BELOW ZERO: THE DRAGON'S MYSTERY VOL 4 (Cregan Stark x OC)

Chapter Two (Jace)

CHAPTER TWO

Jacerys

Dragonstone

"The stones by the water... Meet her there..." Is what Elinda told me when she slipped into my chambers tonight. I hadn't been here to Dragonstone since my mother decided to take up residency here three years ago right after Laenor's death. I know being in King's Landing sucked for her and especially after that.

I never liked King's Landing either.

Too many fucking rules.

And everyone had a damn stick up there ass constantly there. No drinking too much. No being too loud. No brothels every night. What the fuck was I supposed to do? Sit and stare at the walls all day? Yeah right.

When I was younger my mother used to bring me to sit at small council meetings that my grandsire had. So long as I sat there quietly and behaved, which I did, I could remain there. I was allowed in on those meetings until I was old enough to go on trips by myself. Travelling all of the Seven Kingdoms was better than staying locked in that stupid castle.

Mother hadn't called me to her chambers yet so I knew I was in the clear. I snuck out through one of the many secret passages and knew that waiting outside for me would be the only person I want to see. The whole reason why I'm here to begin with.

Twisting and turning down stone halls and steps I finally make it outside where the moon is high in the sky and the stars are glistening enough to illuminate the beach for me to find my way without needing a torch that would be blown out by the breeze anyhow.

Once I'm outside I see her... Sitting there on the rocks while the waves crash and little droplets land into her hair and onto her face. I haven't seen her in so long... The moonlight cascades onto her skin and my heart melts while my mouth goes completely dry.

"There you are." I say softly.

She turns to look at me but does not smile.

"You left me..." She says angerly. "You fucking left me, Jacerys... I- I thought you cared about me enough to at least stay."

I sit down on the rock that's next to her. The memories of the day I left Dragonstone after being here for literally a day had been burned into my brain. A pile of ash where good memories once rested now flooded with horrible memories that haunt me in the middle of the night.

"I had no choice." I tell her. "Mother stopped trusting me."

She nods. "I needed you."

My cock jumps in my pants. I palm it to set it down and ease the ache that it creates while the friction of my pants makes me want more. Craving the feeling that I felt three years ago when she was wrapped around me.

"Couldn't find another fool to fuck you?" I joke but she doesn't find it funny. "Relax... I'm only trying to make you laugh."

That's when I realize I hardly know her.

I know the big things about her. I know her name and I know her name-day. Because well... We have the same one. We're twins... It isn't far-fetched for our family or a few other families out there either. My own mother wed her uncle. My grandsire's first wife was his cousin. My uncle and aunt are siblings born a year apart and they are wed. My mother was a fucking idiot for not just promising to my own sister like Aegon and Helaena.

Rather she sends me to Driftmark to court my cousin.

I do not want to be with Baela and she knows that. She doesn't like me and I don't like her. She's a nice girl but... We have nothing in common and neither of us have any sort of sexual chemistry.

But Alana and I...

Fuck I can't stop picturing that day all over again.

"I needed you... And you left me here all alone. With a hole burning into my heart. Tearing me apart. Limb from limb, Jacerys! I live in darkness day to day since you left! It's all your fucking fault!"

"Hey!" I argue with her. "It takes two! You came to me that day."

She hangs her head in shame. "I didn't expect what happened to happen.."

"Alana you came into my room wearing only a robe and you kissed me first. I made not a single move on you until after you came onto me. Or did our mother manipulate you into believing otherwise?"

"Jacerys."

"Alana."

"She's sending me to Winterfell." She confesses and my chest tightens hearing that.

I shake my head. "No. No she can't-"

"I tried to argue it too... But she doesn't want me here. I'm a bad influence. She doesn't want Luke or Joffrey to be like me. She doesn't want Aegon or Viserys to be like me either. It's just easier if she gets rid of me."

"She got lucky with how fast she got pregnant with Joffrey before Laenor died, huh?" He winks. "Like.. Really fast."

She nods. "Yeah. Fast. Luck."

"Shit, I know you're upset about going to Winterfell.. But Cregan is great. You'll like him, I think. I'm uh... Not sure what your type is. But he's cool. He's one of my good friends and I... I don't want you to fucking go. I want you here. I want you here with me."

Her voice is a soft whisper where tears are being held back. "You know that can never happen, Jace... Not in this life. Not in the next..."

I use my thumb to wipe tears away from her face. "Why can't it?"

"You. Left. Me." Anger rises in her again.

Everyone was right... She's nothing but angry all the time now... Elinda had warned me that Alana was not the girl I remember. Me going to Driftmark really changed her. That day changed her...

"Alana it wasn't my choice to leave." I argue back. "Mother sent me away! She said I had no choice and Driftmark was meant to help me mature and understand life. I was forced to court Baela and do you think that's what I wanted? Do you think I didn't sit there alone at night and wish you'd come be with me? I dreamed of you crawling into bed with me and me holding you for hours- days actually! All I wanted was you. But I had no choice. I was told I had to leave. Shipped away like you're being shipped away. All because I came home.. Alana I don't know why she's so hellbent on keeping us apart, but Mother is doing whatever she can to stop what we both want."

"You really don't know a damn thing..." She mutters with tears in her eyes. "You... You don't know..."

"What don't I know Alana? Tell me."

"You have believed Mother's lies. All this time.."

"What lies?" I ask.

Alana cries harder and I wrap my arms around her and kiss the temple of her head. Taking in the scent of her again... The sweet smell of lavender and honey. And a little bit of mint from her breath. I want to kiss her ever so badly.

"You need to swear you won't freak out... Swear on Laenor's soul. Please, Jacerys. Swear on it!" Her demands send a smoke signal to my heart and it lights my stomach on fire. I give her a nod and she takes a few moments before uttering the words I never ever imagined I'd hear from anyone's tongue, let alone hers.

My mother is the worst woman alive.

I will never in my life forgive her for what she has done...

Alana is not going north until I confront my mother. After I confront my mother? Alana will never go north unless it is by my side as my wife to meet all my friends. There will be no union between here and Cregan so long as I live. My mother is now my top enemy.