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jaelvr · 4 months

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Nectar

Home | NCT 127 masterlist |

Requested : yes by @couturethiquefemboy

Prompts ; 121. “I miss you, more than I thought possible.” + 66. “kiss me harder.”

Pairing : frat! jaehyun x gn! reader

Pronouns : you/yours

Type : fluff, suggestive

Word count : 5k

Content: mutual feelings, opposites, college au, basketball jock, dancer reader, fluff, slightly ooc

Have a great day !!

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You excused yourself from the group in the living room, making your way through the sea of bodies to the kitchen to grab another drink, refilling the red plastic cup of God knows what. He was sat on the counter, quick to dismiss the people in front of him as he saw you, sliding himself off before approaching you. His red-tinted sunglasses sat on top of his freshly dyed hair, the leather jacket pulled over his iconic jersey. "Hey sunshine." he murmured, his hand finding your waist. "I was wondering when you were going to come and annoy me." you chuckled, eyebrows raised as you sipped your drink. Jaehyun snickered at your retort. He was hoping you'd speak to him tonight, watching you all evening. “Just taking a break. I’ll go find someone else to annoy.” He smiled, his dimple showing against his smooth skin. “Unless you want me around?”

"Never do." you joked back, a small grin playing on your lips as you wrapped your arms around his neck. He smiled down at you, grip on your waist tightening as he pulled you closer to his body, arms tight on your waist. "Never say never. I'll win you over eventually." Jaehyun gave you a cocky grin, gently nuzzling into your neck and placing kisses against it. "Keep dreaming, pretty boy." you whispered, biting your lip gently as your hand ran through his hair. Jaehyun smiled against your skin as your hand was in his hair. He kissed down your neck to your collarbone. His hands slowly made their way to your hips. Jaehyun kissed his way to your lips and finally claimed them. One hand gripping your hip, the other gently holding your chin. Your hand gently tugged on his hair as you made out, cheeks flushed. He smirked against your lips as he nipped at your bottom lip. His hand on your hip pulled you even closer. Jaehyun's tongue slipped through your lips to explore your mouth. His hand that held your chin slowly moved down your body to your thighs.

You grinned, pulling away as you heard your name being called in the other room. "That's my cue to leave." you murmured against his lips, pecking them one more time. Jaehyun was left disappointed. He wanted to keep kissing you. He leaned his forehead on yours with a smile. “Will I ever get you alone?” He whispered against your lips. Jaehyun pulled your face in for another quick kiss, his lips lingering. “I should let you go now. But please promise you’ll find time for me tonight.” He moved his hands to your hips so you could leave easily. His gaze not leaving you. "No promises, pretty boy." you giggled, kissing his cheek, your lipstick leaving a mark before you disappeared back into the crowd. Jaehyun watched you leave, still standing in the middle of the kitchen. He smirked, placing a hand over his cheek that still had your lipstick mark. He fixed his leather jacket and red-tinted sunglasses before going off to find someone else to pester.

He loved the chase, that's for sure.

----

Jaehyun slowly entered the studio, he watched your body move in the mirror. His eyes followed you gracefully throughout the room. Jaehyun loved watching you dance. He watched with such admiration. He was leaning on the door frame, just watching not wanting to interrupt your practice. You hadn't noticed him until you finished, seeing him smile as you looked up in the mirror. Jaehyun began clapping and whistling as you walked over to the stereo to turn the music off. He couldn’t help but watch you as you walked over to him. “That was quite the show sweetheart.” He smirked, his gaze roaming all over you. "Stalking me now?" you teased, shooting him a smirk as you wiped the sweat on your forehead, grabbing your towel. He followed behind you. His eyes were glued to your body as it was covered in sweat. Jaehyun bit his lip, shaking his head softly. He leaned down to your ear and grinned. “Just admiring the view.”

"Shouldn't you be in basketball practice?" you asked, head tilted as you drank some water. Jaehyun shrugged, leaning against the back wall. He crossed his arms over his chest. “I got out of practice a little bit ago. Figured you’d still be here so I came to bother you.” he smirked. “Besides… I got a better view here.” he murmured, eyes still wondering. "You always this insufferable? or just to me?" you asked, purposely bending down to place your water bottle back down. Jaehyun chuckled lightly. “Just you sunshine. You bring out the best in me.” His attention was pulled to your body when you leaned down. He licked his lips before going over to you. “You look… hot when you’re sweaty.” he murmured, arms wrapped around your waist again. "Is that so?" you murmured, hands resting on his chest.

Jaehyun's hands slowly found their place on your hips. He smiled down at you, his thumbs gently rubbing circles. “You have no idea the things I’ve dreamt about…” he murmured, leaning a kiss to your neck. He planted a few loving kisses on your heated skin, nipping here and there. "Please do share." you murmured, smirking at him as you teased him with your wondering hands. His hands gripped your hips, pulling you closer to his body. He nipped and kissed all over your neck and lower jaw. “We could start out here. We could go over there.” Jaehyun gestured to the wall next to the stereo. His lips nipped at your earlobe. “Or… I can just take you right here...” Jaehyun's tone changed to a husky whisper as he kissed your skin. "What if someone walks in?" you murmured, lips brushing against his neck. Jaehyun pressed his body against yours. “Mmm… I don’t care if someone walks in. Do you? I’d love for them to see how pretty you are.”

"Jae..." you murmured, his name slipping out of your lips as he pressed kisses to your neck. Jaehyun paused. He pulled away slightly, looking into your eyes. He was surprised you had called him his actual name. “Say it again…” his tone was softer now. He caressed your cheek, his thumb brushing your cheekbone. "Jaehyun…" you murmured, looking up at him. “Much better. That pretty little mouth shouldn’t say my other name. It shouldn’t say any other guy's name.” Jaehyun had pulled your whole body against his. His lips captured yours. He poured his frustrations out through his kisses. They slowly grew more desperate. "Jae, please..." you let out whimpers, messily making out with him. “Mmm? Now you ask for things...?” he whispered into your ear. He nipped at your skin to tease you. “What do you want sunshine? Tell me.” Jaehyun's voice in your ear low and dark. The want building up inside of him. He began leaving more bruising kisses on your neck and collarbone. "You..." you murmured, in a daze.

“You have me sunshine.” Jaehyun murmured against your skin. He nibbled at the skin between your neck and collarbone, leaving soft and bruising kisses in his path. “All mine...” he nipped at your skin with a grin. Jaehyun took your hands in his and backed you into the wall. “Just like that. All mine.” There was a hint of possessiveness and jealousy laced in his tone. Just as things started getting more heated, his phone went off, interrupting the moment. Jaehyun was breathing heavily. His lips trailed to your collarbone and neck one more time. He stopped before pulling away altogether, reaching into his back pocket for his phone. “Goddamn it…. It’s probably coach.” He checked his phone and sighed. His breath was quick and his cheeks flushed. "S'alright, take it." you murmured, clearing your throat as you pulled away. Jaehyun paused and looked at you with an apologetic smile. He was obviously frustrated, and so close to losing it with you. He took a moment and pulled out his phone. “Give me a minute. I’ll be right back.” He sighed, stepping away from you. He went outside to take the call.

you let out a huff, running a hand through your hair. While this was nothing new between the two of you, it had never escalated this far. You sat down, reminding yourself that it probably meant nothing to the frat boy, doing this all the time with other people. Jaehyun took the call outside, his phone against his ear. He was pacing back and forth. The fact you let him kiss you like that was eating at him. You had turned him on more than anyone in a long time. he sighed as he hung up after a few minutes, and slowly made his way back into the studio, looking for you. Jaehyun's eyes were glued to your body as you started going through the routine again. Your body was so beautiful and graceful. He was mesmerized by you. He couldn’t help himself, his eyes took in every inch of you. Jaehyun finally stopped leaning against the doorway to walk over to you, he came up behind you. His hands slowly went around your waist, and he stood directly behind you. "Was it your coach?" you murmured, avoiding his eyes.

Jaehyun shrugged, his hands gently rubbing your sides. You could hear him take in your scent. “He can wait.” Jaehyun murmured. It drove him crazy. He moved your hair out of the way so he could plant a soft kiss on the back of your neck. "You should probably go to practice." you whispered, voice wavering slightly. "I was about to finish up and go home anyway." you lied, looking away. Jaehyun sighed, grabbing your hips tightly. He turned you around to face him. It was hard for him to be so close to you and not want to have you right there. “I just want one more moment with you before I go. Come here.” his grip tightened, not letting you out of his reach at all. "Jae-" you started before he cut you off. Jaehyun silenced you as he put his fingers against your lips, he pulled your hips against his body again, his body pressing against yours. “One minute. One more minute with you. That’s all I want and need.” He murmured, his lips meeting yours. His kiss was passionate and hungry. His hands gripped your hips, and he held you closer.

"You should go to practice now." you murmured once the pair of you had parted, not looking at him as you grabbed your stuff. Jaehyun stared at you. His lips curled in a slight frown. He hated the way you’d dismiss him. He'd had never felt such jealousy over someone before. He felt you belonged to him. Jaehyun knew he’d never be the guy to just let you go so easy. “You’re really leaving?” he muttered in a low and deep voice. "I'll see you tomorrow, Jaehyun." you murmured, sparing him a glance before walking out of the studio, leaving him standing in there alone. He watched you leave, His body was screaming at him to go after you. Every fibre in his being was pushing him to find you. But Jaehyun's ego, his pride wouldn’t let him chase after you. He clenched his fist and stomped out of the door. His mind screaming to go after you. Jaehyun leaned against his car in anger as his phone buzzed with another text and call from his coach.

You were so confusing.

----

Over the next few weeks, you avoided him, not responding to any calls or texts he'd left you and making sure not to bump into him in college. You were currently getting ready for your performance in the showcase for dance, doing a duet with Chan. He was part of the other frat group, and the rivalry between skz and ncit was strong, but you got along with both perfectly, his charming nature making it easy to bond. Your nerves were slowly kicking it, pacing around backstage. Jaehyun had given up on texting and calling you. He was frustrated and didn’t know what he did wrong. He knew he didn’t have any reason to be jealous or possessive of you, but that was exactly how he was feeling. knowing you would be performing tonight, he decided to come and watch your performances. Jaehyun entered the back room, standing close to the wall in the corner where he could see you without anyone noticing. He kept his eyes glued to you when you entered. He felt a spark of jealousy seeing Chan talk to you.

"Is it that obvious I'm nervous?" you murmured gently, looking up at Chan who was already gazing at you. Chan smirked, leaning against the wall. He had one arm crossed over his chest and his legs were crossed. He was trying hard to be cool and casual, it was hard with you so close to him “Yeah. It is pretty evident.” Chan mumbled. He leaned in close to you, placing his hands on your sides and whispering. “I’m sure you’ll do fine. You always do." He comforted, hands tightening. "What if I mess our dance up?" you frowned, unsure. Chan smirked. He leaned down close to you, his eyes looking into yours. He smirked and shook his head slowly. “Impossible. There’s no way you can mess up. Because if anyone screws up. It’ll be me, just so you know.” Chan leaned in to whisper against your ear. He smirked as his hands gripped your sides a little tighter. “But if you mess up. I’m making you come home with me tonight.” You wiggled slightly in his grip, laughing nervously, thinking he was joking.

Chan was definitely not joking. He had every intent on taking you home with him tonight. His plan was to charm you so much that you wouldn’t be able to say no. Chan had a cocky smirk on his face, his arms tightening around your waist. Before you could say anything, your names were announced, your cue to come on stage. You made your way on, your breath hitching as you saw Jaehyun in the audience, not expecting him to come. Jaehyun's eyes were glued on you, the way the spotlight hit your skin just made you shine like a bright star. He hated that Chan was by your side. He could see the two of you dancing together, and it drove him crazy, attention was on you and not the performance. Jaehyun leaned back against the wall in the back to get a better view. Chan was taking a few steps with you, his hands gripping your waist tightly. Chan whispered sweet nothings in your ear as you guys danced. Jaehyun was fuming.

You focused on the dance, not paying attention to either of the boys throughout the performance, locking eyes with Jaehyun as you finished the routine. Jaehyun smiled as you locked eyes with him. His eyes were filled with pride as you finished the dance routine with Chan. He had seen your whole performance, his body was filled with jealousy and possessiveness during every movement Chan made with you. He clapped his hands as soon as you finished the performance, a jealous smirk on his lips as he saw Chan grab your wrist. you watched as you saw him disappear before you walked off stage, slightly tense with Chan's arm still around your waist, knowing that Jaehyun would be meeting you backstage.

Jaehyun was waiting for you outside of the backstage room. His mood was different now. Instead of being frustrated and annoyed, he was possessive and jealous. You could see a dark aura around him. He grabbed your arm firmly, pulling you away from Chan’s grasp. “Come on, sunshine. I’m taking you home.” Jaehyun growled out as he pulled you deeper into the dark hallways. "Jae-" you started, eyes wide as he gently intertwined your hands. he shut you up by covering your mouth with his hand. One hand was still holding onto yours, the other one placed over your mouth. Jaehyun dragged you deeper into the back hallways, away from anyone else. “I don’t wanna hear a word of your bullshit right now sunshine.” he murmured. He dragged you into one of the empty rooms. "Jaehyun-" you murmured, trying to get him to listen. Jaehyun slammed the door shut, locking it. Jaehyun turned you around, so your back was against the door. He pressed himself against you. With his hands gripping your arms, he pinned you against the door. “Shut up for a minute and listen to me.” Jaehyun growled. His stare was intense and his grip on your body was tight.

“I don’t know what the hell you’re playing at, staying away from me. Ignoring my texts, and my calls and dodging me every chance you get.” Jaehyun muttered, his tone was angry and harsh. He looked as if he wasn’t himself. “I don’t know what to make of your little game. But I’m not going to sit back and let you just play with my feelings and mess me around. Got it?” His frustration was palpable, tension filling the room and his anger turning you on. "Just let me explain-" you started before he shook his head, finger on your lip again. “No. Don’t say a word. You've been ignoring my calls. you've been avoiding me. And the first time I see you in TWO weeks, you’re hanging onto a damn skz frat boy.” he bit back. Jaehyun gripped your waist tightly. He was a lot angrier than you had ever seen him. He felt his temper start to overtake him when he saw Chan take your arm and lead you away. He was so jealous that he felt as if he would blow a fuse right there. “I don’t want your damn explanations. I want you. I’m done with all the games. Whatever you’re playing at, stop it right now. Stop dodging me and coming up with excuses. And that little skz brat has no business having his hands all over you.”

"And you do?" you retorted, giving him a bratty attitude to rile him up. Jaehyun glared at you. Your bratty attitude had gotten to him. The anger from earlier was rising back up within him all over again. Jaehyun was losing his cool. His fists were clenched so tightly, his nails digging into his palms. “Yes. Yes, I do. I have every damn right to have my hands on you. I want you…all to myself. But you make it damn near impossible when you keep running from me.” he groaned. "I'm not running, I-" you grumbled, pausing as you struggled to come up with a reason. “Oh really? You’re not running away? Then how come every time I call you, you’re not answering, every time I text you, you text me back two hours later and you dodge me whenever I attempt to come see you?” Jaehyun muttered. His fingers dug into your hips and held you flush against the door. His body was pressed up against you so closely, his breath hitting you right against the neck and ear. He leaned his head in to whisper, his lips pressing in so close to your skin. “Quit the bullshit right now.” he ordered, looking at you. you let out a sigh, avoiding his eyes, not bothering to argue.

Jaehyun stared at you. It infuriated him that you wouldn’t even be making eye contact with him. The anger was building up inside of him. Jaehyun gripped you tightly, one hand twisting into your hair. His breath was quick and heavy. he lowered his head close to your lip. “Look at me.” Jaehyun murmured. His voice was low and almost dangerous. He waited with bated breath for you to follow his order.” ...I'm sorry." you murmured, looking back up at him. Jaehyun released a soft sigh when you looked up into his eyes. His eyes blazed with anger and desire. He was so possessive of you at that very moment. Jaehyuns mood shifted at once he saw your eyes look up at him. His hands dropped to your hips again, his fingers digging in tightly. “I don’t want to hear your sorry. That’s not good enough. I’ve been dying to be in your life more. To be with you more. You are so damn beautiful and yet you keep running from me. Why?” he mumbled. "I…I got scared." you whispered, breath hitching. “Scared? Of what?” Jaehyun mumbled. The anger left him as soon as you said you got scared. Jaehyun's eyes instantly softened as he noticed how scared you were. His voice went softer, his hands dropping to your waist again. “Scared of what, baby?”

Your heart jumped at the nickname, liking how it sounded from him.” ...You know Jiung, right?" you asked hesitantly. Jaehyun nodded. He knew him pretty well. He knew the type of boy he was. His eyes dimmed at the mention of him. Jaehyun's jealousy got the best of him just thinking about him and what he'd possibly done to you. “Yeah…I know him. I know what kind of guy he is too. What did he do?” he asked, his face softening and voice full of concern and genuine. "I uh…me and him dated, last year. we...we were like this at the start, all over each other. Until I found out to him, we were never really serious, and he'd just led me on, seeing other people all the time. He laughed when I'd confronted him and told me I was stupid for ever believing a frat boy could change." you opened up, nervous about his reaction. Jaehyun's eyes darkened as your words sank in. His hands tightened on your waist, his grip starting to tighten once more. He couldn’t imagine a guy doing something so horrible as to break someone's heart. No wonder you kept him at arm’s length. Jaehyun could hear your heart pounding a mile a minute, not even notice how tight his grip on you was getting. “And you thought I’d do the same? You thought I’d play you the same way he did?” he asked, his voice low.

“...I guess. I was scared you would, so I thought pushing you away would be better and it wasn't because, fuck, I miss you, more than I thought possible." you explained, voice cracking. Jaehyun paused. He couldn’t believe what you were saying. You kept pushing him away because you were scared that he would break your heart. He finally loosened his grip on your hips and turned you around to face him. He brushed his fingers across your cheek. “I would never, ever do that to you. It’s not in me to break your heart. I’d tear the world to shreds rather than see you hurt or sad.” Jaehyun murmured. His fingers trailed down your cheek to your nose, his touch gentle. "I know you would. And I'm sorry for avoiding you." you murmured, forehead against his. Jaehyun gently gripped your hips again. His arms wrapped around you tightly, pulling you against his chest. Jaehyun's eyes were fixated on your lips. Everything about you right now was making him crazy. “I haven’t been able to sleep just knowing there is a chance that someone out there might hurt you. Someone like that, that frat boy…he had no idea how lucky he was to have gotten a chance with you. If only I knew I would have beaten his ass to hell and back…”

you laughed gently, shaking your head. "You two were good friends, I doubt you would've-" you started before he interrupted, kissing your forehead. He chuckled. Even with his frustration over thinking about how a guy could do that to you, your laugh and dimple were still so cute to him. Jaehyun leaned down and placed his lips against your forehead, kissing it gently. He pulled back. “I’m guessing you broke up during the summer?” he murmured, brushing the hair from your face. "Yeah, just before we started the second year. just before you started annoying me." you joked, poking his chest. He smirked to himself. He took in your adorable giggle and playful side. Everything about you was so irresistible, so beautiful. Jaehyun's eyes were glued to your lips once more, his hands slowly sliding to your hips. He pulled you back against him, your bodies pressed together, His breath hit you once more as he leaned in close to your ear. “I plan on making up for all that wasted time. I’ ’m going to be the best damn boyfriend you’ve ever had.”

"Who said you were going to be my boyfriend?" you teased, eyebrows raised in amusement. Jaehyun laughed at your comment. He smirked as a low chuckle escaped his mouth. Your brattiness was something that he absolutely loved about you. He grabbed your hips, pulling you flush against him once more. His body felt so close to yours, almost like he never wanted to leave you. “Who said I wasn’t already?” He murmured. Jaehyun was so serious right now, he wanted and needed you to be his. He couldn’t stand the thought of you with anyone else, especially Chan. you giggled, leaning forward and connecting your lips in a sweet kiss. Jaehyun groaned as your lips pressed against his. Every time you made a noise, it was like a jolt of electricity going through him. Your kisses were everything he wanted. And just how much you had missed him, made him want you even more. Jaehyun was kissing you eagerly, one of his hands sliding back up to your chin. He gently tilted your head back, his eyes glazed with desire. He couldn’t get enough of you, he never could. "Kiss me harder." you murmured in between kisses, arms around his neck. Just the sound of your whisper was enough to get his blood boiling. Jaehyun couldn't believe the amount of heat you were capable of generating in him. When you whispered those words, Jaehyun felt every nerve tingling inside of him. He wanted to kiss you harder, to kiss you deeper and keep you in his arms. Every inch of his body was screaming at him to do so. So, he did just that. Jaehyun grabbed your hips firmly, lifting you up in his arms. He pressed his lips on yours once more, the force of his kisses intensifying.

This was going to be a long night.

----

cheers filled the sports hall. you stood up, cheering loudly, his jersey on as you watched him celebrate the win with his teammates briefly before he locked eyes with you. Jaehyun looked up from the huddle and saw you standing there. His heart skipped a beat when he saw you in the crowd with his jersey on. The cheers and voices around him faded as he locked eyes with you. Your cheering put a huge smile on his face. Jaehyun quickly broke away from the team and ran over to you. “Babe! What did I say earlier? You’re my good luck charm!” Jaehyun exclaimed once he got to you. He swung you up in his arms, lifting you as high as he could. You squealed, tightening your grip on him and laughing gently. "Well done, love." you murmured, caressing his cheek. Jaehyun grinned, the crowd cheering. The noise around them faded as he locked eyes only on you. “Thanks. But it’s all because of you. You came here and it brought me good luck.” He brought you down to his height and kissed your head gently. “Let’s get out of here. I wanna spend the night alone with you.” Jaehyun muttered passionately. He was ready to leave the game and spend an entire night with you. As he brought you close to his chest, his hand gently gripped your hip. "Got a reward for you at your place." you smirked, winking cheekily at him as your lips brushed against his neck.

Jaehyun sighed at how playful and sassy you were with him. It got to him. The way you brushed your lips right against his neck made him want to pull you into the nearest room and shut the door. But not yet. He smiled when you mentioned the reward you had for him. But you could always have something new with Jaehyun, you were his reward. “Oh. I can’t wait to find out exactly what that reward is.” Jaehyun muttered sarcastically. But all of that sarcasm suddenly disappeared when your fingers grazed his waist. "I'm leading tonight though, baby." you murmured, your voice low as you kissed his neck. he moaned at the feeling of your lips pressing against his neck. When your fingers were lightly gripping his waist, that alone drove him crazy. Jaehyun could feel your hand on his side. His hips buckling, every cell in his body wanted to pull you to the nearest room. Your smirk only drove him crazy. The cocky grin on your face was hot as hell. Jaehyun groaned softly, leaning his head in close to hear better. “You think you’re leading tonight?” he whispered playfully, his voice hoarse. "Uh huh. gonna reward my baby..." you murmured, gently biting his earlobe and hands travelling down his chest.

"Give me one taste of your nectar."

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burlowbeanie · 1 year

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Locked Tomb Timeline, as far as I can tell

This is a long one, and a bit of a mess. I'll be making other posts about the fun date coincidences and my speculations about their implications, but I figured I should give some of the actual evidence in one solid chonky post so I can link to it and don't need to repeat myself later on.

(BD = before death of the earth; AR = after resurrection; BM = before millennium, AM = after millennium)

Unspecified Pre-Death of the earth: Foundation of Canaan house/the facility that Jod et al used for the cryogenic experiments. Establishment of Kuiper installation, Uranus platform, Mars installation w/ room for 5 million, the Lucifer Telescope, and fusion batteries (Ntn 14, Ntn 74, Ntn 189)

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Now! Some pre-resurrection numbers!

Before 2 BD: C-- sides with the crew (Ntn 13)

1 BD: Governments shift away from the cyrogenics plan (Ntn 13)

0 BD: Jod destroys the world

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Now, the most unclear section of the timeline: the resurrection and its immediate aftermath.

Augustine, from Htn 176: “Alfred and I were there early enough to found the Koniortos Court on the Fifth, but Lyctors like Cyth wouldn’t be born for years and years, and she spent her whole life suffering Seventh House woo-woo theories regarding the value of hereditary cancer … whereas Mercy is the oldest lag except for me, and she was out hammering at the Eighth House before the paint was even dry on the Resurrection.”

The resurrection occurs a few weeks after the death of the earth (Ntn 396). Then things get a bit hazy. We know the approximate order of the resurrections of the original ten disciples, but not how far apart they were staggered - was it minutes? Months? Years?

Similarly, Cyrus/Val and Anastasia/Samael are implied to have showed up before Cytherea/Loveday, when Cytherea was almost 30 years old. Both cavaliers have last names associated with their house, which suggests that either the third and ninth were established enough to at least have a small population by the time that they went to Canaan House, or that they took those names/were given those names later on.

Cytherea-as-Dulcinea says that she "dreamed of being a 9th nun" at age 13, and it's unclear if she's speaking as herself or as Dulcinea or how much she was lying as either persona (Gtn 104). Thus, we don't know if the ninth house was established by the time she went to Canaan House, though it seems like the sort of hint that both Cytherea and Muir would have had a fun time dropping.

Thus, while it is possible/seems probably many/most of the houses were established by the time that any of the newer disciples showed up, especially Cytherea, that is unconfirmed. However, it took until at least 30 years after the resurrection, probably more, for all 16 of the disciples to gather.

A rough order of events during this time, some of which may overlap:

Original disciples resurrected

New disciples arrive

Lyctors ascend; Anastasia fails

Alecto is put in the tomb and Cassiopeia dies

The lyctors and Jod flee to the Mithraeum, leaving the system

Particular questions that remain and would help clarify things:

Were Anastasia, Samael, Cyrus, Valancy, and Loveday born or resurrected? It seems like Cytherea was likely born.

When did Anastasia have a child and found the tombkeeper line?

When did Pyrrha (or G1deon!Pyrrha) paint a nursury? Was it the same time she visited Anastasia "before she got settled" (Ntn 85)? Was Anastasia's child the birth she assisted at (Ntn 121)?

When was the ninth founded? When was the prison installation founded? Was there anything on the ninth before Anastasia was told to prepare for Alecto's imprisonment? Samael seems to have been born or resurrected after the ninth was founded, unless he was given his name later?

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After resurrection: Actual Numbers. Once we get like 100-200 years out from the resurrection, things start to get clearer. Not clear, but clearer.

100 AR: God names himself Gaius (Htn 521). Is this when Cytherea ascends, since she is given credit for the "naming oneself after one's cavalier" thing? Or was that some God bullshit?

200 AR: Alecto put in tomb (Htn 478)

4000 AR: source gram comes from sixth house to BOE (Htn 529)

5000 AR: BOE comes to the attention of jod and the lyctors; they may have existed beforehand but been unable to find the houses/be found (Htn 154). Augustine begins questioning the purpose of the empire (Htn 483).

Moving into the thousand years before the events of the series:

9000 AR/ 1000 BM: Matthias Nonius lives (Gtn 53)

750-700 BM: New Rho contract drawn up (Ntn 206)

519ish BM: beginning planning of dios apate major (Htn 474)

300 BM: Cyth gets angry (Gtn 402). Last contact between second and first houses (Gtn 456).

100 BM: Jod leaves the Mithraeum (Htn 81).

80 BM: Jod joins the Erebos (Htn 81)

40-39 BM: G1deon starts to really annoy Augustine, who speaking in 1 AM states: “He has caused me more pain over these last scant forty years than I dare to admit" (Htn 268). I think Wake makes the most sense as an explanation for this, though it's off by about five years.

34 BM: Wake reinvigorates BOE (Htn 154). Ortus born? That’s a fun coincidence that means nothing.

30 BM: Mercy thinks Jod should have returned to the Mithraeum then (Htn 81).

25-24 BM: BOE finds out about resurrection beasts (Htn 275) because Wake talks to G1deon (Ntn 155)

21 BM: G1 begins his (final) pursuit of wake (Htn 469)

Sometime after 300 BM, most likely 20 BM, Cytherea teaches BOE about steles and obelisks (Ntn 155)

20 BM approximately, presumably, could be earlier: Augustine and Mercy talk to BOE. BOE gets accurate fleet schematics for the first time in a hundred years and eventually the location of the mithraeum, though those were probably earlier with Cytherea and two decades later with Cytherea!Wake respectively (Ntn 155)

19 BM: Isaac’s dad killed by terrorists on [redacted], presumably BOE (Gtn 459). Mercy and Augustine are “talking” (Htn 87); Dios apate major. Mercy sees Cytherea for the last time and Cytherea laughs so much she insults Mercy (Htn 120), which is an understandable response given that Mercy may have described the dios apate major plan and/or requested her involvement. Mercy sees Sarpedon as a young soldier (about 20 years PM; close enough and matches up with dios apate) (Htn 81).

19–18 BM: Wake dies (Htn 88). Gideon born. Creche massacre.

17 BM: Harrow born.

14 BM Gideon’s first escape attempt (Gtn 24)

13 BM: Gideon is not a necromancer confirmed (Gtn 24)

10 BM: Augustine sees Cytherea for the last time (Htn 120). Wake’s bones get put on rotation (Htn 476).

9-8 BM: Harrow is suicidal. Harrow opens the tomb. Harrow hears/sees the body. Onset of psychosis. Unclear in what order (Htn 49, 247).

7 BM: (Harrow is still suicidal but sees the body?). Harrow and Gideon fight (Htn 477). Gideon sees Harrow opening the tomb. Her parents kill themselves. Gideon gets nightmares about being in the tomb (Gtn 202).

5 BM: Harrow starts puppeting (?girl wtf?? What was going on in the intervening two years???) (Gtn 348). Last ninth house chaplains and adepts are lost in action (Htn 81).

2 BM: Gideon enters Drearburgh for the last time

1 BM: Number 7 estimated five years from the Mithraeum (Htn 125).

0 BM, with rough approximates:

Month 1-3: prepping for Canaan house

Month 4: Canaan house

Month 5: harrow throws up; Camilla nonverbal

Canaan house recovery missions from the emperor and BOE — what the fuck. Who got there first. How and why did they miss the other people. Seems like BOE got there, intentionally left H and I but took G’s body??????????

Month 6: Harrow and Ianthe arrive on the Mithraeum

Month 8: Harrow kills her 13th planet with Mercy. It’s desert and triple-sunned. Wake makes posthumous contact with BOE (Ntn 155).

Month 9-10: When Judith says she begins writing her report; she’s with BOE on a wooded double(potentially triple?)-sunned planet. At one point several weeks (or months?) later Mercy shows up. According to Judith, that is. Judith honey I might need to recuse your testimony for somehow being more of an unreliable narrator than the lobotomized traumatized psychotic unmedicated half-dead triple-haunted 201-souled Harrowhark Nonagesimus. Then I could bump this back to month 8 which would make more sense.

Month 10: Harrow catches G1d!Pyrrah with Cytherea!Wake

Between Month 10 and Month 12: Harrow turns 18. Harrow discovers G1d can drain thanergy. Harrow makes soup. Harrow makes Ianthe’s arm. Dios apate minor.

Month 12: Harrow finds Cam and Pal on a wooded planet and sees Judith. Judith tries to warn Harrow about Mercy’s involvement.

Mercy ditches her for unspecified business. I suspect this is when she meets with We Suffer? Was this when she heals Judith?

1 AM

Month 2: death of the emperor. Quick undeath of the emperor. Nona born(?)

Month 5: Station Red-As-Blood abandoned (Ntn 152). The demons show up on Antioch (Ntn 448).

Month (6?): Nona gets a job (Ntn 41).

Month 7: nona gets shot, cam/pal fusion reveal (Ntn 105 through the end of the chapter)

Month 8: events of Ntn

#locked tomb #tlt #the locked tomb #gideon the ninth #nona the ninth #harrow the ninth #alecto the ninth #gtn #This is a mess but I had enough citations I figured I might as well submit it for peer review on tumblr dot com

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aethon-recs · 12 hours

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This Week in Tomarrymort (12 – 19 September 2024)

Hi everyone, so sorry this is a couple of days late this week! Will be back on the normally scheduled time next week!

As with last week, please feel free to add a little overview/summary about your update to the notes! I so enjoyed reading all the notes last week 🤍

(And in case you missed, a recap of the extra notes from last week!)

Ills of Murder by @shadow-of-the-eclipse (E, 37k, WIP) [source] "Harry comes in swinging from a bleak version of sixth and seventh years, fully intending to kill Tom. Unfortunately it seems the only people Tom and Harry are incapable of killing is the other. Harry's on attempt 4 and counting and this time he gives up on spells and decides to punch Tom Riddle's nose off. Tom's still utterly enamoured with him." friend of the devil (a friend of mine) by @shyinsunlight (E, 11k, WIP) [source] "When after four long years Harry and Tom meet again, the world turns upside down. Or maybe it was upside down all along, and it’s now flipping back over." These Fragments We've Shored by @rowena-rain (M, 23k, WIP) [source] "Things have gone from bad to worse, and Harry is finally about ready to take matters into his own hands…even if it means defying the normal laws of Magic and actually doing something for himself for once. (Guess which one will be harder for him 😂) In this update, Harry and Voldemort unexpectedly come face to face for the first time since the Dark Lord's death…which leads to a disturbing realization for Harry." Anytime, Anywhere, Always by @moontearpensfic (E, 13k, WIP) [source] "A Harry-corrupts-Tom AU: Tom expects to feel victorious at his greatest enemy's confession. Instead, he develops a crush on him." the crushing weight of cancelling your fav by @cindle-writes (M, 4k, complete) [source] "Tom Riddle has made millions and built a cult following around his politics-themed online stream, much to his boyfriend Harry’s bemusement. However, bemusement quickly turns into concern when Harry meets one of Tom’s biggest, most fervent fanboys, Regulus Black."

Now onto the updates from this week!

Tomarrymort One Shots and Completed Fic

Chapter 22 (Completed) of A Shot in the Dark by Ragdolly

One Shot | The Dinner by moontear for @moontearpensfic

One Shot | There's Something About (The Way You Are) by Ragdolly

Tomarrymort Ongoing Fics

Chapter 12 of the stars, my destination by @milkandmoon-ao3

Chapter 1 of bad moon rising by sansaerys

Chapter 11 of Sits the wind in that quarter by @mosiva

Chapter 2 of a pound of flesh by @ictyn

Chapter 8 of Saint Harry by @alenablack @chaos-bear

Chapter 34 of Part One - The Solitude of Suffering by @iseliljathedreamer

Chapter 18 of Date Ideas for the Linguistically Inclined by Antique_Mango

Chapter 14 of Double-Aspect Paradox by TimaeusKosmou

Chapter 6 of God is a Wizard by @onehitpleb

Chapters 121 through 123 of Liquida Tenebris (Remastered) by @dymis

Chapter 17 of Learning to love by @l-archiduchesse

Chapter 1 of The Cosmos In Your Eyes by @v33r00

Chapter 7 of Do It Over by @thefangirlibrarian

Chapter 6 of These Fragments We've Shored by @rowena-rain

Chapter 21 of Time Stumbler by Wintumn

Chapter 4 of Hole in the Wall by tomrddle

Chapters 1 through 3 of Fetters of the Damned by @sc0rpiflow3r

Chapter 16 of Outrunning the Villain in You by @zenyteehee

Chapter 5 of midnight train by @girl-with-goats

Chapter 43 of Of Monsters, Of Men by @ca-xan-dra

Chapter 2 of the body is a blade by @lovely-lotus

Chapter 2 of Dream a little dream (of me) by @cenedrariva

Chapter 12 of Just Business by @holaolla1

#tomarry #tomarrymort #harrymort #tomarrymort recs #aethon recs #tomarry recs #ao3 recs #fanfic recs #hp fic recs #harrymort recs #tomarry weekly #this week in tomarrymort

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puppetmaster13u · 7 months

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Prompt 121

There have been tales throughout time of it, in many forms and in many places. Some would even argue that it’s about different things, mere coincidence lest legends be really true. Of beasts and guardians and creatures of great destruction all wrapped in one.

Some tales have long since been forgotten, left to dreams and dust until they were merely stories. Insatiable monsters trapped in legends told at night, and guardian spirits lost to the sounds of day. The being whose body formed the land they stood upon, whose blood powered everything around them as they turned their prayer to false gods that would not save them.

They abandoned their dead and ways of old, turning towards false light and fear of shadows growing. They pray to false idols while damning those who warn them in the same breath, denial dancing on their tongues while they know the truth all the same.

Their pride and hubris dances amidst their veins, fear an alien feeling as they ignored the warning signs, so certain in their own power and creations.

And yet, the rocks still shift, something great, something Ancient awakening. Metal collapses with dying screams, great swaths of earth crumbling as it shifts, scales that had not seen sun for uncountable eons revealed as the land devoured itself.

The ground opens in wounds of green, revealing what had once been sleeping, as large as the world itself. Death giving way to life in a cocoon, an egg, the lives of many given to give birth to one entity, a being caught between, given life amidst the stars.

#DCxDP #DPxDC #Prompts #You know the Mystery Flesh Pit? Same Vibes as that even in space :)#Ghosts are Dragons #Eldritch Danny #Like lovecraftian space godling dragon Danny #Same size as the moon #Don’t worry he didn’t destroy the earth it was a different planet #I mean that planet still cracked #and oh my god what if it was Krypton #Kal’s father realized that all the drilling was Waking This Thing Up #There’s definitely depictions of Danny as like an ancient Death God that Krypton just forgot about or something #Or Danny is from a different world #Maybe both lol #Go wild

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blairwarbler · 1 year

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Glee TV Harry Shum Jr Mike(+Kurtx3)13 Rare Unpublished Wardrobe Photos,3eps Ssn1

#source: glee #ebay #harry shum jr #119 dream on #121 funk #122 journey to regionals #cory monteith #chris colfer #dijon talton

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kokonoiis · 3 months

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BONTEN Members Profile and Facts :

BONTEN is a Japanese boy group formed by TR Entertainment known for hardly ever appearing in music videos or promotions. The group consists of 8 Members: Mikey, Sanzu, Kakucho, Mocchi, Takeomi, Ran, Rindou, and Koko.

Group Name Explanation : Bonten ( 梵天 ) is the Japanese name of the Hindu creator god Brahma.

BONTEN Official Fandom Name : Tennies BONTEN Official SNS :

Official Website: bonten. com/artists X ( Twitter ): official.bonten Instagram: bontenfficial Facebook: official.bonten Youtube: BONTEN.

BONTEN Member Profiles :

MIKEY :

Stage Name: Mikey ( マイキー ) Birth Name: Manjiro Sano ( 佐野万次郎 ) Position: Leader, Main Vocalist Birthday: August 20, 1990 Zodiac Sign: Leo Chinese Zodiac Sign: Horse Height: 162 cm ( 5’4” ) Weight: 56 kg ( 123 lbs ) Blood Type: B Nationality: Japanese

Mikey Facts : - Mikey's favorite foods are dorayaki, omurice, and taiyaki - he dislikes spicy food - the person he respects or admires is himself - there is no one that Mikey dislikes or fears - Mikey was rated number 1 from Top 3 Worst Boyfriends

Show more Mikey fun facts

SANZU :

Stage Name: Sanzu ( 三途 ) Birth Name: Akashi Haruchiyo ( 明司春千夜 ) Position: Main dancer, visual, vocalist Birthday: July 3, 1990 Zodiac Sign: Cancer Chinese Zodiac Sign: Horse Height: 172 cm ( 5'8'' ) Weight: 55 kg ( 121 lbs ) Blood Type: AB Nationality: Japanese

Sanzu Facts : - Sanzu has a very popular YouTube Channel shared with his sister, Senju Kawaragi ( Akashi Siblings ) - He dislikes spicy food, as it makes him sweat - The person he respects or admires is Mikey - The people he dislikes or fears are smothering people - Sanzu is ranked first in the Most Needy Significant Other Poll and number 2 in the question ' Who is the worst lover ? '

Show more Sanzu fun facts

KAKUCHO :

Stage Name: Kakucho ( 鶴蝶 ) Birth Name: Kakucho Position: Main Vocalist Birthday: October 2, 1987 Zodiac Sign: Libra Chinese Zodiac Sign: Rabbit Height: 179 cm ( 5'10'' ) Weight: 63 kg ( 139 lbs ) Blood Type: O Nationality: Japanese

Kakucho Facts : - Kakucho loves training - The person he respects or admires is Tenjiku's leader, Izana Kurokawa - There is no one he dislikes or fears - he ranked number 1 from the question ' Who is the best lover ? ' - He released a song with Izana Kurokawa named " Our Kingdom "

Show more Kakucho fun facts

MOCCHI :

Stage Name: Mocchi ( モッチー ) Birth Name: Mochizuki Kanji ( 望月完爾 ) Position: Rapper, sub vocalist Birthday: March 9, 1988 Zodiac Sign: Pisces Chinese Zodiac Sign: Dragon Height: 192 cm ( 6'4'' ) Weight: 94 kg ( 207 lbs ) Blood Type: B Nationality: Japanese

Mocchi Facts : - Mocchi likes corn - His special skill is arm wrestling - The person eh respects or admires is Tenjiku's leader, Izana Kurakawa - The person he dislikes is Tenjiku member Shion Madarame - Mocchi once ate 50 jumbo dumplings for a contest

Show more Mocchi fun facts

TAKEOMI :

Stage Name: Takeomi Birth Name: Akashi Takeomi ( 明司武臣 ) Position: Rapper, oldest Birthday: March 10, 1981 Zodiac Sign: Pisces Chinese Zodiac Sign: Rooster Height: 183 cm ( 6'0'' ) Weight: 72 kg ( 159 lbs ) Blood Type: B Nationality: Japanese

Takeomi Facts : - Takeomi dislikes anything that takes a significant amount of effort from him - other members say his special skill is taking advantage of other people - His dream is to become a multimillionaire - Takeomi likes to say he's the father figure of the group, but the others say he's not very fatherly - He dislikes anyone who looks down on him

Show more Takeomi fun facts

RAN :

Stage Name: Ran Birth Name: Haitani Ran ( 灰谷蘭 ) Position: Main Rapper, center Birthday: May 26, 1987 Zodiac Sign: Gemini Chinese Zodiac Sign: Rabbit Height: 183 cm ( 6'0'' ) Weight: 70 kg ( 154 lbs ) Blood Type: A Nationality: Japanese

Ran Facts : - Ran likes Yves Saint Laurent and Mont Blanc - he takes great care of his hair and regularly goes to beauty salons in Harajuku to get it done - Ran tends to get very close to people when they talk to him; everyone thinks he's being flirtatious or trying to intimidate, but in reality Ran does this because he is nearsighted - the person he respects or admires is Kakucho - the people he dislikes are Toman members Tetta Kisaki and Shuji Hanma

Show more Ran fun facts

RINDOU :

Stage Name: Rindou Birth Name: Haitani Rindou ( 灰谷竜胆 ) Position: Vocalist, rapper, center Birthday: October 20, 1988 Zodiac Sign: Libra Chinese Zodiac Sign: Dragon Height: 172 cm ( 5'8'' ) Weight: 65 kg ( 143 lbs ) Blood Type: B Nationality: Japanese

Rindou Facts : - Rindou likes DJing and muscle training - he enjoys drinking alcohol at several times throughout the day - the person he respects or admires is Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira - the person he dislikes or fears is Ran Haitani - Rindou ranked number 2 from the question ' Who is the best lover ? '

Show more Rindou fun facts

KOKO :

Stage Name: Koko ( ココ ) Birth Name: Kokonoi Hajime ( 九井一 ) Position: Vocalist, visual, maknae Birthday: April 1, 1990 Zodiac Sign: Aries Chinese Zodiac Sign: Horse Height: 174 cm ( 5'9'' ) Weight: 60 kg ( 132 lbs ) Blood Type: A Nationality: Japanese

Koko Facts : - Koko's special skill is standing behind others and being a big eater - his hobby is fortune telling with playing cards and swimming - he has bad eyesight and does not like to play ballgames or drive - Koko pokes his tongue out whenever he's feeling especially confident in himself - he ranked number 3 from the question ' Who is the best lover ? '

Show more Koko fun facts

Who is your BONTEN bias? ✔ Mikey 9,792 votes Sanzu 4,356 votes Kakucho 3,298 votes Mocchi �� 3,012 votes Takeomi 2,346 votesRan 8,986 votes Rindou 7,873 votes ✔ Koko 5,002 votes

NO ART IS MINE !! bonten idol art by @ kaya_iris on twt !!

#༞IDOL !#kokonoi hajime #rindou haitani #ran haitani #takeomi akashi #mocchi #kakucho #sanzu haruchiyo #mikey sano #manjiro sano #sanzu akashi #tokyo revengers #tokrev #tokyo revengers x reader #bonten #haruchiyo sanzu #tokyo rev #bonten tokyo revengers

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jinjinxedsoul · 28 days

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When The Sun Loved The Moon - Aegon II Targaryen.

CHAPTER 1. FIRE DREAMS

121 AC. King’s Landing.

The hurried footsteps echoed through the halls of the Red Keep; Helaena was running as fast as she could, holding the hand of little Jacaerys, who was only five years old and laughing uncontrollably.

“Hurry up!” Aemond urged her, pushing her towards one of the rooms.

“Don’t make a sound, Jace,” Helaena whispered, covering her nephew’s mouth with her hand.

Behind them was an exhausted and very out-of-breath Aegon, eight years old, with a smiling Jaella hanging on his back, urging him to keep running after her uncles and brother.

“I can’t go that fast with you on my back,” the prince scolded her, though the little girl didn’t seem to care at all. “We’ll never catch up to them.”

Jaella had developed a growing affection for her uncle; out of the three, he seemed to be her favorite, though no one knew what Aegon had done to make the girl like him so much since, in everyone’s eyes, the prince was neither charming nor, at the very least, respectful. Regardless, Jaella didn’t care at all about her uncle’s less-than-decorous behavior; the only thing that mattered was that Aegon had been the first member of her family to meet her, even before her own father.

“There!” the princess exclaimed, pointing with her chubby little hand at Helaena’s unruly, platinum hair peeking out from behind a pile of stacked dirt sacks. “There, Egg!”

“Well, it seems we haven’t found them,” Aegon said, aware of the children’s presence, not only because Jaella had spotted them but because he could hear Jacaerys’ laughter despite the others’ poor attempts to silence him. “I heard they’re making honey cakes in the kitchen, maybe if we go now, you and I can get some before dinner.”

Jaella’s eyes lit up, and so did Helaena’s, as she forgot about her hiding place and lifted her head above the sacks, but Aegon pretended not to have seen her.

“Let’s go, Ella.”

“I want some too!” Helaena exclaimed, which Aegon took as a cue to run off, with the youngest Velaryon still clinging to his back. “Aegon!”

The three children ran after the eldest, hearing his mischievous laughter in the distance.

They didn’t catch up to him.

That afternoon, Aegon and Jaella ate honey cakes to their hearts’ content.

122 AC.

Aegon wasn’t particularly fond of small children; he found them exasperating, especially when they cried. He had heard his nephew Lucerys cry more times than he would have liked, and many of those times Aegon ended up fleeing to his chambers to escape the noise. However, things were very different with Jaella, as she seemed to seek him out whenever she cried, regardless of how much Aegon tried to avoid being around her during those moments.

That afternoon, he had no choice but to endure it, especially since, after much insistence, he had agreed to take Jaella for a walk.

For Aegon, spending time with his nieces and nephews was an unusual activity, one that was particularly scrutinized by everyone in the castle. It was well-known that the queen still questioned, covertly, the legitimacy of Rhaenyra's children, and these ideas were passed on to her own children.

Aegon understood, or at least tried to, that the difference in hair color between Jacaerys and Lucerys posed a problem for the court and, in general, for the royal family. However, he wondered if it was normal for those rumors to continue spreading even after Jaella’s birth; in his eyes, and according to the ideas his mother had instilled in him, Jaella was the most deserving of them all.

Alicent, of course, didn’t like her children mingling with Rhaenyra’s, but as it was the king's demand that his offspring live peacefully together, there wasn’t much she could do about it. Aegon wondered if his mother would ever force him to distance himself from the Velaryons or use his closeness as a treacherous means to inflict harm upon them.

Aegon considered how easy it would be for him to dispose of Jaella at that moment.

The little girl was stretching as much as she could to reach one of the flowers growing by the riverbank, whining because she couldn't quite reach it. Aegon watched her with a tilted head, wondering what would happen if he gave her a little push. He wouldn’t need to do much more than wait for her lungs to give out or for the current to carry her out to the bay; if the Stranger was merciful, perhaps her body would be carried to Driftmark, where her grandparents could give her a proper funeral.

The prince stood up and took two steps toward the child. When he was close to her, Jaella looked up at him with her tear-filled violet eyes. There was something in the little Velaryon’s gaze that made Aegon’s heart tighten in his chest, a special spark that he only saw in his sister’s children, as neither he nor his siblings had it.

The idea of extinguishing that light in Jaella’s eyes gave him a shiver and made him stop abruptly. The dark impulse he had felt before faded away like a shadow in the sunlight. Jaella’s gaze, so pure and full of life, even with its childish sadness, reflected what he had lost and, somehow, reminded him of what he could still be if he clung to his humanity.

Aegon crouched down and stretched his arm far enough to reach the flower she was trying to pick, plucked it, and then handed it to her with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

“Thank you” Jaella murmured, settling back onto the grass. Aegon’s hand dared to quickly wipe the tears from his niece’s cheeks, and she smiled at him softly. “It will look pretty.”

He nodded, looking down at the flower crown his niece was making.

“Your mother will like it.”

Jaella smiled widely. She enjoyed making the flower crowns because she knew it would be a while before the crown currently resting on her grandfather’s head would be placed on her mother’s. So, in the meantime, Jaella crowned her with these.

The thought made her wonder what would happen to her uncle once her mother sat on the Iron Throne.

“Uncle?” she spoke, drawing his attention. “When my mother gets her crown, will you have one too?”

Aegon’s insides twisted with pain. He knew a kingdom could not have two rulers, and despite his young age, he was already beginning to understand a bit more about the weight on his shoulders.

“I don’t know.”

“You will,” she said confidently. “I will make sure mom gives you a crown too.”

Aegon smiled. He wasn’t sure he wanted a crown.

126 AC.

“Be quiet,” Jaella scolded.

Jacaerys complied and fell silent while trying to peek through the heavy wooden door’s crack. Lucerys tried to peek as well, but his view was obstructed by the midwives’ skirts, leaving him with only fleeting glimpses

The twins were deeply worried about their mother’s condition. She had started experiencing labor pains in the morning, but as afternoon was approaching, the baby still hadn’t arrived. They weren’t sure how long a birth was supposed to take, but they suspected, from the worried faces of the midwives going in and out, that it was taking too long.

The heart-wrenching cries of their mother sent chills down their spines, and all they wanted was to know if she was okay.

“It’s not proper for the princes to spy.”

The voice behind them made them jump and turn around almost immediately, facing the imposing figure of the commander of the guard.

“Ser Harwin,” Jacaerys greeted. “We just want to see her.”

“You can see her once the maesters deem it appropriate.”

“But—”

“Have you chosen an egg for your brother yet?” Harwin cut off the younger Velaryon’s protests before they could even begin. “Your parents expressed their strong desire for you to do so.”

The three children looked at each other excitedly, and before they could start running, the man stopped them by holding their shoulders.

“Allow me to escort you, my princes.”

═════𖠁 ═════

The three Velaryon were kneeling in front of the clutch, observing the eggs with curiosity. Some were very colorful, but they were significantly smaller than the black one at the back.

“That one,” Jaella pointed out, receiving nods of agreement from her two brothers.

“A good choice, princess,” one of the guards said, preparing to take the egg to Princess Rhaenyra’s quarters. “Your little brother is sure to be blessed with a formidable dragon.”

Jacaerys and Lucerys followed the egg closely, making sure nothing happened to it while Jaella stayed a few steps back, still guarded by Ser Harwin.

“Is something the matter, princess?”

The commander knew that the young girl’s expression always turned nostalgic when dragons and their eggs were discussed. The egg that had been placed in Jaella’s cradle had never hatched, so she didn’t have a dragon like her brothers. Although she tried not to make much of it, it was quite noticeable to the adults around her, especially to Ser Harwin, who seemed quite close to the princess, that he wanted to have one.

“Don’t feel bad,” he encouraged her, gently stroking her silver hair. “There are still enough dragons without riders for you to claim one later, not to mention the ones that have yet to be born.”

“Do you think I could claim one?” she asked, her eyes shining brightly.

That look always managed to melt the older man; Harwin Strong would have fought anyone necessary to ensure that Jaella had a dragon, but that wouldn’t be well received and would only cause more harm.

“I’m sure you can,” he said. “The blood of Old Valyria flows through your veins.”

He regretted those words as soon as they left his lips; he knew well that Jaella’s blood was tainted because of him, and although he loved the girl with all his heart, he couldn’t help but be consumed by guilt whenever he heard her talk about how much she wished to fly on a dragon.

═════𖠁 ═════

She didn’t have anything to do at the dragon pit, but she always asked one of her brothers or uncles to intervene and let her go. That day, it was Aemond who had told the septa, responsible for Jaella’s education, that she wouldn’t be able to attend her lessons beyond midday.

The girl’s fascination with dragons was no secret, so instead of forbidding her, they decided to let her be and see them up close as much as she could.

Jaella clung to Lucerys’ hand as she curiously watched the way Jacaerys seemed to control his dragon. Vermax was still small, but no less fascinating. The girl clapped excitedly when the dragon responded to her brother’s commands and devoured the lamb in front of him.

Jacaerys looked at his twin sister, and she nodded proudly, receiving a smile in return.

“Aemond, we have a surprise for you,” Aegon said, catching the platinum-haired boy’s attention.

“What is it?”

“Something very special.”

Jaella frowned when she saw Lucerys start to run. She wasn’t aware of anything, and knowing how indifferent the children could be towards each other, she grew worried.

“You don’t have a dragon,” Aegon said, wrapping one of his arms around her shoulders. “And we felt badly about it, so… we found one for you.”

Jacaerys smiled and nodded. Jaella looked at him with a frown that her older twin ignored completely. The girl’s heart pounded fiercely in her chest; she felt that something wasn’t right.

“Behold the Pink dread!”

Lucerys was pulling an enormous pig with a pair of fake wings while laughing shamelessly along with Jacaerys and Aegon.

Jaella felt a terrible heaviness overtake her; her stomach churned and her hand gripped Aemond’s arm tightly. He looked humiliated, his face had gone pale, and his lower lip trembled slightly. In contrast, Jaella had turned red and was gritting her teeth, trying to control the tears that were welling up in her eyes.

“Make sure to mount her carefully, the first flight’s always rough,” Aegon advised with a laugh, patting Aemond on the back.

Jacaerys laughed and imitated the pig’s noise, annoying Aemond. The platinum-haired boy remained still, unsure how to react or what to say, but he knew he shouldn’t cry.

The laughter didn’t last long, as Jaella’s hand struck Aegon’s face, surprising him since she had never been aggressive before, at least not with him.

“It’s not funny,” she muttered, her gaze shifting between her brother and her uncle.

Silence fell over the group like a heavy stone. Aegon put a hand to his face, still shocked by Jaella’s fury. Jacaerys stood still, his smile fading from his lips as he became aware of his sister’s genuine anger.

“We were just playing,” the older twin tried to defend himself.

“I don’t have a dragon either,” Jaella said. “Were you going to give me a pig too?”

“Jaella, you’re a girl, we wouldn’t...” Aegon’s voice trailed off under his niece’s gaze.

“Then why is it different with Aemond?” She knew they would never admit their mistake, so she had no desire to interrogate them until they apologized. “Let’s go, we don’t have to stay here.”

Jaella took Aemond by the arm and pulled him along, leading him out of the area while continuing to look disdainfully at the others.

She and the youngest of her uncles settled for a walk by the river, closely followed by Ser Criston, who was trying his best to overhear something from the conversation between the two children to report back to the queen.

“Do you think I’ll ever get a dragon?” the prince asked, making a face.

They walked with their arms intertwined, and Jaella tightened her grip on Aemond, looking at him with a big smile.

“Sure, you will,” Jaella said.

“Maybe you’ll manage to make more than one egg hatch, right?” Aemond asked, and although he tried to sound nonchalant, he couldn’t help the excitement in his words.

Jaella shook her head firmly, and Aemond frowned.

“When I dream of you with a dragon, I dream of a huge dragon... a freshly hatched one wouldn’t be that big.”

The prince didn’t know why Jaella’s words brought him so much comfort, but they did. She often spoke about the future with such confidence, as if she knew what was going to happen. Aemond was used to this, after all, his sister did the same, though in a more enigmatic way that he usually didn’t understand; however, Jaella was always straightforward, and even though she didn’t share much of what she saw in her dreams, when she did, it gave an undeniable sense of reality.

“Don’t you want a huge dragon?”

“I don’t worry about the size,” she said simply. “As long as it can carry me to fly, I’m content.”

“And what will happen when you have to go to a battle?”

Jaella wrinkled her nose, and her stomach churned. She didn’t like battles, although deep down she knew she might not be able to avoid them forever. She always preferred to stay away from such matters.

“I just want to fly on my dragon.”

═════𖠁 ═════

The girl made a grimace when her mother detached the small Joffrey from her breast; the princess’s areolas were slightly bleeding from how much the baby was eating.

“Will I also bleed like this when I have a child?” she asked in fear, causing Rhaenyra to let out a small laugh.

The heir to the throne adjusted her dress, cradling her son in her arms while signaling Jaella to come closer. She obeyed immediately, and her mother quickly took her face in her hands, gently caressing her cheek with her thumb.

“My sweet girl, my mother once told me that we have royal wombs and it is expected of us to serve the realm in that way,” Jaella’s brow furrowed immediately. “But as your future queen, I will make sure that you don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

“I want to have a child,” she declared immediately. “Maybe the Mother will bless me with two children in the same pregnancy like she did with you.”

“And why do you want that?” Rhaenyra asked, looking at her daughter with devotion.

“Jacaerys and I have been together all the time, and I have never felt alone,” she reflected for a moment. “Grandfather says that you were lonely when you were a child, and Aegon also often feels lonely sometimes. If I had two children at once, maybe they would always have someone to share their lives with, just as I have Jace.”

"That is a very beautiful wish," Rhaenyra said, smiling to the side, unable to overlook the mention of her half-brother, with whom she knew Jaella had an affinity. "Has your uncle Aegon told you that? Has he said that he feels lonely?"

"I suppose court life doesn’t seem very pleasant to him," Jaella shrugged. "Maybe the queen can find him a good wife soon."

Rhaenyra felt a pang of annoyance inside her, recalling the conversation she had with her husband a few days earlier.

The rumors about the legitimacy of her children's births continued to circulate through the Red Keep, and she had asked Laenor to be more present at her side to strengthen their bond, rather than spending most of his time indulging his pleasures in Flea Bottom.

During that conversation, the topic of her children’s marriages had come up, especially the older ones, as they were already ten years old. Given the circumstances surrounding them, it was time to start seeking allies for the day when Rhaenyra would ascend to the throne.

The first suggestion was to marry her to Jacaerys, but that wouldn't guarantee any other alliances; the same would happen if she were married to Lucerys. What they needed was to unite their house with another to secure allies.

One of the solutions Ser Laenor proposed was to marry Jaella to one of Alicent Hightower’s sons.

Rhaenyra’s blood boiled at the mere thought.

To give her precious daughter to either of those two boys seemed to her a terrible idea; while it might ensure they maintained peace for a while, it was directly risking her only daughter. She knew Alicent well and knew that she would not hesitate to use Jaella in some twisted way to secure Aegon’s claim.

Giving away a daughter was too much, but obtaining one would put Alicent at a disadvantage and offer at least a few years of stability.

Rhaenyra quickly obtained her father's permission to betroth Jacaerys and Helaena, which enraged Alicent. Despite the complaints and tears she had presented to her husband, he had not yielded and had assured the entire court that his daughter and his grandson would marry.

═════𖠁 ═════

The celebration of Helaena and Jacaerys’ engagement was as grand as one could expect from House Targaryen. Three full days of revelry that delighted the noblest families of all Westeros.

“Are you happy?” Jaella asked, looking at her brother’s future wife.

Helaena looked at her with a small smile and nodded.

“The list of suitors didn’t please me,” she said simply. “But Jacaerys is kind.”

Jaella smiled proudly.

“You had a list of suitors?” Her aunt made a face and nodded again. “Who were they?”

“I don’t know their names,” she said, shrugging. “But they were all old and stinky… and Aegon.”

Jaella’s eyes widened with curiosity at hearing her uncle’s name as a potential candidate for Helaena’s hand.

“You didn’t want to marry Aegon?”

Helaena looked at her as if she had just uttered the worst blasphemy and shook her head again, this time with much more vigor.

“He’s rude and always drinking,” she said, glancing over at the other side of the hall where her brother was drinking cup after cup.

Jaella looked at him with curiosity. While it was true that Aegon’s passion for alcohol was excessive, she didn’t think he was as bad as everyone made him out to be. It wasn’t that she doubted Helaena’s judgment, but Aegon had always been calmer around her, and even though Jaella knew his behavior wasn’t exactly the best, she wondered how a person could be so different with different people.

“Would you marry him?”

She thought about it a little while watching him. Aegon looked over from a distance and raised his cup, giving her a radiant smile.

“Yes.”

═════𖠁 ═════

It was during the last day of the celebration that Jaella grew tired of all the commotion and left the hall earlier than usual, wandering through the gardens to enjoy the tranquility of the night before heading to her room.

Her attention was so scattered that she didn’t notice she was not alone until her body collided with someone else’s.

“I apologize, Princess,” the stranger said.

Jaella blinked a few times. The boy in front of her was clearly older but still looked quite young. His hair was curly, dark, and slightly long, and the wolf-shaped brooches holding his cloak indicated he was a member of House Stark, but she didn’t seem to recognize him.

“I don’t believe I know your name, my lord…”

“Decran Stark, Your Highness,” the boy said, bowing his head, and Jaella smiled.

“Lord Decran, there’s no need to apologize.”

“Had I known you would be alone in the garden, I would not have come, as I wouldn’t want your reputation to be questioned.”

“I appreciate the concern, my lord,” she said with a smile, “but rest assured that won’t happen. Ser Erryk or Ser Harwin must be nearby, and neither my grandfather nor my mother would allow such accusations to be made.”

That was true; no matter how much space the princess was given, a guard was always watching her steps. Usually, it was Ser Harwin, and Jaella was completely sure he wouldn’t let anything happen to her.

“That reassures me, Princess.”

“Why don’t you walk with me, Lord Decran?”

“It would be an honor.”

The walk lasted long enough for Jaella to learn some basic things about the Northerner and for him to make her laugh several times. Decran Stark was only fifteen years old but behaved like a true gentleman.

Jaella thought about the list of suitors Helaena had mentioned on the day of her engagement party with Jacaerys. She wasn’t sure if her mother had one for her, but she could definitely see the young wolf as someone worthy of being on it.

“Have you been to Winterfell?” Decran asked. Jaella smiled and shook her head.

“I’m sure you would like it.”

The girl played with the bracelet on her wrist, as she always did when she felt slightly nervous. The constant fiddling caused it to come undone and fall to the ground. Decran quickly picked it up.

“If you allow me…” he gestured, asking for permission to put the bracelet back on.

Jaella nodded and extended her hand, smiling.

“Keep your hands off my niece.”

Aegon’s voice made them both jump slightly, especially Jaella, who quickly took the bracelet from Decran’s hands as he took a couple of steps back.

The prince appeared drunk, though less so than on the previous two nights. Behind him was Ser Criston, who seemed to judge Jaella with a look, even though she didn’t understand the evident disdain that Cole had for her family.

“My apologies, my prince,” Decran didn’t seem intimidated by the young man’s presence, much less because he knew of the internal conflicts within House Targaryen and because Aegon was nothing more than a usurper of Rhaenyra’s inheritance in the eyes of the Starks.

“I’m not interested in your apologies,” Aegon said simply, taking a few steps away from Jaella. “I know that in the North they are short of manners, but here you cannot be alone with the princess.”

“Lord Decran has done nothing improper,” Jaella spoke quickly, but Aegon seemed to ignore her completely.

“Do you know, Lord Stark, that if anyone were to see you alone with the princess at this hour, strong accusations would be made against her?” Aegon continued in a disdainful tone, not removing his gaze from the Northerner. He then looked around before turning his gaze back to him. “Since I am the only man close to Princess Velaryon here, it is my duty to ensure that this mistake is punished.”

“Aegon…” Jaella’s voice came out as a trembling whisper.

The prince, clearly affected by the alcohol and his own sense of superiority, didn’t heed her plea. Instead, his gaze became harsher and more determined.

“Ser Criston, bring me the head of Decran Stark for putting my niece’s reputation at risk.”

Criston’s expression hardened. Under different circumstances, he might have stopped to think, but with few witnesses present, he could convince Prince Aegon to distort the truth about the situation and turn it to his favor, earning House Stark’s support for the queen’s children.

Decran gripped the hilt of his short sword, which protruded from his waist, ready to defend himself by any means necessary.

Jaella stepped forward, her heart racing uncontrollably.

“No!” she exclaimed, her voice ringing with an unexpected firmness. “This is not necessary. Lord Decran has been respectful at all times and has done nothing to jeopardize my honor. There is no reason for this violence.”

The princess could have positioned herself between Ser Criston and Decran, but she knew Cole would not react to her pleas. Instead, she stood in front of Aegon and looked him in the eyes, gripping his hands firmly, which surprised the prince.

“Uncle, please,” she begged with tearful eyes, breathing heavily. She was not willing to allow someone who had not harmed her to be punished severely. “Please, do not punish someone who does not deserve it.”

Aegon’s gaze focused on Jaella’s distressed face. His chest stirred with discomfort, and he grimaced as he felt the burning grip of the young girl’s hands. Still, he did not pull away.

“Jaella, I…” Aegon began, his voice wavering as the grimace on his face deepened. He was not used to being confronted in this manner, especially by someone he considered weaker and more vulnerable. The anguish in his niece’s eyes was making him question his own harshness.

“Please,” she pleaded again, stroking the back of the young Targaryen’s hand with her thumb.

Finally, Aegon let out a deep sigh. His resistance crumbled in the face of Jaella’s genuine desperation. He stepped back slightly, looking at Decran with a sneer of disdain.

“Escort Lord Decran inside, Ser Criston,” he said, his voice laden with anger. “I will see that my niece gets to her room.”

═════𖠁 ═════

Honor didn't seem to matter as much now, as when Jaella had invited him to her room for lemon cakes, Aegon had not hesitated for a second to accept, even agreeing to Ser Erryk’s request to leave the door open.

The rest of the night passed peacefully, and the topic of Decran was not mentioned until an hour later, when the children had finished all the cakes.

“Are you sure he did nothing?” Aegon asked, raising an eyebrow. Jaella nodded, which slightly reassured him.

“Is my sister already looking for a suitor for you?”

“I don’t know. Though Jacaerys is already promised, so they will probably arrange something for me soon too.”

Aegon made a displeased grimace that went unnoticed by Jaella.

“Are you going to tell your mother you want to marry Decran?”

Jaella frowned. She barely knew the northerner, and while she considered he would make a good suitor, the idea of asking her mother to marry him had not crossed her mind.

“I don’t know who I want to marry,” she said, shrugging.

“You definitely shouldn’t marry a Stark,” he muttered.

“What’s wrong with the Starks?” she asked with genuine curiosity. According to her studies, House Stark was quite honorable.

“I just think you should marry someone of your own blood to keep it strong,” he said simply.

In Aegon’s eyes, it had been a blessing that she wasn’t married to Jacaerys. It would have been a shame for Jaella’s children to be deprived of their mother’s Valyrian traits and instead inherit the common features of his nephew. Aegon was certain that Jaella would bear beautiful children, like herself, and he saw no need to overshadow them.

“You could marry Aemond or Daeron,” Aegon suggested.

“Why don’t I marry you?”

Silence filled Jaella’s quarters. Aegon felt a pressure in his chest that he couldn’t quite explain.

He knew his mother wouldn’t allow it; she hated Rhaenyra’s children too much, and she had only given them Helaena reluctantly. Alicent would never easily give up Aegon.

“I don’t think that idea would make anyone happy,” he said with a bitter smile. “Not even you.”

“I like being with you,” Jaella said, shrugging as if her statement was a simple truth.

No one had ever said that to him before. He was so capricious and rude that most people fled from him without a second thought. He even doubted his own mother enjoyed his company. But Jaella seemed sincere; despite his bad behavior and the reputation that preceded him, the Velaryon girl didn’t seem to change her behavior towards him, even for a moment.

Jaella, in her innocence, didn’t fully grasp the internal struggle Aegon was experiencing. To her, things were simple. She enjoyed his company and saw no need to complicate things with the intrigues and enmities that seemed to surround their families.

At that moment, Aegon wished he could marry her.

═════𖠁 ═════

His mother entered his room without warning, as she commonly did. From the way her brow was furrowed, Aegon knew she was upset. Even before she could speak, his head started to throb; the night before, after leaving Jaella's room, he had gone out to drink a little more and then retreated to his own room for some pleasure, so he wasn’t in the best condition to receive a reprimand.

“Sir Criston informed me of the little dispute last night.”

Aegon pressed his lips into a thin line. Criston Cole’s extreme diligence in reporting caused him more headaches than he liked. The prince tried to sit up, but the sharp pain in his head made him relent, and he sank back into his pillows.

“Do you have anything to say about it?”

The silver-haired prince sighed, rubbing his eyes.

“I didn’t think it was right for that Northman to be alone with Jaella.”

Alicent squinted at Aegon’s response. The evident concern in his voice only increased his mother’s irritation.

“And why not?” she demanded; her tone harsh. “I’ve told you time and again that the further away we keep Rhaenyra’s bastards, the better. We already have enough with your father deciding to marry Helaena to Jacaerys and now you want to stop that girl from forming distant alliances? Your claim to the throne is at stake, Aegon, and so is your head.”

“Why not save it and betroth me to Jaella?”

Alicent's fury ignited in an instant. Her face twisted into a horrified expression, and her open hand struck her son's face, leaving it red. Aegon gently touched his cheek, feeling the sting in his eyes, but he kept his gaze fixed on his mother, refusing to give in to the pain or the shame threatening to consume him.

"Never repeat those words!" Alicent exclaimed, her voice trembling with anger. "How dare you even suggest such a thing? Our family has suffered enough! Do you want to destroy everything we've built?"

Aegon didn't care about any of that. No one had ever asked him if he wanted to be king, and his father didn't seem too pleased with the idea either—after thirteen years, he still hadn't named him heir. Not that it mattered to Aegon; he didn't believe he was fit to rule.

He couldn't even control what was between his legs—how was he expected to control the Seven Kingdoms?

The thought made him laugh, which only enraged the queen further.

Alicent grabbed his face firmly.

"You don't understand what you're saying. You don't understand the weight of what you're asking. Every word you utter has consequences. You can't just discard your responsibilities because you don't like them."

Finally, she let go and ran her hands over her face, trying to calm herself. She knew well that Rhaenyra would be capable of eliminating every obstacle in her path to the throne. She'd already dealt with Helaena through marriage, but with Aegon, Aemond, and Daeron, she wouldn't be so merciful. She wouldn't rest until she saw the heads of her three brothers on pikes.

"You are our future king, Aegon. It's time you start acting like one."

═════𖠁 ═════

When Ser Harwin assured her that she could claim a dragon, the idea took root in her mind, and she resolved to do whatever it took to make it happen. Her first plan was to tame one of the riderless dragons, but her mother had said it was too risky. So, Jaella spent her afternoons by the castle's hearths, trying to give her egg enough warmth to finally hatch.

When that didn't work, she buried herself in the castle's library, searching for a solution to her problem. It didn’t take long before she found what she was looking for. The books mentioned that dragon fire could help eggs hatch more quickly.

That early morning, Jaella leaped out of bed while everyone was still asleep. She used the secret passages she had once discovered to sneak into Aegon’s room.

The prince was sprawled out on the bed, deeply asleep, his breathing steady, and his mouth slightly open. Jaella stifled a silent giggle at the sight, then stood by the bed and began shaking Aegon until he woke up, groggy and trying to focus his bleary eyes.

"What are you doing here?"

"I need your help."

Aegon blinked rapidly upon hearing those words.

"Are you alright?" he asked immediately. She nodded. "What is it?"

"I need Sunfyre’s fire to hatch my egg."

Aegon’s brow furrowed, and the remnants of sleep quickly vanished as Jaella explained what she had read that afternoon. The prince didn’t quite understand her obsession with the egg, but he eventually sighed and got out of bed.

While Aegon dressed, Jaella started searching the walls of his room. The prince watched her curiously but didn't question her. Soon enough, Jaella found and opened a hidden door, leaving Aegon in awe.

"Has that always been there?" Jaella nodded. "And you knew about it?" Another nod was her only response.

"Now let’s go before anyone realizes I’m not in bed."

They used the secret passages to leave the Red Keep, despite Aegon’s reluctance to enter the unfamiliar hidden paths. Jaella linked her arm with his as they walked through the streets of the city. Aegon, well-versed in the ways of Flea Bottom, used his knowledge to ensure they avoided the worst of the alleys.

Entering the Dragonpit posed little challenge for them, as they had done it several times before. Sunfyre, Aegon’s golden dragon, was peacefully asleep in his usual spot.

Jaella smiled at the sight of him, and Aegon also appeared proud of Sunfyre. The dragon awoke and made a sound akin to a purr when his rider called to him softly; he nudged his snout against the prince’s chest, making Aegon smile.

Jaella smiled too, because she liked seeing Aegon smile. When he did so sincerely, his smile was radiant.

"Give it to me," Aegon said, pointing to the egg in Jaella’s arms.

Without hesitation, she handed it to him immediately, and the prince placed it on the ground at a safe distance from Sunfyre, who eyed the egg with growing curiosity. Aegon took Jaella by the arm and gently pulled her back, distancing them from the reach of the fire and positioning himself in front.

Jaella clung to his arm and peeked from behind him, waiting for the command.

"Dracarys."

Sunfyre opened his mouth and breathed a warm blast of fire over the egg. Jaella held her breath, her heart pounding in her chest as she watched the flames envelop the egg.

After what felt like an eternity, the fire ceased, and the two children cautiously approached the egg. Jaella's eyes scanned every inch of it, nervously searching for any sign of a crack, no matter how small. As the minutes passed, there was no indication that it had worked.

A knot formed in Jaella's throat as she felt tears welling up in her eyes, irritating her.

"Maybe it just needs more time," Aegon tried to console her, though there was a hint of doubt in his voice.

Jaella wiped her eyes, brushing away the tears that had already begun to spill down her cheeks.

"It was supposed to happen immediately," she whispered, her voice trembling. "It didn't work."

Perhaps she wasn't meant to have a dragon, perhaps her blood was tainted as everyone said, and that's why her egg hadn't hatched. Maybe her mother had lied to her all this time, and Laenor wasn't her father. Jaella clenched her fists.

She knew Laenor wasn't her father.

Fury surged within her, anger at the world; at her mother, at her supposed father, at Ser Harwin, at herself for believing she would have a dragon...

Aegon could see her suffering, but he didn’t know what to say. No one had ever taught him how to comfort someone, to offer words of encouragement, and although Jaella knew this and wasn’t expecting it, he still wanted to make her feel even a little better.

He couldn't find the words, because he didn’t know how to comfort her. But he stayed close by as she turned and left the Dragonpit, retracing their steps back the way they had come.

The princess didn’t speak the entire way back, and neither did Aegon.

By the time they made it back to the Red Keep through the secret passages, the sky was already beginning to lighten, signaling that the sun would soon break through the clouds. They both sat down on one of the castle's balconies for a moment; Jaella settled there first, and Aegon decided to stay with her.

Throughout their journey, Aegon had been trying to think of a way to console her, and though he had an idea, he wasn’t entirely sure how to start.

"Do you remember when you asked why we couldn’t get married?" Aegon’s voice broke the silence of the early morning. Hearing him speak after such a long time felt strange, but even so, she turned to look at him and nodded. "Mother didn’t like the idea."

Jaella didn’t understand what that had to do with the recent situation.

"But if she ever decides it’s a good idea… I’ll give you a dragon egg as a wedding gift."

The younger girl was taken aback, not only because Aegon was offering her a dragon egg, but also because he was speaking about the possibility of marrying her. She knew it wasn’t very likely, but the fact that he was considering it caused a strange, pleasant sensation in her chest.

"And if we don’t get married?" she asked curiously.

"I’ll give you one anyway."

From that night on, Jaella began to consider the idea of marrying Aegon as one of her dreams.

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