Trials and Tribulations of the Oathkeeper

Chapter 103: Coming Back Harder and Stronger

"*GASP!* *huff* *huff*"

Daveth shot straight up in the bed, breathing heavily as his nerves worked overtime to settle him down. The cold air stung his lungs, causing his body to shake; his eyes widened with his pupils dilating slightly before turning left and right to examine his surroundings while his mind worked to put the back pieces together so as to comprehend where he was. It took a while, but Daveth managed to steady his breathing and calmed down long enough to realize that he was in his bedroom. Was what he had seen nothing but a mere dream? Had he actually crossed over into the next world? Nothing made sense anymore.

Outside the night sky was dissipating; the darkness and stars were disappearing. Off in the distance, the sun was slowly rising – as marveled by the beautiful red and orange colors of the sunrise, certain parts famous for its warm hue.

While he shifted his position, Daveth felt something heavy on his left hand. Glancing over, the Young Stag saw his own wife Sansa sleeping beside him. Her chest rose and fell with each exhalation; her head moved slightly which brought several strands of her red hair to fall over her face. Sansa? How long was she...? Was she here this whole time?

Brushing Sansa's hair out of her face with his right hand, Daveth gazed upon his wife and attempted to sit up properly but falters. His movement caused Sansa to stir in her sleep before gradually waking up. The Queen yawned and rubbed her eyes as he regained his balance.

"Mmm, what is going— D-Daveth?" Sansa stared at him.

Then... then it did happen. I wasn't hallucinating. What in Seven hells is going on? He raised a hand to touch her face, but stopped short. "Sansa—"

Daveth felt a sudden, yet sharp sting across his cheek. Sansa had slapped him! It didn't hurt, but the act caught him completely off-guard—possibly as it was meant to be an emotional response. Before he could even get a chance to protest, he was interrupted as Sansa threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck in a tight embrace which coincidentally knocked him back down onto the mattress with enough force to hit the back of his head against the bed's headboard. The sting on his face was gone, only to be replaced by a slight discomfort to his head.

"Gah!"

He then felt Sansa trembling against him, followed by something wet on his shoulder; Daveth held his wife close and massaged her back as she sniffled and squeezed tighter.

"You... you're alive! Don't you ever scare me like that again, you stupid idiot," Sansa murmured.

"Sansa, I..."

All the commotion from inside the room quickly drew the attention of nearby Kingsguard; even some of Daveth's royal councilors and family members arrived on the scene upon being woken up so early in the morning. Catelyn, who had recently woken up to tend to two of her three grandchildren, was just as surprised as nearly all in attendance.

"Well, I'll be a monkey's uncle," said Tyrion quite surprised.

Varys still had a borderline freaked-out expression on his face, still distrustful of magic and, by extension, red priests. What Vaeraleah told him earlier still bothered him deeply. Olyvar and Tommen and Myrcella arrived not too far behind, still rubbing sleep out of their eyes before finally noticing what the commotion was about.

"By the Gods," Olyvar gasped.

"Brother!" both Myrcella and Tommen exclaimed with glee.

Both joined their sister-in-law in embracing Daveth who, still in a state of confusion, felt his oxygen being cut off by his wife, sister and brother. As much as he appreciated his family being there for him, the Young Stag was currently feeling a much strong desire.