Caelyra: Sister-Wife and Dragonborn

21:By Some Miracle

She awoke from a dream of her former life, running through snow covered fields.

The dream had been good, if only until she opened her eyes again in this life.

Her brother-husband stirred from beside her, soft lips pressing against her temple and a warm long fingered hand gently cupping her slightly protruding belly.

By some miracle, they had finally done it. She is pregnant and they are safe until the birth of the babe growing in her womb.

Her father wanted a boy at all cost or Rhaegar's status of Crown Prince would be terminated.

It wasn't  fair and placed a lot of stress on herself and Rhaegar,  but their hands were tied and they had to accept and hope and pray that their babe is a boy for Rhaegar's sake.

"What are you thinking  of, love?"

She turned her head to look at him. "I had the most wonderful dream. I wished it never to end."

He gave her a sad smile at that. She wasn't sure why, though she could guess.

"What was it about?"he questioned.

She moved to a sitting position, his hand falling from her belly in the process. "It doesn't really matter," she said, "It can never become true again."

He frowned in confusion. "What do you mean by that?"

She didn't answer, her mood plummeting into the abyss as she thought of the life she used to have.

Why? Why did the gods see fit to give her this life? Who had chosen it for her?

Was it Talos? Mara perhaps?

She sighed, shifting closer to Rhaegar. He wrapped his arms around her, gently holding her.

"I want to be Caerly again," she admitted. "I want to swing a blade against a Draugr or some  foolish bandit chief. I want to climb the seven thousand steps and speak to Master Arngeir one last time. I want to sit by my hearth in Whiterun and read a book while my Houscarl Lydia cooks a good wholesome stew. I want so many things that I can never have again. It hurts my heart to just think of it and remember so much....And I ask myself, 'Why? Why was I reborn here?' And then I wish I wasn't. "

Rhaegar's arms tightened around her in silent support, but he said nothing  and she understood why...

He had no former lifetime that he could ache for. No memory of running through fields of snow. No memory of sitting by a hearth with a book. No memory of the simple life of a traveler.

For him there was no Skyrim and its many peoples. There was just Westeros and a mad father who had it out for them and a meek mother who took every pain their mad father meted out for her.

"I wish..." Rhaegar softly began after several silent moments. "I wish I could see it, your former life."

She smiled, but said nothing, removing herself from his embrace.

The day was beginning and soon she'd have to present herself in court as to not offend the king.

She wanted nothing to do with him, nor the other people at court, yet she cannot escape it.

She pouted the whole time while she bathed. The water wasn't allowed to be too hot. She hated it. Her body needed the heat.

Rhaegar bathed with her, but said nothing about the lukewarm water. She felt like she should apologize for it, but....

"Let me wash you, yes?"

She nodded and let him help her bath. She returned the favor, thinking about when they were first married and she hated the servants who bathed him.