❝ There was a feeling of inevitability when I met you. And our lives were fated to converge like some cosmic dance. And I think I had to break your heart and you had to break mine. ❞
As Cressida Black's lungs ceased to draw breath, Aurelia Martell's...
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The Stepstones
When Liane returned to the tent she share with Laenor, she found him staring dazedly ahead, dried tear tracks on his face.
"Hullo," her husband said glumly.
Liane smiled weakly at him and approached him. "Your father all but shoved me back into our tent."
Laenor's teary eyes glanced at her. "Surely you do not expect..."
"I don't. But there are whispers across the camp. Whispers that others have brought to his attention."
"About?"
"About — about, well, us."
"And?"
"He is less than pleased that after our wedding night, we didn't share a tent again. He wants an heir," Liane murmured.
Laenor chuckled to himself. "Good for him."
"Good for him? I needed to listen to your father talk to me about this. I had to listen to a man old enough to be my grandfather talk to me about my wifely duties, Laenor!"
"That does sound mortifying," Laenor muttered. "But it is none of his business, it is none of anyone's business."
"He disagrees," Liane sighed. "He considers it our duty to perform."
Laenor groaned. "That is not his decision to make."
"He thinks it is."
"It is not," he muttered stiffly.
"Laenor," she murmured. "I know things have changed, but we will be expected to have children, to give your father an heir for Driftmark."
"Lucerys can have it," Laenor suggested. "He is as much Velaryon as our children will be."
"He's a Martell."
"He's Laena's son. He can change his name when he ascends the Driftwood Throne."
"Laenor, your father expects us to have children. Your mother will expect grandchildren as well. And so will the rest of the lords. It's our duty."
"I - I cannot do this, not now," he muttered. "I - I - I will not do this. I am sorry."
━━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━━✶━━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━━
The Citadel
Most of the maesters disliked the idea of being chosen as the Seneschal. It was a tedious position and held little allure for men who sought knowledge.
Caethan however, thrives in this office. It's not his, not truly — he's merely acting as the assistant for the most recent appointment, Archmaester Vaegon. Unofficially however, Caethan handles all the administrative matters while the Archmaester is free to pursue other matters.
