THE SOUL'S EXCHANGE

Reunion At the Red Keep

The soft glow of the fire danced across the room, casting flickering shadows on the walls of the chamber. The silence between them was thick with unspoken words, unexpressed emotions. Daemon had returned at last, after more than a year of battle, but Alicent felt the weight of every day he had been gone, each one longer than the last.

Suddenly, the fragile peace shattered as Alicent's hand met his cheek with a sharp, but gentle slap. Her lips quivered as tears streamed down her face, breaking the composure she had tried so hard to maintain.

“How dare you? How dare you?” she cried, her voice cracking under the weight of her grief and fear. “Do you know how scared I was? Every day you returned with a different scar. I could feel it in my bones, Daemon. Every single wound, every single battle.” Her sobs grew louder, her chest heaving with the release of emotions she had suppressed for too long.

Daemon stood frozen for a moment, caught off guard by the intensity of her anguish. But then, without a word, he pulled her into his arms, holding her as tightly as he could without hurting her. His hands moved in slow, soothing circles on her back, and he cradled her head against his shoulder, letting her sob into his chest. He could feel her breath hitching, her body trembling in his embrace as she released months of pent-up worry and sorrow.

“I missed you,” she whispered, her voice fragile, barely above a whisper. Tears brimmed in her eyes, and Daemon, unable to bear the sight of them, leaned down and kissed each one away. The warmth of his lips against her skin was a comfort she hadn’t realized she needed. And then, with a need they both had buried deep within them, he pulled her into a passionate kiss, one that seemed to reignite the fire between them—a fire that had burned low but never extinguished in the year and a half of his absence.

Their kiss was long, hungry, and filled with all the emotions they had both tried to keep at bay. When they finally parted, both of them were breathless, their foreheads resting against each other’s as they struggled to regain control of their emotions.

Alicent took a shaky breath, composing herself before stepping back and turning toward the crib where their youngest child lay sleeping. She gently lifted the small bundle, holding her close for a moment before walking over to Daemon, her eyes filled with an emotion he couldn’t quite place.

“This is Helaena,” she said softly, handing the sleeping baby to him. “Your youngest and only daughter.”

Daemon’s eyes softened as he took his daughter into his arms. He stared down at the tiny face nestled against his chest and then glanced back at Alicent with a smirk, the mischievous glint returning to his eyes. “Yet,” he said, making her blush.

He looked back at Helaena, his eyes tracing her delicate features before they finally settled on her eyes. “She indeed does have my eyes,” he remarked, a hint of pride in his voice. “At least Viserys was right about something.”

Alicent smiled warmly, the tension between them slowly dissipating. “She’s your daughter, after all. Whose eyes would she have if not yours?”

Daemon kissed the top of Helaena’s head, his expression softening further as he held her close. “Kepa is going to protect you from everything, my little dreamer,” he whispered, his voice filled with a promise.

Alicent tilted her head, curiosity dancing in her eyes. “Dreamer?”

Daemon shrugged, a small smile playing on his lips. “I don’t know, the name seemed fitting. She feels like a dream, something fragile and beautiful.”

Alicent’s heart swelled at the tenderness in his voice. She leaned her head on his shoulder, a contented sigh escaping her lips. “Dreamer it is, then.”