Surviving

Chapter 49: The Girl Who Wouldn't Be Alone

There was very little left in this world that Naerys thought would surprise her. Time and time again, she would be met with fate's wickedness, and each time a piece of her would be taken. For the longest time she didn't think she had anything left of her.

Until she was face to face with violet eyes she hadn't seen since she was a girl standing on the shores, begging to run away from it all. Naerys never thought she would ever see Ser Laenor after that tragic night on Driftmark, yet here he was, standing before her with a smile of relief on his face.

Naerys didn't realize exactly how alone she was feeling all over again until she felt her father's embrace. Any hesitation she had before was out the window the moment she fell apart in his arms. She told him everything that had transpired since she'd returned from Dorne and he kept quiet the whole time, taking in every last word.

By the time she was finished, her body felt so exhausted and she laid her head on his lap while he brushed through her dark curls. Her eyes closed for a moment and she prayed to herself that when they would open, it would've all been a dream.

But when her eyes would open, she would still see the newer wrinkles in Laenor's face. She would still see little Maelor snoring on her bed with the furs wrapped snugly around him. She would still have her hand laying flat against her stomach- almost protectively.

Laenor didn't know what to make of it all as he looked down at the tearful thousand yard stare from her. It was as if hardly any time had passed since he'd left her alone along the shores all those years ago. He remembered how broken and lonely she looked, but he always knew in his heart that would not always be the case for her. Now he didn't know what to believe.

He only knew he had to look out for her. It was the least he owed her true father.

"Naerry...have you..." He didn't know how to come out and ask her the question he'd been dreading. Not without sending her into a fit of tears again. "...have you thought....?"

She shook her head slowly, blinking away the tears that lingered in her long lashes. Her dull brown eyes stared blankly over towards Maelor, never once looking up at Laenor as he continued to lazily brush through her hair.

He swallowed hard with his lips pursed tightly together before he took a deep breath to ask her. "Do you wish to...'rid' yourself...of the...?"

Naerys shot up from his lap, scooting away from him on the couch with her eyebrows furrowed. "Absolutely not. I could never...how could you even ask..."

"I'm sorry, little one, I just..." He wasn't surprised by her response at all, but he didn't think she was being reasonable. It was as if she didn't understand the dangers of her child's father. He turned towards her with his hands folded in his lap without pulling his dreary gaze from her. "You understand this war does not end with both of you raising this child...don't you?"

A small, pathetic whimper rang from the back of her throat as she looked away from him with tears returning to her eyes. She didn't want to even think about it, but in truth she really had no choice. This was war after all.

There would be a victor, and there would be a loser.

But there would be no "them."

"Naer, I do not mean to frighten you, I swear." He scooted closer to her, grabbing her hand as her head slowly turned back to him. "But you must be practical about this. Are you prepared to raise it...without him?"

She scoffed bitterly as her head slowly shook. "As if my mother would ever let this child see the light of day after what his father has already done."