XXXVII : The Pledge
Daenerys was relieved.
She tried to help the Northmen by ordering her Dothrakis and Unsullieds to fix their houses, even sat down and tried to ask them how are they living.
It was not always successful, but at least being amongst them is getting more bearable.
"Where is my brother?" She asked Tyrion who is strolling right beside her.
He turned and paused for a moment.
"He is still in his room."
She raised her brows.
"That's odd. It's almost breakfast, hadn't Lylian woke him up by now?"
"I heard she fell ill just this morning, your grace."
She gasped.
"Is the physician with her now?"
"Yes, your grace." He nodded.
"She reported of mild fever and bruises around late sunrise, but later the fever rises and her condition worsens."
"I hope she will get better." She muttered.
"We all do." The Imp replied.
The Mother of Dragons put her hands into the hem of her coat, warming them through her gloves.
Her violet eyes glided across the landscape and stopped on a figure in the dark cloak walking to her.
Jon.
She sighed, turning her eyes to Tyrion.
"You can leave. I'll see you at the breakfast table."
The youngest Lannister raised his dark hairy brows, processing the situation, then slowly nod.
"Yes, your grace."
Her hand left quietly as she walked up to meet him.
His blue eyes looked into hers, and she thinks she can see the violet hues dancing in them.
Jon shifted his weight and licked his lips, looking quite awkward.
Danaerys watched him, and can't help but let a smile creep onto her face.
He always looked like that, uncomfortable, uneasy, like he had nowhere to feel relax. Like he had no place he could really call home.
And maybe that's what makes her fall for him.
They both had nowhere to call home.
"Hey." She began.
He breathed.
"Hey."
Daenerys tilted her head.
"So?"
Her head slowly calculate, preparing for what to happen.
"What is your decision?"
Samwell Tarly, a friend of his, had had evidents indicating that he is actually her brother's son with Lyanna Stark.
The marriage between Rhaegar and his mother is a legal one, given that there's a maester who annulled her brother's marriage with Elia and perform him and Lyanna a private wedding.
He's her nephew. And now he had a higher claim to the throne.
Moreover, he doesn't seemed to be taking the role he had newly gotten quite well.
Telling her so just before the battle is quite a bad timing, and after that he kept drifting apart from her.
She doesn't know what happened, but after the feast, he came up to her, apologizing for being so cold and ignorant for all the time they separated.
Daenerys remembered she was quite angry and tired...and a bit tipsy, so she told him to take a night to think about what will he do next, then come to give her his answers in the morning.
It looks like finally Jon had made his mind.
And to the old gods and the new, she prayed he would not break her heart.
♝
"First, please come with me." He gestured his hand to the side.
Her fingers fidgeted with her gloves as she nodded and walk alongside him.
Jon led her to the weirwood forest. It's crimson red leaves cutting through the white landscape of snow, standing out from the background.
As if there's blood stained on it.
His tall figure stopped under it's branches that reaches across the air above their heads, and he turned to her.
Daenerys felt her heart pounding so hard it might pop out of her chest as he took both her hands in his and raise them.
"Daenerys..." He began.
"It's not easy for me to accept my own heritage. I was not raised to be a Targaryen, and to be honest, some of the traditions aren't what I expected."
She held her breath as he slowly continued.
"I never thought I would be anymore than a lowly bastard. And actually, being more than Jon Snow made me afraid."
Will he turn his back on her? Will there be only her and her brother, like in the beginning again?
His grip on her hands tightened, and he raised his eyes to meet her.
Deep blue eyes, like a true Stark.
"But I know that I love you. And I will do anything to keep you safe. So..."
He knelt down, unsheathing his sword and piercing it on the ground.
"Under this weirwood tree. I, Aegon Targaryen, pledge my love and loyalty to Daenerys Targaryen. My queen, my master, my love. If I had broken my oath in anyways, may the old gods and the new damned me and curse me for all eternity."
He lifted her hands, and kissed it softly.
"Daenerys, don't worry. I will never turn against you."
At that moment, all the heaviness in her heart were lifted.
She looked at him, breathing shakily and pulled him up.
How stupid of her.
How could she let her own fear seperate her from her love?
She was so stupid.
She should never have doubted him. She should have stayed the same and trust him like she always did.
Contempt filled her mind.
Her violet eyes look into his blue ones.
And she whispered,
"I'm sorry."
Daenerys kissed him, her arms embarced his neck as his hands find their way onto her waist.
"Please don't leave me." She whispered, her voice almost begging.
He smiled, tightening his arms around her in an assuring way.
"I won't."
♝
"Good noon, sister." Viserys greeted as soon as she opened the door.
"I see you were having a nice strolling time with your lover." He added, making her brows rise.
"What?"
"You see," His long, pale fingers knocked the glass window pane.
"There's a window here. Even if I don't want to meddle with your love life, I still can see it."
"You..." She stuttered.
"Since when?"
He rocked his head back and forth.
"Doesn't matter. Are you here to see my wife?"
She nodded.
"Is she better?"
Viserys led her to the bed.
Lylian laid there, sleeping soundly, her face is a little bit paler than usual.
"Her fever had gone down. But her bruises are big." He took her hand into his and ran his fingers through her hair lightly.
The dark-haired lady groaned in her throat, her eyes fluttered open.
"...Viserys?"
"Hey." He responded, the corner of his lips tucked up into a soft smile.
Daenerys blinked at the sight.
Her brother's violet eyes were completely focused on his wife, and they were so gentle she get goosebumps.
The last time she had seen something just close to those eyes was ten years ago.
It was the last time he held their mother's crown before he had to sell them for their food.
"Are you feeling better?" He asked.
She slowly nodded, then coughed.
Viserys reacted more strongly than she had expected. He quickly rose up and reached for the cup and the water jug at the bedside table.
He led the cup to her lips and calmly patted her arms as she gulped it down.
"Slowly, slowly."
Lylian finished all of the contents in her cup, and breathed deeply.
"Daenerys."
"How are your bruises, Lylian?" She asked.
"Still hurts and burns." Lylian chuckled.
"But better than this morning."
Dany responded with a single hum in her throat.
"No need to worry," Her sister-in-law smiled at her.
"I'll be ready for the journey to the capital in three days."
"Take your time and recover soon, Lylian." She touched the other one's arm and turn to her brother.
"Viserys, I have something to talk to you."
His dark brows raised up in confusion, but he nodded anyways.
"You and me?"
"You and me."
He stood up and kissed Lylian's temple quickly.
"I'll be back soon."
"Go." She urged, and he walked out of the room with Daenerys followed closely.