Collection of One-Shots

》rise by the birdsong

HE SUMMONS YOU to his chambers in the hours after the tourney and feast —the taste of defeat still bitter on his tongue. Hubris cost him the victory. He had the Merryweather boy cornered. It should have been easy, yet he was forced to yield the champion's title and purse. Daemon Targaryen drapes his arms over the side of the tub and thinks of who he would have named as the Queen of Love and Beauty had he won. Certainly not Rhea Royce —the old bronze bitch. He's more apt to name one of the sheep before her. The thought fades when the doors creak open, his guards letting you pass into the prince's chambers.

Steam fills the room, as does the scent of Myrish oils. Your skin prickles with heat for reasons that have nothing to do with the warmth of the air when your eyes settle on Daemon at the center of the room. You wondered where he'd gone so quickly after the feast. His eyes flash open as your footfalls echo on the stone floor until you stop beside the tub and kneel. "My prince," you greet. He's always liked how you say his title, sweet and taunting, nigh like a songbird. Glancing away from his face and following the line of his arm and the planes of his chest. He's all lean and lithe muscle, sculpted from years of training and battle —the most seasoned warrior in all of the Seven Kingdoms.

Daemon takes your hand, reclaiming your attention. His fingers curl around yours, then he shifts and leans toward you, head dipping down to press a soft kiss to your knuckles —a knightly and unexpected gesture. He lets your hand go and settles back in the tub, and the look of an arrogant prince reclaims his expression. "Take off your dress," Daemon demands, flicking the surface of the water. Ever the dutiful lady, you rise and reach for the ties of your nightdress —shedding the pale linen, baring yourself to Prince Daemon Targaryen.

He's been soaking for nigh half-an-hour, and the water is still warm —fire cannot harm a dragon, he told you once whilst he held his hand above a candle, toying with the flame. You sink into the water and find the space he's made next to him, head half-resting on his shoulder. Daemon drapes his arm around your shoulders, and wordlessly, you begin tracing the mindless patterns on his chest. "You fought well today," you tell him after a while, thinking of how handsome he looked in his dark steel suit emblazoned with the sigil of House Targaryen and decorated with rubies.

"I lost," he reminds you, no lack of bitterness in his voice. He'd find a way to best the Merryweather boy, somehow.

You reach for his hand, and he lets you take it, curious brows raised. "Yet they all speak of how commendable your effort and skills are" —your fingers find the scars on his knuckles, the calloused pads of his fingertips. "Reputation is its own victory," you tell him, placing a kiss to the center of his palm before he retracts his hand.

Daemon looks down at you. "Trying to mend my broken heart?"

You trace a curving line over his breast and up his neck, caressing his smooth and sharp jaw. "It's I who am heartbroken, Daemon," you say, smiling. He cuts his eyes at you, something dangerous lurking in his stare. "You told me you'd gift me a crown of roses upon your victory, and here I am, crownless."

His lips quirk upward. "Dare speak to your prince with such impertinence?" His touch against your cheek is gentle, but you can still hear the slightest hint of a laugh in his voice. It's the look in his cool eyes that speak of danger, though —he's always been as wild and unpredictable as his dragon. You hold your breath as you look at him, expecting his kiss when he careens forward in the water, and when he leans in to meet your mouth, you're struck by how desperate it feels in comparison to all the other times.

You're impatient for more —always more— feeling his smile growing as he kisses you again, and you're happy to give the Rogue Prince whatever he wishes. He always brings out your worse impulses. Sighing against his mouth, his tongue brushes against yours. He tastes like the spices from dinner, warm and enticing, and there's still a hint of sweet wine lingering on his lips. Not even a maiden could refuse Daemon Targaryen after a single kiss like this —you hadn't been able to either, but now all that is in the past. His fingers run along your neck, tilting your head to deepen the kiss, and the little moan you make is music.