To read early:
Chapter 19 : 'The Northern Fist'
Chapter 20: 'Double Dual'
Chapter 21: 'Dragon against Wolf'
Chapter 22: 'The Tournament of Pretenders'
Chapter 23: "The divided Pack"
Chapter 24: "Too far, too late"
Chapter 25: "The Ghosts of Guilt"
Chapter 26 : "How time and blood flow"
Chapter 27: "Those who rule over Winter"
Chapter 28: "Clinging to hope"
Chapter 29: "The Barn owl"
Chapter 30: "Legends"
Chapter 31: "The Starks of Winterfell"
Chapter 32: "Ice and Fire"
Chapter 33: "Rhaenyra and Arthur"
Chapter 34: "The Choice is not the one you thought"
Chapter 35: "What we are meant to be"
Chapter 36: "The Fresh air of the North"
Chapter 37: "From this day, Until our last day"
Chapter 38: "Husband and Wife"
Chapter 39: "The Heirs' Meeting"
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w w w . p a t r(e)on (slash) MonsieurLAH
Enjoy reading!
Chapter XVIII : The Tale of Waters and Snow
Arthur Stark had recently acquired the reputation of a hard worker, since handmaidens had discovered him sleeping on his desk with ink all over his face on multiple occasions. The Court reacted well to those tales, and all of Otto Hightower's political rivals did not miss the chance to mock the Reachman's supposed lack of dedication to his work, by comparing him once again to his Northern successor.
The truth however, was not as glorious. It was true that Arthur had locked himself in his office and buried his head in a mountain of work, it was true that he was fully dedicated to his task and worked hard to better his King's rule, but the actual reason of his renewed dedication, was to hide from Rhaenyra.
It had been a week now since she had kissed him, and that moment had haunted him. He had had nightmares of Rasha; sometimes she was laughing at his inability to reject women, other times, she was cursing him for her death and accused him of trying to forget about her. He had dreamt of Rhaenyra, of her lips, of her skin, he had dreamt of them coupling in a tent beyond the Wall, in the Lord's bed at Winterfell, and on the damn Iron Throne of all places.
He perfectly recalled that moment, her words; 'be alive with me'. Arthur would never forget, because he had felt it. He hadn't been with a woman in almost five years and had little to no taste for whores since he had met Rasha. Yet Rhaenyra had woken something in him that had almost led him to one of the capital's brothel. But he knew he'd ruin everything if he surrendered himself to this. He had to endure… But that damn Valyrian girl was not making things easy.
Even though he had always found her beautiful, Arthur had never… fantasied about her beauty nor her body.
He had not spoken to his Princess since that day, but he thought about her far too often for his liking, and not in this most dignified way.
This was getting on his nerves, it angered him far more than anything else.
Rhaenyra… she was doing everything in her power to have him wrapped around her finger, perhaps she did love him but… Did she care about what he felt? About everything he was risking? Did she care about what he had said? What he wanted?
She was getting over herself, she was assuming that whatever was between them was love. But that wasn't, it was for her, perhaps, but not for him. Arthur was aroused and attracted by Rhaenyra, yet he knew deep down that he did not love her. If he did, he would have done the same stupid thing he did with Rasha; forget about everything and loosing himself in her.
The memory of his dead love pierced his guts like a Valyrian steel knife, he gritted his teeth and rose from his desk. Shadow, who had been sleeping on the oversize cushion that Rhaenyra had bought for him, rose his head and followed his friend's pacing with his yellow eyes.
Arthur finally stoped brooding and went to sit by his window to look at this cesspool of a city that he ruled as his King's Hand. Rhaenyra was not leaving his thoughts, she was a persistent image in his mind, one he was simply unable to erase. He massaged his temples and sighed.
Perhaps he was thinking too hard. The Princess had discussed her courtship with her Father and spoke about the organization of a tourney as if it had been her idea. Needless to say, Viserys had been delighted by the news. He was very fond of tourneys, and the feasts and balls that came with it. And for once, Daemon would not be here. Arthur had not shared his enthusiasm, the fact that Rhaenyra had went to her Father herself had worried him. After all, she had slapped him multiple times and opened her own palms with her nails when he had informed her of what was going to happen. So why the change of heart? Especially after everything she had confessed and the kiss they had shared? Arthur knew she was up to something, and it gnawed his insides.
"Whatever her trap, I must not fall for it." He thought. "Once this tourney is over, Rhaenyra will be forced to choose a husband, and it will not be me. This will put an end to her fantasies and we will start to move forward… For the good of the Realm and her claim."
Those were his thoughts, but he would be lying if he said he would not be bothered to see his Princess wed to another man. It accelerated his heartbeat and made his wolfsblood boil. He sneered and sighed through his teeth.
"I must remain calm, this will be over soon…Rhaenyra will be wed, her rule secure, and I… will make sure her siblings are well raised. Once I am done, I will leave this fucking city, and everything it took from me. I will return North and end my days at home. This is how things must be."
Arthur snorted, those things were easier said than done, but he knew his duty, and he was a dutiful man. Rhaenyra could not take that away from him, no matter how hard she tried.
"Perhaps… Perhaps I should not be so harsh on her… It would be hypocritical of me.I miss her… I miss our talks and our teases. Maybe we should enjoy whatever time we have left together before the tourney happens. But I can't let her have the upper hand, otherwise she'll use it against me."
He thought long and hard as he looked at the city, and a smile appeared on his face as an idea came to his mind.
"I shouldn't do that." He chuckled. "Those risks are unnecessary…"
"But I want to hear Rhaenyra's laugh, I want to make her smile and happy. I will make those memories and engrave them in my skull. Just enough to make all this time I spent in the South worth it."
"You're a fool, Arthur Stark."
(-)(-)(-)
Night had fallen long before Rhaenyra regained her quarters after an eventless day. The Small Council meeting had been boring, Alicent's tea party in the Gardens had been boring, except for the moment when her mother in law had rushed to prevent Aegon from eating a beetle. Or better yet, when Helaena had walked on all four to none other than Shadow, who had been taking a nap with his mouth covered in rabbit's blood. Alicent had turned paler than a ghost when she had noticed that her little girl had been sleeping against the direwolf's belly. But Rhaenyra had laughed out loud, and commanded the beast to bring her half-sister back to her mother. The wolf had risen its head and discovered the child sleeping against his fur with an astonished look. Then, and after Rhaenyra had commanded the Kingsguard not to unsheathe their swords, he had grabbed Helaena by her clothes and brought her back to Alicent without waking the little Princess. The Reachwoman had been so terrified by Shadow that her hands and arms had been shaking when she had collected her daughter from the Direwolf's mouth. Rhaenyra had never stoped smiling and had started to scratch the beast's nape.
"See? What did I tell you? He is nothing but an overgrown…"
Arthur's animal interrupted her by loudly licking her cheek, leaving a trail of rabbit blood on her frozen face.
Rhaenyra had remained paralyzed in disgust for a few seconds before whining:
"No! Shadow! No! Bad Direwolf! Why?"
She would have kept chastising him had she not heard the ladies laughters and the wolf's whimpering in apology. She sighed, wiped her cheek with a silk handkerchief and scratched the wolf's skull to inform him that she was not mad. Shadow had went back to his nap and Alicent had been relieved to have Helaena back in her arms.
Rhaenyra let herself fall on her bed, and absentmindedly thought of Arthur. She thought about the kiss they had shared and the words she had told him and found herself aching for more. She had been so close, so damn close to break his defenses down… but that damn stubborn Northerner of hers had denied her, for now. He had not repelled her, not really, this was progress. Rhaenyra was going the right way, he would be hers, they would be together, Ice and Fire, just like Aegon's song.
Then she heard something click, and she instantly got up with widened eyes. The secret door that led to Maegor's maze opened and for a brief and terrifying moment, she thought that Daemon was about to come out of the darkness. Yet, it was the grinning face of Arthur Stark that her candles' light illuminated.
Rhaenyra let out a deep sigh of relief when she saw her wolf and chuckled nervously.
"Expecting someone else?" Arthur asked as he crossed his arms and leaned against the cold wall of the passage.
Rhaenyra returned his grin and walked to him.
"You ought not to talk too loud." She whispered as she made to hug him. "Ser Criston is still guarding my door, and you don't want to break out another scandal now, do you?"
She stood on her tiptoe to catch his lips, but he rose a single finger between their mouths to deny her, which earned a grimace.
He shook his head.
"Rhaenyra, you're not going to win this game." He said. "I am not going to let you, even if I were in love with you, I wouldn't do it. And I know you won't listen to me on this matter anyway, so I'm going to stop wasting my breath."
The Princess rolled her eyes, she hid her terror of losing her northerner behind a mask of amusement.
"So pray tell, why did you come here at such a late hour?"
"It's not that late." Arthur smiled as he showed her the canvas bag he was holding. "And I thought that with everything going on and all the work we've had for the past moons, we both deserved a distraction."
Rhaenyra cocked her eyebrow.
"Such as?"
"A night out in King's Landing. With a more convincing disguise than the previous one… and of course: no brothel."
Rhaenyra's face lit up with joy in the blink of an eye, and her lips curved into an excited smile at the prospect of going out.
"I didn't know you were so bold." She smiled. "Imagine what would happen if people found out that the Hand of the King and the Crown Princess were out in the streets, I can't imagine the scandal that would cause."
Arthur looked up at the ceiling.
"Let me be very clear, Rhaenyra, if you try to take advantage of this situation to force me into marrying you, I will leave for the North before the Sun even rises. Shall we agree?"
The Princess frowned, she had no intention of going to such extremes, she wanted it to be Arthur who asked for her hand. She didn't want to force him in any way, seducing him wasn't forcing him.
"I am not some tavern wench." She said, crossing her arms. "I am a Princess, I am the blood of the Dragon, and if one day you and I were to get married, it would be at your request."
With these words, she smiled while contemplating the dumbfounded face of her northerner and added:
"But that doesn't stop me from putting all the odds on my side, my handsome wolf."
This time it was a weary sigh that escaped the Stark's lips. Rhaenyra imitated him almost immediately.
"Is it so wrong of me to wish for our union?"
"It's not 'wrong', Rhaenyra, it's reckless and dangerous." Arthur almost chastized her. "What allies would we have if that were to happen? None, we would only have enemies; Hightowers, Velaryons, Daemon... and let's not forget the Dornish and all those jealous Lords whose numbers will only grow if we never got married. Add to that the Triarchy and the Lannisters, who will support the Hightowers. Given all of this, do you honestly think that you and I have a chance of surviving? That any children we might have would have a chance of surviving? The answer is no, Rhaenyra, if you and I were to get married, we would destroy our futures. Is that what you want? To build something that would end up destroyed after a long and painful struggle?"
Rhaenyra did not respond, she had paralyzed herself on the spot because her mind had used the images of the children she had imagined having with Arthur to stage a carnage of which they would be the victims. The Princess of Dragonstone clenched her fists and gritted her teeth. She hadn't thought about that. She didn't fear Alicent and her children, not anymore anyway. But she hadn't thought about Daemon, the Sea Snake, and everyone they could rally to their cause if they ever decided to dethrone her. However, she had to admit that she preferred to hear political reasons for Arthur's reluctance than sentimental reasons. This meant that she could steal his heart, provided of course, that she could find a way to neutralize those who threatened her rule and their children.
But for now, a distraction was welcome, she would find a way to secure their future, of that she promised herself.
"I will consider your words." She said soberly before taking a look at the bag the northerner was carrying. "What is your disguise?"
If Arthur still had reservations about his Princess' response, he said nothing and chose to grab the pole she handed him.
"Sit down at your dressing table, and let me take care of the rest."
Intrigued, the Princess complied without saying a word. Arthur went to find a chair to sit next to her and unpacked his bag under the eyes of Rhaenyra, who raised her eyebrows when she saw a red wig.
"Are you sure of what you're doing?" She teased him with newfound amusement.
"Do you trust me?" He replied with an equally teasing smile.
"Always." She whispered, and she let him transform her.
The transformation took a long time, mainly because Stark had to arrange her long hair so that it could fit under the wig, and because he insisted on adding a fake scar to her cheek that would make her unrecognizable. He had also worked on redoing her complexion in order to tan her skin. But the part that Rhaenyra didn't like at all was when he decided to modify her pupils by presenting her with blue glass lenses. At the sight of them, Rhaenyra pushed them away.
"Do you know how many bastards my uncle and great-uncles have fathered in this city? Me neither, because they are innumerable. A young girl with violet eyes is perhaps rare in a city of several hundred thousand people, but it is not exceptional.' She told him in an uncompromising tone to which he relented.
"All right." Arthur responded with a smile before stepping behind her so they could both admire her new face in the mirror. "Rhaenyra Targaryen, let me introduce you to Nyra Waters."
The Princess observed her new appearance with childish excitement, even she had difficulty recognizing her own reflection.
"And you?" She asked once she was done admiring herself. "Who will you be? Everyone knows your face at Court, you can no longer go unnoticed."
Arthur first responded with another smile, before tangling his hair so that greasy strands fell in front of his eyes. Then he drew his dagger and grabbed a piece of soap to transform his short beard into a goatee beard which almost made Rhaenyra burst into uncontrollable laughter. Finally, he used makeup to regain the pale complexion he had always had before crossing Moat Caillin.
When he was finished, he turned to "Nyra" and spoke with a northern accent so thick and sharp he could have sliced logs with it.
"I'm just Jon Snow, a bastard from Barrowtown looking for a girl and a job in the capital. Have I found the girl already?"
Rhaenyra bit her lower lip, Gods did she love this game and this accent, Gods did she love this man.
"You have, my dear Jon Snow." She held back her laughter because she was afraid that Ser Criston would hear her, she couldn't wait to take full advantage of her new appearance in the open air.
"Good." Arthur replied, pulling a plain dark purple dress of poor quality out of his bag. "Put this on while I go change in my room. Meet me at the door once you're finished."
(-)(-)(-)
Gods, how Rhaenyra had missed the streets of King's Landing. The jugglers, the mummers, the acrobats, the magicians, the birds, the lust, the joy, the attractions, the people! She was experiencing life and freedom once again, but with her Northerner at her arm this time. Arthur looked like he was enjoying the festivities as much as she was, he overpaid a jug of strong essossi wine with a silver stag and shared just enough with Rhaenyra to arouse both their minds. The Princess disguised as a redhead, had figured out that her friend's goal was to simply roam the streets and go wherever they felt like going. At the hour of the Wolf, Rhaenyra heard some music coming from a square, and she had dragged Arthur to the source of the melody. There, they had found varied couples from each of the seven kingdoms, dancing to the rhythm of the music of rhapsodes and minstrels.
She didn't need to make her request known, because Arthur took her by the hand and led her to the center of the dance floor, swirling both her body and her heart. Rhaenyra completely lost herself in the long dance she shared with Arthur. Despite her disguise and the darkness of the night, she easily perceived the warmth and affection that emanated from his gray eyes. She returned everything he offered her with a breathtaking smile. Rhaenyra had never been a good dancer, yet she danced so well that evening that she convinced herself that the reason for her past clumsiness had been the lack of a suitable partner. She would never dance as well as she did with Arthur, that was true for everything else.
"Be mine." She wanted to scream as the music intensified. "I will burn anyone who gets in our way, I will reconquer the seven kingdoms single-handedly if that's what it takes to secure our future. Be mine. I can't do anything without you..."
The music faded, but not the Princess's heartbeat. She stood on her tiptoe and captured the lips of the man she loved.
Arthur didn't push her away this time, on the contrary, he kissed her back and embraced her tenderly. Rhaenyra almost fell asleep in his arms, she was so soothed and relieved to feel that her affection was shared. She felt a tear of joy run down her cheek, and put her arms behind Arthur's neck.
It was only when they separated that they heard the crowd's applause. And if the Princess did not know why they were being applauded, she nevertheless did not fail to thank them by giving them a modest bow. Arthur, however, grabbed her arm and dragged her through the crowd to blend in and disappear as suddenly as they had appeared.
"It's better not to attract too much attention." He whispered in her ear.
And if she understood his intentions, she was no less annoyed that this beautiful moment had been interrupted so abruptly.
However, she let Arthur guide her, and in less than a minute they found themselves in front of a colossus with a hairy chest and a full beard. He greeted the Stark with a nod and grabbed a small barrel.
"Two horns of your best ale." Arthur demanded, placing a silver stag on the merchant's counter.
The latter laughed out loud.
"It's been a long time since I've heard anyone talk the Northern way." He said as he poured his brew into two crudely carved horns and glanced at Rhaenyra. "Have you had enough of our women yet, boy?"
"I learned to appreciate refined food." The Stark said with a wink, earning another burst of laughter from his fellow Northerner.
"Good boy!"
"If only you didn't take so long to start your feast." Rhaenyra said ironically, taking the horn handed to her by the merchant.
The latter laughed even more.
"Did you hear the lady, boy? You better satisfy her if you want a strong son."
Arthur rolled his eyes.
"My lady needs to learn the Northern Way first." He declared, and he swallowed the content of his horn in one gulp under Rhaenyra's dumbfounded gaze.
The two northerners then crossed their arms and smiled towards the Princess. She grimaced with anger, and attacked her horn like it was her most lethal enemy. The ale was thicker than southern ale, and much stronger than the wines of Dorne or Pentos. When she felt the cough rising in her throat, Rhaenyra swallowed it down as quickly as she swallowed her ale, and once her task was finished, she made inhuman efforts to keep the liquid in her stomach as the two men looked at her in shock.
"Another!" She gurgled, trying not to vomit.
The merchant looked at her with wide eyes for a few seconds, before bursting out with the most powerful laugh he had produced this evening.
"What a girl!" He exclaimed as he filled his horn. "You chose her well, boy!"
"I wouldn't say I chose her." Arthur sighed, smiling, before asking for his own horn to be filled again.
"Say, Northerner." Rhaenyra spoke, trying to calm her stomach and control her reeling mind. "What do they say about Arthur Stark in the North?"
The fake Jon Snow paralyzed himself for half a second upon hearing her question, the merchant scratched his beard.
"Lord Rickon's nephew? Ah! Everyone was talking about him when I left White Harbor. We call him the 'Northern Iron Fist', because he shook the South without help from any soldier and because he became the Hand of the King. Not gonna lie, there are many among our people who want him to become the next Warden of the North. Lord Rickon is less and less popular because he never leaves his land unlike his brother; Lord Bennard, who sings everywhere that his son is a genius and that little Cregan is a simpleton."
"He what?!" Arthur boomed with anger upon hearing these words.
Rhaenyra jumped in surprise and almost dropped her horn.
The merchant shook his head.
"I don't agree with that, I think it's better for Arthur Stark to stay in the South where he does the most good for us. Little Cregan is just a small lad, we don't know if he will be a good Lord or a shit one. There are still some who think that Bennard would be a better Lord, but no Northerner worthy of the name would betray Lord Rickon. Let's hope Arthur Stark will not take advantage of his position to disinherit little Cregan, otherwise it will be war. Some people think the South could corrupt the Iron Fist."
"That will never happen." Arthur said shaking his head.
"I think so too." Rhaenyra intervened. "Lord Arthur is considered a man of honor, even among us southerners. He would not betray his own blood."
The merchant shrugged his shoulders.
"Who knows? People here say the Princess wants to marry him. If he becomes Lord of Winterfell, that could happen."
"What kind of Lord of Winterfell rules from the South?" Arthur almost spat angrily.
The merchant nodded.
"Meh, you're probably right. It's just hard not to imagine a Stark so young who has come so far in less than a year, not being the Lord of Winterfell. Lord Manderly even declared that they were going to name the new Glass Garden; 'Arthur's Garden'. Northerners remember that sort of thing."
Rhaenyra quickly stifled her laughter in her hand while Arthur raised an eyebrow that hid an exasperated expression.
"I'm sure he will appreciate this honor." He said in a monotone.
"Of course he will appreciate it, now off you go kids. I have other clients."
As they walked on, Rhaenyra put her arm around Arthur's and whispered to him, giggling:
"Will you let me taste your turnips, oh, Gardener of the North?"
"Hilarious." He responded by rolling his eyes. "Keep going and the potato section will be named after you. All Northerners will learn to enjoy Rhaenyra's potatoes."
She slapped his shoulder but laughed out loud as she took a swig of ale, then grimaced.
"How can the Northerners appreciate such a drink?"
"We have a strong stomach and a strong tongue." Arthur smiled as he downed his ale in one gulp for the second time. "It's so much more comforting than all your wines full of spices whose origins you don't know, our ale is a piece of home. And it's been ten moons since I last drank a decent one."
The fake Redhead nodded, although not very convinced, and followed her Northerner through the streets of King's Landing.
They stopped at an ax throwing contest in which Arthur participated and which he won after twenty-two throws against a massive westerner. As a reward, he obtained a large bag of sweets from Lannisport which he offered to Rhaenyra, who hastened to devour her candies to get rid of the taste of ale which had invaded her palate.
Their walk was, however, interrupted by a large crowd near Fishmonger's Square. The Princess then remembered that it was in this very same square that she had seen actors embodying the history of the Royal family and her so-called rivalry with Aegon. This time, it was she who dragged Arthur through the crowd to find a decent spot where she could see the stage.
"Otto, my dear Hand and most trusted friend!" A mummer acting like King Viserys proclaimed as he sat on what was supposed to be the Iron Throne. "You have exposed the Northerner's perversity, that vile beast who took my daughter's virginity! I shall kill it to teach her a lesson; the Gods harshly punish such a transgression!"
Arthur frowned in contempt when he realized that the chubby, naked actor, covered in a simple, dirty, black fur-coat, was playing his role. Even Rhaenyra didn't find it funny.
"Enough!" A loud voice boomed, and a harmless explosive was thrown onto the stage, an actress, who was probably acting as Rhaenyra, entered, followed by Seven actors curiously dressed in different ways.
"We are the Seven who are one! And this farce of a trial has left us stunned! The Hand of the King is a liar, the wolf doesn't deserve your ire! The Princess is pure, this truth we ensure!"
'Viserys' seized his head in panic.
"How come! I've been lied to! Otto, shame on you! I thought my daughter had laid with a dog, because you, traitor, led me into the fog! I must ask for forgiveness, I must amend!"
He rose from his seat and ripped the pin of 'Otto' chest.
"Otto, you are no longer my Hand! Since this beast has proven itself loyal, then it is worthy of serving the royals!"
'Viserys' pined the Hand to 'Arthur''s fur and left, followed by the 'Seven' and a pleading 'Otto'. Only 'Rhaenyra' and 'Arthur' remained on stage.
"Oh! Arthur! My loyal friend! Ugly you may be, but you are now Hand! You must help me, serve me, please me! For the Crown is mine and so shall you be! I am in need of a loyal beast, that shall devour my enemies at the next feast! You shall start with Aegon and his pitiful cock, if you please me, I'll take you on a walk!"
"Wouf!" 'Arthur' barked, earning a glare from Arthur.
The two actors disappeared from the stage as the audience applauded. The Northerner shook his head to dissipate his anger. It did not matter to him how the Southerners viewed him, but he was sick and tired of being called a dog.
He had been so focused on calming himself, that he only realized that Rhaenyra had left his side to rush straight to the actors' trailer.
"Oh no!" Arthur whispered as he ran after her. "Oh fuck, no!"
Too late, Rhaenyra had already barged inside the trailer, scaring the dozen of actors that were preparing for the next scene.
"What the fuck are you doing here!" A man dressed as what was supposed to be the Warrior, groaned and tried to grab her wrist. "Get out before I…!"
Arthur grabbed his wrist before he could lay a finger on his Princess, and knocked him out with a single punch. The other actors screamed in alarm at the sight of their partner's broken nose.
"Enough!" Rhaenyra boomed in return as she tore her wig off and let her hair fall. "I am the actual Princess Rhaenyra of House Targaryen, this…-she pointed at her companion-… is the actual Hand of the King, Arthur of House Stark, now… Shadow!"
The massive head of the black Direwolf emerged from the trailer's curtains with curious yellow eyes, his Northern friend hit his forehead with his hand. He could not believe what was happening
The actors retreated at the back of the trailer with horrified faces, Arthur was quick to drop a purse full of gold dragons on the hairdresser.
"In exchange for your discretion." He told them."If you tell anyone we were here, I will have to kill you all, seal your lips this instant, or seal them forever. We…"
"He means it." The Realm's Delight smiled. "Now… on to business… I really did not like the way you depicted my dear friend Arthur."
She looked at the naked actor -who was about to piss himself-, and frowned in disdain. Then she pointed at the actress who was playing her role.
"So… you, give me your dress and take care of my make ! Give… Whatever it is that you are wearing to Arthur. And after we are done with your show, you will make sure to never depict Arthur as a savage or a dog ever again."
"Can I have a say in this?" The Northerner interrupted her, clearly displeased. "I don't care how they depict me; their job is to entertain people, no to retell history. We're leaving."
"I'm not leaving, if you want us to leave you'll have to knock me out." The Valyrian girl answered with a firm tone. "Now, men, out! That includes you, Arthur, Shadow will stay to guard me."
One after the other, the actors quickly obeyed the Princess. The Stark looked like he wanted to say something, but he had to make sure that none of these men would run to the nearest Gold Cloak. So he followed them, he apologized again for Rhaenyra's behavior, yet he informed them that Shadow would devour each and every one of them should they be stupid enough to scream the Princess' location.
Meanwhile, Rhaenyra had put on her own costume, a hideous black and red dress, and was now sitting in front of a hairdresser while two shaking young actresses were painting her face whiter than a ghost's.
She took a deep breath, deep down, she was feeling a pang of regret. She had acted without thinking, her temper and the Northern ale had gotten the best of her. She had not wanted to truly scare those poor actors and actresses who, she was sure, had hard enough lives. But it was too late to backdown now, and as Daemon had stated; The smallfolk's wants were of great consequence if she expects to rule one day. It was time for them to discover what their future-Queen and her Hand were made of.
But more than that, she desired to love him in plain sight. She wanted as many people as possible to see them together, tonight had been perfect so far, he had not repelled her, he had danced with her, kissed her, now she wanted him to truly love her, she wanted them to express what they felt in the open air.
"You're in love with him." A black haired actress in her forties stated as she opened the purse to count the gold dragons Arthur had left.
"Is it this obvious?" She asked with a smile.
"Of course it is, Princess." The actress smiled knowingly. "To take such risks to erase a slight he doesn't care about, only a woman in love would commit such folly."
Rhaenyra's shoulders dropped in embarrassment. She opened her mouth to apologize for her behavior but the actress cut her off.
"Don't even think about apologizing now, Princess, the deed is done, and there is more money in this purse than I have seen in my entire life. Now, I only hope that you are as good of an actress as you are a Princess."
"I grew up in the Red Keep." She reminded her. "Everyone is acting, up there."
"Then I long to see your show."
(-)(-)(-)
Arthur was furious, furious with Rhaenyra for doing something as stupid as revealing herself to a bunch of strangers, for risking another scandal, for making him regret this whole idea of going out together. He had no choice but to concede defeat, he was unable to temper her. Rhaenyra would always do what she wanted, and that gave him serious doubts about the future he had hoped to build under her rule. Why? By the Old Gods, why did she keep acting like this? After everything they had gone through, to take such a risk was beyond stupid… Arthur was tired, and he felt like Rhaenyra did not care one bit about what he felt or what he was sacrificing. He felt his anger rose, and he clenched his fists. His eyes turned yellow and he snarled like a beast. This was the final straw, no more, no more.
He saw Rhaenyra appear on the stage, and even though he could admit that she was hard to identify, he could not swallow his anger back. If it was a show she wanted, he was going to oblige, one final time.
"I know you're here." Rhaenyra spoke loudly. "Step into the light, and don't be too severe."
Arthur shook his head and sighed. He put on the ridiculous fur he had taken from the actor, walked on stage and threw the fur at the crowd without taking his yellow eyes off her. Fortunately for Rhaenyra; he was facing her back.
"Too severe, I doubt I can be. There is no word to describe your folly."
She took a deep breath and sighed.
"My folly is loving you, you know my feelings are true."
"Loving me? Rhaenyra… I am tired of this moons, I have served you, I have advised you, fought for you, killed for you. We have had this conversation countless times and you never seemed to understand, now we speak with rhymes, and alone we stand. I can't love you, I will not, I do not wish to. Yet you play with my heart, now I am done with you."
Terror appeared on Rhaenyra's face as she finally turned to look at him, then she saw his yellow eyes and she took a step back as he moved forward to grab her shoulders.
"I never meant to hurt you."
"I don't care what you meant." He snarled "You've done the deed, in trying to capture my heart, you only made it bleed. I have told you countless times that this could not be, to prevent a war, you must marry, and your husband, I cannot be. One last time I will tell you, and listen you will, for you know my words are true. The Lords of Westeros would rather set the Realm ablaze than allow a woman to sit on the Iron Throne, to get out of this maze you need allies of your own. The North stands with you, you don't need me, for my hand is to serve, and not to marry. Marriage is your duty, it is not your pleasure, do not make the same mistake as your father. You are surrounded by enemies who want you gone, do your duty instead of being a pawn. Love is the death of duty. Duty is the death of love, I have chosen duty… so you cannot choose love."
Waterfalls of tears were running down the Princess' cheeks, ruining her ugly make up and cracking her heart.
The audience's sobs and cries suddenly reached their ears, yet they did not understand a word that was thrown at them. All they could make of this human buzzing was the sadness that they were both already experimenting.
Arthur sighed, he had said enough. Even though it was just a repetition of what he had already stated multiple times, he knew shattering the fairy tale that Rhaenyra had tried to live on stage was the best he could do at this moment. They had endangered themselves long enough, it was time to put an end to this mummer.
He turned on his heels and started to leave, but she ran after him and hugged his back.
"Let me go."
"I do not wish to."
"I know, but you have to."
"I… I cannot."
He sighed again.
"Rhaenyra, that is enough."
"I love you!" She screamed from the bottom of her heart. "I love you… I need you… I cannot be Queen without Valyrian womb is all that men desire, you, on the other hand, are no liar. You have supported me, helped me, advised me, taught me and trusted me with the fate of your homeland. Believe it or not, you are my only friend. In the Red Keep, I am surrounded by vipers and schemers, my only joy is the warmth you confer. I love you, Arthur Stark, and I am sorry for the pain I have caused you. I am all fire, I need your ice to subdue. A Queen you want me to be, and a Queen you have been creating. You forget I am a woman, I need love to keep moving. You say: 'love is the death of duty', so you refuse me as your bride. You say: 'duty is the death of love', yet I need you at my side. If you leave me, I will lose to the enemy, if you leave me, you will kill your duty. I beg for your forgiveness, for failing you. I am no goddess, I only know that I love you. Our song is sad, it is the Song of Ice and Fire, but it is not so bad, for you fulfill my desire."
She hid her face in his shirt, and let go of her tears. Her entire body shook in sadness in despair, she feared he would disappear, she felt her heart bleed, she was terrified and horrified by what she had done to him. But she could not help but love him. There was no one else, no other man.
Just Arthur Stark, her beloved wolf.
"Don't let her suffer like that, you cunt!" A man in the audience roared.
"She needs you!" A teary-eyed woman added. "Why won't you love her?!"
"Love her!" A child cried.
All of Fishmonger's square started chanting in chorus.
"Love her! Love her! Love her!Love her!"
Rhaenyra chuckled sadly in Arthur's shirt, she felt him sigh and heard him mutter:
"Can't they mind their own fucking business?"
She did not answer, she only hid her smile in his shirt, with her tears.
Finally, Arthur turned back, and she saw that a single tear had ran down his cheek.
"Rhaenyra… My heart has been taken away, by a woman who died in a horrible way. I cannot offer you what I have lost, for it has been reduced to dust. I am not done mourning, and I don't know if I will ever be. How can you risk everything, for a man who is empty?"
She smiled a bitter yet loving smile, and wiped his tear away with her thumb.
"Because I love you, you Northern fool. And without you, my life is too cruel. Perhaps you shall never love me, perhaps we will both remain empty. But I would sacrifice the Iron Throne, rather than be alone."
At those words, Arthur's eyes widened so wide that he almost burst his retina. While every man, woman and child in the audience gasped in shock.
He tried to speak, but no words escaped his throat, he could not think of a single thing to say anyway.
Rhaenyra put her finger on his mouth and stood on her tiptoe, once again he did not repel her as their lips met. This kiss was a sad one, filled with regret and tears, with fear and anguish, with guilt and hope. None of those emotions went across the audience, for they all wiped their tears to applause what had not been a performance, except for the rhymes.
They broke their sad kiss, and their forehead touched as they kept their eyes closed. Rhaenyra was silently praying for any God who could hear her to open her Northerner's heart, while Arthur was wondering why she was persisting on torturing him.
It was the Stark who regained his senses first, he bowed to the audience as if what had happened had just been a simple show and he dragged his Princess back to the trailer. There he ignored the actors and actresses who had remained baffled by their scene, in order to clean Rhaenyra's face off all this horrible make-up. Then, he left her with Shadow so she could get changed. After that he put her wig back on, and dragged her back to the Red Keep without suffering any protest from her.
The black-haired actress had waited until they were far enough to reread all that she had written during their performance. It would come in handy for their next show. She smiled as she secretly hoped that the Dragon and the Wolf would find a way to come together, she would make sure their company goes and stays in Essos if these two ever get married.
(-)(-)(-)
Rhaenyra had not spoken a word as Arthur dragged her alongside the corridors of Maegor's Holdfast, she was trying as hard as she could to regain her composure, but she failed to do so as she was far too exhausted.
When they finally reached her door, she threw herself in her Northerer's arms before he could open the door and cried once more in his shirt.
"I am sorry." She whispered. "For everything. For the pain I have cause you, for being insensitive to your pain, for failing to realize what I was doing to you… I am so sorry."
Arthur sighed yet again, he did not have the strength to reject nor did he want to. He returned her hug.
"I am sorry too." He whispered back. "For putting so much pressure on you, for trying to neglect your feelings, for trying to use you for my own purposes, for using your feelings for me against you. I should not have done that."
Rhaenyra breathed a sigh of relief and buried her face in his chest, enjoying every feeling she could feel for every second it would last. When she finally pulled back, she felt a little bit better than she had on stage.
"I love you." She said one more time.
But this time, she realized that she desperately wanted him to answer with those exact same words.
It would not happen tonight though.
"Don't sacrifice your future for me, Rhaenyra, I am not worth it."
"And pray tell, my dear wolf, what is my future that is worth sacrificing you?The future of an unhappy Queen, doomed to breed with a man she did not choose and to face enemies who want her dead for an iron chair?Is that the future you speak of Arthur?"
The Stark could not find it in him to answer her, not after what had happened tonight. She kissed his cheek.
"Good night, Arthur."
"Good night, Rhaenyra."
To read early:
Chapter 19 : 'The Northern Fist'
Chapter 20: 'Double Dual'
Chapter 21: 'Dragon against Wolf'
Chapter 22: 'The Tournament of Pretenders'
Chapter 23: "The divided Pack"
Chapter 24: "Too far, too late"
Chapter 25: "The Ghosts of Guilt"
Chapter 26 : "How time and blood flow"
Chapter 27: "Those who rule over Winter"
Chapter 28: "Clinging to hope"
Chapter 29: "The Barn owl"
Chapter 30: "Legends"
Chapter 31: "The Starks of Winterfell"
Chapter 32: "Ice and Fire"
Chapter 33: "Rhaenyra and Arthur"
Chapter 34: "The Choice is not the one you thought"
Chapter 35: "What we are meant to be"
Chapter 36: "The Fresh air of the North"
Chapter 37: "From this day, Until our last day"
Chapter 38: "Husband and Wife"
Chapter 39: "The Heirs' Meeting"
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