#eight dragon kings
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yoga-onion · 9 months ago
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[Image above: Gobajo statue with a crown of elephant, the largest animal on land, on its head. One of the Eight Legions.]
Legends of the humanoids 
Reptilian humanoids (10)
The Eight Great Dragon Kings – Dragon tribes who listened to the Buddha's teachings.
They are the eight kings of the dragon races, who belong to the Eight Legions of Buddhist dieties. They protect the Buddha Dharma.
In Buddhism, Nagaraja (lit. 'king of the nagas') in Hindu mythology was incorporated as various dragon deities, including the Eight Great Dragon Kings. 
Nagarajas are supernatural beings who are kings of the various races of Nagas, the divine or semi-divine, half-human, half-serpent beings that reside in the netherworld (Patala), and can occasionally take human form. The duties of the Nāga Kings included leading the nagas in protecting the Buddha, other enlightened beings, as well as protecting the Buddha Dharma.
Some of the most notable Nagarajas occurring in Buddhist scriptures are Virupaksa, Mucalinda, Dhrtarastra, and the following Eight Great Dragon Kings:
Nanda (Ananta, lit. joy): Ananta and Upananda were brother dragon kings who once fought against the Dragon King Sagara.
Upananda (lit. sublime joy): Brother of Nanda. Together with King Nanda, he protected the country of Magadha, ensuring that there was no famine, and when the Buddha descended, he sent rain to bless it and attended all the sittings where he preached. After the Buddha's death, he protected the Buddha Dharma forever.
Sagara (lit. 'Great Sea'): king of the Dragon Palace. King of the Great Sea Dragon.The 8-year-old Dragon Lady in the Lotus Sutra was the third princess of this Dragon King and was known as the Zennyo Ryuo (lit. "goodness woman dragon-king").
Vasuki (lit.'treasure'): sometimes referred to as the Nine-Headed Dragon King with the 'nine' meaning the extremity of yang and extremely large and powerful in number. Thus, he was thought of as the "Nine-Headed Dragon King". In the original legend, he was seldom called the 'Many-headed Dragon King' because there were a thousand of heads. Originally, he protected Mt. Meru��(Ref1) and took tiny dragons to eat.
Takshaka (lit. ‘polyglot' or 'visual poison'): When this dragon is angrily stared at, the person is said to die out. From the Golden Light Sutra, the Seven-faced Tennyo is said to be the daughter of this Dragon King.
Anavatapta (lit. "cool and free from heat"): was said to live in the mythical pond in the northern Himalayas, Anuttara (lit. "free from heat"), which emitted great rivers in all directions to moisten the human continent of Jambudvīpa. A pond that stretches for approx. 3142 km, the banks of the pond were said to be made of four treasures, including gold, silver and others. This Dragon King was venerated as an incarnation of a Bodhisattva.
Manasvin (lit. 'giant' or 'great power'): When Asura (See2 & See3) attacked Kimi Castle with seawater, he twisted himself around and pushed the water back. Kimi Castle is the castle in Trayastrimsa at the top of Mt. Meru, where Sakra (Indra:Ref) resides. 
Uppalaka (Utpala: lit. blue lotus flower): blue lotus flower dragon king. He is said to dwell in a pond that produces blue lotus flowers. In India, the shape of the petals and leaves is used metaphorically to represent the eye, especially the blue water lily (nilotpala), which is a metaphor for a beautiful eye. In Buddhism, the Buddha's eyes are considered to be dark blue (nila), one of the 32 phases (ref4) and 80 kinds of favourites (ref5), "eye colour ".
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伝説のヒューマノイドたち
ヒト型爬虫類 (10)
八大龍王〜釈迦の教えに耳を傾けた龍族
彼らは、天龍八部衆に所属する龍族の八柱の王である。仏法を守護している。
仏教では、インド神話におけるナーガラジャ (ナーガの諸王の意) が、八大龍王をはじめさまざまな龍神として取り入れられた。ナーガラージャとは、冥界 (パタラ) に住む神または半神半人の蛇のような存在であるナーガ (参照) の様々な種族の王であり、時には人間の姿をとることもある超自然的な存在のこと。
ナーガ王たちの任務は、ナーガたちを率いて仏陀や他の悟りを開いた存在たちを守護し、仏陀の教えを守ることであった。
仏教経典に登場するナーガラージャの中で最も有名なものには、ヴィルパクサ、ムカリンダ、ドルタラストラ、そして以下の八大龍王たちである:
難陀 (アナンタ:歓喜の意): 難陀と跋難陀は兄弟竜王で娑伽羅 (サーガラ:大海の意) 龍王と戦ったことがあった。
跋難陀 (ウパナンダ: 亜歓喜の意): 難陀の弟。難陀竜王と共にマガダ国を保護して飢饉なからしめ、また釈迦の降生の時、雨を降らしてこれを灌ぎ、説法の会座に必ず参じ、釈迦仏入滅の後は永く仏法を守護した。
娑伽羅 (サーガラ:大海の意): 龍宮の王。大海龍王。法華経に登場する八歳の龍女はこの龍王の第三王女で「善女龍王」と呼ばれた。
和修吉 (ヴァースキ: 宝有の意):「九頭龍王」と呼ばれることもある。「九」は陽の極まりを意味し、数が非常に多く強力であることから、「九頭龍王」と考えられた。そのため、彼は「九頭の龍王」��考えられていた。元の伝説では、頭が千個あったため、稀に「多頭龍王」と呼ばれることもあった。もともとは、須弥山(参照1)を守り、細龍を捕らえて食べていた。
徳叉迦 (タクシャカ: 多舌、視毒の意): この龍が怒って凝視された時、その人は息絶えるといわれる。身延鏡と金光明経から七面天女は、この龍王の娘とされている。
阿那婆達多 (アナヴァタプタ: 清涼、無熱悩の意): ヒマラヤ山脈北部にある神話上の池、阿耨達池 (無熱悩池) に住み、四方に大河を出して人間の住む大陸 閻浮提 (えんぶだい) を潤していた。 全長800里 (約3142 km)にも及ぶ池の岸辺は金・銀などの四宝よりなっていたという。この龍王は菩薩の化身として崇められていた。
摩那斯 (マナスヴィン: 大身、大力の意): 阿修羅(参照2 & 参照3)が海水をもって喜見城を侵したとき、身をよじらせて海水を押し戻したという。喜見城とは須弥山の頂上の 忉利天にある 帝釈天 (梵: インドラ参照) の居城。
優鉢羅 (ウッパラカ: 青蓮華の意): 青蓮華龍王。青蓮華を生ずる池に住まうという。インドでは花弁や葉などの形状を比喩的に眼を現すことに用いるが、特に青睡蓮(nilotpala)は美しい眼に喩えられる。仏教では仏陀の眼は紺青色(nila)とされ、三十二相八十種好(参照4)の一つ「眼色如紺青相」となっている。
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microbihon · 10 months ago
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As a person of color, who grew up in a third world country, and could not afford cable TV, its no denying this man's influence over my childhood. Every local TV airs his anime, dubbed well and we all enjoyed it. Such an inspiration even to this day! Thank you for everything, Mr. Toriyama
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the-monkey-ruler · 12 days ago
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Legend of the Eight Immortals (1998) 东游记
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Director: Zhang Baolian Screenwriter: Lu Zhiming / Li Yanping / Huang Huanghua / Xie Junyuan Starring: Ma Jingtao / Guo Feili / / Shen Zheng Xiuzhen Xie Yiling Shaoguang / /Lin Xiangping / Wang Yuxiang / Chang Cheng Genre: Drama / Costume Country/Region of Production: Singapore Language: Mandarin Chinese Date: 1998-11-26 (Singapore) Number of episodes: 30 Single episode length: 43 minutes IMDb: tt3038763 Type: Crossover
Summary:
This costume mythological drama co-produced by Singapore and China is adapted from the ancient Chinese legend "The Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea" and the mythological novel "Journey to the East". The evil way to the sky breaks the curse and is reborn. According to the number of days, the eight immortals in the cave must return to their positions to resist the evil way. Donghua Shangxian (played by Ma Jingtao) was ordered to go through danger and was forced to endure the disaster to guide the Eight Immortals back to their places. After selection, Han Xiangzi (played by Chang Cheng), He Xiangu (played by Zheng Xiuzhen), Lan Caihe (played by Shen Yiling), Cao Guojiu (played by Shen Yiling), Li Haijie), Han Zhongli (Mai Haowei), Tieguai Li (Lin Yisheng) and Zhang Guolao were selected as the Eight Immortals. The Immortal Donghua was demoted to earth and became Lu Dongbin (played by Ma Jingtao), and experienced emotional entanglements with Bai Mudan and He Xiangu who were reincarnated by Fairy Peony (played by Guo Feili). The little demon Pangolin (played by Xie Shaoguang) is obsessed with He Xiangu, but he is also good and evil. Fei Changfang (played by Chang Cheng), who has not yet become Han Xiangzi, cannot forget his deceased wife Zhenniang (played by Lin Xiangping), and unexpectedly meets Princess Long San (played by Lin Xiangping). Faced with a thousand-year love catastrophe, the Eight Immortals went through many hardships, but finally returned to their positions smoothly and embarked on the road of exterminating demons and protecting the Tao.
Source: https://tv-1.chinesemov.com/tv/1998/Legend-of-the-Eight-Immortals
Link: N/A
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thetimelordbatgirl · 2 months ago
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I can't even fully celebrate finding out HTTYD Nine Realms ended in 2023 on season eight, because...what the fuck do you mean it ended the same way the movies did, aka the world isn't ready for dragons still so the dragons go back into hiding like- when will anyone be fucking ready at this point??? What was the point of having dragons return in modern day JUST to throw them back into the hidden realms and claiming the same shit movies did???
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steelycunt · 1 year ago
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you don’t know how much it pleases me that you hate jon and Daenerys as much as I do!! I didn’t even watch the show past like... season 2 cos I could tell immediately that those guys where The Favourites and were going to last till the end and I was like: “i simply cannot put up with having to watch them on my screen. You want me to care so much about them it makes you look stupid, GoT creators.” They were THEE most irritating & boring characters on that show everyone was obsessed with them???
exactly!! they are both so incredibly boring and lifeless it irritates me so much!! it is so obvious that the show wants and expects you to like them and root for them its so obvious that theyre the main characters but they have. zero interesting traits between them? i do not like being told by something im watching/reading that i ought to like a character purely because of how Good and Moral they are and Noble they are even when absolutely no effort has been put into making them interesting people. they are both so BORING and them obviously being set up as The Good Guys does nothing to fix that. interesting things happen TO them and AROUND them but they are both so painfully lacking a personality outside of being Good. and good morals unfortunately does not an interesting character make. i really cant imagine why we were meant to like them or even care about them aside from plot relevance all daenerys does is go on about those boring fucking dragons and list her collection of tedious titles and all jon does is squint stoically and nobly and heroically into the distance and do The Right Thing. yawn. their scenes are always the most boring and knowing that theyd be in it until the Very end while far more interesting characters are being killed...i loathed them sorry im genuinely offended by the thought that the writers expect me to root for characters so woefully lacking in any sort of personality or humanity.
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satanicmacchiato · 7 months ago
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so much of how eastern dragon lore runs contrary to how dragons exist in the western imagination!!!!
eastern dragons are strongly associated with the element of water, it's believed that when it rains you have dragons flying above you!!! they are considered heavenly creatures!!! as opposed to how dragons are conceptualised in like medieval europe as being fire breathing monsters from hell
in my mind if dragons were real then western and eastern dragons would be only distantly related species filling the same ecological niche across different continents. but due to visual similarities got called the same thing in English. and it would be one of those things that you hear on trivia game shows and go "oh that's neat" about and then move on with your day, like how tanuki get lumped in with racoons even tho racoons are musteloids and tanuki are canids. do you see my vision.
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eatgecom · 4 months ago
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A SD design of The Eight Legions Hachibushu and Lady Vishnu from Tenku Senki Shurato.
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frogoat · 5 months ago
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A blog about comic books and geek culture in general and Spider-Girl and the MC2 universe in particular.
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Yamata no Orochi
Altura: 366 metros. 424 metros (Maximo poder)
Peso: 60,000 toneladas
Longitud: 732 metros
Primer Avistamiento: Monte Fuji [Tierra: Teratoverso]
Guarida: Monte Fuji [Tierra:Teratoverso] Valle de Isayama [Avatarverso]
Aspecto: Yamata no Orochi (Heiseei)
Controles: Fuego Control [Pulsos termales, Destellos del Cañon, Sobretensión Electrica, Rafagas incendiarias] Tierra Control [Terremoto Estruendoso] Energia Control [Teletransportacion, Absorcion, Reflejos de Energia, Materializacion]
Aliados:
Kaijus y otras bestias: Godzilla, Anguirus, Behemoth, Mothra, Rodan, Baragon
Enemigos:
Humanos: Aang, Katara, Soka, Iroh, Zuko, Ozai y Azula
Kaijus y otras bestias: SpaceGodzilla, King Ghidorah, Gigan y Megalon
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sl-ut · 15 days ago
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princess of the north
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in case i dont end up posting again over the holidays, i just wanna say i hope everyone has a great holiday season and a very very happy new year!!!!
pairing: cregan stark x fem!targtower!pregnant!reader
description: cregan has grown older and happier throughout his years as warden of the north with his beautiful new wife at his side. however, when he married into the royal family, he had not considered how frequently he would need to interact with his in-laws. 
warnings: NO DANCE AU!!! (rhaenyra ascends the throne peacefully), weird blend of book and show timeline, slight description of character (silver hair, purple eyes, that’s it!!!), smut, reader gets pregnant like halfway through, pregnancy sex, oral, piv, SEX IN FRONT OF A FIREPLACE ON A BEARSKIN RUGGGG oml
words: 9.7K
date posted: 10/12/24
The winter had been very forgiving, thank the gods. It had been remarkably short, just under eight years in total, meaning that it had come to a close with plenty of food still in storage and northerners who were more than willing and able to transition into the oncoming summer with ease. 
Winterfell was left in a generally stable state, aside from the fact that there was a greater need for livestock now that they not only had an additional mouth to feed, but also a fully grown dragon who resided in a make-shift dragonpit only a few minutes ride beyond the walls of the castle–a wedding gift that the Lord of Winterfell had prepared in anticipation of his new wife’s arrival. Otherwise, the North seemed to be in greater shape upon the dawn of this new summer than it had in all of Cregan’s years. 
The greatest of Cregan’s accomplishments, of course, was his new wife. At the beginning of the winter, he had not expected that he would be married by the end of it, but with the arrival of Prince Jaeaerys on his official tour of the realm also came his proposal of marriage between Lord Cregan and his own aunt, the youngest daughter of the late King Viserys I and his second wife, Dowager Queen Alicent Hightower. He had been hesitant to consider this offer–he’d never met the woman, which was not uncommon for marriages of such high status, but he’d been fortunate enough to have been able to form some sort of friendship with his late wife prior to their union. Jace had brought along with him the terms offered by his mother, in her own hand, of course, as well as a portrait of the woman in question. 
Cregan was not above admitting how taken he’d been with the sight of the princess, even if it were only a recreation of her beauty on canvas. He’d heard of her beauty before, it was rumoured around the realm, but seeing it was entirely different, a sort of beauty he could not have imagined on his own.
“Tell me, my prince,” Cregan asked him, hardly drawing his crystal blue gaze away from the portrait, “you are her blood and have grown up with the princess, is this painting to her likeness?”
Jacaerys smirked, “Of course, Lord Stark. My aunt is known to be one of the most beautiful women ever to live.”
Cregan pursed his lips. He was aware of the strange customs of the Targaryens, having married brother to sister and uncle to niece for generations. Jacaerys could be speaking the truth, for he himself could hold some sort of affection for his aunt, but Cregan did not suspect as such. Intead, his greater question was whether Jacaerys could be lying to him out of political gain; as his mother’s envoy, it would do him no good to suggest that the artist had not accurately painted her. Her looks were of no concern to him, but he valued honour and truth over all else. If they were attempting to attract him to the deal by portraying the princess as such a beauty over anything else, he would be personally insulted to discover that he’d been lied to, a snub from the royal family would not be taken kindly by House Stark. 
“What say you?” Cregan turned to the group of men standing just to the left of the prince, all who seemed alarmed at Lord Stark’s attention being turned to them, “How do each of you vouch for the princess?”
The men, one at a time, attested to the princess’s beauty until he stood before the smallest and visibly youngest of the men.
“And you, lad?” 
“I’m afraid the portrait fails to depict the princess, milord,” The boy grew rosy in the cheeks as he imagined the princess in his mind, eyes drawing towards the portrait, “That is her, yes, but only as close as the Master Holbein could have made it, for I do not think it possible to recreate such beauty. She is gifted by the gods, surely, milord, both in beauty and manner. She is kind, brings food and toys to orphans in Flea Bottom and ev’rything, milord.”
Cregan, taken aback by the answer from the youngest boy, turned back to Prince Jacaerys, who seemed equally as surprised as he did pleased with the answers of his men.
“This is true, milord,” Jace said, “the princess is known among the people for her generosity, among her other talents and traits. It cannot be denied that her mother, the Queen Dowager, was not fond of my family, nor us of her, but the princess was raised better than any of us, I would say. Take the night to think on it, I would hope to send word to the queen before I leave Winterfell at noon.”
Cregan did as instructed, thinking on it long and hard. Her beauty had been their main selling point, something that could not be denied from the portrait sent of her. Lord Stark had half a mind to hang it upon the mantle in his bedchambers whether he takes her to wife or not, but it was not her beauty that had truly swayed his decision. Instead, he thought over the young lad’s words; a southern lady scarcely thrives in the North, a nation nearly as large on its own as all of the remaining six kingdoms put together. The weather was harsh, and the people were harsher, something he could not imagine a Targaryen princess handling well. However, he’d heard of Alicent Hightower’s assertiveness and ability to lead while her husband was incapable and Rhaenyra was in Dragonstone. If what Jacaerys had told him was true, the princess would be dutiful and loyal, and according to the prince’s men, kind beyond words. Beauty may have factored into his decision on a personal level, but he also met the prince the next morning with his acceptance mostly on the basis that he believed that the princess would be wholly capable of helping him rule the North.
He wrote to her a week after Jacaerys departed from Winterfell, certain that the news would have already arrived in the capitol and she would already be aware of their arrangement. He would have little time between her arrival in the north and their wedding to meet with her in private, so this was his best hope. He was pleased to receive a raven in return only three days later, neat handwriting befitting a princess scrawled across the parchment. It was not much, but Cregan was able to learn some things about her through the letters, making it seem like he was less-so marrying a stranger and more as if she were a distant friend. 
The month following, the princess would depart from King’s Landing in a procession he was told seemed a mile long. He waited with anticipation, Winterfell in a flurry of servants and guards to prepare the castle to house the royal family and their household, as well as for the wedding itself, and only one more month would pass before his bride had arrived within the walls of Winterfell.
Cregan had bowed respectfully to the Queen Dowager as she stepped out of her wheelhouse, then to the two silver-haired princes who arrived on their steeds. His eyes scanned the growing crowd for any sight of his betrothed, finally catching sight of her as she took the hand of a Dornish white cloak to balance herself as she exited the wheelhouse, a pretty white fur-lined cloak wrapped around her shoulders, almost blending into the pale blonde of her hair. She was, indeed, the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She had traditional Valyrian looks, but also held an aura of softness. 
She was nervous as she curtsied before her, but seemed happy enough with his appearance and manners as he greeted her with a kiss to her leather-gloved knuckle. The moment was broken apart by her mother’s level tone, requesting to be brought to her chambers for some rest before supper. That evening Cregan found the portrait of the princess that he’d received months earlier and personally hung it above the mantle in his bedchambers. He thought it was safe to say he was smitten.
The princess appeared bashful in his presence, though he was partially certain that her discomfort was brought on by her ever-present family, each looming nearby as if waiting to intercept his attempts of conversation with his betrothed. He could not decide who he had grown to loathe the most; Aegon had already drank a generous portion of Winterfell’s wine cellars even before the wedding, and often joined the conversation with the goal to tease his sister and see her shrink in embarrassment; Aemond was constantly looking to best anyone in his path, and seemed almost possessive over his sister’s attention; her mother had hardly allowed them a moment alone, constantly insisting on supervising any time that he would invite her for any sort of activity, or set one of her brothers after them instead. Alicent had a habit of speaking for her daughter, meaning that Cregan had no opportunity to truly know her while her mother was present, while her brothers made it impossible to even speak to one another at all. 
He was finally glad on their wedding night, when he’d arranged the head table to be broken into three, leaving the happy couple to sit above the rest and finally receive some alone time. She had been radiant in her gown of white furs and fleeces, meeting him beneath the weirwood tree with her eldest brother at her side to give her away. He’d been glad to tear away the cloak of red and black, intricately interwoven into a field of green and gold at the bottom–it would be unlike Alicent Hightower to allow her children to wear the Rhaenyra’s colours without her own as well. It would be hard to tell whether she looked prettier in the harsh colours of her maiden cloak or in the dull ones of his own, but he couldn’t help but note how greys and blues suited her better than he could have imagined. 
He could tell her family was less than pleased with this arrangement, making an effort to step in for every miniscule matter that caught their attention. Cregan watched her from the corner of her eye as she shakily took a long drink from her cup. He finally found time to chat with his wife, slowly watching in awe as her walls slowly began to come down as she found herself giggling along with him and whispering into his ear. 
“What of the leftovers?” She’d asked, breaking their previous conversation topic.
“Leftovers?” Cregan repeated.
She nodded, staring at him with wide eyes expectantly, “The food. There will be plenty of leftovers–they should be brought to the nearest towns.”
“Is that a command, princess?” 
She appeared bashful at his response, walls slowly building back up around her, “I-I- My apologies, Lord Stark, I–”
He grinned at her playfully, his large palm cupping her cheek affectionately, “If you wish it, you shall have it. I intend to make you very happy, my love.”
She smiled, her beauty shining through even stronger as she became more and more comfortable around him, “Thank you, husband.”
Cregan pushed himself to stand, the sound of his chair pushing back cutting through the chatter and music and laughter filling his hall, all eyes turning to him expectantly. 
“My lady wife has made her first official command as Lady of Winterfell,” his voice carried through the hall with stern ease, and the attention of the crows quickly turned to her, “Lady Stark has decided that all leftovers from our wedding feast will be donated to the people of Winterstown.”
The crowd had been quick to applaud, deafening cheers throughout the great hall, northerners seemingly pleased with her decision or, at the very least, just excited to have another reason to be celebrating. He caught the glance she sent to her mother, and the happy grin that covered her face as the Dowager Queen sent her a sign of approval. His lady wife was kind, and sweet, and he was certain that, once she gained her footing in the North, would serve as a strong and dutiful Lady of Winterfell, all of which he muttered into her ear as he had her for the very first time that night. 
Three years would pass, he’d been right to assume such things of his wife. He’d quickly discovered that she was able to thrive without the looming shadow of her mother and brothers. She had been slow to find her footing in the beginning, some of his bannermen even questioning his choice in wife, but she was determined to prove them wrong, and in doing so, warmed Cregan’s heart even more. 
They’d discussed children in the past, and both had decided that they were happy enough with Cregan’s son from his previous marriage for the time being. They were not trying, but they were also not not trying, which is how she found herself swelling with her first child just as winter came to an end. Her husband had been insatiable in their first year of marriage, but once he knew that she carried his child in her belly, there was scarcely anything that could stop him from having her each and every night. 
Summer brought a homier feeling to Winterfell. People were not quite so afraid or negative as the desolate conditions faded away. Summer in the North was nothing compared to the many summers she had spent in King’s Landing, where she had once enjoyed the warmth of the sun on her skin, exposed beneath her more revealing gowns than those she was able to wear in the North; the lords of the North had criticised her choice in dresses early on in her marriage, and she had no doubt that their wives spoke harshly about her in her absence. She was by far the youngest of them, and was also the only one who could afford to wear such fine silks layered over her thick fleece and fur underdresses. Cregan knew better than to try and argue against his wife’s will–Lady Stark or not, she was a Targaryen princess through and through, and now that he had helped her build up her confidence, there was no way he was about to take that away from her (especially when she looked so so beautiful). She was thankful that she was able to cut down on the layers she needed now that the weather had transitioned from inhospitable to frigid, though she knew it was coming time to transition her wardrobe as well now that her breasts and belly were beginning to swell. 
The change in season also brought a wave of new duties. Winter was undoubtedly the most difficult and busy season for the lord and lady of Winterfell, but the transition to summer also brought the beginning of the agricultural season. Farmers and fishermen alike flocked to Winterfell to speak their needs and wants to their liege lord and lady, and Cregan found himself busy with attending to the replenishment of all of the North’s resources for Winterfell, all of his bannermen, the Wall, and all of the towns in the North. He’d made his wife agree to take a lesser load of duties now that she was expecting, dealing with issues within their own household so he could instead focus on bearing the burdens of the North all on his own, though this meant there was less and less time that they were able to spend together. 
Each morning, Lady Stark was awake and on the move early enough to meet with the maester and stewards and advisors, sharing no more than a few sweet words and touches with her husband as he watched her dress before she was out the door. They would see each other in passing throughout the day, sharing loving glances across the courtyard as they attended their duties and occasionally catching each other in the corridors, and she was normally in a deep slumber by the time he came to her chambers every night. Both of them were growing restless in their time apart, especially with her ladyship’s heightened emotions and hormones. 
She had just finished speaking with the mistress of the orphanage in Winterstown when the maester came to her, a neatly folded piece of parchment in hand that bore her mother’s seal. She smiled to herself as she brushed her thumb over the thick spot of green wax, glad to have a response for her most recent letter to her mother to deliver the news of her pregnancy, along with a request for some new silks to be sent in order to accommodate her changing body. Breaking the seal, she scanned over the letter with her eyes, a small gasp leaving her mouth as she read over her mother’s words.
“My lady?” Maester Elryn asked, concern evident on his wrinkled features, “Is everything alright?”
“Yes,” she smiled tightly at him, “My apologies for my reaction. Could you ask Lord Stark to come to me when he is free?”
“Of course, my lady. Anything else?”
“That is all, thank you, Maester Elryn.”
Cregan came to her two hours later, finding her seated at the small desk in the corner of her chambers. He paused to drink in the way she looked, having scarcely seen his wife for more than a moment all day. Her body was changing in the most glorious ways possible, and the bodices of her gowns were growing even tighter than before, her breasts threatening to spill over the neckline with every breath, and her belly growing firmer and rounder to accommodate his child. His smile widened as she turned to glance over her shoulder, her eyes softening as she finally took note of her husband’s figure in the doorway.
“You called, wife?”
“My love,” she greeted, pushing herself to stand with a gentle hand cradling her barely-there bump, “It seems it has been forever.”
His heart thumped against his ribcage at her action, chest growing warm at the sight of her maternal instincts already kicking in before she had even passed through her first few months 
He closed the door behind him, crossing the room to meet her before she was able to move too far. His palm cupped her cheek, the other finding its place over her own against her belly, “Longer than forever to me.”
She grinned, leaning up to press a sweet, lingering kiss to his lips, giggling to herself as he chased after her and grunted as she pulled away. He pressed small kisses to her cheeks, across the curve of her jaw, and down the column of her neck, leaving small nips in his wake. His wife pushed at his chest helplessly as she continued to laugh, the soft growth of hair along his own jaw tickling her with every brush of his lips on her skin. 
“I called you up here because I needed to speak with you,” she whispered to him, body slowly relaxing against him as she sank into his embrace.
“Speak, then,” he ordered, thick fingers tugging at the laces of her dress.
She shook her head, rolling her eyes at his antics, “I wrote to my mother a few nights ago, I need silk for new dresses. I’m sure you’ve noticed that my own are growing rather…tight.”
His mouth dropped to nip at the bulging flesh of her breast peeking over the neckline of her gown, “I certainly have.”
Her head tilted back, letting both a laugh and a breathy moan at her husband’s attack on her chest as he quickly laid her back on the bed, “She has written back to me. She says I shall have as much silk in as many colours as I wish.”
Cregan hummed in response, quickly peeling the layers of her gown away until she was left in only her thin white shift, her words going ignored as he tugged and pulled at her clothing until she was bare before him. He stared down at her, running his hand over his jaw as his eyes trailed over her breasts, heaving and swelling with milk, then down over her small bump, and finally to the place where her thighs clenched together. 
She pushed herself up to sit before him, her own hands reaching out to tug at his clothing. He was quick to help her, shucking off his layers and boots until he stood before her in only his heavy leather breeches. His wife grinned up at him, pressing a gentle kiss against his own belly, a layer of soft flesh over his firm, almost inconspicuous muscle. 
He pushed at her shoulder, chuckling as the mattress bounced beneath her as she was laid back again. He crawled over her, returning to mouthing over her neck, over her shoulders, and finally coming across her breasts.
“She says she will deliver them personally,” she uttered, whining in protest as he paused, pulling back to focus directly at her face. 
“Personally,” He repeated, more for his own sake than a question of clarification, “your mother intends to come to Winterfell.”
She pouted at him, fingers carding through his long hair as she attempted to soften him to the news, “She wishes to be here for the birth. I know she can be…difficult, but it would bring me comfort to have her with me as I bring our firstborn into the world.”
He sighed, his head falling into her shoulder, “If this is what you wish, then this is what you shall have. 
She smiled, remembering when he spoke the same words to her on their wedding night. She pressed a kiss to his forehead, winding her legs around his hips and hugging her tightly to her chest. 
“Thank you,” she smiled at him as he finally pushed himself up to gaze down at her once again, “my mother can be difficult, as I said, but I wish for her to know her grandchildren, as she does my niece and nephews. I promise you, she will be on her best behaviour.”
“I believe you,” He pressed a kiss to her lips, mumbling against her, “but I must ask that we do not speak any more of your mother at the present. I do not think she would appreciate what I plan to do to you.”
Cregan did not allow her another moment of peace before his kisses grew in intensity, tongue intertwining with her own while his meaty palms pulled her legs further apart and began to rock his hips into hers. He smirked at the whine that escaped her throat, pressing himself further into her.
“Cregan–” 
“I have missed you, my love,” he moaned against her lips, “you cannot possibly believe how much I have been longing for you.”
She chuckled, “I think I can. The maester told me pregnancy can bring on many side effects; discomfort, fatigue, desire…”
Cregan pulled back for a moment, “Should I be concerned about these conversations you have been having with Maester Elryn?”
She scoffed, “You are far too jealous for your own good, my love.”
“You might be too, if you were married to the most beautiful woman in the Seven Kingdoms–nay, the world.”
“Flatterer.”
“Can it be called flattery if it is the truth?” Cregan pushed himself to kneel between her legs, palms continuing to push her thighs upward to bare her completely to him. He let out a desperate groan as his eyes settled on her core, barely hidden beneath a neat patch of silver hair, “gods, have you ever been this wet?”
She snorted, raising her leg to press her foot flat to his chest, “It is the pregnancy, as I said.”
His long fingers wrapped around her foot, tugging it up to press his lips against the slope of her ankle, “Then perhaps I should keep you like this, eh? Would you like for your lord husband to fill you with his child, again and again?”
“I am already with child, my love,” she smiled at him, drawing a deep breath from his throat, “I’m afraid you will have to wait a few moons longer.”
“And I will spend every second I have with you perfecting the craft then.”
She sighed in relief as he finally reached between her thighs, fingers catching against her slick hole.
“Cregan, please,” she whimpered, “do something, anything.”
“Anything?” He asked, breathlessly, his own chest heaving in anticipation as she nodded excitedly. 
A loud gasp tore from her lips as he finally sunk his fingers into her, her wetness audible to them both as he began moving with slow but purposeful thrusts. His thumb settled on her sensitive bud, making slow, tight circles over the swollen bud, his free hand gliding up from her thigh to tug at her breasts. Her hips rocked in sync with his every movement of his thick fingers, stilling as another one easily slipped inside.
“My love,” she panted, “e-enough, I need you.”
He quirked one of his thick brows at her words, “Should I not prepare you, my heart?”
“I am pregnant with your child, and as we can both tell, I am more than prepared.”
Cregan snorted out a laugh, withdrawing his fingers with a small whine from his wife, “How should you have me then, wife?”
Lady Stark smirked to herself, legs wrapping around his back and forcing him to fold over her, “Take me as you did on our wedding night, only you do not need to be so gentle with me.”
He slipped inside of her easily, a strained hiss sliding between his teeth while her own teeth sunk into his shoulder. Cregan did indeed take her like he had on their wedding night, but against her wishes, was almost as gentle as he had been, out of respect for his child’s personal space, as he had muttered to her. In truth, he simply wanted to take his time with her as he pulled her apart bit by bit, not wanting to rush their first time lying together in the few weeks since summer had come. 
When they were finished, he remained inside of her for as long as he could, but the warmth of her and the air around them was far too much. His wife, despite the progress she’d made in the years of their marriage, was a southern woman and despised how frigid the castle could be, earning herself the warmest room in Winterfell and a required constant upkeep of her hearth. Cregan did not mind coming to his wife’s chamber when she needed him throughout the day or early evening, but there was a reason that they’d made a habit of sleeping in his personal chambers each night, where the air was cooler but he was able to keep her warm at night. He carefully pulled away, meeting her for a final kiss before he peeled himself off of the bed, slowly strutting across the room to haul the window open and feel the cool summer air against his burning flesh. 
She watched him through hooded eyes, gaze raking down his muscular back, over his plump ass, and down his thick legs. She pursed her lips, pulling one of the heavy furs around her shoulders as she padded across the stone floor to wrap herself around him from behind, fingers hooking together around his belly as her bare chest pressed to his back. After a moment, one of his hands came over to cover her own as she pressed her lips to his shoulder blade. 
“My mother wrote that she expects to be here in two moons,” she murmured against his warm skin, “I should begin preparations for them on the morrow.”
Cregan hummed, eyes scanning over the horizon for a moment before he comprehended her words, “Them. How many attendants does she plan to bring with her?”
He felt his wife tense behind him, “About that…”
Two moons later Cregan found himself standing tall in his own courtyard, jaw set as a procession of horses and wheelhouses began to file through the front gate of his ancestral home. He’d been a touch angry with his wife when she had finally revealed to him that it was not only her mother coming, but rather the entire royal family; the queen, her king consort, and all of their children; the dowager queen, the remaining four of her children, as well as Prince Aegon and Princess Helaena’s three children. Winterfell was about to be overrun with heads of silver hair, something Cregan had hoped would only happen as a result of his wife’s genes overcoming his own among their children. 
At his side, his wife nervously chewed her bottom lip–a nasty habit he’d grown to detest after she’d drawn blood one night. He knew exactly how her family could be from their short stay during their wedding festivities, and the way that her mother and two older brothers alone were able to affect her, let alone the entire living Targaryen dynasty. 
On her other side stood young Rickon, gripping her hand tightly as he struggled to compose himself. The boy was only six years old, but he already seemed to understand the importance of his role as the heir to Winterfell. He’d taken to his stepmother rather quickly, having been an infant when the fever took his own mother. He’d been in need of a maternal figure in his life, and her presence in Winterfell had done nothing but draw father and son closer together with every family supper and breakfast she had insisted on over the years. Seeing her welcome his son into her heart so openly only further pressed Cregan’s instincts to bring their own children into the world, wishing for nothing more than to give his boy dozens of siblings for him to play with. 
The procession finally came to a halt just as two large, intricately carved wheelhouses entered the gates, flanked by the king consort and all of the elder princes on their horses. Lady Stark’s nerves only heightened at the sight of the silver-haired men, particularly her elder brothers who almost immediately turned their gaze her way. The queen soon climbed out of her wheelhouse, followed by her own litter of children, Aegon, Viserys, and Visenya. The second wheelhouse opened, producing Dowager Queen Alicent and Princess Helaena and her own children Jahaera, Jahaerys, and Maegor. 
The queen came before them, regal as ever in her red cloak lined with black fur. She watched stoically as the three bowed before her. 
“The North is yours, Your Grace,” Cregan spoke loud and true, “my family and I are honoured to host you and your family in Winterfell.”
“Many thanks, Lord Stark. I commend you on leading the North through yet another winter,” a smirk tugged at her lips as her eyes turned to his wife, who lowered into another curtsy under her stare, “I hear that Lady Stark has taken to her role quite well. I believe motherhood suits you, sister.”
“Thank you, Your Grace,” Lady Stark nodded in thanks. 
The next line of Targaryens filtered through the short lineup of Starks, first Daemon, who scarcely offered any of them a second glance (aside from his niece, who he stared at for a moment too long in Cregan’s opinion). Prince Jacaerys greeted Cregan like an old friend, clapping him on the shoulder heartily while he offered his aunt a polite hug, his younger brothers following, though with less familiarity. 
Then came her mother, who hardly offered Lord Stark a moment of her time before she began fawning over her daughter, hugging her tightly before pulling away and pawing at her swollen belly through her layers of fur. A tear escaped the red-haired woman’s eye as she pressed a sweet kiss to Lady Stark’s cheek, then offered a greeting to sweet Rickon, who had shuffled closer to his stepmother in his nervousness. Aegon skipped over Lord Stark altogether, though he certainly was not complaining as he could smell the stench of wine radiating from the eldest prince even before noon, throwing himself onto his sister. She’d stumbled in her attempt to catch him, sending her husband a warning glance as he moved to rip him away from her. Aemond, at least, was more courteous, offering Cregan a polite greeting and kissing his sister gently on the forehead. Helaena was soon to follow, her greeting to Cregan leaving him with a puzzled look as she moved on to place her palm to her sister’s cheek.
“I am so happy to see you, sister,” Lady Stark’s eyes welled with tears. Cregan had been aware of how disappointed his wife had been when her sister had not been able to travel with her for their wedding, but she had not blamed her for choosing to stay behind while she was in her sixth moon of pregnancy, not to mention the poor state of her mind.
Daeron was the most reserved of his good-siblings, showing both Lord and Lady Stark his respect, though he had no personal relation with either. He’d spent most of his childhood in Oldtown under the care of his grandsire’s brother, the Lord of Oldtown, and his own uncle Gwayne. He’d been rather hesitant to even return to King’s Landing after being away for so long; his own mother was a mere stranger, and his siblings had gone on to marry and produce their own children without even a second thought of their youngest brother. 
Winterfell’s hall was overflowing with Targaryens and those who served them. Cregan could hardly recognize any of the faces at the tables nearest to his own, his men being pushed farther back into the hall to accommodate the royal family. He, himself, had even been pushed one seat to the right to offer the queen the highest seat in the hall. He was not pleased to be doing this, far too used to southerners coming to the North with such entitlement, but he would take the treatment silently for the sake of his dear wife, who had been so excited for the arrival of her family and had been overtaken by anxiety of ensuring the visit went well. 
She sat next to him, dressed in a fine silk gown (new, a design brought by her mother), a deep emerald with golden stitching across the bodice and around the cuffs. Cregan hissed through his teeth when his wife entered the hall, a happy grin on her lips as she cradled her round belly over the dress of her mother’s house rather than her own, though he was eager to greet her and accept her gleeful kiss on the cheek, and he was glad enough to see that her hair had been braided among the stems of various flowers, all of which being indigenous only to the North. Her mother could try with all of her might to try and hold tight to her daughter’s familial tether to the South, but Cregan knew his wife had transformed into a woman of the North–she was no longer simply a Targaryen princess, a dragonrider, she was also his wife, Lady of Winterfell, and mother of his children. 
It never escaped Cregan’s watchful stare everytime the Dowager Queen gripped her daughter’s arm when her attention was not focused solely on her, or how she forced a smile each time he joined their conversation at all. If the woman had not been his wife’s mother, he would have gladly warded her away from his wife’s personal space. He understood well enough that his wife was bound to miss her family, especially her mother and sister, but he was afraid to see her begin to slip back into her shell, which had taken him a considerable amount of effort and care to bring her out from in the first place. 
He was quickly tiring from the responsibility of hosting an entire flock of Targaryen princes, all of whom considered themselves above the northerners and their laws, customs, and expectations. They most often gathered in the training yards, each more eager to prove themselves over the northerners and each other than the last, except for Aegon, of course, who would rather spend the mornings in his chambers before he would disappear into Wintertown, most likely gone to spend the rest of the afternoon in the only brothel within twenty miles of Winterfell. 
Throughout the two weeks to follow, they had barely found a moment to themselves that was not in the early hours of the morn or when the castle is alight with only the light emitted from torches and the moon itself, where Lady Stark was usually so worn out that she had barely enough energy to cuddle into her husband’s side and share a handful of words before her snoring would reach his ears. He made an effort to seek her out when he was granted a brief moment away from his duties, but there was hardly a moment when she could be found without at least one member of her kin at her side; in the nursery with her mother and sister, discussing her duties with the queen, reading with Aemond in the library, or comforting Aegon amidst another bout of alcohol-induced sickness. 
The one moment he did find her alone in her personal study, not wasting a single moment before he was hoisting her into his arms and kissing her breathless. He’d been pleased to find that she had no fight in her, easily melting into his embrace and winding her arms around his neck, smiling into the kiss as small mewls of pleasure vibrated against his mouth. He’d almost forgotten that the door to the study had been left ajar, making his good-mother’s entrance even more silent, though he likely wouldn’t have noticed even if she had knocked, fully taken with his wife’s affection. 
“Ehem.”
“Mother,” Lady Stark pushed away from her husband, face still with shock and, quite evidently, embarrassment, “I, we did not hear you come in.”
“Yes, as I could see.”
“My apologies, Your Grace,” Cregan nodded to the woman, though his tone was laced with his annoyance, “I’m afraid you’ve been subjected to a moment of weakness.”
“Nonsense,” Alicent’s lips tightened into a strained smile, a touch of tenderness on her face, “it comforts me to know that my daughter is cherished and loved, even so far away. We are not all so lucky to find love in these circumstances.”
His wife rounded the desk, meeting her mother with a tight embrace. For a moment, he felt a pang of sympathy for the red haired woman–it was true, most marriages of such caliber did not afford the couple any form of affection, and he was more than aware of the fortune that had fallen into his lap that day that Prince Jacaerys landed at his gate. The moment came to a crashing end all-too-soon as his good-mother once again dragged his wife away from him, not to be seen again until she was deep asleep in their shared bed.
He’d arranged for a hunt during the visit of the royal family, where he was forced to play the peacekeeper between the queen’s sons and their uncles, all while keeping his eyes peeled for the prize he’d been hoping for; his wife had mentioned more than once that she wanted to find the perfect blanket to gift to their first child, one that can be used again and again with each babe they brought into the world, so it seemed only fitting to him that he be the one to bring her the pelt. 
It would be weeks before the warmth in his chest subsided after witnessing her grin and laughter as he presented it to her, two rabbits of a similar white and brown pattern, drawing her away from the large elk that had been brought in for their supper that night. It was a brief moment of privacy amongst the crowd, where she curled her fingers beneath the neckline of his leather doublet and dragged him down to her height, pushing a soft kiss to his wind-bitten cheek, though he was thankful for every moment of it. Her mother stepped in a moment later, grasping her daughter’s hand and willing her to join her in the nursery, where she could continue to preach her wisdom and advice for the soon-to-be mother, though Cregan hoped his wife was smart enough to take it with a grain of salt. 
He’d spent the rest of the day both tending to his duties, which have seemingly doubled since the arrival of his wife’s kin, and also offering a hand in preparing the elk when he had a chance; his cooks could do wonders with elk meat, but the kitchen maids often made a fuss when such large animals were brought to whole or at least without being skinned first. He had barely even spared a moment to clean himself and change clothes before supper.
When he arrived in the dining hall, a smaller yet more formal area where he hoped he, his wife, and their many children would all dine together whenever they could. He was, however, miffed to discover the dining hall filled with princes and princesses and queens alike, only two seats left empty–his own, and his wife’s. 
His immediate thought was that perhaps she was still readying herself, perhaps she had gotten carried away in the nursery with her mother, and she would be there soon enough. Then, his eyes fell upon the red-haired woman a few seats from his own. 
He cleared his throat, drawing silence across his hall, “My apologies, I expect Lady Stark in only a moment.”
Alicent furrowed her brow, directing her words to the rest of the royal family rather than to Lord Stark, “I’m afraid she will not be joining us tonight.”
Cregan raised his own brow, “Why not?”
Alicent’s gaze flickered to his own, “She was unwell this evening–a pain many women know while carrying their children, all she needs is rest.”
“And why was I not made aware of this at once?” Lord Stark felt his blood beginning to boil.
She looked somewhat taken aback, “These pains are normal, they are expected for how far along she is. My daughter–”
Cregan’s heavy palm landed flat on the wooden tabletop, “My wife is my main concern. Any news concerning her or my children should and will be brought to me at once.” 
Alicent pursed her lips, appearing to have a few words of choice for her daughter’s husband, though he turned his attention to the queen opposite him on the other end of the long table and looked equally as surprised and amused at the altercation as she sipped her wine.
“Excuse me, Your Grace,” he pushed himself up to his full height, “forgive my absence this evening, but if my wife is unwell I would prefer to be at her side.”
Rhaenyra smirked at him, nodding her head at him, “But of course, Lord Stark. I am honoured that you take such care of my sister. After all, family is everything, is it not?”
He ignored the way that her words seemed to have been aimed at the red-haired woman, who had slouched back into her own seat as a soft pink tinged at the apples of her cheeks, instead nodding at the queen and fleeing the room at once, his hurried and heavy footfalls carrying him through the castle and up to his wife’s personal chambers. He was disgruntled to find that they were empty, save for a servant girl who had been tending to the hearth and directed him to his own chambers.
The hinges creaked as he pushed his way inside, finding two handmaidens hovering worriedly over his wife as she hunched over on her hands and knees atop the plush bear-skin rug, back arched upwards like he’d only seen done by a cat. The two servants froze at the sight of the broad figure crossing the threshold.
“Lord Stark,” one of them rushed to him, “Lady Stark, she is alright, but–”
“Alright?” He scoffed, “She is on the floor in pain, she does not look alright.”
“Cregan,” Lady Stark glared up at him, voice strained with discomfort, “do not speak to my ladies like that.”
He let out a deep sigh, offering the servant a quiet but genuine apology, “Now please, just tell me what is wrong with her, and what I can do to help. Should I call a maester?”
The servant fought a soft smile, touched at the lord’s concern for his wife and child, “Lady Stark is experiencing little more than body aches. Normal for women carrying a child, especially their first. I’m afraid all the maester could do is offer milk of the poppy for discomfort, which could potentially do more harm to the child than good to the mother,” Cregan swallowed at the thought, “We’ve allowed the princess to soak in warm water, and the stretching helps while we prepare a hot pack over the fire.”
His gaze flickered to the small grate across the embers of the fireplace, holding three large black stones over them. He nodded, turning back to his wife, who had turned her face back into the rug while the other servant girl carefully massaged gentle circles into her lower back.
“What can I do?”
“The hot pack should help with the aches, but I’m afraid the best thing may be to keep Lady Stark as comfortable as possible, anything to keep her mind away from the pains.”
He nodded, “Leave us, I should care for my wife on my own.”
The door closed behind the two women as they hesitantly left their mistress’s side, loyal to the very end. Cregan wasted little time in removing his leather doublet and abandoning it on the plush bed, leaving him in only his breeches and thin linen shirt. He crossed the room, kneeling beside his wife and carefully laying his palm flat to her lower back, a small smirk appearing on his lips as she sighed from the relief brought by his large, warm hand. 
“If you were not so obviously in pain, I would guess that you were enjoying this, my love,” he chuckled as his hand copied the same circular pattern that the servant girl had applied.
“Shut up,” she turned her head to the side so she could glance up at him, “this is your fault.”
“My fault?” He scoffed, “As I recall, your current condition is the result of your uncontrollable desires.”
She pushed herself up onto her hands, “My what? It was you who was gone to the Wall for more than a moon!”
“And it was you who kept me from my duties until midday on the day after I returned.”
She pursed her lips, “Alright, next time I will allow you to go about your duties without a word. Then we will see which one of us is so insatiable.”
“Be that the case, I’m afraid you may be with child for the next decade or more, my love.”
“Just get the hot pack,” Lady Stark rolled her eyes, lowering her head back down to the plush rug, muttering to herself with a small grin, “a decade or more���”
He obliged, wrapping the stones in a thick woolen cloth before pressing them against the small of her back, a dusting of pink coating his cheeks at the sound she released, back curving inwards as relief overtook her body. 
They remained there for a long while, one of his hands holding the hot pack while the other smoothed over her silver hair, braided and still damp from her bath. The stones began to cool against his palm until they were no warmer than her own body heat, finally being tossed to the side.
“How do you feel?” He asked her, hands cradling her head and hip as he helped her roll onto her side.
“Better. Still plagued with discomfort, but better nonetheless,” She smiled softly at him, “I only wish someone may have warned me of the unpleasantness of pregnancy before I agreed to it.”
He barked out a laugh, remembering the many times she had pointed out the many ways pregnancy could ruin any romance in their marriage before it even began, hence their decision to wait before finally trying to conceive. 
“If only, eh?” He smoothed the pad of his thumb over her cheekbone, “Is there anything I can do for you?”
A twinkle appeared in her eye, “Well Maryssa did say that you should be doing anything to keep me comfortable…”
Lord Stark raised his brow at her words, “And what was it you only just said about me being insatiable? How have you gone from crippling pain to reaching for my breeches in such a hurry?”
She gasped, faux offense in her eyes, “I am not reaching for you breeches! What do you take me for?”
He quickly manoeuvred her onto her back, leaning down to press a slow yet meaningful kiss to her lips, “My very pregnant, very beautiful, and very impatient wife.”
She whined against his mouth, “I think impatience is quite appropriate given the circumstances. Your child has brought me the greatest joy and greatest pain of my life, and yet I constantly yearn for you, my love.”
“Constant?” He laughed.
“The maester warned me of it,” she kissed him again, “all a part of my hysteria, he called it.”
He hummed, “Which brings me to wonder why I was not made aware of this. I could have…relieved you of this suffering.”
She snorted a laugh, a sound he knew he could never grow tired of, “Cregan, if you do not take my clothes off now I would like to go to bed.”
“And what was it I said about your impatience?”
She pushed at his shoulder playfully, gasping as he grasped her wrist in his large hand and pulled her to sit up, moving to lift her and carry her to the bed when she pushed at his shoulder, shaking her head with a sly grin. 
“Here,” she insisted, “it is so warm, and this fur is so soft.”
He shook his head at her, rolling his eyes. Only his wife would be demanding enough as to where he had his way with her and choose anywhere except their marital bed. Only he would be so foolishly in love as to oblige her every whim and allow her to make such demands. 
Growing impatient, she began tugging at her own shift, struggling to lift her hips just enough to slide it over her hips and off completely, leaving her bare before her husband while the firelight flickered off of her soft, freshly oiled skin. His eyes fell from her own to her breasts, which had seemingly doubled in size through her pregnancy, then to her rounded belly; only a few moons would pass before she brought their first child into the world, and he could not be any more in love with her. He knew how excited she’d been over the last few weeks as her body developed with their growing child, spending much of her time with little Rickon, who was just as excited to become an older brother as she was to become a mother. 
“I am not simply here for decoration,” she growled, reaching up to begin tearing the linen shirt from her husband’s body, ignoring his laughter as she struggling to pull the fabric over his wide shoulders and causing his head to get stuck for a moment, “As I said, fuck me or let me sleep.”
His booming laugh echoed through the chamber, scarcely hearing his wife, a Targaryen princess and Lady of Winterfell, use such coarse language. It was the northerner growing within her, he decided as he obliged, kissing her with every ounce of desire he’d been forced to swallow throughout the duration of her family’s stay, pressing her back to lay flat against the dark brown fur. 
Cregan made quick work of kissing down her body, taking a few moments to kiss and suckle and squeeze at her swollen breasts, encouraged by her response to his touch on her sensitive skin as he continued further down. He pressed several playful kisses over her belly, whispering to their child to go to sleep so he could take care of his wife guilt-free. She giggled at this, causing a flood of heat to spread across his chest as he finally crested over the underside of her belly, coming face-to-face with the silver curls safeguarding her womanhood. 
Her legs fell apart easily, and he found no resistance as he eagerly began to feast upon her most intimate place. Her fingers curled into the fur beneath her as her whines and whimpers filled the room, unable to reach for his long dark hair with her belly in the way. He was pleasantly surprised to discover how much of her arousal had pooled between her thighs, two of his thick fingers easily slipping into her heat with practiced precision while his tongue massaged her sensitive pearl. 
Her body seemed more responsive than ever, thighs quivering against his shoulders as her peak crashed over her once, and then moments later, once more. 
He pulled away, noting how her hips had begun to pull away from him, her womanhood more sensitive than ever. He wiped his mouth on the back of his hand, watching through lustful eyes as his wife grabbed hold of his other wrist, taking the fingers that had brought her to bliss twice only moments before between her lips and sucking them clean. She stared up at him through her lashes, leaning up on her elbow to reach down and paw at the tent that had formed in his breeches, tugging at the laces until they fell open and allowed her to reach inside.
He let out a low growl at the sensation of her hand taking hold of his member, head falling back in relief. Cregan was quick to pull her hand away, shedding his trousers and boots as efficiently as possible so he could lay her flat on her back once more and finally press himself inside of her. 
They both let out long, breathy sounds at the stretch; no matter how many times they would lay together, she never quit got used to the intrusion of his thick cock inside of her, He remained still for a moment, regaining his wits as he willed himself not to finish far too early, though he could not guarantee that he would be able to fight his peak for very long after weeks without his wife’s intimate touch. 
“Cregan, please,” she whimpered, nails scratching down his arm as she planted his fist next to her head, bracing himself as he began to work slow, deep thrusts into her warmth, his own grunts and gasps of pleasure falling from his lips while her lips fell open to allow wails of her enjoyment fall from them with every punch of his tip against her most sensitive place deep within her. 
“My love,” he panted, “For-forgive me…I do not think–”
“Give yourself to me, my love,” she whined, “I need to feel you.”
He nodded, eyes tightening shut as he quickened his pace, chasing his release with grunts and growls and groans until his hips began to stutter, his release pumping deep inside of her until he was shaking. His release triggered her own, pleasure crashing over her for the third time that evening, soaking his length in both of their releases as she clung to his broad frame for dear life. 
She whined when he pulled out of her, sensitive from her three climaxes. He took a moment to stare down at her, stormy gaze trailing from her cunt, where their mix juices had begun seeping from her warmth, to her belly, where their child grew. His eyes then moved to her breasts, which heaved with every deep breath the escaped her parted lips, and finally to her face, which shone with a layer of perspiration as she pulled him down to lay next to her on the fur, turning to press her back against his chest and settling into his embrace as he trailed sweet kisses over her cheek, jaw, and neck. 
“Thank you,” she whispered, sleep threatening to overtake her at any moment. 
“Thank you,” Cregan responded. “I love you.”
“I love you too, husband.”
Silence overtook the room for a moment, only the sound of their slowing breaths and the crackling fire in the hearth could be heard before he finally shared his final thoughts of the night.
“I cannot bear to not have you all to myself for even a moment ever again,” he mumbled into her flesh, “we are never hosting your family again.”
A small chuckle vibrated through her chest.
“I could not agree more.”
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thereweredragonshere · 4 months ago
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No because if I was Viggo I’d ALSO be fucking pissed off?? Like you’re this mastermind dragon hunter that is running possibly the largest operation in the entire of the archipelago that is family owned and ran with your older brother with hundreds upon hundreds upon hundreds of henchmen to do your dirty work and whenever people even MENTION your name they get scared and you’re this big strong powerful dude in his like mid forties but then a group of mother fucking barely adult stupid ass kids show up and successfully threaten your entire business model? Everything was fine yesterday but then this gaggle of incompetent fools show up with their stupid reptiles and suddenly you’re in a war??? AND the fucking malnourished stick insect of a leader they have has the AUDACITY to steal an ancient relic off of one of your predecessors ships??? AND THEN THEY BLOW UP YOUR ONLY MODE OF LONG FORM TRANSPORTATION??? AND THEN THEY RELEASE A BUNCH OF YOUR STOCK AND SINK THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF YOUR PROFITS BY SAVING THE DRAGONS YOU CAPTURED??? WHAT??? MOTHER FUCKER HAD EVERY SINGLE RIGHT TO START A WAR. HICCUP AND HIS STUPID ASS FRIENDS SHOWING UP AND JUST TANKING YOUR WHOLE ASS LIFE??? IMAGINE BEING A FUCKING KING PIN CRIMINAL EXPERT IN DRAGON TRADING AND YOU LOSE AN ENTIRE WAR TO A GLORIFIED WALKING EMBODIMENT OF AWKWARDNESS AND HIS 5 WEIRD LITTLE CREATURES HE TAKES AROUND WITH HIM. IMAGINE HAVING TO SIT THERE IN YOUR COOL ASS DRAGON HUNTER EVIL LAIRE AND PLAN HOW YOU WERE GONNA FIGHT OFF THE LITTLE RUNT OF BERK HEIR GUY THAT WON’T GIVE UP. IMAGINE?? FUCKING IMAGINE????
WHO WOULD NOT BE PISSED??? THAT MAN HAD A VERY EXTREMELY RATIONAL REACTION BECAUSE THAT WAS LITERALLY THE FOUNDATION OF HIS LIFE??? HIS ENTIRE CAREER GOT NOT JUST ENDED BUT FORCEFULLY FUCKING SLAMMED INTO A WALL OF CONCRETE AND CURB STOMPED BY A FUCKING STEAM ROLLER RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIM. I mean sure yeah he put up the biggest fight of the century and did his whole ‘I’m gonna mess with your head until you go insane and just fuck off and leave me alone you stupid little annoying boy get a life,’ thing BUT STILL HICCUP WON THAT WAR AND THE AGE OF 18. EIGHT GOD DAMN TEEN.
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ventique18 · 1 month ago
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Dragon couple 🐉🌸♀️
When their first son was born, Yuu unfortunately resigned to her fate that she would be the mother of children named Malware, Malaria, and Malignant Cancer.
Her husband Malleus had named their firstborn Malleus. Which was not a terrible idea given the boy was his heir and inheriting his name could be symbolic, but she was certain there were not too many words starting with 'Mal' that could pass off as a name. So imagine her surprise when he had suggested that their second child, a lovely girl, be named Agatha.
"You're not insane after all. I was going to rethink our marriage if you tried to name our baby Malnutrition, or something." Her love for him had grown a tad fiercer, if that was at all possible.
When they welcomed their third child to the world, he had named him 'Lilia' and Yuu immediately caught up to his intentions.
"You realized we couldn't possibly give a good name that starts with 'Mal' everytime, so you decided to spell it out chronologically instead? Malleus, Agatha, and Lilia..."
"Oh, but my plan isn't quite as shallow as that." He commented with an eager smile, "We need five more children."
"Five more-- eight children in total?! Are you planning to build an entire Spelldrive team complete with a coach?"
"Perhaps." He replied, his grin both mischievous and secretive.
What ever could this man be planning? Some kind of ancient ritual that required eight of his own flesh and blood? World domination? Of course he wouldn't do something as terrible as that, but why eight in particular?
Seasons passed, years crawled on, yet their love for each other remained just as strong. True to his words, they managed to conceive their eight child after a few decades. They had the most delightful names, you see:
Malleus, Agatha-- the first two letters of her name stood for the element symbol of Silver, Lilia, Laverne, Eleanor, Yuuki, Ubek (he ran out of ideas), and Ulficia. They were his greatest masterpiece, the father would brag, and so he named them after an actual masterpiece that happened to exist before they did. Since their names were variations of the people closest to him, textbooks would then write him down as a king full of love and respect for those who had given his life meaning and became his strength.
... Or so the writeup could have been that respectable, if only he did not frown while reviewing such descriptions of him and personally wrote an edit request to the publishers. For they had omitted a crucial detail from their story:
That the first letters of their children's names, when arranged, spelled 'MALLEYUU.' Their names being variations of the people he care about were merely secondary. His main purpose was to immortalize in books his undying love for his wife, Yuu.
Later on, some would call him the Mad King; not because he was insane or cruel, but because they had never seen a ruler as madly in love with his spouse as he was with his wife. Their love story would then become a classic literary blueprint for centuries to come.
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winterstarfall · 5 months ago
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“so lucerys / jaehaerys / rhaenys died for nothing?”
that’s the point that’s the point that’s the entire fucking point - in the book as well!! there was never any POINT!! there is never going to be a winner here!!
rhaenyra will die, aegon will die, alicent and daemon and jace and aemond and helaena will die. for nothing. because the end of this will be a broken, traumatised, dead-inside eleven year old aegon iii on the iron throne with an eight year old jaehaera for a wife who commits suicide at the age of ten, two years after being forced to marry the broken king.
the dance of the dragons is a dragon eating its own tail. it’s all for nothing and no one wins.
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novaursa · 1 month ago
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To Save Us Both
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- Summary: Aegon was your shadow ever since you were a child. And once you come of age and Viserys gives your hand to Lord Tyrell's son, Aegon makes a decision that would save you both—and ruin you all the same.
- Paring: sister!reader/Aegon II Targaryen
- Rating: Mature 16+
- Tag(s): @sachaa-ff @alyssa-dayne @oxymakestheworldgoround
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You had always been the quiet one, the shadow lingering just outside the gilded glow of your family’s attention. As the second daughter of King Viserys and Queen Alicent, you lived in the space between your mother’s careful plans and your father’s indulgent dismissiveness. Helaena had her dreams and riddles, and Aegon—your elder brother—had his bravado and recklessness. And then there was you.
From the earliest days, Aegon sought your attention with a peculiar intensity. At first, it was innocent enough. He would seek you out during lessons, deliberately sit beside you at the long table in the Red Keep’s library, or tug on your sleeve when you were absorbed in your Valyrian texts.
“Y/N, look at this!” he exclaimed one day, barely past eight, holding a wooden dragon he had carved—or at least claimed to have carved. It was crude, the wings uneven, but you smiled at him regardless.
“It’s… unique,” you replied, your voice soft, careful not to wound his pride.
“Unique?” His face fell slightly before he puffed up with exaggerated bravado. “I think it’s better than that. It looks like Vhagar, doesn’t it?”
“It’s a little smaller than Vhagar,” you teased gently, a rare flicker of mirth dancing in your eyes. Aegon’s pout faded into a grin, and he sat beside you, his body leaning just a little too close.
It was always like this with Aegon. He thrived on your smiles, craved your laughter, and seemed to falter when you turned away from him. When Helaena pulled you into her world of strange, whispered riddles or Aemond showed off his knowledge of dragons to impress you, Aegon’s mood would darken.
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One afternoon, the court gathered in the gardens for a brief reprieve from the heat of the Red Keep. You had found a shaded spot beneath a weeping willow, a book of High Valyrian poetry resting in your lap. Aemond stood beside you, his expression serious as he recited lines from memory, his voice low and earnest.
“Se perzys ipradagon ziry ry,” he said, his pale gaze fixed on you. “The flame consumes it all.”
You nodded thoughtfully, your lips curving in approval. “You’ve improved,” you said, your voice warm, and Aemond’s face lit up with quiet pride.
From across the garden, Aegon watched, his jaw tightening. He drained his goblet of wine in one swift motion and made his way toward you, his steps purposeful.
“What’s this?” Aegon interrupted, his tone light but sharp around the edges. He flopped down beside you, ignoring Aemond entirely. “High Valyrian poetry? How dull.”
“It’s not dull,” you said, looking up at him with a small frown. “Aemond has been practicing.”
“Oh, Aemond’s been practicing,” Aegon mocked, his voice dripping with exaggerated awe. “How impressive.” He reached over and plucked the book from your lap, flipping through it carelessly. “You should do something more fun, Y/N. We could go riding or—”
“She doesn’t have time for your games,” Aemond said coldly, stepping closer.
“And you don’t have time for your lessons, apparently,” Aegon snapped back, his smile sharp. “Run along, little brother.”
“Aegon,” you said, a note of warning in your voice. He turned to you, the sharpness in his expression softening instantly.
“What? I’m just saying we could have more fun.” He leaned closer, lowering his voice. “You’d rather spend time with me, wouldn’t you?”
Your brows knit together, and you glanced between your brothers, torn. “Aemond and I were having a conversation.”
“But I’m more interesting,” Aegon pressed, his grin widening as he tilted his head, his violet eyes searching yours.
You sighed, a reluctant smile tugging at your lips. “You’re insufferable, you know that?”
“Only for you, dear sister,” he replied, the words carrying a weight you didn’t fully grasp.
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As you grew older, Aegon’s attempts to claim your attention became bolder. When suitors began to glance your way at feasts, he was quick to position himself between you and them, his arm draped casually over the back of your chair, his voice louder, his laugh more boisterous.
One evening, a young lord from the Reach had spent far too long at your side, his compliments earning your shy smiles. Aegon, seated nearby, clenched his goblet so tightly that the metal bent under his grip.
When the lord finally excused himself, Aegon slid into his place, his eyes narrowing as he looked after the retreating figure. “Do you actually enjoy listening to that drivel?” he asked, his tone laced with disdain.
“He was kind,” you said simply, glancing at him.
“Kind? He was duller than a broken sword,” Aegon retorted, his gaze fixed on you. “You deserve better.”
“And who would that be?” you asked, your voice carrying a note of challenge.
His smirk faltered for a moment, his expression turning uncharacteristically earnest. “Someone who knows you. Someone who’s been by your side all along.”
Your breath caught, his words lingering in the space between you. But before you could respond, he laughed, the moment breaking as quickly as it had come. “But not him,” he added, his usual arrogance slipping back into place. “You’re mine, little sister.”
You blinked, unsure whether to laugh or scold him, but the possessiveness in his tone left an unspoken promise lingering in the air. Aegon would always vie for your attention, no matter who tried to steal it away.
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The announcement had been made during a routine gathering of the family, with King Viserys seated at the head of the table, Alicent by his side. His words were spoken with the offhandedness of someone making a trivial decision, though the weight of them crashed into Aegon like a hammer.
“It’s time we secure another alliance,” Viserys had said, his gaze landing on you. “Lord Tyrell has expressed interest in a match between his eldest son and our daughter.”
You sat frozen in your seat, your wineglass trembling slightly in your hand. Across the table, Aegon’s face darkened. His lips parted as if to protest, but no words came. Instead, he stared at Viserys, his knuckles whitening as he gripped the edge of the table.
The conversation moved on, Viserys discussing trade agreements and naval concerns, but Aegon heard none of it. His mind was a whirl of chaos, his heart pounding so fiercely it drowned out the voices around him.
Later that evening, he stormed into Alicent’s chambers, his face pale and his violet eyes wild. She was seated by the hearth, embroidering a handkerchief with practiced precision. When she saw him, her calm expression shifted to one of concern.
“Aegon?” she asked, setting the embroidery aside. “What’s the matter?”
“I need to speak with you,” he said, his voice strained. He paced the room, running a hand through his hair, the usual air of arrogance stripped away. “It’s about Y/N.”
Alicent’s brow furrowed, her motherly instincts kicking in. “What about her?”
“They can’t marry her off,” he blurted, turning to face her. “Not to the Tyrell boy. Not to anyone.”
“Aegon,” she said softly, rising from her chair. “It’s a good match. Lord Tyrell is powerful, and his son—”
“I don’t care about his son!” Aegon interrupted, his voice rising. “I don’t care about alliances or power or any of it. She belongs here, with us. With me.”
Alicent froze, her eyes narrowing slightly as she studied her eldest son. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying I can’t let this happen.” He took a step closer, his voice cracking under the weight of his emotions. “Mother, you have to stop it. You’re the only one he listens to.”
She reached out, placing a hand on his arm to steady him. “Aegon, you’re being irrational. Y/N’s future—”
“My future doesn’t exist without her!” he cried, his voice desperate. “Don’t you see? She’s the only thing in this world that matters to me.”
Alicent’s lips parted, her expression shifting from concern to something more conflicted. “Aegon…” she began, but he cut her off.
“She’s everything to me,” he said, his voice softer now, trembling with vulnerability. “When she laughs, it’s like the sun breaks through the clouds. When she looks at me, I feel like I’m someone worth being. And the thought of her—of her with someone else—” His voice broke entirely, and he turned away, his shoulders shaking.
Alicent watched him for a long moment, her mind racing. Finally, she spoke, her tone measured. “You care for her deeply.”
Aegon let out a bitter laugh. “Care for her? Mother, I love her. I’ve always loved her. And if they take her from me, if they marry her off to that Tyrell boy or anyone else…” He turned back to her, his face etched with anguish. “I’ll die. Do you hear me? I’ll die.”
The rawness of his words struck Alicent to her core. She had always known Aegon’s feelings for you went beyond brotherly affection, though she had hoped it was a passing infatuation. But the desperation in his voice, the tears brimming in his eyes—it was undeniable. This wasn’t a childish crush. This was a man willing to set the world aflame for the one he loved.
“You must speak to Father,” he pleaded, his voice barely above a whisper. “Convince him. Tell him it’s not the right match, that she’s too young, that the Tyrells aren’t trustworthy—anything. Just stop it.”
Alicent hesitated, torn between her role as a mother and her duty as queen. Finally, she nodded, her voice firm. “I will speak with him. But, Aegon…” She stepped closer, placing a hand on his cheek. “You must tread carefully. This path you’re walking—it’s dangerous.”
“I don’t care,” he said, his voice resolute. “I’ll do whatever it takes to keep her by my side.”
Alicent sighed, pulling him into a brief embrace. “Then let us hope the gods are merciful.”
As Aegon left her chambers, a flicker of determination replaced the despair in his eyes. If his mother couldn’t stop the betrothal, he would find another way. He would fight, scheme, beg—whatever it took. Because losing you wasn’t an option. Not now. Not ever.
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The candles burned low in Aegon’s chambers as he paced the floor. The wine on his table sat untouched, an unusual sight for him. Tonight, Aegon’s mind was too sharp, too focused, to indulge in his usual vices. The Tyrell betrothal still loomed like a sword over his head, and every moment that passed without a resolution tightened the noose around his heart.
He had spoken to Alicent, begged her to intervene, but her assurances felt fragile against Viserys’s iron will. His father had grown increasingly indifferent to the pleas of his children, too consumed by his own decaying health and dream of uniting the realm. If Alicent couldn’t sway him, Aegon knew he needed to act. He needed to ensure that there was no choice but to keep you by his side.
The idea had taken root in his mind slowly, twisting and growing until it consumed him entirely. It wasn’t honorable, nor was it kind, but Aegon was neither of those things. He was desperate. And desperation made monsters of men.
That night, as the Red Keep grew silent and the court retired to their chambers, Aegon found you in the library. You were alone, the firelight illuminating your soft features as you poured over a book. It was a scene he had seen a hundred times, but tonight it struck him differently. Tonight, he couldn’t afford to wait, to hope that things would somehow fall in his favor.
“Still reading?” he asked, leaning casually against the doorway.
You glanced up, startled but not displeased to see him. “I could say the same to you. It’s unusual to find you here without a cup of wine in hand.”
He smirked, though the humor didn’t reach his eyes. “I suppose even I have my moments of sobriety.”
You smiled faintly and returned your attention to the page, but Aegon didn’t move. He stepped closer, his boots soft against the stone floor, and you glanced up again, your brows knitting in confusion.
“Is something wrong?” you asked.
“Why would you think that?”
“Because you’re hovering,” you said plainly, though there was no malice in your tone.
Aegon chuckled, but it sounded hollow even to his ears. He sat beside you, closer than usual, his knee brushing yours. “I wanted to talk to you.”
“About what?”
He hesitated, his fingers tracing the edge of the table. “About the Tyrell boy.”
You stiffened slightly, your gaze dropping back to the book. “Father has made his decision. There’s little point in discussing it.”
“Do you want to marry him?” Aegon pressed, his voice low and urgent.
“It doesn’t matter what I want,” you said, your tone soft but resigned. “My duty is to the family, to the realm.”
“That’s not an answer,” he said, leaning closer. “Do you want him, Y/N? Do you want to leave the Red Keep, leave me, and go to Highgarden?”
You turned to him, your eyes wide with surprise and something else—confusion, perhaps. “Why does it matter to you?”
Aegon swallowed hard, his throat dry. “Because I can’t lose you. You’re mine.”
“Aegon—”
“Listen to me,” he said, his hand reaching out to grasp yours. “You don’t belong with him. You belong here, with your family, with me.”
You tried to pull your hand away, but his grip tightened. “Aegon, you’re not making any sense.”
“I love you,” he blurted, the words tumbling out before he could stop them. “I’ve always loved you, Y/N. And I can’t let them take you from me.”
Your lips parted, shock evident on your face. “You’re my brother.”
“And that makes it wrong?” he challenged, his voice trembling. “Our blood of the dragon is the same, our bond stronger than any lord or knight could ever offer you. Don’t you see? We were meant to be together.”
You stared at him, your mind racing, but before you could respond, Aegon leaned in, his lips brushing against yours. The kiss was soft at first, tentative, as if he were testing the boundaries of what you would allow. When you didn’t pull away, he deepened it, his hand moving to cup your cheek.
You pushed him back abruptly, your eyes wide with a mix of confusion and anger. “Aegon, this is madness.”
“It’s the truth,” he said, his voice raw. “And I’ll prove it to you. If they try to marry you off, I’ll stop them. I’ll make sure you stay here, with me.”
“How?” you demanded, your voice rising. “What are you planning?”
He hesitated, the weight of his scheme hanging heavily between you. “If Father won’t listen, then I’ll give him no choice. If you’re mine, truly mine, he can’t send you away.”
The implication of his words hit you like a blow, and you took a step back, your chest heaving. “You mean to ruin me,” you whispered, horrified.
“To save you,” he countered, his expression desperate. “To save us.”
You shook your head, tears brimming in your eyes. “Aegon, this isn’t the way.”
“It’s the only way,” he said, reaching for you again. “Don’t you see? I’d burn the whole world to keep you.”
You turned away, your heart pounding, and fled the library, leaving Aegon alone in the flickering firelight. He stood there for a long moment, his hands clenched into fists, his mind racing.
If you wouldn’t accept his love willingly, then he would ensure there was no other path for you to take.
Whatever it cost, whatever it took, you would be his.
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brokenmenswhore · 4 months ago
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Could you do a HOTD Aemond request where Helaena makes a prophecy that the reader will marry “a man of fire” which pleases Aemond and Alicent since she is close with her mother and she knows Aemond has loved her since childhood but before Aemond makes a move, the reader ends up betrothed to a young red headed lord? Your choice if it ends with fluff or angst
i feel like this is short but i hope it’s still ok!!
man of fire | aemond targaryen
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pairing: aemond targaryen x fem!reader
warnings: none!
────── ☾ ──────
“A rather interesting betrothal,” Heleana suddenly spoke, interrupting the ongoing supper conversation.
You and your mother were guests of Alicent’s in King’s Landing, and joined the Targaryen-Hightower family for dinner.
You stopped eating when she spoke, the attention of the table turning to her.
“Heleana, of what do you speak?” Alicent asked, taking a sip from her cup.
“Y/N is to marry a man of fire,” was all she said.
Aemond lifted his head and swallowed back his pleasure at his sister’s prophecy. A man of fire had to mean a pure Targaryen, and Aegon was already married.
Aemond’s gaze flickered between you and Heleana. Heleana reciprocated, not giving any intent away in her face as she returned to eating.
Your eyebrows lifted at her words, your brain trying to understand what she meant. You were going to marry a dragon? What else could “man of fire” possibly mean?
Alicent turned toward her son, and saw the slight smirk on Aemond’s face. They made eye contact, and Alicent gave him a smile.
She quite liked you as well, and your houses got along splendidly. Besides, she was aware of her son’s feelings for you.
────── ☾ ──────
Aemond had loved you since were children.
You met when you were both only eight. At such a young age, Aemond refused to entertain guests. He would rather have been training with his sword or reading of past king’s political strategies. He groaned and sighed when his mother insisted he greet you, but stopped in his tracks when he saw you.
He introduced himself promptly, dropping his sword and asking to accompany you on the rest of your tour with your mother. Alicent allowed it, and you spent the entire time joking around.
You next saw one another when you were twelve. You were in King’s Landing again. You barely remembered Aemond, but he certainly remembered you. You were all his little mind thought of for years. He held no other crushes on any other girls, only you. He remembered that special little girl he met years before.
You kept in touch through letters until you saw each other again at sixteen. He would write of familial updates and the strain Aegon forced him to endure, and you would write of the new partnerships made by your house.
He became your best friend, and you became his. He cared for you more than he cared for anyone else, but he pushed down his affections for fear of rejection.
At sixteen, you saw each other again when you attended Aegon and Heleana’s wedding. Though you were always dressed appropriately for your house’s wealth, you had never dressed so lavishly.
“You look exquisite,” Aemond complimented the moment he saw you, unable to process the words in his mind before they were on his tongue.
“Why thank you,” your curtseyed, a smile on your lips at the sight of your friend after all this time, “you look rather exquisite yourself.”
Aemond held out an arm for you to hold onto, and you intertwined your arm in his.
“I’ve missed you, I must admit,” he confessed.
You blushed, giving him a warm smile. “As I you.”
Halfway through the wedding, Aemond grew tired of Aegon’s drunkenness, and all of the attention given to it.
“I intend to take my leave,” he whispered in your ear, standing over your chair.
You turned to face him. “May I join you?”
Aemond smiled and held his out hand for you to take, assisting in your efforts to stand as you retreated away from the grand dining hall.
“I could not deal with my eldest brother,” Aemond spoke.
“I do not fault you for it.”
Aemond directed you up to a random guest room, crossing the space and swinging open the largest window.
“Coming?” you asked.
You gazed at him in confusion. He swung one leg over the windowsill, and you gasped and ran toward him, but he remained steady. He lifted his other leg, fully stepping out of the window. He smirked at you, and you approached him, relief washing over you as you saw a rooftop underneath his feet.
“You nearly made my heart sink,” you said, pressing a hand to your chest as you caught your breath.
“Well?” he prompted.
He held your arm as you stepped onto the rooftop, enjoying the feeling of the cool night air on your face.
You and Aemond took a seat, your legs curling up toward you as you pulled your dress down to ensure you were covered.
“Have you received my latest correspondence?” you asked.
“I have,” Aemond replied, “I was moments away from writing back when you arrived.”
“You could always simply tell me what you intended to write, now that I am here,” you nudged the side of his arm.
“I would rather make you wait.”
You giggled at his words. It felt so good on the roof, alone with the closest soul to yours, simply just talking.
You leaned your head on his shoulder, and you felt his muscles tense for a moment before they relaxed again, and he rested his head against yours.
“I oftentimes dream of this place,” you admitted, the confession intimate and genuine.
“I oftentimes dream of leaving,” Aemond responded.
“Perhaps you could visit me one day,” you spoke, your voice tired but still chipper at the thought, “you bring a little bit of this place to me, and in turn, you yourself are free of it.”
“I would very much like that,” Aemond said.
────── ☾ ──────
Aemond had not been able to stop thinking of Heleana’s words since she spoke them.
“Mother,” he spoke, marching into her apartment, “we must speak about Heleana’s prophecy.”
“Which one, Aemond?” she asked.
“Y/N is to marry a man of fire, mother.”
“I have heard.”
“What are you waiting for? Propose a betrothal to her mother,” Aemond nearly demanded.
“Calm down, Aemond,” Alicent replied.
“Mother, please,” he began to plead, kneeling down to her level as she remained seated, “I have never asked you for anything else. I intend to make my move. Please let it be so.”
Alicent sighed. “I can do no such thing.”
Aemond was growing frustrated. “And why would that be?”
“She is already betrothed.”
Aemond stilled for a moment before he rose from the floor, beginning to pace in front of his mother. What could she possibly mean? How could such a thing have happened without his knowledge? “But Heleana said-“
“She is betrothed to young Lord Tully.”
Aemond stopped dead in his tracks. “That fire-haired cunt? That is what Heleana meant?” His voice was raising more and more as he spoke.
“I know not how your sister’s visions work.”
Aemond was angry. It was supposed to be him you were to wed. It took more to be a man of fire than a hair color. It took confidence, it took a certain spark- it took a dragon.
Aemond burst into Heleana’s chambers to find her sewing by the window.
“Aemond?”
“You said Y/N was to marry a man of fire, Heleana,” he stated, his tone accusatory and his nostrils flaring in anger.
“Yes, I did,” Heleana responded in confusion at her brother’s outburst.
“Lord Tully does not count.”
“I said all I saw,” Heleana spoke, “I meant no harm toward you.”
Aemond sighed, taking in the sight of his sister. She was hopeless in her visions. She oftentimes knew much more than she let on, but sometimes she knew even less than everyone else. She simply said what came into her mind’s eye, regardless of whether or not she understood it.
He retreated back to his chambers, intent on drinking away his woes the way his brother so often did.
────── ☾ ──────
Aemond turned around at the sound of his apartment doors swinging open, taking in the sight of you in front of him.
“I did not think it appropriate to write,” you spoke, somewhat out of breath from rushing to see him. You must have immediately brought your dragon to flight the moment you knew the news reached Aemond; there was no other way you could have been in King’s Landing as timely as you were.
“To write of what?“
Aemond was playing dumb because he wanted to hear you say it. He wanted to hear you explain exactly how this happened.
“I know you know, Aemond,” you responded.
Aemond took a large sip from his cup before placing it down and stepping closer to you, his posture impeccable. “What is it you wish me to say?”
Despite his long-standing feelings for you, neither of you had ever spoken or entertained the idea of anything more than your friendship. For that reason, when you spoke next, your words caught him so off guard, made him so weak in the knees, made his heart skip so many beats- he could not believe you said it.
“Tell me not to marry him.”
Aemond was frozen solid. His breathing caught in his throat. “Say it again.”
You took a deep breath. “Tell me there is a reason I cannot marry him, Aemond.”
Aemond stepped closer to you, your shoes nearly touching as he towered over you. You gazed up at him through desperate eyes, hoping you were not making a complete fool of yourself.
“You must know you are made for a dragon,” he spoke.
“I am not made for just any dragon,” you replied, “but the one standing in front of me.”
Aemond’s heart was swelling at your words, a verbal confirmation that his feelings were reciprocated. “Do not marry Lord Tully.”
You began to smile, but tried to suppress it to keep up your composure, however, you were failing. “I cannot break this betrothal unless a more beneficial offer is made.”
Aemond stared into your eyes for a moment, never breaking eye contact as he slowly kneeled on the ground in front of you, taking both of your hands in his.
“Please,” was all Aemond said.
You joined him on the ground, taking his face in your hands and placing a soft kiss on his lips, a kiss that both of you had imagined and dreamt of for years.
“My mother will be furious,” you warned.
“Unfortunate,” Aemond replied, “I think mine will be rather happy.”
“Lord Tully will not take to this news kindly-“
Aemond cut you off by kissing you again, lingering a few seconds longer than before. “I truly, sincerely, and genuinely, do not care what Lord Tully thinks. He is not your man of fire.”
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girl-in-the-chairs-void · 5 months ago
Text
Kinslayer
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Pairing: Aemond Targaryen x Tyrell!reader (fem pronouns used)
Word count: 2k (she’s a baby)
cw: hurt, comfort, soft aemond, mentions of being naked? ANGST ANGST ANGST, the pov switches between aemond/third person and second person soo if you notice it going into “her” and “you”, it’s on purpose please don’t kill me.
a/n: I really wanted to make the little Drabble into a full fic soo here it is!! Not proofread. Let me know your thoughts!!!
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Kinslayer.
That’s what they’ll call him. Rejoicing in celebration after Vhagar mercilessly attacked Arrax and Lucereys Velaryon. His nephew, his kin.
The cold had already seeped through his leather settled in his bones. He felt nothing but the chill of the air as he landed with Vhagar into the dragon pits. The roaring amber of the castle doing nothing to add even an ounce of warmth through him. His eyepatch wet and leaking its colour onto his scar- poorly made for a prince- it seared through him. He took it off immediately, throwing into one of the torches on the wall.
Servants rushed his side, trying to assist him in any way possible but he dismissed them with a stern look before walking towards the small council room. Gods be good, he wanted nothing more than to hide away in his chambers, away from everyone, away from peering eyes of the lords and councilmen, away from Alicent, from Aegon.
But near you. In his chambers where he could be Aemond. Not second son, not ‘The One Eyed Prince’. But only Aemond, your husband. He would take that title to his grave if he could, leaving all his other titles because those titles were given to him on a silver platter, he didn’t ask for them. However, he craved the title of being your husband.
Ever since you were kids. Aemond had taken a liking in sitting in the library with you and talking about history. Sneaking out and taking walks in the Red Keep or the gardens to distract himself from the political side of his life.
You- a simple Tyrell girl who came to Kings Landing when you were only two with your father, Lord Tyrell. Aemond only being three years old had taken a liking to you even when you were only capable of padding on your little feet across the castle. Getting to grow up in Kings landing with the prince and his siblings.
It wasn’t a shock to the realm when King Visereys announced your betrothal to the young prince when you were only eight. Having no idea what the prince held for you in his heart, but you knew he was not one to easily open up. And after what happened at Driftmark, it had taken you quite some time to walk his maze. He’d shut himself out to the rest of the world. Not meeting up in the library or in the courtyard for your usual routine.
So you took it upping yourself to knock on his door every morrow, and supper. Threatening to break in if he didn’t at least take the food into his chambers and eat it.
The first time you saw him after the unfortunate incident, you didn’t flinch. You didn’t scare away in a corner. You smiled at him, slowly approached him and gently ghosted your fingers over his new forming scar. His eye now replaced with a beautiful sapphire- your touch burned, but it burned with a feeling that he wished to experience a thousand times over.
The two children were found sound asleep in Aemond’s bed when the maesters came around to check on the princes health the next morning; wrapped around each other like dragons protecting their kin.
Even years later, he was grateful to have you. He wouldn’t tell it to anyone’s face but his actions always speak for him.
He always seeks you first in large gatherings. Following you like a guard dog wherever he’s in the castle and not away on Prince business across the seven kingdoms.
But today. It was different. You felt it as soon as you heard Vhagars roars through the air, crawling their way through the open window in your and Aemond’s chambers.
You rushed to the dragon pits carefully. The maids trying to assist you but you insisted on going by yourself only to find no one there but the dragons. Your husband nowhere to be seen.
You sighed, an eerie feeling brewing deeply in your gut as you walked back to your chambers and buried yourself in a cloak and settled onto the settee, hoping Aemond would show up.
He didn’t show up, much to your dismay. You had a hunch that he had probably made his way to the small council to report of his business at Storms end.
And so you waited while he spiralled.
Aegon looked…proud?
After breaking the news of what happened tonight on Storms End; the small council’s reaction were rather mixed. Alicent shook her head, getting up from her chair abruptly and making her way out of the room. Suddenly finding it suffocating.
His grandsire looked as though he was about to faint right that instant. Holding onto the armrest as he sighed in defeat.
The lords- your father being one of them, looked disappointed as ever. The death of a kin is never a way to settle for peace.
“You did well, brother.” Aegon speaks, the lords and the Hand turning their heads towards him with wide eyes. The death of a child and he did- well?
“I call for a celebration! A feast, tonight!” He declares, arms wide as he gets up from his chair and reached his brother at the end of the table in three long strides. Patting him on the back.
Aemond feels sick, grotesque. He hates this feeling.
He hasn’t uttered a word since his reporting, hasn’t met anyone’s eye and doesn’t want to either. He simply nods, fixing his head up yet not making eye contact and sternly walks away, exiting the room before running to a small corner to empty out his stomach’s content.
He didn’t mean to. He didn’t want to. He was just…
Just what?
There was no simple explanation to why he acted tonight on Storm’s End. He was angry, furious even. But he, a man who is the perfect picture of composure, let his emotions get the worst of him. He was only trying to scare him with Vhagar, a dragon that chose him. He only wanted to show Lucereys how he felt that night on Driftmark when the boy stabbed his eye and left him to whither in his own blood. Vhagar chose him that night on Driftmark, a dragon known for its great size and strength all over the seven kingdoms chose the white haired boy after its rider’s death.
He doesn’t return to her, to you. The news of Lucereys must’ve reached you by now, or at least of the feast that Aegon has arranged for tonight.
He should be celebrating, with his brother- the king. But it feel wrong. So, here he is, standing in the corner of the Throne room with a chalice of wine. His mind going a thousand times faster.
Kinslayer.
Kinslayer
Kinslayer.
Kin-
Soft thumbs invaded his hands, plotting a coup and attacking their way into his palms, a finger, then another, weaving through his hand and taking over. His breathing stopped for just a second before he realised it was her, immediately feeling pints of blood shoot to his heart that thrummed erratically through his chest, he could feel the blood seep into his bones, replacing the chill of the rain he had experienced mere hours ago.
You had this effect on him, even after all these years. Of knowing you, through and through. Even the parts of you that are only meant for his eyes, you always managed to quietly make way for yourself in his heart. Not that his heart wasn’t laid out for you in a platter. He’d do it if you asked, rip his heart out and give it to you on a silver platter, it was yours to have ever since his third name day.
He focused back to you, not looking at you but rather feeling the ridges and lines of your palm that was connected to his. The way your thumb traced over his. Your other hand sneaking its way to his arm, up and down, up and down. A steady rhythm that he remembers and tries to match. He took a breath, then another. In and out- up and down. He tensed his feet, held by his leather boots, digging the heel into the concrete ground of the grand hall before your hand squeezed his bicep, once again pulling him back before he could drown in the cold noises of the feast.
He doesn’t say anything, or meet your eyes. Fearing what you might hold in them. Fear? Disappointment? Distaste? Does she see me as a monster now that I’ve hurt one of my own? One of her own?
You don’t. Unknown to him. You don’t know what happened exactly on Storms end, but seeing the way he wanted to be anywhere but here was a clear indication that your husband didn’t mean it. The fear in his eyes was buried deep but you saw it the moment your eyes lay on his tense back and ridged composure.
He never liked Lucereys, but he knows you did. There were only a few people in King’s Landing you truly despised. But oh the Sevens know how much you love those boys. The bastards only have the name Velaryon, yet they don’t carry even an ounce of resemblance to their supposed father. But you didn’t care, you never did.
You loved luceyres like a little brother. Even if you had little time to spend with the Velaryon boy, and Jace and Joeffrey. They were sweet to you. Having looked up to you as an older sister. And you loved them like your own, so when the news of Lucereys passes by you. You don’t think twice before running to find Aemond. He wouldn’t do that to you, right? He knew you love him, and the boys that were like brothers to you.
He never liked them, but he loves you. Gods, he loves you.
They don’t say anything to each other. Not for the rest of night. She keeps a hold of his hand, squeezing it once, pausing, then two and three. A secret language- a code.
I still love you. It dawned on him. Crashed through his chest and broke every bone in its wake.
This fucking war, you curse in your mind. If only Visereys hadn’t died such a death. If only he hadn’t named Aegon as King as his dying wish rather than announcing it at his first name day. If only Rhaenyra wasn’t named heir first.
If only. She knows wishing won’t do her good but the thoughts still linger in her mind like a plague.
She keeps a hold of his hand. Feeling the coldness that he carries, the warmth of her own hand travelling up his arm. Dragons blood in a Tyrell, he’d said once. That’s a rare sight. To which you dismissed as only having warm hands. But your hands had only became warm and dragon like after him. After having to carry his child.
A swollen belly of a princess. You were a sight for sore eyes. But the Gods had blessed you with this child- his child and you nurture them gracefully.
One hand on your belly and the other holding his, you both make your way to your chambers as the feast comes to a close, Aegon, once again, drunkly congratulates his brother for the up tenth time as he exists.
Not a single word has been said between the prince and the princess, yet they both find it more than comforting to not say a word because the heavy tension could be shattered with even a single sound.
As they enter their chamber, Aemond takes a deep- shaky breath. Knees buckling before he composes himself- not wanting to fall on his wife, not wanting to cause further damage.
You notice the way he’s staggering towards the bath. Quickly taking his leather soaked clothes off. He hadn’t changed, you note, it required him to come to the chambers. You walk to his side. Silently, he allows you to undress him, politely gesturing to the servants to bring hot water for his bath. Taking out his night garments for him before standing behind him as he settles into the warm bath.
You’re mothering him, something he’s only experienced with you and not his actual mother.
You quietly ask the servants to leave. Taking the wet rag and washing up the prince yourself. It’s an awkward move sitting on your knees while almost seven moons pregnant, but you don’t mind.
He doesn’t fight it, doesn’t try to meet your eyes. He lets you tear down all his walls and see him naked. Not like you hadn’t seen him naked before. But this- this is a level of vulnerability you haven’t seen in him since Driftmark.
You dress him up, brush his hair and take off his eyepatch and sapphire, noticing that it wasn’t the same one he wore on his way to Storms end.
He kisses her forehead that night, not a single word uttered even then, his lips lingering as he cradles her head. Ever so carefully, like she’s porcelain, breaking at any given moment. He hopes she can’t hear his screaming heart that threatens to burst as he pulls her into his chest.
Feeling the way her breathing becomes more shallow. It pains him to not be able to look at her. To look into her beautiful eyes, look at the bright smile that he wishes she wore. But he knows he can’t.
And you’re the cause of it, his mind screams.
The mother of his child lets her tears escape onto his chest. Silent sobs raking her body and his heart chips and eats him from the inside, not wanting him to see the next sunrise.
But he stays still, he stays because he knows he’s at fault. He stays still when her silent sobs become audible and he closes his eye to let her punch and claw at him- but she doesn’t. Instead she stays too. Her arms like ivy curling around him as he hugs her- squeezes her, once then again.
I’m sorry.
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Anddd that is it!! I hope you guys liked it. I am a sucker for soft Aemond and his wife, so what better moment to let him be healthily venerable than this? They’re both a lil fucked up but who isn’t? Let me know what yall think!!
@delusionsofnostalgia ; since you liked the Drabble. This is for u <3
Random tags: @endless-ineffabilities @aemonds-sapphire @firebornfables
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