Chapter Text
♜ Dunk ♜
Dunk paced his room, wiping his sweat-covered palms on his trousers every few moments. His heart thumped so fast he was sure even his neighbors could hear it.
In a few minutes, HBO was supposed to announce the cast of their new upcoming series, Heated Chivalry.
Dunk had auditioned for the role of Ser Wymon the Strong—a hedge knight who, after defending a puppeteer named Maude from Prince Robert Varnhame, is appointed by the King to become the Prince's personal guard. And despite how rude and self-righteous the Prince is, as they're forced to spend every waking moment together, they begin to care for each other and eventually fall in love.
That was the basic description of the show Dunk had been sent. As soon as he'd seen they were looking for a very tall man with light brown hair to play Ser Wymon, he'd immediately sent in an audition tape.
This was his last hope. His last hope for a future in acting. If he hadn't managed to book this role—a role that, in his opinion, was made for him—then it was clear he wasn't meant for this profession. He'd be forced to return to playing rugby. Yes, he liked it a lot, but he'd always dreamed of more. His foster father, Arlan Pennytree, deserved that. It was the least Dunk could do to make him proud, even though he was no longer alive.
PING!
Dunk startled, his hands clenching into fists. He took a deep breath, steadying himself, before walking to his desk and picking up his slightly battered iPhone 8. His hands shook as he tapped the screen, making it light up. A message from his friend and PR manager, Lyonel, glared at him.
🔔 | iMessage
Lyonel Baratheon
YOU GOT IT, DUNK! Congrats!!! 🎉
Dunk's breath caught in his throat. He could barely stay standing, so he pulled out his chair and slowly sat down with a loud thunk. A slow smile spread across his lips uncontrollably. His fingers shook as he clicked on the notification from Lyonel, a string of more messages coming through.
💬 | Lyonel Baratheon
[11:00 AM] Lyonel: YOU GOT IT, DUNK! Congrats!!! 🎉
[11:01 AM] Lyonel: This is amazing! I knew you could do it.
[11:02 AM] Lyonel: Have you seen HBO’s Instagram post about the casting announcement?
Dunk frowned, then got a notification that he'd been tagged in a new post by @hbo and @heatedchivalrytv. For some reason, a pit formed in his stomach at the idea of checking who'd been cast as his love interest, the Prince. He hoped it was a new and upcoming actor like him—someone he could relate to and get along with.
He clicked on the notification.
📸 | hbo ✓ and heatedchivalrytv ✓ 5m ago
♫ The Killers - Mr. Brightside ♫
[Image 1: A square photograph of Dunk softly smiling with the text below it saying: Duncan Tall as Ser Wymon the Strong.
Image 2: A square photograph of Aerion Targaryen looking right at the camera, expression unreadable, with the text below it saying: Aerion Targaryen as Prince Robert Varnhame.]
♡ 5,642 | ✎ 83 | ↻ 29
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hbo We're delighted to announce the cast for the leading roles in our new LGBTQ+ series, Heated Chivalry. ⚔️🧑🏻❤️💋🧑🏼
@duncantallofficial as our beloved golden retriever knight and his prince’s protector.
@aeriontargaryen as our grumpy (more like cruel) prince who *very* slowly softens for his one-and-only guard.
Other cast members:
@tanselle as Maude
. . . more
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Dunk’s heart thumped once in his chest, anxiety bubbling in his stomach. The joy of finding out he’d booked the role simmered down just slightly. Aerion Targaryen, as in one of his closest friend’s—Egg’s—brother? Of course they had to choose a Targaryen to play the role of the Prince. It made sense, didn’t it? They all looked like royalty, all being A-list actors. And not to mention their roles in the show, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. It was practically a given that one of them would be cast in Heated Chivalry, given that it was also a medieval fantasy.
Egg had known about Dunk's audition, he'd even encouraged him to send his tape in. But he hadn't let Dunk know that his evil brother—that's what Egg called Aerion—had auditioned for the role of his lover. Dunk understood that information was probably confidential, and given who the Targaryens were, Egg was likely forbidden to tell anyone. Even him.
He wasn’t really angry with Egg. He doubted he ever could be. But still.
Dunk ran a hand through his hair, sighing heavily. This isn’t going to be easy, is it?
He didn’t know much about Aerion. He knew that he was rude and self-obsessed but sickly sweet and charming when he wanted to. That he’d never been the best brother to Egg—not that Daeron had been either—but that despite that was beloved by directors and had millions of devoted fans. Not that Dunk understood why. The man had nothing to show for except his looks.
Then, Dunk’s phone buzzed again. He looked down to see it was a FaceTime request from Egg 🥚.
Dunk couldn't help the genuine smile that broke through his anxiety. He accepted the call, and Egg's face filled the screen.
“Dunk!” Egg's voice crackled through the speakers, the joy clear in his voice. “You got it! I knew you would! I've been pacing my room for the past hour waiting for the announcement!”
Dunk laughed softly, his heart warming. “Thanks, Egg. I still can't quite believe it.”
“I can,” Egg said with a grin. “They'd be idiots not to cast you. You're perfect for Wymon.”
Dunk smiled, his face flushing. He looked down at the table. “Thanks, really. It means a lot.” He looked up again and hesitated, chewing on his bottom lip. “But... why didn't you tell me?”
Egg's face fell slightly. He knew exactly what Dunk meant. “I wanted to, so badly,” he said quietly. “When Daeron told me that Aerion was screen-testing for Robert, I nearly called you right then. But Father—” He stopped, pressing his lips together. He ran a hand over his bald head. “He made us all swear—said it could affect negotiations, that if word got out about how a Targaryen was trying for the role it could complicate things, cause a scandal, and create unnecessary hype before anything even became official.” He rolled his eyes and gestured with one hand to emphasize his next point. “You know—well maybe you don’t, but Aerion’s fans are crazy. Like really crazy, Dunk. They’re like obsessed with him. It’s very strange.“
Dunk couldn’t help but let out a chuckle. The idea of being obsessed with someone like Aerion Targaryen seemed insane to him. Who would be obsessed with him? And why?
Egg mirrored his amusement, bring his face closer to the camera. “I’m serious, Dunk,” he told him. “Just read the comments under the announcement post on Instagram. It’s kind of gross if you ask me.” He sighed, his expression returning to neutral. “But yeah… that was why I didn’t tell you. Thought that maybe I’d ruin your chances at booking the role or you wouldn’t audition if you knew.”
Dunk sobered at once, nodding slowly. “I figured it was something like that. It's alright, Egg. I understand.”
“You're not mad?” Egg asked frowning.
“Nah. Don’t even worry about it.” Dunk smiled genuinely. “I know you'd never do anything to hurt me.”
Egg's expression softened, relief evident in his eyes. “I really am sorry, Dunk. I hated not telling you.”
“I know.”
A moment of silence passed, then Egg's face lit up with that familiar mischievous smile of his. “You know, this isn't actually a bad thing.”
Dunk raised an eyebrow. He highly doubted that. “How do you figure that?”
“Well…” Egg lowered his voice conspiratorially. “…now that you're going to be spending months on set with my brother, Father will probably insist we visit a lot. ‘Family support,’ he'll call it. But really he'll want to make sure Aerion's behaving himself and that the press sees us as a united front. All the usual stuff.”
A smile appeared on Dunk’s face once again, his eyebrows shooting up. “Wait, really?”
“Really really.” Egg's grin widened. “Which means we’ll finally get to hang out in person again. It's been too long, Dunk—way too long.”
Dunk felt warmth spread through his chest. Egg was right, it had been too long. Since the Targaryens had exploded into fame, their in-person meetings had become almost impossible. Phone calls, texts, FaceTimes—those kept them connected, but it wasn't the same as actually hanging out in person.
“You're right,” he said. “That'll probably be the only good thing about this whole situation.”
Egg laughed, shaking his head. “Hey, I know I told you he was horrible—and he is—but even I must say that he’s a great actor. It’ll be like spending time with...” He thought deeply, frowning. “…with someone who looks like Aerion but isn’t Aerion. For the most part at least—while you’re acting.”
Let’s hope that’ll be the most part.
“That's reassuring,” Dunk replied with a playful scoff.
“I know. I know. But really, you should give him a chance. Trust me.” Egg's expression turned more serious. He sighed. “Oh, and Dunk? If he gives you any trouble—him or his fans—tell me. I'll tell Father, and he’ll handle him.”
Dunk nodded, touched by the sentiment. “I will,” he said. But to which one of Egg’s requests? He didn’t know.
Perhaps, he would give Aerion a chance. Maybe everything Egg had told him had been an exaggeration. Maybe he wasn’t as cold as he seemed in the media.
They talked for a few more minutes, Egg filling him in on what he'd been up to, Dunk sharing more of his nervous excitement about the role. By the time they hung up, Dunk felt lighter and more hopeful than he’d been in a while.
Then, remembering what Egg had told him—and plain curiosity, sue him—he opened up Instagram again, finding the announcement post he’d been tagged in. He double-tapped the post, having forgotten to like it earlier in all the excitement. His stomach clenched as he scrolled down and clicked on the comments section. From what, he didn’t know. Fear? Anticipation? But for what? Why? This whole thing overwhelmed him.
Comments
aerionsofficialgf Am I dreaming? I literally can’t believe I’m finally going to see Aerion play a twink. Life is worth living!!! 🙌
julie26 this is the best day of my life. well second best. first will be when ep 1 comes out
lesbian4life OKAY BUT GUYS!!! what’s the ship name going to be? we need to make one up ASAP
➙ aeriontargaryennation @lesbian4life atp we should just ship him with that Duncan guy. they knew that once they gave us Aerion playing a gay Prince we’d never let it go. they’ve prepared for this i fear.
dragonlover poor duncan ain’t ready for what’s about to happen to his ig account
heatedchivalryupdates follow @heatedchivalryupdates for all your HC news needs! we'll be posting episode stills, behind the scenes content, and more!
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Dunk could barely believe what he was seeing. All of those people were obsessed with Aerion? So much so to make… fan accounts for him? It sounded horrible. Mostly because it meant that there were thousands of eyes on you at all times. All of your fans judging your every step. And no matter what you did you’d disappoint some of them. But also because why out of all people would you create a fan account for Aerion Targaryen? There were definitely more interesting people out there to make fan accounts for.
And yet, despite himself, despite every logical thought telling him to just close the app and walk away, his thumb moved of its own accord. Without meaning to, he clicked on Aerion's profile.
👤 | aeriontargaryen ✓
Aerion Targaryen
28 posts | 5.4 M followers | 14 following
Brightflame
@westerosimanagement
Followed by hbo, eggtargaryen and 32 others
Follow | Message
Dunk's finger hovered over the screen. He should just close the app, put his phone down, and go process the fact that his career was about to change forever. He should also call one of his other closest friends, Raymun, to tell him the news. Not that he hadn’t found out already. Raymun loved celebrity gossip and social media. He was probably writing Dunk an essay in the form of a text in that exact moment.
But instead… he started scrolling.
Aerion’s grid was exactly what he’d expected. Each post bled into the next in a seamless stream of professional photography and carefully worded captions.
Dunk scrolled past a black and white editorial for some high-end fashion brand he didn't recognize. Then a promotional post for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Aerion in full costume as a Prince.
He probably loves playing Princes, doesn’t he? It fits his whole… aesthetic.
As Dunk continued scrolling he saw another brand deal, this time for a watch that probably cost more than Dunk's entire monthly rent. There were no casual photos—no pictures of food or sunsets or silly moments with friends. Just post after post of Aerion Targaryen looking exactly like Aerion Targaryen… flawless and untouchable as usual.
Dunk's thumb slowed as he scrolled all the way back up and reached the most recent post, dated four days ago.
📸 | aeriontargaryen ✓ 4 days ago
♫ Jeff Buckley - Lover, You Should’ve Come Over ♫
[Image 1: Aerion standing against a stark white backdrop, wearing a dark red suit. The color is deep, almost blood-like, making his violet eyes stand out. His silver-blonde hair is swept back and his expression is neutral.
Image 2: A closer shot, this time from the side. Aerion's gaze is directed somewhere off-camera, his lips parted slightly. The line of his jaw is prominent. He looks almost god-like.
Image 3: Aerion is looking directly into the camera, and there's something like challenge in his eyes. Like he knows exactly who's looking at him, why they’re looking at him, and exactly what they're thinking.]
♡ 894K | ✎ 5,629 | ↻ 126K
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aeriontargaryen the dragon returns soon.
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Dunk stared at the photos longer than he'd ever admit to anyone, including himself.
The thing was—and Dunk wasn't blind, he'd never claimed to be—Aerion Targaryen was objectively one of the most beautiful people he'd ever seen. It was almost annoying, really, how effortlessly stunning he was. Like the universe had decided to create the perfect human specimen and then forgot to give him a personality to match.
Dunk studied the photos, trying to understand what made Aerion so captivating to millions of people. The symmetry of his face, certainly. Those unmistakable violet eyes, definitely. And if Dunk had to guess then he’d say that those eyes combined with his sharp cheekbones and silver hair were the reason for everyone’s obsession. He looked like he'd stepped out of a painting, out of a fantasy from the very shows he starred in.
It was unsurprising, really, that he'd been cast as Prince Robert. The role seemed perfect for him. A beautiful, cruel prince who slowly softens for the one person who sees past his walls. Aerion had the look down perfectly.
Dunk thought about Egg's stories and about the way Aerion had supposedly treated past co-stars, the rumors of ‘diva’ behavior on set, and the way his public charm seemed to vanish the moment cameras stopped rolling.
A wolf in sheep’s clothing. Perfect on the outside, rotten on the inside.
Dunk clicked out of the photo before he could accidentally like it—that would be a disaster, liking a post from four days ago like some kind of obsessed fan—and found himself back on Aerion's profile. His finger hovered over the follow button.
Should he follow him?
It was a stupid question, really. Of course he should. They were about to spend months together filming a romantic drama. They'd be doing press tours together, attending events together, and pretending to fall in love for cameras and audiences. Not following each other on Instagram would be weird, euspicious, even. People would notice.
But would Aerion even follow him back? Or would Dunk be left in that awkward Following stage. Aerion probably loved seeing the Follow back button and never clicking on it.
Just do it, Dunk told himself. It's just a follow.
Before he could talk himself out of it, his phone buzzed violently in his hand, making him nearly drop it. A text notification flashed across the top of the screen.
🔔 | iMessage
Tanselle 👯♀️
HELLO?!? Are you celebrating? Or did you die?
Dunk blinked repeatedly, staring at his phone. Tanselle. Right. Tanselle, who'd been cast as Maude. Who'd sent in her audition tape with him and had been with him for all the callbacks and nervous waiting. In all the chaos of finding out about Aerion, in all the scrolling, and spiraling, and staring at photos he definitely shouldn't have been staring at, he'd completely forgotten that Tanselle was part of this too.
Dunk exited Aerion's profile and opened his messages with Tanselle.
💬 | Tanselle 👯♀️
[11:05 AM] Tanselle: HELLO?!? Are you celebrating? Or did you die?
[11:10 AM] Tanselle: Dunk?
[11:11 AM] Tanselle: Are you still sleeping? No, that’s impossible. You’re always up by 7 AM like an insane person.
[11:12 AM] Tanselle: Hellooooo? Duncan. 😡
[11:12 AM] Tanselle: I know that you hate it when people call you that so I thought that’d wake you up. It didn’t.
[11:15 AM] Tanselle: Fine, ignore me. See if I care. 🙄
Oh. And now it was… 12:36 PM.
Shit
He loved Tanselle, truly. She’d been his rock throughout the entire audition process. They’d both wanted these roles so badly. She’d even started training to become a puppeteer especially for the role. She’d been in a few indie, small budget films, but nothing like this. This would be her big break too.
And Dunk’s phone had glitched from all her spam and had only now delivered her messages. He felt like a terrible friend.
💬 | Tanselle 👯♀️
[12:36 PM] Dunk: I’m not dead! Sorry, sorry. I was on the phone with Egg and my phone glitched, and I only now got your messages. I’m really sorry!!
He hoped Tanselle wouldn’t be angry with him.
Thankfully, the three dots appeared almost immediately, calming his nerves.
💬 | Tanselle 👯♀️
[12:37 PM] Tanselle: Ohhh… that makes sense. You really need to get a new phone.
[12:37 PM] Tanselle: Maybe when you get that huge check… 🤗
[12:38 PM] Dunk: Haha. Yeah, definitely. I can’t have a phone that ignores your messages.
[12:38 PM] Tanselle: That’s great and all, but DID YOU SEE???
[12:39 PM] Tanselle: I still can’t believe it!!!! I’ve truly never screamed louder in my life than when I got that IG notification. I’m so proud of us. 🥹🫂
Dunk’s smile widened instantly. She was right. He was proud of them too. Against all odds they’d done it. And not only that, but they’d done it together. It felt like a dream come true.
He leaned back in his chair, his back creaking from staying in a hunched position for an hour. Had he really spent an hour analyzing Aerion’s Instagram profile? No, no. Definitely not.
💬 | Tanselle 👯♀️
[12:40 PM] Dunk: Me too! ❤️ It still feels surreal. It’s going to be the best experience ever.
[12:41 PM] Tanselle: I *would* return the sentiment but the moment I saw that Aerion got cast as YOUR LOVE INTEREST and I was like… oops you’re fucked.
[12:42 PM] Dunk: 😐
[12:43 PM] Tanselle: Stop, that emoji resembles you too much! No, but seriously. Aerion aka your Prince aka the man you’re going to have to KISS?!?!
[12:44 PM] Tanselle: Never thought I’d live to see the day. And *I’m* the one who’s essentially the catalyst for your entire romance… 🥰😛
[12:45 PM] Dunk: That’s not funny, you know. 😔 I genuinely freaked out when I saw him in the announcement. I truly only know about what he’s like from Egg and things online.
[12:46 PM] Dunk: There’s that account on Instagram that does blind items every day. It’s very overwhelming, but I once saw a blind item about how *someone* supposedly made a PA cry on the set of AKOTSK because of something stupid. And later it was revealed to have been about Aerion. I know most blind items are lies, but come on. That checks out.
Dunk didn’t follow that blind item lady or any drama accounts but he was aware of them. And he’d seen a lot of blind items about the cast of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Mainly Daeron and Aerion. Thankfully, none about Egg. He’d been playing a child so it was obvious he could do no wrong. At least to Dunk it was.
He didn’t know whether Aerion had gotten any backlash for those blind items. He was probably too famous to even be aware of them. Or maybe his fans just thought he was perfect. That made sense too.
💬 | Tanselle 👯♀️
[12:46 PM] Tanselle: Wait, that’s crazyyyy! What?!?
[12:47 PM] Tanselle: I mean, I’ve obviously heard about the blind items girl but I hadn’t heard about all of these Aerion blind items. This is tea… I like it 😇
[12:48 PM] Tanselle: You’re going to have to tell me *everything* after you’re in a scene together. He seems so fake but maybe he’s different in person. I’m so curious!
[12:49 PM] Tanselle: But how are you feeling in general? Are you nervous or excited or both? Because I’m both.
[12:50 PM] Dunk: Definitely both too. I feel like I’m going to make a fool of myself. And not just in front of Aerion, but in front of everyone. 😭
[12:51 PM] Tanselle: I know how you feel, bestie. But don’t worry, we’re in this together from now on. ❤️
[12:52 PM] Tanselle: And BTW they’ve started to send out the full script along with schedules for the chemistry tests. You’re probably going to get the same one as Aerion. Ha. Ha.
[12:53 PM] Dunk: Shit… you’re right.
[12:53 PM] Dunk: I think I’m just going to have to accept this as my new reality. It’s a hard one but I’ll have to.
[12:54 PM] Tanselle: Oh, stop it. You’ll be FINE. (😇)
[12:54 PM] Tanselle: Come over tomorrow so we can go over the script together practice our scenes. I’ll order some unhealthy food, your favorite. 😘
[12:55 PM] Dunk: Ugh. Alright. 🙄
Dunk set his phone down on the desk and tilted his head back, staring at the ceiling. His heart was still racing, but now it was more from excitement than nerves. He had the role, his best friend had it with him, and Egg would visit set.
Things were going to be okay.
And if he had to spend months pretending to slowly fall in love with Aerion Targaryen? Well... that was harder. But he’d cross that bridge when he came to it.
Then, his phone buzzed one more time, and Dunk couldn't help but glance at it.
Someone you know is on Instagram.
aeriontargaryen has a new post.
Dunk stared at the notification for a long moment, contemplating what to do next.
Fine. Whatever.
Instead of clicking on the notification, he went back to the Instagram app itself. Instantly, he was greeted with Aerion’s profile—right where he’d been last.
His finger hovered for a heartbeat before he clicked the Follow button.
Dunk would give Aerion the benefit of the doubt that tomorrow he’d wake up to a notification that said ‘aeriontargaryen started following you’.