were ready.

It was strangely like falling in love all over again. You blushed around each other, got nervous and flushed, made each other’s hearts race, shared a first kiss when you were both ready.

Cregan had undoubtedly fallen madly in love with you, and he regretted not taking the time to do it sooner. He couldn’t make up the time he lost being afraid. All he could do now was love you without guilt, love you without fear, love you without shame.

Normally Cregan always knocked on your chamber doors before entering, but for some reason this time he hadn’t. He didn’t know why he didn’t knock, he didn’t know if it happened unconsciously or if he was too busy wrapped up with his thoughts.

Either way, he entered without knocking and by that point the cat was out of the bag.

He said your name, greeting you with a smile, only for it to fall off his face as if it had never been there.

You were in the bath, relaxing in the burning water, but that wasn’t the problem. He’d seen you naked, although it hadn’t been for a few months by this point, but him accidentally invading your privacy wasn’t the problem either.

It was the bump in your belly that was a problem.

Your head turned sharply, covering your chest quickly. “Cregan!”

“Sorry.” He said quickly, turning around to avoid disrespecting you.

“It’s fine.” You said, dropping your arm from your chest. “You just gave me a fright.”

He said nothing for a moment, only continuing to face the wall.

“What is that?” He finally asked. You sighed, stepping out of the tub and into your robe.

You walked up behind him, resting a hand on his shoulder. He turned around to face you now, and his eyes fell down to your other hand resting on the small bump in your stomach.

“Perhaps it’s time we talk.”

“You think?” He spits at you, immediately apologizing after. “I’m sorry, princess. I didn’t mean to be cross with you.”

You said nothing, walking over to the seats by the hearth hoping he would follow.

He did, and he sat next to you, his eyes never leaving your belly.

“Can I?” He asked, gesturing to your stomach. You nodded, untying your robe so that you were bare. You grabbed his hand, bringing it to the small bump.

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner? I could have accommodated for you, made sure you were comfortable.”

“Truth be told it’s been hard for me to accept I’m truly with a child.” You say, “The reality had not set in until… well until you just now found out... I am sorry, Cregan. I should not have kept it from you.”

He chokes back a sob. “Feels like just yesterday Alysanne had Rickon.”

“He will be overjoyed to know he will have a little brother or sister.” You tell him. He looks at you, his face full of emotion.

“Can I kiss you?” He asks and before you can even finish nodding your head, you’re already leaning in to kiss him.

“I love you. I love you so much, my wife.” He says in between kisses.

His hand did not move once from your stomach the whole night.