Asoiaf: I Have a Wolverine Template

Chapter 25

Chapter 25: Nighttime Bliss
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Alicent POV

A week later

I waited eagerly by my window, my heart racing in anticipation. Moments later, I caught sight of him—a shadow in the moonlight, leaping from one rooftop to the next with the grace and strength only he possessed. A smile spread across my face as I recognized him. Richard.

Taking a few steps back, I watched as he made his final jump—so effortlessly, he sailed the fifty feet from the neighboring building to my window. It was the third floor, but that didn't matter to him.

He landed silently on the window ledge, his golden hair catching the faint light as he turned to me with that familiar smile. I felt a warmth bloom inside me at the sight of it.

"Ready to go, my lady?" he asked, his voice low, teasing.

I smiled back, excitement bubbling up. "Yes, my knight."

It had been like this for the past moon, ever since he'd come back to me. The coldness that had once grown between us, the distance—gone. Every night, he would come to me, and we would explore the city together, just like we used to.

Only now, there was something more. Richard was different, stronger, more confident, and somehow... more attentive. He gave me his time, his focus—perhaps even more than he had ever given Cersei.

The thought of Richard giving his attention to Cersei used to stir something dark and uncertain within me. But now, with him here, his eyes focused on me and no one else, those feelings had melted away. There was no one else—just us, the night, and the adventure that awaited.

Richard had changed, but in a way I liked. He had returned to the Richard I knew, the one I had always relied on.

There was a maturity in him now, a strength that made him even more handsome. His body had filled out with muscle, and he'd grown taller—now towering at six feet. I was still getting used to it. His rapid growth surprised me at first, but it suited him.

He stretched out both hands toward me, and without hesitation, I knew what he wanted. I leapt into his arms, trusting him completely as he lifted me effortlessly, holding me in a princess carry.

My heart raced with excitement, not fear, as he jumped from the window, soaring through the air before landing smoothly on the rooftop. His new mutations he had told me made him capable of incredible feats, and though I had seen him do it many times, it never ceased to amaze me.

"Where are we going today, Richard?" I asked, trying to smooth my hair, which whipped wildly in the air as he ran and leaped across the rooftops with the precision of a predator. Each jump, each landing was perfect, as if he could see exactly where to go before even making the move.

I felt safe in his arms. There was nowhere else I wanted to be.

He looked down at me with a smile, the wind brushing through his golden hair. "Let's go to the newly built theater," he said. "Tonight, they're putting on a play—Beauty and the Beast."

I couldn't help but smile back. I'd read the play before, the one Richard had written himself. It still amazed me that he had not only come up with the idea for the theater, but that it had become such a success in Lannisport.

It was like everything he touched became something grander, something more than anyone could imagine. And now, to see Beauty and the Beast—his story—come to life filled me with pride.

"Beauty and the Beast," I repeated, excitement bubbling inside me. "I can't wait."

As we sped through the night, I couldn't resist making a playful comment. "You know, Richard, isn't Beauty and the Beast kind of like our situation?" I teased, remembering how the beast in the story had an unnatural strength, much like Richard.