BELOW ZERO: The Green Knight & The Winter Wolf VOL 3 (Cregan Stark x OC)

Chapter Five (Gwayne)

CHAPTER FIVE

Gwayne

After dinner had been served and cake had been done, the music played and the dance floor filled with patrons. Some who had too much wine or ale and some who just did not care that they danced like complete fools.

I reached my hand to Alana's as I rose to my feet. Watching her give me a suspicious smirk as she slowly placed her hand into mine. The sun had completely gone down and torches lit the entire throne room.

Under the light of only the flames, Alana was captivating to me. I knew that I could have a decent time with her and in all honestly this arranged marriage between the two of us may not be so horrible as I had earlier thought.

Leading her to the center of the room, I took her respectfully into my arms. Not letting my hand go lower than the small of her back and keeping my other hand in hers at a healthy distance so as not to trigger Jacerys into storming over here and acting as her father.

He did that earlier when I was popping a strawberry into her mouth with whipped cream on it. Jacerys did not like that Alana took it upon herself to lick the whipped cream from the tip of my finger while looking me in the eyes and truth be told I was thankful Jacerys came over when he did.

Had he not, I may have gone further with my fiancé than intended to on the first night of meeting. Alicent already berated me about that too when she also saw how Alana and I had taken a liking to one another.

But that is all this is so far.

A liking that is new and exciting to experience. I don't see myself ever falling in love with her. In fact, I see myself getting sick of her easily. I've listened to her complain to her younger brother Luke how unfair it is that their younger brother Joffrey, who's only two or three years younger to Daeron, has been glue to her hip all night and their mother had retired to her chambers with the two smaller boys.

I've sent Daeron to go play with Joffrey each time he tries to attach himself back to Alana. This earns me a smile every so often and it's not an average smile. It's the same smile I get from girls back in Oldtown who want to jump my bones.

"You dance well." I tell Alana as we step together in sync. "Who taught you?"

"My father did when I was younger. When he died I stopped dancing until one day I found myself grieving him horribly... So, I made Luke dance with me until he stepped on his own feet so much his toes bled."

I can't help but chuckle at this while seeing the glimmer in her eyes. "And you? Who taught you to dance?"

"Many nights with many women." I admit. "I may not be the ideal candidate for a husband because of that. I understand if you find that repulsive. Saying it aloud actually makes me cringe at my own actions."

Alana gives a nod but doesn't say much. She removes her hand from mine and wraps her arms around my shoulders and rests her head on my chest, cuddling up to me as we sway together on the dance floor.

"Princess... This may not be appropriate since we are not wed-"

"We are engaged and we are doing nothing wrong. We are sharing a dance and that is all. We are not kissing and we are not fucking. Does it matter if we are close while dancing? Will me holding you like this put a babe in me before the wedding? The wedding we have not planned yet? You need to learn to relax a little, Ser Gwayne."

"You do have fire in your blood." I kiss the top of her head. "You are feisty..."

"Ser Gwayne, you have not seen anything yet." She tells me with a smirk before resting herself back into my chest.

I do not want to let go of her. Her hair smells like a sweetened honey and her breath of lemon and wine. I want nothing more than to kiss her lips right now but I know that would earn me a fair ass beating from Jacerys and Daemon. Possibly my own father too.

Alicent certainly would beat me but...

I have not seen my sister since Rhaenyra retired to her chambers.

I look back down at Alana and notice that for the first time all night she seems at peace. I stroke her hair away from her face and run my knuckles over her soft skin. She chuckles a little and I can't stop admiring her beauty. Her long eyelashes and arched eyebrows that do not have a single hair out of place. Her cheeks that are the perfect shade of light pink and how her nose scrunches slightly when she giggles.

"Tell me about Oldtown." She says without looking up at me. "Is it as beautiful as Alicent says it is?"

I hum with amusement. "You'll see soon enough... Or whenever it is you wish to see it. How long do you think we will court? Weeks? Months? Years?"

She ignores me.

"Anyhow... I'll let you think about it. But to answer your question, Oldtown is busy. If you enjoy the city you'll love Oldtown. The Citadel is the most beautiful part of it, the architect of the building and the thousands, perhaps a million, books that they have. It's incredible. There is so much history placed just in Oldtown."

"Are people like us even allowed into the Citadel or only Maesters?" She asks.

I snort with laughter. "I'll be Lord of Oldtown... If you want a book and it's there you best believe those stuff old Maesters will allow my wife a book if she so please it."

She lifts her head and looks at me with a smirk. "Already? I'm already your wife? Wow.. You move quickly."

"No, you are not my wife but someday you will be. I need to practice saying it now so it rolls off the tongue better." I shrug it off and play it cool but part of me is fueled by excitement at the thought of calling this beauty my wife someday.

She scoffs. "Well to answer your question I do enjoy reading. I also enjoy just sitting in quiet with a cup of tea and enjoying the sights out my window. Watching carts go by and ships leaving the harbor. I sometimes play a game where I guess what's on each ship and where it's going. It helps pass the time."

"Sounds lonely." I counter back to her. "Perhaps tomorrow for dinner we can sit on the balcony of your chambers and play that game?"

"You just said it sounds lonely." She looks at me suspiciously.

I shrug it off. "Which is why I'll play that little game with you. So you're not playing at it alone."

She shakes her head at me with the biggest grin. "Ser Gwayne you are very sneaky... Just know that my mother will not allow you in my chambers without a chaperone."

"Then I shall ask for her to chaperone herself."

"Oh you are ballsy." She tells me as she places her hand onto my face. "Ballsy and very handsome."

I feel my cheeks turn scarlet but I try to fight it off. Gods, this girl is killing me. Inside and out I can slowly feel myself wanting more of her.

"If I were ballsy I'd have you bent over a table right now and not giving a single fuck at who is watching." I tell her and I watch the innocent gleam in her eyes turn to a burning desire. Feeling her skin heat up under my touch as I hold her close to me still. "You'd like that wouldn't you?"

"I've never touched a man like that."

I raise a brow and joke with her. "So you've touched a woman?"

"Does myself count?"

My mouth goes dry and cock goes hard.

"Careful now..." I whisper in her ear. "Or I'll want to see for myself."

She leans into me and runs her thumb over my bottom lip. "And who said I'd hide it away from you? Be a good boy and ask... Then I'll share." This girl will be the death of me.