Hope Hightower is headed north in hopes of winning the starks over to her sister Alicents side. But damn Jace got there first.
🐺
"Your guard is up and I know why. The last time you saw me is still burned in the back of your mind."
⚔️
HOTD x Lega...
"I got some rooms ready for you." Cregan remarked coming up to Hope. She glanced up from her fries. She locked eyes with him as she chomped down. He watched her silently. She licked the salt from her lips before speaking.
"Rooms? I get multiple rooms?" Hope mused.
"I got a room ready for you." Cregan altered.
"You did it personally?" Hope questioned.
"I... stop pulling my chain Hope." Cregan begged.
"I thought you liked it rough." Hope countered and he took a step closer, she said rough as though she was dog, a wolf, it sounded like Ruff, to Cregans ears.
"Hope." He breathed back. She took a sip of her drinking, martini glass tipping up as she finished it off.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Hope looked to Daeron as she put the glass down. Her fingers trilled the table and he wiped at his lips getting up.
"Bedtime." Hope remarked.
"Not tired." Daeron countered. Hope smirked back at him. Daeron tried to hold back a yawn but failed, he brought a hand to his lips to block it.
"Right. Not at all. Well I am, so be gentleman like I know you are and walk me back." Hope wrapped an around over his shoulders. Jace's gaze shifted to them as they left but Sara pulled his face back to hers.
Cregan pushed open the chamber door. Daeron peered in.
"For you, prince Daeron." Cregan remarked.
"Where is Hope going?" Daeron countered. Cregan tipped his head. He didnt know if this was stupid or very smart. He thought it was probably very fucking stupid. They moved down the hall, Daeron counted the doors, one, two, third door on the same side as him.
Hope's eyes darted from the door Cregan pushed open and the door across the hall from it. She knew that room. She knew that door. She knew that dent in the wall beside it when he slammed her back into it, hands and lips otherwise occupied. Missing the door as he had tried to get her into his bed.
Hope had to force herself to look to the room he was offering her.
"You okay Hope?" Cregan questioned leaning up against the doorframe, so caviler about it.
"Those rooms? Why not next to Daeron?" Hope pondered.
"That one has a leak and the others fire doesnt work." Cregan lied easily.
"That so?" Hope questioned.
"Ye-p." Cregan agreed, his lips smacked together as he said it.
"And..." Her gaze shifted back to Cregans door. "Let me guess, you put my future boyfriend Tony across the hall?" She teased.
"Thats half right." Cregan whispered lips grazing her ear.
"Thank you Cregan." Hope said taking a step away from him.
"You're welcome... we can talk more in the morning." He offered.
"Yeah... that would be... yeah." Hope agreed. Daeron's eyes darted between them.
"Thanks Cregan, night." Daeron declared nudging him out of the room. Daeron turned to Hope as she flopped back on the bed.
"I drank too much dont give me that look." Hope requested laying her arm over her eyes.
"You dont know what look I'm giving you." Daeron corrected. "YOu are not looking at me."
"I can sense it. And I know you." Hope reminded him.
"Hey Hope... could I stay here tonight?" Daeron questioned softly. "I'm not scared."
"YOu are not afraid of anything." Hope agreed.
"But... could I stay here tonight?"
"Of course, I would be a really shitty Aunt if I sent you away when half of the those knights wanted fuck me and Cregan is right across the hall and I'm drunk enough to act on my bad intuition." Hope agreed.
"To much information." Daeron informed her as he pulled off his shoes.
"I know." Hope agreed.
"Wait thats Cregans room? Across the hall?" Daeron questioned.
"Yeah... at least it was... you know before." Hope recalled.
"Those rooms-"
"Are completely fine." Hope agreed.
"How did you-"
"I heard his heartbeat." Hope answered.
"Damn you are so cool." Daeron declared laying beside her. "Why can't I be like you?"
"You dont want my curse." Hope corrected pressing a kiss to his temple.
"I want your strength." Daeron corrected.
"Sorry honey."
"Do you think it skipped Alicent-"
"Mother dearest." Hope corrected again.
"-Genes and therefore I dont get to be like you?" Daeron finished.
"Something like that." Hope offered knowingly. "Go to sleep." She whispered blowing out the candles. "Big day tomorrow, I can feel it."
+
Downfall was a complex yet it was so simple too. Alicent stared back at Aemond as he remarked what had happened at storms end. Tears in his eyes, as he rasped out the words.
Falling was so easy... if you fall you never stop falling. Until you crash. Thats how it felt, the Hightowers ultimate Downfall was coming.
Alicent had not yet processed all the enormous changes in not only her life but the capital. The king was dead, her father still wanted to kill Rhaenyra and Daemon, their children as well, any and all claims. Then Aemond came in with a new twist of fate that captured her attention entirely.
Aemond was supposed to go storms end and offer Borros a union. Aemond and one of Borros daughters. But he came back with not only a union agreement and a treaty of peace he had become the bearer of death.
"Mother? Mother... Mother did you hear me?" Aemond questioned. "Lucerys Velaryon is dead."
