Chapter 64. A Firefly Crown

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Diane had just finished cleaning herself up and changing her clothes when she heard someone walk into her tent. She peeked out of her divider carefully: she didn't wish to have any more surprises that day.

It was Athelstan.

He sniffed as he wiped his tears with the sleeve of his jacket.

'Dove, what's wrong?' Diane immediately asked, coming out of the divider. What could have possibly happened in a few hours that she was gone from camp?

Athelstan shook his head and then covered his eyes with his hands, obviously trying to catch his breath to be able to say something, but failing miserably.

'Shh, come here, dove. It's alright,' Diane said, approaching him and pulling him into a hug. She was worried. Of course, she was, but she also knew that she wouldn't be able to get anything out of Athelstan unless he calmed down... at least a little.

'I- I- Gwayne and I broke up-' Athelstan cried, and he sounded so fucking devastated it broke Diane's heart.

Her first instinct was to ask "why?". After all, they didn't seem to have any real problems in their relationship, except the distance between them, and even that they handled quite well. But perhaps it was not the right thing to say. Perhaps it wouldn't be too considerate to ask Athelstan to explain when he could barely breathe, let alone talk.

'I am so sorry, dove,' Diane said instead, and gently led them both to the bed so they could sit on it. 'I might not understand you fully, but I did have my fair share of heartbreaks, and I know how painful that might feel.'

Athelstan sobbed, wiped a tear from his face, and said, 'Gwayne wants children.'

'Oh,' Diane made a sound. It wasn't a surprise for her that Gwayne wanted to be a father. He was so gentle with Aegon and Aemond, and he told her himself one day that he couldn't wait to have his own children. She just didn't think it would be such a big problem.

Sure, Athelstan and Gwayne were both men and couldn't get each other pregnant... at least, as of now. Valyrian men used to be able to carry their own heirs, and Molfars still carried that knowledge (Aliyah, in particular), but it wasn't as easy as just casting a spell. It was on Diane's agenda to figure out how to bring such a practice back to life (Gods know, their little queer island could really benefit from it), but it could take years.

However, one of them being pregnant was not the only way for them to have children. Dragonstone has been queer-friendly ever since the Faith of Fourteen Flames took root there, and since then, people figured out many ways to continue their lines. Gwayne and Athelstan could always take a child from an orphanage in King's Landing (there were way too many orphans on its streets in Diane's opinion) or give a home to a child raised at the Dragontemple. To Diane's knowledge, there were more than a dozen kids now. Their population did grow, but people also died more frequently and sometimes left children behind. Plus, they had a few heartbreaking cases when a child was able to cross the sea and get to Dragonstone, but the person who looked after them didn't. The majority of people who joined their ranks were queer in one way or another (or the family members/friends, accompanying someone who was queer) and were seeking a more secure and peaceful life, but Dragonstone was a safe harbor to everyone who needed it, so sometimes people fled to their shores to escape a different kind of persecution.

But even this aside, there was always an option of finding someone who would be happy to carry a child for them for a reasonable compensation. Healers of Dragonstone even had a way of impregnating a person without them having sex. It came very much in handy when someone wanted children but would rather not stick someone's dick up their cunt. Diane could understand it.

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