#rhaelya modern au

[thesunwillshineonusagain757]

𝗠𝗘𝗘𝗧 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗔𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗡𝗘𝗧

In almost every sport, rivalries are something normal, even expected occurrences. And even more, foreseen is that those people considered rivals, who compete for the same titles and the same spot of number 1# tennis player of the world, to hate each other. It is considered normal that people that engage in a state of long-lasting rivalry are supposed to hold grudges and hate each other's guts. So when these people become friends, it is already something unexpected. So when the two of them fall in love, being such positives truly shocks the modern tennis world.

𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗢𝗙 𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗦𝗦

Rhaegar Targaryen is a Crownlands tennis player, widely considered one of the greatest players of all time. He began playing tennis at a young age and turned professional at 17, quickly rising through the ranks to become the world's top-ranked player. Targaryen has won a record 20 Grand Slam singles titles, including eight Karhold Open titles and 8 Red Keep titles, and he has spent a record 310 weeks as the world's No. 1 player. He is known for his fluid and graceful playing style, versatility on all surfaces, and exceptional shot-making ability, particularly his one-handed backhand. He was named the King of Grass, but he is not the only king in tennis.

𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗢𝗙 𝗖𝗟𝗔𝗬

Lyanna Stark is a professional Northern tennis player, widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. She turned professional at 15 and quickly established herself as a dominant force in the sport, winning her first Dornish Open title at 17 and ultimately capturing a record 14 Dorne Open titles, along with 20 Grand Slam singles titles in total. Stark is known for her exceptional athleticism, speed, and endurance on the court, as well as her ferocious left-handed forehand and tenacious fighting spirit. Lyanna has also been recognized for her sportsmanship and her wilful, happy-and-go-lucky vibe. She was bestowed the name of the King of Clay after winning the Red Keep for the first time, against Rhaegar, and becoming the number 1# player, in the world.

𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚 :

Alternate Universe - Tennis | Tennis | Alternate Universe - Modern Setting | Rivals to Friends to Lovers | Friends to Lovers |Rivalry | Angst and Fluff and Smut | Slow Burn | Based On Real World Rivalry | Sunshine x Grumpy | Introvert and Extrovert | Clay and Grass | Mutual Pining | Trauma | Feelings Realization | Tennis Players | Tennis jargon will be explained | Dual POV | Gen Z Memes

[hewantshisbrideback]

Nobody can definitively say the means which lead to the tragic ends of two such beloved public figures. Nobody can name what it was that brought the last Targaryen heir to the throne and the only daughter of House Stark together in the first place. No one knows exactly what happened, not in truth, but people can speculate. And speculate, they do.

A SONG OF INTERVIEWS AND FAKE NEWS: Retrospectives on Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark

[lapetiteshippeuse]

Okay but in a Game of Thrones Modern AU, Rhaegar plays guitar and piano and he did compose Another love for Lyanna

[asongofstarkandtargaryen]

Hey I saw you post a lot about rhaelya do you know any active rhaelya writers here or in like ao3?

I'm afraid I'm not the best person to ask about it since I mostly read Jon Snow fics. Still, I do know a couple of active rhaelya writers:

@thesunwillshineonusagain757 -they have many beautiful modern au! rhaelya fics.

@lasthopesolo - they have a very interesting ongoing canon divergence rhaelya story

@sweetestpopcorn -they write Targ stories in general and also have an ongoing rhaelya story

I can't think of any other story but I'm also tagging @sweettacoghosthero who is a Rhaelya expert and probably has more recommendations than me.

Also, I'm posting it in the rhaelya tag so more fans can also jump in and offer their own recommendations =)

[a-fic-reviewer-757]

Eu postei 13 vezes em 2022

Foram 13 posts a mais do que em 2021!

13 posts criados (100%)

0 posts reblogados (0%)

Eu marquei 13 posts meus em 2022

#ao3 - 13 posts

#ao3 fic - 12 posts

#modern au - 7 posts

#game of thrones - 3 posts

#got - 3 posts

#a song of ice and fire - 3 posts

#asoiaf - 3 posts

#lyanna x rhaegar - 2 posts

#lyanna stark - 2 posts

#rhaegar targaryen - 2 posts

Maior tag: 55 caracteres

#i don’t know if they have a ship name franzo or lorenco

Meus principais posts em 2022:

#5

Need an engine spark to ignite my heart

by: vivacisskimo| word count : 10430| AO3 |chapters: 1/1 | rating : mature

Summary :

“I’d have introduced myself, but I get the sense you know who I am,” Lyanna flirts, and the man’s indigo eyes dance, “this is my party, after all.”

“Oh I’m certainly aware,” he cocks his head like something is outrageously funny, “I’m the one throwing it for you.”

.

Or, Formula 1 prodigy Lyanna Stark won't settle for anything less than a world championship. A serendipitous encounter with a stranger who turns out to be anything but reminds her that fortune favors the bold.

Tags :

Alternate Universe - Formula One | Alternate Universe - Modern Setting | Racecar Driver Lyanna | Getting Together | Running Away | Minor Catelyn Tully Stark/Ned Stark | Minor Oberyn Martell/Ellaria Sand | Past Elia Martell/Rhaegar Targaryen | gratuitous feminism in motor racing

Review : 💜 💜 💜 💜 💜

Very well written, to fans of F1 it's specially good, it has a very good grammar and has very good characters not just development but in witting, you actually see the characters in that Au even thought it's quite modern. The only thing that I didn't really know why was the written made Lyanna Dornish and not Northern, not something that appears too much in the story, but it does not hinder on the experience of the fic. For people looking for a Rhaelya modern fic it is a very good start.

41 notas - publicadas em 11 de agosto de 2022

#4

Wait and Hope

by: mightbewriting| word count : 94948 | AO3 | chapters: 12/12 | rating : mature

Summary :

“Harry,” Hermione began, voice very controlled, but she could feel the blade of panic slicing at her vocal cords. “Why was Draco Malfoy just screaming bloody murder about his,” and the word almost strangled her as she said it, “wife?”

Harry's green eyes blew wide. Healer Lucas pinched the bridge of her nose, clearly displeased with the recent series of events.

“He was referring to you, my dear,” she said. “That was the other question you got wrong. Your name is Hermione Jean Granger-Malfoy.”

Hermione had to be sedated again.

[In which Hermione loses the last six year's worth of her memories, including the entirety of her relationship and marriage to Draco.]

Tags :

Memory Loss | Romance | Slow Burn | draco is trying so hard | hermione is so confused | harry is so harry | ginny is tired because toddlers | ron is very uncomfortable | lavender is there | pansy goes nuclear | theo is trawling for a boyfriend | blaise just wants to have a drink

Review : 💜 💜 💜 💜 💜

That I've always found Dramione a superior ship should be no secret to anyone near me, and this fic is one of the reasons why. It's a fic about memory loss, and Hermione loses her memory due to an accident and Draco who is her husband has to take care of him, tell her about their relationship and control her emotions. It's practically them falling in love again. And it's the reason why I am ride or die in Dramione. So I highly recommend it.

70 notas - publicadas em 16 de agosto de 2022

#3

Like stars in the summer night

by: Dark_Violet | word count : 54024 | AO3 |chapters: 14/ 14 | rating : explicit

Summary :

Yes, another getting together story. In which Nicolò wants to go home but needs a guide, and Yusuf doesn't want to be alone, therefore accepts to accompany him. They still hate everything about eachother, though, and being together sometimes just brings out the worst of them both.

Also, the journey is long and dangerous and it's safer if Nicolò pretends to be Yusuf's prisoner. Or maybe not?

Tags :

Canon-Typical Violencemention of slavery | Angst| Fluff| Eventual Smut | Slow Burn | Enemies to Friends to Lovers | Getting Together | Period-Typical Racism| First Time | Top Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani | Loss of Virginity | Drama & Romance| Threats of Rape/Non-Connot between the main pairing tho| Not Beta Read| Bottom Nicky | Nicolò di Genova

Review : 💜 💜 💜 💜 💜

What a fucking ride, 5/5 starts. It's a beautiful origin story where Nicky and Joe are amazing together, it is very emotional, and I already consider this the most canon version f their origin story. Nicolo is a lovely person and Yusuf is also amazing, the thing that made me like this fic the most is that it does not demonize anyone for their culture or religion. It's a masterpiece !

88 notas - publicadas em 12 de agosto de 2022

#2

We Make the Rules

by: sameboots| word count : 30667| AO3 |chapters: 10/10 | rating : explicit

Summary :

Brienne Tarth is tired of being Brienne the Virgin. Brienne is also awkward, shy, has no time for dating, and doesn't want to figure out how to broach the topic of virginity if she ever does date again. Enter Jaime Lannister: her handsome colleague who is also perpetually single, much to Brienne's confusion. But as tends to happen, the perfectly reasonable solution to a perfectly ridiculous problem gets a little more complicated.

--

“You asked me for a favor.” He places his elbows on the table, leaning over them, getting even closer to her. “And that favor was for me to sleep with you.”

Brienne might have a heart attack or vomit, there’s really no way to predict at this point, both seem imminently likely. She miserably answers, “Yes.”

Jaime’s eyebrows furrow again, his mouth firming in concentration. It’s possible the most painful part of this entire conversation is how well she knows his face, his expressions, how easily she can read him now.

“In that case, I have questions.”

Tags :

Friends With Benefits | Loss of Virginity | First Time | Mutual Pining | Resolved Sexual Tension| Unresolved Emotional Tension | Alternate Universe - Lawyers | Alternate Universe - Modern Setting

Review : 💜 💜 💜 💜 💜

Most beautiful fic, everything is beautiful for you who are looking for a Modern AU of Game of Thrones/ A song of ice and fire, this here is perfect. It's a modern AU that also sets Brienne and Jaime as lawyers and colleagues in a law office, and the elements of the friends with benefits relationship and how they develop that into a loving relationship, wonderful. The smut is wonderful and the characters are very good. I recommend it.

157 notas - publicadas em 15 de agosto de 2022

Meu post nº 1 de 2022

that i may rise and stand, o'erthrow me

by: mortaltemples | word count : 8229 | AO3 | chapters: 10/10| rating : Explicit

Summary :

The line between lies and truth is fine indeed.

No one knows that better than Halbrand.

“I cannot help but be curious…what happens,” he sneered, “When she finds out? Do you truly believe that the golden princess of the Noldor will forgive you? Do you think she will grant you absolution?” The air was silent until --

“Do you truly believe that she will want you?”

Tags :

Angst | Worship | stripping someone but in a 'worshipping your god' way | Spoilers | Speculation | Potential Major Spoilers | Emotional Hurt/Comfort | they're in LOVE your honour | Confrontations | Post-Episode 6 | Big 'take me to church' vibes | now with added smut | and even more angst | Please note the change in rating | Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence

Review : 💜 💜 💜 💜 💜

I have to admit I do ship Galadriel and Halbrand mainly because he is Sauron ( yes I'm that bitch ). I've read the Silmarillion, Lord of the Rings and Hobbit and still, Sauron is my baby girl okay. I know he committed war crimes, but babe someone can fix him and her name is Galadriel. This fic has a lot of that even if the end is quite bittersweet, but still I loved it, the smut wasn't as extensive as I would like but still the way that Galadriel is compared to Morgoth in the sense that she is the new "god" that Sauron worships, and that she is the most of the light he would ever know in his lifetime is very good. So for people that have just watched the Rings of Power, and are now as I am shipping Saurondriel.

402 notas - publicadas em 14 de outubro de 2022

Veja a sua Retrospectiva 2022 →

[lorelei-4]

I've Just Seen a Face

There followed a gentle almost apologizing tap on the door, and a young man — very much like Viserys in appearance — came in. “I’m sorry,” he said, panting heavily, “am I so awfully late?”

For a couple of moments Lyanna just stared at him, her mouth shamelessly agape. She had heard before that valyrians were beautiful and both Viserys and his mother were living proof of that. But that man belonged to some different dimension of beauty — he looked like a god descended upon Planetos right from heaven. He was tall, with broad shoulders, but lean, his features were something in the middle between sharp and elegant but still reminded Lyanna of marble statues she had seen in the Old Valyria Hall of the State Museum of Arts. “You are,” Lyanna managed finally as Viserys rushed into an older man’s hug. “I was worried something happened to his mum. But I contacted her and she told me that you’d come.” 

Lyanna is a nurse in a kindergarten and meets Rhaegar when he comes there to pick up Viserys. Sparks fly, but everything is not that easy as it seems... [Link]

[blue-rose-of-wolves]

Rhaegar x Lyanna Day 4

@myrhaelyablog

@lyannadaily

@rhaegardaily

@rhaegarxlyanna

@asoiafrarepairs

@thelastdragonsnet

[delisianna]

Sugar Baby

Preview Chapter 6

Bang, Bang, Bang!

"Lyanna aren't you ready yet? It's almost eight!"

Bang, Bang!

"We need to leave now if we want to beat traffic getting into the city." Chuckling under his breath saying the last part. "Unless you're you in there getting all pretty for Jorah Mormont."

She was going to kill him!

Dropping the eyeliner out of her right hand, having already messed up the smoky eye look she was going for. Quickly looking behind her making sure her stupid brother had not woken Jon up from his sleep after it took so long just to get him to lay back down for bed last night. After she'd woken him, despite her father's complaints on doing so after both she and Benjen got in from the fundraising gala.

Carefully hurrying her steps towards her door, opening it in the nick of time just as Benjen was about to knock it once again. "Are you trying to wake my son knocking so hard? Even after you knew he was in here with me idiot?" She asked, using her right index finger to poke his barely defined chest.

Lifting his hands in the air apologetically, "forgive me for not thinking Jon would still be in here asleep, instead of dad's room, since we have to leave this damn early in the morning Lya!"

[aerltarg]

(i'm so sorry, anon! i just started to answer and then tumblr ate it all up 😭 luckily, saved the screenshot)

tbhq, it feels like you've come to the wrong person bc i'm very picky w the arranged marriage aus, especially if this concept is a thing and even a norm in the canon setting. i just don't see the appeal of forcing two ppl on each other bc it's far more serious than the classic “oh there's only one bed in the room!!” or smth like that lmao, it's traumatic and still does affect women in the most negative way irl. my personal stance on this, of course, comes from the fact that it is smth that influences the culture and lives of real women of my own country nowadays.

when it comes to rhaelya, i love how they canonically defied the status quo, which harms everyone in one way or another, by trying to escape the shitty trap ppl call an (arranged) marriage in their world. rhaelya are many things but for me personally it's abt a choice. i'm deeply uninterested in pairings that lack this freedom of choice and thus don't like aus even for my otps that deny them this freedom. of course, i've come across enough of arranged marriage rhaelya aus in the past. however, i liked only a few of them, the ones that described in detail or even focused on them falling in love before the marriage and that clearly showed that there was indeed a choice and that both characters entered their relationship willingly. and i genuinely didn't like the stories that didn't serve this aspect however much my co-shippers might praise those.

if rhaegar and lyanna were an arranged match, their whole dynamic would be very different. and “friends in arranged marriage” would make them just another couple of two highborns who were forced to marry bc of politics in their pseudo medieval world. imo, better than the majority bc it's rlly a russian roulette when you just throw one person at the other without considering anything regarding their personalities and expecting them to have an amiable relationship, let's alone building a decent family (and especially not in the sense we as modern ppl understand this), is just foolish but still. so going from “friends in arranged marriage” to “actually we fell in love after being married” must be rlly complicated.

sorry if it came out as criticism and discouragement! i never meant this, only shared my personal opinion on this. in the end of the day all of us are entitled to our own preferences and ofc all of us are free to play w whatever aus we want! they're meant to be fun after all and if you genuinely enjoy this that's all that matters!

[thesunwillshineonusagain757]

𝗥𝗛𝗔𝗘𝗟𝗬𝗔 𝗠𝗢𝗗𝗘𝗥𝗡 ( 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 ) - ➥ 𝟭𝟭/∞

Viserys is Rhaegar's younger brother, and he is finally 18, and unlike his brother Vis, has a personally starkly different from his Rhae. Rather, he is much more compatible with his brother's girlfriend Lyanna, they both have an appetite for the chaotic ways of life. So when Viserys turns 18 Lyanna has the best idea for entertaining her brother is law's party, and with that she encourages her boyfriend to do something he had been thinking of doing for a long time. But the old man in Rhaegar still tells him that it would be too much of a midlife crisis to do it now. But after further encouragement from Lyanna he ends up doing it and in the end Viserys and their mother Rhaella suggest it becomes a family thing.

[thesunwillshineonusagain757]

𝗥𝗛𝗔𝗘𝗟𝗬𝗔 𝗠𝗢𝗗𝗘𝗥𝗡 ( 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 ) - ➥ 𝟲/∞

It's Arthur Dayne's 36th birthday, and yes he is a Scorpio ( wow what a shocker ), Ashara decides to throw him a surprise party and everyone is having a hard time thinking what they should give him. But Lyanna, with some reservations from Rhaegar decided to go nuclear, and give Arthur the gift that will secure her place as the best gift giver of the year. They get him Salazar a dachshund puppy, it's safe to say from his reaction that she safely secured the spot. And also we have a very heartfelt message from Rhaegar, because everyone deserves to have a friend that messages you at 3am to know if you're okay.

[thesunwillshineonusagain757]

𝗥𝗛𝗔𝗘𝗟𝗬𝗔 𝗠𝗢𝗗𝗘𝗥𝗡 ( 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 ) - ➥ 𝟱/∞

Lyanna and Rhaegar have to deal with a crisis, Lya's brother Brandon a very notorious fuck boy, surprises everyone by announcing that he is dating Ashara Dayne, Arthur Dayne’s sister, yes that Arthur, Rhaegar’s bff. Dayne has an overprotective brother moment and Lyanna is a bit offended at his reacting towards her brother. However, as always saint Rhaegar Targaryen, the bullshit easier, comes around and gets everyone whelmed, even offering himself for torture, a night of karaoke. Which helps everyone trauma bond, since Brandon and Arthur prove to be terrible singers.

[thesunwillshineonusagain757]

𝐈 𝐀𝐋𝐖𝐀𝐘𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈'𝐃 𝐒𝐄𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐀𝐆𝐀𝐈𝐍

This couldn't be fucking happening, nope, nope, nope, after everything she had done to ensure this wouldn't happen, why the fuck was this happening now, when all finally seemed to be okay, and their lives were finally at the most peaceful they had been for years. After everything she had done, this couldn't be fucking happening, after all she had given up, this couldn't be happening right. He couldn't be there in front of her, standing soaked wet, and with tha smile on his face, the one that made her think twice about anything, and from what she could see 10 years only made him age like fine wine, because even after 10 years Rhaegar Targaryen was still the most handsome man she had ever seen.

LYANNA STARK

She is a journalist who moved to the south to advance on her career, there she starts to cover and review music, in this environment she meets the father of her son, a very talented musician who was starting to become famous. They embark on a romance, but after one year together she discovers she is pregnant, and fearing the consequences it could have on the lives of others, she decides to flee the country. And only 10 years later she returns to Westeros, and by a very well planned accident finds her way back to long-lost love again.

RHAEGAR TARGARYEN

Rhaegar, is a Westerosi musician and singer from Dragonstone/ Summerhall . He is part of the folk, soul, and blues scene, often using religious and literary themes. He had his international breakthrough at 20, at the time he was convinced to get into a PR relationship with a fellow musician called Elia Martell, they were never in love, so they opened the relationship, later having 2 children by insemination. Rhaegar never thought he was finding love however when he was 25 he met the journalist Lyanna Stark and fell head over hills for her.

WARNING :

Second Chances l Inspired by The Parent Trap (1998) l Alternate Universe - Modern Setting lAlternate Universe - Canon l Divergence l Musicians Rhaegar! l Journalist Lyanna! l This is going to be a mess l My angst level is up l Angst and Feels l Angst and Fluff and Smut l Angst and Humor l Idiots in Love l Second-Hand Embarrassmentl Bad decision-making from all parties involved l

[thesunwillshineonusagain757]

𝗥𝗛𝗔𝗘𝗟𝗬𝗔 𝗠𝗢𝗗𝗘𝗥𝗡 ( 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 ) ➥ 𝟰/∞

Lyanna and Rhaegar go to Howland and Domeric's wedding, but they also plan to have some fun of their own while they go to Howland's home town Greywater the seat of House Reed in the north. They also end up planning to stay an extended time there, and having some fun for themselves. Also, Rhaegar as an older Millennial learns the meaning of some internet slang like serving cunt and zaddy. And the trip is brought to a perfect end, when Lya mentions that the event being amazing enough for her to ALMOST want to get married, and Rhaegar gets exited, seeing he is the last romantic in Westeros.

[thesunwillshineonusagain757]

【 𝐀 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐊 】

Love is a harsh business, where not many people find what they were looking for, most people and to be more specific, 75% of people say they had never experienced love in their lives, at least not in its truest form. And most human inhabitants find love on their work place, it makes sense really, to fall in love with people that you have a lot in common with, such as a job.

【 Rhaegar Targaryen 】

If Rhaegar Lucaerys Aelon Targaryen, was to be described in 6 words, those would be : strategic, intellectual, shy, rational, determined and perfectionist. The man is well known for being the oldest son of the Targaryen family, and an exemplary person, graduating from medical university, top of his class, does philanthropic work and is all around a model citizen. Although, in the last 5 years his life has suffered some hiccups, like the divorced from his wife, who he is still very much friends with. And the way he was forced to abandon his job as a neurosurgeon to take care of his families assets after his father had a nervous breakdown.

【 Lyanna Stark 】

If Lyanna Aleksander Rickardevna Stark, was to be described in 6 words, those would be: direct, blunt, decisive, driven and ambitious. The woman is known as the third child and only daughter of the Stark family, a professional person being a cut-throat lawyer, and feared adversary, she never lost any cases, and has the reputation for being a no nonsense kind of person. However, she wasn't always the feared professional she is now. Lya had a tragedy 5 years prior that changed her forever, it left her with physical and psychological scars that would ravage her for the rest of her life. But instead of discouraging her, it only gave her more fuel for her to succeed through it, almost as if she started to live out of spite.

WARNINGS :

Alternate Universe - Office/ Modern Setting | Referenced Self-Harm | References to Child Death | Depression| Enemies to Friends to Lovers | Rivals With Benefits | Rivals to Reluctant Friends to Friends With Benefits to Kind of in Love to Lovers | Light BDSM | Femdom | Malesub | Demisexual Male Character | Pansexual Female Character

[hewantshisbrideback]

Modern AU Jonrya + Divorced!RhaeLya Snippet

Test-running this the same way I did NHAT's first chapter! Keep in mind, this is not specifically RhaeLya or anti-RhaeLya. That said, Rhaegar, by virtue of being raised as more of a 'boy prince' than actual prince, has a characterization you may not agree with! But I don't care, it's my fic lol. Not a lot happens in this first snippet, it's more to establish the home-life Jon is coming from, the dynamic between Rhaegar and Lyanna, and because I find writing from this perspective funny. There is not a lot of Jonrya and only the set up for conflict. Enjoy! Please, tell me what you think.

It’s an age-old story. A real crowd favorite. Boy meets girl. Girl meets boy. Boy sings a sad song. Girl cries. Boy gives her roses. Girl looks pretty with flowers in her hair. A classic love story, one for the books.

Things may have progressed a little quickly after. But, still, nothing truly out of the ordinary. Girl got pregnant. Boy proposed. Well… Boy had to get a divorce first. But it was a quick divorce.

Sure, maybe after the shotgun wedding, Boy and Girl had to hide out in the desert for a while, disappeared from the public without telling anyone where they went, resulting in a media-fuelled frenzy, a nation-wide search party involving everyone from paparazzi to armed police to private investigators…

Maybe her family had publicly accused him of kidnapping before the dust had settled. Acquitted of all charges, both in the legal court and that of public opinion.

Still, when Rhaegar looks back at how he and Lyanna first met, first fell in love, it really did feel that simple, that… uncomplicated, at the time. The politics, their respective family drama, the music scene and the industry bullshit, the age gap that was only a little less scandalous at the time…

He hadn’t cared about that. Neither had magazines, or newspapers. If anything, they’d eaten it all up. It only made them more sympathetic. For the most part. According to all the important publications, anyway.

Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen had been... the love story to end all love stories. Had been, as in, weren’t anymore, because, as anyone could tell you, they hadn’t been married for, say, like… a decade now? Somewhere between a decade, and thirteen years, four months, and twenty-one days.

And yet, it still smarts to think about it. Better not to, if he can help it.

Unfortunately, there’s nothing in the great, empty expanse of fucking woods he’s staring down to distract him. Why does Lyanna live out here again? Shouldn’t someone running a non-profit live somewhere with actual people around, in need of help?

Frankly, he never understood why they divorced in the first place. But I respected her wishes. Because I loved her.

Obviously. He wouldn’t be leaning against his car, waiting for his son to finally emerge from his aloof (second) ex-wife’s cabin in the woods if that wasn’t the case, all so he could spend a weekend enjoying the kid’s brooding company, pointedly not asking questions about how his mother was and what she was doing in her spare time when she wasn’t too busy saving the world and ignoring his calls.

Rhaegar taps his foot. Crosses his arms. Checks his hair in the passenger window. Uncrosses his arms. Checks his phone, again. Nothing. He texted Jon about his arrival three minutes ago.

Maybe, sometimes their conversation verged into discussion-of-Mom territory. But there was only so much for him and Jon to talk about. The kid was almost sixteen, permanently unimpressed with him, and he made no secret of the resentment he felt for him.

Rhaegar wanted to connect, he did, but he also had to acknowledge certain limitations to his position. The one thing they both shared was Lyanna. It made sense to fall back to common ground in lieu of any other options.

And he’s curious. Sue him. The woman is a bank vault when it comes to her personal life. Always was. Just ask the press. They'd tell you.

Rhaegar checks his phone. Four minutes. He thinks he can get away with ringing the doorbell. There’s literally ice on the ground. Even his openly embittered son doesn’t actually want him to freeze to death.

Well, he assumes. But the void of interest in Jon’s gaze as he opens the door and claps eyes on him might make him reconsider.

“Hey, champ.” Rhaegar forces out, and pretends like he isn’t internally grimacing at his own words. “Uh, I texted, but…”

Jon nods, already turning around, walking away and leaving the screen door to drift shut on his father. “I know.”

Rhaegar wedges a foot in before the heavy screen can shut him out completely, then shifts awkwardly in the doorway, propping it open. “You ready to head out?”

“Almost.”

He takes that as an invitation to step inside. Jon’s disappeared into a door beyond the stairs - the den, or the dining room? It’s been a while since Rhaegar got to really see the place. He’s never gotten an actual tour, technically, has maybe been in the kitchen twice, ever, let alone the rest of the place. Technically, it's a converted ranger station from back when the family held private ownership over the woods. For all he knows, it's an armory back there.

He glances around surreptitiously for a second, wondering if he has enough time to poke his head around - innocently, of course - only for Lyanna to skid into view before he can even move past the wet room. His pulse quickens, but before he can pull out a greeting as equally as cringeworthy as the first, she interrupts.

“Oh, good. You’re here. I’m heading out then.” She pushes an earring in with lethal precision and force, not even sparing a glance at the conveniently-placed hall mirror, calling back into the house, “Jon? I’m heading out! Did you hear me?”

Rhaegar almost has a heart attack when Jon pops his head in from the nearest room - he could’ve sworn the only way to the back was through the main hall, last time he was here - with a furrowed brow and a playful scowl on display. “Yeah, I’m right here. You don’t need to yell.”

Lyanna is doing her eyeliner, but she pauses to raise her own brows at him in warning. “Sometimes I think you could do with me yelling at you more, actually.”

He rolls his eyes. “Is that even possible?”

She smacks her hairbrush in his general direction in response, a fruitless gesture so familiar to Rhaegar it hurts. “Would you get out of here? With your… teenage… attitude? Ugh.” She fixes her lipstick then shoves her tools in her purse.

“Brutal, mom. Do you have my charger?”

“Our charger,” she insists. “It’s in the den. Go watch some dumb, scary movie, would you? Have a good time with your dad. And get out of my hair!”

Jon gives her a brisk salute as she hurries past.

“We will! Uh, have a good time,” Rhaegar assures her, but his eyes get caught on her cocktail dress, as she scoots past him, adjusts the skirt, and grabs her coat. “Where are you off to? Didn’t think you were even allowed to leave the woods.”

She gives him a slightly withering glance, then shrugs, smiles. “I have a thing.” By now Jon has joined them in the wet room, and she turns to give him a quick kiss on the cheek. “Lock up when you leave. I’ll see you two later.”

“Gross.” Jon waves from the door as she sidesteps the ice in her heels on her way to her truck. “Bye, mom. Be safe!”

“No worrying, kiddo! Have fun.”

“I know. But still.”

“Thanks, honey,” she clambers into the truck, blows a big, fat kiss from the window, intentionally over-the-top. “Mwah.”

Rhaegar follows her out, takes advantage of her patting around the front seat to plug her phone in. “Seriously, we never talk anymore. What’s the big occasion?”

She gives him a look he decides is indecipherable, then sighs. “Just meeting up with old friends of the family.” She finds the right chord to plug in her phone, then shoos him away from the window. “Okay. Really, this time - I’ll see you guys later.”

By the time she’s pulled out, and he’s shaken himself from his suspicious stupor, Jon is joining him out in the driveway. He shakes his head, then turns and gives him a fond, knowing look. “Where is she actually going?”

Jon, shrugging and hiking his backpack up his shoulder, returns the knowing look, if... decidedly less fond. “Some kind of double date.”

“What?” Rhaegar scoffs. “With who?”

“Uncle Ned and Aunt Catelyn.”

Interesting, but irrelevant. “No, who is she going with?”

“I don’t know. One of the Baratheons.” Jon is walking toward the car at this point.

“Shit!” Rhaegar jolts to follow, stops and curses as he almost slips on the ice, resumes his path with more caution. “Shit. Which one?”

“I don’t remember,” Jon says, popping open the trunk. He throws his luggage in the back.

Rhaegar rubs the back of his neck, exhaling a little in relief at just making it to the car without face-planting. “It can’t be Robert, is it? That’s insane.”

Jon pauses getting into the passenger seat to slip his backpack off his shoulder and spare his father a faintly exasperated look. “Dad…”

“Look, I - I know your uncle and him are friends, I’m sure he’s… fine, but… your mom hates him,” he rushes to clarify. Jon rolls his eyes and gets in the car, and Rhaegar scrambles to follow suit. “She always has.”

“I mean, it’s really none of your business.”

“Right, but… Right. I’m not saying she can’t. I’m just saying it would be stupid, and I hope your uncle hasn’t convinced her to give him another chance, when -”

“Are we going?” Jon interrupts, then sinks into his seat with a strange expression. “Arya and I have been waiting to see this for ages.”

“Uh…” Rhaegar blinks. Thinks. Starts to dig out his keys. “Yeah, we can go…” He starts the engine, but doesn’t take it out of park. “Just, let the engine warm up… How is Arya doing, lately, by the way? She wants to see this film?”

“Yeah,” Jon answers, slouching in his seat. “Has wanted to, for a while, now.”

“How’s she doing? You get to see her much, now she’s getting older?”

Jon turns to pretend to look at something out the window. Rhaegar knows he’s pretending. He was staring at the same goddamn woods waiting for a text for four minutes, so. “Not as much.”

Rhaegar takes this as an opportunity to change the address on his phone. “Is she busy tonight?”

“No.” No uncertainty. Not even a pause.

“You want to invite her along?”

“Seriously?” 

“Why not?” Rhaegar starts backing out of the driveway. “She’s allowed to watch scary movies, right?”

“Yeah, we watch them all the time.” Good. It was a fifty-fifty bet, considering what Catelyn and Ned are respectively like as parents.

“Why don’t you text her? We’re early anyway. We can start heading down that way, and if she says no, we’ll just… You know. Course-correct.”

“Okay. Yeah. I’ll text her.”

“Good. Great. We’ll just… head for your uncle Ned’s.”

And if they happened to run into Lyanna when they got there, well... that's a non-issue.

❦

Thanks so much for reading! Hope it piqued your interest, even though there wasn't a ton of Jonrya right away. It's partly written but not enough to share for feedback. I'm curious to get feedback on the Rhaegar and Lyanna dynamic - I know the characters have huge fans and huge antis and frankly I'm half curious and half worried as to how either party will be reacting to the situation, lol! Anyway, thanks again.