Willing Heart / Ser Duncan the Tall / Vaera Targaryen

11. Can't Marry Him, if He's Dead

"They said I would find you here." Vaera remarked. Dunk rose up from the ground, he had got a little tent, his head hit the roof as he got up. "Sit, please." Vaera assured. The tent was small, too small for a man his size.

"Thank you for... the shield. It is beautiful." Dunk remarked. 

"Glad you like it." vaera agreed. 

"What can I do for you, princess?"

"Vaera." She corrected. "And... I... you-" Vaera chuckled and Dunk almost thought the princess was flustered by him. She sat on the ground beside him her leg seemed so small compared to his thick muscled thigh. "You took care of my Aegon and this is the thanks you get."

"Aye." Dunk agreed softly.

"My brothers are idiots. Aerion is cruel. Daeron is constantly drunk. They are disappointments of the family. I hope you dont judge us all off of them." Vaera pondered.

"Oh no princess. I think you are wonderful." he assured. "nothing like your brothers. Your little brother had nothing but wonderful things to say about you. When we got here he kept saying how pretty you are and how sweet you are." Dunk laughed. " I told him to stop staring at you," he admitted.

" why?" she laughed back.

" because you're the princess. And I thought he was just..."

"Egg." she agreed.

" yeah." he answered, turning his head to face her slightly. " Egg..."

" I'm sorry you're in this mess of trouble because of my family." Vaera added.

" not your fault. You're the one good thing this blasted place has to offer." Dunk assured her.

" well, that's very kind of you to say." she answered. " we are going to find your champions, ser Duncan."

" what happens if I don't have seven men? Am I really going to be seen as guilty before even give it a chance?" Dunk questioned.

" let's not think about that." she suggested grabbing his hand. " let's think about the positives. Because you are going to find seven champions. there are enough people that hate my brother to want to knock his ass into the ground. There are many knights that will stand with you. I know it. We just have to find them."

" very confident in me vaera?"

"Egg gave me no reason not to trust you not to believe you are skilled, and from what I've seen, you have a good heart." Vaera remarked.

" you can see my heart?" Dunk asked.

" I can." she agreed. " and it's beautiful." she leaned over kissing him. He had never kissed a woman before. He knew the general idea, but of course, suddenly had no idea where his hands went. All he knew was that her soft lips were on his he wanted to pull her closer. So he did. He knew it was wrong. He was just a hedge knight after all. She was the princess. But his hands of the mind of their own as his mind seemingly went numb.

He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her into his lap in the small tent. His back hit the tent, making it move as he held the princess in his arms. Her knees straddled his hips her hands went to his face, holding him closer.

Vaera was never one for public displays of affection, because she never had a man that she wanted to kiss in public. But getting to know dunk she felt compelled to be near him. She sot him out after all, late in the night when she knew she should've been in her own Chambers fast asleep. But her little Aegon spoke so highly of this hedge knight that she had found that vaera, herself felt like she knew this man too. And he was a good man she believe that.