BLOOD WARS | XX.
SELENA BARATHEON
Storm's End | 300 a.c.
SELENA SMILES AS SHE TRACES her fingers down the length of Daenerys's back. She wondered if the princess was still asleep or if she just hadn't moved because she was afraid that Selena would stop touching her.
She withdrew her hand and as she expected, Daenerys's eyes opened, and landed on her, "Why have you stopped?"
"Because I knew that if I kept going, I wouldn't get to see those beautiful eyes of yours."
Daenerys laughs and turns over, "Good morning."
"Good morning indeed," Selena states, "Were you aware that you have seven freckles on your back?"
"I was not, but thank you for informing me," Daenerys grins.
"You're very welcome," Selena says in mock seriousness and Daenerys laughs at her.
"So, what do you have to do today, Lady Baratheon," Daenerys asks with a wide smile.
"Meetings," Selena says with an eye roll, "I missed the days where I didn't have responsibility."
"During those days you were practically begging for responsibility and now that you have it, you don't want it?"
"It's not that I don't want it," Selena sighs, "It's just everyone is watching me, and I know that they're all waiting for me to make a mistake or something. The pressure is a little unnerving."
"Never did I think I'd see the day where you'd be unnerved," Daenerys states with a smile.
"Yes, well I am human," Selena states, "I fear things."
"What is your greatest fear?" Daenerys asks her.
Though Selena tried to carry herself as though she didn't care or that she was untouchable, she had many fears. Dying was one, but it wasn't her greatest fear, no she feared failing more so than anything else in her life. Her brother had failed, and he had died. Selena would not end up like him. She simply could not.
"Failure," she answered, staring into Daenerys's lilac eyes, "I don't want to fail."
"You won't," Daenerys tells her with a soft smile, "You're the most determined and courageous person I know. You'll achieve anything you set your mind to."
Daenerys's words had an effect on Selena. Knowing that someone else believed in her, made her believe in herself. It also made her blush.
"Thank you," Selena says, clearing her throat, "That means a lot."
Daenerys laughs as she sits up and cups Selena's cheeks, "Are you blushing?"
"No!" Selena says hiding her face in Daenerys's shoulder and she can hear Daenerys's laughter once more.
"You are!"
"Stop it!" Selena whines. She didn't like feeling vulnerable. It made her heart beat faster and her stomach uneasy in a delightful way. She hated it and loved it all the same.
"I'm sorry," Daenerys tells her.
"Don't apologize," Selena says with an uncharacteristically shy smile, "I like the way you make me feel."
Daenerys's lips spread in a wide smile, "Really?"
Selena nods her head as she looks at Daenerys, "I can be myself around you, and in a time where I must be someone that I am not, being myself is something of a sanctuary."
"Well," Daenerys says, gentle fingers reaching up to brush dark hair out of Selena's face, "I will always be there to provide you sanctuary."
Selena smiles as she leans into Daenerys's touch. She really needed to get out of bed and begin her day, but she didn't want to leave her little bubble of bliss. She didn't know when she'd feel like this again or if she would.
"I have to get ready," she whispers to Daenerys, planting a soft kiss to the palm of her hand.
"I know," Daenerys tells her, "I should be getting back to my own chambers anyway."
Daenerys leans forward, catching Selena's lips in her own and Selena can't help herself as she deepens the kiss. She finds herself straddling Daenerys's waist, forcing the Targaryen to look up at her amused.
"What happened to getting ready?"
"I have a minute," Selena tells her, quirking an eyebrow as she brushes her hair out of her face, "And a minute is all I need."
She kisses Daenerys's neck, earning a soft moan from the younger woman's mouth. She kisses her way down, lips planting warm kisses to Daenerys's breast and making her moan louder. She kisses down Daenerys soft stomach before reaching her destination. Her tongue swipes up against Daenerys's warm center.
She pulls back to look at Daenerys, gauging her reaction. She'd never done this before, and she wanted to make sure that she was doing it right or at the very least that she was pleasing Daenerys.
"Again," Daenerys pleads hips jerking off the bed, "Please."
"Since you asked kindly," Selena teases before licking at Daenerys again, and this time she doesn't pull away.
~*~
Ashara joins her following her meeting and for some reason, Selena is unable to look at her. Out of all of her ladies, she considered Ashara her confidant, mainly because they were both of the Stormlands and because Ashara had secrets of her own.
"Your oddly quiet," Ashara notes, "Did something happen at the meeting?"
"No," Selena answers, "Arrangements are in order, we'll be sailing to Casterly Rock by the next moon."
"Then what seems to be bothering you?" Ashara asks.
Selena sighs as she stops walking. She glances down both ends of the corridor before stepping close to Ashara, "I bed Daenerys last night. And this morning."
"You did what?" Ashara asks loudly, "What happened to reality and Jaime?"
"We talked about those things," Selena pauses. They hadn't really talked about it. They sort of addressed it while taking a bath together before they continued their activities in Selena's bed, a bed that had once belonged to her parents-
"We sort of talked about," Selena corrects before correcting herself again, "We acknowledged it."
"You acknowledged it?" Ashara asks, "And the two of you still slept together?"
"Yes. Look you were right, you all were. I care for her. A lot. She's gentle and kind and she makes me feel things, things that I have never felt with anyone. When I'm with her, there are no expectations, and I can just exist in the moment and not think about anything else."
"And yet you still made arrangements to go to Casterly Rock," Ashara states.
"Because I started a war! I got greedy and now I must pay the consequences for that, which means marrying Jaime," Selena says, "I'll be upfront with Jaime about my feelings and who knows, perhaps this thing between Daenerys and I is nothing more than an intense infatuation."
"Selena," Ashara says, "You are not thinking clearly. You cannot tell Jaime the truth and I don't think that this is some sort of infatuation. You are meticulous when it comes to your plans, yet you've taken risks for her on more than one occasion."
"I know," Selena's shoulders sag at the realization, "I know."
Ashara sighs and locks her arm with Selena's, "Everything will be alright."
Selena doesn't respond. Things wouldn't be fine, because no matter how she spun, someone was getting hurt and it was her fault.
Unless.
"Renly," Selena says as she looks at Ashara, an idea brewing in her head. Maybe there was a way to solve all of this, "We must find my brother."
"Brienne of Tarth would know where he is," Ashara says, "But Tarth is a week's journey away."
"Then we'll wait a week. If we find Renly, then he's the Lord of the Stormlands. Tywin has a daughter, the unmarried spinster, Cersei. If she and Renly marry, then we secure an alliance with Tywin Lannister, and I can spare Jaime."
"And Daenerys," Ashara says, her lips twisting up in a smile, "Clever girl."
"Have them send a raven to Tarth," Selena states, "I must tell my grandfather the truth about Renly."
Ashara nods before heading off. Selena continues down the hall toward the courtyard. Someone exits a room and bumps into Selena. She looks up to see that Daenerys was the one who did it.
"Sorry," she apologizes before looking up, "Oh."
"Oh?" Selena asks curiously, "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing," Daenerys says, "I just wasn't expecting to see you."
Selena laughs, "This is kind of my castle, so I do live here. Did you not want to see me?"
"I do," Daenerys answers as she glances down the corridor, "I just don't particularly know how I'm supposed to act around you now."
"I think we would act as we did prior to everything that happened last night," Selena tells her.
"I didn't know how to act around you then," Daenerys answers with a laugh, "To be quite frank I've never really known how to act around you."
"Well, I'd like it if when you saw me you didn't seem so surprised. A simple greeting and a compliment will do."
Daenerys laughs, "A compliment?"
"Yes," Selena says, "Maybe you can tell me how pretty my eyes are or how much you like waking up next to me."
"Selena!" Daenerys exclaims as she glances around, "You can't say things like that."
"But I can," she says with a smile, "I'm the lady of the castle, therefore I can do and say what I want."
"Perhaps you can, but I cannot. I'm an outsider, an enemy if we're speaking honestly. I'm the sister of the man who's declared war on you."
"You're also the sister of the man Rhaegar stabbed," Selena says, "You and Viserys have been declared traitors making you allies to those that oppose him. You're my ally, making you safe in my castle and if you happen to find your way into my bed, then who am I to stop you."
Daenerys rolls her eyes, "I do hope you know what you're doing."
Selena smirks, "You know I was born for this."
"You were born for something alright," Daenerys says with a smile, "So how was your meeting?"
"Boring," Selena answers, "Making arrangements for travel is such a hassle."
"Speaking of travel arrangements," Daenerys says, "When you go to the Westerlands, will Viserys and I remain here?"
"Actually, I thought you could join us," Selena says, "From the Westerlands we intend to go to the Riverlands so that Viserys can so boldly profess his love for Jessamyn and the two of them can be wed while I convince a very old and very dying Hoster Tully to stand against your brother."
"Sounds like a great time."
"It will be," Selena says with a soft smile, "Because I'll have you with me."
Daenerys's pale cheeks flush, "I don't think I'd be much entertainment."
"You can tell me useless facts while we travel, I'm certain that you have plenty," Selena teases.
"They're not useless," Daenerys retorts, "My fact about the Blackwater turning clear let you know when you were getting near the Stormlands."
"Yes, and it was a fact that I already knew."
"And yet you still listened to me ramble on about it?" Daenerys asks, "I'm surprised I didn't know that you liked me sooner."
Selena rolls her eyes at the implication, "Anyway, I must be going. Will you take dinner with me tonight?"
"Just you?" Daenerys asks almost shyly.
"I could always invite Viserys?" Selena suggests, "Or my grandfather, he's a lovely old man, but he may talk your ear off about how much the tax has increased on lumber. Apparently, it was much cheaper during your father's reign."
Daenerys's brow knits together and Selena shrugs, "What? I thought it was interesting."
Daenerys laughs softly, "How about your ladies? It's been a while since I've seen Missandei, she's always so busy with Allara. I've missed her."
"Okay, then we'll dine with my ladies and Missandei. Shall I put in a request to the kitchens?" Selena asks.
"I'm sure I'll love whatever you pick," Daenerys tells her with a grin.
"Such a pleaser," Selena teases as she takes Daenerys's hand into her own.
She watches as lilac eyes drop before quickly flickering back up to Selena's face. With a smirk she brings Daenerys's hand to her lips, planting a warm kiss to the back of them, "I shall see you at dinner."
"The gesture was quite unnecessary," Daenerys says softly, cheeks darkening.
"I found it to be very necessary as it is quite common to do when you are courting someone."
Daenerys quirks an eyebrow, "Is that what we're doing? Courting one another?"
"I believe so," Selena states, "Though I figure we've done the steps of courting out of order since I've already bedded you."
"I will now be returning to my chambers," Daenerys says as she snatches her hand away from Selena's, "I shall see you at dinner tonight."
Selena smiles bashfully as she watches Daenerys retreating figure.
~*~
The ladies had all dined together before, but things were different than the previous times. There had always been tension, but the tension was different. Selena and Daenerys were no longer bickering with one another, and her friends had knowledge of that.
"I think it's lovely that all of us are eating together," Larrisa states, "I feel that we rarely see much of each other anymore."
"Yes, making preparations for travel is much more time-consuming than I'd thought it would be," Selena states.
Allara laughs, "I could have told you that."
"Really?" Selena asks, "You've been quite busy as of late."
"She's been helping me," Missandei speaks up.
"Besides, you're not one to speak," Ashara says, "Tell me, what have you gotten into as of late?"
Selena rolls her eyes, "I've been making travel arrangements as I previously stated."
"Right," Ashara says.
"Jessamyn," Daenerys calls out, "Have you written to your father?"
"No," the redhead answers, "I fear my father will find himself in an early grave should he hear about me and Viserys."
"Or he'll be overwhelmed with happiness at the fact that his youngest child is to be wed," Larissa states.
"Weddings," Allara states, "Such fun festivities. Unless you're marrying the false heir to the throne. Then I suppose you wouldn't be having a grand time."
"Poor Margaery," Larissa mutters, "How do you think she's fairing?"
"Poorly," Ashara answers, "Besides I'm more worried for Jon. Aegon must hate him."
"They'll direct their anger at the true source," Selena mutters, "They'll be puppets to Rhaegar for a time, but they'll come to their senses and when they do, we'll change the Targaryen dynasty once and for all."
"Really?" Daenerys asks from across the table, "And how does a Baratheon intend to do that?"
"You do recall that the first Targaryen king had a Baratheon as his hand? Aegon and Orys. They built Westeros."
"You clearly haven't learned your lesson," Daenerys states.
Selena laughs and rests her chin in the palm of her hand, "And what lesson is that?"
"To stop meddling," Daenerys tells her.
"Meddling is the only thing I'm good at," Selena retorts, "But don't worry, I have no intentions of getting involved in Targaryen family drama ever again."
Daenerys glares playfully at her and Selena smiles. Ashara clears her throat, forcing the two of them to break their stare.
"So," Ashara says, "Since we're all friends here I feel that it's time for everyone to share a secret. Selena, how about you go first."
"My brother is still alive," Selena answers.
"Not the secret I was going for," Ashara says, "But wonderful. Daenerys? How about you share something?"
Selena knows that Ashara is trying to get them to out themselves, but they found the efforts pointless. There was no way she was sharing, and Daenerys was far too prudish to share.
"I'm afraid of horses?" Daenerys says, glancing at Selena for reassurance.
"Is there a point to this?" Larrisa asks.
"I think it's a bonding activity," Jessamyn says softly, "Secrets bond us."
"Do they?" Larrisa wonders, "Well then I suppose I'll go next. I am not a maiden."
Allara scoffs as she takes a sip of her wine, "Are any of us?"
Glances are exchanged by all of the women and eyebrows furrow curiously as they all look at Daenerys.
"Surely the crown princess has maintained her virtue," Allara states.
Selena looks at Daenerys who seems completely unsure of what to say, "Um yes. I am."
"You hesitated," Allara says as she grows more suspicious, "Why?"
"I simply wasn't expecting to be called out," Daenerys answers.
"Or," Ashara says, "You-"
"Dessert!" Selena exclaims, "You all must have room for dessert! I had lemon cakes and raspberry tarts prepared specifically for this occasion."
"Wait a moment," Larrisa says, "None of you are maidens?"
"No," Allara answers, "What else is there to do at sea?"
"Read!" Larrisa exclaims.
"I'm a maiden," Jessamyn shares, "I'm waiting for my wedding night with Viserys."
"Slight warning, he did not wait for your wedding night," Selena informs her, "I don't think he ever suspected to have a wedding night though."
"I know," Jessamyn answers, "But that doesn't matter. I love Viserys and he loves me. I may not have been his first, but I do hope to be his last."
"Very well said," Missandei says with a smile. Jessamyn returns the gesture.
"Love," Ashara states, "What a foreign concept."
"Agreed," Selena mutters.
"Agreed?" Daenerys asks.
"What?" Selena asks as she looks over at the blonde, "I know nothing of love, therefore making it a foreign concept."
Before Daenerys can respond, the door opens, and all of the ladies look up to see one of the male servants standing there. A look of concern is worn on his face and Selena herself begins to fear the worse.
"What is it?" she asks as she rises from her seat.
"Targaryen ships have been spotted, my lady. They're making their way toward the castle."
"That's impossible," Selena mutters, "There's no way that Rhaegar could recover from his injuries."
"Do you truly think that my brother would come himself?" Daenerys asks as she stands from her seat, "How many ships is it?"
"Just five."
"Five?" Allara asks, "That's hardly enough to transport a full force."
If Rhaegar wasn't sending an army, then what was he sending?
A laugh escapes her as she figures it out, "Rhaegar is such a fool."
"What do you mean?" Daenerys asks.
"He sent Aegon," Selena laughs, "He sent his angered heir to his enemy."