Your Name Hurts / Criston Cole / Vaera Targaryen

2. Taste of You

Daemon stood basking in the sun when Rhaenyra found him.

"You seemed so content on Dragonstone.' She remarked. 'Why did you come back?' he opened his eyes and looked down at her. 'There is surely more to your return than simply taunting my father.' She remarked.

'So... what do you want?' Rhaenyra questioned.

'Only the comforts of home.' Daemon assured as he moved to a buffet line and started picking at the food. Of course Vaera was there looking for cookies. Daemon plucked it out of her hand with a grin he took a bite her jaw dropped.

"Treason!" Vaera said with a giggle. "Blasphemy!"

"You want it back?" Daemon offered sticking the rest of the cookie in mouth and bringing his face to hers, crumbs spilling everywhere.

"Gross! What a waste you didn't even taste it." Vaera told him. Rhaenyra used to hate it that Vaera got everyone's attention without even trying but she knew Vaera had her own demons, especially with her name day fast approaching it was hard to be mad at Vaera after everything they went through together. Vaera was the one person in her life when it seemed like the floor was caving in, she lost her mother and best friend, but Vaera stepped up and Rhaenyra welcomed her back.

'I had not thought you particularly comfortable in this home. Though I do suppose you seem changed by your adventures. More mature, perhaps.' Rhaenyra offered

"Daemon? Mature?" Vaera questioned. "Did you see what he did to my cookie?" Vaera countered.

'You've matured yourself these last few years, Princesses.' Daemon told her 'You'll get used to the attention.' Daemon looked to Vaera. "you are already used to the attention." Vaera shrugged in agreement.

'The attention I can endure. It's the rest I could do without. My father seems content to sell me off to whichever lord has the biggest castle.' Rhaenyra corrected.

'There are worse things to be sold for.' Daemon remarked sitting down. "marriage is only a political arrangement.' He informed her. "Once you are wed you can do as you like.'

'For men marriage might be a political arrangement.' She corrected 'but for women it is like a death sentence.'

"So bleak sister dearest." Vaera mused. "Is it really that bad?" Daemon could do as he liked and therefore his wife could do as she pleased. He supposed not all relationships were as... distant as theirs though.

'Would that it were. I would have been rid of my bronze bitch ages ago.' Daemon told her. He handed over his glass, Rhaenyra looked down at it as Vaera found herself a new cookie, daemon reached for it as he pulled Vaera into his lap.

"Your wife has been fortunate,' Rhaenyra remarked taking a drink and Daemon chuckled 'you have not put a child in her.'

'Oh...' Daemon mused. 'I doubt a child would grow in such a hostile environment.' He mused.

"You are bad." Vaera told him breaking her cookie in half.

"And you are sweet to your big bad uncle." Daemon told her kissing her cheek. He was keenly aware of the pair of eyes watching them.

'My mother was made to produce heirs until it killed her.' Rhaenyra reminded him. "I wont subject myself to the same.'

'What happened to your mother was a tragedy.' Daemon confirmed. 'But this is a tragic world. You cannot live your life in hear or you will forsake the best parts of it.' Daemon told her confidently.

"I have no desire to live in fear. Only solitude.' Rhaenyra corrected.

'Such a lonely prospect.' Daemon remarked before whispering in Vaera's ear. "Do your guards always follow you? Everywhere?' Daemon questioned nodding to them. Vaera looked up.

"They worry." Vaera said simply.

"I think they have a crush." Daemon countered.

"They are assigned to protect her." Rhaenyra corrected. "She gets into trouble and keeps getting into trouble because no one stops her."

"What?" Vaera exclaimed. "I'm just having fun, why is that a crime?"

"You are more like me than your father." Daemon remarked softly. "You will have the world eating out of the palm of your hand."

"She already does." Rhaenyra corrected. Vaera stared over at Criston and Harwin. "She likes them." Rhaenyra declared.

"Of course I do, they spend all day with me for years, it would be a real shame if I didn't." Vaera said nonchalantly.

"Your sister is right." Daemon agreed. "You like them... what a shame..."

"Why is that a shame?" Vaera countered.

"Don't uncle Daemon." Rhaenyra warned.

"What?" Vaera demanded.

"You tell her one thing and she is going to do it and she will be known as the realms chaos before you know it." Rhaenyra went on.

"What?" Vaera demanded looking back at Daemon.

"You can't fuck them." Daemon told her. Vaera stared at him. "Because by the looks of it... they want you."

"Now you did it." Rhaenyra said turning around and walking away.

"Why can't I?" Vaera asked softly.

"Because they swore an oath." Daemon told her. "And you are a princess." Vaera nodded slowly looking back to them. "But being a princess should come with some benefits... no?" Vaera glared back at Daemon as his hand trailed up her arm giving her goosebumps. "You have been much to much like me but you haven't experienced the pleasures and joys of the body, have you?'

"A princess is supposed to remain pure." Vaera reminded him.

"Look at them." Daemon instructed and her gaze shifted to them again. "You want them, you just don't want to admit it."

"And if I admit it, then what? As you said they swore an oath and I make a fool of myself." Vaera countered standing up.

"Or they are willing to bend the rules for a taste of you." Daemon countered softly.