Work Text:
I finished,” said Aegon, swinging his legs off the chair. His face showed little certainty, when he kept glaring at his own notes like they personally offended him.
“Show it to me.”
The bones in your back cracked painfully, as you moved to sit up in the bed. It annoyed you over comprehension – the weakness overtaking you, making you feel like a rugged doll. You imagined being punched till unconsciousness to be a similar experience, except your state dragged on for two days now.
Your insides ached for some movement, for straightening your body, but whenever you tried to stand up your head spun and limbs refused to serve you.
You made yourself as comfortable as you could and waved for the boy to pass you his book and papers. You looked away from the reading after seeing a few sentences, to send him a little smile. Once again he was being harsh in his judgment. The writing wasn’t perfect, it certainly wasn’t passionate or without mistakes, but it was enough for the prince to be proud of himself. You definitely were.
Aegon was a child smart over his years, but that didn’t mean he was fond of doing geography assignments. It was enough that he ran away from his maester, probably when the poor man closed his eyes for a mere moment. You bet he panicked when the little prince was gone, while he was supposed to be doing the writing…
Your heart swelled when you saw his little head peak from the door this morning. “How are you feeling?” He asked quietly.
The closed drapes and dim light in the room told him everything about your possible headache, and considerable as he was, he didn't wish to make it worse.
You welcomed him inside, but with a warning that he shouldn't come too close. You appreciated the boy’s concern a lot.
It was sweet but heartbreaking, seeing the way he looked at you when he thought you didn’t see – not a look of a prince, a carefully educated Targaryen, but just a boy who lost his mother far too early.
Aegon adored you, and if you only didn’t battle the awful sickness, you would gladly gather him in your arms like you often did. He liked to be treated seriously, approached like a reasonable child, but you knew he sometimes needed the assurance, the closeness and promises that everything would be fine. Especially, when he made that sad face, like he was truly concerned for your fate.
You saw it a lot on him today, and you cursed your own condition. It was hard to keep him away, but you knew infecting him would be much worse.
“It is a splendid work, Aegon.”
You didn't mind that he tried to lie to you about his supposed free time. He couldn't fool you, but you didn’t pry, and suggested that he should do his job anyway, just here, by your side. You called the servant to move the hangings a bit, so he could read in proper light.
It seemed like he could always find his way to you. You imagined your tray always full of sweets had something to do with it – a tray that was prepared just for him, but you wanted him to remain unaware.
When you hummed in recognition while reading, he started to climb up the bed to sit next to you, and it broke your heart to stop him. “Egg, carefully! I won't forgive myself if…”
“I know.” He nodded and obediently stood a few steps back. You smiled at him weakly. “Well, if I caught it too, I could at least keep you company…”
“Oh, yes, and avoid lessons, hm?” You offered.
“Maybe… if I had a bad temperature?”
“You're a smart boy, you mustn’t waste it, my dear,” you reminded, and he only shrugged. “You are finding ways to avoid them anyway, look at you here!”
You were pretty glad of that – not as much as Maekar, though – that except being better than his brothers in books, Aegon could also find his way around the court. He could avoid events, and find events when he wanted. He wasn’t easy to fool, and remained polite while still having a bone of inducibility in him.
“You won't tell anyone?” He asked in hope.
“Of course, I won't tell anyone. Who do you think I am, Egg?”
He answered you with a bright smile and took the checked paper from you.
“Do you think the maester will forgive me? It wasn’t nice to leave him without a word…”
“He will have to. You completed your assignment, after all!”
“Because you forced me,” he pointed out, and you laughed weakly.
“Well, he doesn’t need to know that, yes?”
A soft knock interrupted your peace, and the prince instinctively tucked his papers behind his back. You ordered the person to come inside, and soon your caretaker bowed his head. The maester’s age was not impressive, you would even say that he was a young man, but his skills in healing deserved all praises. You knew his story – he gained most of his knowledge by assisting the people who tended to the king, and was now assigned to other Targaryens.
In these past few days you grew to appreciate his abilities, but they weren’t making him any more approachable. He was not indifferent, not openly rude – your lord husband wouldn’t allow you to keep such a man close – but his remarks were always haughty.
“Your grace,” he said proudly, while putting down his apparatus that – you hoped – he only carried around for the effect, and wasn’t going to use them on you.
Then his eyes twitched, when he noticed the boy standing close to your bed.
“Oh, little prince Aegon! Your maester was looking for you, boy. The poor man is out of his mind worrying,” he muttered in a scolding voice that you didn’t like at all.
Egg merely shrugged his shoulders, not very worried about a man like that. You waved your hand at the maester to let him know he should leave the matter.
“I asked prince Aegon to sit with me, since he was done with his assignment and the maester decided it's a good moment for a nap,” you said barefacedly, betraying signs of made up annoyance.
Aegon looked down to hide the smile when you winked at him.
“Oh, that is quite unacceptable of him…” he hummed, like any of that truly interested him. You knew it didn’t, but he wasn’t blunt enough to clap his hands and turn to your health just yet.
It wasn’t long, though.
“Are you feeling better, your grace?”
“I’m alive. That would be it,” you mumbled, knowing that he will force you to elaborate anyway.
But he put his attention on Aegon first. He gestured at him like he was not even a common boy, but a dirty little beggar under his feet. Truth be told, if that’s how he treated a prince, you really didn’t want to know how he approached the poorest of sick people. You would pray that they never have to face him…
“Alright, my prince. Leave now, we have no use for your presence.”
Aegon looked at you with confusion on his face. He was not used to being spoken to that way, and even if it didn’t offend him really, it clearly caught him off guard.
“It is alright, Egg. Go and enjoy the rest of your day,” you added quickly, to make sure he won’t make that sad face again, which would make you throw the maester out and sentence him for two days in stocks. “Oh, and apologize to the maester in my name.”
“I will,” Aegon promised, while disappearing from the chamber.
He left heavy silence after him, which clearly remained unnoticed by the maester. He rearranged his things, and looked at the notes about your health again.
“So… the temperature is what worries me, my princess. I will check if you’re burning again,” he had the decency to warn you, before he stepped closer, and you had the chance to catch his hand.
He opened his eyes in shock, but was calmed by your peaceful face.
“The prince doesn’t deserve harshness like the one you showed him,” you said firmly, despite keeping your composure. It was just a wish, a piece of advice to direct him.
“I… I worried that he will exhaust you, my princess. You should save your strength now, and not waste it on the boy’s nonsenses."
“The prince is far from saying any nonsense, and you must know that I find his company very calming. Thank you for your concern.”
He bowed, as if to sooth your irritation. “It is my job, your grace.”
He made sure to check how you are feeling, made new reports of your state, and mixed some of his herbs.
The whole arrangement was taking awfully long – just like the sickness – and you started to get bored. Being tied to a bed was far from your dreams, and a terrible company of the maester only made it less bearable.
All you wished for now was that your husband would finally find a moment of freedom to come see you. You didn’t know how powerful your unspoken wish was.
“So how is the court?” You broke the silence, tired of only hearing your own stertorous breath. “I hope I didn’t burden the prince too much with the duties I had to leave on him.”
The man looked up from his job, like he was offended that you dared to interrupt him. You could see when he forced himself to remain calm, and turned to the book again.
“My princess, you shouldn't doubt your husband,” he said firmly, with superiority.
It boiled your blood, truly. Not only did he spoke to Aegon like he held very little respect for him, due to his age, but he also now lectured you.
“I don't doubt him, you cunt,” you spat, surprising yourself.
Normally you wouldn’t be so quick to jump into anger, but today your weariness dragged you into this irritable, unstable state. Also, Maekar’s company wasn't a good influence in the matter of keeping your patience on a leash.
You watched the man’s shocked expression with a frown, and in the corner of your eyes you saw the door open again. To your mild entertainment and satisfaction – the maester didn’t, and kept staring at you like you had slapped him.
Just then Maekar grunted, not really sure what he stepped into. All he knew was that he heard your heated remark. He had to fight his own smirk, since he would make him look too approachable. He didn’t want that. Especially with that sorry fucking excuse of a monk nearby, currently by your bed.
The maester rolled his eyes, and made an assumption dangerous for his safety.
“Aegon, I told you not to–”
The words died on his tongue, when he saw the boy’s father instead. He closed the door after him quite firmly, and took a few steps closer. It was funny to watch; he looked like a hunting animal who took pride from circling its surrounded prey.
“Prince Maekar! I apologize for the mistake…” The maester bowed his head low, but that was not enough for Maekar.
The king’s youngest son nodded, like he only confirmed his thoughts. He didn’t look you in the eyes just yet, and if he intended to play with the maester, you expected he would not do that for a while.
“A mistake is forgivable. Speaking about a prince with no respect, less so.” He stepped closer, until the younger man backed off into a wooden dresser, and gulped visibly. “He might be an unruly child, but to you, he is a grandson of the king.”
“Of course, your grace…”
Suddenly your entertainment was spoiled by a terrible headache hitting you.
“The same goes to my wife. Especially when you are tending to her, do you hear me? Next time I will have your tongue so you don’t bother her with speaking again,” he threatened, obviously far too roughly for the considerably small offence. “And she doesn’t doubt me, you cunt,” he repeated, and you had to roll your eyes, despite the pain.
“The man meant no disrespect, Maekar. Please–” You were interrupted by a violent fit of cough, “please, lower your voice,” you barely managed to choke out.
Your voice suddenly fell small, your throat felt dry, and you turned your head to the side, to hide the tears welling up in your eyes from the lack of proper breathing.
“My prince, if you would allow me…”
Maekar scoffed.
“Why in the seven hells are you asking, you fool? Do your thing!”
He almost pushed the man to your side, and soon a cold hand touched your heated forehead. He forced you to drink some awful medicine and applied ointments on the nape of your neck.
Maekar watched him like a hawk, especially when the maester suggested that washing your face with ice-cold water would help – if not with the temperature, then at least with the headache. You didn’t care much anymore, you just wanted for it to be gone. Soon a small basin was carried inside.
You managed to throw a threatening look at your resentful husband, who kept staring daggers at the young man’s back. With your silent pleading, an ask that he didn’t like at all, he had to give in.
Maekar moved to the window to stare outside, just for a moment, when he heard your piercing scream.
“You–” your voice died in your throat. “You fucking idiot!”
Maekar turned and if only he had his sword on him, his hand would certainly fly to the handle.
But don’t let it fool you: prince Maekar wasn’t any less dangerous unarmed.
He saw that you had jumped out of bed and was now dripping in the cold water that must have been spilled on you as an accident.
The maester’s hands trembled, and with a glare of pure terror aimed at prince Maekar, he sank to his knees.
“Your grace…”
“Don't your grace me!” You continued, your body shaking.
You clutched the bedding, wanting to throw it over your shoulders, but they turned out to be equally wet.
The kneeling man was snatched up as quickly as he fell. He pleaded incoherently when Maekar held him by the collar, grunting his teeth.
It was your unsteady, heavy breath that made Maekar abandon the idea of calling for an executioner to lend him his axe, and turning your personal bedroom into a place of brutal torment.
“You are the luckiest fool in this kingdom today,” he rasped out, and dragged the man to the door. He made sure to make his grasp especially painful. “Don’t you fucking dare to cross my way again, or you will be thrown into wintry Blackwater Bay. Then you will be toasted on a fucking stake, just to drown you ultimately.”
“Y–yes, my prince…”
You could hear the man hit the ground, and you could only imagine he crawled back, as far from the chamber as he could.
Unfortunately your clattering teeth didn’t allow you to hear much. You were too focused on hugging your own arms around you for some heat, and tried to find a dry piece of the bedding to crawl under.
“He was watching you while you were dressed like this?”
Maekar moved behind you, and you could recognize he was clenching his jaw from anger. It was all in his voice, the anger not aimed at you, but the threatened man.
“Was I supposed to wear a high neck and long sleeves?” You rasped out in a desperate scoff.
You had a simple nightgown on you, the neck not very low, neither too see-through. Only now it was all wet… Well, if the maester wished to see more before, your husband was seeing just that right now.
A strong pull turned you around and Maekar threw an arm around your shoulders to hold you close. Without allowing you to move even a bit, he turned to a coffer and looked for something that could warm you.
He flinched from the cold when he snapped the gown clinging to your body off of it, and wrapped the fur around you.
There was one thing worse than a sick princess of a realm, and it was a sick princess and a prince. Still, you didn’t even try pleading for him to stay away. There was no chance to make him change his mind about holding you close at nights, and if he did that, there was no reason why he wouldn’t do it now.
He was an experienced man who faced sicknesses, battles and things far worse. He patiently changed your compresses over and over again when you were burning up, and warmed you with his presence when you shivered. There was always an unspoken promise in his acts, and you knew he would never abandon you; in health or lack of it.
“I'll send for someone competent,” he said quietly, irritation still staining his voice.
“That man was competent,” you reminded, even if it was now hard to believe in.
Maekar giggled a nasty laugh.
“You must be out of your mind, really. He spilled a bucket of water on you!”
“Out of fear for you…”
“That is his one advantage, then: he should be afraid of me.”
He tried to drag your idle body to the bed, but you clung to his neck and made him stop in his tracks. Soon he was sitting in a chair in front of the fireplace, with you curled up on his lap, wrapped in furs. With carefulness that only you knew, he brushed your hair out of your face, and took the wet strands from under the fur, so they don’t irritate the bare skin on your neck.
A big hand kept on your head made you lean even more into him. You smirked weakly when you noticed that your shallow breath on his throat gave him shivers.
“I hate this place,” he grunted, caressing your body. He didn’t even notice, but he started swaying in the chair softly. You didn’t know if it was a habit from his children’s young years, or if he thought it would soothe you too, but it warmed your heart. And warmth was what you needed more than anything that moment.
“The very second the snow melts, we leave for Summerhall. I’m sick of it all…” he kept complaining, and you laughed despite the terrible trembling of your body that you couldn’t stop.
“You are sick of it? Look at me.”
“Fair. You look awful these last few days,” he admitted insolently, earning a weak smack on the shoulder from you. “What? You’re not a specimen of strength now, darling. It would be different if you could listen to me and…”
“Not overwork myself?” You offered, hearing the talk for the numerous times in the past few days.
“Aye,” he grumbled. “I couldn’t catch a fucking moment of peace with you, that’s how busy you were. Now you have to pay.”
“To you?”
“I wish. Maybe when you are less sweaty from burning up,” he joked cruelly, but smirked. “To your own body, I meant.”
You only scoffed, obediently laying your head on his chest.
“I’m counting the days to our leave as well,” you confessed quietly.
Unfortunately, your husband had duties to attend to, and despite your complaints that he was abandoning you again, he didn’t buck.
“You have to lay down,” he ordered, moving you to the bed. Tucking you it, he held your shoulder like you would try to spring up the moment he was gone. “Rest,” he said in a voice almost threatening.
“But–”
“Do you think I'm an incapable fool, like the man suggested?” His rasp was teasing, of course, but you knew him well enough to be aware of the idea sown in that thick head of his.
“Never. I just don’t want to behead anyone while–”
He interrupted you again, like an annoyed teenage boy who was teased enough to snap. “When you’re not there to tame me?”
You smiled widely. You looked weak, felt even worse, but Maekar never saw a sight more dear to him.
“When I’m not there to watch, I wanted to say.”