#not even Just the ''had a good showing in at least one tourney

[x-for-a-y]

people think the reason the tourney scene is inaccessible is strange tourney concepts, slightly weird rpf, inside jokes, crossover incongruity, or some other thing. but you know what really puts off the outsiders? all the bizarre fucking recurring musicians from years ago the rest of the world has moved on from & rap battles and shit

[howtofightwrite]

Are horned helmets actually a thing? How would a fantasy race that has horns... compesate for them?

Only in the sense that people do make them for various reasons. There are ceremonial and ornamental horned helmets dating back into the bronze age. There's a famous example that was gifted to Henry the VIII in the 1500s.

As I said, some were made for religious ceremonies. Usually for priests of horned deities (there's a bunch of these.) In these cases it could be made from either metal or actual animal horns. I'm not familiar with much beyond that in these cases because archaeology and anthropology are a little outside my area of expertise. I'm not aware of any religions that still use horned helmets, but it really wouldn't surprise me if it pops up from time to time. I'd also categorize head gear with attached antlers in the same range here. It wouldn't surprise me if it exists, or existed, but, I'm not aware of any examples.

We have depictions of horned helmets from knights at tourney in the 14th century. (And at least one surviving example.) This is probably legitimate. At least, in so far as that the knights may have worn horned helmets to show off. Though, this head gear wasn't something that a knight would wear onto the battlefield.

The modern image of the horned helmet (and the association with Vikings) has a lot more to do with Wagner's The Ring Cycle, and particularly stage performances of that opera. (It's not technically original to that, but the horned Viking was a 19th century German invention.) This also the source for a lot of novelty hats and helmets that you can readily obtain today.

The problem with horned helmets on the battlefield is that it gives your opponent something to grab in a tight melee. And letting someone get control of your head in a fight is a very bad thing. This is made worse with a helmet, where the foe could easily unseat the headgear, potentially blinding the wearer long enough to kill them.

There are historical examples of horned helmets intended for use on the battlefield. The Japanese are probably the easiest example to reference. However, in these cases, the horned helmets were worn, specifically, by officers, and communicated their authority to their soldiers, so they could more effectively issue orders. Somewhat obviously, that's not someone you're going to see in the meat grinder of the front lines. (Also, in most cases, these horns were oriented vertically, and were probably too small to grip. The surviving knight's helm, mentioned above, also featured vertically mounted horns.)

Similarly, if you had examples of horned cavalry helms (particularly vertically mounted horns) used by late medieval or even early modern cavalry, that wouldn't surprise me. Especially if that was part of their parade dress. While it's not horns, the winged hussars come to mind as another example of absurd ornamentation on cavalry, and they continued operating until the late 18th century.

Now, as for a fantasy race, I could see grabbing their horns being a very, very, bad idea. This is somewhat informed by the fact that the first example that comes to mind is the minotaur, where grabbing their horns is probably a pretty good way to ensure you're going to get a horn run through your chest. Ultimately though, it becomes a bit like grabbing someone's hair. You've just committed a limb to limiting their head's range of motion, while leaving both of their arms unfettered. On the battlefield, that sounds like a great way to get stabbed in the armpit and die.

So, they are real in the sense that they existed (and still exist), but their actual use in warfare was extremely limited due to practical considerations. That said, people have thought they looked cool for thousands of years, and they're around. Though the Viking helmet is a complete fabrication by 19th century Germans trying to make the Vikings look cooler.

-Starke

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[calisources]

𝐌𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐄𝐕𝐀𝐋 𝐓𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐄𝐓𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐒 𝐌𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐒.

All of these sentences are mostly taking by my own mind and i'm not joking. It was hard finding material quotes regarding tournaments in historical or fantasy setting. Some are from shows or media but eighty percent is all from my own mind, please give credit if use these. Change pronouns, names, locations as you see fit. All of these involve the medieval event of a tournament and what happens around them.

I fear I am already bending far too many rules just by taking you, my young princess.

Show me your hands, you will have blisters soon.

Lady Eglantine doesn’t believe in love, only lust.

In the world of competition, only the strongest shall prevail.

A true champion is not defined by their victories, but by the obstacles they've overcome.

Victory is sweetest when it's earned through sweat, hard work, and determination.

Will you not participate in the tourney, my lord? 

May I have the honor of wearing your favor today, my lady?

Good luck to you, my Prince.

The tournament is not just a test of skill, but a test of character as well.

Is it always this bloody? Will those poor men die? Someone must see them.

I want him to wear my favor.  Only him. 

If he wins, the knight has the right to name his Queen of Love and Beauty. And at the feast, they shall dance.

Be careful. A tourney is a grand place for courtly love, but also, for blood to rise and affairs to appear.

Call me what you like, say I'm without honor, I don't care. I'm not getting on any more horses to whack you people with a stick.

Kings may be chosen by God, but they still make the mistakes of men.

When even those who rule can sink this low, it is not possible to change anything.

It's my lucky charm, be sure to bring it back to me.

My favorite blue ribbon. Take it.

It will bring you good fortune and you will return from joust unharmed.

I was hoping to ask for the Princess's favor.

How about a kiss, for luck?

Courtly love was the culture around the performance of love at court.

And now, rather than admit these feelings, you're dancing around one another with this mind-numbing and frankly boorish mating ritual.

The knights take on the duties of shadows with pride.

Whoever wins the tournament, shall become the prince/princess’ new betrothed.

You want to marry my daughter? Prove yourself worthy.

Petyr survived only because I begged Brandon not to kill him.

When Petyr heard of my engagement, he challenged Brandon to a duel. 

You do qualify to marry my daughter.

What matters most is who she will give her favor to. 

Her face is one that can create dynasties or crumble empires.

I was hoping for a word before you rode on the tourney, my Prince. 

My brother is the one competing against you, please be gentle with him.

The games are done for the day, please, feast and drink as you wish. 

You have been staring all day, my lord. I was beginning to wonder if I had something in my face.

Any damsel that's in distress - she'll be out of that dress when she meets Jim West.

Great men do not seek power... they have power thrust upon them.

My daughter seems. . .infatuated with you. I have yet to see why.

The princess is naive and thinks any man who is kind means well. A tournament will only show her the reality of life.

You honor the arena with your combat. May your swords and shield preserve the peace.

In the songs all knights are gallant, all maids are beautiful, and the sun is always shining.

I will be brave for Princess Pea.

As a squire, your first duty is to your knight’s armor. Your knight’s armor is more important than your own life. 

You will be knighted and you will have earned your knighthood.

You are hurt. At least let me tend to your wound.

The men laugh and fight and the ladies search for husbands.

Nothing like a good tournament to find a husband, or a companion for the night. 

Rumors are always spread with ease in these.

Can I have your daughter for the rest of my life?

You say I'll never get your blessing till the day I die.

We're married now, but we still haven't told your dad. This is the right time.

Are you promised to someone?

My sister's getting married. It's a love match. A rare thing. I’m not so lucky. My husband is to be chosen by who can hold a sword the longer.

Why can’t women participate in the games?

There are games for the ladies, Your Grace. But they are less. . .gruesome. And of course, the dancing.

Princes and Princess all over the realm and across the sea are coming for this event. You must shine brighter.

Let me help you with your armor. It appears loose.

As I promised, I return your favor to you, my lady. 

The Prince never loses a joust. He will crown his queen and then all will be well.

I do not understand the appeal of this. 

I spend days making these favors, let me stay a little longer.

My lady, I do not need your favor to win, but perhaps, a kiss of good faith. 

I do not care who wins these games, your hand is already arranged for another.

Men are scoundrel, specially when blood runs hot after a good battle, stray away from them.

These games are done in honor of the king’s heir.

The lord’s daughter is said to have bloomed, and the man chooses to announce it like this. 

A tournament is for men to boost their strength, fathers sell their daughters like mares and for affairs to happen.

I saw you on the stands today, my lord. But you did not participate on the games.

My brother wishes to dance with you, my lady. He is all too shy to ask himself.

You were injured. Have you allowed someone to heal them or are you too stubborn to let them?

Princess, you must not stray too far away. 

Mother is too drunk and annoyed to care, she won’t mind. 

[catscraftsandcommentary]

So I had some time to think tonight at work (in between operating heavy machinery, swearing at the materials, and trying to keep the line running, fun times!) And I asked myself, "self, hypothetically, what might @inexplicifics Accidental Warlord AU look like in another generation or two - once people really get used to witchers being The Good Guys (TM) and helping out?"

And I was like "well, they'd probably get invited to social events - ooh! Who'd like which events best?!? What would that look like?"

Geralt, as we all know, detests anything too formal or Warlord-focused. He enjoys weddings and receptions, but his TRUE favorite is baby christenings. Seriously. Put him in a room with a tiny baby and he's happy as a clam. He'll happily growl away (or weaponize his puppy-dog eyes against) grannies, aunties, and other family members to hold the baby for as long as possible. He's also 90% of the reason that witchers are now rumored to be able to bless babies.

When Mouse and Treyse bring this new rumor to the council, everyone has to just sit. And process for a minute. Because what the ever-loving fuck?!? (Jaskier immediately writes the sweetest lullaby ever, "A Witcher's Blessing", and it is the ONLY song that Geralt ever sings in public, and only ever to babies and small children. Multiple women blame this for their immediate conceptions.)

Jaskier adores weddings and festivals of all types, and if a happy couple includes details of how they met and/or fell in love with their wedding invitation, there's at least a 50% chance that he'll show up to the wedding with a personalized love song, holy shit.

Ciri loves tourneys. Loves watching them, loves displaying in them, loves sneaking into competing in them (omg, heir, NO), loves WINNING them. She's a menace. She has various stealth coats of arms that she rotates between when she's not supposed to be competing, but her favorite is the battle goose. Obviously.

Eskel doesn't like crowds or being the center of attention, which are almost inevitable with public invitations, but he does enjoy being the +1 for his family. Several of his and their interests overlap, and even where they don't, he likes to see them enjoying themselves.

Yennifer becomes well-known as an extremely efficient - albeit terrifying - treaty negotiator. She'll talk to both sides, get a list of their must haves, deal-breakers, would-likes, and don't-wants (as well as - perhaps more importantly - the reason why each of those are on that particular list). Then she draws up a draft and viciously negotiates a compromise. She is genuinely surprised the first time that both sides thank her for her help.

Vesemir, with all his long years of teaching, loves visiting schools and seeing any sort of student performance or sporting event. Kindergarten to university, drama to music to dance recitals to track and field meets to football games to student symposiums to science contests to... He buys out bake sales and funds club field trips and donates several fortunes worth of antique knick knacks to various schools. He's invited as a guest lecturer, a commencement speaker, a competition judge, a referee.

Lambert and Aiden, at some point, discover bachelor's parties, call dibs, and never look back. People learn very quickly not to invite witchers to their stag nights unless they want the entire party to get horrifyingly drunk - but at least Lam and Aiden will make sure that everyone makes it home (or to the wedding) safely. Perhaps not soberly, or sans hangover, but definitely without major injury. (And if the bride asks nicely and the groom and friends weren't total jerks, Lambert can usually be counted on to make a hangover cure. He really is a softie at heart.)

Dragonfly and Serrit get tapped for the odd bachelorette party or ladies' birthday parties. Anything that falls under "I want to be able to drink and party with my friends without worrying about some strange guy hurting one of us." They are extremely protective and have both been drunkenly proposed to several times. (Livi finds this terribly amusing. Gweld just wants to know if he can watch.) Milena and Zofia sometimes go with them.

Milena loves going to wedding showers and baby showers, but outside Kaer Morhen, she has to stay in sight of Lambert or one of his brothers. Lambert's rule. (She got KIDNAPPED, okay? He's allowed to worry!) Usually she'll take Geralt (there might be babies! He's excellent protection!) or Eskel (he's very quiet and has excellent manners, and his signs are impossible to fight) for the more, ah, female-heavy events. If anyone asks, they're her brother-in-law and genuinely like spending time around kids. And very, very married.

[handsome-wise-strong]

Jacelaena headcanons please ❤

This is a million years late, I’m so sorry! But ask and you shall (eventually) receive!

Helaena is a head taller than Jace. As children, Jace always hoped he would grow taller than her, but as an adult? He’s obsessed with their height difference. He loves when her chin dips and her eyes lower to meet his as he beams up at her, just absolutely stunned by the tall goddess. Even better when she dips down for a kiss, and his neck cranes up to meet her.

Jace brings Helaena out of her shell. She is always quicker to laugh when he is around. She is more likely to enjoy a dance, if Jace is her partner. He makes her more adventurous and more free. Meanwhile Helaena calms Jace, softening his heart and cooling his temper. They better each other!

Helaena rarely calls him by his name. She instead uses a flare of dramatic titles for him. Valiant prince and dragon-heart being among her favorites. Jace wishes he had the nerve to call her pretty names, like flower or darling, but he simply can’t call her anything but Hel, in the softest and fondest voice in the world.

Jace always shows off at tourneys, but especially if Helaena is in attendance. He asks for her favor without fail, and she never denies him. If he wins, he is sure to crown her the queen of love and beauty.

Jacaerys is a man of honor. He desires nothing more than to wed Helaena and rule alongside her. But because of his code of honor, he feels a deep need to have a good relationship with her family. He craves their approval of the match, even if Helaena insists it doesn’t matter. He tries everything in his power to get Alicent to like him or at least respect him. He knows that Helaena’s brothers are pretty much a lost cause, especially Aemond, but he never gives up on trying to win Alicent’s favor, even after he and Helaena marry.

Both Helaena and Jace struggle with High Valyrian. It is a point of bonding for them, both being slow learners of the language. They help each other and study together often, finding lessons more bearable if they’re working together.

After they wed, they both decide they want many children. Jace hopes for them to look like Hel, with her soft round face and wavy silver hair, but Hel hopes for the opposite, wishing for them to have their father’s dark unruly curls and warm brown eyes.

Jacaerys prefers dressing lavishly, while Helaena likes to keep her outfits simple. Jace often wears full Targaryen regalia, his tunics and cloaks made of fine silk or velvet, with the added addition of many silver and gold accents such as rings and brooches. Helaena prefers comfortable and light dresses, usually in pale pinks, blues and yellows.

Jace has always been uncomfortable around insects, but in an attempt to bond with Helaena, he tries to loosen up and relax around them. This backfires often, when he confidently picks up an unfamiliar insect to show off to her, and is bitten immediately. She appreciates the effort nonetheless, and explains to him how to properly handle insects as a maester tends to his bug bites.

Jace is fascinated by her dragon dreams. He writes down every riddle she says, often reading them over and over to try to unravel the words to find their true meaning. He is always careful to never push her on explaining them, knowing it’s best to leave her be and distract her with something else once she’s done speaking of them.

They both think they’re not good enough to be with the other. They’re always trying to better themselves for one another. Always trying to be someone worthy of ruling with the other, and loving the other. It takes a long time for them to realize the other feels the same way they do, and they have a long talk, reassuring each other that they’re both good enough. When they both realize they love each other unconditionally, just as they are, their union becomes stronger and more devoted than ever.

And lastly, Jacaerys and Helaena have a long, happy, peaceful and prosperous reign together. They live long lives and are surrounded by loved ones when they pass away, and countless poems and songs live on, telling the tale of the dragon king and the gentle queen, and the remarkable and deep love they had for one another.

[lovelykhaleesiii]

hi, other half, I've came to beg you to write some smutty thing for me. You once posted sth about riding Aegon's belly and yOU BITCH, I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO STOP THINKING ABOUT IT SINCE THEN. So I'm begging you, queen of chubby!aegon, to write something about getting off on Aegon's fat belly (and u know the details, i know u do bc we share the same mind).

i love u, please and thank u🤍🥺

I LOVE YOU! and whoopsie, I can't help it if my thotty thots overtake your mind <3 lord have mercy, I really took my time with this one boo, like I actually lost myself AHAHA you know what they say, great minds think alike :))) hope you enjoy lovely x

Satisfied, Yet?

PAIRING: chubby!Aegon ii Targaryen x fem!Reader.

WORDS: 2,464.

WARNINGS: NSFW, slight mention of fatphobic comment, thigh/stomach riding, p in v sex, swearing.

Since being anointed as King, Aegon's life had altered drastically. Most of these changes not only seeped into his political stance in the realm, or in his dutiful role of upholding social responsibilities, although in his physicality, too. Since, having been betrothed to Aegon from his long, before days as Prince till now, you'd been front row and center to all these unfolding changes...

Nonetheless, at the very least you were quite absorbed in all the theatrics, particularly relishing in your husband's growing figure.

Aegon had always been an envoy to gluttony since his youth, his habits had only recently begun to swell from a boy's meager appetite into a man's. Since his coronation, Aegon, with you loyally by his side, had been invited and exposed to plentiful feasts, tourneys, banquets and celebrations in honor of his succession, with copious amounts of succulent roasts, pastries, sweets, treats and wine, that could fulfillingly feed the entire realm thrice. It was inevitable that such a habit of glutton would overtake…

Although you modestly dined in moderation, Aegon often found himself feasting, ravishing through the delectable flavours each region of the realm had to offer to their newly appointed King, eagerly hoping to appease his Grace.  As time went on, you found that his table manners had become wilted, as he’d often lost focus, disengaging in conversations, too enraptured by gorging himself on the delicacies offered to him by his meek subjects. You’d even occasionally witness him satisfyingly licking the tasteful grease off of his now thick, pudgy fingers, savoring the sacred moment, as his other free hand massaged his full, distended belly. 

In doing so, and unknowing to Aegon’s own naked eye, his appetite grew just as rapid as his waistline. His grandsire, the Hand, Otto Hightower, often eyed the King with disgust although, so long as Aegon showed up to such meaningful events, he did not protest. Nor did the Dowager Queen, Alicent, for she grew weary and apprehensive to provoke Aegon, now that he was King. Thus, no one dared to fuss. 

If you were being frank with yourself, you intently observed Aegon’s newly found habits, not in a parallel way to his grandsire, although with lust. Aegon’s appetite was what you’d believed, fit for a King. The repercussions of this, you reaped bashfully, as you gradually watched your beloved husband's figure swell. He maintained muscle, through occasional combat training and flights with Sunfyre, although now a visible layer of fat had grown all over, padding the muscle beneath. His legs, once modestly average sized, had now grown to be as thick as tree trunks, along with his bulky biceps and forearms to match. Although the centerpiece of attraction was his abdominal region, now protruding over his hidden waistline, the soft flesh hung, resting over his stocky thighs whenever you found him lounging. 

Gods be good, was it a mission to remain incessantly composed for hours when you were present to spoil your longing eyes upon your dear husband sprawled comfortably upon the Iron Throne… He’d grown into the seat, the fat of his thighs digging into the edge, subtly hanging over its edge, as he just managed to fit in. The image was stupendously ingrained into your brain, and the only thoughts that you could muster were sinful. 

Nonetheless, Aegon remained oblivious to the venereal effect his appearance was having on you…

****

“Fuck-” Aegon frusturatingly huffed.

“What is it, my love?” You concerningly question. Slowly closing the pages of your novel that rested against your lap, as you turned to face your husband, you had been greeted with an exasperated Aegon, his plump cheeks reddened from all the bustling noises you’d mindlessly heard in the background whilst reading. 

“It seems I am in need of a new fitting. I have been struggling to button these trousers on, dearest, not to mention how uncomfortably tight they now feel,” Aegon sulkingly protested. You carefully watched on, as you witnessed Aegon curiously pondering over his reflection in the mirror of your shared compartment. The pantaloons he’d been whining about, he’d just managed to dress, although remained loose and unsecured where it should have been buttoned and fitted. Instead, his portly belly hung low, his flesh engulfing over the opening and seams of the pants. 

“Be honest before the Gods dearest, have I grown?” Aegon uttered, as he turned to face you sharply, his hands gliding over his swollen belly, as the one squeezed the mold of fat over where his ribs lay protected beneath.

“I-uh, I do not know what you mean, dearest. Y-You look fine,” You meekly respond, unable to maintain direct eye contact, once Aegon was done sizing himself down, returning his gaze unto you. A stern look had brewed across his face, as you lowered your head to the book on your lap, fiddling with its torn edges.

“Do not toy with me, Y/N. Be honest, at the very least, I command that you speak the truth before your King. Have I grown…fat?” A distaste apparent in his stern voice, Aegon looked upon you with fretful eyes. 

Your reluctant gaze had softened with adoration. You did not wish for Aegon to feel even the slightest tinge of shame for his change, nor did you want him to think it possible, that you were revolted by the very sight of your husband.

“Y-You may have grown somewhat in size, but Aeg, that does not mean I love you any less. No lesser, than the day my maiden eyes had laid upon you.” 

Although you spoke warmly of the truth, Aegon refused to believe. Disapprovingly shaking his head in protest, he tore his attention away from you, avoiding eye contact as his glistening, lilac eyes had now wandered to the ground beneath his feet. His hands nervously gliding up and down the sides of his thick thighs, as he slowly seated himself down over the edge of the bed, an audible creak of the wooden frame fracturing the silence. 

“People must look upon us, and feel pity unto you, my wife. For look at the ‘hog’ she has now binded herself to-”

“Aegon, please-” You firmly interjected, racing over towards your husband, as you gracefully knelt before him, your hands now appearing tiny, sprawled against his large thighs, gripping the flesh for stability. 

“Aeg, look at me-” Your hand reached over, tugging at his fatty chin to redirect his attention solely onto you. 

“They-” Your fleeting eyes darting towards the shut door and back towards him, indicating to the world beyond.

“-should not matter. I would never say such vile things, nor could I ever think of you like that.” 

Aegon remained chillingly quiet, although you’d faintly glimpsed a sudden glint in his eyes, as his fixed attention lingered over your soft lips. 

“Prove it.” 

His sudden words took a solid few seconds to register in your mind, before you’d fathomed its meaning. Prove so, how? 

You knew exactly what was required of you. Your readiness for this moment had been stirring amid the quiet moments against the bustle and haste, of the banquets and festivities you’d both attended, that you often found yourself reservedly pondering in your own lustful thoughts, envisioning many things… 

“Sit properly on the bed,” You boldly uttered, as you stood yourself up, pushing yourself up from Aegon’s knees, leaning yourself ever so slightly forward that the evident cleavage in your tightly fitted gown were brazenly displayed to Aegon, as you stood swiftly. It made you innocently chuckle seeing Aegon smacking his juicy lips in response, as he strugglingly shuffled himself atop the bed, right towards the center of the wooden headboard. His large, rough hands steadily rubbed against the tight fabric of his thighs in anticipation for what was to come, as he intently observed you from afar. 

Both your undivided attention remained mutually onto each other: a faint, tender smile appearing on your face, as you noticed the hunger in Aegon’s eyes [mildly similar to how he gushed over the plated feasts], a smirk beaming across his face. 

Slowly walking over towards him, you’d managed to hike the front of your dress up sensually, before crawling atop the bed, only to find yourself straddling your beloved husband. Your legs had been stretched out broadly, accommodating for his wider frame, as his stomach pushed against the sensitive region of your lower abdomen and entrance. Gods, did his thighs feel so tender and soft beneath your ass, as you comfortably lowered yourself down, readjusting your position. Your arms instinctively stretch over towards his neck line, as your fingers begin to tangle and pull on the platinum, short strands from behind. 

It seemed the warm, tense friction of your body against Aegon’s was already beginning to stir the new King, pleasantly.

Closing in the distance between your faces, as your moist lips teasingly hovered over his plump ones. 

“You want me to prove it, baby… So be it,” You softly whispered, the warmth of your breath Aegon had inhaled, unable to remain patient, the young King pushed his mouth against yours, his tongue shoving its way through in exchange for a long, passionate kiss. Somehow, his pudgy hands had managed to find their way towards your backside, roughly squeezing the flesh of each cheek, you were certain his fingerprints would remain evident. 

Almost in tune to a rhythm, you began to pace yourself in a loop, slowly rocking forwards and back against the thin fabric of Aegon’s strained pants, your body shoving in deeper towards his distended belly, before leaning back to give him some momentary relief. 

“Mhmm,” Aegon lowly moaned, as one hand remained glued to your tender ass cheek, whilst the other snaked its way firmly behind your back, his rough hand gripping your neck, his thick fingers entangled in your hair, as he massaged the base of your head. 

“You have no idea what you’ve done to me, seeing you become this-” You breathlessly whimpered, as you tore apart your lips from his to speak. 

Aegon sensed the sincerity in your tone, and the soft, pleasing look in your eyes, as you ached for him. You could’ve sworn he could physically feel the throbbing sensation pulsating from your moist cunt, against the soft flesh of his full gut. 

“And what is it that I have done? What is it that you wish to do to me, my sweet, sweet angel?” 

Your pace had subtly quicked, briefly feeling Aegon trying to align your cunt to his cock, he undoubtedly was not expecting your next move. 

Insisting Aegon to recline himself further back into a semi-fowler position, the plentiful, fluffed cushions supporting his heavy mass in conjunction to the solid headboard hidden beneath. You swiftly shuffled yourself further up his body, thrusting yourself forward with enough momentum that you now sat atop, straddling his doughy, bloated stomach beneath. Your hands now gripping dearly onto his broad, dense shoulders, nails digging into the cloth-like fabric of his white shirt, as you further continued to thrust against him, riding his flesh beneath deeply and vigorously. 

“Fuck, Y/N-” He growled, as his grip remained strained onto your hips, as they rhythmically bucked forwards and back, desperately riding in deeper into his mass. 

“See-uh-See, what you’ve done to me, this, all of this-” You squeeze a little more into the flesh of his skin, pulling at the fat that embodied your husband, signifying his tremendous growth. Your moistened cunt began to coat his pale, soft skin stripped with reddened marks and stripes all along his sides and below, with your sweetness, as his shirt hiked up against your movements. 

“L-Look, my King, look at exactly what you’ve done to m-me-” You bashfully utter, as your spine instinctively arches, the collision and smacking of your skin against his continued to be heard in such close proximity, only muffled by either of your mindless moans and grunts. Nestled between your lower cunt and backside, you could feel something poking through, Aegon’s thick cock beginning to swell, feeling its pulsating urge beneath the strained fabric, the incessant need to shove itself inside of you grew with each movement. 

“Hmmf-” Aegon’s heavy, volatile breathing grew rapidly: as he ate himself to swell, his efforts became strained, often catching him huffing and puffing after hiking up a dense flight of stairs. 

“Come on, Aegon- I-I’m so close already-” You stutteringly whimper, sensual moans mindlessly interrupting your words. Now your wetness began to lubricate his succulent, fleshy skin entirely, as your cum pooled beneath, making your movements easier, gliding over his portly stomach. Where his lean pecs had once been, now a thick layer of adipose mounted over: one hand remained gripped to his shoulder, desperate for the stable support, whilst the other firmly cupped and squeezed at his enlarged, swollen pec. The roughness of your touch against the sensitive site, scored a loud plea for your name from his lips, that momentarily left your lifted breasts, before resuming to suckle on your soft skin. 

“Prove me wrong, baby. Prove me so fucking wrong-” Aegon groaned and moaned desperately, his grip remained firm as he tried desperately to shove you down deeper into his body. 

Instantly, you felt your pulsating cunt drench his swollen, soft belly as you pleasantly cried out, moaning Aegon’s name like a banshee in the night. His cock beneath you twitched in response, some moistness had brewed and seeped beneath its place, for it seemed Aegon was just as close to pumping, making a mess of himself. Although, as surprisingly swift as he could be for his size, Aegon thoroughly knew his way around your body, despite the changes to his own. His pants already undone from before, he could easily lift you up momentarily, pulling it down further enough for his bare cock to protrude through, aggressively shoving himself into you as you now remained atop. His thick cum coating your inner walls, as his veiny, fat cock grazed over your sweet spot, whilst your walls clenched on his thick cock. 

“Fuck, baby-” He subtly mouthed,  as he prompted himself further up, although his belly innately blocking his way, as he tried to lean over towards your own feeble body. The pace of your breathing now in sync with his, as your heated bodies lunged over towards one another for support, he held your weak self in his bulky arms, Aegon’s dense cock still remained inside of you, its strong pulse echoing from within your walls. 

“Satisfied, yet?” You helplessly pant, as you reluctantly pull yourself out of Aegon, repositioning yourself laying, nestled by his side. 

“I guess I should hold back on training for a little while longer, I wouldn't want to lose this figure, if that’s what I’ll be expecting, dear wife.”

[factorydefaultlu]

Headcannon for possessive Aemond? Like if someone asked for your favour in a tourney how would he react? Would he prevent you from giving the favour in some way? Join the tourney to get your favour himself?

Anon Asked 'Idk if you dif this already but what are your headcannons of jealous Aemond?'

(I combined these two asks)

Aemond is not good with jealousy, he hides it better than his brother at least. He doesn't throw childish fits, or make threats when his beloved is being flirted with.

He is sneaky with making sure the men that try and court his love are disposed of quietly.

This sometimes means death, but most of the time it means reassignment or an arranged marriage to another.

Aemond is quite talented with pulling political strings.

He is possessive even before courting, he follows you everywhere without you knowing.

He can recite your favorite poems from memory, know your favorite foods, favorite colors, even your favorite nightgown you wear to bed.

After courting it just gets worse, because he is allowed to touch you, to pull you away from conversations. Hold you in his arms and show everyone who you belong to.

Aemond hates when other men talk to the woman he loves, especially young ones. She doesn't know it yet but she will be his.

His noble lady of the court graciously gets a seat beside Princess Helaena at the latest tourney. Much to her surprise.

Alicent had told Aemond to enter the Tourney as a show of good grace to the other lords that were invited. Knowing his drunken brother would be too intoxicated to participate, Aemond agreed.

The tourney was boring for him, but the crowd was eating up every bit of it. Aemond continued to knock his opponents off their horses with ease.

Ameteurs

He circled his horse around the arena, when out of the corner of his eye he saw a young lord approach the viewing box.

Hoping the lord was asking for his sister or queen mothers favor, he slowly trotted over.

"My lady, may I have you favor for luck in earning my victory?" the lord had asked Aemond's love nervously.

His lady smiled and grabbed her circlet, covered in dark purple violets. As she threw it down to the man the wind picked up. The favor blew in the wind, and Aemond grabbed it with ease.

"I believe fate has given this to me." Aemond smirked at the man, a look of embarrassment on his poor face.

[el-is-green]

Context i rewatched the scene in episode one and holy fuck do I hate this man

I am upset at something different but focusing on this so rant under the cut. I swear a lot and it’s kinda long so be warned

Look I know show! Aemma is older but holy shit he’s put her through at least five pregnancies (I don’t remember the exact number)!! At least four babies died!! And he’s hesitant when she says she’s done??? It’s not your uterus mf

And then! I get he’s the king he can make his own damn choices I don’t expect him to ask (even though he fucking should have) but at the very fucking least tell her???? No ‘hey we’re trying a new method of saving the baby’ no ‘hey so we’re going to try to cut out the baby’ nothing!!! Just ‘they’re bringing the baby out’ and ‘don’t be scared’! Why the fuck shouldn’t she be scared you are fucking cutting her open!! The fuck???

Also like I get it’s Medieval times and all but they do know the hole the baby comes out of right?? Like they have seen babies come though this hole (this exact hole to be precise) why not make it bigger or something??? Instead of just starting in the middle??? But nope murder time because of bullshit

And one more thing he couldn’t be with her until it was an emergency?! Sir your wife has had at least a few miscarriages!!! Announce the tourney then be with your fucking wife you dick!!!

I’m not getting into the whole ‘sees Rhaenyra as a child but goes for Alicent who is the same fucking age’ thing right now but that is also so fucked up

As well as the ‘also doesn’t teach Rhaenyra shit’ stuff like there are two particular frames that do not help (shot of Daemons empty seat then immediate cut to Rhaenyra pouring his cup) (like you know your brother tell your only child Something!!!)

I do hate this man. So fucking much. How he has any fans suprises me like how do you like this man

(And don’t say he felt guilty and redeemed himself bc no tf he did not! I don’t care how good Paddy is I love Paddy but Viserys can trip into the seven hells)

[electricprincess96]

Far too many people in the HOTD fandom have heard the take "Fire and Blood is an unreliable narrator" and ran with that fact to justify every change good or bad from the book and to try and paint what happens in the show as somehow just as legitimate and somehow the "true" retelling of this event.

This is a fundamental misconception of what Fire and Blood is. Fire and Blood is written from the perspective of an in universe Maestor who is collecting historical records from various sources including first hand accounts FROM the period of the Dance of the Dragons (he actually does all the way from Aegon the Conquerer onward in order of Targaryen Monarchs the Dance is only a section of a wider book). Yes there are conflicting accounts that he lays out, yes there are moments that he has no reliable sources on etc. BUT there is a lot more things that are likely to have been reliably kept note of, such as Queen Alicent NOT being a child bride, and being significantly older than her step-daughter Rhaenyra. Highborn Men and Women would have almost certainly had their birth years kept record and the author of Fire and Blood would have access to those. Likewise Laenor dying in public would not be something various sources would just get wrong even with embellishments the fundamental fact of "Laenor got in a fight with his "favourite" and died as a result" is likely accurate. Or the fact Criston Cole killed Laenor's lover at a Tourney in the book, something that makes a lot more sense, would have been recorded since well a competitor died at a Tourney celebrating the Heirs Wedding, said victim was a "close friend" of said Heirs new husband and said killer was said Heirs former Sworn Shield. Like yeah it makes sense for that to be pretty accurately recorded thus I have no reason to believe it didn't happen this way compared to Cole just going nuts and offing a man AT THE WEDDING and then getting away with it. At least if it WAS a Tourney that makes sense cause people die at Tourney's all the time in this world.

The ambiguity comes in when the Maestor includes multiple conflicting sources for the same event, BUT it's less unreliable through omission which critics of F&B seem to believe and more unreliable as he has no way of proving which of these sources are correct or if the truth is somewhere inbetween however it's not deliberately misleading.

If HOTD was somehow the "true" events of the Dance some of things that have happened in the show such as Rhaenys blowing the floor out of the Dragon Pit, killing a bunch of smallfolk and then flying away at Aegon II's coronation WOULD have been at least ONE story that likely would have been recorded somewhere and mentioned in the book because the author isn't trying right deliberately mislead the reader in universe, he believes he's giving as accurate a depiction of events as he can. Sure there's biases as every historian has but he is choosing to often portray conflicting testimonies and while in text he himself will dismiss some, he still gives them allowing the reader to make up their own mind of what is likely to have occurred.

But seeing people say "unreliable narrator" for why Rhaena claiming Sheepstealer and Nettles not existing doesn't somehow break their claim that this is "true canon" when 1. I don't actually care about Rhaena claiming Sheepstealer I thought from the minute I heard they were adapting this story that they'd cut Nettles and 2. There's no fucking way there isn't multiple sources claiming Rhaena was in the Vale the majority of the war while someone else was riding a Dragon called Sheepstealer thus Gyldayn would have no fucking reason to make up a whole new person and write Rhaena's contributions to the war out. Like that just would not happen in universe and George would know that.

So just dismissing all complaints by book readers towards the show with "but unreliable narrator" fundamentally misunderstands Fire and Blood as a book. Yes it is ambiguous, and the story is not told to us clearly however taking into account the very nature of history books some of this stuff has no reason to be incorrect yet the show changed it anyway. And that's fine, the show can change whatever the fuck it wants but be prepared for book fans to check out AND stop trying to tout the show as somehow the 100% true canon of The Dance of Dragons when it just can't be.

Also, Fire and Blood is NOT the only time George RR Martin has written about this time period. The first time he did was in his Novella "The Princess and the Queen" which was part of an Anthology called Dangerous Women. He also wrote another Novelette a year later called "The Rogue Prince" about Daemon Targaryen which acts as a prequel to "The Princess and the Queen" and was part of an Anthology called Rogues. Yes, both of these are again written from Archmaegor Gyldayn's perspective but it does mean if George REALLY wanted us to know the TRUE history and it didn't involve some combination of the parts he's already given us (which I personally think all the important parts have been given to us the way George believes it happened but he wants us to make up our own minds about the parts he leaves ambitious) then he would have told us the TRUE history by now, he's had multiple chances to write about this era and be less vague.

[eoieopda]

all right babe, i wanna hear bts as roommates cause i'm curious 👀

OOOH. love this. this speaks to the very specific brain rot i have about domestic, day-to-day bangtan.

namjoon — he’s very likable, so you can’t get mad, but good god is he noisy. like, dropping shampoo bottles in the shower (aka bombs) during the MULTIPLE daily showers he takes; talking through movies with his thots/predictions/trivia; the snoring; the banging of cabinets and pots/pans when he tries his best to pull his weight in the kitchen. however, he never forgets your birthday and reminds you about things he correctly assumes you’ll forget about (appointments — how does he even know about them??)

seokjin — you barely see him because he’s holed up in his room, gaming into the wee hours of the morning, but you can sure as shit hear him yelling :’) he’s the “i made myself a snack, so i’m bringing you one” type, always making sure you take breaks when you’re busy because he knows he’s bad at that himself. he’ll fix broken shit in your apartment (oppa/hyung will do it!) but don’t you dare ask him to trap a spider (oppa/hyung would rather die!)

yoongi — i’m sorry, but he’s gotta be a god tier roommate. he keeps to himself for the most part, but he’ll quietly drop into your space when he craves human contact. like, you’re at your desk doing whatever, and he’s just sitting on your bed, vibing. he’s got major nesting energy, too, so he’s collecting carefully chosen decor + putting furniture together himself. he lets you help to some extent because he wants to teach you, but he realizes this was a Dangerous Move and banishes you to watch from a safe distance.

hoseok — he’s the renaissance man of roommates because he’s an 1) in-home hype man, 2) a cleaning fairy, and 3) a social butterfly. he forcibly removes you from your room when you’re becoming too solitary and ensures that you always have the option of plans — if and when you want to utilize them. had a bad day? not anymore, bitch!! it’s time to laugh until you pee!! just not on the floor he just mopped, okay? ✨💕

jimin — he’s the one your friends/family are most excited to see when they visit you. OMG IT’S JIMIN — oh, and you’re also here :’) you’ve given up on being the hottest gworl in the apartment because you know it’ll always be him. and of course your closet and/or skin care are now communal, whether you were aware of it or not 🤷🏻‍♀️ has simply the best “tough love” advice, the best house parties, the best vibes. and you KNOW he’s the one (1) person who shows up to your shit, whatever that may be (career-related awards banquets, recreational volleyball tourneys, etc.)

taehyung — you literally never know where he is or what he’s up to, but his dog is cute, so there’s that!! he forgot to mention that he’s going to paris/barcelona/the moon until he facetimes you from some insane party to let you know that he forgot to put out the candle he lit in his room several days ago. but when he is home, there are no dull moments. he does end up in your bed most nights, though it stopped surprising you when you wake up to find him strapped around you like a human backpack.

jungkook — he’s made you fully nocturnal with his late night noraebangs and galaxy lights. you don’t remember the last time you saw the sun. what is daytime? 🤔 who is it for? NOT Y’ALL. there isn’t a single executive function functioning between the two of you, but at least your laundry is always done :’)

[just-some-guy-joust]

alright, as requested and promised, my explanations for why everyone on side b got into the tourney

once again making the note that i was desperate for women that weren't blatantly written by a misogynist and it influenced a couple choices

starting with the most argued about characters again

mob (mp100): 1 submission, good description. "he has powers he can't be just some guy!" NOT WHAT THIS TOURNEY IS ABOUT. mob is a kid. he's just a kid doing his best. like the whole plot of mp100 is that he's just some kid isn't it??? i haven't watched it i can't argue the details but he is a very good example of just some guy

rung (transformers): 1 submission, good description. submitter got extra points for being the longest submission and being so sweet to me. rung is like, God, or something but he doesnt Know That so he's just living a perfectly normal life. he's so average people regularly forget who he is or what his name is. from the submission, "He's just the definition of 'some random kind guy you bump into in the hall and then completely forget about two hours later' I really don't know how to explain it."

han solo (star wars): 2 submissions. its like his whole thing. the rest of the team is a princess, a jedi, man i don't know the rest i haven't watched star wars in years but they are all supremely not some guy, and han's just some cunt with a van to drive them around in. yeah he's got his own shit going on but also. i dont remember how it actually went down but he really feels like he just stumbled into the plot and now he can't leave

ok now the rest of the characters under the cut

carol kohl (cateotw): 1 submission, good description. the description really moved me and i have GOT to watch this show at some point. carol lives on an earth that's going to end in a few months and everyone is trying to make their last months exciting and happy and getting to do what they've always wanted to. what carol wants to do is keep working an office job and continuing her routine. the show does not shame her for this, it's just who she is. and man..... as a chronically ill person who's had to think about that kind of thing. that really hits hard.

jaehee (mystic messenger): 1 submission. the woman situation is fucking dire. i will admit she seems to be written the way she is because of misogyny n shit but at least this submitter actually acknowledged it. mystic messenger is i believe a dating game and her route involves dealing with her shitty boss and quitting her job. the other routes have fucking wild shit going on but jaehee just quits work

paul matthews (guy who didnt like musicals): guaranteed entry

emma perkins (guy who didnt like musicals): 3 submissions. one person described her and paul as "guy4guy" and i was so enamored with this concept i gave her a guaranteed position. she works at a coffee shop and seems to not give a fuck that she's in a musical and needs to sing. major "i cant wait to clock out and go home" vibes

su moting (god troubles me): 1 submission. the child of a monster and a god so she was just born a regular human. that's so fucking funny. she has some wild roommates (a "phone god" and a "cat monster") but she's got a normal office job so she's not even around them much on weekdays

satou hiroshi (saiki k): 2 submissions. canonically the most average guy. perfectly average in every way. average grades, weight, height, family, etc etc etc. as average as possible

chilchuck tims (dungeon meshi): guaranteed entry

michelle nguyen (wtnv): 1 submission. i mean. its fucking night vale. that place is fucked. and yet michelle just runs a record shop and loves her girlfriend good for her

tad strange (gravity falls): guaranteed entry

colin robinson (wwdits): 1 submission, personal bias. he's an energy vampire that feeds off peoples energy so he will ramble to them for 6-12 hours about taxes. has a regular office job because what better place to find miserable people to torment. prides himself in his ability to be just some guy

bard (wandersong): 1 submission, friend bias. they're the protagonist of the game but they are not the hero of the story. they're on a quest to save the world but destiny does not care for them. they are trying so hard to bring people joy and that in turn is what makes them actually able to succeed. they are not a hero, but they are a friend

usopp (one piece): 1 submission, friend bias. i will be honest you i avoid one piece at all costs but he gets a pass for my buddy. unfortunately none of the info they gave me actually stuck in my brain so my explanation is gonna suck ass but he seems very scared and very weak compared to everyone else and everyone knows he's the just some guy of the group

nick carraway (great gatsby): 1 submission. i do not remember reading this book for school but idk that seemed like a correct vibe check and i wasn't gonna argue with it

link (oot): 1 submission, personal bias. SCREAMS. WAILS. POUNDS FISTS ON THE FLOOR. I LOVE HIM!!! i am extremely mentally ill about most editions of link being just some guy but i agreed heavily with the submission saying oot is probably the best example. HE'S JUST A KID!!! he thought he would never have to grow up because he was a forest kid too but then he did have to grow up what the fuckk

kazooie (I MADE HIM <3): he is my oc and i love him so fuckign much

connecticut clark (florkofcows): guaranteed entry

samwise (lotr): 1 submission, personal bias. only here because he refused to let his friend have to deal with this alone. its the whole point of the story, that hobbits are the just some guys of the world. that these hobbits were just normal innocent men now trying to end a war. and sam is the most just some guy of the bunch

hitomi (madoka magica): 2 submissions. only one that isnt a magical girl. im sure there's more to it than that but i haven't watched madoka in years and the submissions didn't give me anything else so that's it

junpei iori (persona): 1 submission, friend bias. persona characters can get fucking wild but he seems to be the resident normal dude. and tbh i just can't stop thinking about this part of the submission

tomoya (ensemble stars): 2 submissions, good descriptions. ok so like. ensemble stars has like 50 main characters or something i dont know i dont go here. tomoya is the Only One that's normal. he's just trying to be a teen idol and his defining character trait is that he is tomoya and he is here.

peter sqloint (jrwi): 1 submission. i have listened to a bit of this and while i did have to put it down cause it wasn't really my thing, peter must've made an impression on me because the Only Things i can remember from what i listened to was just how bizarrely normal peter is. yes he has the angel of retribution inside him urging him to kill the gods but his life goal is to buy a new log for his pet lizard and his job is to sort rocks and its his favorite thing. sometimes you have to wonder if peter is even aware of whats going on or if he is too busy thinking about cool rocks to notice

cabbage merchant (atla): 3 submissions. i dont care. but very few characters actually got 3 submissions so i let him in. i was trying to avoid characters that clearly just existed for a bit or are simply background characters with nothing else going on (they count as just some guy but its just not as interesting to me) but he made it in anyways.

marta cabrera (knives out): 1 submission and that submission was ME because im THE ONLY PERSON WHO GETS IT (/silly). i cannot fucking believe no one else submitted her im so fucking mad her being just some guy is literally the entire point. spoilers for knives out, SHE'S A GOOD DOCTOR. SHE'S JUST A GOOD DOCTOR. SHE NEVER DID ANYTHING WRONG!!! she was always just some guy no matter how much everyone else wanted her to be something different. i love her

greg universe (steven universe): 1 submission, good explanation. he's just stevens dad <3 he lives in his van and is an ok musician and he's very content with his life. he's hanging out

mishima (persona): 2 submissions. he's just one of your classmates. this is signifcant because other supporting cast characters have a lot of their own wild shit going on. mishima is your classmate and he's trying to help the phantom thieves look cool on social media. thatse it babey!

gingerbrave (cookie run): 1 submission, good description, personal bias. ok so its a gacha game about cookies that run. gingerbrave is the mascot and the most basic guy you can get. he's a cookie and he runs. and he's very sweet and i like him <3 he loves his friends. anyways google like any other character in the cookie run franchise and you'll understand.

arthur dent (hitchhikers guide): 2 submissions. honestly i don't have strong opinions on him and he's got a fuck ton of propaganda on the post im skipping this

elsen (off): 1 submission, friend bias. i am enamored by how this is like a species of normal guys. they are meant to reflect the struggles of average normal people. they have office jobs and a fuck ton of anxiety so you can see how they reflect that <3

tadano hitohito (komi cant communicate): 2 submissions, good description. HIS NAME LITERALLY TRANSLATES TO "JUST A PERSON" THAT'S FUCKING AWESOME I HAD TO PUT HIM IN

[selfproclaimedunicorn]

Stannis + Helaena - getting to know you

After months I finally got something! I hope it's good, lol

Stannis had never been quite so aware of his hands and arms before. Everything he could do with them felt so conspicuous, and all he wanted was to appear as casual and confident as his lord father or Uncle Robert. No, not Uncle Robert, that was asking too much. He finally settled on clasping his hands behind his back, which was inconspicuous and chivalrous enough, and glanced at Helaena from the corner of his eye as she walked next to him.

Her hair practically blended in with the cream of her loose fitting dress, curls falling over her shoulder to meld with her skin and the draping cotton. She was much more focused on the dirt she was scraping from underneath her nails than him, and truthfully Stannis was grateful for it. She would not notice how awkward he was this way.

“Are you going to say anything?”

He startled when she finally spoke, nearly tripping over his own feet. He heard Helaena snicker from just behind him, and his cheeks heated so much he could not stand to look back at her and show the fullness of his flushing. Some of it was probably visible though, and it made Stannis curse the decision to wear his hair shorter.

“I, um, I am sorry, Helaena. I am more anxious than I thought I would be.”

“Going for a walk was your idea.”

“I know.”

Silence followed, and he reluctantly turned around. Helaena’s expression was expectant, and her purple eyes, much lighter than his, seemed to bore into the very core of his being. Stannis flexed his hands, keeping his arms at his sides this time as he tried to gather his thoughts. It was hard to be articulate when he had not prepared for it.

“We have always been friends, you know, after we met because of Uncle Aemon’s tourney, but things are different now.”

“Why is anything different?”

“We’re betrothed now!”

“So?”

“So…so…so it just is different! You are a woman grown and I am almost a man. I thought we should get reacquainted, but actually being alone made me nervous.” Stannis’s voice grew softer and softer as he spoke, turning to a full mumble as he looked down at his feet. It mattered now that he had started noticing how pretty Helaena was, that it heated his cheeks each time he thought about how nice she was or about the sound of her laugh, that her hair smelled nicer than most anything else and he wanted to bury his face in it to be overwhelmed by her. He toed at the ground, digging an unimpressive rut into the grass until his cousin’s skirts swished into view. Her closeness loomed over him, no matter how much taller than her he was, and it forced him to look up at her again.

“Do you still like history and knights and stories?” Helaena's tone was matter-of-fact, her words half real question and half point she was trying to make that at the moment eluded him. Stannis blinked back his confusion, silent as she, once again, looked at him expectantly. 

“Obviously I do. I mean, knights are maybe slightly less exciting than when I was younger since my own knighthood will be happening in less than two years, but it is still one of the only things I have ever truly wanted…” his rambling trailed off as a satisfied smile subtly pulled up the corners of his cousin’s mouth, the meaning behind her question finally hitting him now that he'd begun dumping information onto her; just like they'd both always done since long before either of them had started to grow up. Stannis cleared his throat, and pivoted away from his prattling about knighthood before it could turn into a full speech, even if she probably would have happily listened to it.

“Do you still like bugs and embroidery and all the stories I would tell you?”

“Obviously, because we are not so changed that we have become different people. Nothing has to be terribly different than it was before we were betrothed.”

“I suppose not…and-and we've time to figure out what will be different.”

“At least two years.”

“Right,” there was no need to get impatient or overly concerned with it right now, “um, Helaena, do you-do you still want to go for a walk?”

“We are already out here, we might as well make use of Lady Shireen’s gardens.”

With an only slightly unsure smile, Stannis held out his arm, eyes gently questioning as he watched her. Helaena looked at his arm for a moment, quietly contemplating before hooking her hand in the crook of his elbow. Her fingers idly rubbed against the golden yellow velvet of his sleeve, she'd always liked velvet. Stannis’s grin widened; it was true that he noticed how pretty Helaena was now, but everything was still comfortable and familiar and he could try to not be impatient about the exciting, terrifying unknown of change.

“Will you tell me about Ser Serwyn of the Mirror Shield again? I always liked that one.”

“Of course,” there was a light, undercurrent of laughter under Stannis’s words, “and after you can tell me about the white mantis your grandsire had pinned for you.”

[captain-of-misery]

Baneath the Silent Stars

Chapter 1: Mystery Knight

Summary: A mystery knight won the tourney, only to reveal himself as the most unexpected visitor. Prince Aenar Targaryen, youngest brother of King Viserys and Prince Daemon. And the man who crowned Alicent Hightower the Queen of Love and Beauty.

Warnings: violence, mentions of sex, Aenar being a bad dancer

Aemma lives, btw.

Words: 6.1k

Tourneys were never Alicent’s favorite. In fact, she found them quite boring and also disturbing at times. The men behaved like brutes, hungry for a fight and she wanted to run away and hide whenever there was as much as one drop of blood being shed. But she had to be there. As a member of King Viserys’ court and Princess Rhaenyra’s closest confidant, she didn’t just have to be there, but she got a front row seat in the royal box. A blessing and a curse. 

But this time, there was one man who stood out. He sat on a dark stallion, wore a grim, black armor decorated with red. And the cape on his right shoulder, like a cloth dipped in blood, was carried by the wind whenever he lunged forward and clashed with his fellow knights. He was as silent as the night and as unyielding as its darkest hour. 

“A mystery knight?” Rhaenyra asked. Unlike Alicent, the Princess quite enjoyed watching all those brave men fight. 

“It appears so,” Lady Alicent answered. “He calls himself the ‘Knight of Silent Stars,’ but you would know that if you weren’t late. Again.” 

“Not like I care. You sound just like my mother when she scolds me,” The Princess Rhaenyra said and as she spoke, the mystery knight unhorsed his opponent. “Seems like he has quite a talent.”

“That’s the fourth knight he has unhorsed so far.” 

“I wonder who he might be. Maybe he is rather handsome under all that armor,” Rhaenyra giggled, causing Alicent to release a sigh in response. And there was the reason Rhaenyra enjoyed tourneys far more than her friend.

“That armor has the colors of House Targaryen,” The Lady Alicent stated her observation. “Do you know him? Could that be Prince Daemon?” 

“Targaryen?” Rhaenyra leaned forward in her seat, taking a good look at the knight. “He does not look like Daemon, his armor is different too. I have no idea who else that might be.” 

“I suppose we shall see then.” 

The tourney went on. The crowd cheered as the knights continued to compete against each other. By the commands of King Viserys, First of His Name, it was a grand affair with many great houses and noteworthy representatives present. Still, an event that Alicent would have much preferred to avoid.

But despite her lack of enthusiasm for such unnecessary violence, Alicent watched one man with growing interest. The Knight of Silent Stars. What a curious name. Somehow, Alicent always found mystery knights a bit intriguing. She couldn’t help the wonder that washed over about who he might be. The son of a lord, maybe? Or maybe he is a commoner, that’s why he didn’t dare show his face. 

The Knight of Silent Stars unhorsed opponent after opponent and Alicent found herself more and more in awe. He really was silent, true to his name. He never said a word, just kept fighting with grace and honor. No, he was certainly not a commoner. There was something to him, he held himself almost like royalty. 

At some point, Alicent began to hope he would win. Finally, there was a knight who fought with honor and respect, truly a rare sight. But there was one more opponent left: Prince Daemon himself. Well, at least now it was certain that the mystery knight and Daemon were not the same person. 

Alicent felt a sense of worry. Daemon was never known for playing fair. As the Prince and the knight readied themselves for the clash of horses and lances, Rhaenyra reached for Alicent’s hand, reminding her to stop picking the skin around her fingernails. She hadn’t even noticed that she was doing it. 

“The Knight of Silent Stars?” Prince Daemon scoffed, trying to intimidate the mystery knight. “That’s the stupidest name I’ve ever heard.” 

But there was no answer from the other side and before Daemon could have said more insults, the joust began. Alicent held her breath, her fingers trembling as she watched. 

The two men lowered their lances, aiming them at each other before they clashed and Alicent had to close her eyes. She heard the sound of metal slamming against the ground and hundreds, possibly thousands of gasps. 

When Alicent finally dared to look, she saw Prince Daemon lying on the ground, cursing to himself in High Valyrian, and the Knight of Silent Stars still seated on his horse. Alicent expected a more violent reaction from Daemon, but it didn’t happen. Perhaps the Prince knew something.

The crowd cheered, congratulating the mystery knight on his victory. Yet, he remained quiet. His first action was to gallop to the royal box on his horse and give the King, his family, and the important lords and ladies a bow. How honorable of him. 

And then a wreath of beautiful flowers was placed on the tip of the knight’s lance. He won and now he was to choose his Queen of Love and Beauty, it was within his right as the tourney champion. From behind his helmet, Alicent could barely make out a pair of eyes. First, his gaze landed on Queen Aemma. She would have been a fine and polite choice, but then he looked at Rhaenyra, another respectable choice. He stared for a moment, his gaze shifting for a moment and Alicent could swear she saw his eyes widen. 

Oh no. Not me. Please, not me. Choose Rhaenyra or anyone else, but not me. 

He raised his lance almost agonizingly slowly, as if he was purposefully torturing all the ladies present, and dropped the wreath on the lap of Lady Alicent Hightower. 

Alicent stared at the flowers on her thighs, her mouth and eyes open in shock. It was flattering, really, no one had ever chosen her as their Queen of Love and Beauty. The mystery knight’s attention was a welcomed one and Alicent almost wanted to giggle. However, she knew that everyone else was looking too, her own father included and Alicent didn’t like that. 

“Seems like someone has a fan,” Rhaenyra giggled, grasping her friend’s arm affectionately and Alicent’s blush only deepened. She could hear someone from behind saying that the knight made a fine choice. Hopefully, her father wouldn’t be too bothered by it. 

Alicent reached for the wreath on her lap, her quivering and bloody fingertips brushing against the flower petals. She finally looked at her mystery knight who was staring right up at her. She opened her mouth to speak, but her lips were trembling. “Thank you,” She mumbled under her breath and it was a miracle if the knight could hear her at all. Still, he offered her a deep bow. 

Finally, King Viserys stood from his seat, addressing the mystery knight.  “You have fought bravely and earned your victory, Ser. Might we know who you are?” 

For a moment, the knight stayed silent, remaining true to his fashion. “I am no Ser,” He said, his smooth, raspy voice certainly causing a shiver to run down every lady’s spine. Alicent’s included. She watched with keen interest, eager to learn the identity of this knight. He crowned her his Queen of Love and Beauty, so of course she wished to know who he was. 

The Knight of Silent stars reached for his helmet, his armored fingers attempting to take it off. Thick locks of silver hair poured down to his shoulders and his gaze went immediately to the royal box. He glanced at a beautiful lady of auburn hair and sparkling brown eyes for a moment longer than he should have before finally gracing the King with his attention. “I am a prince.” 

The King stared at the knight with his mouth hanging open, his expression quickly turning from shock to joy as he recognized the young dashing man. “Aenar! Brother!”

-

The King’s brother. The youngest one, not Daemon. Alicent had heard of Prince Aenar before. A few years ago, when the King and Rhaenyra had an argument, the Princess went to the Dragonpit and flew to Dragonstone on Syrax’s back. There her youngest uncle welcomed her with open arms and he made sure she returned shortly and safely, for which Alicent was very grateful. After that, Rhaenyra spent all day talking about him and Alicent almost believed that her friend had a crush on her uncle. Other than that, not much else was known about the young Targaryen prince. No scandals, no rumors, and no nothing. Sometimes Alicent wondered if he existed at all or Rhaenyra made him up to mess with her friend. 

It was said that they grew up together, Rhaenyra and Aenar. Of course, Aenar was a few years older than her, but wherever little Rhaenyra went, Prince Aenar followed to make sure she wouldn’t get into too much trouble. The Princess often described her youngest uncle as the sweetest man in the Realm with a slight twist of Targaryen cheekiness. 

But how could Alicent know that? 

Certainly, she was intrigued by the mysterious Prince, especially after he made her his Queen of Love and Beauty. It didn’t help that he looked into her eyes earlier at the tourney. Gods, even recalling the memory caused her heart to skip a beat. Even from the field, his gaze was as piercing as a dragon’s fire.

Naturally, as it was common during King Viserys’ reign, a feast followed the jousting. A wave of nervousness washed over the young Hightower when she glanced at the empty seat next to her. On her other side was Rhaenyra, who was sitting next to Queen Aemma, followed by the King in the middle, then her father, the Lord Hand, and the other members of the small council. 

Perhaps Prince Aenar wouldn't come at all. Maybe he left. Maybe he was currently somewhere else, doing whatever men do after a day of jousting. Men liked to do their own thing and Targaryen men were even worse, Alicent knew that. Prince Aenar was probably roaming the Street of Silk, doing only the Gods know what men are up to there. Alicent didn’t know what that was exactly, only that it was no place for a delicate young maiden like her. She had asked her father about it once, but was met with only a cold, disapproving stare, like the ones he gives her whenever she spends too much time around Rhaenyra or mentions Prince Daemon by accident. Alicent knew better than to ask again. 

“My favorite niece!” Alicent heard an unfamiliar voice from behind and her heart was suddenly beating three times faster than it normally would. She watched as Rhaenyra turned to take a look toward the source.

“Uncle Aenar!” The Princess stood from her seat to greet her uncle. “I am your only niece.” 

In the meantime, Alicent also stood up, but she kept her gaze off of the Prince. A man with such fighting prowess must be intimidating and fearsome, not someone Alicent would want to anger. But why didn’t he enter through the main doors? Maybe he just didn’t like attention, Alicent would understand that. She didn’t like using the main doors either. Too many eyes, too much attention.

“Well, that is exactly why you are my favorite,” The Prince continued and Alicent could hear the cheerfulness in his tone, still not having the courage to actually look at him. “If I had another niece, I fear your position as my favorite would be under great threat.” He pulled Rhaenyra into an embrace and pressed a kiss against her forehead. “I only jest, dear. The world wouldn’t survive another girl like you.” This time, his voice was softer, lighter, filled with a strange warmth that made Alicent’s stomach flutter. 

“And who is this lovely lady?” Aenar asked as he turned to Alicent. Despite what the Prince did at the end of the tourney, this was their first time speaking to each other. Alicent couldn’t recall ever meeting him before.

“My name is Alicent Hightower, Your Grace.” There was a deep blush on her face as she answered, a clear indication of her nervousness around him. She bowed to him, her gaze still fixed on the floor. 

“Lady Alicent,” The Prince said and when Alicent dared to look at his face, she saw that he was smiling at her. And oh, his eyes were mesmerizing. Like jade, green with a hint of brown. Alicent almost didn’t notice when he reached for her hand, his touch almost as delicate as a feather. He brought her hand to his lips and pressed a small kiss against it while looking into her eyes. By this point, Alicent thought she would faint. Her heart hammered in her chest and her face was redder than the wine they served at the feast. 

“It is a pleasure to meet you, my Lady. I hope I didn’t disrespect you today,” He continued with a sweet, charming smile on his face and gently let go of her hand. Alicent wanted to answer, but never in her wildest dreams did she expect to be in a situation like this. First, a handsome young prince wins the tourney and crowns her Queen of Love and Beauty. And if that wasn’t already something out of a fairy tale, he was now talking to her. Gods . He even kissed her hand. She really hoped that her father wasn’t watching. She would certainly receive a lecture after the feast about the importance of resisting the charms of handsome men. 

And Prince Aenar was certainly charming.

However, he must have noticed Alicent’s unease. His smile disappeared for a moment, almost as if he was desperately trying to come up with something before he continued. “I am pleased to know that Rhaenyra had someone to look after her in my absence. Tell me, has she given you much trouble? I’m quite sure she has.” In the meantime, they all took their seats with Rhaenyra and Aenar on each side of the young and frightened Alicent Hightower.

“She is a troublemaker indeed,” Alicent said with a polite smile, doing her best to not create an unpleasant atmosphere. But, Gods, she hoped he would not attempt anything dishonorable with her. Targaryen princes are not exactly known for being honorable.

“Did you two form an alliance against me or something?” Rhaenyra whined from Alicent’s other side. 

The Prince chuckled in response. “We don’t need to. You brought this upon herself. I remember when Viserys was still a prince and we all lived on Dragonstone. If it wasn’t for me, the dragons would have eaten you.” 

“Imagine explaining that to my father. But then he became king, you went to Driftmark, and I needed someone else to drag into trouble. That’s when Alicent came and took over your job.” 

“She gets into a lot of trouble, my prince. Some days I can’t keep her out of it. The other day, she was late from a small council meeting because she much prefers to ride her dragon.” Alicent giggled and then she turned to Aenar. She gazed into his eyes and for a moment, she found herself breathless by the sight of those two jade orbs. Again. The smile he gave her was like honey. Sweet enough to charm any lady and Alicent had a feeling that Aenar’s presence would become the cause of much trouble in the future.

“Then thank the Gods for giving us Lady Alicent,” The Prince chuckled again and Alicent could feel her cheeks heat up. “What would my little niece do without you?” 

Alicent had no time to answer, not like she knew what to say, but they were approached by the son of some distant lord. “Princess Rhaenyra, might I have this dance?” 

The Princess turned to Alicent, giving her an annoyed look before she looked at the man asking her to dance again. “Of course.” And with that, Rhaenyra rose from her seat and made her way to the dance floor. 

Anxiety rose in Alicent’s stomach as she was left alone with Prince Aenar. For a minute, neither of them spoke and the awkwardness in the air was so thick they could have cut it with a knife. The silence between them was deafening.

Both Alicent and Aenar returned to their plates, taking a few bites and sipping wine before the Prince cleared his throat and took a deep breath, addressing the young woman next to him. “Do you like to dance, Lady Alicent?” 

Alicent’s eyes widened slightly at the Aenar’s question, a part of her hoping that he wouldn’t ask her and another that he would. Her eyes were still fixed on her plate as she answered his question. “I do, my prince.”

“I don’t,” Aenar said and then raised his cup to take a sip of his wine. If he doesn’t like to dance, then why did he bother to ask? “I wouldn’t ask a lady to dance with me unless I was really interested in her. Sadly, I can already sense some eagerness from a few ladies at this dreadful feast.” 

“Dreadful? You dislike feasts?” Alicent couldn’t say that she had a liking for feasts either. At least Rhaenyra made them feel tolerable. Well, when she wasn’t busy dancing with some lord. 

“Never was much interested in them. While I quite like music, it is too loud. And there are far too many people for my liking. I only came for the food,” Aenar admitted, causing Alicent to chuckle. Maybe he wasn’t so bad, after all. 

“The food certainly makes it more tolerable, Your Grace. And it is quite honorable that you would not dance with a lady unless you had a genuine interest in her. Not everyone shares the same sentiment.” 

“It is unfortunate, really,” The Prince turned his gaze from Alicent and his eyes searched the room. There were many lords, ladies, and knights present. He took a good look at each of them, taking note of how some of the guests present were staring back at him. He knew why. A Targaryen prince, a man grown. He won a joust and he was handsome. The lords of the Realm are eager to wed their daughters and granddaughters to him for the sake of political advantage. “People in King’s Landing can be so…shallow. I have forgotten what it’s like.” 

“When was the last time you were here?” Alicent asked him. “I don’t remember ever seeing you.” 

He smiled at her, but there was a hint of sadness in his expression. “Well, I was here when my brother got crowned and before that, when my father died and yours became Hand.” 

Alicent immediately regretted her question. And speaking of Hands, Otto Hightower suddenly appeared in front of them, looking quite displeased. “Your Grace,” He greeted the Prince in his usual stern, gloomy voice. “I see you and my daughter have become acquainted.” 

“Oh, yes, Lord Otto. I was just telling your lovely daughter about how a follower of the Seven would remain true to their faith in and outside of the Sept,” Aenar said with a broad smile and Alicent couldn’t help the blush that deepened her already red cheeks. Well, this Aenar Targaryen seemed like quite a bold man. She didn’t even pay much attention to what he was saying because only the word ‘lovely’ kept repeating itself in her mind. Right in front of her father. 

“You see, my lady,” Aenar turned his attention back to Alicent with newfound interest while Otto Hightower watched and listened. What was the Prince trying to achieve with this? “Many go to the Sept often, some every day, but as soon as they come outside, they go back to sin and dishonor. If they actually believed in the Gods, they would not need to spend half of their lives praying on their knees, begging for forgiveness because of whatever they committed. They would simply live by the teachings of the Seven and behave with honor and diligence.” 

Alicent felt something beneath her feet. She quickly glanced under the table and saw that it was Prince Aenor bouncing his leg up and down. By the Gods, the Prince was nervous! Alicent almost chuckled. This was quite endearing and Alicent felt a sense of understanding wash over her. She had her own nervous habit and seeing that such a strong, brave, and handsome prince was trembling beneath the table made her feel a little less alone and a little more normal. But what was making him so nervous? 

Otto raised an eyebrow and Alicent couldn’t yet tell if her father was amused or currently trying to make Aenar stay away from her. “I must say, Prince Aenar, you are quite right. However, do you go to the Sept often?”

“Sometimes,” Aenar answered. “As I said, I don’t need to spend my entire day praying.” 

“And why is that, my prince?” 

“I often see people asking the Gods for help. Instead of working for what they want, they think that the Gods will give it to them if they pray often enough. The only times I go to the Sept are when I want to show gratitude.” 

“So you would rather work than beg the Seven for a blessing?” The Hand asked and the Prince only nodded in response. Lord Otto maintained a neutral expression, but Alicent could tell he was impressed by what Aenar said. He was simply too proud to admit it. “We go to the Grand Sept quite often. Perhaps Prince Aenar would like to join us?” 

The Prince remained silent, quite obviously uninterested in joining Otto, for which Alicent really couldn’t blame him. But perhaps he would like to join Alicent. The lady was sweet, perhaps a little nervous, but Aenar didn’t mind that. The other ladies stared at him as if he was a prey during a hunt, so Alicent’s more reserved nature was like a cooling breeze during summer. And she was quite comely as well. He was yet to take a good look at her, but Alicent’s doe eyes made his heart beat a little faster whenever she gathered enough courage to stare directly into his. 

So it was either both or neither. 

Gods damn it, Aenar. You brought this upon yourself.

Aenar smiled, most likely out of politeness and finally gave the Hand the answer he desired. “Of course, Lord Otto. I would be delighted to join you.” 

“You honor me, Your Grace. Well, then I’ll leave you two. Enjoy the feast.”

Alicent released a sigh of relief as soon as her father was at a far enough distance. However, she couldn’t help but ask Aenar a small question. “How did you know he is religious? My father, I mean.” 

“From my brother,” He admitted. “Daemon has told me much about him.” 

Alicent couldn’t say she was delighted to hear that, but then, from the corner of her eye, she saw Princess Rhaenyra motioning for her. “F-forgive me, I think Rhaenyra wants something.” 

Prince Aenar gave her a nod and Alicent left to join her friend. While the Prince remained in his seat and was about to happily indulge himself in the contents of his place, he felt a hand touch his shoulder. 

“Little brother,” King Viserys said, a warm smile gracing his features. He sat down on Alicent’s chair, giving Aenar his full attention. Being called little brother brought a strange warmth to Aenar’s heart. He missed his family dearly. “You fill my chest with pride. Good job at the tourney today.”

Aenar would be lying if he said he didn’t like his brother’s praise. “Thank you, brother. I was hoping to make you proud.” 

“Your return to King’s Landing has been well-received,” Viserys informed his youngest brother. “If you wish to stay, we would be more than happy to have you.” 

Aenar nodded, pleased by the idea of remaining in King’s Landing, at least for a while. “I would like that. We have been apart for too long. I wish to stay by your side, brother, and aid you in any way I can.” 

“Good,” Viserys said with a smile, delighted by Aenar’s response. He didn’t expect anything less from the prince, knowing he was more dutiful than Daemon ever was. “I could always use more people I can trust. You should accompany me to the small council meetings and then we’ll see if there are any tasks for you.” 

“That sounds wonderful, thank you.” 

Then there were some giggles, catching the attention of both the Prince and the King. Aenar was met with several pairs of eyes gazing at him, all of them belonging to a group of gossipping women. Aenar couldn’t help but feel uneasy from the attention, but then Viserys turned back to his brother, now with something cheeky in his expression. “It seems like you have caught the ladies’ attention.” 

Aenar rolled his eyes, visibly unhappy by the attention. “Yeah, I certainly have.” 

Viserys laughed in return, leaning closer to his brother. “Aenar, this is every man’s dream!” It was almost every man’s dream, Aenar thought to himself. Certainly not his. 

Aenar never liked whores. Daemon brought him to a pleasure house as soon as he was old enough and he already decided that he would avoid the Street of Silk for the rest of his life. Of course, he was no saint, he had his conquests. Not as many as some people thought he had, but still, Aenar had known a few women in his life, as was expected of a prince.

He liked to work for the ladies and had little respect for those who simply threw themselves at his feet. Of course, he understood why they did it. But the harder he worked for a lady, the sweeter she was. 

And Aenar loved sweet women. He’s just never met any worthy of his affections.

“Yours, perhaps. Quite honestly, brother, I would much prefer to take a lady wife,” The young prince admitted and he could see the shock and then the joy on his brother’s face. 

“You do? Well, that is a pleasant surprise! Finally, a brother who wishes to do his duty. If you’d like, I could arrange a potential match for you. Or is there anyone who has caught your eye, little brother?” 

Aenor’s eyes widened in horror. His brother made it sound like he would wed Aenar to the first suitable lady in a fortnight. “Hold your horses, Viserys, I’ve only just returned. I will keep my eyes open and let you know if there is anyone. I am not in a rush.” 

Pursing his lips, Viserys nodded. “Of course. But do let me know if you have found yourself a bride and remember that you are a prince of the Seven Kingdoms. Your lady wife must be of high birth. A maiden befitting your station.” 

“I understand. I wouldn’t have it any other way.” 

“Good,” Viserys stood and patted his brother on the back. “Now enjoy yourself, Aenar. You deserve it.” The King returned to his seat and Aenar was left alone once again.

The Prince went back to his plate with the hopes of no one disturbing him. He really was just here for the food and, so far, he barely managed to get a few bites. After a minute or two, he reached for his cup and raised it to his lips, taking a sip of his wine. 

As Aenar drank, he saw two figures from the corner of his eye. When he put the cup down and looked, he noticed that Lord Jason Lannister was talking to Lady Alicent Hightower, the very woman he crowned as his Queen of Love and Beauty. 

Well, shit. 

Now Aenar really had a chance to look at her and what a beauty she was. Had he known that Viserys had such beautiful ladies at his court, he would have returned to King’s Landing sooner. 

From what Aenar could tell, Alicent was undeniably the most comely girl at court. She had a sweet smile and eyes with a light in them that could melt even the coldest hearts. When he first saw her during the tourney, he almost called the Maesters because his knees started bending on their own.

With or without Aenar crowning her, Alicent was desirable. She was a highborn lady with looks unmatched and as the Prince watched Jason Lannister talk to her, he couldn’t help but feel jealous.

Perhaps he shouldn’t have crowned her. He didn’t think of it when it happened, but now Aenar realized that it would only attract more suitors for Alicent. If a prince of House Targaryen thought she was good enough, then she was good enough for every other man as well. 

Of course, it all made sense now. The young maiden seemed visibly uncomfortable by Lord Lannister’s presence and Aenar saw that she was fidgeting with her fingers. 

Aenar did like her. Of course, she didn’t know her well yet. But, so far, she was the most promising lady in all of King’s Landing. He couldn’t deny that he was pretty and her nervousness around him was quite endearing. Aenar could also sense some playfulness from her, which only made her more appealing to him.

Tonight, if Aenar had to dance with anyone, it would be Alicent. 

He glanced down at his food with a twinge of sadness, then he sighed and stood from the table. He might regret this later.

Aenar walked past the long table and he could swear he saw Viserys and Aemma giving each other a knowing look as he walked to where Alicent and the Lannister man were standing. 

The lady was certainly trying to be polite, but Lord Jason had her cornered. Aenar had the displeasure of knowing him, so he really couldn’t blame Alicent for not wanting to be anywhere near him, but the man had a habit of bothering the fair maidens. 

Aenar smiled to himself. Now he would become her knight in shining armor, her Prince Charming. For some odd reason, he quite liked the idea. 

“And then there was this diamond necklace I had made for my mother-” As he approached, Aenar cleared his throat, cutting off the Lannister Lord mid-sentence. 

“Lady Alicent,” Aenar said with a smile and nodded to the young lady. 

“Yes, my prince?” Alicent sounded almost relieved to see him. If she had to choose between Prince Aenar and Lord Jason, he wouldn’t hesitate to run to Aenar’s arms. Maybe the Prince was a little grumpy and he was…unique, to say the least, but at least he was respectful and definitely more pleasant than Jason Lannister. 

Aenar cleared his throat again. In fact, he cleared his throat so well that he ended up having to cough. 

“Your Grace, are you unwell?” Jason Lannister turned to Aenar and asked, his voice having a slight mocking tone to it. 

“No, no, Lord Jason. I assure you, I am alright.” Aenar gave the Lannister lord a small, forced smile before finally turning to Alicent, completely ignoring the man standing beside him. “Lady Alicent. Would you honor me with a dance?” 

Alicent’s eyes widened in surprise. But…didn’t the Prince say that he disliked dancing? That he would only dance with a woman if he was really interested in her? “I-” She tried to find the right words, but she was too stunned. Did this mean that he had some interest in her? Or was he just trying to help her escape from the grasps of Jason Lannister? Either way, Aenar was her way out. “Yes!” Alicent said with more enthusiasm than she intended and she quickly regained her composure, giving the Prince a proper answer. “Of course, my Prince. I would be honored to dance with you.” 

With a smile, Aenar extended a strong hand for her and Alicent gladly took it, leaving Jason Lannister all by himself. Prince Aenar led her to the dance floor and Alicent couldn’t help but once again feel surprised by the tenderness of his touch. As they came to a stop and turned toward each other, Alicent noticed how tall and strong Aenar was for the first time. A man like him could protect her from any harm. The thought was giving her butterflies in the stomach.

Aenar gulped as he put one hand on Alicent’s waist and held hers with the other. Gods, he wasn’t exactly the most graceful dancer. He was tense and nervous, and he did take dance lessons when he was younger, but he found it difficult to feel at ease and truly enjoy himself. 

He looked down and saw that Alicent was smiling at him. Strangely, it made him feel a little less tense. The song began and so did their dance. Aenar was clumsy at first, while Alicent moved swiftly and lightly, each of her movements confirming that she was, indeed, a true lady. He tried to match her elegance and, to his surprise, quickly got the hang of it. He silently thanked the Seven for making him a fast learner. 

However, the silence between them was slightly unpleasant and Aenar never liked awkward silences, so he began to talk. “I apologize, my Lady. I couldn’t allow Lord Lannister to bore you with…well, himself. The man can be quite egoistical.” 

Alicent smiled at his comment, finding it quite amusing. If there was one thing certain about life, it was that Jason Lannister bragged about anything and everything regarding himself. “He certainly is. I don’t know what I would have done if I had to listen to a story about another one of his grand purchases.”

“Pay him no mind. He is not worthy of your attention.” Oh? But perhaps the Prince was?

Her cheeks flushed and she suddenly felt herself becoming a little nervous too upon noticing how close they were to each other. Prince Aenar’s body radiated warmth and strength and even Alicent couldn’t stay immune to it. She wondered how many of the other ladies were watching them, envious of her current position. “Thank you for coming to my rescue, Your Grace. You really didn’t have to do it, I know you don’t like to dance.” She felt grateful for what he had done for her and she felt touched by the gesture. 

“Well, you were in trouble. I would be a terrible knight if I ignored a lady in distress.” 

“Was I? Lord Jason and I were just talking. I would hardly call that trouble or distress.” 

“You mean, he was talking and you were listening and smiling along.” His comment made both of them laugh and Aenar felt his breath get caught in his throat. It was as if he listened to the sound of all seven heavens at once. “Your laugh…and your smile...” 

She looked at him, with that same, beautiful smile. Aenar had never seen such light, such magic in his life. “What of them, Your Grace?”

He instantly regretted it. He wanted to say something nice, to compliment her, to make her feel good, but he simply couldn’t bring himself to say it. “Nothing.” As Aenar spoke, the song and the dance came to an end. He could see the slight disappointment in Alicent’s eyes. He knew that he had made some awkward mistakes tonight and he didn’t know why, but he wanted to make up for them. “My Lady.” His cheeks were already flushed and he found it difficult to maintain eye contact with Alicent, partly because he was anxious, but mainly because he felt captivated by her. 

“Yes, my Prince?” My Prince . Now that he thought of it, Aenar quite liked hearing it from her lips. 

“I just wanted you to know that,” He paused for a moment, looked away and then back to Alicent. “I did see that you were uncomfortable in Lord Lannister’s presence, for which I cannot blame you, but…I-I wanted to dance with you.” 

“Oh,” Alicent made a small sound. It was…surprising, to say the least. While Alicent knew she was fortunate enough to come from a good family, she didn’t feel like she was worthy enough of the attention of a prince. “I…Thank you. I am flattered, Your Grace.” 

“Perhaps, you would honor me with another dance?” He offered his hand to her again, his smile warm and charming. “I promise I won’t step on your toes.”

She laughed and reached for his hand once more. “I would like that very much.” 

[silcoitus]

One-shot WIPs

I have a pile of silco/reader one-shots that are starting to collect dust and I want to see if I can try to at least get one of them done. But I have no idea which I should do, so I'm going to let y'all decide! Below the cut are summaries and snippets of my incomplete WIPs. Let me know which you think I should finish first!

The Campaign (3)

Current word count: 1084

Summary: Technically not a one-shot. Third and final chapter of the campaign manager!reader from when Silco was in the DILF tourney

You spend that night in Silco’s bed, wrapped in his arms. He makes no advances on you, content to hold you as you both drift off to sleep. His breath is warm in your hair, the soft rumbling of his breath a soothing sound that lulls you to slumber. You feel content and satisfied as your eyes flutter closed and your breathing calms. Perhaps it was this moment of comfort that made the impending loss sting just a little less.

Magnet

Current word count: 2634

Summary: You finally manage to catch the attention of the Eye of Zaun after countless nights at The Last Drop. Based on the Punch Brothers song "Magnet"

His smile is wicked, showing a hint of his chipped teeth. It's then that you finally find your wits enough to respond.  Feet work quickly to get into position; you wrap an ankle around the back of his as your hands grab his vest's lapels, shoving him downwards. He trips over your foot, crashing into the floor, and you're quick to follow him, straddling his hips. You look to the bodyguard to see him paying you no mind. Perhaps he's not there to ensure you don't do anything so much as to make sure you both aren't interrupted.

Revolutionary

Current word count: 279

Summary: This is actually a rejected scene for this request fulfillment that I might add more to. You and Silco grew up together in the harsh streets of the Lanes. But now that you're both older, can you finally admit your true feelings to each other?

"I would never tell you that you're the only family I've ever had. And the only one I'd ever want." You turn to face him, your cheek pressed into the warm concrete of the roof. He turns to you and his expression is unreadable, a stoic, practiced poker face. "And I certainly would never tell you that I love you. And that I've wanted you ever since we were stupid teenagers." It happens for the briefest of seconds, but you swear you see a flash of recognition in those twin oceans, a glimpse of vulnerability.

Fallen Star (working title)

Current word count: 1514

Summary: The Silco/you POV for this request. This might actually turn into a longfic/slow-burn but goddamn I have too many of those lol Unhappy with making Topsiders lives even more luxurious than they already are, you bring your engineering talents to the Undercity. Your steady improvements do not go unnoticed by the Eye of Zaun.

"We could make a lasting change for people who truly need it. Don't kids growing up in the Undercity deserve to have the same great living conditions we have growing up here?" Your boss says your name low and in warning. "That's enough. Sit down." "No!" You storm your way to the door, an invisible hand pulling you out. The veil over your eyes lifting. "You know what? I quit. I'm sick of sitting here doing nothing when I know for a fact I can be doing some good elsewhere. Have fun with your toys and your profit margins. I'm done."

Visit Family (working title)

Current word count: 576

Summary: You bring Silco home to meet your parents for the first time

“You’re nervous.” Your partner sits back up again, turning to you. “I am not.” “Are too,” you tease back. “It’s why you’ve been pouting all morning.” He slumps into the swing again, resuming his indignant position. “I’m not pouting,” he mutters under his breath. “I just don’t see why I need to meet your parents.”

Practice and Patience

Current word count: 710

Summary: You admit to Silco that he's your first. He responds just as well as you could have ever hoped he could.

"I want you," he starts. "And I want you as you are." Warmth blooms in your chest at his words. You can do nothing but stare silently up at him as he speaks. "I want you to do whatever is comfortable for you. Your comfort is paramount to me."

Nightingale

Current word count: 3352

Summary: As Chross's nurse, you come into contact with many different characters in the Undercity. After a particularly eventful Chembaron assembly, you find yourself face-to-face with the Industrialist.

You press your ear to the door again and hear a chorus of coughs, multiple Chembarons struggling to breathe. Not only that, but there seems to be a sort of hissing sound coming through the door as well as a low hum. Someone is speaking through the cacophony in a melodic tone, wandering and at complete odds with the stifled gasps and coughs of the other Undercity elite. What is happening? You step back and feel something tickle your nostrils. Quickly, you bring your hand up to cover your nose and mouth as you look down. Gas is seeping out from the crack at the bottom of the door, slowly dancing its way up into the air toward you. Your eyes widen and you scramble backward away from it until your shoulder blades hit a nearby window.  Heart racing, your mind works overtime to assess the situation. Is a paycheck worth this?

[jackoshadows]

Why do you think there’s such a strong fixation on Jonsa? I watched the whole series and didn’t see it. I just finished A Game of Thrones and didn’t see it. I’m a big supporter of Jonerys (although I don’t think Kit and Emilia had very good on-screen chemistry but that was partially due to a bad script) but I’m very curious about the mindset going on with people who enjoy other Jon pairings. I can at least see where people are coming from with Jonrya even if I’ll never be able to see them as anything but siblings. They’re very close and think of each other often but at least in book one, Jon and Sansa’s relationship is non-existent. I guess Jon and Dany’s is even more non-existent, but the show at least planted a seed of what could be, and the same cannot be said of Jonsa

I think you are the nonnie who send me the Dany ask and I always hesitate to answer these (rather sensible and intelligent) asks because you have not finished reading the books and I hate to spoil the story for you 😂!

Have you read Pride and Prejudice? The equivalent of the Jonsa ship would be like shipping Darcy and Jane because one likes Jane Bennet and then argue that Darcy actually falls for sweet, gentle Jane and not Elizabeth and that Darcy/Jane is canonical. And if we disagree with this it’s because we are sexist Jane haters because Jane’s a girly girl. Absurd right? That’s pretty much the absurdity of Jonsa for book readers.

So why is Jonsa so popular? Briefly, Jonsa is the result of Sansa stans not liking the canon suitors the author has given the character in the books for various reasons. They want Arya's canonical relationship with Jon possibly turning into a romance for their favorite character Sansa or they want Jon and Sansa falling in love instead of any future romance between Jon and Dany. Which is why 80% of their blogs is devoted to tearing down Dany and Arya and involves an unrecognizable mess of a character they call Jon Snow.

Sansa is also the typical beautiful girl who is into romance and songs and fashion and knights, feasts and tourneys - that’s why she gets shipped with everyone. I think she’s the most shipped character in this fandom. And that’s always been a thing since this series started in the nineties. SanSan or Sansa/Sandor Clegane (The Hound) was one of the most popular ships of the series and GRRM has even commented on it.

[As an aside the funny thing is that GRRM is trying to subvert tropes and also write romance for the non conventional girls like Brienne and Dany and Arya (Lyanna is the equivalent of Helen of Troy and Arya is a mini Lyanna) and still this fandom disparages girls like Arya as being ‘male-coded’, ugly and undesirable.]

With the show, they totally ignored SanSan (Which makes sense considering Rory McCann was like 40 or something on the show and Turner is so young - the show cannot go where the books do in terms of these relationships) and instead gave Sansa the story of another tertiary character in the North. Combining characters meant that she got dumped into Jon Snow’s plot and now all of a sudden we have these two good looking actors Sophie Turner and Kit Harington sharing scenes and Jonsa is born (Despite their characters fighting and arguing in 90% of their scenes, and Sansa lying and betraying Jon).

Benioff and Weiss’ Sansa fanfiction meant that Sansa now gets all of Arya’s story beats and narrative themes on the show. And instead of treating it like a crack ship/AU fanfiction, they try to shove this ship into the books and attack anyone who tries to point out how absurd this ship is. And despite GRRM insisting that his story is different and going in different directions, they think that the garbage writing of the show is going to happen in the books

I would also like to point out that, from my experience in fandom, most Jon Snow fans don’t ship Jonsa. And I am talking about fans who genuinely like book Jon Snow. Not the one’s who claim to be a Jon fan and their blog is 90% about Sansa.These two characters have nothing to do with each other in the books!

Jonsa is a Sansa ship for and by Sansa stans. Jon is simply a prop there for Sansa to become QITN, get a direwolf Ghost, get her disney princess happy ending with ten babies. Their version of Jon Snow has nothing in common with the book character.

To refer back to my original P&P comparison, to make Darcy fall in love with Jane one would have to change Darcy’s entire personality.  If Darcy falls for Jane’s beauty and gentle nature instead of Elizabeth’s wit and intelligence, then that’s no longer Pride and Prejudice is it? That’s an AU version of Pride and Prejudice. Or fanfiction based on Pride and Prejudice.

A Darcy who falls in love with Jane Bennet is not the Darcy in the story Austen is writing. In the same way a Jon Snow who falls in love with Sansa Stark is not the Jon Snow in the story George R R Martin  is telling.  

For Jonsa shippers their Jon Snow will be repulsed by Arya Stark and does not care for her, only helps out his friends because they are stand ins for Sansa, is shallow and self-loathing because he thinks he’s not good enough for beautiful Sansa who ignored him because he’s a bastard and craves for the approval of the woman who abused him, Catelyn Stark.

In fact, the Jonsa fandom came up with one of the worst, most nonsensical iterations of Jon Snow I have ever seen in all my years in this fandom. Let me introduce you to the horror that is Political!Jon. You can google it.

Political!Jon is Littlefinger 2.0, a sociopath who will pretend to love Daenerys to get her dragons, deceive her and then kill her, all his true love Sansa Stark can become QITN. And oh, because he does not want his true love to take care of any undesirable bastards, political!Jon will also give Dany some moon tea to abort her baby - that’s abortion!Jon. And Jonsa shippers think that Jon Snow seducing a rape victim, stealing her children (the dragons), aborting her baby and then killing her for Sansa is all so romantic!!

And if not Jon Snow, then it will be Arya who will kill Dany. That’s the whole point of the sword Jon gave Arya - it’s not about their bond and their love and being symbolic of home and identity for Arya. No, Needle is so that Arya can kill Dany and Jon and Sansa can get together! Arya will then turn into a Jonsa cheerleader and fuck off into nowhere on a ship.

I have always compared the Jonsa shippers to the flat earthers of this fandom. Some of the most ridiculous and absurd theories have come out of that side of the fandom and debating with them is like debating with a wall. One can smush all the book text and quotes in their face and they will still be there talking about how Jon Snow loves Sansa because some snow fell on her face in one of the chapters....

[roxyteal]

🦈DENIED PROPAGANDA🦈

Still thinking about that tourney result...

Dave had sincerely believed that this would've been more challenging. A blue creature from... Who knows where, or whatever he was, appeared at the very least physically strong. Dave wasn't weak, exactly, but exercising caution toward any of his opponents was key here.

But, to his surprise, it was like nothing hurt him. The one known as Denied was clearly giving his all, and yet... Nothing. Not even a scratch. It was... Strange, to say the least.

And as of right now, the blue man was lying on the ground, probably one hit away from total defeat. Dave didn't even do much to the guy. Had he overestimated his foe?

Feeling something looming above, he looked. And saw... Oh dear lord.

The votes. It clicked for Dave suddenly. Those meant everything; power and skill increases, damage they may sustain, and who was fated to win to begin with.

It explained everything, but the disdain Dave began to feel was palpable.

Dave heard Denied manage to roll onto his back, staring up at it as well. "Ow- fuck, ow... Ugh." He paused. "Oh. Not even a single person's rooting for me, huh..."

The sadness in his voice wrought emotional pain, which was far more effective than anything physical the blue man tried earlier. Dave couldn't do this anymore, and dismissed his weapon. Besides, there was no way his opponent was going to get up anytime soon. All he could muster for a reply was, "Yeah... Seems like it."

"When I went into this, I thought I'd- Shit, ow, oh my God," Denied tried to say, cutting off from the pain he was in, showing in his strained tone, "I thought I'd do better than this. You know? Probably not win, but... At least... Do something. But... Nobody wants that."

Dave had to turn away, in order to keep himself in check, to blink away tears that began to form. He didn't even know him, never met him until just recently, but... God. It was like being forgotten by the world. Completely unfair.

"No one should be that popular." He mused, unsure if Denied heard him.

Hold on. What were the rules again? As if reading his mind, an info box appeared in front of him, stating everything there was to know.

It doesn't mention that contestants can't vote.

Dave glanced back, finding Denied had essentially curled into a ball, no doubt struggling the entire time. Dave... Really wished he'd pulled his punches, what little he'd done anyway. But, realizing that he wasn't being watched, Dave faced forward again, selecting his phone, and found the polls.

He made sure to log off before finally turning back around. He put on an excited voice as he approached, arm extended to show him. "Wait, look! Someone voted for you! Just now! See?"

"WHAT THE FUCK REALLY?!" As if it'd somehow rejuvenated him, Denied yelled, rushing forward faster than Dave could realize it. This resulted in Dave getting clocked by the blue man's arm, knocking him right off his wheelchair, meters away. He'd also dropped his phone in the process.

He lay there, dazed, trying to put together what just happened.

"Oh, oops! You good?!" He heard the other ask, making it apparent that this was an accident. But even then, Dave had also lowered his guard, believing that there was no need for it.

Well... The votes did have to reflect on the outcome. Perhaps Dave should've braced himself.

"Y... Yeah, I'm fine," At last, he replied, sitting up. Oh, it wasn't going to be easy to get back. Or at least, that was what he thought, until he saw Denied carrying his dropped phone, and pushing his wheelchair over to him. "Ah, thank you."

"Of course!" Then, he flopped back down to the ground, as if whatever amount of reserves he had left had run dry. He was groaning, but his mood had improved. "Wow... At least one person out there likes me."

Once in his wheelchair again, Dave gave him a small smile. "Yeah. It just... Took them a while to find you, that's all."

---

This isn't like, canon or anything. I don't know who actually voted for Denied, but I thought it'd be sweet if it went like this.

Also, I don't know if my (and others') propaganda had much effect in the overall state of things now, but he's come so far, look!!!

I am so proud of him. :')

(Feel free to vote here if you haven't yet!!)