#master hightower

[iviarellereads]

The Eye of the World, Chapter 12 - Across the Taren

(THIS PROJECT IS SPOILER FREE! No spoilers past the chapter you click on. Curious what I'm doing here? Read this post! For the link index and a primer on The Wheel of Time, read this one! Like what you see? Send me a Ko-Fi.)

(Flame icon) In which several things are awfully suspicious.

They make their way to the ferry crossing and wait, hardly even talking among themselves. Moiraine tells Lan he has to handle the crossing, because if she stands out in the ferrymen's thoughts, the group will be that much easier to track down.(2) Rand finds himself a little jealous of Egwene, who's in the flush of finding a sought-out adventure, while he's had adventure thrust upon him and he just feels damp, cold, and sore from the night's hard ride.

Lan moves Perrin's cloak to expose his war axe, and Rand moves his own cloak to show his sword, and tries to mimic Lan's confident pose with his hand on it. The ferry haulers get in position and they start the crossing.

Quietly, Lan and Rand discuss how the ferryman is untrustworthy. Lan says those who would harm a stranger are often the quickest to accuse a stranger of wanting to harm them, since the ferryman noted loudly that the gold he was already given is in a safe place, he can't be robbed. Rand is just surprised the people of Taren Ferry are every bit as strange as he always heard.

Once they're across, the ferryman and the haulers follow them down onto the bank to get the rest of their pay. Moiraine looks out over the river. Rand shivers and pulls his cloak closer around him, and suddenly the ferry gets caught up in a whirlpool, though the ferryman notes that this river never gets whirlpools.(3)

The ferrymen go off to deal with getting back across the river, and Lan leads the group to a cave hidden in a tangle of fallen trees, well defended against curious eyes. Moiraine takes Egwene aside while the men take care of the horses and set up camp. Perrin remarks that the horses don't look tired at all, but Lan says they just don't feel it, they'd run themselves to death if you let them. It was a necessary risk, for Moiraine to do that.

When they're done with the horses outside, they go in the cave, where Moiraine is giving Egwene a lesson.

“The One Power,” Moiraine was saying, “comes from the True Source, the driving force of Creation, the force the Creator made to turn the Wheel of Time.” She put her hands together in front of her and pushed them against each other. “Saidin, the male half of the True Source, and saidar, the female half, work against each other and at the same time together to provide that force.(4) Saidin”—she lifted one hand, then let it drop—“is fouled by the touch of the Dark One, like water with a thin slick of rancid oil floating on top. The water is still pure, but it cannot be touched without touching the foulness. Only saidar is still safe to be used.” Egwene's back was to Rand. He could not see her face, but she was leaning forward eagerly.

Rand misses some of the conversation, but hears Egwene ask if Moiraine thinks she can really learn to use saidar, to be an Aes Sedai. Moiraine says she has no need to learn to use it, but without training, she may not survive the process of using it.(5) When she mentions that men who can channel are gentled by the Red Ajah, Thom growls next to Rand, and even Perrin and Mat look uncomfortable.(6) Rand doesn't know much about the other Ajahs, but he does know the Red take as their mission the prevention of another Breaking, and work to do that by gentling or killing every potential male channeler they learn of.

Moiraine guides Egwene through channelling in a focused way, and when Egg makes a stone light up, Moiraine says most who go to Tar Valon study for months before they can do what she just did by instinct. Egwene has a natural talent, might even be strong enough to become the Amyrlin Seat herself someday. The chapter ends with Egg's delight at her new future.

=====

(1) Funny how, if you put this up against the Dragon's Fang, it would look like the symbol Lews Therin wore and drew attention to. It's once again going to be hard to tag this without giving it away, so, this is the Flame of Tar Valon, henceforth just the flame, a symbol of Tar Valon, the modern Aes Sedai, and female magic, saidar. Which adds some dimensions to the complementary Dragon's Fang piece, doesn't it? (2) So, does something have some sort of telepathy, or do they assume they'll just be interrogated? (3) Definitely Moiraine's intervention. I guess she had enough left in the tank for that, even with the fog. (4) I know that's an awful lot of Capital Word Jumble. And, if we're being honest? This is 2024, so it's been almost 15 whole years I've been in this fandom, and I still mix up the words for saidar and saidin at least 30% of the time. (5) So, some people will channel, probably under some sort of stressful circumstances, and many of them die because they're not prepared. We already know it's possible to channel more than a body can hold, maybe that's an extra danger when you're not prepared for it. Since official training would, as we see in this chapter, involve starting very small, that seems likely. (6) Thom's reaction definitely seems like something personal, and close. He doesn't seem in any way gentled, so what happened?

[motorway-south]

last eps larycent scene was just him coming into her space to snoop like "i support you pursuing pleasures of the flesh WHERE EVER you may find them oh do you like your bf? just checking. i love a girl who reads btw. reminder that i am your intellectual equal and your boyfriend is suicide bombing the riverlands :) food for thought"

[nocterish]

Love me a toxic yuri in my house of the dragons

The lesbians possessed me and compelled me to draw them and this is the result

[PRINTS]

[daemon-is-perfectly-unhinged]

Otto, about Rhaegar: If you want to know the truth, he kind of scares me.

Viserys: He’s an eight-year-old boy.

Otto: With a 65 year old mind!

[rosalinesurvived]

HOTD 1x07 was where I knew I would be Team Hightower forever. Team Green. I wanted to get my opinions out about That Scene.

Lest we forget, Aegon and Helaena were in the room there. Aemond's eye had been ripped out and nobody gave a fuck. Those children watched their mother, the Queen of Westeros be forced to cry and beg their father for some sort of justice, beg for their Father to give a shit once in their lives. Those three were confronted with the fact that their father not only let the one who ripped out Aemond's eye go free but defend their older sister's mistakes. They had to listen as he threatened to rip out the tongue of people who spoke the truth. The king of Westeros would mute people, his own family who spoke the truth. Imagine what his children would've thought of that? What would Aemond think, who refused to rat on his mother? What would Aegon, with alcoholism already, who had just been blamed by Aemond, screamed at by Viseys and slapped by Alicent think, after he too showed a brother's solidarity for the first time and also refused to tell on her?

For the first time we see a correlation between the Green brothers for their traumatised, gaslit mother against the king in the face of this Injustice. They alongside Helaena realised that in this world they could only trust themselves, as they watched the proof of their mother willingly drawing blood from the Princess for her children. Aemond's step into power here and his calmness sets the way for his role as the family's protector in the future, comforting his mother after she fought for him. You could feel that this was the moment the Green Siblings stepped away from their childhoods, however unwillingly.

[demonsthenes13-blog]

Otto is DONE

[tearsofthedrag0n]

All the Tywin / Otto comparisons where classic GOT fans claim Otto is no where near Tywin are low-key (high key) just wrong in my opinion.

Otto is a second son of a family line that has narratively been pit against the royal line for centuries in a time where the family he is manipulating has dragons.

Tywin is the first born son of a family that has no great history against the royal line in a time where no one has dragons.

Otto manipulates his grandson onto the throne practically single handedly whilst actively at the kings side.

Tywin waited to see who would win the war before deciding to help at the end and have his daughter wed Robert - and the power Tywin manages to yield over Joffrey, would he still be able to do so if he was actually Robert Baratheons son and not just his kids weird unhinged incest baby? Hm. Maybe but it’s food for thought.

Just something to think about. I hate Otto as much as the next guy (love the performance though, get that emmy Rhys Ifans) but what he achieved was in insane, much more so than Tywin, especially considering his standing in the world.

[um-weird-flex-but-ok]

“Team Green” “Team Black” Cut the bullshit, how long after Lucerys’s death do you think Alicent waited before she knocked a third off that child support? Be honest.

[hetagrammy]

In the ASOIAF au, with his sister and brother getting married, is there any marriage on the horizon for Arthur?

Arthur is what the kids call ✨a hypocrite.✨ Sure he’ll tell Molly to go get married because it’s her duty to make a peace for the family and support Alasdair marrying for political reasons, but he’s not in any rush to do it himself. He also gets a bit of a pass as the youngest son, and he gets to hoe it out a little for a while (hence why his lil bastards eventually happen).

That being said, in this AU I planned for him and João to develop a relationship that develops into a longstanding partnership. Something that was kind of an open, friends with benefits deal that eventually became a little more committed and romantic.

[mrs-starkgaryen]

Worst let down of season 2 of hotd??

We didn't get otto bringing in the kitties

[iviarellereads]

The Eye of the World, Chapter 11 - The Road to Taren Ferry

(THIS PROJECT IS SPOILER FREE! No spoilers past the chapter you click on. Curious what I'm doing here? Read this post! For the link index and a primer on The Wheel of Time, read this one! Like what you see? Send me a Ko-Fi.)

(Dead tree icon)(1) In which we ride.

Lan and Moiraine are at the head of the line, and Rand at the back, all the horses galloping as fast as they're able, even steady old Bela. Rand thinks to himself that if Bela and Egwene start to slow, he'll slow down too, because Moiraine and Lan won't leave him behind. But he thinks real hard about Bela continuing to keep up, as if by sheer force of will he can make her faster on his own.

They make it as far as Watch Hill, about a third of the way to Taren Ferry. The boys daydream about mutton pies and hot tea at the inn there, but Lan says they can't stop until they're over the river Taren, not for more than a few minutes. Moiraine uses some of her magic to relieve the horses' fatigue, noting that Bela is the least weary of all the horses.(2)

Suddenly the Draghkar screams nearby, and the horses run to chaos, barely held together by the reins still in everyone's hands. Lan says it wouldn't reveal itself unless it already reported their location to the Myrddraal, and they need to get back on the road now. Rand doesn't even realize he's got his sword out by instinct until Egwene tells him to hurry back onto his horse.(3)

They ride on for hours without another break, Moiraine at one point pulling a fog over the road to hide their path. Eventually they arrive at Taren Ferry. Lan knocks on a door until someone wakes and opens the door, and says he wants to cross the river. The man protests that the ferry only crosses during daylight, but Lan counts out a number of gold coins, and the man agrees to go wake his haulers.

=====

(1) The dead tree icon, it now seems safe to say, mostly marks travel through forests at night. A very odd thing to have a whole chapter icon for, but the icons are for setting an expectation, and this is certainly the sort of event that happens often enough in a story like this. (2) Obviously, Rand and Tam just weren't letting her fulfill her full potential. Also, there's a semi-joke in the fandom that Bela is the Creator, or the Dark One incarnate, just for funsies. There were bumper stickers and everything, at one point. (3) That's so sweet of you, Rand, but you've had that thing for five minutes and your only real strike with it was an accident.

[sigilsongs-a]

(``) muse tags. RHAENYRA

(``) rhaenyra targaryen . (tag)

[lucreziasredwyne]

who: @garlandhightower​ (semi-flashback thread) where: the solar of garland hightower within the castle of highgarden, prior to everyone’s arrival to highgarden.  when: shortly following omer and garland’s disastrous interaction. 

her skirts swished around the marble on the floor, hands clasped before her before she even entered his chambers - was she nervous? no. yes, quite obviously by the looks of it. by what she had heard, the conversation did not take place entirely well; no, it would have been better if such a conversation had not occurred at all by the sounds of it. two men so stubborn in their pride and their own ego; how was it ever to work? a part of her wonders whether she ought to have been there, to try and defuse the situation - and yet still, she knew some things needed to be settled between the pair of them. 

the lord of oldtown and the fox of brightwater had a history that went far beyond her, far before her. she needed to have some trust in that. 

her own mind had been made up - no doubt to the creeping disappointment of her kin. whilst their relationship was filled with differences, there was no denying what his presence had been in her life; and she could hope that her presence had helped him some regard too. that it was more than the ties of blood and family that made them want to remain in one another’s lives, but it was because they genuinely wanted to. whilst lucrezia was not a ward of house hightower, garland had taken his responsibilities as her eldest male relative seriously. a difficult matter, when she was a ruling lady in her own right. the waters they tread were sometimes murky, clouded in miscommunication and the want to give up - and there were times where their stubbornness only bounced on one another. 

she remained stood in his entrance to his solar for a moment, noting the winding staircase that made it’s way up to his desk where he no doubt would be planted. he would be stressed, and therefore, the books would be piling. “lulu!” came a shrieking voice, and she visibly jumped as she looked up toward where she knew the voice came from. his blasted raven. she wished it would fly itself into the crackling hearth someday. “i am coming upstairs.” she called, her hand on the railing as she lifted the bottom of her skirts, taking the winding spiral staircase up to the part of his solar where he had banished himself. 

she stood at the arch for a moment, hand remaining on the railing of the staircase. whilst it felt as though her chest would burst from how much she wanted to tell him, it felt as though her lips and her eyes had been tainted with a sense of shame and guilt for the way she had destroyed herself to ultimately understand. she did this for the gods, as much as she did this for herself; it was the way to make things right. still, she could tell by the look on his face that he was utterly perplexed. that this had seemingly come from nowhere. 

she should have said something. how could she have said something? she should have said something. “hello.” she spoke, her voice somewhat weary as she looked upon him; both of them looking at one another in the aftermath of what feels like a slap in the face for the lord of oldtown. she wordlessly stepped forward, removing some of the pile of books from his desk, to a space on his desk so they did not teeter and pile. “i wanted to come and see you.” she spoke over the pile of books, continuing to decrease the pile. 

[daemon-is-perfectly-unhinged]

Otto: How can someone be so offensive and yet so charming at the same time?

Rhaegar: It's an art form.

[echoes-of-polaris]

Idea:

A HotD edit set to the song "The World we Made" by Ruelle, focusing on the feud between Rhaenyra and Alicent

[raven-dor]

you are my moonlight

In which gwayne hightower meets his future wife, and his timing is most unfortunate

PAIRING: gwayne hightower x reader, alicent hightower x PLATONIC!reader, rhaenyra targaryen x PLATONIC!reader

WARNINGS: fluff, young love, friends fighting, creepy viserys, horrible timing

WORD COUNT: 3.5k

AN: this could be read as a prequel to come back to me, but does NOT have to be read to understand any context!!

The tourney was in full swing, Y/N sitting eagerly on Rhaenyra’s left. The first two matches had finished rather similarly, with Sir Criston Cole being the winner. What the trio was actually waiting for was Prince Daemon’s match. It was all Rhaenyra had talked about for days and the fact that he’d gifted her a necklace of Valyrian steel, a rare and precious token that many in the realm could not afford. Of course, Rhaenyra and her family were the exception, as they were one of two of the only remaining High Valyrian houses left.  

The knights of the realm lined up before the Prince, the Master of Revels, announced the man himself. “Prince Daemon of House Targaryen, Prince of the City, will now choose his first opponent.” The prince rode down the line, inspecting each knight briefly. He quickly settled on Alicent’s brother, Ser Gwayne. “For his first challenge, Prince Daemon Targaryen chooses Ser Gwayne Hightower of Oldtown, eldest son of the Hand of the King.” 

Alicent grew restless, picking at the skin surrounding her fingers. Y/N wished she could comfort the auburn haired girl herself, but Rhaenyra grabbed her friend's hand quickly, stopping her from further injury. The two men lined up on their respective sides, racing towards each other. 

Ser Gwayne released the first blow to the shock of the stands. Y/N beamed, though she did not know why. She hardly knew the knight, only hearing of him through Alicent when she recalled her childhood. The second round was quick, and at the last second, Prince Daemon lowered his joust in front of the horse's legs, causing it to topple over, taking Ser Gwayne with it. She gasped, a hand covering her mouth. She mumbled, knowing Rhaenyra would not stand for any untoward talk of her uncle. “By the seven.”

Ser Gwayne did not move, and Alicent grew more anxious by the second. Y/N reached her hand out, grasping Alicent's briefly. “He will be alright, Alicent, I know it.” The squires lifted him from the ground, walking him over to the medicine tent. He would be transported later to the sept, Y/N assumed. She would have to visit him and keep him company while he recovered. 

Prince Daemon approached the Royal apartment, and Rhaenyra instantly approached her uncle. “Nicely done, Uncle.” Alicent and Y/N followed suit, still squeamish from the clearly immoral act.

“Thank you, Princess.” Daemon nodded his head. “Lady Y/N.” 

“My Prince.” 

He turned to Alicent. “Now, I’m fairly certain I can win these games, Lady Alicent. Having your favor would all but assure it.” Alicent walked away, and Daemon smiled once more at the ward of the crown. “Next tourney, my lady, I shall ask you.” 

Y/N laughed. “I look forward to that day, my Prince.” 

Alicent returned swiftly, placing her favor on the Prince’s joust. “Good luck, my Prince.” The three girls sat down, waving at the crowd. The tourney had turned sour near after, with three fights breaking out, all ending in death. The knights, who had never seen battle, were bloodthirsty from what she could tell.

Y/N grew nauseous quickly, begging Rhaenyra for pardon so that she did not grow sick. Rushing out of the royal apartment, she decided to visit Ser Gwayne while she still had the nerve. The tent was quiet, with the exception of a few masters concocting ointments. Y/N peaked around the corner, coming face to face with Alicent’s brother. She curtsied, bowing her head. “My lord.” He tried to sit up, but she quickly stopped him. “Please, there is no need to further harm yourself.” 

He smiled gratefully. “I must ask for your forgiveness, my lady; I do not remember meeting you.” 

“I am Y/N of House Hawthorne. A ward of the crown and a friend of your sister’s.” 

“A pleasure, my lady.” He tilted his head. “Has she sent you here then?” 

“Alicent remains at the tourney. I-” She blushed, realizing how foolish it sounded. “I saw your joust, and I wanted to see that you were well. For Alicent’s sake.” 

He nodded, a smirk growing on his lips. “For Alicent, of course. I must say, I have not heard of House Hawthorne.” She smiled, sitting beside him.

“We are located in the Westerlands, my lord, and are sworn to House Lannister.” She looked closer at his wound, wincing. “Your wound looks rather agitated still. Would you mind if I-” 

He shook his head quickly. “Please. I would be most appreciative.” 

She stood, sneaking a cloth and an herb she knew caused numbing. Wrapping it carefully, she dipped the cloth in water, tapping it lightly on his skin. “This should numb the pain, for now, my lord. I’ve known this herb to speed the healing process along quite nicely.” 

He hummed, closing his eyes. “How did you become so well acquainted with such knowledge?” 

“My mother was a trained healer, my lord.” 

“Please call me Gwayne.” He peeked through his eyelids, giving her a kind smile. “You’ve all but earned it.” 

“Very well, my lo- Gwayne.” She nodded. “If I can call you by your name, it is only fair that you call me by mine.” 

He scoffed. “Hardly. That would be highly improper.” 

She raised an eyebrow, still delicately tapping the cloth. “Opposed to what you have asked of me?” 

He nodded, steadfast. “You are a lady. You should be addressed as such.” 

Dipping the cloth back in the water, she laughed. “Hardly.” 

“Using my own words against me.” He laughed back. “My, you are a wonder.” 

“Y/N?” 

She froze, turning around quickly. For some reason Y/N felt guilty, caught even. But seeing Alicent stand at the end of her brother’s bed, her face as pale as the winter snow, made the girl forget her worries. Y/N dropped the cloth in the bowl, rushing to Alicent’s side. “What is it? What’s happened?” 

“The Queen. She’s-” Alicent leaned closer, whispering in her friend's ear. “She’s dead.” Y/N gasped.

“I-” Y/N turned back to Gwayne, waving quickly. “It was wonderful to make your acquaintance, my lord.” The two girls rushed off, leaving the knight thoroughly confused. 

“Call me-” The girl was out of the tent before he could finish his sentence.

The funeral was a somber affair, as to be expected. Alicent and Y/N stood close by to Rhaenyra, staring at the covered bodies. Syrax, the Princess’s dragon, stood at the top of the hill, waiting for its orders. They stood in silence for the better part of an hour before Prince Daemon whispered in Rhaenyra’s ear, no doubt telling her that she would have to be the one to give the order. 

A shiver ran down Y/N’s spine as her friend stepped forward, catching a sob. “D-” Rhaenyra took a deep breath, commanding her dragon. “Dracarys.” 

The yellow fury let out a great blast, effectively burning her mother and brother’s corpses. Rhaenyra turned away, unable to look at her deceased loved ones. Soon after, the crowd dissipated, leaving Rhaenyra, Y/N, and Alicent still standing by the sight. Y/N stayed back as Alicent approached their grieving friend.

“My lady.” 

Y/N turned, smiling lightly at the Hightower. “My lord.” 

“I believe last we met, I asked you to call me by my name.” He smirked. “Or am I mistaken?” 

She laughed quietly. “I believe the herb I applied made you hallucinate, my lord. You never said anything of the sort.” 

He laughed. “I’m sure you would never lie to me, so I shall take your word for it.” 

Y/N looked back at her friends, her heart aching. 

“She is an unlucky Princess,” Gwayne muttered. 

“Yes, indeed. Losing a parent is never easy.” 

“I am sorry.” Y/N turned back to the young knight, confusion etched on her face. “It is just- I assumed that with you being a ward of the crown-” 

“You would be correct. But it has been so long, I hardly remember what it was like to have parents.” 

He frowned. “That is horrible. I lost my own mother just a year ago.” He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, and she tried to ignore the shock that rang through her body. “It is never easy.” 

She shook her head, placing a hand delicately over his. “You are, unfortunately, correct.” 

A cough broke the pair apart, Y/N practically jumping at the interruption. “I could use some company on Dragonback.” Rhaenyra practically whispered. “Would you join me?” 

“Of course.” She turned back to Gwayne, curtsying quickly. “My lord.” 

The two girls walked up the hill, arm in arm. Alicent looked curiously at her brother. “What are you doing?” 

He whipped around, laughing at his sister. “Whatever do you mean?” 

“I only meant to say, you’ve taken a recent fascination in Y/N.” 

“Yes.” He nodded. “And your point?” 

Alicent smiled, shaking her head. “Merely a statement, brother.”

The palace gardens were in full bloom this time of year, and Y/N always found comfort in the little corner with a quaint fountain and an outlook of the ocean. Rhaenyra and she frequented this spot often in their youth, and Y/N needed respite from the high tensions at court. She’d been stuck on the same page for what seemed like hours when a voice broke through her focus. “We meet again.” Gwayne bowed his head, grinning much too widely. “My lady.” 

Y/N made no effort to stand, raising her eyebrows. “I am beginning to think, my lord, that you have been following me.” 

“Not that I am…” He started, sitting at the end of the cushioned chair that she occupied. “But if I was, it might have something to do with the fact that you are still not calling me by my name.” 

She laughed. “Is it that simple?” 

He nodded. “Quite. But do not worry yourself, I’ll wait.” His eyes sparkled. “My lady.” 

Y/N welcomed the challenge; she could sit there for hours, reading and ignoring the handsome knight. She glanced down at her book, ignoring his devilishly handsome smile. “You’ve read that page three times already.” She glared over the top, and he held his hands up in surrender, laughing. “Sorry.” 

She looked back down, flipping the page to prove a point. He sighed, standing and walking over to the daisies that bordered the fountain. Picking the fullest one he could find, he stopped in front of the girl, holding it out. “May I?” 

“I will not wilt at the sight of you because you are a lord.” She stood, closing her book. “I am not a flower like the thing you hold in your hand.” 

He nodded. “You are not.” He raised the daisy, tucking it behind her ear. “You are however, as pretty as one.” 

Her cheeks turned pink, and she murmured. “You flatter me, my lord.” 

“And why shouldn’t I? One should always flatter a beautiful woman when given the chance.” He smiled. “I believe calling me by my name shall suffice as thanks.” 

She scoffed, smacking his chest lightly. “You are quite confident, Gwayne.” 

“You’ll find-” He stopped, his smile brightening ten fold. “You said my name.” 

Y/N nodded, walking away. “I did.” 

He followed after, like a lost puppy. “What shall you do with the rest of your day, I wonder?” 

She shrugged. “I do not know, but it will most certainly be out of your presence.” 

He gasped, holding his chest. “You hurt my heart when you say such things.” 

She laughed, stopping and pretending to check him over. “However will you survive?” 

“I think it is terminal my lady.” 

“And what affliction have you caught, Ser Gwayne?” Y/N forced a giggle back, trying her hardest to behave seriously. 

“Lovesickness.” He sighed. “I’m afraid there is no cure.” 

She stepped closer, a pink dusting her cheeks. “I shall mourn you then.” 

“Well, I’m sure we could-” 

“Y/N!” 

Gwayne had never hated the Princess Rhaenyra more in his life than that moment. She was a generally tolerable girl, and a good friend to his sister, but in that moment she stood between him and you, and he wanted nothing more than to tell her to leave. He stepped away from you hesitantly, bowing quickly. “Princess.” 

The Targaryen made no effort to hide her humor at the situation. “I apoligize for the intrusion. Alicent and I were about to go to the Sept, and I did not want you to think we left you behind.” 

Y/N smiled brightly, waving disapointedly to the knight. “Feel better, my lord.”

Alicent tilted her head, yelling back at her brother. “Better? Are you quite well brother?”

Y/N yet again found herself in the gardens, but this time she was here for the soul purpose of seeing Gwayne. She wore her best dress, had her maid’s put her hair up intricately, and even applied some rouge. Not too much, she wouldn’t want people to think the wrong thing. She was a lady, as Gwayne never ceased to remind her. Sitting carefully on the cushioned chair, she positioned herself towards the entrance, waiting for the familiar mop of auburn hair to peek through. She’d begun to think he wouldn’t show when his familiar tenor broke through the tranquil silence. 

“My lady, I thought I would find you here.” She lowered the book, her stomach fluttering when his eyes widened slightly. “You look-” 

“Gwayne, I-” They both stopped, laughing at their ill timed words. “It seems that we cannot find a moment of peace.” 

He nodded, breaking the distance between them. “I have wanted to tell you something for quite some time now. I cannot seem to summon the words to leave me.” He laughed, but his nerves were evident. “It is just…” 

“Yes?” Y/N smiled, hating how nauseous she felt. 

“I wanted to say that-” 

A loud sob rang through the garden, pulling them out of their haze. Gwayne drew his sword, in case the sob resulted in any trouble. Y/N tried to round the corner before him, but he shook his head, leading her carefully through the hedges. 

“Rhaenyra?” Y/N quickly left her place behind Gwayne, rushing to her friends side. “Are you alright?” 

“She’s betrayed me. I cannot- I can’t-” The princess looked up, glaring at the knight. “Can we go some place else?” 

Y/N nodded, her face visibly disappointed. She walked Rhaenyra out of the gardens, sparing Gwayne one last look, mouthing the words ‘I’m sorry.’

The castle had been throw off it’s axis by the sudden shift within it’s walls. Rhaenyra was no longer speaking to Alicent, which meant Y/N was no longer speaking to Alicent, which meant that the once close knit group of friends were no longer a trio. 

It had been that way since they were children, almost ten years ago. Y/N not speaking to Alicent meant she could not speak to Gwayne, or so she assumed. She and Rhaenyra had not talked about it much since the day it was announced, always leaving a sour taste in the Princess’s mouth. 

Y/N just wished Rhaenyra could forgive her friend for something she had no control over. The Royal Wedding was tonight, and Rhaenyra had insisted that Y/N walk in with the princess, even though she wasn’t family. When Y/N brought this up, her friend scolded her, saying that ‘My father has insisted, I’m afraid. You are his ward, and he has grown to think of you as his own.’ 

Now, she sat beside Rhaenyra while the ceremony took place, sneaking glances at the brides brother. Rhaenyra had picked out Y/N's dress herself, saying that she needed something worthy of a princess. She was not one to argue and let the Princess do whatever she wanted as long as she was distracted from the day at hand.

Arm in arm with the Princess, she dreaded when they finally reached the hall and had to congratulate the ‘happy’ couple. Poor Alicent, married at fifteen, was not something she wished on her worst enemy. Especially to a man twenty years your senior. The doors opened wide, the crowd quieting at the sight of the princess and her companion. Among that crowd was Gwayne, staring at her with desperate eyes. 

Her cheeks turned pink, quickly breaking the contact. Chatter quickly filled the hall once more as Rhaenyra reached the top of the steps, curtsying quickly. “Congratulations, step-mother. Father.” 

Y/N shivered. Rhaenyra's tone was as cold as the Wall. She wanted to curse her friend for making her go after that display. She sunk to the floor, bowing her head. “Many happy returns, My Queen, My King.” 

Viserys smiled gratefully. “Thank you Y/N. You have been a loyal friend to my daughter and wife. I shall not forget it.” 

The young girl nodded, equally disgusted and horrified at what the king had just said. Surely he realized how immoral it was. “Of course Your Grace. I live to serve and provide assistance to my Princess.” 

She released a breath she hadn’t known she was holding, sitting down beside Rhaenyra. “Could you at least have tried to be nice?” 

“I was.” The princess raised an eyebrow, and Y/N almost laughed, realizing her friend was being serious. 

“Of course. A jest, my lady.” 

Rhaenyra laughed. “So formal.” 

“We are at a wedding, Rhaenyra. It would be inappropriate for me to call you anything other than my lady, by the court's standards.” 

“Well I am the princess, and I say you call me Rhaenyra.” 

“Very well.” Y/N smiled, taking a large sip of her wine. “This will be an entertaining night.” 

Besides the occasional snide comment thrown at the obviously overwhelmed bride, the night had been otherwise peaceful. Y/N tried her best to sway Rhaenyra from attacking the queen outright, and she’d been successful. So far. She’d been in the middle of listening to Rhaenyra’s adventure of gathering the stolen dragon egg from her uncle when a cough interrupted. 

“Excuse me, Princess.” The pair turned around to see Gwayne staring at Y/N not Rhaenyra. Odd. He had addressed Rhaenyra, not her. “May I ask the Lady for a dance?” 

Y/N widened her eyes, looking in between the two. She was sure Rhaenyra would say no or burst out in flames from having to talk to Alicent’s brother, but she simply nodded her head, going back to her meal. Gwayne extended his hand, leading her to the dancefloor. He whispered as they moved, keeping in mind the intruding ears that surrounded them. “I have missed your company, my lady.” 

“I have missed yours as well.” 

“I know much has happened since we last spoke, but it has not deterred me. If anything, it has made me realize that I cannot stand to be apart from you.” Her cheeks turned pink for the second time that night. 

“You are very kind, Gwayne.” 

“Yes, well, it is not hard when you are the one I compliment.” He shook his head. “I am returning to Old Town soon. In two weeks time, after my sister settles into her new life.”

Her heart fell, eyes watering. “I hope your journey is swift.” She gulped, mumbling. “I shall miss you in truth.” 

He tilted his head, smiling. If she were not in a public place, she would admonish him for smiling at her pain. “What I mean to say is, I am infatuated with you. And I would like to seek your hand in marriage. From the king of course.” 

She gasped, her eyes widening. “I beg your pardon?” 

“I would like to marry you.” He spoke softly, now fully grinning. “If you would have me. You do not have to say yes, but I assure you, your affection for me will grow with time.”

“With time? Gwayne, I-” Y/N whispered so quietly she wasn’t even sure she’d spoken. “I have already grown to admire you. Much more than a friend should. That is no concern of mine.” 

“Ah.” The knight nodded. “Well, that settles it then.” 

“Settles what?” 

“We are to be married.” 

“Yes, well…” She sighed. “You cannot propose to me at your sister’s wedding. It would be improper.” 

“Damn impropriety.” He hissed, twirling you as the dance required. “Praytell, when would be a proper time then?” 

“Any other day, my love.” 

He stopped in the middle of the dance floor, her face growing red. “Gwayne people are looking.” 

He seemingly did not hear her. “My love.” 

“If you are going to tease me-” 

“You called me, my love.” 

“Gwayne…” She whined, gesturing to the prying eyes. “Can we please leave the floor? People will start to wonder…” 

“I desperately want to kiss you.” 

Thank the Seven the dance ended then. She bowed quickly. “Thank you for the dance, my lord.” Rushing back to her seat, she stared at the table, shock running through her veins. 

“Did he propose then?” 

Y/N whipped her head over, glaring at her friend. “You knew?” 

“Of course I knew. Y/N, I’ve known he was going to propose since I saw him approach you at my mother’s funeral.” 

“Rhaenyra, I’m so sorry.” 

“Whatever for?” 

“I don’t want you to feel betrayed. I had no intention of-” 

“Do not apoligize to me.” She placed her hand in Y/N's. “You are my friend. I am happy for you, truly. He is a good man, he will treat you well. I know it.”

“I haven’t said yes, Rhaenyra.” 

“Yet.” Her friend laughed. “You haven’t said yes, yet.”