The Pyre for a hero

Decisions and prospects

Daemon woke up with Shaera laying on his chest, her hair sprawled out across the bed. He smiled softly at how peaceful she looked when she slept.

"Tis strange to watch me sleep", Shaera spoke with her eyes still closed.

"I am merely admiring". He drew patterns on her back with his finger, Shaera sighed in content.

"I still have not forgotten our disagreement, I think I'm just being stubborn but I will not let you distract me from what should be done",

"Why must you ruin this moment?".

"Because I will not let you think you can get away with whatever it is you want. I agree the greens must die but the innocents should not",

"They are not innocents, everybody who sides with that usurping cunt is a fool and should not be spared or have you forgotten what have taken and what they will take if we don't kill every last one of them?".

Shaera sat up and pushed away from him, her naked figure temporarily distracted him as she picked up her discarded dress from the floor. She put on a robe, much to his dismay but he got up from the bed and put his trousers back on with an annoyed groan.

"You are being unfair, why must you say such a thing when you know it hurts me to think about how much Lucerys' death hurts our niece who lost her son and our daughter who blames herself for it",

"That hurt is what should be resolved by burning every green to the fucking ground".

"No. That hurt, that pain it never goes away. An aching in your heart cannot be calmed, Rhaenyra is never going to stop fighting to fill the void left in her heart from the loss of her son. She has experienced so much grief throughout her life that I do not blame her for wanting to kill the greens but I will continue to say that innocent people do not have to die",

"So you have said, continuously but you do not mean to do anything about it. If Rhaenyra decides to act on what I have said, you have to admit that you were wrong".

"Nyra is the true queen, whatever she decides is what is to be done despite what I think is wrong",

"So you have no issues with my plans if Rhaenyra decides to act on them? You told me that I do not act as a husband should by not agreeing with you and yet you only go against me in favour of our niece. You ignore my fears and deny me that which I have given up for you, to be with you. I call you my flame because you guide me through the darkness that plagues my mind when  you are not near. I would kill anybody who dares even look at you in spite. I need you every hour, I haven't needed anybody since my mother died and yet I cannot help but crave you in all ways possible. I feel as though you do not want to be my wife but I cannot live without!".

Shaera looked at him, her stoic face instilled an unknown feeling within him. She walked up to him and grabbed his hand in hers whilst her other hand softly caressed his jawline. She pondered how difficult it was for Daemon to admit such emotional truths that plagued him.

"I will always want to be your wife, to be yours. I am sorry for how I feel and that I have not been the wife you wish for but I need you to know that I will always stand by your side and love and guide you when you need me too. I may not change my mind about what to do in the future to ensure we survive for out children but I know that you and them are the reason I wish to keep going in this world and the next. I love you more than anything, I would rather perish if I could not be with you as your wife. We shall be with each other forever, even in death we shall find each other".

"You will forever be the only woman I want to be my wife, we will forever be together and I am glad we understand that even if you are wrong about what we should do for the upcoming war",

"I know it will come to war but it is a war between kin and not those who do not deserve to die. Some do deserve it and those who do will die but those who are innocent in all of this should not. And do not say I am wrong when I am not, I'm never wrong everybody else simply has a different opinion".

Daemon leaned forward so his forehead rested gently against hers. When he stood up straight, Shaera pulled him into an embrace. They both loved the feeling of being close to each other, the warmth of their bodies comforted them even if they would rather die than admit it. This time it was Shaera who pulled away, she turned around as she went to pick up her hairbrush but Daemon had other ideas. His adventurous hands slid across her stomach up to her breasts through the opening of her robe that exposed her soft skin. Shaera gripped his forearm as he continued to touch her whilst never breaking eye contact. She moaned his name when his grip got tighter. They both grumbled when somebody knocked on their door.

"Mother? Father?",

"We know you're in there".

"We wish to speak to you both".

Shaera quickly fastened her robe tighter around herself whilst sitting to brush her hair as she had originally gone to do whilst Daemon opened the door to let Alyssa, Aemma and Baelon in. Daemon closed the door before walking over to lay his hand on Shaera's shoulder as she smiled up at him.

"There was tension at supper yesterday evening, we wanted to ask you about it", Aemma spoke.

"You needn't worry my darlings, we are having a disagreement that won't be unresolved because your father is stubborn",

"Do not pretend as if you are not just as stubborn as I, my flame".

Shaera laughed at his words before addressing their children again. She couldn't believe how grown up they were already, she could remember each other their births and their youth. She couldn't believe Rhaenyra was queen, her heart clenched at knowing Aemma and Viserys would never see their daughter rule and knowing Lucerys would never get to grow to be a generous and loving man and husband to Rhaena. Shaera longed for when their lives were simple and happy instead of fearing a war all because Viserys married Alicent. She questioned what the realm would be like if Jahaerys had allowed Rhaenys to be queen like her namesake before her.