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Chapter Text

Tales of dragons and magic had always been part of Westeros; everyone knew of them, and some had even witnessed one or both themselves, but nowadays, neither dragons nor magic was more than a memory… Long since believed to be dead or nothing but feared by those who’d only seen the bad things coming from them. But neither the dragons nor magic was gone, not completely, and there were still those who could possess both if they’d only known how…

- - - -

Quiet giggles and tiny bare feet could be heard running against the stone floor as three small boys made their way out of their beds, across the floor, through the door leading from their adjacent room, and into their parents’ chambers. They tried to keep their giggles down so as not to wake up their parents, who were sleeping in the room the three boys had entered before slipping out of the doors leading into the quite large chambers. By now, the two guards standing outside the chambers should have been used to these three escapees, but all three boys still managed to run right past them and into the corridor. One of the two guards tried to follow the boys, while the other stayed by the door, but before he could reach them and before the boys could escape further into the castle, the first and oldest boy almost ran straight into someone’s legs. This made him have to abruptly stop, making his two brothers run into him before all three ended up on the floor.

“Now, what do we have here?” Sungho chuckled before crouching down in front of the boys.

“Where’s Yunseong?” Minseo Stark, the oldest of the three boys, asked, totally dismissing the knight’s question as he stood up from the floor. Sungho just chuckled and shook his head before helping Minjae Stark, the second oldest, and Sumin Stark, the youngest boy, up from the floor.

“Still sleeping, I would assume,” Sungho answered as he rose back up with Sumin in his arms. Sumin, being only about one year old, had started crying when all three boys crashed into each other and ended up on the floor, so now, Sungho tried to soothe him by lightly bouncing him in his arms. The boy’s dark brown hair was exactly the same as his father’s, only missing the blond streaks the crown prince of Winterfell had. Minjae, who was about two years old, remained quiet, but he still pouted his lips, clearly upset by either them being caught or by having fallen onto the floor; Sungho couldn’t really tell which. His blond, almost white hair was standing in all directions, a clear indication that the boys had just woken up before trying to go on their escape mission. “Which I believe you should be as well,” Sungho added, playfully ruffling Minseo’s black hair. Minseo was just three years old, but he was still usually really well-behaved, apart from clearly being the leader and mastermind of the three boys’ escape from their room.

“But it’s boring!” Minseo complained, but the boy still couldn’t help but giggle as Sungho ruffled his hair. “We want to play! Will you play with us?” Minseo asked, looking up at the knight with hopeful eyes, making it really hard for Sungho to deny him, but he knew he still had to…

“Not right now, buddy. You should go back to your room and wait until your parents are awake,” Sungho gently ushered the two boys on the floor back toward the room they came from, and the guard from earlier helped him. Once they reached the doors again, Sungho placed Sumin down beside his older brothers, and the two guards resumed their positions on each side of the doorway. “So, go back inside,” Sungho whispered as he quietly opened the door and let the boys inside. After closing the door behind them, he looked between the two guards. “Don’t let them run off again, understood?”

“Yes, Ser!” Both guards answered, and then Sungho turned and left them again.

“Shh! Quiet, come on!” Minseo took Sumin’s hand and pulled his youngest brother with him over to the bed, and Minjae followed them. While Minjae climbed up on his own, Minseo tried his best to lift Sumin up, but it didn’t really work out, so he gave up before climbing up on the bed himself. The two sleeping figures in the bed stirred slightly as Minjae crawled over their legs before launching himself at one of them.

“Dad!” Minjae yelled, successfully waking up both adults. Taesan groaned as Minjae landed on his chest, and he could hear Leehan laugh from beside him.

“Agh, why are you up already?” Taesan sighed before trying to sit up with Minjae, who was still sitting on top of him. Minseo, who’d just managed to get up on the bed himself, tried to launch himself over Leehan to hug him, but Leehan had to stop him before the boy landed on him.

“Wait, sweety, watch papa’s stomach,” Leehan said, placing one hand over his slightly round stomach while gently stroking Minseo’s cheek with the other.

“Is the baby sleeping?” Minseo crawled over to place his ear against Leehan’s stomach, trying to listen or feel if the baby moved, which was something he’d done before Sumin was born as well. Leehan smiled and ran his hand over his oldest son’s head.

“Yes, the baby is sleeping, just like you should be,” He said, but Minseo looked up at him innocently.

“But that’s boring…” He said, repeating the same answer he’d given the knight earlier.

“Papa! Papa, up!” Sumin’s voice from beside the bed made Leehan turn and lean down to pick up their currently youngest son and place him on the bed between himself and Taesan. The latter was playfully wrestling with Minjae, whose laugh echoed in the room as his dad tickled him.

“Can we play with Yunseong?” Minseo asked, moving away from where he’d been sitting on Leehan’s lap to throw himself over his other father. Taesan groaned again as the second child of the day landed on him, and it made Leehan laugh.

“Or with Junmin?” Minjae perked up, slipping out of Taesan’s hold as the adult was occupied with Minseo sitting on him, and crawled around his older brother before sitting down beside his younger.

“Alright, boys, we can make a deal,” Leehan said. “If you go get dressed properly and we all eat breakfast, we’ll let you play with Yunseong and Junmin,”

“Yay!” Minseo and Minjae said in union before making their way off the bed quickly, while Taesan had to help Sumin down before all three boys disappeared back into their adjacent room. Taesan then sighed as he lay back down on the bed before placing a hand over Leehan’s stomach.

“This is definitely the last one we’re having,” He said as he caressed the younger’s stomach.

“Hah, didn’t you say you wanted six of them?” Leehan giggled, but Taesan just groaned again and threw his other arm over his eyes.

“Well, I take that back. Three is already a handful, and four will be even worse…” He sighed, but Leehan could still see him smiling a little. Leehan then slid out of bed and made his way over to their wardrobe to change out of the clothes he’d slept in. Taesan remained on the bed, enjoying the peace and quiet while it still lasted before their three little monsters came running back in various stages of properly clothed. Minseo was the only one who actually changed out of his sleeping clothes and into something he’d wear during the day. Minjae had changed his shirt but still had his pajama pants on, and Sumin hadn’t changed clothes at all and was still in his playsuit. Now it was Leehan’s turn to sigh, but he still smiled at his three boys before walking over to them.

“I think you two need some help,” He said, directing his words to Minjae and Sumin, but before he could bend down and pick Sumin up, Taesan stood up from the bed.

“I’ll help them,” He said, picking up Sumin. “You shouldn’t carry him around so much anymore, and you know that,” He added before kissing Leehan’s cheek.

“Yeah, whatever. Now you sound like dad,” Leehan chuckled, but Taesan really did sound like Jake because the latter always told Leehan not to carry the older boys while pregnant.

- - - -

If getting ready for breakfast required some assistance, the breakfast itself was a mess! Leehan helped Sumin eat his food, which wasn’t that bad apart from dropping some on the table, while Taesan had to deal with Minseo and Minjae. But while Minseo could get by pretty well on his own, Minjae had apparently decided that he wanted to throw his food on the floor rather than eat it…

“Minjae!” Taesan sighed, gently grabbing his son’s arm mid-throw, preventing him from throwing more food away. But the boy, clearly taking after Taesan himself, used his other hand to throw more food across the room. It landed on the floor by the door just as it opened, and Gunwook raised an eyebrow at the apparent mess before him.

“Good morrow, I guess,” He chuckled before placing down his and Taerae’s son, Junmin Blackwood, on the ground so the boy could go over to the table on his own. Taerae was walking behind him and looked rather displeased, which Taesan presumed was due to him being there… The two had never really gotten along, and even though they’d actually never done anything directly toward the other, Taesan knew Taerae thought he was reckless and not fit to be around children, absolutely not Taerae’s own child.

“Morning,” Leehan answered, not looking away from Sumin just to make sure the one-year-old wouldn’t drop more of his food while trying to eat.

“Junmin!” Minjae called out, completely dropping his interest in throwing the food, much to Taesan’s relief, and as Junmin saw Minjae, he rushed over to the table.

“Minnie!” Junmin said happily while climbing up into the empty chair beside his friend. Junmin had, just a few days earlier, turned two years old, making him and Minjae almost exactly the same age as Minjae had turned two just a month before. And if Minjae was a little rascal at times, Junmin was the complete opposite: the calmest kid in the whole castle. Soon, they were also joined by a very tired-looking Yunseong, who entered the room rubbing his eyes, and after him came Sungho. Since Yunseong had stayed in Winterfell for years now, and his father, the Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch, was in Castle Black, Sungho had helped take care of the boy with the help of his own brother, Doyoung, and the staff working in the castle of Winterfell. Yunseong walked over to sit beside Minseo, but Sungho remained in the doorway, giving the two adult princes and the two young lords a bow before turning to leave again. Leehan briefly watched him leave before turning back to face Yunseong.

“Take whatever you want, buddy,” he said, smiling at the four-year-old, soon-to-be-five-year-old boy, and Yunseong gave him a tired smile back.

“Everybody eat up, and then you can go out and play,” Taesan said, gesturing for one of the workers to come clean up the mess Minjae had made before standing up from the table.

“You should eat, too,” Leehan said before his brother could leave the table, making Taesan look over at him.

“I’ll eat later…” Taesan answered, but Leehan didn’t give up that easily.

“You should be a good role model for your sons, don’t you think?” The younger asked, raising an eyebrow at his brother. Taesan gave him a look of ‘Really?’ but sat back down again and actually ate something. Leehan turned back to continue feeding Sumin, but he couldn't help but sigh… it had been three years, and his brother still acted like a child throwing a tantrum every time he saw Sungho, even if the latter was always respectful, never overstepped, and just kept to his knightly duties…

Chapter Text

“You’re seriously going on a hunting trip now?” Leehan sighed from where he sat on the bed with Sumin. Minseo was off with Yunseong somewhere else in the castle. Leehan wasn’t really sure where, but he trusted his eldest son to behave. Meanwhile, he did not trust Minjae to be on his own, but he was currently with Junmin, and Taerae had promised to watch him so the two little boys could play together.

“Yes, I am going hunting, but only because Gyuvin and Ricky are coming down here, and we haven’t been doing anything together for so long!” Taesan answered, pulling on another shirt over the thin one he already wore. “And besides, Ricky won’t go hunting either, so he will stay here with Jinsik, and Taerae will stay as well,” He added as if that was supposed to help…

“They have their own children to watch, and we have three!” Leehan said, carefully standing up from the bed so Sumin wouldn’t wake up.

“Four, almost,” Taesan chuckled as he walked up to Leehan and placed his hands on the latter’s quite huge stomach.

“I still think there has to be more than one in here…” Leehan sighed and placed his own hands on top of Taesan’s before taking a deep breath. “And you’re still a meanie for leaving me with our little monsters,” Taesan chuckled at his brother’s words, but Leehan just raised an eyebrow at him. “It’s not funny…”

“I’m sure dad will help you, and it’ll just be for a couple of days!” Taesan tried to convince Leehan that he would be fine, but the younger just huffed at him before going back to sit on the bed, as standing up for too long made his feet hurt.

“Dad has a kingdom to run..” Leehan tried to argue, but he knew that there wasn’t really anything that could actually change Taesan’s mind about going out hunting with Gyuvin and Gunwook. And Leehan could actually take care of all three of their three sons just fine on his own, but it was just annoying that Taesan chose to leave him alone with them now when he’d spent months saying Leehan wasn’t even allowed to carry them, so he wouldn’t hurt himself.

“The kingdom can wait,” Taesan said as he tied his boots before walking over to the bed and kissing Sumin’s forehead and Leehan’s cheek. “Now I need to go, though, sorry. But I’ll walk by the great hall and see if I find dad and tell him to help you,” He added as he walked over to the door. “Love you!”

“Mmh… love you too,” Leehan sighed, and he could hear Taesan chuckle from down the hallway before the room went quiet again. He then turned to watch Sumin, who was still sleeping on Taesan’s side of the bed, curled up and hugging his little teddy bear. Leehan lay down beside his son and gently stroked Sumin’s brown hair out of his face. “I think we should plan something so dad has to take care of you all on his own when he gets back,” He chuckled to himself, fully aware that Sumin didn’t hear him, but the thought of leaving Taesan with all three boys alone for even just a day was amusing, because even if they could be a handful sometimes, the boys listened better to Leehan than they did Taesan.

- - - -

With Taesan, Gunwook, and Gyuvin out hunting, accompanied by a few others and some guards, the castle was quite empty despite all the small children there. But Leehan guessed it felt even emptier due to the fact that both Doyoung and Sungho had gone down to visit their brothers, Taeyong and Haechan, in Greywater Watch and would probably not return until after Taesan, Gunwook, and Gyuvin came back.

“Minjae! Don’t throw rocks in the pond, please, sweety. You might hurt the fish,” Leehan called out as he saw Minjae and Junmin standing by the pond with a few rocks in their tiny hands. This made Taerae turn away from one of the guards, who he’d been speaking with and went over to gently pull the two boys away from the water.

“Gush, you two…” He sighed, making Leehan chuckle a little. Leehan himself was sitting a bit further away on a blanket with Ricky as well as Sumin and Ricky’s and Gyuvin’s son, Jinsik. The two one-year-olds were happily playing with their wooden toys on top of the blanket and didn’t pay much mind to their surroundings, which made it easier for Leehan to keep an eye on Minseo and Yunseong as well since the two oldest boys were currently trying to climb a tree. Jake was standing beside them, making sure neither would fall, but Leehan still liked to know what all his sons were doing, even if others helped watch them.

“Gyuvin originally wanted to have more kids, but I think yours and Taesan’s little demons have made him take that back,” Ricky laughed as he watched Taerae struggle with getting Minjae and Junmin to stop throwing the rocks.

“Yeah, well, don’t make your decisions based on how that one behaves because he can’t behave at all sometimes…” Leehan said, gesturing toward Minjae just as the blond little boy almost threw the rock at the guard with whom Taerae had been speaking earlier. “He sure takes after Taesan…” The prince added, making Ricky laugh.

“Good thing Minseo and Sumin don’t, then,” He said, and Leehan agreed. Don’t get him wrong, he loved his brother very much, but seeing that Minjae was already showing the same disobedient behavior Taesan had toward Jake when they were younger wasn’t really what Leehan had hoped for… but Minjae wasn’t by any means evil either, he just wasn’t the best at listening and could get upset when things didn’t go his way.

“Papa, look!” Minseo’s voice rang through the Godswood and prompted Leehan to turn to look back in his oldest son’s direction. By now, both Minseo and Yunseong had managed to climb a bit up into the tree, still not high enough that Jake couldn’t reach them, but it was still quite the achievement for a three-year-old and a four-year-old.

“I see! Good job, sweety,” Leehan said, smiling at the two eldest boys as they continued to climb.

“Just wait until this one starts doing that,” Taerae said as he came walking, holding both Minjae and Junmin. The two were laughing despite hanging like two ragdolls from Taerae’s arms, and Leehan could only assume they’d done something else they shouldn’t since they were laughing so much.

“Please don’t remind me…” Leehan chuckled, but then he noticed something. “Where is your shoe, Minnie?” He asked, referring to Minjae by the nickname Junmin had given the boy when they were younger and could barely say each other’s names.

“In the pond…” Taerae answered before Minjae could, which just made the boy laugh even more.

“That doesn’t even surprise me in the slightest,” Leehan said. “But I guess I’ll have to have your father throw you in the pond to get it back once he returns,” He added jokingly while taking Minjae from Taerae and placing him down on the blanket beside him.

“No, no!” Minjae giggled, fully aware that his dad would never actually let something like that happen, but Leehan still found it funny to tease his son.

“I’ll get it, papa!” Minseo yelled from his place in the tree, moving down so quickly that Jake barely had the time to react before Minseo got down and ran past him.

“No need, little prince. We’ll get your brother’s shoe out of the pond,” The guard Taerae had been speaking with said as he gently prevented Minseo from trying to retrieve the shoe from the water.

“I think it’s time we go back inside, or what do you all say?” Jake then said, and the adults agreed while the kids protested.

“No! I wanna play more!” Minjae said, pouting his lips angrily and crossing his arms over his chest. This reminded Jake so much of Taesan that he just had to laugh before walking over and picking up the blond boy.

“Why don’t you and I go to the library and read something? Then we might be able to play again later, huh?” The king asked, and this seemed to interest Minjae, who nodded excitedly. “Despite being, by far, the wildest child, he absolutely loved spending time in the library with his grandfather, and this was something Leehan surely would use to their advantage in the future as well, and that had to be something he got from Leehan since Taesan never had the patience to neither read nor listen to someone else reading, if that someone wasn’t Leehan, of course. Once Jake and Minjae had disappeared into the castle, Ricky, Taerae, and Leehan got the other five children inside as well, which was much easier now without the little troublemaker.

- - - -

“This has to be the first fall of snow, right?” Gyuvin asked as he, Gunwook, and Taesan walked through the woods. Taesan looked up, and through the treetops, he could see a few white snowflakes falling down and landing on the ground.

“I think so, Leehan would know. He likes to keep track of those sorts of things,” Taesan answered. They’d been out for almost three days now and were currently on their way back.

“It is the tenth moon of the year, so the snow should be starting to fall by now,” Gunwook said. They’d gotten a few things on their trip but nothing major, which wasn’t really surprising either since they hadn’t gotten so far away from the small roads running through the woods, but they’d still had some fun. “You know, I still think Leehan should make you watch Minseo, Minjae, and Sumin on your own for three days when we get back,” Gunwook chuckled, earning a less-than-amused grunt from Taesan. “But like, come on, you left him with all three, and not to mention a fourth on the way,”

“You left Taerae with Junmin!” Taesan argued. He wasn’t angry; he was just a little fed up with being told he shouldn’t have gone away for days while leaving the kids with Leehan.

“That’s one kid, not three, and besides, I already know Taerae will make me watch Junmin and Minjae the next time those two decide they want to do something they shouldn’t,” Gunwook said, and that actually made both Taesan and Gyuvin laugh.

“I want to take Jinsik down to Greywater Watch, once he’s a little older maybe, but I want him to meet my uncles down there and see where my dad grew up,” Gyuvin said, a sad smile present on his lips at the thought of his parents…

“That sounds nice,” Gunwook smiled and patted his cousin’s shoulder. Taesan didn’t say anything, not because he didn’t agree with the other two, but because the thought of bringing his sons down to where his father had grown up had also struck his mind, but ever since the last time they’d tried to go down to Highgarden, Taesan had basically started a war, so he was pretty sure Jake wouldn’t let him try again… The sound of a horse approaching made them all momentarily stop and look further down the muddy road, and soon, they spotted one of Winterfell’s guards riding toward them.

“What’s happened?” Taesan asked as soon as the man had gotten close enough to hear him.

“Prince Leehan requested you come back immediately, my prince,” The guard said, which worried Taesan.

“Why?” The prince asked.

“He said he thinks your child is on the way,” The guard answered as he got off the horse.

“Already?!” Taesan asked, but he didn’t wait for an answer before taking the reins from the man and getting up on the horse. They didn’t bring any horses with them on the hunt themselves, so this would be the fastest way for him to get back. He then sat off, galloping down the road back toward Winterfell to be there for Leehan.

Chapter Text

Getting back to Winterfell didn’t actually take that long, but for Taesan, it felt like forever before he finally spotted those high stone walls and the dark wooden gates. Rushing right through them, past the guards, and jumping off the horse before it even stopped completely, Taesan just let go of the reins and ran into the castle. He passed several workers, and even Taerae, who had Junmin and Minjae with him.

“Dad!” Minjae shouted excitingly as he spotted Taesan, but the latter just rushed past his son.

“Hey buddy, I’ll come to you later!” Taesan called back so Minjae wouldn’t get sad that Taesan hadn’t stopped to greet him, and it seemed enough for now as the boy didn’t get upset. He reached his and Leehan’s chambers and pushed the doors open. He noticed Leehan right away because the younger was standing in the middle of the room in just his long undershirt, and he looked up as Taesan entered the room.

“Took you long enough…” He sighed, not sounding particularly pained or bothered at all.

“I thought you told the guard it was time…?” Taesan questioned, walking over to the younger and placing his hands on his hip and arm.

“It-“ Leehan was about to answer, but the maester, who was apparently also in the room, interrupted him.

“His term is far from complete; this should not be happening…” The maester said.

“It is fucking happening!” Leehan hissed before taking a deep breath and placing his hand on the small of his back, pressing down slightly as it kind of relieved some of the pain.

“Then why is he standing up?” Taesan asked. He was getting irritated with the maester and the midwives, but Leehan just waved him off before taking a few steps away.

“Because I want to!” He groaned, leaning against one of the pillars of the bedframe.

“He’s refused all our requests to lay down, my prince. He’s determined to stand up…” The maester answered.

“I don’t want to lay down because that hurts more!” Leehan almost yelled this time, clearly not enjoying any of this…

“But isn’t it better if you lay down… or?” Taesan looked between his brother and the maester.

“It depends, my prince; standing up could relieve some pain for a while, but he’ll have to lay down eventually,” The maester said. Taesan nodded before following Leehan, who’d walked even further away now, and despite the younger’s weak attempt at pushing his arms away, Taesan held onto him as he was kind of worried he wouldn’t be able to stand on his own for much longer.

“Maybe you could sit down? You could lean against me if you want; would that help?” Taesan asked. At first, Leehan just groaned again, but then he nodded slowly.

“Mmh, okay…” He breathed out before letting Taesan help him toward the bed.

“You’ve done this three times before, my prince; this is nothing new,” One of the midwives said once they were seated on the bed. Leehan wanted to yell at her that her comment didn’t help at all, but he kept quiet since he actually didn’t like yelling at other people. So, instead, he gripped Taesan’s hand just as another wave of pain came.

“Agh, ow!” He whimpered, squeezing his brother’s hand and the bedsheets.

“Breath, my prince,” The midwife said as she gently moved the prince’s legs up the bed slightly. Leehan squeezed his eyes close and leaned his head back against Taesan’s shoulder. “Come on, push!” Leehan just whimpered again but did as the woman had said, and much to Taesan’s surprise, just a little while later, the room was filled with high-pitched crying.

“There you go! It’s another boy, my prince!” One of the other midwives said as she wrapped the very tiny baby in a blanket. Taesan was rather relieved that it seemed to have gone fast, but when Leehan didn’t reach out for the baby and instead squeezed Taesan’s hand again, Taesan looked down at him again.

“What is it?” He asked worriedly.

“There’s another one …!” Leehan groaned, moving up slightly to change position.

“Another one?!” Taesan shouldn’t really be surprised since Leehan had said that he thought there was more than one baby, and maybe that could explain why they came earlier than expected as well.

“Mmh… ah!” Leehan gasped before trying to take a few deep breaths. One of the midwives had to hold the baby while Leehan kept tossing and turning on the bed. “It hurt… fuck!” He groaned again, and Taesan just felt just as useless as he’d done the previous three times because he never really knew how to help, or if he even could… Eventually, however, Leehan screamed and whimpered again before another high-pitched cry echoed in the room.

“Good, very good, my prince! Now it’s over,” The midwife closest to the two princes said as she picked up the crying newborn. “Another boy,” She added. Taesan let out a sigh of relief again, bringing up one hand to remove a few strands of Leehan’s long blond hair from his face, but the younger just leaned his head back and closed his eyes, breath still a little labored.

“We’re not having any more now, I promise,” Taesan chuckled lightly.

“Yeah, I’m not doing this again, that’s for sure,” Leehan answered, chuckling slightly as well.

“They are both quite small, but they seem to be doing fine,” The maester said as he’d now gotten a look at both boys.

“Good,” Taesan answered him, but Leehan still seemed rather uncomfortable. “You okay?” Taesan moved slightly so he could look at the younger's face, but Leehan shook his head.

“It doesn’t feel right…” He whimpered, moving again, trying to get more comfortable, but then he just gasped.

“Wait, my prince! You’re bleeding quite a lot,” The midwife made her way around the bed to get closer to where Leehan had managed to move, but the prince just pushed her away.

“No, no… ow!” Taesan desperately tried to help Leehan by pulling him up toward himself, but as he moved his hands back up, they were covered in blood. He panicked, not knowing if he should move or sit completely still in order not to hurt the younger, but Leehan just whimpered before full-on screaming.

“One more… there’s one more!” He screamed, squeezing his eyes close and using all his strength to continue. This time, it took a lot longer before Leehan’s thigh grip on Taesan’s hand eased, but… there was no high-pitched cry… Taesan felt Leehan finally relax against him, but the midwife, who held the third baby, just rushed over to the maester without saying a word.

“What is it?” Taesan asked, trying to see what they were doing with the baby.

“A boy, my prince,” The maester answered, but he didn’t look up from whatever he was doing.

“No, not that! What’s wrong?” Taesan clarified what he’d meant.

“Why isn’t he crying? Shouldn’t he be crying?” Leehan asked weakly. He tried to sit up higher to see what the maester was doing, but he just whimpered again before laying back down against Taesan’s chest. He still kept trying to look up to make sure his baby was okay, but Taesan’s attention moved from the baby to the midwife still standing by the bedside. She kept moving around rags and cloths, seemingly trying to stop Leehan’s bleeding, but Leehan didn’t even seem to notice this…

“Leehan…?” Taesan said slowly, but the younger either didn’t hear him or didn’t care to answer as he still kept trying to see his baby.

“Didn’t you say they should cry to make sure they’re breathing?! So why isn’t he crying?” Leehan felt himself grow desperate as there had still been no sounds coming from the last baby.

“They should, my prince… but I don’t know what…” The maester trailed off a little as he seemed to be turning the baby to the side, and Leehan saw the midwife next to the maester widen her eyes before bringing up one hand to cover her mouth.

“What is it? What’s wrong?!” Leehan tried to move but found it much harder this time as his lower half didn’t seem to move at all.

“Can you move your legs, my prince?” The midwife by his legs asked, but Leehan didn’t answer her.

“Leehan!” Taesan said, finally getting Leehan to turn his attention away from the baby and look up at his brother.

“What?”

“Your legs! Move them…” Taesan said, making Leehan look down, and oh, that’s quite a lot of blood,… was all he could think of. But he couldn’t really feel anything, which was something he realized just now.

“I… I can’t…” Leehan mumbled. ”I can’t move them…” But then, finally, a third high-pitched cry rang through the room, making both Leehan and Taesan look over at the maester and the last baby.

“There we go, good, little one,” The maester said before moving so the midwife could wrap this baby up in a blanket as well.

“Oh, thank the gods…” Leehan sighed, smiling faintly as he leaned his head back down before turning his face toward Taesan. “You did get your six children like you wanted,” He joked as Taesan turned to place a kiss on his forehead.

“Yeah… not that we really needed it, though,” Taesan answered, but he couldn’t help but laugh a little. Leehan just hummed against the side of Taesan’s neck before going completely silent, but it was only when his hand slipped away from where it had been holding onto Taesan’s wrist that the elder started to panic again. “Leehan…? Leehan!?” Taesan tried to shake his brother, but he remained unmoving.

“My prince, you need to move!” The maester said, but Taesan didn’t listen.

“Leehan!” He kept trying to wake Leehan up again until the maester grabbed his shoulder and turned him toward himself.

“Taesan!” The maester said, dropping all forms of formalities. “You need to move if we’re going to be able to help him!”

“Okay… okay…” Taesan said, slowly and shakingly removing himself from the bed and letting the maester do his job. He watched them move Leehan, so he was lying down completely before the maester stepped in the way of Taesan being able to see much. He backed further away, somehow ending up sitting against the wall and just staring at his own bloody hands. Taesan never had a problem with blood before… He killed people, sending their blood spraying across the ground, and he’d even beheaded a man without having to blink, but now he was shaking so violently that drops of blood ended up all over his own clothing and the floor. He didn’t know for how long he sat there, just staring straight forward; not a sound could enter his head as his body somehow had just shut everything out, and so all he could do was look at his brother’s limp hand, which had slipped off the side of the bed, and then just slumped backward…

- - - -

When Taesan eventually woke up again, he was no longer in his and Leehan’s chambers, and once he realized it, he sat up and got off the bed.

“Taesan, wait,” Jake stood up from the chair he’d been sitting in on the other side of the room.

“Leehan?” Taesan asked, still trying to make his way toward the door to go back to their chambers.

“He’s, uhm…” Jake reached out for Taesan, but the latter pushed his father’s hand away.

“Is he okay? What happened?!” Taesan basically yelled, panic and worry running through him. The door opened before Jake could answer him, and in came the maester. “Leehan, is he okay?” Taesan asked again, directing his words toward the maester this time.

“The prince has yet to wake up, but the bleeding has stopped, and he seems to be doing okay, as of now…” The maester answered. It didn’t really calm Taesan down fully, but at least his brother was alive!

“And the babies…?”

“Your three new sons are doing okay, my prince. The youngest, though, is a bit small compared to his brothers, who are already quite small themselves, but all three seem alright,” The maester said. “I would encourage you to go to them, though, as they would surely do better with their father with them,” He added. Taesan nodded slowly, taking a few breaths before following the maester to the children’s chambers adjacent to his and Leehan’s chambers. Minseo, Minjae, and Sumin were not there, so Taesan guessed they had to be with either Taerae or Ricky, but right now, he figured he needed to focus on the three newborns. The midwives had placed all three in the same crib, making it very apparent that the youngest was far smaller than his two brothers. They all had dark brown hair, but Taesan noticed a few blond streaks in one of their hair. It was the oldest one if he remembered correctly, and it looked like the boy would get the same kind of two-colored hair Taesan himself had. “What will you name them, my prince?” The maester asked.

“Leehan will name them when he wakes up…” Taesan murmured as he crouched down beside the crib with the three babies in.

“My prince… There’s no certainty that your brother will be-“ The maester tried to say, but Taesan didn’t let him finish the sentence.

“Leehan will name them when he wakes up!” Taesan snapped, and the maester just nodded. Taesan ran his fingers over the smallest baby’s cheek as the tiny little boy squirmed in his sleep. “Shh, little one. Papa will be with you soon…”

Chapter Text

Two days had passed, and the snow had now fully started to set on the ground outside and on the roof of the castle. They had not yet let Minseo, Minjae, and Sumin know there was something wrong with Leehan since Taesan didn’t want them to worry, so they’d just told them that their dad needed to rest alone and that Jake, Gyuvin, Ricky, Gunwook, and Taerae would take care of them in the meantime while Taesan stayed with Leehan. Per the maester’s suggestion, they’d moved the crib into Taesan’s and Leehan’s main chamber so that when Taesan wanted to be with his brother, he could also make sure the three little ones were doing okay, which they actually seemed to be doing, at least the two bigger ones…

“Hush little on one, don’t cry…” Taesan tried to soothe the tiniest of the triplets, but the boy just kept crying. “Does it hurt him?” Taesan asked, looking up at the maester, who was currently in the chamber with him.

“We can’t tell for certain, my prince… it’s not anything we’ve ever seen before…” The maester said. This didn’t make Taesan feel any less worried, but he still tried to move the little boy slightly and pull away the blanket he had wrapped around him to keep him warm. He did this to get a look at the boy’s right side and back, where bright, shimmering red scales were seemingly merged with his skin all the way from the back of his neck, down his right shoulder blade, and all the way down to his right hip. The boy had been born with it, meaning it was not caused by some sort of poison or injury, but just like the maester, Taesan had never seen anything like it before, either. The red scales were much rougher than the skin around them, but they still merged together without any sort of cracking or bleeding from where they touched.

“But then why won’t he stop crying?” Taesan asked desperately. “It has to hurt, or what else would cause him such discomfort?” Neither of the two other triplets had scales like this on their bodies, nor did any of the three older boys, but that kind of just worried Taesan even more since there was no way for them to tell what it would do to the baby…

“I’m sorry, my prince, but I do not know…” The maester answered.

“Then go find someone who does!” Taesan yelled, causing the other two babies to start crying as well due to the sudden loud noise. Thankfully, just then, Jake came into the room and immediately went over to the two babies still lying in the crib, and he hushed them quietly until they stopped crying.

“I’ll send word to Oldtown. The grand maesters of the citadel might have heard of this before,” The maester said before giving both Taesan and Jake a bow and then leaving the room.

“Have you eaten or slept anything since yesterday?” Jake asked once the maester had left.

“No, I don’t need to,” Taesan muttered. He kept lulling the boy in his arms, but it still didn’t seem like he would stop crying anytime soon…

“Yes, you do! Here, give him to me,” Jake said, reaching out for the boy Taesan was holding, but the younger moved away and out of Jake’s reach.

“No! I won’t leave before he stops crying…” Taesan said. He walked over to the bed, where Leehan was still lying. The sheets had been changed, and all traces of blood had been swept away, but Taesan still remembered it all: how much it had been, the smell of it, the feeling of it running down his own hands… He sat down and carefully moved the baby so he could hold him with one arm before reaching out his other hand to place it over Leehan’s pale hand. It felt so much colder than it usually did, and not only was his hand pale, but his arms and face were also so much paler than Taesan’s ever seen a human’s skin before. And if it wasn’t for the fact that he could see his brother’s chest slowly going up and down, it almost looked like Leehan wasn’t alive…

“Still nothing…?” Jake asked quietly as he walked over to stand beside the chair Taesan was sitting in.

“He won’t wake up…” Taesan murmured. He gently pulled Leehan’s hand up toward his face and kissed it before moving it so his own hand covered Leehan’s. He then placed both their hands around the little baby, who was still in his arms. The boy stopped crying for the first time in what felt like hours, and his teary brown eyes looked up at Taesan. The crown prince let out a small chuckle in disbelief and couldn’t help but smile at his tiny little son. The boy wiggled around a little, blinking tiredly before finally starting to fall asleep. Taesan gently squeezed Leehan’s hand as the little boy finally closed his eyes and fell asleep.

“There, now you can get some rest too,” Jake said quietly, gently running his hand over Taesan’s hair before leaning down and carefully taking the baby from his son before placing him down beside his two brothers, who, by this time, had already fallen asleep as well. Taesan, however, remained where he was sitting. He carefully laid Leehan’s hand back on the bed but kept his own on top of it. He felt tears start running down his cheeks again for what must have been the hundredth time, but he didn’t even bother wiping them away. The sound of the door abruptly opening made Taesan look up, and in came Sungho, not even knocking or announcing his arrival in any way, but it was clear he’d been told about Leehan’s current condition as Taesan could see worry written all over his face.

“Leehan, is he…?” Sungho trailed off as his eyes moved across the room. He noticed Leehan lying on the bed, but they moved to Taesan as the older prince stood up and started walking toward Sungho.

“Taesan!” Jake tried to follow after his son, afraid that he might try to do something to Sungho, but he wasn’t quick enough as he’d been standing on the other side of the crib and too far away from the door to reach them in time. Sungho also somewhat braced himself for either being punched or otherwise hurt in some way, but all Taesan did was grip the knight’s shirt and clench his jaw. Neither said anything, and neither did they really move apart from Taesan apparent heavy breathing. Sungho could see the tears running down from the crown prince’s swollen and bloodshot eyes, but he wasn’t sure if the other was about to push him away or try to strangle him as his hands were still gripping his shirt just below his neck. But much to Sungho’s, and Jake’s, surprise, Taesan did neither of those things… He stared at Sungho for a few seconds before just breaking down. He basically just slumped against the knight, barely standing on his own, and pressed his face into the elder’s shoulder.

“He’s not… he won’t wake up…” Taesan sobbed, still holding onto Sungho’s shirt for dear life and drenching the knight’s shirt with his tears that just kept falling. Sungho had no choice but to try to hold the prince up, and he shared a brief look with Jake before looking down at Taesan.

“Hey, shh… He’ll be okay. He’s strong! You know that,” Sungho said, not sure if it was more to try to keep himself from crying or to actually comfort Taesan. He found that it didn’t really matter, though, as it didn’t do much for either of them, but Sungho still tried to slowly move the prince backward until the latter sat down in the chair again. Taesan continued to sob, but he slowly started to let go of Sungho’s shirt, which finally gave the knight the opportunity to straighten back up.

“He won’t wake up…” Taesan mumbled again, this time more to himself than to Sungho. The knight looked over to Jake again, but the king just shook his head. It was clear to Sungho that Jake had been crying as well, but he was better at keeping it together than Taesan was. Sungho took a few steps back and away from Taesan, still somewhat confused by the younger’s earlier actions but still not fully trusting him not to try and hurt Sungho. But Taesan didn’t even seem to notice Sungho move away as he had leaned forward and placed his face in his hands, slowly rocking back and forth. A small urge to try and comfort the otherwise hot-headed prince struck Sungho, but before he could really decide whether he should do it or not, a tiny high-pitched cry came from his side. It made him look over, and that’s when he finally noticed the crib beside Jake. And from where he stood, he could actually see the three little babies.

“Three…!?” He asked, not really expecting an answer, but he slowly walked over to the crib to get a better look at the three babies.

“Yeah, three boys,” Jake said, finally smiling a little.

“What are their names?” Sungho asked, fighting the urge to reach out for the now crying baby, which seemed to be the smallest as well.

“He hasn’t given them any names yet…” Jake answered quietly while briefly looking over to his son. Sungho did that as well and saw that Taesan had now moved, so he was leaning over the side of the bed and was holding Leehan’s hand in his again. It seemed as though the crown prince hadn’t heard them nor the rather quiet cries of the smallest baby since he didn’t move from his current position.

“Can I?” Sungho asked, making Jake turn back to face the knight. He saw Sungho gesture down at the little boy crying, and Jake nodded as he wasn’t sure if he himself actually could deal with the crying all over again… So Sungho reached down and carefully picked up the smallest of the three babies before quietly hushing him while gently rocking him in his arms.

“Shh… it’s okay,” Sungho said, trying to soothe the baby by running his cheek, but the boy moved his head away, seemingly not liking the action and prompting Sungho to pull his hand away, but then he noticed something on the boy’s neck. “What’s that?” He asked, looking up at Jake before looking back down at the boy again.

“We don’t know… He was born with it, and it’s pretty much all over his back and right shoulder,” Jake answered.

“It looks like… scales… dragon scales,” Sungho said as he gently moved the boy to get a better look at the back of his neck. “That’s happened before, right?” He added.

“Huh?” Jake asked questioningly, prompting Sungho to look up again.

“The scales. That babies of your family have been born with some sort of scales on their bodies,” The knight said, but Jake just gave him a confused look. “It’s just something I read… that the daughter Prince Yoongi Targaryen had was born with some sort of scales on her body, and the same with King Yeonjun Targaryen’s baby as well as Prince Wonbin Baratheon’s. They all had these scales across their skin in various places,”

“Neither of those babies survived once they’d been born…” Jake pointed out. “And they were all girls…” He added.

“Seems like this one did, though,” Sungho smiled down at the boy in his arms as he’d, for some reason, stopped crying and was curiously looking up at the knight holding him. “Gotta be a first time for everything, right? And even though you’re kind of small, you seem to be doing okay to me,” Sungho said, bringing his hand back to gently run it along the boy’s tiny arm. He then looked back over toward the bed, where Taesan was still in the same position as before, and Leehan still looked to be asleep. “Guess you’re just as strong as you’re dad…” Sungho mumbled, keeping his eyes on Leehan while still gently rocking the baby in his arms.

Chapter Text

“No! There’s no way in the seven hells I’ll let you perform your sick tests on him!” Taesan yelled, making even Jake, who should be used to his son’s temperament by now, jump slightly at the volume of his voice.

“My prince, if you wish to know what’s wrong with him, we need to perform tests to see-“ The maester tried to say, but Taesan legit pushed the old man backward, almost making him fall over.

“Get the fuck away from my son! Get out!” He yelled before walking around Sungho, who had stood beside him when the maester entered the room a few moments earlier. Taesan walked up to the crib, where the three babies were still sleeping, and gripped the wooden frame before taking a few deep breaths to calm himself down. Jake didn’t even try to scold his son this time, as he, too, thought that performing tests on the baby sounded rather inhuman… but then again, the maesters were supposed to be the most educated and smart people of Westeros…

“What about Leehan?” Sungho asked, changing the topic away from the babies in hopes that Taesan wouldn’t end up trying to kill the maester out of anger.

“There is no actual way for us to tell when or even if the prince will wake up again… He lost a lot of blood, and it’s a miracle that all three babies are actually doing so well that they are,” The maester answered, rearranging the color of his shirt slightly while keeping his eyes on the crown prince, who’d not turned his back toward the others and were focused on his sons in the crib.

“Thank you, maester. That will be all,” Jake said before anyone else could say something that might trigger Taesan further, and the maester bowed before leaving the chambers. After that, the chambers fell silent again, but it wasn’t really a comfortable silence…

“Minjae asked for you earlier,” Sungho said after a while, directing his words toward Taesan. “He said you’d promised him to come to him when you got back from your hunt,” Sungho was sure that now it was his turn to get yelled at, but much to his surprise, Taesan just sighed heavily before letting go of the crib and turning back around.

“Yeah, I know…” He murmured, walking past Sungho again, throwing a quick glance over at Leehan before walking to the door, which the maester had left open. “Don’t let the maester near him…” Taesan said as he turned back and looked at Sungho. “Or either of them, for that matter,” He added, referring to the three babies.

“As you wish, my prince,” Sungho answered, giving Taesan a reassuring nod, one that Taesan returned before eventually exiting the room himself.

- - - -

“If you do it like this, it won’t fall off!” Minseo said, taking the toy brick from his brother before placing it with the widest side facing downward on top of the one already lying on the floor. “And then you can build it really high!” He added. Sumin looked really concentrated as he picked up another brick himself and placed it on top of the other two, just like Minseo had shown him. “Yes! Good,” The elder said happily, and Jinsik clapped his tiny hands to show support for his friend. But then all three got startled as a ball came flying in between them, crashing into the little tower they’d been trying to build and sending the bricks flying across the floor.

“Yay!” Minjae yelled, laughing as he’d actually managed to smash the tower, but Minseo looked rather displeased while Sumin started crying.

“You can’t be left unsupervised for even a few seconds…” Gyuvin chuckled before picking up the crying Sumin while Ricky sat down beside Minseo and Jinsik and placed the bricks back within reach so they could continue to build their tower. Minjae looked up at the very tall lord, if you asked him, before sprinting off, skipping past Gyuvin’s legs and even Gunwook, who’d tried to stop him, only to end up running straight into his father’s legs as Taesan just entered the room.

“Dad!” Minjae yelled happily, despite having landed on his butt on the floor from running into Taesan. He reached his hands upwards, a plea to be picked up, so Taesan did just that.

“Hey, buddy,” Taesan said before kissing his son’s forehead.

“Anything new?” Ricky asked as he stood back up from the floor, but Taesan just shook his head.

“What did the maester say, then?” Taerae asked, running his hand over his slightly round stomach as he stood up from one of the chairs in the room. He must be worried himself, Taesan thought. Not only for Leehan, but for himself as well since he and Gunwook will be having a second child in a few months.

“Nothing new apart from wanting to do some sick tests on the little one…” Taesan answered. He walked over to the table and put Minjae down on it, and he couldn’t help but smile a little at the thought of how Leehan always complained when he did that, saying he shouldn’t make the children stand on the tables. He tugged Minjae’s shirt back in place, as it had rolled up slightly when Taesan carried him, and then he reached down to pick up Minseo, who’d run over to hug Taesan’s leg, and placed him down beside his brother on the table.

“Where’s papa?” Minseo asked; big brown eyes looked up at Taesan.

“He’s still sleeping, honey,” Taesan said, kissing Minseo’s forehead just as he had done to Minjae earlier. Gyuvin walked over with Sumin, who'd stopped crying now, and Taesan took the boy, who was no longer the youngest Stark prince, and made sure to kiss his forehead as well. “I don’t know for how long your papa will be asleep, but until he wakes up, I need you three to be kind to each other and not cause so much trouble,” Taesan said, mostly directing his words to Minjae, but it still applied to all three of them.

“We can do that!” Minseo promised, and both Minjae and Sumin nodded enthusiastically, making Taesan smile at them.

“Where is babies?” Sumin asked, not really getting the words right, but Taesan understood what he’d meant.

“In dad’s and papa’s room, do you wanna see them?” He asked, and then all three boys nodded eagerly. Taesan then turned to Gyuvin. “Could you ask Sungho to bring them here and help him if needed?” He asked, and Gyuvin nodded before leaving the room. Taesan knew it would have just been easier to bring the three older boys into their chambers than bringing the babies here, but he didn’t want them to see Leehan right now since he didn’t know how it would affect them… It didn’t take that long for Gyuvin to return, and when he did, he had both Sungho and Jake with him. Taesan placed Sumin down beside Minseo before taking the oldest and biggest of the triplets from Jake so the king could return to their chambers, as they didn’t want to leave Leehan alone. Taesan then walked back over to the table and pulled one of the chairs out before sitting down so Minseo, Minjae, and Sumin could see the baby in his arms.

“It’s your hair, dad!” Minseo said, pointing to the dark brown hair with blond streaks that the baby Taesan held had.

“Yeah, he has the same hair as me,” Taesan chuckled lightly. “And the other two has brown hair, just like Sumin,” He added just as Gyuvin walked up with the second oldest twin, bending down so the three older boys could see the baby he held.

“No one has my hair?” Minjae asked, looking rather disappointed that neither of his brothers had the same hair color as him.

“I’m afraid not, buddy,” Taesan said. “But they don’t have hair like Minseo, either, so you two will have to be the only ones with your hair colors,”

“But I have papa’s hair!” Minjae pointed out, seemingly a little more satisfied now that he remembered that Leehan also had blond hair. “And grandpa!” He added, referring to Jake.

“And Minseo has your other grandfather’s hair, so all of you got one of our hair colors each,” Taesan chuckled, and by then, Sungho had joined them with the third and smallest triplet, carefully handing Taesan that one while also taking the oldest triplet from the crown prince. “This one’s the littlest one, and he’s got something a little different that neither of you has,” Taesan explained as he carefully showed Minseo, Minjae, and Sumin the red scaly skin on the shoulder and the back of the neck of the baby in his arms.

“That’s so cool!” Minseo said, leaning closer to see the baby better, but Minjae tried to push him away.

“I wanna see!” He complained, prompting Taesan to place his arm between the two oldest to prevent Minjae from pushing Minseo away.

“You won’t get to see if you can’t behave, young man,” Taesan said sternly, effectively making Minjae stop.

“Sorry, dad,” He mumbled, but Taesan just smiled faintly before gently ruffling Minjae’s blond hair.

“You need to be really careful with them. They are very small, and you can’t be pushing each other around when they are here,” Taesan explained, and it did actually seem like Minjae listened to him for once. Minseo, Minjae, and Sumin all nodded, but Taesan already knew Minseo and Sumin would listen since it was usually just Minjae who wouldn’t. A bad trait he’d gotten from Taesan himself, according to Jake… Up until this point, all three of the triplets had stayed asleep, but now the little one in Taesan’s arms started to stir and slowly looked up at everyone around him. He let out a tiny sound that Taesan would refer to as a happy sound, judging by the fact that the baby seemed to be somewhat smiling and not crying. Minjae and Sumin just stared at the baby, either never having seen one before or had been too young to remember that they had, while Minseo reached out his hand to touch the baby’s tiny one.

“He’s so small, dad,” Minseo said.

“He is, but babies are usually small,” Taesan said, intentionally leaving out the fact that the baby was indeed much smaller than babies usually were, but he wouldn’t even try to explain that to the three-year-old since he was too young to actually understand what that could implicate.

“I’m sorry to disturb you, my prince and my lords, but it seems like Prince Leehan is finally waking up,” The maester’s words from the doorway made Taesan’s head snap around to look at him.

“He’s awake?!” He asked, standing up, but not without making sure he didn’t move too fast with the baby in his arms or cause the three toddlers to fall off the table.

“More or less…” The maester answered, and that made both Taesan and Sungho even more worried…

Chapter Text

Taesan rushed back into his and Leehan’s chambers, still holding the youngest triplet, and only stopped momentarily when Jake reached out to take the baby from him. After handing the little boy to his father, Taesan ran up to the bed and knelt down beside it. He watched with wide eyes as his brother stirred on the bed before slowly opening his eyes.

“Leehan…” Taesan whispered, afraid that he might make something worse if he spoke too loud. Leehan blinked a few times, trying to take in his surroundings before turning his head in Taesan’s direction.

“Taesan…” Leehan tried to say, his voice coming out quite rough, but that didn’t stop him from faintly smiling and trying to lift his arm up toward his brother’s face. Taesan gently grabbed Leehan’s hand before bringing it to his lips and kissing it just as he felt the tears start running down his cheeks again. Leehan tried to wipe Taesan’s tears away, but he just ended up crying himself, prompting Taesan to stand up so he could lean over the younger and hug him tightly yet carefully. He unintentionally pulled Leehan up into a sitting position as the younger refused to let go of their hug once Taesan tried to move, and he was quite surprised that Leehan even had the strength to hold onto Taesan, but he did. “The babies? Our babies?” Leehan eventually asked quietly, still smiling as he finally let go of Taesan enough to see his face.

“They’re fine,” Taesan whispered, kissing Leehan gently on the lips.

“Wanna see them,” Leehan murmured against the elder’s lips, so Taesan reluctantly pulled away before turning around to see if Jake was still there, which he was, but Taesan didn’t fully let go of Leehan and still held onto his hand. Jake walked up to Taesan and carefully handed him the baby before leaning down to kiss the top of Leehan’s head.

“How are you feeling, sweety?” He asked, still worried even though his youngest son was now finally awake.

“Tired,” Leehan smiled up at his father, but then he moved his eyes back to Taesan as the other sat down on the bed beside him with one of their triplets.

“This is the last one,” He said, carefully handing Leehan the very tiny baby. Leehan smiled even brighter as he held him, but then he looked up as he heard someone else enter the room. He spotted Gyuvin, who seemed to be holding one of the other babies, and after him came Sungho, who was holding the third. He gave Leehan a faint smile before handing the baby he was holding over to Jake, and Leehan watched as he then turned and started to walk toward the door. “Stay…” Taesan’s voice surprised everyone in the room, mostly Leehan, who looked up at his brother with questioning eyes. “If you want to…” Taesan added, not looking in Sungho’s direction but rather at the baby Leehan was holding.

“My prince…?” Sungho questioned, but Taesan didn’t answer him. He just reached out for the baby Gyuvin was holding, and the latter handed the boy over to him. Sungho’s and Leehan’s eyes met briefly as the knight was unsure of what to do, but eventually, he decided to stay where he stood, not leaving the room but not coming any closer either…

“What did you name them?” Leehan eventually asked, moving his eyes away from Sungho to look up at Taesan. The latter let out a small chuckle before looking up to meet Leehan’s eyes.

“I didn’t…” He said slowly. “I wanted you to do it,” Leehan sighed at his brother but still smiled faintly.

“Which one’s the oldest?” Leehan asked, and then Jake walked up to stand beside the bed again before sitting down beside Taesan so Leehan could see the baby he was holding.

“This one,” Jake said. “He’s the biggest one, too,” He added.

“He looks like you,” Leehan giggled, turning to Taesan once he’d noticed the two-colored hair the baby had.

“I hope it’s just the hair he gets from me, though,” Taesan chuckled. “He’ll be a much better person if he’s like you,”

“Don’t say that; it’s not true,” Leehan tried to argue, but Taesan just shook his head.

“Don’t waste your energy on that, Leehan. What did you want to name him?” Taesan said.

“Baekseung,” Leehan said, and Jake smiled at his son.

“That sounds nice and new,” Jake chuckled. It wasn’t a name he’d heard before, but it had a nice ring to it.

“This one’s the second, and that one’s the last,” Taesan said, first referring to the baby he was holding and then gesturing toward the one Leehan held.

“Then you name that one,” Leehan said, nodding toward the one Taesan held. “And I’ll name this one. It wouldn’t be fair if I named them all,” He said, and even though Taesan kind of wanted to argue against it, he knew there was no use since he could win against Leehan in an argument either way. So he just sighed before looking down at the baby he held.

“Yujun? Does that sound good?” Taesan eventually asked. The name sounded like a combination of Yunho, Jake’s grandfather, and Yeonjun, Jake’s great-grandfather, but the king wasn’t sure if that had been Taesan’s intention or if he just found the name suiting.

“Yeah, it’s good,” Leehan said. He then looked down at the baby he was holding, and a faint smile appeared on his lips. “Hunter,” He murmured.

“Hm?” Taesan questioned, raising an eyebrow at his brother.

“His name will be Hunter,” Leehan said, referring to the last triplet.

“Leehan, that’s not really a name for-“ Jake tried to say, but Leehan interrupted him.

“I want his name to be Hunter. I don’t care if it sounds unusual. Your name is unusual, and so is Eric, your father’s name. And neither Anton Baratheon’s, Felix Targaryen’s, or even Kai Targaryen’s, not to mention Johnny, Lucas, and Mark Baratheon, had common names. They all had very uncommon, and yet their parents chose them for them. And so I’ve chosen the name Hunter for my son,” Leehan said, looking at Jake as he spoke, and Taesan couldn’t help but chuckle a little since it was very rare to see Leehan talk back to their father.

“Hunter, it is then,” Taesan said, placing a hand on top of Leehan’s, making him turn away from their father and look down at their hands. “But there’s one other thing you should know…” Taesan added, making Leehan look up once again, and his brother’s words worried the younger slightly.

“What…?” Leehan asked, but Taesan just gripped his hand before leaning over and kissing him on the cheek.

“He’s… different…”

- - - -

*Three years later*

“Come on, hurry up!” Minjae tugged Junmin along as they ran down across the large courtyard. The two five-year-olds had managed to outsmart the guard watching over them and were now running away from him to get back into the castle, even if they’d been told to stay outside. They didn’t make it to the castle doors, however, when Minjae spotted Yujun and Hunter standing alone with three other children. Those three, one boy and two girls, were not princes or princesses or lords or ladies; they were mere commoners living in Winterfell, and Minjae knew they were closer to his own age than his younger brothers’ age.

“Lizard-boy! Why don’t you show us your back, huh?” One of the girls asked, trying to tug on Hunter’s coat in an attempt to see more of the red scales running up the little prince’s neck.

“Stop it! Leave him alone!” Yujun said, trying to push the girl away from his brother, but that just resulted in the other girl pushing him away, making him fall to the ground.

“Yujun!” Hunter tried to get the first girl to let go of him so he could help his brother up, but then the boy, who was with the two girls, stepped in between the two princes and towered over Hunter.

“Show us the scales,” He said, smirking down at the younger boy as Hunter looked rather scared.

“No… I don’t want to,” He murmured. The other boy shoved him, but since the girl was still holding onto his coat, Hunter didn’t fall backward and instead just felt the pain from the boy’s harsh shove.

“Leave him alone! You’re just being mean to him!” Yujun yelled. He’d managed to stand back up, but there was no way for him to get to Hunter since one of the girls was still standing in the way. The boy, who shoved Hunter, turned around to face Yujun instead, which made Yujun back away slightly, but the older boy didn’t get to either say or do anything else before a fist made contact with his cheek, sending him flying to the ground.

“Get away from my brothers, you bastard!” Minjae yelled, shoving away the two girls after hitting the boy. Yujun and Hunter quickly made their way around Minjae to stand behind their older brother as the latter yelled at the bullies. “My dad will hang you for touching them! I’ll make sure of it!” Minjae kicked at the boy’s leg before basically growling at the two girls, making all three of them run off quickly. Minjae would have followed if it hadn’t been for Hunter gripping his arm.

“Don’t leave…” Hunter whispered quietly, which actually made Minjae drop the thought of going after the other kids to beat them up.

“I won’t,” Minjae promised before taking both Hunter’s and Yujun’s hands in his own and pulling them with him toward the castle. “Now, come on! Let’s go see what father and grandfather have prepared for your nameday!” Junmin followed along as well, and the four boys made it into the great hall.

“You’re not allowed in here now, you know that!” Leehan sighed as he saw the four boys come running toward him. He stood up from where he’d been sitting by one of the tables and started to walk toward his sons and their friend. He struggled a little, limping somewhat as his legs never really regained their full strength after he had the triplets. Not that it was something either of the boys ever really minded; to them, Leehan was the best in the world, no matter what.

“The pig boy and those ugly girls bullied Hunter again!” Minjae exclaimed as both Yujun and Hunter let go of his hands and ran over to hug one of Leehan’s legs each.

“Don’t call them that, Minjae. It’s not very nice,” Leehan sighed, but he crouched down to take a look at his two youngest sons. “You okay?” He asked, wiping off a bit of dirt that Yujun had on his coat before making sure Hunter wasn’t hurt.

“Yeah, papa. They just said mean things to me, but they pushed Yujun,” Hunter said, more concerned for his brother since he’d gotten quite used to others commenting on his unusual features.

“They did?” Leehan asked worriedly, turning back to Yujun.

“It didn’t hurt, papa! But they called Hunter lizard boy…” Yujun said, equally as concerned for Hunter as Hunter was for him. Leehan couldn’t help but smile a little at the two’s sweet nature toward each other before placing a kiss on each of their foreheads.

“And Minjae punched the boy, so he stopped being mean!” Hunter said, proudly telling their father of what Minjae did to protect them, but Minjae himself had rather had him not tell Leehan about that…

“You punched him!?” Leehan exclaimed, rather unimpressed by what Minjae had apparently done, but then again, he’d done it to protect his brothers, so Leehan couldn’t really find it in himself to lecture him about it. “Just… don’t do that, okay? It’s good that you help your brothers, but it’s not very kind to punch others,” Minjae pouted his lips slightly but then nodded, so Leehan leaned forward and kissed his forehead as well. “Now, off you go. I’ll speak to your dad about what the other kids did, but you know you should not be in here right now. You’ll ruin the surprise!” Leehan said, ushering the four boys to leave the great hall again just as Sungho appeared in the doorway. “Could you please take these rascals so they won’t cause more trouble?” Leehan asked as he noticed the knight.

“Of course, my prince. I was actually on my way to see where they’d gone since the guard who initially watched them seemed to have been outsmarted and left behind in the Godswood,” Sungho said, giving Leehan a bow before taking a step to the side to let the boys pass him.

“Sungho… please just call me Leehan. I don’t want you to call me ‘my prince’ all the time; it doesn’t feel right,” Leehan said quietly enough so the boys wouldn’t hear him.

“I’m sorry, my prince, but I should uphold the formalities I swore to give your family,” Sungho answered, even if it did pain him a little to go against what Leehan had asked of him. He gave Leehan another bow before turning to go after the boys to make sure they didn’t get into further trouble, leaving Leehan to watch them go. The prince watched them until they disappeared around the corner at the end of the hallway, fiddling with his fingers and blinking away the tears that threatened to fall from his eyes…

Chapter Text

Baekseung’s, Yujun’s, and Hunter’s nameday went unexpectedly well. Minjae didn't cause any trouble for once, maybe because Gunwook had taken it upon himself to keep both Minjae and Junmin entertained so Taesan and Leehan could focus on their triplets. Gyuvin and Ricky sat with their son Jinsik as well as Sumin, who’d snuck off from his one seat beside Jake and was now sharing a chair with Jinsik, which actually worked out quite well since the two four-year-olds weren’t so big and could easily fit on the same chair together. Taesan was currently standing with Baekseung behind the last row of tables on the side of the great hall. He was helping the oldest of the triplets aim at a makeshift target Taesan had put up so Baekseung could try out the new toy bow and arrows he’d gotten as a present. Yujun and Hunter had gotten one each as well, but they didn’t really pay theirs as much mind as Baekseung did and were instead very focused on some sort of a boardgame Doyoung had brought with him back from Greywater Watch when he’d visited his brothers. Minseo and Yunseong had stayed with Sungho for most of the celebrations, laughing and joking with the knight. Leehan sat in the chair closest to where Yujun and Hunter were sitting on the floor, but he had been watching Minseo for the last few minutes, noticing the small but still noticeable resemblance the boy had with Sungho… Not just the black hair, but also his features and soft and kind brown eyes… It worried Leehan because if he noticed the resemblance, who else could? But it seemed as though Taesan at least hadn’t, or he’d just not mentioned it yet…

“Papa! Look!” Hunter’s voice made Leehan snap out of his thoughts and look down at his two youngest. Hunter was pointing at the boardgame where he and Yujun had apparently stacked the game pieces on top of each other instead of actually playing the game as it should be played, but Leehan figured they’d not really listened when Doyoung had explained the rules to them earlier, not that it mattered.

“I see, sweety,” Leehan answered, running a hand over Hunter’s brown hair before standing up and walking across the great hall. “Could I have a word… in private?” Leehan asked, making Sungho look up at him.

“My prince…?” Sungho questioned, eyes darting around them briefly before looking back at Leehan. When the prince didn’t say anything else, Sungho stood up, much to Minseo’s and Yunseong’s dismay, but the knight promised them he’d be back soon before walking around the table and following Leehan out of the great hall. “What was it you wanted to talk about, my prince?” Sungho asked once they’d walled all the way into the Godswood and up to the pond.

“Minseo…” Leehan said. He’d stopped walking and was watching the few small fish swimming around in the pond in front of him.

“What about him, my prince?” Sungho asked, trying to keep a respectful distance between himself and Leehan even though it was as if he could feel the other’s need to be held.

“You don’t see it…?” Leehan questioned, finally turning to face Sungho.

“See what, my princ-“

“Don’t call me that, Sungho! I don’t want you to, and I don’t care about that stupid oath you took, preventing you from calling me by my name!” Leehan interrupted him. “And Minseo… He… How can you not see it?”

“I don’t know what you’re referring to…” Sungho answered, finally leaving out the formalities Leehan hated that he used.

“He looks like you…” Leehan murmured, fiddling with the hem of his shirt. Sungho didn’t respond this time and just watched Leehan. They both stayed silent for a while, long enough for Leehan to start to move his weight from one leg to the other as it somewhat pained him to stand up for too long. Sungho seemed to notice this and finally took a few steps closer to the prince.

“Maybe it would be wise if you went back to the great hall so you could sit down, my pr… Leehan,” Sungho said, but Leehan just let out a huff in disbelief.

“Don’t you even care? You know what that means, and yet you refuse to acknowledge it!?” Leehan snapped, pushing away the hand Sungho had reached out to assist the younger.

“There’s nothing to acknowledge… He’s your son, a prince, and has many of your features, as well as your father’s hair color,” Sungho said.

“Yeah… he’s my son, but is he Taesan’s, or… is he yours? That’s the important question, isn’t it?” Leehan said slowly. He looked up to meet Sungho’s eyes, so soft, warm, and brown, just like Minseo’s…

“He’s your son, and he’s Taesan’s son. There’s no questioning it, and you’re just overthinking it, Leehan,” Sungho tried to convince the younger, but the question had always been somewhere in the back of his mind, no matter how much he’d tried to push it away.

“And if he’s not? I know my children, Sungho! They all have some sort of trait from Taesan, whether it be good or bad, but they have them, everyone but Minseo! He doesn’t look like him, he doesn’t act like him, there’s nothing in him that he’d got from Taesan because Taesan didn’t father him, you did!” Leehan said, trying to keep his voice down even though the Godswood seemed to be empty.

“He is Taesan’s son! Because if he wasn’t, your people would have put both him and you to the blade! You’re married to Taesan, and he fathered your children, all of them! There is no other way it could be!” Sungho argued, slightly startling Leehan with the tone of his voice. “And for that boy’s sake, just let go of your worry because it’s for nothing… He’s a prince, you’re a prince, and your brother will be the next King in the North, and Minseo after him because that is how it is supposed to be!” Sungho clenched his fist to prevent himself from trying to reach out for Leehan, who had started crying by now, and instead, turned around to leave the Godswood.

“Don’t you want him to be your son…?” Leehan asked, prompting Sungho to stop walking away.

“It’s not a matter of what I want, Leehan. It’s what’s best for him… and for you. And that is him being Taesan’s son, not mine…” Sungho hadn’t turned around this time because if he had, he wasn’t sure he would have been able to leave, which was what he eventually did now, finally walking out of the Godswood and leaving Leehan alone behind… He walked past a man, some other lord of some smaller place in the North, he believed, not that he really cared. But the man gave him a nod, which Sungho returned before making his way back into the castle.

- - - -

“Hold it up like this, then you aim where you want it to end up, and then let go!” Taesan explained, helping Baekseung hold up the bow and aim it at the makeshift target. Baekseung tried really hard to do just as his dad told him, but the bow, even if it was basically just a toy, was still a little too big for a three-year-old.

“It’s too heavy, dad!” Baekseung complained, but Taesan just chuckled before placing the bow on the nearby table and picking up his son.

“You’ll learn to use it one day, buddy. Your father is really good with a bow and arrows; I’m sure he’ll be better at teaching you than I am,” Taesan walked back to his seat at the largest table, only to find Leehan’s seat empty, and Yujun and Hunter playing on their own on the floor. “Where’s your father?” Taesan asked as he placed Baekseung down beside his brothers, but he had to gently tap Hunter’s shoulder to get the boy’s attention.

“He walked away,” Yujun said as Hunter seemed too focused on what they were playing with.

“Mmh,” Taesan hummed, standing back up and looking around the great hall.

“He went outside, I believe,” Taerae’s voice came from the side, making Taesan turn in that direction. The crown prince raised an eyebrow at the elder, who was sitting with his and Gunwook’s other son, Yujin, on his lap. Taerae didn’t say anything else and just gestured toward the huge doors leading out of the great hall. Taesan looked up toward the doors, and just as he did, Sungho came walking back through them. His eyes met the prince’s, but the knight quickly looked away again and made his way back to where Minseo and Yunseong were seemingly waiting for him.

“Can you keep an eye on them?” Taesan asked, not looking away from the doors, but Taerae still understood that the prince had been referring to the triplets.

“Sure,” He said, and that’s all Taesan needed before making his way out of the great hall. He found Leehan still in the Godswood, sitting down beside the pond and running his fingers through the cold water, much like he used to do when they were younger.

“Why are you out here all alone, love?” Taesan asked, kneeling down beside his brother before gently using the back of his hand to wipe off the tears running down Leehan’s cheek.

“I’m worried…” Leehan mumbled.

“Why? There’s nothing for you to worry about,” Taesan said, but Leehan shook his head before reaching out to take one of Taesan’s hands in his own.

“For our children… What if something happens to them? What if people decide they don’t want us to rule and take it out on the boys just because they are young and vulnerable? What if someone goes after Minseo for being the oldest, or Hunter for being different, or…?” Leehan’s sobbing prevented him from continuing his worried rant, but Taesan pulled the younger into his lap and wrapped his arms around him.

“If anyone even dares to try, I would have them hanged before the day’s end,” He assured Leehan, kissing the younger’s cheek. “And with Sungho and Doyoung watching over them, I don’t think anyone would even want to try,” Taesan added, chuckling lightly.

“But what if they do?” Leehan turned to face Taesan fully, tears still running down his cheeks. “I don’t want to lose any of them; I don’t think I could handle that….”

“You won’t lose them. They’re Stark princes, our sons, and I would never let anything happen to them… or to you,” Taesan answered, pulling Leehan even closer until the younger rested his head on his shoulder. “Winter will come for anyone who tries to go against House Stark!”

“Papa! Papa!” Hunter’s little voice echoed through the Godswood, making both Taesan and Leehan look in the direction it came from, and they quite quickly noticed their youngest coming running toward them. Leehan tensed up, most likely worried that something had happened, but as he saw that Hunter was smiling and not crying or otherwise upset, he calmed down somewhat.

“What is it, sweety?” Leehan asked, standing up with Taesan's help before picking up Hunter.

“The maester said he needed to speak with you,” Hunter said, which prompted Leehan and Taesan to share a look before starting to make their way back into the castle.

- - - -

“But is it harmful?” Leehan asked. They were currently in the maester’s working chambers, himself, Taesan, and Jake, having left the boys with their friends and the two knights.

“Seeing that your son has survived for this long without any apparent struggles, I would say that his dragon-like features are not harmful in themselves, but the question still remains: for how long will it stay that way?” The maester answered. He’d gotten a raven from the grand maesters in Oldtown this same morning, and finally, after three years, they’d managed to find something that could maybe be of use to help them know what the scales on Hunter’s back meant and if they were harmful to the boy in any way.

“So there’s no way of telling if it will hurt him in the future…?” Leehan asked worriedly.

“I’m afraid not, my prince,” The maester said, and that made Leehan have to hold back another wave of tears. “But we’ll be doing everything we can to make sure your son has a normal life, and I’ll keep close contact with the grandmaesters in Oldtown,” Leehan nodded, and Taesan pulled him into another hug again.

“He’ll be fine. He has us and his brothers, and if anything regarding his condition changes, then we’ll find whatever’s needed to make him better!” Taesan whispered into the younger’s hair. Taesan wasn’t one to let anything hurt his sons, so not even whatever Hunter’s scales might do him was something Taesan would get past him! Not without doing anything in his power to make sure his son had a life just as good as his brothers'!

Chapter Text

“Hold it upright; don’t let it slip while you move,” Sungho said, using the side of his hand to knock the underside of the wooden sword Minseo held so the boy would raise it higher, which he did. “And make you don’t look away from your opponent; that only gives them the opportunity to attack,”

“But it’s heavy!” Minseo complained, trying to hold up the wooden sword even if it was too heavy for him.

“It needs to be heavy for you to learn the weight of a real sword,” Sungho answered, but he did take pity on the boy. “But you can rest for a while; we’ll start the training in a short while again,” He added, and both Minseo and Yunseong nodded before dropping their wooden training swords and sitting down together on one of the nearby benches. There were a few other kids sitting on one of the other benches, around the same age as Minseo and Yunseong, and they’d also come to the slightly smaller courtyard to start their training with a few of the guards and Sungho. It had been Minseo and Yunseong who’d begged the knight to train them, and then more of the children living in Winterfell had wanted to join them as well.

“He’s the one, look at his hair!” Minseo heard one of the other children say, prompting the six-year-old to turn around to look in their direction. There were two other kids, a boy and a girl, who were whispering to each other and pointing at him, which made Minseo feel uncomfortable. What were they talking about…?

“It doesn’t look like the crown prince’s hair; it doesn’t even look like his brothers’ hair,” The girl said. Minseo still didn’t get why they were talking about his hair, but their demeanor still made him uncomfortable, which Yunseong seemed to notice.

“Hey, you! Shut up!” The eight-year-old boy yelled, loud enough that it even got Sungho’s attention from across the courtyard. “He’s your prince! Don’t talk shit about him like you think you are something!” Sungho would have scolded the boy for using such words if it wasn’t for what the other boy answered him.

“He’s a bastard! That’s what I heard my dad say, and just look at his hair; the other princes don’t have black hair!” The boy sitting beside the girl said. This made Sungho’s heart beat so much faster, worried that more people had heard what the boy had said, but thankfully, there weren’t really any people around them that were within earshot. Sungho still quickly made his way over to the kids, and Minseo looked up at him with a confused facial expression.

“What does he mean, Sungho?” The little prince asked, too young to understand the word by which he’d be referred to, which was probably for the better…

“Don’t worry about it! Go get your dad and tell him I need to speak with him right away!” Sungho said, ushering both Minseo and Yunseong to leave the courtyard. After the two boys had left, the knight turned toward the boy and the girl still sitting on the bench beside him. “You!” Sungho said, gripping the boy by the collar. “Take me to your father, or I won’t be afraid to use this…” He let go of the boy’s collar but let him know he was serious by lifting the sword he was holding, prompting the boy to do what he’d been told… Sungho followed the boy to one of the bigger houses on the outskirts of Winterfell and was met by a woman, presumably the boy’s mother, and the same man he’d seen right after he’d had that argument with Leehan in the Godswood. Upon seeing Sungho, the man stiffened up and pressed his lips into a thin line.

“Get inside,” The man said, directing his words to the boy.

“But dad-“

“I said, get inside!” The boy did as he was told and disappeared into the house, followed by his mother, and so the man stepped outside and closed the door behind him. He didn’t say anything and just stared at Sungho, not looking particularly scared.

“Come with me,” Sungho eventually said, turning around and starting to walk away.

“And if I refuse?” The man asked, prompting Sungho to stop and turn back to face him.

“Then I’ll just get to kill you here and now, and we’ll never get to hear your explanation for what you’ve said,” The knight answered.

“Wouldn’t you prefer that, though? Seeing that you yourself seemed to have quite an active role in this whole ordeal,” The man said, proving to Sungho that what he’d feared was exactly what he didn’t want to happen… “Or does the whore still have you wrapped around his little finger?” The man snickered, but Sungho wasn’t going to listen to his bullshit anymore! He took a few quick steps, reaching the man before he could try to get away, and was about to just end the man here and now when a voice interrupted him.

“Sungho? You sent for me?” Taesan came walking in their direction, seemingly not bothered at all by the fact that he’d just witnessed Sungho about to kill a man.

“There’s something we need to deal with…” The knight said, letting go of the man, but not before pushing him forward, so he ended up kneeling in front of Taesan. The crown prince raised an eyebrow at the knight, but when he found no sign of sarcasm or amusement in the situation, he understood that this might be more serious than what he’d thought…

- - - -

“What’s this? What are you doing?” Jake said as he spotted Taesan and Sungho coming into the castle, and the latter dragged a man with him.

“Nothing, I’ll deal with it,” Taesan said, pushing past his father to enter the empty great hall. Some of the celebrations from the triplets nameday a few days before were still hanging up on the walls, and the tables had not yet been moved back into their right places, meaning there was a huge open space in the middle of the room.

“This does not look like nothing, Taesan! Tell me what’s happened!” Jake insisted, following his son and the knight into the great hall.

“Out!” Taesan yelled as he spotted the two guards standing just inside the doors. The two men bowed before doing what their prince had told them, and one of them even closed the doors behind them. This left just Taesan, Sungho, Jake, and the man in the great hall.

“Taesan!” Jake caught up with his son and prevented him from going any further. Surprisingly, Taesan didn’t try to push him off, but instead, he nodded toward Sungho.

“Tell him what you told me…” The crown prince said, and Jake turned to look at the knight with a confused look on his face.

“Tell me what?” Jake asked.

“This man has been going around saying your oldest grandson is a bastard, my king. I do not know how many he’s told, but at least his son…” Sungho said.

“And how old is his son…?” Jake questioned, worried about what the response would be.

“Seven, maybe eight… so I’m quite certain he doesn’t know the full extent of the severity of the situation,” Sungho answered.

“Don’t you fucking touch my son!” The man yelled, trying to punch Sungho, only for Taesan to kick his leg and trip him over.

“We won’t do anything to your son, sir-“ Jake tried to say, but Taesan interrupted him.

“Why would his son be spared when his words might end up killing mine?” The crown prince yelled. “Don’t you get the severity of what he’s started!? If this gets out, this… this rumor! What the hell do you think people will do to that little boy, to Leehan!”

“He’d get what he deserves, that whore! Spreading his legs for his own knight, and for what? Maybe he got tired of his big bad brother sh-“ The man tried to say, but before he could finish, Sungho gripped the man by the collar of his shirt again, pulling him up to a standing position.

“It’s your prince you’re speaking about! Have you no honor?” The knight snapped, but he let go of the man when he heard Jake pull out the knife he always kept fastened to his belt.

“I will have your tongue for that!” Jake hissed, pointing the blade at the man who’d just insulted his youngest son in such a horrible way. But then, before anything else could happen, the huge doors swung open, revealing Leehan.

“Dad, Minseo said-“ Leehan hadn’t been prepared to find both his father, brother, and their sworn knight in the great hall, but just as he was about to continue what he’d tried to say when he entered, the sound of sharp steel slicing through both skin and bones echoed through the hall. The man, who also turned around when Leehan had entered the great hall, stayed upright for only half a second before his body, head cut in half, fell to the floor. Leehan gasped, quickly turning away from what he’d just witnessed and bringing his hands up to his face in an attempt to block it all out.

“He can keep his tongue,” Taesan said, tossing his now bloody sword to the ground beside the man’s kind of beheaded body before stepping over his legs and walking up to Leehan. “It’s alright. He can’t cause anyone any more harm now…” The crown prince whispered against his brother’s hair before gently pulling the younger with him out of the great hall again. Sungho and Jake were left behind, both standing in complete silence until Jake just closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then put away the knife he still had in his hand.

“I’ll tell the workers to clean up here, but I want you to make sure Taesan doesn’t go and do something to that boy, please, Sungho,” The king said.

“He won’t, my king. Your son might not be the kindest at times, but he’s no monster,” Sungho said.

“I hope you’re right,” Jake said, looking up toward the doors his two sons just exited through. He didn’t want to think Taesan capable of such a horrible thing, but he’d grown so used to never knowing what his son would do next…

“I’ll see to it that the boy and his mother are moved out of Winterfell. There, they won’t cause more trouble here, and maybe it’ll give you more peace of mind knowing they’re away from here. But I can assure you, Taesan would never do what you fear now!” Sungho assured Jake and the king nodded slowly.

“Okay…I trust you,” He eventually said before he, too, left the great hall…

Chapter Text

“Papa…?” Minseo looked up questionably at Leehan, who sat beside him with a book in his hands, which he’d been reading from to his son.

“Hm,” Leehan hummed, acknowledging his son.

“What did that boy mean when he called me that word?” Minseo asked. The question made Leehan tense up before looking down at his son.

“It’s nothing, sweety. He was just being mean, but your dad took care of it,” Leehan said, gently pulling Minseo closer to him so he could place a kiss on top of the boy’s head.

“Sungho told me and Yunseong to go get dad, so we did!” Minseo said proudly, making Leehan smile faintly.

“That was good of you two, but there’s nothing to worry about now, sweety,” Leehan assured Minseo before quietly standing up from the bed in order not to wake up Minjae and Sumin, who’d already fallen asleep in their own beds. Baekseung, Yujun, and Hunter still slept in the chambers adjacent to Taesan’s and Leehan’s chambers, but the three older boys had gotten their own chambers when the triplets had become big enough to need real beds and not their cribs anymore.

“Okay, papa. Night,” Minseo said before getting more comfortable on the bed and almost immediately falling asleep, which was what he did most nights, never really having had a problem going to bed, unlike most of his overactive brothers.

“Night, sweety,” Leehan whispered, kissing the top of Minseo’s head before quietly leaving the chambers. He walked back to his and Taesan’s chambers, but before he got there, he met Sungho in the corridor. The knight looked rather tired, so he didn’t spot Leehan at first, but once he did, he stopped in his tracks.

“My prince,” He said, giving a small respectful bow to Leehan before walking past him.

“Thank you… for today,” Leehan said, prompting Sungho to halt momentarily a few steps behind the prince.

“It was nothing, my prince. I was just doing my duty,” Sungho said, ready to start walking again, but Leehan prevented him from doing so by grabbing his arm.

“No, I mean it, Sungho. Thank you! You could have done nothing and just let that man go on talking, but you didn’t, and for that, I’m very thankful,” Leehan said, letting go of the knight’s arm again once he’d realized he’d actually grabbed him in the first place, which was something he’d done on pure reflex.

“I would never let someone like that go around and say the things he said… not when it could be so harmful to Minseo, and… and to you…” Sungho said. He’d turned back slightly when Leehan had grabbed his arm, so he was now looking at the younger, but before he could fall back into that same old feeling he’d always used to have when he was around the younger, he backed away, gave Leehan another bow, and then quickly left the hallway. Leehan wanted to follow him, to beg him just to go back to normal… if they’d even ever had a normal, to begin with… but he didn’t want the knight to be so distant, so… not himself… and Leehan knew he was probably to blame himself, but he still wanted to at least make them get along and be able to talk to each other…

- - - -

Despite it being long past their bedtime, Taesan found Hunter awake, sitting on his bed, but seemingly not really doing anything at all…

“Hunter? Shouldn’t you be asleep, little man,” Taesan chuckled quietly, but Hunter didn’t seem to have heard him as he just kept staring out into the room. “Hunter?” Taesan gently tapped his son on the shoulder as he sat down on the bed beside him, and only then did Hunter notice his dad’s presence.

“Hi, dad,” The boy said happily as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

“Hey, buddy. What were you doing?” Taesan asked, moving Hunter up from the bed and onto his lap.

“Watching the man,” Hunter said, and it made Taesan quickly look up into the room to see what man his son had meant, but… there was no one there…

“What man, Hunter?” Taesan asked, eyes still darting around the room just to make sure no one was in there, but the only other people in the chambers apart from Hunter and himself were Baekseung and Yujun, and they were both asleep in their own beds.

“The man with the dragon,” Hunter said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“There are no dragons here anymore, Hunter, they’re all gone…” Taesan sighed as this was not the first time Hunter had brought up the dragons, seemingly having inherited Leehan’s fascination with them.

“But, no, dad! He was not here! He was in the big room with the sword-chair!” The description Hunter had given Taesan made the crown prince immediately think of the iron throne, even if he himself had never actually seen it apart from in books. “His dragon was so big, dad! And it burned up the bad man, and then it burned up the chair too!” A pair of glowing violet eyes flashed past Taesan’s eyes as his son spoke, and the memory of the young man and the violet dragon burning those soldiers came back to him, but he just shook his head to get rid of it before focusing back on his son instead.

“I think it’s time you sleep now, buddy. Sounds like you’re already dreaming, so why not go to bed as well, huh?” Taesan teased his son, but Hunter pouted his lips while Taesan moved him out of his lap and back onto the bed.

“It’s not a dream, dad! He’s real, and he is the one who was promised!” Hunter argued, which confused Taesan immensely, but he chose to ignore it for now in order to actually get Hunter to sleep before Leehan came back.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, sweety,” Taesan said, kissing Hunter on the forehead before pulling up the cover over his son. “Sleep now, goodnight,” He added, straightening back up but not before ruffling Hunter’s brown hair playfully.

“Night, dad,” Hunter answered, slightly turning to his side and closing his eyes. Taesan walked over to the doorway leading from the triplets’ chambers to his and Leehan’s, but he stopped there for a while just to make sure Hunter actually went to sleep. But once he was convinced the boy was indeed asleep, he finally left the chambers. He found Leehan already dressed for bed and sitting on their bed with a book in his hands. Taesan recognized it as one of the books the maester had said might contain something about Hunter’s scales or at least something about others who might have had the same features as him.

“Finding anything?” Taesan asked, pulling off his shirt before walking over to the wardrobe and putting on a new one. One he’d usually slept in before walking over to the bed and sitting down beside his husband.

“No…” Leehan murmured, not looking away from the book since he had to focus much harder on the reading since the text was written in High Valyrian and not the common tongue. Taesan moved closer to the younger so he could pull him into some sort of a side hug just to be able to hold him. He wouldn’t be too much help when it came to reading the book since Leehan was far better at High Valyrian than he was, but he still wanted to be close by just in case. “Did Minseo tell you what that boy called him today…?” Leehan eventually asked, closing the book before placing it back on the bedside table.

“No, but Sungho did…” Taesan answered. That made Leehan look over his shoulder and at Taesan, but the elder didn’t seem to point out anything else and instead just pulled Leehan back into a hug. “But the man has been dealt with, and apparently, dad had the boy, and his mother moved out of Winterfell, so there’s nothing to worry about anymore,” Taesan whispered into Leehan’s hair, and the younger just remained quiet at least for a while…

“Minseo asked me what that word meant…” Leehan eventually said, prompting Taesan to look up.

“What word?” He questioned.

“Bastard…” Taesan stayed quiet for a few seconds, long enough for Leehan to start to worry again. He figured the elder would just blame him and tell him that Leehan had brought it upon himself and that he should feel guilty over what Minseo had been called, but to his surprise, Taesan said none of that.

“Did you tell him what it meant?” Taesan asked instead.

“No…?” Leehan answered. “He’s too young to understand it, and it wouldn’t do him any good to know what it meant either! Because-”

“Because it’s not true!” Taesan interrupted him, but not by raising his voice or sounding angry at all. “He’s my son just as much as he’s yours; it doesn’t matter what others think! I won’t let them get to him in any way, and I won’t let him feel any different just because he doesn’t have the same hair color as his brothers! Which is just stupid if you ask me! Why should it matter what color his hair is? Dad’s blond, and father had black hair, and yet neither of us got either of those colors, even though what the hell you now did change your hair color, but that’s beside the point,” Taesan said, feeling rather angry over such a stupid claim to prove Minseo wasn’t his. “If anyone ever dares to threaten his life, or any of my children’s ever again, I’ll end them! My sons are my legacy! And Minseo is heir to the North! He will be king after me, and I won’t let anyone even try to change that!” Leehan still hated it when Taesan raised his voice, but this time, it felt different, and it wasn’t directed toward him either. So now, instead of flinching away like he normally would have done when Taesan raised his voice, using both his hands, placing them on each side of Taesan’s face to pull him toward himself before kissing him on the lips.

“You promise…?” Leehan whispered against Taesan’s lips. “You promise to protect them?” He moved so he was straddling his brother’s thighs, and Taesan moved his hands up to hold onto Leehan’s waist.

“I promise; I’ll do everything in my power to keep them safe! All six of them!”

Chapter Text

*Five years later*

“Isn’t this a little unnecessary?” Leehan sighed as one of the workers lifted up his arm to tailor the formal coat he was wearing. It had been Jake’s once, but since Leehan was a bit taller than his father, they needed to do a few alterations to the clothing.

“I agree. Why can’t we just wear something else?” Taesan sighed as well, standing a few feet away from his brother, and with another worker who was tailoring his clothing.

“Nonsense! It’s your 30th nameday, Taesan, and I want you both to have something that was once mine and your father’s since we barely wore it ourselves!” Jake said happily. He was standing on Leehan’s other side, looking much too happy about the whole situation as he got to basically pamper his adult sons again without them having much say in the matter. Leehan seldom complained when Jake still wanted to treat him as his little boy; he actually kind of liked their father’s loving affection, but Taesan, on the other hand, almost always complained. He argued that they hadn’t been Jake’s little boys for years, but the king still got what he wanted in the end. “And since you are the king’s sons, you need to look stunning for the tournaments!”

“Yeah, whatever…” Taesan huffed, tugging his arm away from the worker as soon as the woman was done sowing the sleeve. The tournaments were going to be held in Taesan’s name since the crown prince turned 30, and it was actually something he’d been looking forward to, even if he wouldn’t participate himself.

“Alright, I think that’s enough,” Jake finally said, and the workers took a few steps back to let the two princes look at the clothing.

“It’s nice, but maybe still a little unnecessary, don’t you think?” Leehan chuckled, but Jake just waved his hand in the air.

“No, it’s wonderful, and now we just need to make sure all of your sons look presentable as well,” The king said.

“Well, good luck with that,” Taesan laughed. “I bet you’d barely even be able to find them all in time,”

“Actually, I’ve already prepared most of their clothing together with them for the last few weeks, so I wouldn’t have to search for them all in a panic the same they it needed to be finished,” Jake answered, and well, that had actually been quite smart on his father’s part, Taesan had to give him that at least. “So, now I only need them to put on their clothing for the day, and then we’re good to go!” Leehan giggled a little as it seemed as though their father was almost more excited for Taesan’s nameday than Taesan himself was, but he guessed it had to do with the fact that Jake finally got them all to do something together. What neither of the two princes noticed, however, was Jake using a small handkerchief to the few drops of blood running from his nose….
Getting Minseo, Sumin, Yujun, and Hunter into their clothing was easy enough, but Minjae complained a bit, as usual, not wanting to stand still or rather be somewhere else. However, the biggest problem was Baekseung… and that was because they couldn’t even find the eight-year-old…

- - - -

“Move it, people! Get it together!” A bearded man, holding some sort of stick, yelled, surprising Baekseung a little. The young prince had managed to sneak out of the gates and in among all the tents that had been put up for all of the people who’d traveled to Winterfell for their crown prince’s nameday. Baekseung hadn’t paid much mind to the whole thing until he saw the large groups of people coming to Winterfell, and for him being only eight years old, something like this happening around his otherwise pretty calm home was pretty cool. He crouched down beside a barrel of some sort and watched all the men move things around. There were people moving what looked like large wooden benches and huge tables, and then there were horses dressed with different colored saddles representing all of the houses that would take place in the tournaments. He spotted knights with lances, shining armor, and sharp swords, and it all looked so cool!

“Move, boy. We need to get this finished before the king arrives!” A man from behind Baekseung said, startling him somewhat. The young prince looked up at the man, who clearly didn’t know who he was, but Baekseung didn’t really care. It wasn’t like he was wearing typical prince clothing anyway, so he guessed it was hard to tell that he was, in fact, a prince.

“Sorry…” Baekseung said, quickly moving out of the way of the man. He backed away only to end up backing right into someone else. It wasn’t a hard hit, but it surprised both Baekseung and the person he’d backed into. “Oh, sorry!” The prince said again, turning around only to come face to face with a boy, probably much older than himself but not yet an adult, with hair almost as blond as Baekseung’s own father and grandfather, but it didn’t have the same pale touch to it. Instead, it looked… warmer?

“Watch where you go…” The boy, or rather teenager, said. He wore some sort of armor with a quarterly sigil, first and fourth a yellow sun on a rose background, and second and third a white crescent moon on a blue background. It was not a sigil of a house Baekseung knew, but then again, he probably didn’t know many houses’ sigils to begin with.

“Are you a knight?” Baekseung asked excitingly, looking up at the blond teenager.

“No, I’m not a knight…” The teenage boy answered, looking quite displeased by the fact that he wasn’t a knight. “And I’m not a Targaryen either, so don’t bother asking that! So many people up here have already asked that, and I’m getting quite tired of it… not every blond-haired person in Westeros is related to the Targaryens, you know,” Baekseung blinked confusingly up at the older boy for a few seconds, not really understanding why the other had ranted about all that, but he eventually chose to ignore it.

“But if you’re not a knight, why do you have armor?” Baekseung’s questions seemed to irritate the older boy, but he just let out a huff before answering anyway.

“My father gave me this armor because I’m going to take part in the tournaments and represent my house,” He said.

“And what house is that?” Baekseung asked, and yet again, the other gave him an annoyed look before answering.

“House Tarth of Evenfall Hall, and my name is Keum Tarth, son of Lord Tarth,” The boy, Keum, said.

“My name is Baekseung, and my grandpa’s the king,” Baekseung said proudly, flashing a big smile up at the other. Keum’s eyes widened almost laughably at what Baekseung had said before quickly bowing to the little prince before him.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t realize you were a prince, my prince,” Keum said, but Baekseung just giggled.

“That’s the point! Otherwise, I would never have managed to get out of the gates to come here,” The prince said, which made Keum look up at him with an eyebrow raised.

“I don’t think that’s very smart of you, though… what if something happens to you out here, and your parents don’t even know you left the castle?”

“Oh…” Baekseung hadn’t really thought about that, and as he now looked around, more and more people looked scarier and scarier the longer he looked…

“I’ll take you back to the gates, little prince,” Keum said, reaching out his hand for Baekseung to take, and even if he usually thought it was embarrassing to hold someone’s hand, especially when his father wanted to hold his and his brothers’ hands, now he found it quite nice. Keum took him all the way back to the gates, and just as they arrived, Sungho came walking toward them from the courtyard.

“There you are! Your parents have been looking for you, and they were almost starting to get worried,” Sungho said, chuckling a little as he ruffled Baekseung’s hair.

“It’s okay, Sungho! Keum walked back with me so nothing would happen!” Baekseung said proudly. By now, he’d let go of the teenager’s hand, but he still turned back around and gave the other a big smile. “Thank you!” He said before running off into the castle.

“Thank you, my lord,” Sungho said, giving Keum a small bow with his head as he recognized the sigil on the boy’s armor.

“Oh, uhm, it was nothing, really! I’m happy to have helped,” Keum said, and Sungho gave him a nod before turning around and following the little prince back into the castle.

- - - -

Baekseung walked beside his father once he’d finally changed into the clothing his grandfather had prepared for him, and Leehan held one hand on his shoulder just to make sure the boy wouldn’t run off again and get lost among all of the people. Yujun and Hunter were walking on Leehan’s other side, Hunter holding Leehan’s other hand and Yujun holding Hunter’s. Minseo walked with Yunseong in front of them, and the eleven- and 13-year-olds were very excited since they’d been allowed to squire for Sungho and Doyoung, meaning they would help the two knights with leading their horses, handing them their weapons, and they got to learn about the fighting in the tournaments from up close without actually fighting themselves.

“Behave!” Taesan hissed, gripping Minjae’s arm and pulling him and Sumin apart since the former didn’t seem to be able to walk beside his bother without messing with him.

“This is boring!” Minjae complained, but Jake placed a hand on his shoulder, which actually made the boy stop fussing and walk straight. They walked until they reached the seats on a podium that had been placed there for them. The podium itself was well guarded, just as a precaution, but apart from that, it wasn’t much, not that it was needed either. Once they reached the podium, Leehan let go of Baekseung and Hunter before walking up to Minseo.

“Be careful and do your best,” He said, kissing the top of his oldest son’s head before letting him and Yunseong run off to Sungho and Doyoung. Leehan then took the triplets up onto the podium, shortly followed by both Taesan and Jake, along with Minjae and Sumin.

“Welcome, everyone! I’m happy to see so many of you here, and I hope you all will enjoy these tournaments to celebrate my son Taesan’s nameday!” Jake said loud enough so that the people gathered around the lists where the jousting would take place could hear him. “The jousting lists, as many of you already know, are where mounted knights charge one another with lances, with the aim of dismounting one another. The knight who remains mounted the longest will win,” Jake explained briefly, then he waited a short while for Doyoung, who was one of the two first participants to take part in the jousting, to get ready and for another man from some other northern house to do the same on the opposite side. Once both men were done, Jake raised his hands in the air before quickly dropping them at the same time, signaling for the tournaments to begin. Yunseong, who was Doyoung’s squire, handed the knight his lance, and then the two men spurred on their horses while Yunseong backed away. All the Stark children watched as the two horses ran toward each other and, with mixed reactions, watched as Doyoung quite easily knocked the other man off his horse, successfully winning this round.

“Yay, Doyoung!” Minjae and Sumin cheered for the knight, while Yujun looked quite uncomfortable with the brutality of the sport, Hunter didn’t seem to pay much mind at all to what was happening and was instead staring off into the sky, and Baekseung had spotted Keum again, so he was more focused on watching the other boy then the tournament. A few more rounds went by, with most of them being won by either Doyoung or Sungho, but then it came time for Keum to participate, and much to Baekseung’s disappointment, he was going to go up against Doyoung. However, the teenage boy didn’t seem nervous at all and just mounted his horse, holding his lance, and prepared to charge toward the knight. Doyoung did the same, most likely pretty comfortable that he’d win, but once they set off, and Doyoung moved his lance outward to try and knock Keum off his horse, the younger lay flat down on his back across the horse’s back, successfully ducking under Doyoung’s lance before quickly sitting back up and knocking his own lance into Doyoung’s side, sending the knight off his horse.

“Yay!” Baekseung stood up and cheered. He didn’t really know why, but he was quite impressed by the fact that Keum had managed to beat Doyoung. Many of the people around the lists cheered as well, and while Taesan raised an eyebrow at his son’s decision to cheer for someone who’d beaten their knight, Leehan just giggled.

“Let him be,” Leehan said, leaning over to place a kiss on Taesan’s cheek. “It’s nice that he’s found something he enjoys,”

“Hmm…” Taesan just hummed, but he decided not to linger on the matter. Next up was Sungho, who’d thought he’d be meeting his brother in the final, but now it seemed he would meet the young Tarth boy instead. And he would be lying if he didn’t say that he was impressed by the fact that the boy managed to defeat Doyoung. Baekseung watched as Keum got ready, pointing his lance toward Sungho this time, and only waited a few seconds so Minseo could hand Sungho his lance before moving out of the way. They then rode toward each other, Keum being almost certain Sungho would do the same he’d done throughout the whole day, which he knew because he’d watched the knight win the earlier rounds, but once they finally came close enough to hit each other, Sungho halted his horse, making Keum lose his balance slightly as he’d tried to knock the knight off but missed due to him stopping, and then Sungho shoved his lance to the side, swiping it into Keum’s arm, and sending the younger off his horse.

“Sungho, Sungho, Sungho!” Yunseong, Minseo, Minjae, and Sumin cheered at the knight’s victory, and even Yujun looked a little impressed despite his dislike of the sport. Hunter still didn’t really pay much attention to the tournament, but Baekseung found himself rather displeased that Keum hadn’t won. Jake and Leehan clapped for Sungho, along with all the rest of the people, and even Taesan clapped a couple of times.

“The winner of the first tournament is Ser Sungho!” Jake announced, and Sungho bowed to the king and his family before doing the same to the people around him. Minseo and Yunseong both ran up to Sungho and jumped up and down in excitement for the knight, and Taesan watched as the people cheered. He then looked over at Leehan, who was also cheering and looked happy, and once he looked back down at the knight, he couldn’t help but think that maybe he wasn’t so bad after all…

Chapter Text

“It’s not the end of the world just because our son finds an older boy daring or interesting,” Leehan giggled as they entered their chambers together at the end of the first day of the tournaments. They had put their children to bed in their own chambers since they were now old enough to have no need to sleep in the chambers adjacent to their parents’ chambers.

“He’s eight, Leehan…” Taesan sighed, but Leehan just smiled before walking over to his brother.

“You liked me when you were eight, didn’t you?” The younger teased, making Taesan roll his eyes.

“That’s different, you’re my brother. We don’t even know who that boy is…” Taesan argued, but as Leehan had placed his hands on his shoulders, Taesan placed his own around the younger’s waist.

“He is the son of Lord Tarth of Evenfall Hall, a house that is, after the fall of King’s Landing, sworn to our father. And considering the fact that the Riverlands still don’t really appreciate us, a connection to the Stormlands wouldn’t be all that bad,” Leehan said before leaning up to kiss Taesan. The latter just hummed into the kiss before starting to move them toward the bed. He pushed Leehan down onto it, making the younger giggle, before climbing up on the bed as well and hovering over his brother. He locked their lips together again before starting to remove the younger’s clothing, but not removing his own just yet. He kissed down the side of Leehan’s neck before continuing down over his bare chest and stomach, ending with a final kiss on the younger’s hip.

“Wait here…” He whispered, standing up from the bed before walking over to the down.

“Huh? Where are you going?” Leehan asked, sitting up slightly on the bed and leaning on his elbows to keep his eyes on Taesan. He was confused as to why the elder would go somewhere else now.

“Just wait here,” Taesan said before disappearing out through the door. Leehan sighed, slumping back onto the bed, but chose not to question his brother’s actions any further. He lay looking at the seeling for a short while before reaching over to the bedside table and picking up yet another book he’d gotten from the maester. Even if it had been eight years since Hunter was born, and the boy seemingly not having any issues with the scales on his back, Leehan couldn’t help the constant worry that it might, one day, be harmful to his son, so he kept reading through everything that may be of use. But so far, he’d found nothing… A knock on the door startled him slightly and made him place the book down on the table again before pulling up the covers on the bed over his body since he wasn’t wearing anything at the moment.

“Who is it?” He called out, and the door slowly opened, revealing Sungho. The knight wasn’t wearing his armor, having seemingly been on his way to go to bed before coming here. “What’s happened?” Leehan asked, standing up from the bed with just the covers wrapped around his body when alarm bells immediately went off in his head as his thoughts traveled to his sons since the knight had come here so late.

“Your brother sent for me, my prince,” Sungho said, keeping his eyes low to show the other respect.

“Taesan’s not here,” Leehan answered, letting out the breath he’d been holding. He was relieved that there hadn’t happened anything to his sons, but he still wondered why Taesan would have asked Sungho to come here…

“I know, my prince, but that’s what he said…” Sungho answered. Even if he kept his eyes downward, Leehan could still see the tiny wound on his cheek from today’s tournaments. The knight had been struck with the blunt end of a spare when fighting in one of the tournament's events; he’d still won the fight in the end but had done so with a slightly bruised cheek and that little wound.

“No one’s looked after your wound?” Leehan asked, making Sungho briefly look up before shaking his head and looking down again.

“No, my prince, but it’s nothing,” Sungho answered, but Leehan wouldn’t have it.

“Let me clean it,” He said, but he didn’t wait for the knight to answer before walking over to one of the cabinets in the room and picking out a small bottle of some clear liquid and a clean rag.

“My prince, there’s no need-“ Sungho tried to say, but Leehan just shushed him before pushing him to sit down in one of the chairs.

“Sit,” The prince said before pulling another chair up so he could sit down himself. He still had nothing but the covers from the bed wrapped around himself, which made Sungho still try to keep his eyes in another direction, but Leehan gently moved his head with his hand so he could see the wound better. This made them come face-to-face, closer than they’d been in a very long time, and they stared into each other’s eyes for a few brief seconds before Leehan moved his eyes back to the wound on Sungho’s cheek and began to dab it gently with the wet rag. He’d kept his hand lightly holding Sungho’s jaw during the whole time he cleaned the wound, but he didn’t remove it even when he was done. He just placed the rag down on the table before looking at Sungho again. His eyes flickered between the knight’s eyes, down to his lips, before going up to his eyes again.

“We shouldn’t…” Sungho murmured as Leehan tried to move closer, making their noses almost touch. The knight moved his hand up to prevent the younger from moving closer, but he just found himself placing it on the prince’s waist instead as he was too caught up with how close they now were.

“I know…” Leehan whispered before pressing his lips against Sungho’s. He moved closer, gripping the knight’s shoulders, but Sungho stood up from the chair, not really breaking the kiss but instead pulling Leehan with him. He placed both his hands around the prince’s waist while Leehan wrapped one arm around his neck, using the other to still hold up the covers he had wrapped around himself so they wouldn’t fall. They both knew this was wrong, but instead of stopping, they just pulled each other closer, deepening their kiss, and they only pulled apart when they heard the door to the chambers open beside them.

“So much for sacred oaths, huh?” Taesan smirked as he closed the door behind him. Leehan stumbled backward, away from Sungho, almost knocking one of the chairs to the ground as he did. His eyes were wide, and he was staring at his brother, holding onto the covers around him with shaking hands. Sungho had remained where he stood, eyes also on the crown prince who’d just entered the room. He didn’t look to be armed, but neither was Sungho and even if the knight could beat the prince in a one-on-one fight, he didn’t want to… That had been one of his reasons for leaving in the first place; he didn’t want to hurt Taesan because that meant he’d be hurting Leehan as well…

“Taesan, he didn’t… It was my fault! Don’t hurt him… please,” Leehan pleaded, but Taesan just walked around the knight, eyes watching the other man before he reached his brother.

“Shh…” Taesan whispered, walking around Leehan so he could stand behind him before running his hands down the younger’s arms. “I won’t hurt him. I could never hurt him… not like you could…” Taesan moved Leehan’s blond hair away from the side of his neck before kissing the soft skin there, making the younger shiver a little. He moved one hand up to place over Leehan’s and the other down to place on his waist. He held eye contact with Sungho the whole time, as the knight hadn’t dared to try and move yet, and so he just watched the two princes.

“Taesan…” Leehan murmured as the elder started to pry the covers out of his hand before letting go of them. Leehan tried to hold them up still, but Taesan prevented him from doing so.

“He’s seen you before, hasn’t he?” Taesan whispered against Leehan’s ear. “I don’t think he’ll complain if he got to see you again…” Leehan had no idea where his brother was going with this, but he just found himself letting him do as he wanted, and eventually, the covers fell to the floor, leaving him completely bare. “Oh, but don’t look away now… isn’t this what you wanted?” Taesan asked as he noticed Sungho look away to show respect to Leehan.

“My prince, I don’t think I should…” Sungho tried to say, but he was interrupted.

“It’s okay,” Leehan surprised both Sungho and Taesan when he spoke, and the latter moved slightly so he could see his brother’s face, but Leehan kept his eyes on Sungho.

“See? All good,” Taesan smirked, kissing the corner of Leehan’s lips before gently pushing him forward toward Sungho. He stopped just a few feet away from the knight, who had now turned his eyes up to look at the two princes again. “Pretty, isn’t he?” Taesan asked, running his hand down Leehan’s side while keeping eye contact with Sungho again. “There’s not a thing in this world I wouldn’t do for him… and you’re no better,” Sungho swallowed, but he didn’t say anything since Taesan was right; neither of them had ever really been able to say no to Leehan… “I’d do anything to make him happy, even if it meant I didn’t get to keep him for myself…”

“He chose you; there’s no need for you to do this-“ Sungho tried to speak again but was interrupted once again.

“He didn’t choose me; all he did was what I forced upon him to protect him, but I learned that I hurt him more than I helped him…” Taesan said. “And if it hadn’t been for you, people would have probably already tried to kill both him and Minseo…” He added, a flash of pain and fear flickering in his eyes. Leehan finally turned his head to look at Taesan as well, and he reached his hand up to gently run it over his cheek.

“Ȳdra daor gaomagon bisa naejot aōla, lēkia…” (Don't do this to yourself, brother...) He said in High Valyrian, a language Sungho didn’t know, and even if Taesan wasn’t that good at it either, he could still use it.

“Mirros syt ao…” (Anything for you…) Taesan whispered back before kissing Leehan properly. He then moved them even closer to Sungho until Leehan was basically stuck in between them, and when Sungho tried to take a step back, Taesan gripped his wrist, preventing him from doing so. The crown prince didn’t say anything and just pulled Sungho’s hand with him until it was back on Leehan’s waist. Leehan hesitantly moved his own hands up, only stopping momentarily just to make sure this was what Taesan wanted, but when the elder didn’t say anything, Leehan finally placed his arms back around Sungho’s neck.

“Can I…?” Leehan whispered. Sungho wasn’t really sure what he meant or if he’d been speaking to him or Taesan, but he just nodded his head anyway. He then closed his eyes as he felt Leehan’s lips against his own again, and even if it felt a little strange to feel Taesan’s hand still on top of his own on Leehan’s waist, he couldn’t find it in himself to care right now. “Ah…” Sungho felt Leehan gasp against his lips, prompting him to pull away from their kiss, and he found that Taesan had moved his other hand, the one that wasn’t currently on top of Sungho’s, down between Leehan’s legs, and Sungho guessed that’s why the younger had gasped. Leehan then pulled him back into another kiss before Sungho felt Taesan move them.

“On the bed,” The older Stark prince said, and Sungho couldn't really say he knew much of what happened between then and when he found himself lying on his back on the bed. But as Leehan straddled his thighs, he reached up to hold onto his waist again as Leehan leaned down to kiss him. He didn’t know what Taesan was doing, but he felt the other move around on the bed behind Leehan, and then someone untied his pants before pulling them down. Then it was his turn to gasp as he felt Leehan sink down around him. The prince didn’t move for a while and just kept kissing Sungho until the knight felt the older prince’s hands be placed on top of his own, which were currently on Leehan’s hips. Taesan seemed to set their pace as Leehan just gasped against Sungho’s lips. The knight couldn’t do much more than just lie there, but he didn’t really mind it.

“Taesan…!” Leehan breathed out as Taesan pushed the younger’s hips down, and Sungho groaned under them, gripping Leehan’s hips even tighter despite his own hands being trapped beneath Taesan’s. The older prince then surprised them both by first pulling Leehan’s head up and to the side to kiss him before pushing him down once again, face ending up buried in the side of Sungho’s neck, and then he leaned over his brother’s shoulder and pressing his own lips against Sungho’s. Sungho was very surprised and confused at first, but then he actually kissed Taesan back, moving one hand up from Leehan’s hip and around the younger before running it through Taesan’s hair. He tugged at it slightly, which earned him a groan from Taesan, and Leehan moaned from in between them. And maybe, just maybe, this was something that could actually work for all the of them…

Chapter Text

“Where did all this come from?” Leehan murmured against Taesan’s shoulder, which he had his face pressed into. The older prince stirred, having been on the brink of falling asleep when the younger spoke.

“I don’t know… Guess it’s just something that’s been on my mind for a while,” Taesan answered. He leaned his head to the side to look over Leehan’s head and over at Sungho, who’d fallen asleep on the other side of the bed. Earlier, Taesan had picked up the cover from the floor and pulled it over all three of them, but now it had slipped off Sungho’s shoulder as the elder had moved in his sleep, and since Leehan had moved to lean his head on Taesan’s shoulder, the cover had been tugged off Taesan slightly as well, but he didn’t mind.

“You like him…” Leehan said after a short silence, sitting up slightly and leaning on his elbow as he looked down at his brother.

“No, I don’t,” Taesan huffed, trying to push Leehan to lie back down, but the younger just giggled at him before leaning down to kiss him.

“Yes, you do!” He smiled teasingly, and Taesan couldn’t help the smile tugging at the corner of his own lips.

“No,” He said, playfully shoving Leehan to lie down again before turning so he could bury his own face in the younger’s neck. “I hope I didn’t overstep…” He murmured against the skin of his brother’s neck.

“No, you didn’t,” Leehan whispered, kissing the top of Taesan’s head before closing his eyes. “I love you,” He added, smiling into the elder’s hair.

“And I love you,” Taesan answered before also closing his eyes and finally falling asleep.

- - - -

When Sungho eventually woke up the next morning, the bed was empty, but that in itself wasn’t what made him panic; it was the memories of the night before coming back to him that did… He stood up from the bed, looking around to find his close, which he did, neatly folded on the otherwise empty bedside table. He didn’t question that much; maybe he should have, but he didn’t and instead just pulled them back on. He started to walk across the door, toward the doors leading out into the hallway, just as said door opened.

“I thought knights were known to be up early?” Taesan chuckled as he entered the chambers. He pushed the door close behind him with his foot before walking past Sungho and over to the wardrobe on the opposite side of the chambers.

“I’m sorry, my prince, I-“

“Don’t call us that; Leehan doesn’t like it…” Taesan interrupted him, meeting the knight’s eyes for a moment before smirking at the other’s distress before turning his back to the other. He might have changed his mind somewhat when it came to the knight, but it didn’t stop him from enjoying the other’s respect for him or whatever it now was that made Sungho so nervous around him.

“I… okay,” Sungho said, but he went quiet as Taesan shamelessly pulled off his shirt, revealing his back and broad shoulders to the knight. It had small cuts and scars all over it, much like Sungho himself had, and a long scar ran across his upper arm as well as a rounded scar just above it, most likely from an arrow once being embedded in the prince’s skin. Leehan didn’t have those cuts and scars; there had barely been a tiny scratch on the younger prince’s body the night before, which just proved to Sungho just how much Taesan had actually put himself through to keep all bad things away from his little brother… Sungho flinched slightly as Taesan quite quickly turned around before pulling a new shirt over his head.

“Are you scared I might do something just because Leehan isn’t here to stop me?” He asked before walking up to stand in front of Sungho. He was taller than the knight, which he enjoyed, but Sungho had never been one to really care about that.

“No,” The knight answered, looking up at the prince, meeting his wild eyes. “Not after what you said last night…” He added, which made Taesan's mouth open slightly like he’d wanted to say something, but then he closed it again before walking around the knight. “But I… I failed you… You, Leehan, and your father, and-“

“If you mean your stupid knight’s oath, I couldn’t care less about it. If my father were to behead every man who ever broke an oath, he wouldn’t have any men left guarding him,” Taesan chuckled.

“But I promised to guard your family, not…” Sungho tried to say, but Taesan walked back to him until he was standing almost too close for comfort, but Sungho didn’t back away.

“Fuck your oath, I don’t care about that, and neither does Leehan; that I can promise you. You’ve done everything and more to protect my family; you’ve never failed, not once, and this won’t change that either…” Taesan said. They kept eye contact for a few more seconds before the prince turned around again and walked toward the door.

“Where is he?” Sungho called after the prince before he could reach the door, making him turn around.

“Leehan? He’s with the boys, whom I assume are waiting for you to come so they can go to the tournaments,” Taesan said, letting out a small laugh as he watched realization hit Sungho.

“Shit…” Sungho swore, which was something Taesan had probably never heard the knight do before, but he opened the door and stepped to the side to let the other exit the chambers first.

“After you,” He said, teasingly bowing his head. Sungho wasn’t sure if it was to mock him or just because the crown prince was usually this teasing by nature, but he chose to push that thought to the side as of now since he needed to get ready for the day’s tournaments. He heard Taesan laugh again once he’d made it out of the room, but when he didn’t hear the prince say anything else, he just hurried down the hallway back toward his own room.

- - - -

“Don’t you have anything better to do?” Keum sighed as he noticed the young prince trying to hide behind one of the banner poles outside the tents.

“How did you see me?” Baekseung sighed dramatically before pouting his lips and stepping out from his hiding place.

“Because you are not very good at hiding, I’m afraid,” Keum said. He picked up his sword and shield before walking past the little prince, but much to his dismay, Baekseung followed him.

“Are you going to fight Sungho? He’s really good, but I hope you win!” The little prince’s words made Keum halt his steps and look down at the much smaller and much younger boy.

“Isn’t Sungho like your grandfather’s sworn knight or something?” Keum questioned, and Baekseung nodded. “Then why don’t you want him to win?”

“He always wins, even against Doyoung! But papa said that before, Doyoung always used to win, but I was too little to remember that, I think…” Baekseung said.

“So you want me to win because your knight always wins, huh?” Keum raised an eyebrow at the prince.

“Yeah! And because I think you’re cool!” Baekseung said without any apparent shame or embarrassment at all.

“Oh, hah, uhm, thank you, I guess…” Keum said, not entirely sure how to react to what the little prince had said. But Baekseung just gave him a big smile before running off again, disappearing in between all of the other people gathered around the small makeshift arena that had been built up for the sword-fighting event that would take place today.

- - - -

“Watch your steps, sweety!” Leehan held onto Hunter’s hand as the boy almost slipped on the steps leading up onto the podium where they would be sitting. Hunter barely seemed to have noticed that he almost tripped over since he was so focused on following Yujun up onto the podium. Leehan chuckled a little at his son before walking up after them. Minjae and Sumin were off somewhere with Junmin and Jinsik, as Taerae and Ricky had promised to look after them so they could be with their respective best friend, and Minseo and Yunseong were still going to squire for Gyuvin and Gunwook today since both Sungho and Doyoung had either won or been placed in second place the day before.

“Where’s Baekseung?” Sungho questioned once he realized the oldest triplet was missing, but Leehan didn’t seem too worried as he just sat down before looking up at the knight.

“Probably off bothering his new favorite knight,” Leehan giggled, but Sungho raised an eyebrow at him.

“New favorite? Who was the old one?” He questioned.

“You,” Leehan answered, smiling even more at Sungho’s surprised face.

“Oh… well, who’s the new one then?” Sungho asked after a few seconds.

“That boy who managed to knock your brother off his horse yesterday,”

“The Tarth kid? That boy isn’t even a knight, Leehan…” Sungho said, but Leehan just shook his head.

“You’re just as bad at taking a joke as Taesan is,” He sighed but still giggled a little. Sungho remained standing in silence after that. He was not participating in the tournaments; he was back to his usual knight duty, which meant he needed to keep an eye on the young princes and Leehan if needed.

“Do we need to talk…?” Sungho eventually asked, after making sure no one around them heard, and when he was sure Yujun and Hunter were focused on the events in front of them. Leehan looked up at him but stayed silent for a brief second before answering.

“Not if you don’t feel like we need to,” He eventually said. “I got to be honest, I didn’t think Taesan would do that, but I don’t think it was a bad thing… do you?”

“No! I mean… I don’t, but… do you really think he, you know, is okay with it…?” Sungho stumbled a little over his words, making Leehan smile a little at him.

“He wouldn’t have done it if he wasn’t okay with it,” Leehan assured him, so Sungho just nodded slowly. “So… we’re okay?” Leehan questioned slowly.

“Yeah, we’re okay,” Sungho finally let himself smile at the younger, and the bright smile he got in return made him feel warm inside. Just then, Baekseung came running back up the few steps onto the podium, almost tripping over just like Hunter had, but he managed to balance himself before sitting down beside Leehan. “There you are; I heard you no longer think I’m the best knight,” Sungho said teasingly, playfully ruffling Baekseung’s brown and blond hair.

“No, I do!” Baekseung argued, turning around in his chair to look up at the knight.

“It’s not nice to lie, sweety,” Leehan chuckled before leaning over and kissing the top of his son’s head.

“But I’m not! Sungho is the best knight!” Baekseung argued.

“And what about him?” Leehan asked, gently turning Baekseung around before pointing into the crowd. Baekseung’s eyes followed where his father was pointing and quite quickly spotted Keum waiting for his turn to duel.

“Keum?” Baekseung questioned, and Leehan nodded. “He’s not a knight, papa…” Baekseung said as if it was the most obvious thing. “He’s just really cool!”

“So, does that mean I’m still your favorite knight?” Sungho asked, and Baekseung turned back around and nodded enthusiastically.

“You’ll always be my favorite knight!” Baekseung said before hugging Sungho’s leg.

“Thank you, buddy,” The knight answered, running his hand over the boy’s head once again before the little prince turned back around to continue watching the event. Taesan joined them a while later, just in time for Gyuvin and Gunwook to go up against each other, and it seemed as though the three best friends had been joking around before that, as neither Gyuvin nor Gunwook seemed to put much effort into the duel and mostly just enjoyed their time fighting playfully. Taesan laughed and shook his head at them before picking Yujun up and sitting down on the chair with his son in his lap. The triplets were almost getting a little too big for that, but Yujun had always liked to sit with Taesan while Hunter preferred to sit with Leehan, so when the youngest triplet noticed Yujun sitting in their dad’s lap, he got off his own chair and sat on Leehan’s lap. Baekseung didn’t like to sit in either of his parents’ laps, so he didn’t care and just kept watching the duel. They looked happy, Sungho thought to himself. He just hoped he wouldn’t be the one to ruin that…

Chapter Text

Jake sighed as he read through the letter once again. He leaned his head in his hand, keeping the handkerchief just below his nose in a way that it wouldn’t show why he actually had it there, as he didn’t want to worry Taesan or the others who sat across from him.

“The Boltons have abandoned The Dreadfort completely?” Taesan questioned. Jake had read it out loud for him and the others around the table before the king read through it quietly again.

“They’ve left it to the Hornwoods, thereby expanding House Hornwood’s lands all the way up to Last River and Lonely Hills,” Jake said.

“Without even asking you, their king?!” Taesan asked, rather irritated, not as his father but at the foul nature of the Boltons.

“I’m afraid there are no exact laws preventing a house from giving up their lands and moving away, as such a thing has never really happened before… at least not during a time of peace,” Lord Tallhart of Torrhen’s Square said.

“It’s still disrespectful to their king!” Taesan argued, standing up from his seat and angrily walking around the table to the window, but Jake just raised his hand to signal for the other lords to just let Taesan be.

“They’re not declaring war, Taesan; they’re moving,” Jake said, looking over at his son.

“Yeah, and where do you think they’re moving, huh? To King’s Landing to try and gamble their own luck in trying to rule the city. A city which could have belonged to you!” Taesan didn’t look at his father as he spoke; instead, he kept his eyes on Minseo and Yunseong, who were training with Sungho out in the courtyard. He could see them very well from the window he was standing by, and he found it calming to watch them instead of thinking about everything they had to deal with inside at the council meeting.

“I didn’t want to rule King’s Landing or the Seven Kingdoms; I didn’t even want to rule the North, but now here we are, and what people do down in King’s Landing is not our concern!” Jake said. He didn’t raise his voice or anything; he just made it clear to Taesan that they wouldn’t get involved in whatever the other kingdoms were doing since it didn’t concern the North.

“Mmh…” Taesan just huffed, still looking out of the window instead of at his father, but Jake didn’t care.

“What of Castle Black?” The king questioned after letting go of his son’s childishness regarding King’s Landing and turned back to face the other lords again.

“Since Lord Commander MJ Mormont is currently home on Bear Island, he’s given the temporary command to one of his trusted men, but I’m afraid I can’t recall his name at the moment,” Hao said. “But Castle Black is doing well and does not need anything as of now, but I suppose they might if there were more criminals being sent up there,” He added.

“We’ll deal with that when the time comes,” Jake said, giving Hao a nod. “Any news from beyond the wall that we need to worry about?” He then questioned as he turned to Minho. The King Beyond the Wall had traveled down for Taesan’s nameday as well but had stayed for a few more days to attend these meetings per Jake’s request.

“No more than the usual fuss and 30 clans not always getting along, but that’s not anything we can’t handle on our own,” Minho answered.

“If you need help, please tell me. We owe just as much to you now as you once owed us, so I want to be able to help when you need it,” Jake said, and Minho nodded.

“Of course, but we’re fine,” He said, and then Jake nodded back.

“Good, that will be all,” Jake said, standing up, as did all of the lords around the table. As soon as they did, Taesan left the room, finally free to go back to his sons and not have to participate in those boring meetings. He rushed out into the courtyard, where he thought he’d find just Minseo and Yunseong training with Sungho, and yes, they were there, but so were Yujun and Hunter as well. The two younger boys were watching as their brother and the son of the Lord Commander trained with the knight.

“Aren’t you two a little too young for this?” Taesan asked as he sat down in between his two youngest sons. Hunter, as usual, barely seemed to notice him, being too caught up in what was happening in front of him, but Yujun immediately got happy upon seeing their dad.

“No, dad! And we’re not fighting; we’re just watching!” Yujun argued cutely, and Taesan couldn’t help but smile.

“I can see that,” He chuckled, ruffling Hunter’s hair, making the boy finally notice his presence.

“Dad!” Hunter exclaimed, hugging Taesan before looking up to meet his dad’s eyes. “Minseo and Yunseong are so good at fighting now!” He said, pointing at his oldest brother.

“Yeah, they are getting good at this,” Taesan agreed, not entirely sure if he actually liked it or not… It wasn’t that he didn’t want either boy not to use swords or other weapons, but if, in the future, they had to, it would mostly likely mean they were in danger and that he didn’t like…

- - - -

“Zok-la,” (Wolf.) Leehan worded out, pointing at the word in the book.

“Zokla” (Wolf.) Sumin repeated perfectly.

“Good, you’re learning quickly, sweety,” Leehan smiled before turning the page of the book. “And that?” He asked, pointing at another longer word.

“Zaldrīzes…?” (Dragon…?) Sumin said, struggling a little more with this word than the last, but he still pronounced it quite well. “That means dragon, right?”

“Yes, that’s right!” Leehan answered. They continued to train Sumin’s High Valyrian while Jake sat with Minjae on the other side of the library.

“Don’t you ever get tired of this?” Jake chuckled as Minjae picked up the same book they’d been reading time and time again since the prince had been very young.

“No! I think it’s cool,” Minjae said, opening the book where they’d last been and continuing to read. “They all bent the knee for him, proclaiming him the king of the Seven Kingdoms and protector of the realm. “Houses Targaryen, Stark, Martell, Baratheon, and so many more all bent the knee to their new Targaryen king, Sunwoo Targaryen, first of his name, rider of Nathir, the green dragon who hatched for the new king when he was just four years old and stood with him until the end. She was said to be one of the strongest Targaryen dragons to ever live; despite being rather young and not a very large dragon, she would have been able to take on a dragon twice her size with the help of the magic her rider had,” Minjae read out loud from the book with great enthusiasm. He loved this, reading together with his grandfather, and it was still one of the few things that actually kept him from causing trouble around the castle.

“You look like him, you know,” Jake suddenly interrupted Minjae’s reading. He really did. It was something so recognizable in the little boy’s appearance that reminded Jake so much about his father’s cousin. The great king he’d once been, only to falter just like all of the others before him…

“Who?” The blond prince asked, looking up at his grandfather.

“Sunwoo,” Jake answered. “You look very much like him, with your blond hair and those mischievous eyes,” Minjae giggled as Jake playfully tickled him.

“But, grandpa, didn’t King Sunwoo have violet eyes?” Minjae asked.

“He did, but I remember my father always used to say there was this mischievous look in Sunwoo’s eyes like he never really left his childhood self behind,” Jake said. He tugged a strand of Minjae’s blond hair behind his ear as he spoke. “He was a good king, for a time, but then I guess it all just became too much… and the state the seven kingdoms had been left in before he was crowned king was not the best either. War-torn and crumbling from within… maybe if they’d never crowned Hyunjin king before him, the realm would have been in a better state once Sunwoo became old enough to rule himself…”

“Why did Beomgyu name his youngest brother as his heir instead of Sunwoo’s father, who was the second oldest son of King Yeonjun?” Minjae asked after Jake had gone silent.

“I don’t know, buddy… I don’t think we’ll ever know why, but it doesn’t matter anymore. The Targaryens are gone, their home is a ruin, and there’s no one left who’s truly worthy of the iron throne…” Jake sighed before standing up.

“What about you, grandpa? You were a dragon rider once, weren’t you? Wouldn’t you be worthy of the iron throne?” Minjae mirrored Jake’s action and stood up as well.

“We’re Starks, buddy; we don’t belong on the iron throne. No one does anymore…”

- - - -

“What are you doing here?” Keum sighed as he spotted the eight-year-old prince sneak into the campsite. He had a helmet on his head, way too big to be his own, and was carrying a rather short sword, which still seemed to be a little too heavy for him.

“I wanna learn how to fight like you!” Baekseung said, looking up at Keum, which made the helmet he wore fall all the way down to his eyes, prompting him to hold it up with one hand so he could see the older boy.

“No, you’re too young…” Keum answered. He wanted to laugh at how cute the little prince actually looked, and it didn’t help that the younger pouted his lips angrily when he was denied either.

“I’m not too young! Sungho trained my brother when he was eight!” Baekseung argued, following after Keum as the elder started to walk away.

“Go train with him then,” Keum said.

“I don’t wanna train with him! I wanna train with you!” Baekseung said, cutely stumping his foot on the ground, which prompted Keum to stop walking and turn back to look at the prince.

“I don’t think I’m allowed to train you even if I wanted to,” Keum sighed. “I’m not a knight, and just because my house is sworn to yours doesn’t mean I’m supposed to train you,”

“What if I ask my dad? I know he will say yes!” Baekseung looked hopefully at the other, still struggling somewhat with the huge helmet he was wearing.

“You just don’t give up, do you…?” Keum shook his head but still laughed a little. “But I guess that if your dad allows it, I could show you a thing or two about fighting,” Baekseung’s eyes lit up at Keum’s words, and he ran forward to hug the other. Keum was rather taken aback, so all he really managed to do was pat the little prince on the head. The eight-year-old wasn’t very big, which Keum guessed was due to the fact that he was a triplet, and neither of the three was very big, so he just reached the center of Keum’s chest with the top of his head, which made the hug even more awkward than it already was. “But I won’t be staying here for very long. I need to go back home since your father’s nameday has passed and the tournaments are over,” Keum said once Baekseung had let go of him.

“Oh…” The little prince looked rather sad again, but then his eyes lit up again. “I’ll go ask my dad now so you can teach me how to fight right away!” He took off before Keum could even answer, the helmet bouncing around on his head and the sword occasionally knocking against the ground as he ran. Keum chuckled and shook his head, but he walked over to the sword stand and picked up two blunt-edged swords that weren’t so heavy and two small shields. He just hoped the little prince would be able to hold them both at the same time because Keum wasn’t sure he would be able to handle his sad little face one more time.

Chapter Text

Baekseung sulked as he watched the last few tents being taken down and the men readying their horses for their journey back to their own homes. The Tarths had stayed longer than most other houses, but he still knew they needed to go back home eventually, that Keum needed to go back home…

“You’ll come back, right?” The little prince asked, watching Keum strap his things onto his horse’s saddle.

“I don’t know. Evenfall Hall is quite far away from here, you know…” Keum sighed, not out of annoyance but rather in anticipation of having to disappoint the little prince.

“But it’s my other father’s 30th nameday next year, can’t you come then?” Baekseung asked hopefully. This prompted Keum to turn around to face him even if he knew he’d just end up upsetting the younger.

“Truthfully, I don’t know if I can. My father only let me come up here this year because it was the crown prince’s nameday, and I’m not sure if he thinks your other father’s nameday will be equally as important…” Keum said slowly.

“Then I’ll visit you in Evenfall Hall!” Baekseung said, which made Keum actually smile a little, but he knew that the little prince’s parents would never allow him to travel so far from Winterfell. But he didn’t want to make Baekseung sad the last thing he did, so he just gave the younger a smile, teasingly messing up his hair.

“That sure would be fun to see,” He laughed a little, watching Baekseung try to get away from him and untangle his hair again, but he was also laughing a little. “Make sure you keep training, little prince. You won’t be a good swordsman from just a few days training with me,” He smiled, and the prince returned it, seemingly not all that bothered by Keum ruffling his hair.

“I will! And next time I see you, I’ll be much better!” Baekseung assured him before rushing forward to hug him.

“Goodbye, little prince,” Keum said, actually hugging the younger back properly this time before letting go and getting up on his horse.

“Goodbye, Keum,” Baekseung smiled and waved as the elder rode away.

- - - -

Leehan arrived at the maester’s chambers and didn’t even bother to knock before entering, but the maester had awaited the prince, so it didn’t matter.

“My prince, we-“ The maester tried to say, but Leehan interrupted him.

“Where is it?” The prince asked, disregarding the maester’s attempt to speak as he made his way over to the table filled with books and paper scrolls.

“Here, my prince,” The maester said, handing Leehan a paper scroll he’d picked up from another table. The prince took the scroll from the maester before rolling it up and started to read through it. He read the long and somewhat faded sentences written in High Valyrian on the flimsy paper. At first, he found nothing he’d not read before, but as he got further down the scroll, something he’d not read before caught his eye.

“Ānogar tolī kostōba kessa gaomagon īlva pirta. Hen se zaldrīzoti īlon māstan, se naejot se zaldrīzoti kosti āmāzinon lo īlva ānogar iksis tolī kostōba…” (Blood too strong will do us wrong. From the dragons we came, and to the dragons we may return if our blood is too strong...) Leehan read out loud before going silent for a while. He read through it again, making sure he’d read it right before turning to face the maester again. “That’s it? That’s all they could find?” He questioned.

“I’m afraid this is all there is to find, my prince. The reason for your son’s features, as well as your ancestors’ stillborn children, is not something that is well documented. Since it is sure a rare occurrence and often chosen to be hidden away rather than researched, not even the citadel has information about it…” The maester answered. He’d already read what the scroll said, but it was something he’d also suspected himself after doing his own research on the Targaryens.

“So you mean that because Taesan and I are brothers, it caused our blood to be too strong when it was passed on to our children?” Leehan asked, laying the scroll back down on the table beside him before sitting down in the chair beside it.

“It won’t necessarily have to be brothers, but yes, when your blood is mixed, too close previous relations may be the cause of this… and as the scroll said, your blood, which came from the dragons, want to return to that, but it’s not meant to be so strong in a human being, which is why these children die so early…” The maester explained. “Until your son, that is,” He added, referring to Hunter.

“But neither of these previous Targaryen had their children with a relative! Yoongi Targaryen had his child with Kihyun, a Stark with no previous relation to the Targaryens. And Yeonjun Targaryen married Soobin, another Stark with no blood of the dragon. And Wonbin… His husband, Eunseok, was a Dayne, a Dornish born as a Sand even! How would either of their children have these features then if it comes from ‘blood too strong’?” Leehan couldn’t really wrap his head around it as it didn’t make any sense to him!

“I think, but this is just my theory, my prince, not common knowledge… I think that it goes all the way back to Taehyung Targaryen. His parents were identical twins; you can get blood stronger than that, as it’s basically the same. And so all descendants that came from Taehyung Targaryen already have this blood in them, and maybe that was what made them as strong as they were, but blood doesn’t just carry strength; it carries weakness and mutations as well…” Leehan looked at the maester as the old man spoke. It was hard to take in, to accept that everything the Targaryens ever were had carried down more than just their greatness and power…

“So… you mean… their mentality, their anger and flaws… it all came from that? The blood of the dragon being too strong?” He questioned after a short silence, and the maester nodded slowly.

“The term Targaryen Madness might not have been so far-fetched after all…”

- - - -

Leehan walked into the triplets’ chambers later that same evening. He found that Baekseung and Yujun were already asleep, but Hunter was still awake, sitting up on his bed and watching the starry sky through the window beside which his bed was placed. He’d requested for it to be placed there, for this very reason, Leehan expected, and it was quite common for them to find him sitting there staring up at the sky no matter if it was clear, day or night, or covered by clouds, he’d still watch it.

“Hey, sweety,” Leehan whispered as he sat down beside Hunter. He rubbed his back gently to get his son’s attention, and the boy tore his eyes away from the sky to look at him.

“Hi, papa. I’m almost done, I promise! I just wanna watch it some more…” Hunter said, looking back out of the window. He’d gotten quite used to his parents telling him to go to bed and that the sky would stay right where it was until he woke up again, but today, Leehan didn’t ask him to stop. Instead, he continued to run his hand over the boy’s back, feeling the scales through his pajama shirt, but Hunter didn’t seem to mind.

“Does it hurt…?” Leehan asked as Hunter moved slightly, but the boy shook his head while still keeping his eyes on the sky.

“No, they never hurt, papa! Why do you always ask that?” Hunter questioned, finally turning around to face his father properly.

“I’m just worried about you, that’s all,” Leehan answered, pulling his son into a hug.

“You don’t need to worry! I promise I’ll tell you if it ever hurts!” Hunter assured him, and Leehan smiled a little at him.

“That’s good, sweety,” He answered, kissing the top of his son’s head before the boy turned back around again to look out of the window, but he remained close enough to his father so that Leehan could hold him. Leehan also found himself looking up at the stars after a while, and then they just sat together in silence, watching the stars and the sky above Winterfell. “I learned something today…” Leehan said after a while, and Hunter hummed to show him that he was listening. “I learned that you’re special, really special,” Leehan continued, pulling Hunter into his lap as he spoke. “You’re special like no one else, not just because you’re my little baby, but because there’s no one else like you,”

“I’m not a baby, papa!” Hunter giggled, and Leehan smiled again.

“You’ll always be my little baby, even when you’re old,” Leehan said, which made Hunter giggle even more.

“When I’m old, you’ll be really old!” He giggled, tearing his eyes away from the sky again to look up at his father.

“Yeah, you’re right. But you’ll still be my baby even then,” Leehan playfully tickled his son, making him laugh even more. Hunter also tried to tickle him back, making Leehan pull them both to lie down.

“Can you stay until I fall asleep?” Hunter asked after a while. By then, he’d already rested his head on his father’s arm and struggled to keep his eyes open due to how tired he was.

“Of course, sweety. I’ll stay as long as you want me to,” Leehan assured him, placing a kiss on his son’s forehead before laying his head back down on the pillow, eventually falling asleep himself as his youngest son hugged his arm in his sleep.

Chapter Text

*six years later*

“Getting tired, old man?” Minseo chuckled as he circled the knight with his sword in his right hand and a wooden shield in the other.

“I’m not old, my prince; I just don’t want to tire you out already,” Sungho answered the now 17-year-old prince. And, as if to prove his point, he swiftly stepped aside as Minseo launched forward, teasingly tripping the prince before knocking the blunt side of the sword on his back, sending him stumbling forward. Yunseong and Minjae, who stood waiting for their turn to test their skills against Sungho, laughed as Minseo regained his balance before turning around and glaring at the two.

“Like you’re any better,” He huffed before facing Sungho again. “Okay, I take it back; you’re not old,” Minseo told the knight, who just chuckled a little before gesturing for Minjae to step forward.

“Your turn, young prince,” Minjae swallowed before taking a few steps forward, exchanging places with his older brother, and raising both the sword and the shield he was holding, prepared to go up against the knight. Being just a year younger than his brother, Minjae was slightly shorter but stronger than Minseo, which he planned to use to his advantage when trying to strike the knight. But, almost identical to what he’d done with Minseo, Sungho easily avoided the prince’s attempt at striking him and playfully hit him like he’d done with Minseo.

“Who’s laughing now, huh?” Minseo chuckled as Minjae groaned in irritation at not being able to defeat the knight.

“You’re both overdoing yourselves, my princes. If you’d focused less on trying to outdo each other and more on actually defeating me, one or both of you might actually succeed one day,” Sungho said before gesturing for Yunseong to take the younger prince’s place before him. Yunseong, not having any brothers himself, didn’t focus as much on defeating the others and wanted to actually prove himself by being a worthy opponent to the very skilled knight.

“You think I could do it?” Yunseong asked as he started to slowly move to the side with Sungho mirroring his movements, but neither of them striking the other just yet.

“Depends… you plan on talking me out of paying attention to what you’re doing?” The knight grinned.

“Could have worked…” Yunseong laughed lightly, but Sungho just shook his head at the 19-year-old in amusement. But somehow, Sungho was not really sure how; the son of the Lord Commander managed to launch toward him and get a hit against the knight’s shield, proving himself more successful than the two princes had been so far.

“Good, but you’re not there just yet,” Sungho said before moving swiftly, using the shield to knock the sword out of Yunseong’s hand before pointing his own at the young man’s throat. “I’m still better than you,” Sungho chuckled. Yunseong sighed as the knight lowered the sword, letting him go and pick up the sword he dropped before they continued their training. Sumin shook his head at his two older brothers and the young lord as they continued trying to defeat the knight quite unsuccessfully.

“They’re never going to defeat Sungho no matter how much they try; he’s just too good,” He said, which made Leehan chuckle a little.

“Why don’t you try then? You think you could beat him?” Leehan asked, but Sumin just shook his head.

“I’m not going to embarrass myself by even trying when I already know I can’t win,” Sumin answered before going back to fastening the last few leather straps on the saddle he had beside him. He then stood up and picked up said saddle before going toward the stables.

“Where are you going?” Leehan called after him.

“I promised to go for a ride with Jinsik before he goes back home to Last Hearth, so I’ll be back later!” Sumin yelled back before disappearing into the stables. Leehan watched him until he was out of sight before looking back at his two older sons, who were still training with Yunseong and Sungho. They were growing up so fast was the thought that struck Leehan as he watched Minseo and Minjae train. Too fast…

- - - -

The sun shone in through the windows of Minseo’s chambers early the next morning. He’d usually closed the curtains, which he had actually done the night before as well, but now, something or rather someone had opened them as they entered through the window quietly. The sound of a pair of booths hitting the floor just inside his window made him stir slightly in his sleep, but he didn’t wake up; he just turned his face away from the bright light and down into the pillow instead. The pair of booths quietly made their way over to his bed before the person wearing them took them off and left them on the floor before quietly making their way up onto the bed. Minseo had gotten his own chambers years ago, finally getting some privacy from his brothers, but that also meant he was alone right now. The person made their way over to him before stopping to just watch the prince sleep for a few seconds. A hand gently moved a few strands of hair out of the prince’s face before moving downward to his side, and with the other hand going to the other side, the person drove their fingers into the prince’s sides, effectively waking the prince up with the rather brutal tickling.

“What the…?! No! Stop, Yunseong!” Minseo laughed as the elder continued to tickle him, quite easily trapping him between his own body and the bed. “Yunseong! I’m serious, stop!” Minseo continued to try to get away from the other, tickling him, and he actually managed to sit up before turning around and attacking the elder himself.

“Haha, you said we were going to train again at dawn, but the sun rose over an hour ago, and you’re still in bed!” Yunseong laughed as Minseo managed to push him backward before following him to try and tickle the elder like he’d just done with him. Yunseong was stronger than the prince, but he let the younger think he could overpower him just to make him happy, which just resulted in basically sitting on his lap as he tried to tickle Yunseong while also keeping the elder from tickling him. Eventually, Yunseong decided that the prince had had his fun and grabbed both his wrists before sitting up, making the younger end up actually sitting in his lap and making them come face-to-face. Minseo stopped struggling against the elder’s grip as he realized the position they’d ended up in, and Yunseong slowly let go of his wrists as well while keeping eye contact with the prince. His eyes momentarily looked down at the other’s lips before looking up at his best friend’s eyes again. This was closer than they had ever been before, despite earlier wrestling and playful bickering best friends tended to do, but this was different…

“My dad could have you sent to the wall, you know…” Minseo whispered, but he made no move to get out of the other’s lap.

“Only if you tell him…” Yunseong whispered back, eyes flickering down to the prince’s lips again.

“I won’t…” Minseo answered. Now, they were so close that their lips almost touched as he spoke, but neither moved away. Eventually, Yunseong actually did the complete opposite. He finally closed the small distance between them and brought his hand up to hold the younger as Minseo placed his own around the former’s neck. Yunseong moved his hands up higher, running over the prince’s thigh, which was partially covered by the shorts he was wearing, and then higher up his hips before holding onto his waist, gripping the thin material of the shirt the prince had slept in. Minseo moved his own hand to grip the hair on the back of Yunseong’s neck while placing the other on his cheek, keeping his head where he wanted him to be.

“Minseo, Minseo! Papa told us to wake you up for breakfa… oh…?” Hunter’s voice made Yunseong and Minseo quickly pull away from each other before looking over at the door. Minseo panicked as he saw not just Hunter but Yujun as well, standing in the doorway, staring at them with their mouths hanging open. Minseo would have found it rather funny if the two hadn’t just witnessed him sitting in his best friend’s lap, kissing him.

“Why are you kissing?” Yujun asked, being the first of the two to break out of their surprised state and changing his facial expression from surprise to confusion.

“That’s none of your business!” Minseo said in lack of anything better to come up with. Yunseong, who’d now gotten off the bed again, didn’t look at either of the princes and just kept his eyes on the floor.

“I’m telling dad!” Hunter suddenly exclaimed before taking off down the hallway, prompting Minseo to run after him.

“Hunter!” He yelled as he exited his room, forcing Yujun to step aside so they wouldn’t crash into each other. Then, the younger just watched as Minseo chased Hunter down the hallway. “Hunter, don’t!” Minseo yelled as Hunter turned the corner at the end of the last hallway, which led to their parents’ chambers, but as Minseo himself made the turn, he had to stop abruptly as he came face to face with his dad and brother. Taesan looked between the two, both breathing heavily from the running they’d done, but just as he was about to ask what was going on, Hunter tried to speak, only for Minseo to place his hand over the younger’s mouth.

“Minseo… issed… Yu…ong!” Hunter tried to say from under his brother’s hand, but Minseo tried to keep him quiet by not letting him remove his hand.

“What are you two doing?” Taesan sighed. “And Minseo, let your brother go…” He added. It was too early in the morning for this…

“Nothing!” Minseo was quick to answer while Hunter still tried to get his brother’s hand off his mouth.

“He ki… seo… g!” He tried to say again, but Minseo’s hand still prevented him from saying anything understandable.

“Let go of your brother, please, Minseo…” Taesan sighed again, reaching out to make his older son let go of the younger one. Minseo looked conflicted for a moment. He never liked to disobey his dad, but this time was different, and he knew Hunter would tell him what he’d seen just to be the annoying little brother he was…

“Okay, dad…” Minseo finally said, dropping his hand from over his brother’s mouth, and it didn’t even take Hunter half a second to say exactly what Minseo didn’t want him to…

“Minseo kissed Yunseong!” Hunter finally managed to say what he’d tried to say while his brother’s hand prevented him from it. Taesan raised an eyebrow at the two, looking from Hunter over to Minseo and then back to Hunter.

“Did he now?” He eventually said, keeping his eyes on Hunter as he walked closer to the two boys.

“Yes! Me and Yujun say them!” Hunter said, which made Minseo want to just sink through the floor and disappear.

“Well, regardless of whether they kissed or not, I don’t think that’s something you should be running around telling everyone about it,” Taesan said, surprising both Minseo and Hunter.

“I only told you, dad,” Hunter argued, but Taesan just shook his head before ushering the 14-year-old to leave.

“You better keep it as that then!” The crown prince said sternly, giving his youngest son a stern look, which prompted Hunter to nod. “And tell you brother the same! You are not to speak of it to anyone else, understood?” Hunter’s rapid nodding looked quite funny, but Minseo was still too stressed to actually find anything amusing, and it was only when Taesan sent Hunter away that Minseo finally met his dad’s eyes. “Come,” Taesan said, gesturing for Minseo to follow him back to the latter’s chambers. Once they reached it, both Yujun and Yunseong were gone, which left the chambers empty. Taesan closed the door behind them before walking over to sit down on the side of the bed and lightly patting the space next to him, signaling for Minseo to sit down as well.

“Dad, I can explain…” Minseo started, but Taesan gently shushed him.

“You don’t need to explain anything, honey,” He said, giving his son an assuring smile. “You’re old enough to have your own life. I just want you to be careful, okay?” Taesan ran his hand gently over Minseo’s cheek as he spoke, and smiled at his son again as the boy looked up at him.

“But… are you not mad?” Minseo asked, but Taesan shook his head.

“Why would I be mad? You’ve done nothing wrong. Your brother, on the other hand…” Taesan sighed. “But don’t worry, I’ll deal with him,” Taesan said, making Minseo actually giggle a little.

“Thank you, dad,” Minseo said, hugging Taesan, and the latter hugged him back as well.

“So, how was it?” Taesan asked after a while, prompting Minseo to pull back from their hug and look up at him.

“Huh?” He gave Taesan a confused look, which made the latter chuckle a little.

“Kissing. Was it nice?” Taesan asked, and then Minseo felt his cheeks grow warm and mostly likely turn bright red as well.

“Dad..!” He said, extremely embarrassed, lightly shoving his dad’s arm, which made Taesan chuckle even more.

“I’m just teasing you,” Taesan said, standing up from the bed before walking over to the door. “Just promise to be careful, okay?”

“Yes, dad. I will,” Minseo said, smiling back at Taesan before the latter left his son’s chambers again. Minseo slumped back onto the bed and just lay there for a while. He stared at the ceiling, thinking back to how it actually had felt to kiss Yunseong, and he felt his cheeks grow warm again, so before he got even more embarrassed all by himself in his chambers, he decided to actually get ready for the day. And he should probably go find Yunseong since he probably thought Minseo’s dad was going to hang him or something, and the thought of Yunseong’s extremely worried expression actually made the prince giggle a little. Maybe it hadn’t been so bad that Hunter told their dad after all…

Chapter Text

“So…? Are my days numbered?” Minseo looked over to his right as he entered the smaller rear courtyard. Yunseong was leaning against the castle’s stoney outside wall but pushed himself off of it once he spotted Minseo. He looked a little worried, looking to see if there was someone coming with the prince, but once he saw that the younger was alone, he loosened up a bit.

“I’m pretty sure all of our days are numbered in one way or another, but not for what you think,” The prince answered teasingly, which made Yunseong raise an eyebrow before letting out a small laugh.

“So, your dad won’t hang me in the streets the next time he sees me?” He asked, still somewhat unsure despite Minseo’s seemingly calm demeanor.

“No, he won’t,” Minseo laughed as he walked up to playfully push his best friend. Yunseong took the opportunity of having the younger close to him to pull him into some sort of a hug, which Minseo didn’t seem to mind at all as he just let himself be pulled closer to the other. “But keep pushing it and he might just change his mind,” The prince added once they were standing face to face, and the slight panic on Yunseong’s face made the younger laugh.

“Not funny…” Yunseong sighed once he realized the younger was just messing with him.

“I thought it was very funny,” Minseo argued, still fighting to keep himself from laughing again, but he shut up quite quickly as Yunseong closed the final distance between them, kissing the younger for the second time that day.

“You sure he’s not mad…?” Yunseong whispered against Minseo’s lips, prompting the younger to open his eyes and look up at him.

“He’s not mad,” Was all the prince said before pulling Yunseong down to kiss him again, using the hand he’d wrapped around the elder’s neck to do so. “But maybe we should actually get to our training now before someone else comes and looks for us…” Minseo said reluctantly after a while, removing his arms from around Yunseong as the elder let go of the prince as well.

“Yeah… I guess you’re right,” Yunseong sighed. He’d much rather just stay with Minseo right now, but they both knew they couldn’t keep the others waiting, so Yunseong picked up his sword, which he’d leaned against the castle wall before they both walked to where they would be training.

- - - -

“I’m sure the boys will like that very much. My sister is currently in Last Hearth and will be for a while, so bringing Sumin with us won’t be an issue at all,” Gyuvin Taesan walked down the hallway toward the great hall as they spoke.

“I figure Leehan won’t like the idea of Sumin leaving, but the boy’s 15 already, and I’m sure he’ll do just as well with you for a few months as he would staying here,” Taesan said.

“Last Hearth is not that far away either, so if something were to happen, we’re still quite close by,” Gyuvin said, and Taesan nodded just as they walked through the doors to the great hall. Sumin and Jinsik looked up as they heard their respective fathers’ voices before looking back at each other.

“I guess we’ll be leaving now…” Jinsik sighed, placing the book down on the table before standing up. Sumin did the same, leaving his book open where he’d stopped reading before walking with his friend around the table and toward Gyuvin and Taesan.

“Maybe I could get dad to allow me to come and visit,” Sumin said hopefully as they walked. “He’s a lot easier to persuade than my father…” He added, chuckling a little as Jinsik also did the same.

“Yeah, Prince Leehan isn’t someone you’ll easily convince of something else once he’d made up his mind,” Jinsik laughed.

“So, are you two ready?” Gyuvin asked as the two 15-year-olds had reached him and Taesan.

“You two?” Jinsik gave his dad a questioning look before realization dawned on him, and his confusion turned into happiness. “Sumin can come with us?!” He exclaimed, and Gyuvin nodded while chuckling at his son.

“If you both promise to behave, Taesan will let Sumin come with us to Lat Hearth for a few months,” Gyuvin said, and that made both boys nod their heads eagerly.

“What about father?” Sumin then asked, turning to face his own dad.

“I’ll speak with your father about it, but I think you’re old enough to be away from home for some time, and I trust Gyuvin and Ricky to take good care of you as long as you behave and show them respect,” Taesan said, and the Sumin nodded eagerly again before hugging his dad.

“Thank you, dad!” Sumin murmured into his dad’s chest, and Taesan smiled before kissing the top of his head.

“You’re welcome, buddy. Now, get your things together, and don’t keep them waiting for you,” Taesan chuckled as Sumin, once again, nodded before he and Jinsik took off toward Sumin’s chambers to get the prince’s things so they could leave.

- - - -

“You didn’t even think to consult me before sending my son miles away from home?” Leehan asked once Taesan had closed the door to their chambers. The younger had already gone to bed but wasn’t feeling tired at all now after hearing what his husband had promised Sumin without even talking to Leehan first.

“It’s not like I’m sending him to King’s Landing, Leehan… Last Hearth is not even a four-day ride from here, and Gyuvin has already promised he and Ricky will make sure Sumin is safe. Also, I think it’s good for him to actually do something other than just being stuck in the library all day long, reading all those books,” Taesan sighed as he walked over to the bed before joining the younger on it. “And he’s our son, not just your son,” He pointed out, trying to lighten up the mood a little, but Leehan didn’t seem to appreciate that at all.

“Well, he’s not just your son either! Which is why we should talk about these things before making such decisions and promising our sons things we never agreed on!” Leehan pulled the covers off of himself and got off the bed just as Taesan joined him on it, making the elder sigh once more before watching the younger walk across the room.

“It’s just for a few months, Leehan… and he’s not even going to be that far away…” Taesan would have gotten out of bed if Leehan hadn’t already walked back to it.

“It still doesn’t change the fact that you made this decision without even telling me until the minute before he was leaving! I don’t want to be the one to make him upset for not letting him go, but you can promise him to without talking to me first!” Leehan was getting quite upset as this was not the first time Taesan had made decisions regarding their sons without speaking to him first, and even if he’d let Sumin go with the Umbers to Last Hearth now, he was still angry over the fact that Taesan hadn’t told him until it was basically too late to change it…

“Leehan…” Taesan tried to say as he stood up from the bed to pull the younger back with him, but Leehan just pushed his hand away.

“No! Don’t ‘Leehan’ me! I’m tired of not having a say in my own children’s lives!” A soft knock came from the door, but neither of the two seemed to acknowledge it. They continued to argue as Sungho slowly opened the door. He was about to say something when Leehan eventually had gotten enough and picked up his inner coat before wrapping it around himself and pushing past Sungho to leave the room. The knight watched him go before turning to look at Taesan, who just sighed before sitting down on the side of the bed, running his hand through his hair.

“Should I…?” Sungho wasn’t really sure what to say, or if this may be bad timing, but Taesan just looked up at him before sighing again.

“Go after him. I’m pretty sure he’s quite done with me for today, and maybe you’ll have better luck with calming him down…” The crown prince said, and Sungho nodded slowly.

“I’ll try my best,” He said before going after Leehan. The prince hadn’t made it that far when Sungho caught up to him, and he actually stopped walking without protesting when Sungho gently grabbed his arm. “You okay?” The knight asked, watching the younger carefully for any signs of tears or distress, but Leehan just looked more pissed than anything.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Leehan sighed. “I’m just so done with him making decisions without telling me beforehand!”

“Is this about Prince Sumin leaving for Last Hearth?” Sungho asked, and Leehan nodded.

“But not just that! There are always these minor things he makes decisions about and never tells me! Sometimes, it could take days before I get to know the matter had even been discussed… and since he attends all of the meetings with dad and the other lords, I expect him to tell me when there’s something important, but he doesn’t! He just thinks he spares me the trouble by deciding on his own and not bothering to even tell me…” Leehan complained, running his hand through his hair almost identically to how Taesan had done just a few minutes earlier, and Sungho couldn’t help but notice these small similarities the two shared in certain situations.

“I’m sure he just means well…” He tried to say, but Leehan interrupted him.

“Of course, he thinks he means well… That’s something he’s thought since we were children: that I’m better off not getting involved in things that require difficult decision-making and could potentially result in things that could be harmful to our reputation!” The prince might have been more upset than Sungho had first thought, but even though he knew Leehan could sometimes be just as emotionally driven as his brother, he couldn’t help but agree with the younger about this. It had always been Taesan’s thing to take everything upon himself in order to leave Leehan out of harm’s way, but as time went by, it had started to become more than just harmful things that Taesan kept Leehan away from and had now ended up being more and more daily things as well… Like not being able to have a simple conversation about something regarding one of their children. And having six teenage children between the ages of 14 and 17 wasn’t making it any easier either…

“Maybe you two can talk and figure something out tomorrow when neither of you are so tired and upset?” Sungho suggested, knowing Leehan might just think it would be useless, but it seemed as though the prince was too tired to complain about it any further.

“I guess…” He sighed before leaning his forehead on Sungho’s shoulder. “I would have been easier if he was as good at listening to me as you are,” He added, lifting his head again to give the knight a small smile.

“I think he actually listens more than you think, but he’s not so good at expressing himself the way he probably should be,” Sungho said, which made Leehan laugh.

“You don’t say,” The younger chuckled before bringing his hand up to place on either side of the knight’s face. “I’m happy we have you, though,” He said. “I think we would have gotten on each other’s nerves a long time ago if we didn’t…”

“Well, I guess it is better than when he wanted to murder me every other day for even being in the same room as you,” Sungho laughed, and so did Leehan.

“He’s gotten over that a long time ago,” Leehan assured Sungho before closing the distance between them and kissing the elder.

“Mmh,” Sungho hummed, quite amusingly, against Leehan’s lips before lifting his own hand to place it over the younger’s, which was still on the side of his face. Neither of them heard the footsteps approaching from around the corner, and it wasn’t until the person rounded the corner that they noticed their presence.

“Father…?” The sound of Minseo’s voice made Leehan and Sungho quickly pull apart before turning to see the young black-haired prince stare at them. Leehan’s eyes flickered up to Yunseong, who came around the corner the second after Minseo had spoken, but then he looked back at his son.

“Minseo, I…” Leehan didn’t know what to say as they’d never told either of their sons about his and Taesan’s relationship with Sungho since it wasn’t really something that was actually accepted.

“Why would you kiss him…?” Minseo asked, eyes flickering between his father and the knight he thought he’d known so well growing up, but it seemed as though he actually hadn’t…

“Honey, it’s not what you think…” Leehan tried to explain, reaching out for Minseo, but the boy backed away.

“I don’t wanna hear it!” He said before turning around and storming off the same way he’d come. Yunseong looked rather confused but eventually just gave Leehan a bow to show respect before following the black-haired prince.

“Minseo, wait!” Leehan tried to call after his son, but the boy just continued to walk down the hallway, eventually disappearing out of view…

Chapter Text

“Minseo, please, sweetly, let me explain!” Leehan followed his son all the way back to the boy’s own chambers, but Minseo didn’t even want to hear him out.

“No! Just leave! I don’t want to hear your halfhearted explanations!” He tried closing the door, but Leehan was still stronger than his son, so he managed to hold it open long enough for him to get inside. Yunseong had backed off and stayed behind in the hallway, per Leehan’s request, and Sungho hadn’t gone with them in the first place, so this left just Minseo and Leehan in the former’s chambers now. “Just leave me alone…” Minseo said, finally stopping pushing the door and instead walking across the room, away from his father.

“Come here, sweety, let me explain because it’s not what you think…” Leehan said, slowly walking after his son once he’d closed the door to the room, but Minseo was still not having any of it…

“No! You don’t need to explain anything! I’m not stupid! You’re cheating on dad, and that’s it!” Minseo kept moving away as soon as Leehan got close enough to reach out for him, which pained the elder even more, but he just wanted Minseo to actually listen.

“I’m not cheating on your dad, Minseo! He knows about Sungho, and that’s what I’m trying to tell you if you were only to listen…” Leehan said, and that finally made Minseo stop walking away from him.

“No… you’re lying! There’s no way dad would be fine with that! He’s beheaded people in the streets before just because they got too close to you or tried to hurt you! And there’s no way he would let your own knight be so close to us if he knew about you two!” Minseo kept arguing, but Leehan wasn’t one to give up before they’d solved this!

“No, he wouldn’t. But he’s fine with it, our relationship with Sungho, it’s just… it’s… complicated, okay…?” Leehan said, finally being able to gently place his hands on Minseo’s upper arms and look at him properly. “Sungho was there for me when I got separated from your dad when we were your age, and he’s the reason I got back home. He’s always protected us, and he’s been there since even before you were born,” Leehan watched his son as he spoke, but the boy just seemed rather uncomfortable with the whole conversation. But then, it was like something finally clicked for him, but the way he finally looked up and met his father’s eyes wasn’t really what Leehan had hoped for…

“Before I was born…?” Realization hit Leehan much quicker than it had hit Minseo, and he held his breath and prayed that his son wouldn’t think what he feared he would… “That’s why I look different, isn’t it? That’s why I don’t look like dad, because he’s not my dad…?!” Minseo pushed away his father’s hands and tried to move further away from him again, but Leehan still followed him.

“No, sweety, that’s not tru-“ Leehan tried to say, but Minseo interrupted him.

“Does he even know? Huh?! Does dad know that I’m not his and instead your bastard?!” The word sounded so horrible, yet so familiar to both Minseo and Leehan. Minseo might have been too young to understand the meaning of it the first time he’d heard it, back when those kids called him that. But through the years, he’d learned what it meant even if he hadn’t made the connection back to himself up until now…

“Minseo… you’re not a bastar-“

“Yes, I am! You married dad, but had a child with someone else! What the hell would you call it if not having a bastard!? And that’s why I don’t take after him at all! I don’t have any of his features; my hair is black, not brown or blond! I don’t act like him at all! And I don’t look like or act like any of my brothers either because they all have something that they take after him, but I don’t! Because I take after Sungho!” There were tears in Minseo’s eyes; they had not yet started to run down his cheeks, but Leehan still felt his own about to fall…

“You’re a prince, Minseo! It doesn’t matter what-“ Leehan still tried to reach out for his son so he could just hold him, but the boy pushed him away again.

“Of course, it fucking matters! I’m your oldest son, which means I’m supposed to be king after dad, but that can’t happen because he’s not even my real dad! Minjae is his oldest son, which means he is his heir, not me!” It wasn’t really the fact that he’d learned he wouldn’t be king one day that pained Minseo; that was something he could do very well with if he was being honest, but it was the fact that his own father had lied to him all his life! And his dad… who wasn’t even his real dad… Everything just felt so wrong, and it hurt! I almost physically hurt him to learn this, to learn that the people he loved the most and cared for the most in his life had spent all his life lying to him!

“You are our son, Minseo! You are Taesan’s heir! And you got your features from your grandfather! The black hair and your sweet nature may not be Taesan’s, but it is just like your grandfather's,” Leehan tried to convince the boy even if he wasn’t entirely sure himself. It had been Jake who told him that… that Minseo was very much like Sunghoon, but Leehan himself barely ever remembered his own dad… which must have shone through as he tried to convince his son because Minseo refused to accept it.

“Stop trying to make up for your mistakes by grabbing at loose ends! I’m not stupid! I have eyes; I can see what you’ve apparently been blind to for all these years! I look like Sungho; I act like Sungho. Everything that I didn’t inherit from you, I got from him!” By now, the tears had started to fall down Minseo’s cheeks, and Leehan wanted nothing more than just to hold his son like he’d done when Minseo was a little boy. But now, all the boy did was push him away as soon as he got close to him…

“Minseo, honey…”

“No! Just leave! I don’t want you here…” Minseo jerked away from Leehan as the latter came close to him again. He felt horrible, so confused… and he didn’t want his father anywhere near him right now… “Go! Go away!” Minseo eventually snapped, pushing Leehan away much harsher than he’d ever done before, but when Leehan didn’t leave, he just kept pushing him toward the door. “Get out! Go! I don’t want to see you ever again!” He cried, surprising both himself and his father by being able to push the latter all the way back to the door. Somehow, he managed to open the door and push his father out of his chambers before slamming the door in his face. He didn’t lock it because he didn’t really think of it, but he didn’t need to because Leehan didn’t try to open the door again once Minseo had slammed it shot… He leaned his arms and forehead against the door and waited until he heard his father leave, and then he slumped down into a kneeling position, no longer facing the door but rather turning to have his back against it. He leaned his head back as well, closing his eyes and wrapping his arms around himself. Now the tears were falling unstoppably, but he didn’t even know why anymore… They just kept coming…

- - - -

Baekseung was seldom up this early in the morning, but he’d been woken up by his father’s direwolf, Kalea, howling just below his window, and even after she’d stopped, he could go find sleep again… so now, he was making his way down the hallway to actually try and do some productive with his day since he was up so early. He was fiddling with the hem of his shirt sleeve, trying to get it to stay up where he wanted it, so he didn’t notice the maester coming around the corner until it was too late. They crashed into each other as both turned the corner, not very seriously, but enough for the maester to drop the scrolls and papers he was carrying.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t see you,” Baekseung was quick to apologize to the old man before bending down to pick up the things he’d knocked out of his hands.

“No worries, my prince. But you’re up early; that’s quite unusual for you,” The maester chuckled. Baekseung straightened back up and handed the scrolls back to the maester before answering him.

“Kalea woke me up with her howling…” The prince sighed. “So I figured I should do some training since I wasn’t able to go back to sleep,”

“That sounds like a good idea,” The maester smiled before continuing his way down the hallway. Baekseung rubbed his elbow, which he just did not notice stung a little, meaning he must have hit it against one of the metal or wooden bars the scrolls had at the ends, but it didn’t really matter. He was about to start walking again when he noticed a tiny roll of paper, most likely a letter, lying a little further down the hallway. It must have rolled there when the maester dropped the bigger ones, so Baekseung figured he should probably return it to the man. He picked it up and noticed the broken wax sigil of House Manderly on it. It was one of the few houses’ sigils that Baekseung actually recognized, and curiosity got the better of him, so he decided to read what the letter said. And considering the fact that the sigil had already been broken, it meant the letter wasn’t addressed to any particular person but rather to House Stark in general, which did include him. It didn’t say much, mostly boring updates on what the lords of White Harbor had decided on regarding some less important matters, but what got Baekseung’s attention was the announcement at the bottom of the letter. It told of Lord Manderly’s own nameday and of the tournaments he would have to celebrate it.

“Tournaments…!” Baekseung mumbled to himself. That could certainly mean other houses than House Stark had been invited, which might include House Tarth! The thought of seeing Keum again excited Baekseung, and despite the fact that it’d been six years since he’d last seen the elder, he wanted to see him again! So he rushed down the hallway, in the opposite direction of where the maester had gone, and ran all the way to his parents’ chambers. There was one guard on duty, standing outside the doors, and he gave the prince a small bow. “Are my parents awake?” Baekseung asked as he stopped running, breathing a little labored.

“Crown Prince Taesan is awake, my prince, but not Prince Leehan,” The guard answered.

“That’s good enough!” Baekseung answered before knocking on the door. He got no response at first, but when he was about to knock again, the door slowly opened.

“Why are you up so early?” Taesan asked, rather surprised to find Baekseung standing there, already dressed for the day when he usually was the one they had to drag out of bed.

“Can I attend the tournaments for Lord Manderly’s nameday?” Baekseung asked, completely ignoring his dad’s question, but it didn’t really matter.

“No…” Taesan said tiredly. Even though he was awake already, he looked rather tired, like he’d not slept very well or really slept at all…

“Why not?” Baekseung complained.

“Because you’re 14, and they don’t allow 14-year-olds to take part in the tournaments,” Taesan sighed. Baekseung knew this, but he’s intentions weren’t really to participate in the actual tournaments anyway.

“But I could squire for someone, maybe Sungho! He could attend and probably win again!” Baekseung said hopefully, but Taesan just shook his head.

“It’s still a no. Sungho’s needed here, and this is not really a good time, Baekseung… Maybe when you’re older, I’ll let you attend tournaments in the North on your own, but not now,” Taesan answered. “Why would you want to go anyway? You’ve given the Manderlys no thought before, so why now?”

“Because there will be other houses there, and that could include House Tarth! And then I could see Keum again!” Baekseung said truthfully, seeing no use in lying to his dad, but Taesan just sighed and shook his head. Baekseung did miss the little smile on his dad’s lips, however.

“I’m not so sure he’d be equally as excited to see you again, considering you were eight, and he was what, like 16 last time you saw him?” Taesan chuckled a little. “I know your father found your little childhood crush cute, but I won't lie to you; the world isn’t as easy as you think, and I’m afraid Keum’s already forgotten about you,” Taesan didn’t want to hurt his son, but he found it best not to lie to the boy either.

“There’s only one way to know, though, right?” Baekseung said, surprisingly optimistic despite what Taesan had just said.

“There will be others, Baekseung. When you’re older, I promise you’ll find someone better and closer to home, and someone who isn’t so much older than you,” Taesan placed his hand on his son’s shoulder before giving him a small smile. “But, until then, you’re staying here, where it’s safe,” He added, playfully ruffling Baekseung’s, but the boy pouted his lips before muttering something and walking away again. Taesan watched him for a while before going back into his and Leehan’s chambers and closing the door behind him.

“I am old enough…” Baekseung huffed as he basically dragged his feet down the hallway, the letter still crumpled up in his hand. He heard his dad close the door to their chambers, and as he did, a thought crossed the 14-year-old’s mind… Maybe not a very good one, but White Harbor was not that far away, and it was still in the North, so it shouldn’t be that bad if he went, now would it…? And it was worth it! Of that, Baekseung was sure! Maybe his parents would be angry with him, but he’d make sure to have one of his brothers, probably Hunter or Yujun, tell them where he’d gone once he’d gotten far enough away from Winterfell that they couldn’t catch up to him before he reached White Harbor… So, it was worth a try, at least!

Chapter Text

“What are you doing…?” Yunseong whispered so he wouldn’t startle Minseo as he entered through the window, which was something he’d done so many times before ever since they were young and told to go to bed but wanted to continue to play even past their bedtime. Minseo didn’t get startled, however, seemingly already suspecting Yunseong to show up sooner or later, regardless of whether it was through the door or the window.

“What does it look like?” The prince sighed, stuffing more of his clothes into an already quite packed bag. Yunseong watched as the younger walked across the room before picking up his coat, throwing it over his shoulders, and fastening it at the front. “I’m leaving,” Minseo added when Yunseong didn’t say anything else, but he guessed that the elder had already figured that much out on his own, considering he’d been watching Minseo pack his things.

“And where would you go…?” Yunseong asked, finally moving from his spot by the window and walking over to where Minseo was. He didn’t really think it was a good idea to ask about what Minseo and his father had argued about, partly because Yunseong had heard some of it even through the closed door before deciding it probably wasn't very nice of him to eavesdrop, but also because he knew Minseo would tell him on his own accord if he wanted to and when he felt ready to do so.

“I don’t know… I just don’t want to stay here…” The prince said.

“We could go to Castle Black. My dad would surely let us stay there if we wanted to,” Yunseong said, which prompted Minseo to raise an eyebrow at him.

“We…?” The younger questioned.

“Yeah, we. I don’t want you to go on your own. Not because I don’t think you could handle that on your own, which I’m pretty sure you could, but I just don’t want you to be alone…” Yunseong’s words slightly surprised Minseo, but he felt himself smile a little before taking a few steps toward the elder and wrapping his arms around him. Yunseong did the same, knowing that the younger probably needed a hug right now, so he gave him one. Minseo leaned his forehead against Yunseong's shoulder, and then they stood like that for quite some time. Just enjoying each other’s presence, and not saying anything at all. Eventually, they did pull apart again, and then Minseo looked up to meet the elder’s eyes.

“Go get your things then. We need to leave before they figure out that’s what I intend to do…” He said, and Yunseong nodded. This wasn’t a good idea, not at all, but Minseo just couldn’t stand staying in Winterfell. In a place where everyone thought he was someone, he turned out not to be and didn’t think he could even look his brothers in the eyes after what he learned about himself… Even if neither of them probably knew, it was enough that Minseo himself did…

- - - -

“Why are we out here, Hunter? Dad will be really angry if he finds out we’re not asleep in our beds…” Yujun sighed as his brother pulled him with him by the arm.

“Dad’s asleep, he won’t know!” Hunter answered, not bothering to look back as he just kept pulling Yujun with him further away from the gates and out into the almost pitch-black darkness of the night. How Hunter even managed to see was a mystery to Yujun, even if he’d gotten quite used to his brother’s unusual talents at this point, but he still wondered how the other had managed to get them through the gates and outside the castle walls without any of the guards seeing them.

“What if he wakes up? Or what if father comes to check on us? They’ll be really upset and worried if we’re not where we’re supposed to be…” Yujun argued, but he still didn’t put up any struggle as Hunter continued to pull him along. “Hunter! Are you even listening to me…?”

“Yes, I am, but you’re always too worried about everything! They won’t know unless you plan on keep complaining loud enough to wake them up from here!” Hunter answered, which earned him a slap on the shoulder from his brother, but that just made him laugh. “It’s true! Your complaining will wake up the whole North if you don’t lower your voice!” Hunter laughed again as Yujun smacked him on the back of the head, almost making them both fall over due to the fact that Hunter was still holding his arm.

“You’re no better yourself! And why are we even here?” Yujun said, finally pulling his arm out of his brother’s grip as the other stopped walking.

“Because…” Hunter started but didn’t continue until after he’d kneed Yujun at the back of his knee, making his leg buckle under him, which gave Hunter the opportunity to basically knock him over. It wasn’t as bad as it sounded since Hunter made sure to hold onto him and not just straight-up tackle him, but Yujun still gave him a very displeased look once he found himself lying on his back on the ground, staring up at his brother’s smiling face. “I wanted you to see this!” Hunter finally finished his sentence as he lay down beside Yujun and pointed up at the stars. Despite the darkness around them, the sky was lit up by all the stars, and it shouldn’t have surprised Yujun that this was what Hunter had wanted to show him.

“We could have looked at the stars from our window, you know… they would have been the same, and we wouldn’t have to have walked all this way, and I wouldn’t have to be lying on the dirty ground right now…” Yujun sighed, turning his face to look at Hunter instead of the stars. Hunter didn’t notice, however, as he was too caught up in watching the stars himself.

“It wouldn’t have been the same!” He argued. “It’s much nicer out here, and now we can see them all without having the towers and other buildings in the way!” Yujun just sighed, but he still found his brother’s fascination with the stars quite cute. Hunter had always been a little different, not just because of the scales on his back but also because he often spoke almost in riddles and seemed to be so fascinated by such mundane things, such as the stars. It was more often than not that only Yujun or their father took the time to actually listen fully to Hunter, and even if Hunter never showed any sign of caring whether anyone listened or not, Yujun knew he appreciated it very much when he or Leehan did do it.

“Why do you find them so fascinating?” Yujun asked after a while. Hunter still didn’t look away from the sky, but he did answer his brother.

“I don’t know… actually. It’s just… more peaceful if that makes sense,” He answered. “And they are so much more than we think! They are quiet, yet they can tell us so much more than anyone using words could. They’ve seen so much more than any of us, everything good and everything bad that’s ever happened, and for us, right now, they light up the dark!” Hunter’s way of explaining, using his hands to point and gesture, made Yujun giggle a little, but then Hunter finally turned his head to face him. “It’s like everything’s so much easier when they say nothing at all…”

“I have no idea what you mean by that, but sure,” Yujun laughed, which made Hunter frown slightly.

“It's like when they’re quiet but still there, you know you’re not alone, but they don’t tell you what you should or shouldn’t do! They are just there for everyone!” This was what Yujun meant by Hunter speaking in riddles. No one really fully understood him, and sometimes, Yujun wondered if even Hunter himself did, but the younger always seemed to be optimistic about everything if he just got to have his own view on life, which was something Yujun knew their father had been very adamant about letting him have.

“And I’m sure they’ll be here for everyone tomorrow as well, so can we go back home now?” Yujun asked, giggling a little at Hunter’s slightly displeased facial expression.

“Fine… but only because you’re cold,” Hunter answered, standing up before reaching out his hand for Yujun to take.

“Who’d you know I was cold?” Yujun asked as Hunter pulled him back onto his feet. The younger momentarily stopped as if he was thinking through what his brother had just said before blinking a couple of times.

“I don’t know… I just knew, I guess,” He eventually said, and this was another special thing about Hunter. He always seemed to know things about you before you even knew them yourself, but he could never explain why.

“Well, Mr. Know It All, now I want to go back home so I can sleep because I’m not just cold; I’m tired as well,” Yujun said before gripping Hunter’s arm, much like the latter had done on the way out here, and pulled him with him back toward the castle. And Hunter just let him, laughing a little at his brother’s complaints but didn’t fight him as they walked back together.

- - - -

“Then what should I have told him?! I don’t want to lie to him anymore! He already feels like that’s what we’ve been doing all his life…” Leehan sobbed as he paced back and forth in his and Taesan’s chambers. Taesan had tried to make him stop, as the pacing back and forth and picking at his cuticles were things Leehan did only when he was upset or nervous. But Leehan had just pushed him away or jerked his arm away when Taesan tried to hold onto him. Sungho was also in the room with them, but he hadn’t been able to calm Leehan down either…

“Maybe not telling him that I might not be his dad was the best thing…” Taesan said, but that just made Leehan flare up even more.

“I didn’t tell him that! He figured it out on his own! I would never tell him he's not your son; I don’t want him to think he’s different or any less than his brothers!” Leehan yelled. He jerked away from Taesan’s outstretched hands once again, much like Minseo had down with him earlier, but he unintentionally moved closer to Sungho, who gently placed his hands on Leehan’s upper arms. It was only then that Leehan realized just how much he was actually shaking, and once he let Sungho hold him, he finally let Taesan wrap his arms around him.

“I’ll try to talk with him tomorrow, okay? Right now, I think he just needs to sleep and be alone for a while so he can get his thoughts together,” Taesan murmured into Leehan’s hair, and the younger slowly nodded even though he actually didn’t want his little boy to be alone… It had been so much easier when he could just pick him up and hold him in his arms to comfort him, or any of his sons for that matter, but now even his little Hunter had grown too big for that…

“Maybe I should go back to Greywater Watch for a while… I figure Minseo doesn’t really want to see me around right now…” Sungho said, but before Leehan could argue against what the knight had said, Taesan spoke up.

“No, you’re not leaving! I was the one who told you to go after Leehan, so it’s more my fault than anyone else’s… and sending you away won’t do anyone any good,” The crown prince said before using one arm to pull Sungho closer to himself and Leehan, without letting go of the younger as he kept his other arm wrapped around him, and then they stood in silence for a while, saying nothing at all until Taesan spoke up again. “Minseo will come around once he’s gotten some time to himself; I’m sure of it!” But oh, how wrong Taesan could have been…

Chapter Text

“Keep your posture, don’t lose your focus while you’re moving!” Sungho said as he watched Minjae and Junmin train. As he was in charge of pretty much all of the princes’ training, it meant he was usually up quite early to start with Minjae and sometimes Junmin when the latter was in Winterfell. But since Minjae never really had the patience to wait, it was just easier to start with him, and he was usually up the earliest as well.

“I am focused!” Minjae groaned, not really being able to speak and focus on what he was doing at the same time, which led to him tripping on his own feet. He didn’t fall over, but it gave Junmin a chance to strike, which he did, and he actually managed to get a hit on the prince’s shoulder. They were using blunt-edged swords, which meant they weren’t sharp at all, but depending on how much force they put into their blows, it could still leave bruises where they did manage to hit each other.

“I win!” Junmin exclaimed happily, finally being able to relax and not keep the strict posture Sungho always told them to have.

“Mmh…” Minjae groaned, tossing his sword on the ground before sitting down with his back against the wall of one of the buildings surrounding the courtyard.

“Done already?” Sungho asked, trying to sound a little more positive than he actually felt at the moment. Once he was done with Minjae’s and Junmin’s training for the day, it was Minseo’s and Yunseong’s turn… The two oldest boys would usually be outside already, watching the younger two train, and Minseo sometimes even teased Minjae just to get the younger’s attention away from what he was doing. Typical brother behavior if you asked Sungho. But now, neither of them had come out to the courtyard…

“No, he’s not! Come on!” Junmin chuckled before pulling Minjae to stand up again. “Sulking because you lost once out of like all the other hundred times you’ve won?” He added, teasingly bumping his hip into Minjae’s as the latter bent down to pick up his sword again, which made the prince stumble a few steps to the side to keep his balance. Sungho couldn’t help but laugh a little at them, but then he spotted one of the younger princes walking across the other side of the courtyard.

“My prince, where are you going?” Sungho called out, prompting both Minjae and Junmin to look up and over where they saw the knight look. Baekseung halted his steps momentarily as he heard Sungho call out, but then he kept walking.

“Just out for a while, don’t worry!” He yelled back. Sungho wasn’t really convinced, but he just watched the young prince continue to walk before eventually deciding he shouldn’t get too much involved… He felt like he’d done enough to upset one of the princes already, so he didn’t want to upset another one by being too nosy. Once Baekseung had disappeared out of sight, Sungho turned back to Minjae and Junmin to continue their training.

- - - -

Taesan took a deep breath before knocking on the door to Minseo’s chambers. He’d waited until Leehan had woken up to make sure they agreed that he should be the one to speak with their oldest son since Taesan didn’t really want to make more decisions without Leehan as of now, considering that had partly been the reason for why they were even in this situation, to begin with… Sungho had already gone up to make sure Minjae still got his training that morning, and not long after the knight had left, Baekseung came to their chambers to ask if he could attend some tournaments in White Harbor. Taesan just sighed at the thought of the oldest triplet’s wild ideas, but the fact that it was actually something he himself would do made him chuckle a little. As that was something Leehan often reminded him about whenever Baekseung did something he shouldn’t.

“Minseo? It’s me. Can I come in so we can talk a little?” Taesan asked through the door when he didn’t receive an answer after knocking twice. He still didn’t open the door himself as he wanted to wait for the 17-year-old to open it on his own accord when he was ready. But when he still didn’t receive an answer for another couple of minutes, he finally decided to open the door himself. “Minseo, I’m coming in now…” He said as he slowly pushed the door open. The first thing he noticed was how cold the room was, and just as he entered, a cold breeze swept into the room through the open window on the other side of the room. It made the hairs of Taesan’s arms stand up, but he ignored that for the moment as he looked around the room. “Minseo…?” He called out again, but the further into the room he got, the clearer it became that it was empty… He didn’t panic, as it could be a very good explanation as to why the boy wasn’t in his room, but as he walked over to the window and looked out, he saw two sets of footprints in the mud below the window. The window in Minseo’s room pointed toward the back of the castle and looked out over the smaller courtyard, the one which Sungho, Minjae, and Junmin were not in, and it wouldn’t take much to get from below this window to the back gate of Winterfell.

“My prince?” One of the guards appeared at the door, making Taesan turn back around. “Your father requested that you come to the great hall,” The man said before giving Taesan a bow.

“Now?” The crown prince sighed, feeling the stress build up inside him due to the fact that he couldn’t find Minseo. “Why?”

“He did not say, my prince,” The man answered, but it just made Taesan groan before exiting the room.

“What’s so important right now that couldn’t wait?” Taesan groaned as he entered the great hall, but he was a little surprised to see a man he’d not seen before sit with his father at the table in the middle of the great hall.

“Please, Taesan, take a seat,” Jake said, gesturing for his son to sit down beside him. Taesan walked around the table, keeping his eyes on the man, and eventually sat down in his seat. “This is Kane Bolton. He’s the new lord of House Bolton after his father’s recent passing, and he’s come here to formally discuss the Bolton’s plans to move out of the North and Down to King’s Landing,” Jake explained. The man, Kane, gave Taesan a small bow with his head as the king introduced him.

“It’s an honor to meet you, my prince,” He said, but Taesan just huffed.

“Couldn’t this have waited?” He sighed, turning to face Jake and completely ignoring the other man.

“I’m afraid not, as Kane is the new Lord Bolton; we need to go through this while he’s still in the North. And, considering you were the one to complain about their disrespect of not coming to me before moving, I think it is suitable for you to join me now in these discussions,” Jake answered his son, and Taesan couldn’t help but roll his eyes.

“Well, now is not a good time, so Lord Bolton will have to wait, or you’ll be doing this without-“

“Sit down…” Jake interrupted Taesan, which prompted the younger to halt his movement. He held eye contact with his father for a few seconds before slumping down in his seat again.

“Fine…” He huffed. “Get on with it then!”

- - - -

Baekseung thought it would have been harder to get out of the castle and its surrounding walls, but all he really needed to do was tell everyone who asked that he was going out for a ride, and then they just let him pass. Even Sungho, who almost always saw right through Baekseung’s attempts at doing things he shouldn’t, hadn’t questioned the prince further after getting a simple answer that Baekseung would just take a ride. It would take him about four days to get to White Harbor if he held a good tempo, which he planned to do, and he’d packed enough food and water to make the journey as well. He’d even taken one of the better swords from the armory just in case, and that was now strapped to his belt as he rode across the open plains below Winterfell. He didn’t exactly know the way, as he’d never made the journey to White Harbor before, but he knew that if he followed the river White Knife, he’d eventually end up in White Harbor as it was there that the river connected with the sea.

“Should be easy enough,” He chuckled to himself as he steered the horse to follow the river once he reached it. And hopefully, he’d actually get to meet Keum when he arrived in White Harbor. Otherwise, this whole thing would have been in vain…

- - - -

“What do you mean he’s not in his chambers? And why did it take you so long to come back if you knew he wasn’t there?” Leehan couldn’t believe what his brother had said, and much less how calm the elder seemed to be.

“Just because he’s not in his chambers doesn’t mean he’s gone, Leehan… And the reason why it took such a long time was because father apparently thought it was a good idea to have me attend his meeting with the new lord of House Bolton…” Taesan sighed.

“And you didn’t think to tell him his grandson is nowhere to be found?!” Leehan exclaimed, still in disbelief that Taesan could be so unbothered.

“You know just as well as I do that our father isn’t really known for listening to what I have to say…”

“You both seriously need to sort that out then! You’re both acting like children who can’t get along, and it will come back to haunt us all one day if you don’t do anything about it!” Leehan yelled. He’d had enough of his brother and father barely getting along, even when important things depended on it!

“Then tell him that!” Taesan yelled back, making Leehan flinch slightly at the sudden volume increase. “No matter what you think, father has always liked you more than me, and he listens far better to you! I’ve given up on arguing with him time and time again, only for him not ever listen to me anyway, so if you want him to, then you tell him that! Because he won’t listen to me…” Taesan added before sitting down in one of the chairs in the chambers. Leehan remained by the window for a while before taking a deep breath and eventually walking over to Taesan.

“He does listen to you… but you’re both just as bad at hearing each other out,” Leehan said as he crouched down so he would be at eye level with Taesan, who was sitting with his head in his hands and elbows resting on his thighs. Leehan pushed a few strands of hair out of Taesan’s eyes before giving him a small smile. “But now we need to know where Minseo is. I don’t want him to be alone anymore, and I want to make things right! He deserves an apology, and I want to explain to him why he’s no different than his brothers and that it doesn’t matter what others think, only that he is our son and your heir! Nothing else!”

“Wouldn’t Sungho want him to know the truth though…?” Taesan murmured.

“He wants what’s best for Minseo, and that is that he’s a Stark and nothing else! I hate not knowing if he's actually yours or Sungho’s, but to everyone else, he has to be yours! And Sungho knows that, too. I’m not risking my son’s life for something that just might be the truth… and neither will Sungho!” Leehan said as he stood back up again, but Taesan grabbed his arm before standing up as well.

“I don’t care what the truth might be! Maybe once I did, but not anymore! He’s our son, and I’m not risking his life either!” He said. “He might be mad at us, then so be it. He has the right to be, but panicking over him not being in his chambers won’t help either us or him…”

“So you still think I’m overreacting…?” Leehan tried to pull his wrist out of his brother’s grip, but Taesan didn’t let go.

“No, but panicking will lead to people asking questions, and that’s not what we want, right?” The elder asked, and Leehan reluctantly shook his head.

“No…” He murmured.

“I’ll have a few of the guards search for him, but I’m sure he’s just with Yunseong somewhere, trying to get his mind off of things. And I’m sure he’ll be back soon,” Taesan pulled Leehan into a hug and pressed a kiss to his forehead, but even if his words were meant to calm the younger, he wasn’t entirely sure he believed them himself…

Chapter Text

“You didn’t think to leave like a letter or something behind just so you wouldn’t send the whole of Winterfell into a state of panic…?” Yunseong sighed as they, for the second time that day, had to hide somewhere off the road through the Wolfswood because another group of Stark soldiers rode past them. They were undoubtedly looking for them, or at least Minseo, but rather than giving them an explanation, the prince had them both and their horses hide away from the men looking for them.

“No… I don’t think they deserve to know where I’m going… They should panic…” Minseo muttered as he led his horse back up onto the road before getting back up into its saddle.

“And who are ´they´, exactly?” Yunseong asked as he followed the younger and got back up onto his own horse as well. “Your father? Your dad?”

“He’s not my dad…” Minseo huffed. Just the thought of it made him want to just stick his head in the snow and never look back up again…

“He’s been that for over 17 years, Minseo… And I’m sure he still sees you as his son no matter what may or may not be the truth…” Yunseong tried to say, but Minseo didn’t really want to hear it.

“I don’t care what he sees me as! They lied to me, all of them! And if they knew I wasn’t dad’s son, why did father marry him and not Sungho?” Minseo didn’t know what to feel about everything right now… His parents’ decisions seemed so stupid, and why the hell did they marry each other if they knew he wasn’t Taesan’s son…?

“Maybe they didn’t know?” Yunseong suggested, but that just made Minseo turn his head back to look at the elder.

“That’s even worse!” The prince hissed. “That would mean father slept with them both, and ugh, no, can we not talk about my parents’ private life, please…?” Yunseong laughed at Minseo as the latter physically tried to shake the thought out of his head.

“You started it!” Yunseong chuckled. “But what I mean is, if they didn’t know, and judging by what everyone says regarding how much Taesan and Sungho apparently hated each other before, I would guess Leehan just married the one with whom his child would be the safest. Not to say that Sungho can’t protect him or you, he most certainly can, and I even think he’s better than Taesan at that, but in terms of safety in the surroundings, I would say that marrying the crown prince to the North provides more safety than marrying a knight,” Yunseong wasn’t sure if he’s thoughts really made any sense as Minseo just shook his head again, but he’d tried at least.

“So you say that my parents married to keep me safe…?” Minseo raised an eyebrow at Yunseong, who shrugged.

“Maybe, I don’t know. It could be a part of it, at least. But I guess that if you’d just asked them, you would have gotten a better answer than the ones I have,” Yunseong said, but this time, Minseo just hummed in response. Maybe he’d acted a little rationally when he just decided to up and leave Winterfell without a word, but right now, he couldn’t really bring himself to care… They would find out sooner or later where he was either way…

- - - -

“Minjae? Have you seen your brother?!” Leehan asked frantically as he stormed out into the court. The blond prince looked up as he heard his father’s voice. He and Junmin were no longer training since they were done for the day and were just sitting down by the castle wall, talking.

“Which one?” Minjae asked, standing up as his father’s worried facial expression made him anxious.

“Minseo,” Leehan answered while looking around the rather small inner courtyard.

“Not since yesterday,” Minjae said. “He and Yunseong were supposed to train with Sungho after us, but they didn’t show up, so Sungho went to look for them,” Minjae walked over to his father as he spoke. He’d never liked it when either of his parents were anything other than happy, so seeing Leehan’s stress and worry right now made him worried as well.

“Have you found him?” Jake’s voice came from the doorway Leehan had gone through just moments earlier.

“No…!” Leehan answered, and the desperate tone of his voice made Minjae shiver.

“What happened? Why is he gone?” Minjae asked as Leehan passed him to go into the other building across the courtyard.

“We had an argument last night, and he got quite upset, and I thought he’d just need some time alone, but now we can’t find him anywhere!” Leehan answered.

“You and him never argue about anything… what happened now that made you do it?” Minjae asked while following his father into the other building. It was very unlike Leehan to have an argument with either of his sons, but if he did, it was usually Minjae himself or Baekseung, but never Minseo…

“It’s just… I don’t know… I didn’t think it’d be so bad!” Leehan answered, somewhat avoiding his son’s question, but Minjae didn’t point it out.

“Maybe he just went out with Yunseong? They go for rides in the Wolfswood at times, don’t they? Or maybe ask Yunseong if he’s seen Minseo?” Minjae tried to come up with solutions, but it didn’t seem to really help.

“Yunseong’s not here either…” Taesan’s voice came from the doorway, prompting both Minjae and Leehan to turn around to face him.

“Then they probably just went out, right?” Minjae said, but neither of his parents looked very convinced.

“I’ll send our soldiers out to look for them!” Taesan said before disappearing back outside again. Seeing that the building they were in was empty, Leehan eventually also exited it, followed by Minjae. He rushed back inside the castle while Minjae remained in the courtyard with Junmin.

“What do you think happened?” The younger asked, but Minjae just shrugged his shoulders.

“I don’t know… It’s not like Minseo to just leave without telling anyone…” The prince said.

“Maybe your other brothers know? We could ask them,” Junmin suggested.

“I doubt they do, but I guess it’s worth a try…”

- - - -

Due to how stressed they all were over where Minseo had gone, it took until sundown before anyone even noticed that Baekseung was missing as well.

“Was he not with you for your lessons today?” Taesan questioned, looking over at Yujun and Hunter.

“No, he never showed up, but Lady Alis just thought he was helping you look for Minseo and Yunseong,” Yujun answered.

“Well, he wasn’t, so where the hell is he?” Taesan groaned and massaged his temples just as Sungho entered the great hall along with Minjae and two of the guards.

“Prince Baekseung left earlier today, saying he’d just go for a ride and that he’d be back later,” Sungho said, as he’d overheard what Taesan had asked his two youngest sons.

“He left? Did he have anything with him?” Taesan questioned.

“He had a bag, but we never saw his horse, so he could have had other things with him as well,” Sungho answered, and that seemed to have reminded Taesan of something.

“That fu… kid! He actually went even if I told him not to!” Taesan angrily shoved one of the chairs to the side, making both Yujun and Hunter jump at the sudden loud sound of it hitting the floor. Taesan was usually careful around his boys, but right now, he wasn’t really thinking clearly. Minjae, however, didn’t even blink an eye as what Taesan just did was something he, too, also tended to do from time to time when he lost his temper. “Send a handful of our men down toward White Harbor. Tell them to look for Baekseung and bring him back home! He’s not going to those stupid tournaments!” Taesan yelled, and the guards who came with Sungho and Minjae quickly bowed before exiting the great hall to do what they’d been told.

“Why would he want to go to White Harbor?” Jake questioned. He’d just entered the great hall from the side door, gently placed his hands on Yujun’s and Hunter’s shoulders, and slowly backed them away from their dad just in case Taesan would fling another chair. Jake knew Taesan would never intentionally hurt his children, but he also knew his son wasn’t the best at controlling his temper, so it was better to remove the boys from him right now so Taesan wouldn’t accidentally send something flying in their direction.

“Because he wanted to see his stupid childhood crush!” Taesan hissed.

“The Tarth boy?” Jake asked, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips as he knew very well that Baekseung had not let go of the thought of the much older boy, even if it’d been years since he last saw him. It was one of those little things the boy felt like he could talk about with his grandfather rather than his own parents, not because he didn’t think they’d treat him any different than Jake would, but it was just something Baekseung had chosen to tell Jake and not Taesan and Leehan, at least as far as Jake knew.

“Yes! But I told him no this morning when he came and asked if he could go! And yet he went anyways!” Taesan angrily walked around the table. Why; Jake didn’t really know because all Taesan did was lean his hands against the table as he faced it.

“You boys, go to bed; we’ll sort this out, okay?” Jake said, and Minjae, Yujun, and Hunter nodded their heads before leaving. This left Jake, Taesan, and Sungho alone in the great hall, and they all remained silent for a while before Jake spoke up again. “Any news about Minseo?” He questioned, but Sungho shook his head; Taesan, on the other hand, pushed himself off the table before angrily turning around to face the other two.

“No! Nothing! It just looks like he’s taken his things and left, same with Yunseong…” Taesan said. He moved his eyes from his dad and over to Sungho, but then it was like something switched in his eyes. “And none of this would have happened if you’d just kept your hands off of my brother!” He yelled, surprising both Jake and Sungho. “If you’d never played your tricks in his head and kept it in your pants, we would never have been here in the first place! Minseo would have been mine, and his life wouldn’t have been destroyed because he’s learned he’s your fucking bastard!” Jake knew long before both Sungho and Taesan himself that the latter would try to strike the knight, so he placed himself in between them, preventing Taesan from storming up to Sungho. “You’re just destroying everything! Leehan was mine before you corrupted his mind in those forsaken Riverlands!”

“Leehan wouldn’t even have been alive right now if it wasn’t for me!” Sungho yelled back. “He would have drowned in that fucking river if I had not pulled him out, and then neither of your sons would have existed in the first place!” Taesan was a little taken aback by Sungho’s yelling, which gave Jake the opportunity to push him further away from the knight.

“You don’t know that! He was safe! And he was mine!” Taesan eventually yelled back, again trying to push past his father to get to Sungho, but Jake didn’t budge.

“Enough, Taesan!” The king yelled, but his son didn’t seem to care.

“Yes! He is yours! I never tried to take him away from you, and he never wanted to leave you, not really! But you need to get it into your thick skull that if I hadn’t found him and stayed with him in the Riverlands, he would not be here right now! You would never have gotten him back, and you’d never gotten the family you wanted! And it was you who pulled me back into your relationship! I kept my distance; I stayed away from him for over ten years; even when he wanted me close, I pushed him away because I didn’t want to ruin the life he had! He loves you more than he’s ever loved me, but it seems like you’re the only one who can’t see that!” Sungho had to fight the tears threatening to fall as he just let everything finally pour out. Everything he’d kept to himself for years, he just let it all out because he’d had enough of Taesan’s hate for him. He thought the other had left it behind them, but apparently not…

“I…” Taesan was at a loss for words… He’d never known what Sungho had actually felt or done ever since Leehan had chosen his brother over him; all Taesan had ever focused on was that Sungho was there. But the more he thought of it, the more apparent it became that if Sungho hadn’t been there, nothing of the life Taesan had now would have existed. He wouldn’t have had either of his children or Leehan because if Sungho hadn’t been there, Leehan would most likely have either drowned in that river or died somewhere alone in the Riverlands. If it wasn’t for Sungho, Winterfell would never have won the war against the Riverlands because they would never have had help from the wildlings, and Minseo wouldn’t have gotten older than six years old because that man would have told people he was a bastard and then both Minseo and Leehan would have been killed and the Minjae, Sumin, Baekseung, Yujun, and Hunter would also have been in danger as their legitimacy would have been called into question… “I never… I didn’t kno-“

“Don’t even bother! I don’t want your pity…” Sungho interrupted Taesan before turning around and walking toward the huge doors leading out into the hallway. “Let’s just focus on getting Minseo home,” He added, briefly looking back and meeting Taesan’s eyes before turning again and leaving the great hall…

Chapter Text

“Did you find out where he went?” Leehan asked as Sungho entered the chambers. He stood up from the chair he’d been sitting in by the window and walked over to meet the knight halfway across the room, but Sungho just walked around him.

“No,” The knight answered shortly, picking up his coat but not bothering with the other chest pieces of his armor, which lay beside the coat.

“Where are you going then?” Leehan didn’t think much of Sungho seemingly avoiding him and followed the knight to the drawers where he had some of his things.

“I’ll look for him myself; it’s easier that way, and I know the job actually gets done,” The tone of Sungho’s voice made Leehan frown, but when he tried to reach out for the elder, Sungho just avoided him once again before passing him to walk back toward the door.

“What’s with you? Did something happen?” Leehan questioned as he finally caught on that something must have happened because Sungho wouldn’t act like this otherwise.

“Why don’t you ask your husband…?” Sungho huffed before leaving the chambers and Leehan behind. The prince just stared after him as he walked away, too stunned to actually do anything else. Sungho had never referred to Taesan as Leehan’s husband before, and judging by the way he’d said it now, it didn’t sound good… Sungho made his way out to the stables to get one of the horses ready. He didn’t actually know why he’d snapped at Leehan like that; the younger hadn’t done anything, but he was just so fed up with Taesan right now that he needed to get things off of his mind, so why not go out and look for Minseo himself? As he made his way out of the stables, already seated in the horse’s saddle, he couldn’t help but groan as he spotted Taesan coming out of the doors to the castle, followed by a less than-amused Leehan.

“Apologize to him, you idiot!” Leehan yelled, which surprised Sungho slightly, but the prince hadn’t directed his words to him but rather to his brother, who looked like he’d gotten the biggest scolding of his life, and Sungho swore he could see just how bright red Taesan’s cheek was, undoubtedly haven got a well-deserved slap across it from his brother.

“I’m sorry, Sungho… I shouldn’t have said that to you…” Taesan almost looked like a kicked puppy, and it never stopped amusing Sungho how Leehan managed to handle Taesan’s immaturity as the older prince wouldn’t have come out here to apologize if it hadn’t been for his brother.

“No, you shouldn’t… but I don’t care. I’ll go out to find your son and bring him back so you can stop worrying and accusing others when you can’t keep your own life together!” Sungho said, staring at Taesan before giving Leehan an apologetic look. He then spurred on his horse and left the two brothers behind in the open courtyard.

- - - -

The landscape around the road up to Castle Black was mostly made up of huge trees or vast empty plains, which both were covered in snow, but as Minseo and Yunseong rode past Long Lake, there were a few hills and caves that started to appear beside the road they were on.

“Maybe we should rest for a while?” Yunseong asked, gesturing toward one of the bigger cave openings, large enough for a person to enter. Minseo followed where the elder had gestured, and perhaps they should rest for a while. So they got off their horses and tied them to a few nearby trees before slowly making their way into the cave.

“Could be worse…” Minseo chuckled as his eyes scanned over the surprisingly clean and dry cave floor.

“It sure could! Come look at this!” Yunseong said, prompting Minseo to turn around and follow the elder a bit further down a side path inside the cave. He heard what sounded like water running down the cave walls, and it felt a lot warmer inside this part of the cave. Once he reached Yunseong, he was what the elder had seen. There were some sort of underground hot springs; what seemed to be warm water ran slowly through the cave before ending up in a deep pool at the furthest end of the cave.

“Aren’t these like really hot?” Minseo questioned as Yunseong pulled off his gloves before crouching down to test the water’s temperature.

“They don’t have to be, and this one feels really nice!” The elder answered as he ran his hand through it. “It’s hot but not like scorching. It would probably be perfect to swim in!”

“I am not getting in there if that’s what you think!” Minseo chuckled before starting to walk back toward the opening of the cave, but Yunseong quickly stood up and reached out from Minseo, grabbing his arm and preventing him from leaving. “Don’t you dare!” Minseo laughed as Yunseong pulled him back toward the water. “I’m not joking! If you throw me in there, I won’t hesitate to end you!” Despite the quite harsh nature of his words, all Minseo really did was laugh and half-heartedly try to get out of his friend’s grasp.

“I won’t,” Yunseong chuckled, but he didn’t let go of Minseo. Instead, he pulled him closer until their noses were almost touching. “But a swim would still be nice…” He added before pressing his lips against Minseo.

“Mmh…” Minseo hummed against the elder’s lips before wrapping his arms around him. He deepened their kiss while Yunseong ran his hands down the prince’s sides. Despite Minseo’s earlier complaints of not wanting to go in the water, it didn’t take long before they’d stripped their clothes off and entered the water anyway. “It’s actually quite nice…” Minseo said, and now it was Yunseong’s turn to just hum against the other’s lips as he placed his hands back on the prince’s hips, pulling him closer. They were in a part of the pool of water where their feet could actually reach the bottom of it.

“And warm. Much better than out there in the snow,” Yunseong said against Minseo’s lips while still running his hands over the other’s waist and hips. Minseo had placed one of his hands on Yunseong’s shoulders, and the other was gripping the back of his dark hair. There was nothing but the warm water between them, but as Yunseong’s hands traveled further down the prince’s body, Minseo squirmed away slightly, breaking their kiss.

“I… I don’t want to…” He murmured, swallowing thickly as he was afraid Yunseong would be angry with him. But Yunseong immediately withdrew his hands, worry written across his face as he looked up to meet Minseo’s eyes.

“I’m sorry… I thought you… I didn’t mean to…” Yunseong found it hard to find the right words, in fear he’d upset the other or gone too far, but Minseo placed his hands on his cheeks before placing a kiss on his lips.

“You did nothing wrong,” Minseo whispered. “I just don’t want to make the same mistake my father did… I don’t want to have a bastard…”

“Minseo… you’re not a bastard…” Yunseong said as he placed his own hand on top of Minseo’s.

“Yes, I am… My father married Taesan, but he isn’t my dad, which means I’m a bastard…” Minseo answered, pulling his hands away from Yunseong’s face, but the latter didn’t let go of him and instead held his hands as the prince pulled them away.

“To them, you’re not! And not to me… you’re a prince, a Stark! That’s what matters,” Yunseong gently squeezed Minseo’s hands in his as he spoke.

“And what if I don’t want to be a Stark…?”

- - - -

White Harbor was even bigger than Baekseung had thought! And it was indeed white; the buildings were made of some sort of white stone, the streets were laid with white gravel, and the white clouds that passed over the city almost made it look like they were there just to match the rest of the city. The city itself didn’t seem to have any major open areas inside its walls, so the tournaments had been set up outside on the vast plains surrounding three-fourths of the city while the sea held the last part. It wasn’t called the greatest harbor in the North for nothing, Baekseung guessed as he saw only a small part of said harbor from where he was.

“Oi, kid! You here for the tournaments?” An old man’s voice brought Baekseung out of his thoughts and made him look over in the man’s direction.

“I am,” Baekseung answered. “Could you point me in the right direction?”

“Depends on where you want to go; these tournaments are almost as grand as the ones held for our crown prince a few years ago,” The man answered, and it made Baekseung smile a little.

“Yeah, I can’t say I really remember that much of it, but I do believe you when you say they were grand,” Baekseung chuckled.

“Who are you here for then? You must forgive me, but you do look a little too young to be participating yourself,” The man said.

“No, I’m not participating,” Baekseung answered him. “I’d hoped to find the Tarths here; they participated in my da… uhm, in the crown prince’s tournaments, so I thought they’d be here as well,”

“Aye, they are,” The man said, turning to point further down the road leading closer to the city itself. “Follow the road and look to your right; you’ll see their banner somewhere along the way,”

“Thank you,” Baekseung answered, tossing a silver coin to the man as thanks before heading down the way which the man had pointed. He didn’t have to ride very far before he spotted the red and blue banners with the two moons and the two suns on them. So he slowed his horse down before scanning the area. There were several tents there, many of which belonged to House Tarth, but also those who belonged to other houses who’d set them up on either side of the Tarth’s tents. There were many people walking around, and it did bring back a few memories that Baekseung didn’t even remember he had. He got off his horse and decided to lead it as he walked in among the people working around the tents.

“What’s your business here, boy?” A man’s voice came from his side, making Baekseung turn to look.

“I’m looking for Keum Tarth. Is he here?” Baekseung answered him, but the man just raised an eyebrow at him.

“What do you want with the young lord?” The man asked, placing his hand on the handle of the sword he had strapped to his belt.

“I only wish to speak with him…” Baekseung didn’t reach for his own sword, nor did he do anything else that could be seen as threatening. He simply just stood there, waiting for the man’s answer.

“My lord has no time for you! Go back home, boy,” The man, who apparently was one of the Tarth’s knights or guards, said.

“Could you just please tell him that Bae-“ Baekseung didn’t get to finish his sentence before another voice from behind him interrupted him.

“Baekseung?” The sound of Keum’s voice made Baekseung turn around so fast that he almost tripped over, slightly startling his horse in the process.

“Keum!” Baekseung could barely believe his eyes; even though he’d come all this way to see the elder, some part of him still didn’t actually think he’d actually find him.

“What are you doing here?” Keum asked, gesturing for the man behind Baekseung to stand down, so the man did.

“I, uhm, I came for you…”

Chapter Text

Sungho sighed as he slowed down his horse since he couldn’t keep pressing it to go full speed all the time. He hadn’t really thought this through, he realized as he continued to follow the road up north. He’d guessed that if Minseo and Yunseong now had left Winterfell of their own free will, they would surely go to Castle Black since Yunseong’s father was there, but it was still a long way there. And since Sungho had been rather upset and irritated when he left Winterfell, he’d not really put much thought into bringing food with him, and with just his sword and a small knife, there wasn’t much hunting he could do either…

“This kid surely doesn’t get this irrational decision-making from me…” Sungho muttered to himself as he steered the horse further right, continuing on the road leading up toward Castel Black. He’d never let really himself put much thought into the fact that almost everything pointed at Minseo being his son and not Taesan’s, but the more he thought of it now, the more it did make sense. Sure, the boy was a lot like Leehan, too, but apart from a few things here and there, the way he acted and his features were very much Sungho’s, not just the hair. His train of thought was interrupted, however, as he heard someone approaching from his left. He turned his head, hoping it would for once be so easy that it was Minseo and Yunseong, but no. he saw a man, clad in all black, riding toward him at a rather slow pace. The other seemed to have noticed Sungho before Sungho noticed him, but he didn’t seem hostile.

“You lost or something?” The man asked. He couldn’t be that much younger than Sungho himself, but the outfit gave away the fact that he didn’t belong in this area, not really because of the outfit itself, but rather because of the color it had.

“No,” Sungho answered. “What is a man from the Night’s Watch doing this far from Castle Black?” He added once the man had gotten closer. It somewhat amused Sungho that it wasn’t just the man’s clothing that was black, but even the horse was black.

“I could ask you the same; what is a man of the king’s guard doing so far from Winterfell without the king?” The man smirked a little at his own success in turning Sungho’s question back around, but Sungho wasn’t in the mood for jokes…

“I’m not a king’s guard; I’m a knight,” Sungho answered.

“That’s basically the same,” The man chuckled. “At least your work is. All you do is protect the king and his family. Doesn’t that get boring after a few years?” When Sungho didn’t give him an answer, the man just chuckled again before steering his horse up beside Sungho’s. “But, to answer your question. I was tasked with going to Last Hearth and Deepwood Motte to see if there was anyone who’d been sentenced to the wall, but it appears that northerners are better at behaving than the rest of Westeros,”

“Mhm,” Sungho answered. He gave the man a once over, not sure if he should trust him or if he was someone who’d just tried to escape his punishment at the wall since most of the men up there were prisoners who’d chosen the wall instead of death as their punishment for the crimes they’d committed. “So you're not from around here?” Sungho didn’t know why he’d even bothered asking, but it couldn’t hurt to know what type of people were lurking in the Wolfswood.

“I am, believe it or not, but I wouldn’t bother asking from what house since it wouldn’t help your understanding,” The man pulled off his glove before reaching out his right hand toward Sungho. “My name’s Woonhak Snow,” Snow… it was a name Sungho knew all too well. It was the name given to bastards born in the North, just as bastards in the Riverlands were given the name Rivers, those from The Reach: Flowers, Dorne: Sand, and so on. Bastards born among commoners were much more common than those born to lords or ladies, not to mention royals, and for some reason, common or lowborn bastards were treated better than higher-born ones… Which was something Sungho found absurd! Why should people be treated differently because of what their parents did before that person even existed?

“I’m Sungho,” Sungho eventually answered, shaking the man’s hand.

“Just Sungho? No last name?” The man, Woonhak, asked.

“I gave that up when I became a knight, as all knights do,” Sungho answered, and Woonhak nodded slowly.

“Aa, that’s right. Still, what brings you this far from Winterfell? Shouldn’t a sworn knight be by the king’s and his family’s side at all times?” Woonhak talked a lot, which was something Sungho didn’t really have the patience for at the moment, so all of his questions just gave the knight a headache.

“I’m looking for someone, so if you’d excuse me, I have to keep looking,” Sungho said, spurring his horse on so it would start walking again, but much to his dismay, Woonhak did the same.

“Is it one of the princes?” He questioned, making Sungho turn his head back to look at him again. “I heard they share their dad’s tendencies to strong emotions, which, I’d assume, could be the answer to why you’re out here looking for one of them right now,” Even if Sungho was pretty sure Woonhak had never actually met any of the Starks, his nearly perfect assumption about them still surprised the knight, but at the same time, it angered him a little.

“That’s your crown prince and his sons you’re talking about…” Sungho said, but Woonhak just let out a laugh.

“Well, he’s not here to behead me, and I don’t own a castle for him to burn down either, so I actually don’t really care,” Woonhak answered.

“Fair enough,” Sungho said, actually finding the answer somewhat amusing.

“So, which one of the princes ran off?” Sungho sighed as he still thought Woonhak talked way too much, but he guessed it couldn’t hurt to have some help looking.

“The oldest, Prince Minseo,” Sungho answered. “He and the son of your Lord Commander probably went up toward Castle Black, but his parents want him back home,”

“Yunseong? Hah, I haven’t seen him since he was like two, maybe three years old,” Woonhak laughed.

“You were at Castle Black 17 years ago?” Sungho asked, rather surprised.

“Yeah, I joined the Night’s Watch when I was 15 since there weren’t many other options for me up here,” Woonhak didn’t seem the slightest bothered by what he’d just said, but Sungho found it a little sad that a 15-year-old’s only option was to join the Night’s Watch. “So, since it seems like we’re heading in the same direction, I guess I could help you look for the little princeling,” Woonhak chuckled, and well, Sungho figured it couldn’t be that bad to have some company.

- - - -

Jake walked down the hallway from his own chambers. It had been almost three days since Minseo and Yunseong disappeared and two days since Sungho went out looking for them, but they’d heard nothing as of yet… Jake knew both his sons were worried, mostly for Minseo but also for Baekseung, who’d seemingly just decided to leave in the middle of all the chaos to go down to White Harbor. Which was, if you asked Jake, such a Taesan move that it almost made the king want to laugh. It both amused him and scared him a little to see just how like Taesan Baekseung had become, and if Minjae had started taking after Taesan already when he was a kid, Baekseung had bypassed that by far by now. Neither boy was mean nor as temperamental as Taesan, but while Minjae certainly had more of Taesan’s temperament than Leehan’s, Baekseung’s actions and way of thinking were Taesan through and through. The thought made Jake chuckle a little and shake his head as he continued down the hallway. He turned the corner and walked out into the more open indoor area just outside the great hall’s smaller entrance, and there, he found Hunter. The boy was almost as tall as Jake himself now, with Yujun being about the same and Baekseung even a little bit taller, which did surprise Jake, considering how small the triplets had been when they were younger. The now 14-year-old didn’t seem to notice his grandfather until Jake placed a hand on his shoulder.

“What are you doing, Hunter?” Jake asked as Hunter tore his eyes away from the wall, which Jake noticed just now, had nothing on it, meaning Hunter had basically been staring into the wall.

“I saw him die…” Hunter mumbled, and Jake didn’t really think he heard right at first, but when Hunter wrapped his arms around him, he figured he must have heard right.

“Saw who, Hunter?” Jake asked worriedly as he held onto the boy’s arms, trying to get him to look up at him.

“Valyrian steel cuts clean…” Hunter murmured, seemingly having not heard Jake’s question. “You’ll die for that…” Hunter continued to mumble, and it just made Jake even more confused and worried.

“Hunter, sweety? What’s going on?” He asked, trying to get the boy to focus on him, but it was as if Hunter was seeing something else as his eyes snapped back and forth, seemingly watching something Jake couldn’t see.

“Go! Get out of here!” Hunter’s voice rose in volume as he continued to talk what first sounded like nonsense to Jake, but the more he said, the worse Jake felt… “Dracarys!” Hunter almost yelled this time… “Jake, please stop! Sunghoon didn’t have to die, and no one else does either!” The mention of Sunghoon’s name was like an arrow shot through Jake’s heart, but that was not the only thing that made a shiver run down his back… The whole sentence Hunter had just said… it was the exact same Wonbin had yelled at Jake when their dragons fought in King’s Landing all those years ago… and what Hunter said after only made the terrible memories Jake had of that day come back to him even cleared than ever before. “Lealla, turn, turn, turn!” After Hunter had said that, Jake watched as his eyes widened even more, as if he was actually seeing what Jake had seen on that day in King’s Landing, and Jake was even more startled as Hunter suddenly ducked and covered his head with his arms, seemingly trying to protect himself from soothing falling over him.

“Hunter… Hunter, sweety! You’re alright! You’re safe! There’s nothing here that can hurt you!” Jake tried to comfort the boy, but by now, Hunter had started to cry.

“The man killed grandpa…” Hunter mumbled after a while, and Jake had to swallow and blink his eyes a few times in order not to cry himself. “And the tower… it crushed the beautiful dragon…” Hunter finally looked up and met Jake’s eyes, and now it seemed as though he actually saw Jake and not some vision…

“It’s alright, sweety. That was a long time ago; it can’t hurt you!” Jake whispered as he pulled Hunter into another hug.

“Love is the death of duty…” Hunter mumbled, and for some reason, all Jake could think of was when he’d gotten the news of Anton’s death shortly after the battle in King’s Landing. And then, right at that moment, Jake knew that Anton had died because he couldn’t live without Wonbin… and Wonbin’s death was something Jake still blamed himself for…

Chapter Text

“That’s what he said…? That ´the man killed grandpa´…” Leehan asked. He was sitting on Hunter’s bed with his son sleeping and resting his head in Leehan’s lap.

“Yeah… and that ´the tower crushed the beautiful dragon´…” Jake nodded. Leehan ran his hand over his son’s hair as the boy slept. Despite it being morning, Hunter had been so distraught and upset after what he’d supposedly seen, so Jake had gotten the maester to give him something that would make him fall back asleep again, which was why Hunter was sleeping in his father’s lap right now.

“It’s not the first time he’s said something like that…” Taesan sighed from where he stood beside Hunter’s bed. “He’ll grow out of it; I did…” Leehan looked up just as Jake looked to his side, both sharing the same surprised yet confused facial expression as they stared at Taesan.

“You had these kinds of visions?” Jake asked after a few seconds. “Why did you say anything…?”

“Because I never saw any reason for telling anyone, so I just ignored them, and then they went away,” Taesan answered. “I haven’t had any in years now…”

“Taesan, this is serious! What did you see?!” Jake went around the bed, since he’d been standing on the opposite side, and grabbed hold of his son’s arm, but Taesan just jerked it away.

“They never did anything but bother me, so why would I care? They never hurt me, so they won’t hurt him either!” Taesan snapped. He’d never told anyone of his own visions before since all they’d ever done to him was annoy him, and it’d just felt like a weakness if anyone knew he had them…

“Taesan…” Leehan reached out to take the elder’s hand in his own, and this time, Taesan didn’t pull it away like he’d done with Jake. “It’s nothing to be ashamed of…” Leehan said, gently squeezing Taesan’s hand in his own. “You’re not the only one who’s had them, you know,”

“No… but all those before me went insane because of it! Our blood is messed up enough already! I won’t let stupid visions and dreams get to my head, or his, for that matter!” Taesan almost yelled, gesturing toward Hunter, who was still sleeping with his head in Leehan’s lap. “So just tell him to ignore it, and it will eventually go away…” Taesan pulled his hand out of Leehan’s before walking over to the door. He didn’t even bother looking back before exiting the room, leaving Leehan and Jake alone with the sleeping Hunter.

“He’s never been good with dealing with things… or talking about them,” Jake sighed. Taesan’s reactions to something bothering him had only two separate outcomes: exploding with emotions and taking his anger out on the surroundings or burying it deep inside himself while running away from the problem until it solved itself… if it ever even did… “I’ll go see if the maester might know something else about these visions…” Jake added, gently running his hand over Hunter’s cheek before doing the same on Leehan’s.

“Mmh,” Leehan hummed. “I’m staying here. I don’t want him to be alone when he wakes up… he’s been through enough today already,” Jake nodded before he, too, left the room.

- - - -

“I thought I was used to the North, but this is something else…” Minseo shivered as the cold winds blew through his hair. Yunseong chuckled as he wasn’t as bothered by it as Minseo seemed to be.

“We haven’t even passed Last Hearth yet. Wait until you feel the winds up on the wall,”

“You’ve been up on the wall?” Minseo turned his head in the elder’s direction, looking rather surprised by what he’d said since the prince didn’t know Yunseong had been up on the wall, only that he’d lived a couple of years at Castle Black.

“Once. My father brought me up there after I hadn’t stopped bothering him about it for days,” Yunseong laughed. “But honestly, I don’t really remember much of it. Just that it was really high up and that the winds were really cold,”

“It would be cool to see it, or like, see everything else from on top of it,” Minseo chuckled.

“I’m sure my father would let us go up there if I asked him, and if I remember correctly, my father knows your grandfather, so I’m even more certain he would let us if you told him who you were,” Yunseong smiled at Minseo, but the younger didn’t return it, making Yunseong’s smile falter a little. “You don’t need to, but I’m just saying. He would love to get to know you and know that you’re Jake’s grandson,” Yunseong added.

“I don’t want to be a prince when we get up there… I don’t want to be ´the prince who ran away from home´ and chose to go to Castle Black of all places… That just further proves my bastard nature…”

“You’re not a bastard, Minseo! How many times do I-“ Yunseong tried to say, but Minseo interrupted him.

“I am! And there’s nothing either of us can do about it! People can’t keep secrets, no matter how hard they try! No one can keep a secret forever! And as long as I’m Minseo Stark, someone, somewhere, will know the true nature of my birth! So let me be someone else… Let me fit in for once in my life…” Minseo said, eyes pleading as he looked at Yunseong. It’d never really occurred to Minseo until now just how much he’d never fit in amongst his brothers. While they were almost always acting up on pure emotions, whether they were good or bad ones, their decisions were always based on what they were feeling, while Minseo always tried to think his actions through before he did something. He’d never understood how his younger brothers could do things without thinking them through beforehand, and now it all started to make sense to him… While it was very clear that Taesan was always driven by his emotions, Leehan wasn’t any better… Taesan’s actions in the past might have had dire consequences, but Minseo himself was prof enough that Leehan acted upon his emotions just as much as his brother did… Sungho, on the other hand… The knight had always been known to keep his composure and think through his every move, just like Minseo…

“Then who do you want to be? You can’t just change your name and make people believe you’re someone else… they will still ask questions, and there will be documents proving you’re lying if you pick a name that either doesn’t exist at all or if you happen to take someone else's…” Yunseong said, and it was true. If Minseo changed his first name, either of them might slip up and say his actual name, but if he changed his last name to some other northern name, then there would be people, even at Castle Black, who would figure out he was lying…

“I know… but there’s one name I could pick that no one would even bother to check since it would be impossible to do so…” Minseo answered, making Yunseong raise an eyebrow at him.

“And what would that be? There’s not that many names here in the North you could pick from, you know…”

“Snow…” Minseo said. He looked up to meet Yunseong’s eyes.

“Why would you want to pick that? I thought you didn’t want anyone to know you’re a bastard…” Yunseong asked.

“I don’t… or at least I don’t want them to know I’m a bastard of House Stark, but if I were just another common-born bastard of the North, no one would even bother to question me,” Minseo seemed quite determined with his decision, but Yunseong still thought it sounded stupid.

“Common-born or not, there will always be people who don’t appreciate bastards…” Yunseong sighed. He still didn’t like to refer to the younger as one, even if the prince seemed to always remind him of the fact…

“Not at Castle Black… how many bastards aren’t sent to the wall every year? I bet there are more Snows there than anywhere else, so it’s the perfect cover!” Minseo might have a point… Yunseong knew there were a lot of people without any real last names living and working at the wall, either by their own choice or because they’d been sent there as punishment for their crimes.

“So, Minseo Snow, huh…” Yunseong murmured, and whether or not Yunseong liked it, Minseo seemed to have made up his mind…

“Yeah, Minseo Snow…”

- - - -

“How did you convince your dad to let you leave Winterfell? And alone at that?” Keum asked as they walked past the tents and over to the little open area in the middle of them. The tents had probably been set up this way to create this open area for Keum and others to train on as Baekseung saw a rack of sparring swords and shields to the side, and the ground seemed somewhat packed like people had been walking on it a lot more than anywhere else among the tents.

“I didn’t, actually,” Baekseung chuckled. “I snuck out and left a note in the window of my brother’s room. I figure he’d find it there sooner or later since he spends a lot of time looking out that window and up at the sky,” Baekseung explained, and it actually made Keum laugh a little and shake his head.

“So you meant this whole tournament will be put on hold soon until your dad has found you and brought you back home?” The elder asked.

“I hope not,” Baekseung chuckled. “I came here to see you participate, so I’m not leaving until I have,” This made Keum halt his steps somewhat, prompting Baekseung to do the same as the elder just stared at him blankly for a few seconds.

“So you did really come here just for me, then…?” Keum questioned. He’d not really believed the younger earlier when he’d said he came here to see him, but now, he figured Baekseung had actually told the truth.

“Yeah! Why would I lie about that?” Baekseung questioned. “I know I’m not old enough to participate myself, even if I think I could beat more than half of everyone else participating, but since I’m not allowed, I wanted to see you,”

“Huh,” Keum huffed slightly, not out of annoyance but rather out of disbelief. “You think you could beat grown-ass men in these tournaments?” He asked, intentionally changing the topic away from Baekseung’s quite noticeable affection for him…

“I sure can! I’ve trained a lot over the past few years, and just like you said I should! I might even be as good as you by now,” Baekseung smiled brightly as he spoke, and if Keum was being honest, it was a little flattering, having the younger’s attention like this and that he’d seemed to remember basically everything Keum had said to him all those years ago. But the fact still remained… Baekseung was much younger than Keum and still just a child, despite what the prince himself thought, so even if it might be cute to have an admirer, or whatever you’d call it, it couldn’t be anything more than that… which was something Keum wasn’t sure Baekseung had figured out himself just yet…

“I don’t think you could,” Keum chuckled a little. “I’ve also kept training, you know. It’s not like I stopped so you could catch up,” He knew he shouldn’t keep bringing the younger’s hope up by playing into whatever Baekseung wanted to achieve from this, but he didn’t have the heart to just push the younger away since he’d technically not actually shown any straight forward interest in Keum, even though his whole reasoning for coming to White Harbor to begin with spoke pretty clear on its own…

“Oh, I bet I could still be a worthy opponent, though!” Baekseung laughed before walking over to the rack of sparring swords and picking up two of them. He tossed one to Keum, who caught it, before walking over to stand in the middle of the open area. “Come on, show me if you’re still better than me,” Keum sighed and shook his head, but he did follow the younger and stand in front of him, sword drawn and ready for Baekseung to make the first move, and the prince did. He launched forward and tried to knock the blunt-edged sword against Keum’s shoulder, but the elder easily moved out of the way and proceeded to hit Baekseung on the back with his own sword.

“You sure about that?” Keum laughed as Baekseung turned back around to face him, looking rather surprised by how fast the elder had moved.

“Just you wait,” He said before trying to strike Keum again, but the elder still moved out of the way. What he’d not been prepared for, however, was Baekseung using his foot to trip him. Which was something the prince had learned from Sungho, and it proved to be quite effective since it made Keum lose his balance slightly, and as he did, he also lost his focus on Baekseung, allowing the prince to make a move again. And this time, Keum didn’t have the time to do anything, giving Baekseung the opportunity to strike, but he didn’t. Instead, he used his free hand to pull Keum toward him while he also brought his sword up to playfully place it against the elder’s throat. They ended up quite close to each other, and as they were now about the same height, Baekseung smiled as his face was mere inches from Keum’s. “I win,” The younger said, and it took the elder a few seconds to register what had happened before he managed to back away from Baekseung again.

“I, uhm…” He stuttered, pulling his arm out of Baekseung’s hand. “Y-yeah, you won…” He eventually said, dropping his own sword on the ground. “I need to go…” He then said before turning around and leaving without waiting for Baekseung to answer. And the prince could just watch him leave as he didn’t really know what to say himself…

Chapter Text

“Last Hearth, have you been here before?” Woonhak asked as they spotted the last castle of the North before Castle Black. Sungho looked up; he’d been fastening the straps on one side of his saddle and hadn’t looked up for a while before the younger spoke.

“I’ve passed it twice but never actually been inside,” Sungho answered.

“I see… but I guess you don’t have time for that now either?” Sungho had gotten quite used to Woonhak’s almost constant talking for the past few days now, and it no longer bothered him.

“I need to speak with Gyuvin to see if anyone here knows if Minseo has passed through these lands or if he and Yunseong have stayed off the roads and just kept going further north,” Sungho said.

“Gyuvin, really? Aren’t we supposed to refer to him as Lord Umber, or have the costumes changed? Or perhaps it’s just for you? Being close with the crown prince and his brother must have his perks, right?” Woonhak chuckled. Sungho tensed up a little, his thoughts running wild as to how Woonhak could know about his relationship with Taesan and Leehan, but then he figured the younger probably just meant the fact that Sungho had spent over 17 years as one of their closest knights, which made him relax a little again.

“You probably should refer to him as such, but I’ve known both Gyuvin and Ricky for many years, and Gyuvin hates when I call him Lord Umber,” Sungho answered, which made Woonhak laugh a little.

“Yeah, I guess I should, considering I do want to keep my head for a bit longer at least,”

“Gyuvin doesn’t behead people…” Sungho sighed, turning to look at Woonhak as they approached the gates to Last Hearth.

“No… I’ve heard that’s the crown prince’s thing…” Woonhak seemed to view everything as a joke, always laughing and joking around, not caring if his words would have consequences or not…

“I wonder how you’ve kept your head for this long…” Sungho said, shaking his head as Woonhak just laughed again.

“As long as no one hears me, very few things actually matter,” Woonhak said.

“I heard you, tough,” Sungho eyed Woonhak as the younger tore his eyes away from the gates and looked at Sungho.

“Well, I wouldn’t really take you for the beheading-type-of-man, and if you would have wanted to kill me, you’d done it already,” Woonhak said, and Sungho just found himself nodding slowly. He didn’t have the time to say anything else before a familiar voice called out for him.

“Sungho? What are you doing here?” Sumin ran up to the knight’s horse, followed by Jinsik. Sungho got off his horse and hugged the boy.

“I need to speak with Gyuvin. Is he here?” The knight asked, intentionally not answering Sumin’s question about what he was doing in Last Hearth.

“He’s inside!” Jinsik answered, and Sungho ruffled both boys’ hair before making his way into the castle. He didn’t hear Woonhak get down from his horse, so he assumed the younger would rather stay behind.

- - - -

Jake sighed as he flipped to the next page of the book. He occasionally padded just below his nose with his handkerchief, making sure his nosebleed didn’t run down his face. The sound of the door to the library opening started him a little and made him look up just as Minjae entered through the door.

“Father said you’d be here,” The boy said as he made his way over to his grandfather. “Have you found anything yet?” Jake figured Leehan must have told Minjae of what had happened with Hunter and Minjae being Minjae; he’d obviously wanted to find something that could help his little brother.

“Not much…” Jake answered. “There are a few notes about who’s had these so-called dragon dreams, but sadly, there’s not much about why they had them or what they really did to the person,”

“But didn’t they have like violet eyes or silver eyes? As this supposed magic connection came from the mages?” Minjae asked as he sat down, picked up a book himself, and started to flip through it.

“Two of them, yes, Anton Baratheon and Sunwoo Targaryen, had violet eyes, but neither of them were born with it. Minhyuk Targaryen was believed to be the first to have these kinds of visions, or at least that’s the common knowledge. But Minhyuk didn’t have violet eyes; he had silver eyes, just like the mages themselves did,” Jake answered as he continued to flip through the book in his hands. It stated some of the recorded incidents were the maesters or other people around the Targaryen families had witnessed or heard of when either Minhyuk, Sunwoo, or Anton had had these visions. Jake realized rather quickly that much of it was very vague and mostly just gossip for people to have something to talk about, but there were a few things that actually caught his attention. “Do you remember when we read about the Fall of Dragons? The war that took place in the year 167?”

“Yeah, the war that ended House Lannister and took the life of not just Minhyuk Targaryen but also Yeonjun Targaryen, Soobin Stark, and their son Younghoon Targaryen,” Minjae said, and Jake nodded.

“Among others, yes… but it says here that Minhyuk foresaw Yeonjun’s death and tried to warn him that if he flew to the Westerlands, he’d never come back…” Jake read from the book, his finger tracing the words as he did. “It’s also said that this wasn’t the only time either… ever since Yeonjun was but a little boy, Minhyuk had had occasional visions of a pair of crying and desperate eyes watching Yeonjun fall from his dragon…” Jake continued to read, but something the book never mentioned but was something he knew himself was that Minhyuk had not only predicted Yeonjun’s death but also seen and spoken with Sunwoo in some sort of vision they’d both shared despite never actually meeting. This was something he’d heard his father Eric and Sunwoo himself talk about once, but so far, Jake had never heard of it from anywhere else, which just proved that there were most likely many visions and dragon dreams that had never been written about or recorded in any of the maesters’ books and notes.

“But Hunter didn’t see the future, though. Didn’t he say he saw when grandpa died…?” Minjae asked.

“Yeah, he did, but I think that predicting the future was more Minhyuk’s thing, while Sunwoo had more dreams from the past and some sort of magic he could use, which probably came from the mage who changed him in the first place,” Jake mumbled.

“And Anton?” This made Jake look up at Minjae, and the blond boy was already looking at his grandfather, with the book still in his hands.

“There’s not much known about Anton’s visions… just that he started having them after Sunwoo had to use his magic to save him after he battled his brother Intak on dragonback above Storm’s End,” Jake said. This was another thing Jake knew not from some book or story but from his own youth, as he’d been around the same age as both Anton and Intak when this happened. He remembered hearing of Anton’s presumed death among the waves below the castle of Storm’s End, but then they’d somehow found both him and his dragon and brought them back to King’s Landing. Jake remembered Anton had been rather shy growing up, but after this, it was said that he became strange and somewhat odd, which was probably due to the visions he started having. Jake couldn’t help but think of what Taesan had said earlier: ´All those before me went insane because of it…´ Maybe insane was the wrong word to use, Jake thought, but Taesan had been somewhat right either way. Minhyuk and Sunwoo, who’d both had the visions since a very young age, had both been a little odd, speaking in riddles and doing unexplainable things, and Anton had become the same after his eyes had changed color from brown to violet…

“Were they the only ones? Minhyuk, Sunwoo, and Anton?” Minjae asked after Jake had been silent for a while. “I mean, Sunwoo and Anton never had children, but Minhyuk did. So wouldn’t Minhyuk’s son have gotten the visions as well? Or doesn’t it work like that?”

“I’m not sure, and I think there are very few, if even any, who actually know how these dreams and visions work and how they affect some people more than others, but there are no recordings of Minhyuk’s son having them, and neither of Sungchan Targaryen, who’s father was a full-blood mage himself. Sungchan and Minhyuk were both dragon riders, with one parent with the blood of the dragon and the other being a mage, but it seems as though only Minhyuk got these dreams and visions…” Jake said.

“Wasn’t Sungchan Anton’s dad?” Minjae questioned. “Could that have impacted why Anton got the visions since it was technically already in his blood?”

“I honestly don’t know,” Jake sighed. He understood that Minjae had a lot of questions and wanted to help his own brother, but Jake himself could probably not do much more at this point. “You can continue to look through these if you want,” He said, gesturing toward the piles of books he’d placed on the small table. “But I need some rest…” He felt the blood trickle down his top lips again, which prompted him to quickly wipe it away with the handkerchief before leaving Minjae in the library.

- - - -

Hunter stirred in his sleep, slowly opening his eyes and blinking at the bright light coming from the window. It quickly got covered, however, as Yujun stepped into view and blocked the sun from shining into Hunter’s eyes.

“You’re awake!” Yujun whispered, which Hunter found a little strange as he was indeed awake, so there was no need for Yujun to whisper. But it seemed as though his brother understood Hunter’s confusion as he gestured to something above Hunter, and only then did the younger realize he was lying with his head in someone’s lap. “Don’t wake him up! Dad says he’s been really worried for both you and Minseo, and even Baekseung, so it’s better that he finally gets to sleep,” Hunter carefully got up so he wouldn’t wake up their father, who’d fallen asleep while staying with Hunter as the younger slept.

“It doesn’t look comfortable…” Hunter whispered as he’d gotten up from the bed without waking Leehan up, but Yujun just shrugged his shoulders.

“Maybe not, but dad said it’s good that he gets some sleep,” He said, and Hunter nodded slowly while still watching their father for a few seconds before his attention was drawn back to the window. The sun was no longer shining in his face, but there was something that told him he should go over to said window, so he did. And once he got there, he noticed a tiny piece of paper stuck in between the glass and the windowsill. He picked it up and slowly opened it. He read it, which wasn’t that much, but as he ran his thumb over the bottom right torn-off corner of the paper, which he knew was Baekseung’s way of telling either him or Yujun that the letter was from him, he saw a brief flashing image of a ship sailing through raging weather with rain, winds and the dark water below it tossing the ship from side to side. He also saw a large watchtower with a great fire burning atop it, but that quickly disappeared again and was replaced by the letter still in his hand. He blinked a few times, trying to basically get back control of his own eyes and head before looking back at Yujun.

“Baekseung’s in White Harbor…” He said. Yujun raised an eyebrow at him before Hunter handed him the tiny letter. “And I saw him on a ship… a watchtower lit up behind it as the waves swallowed this ship and sunk it beneath the surface…” Yujun looked up from the letter and into Hunter’s eyes.

“You saw him die…?” He questioned, voice much more concerned now, and Hunter couldn’t help but see the waves crashing against the side of the ship again. Pushing it to the side while Baekseung seemed to be holding onto the railing, as did someone else beside him. What Hunter noticed now that he’d not noticed the first time was that Baekseung looked older, taller than he was now, but Hunter didn’t really recognize the man beside his brother…

“I, uhm… I… I don’t know…” Hunter mumbled, as he, in fact, didn’t know what he’d seen actually meant…

Chapter Text

Neither Leehan nor Taesan had been very surprised when Hunter and Yujun told them of the note Baekseung had left for them in the window, but what worried Leehan more was what Hunter had told him about what he saw when he read the letter… the ship in the storm, Baekseung onboard, the watchtower lit in the background… While Taesan had merely just huffed, Leehan had made sure to pull Hunter into a hug.

“You saw him on a ship…?” Jake asked, and Hunter nodded slowly. “Where?”

“I don’t know… It was dark and raining; all I could really see was the ship and the watchtower…” Hunter answered, and Leehan squeezed him tighter.

“Go with Yujun and Minjae; make sure you do something fun, okay? To get your mind off things, and we’ll make sure Baekseung comes back home safe,” Leehan said, pressing a kiss to Hunter’s forehead before sending the three boys off.

“I wasn’t now, though,” Hunter said, looking up at his father, but this prompted both Jake and Taesan to also look at the boy.

“What do you mean, sweety?” Leehan asked.

“What I saw won’t happen now… Baekseung looked too old for it to be now,” Hunter’s eyes briefly flashed over with something akin to a violet color, but it happened so fast that Leehan barely noticed it, but he still did… He didn’t get to question it, however, as Hunter himself didn’t seem to have felt or noticed anything and just left with Yujun and Minjae like Leehan had told him to.

“Does it always come true…? What they see in the dragon dreams… Does it always happen?” Leehan asked, voice shaking as his eyes started to fill up with tears. Taesan stood up from his chair and quickly made his way over to him before wrapping his arms around him.

“I don’t know, Leehan…” Jake answered. “So far, those who’s had these visions and dreams have either seen the past and tried to learn from it or predicted a future that could have been changed if people would have just listened to them…”

“So it’s not certain what Hunter seen will happen?” Taesan asked.

“You should know better than any of us, my prince,” The maester said, making Taesan’s eyes move from his father to the maester and then back to Jake again. He felt irritation grow inside him as the only reason the maester could have known of Taesan’s own vision was from Jake, but he didn’t get to another of his childish outbursts before Leehan interrupted him.

“I told him… so don’t flip out on father,” The younger murmured. “It’s better that he knows, so he might be able to help with Hunter! And it’s better if you try to undo whatever you did to stop your own visions so you might help our son!” Leehan did sound irritated himself, but he made no effort to move away from Taesan.

“I don’t know what I did more than ignore them and tried to think of something else until they went away, and then after some time, they just stopped coming all together…” Taesan answered after a while. “But what I saw has not yet happened…”

“And what was that…?” Jake asked, making Taesan close his eyes before taking a deep breath.

“A young boy with three dragons…”

- - - -

Baekseung would have wanted to see Keum before the elder went to the arena the next morning, but when he got to where the tents were, he was told that Keum had already left. So now he was making his way through the crowds of people standing to watch the tournaments and get to the front so he could hopefully watch the elder from there. It was already the last day out of three, as it had taken a little longer than Baekseung had thought to get to White Harbor, and he’d not been able to see the elder the day before… but at least now he could watch Keum participate today, and hopefully get to talk to him. It was going well, as far as Baekseung could see, but since there were so many people around, all of them wanting to see the games, it was rather hard for him to get a good view. He was quite used to people moving out of the way for him since they knew he was a prince, but down here, they would only know he was a prince if he told them his name, which he hadn’t, so right now, as nobody really knew what the Stark princes looked like, he was just one more commoner wanting to watch the tournaments.

“Out of the way, kid!” A man grunted, pushing Baekseung to the side to get around him. Baekseung’s first instinct was to take a swing at the man for pushing him, but he restrained himself from doing so because he knew his father wouldn’t be very happy with him, and considering that neither of his parents was very happy with him already, he figured he shouldn’t upset them any further… even though he knew his dad wouldn’t even have wasted a second before punching the man himself.

“Fuck off…” Baekseung murmured to himself, low enough so that the man wouldn’t hear him, and then he decided to move further to the side to try and see if he could stand there instead, which he could. From the spot he was now standing in, he could see the arena below perfectly, and he watched as Keum and the other participants entered the arena. Watching the games themselves weren’t that amusing… Baekseung had had more fun watching Sungho knock his elder brothers into the dirt back in Winterfell when the knight trained them, but watching Keum fight was something else. A few years ago, back in Winterfell, Keum had not scored that high since both Sungho and Doyoung had been placed in either second or first place, but right now, Keum was excelling at this! Both on horseback and in one-on-one combat, he beat them all until he was the only one left! Baekseung cheered along with the rest of the people around him, but then he snuck past everyone to try and get around them and back to the Tarth’s tents.

“He’s not here,” The guard Baekseung had met the first day said, promising the prince to look over at him as he walked in between the tents.

“I know,” Baekseung answered, but then he just walked past the man, who, surprisingly, let him, and all the way to the tent he’d figured out was Keum’s. he sat down outside and just waited. He waited for a long time, which he’d actually been prepared for, considering Keum probably wanted to celebrate his victory before returning to the tents, but eventually, Baekseung heard people talking and laughing in the distance.

“That was freaking incredible!” A man who seemed to be around Keum’s age said, and another one patted the young Tarth lord on the back.

“Keum Tarth of Evenfall Hall, winner of Lord Manderly’s tournaments!” The other man shouted. There was a girl with them as well, and she seemed to be around the same age. She was the first to spot Baekseung where he sat, and she leaned over to whisper something to Keum, whose head turned in Baekseung’s direction, making the prince tense up a little as their eyes met. He stood up as he saw Keum say something he couldn’t hear to the other three, who all looked at him briefly before going in the opposite direction, leaving Keum alone as he started walking toward Baekseung.

“You’re still here?” Keum asked once he’d gotten close enough.

“Yeah, I said I wanted to see you fight, so I did, and you won,” Baekseung gave the older a smile, but Keum didn’t really return it.

“I think you should go back home, Baekseung. Your parents are probably worried about you; even in a world without dragons and white walkers, it is not safe to be out on your own,” Keum walked into the tent and placed his sword and helmet down on a table, and Keum followed him in despite not actually being told he was allowed. Some might view this as another bad manner he’d gotten from his dad, but he couldn’t care less at the moment.

“Come with me then… to Winterfell,” Baekseung’s words made Keum halt his actions and turn around slowly to look at the younger.

“No,” Keum chuckled. “I have my own home to return to, and you should return to yours,” He looked away from the younger again and walked to the other side of the tent. He pulled off the metal breastplate he’d worn to the tournaments and put it back on its stand before he felt Baekseung walk up behind him. The younger gripped his wrist and made him turn around to face him, which could have been seen as a rather harsh thing, but Baekseung made sure not to treat the elder disrespectfully.

“I want you to come with me; that’s why I came here… You could be a prince if you’d marry me-“

“I can’t marry you…” Keum interrupted him before tugging his wrist loose from the younger’s grip.

“Why not…?” Baekseung asked, trying to reach out for Keum again, but the elder backed away until the table behind him prevented him from going any further.

“Because you’re a child! I can’t marry someone so much younger than myself, prince or not; it’s just wrong!” Keum said.

“I won’t be a child forever! In a few years, I’ll be-“

“Years, Baekseung! Years! I can’t wait for something that long; it’s not how this world works! My father’s already angry with me because I haven’t married yet and would rather travel around Westeros for these sorts of events! I can’t wait four more years just for you to grow up… so you’ll find someone el-mhpf…” Whatever Keum had tried to say got muffled as Baekseung pressed his lips against the elder’s, pulling him closer, but it didn’t even take a second before he was pushed back again, rather harshly, before Keum slapped him across the face. His head spun a little from the force of the slap, and it took him a few seconds to get his focus back, but then he raised his hand up to his cheek while looking up at the elder again…

“Keum, I… I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have-“

“No, you shouldn’t have!” Keum interrupted him once again. The palm of his hand stung, and he assumed Baekseung’s cheek did, too, but he’d panicked, and slapping the younger had been the first thing that came to mind… “Just go home, Baekseung…” Keum said after a short time of silence. The elder then walked past the prince and out of the tent, leaving Baekseung alone in the tent, cheek still red and stinging from the slap…

Chapter Text

“I’m afraid we haven’t seen or heard anything about Minseo other than that he left Winterfell,” Gyuvin said. He’d invited Sungho to stay for dinner, but the latter had declined, telling the lord he needed to continue further north to see if he could find Minseo, as it seemed the prince had not been here.

“Why did he leave?” Ricky asked as he walked up to Sungho. “Taesan’s letter just told us he’d left and to send him back to Winterfell if he showed up here,”

“He, uhm… he had an argument with Leehan, and then he just disappeared during the night along with Yunseong,” Sungho answered.

“He argued with Leehan? That doesn’t sound like either of them…” Gyuvin said. “The arguing is Taesan’s thing, not Leehan’s,” The lord chuckled a little, but Sungho just pressed his lips into a thin line.

“They argued; that’s all I know. Now I just need to find him,” The knight said, and Ricky nodded, but Gyuvin eyed him for a few seconds longer. It felt like the younger could see right through Sungho’s lie, but he didn’t comment on it and eventually just nodded as well. “So if you’ll excuse me, my lords, I need to get back out there,” Sungho gave both Gyuvin and Ricky a bow before leaving them again. He walked back out to find that Sumin and Jinsik had gone somewhere else, but Woonhak was still seated in the saddle of his horse.

“Done already?” He asked, flashing that same smile that had barely left his face since the moment Sungho met him. Sometimes, he wondered how a man of the Night’s Watch could still for sure joy in the life he had, but apparently, some could.

“Yeah…” Sungho answered as he got back up on his own horse.

“So, where to now?” It still amazed Sungho that Woonhak didn’t seem to worry about his own duties and getting back to Castle Black to his sworn brothers.

“Castle Black, I’d assume…” Sungho sighed. “I don’t know where else they would have gone…”

“Well, if I were Yunseong, I would go back to Castle Black,” Woonhak said before following Sungho, who’d already moved his horse to start walking out of the gates of Last Hearth.

- - - -

Despite Yunseong’s description of what he remembered Castle Black to look like, Minseo still thought it fell somewhat short of its actual size and rather creepy vibe. He understood why it was called Castle Black, as pretty much everything the castle and the surrounding buildings and walls were built of was black, and a huge contrast to the white snow on the ground and the enormous ice wall behind it. It was quite late in the night when they arrived at the gates, which were closed, but Yunseong got off his horse and walked up to the gates. A small hatch was opened before he could really reach it, and a man’s face appeared in the small square the hatch left in the gates.

“Who goes there?” The man asked, sounding rather annoyed, and glared at Yunseong through the opening.

“Yunseong Mormont, son of your Lord Commander,” Yunseong answered. The man eyed him for a while as if he was thinking through what Yunseong had said, but then he huffed and murmured something before closing the hatch. Yunseong looked back at Minseo, who was still sitting on his horse, but then the sound of the gates opening made him turn back around. The same man whose face they’d seen through the opening only moments ago came out in between the two huge gate doors, eyeing both Yunseong and Minseo again before stepping to the side. He was wearing a huge black coat and the clothes he had under seemed to be black as well. Minseo assumed that this was probably why the men of Castle Black were referred to as crows, which was a name the wildlings had given them a long time ago.

“Welcome to Castle Black, my lord,” He said, giving Yunseong a small nod before doing the same to Minseo. It was clear the man had no idea who Minseo was, which was exactly what the prince wanted, so he just gave the man a small nod back before spurring on his horse to walk through the gates. Yunseong led his own horse into the muddy courtyard before another man walked up to them, offering to take the reins from him. Minseo got off his horse and let the first man lead his horse away before walking beside Yunseong toward what he assumed to be the building where the elder’s father would be. They walked up a rather hackneyed staircase leading up to a wooden walkway with several doors along the side of the building into which the walkway was built.

“This should be it,” Yunseong said as they reached the last door. Minseo saw the walkway continuing down a few steps before running along the next building, but that seemed to lead down to the side of the castle, so he didn’t pay it much more mind as Yunseong raised his hand before knocking on the door. The second man from earlier appeared behind them again, slightly startling Minseo, but the man didn’t seem to care if he’d scared him and just looked at Yunseong.

“The Lord Commander is asleep; he should not be disturbed,” The man said, which made Yunseong lower his hand again and turn to face him fully.

“I’m sure my father would forgive me for waking him up, considering he’s not seen me in years…” Yunseong said, and Minseo couldn’t help but smile a little as the man looked somewhat irritated, but before either of them could say anything else, the door behind Yunseong opened, revealing a man shorter than Yunseong but with the same raven hair.

“What is all this? How many times haven’t I told you to keep the gates closed at night and not let strangers in?” The man asked, rather irritated himself, but before the man dressed in all black could answer, Yunseong spoke.

“Dad, it’s me,” He said, making the shorter man look up at him and frown slightly before his eyes widened.

“Yunseong? Oh my, how you’ve grown!” The man said, quickly pulling his son into a hug. The other man seemed to deem this as enough proof that he wasn’t needed anymore and left them, and Minseo watched him go before he felt Yunseong reach for his arm to pull him forward.

“Dad, this is Minseo S-“

“Minseo Snow,” Minseo interrupted Yunseong, not really trusting the other to remember or actually wanting him not to use his real name. The Lord Commander, whose name Minseo actually already knew to be MJ, eyed him for a few seconds, seemingly recognizing something or just wanting to get a better look at him, but then he gave him a smile.

“Welcome to Castle Black, Minseo,” He said, briefly looking up at his son before looking back at Minseo. “Here at Castle Black, a man’s last name doesn’t hold that much meaning, so don’t worry,” He said, which made Minseo feel like he actually knew who he really was, even if he didn’t say it out loud. It didn’t really matter, though, as MJ stepped to the side before inviting them into his chambers. The room was rather big but didn’t hold much furniture. There was a door leading into another room on the side, and a bit further into the room was a table filled with papers and several other things. “You’ll have to excuse the mess; I wasn’t really expecting visitors,” MJ chuckled.

“That’s alright, dad. If we wanted niceties, we wouldn’t have come here in the first place,” Yunseong laughed, and MJ did as well.

“Well, as much as I would want to know what you’re doing here, I assume you’re tired, so I’ll have my men prepare a room for you so you can get some sleep,” MJ said, and Yunseong thanked him. MJ then disappeared out of the chambers, leaving Yunseong and Minseo alone to wait for him to return.

“You don’t have to lie to him, Minseo. I might not have seen my father in years, but I know that he wouldn’t send you back to Winterfell against your will,” Yunseong said as he gently placed his hands on Minseo’s upper arms.

“It’s not that I fear he’ll send me back; it just… I don’t want to be that person… I’d rather be someone no one knows who they are or where they came from,” The younger side, but he didn’t try to move away from Yunseong and rather leaned his forehead against his shoulder. Yunseong properly wrapped his arms around him before kissing the top of his head.

“To me, it doesn’t matter who you are. I’ll love you all the same either way,” He murmured into the prince’s hair before hearing MJ coming back, which made them pull apart again.

“Benner here will show you to your room, and I hope it’s okay that you share for tonight as we’re a little short on available rooms at the moment,” MJ said, gesturing at a man standing beside him. The man, Benner, Minseo assumed, gave them a small bow before gesturing for them to follow him.

“That’s fine, dad,” Yunseong said, and Minseo nodded in agreement.

“Thank you,” Minseo said, looking at MJ, who gave him a smile.

“Oh, that’s nothing, sweet boy; go on now, you both surely need some sleep,” MJ said before Yunseong and Minseo walked out of the Lord Commander’s chambers and followed Benner a few doors down.

“Here, my lords. I hope it’ll do,” Benner said, giving them a nod with his head again before disappearing down the stairs. It wasn’t much, the room. It had two rather small beds, and it smelled somewhat like mold, but it would be fine.

“I could get used to this,” Minseo said as he sat down on one of the beds. He ran his hand over the sheets, which were of a much worse quality than those back in Winterfell, but he found himself actually not caring about it.

“Please don’t,” Yunseong chuckled. “We’re not staying here for long,”

“Where would we go then?” Minseo asked, looking up at Yunseong.

“Well, I figured that we’d go back to Winterfell in a few weeks, so…” Yunseong said while scratching the back of his neck.

“And if I don’t want to go back?” Minseo huffed. He thought they’d been over this already…

“You can’t hide away from your parents forever, Minseo… I’m sure they’re already worried as hell, and it wouldn’t surprise me if your dad did something rational soon if they don’t hear from you…”

“He’s not my dad…” Minseo glared at the elder, who, in turn, just let out a sigh. “As much I would want him to be, he’s not! And it just makes me feel worse every time you refer to him as such because it just reminds me that I’m not his son and just a stupid bastard instead…”

“I’m sorry, okay? It was not my intention for you to feel that way, but Taesan still cares about you, and I’m quite certain he’d still go pretty far just to make sure you’re safe,” Yunseong said. He walked over to sit down beside Minseo on the bed before pulling him into a hug again.

“I know, but… can we just… not talk about it?” The younger asked, and Yunseong nodded slowly.

“Okay, I won’t bring it up again,” He promised. “Now we should probably get some sleep, though,” He added after they’d just been sitting in silence for quite some time.

“Yeah,” Minseo chuckled lightly. They removed their heavy winter coats and boots, leaving just the much thinner underpants and shirts on before lying down to sleep. They’d shared one bed, even though the bed was rather narrow, but they’d gotten so used to sleeping close to each other to keep warm on their way up here, so it didn’t matter. And it didn’t take long for them both to fall asleep.

Chapter Text

“Didn’t father tell us to do something fun…?” Yujun questioned as Hunter pulled him along with him into the Godswood.

“This is fun!” The younger answered. Yujun frowned, but he didn’t say anything else and just let his brother pull him with him. They were supposed to have brought Minjae with them or preferably stayed with their older brother, but Hunter seemed to have other plans. “Come on! We’re almost there!” Hunter walked past the pond and the weirwood tree, continuing deeper into the little wooded area behind them before they reached the wall and a rather small gate separating these few trees from the rest of the forest outside Winterfell. This gate was rather newly built, as the wall had had a simple archway in it before, leading straight out into the forest, but after the River Lords had tried to take Winterfell, Jake had ordered the archway to be replaced with a gate that could be properly shut if needed.

“We’re not supposed to leave, Hunter!” Yujun hissed as the younger momentarily let go of his brother’s hand to open said gate.

“We’re not; we’ll just go out for a while,” Hunter said before grabbing Yujun’s hand again and pulling him out of the gate, pushing it shut again behind them once they were both outside.

“What’s the difference? We’re outside the walls, which we should not be…” Yujun said, but he still didn’t do much to stop his brother from pulling him along. Hunter only stopped when they reached a small clearing void of any trees, and if it was not for the snow covering the ground, Yujun could have sworn something had destroyed whatever trees, bushes, and other vegetation might have grown there once… “What is this?” He questioned when Hunter finally stopped in the middle of the clearing.

“Don’t you feel it?” Hunter asked, raising his eyebrows expectantly as if waiting for Yujun to tell he did feel whatever Hunter did, but the elder didn’t.

“Feel what…?” Yujun asked, looking around to try and find something that might be the cause of what his brother felt, but he saw nothing out of the ordinary.

“The heat! It’s much warmer here, don’t you feel it? And it smells almost like the hearths in the castle, kinda like… fire!” Hunter said, letting go of Yujun and turning to look around them. Yujun, however, neither felt nor smelt anything of what Hunter had said, but what he did feel was rather creeped out by the whole place…

“This is creepy, Hunter… can we go back now?” Yujun asked, taking a few steps closer to Hunter as the younger had just walked a bit further away. He gripped the sleeve of his brother’s coat, but Hunter didn’t answer him. Instead, he just looked up to the sky above them. It was the middle of the day, so the sun shone down through the trees and into the clearing, and there were no clouds in the sky either, leaving it a beautiful light blue color.

“Do you really think they’re gone…?” Hunter asked after a while. Yujun gave him a confused look, but he still held onto the sleeve of Hunter’s coat. The younger kept his eyes on the sky, which wasn’t an unusual thing for him to do, so Yujun didn’t really find that strange.

“Minseo and Yunseong? Or what? Who do you mean?” Yujun asked, but Hunter shook his head.

“The dragons…” He said before raising one of his hands up into the air, slowly moving it back and forth as if he was feeling for something as one would do in water, and Yujun eyed him for a few seconds.

“Grandpa’s dragon was the last one, wasn’t she?” He questioned, eyes still following Hunter’s hand in the air.

“Was she, though…? What if she wasn’t?” Hunter said, finally bringing his hand back down from the air and turning around to look at Yujun. “Do you remember when Minjae read the one old book about the Targaryens for us?”

“I think you’ll need to be a little more specific than that,” Yujun chuckled. “Minjae has read quite a lot of books for us, you know,”

“The one about the Targaryens and their dragons, back when they weren’t dragon riders but had been cursed to be hunted by them forever. But then they somehow made the dragons like them by joining their blood with them or something; I think that’s why everyone says Targaryens share their blood with dragons because back then, they literally joined their blood by drinking it with the help of some kind of magic…”

“That’s just disgusting!” Yujun frowned, scrunching up his nose and looking rather traumatized, which sort of made Hunter laugh.

“Yeah, I guess it sounds weird, but it made the dragons stop hunting them and instead let the Targaryens be their riders! But what I was getting to was that if all the dragons were really gone now, wouldn’t we feel it? And, like, not keep having visions and dreams about things related to them?” Yujun sighed as Hunter finished his sentence, not because he was annoyed with his brother in any way but rather because he was worried that all that was happening was bothering Hunter more than everyone else.

“If you’re worried about the visions you had, don’t be! There’s nothing wrong with you, Hunter!” Yujun said, trying to ensure that there was, in fact, nothing wrong with him. “Dad said he had them, too, right? And there’s nothing wrong with him either!” Hunter raised an eyebrow at Yujun before letting out a small chuckle.

“I’m not sure others would agree with you on that,” He said.

“I don’t care if they do, and neither should you!” Yujun said. “But can we please go back now?”

“Yeah, yeah, we’ll go back,” Hunter chuckled, and they started walking back toward the castle, but before they exited the little clearing, Hunter turned back around one last time and couldn’t help but get that same feeling once again. The heat in the air, the smell of fire and ashes, and he could swear that when he blinked his eyes a couple of times, the image of something huge and bronze-colored swept down over the clearing before engulfing the whole thing in fire. But when he shook his head and blinked a few more times, it all disappeared, leaving just the empty snow-covered clearing behind…

- - - -

“How can our men be so useless? It’s been days, and neither of them have found either Minseo, Yunseong, or Baekseung!” Taesan groaned. He tossed his fork back down onto his plate, making both Yujun and Hunter flinch slightly despite sitting further down the table, but Taesan didn’t seem to notice and just stood up from the table.

“Sit down,” Leehan said calmly, not even looking up at his brother. Taesan looked to his side, where Leehan was sitting, and eyed the younger for a few seconds before speaking again.

“I thought you were worried about them? Or have you forgotten that two of our sons are missing?” Taesan asked, but Leehan sighed before looking up to meet the other’s eyes.

“Of course I’m worried! But blaming the men that are actually out there looking for them won’t bring them home any faster…” He said. This made Minjae, Junmin, Yujun, and Hunter all stop eating and look up before sharing a few concerned looks. Neither of the Stark boys liked it when their parents argued, even if they seldom did it in front of them, but they still knew that at least their dad was quite temperamental, even though he never took it out on them.

“So you want me to go out and look for them myself?” Taesan questioned, which was a much more calm answer than anyone in the room had expected.

“We should both be out there looking for them. Then you can’t blame everyone else for not finding either Minseo or Baekseung because then you’d be facing the same issues as they are for once in your life!” Leehan said sternly, not raising his voice but still making his point very clear.

“You’re not leaving Winterfell!” Taesan said, voice equally as stern as Leehan’s had been. “But I guess that since pretty much all we do now is argue, it’s better that I go and do something myself for once!” And with that, Taesan stormed away from the table and left the room altogether. Once he was gone, Leehan let out a sigh before looking up at the four boys.

“Continue eating, boys; don’t mind him,” He said, and Minjae, Junmin, Yujun, and Hunter all went back to eating.

“Why did he say you’re not allowed to leave Winterfell?” Minjae asked after a while. He’d never been one to enjoy complete silence, and what his dad had just said stuck with him more than anything else he’d said. Leehan looked over at his son, staying quiet for a few seconds and seemingly thinking through what he should say, but then just gave Minjae a small smile.

“He’s just worried; he doesn’t want any of you to leave either,” Leehan said.

“But why? Are we supposed to stay here all our lives…?” Minjae placed down his fork as he spoke.

“No, sweety, but neither of you is old enough to go off on your own or marry into another house, so until then, it’s for the best that you stay here,” Leehan answered.

“You married dad when you were 17, didn’t you? And Minseo is 17 now, so why shouldn’t he be allowed to go where he wants and do what he wants?” Minjae questioned, and this was something Leehan had dreaded for some time now, knowing that it was inevitable that his sons would start to wonder why they had to stay in Winterfell.

“That’s different, Minjae. I didn’t have to move anywhere, nor did I have to change anything else in my life because me and your dad already lived in the same place,” Leehan tried to explain, but Minjae didn’t really seem satisfied with that answer.

“So we’re just supposed to stay here until you and dad think we’re old enough to make our own decisions about our own lives? And god knows when that’ll be!” Minjae snapped. He abruptly stood up from his seat, almost knocking his chair over as he did.

“Minjae…” Leehan tried to reach over the table to place his hand over his son’s, but Minjae pulled it away before backing away from the table.

“No! It’s not fair… and I bet that whatever reason that made Minseo leave was more than valid!” Minjae almost yelled before storming out of the room, almost identical to how Taesan had done only minutes earlier. And Leehan couldn’t do anything but watch as his son became more and more like Taesan for every day that passed…

Chapter Text

Sungho didn’t actually think he’d be back at Castle Black, even if it had been like 16 years since the last time. Not many people accept criminals, and volunteers working to keep said criminals in check never went to Castle Black since it was still pretty much viewed as the end of the world, even though there were huge lands north of the wall as well. For a very long time, that had been the case, but now, since the white walkers have long been defeated and the wildlings no longer posed a threat to the rest of Westeros, not many people bothered to even care about the wall’s existence. This was why it was so rare for people to travel this far north, but seeing the dark high towers looming over the snow, with the even higher ice wall behind them, gave Sungho an eerie feeling.

“You’ve traveled quite far in vain if it turns out that the prince is not even here,” Woonhak chuckled from beside Sungho.

“He’s here,” Sungho answered. “He has to be…” They rode up to the gates, which were open, unlike the last time Sungho had been up there, and there was no horn announcing their arrival either.

“Woonhak! You’re late!” A young man’s voice came from up on top of the stone wall surrounding Castle Black, and it made both Woonhak and Sungho look up.

“Had to take a detour, but I’m here now!” Woonhak answered, giving the other a bright smile, which the young man returned. Sungho followed Woonhak through the gates, and they both got off their horses just as the young man came down to meet them.

“No new troublemakers to add to our brotherhood?” The young man questioned, seemingly as full of energy as Woonhak had been the whole way up here.

“Nope, but I’d say that’s for the better! Too many criminals and foul people here already,” Woonhak answered.

“Did two boys arrive here before us? No older than 20,” Sungho suddenly interrupted the two crows’ conversation.

“Uhm, yes, actually. Late the night before yesterday, two boys arrived here, one being the Lord Commander’s son; why?” The man asked.

“Where are they?” Sungho walked up to the man, almost startling the younger.

“Up there, but why…?” Sungho didn’t wait for the man to finish speaking, nor did he care to give him an answer as he rushed up the hackneyed staircase, but then he momentarily stopped.

“Which door?” He asked, making the man look from him to Woonhak and then back at Sungho.

“Second to your left,” He eventually answered, and then Sungho walked up to said door. He didn’t even knock before pushing the door open and stepping into the room.

“Sungho…?” Minseo’s voice came from his right, making him turn his head in that direction, finding the prince sitting in a chair next to a small table. He also spotted Yunseong standing a bit further away, seemingly either cleaning or sharpening his sword, but he looked up as he heard the sound of the door opening.

“Are you alright?” Sungho asked, taking a few steps closer to Minseo, but stopped as the prince moved to stand up from the chair before backing away.

“I’m fine…” Minseo answered. “Why are you here…?” The prince seemed reluctant to even speak with him, but Sungho knew he just had to get the boy back home.

“I’m here to bring you home; your parents are worried about you,” The knight said.

“Just tell them I’m fine…” Minseo said before crossing the room to sit down on one of the beds, even further away from Sungho and the door.

“You know that won’t be enough… Leehan won’t stop worrying until he sees for himself that you’re fine, and Taesan-“ Sungho didn’t get to finish his sentence before Minseo interrupted him.

“I don’t want to go back!” He said. “I don’t belong there…”

“Of course you do! You’re a prince of the North, you belong in Winterfell, and you’re Taesan’s heir!”

“I’m not, though, am I?! You, out of all people, should know that!” Minseo snapped. Sungho briefly looked over at Yunseong, who had not said anything since the knight arrived, but he didn’t seem very faced by what the prince had just said, meaning Minseo had probably already told him of what he’d learned about his father and Sungho…

“Minseo… I never meant for this to happen…” Sungho tried to say.

“And yet it did!” Minseo interrupted him once again. “Just go back, please… I’ll be fine here,”

“This is no place for you… you don’t belong in Castle Black!”

“I belong here more than in Winterfell!”

“Minseo… A prince of the North does not belong in Castle Black! You-“

“Well, as your prince, I command you to go back to Winterfell, but leave me here!” Minseo shut up from the bed again, raising his voice, which was something he never did. “Your knightly oath prevents you from disobeying a prince’s order, and since you keep reminding me of what I’m supposed to be, then I’ll better use that to get what I want, which is to stay here!” Sungho was shocked, to say the least. Not only by the fact that Minseo was pretty much screaming but also by the fact that he’d never thought the prince to be one to use his status to get what he wanted… maybe there were some similarities to Taesan within him after all… Sungho remained silent for a while, almost long enough for Minseo to regret that he’d yelled, but just as he was about to apologize for it, the knight spoke up.

“As you wish, my prince…” Sungho said before bowing his head to Minseo, turning around, and leaving the room again. He even closed the door, not shutting it with force or anything, but the sound still kind of echoed in Minseo’s head…

“Maybe that was a little harsh…” Yunseong said as he eyed the closed door, but Minseo just hummed.

“Probably… but I don’t want to go back…”

“I don’t think it was just that… whether you like it or not, he’s your dad… and I know you loved him before, not as a parent but as someone you cared about…” Yunseong thought he might have overstepped as Minseo just stared at him for a few seconds, but then the younger walked over to him and buried his face in Yunseong’s shoulder.

“I know… but I just don’t know how to feel about it…” Minseo murmured.

“I could ask for him to stay a few days, and then you could talk once you’re ready. Does that sound okay?” Yunseong asked, gently running his fingers through Minseo’s hair, and the younger eventually nodded.

“Mmh,” He hummed, so Yunseong kissed the top of his head before walking toward the door to hurry after Sungho, leaving Minseo to take a deep breath once he was alone. He truly didn’t know what to do with himself right now, so he just ended up sitting down on the floor in the middle of the room, waiting for Yunseong to come back…

- - - -

Taesan grunted as the handle of his sword got stuck in the doorway as he tried to push past a few people who were entering the castle. They all quickly apologized and stepped out of his way, but he didn’t bother to care right now and just continued out into the courtyard. He was about to make his way over to the stables, where a few of their guards were already waiting for him, but then someone called out for him.

“My prince!” The guard’s voice made Taesan turn to look toward the gates leading out of Winterfell. There, standing between the guard who’d just spoken and another man, stood Baekseung.

“About time you came home…” Taesan sighed. He couldn’t really bring himself to be angry with his son right now, as he was much more relieved that the boy was back, but much to his surprise, Baekseung didn’t reply with some sort of snarky remark or snappy comment, which he usually did, and instead just remained quiet. “You alright?” Taesan questioned as he walked up to his son. He gestured for the two guards to leave, so they did, but Baekseung still didn’t look up to meet his dad’s eyes. “Baekseung?”

“I’m sorry I left…” The boy murmured.

“You should be… but are you okay? You seem a little… low…”

“I’m fine,” Was all Baekseung said, still not looking up at Taesan.

“Well… it’s good that you're home, and you should probably go look for your father. He’s been really worried about you…” Taesan raised his hand to gently run it over his son’s cheek, finally making the boy look up at him.

“Yeah, sorry, again…” Baekseung answered before giving his dad a smile that didn’t reach his eyes and walking past him to get into the castle. Taesan watched him go until he disappeared out of sight, then he turned to look back toward the stables. Well… now he just needed to find Minseo and probably apologize to Sungho again, and properly this time…

- - - -

“You really start to sound like your dad, you know that, right?” Minjae looked up as Junmin entered his chambers. The younger hadn’t even knocked, but Minjae didn’t care.

“Yeah, you keep saying that…” Minjae sighed, tossing the book he’d been reading to the side before slumping backward on the bed.

“Well, it’s not really a good thing… I guess he has better sides to him, but you’re just pretty much copying his bad sides more and more nowadays,” Junmin walked over and sat down beside the elder on the bed, poking him in the side as the prince didn’t answer him.

“Hey! What was that for?” Minjae jerked away as Junmin poking him in the side tickled, but the younger just grinned down at him.

“Ignoring it won’t make it any better either…” He said, but Minjae just groaned before rolling over onto his stomach and picking up the book again.

“It’s not like I can help it! He’s my dad, and I bet you inherited bad things from your parents, too!” Minjae huffed.

“Yeah, like what?” Junmin chuckled.

“You… I don’t know… but there has to be something!” Minjae tried to think of something but found it hard as Junmin didn’t seem to have any bad sides.

“Maybe I’ll start hating you as my dad hates yours,” He laughed, prompting Minjae to turn slightly to look at the younger.

“Does he really hate him, though?” Minjae asked. I know Taerae never really liked my dad ever since they were our age, but hate is a rather strong word for it,”

“Yeah, well, maybe not hate him, but he doesn’t like him, that’s for sure. Don’t you remember how hard it was to convince him to let me stay here when they went back home with my brother?” Junmin said.

“Oh yeah, I do,” Minjae chuckled. “I thought my parents were hard to convince of something, but your father surely takes the cake,” Both boys laughed at this, and Junmin then slumped down on his back beside Minjae, who was still lying on his stomach with the book in his hands.

“Read for me, please?” Junmin asked, and Minjae smiled a little.

“Sure,” He answered before flipping back a few pages to the last page they’d ended on the last time he read for the younger. Then he started to read out loud, and Junmin just closed his eyes and listened.

Chapter Text

Baekseung just sat on his bed and let his father tangle out the knots that had appeared over the last few days when he’d been traveling back to Winterfell. He’d not really cared for anything after Keum had left him in that tent; he barely knew how or why he’d even returned home. All he’d wanted to do was just lay down and die…

“You will find someone else, sweety. I know it doesn’t feel like it now, but I can assure you there will be many boys and girls your own age that would happily marry you,” Leehan said as he used his fingers to gently detangle his son’s shoulder-length hair.

“I don’t want to marry someone else…” Baekseung sighed…

“You don’t have to,” Leehan had finally cleared Baekseung’s hair of any knots, so now he moved to sit beside his son rather than behind him. “No one will force you to marry anyone,”

“Isn’t it important that a prince should marry?” Baekseung knew enough of traditions, inheritance, and the benefits of marrying into other houses to gain strength and support to doubt his father’s words now.

“You have enough brothers not to have to worry about that,” Leehan chuckled. “If you don’t want to marry, then you don’t have to,”

“I do want to marry! But not just anyone, I want to marry him!” Baekseung said, but Leehan just gave him a small smile.

“We don’t always get what we want, sweety,” Leehan said.

“You and dad did…” Baekseung mumbled, sulking as he pouted his lips, something he’d done ever since he was but a few years old when he didn’t get what he wanted.

“Not always…” Leehan pressed his lips into a thin line, glad that his son was not looking at him right now, as his facial expression probably would have betrayed him. He knew his son had referred to Leehan and Taesan getting to marry each other, but what the boy didn’t know was that it hadn’t always been what they wanted… “But you’re far too young to worry about marriage now anyways, so please just stay here, at least until we find Minseo,” Leehan’s words made Baekseung finally look over at him, and he gave his father a confused look.

“Where’s Minseo?” He asked, which, in hindsight, was a rather stupid thing to ask considering the fact that Leehan had just said they needed to find him, implying that he was gone. Leehan just looked at his son for a few seconds, realizing the boy didn’t even know that his brother had left Winterfell…

“He and Yunseong left Winterfell the same day you did…” Leehan eventually said.

“Why…?” Baekseung looked quite surprised and somewhat worried, as it was not like his brother to do such things… He’d never been one to do irrational things; that was more Baekseung himself, and at times Minjae, but not Minseo…

“He and I had an argument, but there’s nothing to worry about! Your dad and Sungho are out looking for him,” Leehan said, gently running his hand over Baekseung’s hair.

“But dad was just here! I spoke with him when I came back,” Baekseung objected.

“I know, sweety, but he was on his way when you arrived back here. He’ll try to look for Minseo up North,”

“Did they go to Castle Black? Since Yunseong’s father is there,” Baekseung questioned, but Leehan wasn’t sure what to answer since he didn’t know himself.

“I don’t know… but hopefully. Then they’ll have someone they know with them at least…”

- - - -

Taesan twitched slightly in his sleep, eyes flickering back and forth underneath his closed eyelids as he slept… There was the sound of faint voices somewhere in the back of his mind, but even though he was asleep, he unconsciously tried to push them away…

“It’s just a story…” One voice said. Taesan unconsciously tried to get away from whatever he was hearing, but he couldn’t…

“It is done, my king; the Starks are gone,” Another voice said, followed by a third.

“Not all of them…” Taesan snapped out of his dream and sat straight up, startling a few of his men sitting beside him. They’d stopped for the night to get some rest, with no more than the trees above and around them, the cold winds sweeping down and twirling up the snow that had already fallen on the ground. Taesan had not left the comforts of Winterfell for many years, and that seemed that it had been the last straw for him to get his visions back…

“Are you alright, my prince?” One of the men to his side asked, but Taesan just waved him off before standing up.

“I’m fine!” He huffed, walking further away from the others, but when a couple of them tried to go with him, he signaled for them to stay, so they did. He walked for a while through the snow, which had not yet piled up so much that it would make it difficult to walk, but his boots still felt clear footprints behind as he walked further away.

“You’re afraid…” Another voice could be heard, but this time, it didn’t come from inside his head but rather from his side, making Taesan turn around so fast he almost fell over. “Don’t be… The dreams only wish to guide you, to tell you what is to come…” Taesan recognized the man to whom the voice belonged.

“Taemin…? What the hell are you doing here?” Taesan questioned. He wasn’t really surprised the other knew of his dreams and visions. He might not have met the man more than a couple of times before, but he knew enough about him to know he possessed either wisdom or at least knowledge that no one else did…

“The crown prince of the North leaving Winterfell is out of the ordinary. I only wish to see why,” Taemin answered, but Taesan wasn’t sure if he should really believe him or not. He’d always found the mysterious man odd and unpredictable, possessing knowledge he wouldn’t share and appearing in people’s lives when they least expected it… “But you’re afraid, not just for the wellbeing of your family, but also for what you’ve seen and heard…” Taesan glared at the other for a few seconds before huffing and continuing to walk.

“I’m not afraid! It’s just dreams…” He muttered.

“It’s the future, not just your future, but the future of your bloodline,” Taesan followed the prince as he walked through the snow, but unlike the prince’s boots leaving footprints behind, Taemin’s didn’t.

“Dreams aren’t the future! The future is what we make it by choosing one thing or another! And I’m not going to be fooled by some stupid visions when I make my decisions!” Taesan snapped, finally stopping again to face Taemin.

“You’re right; the future is what you make it, and it can change depending on what you choose, what your sons choose, and their children after them, but one thing still stands… The things you’re seeing and the things your son is seeing are the future. They might not all come true, but depending on what you’ll do now, it’ll end up with that one or more of these dreams have shown you,” Taesan hated Taemin’s way of speaking… Like, how hard could it be to just speak normally, but he chose not to question the other, as he figured he’d just get another ridiculous answer in return…

“Just leave me alone,” Taesan huffed, kicking at the snow in front of his feet, no longer looking at the silver-clad man behind him.

“You’re not the one who’ll end up alone… that’s not your fate,” Taesan frowned and looked back once again, only to find that Taemin was already gone. What the hell was that supposed to mean…? He thought to himself. Who was the one whose fate was to be alone…?

- - - -

Hunter watched as Baekseung and Minjae trained in the courtyard. It had been a few days since his triplet brother had returned, but Hunter had still not spoken to him. He couldn’t really bring himself to do it, not after what he’d seen… Junmin was also with Minjae and Baekseung, waiting for his turn to participate in their training. Yujun was sitting next to Hunter with a small knife and a piece of wood in his hands. He was making some sort of figure similar to the ones already standing on the bedside table in their shared room. The sound of the knife sliding against the wood, combined with the sound of the blades striking each other, sounded rather muffled in Hunter’s head, like they came from much further away than they actually were. He closed his eyes as he felt dizzy, and he squeezed his hands into fists as he felt like he was heating up… almost like he was standing next to a fire.

“You good?” Yujun’s voice sounded far away as well, just like the other sounds, but in order not to worry his brother, Hunter nodded, hoping Yujun wouldn’t question him any further. But it didn’t matter if he would have done it or not, as the sound of Minjae letting out a small yelp of pain brought Hunter right back out of his own head, the dizziness and the heat disappearing at once.

“Fuck, that hurt!” Minjae hissed as he dropped his sword before holding onto his arm with his hand. Hunter watched as blood started to drip down from his brother’s arm, running down over his hand before landing in the white snow below. The cut wasn’t deep, and the blade had struck on top of his arm, meaning it wasn’t actually dangerous, but it would still hurt.

“Sorry! I didn’t mean to do that!” Baekseung said, looking a little startled as well. He’d not meant to strike his brother’s arm, and even if the cut was rather small, he still felt bad for hurting the other.

“Nah, it’s fine. It just stings a little,” Minjae said, using the sleeve of his shirt to whip off the blood from his hand before taking a closer look at it. “It’s not deep at all, but I should probably get the maester to take a look at it, or father will probably freak out,” He chuckled, and Baekseung did as well.

“Yeah, that sounds about right,” The younger said, smiling a little, which was something he’d not really done for days. He’d gotten rather sweaty from their training, and a few drops ran down his temples before he wiped them off on his sleeve. To anyone around him, it would not have been seen as anything out of the ordinary, but to Hunter, it almost looked like Baekseung had water running down his face, which brought back the vision he’d seen before and when he looked back at Minjae, whose hand was still a little bloody, the image of blood dripping down both Hunter’s hands flashed by his eyes. Or… was it his hands? He couldn’t tell; all he knew was that he was the hands as if they were his own, or as if he viewed them from another person’s eyes… There was a pounding in his head that became louder and louder as he watched his two brothers, but then he heard a voice he did not recognize…

“Waters dark as dreams, it’ll drown our screams, and forever, its surface will gleam… Blood like liquid fire, burning strong through our veins, from once it came, forever untamed, it’ll return to flame!” The pounding in his head disappeared just as fast as it had appeared, if not even faster than that, and it made Hunter flinch slightly. He blinked a few times before looking around. Yujun was still sitting next to him, seemingly unaware of what Hunter had just seen and heard, but when Hunter looked up, the courtyard in front of them was now empty, indicating Baekseung, Minjae, and Junmin had already left. Hunter hadn’t heard them leave, probably due to the fact that he’d been too occupied with what had been going on in his head, but as he sat there, staring at the few drops of Minjae’s blood still visible in the snow, he couldn’t help but wonder if he was actually going to go insane from this…

Chapter Text

“You could give the Bolton’s old lands to one of your grandchildren, my king. I’m fairly certain they all won’t want to stay in Winterfell, and if they don’t marry into other houses and move there, the Bolton’s lands are still in good condition,” Lord Hornwood said. He was the one Kane Bolton had given The Dreadfort, the old Bolton castle, to, but Lord Hornwood was surprisingly satisfied with what land he already owned and mostly saw the new lands as another burden to deal with, which was why he’d come to Winterfell to discuss with his king.

“I’m glad you came here, my lord, but I’m afraid my grandsons are a little too young to inherit a castle of their own, and I’m not entirely sure they would actually want to move away from here just yet,” Jake answered. He was aware of Minjae’s outburst the other day, but at the same time, he figured the boy wouldn’t want to move to The Dreadfort either, as he’d probably want to be with Junmin, which already gave him the options to either stay in Winterfell or move to Deepwood Motte, where Junmin came from. Sumin would most likely move up to Last Hearth when he was older to be with Jinsik, and as for the triplets, they were still too young and had either not really shown any interest in marrying or had had their hopes a little too high… This left just Minseo, but Jake wasn’t even sure where his eldest grandson was right now. But seeing as he and Yunseong had been pretty inseparable as they’d grown up, he figured they wouldn’t want The Dreadfort either, and since Minseo stood to inherit the North after Taesan, Winterfell itself was the most appropriate place for the boy to live.

“Well… I’m too old to have that much land to oversee, so do you have any other solutions to what we might do with it?” Lord Hornwood asked.

“We could divide the lands themselves, but the castle itself might not get a new lord for a while,” Jake suggested, and this seemed to satisfy the other lords as well. He thanked them all before they started to leave again, one by one, until only Jake, himself, and Leehan were left in the room. Leehan normally didn’t take part in the council meetings since that was Taesan’s role, but since the elder wasn’t there now, Jake wanted Leehan to be present to represent his brother’s place.

“What if Minseo doesn’t want to come back…?” Leehan asked once the door to the room closed behind the last lord. “And what if he doesn’t want to be king after Taesan?”

“You don’t know if that’s what he wants; maybe he just needs some time away to figure himself out,” Jake said, but Leehan just ran his hands over his face before looking over at his father.

“But what if…? I don’t want to force him into anything, even if it means I won’t get to see him as often as before… and it doesn’t matter if he is Taesan’s son or not; Taesan already said Minseo is his heir, no matter what, but what if he doesn’t want to be?” Jake knew Leehan was both worried and beating himself up, thinking he’d destroyed his son’s life, but, as king, Jake had to think of what was best for the North as well.

“Minseo is your oldest son, by right of law, the North is his, whether he wants it or not… changing something like the order of succession, even with all parts agreeing, may cause tension throughout the kingdom,” Jake said.

“But I know you’ve considered on several occasions to name me your heir instead of Taesan…” Leehan pointed out, which made Jake sigh before walking over to his son.

“The thought has crossed my mind, yes, but I never did because it wouldn’t just deprive Taesan of his birthright; it could cause our people to claim we break centuries of tradition and could eventually make them want to break other laws as well…” Jake said. “And even if Taesan might not be the prime example of a future king, neither was I when I became king, but name, let’s say, Minjae as Taesan’s heir over Minseo, could bring on problems we cannot face…”

“And what of his happiness…?” Leehan murmured. “Being locked up in the same castle all your life, having duties pushed onto you, and not being able to be yourself doesn’t do anyone any good…” Leehan stood up from the table and walked away from his father. “I care more for my children’s well-being than what the lords of the North think of old laws, and maybe that is wrong, but to me, it’s not. And I’ve spent pretty much my whole life in Winterfell, so I know it won’t do them any good if they’re forced to stay if they don’t want to…” He gave his father one last look before turning around and walking out of the room. Jake sighed and slumped down in the chair Leehan had just been sitting in. If he’d known it’d come to this, he wouldn’t have agreed to be named The King in the North all those years ago, and sometimes he wondered if everything would have been better if he’d taken Taesan and Leehan and just left Westeros altogether…

- - - -

The next few days passed quite slowly. Minseo didn’t do much else than watch the crows attend their duties at Castle Black and on top of the wall. It wasn’t very fun, and he got bored of it rather quickly, which just led to him returning to the room MJ had given him and Yunseong. Despite the Lord Commander offering them another room the day after they arrived, they’d both said they were just fine with the one they had, the only difference being that they’d pushed the two single beds together so they could sleep next to each other. Yunseong had, for the most part, stayed with Minseo, but the younger also wanted his friend to get to spend some time with his father since it had been a very long time since MJ and Yunseong had seen each other. So, as of right now, Minseo was standing alone, watching a few of the crows spar down in the muddy courtyard. They were quite good, at least a few of them, but most of them were just standing around, watching the others, or struggling with the simplest things like holding the swords correctly or being able to move around and not just freeze up as their opponent tried to strike them. It became clear to Minseo rather quickly that there were very few people in the world who had gotten the upbringing he had and that, maybe, it wasn’t right to just want to throw that away over one thing compared to all the other good things he’s had in his life… Just as these thoughts ran through his head, he spotted Sungho walking together with another of the crows on the other side of the courtyard, and it made him think of the impressive training he and his brothers had gotten from the knight and all of the other things he’d done for them basically from the moment they were born.

“Minseo,” Yunseong’s voice pulled the younger out of his thoughts, and he turned to look at the elder as he walked toward him. “Come,” Yunseong said, pulling Minseo with him while smiling brightly.

“What are you up to now?” Minseo laughed as he let the elder pull him along the walkway around and up above the courtyard until they reached the huge elevator thing leading all the way up to the top of the wall.

“I said I’d take you up to see the view from up there,” Yunseong answered, gesturing up to the wall towering over them. “So that’s what I’m doing!”

“And your father’s okay with that? Don’t we need like special permission to go up there?” Minseo asked, but he still followed the other to the elevator.

“I asked him, and he said it was fine!” Yunseong assured the younger, so Minseo just nodded. He’d never been very fond of heights, so when the elevator started moving up, making occasional screeching sounds as it did, Minseo held onto Yunseong’s arm, as the elder didn’t seem as bothered by the height as he was. It took some time before they eventually reached the top, and by then, Minseo had stopped looking down as he scared him while inside the moving elevator. Yunseong chuckled briefly at him before leading him out of it and onto the snow-packed wall. “You’ll be fine, I got you,” He said, but Minseo just nodded without opening his eyes. He let the elder lead him a bit further away before he told him to walk up a few sets of steps and onto what Minseo assumed to be an outpost built on top of the wall. “Now we’re here, don’t you want to look?” Yunseong questioned, still sounding a little teasing but not mean in any way.

“I think I’m fine just knowing I’m up here,” Minseo answered, which made Yunseong laugh again.

“Now, where’s the fun in that?” He asked. “You just need to open your eyes, nothing more! I promise you nothing will happen and you won’t fall down! If there was any risk for that, I wouldn’t have brought you here,” This made Minseo slowly open one of his eyes, taking in the blue sky, as that was the first thing he saw when he looked straight forward, but then he opened his other eye as well and finally started to look around properly.

“We’re really high up…!” He mumbled, gripping Yunseong’s arm even tighter as he could see the trees down below them. They looked so small and so far away, and the mere thought of just how far down they were made him feel a little dizzy.

“Yeah, haha,” Yunseong answered. “700 feet, to be exact,” He added before pulling the younger closer to himself. There were a few crows up on the wall as well, but none of them seemed to care about the two teenagers standing there and just went on with their business, attending to the wall and keeping watch.

“If this is 700 feet, I don’t even wanna know how high my ancestors flew on their dragons…” Minseo chuckled a little. He wouldn’t say he usually cared much for his ancestors or what they did with their dragons, but the thought of flying on one at heights even higher than this was insane!

“Your great-grandfather flew over the wall, didn’t he? Along with the last king before the war with the white walkers,” Yunseong said, and Minseo nodded.

“He did, and so did King Beomgyu, years before Eric and Sunwoo did,” Minseo answered. Despite the Broken King’s departure from King’s Landing and living most of his life hidden away from the rest of the world at the time, many books and stories told of the time he’d spent up beyond the wall, with the wildlings, away from the madness and misery of his family in King’s Landing.

“It’s a pity that they’re gone… It would have been cool if you had a dragon!” Yunseong said, and it made Minseo chuckle slightly.

“I’m not too sure I would have had the courage to ride one, to be honest,” He said. “This height already scares me, so going thousands of feet high on a dragon wouldn’t have been for me…”

“You would have been the one to tell the dragon how high it should go, though, so you wouldn’t have had to go higher than what you were comfortable with,” Yunseong pointed out.

“I guess… but I still think I’m quite far from being a Targaryen, so the whole dragon thing doesn’t really bother me,” Minseo answered.

“I would have been cool either way!” Yunseong said, prompting Minseo to shake his head and laugh a little at him. “There was actually one other thing I wanted to ask you, though…” Yunseong said after a while.

“Yeah? What’s that?” Minseo asked, but then Yunseong seemed to get a bit nervous, not really sure if he should keep looking out over the trees and the snow-covered lands below them or down at the younger. He eventually chose the latter, turning his face downward to look into Minseo’s eyes.

“This might not really be the best timing, and I guess we’d still have to talk to our parents, especially yours, but will you marry me…?” The question surprised Minseo so much that, at first, he didn’t really do anything at all other than stare back up at Yunseong, but then he opened his mouth only to close it again. “I get it if you don’t want to; I’m mean, we’re still rather young, and with everything that’s been going on now and the fact that my father doesn’t ever really know who you are, I guess-“ Yunseong’s rambling was effectively ended by Minseo pressing his lips against the elder’s. Closing his eyes and prompting Yunseong to do the same before wrapping his arms around him.

“Yes, I wanna marry you,” He eventually said as they pulled apart again, and Yunseong smiled down at him before pulling him into another kiss.

Chapter Text

Minseo knew he needed to speak with Sungho, and probably sooner than later. He had not been fair to the knight earlier, and even if he’d agreed to stay for a few days when Yunseong had asked him, it had already been more than just a few days, and rather almost a week… Minseo was currently alone, as Yunseong had gone to speak with his father about their plans to marry, and even if Minseo figured MJ was easier to persuade than Taesan and Leehan, the fact still remained… Yunseong was supposed to take over as Lord Commander when MJ got too old or passed away, so marrying a prince wasn’t the ideal thing to do. Minseo still hadn’t told MJ who he really was, but he guessed he didn’t really need to as the Lord Commander was not stupid by any means, and there couldn’t be that many Minseos coming from Winterfell, so despite him telling MJ his name was Snow, he knew that the Lord Commander knows his actual name was really Stark.

“Can we, uhm… can we talk?” Minseo didn’t realize he’d walked all the way down to where Sungho was before he heard himself speak. The knight seemed just as surprised as Minseo was, but he nodded before gesturing for the crow he’d been talking to that he’d be back later.

“Sure, where do you want to go? I mean, if you want us to speak alone. Otherwise, we can stay here if you’d rather want that…” Sungho wasn’t really sure if he actually made any sense as he spoke, but Minseo smiled a little before answering.

“We could go up to mine and Yunseong’s room; he’s with his father right now, so the room will be empty,” Minseo answered, and Sungho nodded before following the younger up the stairs and into the room.

“I’m sorry… for yelling at you and not being fair toward you…” Minseo said before Sungho had even closed the door behind them.

“You don’t need to apologize… You have a right to be angry with me and with your father,” Sungho answered after he’d closed the door and walked over to sit down at the table where Minseo was already sitting. He didn’t really like bringing Leehan into this when the younger wasn’t there to defend himself, but what Sungho meant by Minseo having the right to be angry with them both was that neither himself nor Leehan had really thought anything through when they were younger and now Minseo was the one who had to deal with that…

“I still shouldn’t have yelled or just ran away; it’s not really good behavior,” Minseo pointed out, and that made Sungho smile a little. Sure, it was a bit problematic that the boy didn’t resemble Taesan in the slightest, but Sungho couldn’t help but think it was good, both for Minseo and for the people around him. “So, I’m sorry, I really am!”

“I’m sorry to…” Sungho answered. “You shouldn’t have to go through something like this just because me and your father made stupid decisions, but I just want you to know that he technically never cheated on Taesan. They weren’t married back then, and they weren’t even betrothed, so please don’t be angry with him for that. It’s me you should blame…” Even if Sungho knew both he and Leehan were equally as much to blame, he still didn’t want anyone to be angry at Leehan. He guessed he and Taesan did have that in common, at least…

“I bet that some decisions that I make now will be equally as stupid as the ones you, father, and Taesan did when you were just 17, so I guess that now, when I’ve had some time to think, I’m not really angry at anyone anymore…” Minseo said. He gave Sungho a small smile, not really sure what he was actually supposed to do…

“Yeah, well, we all make mistakes and stupid things once in a while…” Sungho chuckled. “And your dad is quite the prime example of that. It sometimes doesn’t just apply to teenagers,” He added, trying to lighten up the mood a little by pointing out Taesan’s sometimes bad temper, which Minseo was well aware of, but when Minseo didn’t answer or laugh with him, Sungho became a little worried and slowly turned to face him properly. “Sorry, I shouldn’t say that about your da-“

“He’s not my dad, though…” Minseo interrupted Sungho, but he didn’t sound angry or sad. It was more of a thing he pointed out since their conversation had to get to that point sooner or later, so why not get straight to it…?

“He raised you as his son, and I know that he loves you just as much as he loves Minjae, Sumin, Baekseung, Yujun, and Hunter! And neither of us wants you to feel any different because of something you had no saw in…” Sungho said, but Minseo just shook his head.

“I know Taesan sees me as his son, just like my brothers, but for me, even if I do love him, it doesn’t feel right calling him dad anymore…” Minseo fiddled with the hem of his shirt as he spoke, not looking at Sungho, but the knight couldn’t help but smile a little at the action. It was something Minseo surely had inherited from Leehan, as the latter tended to do the same when he was uncomfortable or didn’t really know what to say or do. “But I guess it doesn’t matter what I think… I know I need to keep referring to him as such, but it feels unfair to you…” Minseo finally looked up and met Sungho’s eyes, and the knight had not really been prepared for the boy to say that… He’d never let himself even think that Minseo would care for him like that, as all he’d done was make the boy’s life harder as of late, but at the same time, it woke something inside him that felt right.

“Don’t worry about me! All I care about is that you’re alright,” Sungho answered, but Minseo gave him a somewhat displeased look before reaching out to that his hand.

“But you’re my dad, not Taesan… and it actually makes me sad that I can’t call you that… because I want to…” Minseo felt no hate for Taesan, and he actually felt a little bad for disregarding him as his supposed dad, but Taesan had five other sons while Sungho didn’t, so Minseo felt like the latter should at least have the right to be called dad by his own son, even if it had to be in secret… Sungho just blinked a few times, trying to take in what Minseo had just said before. He felt like crying, but he pushed it aside as he didn’t want to worry the boy.

“You can call me whatever you want, but just not so others hear you…” Sungho answered after a short silence. He squeezed Minseo’s hand in his own, but that didn’t seem to be enough for the boy as he pulled Sungho closer and into a hug.

“Then I wanna call you dad,” He murmured into Sungho’s shoulder, and all Sungho himself could really do was hug Minseo back. “But… do my brothers know…?” Minseo asked after a while, slightly pulling away, and Sungho reluctantly let him. He hoped it wasn’t the last time he got to hug Minseo, but he still didn’t really want to let him go, his son…

“No,” Sungho answered. “Not that I’m aware of. But Taesan does know, and so does Jake, but that’s all, apart from me and Leehan, of course,”

“Yunseong also knows,” Minseo said. “But he won’t tell anyone, not even his father,”

“That’s good,” Sungho answered. “I know it can be hard keeping sure a secret, but it’s for your own safety and Leehan’s,”

“I know,” Minseo nodded. “But there’s actually another thing that I’m not really sure what to do with…” Minseo bit his lip and stayed silent for a few seconds before continuing. “I wanna marry Yunseong, and he actually already asked me to do it, and I said yes, but I want you to be the one who walks me to him…”

“Oh,” Sungho said, quite surprised by both the news that Minseo and Yunseong wanted to marry, even if it should have been rather easy to figure out, but also by the fact that Minseo wanted him to be the one to walk him down. “I would love to do that, but this is one of those times that people will see and remember, so I’m afraid it has to be Taesan or Leehan who does it…” It pained Sungho to deny the boy his wishes, but he knew he couldn’t be the one to do it without it having major consequences…

“What if we do it in secret? Then you can walk me down, and then maybe a few days afterward, we could do a more official ceremony where Taesan does it?” Minseo suggested, and it actually sounded like something that could work.

“That might actually be doable, but I still think you need to speak with Leehan before we do any sort of ceremony,” Sungho said. “As much as I would want to do it, I don’t want them to hate me or you for not telling them about something so big beforehand,” He chuckled a little, and so did Minseo.

“I guess you’re right,” The boy said. They then sat in silence for a while before Minseo reached out to hug Sungho again. “I’m still sorry for everything I said and for just running off… I didn’t want to upset either one of you, but at that moment, it just felt best to go somewhere else…”

“I know how it feels, trust me. Sometimes, it just feels like it’s easier to not be somewhere that is actually a place you love…” Sungho knew this all too well. He might not have had the same reasons as Minseo to leave, but after his mother died, he never really felt like going back to either of his brothers, at least not before having spent some time away and on his own to figure himself out. But he didn’t regret reuniting with them at all, especially not Doyoung, as the elder had meant so much to him before. “But I think you really should explain this to Leehan as well. I know for a fact that he’s really worried about you, and both he and Taesan want you back home,”

“Yeah, I probably should. And since I do need to tell them about me and Yunseong, I guess going back to Winterfell would be the easiest,” Minseo said, and Sungho nodded. “But you’re coming with me, right?” Minseo asked, pulling away from their hug slightly to look up at Sungho.

“Absolutely, if you want me to,” The knight said, and Minseo nodded.

“I just need to tell Yunseong, and then we can go!” Minseo stood up from the chair, but Sungho chuckled a little at him.

“Maybe not right away. It’ll be dark soon, so maybe it’s better if we go tomorrow,” He said.

“Yeah, you’re right,” The prince chuckled. “We’ll go back tomorrow then!”

Chapter Text

Despite being friends with both Gyuvin and Ricky for almost all his life, Taesan had only been to Last Hearth a couple of times. The most northern castle, apart from Castle Black, was by no means in bad shape or any less luxurious than Winterfell. It was a little smaller, and it snowed more often here than it did in Winterfell, but other than that, there wasn’t much that was different. Gyuvin met them at the gates, looking a little surprised by Taesan’s arrival and with several guards along with him as well.

“It’s been quite some time since you came up here,” Gyuvin said. “This whole Minseo situation must be more serious than I thought,” He added as Taesan got off his horse.

“Well, we still don’t know where he and Yunseong went,” Taesan answered.

“Sungho was here a few days ago, along with a crow, and I think they headed up to Castle Black,” Gyuvin told his friend, but Taesan gave him a confused look.

“A crow? This far from Castle Black?” The crown prince questioned.

“He’s the one who goes to all the castles here in the North to pick up criminals that are not escorted up. His name is Woonhak, and I think he’s just a few years younger than us,” Gyuvin explained, and then Taesan nodded slowly. It made sense that there was someone making sure the criminals got escorted to where they should since, otherwise, most castles had to keep them locked up until the yearly mass travel made sure all of the criminals were escorted up to Castle Black.

“Where’s Sumin?” Taesan asked as Gyuvin started walking back toward the castle.

“Ricky took them out hunting this morning, but they should be back later,” Gyuvin answered.

“Alright, but I’m afraid I can’t stay,” The prince said, prompting Gyuvin to stop and look back at him. “I need to keep looking, and if you said Sungho had already been here, I fear he hasn’t found them yet…”

“We can help, you know. If you want us to,” Gyuvin offered, but Taesan shook his head.

“No, I don’t want to worry Sumin more than necessary, so I think it’s better if you stay here with him and Jinsik,” Taesan said, and then Gyuvin just nodded slowly.

“You’re probably right for once,” He said, teasing his friend a little, but Taesan just huffed but smiled at him. “But if you change your mind, we’re here for you,”

“Thank you,” Taesan got back up on his horse before joining his guards outside the castle gates again before heading further north, but before he could really get anywhere, he spotted a small group of people approaching. “Sungho…? You found them!” He burst out upon seeing the knight along with both Minseo and Yunseong. There were a couple of crows with them as well, but Taesan didn’t really care about them as he swiftly got off his horse again and ran up to Minseo. The boy had also gotten off his horse and let Taesan wrap his arms around him and pull him into a hug.

“I’m sorry…” He murmured into Taesan’s shoulder, but the elder just shook his head while squeezing Minseo closer.

“It’s alright, don’t worry about it! All that matters is that you’re fine!” Taesan assured him, and then he felt Minseo nod against his shoulder. “Let’s just get you back home,” He added before looking up at Sungho. The knight was already looking at them, but he pressed his lips into a thin line as he met Taesan’s eyes. They absolutely needed to talk…

- - - -

Hunter tried to take deep breaths as he sat on the side of his bed. He was alone in his and Yujun’s room, as the other was still in the dining hall with their father and brothers, but Hunter had excused himself and left early because the thumping sound in his head refused to go away…! This was not normal, even for him… And even if he hadn’t had any other vision since the afternoon Baekseung accidentally cut Minjae, he’d had a terrible headache, and it felt like the more he tried to make it stop, the worse it got! Eventually, he stood up from the bed and walked around it and to the window. He leaned his forehead against the cold glass and closed his eyes before taking another deep breath.

“Just stop… please just stop…” He mumbled to himself, but the loud thumping sound in his head just kept on going. He placed his hands on each side of the window and gripped the frame in his hands, not entirely sure why, but he just felt like he needed to hold onto something. Even if he had his eyes closed, white flashing lights started to dart across his vision, making him grip the wooden frame surrounding the window even harder. “No… no… go away!” He mumbled, trying to squeeze his eyes close even harder, but the white lights just kept coming. They didn’t turn into anything, nor did they show him another vision, but they just kept flashing by, making the thumping in his head even worse… He felt himself almost heat up, as if he was standing next to a fire spreading closer to him, only that this fire felt like it came from inside his chest. It grew more intense as he kept trying to make the flashing lights and the thumping sound go away, but then it felt like his skin started to heat up as well, mostly his back, but also out onto his shoulders and down the sides of his thighs. It didn’t hurt, but it wasn’t comfortable by any means, either. It wasn’t before he felt his shirt almost start to stick to his back that he realized that the worst heat was centered around the scales littered across his back… He was about to remove his hands from where they were and try moving his shirt slightly so it wouldn’t stick to his back, but before he could, an intense pain shot through his whole body, starting from his back and going all the way out to his fingertips. At the same time, the same vision he’d had several times since he was young flashed across his still-closed eyes. A throne made of a thousand swords, burning and melting into nothing but a pile of liquid metal. “No, just stop…” He mumbled again, but all that changed was that he started to make out what looked like to be a dragon in the middle of the fire, above the melting throne, along with a pair of violet eyes looking back at him… “Go away… just stop… STOP!” He finally screamed, gripping the window frame so hard the wood cracked under his fingers, and at the same time, it felt like all the heat just left his body at once, shooting from his back and seemingly through his arms before just disappearing as it reached his hands. He simultaneously opened his eyes, and as he did, the vision disappeared, but the window in front of him shattered into a million pieces, sending glass flying everywhere. He finally let go of the cracked wooden frame and backed away from the shattered glass. He was still breathing heavily, but the heat, the flashing white lights, and the thumping in his head were all gone. He stared at the shattered window for a while before he heard someone rush into the room behind him.

“Hunter?! What happened?” He heard his father ask, and he also heard who he assumed to be, Minjae, Baekseung, and Yujun, enter the room after Leehan.

“I don’t know… I didn’t mean to destroy it…” Hunter mumbled, still not tearing his eyes away from the shattered glass window even when Leehan pulled him even further away from it.

“What the hell happened to your shirt?” He heard Minjae ask, but before he could even really figure out what the elder meant, he felt a hand on his now apparently bare back.

“It looks like something burned right through it…” He heard Baekseung say, but it was Leehan who’d run his hand over his still somewhat heated skin.

“The wall…” Yujun mumbled, making both Minjae and Baekseung look away from Hunter and up at the wall where the shattered window was. “It looks like… wings…” That finally made Hunter also move his eyes away from the shattered glass and to the surrounding wall, and Yujun was right. It looked like a pair of wings had been burnt into the stone, starting from where Hunter’s hands had cracked the window frame and going out as far as where the wall ended in two separate corners of the room. Markings similar to the scales of a dragon’s winds had been burnt deep into the stone wall itself, and then it actually made sense to Hunter why it’d felt like the heat had disappeared from his hands as it was there the burnt markings started.

“Come on, sweety. Get away from the glass,” Hunter heard his father say as the elder gently pulled him even further back, but once Hunter had actually taken in the full extent of what he’d apparently done, he felt so drained of all energy he had that he just slumped down as his knees gave out from under him…

“Hunter!” He heard Yujun yell, but that was the last thing he heard before… nothing, just nothing…

Chapter Text

Making sure Minseo got back to Winterfell was actually easier than Taesan had thought. It seemed as though the boy actually wanted to return now, and since Yunseong came with them as well, they both seemed fine with returning. Taesan still had not really gotten the time to talk with Sungho in private; there was just the occasional questioning from Taesan asking if they were good, and mostly, Sungho just nodded before changing the subject. So Taesan figured he just had to wait until they got back home before finally getting the time to talk with the knight, but as they finally reached Winterfell, they were met with a very stressed-out Leehan and almost equally as stressed Jake. At first, Minseo seemed a little reluctant to see Leehan again, but as he got off his horse and actually saw the other for real, he went straight to hugging him tightly. Taesan wanted to ask why Leehan looked so worried, but he figured it was for the better if he let him and Minseo get some time alone, but before he could try to talk to Sungho, Jake walked up to them.

“There’s something you need to know…” The elder said, making Taesan raise an eyebrow at his father, prompting Jake to gesture for his son to follow him inside.

“Don’t leave the castle; I still want to talk to you,” Taesan said to Sungho before he followed Jake inside.

“I’m not planning to go anywhere,” The knight answered, and Taesan gave him a nod. He jogged after Jake, who’d gotten to the door, before asking him what was wrong.

“It’s Hunter…” Jake said, which made Taesan tense up.

“What about him? Is he alright?” Taesan asked.

“He’s sleeping now,” Was all Jake said before pulling Taesan with him toward Hunter’s and Yujun’s room. Taesan was quite surprised when he saw that the room was empty since Jake had just said Hunter was asleep, which Taesan thought meant the boy was in there, but he wasn’t… The second thing he realized as they entered the room was how cold it was, which he rather quickly figured out came from the broken window by Hunter’s bed, but the last but probably most severe thing Taesan noticed was what looked like huge wings burned into the wall…

“What the…?” Taesan walked past his father and up to the wall. He raised his hand up to run his fingers over the markings, but just as his fingertips came in contact with the wall, a flashing image of fire and smoke, burning buildings, and the sound of the loud bell ringing in the background shot through his head, making him jerk back away from the wall. “What is this?” Taesan then asked, turning back to face Jake, but the king clenched his jaw before answering.

“Hunter did that… That’s the only thing we know,” Jake said. “He’s been asleep ever since, so we haven’t gotten the chance to ask him about it…”

“And when was that?!” Taesan questioned, feeling worry start creeping up inside him. He might have been a bit hard on Hunter before, with the visions and all that, but what his own father told him now worried him much more than any visions or dreams he himself ever had…

“Two days ago…” Jake answered after a short silence, knowing fully well that Taesan would freak out knowing his son hadn’t been awake for such a long time.

“Two days!?” Taesan burst out, just like Jake had thought. “Have you tried to wake him up? Is he even breathing alright?!”

“Taesan, calm down! The maester says there is nothing we can do but wait. Whatever he did pretty much drained him of all his energy, which is why he’s still asleep, but…” Jake trailed off a little.

“But what?!” Taesan questioned, feeling irritation and frustration join the worry as Jake just seemed to drag everything out…

“The back of his shirt was completely burned through… and the maester thinks it has to do with the scales. As if they got so heated up that it burned through the fabric of his shirt,” Jake finally said, but that did nothing to ease Taesan’s frustration and worry…

“Burned? Like, with fire?” Was all Taesan could really bring himself to ask.

“We don’t know… apparently Leehan and your boys heard Hunter scream, and then when they got into the room, they found him standing in front of the shattered window, markings already on the wall, and the back of his shirt completely burned through…” Jake walked up to pull Taesan into a hug, and surprisingly, Taesan just let him.

“Where is he…?” Taesan murmured after a while. He made no move to pull away from Jake, but he did straighten back up as Jake broke their hug.

“In yours and Leehan’s room,” Jake said. “Yujun’s probably there as well. He’s refused to leave his brother’s side since…” Jake made a small pause, gesturing toward the broken window and wings-looking markings on the wall before continuing. “This happened…” He finished. Taesan finally pulled away from the hug and looked at Jake for a few seconds before humming.

“I’ll go to them,” He finally said, and then it was Jake’s turn to nod.

- - - -

Leehan thought Minseo would still be mad at him when he, Yunseong, Sungho, and Taesan returned to Winterfell, but the boy just hugged him before following him back inside the castle. Yunseong stayed behind just after they entered, but Minseo and Leehan walked all the way to Minseo’s chambers.

“I’m sorry… I shouldn’t have kept that from you, but I just didn’t want you to feel any different from your brothers…” Leehan said once they were alone in the room. Minseo didn’t answer him at first and just went to hug him once again, but when they pulled apart, he looked up to meet his father’s eyes.

“I know, and I’m sorry, too… I shouldn’t just have run off without letting you explain,” Minseo said.

“You had every right to be upset…” Leehan remarked, but Minseo shook his head.

“I still shouldn’t have behaved like that, so I’m sorry,” He gave his father a smile, which Leehan returned. “But there’s another thing I need to talk with you about…” He added before Leehan could bring up the incident involving Hunter, of which Minseo was still unaware had even taken place…

“What’s that?” Leehan questioned.

“I wanna marry Yunseong,” Minseo said. He saw no use in tip-toeing around the topic, so he got straight to the point. “And I want Sungho to walk me down,” At first, Leehan’s smile only grew as Minseo said he wanted to marry Yunseong, but as the boy got to the part about wanting Sungho to walk him down the aisle and not Taesan or Leehan himself, Leehan’s smile faded a little. Don’t get him wrong, he was actually happy Minseo accepted Sungho as his dad, but wanting the elder to do such a huge and public thing was quite problematic…

“Minseo… he can’t…” Leehan eventually said. “There would be so many questions and rumors if Sungho did that,”

“I know! Which is why we could do one ceremony for just us, where Sungho will walk me down, and after that, we could do another, bigger, public ceremony, in which either you or Taesan did it!” Leehan guessed Minseo had put a lot of thought into this, which was actually good, but he was still worried that someone who shouldn’t know would know about Sungho actually being Minseo’s dad if they had any sort of ceremony like Minseo suggested. In secret or not, there was always someone somewhere that might hear or see, which was what worried Leehan…

“Did you talk to Sungho about it?” Leehan eventually asked, and Minseo nodded. “And what did he say?”

“He didn’t want to really promise me anything before I’d talked to you and Taesan, but he said he would want to if you agreed to it,” Minseo answered. “So please, will you let him?” Leehan couldn’t help but smile at Minseo. The boy had always been really good with using his puppy eyes when he wanted something when he was younger, but it wasn’t something Leehan had seen him do in quite some time now.

“Maybe we should ask your da-… Taesan first?” Leehan had to correct himself mid-sentence as he was so used to referring to Taesan as all his sons’ dad, but he figured he might need to make some changes to that now, but just when he was speaking with Minseo, as no one else outside himself, Minseo, maybe Yunseong, Sungho, Taesan, and Jake could ever know the truth. He didn’t really think it was a good idea to tell either Minjae, Sumin, Baekseung, Yujun, or Hunter the truth either, as it actually didn’t concern them, and the more people knowing would make the chance of someone slipping up much bigger…

“Yeah, I didn’t really get the opportunity to speak with him in private as he rode back down here, but I will do it now!” Minseo said, starting to walk toward the door, but Leehan grabbed his arm to stop him.

“There’s something I need to tell you, too…” Leehan said, prompting Minseo to halt his steps, turn back around, and give his father a confused look. “It’s about Hunter…” Leehan added before Minseo could question him, but it just made Minseo’s face change from confusion to worry.

“What happened?!” Minseo asked, knowing fully well this wasn’t the first time something had happened to his brother, but judging by their father’s face, this could only be bad…

“We’re not really sure…”

- - - -

It was so hot… everything was just so hot! Hunter opened his eyes only to find that he was standing somewhere he’d never been before… It was a dirty stone street littered with what looked like debris from destroyed nearby buildings, and parts of the buildings, as well as the street, seemed to be on fire, which was probably why everything felt so hot… Hunter turned around slightly, looking down both ways of the street, one seemingly leading away from the destruction and toward what looked like some sort of city gate, and the other seemed to lead further into the city. As he looked this way, he couldn’t help but notice the huge red-ish castle at the furthest end of the city. Smoke came from what he assumed to be the courtyard, and parts of the castle itself seemed to have been destroyed by something… That something became very clear to Hunter soon enough as a loud roar came from above him, making him look up while simultaneously ducking away to avoid being engulfed by the fire pouring down over the buildings and streets… A dragon! A beautiful golden dragon swept down over the city and engulfed it with its fire, but that wasn’t the only thing. Hunter spotted a person sitting in the dragon’s saddle. He couldn’t make out what the person really looked like apart from the fact that they had blond hair, just like Hunter’s own grandfather, father, and one of his brothers. The signature blond Targaryen hair… Hunter continued to just stare at the golden dragon as it turned around in the air before engulfing another part of the city in its fire, but that’s when Hunter spotted another, much bigger and grey-ish dragon flying straight into the golden one, making the latter stop burning the city before they two dragons started to bit and claw at each other… He managed to see yet another blond-haired person sitting in the saddle of the grey dragon, but before he could make out anything else, both dragons seemed to have caused each other enough harm to make them both fall from the sky. Hunter watched as they fell and disappeared out of view behind the huge castle, and huge pillars of water reached almost as high as the castle towers from what Hunter could only assume to be from when the dragons crashed into the water.

“Wha… what…?” Hunter muttered to himself as his surroundings seemed to change slightly. Once it stopped, he seemed to still be in the same city, as he could still see that red-ish castle, but now he had a clear view of another huge building, which had its enormous roof crushed in, and as he watched said building, he heard a crash from behind him followed by a bronze or copper colored dragon flying up and out of the caved-in roof. This dragon seemed significantly smaller than the previous two ones, but it was still quite big! It flew over his head, which gave him a better view of it, and it seemed to be hurt, having fresh claw- and bitemarks from what must have been another dragon all over its body, and blood seemed to be dripping from some of the wounds as some of it landed on the street Hunter was standing on. The blood itself seemed to be so hot it had fume rising from it as it lay on the stony street, but other than that, it looked just the same as a human’s blood. Another loud roar suddenly rang through the air, making Hunter look up again, only to see the same copper dragon now fighting a smaller, blue one. The two dragons looked almost identical to the golden and grey ones as they bit and clawed at each other, mirroring the almost exact same thing the two bigger ones had done earlier. The only things that distinguish the four dragons apart were their sixes and their colors and the two riders that sat in the dragons’ saddles. The blue dragon had a blond-haired rider, just like the golden and grey ones had had, but the copper one had a dark-haired rider. Hunter couldn’t see their faces, nor could he make out anything else that could help him figure out who they were, but apart from the rider’s hair colors and the dragons, everything they did was the same… And, just like the golden and grey dragons had done previously, these copper and blue ones started to fall from the sky again, but this time, Hunter could actually see that they did, indeed, fall into the water…

“The history book on the shelf was always meant to repeat itself…” A voice in Hunter’s head said, and then, his vision of the burning city, the dragons, and everything else turned into the same image as before: A throne made of a thousand swords, burning and melting into nothing but a pile of liquid metal slowly changing into a dragon in the middle of the fire, above the melting throne, along with a pair of violet eyes looking back at Hunter… and then all of it disappeared at once…

Chapter Text

Several more days passed without Hunter waking up. Leehan and Taesan spent a lot of their time during these days sitting beside their son’s bed, praying and hoping he’d wake up with no problem, but he didn’t seem to… Yujun also pretty much refused to leave his brother’s side, and Minseo, Minjae, and Baekseung also often came by as well, either on their own or along with Jake and sometimes even Sungho. It seemed as though what had happened had made the whole of Winterfell just stop. No one was really up for doing anything, and even if they had the time, no one saw much use in doing anything with it, as it felt wrong since they were so worried for the youngest prince.

“How is he doing?” Sungho asked as Taesan exited the room. He’d spent the last few hours sitting with Yujun by Hunter’s side, but now he needed to get something to eat, and Leehan had just arrived in the room, so he took Taesan’s place for the time being. Yujun stayed behind, claiming he wasn’t hungry, and even if he probably was, neither Taesan nor Leehan had the energy to argue with their son about that right now. They knew Yujun would eventually eat anyway, so for now, they just let him be.

“I don’t know…” Taesan answered. He’d closed the door behind him and started walking down the corridor with Sungho walking beside him. “He’s still asleep, but the maester said that if he stays like this for much longer, they might need to start trying to wake him up by other means…”

“Like what?” Sungho asked.

“Probably trying to give him something, but he said that’s not really optimal either since the medicines haven’t really proven to work well on children before…” Taesan said. He squeezed his eyes closed for a moment as they’d started to hurt from how little sleep Taesan had gotten and by the fact that he was close to tears himself due to how worried he was for his son.

“They could do that even if he’s asleep?”

“Yeah, I guess they’ll try to inject whatever medicine that might be able to wake him up, but it’d still be better if he woke up on his own…” Taesan pushed the door open to the dining hall, and Sungho followed him to the table. They both sat down, and Taesan let out a sigh before placing his elbows on the table and burying his face in his hands.

“Isn’t Hunter afraid of needles?” Sungho questioned, remembering the very few times Taesan had let the maesters run tests on Hunter when he was younger. The crown prince hated the idea of the maester even suggesting doing the tests, but at the same time, both his and Leehan’s worry for their son made them occasionally let the maester do some tests just to rule out known potentially dangerous diseases. But after the first time the maester had tried to take some of the boy’s blood to examine it, Hunter freaked out and continued to do so every time he saw the needles again.

“He is, but he won’t really know they’re near him since he’s asleep, so I guess that’s something…” Taesan answered, voice slightly muffled by his own hands as he still had them over his face. Sungho just hummed, not really wanting to push the other to talk about the boy anymore, considering just how much it already seemed to accent him. So, after a while, Sungho stood back up and was about to leave when Taesan moved one hand to grab the elder’s arm, preventing him from leaving. “Don’t go…” He mumbled, face still buried in his other hand.

“Okay…” Sungho answered slowly before sitting back down again. Taesan let go of his arm but didn’t move it away; instead, he just rested it over Sungho’s wrist. “Have Minseo spoken with you about him and Yunseong?” Sungho asked after a few minutes of nothing but silence and the occasional worker bringing them some food. They should probably eat, or at least Taesan really should, but neither made any more to even touch the food standing on the table in front of them now.

“Not really,” Taesan answered. “He just told me that they wish to marry,” He still had his eyes closed but had now laid his arm down on the table and leaned his forehead against it.

“Oh, okay,” Sungho knew the days since they’d got back had been rather hard, but he thought Minseo had spoken with Taesan already, but apparently, he hadn’t… and now Sungho might have spoiled that…

“Why’d you ask that?” Taesan eventually asked, finally moving his head up to look over at the elder. He still had his other hand lying over Sungho’s wrist, and he didn’t seem to want to remove it quite yet.

“It’s just something he told me, but I think it’s better if he gets to tell you himself,” Sungho answered.

“It’s something about you being his dad and not me, isn’t it?” Taesan eyed Sungho for a while, and the latter almost expected the crown prince to snap and start yelling at him again, but surprisingly, he didn’t. In fact, he barely moved, just keeping his eyes on the elder.

“Something like that, yeah…” Sungho said, still not really letting go of the thought that the other could lose his temper and start yelling, but as the minutes ticked by, all Taesan did was place his head back down on the table.

“I suck at this…” He eventually said. Startling Sungho slightly as the latter hadn’t been prepared for him to start talking again. He still spoke at a normal volume, but he did not move his head this time.

“Sitting in silence or not eating?” Sungho asked, trying to lighten up the mood a little by joking, and it actually made Taesan let out a small chuckle.

“Talking… with you in particular,” Taesan mumbled. “Not that I’m good at talking when it comes to anyone else either, but it feels like I’m just blaming you for things and never really giving you the benefits of the doubt…”

“I’ve gotten quite used to it by now,” Sungho chuckled. “And to be honest, even if I’ve never done what you have, I still didn’t like you from the start, and it took a long time before I could stand you even if I didn’t show it,” This did make Taesan look but up again, and he couldn’t help but laugh a little at the knight’s comment.

“I guess I’m not as likable as my brother, huh?” He chuckled. “And definitely not a great future king…”

“You won’t be alone, though. I mean, sure, you might not be everyone’s first choice if they had one, but you’re still much better than some of your ancestors, and you’ll have people around you to help you be a better king,” Sungho’s words echoed in Taesan’s head, and he couldn’t help but remember what Taemin had told him when the mysterious silver-eyed man had appeared when Taesan had been alone in the Wolfswood about a week earlier.

“You’re not the one who’ll end up alone… that’s not your fate,” Taemin had said, and those words now rang through Taesan’s head after hearing Sungho telling him he wouldn’t be alone when he became king… but becoming king would mean Jake wouldn’t be with them anymore, and that was something Taesan feared very much… Almost even more than the fear he had for his own youngest son’s well-being at the time. Taesan and Jake might have had their fair share of arguments, and despite what everyone else said, including Jake himself, Taesan knew Leehan was Jake’s favorite and probably his preferred heir, but Taesan was the one who gotten the curse of being born first, which, in their family history, never really proved to be good… The Starks had had both good and decent lords over the years, and so had the Tyrells, but it was his Targaryen heritage that came with its fair share of problems.

“The Targaryens seldom ruled alone. They were surrounded by educated and wise people, and they still managed to be crappy rulers,” Taesan said.

“You’re much less Targaryen than they were, and your father is a good king despite being more Targaryen than you, so I don’t think you’ll be as bad as some of them were,” Sungho said before finally moving his arm slightly, turning his palm to face upward before gently squeezing Taesan’s hand that was still lying on top of his arm. This made Taesan look down at their hands before squeezing the elder’s hand a little as well.

“I’m sorry about before… I shouldn’t have yelled all those things at you, and I shouldn’t have spent years blaming you for my own insecurities… You didn’t deserve that when all you did was be the man I couldn’t be…” Taesan mumbled, not really meeting Sungho’s eyes as he spoke, but his hand where it was. “Leehan would have been happier with you; I see that now… He never talks about it, but I know he’s not as happy here as he would have been with you. He would have been free from all these stupid expectations, and maybe your children would have been spared from my stupid genes…”

“You did your best. I know that it was what you thought was better for Leehan, and I know for a fact that he chose you over me. He might never have said it out loud, but you were the one for him, and just so you know, whatever genes you think mine and Leehan’s potential children would have been spared from would have still been there since Leehan has the same ones you do,” Sungho pointed out.

“I don’t think Hunter would have turned out like this if you’d been his father…” Taesan said, finally pulling his hand away from Sungho, but now it was the knight’s turn to stop Taesan from moving away from him. He gripped the younger’s hand before Taesan could stand up from his chair, and it made Taesan stop moving before looking between their hands and Sungho’s eyes.

“He wouldn’t have been Hunter if I was… and there’s nothing wrong with him that you’re to blame for! Whatever heritage he got these visions from could just as easily have been passed down through Leehan, and I frankly don’t care if you want to believe me or not, but you’re an amazing dad to all of your sons and to Minseo! That’s the only thing that matters, so don’t beat yourself up over what’s happening to Hunter. From what I’ve gathered, it could just as easily have been you who had all those dreams and visions,” Sungho’s words made Taesan speechless for a while. He was only able to stare at the elder for quite some time before eventually taking a deep breath.

“You’re far too forgiving; I hope you know that…” Taesan eventually answered the knight.

“I do, and you’re far too hard on yourself, do you know that?” Sungho said, and that made Taesan let out a chuckle.

“I guess… but I’d say I kinda deserve it, though…”

“No one deserves to see their children suffer, especially not someone who cares so much for them!” Sungho squeezed Taesan’s hand in his own again before finally letting go of it altogether. “But now, regardless, I think you should eat something before we have to watch you deteriorate into nothing in front of our eyes,” He added.

“Don’t ever leave, okay? When I’m gone, don’t leave them… can you promise me that?” Taesan asked. He didn’t know where that really came from, but Taemin’s words still stuck in his mind, and he just couldn’t help but feel like we wouldn’t outlive either Sungho or Leehan, which was probably that Taemin had meant by him not being the one who’d end up alone… And considering he never ever wanted to leave Leehan, he figured that the only way he would was by dying before the younger.

“I’m sworn to stay with your family until the day I die, and even if I weren’t, I wouldn’t leave them now either way!” Sungho assured Taesan. “But neither are you for a long time! I’m still kind of curious to see what sort of king you’ll be, and I’m sure you won’t be as bad as you think,” Despite not really agreeing with Sungho on the last part, Taesan did give the elder a smile before nodding.

“I hope you’re right…” He said, but he still dreaded the day when he would have to take on that role because he didn’t know if he actually could do what Jake did now, and he was sure he wouldn’t do very well without his father there to help him either…

Chapter Text

“Why does he keep doing that…?” Yujun broke the silence in the room, making Leehan lift his head out of his hands and look across the bed at his son.

“Do what, sweety?” He questioned while sitting up straight in the chair again as he started to feel how his back and neck hurt from sitting there for so long.

“That…” Yujun answered, gesturing toward Hunter, who was lying on the bed between Leehan and Yujun. Leehan’s eyes moved down to look at what his son was referring to, and just then, Hunter seemed to flinch or twitch slightly in his sleep, almost like he was dreaming about something that scared him…

“I don’t know… maybe he’s dreaming?” Leehan said. It wasn’t the first time Hunter had moved a little in his sleep, and at first, everyone thought it meant he was waking up, but then he didn’t, and now only Yujun seemed to be bothered by it… Not in a way that he thought it was annoying or something like that, but rather because it worried him that his brother might not be well and that whatever was happening in his sleep could hurt him.

“Can’t be a very good dream…” Yujun remarked, watching as Hunter frowned slightly in his sleep and seemingly flinched at something only he could see in his sleep. “Shouldn’t he be waking up soon? He’s been asleep for much longer than what the maester said was okay! What if he’s hurting?!”

“Forcing him to wake up might not be good either. We don’t know what’s happening to him, and if we intervene, there might be severe consequences that we have no way of predicting now…” Leehan hated seeing Yujun so upset over his brother, just as he hated seeing Hunter potentially hurting and not doing well… But at the same time, he was worried that if they did try to wake him up, things could happen to Hunter’s health, and Leehan didn’t think he could ever live with the knowledge that his wish to wake his son up with some sort of medicine might hurt him…

“But what if he never wakes up…?” Yujun’s words made Leehan bite his bottom lip in order not to start crying, but before he could answer his son or stand up to walk around the bed to comfort the boy, the door to the room opened. Yujun didn’t even bother turning around to look who it was, but Leehan looked up to see Taesan walk through the door before quietly closing it behind him.

“Shouldn’t you try getting some sleep?” Taesan asked as he walked up and placed his hands on Yujun’s shoulders, but the boy just shook his head.

“No, I want to stay here with Hunter,” He answered, which made Taesan smile a little, but he then moved around his son to crunch down in front of him so he could look him in the eyes.

“You don’t have to leave. We can push your bed closer so it’ll be in the same place as you’re in now, but I really think you should sleep a little, at least,” Taesan said as he raised his hand up to run his fingers over his son’s tear-stained cheek gently. Yujun seemed to think it through for a short while before eventually nodding. He was indeed very tired, but he didn’t want to leave his brother’s side… Leehan got up from his chair to help Taesan move Yujun’s bed and place it beside Hunter’s. Yujun himself moved the chair he’d been sitting on out of the way. The window had been repaired the day before, so they’d made the decision to move Hunter back to his and Yujun’s room in the hopes of maybe reversing whatever had drained him of all his energy to begin with, but so far, nothing had changed. Yujun went behind the room divider to change clothes before going to his bed. Taesan sat down at the edge of it as Yujun pulled up the covers over himself, and once he’d laid down properly, Taesan leaned over him to place a kiss on his forehead. “Try to get some sleep, sweety. We’ll be here when you wake up, and if not, either grandpa or Sungho will be,” Taesan said, and Yujun nodded. He turned so he was lying on his side and facing Hunter, and then he reached up to place his hand over the younger’s arm before finally closing his eyes.

“Please be awake when I wake up…” Yujun murmured, lightly squeezing Hunter’s arm, and then it was Taesan’s turn to have to fight back his tears from falling. He ran his hand over Yujun’s dark brown hair before standing up and walking around to the other side of the beds. He moved the chair Yujun had sat in earlier and placed it beside the one Leehan was sitting in again before sitting down himself.

“Are the others asleep?” Leehan asked once Taesan had sat down beside him. He moved slightly so he could lean his head on the elder’s shoulder, and Taesan moved his arm to wrap it around Leehan as he did.

“I think so. I saw Minjae and Junmin go to their rooms before I got here, and both Minseo’s and Baekseung’s doors were shut. I didn’t see any light from underneath the door, so I guess they were already asleep,” Taesan answered quietly in order not to disturb Yujun, who’d just fallen asleep. “I think father’s still up, though, and Sungho just went to his room,” He added, and Leehan hummed in response. They sat in silence after that, and after a while, Taesan noticed that Leehan had finally fallen asleep on his shoulder as well. It was good that he finally did, as he’d not slept well at all these past few days, but Taesan still couldn’t bring himself to sleep. He was tired, but his head felt like it was going haywire with everything that was going on right now, and he couldn’t help but let his eyes wander over to the wing-looking markings on the wall… What the hell did they mean…?

- - - -

Jake sighed as he flipped to the next page of some old book they maester found in the back of the library earlier. It was some sort of history book or maybe a journal; Jake wasn’t entirely sure, but it seemed to be about the same old things other books had already brought up. He got a little startled as a tiny drop of blood landed on the page, and it made him move his hand up to feel just below his nose.

“Damn it,” He sighed as he watched more blood on his fingertips. He reached for his handkerchief and gently dabbed it under his nose. These nosebleeds were starting to get really annoying as he got them more frequently now compared to before.

“You should let the maester take a look at that,” A voice from his side said, making Jake turn his head in that direction, only to let out another sigh as he spotted Taemin seemingly walking out of the shadows in the corner of the room.

“I have, but he couldn’t find what was causing it, so there’s not really anything I could do about it,” Jake said. He’d gotten quite used to Taemin coming and going as he pleased over the years, so his presence in Jake’s room now wasn’t concerning him.

“Do your sons know about it?” Taemin then asked, but Jake shook his head.

“No, and I don’t want them to either! They’ll just worry for me as well, and they already have more than enough on their minds as it is…” Jake answered.

“What of your grandson? I heard about what presumably happened, but also that he’s not woken up yet,” Taesan said, changing the subject as he was not one to force anyone to talk about things they very clearly didn’t want to talk about.

“I was actually hoping you might have some answers to that,” Jake said. He used his handkerchief to wipe off the drop of blood that had landed in the book before closing it again and fully turning to face Taemin.

“You know, there’s not much I can tell you,” Taemin said. Jake already knew this, but there had to be something Taemin knew that could be of use!

“I know, but please, there has to be something, anything, that you can tell me that could help!” Jake pleaded.

“There might be something, but I’m afraid neither you nor your sons will be very happy about it…” Taemin answered, prompting Jake to stand up from his chair.

“What? What is it?”

“There might be someone in Westeros that could help your grandson, but I’m afraid he won’t be able to come here, so in order to get his help, you’ll have to go to him…” Taemin said, but Jake raised an eyebrow at the silver-eyed man.

“Where is he then? And what sort of person is he that he can’t come here? If it’s payment he wants, I can assure you I have more than enough to pay him!” Jake said, but Taemin just shook his head slowly.

“He has no use for coin,” He said. “And he’s sort of like me, but not really. He’s not bound by the same eternal laws that I am, but he is bound to stay in one place…”

“And where is that…?” Jake didn’t like where this was going, but if there was even the slightest chance that this man could help Hunter, then it would be worth it for Jake to meet him.

“The Red Keep,” Taemin watched as Jake’s facial expression went from confusion to something akin to worry before the king finally shook his head.

“No… no! I’m not going to King’s Landing,” He said. He’d made a promise to himself never to return to that place, and he intended to keep it!

“There’s no need for you to go, but if you wish for your grandson not to suffer when he wakes up because he will… then you need to send him to King’s Landing,” Taemin said. “The capital is not the same place you once feared, Jake. Everyone and everything that made you want to stay away from it is long gone! He’s the only one left there who’s ever had any ties to the Targaryens, which is why he can help!”

“Who is the person even?! I thought all the Targaryens were dead!” Jake burst out. The mere thought of King’s Landing had upset him to snap at the other, which he didn’t really mean to do, but he couldn’t stop himself…

“He’s not a Targaryen, but he was married to one once,” Taemin explained. “And considering what he is, or what everyone believes he was, he didn’t die when people thought he did because people like him and I can’t die unless we’re actually killed by someone…”

“How is that supposed to help? I don’t even know what you are!” Jake couldn’t help but feel slightly irritated with the silver-eyed man right now. Sure, Taemin was known to speak in riddles and never outright saying things as they actually were, but it was starting to get on the king’s nerves…

“It doesn’t matter what I am; what matters is what he is and what he might be able to do for your grandson,” Taemin answered calmly, but that just made Jake sigh in frustration.

“Could you at least give me his name…?” Jake eventually answered. He still didn’t like this at all, but Taemin was always right, so if he said that this man could help and might be the only one who could, then Jake had to give it a try!

“Minghao,” Taemin said, and the name did ring a bell in Jake’s head, but…

“Minghao? As in the old King Mingyu’s husband?” Jake questioned. “But he… he died! Long before Hyunjin Targaryen was even named king. How could he still be in the Red Keep? That would mean he’s over 160 years old now!” Jake couldn’t wrap his head around how this person could still be alive after such a long time!

“Like I said, people like him and I can’t die of natural causes, like old age. But when his husband died, he chose to stay in King’s Landing but away from everyone else, which is why people thought he died… but when the Great Sept was blown up, and all those buried there with it, he was eternally forced to stay in the Red Keep, as it was the only place he had left from his family,” Taemin’s explanation certainly made Jake feel rather confused, but he figured he’d gotten the most important things out of it either way.

“So he can’t leave the Red Keep, but he’s the only one who might be able to help Hunter?” Jake eventually asked.

“If he can’t, I’m afraid no one can…”

Chapter Text

Hunter watched a young black-haired boy with silver eyes standing by the table along with another black-haired older man, but this one was sitting. There was a tiny rock lying in front of the boy on the table, and the boy seemed to be trying to do something in the air with his hands, but whatever he was trying to achieve, it wasn’t going the way he wanted…

“It’s not working!” The boy said, and after a few seconds, he slumped back into his chair.

“It will if you focus,” The silver-eyed man answered calmly and reached for his son’s arms to bring him back up to the table. “Now, again! Imagine yourself lifting it but with an invisible hand.” The boy sighed but seemed to try again. He raised his hands and closed his eyes. A few seconds of nothing went by before the stone staggered a little. A third man, who Hunter hadn’t noticed before, seemed to get excited but was shushed by the silver-eyed one. The boy, however, didn’t seem to notice as he kept his eyes closed and focused on the stone. Eventually, the stone began to float up from the table, and then the boy opened his eyes, only for the stone to fall back down again. He sighed.

“I give up!” He said, slumping back into the chair once again. This time, though, the silver-eyed man didn’t force him to continue, or at least for what little time Hunter got to watch them before his dream changed again… This time, he found himself standing in what seemed to be a throne room, judging by the huge throne made of swords at the other end of said room. There was a blond old man sitting on the throne, but he, apart from Hunter himself, seemed to be the only one in the room. Hunter didn’t recognize him, but judging by the throne he was sitting on and his once blond, now almost white, hair, he had to be a Targaryen king, but which one, Hunter didn’t know… He seemed to be watching his hand while the sun rose outside the windows, but as time went by, the room became engulfed in darkness. The Targaryen king looked up from his hand and watched as the darkness crept along the floor and up the walls, almost caging him in. It then pooled in the center of the hall before the big doors behind Hunter flung open with such force they almost cracked upon impact with the walls on their sides. Hunter got so startled he almost jumped to the side before turning around to see whom he’d only assume was an older version of the boy he’d just seen in his other vision. His silver eyes were filled with the same darkness as the one already in the hall, leaving just a little bit of silver shining through, if even that, and more of the darkness floated around him like a black fog. Hunter briefly looked back at the king on the throne, and the man now looked genuinely scared. He watched as the silver-eyed young man slowly walked down a few steps of the stairs, past Hunter without even noticing him standing there, before walking around the pool of darkness in the center of the hall. And all the while, the king remained standing in front of his throne. Just as Hunter watched the two men seemingly start talking to each other, he could no longer hear them. He felt a weird feeling like he was being forced out of there before whatever the vision was trying to show him, and at first, he tried to fight it. Then he saw how the darkness in the middle of the room started to take the shape of a three-headed dragon before seemingly engulfing the king in one go. Then, the three-headed dragon disappeared along with the king, and after that, sunlight began to slip back through the windows as all of the darkness slowly disappeared. Hunter watched as the silver-eyed man fell to his knees. He breathed out and let his tears fall. He sat in silence for a while before said silence was interrupted by the sound of a set of dragon wings. The man didn’t look up, but Hunter did. He saw a blond man atop an orange dragon. The man slid down from his dragon, his insulated shoes hit the ground, and his thick coat swayed behind him as he walked into the throne room through the side door.

“He’s gone, isn’t he?” The blond man asked, and the silver-eyed man slowly nodded. Hunter didn’t get to hear what else they were saying to each other, but the last thing he saw was the scar running through the blond man’s eyebrow, over his eyes, and down his cheek… Prince Yoongi…?

- - - -

Hunter felt someone squeeze his hand, but the feeling felt distant yet still there. He blinked his eyes a few times, taking in what little light the candles in the chambers provided before slowly turning his head to look over to the side on which someone was still gently squeezing his hand.

“Yujun…?” Hunter murmured as he made out his brother’s face from his otherwise slightly blurred vision.

“Hunter?!” Yujun squeezed his hand even harder, seemingly finally completely pulling Hunter out of his dreams and back into the real world again. “You’re awake! Finally! We’ve been so worried about you!” Yujun was talking so fast that Hunter barely understood what he said, but it didn’t really matter as the elder leaned over him and hugged him closely as Hunter sat up slightly. He hugged Yujun back to the best of his abilities as he felt very weak, but the elder didn’t seem to mind and just held his brother close. It didn’t take long before the door to the chambers swung open, and in came both Leehan and Taesan, followed by the rest of Hunter’s brothers, apart from Sumin, who wasn’t in Winterfell at the time, and they all ran up to the bed and hugged Hunter. Hunter felt himself start crying once Leehan finally held him again, and in that moment, he felt like all of those awful and confusing things he’d witnessed in his dreams couldn’t get to him…

“Shh, my baby, you’re alright,” Leehan quietly hushed Hunter as the boy cried silently, but he felt his own tears run down his cheeks, but now, for the first time in many days, they were tears of happiness and relief, not worry or sadness.

- - - -

“Prince Hunter doesn’t seem hurt in any physical way, my princes, but I cannot vouch for what this sudden sleep and dreams have done to his mind,” The maester said once he was done with his examination of Hunter to make sure he wasn’t hurt. Leehan just nodded slowly while running his hand over Hunter’s dark brown hair. The boy leaned his head on Leehan’s lap, but Taesan didn’t seem very pleased with what the maester had said.

“So you mean he could still be hurt, but you do know the extent of it?” Taesan asked, irritation and something akin to desperation quite clear in his voice.

“I’m afraid this is out of my expertise, my prince…” The maester said before vowing his head to Taesan and taking a few steps back. The crown prince just sighed this time, clenching his fist, but other than that, he didn’t do anything else. “But I think his grace might have found someone who does,” The maester added just as Jake walked into the room. He went over to Hunter first, making sure to give the boy an assuring smile before placing a kiss on his forehead before straightening back up and looking between his two sons. Both Taesan and Leehan tensed up before their father had even opened his mouth, both knowing they were not going to like whatever the king was going to say.

“There seems to be only one man in all of Westeros who can help us figure out all of this right now, but unfortunately, he cannot come to us, which means we have to take Hunter to him…” Jake said.

“Absolutely not!” Taesan said. “I don’t care who this man is; if he’s not willing to come to us, his help is not needed! I am not sending my son away to some remote place in Westeros to be looked at by some stranger!”

“I understand your fear, Taesan, but this may be our only chance to figure this out! And this man is not located in some remote place; he’s apparently in King’s Landing…” Jake watched as both his sons’ faces went from confusion to straight-up fear at the mention of the capital, and Jake couldn’t blame them. The last time someone from their family went there, they didn’t come back… and considering that it had been Taesan’s and Leehan’s own dad, Jake knew neither of the two wanted anything to do with King’s Landing.

“I don’t want to go…” Hunter suddenly said, making everyone turn their attention to him. He was slowly sitting up from where he’d been lying on his father’s lap and was now looking up at his grandfather with worried eyes.

“You don’t have to, sweety,” Leehan said, gently pulling Hunter back toward himself to hug him again.

“Leehan…” Jake said slowly. “I don’t want this either, but for his sake, we need to…”

“No!” Leehan snapped. “You’ve always said that we should avoid that place, and yet now you want to send my son there?! He’s my son, not yours! And I’m not letting you send him to that place!” Jake might have said something in response to Leehan, but Taesan didn’t hear it as another voice rang through his head.

“The future is what you make it, and it can change depending on what you choose… and this is one of those choices you have to make…” Taesan recognized Taemin’s voice even though he didn’t see the man anywhere in the room, and as much as he hated to admit it, he knew that the other was most likely right…

“Leehan…” Taesan said, interrupting his brother’s and father’s arguing. The younger turned to look over at him as Taesan sat down beside him. Taesan placed his hand over Leehan’s and gently squeezed Hunter’s arm with the other. “We have to try… even if it feels wrong,” Taesan said, but Leehan just stared at him in disbelief before pushing his brother away, forcing Taesan to let go of both him and Hunter.

“No! I’m not letting you! Neither of you ever seems to care! He doesn’t want to go, and yet you’re forcing him; just like every time I’ve wanted anything, you’ve both just disregarded it and pushed it to the side! I’ve done as you’ve wanted all my life, barely ever questioning it, even if it hurt me, but I won’t let you put my son through the same! His wants and wishes should be just as respected and listened to as any of yours!” When neither Jake nor Taesan answered, Leehan clenched his jaw before gently pulling Hunter to stand up. “Come on, sweety,” He whispered, helping his youngest son to stand up while Minseo, Minjae, Baekseung, and Yujun all just watched in silence. Taesan tried to reach out his hand toward Leehan again, but the younger slapped it away before walking past both him and Jake. Hunter didn’t look at either of them and just let his father pull him with him toward the door. He hated that his parents and grandfather were fighting, but he really didn’t want to go to King’s Landing… Jake sighed before gesturing for the two guards standing by the door to block Leehan and Hunter from leaving. It pained him to do this since he knew that he himself would most likely have reacted the same as Leehan had if someone had tried to take away either Taesan or Leehan from him when they were younger, but right now, he knew this was necessary…

“We’re not doing this because we want to, but because we need to! It’s for Hunter’s own sake…” Jake said. Leehan had been forced to stop walking as the two guards were now blocking the doorway, and he then turned his head around to look at his father.

“Don’t…” Leehan said, eyes watery and pleading as he looked at Jake, and the king had to fight his own tears from falling…

“I’m sorry…” The king said before gesturing for the guards to come into the room. The two men tried to be gentle and careful while still pulling Leehan away from Hunter, but both fought the two, refusing to let go.

“No, no!” Leehan yelled, trying to strike the guard closest to him, but the man stopped him by grabbing his arm. “Get your hands off my son!” Leehan kept trying to fight him before he felt Taesan wrap his arms around him from behind and pull him back.

“Don’t fight it, Leehan; it’s for his best,” Taesan murmured, but the younger didn’t want to listen! He kept fighting to get out of his brother’s grip, and all he could think about was Hunter’s cries as one of the guards lifted the 14-year-old boy up quite easily before leaving the room along with Jake. The other guard stayed behind to prevent Minseo, Minjae, Baekseung, and Yujun from trying to follow their brother, but the three older boys could do nothing but stare while only Yujun tried to follow. He was crying as well now, yelling from his grandfather not to take Hunter away from them, and neither he nor Leehan stopped before the maester gave them both some sort of sedative that made them fall asleep…

Chapter Text

“This doesn’t feel right…” Taesan sighed as he joined Jake in the great hall. The latter had just sent a handful of guards along with Hunter to wait in his own chambers until he’d prepared everything needed for the trip down to King’s Landing.

“I know, Taesan, but it might be the only thing that could help Hunter,” Jake answered. “We don’t know nearly enough about these dreams and visions and what they can do to him, and frankly, what he might be able to do if whatever power within him isn’t controlled…” Jake knew enough about the power of both the blood of the dragon and all sorts of other magic in the world to understand that if the person possessing that power can’t control it, it could have devastating consequences… both for the person themselves but also for the people around them, without actually have any intention of hurting anyone…

“Then shouldn’t I, too, be sent to this… man you spoke of?” Taesan questioned. The thought hadn’t even hit Jake until now, and maybe Minghao would know something that could be helpful for Taesan as well, but he didn’t suffer as Hunter did. Taesan could still somewhat control the visions and actually even make them go away, while Hunter’s world seemingly circled around everything he saw and seemed to have given him some sort of other power or magic that Taesan didn’t have.

“You never did what he did before he fell asleep for days… and I don’t think that the things you see are nearly as bad and influencing as the things Hunter sees,” Jake answered. Maybe there would be a way of calming Taesan’s typical Targaryen temper down if he, too, went to see Minghao, but at the same time, that wasn’t life-threatening to his life as the things happening to Hunter might be… and sending Taesan anywhere other than the North seemed like a bad idea considering what happened the last time Taesan left the North…

“So, are you going with him? That seems like a bad idea, considering you are the king,” Taesan remarked, but Jake shook his head.

“No, I’m not going,” He answered.

“Alright, then, I’ll just pack some things before joining you outside,” Taesan said before turning around. He was about to leave the great hall again when Jake called after him.

“Taesan… you’re not going to King’s Landing,” This made Taesan turn back around slowly to face his father again.

“So, he’s to go alone? To the very place where dad died and all other terrible things happened?” He questioned, but Jake, once again, shook his head.

“I’m sending Doyoung with him, as well as several of our other soldiers and a handful of our workers. The less attention they draw to themselves, the better,” Jake said, but this still didn’t sit right with Taesan.

“Doyoung? A man Hunter barely knows and some random soldiers and workers as his only company?!” Taesan was starting to get angry, which Jake could sense, but before the younger could start yelling or throwing things around, Jake spoke up.

“Then who should go with him? Leehan? I’m not going to let you start another war because Leehan gets lost somewhere again, and besides, Minseo, Minjae, Sumin, Baekseung, and Yujun need you both here!”

“And Hunter doesn’t?” Taesan snapped. He figured that his father was right about it not being a very good idea for either Taesan or Leehan to go to King’s Landing, but the way he worded it, it sounded like the five older boys needed their parents while Hunter didn’t, which didn’t sit right with Taesan. “And just so you know, I’m equally as prepared to do whatever it takes for either of my sons as I was and still am for Leehan!”

“Which is why I’m keeping you here where I can make sure you don’t!” Jake said, raising his voice slightly but not really yelling. “And, of course, Hunter needs you too, but this is only for a short while, Taesan. Sumin hasn’t seen either of you for quite some time either since he’s in Last Heart, and as far as I know, he’s doing fine,” Taesan hadn’t actually seen his son when he briefly visited Last Hearth while looking for Minseo, since Sumin had been out at that time, so he couldn’t really argue with Jake on this as he knew Sumin was doing well without his parents, but he at least had others around him whom he knew and liked!

“Then at least let Yujun go with him…” Taesan said, slightly surprising himself and certainly surprising his father.

“Yujun? So you’re fine with sending not one of your sons to King’s Landing, but instead two?” Jake questioned.

“I don’t want to send either of them there, but you and that weirdo Taemin both seem determined that it’s the only way! So if Hunter has to go, let him have someone with him that he knows,” Jake watched his son for a while, both silent as Taesan waited for Jake to answer, and eventually, the king sighed.

“Okay… Yujun can go with Hunter, but they still need to keep a low profile, and I’m still sending Doyoung along with them!” He said, and this seemed to satisfy Taesan enough. “But I’m not sure how Leehan’s going to react to this agreement…” Jake added, and he heard Taesan take a deep breath.

“I’ll talk to him when he wakes up, but it might be for the best if Yujun and Hunter both have already left by then…” Taesan sighed. He knew it was quite cruel to not even let Leehan say goodbye to either of the boys, but at the same time, Taesan feared that Leehan’s devastation would just make both Yujun and Hunter feel worse, which would make the whole leaving Winterfell thing even worse…

“I’ve feared for years that your devotion to your brother might blind you completely from the well-being of others and the need of sometimes doing things neither of you enjoys, but I see now that there’s still some hope for you to be a good king once I’m gone,” Jake said. He knew that a good king sometimes needed to put aside their own family to do what was better for his kingdom and that, in order to actually help Hunter now, Taesan needed to let go of his pursuit of always doing what he thought was best for Leehan, as now, what was best for Leehan wasn’t what was best for Hunter or those around the boy… As Jake had said earlier, neither of them knew what Hunter might be capable of one day if these dreams and visions kept overtaking him as they did now, and Jake knew Hunter never wanted to hurt anyone, but what if, next time, he did something akin to what had happened in his and Yujun’s chambers before, someone was standing next to him and were the ones who might take the full force of whatever power he seemed to possess but was unable to control…? They might have just been lucky last time that Hunter had actually left the dining hall and gone to his room and not burning half the wall in the dining hall as he’d down in his bedroom… because in there, he had been alone, but in the dining hall, there had been several more people who could have stood in the way…

“Don’t say that…” Taesan muttered, making Jake look up at him.

“Why not? Don’t you want to be a good king?” Jake questioned.

“Of course, I want to, but I’ll never be you…” Taesan looked so small and vulnerable when he said that, and it made Jake’s heart clench.

“You don’t need to be me to be a good king, Taesan. You just need to know that there’s more to a king than the love and care he has for his family… The well-being of his kingdom is equally as important if not more sometimes…” Jake tried to assure his son, but Taesan still looked somewhat unsure.

“I just have this feeling that I’ll never be anywhere near as good as you are…” Taesan eventually said, but he turned around and left the great hall before Jake could give him any sort of response…

- - - -

The maester kept Leehan asleep until the day after Hunter and Yujun had left for King’s Landing, along with Doyoung, who’d arrived from Greywater Watch just to head out again and travel with the two boys to the capital. And just as both Jake and Taesan had known but still feared and absolutely not enjoyed, Leehan was devastated that they sent not just Hunter away but Yujun as well… He refused to talk to either of them for weeks, and it wasn’t before the day that Minseo and Yunseong were finally set to marry that Leehan even allowed Taesan to come near him. The evening before, it had been just him, Taesan, Jake, Sungho, Minseo, and Yunseong, as well as Taemin, in order for Sungho to actually be able to walk Minseo down the aisle like the boy wanted. Taemin acted as the priest, joining them together in marriage as Minseo and Yunseong said their vows to each other. It was beautiful, and Minseo looked really happy to actually have Sungho be able to really be his dad for one day. And even if Taesan and Leehan hadn’t actually spoken to each other at all, they were both happy for the young couple, and this brought some light into their darkness.

“Shh! Stop pushing me!” Leehan heard Sumin complain as Minjae teased his brother while they watched the big ceremony they had today, the one which was public and where Taesan had been the one to walk Minseo down the aisle, as to everyone else who hadn’t been at the small ceremony the day before had no idea that Sungho was actually Minseo’s dad and not Taesan. Sumin had come back down to Winterfell together with Jinsik, Gyuvin, and Ricky from Last Heart. Gunwook and Taerae, along with their youngest son Yujin and Gunwook’s parents, Hao and Hanbin, had also been invited and had arrived in Winterfell a few days prior. MJ, Yunseong’s dad, of course, and even Minho, the King Beyond the Wall, were also present together with pretty much all of Winterfell and many other northern lords and ladies from other smaller castles in the North. This was an important day, as Minseo was, at least to their knowledge, Taesan’s oldest son and, therefore, his heir, and would be king after him just like Taesan would be king after Jake.

“Boys,” Leehan whispered, making both Minjae and Sumin look up at their father. Leehan placed a finger over his lips, silently telling the two to be quiet before giving them a smile. Junmin was standing on Minjae’s other side, and Leehan saw him lightly elbow the elder in the side to emphasize Leehan’s silent words and to make him leave Sumin alone. It was quite harmless, really. Minjae had probably just missed his brother, and teasing was his way of showing it, much like Taesan… but this wasn’t really the time.

“I wish Yujun and Hunter could be here…” Baekseung suddenly whispered, making both Leehan and Taesan, who stood on the opposite side of the boy and not next to Leehan, turn to look at him. Leehan heard Taesan take a deep breath, but the elder didn’t say anything, which, frankly, Leehan couldn’t bring himself to care about. It was, after all, Taesan’s and Jake’s decision to send Hunter and Yujun away before Minseo’s wedding, and now Baekseung was upset about his two triplet brothers not being able to be there to see their oldest brother get married… Leehan gripped Baekseung’s hand and squeezed it in his own, trying to comfort the boy while still staying silent, and while Baekseung didn’t say anything else, he leaned his face against Leehan’s shoulder while holding his hand.

“In the sight of the Seven, I hereby see you, these two souls, binding them as one for eternity. Look upon one another and say the words,” The maester said, making everyone turn their attention back to Minseo and Yunseong.

“Father. Smith. Warrior. Mother. Maiden. Crone. Stranger. I am yours, and you are mine, from this day till the end of my days,” Both Minseo and Yunseong said before sharing a kiss. Minseo had wanted to have a traditional Westerosian and northern wedding and not one influenced by the Targaryen traditions or any vows in High Valyrian, which was fine with both Leehan and Taesan as they thought Minseo had the right to choose that himself. But they were a little less pleased, not angry or anything, but somewhat concerned over the fact that Minseo had chosen to take Yunseong’s last name, Mormont, and not keep his own, Stark name, but then again, neither wanted to force him to do anything or hinder him from doing what he wanted. So, maybe, if other things didn’t happen in the future, the northern line of kings may not have the name Stark for future generations, and instead the name Mormont…

Chapter Text

Neither Hunter nor Yujun were used to traveling for such a long time with just small breaks for sleep during the night, and since it took them about three weeks to reach King’s Landing, they were really exhausted and frankly very done with traveling by the point they got there… But, despite everything, Hunter hadn’t had any more visions or dreams during these three weeks, and even if he was still somewhat upset with his dad and grandfather for sending him away, he was thankful that they’d allowed Yujun to come with him.

“You should be able to see it soon, my princes,” One of the soldiers accompanying them said as they rode along the Kingsroad, leading pretty much all the way from the gates of Castle Black, through Winterfell, and all the way down to the gates of King’s Landing.

“I doubt it’s much to see,” Yujun answered. “Wasn’t the whole city destroyed years ago?”

“Much can happen in a few years, my prince,” The same soldier chuckled just as they rode up a small hill, and once they reached the top of it, King’s Landing came into full view.

“Wow…” Hunter’s and Yujun’s eyes widened as they saw the huge gates surrounding the large city, which, apart from a few places, seemed to have never been touched or had been rebuilt so well that you could barely notice something had even happened there in the first place. “That’s the Red Keep?” Hunter questioned, pointing toward the furthest end of the city, where a huge castle-looking building stood. It was somewhat red in color, which Hunter guessed was what gave it its name, but it also was one of the few things where you could actually tell it had been rebuilt as they supposedly rebuild parts didn’t have the exact same red tint to them.

“It is, my prince. The castle where your great-grandfather lived before moving to Winterfell,” The soldier said.

“And where the iron throne is…” Yujun added, making Hunter tear his eyes away from the castle and look over at his brother.

“We don’t have to go in there, do we?” Hunter questioned, momentarily looking at the soldier before looking back at his brother.

“Jake said Minghao is in the Red Keep, so yes, unfortunately, you need to go in there, but there’s no need to go anywhere near the throne room if that’s what you’re worried about,” Doyoung assured the two princes. The two shared a look but didn’t say anything else and just continued to follow the soldiers riding in the front. “Just remember; once we reach the city gates, you are no longer to be referred to as princes, per your grandfather’s request. It would be too risky to completely change your names as it could cause slip-ups, but the name Stark should not be mentioned,” Doyoung said, and both Hunter and Yujun nodded.

“I doubt we’re going to meet that many people anyways, so that shouldn’t be too hard,” Yujun pointed out.

“What about that man Minghao?” Hunter questioned.

“If what Taemin told Jake is anything to go by, Minghao already knows who you both are, and since he’s supposed to help you, Hunter, I see no use in lying to him about it either. But other than him, no one should know!” Hunter and Yujun nodded but remained silent once again, and once they reached the gates, they just tried to take everything in. Neither of the soldiers nor Doyoung, Yujun, or Hunter wore anything related to House Stark, so no direwolf sigils, and the only thing giving them away that they weren’t from the local area was the slightly too thick material of their clothing. No one really paid them any mind as they entered the city, as most people were busy going about their day, and even if Hunter and Yujun were used to Winterfell, which, in their eyes, was rather big, it was nothing compared to the sheer size of King’s Landing.

“We’re headed for the area closer to the castle, so just follow me and don’t get lost,” The soldiers from before said, and so Yujun and Hunter did as they were told, but not without still looking around and still just taking it all in. they followed what the two princes assumed to be somewhat of a main street for a while before following the soldier onto a sideroad, but just as they were about to leave the main street, Hunter looked further down it and noticed a boy who couldn’t be much older than himself, with dark hair and dressed slightly better than the majority of the people around them. The boy seemed to have already been looking at them as his eyes met Hunter’s, but Hunter didn’t have the time to question who the boy was since he disappeared behind the buildings as Hunter’s horse exited the main street. Hunter didn’t recognize the boy, but by this point, he wasn’t sure if the boy had actually been there or if he’d just been another of his visions… so he chose to just ignore it and follow Yujun.

“Well, it’s not what you’re used to, but it’s better than most other places in this city…” Doyoung said once they reached an old building quite close to the Red Keep. The knight got off his horse, prompting Yujun and Hunter to do the same. The two followed the knight inside and were met by Taemin inside, which wasn’t really a surprise to anyone.

“Ready to meet him?” Taemin questioned.

“Already? We just got here!” Yujun complained even if he wasn’t the one whom Taemin had spoken to, but Hunter felt the same as what his brother had said.

“The sooner, the better,” Taemin answered before walking toward another door that seemed to lead back outside the other side of the building. Yujun was about to complain even more, but Hunter placed his hand on his brother’s arm.

“It’s okay. I guess that the sooner this Minghao guy figures out what’s wrong with me, the sooner we can go back home,” The younger tried to smile, but neither he nor Yujun was really convinced by it. The elder eventually just nodded, and so Hunter followed Taemin outside. Taemin led him through some back streets before turning the corner of a building, and then Hunter found that they actually made their way to the castle’s gates. But instead of going through the gates, which seemed to be guarded by a handful of soldiers, Taemin gestured for Hunter to follow him down a set of stairs and into a quite dark tunnel seemingly leading under the Red Keep itself. If it hadn’t been for Taemin showing him the way, Hunter would never have even noticed the narrow staircase, and now the tunnel was just lit up by a torch that Taemin carried. Eventually, they reached what looked to be some kind of underground hall. There wasn’t much down there apart from a few rather large things covered with dusty old sheets, but the outline of what was underneath those sheets made a chill run down Hunter’s back.

“Wait here…” Taemin suddenly said, prompting Hunter to stop walking. He watched as Taemin continued to walk before he disappeared around the corner at the other end of the huge underground hall, leaving Hunter alone with those eerie things covered by the sheets and nothing but a couple of torches hanging on the walls as his only source of light. He looked around and noticed several more sheet-covered things in the huge hall, all of them having a similar shape, and it was quite unmistakable even if Hunter had actually never seen something like it before… He walked over to the one closest to him and raised his hand, slowly and carefully placing the palm of his hand against the sheet. As soon as his skin made contact with it, the flashing image of a white dragon diving through the clouds flashed by his eyes, followed by several more images of the same white dragon until several harpoons shot through the dragon before its lifeless body crashed onto the ground with a loud thud. That made Hunter jerk his hand away from the sheet, but as he did, said sheet started to fall and pooled in a pile on the ground, finally revealing what it had been hiding for what must have been many years. A dragon skull… By the look of it, it seemed to be the same dragon Hunter had just seen in the images flashing by his eyes, but considering the dragon was no longer alive, it didn’t have its white scales, and only the bones remained…

“The dragon’s name was Balas,” A man’s voice came from behind Hunter, startling him and making him turn around. He came face to face with a man slightly taller than himself, with black hair and silver eyes. Hunter stumbled backward slightly, only to end up with his back against the nose of the dragon skull, which, in turn, made him jerk away from it again as he felt something heat up on his back. It disappeared as soon as he moved away from the skull, but he didn’t have the time to really think about it before the man spoke again. “Don’t be afraid. You came all this way to see me after all,”

“You… you’re Minghao, right?” Hunter asked. “I saw you in my dreams… and your son… when he was young,” The man nodded at Hunter’s words.

“Minhyuk,” The man, Minghao, answered. “You’re very much like him, you know. And just by seeing you now, you remind me of the boy he once was before it all became too much for him…” Minghao took a deep breath before walking around Hunter and placing a hand against the dragon skull. “I wasn’t able to help him back then because I didn’t even know I needed to, but I hope I can help you now…” He turned back around to face Hunter again, and his silver eyes almost glowed.

“What if you can’t…?” Hunter asked.

“Then the curse of knowing your family’s fate will most likely drive you insane until you can’t take it anymore…” Minghao answered truthfully. Hunter swallowed thickly, regretting he’d even asked in the first place. “You’ve already seen how one of your brothers will die, haven’t you?” The image of Baekseung on the ship in the raging storm with the watchtower in the background came back to Hunter, but he quickly tried to shake it away. “It doesn’t have to be that way… depending on what he’ll do in his life, the cause of his actions can change the outcome of what you’ve seen, but then your vision will also change to show his new fate…” Minghao explained.

“So… it’s not certain he’ll die like that?” Hunter asked, and Minghao shook his head.

“No, none of us are destined to die in a certain way, and even if some do, the decisions they make in their lives can change how they’ll meet their end,” Hunter nodded slowly as Minghao talked. “But regardless of what they do, if you can’t control the power you have, you’ll always be cursed with the knowledge of their deaths. Because once they actually die, you would have already seen it, probably years before it even happens… long enough that even you would have started to think it was nothing but a bad dream… That was what happened to my son, and when people either didn’t believe him or listened to his warnings, it would have driven him insane if he’d not died before that could happen…” What Minghao was saying truly scared Hunter, but at the same time, he was relieved to know that Baekseung might actually not die in the manner he’d seen.

“But you can help me, right? So I won’t end up like your son…” Hunter asked.

“I hope so, but it all comes back to how strong you are and what you can actually do…” Minghao answered, looking at Hunter as he spoke before turning slightly to face the huge hall. “I take it you’ve already figured out what all of these things are,” He said, referring to the sheet-covered things, and Hunter nodded slowly.

“Dragon skulls…” He answered.

“Dragons possessed a power unknown to any other, and even their bones still hold some of that power. You may never be a dragon rider yourself, but you’ll know the power they felt through their shared bond with their dragons, as that power is forever carved into these bones,” Minghao walked to the sheet-covered skull next to the one which Hunter had already touched, and he pulled off the sheet to reveal another, slightly bigger and definitely more destroyed skull. “This was my stepson's dragon, your great-great-great-great grandfather, as well as your great-great grandfather’s. His name was Baloryx, and he was probably the calmest and gentlest dragon House Targaryen ever had…” Minghao ran his hand over the nose of the dragon skull before pulling it away and clenching his hand into a fist. “Only two of the dragons who had a rider ever died of natural causes, and those were Efrog and Layros; the rest all suffered terrible fates, some even worse than their riders did… and in here, men and women with ill intentions have stored 13 of them as well as what few pieces they could find from two more…”

“Why would they do that?” Hunter asked, somewhat mortified by the fact that someone would do such a thing.

“As I said, even a dragon’s bones possess power, but the Shadowbinder helped me hide them from those people, so now they can get somewhat of a closure at least…” Minghao walked back to stand in front of Hunter, and the boy looked up at him and met his silver eyes again. “They will help you understand the past and show you the power they hold without sending your senses into overdrive like your other visions and dreams are, but we need to be careful and take it slow, or it could have the complete opposite effect…”

Chapter Text

A white raven, the one bird you’d never really want to see flying over your head, carrying a message no one wants to receive… the news of the death of a loved one…
Minjae, Junmin, Sumin, and Jinsik were all outside in the inner courtyard practicing together since Sumin and Jinsik were finally in Winterfell again. They’d actually been there for a few weeks already, long enough for the Starks family to even receive word from Doyoung down in King’s Landing that both Yujun and Hunter were doing fine and that Hunter seemed to be doing better, at least for the time being.

“I see you haven’t kept up your training, little brother,” Minjae teased as he launched at Sumin with the wooden practice sword, striking the younger on the shoulder before moving out of the way of Sumin’s own attempt at striking him.

“Life isn’t just about being a good swordsman, Minjae,” Sumin sighed while rubbing his shoulder. It didn’t particularly hurt, as Minjae would never intentionally harm him, but it still stung somewhat.

“It sure isn’t,” Minjae chuckled, briefly glancing over at Junmin, who raised an eyebrow at the elder before shaking his head; then Minjae looked back at his brother. “But you should still keep up your training! Dad says it’s crucial that we can defend ourselves if we ever get into a situation we don’t want to be in,” He pointed out, and Sumin knew that was true.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” He chuckled before launching at Minjae again, who, this time, wasn’t really prepared for his brother to move, so Sumin managed to strike him on the arm, making him drop the sword.

“Really?” Minjae sighed while Sumin, Junmin, and Jinsik all laughed at him. The eldest just shook his head while bending down to pick up the sword he’d just dropped, but he couldn’t help but smile a little as well. Their happiness was quite short-lived; however, when Minjae straightened back up, he spotted something in the sky above the rooftops. “Look…” He said, making the other three turn around to see what the blond prince had referred to, and they all felt dread creep up their backs…

“A white raven…” Jinsik murmured… and it was. The white bird circled the rooftops a few times before diving down and flying through the open window into the maester’s chambers.

“It came from further north…” Sumin said, looking over at Jinsik worriedly. “Do you think it came from Last Hearth…?” Gyuvin and Ricky had returned home after Minseo’s and Yunseong’s wedding while Sumin and Jinsik stayed in Winterfell, and so now Jinsik couldn’t help but worry that something might have happened to either of his parents as that was the only place he could think of from where the white raven would have come… All four boys dropped the practice swords and ran into the castle, where they were met by Sungho, who was just about to join them to help them train.

“A white raven! We saw a white raven fly into the maester’s chambers!” Minjae exclaimed, which made Sungho tense up.

“Oh… just now?” He questioned, and all four boys nodded. “I’ll go see the maester. You four go get Leehan, Taesan, and the king!” Sungho said, leaving no room for argument before making his way to the maester’s tower chambers. He knocked on the door but entered before the maester answered, but it didn’t really matter as the old man stood by the window with the white raven sitting on the windowsill and holding a tiny paper scroll in his hand. The old man looked up as he heard Sungho enter, and the look he gave him wasn’t a pleasant one…

- - - -

“We need to tell him… It’s not right keeping this sort of information from the boy…” Jake sighed as he leaned his head forward and buried his face in his hands.

“He doesn’t have any siblings, does he?” Leehan questioned, looking up at the maester, who shook his head.

“No, the Lord Commander only had one child, and that’s Yunseong, my prince,”

“So that means, by birthright and law, Yunseong is now supposed to be the new Lord Commander…” Taesan stated. It wasn’t really a question, but the maester still nodded his head at the crown prince.

“And, by so, Castle Black is now his, as well as Bear Island,” Jake said, raising his head back up. He wouldn’t say he’d known MJ very well, but the man had still been a great man and didn’t deserve to die for many years to come… However, accidents could happen to anyone, and there wasn’t really anything they could do about it…

“An accident beyond the wall? Are we really going to believe that?” Taesan asked, making Jake and the maester look over at him while Leehan kept his eyes on the white raven still sitting on the windowsill.

“They were out on a regular patrol and weren’t aware of the thin ice under all the freshly fallen snow, my prince. During this time of the year, the amount of snow falling that far north could be lethal in several ways, and the ice on that lake just wasn’t strong enough to hold all that weight, as well as the weight of the horses the men of the Night’s Watch rode…” The maester explained, but Taesan didn’t really look that convinced.

“And what if it wasn’t an accident? The King Beyond the Wall might have proved himself to be an honorable man, but I’m not so sure about all those following him…” Taesan said.

“Could you, for once in your life, stop seeing enemies behind every corner and just believe what you’re being told?” Jake snapped, startling both his sons as neither had been prepared for their father’s sudden outburst.

“I’m just making sure! I don’t trust the people I’ve never met and-“ Taesan tried to say, but Jake interrupted him.

“You need to trust your people and their willingness to keep you informed if you’re to be a good king, Taesan! MJ didn’t have any enemies, and it was Minho’s men who tried to rescue them after the ice broke, and they managed to rescue some, just not all of them…” Jake lowered his voice again as he didn’t want to yell, but he, much like Taesan himself, could be quite easily affected by strong emotions…

“Mmh…” Taesan muttered, glancing at Leehan, who still refused to look at his brother, before letting out a sigh and starting to walk toward the door. “Regardless, Yunseong has the right to know…” He said before disappearing out of the room. Leehan sighed, closed his eyes, and leaned back in the chair he was sitting in before taking a deep breath.

“This means Yunseong has to go up there, doesn’t it…? And there’s no way Minseo would stay behind either…” He said, prompting Jake to place a hand on his son’s shoulder to comfort him.

“It won’t be much different from when Sumin was at Last Hearth, and it’s not like they have to stay there for the rest of their lives. Yunseong might not even want to be the new Lord Commander, and if not, they probably won’t stay up there for long,” Jake said.

“I’m pretty sure he would want to honor his dad by taking over his role as the Lord Commander…” Leehan said, standing up and thereby forcing Jake to let go of him. “And I know it’s not the end of the world to let Minseo go with Yunseong up there, but I can’t help but feel like I’m losing my children one by one… It’s like they are slipping out of my hands, and there’s nothing I can do about it!” He then started to walk toward the doorway, much like his brother had just done, but he halted his steps momentarily as he heard Jake speak.

“It’s not easy being a parent… Your children are the best thing that ever happened to you and the worst thing you’ll ever lose…” Leehan bit his lower lip and pressed his eyes close so he wouldn’t start crying, but he just couldn’t come up with something to say. Not that Jake really expected him to answer either way, but as Leehan eventually left the room without another word, all Jake wanted to do was run after him and just hold him in his arms forever… but he didn’t because he knew when he needed to let go and when not to…

- - - -

Hunter sighed before closing his eyes and placing the palm of his hand against the nose part of the skull, which Minghao had told him belonged to the dragon Baloryx. The image of a rather small, black dragon came into view. The dragon seemed happy, bouncing around in some sort of indoor area along with another dragon of the same size, but this one was dark blue. He saw two boys, one blond and one with brownish hair, and they seemed to be around the same age, too, but younger than Hunter. The image changed quickly, however, and soon Hunter saw what he assumed to be the same black dragon, only much bigger, lying sleeping beside a group of people.

“Does it even do anything?” One of the younger boys asked. Hunter saw another, but this one blond, boy rolled his eyes before answering the first boy’s question.

“Yes, he can! But we are not supposed to just tell them what to do all the time, and the trainers are not here, so I’m not allowed to anyways,” The blond boy answered, and the first one huffed.

“Huh, you’re just saying that because you can’t do anything with it!” He teased, but the blond one got irritated.

“Hey! Knock it off!” Another, definitely older and dark-haired boy said and walked up to the younger ones. “The dragons aren’t anything to play with. They are still dangerous even when they have riders, and I wouldn’t antagonize this one since his friend doesn’t have a rider and is basically a wild one,” The first boy looked over at the dark blue, who shook his body before lying down next to the black one. “Don’t argue, or we’re all going back up!” The older boy said before walking back to where the rest of the adults were standing. Hunter wanted to know who the older boy was, so he tried to walk after him, but suddenly, his vision started to blur, and a thumping in his head almost shook the whole vision he was currently in.

“Focus!” He heard Minghao’s voice ringing through his ears even though he couldn’t see him anywhere, but Hunter still tried to do what he’d been told. “Don’t focus on the other ones in the vision! Stay with the dragon and focus on its rider,” Minghao added once he realized Hunter had tried to shift his focus onto the wrong person.

“I just want to know who he is…” Hunter said, still holding his head in his hands as the thumping continued. No one in the vision seemed to notice him, but they never did, as he was nothing but a spectator of what was happening.

“You will, in time. But now you need to focus on the younger boy with blond hair!” Minghao answered, and Hunter once again shifted his focus back to the boy Minghao had referred to. And as he did, the vision became clear again, and the thumping in his head stopped. A sudden yelp and a growl from the black dragon made Hunter, as well as the group of adults, turn their attention back to the younger boys and the dragons. Both dragons backed away and bared their teeth in the direction of the boys. The first boy was sitting on the ground, holding his arm, while a younger, also blond one, was crying, while the rest looked shocked. The adults rushed over to them as the slightly older but still rather young blond boy tried to calm the black dragon down.

“What happened?” The dark-haired man asked as he pulled a third blond boy as well as another dark-haired one away from the blue dragon, as it was still spooked, and they were standing the closest to it.

“Jaebeom poked Baloryx in the eye!” This third blond boy said, and the dark-haired man turned to the boy who was still sitting on the ground, but before he could lecture the boy, he saw he was bleeding from a quite big wound on his arm.

“It hurt me!” The boy, presumably named Jaebeom, cried as the woman bent down to look at his arm.

“Beomgyu told you not to mess with them! You spooked him, and he just tried to get you to stop!” The first blond boy yelled, which resulted in the woman getting mad at him.

“Can’t you see your beast hurt my son? You should have control over it if you have one!” She yelled, and oh, now the dark-haired one, who Hunter had now figured out was named Beomgyu, got quite irritated.

“I warned them all not to mess with the dragons or argue in their presence! My brothers know the dragons are still dangerous, and your sons need to learn the same if they are to be around them!” Beomgyu yelled at the woman.

“Juyeon didn’t do anything!” The blond boy beside Beomgyu intervened, but Beomgyu shushed him.

“We’re leaving!” The woman said as she helped her son, Jaebeom, stand up before pulling the other, younger-looking boy with her. The younger boy looked sad as his mother forced him to leave his friends. And as he was being pulled away, Hunter’s vision started to blur again before he found himself back in the underground hall with all the dragon skulls and Minghao.

“What was all that…?” Hunter asked, massaging his temples as the vision had been quite a lot to take in for him.

“The start of what everyone refers to as the Targaryen Civil War back in year 190…” Minghao answered. “The boys you saw were the king at the time, Beomgyu Targaryen, as well as two of his brothers, Hyunjae, the one with the black dragon, and Yunho, your great-great-grandfather. They were the two older blond ones, while the last blond one, who was also the youngest, was San Targaryen, and the two dark-haired boys were Jaebeom and Juyeon Strong,” There were some names that Hunter recognized, others, not so much, but what caught his attention more than the names was what Minghao had said before that…

“The start of the war? But they were just children here; how could this be the start of the war that was mostly between Yunho and Hyunjin?” Hunter questioned.

“Because Jaebeom, the one whose arm Baloryx hurt, held a grudge against the Targaryens ever since this happened, and he was the one who later killed both his own brother and Hyunjae, which, to put it simply, resulting in Yunho and Hyunjin fighting,” Minghao explained. “There’s much more to the story, but I think that’s enough for today. I don’t think you’ll be able to handle much more right now anyways,” Hunter wanted to argue that he could handle more, as he was curious and wanted to know more, but he figured Minghao was at least somewhat right. So he accepted it with the knowledge that he’d soon get to know more…

Chapter Text

"He was a good man... No. He was a great man. Our Lord Commander and sworn brother of the Night's Watch, ever faithful. Born on Bear Island but chose to guide us here at the wall, his courage never faded, but now his watch is ended," Woonhak said before handing the lit torch to Yunseong, who stood beside him. The 19-year-old took the torch before slowly walking forward to the pyre where his father lay. He halted momentarily to look up at the sky. Tiny snowflakes were falling all around them, landing on their dark clothing and in their hair, but Yunseong just closed his eyes for a moment before opening them again, moving the torch forward, and lit the pyre. He might not have spent much of his life with his father, as he’d lived in Winterfell for most of it, but his father was still his father, so the pain of losing him was still there… He didn’t cry, not really knowing why… maybe he didn’t want to do it in front of the men of the Night’s Watch that he was supposed to lead now, or maybe he just didn’t have it in him right now… He felt quite numb as he watched the fire gain strength before fully engulfing the whole pyre; then, he took a few steps back and felt Minseo grip his arm.

“I’m okay…” He assured the younger even though he wasn’t really sure himself, but he knew Minseo was crying, and so he didn’t want to make the younger worry even more about him. Taesan stood behind them, slightly to the side, also watching the pyre burn. The crown prince had come with them up to Castle Black to show his respect to the late Lord Commander, and as the future king-to-be, Taesan saw it fit that he’d attend these sorts of things to show his people that he did care despite what they thought of him. He wouldn’t say he neither enjoyed the company of the crows, nor did he think they were decent men, despite the fact that not all of them were criminals, but standing there, surrounded by them as they mourned their late Lord Commander, showed Taesan that even the evilest of men at the end of the world could feel sadness…

- - - -

“You sure this is necessary…?” Taesan questioned while fixing his horse's saddle. There had been a couple of days since MJ’s funeral, and Taesan had stayed at Castle Black with Minseo and Yunseong to make sure they were really sure that this was what they wanted.

“Yes, we need to stay here. Yunseong’s the new Lord Commander now, and I want to be where he is, which is here,” Minseo answered, giving Taesan a small but assuring smile.

“Your father will miss you, you know… I’ll miss you,” Taesan said.

“You can come visit us whenever you want, and we will come down to Winterfell when we have the time, I promise,” Minseo smiled before spreading his arms and wrapping them around Taesan to hug him. Taesan hugged Minseo back before reluctantly letting the boy go. He got up into the saddle and turned the horse to face the open gates before looking back at Minseo and Yunseong one more time.

“Promise me you’ll be careful up here. I’m not sure either your father or I would be able to handle it if anything happened to you this far away from us,” He said, but Minseo just smiled at him again.

“We’ll be fine here, I promise! The wall isn’t a dangerous place anymore, you know,” Minseo joked a little, making Taesan chuckle lightly, but he wasn’t really convinced that the boy was right…

- - - -

“Good news for once?” Sungho asked as Leehan entered his chambers with a tiny paper scroll in his hand.

“Sort of, it’s from Doyoung again,” Leehan answered while walking across the room to sit down on the side of the bed. “He wrote that Yujun and Hunter are fine but that they might need to stay for longer than we thought,”

“Did he say for how long?” Sungho questioned, walking over to crouch down in front of the younger and placing his hands on Leehan’s knees.

“He just wrote that they needed more time there…” Leehan answered, twirling the paper scroll between his fingers for a while before Sungho reached up to stop him.

“They are in good hands, Leehan. No one knows who they are there, and I know my brother would never let anything happen to them!” Sungho said, rising back up and instead sitting down beside Leehan on the bed.

“I have no doubt in Doyoung’s ability to keep them safe, but I can’t help but worry for them anyway…” Leehan mumbled. Sungho squeezed his hand in his own before leaning over to kiss the younger’s forehead.

“They’ll be back home before you know it. I don’t think you need to worry,” He said, but he still had the feeling that Leehan wasn’t entirely convinced, and to be honest, neither was Sungho himself really… He knew, better than most, that the world could be cruel and that anything could happen no matter how hard you tried to avoid it…

- - - -

*Three years later*

“That’s enough for today,” Minghao said, and Hunter could finally relax. He took a deep breath before slumping down on the floor of that dusty, old underground hall. “I think you’re ready for the last one soon,” Minghao added, making Hunter’s head snap back up again.

“Really? But the other day, you said I had a long way to go…?” Hunter pointed out.

“With your concentration and power, yes, but I don’t think there’s any need for me to keep anything for you anymore,” Minghao answered. So far, they’d worked through all of the dragon skulls but one. Hunter knew which the last dragon was: Layros, the red dragon who’d belonged to Kai Targaryen, Taehyung Targaryen, and lastly, Beomgyu Targaryen. She’d been one of only two of these dragons that died peacefully, and yet Minghao claimed that seeing the visions her bones would show him would be the worst of them all… Hunter wasn’t sure how it could top some of the things he’d already seen, however, as several of these skulls had shown him horrible things that he’d rather live without knowing… The dragons Malathor, Archin, Armon, and Rakis had been the least horrible ones, but watching them, as well as their riders, suffer was still not very pleasant. Drakyr, the blue dragon who’d belonged to Sanha Baratheon and later Felix Targaryen, had been quite sad to see, as well as Rayvanja, Mark Baratheon’s dragon, and Balarus, Wooyoung Targaryen’s dragon, as these dragons had all died on the same day, either being shot down from the sky or died fighting each other… Normani, the quite huge dragon who’d belonged to Lucas Baratheon and his son Jeno, had shared a similar fate, but it wasn’t the dragon’s death that was the most concerning thing Hunter had seen when he’d touched his skull. No, it was what had happened long before, back in the year 162, when the Lannisters had tried to attack Dragonstone to whip out the dragons but, fortunately, did not succeed. By witnessing that, Hunter had learned what lay ground for the Hightowers’ hate for the Targaryens and what had also been partly why Jaebeom had wanted the Targaryens gone. Hunter had seen the Baratheon brothers, Mark and Jeno, flying over the island Dragonstone as enemy troops broke through the gates and entered the small village beside the castle.

“There are still children in there!” Mark had yelled and pointed at the people desperately trying to run away from the soldier. There were soldiers from their own side fighting down below as well, but they were severely outnumbered…

“We need to do something!” Jeno yelled.

“Like what? If we have our dragons fire into the village, we can’t guarantee that we’ll only hit the enemy!” Mark argued. He had always been the one to think things through, while Jeno just marched on and dealt with the consequences afterward.

“We don’t have a choice!” Jeno sounded more desperate as he saw the first soldiers reach the villagers.

“You are not firing onto the streets of that village!” Mark warned him. Jeno clenched his jaw, but just then, he noticed a higher building that had some kind of tower just above the troops. Hunter watched him turn Normani and fly down toward the building. He could hear Mark yelling, but Jeno wasn’t going to burn anyone. He was going to crush them! Once he was close enough, Jeno made Normani fire at the building instead of the troops. This startled them enough to make them halt, and then they had no time to flee from the tons of falling stone debris falling down as the tower collapsed over them. After the tower had collapsed, both dragons landed, Normani on an already destroyed building and Rayvania on a bigger street. Mark ran to fight with the soldiers of the village, and Jeno ran toward the collapsed tower that he had shot down earlier. To his horror, he saw that there were more than just the enemy soldiers that had been buried under the tons of stone the tower had consisted of.

“Jeno…” Jeno turned his head in the direction of the faint voice. He could see an arm reaching out of the rubble, and he ran over. It was Yuchan Hightower; he had been pinned down by a huge stone brick, and Jeno could only see his upper body.

“Yuchan! Shit!” Jeno exclaimed and began trying to lift the stone from his body, but to no avail. “Normani!” He yelled for his dragon to help, but Yuchan grabbed his arm.

“There’s no need….”

“Yes, there is! It’s my fault you’re under here. It was me who shot down the tower!” Jeno yelled.

“You had no choice… and you saved them!” Yuchan nodded weakly toward something behind Jeno. The dragon rider turned around to see his brother carrying a young girl, and several more children, and the people of the village followed him. “If you hadn’t done what you did… they would have died,” Yuchan tried to convince Jeno that he had only done what had been necessary.

“But…”

“No buts, Jeno! This is war! People die whether you want it or not!” Yuchan said and squeezed Jeno’s hand. “Promise not to blame yourself! Go home! Live a life of peace! And don’t let anyone disturb it!” Jeno watched desperately as Yuchan took his last breath before succumbing to his injuries. Jeno sat back and put his hands over his face. He felt so bad for the outcome of his reckless idea. He heard someone walk up beside him.

“You did what you had to….” Mark said. Jeno didn’t want to believe it, but Yuchan had said the same… Hunter watched as Mark reached down his hands to Jeno, and after a few seconds, Jeno decided to take it. He would do what Yuchan had told him to do! He would live the rest of his life in peace, and no one could tell him otherwise…! Minghao had told Hunter that this had been partly what drove Jinyoung and Yugyeom Hightower, Yuchan’s grandchildren, to hate the Targaryens and their dragons, and before the war in year 190, they joined forces with Jaebeom Strong. Their shared hatred and Jaebeom’s understanding that the only thing that could bring down the house of the dragon was itself were what inevitably made Yunho and Hyunjin fight each other… It had taken years, and many who’d tried before them had failed, but that had given Jaebeom the knowledge that no outsider could ever stand against House Targaryen, and so be made them turn against each other by tricking Wooyoung to believe Hyunjin had ordered Hyunjae’s death, which, in turn, made Yunho seek out revenge on Hyunjin… And even if Hunter had witnessed the two brothers almost make peace, the death of Hyunjin’s husband, Felix, drove Hyunjin to burn King’s Landing and, by doing so, also burn Yunho’s husband, Mingi, who’d been down below, and that drove Yunho to fight Hyunjin once again, which ended only when they, along with their dragons, Venia and Vallamor, fell into Blackwater Bay, never to resurface again…

“What more could there be that I need to know…” Hunter sighed as he stood up from the ground again.

“Your family’s history has a tendency to repeat itself; to avoid that from continuing, you’ll need to know everything…” Minghao answered. He turned to face Hunter fully, and his silver eyes were glowing once again, something that Hunter had gotten quite used to by now, but he still didn’t really enjoy looking into them. “You know why the wars started; you know why many of your ancestors made the decisions they made, why Targaryen bastards were chosen to rule, why kings sacrificed their own, and all the consequences that lead to, but you need to know why it all came to be, and that is tied to her,” Minghao said, gesturing toward the last dragon skull, Layros’s skull…

Chapter Text

“How does any of this make any difference when it comes to what you supposedly can do?” Yujun asked as he and Hunter sat on the small staircase outside the house they’d lived in for almost three years now.

“Apparently, I’ll understand once I’ve seen whatever it is that the last dragon’s skull will show me…” Hunter answered.

“Then why not just let you see that already, and then we could go home,” Yujun sighed. “Seems like quite the waste of three years just to get to know what one dragon skull has to show you,” He added, and the statement actually made Hunter chuckle slightly.

“It’s not that easy… It’s not really nice things I’ve seen, and if he’d let me go to her skull first, it would apparently have been too much for me… I needed to control myself better first,” Hunter answered.

“And have you?” Yujun questioned. “Wasn’t it just a few weeks ago that you said you almost set fire to that dusty, old hall?”

“I can’t control it fully, but Minghao says I am at least not a danger to those around me anymore…” Hunter raised both his hands in the air in front of him before looking up and down the empty street. Once he was sure they were alone, he moved his hands slightly, and a small ball of fire appeared between his palms. “I couldn’t do this a few weeks ago,” He said as Yujun watched on in awe. “That was when I almost set fire to the hall,” Hunter added before closing his palms again, making the fire disappear.

“So you have magic, but what does that have to do with us… and our family and all that?” Yujun asked.

“I think it all ties together somehow, all that happened, the magic, the dragons, and it’ll somehow shape the future that’ll come,” Hunter answered. “I don’t really understand it fully myself yet, but apparently, once I’ve seen it all, I will,”

“And you won’t go insane or whatever Minghao said his own son would have if he’d not died of something else before that could happen?”

“No, I won’t go insane,” Hunter chuckled. “Minghao said I’m past that point. I have enough control over the visions and dreams now that I won’t be affected by them like I did back home, and I barely get them anymore apart from when I touch the dragon skulls,”

“That still sounds bizarre,” Yujun huffed before standing up and dusting off his pants. “Are we still going to Flea Bottom tonight?” He asked once Hunter had stood up as well.

“You know we’re not supposed to… Don’t you remember how angry Doyoung got last time?” Hunter pointed out, but Yujun just huffed again.

“Well, you stay here then, but I’m bored out of my mind! Not everyone gets to look at dragon skulls all day, you know,” The elder said sarcastically before starting to walk away, but Hunter stopped him by grabbing his arm.

“Trust me, I’d much rather spend time with you doing something we shouldn’t than looking at those skulls,” He said, giving Yujun a smirk before walking past him.

“Thought you said Doyoung would get angry?” Yujun chuckled as he followed his brother down the street.

“I bet he will, but this is quite boring, so why not entertain ourselves a little?” Yujun just shook his head but continued to follow Hunter down the street either way. Flea Bottom was probably the poorest and dirtiest part of the whole city, but it was also the last place someone would expect to see or look for two princes, not to mention that a whole lot more happened there than in the rest of King’s Landing. And for two bored 17-year-olds, it was the perfect place to go to live a little, much to Doyoung’s dismay and probably their parents’ as well… They quite quickly reached the upper streets of Flea Bottom, and due to the fact that they didn’t have any Targaryen-looking features and wore normal clothing, they blended right in. Flea Bottom was a maze-like warren of narrow streets, ramshackle buildings, and dark alleys. The area is filled with cheap brothels, low-class inns, alehouses, gambling dens, and pot shops serving meager stews, nothing neither Yujun nor Hunter hadn’t seen before, but they still stayed away from most those places and just roamed the streets themselves. The occasional cheap theatrical performance took place in the middle of the streets, mostly poor adaptations of past rulers and the scandals surrounding them.

“A king they called him, a broken king who did nothing but give his crown away and caused his family’s downfall!” A man shouted from on top of a barrel, which he seemingly used as some sort of pedestal to make people notice him. He must be some sort of storyteller, Hunter assumed, as there were several other people running around below him, dressed in ridiculous clothing and terribly constructed blond wigs. Neither Yujun nor Hunter paid much attention to the man or the self-proclaimed performers as they performed their straight-up idiotic play about what Hunter guessed was some sort of portrait of King Beomgyu and his brothers Younghoon, Hyunjae, Yunho, and Hyunjin.

“It’s not fair that they are allowed to do that…” Hunter muttered, prompting Yujun to grab his arm to pull him away and further down the street.

“No, it isn’t, but they are stupid people with stupid reasonings and bad lives, so what else can they do? But regardless, you’re not the one who’ll stop them, so I’ll suggest you just ignore them,” Yujun said while still pulling his brother along with him. Hunter huffed. He still kept looking back while Yujun pulled him further away, but he couldn’t help but raise his hand and turn his palm to face the barrel the man was standing on. It took a few seconds, but then the barrel caught fire before exploding on the side, sending the man falling and scaring everyone around him. The explosion itself wasn’t anything big and didn’t hurt anyone, but the sound alone made people panic. “Hunter!” Yujun whisper-shouted as he realized what the younger had done, but Hunter just laughed.

“Now I’m good,” He chuckled, but Yujun just shook his head.

“You’re hopeless, I hope you know that,” Yujun sighed, but he couldn’t help but chuckle a little as he watched the man, who’d been standing on the now exploded barrel, stand back up and look around in confusion.

“Admit that was kinda funny,” Hunter said, still laughing.

“Absolutely not,” Yujun answered, but he playfully shoved his brother further down the street while also laughing, basically doing the opposite of what he’d said.

- - - -

Baekseung ran down the corridor, almost running into several people, including his own brother.

“Watch where you’re going!” Minjae yelled after him as he continued to run down the corridor, but Baekseung couldn’t care less right now. He ran all the way to his parents’ chambers and didn’t even bother knocking before barging straight in.

“Is it true?” He burst out before having to stop to actually take a proper breath. Leehan, who was sitting by the window, looked up in confusion, and Taesan, who’d been moving around a few books and other things in one of their bookcases, almost dropped said books as he got startled by Baekseung barging in.

“Is what true, sweety?” Leehan asked. He placed down the pen he’d been holding before standing up to walk across the room and over to his son.

“That Lord Tarth is going to marry Keum to some random man from Stonehelm?” Baekseung managed to say between his ragged breaths.

“It’s not ‘some random man’: it’s Lord Swann of Stonehelm,” Taesan stated simply, already knowing where this was going…

“I don’t care if the man’s a lord or whatever! I don’t want Keum to marry him!” Baekseung said.

“That’s not up to you to decide, sweety,” Leehan said, giving his son a sympathetic smile, but Baekseung didn’t seem very pleased with that answer.

“No, but-!”

“No buts! We’ve already told you that you can marry Keum, so that’s what you’ll have to live with,” Taesan interrupted his son.

“You both got to choose who you married!” Baekseung said, making Leehan briefly look over at Taesan before looking back at their son.

“And so do you, just not him,” Leehan said.

“And why not?” Baekseung almost yelled.

“Because he’s already betrothed and lives half a world away!” Taesan said, finally placing down all the books before walking over to his husband and son.

“You’re both so unfair! All of my brothers either have or will marry those they want, and even if Yujun and Hunter haven’t been here for years, I still know you’d let them both marry whomever they wanted as well! It’s just me who doesn’t get to choose, huh?!” Baekseung said angrily. Leehan was about to say something in return, but Baekseung didn’t let him. “I’ll just marry someone from freaking Essos, then! And I’ll move there so you won’t get to see me again because that’s your stupid reason for not letting me marry Keum, isn’t it? Because you think I’ll move away from here and never come back! Well, then, that’s exactly what I’ll do!” He stormed out of the room before either Taesan or Leehan could say anything else and left the room in complete silence for quite some time. Taesan eventually broke the silence with a sigh while running his hand through his hair.

“Imagine how much easier it would have been if he’d turned out more like you than me…” He said, making Leehan turn to face him and raise an eyebrow at the elder.

“So you’re saying that I’m easier to control?” He asked, not really hinting at any previous arguments they’d had regarding similar things, and more just out of curiosity.

“No… but I imagine it would have been easier to have a normal conversation with him that didn’t involve yelling or just storming away like a child,” Taesan answered, which actually made Leehan laugh a little.

“He is a child, you know. 17 isn’t really considered a mature age,” Leehan pointed out.

“I bet he’ll still act like that when he’s 37, too,” Taesan answered.

“Yeah? Like you did?” Leehan couldn’t help but laugh even more as Taesan just huffed and shook his head, but he was still smiling a little.

“Mmh, something like that,” He answered. “But I’ve gotten better!” He added.

“Slightly, maybe,” Leehan teased, and Taesan just shook his head again. “We shouldn’t just let him storm off and be alone somewhere when he thinks we’re being unfair to him, though,”

“Give him some time. If he’s as much like me as it seems, it’ll just be worse if he doesn’t get to calm down a little first before we try talking to him again,” Taesan said, and Leehan figured he was right, but, unbeknownst to them, leaving Baekseung on his own right now was probably the worst thing they could do as he had no intentions of listening to either of them…

Chapter Text

“Are you staying here, or are you coming with us?” Yunseong called from the other room.

“I’m staying here,” Minseo called back. “Sumin and Jinsik will be here any day now, so I think it’s better that I’m here when they come,” Minseo continued to talk as he walked into the other room where Yunseong was in the midst of pulling on his thick coat and prepare for his and some of the crows’ journey beyond the wall. It wasn’t anything big, but the trip there and back would probably take a few days. But as Sumin and Jinsik were on their way to Castle Black, Minseo wanted to stay there and greet them as it had been quite some time since he saw either of his brothers.

“Alright, I won’t be long, so don’t let them leave before I come back!” Yunseong joked before placing a kiss on Minseo’s lips. “Love you,” He added before picking up his bag and started heading toward the door.

“Love you, too!” Minseo called after him before reentering the room he’d been in before and went back to sorting out some of the old things scattered around on the shelves. He continued with that for pretty much the rest of the afternoon, as it was quite relaxing, if he was being honest. It wasn’t until after dark, when he heard a knock on the door, that he realized how much time had actually passed. “Enter!” Minseo called out. He placed down the last few things before walking back into the room, which had the door leading outside, and just as he did, the door opened, and Woonhak, one of the crows, or men of the Night’s Watch, as they were actually called, stepped in.

“You missed dinner, my prince, and I promised the Lord Commander that I wouldn’t let you waste away in here, so I brought you some food,” Woonhak said while placing down a plate on the table.

“You didn’t need to do that, Woonhak,” Minseo objected, but Woonhak just gave the other a smile.

“It’s part of my job to make sure the Lord Commander and his family are comfortable, so that includes you as well,” Woonhak chuckled. He then turned to leave the room again but stopped momentarily as Minseo spoke.

“Did you eat anything yourself?” Minseo asked. The prince was well aware that some men of the Night’s Watch weren’t the nicest and would occasionally be quite mean to others, there among Woonhak since the latter was far too kind for his own good.

“Yes, I ate,” Woonhak answered. “But I’m needed back outside, so if there weren’t anything else, I’m afraid I need to go,”

“I’ll be fine,” Minseo said. “Thanks for the food,” Woonhak gave him a small bow before exiting the room again, closing the door behind him. Minseo went to eat the food before heading outside himself. Castle Black was still not a very luxurious place, but it was cozy enough for Minseo to actually enjoy living there, despite his father’s constant worry that he basically lived amongst criminals and murderers. Neither of the crows actually ever bothered Minseo whatsoever, so he didn’t share his father’s worry about living here. They’d been up there to visit them a few times, and Minseo and Yunseong had traveled down to Winterfell as well, but every time they came to Castle Black, Leehan seemed quite uncomfortable with being around the crows working there despite Minseo’s and Yunseong’s assurance that they would never do anything. Neither Taesan nor Sungho didn’t really have a problem with the crows, but then again, they’d been to Castle Black more times than Leehan had, and in Sungho’s case, he was even friends with a few of them, there among Woonhak.
Minseo kept himself busy for a few more hours, quite long into the night, before his brother finally arrived along with Jinsik. He greeted them before showing them to the room they would be sleeping in, and then they all went to bed as it was rather late. For the next few days, they spent some of their time in Castle Black but also took the occasional trip outside, and after just a handful of days, Yunseong returned back to the castle as their business on the other side of the wall had been dealt with easily.

- - - -

“Another Stark prince missing… again?” Lord Tarth chuckled before mindlessly dropping the paper scroll back down on his maester’s table. “Seems like our dear king can’t keep either his sons or his grandsons at bay,” He added rather mockingly.

“It seems to be the same prince as last time, my lord. Prince Baekseung,” Keum hadn’t paid much attention to his father’s and the maester’s conversation up until now, but upon hearing the maester mention Baekseung’s name, Keum raised his head slightly from the book he’d been pointlessly flipping the pages of.

“It doesn’t seem to matter which of the princes it is, considering they all seemed to have gotten their dad’s poor excuse of an attempt to be a man!” Lord Tarth huffed. Keum couldn’t help but roll his eyes at his father’s way of addressing their future king, but he was well aware that Taesan wasn’t exactly the prime example of someone one should look up to…

“Why is he missing? Did the letter say?” Keum asked, earning a glare from his father.

“I’m afraid not, my young lord,” The maester answered.

“Why does it matter? They’re all the same up there, wildling wolves with dragon blood, huff! Who’d even want to be associated with them…” Lord Tarth scuffed. The maester looked a little uncomfortable, most likely due to the fact that Keum’s father seemed to lack all sorts of respect for the northern royal family, but the old man remained silent. Keum would have objected and pointed out his father’s outright stupidity for speaking of the Starks in the manner he had if it were not for the fact that he’d already gotten yelled at previously for still refusing to marry Lord Swann, as his father wanted him to do. So he also remained silent while his father and the maester continued to go through the rest of the letters before going back to planning Keum’s inevitable wedding…

- - - -

“Give him some time… Give him some time?!” Leehan buried his face in his hands before groaning loudly. He wasn’t sure if he should be angry, sad, worried, or just not feel anything at all, as it seemed that it didn’t really matter which…

“How could I have known he’d actually go through with what he was yelling in the heat of the moment?” Taesan questioned. “Are we even sure he even left the North? Last time, he just wanted to see those stupid tournaments in White Harbor, so what if he’s just gone to attend another of those?”

“There are no tournaments in the North, Taesan! And it doesn’t matter if he’s in White Harbor, Drone, or all the way across the Narrow Sea! He’s not here, and he left angry and upset after we barely listened to him! Do you really think he’ll forgive us and just magically come back like last time?” Leehan finished his sentence just as the huge doors to the great hall opened, and Jake entered.

“Anything?” Taesan asked, somewhat avoiding Leehan’s yelling and instead turning to face their father, but Jake just shook his head.

“No one either north or south of Winterfell has seen anything…” He answered, slowly making his way over to the table and sitting down in one of the chairs. His body ached all over, his nose kept bleeding several times a day now, and it had become almost impossible to hide whatever was happening to him… Jake knew both his sons suspected something, but neither had said anything about it, either out of fear or just not knowing how to start such a conversation.

“And we’re sure he didn’t actually just get on a ship to Essos like he said he would?” Taesan asked, but Jake just shrugged his shoulders.

“Not from either of the major ports in the North, at least,” He answered.

“So we’re supposed to do nothing? Again!?” Leehan asked. He was getting somewhat tired of never having either of his sons nor his own husband listen to him and just running off doing what they wanted without thinking of the consequences of their doings, but at the same time, he knew he himself couldn’t do much more than worry for them either…

“As of right now, I’m not sure what we can do…” Jake sighed…

- - - -

“Be welcome! I know many of you have traveled long leagues to be at these games. But I promise you will not be disappointed!” Lord Tarth said loud enough for everyone standing and sitting around the tournament arena. “My son has promised to marry Lord Swann of Stonehelm, and we, House Tarth, hereby arrange these tournaments to honor that!” The crowd cheered, as did the lords and ladies sitting around Keum, but he didn’t move a muscle… He didn’t want this! He didn’t really want to marry at all, but he was too afraid of his father to go against the elder’s wishes for any longer… Two knights riding horses entered the arena, but Keum barely even cared to look up. They try to knock each other off, and on the second run, one succeeds, sending the other to the ground, and the audience cheers again.

“How can you not enjoy this?” Lord Swann said, pulling Keum out of his thoughts. “I thought you liked these sorts of things, or so I heard,”

“I do… when I’m the one participating, not watching…” Keum answered half-heartedly. He couldn’t care less at this point, so if he offended Lord Swann or not, he didn’t care. Lord Swann didn’t seem to care either, as he just went back to watching the tournaments, and it wasn’t until a knight, wearing armor without any house sigils or other recognizable details, entered the arena that Keum even cared to actually look down into the arena. The man rode out and surveyed the assembled jousters before glancing up at the crowd. He was wearing a helmet, which made it impossible to see who it was, but there were a few strands of dark brown and blond locks peeking out from the back. The man didn’t come up to the podium where Keum and the others were sitting; instead, he just took his place in the arena, waiting for his opponent. Another man entered from the other side, and before long, the two charged forward. The second man was hit, lost his lance, and got knocked off his horse almost immediately while the mystery knight remained steadily seated.

“Who is that?” Keum heard Lord Swann ask one of his men, but the man didn’t seem to know who this knight was, and neither did Keum’s father’s men either… Another three rounds went by with pretty much the same result, with the mystery knight winning by a mile every time. At last, he ended up winning the whole thing, and it was only then that he finally rode up to the podium and gave Keum and the others a small bow with his head.

“Who are you, may I ask? I can’t recall ever inviting any outsiders to attend the tournaments of my son’s wedding,” Lord Tarth said. The mystery knight remained silent but glanced over at Keum before eventually taking off his helmet. Keum, who’d been leaning his head against his hand, sat up straight as the man’s face was revealed, or should he say boy’s face…

“Baekseung…?” He mumbled under his breath, not loud enough for anyone to hear him.

“I’m no one of importance, my lord. I only wish to attend your tournaments to find glory and have some fun,” Baekseung said, and Keum would have laughed if it weren’t for the fact that he was somewhat conserved as to why Baekseung was even here, to begin with…

“Wouldn’t seeking glory be easier if others knew your name…?” Lord Tarth questioned, but Baekseung just smirked faintly before looking over at Keum again.

“I was just hoping to ask for your son’s favor,” Baekseung said. Keum pressed his lips into a thin line before looking over at his father. There was no way Keum’s father could know who Baekseung was since he’d never seen the prince before, and it was quite apparent that Baekseung had no intention of telling him either. So Keum guessed that all he could really do was just play along with whatever the younger was doing until he could find out why he was even there in the first place… He stood up from his seat, grabbed the wreath that was meant as a sign of favor to whoever won the tournaments, and walked over to the balcony of the podium. Baekseung got off his horse, held up his lance, and Keum tossed the wreath down his lance.

“I wish you luck, Ser…” Keum said, and Baekseung smiled before bowing his head again.

“My lord,” He answered, keeping eye contact with Keum until the latter turned around and exited the podium. He heard the crowd cheer again, presumably because Baekseung had turned to bow at them as well, but Keum just continued walking… Whatever intentions Baekseung had for turning up here, it couldn’t be anything good…

Chapter Text

Yujun and Hunter made their way down to Flea Bottom once again, but this time after dark. Doyoung had yet to catch on that this was where they were going, and as long as he didn’t know, they were going to continue going there so they would have something to do. Being stuck in King’s Landing for three years had proven quite a lot more boring than spending their first 14 years in Winterfell, which could have to do with the fact that they were curious teenagers, but to them, it didn’t really matter. The more things they could get away with, and as long as they deemed it safe, the better!

“I miss home,” Yujun sighed as they made their way down the filthy streets. These streets seemed to never be empty as people were always running up and down them no matter what time of the day it was, and after dark was no different. “This place stinks!” He added as they walked past one of the sewer openings.

“Can’t argue with that…” Hunter said, raising his hand to place the sleeve of his shirt over his nose to block out the smell. They quickly hurried further down the streets, mostly to avoid the smell but also to reach their intended destination quicker, as they probably didn’t have very much time before Doyoung noticed their absence. They were heading for what had once been the Dragonpit, the place where the Targaryens kept their younger dragons before they outgrew it and had to stay outside the city gates, but now, the Dragonpit was nothing but a ruin. It was basically the only part of the city that hadn’t been touched since the war ended, as many of the city’s people believed the place to be hunted or cursed in some way. The two brothers had been there before, so the sight of the ruined walls and the completely caved-in roof was nothing new to them, but they still wanted to venture down into the lower tunnels.

“Shh, wait…” Yujun said, halting his steps as he heard a few voices coming from inside the ruined walls. Even if most people never even wanted to set foot in the once magnificent building, not everyone was afraid to do so… But it didn’t seem to be much of an issue as the group of people looked to be leaving, and so Yujun and Hunter just waited until they disappeared into the dimly lit streets they themselves had just come from. Yujun tugged at Hunter’s arm, motioning him to follow, before stepping over the rubble and walking down the quite ruined walkway leading down into the ground below.

“Perzys,” (Fire) Hunter mumbled as Yujun held up a stick he’d found, and in a mere second, the upper end of the stick lit up, creating a makeshift torch so they could see where they were going in the dark. Much to their dismay, they didn’t find much, mostly just caved-in tunnels and rubble, which made it impossible for them to go any further. They continued to walk further down what must have been the main tunnel where the dragons themselves could fit, but even that one seemed to end in rubble once they’d walked for a while.

“This thing must have been huge once…” Yujun mumbled, and Hunter nodded. “Do you think there’s a chance there’s still things like bones or dragon eggs buried under all this?” He added.

“I highly doubt it…” Hunter answered. “If anything was actually down here when the roof caved in, I don’t think those things are anything else the crushed right now,”

“It’s a shame… Would have been cool to have seen this place when it was whole,” Yujun said as he moved the torch around to see the walls and surrounding area better.

“Who are you? And what are you doing down here?” A man’s voice came from their side, making them both jump slightly and turn in the direction of the voice.

“Who are you?!” Yujun asked, gripping the handle of the sword he had strapped to his belt while Hunter remained unmoving. Yujun moved the torch, so it was in front of him and in between the man and himself. The man had dark hair and seemingly brown eyes, but it was quite hard to tell as he was still too far away for them to really see. However, that was probably for the better, as Yujun noticed that the man had a sword as well.

“I asked first!” The man said. He seemed to be around their own age, but that didn’t really matter… He seemed hostile, and Yujun and Hunter both knew they shouldn’t be down here and judging by the stranger’s reaction, it seemed as though he was somewhat upset that they were there. “This is no place for low lives like yourselves, so get out of here right now!”

“We’re not some low lives!” Yujun answered, clearly offended.

“No? Then who are you?” Hunter, who had remained silent ever since the other appeared, now felt his eyes blur.

“No… not now…” He mumbled, shaking his head, trying to get rid of whatever vision that was trying to take over his mind, but it didn’t seem to work as the images of a black dragon with green eyes appeared, followed by two young men, both with dark, almost black hair, and finally, a little boy with the same hair color, sitting alone in what Hunter could only assume was some sort of castle hall. Hunter blinked a few times as the vision seemed to end, but then it came back with full force, and the same castle hall came into view, and then he heard someone talking…

“You wanted to see me?” A young man with black hair asked. Another, who seemed to be much older, just gestured for some guards to close the doors behind the first man before he stood up from the throne he’d been sitting on.

“I want you to go North. The lords of White Harbor have sent for you regarding the rightful succession of the city,” The older man said. “And apparently, Jake Stark is there claiming the city to be rightfully his, as his father is the Warden of the North,” A chill ran down Hunter’s back at the mention of his grandfather’s name coming from this unknown man, but there wasn’t much he could do but continue to listen and watch… “So, since the lords up there still claim the city to be under Baratheon rule, I want you to go there and make sure they do not give in to whatever the Starks have planned for the city,”

“I thought we were with the Starks in this?” The younger man questioned.

“Only as long as they meet their end of the bargain and do not interfere with what now belongs to me!” Hunter saw the younger man clenched his jaw at what the elder had said. He didn’t seem to like it at all, but he still answered the elder.

“If I am to do what you want me to, I have a request for you,” He said.

“And what would that be?” The elder raised an eyebrow.

“Make sure Jiung and Jongseob return home to Sunspear! I don’t want either of them to stay in this city until we are sure it is truly safe,” the younger said. The elder seemed like he wanted to object, but the younger didn’t let him. “Wouldn’t you want your only living son to be safe? Considering what you have already lost,” The elder grimaced, but he slowly nodded his head.

“Alright, I’ll send Jongseob back to Sunspear, but Jiung is staying. We need him here!”

“Father!?” Another young man, whom Hunter figured must be Jiung, tried to speak, but the elder shushed him by raising his hand.

“That is final! Some of my best men will ride for Sunspear with Jongseob in the morning, but I need you to leave for White Harbor now!” He said, and the first young man gave the older a small nod before walking over to Jiung, whom Hunter now saw was holding a little boy in his arms.

“How can you let him do that? Jongseob needs us, Intak!” Jiung argued as the other, apparently named Intak, reached them, but the latter just wrapped his arms around both of them.

“He will never be safe here, and I know that you know it!” Intak whispered into Jiung’s hair as he hugged him. “I just want to make sure our son is as far away from this place as possible because I don’t think this will end peacefully…” As the image of the little family faded away, the little boy, who couldn’t have been more than two years old, looked up, almost looking straight at Hunter, but it didn’t seem like he could see him, and then the vision ended… Hunter found himself back in the ruined Dragonpit, still standing behind his brother, but now, as he looked back up at the stranger standing in front of Yujun, a sudden realization hit him…

“You’re a Martell… aren’t you?” Hunter asked, and that made the man change his facial expression really quickly, and he was now just staring at Hunter…

“How did you…?” The man mumbled… “Who are you?”

“Your distant relative, it seems…” Hunter answered, and both the stranger and Yujun gave him a weird look.

“What the hell, Hunter?!” Yujun muttered, but Hunter just shook his head.

“Was your grandfather a dragon rider?” Hunter questioned, and surprisingly, the stranger nodded. “So was ours,” Hunter said.

“So you’re Starks… or Baratheons?” The man questioned.

“Starks,” Hunter answered. He didn’t really know why he was sharing this information about them with a complete stranger, but it didn’t feel like the other would do them any harm. Yujun glared at Hunter, presumable because the younger had just told the stranger basically who they were, but he looked back at the other as the man spoke again.

“My name is Seeun Martell, my father is Jongseob Martell, and my grandfather was Intak Baratheon, the dragon rider I presume you were referring to,” He said.

“I’m Hunter Stark, and this is my brother Yujun Stark. Our parents are Taesan and Leehan Stark, and our grandfather is Jake Stark,” Hunter answered. Yujun shot him a look but didn’t say anything. The stranger, Seeun, nodded slowly before lowering the sword he’d been pointing at the two others with, and only then did Yujun let go of the handle of his sword as well.

“What are two Starks doing so far from the North?” Seeun asked.

“We could ask you the same. What is a Martell doing so far from Dorne?” Hunter answered, which apparently Seeun found quite amusing as he let out a small chuckle.

“I wanted to see the infamous city everyone talks about, you?” Seeun said.

“Same!” Yujun answered before Hunter could reveal more about them that a stranger, no matter if he was somehow related to them or not, needed to know. “But we’re leaving now!” He added before grabbing Hunter’s wrist and pulling the younger with him. Seeun just watched them as they walked past him, but he smiled a little.

“See you around, Stark!” He called after them.

“Wouldn’t count on it, Martell!” Yujun yelled back, and that was the last thing either of them said to each other before the two brothers left the Dragonpit…

Chapter Text

Evenfall Hall, the castle of House Tarth, was quite a big one and located on top of a hill. It overlooked the small harbor on its side as well as the open sea of Shipbreaker Bay. The island itself is also known as the Sapphire Isle due to the blue of the surrounding waters, and even now, despite the darkness of the night sky, you can still see some of this color in the water down below. Keum snuck out through one of the backdoors, avoiding the men his father had ordered to stand guard and be extra cautious since Keum was supposed to marry Lord Swann the next day, but these men didn’t know the castle like Keum did, so it wasn’t hard for his to get past them. The only light at this hour came from torches hanging along the walls or other fires coming from homes or gatherings along the streets. It was enough to give people enough light to see but not enough to immediately tell who someone was if they just walked past you, which is how Keum could get past several of the people living the closest to the castle, people he actually knew and would have recognized him if it weren’t for the poor lighting. Keum wasn’t actually entirely sure why he was even out here, to begin with, but he needed to know why Baekseung was here, and the quicker he figured that out, the better! And he figured it would be easier to go see him when no one else was around to interrupt, which was why he was doing it at this hour.

“Where the hell are you…” Keum muttered to himself as he looked down every alleyway and smaller street he walked past. He’d hid his blond hair under a hood to further conceal his identity, and he’d worn a set of clothes that didn’t really make him look like he’d come from the castle. That didn’t seem to matter, though, as he suddenly felt someone grab his arm and pull him into the alley he was just about to walk past. He let out a yelp as he’d not been prepared for someone grabbing him, but a hand was placed over his mouth before his back hit the stone wall of the building on one side of the alley. “What-!” He tried to fight against whoever had grabbed him, but as he looked up, he was met with a pair of warm brown eyes looking at him and brown and blond hair sticking out from under a hood.

“Shh…” Baekseung said, removing his hand from Keum’s mouth and placing his index finger over his own lips.

“What are you doing? And why are you even here!?” Keum asked once he’d gotten over the sudden surprise of being pulled into the alleyway in the manner he had.

“I wanted to see you…” Baekseung answered. Despite them being alone in the alleyway and Keum still standing with his back against the wall, Baekseung hadn’t moved back, and Keum quite quickly became very well aware of how tall the younger had become since they last saw each other, as he was now towering over him. He looked up and met his eyes, and even if their close proximity didn’t scare him, it didn’t exactly feel comfortable either…

“Well, now you have, so you can go back home now…” Keum eventually said. He broke eye contact with the younger before trying to move to the side to get around Baekseung, but the latter raised his arm and placed it on the wall beside Keum’s head, blocking his path. “Move your arm…”

“Stay… please…” Baekseung said. He did lower his arm back down, but instead of letting it fall back to his side, he grabbed Keum’s hand and squeezed it lightly. “Please… I just…” Baekseung ran his fingers over the top of Keum’s hand as he spoke, and to his surprise, the elder didn’t pull it away. “Don’t marry Lord Swann…” He eventually said, looking straight into Keum’s eyes again and firmly yet still gently squeezing Keum’s hand.

“I’m afraid I have no say in the matter…” Keum answered slowly. “And neither do you… so please, for both our sakes, just go back home, Baekseung…” Keum pulled his hand out of the younger’s grip and was about to step out from in between the Stark prince and the wall, but Baekseung stopped him, once again, by taking a set to the side so he was still standing in front of Keum. “Baekseung-…”

“I’m not a child anymore…” Baekseung interrupted him.

“You are… but that doesn’t change the fact that I’m already betroth-“ Keum tried to say, but Baekseung interrupted him again.

“I’m not! And you haven’t wed Lord Swann yet, so you’re still free to choose for yourself,” He said.

“I won’t go against my father’s wishes just because I don’t like them! He’s already angry with me because I have refused for this long and mhf-“ Keum didn’t get to finish his sentence as Baekseung pressed his lips against his. At first, Keum was too stunned to really do anything, but then he weakly tried to push the younger away. “Baekseung-“

“I love you; please marry me instead!” Baekseung said as Keum managed to break their kiss. “I’ll make you a prince! I know it’s stupid of me to come here, but when I heard you were being married off to that lord, I just could stay in Winterfell! I’ve waited so long for you, so please, don’t turn me away again!” The younger pleaded. He held Keum’s upper arms, but the latter didn’t try to fight him any longer and just stared up at him.

“My father won’t let me, Baekseung… He hates your family! So there’s nothing I can do even if I wanted to!” Keum answered.

“He won’t be able to do anything to you if you come with me because I won’t let him! And my grandfather will make sure you’re-“

“I’m not some damsel in distress that needs your saving, Baekseung!” Keum interrupted the prince. “You’re asking something impossible of me! And what makes you think I would just up and leave the life I know?”

“Because your life won’t be the same if you marry Lord Swann, and you know that! You won’t be allowed to be who you are or do what you want! And I know you don’t need saving, but I don’t think I could live without you and with the knowledge that you’re not happy…” Baekseung was barely whispering by the time he finished talking, and he squeezed his eyes closed to prevent himself from crying… His damn emotions were getting too hard to handle at times… even for himself… But he was surprised to feel Keum reach his hand up and place it on the side of his face, gently wiping off the single tear that had run down his cheek with his thumb. Baekseung opened his eyes again and was met with Keum’s. The elder gave him a faint smile despite his earlier yelling and leaned his forehead against Baekseung’s.

“If I go with you, my father will blame whatever misfortune Lord Swann and his house will bring him on you… It wouldn’t just jeopardize mine or your lives; it could affect your brothers, their families, and your parents, and probably result in my father no longer wanting to pledge fealty to House Stark and the North…” Keum whispered.

“I won’t let him get that close to either you or my family!” Baekseung said.

“I know… but it’ll still cost your grandfather part of his kingdom…” Keum pointed out, but he still didn’t pull away from the younger and kept his hand on the side of his face. Baekseung bit his lip and nodded slowly. He stood still for a few more seconds, just looking into Keum’s eyes before eventually pulling away and letting go of the elder’s arms again.

“I… I’m sorry, I should go…” He mumbled, but he’d barely taken half a step backward before Keum grabbed his wrist.

“I don’t want to marry Lord Swann…” He said quietly. They just stared at each other for a while, not really moving, before Baekseung moved back, wrapping his arms around Keum as the elder did the same and kissed him again. And this time, Keum kissed back.

“Then don’t…!”

- - - -

“You should be resting, father,” Leehan said as he entered Jake’s room, closing the door behind himself. Jake looked up from his pile of papers lying on the table in front of him before taking a deep breath and leaning back in his chair.

“I need to deal with all of this first…” He answered as Leehan walked up to him.

“Me or Taesan could do that, father. Or just appoint a new hand that’ll do this for you,” Leehan tried to persuade Jake to stand up and walk over to his bed, but the king just waved him off.

“I don’t need your help, Leehan. You have enough to worry about as it is,” Jake sighed before sitting back up to overlook the pile of papers again.

“I think I know where Baekseung went…” Leehan said, which made Jake look up at him.

“You do?” He asked, and Leehan nodded.

“I warged into Kalea and used her sense of smell and tracking,” Leehan explained. “She tracked Baekseung’s scent all the way to Ramsgate and its harbor, but that’s not the main thing. I found the letter sent here informing us of Lord Tarth’s intentions of marrying off his son to Lord Swann of Stonehelm, and that was what Baekseung was upset over before he disappeared… so I think he went to the Sapphire Isle…”

Chapter Text

“How are you not bored up here?” Sumin asked. He and Minseo were walking along the wall on the south side, where Castle Black was. Jinsik was still asleep when they left, and Yunseong had other things that required his attention, which left the two brothers to entertain themselves. Sumin and Jinsik were set to leave that day, so while Jinsik wanted to get some good sleep before traveling on the road again, Sumin wanted to spend some more time with his brother.

“There’s actually quite a lot of things that need to be done, you know,” Minseo chuckled. “There are still weak points along the wall that don’t need to be rebuilt as the wall’s purpose is no longer to keep anything out, but it’s dangerous to be around those parts as the wall could break further and cause accidents for those working on top of it,” Minseo explained.

“But you don’t do that, right? So isn’t it boring for you?” Sumin questioned.

“Not really. It’s not that different from living in Winterfell, to be honest,” Sumin nodded at his brother’s words as they continued to walk along the wall.

“Do you miss it?” Sumin asked after a while. They’d now reached a small grove of trees, which was located quite close to the wall but not really growing all the way up to it. The trees were quite thick and had probably been there for quite some time, and Sumin could even see what looked like chop marks in the tree bark. The marks looked to be quite old as well, so Sumin figured they were even older than them and came from when the white walkers traveled past here.

“Huh?” Minseo raised an eyebrow at his brother. “Miss it?”

“Home, Winterfell,” Sumin answered.

“Sometimes, I guess… but it’s not like I can’t live without it. I’m happy here, and of course, I miss you, our other brothers, our parents, and grandpa, but I can travel down to see you anytime,” Minseo answered, and Sumin nodded.

“Do you think Yujun and Hunter will come back soon?” Sumin then asked.

“I hope. I don’t think they have the same freedom to do what they want down there, and grandpa’s always said that King’s Landing is a dangerous place, so I imagine that they are quite restricted,” Minseo said.

“Mhm,” Sumin hummed, but then he and Minseo both turned back as they heard someone approaching.

“I’m sorry to interrupt, but Lord Umber is ready to leave, and he wanted me to inform you,” Woonhak said.

“Thank you, Woonhak,” Minseo answered before he, Sumin, and Woonhak started walking back toward the castle. He hugged Sumin before he and Jinsik left Castle Black. Minseo watched them ride away, and it hit him that maybe he actually missed his brothers more than he’d thought…

- - - -

Hunter tried to rub the sleep out of his eyes as he made his way down into the underground hall, where he knew Minghao was already waiting for him. The older man never seemed to sleep and was always standing in the same spot, waiting for Hunter every time he came down there. He’d gotten quite used to it by now, so when he entered the hall, and Minghao was not standing where he usually did, Hunter halted his steps and looked around.

“Minghao?” He called out quietly, which, in hindsight, probably wasn’t the smartest thing to do, but it was too late now. However, Hunter got no reply, which indicated that no one was down there, and that, in itself, was a relief, but it also made him wonder where Minghao was… He looked around the hall once more before taking a few more steps forward, but he stopped once again when he heard voices coming from the opposite end of the hall. He’d never actually ventured up into the Red Keep itself, but he figured that where the voices came from was where the staircase into the castle itself was located, and he’d seen Minghao go up there a few times before. The elder had never outright told him he couldn’t go there, but something in the back of Hunter’s mind just knew he probably shouldn’t, which was why he knew that doing the complete opposite right now was pretty stupid, but curiosity got the better of him… so he followed the voices, which he soon figured out belonged to Minghao and Taemin, that other silver-eyed man who, if you asked Hunter, dressed way too suspiciously with his all silver clothing.

“The lines are not supposed to cross for another 120 years…” Hunter heard Minghao say.

“I know, but there’s not much we can do about it now… The two princes already met the Martell boy, and to be honest, I didn’t even know he was in King’s Landing to begin with…” Taemin answered. “I’ve been keeping an eye on Valyria for the last few years while the Stark boys have been here with you, so what the Martells have been up to has somewhat slipped past me…”

“Do you think it will cause any problems?” Minghao questioned.

“Not necessarily… The Starks and the Martells never really had that big of a conflict in the past, so I don’t really see why something were to happen now…” What the hell were they talking about…? Hunter thought to himself while Taemin spoke. “Just see to it that Hunter gets done so you can send them back home, and I’ll deal with the Martell bo-” Hunter tried to take a few steps closer to hear Minghao and Taemin better, but in doing so, he managed to knock his knee into the stonewall, which, in itself, wasn’t that bad because it didn’t hurt, but the ever so smallest thud rang through the air, and with both Minghao and Taemin not exactly being human, their ears picked up the sound easily. They both looked toward the door opening, but neither saw anything, which prompted Minghao to make his way over there swiftly. He looked out into the huge, empty underground hall but saw nothing but the dragon skulls… so, eventually, he turned back around to face Taemin.

“Go, I’ll deal with him…” He said, and Taemin nodded before turning his cloak in the air, disappearing without a trace…

- - - -

Hunter exited through the old archway and entered the narrow street below the walls of the Red Keep. His heart was beating loudly in his chest, and he couldn’t help but feel worry creep up his back. What the hell had he just heard? What were Minghao and Taemin plotting? And what had the former meant by ‘The lines are not supposed to cross for another 120 years’? He just couldn’t wrap his head around it, but all he knew was that he didn’t want to be there anymore! So he hurried down the street, back in the direction of the small house he, Yujun, and Doyoung had been living in for the past three years, but before he’d even managed to barely turn the corner of the first street, he ran straight into someone before falling backward and ended up sitting on the ground.

“Ough…” Hunter let out a groan as he landed on the ground. He had not been paying attention to where he was going and absolutely not been prepared for someone else to round the corner from the opposite direction, which was why he’d ended up where he was now…

“Stark?” Hunter froze as he recognized the voice… This was not something he had the time for right now…

“Martell…” Hunter answered as he looked up and saw Seeun smirking down at him.

“It doesn’t seem very prince-like to be sitting on the dirty street now, does it?” Seeun chuckled, which made Hunter glare up at him.

“Yeah? And whose fault is it that I fell in the first place?” He huffed before trying to stand up, but much to his surprise, Seeun, despite still laughing a little, reached out his hand to help Hunter up.

“Your own,” Seeun answered after he’d pulled Hunter back up. “You were the one who ran into me because you weren’t looking where you were going,” Hunter just glared at him again, but then he remembered why he’d been in such a hurry to begin with, which prompted him to look back down the still empty street. He then turned back and tried to walk past Seeun, but the latter didn’t seem to want to let him as he moved to stand in front of him. “Why in such a hurry? And where’s your brother?” Seeun asked.

“That’s none of your business!” Hunter huffed before trying to get around Seeun again, but the latter moved with him, so they were still standing face to face. He was slightly taller than Hunter, which not many were considering how much he’d grown during the last three years, and it annoyed him that he had to look up to meet Seeun’s eyes. “Can you move?” He asked, not in the mood to deal with the other’s apparent childish behavior right now…

“Depends…” Seeun smirked. “Tell me why you’re in such a hurry; maybe I can help?” He added. Hunter may have only met Seeun briefly once before, but he was already getting on his nerves…

“No…” Hunter answered before, once again, trying to get around the other. This time, Seeun didn’t move with him, and so Hunter was relieved that he could get around him, but that was rather short-lived as when Hunter took a few steps forward, Seeun stuck out his foot, deliberately making Hunter trip over his foot before grabbing his wrist, pulling him back, and eventually pushing him against the wall. He’d not done it to hurt or scare Hunter, but rather just to mess with him, but the Stark prince felt like he’d actually prefer Seeun to be threatening over doing whatever he was doing now…

“What the hell?” Hunter said. It’d taken him a few seconds to actually register what had happened, and so the words had just sort of slipped out, but now he found himself swallowing thickly while he felt his cheeks turn red considering how close Seeun was to him right now… “Wha… what are you doing…?” He mumbled as Seeun didn’t say anything and just watched him for a few seconds, which felt way longer to Hunter…

“You seem interesting…” Seeun grinned, but he didn’t get the chance to say anything else as someone from behind him grabbed the back of his shirt and harshly pulled him away from Hunter before shoving him into the wall on the other side of the narrow street.

“Get off my brother!” Yujun almost growled, which, in any other circumstances, Hunter would have found funny, but not really right now…

“Good morrow to you, too,” Seeun chuckled while fixing his shirt. Yujun didn’t seem to be as affected by Seeun as Hunter was; he just glared at Seeun before grabbing his brother’s hand and pulling him along with him.

“Leave my brother alone, or I’ll end you!” He huffed, but to Seeun, it sounded more like a challenge than a threat.

“We’ll see about that,” Seeun chuckled while watching Yujun pull Hunter away. Yujun didn’t even try to answer him this time and just straight-up ignored him, but Hunter couldn’t help but look back. He regretted it almost immediately as he locked eyes with Seeun. He quickly turned his head back around when the other grinned slyly at him again. Hunter just knew his cheeks were so red at this point… and he didn’t know how to feel about it…

Chapter Text

“What the hell were you doing with him?” Yujun asked as soon as they got back to their house. He’d not said anything the whole way back, which actually wasn’t that far, but it still made Hunter feel uncomfortable since Yujun usually was very talkative and happy.

“Nothing…? He just turned up a few minutes before you did,” Hunter answered, massaging his wrist when his brother finally let go of him. He was sure Yujun hadn’t meant to hurt him, but the iron grip he’d had on Hunter’s wrist, pulling him with him all the way back without letting go, still stung now when he’d finally let go.

“Yeah? And what did he want?” Yujun asked, eyes traveling down to look at his brother’s wrist, which was turning slightly red. “Sorry…” Yujun added upon realizing he’d done that, but Hunter just shook his head.

“It’s fine, but I don’t know what he wanted… he didn’t really get to say that much…” Hunter answered.

“Well, it seemed like he was quite busy pressing you up against the wall, so that doesn’t surprise me,” Yujun scuffed.

“Yujun!” Hunter exclaimed. He felt his cheeks heat up and probably turn red again at the way his brother had described what Seeun had done.

“What? That’s what he did, though!” Yujun said. “Or who would you have described it?” The elder raised an eyebrow at his brother.

“I’d rather not describe it at all…” Hunter muttered before walking past Yujun and back into their house.

“So if I’d not shown up there, you would have just let him do whatever and not moved?” Yujun questioned as he followed Hunter inside.

“No!? I just hadn’t had the time to do anything myself before you pulled him away…!” Hunter argued.

“Didn’t look like you were considering doing much, though…” Yujun huffed. He lightly kicked one of the chairs around the table when he walked by it.

“What are you even… wait… are you jealous?” Hunter asked, which made Yujun turn back around to face him.

“Of you!? No! Why would I want that bastard’s attention?” Yujun questioned.

“No… I meant… are you jealous of him…?” Hunter said, and that made Yujun give him a weird look before realization hit him.

“Oh, uhm, not to be mean or anything, but no… I don’t… I know it’s not really a big deal considering our own parents and ancestors, but I don’t think that’s for me,” He chuckled a little before his face turned worried again. “Did you want me to…? Like, do you like me like that… or?”

“No!” Hunter answered quite quickly. “Not that I’ve actually not put much thought to it, but no,” He added, and that made Yujun laugh.

“Okay, good. Glad we got that out of the way,” He chuckled. “Would have been quite awkward if one of us liked the other, but that one didn’t like them back,”

“Yeah, haha. But why did you react like that, then? I mean, the thing with Seeun…” Hunter questioned.

“Maybe because I don’t want a stranger to push my brother up against a wall,” Yujun answered.

“Can you please stop referring to it like that…?” Hunter muttered while burying his face in his hands out of embarrassment.

“Yeah, no. I’m never dropping that!” Yujun teased, earning a slap on the arm from his brother. “But why were you even out there? Aren’t you supposed to be with Minghao right now?” Yujun added, and that made Hunter look up again as he realized he’d completely forgotten what had happened before he ran straight into Seeun.

“Shit!” Hunter exclaimed before running back to the door Yujun hadn’t closed when they entered. Hunter slammed it shut before going back to his brother and pushing him further into the house.

“What are you doing?” Yujun chuckled. He found Hunter’s behavior a little strange, but as soon as the younger had told him what he’d heard Minghao and Taemin talk about, he didn’t look as amused anymore. “What did he mean by deal with the Martell boy? Do you think he’s going to kill him?”

“What? No… or, I don’t know, but that seems rather unnecessary if you ask me…” Hunter answered. “But I don’t really feel like going back down there either… I’ve never really liked Taemin, and now this just made it worse…”

“Then don’t go there!” Yujun answered. “We should leave; we should have done that a long time ago!”

“You can’t… He’s not done yet…” A voice from behind them came, making them abruptly turn around only to come face to face with Taemin. His silver eyes moved from Hunter to Yujun before going back to Hunter again. “He still needs to learn about the prophecy…”

“What prophecy…?” Hunter asked. Yujun moved to stand in between him and Taemin, but Hunter stopped him by holding up his hand.

“That’s what you’ll learn once you’ve seen what the king’s dragon can show you…” Taemin said.

“King’s dragon…?” Yujun questioned, looking back at Hunter.

“Layros… King Beomgyu’s dragon,” Hunter whispered back before looking up at Taemin again. “Okay… Show it to me now, then, and be done with it!”

- - - -

“Don’t you think someone will recognize us?” Keum muttered as they walked across the deck of the transporting ship heading north.

“Not if we don’t give them any reason to,” Baekseung answered. “Blending in isn’t so hard when you stop trying so much, and our hair colors aren’t as uncommon as you might think,” He added. They continued to walk all the way to the front of the ship before Baekseung stopped. “Two of my brothers are in King’s Landing. We’ll go there first, and then we can travel up the Kingsroad and reach Winterfell within a month. It’s not as fast as taking a ship all the way up to the North, but I believe it’s safer since no one will expect us to do that,”

“Maybe because the Kingsroad isn’t the best traveling way… and because the Gullet is hard to navigate if you don’t have the right skills for it… and this ship doesn’t look very suited for any potential storms in those waters…” Keum said.

“It isn’t, but if we’d gotten on a bigger ship, the risk of someone recognizing us would have been bigger as well…” Baekseung pointed out before reaching for Keum’s hand to pull the elder closer to him. “Imagine if I’d had a dragon… then I could have just swooped down and picked you up before flying us back to Winterfell,” Baekseung chuckled, while Keum just shook his head, but he still smiled nonetheless.

“You would never have gotten me to ride one of those flying lizards,” Keum laughed.

“No? I can be very persuasive if I want to, you know,” Baekseung grinned.

“Oh, trust me, I know,” Keum answered before tilting his head backward a little so he could kiss the younger. “Why are your brothers in King’s Landing, by the way?” He questioned once they separated again.

“It’s a long story…” Baekseung answered.

“We’ve got time,” Keum said teasingly.

“I’d rather spend that time doing something else…” Baekseung said while placing his hands on Keum’s waist.

“Oh, I’m sure you do,” Keum smirked at him before letting the younger pull him along with him back down below deck.

- - - -

“Make sure to send out whatever they might need and order some additional men to accompany you if needed,” Taesan ordered the two men he was walking across the courtyard with. “Our people need food for the winter, so make sure they have enough before you come back!”

“Yes, my prince,” Both men bowed their heads before turning back toward the castle while Taesan continued to walk. He looked up toward the wing of the castle where his and Leehan’s chambers were, but the window was closed, and the curtains were shut, telling him that Leehan was probably still asleep. He sighed before turning his head back around to see where he was going, but something, or rather someone, standing up on the wall surrounding the castle made him halt his steps.

“Father?” Taesan called out, but Jake either didn’t hear him or just simply didn’t turn to look at him, which prompted Taesan to walk over to the stairs leading up to the walkway before walking up to stand next to his father. “What are you going up here?” Taesan questioned, eyes darting between his father and the open plains outside the city walls.

“You know there was a time when I didn’t think you’d ever be fit to take my place…” Jake said.

“Uhm, yeah?” Taesan answered. His father was still not looking at him but rather just stared out over the plains.

“And that your reckless decisions would just tear our family apart,” Jake continued.

“Well, yes, I’m quite aware you had that thought, but what does it have to do with anything now? I haven’t done something like that in a very long time…” Taesan said, slightly offended that his father would bring that up now, just out of the blue.

“You are very different from me, but not that different from your dad… He always had the devotion to keep both you and your brother safe, but he never believed in locking you up here, preventing you from living your own lives. He knew the world was dangerous, but rather than hide away from it, he was ready to take it all head-on for you…” Taesan watched Jake as he spoke, but nothing really made any sense to him. “I think that’s where I went wrong… I forced you and Leehan to stay here because I thought that would be better for you, and I think I passed on that belief to you as well…”

“Father… are you alright?” Taesan questioned while reaching out his hand to place it on Jake’s arm, which finally made the latter turn his head to look at his son.

“When the snows fall, and the white winds blow, the lone wolf dies, but the pack survives…” Jake mumbled, gently prying off Taesan’s hand from his arm before walking back down into the courtyard again and eventually disappearing into the castle. He left Taesan just staring after him, still not really able to comprehend what his father had meant… He stood there until he felt the need to look up, and just as he did, tiny snowflakes started to fall from the sky, and a cold gush of wind blew through his hair…

Chapter Text

Keum whimpered before letting out a moan as the force of Baekseung’s thrust pushed him further up the small makeshift bed of the room below deck. He gripped the younger’s shoulders as Baekseung groaned into the pillow beside his head. The younger ran one of his hands down to grip the elder’s thigh while letting the other stay holding his waist.

“I love you,” Baekseung groaned, raising his head before leaning down to press his lips against Keum’s lips.

“I-ah, I love-mmpf-uo, too,” Keum tried to answer between Baekseung relentlessly kissing him and the thrusts of his hips. Baekseung moaned before finally stilling his hips. He let his head hang down while still leaning over Keum, but he’d let go of the elder’s thigh and instead placed his hand on the bed to support his weight and not crush Keum. They were both breathing heavily and while Baekseung still had his eyes closed, Keum lay watching him before reaching up his hand to gently tug Baekseung’s dark brown and blond strands of hair behind his ear. He then rose up enough to kiss the younger again before teasingly pushing him off himself. Baekseung let out a chuckle as he rolled to the side while running a hand through his hair, messing it up again despite Keum’s attempt to get it out of his face. “If we keep this up, you might need to find a priest once we get to King’s Landing,” Keum chuckled. He moved so he was lying on his side and leaned on his elbow so he could watch the younger’s face.

“Mmh,” Baekseung hummed before reaching up and stroking Keum’s cheek with the back of his hand.

“Or a maester… depends on what you’re planning to do with me once we get to Winterfell,” Keum teased and couldn’t help but laugh at the younger’s facial expression.

“No! What? Why would we need a maester? All I want to do is marry you and make you a prince, like I promised!” Baekseung answered, somewhat panicked, but Keum just laughed at him while lying back down on the bed.

“I’m sure you do, but you and I both know I won’t really be a prince, though. I’ll just be a prince consort, but if we were to have a son, he’d be a prince,” Keum said, still teasing the younger.

“Then we should have many little princes,” Baekseung answered before leaning over Keum to kiss him again.

“Not unless you’re planning to be the one to push them out,” Keum answered. “I’m not having six children like your parents did; one is enough for me,”

“Then we’ll just have one then,” Baekseung smiled, and so did Keum. The ship swayed a little as the waves hit it, but neither Baekseung nor Keum paid much mind to it; they’d gotten quite used to it over the last few days since they left the Sapphire Isle, and they soon fell asleep on the small bed they shared.

- - - -

“I thought you said they were up to something…” Yujun whisper-shouted as he and Hunter entered the underground hall along with Taemin. Minghao was already waiting for them down there, seemingly never having left in the first place, but Hunter had come to learn that he wasn’t really able to either… The Red Keep had become his prison after the death of his son and husband, and by some magic or something that Hunter never really understood, it prevented Minghao from leaving the castle grounds.

“I did, but it’s not like we have much choice right now…” Hunter muttered back. “I don’t know the full extent of what they can do, but I’m sure it’s more than what I can… so let’s just do what they say… They did say that we could leave once I’m done, so I don’t think they’ll hurt us,” Yujun just hummed in response, but he followed his brother across the hall, past many dragon skulls, before finally stopping in front of one of the biggest ones. “Okay? Let’s get on with it,” Hunter said once Taemin had walked over to stand beside Minghao, both now watching the two princes.

“Calm down first,” Minghao said. “You know what I’ve told you about keeping your emotions at bay! You cannot do this if your mind is already running wild or otherwise occupied,” Hunter wanted to roll his eyes, but deep down, he knew Minghao was right. His emotions did impact the visions he had and were usually what made them worse… So he briefly looked over at Yujun before finally turning to face the enormous dragon skull. He took a deep breath before closing his eyes for a few seconds. He was about to open them again when he heard Minghao speak. “That’s not enough… Focus!” Hunter clenched his jaw, preventing himself from snapping back at the elder, and instead took another deep breath. He focused on calming his mind down and letting go of all other things around him that could be a distraction. He found it quite hard, however, as he heard the wind blowing past the huge towers above them and the rain which had started to fall. Falling so heavily that it sounded like it hammered against the roof, threatening to break it… He tried to focus even harder, but instead of actually letting go of what he heard, his mind somehow played even further into it, and soon, he found himself hearing not just the wind and the rain but also the sounds of waves hitting sharp rocks and the wood of a ship creaking under pressure from the heavy storm…

“No… that’s not…” Hunter mumbled. He clenched his fists while trying to push the vision away, but all it did was grow in strength until Hunter saw a small ship fighting hard against the huge waves crashing against it, and that’s when he saw it… “Baekseung…!”

- - - -

The sound of something breaking and the waves crashing against the ship’s sides, making it rock violently, woke up both Keum and Baekseung. They both got out of bed and quickly got dressed before entering the upper deck, only to be met by chaos and rain and seawater coming from every direction. A large wave crashed into the side of the ship just as they came up, and it made them both stumble to the side a little before regaining their balance.

“Still thinking it was a good idea to travel on a small ship?” Keum asked sarcastically, but Baekseung didn’t answer him. Instead, he gripped the elder’s hand and pulled him across the deck and up to where the captain was.

“Where are we?” Baekseung asked the man.

“The Gullet, just north of Sharp Point,” The captain answered. “You’ll be able to see its watchtower soon,”

“Sharp Point? Then we’ve almost entered Blackwater Bay, right?” Baekseung questioned, and the captain nodded.

“Almost… We need to face the Gullet first,” Just as the captain finished his sentence, another huge wave hit the ship, rocking it violently and sending everyone onboard stumbling to the side. “And it doesn’t seem like the gods have favored our journey…”

- - - -

“What’s happening? Hunter?” Yujun asked, trying to reach out for his brother, but quickly jerked his hand back as he’d basically burnt his fingertips from placing them on Hunter’s shoulder. Hunter, however, didn’t even seem to have noticed and just brought his own hands up to place them on each side of his head.

“No, no, no…!” He mumbled again before looking up at Minghao. “You said this wouldn’t happen! You said everything I saw didn’t have to come true! You lied?!”

“I didn’t lie, Hunter! I can’t control what happens, and I never told you that the things you see won’t come true! That depends on what that person does and the decisions they make! You and I can do nothing but watch…”

“No…! I can’t let that happen! I won’t let my brother perish in a storm! It’s not fair!” Hunter yelled. Yujun’s eyes went from his brother and over to Minghao and Taemin before going back to Hunter again.

“Baekseung? You’re vision… the storm… Is that happening now?!” Yujun asked. He was still holding his hand in the other, but he tried to push away the pain of where he’d been burnt.

“No! I won’t let it!” Hunter said. He then lowered his hands from his head before closing his eyes again.

“What are you doing…?” Yujun questioned.

“Making sure our brother doesn’t die on a ship in the middle of a storm!”

- - - -

The waves continued to crash against the ship’s sides, and they showed no sign of stopping any time soon…

“Get back below deck! It’s not safe up here!” Baekseung yelled over the sound of the rain and the wind.

“Absolutely not! I’m not hiding down there while you try to play hero up here! You have no knowledge of the sea, and nowhere is safe right now!” Keum yelled back.

“Then what are we supposed to do?!”

“We should head for Sharp Point! As soon as we spot their watchtower, it’ll guide us to safety,” The captain said.

“Is that it?” Baekseung questioned, pointing out over the raging sea and into the darkness of the night. The captain and Keum both looked where Baekseung was pointing and there, in the middle of all the rain and darkness, they could see a light ever so faint.

“It must be!” The captain answered before ordering his crew to move and steer the ship in that direction…

- - - -

“No… don’t go that way…” Hunter muttered. He watched as his brother and two other men struggled to stand upright as the ship below them was being tossed back and forth on the stormy waters of the Gullet.

“What’s happening?” Yujun asked.

“The captain turned the ship… They’re heading for Sharp Point, but the waters there are treacherous and full of sharp cliffs… They won’t make it if they get too close to it…” Hunter answered.

“What should we do? Can’t you just warn him or something?” Yujun questioned.

“All he can do is watch, young prince,” Taemin said. “He has the gift of sight, not the gift to enter someone else’s mind,” Yujun looked between Hunter and Taemin once again before fully facing the silver-clad man.

“He might not… but I do!” He said before his eyes rolled to the back of his head, leaving them completely white as he warged out of his body.

- - - -

A dozen ravens, who’d been sitting on the branches of the weirwood tree in the middle of the inner courtyard of the Red Keep, raised their heads, and a white color filled their eyes before they all took to the sky despite the rain and the winds. They flew straight out over the stormy sea with a single location locked in their minds… Sharp Point…

“Aren’t we getting too close to the cliffs?” Keum yelled.

“No! We need to stay close to the watchtower! It’ll guide our way to the town’s harbor,” The captain yelled back. Keum clenched his fist before not so gracefully making his way over to Baekseung. Neither of them could stand properly due to the constant rocking of the ship.

“This doesn’t feel right…” Keum said once he reached the younger. “We’re getting too close to the cliffs, and the water below them isn’t safe!”

“The captain said it should be alright; we just need to trust hi-“

“The captain is wrong, Baekseung! If we get any closer to those cliffs, the ship will sink!” Keum argued, but just as he did, a flock of birds swept down over their heads, forcing them to duck. The birds, which Baekseung recognized to be ravens, turned swiftly in the air before diving down over them again. They clawed and picked at them with their claws and beaks, seemingly trying to get their attention before flying up and in the opposite direction of the watchtower. “Did you see their eyes…?” Keum asked.

“Huh?”

“Their eyes! They were white!” Keum said.

“White…?” Baekseung mumbled to himself, slowly recalling a memory of what the eyes of his father’s direwolf looked like when Leehan warged into her… white… “Follow them…” Baekseung then said. “The ravens! Follow the ravens!” He now yelled.

“Are you mad? We’re almost at Sharp Point; why follow some birds?” The captain yelled.

“Because I said so!” Baekseung yelled before pushing the captain to the side, taking hold of the rudder, and steering the ship in the direction of where the ravens had flown. The captain stood back up and tried to take back control of his ship, but Keum drew his sword and pointed it at the man’s chest.

“Don’t even think about it…” Keum said. The captain clenched his jaw but didn’t try to do anything else, and so he and his crew just watched as the watchtower became smaller and smaller as the ship got further away from it… But then, as if nothing had ever occurred, the rain and the winds stopped. The waves calmed down, and before long, the night sky above them started to break through the dark clouds, giving them the smallest amount of light from the moon above…

- - - -

“You did it…” Hunter mumbled. “The ship… it’s… they’re out of the storm,” He turned to face Yujun just as the latter blinked his eyes a few times before they returned to normal again. “You saved him,” Hunter wrapped his arms around his brother, and Yujun did the same.

“I did what I had to,” He answered. “I’m not going to just let you watch as our brother dies…”

“But… How? I didn’t know you could warg…” Hunter said once they pulled away from each other again.

“Well, I didn’t want to say anything before I’d gotten good at it. I wanted it to be a surprise for when you were done with this, and we could go home,” Yujun answered, giving his brother a small smile, which Hunter returned.

Chapter Text

“I don’t know what he was talking about, but it made me kinda worried, and I’m not sure what to do about it…” Taesan sighed. “And I don’t want to tell Leehan and worry him if it turns out to be nothing… so now I’m just walking back and forth here not knowing what to do…”

“Did you try talking with him again? Your father, I mean?” Sungho asked. He watched as the younger paced back and forth in the knight’s room, which, on any other occasion, would have made Sungho laugh because, first of all, Taesan barely, if even ever, came into Sungho’s room, and second, watching Taesan stumble over the same wooden plank sticking up slightly from the floor looked quite amusing. Taesan didn’t even seem to realize he did it, which made it both more fun but also made Sungho worry for the younger.

“No… He just went back into the castle, and now the maester said he was resting…” Taesan answered. “But I don’t know what to do, Sungho! I want to tell Leehan because he still thinks I’m keeping things from him just to protect him, but what if I’m wrong and there isn’t anything? Then I would have just made him worried for nothing!” Taesan groaned before eventually stopping his pacing back and forth and finally sitting down.

“Well, maybe go see your father first, then, before you say anything to Leehan. It’s not like you're keeping it from him for a long time, just for a few hours until you can make sure the king’s alright,” Sungho suggested. Taesan either didn’t answer or did it nonverbally because Minjae didn’t hear anything else after that… He knew he shouldn’t be eavesdropping on his dad’s and their knight’s conversation, but when he’d seen his dad rush down the corridor earlier, he got the feeling that something was up and had followed him here. Which he probably shouldn’t have because now he too was worried for his grandfather… But now, before either his dad or Sungho could come out of the room and find him with his ear pressed against the door, Minjae decided it was probably better if he left, so he did. He hurried down the hallway and entered the main part of the castle, where he stopped momentarily. He looked back to see if someone had come after him, but it didn’t seem so, which then prompted him to look down the next corridor. He thought it over for a couple of seconds before eventually deciding to walk down that way…

“The king is resting, my prince,” The guard outside Jake’s door said as Minjae made an attempt to enter the room.

“I know, I just wished to read to him,” Minjae answered. “I’ve done that many times before, as you well know,” He added, somewhat hoping the guard would be at least intimidated and let him enter. The guard didn’t look intimidated by the young prince at all, but he did give him a small nod before taking a step to the side to let Minjae enter the room. “Grandpa…? It’s me, Minjae…” Minjae said as he knocked on the door before entering slowly. He expected to find Jake asleep or at least sitting on the bed, but as he entered the room, he didn’t even see him at first.

“I’m here, Minjae,” Jake’s voice came from the side, which made Minjae turn to look in that direction, and that’s where he found his grandfather sitting in his chair by the fireplace.

“Oh, I thought… never mind,” Minjae said before just walking over to sit down in the other chair opposite his grandfather.

“You thought I’d be asleep just because I told my guards that?” Jake chuckled, which made Minjae raise an eyebrow. “Sometimes it’s just easier to tell a little white lie to get some time to yourself, you know,”

“Maybe I should go then,” Minjae said. “I didn’t want to disturb you; I was just a little worried…” He tried to stand back up again, but Jake placed his hand on his arm, silently telling him not to leave.

“You could never disturb me, sweet boy,” Jake said. “Though, I heard you promised to read for me, so why don’t you do that?” He added, apparently having heard Minjae’s conversation with the guard outside, and this made Minjae chuckle a little as well.

“Sure, I’ll read for you,” Minjae said before reaching over to pull out a book from the bookshelf behind the chair. “High Valyrian or common tongue?” He questioned.

“Whatever you feel like,” Jake answered, and so Minjae pulled out the first book he could reach, which happened to be one written in the common tongue. He started to read, not really paying much attention to his surroundings, and just focused on the words. It wasn’t that he had a problem with reading; it was quite the opposite, actually, but he just got so caught up in it no matter what the book was about since he liked reading so much. It had been sort of his and his grandfather’s thing ever since he was young, to read together when Minjae was upset over something or just to keep him out of trouble, as he’d been quite the troublemaker when he was younger.

“And it would have stayed that way if the Hightowers hadn’t come to avenge their crown prince, but instead of trying to solve the situation peacefully, the Hightower king ordered his men to… grandpa? You alright?” Minjae interrupted his own reading as he’d gotten an urge to look up, and when he had, he saw his grandfather holding a cloth over his mouth and nose.

“Con- cough, continue,” Jake said but was interrupted by his own coughing, which only seemed to become worse as he tried to suppress it.

“Grandpa? That doesn’t sound good… I should call for the maester!” Minjae said before standing up and completely disregarding the book he’d had in his lap, which now fell to the floor with a thud.

“No, I’m- cough, I’m alright, Minjae! There’s no need to…” Jake coughed some more while trying to speak, but when he eventually moved the cloth away from his face, Minjae’s eyes went wide as he saw just how much blood there was…

“I’m getting the maester! Guards!” Minjae yelled, but he didn’t leave. Instead, he rushed over to his grandfather’s side to help him, as Jake seemed persistent on standing up despite his coughing. The guard from earlier came into the room and saw the king and his grandson by the fireplace. “Get the maester!” Minjae yelled again upon seeing the guard, who immediately took off to do what the prince had told him while Minjae stayed behind. “You’re okay; you’ll be okay!” Minjae tried to say, not really sure if he was doing it for his grandfather or for himself, but Jake barely seemed to hear him.

“I- cough, I’m sorry, sweet boy,” Jake said before coughing even more. Eventually, his knees buckled from under him, and all Minjae could do was desperately try to hold him up until someone arrived to help him…

- - - -

“Do you see anything?” Hunter asked. He was sitting on the rooftop of one of the houses on the south side of the Red Keep, the side that had the best view over Blackwater Bay, and Yujun was standing next to him, keeping his eyes on the surprisingly calm water.

“No…” Yujun answered while raising his hand to try and block the sun out of his eyes. It had started to rise up above the horizon only minutes ago, which had prompted the two brothers to start looking out over the water in an attempt to see the boat their triplet was on.

“Tell me when you do…” Hunter mumbled before squeezing his eyes closed and placing his head in his hands. He’d had a terrible headache for hours now, but it didn’t seem to belong to any vision or other strange thing, but it refused to go away…

“You okay?” Yujun asked as he glanced down at Hunter.

“Yeah, just keep looking if you see the ship,” The younger answered, waving off his brother without actually raising his head back up. Yujun figured it must have something to do with earlier, so he decided to just let Hunter rest and turned his gaze back out over the water. Hunter kept his eyes closed for a while longer, just resting his head, face down, in his hands before he felt a weird sensation in his throat. He tried clearing it a couple of times, but that didn’t seem to work, and then he felt the sudden need to cough. The coughing sounded weird to his own ears, and it made him look up, only to find both his hands covered in blood.

“Wha…? Cough,” He coughed once more, which caused him to close his eyes, but once he opened them again, his hands were clean… No sign of the blood they’d been covered in earlier…

“There! I see it!” Yujun suddenly burst out, prompting Hunter to look away from his hands and up over the water. And indeed, still very far away but clearly there, was a small ship sailing toward the city. The somewhat torn sails looked identical to the ones Hunter had seen in his vision, so this had to be the right ship! “Come on! Let’s get down to the harbor!” Yujun tugged at Hunter’s sleeve, making him stand up before dragging him with him back down the side of the building. Hunter just let his brother tug him along as he was still quite concerned over what he thought he’d just seen, but once they made it down to the main street and could see the harbor from there, he just pushed that thought aside.

“There!” Hunter pointed toward one of the empty spaces on the harbor, and so they ran all the way over there before stopping to watch as the beat-up-looking ship entered its presumed area in front of them.

“Yujun? Hunter?” They both looked up, only to be met by Baekseung’s somewhat confused facial expression. “How’d you know I was coming here?” He questioned while a couple of the men working on the ship moved the gangway so they could get off the ship.

“I saw you…” Hunter answered, and he didn’t really need to say anything else as Baekseung understood him right away.

“Oh, so the birds…? That was you?” Baekseung questioned as he walked down the gangway before hugging both his brothers at once.

“That was Yujun, actually, so you should thank him,” Hunter answered.

“Thank you, then, brother,” Baekseung said, giving Yujun a smile. “I didn’t know you could warg like father, though,” He added.

“It’s a rather new ability of mine, actually,” Yujun chuckled.

“It’s quite useful either way,” Baekseung pointed out before turning back slightly, prompting both Yujun and Hunter to look up the gangway again. “This is Keum, by the way,” Baekseung added. The blond man who came down the gangway gave the two dark-haired princes a small smile before stopping beside Baekseung.

“Could have seen that coming from a mile away,” Yujun laughed, not at Keum but rather at his own brother’s predictability. “Didn’t really think you’d escape home and kidnap him, though,” He added, which made both Baekseung and Keum laugh a little.

“Well, I wasn’t just going to give up,” Baekseung answered.

“You’re like a clone of dad, you know that, right?” Hunter laughed.

“Yeah, I guess,” Baekseung chuckled. “But, yeah, Keum. This is Yujun and Hunter, my two triplet brothers,”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Keum said. “Even though I actually saw you both back in Winterfell. But back then, you were like half the size and not even ten years old, I think,” Keum laughed a little, and so did the three brothers as well.

“Yeah, well, I don’t think anyone thought either of us would get this tall,” Yujun said.

“You’re not that tall, though,” Baekseung teased, earning a slap on the arm from Yujun while Hunter just laughed. It was nice seeing their brother after such a long time, and Hunter was sure Baekseung felt the same, but he couldn’t help but think of his weird vision-thing from earlier… Where had the blood come from, and why hadn’t it felt like one of his other visions…?

Chapter Text

“Shouldn’t we be heading back to Winterfell?” Jinsik asked, but he still followed after Sumin as the prince steered his horse off the road.

“We have time, Jinsik. It’s not like anything’s going to happen just because we’re a day late,” Sumin answered. He signaled for the guards, accompanying them to wait by the road before spurring on his horse even more. Jinsik sighed and rolled his eyes before following after the elder. They rode off into the woods before Sumin eventually halted his horse once they reached a river.

“What are you even doing?” Jinsik sighed as the prince got off his horse, leaving it tied to a nearby tree before walking up to the riverside.

“Enjoying the view… holding onto my freedom a little longer before dad forbids us from leaving the castle again once we get back,” Sumin answered. He knew Taesan just meant well by wanting them to stay within the city walls, but Sumin was too restless to do just that, and he knew his brothers shared his restlessness, considering Minseo had moved to Castle Black, Baekseung had run off, and even if it weren’t really by their own choice, Yujun and Hunter had also left Winterfell years ago. It seemed as though only Minjae had the patience to stay where he was supposed to, which surprised Sumin, considering he’d always thought Minjae would be the hardest for their parents to handle since he’d been like that when they were younger.

“Seriously? Again? Aren’t you the one who actually gets to leave the castle the most? I mean, you’ve even lived up here with us for months at the time on several occasions over the last few years, and it’s not like they treat you badly. I’m sure there are people who have it much worse than you and your brothers do,” Jinsik said.

“You go back then! I’m sure they’ll be happy to have someone who’d finally listened to them, but I don’t want to feel like I don’t have my own free will to do what I want. I didn’t ask to be born a prince! It’s not fair…” Sumin argued.

“There’s a lot of things that aren’t fair, Sumin! But that doesn’t mean everything is unfair, either. Both of your parents love you, your brothers might be annoying sometimes, but you’re still close with them, and your grandfather is the king for crying out loud! I bet there’s a lot of people that would trade the whole world to live the life you have…” Sumin just sighed at the other’s words, but he didn’t argue this time. Instead, he sat down on a nearby stone, just looking out over the river’s water, slowly running by in front of his feet. He heard Jinsik get down from his own horse before joining him on the stone. Neither said anything else for a while, but eventually, Jinsik placed his hand on Sumin’s shoulder to get his attention again. “I guess we could just stay out here for one night, then, if that would make you feel better,” He chuckled. “But I fear we might have to sleep in the snow then, considering the guards have all the tents,” He added, and that actually made Sumin laugh a little.

“No… That wouldn’t be very smart… we’d probably just end up getting sick, and that just means spending even more time in the castle,” Sumin answered, but then he stood up again. “But, I guess you’re right… my parents love me, and I know they just want what’s best for me and my brothers, so I shouldn’t be complaining…”

“Everyone has the right to complain, at least if you ask me,” Jinsik chuckled. “But I would surely prefer to go back to Winterfell now so I could sleep comfortably again and not in a pile of snow,” He added, which made Sumin chuckle as well.

“Yeah, that does sound better than a pile of snow,” He said. “Come on, let’s head back,”

- - - -

“This sure looks like a lot to go through,” Minseo chuckled as he entered his and Yunseong’s room and found the latter sitting by his desk overlooking all of the paper scrolls.

“Yeah… I’m almost done, though. There’s only a few of these left that I have to reply to,” Yunseong answered slowly while still reading through one of the scrolls.

“Anything I could help with?” Minseo asked. He walked up to stand beside his husband, and the latter moved his chair backward slightly so he could wrap his arm around Minseo while still staying seated.

“You could open those two if you want,” Yunseong answered, gesturing toward two small scrolls, which Minseo assumed to be letters. “But I doubt there’s anything urgent, most likely just more lords complaining that they don’t have the resources to send their prisoners up here,” Yunseong let out a chuckle while shaking his head.

“So, basically, they want us to send someone to get them?” Minseo asked, and Yunseong nodded.

“I’ll probably just send Woonhak again; he’s the only one who doesn’t complain about it…” The Lord Commander sighed. Being the Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch had almost always been something Yunseong had been prepared to become, but now that he actually was and had been for a few years, he realized just how many things required his attention. And not to mention all the straight-up lazy men working here, most of whom didn’t really have any other choices since this was supposed to be the punishment for something they’d done, but even those who’d come here by their own free will wasn’t exactly the most enthusiastic people… which often led to arguments, either among the crows themselves or with their Lord Commander, which now was Yunseong.

“Just don’t overwork him; he’s too kind for his own good, and I think the rest of these people should learn to listen to you better,” Minseo said.

“Hmm,” Yunseong just hummed in response as he’d gone back to reading through the papers. But he did gently run his hand up and down Minseo’s side while the latter still stood beside him. “Do you feel better now, by the way? I could still have the maester make something for you to feel better,” He added, but that reminded Minseo of something, and he had to bite his own lip in order not to smile too much before turning to face Yunseong properly.

“About that…” He said, not really being able to hold back his smile despite trying.

“Yeah…?” Yunseong raised an eyebrow at him, but Minseo just bit back another smile before taking Yunseong’s hand and placing it over his own stomach. “Huh? What is it?” Yunseong asked, still not really catching on, and was purely just confused over the younger’s behavior.

“Sometimes I wonder how you’ve made it this far without accidentally knocking yourself out or some other stupid thing, considering how long it takes for you to figure certain things out,” Minseo giggled teasingly, but Yunseong just gave him an even more confused look.

“Now, that was quite rude of you,” Yunseong said, but he did chuckle even though he’d still not figured out what Minseo could possibly mean. The younger just smiled at him again before placing his own hand over Yunseong’s, which was still placed over Minseo’s stomach.

“You really don’t have any idea what I might mean?” Minseo asked, and now it was his turn to raise an eyebrow at Yunseong. It did take the elder a few more seconds before his eyes went so wide it made Minseo laugh. “Now you get it?” He giggled, but Yunseong just shot up out of his chair and pulled Minseo into a hug.

“Oh my god, really!? Are you serious?” Yunseong exclaimed, and Minseo nodded, prompting the elder to basically pick him up and spin them both around before placing him back down again.

“I did go see the maester myself after this morning, and he did some tests, which show what I already expected,” Minseo answered, and Yunseong smiled brightly before leaning down to kiss him. He wrapped his arms around him again, just for good measure, but they were interrupted by loud yelling coming from the outside, which prompted them to pull apart and Yunseong to run out to see what was going on.

“What is going on here?!” Yunseong yelled once he’d reached the railing of the walkway overlooking the inner courtyard of the castle. Minseo followed him there and saw several of the crows down below arguing, pushing, and even hitting each other. The men didn’t seem to care much about their Lord Commander and just continued to argue, prompting Yunseong to angrily make his way down the stairs and basically throw himself in the middle of the fight. Either the men didn’t acknowledge his presence there or just straight up didn’t care because they just continued still. One even tried to his Yunseong, but the Lord Commander caught the man’s hand mid-air before forcing it down, bending it behind his back, and shoving the man face-first into the mud. “Enough!” He yelled, and finally, the men stopped fighting and looked up at Yunseong. “Have you no decency? Pushing each other around in the mud like ill-tempered children!”

“These idiots can even do the simplest of tasks! All they do is lurk around, not doing their jobs and just wasting our food and drinks!” One of the crows, a man Yunseong knew was one of the men that had willingly come to work at Castle Black, and so he figured the rest must be criminals sent up here because the realm didn’t have anywhere else to put them.

“That does not give you the right to strike them! Conflicts aren’t solved by violence!” Yunseong said sternly. He then turned to face the rest of the men involved in this whole incident, which seemed to have been started by idiots with idiotic intentions. “And the rest of you! If any of you gets into another useless argument over petty things and not doing what you are inclined to, I’m sending you all to East Watch by the Sea! There, you can argue and fight among yourselves all you want! But not here! Is that clear?!”

“Yes, Lord Commander!” The men said, but Minseo could see, even from up on the walkway, that several of them muttered things under their breaths and otherwise seemed upset by their Lord Commander’s command, and that was something Minseo didn’t quite like… But then again, these people were here for a reason. They were thieves, traitors, and murderers, and Castle Black was the place they were supposed to be sent to for those exact reasons… so there wasn’t really anything he could do about it other than to let Yunseong, as their Lord Commander, deal with them as he saw fit.

Chapter Text

“We’re turning 18 today…!” Yujun said out of nowhere, making both his brothers as well as Keum look over at him.

“Is that today?” Baekseung asked, seemingly completely unaware of the fact that his own birthday was even near, not to mention today! He’d been a little too caught up in bringing Keum here and finally seeing his brothers again after so long that the thought hadn’t even crossed his mind.

“Apparently so,” Hunter chuckled. Neither had he thought of it, but he still found Baekseung’s reaction funny. Keum just shook his head, finding it quite amusing as well, but he chose to remain silent.

“We should celebrate! There are a few places we could go to in this city where we don’t have to worry about being recognized! Hunter and I have done it several times already, so I know it’s fun!” Yujun said enthusiastically.

“Is that really wise, though? I mean, we almost got caught last time, and I’m sure Doyoung’s aware that it’s our birthday even if we’d forgotten it…” Hunter said.

“Oh, come on, Hunter! Maybe you’ll even get to see that creepy little admirer of yours,” Yujun teased; despite his dislike for the Martell prince, he sort of hoped it could persuade Hunter to agree to go out.

“Admirer?” Baekseung asked, raising an eyebrow and looking between his two brothers. Hunter just groaned and hid his face in his hands in the hope that they wouldn’t see his cheeks turn red, but Yujun just chuckled.

“We met someone a few days ago. He claimed to be the son of Jongseob Martell, which makes him some sort of cousin of ours, I assume, but he seemed to have taken some interest in our dear baby brother here,” Yujun teased. “He even pushed him up against a wall to do god knows what before I intervened,”

“God, Yujun! Stop!” Hunter groaned again out of embarrassment, and it didn’t help that Baekseung laughed either…

“Well, sounds like we need to make sure this boy knows his place then!” Baekseung said before standing up from his chair. He was about to start walking toward the door when he suddenly stopped. Taemin was standing in the doorway, with Doyoung behind him, which prompted Baekseung to look back at his brothers before facing the two older men again. “We just want to go out a little; it’s no big deal. It’s our 18th nameday, after all,”

“No,” Taemin answered without showing any form of emotion on his face whatsoever. He then moved his eyes away from Baekseung and over to the youngest of the three Stark princes. “Hunter, you need to finish your training with Minghao. You still have one dragon left to learn from,”

“Can’t that wait? Why is there such a hurry now? We’ve been here for years, and you haven’t seemed it necessary to show him before, so why the hurry now?” Yujun questioned.

“Because everything has its time,” Taemin answered. Hunter just got up from his own chair before walking up to Taemin, giving the silver-clad man a nod.

“Okay,” He said before turning back to look at Baekseung, Yujun, and Keum. “It’s only one dragon. Can’t take that long, right?” He then followed Taemin all the way back down into the underground hall, where Minghao was waiting for him, as usual. Hunter gave him a nod as well before walking up to the last skull, the skull of the dragon Layros.

“There’s one thing you should know…” Minghao said just as Hunter was about to reach out his hand to place it on the skull. “The Red Queen belonged to two kings and one crown prince. She’s not like the other dragons, nor are the things you might see once you touch her skull… but you need to stay focused! Let the vision guide you but not overwhelm you, for you won’t gain anything if you let it take over now…” Hunter looked quite unsure of what to say and even what to do for a few seconds before deciding to just nod again. Minghao then took a few steps back, gesturing for Hunter to face the skull again, so he did. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before finally placing the palm of his hand against the nose of the dragon skull, and despite Minghao’s warning, the sheer power of the vision even starting was enough to almost make him pull his hand away again… almost…

- - - -

The snow was slowly falling from the sky and had since that morning. It was the first snow of the winter ahead, and it didn’t seem to be stopping any time soon. Leehan usually loved it when the first snow fell, but not today… Right now, he could barely even hear the wind blowing around the castle’s towers or feel the coldness it spread through the castle itself… All his attention was on his father lying on the bed in front of him. He was asleep; the maester had given him something Leehan didn’t even know the name of, but it had seemed to help, if only just temporarily… He looked peaceful, with no sign of the blood he’d been coughing up earlier, but the eerie feeling that something wasn’t right kept bothering Leehan… He just couldn’t put his thumb on it… The sound of the door opening from behind him sounded so far away, not that Leehan didn’t really care for who it was, but he soon felt someone place their hand on his shoulder before sitting down beside him. Leehan knew it was Taesan even before the elder had sat down, but he just kept his eyes on their father while holding the king’s hand in his own.

“Lēkia…” (Brother…) Taesan whispered but didn’t say anything for a while and just sat beside Leehan before eventually speaking again. “The maester said he couldn’t find anything wrong… he just, uhm, he suggested we let him rest for a whi-…”

“I’m not leaving him…” Leehan interrupted his brother, voice barely loud enough for Taesan to even hear him.

“I’m not going to make you leave, Leehan; I just…” Taesan trailed off, not really sure what to say. Leehan blinked away the tears that had started to form in his eyes, but he still didn’t let go of Jake’s hand; instead, he squeezed it even more. “I’ll stay with you…” Taesan eventually whispered, leaning his forehead against Leehan’s shoulder and closing his eyes. Leehan leaned his own head against his brother’s before he, too, closed his eyes, but only for a short while… because only after a few seconds, he felt their father’s hand move slightly, prompting him to open his eyes again and sit up straight, which, in turn, made Taesan do the same.

“He… uhm,” Leehan mumbled, still keeping his eyes on their father. He didn’t finish his sentence as Jake moved slightly again, now even slightly opening his eyes.

“Father…?” Taesan said, watching Jake’s every move in case he needed his help, but the king didn’t seem to be moving much more than opening his eyes and turning his head slightly to look at his two sons.

“My boys… my sweet boys…” Jake said, barely above a whisper.

“We’re here, father,” Leehan answered, squeezing Jake’s hand in his own again, but Jake either didn’t seem to feel it, or he just didn’t have the energy to acknowledge it…

“I’m sorry… I’m sorry I forced you to stay here all your lives, I’m sorry for not being a better father, and I’m sorry for not being able to keep your dad alive…”

“Don’t say that…!” Leehan sobbed.

“It’s not true, father! You’ve been the best we could have asked for!” Taesan said. He now also reached forward and placed his hand on top of Leehan’s, which still held Jake’s. “You did everything you could!”

“It wasn’t enough…” Jake said with a sad, faint smile on his lips.

“Of course it was!” Leehan argued. He felt his tears running down his cheeks now, but he couldn’t care less about that right now… “None of what’s happened in our lives has been your fault… So don’t blame yourself for any of it!”

“Leehan…” Taesan murmured, gently placing his free hand on his brother’s knee to calm him down before looking back up at their father again. “There’s no reason for you to blame yourself for anything, father… you should just rest and focus on getting better, okay?” He said before giving their father a faint smile.

“Will you stay…?” Jake asked quietly.

“Of course, we’ll stay, father,” Leehan answered, using his free hand to wipe away the tears on his cheek.

“Thank you…” The king whispered before slowly closing his eyes again and taking one last breath, as he did, it was like some sort of invisible force of air shot out in every direction, blowing out all of the candles in the room, and unbeknownst to Leehan and Taesan, every candle in the whole of Winterfell went out in one go, leaving the castle engulfed by darkness, with only the snow falling outside and the wind running through the halls…

- - - -

“Keep him safe for me, will you?” Hunter heard a man’s voice say, and it made him look up, only to find a huge red dragon standing before him. The dragon made a sound that could only be translated into something out of sadness. It seemed sort of… uncomfortable? But yet knowing… “Please, Layros, he means everything to us. I know you can do this. You are strong! You’ll be fine.” The dragon let out another sound, but this time, it rose up from the ground and turned to face what Hunter assumed to be the opening of a large cave. As it did, Hunter spotted two men, identical, with the same blond hair and all, apart from their clothing, as well as the sound of a little baby crying… It sounded like it came from on top of the dragon… Hunter wasn’t sure, and there was no way he could tell either as the dragon made its way to the opening. Another dragon with golden scales seemed to understand the situation, even if Hunter didn’t, and was also moving toward the opening of the cave. It flew out before the red one, seemingly acting as a destruction to the soldiers who seemed to be outside, and Hunter saw them starting to shoot toward the golden dragon… In the meantime, the red one looked back one more time before finally taking off. It escaped past the soldiers unharmed and flew away out of sight. Hunter’s vision then changed into what looked like the area outside of what he could only assume to have been what the Dragonpit had looked like when it was still whole. He saw a dark-haired man kneeling on the ground in front of a pile of ashes, as well as two white dragons sitting on either side of him.

“Drakari pykiros. Tīkummo jemiros, yn lantyz bartossa, saelot vāedis. Hen ñuhā elēnī, perzyssy vestretis. Se gēlȳn irūdaks, ānogrose. Perzyro udrȳssi, ezīmptos laehossi. Hārossa letagon aōt vāedan. Hae mērot gierūli: Se hāros bartossi. Prūmȳsa sōvīli gevī dāerī,” (One who breathes fire. One bearing wings, but two heads need three, and a spell that sings. Follow my voice, blood magic old. The price has been paid, as the fires foretold. In visions of flame: listen to me. The spell that needs three is made whole through me.) Hunter heard the man sing quietly as black smoke started to gather around him as he was kneeling on the ground, and the ashes in front of him started to glow. A low growl came from behind Hunter, making him turn around, only to come face to face with the same, now even bigger, red dragon. Its eyes seemed to be filled with the same smoke that had gathered around the man kneeling on the ground, and as it got closer, it slowly started to lower its head toward the ground, as did the two white dragons, all three seemingly bowing their heads down to the dark-haired man as he stood back up. Hunter watched as the smoke around the man started to take the form of all three dragons before emerging into one dragon, seemingly made out of this black smoke, but this dragon wasn’t like any other… because it had three heads… The vision then changed once again, and Hunter found himself back in the same vision he’d had before. The one in the throne room with the king seated on the iron throne. The king was watching his hand again while the sun rose outside the windows, but as time went by, the room became engulfed in darkness, just as it had before, and the Targaryen king looked up from his hand and watched as the darkness crept along the floor and up the walls, almost caging him in. It then pooled in the center of the hall before the big doors behind Hunter flung open with such force they almost cracked upon impact with the walls on their sides. Hunter didn’t get as startled this time, as he’d already seen this once before, and so he just continued watching the king. All the same thing with the silver-eyed man happened once again, and before long, he saw how the same darkness started to take the shape of the three-headed dragon, but before it could engulf the king and disappear as it had before, Hunter heard the king speak.

“From my blood, come The Prince That Was Promised, and his will be the Song of Ice and Fire…” Once the words had left the king’s mouth, the three-headed dragon engulfed him, and they both disappeared. Hunter felt as if some sort of force shot right through him, forcing him to close his eyes, but then it ended as quickly as it had begun. But when he opened his eyes again, everything was black, at least at first, and then he started to see a faint light far away. But as the light got bigger, he saw the shape of a young boy, younger than himself, with blond hair, but that wasn’t what eventually made Hunter draw a breath. Three small dragons, one purple, one black, and one white, all seemed to be crawling up into the boy’s lap, and then it was like the boy sensed Hunter behind him because he turned his head around, and as he did, an invisible force of air hit Hunter when he was met with those intense violet eyes once again…

Chapter Text

Hunter stumbled backward, away from the skull, and managed to regain his balance just in time not to fall over. He was breathing heavily, and honestly, he was quite confused, still… He turned to face Minghao and Taemin again, but they both wore facial expressions that Hunter couldn’t really read.

“Was that it?” Hunter questioned. “The Prince that was Promised? What did he mean by that…?”

“It means that your family’s suffering will come to an end one day, but I fear that day is further away than even I expected…” Taemin answered. He looked somewhat… sad? Hunter couldn’t really put his finger on it, but did it have anything to do with the vision he’d just had because he knew Taemin knew what he’d seen, or did the man know something else that Hunter didn’t…?

“That’s good, right?” Hunter looked between the two silver-eyed men, but they both still looked somewhat upset.

“I uhm… there’s…” Taemin mumbled unsurely, which was something Hunter had never seen him do before, and it didn’t sit right with him. “I need to go…” Taemin then said, and before Hunter could question him further, Taemin tugged his cloak around him and disappeared into thin air…

“What’s going on?” Hunter asked, turning to face Minghao instead, but the elder just opened his mouth before closing it again.

“Nothing…” Minghao eventually said, but Hunter didn’t believe him for one second, though he chose not to push the matter any further. He’d learned quite a while ago that if there was something he really needed to know, Minghao would tell him. Otherwise, he would keep it to himself, so Hunter guessed that this was that sort of thing. “You should head back to your brothers,” Minghao continued. “You promised you wouldn’t be long, so off you go…” Hunter nodded slowly, but he stayed put for a few more seconds, just watching Minghao. Eventually, he turned around and left the underground hall. It was still dark outside when he exited the narrow stairs leading down under the Red Keep, and when he looked up, he swore he could see snow falling from the sky, but when he reached his hand out to touch it, it disappeared again, leaving only the stary night sky above. A cold wind, much colder than it usually was in King’s Landing, blew through the streets as Hunter made his way back to their house, and when he reached it, there were only a couple of candles lit inside.

“You’re back! Did all of the candles and torches go out down in the hall as well?” Yujun asked.

“No? I don’t know… actually,” Hunter said. He couldn’t recall if they had or not, but apparently, they had done so up here.

“There was just this wind that blew everything out in one go a while before you got back,” Yujun said. “Did that have something to do with you?” He added.

“Maybe, I don’t know…” Hunter answered. He faintly remembered the force of air that seemed to have hit him in his visions, but had that occurred out here, too…?

“Well, Doyoung said we could go out, so are you coming with us?” Baekseung peaked in.

“Isn’t it quite late for that…?” Hunter questioned.

“Oh, come on! That has never stopped you before!” Yujun pointed out before grabbing Hunter’s arm and pulling him with him toward the door. “Besides, all the fun stuff happens during the night when this city is the most awake!” Hunter didn’t say anything this time and just let his brother tug him along, followed by both Baekseung and Keum, but there was still this thing in the back of his mind that didn’t feel right… It was as if he’d missed something… something important…
They reached Flea Bottom quite quickly despite the whole city being poorly lit. Many of the torches hanging on the outside walls of the buildings they passed were unlit or had most likely been blown out, just like the candles had. There were people everywhere, talking loudly, singing, dancing around, and otherwise just hanging around. Neither the streets of Flea Bottom ever really slept; they were always filled with people, and tonight was no different. Yujun, Baekseung, and Keum all seemed to enjoy themselves, joining in on the random conversations the people around them had and even drinking liquids that made Hunter scrunch up his nose at the mere smell of it.

“Come on, Hunter, you should really try this!” Baekseung called out, but Hunter just shook his head.

“I’ll do just fine without it, thank you,” Hunter said before leaning against the corner of a wall and folding his arms over his chest. Baekseung didn’t seem to mind Hunter not wanting to join them and just went back to whatever he’d been doing before, and Hunter just sighed and shook his head again. Sure, he’d missed his brother, but it was still quite apparent that they were quite different despite being triplets. And Hunter wasn’t really like Yujun either, but neither was Baekseung. Yujun was sort of in the middle of the two, both when it came to their age and also their behaviors.

“You don’t seem to be enjoying yourself,” Hunter jumped at the voice coming from so close by his ear, making him turn his head so quickly to the side that his neck almost hurt. “Oh, I hope I didn’t scare you,” The same voice said.

“Gods, can you stop doing that?” Hunter muttered when he spotted Seeun standing behind him. He rolled his eyes as the other flashed a bright, teasing smile before leaning against the same wall Hunter was.

“Doing what? I just asked you a question,” He chuckled.

“Precisely,” Hunter huffed, turning back around only to find that he could no longer see his brothers among all the people. This made him push himself up off the wall and start to look around to see if he could find them.

“Don’t leave yet! I was just joking,” Seeun said as he followed Hunter out into the crowd of people. “Where are you going now?” He asked when the other didn’t answer him and just kept looking around.

“I need to find my brothers, so could you just please stop bothering me…?” Hunter said, still quite frantically looking around as he started to panic when he couldn’t see either Yujun, Baekseung, or Keum anywhere… But before he could go any further, he felt Seeun grab his arm, turn him back around, and pull him toward himself. They ended up with their faces only a few inches away from each other, and while Seeun was still smirking, Hunter just stared at him, feeling his cheeks turn red again… Neither said anything for a while, and Seeun didn’t let go of Hunter’s arm, but Hunter didn’t try to move away either. When Seeun realized this, his smirk turned into a more genuine smile before he tilted his head slightly to the side and slowly leaned forward, sort of testing the waters. But when all Hunter did was look down at the elder’s lips and then back up to meet his eyes, Seeun finally closed the distance between them. Hunter didn’t really move at all at first, but when he realized Seeun had closed his eyes, Hunter found himself doing the same before eventually kissing the elder back as well. Seeun was the first to pull back from the kiss, and Hunter almost chased after his lips, but then he realized what he was actually doing, and that made him pull back as well. “I should… I, uhm,” Hunter stumbled over his own words as his head felt quite fogged up… “I need to see where my brothers went…” He finally managed to say.

“You’re really cute, you know that?” Seeun said before he leaned forward again and placed a kiss on Hunter’s cheek. “And your brothers are right there,” He whispered in his ear before pulling away again and nodding his head toward something behind Hunter. This made the younger turn his head around, and just as Seeun had said, there were both Yujun and Baekseung, along with Keum, happily talking and drinking, seemingly not even noticing they’d moved too far away to be seen from where Hunter previously stood.

“Oh…” Hunter said, suddenly feeling embarrassed by his earlier panic, and he bit his lip before looking down at his feet.

“They seem to be enjoying themselves,” Seeun pointed out. He finally moved his hand from Hunter’s arm, but rather than pulling it away completely, he lowered it to grab Hunter’s hand instead. “So why shouldn’t you?”

“They are celebrating our nameday, but I’d rather not wake up with a headache on the morrow, so I’d say I’m quite alright as it is,” Hunter answered.

“Today’s your nameday? Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” Seeun exclaimed, prompting Hunter to look up again.

“Because I see no use in celebrating it… and I don’t know you, so I don’t see why I would need to tell you that,” Hunter said, but Seeun just smirked again.

“We just kissed; I would say that’s knowing me enough to let me celebrate your nameday…” Seeun pointed out. He didn’t wait for Hunter to answer before pulling him with him through the mass of people and down one of the less crowded streets. They passed several people on their way, and even if Hunter wasn’t sure where Seeun was taking him, the various states of undressed people they walked by told him enough…

“Why are we here?” Hunter asked once Seeun stopped walking. He felt quite uncomfortable by everyone around them, basically eating each other's faces off, but he found Seeun quite interesting, so he kind of wanted to know what the other’s intentions were.

“Does it matter?” Seeun asked. He then pushed Hunter against the nearby wall, much like how he’d done a few days prior, but this time, he didn’t hesitate to kiss him.

“It matt-mph, matter if someone sees us…!” Hunter tried to say in between their kisses.

“Who would recognize us? Look around you; no one here cares. They’re all too caught up in their own desires,” Seeun answered. He ran his hands down Hunter’s side before trying to sneak it in under his shirt, but the younger stopped him.

“No…” Hunter said, tensing up and moving his own hand down to pry them away from his waist. At this time, there wasn’t anything else he’d rather want than for the other to continue, but the fear of what Seeun might think of him once he realized Hunter had those dragon-like scales all over his back was far too big… Seeun stopped when he felt Hunter tense up, and he let him push his hands away.

“We don’t have to do anything if you're not comfortable with it, Hunter; I just thought-“ Seeun tried to say, but the younger interrupted him.

“No! That’s not… I want to, but…” Hunter trailed off, not really sure what to say. “I… you won’t like what I look like…” He eventually said, turning his face away from the other.

“Why wouldn’t I do that? You’re beautiful,” Seeun said, bringing his hand up to gently make Hunter face him again.

“I doubt you’d still think that if you saw my body…” Hunter mumbled. He still didn’t meet the other’s eyes, but he felt Seeun run his thumb over his bottom lip before leaning in to kiss him again.

“Would you let me…?”

“Huh?” Hunter gave the other a confused look.

“Would you let me see you?” Hunter blinked a few times, trying to process what Seeun had said, and then he swallowed thickly before nodding shyly. Seeun gave him a smile before pulling him with him once again. He led them to a building where a woman stood in the doorway, and without exchanging any words, Seeun placed a few coins in her hand, which made her step aside to let them in.

“How often do you do this…?” Hunter questioned as soon as Seeun had closed the door behind them.

“Do what?” Seeun asked while making his way across the room.

“Taking people into your bed…” Hunter said. “You seemed quite familiar with the woman by the door, so I take it that this can’t be the first time you’ve done this…”

“Just because I know how these streets work doesn’t mean I take part in its… traditions,” Seeun answered. “So no, I usually don’t do this,” Seeun slowly ran his hand down Hunter’s arm while he spoke, and the younger watched him do it.

“Then why me…?” Hunter whispered, looking up to meet Seeun’s eyes again.

“Because you’re not like everyone else,” Seeun whispered back before closing the distance between their lips. He moved his hands to Hunter’s waist again, but like before, the younger stopped him, but he didn’t push his hands away. Instead, he pulled off his own shirt and hesitantly dropped it on the floor beside them. Even if he had his back turned away from Seeun, Hunter knew the elder could see where the scales began on his right shoulder and ended on his hip, and it made him want to hide away. But he stayed where he was, not really meeting the elder’s eyes, though he did watch as Seeun reached out his hand to gently run in over his shoulder. Hunter clenched his jaw as he felt his finger touch the scales. It didn’t hurt him, nor did it really feel uncomfortable, but he felt his heart hammer in his chest as his fear of what Seeun would say and do next only grew… “It looks…” Seeun started his sentence, but Hunter interrupted him before he could finish it.

“Hideous… I know,” Hunter mumbled.

“Beautiful…” Seeun said, which prompted Hunter to meet his eyes again and raise an eyebrow at him.

“You don’t have to lie; no one else bothers to do it,” He huffed.

“I’m not lying,” Seeun answered, taking a step closer so he could move his hand down and gently run his finger over the scales on the younger’s hip as well. “It looks like a dragon,” Seeun looked up into Hunter’s eyes before giving him a small smile. He then placed his other hand on the side of Hunter’s face before pulling him into a kiss again. He fumbled off his own clothing while Hunter removed the rest of his before they both got onto the bed. Their lips never really left each other, and they only broke apart when Seeun moved his hand down in between the younger’s legs, which made Hunter draw a sharp breath. “Is this okay?” Seeun asked against his lips, but Hunter didn’t answer him verbally. He just nodded his head while squeezing his eyes closed. It felt uncomfortable at first since Hunter had never done something like this before, and he wasn’t sure if Seeun had either, but it actually felt good once the elder had actually pushed into him and kissed his lips again.

“Ah-ah,” Seeun groaned at the tiny sounds leaving Hunter’s lips, and the younger moaned into their kiss as Seen pushed his legs even further apart. Hunter wrapped his arms around Seeun and bit his lips to suppress the sounds trying to leave him as the latter eventually slowed down his hips. They breathed against each other’s lips for a while before Seeun smiled down at him, and Hunter returned it shyly.

“I still think you’re beautiful,” Seeun whispered. “A dragon raised among wolves…”

Chapter Text

“Duty is sacrifice, older than any oath… It eclipses all things, even blood. All men of honor must pay its price. Even if they rather wouldn’t… Since the days of the First Men, we have stood as guardians against the cold and the dark as lords of high honor, and even after defeating it, the North still holds true to their own. This is not a sentence but an honor… even more so after the day we became kings…” That’s what my father used to say to me when I was little… I think it was his way of preparing me for the day when he wouldn’t be here anymore, the day I would have to fulfill my duty… I just never really thought that day would come so soon…

- - - -

“I’ll prepare to send out the ravens… Is there anything else you’d want me to do?” The maester said, but he didn’t receive any answer. “Your grace?” Taesan broke out of his trance-like state when he heard the honorifics the maester had used. A small part of him hoped, for just a split second, that the man had been talking to his father, considering the chosen words, but then it hit him… the maester was no longer referring to Jake; he meant Taesan…

“No…” Taesan answered slowly, and so the maester bowed his head.

“Your grace,” He said again, and the words echoed in Taesan’s head as the maester left the room. Leehan hadn’t said anything for a long time and had not yet left his place beside their father’s bed despite all of the scramble around him. He was just sitting there, staring at their father’s covered body, now covered by a thin white sheet, and Taesan wasn’t sure if reality had even really hit the younger yet… but then Leehan abruptly stood up and walked past everyone to exit the room.

“Leehan…?” Taesan hurried after his brother through the still, rather dark hallways before eventually reaching the doors that lead out of the castle itself.

“Dad?” Minjae’s voice came from the side just as Taesan exited through the doors outside, but he didn’t answer his son; he couldn’t, not now… but judging by the voices arguing behind him, he figured Sungho had stopped the young prince from following his parents outside. Taesan knew he should probably turn back and explain what had happened to his son himself, but right now, at this moment, he was thankful that Sungho took it upon himself to do it since all Taesan wanted to do right now was to follow Leehan.

“Leehan?” Taesan called out again, but when the two guards stationed by the gates leading outside the city walls went to prevent Leehan from exiting through the gates, Taesan signaled for them to back down, and so they did. Taesan eventually caught up with the younger, and he wrapped his arms around him just in time to prevent him from falling to the ground.

“He’s not gone… he can’t be! Taesan, father can’t be gone!” Leehan sobbed, clinging onto Taesan while crying uncontrollably into his chest. “He can’t be…”

“Shh…” Taesan tried to calm his brother down, but he wasn’t that much better off himself. But he knew he needed to be strong, now more than ever, so he pushed his own pain and sorrow to the side in favor of holding Leehan closer. He knelt down in the newly fallen snow, gently pulling Leehan with him so the younger wouldn’t need to stand, and then they just sat there… Leehan just kept crying and crying, and neither of them said anything else for a very long time… They must have been sitting there for quite some time because now the sun had started to rise, spreading its light over the snow surrounding them and even making the tears on Leehan’s cheeks shine like tiny crystals. The sound of dozens of tiny wings flying over their heads prompted Taesan to finally look up, and he saw as all of the white ravens were being sent out from one of the towers of the castle behind them. Most of them flew south, but a few turned in the air and flew east, west, and north as well, but they all carried the same message… the news of the death of The King in the North…

- - - -

Sumin and Jinsik rode up the hill just north of Winterfell just in time to see the dozens of ravens pouring out of the tower, and they shared a worried look before Sumin spurred his horse on, galloping down the hill and all the way until he reached the smaller gates on the castle’s north side. He jumped off his horse before it had even stopped properly, and he didn’t even bother to make sure that someone took the horse to the stables and just rushed straight into the castle.

“Brother!? What’s happened?” Sumin exclaimed as he spotted Minjae and Sungho in the hallway outside the great hall. He rushed over toward them but halted his steps when Minjae turned around. His eyes were filled with tears, and he had dried blood on the front of his shirt as well as the sleeves. “What…?” Sumin looked between Minjae and Sungho, trying to figure out what had happened. Had Minjae done something? Whose blood was that on his shirt? So many questions filled his head, but when he saw Minjae bite back his tears and make his way over to him, he just stood there.

“It’s grandpa… he’s…” Minjae tried to speak, but his hiccups and sobs made it hard for Sumin to understand him.

“What? What’s happened to grandpa?” Sumin asked, but Minjae still couldn’t bring himself to actually say it, and just pulled his brother into a hug instead. Sumin hugged him back, but he still feared what might have happened, considering his brother’s behavior, so he looked up at Sungho, but the knight looked quite upset himself. “Sungho? Where’s my grandfather?”

“I’m sorry, my prince, but the king passed away a couple of hours ago…” Sungho said, and as he did, Minjae sobbed even harder into his brother’s shoulder while all Sumin could do was stare aimlessly out into the air.

“He’s… he’s dead?” Sumin quietly mumbled, and when the knight slowly nodded, Sumin also burst into tears, clinging to his older brother as the latter still held onto him…

- - - -

“It is done, my lord, the king is dead…” An old man dressed in dark clothing said. He stood in the doorway to the chambers of a man who was seated in a chair by the window. A small smile tugged at the corners of said lord’s lips, and he stood up before walking over to a table upon where a jug and a glass stood. He poured himself a glass before bringing it up to his lips and drinking a sip of it.

“Good,” The lord said. “Now we can finally be rid of these forsaken lands and move down to the capital for real,”

“Do you need anything else of me, my lord, before I take my leave back to Winterfell?” The old man asked.

“No, that will be all, thank you,” The lord said while placing his glass back down on the table. “All we need to do now is wait until that spoiled bastard destroys the kingdom his father built, and then the North will no longer be a concern of ours…”

“The crown prince has become much more suited for the role as king over the last few years, my lord. I’m not so sure he’ll do what we initially believed him to as he no longer seems to act out on his emotions…” The old man said.

“Just you wait; our dear Taesan Stark is still easily affected by his weaknesses… serve him the right one, and we’ll soon see him tear down the North from within, and given the opportunity, I’m certain his true colors will shine through once again…” The lord smirked while running his hand over the handle of his dagger, tracing the shape of his house’s sigil engraved onto it: a flayed man hanging upside down on a cross…

Chapter Text

The sun shining in through the window is what woke Hunter up in the morning. The bright yet warm light hit his face, making him frown and turn away from it. He felt someone move beside him, which, in itself, wasn’t really anything concerning. He was quite used to sleeping next to Yujun since he was afraid of getting nightmares, and even if they’d never done anything, sleeping in the same bed wasn’t weird to them. But now, the thing was, Hunter quite quickly realized that this was not his and Yujun’s room back in their house by the Red Keep; no, this was a room he didn’t recognize… It made him panic at first, but then he remembered the night before, which still sort of made him a little worried. However, when he felt that someone beside him sneak their arms around his waist, he had to bite back a smile.

“Morning, beautiful,” Seeun murmured into his ear, sending chills down Hunter’s spine and making him turn to face the other. Seeun wore the same smile he had the night before, and Hunter couldn’t help but smile into the kiss as the elder leaned in and pressed his lips against Hunter’s.

“Morning,” Hunter said back when they eventually pulled apart again. Hunter laid his head back down on the pillow while Seeun was leaning on his elbow, using his other hand to run it over Hunter’s shoulder, gently tracing the line where his skin met the red scales. Hunter watched him in silence, and surprisingly, he no longer felt the same worry he had had before. The fear that Seeun would find him disgusting or call him names like basically everyone else apart from his own family had always done once they’d learned what he looked like.

“Just so you know, I still think you’re beautiful, even with this,” Seeun said, looking away from where he’d been tracing his fingers and up to meet Hunter’s eyes.

“Then you’re the first to think so apart from my father,” Hunter let out a sarcastic chuckle, but Seeun didn’t seem to be joking, nor did he look very pleased with what Hunter had said.

“We might not be as Targaryen as our ancestors were, but I can still burn a few people just to prove a point, and I have no doubt they deserve it,” Seeun said. Hunter figured he was referring to those who’d bullied Hunter for his unusual features, but he still found the Targaryen reference a little unnecessary.

“They don’t deserve the satisfaction of being the reason people would start hating you in the same way they hate the Targaryens, so I’d rather not have you burn anyone for me,” Hunter said. “I’m sure their lives will turn out miserable enough either way, considering the world tends to do that to most people…” He added.

“You’re not very optimistic, are you?” Seeun chuckled.

“I’ve not had much to be optimistic about in my life so far, so no… I tend not to hope for anything really…” Hunter mumbled before sitting up on the bed and turning to face away from Seeun. This was the first time the latter saw the full extent of the scales on Hunter’s back, but instead of commenting on it or thinking it looked hideous, as Hunter still feared he would, Seeun just sat up as well and ran both his hands over Hunter’s shoulders while moving to sit behind the younger. He placed a kiss on his shoulder before continuing his way up until he reached Hunter’s cheek. The younger let out a giggle as the action tickled him, and he turned his head to face Seeun, only for the elder to kiss him on the lips again. “I need to go back to my brothers…” Hunter mumbled into the kiss before gently pushing Seeun away. “They’re probably worried about me since I disappeared without a word…”

“I figure they might be,” Seeun answered. He placed one more kiss on the younger’s lips before standing up to pick up both his and Hunter’s clothing and handed the younger his. They dressed in silence before Hunter shyly looked over at Seeun again; he nervously picked at his cuticles, a habit he’d unknowingly inherited from his father, but he stopped when Seeun walked up to him. “Don’t let this be the last time I get to see you, please…” He said, taking Hunter’s hand into his own.

“I’m not so sure they’ll even let me leave the house after this since I left them without a word last night…” Hunter chuckled, but he did squeeze the elder’s hand before leaning forward and kissing him again. “But I don’t want this to be the last time I see you either, so I guess I’ll have to find a way to convince them to let me out,” He chuckled, and Seeun did as well. They reluctantly let go of each other, but not before sharing one more kiss, and then Hunter left the room to go back to his brothers, who’d hopefully returned to their house and weren’t out desperately looking for him…

- - - -

“Was that everything?” Minseo asked as he watched a handful of crows store away the food they’d just received from the farms just south of Castle Black.

“Yes, my prince. This was the last wagon,” Woonhak answered. The crow had just returned from his trip to Karhold and back, bringing a handful of new men with him, all sentenced to serve out their last days at the wall, as most of the men up here would. He handed them off to Benner, who would make sure the newcomers knew their place and wouldn’t cause any trouble. Meanwhile, Woonhak himself had immediately gone back to his other duties at Castle Black, which was why he was helping the handful of crows store the food correctly while Minseo looked on. The prince placed his hand over his stomach, which still didn’t really show under all his clothing, but he could feel the small bump under his palm, which made him smile.

“This should be enough for at least a few months, right?” Minseo questioned.

“I do think so, my prince. We still have some left from the last supplies we received, and we’re not that many up here since your husband, the Lord Commander, sent some to East Watch by the Sea as well as the other smaller strongholds along the wall,” Woonhak said. He ushered the men out of the storage before closing the door and handing the key to Minseo. They started to walk back across the courtyard while the other men returned to their duties.

“If you don’t mind me asking, Woonhak, but why did you come to Castle Black? You never did anything to deserve to deal with these people, so why chose to come here?” Minseo wasn’t being rude or anything; he was just curious why a free man who’d done nothing wrong would choose to spend his life as a man of the Night’s Watch.

“I saw no use in staying where I was born, and considering I’m a bastard named Snow, I figured why not at least make my life somewhat useful by serving the realm here,” Woonhak answered truthfully. Minseo pressed his lips into a thin line at the mention of the word bastard. He’d somewhat come to terms with himself and his true parentage over the last few years, but he still disliked the word… and even if he knew that there was no way Woonhak could know Minseo himself was also a bastard, the mere mention of it brought back old worries of his…

“Where were you born?” The words slipped out before Minseo could really think them through, but he quickly continued. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be asking that. It was out of line of me; please forgive me,” He added.

“No worries, my prince. I take it that you’re just curious, considering I certainly would if our roles were switched,” Woonhak chuckled. “I’m from the North, hence the name Snow, and I grew up east of Winterfell. My mother was a lady, but she died when I was very little, and I never knew my father, so I was raised by my grandfather on my mother’s side, but when he got sick and couldn’t run his house anymore, I no longer saw the use of staying there either, so that’s why I came here,” Woonhak explained, giving Minseo a bright smile as he did, showing the prince that there was no harm done by just asking questions and being curious. “He’s now since passed, but my uncle, my mother’s younger brother, is the new lord of-“

“Minseo…?” Yunseong’s rather concerned voice came from above them, interrupting Woonhak mid-sentence.

“Yunseong? What is it?” Minseo answered, looking up to meet his husband’s eyes, but he didn’t like the look on the other’s face. He looked pained… sad even. “Has something happened?” Minseo added when Yunseong remained silent.

“I think it’s better if you come up here…” Yunseong eventually said, and Minseo gave him a concerned look before walking toward the stairs. Woonhak bowed his head at the prince before moving out of the way. Minseo briefly looked at him before making his way upstairs, and Yunseong walked with him into their chambers, closing the door behind them.

“What’s going on…?” Minseo questioned. He didn’t like the way Yunseong was acting at all, seemingly avoiding eye contact and not really telling him if there was anything wrong or not… “Yunseong!? What is it? Just tell me, don’t-“

“Your grandfather is dead…” Yunseong finally said, and it made Minseo stop talking immediately. “We received a white raven from Winterfell only a few moments ago, informing us of the king’s passing… he died in his sleep…” Minseo opened his mouth as if to say something, but then he just closed it again. Tears started to well up in his eyes, and Yunseong pulled him into his arms before the younger could collapse to the floor.

“No, no… you’re lying! He can’t be dead! Sumin said he was fine when he was here only weeks ago; there must have been some sort of mistake… he can’t be…” Minseo tried to make sense of what his husband had told him, but he refused to believe that his grandfather was dead!

“I’m sorry, Minseo… but the raven came from Winterfell with the direwolf sigil and the maester’s signature. He said the king died on the same day your triplet brothers turned 18…” Yunseong whispered into the younger’s hair while still holding him close. “I’ll have Woonhak take charge of Castle Black so we can travel down to Winterfell at once…” He added, but Minseo barely heard him… Tears were still pouring down his face. He couldn’t bring himself to do anything but hold onto his husband… and there was just one thing he could think about… his grandfather was gone…

Chapter Text

Considering that it was still quite early in the morning, there were much fewer people out in the streets than it had the night before, and so Hunter quite easily made his way back to the house. Once he reached the house, he snuck in through the door, and to his surprise, he spotted Baekseung sitting inside eating.

“Honestly, I thought you wouldn’t come back until much later, but I guess I could say I’m pleasantly surprised that you’re here now,” Hunter halted his steps and somewhat nervously looked over at his brother, but Baekseung just continued to eat his food, seemingly not even that much bothered by Hunter being gone the whole night.

“Uhm…” Hunter ran his hand through his hair, not really sure where he was supposed to stay.

“But for your sake, I’m glad I’m the one who’s awake and not our dear brother,” Baekseung said before finally looking over at Hunter and letting out a laugh. “You seem to have had your fun at least, but you better find a less revealing shirt before Doyoung or Yujun sees you,” He added, shaking his head in amusement.

“What…?” Hunter asked while looking down at his clothing, trying to see what was apparently wrong with the shirt he was wearing, but he didn’t see anything, which prompted him to look up at his brother again. “What do you mean?” He asked, which just prompted Baekseung to laugh again.

“Go take a look in the mirror, loverboy,” Baekseung said, and so Hunter rushed over to the mirror they had on the other side of the room, and to his horror, he saw several red and purple-ish marks all over his neck and upper chest. His eyes widened, and he quickly moved to tug the strings of his shirt so the collar would hide at least some of the marks, but the sound of someone entering the room made both him and Baekseung turn to face that direction.

“You got to be kidding me…!” Yujun looked both tired and extremely scandalized as he stared at Hunter in utter disbelief.

“Never mind, too late…” Baekseung said before standing up from the table and walking past Yujun. “Just don’t kill anyone; I think my actions as of late might cause enough problems for us as it is…” He said before leaving his brothers alone in the room. Hunter watched him go before finally looking at Yujun.

“You slept with him, didn’t you?” Yujun exclaimed. “What were you thinking? What if he’d tried to hurt you or even kill you? Hunter! I’m serious! We’re here solely because our parents and grandfather are worried about you and want to help you, and what do you do? Go off and spend the night with a Martell of all people? Dad would be furious if-“

“I don’t care!” Hunter interrupted Yujun, slightly startling his brother by raising his voice, which was something Hunter never did… “Dad has nothing to do with this, and neither do you! It’s my life, and I’m the one who gets to decide what I do with it! Besides, if you now must know, Seeun didn’t do anything I didn’t want him to!” Hunter snapped. He suddenly felt so angry with his brother, with his life, and with how unfair everything was, so he just wanted to scream! “I didn’t choose this life! I never wanted to be like this, to look like this! And everything everyone always does is something they blame on trying to help me or protect me, and I’m getting so tired of it! No one ever listens to me or actually cares what I think! All you do is tell me what I’m not allowed to do and get angry when I’m doing something basically everyone else does all the time! So you have no right to be angry with me for doing something with my life!” Yujun was so stunned by Hunter’s yelling that when the younger finally stopped, he couldn’t even bring himself to say anything at all. And all he could really do was watch the tears form in his brother’s eyes before the latter just turned on his heels and left the house altogether…

- - - -

“Dad! Dad!” Gunwook turned his head to face the door as his youngest son came running into the room. Yujin appeared in the doorway, with Taerae, Gunwook’s husband and the boy’s other father, right behind him. Both of them wore concerned and troubled facial expressions, and Gunwook didn’t like that at all…

“What is it…?” Gunwook asked. His own parents, Hao and Hanbin, were both also in the room, sitting across from him at the table, and they, too, looked up at Taerae and Yujin.

“We received a raven from Winterfell… a white raven…” Taerae said, and that made Gunwook feel like his heart beat in his throat.

“A white raven?” Hanbin exclaimed worriedly while Gunwook stood up from his chair.

“Junmin…?” Gunwook asked, fearing the answer he might get regarding his and Taerae’s older son, who was currently in Winterfell with the Starks.

“His fine,” Taerae answered, but he still looked rather upset. “It’s about the king…”

“Jake…? Is he… no, what?” Hao asked, genuinely concerned since his son-in-law had said they’d received a white raven, and he knew what a white raven meant…

“How? Does it say how?” Hanbin asked. He also stood up from his chair, leaving only Hao still seated at the table. Taerae didn’t have to say it out loud for the other three adults to understand that the king had passed, but considering he’d only been 56 years old, there had to be something else to it…

“The letter came from the maester himself, and he just wrote that the king died in his sleep and that only his two sons were in the room when it happened,” Taerae answered.

“Neither Taesan nor Leehan would ever have done anything to hurt their father, so how is it that he just died in his sleep?” Hanbin was feeling furious. Jake had been one of his oldest and best friends, and he wouldn’t just have died in his sleep out of nowhere! Hao and Hanbin were 59 and 58, respectively, and neither of them had any problems or were even close to dying yet, so how come someone younger than them suffered that fate? “Something must have happened! Didn’t you say he seemed a little tired, like, out of the ordinary tired, when you were there last?” Hanbin turned to face his son, but Gunwook just shrugged his shoulders.

“It was hard to tell, but he wasn’t really present when I was there. He mostly just stayed in his own chambers and only attended a few of the council meetings, but this was months ago! I’m sure either Taesan or Leehan would have noticed if something was truly wrong in the time that has passed since, and not to mention the maester! He’s been their maester ever since Taesan and Leehan were born; he certainly must have noticed any potential problems with the king’s health?!”

“Hanbin, even if there was something wrong with his health, there’s nothing we can do now either way…” Hao said, gently placing his hand on his husband’s arm to calm him down, but Hanbin still refused to let the news fully sink in and just accept the fact that his friend of so many years would have just died in his sleep…

“No, I’m not buying it! We need to go to Winterfell at once to make sure there wasn’t anything else that happened to Jake!” Hanbin moved away from the table, forcing his husband to let go of his arm before eventually storming out of the room itself. Hao sighed before standing up and following after him, leaving Gunwook, Taerae, and Yujin behind in the room. Gunwook pulled his husband into a hug before running his hand over his youngest son’s head.

“Did someone do something to Jake?” The 17-year-old boy asked. He might not have spent as much time in Winterfell as his brother Junmin had, but he was very familiar with the Starks and the late king, so his death did affect him as well.

“I don’t know, Yujin… but we’ll go to Winterfell, and maybe we’ll find out more once we’ve finally gotten to talk with Taesan and Leehan,” Gunwook answered his son, but he did also have this gut feeling that something wasn’t right…

- - - -

“Hunter! Stop, I didn’t mean to upset you! I was just worried, okay?” Yujun ran after his brother out of their house and down the street. Hunter didn’t run, but he didn’t stop walking either, despite his brother’s pleading. He was too upset and still somewhat embarrassed by the quite noticeable bruise-like markings littering his neck, so he tugged the collar of his shirt up higher as he kept walking down the street. “Hunter, please!” Yujun eventually caught up with his brother and reached out to grab hold of him to stop him from going any further. Hunter tried to get out of his brother's grip, but when he failed to do so the first time, he just gave up and let Yujun run up in front of him. “I’m sorry, okay?”

“Mm…” Hunter barely answered the elder, but he didn’t try to move away either.

“I know you didn’t choose to be like this, but there’s nothing wrong with you! And before you start with all that crap with the visions and all that, I just want you to know that all those things don’t make you any less of a person, and honestly, I don’t think it’s weird either!” Yujun said. “Dad also has those visions, right? And there have been several in our family’s history that have been far worse when it came to that as well, so you shouldn’t feel like that makes you different…”

“But none of them had these stupid scales, and I’ve never heard of any of them fainting or hurting others because of their visions either…!” Hunter argued. He was no longer yelling; rather, he was just upset and spoke quite quietly again, like he usually did.

“Sunwoo Targaryen did sort of hurt his cousin, our great-grandfather Eric Stark, by accident, yes, but he still did it! I remember Grandpa telling me and Minjae this once when we were looking through some books with him back when we were younger, and Minjae saw this painting of Eric and Sunwoo. There, the person who’d made the painting had included a little scare in Eric’s jaw, and so when Minjae asked about it, grandpa told us he’d gotten it by accident back when he and Sunwoo were much younger, and Sunwoo hadn’t fully been able to control whatever power he had,” Yujun said. “And when it comes to those scales, there have been others throughout the Targaryen bloodline that were born with them; they just didn’t survive, and if anything, I think that just makes you special and stronger!” He added, and the last part actually reminded Hunter of when their father had said the same thing to Hunter when he couldn’t have been more than ten years old, and some kid back in Winterfell had bullied him and called him names due to the scales on his back.

“That doesn’t make any difference when it comes to me not being allowed to do what I want in my life, though…” Hunter muttered.

“Well, I don’t think either of us really have the freedom to do what we want, considering we were born princes and not as some random commoner,” Yujun pointed out, and it made Hunter roll his eyes even though he figured his brother was right…

“The thing with Seeun, though… I know it was quite stupid to just go with him without saying a word to you or Baekseung, but then again, if he’d wanted to hurt me, he would probably have done it already,” Hunter remarked, which prompted Yujun to somewhat reluctantly agree.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right…” The elder sighed, but then his usual teasing deminer returned as his eyes landed on the skin of Hunter’s neck, peeking out through the collar of his shirt. “But that is a little over the top, though, if you ask me…” Yujun said, nodding toward the marks on Hunter’s skin, which, in turn, prompted the younger to groan out of embarrassment as he tugged the collar of his shirt even higher.

“Just, argh, just forget you even saw that, okay…? Please?” Hunter eventually sighed, and a smile tugged at the corner of his brother’s mouth before he teasingly messed up Hunter’s hair.

“Not gonna happen,” Yujun chuckled as Hunter groaned again while pushing his brother’s hand away from him, but he did end up smiling as well when he saw Yujun do it.

“I hate you,” Hunter huffed, but there was no real hatred behind his words, and since Yujun just laughed at him again, he knew the latter knew that as well.

“Love you, too, brother,”

Chapter Text

The next couple of weeks went by without any problems for the triplets. They mostly stayed in their house, as Doyoung argued that it was no longer their nameday and, therefore, they had no need to go out into the city, which they all found a little disappointing, especially Hunter, who wanted to see Seeun again. While Yujun had been quite eager for the possibility that they might be able to return home now when Hunter’s training seemingly was over, but neither Taemin nor Minghao had actually said so, and the few times Hunter had gone back to the underground hall, neither had been there, and the dragon skulls had been covered up again, as if no one had even touched them in the first place… There had been unusually little reaction coming from Keum’s father as well, considering they hadn’t heard anything really. Baekseung had expected at least for someone to send out word that Lord Tarth’s son was missing or that he’d seemingly just disappeared the night before his wedding, but they’d heard nothing… That was about to change, though…

“I’m gonna go look for Minghao again. He has to be in the hall or at least in some other part of the Red Keep…!” Hunter called out from the doorway before exiting through it. He didn’t get far, though, before his brother popped his head out to yell after him.

“Don’t go up into the Red Keep itself, Hunter! I know we all want to go home, but risking someone seeing you in there isn’t worth it!” Yujun said, and Hunter nodded. “And please, if you’re going to stay with the Martell boy again, at least tell us before disappearing, will you?” He added, but Hunter sort of just sighed and shook his head.

“Yeah, sure!” He yelled back. “But I really want to know where Minghao is and if I’m actually done with his training… so I need to find him first before I go anywhere else,”

“Alright, but don’t enter the Red Keep! All I’ve heard is that all those power-hungry lords are still arguing about who should sit the throne since grandfather has no wish for it, and it seems as though neither does the Martell king,” Yujun said. And the thing was, there hadn’t really been anyone who’d taken over the title of the King of the Seven Kingdoms since Sunwoo Targaryen had died over 35 years ago, mostly due to King’s Landing’s state after the war, but also because even if these lords argued over who should rule, they all knew that choosing one just out of the blue would never work. It needed to be someone good, or at least someone who had prior knowledge of ruling and was someone the people could trust. But so far, they’d only been able to agree on who should rule as the regent in the meantime, and that person was House Gardener of Highgarden and their appointed Lord Gardener, that man who had taken over the seat of Highgarden since the Tyrells no longer existed, and those with their blood were part of other great houses, there among the Starks themselves. That was something Hunter had never really understood… Why would his parents not lay claim to Highgarden when they were the next two in line to inherit it through their own dad, Sunghoon, who’d been a Tyrell? But, instead, neither Taesan nor Leehan had ever even mentioned Highgarden or any desire to rule it… Which was probably why Lord Gardener now served as the Lord of the Reach.

“I’ll be back later!” Hunter just called back before disappearing down the street, and Yujun went back into the house.

“It’s too quiet, I don’t like it…” Keum sighed. He and Baekseung sat by the table in the main area of the house along with Doyoung.

“Well, it might be good, right? Maybe Lord Swann didn’t care that he didn’t get to marry you,” Baekseung said, but Keum raised an eyebrow.

“It doesn’t work like that, Baekseung. And even if Lord Swann might not care that much, my father surely does… and considering we’ve not heard anything yet, I fear what he’s planning to do…” Keum said.

“You sure take after your dad a lot more than I think even he would want,” Doyoung said, making Baekseung roll his eyes at the knight. “You don’t really think of the consequences before you do anything, and that is Taesan through and through,” He added.

“But Lord Tarth doesn’t know you went here, right?” Yujun questioned as he came back into the house.

“No, I don’t think so…” Keum said. “If he figured out who Baekseung is, the fact that him showing up and me disappearing and that I went with him, I would guess he thinks we went straight back for Winterfell,”

“Then at least he’s not coming here,” Baekseung said.

“I don’t think your parents or grandfather will be very happy if Lord Tarth and his men showed up in Winterfell claiming you kidnapped his son… not to mention the fact that you didn’t even tell them where you were going in the first place,” Doyoung sighed.

“Yeah, well, I guess not…” Baekseung answered.

“Maybe we should go back, then,”

“Not before Hunter’s spoken to Minghao,” Yujun said. “He went to look for him now, and hopefully he’ll find him, and then we can go home, but before that, I don’t think it’s a good idea if that would just mean Hunter has to go back later…”

“We should at least send a raven informing them of Baekseung’s brilliant idea of stealing away Lord Tarth’s son,” Doyoung remarked, and Keum just chuckled while Baekseung groaned. The knight then stood up before heading out to go down into the city, where he could send a raven to Winterfell. The other three remained in the house, not really doing anything, but when Doyoung returned, he didn’t look like it had gone the way he’d wanted…

“What happened…?” Baekseung questioned upon seeing the knight’s face, but Doyoung just opened his mouth before closing it again.

“Doyoung?” Yujun stood up to walk over to the elder, but the knight just took a deep breath before looking up at the young prince.

“There was a letter left for you…” Doyoung said, voice shaking. “And… uhm…”

“What did it say…?” Baekseung now also stood up, but Doyoung handed the letter to Yujun. The two brothers shared a worried look before Yujun opened the letter, but neither of them had been prepared for what the letter said…

- - - -

Hunter sighed loudly when he entered the underground hall and found it empty once again. He even went to look in the smaller room in the back but still didn’t see Minghao anywhere.

“Where the hell is he?” He muttered to himself while walking back into the hall, but as he did, a thought struck him. He eyed the narrow staircase that led up further into the castle itself, or at least that was where he thought it led, and maybe Minghao was up there. Because where else could he be if he was unable to leave the castle itself? But Yujun’s words echoed in his head, and Hunter recalled his own promise to his brother not to go into the castle, but he wanted to find Minghao… He’d not seen the elder for almost two weeks, ever since he’d had that vision of the so-called Prince that was Promised, and his own curiosity was starting to get the better of him. He did hesitate for a few seconds, really trying to think through if this was actually a good idea or not, which it probably wasn’t, but eventually, he did decide to follow the staircase anyway… I spiraled upwards before ending in another, even smaller room with a door on the opposite side. The room itself didn’t contain much, only a few empty stands and shelves along two of the walls and some sort of chest in the furthest corner. Hunter chose to just ignore those as he was there to find Minghao and not sneak around, so he quietly made his way over to the door before opening it. Much to his surprise, it didn’t make any sounds as he pushed it open, but once he’d walked through it, it slammed shut behind him, making the sound echo in the seemingly even bigger hall than the one with the dragon skulls.

“Did you hear that?” Hunter froze at the sound of a person’s voice, and it was followed by the sound of two or three people moving quickly in his direction, prompting him to swiftly move further into the hall and away from the door, which was almost impossible to spot once closed. He hid behind a huge pillar and waited for the three persons, guards he figured once he’d actually gotten a look at them, and once they’d walked back to their original place, Hunter relaxed slightly. But he didn’t get much time to calm down before he heard another group of people enter the hall. From where he stood, Hunter could see them walk across the hall and all the way up to the other end of it, and that’s when he saw it… the iron throne…

“I take it Lord Bolton will join us soon, considering the news,” A man Hunter had never seen before said. Not that he’d ever seen any of the men now standing in front of the throne, but he did recognize a few of their houses’ sigils. The green hand of House Gardener, the silver trout on a red and blue background belonging to House Tully, and the six white seashells on sand, which was the sigil of House Westerling. The man who’d just spoken was the man wearing the sigil of House Westerling, and then there were another two Hunter didn’t recognize.

“I do believe so,” One of these men answered. “He won’t stay in the North for long now that he’s seemingly free to do as he pleases,”

“It’s a shame, really… that he had to wait for the king to die before he could come here. Why not just leave the North and never look back?” The man from House Tully asked.

“You know Lord Bolton, he’s not one to leave loose ends that could come back to haunt him later, but I would say that the king’s seemingly timely death really suited Lord Bolton’s wishes…”

“What are you insinuating, my lord?” A third man asked.

“Nothing, I just think he’s a little too fortunate considering the fact that Jake didn’t allow him to move from the North like he wanted, but now he can…” The mention of his grandfather’s name made Hunter tense up slightly. What were these men talking about? And what was this conflict over the Boltons not being allowed to leave the North? Hunter thought they’d done that a long time ago already… but apart from hearing his grandfather’s name, there was one other thing that stood out to Hunter, and that was the mention of a king dying… what king did they mean…? There weren’t that many, at least not to Hunter’s knowledge…

“What of the Martells? Have you gotten any answer from the king of those sandpiles yet?”

“Jongseob will not join us. I received an answer in the form of my envoy’s severed fingers this morning, and I take that as a no…” The man wearing House Gardener’s sigil said. “But my informants in this city claim his boy is here, but for what reason, they could not say…”

“The Martell prince is in King’s Landing?”

“Apparently so… but enough of that! We need to prepare ourselves for what might come of the North now that Taesan will inherit it all, and I’m certain it can be anything good…”

“Taesan…? Dad won’t inherit anything until…” Hunter didn’t get to finish his own mumbling until he connected the dots… The king that had died… and the mention of his own dad inheriting the North… that could only mean one thing… “Grandpa…” Hunter felt tears starting to well up in his eyes, and he no longer cared if the group of men heard or saw him… He just couldn’t keep it together anymore… He slumped down the pillar he hid behind, which created a scraping sound that alerted the men and made them look in his direction, but before any of them could make their way over there, Hunter felt someone grab him, pull him up, and drag him with them. Said person tugged Hunter with them and hid them both in some sort of corner of the huge hall before bringing their hand up to cover Hunter’s mouth as the latter let out a sob…

“Quiet! Or you’ll get us both killed!” Hunter looked up upon realizing who this person was, and he came face to face with Seeun. The latter was dressed in the same clothing as the guards Hunter had seen earlier, and he looked somewhat concerned and confused as to why Hunter was there, but he didn’t say anything, nor did he wait for Hunter to respond to him, and just pulled the younger along with him out through another door, leading out into what Hunter assumed to be a courtyard and then into another part of the castle. “You need to leave!” Seeun said once they were alone again, but upon realizing Hunter was in no state to even stand up on his own, he figured he needed to get the younger out of there, so that’s what he did…

Chapter Text

Stumbling through the courtyard of the Red Keep while trying to keep Hunter upright wasn’t the easiest thing, but having heard the exact same Hunter just had inside the throne room, Seeun knew why the younger wasn’t in the right mindset to really take care of himself right now, and much less getting out of there safely…

“We need to get out of here! Hunter!” Seeun hissed lowly as the younger once again seemingly just gave up on walking, prompting Seeun to basically have to drag him with him while still maintaining his own balance. The younger mumbled something that Seeun didn’t quite catch, but instead of questioning him, he just pulled him upright again before making their way down a set of stairs that ended in some back ally just below the Red Keep itself.

“Those men… my grandfather…” Hunter mumbled either to himself or to Seeun; the latter didn’t really know which, but it didn’t really matter either as there wasn’t anything either of them could do anyway…

“I know, Hunter, I heard them too, but I don’t know what might have happened… all I know is that you can’t stay here and that you should return back home!” Seeun said. They continued to walk through the streets, but Hunter had no idea how they actually made it back to the house. Once they reached it, however, Doyoung met them in the doorway, and judging by his face, Seeun figured he’d also learned of the death of the King in the North… “Get him out of King’s Landing! It’s not safe for any of you here anymore…” Seeun said as he gently tried to basically hand Hunter over to the other man, but the Stark prince seemed reluctant to let go of Seeun, so the latter turned his head so his face came close to Hunter before whispering in his ear. “You need to go home; you won’t be safe here if those men plan to take the iron throne, and neither will you brothers… Go back to the North and stay there; that’s the safest place for you now…” Seeun wasn’t sure if Hunter had actually heard everything he’d just said, but he seemed to have heard enough to finally let go of Seeun and accept Doyoung’s help to get him into the house. After making sure Hunter was inside, Seeun turned around to leave. He was about to pull down the helmet over his head again to hide his face when Doyoung called out after him.

“And what about you…? If King’s Landing is unsafe for a Stark, I’d take it be the same for a Martell,” Doyoung said. He eyed the young man before him, and despite never actually having seen him before, he could put two and two together, and that’s how he made the consecution that this must be the Seeun Martell the triplets had been talking about when they thought Doyoung didn’t listen.

“No one here knows who I am, nor do they know my face, but I do plan on returning home myself since there are a few things I need to inform my father about,” Seeun answered before finally pulling down the helmet to cover his face and disappearing into the streets of King’s Landing again…

- - - -

Winterfell might never have been seen as a city that was alive, with all its snow and darkness covering it for most of the year, but it had never been as dark and quiet as it was now… Not even when it had been abandoned back when the white walkers passed through here… Minseo and Yunseong had arrived a few days ago at what almost looked like an abandoned Winterfell, but once inside the castle itself, they were met with two of Minseo’s brothers, Minjae and Sumin, as well as their parents and Sungho, Gyuvin, Ricky, Gunwook, Taerae, Hao, Hanbin, Junmin, Jinsik, and Yujin. Leehan and Taesan had both pulled Minseo into a hug as soon as the latter arrived in the great hall, and while Taesan pulled away after a while, Leehan stayed hugging his oldest son for much longer, both crying uncontrollably. Taesan hadn’t been himself ever since the day Jake died, and he barely spoke at all for the next few weeks either, and it wasn’t until Baekseung, Yujun, and Hunter finally returned to Winterfell that he even left the castle. The triplets were completely distraught when they arrived, which didn’t make it any easier for either Leehan or Taesan, and it was as if there was this inevitable darkness looming over the whole of the city… They were all grieving the death of their father, grandfather, and friend, that no one even had the energy to bring up the fact that Baekseung had brought Keum with him or that, by now, both Minseo and Keum had slightly visibly rounded stomachs.

“It is time, your grace…” The maester said, making Taesan look up from where he’d been staring blankly down at the floor. He’d still not gotten used to people referring to him as ‘your grace’ as to him, that would always be who his father was… but he didn’t say anything and just nodded his head slowly before walking out behind the maester.

“There's so much I should have told you when you were still here… but now I have to say goodbye… And I’m not sure I could say goodbye to someone who's been there for me my whole life… Even when I didn’t deserve it…” Taesan had to take a pause in order not to break down and start crying on the spot. They were all gathered in the Godswood, surrounding what would be Jake’s final resting place as they would honor him by giving him a dragon rider’s death, as he had, in fact, been the last living dragon rider… “You were always on our side, ready to defend us and do everything in your power to make sure we were safe, and if I’m being honest, I'm scared of what our lives will become without you… I’m scared of what the North will become when you’re no longer here, and… I’m scared because I know I will never be you… I will never be the king you were, the king our people deserve…” Taesan whispered the last part, just loud enough for Leehan to hear him because the younger was standing right beside him, and it made him hold onto his arm to comfort his brother while the latter spoke. Their sons and friends stood either behind them or to their sides, but no one said anything and only quiet sobs could be heard. Even the guards and the people of Winterfell mourned their late king as they watched their crown prince slowly pick up a torch with shaky hands.

“Lēkia… ivestragī nyke…” (Brother… let me…) Leehan whispered while gently prying the torch out of Taesan’s hand. The elder didn’t fight him and just let go before lowering his shaky hand back down. Leehan, who was still holding onto Taesan’s arm with his other hand, gently squeezed it before letting go and took a few steps forward to lower the torch so its fire would spread onto the pyre their father’s body lay on. It wasn’t dragon fire, but a burial burned by fire was still the way a dragon rider should be honored. The fire spread quickly despite the cold air and frozen surroundings, and its light reflected in both brother’s eyes as it engulfed their father’s body. Leehan let go of the torch before stepping back and wrapping his arms around Taesan, who did the same. "From fire, you were born, and to fire, you will return… Your name may have been Stark, but you were the blood of the dragon, the last living dragon rider, and you’ll be forever remembered as the honorable and great ruler and father that you were…" His father’s words started to fade away in Hunter’s head as another, much quieter voice rang through his head.

“When dragons flew to war, everything burnt! And I don’t want to be like my ancestors, fighting a war and leaving only ashes and bones behind! My House’s words might by Fire and Blood, and I am willing to burn with fire and sacrifice my own blood, but I will not sacrifice the blood of the innocent! They have done nothing to deserve to be burnt or have their blood spilled in a war they barely even know is coming!” The voice got louder and louder in Hunter’s head, so loud that it soon almost became too much for him… He took a few steps back from where he’d been standing next to Yujun, but the latter was too caught up in his own sorrow for their grandfather that he didn’t notice Hunter leaving, and neither did anyone else…

“Dragons are what ruled since the beginning, and dragons will be what rules in the end… That’s just a truth most people tend to overlook,” Another voice rang through Hunter’s head as he made his way out of the Godswood, across the courtyard, and eventually even outside the city gates themselves… Why was this happening now? He thought these uncontrollable visions would end since he’d finished his training down in King’s Landing… and what did this vision have to do with his grandfather? Why was it happening now?! Hunter knelt down in the snow and brought his hands up to cover his ears as if trying to block out the voices in his head, but to no avail…

“Even a dragon can rule with mercy,” The first voice spoke again, and this actually fits Jake…. He might have been a Stark, but the blood of the dragon still ran through their veins, even Hunter’s own, and if there had ever been a dragon rider who had ruled with mercy, it would have been Jake… this time, Hunter didn’t just hear a voice in his head, however, but rather actually saw something, or rather someone. It was the same blond violet-eyed boy he’d seen before, the one with the baby dragons, and the one his earlier vision had presumably indicated was the so-called Prince that was Promised…

“Stop, just stop…” Hunter mumbled to himself. He felt his whole body heat up as it all finally became too much for him… the death of his grandfather, the funeral going on back in the Godswood, and all these god-forsaken visions that he thought he’d be spared from after all he’d gone through… but no… “Get out… get out of my head…!” Hunter finally screamed, finally just letting go, and it was as if everything inside him finally just erupted as fire burst out in every direction around him. Melting the snow and even burning the ground underneath it, but what was the most miraculous thing of it all was the shape the fire took as it flew out to his sides and over his shoulders. Wings… like the wings of a dragon, only that they were made out of fire… burning the back of his shirt and leaving his back exposed to the cold air around him, not that he felt any of it… all Hunter could feel in that moment was the pure power burning through the blood in his veins, and now Seeun’s words finally made sense to him… ‘A dragon raised among wolves…’ Hunter knew neither he nor anyone he knew was the Prince that was Promised, but if Jake had been the dragon who could rule with mercy, then Hunter could surely be one raised among wolves…

Chapter Text

“I, Gyuvin Umber, Lord of Last Hearth, promise to be faithful to the promise my father swore to the late King Jake Stark and his named heir, the Prince Taesan. I hereby pledge fealty to you, Taesan Stark, as my king and shall defend you against all enemies in good faith and without deceit. I swear this by the old gods and the new,” Gyuvin knelt before Taesan as he pledged his fealty to the new King in the North.

“I, Lord Taeyong Reed, Lord of Greywater Watch, promise to be faithful to the promise I swore to the late King Jake Stark and his named heir, the Prince Taesan. I hereby pledge fealty to you, Taesan Stark, as my king…” Taeyong repeated the same words as Gyunvin had before standing back up and bowing his head to Taesan. The latter’s face didn’t change, even though he sort of wanted to somehow thank all these lords for their sworn fealty, but he knew they had to by law, or they would be seen as traitors… and so it didn’t really matter if they actually liked Taesan or wanted him as their new king, as long as they stayed true to their words, all would continue as it had when Jake was king…

“I, Lord Hao Glover, Lord of Deepwood Motte, promise to be faithful to the promise I swore to the late King Jake Stark and his named heir, the Prince Taesan. I hereby pledge fealty to you, Taesan Stark, as my king and shall defend you against all enemies in good faith and without deceit. I swear this by the old gods and the new,” Hao did the same as the other northern lords just had, kneeling before Taesan and swearing his and his house’s fealty to their new king.

“Duty is sacrifice, older than any oath… All men of honor must pay its price. Since the days of the First Men, we have stood as guardians against the cold and the dark as lords of high honor, and even after defeating it, the North still holds true to their own. This is not a sentence but an honor… even more so after the day we became kings… So I, Taesan Stark, first of my name… The King in the North, swear this to you, the people of the North, to honor my father’s wishes and to keep the North as it was during his reign, and to not cast aside my people or forsaken my duty to serve you as you’ve sworn to serve me,” The words felt so foreign to Taesan’s ears as he said them… He knew the day would eventually come, and if he was being honest, it had once been something he yearned to say, as it meant he would be the king, but now, all he wanted was to go back to those days when his father was there and did what everyone expected Taesan to do now… “And I do hereby name Minjae of House Stark, my second-born son, Crown Prince of Winterfell, to be my successor and heir to the North,” Taesan said, watching as Minjae now knelt before him. He briefly looked up to meet Minseo’s eyes, but the boy just gave him an assuring smile, silently telling Taesan that it was okay, which Taesan already knew since it had been Minseo himself who’d asked for his brother to be named heir instead of himself. The boy had told Taesan it was because he’d never had any desire to rule and would much rather just keep his title as a prince and husband of the Lord Commander of Castle Black, but Taesan couldn’t help but worry that it had something to do with the fact that Minseo knew it should be Minjae who was named Taesan’s heir as he was the king’s firstborn son, even though Minjae himself didn’t know that…

“Are you sure this is what you want…?” Leehan whispered. He stood next to Minseo, who looked away from Taesan and over at his father as he spoke.

“Yes, I’m sure,” Minseo answered. “I don’t want to be king; that’s not for me, and before you go on thinking I’m doing this because of my true parentage, it’s not! That just gives me more strength to my own claim of not wanting the life as the heir to a whole kingdom,” Minseo didn’t give his father any room to argue with him about this as he’d already made up his mind, and he was very thankful that Taesan hadn’t questioned it more than just making sure he was absolutely sure he wanted his brother to be named heir and not him. He knew Leehan would be harder to convince since all he wanted was for all six of his sons to be treated equally, but basically skipping over Minseo in the line of succession meant, to Leehan, that they weren’t treated equally… despite it being Minseo’s own wish.

“Okay…” Leehan answered hesitantly. This was something he’d feared but not really had the energy or thought to deal with, considering he himself had not really been in the best shape as of late. But he knew his eldest son well enough to see that this was what he wanted, and so Leehan just had to accept it…

- - - -

“Where is your brother?” Leehan asked as he entered Yujun’s and Hunter’s old room. The older of the two boys was sitting on his bed with a book in his hand, but he looked up as he heard his father enter.

“You have to be more specific than that, considering the fact that I have five brothers…” Yujun answered before looking back down at his book again.

“You don’t need to be snarky about it, young man,” Leehan sighed as he walked over to sit down on the bed beside Yujun. The latter closed his eyes and laid the book down on his lap before looking up at his father again.

“I’m sorry…” Yujun said. “But I don’t know where Hunter is… I haven't seen him since grandpa’s funeral,” Leehan hummed before placing his hand on his son’s leg to comfort him.

“How are you holding up…? I haven’t gotten to speak much to either of you since you returned…” Leehan asked.

“Could be better… but I think Hunter’s doing worse… he barely said a word the whole way back here…” Yujun answered. He sat up properly only to lean his head on his father’s shoulder.

“He’s always been a little more sensitive than the rest of you,” Leehan said, smiling a little. He meant no harm to his youngest son by what he’d said; he just brought it up in the hopes of getting Yujun in a better mood, and it seemed to work as the latter chuckled a little.

“Yeah, he and Minjae,” Yujun chuckled. Sensitive might not be the right word when it came to Minjae, but the elder sure was more prone to strong emotions, just like their dad. “But I think there’s more than what he's willing to say… I know he misses grandpa, we all do, but there’s something else that’s bothering him…”

“And what’s that? Did something happen in King’s Landing?” Leehan asked as he ran his hand over Yujun’s dark brown hair.

“Apart from him meeting that Martell boy, no… not that I know of, but there might have been something that he and Minghao talked-“

“Martell?” Leehan interrupted his son, prompting the latter to raise his head up from his father’s shoulder. “He met a Martell?” Leehan looked concerned as he turned to face Yujun fully.

“Yeah, but I don’t think that’s something to worry about… if he would have wanted to hurt Hunter, he had multiple occasions to do it, but he never did…” Yujun assured his father.

“Well, a name doesn’t make you who you are… So, I guess even a Martell can show kindness,” Leehan said.

“I’m sure they say the same about us,” Yujun chuckled, which prompted Leehan to do the same.

“I better go find your brother,” Leehan eventually said before standing up from the bed. “I think your dad would appreciate it if you went to see him. This whole ‘The King in the North’ thing seems to take its toll on him…” Yujun nodded slowly at his father’s words and stood up to follow him out of the room. He went down to the great hall, where Leehan said Taesan would most likely be, while Leehan himself went out of the castle and into the Godswood. He’d not been here since his father’s funeral, which was a few days ago, but he figured this was where he’d find his youngest son, and he was right. Hunter was sitting with his back against the weirwood tree in front of the small pond, and if he’d heard Leehan approaching, he didn’t bother looking up and just kept watching the tiny fish swimming around in the water. “Your brother seemed worried about you. He said he hadn’t seen you in days…”

“Hm…” Hunter just hummed in response, still not looking up from the pond. Leehan sighed before walking around the water and sat down next to his youngest son. Hunter seemed somewhat uncomfortable with this as he moved further away from his father as the latter sat down, seemingly not wanting to be close to him.

“What is it that bothers you, sweetheart?” Leehan asked. Despite Hunter’s attempt to move away from him, Leehan placed his hand on his son’s arm, gently squeezing it to make sure he knew there was nothing he had to fear now that he was back home.

“I don’t want to hurt you…” Hunter mumbled, but he didn’t move further away as he found his father’s warm hand rather comforting.

“You could never hurt me, Hunter,” Leehan said.

“It’s not like I want to! But I might… all that stupid training I did down in King’s Landing was useless! I can’t control those stupid visions, I can’t control my emotions, and when all becomes too much, it all just boils over, and I lose it! You saw what I did to the wall in mine and Yujun’s chambers. I almost did the same several times down in King’s Landing when I was training with Minghao, but that was all over a year ago or more. And now, when I came back up here, all it took was for me to get upset about grandfather, and then it all just crashed down again…!” Hunter was sobbing by this point, and despite the boy’s words, Leehan moved closer so he could pull him into a hug.

“Do you want to know something…?” He asked while gently running his hand up and down his son’s arm to comfort him. Hunter nodded slowly, so Leehan continued. “Before you were born, even before Minjae was born, the River Lords invaded the North and tried to take Winterfell, and they probably would have succeeded if we’d not gotten help from the wildlings, but before they arrived to aid us, your dad and I went out to rescue our friends from one of those lords, and something happened then that not even I would have believed if I hadn’t been the one to do it…” Hunter looked up to meet his father’s eyes, curious as to what he meant.

“What did you do?” Hunter asked.

“I burned him, along with his soldiers,” Leehan answered. Hunter’s eyes widened at this, and it took him a few seconds to actually comprehend what his father had said.

“You burned them? How…?”

“You know I can warg, right?” Leehan asked, and Hunter nodded. “Well, when one can warg, you can feel what animals are close by if you focus enough, and I felt something that day, something much bigger and much stronger than any other being in the whole of Westeros,”

“A direwolf?” Hunter questioned, which made Leehan chuckle a little.

“No, much bigger than that… this being is believed to be dead, torn down by its own kind on the order of the very kings we stem from…”

“A dragon…?” Hunter mumbled, and at this, Leehan nodded.

“No one will ever believe it, barely even your own dad does, despite the fact that he was there,” Leehan said. “But there are certain things those in our family can do that others can’t… whether it comes from the wildlings, the wolves, the roses, or the dragons, or maybe all of them, it does not matter… the only thing that matters is that we can do these things to protect those we love, and if there come the day that you might need to use the power you have, I can assure you that you’ll be able to control that power in order not to hurt anyone you love…”

Chapter Text

“Your grace?” Taesan looked over at the doors as he heard them swing open and watched as Hao and Hanbin walked through.

“My lords,” Taesan answered, already knowing there couldn’t be any good that the two wanted to talk about… “I’ll come see you and your brothers later, okay?” Taesan turned to face Yujun, who nodded before standing up from his chair, walking past Hao and Hanbin, and leaving the great hall. “What is it that you want…?” Taesan looked over at the two lords once again, not really meaning to sound as rude as he might have, but these past few days have been a lot for him…

“We wanted to talk to you about your father’s passing,” Hanbin said. This made Taesan tense up, as it was the last thing he wanted to be reminded of right now…

“There’s nothing to talk about… he died in his sleep; Leehan and I were both there with him when it happened. There’s nothing more to it,” Taesan answered.

“With all due respect, your grace, but what about the nosebleeds he had for years before he died?” Hanbin questioned. “Couldn’t that have had something to do with his death?”

“How do you know about that…? I was under the impression that he never told anyone about that, not even me or Leehan…” Taesan said.

“No one could keep a secret forever… not that he would have had to; maybe someone could have helped him if he did tell us,” Hanbin sighed before sitting down across from the chair Taesan was sitting in.

“Someone did help him…” Taesan looked between Hao and Hanbin as he spoke. “Our maester tried to find whatever it was that caused my father’s poor health, but he couldn’t find anything, and he is one of the maesters that ever lived… if he couldn’t find what was wrong, then maybe there wasn’t anything wrong…”

“So you honestly just going to accept that your father died out of nowhere just because one maester couldn’t find what was wrong with him?” Hanbin raised his voice. Taesan might be king now, but he still had the stupidity of youth, it seemed…

“What else can I do? I can’t bring him back! If I could, he would be here already!” Taesan abruptly stood up from his seat, making both Hao and Hanbin jerk slightly at the king’s sudden move. “I never wished for this! I might have wanted to be king when I was younger, but I never wished for my father to die! I can’t rule like he did, nor will I even be the king he was, and right now, I do not have the strength to even console my own children! If you think some disease is to blame for my father’s death, then go on, be my guest, and investigate it all you want! But nothing of what you might find will be able to bring him back, and I just can’t take this… It’s just… it’s too much…” Taesan ran a hand through his hair and turned away from the two lords so they wouldn’t see his eyes filling up with tears… Of course, he wanted to know if there had been something wrong with his father and if that had caused his death, but at the same time, getting to know that also meant having to admit that he’d failed to save his father… Taesan might be one to easily blame others when they’d done something wrong, or at least something he viewed as wrong, but there was no one else he blamed harder than himself… and if something as simple as a disease had killed Jake, then Taesan was more of a failure than anyone else… because he should have know… he should have been able to help him…

“It’s not your fault, Taesan… but don’t you want to know what happened?” Hao asked. He knew better than to try and walk up to the younger, as Taesan had never been one to accept comfort from others than Leehan, but Hao still wanted to make sure Taesan didn’t blame himself for Jake’s death, as that was something both he and Hanbin figured their new king would do…

“If it’s not my fault, then whose is it…?” Taesan asked quietly, still not turning around to face the other two.

“Let us find out, and maybe there isn’t anyone to blame… diseases can take lives just as easily as a blade can, but if there was something else we need to know, or maybe you’ll be next…”

“You think someone did it on purpose…?” Taesan finally turned around, eyes still teary over, but now he looked more concerned than sad. “You think someone killed him…?”

“I don’t know…” Hanbin said. “But dying in his sleep after years of nosebleeds isn’t normal… and there’s no disease that I know of that causes the symptoms your father seemed to have had…”

- - - -

The humid air of the south had always been very welcoming to Seeun, and now, returning from that stinking city, it was even more welcoming than ever before. He rode alongside the river Greenblood, leading all the way to Sunspear, but the city wasn’t the first thing he saw as he rode up the sand dunes; no, it was the huge water gardens to the side of the city. The people working along the river didn’t pay him any mind, not that they would even if they knew who he was. People in Dorne weren’t as fascinated with their royalty as the rest of Westeros were, so Seeun had no problem riding through these lands.

“Seeun? Didn’t expect to see you here again so soon,” Seeun turned his head to the side at the sound of the familiar voice.

“Father? What are you doing out here?” Seeun chuckled as he spotted his father standing knee-deep in the river, seemingly in the midst of tossing some sort of fishing net out into the water.

“A king should have the right to enjoy his days as any other, shouldn’t he?” Jongseob answered. He slowly waded up out of the water while Seeun got off his horse.

“I think you’re the only king to think that, but yes, I agree. Everyone should have the right to live as they see fit,” Seeun answered.

“There aren’t that many kings in Westeros, my boy, so it wouldn’t be that hard for me to think differently from the others,” Jongseob spoke as he began gathering his things, but he stopped momentarily when Seeun didn’t answer him, which prompted him to look up at his son.

“About that…” Seeun eventually said. “The King in the North, Jake Stark, he’s-”

“Dead, I know. We received a white raven from Winterfell not that long ago… It seems that the Starks want to keep us up to date despite our previous differences,” Jongseob said.

“I highly doubt that’s why they sent a raven all the way down here,” Seeun pointed out, and Jongseob chuckled lightly.

“I fear you’re right, but the king is dead nonetheless… though rather early for his age if you ask me,” Jongseob walked past his son, prompting the latter to follow him into the city. “Was that why you came back here so early? To inform me of the northern king’s death, or was there something else?”

“The Boltons are finally moving out of the North; their lord, Kane Bolton, seems to want the iron throne for himself,” Seeun said.

“All of those lords only want one thing, and that is that damn throne, Seeun. It doesn’t surprise me that Lord Bolton is one of them…” Jongseob sighed.

“Maybe they do, but Lord Gardener is regent for the time being, but even he seemed to rather bend the knee to Lord Bolton than stay as regent…” Seeun said. This prompted Jongseob to stop walking and turn back around to face his son.

“And what of it? Those lords do not like us, nor do the people of Westeros. They wanted Jake to be the king on the iron throne, but he refused it, so why should we bother with it?”

“You bothered enough to send your only child to King’s Landing to get this information, didn’t you?” Seeun questioned, raising an eyebrow at his father.

“What do you suggest we do then?” Jongseob mirrored his son’s facial expression, also raising his eyebrow at the boy.

“We should send more of our most trusted men to King’s Landing. Have them infiltrate the closest circles and get as close as possible to all those lords,” Seeun said. “If the Boltons somehow have gotten so influential that even the regent fears them, shouldn’t we find out how and why? And we might even need to send some up north; if you now think the northern king died too early, maybe there was something else in the making? So why shouldn’t we try to figure that out?”

“Mmh… you’re probably right…” Jongseob said slowly, but then the corner of his mouth went up slightly as he looked at his son. “But why this newfound care for the Starks? You never seemed to mind them before, apart from complaining about their involvement in the war…”

“Because they are our blood… distant blood, yes, but we both still have the blood of the dragons, and even though the Targaryens and their dragons may be gone, that doesn’t mean we all have to follow in their footsteps…”

- - - -

“You should name a hand…” Leehan said, prompting Taesan to stop uselessly flipping through all the letters piling up on the table in front of him.

“You don’t think I can do this on my own?” He questioned, looking over at the younger as Leehan walked over to him.

“No, I do not. The quill and paper were never your thing, brother,” Leehan teased, which actually, despite the circumstances, made Taesan smile a little.

“So you want me to name you as my hand, is that it?” Taesan questioned, teasingly pulling Leehan closer by wrapping his arm around the younger’s waist. “If you want my power as king, you can just say it, you know. I promised you we’d rule together despite all these stupid titles and unnecessary formalities to refer to me as king that everyone else holds to…”

“I know, but no. I don’t want to be your hand. That would be a little too narcissistic to name your own brother and husband as your hand, now wouldn’t it?” Leehan chuckled.

“Then who? Sungho? He’s already a knight; he cannot be my hand,”

“Gyuvin,” Leehan said, looking down at Taesan, who was still sitting in his chair. “Father’s hand was Gyuvin’s father. Jiwoong was one of the best there ever was, and Gyuvin is very much like him. He would be able to help you, help us, with all this,”

“What if he doesn’t want to?” Taesan asked.

“His son will most likely marry ours, and even if you dislike all those titles and formalities, our son is still a prince, and Gyuvin’s is not, which means you can ask this of him in favor of his son marrying ours,” Leehan said.

“That’s just cruel, Leehan. I never thought you to be one to use such against others…”

“It might be cruel, but it is also necessary… you’re king now, and that means you have to make decisions and demand certain things from your people that may not feel right in order to do what is needed of you…” Taesan stood up as the younger spoke, making them come face to face. “But, I don’t think this is one of those times. I do not think you’ll need to demand anything from Gyuvin. He’s your friend; he will accept if it is you who ask him yourself…”

Chapter Text

“What are you doing?” Baekseung questioned as he spotted his youngest brother leaning over with one hand against a wall. Hunter quickly straightened up when he heard his brother’s voice and ran the back of his hand over his mouth, not that it helped with the foul taste in the slightest…

“Nothing,” He answered before walking around Baekseung, but the elder stopped him by grabbing his arm.

“I thought your time in King’s Landing was supposed to help with your visions, but they didn’t, did they?” Baekseung asked, and at first, Hunter gave him a confused look before realizing that his brother probably thought that Hunter just had a vision…

“Oh, uhm, they did, but not entirely…” Hunter answered. He wanted to spit out the awful taste lingering in his mouth from just throwing up, but he refrained from doing so in order not to have his brother ask about it…

“What did you see now then?” Baekseung asked, still thinking his brother had just had a vision.

“Uhm, just the same as before,” Hunter lied. “I sometimes see some things more than once,”

“Mhm,” Baekseung hummed before continuing to walk across the courtyard. He didn’t entirely believe his brother, but their dad had called for him, so he couldn’t really stay and figure out what was going on with Hunter right now. That had to wait… Hunter disappeared back into their living quarters while Baekseung walked up into the main castle building, where the great hall was. Upon entering, he spotted both his parents and Sungho already in there. “You called for me…?” Baekseung said, making all three adults look up from the table, where they’d been looking at something Baekseung couldn’t quite see from where he stood.

“Yeah…” Taesan answered, gesturing for the two guards by the doors to close them and leave. The knight gave both Taesan and Leehan a small bow with his head before exiting the hall as well, leaving Baekseung alone with his parents. “Sit down,” Taesan said as soon as the doors closed behind Sungho, but Baekseung saw Leehan roll his eyes at Taesan due to the harsh and unnecessary tone he’d used, but Baekseung himself didn’t really care, nor did he make any move to actually sit down either. He knew he’d probably get into trouble sooner or later either way, so he was actually surprised it had taken this long.

“Before you and your dad start yelling at each other, I just want you to know that we won’t send Keum away. He’s free to stay if he wishes to do so,” Leehan assured Baekseung and the younger gave him a small smile, which Leehan returned before Baekseung looked over at his dad, who didn’t look as pleased…

“You should receive a much more serious punishment if I would have gotten it my way, but now I didn’t, so consider yourself lucky…” Taesan sighed. “And since you’ve seemingly already decided to make it impossible for us to deny your wishes by getting Keum pregnant, you have no other choice than to marry him now…” Baekseung had to bite back the smile, trying to make its way onto his face because of his dad’s very unimpressed expression, but he couldn’t help but be happy. This meant he’d gotten what he’d wanted, and neither Taesan nor Leehan could do anything about it. “I won’t have you father children that people won’t view as yours because of the lack of proper marriage, so you and Keum will have to be wed before the next moon turn, understood?” Taesan said sternly.

“Yeah, that was what I wanted all along, so I’m not complaining,” Baekseung chuckled, but his dad still didn’t look very happy.

“What you don’t seem to understand, however, is the consequences that will come of this! Keum was promised to marry someone else when you basically stole him away, so I wouldn’t be surprised if Lord Tarth would be marching up on our walls in the coming weeks… And considering he didn’t even reply to either the raven informing House Tarth of your grandfather’s passing or the invitation to my own coronation, I don’t think we can consider The Sapphire Isle as sworn ally anymore,” Taesan basically growled, trying to keep himself from yelling at his son as that wouldn’t get them anywhere.

“Why does that matter? The Sapphire Isle isn’t even part of the North, and it’s thousands of miles away, so why worry?” Baekseung answered nonchalantly, just proving himself totally unaware or uncaring of the consequences his actions would most likely result in.

“Baekseung, this is serious…!” Leehan sighed, placing his hand on Taesan’s arm to prevent the elder from doing something he’d regret later. Despite the fact that Leehan found it somewhat amusing that Taesan finally got the taste of his own medicine, considering this was exactly how he’d been behaving toward their own father, Baekseung’s actions were still serious and would just be forgotten or easily forgiven…

“And what if someone tried to invade the North and conquer us? Wouldn’t you rather have the nearly two thousand soldiers House Tarth has on your side rather than on the enemy’s?” Taesan snapped.

“How could two thousand men make a difference when the North already has over 45 thousand alone?” Baekseung yelled back.

“Because we don’t have 45 thousand anymore! And every thousand we have or don’t have could mean the difference for our house’s survival!” Taesan flung one of the books that had been lying on the table across the hall in anger as he yelled.

“And why don’t we have all of them anymore? Were there those who didn’t want you as their king, or what?” Baekseung knew he’d overstepped as soon as the words left his mouth, but the look of betrayal and disappointment on Leehan’s face was more than enough to assure him of his own stupidity. Taesan didn’t say anything, which surprised Baekseung and seemed to surprise Leehan as well. Instead, the king took one more look at his son before leaving the great hall altogether without saying another word. “Baekseung knew he should probably say something, but at the same time, he still didn’t think he’d been in the wrong for stating what couldn’t be that far from the truth. He knew Taesan wasn’t the one most people wanted as their king, and even if Baekseung knew his dad had gotten a lot better through the years, northerners were stubborn and not very easy to persuade if they’d already made up their minds…

“You two are way too much alike for your own good…” Leehan sighed before sitting down. He didn’t even care enough to go and pick up the book his husband had thrown across the hall; he just let out a sigh before standing up a small wooden figurine that Taesan must have knocked over in the midst of his anger.

“Why don’t we have all the soldiers we used to have before anymore…?” Baekseung asked after a few moments of complete silence.

“Because the Boltons took their five thousand soldiers and moved down to King’s Landing after your grandfather died…” Leehan answered.

“But… they aren’t allowed to do that…” Baekseung said.

“No… technically not, but since their lord, Kane Bolton, only swore fealty to Jake and didn’t renew it when your dad was crowned king, they sort of slipped through the cracks. So, there’s not really anything we can do about it anymore since they are no longer in the North, meaning they are not in Taesan’s kingdom, so he has no jurisdiction over them anymore…” Leehan explained.

“What a bastard!” Baekseung exclaimed, but Leehan just closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the backrest of the chair. “But well… then I get why you’re mad at me for probably making us lose even more of our support…” Baekseung added, prompting his father to open his eyes again and look over at him.

“We’re not angry at you, not really. We’re more just worried…” He stood up from the chair again and walked over to Baekseung, who had long since surpassed Leehan in height despite being so small when he and his two triplet brothers being so small when they were born. “If Keum’s father does try to seek out justice for his basically stolen son, it’s you he’s going to come after… and neither I nor your dad want that!” Leehan placed his hand on Baekseung’s cheek as he spoke and gently stroked it.

“I’m sorry…” Baekseung mumbled quietly. “I know it was stupid, but I just didn’t want to live without him, I-“

“Shh, sweety. It’s okay,” Leehan gently hushed his son before pulling him into a hug, and Baekseung buried his face in his father’s shoulder. They stood like that in silence for a while before Leehan smiled faintly. “Though, I don’t think you’ll have it easy being married to Keum either. He seems to have his own priorities set, so I fear that it’s you who will have to give in and do what he says,” He chuckled lightly, and this made Baekseung let out a chuckle as well.

“Yeah, he already made that quite clear before we even left The Sapphire Isle,” Baekseung said, remembering how determined Keum had been to prove that he wasn’t some sort of damsel in distress that needed Baekseung’s saving.

“It’s better if you listen to what he says then,” Leehan smiled again as Baekseung raised his head up from his shoulder.

“Yeah, dad would probably gain a lot from listening to you as well,” Baekseung joked, not aware of how accurate he actually was and just said it as a joke, but Leehan didn’t point it out and just placed a kiss on his son’s forehead.

“I think it’s good as long as he listens to his named hand,” Leehan answered…

- - - -

“Is it too late to send him to the wall now?” Taesan asked half-jokingly, half-seriously. He was sat in his father’s old study, which now was his own, and Gyuvin was sitting across from him.

“I’m afraid so, your grace,” Gyuvin answered, prompting Taesan to look up at his best friend and raise an eyebrow at him.

“Call me ‘your grace’ again, and I’m sending you to the wall,” He groaned, though now he was just joking. “And I’ll be taking that back,” He added, gesturing to the golden Hand of the King pin fastened on Gyuvin’s shirt.

“As your hand and trusted advisor, I would strongly advise against that, your grace,” Gyuvin said, a teasing smile quickly making its way onto his face as he couldn’t help but mess with his friend.

“I should have named Hao or Hanbin as my hand instead of you… or maybe even Gunwook,” Taesan sighed, but there was still no real weight behind his words.

“And you think my cousin would have done a better job than me? Now I’m really offended,” Gyuvin laughed. “But back to Baekseung. I do think it’s serious what he might have started, but then again, would you yourself have done any differently if you’d been in his place and Leehan had been in Keum’s?” Gyuvin asked.

“Probably not…” Taesan answered. “But sometimes it feels like he’s even more immature than I was,” He added.

“He’s not burned down a castle yet, so there’s that,” Gyuvin teased, only to have to duck a second later in order not to get a paper scroll thrown at his head.

“You know we still have a dungeon here as well, right?” Taesan asked, accusingly but still playfully pointing another paper scroll in Gyuvin’s direction. They just stared at each other for a few seconds before bursting out in laughter.

“It’s good to see that you’re doing better, Taesan, really. I hope Leehan and your sons will be able to move on eventually as well,” Gyuvin said after a while.

“Yeah… it’s hard, but I guess you already know that…” Taesan answered, giving Gyuvin a sympathetic look. “Though I think Minjae took it the hardest… he was literary there right before Jake died, and he was always so close with his grandfather…”

“He was… but I do believe he, too, will be able to move on in time; it might just take a little longer…” Gyuvin said.

“I hope so, or I might just have named another ticking timebomb as my heir…”

Chapter Text

“Come on, keep up your footwork, boys!” Sungho said as he watched three of the Stark princes and a handful of their friends practice. Minjae, who they’d finally gotten to leave his room after being in there for almost a moon’s turn after their grandfather’s funeral, was now up and on his toes, swiftly trying to strike his brother’s sword out of his hand. Baekseung, who stood opposite Minjae, took a step back to avoid getting hit by his brother, not that it would really do anything since they were practicing with wooden swords, but still… Minjae, despite being the shortest out of all of the Stark princes, could hit really hard if he so wished. Not that he would ever want to intentionally hurt either of his brothers. Sumin sat on the size along with Jinsik, Junmin, and Keum. Three out of the four were waiting for their turn to practice while Keum just watched as he was not really in any condition to do that right now, though Sungho still thought he could quite easily take out at least four out of the five currently training. The only one who might be able to put up a fight was Minjae, and as if on cue, the blond prince managed to knock the sword out of his brother’s hand before triumphantly raising both his hands in the air.

“I still stand undefeated,” He chuckled while his brothers just sighed, and Baekseung bent down to pick up his sword out of the snow again. It was the last moon turn of the year, meaning winter was almost at its coldest right now, but being the northern children they were, neither of the boys was really bothered by it. Not even Keum seemed to mind the cold despite being born in a place where it never snowed. “Well, brother, seeing as you’ll be getting married tomorrow, I was considering letting you win, but then I changed my mind at the last second; sorry,” Minjae teased, waving the wooden sword around in the air as he spoke.

“Just you wait; one day, I will become better than you,” Baekseung answered. He’d picked up his sword by now and spun it once in his hands before raising it again.

“Wanting to lose again so soon?” Minjae asked, but Baekseung just cocked his head to the side before taking a step forward to strike Minjae. The elder was still faster and managed to block him, making both swords vibrate slightly as they collided in the air, sending the vibrations down into both Minjae’s and Baekseung’s hands. Before either of them could make another move or pull back, an arrow tore through the air, piercing through both of the wooden swords before getting stuck in the wall behind them. This made everyone look up to see who had fired the arrow, but not so surprisingly, they all saw Yujun standing quite far away, bow still raised and aimed in their direction and with a grin on his face.

“You’re such a showoff!” Baekseung yelled, somewhat irritated that his triplet brother had interrupted his and their older brother’s practice.

“Oh yeah? Like you’re one to speak,” Yujun yelled back. Sungho just shook his head at the somewhat childish behaviors of the princes; they certainly were Taesan’s, that’s for sure.

“Why don’t you join us? It’s been a while since you partook in the sword practice,” Sungho called out to Yujun, but the prince just shook his head.

“I’m good enough with the bow, and I’d rather not be knocked down into the snow just to have my brothers laugh at me,” Yujun answered, which actually prompted the non-Stark boys sitting on the bench to laugh. “Why don’t you check if Hunter wants to?” Yujun added, gesturing toward something behind the others, prompting them to turn around. Hunter, who seemed to have wanted to sneak past them unnoticed, stopped in his tracks as everyone’s eyes were suddenly on him.

“Are you joining us?” Sungho questioned, but Hunter remained silent for a few seconds before slowly shaking his head.

“Not… not now, maybe another time,” He eventually answered before disappearing into the castle.

“I don’t know what might have happened down in King’s Landing, but it surely did change him a lot… He never seems to be happy anymore…” Sumin sighed, eyeing the now-closed doors leading into the castle, the ones Hunter had just disappeared in through.

“I bet seeing whatever he now had to see took its toll on him…” Minjae said. “And it doesn’t feel like he’s told us everything yet… I don’t think he’s even told father everything, and he always used to do that…”

- - - -

Hunter hadn’t heard what his brother had said as he’d just made his way up the stairs and knocked on the door to the maester’s chambers. It had taken him quite some time to actually think this over, but there was no way he could make this work if he didn’t ask the maester for what he was about to ask him… He waited for a little while before knocking again, but the maester still didn’t open the door, so eventually, he just opened the door himself and stepped inside.

“Maester? Are you in here?” Hunter called out, but still no answer. Weird, he thought to himself. The old man was usually in here if he wasn’t down in the great hall or any of the other common areas, which Hunter had already checked for him in before walking all the way up here. He noticed a few paper scrolls and tiny bottles on one of the tables, along with a whole lot of books strewn about everywhere in the room. His curiosity got the better of him, and so he made his way over to said table and picked up one of the tiny bottles. Something told him to smell it, so he did, but he couldn’t actually smell anything at all despite some of the bottle’s contents having seeped out around the cork at the top.

“Careful with that now, boy. It can be very dangerous if you got that on your skin,” The sound of the maester’s voice coming from his side made Hunter jump slightly, almost dropping the bottle in the process, but he managed to keep it in his hand before placing it back down on the table.

“I’m sorry, maester, I didn’t meet to snoop around! I was just looking for you,” Hunter said.

“Where you looking for me in the bottle, young prince?” The maester chuckled before walking up to the table.

“Oh, uhm no… I just…” Hunter didn’t really know what to say since he didn’t actually know why he’d even picked up the bottle in the first place.

“Oh, it’s alright, my prince. Young and curious minds are the most valued after all,” The maester said before picking up the bottle, along with two others, and placing them on one of the shelves in the back. “Though, what can I do for you? I figure there was something you came here for since you were looking for me in the bottle,” The maester asked, a small smile appearing on his face when he saw Hunter found him a little funny, at least.

“I came to ask something of you, but…” Hunter said hesitantly.

“But what?” The maester raised an eyebrow at the prince.

“I don’t want you to tell my parents or my brothers about it…” Hunter murmured, but the maester, despite being as old as he was, still heard him.

“Not telling your brothers won’t be an issue, but seeing as your parents are the king and the king consort, their authority goes over your own, meaning that if they ask, I am inclined to tell them,” The maester said.

“But what if they don’t ask? Do you have to inform them then?” Hunter questioned.

“No… as long as you’re not trying to poison anyone or otherwise seek my help with anything of that sort, then no, I don’t have to say anything, but if they ask me directly-“

“Yeah, yeah, I get that!” Hunter interrupted the old man, which he knew was actually quite rude, but he was a bit too worked up himself at the moment. “Sorry… but I don’t think they’ll even think of asking for this, so then you can help me, right?”

“If it is in my power to do so,” The maester answered. It sure is. Hunter thought to himself. It wouldn’t actually surprise him if the maester had done this for other royals or nobles during his time as a maester, which he surely had, considering how old the man must be.

“Could you make moon tea… please?” Hunter eventually asked, avoiding looking straight at the maester, which was probably the worst thing he could do as it surely made him look way more guilty, but he couldn’t really bring himself to care right now.

“I could, but you must know, my prince, simply drinking the tea without certain consequences isn’t really achievable. One must know that the tea is known to disagree with the gut, and pain and even bleeding could occur,” The maester said. Hunter didn’t know if the maester had figured out that Hunter wanted it for himself or if he was here to get it for someone else, but it didn’t really matter…

“I know that, but I don’t really have a choice…” Hunter sighed.

“I’m sure your parents would at least listen to you if you spoke to them about this. I mean, your own brother will get married soon to someone he himself chose without consulting either of your parents, so I don’t think they’ll be that harsh on you if you wish the same,” The maester said. “Nor would I that whomever you’ve chosen is an unfit match for y-“

“Well, he sort of is, and he doesn’t even live in the North, so it won’t work regardless…” Hunter said. He was getting frustrated now, and this whole situation haunted him enough as it was. He just wanted it to be over and dealt with so he could move on before he drove himself crazy over something that didn’t even involve any magic or visions…

“I see…” The maester said before walking across the room to pick out a few things from the shelves and walking over to his little stove. “I take it it’s been about two moons, then? Maybe more?”

“Why does that matter?” Hunter asked.

“Longer time that has passed will require a stronger dose, so I’m afraid it does matter if you don’t want to have to drink the tea again or for it to fail to work completely,”

“It’s been about three moons, I think… it was a couple of weeks before we left King’s Landing,” Hunter mumbled, and the maester nodded before turning back to whatever he was doing. “When can I come back for it…?” Hunter asked after a short while of silence.

“If you have some patience, my prince, you won’t have to come back at all since I’m almost done,” The maester answered, and the Hunter just felt stupid for being so impatient. “There we go… here,” The maester handed Hunter a cup of some sort containing a green-brown-ish liquid that smelled sort of minty. Hunter eyed the liquid for a few seconds before taking a deep breath and then bringing the cup to his lips to taste it. It tasted horrible, prompting Hunter to pull it away from his mouth again. “You will need to drink all of it for the effect to work…” The maester said. “And I would advise you not to participate in any training or other strenuous activities for the next few days as you could worsen the potential side effects the tea might bring,”

“Mmh…” Hunter hummed before eyeing the tea again. He took another deep breath before bringing the cup back to his lips and actually started to drink it this time. He had to stop halfway through as the taste almost made him throw up, but when the maester held out another cup toward him, presumably containing water, he just waved the man off before drinking the rest of the tea.

“Now, make sure you do what I told you, not for my sake but for your own,” The maester said as Hunter placed the cup down on the table. The prince nodded before taking the cup of water from the maester as well to at least somewhat get rid of the taste of the tea in his mouth. The maester then took that cup back before picking up the other as well and bringing them both back to the other side of the room.

“Thank you…” Hunter murmured, prompting the maester to turn back around to face him. The old man gave him a small bow. “And please don’t tell my parents… I don’t want them to worry about me more than they already do…”

“I won’t, as long as they don’t ask me directly,” The maester replied. “Then the matter would be out of my hands,”

“Yeah, I understood that… but thank you,” Hunter repeated, and the maester gave him one more bow before the prince left the chambers, closing the door behind him…

Chapter Text

“Welcome back, my lord,” Woonhak bowed his head as he greeted Yunseong by the gates. The latter jumped off his horse and gave his men a slight nod before helping Minseo out of the wagon. ”My prince,” Woonhak added, bowing again as Minseo stepped out onto the muddy ground.

“Thank you, Woonhak. Have they been good to you?” Minseo said, referring to the men of the Night’s Watch, whom Woonhak had been in charge of during the time Minseo and Yunseong had been in Winterfell.

“For the most part, but as you might know, it’s no easy thing taming a crow without a cage,” Woonhak answered. He helped Minseo up the stairs and into his and Yunseong’s chambers as the latter stayed behind to make sure his men got their things back into place. “Though, I thought you would stay longer and have your child be born in Winterfell, where you were born,”

“I thought about it, but I see no real reason for upholding such traditions since the baby won’t even be a Stark, and Yunseong said he needed to get back here so the crows wouldn’t drive you mad, and I want him to be with me when the baby comes,” Minseo answered. He sat down in one of the chairs next to the fireplace, which he presumed Woonhak had prepared when the horn had announced their arrival before they reached the castle.

“I see,” Woonhak answered. “Is there anything else you need?”

“No, I’m just fine. I just need some rest after the long way back up here,” Minseo chuckled. “And you should rest, too, Woonhak. Tell Yunseong I gave you the rest of the day off and tomorrow as well if you wish. You’ve done more than enough for us, considering the short notice you got before we left you with all this,” He added, referring to the whole of Castle Black.

“I’m happy to do anything, my Lord Commander, or you, my prince, tell me to do as it is my duty,” Woonhak said, bowing his head again.

“Gods, you’re stubborn,” Minseo laughed. “But please, get some rest; you deserve it!”

“Thank you, my prince,” Woonhak bowed a third time before leaving Minseo so the latter could get some rest, but he didn’t go back to his own room just yet and instead went back down to where Yunseong was still standing. “My lord, may I have a word?” Yunseong looked over at him as Woonhak spoke, eyeing him for a second before nodding.

“Get these back into place, then return to your duties!” Yunseong ordered the men before walking past Woonhak, gesturing for the latter to follow him. “Did something happen when we were away?” Yunseong questioned as soon as he and Woonhak were alone. He’d sensed that something was off the second Woonhak had greeted them when they arrived, but he’d not said anything in order not to worry Minseo.

“Nothing major, I think, but it seems as though some of the men at East Watch by the Sea have decided it’s not worth manning that part of the wall anymore and have abandoned their duties and traveled to one of the unmanned castles along the wall, but unfortunately, I do not know which,” Woonhak said. Yunseong sighed while running his hand through his hair.

“And when was this?” He asked after a while.

“No more than a moon’s turn,” Woonhak answered. “I’ve already sent a handful of men from here to join those still at East Watch by the Sea so that the castle will be properly manned again,”

“That’s good, thank you,” Yunseong said. “I’ll deal with the deserters later, but hopefully, the winter will take of them for us,” He looked up toward the sky, which was now turning dark as the sun was about to set. Out of the 19 castles along the wall, only three were manned: Castle Black, The Shadow Tower, and East Watch by the Sea, and since the rest hadn’t been used in over a century. Hopefully, those men who had broken their oaths and abandoned their duties wouldn’t survive the winter even if they stayed in one of those remaining 16 castles.

“Yeah, the Stark’s winters tend to be harsh on everyone, especially those who are not northerners,” Woonhak chuckled, and his words prompted Yunseong to do the same.

“They do indeed,” Yunseong said. “Though, it remains to be seen what this winter will be like now that we have a new king,”

“How are they doing, the Starks, I mean? Minseo seemed alright, but he’s not the most emotional out of them,” Woonhak asked.

“They seemed alright when we left, though I think there will always be a part of them missing now that they don’t have their father or grandfather with them anymore…” Yunseong answered. “And Taesan named Gyuvin as Hand of the King, so that’s good. It provides the North with some more… stability. Don’t get me wrong; I have no doubt that Taesan can rule just fine on his own, as many know the consequences of going against him, but while a bit of fear will make people respect their king, too much might drive them to betray him for someone else…” Yunseong said. And it was as he said, the people of the North knew Taesan and what he was capable of very well by now, but only fearing him wouldn’t result in a thriving kingdom, which was why it was good that he’d named Gyuvin as his hand. The latter didn’t act on impulse, and as long as Taesan listened to his advice, his rule might even be as good as Jake’s. “But enough of that; I think you should take a day or two off since you’ve very much earned it, so please go get some rest,” He added, facing Woonhak and giving the other a small smile.

“Minseo said the exact same thing,” Woonhak chuckled.

“Well, you better go do it then,” Yunseong also chuckled, and the Woonhak bowed his head before finally going back to his room while Yunseong went up to his and Minseo’s chambers.

- - - -

Pain, Hunter learned quite quickly, was something that certainly triggered his visions again… but these visions didn’t make any sense at all! I was like there were just bots and pieces thrown together without any coherence whatsoever as one second he saw dragons fighting in the sky, and the next, vast green plains with tall grass swaying in the wind. He tossed and turned on his bed as the pain in his stomach got worse… fortunately, Yujun wasn’t in there right now, despite them still sharing a room. Their time in King’s Landing seemed to have been worse for Yujun than Hunter had realized, as it was like the elder never really wanted to be inside anymore. Hunter guessed that his brother must have felt trapped in the capital, and so now, when they were finally back, he took every opportunity he got to be outside where he felt free, regardless of how much it snowed or how cold it was. They were northerners, after all, so the winter’s wrath didn’t really face them. Hunter knew that Yujun had started practicing his warging ability more now that they were back home. Their father had told Yujun that he could practice by trying to warg into Fury, their dad’s direwolf, since their Taesan himself couldn’t warg and therefore didn’t really have any particular use for Fury right now. And since Fury didn’t really enjoy keeping Taesan company inside while he worked, as that was more of Kalea’s thing, Yujun could surely have Fury outside with him instead.

“Fuck…” Hunter groaned as the pain shot through him again. It had only been a day since he drank that damn tea, but he’d been in pain most of that time since then, and even though the maester had told him that pain was a very common thing to occur when drinking it, Hunter didn’t think it would be this much… He pulled up his knees under his chin and tried to take deep breaths to make the pain go away, but that, combined with trying to push the visions away, just ended up giving him a headache as well…He groaned again before turning over and eventually standing up from the bed, but that turned out to be an even worse decision… He felt the blood before he saw it, but neither of the two was very pleasant… “Shit, shit…” He debated trying to find something to stop the bleeding with, but he didn’t really need to since he wasn’t actually bleeding that much. The pain did finally seem to subside as well, and so he decided to just wait for a while before changing out of the clothes he’d been wearing and into new ones before using the little magic he could muster right now to create a small fireball and set the bloodied clothes on fire.

“Hunter?” The knock on the door startled him, and he quickly put out the fire before kicking the half-burnt pile in under the bed.

“Yeah?” He yelled, and then the door opened.

“Why are you not outside with your brothers?” Leehan asked as he walked into the room. “Sungho said you’ve not taken part in any of the training or even been down there to watch your brothers… why not, sweety? Is something wrong?” He walked up to Hunter and raised his hand to place it on his son’s cheek, but Hunter moved his head away before walking to the other side of the bed.

“Nothing’s wrong, father; I’m just tired, that’s all,” Hunter lied, hoping he’d gotten good enough at it that his father would believe him. He knew he didn’t need to lie to Leehan as his father would never say or do anything to hurt him, but Hunter didn’t want to worry him either since he knew Leehan was already worried enough about him and had been basically since the day he was born…

“Are you sure…?” Leehan asked. He didn’t follow his son around the bed and instead watched as Hunter sat down on it. The boy pulled the covers up over his legs, but Leehan didn’t think much about it. “You know you can tell me anything, right?”

“I know, but I’m fine,” Hunter lied again. Leehan just hummed in response before nodding slowly.

”Okay…” He said before turning around to walk back toward the door, but before he reached it, he turned to face his son again. “Get some rest then, sweety. Your brother will get married tomorrow, and I think he would want to have you there,” Leehan smiled faintly at his son, and Hunter returned the smile.

“Yeah, I will, but I don’t think Baekseung really cares if I’m down in the Godswood or up here. He will be too focused on Keum to really pay any attention to any of us,” Hunter chuckled.

“Haha, yeah, can’t really argue with that,” Leehan smiled before walking out of the room and closing the door behind him, leaving Hunter alone once again.

Chapter Text

Leehan walked down from his two youngest sons’ chambers, and he had this eerie feeling that something wasn’t right… Sure, the death of their grandfather had taken a toll on all of his sons, but Hunter seemed even more distant than any of his brothers and not like himself at all. Leehan stopped at the foot of the stairs and turned his head to look back up. Something told him that he should probably go back up and try to figure out what was wrong, but at the same time, he didn’t like forcing his children to tell him things, so instead, Leehan went further down the corridor and out into the courtyard. Sumin and Jinsik were out there, doing some sword practice but mostly just playing around, and Leehan figured Yujun was around here somewhere as well since he’d seen him when he first walked through the courtyard to get to his and Hunter’s room. He thought about going and asking Yujun if he knew what was up with Hunter, but then he figured the boy would know as little as he did since he’d spent most of his days outside as of late.

“Leehan?” Leehan stopped talking as he heard Sungho call for him and turned to his side to watch the knight walk toward him. “Did you find him?” Sungho added once he reached the other.

“He was in his room, but he’s not himself… I don’t like how he isolates himself and refuses to talk to anyone… It’s still like he thinks he would hurt someone by just being near them, and it breaks my heart to see him like that…” Leehan sighed. He’d talked with Sungho about Hunter’s worry about hurting someone. Still, he did leave out a few of the details, not that it would matter since Sungho would never do anything with that information anyway, but Leehan still didn’t want to just go around telling people everything his son had entrusted him with.

“Have you spoken with Yujun or maybe Doyoung? They’ve spent most of the last few years quite close to Hunter, so maybe they would get a better result out of talking to him. Or they might know of something else that might have happened in King’s Landing that Hunter just doesn’t want to tell his parents about,” Sungho suggested, and it was a good idea to try and see if Yujun or Doyoung had better luck with getting Hunter to talk, but that last part of what Sungho had just said reminded Leehan of something he had forgotten about… Something Yujun might have just let slip unintentionally when Leehan spoke to him about Hunter after their grandfather’s funeral.

“I don’t think I need to…” Leehan mumbled before starting to walk again, and Sungho followed him for a bit.

“How come?” The knight questioned.

“There was just this thing Yujun said a while back, and if I’m right, I might know why Hunter doesn’t want to talk to me or Taesan, but there may be someone he has spoken to…” Leehan answered just as he reached the door on the other side of the courtyard. He looked up at the tower looming over them and clenched his jaw upon seeing the window of the highest room. He would never be able to see that window again without thinking of the dozens of white ravens being sent out of it after his father had died…

“Okay…?” Sungho eyed Leehan momentarily before the younger disappeared up the set of stairs. Sungho himself remained where he stood for a few seconds, a little confused over Leehan’s unusual behavior, but then he figured the younger must be so caught up in his worry for his youngest son, which Sungho completely understood, so he just let it go for now and went back out into the courtyard instead. Leehan continued up the stairs until he reached the highest floor. Honestly, he hadn’t been up here for years, not since before Hunter and Yujun moved to King’s Landing, but the old wooden door looked the same. He raised his hand and was just about to knock when the person on the other side opened the door.

“Your grace, what brings you up here?” The maester looked somewhat surprised to see Leehan, and he was probably inclined to since he’d not spoken to the old man since the day Jake died.

“Has my son been here to see you? Hunter, has he come to see you?” Leehan asked, not really answering the maester’s question. The maester looked somewhat unsure of how to answer him, which told Leehan enough on its own, but he still needed to know for sure. “When? When was he here, and what did he want?”

“The young prince was here yesterday, your grace, but he asked me specifically not to tell you or your husband…” The maester eventually answered.

“Why? He could be hurt or blame himself for something, and you think it’s wise to withhold that information from us?!” Leehan felt angry at the maester’s seemingly nonchalance, and it made him worry what else the man might be keeping from them…

“The prince asked me to make something for him but was neither hurt nor worried about someone else. The matter which he came to me with regarded himself only,”

“And what was that? Why do you keep withholding it from me when I’m clearly worried for my son, who hasn’t left his room since yesterday and refuses to talk to anyone!” Leehan was basically screaming at this point. His anger and irritation just grew as the maester seemingly refused to tell him what was wrong with Hunter.

“I did promise your son not to tell either you or the king about why he’d been here to see me, but I also told him that if either of you asked, I was inclined to tell you. So, I will tell you, despite your son’s wishes, as that is my duty,” The maester said, still keeping the same calm deminer despite Leehan’s outburst. “Hunter came to me asking for a tea meant for just one specific purpose… the moon tea,”

“The moon… the moon tea…?” Leehan knew very well what that tea was used for, and so now it made sense why Hunter wouldn’t want to leave his room, but… “Did he tell you who, uhm… or how long ago he…?”

“He said it was before he came back here, so at some point when he was still in the capital, but he did not tell me who the father was,” The maester answered. “All he said was that it would never have worked out, which, I assume, was why he sought out my help,” Leehan remained quiet for quite some time after that, trying to process what the maester had just told him, and trying to figure out who his son might have met in King’s Landing, although, I figured he already knew, considering what Yujun had unintentionally let slip earlier. And those words now echoed in Leehan’s head: ‘Meeting that Martell boy…’

- - - -

Baekseung and Keum’s wedding was far from as big as Yunseong and Minseo’s had been since it had to take place much sooner than most weddings, but neither Baekseung nor Keum seemed to care. They were all gathered in the Godswood once again, as that place was sort of the Stark’s sacred place meant for certain things only, and Leehan was standing next to Taesan as they watched the ceremony. Leehan, however, kept looking over at Hunter, who was standing next to Yujun. The boys had a habit of standing in age order despite never being told to do so, but this meant that Hunter was the furthest away from Leehan. Not only did Minjae, Sumin, and Yujun stand in between them, but also Junmin and Jinsik.

“What is it? You seem even more worried than you usually are… I thought we agreed that this was the best way for Baekseung,” Taesan whispered upon noticing Leehan’s constant looking to the side and nervous habit of picking at his cuticles.

“It is; neither Baekseung nor Keum would have happy lives if we took this away from them, but that’s not why I’m worried,” Leehan answered.

“Then what is it?” Taesan placed his hand over Leehan’s to make him stop picking at his cuticles, and the latter stopped.

“I’m worried about Hunter… though, I’m honestly worried about all of our sons; Minseo all the way up by the wall, Minjae named you heir, which always puts a prize on that person’s head, Sumin not wanting to be, as he puts it ‘locked up in here’, Baekseung getting married to the son of a lord who probably hates both him and us, and Yujun barely spending any time with us and would rather go off on his own into the woods… But what worries me the most right now is Hunter not even talking to us anymore… Yujun may also isolate himself, but at least he comes back for dinner and answers when we talk with him. This is the first time Hunter’s left his room for two days, and when I spoke with him yesterday, he just avoided even coming close to me…” Leehan answered. He intentionally kept out what he’d learned from the maester as he didn’t think Taesan would take it as well as he had…

“We’ll figure something out, love, don’t worry. We always do,” Taesan answered and kissed Leehan’s forehead before turning back to keep watching the ceremony in front of them.

“Mmh…” Leehan just hummed in response… The ceremony continued for a while before they all headed back inside and had the feast in the great hall, but just as they all were about to leave the Godswood, Leehan watched as Hunter either fainted or at least his legs gave up from under him, making him fall into the snow. “Hunter!”

“Papa…” Hunter mumbled, slipping back and forth out of consciousness. Everything hurt so much that he didn’t even notice he’d fallen before the clod snow touched his cheek, and the images of a gruesome battle and a dark wooden floor covered in blood with a cup lying on its side flashed back and forth before his eyes before everything eventually just went black…

- - - -

“How is he?” Taesan questioned as Leehan finally came out of Hunter’s room. The maester was still inside, and Taesan had been there earlier, but another concern that Gyuvin had brought to his attention had forced him to leave for a while, and only now he came back.

“Asleep, for now…” Leehan answered. “The maester said it wasn’t anything life-threatening and that he just needs to rest,” He added as Taesan wrapped his arms around him.

“That’s good,” Taesan whispered into Leehan’s blond hair. Then he looked over at Gyuvin, who’d come with him up here, and that made Leehan look in Gyuvin’s direction as well.

“What is it?” Leehan asked, looking between his husband and Gyuvin.

“A letter from Lord Tarth,” Taesan sighed before stepping to the side so Gyuvin could hand Leehan the letter he was carrying, and Leehan took it and began reading. “He declares that we no longer have his sworn fealty after stealing his son and that he’ll be pledging his fealty to Lord Kane Bolton, who has now officially moved to King’s Landing…” Taesan said.

“And my house will stand by him as he ascends the iron throne as the new king of the Seven Kingdoms…” Leehan continued to read the letter out loud after Taesan had stopped talking. “So that’s why they moved? Because he wanted to be named the King of the Seven Kingdoms…?” Leehan questioned, looking between Taesan and Gyuvin.

“It seems as though there have been those who’ve prepared for his arrival in the capital, and several lords from great houses such as Swann, Gardener, Tully, Westerling, and Casterly have also sworn their fealty to Lord Bolton…” Gyuvin said.

“But what is his intentions with this? Why go to such lengths to hide it and not tell either me or my father of his desire to leave the North to seek higher status elsewhere? That, in itself, isn’t really a concern from the North, but his secrecy makes me think he has other intentions…” Taesan sighed.

“If he already has House Tarth, House Swann, House Gardener, House Tully, and House Casterly, then he’s already secured The Crownlands, The Stormlands, The Reach, The Riverlands, and The Westerlands… The only ones he’s missing, apart from the North, are The Vale, The Iron Islands, and Dorne…” Leehan said.

“He’s not declaring war on us, Leehan. I guess he just wants other kingdoms to support his claim over others, which I presume includes ours, but we have no wish to rule the whole of Westeros, and father was very clear about that!” Taesan argued.

“So you don’t think that is a cause for concern?” Leehan argued back.

“Of course it is! But we don’t have the forces to stand up against him either way! We have no ties to the other remaining kingdoms, nor have we ever shown any interest in that either! So I won’t cast us headlong into open war when we don’t have the soldiers for it! Which is why it is better to just let him be and not get involved at all!” Gyuvin looked between Taesan and Leehan as the former yelled. For once, Taesan actually had a reasonable argument, and unfortunately, he was right when it came to their chances of winning against the other joined kingdoms if it came to war…

“Then we need to forge alliances with The Vale, The Iron Islands, and Dorne! We need them just as much as they need us if they don’t want to join the Boltons!” Leehan snapped.

“And how do you suggest we do that?” Taesan snapped back. He didn’t like yelling at Leehan; he never has, but this news worried him more than he could really handle right now…

“Marry Hunter to the Martells…” Leehan said, prompting both Taesan and Gyuvin to stop dead in their tracks and turn to look at Leehan.

“What…?!” Taesan questioned, no longer yelling but certainly surprised, while Gyuvin just stared at the younger of the two Starks before him. Leehan watched the closed door to Hunter’s room before eventually facing Taesan again.

“Marry Hunter to Jongseob Martell’s son, Seeun Martell,” Leehan answered. “By doing so, we would have Dorne on our side, and I know that would solve more than one problem our family has right now…”

Chapter Text

“No…” Taesan said for what felt like the hundredth time since he and Leehan got back to their own chambers. “I am not sending my son to the other side of the world for the potential of a few thousand soldiers joining us!”

“Jongseob has more than a few thousand soldiers, Taesan! And having them marry doesn’t mean Hunter has to go there; Seeun can just as easily move up here!” Leehan yelled.

“He won’t!” Taesan answered, still surprisingly calmer than Leehan was at the moment. “Seeun Martell is Jongseob’s only child, meaning he is the heir to all of Dorne! Jongseob won’t send his heir to live up here, where he would have no way of actually knowing his son is safe! Meanwhile, Hunter is our youngest, which in itself can already be seen as an insult to the Martells since we have older, unmarried sons! And since Hunter is the furthest away from inheriting anything from us, it is expected that he will have to move since Seeun’s status is much higher! If it were Minjae, who is my named heir, then it would be a different situation. Maybe then they themselves could get to choose where they would want to live, but that won’t be the case with Hunter… and that’s just how it is, Leehan, regardless of what we want… Status, inheritance, and all that shit are all still even above my head!” When Taesan was done talking, Leehan just stared at him without saying a word. All that the elder had said made sense, but Leehan just hadn’t thought about either of them since he’d been so caught up trying to fix whatever little he could, and after learning what Hunter had just basically put himself through, he wanted to help his youngest son as well.

“But what if Hunter wants to…?” Leehan finally said. “We could at least ask him what he wants; maybe he’s fine with it?” He looked over at Taesan, who’d walked across the room when the younger hadn’t said anything for a while. This made him turn back around to look at his brother before sighing.

“He doesn’t get to choose… and it’s for his own good,” Taesan answered, but this time, Leehan wasn’t going to just let that slide…

“No? But you do?” Leehan questioned. “Do you really think he’d be happier here, alone, hating himself for what he might do to someone because he thinks he can’t control those visions he inherited from you?!”

“From me? You and I have the same fucking ancestors! Just because I was born before you doesn’t mean it’s my fault our children might get the same visions several in our bloodline have had!” Taesan argued.

“No, it’s not! Just as it’s not only your decisions that should hold meaning!” Leehan yelled. “You were born before me, yes, and that seems to have gotten to your head so much that you’ve not only taken away my right to choose anything for myself, but now you want to treat our children the same?! I love you, Taesan, I really do, but I won’t let you take that away from our children just like you took it away from me!” And with that, Leehan stormed out of their chambers, leaving Taesan alone with nothing but the silence echoing in the room…

- - - -

Hunter stirred awake, blinking a few times to get used to the sunlight shining in through the windows. He looked around the room, and his eyes stopped once he noticed someone sitting beside his bed.

“Father…?” Leehan looked up upon hearing his son’s voice.

“I’m here, sweety,” He reached out his hand to run it over Hunter’s forehead to feel if he was still warm, but he wasn’t.

“What happened?”

“You fainted, and the maester said it was probably because you lost so much blood before, but don’t worry, he also said you won’t be bleeding anymore now,” Leehan said. Hunter’s eyes widened at what his father had just said, but Leehan gently gripped his hand to calm him down. “You don’t have to worry, Hunter. I am not mad; I’m just worried about you, and no one else knows, not even your dad, I promise,” Hunter remained silent for a while before finally nodding slowly.

“I’m sorry…” He eventually murmured. “I know it was stupid, and I know I should have known better! But I thought that if I just did say anything, you wouldn’t have to worry, and I wouldn’t mess anything up for you and dad…”

“You wouldn’t mess up anything for loving someone, sweety. And I know it can be hard to go through something like that alone…” Leehan said.

“I know you care for me, father, and just want what’s best for me, but this time, I don’t think you know what it’s like…” Hunter answered, trying to pull his hand out of his father’s grip, but Leehan held on.

“But I do…” Leehan said, placing his other hand on top of the other, which was holding his son’s hand. He took a deep breath before giving Hunter a faint smile. “You know I was just 17 when I had Minseo, right?” Hunter nodded, though a little confused. “But he wasn’t actually supposed to be my first child, though; if I hadn’t done what I did back then, my life would have been very different, and I don’t think I would have had Minseo…” Leehan continued, and as he did, Hunter understood where he was going with it.

“You also drank the moon tea?” Hunter eventually questioned, and Leehan nodded.

“I was just 16, and I wasn’t ready to have children. If I’m being honest, I didn’t even really want to,” Leehan chuckled bitterly. “And I never told my own father, nor did I tell Taesan, and he doesn’t know even to this day. But… what I’m trying to say is that you did nothing wrong! It’s up to you what you do with your life, and no one has the right to be angry with you because of it,”

“Is that why you didn’t tell dad? So he wouldn’t be mad at me?” Hunter questioned.

“Partly, I guess, but I also think that’s up to you who you want to tell,” Leehan answered. “And if you never want to tell anyone, then so be it; it’s your decision, and others should respect that,”

“You think dad wouldn’t?” Leehan met his son’s eyes as the question left Hunter’s mouth, and deep down, he wanted to tell his son that, of course, Taesan would respect what Hunter did with his life, but the conversation he’d had with Taesan only hours earlier left him thinking that that wasn’t the case…

“Your dad wants the best for you and your brothers, but sometimes what he thinks is best for you isn’t actually what’s best at all, and I fear he might not understand that…” Leehan said. “He thinks it’s better if you all just stay here regardless of your own desires, and of course, I would want to have all of my sweet boys close to home, but I think I’ve learned enough to know that it wouldn’t be fair to either of you… I want you all to be able to make your own decisions, and if those don’t align with mine or Taesan’s wishes, then so be it,”

“What do you mean?” Hunter questioned, sensing there was something else his father didn’t tell him. Leehan sighed and closed his eyes before gently squeezing Hunter’s hand in his own again. He opened his eyes again and looked at his son.

“I’m going to be completely honest with you now, Hunter, and I want you to be the same. And I just want you to know that whatever you choose, you and you alone have the right to do what you want,” Hunter remained silent even though Leehan momentarily stopped talking, but then he continued. “Your dad revised a quite worrisome message earlier, but in order not to get into too much detail, one solution to it could be that you married Seeun Martell,” Hunter’s eyes widened once again upon hearing Seeun’s name. He knew his father had figured out that he’d taken the moon tea, but he didn’t know he’d figured out that it was Seeun Hunter had been with. “However, your dad thinks it’s madness to, as he put it, ‘Send my son to the other side of the world for the potential of a few thousand soldiers joining us’, which I can absolutely understand why he thinks that, but he doesn’t know of this,” Leehan said, referring to Hunter’s current state. “And he doesn’t know that you’ve already met Seeu-”

“I’d get to marry Seeun?” Hunter interrupted his father, prompting the elder to stop talking.

“If that’s what you want, and if the Martells agree, then yes. Though it might mean that you’ll have to move to Dorne since Seeun is the crown prince there, and I fear his father wouldn’t let his only child move to another kingdom,” Leehan answered. “But that doesn’t mean you can never come and see us, or we you. It would probably be something akin to how Minseo lives, just a bit further away,” The room fell silent again once Leehan stopped talking. “I want you to know that we’re not giving you away to gain more power, though an alliance with Dorne through marriage would mean more security for both kingdoms, but it’s still up to you what you want! There are other ways to secure the North then-“

“Okay,” Hunter interrupted his father once again. “I will do it,”

“Hunter… Please, I want you to think this through. Don’t do it just because you think you have to… It’s your life, and you have to think of what you want,” Leehan said.

“I want to…” Hunter said, finally turning his hand to grip his father’s, which was still holding him. “I drank the moon tea because I thought you’d never let me marry Seeun because he’s a Martell, but now you tell me that I can and that it would mean we’d all be safer, so why would I not want to?”

“Because you won’t be able to stay here…” Leehan answered.

“You said I could visit,” Hunter pointed out, and that actually made Leehan smile a little.

“Of course, you can, but I want you to be absolutely sure that this is what you want. There’s no going back once you're married…” Leehan stood up from his chair to sit beside his son, who immediately moved so he could hug his father.

“I want to marry him, father,” Hunter mumbled into Leehan’s shoulder, and Leehan raised his arms to wrap them around his son.

“Okay, then I won’t stop you, and neither will your dad; I’ll make sure of that…”

Chapter Text

“Are you certain about this?” Hanbin questioned, and the old woman nodded her head.

“Yes, my lord. The late king was poorly the last couple of years, actually. He didn’t say anything about it, nor did he want us to, in order not to worry his family, but the nosebleeds were nothing new, and no matter what the maester gave him, it didn’t help…” The woman, one of the castle’s workers, answered.

“Did he seek help from anyone else other than the maester?” Hanbin continued to question the woman.

“Not that I know of… His Grace put great trust in the maester, as he is a skilled man and would surely have found what was wrong with his Grace if there had only been more time…”

“More time…” Hanbin murmured to himself before looking up at the woman again. “Okay, thank you. You can leave now,” He said, and the woman curtseyed before leaving the room. Hanbin walked over to the numerous scrolls he had on his table, moving a few around as he was looking for a particular one until he finally found it. “Tears of Lys…” Hanbin mumbled, reading the first few lines at the top of the page of the scroll. “It is a rare and expensive poison, made mainly by the alchemists of Lys, but can be crafted by a handful of very skilled individuals, commonly known as maesters. Tears of Lys is clear, tasteless, odorless, and leaves no trace. When dissolved in liquids and swallowed, the poison eats away at the stomach of the victim and can cause internal bleeding, most noticeable through intensive coughing…

“What did the old woman say?” Hao asked as he entered the room. His husband was facing away from him, seemingly focused on some book or scroll lying on the table, so when he didn’t answer him, Hao just sighed and walked over to their bed to sit down, but before he could, Hanbin spoke up.

“He was poisoned…”

“Huh?” Hao asked, having not heard what his husband had said.

“Jake… he was poisoned by Tears of Lys…” Hanbin said, finally turning around with a scroll in hand.

“Tears of Lys? Hanbin, my dear, Tears of Lys is a very rare poison that cannot even be crafted here-“

“It can! Some maesters possess that knowledge; it’s part of their training down in Oldtown!” Hanbin interrupted Hao.

“Still, even if that’s the case, isn’t Tears of Lys way too powerful to be used as a long-term poison?” Hao questioned.

“Not if it’s used at the right amount and within the precisely right timespan… and if those two are done correctly, by someone who knows exactly what they’re doing, it could be used for years…”

- - - -

“Seeun,” Seeun looked up from the numerous maps and papers lying on the table, which he and a few others were standing around. He saw his father walk into the room, and the man looked somewhat concerned.

“Yes?” Seeun answered, raising his hand to signal the others to be quiet as they didn’t seem to have heard their king enter the room. Everyone went silent and turned to look at Jongseob.

“I need to speak with you… in private,” Jongseob said, and that made everyone accept Seeun immediately gather their things before exiting the room. Even the guards by the doors went to stand outside before closing the door behind them, leaving the father and son due alone in the room.

“What’s happened?” Seeun questioned. He watched as his father walked closer. The elder didn’t really look worried, but there was this sort of concerned facial expression present on his face, and that was something Seeun hadn’t really seen before.

“I received a letter this morning,” Jongseob said, raising his hand to show the tiny paper scroll to his son. “From Leehan Stark, the King Consort in the North,”

“Stark…?” The name rang all too clearly in Seeun’s head; it reminded him of his last meeting with Hunter, whom he now knew was Leehan’s son, and he remembered how sad the other prince had been after learning of his grandfather’s passing.

“Yeah, Stark,” Jongseob interrupted Seeun’s train of thoughts, prompting him to look over at his father. “And he had quite an unexpected request, or rather, proposal, I should say,”

“Okay? And what was that?” Seeun questioned, now genuinely curious.

“He wants you to marry his son, Hunter, and by doing so, form an alliance between their kingdom and ours to have a better chance against the lords currently in King’s Landing. The same lords you reported were up to no good when you came back here after your time in the capital,” Jongseob answered.

“H- Hunter…?” Seeun’s eyes widened at the mention of the other’s name. “He wants me to marry Hunter?”

“Apparently so,” Jongseob sighed. “But before we agreed to anything, he wrote he wanted to meet us. He wrote that it would benefit you both as well as me and Hunter’s dad, apparently…” Seeun had to hold back the smile that tried to make its way onto his face as he’d not yet told his father about actually meeting two of the Starks back in King’s Landing.

“Okay… so where do we meet them?” Jongseob raised an eyebrow at his son’s words, scanning him for a second before speaking.

“You want this?” He questioned.

“Why not? I mean, it’s good for us, too, right? Even if we’re not at war, it would be beneficial to have House Stark on our side because with House Stark, the North will follow, and the North is as big as all the other kingdoms of Westeros combined!” Seeun answered.

“When speaking of landmass, then yes, the North is the biggest, but they have even fewer active and battle-ready soldiers than we do… but that’s not what I meant, Seeun…” Jongseob walked up to stand in front of his son and looked up to meet his eyes. “Why would you agree to marry someone you’ve never met just because we might need their help one day?” He questioned. “However, I’d say that it is they who need our help, considering this sounds rather hasted and like a desperate cry for help… and isn’t Hunter their youngest? If they want an alliance through marriage, why not offer one of their older sons?” He then added, mostly to himself.

“I did meet him,” Seeun answered, taking a deep breath before continuing. “I actually met both Hunter and his brother Yujun in King’s Landing, which I meant to tell you, though I just never found the right opportunity to…” Jongseob remained quiet for a few seconds, just watching his son before letting out a sigh and raising his hand to massage his temples.

“I’m not letting you move the Winterfell if that’s what you think. And from what I’ve heard, the Starks aren’t very fond of letting their children move far away either… so regardless of if you’ve already met him or not, that problem still stands…” Jongseob said.

“You can at least meet with Leehan and speak to him!” Seeun argued. “Please?” He added, but his father just sighed.

“I don’t know what you and the Stark boy might have found common ground on, but regardless of that, what the boy’s father is suggesting might benefit them, but how could it possibly benefit us?” Jongseob said.

“Having the North, the only other kingdom to ever be able to fully stand against the rulers of King’s Landing, on our side will be more than any other strength you could even gain… so if you’re as smart as you say, father, then you should know that!” Seeun yelled, but then he took a deep breath to calm himself down before continuing. “I’ve never asked anything from you before, father, but I ask this now: please, meet with the Starks and see what they have to say…”

“And where do you suggest we do that?” Jongseob sighed, and he looked at his son while he spoke. “We’re not going to Winterfell, and I doubt they’re willing to come here… and meeting them in the middle would mean meeting them in the Riverlands, and that’s also a big no…”

“We’ll meet them in the one place both our families have in common…” Seeun said. “Dragonstone…”

- - - -

“Dragonstone?” Hunter eyed the letter one more time before looking up at his father.

“Mmh, it’s about as middle of Westeros we can get without having to enter the Riverlands or the Reach, which are both very unstable and unsafe at the moment, and even though Dragonstone is maybe a little close to King’s Landing, ships are easily spotted from the island so I don’t think there will be any problems,” Leehan answered.

“Baekseung almost died in The Gullet… Dragonstone lies in The Gullet…” Hunter said.

“We won’t be taking a small merchant’s ship, Hunter,” Leehan said. “And, my sweet boy, Dragonstone is above The Gullet, so we won’t be traveling through those waters,” He added, smiling a little at his son’s slightly displeased face.

“That’s basically the same,” Hunter said. “But why Dragonstone?”

“It’s safer than the mainland, meaning we wouldn’t have to get anywhere near the Riverlands, and it will be faster if we travel by ship,” Leehan answered.

“Okay…” Hunter nodded. He looked away from his father and out into the library, not really focusing on anything in particular. He placed down the book he’d been reading before his father found him here and brought the letter they’d received from Dorne, so now his hand fiddled with the hem of his shirt.

“Are you absolutely certain that you want this?” Leehan reached out his hand to place it over his son’s, stopping him from fiddling with his shirt. “It’s still not too late to change your mind,”

“I want to,” Hunter answered, turning his head back to look at Leehan. “I’m just worried about what dad will say… he’s barely spoken to me since we sent the letter to the Martells… but… what if he says no…?”

“He won’t…” Leehan assured his son. “We need this alliance whether he likes it or not, and he wants what’s best for you; he just needs to realize that this is that and not what he thinks it is…”

Chapter Text

“Where are you going?” Yujun questioned as he saw his brother and father getting ready for what Yujun assumed to be some sort of trip, as they had several bags packed and were getting the horses ready. Hunter looked up from what he was doing to meet his brother’s eyes before looking over at their father, unsure what to answer…

“South, but just for a short while, sweety, so there’s nothing to worry about,” Leehan answered in Hunter’s stead, sensing that his youngest wasn’t sure what to tell and what not to tell his brother.

“Why are you going south? Are you going back to King’s Landing?” Yujun’s eyes flickered between his father and brother, worry clearly written all over his face.

“There’s nothing to worry about, Yujun. We’ll have several soldiers accompanying us, and we’ll be back soon enough again,” Leehan answered, pulling Yujun into a hug. While doing so, he spotted Taesan exiting through the doors to the castle. This prompted Leehan to let go of Yujun and take a step back to place himself in between his husband and their youngest son.

“Yujun, go back inside,” Taesan said, leaving no room for argument. Yujun just eyed his dad for a few seconds before looking at Hunter and then turning around to walk back into the castle. Hunter watched him go while Taesan walked closer until he had to stop because Leehan was standing in the way.

“Taesan, don’t… I already told you that this is what he wants and what your kingdom needs!” Leehan said, fully prepared to argue with his own brother in order to let at least one of their children have what they wanted for once without having to sneak behind their backs.

“I know, which is why I should go and not you,” Taesan said. He watched Leehan’s facial expression turn rather confused before the younger seemed to relax a little.

“What? I thought you didn’t like this idea…”

“I don’t, but it’s not always about what I like or what I want, right? You made that quite clear…” Taesan smiled a little. Leehan blinked a few times, trying to process what Taesan had just said. He didn’t really do much until the elder raised his hand and took Leehan’s into his own, squeezing it before placing a kiss on his brother’s forehead. “And if this is what you want, then I should be the one to go with you,” Taesan added, looking over at Hunter, who nodded slowly.

“What about the North? You’re the king, you should stay here…” Leehan said.

“I’m leaving it in good hands,” Taesan answered.

“Whose? Gyuvin went back to Last Hearth, and Hao and Hanbin are occupied with-“

“Yours…” Taesan interrupted Leehan. “You're the King Consort and my brother. Until I return, the North is yours,” Taesan brought Leehan’s hand up to his face to place a kiss on top of it before letting go and walking around him. “We better get going,” He said, now looking at Hunter, who just blinked his eyes before nodding slowly again.

- - - -

“The maester back in Winterfell is much more experienced than I am, my lord… it would have been better if you’d stayed there and-“

“But we’re not in Winterfell anymore, now are we? So just do your job and make sure my husband doesn’t die because you’re here arguing with me and not over there helping him!” Yunseong yelled. The maester of Castle Black quickly bowed his head before returning to Minseo, who was lying on the bed. The prince wanted to argue that it wouldn’t be the maester’s fault if something went wrong, as the man had already done all he could, as well as admitting that this was beyond his knowledge as a maester of the Night’s Watch and not a proper castle maester… but the pain shooting through his body made him even want to think right now…

“Breathe, my prince… just focus on breathing and then push!” Yunseong wanted to just cover his ears and forget he was even there when he heard the pained sounds Minseo let out as the maester told him to push. But he knew he couldn’t just leave now; he couldn’t chicken out and not be there for Minseo when he needed him. So, instead, he clenched his fists before walking around the bed to crouch down beside it and reach out to hold Minseo’s hand.

“I’m here, love. I’m here…”

“Mmh…” Minseo just whimpered, but he did grab hold of Yunseong’s hand to have something to hold onto as the next wave of pain hit him. He straight-up screamed this time; the pain he felt now was much worse than ever before, and he must have squeezed Yunseong’s hand very hard since he felt the elder almost pull it away, but just almost… But then, he felt nothing… he heard nothing… at least not until the sound of a little cry rang through the room.

“Here, my prince, a little boy, healthy and kicking,” The maester said while he wrapped a blanket around the little newborn baby before handing him over to Minseo. The maester then took a few steps back to let Minseo and Yunseong be alone with their newborn son. “Should I send word to the king? To tell him of his first grandchild’s birth, my prince,” The maester then asked.

“Send the raven addressed to my father, Leehan, instead. Otherwise, it would just get lost among all the other letters piling up on Taesan’s table,” Minseo said, but he didn’t tear his eyes away from the little dark-haired boy in his arms, his son.

“What should we name him?” Yunseong asked after waving the maester off and turning his attention back to Minseo.

“I don’t know… why don’t you name him? You’ve surely thought about it more than I have,” Minseo giggled because it was probably true. Yunseong was always the one to think about everything long before anyone even cared to, while Minseo took it more as it came and dealt with it when it arrived.

“What about Yewang? It means something like ‘beautiful prosperity’, I think,” Yunseong suggested.

“Yewang Mormont, I like it,” Minseo answered, briefly looking up at his husband before looking down at their little son again. “Yewang, my beautiful little baby,”

- - - -

“Father’s taking Hunter somewhere, and dad wouldn’t let me know where…!” Minjae and Sumin looked up from their plats and over at their younger brother. They shared a look before Minjae just huffed while Sumin chuckled.

“Well, little brother, that just means we’re not supposed to get involved,” Sumin answered before returning to his food.

“So you don’t think it’s worth knowing where our parents might send our brother to?” Yujun argued, feeling slightly irritated by his older brother’s seeming lack of care.

“Why would you think they're sending him somewhere? Didn’t you say father was going with him? Then surely they won’t be going far since dad doesn’t let father leave the North,” Minjae said, seemingly still just as nonchalant as ever as he chewed his food and no longer looked at Yujun.

“The North is still huge, you idiot! And surely they’re sending Hunter somewhere again since he fainted again a couple of months back, at Baekseung’s wedding, and since dad didn’t even let me get the chance to ask, it can’t be a good place…” Yujun yelled, prompting Sumin to sigh before reaching out his hand to grab Minjae’s arm to prevent the elder from shooting up from his chair in anger.

“I’m dad’s named heir; you should speak to me as such!” Minjae hissed, angered by Yujun calling him an idiot. He swatted Sumin’s hand away from the sleeve of his shirt, but he remained in his seat.

“You’re just dad’s heir because Minseo didn’t want to be king, and until dad died, you have no more power or right than either of us!” Yujun spat, angrily turning on his heels and exiting the hall again.

“You shouldn’t have said that… it makes you look desperate to be king, and then you’ll just end up with dad’s reputation,” Sumin said after Yujun had left the hall.

“People already say I’m just a younger version of him, so why bother proving them wrong when they’ve already made up their minds…” Minjae answered.

“Well, you’re not marrying one of us, are you?” Sumin raised an eyebrow at Minjae. At first, the elder looked rather confused, but when he finally understood what his brother had meant, he dropped his fork and stood up from his seat.

“In the seven hells, I am! Ugh, now you just made me lose my appetite,” Minjae groaned, but Sumin just laughed.

“When are you planning to get married anyway? I mean, what are you, 31? Seems like you need to hurry up,” Sumin teased his brother, knowing fully well the elder wasn’t that old.

“I’m turning 21, you little shit! And besides, you’re just a year younger than me, so if I’m in a hurry to get married, so should you be,” Minjae answered, letting out a small chuckle as Sumin dropped his fork when Minjae teasingly hit him in the back of the head.

“No, but seriously. Have you even spoken to Junmin about it? I’m sure he’d be pleased with marrying the heir to the North and eventually become King Consort,” Sumin said, picking up his fork again to continue eating.

“Why would I tell you about what Junmin and I talk about? Are your own life behind closed doors so boring you need to know mine?” Minjae teased again, earning himself a slap on the arm from his brother.

“I would argue that mine and Jinsik’s relationship is much more exciting than yours and Junmin’s, considering you spend most of your time outside training all the time,” Sumin finally finished his food and shoved his brother to the side so he could stand up. Minjae just shook his head at his brother before the two exited the hall together as the workers cleaned up after them.

- - - -

Yujun made his way back out of the hall, now even more irritated due to his older brothers’ ignorance of their little brother’s wellbeing. So he’d decided that if they weren’t going to help him, then at least he would try to make sure their parents wouldn’t send Hunter off to some other weird sorcerer or madman who thought they could cure him by forcing him to go through even more of the visions that were the problem in the first place… But, before he could even exit the castle, he was met by their father coming back inside.

“Father?” Yujun questioned, surprised to see that he was on his way back and not out onto the road.

“Yujun, sweety, good that I found you; I wanted to talk to you about earli-“ Leehan tried to say, but his son interrupted him.

“Where’s Hunter? Where are you taking him?” Yujun tried to walk past his father, but Leehan stopped him.

“That was what I wanted to talk to you about, but I want you to know that you don’t have to worry for your brother; this was something he wanted,” Leehan said.

“What could he possibly want that means he has to leave Winterfell?” Yujun asked, trying to tug his arm out of his father’s grip. “And where’s dad?” He added.

“Your dad went with Hunter, but if I’m going to tell you where they went, you will have to promise me not to go after them or tell your brothers about it until they return, okay?” Leehan said. Yujun eyed his father for a few seconds before nodding. He also stopped trying to get him to let go of him.

“I promise,” He finally said, and the Leehan let go of him.

“They’re going to Dragonstone to meet with King Jongseob Martell and hopefully have him agree to marry his son, Seeun, to Hunter,” Out of everything Yujun thought his father would say, this was not it…

“So… you and dad are planning to just send Hunter off to Dorne…?” Yujun asked after a while.

“We’re not ‘just sending him off’; he wanted this, and there’s more to it than that, but… uhm, that’s something that’s up to Hunter to tell you if he wants to…” Leehan answered. Yujun remained quiet for some time, not really facing Leehan but rather just staring at the floor before finally looking up again.

“But he’s coming back, right? Dad didn’t let me say goodbye, and if he’s supposed to marry the Dornish crown prince, I’d assume he has to move there… but I would like to say goodbye to my brother before you sell him off like some broodmare…” Yujun was angry; there was no denying that, and this whole thing, despite Leehan telling him it was something Hunter wanted, sounded stupid and desperate… Hunter is a Stark; he belongs in the North, surrounded by the snow, not down in Dorne, where there’s nothing but sand for as far as the eye can see, not to mention the scorching sun that would do nothing good to a northerner…

“He will come back, Yujun. He won’t be a prisoner nor a broodmare! I’m sure he’ll tell you more himself when they come back, but for now, Hunter and your dad are just going to speak to them, nothing more…” Leehan said.

“Your Grace, my prince, I’m sorry to interrupt, but there’s been a raven… from Castle Black,” The sound of the maester’s voice made both Leehan and Yujun turn to face the old man.

“Castle Black? What’s happened?” Leehan questioned, the never-ending worry for his oldest son living up there never truly getting any smaller.

“Your son has given birth to a baby, Your Grace, a little boy they named Yewang Mormont,”

Chapter Text

Dragonstone… Hunter had seen many drawings of it throughout his life as well as read much about the place, but nothing of that could even come close to actually seeing the huge, dark castle built upon the mountainside… with its huge towers and the long stone pathway leading all the way from the castle’s outer courtyard down to the gates by the shore. The gates had a huge dragonhead made out of stone on each side of it, welcoming or scaring away whoever wanted to enter the castle. It seemed as though the Martells had gotten there before them, as several ships with a red sun pierced by a golden spear on their sails were already anchored by the docks.

“Never thought it’d see it in real life,” Taesan said, surprising Hunter as he’d not heard his dad walk up beside him.

“Neither did I,” Hunter chuckled. “Grandfather always said it was nothing to see, but now I think that was just something he said so we wouldn’t want to go here since it’s so close to King’s Landing,” He added, making his dad let out a small laugh.

“Yeah, he told me and your father the same. He said it was nothing more than a ruin, but it doesn’t look like a ruin to me,” Taesan answered. Their ship docked, and they finally got to get off after being on it for weeks now, which had been a journey all the way from White Harbor and down here. Hunter was about to walk off first, but Doyoung, who’d accompanied them, stopped the prince and walked off before him, which Hunter guessed was because the dock was already filled with Martell soldiers. These soldiers were much less dressed than the northern soldiers, most likely because they hadn’t had to deal with snow and cold weather on their way to Dragonstone and were used to a much warmer climate. Several more men from Taesan’s king’s guard followed Doyoung and placed themselves in front of the Martell soldiers, creating a narrow path for Taesan and Hunter to walk from the ship to the huge gates.

“Is this really necessary?” Hunter mumbled as his dad ushered him forward so they could get off the ship.

“They’re the ones with half their king’s guard taking up the dock…” Taesan answered. The Martells themselves were nowhere to be seen, but Hunter guessed they were already up inside the castle. So they walked past the Martell soldiers and through the gates, with Doyoung and a handful of other guards close behind. Not that Hunter thought it was any use for it since the Martell soldiers didn’t even move a muscle as they walked past.

“Why are they not doing anything then? If you think they’re hostile, wouldn’t they try to stop us or something?” Hunter questioned as they walked up the pathway to the castle.

“They know they can’t really do anything here since it’s not their land, though. It’s not anyone’s land, really, since it belonged to the Targaryens, and they are gone now, so…” Taesan said.

“Then shouldn’t it technically be ours since we’re their descendants?” Hunter looked over at his dad as he asked the question, and he saw Taesan smile faintly before answering.

“Then it would be just as much the Martells’, considering they also descend from the Targaryens, though just another branch,” He told his son.

“They came from the Baratheons though, didn’t they? Jongseob’s dad was Intak Baratheon,” Hunter pointed out.

“Yes, but Intak’s dad was Sungchan Targaryen, so they still count as Targaryen descendants, though, if I remember correctly, they took the Martell name from Intak’s husband, Jiung, since Intak wanted to distance himself from his own parents and two brothers…” Taesan placed his hand on his son’s shoulder as they reached the gates to the castle itself, and, with Doyoung still walking ahead of them, they made it into the castle. It was much warmer inside the castle than Hunter had thought it would be, as there was no need to heat up the castle this far south, but judging by the smoke rising from strategically built holes in the floor, Hunter assumed the warmth came from the volcanic mountain, The Dragonmont, upon with the castle was built.

“Your Grace,” A familiar voice made Hunter look up, and he noticed not only that they’d arrived at another set of huge doors, but he also spotted the person who’d just spoken.

“Taemin… can’t say I’m surprised to see you here,” Taesan said sarcastically, rolling his eyes as he realized that he’d have to deal with the creepy silver-eyed man as well, and not just the Martells.

“Can’t say the same, though, Your Grace. I didn’t think you’d leave the North,” Taemin said while taking a step to the side so two of Taesan’s guards could open the doors behind him.

“The North is under my brother’s rule until I return,” Taesan answered, eyeing the silver-eyed man intently. “And there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for my children, which I guess you already knew,” He added. Hunter wasn’t sure if he’d been supposed to hear that, but he couldn’t help but smile a little at his dad’s words. Taesan wasn’t good with words; he’d never really been, and Hunter and his brother had quite quickly learned that, but there were still these small occasional moments that still proved to them that their dad did actually care about them, even if he never really said it.

“That I do,” Taemin gave Taesan a small smile before turning his eyes toward Hunter. The prince hadn’t seen those eyes since before he left King’s Landing, and they still made him feel somewhat uneasy, though he didn’t say anything and just gave Taemin a small nod. Not that he would have had the time to say or do anything else as the doors had finally been opened, and Taesan started to walk inside the huge hall, prompting Hunter to follow him.

“King Taesan of House Stark, the First of His Name, King in the North, and his youngest son, Hunter Stark!” Doyoung announced as Taesan and Hunter entered the room, which, to Hunter, was also pretty useless since everyone in there probably already knew who they were, but formalities had to be followed…

“King Jongseob of House Martell, the First of His Name, King of Dorne, and his son, Seeun Martell!” A man dressed similarly to the men outside said, making Hunter look over at him before finally looking up further into the room and finally spotting whom he assumed to be King Jongseob, and beside him stood Seeun. Seeun was already looking at Hunter and gave the younger a small smile as their eyes met, but they didn’t really get the chance to greet each other further as Seeun’s father spoke up.

“I was under the assumption that your brother would be the one coming here, as that was what the letter said,” Jongseob said. He didn’t sound angry or mean, but he still made Hunter tense up a little and straighten his back while Taesan just raised an eyebrow.

“Oh yeah? Well, now I’m here instead, though I cannot see how that would change the reason for this meeting,” Taesan answered.

“I figure it would be easier to speak to the King in the North himself, though I’ve heard that your brother is the more negotiable out of you two…” Jongseob said, and Taesan already knew he wouldn’t like this man at all; he just hoped his son was better, or Taesan wouldn’t want to let Hunter marry him.

“There’s nothing to negotiate about; the terms are already clear: if our sons marry, our kingdoms will be in alliance and answer upon either’s call in times of need. You will have a guaranteed free entry into the North if I’m granted the same of Dorne, a certain number of Northern soldiers will be placed in Sunspear under your command, and when or if my son moved there, more men would be stationed around your kingdom, but they’ll be under his rule, not yours,” Taesan stated. Jongseob eyed Taesan for a few seconds before looking over at his son.

“I don’t see why we need to bother our respective sons with these boring politics, so why don’t we take this to another room and let them… get to know each other?” Jongseob said, and even if what the Dornish king had hinted at went over Taesan’s head, Hunter understood immediately that Seeun must have told his father about him before coming here while Taesan was still under the assumption that this was something his husband and son had managed through Leehan’s skill at convincing people of things he wanted. A talent that worked on pretty much everyone except Taesan himself.

“I not leav-“ Taesan started talking, but Hunter tugged at his sleeve, making him stop and look over at his son.

“I’ll be fine; it’s better if you two talk in privacy, right?” Hunter whispered, and if Taesan wanted to argue against it, he didn’t show it and eventually just let out a sigh before nodding slowly.

“Alright, but I’m leaving my best king’s guard here,” Taesan said, looking back over at Jongseob.

“Of course, I’m leaving a soldier of my own here as well,“ Jongseob said, gesturing toward a quite tall woman holding a spear and shoving no emotion upon her face. Then Jongseob started walking and exited the room, followed by all of his guards, aside from the tall woman. Taesan watched him leave before turning to face Hunter again.

“Doyoung will stay with you, but I won’t be far, okay?” He said, and Hunter nodded while giving his dad a small smile.

“I’ll be fine, dad, I promise,” Hunter said, and then Taesan followed the other king into another room, along with all of his king’s guard aside from Doyoung, who remained where he stood a little further to Hunter’s left. Neither Seeun nor Hunter moved until the doors were closed behind the two kings, but then it was like Seeun didn’t care about either Doyoung or his own female guard as he quickly made his way across the floor and all the way over to Hunter. The northern prince couldn’t help but let out a small giggle as Seeun wrapped his arms around the younger and hugged him tightly. He then pulled back slightly, raising one of his hands to place it on the side of Hunter’s face before leaning down to kiss him. Hunter’s eyes widened momentarily as he slightly panicked due to Doyoung and the female guard still being in the room, but then he found himself actually not really caring.

“I missed you,” Seeun said once they pulled apart.

“I missed you, too,” Hunter answered. His eyes momentarily moved to the tall female soldier again, but the woman wasn’t even looking at the two princes; she just kept her back straight and looked straight forward.

“Don’t worry about her,” Seeun whispered. “She won’t move from where she stands unless I tell her to,” He added, and Hunter just nodded before looking back up to meet Seeun’s eyes. Hunter realized only now that Seeun wore much more jewelry than he had when they’d met back in King’s Landing, but he guessed it was due to not getting recognized in the capital. And as if on cue, Seeun pulled back one of his hands to pick something out of his pocket. “I wanted to give you this before, but I never got the chance to,” Seeun said, showing Hunter some sort of golden necklace with a tiny sun pendant, which had what Hunter assumed to be a ruby in the middle.

“Oh, it’s really pretty,” Hunter said, carefully touching the pendant with his fingertips.

“Here, let me,” Seeun said, raising the necklace in the air, gesturing for Hunter to turn around so he could place the necklace around the younger’s neck. Hunter touched it again as he turned back around to face Seeun, who was smiling brightly. “And then there’s this, though that is more of a formality of whatever my father now said; I guess you could call it a gift from my family to you,” Seeun pulled out another golden jewelry, but this time, a bracelet, though still with the signature Martell sun clearly visible.

“Thank you, Seeun, it’s really lovely, but I don’t have anything for you…” Hunter said as he watched Seeun place the bracelet around his wrist.

“I didn’t think you would, either, and don’t get me wrong! I know it’s not really part of your culture to have much jewelry, but since it’s part of mine, I wanted to give you something,” Seeun assured Hunter, still smiling, and eventually, Hunter found himself smiling back before wrapping his arms around Seeun to kiss him again, no longer caring about either Doyoung or the female soldier, or his own dad and Seeun’s father in the other room. He just hoped his dad would agree to let him marry Seeun; otherwise, he didn’t know what he would do with himself if he was forced to return back to Winterfell and just remain there for the rest of his life…

Chapter Text

Hunter wasn’t sure what his dad and the Dornish king had decided once they finally returned, but Taesan ordered his king’s guard to check the castle before they were going to stay the night there. Jongseob either didn’t care to send his own men to check the castle for any potential danger, or he had already done it before the others arrived because now he just simply made his way through the hall and out through another door.

“Seeun, come on,” Jongseob called out for his son, and Seeun gave Hunter another small smile before following his father. Hunter, Taesan, and Doyoung remained in the hall until their king’s guard returned and informed them that the castle was safe, and only they did Taesan let Hunter go with Doyoung to a room where he would be sleeping that night, while Taesan himself went to another room. That night, the weather seemed to get worse, and Hunter could hear the wind blowing outside the windows of the castle. He tried to sleep, but the constant roaring of the wind made it quite impossible. However, another sound coming from outside the door to his room made him sit up on the bed.

“It’ll only take a second; I just want to see him,” Hunter recognized Seeun’s voice even over the sound of the wind, and it made him stand up and make his way over to the door.

“No, I have orders not to let anyone near the prince without the king’s consent, so go back to your own chambers,” Doyoung answered just as Hunter opened the door behind him, making him turn around to look at the prince and Seeun look up to do the same.

“Like I said, it’ll only take a second,” Seeun said again, but Doyoung didn’t budge.

“No!” The knight said, standing his ground and not letting the Dornish prince pass.

“Doyoung, it’s fine; let him pass,” Hunter said, opening the door even wider to let Seeun inside, but Doyoung still didn’t move out of the way.

“With all due respect, my prince, but your dad told me not to let anyone-“

“Let him pass!” Hunter interrupted the knight. “It’s an order…” Doyoung’s eyes widened slightly at the usually soft-spoken prince’s sudden raised voice and demanding tone, and the knight watched him for a few seconds before giving the prince a small bow before stepping aside to let the other prince pass. Hunter let Seeun into the room before giving Doyoung an apologetic look and then closing the door to the room. “What is it? Has something happened?” Hunter turned to face Seeun, worried that something might have happened, but the latter just gave him a smile before pulling him into a kiss again.

“Nothing’s happened. I just wanted to see you,” Seeun murmured against Hunter’s lips, prompting the younger prince to smile into the kiss. He let out a small laugh as Seeun began to push him backward gently, still kissing him.

“Wait,” Hunter giggled as Seeun was about to push him down on the bed. “Doyoung’s just outside…!” He added, slightly embarrassed panic in his voice.

“He won’t hear if we stay quiet…” Seeun answered, a teasing smile on his lips as he finally managed to make Hunter lie down on his back. He leaned over him and placed kisses on his lips and on the side of his face before moving down his neck. Hunter raised his hand to stop Seeun as the latter tugged his shirt to the side, revealing the few red scales running up onto his shoulder. “What’s wrong? I’ve seen them before, and nothing will make me change my mind about them. They’re still beautiful and extraordinary,” Seeun assured the younger before placing a kiss where the last few scales met up with the skin. Hunter might just have let Seeun continue if it hadn’t been for the door swinging open behind the elder, and in came a furious Taesan. Neither Hunter nor Seeun really had any time to react before Taesan grabbed Seeun by the back of his neck and pulled him off his son before basically throwing him against the wall.

“You’re so eager to take my son away from me that you can’t even wait until I’ve decided if I’m even going to let him marry you?!” Taesan hissed, moving his hand to grab hold of the collar of Seeun’s shirt before using all his strength to harshly press the Martell prince against the wall.

“No, Your Grace, forgive me! It wasn’t my intention to-“ Taesan tightened his hold on Seeun’s collar, forcing the Martell prince to shut up.

“Not your intention to what? Ruin my son’s reputation and chance of ever having a successful life?” Taesan almost growled this time, raising his other hand as if to hit Seeun, but whatever he’d planned to do, it was interrupted by Hunter grabbing his dad’s arm, trying to pull him away from Seeun.

“Dad, stop it! Let him go!” Hunter tugged at his dad’s arm, but Taesan was still much stronger than either of the two 18-year-olds, so he didn’t even budge. Instead, he shoved his son backward before turning his attention back to Seeun.

“Back off, or we’re going right back home!” Taesan snapped. However, he didn’t get to do much before Hunter grabbed his arm again, but this time, Taesan felt an intense heat going straight through the fabric of his sleeve and burning his skin like he’d been touched by fire. It made him let go of Seeun, who slumped down onto the floor against the wall, in order to turn around to face his son again, and only then did Hunter let go of his arm, and the burning heat disappeared along with it, but the pain stayed…

“I said… Let him go!” Hunter growled, eyes almost glowing with fire as he glared at his dad before he pushed him aside to help Seeun back up. Taesan knew his son was capable of certain things others weren’t, but he’d never thought he’d be at the receiving end of what Hunter could do, though this was only minor… He raised his hand to feel where Hunter had placed his just moments earlier. He felt that the fabric of his shirt had basically burnt and slightly melted into his skin in the form of a handprint.

“Hunter…” Taesan said, but Hunter didn’t even look at him.

“Don’t…” Hunter said before pushing Seeun in front of him and out of the room, past Doyoung and the two other king’s guards, neither of which dared to stop the prince after seeing what he’d done by simply touching his dad’s arm…

- - - -

“Castle Black isn’t a place for a baby, my prince. I think it would be better if you returned to Winterfell until your son is a little older,” Woonhak said as he followed Minseo across the courtyard from the latter’s chambers and over to the dining hall.

“He’ll be fine, Woonhak; you worry too much! Yunseong spent his first couple of years here with just his father, and he never seemed to have any problems,” Minseo said, trying to open the door while carrying his son, Yewang, in his arms, but it proved a little difficult, prompting Woonhak to reach out and open the door for him.

“Yeah, Commander Mormont spent some time here as a child, but he wasn’t here all the time. He actually spent most of that time on Bear Island with his father’s workers,” Woonhak pointed out, but Minseo just sighed.

“He’ll be just fine here; we’ll be just fine here, so you don’t have to worry! These men might be thieves and criminals, but they won’t go against their Lord Commander,” Minseo assured Woonhak.

“Some of these men are far worse than just thieves, my prince,” Woonhak said.

“I know…” Minseo sighed. “But, considering the fact that my parents are the king and king consort of the North, I wouldn’t think any of these men would even dare to do anything to me or my son. Especially not when I have you to protect me,” Minseo added, giving Woonhak a smile before sitting down by one of the tables to eat. Woonhak returned the smile, but he was still very skeptical toward Minseo and Yewang staying at Castle Black, though he chose not to argue with the prince any further and just sat down to eat with him.

- - - -

“You think your dad will still let us marry after that?” Seeun chuckled as he and Hunter walked along the shoreline down below the castle. The tall female guard was standing at the foot of the stairs of stone leading back up to the castle, but she’d not said anything or tried to stop them when they walked down to the water. She’d just followed behind them, keeping her distance while still watching over them.

“He won’t get to choose…” Hunter answered. “I’m not his heir. I’ll basically inherit nothing from him and my father, so his only use for me is to marry me off to someone who could give him more power and ensure the safety of the rest of my family,”

“I doubt that’s how he sees you, considering what he almost just did to me,” Seeun said. “He cares for you; there’s no doubt about that, so maybe he just doesn’t want you to leave Winterfell and the North?”

“I know he doesn’t want me to leave, but at the same time, I don’t think he has a choice… we may not be at war right now, but I know both my parents worry about what the lords of Westeros might do once they’d gotten along enough to unit their armies…” Hunter said.

“Dorne would stand against those lords even if we didn’t marry. My father doesn’t want to be part of whatever they’re doing in the capital. He has as little desire for the iron throne as your grandfather did,” Seeun said. He stopped walking and took Hunter’s hand into his own, prompting the younger to stop walking as well.

“Yeah, he might not want to be part of their doings, but if they attack the North, will he send help to a kingdom on the complete opposite end of Westeros without an alliance between our houses…?” Hunter questioned.

“No…” Seeun answered reluctantly. “But neither would your parents if the roles were switched,”

“You’re right, they wouldn’t… which is why both our parents need us to marry because if we don’t, neither of our kingdoms could even put up a fight against the lords of Westeros…” Hunter said, squeezing Seeun’s hand in his own before pulling him with him to start walking again, still holding Seeun’s hand. They continued walking through the wet sand, and by now, the wind had calmed down enough not to be too much of a bother. Though the sound of something huge, making a similar sound to that of the wind, made both princes look up, only to see nothing but the dark sky and a few dark clouds.

“What was that…?” Seeun murmured, mostly to himself, as he squinted his eyes to try and see better.

“Probably just the wind,” Hunter answered, but he had this vague feeling that there was something up there, something he’d felt once before… but before either of them could walk any further or make out anything in the sky above them, a loud roar tore through the air as a dark shadow swept down over them. They both ducked down, looking back up just in time to see that dark shadow disappear behind the huge mountain beside which the castle was built.

“Was that…” Seeun’s eyes were wide as he watched the sky above the Dragonmont.

“A dragon…” Hunter said, eyes locked on the same place as Seeun’s, watching the mountain in the distance…

Chapter Text

“If that was what you said it was, I don’t think we should be bothering it…” Seeun said as he followed Hunter up the rocky mountainside, but the younger shushed him before continuing to walk further up.

“We won’t be bothering it if we keep quiet, either…” Hunter pointed out, but Seeun was still skeptical. If it had indeed been a dragon they’d seen fly over their heads, Seeun thought it was better to just leave it alone.

“I think it’ll be able to hear us long before we even get anywhere near it, and hopefully, it’ll just fly off because if not, we might become its dinner…” Seeun whispered, but Hunter just huffed out a small laugh.

“It won’t eat us; dragons weren’t really known to eat people unless told to do so, and even then, they didn’t eat them as much as they just chewed them before spitting them back out,” Hunter whispered back.

“How do you even know that? I doubt you’ve ever seen a dragon before…” Seeun raised an eyebrow at Hunter when the younger turned his head around to look at Seeun.

“Because my grandfather told me, and there are like a million books about the dragons in King’s Landing alone, so it’s not that hard to figure out,” Hunter answered before turning back around again and walking higher up until he reached a more flat surface. Seeun made his way up there as well but halted his steps as he spotted the huge cave opening in front of them.

“Well… regardless if dragons ate people or just chewed them, I am not going in there… because it can still burn us into nothing but a pile of ashes…”

“So could I, if needed…” Hunter said, making Seeun raise an eyebrow at him.

“Yeah, but you’re not a dragon who will probably just be scared or angry because we’re entering its home…” Seeun said, which made Hunter laugh.

“Everything will react the same when it gets scared…” Hunter said, not bothering to wait for Seeun to say anything else before entering the cave. Reluctantly, Seeun did actually follow him, despite his earlier statement about not wanting to… They slowly made their way into the cave, which smelled horrible, prompting them both to cover their mouths and noses with their sleeves.

“Did dragons really smell like this?” Seeun groaned as the stench just got worse the further into the cave they got.

“No, but what they eat probably does…” Hunter answered, gesturing toward what he guessed was some sort of animal carcass. “So maybe that’ll be us later,” He added, teasing the elder by bringing up their earlier conversation again.

“Very funny…” Seeun said, teasingly elbowing Hunter in the side. Hunter was about to do it back when a low growl further inside the cave made them both stop in their tracks. They shared a look before Hunter continued to walk, but Seeun reached out to grab his arm and stop him. “We shouldn’t… a dragon isn’t something we should play with; it didn’t end well for the Targaryens, so I doubt it would turn out any better for us…”

“I know that a dragon isn’t something one should play with; it’s a huge animal with sharp teeth that breathe fire; only an idiot would try to play with it!” Hunter said, pulling his arm out of Seeun’s grip before walking in the direction the growl had come from. Seeun watched the younger walk further away before clenching his fist…

“Fuck it…” He murmured before following Hunter quietly. The further they got, the less they could see since there was no longer any light that could reach this far into the cave. But just as Seeun was going to complain about it, Hunter stopped, making the elder almost walk into his back. “Why’d you stop?” Seeun whispered, looking past Hunter to see if he could spot whatever had made the younger stop, but he couldn’t see anything but darkness.

“Umbagon kesīr,” (Wait here) Hunter heard a voice say, making him turn around only to find that he was now alone in the cave. He couldn’t see Seeun anymore, nor had it been his voice he’d just heard. Hunter squinted his eyes, trying to see if he could spot something in the darkness surrounding him, and then suddenly, a young man with blond hair appeared. He didn’t seem to notice Hunter, however, as he just walked straight past him, also covering his lower face to block out the foul smell in the cave. Hunter watched as the young man continued to walk further into the cave before eventually stopping at what looked to be the edge of a cliff. The young man looked over the edge, but Hunter guessed he surely couldn’t see much due to the darkness. So, instead, the young man looked up at the roof of the cave, which made Hunter do the same. The roof looked to have been, but as Hunter looked at the roof, the young man before him suddenly collapsed on the ground. Hunter almost panicked even though he didn’t even know who the young man was. However, before he could really do anything, several other voices began echoing in the cave.

“I’ll burn you! I’ll burn all of you!” One of them yelled, and Hunter could see the flashing image of a dark-haired young man yelling while swinging his sword in the direction of another dark-haired young man. The two men fought, seemingly not being able to see Hunter either, just like the blond man didn’t. Loud roars echoed from above him, which made him look up, and there, where the roof of the cave once had been, was now the open sky, below which two dragons, one black and one copper-green, were fighting as well. They were tearing, clawing, and biting at each other, fighting for their lives just like the two young men seemed to do.

Stop! Please, brother!” Another voice yelled as both the two men and the two dragons continued to fight.

“You are no brother of mine!” The first voice yelled before the man, to whom Hunter figured the voice belonged, launched forward toward the other man just as the latter raised his sword and closed his eyes, and Hunter watched as the sword pierced through the first man’s body. The man with the sword through his chest sank to his knees, dropping his own sword before gripping the blade sticking out of his chest with his bare hands. Hunter watched as he began pulling the sword out, cutting up the palms of his hands as he did, and when he had finally managed to pull the sword out, he let it fall to the ground with a loud thud. He looked at the other man one last time before he fell to the ground. Another much louder thud startled Hunter and made him look to his side just in time to see one of the dragons fall to the ground as well, blood dripping from all his wounds, especially a huge one on its neck. The other dragon was breathing heavily from where it stood, blood seeping from his own wounds as well as running down from his mouth. Hunter turned his head back toward the two men as the one who’d still been standing when Hunter had looked away sank to his knees as well in front of the other man’s body, and Hunter could see the tears on his cheeks mixed with the dirt and blood already there. The image of that young man and the still-standing dragon then began to blur, and Hunter blinked his eyes a few times only to spot the blond young man on the ground again. There were no signs of either the two dragons or the two men who’d been fighting, and Hunter almost felt like he’d just witnessed something that wasn’t meant for him…

“What was that…?” Hunter heard the blond man murmuring to himself as he stood up from the ground again, and he then looked up and out over the edge in front of him. Whatever he’d seen made him stumble backward and end up falling back onto the ground. And Hunter didn’t have to wait long before he saw what had made the blond man stumble backward. A huge bronze dragon rose up from deep down in the cave. It roared loudly, making both Hunter and the blond man cover their ears as the sound hurt so badly. As it roared, it breathed out flames across the already burnt roof, its head going back and forth as the light from the fire lit up the whole cave. Once it stopped, it lowered its head back down, turning it slightly to the side as if to get a closer look at the blond man, seemingly not being able to see Hunter either. The blond man didn’t move at all as the dragon growled lowly while seemingly just watching him. It sniffed the air a couple of times before eventually withdrawing its head and most likely lying back down on the cave floor at the bottom of the cave. It disappeared out of sight, and that was when the blond man finally stood back up. The man peeked over the edge for a few seconds before turning back around and leaving the cave.

“Hunter… Hunter…!” Hunter heard Seeun’s voice again as the image of the blond man faded, and then Hunter found himself standing in front of Seeun again. Seeun, however, wasn’t looking at him but rather at something behind him. Before Hunter could turn around, however, he felt hot air hit the back of his neck and all over his back, followed by a low growl… Seeun took a few steps back, still keeping his eyes on what was behind Hunter, but instead of panicking, Hunter slowly turned around, coming face to face with the same bronze dragon he’d just seen in his vision, though… now, it seemed to be smaller… “Hunter, walk away from it slowly…” He heard Seeun whisper from behind him, but something in Hunter told him there was no need to run from the dragon, so instead, Hunter slowly raised his hand upward toward the dragon, and surprisingly, the dragon didn’t pull its head away. It did let out another low growl, but once the palm of Hunter’s hand came in contact with its nose, it jerked its head backward, making Hunter take a few steps back as well.

“Lykiri…” (Calm…) Hunter whispered loud enough for the dragon to hear, and while it didn’t seem to be frightened or angry, it stayed where it was for a few more seconds before retrieving back into the darkness of the cave. Hunter remained by the edge of the cliff until he could no longer see or hear the dragon, and he moved only when he felt Seeun pull him backward and away from the cliff.

“Come on, we should leave…” Seeun said, and Hunter just nodded, still quite astonished by what had just happened… Never in his life would he have thought he’d get to touch a living and breathing dragon…

- - - -

“I want to go up to Castle Black to see my son, but I can’t leave Winterfell until Taesan returns…” Leehan sighed.

“Why do you need to wait for his return? I would guess that he, too, would want to go to Castle Black to see Minseo,” Sungho said.

“Yeah, but he left the North to me while he’s away, so it doesn’t feel right to leave Winterfell without his permission,”

“Why would you need his permission to see your own son?” Sungho questioned. “Just go, Castle Black is just as much a part of the North as Winterfell is! So it’s not like you’re leaving the North, and besides, since Gyuvin is back here, why not ask him to oversee Winterfell until either you or Taesan gets back here?”

“Mmh…” Leehan hummed in response. “Will you come with me, then? To Castle Black?” He questioned after a while, and Sungho nodded.

“Of course, I want to meet my grandchild, too,” The knight chuckled. He was able to speak freely since it was just him and Leehan in the room, but before either of them could continue their conversation, there was a knock on the door.

“Enter!” Leehan called out, and the door opened, revealing Yujun. “What is it, sweety?” Leehan questioned as he saw his son’s quite concerned face.

“Baekseung asked me to go get you,” Yujun said. “I think he and Keum are about to have their child as well…”

Chapter Text

“I’m glad it all went well, though it’s a little typical that both you and your brother managed to have your children when your own dad isn’t even in the North,” Leehan said, prompting Baekseung to let out a small chuckle from where he sat on the side of the bed next to Keum, who was holding their newborn little baby.

“Yeah, well, he’ll get to see them both once he returns, so it’s not like he won’t ever see them,” Baekseung answered. “But I guess Minseo ain’t coming down here for a while, so you and dad will probably have to go up to Castle Black to see his and Yunseong’s son,” He added, and Leehan nodded.

“I was actually planning to head up there with Sungho before your little one decided to be born,” Leehan said, making both Baekseung and Keum chuckle.

“At least he came quickly; it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be,” Keum said while gently running his fingers over the top of his baby’s head.

“That’s good; all six of my little rascals took their sweet time,” Leehan chuckled, earning an eye roll from his son. “Have you decided on a name yet?” He then asked.

“Jaeho,” Keum answered. “Baekseung wanted something akin to his grandfather’s name, so we chose a name starting with the same letter,”

“That’s really sweet,” Leehan said, pulling Baekseung into a hug since he saw that his son was starting to get somewhat emotional. “He would have loved seeing his grandchildren have their own families,”

“Yeah… He would have,” Baekseung mumbled, wiping away a tear that ran down his cheek. Leehan gave his son a small smile and squeezed him tighter into another hug. Then, there was a knock on the door, making all three adults in the room look up. Baekseung looked over at Keum, who nodded before he turned back toward the door and called for the person on the other side to enter.

“I’m sorry, my prince, my lord, but Hao and Hanbin are here and would like to speak with you,” Sungho said, bowing to Baekseung and Keum before looking at Leehan.

“Okay, I’ll be right out. Send them to the great hall in the meantime,” Leehan said, and Sungho bowed again before exiting the room. Leehan then turned toward his son and son-in-law again. “I’ll make sure the workers help you if needed, and just come get me if something doesn’t feel right, okay?” He added, and Keum nodded before giving Leehan a smile.

“We will, thank you,” Keum said, and Leehan returned his smile before leaving the two to be with their son while he went to the great hall.

- - - -

Hunter and Seeun returned to the castle and were met by Doyoung as well as the female Martell guard. Neither said anything and just escorted their respective prince back to their rooms. Hunter was worried about what might happen the following day, but much to his surprise, Taesan didn’t bring up the night before and just met up with him in the huge hall, where Jongseob and Seeun were already waiting.

“Are we all clear?” Jongseob asked, and Hunter and Seeun shared a look, anticipating what Taesan might say or do, but the northern king just nodded.

“Yeah… We’ll make sure to keep in contact and make the arrangements necessary back home before moving forward, but other than that, we’re good,” Taesan answered, giving his son a small smile before turning back to face Jongseob and Seeun. He gave the two a small bow with his head, which they both returned, and Hunter did the same; then Taesan gestured for his king’s guards to start moving. Hunter and Seeun shared a smile before the younger followed his dad outside, now much more hopeful that he would actually get to marry Seeun once everything was arranged properly.

- - - -

Leehan entered the great hall and was met by both Hao and Hanbin, who were already standing there. They both gave him a bow before Leehan gestured for them to sit down.

“Sungho told me you urgently wanted to see me. Has something happened?” Leehan asked.

“Yes, Hanbin thinks he’s found something worrisome regarding Jake’s death…” Hao said, and that made Leehan straighten up in his chair.

“Found what?”

“I think he was poisoned with Tears of Lys,” Hanbin said.

“But the maester said there was no trace of poison…?” Leehan questioned.

“Tears of Lys has no taste, color, or smell. And I know it is mostly known for being lethal straight away, but with the right experience and the right amount, I think it could be used as a slow-working poison…” Hanbin answered.

“But who would even have that knowledge and get away with it for such a long time? There aren’t that many people here in Winterfell that would even get close to Jake, so how could they even pull it off?” Leehan wasn’t sure he really believed this. Sure, he wanted to know why his father passed away so suddenly, but Tears of Lys…? It sounded so far-fetched considering how rare that poison was, and like Hanbin said, it is normally lethal after just one dose, so how could someone use it for several years?

“I don’t want to blame anyone without making sure it wasn’t actually them, but who are the people who were the closest to Jake for the last few years, apart from you, Taesan, and your sons?” Hanbin said.

“The guards and the staff of the castle, the maester, Sungho, Doyoung, Gyuvin, Ricky, Gunwook, Taerae, Yunseong, Jinsik, Junmin, Yujin, and you both… perhaps a few others, but not regularly. And Gyuvin, Ricky, Gunwook, Taerae, Yunseong, Jinsik, Junmin, Yujin, and you both weren’t here that regularly either, and I highly doubt any of you would have done it…” Leehan answered.

“I don’t think it’s Sungho or Doyoung either,” Hao said, and Leehan agreed.

“What of the staff and the guards? Anyone in particular that had specific duties close to Jake?” Hanbin asked.

“Not really… they changed positions sometimes depending on what’s needed of them, but the guards almost always work in pairs, so unless there was more than one person, I don’t think it was them either…” Leehan still thought this sounded a little far-fetched, but Hanbin seemed determined to get to the bottom of it.

“The maester, then?” He questioned. “He would surely have the knowledge of the effects of that sort of poison, and he saw Jake a lot over the last few years when he allegedly tried to figure out what might be wrong, right…?”

“But… the maester has always been helpful and cared for all our well-being; why would he want to even hurt Jake? No… I don’t believe that it was him… It can’t be…” Leehan answered.

“He would have the perfect opportunity since there’s no one who could have gone against him and tried to prove him wrong since we’re always supposed to trust the maesters’ knowledge…” Hao pointed out.

“But why? Jake never did anything to him! If anything, Taesan’s the only one the maester might be angry with, but by poisoning Jake, all he did then was give Taesan even more power…” Leehan said.

“Yeah… more power to destroy what Jake had built for years…” Hanbin looked at Leehan as he spoke. “Think of it… if someone would want to make the North woundable, it would be much easier to do it to someone like Taesan. Someone who doesn’t have decades of experience and is easily angered… not to mention quick to act upon their emotions, which often results in something bad…”

“But still… why? A maester would gain nothing from seeing the house he serves fall…” Leehan argued. He wasn’t angry or anything, but it was just so hard to wrap his head around that their maester might have done such a thing.

“He could have been paid…” Hanbin suggested. “The right amount of gold could make any man turn their back on someone they once swore to serve…”

Chapter Text

Hunter kept thinking of the dragon he and Seeun had seen in the cave on Dragonstone. It hadn’t seemed afraid of them but was still quite reserved, which Hunter couldn’t blame it for… it was probably the last dragon, having to live in hiding for the rest of its life, alone in a dark cave… but who was the boy he’d seen? He’d seen the same blond, violet-eyed boy before, but then he’d been riding a violet dragon, not bronze like the one in the cave.

“Dad?” Hunter said, making Taesan turn his head toward his son and away from the road ahead.

“Yeah?” Taesan answered.

“Do you know which of the Targaryen dragons were like bronze, brown, or copper?” Hunter asked. Taesan eyed him for a second before letting out a sigh.

“Your father knows that a lot better than I do,” He answered before turning his head back to look in front of them again, making sure his horse stayed on the frosty path.

“I know he does, but I thought you knew a little as well…”

“Yeah, well, I think Anton Baratheon’s dragon was like copper or something, and I think Leehan once told me something about Shotaro Baratheon’s dragon being bronze, but I’m not quite sure…” Taesan answered after a short while. The faint memory of whatever had flown over Winterfell back when the River Lords attacked the North came back to him, but he quickly pushed the thought aside, although the clear bronze scales of the creature were still as clear as day to him… but Taesan figured Hunter was just curious, so there was no need for him to be snarky about it just because he himself didn’t think the Targaryens, their dragons, or relatives were worth their time or thought. “I don’t think it matters, though, right? The dragons are all dead, and we’re the closest there is left of the Targaryens, and we will never have dragons because we’re Starks,” Taesan added.

“Grandpa was a Stark… and he had a dragon…” Hunter pointed out. “And his father, Eric, too,”

“Eric was born a Targaryen; his father was Yunho Targaryen, and Eric only chose to change his name to Stark long after his father died and his cousin became king. And your grandfather might have had a dragon, but she died young, along with all the rest of them; regardless of the color of their scales or the power they had, they all still died…” Taesan sighed.

“Why do you hate them so much…?” Hunter’s question surprised Taesan somewhat, making him turn his head back to face his son once again. “The dragons just did what they were told, and yes, I know many of the Targaryens did horrible things and made terrible decisions, but not all of them were bad! Grandpa wasn’t bad… nor was Shotaro; he never killed anyone! Or Jongho, Sungmin, Younghoon, Changkyun, Woozi, Mingyu, Han, or even Felix, despite the fact that he was married to Hyunjin Targaryen! And I’m sure there were many others who never did anything bad either, but they are all being blamed for what some of their family members did… that isn’t fair!”

“The world isn’t fair, Hunter!” Taesan said. He was not yelling, but he still used a stern voice. “That’s something you’ll just have to learn because no matter how much you want it to be, it never will… so just let yourself accept that, and don’t get so caught up in the past. The Targaryens are gone, and so are their dragons, so it doesn’t matter if they were good or bad because what’s dead is dead…” Hunter wanted to argue against what his dad said because how could the world ever be fair if everyone had the mindset that Taesan had: that no one could do anything about it and that it just was how it was… but before he could come up with something good to say, they spotted the towers of Winterfell in the distance above the barren hills.

“Winterfell, Your Grace,” Doyoung announced just then, making Taesan look up and notice the towers as well.

“Finally,” The king sighed, seemingly having already forgotten about the conversation he’d had with Hunter as the comforts of home were now so close. They rode in through the gates a short while later and were met by Sungho and Yujun already standing there. The latter must have been worried, judging by the relief on his face once he saw that both Hunter and their dad had come back unharmed, but as he walked up to hold onto Hunter’s horse as the younger got down, his facial expression changed drastically as he spotted something while looking at Hunter. This made Hunter look down and unconsciously reach up for the necklace around his neck, the golden sun with the ruby in the middle that he’d gotten from Seeun.

“What’s that?” Yujun questioned, eyeing the necklace before spotting the bracelet as well.

“It was a gift…” Hunter answered, sensing that his brother wasn’t really pleased with seeing the Martell-like symbol.

“A gift…?” Yujun raised an eyebrow as he finally looked back up to meet his brother’s eyes again.

“Yeah… for Seeun, but why does that bother you so much?” Hunter answered.

“Because you’re a Stark… not a Martell…”

“Minseo was also a Stark, but now he’s a Mormont, and you never seemed to have a problem with that…” The younger pointed out, taking a step back from his brother while still fiddling with the necklace.

“So it’s true…?” Yujun asked, completely disregarding his brother’s question. “You’re going to marry him? A Martell!?” Yujun snapped, startling Hunter slightly.

“Why do you care?” Hunter replied, loud enough to catch both Taesan’s and Sungho’s attention now.

“Because you’re my family, and he’s not!” Yujun yelled; he tried to reach for either Hunter’s arm or the bracelet, prompting the younger to pull away from him. “Have you already given up on our family?”

“Yujun?” Taesan actually sounded quite concerned, but Yujun didn’t seem to have heard their dad call for him.

“Are you so eager to please your future husband that you’d wear anything he gives you before you’re even married!?” Now, Yujun actually tried to take the bracelet from Hunter, but Taesan intervened and stopped him.

“What the hell is wrong with you?!” Hunter yelled, backing even further away as their dad prevented Yujun from reaching him. Sungho had also made his way over to them, but it seemed to have been enough for Taesan to step in between the two boys to make Yujun back down.

“I don’t want you to leave! You belong here in Winterfell, not at the other end of the world! Only a few weeks ago, you didn’t even want to leave your room, and now you’re willing to just leave us all behind for him!? You don’t even know him!” Yujun yelled back.

“I’m not giving anything up! It’s not like I can’t come and visit, and we can’t all just stay here forever, just hoping for the best! Someone has to do something, or we’ll just go extinct like the Targaryens!” Hunter couldn’t wrap his head around why Yujun was acting like this… He knew his brother never really liked Seeun, but he never thought the elder would act like this… “And besides, you have no say in what I do with my life…” He added before turning on his heels and walking into the castle, leaving Yujun behind with their dad and Sungho…

- - - -

“A dragon…?” Jongseob raised an eyebrow at his son.

“Yes! It had bronze scales, and it didn’t really seem scared of us, but it still didn’t want to stay where we were,” Seeun answered. They were sitting in the Water Gardens back in Sunspear, and after some deliberation, Seeun had chosen to tell his father about what he and Hunter had seen in the cave.

“Well, it could be your great grandfather’s dragon… no one ever really knew what became of him after the Great Sept was blown up, so theoretically, he could still be out there…” Jongseob mumbled.

“You mean Shotaro’s dragon? What was its name…?” Seeun tried to remember the name of the Baratheon prince’s dragon, but his father beat him to it.

“Esperion,” Jongseob said. “It was said that he and another dragon, Jongho Targaryen’s dragon, Polarie, both left King’s Landing after their respective riders died, and no one has seen them since… until now then, I guess…”

“So there might be one more still alive somewhere?” Seeun questioned. “How come no one ever talks about them? If people know they escaped King’s Landing, they much know that they could still be alive!”

“Most people just wanted to leave all that behind them after the Targaryen dynasty fell… they saw the dragons as something bad and dangerous, and so, with time, I guess people just forgot or repressed that one or two might still be out there… and for the dragons themselves, I think they are best just left alone. We don’t want to mess with that sort of power when we have no knowledge of how to do it… barely the Targaryens could fully control their dragons, so we, who are but mere descendants of them with no training or other knowledge than what we’ve read, shouldn’t bother them just because we know they still exist,” Jongseob answered, making Seeun stay quiet for a while, thinking through what his father had said, but also what Hunter had said back in the cave…

“Well, Hunter did say he thought the dragon wasn’t meant for us… so I guess we should probably leave it be…” Seeun finally said.

“He’s probably right,” Jongseob hummed. “But maybe a descendant of yours will be a dragon rider one day if now both Esperion and Polarie live…”

- - - -

“You never told me who your mother was,” Minseo said, prompting both Woonhak and Yunseong to look up from their food. Yunseong seemed confused at first, thinking Minseo had spoken to him, but then he realized that his husband had been speaking to Woonhak, so he just went back to his food.

“Oh, uhm… She wasn’t really that important, and my father was basically a nobody, so there’s not much to know, I’m afraid, my prince,” Woonhak answered, looking between Minseo and Yunseong, that latter of the two, not minding their conversation while Minseo seemed curious.

“I thought you said she was a lady? That would have made her of some importance, right?” Minseo asked, and this made Yunseong look up again.

“You never told me you were of noble birth,” The Lord Commander said, and even if he usually had a stern and authoritarian voice, he now just seemed genuinely calm and softspoken.

“I’m not; I’m still a Snow regardless of who my mother was since my parents weren’t married,” Woonhak answered.

“But who was she?” Minseo asked. He momentarily tore his attention away from Woonhak to look down at Yewang, who was fussing slightly in his arms, before looking back up again. Woonhak seemed really reluctant to tell them, even if he’d almost told Minseo before… but with both the prince and the Lord Commander in the room, he wasn’t sure what they’d think of him if they knew… “You don’t need to be afraid to tell us anything, Woonhak. You’ve proven yourself trustworthy and honorable a hundred times over already! But if it does bother you this much, we won’t force you to tell us,”

“It’s not that I don’t want to tell you… I just don’t want to be associated with that house, which is why I left in the first place…” Woonhak eventually said, and this made Minseo and Yunseong share a look before the former reached out his hand to place it on Woonhak’s shoulder.

“A house or a name doesn’t make you who you are; you do that yourself! And you’ll always be Woonhak to us, regardless of where either of your parents came from,” Minseo assured him, and so Woonhak took a deep breath before giving the prince a faint smile.

“My mother was a lady of House Bolton… the older sister to their current lord, Kane Bolton…”

Chapter Text

“Promise you won’t leave before we come back,” Leehan gave Hunter a smile as the boy nodded.

“I’m not going anywhere… yet,” He answered his father jokingly before giving him a hug. He’d been a little torn between going with his parents and Sungho up to Castle Black to see his brother’s baby and staying here with the rest of his brothers, and he’d chosen the latter since Yujun already seemed so against him going anywhere, so Hunter figured it would be better if he stayed here for now. It wasn’t like he couldn’t go up to see Minseo later.

“Don’t fight each other while we’re gone, okay?” Taesan sighed as Minjae and Baekseung were already bickering over something, as they had all gathered to see their parents off.

“We won’t, dad! I’ll make sure they stay in line,” Sumin said, earning a glare from Baekseung and a huff from Minjae while Hunter just laughed. Yujun remained silent for now, having only hugged Leehan goodbye without saying a word and then taking a step back in order not to stand up close to the rest of his brothers.

“Doyoung, Hao, and Hanbin will keep you all in check, so listen to them!” Taesan said, and all five boys nodded. Keum, Junmin, and Jinsik found it quite amusing to see how all the Stark princes actually listened for once, and even little Jaeho was sound asleep, for now, despite throwing a tantrum earlier, much like his dad and grandad tended to do when they didn’t get what they wanted.

“Be nice to my brother. The man’s getting old, and I’m not sure if he can handle all of you on his own much longer,” Sungho joked, looking over at Doyoung, who rolled his eyes at his brother.

“Very funny, Sungho. Now get going, or you’ll lose track of the king before you even leave the castle,” Doyoung answered, gesturing toward Taesan, who had already spurred on his horse and started to leave through the open gates. Taesan couldn’t help but laugh at Doyoung’s comment, and Sungho actually found himself smiling a little as well, even though he still shook his head and let out a sigh before getting up on his own horse.

“Does this make me the head of Winterfell now?” Minjae asked, mostly to get a reaction out of his brothers but also because he was genuinely curious.

“Absolutely not,” Doyoung sighed, watching his brother ride out of the gates along with Leehan before the king’s guard rode out after them, and the gates were closed. “Didn’t you hear what your dad just said?” He added, raising an eyebrow at Minjae. Doyoung was well aware that the prince was just trying to get on his brothers’ nerves and tease them because he was older, but Doyoung just had to make sure they’d at least heard what Taesan had told them.

“I did, but what I focused more on was when your brother called you old,” Minjae laughed.

“Oh yeah? You think you could beat this old man in a fight, then?” Doyoung said, raising an eyebrow at the prince. The latter caught on immediately and picked up one of the sparing swords and aimed it at Doyoung.

“I know I can,” The prince chuckled before playfully striking at the knight with the sword. Sumin, Junmin, and Jinsik remained in the courtyard to watch Minjae spar with Doyoung while Baekseung walked back inside with Keum and their son. Yujun turned to leave the courtyard as soon as the gates closed behind their parents, and Hunter watched him walk past the inner gates and into the Godswood. He wondered if it would be better to let the elder have some time alone or if he should follow him and try to figure out why he was so upset about Hunter marrying Seeun, but Yujun disappeared out of sight before Hunter could make up his mind, so he just let out a sigh and remained where he was for now…

- - - -

“I’ve had enough of these savages! They’re only getting worse the more of them the southern lords and ladies send up here, and those who’ve been here for years take after the newcomers instead of the other way around…!” Yunseong sighed as he stormed into his Lord Commander courters, which were separate from his and Minseo’s chambers, to give the latter and their baby some privacy while he worked. Woonhak and Benner followed him inside after having just sent a dozen more men east along the wall and double that west, all the way to the Shadow Tower. These men had surely been some of the worst and least honorable men they’d ever encountered, even for Castle Black, and they seemed to refuse their Lord Commander’s order to such extent that Yunseong had to send them away from Castle Black in fear of what they mind do if they ever put their minds to it…

“Maybe you could ask his grace if he could send more loyal men up here to keep these new crows in check?” Benner suggested, but Yunseong just sighed as he sat down in his chair.

“I guess I could, but I don’t want to worry them too much because then they might force Minseo to move back to Winterfell because they fear for his safety here…” Yunseong said as he massaged his temples.

“With all due respect, my lord, Castle Black isn’t really safe for a prince… and much less a baby,” Woonhak said. “Your father sent you to Winterfell as a little boy because of that very reason…” He added, and Yunseong knew it was true.

“I might as well talk with Taesan once they get here…” Yunseong said after a while. “And even though Minseo might not want to, at least Winterfell is much safer, and Leehan will finally have some peace knowing his oldest son is saf-“ Yunseong was interrupted by yelling from outside and a bang against the door, which prompted both Woonhak and Benner to turn around and Yunseong to stand up. The door swung open, and two men tumbled inside, seemingly fighting one another, but then a third entered as well, and he seemed to be going for Yunseong, or at least it looked that way. He didn’t get very far, however, as Woonhak swiftly struck him down to protect his Lord Commander while Benner pulled his sword and aimed it at the two men on the floor. One of them tried to stand up but stopped as he came face to face with the sharp edge of Benner’s sword, while the other tried to strike Woonhak, but he also failed miserably as the latter was a far better swordsman.

“What is the meaning of this? Attacking your own Lord Commander!?” Woonhak yelled at the third man before forcefully pulling up to stand by the collar of his shirt. Benner still kept his sword pointed at the man while Yunseong just watched on.

“He’s no Lord Commander of mine! This fucking place is no home of mine! So I won’t listen to some fucking northerner thinking he can do as he pleases just because he’s married to a prince!” The man yelled, making Woonhak tighten his grip on the man’s collar.

“Don’t you dare threaten him, you scum!” Benner hissed, but Yunseong raised his hand, gesturing for the former to back down, so he did. Yunseong himself walked around the small table and up to the man who Woonhak was holding.

“I assume you’re not a northerner then…” Yunseong said, looking down at the man.

“Hell no!” The man spat. “I’m from the Westerlands; I was a respected man and-“

“And now you’re nothing but a man of the Night’s Watch at the end of the world, all title and lands stripped away from you because of whatever crime you did!” Yunseong interrupted him. “The only reason you’re here is because of what you did, so there’s no one to blame but yourself…” He added before turning around and walking back to sit down in his chair again. “Take him away; I’ll deal with him later, and take the rest of these likeminded individuals with you to East Watch By The Sea when you go,” Yunseong now turned his attention to Woonhak as he spoke, and the latter nodded his head before pulling the man out of the room while Benner called for two other men to help him get rid of the two dead men on the floor.

“What in the seven hells is this?” Minseo appeared in the doorway just as Benner and the other two men carried out the dead ones, and Yunseong looked up from the various paper scrolls and letters on his table.

“Nothing, it’s been dealt with already,” Yunseong said. He walked over to Minseo and placed a kiss on his forehead to assure the younger that everything was fine. “Where’s Yewang?” He asked.

“Sleeping…” Minseo answered, eyeing the puddle of blood on the floor. “Though, this doesn’t look like nothing…” He pointed out, looking up to meet Yunseong’s eyes.

“It was nothing but a dispute with some of the new crows brought up here, but as I said, it’s dealt with already,” He assured his husband once again.

“You know my parents are on their way up here, right?” Minseo raised an eyebrow at the elder, who nodded. “I don’t think either of them will be very fond of knowing that there are those here who tried to attack you…”

“Two of them are dead, and I sent the rest to East Watch By The Sea with Woonhak just now, so they won’t be a problem,” Yunseong answered.

“What if there are others? Men who have yet not made their intentions known…” Minseo actually did sound somewhat concerned for once. He was usually the one persistent in staying at Castle Black despite the crows living there.

“If there are others, I’ll deal with them, too. You don’t have to worry. There have always been less-behaved men here at Castle Black, and they’ve all met their deserved ends sooner rather than later. And if there are more of them, I assure you that they’ll end up just like the previous ones,” Yunseong gently pushed Minseo to exit the room before closing the door behind them. They walked back to their own chambers, in which their son was still asleep. Once inside, Yunseong pulled Minseo into a hug, and the younger rested his forehead against Yunseong’s chest.

“Less-behaved men or not, I don’t think I’ll be allowed to stay here if we tell my parents about what those men just tried to do…” Minseo mumbled.

“I wasn’t planning on it… though we might still need to consider having more real soldiers brought up here to keep all these new criminals in check…” Yunseong answered, and at that, Minseo just hummed.

Chapter Text

“Finally…” Yunseong sighed as he placed Yewang down in his crib after the baby had finally fallen asleep after having cried for what felt like an eternity for no apparent reason.

“How can you manage several dozen men if one little baby wears you out this much?” Minseo laughed as Yunseong joined him on the bed.

“I’m not sure I can handle all these men…” Yunseong answered. He made himself comfortable on the bed, resting his head on the pillow before Minseo leaned over to rest his head on Yunseong’s arm.

“I know you can,” The younger said. “There’s no one better suited for it. There might be few loyal men here at Castle Black, but those men are loyal because of you, and if you made them listen, you could make the rest do the same,” Minseo assured Yunseong, smiling up at him before placing a kiss on his lips. He rested his head back on the elder’s arm while playing with the strings of Yunseong’s shirt. He looked over at Yewang’s crib once more to make sure the boy was asleep before both he and Yunseong went to sleep.

- - - -

Whoosh… thud. Whoosh… thud. Whoosh… thud. Yujun loaded a fourth arrow before aiming at the target again, closing one eye but opening it slowly again as he spotted his brother coming toward him on the other side of the tree where he’d placed the shooting target. He relaxed his arm and lowered the bow again, and then he just watched as Hunter walked toward him.

“You’re getting very good at this,” The younger said once he’d looked at Yujun, over at the tree, where all three arrows sat mere inches from each other, and then back at Yujun again.

“Haven’t missed one since we were little…” Yujun answered before raising his bow again, now that Hunter wasn’t in his line of sight for the shot. Hunter watched the elder close one eye before letting the arrow fly; it tore through the air with a whooshing sound before piercing straight through one of the other arrows already embedded in the tree.

“I can tell…” Hunter said, eyeing the tree once more before looking back at his brother. “We should talk, Yujun…”

“I don’t see why we need to… you’re leaving either way, so why bother?” Yujun huffed, picking up a fifth arrow and raising the bow again, but before he could get a good aim, Hunter gripped the bow and bent it to the side so Yujun couldn’t shoot.

“Because you’re my brother, and I care about you!” Hunter answered, and the two stared at each other for a few seconds before Yujun jerked the bow out of the younger’s hand again.

“It’s not like I don’t care about you… I care about you a lot, which is why I don’t want you to leave!” Yujun tossed the bow and the arrow on the ground before turning back to face the younger. “And to Dorne of all places!? Why there, why him?”

“Because I want to… and because I love him,” Hunter answered, barely above a whisper, but his brother still heard him.

“You know even know what love is!” Yujun huffed.

“And you do?” Hunter raised an eyebrow at the elder.

“Does anyone…?” Yujun muttered before starting to walk away from Hunter. “Our parents claim to love each other, and yet they always argue about something… two of our brothers have married, and even if they are happy with their respective husbands so far, what guarantee is there that it will always be that way…?”

“If you think like that when it comes to love, I certainly understand why you don’t believe in it…” Hunter said. He followed Yujun through the Godswood, past the weirwood tree, and back into the castle.

“I never said I didn’t believe in it,” Yujun answered, though still not turning back to face his brother, and just continued to walk until they reached their chambers. “I just don’t believe you could love someone you’ve met a handful of times…” He finally said once they were in their chambers.

“Then how could someone hate another person they’ve just met less times than that…?” Hunter argued, but he didn’t raise his voice, nor did he sound angry; he just walked up to his brother and made the elder turn to face him again. They stared at each other for a while before Yujun couldn’t handle looking at his brother’s eyes anymore, so he turned to walk away from him, but Hunter stopped him. “Why do you hate him?”

“I don’t hate him… I just hate that he’s the reason you’re leaving…” Yujun sighed, but he didn’t try to get out of Hunter’s grip and just let the younger hold onto his arm.

“I’m not leaving forever; I will come and visit, I promise! And you could come down to Sunspear whenever you want, you know that,” Hunter said.

“And if a war breaks out?” Yujun questioned. “Then you’ll be stuck down there, with no family for thousands of miles and all of Westeros between us!”

“If a war breaks out, it is better that we have Dorne on our side, and the best way of making sure they are is for me to marry Seeun…” Hunter hated having to refer to Seeun as a necessity, but since Yujun wouldn’t change his mind about him unless Hunter gave him a reason for their marriage to be necessary, Hunter had to refer to the Martell prince as such, at least for now…

“I still don’t want you to go…” Yujun mumbled, but instead of trying to make the younger loosen his grip on his shirt, Yujun looked up to meet the younger’s eyes again. Hunter gave him a small smile as they both felt silent, but before Yujun could really make up his mind about what to do next, Hunter let go of him. He walked back toward the door and opened it, but before he left the room entirely, he looked back at his brother.

“I’m sure you’ll, one day, also love someone you’d be willing to move across the world for,” He said, giving the elder another smile and then leaving the room. Yujun watched the empty doorway for a few more seconds before clenching his fists and squeezing his eyes closed.

“I wouldn’t have to if you just stayed…” He mumbled, knowing all too well that Hunter didn’t hear him, nor was he sure if he actually wanted him to…

- - - -

It was still dark outside when Minseo stirred awake, and it surprised him slightly that he’d woken up since he usually slept past sunrise unless Yewang woke him up, but now, the boy was silently sleeping in his crib. Minseo was about to just turn back and try falling back asleep when he heard a sound from the other side of the door, and it made him look over in that direction. He wasn’t sure what he’d heard, but it sounded like a thud of some kind, and it did sound quite far away, yet close enough to be heard through the closed door.

“Benner?” Minseo called out, thinking it might be the crow attending them while Woonhak was away, but he received no answer. Yunseong moved a little by his side but didn’t seem to be waking up, which prompted Minseo to shake his arm until he did.

“Minseo… what is it?” Yunseong asked groggily, but he sat up on the bed when his husband didn’t immediately answer him, and he looked over at the door since the younger was doing that. “What is it?” Yunseong repeated his question.

“I heard something…” Minseo said slowly.

“It’s probably just Benner,” Yunseong said, about to lie back down when Minseo grabbed his arm.

“I don’t think it is… I tried calling for him, but he didn’t answer…” Minseo whispered. Yunseong was about to argue that the younger was just being paranoid when he also heard a series of thuds coming from the outside, and that made him look over at Minseo before standing up from the bed.

“Wait here…” Yunseong said as he picked up his sword from where he’d placed it earlier.

“No, wait!” Minseo said, also standing up from the bed. “What if there is actually something wrong…?”

“Then I’ll deal with it, but you should stay here with Yewang,” Yunseong answered. Minseo seemed reluctant to do so, but he eventually nodded, which was all Yunseong needed before walking up to the door, unlocking it, and then slowly opening it. He didn’t bother putting on his coat and just stepped out in his pants and the thin shirt he’d been sleeping in. he didn’t see anything out of the ordinary from where he stood in the doorway, mostly due to the amount of snow falling and the darkness of the night, but before he walked further outside, he looked back at Minseo. “Stay here… and bar the door if needed,”

“Yunseong-”

“Please, Minseo, just do it…” Yunseong interrupted the younger, but despite the worry on Minseo’s face, he knew it was necessary to keep him and their son safe if there now was something wrong… So, instead of lingering in the doorway, Yunseong took one more step outside so he could close the door, but before he could, Minseo spoke.

“Come back… promise me you’ll come back…” The prince said.

“I promise,” Yunseong answered. Then he closed the door, shutting out the snow and the cold. Minseo clenched his fist, but he didn’t follow the elder outside. Instead, he walked over to Yewang’s crib and carefully picked the sleeping baby up before sitting down on the bed. Yewang stirred a little in his sleep, prompting Minseo to gently rock him back and forth in his arms, humming quietly. Another much louder thud startled him and woke Yewang up, and it prompted Minseo to stand up again. He thought about baring the door as Yunseong had told him, but he didn’t even get the chance to before it swung open, revealing one of the crows. The man was holding a sword, and despite the darkness in the room, Minseo could see that there was blood on it.

“My prince,” The man said, giving Minseo a small bow just to mock him. “Where’s your dear husband? No here to save you now?”

“I don’t need saving from a scum like you!” Minseo spat. He gripped Yewang a little tighter before picking up a sword from the rack on the wall beside him and pointing it in the direction of the man. However, the man just laughed before moving to strike Minseo, but before he could even reach him, Benner appeared in the doorway.

“Get away from him!” The other crow said, pointing his own sword at the man, who’d not yet reached Minseo and had instead turned around to face Benner. The man let out another laugh, but he staggered to the side as Minseo struck him in the leg with the sword he was holding, and before he could regain his balance, Benner drove his sword through his chest. “Come on!” Benner then said, reaching out his hand for Minseo to take, but before the prince could even move, a sword pierced Benner’s head from behind, killing him instantly. Once it was pulled out again, he fell to the ground, revealing three more crows standing behind him.

“You killed him…” Minseo mumbled, eyes darting between Benner’s body lying on the ground and the three men standing on the other side of the room.

“Yeah, but don’t worry; you’ll join him soon enough,” One of the men laughed before all three charged forward, swords raised. Minseo managed to block the first two blows, but the third managed to strike him on the thigh. It made Minseo stagger to the side, but he still managed to strike the man down before backing away from the other two.

“Get away from me, you scum, or you’ll regret even entering this room!” Minseo yelled, but the two men just chuckled.

“No one’s coming to save you, and you’re too weak to save yourself or your little baby, so just accept your fate, and we might give you a peaceful death,” the man on the right said while the man on the left just laughed.

“You know as well as I do that what you just said is a lie, so just get on with it or run like the cowards you are!” Minseo said, and both men grunted before charging toward Minseo. Despite still holding Yewang in one arm, Minseo managed to hold both men off and even strike down one of them, though the last one managed to drive his sword into Minseo’s side before the prince struck him down as well. “Fuck…” Minseo groaned, dropping the sword he was holding and pressing down over the wound on his side. It hurt like hell, but it wasn’t as bad as the one on his thigh, which he only now noticed was bleeding much worse than he’d thought… Yewang began to cry, prompting Minseo to try and shush him, but he knew the baby’s cries would easily be heard through the open door, so in order not to attract any more of these turncloaks, he made his way over to the furthest side of the room and, with some difficulty, managed to push open the hidden door leading out of the room and the castle as a whole. He stepped out, barefoot in the snow, and cast one more look into the room and over to the main door, which was still open. He thought of Yunseong, but then Yewang let out another cry, and Minseo knew he had to move, or neither of them would survive… so he pushed the hidden door back closed before making his way out into the snow…

Chapter Text

Taesan, Leehan, and Sungho arrived at Last Hearth after about a three-day ride, meaning they had at least two days left before they reached Castle Black. But since they seldom went up here, Taesan thought it’d be good to stop by Gyuvin and Ricky and actually get some good rest, not having to sleep on the ground, so here they were.

“Welcome to Last Heath, Your Grace,” Gyuvin chuckled while giving Taesan a bow, which was completely unnecessary, but since they’d been friends since they were about four, teasing Taesan was something Gyuvin enjoyed quite a lot.

“Yeah, sure, I feel very welcomed,” Taesan sighed as he got off his horse, but he still smiled at his friend. Leehan and Sungho also got off their respective horses and greeted both Gyuvin and Ricky.

“How’s Jinsik doing? I hope he’s behaving,” Ricky asked as he gave Leehan a hug.

“He’s really lovely, in contrast to our little monsters,” Leehan said, earning a chuckle from Taesan as well.

“Oh yeah, it’s good to have Jinsik at Winterfell; even though Sumin is one of the more well-behaved of our own sons, Jinsik helps keep him that way,” The king said, and both Gyuvin and Ricky couldn’t help but laugh.

“That’s good to hear! Sumin was behaving very well when he stayed with us as well, so you don’t have to worry about that,” Ricky assured the royal couple; then they all, except Sungho, went into the smaller castle. Sungho stayed with the horses for a while and made sure they were being fed with the help of a few of the workers of Last Hearth, but what he’d not been prepared for was a man up on top of the wall surrounding the castle announcing that they’d spotted someone else.

“Rider approaching!” The man on top of the wall called out, prompting Sungho to turn around and look out the still wide open gates leading into the snow-covered courtyard he was staying in. At first, he didn’t really see anyone since there was still quite a lot of snow falling, as it had been doing the whole night, but then he spotted a dark-colored horse with what looked like a man dressed in all black in its saddle. “It’s a crow!” The man above Sungho called out, which made Sungho squint his eyes to see better, and it didn’t take long before he managed to see who the rider was.

“Woonhak…?”

- - - -

Minseo knew the cold snow would hurt his bare feet, but the burning-like feeling was almost unbearable as he tried to make his way through the knee-high snow outside the castle. It didn’t just hurt his feet but also pretty much all of his skin since he wasn’t dressed for being outside at all, wearing only a thin shirt and pants that he’d been sleeping in. Not to mention the sword wound in his waist and the quite deep slice across his thigh… those hurt even more than the cold snow did, but despite the bleeding and the pain, he needed to get as far away from the castle as possible since he didn’t have anything to defend himself with anymore, and he didn’t want to risk anyone hearing Yewang’s cries. The little boy must have been cold as well since he kept crying despite Minseo’s effort to wrap the small blanket tighter around him.

“Shh, sweety, it’ll be alright…” Minseo tried to shush him, but Yewang kept crying, though maybe a little less loudly. Minseo continued to limp further away from the dark castle walls, but he could still hear the commotion going on on the other side… He still worried for Yunseong, considering four men had seemingly managed to get past him and reach their chambers and attack Minseo, but Benner hadn’t said anything about Yunseong, which gave Minseo some hope that Yunseong had just gone to another part of the castle and not seen the four crows passing him. Because if not…

“Find him! How hard can it be to find that bastard prince and his bastard baby?!” Minseo heard a man yell, prompting him to hurry up and get further away from the castle wall, though, much to his dismay, he could see that he had not only left a clear path through the snow where he’d been walking but also a small trail of blood coming from the wound on his leg… but regardless, he kept going, trying to reach the small wooded area just south of Castle Black. However, the further he walked, the harder it got, and he lost more and more blood, which eventually made him dizzy and forced him to slow down. He managed to reach one of the first trees in the small wooded area and slumped down next to it before leaning his back against the tree trunk, hugging Yewang closer to his body in an attempt to keep him warm.

“Shh… you’ll be fine, I promise… I won’t let them get to you,” Minseo mumbled against the top of Yewang’s head while still trying to wrap the blanket around the baby as well as he could. Yewang was still somewhat upset, but he had stopped crying and was mostly just fussy at the moments, for which Minseo was thankful, but that also meant that he became more aware of his own discomfort and the pain coming from both of his wounds… He groaned as he tried to slow down the bleeding on his thigh by pressing his palm over it, but all that did was make the blood seep around the sides of his hand before running down his legs, and it did hurt quite a lot more than before, so he stopped. “I’m sorry, baby, I’m sorry,” Minseo mumbled again as Yewang squirmed in his arms, probably because he was cold or because it was uncomfortable being wrapped so tightly in the blanket.

“Search outside, you useless bastards! He couldn’t have gotten far!” The same man Minseo had heard yell earlier yelled again, and his voice echoed over the vast and empty snowy plains. Minseo couldn’t really see the castle walls anymore, only the light from the torches and their reflections against the huge ice wall next to the castle. Minseo hoped that all the snow that was still falling from the sky would cover up his tracks, but he feared the crows would find the tracks before the snow would cover them up… so Minseo tried to stand up again, only to stumble to his side as his wounded leg no longer could hold his weight, forcing him to sit back down against the tree again.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry…” He kept mumbling, not entirely sure who he tried to apologize to, but he just kept doing it as he felt his eyelids get heavier and heavier. The cold didn’t really bother him anymore, and it seemed to dull his pain as well, as he could barely feel his leg anymore, though the wound on his side still hurt somewhat. His head was about to lull to the side several times, but every time, he jerked back up slightly, trying to stay awake, but the longer he sat there, the harder it got to stay awake… It sounded like muffled voices in the distance, but his vision had become so blurry that he couldn’t really see much more than the snow slowly falling from the sky. There was some sort of commotion somewhere out in the snow, but Yewang seemed to react more to it than Minseo did, and it was only when someone came closer to where they were that Minseo tried to straighten himself up and get away. “Don’t, please! Don’t hurt him…” He said, trying to shield Yewang from whoever was approaching, but when the person finally reached him, Minseo actually recognized him. “Woonhak…?”

“I’m here, my prince, come on!” Woonhak said. He placed his bloodied sword back in its holster before kneeling down to try and get Minseo to stand up, but the prince just yelped as Woonhak accidentally touched the wound on his side.

“Please, just take him…” Minseo mumbled, trying to get Woonhak to take Yewang, but the crow gently pushed the baby back toward Minseo.

“No, I’m getting you both out of here! I’m not leaving you behind!” Woonhak said, again trying to help Minseo stand, but the prince was unable to and just weakly tried to grab onto Woonhak’s coat.

“Woonhak… take him and go… please!” Minseo blinked away the tears that had started to fall from his eyes, further worsening his sight, but Woonhak still didn’t seem to want to give up on him.

“Minseo, come on! I have my horse right here; just help me get you standing up, and then I can lift both you and Yewang up into the saddle, please Minseo, don’t gi-“

“I won’t make it, and you know it!” Minseo interrupted the other. The wound on his thigh was still bleeding quite badly, despite Minseo not really feeling it anymore, but the wound on his side still hurt, and they were both bad enough on their own but combined… “Please just save my son and get out of here before they hurt him too…” The prince pleaded. “Take him to Winterfell, take him to safety…”

“But, my princ-“

“Please, Woonhak, I beg you…” By now, Woonhak felt his own tears starting to fall, and he also heard people approaching from the direction of the castle. “Save my son…” Minseo’s pleading eyes hurt Woonhak more than any blade or bruise ever had, but as much as it hurt him to even think of leaving the prince there in the snow, he knew the younger was right; he wouldn’t even survive the ride to the castle closest to Castle Black… his wounds were too severe…

“Okay… I…” Minseo was barely able to hold up Yewang anymore, so Woonhak had to finally take him from the prince’s arms. “I promise; I’ll take him to Winterfell! I’ll give my life for his if need be, I promise!” Woonhak sobbed, but Minseo just gave him a weak smile.

“Thank you…” He whispered before placing a kiss on top of Yewang’s head. He then squeezed Woonhak’s arm one more time before letting go and letting his hand fall back onto the ground beside him. They both heard more people approaching, undoubtedly the mutineer crows, and it made Woonhak have to hurry up, but not before looking back at Minseo one more time.

“I’m sorry I failed you, my prince…” He said.

“You could never fail me, Woonhak… this is not your fault…” Minseo gave him another weak smile before Woonhak finally got up into his horse’s saddle and rode off into the snowy night. Minseo took, with some struggle, a deep breath before leaning his head back against the tree. He heard the men coming closer, but he also heard something else, something bigger, coming from behind him with heavy steps in the snow and a grunting, growling sound not that much unlike the one of a direwolf… but this was no direwolf…

“There!” Minseo heard someone say, and that was followed by several other voices getting closer, as well as the light from a handful of torches. “Found you, you bastard!” The same man said once he spotted Minseo lying against the tree. The other men laughed, and then the man who had spoken pointed his sword straight at Minseo. “How do you want to die? Screaming like you’re useless soldiers or fighting back like your bastard husband did?” Minseo had known, somewhere deep down, that the treasonous crows had already done something to Yunseong, but having it basically confirmed still made his heart clench…

“You won’t kill me… you won’t get the chance to,” Minseo said, voice still very weak, but the men still heard him and started laughing again.

“Oh yeah? Because you’re going to kill us first, is that it?” The man closest to Minseo chuckled.

“No… but she will…” Minseo said before letting his eyes roll to the back of his head, leaving just the white part of them showing, but before the men could question him, they heard a low growl coming from amongst the trees behind the prince, and none of them moved as a huge white snow bear that could easily reach 13 feet tall when stood on its hind legs. Her eyes were the same white clouded color as Minseo’s, but neither of the men before her knew what that meant; all they could focus on was the sheer size of the bear and the fact that she was making her way toward them… It was like the men were frozen to the ground, unable to make a single move as the bear came closer and closer, and by the time the first men regained some sense, it was already too late for them. The bear stood up, bearing her teeth and slicing her sharp claws through their bodies like they were nothing but thin papers. She bit the head of one man before ripping out the guts of another one, and none of them even managed to give her a scratch. She bit, clawed, and ripped them all apart before finally turning to the first man she’d struck to the ground. He was still alive, but only barely, trying to crawl away from her, but before he could, she placed her huge paw over the back of his neck and ever so slowly pushed her sharp claws into his throat. Once she lifted her paw again, the man was dead, just like all the others, and then her eyes turned back to their normal blue color again, and as they did, Minseo’s eyes turned back to their usual brown color as well. “Thank you…” He whispered, reaching out his hand to place it on the bear’s nose, and she gently nudged his palm. Then Minseo slowly pulled his hand back again before leaning his head back against the tree again, finally taking a deep breath and closing his eyes… because now he knew for sure his son would be safe…

Chapter Text

Hunter jolted awake, sweat running down his temples, and he was shaking like a leaf in the wind…

“Minseo…?!” His breathing was labored, and he wished that what he’d supposedly just seen was nothing more than a nightmare, but Hunter had come to learn that his dreams were never just nightmares… “Yujun, wake up!” Hunter jumped off his bed and went over to his brother’s bed to shake him awake.

“Huh? What is it…?” Yujun groaned. He’d not gone to sleep until much later than Hunter the night before since he’d rather not have to talk to his brother again so soon since they would probably just end up arguing again. So now, when Hunter woke him up relatively early, he wasn’t just tired but also very confused, which both quite quickly turned into worry… “Hunter?! What’s happened?” Yujun stood up from his bed as he watched the younger hurriedly put on his other coat before heading toward the door.

“It’s Minseo…” Hunter said, briefly looking back at his brother before disappearing out through the door, prompting Yujun to follow him. Yujun threw his own coat over his shoulders before running after Hunter, catching up with him further down the corridor.

“What do you mean ‘it’s Minseo’? Dad and the others are on their way there right now, so what could possibly have happened?” Yujun questioned. Hunter didn’t seem to want to stop walking, which prompted Yujun to continue to follow him all the way to the great hall.

“It’s just… I don’t know… I just…” Hunter didn’t really form any coherent sentences, so Yujun made the younger stop just inside the huge doors to the great hall and turned him to face him.

“Hunter! What did you see…?” Yujun asked firmly. He placed his hands on each side of his brother’s face and made the younger look at him, but Hunter didn’t say anything for a long time and just continued to breathe heavily as if he’d been running for a long time. Eventually, he mumbled something, trying to look away from Yujun, but the elder made him stay where he was. “Hunter…” Yujun said again, much softer and less loud this time, and then, finally, Hunter took a deep breath and closed his eyes before speaking.

“I saw him die…” Hunter said, opening his eyes again, and now tears started to run down his cheeks.

“But… that doesn’t have to mean it happened… right? You said you saw Baekseung die as well, but he didn’t! So what if it is just the same with Minseo? Like a warning or something?” Yujun said, thinking back to Hunter's vision of their triplet brother on the ship in The Gullet.

“It didn’t feel like a warning…” Hunter mumbled. Yujun let go of him, and Hunter took a step back and away from him just as Doyoung came into the great hall.

“My princes, you’re up early… has something happened…?” The elderly knight asked, looking between the two princes.

“Hunter said he saw Minseo…” Yujun said, and if Doyoung hadn’t been aware of the youngest Stark prince’s visions and dreams, he would have assumed that the eldest prince might have come to Winterfell, but now… Now, what Yujun had just said only made Doyoung worried.

“What did you see?” Doyoung asked, walking up to Hunter, but the latter backed away again, seemingly wary of people being near him, almost as if he’d been the one something had happened to…

“They attacked them during the night…” Hunter said, barely above a whisper.

“Who? Who attacked them?”

“The crows…” Hunter looked up to meet Doyoung’s eyes before blinking away his tears. “They hurt him…”

- - - -

“I would assume that if Hunter isn’t allowed to leave Winterfell until your parents return, I don’t think you would be either…” Junmin said. He teasingly tugged at the blond hair at the back of Minjae’s head as the elder lay with his face buried in the side of Junmin’s neck. He felt Minjae smile against his skin and place a kiss there before lifting his head to look Junmin in the eyes.

“Hunter isn’t allowed to leave yet because he’s going to Dorne; that is not the same as going to Deepwood Motte,” Minjae answered. “And besides, your grandparents are going back there, so I’m sure no one would mind if we went with them. Except, perhaps, them,” Minjae added, which made Junmin let out a small chuckle.

“Oh no, I’m sure they’ll be perfectly happy having to look after the heir to the North and his very well-managed temper,” Junmin said sarcastically, earning a slap on the arm and an eye roll from Minjae.

“I’m not that bad…” Minjae sighed before rolling to the side and resting his head on the pillow instead. Junmin just laughed at him before sitting up and leaning on his elbow while running his other hand up Minjae’s chest and tilting the elder’s head back toward himself.

“That usually depends on who or what is the cause of your displeasure,” He chuckled before leaning down and kissing the elder.

“You never are, so I think everyone else will be just fine as long as I’m with you,” Minjae said, giving Junmin a teasing smile.

“You’re such a horrible romantic, you know that?” Junmin chuckled and shook his head while Minjae also sat up.

“What was wrong with that? It’s the truth!” He complained, but the younger just kept laughing at him. Junmin was about to say something else when they heard some sort of commotion and muffled voices coming from outside the door to Minjae’s chambers, which prompted them to share a look before standing up from the bed. Minjae just pulled on a pair of pants, not bothering with a shirt, before walking over to the door and opening it. Junmin put on both his pants and his shirt before he, too, walked over to the door and followed Minjae out into the corridor. “What’s going on?” Minjae questioned the two guards standing outside before looking over at the additional two guards who seemed to have just joined them.

“Ser Doyoung has ordered higher security and doubled the guards on duty, my prince,” One of the men answered.

“Why?” Minjae raised an eyebrow.

“He didn’t not say, my prince. But he’s ordered you all to stay in your chambers for now until he says otherwise,” The man said. Minjae looked back at Junmin with a concerned look before facing the guards again.

“And what of my brothers?” Minjae questioned.

“They were all given the same order, my prince. Ser Doyoung said you are all to stay within the castle walls, preferably in your chambers,” The guard bowed his head as he was done talking, and then all four guards stationed themselves by the door, two on either side. Minjae remained in the doorway for a few more seconds before deciding not to argue with the guards and just stay in his chambers, so he closed the door once again.

“What is going on…?” Junmin looked worried, but Minjae assumed it was just some minor incident in the little village nearby or something, so he just shrugged his shoulders.

“I don’t know… probably nothing. Doyoung’s always so overly concerned about everything,” The crown prince answered, and Junmin just nodded, both completely unaware of what might have actually happened…

- - - -

“My sons are my legacy! My sons are my heirs, crown prince or not!” Taesan screamed, rushing past everyone and straight out of the great hall of the castle in Last Hearth. Leehan hadn’t said a word since Sungho had entered the hall abruptly, shortly followed by a completely worn-out Woonhak holding a little baby in a bloody blanket. None of the people present in the great hall wanted to believe what the crow had just told them, and Taesan had been the first to even give any sort of verbal reaction beyond just gasps or shocked looks.

“Taesan… you can’t just march up there, it’s not saf-“ Gyuvin tried to say, but Taesan wasn’t having it.

“I am not sitting here while my son and his husband are being slaughtered by their own sworn men! I don’t care if you think it’s unsafe to go there! I am the king, and I’ll burn every single one of those fucking crows if I have to!” Taesan yelled. “But I refuse to believe that Minseo is…” Taesan trailed off a little, fighting his own emotions and tears that threatened to fall. “I won’t believe it before I see it for myself!” He finally said, turning back around again and leaving the castle.

“You should go with him,” Ricky whispered to Gyuvin, and the latter nodded before following Taesan outside. Leehan surprised everyone by standing up and starting to walk towards Woonhak, who was still holding the baby.

“Leehan…?” Sungho tried to reach for the younger, but Leehan just pulled his hand away. He didn’t say anything and just reached for the little boy, and Woonhak handed him over at once. The boy had been crying quietly ever since he’d been brought there, but as soon as Leehan took him from Woonhak, he stopped.

“Ȳdra daor sagon zūgagon, byka mēre… Iksā ȳgha sir…” (Don't be afraid, little one... you are safe now…) Leehan whispered as he held the boy close, gently rocking him in his arms. Leehan then looked up at Sungho, who had barely moved at all since he’d brought Woonhak into the great hall and heard what the crow had said, but now, he met Leehan’s eyes. “End them… end them all…” Leehan said, and even though Sungho had never been one to actively seek out violence, all he wanted to do now was end every single one of the crows at Castle Black…

Chapter Text

Baekseung rubbed the sleep out of his eyes before standing up from the bed. Jaeho was crying, and Keum didn’t seem to have woken up from it yet, and Baekseung wanted it to stay that way so the elder could get some sleep for once. So he made his way over to their son’s crib and picked him up.

“What’s the matter, buddy?” He hummed quietly, trying to rock Jaeho to soothe him, and it actually seemed to work. Jaeho quieted down again and then just looked up at his dad with his huge brown eyes. Baekseung ran his hand gently over the baby’s head before also placing a kiss on his forehead. He was about to lower Jaeho back down into the crib when the boy started squirming in his arms and seemingly trying not to be left alone again. “Alright, alright, I won’t leave you…” Baekseung chuckled lightly when Jaeho let out a small cry; he brought the boy back up against his chest before walking back over to his and Keum’s bed. Keum seemed to have woken up despite Baekseung’s effort to be as quiet as possible, and now he was smiling tiredly as Baekseung sat back down beside him.

“Did he wake you?” Keum asked, voice thick with sleep still.

“Yeah, but I think he just didn’t want to sleep alone,” Baekseung answered, carefully lying down while still holding Jaeho.

“Sounds like someone I already know,” Keum teased, which made Baekseung roll his eyes.

“He might have my unusual hair colors, but I hope he turns out more like you than me when it comes to behavior,” Baekseung said. “Everyone says I’m very much like my dad and somewhat like Minjae, and that doesn’t really seem to be a good family trait…”

“I think your dad is a great man and a great king, just like your grandfather was, and hopefully, Minjae will be the same. You, Starks, are loyal and always put those you love first; I want our son to be like that as well, considering that is probably the only reason why I’m even here right now and not married off to some old lord of some rundown castle,” Keum smiled, leaning on his elbow so he could kiss Baekseung on the cheek and Jaeho on the top of the head.

“My grandfather was a great king; on that, I can agree with you, but both my dad and my brother are too emotionally driven, and that isn’t really a good characteristic for a king… Acting first and thinking later, more often than not, leads to nothing but chaos and dire consequences…” Baekseung sighed. He carefully moved one hand so he could take Keum’s without waking Jaeho up, as the boy had finally fallen back asleep. He squeezed Keum’s hand before pulling it up to his face and kissing the top of it.

“The blood of the dragon may run hot through your veins, but you are still part of the same cold northerners all the Starks have always been, and that’s gotta have at least some dampening effect on your hot-headed Targaryen inheritance…” Keum said once Baekseung looked back up again, but the younger didn’t say anything in return this time and just gave Keum a small smile.

- - - -

They reached Castle Black at the break of day, the sun rising above the horizon and casting a warm light over the otherwise dark and cold castle… At first, the castle looked to be empty, but the closer they got, the more signs of life they spotted. A handful of crows stood up on top of the wall surrounding the castle, but they were quickly shot down by the order of Taesan or fled back behind the walls and out of sight. It didn’t take long for the king’s guard to break down the gates and force their way into the courtyard. A few crows met them there and tried to attack them, but they were no match for the guards, who had had years of training, compared to the thieves and scumbags that were these crows.

“Seach the castle! Find your prince!” Taesan ordered the guards, and they all spread out, searching for Minseo.

“Woonhak said he escaped the castle, so I don’t think he’s in here…” Sungho said. He walked up to stand beside Taesan, both surprisingly calm considering their earlier anger, but they were both quite stunned by the condition of Castle Black… There were clear signs of fighting as both blood and dead crows lay everywhere, and to Taesan’s eyes, it looked like the crows had been fighting each other… most likely taking a side, either with or against their Lord Commander.

“Your Grace!” One of the guards called for Taesan, prompting the king to head over in that direction. Sungho followed him but quickly regretted it as he saw what it was that the guards had found.

“Cut him down… gently!” Taesan said, watching as his men carefully took Yunseong down from where the traitorous crows had hung him. It was a worse fate than beheading, but Taesan feared that it had been the crows’ intention to inflict pain and suffering before ending their Lord Commander’s life… However, he was glad that there weren’t that many other injuries on Yunseong’s body, which gave Taesan some hope that the young man hadn’t suffered all too much…

“Any sign of Minseo…?” Sungho asked. He was unable to watch as the guards took Yunseong down. Instead, he looked back toward the gates before looking up toward where he knew the sleeping quarters were.

“No, Ser. We’ve found no trace of the prince or where he might have gone…” The guard answered.

“Then search harder!” Taesan snapped, startling the guard, who gave a quick bow to Taesan before running off to do what his king had told him.

“Outside the walls…” Sungho murmured, prompting Taesan to turn to face him.

“Huh?” The king took a few steps closer to Sungho in order to head him better.

“He has to be outside the walls… that’s where Woonhak said he left him…” Sungho repeated, a little louder this time. Taesan clenched his teeth and remained quiet for a while before pressing his lips into a thin line.

“Come on then…” He then said, walking past Sungho and over toward the gates. The knight looked up and watched Taesan walk for a bit before he, too, started walking. A handful of guards tried to follow them, but Taesan raised his hand, gesturing for them to stay, so they did. He and Sungho walked alone outside the walls of Castle Black. All the way from the big gates on the west side, close to the huge ice wall looming over them, and all the way around the castle to the much smaller, barely ever used, gate on the east side. The snow looked to be undisturbed, at least at first… but Sungho got the urge to run his fingers over the edge of the gate, so he did, and when the snow came off, as did something else…

“Taesan…” Sungho said, watching his own hand for a few seconds before looking up to meet Taesan’s eyes. The younger looked confused at first, but when Sungho gestured toward his hand, Taesan looked down and saw what looked to be blood on the tips of Sungho’s fingers. It wasn’t fresh, but the snow melting against the skin of Sungho’s hand had made the blood on the gate rub off. Taesan was about to say something but was interrupted by a low growl from behind him that made him turn around, and it made Sungho look up. They saw a huge white bear walking in the distance. It was bigger than any other animal they’d ever seen, or at least what they’d been willing to believe they’d seen, and it growled again as neither Taesan nor Sungho moved away. “It’s a snow bear…” Sungho said in disbelief.

“I thought they lived only beyond the wall…” Taesan murmured in order not to irritate the bear further as it already seemed quite hostile.

“Not all of them do…” Taesan and Sungho both turned their heads around as they heard Leehan’s voice from behind them. The younger Stark walked past Sungho and was about to walk past Taesan as well, but the latter reached out his hand to stop him.

“Don’t…” Taesan whispered, glancing over at the bear before looking at Leehan again.

“She won’t hurt me…” Leehan answered simply before prying his arm out of his husband’s grip and starting to walk toward the bear again. She growled lowly for a third time, but as Leehan got closer, she didn’t seem as hostile anymore and even started walking out of the way, revealing a small patch of trees in the distance. Leehan continued to walk, and both Taesan and Sungho followed them, only for the three of them to finally find what they’d been looking for…

- - - -

No parent should have to bury their child… and yet here they were… After finding Minseo under that tree… in the snow… Taesan had marched straight back into Castle Black and put the whole castle to the torch while Sungho had struck down any and all of the crows that had tried to escape it. Neither cared if the crows had been traitors or actually loyal to their Lord Commander; they met the same fate all the same… screaming… but not worse than what Leehan had done when they’d actually found Minseo… that would haunt both Taesan and Sungho for as long as they lived…

“Iksan vaoreznuni īlon gōntan daor mīsagon ao…” (I’m sorry we couldn’t protect you…) Leehan mumbled as he knelt down in the snow in front of the pyre they’d built for Minseo and Yunseong. They had brought them both back to Winterfell so their ashes could be buried beside all of the other Starks down in the crypts. But Leehan didn’t actually want that… he didn’t want to bury his son or burn his body; all he wanted was for his boy, his first boy, to be back… to be safe here in Winterfell and far away from those who’d done him harm… but he knew he couldn’t change what had happened… no one could…

“The North isn’t as safe as it used to be…” Doyoung said, though Sungho wasn’t sure if he was talking to him, to someone else, or just to himself, but he answered nonetheless.

“The North is the safest place in all of Westeros…” He said, but he didn’t tear his eyes away from the pyre that was now burning before them.

“It might have been once… but I’m not so sure anymore…” Doyoung murmured, glancing over at the Stark boys standing to their side. All five of them deeply mourned their brother, neither having ever expected sure a thing to even be possible, and even if Hunter had gotten the vision of Minseo dying, it had been too late for anyone to do anything…

Chapter Text

“You can’t possibly think that it is still a good idea to send Hunter to Dorne…!” Taesan groaned. “We need our children here! Where we know that they are safe!”

“And what if the North isn’t safe anymore?!” Leehan yelled back. “Sungho told me that Doyoung said something about the North not being safe anymore, and despite how farfetched that now may sound to you, I think there’s something about it! We’ve overlooked it for so long and only focused on ourselves that we don’t even know our own people anymore! Doyoung might be quite old for being a knight, but his head is still as clear as day, and father trusted him! And if he did, so do I!”

“I never said Doyoung was wrong! But do you really want to send Hunter away when we’ve just lost Minseo…?” Taesan said, a little calmer now.

“Dorne would be safer for him… and then we wouldn’t have to worry about him because the Martells would never risk Hunter’s safety, considering their own kingdom still depends on the help from ours!” Leehan sighed and walked over to where he’d put Yewang to sleep earlier, but due to his and Taesan’s arguing, the little boy had woken up again and was now crying.

“So your solution is to send our children away?” Taesan raised an eyebrow.

“No… I never said anything about Minjae, Sumin, Baekseung, or Yujun! But Hunter would be safer in Dorne, and besides, we can’t break up their betrothal now… then we wouldn’t have the support of Dorne when we eventually need it…” Leehan’s answer prompted Taesan to let out another groan before sighing as well.

“I guess you’re right… we do need them…” Taesan eventually said. He ran his hand through his hair before walking over to Leehan, who was now holding Yewang. They stood in silence for a while, and only Yewang’s quiet cries could be heard before he eventually quieted back down just as there was a knock on the door. “Enter,” Taesan said, not bothering to look over to see who it was.

“Keum said we could take Yewang if you want to. He thought it might be better if he got to stay with Jaeho and have someone close to him all the time…” Baekseung said. The sound of their own son’s voice made Leehan look up and give Baekseung a small smile, but Taesan kept his eyes on Yewang.

“That sounds like a good idea if it’s not too much for you?” Leehan answered.

“We’ll manage, I think,” Baekseung chuckled before Leehan carefully handed Yewang over to him. “If you could handle all of us: me, Yujun, and Hunter being triplets at that, I think we could handle two,” He added, giving his parents a small smile, which they both returned, though Taesan still didn’t say anything. Baekseung bid them both goodnight before taking Yewang to his and Keum’s chambers, leaving Taesan and Leehan alone once again.

“How’s Sungho doing…?” Taesan asked after a short while, prompting Leehan to look at him, slightly confused.

“Have you not spoken to him?” The younger questioned.

“No, not since… uhm, you know…” Taesan answered, unable to bring up either what went down back at Castle Black or when they had Yunseong and Minseo’s funeral.

“Maybe you should…” Leehan murmured as he pulled Taesan into a hug, sensing the elder’s anxiety; despite their argument only moments ago, Leehan couldn’t help but want to comfort Taesan the best he could. “He’s not really talking to me about it, and mostly just changes the subject when I try to bring it up…”

“Then he surely won’t talk to me about it…” Taesan pointed out, leaning his forehead against Leehan’s shoulder.

“You should at least try…”

- - - -

Even though sorrow and mourning seemingly ruled over Winterfell for the last few weeks, Hanbin hadn’t forgotten his previous discovery, and despite everyone’s uncertainty about it, Hanbin stood by his claim that the maester at least had something to do with the death of Jake. Hao wanted them to go back to Deepwood Motte since their son, Gunwook, and his family, apart from Junmin, was still there, but Hanbin was reluctant to leave Winterfell while the maester was still walking free without having been confronted with the allegations.

“We need to call for a hearing, though I think we surely could go straight for a trial!” Hanbin said, prompting Hao to let out another sigh.

“If you’re going to accuse the maester of Winterfell, I think you’ll at least need to inform Taesan about it,” Hao answered.

“Leehan already knows, and that is enough for me! Besides, they are both too distraught to take part in a hearing or a trial right now, and I won’t force them to! We have high enough positions to call for a hearing without the king’s presence, and I have enough evidence against the maester to bring forth a trial ending with his conviction,” Hanbin argued. He stood up from his chair before walking toward the door. “And once we’re done, we can go back home knowing that old man won’t hurt any other of the Starks,”

“And what will you do with the man once you’ve sentenced him? There is no more Night’s Watch… Taesan burnt it, and the whole of Castle Black to hell! And you don’t have the authority to sentence a maester to death in times of peace without the king’s consent…” Hao stood up as well and followed his husband to the door and into the corridor.

“I’m sure Taesan will sentence him once he learns what the trial brings forth,” Hanbin assured his husband, but Hao was still unsure of the whole thing.

“And what if you’re wrong…? Or what if whoever paid the maester to do what you say he did comes for us? The maester is an old man with very little to lose, but those who ordered him to kill Jake may not be, and if the maester tells you who hired him, what will those people do to us once they learn that the maester was caught…?” Hao made Hanbin stop walking by grabbing his arm.

“Whomever it is, we will beat them too! Once Taesan learns who it is, I’m certain that they will share the same fate as those treasonous crows at Castle Black did!” Hanbin said, putting an end to their conversation by walking away again.

- - - -

“Taesan…” Gyuvin stopped the king in the corridor as he’d been waiting for the younger to exit the room for the day. The sun had barely risen above the horizon, but Taesan had been unable to sleep more than a couple of hours, as he had for the last few weeks.

“Gyuvin…” Taesan answered, not caring for either formalities or proper greetings since Gyuvin hadn’t either. They were good friends, so there was no need for it either.

“We need to come to an agreement on a few things considering what’s happened…” Gyuvin said, knowing fully well he was pushing Taesan far too soon and would most likely receive a punch or at least scream in return, but much to his surprise, Taesan just closed his eyes and sighed.

“You mean our sons’ marriage?” Taesan asked, and Gyuvin nodded.

“Not just Sumin and Jinsik, though, but Minjae and Junmin as well,” He answered. “They might not be political or beneficial for the North in the case of war, but at least it assures outsiders that we Northerners are strong together, and it allows both your sons to marry someone they want,” Taesan opened his eyes again and looked over at his friend, the Hand of the King, and slowly nodded.

“I guess you’re right… I do want them to be able to marry someone of their own choosing…” Taesan said, and it was true. He wanted his sons to marry whomever they wanted and not be forced to marry someone for other reasons, which was why he also was so against Hunter marrying Seeun, at least at first, before he learned that it was actually what his youngest son wanted.

“We better hurry up, though, before other mishaps might force you to marry them to someone else for either power or lands…” Gyuvin pointed out, and Taesan knew that it was also true. Both Minjae and Sumin had long since become adults, and even though Taesan had ignored every and all letters, even hinting at marriage proposals, he knew they would only keep coming since his sons were princes and highly sought after for that very reason… “And it’s better for your house that more of your sons will start having children since it will strengthen the Stark name,”

“Yeah, okay…” Taesan sighed. “Though, I wonder, do you not want your only son’s children to take his name and not my son’s?” Taesan questioned.

“In case you haven’t noticed, I’m not one to care about family names or position. I just want Jinsik to be happy,” Gyuvin gave his friend a smile, which Taesan returned.

“There should be more people like you in Westeros, Gyuvin. Everyone would benefit from that,” Taesan said before turning more serious again. “Send word to Gunwook and summon them here and prepare whatever’s needed for a small and quick wedding for both Minjae and Junmin as well as Sumin and Jinsik. But I don’t want to put them through huge celebrations so soon after their brother’s death… so no big parties!” Gyuvin nodded before leaving Taesan alone in the corridor once again. Taesan himself remained there for a while, not really doing anything but staring out of the window before finally taking a deep breath and continuing to walk to Sungho’s chambers, which had been his initial intention before Gyuvin had stopped. Once there, he knocked on the door but received no answer, which he knew wasn’t out of the ordinary since Sungho was seldom in his chambers, but Taesan had thought this would have been an exception since neither of them had been able to do even the smallest of things since what had happened at Castle Black.

“He’s not there, my king,” One of the guards made Taesan jump slightly as he’d not been prepared for anyone speaking behind him. “I’m sorry, my king! It was not my intention to scare you,” The man added.

“You didn’t,” Taesan answered, despite having just jumped in surprise. “Where is he, though? If he’s not in his chambers,” The king added.

“Ser Sungho went out before daybreak, my king, though I do not know where he went…” The guard answered before bowing his head and walking off. Taesan let out what felt like the hundredth sigh that morning alone before deciding to look for Sungho another time and instead go to look for either Minjae or Sumin to inform them he’d just decided to have them marry their respective betrothed in the near future.

Chapter Text

Marrying not one but two Stark princes in such a short amount of time, without even inviting the major houses in the North, may not have been as strengthening as Taesan had thought. Many of these, on their own quite small and inferior houses, lords, and ladies, became rather petty when they brought their old beliefs together and, like most northerners, were rather stubborn when it came to admitting they were wrong or changing their minds to accommodate their new, rather young, king… Not to mention that one of the princes who were married without a formal invitation was the crown prince of the North, which some houses viewed as an ever bigger insult: not being invited to see their future king get married.

“It had to be done, and you know it…” Taesan sighed, and to which Gyuvin nodded. Minjae and Junmin’s wedding had taken place the day before, and Sumin and Jinsik’s about a week before that.

“It’s for the better, and now two, technically three, of the biggest houses are formally and unbreakably tied to your house,” Gyuvin said, which actually made Taesan smile a little.

“Not that I would have doubted either of you anyway, but it’s good to know that you point out the unbreakable part, considering that if House Stark goes to hell, so does House Umber, House Glover, and House Blackwood now as well,” The king chuckled half-heartedly, prompting Gyuvin to do the same.

“Neither of our houses is going to hell, Taesan. Though we still need to figure out where The Vale and House Arryn stands in all this…” The younger said.

“I might have an idea for that, though I don’t like it, nor do I think anyone else will…” Taesan answered just as someone knocked on the door. “Were you expecting someone?” Taesan raised an eyebrow, but Gyuvin shook his head.

“No…” Gyuvin said before standing up from the table. “Enter,” He called out, doing so since this was his Hand of the King courters. The door was opened by one of the guards, but the man just bowed his head before taking a step to the side, revealing a rather tired-looking Sungho.

“I heard you were looking for me…” Sungho said, barely meeting Taesan’s eyes as he spoke.

“Over a week ago, yeah… where have you been?” Taesan questioned. He wasn’t angry; he was just worried since Sungho had disappeared without as much as a word and only just now came back out of nowhere. Not even Leehan knew where he’d gone…

“I just needed some time alone; I’m sorry, Your Grace… I should have told you,” Sungho answered, and the use of the formal title when addressing Taesan made the latter quite uncomfortable since Sungho only used it when they were in public and not in front of people they knew and trusted, like Gyuvin. Even the Umber lord raised an eyebrow at the formality Sungho had used, but he didn’t comment on it.

“I’ll leave you to it…” Gyuvin said. Taesan was about to argue since this was Gyuvin’s room, but the latter just shook his head. “I have other things to tend to; I don’t need my room right now,” He added before walking past Sungho and leaving the room, closing the door behind him.

“Okay… I figured you needed some time, but I’m glad you're bac-“ Taesan said, but he didn’t get to finish his sentence as Sungho interrupted him.

“I want to return to Greywater Watch, Your Grace… to be with my family, my brothers,” Sungho said. Taesan didn’t answer him at once and could only stare at the elder for a few seconds before finally taking a deep breath.

“We are your family, Sungho… Just because Minseo isn’t… you know… doesn’t mean we’ll treat you any differently! You’re still one of, if not the most important person to mine and Leehan’s sons other than their own blood,” Taesan said, trying to reach his hand out toward Sungho, but the elder backed away.

“I’m sorry, Your Grace, but I want to be with my own blood, too. I haven’t seen my brothers, apart from Doyoung, in several years, with only a few minor exceptions in which I was too occupied with my duties to your family to have the time to spend time with my own-“

“You swore an oath to my father; to serve House Stark until the day you die, and you swore to serve me when I succeeded my father as king, as well as when Minjae will succeed me! But that doesn’t change the fact that I don’t want you to leave either! We need you here, the boys need you… Leehan needs you…” Taesan had to clench his fist in order to calm himself down and not do or say something stupid. He wasn’t angry with Sungho, nor did he want to make the elder feel worse than he probably already did, but he didn’t want him to leave!

“They have you and each other,” Sungho answered. “And their newly joined houses, I’ve heard…” He added. “So I ask of you, as my king, to release me from my oath and let me return to my family… something I should have done over 20 years ago…”

“I don’t…” Taesan mumbled, looking at Sungho with wide eyes. He’d never even imagined that the elder would ask such a thing, and even if Taesan was able to, and as king, being the only one able to, he still didn’t want to release Sungho from that oath since it seemed to be the only thing keeping him here… “I can’t…”

“Yes, you can… please, I beg you…”

“I can’t without speaking with Leehan first-“

“Yes, you can! You don’t need to speak to him about it because you know as well as I do that he’ll never let me leave or let you release me from that oath! I ask this of you because you’re my king, and I don’t want to break my oath, forcing you to declare me a traitor because of it! Because that would hurt Leehan and your children even more than just seeing me return to my home…” Sungho interrupted Taesan once again, but this time, he made sure to make his point very clear.

“You’re part of our family, Sungho! He won’t let you leave because he doesn’t want you to, and neither do I…!” Taesan said. “Sungho, please…”

“I can’t stay here, Taesan, I just can’t…” The elder answered, and Taesan could now see just how much he was trying to fight back the tears threatening to fall from his eyes. And maybe Sungho didn’t actually want to leave, but being here, around everyone that just reminded him of Minseo, might just not be something he could handle…

“Okay… I, uhm…” Taesan started but had to stop and clear his throat before continuing… “I, Taesan Stark, The King in the North, hereby release you, Ser Sungho, from the oath you swore to my family. I’ll let you return to your home, reclaim your previous title as a lord, and take back your family name if you so wish. I release you from this oath without any bad blood or other things that may cause you dishonor… you’re free to go, Sungho Reed…” Taesan eventually said, biting back his own tears.

“Thank you, my king…” Sungho answered, giving Taesan a bow before turning around and leaving the room and the king, alone once again…

- - - -

“My lords, I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re implying…” The maester said. He’d been summoned to the great hall by Hanbin and were now standing before him, his husband, and a handful of guards belonging to House Glover, which was Hao’s house and the one Hanbin had married into decades ago.

“It’s simple; you murdered your own king, either on your own accord or by the wishes of someone else, I presume the latter since I’ve never known you to have any hatred for Jake…” Hanbin said. “Though, I do wonder… why? Why poison your king only to resume your original duties and serve his sons and grandson like nothing ever happened?”

“I’m sworn to serve House Stark; I have been since before our current king was even born. So, you’re right; I had no hatred for our late king, nor did I do anything to cause him harm,” The maester answered.

“Liar! You were the only one with the knowledge and the opportunity to poison the king in the way you did! No other in this castle possessed that sort of knowledge about either the poison you used or had the opportunity to give it to him undetected!” Hanbin argued, prompting Hao to gently grab his arm so the former wouldn’t storm down to the maester.

“So is that your proof then? That I poisoned my king for… what purpose exactly?” The maester smiled a little, seeing Hanbin’s irritation.

“In fact, I do have proof…” Hanbin said, gesturing toward a guard standing by the doors to the great hall, and said guard turned to open the doors. The maester turned around only to see the youngest Stark prince enter the great hall. Hunter walked past the maester, not really looking at him, and walked all the way over to stand beside Hanbin.

“I’m sorry, my lord, but the word of young Prince Hunter won’t let you convict me of anything. Whatever the young prince may have seen in one of his visions can never be proven right…” The maester said.

“I didn’t see it in any vision…” Hunter said, but Hanbin gestured for him to stop in order not to drag the prince further into this than needed.

“You have a poison, an odorless, tasteless, and colorless poison that Hunter happened to see when he visited you a few months ago, and since I learned this, I’ve had the poison confiscated and tested, revealing that it is indeed the poison known as Tears of Lys,” Hanbin said and watched as the maester’s face fell.

“Do you happen to know why the young prince visited me to begin with? If not, I’m happy to tell you,” The maester said after a while, glaring at both Hanbin and Hunter. The latter looked somewhat worried, eyes flickering over at Hanbin, but the lord couldn’t care less about what the maester was trying to do.

“I don’t know, nor do I care to know. Whatever it was, it is the prince’s own business and no one else’s,” Hanbin answered, turning to give Hunter a small smile before looking back over at the maester. “So now, old man, you have two choices: tell me who ordered you to murder your king and why, or face the wrath of our current king, whom I’m quite sure would be delighted to execute you on the spot,”

“Regardless of what I tell you, Taesan Stark will burn me all the same, so just get on with it because I won’t tell you anything!” The old man snapped, prompting Hanbin to press his lips into a thin line…

“Alright then…” He said before gesturing for the guards to grab the maester. “Throw him in the dungeons! I’ll deal with him later…” The guards did as their lord had commanded them, and with the escort of a couple of guards sworn to House Stark, they took the maester, or rather, former maester, away.

“Lord Hanbin, I could tell you why I visited the maester if you want, but I would ask that it’ll be only you who heard it then…” Hunter said, turning to face the lord.

“There’s no need, Hunter. Whatever it was, I’m sure you’re perfectly fine handling it on your own without having me interfere. And, as I said, it’s your business and not anyone else’s,” Hanbin patted Hunter on the shoulder before giving the prince a smile. “Thank you for your help, though, without you, it would have been hard to convict him of the murder of your grandfather,”

“I’m happy to help! Grandpa didn’t deserve to die… and the man or men who murdered him shouldn’t be allowed to walk free and not face any punishment…” Hunter answered.

“They will,” Hanbin assured the prince. “I’ll make sure to bring everyone involved to the justice they deserve!”

Chapter Text

Yujun sat outside in the Godswood with both Kalea and Fury next to him. Both direwolves were starting to get quite old, much older than any regular wolf, but they were still around, though not as active as they’d been when they were young. Now, they spent most of their time in the Godswood, and Yujun had found himself spending more and more time with the wolves since they were pretty much the only ones who didn’t upset him in any way…

“Don’t chew on my bow, Fury…” Yujun sighed, pulling his bow away and out of reach from the direwolf, earning a low growl in return. Fury wasn’t angry, just grumpy, and he let out another low growl as Yujun ruffled the fur on top of his head just as he heard someone entering the Godswood, prompting both him and Fury to look up; Kalea, however, couldn’t even be bothered to look up since she already recognized the sound of the person’s steps approaching.

“I thought I’d find you here,” Leehan said as he walked over to sit down beside his son.

“I like it here; it’s quiet,” Yujun answered. He didn’t really look at his father as the latter sat down beside him, not caring at all that they were now both basically sitting in the snow.

“You didn’t like the silence of being alone before… You and Hunter were pretty much inseparable and always running around together, so why aren’t you with your brother now? I think it’d do you both good to have someone to talk to, someone you trust like only brothers could trust each other,” Leehan ran his hand gently over his son’s back, but Yujun made a move, which could be seen as a somewhat uncomfortable one, so Leehan pulled his hand away from him again.

“I don’t know… It’s just not the same anymore, I guess…” Yujun answered. He knew their father already knew that he didn’t like the fact that Hunter was going to marry Seeun, but he didn’t need to know what else bothered Yujun when it came to his younger brother… “And I don’t see why it would matter since Hunter is leaving soon anyways…” He added before standing up, but Leehan grabbed his arm before he could leave, and he stood up as well.

“Your brother wants this, Yujun… and he’ll be safe and happy in Dorne, so we just have to accept that it’s his life,” Leehan said. He let go of his son’s arm before giving him a smile. “And maybe you’d be happy as well if you found someone to marry,”

“I don’t want to marry… marriages are nothing but stupid arrangements for either power, wealth, or success… As I see it, very few people actually marry one another out of pure love because if they did, there wouldn’t be any stupid decisions, stupid wars, or stupid people!” Yujun snapped. He didn’t really raise his voice, but he didn’t sound as calm as before, either… And before he made the stupid decision to yell at his father himself, he chose to walk away.

“Yujun…” Leehan said before Yujun had managed to leave the Godswood, prompting the younger to stop and turn his head back around. “Your dad wanted to see you… he’s waiting in the great hall,” Yujun watched his father for a few more seconds without saying anything, and eventually, he just turned back around and left the Godswood.

- - - -

“At Dragonstone? Isn’t that a little too far away?” Minjae questioned, raising an eyebrow at Hunter, who was packing up the last of the things that he’d be bringing with him to Dorne.

“Yeah, well, it’s quite far, but it would be even further if it’d be taking place in Dorne,” Hunter answered with a small chuckle. This was the first time he’d actually felt somewhat happy since they’d learned of Minseo’s death, and it seemed as though Minjae was also feeling at least a little better, being newlywed and everything.

“Why can’t they come here then? I’d say that if this Martell prince wants my baby brother so much, I think he should at least show he’s man enough to come up here, considering his stealing you to move down to the sand dunes of Dorne,” Minjae chuckled, but he still thought he made a decent enough argument.

“Now you just sound like Yujun…” Hunter sighed before tying up the strings of his bag and turning to face his brother.

“He does have a point; you’re the one moving down there,” Minjae pointed out.

“Let’s just focus on the wedding itself first, please…” Hunter sighed again, rolling his eyes at the elder. “And as for why Dragonstone, it’s a place both our houses have a connection to, and it’s a fair enough distance for both them and us to travel and invite whatever lords or ladies to come if they so wish to. Besides, Dragonstone is our house’s ancestral family seat, so why should it be a good place?”

“First of all, my dear brother, Winterfell is our house’s ancestral seat, not Dragonstone; that island is the Targaryens’ ancestral seat. And second, Dragonstone is a ruin; no one’s been living there for ages, so I hope you’re not planning to stay there for long…” Minjae said.

“We are what’s left of the Targaryens, though, aren’t we? So who, apart from us and the Martells, would have a claim on it?” Hunter questioned, raising an eyebrow at the elder.

“The Baratheons… wherever they now are… Grandpa said at least two of them survived, and for all we know, they could be anywhere in the world now, even at Dragonstone…” Minjae mirrored his brother’s facial expression. “Well, I better get to packing then ‘cause you can bet that I won’t let my baby brother get married without me being there to make sure he marries someone who’s man enough to deserve him!” Minjae chuckled, lightly hitting Hunter on the arm before giving the younger a smile, which Hunter actually returned, but not before shaking his head and letting out a groan.

“Yeah, please, just make your visit brief,” Hunter joked, earning another light slap on the arm before Minjae left the room, still laughing to himself.

“I’ll be your king one day, brother, so I can stay for as long as I want to!” Minjae called back, making Hunter laugh as well. Sure, Minjae would be king one day, but so would Seeun. And so technically, Hunter would have the second highest position, as future King Consort of Dorne, out of all the Stark brothers.

- - - -

“You wanted to see me…?” Taesan looked up as he heard the doors to the great hall open and his son enter.

“Come take a seat, Yujun,” Taesan said, gesturing for his son to sit down at the table by which Taesan himself was already sitting. Yujun eyed the chair his dad had gestured for him to sit down on before eventually walking over and taking a seat. It felt strained… made up, even. To sit there with just his dad. Yujun knew Taesan wanted to talk to him about something, but Taesan had never been good with words; that wasn’t his thing… though Yujun guessed he himself had never been really good with neither words nor listening to them either, but sometimes everyone had to face the things they weren’t the best at… “There’s something I wanted to talk to you about, or rather, ask…” Taesan said after Yujun had finally sat down.

“And what is that…?” Yujun already didn’t like this. He was starting to get uncomfortable seeing how uncomfortable his dad was about whatever he was going to ask of Yujun.

“After Hunter marries Seeun, you’ll be the only one out of my sons who are unmarried, which will lead to even more people wanting you… I know I’ve always said that I want all of you to be able to choose whom you want to marry yourselves, but as it is now, that will be hard to stand by if you do not find anyone soon…” Taesan said slowly. “So, if you want to, there are a few-“

“And what if I don’t want to marry?” Yujun interrupted his dad, prompting Taesan to stop talking momentarily before letting out a sigh.

“I think you do… maybe not right now, but that’s just because you haven’t met the right one-“

“I don’t want to marry!” Yujun interrupted Taesan once again. “How hard can it be to just listen to me for once?!”

“Well, you need to! You’re a prince, so whether you like it or not, it’s expected of you to marry a suitable man or woman to continue the family name and ensure the future of our family!” Taesan said.

“As if that’s needed! You and father made sure our family’s future is quite certain by having six children of your own! So I don’t see why all of us have to marry and have children when at least one of us so desperately doesn’t want to!?” Yujun yelled.

“Lord Arryn has three children: two boys and one girl, all around your age! You should at least meet with them and see; maybe you’ll change your mind, and if not, there are several other noble families that would surely want to have the opportunity to have their son or daughter marry a prince,” Taesan said, remaining surprisingly calm despite his son’s anger.

“I’m not some whore you can just sell to the highest bidder! I’m not Hunter; I won’t marry someone for you to have an alliance with another kingdom or house! I have a right to choose; you said so yourself! You’ve said that all our lives, but I guess I was just a fool to believe you actually meant it!” Yujun abruptly stood up from the chair, sending it falling to the floor with the sheer force of his doing so, and when Taesan didn’t immediately answer him, he spat on the floor beside his dad before looking up at him. “I’m not your property! You can’t command me to do anything! I don’t care that you’re the king! I won’t do what you ask of me, and if you won’t let me do what I want with my own life, I guess you’ll have to kill me then!”

“I’m not going to kill you, Yujun! I would never do that! But this isn’t just about what I want or think is right… you need to marry, regardless of your brothers doing so or how many children they have; you need that for yourself as well…” Taesan answered, standing up as well, not even bothering to point out the very disrespectful gesture of Yujun spitting on the ground in front of his king, and his own dad at that…

“I won’t… I don’t want to! And no one, not even you, can change my mind on that!” Yujun said before turning on his heels and storming out of the great hall. The two guards stationed by the doors took a few steps forward to prevent him from leaving, but Taesan just waved his hand, gesturing for them to back down, so they did. Yujun didn’t bother looking back at his dad before walking past the two guards and leaving…

Chapter Text

Sungho let out a heavy sigh as he looked up at the walls and towers of the castle he’d spent basically all of his adult life inside of. He wanted to say goodbye, he really did, to the boys and to Leehan… but he knew they would all be very upset, and if he did tell Leehan that he was leaving Winterfell for good, and not only that but also having had Taesan release him from his knightly oath, the younger wouldn’t let him and would do anything he could to keep Sungho from leaving… And Sungho couldn’t really blame him for it… Leehan had lost not only his parents but also his eldest son, but then again, so had Sungho… So whatever right Leehan had to grieve and deal with it the best he could, so had Sungho, and Sungho couldn’t do that here, he just couldn’t…

“Leaving is never easy… it’s not supposed to be,” Sungho looked to his side in slight surprise, having not been prepared for someone to be standing just outside the gates as he rode out.

“Taemin…” Sungho said, watching the silver-eyed man push himself off of the wall before he started walking beside Sungho’s horse. “I figured you’d show and try to stop me…” The former knight sighed but made no move to either stop his horse or get off it.

“Oh, no, my lord. You mistake me; I’m not going to stop you… I’m not supposed to interfere,” Taesan answered, but he kept walking beside Sungho.

“No? What have you been doing for the last 20 years then if not interfere?” Sungho raised an eyebrow at the silver-eyed man, whom he could see smiling slightly as the corner of his mouth turned up.

“Informing… as is my only purpose here,” Taemin said.

“Well, what information do you have for me now, then? As I assume you do since you took the time to wait for me until I was outside the walls of Winterfell,” Sungho asked, and then, finally, Taemin actually looked up at him, silver eyes almost looking right through him, or at least that’s how it felt to Sungho…

“Leaving Winterfell won’t be the hardest decision you’ll have to make… but it will spare you from further grief,” Taemin said. He gave Sungho one final small nod before turning back not toward the castle but instead facing the vast plains east of Winterfell. He started walking and soon basically disappeared in the snow… Sungho knew Taemin was, for lack of better words, weird, but some of the things the silver-eyed man said just straight up scared him… and this was one of those times; it made him look back toward the castle before clenching the reins in his hands and closed his eyes. Eventually, he faced forward again and opened his eyes before spurring on his horse.

“Come on, boy. We’re going home…”

- - - -

Hunter couldn’t help but laugh at his brothers as their ships rounded the northern part of the island, and the huge and formidable castle of Dragonstone came into view. Towers much higher than Winterfell, its stonewalls seemingly impregnatable, and the huge volcanic mountain, the Dragonmont, looming in the background.

“So this is where our ancestors lived…?” Sumin questioned, eyes watching the island in awe as they got closer and closer.

“Some of them lived here, but far from all of them,” Hunter answered, still quite amused over his brothers’ reactions to the island they, up until this point, had only complained about visiting.

“They hatched many dragons here as well, right?” Jinsik asked, standing beside Sumin by the ship's railing.

“A few, I think, but most of them hatched in the Dragonpit in King’s Landing and only lived here as adults,”

“Your great-grandfather’s dragon, Kirin, was hatched here on Dragonstone, along with the last Targaryen king’s dragon, Nathir,” Leehan said, smiling as he watched his sons.

“Did grandpa’s dragon hatch here?” Minjae asked, but to that, Leehan shook his head.

“No, Khione hatched for your grandfather in Winterfell. She was the only dragon ever to have hatched north of White Harbor, as far as history tells us, at least,” Leehan answered his son. Minjae nodded slowly before turning back to watch the island and its harbor as they sailed closer. There were already dozens of ships anchored there and in the fairly calm water around the harbor, many of which had the red sun pierced by a golden spear on an orange field sown onto them, the sigil of House Martell. But there were quite a few other ships there as well, some of which Leehan hadn’t even seen the sigils of, or at least he didn’t recall ever seeing them. One he did recognize, however, was the white crescent moon and falcon on a blue field, House Arryn, and it made him look over at Yujun, who was the only one out of his sons who wasn’t standing by the ship’s railing to watch the island, the ships, and the castle.

“Look!” Junmin said, pointing toward the huge gates down by the harbor, prompting everyone, excluding Yujun, to look in the direction he was pointing. Hunter couldn’t help but smile again as he watched his brothers, father, and friends see the two huge stone dragonhead statues on either side of the gates leading up toward the castle. Hunter guessed he’d looked the same when he and Taesan had gone to Dragonstone a few months earlier, but he still found it funny to see how everything made his brothers and friends so excited despite their earlier complaints over the trip.

“Careful!” Taesan called out as everyone started to make their way off the ship. He ordered Doyoung and a handful of other guards to go first before letting either of his sons or his husband leave the ship, but once Doyoung was down on the dock, Taesan let everyone follow him. They made their way up to the castle itself, which no longer looked as abandoned or eerie as it had when Hunter had been here the first time, and they were greeted by several other, mostly minor, houses, not only from the North but also from all over Dorne and even some houses from the other kingdoms, among them, House Arryn of The Vale.

“Your Grace,” Lord Arryn bowed to Taesan as they entered the castle itself. I was rather warm down here compared to the North, and considering that it was already mid-summer, it was just as warm inside as it was outside, partly also due to the heat rising from below the mountainside underneath the castle.

“Lord Arryn,” Taesan greeted the lord back while taking off his way-to-warm coat before handing it to one of the guards. Yujun halted his steps as soon as he spotted the lord talking to his dad. He recognized the light blue clothing, which he found quite ridiculous that House Arryn dressed in colors matching their sigil, but then again, so did many other houses. He heard his dad greet the lord, but he just turned right back around, not even bothering to listen to what the two were talking about since it probably had to do with Lord Arryn’s proposal for Yujun to marry one of his children, which Yujun still refused to do!

“Don’t leave…!” Hunter whispered as he grabbed his brother’s arm when Yujun walked past him.

“I’ll be back later, so stop worrying…” Yujun muttered back before jerking his arm out of Hunter’s hand and walking away. Leehan watched him go, but he didn’t stop him in order not to cause a scene. Taesan had also noticed Yujun leaving, but he did not seem to care either. He just thanked Lord Arryn before continuing to walk further into the castle and eventually reaching the great hall. The Martells were already in the great hall, as were many of their bannermen, which were basically just other smaller houses in Dorne that are sworn to House Martell, just as House Umber and House Glover are sworn to House Stark.

“Seems like our King in the North wasn’t snowed in after all,” Jongseob chuckled, prompting a few other men and women to laugh as well, seemingly having discussed the Starks’ somewhat late arrival at some earlier point.

“The snow isn’t as ruthless this time of the year as it is during the winter,” Leehan answered, mostly so Taesan wouldn’t say something snarky to the other king for even pointing out their late arrival.

“Ah, you must be Leehan,” Jongseob said, giving the blond Stark a slight bow with his head, which Leehan returned.

“I am, and these are my sons: Minjae, Sumin, and Baekseung. Hunter, I assume you’ve already met, as well as my husband, Taesan. We also have another one, Yujun, but he wasn’t really feeling well after the long journey, so you’ll have to excuse him for now…” Leehan replied.

“That’s alright; I dislike traveling on the sea as well. It disagrees with my stomach,” Jongseob chuckled. “You have my deepest condolences, both of you. I heard what happened to your eldest son…” Jongseob then added, giving Taesan and Leehan a sad smile.

“Thank you,” Taesan answered. While the three talked, Hunter introduced his brothers to Seeun and Seeun to them, and much to his surprise, neither of his brothers made any snarky remarks or behaved inappropriately, not even Minjae, who’d said beforehand that he would if Seeun didn’t reach his expectations… but Seeun had seemingly been deemed good enough for the eldest Stark prince not to complain.

- - - -

Yujun kicked at the rocks by his feet before stepping out onto the somewhat wet sand. He walked along the shoreline, away from the castle, and away from all of the people… He eyed the Dragonmont briefly before sighing and shaking his head. There was no way he was going up there… so instead, he continued to walk along the edge of the water, picking up a few more rocks that he found half buried in the sand and tossing them one by one out into the water.

“You don’t feel like you belong…” Yujun’s head snapped around as the voice from behind him startled him, but he rolled his eyes before letting out a sigh as he spotted Taemin standing there.

“What do you want…?” He asked, tossing another rock into the water.

“I don’t want anything, really. You, on the other hand. You don’t even want to be here,” Taemin said, and yeah, he was right, but Yujun had no desire to speak to him about it.

“It’s not like I have any other choice…” Yujun groaned, tossing yet another stone.

“And what if there was?” Taemin asked, prompting Yujun to turn back and face him again. “What if there was another choice for you, one that wouldn’t involve you having to marry anyone or ever having to take orders from your parents or brothers ever again?”

“There is no such choice…” Yujun answered.

“There’s always another choice. You just have to be ready to pay the prize it requires…” Taemin reached into his pocket to pull out what looked like a dirty old coin, quite a bit larger than the normal golden and silver coins they used to pay for things with, before handing it to Yujun. “If you ever feel like you don’t want to stay here, all you have to do is find a man from The Free City of Braavos and give him this coin. Tell him Valar Morghulis, and after that, all you need to do is be ready to give up the life you think you know…”

Chapter Text

“Father. Smith. Warrior. Mother. Maiden. Crone. Stranger. I am yours, and you are mine, from this day till the end of my days,” Hunter and Seeun smiled at each other while saying their vows, the traditional vows of westerosian traditions. “Mēre ñelly, mēre prūmia, mēre gīs, sir se va moriot,” (One flesh, one heart, one soul, now and forever). They followed in High Valyrian in order to follow both their Targaryen ancestors’ traditions, as they both shared those. Dorne and House Martell, before they had someone with the blood of the dragon marry into their line, didn’t typically have specific marriage vows or other such arrangements, though marriages themselves were fairly common, and since Seeun and his father were both still quite closely tied to older Valyrian traditions, Seeun had wanted his and Hunter’s marriage to be done with the customs of Old Valyria. And considering that Hunter himself found the old Targaryen traditions quite wholesome, he went right along with it. Taesan wasn’t really a fan of watching his youngest son cut up the palm of his hand while his soon-to-be husband did the same before the two joined their hands together, but despite his dislike for it, he kept his mouth shut… Hunter’s decisions were no longer of his concern, not that they ever really should have been in the first place, but being king still came with its fair share of perks.

“Maybe your Targaryen inheritance isn’t so lost after all,” Keum whispered to Baekseung while slightly rocking Yewang in his arms. Baekseung smiled a little but still rolled his eyes.

“I hope you’re wrong then,” Baekseung chuckled. “We don’t need another round of madmen and their fire-breathing beasts taking to the skies; we have enough to worry about already…” Jaeho stirred in Baekseung’s arms, prompting Baekseung to slightly panic as he didn’t want his son to start making any noises in the middle of the ceremony, but thankfully, Jaeho just scrunched up his little nose and blinked his big brown eyes a few times before looking up at Baekseung.

“You could at least try to be happy for your brother, you know,” Woonhak said, giving Yujun a small smile. He was standing in the quite far back, close to where Yujun had chosen to lean against one of the huge pillars in the great hall. The prince eyed the former crow, now named a knight of House Stark, in the absence of Sungho, Yujun supposed. Considering the fact that Woonhak was the only one his dad had left alive from those serving in the Night’s Watch, he had been quite the talk once it had become common knowledge that he’d been part of the order that supposedly murdered the eldest Stark prince, though Taesan made it very clear to everyone that Woonhak had nothing to do with it!

“Why should I? He looks to be more than happy enough for himself,” Yujun muttered back, making the knight shake his head slightly. He wore a traditional knight’s armor, as it looked more formal for a wedding, while Yujun, on the other hand, hadn’t even bothered to change out of the clothing he’d arrived in the day before. He couldn’t bring himself to care since no one seemed to care for him, so why would he care about them?

“He’s still your brother,” Woonhak pointed out, earning an eye roll from the young prince. It had quite quickly become clear to Woonhak that neither of Minseo’s brothers really shared their older brother’s caring nature, though it was still somewhat hard to tell for Woonhak since he hadn’t known them for as long as he’d known Minseo.

“I don’t suppose you could ever know what that feels like considering the fact that those you once called brothers murdered my brother…” Yujun said, pushing himself up from where he’d been leaning against the pillar and putting the dirty coin he’d been fiddling with back in his pocket before exiting the hall. Woonhak clenched his teeth, biting back the urge to cry, something he’d been doing quite a lot since he’d found Minseo in the snow outside of Castle Black and been ordered to leave him there so he could save the prince’s son… Woonhak might never have had a brother himself, but he’d never really considered any of the crows as such… Minseo, however… Minseo and Yunseong had been the closest thing Woonhak had ever had to a brother, to a real family… and now they were both gone…

- - - -

“Wouldn’t it be quite poetic if our first child was born here on Dragonstone?” Seeun said while running his hand over Hunter’s flat stomach before leaning over his to place a kiss on the soft skin there as well.

“Poetic, really? So you’d have me travel all the way from Sunspear to here just to give birth?” Hunter raised an eyebrow at his now husband.

“Well, okay, maybe not when you phrase it like that,” Seeun chuckled, fully thinking Hinter would find it at least somewhat amusing as well, but when the younger instead pulled away from him and sat up on the bed slightly, it made Seeun concerned. “What is it, love?” He questioned, sitting up as well and gently placing his hand on Hunter’s shoulder, the one without the red scales creeping up from his back.

“There’s something I need to tell you…” Hunter mumbled, pulling the cover up higher around him while not really meeting Seeun’s eyes.

“Hmm?” Seeun asked. He moved to sit higher up on the bed, closer to Hunter, and pulled the younger close to him, burying his face in Hunter’s dark hair.

“Promise you won’t be angry with me…” Hunter said, prompting Seeun to pull away slightly so he could look at the younger properly.

“Why would I be angry?” He questioned, genuinely confused as to why Hunter would think he’d be angry with him for some reason.

“Just… promise you won’t be…” Hunter mumbled, turning his face slightly away from Seeun as the latter tried to look him in the eyes.

“I won’t, I promise! I don’t think there’s even anything I could be angry with you about,” Seeun answered, placing a kiss on Hunter’s cheeks instead of keep trying to make the younger look at him.

“Okay… I just… I don’t know if I can have children… at least not right away…” Hunter eventually managed to say, prompting Seeun to get somewhat worried.

“What do you mean? You’re not sick, are you?” He questioned.

“No! I’m fine.. in that regard, at least, but… uhm…” Hunter wasn’t sure how to actually tell his now husband what he wanted to tell him, partly because he was afraid of what Seeun might say or think but also because he didn’t want to appear useless if he, in fact, was unable to have children so soon after drinking the moon tea. “After we… you know… back in King’s Landing. I thought I’d never get to see you again, so I had to do something that seemed right then, but now, I regret it…”

“I’m sure you had your reasons no matter what it was, Hunter, so you don’t need to explain anything to me,” Seeun assured the younger. He had an idea of what the other was trying to tell him, which made it clear to him why Hunter seemed to struggle to tell him as well, but all Seeun really wanted was just to make sure that Hunter didn’t blame himself for anything since he, as he’d just said, thought they wouldn’t see each other again.

“No, Seeun… you don’t understand…” Hunter said, turning slightly so he could look at the elder better and finally meet his eyes. “I killed our b-“

“Don’t… don’t do that to yourself, Hunter…” Seeun interrupted the younger, wrapping his arms around him in the hopes of making him feel better. “You didn’t do anything wrong!” He assured him, placing a kiss on Hunter’s cheek as he felt the younger relax somewhat in his arms.

“So you’re not mad…?” Hunter asked after a while, still watching Seeun’s face for any sign of disapproval or anger, but there was none.

“No, I’m not mad! It’s your life, your body, and your decisions. And I would probably have done the same if our roles were reversed, considering the fact that even the idea of us getting married back then was quite far-fetched,” At this, Hunter did actually let out a tiny laugh. Seeun never failed to make him feel better, and despite the fact that Hunter regretted drinking the moon tea now, he knew its effect wouldn’t last forever, considering that his own father had drunk it and had had six children after that. And so he knew he and Seeun would be able to have their own children in the future, just not right away.

- - - -

“If I were to leave, father would never stop trying to look for me… and dad would probably do something stupid or blame some random lord for my disappearance… But if I were to tell them that I wanted to leave, to escape this life locked in a castle that I never even asked for, they would never let me go…” Yujun sighed, tossing another tiny rock into the water. It felt almost pathetic how many of these rocks he’d now thrown into the sea just because he was irritated and didn’t know what else to do. But he didn’t know what else to do… He didn’t want to just stand and watch as his brother got married to another prince who would just steal him away, only for Yujun to be expected to return home without arguing and probably be married off to one of Lord Arryn’s children himself…

“You could always send a letter or maybe tell one of your brothers of your wishes to leave. Your parents would surely still not want to see you go, but then at least you would have gotten off this island before they could stop you,” Yujin answered. The younger had found Yujun sitting alone outside after the ceremony inside the great hall had ended, and he wasn’t really sure why the Stark prince had chosen to share this information with him, but he had, and Yujin understood why Yujun felt the way he did. He himself wasn’t a prince, but since his own parents, Gunwook and Taerae, were close friends to Yujun’s and had been somewhat influenced by their tendencies to keep their children close to home in order to protect them, Yujin knew it wasn’t the most pleasant thing to just have to do what you were told all the time… and so if Yujun now wanted to leave, to have a life of his own choosing, and maybe return in a few years’ time, Yujin thought that was reasonable enough.

“Can’t you tell them?” Yujun asked, tossing a handful of rocks into the water before turning to face Yujin. “If I get on a ship tonight, could you tell them that I left and why in the morning? That would get me enough time to go far enough away so that no one would be able to successfully follow me or know exactly where I was going…”

“You want your dad to behead me, I hear,” Yujin chuckled, joking obviously, but he still knew that the king wouldn’t be very pleased if Yujin came and told him that one of his sons had just up and left without telling anyone but Yujin.

“He won’t do that… he’s not that stupid,” Yujun sighed. “But please, that would at least give my father some peace of mind knowing that I left by my own free will. Because I think that if I were to send a raven, they would just worry that someone faked it and kidnapped me or something,”

“Alright… I guess I could do that,” Yujin answered, standing up as well when he saw Yujun doing it. A thought passed through his head, making him chuckle a little, prompting Yujun to raise an eyebrow at him.

“What’s so funny now?” The elder asked, but Yujin just shook his head.

“I just thought about the similarity of our names, Yujun and Yujin,” Yujin said. “They gave us sure similar names despite my father, Taerae, and your dad, Taesan, claiming to not like each other; I just found that a little funny,”

“Well, our names do mean ‘being truthful’ and ‘being talented’, so perhaps we were meant for something like that. You, telling the truth, and me, going off somewhere to make use of whatever talents I have,” Yujun chuckled.

“Maybe,” Yujin answered, finding the elder’s explanation of their names somewhat entertaining, though still a bit weird. “Just make sure you’ll come back whenever you’re done with whatever talents you have,” He said, earning a laugh from Yujun.

“I will, and I guess it would be better if you told my parents that as well,”

“That I will,” Yujin said before starting to walk back up toward the castle while Yujun turned toward the harbor. There were a few ships down there bound for places beyond Westeros, and maybe, with some luck, one of them would take him to Braavos… then all he needed to do was find someone to have the coin to and say those words Taemin had told him. And, for once, luck seemed to be on his side as he quite quickly found a ship headed for Braavos, though, at first, the captain seemed reluctant to bring a stranger with them onboard; once he saw the coin Yujun had, his eyes widened.

“Where did you-“ The man tried to say, but Yujun interrupted him.

“Valar Morghulis,” Yujun said, handing the man the coin. The man took the coin, eyeing it for no more than half a second before looking up at Yujun again. He raised his other hand up to his forehead and did some sort of salute while bowing his head slightly.

“Valar Dohaeris,” The man answered, and it was as if those words alone lifted the weight off Yujun's shoulders. The Stark prince turned back to watch the castle of Dragonstone one last time before following the man toward the ship and, hopefully, toward a life better than the one he’d been stuck in here…

Chapter Text

“You knew… and you let him go without telling me, your king!?” Taesan was furious, to say the least. He was well aware that the barely 18-year-old Yujin probably never meant to go against his king in any way, but Taesan couldn't help but be angry with the boy since he’d known about Yujun’s intentions to leave and had not told anyone until the day after…

“Taesan…” Leehan tried to step in between his husband and the quite visibly shaken Yujin, but instead of pushing him away, as Leehan actually expected Taesan to do, the elder basically growled before turning away from both Leehan and Yujin. That seemed to calm Yujin somewhat, at least until Taesan angrily knocked one of the nearby decorative podiums to the ground, sending some sort of old stone vase crashing against the cold, hard floor. Leehan ran his hand over his face while letting out a sigh, while Yujin just stared at the king in what Leehan could only describe as horror. The young boy had never seen Taesan act this way, so Leehan wasn’t exactly surprised that it scared him, and it didn’t help that only moments after Taesan had destroyed the vase, both Gunwook and Taerae busted into the great hall.

“What is the meaning of this?” Taerae yelled, running up to his youngest son and wrapping his arms around him, both seeing and sensing the boy’s distress, while Gunwook’s eyes went from his husband and son over to Taesan and Leehan.

“Why did you bring him here without informing us? Yujin has done nothing wrong!” Gunwook said. He wasn’t yelling as Taerae had been, but Leehan could still hear the irritation in his voice, which was understandable as he and Taesan themselves would probably have reacted the same, if not worse if they’d thought someone had brought one of their sons into some sort of interrogation.

“We didn’t bring him here; he came by his own free-“ Leehan didn’t get to finish his sentence before Taesan interrupted him.

“Your son let Yujun escape the island, knowing fully well that he had the intention to leave, and yet he didn’t tell us until now!” Taesan snapped, prompting Yujin to look down at the ground in shame, realizing just now just how bad his actions might have been.

“And you think that gives you the right to yell at him and scare him? Just because he let your son escape from you! Has the thought never crossed your mind that Yujun doesn’t want to be here? And maybe that’s why he left,” Taerae snapped back. “You should be thankful Yujin even told you because I’m quite certain Yujun never wanted him to!”

“I have every right to do what I want when it comes to my children! And if your son is involved in any of it, he should be punished accordingly!” Taesan yelled. He walked toward where Taerae and Yujin were standing, but both Leehan and Gunwook stepped in between, blocking his way.

“Taesan… don’t…” Leehan whispered, being close enough that only his husband would hear him, but Taesan still tried to push past him.

“I’m your king, and you’ll do as I say!” He said, pointing at Yujin angrily, but before he could reach them, Gunwook grabbed hold of his arm quite harshly, prompting Taesan to finally stop.

“If you as much as touch my son, I won’t hesitate to make your own son King in the North far earlier than planned!” Gunwook growled, tightening his grip on Taesan’s arm. Gunwook had never really been one to go against Taesan. He’d been fine with following his king’s, and previously crown prince’s, orders, but now Taesan had gone too far, even for him!

“Know your place, Lord Glover…” Taesan snarled, but he didn’t try to push past Gunwook. Instead, he just remained where he stood, eye-to-eye with Gunwook. They were more or less the same height, so Taesan didn’t hold an intimidating towering over Gunwook as he did with many others, but it wouldn’t really matter anyway; Gunwook wouldn’t have backed down either way…

“Then you should know yours…” Gunwook said back. “If you weren’t so focused on forcing what you deem as suitable lives for your sons, then maybe you would actually know what it means to be a good king!” Gunwook finally let go of Taesan’s arm, slightly pushing the elder away from him as he did before turning back around to walk over to his husband and son. Taesan remained where he stood, just watching as Gunwook whispered something in Taerae’s ear before lightly pushing him and Yujin toward the huge doors. They reached the doors and were about to leave, but before they could, Taerae turned back to face Taesan again, slipping out of Gunwook’s light grip and taking a few steps back toward the king.

“If it weren’t for the fact that our oldest son was already married to yours, you would no longer have the support of our house! So you should be thankful that Junmin at least finds Minjae decent enough!” Taerae said, prompting Leehan to look from him and over at Taesan, but the latter didn’t say anything. Instead, he watched as Gunwook, at first, slightly panicked, but as Taerae walked back to him and Yujin, his facial expression changed again, and then the three finally left the great hall. Taesan stood watching the doors for a long while after they’d closed behind Gunwook, Taerae, and Yujin. He didn’t say anything, which wasn’t that much out of the ordinary, but what concerned Leehan was the fact that he didn’t even move… He wasn’t throwing things around, he wasn’t breaking anything, and he wasn’t storming away; he just stood there…

“Taesan…?” Leehan tried to reach out his hand toward his brother, but then Taesan just sank to the floor… he didn’t try to leave, and instead, he just slumped down on the ground, bringing his knees up under his chin before basically wrapping his arms around his own head.

“I can’t do this…” He sobbed, already crying so much that it was hard for Leehan to even understand what he was saying, but the younger still sat down beside him and gently pulled him closer to himself. “Everything I ever do just goes to hell… and no matter how hard I try to do the right thing, for us, for our sons, it just never works! They all either hate me or are too afraid to disobey me…” Taesan continued to cry, but now he’d turned his head so he could bury his face in between where Leehan’s shoulder and neck met.

“They don’t hate you…” Leehan whispered, but before he could try to calm the elder down further, Taesan lifted his head again to look at him.

“Then why do they keep running away?! They don’t want to stay in Winterfell; they don’t even want to talk to me unless I summon them to me, and by now, Sumin’s the only one who hasn’t been angry with me over something major!” Taesan said, cheeks wet with tears. “So I just can’t do this… I can’t be a king when I can’t even be a good parent! I’m not…” Taesan slightly choked on his own tears before being able to continue. “I’m not father… I can never be what he was…”

“You don’t need to be father… you shouldn’t be!” Leehan said, reaching up his hand to gently place it on Taesan’s cheek. “If you always compare yourself to him, you’ll never be the good king and parent I know you are! Because you’re not our father; you’re Minjae, Sumin, Baekseung, Yujun, and Hunter’s, so you should strive to be that and not try to fill our father’s shoes when you already know they won’t fit…” Leehan gave Taesan a small, assuring smile while gently caressing his cheek, wiping away the tears. The elder didn’t say anything else and just leaned his head back against Leehan’s shoulder, both still sitting on the cold, hard floor of the great hall in the castle of Dragonstone. Leehan gently ran his hand through his brother’s hair until the elder eventually lifted his head again.

“I’m sorry…” He said.

“Don’t be. I know you’re trying your best, but maybe we both such just let our sons be themselves a little mor-“

“No, not that,” Taesan interrupted Leehan again, though this time, not as rudely as earlier. “I’m sorry for what I put you through… and I’m sorry it’s taken me this long to understand the consequences of my actions… I don’t want to hurt our sons as I hurt you…”

“You didn’t hurt me. You’re what’s meant the most to me all my life, and now, along with our children! There’s nothing I would want differently than what you’ve given me,” Leehan answered.

“No, Leehan… I’ve hurt you more times than I can even count! I should have let you be yourself and not forced you to stay in Winterfell when Sungho would have given you a much better lif-“

“Don’t!” Now, it was Leehan’s turn to interrupt Taesan. “He’s not here… you are! He left, twice! While you’ve never left me, and when I got lost in the Riverlands all those years ago, you did everything in your power to bring me back home to safety! You risked your own life time and time again just so I would be safe, so no, I wouldn’t want to have any other life than the one I have with you! Because you were always there, even when I was the one who wanted to be somewhere else, you kept me safe and made sure no one could hurt me!”

“I still don’t deserve you… What I’ve done to you can never be forgiven…” Taesan insisted, but Leehan was having none of it, because it wasn’t true!

“There’s nothing to forgive, Taesan! I love you and our children, and that’s all that matters to me…”

- - - -

Neither Taesan, Leehan, Gunwook, nor Taerae showed any signs of issues with one another when they gathered later that same day to see Hunter off with the Martells. Leehan had cried, obviously, as their youngest son was leaving to go pretty far away, but at least they knew where and that he’d be safe there. Taesan, on the other hand, remained stone-faced, only giving Hunter a small smile as he hugged him goodbye, but that was basically how he usually looked regardless of the situation.

“Make sure to send a raven as soon as you arrive in Dorne, okay, sweety?” Leehan said while hugging Hunter.

“I will, father,” Hunter smiled back before hugging all of his brothers after hugging both his parents.

“Be careful while on the sea as well, brother. It can be quite dangerous to travel south of Driftmark, I’ve heard,” Baekseung joked, referring back to his own trip through the Gullet that almost ended with their ship sinking if it weren’t for Hunter and Yujun.

“I’m fairly certain I’d be quite safe, considering we will be traveling on a real, strong ship made for harsh weather and not a merchant's ship,” Hunter answered, giving his brother a smile, which Baekseung returned.

“We will come visit you,” Keum said. “I might need a break from the cold every now and then, and what better place than sunny Sunspear?” At this, Hunter laughed while Baekseung just rolled his eyes at his husband’s joke about not enjoying the North, even though they all knew Keum actually liked it.

“You’re very welcome to visit whenever you want,” Seeun said, assuring not only Baekseung and Keum but all of those belonging to Hunter’s family that they were welcome in Sunspear at any time. Jaeho made a happy sound as Hunter bid goodbye to both him and Yewang, his two nephews, and it seemed as though a thought struck Keum, prompting him to lean closer to his brother-in-law.

“Maybe you’ll have one of this of your own when we visit,” Keum teased, speaking so quietly that only Hunter would hear him. And what he said made Hunter’s cheeks turn slightly red, but the younger still smiled.

“Maybe; guess you’ll have to wait and find out,” Hunter whispered back before stepping back and finally bidding his whole family goodbye one last time before boarding the ship along with Seeun and Jongseob.

Chapter Text

“Welcome to Barrowton, sir,” A guard dressed in yellowish clothing with the sigil of House Dustin; two rusted long axes with black shafts crossed, a black crown between their points, greeted the man arriving at the gates of the large town.

“Thank you,” The man answered, hood raised up above his head, concealing most of his appearance. The guard just gave the man a small nod before letting him enter. They had no need to fear strangers in their town since those who came here seldom wanted anything but a warm place to stay after traveling through the Barrowlands, which were harsh all year around. The hooded man walked through the town and all the way up to the main building, the Barrow Hall, where not one but two guards were stationed.

“State your business here!” One of them said.

“Lord Dustin is awaiting me, so could you please tell him that I’ve arrived?” The hooded man answered. The guard was about to question him further when the man took off his hood, revealing who he was.

“Lord Tarth? I believe my lord wasn’t expecting you this soon…” The guard said, but he still took a step to the side, as did the other guard, to let Lord Tarth pass.

“Well, there’s been a slight change in plans…” Lord Tarth simply said before entering the building. He pulled his hood back up as he passed several people inside the building before eventually reaching the hall he wanted. Lord Dustin was standing with a handful of other men, discussing something around a table, but upon seeing the hooded man enter the hall, he called for them all to leave.

“I thought you said we should wait at least another moon’s turn?” Lord Dustin questioned once it was just the two of them in the room. Lord Tarth took off his hood once again before taking a seat by the table where Lord Dustin was already standing.

“We need to act now, or we might lose our opportunity to strike,” Lord Tarth said. “The Starks should be on their way back to Winterfell now, but the crown prince has chosen to go with the Glovers and Blackwoods back to Deepwood Motte, and so they’ll be traveling by horse through here within the next moon turn…”

“But I thought you wanted the younger Stark prince, not the oldest one?” Lord Dustin questioned.

“It’s proven difficult to reach either of the princes, but with one already dead, one currently on his way to Sunspear, and a third missing, I think this might be my only chance to get my revenge!” Lord Tarth answered. “Besides, I already have someone assigned to take care of the youngest one as soon as he reaches Sunspear,” The lord added, smirking triumphantly. “So now I just need you to do your part, and if you succeed, I can assure you that you’ll be paid handsomely for your service,”

“Alright… but what about the Glovers and Blackwoods?” Lord Dustin questioned.

“Collateral damages…” Lord Tarth said, no sigh of remorse on his face whatsoever. “Maybe then that damn family will finally understand the consequences of their actions…”

- - - -

While Taesan, Leehan, Sumin, Baekseung, Keum, Jinsik, Jaeho, Yewang, Gyuvin, Ricky, and Doyoung had traveled back up north by ship, Minjae went with Junmin, Yujin, Gunwook, Taerae, Hao, and Hanbin. Hao and Hanbin had some things they had to take care of in the southern parts of the North, and Taerae had refused to go back on the same ship as Taesan after their argument, so they were going to take the Kingsroad back up. Despite being quite close to King’s Landing, they took a smaller ship to Rook’s Rest, traveling by horse through the northern parts of the Crownlands before entering the Riverlands just south of Maidenpool.

“I don’t see why my parents always called this a war-torn kingdom, it’s freaking beautiful!” Minjae exclaimed as they rode along the Trident, the much wider and more treacherous part of the river just before it broke off into the Red Fork, the Blue Fork, and the Green Fork.

“Something beautiful can still be treacherous, you know,” Junmin pointed out, but Minjae just huffed.

“Still doesn’t explain why they said it was destroyed,” Minjae argued.

“Because the large parts of the Riverlands were, just not these parts,” Hao intervened in the two’s conversation as he rode up beside Junmin. “The Riverlands are not as big as the North, but it is still very large when you have to travel through it, and it just happens that it’s the north-western parts that are more war-torn than these eastern parts,” He added, and the both Minjae and Junmin got their answer, ending their argument, if you could even call it that.

“So we won’t be traveling through those parts then, right?” Junmin asked, and Hao shook his head.

“No. I fear Minjae’s parents would have us thrown in the dungeons of Winterfell if they found out we took their son through the most dangerous parts of the Riverlands,” Hao chuckled, prompting both boys to smile a little.

“I still don’t see what the fuss is about… Why not just take over those parts and make them part of the North and ensure that those who live there will never be able to hurt anyone else ever again?” Minjae said.

“Invading another kingdom, regardless of the actions of a handful of lords, will have grave consequences, and your dad is smart not to do it,” Hao said.

“And as should you when you succeed him,” Hanbin added, riding up beside Minjae, making it so Minjae and Junmin now had the two elderly lords on each side of them.

“Shouldn’t they know their place? And wouldn’t that send a message to others who dare to try and hurt us?” Minjae questioned, raising an eyebrow at Hanbin.

“Those responsible for the conflicts in the Riverlands, as well as the attack on the North the year before you were born, are all gone already. And you should know that sending a message through blood and violence may not always be the right way…” Hanbin answered, but Minjae still seemed rather unpleased by how little, according to himself, had been done, but then again, there had been no major trouble between the North and the Riverlands for almost two decades now, so maybe it was just better to leave it be… for now…

- - - -

“Is it always this warm?” Hunter questioned as he walked up to stand beside Seeun, who was leaning on the railing of the ship, overlooking the sea. The latter straightened up, pulled Hunter into some form of side-hug, and buried his face in the younger’s hair before actually answering Hunter’s question.

“This is nothing compared to how the summer heat can be out on the dunes,” Seeun answered, letting out a small chuckle at Hunter’s sigh.

“How am I supposed to live in that?” The younger laughed. “I’m already sweating like hell, and you say this is nothing compared to how hot it can be?” Seeun couldn’t help but laugh again before looking back out over the water.

“I’m sure you’ll get used to it in no time! Besides, you won’t need to wear all that fur clothing all the time in Sunspear, and then there’s the Watergardens where we could swim whenever we want to,” He said.

“I hope you’re right because I already feel like I’m burning up, and I’m not even wearing my fur clothing now,” Hunter said. And sure, there was the small breeze over the sea cooling him down slightly, but the burning heat didn’t feel quite right, even for the climate around him…

“You sure it’s not something else? Maybe you got sick? It could be because you’re not used to being on the sea for such a long time?” Seeun asked, but Hunter shook his head.

“I don’t think so. I barely ever get sick, and I guess that has to do with the fact that I basically grew up in a pile of snow,” Hunter chuckled, prompting Seeun to do the same as the younger had referred to Winterfell as a pile of snow.

“Sorry to break it to you, but I guess you’ve just traded the pile of snow in for a pile of sand then,” Seeun joked, and Hunter found that more amusing than what it had probably actually been, but Seeun never failed to make him smile, no matter what the elder did.

“We’re almost there now,” The tall female guard announced from behind Seeun and Hunter, making the latter jump slightly as he’d not heard her approach them. “My apologies, my prince. It was not my intention to frighten you,” She added upon noticing Hunter’s slight jump.

“That’s alright. I’m just so used to being able to hear when people approach me that you just surprised me, that’s all,” Hunter answered, but the tall woman still gave him a slight bow with her head before leaving the two again. “Did she just bow?” Hunter questioned, turning back to look at Seeun.

“Yeah, hah, Aianna is not the typical ladies at court. She has her own way about her,” Seeun explained. “But she’s damn good at what she’s doing, that’s for sure,”

“I guess that’s what matters, right?” Hunter answered, and Seeun nodded in response. They stood together by the railing for a while longer, watching as the yellow beaches started to take form in the distance, and soon after, Hunter could see what he assumed to be the towers of the castle of Sunspear. And he was right. As the ship got closer, more and more towers, buildings, and vast sand dunes started to appear. “Wow…” Hunter mumbled as the ship sailed into the harbor; now he could finally see the city clearly and not from a distance.

“Wait until you see the Watergardens,” Seeun whispered teasingly right behind Hunter’s ear before pulling the younger with him toward where the gangway would be lowered so they could get off the ship. Jongseob didn’t seem to be in any hurry and stayed seated by the railing on the other side of the ship, but the tall female guard, who Hunter now knew was named Aianna, followed closely behind him and Seeun as they finally made their way off the ship. They were greeted by several people in the harbor, adults and children alike, and they all seemed to be rather positive toward their future king consort, despite Hunter’s northern heritage and the previous disagreement between Dorne and the North. Some of the children even came forward just to faintly touch Hunter, almost as if they didn’t think he was real unless they could actually feel him. He found it a little strange to be sure, but he knew that the people down where were very different from the cold and stubborn people of the North.

“Are you the snow prince?” A little girl asked as Hunter and Seeun walked through the crowd of people. This prompted Hunter to stop momentarily, briefly looking at Seeun before crouching down to the same height as the girl.

“Snow prince?” He laughed. ”I am a prince, yes, and there’s a lot of snow where I grew up, if that’s what you mean,” He said, giving the girl a smile. She eyed him curiously for a few seconds before handing him what looked like a ball of some kind. “What’s this?” He questioned, taking the ball from the girl without a second thought, but she didn’t answer. She just turned on her heels and took off. Hunter was slightly taken aback by her seemingly weird actions, and so he straightened back up, the ball still in hand, and walked over toward Seeun.

“What’s that?” Seeun questioned, having seemingly not noticed that the girl had given Hunter the ball, but once he did, he quickly knocked it out of Hunter’s hand just as the ball seemingly popped open. It landed on the ground, already split in two, and out crawled a huge scorpion. Everyone around them immediately backed away from it, and Seeun pulled Hunter back as well, as the younger didn’t seem to understand the danger. The scorpion still tried to launch itself forward toward Hunter and was only stopped by a knife skillfully thrown straight through it, pinning it to the wooden dock beneath them. Everything went so fast that Hunter barely registered everything that had happened before it was over, but as Aianna picked up her knife again, with the now dead scorpion impaled on it, Hunter finally realized the danger he’d just been in.

“Wha-t…?” He stuttered, letting himself be pulled further away from the people around them and closer to Seeun, who now seemed to be more worried than anything else.

“Did it touch you?” Seeun questioned, grabbing Hunter’s hand to inspect them, but the younger just shook his head.

“N-no… I don’t think so… I didn’t feel anything, at least,” Hunter answered, and that seemed to calm Seeun down a little.

“ A Manticore Ball, my prince. It’s a very dangerous trap disguised as a children’s toy,” Aianna said, inspecting the scorpion further while talking.

“The little girl… What if it hurt her?” Hunter said, trying to look around to see if he could spot her anywhere, but Seeun gently grabbed his arms to stop him.

“No, Hunter… she gave it to you knowing fully well what was inside of it! It’s common knowledge here in Dorne that those balls are traps…” Seeun explained.

“But… why? She just asked who I was and then just… just gave it to me…?” Hunter thought out loud.

“Someone probably told her to give it to you, my prince… knowing that you wouldn’t know of the danger it held within,” Aianna said.

“Come on! We’re getting you into the castle right now!” Seeun said, pulling Hunter with him. Aianna and the other guards followed closely behind them, and some even went in front of them to get the people to move out of the way. This surely was not really the welcoming gift Hunter thought he’d receive…

Chapter Text

“Unbelievable…” Jongseob sighed. “And the girl?”

“No sign of the girl, my king,” Aianna said before giving Jongseob a small bow.

“Well… I’m not sure what else we can do but double the amount of guards and be on the lookout,” Jongseob said. “And I want you to stay with my son and son-in-law at all times! Make sure no such thing will happen again, and if they were to be in different places, you’ll stay with Hunter, understood?”

“As you wish, my king,” Aianna bowed again before leaving the balcony overlooking the Watergardens. Jongseob sighed again before turning to look back out over the beautiful green gardens below, and he watched as Seeun and Hunter walked down there together, and following after them were two guards.

“Should we send word of the incident to Winterfell, my king?” One of the workers standing beside Jongseob asked, but the king just shook his head, not tearing his eyes away from Seeun and Hunter.

“No… we can handle it on our own, and I fear that telling Taesan would only result in him wanting his son to return home… and I don’t have the heart to tear those two apart so soon…” Jongseob answered, referring to Seeun and Hunter, who seemed surprisingly unfazed by the incident down in the harbor earlier, which Jongseob actually was happy about. They shouldn’t have to worry about Hunter’s safety here in Sunspear, not while under Jongseob’s watching eyes!

- - - -

“We could head for Barrowton. It might be somewhat further to the west than we’re traveling, but it’s closer than Torrhen’s Square, and considering the fact that Moat Cailin wasn’t prepared for a traveling company as big as ours, we need to stop somewhere to refill our supplies!” Hao suggested, but Hanbin frowned slightly.

“We could keep following the Kingsroad up to Winterfell and refill our supplies there; it would be safer to stay on the main road than to leave it…” Hanbin said.

“No! If we go to Winterfell, dad will just make me stay there!” Minjae intervened. He didn’t want to go back to Winterfell so soon after being promised that he could stay with Junmin and his family for some time, and he just knew his dad would come up with some lame excuse as to why he wasn’t allowed to go with them all the way to Deepwood Motte if they traveled through Winterfell. Taesan would just say that Minjae had to stay since he was already there or something akin to that…

“Minjae’s right! And Winterfell is even further away than Torrhen’s Square,” Junmin pointed out. “And dad, you promised us that Minjae could come with us to Deepwood Motte!” He added, turning slightly in the saddle so he could look back at Gunwook, who rode behind them.

“Barrowton it is,” Gunwook said. “As I fear we would have a bigger problem getting Taerae to agree to go back to Winterfell right now than traveling through the Barrowlands and off the Kingsroad…”

“Alright…” Hanbin eventually agreed, much to Minjae and Junmin’s pleasure. And so they did end up traveling for another day and night before finally reaching Barrowton, and Lord Dustin himself greeted them by the gates.

“My prince, my lords, welcome to Barrowton!” Lord Dustin bowed as Minjae and the rest got off their horses. “I didn’t expect such a big entourage, my lord…” He added upon seeing all of the people entering through the gates after their lords, and he turned to Hao as he spoke.

“We traveled through the Riverlands on our way here from Dragonstone, so a bigger entourage was needed, my lord,” Hao answered. “But we thank you for receiving us on such short notice,”

“The pleasure is mine, my lord. It’s an honor to house not only you and your house but the crown prince as well!” Lord Dustin said, turning so he could give Minjae a bow with his head, but the prince didn’t seem to care. Seemingly as nonchalant as his dad had been in his youth before learning and understanding the consequences of his bad manners…

- - - -

“It would be wise to speak with Lord Arryn, considering that your last proposal didn’t go as planned…” Gyuvin said, preparing to have Taesan yell at him for bringing it up, but to his surprise, Taesan just sighed.

“I’m not so sure he would want to hear from me right now… since neither of his children got to marry Yujun,” The king answered.

“If I recall correctly, you never promised him a marriage, only suggested it, so I would say that he has no right to turn you away if you came with some other offer,” Gyuvin pointed out.

“And what would that be? I have no more children to offer a marriage to, so what else could he possibly want…?” Taesan groaned, slumping down in his chair at the head of the large table.

“No, but you have two grandchildren and surely more to come. Lord Arryn might be old, but regardless of whom his children will marry, they’ll have children of their own in time, and those would be great matches for either Yewang or Jaeho or any future children born to either of your sons,”

“I can’t promise my grandchildren off to some future lords or ladies that aren’t even born yet! And it’s not fair to Baekseung or… or Minseo…” Taesan had to take a deep breath before continuing, still having a hard time saying Minseo’s name out loud… “They wouldn’t want me to decide the future of their children’s lives… and my sons all hate me enough as it is…” He added at the end, barely enough for Gyuvin to hear him.

“As king, you do need to make such decisions sometimes… for the sake of your own family’s surviva-,” Gyuvin tried to say, but Taesan interrupted him by throwing his cup across the hall.

“No! I’ve caused enough strife between me and my sons as it is! I’m not promising their children off to some foreign lord!” Taesan yelled.

“My apologies, Your Grace,” Gyuvin bowed his head, prompting Taesan to sigh before calming down again.

“I’ve told you not to call me that, Gyuvin… I don’t want you to…” Taesan said before slowly standing up from his seat and walking over to where Gyuvin was standing. “I’m not good at this… being king… so I need you, but I don’t want you to see me as just your king and not your friend…”

“I know, Taesan,” Gyuvin answered with a small smile. “But you are good at this. You may not be your father, but you don’t need to be in order to be a great ruling king. And I say this as your friend and not as your Hand; you do wisely not to make decisions for your sons and grandsons, but as your Hand, I am inclined to give you advice that will strengthen not just your position but your whole family’s,” Gyuvin continued. “And those are such as an alliance with House Arryn will give the North, as a whole, a much safer position and future,”

“You’re right… but I’d rather listen to the advice of a friend than my Hand in this matter…” Taesan answered, and Gyuvin was happy to know that Taesan trusted him enough to do that, but he knew that they both knew that the advice Gyuvin had given Taesan as his Hand was better for everyone, though neither really wanted to go through with it…

- - - -

“Ba-ba-ba-bla-bla!” Yewang babbled loudly while trying to crawl around on his stomach, though he was not as successful as he probably wanted, as his babbling got louder and sounded angrier than before. Baekseung laughed slightly at him before placing Jaeho down beside him and picking up Yewang instead.

“And where do you want to go, little man? You seem rather determined to get there, wherever that now might be,” Baekseung chuckled. Yewang let out a few more made-up babbling words or rather sounds before wiggling around in his uncle’s arms, wanting to be placed back down again, so Baekseung did just that. Yewang seemed satisfied enough once he was placed next to his cousin. He momentarily stopped babbling and instead started to shake one of their toys, making Jaeho look at him with big eyes. Baekseung laughed at the two again just as Keum entered the room.

“They finally seem to listen to you now, huh?” He said, watching the two little boys on the floor before leaning up to kiss his husband.

“I wouldn’t call it listening to me, rather being too occupied with one another to have the time for me,” Baekseung answered. “But I’m sure they’ll find something else to do that’ll drive me nuts soon enough…” He added, looking down at the two boys, who were currently chewing on a toy each.

“Your father wanted to see you,” Keum said after a while, prompting Baekseung to turn his head back toward the elder.

“Now?” Baekseung questioned, and Keum nodded. “Do you know what he wanted?”

“No,” Keum answered. Baekseung placed a kiss on his forehead before exiting their chambers, leaving Keum to watch over Yewang and Jaeho for now as he went to see what his father wanted.

“You wished to see me?” Baekseung said once he’d reached his parents’ chambers, to which the doors were open.

“Close the door behind you…” Leehan said, giving Woonhak a nod to leave. Baekseung watched the former crow bow to both him and his father before leaving the room, closing the doors so Baekseung wouldn’t need to.

“What’s happened?” Baekseung questioned, immediately noticing the tiny paper roll in his father’s hands; a letter, no doubt…

“There have been sightings of a ship with House Tarth’s sigil on their sails in White Harbor, and Lord Manderly fears that Tarth men have made their way into the North…” Leehan answered, fiddling with the letter in his hands.

“Tarth?! You mean Keum’s father?” Baekseung questioned, feeling uneasy at the mention of the name Tarth…

“I’m not sure… and neither was Lord Manderly… he only wanted to inform us just in case… uhm…”

“Just in case the Tarths finally wanted to take revenge upon me for marrying Keum?” Baekseung finished his father’s sentence, and Leehan could do nothing but nod slowly.

“I fear that might be it… yes…” He eventually said. “But you’re safe here, and Keum and Jaeho! They won’t be able to get to you here!” Leehan assured his son as he walked over to him and gently placed both his hands on the sides of Baekseung’s face.

“Does dad know…?” Baekseung murmured, but Leehan shook his head.

“No… I haven’t told him yet. I fear he may only freak out and do something unnecessary… I think it’s better to wait until we know more,” Leehan said, pulling his son into a hug. “But as I said, you are all safe here, that much I can promise you,”

Chapter Text

Minjae sighed rather audibly, earning a stern look from Junmin as they sat by the dining table in Lord Dustin’s hall. The lord had insisted on treating them, his guests, to a feast since none other than the crown prince of the North was there, Lord Dustin’s words, not Minjae’s… So now here they were, dining with the lord and his house while multiple servants, workers, and guards ran around them, tending to their duties. Hao had ordered most of their own guards to take the evening off to rest, so there was just a handful of them present in the great hall right now.

“I think this is boring, too, but we can’t show that! It’s disrespectful!” Junmin hissed lowly at Minjae, who, in turn, just rolled his eyes before leaning back in his chair, looking even less impressed than before…

“I’d say it’s disrespectful to throw such boring feasts to honor their crown prince when said crown prince doesn’t even find them the least amusing…” Minjae replied, prompting Junmin to run a hand through his own hair before giving Minjae a quite displeased look. He didn’t say anything else, though, and just poked Minjae in the side to make him sit up straighter, which the elder actually did without complaining this time.

“We thank you, my lord. It’s wonderful to finally have some good food and proper beds to sleep in again after the long journey on horseback,” Hao said. He was standing next to the table where Hanbin, Gunwook, and Taerae were sitting. He was looking over at the table at the upper end of the hall, where Lord Dustin sat.

“This is nothing, Lord Glover! I welcome you and your house here with open arms,” Lord Dustin answered before standing up from his seat as well, bringing his cup with him as he did. “A toast? To you and your house, as well as our crown prince!” He added, raising the cup in the air above him, prompting everyone else to do the same, including Minjae and Junmin, though the former had barely cared to listen to what the lord had even said.

“Do I have to stay here?” Yujin whispered, startling Gunwook slightly as he’d not heard his youngest son sneak up behind him.

“I could be seen as disrespectful to leave before the dinner is over, Yujin. Just go back to your-“

“You can leave, sweety,” Taerae interrupted his husband. “Lord Dustin is too caught up in having our future king and king consort in his halls to care if Yujin left earlier anyways,” He added when Gunwook raised an eyebrow at him.

“Thank you, dad,” Yujin whispered, placing a quick kiss on Taerae’s cheek as a thanks before sneaking out of the hall undetected. His brother, Junmin, however, did notice him leave, but he just shook his head at the younger.

“Being the baby of the family does have its perks,” He chuckled quietly.

“Huh?” Minjae questioned, having not heard what Junmin had said.

“Nothing,” Junmin laughed. He slowly twirled the cup in front of him on the table, having not drunk anything from it yet, and just placed it back down after Lord Dustin had made his toast.

“Why won’t you drink? Does it taste that bad?” Minjae asked once he saw that Junmin hadn’t touched his drink.

“I can’t…” Junmin answered, pushing the cup even further away from him before turning to give his husband a mischievous smile.

“Why not? Why wouldn’t you… oh…?” Minjae trailed off as he connected the dots as to why Junmin wouldn’t drink the wine Lord Dustin had served them. And as if to further prove Minjae’s discovery, he ran his hand over his stomach, which so far barely showed at all. “How long?” Minjae asked, sitting up straight in his chair so he could lean closer to Junmin and place his own hand over the younger’s.

“About two moons. I guess since around the time just before your brother… you know…” Junmin answered. He didn’t really want to bring up Minseo’s death right now, but he still wanted to tell Minjae how long he thought he’d been pregnant, and that just happened to be about the same amount of time ago…

“Are you sure? You really think…?” Minjae questioned, not really believing his own ears even though that was all that he wanted to do right now.

“Yes, I’m sure,” Junmin chuckled, placing his hand on top of Minjae’s and his other one, gripping the elder’s hand gently. “And I figure it’ll be a boy, and so I already have a name for him,” He added, smiling still.

“Oh, you do? Shouldn’t I have a say in naming our child as well?” Minjae let out a small laugh. He actually didn’t have any problem with Junmin choosing their baby’s name; he just wanted to tease the younger.

“Jake,” Junmin said. “I know you and your grandfather had a close bond, so why not honor his memory by naming your own son after him?”

“I’d love that,” Minjae whispered, not really sure why, but he smiled nonetheless and used his free hand to wipe away a couple of tears, happy tears, that had run down his cheek. “Have you told your parents?”

“Not yet, but I did tell my brother earlier today,” Junmin answered, but Minjae didn’t care that Junmin had told his brother before him, nor would he have cared if he’d told Gunwook and Taerae either. He was just happy knowing they would actually have a child.

- - - -

“You’ve never been good at not showing your emotions…” Taeyong said, walking up to stand beside Sungho, who was sitting on the little pier sticking out over the murky waters surrounding Greywater Watch. “Or, so I’ve been told…” He added, considering he himself hadn’t actually spent that much time with his own much younger half-brother.

“Runs in the family then, it seems…” Sungho huffed. Taeyong was clearly worried about him and not particularly good at hiding it, though Sungho found it strange that the elder suddenly seemed to care about him after not having done that for basically all his life.

“Why did you leave Winterfell? You never told me…” Taeyong asked after a while of complete silence, except for the sound of the animals around the swampy waters.

“Nor will I…” Sungho answered before standing up, ending up eye-to-eye with his much older half-brother and the lord of Greywater Watch. “My business is Winterfell, and the reason why I left is mine and mine alone… I have no desire to share it with you of all people…” Sungho knew he was just being petty at this point, but he couldn’t help but be a little angry over the fact that Taeyong suddenly seemed to care about him after not having done so for so many years before… “I don’t want your pity, and I know you don’t really care about me, even if you believe you do yourself! I know when people are lying to themselves better than most! I spent more than half of my life living in the shadows of one such person, and he didn’t do a very good job of staying true to what he actually wanted!” Sungho snapped, shoving Taeyong out of the way before leaving the pier altogether.

- - - -

“My prince, how are your brothers, if I may ask?” Lord Dustin asked, making Minjae have to tear his attention away from Junmin to face the lord.

“Fine, I would believe,” Minjae answered.

“I’m very sorry for what happened to your older brother, my prince. But I’m sure you’ll get your revenge and be able to be with him again soon,” Lord Dustin said. Minjae didn’t answer him for a few seconds, finding the lord’s choice of words rather unusual and the wording of them even more so, but he eventually chose to ignore it.

“The crows paid for his death with their lives, and my dad burned Castle Black to the ground, so I would say that he’s already been avenged,” Minjae answered, massaging his throat as it had, for some reason, started to burn slightly… Unbeknownst to him, almost everyone else had started to feel the same burning sensation in their throat, all but Junmin… who hadn’t drunk anything from his cup…

“Oh yes, your dad is quick to punish those he deems guilty… though I heard there were men up at Castle Black who hadn’t done anything, and yet they suffered the same fate anyways,” Lord Dustin said. “And it seems as though your dad is not the only one in your family to do as he wants without caring for the repercussions… judging by your younger brother’s decisions to marry someone who was promised to someone else…” Now Minjae started to get this uneasy feeling, and Lord Dustin’s words could no longer just be misinterpreted but actually have some hidden agenda behind them…

“I think it’s time for us to get going, my lord…” Hanbin said, standing up from his chair. “We thank you for your hospitality, but we do *cough* need to keep going to rea- *cough* reach Deepwood Motte in time,” Hanbin continued, finding it slightly hard to do so due to the sudden coughing and weird feeling in his throat.

“Da- *cough* dad…?” Gunwook tried to say, only to end up coughing himself. This prompted Junmin to turn to face his father and grandfather, slowly connecting the dots as to why they were coughing… though by the time he did, it was probably already too late…

“The wine…” Junmin mumbled, and Minjae, who was still massaging his throat, turned to look at his husband. “He put something in the wine…” Junmin looked up at Minjae just in time to see archers appearing above them on the surrounding open upstairs seats. He didn’t have the time to say anything, but Minjae must have seen on his face that something was wrong because he bolted forward to push Junmin down and out of the way before being struck by several arrows: one in the back, one in the leg, and one in the shoulder. Neither of them was life-threatening, but they still hurt like hell!

“No! Wai-“ Minjae heard Hanbin yell, only to be silenced by an arrow going straight through his neck. He fell out of sight for Minjae to see exactly where the arrow had hit, but judging by the abrupt silence, Minjae guessed it couldn’t be good… Minjae, despite the three arrows still embedded in his skin, tried to lift his sword and move toward a couple of Lord Dustin’s guards who were heading his way, but he suddenly felt incredibly dizzy, and he found it hard to even stand upright. The others, apart from Junmin, were experiencing similar things, finding it hard to stand up or move correctly, which just proved Junmin’s earlier realization that Lord Dustin must have put something in their cups.

“Minjae, get down, please!” Junmin pleaded, trying to reach for the elder, who was still trying to swing his sword toward the guards surrounding them, but he wasn’t very successful as whatever had been in the wine started to take hold of him. Eventually, he dropped the sword altogether, feeling way too weak to even hold it anymore. He fell down onto his knees, breathing heavily, barely able to keep himself upright… Junmin reached for the sword before standing up and pointing it toward the guards closest to him. He was still very capable of defending not just himself but Minjae as well, though as more and more men surrounded them, he knew he was outnumbered by far… “Why?! Why are you doing this? We did nothing to wrong you!” Junmin yelled, turning to face Lord Dustin, who was still standing by his own seat.

“The North remembers, boy… it remembers both the good and the bad!” Lord Dustin said with a sinister smile on his lips. Junmin had a vague idea of what the lord meant, but he was distracted by two loud thuds to his side, prompting him to look that way, only to see just his father still standing upright. Gunwook also had an arrow in his shoulder, but otherwise, he looked unharmed, at least on the outside. But Junmin could see that the wine was affecting him as well. Hao and Taerae must have already fallen to the floor as well, considering Junmin could no longer see them from where he stood, but he wasn’t sure if they’d fallen due to the wine or if they had been shot by the arrows…

“Please… don’t do this!” Junmin pleaded, eyes now back on Lord Dustin. “I beg you, please! We’ll give you anything you want; just let us go, please!”

“I’m afraid I can’t… I’m not the one who wants you dead, or should I say, your husband dead, as I would say it’s just unfortunate that you all had to go with him,” Lord Dustin still wore that sinister smile as before, despite his claim that he wasn’t the one who wanted them dead, but right now, it didn’t really matter who… Junmin gripped the sword a little harder before swinging it at the first couple of guards closest to him, skillfully striking them down, but he was stopped mid-sword swing by an arrow shot straight into his chest, closely followed by another in his stomach… “Though it wouldn’t do the North any good if there were more of the Starks, so I’m afraid I can’t spear you either, considering you’re apparently carrying one right now, or… should I say carried…” Lord Dustin grinned as Junmin eventually dropped the sword before pressing his hands around the arrow in his stomach. It was cruel… just so cruel… but there was nothing Junmin could do as the blood just poured out from the wound, seeping through his fingers…

“You monster!” Gunwook yelled, but Lord Dustin just kept smiling.

“What can I say… Lord Tarth sends his regards…” The lord bowed mockingly toward Minjae, who had once again tried to straighten back up. By the sound of it, he knew the guards around them must have struck down Gunwook now as well after the elder had yelled, but all Minjae could focus on was Junmin lying on the floor in front of him… He reached out a shaky hand toward the younger, feeling the warm blood on his fingers as he placed his hand on top of Junmin’s, eerily similar to how he’d done earlier, but now all that he’d hoped for at that moment was gone…

“You’ll di… die for this…!” Minjae managed to say, despite the arrow in his back making it hard for him to even breathe.

“Oh no, boy, I got paid for this,” Lord Dustin chuckled before gesturing something with his hand. Minjae didn’t know why or for what, but he soon found out as one of the guards came forward, holding a knife… He grabbed Minjae’s ice-blond hair, pulling his head back, and then he slit his throat…

Chapter Text

The House of Black and White… Yujun had spent most of the journey across the Narrow Sea wondering why it was called that, and his mind had only momentarily drifted away from that thought as he saw the huge stone monument that was the Titan of Braavos, standing above the passage leading into the city. But after getting over his initial shock at just how big the titan statue was, his mind wandered back to the place he was supposedly going…

“The place you seek is the temple of the Many-Faced God, and it’s where the Faceless Men reside,” The captain of the ship explained, though Yujun still had no idea what the place even looked like. He figured now that it might not have been the smartest decision to just say those words to a random Braavosy man so shortly after Taemin had given him that coin… not to mention Yujun had no idea of what those words even meant… He knew they were in High Valyrian; he’d heard Hunter and their father speak the language enough to recognize what it sounded like, but Yujun himself was far from as skilled in it as his brother or father…

“Why is it called the House of Black and White?” Yujun asked, tearing his eyes away from the huge city the ship was approaching so he could look at the captain.

“You’ll understand soon enough, young man,” The captain answered, smiling rather eerily if you asked Yujun, but the prince chose to ignore that for now.

“Who is the Many-Faced God then? And What are the Faceless Men?” Yujun figured the captain must think he was stupid or something, considering he knew nothing of what all of this was, and yet he had asked to be brought here.

“The Many-Faced God has faces beyond count, young man, as many faces as there are stars in the sky. In Braavos, men worship as they will... but at the end of every road stands The One of Many Faces, waiting. He will be there for you one day but do not fear. You need not rush to his embrace…” The captain explained. “And the Faceless Men serve the Many-Faced God, but they are nothing and no one… Their work cannot be done if they are someone,” Yujun raised a questioning eyebrow, but he guessed that whatever further explanation from the captain wouldn’t do him any good either way, so eventually, he just nodded slowly.

“What do Valar Morghulis and Valar Dohaeris mean then? I know it’s High Valyrian, but I do not know the proper translation of the words…” Yujun asked just as the captain was about to leave and go back to attend to his duties. The man turned back around to face Yujun, giving him a small, still quite eerie, smile before answering.

“All men must die. All men must serve,” He answered before leaving Yujun alone on the bow of the ship. ‘All men must die’, sure, that was true… no one lived forever, but what the hell did ‘all men must serve’ mean…?

- - - -

Hunter awoke with a strange taste in his mouth, but he had no recollection of either eating or drinking anything that tasted similar to the taste in his mouth right now… He also realized that he’d woken up long before sunrise for no apparent reason, as the sky outside the open windows was still pitch black. Swallowing a couple of times, trying to get rid of the taste, he stood up from the bed and walked over to one of the windows. The slight breeze that was blowing in through the curtains was warm, as always here in Dorne, and yet there was a chill running down Hunter’s back. The seemingly burning heat he’d felt for days prior to tonight was also seemingly just… gone now… Something was wrong… he just knew it…

“Hunter…?” He heard Seeun murmur groggily from the bed, voice thick with sleep.

“I’m here,” Hunter answered, but he didn’t bother to turn back to look at Seeun right now and instead kept his eyes on the illuminated city streets below them. He heard Seeun stand up from the bed and walk over to him before the elder’s arms were wrapped around him from behind.

“Oh, your skin is really cold…” Seeun exclaimed, rather surprised to feel just how cold Hunter’s skin was compared to his own, despite the shirt the younger was wearing and the warm air around them.

“I don’t feel cold… but I don’t feel warm either, it’s like I… uhm… don’t feel anything at all…” Hunter answered, trying to figure out what he felt as he spoke. “And I had this weird taste in my mouth, but now that is gone as wel-“ He continued, only to stop abruptly as he felt an immense pain shooting through his back, shortly followed by the same kind of pain on the back of his leg and in his right shoulder. He yelped, prompting Seeun to immediately let go of him, fearing he’d been the one causing Hunter the pain, but just as quickly the pain had appeared, it disappeared once again.

“What happened?!” Seeun asked worriedly, watching Hunter intensely as the younger tried to figure out what had actually happened…

“I… I don’t know… There was just this pain on my back and leg… like… like I’d been shot or something,” Hunter said, prompting Seeun to come up to him again, lifting Hunter’s shirt out of the way to see if he could see anything on the younger’s back, but there was nothing there. Only the red scales Hunter had always had, but they seemed unharmed as well.

“There’s nothing here…” Seeun said, gently running his hand over Hunter’s back to further assure that the younger was actually okay.

“It’s gone now…” Hunter mumbled. There was no pain anymore, but there was this tingling feeling in the three places where the pain had been and some sort of itchy feeling in his throat as well. Though, these things were nothing compared to what came afterward…

“Please… don’t do this!” Hunter heard what he recognized to be Junmin’s voice say, but Seeun didn’t seem to have heard anything, proving to Hunter that this was all in his head once again…

“You monster!” Hunter heard Gunwook’s voice next, though his voice sounded strained, as if he was in pain or otherwise somehow impaired to speak properly. Hunter’s own vision started to blur slightly before the candle-lit, orange-tinted room he and Seeun were in was replaced by a much bigger hall, also lit with several candles, but this room was filled with people. What stuck out to Hunter was the unmistakable icy-blond hair of his brother, but as he saw Minjae, the earlier pain in Hunter’s back finally made sense… Minjae had three arrows sticking out from the exact same places as Hunter’s pain had been: the back, the leg, and the right shoulder… and the more Hunter focused, the more horrifying things he saw in the hall before him… Hanbin was lying on the floor, and an arrow shot straight through his throat. Hao and Taerae were lying next to him, arrows embedded in various parts of their bodies as well… but the worst Hunter saw must have been Junmin lying on the floor, an arrow in his chest and another in his stomach, which was bleeding profusely… Hunter saw him desperately pressing his hands around the arrow, but to no avail… Hunter saw how Minjae seemingly also tried to stop Junmin’s bleeding by placing his own hand over the wound, but that didn’t help much either…

“You’ll di… die for this…!” Hunter heard Minjae say, with some difficulty due to the arrow in his back.

“Oh no, boy, I got paid for this,” A man Hunter had never seen before answered before making some gesture with his hand. Hunter didn’t have the time to decipher what it had meant before what he assumed to be a guard came forward, and he was holding a knife… Hunter could do nothing but watch as the man grabbed Minjae’s ice-blond hair, pulling his head back, and then he just slit his throat like it was nothing… Hunter’s vision ended abruptly after that, and seeing as he’d not experienced something as powerful and traumatic before, his body just gave up, and he fainted… with Seeun barely being able to catch him in time…

- - - -

The captain had told Yujun to walk straight into the city until he reached several small islands in the middle. There, he would ask to be taken to the House of Black and White, and whomever he asked would happily take him there. And despite Yujun’s uneasiness, it all actually happened just as the captain had said, and now Yujun found himself watching a huge rectangular building with just one set of doors in the front… and now Yujun finally understood why the building was called the House of Black and White because that was the colors of the two doors… the left one white and the right one black.

“Valar Morghulis,” The man who’d rowed Yujun to the island said, giving him the same salute-like gesture with his hand as the captain of the ship had done.

“Valar Dohaeris,” Yujun answered, having by now figured out that this was also some sort of way to greet people here in Braavos or to thank them. He got off the little jolly boat and watched the man row away before turning to face the huge building with the mismatched doors. He walked up to the doors and hesitated for a few seconds before reaching his hand up to knock, but before he could, the white door opened seemingly on its own. An old woman dressed in a dirty-looking old white dress appeared in the crack between the two doors, eyeing Yujun from head to toe before staring straight into his eyes. “Uhm… Valar Morghulis,” Yujun said, reaching out his hand to give the woman the coin Taemin had given him earlier. The woman eyed the coin briefly before looking up at Yujun again.

“Who are you?” She asked with a raspy voice.

“My name is… uhm…” Yujun hesitated, figuring it might not be wise to tell a complete stranger his actual name without knowing what the woman was actually capable of. “I’m… uhm… I’m no one,” Yujun eventually said, recalling what the captain had told him earlier: ‘The Faceless Men serve the Many-Faced God, but they are nothing and no one… Their work cannot be done if they are someone.’. And so Yujun figured that if he now wanted another life, away from his controlled and restricted one back in Westeros, why not be just no one? The woman showed no sign of emotions on her face for a few seconds before the corner of her mouth went up slightly. She took a step to the side, opening the door wider, and gestured for Yujun to enter.

“Valar Dohaeris,” She answered, and that was enough for Yujun to enter the House of Black and White…

Chapter Text

“I’ve pushed this matter to the side long enough, but seeing as Hanbin has already proven your guilt, I don’t see why I wouldn’t just sentence you to death at this very moment,” Taesan eyed their maester or, rather, former maester. The old man had been brought back up from the dungeons to face the king himself this time as Hanbin and Hao had gone through their discoveries about the man and finally brought it to Taesan’s attention before they all left for Dragonstone.

“Whatever you decide to do with me won’t change the outcome of your family’s fate,” The maester answered, prompting Taesan to sit up straighter on his throne-like chair, which was placed at the furthest end of the great hall. Taesan, surprisingly enough, seldom used this throne, as he’d much rather stand up or discuss important matters at a table or with Gyuvin in the latter’s quarters. But seeing as Hanbin had already proven beyond any doubt that the maester was, in fact, responsible for Jake’s death, Taesan wanted the man to see his full authority and power as a king compared to the criminal the maester now was.

“If you think you could poison anyone else, you’re wrong! I’ve had every drink, every food, and even the kitchens themselves checked and cleaned out for any trace of potential poison, so I would say that your attempts were for nothing!” Taesan answered angrily. He wasn’t in the mood for the old man’s snarky attitude, and he just wanted to get this over with.

“Poison only tends to work once, but I can assure you that if I would have wanted you to meet the same fate as your father, you would have done so a long time ago…” The maester answered. Taesan clenched his jaw, irritation growing inside him, but he remained calm, or at least as calm as he could be in this situation. He stood up from his throne and took a few steps forward, getting closer to the old man, but before he could say anything, the maester continued to talk. “You’ve had your eyes so fixed on your own family that it’s left you blind to the world around you! You don’t even know your own people anymore… and they’d much rather serve another than a king who doesn’t care about them…”

“Have care how you speak to your king!” Doyoung growled, using the blunt end of his sword to push the maester to kneel down before Taesan, but the old man just kept smirking.

“He is no king of mine! I murdered my king, and yes, you heard me right! Jake was the king I served, but when he started to let you run this house as you saw fit, I knew he was beyond saving, and so it was just easier to speed the process along and let you run House Stark into the dirt!” The maester looked up to meet Taesan’s eyes as he spoke. “You’ll be the end of your house, and no matter how many children you have, all you’ll be able to do is watch them all die for nothing! You think you know your kingdom, but while you’ve been occupied by the ill-mannered sons, your own bannermen have turned to more prosperous alternatives, and by the time you try to convince them to come back to you, it’ll be too lat-“ Taesan didn’t let them maester finish his sentence before swinging his sword through the air, cutting the old man’s head right in half… Doyoung didn’t even seem faced by the action, probably thinking the old man deserved the fate he got, but Taesan didn’t care what the knight thought of his actions either way… Taesan tossed the bloodied sword on the ground before walking back toward his throne. He didn’t sit down but instead just stood there for a while in complete silence before eventually turning back around to face Doyoung.

“Send ravens to all of my bannermen… tell them that their king wants them here, at Winterfell, within a fortnight, or they’ll suffer the consequences of a traitor!” Doyoung just gave Taesan a nod and a bow before turning to leave to do what his king had requested, but he didn’t even get to the doors before they were opened from the outside. Gyuvin appeared in the opening, holding a tiny letter in his hands, and Taesan met his visibly teary eyes…

“My lord,” Doyoung gave Gyuvin a nod before walking past him and out of the great hall, not commenting on the younger’s appearance, but Taesan, on the other hand, couldn’t help but feel a horrible sensation spread through his body…

“What’s happened…?”

- - - -

It was as if the whole of Winterfell had fallen under some sort of darkness beyond that of the news of their crown prince’s passing… The whole castle was eerily quiet, to the point of which it almost seemed abandoned. Taesan had ordered the gates to be closed, and no one was allowed to either leave or enter the castle. Doyoung had sent the raven Taesan had requested he do, but other than that, no other action had been taken after the gates were closed.

“Where is he…?” Ricky questioned, walking up to stand beside his husband. Gyuvin didn’t answer and just gestured toward the door, slightly ajar, leading out to the Godswood. Ricky gently wrapped his arms around the younger, which seemed to be the final straw for Gyuvin to finally let his emotions take over, and he just burst out in tears, leaning into Ricky’s embrace and just letting himself cry… Taesan and Leehan might have lost a son… and Sumin and Baekseung a brother, but Gyuvin had lost his cousin, his uncles, and one of his best friends…

“Dad…?” Jinsik’s worried voice came from behind them, prompting Ricky to look up at his son, who also had tears in his eyes.

“We’ll be fine, sweety… go back to Sumin; he needs you more than ever now,” Ricky answered, giving Jinsik a sad but gentle smile before the latter nodded, turning back around, and then went back to Sumin’s chambers. Gyuvin hadn’t even raised his head despite hearing their son, but Ricky couldn’t really blame him… Gyuvin had every right to grieve just like the Starks did.

- - - -

Leehan walked through the castle, completely silent and barely even registering the people around him who were stepping out of his way as he walked.

“Your Grace…” A handful of them said as a way of showing their sympathy and respect toward him, while others just bowed their heads to him, but he’d much rather have them not see him at all right now… he made his way out of the castle, through the courtyard, and into the Godswood, where he heard faint sounds of metal hitting something sturdy, like a thick tree. He walked all the way until he could see the weirwood tree and Taesan below it. The elder was desperately striking the tree with his sword over and over again, having created multiple deep cuts in the treetrunk and even bent his sword slightly.

“Taesan…” The feeble sound of Leehan’s voice made the king stop what he was doing and look up. His eyes were filled with tears, but so were Leehan’s… They just stared at each other for what felt like an eternity before Taesan dropped his sword on the ground and made his way over to the younger. He wrapped his arms around Leehan as the younger did the same, and then they just held each other.

“If I only had a dragon…” Taesan murmured after a while. “Then I would be able to burn every single one of those who’d even dare think of hurting our children!”

“Having a dragon burn those who’d wronged them never favored the Targaryens, so I doubt it would us…” Leehan whispered back.

“No… but it would at least give me the satisfaction of hearing them scream as they burned alive!” Taesan answered.

“It wouldn’t bring him back…” Leehan sobbed. “Nothing either of us could do will ever be able to bring him back… my little boy…”

“You know I would gladly give my life for his if I could…” Taesan whispered, pulling Leehan even closer to himself and gently running his hands over the younger’s blond hair.

“I know… I would, too… but neither of us can do that now… it’s too late,”

- - - -

“Lord Tarth sends his regards…? Is that what he said?” Keum felt like someone had dumped a bucket of cold water over his head at the mention of his father… He knew that he would be angry with Keum leaving without as much as a word, breaking the betrothal he’d had to Lord Swann and instead marrying Baekseung, but over a year had passed since that, and Keum had almost started to believe that his father had let go of the idea of getting back at him for that… but this… this was far beyond what Keum could even have imagined his father capable of doing… Baekseung had been able to keep himself from crying so far, but when Doyoung had told him what the letter they’d received told of what Lord Dustin had done to Minjae and the others, he started to feel himself lose his grip on his emotions…

“A handful of the Glovers’ men escaped the massacre, sending words here as quickly as they could, and that was what the letter they sent said…” Doyoung answered. “That and one other thing…”

“What’s that?” Baekseung asked, but before Doyoung could answer him, Keum spoke up.

“Yujin… the letter didn’t mention anything about Yujin…” He said, prompting both Baekseung and Doyoung to turn in his direction before Baekseung turned back toward Doyoung.

“It didn’t say anything about Yujin, didn’t it?!” Baekseung exclaimed.

“No, my prince. The soldiers said they saw no trace of the young lord, though one of them thought he saw Yujin leave the hall before everything went down, which would not be too far-fetched as he’s never been one for big celebrations or gatherings… So there might still be some hope that he wasn’t present when it all happened…” Doyoung answered.

“We need to find him!” Keum said, prompting Baekseung to turn back toward him once again. “We have to make sure that he’s alright! We can’t just leave him out there…”

“There’s over 400 miles between here and Barrowton, Keum… it would take us at least three days to even get there, and not to mention that we would never even be allowed to leave the castle, let alone venture into the Barrowlands, after what’s just happened…” Bekseung said, but Keum was presistant…

“We have to at least try…”

Chapter Text

Yujun followed the old woman through the very dimly lit building, or perhaps temple was a better word for it. There were weird sculptures carved in stone along the walls, and there were small fires lit in the outcarved lower parts of the walls, casting huge shadows along the walls every time someone walked past them. They did walk past a few people, all looking either really sick or otherwise unwell in some way. Yujun wanted to ask about them, but something told him he shouldn’t, so he remained quiet and just followed the woman until they reached a huge pool in the middle of an even bigger room. The dark water in the pool looked to be clean, but its color made it look like the pool was bottomless, going on forever, just straight down into nothing…

“Qilōni issi ao?” (Who are you?) The woman suddenly asked. She’d stopped walking and was facing Yujun again, with the pool of dark water now behind her.

“W-what?” Yujun questioned, having not really heard what the woman said, nor did he really understand it anyway as she’d spoken in High Valyrian.

“Who are you?” The woman repeated her question in the common tongue this time.

“I’m no one,” Yujun answered.

“A boy says he’s no one, that he wants to be no one, and yet he is someone,” The woman eyed Yujun with an intensive look, prompting Yujun to slightly squirm under her gaze. “If a boy wants to be no one, he has to leave the person he was behind him… he has to give up everything he once knew and let the name Yujun Stark die,” Yujun’s eyes widened at the mention of his name. How could she know his name when he never told her about it? But as if she’d read his mind, the corner of her mouth went up again before she continued to talk. “The Many-Faced God knows everyone; he sees everyone as long as they’re someone, so if you want to serve him, you must be no one, and no one can’t be a prince of House Stark,”

- - - -

“I don’t think it’s wise to leave Winterfell considering not only what happened to your brother but also because your dad ordered the whole castle to be on lockdown; no one’s allowed to enter or leave until he says otherwise…” Doyoung tried to convince Baekseung and Keum to reconsider their decision to leave the castle and go out to look for Yujin, but so far, he hadn’t been very successful…

“You’re the one who swore some damn oath to my dad to honor his word and commands; I didn’t! We need to find Yujin as soon as possible, or he’ll die out in the wilderness, which is the Barrowlands! And frankly, I don’t care what my dad told the people of Winterfell! He is in no shape to command anyone right now; he’s lost two sons in the span of a few months, and his emotions are restricting him from thinking clearly, and you know that! I might have lost two brothers and very dear friends to me, but if I can do something to save at least one of them, then I’ll do whatever I can!” Baekseung basically yelled in Doyoung’s face, not that it really bothered the knight, seeing as he was rather used to Taesan’s eerily similar outbursts, but Baekseung hadn’t actually really meant to be so rude; it sort of just slipped out…

“What Baekseung’s trying to say, if he could keep himself from losing the grip of his own emotions, is that we, with the help of the soldiers of House Stark, can go to the Barrowlands and try to find Yujin while there’s still hope,” Keum said, having had enough of his husband’s emotional outbursts, which were a clear copy of Taesan’s despite Baekseung’s earlier complaints about his dad’s emotions. “We don’t want you to disobey your king’s orders, but we would have a much greater chance of finding Yujin if someone with your experience came with us…” Keum added. Doyoung seemed to think it all through for a while before taking a deep breath.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t… I won’t stop you; that’s the guards by the gates task, so I’ll leave that to them, but I can’t come with you…” Doyoung eventually answered. Baekseung was about to say something, probably something stupid, but Keum grabbed his shoulder and gently, yet still quite forcefully, pushed him to the side.

“We understand…” He told Doyoung. “And thank you,” Keum then turned back around, pulling Baekseung with him, and headed toward the doors leading out of the castle, but before they could reach them, Woonhak appeared in front of them. Keum and Baekseung weren’t sure what to expect from the former crow, considering they didn’t really know him, but when Woonhak looked between them, and then over at Doyoung, he at least didn’t seem like he would try to stop them from leaving.

“I’ll come with you,” He said, surprising both the prince and his husband. “I failed to protect one of your brothers and his husband, and now another has been killed as well… So if you think there’s a chance that we could find Yujin, then I want to help… I want to make up for my failures…” Woonhak’s voice sounded strained as if he found it somewhat difficult to talk about Minseo, or at least that was what Bakesung and Keum assured, but they were thankful for the former crow, now knight’s help.

“Go to the western tower; the men there will help you if you tell them I sent you, but please, be careful…” Doyoung said, giving Woonhak a nod, which the younger knight returned. “And please bring him back in one piece,” Doyoung added, referring to Baekseung. “I don’t think our king and king consort would be able to handle losing another son so soon…”

“I will!” Woonhak answered before exiting the castle, closely followed by Baekseung and Keum. Doyoung sighed once the door closed behind the three again. He then turned back around and went back to Keum and Baekseung’s chambers, looking at the crib where both Yewang and Jaeho were currently sleeping.

“Now, what do I do with the two of you…?” Doyoung sighed once again, shaking his head before letting out a small chuckle. As long as the two little princes were still asleep, he would be fine, but once they woke up, Doyoung had no idea what he’d do with them… all he could do now was just pray that they stayed asleep long enough for either Leehan or Ricky to be able to take care of them, at least they would know what they were doing…

- - - -

An older man, dressed similarly to the old woman Yujun had spoken to earlier, gave him new clothes so he could change out of the ones he’d worn when he came here. The man had told him the same as the woman had, that if he wanted to be no one, he couldn’t be wearing something belonging to someone, so Yujun just had to accept the clothes he’d been given, and now he was wearing them. The same man had shown Yujun to a room without any furniture apart from a mattress in the corner and a small table in the other. Yujun had to really think his decisions through once he saw the room, but he chose not to question it and just thanked the same.

“There’s no need to thank no one because no one does not care for gratitude; all no one does is serve,” The man had answered him before leaving the room. Yujun watched the man close the door, and then he went over to the table. It was empty and a bit dusty, which didn’t really surprise him. Yujun then let out a sigh before walking over to sit down on the mattress, suddenly realizing just how tired he actually was. Surely becoming no one could wait for a few more hours so he could get some sleep first…

- - - -

Yujun awoke much sooner than he would have wanted, and at first, he wasn’t even sure what had woken him up in the first place, but when he’d rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, he noticed a young man, probably around his own age, standing in front of him. Considering the fact that Yujun was lying down on the mattress, his head was basically on the same level as the other’s feet, and no, the first thing Yujun noticed, apart from someone standing beside his head, was the stick the man was holding, which prompted Yujun to sit up.

“Can I help you…?” He questioned, but the young man just eyed him in silence. Now, as Yujun was sitting up, he noticed that the young man not only wore the same kind of clothing Yujun had been given, but he also noticed the boy’s extremely blond, almost white, hair. It was even lighter than Yujun’s father and brother’s, which he hadn’t even thought possible, at least until now… The boy had dark brown eyes, a clear contrast to his blond hair, and it made Yujun think of the numerous paintings and drawings he’d seen of what the typical Targaryens looked like. Yujun also noticed a rather big, though quite faded scar running from the boy’s right ear, down the side of his neck, and almost all the way to where his left colorbone started. It almost looked like someone had tried to slit his throat yeasr ago, judging by the the fact that it was a scar and not a wound. “What do you wan-“

“Who are you?” The boy interrupted Yujun, staring down at him with a face void of any emotions.

“I’m no one… who are you? And why are you in my room?” Yujun asked, standing up so he was at eye-level with the other, finding that he was actually slightly taller than him.

“You’re not no one… No one doesn’t own a room; this is not your room,” The boy answered.

“The old man gave it to me, so I would say that it’s min-“ Yujun was interrupted once again, but not by the other speaking this time, but instead due to the fact that he’d whacked Yujun on the arm with the stick he was holding. “Ow! What the hell?!” Yujun exclaimed, rubbing his arm while taking a couple of steps away from the boy.

“That’s a lie… a man didn’t give you anything,” The blond boy said. “Because if you were no one, you would want to own anything,” He added, still staring at Yujun with the same blank expression.

“I am no one! I don’t give a shit about this room if that’s the problem; I just thought that the man gave it to me so I could stay her-“ For a third time, Yujun was interrupted, and for a second time, the blond boy hit him with the stick.

“Another lie… No one does not care about anything, and a boy is still someone,” The blond boy said.

“A boy? I’m no more boy than you are!” Yujun snapped, and the blond boy raised the stick once again, but this time, Yujun was prepared for it and caught the stick mid-air. “Hit me with that again, and I’ll hit you!”

“Who are you?” The boy asked again, jerking the stick out of Yujun’s hand.

“You’ll find out soon enough if you try to hit me with that stupid stick again!” Yujun yelled, only for the blond boy to raise the stick once again, but this time, he was the one who was interrupted by the old woman from earlier.

“What are you doing?” The woman asked, eyeing the blond boy before glancing over at Yujun.

“Playing,” The blond boy answered. “Playing the game of faces,”

“A boy is not ready…” The woman said.

“Clearly not,” The blond boy answered.

“I am ready!” Yujun burst out angrily. “For whatever you want me to do, I am ready!”

“A boy is not ready because a boy still talks like someone. A boy is not ready because a boy still has emotions like someone…” The old woman said. She then turned around and left the room, leaving Yujun and the blond boy alone once again. The blond boy eyed Yujun from head to toe once before he, too, walked toward the door.

“Wait! Who are you?” You look like a Targaryen… Yujun wanted to add, but he didn’t. The blond boy turned to face him before the corner of his mouth went up slightly.

“No one,” He answered, and then he also left the room…

Chapter Text

Hunter wasn’t exactly interested in celebrating Seeun’s nameday, which the elder completely understood, but as it was still a tradition to throw a feast to celebrate the royal family’s namedays in Dorne, Hunter knew he needed to at least participate in order to get more of the Dornish people’s approval. Though he knew that most of them actually already liked him, there still seemed to be those who didn’t, considering what had happened on the day he’d arrived here… There hadn’t been any more incidents than that one. However, that might be because Hunter had barely left the castle since setting foot in it, apart from walking in the Watergardens, which actually proved to be somewhat calming for him.

“You don’t have to do this, Hunter… No one will blame you if you’re not in the mood for this…” Seeun said while trying, rather unsuccessfully, to tie together the long strings on the front of his shirt.

“But I do… if I’m supposed to be their king consort one day, the people of Sunspear need to get to know me and know that I won’t push them aside for my own personal issues…” Hunter answered. He wasn’t looking at Seeun, and rather out of the floor-to-ceiling open windows, light orange colored curtains calmly swaying in the breeze around him. Seeun sighed, giving up on trying to tie some form of knot of the loose-handing strings of his shirt, and instead walked over to his husband.

“That’s not how it works, Hunter…” Seeun gently pulled the younger into a back hug before resting his chin on Hunter’s shoulder. “You don’t need to put aside anything for the sake of you people, but that doesn’t mean you should ignore them. There’s this balance, a perfect place right in between the two, where you can be a good ruler but also have a happy life yourself,”

“There’s no such perfect place where you could be both… you’ll always have to sacrifice one of them… the Targaryens proved that a long time ago,” Hunter mumbled back before turning around to face Seeun, making him have to lift his chin up off his shoulder. The elder watched as Hunter took the loose-handing strings of Seeun’s shirt in each hand, quite quickly and rather effortlessly, tying them into place before letting go of them again.

“Good thing we’re not the Targaryens then,” Seeun said once Hunter looked up to meet his eyes after tying the strings together.

“We’re the closest thing there is to what’s left of them, so it wouldn’t surprise me if we ended up the same…” Hunter sighed before turning to face away from Seeun again and looking out of the window instead.

“Targaryen descendants or not, I don’t think that’s what made you think you can’t be both happy yourself and rule a happy people… I think that’s your dad talking, not you,” Seeun said. He might have only met Taesan, The King in the North, twice, but that had been more than enough for him to know that this wasn’t Hunter’s words; they were his… Despite that, Seeun was actually happy that Taesan had chosen his family over his people if he now so desperately believed he had to choose because Hunter would probably never have been allowed to marry Seeun otherwise. Hunter turned his head back around briefly, looking at Seeun with his big brown eyes before turning back again.

“It’s worked for him so far…” He mumbled quietly.

“Has is…?” As much as Hunter wanted to argue against Seeun’s words, he couldn’t find it in him to do so because he knew the elder was right… His dad had been king for less than three years, and in that time, he’d been betrayed by his own bannermen, abandoned by others, lost two sons, maybe even three, and the best knight House Stark probably ever had sworn to them… Hunter didn’t doubt the fact that his dad was trying to do the right thing, but he just guessed that being king wasn’t for everyone… “I need to go now, but I think you should stay and get some rest. I’ll tell Aianna to come and keep you company so you don’t have to be alone,” Seeun said, placing a kiss on Hunter’s forehead before making his way over to the door leading out of their chambers.

“There’s no need; I want to be alone for a while…” Hunter answered, still keeping his eyes fixed on the sand dunes outside the city.

“I’ll tell her to stand guard outside then,”

“Mmh…” Hunter just hummed in response, worrying Seeun even more by just how down he seemed, but the Martell prince decided to just leave his husband alone for now, as it was the younger’s wish, and headed out of the door to join the celebrations of his own nameday already going on downstairs.

- - - -

“Minjae…?” Sungho didn’t want to believe what Taeyong had just told him, but the elder handed him the tiny paper roll for Sungho to ready himself, but it still didn’t make it any easier to accept… First Minseo… and now Minjae… two of the boys Sungho had basically helped raise; he’d trained them, been there for them when they had had arguments with either their parents or each other, and now they were just… gone…

“His Grace has called all his bannermen to Winterfell, so I’ll be leaving on the morrow. You can come with me if you want to…” Taeyong said. “Or, you can stay here with Haechan, it’s your choice,”

“I can’t… if I go back up there, I probably won’t be able to bring myself to leave again for another 20 years or so… and I don’t think I can handle being there right now either…” Sungho answered slowly. Taeyong nodded, despite knowing Sungho couldn’t see him from where he was standing, facing away from his brother. However, before Taeyong could leave, Sungho spoke up again. “What about Lord Dustin?”

“There’s been no word given to take up actions against House Dustin, so I won’t do anything without my king’s command…” Taeyong answered. “But… we should be at the ready once he finally gives that command,” He added before leaving. Sungho knew Taeyong was an honorable man; he knew that he would never disobey his king, no matter how good or bad that king was, but he also knew that Taeyong was not stupid… If Taesan were not going to take the necessary actions against Lord Dustin and his house, the North, the real North, would do it for him… for their king!

- - - -

Yujun had spent more days than he cared to count just sweeping the floors and picking up after others inside the temple, and it was starting to make him really question if this had even been worth it in the first place… Sure, he was used to the life of a prince, but Leehan had always made sure that his sons weren’t spoiled, so Yujun knew how to take care of himself, how to cook his own food, and even how to clean even though neither he nor his brothers or parents would even have had to do that. But this… this was just too much, and Yujun wasn’t even exaggerating!

“Valar Morghulis…” Yujun heard a sickly looking man say, accepting a small bowl from the old woman before slowly drinking from it.

“Valar Dohaeris,” She answered, watching the man as he drank. Yujun had seen this many times now, and it still sort of scared him a little, if he was being honest. The first time he’d seen it, he’d almost panicked when the old woman had given another old woman the same bowl filled with the water from the dark pool, only for the woman to drink it and then fall to the floor, dead… But now, even though Yujun didn’t exactly enjoy watching it, he didn’t react at all as the man dropped the now empty bowl and fell sideways to the floor. Yujun had asked the old woman about what it was, and she’d told him that people came here when they had nowhere else to go, or rather, nothing else to do, knowing they would die either way… So they willingly gave their lives to the Mane-Faced God in order to die for something. “Why have you stopped…?” The sound of the woman’s voice made Yujun jump slightly, blinking a few times, trying to wrap his head around how she’d gotten so close to him so quickly, only to realize that the man who’d just died on the floor was now gone, and the woman was standing beside him.

“I’ve done all you asked of me… what more do I have to do to prove that I’m ready?” Yujun asked her.

“Ready for what?” The woman asked, tilting her head to the side.

“Ready to become no one!” Yujun said. He let go of the broom he’d been sweeping the floors with and let it fall. The woman didn’t seem to care at all and just kept her eyes on Yujun for a few more seconds.

“No… a boy is not ready yet…” She eventually stated, prompting Yujun to let out a loud sigh. “Now, get back to work. We all serve the Many-Faced God in a way befitting our station…” She added, but that made Yujun think of something she’d said before…

“I thought you said no one has no station…?” Yujun pointed out, staring back at the woman with the same intensive stare she’d used on him many times over. At first, she didn’t seem faced by what Yujun had pointed out, but then she turned on her heels and walked away.

“A boy is starting to learn…” She eventually said, just barely loud enough for Yujun to hear her, but he did… Later that same night, Yujun was still sweeping those damn floors in the big hall with the pool of dark waters, but at this hour of the day, he was the only one in there. He had, however, gained a little more hope since the woman had said that he was starting to learn, though he still had no idea of what he needed to do to actually learn what she wanted him to, considering she never told him… The sound of someone entering the hall made him look up from the floor, and he saw a father carrying his young daughter in his arms. The girl couldn’t be much older than six or seven, but she looked really pale and sick, coughing loudly as her father carried her over to the pool in the middle of the room before carefully placing her down beside it.

“Valar Morghulis,” The man said as he noticed Yujun a little further into the hall.

“Valar Dohaeris,” Yujun answered.

“I have done everything I can for her… but nothing works… I have no more money left, and her mother has already died… please… I want her to be in a better place; I don’t want her to suffer anymore…” The man said. Yujun felt himself slightly panic again as he realized that there was no one else in the hall who could help the man, meaning Yujun himself had to do something…

“She won’t…” Yujun answered the man, leaning the broom against the wall before walking over to sit down next to the girl. She looked up at him as he sat down, but it was as if all life had already been drained from her eyes, which was horrible, but at least it gave Yujun the assurance that this was the right way and that she was not going to have to suffer for much longer… He picked up the bowl lying on the floor beside them, carefully dipping it into the dark water of the pool before bringing it back up and handing it to the girl.

“Valar Morghulis,” The little girl said, or at least tried to say as the words were rather hard for her to pronounce, but Yujun still gave her a sad little smile.

“Valar Dohaeris,” He answered, placing his hand over hers on the bowl to help her drink. She drank it all before Yujun took the bowl back and placed it beside him again. As her eyes closed, Yujun gently laid her down on the floor so she wouldn’t just fall, and he had to bite his lip in order not to cry. He did, however, close his eyes momentarily, only letting one single tear slip past, but when he opened them again, the girl was gone, and so was her father. Yujun looked up in confusion, only to come face to face with the blond boy from earlier. His big brown eyes watched Yujun intently before he reached out his hand for Yujun to take, and so Yujun did, but not without noticing another rather big scar across the top of the boy’s hand. The boy pulled him up so he was standing up once again, and then he spoke.

“A boy is finally ready to become no one…”

Chapter Text

“Why are they all here…?” Jinsik watched as numerous lords and ladies entered through the gates of Winterfell, some on horseback, others in the wagons or simply by foot.

“Dad summoned all his bannermen after Minjae’s death, but I do not know why…” Sumin answered, letting out a tired sigh. He’d not been crying for the last few days, though he had a terrible headache instead… “I guess it has something to do with proving their loyalty to him…” He added.

“And if they don’t…? What will he do to them then?” Jinsik questioned, already having a pretty good idea of what Taesan might do to the lords and ladies he didn’t think to be loyal enough.

“Behead them, probably, or burn them; I don’t know… Nor do I really care, if I’m being honest… Sumin had never really paid much attention to what either of his parents chose to do, and as long as it didn’t directly affect him, he couldn’t care less about it. So whatever Taesan was planning to do with his bannermen now wasn’t something Sumin really cared to know about, much less get involved in. All he knew was that Lord Dustin at least deserved to die, but he wasn’t here, among the others, so it wasn’t like Sumin would get his wish fulfilled anyway…

“So you’ll just let him kill his own bannermen because one of them killed Minjae?” Jinsik turned away from the window to look at Sumin, but the latter didn’t even bother to look up.

“I’m not letting him do anything, nor am I stopping him from it either. What my dad decides to do with his bannermen is his business and not mine,” Sumin answered.

“My dad is one of those bannermen, Sumin…” Jinsik pointed out, walking over to the elder.

“Taesan won’t do anything to Gyuvin! He’s his Hand, for god’s sake!” Sumin finally turned his head up so he could look his husband in the eyes as he spoke. “And as far as I know, your dad is also down in the great hall, waiting for all those lords and ladies to arrive! He’s probably just as angry as my dad is! Lord Dustin didn’t just kill my brother; he killed your uncles, great uncles, and at least one of your cousins! And Yujin is still out there somewhere, alone, and is probably being haunted down in order for Lord Dustin to say that he’s wiped out a whole house!”

“Two…” Jinsik murmured, prompting Sumin to raise an eyebrow.

“Huh?” He questioned.

“Two houses… if they find Yujin and kill him, Lord Dustin will be able to say that he’s wiped out two houses: House Glover and House Blackwood…” Jinsik said.

“Then let’s hope they won’t find him…”

- - - -

Hunter was alone in his and Seeun’s chambers, though he’d long since given up on staring out of the window and had instead moved to sit down on the bed, quietly flipping through a book he’d found in the bookcase. He didn’t care much about what the book was about and merely looked at the drawings belonging to the text. Drawings of famous knights and warriors from different great and noble houses, some even royal. The first, and probably most prominent and famous one of them all, was Kai Targaryen, the father of Taehyung Targaryen and the most famous rider of the dragon Layros. Kai had been known to be a great warrior even at a very young age, but he was closely followed by Chanyeol Baratheon, his own cousin, and Ravi Hightower, Kai’s brother’s fiancé. They’d been the greatest warriors the Seven Kingdoms had seen at that time, and they all died before even turning 25… Hunter flipped through a few more pages of other warriors, such as Yoongi Targaryen, Johnny Baratheon, Youngbin Tyrell, and finally, Hunter’s own great-great-grandfather Yunho Targaryen. Yunho didn’t have a dragon until he was 23 years old, which was when he claimed Vallamor on Dragonstone after his younger brother, Hyunjin, had been crowned king back in King’s Landing. This meant that Yunho had grown up alongside his brothers, who all had their own dragons from a young age, and he didn’t, which led to him focusing more on his own battle skills as a warrior while his brothers became dragon riders.

“If only Beomgyu had named you his heir and not Hyunjin…” Hunter murmured to himself, running his fingers over the drawing of Yunho in the book. The world would have been so different if they’d had a king who actually cared about his people… As Hunter sat there, flipping through the pages about Yunho, followed by Hyunjin and a few others, a thought struck him… Hyunjin had been named king despite being Beomgyu’s youngest brother, and he'd proven to be rather unfit to rule, while Yunho, who was older than Hyunjin, had been denied the throne and skipped over in the line of succession, would probably have been a much better ruler for the people of Westeros… an eerily similarity to Hunter’s own parents, though still quite different… but what if Taesan hadn’t become king and that Jake instead had named Leehan as his heir, as Beomgyu had done with Hyunjin…? Skipping over Taesan as Beomgyu did with Yunho… maybe the North would have been different then, if Leehan had been named king and Taesan king consort. And yes, they would have still been married, and all that, but then Leehan had been the one with more power, and everyone would have been sworn to listen to him rather than Taesan… Hunter’s train of thoughts was interrupted by a strange sound from outside his window, prompting him to look up and out. He wasn’t sure what exactly he’d heard, but he did place the book down beside him on the bed before slowly walking over to the large window. He could see the celebrations going on in the streets below, but other than that, there was nothing unusual there…

“I’ve heard a few rumors of what the youngest prince of House Stark could do, but I must say that I’m sort of disappointed that you didn’t even see me coming…” A voice from behind Hunter made him jump and turn around so quickly that his neck hurt. He spotted a man wearing all black standing a little further inside the room with some sort of short sword, one in each hand.

“Who are you? And how did you get in here?” Hunter asked, slowly moving his hand up to his hip to reach for his dagger, only to realize that it wasn’t there since he’d placed it on the table beside the bed before picking up the book earlier…

“Does it matter? It’s not like you’re walking away from here to tell anyone either way,” The man answered, grinning at Hunter as he watched the prince stiffen slightly. “It’s a shame, really, that you have to go… It would have been interesting to know how a child of House Stark and House Martell would have been brought up, considering your family history and very different upbringings…” He added.

“So you were sent to kill me… why? What have I ever done to you?” Hunter watched the man as he slowly twirled one of the swords in his hand.

“You, personally, nothing… but the same could not be said about your brother…” The man said.

“Which one…?” Hunter questioned. “If you’re going to accuse my brothers of something, you should at least declare who you’re referring to…”

“I would have said the one taking after your dad, the king, but I’ve heard that there’s at least two of you who’s done that… or, should I say, were two of you, as I believe one of them is no longer with us, huh?” Hunter knew the man was trying to get a reaction out of him, to taunt him, and make Minjae’s death even worse for him, but Hunter wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of succeeding in that!

“So you mean Baekseung, then, I assume…” Hunter answered, showing no emotion whatsoever in order not to give the man what he so clearly wanted, which was a reaction out of Hunter.

“Yeah… The bastard who thought he could travel into another kingdom and steal someone else’s betrothed without any repercussions!” The man hissed, and then it became clear to Hunter who the man must be.

“You’re Lord Swann, aren’t you? You were betrothed to Keum Tarth before he married my brother…”

“I was! And we would have married if you bastard of a brother hadn’t taken him away from me the day before our wedding!” Now, the man was talking so loud that Hunter hoped Aianna would hear him, as she was probably, hopefully, standing just outside the doors to the room, but when a few seconds went by and the doors remained shut, Hunter guessed he might have to deal with Lord Swann on his own…

“So now you’ve come to kill me to make Baekseung suffer, is that it?” Now it was Hunter’s turn to taunt the other, which seemed to be more successful than the other way around, as Lord Swann angrily took a few steps closer to Hunter.

“I’ll kill you, and then I’ll move on to your other brothers, leaving just Baekseung behind to suffer alone!” Lord Swann yelled.

“Good luck with that…” Hunter answered. “I doubt you’ll even be able to find Yujun, not to mention that you won’t be leaving this room alive!” Hunter had had enough of this stupid lord, and so he clenched his fists tightly before taking a step toward the other. Lord Swann seemed to think he’d gotten the perfect opportunity to strike Hunter down, as he made a swift and quite skillful move with his swords, only for Hunter to easily move out of the way before grabbing hold of the lord’s left arm. “You should have listened better to the rumors about me… then maybe you wouldn’t have been so stupid to take me on alone…” Lord Swann tried to pull his arm out of Hunter’s grip, but the prince held on, and soon enough, the lord started to feel an immense heat spreading from Hunter’s palm. And as he looked up, he saw the prince’s eyes glow with what looked like liquid fire…

“What the…?!” He exclaimed, desperately trying to pull his arm away, but to no avail… He then tried to swing at Hunter with the sword in his other hand, only for the prince to grab that wrist as well, and the palm of his hand being so hot it made the lord immediately drop the sword. He managed to pull away from Hunter, or rather, Hunter let go of him. “What the hell kind of a monster are you?!” Lord Swann exclaimed, eyes widening at the two clear burnt handprints around his wrists.

“A dragon raised by wolves…” Hunter answered, then he raised his hand up in the air, closed his eyes, and just listened to the sound of the fire basically swallowing the lord whole…

Chapter Text

The bannermen arriving at Winterfell wasn’t really anything that surprised Leehan. He’d figured his husband would do something drastic and probably stupid, but he couldn’t find it in himself to care anymore… Taesan could execute them all if he so wanted; Leehan didn’t care! He was currently holding Jaeho, who’d just woken up from a nap, in his arms, and the little bot watched with curious eyes as all the lords and ladies walked past them and into the great hall. They all looked somewhat uncomfortable, some even straight-up scared, but they still bowed and curtsied to him as they walked past. Doyoung was inside the great hall, standing next to Taesan, who was sitting on his throne while having Yewang seated on his lap. The boy was barely half a year old, so he had some trouble sitting up on his own, but Taesan made sure he was securely seated while still being able to watch what was happening, as he, too, found the sudden increase in people very interesting, just like Jaeho.

“Your Grace, my prince,” One of the men, Lord Tallhart, if Leehan recalled correctly, said while bowing to Taesan and Sumin, who, somewhat against his will, had been made to take part in this as well. Gyuvin, Ricky, and Jinsik were also there, but as Taesan’s Hand, Gyuvin and his family didn’t have to join the rest of the northern lords and ladies and were instead standing on his opposite side.

“The king does not wish to be disturbed before today’s issue has been dealt with!” Doyoung said, taking a step forward to place himself in between Lord Tallhart and Taesan, prompting the lord to back away again.

“My apologies, Your Grace!” The lord was quick to say, and even from where Leehan stood, at the other end of the great hall, still by the huge doors, he could see Sumin roll his eyes, but neither he nor Taesan said anything. Doyoung stepped back to his previous place before gesturing to the guards by the doors to close them as all the lords and ladies had finally entered the great hall. Everyone remained silent after hearing the doors close behind them and could do nothing but watch as Leehan walked past them; they even stepped to the side, so a clear path was made for him to walk all the way up to stand beside Taesan and Sumin. And only once Leehan reached them did Taesan finally speak.

“Whatever you think you know about me, or whatever you’ve heard, I can assure you that if any of you in here today even consider breaking your loyalty to me, the fate you’ll meet will be a hundred times worse than what you think me capable of…” He said, keeping a steady but strong tone, eyes locked on the lords and ladies in front of him while still having Yewang seated on his leg. “Many of you served my father and swore oaths to him to forever be by his side, but you also swore to do the same to his son, his chosen heir, to me!” Now Taesan stood up, carefully handing Yewang over to Leehan, who moments earlier had handed Jaeho to Sumin to hold, before straightening up and taking a couple of steps forward.

“Yes, Your Grace!”

“Of course, Your Grace!”

“My king!” Several of the lords and ladies immediately bowed or curtsied to show respect to Taesan, and those who didn’t immediately do it were quick to follow the others before anyone could point it out.

“The Targaryens ruled all of Westeros for centuries and would have continued to do so if they’d not brought themselves down… but that doesn’t change the fact that all others who tried to hurt them, bring them down, or otherwise go against them all suffered the same fate: death! I might not have the Targaryen name, nor do I have a dragon, but I can assure you that I can be just as Targaryen as they were! And a king does not need a dragon to rule and punish those who try to go against him!” Taesan took a few more steps forward until he was standing closer to the lords and ladies than to his own family, friends, and guards behind him, a move showing that he knew the power he held in this hall and that no one would dare to approach him despite being so close to them…

“We will avenge your son, my king! Just give the order, and we’ll tear down Barrowton and Lord Dustin along with it!” The old Lord Manderly said, stepping forward and kneeling down before Taesan. He was one of the men who served the Stark even before Jake became king when they were still only Wardens of the North under King Sunwoo Targaryen’s rule over all of Westeros, but Lord Manderly had always been a loyal bannerman and upheld his sworn oath to the Starks.

“I thank you for your loyalty, Lord Manderly, but today there’s another thing that I seek from you…” Taesan answered. “You are all to swear a new oath, not just to me, but to my eldest son and the whole of House Stark! You will not only protect Winterfell and the North from outsiders but also from those who seek to harm us from within… You are to swear that if you see or hear anything, anything at all, that can be seen as harmful to my family or those connected to it, you’ll report it right back to me or to the Hand of the King!” Taesan said, gesturing toward Gyuvin as he mentioned the younger’s position.

“I swear!” Taeyong Reed was quick to show his loyalty to his king, kneeling down before him beside Lord Manderly. And this wasn’t surprising at all since he’d also been one to stay completely loyal to House Stark.

“I swear!”

“I swear!” Several other lords and ladies joined Taeyong and Lord Manderly, swearing this new oath and kneeling before their king. They all quieted down, however, as Leehan walked up to stand beside Taesan, which actually surprised the elder as he’d not thought his husband to take an active role in this matter, not that it bothered him in the slightest.

“I don’t want your sworn oaths or followed commands when I ask this of you… All I want is for the people of the North, my people, to find out who’s behind the murder of my son because there is no way Lord Dustin acted on his own… and I want to know why!” Leehan said, almost pleaded with the lords and ladies before him, and if their newly sworn oaths to Taesan held strength and loyalty, it was nothing compared to the power of a parent asking for justice for their murdered child… and so if their oaths were strong, their willingness and loyalty as a people, the people of the North, was even stronger!

- - - -

Yujun followed the blond boy through the different halls of the temple until they reached a set of doors he’d not even noticed before. The boy turned around briefly, looking at Yujun before turning back around and opening the two doors, revealing a hall even bigger than the one with the pool. He stepped aside, gesturing for Yujun to enter, and so he did, though quite hesitantly…

“Welcome to the hall of faces,” The boy said. Yujun found the name a little strange, though it was probably named that because of its importance for the Faceless Men, but oh if he’d know just how right he was. As he looked around the huge hall, noticing several pillars with some strange dotted pattern, or at least that was what Yujun initially thought… As he got closer, he noticed that the patterns on the pillars as well as the surrounding walls were not some dots, but rather… faces… Not even heads, just the faces of hundreds of people, and if Yujun was being honest, it made him feel somewhat sick to look at…

“What is this…?” He questioned, turning back to face the boy, only to find that he was no longer standing there and instead had been replaced with the old woman.

“These are the faces of those who’ve given their lives for the Many-Faced God,” The woman said before walking past Yujun. He reluctantly followed her, as he figured that was what she wanted him to do, but they both stopped once they reached one of the pillars further into the hall. The woman raised her hand, gesturing toward the pillar, prompting Yujun to look that way, only to see the face of the little girl Yujun himself had just helped, or whatever you’d now call it…

“This is… What… Why…?” He wasn’t sure what to say, finding the whole hall incredibly disturbing, even more so after seeing the little girl’s face…

“They’re not suffering if that’s what you fear,” The woman answered. “They all passed peacefully, knowing that they’ll be able to serve the Many-Faced God better than any living man or woman ever could,”

“This is sick…” Yujun said… he was about to turn back around and leave the hall and the temple altogether, but he stopped in his tracks as the blond boy was standing behind him once again.

“You wanted to become no one, and this is the way… the only way,” The old woman said, walking around Yujun to stand next to the blond boy. “You need to be able to let go of every and all feelings of remorse and compassion before you can serve the Many-Faced God… so a boy will train and learn, or a boy can return to the life he came from knowing that he failed…” She added, watching Yujun with her eerie eyes… Yujun stared back at her for a few seconds before his eyes moved over to the blond boy. The scar on his neck seemed even more prominent in this dark blueish light, and he stared back at Yujun without wavering. If this boy, whoever he now was, or rather had been before joining the Faceless Men, could do this, then Yujun must be able to do it as well… because he didn’t want to go back… not yet… not before he’d proven he could get by just fine on his own.

“Okay…” He eventually said, eyes moving back to the old woman. “A boy will train and learn,”

“Good,” The woman answered him, giving the blond boy a nod before leaving the two alone once again. The blond boy then walked over to the nearby wall, picking up two wooden sticks, identical to the one he’d whacked Yujun with a few days earlier, but now he handed one of them to Yujun before gripping the one he kept with both hands.

“A boy will train, and it’ll hurt…” He said, and Yujun swore he could see just how amused the other was by the thought of getting to hit him again, but Yujun had no intention of just standing there and letting him do it!

“I can assure you that I won’t be the only one who’s hurt…” Yujun answered, gripping the stick identically to how the blond boy was holding his, only for the latter to whack him across the arm before he’d even gotten a chance to react. “Ow!” Yujun exclaimed, taking a step back and bringing his stick up to block the other’s next blow.

“You’re distracted by the many faces; that’s not good!” The blond boy said, following after Yujun while trying to strike him a couple of more times. “No one can’t be distracted by the faces! They cannot be distracted by anything…” Yujun blocked one of the blows only to have the next hit his shoulder, and a third hit his leg.

“You think this is funny, don’t you?” He questioned, backing away a little further to avoid a fourth blow.

“Nothing is funny to no one, but you’re still scared it’ll hurt, and that’s not good…” The boy answered. He managed to strike Yujun twice more before the latter finally blocked him as he tried to strike him a third time.

“I’m not scared!” Yujun said, moving his stick in a swift motion to the side, forcing the blond boy to let go of his with one hand, giving Yujun the perfect opportunity to strike him back, and so he did.

“Good,” Was the only thing the blond boy said after Yujun had managed to land one blow on his arm. Then he moved so quickly that Yujun barely even registered it, knocking Yujun’s stick out of his hand, skillfully catching it mid-air, and then turning around to place them back against the wall. “A boy will train more another day, now the Many-Faced God has something else in store for him…”

Chapter Text

Marching with these many soldiers down south wasn’t the same as what Taesan had wanted to do back when Leehan was missing in the Riverlands, but that was because while though this was still a mission to find a missing person, Yujin in this case, it differed because this was still inside the North. Baekseung was roughly the same age as his dad had been back then, 18, almost 19, but he wasn’t sure if his dad had been this nervous in front of all of the soldiers as Baekseung was now… Sure, he wanted to prove himself, and he wanted to find Yujin, but the nervosity of embarrassing himself in front of all these battle-trained soldiers by saying something stupid helped him back somewhat, and instead, he let Keum and Woonhak do most of the talking. Which was probably for the better as emotionally made decisions weren’t the Starks’ strongest trait… regardless of what emotion that was…

“We are not here to slaughter anyone! No lives need to be taken unless there is no other choice… we need to find Yujin alive and get him back to Winterfell! We’re not attacking Barrowton, nor are we seeking out any revenge against Lord Dustin, as our king has given no such commands!” Keum said, standing in front of all the soldiers, not just those who come with them from Winterfell but also those who’d joined them on the way down toward the Barrowlands. Woonhak was standing next to Keum, on the opposite side from where Baekseung was standing, but he’d not yet said a word, leaving the command to Keum, who seemed a lot more used to it. Baekseung hadn’t known that his husband could command an army, though this was quite a small one; he figured that it didn’t really matter what size the army was as long as the word of their commander reached them and made them want to follow those orders.

“We need to be quick!” Baekseung added, despite his own nervousness. “We are most likely not the only ones looking for Yujin, and in order to find him as well as spare as many of us from meeting an unnecessary end, we need to hurry!” The soldiers cheered and waved their weapons in the air, agreeing with their prince.

“So go find him! But be careful; we never know what might lurk in the shadows, not even on our own lands…” Keum said, and then the soldiers split up into their preassigned groups and started looking. Traveling through the Barrowlands proved rather difficult as the terrain was treacherous, and despite the vast open landscape, there were still numerous places with trees or hills where anyone could hide and try to lay an ambush. Woonhak stayed with Baekseung and Keum, as he’d promised Doyoung he’d do, but the pair didn’t travel alone either way and had simply joined one of the larger groups of soldiers scouting the lands.

“You’re good at this,” Baekseung said, looking over at Keum as they walked. The elder looked over his shoulder as he’d been walking slightly in front of Baekseung, giving the younger a small smile.

“I wouldn’t call it good; hopefully trying perhaps, but I’m far from good at it,” Keum answered.

“Good enough to make them listen,” Baekseung pointed out. “And you’re doing a far better job than I would have done… All I would have told them was to move quickly and strike down whatever person who stands in their way…” Baekseung confessed.

“Good thing I’m not you then,” Keum teased, and Baekseung just let out a chuckle.

- - - -

“What happened here?” Seeun rushed into his and Hunter’s chambers, finding his husband sitting in one of the chairs while Aianna stood just inside the door, but that wasn’t what had made Seeun worried. It was the pile of ashes in the middle of the room, as well as the burnt floor and ceiling. Hunter looked up as he heard Seeun enter, but much to Seeun’s surprise, he didn’t look particularly stressed or concerned himself.

“There was a man here who tried to kill your husband, my prince,” Aianna clarified when Hunter didn’t immediately answer Seeun’s question. Instead, he remained in his chair and took a deep breath… these powers… these things he could do… sure, they could be useful, but that didn’t mean Hunter liked to use them… they tired him out like nothing else, and they were either usually followed by visions or sometimes he got the visions before, or while using them, regardless, he didn’t like it…

“How could he slip past you? And all of the other guards?” Seeun exclaimed before walking over to Hunter with hurried steps. “Are you okay? Did he hurt you…?”

“No… I’m fine,” Hunter answered, being way too tired to elaborate any further.

“And the man? Where is he?” Seeun continued, but Hunter just gestured toward the burnt floor with the pile of ashes. It wasn’t like Seeun needed much more explanation to understand what had gone down either, as he already knew, at least a little, what Hunter could do. So, instead, he just let out a sigh of relief before bending down to place a kiss on top of Hunter’s head. “I’ll make sure we double the guards to prevent any further attempts, and I’ll go tell my father as well,”

“The king has already been informed, my prince,” Aianna said, and so Seeun gave her a nod.

“But please go tell him to have more guards stationed around and inside the castle, and make sure that they are trustworthy and skilled!” Seeun said, prompting the female guard to bow before leaving to fulfill his command, and the Seeun turned to face Hunter again. “But you’re sure you’re alright…?” He questioned, placing his hand on Hunter’s shoulder.

“Yes, I’m sure. I’m just tired,” Hunter assured him, finally tilting his head up to look at the elder before giving him a small smile. “Sorry that thins interrupted your nameday’s celebrations…”

“I couldn't care less about those…” Seeun answered. “It was rather boring without you anyways, so I think I’d rather stay up here now,”

“You don’t have to stay just to check on me; I’m just fine by myself,” Hunter assured Seeun once again, but the elder just pulled up another chair before sitting down beside him by the window.

“Well, think I’ll be just fine here, too,” He answered, making Hunter chuckle a little.

- - - -

“Do you know when they’ll return?” Leehan asked while trying to get Jaeho to calm down. He’d tried to do basically everything to get the little boy to fall asleep, but Jaeho wasn’t having it and just kept reaching out for everything within reach, including Leehan’s shoulder-length hair and pulling it… hard! “Ow, buddy, that hurts…” Leehan sighed, but Jaeho just giggled happily before going back to trying to chew on Leehan’s sleeve instead, prompting the latter to let out a sigh before lifting his head up to look over at Taesan.

“Soon, hopefully…” Taesan answered. “Doyoung said they left with quite a few men, and with the new assurance from our bannermen, I wouldn’t be too worried about their safety. Not to mention that they have Woonhak with them,” Taesan had gotten Yewang to sleep over half an hour ago and was now just flipping through some books in his and Leehan’s chambers as the latter tried to get Jaeho to sleep, which was still proving to be rather futile.

“And you trust these lords and ladies after meeting them all like this only once…?”

“You don’t?” Taesan questioned. “I think I made my point quite clear, and if I remember correctly, it was you who said we should make them listen instead of just beheading them all on the spot…” This, in his pain and sorrow, had actually been what Taesan had wanted to do, but Leehan had managed to talk his way out of it.

“You might have scared them enough to make them listen, but we’ll need to rule with more than just making our people fear us…” Leehan said. “And you won’t receive anything but hatred from their families if you actually decided to behead them, considering that they are innocent,” He added.

“Not all of them… they can’t be…” Taesan murmured. “Why would only Lord Dustin betray us so out of the blue without having some support from somewhere…?”

“Maybe that support isn’t from the North…” Leehan suggested, placing Jaeho down beside Yewang, who was still sleeping, in a last attempt to make the younger boy fall asleep. This time, it actually looked to be working as Jaeho didn’t try to reach up toward Leehan anymore and seemed rather comfortable just lying beside his cousin.

“Where else would it be from…?” Taesan questioned. His mind briefly ventured off to the Riverlands, but those lords were neither strong enough nor willing to try and go up against the Starks again, seeing as they failed so miserably the last time.

“Lord Tarth…” Leehan answered slowly, turning away from the two small and now sleeping boys and over at his husband. “I doubt Keum’s father has forgiven us from letting our son marry his, and by doing so, breaking the betrothal Keum had to Lord Swann… and while also going seemingly unpunished for his actions of sailing to the Saphire Isle and basically stealing Lord Tarth’s son…”

“Then maybe we should sail to the Saphire Isle ourselves and teach that man a lesson that you don’t mess with the Starks…!” Taesan said, finally closing the book he’d been flipping through.

“Sailing there would cause a war to break out, and you know that, not to mention that we don’t have the men to go up against him if he has other allies on his side, as he’s now sworn to Kane Bolton… meaning that if we attack him, the Boltons will have their men defend their sworn lords…” Leehan walked over to his brother before picking up another book from Taesan’s table, silently flipping through the first few pages before finding what he was seeking, and then he turned it over to show Taesan. “And despite that nothing but itself could bring down House Targaryen, there were still those who came really close…” He said, shoving the book into Taesan’s hands before walking off. Taesan raised an eyebrow at the younger before looking down at the page Leehan had looked up in the book. It showcased a rather large painting of the war that happened in Lannisport back when Yeonjun Targaryen was king, and the painting included several dragons being shot down from the sky, buildings burning, and hundreds if not thousands of people lying dead… “We should not take water over our heads and instead pay attention to the previous mistakes that almost brought down the greatest dynasty that’s ever ruled Westeros… unless we want the history books to repeat itself once again…” Leehan added, prompting Taesan to look up from the book and over to the doorway, where Leehan had stopped momentarily.

“We’re not them, and we don’t have dragons, nor do we need them…” Taesan pointed out, but Leehan just sighed.

“We’re what’s left of them, and if those people could do that to the Targaryens while they had dragons, I’m fairly certain they could do the same to us… and if that happens, I’m afraid that we do, in fact, need dragons to win… and that will never happen…” And with that, Leehan finally left the room, leaving Taesan to just stare at the painting in the book he was holding…

Chapter Text

“Here…” Yujun said, tossing an empty glass bottle back to the blond boy, one that the latter had given him the day before.

“Done already? That seems hard to believe,” The blond boy answered, skillfully catching the bottle after having turned around swiftly upon hearing Yujun speak.

“The man saw no match to find and even less so to make him drink that…” Yujun said, gesturing toward the empty bottle in the other’s hand.

“Good. You’ve given the Many-Faced God what he was promised,” The blond boy walked over to the pool with the dark water, kneeling down, and filled up the glass bottle again before placing it back on a nearby shelf.

“What had he done? The man whose name was promised to the Many-Faced God?” Yujun questioned.

“A man was evil; he hurt those who couldn’t defend themselves, and so now he has pained for that with his life,” The blond boy answered simply as if it had been the most obvious thing. Yujun had hoped for a different, more explanatory answer, but he should have known by now that he wouldn´t get one…

“So now what? Am I supposed to be sent off to kill some other evil man?” Don’t misunderstand him; Yujun was actually rather pleased that these evil men got what they deserved, but he himself wasn’t particularly fond of going around murdering them.

“Not necessarily… a boy has done what the Many-Faced God asked of him, so now, a boy can train some more until the Many-Faced God has been promised another name,” The boy walked across the hall as he spoke, heading toward the other hall, the one with all the pillars and faces, and so Yujun followed him. Sure, there could be other things that were far more entertaining than training with the blond boy, but at least it was better than having to walk through the city of Braavos to find all these evil people just to kill them.

“You still think you can beat me that easily?” Yujun chuckled, dodging another hit from the blond boy. He’d barely gotten time to enter the Hall of Faces before the other had tossed one of the wooden sticks at him, and then, immediately after trying to strike him with his own, only for Yujun to block it.

“A boy thinks himself better than me now?” The blond boy answered, a hint of a smirk on his lips. “Well then, perhaps a boy can tell me about who he once claimed to be? Or… maybe still is…?” Yujun knew this was just another test; the Many-Faced God and the Faceless Men were still testing him, but he was going to prove that he’d left that behind, that he was willing to be one of them!

“A boy is no one! Not anymore… but once a boy was Prince Yujun Stark of Winterfell, the fifth son of King Taesan Stark and King Consort Leehan Stark. He had five brothers, but one of them, Minseo, the oldest, died…” Yujun said, and the thought of his oldest brother stung a little, but he tried not to show any emotion. “The second oldest, Minjae, will be king after Taesan and-“

“A lie…” The blond boy said, striking Yujun on the arm with the stick.

“Ow! What the hell?! That wasn’t a lie! Why would I lie about that?” Yujun explained, rubbing his forearm where the other had hit him.

“Minjae Stark will not be king; the dead can’t rule the living…” The boy answered, and that was not what Yujun had expected…

“The dead…? No, Minjae’s not…” Yujun tried to wrap his head around what the other had just told him… he didn’t want to believe it, but he knew the other had no reason to lie about that to him… “How…?” Yujun eventually said, trying as hard as he could not to show any sign of emotions as he knew he wasn’t supposed to since no one would care for some prince dying in a different country… but it was really difficult not to…

“He was murdered by his dad’s bannermen, along with his husband, the latter’s whole family, as well as their unborn child…” The blond boy answered, but without his usual flat tone, and now he was using a slightly more concerned one, which was probably not intended. Yujun didn’t care either way.

“How long ago?” Yujun asked after a while, during which neither of them had moved or tried to continue their training and had instead just stood there in silence.

“About two moons… around the same time you arrived here,”

“And how do you know this? What if it’s a lie? Someone could have lied to you, couldn’t they?” Yujun tried to argue, but at the same time, he knew it was all just in vain… it wouldn’t change anything…

“The Many-Faced God knows more than you think, and there are few who’s lived in this world that gotten away with lying to him,” The boy answered. “Continue…” He then added, now back using his flat tone again.

“Continue?” Yujun was unsure of what he’d meant.

“Tell me more about Prince Yujun,” The blond answered, and Yujun let out a sigh… this stupid game… but he collected his thoughts and took a deep breath before eventually replying.

“His third brother, Sumin, will be a lord of Last Hearth, or maybe the next king… I’m not sure… but Baekseung, the fourth brother, will most likely inherit the least, apart from Yujun, as he’s married to someone from another kingdom, and his father never agreed to that marriage, leaving Keum, Baekseung’s husband, without any inheritance at all…” Yujun continued.

“And what about Hunter?” The blond boy asked, not missing the slight grimace Yujun had made upon hearing his younger brother’s name.

“Hunter will be the King Consort of Dorne, as he is married to the heir of Dorne, Prince Seeun Martell…” Yujun answered, pressing his lips into a thin line after uttering the foreign prince’s name.

“He’s meant for more than that, though, isn’t he?” The blond boy said, prompting Yujun to look up into his eyes.

“What? Meant for what…?” He questioned, but before the blond boy could answer, the old woman appeared seemingly out of nowhere, gently placing her wrinkly hand on the blond boy’s shoulder.

“That’s enough…” She said, and the blond boy immediately backed away, giving the woman a nod, and then he left the hall. The woman turned to face Yujun, reaching out with her hand to take the wooden stick from him, and Yujun handed it over to her. “A boy must rest,” She said. “The Many-Faced God has more work for you later…”

- - - -

“Your sister sent a letter for you,” Gyuvin looked up as Ricky entered his working chamber.

“Eleanor? What does she want?” Gyuvin asked, taking the letter from his husband’s outstretched hand. Ricky didn’t answer and just sat down beside Gyuvin to let the younger read the letter himself. “She wants us to return to Last Hearth?”

“She doesn’t think that her nephew is safe here…” Ricky answered.

“Well, she doesn’t get to choose… I’m the Lord Hand to Taesan; I can’t leave now!” Gyuvin said, tossing the letter onto the table before standing up.

“Then let me take Jinsik and go… I don’t want him to be here if someone decides to come for either of the Starks…” Ricky said as he stood up again as well.

“And what of Sumin? Would you have him and our son separated so soon after just getting married?” Gyuvin questioned. He wasn’t irritated with his husband, but Ricky’s suggestion might bring forth unnecessary arguments…

“It’ll only be for a short while until we’re sure Taesan’s regained full authority over the North, but until then, I don’t want our son, our only child, to be close to the Starks…” Gyuvin knew Ricky was only worried and that he didn’t mean to be hurtful or unfair, but he wasn’t so sure Taesan would view it the same…

“And what if Taesan won’t let you go…?”

“Then it’s your job to convince him otherwise…” Ricky stated, not feeling particularly proud of his abuse of power by bringing in Gyuvin’s sworn duty as Hand of the King and the things that position forced Gyuvin to do, but he felt like he had no other choice right now… When Gyuvin didn’t answer him, Ricky simply let out a sigh before leaving the room again. Gyuvin paced back and forth in the room for a while before finally deciding that he should be the one to tell Taesan of Ricky’s decision to avoid further argument and take the blame himself if Taesan now disapproved of that decision. He walked down the corridor and all the way to the great hall, only to find it empty, so he entered another corridor, the one leading to Taesan and Leehan’s chambers, and once he arrived, he gave the two guards standing outside a small nod before he knocked on the door.

“Enter,” He heard Leehan’s voice from the inside, and so Gyuvin pushed the doors open. “Gyuvin? Is everything alright?” Leehan questioned, standing up from where he’d been sitting on the floor beside Yewang and Jaeho, who were playing with their toys. Gyuvin couldn’t blame the other for his worry, as the last time Gyuvin had come looking for them like this, it was to inform them of their son’s death…

“Everything’s fine. Don’t worry, Leehan!” Gyuvin answered, and it was as if he could see the other visibly relax. “I’m just looking for Taesan. Is he not here?”

“I’m here,” Taesan’s voice came from the adjacent room, and the king appeared in the doorway just as Gyuvin turned to face that way. “What is it that you want?”

“I came to ask you to let Ricky take Jinsik and return to Last Hearth to be with my sister. I mean no offense in this, I just don’t think it’s wise for them to stay here right now, so close to, uhm…”

“To us?” Taesan raised an eyebrow.

“I’m sorry, Taesan, but seeing as what happened to Junmin and the others for just being with Minjae… I don’t want that to happen again…” Gyuvin explained. “I’m not doing this because I don’t trust that Winterfell isn’t safe, I just-“

“Alright,” Taesan interrupted him, pushing off of the doorframe he’d been leaning against and walking over to the two boys playing on the floor. “Are you going with them?” He questioned, but Gyuvin shook his head.

“No, I’ll stay here,” Gyuvin answered. “And they’ll only be staying in Last Hearth for a short time until we’ve restored your full control over the North,” He added.

“That could take more than just a short time, Gyuvin…” Taesan sighed, picking up one of the small wooden dragon toys from the floor before handing it to Yewang.

“Then let’s make sure it doesn’t!” Gyuvin said, prompting Taesan to straighten back up before looking over at him, not really paying attention to the fact that Yewang tossed the toy away as soon as Taesan looked away.

“You have something special in mind?” Taesan questioned, raising an eyebrow at the younger again.

“In fact, I do…” Gyuvin said. “The King Beyond the Wall,”

Chapter Text

“Hen ñuha ānogar, māzigon Kivio Dārilaros, se zȳhon kessa sagon Vāedar Suvio Perzo…” (From my blood, come The Prince That Was Promised, and his will be the Song of Ice and Fire…) Those words had been going on repeat in Hunter’s head for weeks now, ever since he’d been attacked by that lord and forced to use his powers in order to protect himself. He knew something like this would happen since they always did after… but still, he never enjoyed it… He’d not left his and Seeun’s chambers for all this time either, having had his food brought to him instead of joining the others in the dining hall. He mostly just stood watching the city and the sand dunes below, sometimes changing windows to overlook the Watergardens instead, but other than that, he’d not done much.

“Do you not wish to go outside, my prince? I can assure you that you’ll be just as safe there as you are in here! You have my word,” Aianna, the tall female guard, said, but Hunter just shook his head slowly.

“I’m just fine in here, Aianna. I have no desire to go anywhere else as of now,” Hunter answered, back still turned to the guard as he was, once again, looking out of the window overlooking the city.

“Of course, my prince,” Aianna bowed before exiting the room and closing the door behind her, leaving Hunter alone in there once again. Seeun was off speaking with his father or otherwise occupied and had been since that morning, so Hunter had been alone with just his thoughts up until Aianna entered the room a few moments ago. But as she’d now left again, Hunter went back to trying his best to understand what and why that stupid sentence wouldn’t leave his mind… He walked out of the open door and across the balcony, all the way up until he reached the railing before stopping.

“The Prince That Was Promised…” Hunter mumbled to himself, placing his hands on the iron railing surrounding the balcony. The somewhat warm surface felt weird under his hands as he was still used to the ever-cold surroundings in Winterfell, but that wasn’t the only thing that felt off… The sudden image of that same blond boy with violet eyes flashed in front of his eyes, prompting him to close them.

“You know what you need to do,” Hunter recognized Taemin’s voice the second he heard it. As he opened his eyes again, he was no longer standing on the balcony of the castle in Sunspear but instead on a stone balcony of what he assumed to be Dragonstone. “You’re a Targaryen; this is your home, but so is King’s Landing. The iron throne belongs to you, to a true Targaryen! There’s nothing greater than a Targaryen on the iron throne…” Taemin continued, and Hunter watched him walk past him as if Hunter wasn’t even there and over to the blond, violet-eyed boy standing by the stone railing.

“And there was no one as mad as a Targaryen on that throne!” Another voice said from the opening leading back into the castle, prompting Hunter to turn to look over in that direction and he saw another blond boy walk out onto the balcony. “Those Targaryens didn’t have greatness; the only thing they ever truly possessed was madness, and I won’t let my brother-“

“Madness and greatness are two sides of the same coin. Every time a new Targaryen is born, the gods toss the coin in the air, and the world holds its breath to see how it will land,” The blond boy with violet eyes interrupted the other blond boy, though this one didn’t have violet eyes, and instead brown ones, much like Hunter’s own. The violet-eyed boy ran his fingers over a few small holes in the stone railing as he spoke, and it was as if that made him jerk away slightly, similar to how Hunter unconsciously reacted when he got a vision.

“Yeah, and half the Targaryens went mad, Ni-ki! They murdered their own family members for that throne!” The brown-eyed boy yelled, anger clearly directed at that other blond, whom Hunter now assumed to be named Ni-ki.

“And the other half?” Ni-ki, the violet-eyed boy, questioned, making the other blond stop talking. “No one is perfect, and if we are to believe that a coin is tossed every time one of us is born, then we need to consider that other outside factors play a part in how that coin lands! Not everyone is born into a safe home with great parents and supportive friends! Not everyone is lucky enough to even grow up and let their true colors show! You can’t judge a child by the actions of their parents or a younger brother by what the older brother did or did not do! So why judge someone for what they can and can’t do? Because that can be the very factor of what inevitably pushed the coin over with the wrong side up!” Ni-ki yelled, removing his hand from the stone railing and looking over at the other blond boy. The latter remained silent and just watched him. Hunter’s vision suddenly blurred slightly, and the voices of the two blond boys became unclear, but then he heard another voice, one he’d not heard for a very long time.

“Focus, Hunter… You need to stay focused…” Minghao’s voice sounded far away, but Hunter still heard him, so he tried to do what Minghao told him… focus! It didn’t take long before his vision stopped being blurry, and then he could see the two blond boys again. He watched as a violet dragon gracefully landed on the stone railing, drilling its claws into the stone and making it crack under its weight. The brown-eyed boy shrugged back, but Ni-ki remained where he stood before turning around to face the dragon.

“I won’t sit here and do nothing while the people of Westeros suffer under that usurper of a king! I’m taking my army to the mainland, and you’re welcome to join me, brother, or stay here where the forces of the world can’t flip your coin over to the wrong side!” Ni-ki hissed before climbing up the dragon’s side. The brown-eyed boy, who apparently was Ni-ki’s brother, watched as his Ni-ki sat on the violet dragon’s back, and his violet eyes met his brother’s brown ones one last time before the dragon screeched and took off into the air… Hunter jolted back out of his vision, having to blink a few times to clear his eyes from any blurriness before he took a deep breath.

“Ni-ki…?” Hunter mumbled. “He’s The Prince That Was Promised…”

- - - -

Minho, The King Beyond the Wall, answered the raven that was sent past the wall much quicker than Taesan had thought he would, and he’d surprised him even more by actually agreeing to come down to Winterfell with a large portion of his people to help make The North safe again.

“I believe he’ll be here within a moon’s turn,” Gyuvin said, and Taesan nodded slowly. Sumin, who was now named Taesan’s heir and future King in the North, was also present in the room despite lacking the proper training for taking part in these sorts of things as his parents never thought he’d need that sort of training since he had not one but two older brothers. But seeing as they were both no longer here, Sumin was the oldest.

“Father said that violence and battles are not always the answer…” Sumin pointed out as his dad and Gyuvin continued to discuss how they, with the help of Minho’s men, would force the North back in line. This prompted both Taesan and Gyuvin to look up from their plans and strategies laid out on the table before them and over at Sumin instead.

“Your father knows almost as little of it as you do, Sumin…” Taesan answered, letting out a sigh. Minjae had been much more like Taesan himself, striving for what they wanted with passion, while Sumin was more like Leehan, better at keeping his calm and thinking more rationally. “You’re here to learn, not bring forth what Leehan’s already told me a hundred times before,” He added before turning back toward the table.

“Maybe you’d learn some too if you’d actually listen to father for once…” Sumin said, standing up from his chair before leaving the room.

“Not to be that person, but he might be right,” Gyuvin said once Sumin had left. This prompted Taesan to look over at his friend and raise an eyebrow at him.

“Really, Gyuvin? It was your idea to call for Minho’s aid if I remember correctly, and now you do not wish to follow through on your own idea?” Taesan sighed.

“I never said I didn’t, but maybe we can avoid a bloody battle if we let Leehan in on our discussions,” Gyuvin said. Taesan sighed once again, but after a while, he nodded.

“Alright…” He said before turning to face the guards stationed by the doors. “Call for my brother. Tell him he’s needed in the Hand’s chamber right away,” One of the guards bowed his head before swiftly leaving to fulfill his king’s command, and it didn’t take long before he returned with Leehan in tow.

“You sent for me…?” Leehan said, raising an eyebrow at Taesan, making it hard for Gyuvin not to chuckle at the resemblance the two had while being irritated by something, most commonly, each other.

“Considering the situation at hand, what would you have us do?” Taesan asked. “Theoretically…” He added as if to point out that it was still his decision that mattered, not that it really bothered Leehan, not anymore, at least. He was used to being ignored when it came to telling Taesan what to do and what not to do.

“Send word to Jongseob,” Leehan said. “We married off our youngest son to the Martells for a reason…”

“If we were to avoid battle… what could we do then? To make our bannermen stay loyal and not just avenge Minjae but to stay by our side,”

“Form a council? Bring the lords closer to you and let them be part of this,” Leehan answered, gesturing toward his husband and Gyuvin, as well as the table filled with their plans and strategies. “A wise king should have loyal and strong people counseling him,”

“Father didn’t…” Taesan pointed out.

“I know… but maybe that was his mistake then…” Leehan answered.

“Bringing the lords and ladies of the North into a council might actually be a really good idea,” Gyuvin said, prompting both Taesan and Leehan to look at him. “It would make them believe they had more power and say in your doings, and it could give you a better standing and perhaps even some more good advice if mine were not enough,”

“There are things a king or a prince should not be seen doing, as I hope you’ve learned by now,” Leehan said, hoping Taesan would get the hint directed at him, considering the latter’s past doings, there among burning down Harrenhal… as regardless of Taesan’s intentions or emotions at the time, the people around him mostly saw it was the making of a madman… “So what you cannot do yourself, let others do for you…”

Chapter Text

“There is no use… we will never be able to find him out here…” Keum sighed, slumping down against a nearby rock. “If he were still here, we would have found him by now, so I don’t think he’s here anymore,”

“Where else would he have gone?” Baekseung asked. He remained standing despite how much his legs were screaming for him to sit down and rest for a bit.

“He couldn’t have gone north or east, then we would have encountered him on the way, so either he went further west or down south…” Woonhak said. He was standing a little further away, overlooking the vast empty plains south of their current position.

“But why would he do that?”

“I wouldn’t have wanted to stay anywhere near the place my family was brutally murdered if I were him…” Keum pointed out. “And we never know; maybe he couldn’t go north, so what if he went back down the same way they came?”

“Moat Cailin…” Baekseung walked up to stand beside Woonhak to overlook the plains as well. They were both facing the approximate direction of the little fort through which you had to travel if you’d passed through the neck and wished to continue into the rest of the North.

“Then that’s where we’re going…” Woonhak said, prompting Keum to stand back up again before he and Baekseung followed the knight back to their soldiers.

- - - -

“Taesan called you to come join his council…?” Sungho raised an eyebrow at his brother.

“Indeed he did,” Taeyong answered. “Though I do believe I’m not the only one he asked for…” It took Sungho a few seconds to get what his brother had meant, but once he did, he shook his head.

“No…! I said I’m not going back, and I’m sticking to that. I’m sure the King in the North can find men better suited than me to sit on his council,” Sungho replied.

“So you’ll refuse your king’s call?” Taeyong asked, not exactly surprised but still somewhat disappointed in his brother, though Taeyong had no idea what Sungho’s reasons for not going back were…

“Considering all that has happened since I decided to become a knight for House Stark, I think Taesan would care all that much if I didn’t return…” Sungho answered his brother before turning to leave the latter’s chambers, but Taeyong spoke, prompting the younger to stop once again.

“I don’t know what happened up there or during the time leading up to your decision to become a knight, but regardless of whatever status either of us have: lord, knight, or commoner, Taesan is still our king, and I don’t think it is wise to disobey him…” Taeyong watched Sungho for a few seconds in silence before finally letting out a sigh. “I’m sorry… I shouldn’t have said that… I just… I don’t want the king to be mad at you… that seldom ends well…”

“I can assure you that Taesan’s never been as mad at anyone as he’s been at me, so I wouldn’t worry if I were you,” Sungho let out a small chuckle at the look of confusion on Taeyong’s face. “Don’t worry about it. If the Starks really needed me that bad, they wouldn’t just send a raven…”

- - - -

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Yujun now managed to block almost every single blow the blond boy threw at him, though the force of the wooden sticks hitting each other sent vibrations down into Yujun’s hands and some even up his arms, and it wasn’t exactly comfortable.

“A boy has no family… a boy does not care for those who are not in the service of the Many-Faced God!” Yujun said while trying to strike the blond boy himself. They’d been going back and forth like this for quite a while now, taking turns trying to strike each other as part of the training. Yujun thought this sort of training was rather unusual and unnecessary at first since they didn’t use either swords or any other sharp weapon, but the more they trained, the more sense it made to Yujun why they used wooden sticks. They were light and easily maneuvered, and once you possessed the skill to fight like that, you could use pretty much anything in the same way, meaning you wouldn’t even have to bring a weapon with you and just pick something up on the spot.

“A boy still lies… he still cares for someone other than the Many-Faced God,” The blond boy said, taking a swift step to the side before managing to strike Yujun on the side of his leg.

“Ow! No, it’s not a lie!” Yujun argued, moving out of the way for the other’s next strike, making him miss by mere inches.

“It is. A boy still cares about what may or may not happen to his younger brother…” As much as it irritated Yujun to admit it, the blond boy was right… He couldn’t really let go of the thought of Hunter and what might happen to him in Dorne or just in general… And it didn’t help that the blond boy seemed to know something more about Hunter, something Yujun didn’t… That he was meant for something more… but what…?

“Then why don’t you just tell me how not to care, huh? If it’s now so easy…” Yujun finally burst out, stopping his movements altogether and lowering the stick.

“It’s not easy… it’s not supposed to be easy, but a boy needs to leave his old life behind if he wishes to serve the Many-Faced God…” The blond boy answered.

“I’m allowed a break, though, am I not? Since I’m not fully one of you yet…” Yujun asked. At first, the blond boy didn’t say anything, but then he also lowered his stick before nodding slowly. That was enough for Yujun to sit down on one of the few steps that were elevating the furthest part of the hall a bit above the rest. He sat there for a while, not saying anything, but neither did the blond boy. After a while, though, Yujun’s curiosity got the better of him. “Who were you…? Before you came here and joined the Faceless Men?”

“I am no one,” The boy answered.

“Yeah, I know that, but who were you before that? I can’t see why you won’t tell me, considering you’re always asking me about who I was before…” Yujun said, lifting his head slightly so he could look over at the other. The boy remained silent for a while before looking around the hall as if to make sure they were alone in there.

“I was not that much unlike you…” He eventually said though he wasn’t really looking at Yujun as he spoke, and rather stared off somewhere in the hall. But Yujun watched him as he continued. “I also had a brother, though older than me, and we looked quite a lot alike when we were children…” The boy trailed off slightly, seemingly stuck in some memory from his past.

“Then why did you leave?” Yujun questioned after some time had passed, as the other didn’t seem to continue talking on his own. This actually made him look over at Yujun, if only briefly, before turning away again.

“Because I didn’t belong there…” He said. “And because it was easier for our father to protect only one of us…” He added before Yujun could say anything else.

“Your father sent you away to protect your brother…?” Yujun thought that sounded rather unfair…

“No… I left on my own, against my father’s wish… or at least I think so… I haven’t met him since, so I can’t really ask him…” He let out a small chuckle, but it didn’t sound like an amused one at all…

“Have you never thought of returning?” Yujun asked.

“No… I am not that person anymore! I have no wish to return…” It sounded like a lie, even to Yujun’s untrained ears, but he wasn’t one to point it out now when he’d finally gotten the other to talk about himself…

“But who was that person?”

“No one of importance…” The blond boy placed his stick back against the wall before turning to leave the hall, but not before Yujun stood up.

“How did you get those scars then? They haven’t put me through anything that would cause such scars here, so you’d have to have gotten them before you joined the Faceless Men…” Yujun said, prompting the boy to halt his steps. He didn’t turn around and stood so still that he almost looked like he’d frozen to the floor if not for the ever-so-slight movements of his shoulders, indicating to Yujun that he was at least breathing.

“My father isn’t the most liked person… nor am my grandfather… not here in Essos and certainly not in Westeros…” He answered. “And so there are always those who’d tried to hurt either of them, and if they couldn’t get do that, they went for me and my brother instead…”

“Why are they not liked? What did they do…?” Yujun questioned. He might be overstepping now, but he just couldn’t help himself…

“My father didn’t do anything… and my grandfather only did what was needed of him given the situation he was in… but that’s something the people of the world will never understand…” The boy turned slightly to look at Yujun as he spoke, but then he turned back once again… That’s when Yujun knew, despite the other actually answering him, that he’d overstepped…

“At least tell me your name… before you leave… please,” Yujun said. “Or… what you named used to be…”

“Ayden…” The blond boy said before finally leaving Yujun alone in the Hall of Faces.

Chapter Text

Minho arrived about a fortnight before all of the other lords and ladies that Taesan had called to Winterfell, Taeyong Reed being one of them, but also Lord Manderly, Lord Tallhart, and Lady Hornwood. These were the lords and ladies Taesan thought best suited for sitting on his council, apart from Gyuvin, who was the Hand of the King, and Doyoung, who’d Taesan very recently named as the Commander of his King’s Guard. Gyuvin, Minho, and Taesan were already seated when the rest of them arrived, and even though Minho, as a sort of king himself, did not have any particular named role on the council, he was still going to take part in the meetings themselves. Doyoung stood behind Taesan’s chair, slightly to the side, and overlooked the others as they entered and took their seats.

“I thank you for coming here despite just leaving, and I am sorry for forcing you to make the journey back and forth from your own homes, but I hope that today’s discussion will at least make the times worthwhile,” Taesan said once everyone had been seated. Apart from Taeyong, neither of the others really knew why they were here, and Taesan had only told the Reed lord his intentions in the hopes of bringing Sungho back with him. However, the latter seemingly didn’t want to take part in any of this anymore… much to Taesan’s disappointment.

“No need to apologize, Your Grace,” Lord Manderly said. “We swore to serve you and to answer when you call, so here we are!” The old man gave Taesan a slight bow with his head to show further respect.

“I’ve called you here because I’ve decided to form a small council. And considering all the recent events in the North, I thought it wise to bring my most trusted people here to aid me and keep me informed of all of the corners of my kingdom,” The lords and Lady Hornwood all shared a few looks before turning their eyes back toward their king.

“Your Grace, it’s an honor to have been chosen to sit on your council!” Lord Tallhart said, standing up to properly bow to Taesan, but the latter just gestured for him to sit down as all the formalities were not needed at the moment.

“As you know, I’ve already named Gyuvin as my Lord Hand and Ser Doyoung as the Commander of my King’s Guard, but I am still in need of a Master of Coin, a Master of Whisperers, a Master of Ships, and a Master of Laws… and so the first one of you whose position on this council I’ve chosen is you, Lord Manderly,” Taesan turned his head in the lord’s direction before continuing. “As White Harbor is a critical harbor to all of the North, and because of your skills as not just a sailor but also due to your impressive armada, I’ve decided to name you Master of Ships,”

“Thank you, Your Grace! I will not disappoint you!” Lord Manderly assured the king, and Taesan had to bite back an amused smile due to how the lord immediately sat up straighter and seemingly shone with pride as his king had just complimented him and his city.

“Then, for the Master of Coin, I can think of no better man than you, Taeyong. House Reed has always been loyal to House Stark, and your wisdom and caution will make you a great addition to my council,” House Reed might not be a particularly rich one, but Taesan knew that you didn’t need to be rich to know how to take care of money.

“Thank you, Your Grace,” Taeyong answered, bowing his head similarly to how Lord Manderly had done earlier. Taesan went on to declare Lord Tallhart as Master of Laws and Lady Hornwood as Master, or rather Mistress, of Whisperers. He thought the two positions suited them rather well, as Lord Tallhart was a just man, and Lady Hornwood was very liked and had good connections.

“Forgive me, Your Grace, if you don’t mind me asking, but where is your brother? I thought he, as your closest blood, would be part of this council as well,” Lord Manderly asked once Taesan was done declaring the positions on the council.

“Leehan has no desire to take part in these sorts of things, my lord, so he won’t be joining us…” Taesan answered, prompting Gyuvin to frown slightly as that wasn’t anywhere near the truth… in fact, this whole thing had been Leehan’s idea. Yet, Taesan hadn’t even considered giving him a role in the council itself… but, then again, Taesan was the king, so his decisions were what stood… not that Leehan had even brought it up. Still, Gyuvin suspected that it was just because the younger was so used to not being allowed to take part in Taesan’s ruling that he’d just given up on even asking…

- - - -

“Why are you not with your dad, sweety?” Leehan asked as Sumin entered his parents’ chambers. Sumin didn’t immediately give him an answer and instead went over to sit down on the floor beside his two nephews, but once seated, he did answer.

“I don’t want to, and dad didn’t ask, so I just saw it as my opportunity to not have to go with him…” He sighed, picking up one of the toys before trying to hand it to Yewang, but the little boy just swatted it out of his uncle’s hand, prompting the elder to let out a small laugh.

“You’re supposed to do what he’s doing one day, Sumin. It would be good for you to at least be in the room…” Leehan walked over to stand beside his son and ran a hand through the younger’s brown hair. “You’ll be king after him, so I think it’ll do you good to see your dad’s doings and hopefully learn some from his mistakes…”

“I don’t want to…” Sumin mumbled, prompting Leehan to sit down on the floor as well.

“Sometimes we don’t get to choose, and I’m sure that those meetings aren’t as boring as you think,” He tried to cheer up his son, but the meetings weren’t the reason Sumin gave that answer…

“I don’t want to be king…” Sumin clarified, looking away from his nephews and over at his father instead. “From what I can tell, it sucks! And it would just force me to be someone I’m not…” It took Leehan a few seconds to come up with a good answer, and in that time, Sumin just sighed and turned his face away again.

“If I’m being honest, you would make a better king than your dad…” He said, chuckling slightly, hoping that Sumin would do too, but the younger remained silent. This prompted Leehan to take a deep breath before pulling Sumin into a side hug. “I know that this is not what you thought would be the outcome, being born third and all that, but sometimes fate just decides that we’re supposed to be something we ourselves might not have ever even thought about…”

“Well, fate can go decide its own doings because I don’t want to be king!” Sumin burst out. “Dad should name Baekseung his heir instead! I’m sure he would be thrilled to one day be the most powerful man in all of the North, but I won’t!” Sumin stood up rather quickly, slightly scaring both Yewang and Jaeho, who both began crying, prompting Sumin to stop and reach down to calm them down again immediately. “I’m sorry…” He murmured, picking up Yewang, who was sitting the closest to him, while Leehan picked up Jaeho.

“Hey, shh, you’re okay! It wasn’t that bad…” Leehan chuckled, trying to calm Jaeho down again. The boy had proven to be quite the drama queen. He would cry or throw a tantrum at any given opportunity, which he’d not gotten from either of his parents but rather from his granddad, Taesan, as Leehan recalled their own father, Jake, telling him that Taesan often acted the same when they were children, throwing tantrums more so than crying, but still…

“He sure knows how to make someone deaf…” Sumin pointed out, placing Yewang back down on the floor again as he’d already stopped crying and went back to playing as if nothing happened in the first place. Jaeho sniffed a few times, pouting and with tears still on his cheeks.

“Naming your brother heir to the North would mean that this little one would be king after him, and even though it’s too early to say if he’ll be a good king or not, I do believe that your brother is a bit too much like your dad…” Leehan said.

“Well then, let’s hope Yujun comes back from wherever he now went because I still don’t want to be king… or maybe just name Hunter king and have him and Seeun rule both the north and the south of Westeros!” Sumin answered. He didn’t raise his voice this time, but the irritation in his voice was still clear, and once he was done talking, he left the room again…

- - - -

Yujun let out a sigh while staring at the ceiling in his room. It was the same small, cold stone room he’d been given when he first arrived, but he no longer cared about its interior, or rather lack of it… He was too occupied by thinking about what the blond boy, whose name he’d now learned used to be Ayden, and what he’d told him about his life before joining the Faceless Men. What stuck with Yujun the most was what Ayden had told him about his father and grandfather, though the fact that he’d left them all in order to protect his brother didn’t really sit right with Yujun… but then again, he figured he’d do the same if it meant Hunter or any of his other brothers would be safer if he did. And all those scars he had on his body… the ones on his hands and arms, and not to mention the one across his throat… they were not small scars either, and Yujun couldn’t even imagine what the blond must have gone through before coming here… but what the hell had actually happened?

“My father didn’t do anything… and my grandfather only did what was needed of him given the situation he was in…” Those words really got Yujun’s thoughts going… What had he meant by that? And what could his grandfather have done for people to hate him so much that they even went after the man’s grandchildren…? This world sure could be unfair! Yujun tried to make sense of it all for a little while longer, but eventually, he figured that he needed much more information to actually make sense of anything… and that meant he needed to talk to Ayden about it again… though… he suspected that the other wouldn’t be up for answering any more of Yujun’s questions as they were both actually supposed to leave their previous lives behind… but Yujun couldn’t help himself, so he got up from the mattress he’d been lying on and then headed out the door to find the blond boy.

Chapter Text

“I think you should include Leehan in our meetings…” Gyuvin had thought long and hard about bringing up this topic, as he knew it was a rather sensitive one, and despite Taesan being in a much better mood now, you could never be sure when it came to the Stark king…

“Why…?” Taesan questioned, not even bothering to look up from the table.

“Well, for starters, it was his idea to have a small council, and I do believe he has some very good thoughts that should be heard and taken into consideration if we wish to avoid war…” Gyuvin said. Taesan still didn’t look up from the papers strewn about on the table and just let out a small huff.

“There are no more positions available on the council, Gyuvin, and I doubt Leehan would even want to have one of those titles to begin with…” He eventually answered, moving some of the papers to the side before pulling out another pile and started going through those as well.

“He’s your brother, Taesan… Regardless of if he wants a position on the council or not, you should at least ask him… and not just make the decision for him…” Gyuvin knew this was akin to playing with fire, but he’d had enough of his friend’s treatment of his own brother… He knew Taesan wasn’t the best at sharing, but he’d hoped that it didn’t include sharing something with Leehan. But unfortunately, it did seem to do just that…

“I don’t want him to take part in the council meetings because I don’t want him to worry more than he already does!” Taesan snapped, finally turning so he could face Gyuvin. “It’s not that I don’t want to include him because I don’t think he could bring something good, the opposite actually! I know he has good ideas, great even, and that he would do well on the small council, but I don’t want him to be there for his own sake!” Gyuvin watched as Taesan tightly gripped a handful of paper in anger, crumpling them up in his hand before letting go of them again, though that was all he physically did… thankfully.

“Isn’t that his decision to make…? What is and what isn’t good for himself-”

“No!” Taesan interrupted Gyuvin. “If I can’t even protect my own children, then at least let me protect him! Everything that will be said and done in that council will have consequences throughout the North, and I don’t want him to be held accountable for any of it if the day comes when one of those decisions might come back and haunt us!” Taesan raised his voice, but he wasn’t screaming… yet… “I know it might sound unreasonable to you, but to me, it doesn’t! And if there were any other way I could keep him and my sons away from evil men and their stupid opinions, then I would choose that, but since there isn’t any, this is what I’ve decided, and that’s final! So don’t bring it up again…”

“As you wish…” Gyuvin sighed before giving Taesan a slight bow with his head just as there was a knock on the door.

“Enter!” Taesan called out, rather relieved that he didn’t have to continue arguing with Gyuvin over Leehan and the small council. One of the guards standing outside opened the door, revealing a rather displeased-looking Sumin, who quite reluctantly entered the room.

“You send for me…?” He sighed, eyes moving from his dad over to Gyuvin and then back at Taesan again.

“You didn’t attend the first council meeting, not that I actually asked you to, but that was because I wanted to get the lords and ladies into their right position before forcing you to be there, as you’ve made it quite clear to you father that you’d rather not be attending at all…” Taesan said, prompting Sumin to frown slightly upon hearing that Leehan apparently had told Taesan about his and Sumin’s, or rather just Sumin’s, previous argument regarding his duty as the crown prince to watch and learn from Taesan. “But regardless, I want to go over a few things with you ahead of the next meeting, so why not now? That way, we’ll get it out of the way, and then you don’t have to think about it until the meeting itself,” Taesan tried to make this as light and easy for his son as possible in order not to scare Sumin away from it even further, but his son still looked highly unamused…

“Mmh…” Sumin just hummed before sitting down by the table in the chair beside Taesan.

“That will be all, Gyuvin. Thank you,” The king said, waving his Hand off and focusing his full attention on his son instead. Gyuvin didn’t reply and just bowed his head again before leaving the two.

- - - -

“Do you want to go home…?” Seeun’s voice surprised Hunter, prompting the younger to turn around to face his husband, who came walking down the faintly lit path through the Watergardens. Hunter had gone out for a walk earlier, as Seeun had been busy with other things, but Aianna was walking with him, though keeping her distance to give the prince the space he needed.

“Hm? I just left, Seeun… I thought you wanted me to leave our chambers more often?” Hunter questioned as Seeun reached him.

“No…” Seeun let out a small chuckle. “I meant if you want to go home… to Winterfell…” He clarified. This made Hunter stop dead in his tracks, eyes wide and looking at Seeun.

“This is my home now, Seeun… I doubt returning to Winterfell would-“

“But you don’t seem to be liking it here…” Seeun interrupted him. “You haven’t been yourself for months… and I know it’s been a lot for you with losing two of your brothers in such a short span of time, but it can’t be just that… There has to be something else that bothers you, so I thought… maybe if you returned back home to your family, it would make you feel better…” Hunter remained silent for a while before a faint smile appeared on his lips.

“That’s really sweet of you, but I don’t want to do that… This is my home, and you are my family now! It is true that I miss my brothers and parents, but I do not wish to leave as I don’t think it would change anything regarding how I feel right now…” He trailed off a little, as he was unsure how to word how he was actually feeling since he couldn’t really figure it out himself… “And I don’t want to leave you,” He eventually added before placing a kiss on the elder’s cheek.

“I want you to be happy, Hunter… I don’t want you to force yourself to stay here just because of me or-“

“I will be happy!” Hunter interrupted Seeun. “I just need to get my thoughts straight and my head back in place first… though I’m not sure how long that’ll take… but I can assure you that I’m not forcing myself to do anything to please someone else! I want to stay here with you, and if I ever were to leave, I would want you to come with me,” Hunter gave Seeun another smile, a bigger one this time, which the elder also returned before taking Hunter’s hand into his own.

“Please just tell me if there is anything I could do, anything at all!” Seeun said.

“You just being here is enough,” Hunter assured him before they started to walk again, hand in hand this time.

- - - -

“I am sorry, my prince, but we’ve not seen or heard anything from young Lord Blackwood…” One of the men at Moat Cailin said. Baekseung didn’t even remember his name, but that didn’t really matter at the moment as the problem still stood: they hadn’t found Yujin yet…

“Are you sure he’s not passed through here and ventured further south?” The prince asked, but the man shook his head.

“No, my prince… My men would have informed me if he’d come here,” The man answered, prompting Baekseung to let out a sigh. He was exhausted… all of them were exhausted… but Baekseung wasn’t going to just give up on Yujin. The younger boy was his friend and the only surviving member of both House Blackwood and House Glover… so giving up wasn’t even an option!

“We should stay here for tonight,” Woonhak said. “We could all use some sleep before we continue to-“

“We continue now!” Baekseung interrupted the knight. “Yujin’s been missing for months already, so we’re not stopping until we find him!”

“Baekseung…” Keum tried to calm the younger down, but Baekseung just pushed past both him and Woonhak.

“If he’s not come through here or gone back north or east, then he must have gone west, right?! Or what if Lord Dustin’s men found him before we did? What if they brought him back to Barrowton…?” Baekseung was panicking; he knew that, but he wasn’t going to give up! Yujin deserved better than just being left behind! “Or… Or what if they killed him too?!”

“Baekseung!” Keum yelled, prompting Baekseung to stop and look back at his husband. “We will find him, okay? But not today… and maybe not for many days to come, especially not if you keep this pace up! You’re just exhausting yourself and all of our soldiers… they need to get some rest, and so do you…” Keum went over to Baekseung and gently placed his hands on the younger’s cheeks. “So, can you just take a deep breath for me and calm down a little?” At first, Baekseung was sort of reluctant to do what Keum asked, but the elder didn’t seem to be giving in, so Baekseung closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “There you go…” Keum said, gently running his thumb over the younger’s cheek. “Feeling better…?”

“Not really…” Baekseung sighed, but he made no move to continue his earlier panicked rushing around.

“You still need some rest,” Keum pointed out, and Baekseung nodded slowly. “Tell the men we’re staying here for the night,” He added, turning to face Woonhak briefly, and the knight gave him a nod before heading back outside.

“What if I don’t find him…?” Baekseung murmured once he and Keum were alone.

“I? You mean ‘we’, right? And we will! But you’re putting way too much pressure on yourself, and that is not helping anyone…” Keum answered.

“I-… I just… I want to find him… With everything that happened with Minjae and Junmin and basically his whole family, I just want Yujin to be okay…” Baekseung said quietly. Now, as he started to calm down some more, he felt how tired he actually was, but he still had that bad feeling at the back of his mind that if he stopped looking now, Yujin wouldn’t be fine, and that meant Baekseung had failed to save someone… again!

“It’s not your responsibility to find him, you know… but I get that you want to! I want to find him, too… but you shouldn’t be blaming yourself for what happened to Minjae and the other…” Keum said. “And don’t even try to argue because I know you, and you are blaming yourself for not being able to do something! But it’s not your fault, and neither is it that we haven’t found Yujin yet…”

“There’s just… I have this feeling that it is my fault… but I still can’t put my finger quite on what that would actually be…”

Chapter Text

“Looks like my help wasn’t as needed as your husband made me believe it was,” Minho chuckled. He and Leehan were watching multiple sets of new guards arriving at Winterfell from all the houses whose lords and ladies Taesan had appointed to his small council. As these people were high-ranking nobles, they had their own guards and people to protect them, but they had all also offered to bring additional soldiers to add to Winterfell’s general army.

“I doubt he even thought this was an option until I told him…” Leehan sighed. “but your help is always welcome, Minho!” He added, turning to face the elderly man. Living beyond the wall, despite these last few decades' improvements, was still quite the challenge, and Minho, who wasn’t exactly younger anymore, started to look somewhat tired. But the man didn’t give up on the promise he made to Jake all those years ago, and he would help the latter’s sons and grandsons for as long as he lived.

“I’m glad to hear it,” Minho said. “This all was your idea then?” He questioned, gesturing out toward the small chaos going on in the courtyard below them.

“Technically, yeah, but I didn’t think the members of the small council would bring these many people with them,” Leehan answered.

“Shouldn’t you be down there to greet them then and let Taesan deal with the other issues?” Minho raised an eyebrow at the younger, but Leehan just shook his head.

“I’m not part of the small council, so it’s not my task to deal with…” He was about to leave and go back inside the castle, but Minho stopped him.

“You should, though. It’s no easy thing to rule alone, trust me…” Minho said, but Leehan just gently pried his wrist out of the older man’s grip and let out a sigh.

“I’m not the one who you should be telling that to…” He answered, glancing down at Taesan, who stood amongst all the people down in the courtyard before eventually leaving Minho.

- - - -

“My son tells me you’re not feeling well… is there anything I could help with?” Hunter looked up to find Jongseob, alone, entering the Watergardens, which slightly surprised him. Hunter thought, considering the past few months’ happenings, that the king would want to have protection when leaving the castle, but Jongseob seemed carefree and unbothered, and he also gestured for Aianna to go, which she did. That left just Jongseob and Hunter in the Watergardens.

“It’s not that I don’t feel well; I just… to be honest, I don’t even know what it is…” Hunter answered once they were alone.

“I’ll listen if you wish to tell me, but if not, just say what I can do to help,” Jongseob said, reaching out his hands to take one of Hunter’s into his own. “I want you to feel at home here, not like you’re forced to stay because of your marriage or the agreement your dad and I had,”

“I do, Jongseob, I really do! It’s not that…” Hunter assured the elder. “But I can’t help but feel helpless… Being this far away and unable to do anything to aid my brothers or be there for my own father… and my nephews…” Hunter trailed off while remembering the two, still very young boys back in Winterfell… “Yewang has neither of his parents left, and now he’s lost one of his uncles… and I can’t help but have this dreading feeling that this cruel world isn’t done torturing our family…”

“The world is cruel, in that you are right, but that is also why your parents wanted you to come here, to keep you away from what may or may not happen in the North,” Jongseob said.

“But what if I could help?! I know I told Seeun I had no desire to return home, but what if they need me?” Hunter had put much thought into this, perhaps too much, and now he was starting to doubt his own decisions…

“Trust me, Hunter. Your father would much rather have you stay here, where you’re safe, then return to Winterfell… especially now since it isn’t safe…” Jongseob tried to say, but Hunter didn’t really want to listen right now…

“I could help; I know I can! Minghao didn’t have me train for over two years just to stay here and watch as my family gets murdered!” Hunter pushed past Jongseob, though the elder didn’t really try to stop him. However, before Hunter could leave, the sound of someone else’s voice made him stop.

“Minghao didn’t train you just to watch them suffer… but he didn’t do it only for you to run right back into the danger you’ve already managed to escape…” Taemin’s voice was something Hunter hadn’t heard in a very long time, but he still recognized it, as well as the same chill running down his back that he got every time the silver-eyed man spoke. “You’re meant for something bigger, Hunter, but that something can’t come if you die…” Hunter turned to his side, where he immediately spotted Taemin, and he watched the sliver-clad man for a few seconds…

“What was I meant for then? If not to help my own family?!” He eventually asked, tone much less pleasant this time.

“If I tell you, it won’t happen…” Taemin answered. “And it might be our only chance, as I doubt someone else like you, with the abilities you have, will be born for the coming centuries… and by that time, it would already be too late…”

- - - -

“A boy wants to train,” Yujun said, prompting Ayden and another of the Faceless Men to stop what they were doing and look over at him.

“Not now…” Ayden simply said before going back to placing a handful of cups and bowls back in their proper place on the shelf.

“A boy demands to train so that he can serve the Faceless God as soon as possible!” Yujun argued, knowing it would be hard for Ayden to refuse him in front of the other man if he brought up the Faceless God and their sworn duty to serve him, and he could quite clearly see that Ayden had figured that out immediately as well as he shot Yujun a displeased look.

“Alright, a boy shall train,” He said, handing the remaining cups to the other man before walking past Yujun and entering the Hall of Faces. Yujun followed him and skillfully caught the stick Ayden threw his way before the two got into position.

“Tell me more about your father. Who is he?” Yujun questioned as he blocked Ayden’s first strike. The blond seemed rather alarmed and looked around the hall to ensure that they were alone, which they were before glaring back at Yujun.

“A boy has no father!” He answered, swinging the stick through the air again, but Yujun blocked his strike this time too.

“Ayden…” Yujun tried to say, but Ayden swung the stick through the air a third time, and this time, it struck Yujun on the thigh. And that stung like hell…!

“A boy is not Ayden, and you are not Yujun Stark! That is what you promised the Many-Faced God when you entered his house!” The fourth strike would have his Yujun in the head if he’d not moved out of the way in the last seconds. The force Ayden had put into the swing made him lose his balance slightly, as he did not hit his intended target, and Yujun used that to his advantage. He used his own stick to strike Ayden on the back of his knee, prompting him to lose his balance even more, and as the blond now had his back slightly turned toward him, Yujun swiftly moved to get behind the other. He reached one arm around Ayden, the one he held his stick with, and used the other to grab the opposite end of the stick, successfully trapping Ayden between the stick and his own body. Ayden tried to get away, but Yujun pulled the stick closer to himself, making it so that it was ever so slightly pressed against the blond’s throat.

“Ayden, please… I just want to know more about you, and I know you want to tell me… because if you didn’t, you wouldn’t have said anything in the first place…” Yujun said. Ayden showed no sign of wanting actually to talk, but he stopped struggling to get out of Yujun’s grip and lowered his hand, which held the wooden stick. Eventually, Yujun felt Ayden let out a sigh, and that prompted him to loosen his grip on the blond slightly, enough for Ayden to slip out of his hold, but he made no move to leave apart from taking a few steps away from Yujun.

“You’re not supposed to call me that…” Ayden said slowly. He eyed Yujun for a few seconds before continuing. “Why would you want to know more, anyway?”

“How’d you get those scars…? And why did you feel like you had to leave your family in order to make sure your brother was safe? It sounds quite unfair if you ask me…” Yujun said, somewhat avoiding Ayden’s question.

“I got the scars from all those people who tried to hurt me and my brother, which I already told you…” Ayden answered. He started to walk across the hall, which Yujun first feared was to leave, but Ayden just sat down on the few steps leading up to the upper parts of the hall. Yujun followed him and sat down beside him, placing the wooden stick next to where Ayden had put his.

“So that’s why you left? So you wouldn’t need to be put through that anymore?”

“No… I left because I was of no use to my family anymore, and my father could focus all his energy on protecting my brother rather than having to protect us both… and uhm…” Ayden trailed off a little, glancing out over the empty hall for a few seconds.

“And…?” Yujun raised an eyebrow expectantly, waiting for the other to continue.

“And I might once have believed that if I trained here and got good enough, that I could one day return and help protect my brother and his family…” Ayden eventually said.

“So why didn’t you?”

“Because we’re not supposed to leave!” Ayden finally turned to look at Yujun properly, and the Stark prince swore he could see tears threatening to fall from the blond’s eyes. “And we’re not supposed to care for those who were part of the lives we once had, so just let it go… for your own sake…” Ayden was about to stand up, but Yujun reached out and grabbed his hand, preventing the other from leaving.

“Then why did you tell me in the first place?” Yujun questioned. “You could have easily just shut me down and left it at that, but you didn’t…” Ayden tried to pry his hand out of Yujun’s grip, but when he didn’t loosen his grip, Ayden just sighed and stopped, surprising Yujun by actually somewhat relaxing instead.

“When I heard what your name was… it brought back memories I didn’t know I still had… memories of what my father told me was the reason why people want to hurt us…” Ayden explained. “I figure, considering your enthusiasm to know more about my previous life, that you’re also curious about who my father and grandfather are…” Yujun just nodded slightly, not wanting to interrupt the other. “You see… there are those all over the world, both in Westeros, but also here in Essos, that want to hurt not just me and my brother but also my father and grandfather… and that is because of what they say my grandfather did several decades ago…”

“What could have been so bad that people still are angry about it if it happened so long ago…?” Yujun asked, but Ayden just pressed his lips into a thin line.

“He killed someone…” Ayden murmured, but Yujun still heard him. “But not just someone… he was a lord, a quite high-ranking one if I recall correctly, but what was more important was that he was married to a future king…” Yujun watched silently as Ayden tried to get his words together, still not really wanting to interrupt the other for fear of making him stop talking altogether. “My grandfather technically also ended a great house when he killed this lord, as he was the last one with that house’s name; though his children are technically part of that house still, they have their other father’s name…your name… Stark…”

“Wha… what?” Yujun didn’t really get what Ayden was trying to say, prompting the blond to let out a sigh…

“The lord was your grandfather, Yujun… Lord Sunghoon Tyrell… and my grandfather killed him in the battle in King’s Landing before leaving Westeros with my father…”

“That can’t be… my grandfather was killed by Eunseok Dayne…” Yujun said slowly, finally somewhat connecting the dots…

“Yeah… and his son, with Prince Wonbin Baratheon, is Soul Baratheon, and that is my father…” Ayden clarified. “My name used to be Ayden Baratheon… and my grandfather killed yours…”

Chapter Text

“Did I tell you what they did to my oldest brother…?” Yujun questioned quietly. He and Ayden were sitting outside the House of Black and White, watching the surrounding water, and they could even see the back of the Titan of Braavos from where they were sitting. Ayden shook his head slowly, briefly glancing over at the other before Yujun continued talking. “How they struck down his most loyal men, slaughtered his husband, hung him from the walls like some piece of dried meat… and those men… those crows… they didn’t just turn on their own men… no, they went after Minseo mere months after he had his son and Yewang… the boy wasn’t even half a year old and yet those men tried to kill him!”

“I’m sorry…” Ayden answered. He placed his hand on Yujun’s shoulder, trying to comfort him the best he could, even though he wasn’t really sure what actually to do.

“It’s not your fault; you weren’t even in Westeros…” Yujun chuckled bitterly.

“Well, yeah, I know… but I’m sorry that happened to you… to him…”

“Thank you…” Yujun whispered. They sat in silence for a while longer, just watching the calm water in front of them.

“You know… There was this time when my brother and I were quite young. We were playing outside, and this man suddenly just showed up. Neither of us had ever seen him before, and we didn’t even have the time to do anything before he attacked us… MU was quick enough to kick him in the leg because the man was going for me first, and that probably saved my life, but he still managed to give me this…” Ayden rolled up the sleeve of his shirt, showing just how big the scar on the top of his hand was. It ran all the way up his forearm, twisting slightly around it and almost reaching his elbow.

“Oh…” Yujun’s eyes widened. He’d not thought the scar was that big, and even though it seemed to have been quite a long time ago, it still must have hurt really bad… “That’s horrible… and, uhm, the other scars, are they all from similar incidents…?” Yujun felt like he was somewhat overstepping now, but Ayden didn’t really seem to mind.

“Yeah… some people just don’t seem to give up…” Ayden let out a bitter chuckle.

“It’s not fair… I guess people have the right to be angry, or… whatever they now are, but they shouldn’t be taking that out on you or your brother; I mean, neither of you was even born when your grandfather… did… that…” Yujun said. Sure, it had taken him a bit by surprise to find out not only that Ayden was a Baratheon and thereby actually somewhat related to himself but also that his grandfather killed Yujun’s own… but Yujun still thought it was ridiculous for people to try to murder children for the actions of their parents or grandparents…

“It’s not that much different from what happened to your brother… though, I find it hard to believe those crows were taking revenge on a murdered lord…” Ayden said.

“No… those crows were just idiots who didn’t like being told what to do…” Yujun sighed. They both fell silent again, but not for as long this time. “MU…? Is that your brother’s name?” Yujun questioned, turning so he could look at Ayden better. He figured Ayden had just let the name slip without thinking, as now, he looked somewhat startled, but Yujun just gave him a small smile. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to tell anyone, and besides, you already know the names of all of my brothers,” He added, which actually seemed to calm Ayden down a little as he smiled slightly as well.

“Yeah, Minseo, Minjae, Sumin, Baekseung, and Hunter, right?” Ayden said, smiling as Yujun’s eyebrows went up slightly.

“I’m surprised you actually remembered all of their names correctly; it’s not the easiest thing to remember, considering there are five of them,” This made Ayden laugh a little, which prompted Yujun to do the same.

“Well, if I’m being honest, you’re a lot more interesting than the average person wanting to join the Faceless Men, regardless of their backstory,” Ayden chuckled. “With you being a prince and all,”

“But so are you, or… were… I guess… I’m not sure how you view yourself right now, if I’m being honest…” Sure, they were supposed to let go of their previous lives and only focus on serving the Many-Faced God, but Yujun had started to figure out that Ayden hadn’t actually let go of his previous life entirely just yet…

“My father used to be a prince, but I’m not so sure that still stands considering the outcome of that war…” Ayden sighed.

“Once a prince, always a prince,” Yujun said, lightly nudging Ayden on the arm with his elbow.

“Not here…” Ayden sighed again. He ran his hand through his blond hair before trying to stand up, but Yujun stopped him.

“Your grandfather was Wonbin Baratheon, the last named heir to the iron throne! Sunwoo Targaryen named him himself, and your bloodline would have ruled all of Westeros today if it weren’t for that damn war!”

“My brother’s bloodline, you mean… He’s the older one; I wouldn’t have ruled over anything,” Ayden sat back down beside Yujun but made no move to make the other let go of his arm.

“That’s still royalty, which means you could have been a prince of the realm, just like you are now; Faceless Men or not, it’s in your blood… our blood, the blood of the dragon!”

- - - -

“You sure this is okay…?” Haechan raised an eyebrow as Sungho walked past him.

“No, but Taeyong’s in Winterfell, which means that you are lord of Greywater Watch for the time being,” Sungho answered. He was putting on all of his armor before heading out of the castle doors. Haechan sighed and followed the younger outside, where there were already rows upon rows of Reed soldiers waiting for their commander, which was Sungho. Taeyong had appointed Sungho as the commander of his military forces to, in his words, put Sungho’s talent to some use.

“Well, I’m pretty sure he’d be mad if I let you head out with his army without his approval or even him knowing about it…” Haechan said.

“He swore to protect and obey his king, and that means his whole house has to do the same, and frankly, I don’t see why not…”

“You refused to obey Taesan when he called you to Winterfell, so why the sudden change of heart?” Haechan raised an eyebrow at his brother, placing his hands on his hips.

“Because even if I don’t want to go back to Winterfell and everything that comes with that, it doesn’t mean I don’t want to make sure they’re safe… that the North is safe!” Sungho snapped. He was getting tired of having to defend himself and always having to come up with excuses as to why he didn’t want to go back to Winterfell…

“And your way of doing that is to order your brother’s army to head out and form a blockade as people won’t enter or leave the North…?”

“Half-brother,” Sungho pointed out. “And yes, I’m taking Taeyong’s soldiers out to make sure the people here in the North are safe from not just outsiders but also from each other and all those damn bastards that think they can hurt innocent people!”

“Okay, sorry I asked…” Haechan said, raising his hands in the air defensively before backing away. Sungho just sighed before running his hands over his face.

“I’m sorry, Haechan, I just… I’m sorry…”

“I get it,” Haechan answered. “It’s a sour subject, but promise me you won’t let your own pride take over your judgment, okay?”

“I promise,” Sungho answered before giving his brother a small smile. He was about to join the soldiers, but before he did, he turned back to face Haechan one more time. “And besides, what the king can’t be doing himself, others should do for him, right?”

- - - -

It had been almost half a year since Taesan had put in motion the small council. It was going surprisingly well, though he still hadn’t let Leehan take part in the actual meetings… not that Leehan had the energy to care either… he was taking care of both Yewang and Jaeho, who were both over a year old now, and Baekseung and Keum had missed their own son’s first nameday as they were still out looking for Yujin…

“It’s from Keum… they’re heading back now,” Doyoung had just entered the room, holding a letter, which Keum had apparently sent. Leehan looked up from the two boys, who were arguing over a toy, and over at the knight.

“Finally…” Leehan let out a sigh. He hated having just one of his sons here in Winterfell, not that he didn’t love having Sumin there; he just wanted to have all his babies close. “Did you hear that, Jaeho? Your papa and dada are coming home,” Leehan picked up the younger of the two boys, effectively ending their little argument as well, and placed a kiss on the top of his head. Yewang remained on the floor, seemingly unbothered by his playmate being picked up. Still, Leehan couldn’t help but feel a little bad for the boy… because even if they were both barely just a year old and did not really understand what was going on around them, Yewang would still be growing up without his parents… and that was something Leehan feared he himself would never be able to get over…

“There’s something else also,” Doyoung said, prompting Leehan to look back at him again. His facial expression was now filled with worry, but it turned somewhat confused when he saw Doyoung smiling.

“What…?” Leehan questioned.

“Gyuvin apparently talked to Ricky while he went back home, and they are finally letting Jinsik come back here, which I assume will make Sumin really happy,” The knight answered.

“That’s good, he needs him here,” Leehan said. “Going through a pregnancy without one’s partner can’t have been easy…”

Chapter Text

“It seems as though we underestimated the King in the North… or, should I say, his brother…” The lords gathered in the great hall, the throne room, in King’s Landing watched as Kane Bolton, the now crowned king of Westeros, apart from the North, Dorne, and the Vale, as those three kingdoms were still independent. Kane, the ever-scheming and plotting king that he was, walked away from the table where all of the others were sitting and over toward the iron throne.

“My apologies, my king, but our reports indicate that Taesan was the one to form the small council, send out his bannermen to regain control over the North, and guard the borders from outsiders… there’s nothing to indicate that the king’s brother had anything to do with it,” One of the lords at the table said, but Kane just smirked and shook his head.

“No… that’s just what he wants us to believe,” He answered, still not turning away from the throne. “I’ve been up there, you know. Not only growing up in the North, learning the ways of every northerner, but also walking in the halls of Winterfell. I know those lands like the back of my hand, and I know the Starks… Taesan would never want his brother anywhere near anything that could be traced, which is why none of your reports says anything about him, but I can assure you that Leehan is the one behind those great ideas; otherwise, they would never have worked as well as they did… because the northerners might see Taesan as their king, but Leehan’s the one they follow,” All the lords shared weird looks before watching their king finally turn back around to face them.

“My king… we know you have the absolute best knowledge of the North and its people, but the reports show significant proof that Leehan had nothing to do with the strengthening of the North… Taesan’s the king, Ser Doyoung is his Lord Commander of the King’s Guard, Gyuvin Umber is the Hand of the King, and lords like Taeyong Reed and a few others sit at his council. Not to mention the King Beyond the Wall, Minho! And Sumin Stark, being the oldest Stark prince, is named Taesan’s heir. He’s by his dad’s side in Winterfell while the younger, Baekseung, is out leading part of their army together with his husband, Keum, and the only surviving crow from Castle Black, Woonhak. Even the former knight, Sungho Reed, has taken up arms and guards the border to the North, probably acting on Taesan’s orders, so I… we don’t see how Leehan has any part in this apart from looking after the two infant princes, Yewang and Jaeho…” Another of the lords said. All of the others around him nodded in agreement, but Kane still didn’t budge.

“Do you know why the Starks use the direwolf as their sigil?” Kane asked, but all of the lords just shook their heads. “They use it because it is a representative symbol for their house, their family, and it has been for generations… the direwolves, even regular wolves, are strong packs of dangerous beasts, and after Soobin Stark married Yeonjun Targaryen, the Starks even has the blood of the dragon, which makes them even more powerful, but that doesn’t change how they work… not entirely, at least,” Kane walked around the table as he spoke, picking up one of the wooden direwolf pieces they had placed on the map on the table before them. “A pack of wolves is planned out strategically, even if they don’t realize it themselves… At the front, where they can be seen, are usually the strongest displayed: the warriors, soldiers, and knights. They show the outside world that it isn’t even worth trying to attack; behind them are the most important ones, the ones who hold the titles: the king, the Hand, the Lord Commander, and so on. The most protected are the young and weak ones: the children, the elderly, and the sick. In a strong pack, these ones would never have to worry about anything because even if someone dares to attack, the pack has put all their strength out before these, meaning no one can reach them. They also tend to have their own guards, knights, or other sorts of protectors to ensure that they are safe…”

“My king… you’re talking about animals… not people…”

“People are animals…” Kane answered. He fiddled with the wooden direwolf while he spoke. “The Starks’ army and all of the bannermen sworn to help and protect them, that’s what comes first, along with the warriors, soldiers, and knights: Baekseung, Keum, Woonhak, Ricky, Jinsik, perhaps even the younger brothers of important lords such as Haechan and Sungho Reed. They hold significant power and are the first to rush out and defend the rest because they don’t hold high titles, and their deaths wouldn’t lead to major changes. After them comes the ones who matter: the king; Taesan, the Hand; Gyuvin, The Lord Commander of the King’s Guard; Doyoung, and even the crown prince; Sumin. Their deaths would mean changes have to be made, and that’s what causes this whole balanced structure to fall, which is why they are not in the front despite their skills or power. Then you have the children; Yewang and Jaeho, the elderly, and the sick, those who can’t protect themselves, and I assume all of you think this is where Leehan would be, but that’s where you’re wrong… because he’s neither of those things. An argument could be made that he’s part of those who protect this category, as he does look after the children, but because the Starks are so powerful, they have loyal guards doing that, meaning every inch of that castle is protected… but what you, my lords, fail to see…” Kane continued. He slowly reached out and placed the wooden direwolf at the back of everything else, where it could barely be seen unless you saw it from above. “Is that in the back, alone, is the actually most important one, which could sometimes be the king himself, but not in this case… the one hidden in the back, away from watching eyes, is the one who controls everything. This position controls the whole pack, decides the direction to follow, and is protected enough to be able to see potential attacks of opponents, which is possible because no one thinks of aiming for this one because no one knows it’s there… and that, my lords, is where Leehan is… even if he doesn’t know it himself… but Taesan does, which is why he never lets his brother have any active parts in the kingdom because that exposes him,”

“I don’t see how Taesan would be sharing that sort of power with anyone, even his brother… he’s the king; shouldn’t he be the best one?” One of the lords asked.

“As I said, sometimes it can be the king himself who is this person, but if not, he still wants everyone to believe that… which is why you can’t see who it really is,” Kane straightened back up before raising his hand out over the map and all of the wooden pieces displayed on top of it. “The Targaryens could see this because they could see it from above, not only because of the fact that they could fly but also because they had their dreamers… The Dragon Dreamers could see anything if trained correctly, and the Targaryens would have ruled even today if they’d just listened to these dreamers… but they didn’t, so they lost their eyes, so to say. Though… I believe the Starks might have one of their own… one even more powerful than either of the Targaryen ones… and Leehan made sure to send him as far away from the troubles of the North that he could…” Kane lowered his hand and walked behind two of the lords so he could reach the other end of the map of Westeros before placing his palm down over the bottom of it. “Dorne…” He said. “And what better place is there to hide the golden son than in Dorne, where everything shines and glimmers, and among other dragon descendants… but… what happens if you take out all other lights and leave a kingdom dark… The golden fire still burns on… and a fire is easily spotted in the dark…” As he said the last part, Kane pushed all of the wooden pieces that represented his and the lords around him armies down toward where Dorne was on the map, surrounding the city of Sunspear.

“You mean to attack Dorne…? But, my king… The Martells aren’t an active threat…”

“No… but they hold the key to the North, the key to end the blood of the dragon once and for all!” Kane said. “They called Jake Stark ‘The Last Dragon,’ but I think that his grandson, Hunter, is actually the last one… and so if we kill him, nothing would stand in our way of finally taking not just the North, but all of Westeros!”

- - - -

“How did you manage to do this four times…?” Sumin sighed as he sat down. His stomach had gotten so big that it was in the way of basically everything, and he was tired all the time. Leehan let out a small laugh before handing his son a cup filled with water. Sumin took it and drank a few sips before placing it down on the table beside him.

“Believe it or not, but neither of you was actually that annoying until after you were born, not even the triplets,” Leehan laughed.

“Very funny…” Sumin sighed, but he still smiled a little at his father’s joking. “Where’s Jinsik?”

“With his dad, I think. He didn’t want to wake you up earlier, so I told him to go see Gyuvin and see if he could be of any help until you woke up, but I can send for him now if you want,” Leehan said, and Sumin nodded slowly.

“Yeah, thank you,” Leehan gestured for one of the guards to go get Jinsik before heading toward the door himself. “Father…” Sumin’s voice made him stop, however, and turn back to face his son.

“Yes, sweety?”

“I want you to be there when the baby comes… I don’t really trust the new maester to know what to do compared to you, who’s had six children yourself…” Sumin said. This prompted Leehan to walk back over to him and place a kiss on top of his head.

“Of course, I’ll be there, sweety, but this new maester is a good one. Your dad had a really thorough check done on him before he even entered the castle, and he’s helped deliver babies before, so he knows what he’s doing,” Leehan assured Sumin.

“Okay… I… I’m just… I’m just a little scared… what if my baby doesn’t survive…? Our family hasn’t had any problems with having children for many years now and considering that it occasionally happened to the Targaryens, it’s bound to happen to us as well, right…?” Sumin asked, and Leehan felt his heart clench.

“It’ll be fine, sweety! We’re not the Targaryens, and just because something happened to them doesn’t mean it has to happen to us… I highly doubt we inherited all of the things the Targaryens had. Remember, we don’t just have Targaryen blood; we have the Starks, Tyrells, free folk, and even commoners’ blood in our veins, too! We’re actually less Targaryen than the Martells because we have more of other’s blood in our veins, and they have mostly Targaryen, Martell, and Baratheon in theirs,” Leehan said.

“Baratheon?” Sumin raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah, from Jongseob’s dad, Intak Baratheon, the brother of Wonbin and Anton Baratheon, and son of Shotaro Baratheon and Sungchan Targaryen, and that is where they have most of their Targaryen blood from as well,” Leehan explained.

“Yeah, right… I forgot about that,” Sumin let out a chuckle. “What about Wonbin’s sons then? Well, I know that Keeho died very young, but what happened to Soul after the war? And do they have more Targaryen blood than we do, too?”

“No one really knows what happened to Soul,” Leehan answered. “Most believe he must have died during the battle or grown up not knowing who he really was… but if he did actually survive, his bloodline, the Baratheon bloodline, would be more Targaryen than we are as well, maybe even more so than the Martells as well…”

Chapter Text

Yujun had just come back from another seemingly pointless mission of tracking down some bad man for the Faceless Men to deal with for whatever the Many-Faced God had been paid from the person the bad man had wronged. Yujun entered the big hall with the pool of dark water in the middle, only to find it surprisingly empty. He didn’t see Ayden anywhere, nor were there any other Faceless Men in there, apart from the old woman, and she was standing with her back facing Yujun.

“A boy is done,” Yujun said, tossing the bloodied knife to the side, adding to the quite bizarre pile of weapons that needed cleaning. The woman didn’t answer him, prompting Yujun to walk up beside her. He looked over at her as she moved her hands slowly, seemingly polishing or perhaps cleaning another knife, or maybe a dagger… Yujun still didn’t really know the difference, nor did he really care.

“A boy has done a good job. The Many-Faced God is impressed,” The woman finally said, looking over at Yujun with her old yet creepy eyes.

“A boy only wishes to serve,” Yujun answered while placing his hands behind his back to assume a more upright and proper standing position.

“That’s good… because the Many-Faced God has something big planned for a boy… one final thing to show that he can truly leave Prince Yujun Stark behind and become no one,” The woman said while turning so she was fully facing Yujun.

“A boy is ready,” Yujun said, reaching out one of his hands as the woman handed him the dagger she’d been holding.

“You only have one shot; if you miss it, you’ll never be able to succeed in becoming no one…” The woman said, and that made Yujun tense up a little.

“I won’t!” Yujun assured her, but the eerie smirk present on her lips sent chills down his spine.

“Good,” She answered before gesturing for Yujun to follow her. They walked to a part of the House of Black and White that Yujun hadn’t been in before and then out onto a balcony with a staircase leading down into the streets, which disappeared into the more luxurious parts of the city. “The Faceless Men most work here, in Braavos, but some do venture outside the city, though it is rare. What is even rarer, however, is when one of our targets travels here, unbeknownst to the fate waiting for them once they enter the city…” The woman said.

“Time is valuable to the Many-Faced God, so just tell me what I’m supposed to do, and I’ll do it…” Yujun said, growing slightly tired of the woman’s nonsense-talking. Her smirk grew even wider upon hearing Yujun’s words, and she once again turned to face him fully.

“The Many-Faced God was promised the name of a prince quite a while ago, and he has not yet been paid what he was promised, so it is now up to you to do it… and… I do believe whatever part of you that’s still Yujun Stark will surely find some joy in doing this as well… because the one whose name the Many-Faced God was promised is MU Baratheon, son of Soul Baratheon, and grandson of the kinslayer named Eunseok Dayne… and that it the man who murdered Yujun Stark’s grandfather, which I think you already know…” There was quite a lot for Yujun to take in at that moment, one thing being that he was expected to kill Ayden’s brother… another was why the hell Ayden’s brother was even in Braavos. A third being Yujun’s own worry over what the woman meant by the last part… the part where she said Yujun probably already knew about Eunseok killing Sunghoon, but it was the way she said it… like she knew Ayden had been the one who told him and not something Yujun knew before he even came here, but he pushed that thought to the side so as not to blow his cover.

“MU Baratheon… he’s here, in Braavos?” Yujun questioned, hoping the woman would take his somewhat changed tone as finally having a shot at killing someone related to the person who murdered his grandfather and not as anticipation over the very same thing…

“He will arrive here on the morrow, and by that day’s end, the Many-Faced God expects his promise to be paid…” The woman said, and with that, she left and went back into the building. Yujun eyed the dagger in his hands for a few seconds, making sure the woman had actually left before going back inside himself. He needed to find Ayden! Because there was no way in hell that he would murder his brother… regardless of whatever thing that had happened in the past…

- - - -

“Come on, love, you can do it!” Jinsik squeezed Sumin’s hand in his own, but the elder just shook his head with a pained expression on his face. It was long into the night, and Jinsik and Sumin’s baby seemingly just refused to come, leaving the latter in immense pain that didn’t let up… Leehan was there, sitting on the opposite side of the bed, just like he’d promised Sumin he’d do. Still, neither he nor the new maester seemed to know what to do other than wait either… It hurt Leehan beyond anything else to watch his own son suffer like this, knowing the pain he went through but also remembering the fear Sumin had expressed only days prior, the fear of something going wrong and the baby not making it…

“Come on, my prince, you just need to push! You can do this!” One of the midwives said. She was the one sitting at the end of the bed beside the new maester, and she had actually been the one to help Leehan when Sumin himself was born, so the woman certainly knew what she was doing.

“No…” Sumin whimpered, clenching the sheets below him in one hand and Jinsik’s hand in the other. “I don’t… I can’t… it just hurts!”

“Yes, you can, sweety! You can do this; I know you can!” Leehan tried to encourage his son, but the latter still just shook his head while letting out a few more whimpers. Leehan looked up at Jinsik, but the younger just kept his worried eyes on Sumin, so Leehan turned his head toward the maester and the midwives. They all looked rather unsure, which wasn’t good, but then again, he remembered that those who’d been there when Leehan himself had his sons had also looked somewhat worried.

“Your Grace, may I have a word…?” The maester suddenly asked while slowly stepping away from the bed. Leehan raised an eyebrow at the man, but he just got an unreadable facial expression in return, prompting him to stand up and walk around the bed.

“What is it?” Leehan asked quietly so as not to stress either Sumin or Jinsik right now.

“I’m afraid there’s something wrong, Your Grace… the baby won’t come… and if we wait much longer, we might lose it…” The maester answered. Leehan knew the man was very good at what he was doing, as Taesan had made sure he was before even letting him enter the castle, so with the old man now telling him that something was wrong with either Sumin or the baby worried Leehan way more than he would have ever wanted…

“What are you suggesting then?” Leehan asked, somewhat irritated… He had a bad feeling about what the maester was going to suggest, as it was something he knew had been done before, just not as common as one might think… as it was brutal and straight-up barbaric…

“We could try to remove the baby by way of the blade, but I cannot promise that it would live…” The maester said slowly.

“No… That’s just… no…!” Leehan answered. “My boy is strong! He can do this!” He added before turning back around to go back to the bedside, but the maester stopped him.

“If we don’t try, we might lose them both…” He said.

“Isn’t there any way to make sure they both live…? What if we wait? Could that at least mean Sumin survives?” Leehan still spoke very quietly, but he saw, judging by Jinsik clenching his jaw, that the latter still had heard him…

“I cannot make such a promise, Your Grace… I’m sorry…” The maester sighed. “All I can say is that waiting more than we already have might only cause him more pain, and we’ll most surely lose the baby…” Leehan bit his lip, suppressing the sob that was trying to escape, and he had to look away for a few seconds just to compose himself again.

“Bring Taesan here…” He said after a while, voice trembling slightly, and this was something even Sumin seemed to have picked up on.

“Father…?” He whimpered, prompting Leehan to turn back around and hurry over to his son on the bed.

“I’m here, sweety, I’m here,” He assured Sumin, reaching out to hold the younger’s free hand and leaning over his side to place a kiss on top of his head. “Dad will be here soon, too… so don’t worry, sweety…” Leehan wasn’t sure if Sumin himself had caught on to what was happening, but Jinsik seemed to have, as when he met Leehan’s eyes, he could no longer hold back his tears… He didn’t say anything and instead brought Sumin’s other hand, which he was still holding, and pressed it against his lips. A few more agonizing minutes went by before the door to the room was opened, revealing Taesan, who looked somewhat concerned. He rushed over to stand beside Leehan and gently placed the back of his hand on Sumin’s forehead before kneeling down so he was at eye level with his son.

“Hey, sweety…” Taesan said, gently moving his hand to stroke Sumin’s cheek. “You’re gonna be fine, okay? You can do this!” Sumin gave Taesan a weak smile while nodding slowly, but then his face scrunched up in pain once again… He squirmed away from Taesan and Leehan, probably involuntarily, but it still prompted them both to back away slightly, and a midwife soon took their place while Jinsik remained where he was. The scream Sumin let out afterward made Taesan visibly flinch, and Leehan had to grab hold of his hand to stop him from basically pushing the midwife out of the way.

“Let them help him…” Leehan whispered, but Taesan seemed reluctant to even listen to his husband. Eventually, he did, though he still didn’t relax…

“Come on, push!” Both the maester and the midwives yelled, urging Sumin to keep going, but still to no avail… There was just more blood, its deep red color painting the white sheets horribly… “Push! Push!” Sumin only screamed even louder, and hearing his son sounding so pained made Taesan turn away and bury his face in Leehan’s shoulder, seemingly trying to block it all out…

“No… no! It hurts!” Sumin cried, trying to shove the maester and midwives away while squirming higher up on the bed. Jinsik didn’t know what he was supposed to do or if he could even do anything, so he just remained where he was, holding Sumin’s hand. Though unbeknownst to him, Sumin actually appreciated it since he was pretty much the only one not telling him what to do or forcing him to keep going. He was just there for him. “Papa… Papa!” Sumin suddenly whimpered, prompting Leehan to let go of Taesan and actually push the midwife to the side himself, despite stopping Taesan from doing the exact same thing only moments ago. But he didn’t care right now… his baby needed him!

“Here, Sumin, I’m here! I’m not leaving, I promise!” Leehan said while sitting down beside his son on the bed. Sumin immediately leaned over so he was laying somewhat on his father’s lap, and then he just let Leehan wrap his arms around him.

“It hurts, papa…” Sumin whispered, prompting Leehan to squeeze his eyes closed tightly so he wouldn’t start crying uncontrollably.

“I know, sweety, I know…” Leehan held his son tighter in his arms as he felt Sumin tense up again. Judging by the maester’s facial expression, what was happening out of Leehan’s view couldn’t be good, but he wasn’t going to move away from Sumin now… not when he needed him to be there.

“I don’t want to die… please… I don’t, ah-!” Sumin said, being interrupted by his own pained scream once again. “I don’t want to die, papa…” He whispered, relaxing somewhat in Leehan’s lap, but it didn’t feel like that was a positive thing…

“You’ll be okay, sweety… It’ll all be over soon, I promise…” Leehan whispered into Sumin’s hair while gently running his hand up and down his son’s arm. “You’ll be okay…” Leehan was sure he wasn’t convincing anyone, least of all Sumin, but the younger still seemed to find some comfort in his father’s words because he finally relaxed, truly this time, and slowly laid his head down in Leehan’s lap. Leehan closed his eyes while leaning over Sumin as if to protect him from anything and everything while still holding him close. He wasn’t sure how much time had passed when he heard someone move on his side, most likely Jinsik, and Leehan heard the younger stand up and leave the bedside. Soon after, he heard quiet crying and what sounded like Ricky’s voice comforting Jinsik further away in the room, but Leehan still didn’t look up. He didn’t even move… not even when he felt Taesan wrap his arms around him.

“I’m sorry, our brave little boy…” Leehan heard Taesan murmur. Then he felt him move his hand to place it on their son’s stomach. “I’m sorry we couldn’t help you…”

Chapter Text

Leehan watched the orange flames reach high up in the morning sky… On the burning pyre below lay not only his son but his stillborn grandson as well. Neither Sumin nor his baby had survived the night, and there had been nothing neither Leehan nor Taesan could have done to change that outcome… The only solace Leehan could find was that his son had died in his arms, where he’d felt safe, and not in a foreign castle or alone in the cold snow as his oldest two had. Taesan had not left Leehan’s side all night, and while the younger had remained standing where he now was, Taesan had walked up to light the pyre a few minutes earlier but was only now returning to stand beside his husband.

“The gods are punishing us…” Taesan murmured. He kept his eyes on the burning pyre, but Leehan knew he was talking to him. “They’re punishing me for thinking I could be better than them… because I fought to get what I wanted… and not what I was meant to have…”

“And what would that have been?” Leehan questioned quietly. He was absolutely not in the mood to argue with his brother, but he wasn’t going to just let Taesan blame himself for everything either… gods or no gods, what had happened to Minseo, Minjae, and now Sumin wasn’t just Taesan’s fault… There will always be things in this world that were out of everyone’s hands, even a king’s… “We’re the closest thing there is to what the Targaryens were, so marrying to keep the bloodline pure isn’t something the gods would punish us for! None of the things you have done come anywhere close to receiving such punishment as this, Taesan! If the gods punished someone for every bad thing they did, every person they killed, or every oath they broke, there would be no more people in the world to live!”

“It still feels like a punishment… one that might have been avoided if I hadn’t been so greedy for power or for what I saw as rightfully mine…” Taesan answered, voice equally as quiet.

“Being born to one day rule a kingdom is no easy thing… it has never been, and it probably never will…” Leehan said.

“Father did it well enough…” Taesan pointed out.

“Our father wasn’t born to become a king…” Leehan sighed. “His own father was no more than the Warden of the North when he was born; it was Sunwoo Targaryen who was the king back then, the only king! And he never had any children…”

“And when he named Wonbin Baratheon as his heir in the absence of children of his own, the world went to hell…” Taesan huffed. “And now all who follow pay the price for it,” Taesan eventually left the burning pyre, leaving Leehan to stand alone. Though there were still others standing behind him, a bit further away from the pyre, and among them were Baekseung, Keum, and Woonhak, who’d all only recently returned to Winterfell, Gyuvin, Ricky, and Jinsik, and even Doyoung. However, the knight did leave to follow the king back inside the castle.

“What happens now…?” Ricky whispered. He glanced over at Jinsik, but the boy seemed too caught up in his own pain and sorrow to notice his father talking, which was actually a relief. Gyuvin took a deep breath before looking between his husband and the now oldest Stark prince, Baekseung.

“Taesan will have to name Baekseung as his heir, meaning that Jaeho is now in line to inherit the North one day…” Gyuvin answered. He was well aware of the fact that they, House Umber, had now lost their position as a future part of the royal bloodline, but he wasn’t one to grasp for either power or grumble over what they’d lost. His son was grieving the loss of his husband, and even Ricky and Gyuvin himself would dearly miss the young prince as he’d been a big part of their lives ever since he’d been born. But as the Hand of the King, Gyuvin knew he needed to make sure Taesan named Baekseung as his heir sooner rather than later to ensure the continuance of House Stark’s reign over the North, even if that meant basically stripping Jinsik of his future title as King Consort and hand that over to Keum.

“And what of our own son…?” Ricky asked.

“Without Sumin, Jinsik has no claim to anything House Stark possesses-“

“That’s not what I meant!” Ricky interrupted him, somewhat in disbelief that Gyuvin had even thought he’d only cared about their own position in the kingdom. “Our son just lost the love of his life, and all you think he and I came about is what position in Taesan’s court we’ll have!?”

“No, Ricky… I’m sorry, I just…” Gyuvin sighed.

“What I meant was, what are we going to do for Jinsik now? We can’t just expect him to move on and marry someone else just like that!” Ricky exclaimed.

“We’re not… we’ll let him that the time he needs, and then he’ll be free to do whatever he wants…” Gyuvin answered.

“Even if that means the end of your house?” Ricky turned to look at his husband, and Gyuvin pressed his lips into a thin line before answering.

“Even then…”

- - - -

“Ayden? Ayden!?” Yujun whisper-yelled as he made his way through the halls of the House of Black and White. He passed a few people along the way, but commoners and Faceless Men, but he made sure not to call out Ayden’s name when either of them was within earshot. He made his way to the bed chambers, by which he realized he actually didn’t even know which one was Ayden’s… and it wasn’t like he could go and knock on every single one to find the blond. But he knew he had to find him sooner rather than later since the woman expected him to fulfill his task as soon as possible, meaning he had a very limited amount of time to find Ayden if he wished to do something other than just straight up murder his brother…

“A boy was given a task… shouldn’t he be fulfilling the Many-Faced God’s wishes?” Yujun halted his steps and turned around to find one of the Faceless Men standing behind him. He recognized the man from his time here in Braavos, though this was the first time he’d spoken to Yujun or Yujun to him.

“A boy will mind his own business, so a man should mind his!” Yujun hissed, trying to sound as neutral as possible, but he knew that it was hard to lie to any of these people as they were trained and highly skilled in reading people and their true intentions.

“A boy should be on his way already and not stand here, wasting time…” The man said, his eyes watching Yujun intensively…

“Like I said… Mind your own business, so will I do the same!” Yujun turned his back to the man and continued down the hallway, and he only turned his head to look back once he reached the end of it, but once he did, the man was no longer standing where he’d been earlier, which Yujun was actually relieved to see. He didn’t have the energy to argue with anyone right now, and he just wanted to find Ayden. And it seemed as though luck was on his side for once because just as he was about to start walking again, Ayden turned the corner, entering this hallway, and almost walked straight into Yujun.

“Oh! Yujun,” Ayden said, halting his steps just before crashing into the taller.

“We need to leave!” Yujun exclaimed as soon as he realized it was Ayden who’d spoken, but the blond just raised an eyebrow at him.

“What? Why…?” He questioned, looking even more surprised when Yujun grabbed his arm and started pulling him along with him back down the hallway. “Hey, Yujun… what’s happened?”

“Your brother is here! In Braavos! And the Many-Faced God wants me to kill him!” Yujun exclaimed.

“That… that can’t be… Why would he be here?” Ayden questioned after a few seconds of complete silence. He blinked confusedly a few times before shaking his head as if to clear his mind.

“I don’t know, but apparently he is! And I am not going to murder your brother, so we need to leave!” Yujun said, pulling Ayden with him once again, but this time, the blond stood his ground.

“No…” Ayden murmured. “We can’t… It’s not…”

“Didn’t you hear me? I’m not killing your brother! That’s just absurd!”

“It’s your final test… you have to…” Ayden said, though his eyes looked more sad than Yujun had ever seen them before. “They’ll kill you if you don’t…”

“Which is why we’re leaving!” Yujun pointed out, tugging at Ayden’s arm even harder and successfully getting him to move again. Ayden didn’t say anything else, but it was as if Yujun could feel how tense and worried he was by merely holding his arm. He couldn’t really blame him, though… all this must be very difficult for Ayden… hearing about his brother after such a long time, hearing that Yujun was supposed to kill him, and then being told he had to leave the only life he’s known for the last few years of his life. But Yujun didn’t want to leave him behind… not with these people… and not when he’d finally gotten the other to open up to him and actually become more human again, and not just some silent assassin, which was basically what the Faceless Men were.

“Where would we even go…?” Ayden questioned while watching Yujun hurriedly throw some dried food into a small bag before grabbing two canteens filled with water.

“I don’t know… but as long as it’s not here, wherever is fine with me!” Yujun answered. He handed one of the canteens to Ayden before walking across the room and picking up a rather small knife, but the knife was still a knife, and it could be useful if they ran into trouble on the way. Ayden didn’t do much else but watch Yujun run around, but once the younger was done gathering what he deemed necessary, Ayden did let himself be dragged back out of the room again and down the hallway leading toward the set of doors, one black and the other white. Yujun was just about to reach out his hand to grab the handle of the white door when a voice from behind them made him halt his movement…

“A boy was given a task, but now he’s leaving?” Both Yujun and Ayden tensed up as they recognized the voice as that of the old woman. It prompted them both to slowly turn back around only to find her and four other Faceless Men standing behind her.

“A boy is on his way…” Yujun answered, not leaving any room for doubt as he spoke, but deep down, he already knew the woman had figured his true intentions out…

“Yujun…” Ayden whispered, lightly tugging at the taller’s sleeve, prompting him to glance down at Ayden before following the blond’s eyes back up to where the four Faceless Men stood, and only then did he notice that they were all holding some sort of weapon in their hands.

“A boy has lied to the Many-Faced God…” The woman said, prompting Yujun to look at her again. “The Many-faced God was promised a name. He must always receive what is his. You can't change that. I can't change that. No one can! And now… he has been promised another name…” As soon as the woman stopped talking, the four Faceless Men began to slowly move toward Yujun and Ayden, seemingly trying to block them from leaving, but before they could reach them, Yujun swiftly turned around and pushed both huge doors behind them open.

“Run!” Was all he yelled, and so they did…

Chapter Text

The last time Baekseung saw his parents’ direwolves, Kalea and Fury, the two were both up and running despite their rather old age. But now they were just lying next to the weirwood tree out in the Godswood, barely even looking up to see who walked by. Being king was something every little boy must have thought of at least once in their life, Baekseung included, but as he’d grown up into the man he now was, he’d come to terms with the fact that he’d actually never be, being fourth in line and all that… But now, as his three older brothers were all gone, the burden, as he now viewed it, would probably be his to carry one day… and it was far from as exciting as it had been when he was but a little boy.

“You could always say no, you know…” Keum’s voice came from behind. It was as if the elder knew what Baekseung had been thinking about, but then again, it was quite clear to them both that the topic of Taesan naming Baekseung as his new heir would happen sooner rather than later, and Keum knew how Baekseung’s thoughts about the matter had changed drastically over the years.

“You know as well as I do that I can’t…” Baekseung answered, and it was true. With Yujun off somewhere in the world and Hunter being the future King Consort in Dorne, Taesan and Leehan had no other children apart from Baekseung himself, who could inherit the North after them. “And I don’t want to disappoint my parents again by refusing to do what is expected of me…” He added.

“I’m not one for believing in the gods punishing us or throwing curses left and right, but it still seems to me that being named the crown prince of the North is a rather dangerous position… even more so than the one you’re already in…” Keum pointed out.

“Well… I doubt I’d be allowed to leave Winterfell any time soon, and I won’t be dying the same way Sumin did, so I guess that staying here is probably the safest option regardless of my royal title,” Baekseung answered. Moments after he did, he felt something soft nudge against his leg, prompting him to look down and see Fury gently nudge him again. Baekseung crouched down to pet the black direwolf a few times, and for once, Fury actually accepted anyone other than Taesan being so close to him. Kalea remained lying still a few feet away, but she watched Baekseung and Fury with one of her eyes, almost as if to make sure Fury behaved.

“It’s not like we have anywhere else to go either way, so I guess staying here is fine,” Keum said as he took the last few steps forward, closing the final distance between himself and Baekseung. He crouched down beside the younger, though he did not tempt fate and pet the direwolf like Baekseung had; instead, he leaned his head against his husband’s shoulder. “You may not have been born to become king, but I think that, when the day comes, you’ll still be a good one… and if not, I’ll be there to make sure you will,” At this, Baekseung let out a small chuckle before turning his head so he could kiss Keum.

“Let’s just hope I’m an old man when that time comes… I don’t think I would be able to rule over anyone or anything right now…” He sighed, carefully running his hand over Fury’s black fur again.

- - - -

“You really think it worked this time?” Seeun asked while running his hand over Hunter’s bare stomach.

“I hope so,” The younger smiled, sitting up slightly so he could lean on his elbows. “The maester said it might be a bit more difficult after drinking that moon tea, but I think enough time has passed since then, and if not, we could always try again later,” Seeun laughed a little at Hunter’s remark before leaning over him to kiss him on the lips, prompting the younger to lay back down on the bed again.

“It’s good to see you happy again,” Seeun said once they pulled apart. He slumped back down beside Hunter but turned his head so he could still see him.

“I do feel happier, but I still worry for my brothers and parents,” Hunter answered. He had been really down for a long time after learning of Minjae’s death, but now, for the last couple of months, he’s been starting to feel better again. And his visions had seemed to stop haunting him, at least for now… However, the thing that kept coming back to mind was what Taemin had told him, that he was meant for something more… something the silver-eyed man apparently couldn’t tell him because if he did, it wouldn’t happen… Hunter had had a hard time letting go of that and the fact that he wasn’t really able to do anything to help his family, not that they really seemed to need it anymore as news of Taesan’s regained control over the North had spread all the way down to Sunspear.

“Father promised he’d send soldiers to aid your family if needed, but it seems like your dad has done a pretty good job himself so far,” Seeun said.

“Yeah, he actually has,” Hunter chuckled. “But I still worry for Yujun…” He added, voice turning much sadder. “No one’s heard from him for over half a year, and we don’t even know where he went… only that he did it to get away from our parents… and from me…”

“I’m sure he’s okay. From what I know, he can take care of himself pretty well,” Seeun said, recalling the memory of when he first met the two Stark brothers all the way back in King’s Landing and when Yujun had stepped in between him and Hunter to protect his brother from a complete stranger, which was what Seeun had been to them back then. “Though, I doubt it was you he was running away from… I know he’s not very fond of me, but he cares about you! A lot! And if I were to guess, I think he’ll return once he’s ready,” Seeun’s words made Hunter smile faintly, but he still wasn’t entirely sure… Between everything that had happened since Yujun left and now, with their brother’s death, the insecurity in the North, and Hunter’s multiple visions, he’d not once seen or heard anything about Yujun… not by raven, not in his visions, nothing…! And even though Hunter still wasn’t fully certain of how his own mind worked, he knew that complete silence was never really good…

- - - -

“Fuck!” Yujun snarled as the sharp blade made a cut across his shoulder. It wasn’t deep, but it still stung, and it was deep enough to draw blood, which was now slowly running down his arm as he fended off the Faceless Man who’d swung his sword at him. He could hear Ayden fight off another one of the Faceless Men a few feet behind him, and so far, neither of them had been severely hurt, which was actually rather surprising since their attackers used sharp weapons, and all they had were a small dagger and a wooden stick each. They’d managed to get quite a bit away from the House of Black and White before the Faceless Men caught up with them, but they seemed to know these streets better than Yujun and Ayden, so they’d managed to surround them in some sort of ally, which was where they now were.

“We need to get out of this place, or they’ll kill us!” Ayden murmured after managing to push back the man he’d been fighting. Yujun had used his dagger to finally strike down the man who’d cut him, which meant their attackers were now only three instead of four. “The easiest way might be to kick down one of those doors, but if not, it would just mean we wasted time and energy on something useless…” He added, prompting Yujun to glance to the side, where there were, in fact, two wooden doors.

“What choice do we have…?” Yujun murmured back, eyes going back to the three men standing before them. Neither of them was actively trying to strike them right now, but it was only a matter of time before they would… So Yujun made the split-second decision to bolt to the side, throw himself with full force against one of the doors, which did swing open, and manage to balance himself just in time not to fall over. “Come on!” He yelled, waiting for Ayden to slip past him before following the blond inside. The building was dark, not having a single candle or torch lit, and only the daylight seeping in through the bolted-up windows made it so that the two could see where they were going.

“Here!” Ayden shouted, pointing toward what looked to be another door, hopefully, one leading back outside and away from the men following them, but as they made their way into that room, they soon realized that the door only led to some sort of storage room, meaning they’d reached a dead-end… “No… no… shit!” Ayden said, turning back around while lifting the stick he was holding higher up in the air. The three men soon entered the room, blocking their only way out… Yujun gripped his own stick a little tighter before taking a step forward, putting himself in between the three men and Ayden, but unsurprisingly, Ayden followed him, standing beside him and not backing down.

“I’m sorry I dragged you into this…” Yujun whispered, keeping his eyes on the men.

“It was about time I got out of there…” Ayden answered. “Though, I’m not giving up just yet… we made it this far, right?” Yujun was unsure if the blond was just trying to sound positive or if he actually thought they could do this, but it didn’t really matter, and when the first of the three men made a move toward Yujun, there was nothing else to do but strike back!

- - - -

The Hall of Faces lay silent when the old woman entered. She made her way over to one of the pillars with the faces on them, following a trail of blood drops on the cold, hard stone floor, only to find the once-empty spaces now filled with not one but four bloody faces. They’d all been cut off with precision, just like the Faceless Men were taught to do, but these faces were not of some commoner or someone whose name had been promised to the Many-Faced God… no… these were the four faces of the men she’d sent after Yujun and Ayden…

“You wanted that to be my face… didn’t you? Cut off and placed on the wall for your Faceless Men to use… but we can’t get everything we want, now can we?” The woman smiled faintly before slowly turning around to face Yujun. He stood with his dagger pointed at the woman, arm still bloody from the cut and a few more added all over his body, neither being life-threatening, though.

“I did…” The woman answered, eyes momentarily flickering up over Yujun’s shoulder to meet Ayden’s eyes. He stood a few feet behind Yujun, holding one of the Faceless Men’s swords in his right hand while the left was placed over his right upper arm, seemingly covering a bleeding wound. The woman doubted his wound was life-threatening either, but it looked to be worse than the ones Yujun had sustained at least. “And yet here you stand… and there their faces are…” She took one step forward, prompting Yujun to extend his arm, still pointing the dagger in her direction. “Finally, a boy is no one…” She said, seemingly unbothered by the sharp blade pointed at her.

“A boy is Yujun Stark of Winterfell…” Yujun answered her. “And I am going home!” The old woman tilted her head up slightly before giving Yujun a barely noticeable nod with her head, but that was all Yujun really needed. He stared at her for a couple of more seconds before turning on his heels and walking away. Ayden eyed the women one last time as well before following Yujun, leaving the Hall of Faces and the House of Black and White for the last time…

Chapter Text

“Shouldn’t we leave as quickly as we can? What if she changes her mind?” Ayden asked as Yujun made no move to stand up from the dock they were on.

“She won’t…” He answered, fiddling with the dagger in his hands before finally putting it away. “Don’t you want us to go look for your brother before we leave? Maybe he’s looking for you, and that’s why he came here?”

“No… I never told anyone where I was going when I left, mostly because I wasn’t sure myself, but there’s still no way he would have come here looking for me. He’s probably just traveling through… if it is even him, which I also highly doubt…” Ayden answered. Yujun stood up from the dock and turned to look at the blond.

“Let’s find out then,” Yujun said, giving Ayden a small smile. “Just promise you won’t freak out, okay?” He added, prompting Ayden to raise an eyebrow at him.

“Why would I freak out?” He asked, but Yujun just let out a small chuckle before letting his eyes roll back into his head, leaving only the whites showing. Soon after, a rather colorful bird cawed while sweeping down over their heads just long enough for Ayden to see its equally as white eyes before it flew out over the city of Braavos. “You can warg?!” Ayden exclaimed a few seconds later, knowing fully well that Yujun couldn’t really respond verbally at this stage, but he figured the younger could still hear him, which he could. But while Yujun searched the city of Braavos from above, Ayden decided to just sit down for a while and check on the wound on his upper arm.

- - - -

“Your Grace!” Taesan looked up from his two grandsons, whom he’d been playing with, to keep his mind off all the painful things that had happened lately. Leehan also looked up from the book in his hands as the guard interrupted the previously rather silent chamber. “I beg your pardon, Your Grace, but there’s a man down in the great hall asking for you… and he said it was urgent,” Taesan let out a sigh at the rather young knight, who was probably scared that Taesan would snap at him or something, but instead, Taesan just stood up, glancing over at Leehan briefly before following the young guard out of the room. Leehan placed down his book before walking over to Yewang and Jaeho.

“Come on, boys, let’s get you back to your room,” He said, picking up Jaeho and taking Yewang’s tiny hand in his own before slowly walking toward the door so the little boy could keep up. Two female workers took the boys from Leehan once he reached the boys’ room, and he quietly thanked them before walking back down the hallway. He wasn’t sure why, but he just had a feeling that he needed to join Taesan in the great hall to find out who’d come here in such a hurry. So he made his way through the castle, but before he reached the doors to the great hall, he was stopped by another of their guards.

“Your Grace, there’s been a raven… From Vulture's Roost in the Dornish Marches,” The guard said, handing Leehan the tiny paper roll that was the letter.

“Hunter?” Leehan questioned, briefly looking up at the guard before looking down again in order to break the vax sigil on the roll so he could read the letter.

“It did not bear the Martells’ sigil nor your son’s, so I’m not so sure it’s from the prince…” The guard answered, but Leehan wasn’t really paying him any mind anymore as he’d now gotten the letter open and began reading it.

“Armies…? In the Prince’s Pass?” Leehan mumbled to himself while reading. Why were there armies marching through there? And why would anyone send that information here? To Winterfell of all places… Shouldn’t that concern Sunspear more than… fuck! It hit Leehan much slower than he would like to admit, but the realization that whoever had sent this knew that these armies were marching into Dorne with ill intent, and that meant Hunter was in danger! “Was this all that came?” Leehan questioned, looking up at the guard again, but the man just nodded. So Leehan stormed past him and pushed open the two huge doors to the great hall, finally reaching his intended location, but he froze almost as soon as the doors opened. “Sungho…?”

“Leehan…” The former knight answered, giving the younger a faint smile before looking back toward Taesan, who was standing a bit further into the hall.

“Wha… what are you…?” There were so many things going through Leehan’s head right now, but he couldn’t really bring himself to really get any of it out, so he just ended up staying silent after his little stutter…

“I’m sorry for just turning up like this, but while my brother was here, attending your small council, I took it upon myself to strengthen the southern border between the North and the Riverlands, and while there, we ran into someone I figure you’d both would like to see…” Sungho said. Before either Taesan or Leehan could question what he meant, a couple of soldiers entered the hall from behind Leehan, dragging an older man by the arms between them before throwing him down on the floor in front of Taesan.

“Lord Dustin, Your Grace,” One of the soldiers said, giving Taesan a bow before he and the other soldier took a few steps back, allowing Leehan to see the man kneeling on the floor as well. Leehan looked between the man, who was apparently Lord Dustin, on the floor and then up at Sungho before finally making eye contact with Taesan. Taesan looked equally as stunned as Leehan felt, but he pulled himself together quicker than Leehan did. He closed the distance between himself and the kneeling lord record fast, only to send the old man flying backward with a swift kick to the side of his face. Sungho took a step back in order not to be in the way when Taesan followed the lord as the latter struggled to crawl away from the king.

“You!” Taesan yelled. “You murdered my son!” Taesan kept kicking and hitting the man, who could do nothing but groan as every strike hit him, but all of them were well deserved considering what he’d done to Minjae…

“Dad? Father? What’s…” Baekseung’s concerned voice came from behind Leehan, prompting him to turn around and Taesan to momentarily look up. Baekseung had fallen silent as he noticed Sungho in the great hall, having not seen the former knight for such a long time, but then his eyes moved to his dad and the beaten old man on the floor. He seemed to make the connection faster than both Taesan and Leehan had as his face grew from confusion to pure anger within the span of a couple of seconds. “You monster!” Baekseung yelled, storming past Leehan and delivering an identical kick to Lord Dustin’s face as Taesan had done moments earlier. Leehan would have laughed at the striking resemblance between Taesan and Baekseung if it weren’t for the seriousness of the situation, so instead, he remained silent.

“I should get going…” Sungho said, prompting both Taesan and Leehan to look over at him while Baekseung basically took over beating the evil lord on the floor. “I only came to bring this man to justice, and so I’ll be leaving you to it-“

“No!” Leehan interrupted Sungho, making the former knight halt his steps and look over at his former love. “Please don’t go… We need you…” Leehan continued. “We just received a letter from Vulture's Roost in the Dornish Marches, and it tells of armies entering Dorne as we speak! I don’t know if the Martells know of this yet, but I won’t just leave this hanging and risk something happening to Hunter while we’re up here, miles away from him!”

“Who is marching on Dorne? And why would anyone march on Dorne? There’s nothing but sand and ruins in most parts there…” Taesan questioned.

“Does it matter who? Our son is there, and I frankly don’t care who these people are! All I care about is that Hunter might be in danger, and as I said, I’m not just going to wait until something happens or for the Martells to call for aid! We need to go there, or at least send someone who we trust-“

“I’ll go…” It was now Sungho who interrupted Leehan. “I once swore to serve you, but I broke that oath, and I regret that now… so let me do this! Let me go to Dorne and make sure Hunter is safe,” Leehan figured he should be saying something, thanking Sungho perhaps, but all he could bring himself to do was walk across the hall and wrap his arms around the elder. And to his surprise, Sungho hugged him back. They might have lingered a little too long, but once they pulled apart, neither Taesan, Baekseung, nor anyone else in the great hall mentioned it. Leehan wasn’t even sure Baekseung had seen him and Sungho hugging as the young man was still so focused on making Lord Dustin’s life a living hell, only stopping once Taesan gently placed his hand on his son’s shoulder.

“You won’t be going alone…” Taesan then said. “I’ll come with you! I’m done sitting here just watching as things are being done for me; I want to make sure no more of my children get hurt!” Leehan wanted to argue with his brother, but he knew that the elder was right, for once. He himself also wanted to make sure Hunter was okay, but at the same time, he needed to make sure Baekseung was as well. Because if Taesan were to leave Winterfell, either he or Baekseung would be in charge, and regardless of whom, Leehan needed to stay here.

“I don’t think it’s wise for you to go, Taesan… I could-“ Sungho tried to say, but Taesan had already made up his mind.

“We’ll leave at dawn!” The king said before walking past everyone and only momentarily stopping in the doorway to look back at Baekseung. “Baekseung,” Taesan called out, prompting the prince to look up at his dad. “As my oldest son and the heir to the North, Winterfell will be yours until I return, but listen to your father, and don’t make the same stupid mistakes I did at your age! And you’re not to leave Winterfell until I say so, understood?”

“Yes, I won’t disappoint you!” Baekseung assured Taesan, giving his dad a bow with his head before the king left the hall. Then Baekseung turned toward Leehan and Sungho. “If I may, father. Let me avenge my brother and put an end to this man’s life,” He said, gesturing toward Lord Dustin, who was still on the floor.

“Make him regret even thinking of betraying us!” Was all Leehan said before he and Sungho both followed Taesan out of the great hall. The guards stationed by the doors closed them behind the two, and as Leehan and Sungho walked away, they could hear Lord Dustin’s tortured screams echo in the great hall behind them…

Chapter Text

“I beg your pardon, my prince, but the king wishes to see you down in the gardens… both of you,” Both Seeun and Hunter looked up toward the guard standing in the doorway. The man had a somewhat worried yet unreadable facial expression, prompting the two to share a look before looking back at him again. Aianna stood beside him in her usual place, but she seemed equally as unaware of what this newly arrived guard was implying.

“What is it?” Seeun asked, standing up from his chair. He placed the small piece of wood he’d been carving down on the table while still keeping his eyes on the guard standing in the doorway. The piece of wood was meant to be either a dragon or a wolf. Seeun hadn’t really made up his mind on that part yet, but regardless, it was going to be a little toy for his and Hunter’s future child, which they’d recently learned that they were going to have by the end of the summer or early in the fall.

“Your father said it would be better if he got to explain the situation himself…” The guard answered, giving Seeun an apologetic bow with his head. Seeun let out a sigh before turning toward Hunter.

“I’ll be right back, okay?” He said, and Hunter nodded, but before he could even turn back around again, the guard spoke up.

“The king wished to speak with you both, my prince… so Prince Hunter will have to come with us as well…” The guard was only doing what he was told, but Hunter could still see the hint of fear in the man’s eyes that he would be the one to receive some sort of punishment for saying something Seeun didn’t like. And Seeun probably would have at least argued with the man if Hunter had stood up and placed a hand on his husband’s shoulder.

“Alright, we’re both coming,” He said, giving the guard a nod before pulling Seeun along with him. Seeun sighed again but didn’t protest and just followed Hunter and the guard down through the castle and out into the huge gardens just outside. Aianna followed closely behind them, keeping her distance but still making sure she was close enough in case something were to happen.

“Father? What’s happened?” Seeun questioned as soon as Jongseob came into view. The king was standing with his back turned toward them but within earshot, so he surely heard his son speak, though he remained silent until Seeun and Hunter got closer. “Father…?!” Seeun repeated, prompting Jongseob to turn around and face them finally.

“I’ve been thinking…” Jongseob said slowly, sounding somewhat uncertain of what even to say himself. “I think it would be good for you both if you left Sunspear for a while; sail to Arbor, the golden island on the southwestern-most part of Westeros. Seeun, you know where it is,” Jongseob said, and Seeun nodded slightly, still trying to figure out why his father had come up with this idea in the first place. “I myself have been in contact with Lady Redwyne, and she is more than happy to host you both in her castle for a while, just so you two can get some rest and not have to think of any of these past few months’ happenings…” It sounded, even to Hunter, like there was something Jongseob wasn’t telling them, like he was keeping part of his motivation as to why he wanted Seeun and Hunter to leave Sunspear out of his explanation… Seeun also seemed to catch on to this, but neither voiced their thoughts out loud.

“Will you not come with us?” Hunter asked, but Jongseob just shook his head.

“No, I’m needed here in Sunspear in case something else was to happen. And it’s better for the king to stay if we were to receive a call for aid from your parents, as I promised to provide such if need be,” Jongseob answered.

“As they did to you,” Seeun pointed out, taking a few steps closer to his father. “Father… is there something we should know? You don’t sound like yourself… and it’s not like you to suggest sending us somewhere where you can’t make sure we’re safe…” Jongseob remained silent for a few seconds, perhaps a little too long, but then he eventually reached his hand up and placed it on his son’s shoulder.

“There’s nothing for you to worry about, son. I only want you both to have some rest. Even if I myself won’t be able to look after you, I’ll send many of our men to do so for me. Aianna will come with you as well,” Jongseob answered, giving Seeun a small, assuring smile, which the Martell prince still didn’t really find very convincing… but he didn’t want to distrust his father either, so he chose to nod slowly instead. Seeun then gave Jongseob a smile as well before turning around and going back to where Hunter was standing. “You should leave as soon as possible; Lady Redwyne is awaiting your arrival within a fortnight,” Jongseob added, prompting both Seeun and Hunter to look at him again. “Pack what you need, and our guards will escort you down to the port once you’re ready,”

“Okay, father…” Seeun answered, eyes lingering on Jongseob for a little while longer, even after Hunter had started to walk back toward the castle with Aianna. Eventually, Seeun also tore his eyes away from the Martell king, but he still couldn’t really let go of the feeling that there was something else… something Jongseob seemingly refused to tell them…

- - - -

“Are you sure it’s him…?” Ayden asked, following Yujun as the latter rushed down the narrow street leading into the more established parts of the free city of Braavos.

“Yes, I’m sure! I doubt there could be that many other people with the same color of their hair as yours,” Yujun answered. While warging into the exotic bird, viewing the city from above, Yujun managed to spot a rather large group of people seemingly guarding a young man with blond, almost white hair riding through the city. They didn’t wear any kind of recognizable clothing or anything with any houses’ sigils on them, which was probably for the better since the Baratheon wasn’t the most loved people in the world, but the young man’s blond hair was telling enough for Yujun to know that he had to be Ayden’s brother. Who else could it possibly be?

“Perhaps we shouldn’t disturb them… Yujun… wait, please!” Ayden said, abruptly stopping walking, which prompted Yujun to do the same. ”I don’t think it’s wise to just show up out of nowhere… especially not in the company of a Stark prince, no offense, but our families don’t have the best history together…”

“I don’t need to go with you all the way,” Yujun answered. “I’ll just make sure you find him, and then you can talk to him on your own; there’s no need to mention that you know me, right?” Ayden knew the younger was just trying to be helpful, but what he didn’t seem to understand was that Ayden had left his family for a reason. He still viewed himself as a potential danger around his brother… especially now that the Faceless Men were sort of angry with them, too…

“Yujun… I don’t… I shouldn’t go to him… It’ll just cause him more harm than good if I did,” Ayden said. “There’s been such a long time since I left that he probably already thinks I’m dead, so I don’t see why I should just show up back in his life and throw it off its course…”

“Don’t you think he’d be happy to know that you’re alive? I think he would!” Yujun said. “Perhaps he’s even here to look for you; who knows? And I bet he’d-“

“Yujun! Just stop…” Ayden interrupted the younger, prompting him to shut up straight away and blink confusedly at Ayden. “I know you mean well, and I appreciate the effort you’ve put in to reunite me with my brother, but truthfully, I have no desire to… it’s not that I don’t want to see him, nor do I have anything against him, but I’m not the same person who left all those years ago… and I fear he’d just be disappointed thinking he’d get that person, his little brother, back, when in truth, he won’t…”

“If he truly loves you, he’d accept you regardless if you’re the same as you were when you left or not…” Yujun pointed out, but Ayden just let out a sigh.

“Please, Yujun, just let it go… He’s happy as it is, and so am I, okay?” Ayden walked up to Yujun and placed his hands on either side of the younger’s face. “Let’s just leave Braavos once and for all… We could go back to your brother in Dorne, or your parents in the North, or we could just go wherever we want… just not here…”

“Okay…” Yujun answered after a while, visibly relaxing and seemingly dropping the topic. But just then, there was the sound of people talking loudly coming from just around the corner of the building, prompting them both to back away from each other and look in that direction.

“Wait, Yujun…!” Ayden whisper-yelled as the younger jogged over to the corner of the building to peak around it. Ayden let out a small sigh before following Yujun to see for himself who’d interrupted them only to witness a large group of what looked to be soldiers riding past, and in the middle rode none other than his brother, MU… With hair as white-blond as his own, and beside him rode a man looking to be around the same age, but he had jet-black hair instead. They were followed by a wagon, which surprised Ayden by suddenly stopping, but so did all the soldiers and his brother. They were still too far away for Ayden to really hear what they were saying, but his brother did at least look rather happy. He was pleasantly surprised, however, when the door to the wagon opened, revealing two young boys with jet-black hair, just like the other man, and the two ran up to MU and hugged one leg each. The boys couldn’t be more than a few years old, but there was no doubt that the two were MU’s sons, Ayden’s nephews.

“He does look happy,” Yujun said, slightly startling Ayden despite speaking very quietly.

“He does,” Ayden replied, smiling a little as the two toddlers ran over to the other man, the one whose hair they matched with.

“You sure you don’t want to go over to him…?” Yujun questioned, turning so he could face Ayden a little better while still being able to see the others in the corner of his eye.

“I’m sure,” Ayden answered. “And now I know he’s happy and has a much better life than the one he faced before I left…” Yujun knew, or at least he liked to think he did, that it wasn’t by any means Ayden’s fault that he and his brother weren’t safe. Because, as Ayden had told him, people were trying to hurt them for what their grandfather did and not because of something related to them directly. But now it seemed as though Ayden was somewhat relieved to know that his brother was better off now than he’d been all those years ago, and Ayden himself was doing better as well, or at least Yujun hoped he did. He at least didn’t have to stay with the Faceless Men anymore, and it seemed as though he’d be even more happy once they left Braavos. So Yujun decided, there and then, that they would, indeed, leave the free city of Braavos and go back to Westeros, back to Yujun’s own family!

Chapter Text

A man hurried down the corridors of the Red Keep, heading for the throne room with quick steps. The two guards clad in white cloaks standing by the doors opened them for the man to enter, and once inside, he stopped briefly to catch his breath before looking around until his eyes landed on the king.

“Your Grace! There’s something you need to know!” The man said when he spotted the king further into the throne room.

“It better be important, or I’ll have to punish you for interrupting our meeting…” Kane Bolton said, eyeing the man with his sharp eyes.

“The Stark king, Taesan, has left Winterfell and is marching down toward the Riverlands as we speak!” The man said, and this actually piqued Kane’s interest, but he didn’t give the reaction the man had thought he would as he looked rather amused instead of worried or concerned. “I’m sorry, Your Grace, but he might be matching to intervene in our plans in Dorne…” The man said, thinking Kane had simply misunderstood him, but the king’s facial expression didn’t change, and he just kept smirking.

“He won’t be getting that far…” Kane eventually said, standing up from his chair and excusing himself from the meeting taking place in the throne room. He walked up to stand in front of the man who’d told him the news of Taesan’s movements and looked rather amused at said man’s quite visible fear. “Send for my Master of Wars and the Lord Commander; tell them it’s time to finish what the river lords started over two decades ago…”

- - - -

It took several more days to reach Arbor, the Golden Island as it was also called, and Hunter was more than done being stuck on a ship when they finally stopped land in sight. Neither Seeun nor himself got greensick on a ship, but being stuck in such a small area, swaying back and forth for days wasn’t exactly what either of them wanted.

“The Arbor, my prince,” Aianna announced as if Hunter hadn’t already seen the land starting to take shape in the distance, but he knew the guard was just doing her job and informing him of what she was supposed to do.

“Have you been here before?” Hunter asked, turning to look at his guard, who nodded her head.

“I spent quite a few years training on the Golden Island, my prince. They are said to have quite the army and armada, though they do not seem to want others to know that,” Aianna said.

“Why not? What’s the problem with having a good army and armada?” Hunter questioned.

“The lack of an army and an armada invites unwanted plundering and attacks, but so does a great one. Showing great strength invites a challenge, so the Redwynes are actually rather wise not to expose the power they actually have, which is also why so few have ever even heard of them before,” Aianna explained. Hunter nodded slowly before turning back to look out over the calm waters.

“Fair point,” He mumbled, though the thought struck him that if House Redwyne had managed to go under the radar for so long despite its apparent strength, how many other houses would have done the same…?

“Prince Seeun! Welcome to Arbor!” A rather old woman exclaimed as soon as Seeun and Hunter stepped off the ship. “I haven’t seen you since you were a baby, and now look at you!” She was very forward that much Hunter could tell, and she basically ran up to Seeun and gave him a hug, though Seeun looked rather stiff and like he didn’t really know what he was supposed to do. “Oh, I’m sorry! You probably don’t remember me, but I’m Lady Redwyne, and I helped raise your father after your grandparents both died,” The woman, Lady Redwyne, explained.

“Oh, okay…” Seeun said, still looking quite confused. He glanced over at Hunter, who had had to place his hand over his mouth in order not to laugh at his husband’s minor misery while being hugged by the old lady. But as soon as Seeun looked at him, so did Lady Redwyne, and then Hunter knew he was in for the same treatment as Seeun had just received.

“You must be Hunter!” Lady Redwyne exclaimed, hurrying over to Hunter and giving him a hug as well. “I’ve heard so much about you, and oh, what a lovely boy you are! I hear you take after your father, is that true? I’ve unfortunately never met him or your dad either, but I’ve heard much about them, too!”

“Uhm… yeah, no… I’m not sure I really take after either of them, if I’m being honest, apart from maybe having gotten their height…” Hunter answered, prompting Seeun to laugh a little this time, which earned him a displeased look from the younger.

“Oh, but you sure look beautiful, just like your father, I’ve heard!” Lady Redwyne insisted.

“I guess, yeah…” Hunter answered rather unsurely, but Lady Redwyne didn’t seem to notice or care; Hunter wasn’t really sure which. Not that it really seemed to matter, as she was already basically dragging them both toward the castle, presumably to show them around. Lady Redwyne managed to show them around basically the whole castle before they were told that the dinner was served. Then she made them join her for a rather extravagant dinner, which they didn’t complain about, but they were really tired when she eventually let them go to their assigned chambers.

“She’s definitely something,” Seeun laughed once the door had been closed behind them. Aianna had done a search through the room just to be sure before letting the two have their privacy, and she was now standing guard outside just like she did for them back in Sunspear.

“Yeah, she seems quite happy to have us here, at least,” Hunter answered. He walked across the beautifully decorated room before sitting down on the bed, which had lavish embroideries all over it, everything from small flowers to large wines and golden details. “I bet it can get quite lonely in such a distant part of the world,”

“This island is much larger than Dragonstone, Hunter, and I can assure you that there are way more people living here than it ever has on our ancestor’s island,” Seeun chuckled before joining the younger on the bed.

“They were all close, and most of them were family,” Hunter pointed out. “Lady Redwyne made no mention of any children or family of her own, so that’s why I think she might be quite lonely here despite the rest of the people living on this island,”

“I guess you’re right, and I think I have a vague memory of my father telling me that Lady Redwyne never actually had any children, though I do not know why,”

“Maybe she couldn’t, or perhaps she just didn’t want to,” Hunter said, and Seeun nodded. They continued to talk a little before they got themselves ready for bed, and both fell asleep almost immediately, not surprisingly considering their hectic day and the two weeks of traveling they’d done.

- - - -

“When we’re finished with these people, I want you to come with me back to Winterfell,” Taesan’s sudden desire to talk made Sungho jump slightly in his saddle. They’d stayed mostly quiet so far on their journey down from Winterfell, so Sungho hadn’t been prepared for the younger to start a conversation out of nowhere, but then again, it was Taesan, and you could never really know what when through that man’s head. Sungho wasn’t entirely sure Taesan himself knew some of the time, as he usually let his emotions lead him.

“I don’t see why not…” Sungho answered, looking over his shoulder to see that the rest of their group, as well as all of the soldiers, were either far behind them or too far ahead to hear the two speaking. Sungho wasn’t even sure why he looked around, maybe to make sure no one heard them, but then again, they weren’t exactly talking about something unusual. “That is if we survive, I must add,” Sungho said, finally looking over at Taesan and giving him a somewhat playful smile, trying to lighten up the mood a little as the younger seemed quite down.

“I think we have more than enough men to keep us safe, not to mention that more will join us as we pass every major castle in the North,” Taesan said. “And I asked the maester to send word to Jongseob Martell that we’ll be coming, and he has quite the significant host himself,”

“It’s not that I distrust your military knowledge or your judge of character, but sometimes you’re just a bit too confident in yourself for your own good,” Sungho said. He couldn’t help but smile a little as he found Taesan’s reaction quite amusing, considering the king probably never expected Sungho to say something like that to him. Though, after the initial shock wore off, Taesan let out a chuckle himself.

“As surprising as it may sound, I actually appreciate your honesty,” He said. “These days, most people just tell me what they think I want to hear or inform me about some urgent and lethal matter… So it’s quite nice to have someone else opinion being brought to me, though I can’t help but wonder if it was meant as an insult as well,” Sungho didn’t answer right away and just chuckled a little, prompting Taesan to do the same.

“Take it as you want, I guess. But as your former knight, I think I still owe some sort of duty to tell you the truth, even if it stings,” Sungho said. “But honestly, even though I admire your confidence in dire times, I do think you need to let yourself be more aware of what could happen… and I’m not sure if you choose not to see them out of ignorance or perhaps even fear, but it’s better to know everything that might come your way then be blind to something that one day might end up being your undoing…”

“It is fear… I think… or… the at least the fear of being afraid,” Taesan mumbled. “My position is not an easy one; everyone knows that, but what I don’t want people to know is that I’m afraid to fail to do what everyone expects from me… I don’t want to be seen as a tyrant, but I want to make sure that those I care about the most are safe… and that, I think, is where I fail as a king… A king should care for his people and his kingdom…”

“Yeah, they should… but at the same time, they shouldn’t have to cast aside those he loves,” Sungho pointed out. He steered his horse a little closer to Taesan so he could place his hand on top of the younger’s. “Your most difficult task as I king, I believe, is for those two to work together. And don’t compare yourself to other kings… The Targaryens weren’t prime examples of good kings, even if they had some who were decent, and don’t compare yourself to your father either… You’re not him… And you’ll never be, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be just as good as he was, or even better!” Sungho squeezed Taesan’s hand in his own before leaning back in his saddle and pulling his hand away again.

“Now you just sound like Leehan,” Taesan chuckled after a short silence. “He also told me not to compare myself to our father, but it’s hard not to… He was a good king despite not really even wanting to be one to begin with. But regarding the Targaryens, I can assure you that they are not even a source of inspiration for how I want to rule,” Sungho couldn’t help but laugh at the last part, prompting Taesan to smile a little as well. “The Targaryen were great men, according to some, but they also made monsters and idiots, but out of all of them, it was their kings who were the worst… Many people might say that some of them were good, but when it really came to it, they only even cared for themselves, which is what eventually brought them to their doom,”

“And if you’d been born a Targaryen, I mean, if your grandfather hadn’t chosen to take back the Stark name, which one out of those would you have been?” Sungho questioned. Taesan raised an eyebrow at him, having to think through what he himself had actually just said, as it had sort of just slipped out without him thinking it through beforehand.

“I guess I would have been a monster, then, 'cause I would at least like to think that I’m not an idiot, and I’m sure most people don’t see me as a good man or king…” Taesan eventually answered.

“I would have to disagree with you there,” Sungho said, prompting Taesan to give him an even more confused look. “You said it yourself; the Targaryens only cared for themselves, which I guess does include their families and not just themselves as a person, but you don’t. You care for your family, sure, but you also care about others, people you’ve never even met, because they are part of your kingdom, as you swore an oath to keep them safe and be a just ruler, which is why I think you are, in fact, not just a good man but a good king,”

“Well, there has never lived a Stark who’s forgotten an oath,” Taesan answered, feeling himself smile a little.

“And with House Stark, the North will follow!” Sungho added.

Chapter Text

“We’ve managed to push them back for now, Your Grace, but I cannot say for how long our forces will be able to keep them at bay…” One of the higher-up guards of Sunspear said. Jongseob nodded slowly before telling the man he was dismissed, so the guard bowed his head and then left. Jongseob remained where he was and slowly tapped his fingers against the stone railing in front of him as he overlooked the gardens below. Making the decision to send his son and son-in-law away from Sunspear without telling them why had been hard, but it was for their own safety, and Jongseob knew neither of them would have left willingly if they’d known about the threat looming over Dorne right now… Not to mention the death of Hunter’s older brother, which Jongseob hadn’t had the heart to tell the young man considering how hard he took Minjae’s death…

“I beg your pardon, Your Grace, but there’s been a raven… from Winterfell,” Another man said from the doorway. This actually made Jongseob turn around, which he hadn’t done when the guard had spoken to him earlier.

“What’s it say?” Jongseob asked, fully knowing that the man in the doorway had already read the letter, as Jongseob had instructed him to do so with all of the letters they got. It made for easier and quicker decisions to be made without having the letter brought all the way to him first.

“King Taesan has left Winterfell and is heading for Dorne as we speak. He was joined by the youngest brother of Lord Taeyong Reed, Sungho, and it seems as though they are gathering a rather large army on their way down through the North,” The man said.

“I fear they won’t be able to reach us in time to make any difference…” Jongseob sighed. “But we do have the assurance from Lady Redwyne’s army as well as Starfall, Hellholt, Sandstone, and Yronwood, so we may not need the Northmen… that is, if the Stormlands’ army doesn’t grow in size…” Jongseob mumbled the last parts more to himself than to the other man.

“Do you want me to ready the rest of the soldiers from here to join the others in the Prince’s Pass, Your Grace?”

“Please do,” Jongseob answered, and then he turned back around again to overlook the gardens. If Taesan had left Winterfell, that meant either Leehan or Baekseung now held the North, which was actually good, but the king’s leave also meant he was much less safe out on the road than in a secure castle… This was the sole reason why Jongseob himself didn’t leave Sunspear to join the fighting, even if he was more than capable of doing so physically. But while Taesan’s line was still quite secure, with three sons still alive, two grandchildren, and one more on the way, Jongseob’s own only had one heir, Seeun, and the Martell king didn’t want to make his barely 20-year-old son king just yet…

- - - -

Entering the Riverlands again after more than two decades didn’t make Taesan feel the way he thought it would, perhaps because he didn’t even know they’d actually done so until they spotted the crossing over the Green Fork, which was The Twins, the castle of Lord Frey.

“Is there really no other way we can cross?” Taesan sighed, just thinking about having to deal with the now very old Lord Frey. Not to mention the man’s son, who thought he could have had Leehan’s hand when they were younger.

“Unfortunately not,” Sungho answered. “But Lord Frey doesn’t have anything against you, or at least to my knowledge, so I don’t think there will be that much hassle to pass,”

“Mmh… let’s hope so,” Taesan muttered. They continued their route all the way to the first tower on the north side of the river, and there they were greeted by none other than Lord Frey’s son himself, along with a handful of his men.

“My king, what brings you and such a large company to the Riverlands?” The man asked, playing somewhat dumbly as he already knew why Taesan and the others had come there.

“Cut the bullshit; you know why we’re here, and if you don’t let us pass, go fetch your father so we can at least talk to a grown man and not some spoiled brat,” Sungho answered, surprising basically everyone within earshot, including Taesan who’d never thought Sungho would speak like that. Lord Frey’s son, who was actually a few years older than both Taesan and Sungho, didn’t look very pleased with what Sungho had said, but he did take a step to the side before gesturing for them to pass.

“Be my guest, my lord…” He said, eyeing Sungho. “Though my father does wish to greet you himself in his halls,” He added.

“We don’t have time for that,” Taesan answered this time. “You can tell your father that I’m truly sorry for not upholding a proper manner here, but we are in a rush, as you may know… war does not wait for kings and lords to have their proper interactions…” Taesan spurred on his horse, so it started walking again. Sungho did the same, followed by all of the thousands of northern soldiers they had with them, leaving the Freys to watch as they rode past.

“Never thought you’d be one to apologize for not showing proper manners,” Sungho chuckled once they’d made it to the other end of the bridge and past the second tower of the castle structure.

“I guess you can say that I don’t have the slightest interest in making even more enemies as of now,” Taesan answered.

“Well, that’s good to hear,” Sungho said. “Perhaps we should stop here for the night. I doubt the Freys will do anything to us while we sleep, considering our army outnumbers their house’s guards by a few thousand, and I’m not sure when we’ll get a good night’s sleep again as we’re no longer in the North…”

“Sounds good to me,” Taesan answered before halting his horse and turning slightly in its saddle. “We stay here tonight! Order the men to get some rest, but have guards stationed around the whole camp just in case,” Taesan ordered the soldiers closest to them, and they all gave their king a nod and a bow before heading off to fulfill their king’s command. Taesan and Sungho both got off their respective horses before deciding to walk around for a bit while their tents were readied for them. “Leehan does miss you, you know…” Taesan said after walking in silence for a while, just the two of them, as he’d ordered the guards to stay behind.

“He said so?” Sungho questioned.

“He did… believe it or not…” Taesan answered. “We’re not the best at talking with each other about most things, but there are some things we do still talk about,”

“And one of those things is me?” Sungho chuckled, raising an eyebrow at the younger.

“Yeah, I guess,” Taesan let out a small chuckle as well. “What I meant was that you better not die on this journey because I don’t think he would be able to handle that…” He added in a much more serious tone.

“I wasn’t exactly planning on it, but it seems as though that’s a hard promise to keep these days,” Sungho answered.

“Please just promise me you won’t do something stupid resulting in you putting yourself in unnecessary danger… like trying to prove something or even trying to protect me…” Taesan argued. They’d now reached the shoreline of the Green Fork, and as the sun was going down, it was starting to become quite dark, making it somewhat hard for them to see each other that well, but Sungho could still see the seriousness of the younger’s face as he spoke.

“You’re my king; I’m supposed to give my life for yours; that’s the law,” Sungho pointed out, but Taesan merely just sighed and shook his head.

“That doesn’t apply to you… not when you mean so much to Leehan…” Taesan answered.

“And to you…?” Sungho asked, turning so he was facing Taesan properly, ending up quite close to the younger as they’d been standing pretty much shoulder to shoulder already. “What do I mean to you?” The question seemed to have caught Taesan somewhat off guard as he didn’t reply right away, and when Sungho thought he was going to, Taesan just opened his mouth before slowly closing it again. He did this a couple of more times, so much so that Sungho almost started to laugh at him, but then it was his turn to be surprised as Taesan pressed his lips against Sungho’s own. The former knight was too stunned to even move for a few seconds before his body moved on its own, and he found himself slowly letting his eyes fall shut as he kissed the younger back. He even went as far as placing one of his hands on Taesan’s waist while the younger placed his own on Sungho’s shoulders. It was a rather strange feeling, having Taesan this close while Leehan wasn’t with them, and it had been a very long time since they shared any sort of physical contact, and through all these years, they’d barely ever kissed each other before… So now they almost didn’t hear the footsteps walking toward them… almost…

“Your Grace? Are you there?” A man’s voice, one of the guards, interrupted the two, prompting them to pull away from each other really fast. Luckily, it was already way too dark for the guard to have seen anything; Taesan and Sungho both refused to look at each other, either out of embarrassment or something else, they didn’t even really know what, when the guard eventually spotted them, and they’d now also taken a few steps away from each other. “Your Grace, the tents have been readied, and your dinner is ready to be served,” The guard said.

“Yeah… uhm, thanks…” Taesan answered, biting his lip bottom and fiddling nervously with his hands before eventually starting to walk back toward the camp. The guard followed him, leaving Sungho alone by the water for a little while longer. The former knight tried to wrap his head around what had just happened, but he couldn’t really come up with any other good reason as to why Taesan had just done what he did other than the fact that the younger must, in fact, actually care about him. And so Sungho found himself smiling a little before he, too, made his way back toward the camp. Maybe deciding to go back to Winterfell and go with Taesan on this journey wasn’t so bad after all…

Chapter Text

Though it was still early summer, snow fell from the sky in the North as Yujun and Ayden left Ramsgate, a rather small harbor in the east part of the North.

“I never thought I’d be so happy to see snow again!” Yujun said, watching the tiny snowflakes fall down from above them. Ayden looked quite amused at the younger’s apparent happiness over seeing something he’d basically grown up in, while Ayden himself, on the other hand, had never even seen snow before. So, this being his first time, he found the natural weather of the North rather beautiful, though the cold was something he wasn’t as big of a fan of…

“How come it even snows in the summer? What the hell kind of Gods did your people piss off to make the sky turn so cold?” He chuckled, still watching Yujun as the younger reached for the falling snowflakes like a puppy trying to catch it.

“Honestly, I don’t really know why,” Yujun answered truthfully. “It’s always been like that, but that’s just something that happens up here. Not even the southern part of the North gets summer’s snow, and I think that beyond the wall, it never stops snowing, or that’s at least what grandpa told us when we were little,”

“Seems rather harsh to be living in this cold if you ask me…” Ayden said.

“You only think that because you’re not used to it!” Yujun giggled. “I found Braavos, and its heat terrible when I first got there, but in time, I got used to it,”

“So now I’m supposed to get used to this then?” Ayden couldn’t help but giggle a little when Yujun gave him an enthusiastic nod.

“You wanted to come here, so now you have to live with it,” Yujun said as they continued up the small road leading from Ramsgate all the way to Winterfell. While still in Braavos, they’d gotten some gold coins, which they now used to buy not only food and water for their journey but also a horse each, so they wouldn’t have to walk all the way.

- - - -

“I have a bad feeling about this… I should have gone with him…” Gyuvin mumbled to himself while basically just flipping through all the papers and books on this table, not really reading through any of it.

“I thought you said he wanted you to stay here and make sure I didn’t do something stupid,” Baekseung said, eyeing the older man from the other side of the room.

“He did… but that doesn’t change the fact that I think it would have been better if I’d gone with them… I know I’m his Hand, and I'm supposed to take care of all this,” Gyuvin gestured toward the mess on the table in front of him. “Not to mention make sure you don’t run Winterfell into the ground while he’s gone, but I’m just as good with a sword in battle as I am at this, perhaps even better…”

“Well, I don’t think you need to be worried. Dad has Sungho with him, and no offense, but Sungho’s way a better swordsman than either of you. So I think dad’s fine even if you’re not there,” Baekseung said, prompting Gyuvin to actually let out a small chuckle.

“I guess you’re right…” Gyuvin sighed. “But leaving me here to deal with you also means that I’m in charge of teaching you how to do all this, so you better listen carefully because I won’t go easy on you,” This made Baekseung chuckle a little as well as he walked across the room and sat down opposite Gyuvin.

“Alright then, give me your worst!”

- - - -

“Have you heard anything?” Hunter questioned as he walked out of the doors leading into their chambers and out into the little pavilion they had just outside.

“No… not really,” Seeun answered. “Lady Redwyne’s maester said that there’s been no word from my father yet, but then again, I guess it takes some time for the ravens to travel from here to Sunspear and back,”

“So that means we don’t know when we can go back…?” Hunter sighed, running a hand over his slightly visibly round stomach. Their baby wasn’t due for another four months or so, but Hunter didn’t want to have the baby in a stranger’s place, regardless of how welcoming and kind Lady Redwyne had been to them. “Seeun… I want our baby to be born in Sunspear, not here… and since I can’t have my own parents there when it comes, I at least want to have your father close… not for me but for you in case something happens…”

“Nothing will happen, Hunter,” Seeun assured the younger, closing the distance between them and kissing Hunter on the lips before kneeling down to kiss his stomach as well. “You’re strong, and so will our baby be too, regardless of where it is born,”

“You don’t know that…” Hunter argued. “I haven’t had a vision in months, as even if that is wonderful not to have to go through that, the lack of them worries me! There has to be something that isn’t right! Things can’t be this perfect without something else happening…”

“Have I ever told you that you worry way too much?” Seeun asked, standing back up and giving his husband a smile, but Hunter just frowned at him.

“I’m serious, Seeun! You don’t know what it’s like living with those visions for years only for them to suddenly stop! I fucking hate them, I really do, but what I hate even more is not knowing! I can’t warg like my brother and father can, and since it seemingly takes forever for the ravens to get to and from this island, my visions would have actually been rather useful, but now I don’t even have those to rely on! Which just makes me feel blind and useless…”

“You’re neither blind nor useless, love. And didn’t the visions stop before we even came here?” Seeun questioned, and to this, Hunter actually nodded, though somewhat reluctantly. “And I, too, find this lack of communication frustrating, but my father sent us here so we could relax, so shouldn’t we at least try to do that?”

“Mmh… but it still doesn’t feel right not having the visions…” Hunter muttered, but Seeun just wrapped his arm around the younger before pulling him with him to sit down by the little pond a bit further away. It sort of reminded Hunter of the one they had back in Winterfell, though this one didn’t have a weirwood tree next to it, nor the snow-covered ground where his parents’ direwolves always either played in or slept on.

- - - -

“Look what I found!” Leehan said while holding up a bag. Keum raised an eyebrow at his father-in-law before the latter turned the bag upside down and poured out a ton of children’s toys onto the floor beside Yewang and Jaeho. The two boys’ eyes went wide as they saw all the new toys, and they immediately reached out their tiny hands to pick up whatever they could reach.

“Where did you find all this?” Keum asked, watching his son pick up a bunch of different toys at the same time, seemingly not being able to decide which one he wanted to play with.

“They were mine and Taesan’s when we were little,” Leehan answered. “And look at this,” He continued, picking up a small crown, which Jaeho reached for at the same time, prompting Leehan to place it on his grandson’s head. “A little king,” He chuckled. “This was Taesan’s. Our dad had it made for him before he died, I think. Our father always used to say that our dad referred to Taesan as a future little king, which I guess is why Taesan so badly wanted to be one when he was a child as well,” Leehan couldn't help but smile at the happy memory he had of when his brother had first gotten the toy crown.

“Didn’t Jake become king only after your dad died?” Keum asked.

“Yeah, he did. But Sunghoon, mine and Taesan’s dad, apparently kept insisting on the fact that Taesan was a king or was meant to be one someday,” Leehan said.

“Was that something he’d foreseen or what?” Keum wondered, eyes going between his father-in-law and his son, who still had the little crown on his head.

“I doubt it. He wasn’t related to the Targaryens, and those are the only ones I’ve ever heard of having any sort of foresight. I guess it was just his way of telling his son that he was special,” Leehan placed the now empty bag on a nearby chair before joining Keum and his two grandsons on the floor.

“Did he ever give you anything? Or did he never get the chance to?” Keum kind of regretted asking the moment the words left his lips as they sounded worse than they had in his head, but Leehan didn’t seem to mind.

“He did. Several things, actually,” Leehan answered. “Even though I was only two when he died, he made me a handful of small wooden dragon sculptures, perhaps because I’d shown some sort of interest in my father’s dragon or maybe because he thought both Taesan and I would have dragons of our own when we got older,”

“Are those the ones in your chambers?” Keum asked.

“Yeah,” Leehan nodded. “Khione, who was my father’s dragon; Lealla, Wonbin Baratheon’s dragon; Therion, Anton Baratheon’s dragon; and Nox, Intak Baratheon’s dragon. And Intak was, as you may know, Seeun Martell’s grandfather,”

“That I do know,” Keum said. “But why those four? Why not the more fearsome and large dragons like Layros, who only had kings as her riders, or Vallamor, the scary and huge beast he was, or maybe even Efrog, the largest dragon ever recorded?”

“Maybe he wanted me to have the dragons of his friends, as I think both he and Jake were quite close with all three of the Baratheon brothers before it all went to hell… especially Intak. I even think they went to Intak’s and Jiung’s wedding, something that Intak’s own family didn’t even do,” Leehan said.

“Do you ever think of how different things could have been if they’d stayed friends? And if Sunwoo had named your father heir to the iron throne instead of Wonbin?” Keum asked while picking up a tiny wooden block, which Yewang had just dropped in favor of another one in a different color.

“Sometimes, yeah… but more so when I was your age or even younger. Nowadays, I don’t really think that much of it anymore. Though, the idea of having dragons of our own is something I can’t really let go of,”

“Imagine Baekseung with a dragon,” Keum laughed, prompting Leehan to do the same.

“I think having dragons would have made Baekseung and his brothers more confident in themselves, and even if many people despise the dragons, both before and certainly after the war, having one of their own would surely have made them all safer,” Leehan sighed. “Though, I still believe that one day, there will be a Stark who’s a dragon rider… that probably won’t happen for many years to come… But one day, there might be one…”

Chapter Text

Choosing to cross the Green Fork by The Twins and continue down the western flank of the Kingsroad was Sungho’s idea, and so far, it had proved much more effective timewise, and they hadn’t had any interactions on the way so far. But, as they were now in the Riverlands, as far south as Harrenhal, the muddy terrain and the unsafe surroundings just kept getting worse… They could have chosen to go past Riverrun, but Taesan’s officers didn’t think that was wise as it meant they would have to go west just for them to have to return east again once they’d passed the castle. So, instead, they’d taken the same road Taesan and Leehan were meant to take when they wanted to visit Highgarden all those years ago. This meant they would travel west of Harrenhal and God’s Eye and continue south until they reached the Gold Road.

“This is as far south I’ve ever been, apart from when I was born,” Taesan said, looking out over the vast open plains in front of them. “Leehan and I were supposed to go to Highgarden when we were younger before he met you, but then all that happened, and I sort of started a war, so then we both just gave up on the idea of ever trying to go there again,” Taesan let out a small chuckle.

“Isn’t Dragonstone further south than this, though?” Sungho questioned, but Taesan shook his head.

“I don’t think so… it’s about the same, I think, but we got to Dragonstone by ship, so this is the furthest south I’ve been traveling on dry land,” Taesan corrected, prompting Sungho to laugh a little at Taesan’s choice of words as this land wasn’t really dry. Neither of them had mentioned the kiss they shared a few days ago, and even if Sungho had initially thought that they would be awkward around each other, Taesan acted more like it never happened… Which was a typical Taesan move, but Sungho guessed it was for the better anyway. They’d made it this far in life without each other’s affection, so what were a few more weeks? But Sungho couldn’t help but think of how their relationship might change once they returned to Winterfell.

“You were born in Highgarden, but Leehan was born in Winterfell; why is that?” Sungho asked, steering his horse around a rather large puddle before steering it back beside Taesan’s.

“I think our parents didn’t deem the Reach safe enough, or maybe they just wanted to go back to Winterfell since my grandparents, Eric and Sangyeon, lived there,” Taesan answered. “But honestly, I actually don’t really know why they moved,”

“Maybe we could pass by Highgarden on our way back when we’re done with all this. It’s not that much of a detour,” Sungho said, prompting Taesan to smile a little.

“Yeah, that would be nice,” He said, giving the elder a genuinely happy smile. “Hopefully, this will be over quickly. The Martells have a significant army of their own, and with ours added, whoever is trying to enter Dorne by force won’t stand a chance!”

“That’s what concerns me, though…” Sungho sighed. “We don’t actually know who it is yet and what their motive is… What if it’s the Boltons? In that case, we’ll be the ones who are outnumbered,”

“I doubt Kane Bolton would be so stupid to just straight up attack Dorne… He’s much smarter than that, so I think it’s just some petty lord in the Stromlands who’s had enough of not having as much land as they want, so they decide to take the Prince’s Pass and part of the northern Dorne just to say that they own more land, which wouldn’t be that difficult considering that those parts are sparsely populated,” Taesan said.

“In the letter you received, it sounded like a lot more than just a petty lord…” Sungho pointed out.

“Several petty lords then,” Taesan said. “But regardless, they won’t be an issue for much longer, and then we just need to make sure Hunter and the Martells are okay before we can return back home. And pass by Highgarden! As you’ve now promised me,” Taesan let out a small laugh, prompting Sungho to do the same before rolling his eyes.

“I feel like I should never have brought that up now…” Sungho let out a sigh, but it was mostly a teasing one.

“You can’t take it back now!” Taesan argued cheerfully. “You made a promise to your king, and so now you’re bound by law to fulfill it!” It was apparent to Sungho that the younger felt more comfortable like this, more free, even. Joking around and smiling much more than Sungho had probably ever seen him do, unless when it came to his brother or sons. But this was a different Taesan than the one who was forced into the role of a king, ruling from a castle and having no time left for being himself. And regardless of whether or not Taesan had wanted to be king before, Sungho believed that the younger’s mind had changed somewhat once he actually became one…

“I thought you said the laws didn’t apply to me?” Sungho joked, grinning at Taesan as it was now the younger’s turn to roll his eyes.

“When it comes to you trying to play the hero, then yes, the duty of having to give your life for your king does not apply, but when you promise me something and then say you’ll take it back, I won’t be as easily persuaded,” Taesan laughed.

“Yeah, yeah, alright! I won’t take it back,” Sungho now also laughed. “We’ll go to Highgarden when we’ve made sure Hunter and the Martells are alright,”

- - - -

Yujun and Ayden rode through the little town just south of Winterfell, already seeing the towers of the castle itself, and if Yujun was being honest, he wasn’t feeling as nervous as he’d thought he would. Ever since he left his family, he’d felt like he’d disappointed them in some way, not to mention that Minjae had died while he was gone, so returning now, about a year later, had first only made Yujun feel uneasy. But seeing Winterfell, his home, the place he’d grown up in, take shape in the distance now only made Yujun feel happy. He was home!

“Are we just going straight through the front gate, or what do you have planned?” Ayden asked, looking over at the younger.

“I think we’re more than capable of sneaking our way inside, but I don’t think that will be necessary,” Yujun chuckled; with their intense training with the Faceless Men, they would surely be able to get inside the castle without any problem at all, and even if the idea sounded quite amusing, Yujun didn’t think it would be fair on his parents and brothers to just show up in one of their rooms completely unannounced. So they just continued to follow the somewhat frozen dirt road all the way up to the castle walls before they halted their horses and hopped off.

“Who are you?” A guard stationed by the gates asked as he spotted Yujun and Ayden coming his way.

“And what is your business like in Winterfell?” Another guard added, both staring down the two young men.

“My name is Yujun Stark; I live here,” Yujun told the guards. He didn’t recognize either of them, but then again, it’d been a year since he’d been in Winterfell last, so he figured that his dad had simply just switched out the old guards for newer ones.

“Stark? Haha, very funny, boy. Get lost before your stupidness gets you both in trouble,” The second guard said.

“Tell your king that his son has returned, and tell him to come down here so you’ll see for yourself that I am who I say I am,” Yujun answered calmly.

“The king’s not here, boy, and his grace wouldn’t have time to deal with frauds like you even if he was here!” The guard went to push Yujun away but wasn’t fast enough since Yujun swiftly moved out of the way, making the guard almost trip over.

“If the king’s not here, then who is in charge of Winterfell?” Yujun questioned, eyeing the guard as he straightened back up only to glare at Ayden, who was now quietly laughing at him from behind Yujun.

“His son, the crown prince, but he’s also busy, so piss off!” The guard snapped, but this time, he didn’t try to push Yujun in order not to embarrass himself any further.

“Then go tell Sumin that his brother is home,” Yujun sighed.

“Sumin…?” The guard’s voice suddenly changed from irritated to somewhat strained, and he looked over at the other one before looking back at Yujun. “Prince Sumin is dead… It’s Prince Baekseung who’s the crown prince now, and he’s in charge,” The guard finally said, and then he just watched as Yujun went pale.

“Sumin’s… Sumin’s dead…?” Yujun mumbled after a while, almost not believing his own ears… He felt Ayden gently grab his arm, but other than that, it just felt like he’d been punched square in the face. “Wha… when did he…?” Yujun asked, looking up at the two guards again, who were now starting to look somewhat concerned.

“About two moons ago… but forgive me… you are really Yujun Stark, aren’t you?” Yujun didn’t have it in him to answer verbally, so instead, he just nodded slowly, prompting the two guards to share a look again. “Forgive me, my prince, we didn’t recognize you…”

“And we’re so sorry for your loss!” The other one said. “Please let us escort you to your brother and father,” He gestured for Yujun and Ayden to follow him, but Yujun made no attempt to move, still too stunned to actually do anything except stand still. Ayden must have pushed him forward because when Yujun finally came back to himself, they were already inside the castle, and they followed one of the guards in the direction of the great hall. Another set of guards was stationed outside those doors, and at least they seemed to recognize Yujun as they both first looked surprised before quickly bowing their heads. They pushed over the huge doors, and the original guard took a step to the side, allowing Yujun and Ayden to enter on their own.

“Yujun…?” Hearing his triplet brother’s voice after so long sent another shiver through Yujun’s body, and before he knew it, Baekseung wrapped his arms around him and pulled him into a bone-crushing hug. “You’re back! I can’t believe you’re home again, finally!” Baekseung exclaimed as he pulled back from the hug, but his smile fell once he saw Yujun’s sad face. “Brother…? What is it?”

“Sumin…” Yujun mumbled, and then he could see how his brother put two and two together…

“Oh… Yujun… you didn’t know…” Baekseung said quietly, wrapping his arms around his brother again, and this time, Yujun actually hugged him back. He felt tears starting to form in his eyes, but he managed to hold them back while hugging his brother.

“Yujun?” Their father’s voice came from behind Yujun, prompting Baekseung to let go of the younger and let him turn around. Once Yujun spotted Leehan standing in the doorway, everything just broke apart inside him, and he felt his knees buckle under him…

Chapter Text

It had taken Yujun some time to get himself together after learning of the death of yet another of his brothers, though this one not due to any murderous traitor or lords, but to what could only be described as a cruel mother nature… But, to Yujun, it hurt the same regardless of how he lost a brother because three of them were gone, leaving only the triplets, with Baekseung now being the oldest.

“I’m happy that you chose to come back home. We’ve all missed you dearly,” Leehan said, squeezing his son’s hands in his own as they were all now sitting on the chairs surrounding one of the tables in the great hall.

“I should never have left…” Yujun mumbled in response.

“It’s not your fault that your brother’s died, Yujun…” Leehan tried to tell his son, but Yujun was barely listening to him.

“If I’d stayed, then perhaps I could have taken Minjae’s place and died instead! Then he would have remained crown prince, and Sumin wouldn’t have felt pressured to have children of his own to carry on the royal bloodline, and then he would have been alive as well!” Yujun was almost yelling by this point, but he didn’t mean to be angry with either his father or anyone else. He was simply putting the blame on himself for deserting his family just because he didn’t want to do what he was told…

“As much as it pains me to say this, Minjae brought on his own fate by being as reckless and arrogant as he was! He wasn’t stupid, but he thought himself above others, and that pisses people off!” Baekseung argued. “And if you think Minjae living would have stopped Sumin from wanting to have children of his own, then you’re wrong! Yes, he didn’t want to be king after dad, but no one told him he had to rush anything! He and Jinsik simply wanted their own family, and there’s nothing either of us could have done to change their minds or the outcome of their decision…”

“Your brother is right; none of this is your fault!” Leehan moved even closer to Yujun to pull him into another hug before making him look at him. “We love you no matter what you choose to do with your life! And if what you needed for yourself was some time away, then so be it. But we’re also happy that you’re home again, regardless of what’s happened during the time you were going,” He assured Yujun, which eventually made the prince nod slowly and give his father a small smile.

“I did miss you all, and it does feel good to be home again,” Yujun said, prompting Leehan to smile back at him.

“We missed you too, my sweet boy,” Leehan placed a kiss on his son’s forehead before sitting back in his chair, allowing Yujun to do the same, before finally turning his attention toward the blond boy who’d come with his son back to Winterfell. “Who is your friend?” He asked, looking between Yujun and the blond boy, who hadn’t said a word since Leehan got there and had mostly stayed in the background, presumably not wanting to interrupt the small family reunion. But now, as the king consort’s attention was on him, he seemed to tense up a little and glanced over at Yujun with worried and uncertain eyes.

“My name is Ayden, Your Grace,” Ayden answered after Yujun gave him a small nod, which Leehan found somewhat strange. It didn’t take long for Leehan to figure out that there was some history between his son and this Ayden boy, but he wasn’t going to push either of them to say anything they weren’t comfortable with, and he was sure Yujun would eventually tell him if there was something he needed to know.

“What an unusual name, but I guess it does fit your unusual appearance as well,” Leehan answered before giving Ayden an assuring smile, trying to let the young man know that there was nothing to worry about. This, however, seemed to have the complete opposite result than what Leehan had aimed for as Ayden seemed to tense up even more and seemingly wanted to disappear out of sight.

“Ayden’s from Essos, father, and there are a lot of people with different and unusual appearances there,” Yujun said, diverting the attention away from Ayden and back to himself.

“Indeed,” Leehan said. “Though, I’m not really one to speak as my own appearance isn’t the most common either,” He added, letting out a small chuckle as he did, and while running a hand through his own blond hair, though it wasn’t as pale white as Ayden’s it still wasn’t a very common color.

“I think mine’s the strangest,” Baekseung chuckled. “And dad’s, I guess, but we both have two different hair colors while yours are only one, though some are rarer than others!” This actually made them all laugh a little, which had seemingly been Baekseung’s intention as he looked quite pleased with getting rid of the somewhat strained atmosphere. “Perhaps we should eat, father. I figure my brother and his friend must be starving after traveling all the way from Essos!” He added before calling out to their workers to make them start preparing something for them to eat. “And brother, you must see how Jaeho and Yewang have grown! They were just a few months old when you left, and now they are both over a year old and walking! Yewang’s even saying a few words here and there!” Baekseung seemed very eager for his brother to catch up on what he’d missed, and Yujun was more than happy to see that at least one of his brothers was doing well.

“Sure, brother! And I must see Keum, too! He seems to have done a great job getting you to behave,” Yujun chuckled, prompting Baekseung to do the same. Leehan then told one of the guards to fetch not only Keum, Yewang, and Jaeho but Doyoung and Woonhak also, as Yujun most likely wanted to see the two knights as well now that he was back home again. The only ones missing now were Hunter, Taesan, and Sungho, but Leehan hoped that they would hear from them soon as well, and maybe even Seeun and Jongseob could make the journey up here, away from whatever conflicts were going on in Dorne, and then they were all together…

- - - -

“I hate this bloody rain!” Taesan grunted, shaking his head and trying to get some of the water out of his hair, though it wasn’t really helpful as the rain just kept pouring down on them. “Leehan used to tell me I wasn’t made for the cold of the North because I always complained about the cold, but I’d much rather have snow pouring down on me than this!” Sungho couldn’t help but laugh at the younger’s hatred toward the rain. As for Sungho himself, it was something he was actually quite used to, considering he’d grown up in the Riverlands.

“Maybe we should stop for a while, at least until the rain has stopped?” He said, after receiving a rather displeased look from Taesan after laughing at his discomfort.

“Does it ever stop raining in the Riverlands, though? So far, it barely has!” Taesan complained, but he did look like he’d much rather stop for now and get a break from the heavy rain, which seemed to have turned his usually two-colored hair, now almost black due to how wet it was. “But sure, tell them we’ll stay here for a while,” He added before slowing down his horse to a stop. Sungho made the gesture for the officers and soldiers behind them to stop, which, in turn, made the whole army do the same within the following few minutes. The tents were quickly built for them, Taesan’s being one of the biggest ones, one where you could even walk upright in, and having two different areas, one for meetings and other gatherings that might be needed before they set off again, and one for himself where he would be sleeping. Sungho got his own tent, though much smaller, but he didn’t care. They weren’t going to stay there for long either way and as long as he had some sort of roof over his head, he was happy.

“I guess I’ll see you tomorrow then, my king. Make sure you get some rest, and don’t get sick from this rain,” Sungho said, mostly just to tease Taesan, and he earned an eye roll from the younger before the king disappeared into his tent.

“Goodnight, Sungho,” He yelled back, prompting the former knight to let out a laugh before heading toward his own tent. Taesan let out a sigh of relief when he finally got rid of the pouring rain, though the sound of it hitting the roof of the tent still annoyed him somewhat. He made his way into the area in the back, which was separated from the rest of the tent by some form of curtain, building a makeshift wall inside the tent. He untied the strings holding his mantle to his coat before dropping the completely soaked piece of clothing to the floor, followed by the coat itself and his boots, which were both also soaking wet. He should probably hang them somewhere to dry, but he just didn’t have the energy to care right now, and instead, he loosened the strings on the front of his shirt to try and pull it over his head, but since the material was so wet, it stuck to his skin and refused to move out of place. “You got to be kidding me…” Taesan sighed, trying to reach around to his back, and tugged at the material there to make it easier to remove, but that didn’t really do much either.

“Need some help?” Sungho’s voice made him jump and turn around quickly, as he’d not expected the other to appear out of nowhere.

“No… I got it,” Taesan answered, again trying to get the soaked shirt to unstick from his back, but to no avail.

“As amusing as it is to watch you struggle, you do need to get it off, or you’ll most likely get sick from sleeping in wet clothes,” Sungho said, making his way over to Taesan and helping him finally pull the shirt over his head. He’d seen the younger’s body before, but the numerous scars, both big and small, that littered his upper body weren’t really something he’d wish for the other to have. But Taesan didn’t seem to have a problem with them, earlier stating that better he had them than his brother, so Sungho had never commented on them, and nor was he going to now. Not to mention that he himself had his fair share of scars as well.

“Did you need something? Or did you just come here to see me struggle?” Taesan questioned, though there was no irritation in his voice, nor did he look to be annoyed with Sungho being there.

“No, not really. Just thought I’d make sure you actually listened to me and got to bed, and, if I remember correctly, your nameday should be any day now, right?” Sungho answered, trying to hold back the smile that was making its way onto his lips as Taesan raised an eyebrow at him.

“Really…? I’m not a child, Sungho; I can do what I want,” Taesan answered, turning to his side in order to toss the wet shirt away. “But yeah, my nameday is indeed coming up, though I doubt we have the time to celebrate it,” There might be something we could do to celebrate it, Sungho thought to himself, but he didn’t say it out loud.

“I’ve known many grown men who’ve had problems with listening, so I wouldn’t say it correlates to you being a child,” Sungho instead teased Taesan, this time earning an audible sigh from the younger.

“You sure know how to annoy me; I hope you know that,” Taesan said, turning back around to face Sungho again, but this time, the elder didn’t say anything in return and just took a few steps closer to Taesan. With Sungho being slightly shorter, Taesan had to look down somewhat as the elder was now standing quite close to him, and he watched the other’s brown eye look up at him before flickering down at his lips. It was eventually Sungho who closed the distance between their lips and kissed Taesan with much more confidence than last time, and Taesan just let him, even kissing him back with the same force. Sungho then placed his hands on Taesan’s waist, making the younger hiss a little due to how cold they were against his own, actually rather warm skin, but he resumed the kiss again right after. “I thought you said you wanted me to get some sleep…” Taesan murmured against Sungho’s lips as the elder ran his hands down Taesan’s sides and around to his back.

“You wouldn’t have done that either way, so don’t complain,” Sungho answered, feeling Taesan smile into their kiss before he wrapped his own arms around the elder, pulling Sungho closer and feeling him do the same.

Chapter Text

Yujun found it way more amusing to see his brother struggle to defeat him in the sparring they did than he thought he would. Sure, Yujun hadn’t been the best swordsman while Baekseung was a really skilled one, but that was before Yujun spent a year away and trained with the Faceless Men, and now it wasn’t as easy for Baekseung to win anymore.

“Gods be good; who taught you to fight like this?” Baekseung groaned when Yujun beat him for a third time in a row, pointing the blunt and basically useless end of the sparring sword at his brother’s throat. Yujun just laughed before lowering the sword and straightening up in a much more upright position.

“No one,” Yujun answered, which wasn’t actually a lie, though Baekseung probably thought it was since he didn’t even know who the Faceless Men were, at least to Yujun’s knowledge. Baekseung just shook his head while still smiling at his brother. It was nice to have him back, though he wasn’t so sure about the blond his brother had brought with him. Ayden, as Baekseung remembered his name to be, was always so quiet. Not only did he barely speak, but it was as if he didn’t even make any sounds when he moved, and Baekseung found that quite creepy.

“Why won’t your friend fight with us?” Baekseung questioned as he and Yujun sat down on the bench by the castle wall, resting a bit after jumping around and trying to hit each other for over an hour already. Yujun gave Baekseung a confused look before figuring out that the elder was referring to Ayden, prompting him to turn his head around to look in the direction of the Godswood, where he’d seen Adyen wander off to earlier.

“If you think it’s hard to beat me, then you would not even stand a chance against him, so for your own sake, I would say that it’s better if you hold off on inviting him to join us here,” Yujun then chuckled, turning back to face his brother again.

“What’s his deal anyway? Why is he always so quiet?” Baekseung asked while leaning his sword against the wall behind them before resting against it himself as well.

“What do you mean?” Yujun raised an eyebrow. He wouldn’t really consider Baekseung to be the most brilliant person he knew. However, it was apparent that his brother was still smart enough to figure out that there was something more to Ayden than what Yujun had told them… but it wasn’t like he was going to tell anyone in Winterfell, or even the whole North for that matter, that Ayden’s grandfather was the one who murdered their previous king’s husband.

“There’s something you’re not telling me, something about him,” Baekseung said, which prompted Yujun to squirm slightly where he sat, probably only further confirming his brother’s suspicions… Yujun found his own inability to keep a secret from his brothers quite irritating; considering all the training he’d had with the Faceless Men, he should be a professional lier at this point, but it seemed as though at least Baekseung was still able to read him like an open book…

“There’s nothing about him; he’s just had it rough, okay?” Yujun replied before standing up again. He started to make his way across the courtyard, but before he could even reach the middle, he heard Baekseung call out from behind him.

“You like him, don’t you?” The question made Yujun stop dead in his tracks, quickly glancing over to the open gates leading into the Godswood, but much to his relief, no one was there. He then slowly turned back around to look at his brother, who was still sitting on the bench but now with a teasing and quite satisfied smirk on his face.

“I do not…” Yujun answered, maybe a little too fast, which only made his brother let out a small laugh before standing up and walking over to Yujun.

“Don’t worry, brother. He likes you too,” Baekseung said before turning around to leave the courtyard and go back into the castle.

“Uhm… what?” Yujun asked dumbfounded. Baekseung turned around while still walking, continuing to do so backward instead so he could look at his brother.

“Why else would he have followed you across the Narrow Sea?” Baekseung pointed out. “You said it yourself; he’s Essosian, so why come here if not for you?” Baekseung wiggled his eyebrows in a teasing manner before turning back to walk normally again, and then he disappeared into the castle, leaving Yujun with his brain going into overdrive…

- - - -

“I’m not spending another day on this island, Seeun…!” Hunter sighed loudly. He thought about trying to stand up, but his ever-growing stomach would just make it difficult, and that would just irritate him even further, so he chose to stay seated.

“I thought you liked it here? You said you were finally getting some actual rest,” Seeun answered, glancing over at his husband, who just glared at him in return.

“That was last week…” Hunter said. “Now I have no desire to be here anymore! It’s warm, and pretty much the whole castle smells like wine. Lady Redwyne even tried to make me do all of these different things that she said would help with the baby’s constant kicking, but that’s not working at all! And for all I can tell, the baby’s just started to kick even more…!” He complained and continued to point out several other things that annoyed him while Seeun made his way over to him.

“You know the heat and the baby kicking will still be the same even if we returned back to Sunspear,” Seeun said, leaning down over Hunter’s shoulder from behind and placing a kiss on the younger’s cheek. “And I’m quite certain you wouldn’t enjoy traveling on the sea for about a fortnight in this condition either,” He added, earning another glare from his husband before the younger swatted his head away with his hand.

“I already told you, I want our child to be born in Sunspear! And considering you’ve convinced me to stay here for this long, I’ll just have to deal with the journey back!” Hunter huffed, growing even more irritated when remembering that he’d actually agreed to stay here for this long already…

“And what if the baby decides that it wants to be born while we’re still out at sea?”

“Then our child will be born on the Summer Sea! Just not here!” Hunter had finally had enough and managed to stand up on his own before Seeun even had the chance to offer him any help. He just waved off the elder again before waddling past him toward the door, but before he exited the room, he turned back to face Seeun again. “We’re leaving tonight! Or on the morrow, at the latest! And don’t even think about trying to get me to change my mind! I’m not in the mood, and you’ll just regret it…” It was an empty threat; Seeun knew that, but he still found his husband quite appalling, so he chose not to argue with him and just nodded. Hunter seemed satisfied enough with this as he didn’t complain any further and just exited the room. Seeun ran a hand through his hair before shaking his head slightly.

“Like I said, a dragon among wolves… even without the wolves, it seems,” Seeun mumbled to himself, referring to Hunter’s more tempered moods as of late.

“I heard that…” Hunter’s voice came from further down the hallway, prompting Seeun to let out a laugh before following the younger.

“Nothing slips past you, huh?” He teased, wrapping one arm around the younger when he caught up with him, and then he placed another kiss on his cheek, the opposite cheek this time. Hunter didn’t wave him off this time and just let him be while they continued to make their way down the hallway.

“I hope not…” Hunter replied, but he still couldn’t shake the feeling that, due to his lack of visions as of late, there were indeed things that slipped past him…

- - - -

“We should be reaching Blackwater Rush within two days, Your Grace,” One of the soldiers informed Taesan, earning a small nod from the king, who was currently occupied with overlooking the map they’d brought with them. The soldier bowed his head before making his leave, allowing the king and his officers to resume their discussion about war tactics and where they would go from now on.

“It would be easier to cross the river here, where the Gold Road crosses it. It’ll have the largest bridge, and it will be quicker than going all the way back up to Tumbler’s Falls…” Taesan said, pointing to the stop on the map where the road leading to and from King’s Landing crossed the treacherous river.

“Indeed, Your Grace, but when it comes to obvious choices, that crossing will most likely be the one people expect us to take, which means it may not be safe, even with this large of an army…” One of the officers pointed out, prompting Taesan to let out a sigh.

“What about the smaller crossings further east?” Another one suggested, but then, before Taesan could say anything, Sungho spoke up.

“If you find the Gold Road crossing too dangerous, the ones closer to King’s Landing would be even more so,” The former knight said. “It is not preferable to cross the river at all, but we have no other choice if we wish to exit the Riverlands and make our way down to the border between the Reach and Dorne quickly,” He continued. “And the Gold Road is less traveled upon than what people think. It’s mainly used for transporting crops and workers for the capital,”

“And why should we listen to you?” One of the officers grunted. “His grace has us, his war councilors, for a reason; we know what we’re talking about, so why would he need your input?”

“I value Sungho’s suggestions just as much as I value yours, so hold your tongue, or I’ll have you all removed from this meeting!” Taesan snapped, shooting the officer an annoyed look.

“But, Your Grace, he’s not-“ The officer tried to say, but Taesan didn’t let him finish his sentence.

“Out! Just get out, all of you!” He yelled, prompting all of the officers to quickly bow their heads before exiting the tent. “Not you,” Taesan added when Sungho was about to leave as well. The former knight wasn’t really going to leave either way and was just making sure the officers left and that the guards were stationed where they should be outside Taesan’s tent before turning to give the younger a small smirk.

“So you value my opinion, huh?” Sungho questioned, raising an eyebrow teasingly, which just earned him a slap on the arm.

“I won’t for much longer if you keep that up,” Taesan answered, though it was more bark and no bit. He then picked up the tiny wooden direwolf sculptures, which represented their army forces, and moved them down to where the Gold Road crossed the Blackwater Rush. “You think this is the best way?” He questioned, looking over at Sungho, who nodded.

“I do. Leehan and I went down here before he decided that we should turn back around and return to the North instead of Highgarden, so I know that it’s not a very crowded place,” Sungho answered.

“Alright,” Taesan said, placing the last direwolf directly on top of the crossing. “The Gold Road crossing it is then…”

Chapter Text

After having a minor internal struggle with himself, Yujun finally decided to enter the Godswood and look for Ayden. Not really for any particular reason, or at least that was what he tried to convince himself of, but just to see what the other was up to. He found him pretty much immediately, standing beside the pond, which was not frozen over at this time of the year, and Yujun could see the fish swimming around happily even from where he stood. Ayden, however, wasn’t looking at the pond but rather up at the weirwood tree looming over both him and the pond.

“My ancestors followed the old gods even after the Targaryens came to Westeros; they believed that the old gods were just and loyal, giving those traits down to their followers in return for upholding their beliefs,” Yujun said as he walked up to stand next to Ayden. The elder must have heard him approaching even before he spoke because he didn’t get startled, nor did he bother to look to the side and just kept his eyes on the large tree before them.

“What’s with the face?” Ayden questioned, gesturing toward the human-like face in the white bark of the tree.

“Some believe that the children of the forest carved them into the trees, thereby giving them some sort of connection between the natural world and the spiritual one. Though, I don’t really know if that is actually true since there are no recorded documents of this, at least to my knowledge,” Yujun answered.

“So that’s why they look like they're crying blood? Because someone cut through their bark?”

“Yeah, haha. Weirwood trees have red sap, so that is why it looks like blood against their white bark,” Yujun explained, and that seemed to be enough of an answer for Ayden as he nodded slowly. They stood in silence for a while, Yujun trying to figure out something to say as he suddenly found it a little awkward just standing there beside Ayden, which he blamed his brother’s earlier comment for, but before he could come up with something to say, the sound of barking came from the other side of the huge weirwood tree. This made Yujun and Ayden share a look before walking around the tree, only to find Fury and Kalea lying there. Though, while Kalea seemed to have been the one who barked, Fury didn’t even move his head up to look at them as they approached.

“What’s wrong with it?” Ayden asked, kneeling down beside the black direwolf, which, at first, worried Yujun slightly as he thought Fury might try to bite him, but the direwolf still didn’t bother to move and just eyed the blond.

“He’s old, or they both are,” Yujun answered while kneeling down beside Ayden as well. Kalea immediately got up and started to strut around them like there was something she wanted to tell them, but when her message didn’t get across to the two humans, she returned to Fury’s side and laid down beside him again. Yujun watched the white direwolf for a few seconds until she lay back down, and then his eyes moved back to Fury. “I think he’s dying…” Yujun mumbled, mostly to himself, but Ayden still heard him.

“You think so…?” Ayden reached out his hand and ran it over Fury’s head, but the direwolf still didn’t care and just blinked a few times.

“He’s never like this… He usually growls and bites at people when they try to approach him, apart from when my parents do it, but now he even lets you pet him…” Yujun said. He also gently ran his hand over Fury’s surprisingly soft fur, and while he did so, Kalea nosed at the side of his palm as if to keep trying to get him to understand that something wasn’t right. “I know, sweet girl… I’m sorry…” He mumbled, momentarily moving his hand over to pet Kalea before going back to running the back of his hand over Fury’s nose. This time, the black direwolf actually lifted his head and mirrored Kalea’s earlier action of nosing at the palm of Yujun’s hand, only much weaker. “It’s alright, buddy… you can rest now…” It was like Fury understood him as he licked Yujun’s palm once before lying his head back down on the ground again, and then he closed his eyes… Yujun and Ayden sat there for a long time, even after Yujun swore he could no longer see Fury’s body move up and down slightly as he breathed. Kalea didn’t move either and just stayed close to her brother and life-long friend. Apart from the occasional quiet whining from Kalea, the whole Godswood lay silent, and soon, snow started to fall from the sky, landing in Fury’s black fury and staying perfectly still as the direwolf was no longer moving…

- - - -

“Your father insisted on you staying here until he sent word to me informing me that you could return home…” Lady Redwyne said as she hurried after Seeun, who was carrying his and Hunter’s stuff to one of the ships in the harbor heading for Sunspear within the hour. Hunter was already on board with Aianna, and Seeun had hoped that they didn’t need to confront Lady Redwyne and that they could just leave a letter explaining that they were heading home, but apparently, the old lady was awake much earlier than Seeun had expected.

“I’m sorry, my lady, but my husband wants to go back home before our baby is born, and I don’t want to argue with him on that… Also, I’m sure my father can forgive us for returning a little earlier,” Seeun answered. They’d now reached the ship, meaning Lady Redwyne had followed him all the way from the castle and down to the harbor, matching his rather quick pace, and that actually impressed Seeun, considering that she was an older lady. “It’s not that we don’t enjoy your company, and it has been lovely to be here, but Hunter doesn’t want to have our child here… Personally, I would think that he wants it to be born in Winterfell, but since that can’t really be arranged, Sunspear is the next best place, so that’s why we’re going back,” Seeun handed the bags to one of the sailors, who brought them onboard before Seeun himself turned to face Lady Redwyne properly. “We will return, my lady, you have my word, but as for now, we need to go back home,” Seeun gave the old lady a deep bow in order to show respect despite the fact that he actually held a much position, as a prince, then her, but showing respect to ones elders were still very important.

“You are both very sweet, and I completely understand you and your husband’s wishes, but I just fear that it might not be safe for you to return…” Lady Redwyne answered, and Seeun gave her a questioning look for a few seconds.

“Why wouldn’t it be safe?” He questioned. Lady Redwyne seemed reluctant to tell him at first, but then she sighed before grabbing one of his hands in her own.

“Your father wrote to me a few weeks before he sent you here, and he told me that there was some sort of threat that had been laid against Dorne and that he didn’t want you anywhere near it if it proved to be dangerous… And before you ask why he didn’t tell you, he told me that he didn’t want you to worry about him or anything else and that you and Hunter would get to have some peace away from everything and focus on yourselves,” She explained.

“Wait… what? You're only telling me now that my father might be in danger and that someone’s trying to attack Dorne?!” Seeun couldn’t believe his ears at first, feeling somewhat betrayed by not only Lady Redwyne for not telling him but also by the fact that neither had his father done…

“My prince, I’m sorry, but your father, the king, told me not to tell you…” Lady Redwyne answered, and Seeun knew that she had only followed the commands of her king, but he was still a little pissed about it…

“Well, then, my lady, I’m afraid that we have an even bigger need to return now, so goodbye,” Seeun said before turning around and making his way up the gateway onto the ship.

“Please be careful, my prince! Think of your future and the future of your family before trying to run off into war!” Lady Redwyne called after him, but Seeun just gave her a wave of his hand as a goodbye. However, he didn’t immediately go below deck, where Hunter was, and instead remained up above, watching as the sailors and the captain steered the ship out of the harbor and away from the island. He watched the island get smaller and smaller as the ship got further and further away, the water surrounding it basically shining with a golden tint as the sun’s light reflected off it, which was what had given the island its nickname, The Golden Island, in the first place. Eventually, he turned to watch the open sea before them, still trying to come to terms with the fact that his father had lied to him and sent them away when their home was in danger… but after a while, Seeun realized that it wasn’t that different from what Taesan and Leehan had done with Hunter, sending him away from the North when that kingdom wasn’t safe, so Seeun found himself forgiving his father, at least somewhat, before finally making his way down below deck. Hopefully, his home wouldn’t be set ablaze or trampled to ruins when they returned…

- - - -

“I’ll see to it that your men be sent down to join the king,” Leehan overheard Gyuvin’s voice through the door even before he knocked on it, which, when he did, it was opened almost immediately, revealing Minho.

“Minho? I didn’t know you were in Winterfell,” Leehan said while greeting the King Beyond the Wall.

“The Hand sent word to me when your brother left Winterfell; he felt the need to have more men join him as he marched down to Dorne,” Minho explained, referring to something Gyuvin had apparently asked of him without taking it up with Leehan beforehand. Not that he really had any obligation to, but Gyuvin had always been one to make sure Leehan was included despite Taesan’s dislike of it.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but Baekseung saw no use in it despite my concern, so I sent word to Minho to ask for his help,” Gyuvin explained. Leehan knew that Baekseung, just like Taesan himself, viewed this as something small and easily dealt with, so it didn’t really surprise him that his son had not seen the need for sending more men down to join his dad, but Leehan actually found Minho’s presence here relieving as it meant his brother would be safer as soon as the other king’s men joined his army.

“No need to apologize, Gyuvin. And it’s good that you’re here, Minho! I dearly appreciate the concern and help!” Leehan said.

“As your father said, the North is one, your North and mine, and I’m always happy to help when I can,” Minho answered, bringing a grateful smile to Leehan’s face.

“It is,” He smiled. Minho bowed his head, which Leehan also did in return, before exiting the room.

“Was there anything I could do for you, Leehan?” Gyuvin then asked once Minho had left.

“I just came to ask how Jinsik’s doing. I hope he feels better now that he’s back home again, but I can imagine it’s still hard without Sumin…” Leehan said, ever the one concerned for everyone else despite it being his own son who’d died.

“He’s getting by, though Ricky wrote to me earlier saying he wasn’t really eating much…” Gyuvin replied.

“They are always free to come here whenever they want, though I understand that it might be difficult since this where he… you know…” Leehan said.

“They know, but I fear there might still be some time before Jinsik would want to come here again…”

“Understandable…” Leehan nodded slowly before turning to leave the room again, but before he did, he looked back at Gyuvin once more. “Please don’t overwork yourself, Gyuvin. You need to rest and take care of yourself as well! You’re free to return home for a few weeks if you want to; just let me know before you go if you decide to do so,”

“Thank you, Your Grace,” Gyuvin replied, smiling a little at Leehan’s eye-roll caused by Gyuvin referring to him as Your Grace, which he had no need of doing when it was just the two of them. He then left the room, and Gyuvin resumed his work, pushing the offer of leaving to the side as he wanted to finish his work first.

Chapter Text

“I want to tell dad myself…” Yujun said as they were all returning back inside the castle after having had Fury’s body burned on the pyre and his ashes placed in the crypts below the castle, next to where Taesan himself would be buried when he eventually passed. The Starks always kept the well-planned crypts clean and lit to honor their ancestors, and as gruesome as it might sound, a place down there was chosen for a Stark as soon as they were born, always making sure that their family would stay close even after death.

“You can do that when he returns home,” Leehan answered, running his hand over Kalea’s head as the direwolf walked beside him.

“No… he has the right to know now! And I don’t want to sit around here any longer! I want to be where I can be of service, where I can help people! And if dad marched down to make sure that Hunter and the Martells were safe, so will I!” Yujun said, finally bringing up the topic Leehan had feared he would ever since he returned to Winterfell. He let out a sigh before sitting down as they had now reached the great hall.

“Letting you go down there just puts you in danger, and then I would have to worry for not only your dad and brother but for you as well, so no… I won’t allow you to leave,” Leehan answered. He didn’t like denying his sons their wishes, but he’d just gotten Yujun back; he didn’t want him to slip through his fingers once again…

“You’re not the one who gets to decide that…” Yujun said coldly, making not only Leehan give him a weird look but also Baekseung, Keum, Woonhak, and Doyoung, as this was something they’d never expected from Yujun, sounding so cold and emotionless. It was only Ayden who didn’t look surprised as this was something Yujun had been taught to do by the Faceless Men, meaning that Ayden himself had been taught the same.

“I’m your father, Yujun… Just because your dad isn’t here to tell you to listen to me doesn’t mean you shouldn’t,” Leehan looked up at his son, who was still standing despite almost everyone else having already taken a seat around the table.

“Yes, you are my father, but you’re not the king… so you don’t get to tell me if I can join the fighting or not,” Yujun argued.

“I may not be the king, but your dad, the king, is not here, which means you’ll need to listen to me in his stead,” Leehan didn’t sound angry, nor did he want to, but he still found his own words sounding a bit harsh, but that might be because he so desperately didn’t want his son to leave so soon again.

“Dad didn’t give you the right to rule in his stead, did he? He chose Baekseung to do that, so it’s Baekseung who has the right to tell me to stay or not…” Yujun pointed out, which resulted in even more surprised facial expressions from those around him as none of them had expected him to talk like that to his father. Only Ayden remained unfaced once again, just watching Yujun as the younger turned to face his brother. “So, you’re the head of the North until dad returns… Will you let me join dad and make sure that not only Hunter is okay but also make sure that dad actually comes back home himself?” Baekseung looked unsure of what to do, eyes darting between his brother and father a few times before looking down at his own hands briefly.

“I don’t…” Baekseung mumbled, but Yujun interrupted him.

“If you want dad and Hunter to be okay, let me join them; you know very well that I can take care of myself and that my skills are far better than most,” Yujun said, briefly looking over at Ayden, who gave him a small nod, before looking back at Baekseung again. “And Ayden will come with me, and he’s even better than I am!” Baekseung just stared at his brother in silence for a moment before pressing his lips into a thin line.

“Yujun’s right, father… His and Ayden’s skills would increase not only dad’s and Hunter’s safety but probably the Martells and Sungho’s as well…” He eventually said, looking over at Leehan. When their father didn’t say anything, Baekseung looked back over at Yujun, and after a few more seconds of silence had passed, he gave the younger a nod. “I’ll let you join dad and Sungho in the Riverlands… You and Ayden will travel with Minho’s men down south, but I won’t allow you to go off on your own, understood? And once you’ve made sure our brother is safe, you come back home!” Baekseung said, and Yujun nodded.

“You have my word, brother!” Yujun replied, giving Baekseung a small bow with his head before turning to leave and start packing what they would need on their journey down south.
But when he passed by Ayden, the blond gave him a stern look, tilting his head to the side and raising an eyebrow. Yujun knew pretty much immediately what the elder meant, and so he let out a sigh before turning back to look at his father, who was still seated in his chair. “I’m sorry, father… but I only wish for our family to be safe, all of us!”

“I know, my sweet boy, I know…” Leehan answered, giving Yujun a sad smile. “Just make sure you come back home as soon as possible, okay?”

“I promise!” Yujun assured Leehan before eventually leaving the great hall with Ayden in tow. Leehan wanted, for a brief second, to just yell at Baekseung for letting Yujun go, but he knew he shouldn’t, so he stayed quiet.

“I had to let him go, father… You know I did…” Baekseung eventually said once Yujun and Ayden had left, “They know what they’re doing, and it’s true that Yujun’s a really good fighter! Whatever he did and whatever he learned when he was in Essos was something exceptional, and it will be of good use to dad, I’m sure of it!”

“He will,” Leehan answered. “It just pains me to see him leave so soon after getting him back…” He added, which prompted Baekseung to reach out his hand across the table and place it on top of his father’s.

“He’ll come back. He promised he would, and I can assure you that I’ll whip his ass if he doesn’t!” Baekseung said, letting out a small chuckle, which also made his father smile a little.

“Not so sure that you’ll be able to do that now since he’s become such a good fighter, but I would like to see you try,” Leehan chuckled, and this actually made the rest of them do the same, including Baekseung himself.

- - - -

“There it is, the Blackwater Rush,” Sungho said as they rode up the last hillside and finally got to see the infamous river that ran all the way from the mountains in the west to King’s Landing itself in the east, ending when the water entered Blackwater Bay.

“It’s smaller than I thought it would be,” Taesan chuckled. “The Trident has to be wider, right?”

“Where it ends in the Bay of Crabs, yes, but the Blackwater Rush is much wider closer to King’s Landing as well,” Sungho explained. Taesan just nodded before looking both east and west, following both directions of the river before spurring on his horse to start moving again.

“We better cross it before nightfall. I’ve had enough of the Riverlands and its weather already,” He said, earning a laugh from Sungho.

“After you, Your Grace,” Sungho said, gesturing for Taesan to go first. The younger just shook his head but did as Sungho said, riding down the hill before the former knight and toward the bridge crossing over the river. There were both soldiers and guards in front of them, as it would be incredibly stupid to send the king over first, but it didn’t seem like the few people who were around cared much about them and just moved out of the way to continue their own things. It did take some time to get the whole army to cross the bridge, concentrating that it was actually quite narrow and not really meant for these many people to cross it at once, but once the whole army had made it across and over into the Reach, they stopped and set up camp for the night. However, unbeknownst to them, two men were watching the army from across the river, on the north side, meaning that the two were still in the Riverlands.

“Prepare the men; we attack before sunrise…” One of the two men said, and the other bowed his head.

“Yes, my lord,” He answered before mounting his horse and setting off following the Gold Road eastward. The other man remained where he was, just watching the northern army as they secured the surrounding areas around their camp.

“See you at dawn, Your Grace,” The man said mockingly out into the air, the words obviously meant for Taesan even if no one was around to hear them. He smirked before eventually starting to walk in the same direction as the other man had left earlier, and he looked forward to finally getting the chance to pluck the crown from the northern king himself, something he’d wanted ever since said king’s son had stolen his own…

Chapter Text

“M… my prince…? You’re back already?” Seeun couldn’t help but roll his eyes at the guard’s surprised expression as they made their way down from the ship once it had docked in the harbor at Sunspear. What surprised Seeun, however, was how untouched and unbothered the city seemed to be. He’d feared that the city would at least have taken up arms and placed soldiers around to prevent eventual attacks, but it didn’t even seem as though anyone had tried to attack them… not yet, at least.

“Where’s my father?” Seeun demanded to know, completely disregarding the guard’s question. He walked slowly in order for Hunter to keep up, as the younger had insisted on walking on his own, and Aianna walked behind them at the same slow pace.

“The king is in the castle, my prince, but I was informed that we wouldn’t be receiving you until much lat-“

“We chose to cut the trip short,” Seeun interrupted the man before simply walking past him. They eventually made their way to the castle, and Hunter chose to return to his and Seeun’s own chambers with Aianna in two while Seeun himself went to speak with his father. The Martell prince found his father not inside the castle but rather outside it, standing on his balcony, which led down into the gardens below. “Why didn’t you tell me that Dorne was in danger?” The question didn’t seem to surprise Jongseob, nor did Seeun’s presence back in Sunspear, meaning Jongseob had either just been informed about it or suspected that his son would return sooner rather than later.

“You focusing on your husband and future family is more important than worrying over potential attacks happening far from here,” Jongseob answered.

“You think I wouldn’t notice or care about my people being in danger?” Seeun felt the irritation grow inside him over how carelessly his father seemed to have dealt with this matter, not telling him about it nor having down and securing measures around the castle.

“I know that you care, which is why I didn’t tell you!” Jongseob said, finally turning around to face his son. “I know you, Seeun! You care too much, and you would have wanted to make sure the Dornish border was safe without even discussing the matter with me first, storming off in the name of your people and putting yourself at risk… You are my only heir! I cannot risk your life by letting you go out into danger!”

“No? Then why let me go to King’s Landing then? One of the most dangerous places in all of Westeros!” Seeun yelled back.

“Because we weren’t at war then!” Jongseob seldom yelled, nor did Seeun either, especially not at each other, but as they were both pressured by the current situation, some heated emotions were bound to slip out. “And it was your persistent nagging that convinced me to let you go there, and you didn’t go there to fight!”

“So instead, you withhold potentially life-threatening information from me and send me away to some distant island just to wait it all out? What sort of message does that send to our people? That their prince and future king won’t fight for them, but that they are expected to fight for him?” Seeun asked.

“The people, our people, would want to have a future king and not be drawn into the mess that most of the other kingdoms are in. We’re still our own kingdom, just like the North is, and I want it to stay that way, and our people do too! They don’t view securing your future as cowardness; they see it as a necessary precaution to secure theirs as well,” Jongseob sighed. Seeun remained silent after that, just watching his father as Jongseob walked across the room to a table, from which he picked up two cups before handing one to Seeun. “Lady Redwyne, among others, sent their own soldiers to join ours long before I even told you to leave… They’ve managed to push back the invading army out of the Prince’s Pass and have secured the border once again, but I had to be sure they were able to, which is why I didn’t want you to stay here in case they weren’t able to…” Jongseob continued to explain while taking a sip of his drink.

“Were the Starks among those other houses that sent men to help like they promised they would?” Seeun asked, finally starting to understand and forgive his father for not telling him.

“The Starks, together with most of their other noble houses from the North, have made it into the Riverlands and will be entering into the Reach any day now, if not already. They will take care of the rest of the army which attacked Dorne and stop them from returning back to wherever they now came from…” Jongseob said.

“Who are they even? That army?”

“I don’t know…”

“How can we not know? If they’ve managed to make this much fuss, they have to belong to a great house, if not several, or it’s that Bolton king wanting to take over all of Westeros! I never heard them outright talk about conquering all of Westeros, but it wouldn’t surprise me if they tried!” Seeun said. He placed the cup Jongseob had given him back down on the table without drinking anything before facing his father properly.

“It doesn’t matter anymore, Seeun. We’ve already dealt with them, and even if it were Kane Bolton who was behind it, he would understand when he’s been defeated,” Jongseob placed down his own cup beside Seeun’s while talking, and then he also turned to face his son, gently placing a hand on the younger’s shoulder. “Though I would say that he’s smart enough not to try in the first place, knowing the consequences it could have,”

“One of those consequences could be him winning, and I hope you’ve at least considered that too…” Seeun muttered, moving his shoulder away, which resulted in Jongseob removing his hand from it before allowing his son to back away from him.

“He won’t take Dorne… because he can’t, just like he won’t be able to take the North, and he knows that. We’ve managed to get strong enough through our alliance, through your and Hunter’s marriage, that he would have to sacrifice such a large number of men in order to stop us that it wouldn’t be worth it in the end,” Jongseob walked back to his previous stop by the balcony railing when Seeun didn’t give him any answer. Instead, the Martell prince just stood silent for a while before deciding to leave his father alone again, but before he did, he made sure Jongseob heard his final statement.

“Kane Bolton may not be able to defeat Dorne or the North, but he can still do immense damage out on the open fields, which is where you and Taesan have now sent your most valuable resources: your armies…!”

- - - -

Taesan awoke only to find that it looked to still be dark outside the tent, which surprised him as he usually didn’t wake up before sunrise, at least not of his own accord. At first, he thought it might have been Sungho who’d moved beside him, but when he turned to look, he found the elder still asleep and with enough distance between them that he couldn’t have been moving enough to wake Taesan up, so then his mind went to whether or not one of the guards outside had made some sort of sound, prompting him to listen more carefully. But after having stayed quiet for some time and hearing no sounds coming from outside, he just laid his head back down and tried to fall asleep again. Enough time passed that he’d almost fallen back asleep when he heard a rather concerning sound coming from outside: the sound of a horn blowing… but it wasn’t the sound of any horn he recognized, and once that realization hit him, he sat up immediately.

“Taesan…?” Sungho murmured sleepily from the side, but Taesan didn’t answer him and instead stood up from the bed. “What’s wrong?” Sungho then asked, sitting up as well as he watched the king make his way past the curtain separating the two rooms within the tent. Taesan’s behavior worried Sungho, prompting him to follow the younger out, finding him by the opening to the tent, just staring out into the still-dark surroundings. “What is it, Taesan?” Sungho questioned for a third time, but before Taesan could give him an answer, the same horn was blown again, only this time, much closer.

“Get your sword!” Taesan said, but Sungho was already on his way to do just that, even without Taesan having to tell him. The king followed him inside as well, quickly pulling his outer coat over his head and tying his boots before picking up his own sword.

“Your Grace!” A man appeared in the opening of the tent, looking way more concerned than Taesan would have liked him to be. “There’s an army approaching from the east!” The man quickly added, prompting Taesan and Sungho to share a look before storming out of the tent.

“Wake the men up! Get into position, now!” Taesan yelled, picking up a shield from one of the stands nearby and handing one to Sungho as well. It didn’t take long before the whole camp was awake and running around, trying to get into position and understand what was actually happening. From where Taesan and Sungho were right now, they couldn’t see much, forcing them to run past all the tents until they could see more clearly, and what they saw made the hair on the back of Taesan’s neck stand up.

“Form a line!”

“Archers, get ready!” Their officers’ voices could be heard from both directions, ordering their men to get ready for the approaching army.

“You need to leave…” Sungho said, watching as what looked to be hundreds, if not thousands, of soldiers approached them from the east…

“I’m not abandoning my army!” Taesan argued, gripping his sword a little tighter. Many of their own soldiers were also getting into formation around them, preparing to defend themselves as well as their king, but due to the poor visibility and the sudden attack seemingly coming out of nowhere, they weren’t as prepared or organized as they would have been during the day.

“You’re their king, not a damn infantryman! Leave, now!” Sungho insisted, but before Taesan could argue any further with him, the sound of men screaming and yelling out in pain came from behind them, prompting them both to turn around. There, among their own soldiers and tents, came a few dozen men clad in all black clothing, striking down every and all soldiers who came their way. They were, thankfully, outnumbered quite easily once the Stark soldiers got to them. Still, the distraction had been enough to get their attention away from the actual army, which had now not only closed in on them but also fired off their own rounds of arrows. “Get down!” Sungho yelled, pushing Taesan to the side just in time to prevent him from being hit by one of those arrows.

“Come on!” Taesan yelled, standing back up and pulling Sungho with him before taking off back inside the camp. It was total chaos as they ran past the tents; several of both their own soldiers and the enemy ones already lay dead on the ground, with even more of them fighting each other, knocking over tents, stands, and each other as they did so.

“We need to get you away from here!” Sungho said, striking down a soldier coming in their direction. Taesan wanted to argue with him again, but a handful of other soldiers followed the first one, trying to swing their swords in their direction, though they ended up not being too much of a challenge for the very skilled Taesan and Sungho.

“I’m not leaving, Sungho! We need to fight back, not run!” Taesan finally answered, pulling his sword out of the soldier he’d just struck down.

“Yeah, we will! You shouldn’t be here risking your life!” Sungho yelled.

“Then neither should you!” Taesan snapped back. “Remember what you promised me? No playing the fucking hero and dying trying to save me!” Sungho took a few moments to answer.

“Fuck it, okay,” He finally said, grabbing Taesan’s wrist and pulling the younger with him in another direction, away from where the enemy soldiers had just come from, but they didn’t make it very far…

“Your Grace… It’s an honor to meet you finally,” Taesan and Sungho halted their steps as they came face-to-face with a man neither of them had seen before; though there was something about his face that reminded Taesan of someone else, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it… The man wasn’t alone, however, as he had several soldiers standing with him, but so did Taesan and Sungho, as many of the Stark men had followed their king just as they were supposed to.

“And who are you?” Taesan asked, clenching his jaw as he watched the man clean of blood from his sword, blood undoubtedly coming from one of Taesan’s soldiers.

“I thought you would at least have heard of me, considering that our sons have been married for over a year already…” The man answered, and then it clicked for Taesan… He realized who the man reminded him of, and that sent another chill running down his back. This was also the very moment the northern king realized that they’d walked right into an ambush…

“Lord Tarth…”

Chapter Text

By now, the enemy soldiers had managed to shoot burning arrows into the camp, resulting in fire catching on the trampled tents and lighting up the area. The distant clang of steel hitting steel rang through the camp, followed by screams of pain and loud thuds. The Tarth soldiers had now stormed the camp, running over unprepared Stark men and causing even further chaos to break out. Some of the Stark soldiers were still only half-armored, wielding whatever weapons they could find, while others were cut down before they could even stand. Despite their assigned lookouts, the Stark army had been ambushed without even expecting it…

“Hold the line!” Taesan yelled, his voice cutting through the air. “We fight! We do not yield!” More of his own men had placed themselves in between their king and Lord Tarth, but Taesan could still see the man… Taesan had been separated from Sungho in the middle of all the soldiers running around, and he felt panic rise inside him as he could no longer see the former knight! “Sungho!?” He yelled out, but he got no response…

“Your Grace, we need to get you away from here!” One of Taesan’s guards said, trying to pull his king with him, but Taesan wouldn’t budge.

“No! Find Sungho! That’s an order!” The king snapped, managing to duck just in time not to get hit by an arrow flying past his head. However, the arrow struck the guard in the chest, sending the man falling backward. Taesan knew it was too late to do anything for the man as the arrow had hit him in such a critical place, but it still pained him to see one of his own guards die right before him. Another arrow flew past his head, bringing Taesan back out of his little trans, and then, he looked over his shoulder to see Sungho come running in his direction.

“Protect your king!” The former knight yelled, leaping over the already fallen soldiers on the ground before reaching Taesan. He pushed the younger harshly to get him to move, but Taesan couldn’t have cared less about the treatment right now.

“Sungho, thank the gods!” Taesan let out a sigh, but there wasn’t much more time for anything else as Sungho just kept pushing him further away.

“Come on, Taesan. Move!” They began running; in what direction, Taesan wasn’t really sure anymore, but there seemed to be less fighting going on in this direction, so that was good enough for him. However, it seemed as though they were not the only ones who’d thought the same as they came face to face with Lord Tarth again. This made them stop dead in their tracks again, seeing as the lord hard several of his soldiers still surrounding him while Taesan and Sungho were pretty much on their own, spare from a handful of Stark soldiers. Lord Tarth didn’t say anything and just gestured for his men to attack, and so they did. Sungho pushed Taesan back, placing himself in between his king and the incoming soldiers, but so did the other Stark men as well. They’d sworn to fight and die for their king, so that’s what they were going to do! It didn’t take long, however, before Taesan himself had to fight as well, seeing as Lord Tarth’s soldiers outnumbered his own, and this caused him to miss when the lord himself joined the fight…

“So you’re the infamous knight sworn in by the old king, huh? Sungho Reed, is it?” Lord Tarth chuckled as he swung his sword toward Sungho. Sungho didn’t give him the satisfaction of getting an answer and instead just swung his own sword toward the man, missing him by mere inches, only to have to block another blow coming from another soldier on his side.

“You fight well,” Lord Tarth chuckled, his voice sounding way more amused than a sane human would in this kind of situation. “But not well enough,” He added, swinging his sword through the air before managing to cut Sungho over the thigh. It wasn’t a significant wound and far from life-threatening, but it still hurt like hell! Despite this, he managed to strike down the other soldier before returning his full focus to the lord.

“You know nothing of how I fight!” Sungho growled through his teeth, moving swiftly to the side before striking the lord over the arm, prompting the other to take a few steps back. This seemed to anger the lord more than anything, and with the help of two more of his soldiers, he attacked Sungho again, striking his shield multiple times and eventually sending him stumbling back toward the Blackwater Rush’s edge. The river was now churned with the bodies of the fallen from both sides and even though it was still somewhat dark, Sungho swore the water had changed color… Not to mention the scent of iron that filled his lungs.

“Is this how you want to die? For a king who won’t even fight for you?!” Sungho knew that the lord was just trying to get into his head because he knew Taesan would never just leave him there! And for better or worse, he would soon be proven right and Lord Tarth wrong…
The two charged toward each other again, swords echoing loudly as they crashed together. Lord Tarth and his two soldiers tried to strike Sungho from different directions, but Sungho was faster, striking at a gap in the lord’s armor, wounding him more severely than the lord had wounded him. This gave Sungho enough time to deal with the other two soldiers, though before he could finish the second one off, Lord Tarth came charging toward him again, sword in the air and ready to bring it down over Sungho’s head. The former knight could do nothing but brace for impact, knowing that this blow was certainly something he wouldn’t survive… but… the blow never came… instead, the sound of steel crashing into steel echoed loudly once again.

“Taesan!?” Sungho was both relieved and concerned to see the younger, who was now looking way less clean, with blood running down from several cuts in his clothing, but judging by how well he fought off the lord, Sungho figured that the wounds couldn’t be that serious despite how many they were…

“Get up, Sungho!” Taesan yelled over his shoulder, and it was only then that Sungho realized that he was no longer standing up. The pain in his thigh made it clear that his leg had given way from under him, and he felt the warmth of his own blood spill down his thigh. He pressed the palm of his hand down over the wound, seeing as it was now bleeding worse than before, but the pain that followed made his leg buckle even further. Sungho tried to stand up, but his body wouldn’t obey. All he could do was watch as Taesan, his king, continued to fight off Lord Tarth alone.

“At last, Your Grace,” Sungho heard Lord Tarth chuckle mockingly. Sungho didn’t hear Taesan say anything back, and instead, the sound of the Stark king’s sword rang as it met Lord Tarth’s, sending sparks flying in the dark night. The force of the impact sent both men staggering, but Taesan did not yield. He closed the distance between them with a few quick steps, striking at the lord, only for their swords to crash together again. But Taesan, due to all the small wounds he’d already received and not properly armored, moved slower than he usually did and was open to further injuries, unlike Lord Tarth, who wore full armor. And Lord Tarth, the evil yet smart man he was, saw this weakness. He forced the king back, blow after blow until Taesan’s footing faltered for a single heartbeat. And it was all Lord Tarth needed… A single misstep. A heartbeat too slow.

“No!” The scream Sungho let out sounded so distant, as if Taesan was nowhere near him… maybe it was because he’d been so focused on the fight that he’d not noticed that they’d moved away from him, or maybe it was due to the pain now spreading through him… He felt it before he saw it. Lord Tarth’s sword plunged into his abdomen. The pain was blinding, nothing like anything he’d felt before… It was as if the world blurred around him, and while gasping for air, he looked down at the blade buried in him. He felt what must have been blood in his mouth, slowly spreading over his lips. And yet, he was not going to give up! He tightened his grip on his own sword, and with the last of his strength, he drove his own blade into Lord Tarth’s chest. The sword pierced through the armor like it was nothing, through the lord’s body, and all the way out of his back. The smug and triumphed smile Lord Tarth had had on his face disappeared quickly, turning into one of disbelief and pain; all the while, Taesan bared his teeth in a bloody grin.

“You were never meant to win! You’re just a sheep!” Taesan spat, sending blood flying from his mouth as he did. Lord Tarth just let out a strangled sound, staggering backward, letting go of his sword still buried in Taesan’s abdomen while the king pulled his own out of the lord’s chest. Lord Tarth managed to take a step backward, then another, and another. Then, finally, he fell to the blood-soaked ground. “Leave one wolf alive, and the sheep are never safe…” Taesan managed to mutter. The Stark army, seeing their king victorious despite his mortal wound, let out a cry of rage and sorrow. They fought harder, their despair turning to vengeance. Lord Tarth’s forces, now leaderless, wavered. One by one, they were cut down or sent fleeing into the night. Eventually, the battle was won; the Starks had won, but not without suffering a great loss of their own…

“Taesan…!” Sungho managed to stagger his way over to the younger just in time to catch him as Taesan’s legs gave out from under him, forcing them both to kneel on the ground. Before Sungho could stop him, Taesan pulled Lord Tarth’s sword out of his stomach, making Sungho desperately press his against the wound despite how much they shook, yet it was all just in vain… but he wasn’t going to admit that! No! He couldn’t! “You’ll be fine,” Sungho whispered, more to himself than to Taesan. “You’ll live; you have to!”

“Sungho…” Taesan murmured, his now bloody fingers curled into Sungho’s shirt, grip trembling. “Listen to me,” he rasped. “You need to be there for them… for Leehan…” Sungho shook his head, his vision now blurred with tears.

“No… I… I can’t… You have to!” Sungho sobbed. “You have to stay, please!” But Taesan’s strength was leaving him; they both knew that, regardless of what they wanted. He looked past Sungho… Over the battlefield, which was littered with bodies and several pillars of smoke still rising toward the sky, and there, he watched as the sun finally began to rise over the treetops in the distance. Sungho desperately held Taesan closer to himself, trying not to move him too much as that would only cause him to bleed out faster.

“Watch over them for me… and I’ll watch over your son…” Taesan said weakly, moving his bloody hand from where he’d been gripping Sungho’s shirt and up to the elder’s cheek. He gave him an even weaker smile before finally letting go. Sungho felt him go limp in his arms, hand falling from his face and down onto the ground, still covered in his own blood. Only silence followed. For a long time, everyone just stood still around them. Watching as their king lay dead, and they hadn’t been able to save him… Sungho clenched his fist, tears running down his cheeks as he held Taesan.

“I’m sorry I failed you…” He mumbled against Taesan’s forehead. He didn’t care about the soldiers around them or if they’d won or not because he had failed… He’d failed to keep his king alive… but so had they… Slowly, one by one, the soldiers began to kneel around them, placing their weapons on the ground and lowering their heads to honor their fallen king. And then, despite them being far too south for it even being possible, it started to snow… Tiny, white snowflakes fell down, landing on the bloodied ground and the soldiers around them. And finally, Sungho raised his head just in time to see them land in Taesan’s dark hair, staying perfectly still. The North had followed them here, and it had come to bid farewell to their king… The King in the North…

Chapter Text

It had snowed for several days in a row now, despite it barely being autumn yet, and even if heavy snowfalls weren’t something unusual in the North, this amount at this time of year was very unusual. Even Yujun found it somewhat strange, but he had to put more thought into them getting through the snow rather than why there was so much of it as they made their way down from Winterfell.

“This can’t be normal, right?” Ayden sighed, shaking his body the best he could while still sitting in the saddle, trying to get at least some of the snow off himself. They were riding a bit behind the rest of the men heading down from Winterfell, just so they wouldn’t have to have Minho’s watchful eyes over them all the time. Don’t get him wrong, Yujun actually appreciated that the other king cared enough for them that he himself had decided to join his soldiers, but Yujun didn’t think that he and Ayden needed a babysitter considering that they were both adults now, even if Leehan worried for all his sons all the time.

“No, but winter is coming, I guess,” Yujun chuckled. “Though I would say that my house’s words are pretty useless now since the white walkers are already gone, but the phrase is still fun to use, especially in cases like this,” He added. He’d never been one for caring much for any houses’ words, and the Starks’ words, winter is coming, didn’t really have the same meaning to them anymore, but at least they could be used as amusement when the actual winter was actually making its arrival known at a scale like this.

“Well, I think you should tell your winter that it’s a bit too early…” Ayden answered, shaking off even more snow while trying to get his horse not to go off-road and down into even deeper snow than the one they were already trying to get through. Yujun laughed at the other’s minor struggles. He found it a little amusing to see Ayden deal with something he was so used to. “Is there no other way down? One with trees overhead, maybe? So there wouldn’t be this much snow on the w…” Ayden trailed off mid-sentence and just stared at something in front of them, prompting Yujun to turn his head to look in that direction again, as he’d turned around a few moments before just to laugh at Ayden’s struggle with the snow. But now, as he was looking straight forward again, he found a man standing on the road, on the already trampled up snow but still in their way, and at first, this worried Yujun, prompting him to reach for his sword only to realize that he recognized the man due to his silver eyes…

“Valar Morghulis,” Yujun said, giving the man a small nod.

“Valar Dohaeris,” The man answered, silver eyes watching the two young men who’d now stopped before him. Ayden tensed up, probably fearing that the silver-eyed man was one of the Faceless Men from Braavos, but Yujun raised his hand, gesturing for him to stand down. “Leaving home so soon already?” The silver-eyed man asked.

“Only temporarily…” Yujun answered.

“Nothing’s ever only temporary, I’m afraid-“

“What brings you here, Taemin?” Yujun interrupted the silver-eyed man, prompting him to raise an eyebrow at the prince.

“I see that your time in Braavos has taken a toll on your princely manners,” Taemin chuckled.

“Why does it matter to you?” Yujun sighed. “Just tell us what you want. We need to keep up with the others, which I assume you already know,” Taemin suddenly looked quite concerned, taking a bit too long to answer Yujun’s question and just watching the two in silence.

“Perhaps it would be better if you two return to Winterfell… Most of the fighting is already over, and the enemy’s army never reached Sunspear, so your brother is safe,” Taemin eventually said, but it felt like he left out parts of what had happened, though Yujun wasn’t going to question him about that right now seeing as no one never seemed to fully understand Taemin and his way of speaking.

“We’ll return with dad and the rest of the northern army after making sure Hunter is fine for ourselves,” Yujun said, lightly nudging his horse in the side with his heel to make it start walking again. He rode past the silver-eyed, who looked like he wanted to argue with the prince but chose not to. Ayden followed Yujun, eyeing Taemin as he rode past him as well.

“Prince Ayden Baratheon. Didn’t think I’d ever see you on this side of the Narrow Sea,” Taemin said once his eerie eyes moved from Yujun to Ayden. Ayden’s eyes widened at the mention of his full name. No one had ever recognized him before, not even the Faceless Men, at least to his knowledge, and yet, here was this strange man with strange eyes, and all he had to do was look at Ayden for a couple of minutes to figure out who he was.

“You don’t need to worry about him, Ayden. Taemin’s not dangerous; he’s just… odd. And he always seems to know everything about everyone; it’s just how he is,” Yujun assured Ayden, sensing that the other would be concerned about who Taemin was since he’d probably not met him before. And Yujun himself had long since come to terms with Taemin’s strange behavior. Ayden was still a little unsure about the silver-eyed man, but as they were riding away from him now, he chose not to care about it. Taemin watched them as they rode away, following the wildling northern army. This was the first time in a very long time that he’d hesitated in telling someone something they needed to know, and it didn’t sit right with him… Hesitating wasn’t his thing… and yet… he couldn’t bring himself to tell the prince of his dad’s passing…

- - - -

“There was not enough time, my king… They were set upon during the night just south of the Blackwater Rush… They didn’t even reach the Prince’s Pass…” Seeun heard one of his father’s councilmen stop talking as soon as he entered the room. He looked between the man and his father, realizing quite quickly that something serious had happened…

“Who?” Seeun asked, walking closer until he was standing beside the two. “Who didn’t reach the Prince’s Pass?” neither the councilman nor Jongseob said anything for quite some time, just looking at their feet before Jongseob eventually looked up to meet his son’s eyes.

“There’s something I need to tell you…” He said slowly while gently pulling Seeun to sit down. The councilman bowed his head at the two before leaving the room and closing the door.

“What…? What’s happened?” Seeun asked, now getting more concerned by the second.

“It’s about Hunter’s dad…”

- - - -

“Come on, you can do it!” Keum said cheerfully, holding his hands out toward Jaeho. The little boy took a few staggering steps before stopping, swaying a bit back and forth before losing his balance and sitting back down. “Oh, sweety,” Keum chuckled before taking a few steps forward to pick up Jaeho again. He placed the boy back on his own two feet, let him balance enough to stand on his own, and then he let go and back away again. “Alright, try again,” He reached out his hands again, but before Jaeho could do anything, the door opened behind Keum.

“Dada!” Jaeho said, reaching out for Baekseung and taking some staggering steps forward. He was about to lose his balance again, but Baekseung quickly caught him and picked him up.

“Wow, look at you! You’re getting really good!” Baekseung chuckled, smiling as he watched his son look really proud despite not really understanding what his dad had meant; the tone of his voice was enough for Jaeho to know that he’d done something good. “He’ll be a real pain once he learns how to run,” Baekseung said after placing Jaeho back down and watching the boy crawl back to Yewang, who was playing with some of their toys further inside the room.

“Most likely,” Keum chuckled. Baekseung pulled him into a quick hug, and they shared a kiss before turning their attention back to the two little boys on the floor.

“Gyuvin returned home for some time, so I might actually get some time off now,” Baekseung explained as they sat down.

“That’s good,” Keum nodded. “Perhaps we could take them out for some playtime in the snow then,” He added, gesturing toward Yewang and Jaeho. Baekseung thought that sounded like a great idea, so they dressed the two boys properly for the cold weather outside before putting on their own coats. They took them out to the bigger courtyard, the one by the gates and the stables, and placed them down so they could walk around on their own. Or, at least Yewang walked around. Jaeho did try, but then he found it a bit too problematic due to the snow on the ground, so he just sat down instead.

“Looks like we have some time left before he runs around, though,” Baekseung chuckled. They stayed outside for some time, even being joined by Kalea, who made her way out of the Godswood and decided to lay down next to Yewang and Jaeho, letting the two play with her and keep their tiny hands warm in her thick fur. Woonhak joined them as well, which wasn’t unusual as he was Baekseung and Keum’s assigned guard. And the three adults talked a bit while Yewang and Jaeho played.

“Papa, look!” Jaeho’s sudden raised voice made all three of them turn to look at what the boy meant, only to have to look up, as that was where Jaeho was pointing, and what they saw made a chill run down their backs… a white raven…

- - - -

“We can’t tell Hunter! Not now…” Seeun clenched his teeth while walking back and forth.

“He has a right to know, Seeun…” Jongseob tried to say, but Seeun interrupted him.

“Yeah? Like the right he should have had as soon as another one of his brothers died? You didn’t tell us about the war nor about Sumin’s passing, and you just sent us away, and now Taesan’s dead, too! He won’t be able to handle all that at once! Hunter might be strong, but that’s two of his family members at once! And I’m not risking our unborn child’s well-being by putting Hunter in that situation!” Seeun yelled. He knew it wasn’t fair… to keep such information from his husband, but Hunter was having problems with the pregnancy enough as it was, so telling him about his brother’s and dad’s passing now would only make it worse…

“I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you about Sumin earlier, but you were both doing so well, and I know that emotional stress isn’t good for him, but this is the king’s death we’re talking about! Hunter will learn it sooner rather than later, and then it would be better if it came from either you or me than some random guard or worker in the castle…” Jongseob answered with a much calmer voice despite his own emotions right now.

“If we tell him now, he might lose the baby, so no! We have to wait…” Seeun argued. “It won’t be that long before it comes anyways, so I’ll just have to keep him away from other people for the time being, and you need to tell your people not to speak of this to anyone!” Jongseob sighed as his son eventually stopped walking back and forth and instead left the room altogether. Jongseob remained where he stood until the same councilman as before entered again.

“My king? What is to be done now?” The man asked, waiting for Jongseob to answer.

“Tell no one of what the letter said…” Jongseob said after a while. “Let my son and his husband have their child before telling anyone of King Taesan’s passing… I don’t want to cause even more problems than what this all will eventually bring, regardless of what we do…”

Chapter Text

Leehan sat at the table inside the great hall. The flames in the hearth burned low, casting flickering shadows against the stone walls, but it was as if the fire didn’t provide any warmth to the castle whatsoever… Doyoung stood at his side, mostly providing the younger with some company other than anything, but he was also there because Leehan had just finished a meeting with one of the minor lords of the North over some petty farmlands that had been snowed over so thickly that they couldn’t be used right now. The hall was silent until the doors burst open, prompting them both to look up.

“A white raven!” Baekseung exclaimed as he came running inside, his breathless words echoing through the hall. Leehan stiffened at his son’s words, and Doyoung’s expression changed from calm to concerned. A white raven… Before either of them could respond, however, the doors on the side opened, revealing the maester. The old man’s expression was solemn, and he carried a small letter in his hands.

“Your Grace,” The maester’s eyes met Leehan’s as he spoke. “A letter from the Blackwater Rush,” He continued, reaching out his hand toward Leehan to give him the letter, but Leehan, still thinking of what Baekseung had just said about the color of the bird, couldn’t bring himself even to take the letter, already fearing what it might contain. Doyoung took the letter instead before slowly unrolling it. His eyes skimmed over the words in the letter and he froze as he read a certain part of it.

“What does it say?” Baekseung questioned. He was also worried, but he couldn’t bear just standing there in silence while Doyoung read the letter.

“The king… he’s…” Doyoung tried to get the words out, but he couldn’t bring himself to say it out loud. Leehan, who could no longer stand not knowing what the letter said, took it from the knight’s hands and let his eyes go over the letters written in dark ink. But once he got to the same part that Doyoung had reacted to earlier, his breath caught. His stomach twisted, and the words blurred before his eyes…

“Father?” Baekseung’s voice sounded so distant, and Leehan’s fingers tightened around the letter, crumpling it slightly at the edges. Taesan was gone… The words seemed to burn themselves into his mind, yet he didn’t want to believe it… He tried to breathe, but it felt like there was no air left in the room, and the only thing he could do was let the tears start falling down his face. Baekseung took the letter from his father’s hands as Leehan still didn’t answer him, and it didn’t take long until his own eyes started to fill up with tears. “No… this cannot be true…” Baekseung said, voice breaking. “It can’t be… dad can’t be…” Leehan still couldn’t speak. His body felt frozen and unresponsive as if he no longer was in control of it. Baekseung shook his head, his face twisting in desperation. “There must have been some mistake…” He insisted, turning to face the maester, looking at him with pleading eyes. “Tell me they made a mistake!”

“I’m sorry, my prince…” The maester said, tilting his head downward. Silence followed for a long time, and no one moved until Leehan tried to stand up from his chair, but his knees buckled beneath him as soon as he did. Doyoung managed to catch him before he could collapse, but Leehan didn’t even try to stand up… nothing felt worth it anymore… Not when Taesan was gone… Eventually, Baekseung basically just threw himself at Leehan, arms wrapping tightly around his father as they were both now kneeling on the floor. His sobs muffled against his father’s shoulder as he cried. At first, Leehan didn’t even react to Baekseung holding him, but after a while, he finally wrapped his own arms around his son tightly, his own tears falling silently into his son’s hair.

“Baekseung…?” Keum’s voice could be heard as he entered the hall, but neither Baekseung nor Leehan moved from where they sat, but judging by the scene before him and the arrival of the white raven, Keum figured out what the letter must have said… Leehan held Baekseung tightly, his arms around him as they were both crying. Baekseung’s breathing was uneven, his face buried against his father’s shoulder. He was still sobbing, and his body trembled. Leehan could feel the way his fingers clutched desperately to his shirt.

“Your Grace…” The maester said quietly. “I grieve this loss with you, but the North… it needs a king…” Baekseung went stiff at the maester’s words. Leehan’s own breath caught in his throat, his grip on Baekseung tightening instinctively. Not yet… Not now… He wanted to keep Baekseung there, where he was safe, and not let him take over the very role that had cost Taesan his life…But he still knew that the maester was right… So when Baekseung slowly started to pull away from him, he reluctantly let him. Baekseung’s eyes were still wet as he looked up at the maester, then at Doyoung, and finally Keum. They were all watching him, as were the guards standing by the doors. Their king had fallen… and now they waited for his son to take over…

“I don’t think I…” Baekseung swallowed thickly, his throat bobbing as he clenched his hands into fists. He shook his head. “I can’t…” His voice was rough with grief.

“The North is yours by right, Baekseung…” Doyoung said, his voice firm but not unkind. “The North depends on you now,” Baekseung let out a shaky breath, his eyes darting back to Leehan as if searching for something: reassurance, guidance, and maybe even an escape. But Leehan was far too out of it to give him any of it… His heart ached so badly, head filled with nothing but Taesan… He remembered when Taesan had been crowned the King in the North, kneeling before his brother, all the lords had sworn fealty to him, and it felt like it was only days ago that it happened… But now Taesan was no longer with them, and now Leehan had to watch their son take that same burden of being the king… the same one that had stolen Taesan from him…

“It shouldn’t be me…” Baekseung whispered, voice barely audible. “It wasn’t supposed to be me,” Then, finally, Leehan reached out, placing his hand on his son’s cheek. He didn’t say anything, and all Baekseung could really focus on was his father’s tears, but when Leehan eventually nodded slowly, somewhat assuring him that it would be alright, Baekseung exhaled shakingly. He looked down at his trembling hands as if trying to grasp the weight of what was being placed upon them. Then, with what little strength he had left, he straightened his back. “Okay… I’ll do it,” He said, voice a bit steadier now, though not yet really sounding like himself. He turned toward Doyoung, his jaw clenched tight.

“Then we must prepare for your coronation. We’ll need to send word to the bannermen-”

“No…” Baekseung interrupted him, prompting everyone to look at him again. “Not yet… Not before we bring my dad back home!” Leehan reached out to gently grab his son’s arm, looking at him, who, as so many times before, looked so much like Taesan right now. Not just his hair, which was a clear copy of the late king’s dark brown and blond streaked hair, but his whole being. He looked like a king! “I need to know that it’s really true before I can take over his role as king…” Baekseung said, giving his father a sad look and placing his own hand over Leehan’s before looking over at Doyoung again.

“Then we bring him home,” The knight said. “And we give the King in the North the burial he deserves!” Everyone around them nodded. The grief would never leave them, especially not the king’s own family. And the burden of ruling would now sit heavy on Baekseung’s shoulders, just as it had sat on his dad’ before him. But he would bear it. He would be a king Taesan would have been proud of!

- - - -

“Where is he?!” Seeun yelled as he ran down the corridor. He’d been in the city, helping his father check on all of their soldiers, who’d returned from the fighting in the Prince’s Pass the night before. However, one of the castle workers came rushing down to find him and inform him that his and Hunter’s baby was finally on the way, which was why Seeun was running down the corridor right now.

“In the maester’s chambers, my prince. They were closer than your own, and Prince Hunter didn’t want to go all the way back up there from the gardens,” Aianna answered. She’d come to meet Seeun and show him the right way since, as she’d said, Hunter wasn’t in their room. Seeun rushed past her, heading for the maester’s chambers, and once he reached them, he swung the door open without even knocking. He was worried, to say the least, but what he’d not been prepared for was being met by the sounds of a baby crying. At first, that, too, worried him, but then he spotted his husband sitting on the bed, smiling up at him, and with what he could only assume to be their baby in his arms.

“Sorry you missed it, but this little one was apparently very eager to finally enter this world,” Hunter giggled at Seeun’s dumbfounded face. It took the Martell prince a few more seconds to wrap his head around the scene in front of him, but once he did, a smile broke out on his lips as well.

“I’m so sorry! I tried to get here as quick as possible,” He said as he walked up to the bed, but Hunter just smiled at him.

“I’m fine, so don’t worry about me. It’s just a little sad that you missed his birth, I guess,” The younger answered. Seeun had to look over at the maester, who gave him an assuring nod before he sat down beside Hunter. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust his husband, but Hunter had the tendency to say that things were alright even if they weren’t, which was why Seeun wanted to check with the maester that everything had gone well, and it had. But as he sat down, he noticed another thing that he absolutely hadn’t been expecting.

“Oh, that’s… unusual,” Seeun let out a small chuckle as he saw the little baby’s fiery red hair. He’d never seen such a hair color on anyone else before; it didn’t match either his own dark hair or Hunter’s brown; it was not even the signature Targaryen blond that so many before them had had, Leehan and Jongseob included.

“I thought so, too,” Hunter chuckled. “But I think it’s cute,” He added, gently running his hand over the baby’s tiny head. “It makes him look unique,” ‘It makes him an easy target…’ was all Seeun could think about, but he chose not to ruin the moment by bringing up the unsafe world they were living in.

“It’s a boy, then,” Seeun said instead, prompting Hunter to look up at him.

“Obviously,” Hunter said. “There hasn’t been a girl born into our family for over two centuries,”

“Well, someone’s got to have the first one, so why not us?” Seeun chuckled. Hunter thought he heard Seeun continue by saying something about holding the baby, so he handed him over, but after that, Hunter just sat still, staring out into nothing. There was this feeling in the back of his mind, something itching to come forth, but struggled to do so… He had the urge to push it away and not let it take over, but then he decided against it and instead just embraced what he’d grown used to knowing was a vision. And once he did that, everything just burst out at once…

Chapter Text

The image of a little boy with blond hair sitting in front of a fireplace appeared before Hunter’s eyes. The boy was facing away from him and couldn’t be more than a young teenager. He seemed to be doing something, perhaps moving something around; Hunter couldn’t really tell since the boy’s body was in the way, prompting Hunter to take a few steps closer, only for his foot to knock against something lying on the floor. He looked down to see that it was just an empty chest, but apparently, the sound had been enough to catch the boy’s attention because when Hunter looked up again, he was met with violet eyes looking straight at him…

“Who’s there?” The boy questioned, seemingly not being able to see Hunter despite looking straight at him. This wasn’t unusual, seeing as whenever Hunter had a vision, none of the people in the visions were ever able to see him, but this was the first time he’d made a noise that the person he was seeing heard… When the boy didn’t see anyone in the room behind him, he eventually turned back to face the fireplace again, and now Hunter could see what it was that was in the fire… three eggs… dragon eggs. One white, one black, and one violet. And Hunter watched as the boy reached for the egg in the middle, the violet one, but as he placed both his hands on the egg, he slightly touched both of the other eggs as well, and as he did, Hunter saw a crack appear from the furthest side on the left of the left egg across all three eggs to the furthest side on the right one, seemingly splitting all three eggs in half. The boy drew a sharp breath as he pulled his hands back from the eggs, and then neither he nor Hunter could do anything but watch as the eggs cracked open more and more until the middle one split open completely, revealing a tiny violet baby dragon inside. The dragon looked up, its violet eyes matching not only the color of the egg it had hatched from but also the color of the boy’s eyes, and it let out a tiny sound. The egg on the right was the next to split open, revealing a dragon as black as night, followed by the third, a white dragon almost as white as snow. All three tiny dragons clumsily crawled out of their eggs and up into the boy’s lap. One, the violet one, crawled up onto his shoulder, the other, the black one, rested in the crook of his arm, and the last, the white one, sat right on his thighs, light-blue eyes looking right at the boy.

“One is ordinary; two are rare, but three… Three were never thought to be…”

- - - -

“We lost a significant number of men both in Dorne and in the Reach, Your Grace… It seems as though the soldiers in the Prince’s Pass barely even made it into Dorne, to begin with, and were easily pushed back, and we’ve just received reports that the Starks defeated Lord Tarth and his army at the Blackwater Rush…” Kane Bolton didn’t seem to be faced by what the councilman was telling him, prompting the old man to take a few steps closer to the king. “Your Grace…? We… uhm, we lost both battles…”

“Did we really, though?” Kane finally turned to face the other man, a smile on his lips while holding a tiny paper scroll in his hands. He waved the scroll in the air in front of the councilman a couple of times before tossing it to him. The man barely caught it in time, and while he struggled to open it, Kane started to walk away. “Taesan Stark is dead,” Kane said just as the councilman read the same in the letter. “Lord Tarth may have perished himself, but he at least achieved the goal I set out for him…” He chuckled, though the councilman looked quite confused.

“This was your plan all along…?” The man mumbled after a while, looking up from the letter and over at Kane, who was smirking.

“Indeed it was,” The king chuckled.

“So… the army in the Prince’s Pass…”

“It was nothing but a trap, luring the wolf out of its den, and it worked! He was so eager to prove himself and uphold what little alliance he’d managed to form that he completely disregarded the safety of his own men and himself… Which only further proved that he wasn’t a smart king,” Kane walked over to stand before the iron throne as he spoke. “The Targaryens believed themselves above everyone else, never having to worry about others since those wouldn’t stand a chance even if they tried, and it seems as though that belief stayed with their descendants despite the fact that the greatest power was lost to them long ago… the dragons…” Kane walked the final few steps up to the throne before sitting down on it. “The Targaryens ruled the world with their dragons, but now the dragons are gone, and so are the Targaryens… the poor excuse of descendants that the Starks and the Martells are will never reach the same glory as their ancestors did because they don’t have dragons… and without dragons, they are just like everyone else…”

- - - -

The image of the blond boy with the three dragons soon disappeared and was replaced by a burning pyre surrounded by frozen ground. Hunter immediately recognized it to be Winterfell, but that sent shivers running through his body as his whole family soon came into view. Well, almost his whole family. Yujun was missing, which didn’t surprise Hunter as his brother had left over a year ago, but what worried him was the fact that Yujun wasn’t the only one missing… His other brother, Sumin, was nowhere to be seen either, prompting Hunter to look around. As he did, he spotted the Umbers, Gyuvin, Ricky, and Jinsik, all standing there as well, and upon seeing Jinsik’s crying face, Hunter immediately knew whose funeral pyre it was that they were gathered around… it was Sumin’s…

“No… no… this can’t be…” Hunter mumbled to himself, walking past everyone standing around the pyre; not that they saw him anyway, but he still tried not to walk straight through them. He reached the pyre and fell to his knees in front of it, feeling the warmth of the fire spreading over his face as his tears started to fall. “Not you, too…” Hunter sobbed, reaching out his hand and placing it on one of the logs that wasn’t burning yet but the heat alone would have hurt any other person, but not Hunter…

“Son…?” Hunter turned around upon hearing his dad’s voice behind him, only to find that he was no longer kneeling on the frozen ground at Winterfell and instead on muddy, wet dirt beside a river. It was a place Hunter had never seen before, but he didn’t pay much attention to that as he spotted his dad standing in front of him.

“Dad…? You… you can see me?” Hunter questioned as he slowly stood up, no longer feeling the heat from the burning pyre he’d knelt by earlier and instead feeling the harsh winds blowing against the tears on his cheeks.

“Of course I can see you, my boy,” Taesan answered, reaching out his hand toward Hunter, who hesitated momentarily before reaching out his own hand to hold his dad’s. Much to his surprise, his hand didn’t go straight through him, as it usually did with every other person in his visions, and instead, he felt his dad’s warm hand against his palm. “I’m sorry about your brother… but there was nothing we could do…” Taesan continued, seemingly knowing that Hunter had just learned of Sumin’s death, but that wasn’t what bothered Hunter the most right now…

“How can you see me… no one ever sees me in my visions…” Hunter asked. “Or is it because you’re also having the same vision? Because you can do that, right?” He added, looking at his dad with wondering eyes.

“I used to be able to see some sorts of visions, yes, but this is not one of them…” Taesan answered. He looked unsure of what to say or do, constantly looking to his sides and acting quite uneasy.

“What is it then, dad? What’s wrong?” Hunter looked around as well, trying to see what it was that made his dad behave so strangely, but he couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary.

“I’m sorry, my boy… but I just wanted to see you one last time,” Taesan then said, prompting Hunter to look at him again.

“Wha… what do you mean?” Hunter started to feel uneasy now, seeing as his dad wasn’t really making any sense, and just gave him a sad smile.

“I’m sorry that I wasn’t there for you when you needed me, and I’m sorry for disregarding what you were going through… I didn’t understand what it meant, and it made me worried, but now I know…” Taesan said. “Now I know that you’re so much more important than you could ever imagine, but I’m sorry that it’s you who’ll have to go through this…”

“Dad, what? What do you mean? You’re not making any sense…” Hunter said, trying to figure out what the hell his dad was talking about, but Taesan just gripped his hands tighter.

“I know you’ve only ever wanted to be normal, but what you are and what you can do… it’s something remarkable! But I just wish I could take all your pain away…”

“Dad… wha-“

“You must know that everything happens for a reason and that we’re just a small part of it…” Taesan interrupted his son. “It’s unfair, I know… but you’re the only one, Hunter… The only one who can make it right!” As Taesan spoke, the surroundings and Taesan himself slowly started to change… The air around them became darker, and more and more cuts and wounds started to appear on Taesan’s body, not to mention the blood that started to seep out of those wounds…

“You’re hurt…” Was all Hunter could muster to say, but Taesan just gave him a weak smile.

“Don’t worry, son. It doesn’t hurt. It’s just that my time here is over, but yours is not! And I need you to be strong, not just for your brothers and father, but also for yourself…” Taesan trailed off a little as he spoke, seemingly getting more tired or strained by the numerous wounds on his body, but he still continued to talk. “I refused to let myself see it before, but now I know… Now I know that you’ll make everything alright again! You’ll be the one who makes sure that The Prince That Was Promised will bring the greatest power in the realm back again!” As soon as Taesan said those few last words, Hunter’s vision abruptly ended, bringing him back out of his own head and back next to Seeun, who was still holding their son like nothing had happened. And for Seeun, it hadn’t, nor had it for anyone else, but for Hunter, everything had changed…

“My dad is dead…” Hunter’s words made Seeun look up with a worried expression, and upon seeing the younger’s tear-filled eyes, he just knew that Hunter had just learned of everything he’d wanted to keep away from him for just a little time longer… all just so that Hunter wouldn’t have to suffer, but he knew now that there was probably never a way to keep Hunter from knowing…

Chapter Text

Yujun and Ayden had stopped for some much-needed rest when the Stark prince caught the sight of riders approaching. Their banners bore the direwolf of House Stark, but their faces were grim as if they carried a heavy burden. This made Yujun exchange a glance with Ayden, who immediately tensed beside him, both sensing that something was wrong… The Stark soldiers pulled their horses to a halt a few feet away, and one of them dismounted his horse. His expression was hard to read, but Yujun stepped forward nonetheless. The air was seemingly much colder now than before, as his breath was visible in the air in front of him.

“You’re heading back north?” Yujun asked, cutting straight to the point as he felt no need to drag anything out.

“Yes, my prince,” The man answered, his voice quite rough. “And I think that you should as well,” He added, which made Yujun frown.

“Why? What’s happened?” The men exchanged uneasy glances, and Yujun’s stomach tightened. Whatever they had come to say, they did not want to be the ones to deliver it, prompting Yujun’s patience to wear thin… “Speak!” He ordered. The soldier who’d spoken before exhaled, nodding once before meeting Yujun’s gaze.

“Your dad, His Grace… King Taesan… is dead…” He said. Yujun’s body froze up. There was no way that was right… He must have misheard the man…

“No,” Yujun mumbled, shaking his head. “That’s not possible. He—”

“It was an ambush,” The soldier interrupted him, voice firm. “We were attacked during the night, and our army barely had any time to prepare… Your dad… His Grace was… He fought well, as you’d expect, but there were too many, and he refused to fall back. By the time we all realized what was happening, it was already too late…” The silence hung heavy over Yujun like a crushing weight. The world around him blurred all the sounds around him, the distant voices, the sound of the horses and the soldiers, even the howling wind; all of it faded. He felt Ayden’s hand come to rest on his shoulder, but he barely registered the touch. His dad was gone… That was all he could think of… He let out a slow breath, forcing himself to stay steady.

“Where is he now?” He questioned after a while.

“The men retrieved his body and will carry him home to Winterfell, where he’ll be laid to rest in the crypts.” The man hesitated before adding, “Your presence is needed there, my prince. Your brother, Prince Baekseung—”

“No.” Yujun interrupted the man. The word came out sharper than he’d intended, cutting through whatever the man had been about to say. The other soldiers looked at him in surprise, and Ayden’s grip on his shoulder tightened.

“Yujun…” Ayden started, but Yujun shook him off.

“I’m not going back…” He said, his voice eerily calm. “Not yet,”

“Your family needs you…”

“My dad needed me!” Yujun snapped, his composure cracking for the first time, proving him eerily similar to his dad, which was something he’d never been before. “And I wasn’t there…” He drew a sharp breath, forcing himself to steady his shaking hands. “I should have been there with him… in the Riverlands. I was supposed to fight beside him. And now I learn he’s dead, and you expect me to just turn around and go home like some grieving child?” His jaw clenched. “No. I won’t. I can’t…”

“Yujun… you promised your father that you’d come back…” Ayden said, but Yujun barely heard him over the thumping in his head.

“Hunter might still be in danger out there somewhere in Dorne, and I can’t just leave him… These soldiers march home, but what of the men who remain? Because this can’t be all of you?!” The man shook his head at Yujun’s words. “So what of the allies my dad swore to protect? If I return to Winterfell now, what good does that do? What if the Martells still need our help, and you’re all just returning home!? If I don’t at least try to honor the oaths my dad swore, then I might as well have stayed behind from the start…”

“You think staying out here changes anything?” Ayden asked quietly, stepping closer.

“It changes everything!” Yujun said. “I won’t return until I see for myself what’s left of this war. Until I know my brother is safe. Until I know my dad didn’t die for nothing!” Ayden looked at Yujun’s face, then let out a sigh.

“Then I suppose I’m not returning either…” He said. Yujun’s lips twitched in the faintest hint of gratitude before he turned back to face the soldier again.

“Tell my brother that I’ll return when I’m ready,” He instructed. “And tell him to make sure that our dad’s resting place is well-prepared. I’ll see it myself and pay my respects when the time comes…” The man still looked troubled but gave a small nod.

“As you wish, my prince,” With that, Yujun mounted his horse again, gripping the reins tightly. His dad might be gone, but that didn’t mean Yujun was going to give up! Not yet…

- - - -

Leehan hadn’t said a word since learning of Taesan’s death. He’d spent pretty much all of his time in their shared chambers, just sitting on the bed surrounded by their things. But even so, he was the first one out of the doors when the horn sounded the return of their northern soldiers.

“Father…” Baekseung, followed by Keum, Doyoung, and Woonhak, followed Leehan out, and they were all met with the Stark soldiers and none other than Sungho…

“I’m sorry…” Sungho mumbled, tears starting to well up in his eyes again, but Leehan just ran up to him and hugged him tightly. And so Sungho couldn’t bring himself to do anything else but hug the younger back…

- - - -

The wind howled through the Godswood. The snow fell slowly around them, eventually landing on their dark clothing and in their hair. A great pyre had been built upon the otherwise cold and frozen ground, towering over the people gathered around it. Taesan’s body had been placed upon it, and his sword rested upon his chest, along with his crown. Leehan stood before the pyre; his hands clenched into fists at his sides. He was dressed in black, his cloak heavy with fresh snow, his boots sinking into the frost-hardened ground. His breath was clearly visible in the air, but he barely felt the cold. He only felt the loss and the pain of not having Taesan there anymore… His brother might not have been the greatest ruler or the best person, but to Leehan, he’d been all that and so much more… He’d held the North together despite the hardships that came with being king, even through betrayal and bloodshed. He had kept their people safe, as he’d promised he would. But now, he was gone… Leehan took a step closer. His voice, rough with grief, broke the silence.

“When we were young, you told me that we would always be together…” He let out a shaky breath. “And that even though we may lose the people we love, that we’d have each other… but now it seems that I won’t even have you…” Leehan swallowed hard, lifting his gaze to the pyre as the wind howled through the courtyard. He turned to the people gathered around the pyre, watching all of their faces, which were also filled with sorrow, but even if he would have wanted to, he was not able to say anything else… much less loud enough for them all to hear.

“My dad gave his life for this kingdom!” Baekseung spoke up, prompting everyone to look over at him. “He died fighting for not just his family but for all of us. And we will not forget him!” Leehan watched how his son’s jaw clenched and how his hands trembled.

Baekseung then took the torch from the waiting maester, the flames casting flickering shadows across his face before he stepped forward and handed the torch to his father. Leehan gave him a weak smile, standing up and taking the torch before turning back to face the pyre.

“I’m just our ancestors, and all of the others will welcome you as the king you are,” He murmured, low enough so not even Baekseung could hear him. “And history will always remember your name, my dear brother…” With a final breath, he touched the torch to the wood, and the pyre roared to life, the fire consuming his brother’s body, sending sparks into the frozen sky. The warmth of the flames fought against the bitter cold, but Leehan felt nothing. He just stood there, even long after the others had left, watching as the fire took everything. When it was over, and the last embers had died, he had no more tears… but he still felt like he could cry for the rest of his life.

“I imagine Fury will be waiting for him here, wagging his tail and being happy to see his favorite human again…” Doyoung said quietly while he and Baekseung stood a bit further away, watching the latter’s father still stand by the outburned pyre.

“Yeah…” Baekseung let out a bitter chuckle. “I just wish dad would have been with us for longer… ‘cause…” He swallowed thickly before continuing. “I’m still not sure if I can do this…” Doyoung finally turned his gaze away from Leehan to look at Baekseung instead.

“You will do well. I understand that the burden that now rests on your shoulders is a heavy one, but we’re here for you!” Doyoung assured the younger, placing his hand on Baekseung’s shoulder as he spoke, squeezing it lightly.

“Thank you,” Baekseung murmured, giving Doyoung a small nod before the knight gave him a slight bow in return and then turned to head back into the castle. Baekseung looked over at his father once again, but he didn’t move from where he was standing and instead just watched the smoke still slowly rising from the pyre… This was not what was meant to happen… He was not supposed to be king at just 20 years old… and yet, here he was… soon to be crowned one of the youngest kings in the history of Westeros…

Chapter Text

Baekseung entered his and Keum’s chambers looking for the latter but found the room to be empty; not even Jaeho or Yewang was in there. The soon-to-be-king found this rather unusual since Keum mostly tended to the boys in here, where they could play peacefully and not be disturbed, but today, that was apparently not the occasion.

“Keum? You in here?” Baekseung called out just to make sure that his husband wasn’t in any of the adjacent rooms, but he got no response. He was about to turn back around and leave when Woonhak appeared in the doorway, seemingly having been looking for him. “Have you seen Keum?” Baekseung questioned before the knight even got the chance to speak, but the latter nodded.

“Yes, that’s why I’m here. He ordered the workers to watch the boys and ordered me to stay here, then he left the castle to go outside,” Woonhak explained. This made Baekseung somewhat worried, but Woonhak didn’t look as worried, prompting him to raise his eyebrow questioningly to the knight. “I sent two of the guards with him, but I told them to keep their distance since it looked like your husband needed some time alone,” Woonhak clarified, and this calmed Baekseung somewhat.

“He didn’t say why he went out?” Baekseung questioned, but Woonhak shook his head. Baekseung took a deep breath before thanking the knight and eventually leaving the room. He walked past all of the people in the castle, most of whom bowed to him as soon as they saw him, which made him feel somewhat uncomfortable since he technically wasn’t the king yet, as he’d not had his coronation. Still, he just continued through the castle until he reached the doors leading outside. The snow had now seriously begun to cover the ground, and the chilling breeze made the hair at the back of his neck stand up. There weren’t as many people out here as there had been inside the castle, which Baekseung was thankful for, and he managed to walk past the guards without them questioning where he was going, though a handful of them still followed him as he walked through the snow.

“Your Grace,” One of the two guards, whom Baekseung assumed were the ones Woonhak had sent with Keum, greeted him as soon as he spotted him. He gave the guard a short nod before looking around to see if he could spot Keum anywhere. “Over there, Your Grace,” The guard said, seemingly already knowing why Baekseung was there as he gestured toward the left, a bit further into the trees. Baekseung could see the other guard standing in that direction, and so he made his way over there.

“Your Grace,” The second guard also bowed his head as he greeted Baekseung, but the latter didn’t bother answering this guard either as he could now see Keum standing a bit further into the woods, bow in hand, and shooting at a makeshift target handing on one of the trees.

“Keum? Why are you out here by yourself? Shouldn’t you also get ready for the coronation?” Baekseung questioned as he walked up to his husband, but the elder just lowered the bow and let out a heavy sigh.

“I just… I needed some time alone,” Keum eventually said.

“Everything alright?” Baekseung asked, which, in hindsight, was a stupid question considering everything that had happened recently, but Keum hadn’t acted like this the day before, indicating to Baekseung that something new was bothering his husband.

“I spoke with Sungho…” Keum answered, finally looking up to meet Baekseung’s eyes.

“Yeah?”

“He told me that it was my father that… uhm… that killed Taesan…” Keum struggled to get the words out, but much to his surprise, Baekseung’s facial expression didn’t change, and the younger just stepped closer and wrapped his arms around Keum.

“I know…” He murmured into the elder’s blond hair, prompting Keum to lean back slightly so he could look Baekseung in the eyes again.

“You knew?” He questioned, and Baekseung nodded. “But… are you not mad?” He added, seeing as Baekseung didn’t seem to hold anything against him despite what his father had done.

“Why would I be mad at you? You had nothing to do with it!” Baekseung said, squeezing Keum closer again.

“No, but… my father killed yours! How can you not be mad at me for that? If it wasn’t for me leaving, your dad would probably still be alive because my father wouldn’t have had anything against him!” Keum argued, but Baekseung just shook his head.

“If that’s to blame, it should be me who would be responsible for my dad’s death, not you. I was the one who convinced you to leave your home and your father. And my dad approved our marriage, so don’t blame yourself, please! None of us could ever have known that this would be the outcome of anything…” Baekseung assured the elder, who finally let himself relax somewhat in his husband’s arms and hugged the younger back. “And of course, I’m upset that my dad’s no longer with us, but by this point, I’ve been forced to know so much pain and loss when losing three of my brothers that I know how to handle it better… and I know that there’s no real use in blaming either yourself or others for it when neither could have changed the outcome anyway…”

“I’m still sorry…” Keum mumbled, squeezing Baekseung tighter as he buried his face in the crook of the younger’s neck.

“We’ll get through this… together. I know we will!” Baekseung said, placing a kiss on top of the elder’s blond hair.

- - - -

These last few days had been strange for Hunter… Having his and Seeun’s son finally here was the best thing that ever happened to him, and yet, the pain of knowing that one more of his brothers and his dad were dead had taken its toll on him. He’d had at least one vision each night ever since Yechan was born, sometimes several, and they were all about that young, blond, violet-eyed boy with the three dragons… It was like Yechan had been blocking the visions out for the past nine months and that they were now all catching up and coming at the same time. Thankfully, they weren’t as overwhelming as some visions Hunter had had before, but having several during the span of a few hours in the night did hinder him from getting the sleep he needed, not to mention having to take care of his newborn baby as well. Seeun always offered to help, but it wasn’t like he could do anything about the visions, regardless of how much he wanted to.

“It seems to be no further complications along the northern border nor in the Prince’s Pass,” Seeun said, running his hand through the air above the map of the place he’d just mentioned. Jongseob and the others hummed in response as they all overlooked the map of Westeros.

“Despite taking heavy losses, the northerners managed to defeat Lord Tarth’s army and have returned back North, most likely to put their king to rest in the crypts with his ancestors,” One of the elderly men said, prompting Seeun to basically hiss at him due to how carelessly he’d spoken about the dead of Taesan with Hunter in the same room. Still, when they turned to look over at where Hunter was sitting with Yechan in his arms, the younger hadn’t even bothered to lift his head up. Seeun wasn’t sure if he’d even been listening to their conversation, but he cussed out the lord either way, and the man apologized.

“We should still not call back all of our own forces just in case this was something more than just a distraction…” Jongseob said. By now, they’d figured out that the attack on the northern border to Dorne hadn’t been much more than a mere trap, successfully luring the King in the North out of the North and into dangerous territories, though Jongseob feared there was more at work behind this then just Lord Tarth wanting Taesan dead… which was why he didn’t want them to put down their guard so easily… not yet at least.

“What of Lord Gardener?” Seeun questioned. “A great battle was fought on his lands, resulting in the death of a king! He surely must have something to say or at least provide some sort of explanation as to how he let something like this happen!”

“Lord Tarth’s army was said to have crossed the Blackwater Rush mere days before the Stark army arrived, meaning Lord Gardener probably didn’t even know of either’s presence on his lands,” another lord pointed out, prompting Seeun to let out a groan of annoyance.

“But he answers to King Bolton, does he not? And so did Lord Tarth after breaking his oath to the Starks! So someone must have known of Lord Tarth’s plans! How could they not since the man had such a large army moving across the land!?” Seeun wasn’t happy, which Jongseob had a complete understanding of, but going out and accusing another lord, or a king for that matter, of being involved with the death of another king, was dangerous and outright stupid. So it was better for them to lay low and try to figure out if there was even anything else to this than Lord Tarth’s longing for revenge.

“I want to go back to King’s Landing…” Hunter’s voice surprised everyone gathered around the table, prompting them all to turn their heads in his direction. For him to even speak at this point was very rare, and even more so was what he’d actually said.

“What…?” Seeun questioned. He’d heard what Hunter had said, but he just couldn’t believe it.

“I need to go back… I need to see Minghao again,” Hunter said. He’d now stood up, with Yechan still sleeping in his arms, but remained standing beside the chair.

“You can’t go to King’s Landing, Hunter… It’s too dangerous!” Seeun tried to argue with his husband, but Hunter seemed persistent, slowly moving his eyes over all of the lords, Jongseob, and finally landing on Seeun.

“I need to understand… and he knows things… more things than either of you could ever know, and since Taemin is not here and god knows where he is, Minghao is the best option!” Hunter finally moved from his position by the chair and started to walk toward the doors leading out of the room. Seeun quickly glanced back at his father, who just gave him a nod before the crown prince took off after his husband while Jongseob turned back to face the lords around the table.

“Reinforce the borders, my lords, and make sure something like this never happens again!” Jongseob ordered, and all of the lords nodded their heads.

“Yes, my king!”

- - - -

Despite having watched his own dad be crowned king, Baekseung felt like this whole ordeal was absurd and foreign. There were so many people gathered around him, people he’d never even seen before, lords and ladies from all over the North, and they all bowed their heads to him as they swore their oath to protect him and his family, just like most of them had done for Taesan years earlier.

“I, Gyuvin Umber, Lord of Last Hearth, promise to keep the promise I gave late King Taesan Stark: to always stand by his family’s side and protect them. I pledge fealty to you, Baekseung Stark, named heir to the North and as the oldest living son of Taesan Stark, as my future king, and I shall defend you against all enemies in good faith and without deceit. I swear this by the old gods and the new,” Gyuvin knelt before Baekseung as he pledged his fealty to the new King in the North, making the scene eerily similar to how Baekseung remembered the lord having sworn this oath to his dad earlier. Many more, both lords and ladies swore similar oaths to Baekseung as well, kneeling before him as they did, and there among was Sungho’s brother, Taeyong Reed. But the absence of House Glover and House Blackwood, which had been Hao, Hanbin, Gunwook, and Taerae’s houses, made Baekseung feel sad… and the constant reminder that they still hadn’t learned of what had happened to Yujin Blackwood still tore at his mind.

“To the King in the North!” One of the lords shouted, raising his sword in the air while chanting, followed by all of the others. Even if these lords and ladies swore these oaths, they didn’t feel as strong or assuring as they had when Baekseung heard them being sworn to his dad, maybe because most of these people have failed in protecting their king, but then again, basically, no king in history had died of natural causes, and their lord paramounts still swore their oaths to them. So to Baekseung, it felt more like a tradition at this point than anything else, seeing as most of these oaths would be broken one way or another either way…

“Long live the king!” Shouted another, prompting the vast crowd to yell Baekseung’s name. A new crown had been made for Baekseung, as Taesan’s old one had been buried with his ashes down in the crypts. It lay heavy on his head, making it feel like it would slide off if he made even the tiniest move, but it didn’t. Not even when he felt Keum grab his hand, prompting the younger to turn his head in his husband’s direction. Keum gave him a small smile, which Baekseung returned. He thought back to the conversation they had had earlier about Yujun’s promise to return to Winterfell, and Keum had advised Baekseung against bringing it up now and to let his brother have some time to mourn himself, but Baekseung couldn’t stand seeing his father so sad… Yujun had promised Leehan that he would return, and yet he hadn’t… which, during any other circumstances, wouldn’t have bothered Baekseung that much since he was quite used to Yujun doing as he pleased, but seeing their father so distraught over losing his husband, their own dad, made Baekseung want to have Yujun brought home as soon as possible!

“My first order to you, as your new king, is to bring my brother Yujun home! As much as I would want my other brother, Hunter, back as well, he’s safe in Sunspear with the Martells while Yujun is out there somewhere with just one person he knows and trusts, and that doesn’t sit right with me! I want him back here, for our father’s sake…” Baekseung said, glancing over at Leehan, who met his eyes with his own still teary ones. Baekseung also felt Keum tug slightly at his sleeve, but he chose to ignore his husband for now since he’d already made up his mind. “I’ve already lost three brothers… I’m not losing another one this soon!”

Chapter Text

Sungho had tried to keep his distance ever since returning to Winterfell with the northern army. He’d barely even spoken to Leehan, mainly because the younger wasn’t really talking to anyone at all but also because Sungho wanted him to have his own time to grieve. He’d spoken with Baekseung on a few occasions as he was the king, and even Keum, though only because the young Tarth lord had sought him out to ask about his own father’s involvement in the king’s death. And it had pained Sungho to watch Keum’s face fall upon realizing that it wasn’t just his father’s army that had attacked the Starks, but that it was Lord Tarth himself who’d killed Taesan…

“Good morrow, my lord,” One of the guards stationed outside the doors to the great hall greeted Sungho as he walked past. Sungho just gave the man a slight nod before continuing down the hall, only to stop a few feet away from the man.

“Is the king in there?” Sungho questioned, gesturing toward the great hall, but the guard shook his head.

“No, my lord, but the Dowager King is,” He answered, the words sending a chill down Sungho’s back… Dowager King… the widow of the king, that meant, and so that was what the people of the North were going to refer to Leehan as from now on…? Sungho never thought two simple words would bother him so much, but they did. And he couldn’t help but blame himself for not being able to protect Taesan… not just for his sake but for Leehan’s…

“May I?” Sungho gestured toward the doors, and the guard took a step to the side, letting the former knight pass by him again and enter the great hall. It looked empty at first, even more so than Sungho had ever known it to be, but everything still seemed to be in the same place. As he looked around, he eventually spotted Leehan at the furthest right corner of the hall, staring out the window aimlessly. Sungho took a deep breath before he started to walk toward the younger. They hadn’t spoken since he’d returned to Winterfell with the news of Taesan’s passing, but from what he’d heard, Leehan had barely even spoken to anyone at all… “I… uhm…” Sungho wasn’t sure how to start the conversation. He started reaching his hand out toward Leehan but stopped midway, not wanting to make the younger feel uncomfortable. “I just…” He swallowed thickly. “I came to say sorry… sorry for not being able to protect him…” He eventually got out, but he’d turned his eyes toward the ground, no longer watching the younger.

“It’s not your fault…” Leehan’s voice was barely above a whisper, but Sungho still managed to hear him, prompting him to look up again, and this time, Leehan was looking back at him.

“But I should have-“ Sungho tried to say, but Leehan interrupted him by placing his hand on Sungho’s arm.

“I doubt there was anything that you could have done…” He mumbled, eyes briefly meeting Sungho’s before turning back to look out the window again. “Taesan wasn’t really meant for a long life… His time actually lasted longer than I ever would have hoped for, considering everything that’s happened since he was born and the decisions he made…” Leehan had by now pulled back his hand from Sungho’s arm and was now fiddling with the hem of his sleeve while still watching the snow slowly falling from the sky outside.

“He wasn’t a bad person, Leehan… and he didn’t deserve to die the way he did,” Sungho said.

“No… he didn’t… but he wasn’t a good person all the time either… and I fear that the bad might have outweighed the good in his case…” Leehan seemed as if he’d been waiting, yet worrying, over something like this happening, and Sungho couldn’t really blame him. Taesan had made enemies throughout his life, and Sungho figured that the only way for Leehan even to be able to live a somewhat normal life, after everything that he’d already been through, was to expect the worst outcome… and now that fear had become reality… Silence fell over the room after Leehan stopped talking, but Sungho could see the tears running down the younger’s cheeks, reflecting whatever little light that was coming from outside.

“I’ll return to your service… if you’ll have me…” Sungho eventually said, watching Leehan with his own watery eyes. His tears were not yet running down his cheeks like they were on Leehan’s, but he felt the other’s pain still. Sungho’s words seemed to have surprised Leehan as the younger turned to look at him, somewhat confused.

“What do you…?” Leehan started asking but stopped talking mid-sentence to just look at Sungho.

“I want to stay here in Winterfell with you… and with your family… I want to make sure that they are safe while I still can! And so I’ll resume my post as a knight of the king’s guard if you’ll let me…” Sungho explained, prompting the expression on Leehan’s face to change from confusion to something Sungho couldn’t quite read.

“You know you’re allowed to stay here regardless of whether or not you’ll become a knight again…” Leehan pointed out, trying to give the elder some sort of smile to assure him that he was telling the truth.

“I know,” Sungho answered, returning Leehan’s smile with one of his own. “But I want to be able to do more, to matter and to make a difference, not just for myself, but for you and the boys,” Leehan didn’t really give him a verbal response to this and just nodded his head slowly after a while. Sungho didn’t want to push the matter further, so he chose to just give the younger a small bow with his head before turning around and heading back toward the doors. But he didn’t get all the way there before halting his steps again as Leehan spoke up.

“Thank you, Sungho…” He said, barely loud enough for Sungho to hear him across the room. The former knight turned his head back to look at Leehan, but the younger was, once again, just staring out of the window. Eventually, Sungho did leave the great hall and the guards closed the doors behind him, leaving Leehan on his own again, but this time, it didn’t feel like an unbearable loneliness like it had before…

- - - -

“Why are we here again?” Ayden sighed as he followed Yujun through the streets of King’s Landing. It was pretty late in the evening, meaning that the only light present was the one from the torches hanging along the outer walls of the houses, and that was barely enough to make them see where they were going. However, Yujun still seemed determined to go wherever he now was heading.

“There’s just something I need to know…” Yujun murmured back, but showed no sign of stopping as he snuck past a handful of guards patrolling the streets. The signature sigil of House Bolton, the flayed man hanging upside down, was displayed across their chests, but neither of the men noticed either Yujun nor Ayden as none of them were even remotely close to as talented as the two former Faceless Men. Despite having grown up in Essos and spent many years with the Faceless Men, Ayden was well aware of who the Boltons were, so he needed no explanation as to why they were currently sneaking past said men. He just wondered why they’d even gone to the city in the first place, considering its history and their own families’ history there…

“What could be so important in this damn place when you yourself said that all you wanted to do was make sure that your brother was safe?!” Ayden hissed a bit louder as they’d now gotten off of the streets and down into some sort of a tunnel seemingly leading down under the Red Keep itself. How Yujun even knew this passage existed was a mystery to Ayden. Though, he didn’t have the energy to question the younger about that too since he barely had gotten a response to any of his previous questions…

“That’s why we’re here,” Yujun sighed, finally halting his steps as they entered a vast dark hall, only being lit up by a small torch at the other end. Ayden had no idea of what this hall was, but it gave him an eerie feeling just being down here, and the numerous strangely shaped objects, covered by some sort of sheets, around the room didn’t make him feel any better.

“What is this pla…” Ayden trailed off and stiffened up as he noticed a man standing at the other end of the hall. Yujun seemed to have noticed him too as he raised his hand, gesturing for Ayden to stand down. Still gripping his sword tightly, Ayden did relax somewhat as Yujun didn’t seem frightened by the man, but Ayden still didn’t trust this place enough to back down fully, and so he remained where he stood, with his sword in hand, as he watched Yujun slowly start walking toward the man across the hall.

“If I’m being honest, I expected your brother to come back here, not you…” The man said, and that was when Ayden noticed the eerie-looking silver eyes he had, even though those eyes were focused on Yujun.

“What did you show him…?” Yujun asked sternly, completely ignoring the man’s words.

“I didn’t show him anyth-“

“Stop with your stupid tricks and riddles, Minghao!” Yujun interrupted the man. “Just tell me what it was that you put my brother through and if that had anything to do with the fact that we’ve now lost our grandfather, three brothers, and our dad!” Ayden could tell that Yujun was angry, angrier than he’d probably ever seen him before, but the silver-eyed man didn’t seem particularly faced by it.

“It’s not a trick, Yujun… and I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you what it was that your brother saw and figured out here… That is for him to know and fulfill,” The man, Minghao, answered, keeping the same monotone voice as before despite Yujun’s growing irritation and raised voice.

“The king is dead, Minghao! Mine and Hunter’s own dad! And I know you knew that this was coming! And yet you did nothing! You and that Taemin! All you seem to want is for something magical and glorious to come in the future with no regard for what that does to the present!” Yujun was screaming full-on at this point. “My family, specifically my brother, is no tool for you to use in your stupid games! So whatever it is that you think you have planned out for him, stop it at once, or I won’t be afraid to do so myself!” Minghao closed his eyes momentarily, seemingly taking a deep breath before opening them again. It was as if he’d seen this coming, or at least expected something of the sort, but at the same time, he didn’t seem to want to acknowledge that it was happening…

“I can’t stop it, and neither can you… Your brother’s destiny was written long before he was even born, as was yours, and not even someone like me or Taemin can change that. All we can do is make sure that the right outcome comes forth as easily and with the least amount of casualties as possible…” Minghao answered. Yujun had almost reached him at this point, but for some reason, the Stark prince stopped a few feet away.

“So that’s what my family is to you…? Casualties!?” Yujun questioned, and Ayden could see how the younger clenched his fists tightly.

“They are parts of the same story that both you and I live in… we all are… And all parts are needed for the story to end as it should, because if it doesn’t, it would have all been for nothing…” Minghao said. “What makes you brother different from the rest is something I can’t disclose to you, because if I do, The Prince That Was Promised might not come…”

“The Prince That Was Promised…” Yujun murmured. “That was what you showed Hunter? I remember him mumbling those exact words to himself from time to time ever since we left King’s Landing… But what the hell is that? Who is The Prince That Was Promised!?”

“I can’t tell you, Yujun… I’m sorry…” Minghao sighed.

“You’re lying…” Yujun tensed up once again. “You only want to profit from what my brother is and can do, just like everyone else! He’s not yours to rule over!” Yujun screamed that last part as he swiftly pulled out his sword and aimed for Minghao as he rushed toward the man, but Minghao just raised his hand in front of him.

“Neither is he yours…” Minghao sighed before an intense light spread throughout the hall, emitting from the palm of his outstretched hand, and before either Yujun or Ayden could even react, they were no longer standing in that dark hall. Looking around, Ayden realized that they were back outside the city walls, close by to where they’d left their horses before entering the city. And not only were they not in the city anymore, Minghao was nowhere to be seen…

Chapter Text

“He clearly doesn’t want us there, Yujun… and he seemed persistent enough that neither of you could do anything about whatever it now is that Hunter is meant to do…” Ayden tried to argue with the Stark prince, but Yujun wasn’t having any of it.

“It’s my brother! Not yours and certainly not his! I’ve known Hunter all my life and just because some stupid magical weirdos say that he’s meant for something else or for someone else to succeed in their life doesn’t mean he’ll have to sacrifice his own for it! That’s not fair!” Yujun yelled. Ayden just sighed and ran a hand through his hair before walking up to stand in front of Yujun, placing a hand on the taller’s shoulder.

“And what if he doesn’t have to do that…? Huh? Have you thought about that? Maybe he’s meant for something great but without the cost of his own life? Great things can come without great sacrifices, you know…” Ayden gave Yujun a small smile, trying to make the younger look at a more positive side of all this, which was still something neither of them really knew anything about. All they could do was speculate, and that was what making it even worse… Now it was Yujun’s turn to let out a sigh, and he actually seemed to calm down slightly for once. Eventually, he slumped down against the rough outer wall of the city, leaning his head back and closing his eyes.

“Hunter has always been obsessed with our ancestors, and for the longest time, I thought it was due to our father’s curiosity about the Targaryens. But now, ever since he and I went to King’s Landing over a year ago, I’ve started to think that there is something more to Hunter’s obsession, or perhaps knowledge, of what the Targaryens were and what their actions are still doing to us all…” Yujun said. “He was born with not just those scales all over his back but also the ability to seemingly just know, or at least learn, of what the Targaryens truly were and what they would have become had they not gone against each other…”

“So maybe he was indeed meant to make everything right again?” Ayden filled in, almost like he finished Yujun’s thoughts.

“Mm… but at what cost…?”

- - - -

“Hunter, wait!” Seeun tried to catch up to his husband, but Hunter moved surprisingly fast despite still carrying Yechan. “You can’t go to King’s Landing!”

“I have to! I just… I can’t explain it so that others will understand… I just know that I need to go there. I need to see Minghao again!” Hunter stopped momentarily to face Seeun while he spoke, but then he tried to walk away again, only for Seeun to grab his arm.

“No… Hunter… I won’t let you,” Seeun said, and as much as he hated himself for preventing Hunter from doing what he wanted, he knew it was for the better… They had a son now, Hunter couldn’t just leave him behind…

“Let go of me…” Hunter said calmly, slightly tugging his arm to make Seeun at least loosen his grip, but the older didn’t budge. “Seeun…”

“I only want what’s best for you… for us! If you leave now, where is the guarantee that Yechan will ever grow up knowing his father? King’s Landing is one of the most dangerous places in all of Westeros for a Stark, so the possibility of you ever coming back is too small for me to let you go…” Seeun said. He felt Hunter trying to jerk his arm out of his thigh grip, but as long as Hunter didn’t use any of his magical powers, Seeun was still stronger than him. Not that he would ever have wanted to use that against Hunter, but now it seemed to be the only thing keeping the younger from going…

“I will come back, I promise…” Hunter said, finally looking Seeun straight in the eyes before moving slightly, and in doing so, swiftly handing Yechan over to Seeun. “I’m not my brothers, Seeun, nor am I my dad. If I tell you that I’ll come back, I will… You just have to trust me on this…” As Seeun was now holding their son, Hunter managed to pry his arm out of his husband’s grip before turning back around and continuing walking down the hallway.

“Hunter…!” The desperation in Seeun’s voice made Hunter’s heart clench and he looked back briefly.

“I’m sorry…” He whispered before turning the corner at the end of the hallway and disappearing out of view. Yechan made a little upset sound, squirming a little in Seeun’s arms as it was no longer Hunter who was holding him, but much to Seeun’s relief, at least the little boy didn’t start crying… he wasn’t sure if he would have been able to handle that considering that he was so close to tears himself…

- - - -

“You should name your own Hand of the King, Your Grace,” Gyuvin said while watching Baekseung leaning his head in his hand while his elbows rested on the table. He’d just entered the room and found the young king just sitting there all on his own.

“I’m perfectly happy with you staying as Hand of the King, Gyuvin,” Baekseung answered, though not raising his head up from his hands. “There’s no need for me to replace you when you’re doing an amazing job with that title,” He added, which, in truth, actually made Gyuvin smile a little, but the elder still had some concerns.

“Would you not want to name someone closer to your own age as your Hand? Perhaps your brother?” Gyuvin asked.

“My brother is not here, now is he?” Baekseung sighed, finally raising his head to look over at Gyuvin. “And I don’t want someone my own age managing some of the most critical things in the whole kingdom. Young people are stupid and reckless… I want someone I can trust and someone I know won’t budge under pressure, someone like you,”

“I’m honored, Your Grac-“

“Don’t call me that for God’s sake…” Baekseung interrupted the elder. Being referred to as ´Your Grace` wasn’t something Baekseung really enjoyed, and much less so hearing it from someone who’d taken care of him and babysat him as a child.

“As you wish,” Gyuvin chuckled. Baekseung’s tiny outbursts and complaints reminded him so much of Taesan, and as much as it hurt remembering his now dead best friend, Gyuvin found it comforting that, despite the occasional worries of bad outbursts, so much of Taesan shone through in Baekseung’s personality. It made Gyuvin feel like Taesan wasn’t completely gone after all.

“Any words of where Yujun and Ayden might be?” Baekseung questioned after a short silence.

“I’m afraid not… We’ve sent men as far south as Blackwater Rush, where The Battle of the First Snow took place, but they’ve found nothing as of yet…” The Battle of the First Snow was the battle where Taesan died, and it became known as that due to how the snow started to fall the very next sunrise.

“What of The Vale? Has anyone been sent there?” Baekseung questioned.

“Yes, but Lord Arryn said that they’d had no sightings of your brother there…” Baekseung groaned at Gyuvin’s response, and he leaned his head back down and into his hands once again. “There’s something else though… or rather someone,” Gyuvin said, prompting Baekseung to look up again while raising an eyebrow at the elder. Gyuvin just took a step to the side, letting a person step into the room, and Baekseung’s face went from confusion to surprise and then to relief in a matter of seconds.

“Yujin?!” The young king shot up from his chair and made his way around the table before pulling the other, slightly shorter, into a tight hug. “You’re alive!? But… how?” Baekseung could barely believe his eyes! Here stood Yujin, little scrawny Yujin Blackwood, in front of him alive and well. However, he didn’t look that small and scrawny anymore. He’d become a lot taller, still not taller than Baekseung himself, but much taller than before, and he looked much stronger as well.

“Surprise, I guess,” Yujin chuckled, hugging Baekseung back with just as much force before the two pulled apart. “To be honest, there was a time that I didn’t think I would see either of you ever again, nor this place,” He said, gesturing around himself while smiling.

“But where were you? We looked for you for months!” Baekseung exclaimed.

“I managed to make my way past the Dustin men and go east. I was afraid that they might try to follow me and find me if I tried to return here, so I tried to go as far east as I could. But my lack of survival skills caught up to me rather quickly and I only made it past White Harbor before I physically collapsed. Thankfully, a friendly group of people found me and took me with them to Oldcastle, south of White Harbor, and although I never told them who I really was, they still helped me, fed me, and made sure I was well. I wasn’t really planning on ever returning, mostly out of fear, but just a few weeks ago, Stark men arrived in Oldcastle looking for Yujun and then I just felt like I had been in hiding long enough,” Yujin explained.

“You don’t have to fear anything now! I’m making sure that Winterfell can’t ever be taken again and that those I care about are safe, you included!” Baekseung said.

“I’m happy to hear that, but I’m sorry about your dad… and your brothers,” Yujin said.

“You have equal sympathy to claim, Yujin… You lost your whole family and were forced to be on your own for all this time…” Baekseung almost felt like crying remembering the day he received the news of what Lord Dustin had done to not just his own brother Minjae, but to Yujin’s brother, parents, and grandparents…

“Lord Tarth killed your dad…” Yujin suddenly said, prompting Baekseung to nod slowly. “He killed my family, too. Or at least he ordered their deaths…”

“Are you sure? Lord Dustin seemed quite adamant that he was the one who did it,” Baekseung asked.

“He did the killing, yes, but on Lord Tarth’s orders… the last thing Lord Dustin told your brother before killing him was `Lord Tarth sends his regards´…” Yujin answered. This made Baekseung’s blood boil, but there wasn’t much he could do about it now anyways… Lord Tarth was already dead by the hands of Taesan, so in a way, the Starks had gotten their revenge on him for the death of Minjae, but at the same time, all of this that had to do with Lord Tarth, Keum’s father, started to feel more and more like Baekseung’s fault…

“We shouldn’t let ourselves get lost in the past, boys. Please, let’s just be grateful that Yujin is finally back home and hope for Yujun’s and Ayden’s return as well,” Gyuvin said, prompting both Yujin and Baekseung to nod. The two left the room together while Gyuvin stayed behind for a little longer. After making sure they were out of earshot, he swiftly moved around the table and picked up a paper and an ink-pen.

*Dear uncle, Lord Taeyong
I am writing this to you regarding a matter of great concern. Yujin Blackwood has just returned to Winterfell, meaning that the heir to Deepwood Motte and Raventree Hall is still alive! Yujin may not be your blood, but he his mine, and he is part of the North. I need you to contact your daughter Saera and my sister Eleanor, wherever they are now, and tell them to return to Winterfell. I fear that Yujin’s sudden reappearance might spark conflicts down in the capital, and we need all the support we can get if your suspicions about Kane Bolton turn out to be true… And we need to, by every means necessary, keep the remaining Starks away from King’s Landing or your old northern beliefs of The Wolf That Brings the Dawn might never come true…
Urgent regards your nephew Gyuvin*

Chapter Text

“My prince…? I beg your pardon, but I don’t think you should have let your husband leave on his own…” Aianna said from where she stood in the doorway leading into Seeun and Hunter’s chambers. Seeun let out a heavy sigh before gently rocking Yewang carefully in his arms. Other than that, he remained unmoving, just watching the city streets below their windows, streets filled with the people of Sunspear going on with their daily duties as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening. “My prince, I-“

“You’re free to leave, Aianna,” Seeun interrupted the guard. “Your service is no longer needed here, and I’m sure my father has other duties you could attend to,” He continued. He couldn’t help but feel a bit mean, knowing that he sounded much harsher toward Aianna than he’d intended to… but he just wasn’t in the mood for dealing with even more people thinking the exact same as he did: that Hunter shouldn’t have left on his own, and yet, Seeun knew, deep down, that it wasn’t really anything he could do about it…

“My prince,” Aianna kept her composure, giving Seeun a slight bow, despite his back still facing her before leaving the doorway and the Dornish prince alone with just his infant son. Seeun watched Yewang’s sleeping face for a while, seeing the boy’s bright red hair slightly swaying in the light breeze sweeping through the open windows. He wanted to be mad at Hunter for leaving, not just him but their son as well, but he still had this feeling that Hunter was right… this was necessary, regardless of what it might cost them; it, whatever it now was, needed to be done in order to restore what their common ancestors had been destined for… However, the thought of if not even kings on dragonback with legions of armies behind them didn’t succeed before, how could any of them do it now? What did they have that the Targaryens didn’t…?

- - - -

Hunter felt as if his back was going to burn up, the red scales all over it seemingly being on fire and yet not truly burning… And it wasn’t the heat from the sun, no, because the scorching sun that was giving Dorne its desert wasn’t as intense once you’d left Dorne itself, and seeing as Hunter had already reached the Stormlands, the thing around him that was bothering him the most at the moment was the wind. And not even that gave him any sort of relief from the burning sensation on his back… It had come to the point that he’d started to regret leaving Sunspear in the first place, as it seemed as if the burning just got worse the closer to King’s Landing he got, but he wouldn’t just give up and turn back around now, not when he felt like he was finally getting somewhere with the ever-present feeling in the back of his mind. One that he’d lived with for as long as he could remember…

“You shouldn’t be out here all on your own…” The sudden voice startled Hunter enough that he almost drew his sword to fight off whomever it was that had snuck up on him, only to quickly realize that he recognized the voice… which in turn made him sigh before turning to face the man he’d not seen in such a long time.

“Taemin…” Hunter sounded much less excited to see Taemin than he actually was because, honestly, a small part of him had wished for the strange man to show up, but he’d not given himself too much hope for that to turn out to be true in order not to just end up being disappointed. But now, here he was, standing face to face with Taemin. A man whom basically everyone in Westeros claimed to be the most powerful one, and yet he never used that power to claim anything for himself…

“The North is stirring, Hunter… Your only two remaining brothers are not as strong as they could be as long as they stay apart, and seeing as Yujun is out looking for you to make sure you’re safe, Baekseung has to handle the North on his own… a task that proved difficult even for your grandfather…” Taemin spoke, but it took some time for Hunter to really take it all in for some reason.

“Why would he be looking for me? For all he knows, I’m safe in Sunspear, right? There’s no way Seeun or Jongseob could have sent word of my departure to my brothers already…” Hunter eventually questioned.

“It seems as though your brother shares some sort of bond with you, one that allows him to basically overreact every time he senses that you might be in danger. And even if I’m not certain Baekseung shares this bond as well, I wouldn’t be surprised if he did,” Taemin answered. “You were born as triplets for a reason, and giving you all the extraordinary powers would just be unfair, even if you clearly got the most of it,” He added, giving Hunter, what the younger assumed to be, a playful smile, but seeing as Taemin’s eyes were silver, it just ended up looking somewhat creepy.

“Where is he now…?” Hunter asked after watching Taemin’s unsettling eyes for a short while.

“Right where he’s supposed to be…” Was all Taemin said.

- - - -

“He sapped us out like we were nothing last time we came here… so why would this time be any different? What if he decides that he’s had enough of us and does something even worse?” Ayden whisper-shouted as he hurriedly followed Yujun back down that same dark hallway leading to the vast underground hall they’d been in earlier. Yujun seemed to just ignore him as he continued down the stairs before eventually reaching the vast hall. There, he halted his steps and looked around before walking up to one of the huge sheet-covered things in the hall. Ayden wasn’t sure what he’d expected to have been hidden under the dusty old sheets, but a dragon’s skull was not it… “What the…” Ayden mumbled to himself while slowly walking up to stand next to Yujun.

“This skull belonged to our great-great-great-something uncle Beomgyu the Broken’s dragon Layros,” Yujun explained. “Without her, there would never have been any Targaryens left all the way back in year 67 if the histories are to be believed…”

“She brought King Taehyung Targaryen from Dragonstone to King’s Landing, didn’t she?” Ayden questioned, and Yujun nodded.

“She was the one who made sure the Targaryens didn’t die out, and she was there for the last living Targaryen for as long as she could, dying by his side when her body no longer could keep on going…” Yujun pulled the dusty sheet completely off of the skull before dropping it on the ground beside them. “Minghao and Taemin told my brother that she held the key to understanding everything… that she would show him what needed to be done to ensure that The Prince That Was Promised would come, but I’m not sure it was enough for Hunter to understand what he might need to sacrifice to achieve that…” Yujun mumbled the last part, mostly to himself, but Ayden still heard him.

“I’m sure your brother is smart enough to understand the difference between what should be done and what could be done,” Ayden said. “He wouldn’t sacrifice anyone he loves for something that might come… He’s not a tyrant, Yujun…”

“No… but I’m not so sure he would think the same if it comes to sacrificing himself…”

- - - -

Leehan sighed as he leaned his head back against the weirwood tree out in the Godswood. The snow lay thick on the ground around him, but the tree’s many branches had made a small area right below it, which wasn’t completely covered in snow, giving Leehan the perfect place to sit. He closed his eyes and just sat there in silence for a while, trying just to let himself not feel for once, but that was easier said than done… The thought of Taesan not being there anymore had still not let Leehan rest, and it never seemed to leave his mind either, clinging on like some sort of curse that refused to let him have peace. He couldn’t help but feel like he was being punished for something he did, and that was why everyone he cared about was being taken away from him long before they’d gotten to live their lives.

“What did I do to deserve this…?” Leehan mumbled out into the cold air. He still hadn’t opened his eyes and was keeping his head leaned back against the tree. He wasn’t expecting anyone to be around to hear him, and so when he heard faint footsteps coming toward him, he opened his eyes only to see his direwolf, Kalea, slowly making her way through the snow and over to him. “Hi, my girl,” Leehan said, running his hand over her white fur as she lay down beside him. He continued to gently pat her as they sat together, watching the tiny snowflakes slowly fall down from the sky above, and then, for once, Leehan actually felt some kind of relief. He feared Kalea’s days might be numbered as well, seeing as she was rather old already, but her steady breathing told him that she wasn’t done being around just yet.

“Father?” Baekseung’s slightly worried voice rang through the Godswood, making Leehan sit up straight and look around until he spotted his son entering the Godswood through the open archway leading back into the courtyard. “There you are! I was worried you’d left or something…” Baekseung continued as soon as he spotted his father sitting under the weirwood tree.

“I’m not going anywhere, Baekseung; I’ll never leave you,” Leehan said, giving his son a faint smile as the young man came closer.

“Why are you out here all by yourself?”

“I’m not by myself; Kalea is here with me,” Leehan chuckled, running his hand over the direwolf’s back once again as Baekseung rolled his eyes.

“You know what I mean… Why aren’t you inside with the others?” He questioned.

“I just needed some time alone, that’s all. No need to worry, my sweet boy,” Leehan answered. Baekseung nodded a bit hesitantly, considering he didn’t really think it was good for his father to be alone right now, but he respected the elder’s wishes and slowly turned to leave again. Leehan watched him walk back toward the castle, his newly made, thick, kingly cloak swaying in the air behind him as he walked, proving to Leehan that, despite not being born for it, Baekseung undoubtedly possessed the power to look like a king. And Leehan hoped that his son possessed the wisdom and knowledge to become a great king as well, which he did seem to have the potential for so far, at least. Once he could no longer see Baekseung anymore, as the young man had disappeared back into the castle, Leehan leaned his head back against the weirwood tree, but as he did, a flash of something seemed to escape the very tree itself, making its way into the back of Leehan’s head and then a voice as clear as if there’d been a person standing right next to him spoke…

“The dragon has three heads: one to rule with an iron will, one to fight with fire and fury, and one to know the secrets of the unseen…”

Chapter Text

“My lord!” Taeyong looked up from the book he’d been reading, something he seldom found time to do nowadays, and apparently, today was no different.

“What is it now?” The Reed lord questioned, watching as his maester came jogging toward him, steps a little more hurried than usual, even for the seemingly constantly stressed old man.

“A letter, my lord. From your nephew, Gyuvin!” The maester said, and this actually caught Taeyong’s attention, prompting him to place the book down on the table next to him and stand up. The maester handed him the letter, which was still sealed with the signature sigil of House Umber, which was two chains forming a cross. Taeyong broke the wax sigil and opened the letter to read it, and as he did, his expression changed from confusion to worry and then to determination before lowering the letter again.

“Send word for my daughter at once!” He ordered the maester, and the old man nodded. “Tell her she’s needed in Winterfell at once!” The maester hurried off while Taeyong remained where he stood, overlooking the swamps surrounding Greywater Watch, a treacherous terrain only a few possessed the knowledge to cross without running into problems or getting lost. The Reeds were known for the nearly impossible castle to find and the fact that they tended to keep to themselves most of the time, but that didn’t make them any less northerners. No, they might be the most southern part of the North, but they would always answer to the King in the North, and if Gyuvin now needed their help to ensure that king’s well-being, then Taeyong would do whatever it took! And Yujin was back… That would surely stir up some unwanted attention even outside the North…

- - - -

King’s Landing looked to have not changed one bit since Hunter looked upon the city last, which was only about a year ago, but still, he’d expected that something would have changed, but no. He entered through the guarded gates without any problem, seemingly blending in with the commoners well due to his dark hair and purposely chosen not-so-extravagant clothing. He walked through the streets of the city, occasionally covering his nose due to the horrible smell coming from these not-so-well-off areas, but he tried not to look so bothered by it since he was trying to blend in with the people who didn’t seem to care about said smell. It was starting to get dark, and the poorer streets of King’s Landing seemed to become even more alive than before as Hunter made his way through them. There were people everywhere, laughing, talking, or just sitting around enjoying their evenings. Hunter walked past several groups of people, some completely ignoring him while others offered him to join, which he kindly declined before moving on. He almost ended up running into a couple of guards walking the street but managed to jump out of their way at the last second.

“Watch where you’re going, boy!” One of them huffed at him, prompting him to quickly lower his head in an apologetic manner before continuing down a side street in order not to run into even more of the guards, even though they didn’t seem to know who he was.

“Do you wish to know your future, boy?” A hooded figure asked from the side of the street, startling Hunter somewhat despite all of the other people being around him. He hesitated for a moment, just watching the hooded woman, or at least he thought it was a woman, and she looked back at him with an eerie smile before reaching out her hand toward him. “Give me your hand…” She said with a rough voice, and something inside Hunter’s head told him not to and just to keep walking, but at the same time, the woman didn’t look dangerous. So Hunter eventually did as she’d asked and reached out his own hand toward her, and she quickly grabbed it, somewhat startling him once again with how fast she was moving, but he found himself not pulling his hand away and just remained where he was. He watched as the woman pulled out a tiny old knife from her long dark coat, and that made Hunter try to take a step back, but the woman’s grip was so firm that he couldn’t pull his hand back.

“Wha… What are you doing?” Hunter stammered out, still trying to get the woman to let go of him.

“I need a drop of your blood to know what destiny has in store for you…” The woman said, not even looking up at Hunter and instead running the knife over his fingertip, creating a tiny cut just big enough for a single drop of blood to come out. Then she pulled Hunter toward her and, much to Hunter’s horror and disgust, put his finger in her mouth before letting go of him altogether. “Three questions you get, nothing more, nothing less… so ask away, boy,” Hunter blinked his eyes a couple of times, just watching the old woman before massaging his wrist where she’d been holding him.

“Will my family be safe in the future, or will someone else try to hurt them?” Hunter eventually asked.

“That’s two questions in one, boy, but yes and no. Your family will be safe if you do what is required of you and if you stay on the path that will bring forth The Prince That Was Promised,” The woman answered, prompting Hunter to frown. He stayed silent for a while after that, unsure of what to ask the woman as a third and last question, but then he made up his mind.

“Who is The Prince That Was Promised?” Hunter asked the woman after a long silence. He watched her intently as she looked back at him before a small smile appeared on her lips.

“If I tell you that now, your destiny might change, and so I won’t be able to tell you who he is, or rather, who he will become. But I am able to tell you what his name will be…” The woman answered, still with that eerie smile on her lips.

“Then tell me…” Hunter said. He’d had enough of people seemingly knowing so much about him and the Prince That Was Promised, but no one ever told him anything!

“His name will be Ni-ki… Ni-ki Targaryen…”

“Targaryen? That’s impossible!” Hunter answered. “The Targaryen name died with the Broken King Beomgyu; there are no more Targaryens in the world,”

“If you do your part, maybe one day there will be…” The woman said before standing up from where she’d been sitting and just walking away before disappearing behind the large stone buildings along the busy streets of King’s Landing… Hunter just watched her go before letting out a small huff. He wasn’t sure that what the woman had told him actually helped him in any way, but he figured that it was his own fault for choosing the questions to ask that he did. But at least it seemed as though he would be able to save his family as long as he managed to do whatever it now was that was expected of him…

- - - -

Having Yujin back and knowing that he was safe was a massive relief for Baekseung. The younger seemed to be doing fine as well, despite his time away from Winterfell and the loss of his family. He’d been excited to see how much both Yewang and Jaeho had grown, and he was currently sitting with Keum, watching the two one-year-olds play with their toys on the floor beside them. Baekseung watched them from the doorway for a few seconds before making his presence known by fully entering the room. Doyoung gave him a slight bow as he walked past, even though the knight had long since noticed Baekseung before, but the king’s footsteps now made both Keum and Yujin look up.

“Any news of Yujun?” Keum asked, but Baekseung shook his head. He still hadn’t heard anything regarding his brother despite having sent out several men to look for him even beyond the borders of the North.

“I’m worried about my father…” Baekseung said after a while, prompting even Doyoung to glance over at the king.

“Is he not in the castle?” The knight questioned.

“He is, but I’m still worried about him… He was sitting outside with just his direwolf earlier, seemingly not bothered by the snow at all, and I can’t help but worry that he’s keeping to himself because he thinks he’ll be a burden for us…” Baekseung said truthfully.

“Maybe I could talk to him?” Doyoung offered. “Or perhaps Sungho will have an even better chance at getting him to feel like we’re here for him, too. We all miss Taesan, and we’re all dealing with accepting a world without him, though I fear it might still not be nearly as bad as it is for Leehan…” Baekseung nodded slowly at the knight's words before gesturing for him to go and do what he said he would. After Doyoung left, Baekseung turned back to face his husband and Yujin, who were still sitting by the table.

“We’ll get through this, love,” Keum said, reaching out and placing his hand on Baekseung’s arm. “And I’m sure we’ll find you brother as well,”

- - - -

“Woonhak!” Woonhak turned his head around as he heard his name being called, and he gave the person, who turned out to be Gyuvin, a slight bow with his head as the Hand of the King made his way over to him.

“How may I be of service?” Woonhak questioned once Gyuvin had reached him.

“I want you to become Yujin’s personal knight and make sure that nothing further happens to him. That boy has been going through enough as it is, and neither I nor the king would want anything to happen to him again, seeing as he’s the only surviving member of his family and the sole heir to both House Glover and House Blackwood as well as both Deepwood Motte and Raventree Hall!” Gyuvin said.

“Okay… Anything in particular that I need to know?” Woonhak questioned.

“Nothing apart from the fact that he’s a 20-year-old raised alongside our current king and his brother, which will probably result in him not being overly thrilled by having a babysitter hovering over him, so you may need to keep your distance, at least at first,” Gyuvin answered truthfully, and that actually made Woonhak let out a small chuckle.

“Noted,” The knight answered before continuing down the hallway while Gyuvin walked back the way he’d previously come from. When Woonhak turned the corner, he almost ran into Doyoung, who seemed to have been too caught up in his own thoughts to really see where he was going.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” The older knight said before taking a step to the side. “I need you to stay with the king for a while because I need to find my brother,” He added before continuing down the hall.

“Actually, I can’t…” Woonhak said, prompting Doyoung to stop and look back at him with a questioning look. “The Hand just told me to keep an eye on Lord Yujin, and so I’m not sure I could be in two places at once, I’m afraid…”

“I see,” Doyoung said. “Well, when I left the king, Yujin was actually in the same room, the king’s chambers, to be precise, so I’d figure they’re both still there, but I’ll make sure to find someone else to stay with the king just in case he has other duties to tend to that are not in the same room as Yujin,” Woonhak nodded. Doyoung then hurried off after that while Woonhak made his way to the king’s chambers, where he did indeed find both the king and Yujin, as well as Keum and little Yewang and little Jaeho. Woonhak hadn’t been formally introduced to Yujin, considering the younger had only been back for a short amount of time, but as soon as Baekseung spotted the knight entering the room, he gestured for him to come over.

“Yujin, this in Woonhak, one of my most trusted knights, and as you might have heard, the one who saved Yewang when the crows of Castle Black turned on their Lord Commander and my brother,” Baekseung said.

“Oh yes, I’ve heard,” Yujin answered while reaching out his hand for Woonhak to shake, which he did. “A former crow, huh? That would surely come with its fair share of interesting stories,” He added, giving Woonhak a playful smile.

“I’m afraid most of them would be rather boring to hear,” Woonhak answered. “I actually didn’t spend that much time at Castle Black as I used to be in charge of bringing criminals up there from all over Westeros,”

“I would say that does some a lot more interesting than just staying at the wall,” Yujin laughed, seemingly not having gotten enough of adventures despite having a fair share of his own. And so maybe he wouldn’t be making Woonhak’s new duties as difficult as Gyuvin might have thought they would be after all.

Chapter Text

“I hope you at least consider to keep your temper if you wish to stay in this city…” The sudden voice started both Yujun and Ayden, prompting them to back away from the dragon skull and turn to look in the direction of where the voice was coming from, only to find a less-than-impressed-looking Minghao raising an eyebrow at them. The man didn’t wait for an answer before stepping down the last few steps of the opposite stairs and walking over to what seemed to be an adjacent room to the big hall, a room neither Yujun nor Ayden had noticed until now. They shared a look before slowly following Minghao into said room, only to find that it was almost as empty as the big hall, apart from a handful of different books placed on several shelves in a bookcase, a chest in the corner, and a table without any chairs surrounding it.

“Last time we were here, you told me that we’re all part of the same story…” Yujun said, but all Minghao did was nod slowly, his back still turned to the two former assassins. This did somewhat irritate Yujun, but he managed to push said irritation to the side, at least for now. “If you can’t tell me what my brother’s part in this story is, then can you at least tell me mine…?” This actually made Minghao look back at him for a brief second before letting out a heavy sigh.

“I’m not so sure you would want to know…” He eventually answered while walking over to the bookcase, momentarily stopping to seemingly look for a particular book before finding it and bringing it back to the otherwise empty table.

“Am I not the one to be the judge of that?” Yujun questioned. He started to walk toward Minghao, but Ayden grabbed his arm before he could, only for Yujun to gesture that it was fine, hoping that Ayden would get the message that he wouldn’t flip out on Minghao a second time. And Ayden did seem to understand him, at least enough to let go of his arm and let him walk over to Minghao. “You seem to know things about people, many things, almost as much as Taemin does… Am I right?”

“Partly, I suppose,” Minghao answered, finally looking up to meet Yujun’s eyes. His silver eyes, similar to Taemin’s, sent shivers down Yujun’s back, but he knew Minghao was not human, at least not entirely, just like Taemin, and so far, neither had tried to hurt them, so he wasn’t afraid of him. “But Taemin knows much more than I do, but he’s sworn not to tell since that could change the course of action for the entire world depending on what a person decides to do with such information Taemin has…”

“But you’re not Taemin…” Yujun pointed out, the corner of his lips turning up slightly as he watched Minghao’s expression change for a second, hoping that he’d outsmarted the elder.

“No… I’m not…” Minghao eventually answered before looking back down at the book he’d placed on the table, and Yujun followed his gaze. “Throughout history, your family’s history, to be precise, there have always been those destined for bigger things… But most of them, if not all of them, would never have succeeded if it weren’t for their assigned aegis, a divine protector…” Minghao gestured toward a few lines written in the book. “These aegides probably never even knew just how important their role was, and they probably didn’t even know they had this role, to begin with. But the thing that drove them to protect this person who meant a lot to them was not only their connection through blood but also this destined role as an aegis,” Minghao’s finger ran along the old book’s page.

“Chanyeol Baratheon, Woozi Targaryen, Minhyuk Targaryen, Hyunjae Targaryen, Eric Stark, and Intak Baratheon…” Yujun slowly read out loud before looking up at Minghao. “They were all these so-called aegides?” He questioned, and Minghao nodded.

“Chanyeol was his cousin Jongin Targaryen’s. Woozi was his brother Yoongi Targaryen’s. My son, Minhyuk, was King Yeonjun Targaryen’s. Hyunjae was his brother Yunho Targaryen’s. Eric was his cousin Sunwoo Targaryen’s, and finally, the last known was Intak, who was his brother Anton Baratheon’s aegis…” Minghao explained. “They were all unknowingly destined to protect their special person in order for that person to achieve something bigger, and they all succeeded in their own way. Chanyeol made sure Jongin survived long enough for his son, Taehyung, to be born and, in doing so, secured the future of House Targaryen. Woozi made sure that his brother, Yoongi, didn’t turn on their family despite how much he hated them, especially their father, and in doing so, he also managed to keep Yoongi from being killed, which allowed Yoongi to eventually bring Yeonjun with him to Winterfell, where the then future king met his future husband, Soobin. My son Minhyuk was the aegis for Yeonjun, as it was his destiny to try to keep him from suffering the same fate as his own half-brother had, and despite their still sorrowful endings, he did succeed in keeping Yeonjun from being killed as Yeonjun’s own father had. Hyunjae actually kept both his brothers, Yunho and Hyunjin, from tearing their family entirely apart, and it was only after his death that they actually did try to take each other out. Eric was always by his cousin’s side and saved Sunwoo on more than one occasion, but the most notable one was when he made sure Sunwoo didn’t get blown up in the Great Sept, even if that was the final crack in their relationship…” Minghao explained before letting out another heavy sigh.

“What about Intak?” Yujun questioned as Minghao didn’t immediately continue explaining. He’d understood all of the others so far, and the histories he himself had heard of these people fit their motives to be an aegis, but he couldn’t really figure out how Intak would fit into this…

“Intak was supposed to be his brother Anton Baratheon’s aegis, but due to the circumstances they lived in, things didn’t go as they should have…” Minghao explained.

“Didn’t they hate each other?” Yujun asked, giving Minghao a questioning look. “And wasn’t Anton the one who killed Intak?” He added, and to this, Minghao nodded.

“Intak was supposed to keep his brother alive so that, in the future, Anton’s bloodline would be part of who will one day be The Prince That Was Promised. But this changed due to the fact that Intak himself became part of another bloodline that will end up in The Prince That Was Promised, and thereby, it threw his role as his brother’s aegis onto another path. But he still succeeded in keeping his brother alive long enough…” Minghao trailed off slightly, unsure of how to continue, but Yujun decided to speak up instead.

“But… Anton never had any children… So how could Intak have succeeded then?” Yujun questioned. Minghao still didn’t answer, which Yujun found somewhat strange, but before he could question the man further, Minghao did speak.

“You wanted to know what your part in this story, in this world, is, right? Well, I would say that you’re your brother, Hunter’s, aegis…” Minghao said, successfully changing the focus from Intak to Yujun himself.

“What makes you think that?” Yujun questioned as if it wasn’t already obvious.

“Because you’d do anything for your brother,” Ayden said from behind them, prompting both Yujun and Minghao to turn to look at him. “That’s why we’re here, right? Because you want Hunter to be safe no matter what might happen to you, and that is what an aegis does, isn’t it?” Ayden turned his attention from Yujun to Minghao as he spoke.

“Indeed,” Minghao answered. “An aegis is, unknowingly, ready to sacrifice basically anything for their destined person, but something they always then to disregard is their own safety and importance… because, as you might be able to figure out,” Minghao said, turning back to face Yujun. “Even if every previous aegis succeeded in what they were supposed to, they all died themselves, and then-“

“And then their destined person died shortly after they did!” Ayden finished Minghao’s sentence for him, having seemingly figured it out before Yujun could.

“Yes…” Minghao confirmed, and then it made sense to Yujun. Jongin had died shortly after Chanyeol, Yoongi probably very shortly after Woozi, as the history books claimed that they’d died on the same day. Yeonjun fell from his dragon after Minhyuk had been killed. Yunho and Hyunjin had killed each other not that long after their brother Hyunjae had been killed. Eric and Sunwoo had technically died at the same time, as they’d killed each other, but presumably, Eric might have perished a second or less before his cousin. And lastly, Anton was rumored to have flung himself from the balcony on Dragonstone and would have been swallowed up by the raging waters below only a few days after he’d killed his brother Intak…

“So… in order for me to fully succeed and actually make sure that my brother is safe, I need to stay alive as well…?” Yujun finally questioned, and to this, Minghao nodded…

- - - -

“The dragon has three heads…” Leehan mumbled to himself as he made his way across the courtyard. That sentence had been stuck in his head for quite a few days now, and he had no idea where it’d come from, what it meant, or whom it might refer to. Or… he might have a slight idea of whom it referred to, but he didn’t really want it to be true because that would mean that his family wasn’t out of danger for quite some time yet…

“Open the gates!” Leehan suddenly heard one of the guards yell from on top of the wall surrounding the castle, and it then prompted him to look over at said gates just as Sungho and Gyuvin appeared out of the castle behind him. The signature black lizard-lion on a green background, the sigil of House Reed, came into view along with the crossed chains of a red background, which was House Umber’s sigil.

“What is this…?” Leehan questioned as Sungho and Gyuvin reached him while also watching all of the Umber and Reed soldiers enter through the gates.

“I called for my sister and Lord Taeyong’s daughter to come here and make sure that Winterfell and all of you are as well protected as possible,” Gyuvin explained just as two women around Gyuvin, Leehan, and Sungho’s ages appeared in the crowd of soldiers, and Leehan recognized them both despite not having seen either for many years.

“Brother!” Eleanor burst out upon seeing Gyuvin, and she ran over to give her older brother a hug. Saera, Taeyong Reed’s daughter, who was also Sungho and Doyoung’s niece, followed after her. Both women greeted Gyuvin and Sungho before giving Leehan a curtsy to show their respect to the Dowager King, but Leehan just gave them a slight nod in return, not really feeling up to much more, and not to mention that Gyuvin had ordered them here without his knowledge.

“Does my son know of this…?” Leehan questioned before Gyuvin could say anything to his sister, and that prompted the Hand to face Leehan.

“He does not, but I deemed this action necessary in order to secure everyone here and to make sure we have enough men in case we need to send an army down to King’s Landing…” Gyuvin answered.

“And why would we need to do that?” Leehan questioned.

“Because we fear that it is there that Yujun’s heading, and if the northern prophecy is correct, Hunter might also be there already…” Saera Reed said, prompting Leehan to look over at her. “My father is your family’s bannerman, and he’s sworn to protect not only the king but his whole family; however, sometimes that means that he needs to keep secrets from you in order to do so…” She continued. This made Leeahn look over at Gyuvin, who just let out a small sigh before moving his gaze onto Sungho, but the latter looked just as confused as Leeahn felt.

“I didn’t know if this, I swear!” Sungho said as he met Leehan’s eyes.

“We didn’t want to worry any of you before we knew that this was absolutely needed, but now we fear that the time has come…” Eleanor said.

“The time for what…?!” Leehan questioned angrily.

“For The Wolf That Brings the Dawn…”

Chapter Text

“I’m aware that I might not be the most suitable and experienced person to speak with when it comes to war and politics, but I am still your king, and I want all of you to be truthful with me and not go behind my back regardless of what the matter might be!” Baekseung said while overlooking the great hall. Gyuvin had called everyone there soon after Eleanor and Saera’s arrival at Winterfell, and only then had the king himself been informed of the matter, having been kept in the dark up until that point, much like his father had…

“I am sorry, Your Grace, but with previous experience of your family’s tendency to act before thinking, we deemed it necessary to keep this quiet, at least until now,” Eleanor answered boldly, surprising everyone, even her own brother, with her way of talking to Baekseung, the king!

“If it weren’t for the fact that you’re my Hand’s sister, I’d have you thrown in the dungeons for speaking to me in such a manner…!” Baekseung said, feeling his irritation with the whole situation grow. Eleanor just tilted her head to the side slightly, watching Baekseung as the young king let out a sigh before sitting back down in his chair.

“Excuse my sister, Your Grance, but as she said, secrecy was necessary in this case,” Gyuvin said, stepping forward while his sister took a few steps back. Baekseung eyed the Hand of the King for a few seconds before sighing once more.

“What is to be done then? And why was such secrecy needed? Apart from keeping me from acting out…” Baekseung questioned, glaring over at Eleanor briefly before returning his gaze to Gyuvin. “And what is this talk about this Wolf That Brings the Dawn…?” He added, raising an eyebrow at his Hand.

“There is this prophecy that has been spreading through the North ever since the fall of House Targaryen…” Saera started. “It is a belief that since you and your family are the only survivors with the blood of the dragons, apart from the Martells, at least one of you is meant to bring back a similar power to that of the Targaryens, only this time it being a northern one, as you have not only northern blood as Starks but also the blood of the free folk,” A few hushed voices started whispering around the hall once Saera stopped talking, and Baekseung could see that his father, along with Sungho, Doyoung, Keum, Yujin, and a few others looked as confused as he himself felt, indicating that this was the first time they’d heard of this as well.

“And who would you say that this special person is then?” Baekseung asked after a while, eyes returning to Saera after having scanned the rest of the great hall.

“Your brother, Hunter,” Woonhak said, prompting everyone to turn their heads in his direction. Everyone seemed surprised that the former crow even spoke up in such a situation, as he was known to be rather quiet otherwise, but now Baekseung couldn’t help but think that the knight’s quiet demeanor was due to his knowledge of this… “First, we thought it’d be the first-born Stark prince, your brother Minseo, but when you three were born, you, Yujun, and Hunter, it became clear that Hunter stood out from the rest, seeing as he was born with certain features, unlike any others…”

“What Woonhak is trying to say is that considering not only Hunter’s appearance but also his unique talents, he is destined to restore not only the rightful ruler of Westeros but also make sure that the realm won’t be thrown back into the cold darkness that the white walkers brought nor the burning madness the Targaryens brought down upon not only themselves but also those around them…” Gyuvin said.

“You are aware that both Hunter and I are part Targaryen, right?” Baekseung questioned, raising a less-then-amused eyebrow at Gyuvin, knowing fully well that the Hand was aware of the Stark’s Targaryen blood.

“Indeed, Your Grace, but we believe that it is only part of what is needed, and seeing as you are Starks, not Targaryen, the prophecy talks of a wolf, not a dragon,” Gyuvin answered.

“And yet you all continuously think that my brother is more like the Targaryens than the Starks… sending him away to find out what’s wrong with him, only to bring him back here before marrying him to the only other known descendants of the Targaryens there is; the Martells,” Baekseung pointed out. Gyuvin shared a look with his sister before walking up to Baekseung until he was close enough that only the king would be able to hear what he said.

“You and I both know that Hunter is not the only one with powers like the ones some of the Targaryens had, but he is much stronger than your dad was, and regardless of whether people call him a wolf or a dragon, you know deep down that there is something much more to your brother then what the eye can see…” Gyuvin whispered. Baekseung watched him with wide eyes for a few seconds, not entirely surprised by Gyuvin’s words, as he knew that the elder was right; Hunter was different, but he never thought it would be to this extent…

“But why King’s Landing? Isn’t my brother supposed to be in Sunspear?” Baekseung asked after a moment of complete silence.

“Because King’s Landing is where it all ended for the Targaryens… the city is more than just a place where the Targaryens lived, it’s where their destiny was written and where it will one day be rewritten…” A voice from the side suddenly said, prompting everyone to look in that direction only to see Taemin, clad in his usual silver mantel and those eerie silver eyes watching his surroundings. “And right now, a usurper sits upon the iron throne, and he will continue to do so if you don’t act now!”

- - - -

Hunter remembered the smaller and lesser-known streets of King’s Landing better than he’d thought he would, and that thankfully made it relatively easy for him to reach the hidden doorway leading down under the Red Keep. He wasn’t sure if Minghao would even be down there, but if he recalled correctly, Taemin had told him that Minghao was unable to leave the ground of the Red Keep, or was it King’s Landing in general? Hunter wasn’t sure, but he still hoped that the old man would be down there. The narrow stairway was not lit, but it didn’t really matter as Hunter had walked down here so many times before that he was sure he could do it in his sleep by now, so he easily made his way down and into the familiar large underground hall. What he’d not expected was to find the hall empty… The huge dragon skulls that had been down here earlier were nowhere to be seen, and it looked like they’d never even been there in the first place…

“Minghao…?” Hunter called out hesitantly. He wasn’t sure if it was really wise to do so, but he couldn’t really bring himself to care at the moment as he just wanted to find the man and hopefully just get this over with. When no reply came, he took a few steps further into the hall, trying to see if he could see the other side of the hall better, the side where the other narrow stairway was, but due to just a single torch being lit in the hall, it was rather hard to see. “Fuck it…” Hunter murmured to himself before walking across the entire hall and reaching the other stairway. He glanced behind him briefly and was just about to walk up onto the first step when he heard muffled voices coming from above him. He couldn’t hear what they were saying, but he didn’t recognize either of the voices and realized almost too late that the people who were talking were making their way down toward him.

“Those madmen were certainly insane… why the hell would they build such a place and then hide it from everyone? Even their vaults were easier to find than this, and this stupid place doesn’t even have anything in it!” Hunter heard one of the men say as they’d now come down the stairway and entered the hall itself. Hunter had managed to hide behind one of the pillars holding the roof up, but it wasn’t a great hiding spot. However, he hadn’t been able to get anywhere else in such a short amount of time.

“Maybe they did use it before, and then someone else found it and emptied it?” Another of the men said. “Considering the fact that there is that other set of stairs over there leading right out into the streets, the possibility of someone coming and going as they please can’t be outruled,”

“I guess you’re right,” The first man muttered. Hunter tried to peek around the pillar to get a better look at the two, but all he could really see was their white cloaks, indicating that they were part of the king’s guard. When he moved back to how he’d been leaning against the pillar before, he must have knocked into something or accidentally kicked a rock as a small sound escaped from where he was standing. Hunter froze in place, keeping his eyes on the two men as they stopped walking and started to look around to find the source of the sound. But just as they were about to look in Hunter’s direction, someone yanked him backward and out of view of the two guards.

“You shouldn’t be here…” Hunter came face to face with those familiar silver eyes, which shared some sort of resemblance to Taemin’s but not really.

“Minghao?” Hunter was surprised to see the mage even though he’d been looking for him, but Minghao looked worn out and tired, much unlike how he had when Hunter had seen him last. “What happened to you? And what happened here? Where are the skulls?” Hunter questioned, but Minghao just shushed him by raising his finger in the air between them. They both stood quiet for what felt like forever before the two guards eventually gave up and walked up the stairway Hunter had come down from earlier.

“You need to leave,” Minghao then said, grabbing Hunter’s wrist and pulling the prince with him toward the other stairway. Before Hunter could really protest, Minghao started pushing him up the stairs, which led into the castle itself. “Get out of the Red Keep and find your brother! He and the Baratheon prince are somewhere out in the city. I told them to look for you, but it seemed as though you either slipped past them, or maybe you just missed each other…”

“Baratheon prince…?” Hunter questioned, finally halting his steps, and looked back down at Minghao. The old man seemed confused at first, but then Hunter watched as realization hit him… it looked like Minghao had let more slip than he’d intended, and now there was no backing down from it.

“Yes… but that’s not what’s important now. You just need to know that he’s with your brother and that he means no harm!” Minghao said, pushing Hunter further up the stairs again until they both reached the room to which said stairs led.

“But-”

“No buts!” Minghao cut Hunter off. “Get out of the castle as quick as you can! You’re not meant to be here right now, and if something happens to you now, it might cast everything off course, and we can’t afford that!”

“No! I’m not doing this anymore if you’re not telling me what it is that I’m supposed to do! I’m done being a tole in your and Taemin’s and everyone’s games! I want to know what you all expect me to do, or I won’t do anything at all!” Hunter had had enough. Everyone just kept talking in riddles, and he was just so done with it! Minghao looked at him for a few seconds before letting out a sigh…

“You won’t like it…” He eventually said, eyes turning almost sad as he looked at Hunter.

“I doubt it could be worse than what I’ve already been through and seen… and I’m done with being kept in the dark…” Hunter answered, and that made Minghao sigh again.

“Okay…” He mumbled before letting go of Hunter. “Taemin…” He said, turning his head to the side and prompting Hunter to do the same. There stood Taemin, who had seemingly just turned up out of thin air.

“There’s no going back from this…” Taemin said, looking straight at Hunter. “If I show you this, you can’t return to the life you have now… No ordinary man or woman is meant to know what I’m about to show you, and there are rules even for people like me. You will have to stay with me, away from all those you know and love until your time comes… are you ready to do that?” Taemin questioned.

“I… uhm…” Hunter wasn’t sure what to do… He wanted answers, but was he willing to give up the life and people he knew for it…? Taemin seemed to sense Hunter’s uncertainty, and so he placed a gentle hand on the prince’s shoulder.

“Go find your brother, let him bring you back home and stay there… whether that is Sunspear or Winterfell, it is up to you, but know that you will have answers once you’re ready for them,” Taemin’s sliver eyes watched Hunter intently, and eventually, the prince nodded his head. That was enough for Taemin and Minghao, who shared a look before Minghao made a swift gesture with his hand, and then Hunter was no longer standing in that room with them. Instead, he found himself out on a small, seemingly empty street in the city, and once he turned around, he couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief.

“Yujun!”

Chapter Text

Walking outside the castle without telling anyone might not have been Baekseung’s finest idea, but right now, he just felt like he needed the silence and some time alone. Or, well, almost alone, as Kalea had spotted him sneaking past the guards after nightfall and had followed him out through the back gate into the snow. She was quietly following him as he walked further away from the castle walls, seemingly unbothered by the fact that they were walking away from everyone else, and Baekseung didn’t really mind her either, as she seemed to stay quiet, at least so far.

“Being named king sure wasn’t supposed to be easy… but adding family drama and scheming countrymen wasn’t something I would have thought I needed to be considering alongside it…” Baekseung sighed as he finally came to a stop, and so did Kalea, expectantly looking up at him. Baekseung ran a hand over her head, scratching behind her ear before continuing to walk. The direwolf followed him once again while keeping her nose low to the ground, sniffing the snow as they walked.

“It amazes me to see that despite everything that has happened and could have happened to previous kings, you still think it is wise to venture outside without telling anyone about your intentions and thereby putting not only your life but also the stability of the whole North on the line…?” Taemin’s voice startled both Baekseung and Kalea, prompting them to look up in Taemin’s direction and being met by a less than impressed facial expression.

“You gotta stop doing that!” Baekseung burst out, placing a hand over his chest and feeling how quickly his heart was beating due to being spooked by the Shadowbinder.

“And you should turn around and get your ass back into the castle,” Taemin answered. If it had been anyone else, Baekseung would have taken offence to the way the other spoke to him, the king, but with Taemin, he just couldn’t bring himself to care. “Or at least tell me what brings you here all by yourself,” He added, raising an eyebrow at the young king.

“I wanted some peace and quiet… but it seems like I won’t be getting that now anyway…” Baekseung rolled his eyes but made no move to continue walking.

“You’ll get your peace and quiet once this is over,” Taemin answered.

“And what is ´THIS´? If I may ask?” Baekseung snapped. “All everyone keeps telling me is that I should be doing the right thing, to bring my brothers home, and make sure that the usurper does not remain on the iron throne! But what then? What if I succeed in all that? I don’t know what the ´right thing´ is, my brothers would probably hate me if I forced them back here, and when I overthrow Lord Bolton, what then? Who’s supposed to sit the iron throne then?”

“You,” Taemin answered simply, completely disregarding everything else that Baekseung had said before that.

“I don’t want it…” Baekseung replied, so low that Taemin barely even heard it. But before either of them could say anything, the sound of a twig snapping made them all, including Kalea, turn their heads in that direction. Even Taemin seemed surprised to see the white hart that was now standing on the edge of the forest, watching them with big, brown eyes.

“Seems like destiny wants the opposite…” Taemin whispered, keeping his eyes on the white hart, as did Baekseung.

“You just complained that I made the same stupid decision as my ancestors did, leaving the castle on my own and putting myself in danger…” Baekseung said. “And maybe I don’t care if that’s stupid or not, but if there’s something I won’t be doing, it is following some stupid destiny like my ancestors did!” Baekseung tore his eyes away from the white hart, glaring briefly at Taemin before turning on his heels and walking back toward the castle. The Shadowbinder remained silent, just watching the young king leave with his father’s direwolf trailing behind him, and the white hart did the same. Then, when Taemin turned to look at the creature again, it also turned on its heels before disappearing back into the forest, leaving nothing but faint prints in the snow where it once stood…

- - - -

Woonhak found out rather quickly that Yujin was, indeed, still only 19, as the young man found amusement in making Woonhak’s work hard ever since he figured out that the knight had been assigned to keep an eye on him. The young lord thought it was funny to hide from the knight, making the elder have to look for him, or basically just running off like a child. Woonhak was a patient man, but having been assigned to keep an eye on Yujin in order to keep him safe, only to have to look for the boy all the time, was something that quickly started to get on his nerves…

“Yujin, enough…” Woonhak called out into the seemingly empty great hall. It had been a few days since they’d had the big gathering in there, but all the chairs were still there, unmoved. Woonhak made his way further into the hall, looking around to see if he could spot the young Blackwood lord somewhere, but to no avail. He was about to give up and move on to the next room when he heard a quiet laughter from behind one of the pillars, prompting him to stop and let out another sigh. He didn’t say anything and just walked around the pillar, successfully sneaking up on Yujin, who was peeking around the other side, trying to look where Woonhak had gone. “Can you please head back to your chambers before the Hand starts cutting off my fingers for not being able to do my job?” Woonhak asked tiredly, but it startled Yujin so much that he basically jumped in the air before turning around.

“How did you…?” The younger questioned, trying to wrap his head around how he’d missed the knight sneaking up on him, but Woonhak just placed a hand on his shoulder before starting to push him toward the doors. Much to Woonhak’s relief, Yujin didn’t seem to want to keep up his childish acts anymore, and they got back to the young lord's chambers without any further interruptions.

“Sleep well, my lord,” Woonhak said once Yujin was finally inside his room, and the knight was about to leave and close the door behind him, but Yujin seemed to have other plans… He reached for Woonhak’s helmet, snatching it out of the knight’s hand, before backing away so the elder couldn’t take it back from him. “My helmet… please,” Woonhak sighed, taking a few steps forward, reaching for his helmet, but Yujin pulled it away, placing it behind his back. Woonhak sighed again, keeping his hand in the air between them, palm facing upward so Yujin could give him his helmet back, but he didn’t… Instead, he made his way around Woonhak, placing himself between the knight and the door before finally making a gesture of handing the helmet back. Woonhak rolled his eyes at the playful smile on the younger’s lips before walking up to him to take his helmet back, but just as he was about to take it, Yujin leaned in and placed a well-calculated kiss on the elder’s lips while simultaneously letting go of the helmet. The whole thing happened so fast that Woonhak barely even registered the kiss before Yujin pulled his head back again, another playful smile growing on his face. Woonhak, on the other hand, hadn’t expected the younger to do something like that, and was so stunned that he dropped the helmet.

“Doesn’t seem like your helmet was that important after all,” Yujin giggled, watching Woonhak blink a few times as he tried to wrap his head around what had just happened. He remained quiet, eyes flickering from Yujin’s eyes, to his lips, and then down to his helmet lying on the floor. The silence that followed seemed to last forever before Woonhak eventually picked up his helmet and made an attempt to walk around Yujin without looking up at him, but the young lord seemed to have other things in mind. “Don’t leave yet…” He said, tilting his head to the side and trying to make eye contact with the knight, but Woonhak kept his eyes low.

“I, uhm, I should… I should leave…” Woonhak eventually mumbled, once again trying to get around the younger, but this time, Yujin took a step to the side, blocking the knight’s way and grabbing his arm.

“Stay… please,” He said just as quietly as Woonhak had, and the tone of his voice made the elder finally look up, meeting the younger’s brown eyes. This was a bad idea… but… Technically, Woonhak did have noble blood from his mother, despite being born a bastard named Snow, so did it really matter…?

- - - -

“Hunter!?” Yujun looked up when he heard his name being called, but what he didn’t expect was to see his brother coming running toward him. He was barely able to straighten up from having been bent over to tie his boots before Hunter flung himself into his brother’s arms, wrapping his own around the elder’s shoulders. “Why are you here? It’s not safe!” Yujun said, but made no attempt to end their hug. Hunter buried his face in his brother’s shoulder and remained unmoving for quite some time before eventually pulling back.

“It doesn’t matter…” Hunter was surprised by his own words, almost as if someone else had made him say them, but he couldn’t find it in himself to care at that time. “We should leave! King’s Landing isn’t a good place to be…” He continued, eyes momentarily leaving his brother as he noticed the blond, almost white-haired man standing a bit further away. Yujun seemed to notice Hunter noticing the other man, cleared his throat, and then let go of their hug.

“This is Ayden, I met him while I was in Braavos,” Yujun explained. Hunter seemed like he wanted to say something, but decided to keep it to himself and instead just gave Ayden a nod with his head.

“I suppose you already know my name,” He said, and Ayden nodded.

“I do, my prince,” He replied, giving Hunter a small bow. Yujun seemed to sense his brother’s rather unusual reaction before Hunter even did himself, and so he cleared his throat once again, successfully breaking the tension that was building in the air.

“Come on, we’ll bring you back to Winterfell. Baekseung is king now, and he wants us both to-“ Yujun didn’t get to finish his sentence as Hunter interrupted him.

“No, take me back to Sunspear…” He said. “Or let me go there myself while you return to Winterfell,”

“Hunter, I-“

“No! I’m not going back there now. I need to return to Sunspear, where my husband and son are waiting for me!” Yujun seemed to want to argue with his brother, but he remained silent and just nodded his head.

“Don’t worry, my prince. We’ll make sure you get back to them safely,” Ayden said, prompting both brothers to look over at him. “That’s what we do,” He added, giving Yujun a knowing look, which the latter seemed to understand without any difficulty whatsoever. Though, in regard to whether Ayden meant his and Yujun’s past as trained assassins with the Faceless Men in the House of Black and White or the recent discovery of Yujun being Hunter’s aegis, Yujun was entirely sure…

Chapter Text

Yujun was relieved to finally have Hunter with him again, despite the tension hanging in the air between his brother and Ayden. They made their way through the streets of King’s Landing. They were trying to blend in as best as they could, and it wasn’t too hard as long as Ayden kept his unusually blond hair hidden, which he did. Hunter hadn’t said much since they started walking, and that in itself wasn’t unusual considering he wasn’t a very talkative person to begin with, but he seemed quieter than Yujun remembered him to be.

“You two sure are brothers,” Ayden leaned slightly to the side and whispered in Yujun’s ear, making the younger raise an eyebrow at him.

“How come?” Yujun questioned.

“You’re both rather quiet and seemingly stubborn,” Ayden chuckled, eyes moving from Yujun to Hunter and then back at Yujun again.

“Quiet maybe, but I think he wins when it comes to stubbornness-“

“Yujun…” The tone of Hunter’s voice worried the older Stark prince, prompting him to stop talking mid-sentence and look over at his brother. He wasn’t sure what he’d expected to see, but seeing a handful of guards, all pointing their swords at Hunter, wasn’t it…

“Don’t even think-“ Yujun started to say while drawing his own sword, but Hunter raised his hand in the air, gesturing for him to stop in his tracks. Yujun also felt Ayden place his hand on the younger’s shoulder, prompting him to glance over at the other, and by doing so, seeing what Ayden must have seen, which was even more guards appearing out from the dark buildings on the side of the street.

“Prince Hunter, Prince Yujun, and…?” One of the guards said, raising an eyebrow in Ayden’s direction, seemingly waiting for the latter to tell him who he was, but when Ayden didn’t, the guard just let out a sigh before continuing. “I guess that doesn’t matter, but I’m here to inform you that the king would very much like to see you…”

- - - -

The last couple of weeks had been rather hard on Baekseung. Thankfully, Taemin had not been bothering him anymore after he’d told him off about following in his ancestors’ footsteps, but that wasn’t the only thing on the young king’s mind. There still hadn’t been any word of his brothers, the lords and ladies currently in Winterfell were all expecting him to do something about this prophecy that Gyuvin had talked about, and so much more. Baekseung sighed before leaning his forehead down on the table in front of him. He banged it a bit harder than he intended to, which made him let out a groan just as Keum walked in.

“As much as I would want to laugh at you for that, you look a little too miserable for that at the moment,” Keum said as he walked up to stand next to his husband.

“I feel miserable…” Baekseung groaned, still with his face down on the table. This time, Keum did let out a laugh, but not without gently running his hand over the younger’s head.

“You should take a break. Come be with your son and nephew for a while, they miss you, you know,” Keum tried to get Baekseung to do something else for a while, but it seemed like the stubbornness was a pretty strong trait in all three of the Stark triplets.

“I need to finish this first…” Baekseung finally straightened up and reached for a pile of papers, but Keum beat him to it, blocking his hand from picking up the papers. “Really, Keum… I’m serious… I have to do this. I’ll join you later…”

“You said that yesterday, too, and then I didn’t get to see you until after dark, when the boys were already asleep, and all you did was go straight to bed…” Keum sighed.

“It was late… and I need to sleep,” Baekseung said.

“Of course you do, but you need to live as well! Being king isn’t easy, I understand that, but sometimes I would if you’re even aware that you have the power to make someone else do this so that you yourself could do something else,” Keum had a pretty clear point. The thought had actually crossed Baekseung’s mind, but he felt like he needed to prove himself and do good as a king, considering how great his grandfather had been at it, and how not-so-great people still think his dad had been…

“I’ll consider it, but now I have to get this over with…” Baekseung answered, trying to pick up the papers again, only for Keum to swat his hand away.

“Baekseung…”

“Love, I can’t right now, I-“

“I’m sorry to interrupt, Your Grace, but there’s been a raven…” The maester interrupted the two, prompting them both to look over in the old man’s direction.

“Put it over there, I’ll take a look at it when I get the time,” Baekseung answered, prompting Keum to groan and roll his eyes at his stubborn husband.

“Your Grace… I’m afraid this can’t wait… The raven… it came from King’s Landing… from the Boltons themselves…” This made Baekseung stand up from his seat so abruptly that he almost knocked into Keum, but thankfully, the elder moved away at the last second.

“The Boltons? What did it say?!” Baekseung asked while rushing over to the maester, who immediately handed him the already opened letter.

“They have your brothers…”

- - - -

The doors to the throne room creaked open with a groan, the sound echoing through the vast chamber. Hunter, Yujun, and Ayden were rather roughly pushed inside by the guards. The three of them were forced to stop halfway across the hall and in front of the iron throne, where Kane Bolton was sitting. Kane wore no crown yet, but his posture and the self-satisfied glint in his cold eyes made it clear that he considered himself above everyone else in the hall. He rested one elbow lazily on the armrest of the throne, fingers tapping a slow, mocking rhythm against the metal. Hunter couldn’t help but want him to get cut by the throne, considering all the stories he’d heard of previous kings getting cut, but Kane seemed unaware of this, and if it’d cut him already, he wasn’t showing any sign of it.

“Prince Hunter, Prince Yujun… and…?” Kane said, similarly to how the guard had done earlier, but Ayden still didn’t give them his name and just remained silent. “What a delightful surprise!” Kane said instead, turning his attention to the Stark brothers, Hunter in particular, and away from Ayden. Neither Hunter nor Yujun made a move, both looking rather unimpressed to be there, and Ayden did the same. They all stood tall, eyes locked on Kane without flinching.

“You wanted us here,” Hunter said, his tone bitter but steady. “We’re here, so now what?” Kane’s lips curved into a little smirk while he straightened on the throne.

“I must say, your cooperation has been… appreciated. Especially given the alternatives,” His gaze flickered to the swords in Yujun and Ayden’s hands, then to the guards around them. “It’s much easier this way, isn’t it?” Yujun’s jaw clenched, but he said nothing. He wasn’t entirely sure what Kane was talking about, but he figured it couldn’t be good… Kane rose from the throne slowly, every movement deliberate as he descended the steps to stand before them, hands clasped behind his back. “Now, as you might imagine, the realm has been rather… lacking in proper leadership and in quite a disarray as of late. Starks, Tarths, Martells, all fighting amongst themselves, or each other, too busy chasing old ghosts to see the future,” He paused, letting the silence settle heavily in the room before continuing, voice colder now. “But I have a solution…”

“You plan to crown yourself king.” Hunter’s eyes narrowed. It wasn’t unknown to the realm that Kane Bolton viewed himself as the king already, but to formally be named one, he needed the support of all the kingdoms in Westeros, and currently, he was missing the North and Dorne.

“Very astute, young man,” Kane said, almost mocking. “And you’ll be pleased to know I’ve already taken the necessary steps. I’ve sent ravens to the North, to your dear brother King Baekseung, and to the Martells in Sunspear. They are invited to come here to King’s Landing… to formally declare their allegiance to their new king. Me!”

“You’re delusional if you think Baekseung or the Martells will bend the knee to you,” Yujun snapped, unable to hold back any longer. Kane chuckled, a low and humorless sound.

“Delusional? No. I’m practical.” He took another step closer, now barely a few paces from them. “You see, I have something, or should I say someone, that they care about. Several someones, actually. And if they refuse… well.” He shrugged, as if the answer were obvious.

“Coward,” Ayden hissed under his breath, fists clenching at his sides. Yujun clenched his jaw, tensing up slightly upon hearing Ayden call Kane a coward. But thankfully, Kane ignored him, turning his gaze back to Hunter instead.

“You three will remain my guests until the others arrive. I suggest you behave… unless you want to find out how persuasive pain can be,” Hunter didn’t respond immediately. His eyes met Kane’s, steady and equally as cold as Kane’s.

“We’re not pawns for you to use in your stupid game,” he said finally, but Kane just smiled, a cruel smile.

“Everyone’s a pawn, little Prince Hunter. And some more important than others…” The look Kane gave Hunter made the Stark prince tense up, but he tried not to show it. Kane kept that cruel smile on his face for a few seconds before snapping his fingers, and then the guards closed in again, surrounding the three young men. “Take them to the Tower of the Hand. Make sure they’re comfortable, but not too comfortable,” Kane chuckled, turning back toward the throne without a second glance. The guards moved in at once, not bothering to hide their roughness as they grabbed Hunter, Yujun, and Ayden by the arms and pushed them toward the doors. As they were being forced out, Yujun glanced at his brother, who hadn’t spoken another word since Kane’s parting remark. What Kane had said about everyone being a pawn in a game, some more important than others, really lingered in Yujun’s mind. He couldn’t shake the feeling that Kane had meant something more than just the obvious. ´Some more important than others.´ Was Kane suggesting that Hunter was one of those ´more important´ pieces? That he was somehow crucial to Kane’s plans?

“Hunter…?” Yujun whispered, but Hunter didn’t seem to hear him. But that was when Yujun saw the way Hunter’s jaw had clenched tightly, his hands curling into fists so subtly that only someone who knew him well would notice. Hunter hadn’t responded to Kane or risen to the bait, but Yujun recognized the tension in his brother’s shoulders, the silent storm building inside him. Whatever Kane knew, whatever he was planning, it wasn’t just about the North, or even about taking the Iron Throne. It was something bigger… Could that be about The Prince That Was Promised…? But... there was no way Kane could know about that!

Chapter Text

The Tower of the Hand wasn’t exactly a dungeon, but it wasn’t comfortable either. Cold stone walls, a few threadbare blankets, and a heavy wooden door barred from the outside. A single narrow window let in a sliver of dying afternoon light. And no sign of the once powerful House Targaryen that had lived in these very halls not even 20 years earlier…At least they’d been thrown into the same room. Yujun sat cross-legged on the floor, picking at a loose thread in the old carpet beneath him. Across the room, Ayden paced back and forth, his boots scuffing against the stones. Hunter sat against the far wall, knees drawn up, staring blankly up and out the window, but Yujun could see the tightness around his mouth, the way his fingers tapped restlessly against his knee. The silence in the room was heavy, and the only sound was Ayden’s boots against the floor, but soon, that stopped, too.

“What did he mean by that?” He asked. “Everyone’s a pawn, but some more important than others…? That was aimed at you, Hunter. Wasn’t it?” Hunter didn’t answer him at first. He just tilted his head back against the wall, briefly closed his eyes, and breathed out slowly. But eventually, he spoke.

“I don’t know what he meant,” He said.

“You think it has something to do with the prophecy?” Yujun asked quietly, feeling the weight of the question settle in the room. Ayden looked over at him, but Hunter didn’t. “The Prince That Was Promised…” He let out a sigh. Yujun narrowed his eyes but didn’t remark on what Ayden had said; instead, he focused on his brother, who still hadn’t looked at either of them. “You know…” Yujun said slowly, his voice barely more than a whisper. “When we were here last time… when Taemin and Minghao showed you whatever they now did with all those dragon skulls… It was about The Prince That Was Promised, and that with that person’s blood of the dragon could save, or destroy, the world…” Hunter’s head snapped toward him then, and Yujun held his brother’s gaze, feeling the weight of his own words. “And Minghao-“

“He doesn’t know… He can’t,” Hunter finally said. “Taemin would have told me if the Boltons knew of The Prince That Was Promised…” After Hunter had finished his sentence, the room fell silent again. At least until Ayden let out a harsh breath, dragging a hand through his hair. “So now what…? Are we just going to wait here until your brother comes to get us?” When neither of the two Stark brothers gave him an answer, Ayden dropped down onto the floor beside Yujun with a grunt, scrubbing his hands over his face. Yujun leaned his head back against the cold stone wall, closing his eyes for a moment, much like how Hunter had done earlier.

“We have to hold out,” He eventually said. “At least long enough for Baekseung to come. Long enough to find a way to turn Kane’s game against him before he plays his next move.”

“Assuming he doesn’t kill us first,” Ayden muttered under his breath. Hunter remained silent, but when Yujun opened his eyes again, he saw him sitting perfectly still, watching him with a strange, burning look. But there, flickering deep in Hunter’s usually calm eyes, was something fierce… something Yujun wasn’t sure he would want his brother to let loose…

- - - -

Kane watched the guards lead the three young men away, the echo of their footsteps still lingering in the hall. Not all pawns were created equal… Hunter Stark… The one they whisper about in the streets of King’s Landing, of strange dreams, of visions that sometimes came true… A gift from the gods, some said. A cursed blessing, others muttered. Kane didn’t know what to believe, but frankly, he didn’t care. Magic, prophecy, foresight, whatever it was Hunter had inside him, it was real. And Kane had seen enough to know that it could be useful. Hunter was more than a prince; he was the key. The key to breaking both the Stark and the Martells and finally allowing Kane to be declared as the true king. Kane smirked at his own thoughts as he leaned further back on the iron throne. The boy didn’t even realize how valuable he was, but Kane did! And if the young, hopefully naive, King in the North didn’t take the bait and come running for his brother, then maybe Kane could keep Hunter here to make sure his own future was secure, seeing as Hunter apparently could tell what would happen to people before it does. And in Kane’s eyes, power is power. Magic, prophecy, politics, it doesn’t matter what kind it is if it can be used…

- - - -

“This is absurd! There’s no way he has Hunter! It’s a trap! He just wants us to come there believing he has Hunter in order to kill us!” Seeun was pretty much rambling at this point, not believing, or at least not wanting to believe what the letter in his hands was telling him… The Boltons couldn’t have his husband… That just wasn’t possible! Hunter was too smart to be captured by those idiot soldiers of his…

“And what if it’s not…?” Jongseob sighed, carefully prying the letter out of his son’s hands so he could read it properly himself. After having done so, he sighed once again before looking up at Seeun. “Is it really worth it not believing this…? I mean, he’s not straight up threatening to kill Hunter, he just wants us to come there and see for ourselves…”

“Exactly!” Seeun yelled. “He’s grabbing at every loose end he can find just to get a spark of power and advantage over us…!”

“And if he’s telling the truth…?” Jongseob raised an eyebrow at his son. “If he truly has Hunter locked up somewhere… what do you think he’ll do to him if we don’t show up…?” Seeun ran his hands through his hair, pulling at it almost so hard that it hurt, before turning to his side and sending the closest thing to him across the floor. Said thing happened to be some decorative vase that his father had had their workers place there some time ago, but right now, Jongseob couldn’t find it in himself to really care about some stupid vase, so he said nothing about it.

“Okay… I’ll go there… I’ll go to King’s Landing,” Seeun eventually said. “But you should stay here! It’s not wise for us both to leave Dorne right now, especially since-“

“No, Seeun…” Jongseob interrupted his son. “The letter said for us both to come. If we don’t comply with Kane’s demands, he might still hurt Hunter even if you go there…” Jongseob watched as his son was about to knock over even more of the surrounding decorations, but seemingly decided against it in the last second, and instead just let out a heavy sigh.

“I guess you’re right…” The younger answered. “But we’re not going alone, that’s just stupid!”

“I agree. We might have been put in a difficult situation, but that doesn’t mean we should abandon any and all reason just to follow some other king’s wishes,” Jongseob said. “We’ll take our best soldiers and head for King’s Landing as soon as possible, and in the meantime, I’ll make sure to order my most trustworthy councilmen to rule in my stead, and I want you to make sure that your son is well taken care of! Because if something were to go wrong up there, he’s the only future House Martell has!” Jongseob wanted his son with stern eyes, almost expecting the young man to disagree with him, but Seeun just nodded before doing what his father had asked of him.

- - - -

“Is this true?” Haechan questioned as he entered his brother’s hall. Taeyong sat by his table, overlooking some papers, but looked up upon hearing Haechan enter. It took the elder a couple of seconds to fully comprehend what his brother had been referring to, but when he spotted the letter in Haechan’s hand, he immediately understood.

“I fear it might be…” Taeyong then answered.

“Then your prophecy was wrong…”

“It wasn’t wrong… it just doesn’t meanting every step of the way,” Taeyong sighed, standing up from his chair. “Hunter is The Wolf That Brings the Dawn; he has to be,”

“If he is, that means Kane Bolton will have to spare his life, which I don’t see why he would…” Haechan argued. “With Hunter out of the picture, Kane will have every lord and lady in all of Westeros at his mercy because then no one would be able to believe in prophecies or destinies! People may not have liked the Targaryens, but they still like the Starks, or at least tolerate them, as well as the Martells, and they are the only two families who still have any claim to the iron throne! Without them-“

“Without them, Kane wouldn’t have any real competition, I know…! But tell me, brother, why do you think he hasn’t just killed Hunter and Yujun yet, then? Why keep them alive?” Taeyong questioned.

“Who says he hasn’t killed them already?! This letter could be a lie just to get Baekseung to come there, believing that his brothers are alive!”

“Or, Kane wants Baekseung there to negotiate something, and in return, give his brothers back to him…”

“And what would that be…?” Haechan raised an eyebrow, looking rather sceptical.

“For Baekseung to bend the knee and declare Kane as the true king of Westeros…” Taeyong answered.

“That still leaves the Martells in his way…” Haechan pointed out, but as soon as he did, he realised the possible outcome himself. “Unless he’s given the same ultimatum to the Martells…” Haechan answered his own question, and his brother nodded.

“Hunter is worth more to Kane alive than he is dead, so I don’t think he would have killed him… at least not until he’s heard what Baekseung and Jongseob have to say, and if they’re willing to comply with his terms…”

“And then what…?” Haechan questioned.

“Then we pray that he leaves us alone… and that the prophecy of The Wolf That Brings the Dawn is true…”

Chapter Text

The clatter of hooves against the stone streets broke the silence outside the Red Keep. From two different gates, unaware of the other’s presence in the city, two royal processions arrived almost at the same time. Baekseung rode at the head of his men, face pale and taut with restraint. Behind him rode his entourage. Leehan, who had barely said a thing the whole way there, Gyuvin ever-watchful of their surroundings, and the two most important knights, Sungho and Woonhak, watching every move the king made as well as the others’. Keum rode silently beside Leehan, his hand resting on the hilt of his sheathed dagger. His eyes did not stray from the looming keep ahead. Lord Taeyong Reed rode behind them, beside his brother Haechan, who nervously adjusted the clasp on his cloak for the third time, and followed by his own guards. Yujin, who had insisted on coming with them and not budged when told otherwise, rode next to Woonhak, the knight still following his duty of keeping an eye on the younger while still making sure that the king and the others were safe as well.

“I do not like this,” Gyuvin murmured, riding close to Baekseung’s side. “A letter, unsigned save for a seal no man trusts, summoning us here with no terms…”

“We had no choice,” Baekseung replied. “Not when he said that he has Hunter and Yujun… If there’s even a chance that we could get them back unharmed…”

“Then we’ll save them. But we cannot go in blind…” Gyuvin warned. Leehan glanced toward the Red Keep’s open gates as his son and Gyuvin spoke.

“The ghosts of this place surely won’t be finding any rest while this man rules here,” he murmured, mostly to himself. He didn’t have the power of visions like his brother and son did, but Leehan needed no visions to know that King’s Landing, and the Red Keep in particular, was a place with a terrible past and surely a terrible future as well… Once they reached the gates to the Red Keep, they dismounted their horses and were escorted to the doors of what they assumed to be the throne room. As they approached the great hall, the sound of another group’s footsteps echoed down the corridor, and it made most of them turn to look in that direction. At first, they saw nothing, but then, around the corner down the long corridor, came the Martells. Jongseob and Seeun walked first, surrounded by their golden-robed guards, the Prince of Sunspear’s cloak catching the light like a flame. For a moment, both parties halted, staring at each other in tight-lipped surprise.

“Seeun?” Baekseung said with a flicker of confusion.

“So we were not the only ones summoned.” Jongseob raised a brow before letting out a sigh. Seeun gave the Starks a guarded glance.

“You received the letter too?” Gyuvin questioned. “Same seal?” Jongseob gave a grim nod.

“Red wax. The flayed man of House Bolton. No signature, but we knew who sent it…”

“The bastard wanted us both here,” Woonhak muttered quietly.

“Not one but two kings summoned like dogs. This isn’t a political thing to Kane… It’s a game!” Sungho gave a quiet scoff.

“He knows what he’s doing,” Gyuvin added, voice tight. “Two crowns summoned here, both with something to lose. He surely wants something from us… considering the fact that the North and Dorne are the only two kingdoms he doesn’t have any power over…”

“Whatever he wants… It’s not worth more than my brothers’ lives…!” Baekseung exhaled sharply through his nose. A cold silence settled over the group. Gyuvin eventually turned to face the towering doors.

“Let’s not give him the satisfaction of waiting...” He said, and Baekseung gave him a nod before walking toward the doors. The heavy oak doors of the throne room groaned when opened, cold air drifted through the space like a breath from a grave, and their footsteps echoed on the dark stone floor. Every stride forward seemed to stretch the hall wider, each torch-lit pillar rising like a silent sentinel. Baekseung stepped into the throne room first, with the weight of knowing that this was his ancestors' greatest place of and yet where they probably sealed their tragic fate as well… He had heard tales, the myths, the warnings of the iron throne all his life. It was not just a simple throne, but a monument to the madness of previous kings and the price of entire empires falling. Yet standing here, in its shadow, it was worse than he’d imagined. The throne loomed above them like a beast forged from nightmares, blades snarling outward, each one a silent scream from a conquered foe, and honestly, it made Baekseung’s stomach clench.

“So this is it, huh…” Baekseung heard Keum murmur beside him. So many Targaryens had fought and died for that throne, spilled blood onto this very floor for it. His grandfather, Jake, had been the last dragon rider alive to see this place, and even he, despite so many years passing since the fall of House Targaryen, suffered an unfair fate… Baekseung’s hands curled into fists. This was the place that had torn his family apart. He exhaled sharply through his nose and muttered.

“All this bloodshed… All for that stupid chair…”

“It looks like it was built by monsters for even worse monsters…” Keum leaned closer to him while talking.

“It might as well have been…” Baekseung replied bitterly. “Every sword up there belonged to a man who died screaming. And for what? Power that crumbles like ash?” Leehan walked up beside them. Though his posture remained firm, there was a pallor to his face. His breath caught in his throat when he watched it… the iron throne. He had never set eyes upon it until now, but in a way, he had always known it. It haunted their family even if they weren’t really Targaryens. This thing had ruled their lives from a thousand leagues away, before either of them was born, while they still lived, and surely even after they all had died…

“Seven save us,” Ser Sungho murmured under his breath, eyes fixed on the throne. He wasn’t really a religious man, but it felt like they needed the Seven to protect them now.

“We’ll need more than the Seven…” Gyuvin replied bitterly while watching the throne, and the man who sat upon it… Kane Bolton leaned back on the throne, as though it were no more than a cushioned seat in his council chamber. One hand rested on the arm of the throne; the other dangled loosely over his knee. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes sparkled with amusement, and perhaps even something darker…The throne room seemed eerily quiet as they just stood there. Then, eventually, Kane stood up slowly.

“Welcome, Your Majesties. My Lords and Sers, to King’s Landing,” he greeted them with a mocking nod, voice smooth as silk. “How wonderful to have all the finest flowers of Stark and Martell bloom in my hall.” His mere way of talking already annoyed Baekseung, but the young king merely bit his lip to keep himself from bursting out. No one made a move until Jongseob stepped forward.

“We did not come for pleasantries, Bolton. You know why we’re here.” The southern king said.

“But why rush?” Kane chuckled, descending the throne’s steps as he spoke. “Is it not enough to stand where your ancestors only dreamed of returning? The iron throne is more beautiful in person, is it not? Terrifying, yes. But beautiful…”

“A carcass made of swords. Let it rust.” Seeun muttered under his breath. Kane’s gaze moved to him.

“Ah, the salty Dornish crown prince. Full of fire. But you’ll find, my boy, fire alone does not keep one alive in this hall,” Kane gave Seeun a teasing wink. Kane’s gaze drifted lazily away from Seeun and across the others before him, his smirk never quite fading. But then, something, or rather, someone, caught his eye. He tilted his head, lips curving a touch more sharply. “Well now…” He chuckled, taking a few slow steps forward, eyes narrowing on a figure half-hidden among the Martell entourage. “If it isn’t the little ghost I never thought I’d see again.”

“Fuck…” Woonhak muttered under his breath as Kane’s gaze locked on him, and for the briefest moment, something cold passed over his face. He wanted to step back, to have the floor swallow him up whole or just disappear, but it was too late…

“You’ve grown, Nephew.” A murmur rippled through the hall. Baekseung glanced toward Woonhak, but he didn’t say anything. Kane grinned like a cat who’d just caught a particularly amusing mouse. “Oh, don’t look so surprised. You knew I would be here, didn’t you?” He asked, voice filled with pure amusement as he watched Woonhak squirm uncomfortably under his gaze, and with everyone’s attention now on him. “Born of a bastard line, yes, but blood is blood… And I’d recognize my sister’s little mistakes anywhere. You’ve got that same look in your eyes as she did…”

Woonhak didn’t speak. His hands were clenched at his sides, trembling just enough for Baekseung, Yujin, and Sungho, who stood the closest to him, to notice. And much to Woonhak’s surprise, Yujin stepped even closer to him, as if preparing to intercept should Kane try anything more. “Tell me, Nephew,” Kane went on, savoring the title like it tasted sweet. “Did they ever tell you what the Boltons do to kin they can’t control? Or were you too busy playing a noble crow at the Wall to remember?” Woonhak finally met his gaze, eyes steady but voice low.

“I remember enough…” He spat back at Kane, but Kane’s smirk only twitched slightly.

“Oh, good. Then you’ll know not to test my hospitality… family or not.” The hall fell deathly still. Jongseob’s jaw tightened.

“Enough with your games, Kane…” The southern king said.

“We are not here to marvel at relics or banter like fools. Where are my sons?!” Leehan spoke at last, quiet but firm. Kane smiled then, slow and terrible.

“Ah, yes. Hunter and Yujun. Such strong boys. Such bright futures. Such… leverage…” Kane said.

“Where are they? What have you done with them?” Gyuvin’s voice was sharp. Kane stopped walking then, his smile still not faltering.

“Nothing. Yet…” The silence that followed was suffocating. Baekseung’s breath tightened in his chest. His mind filled with images that he could not control… His brothers; chained, beaten, tortured… Then rage surged in his chest, and he took a step forward to speak, but Jongseob beat him to it.

“We did not come here to fight you. We came to speak, to get Hunter and Yujun back. Do not treat us like fools. Do not play with their lives!” He said, which was probably a much better approach than the one Baekseung had been about to take.

“So speak, then,” Baekseung said, his voice steel. “Tell us what you want. And do not make us ask again…” Kane turned back toward the throne, just watching it.

“I have sat this throne for only a short time, and yet I feel the weight of it already. This throne was forged by dragonfire and blood. The dragons are gone, but the blood remains. And with it… the right to rule.”

“You have no right,” Gyuvin hissed. “You are a usurper and a murderer.” Kane turned again, and for the first time, the charm dropped from his voice.

“I am king because I seized the throne. That is the oldest right there is. Your ancestors did the same once… The Targaryens weren’t always the rightful rulers of the Seven Kingdoms!”

“At a great cost, yes… But with what did you pay for the right to sit there?” Leehan asked.

“Nothing… Because great men do not need to pay that sort of price when they have other means to get what they want. And I do not wish for endless wars. I wish for peace. Order. A united Westeros… under one king.” Kane’s voice softened once more as he spoke.

“You mean yourself,” Seeun said coldly.

“Naturally,” Kane replied. “And to cement this… I ask only a simple thing.” He clapped his hands once. From behind a set of side doors, the sound of chains and boots echoed in. The assembled nobles turned as guards entered, dragging three figures into the throne room: Hunter, who looked more worried than anything else. Yujun, who was glaring with a defiant fire in his eyes. And Ayden, whom not everyone in the throne room even knew what his name was or who he was. Baekseung’s breath hitched. His brothers! They were still alive! Jongseob’s face tightened. Seeun reached for his sword and was quickly restrained by his father’s firm grip.

“Wait…!” Jongseob muttered under his breath, and much to his surprise, Seeun actually did.

“The princes. As promised.” Kane gestured grandly. The Bolton guards forced the three boys to kneel. Kane looked directly at Baekseung and Jongseob now, his voice hardening. “If you wish to have them back, bend the knee. Declare me the true king of Westeros. Or I will slit their throats, one by one, on these very steps of the iron throne…” Kane said, no longer any trace of his previous eerie smile or mocking tone, this was serious, even to him…

Chapter Text

The council chamber in the Red Keep was far too hot. Kane having them move up here instead of the throne room was, according to the man, necessary for the politics. Pure bullshit if you ask Baekseung… Sunlight poured in through tall, stained-glass windows, casting distorted rainbows across the long stone table where they all sat in stiff silence. Baekseung sat near the center, slouched slightly with one leg crossed over the other, elbow on the table. Across from him sat Jongseob, back straight, expression guarded but attentive. Around them sat everyone else, apart from Sungho and Woonhak, who remained standing on either side of Baekseung, as well as Jongseob’s best guard, Aianna, who stood behind the Dornish king. At the far end of the table stood Kane. The Great Council, as Kane insisted it be called, was taking place right now…

“To avoid bloodshed,” Kane said smoothly, gesturing around the table, “We must acknowledge what already is. I sit the iron throne. I hold King’s Landing. The realm is fractured. But it need not remain so. All I ask is recognition, peace, and unity.”

“That’s not all you asked,” Seeun muttered from beside his father, arms crossed. Kane ignored him, as in his mind, the only opinions he cared about were the two kings: Baekseung and Jongseob. “The North and Dorne were the last pieces,” he continued, “The last banners not yet lowered. But now… here we are. So tell me; is there any real contest left?” Silence followed, strained and cold. Eventually, it was Gyuvin, stern-faced and silent until now, who first spoke.

“This is no true council,” he said, his voice low and even. “This is theater. Your dramatic play to seize the throne by threatening us with blood and blades, then pretending to play fairly!”

“You’re welcome to leave, Lord Umber,” Kane said mildly, not looking at him. “Though I suspect the Last Hearth will feel quite far away once the rest of the realm names me king…” Baekseung let out a short laugh, sudden and without malice. All eyes turned to him.

“You know,” he said, glancing at Kane, “I came here expecting madness. Not… bureaucracy.”

“You find this funny?” Seeun asked, brow raised and clearly irritated by Baekseung’s childishness in such a situation.

“Funny enough,” Baekseung replied. “The lords whisper that I have the best claim. The eldest living son of Taesan Stark. Grandson of the last dragonrider, Jake Stark. A direct descendant of the Targaryens… Though I myself would claim that Jongseob has the strongest claim to the iron throne, with his own father being a dragon rider himself, though just not one named Targaryen…” He looked around the table, then shrugged. “But as much as I’m concerned, I don’t want it…”

“You… what?” Gyuvin blinked, though actually not surprised.

“I don’t want the iron throne,” Baekseung repeated. “I never have. It’s cursed. Targaryens bled for it. My family bled for it. And for what? A seat built from bones and fire? Let someone else rot on it… all I want is my brothers back, unharmed!” Kane’s smile flickered, seemingly having not expected this, but welcoming it regardless. Jongseob watched Baekseung for a few seconds before he turned to his son.

“Well?” Seeun scowled, then sighed.

“I won’t bend the knee,” he said slowly, “But I won’t raise a sword either. Dorne’s been through too much. We’ve lost too many. But I will not be risking my husband’s life for this either… The price of pride is too high…” He glanced at Kane with undisguised dislike. “You’ll never be my king, but I won’t stop you from calling yourself one…”

“Good thing it’s not your blessing I seek, then, my prince,” Kane chuckled. He couldn’t care less if Seeun wanted to bend the knee or not; it was his father, Jongseob, who needed to do that since he was the king of Dorne, not Seeun.

“Write this down!” Kane said to the maester standing beside him. “Baekseung Stark and Jongseob Martell, do you formally decline all claim to the Iron Throne?” The two kings, sitting across from each other, shared a look before nodding.

“Yes…” They both said in union.

“And with the consent of your two great kingdoms, the North and Dorne, I, Kane of House Bolton, am acknowledged as Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and King of Westeros?” The words rang like a bell through the chamber.

“Yes…” Baekseung and Jongseob said again. “With the assurance that you won’t be attacking us and trying to diminish us even after we’ve declared you king! And only after you’ve released Hunter, Yujun, and Ayden, do we agree to this!” Baekseung added.

“Of course, why would I have bothered bringing you both here if I could have taken your kingdoms by force, which I could, but for the good of the realm, I won’t,” Kane answered. This was the closest thing to weakness the man had shown ever since they’d arrived in King’s Landing, admitting that he wouldn’t attack them by force. Because even if he now claimed it was for the good of the realm, both Baekseung and Jongseob knew that the outcome of such a battle might not favour the Boltons… but the price they would have to pay would be too high as well…

“You’ll still always be a usurper in my eyes!” Seeun spat, but Kane simply ignored him once again. Instead, he turned back to the others.

“You’ve made a wise decision. Let’s just hope your respective kingdoms appreciate it as much as I do,” He chuckled. “You may all go home now,” he added before looking directly at Baekseung. “And your brothers will be released by nightfall,” But Baekseung didn’t move, and his expression just cooled.

“No,” he said flatly. “Not by nightfall. Not later… Now!” Kane tilted his head, feigning amusement.

“Now? You doubt my word?”

“I doubt your good faith,” Baekseung replied. “And I will not agree to anything until my brothers are outside your gates, breathing free air and out of your reach!” The room stilled. Even Jongseob glanced in Baekseung’s direction, mildly surprised at the tone. It wasn’t a threat, but it was damn close. Kane’s smile faltered. Then he sighed, theatrically.

“So suspicious, Lord Stark, “Kane said, emphasizing that he no longer viewed Baekseung as a king, even though he’d been allowed to keep the title, only having to acknowledge that Kane was the king above him… “But fine. You’ll have them within the hour, outside the Lion Gate. Bring your men. If it means so much to you, let it be done…” Baekseung didn’t thank him. He merely nodded once and rose from his seat, and then the rest followed him.

- - - -

An hour later, beyond the Lion Gate of King’s Landing… The wind swept low and across the dry plains outside the city. The once green fields out there no longer bloomed or prospered as they’d been during the Targaryen reign. And the funny thing was, it hadn’t been dragonfire that destroyed them, it had been the time that had passed since the last dragon flew in the sky above… Baekseung waited, cloak snapping behind him in the wind. Beside him stood Seeun, arms crossed and tense, while a little ways off, Leehan with Sungho next to him, both unmoving, and only watching the city with a gaze sharp enough to cut glass. Then the gates finally opened, and three figures were led out by Bolton guards, no longer shackled, but heavily watched. First came Hunter, seemingly unharmed. Then Yujun, who was limping slightly. And lastly, Ayden, whose expression Baekseung couldn’t decipher at all. The moment the Bolton guards stepped back and away, it was like something snapped.

“Hunter! Yujun!” he shouted, voice cracking despite himself. His brothers caught him halfway, and Baekseung wrapped his arms around them both in a fierce hug. Hunter clutched his cloak, burying his face in Baekseung’s shoulder, while Yujun simply hugged his brother back and didn’t let go.

“I thought…” Baekseung began, but couldn’t finish.

“We know,” Hunter said. “We did too, but we’re fine!” Seeun didn’t wait another second. He surged forward, and Hunter immediately noticed him. The Stark prince let go of his brother in order to allow his husband to wrap his arms around him from the side, clinging to him with a desperation he hadn’t shown in the council hall.

“You idiot,” he whispered against the side of Hunter’s head. “You absolute idiot.” He was referring to the fact that this was precisely what he’d meant would happen when Hunter had decided to leave Dorne in the first place.

“I missed you, too.” Hunter laughed. Yujun eventually pulled away from Baekseung just enough to see Leehan, who hadn’t moved yet.

“Father,” he said softly, and this made Hunter look up as well. Seeun let go of the younger so he could go to his father as well. And Leehan, who had been holding himself still as stone, finally broke. He stepped forward and wrapped both his arms around his sons, pulling Yujun and Hunter into the kind of embrace he hadn’t given them in years.

“My boys, my sweet boys!” Leehan murmured into both his sons’ dark brown hair. Ayden stood a little ways off, uncertain, and just watching the family finally reuniting. He’d not said anything yet, and wasn’t sure if he should either… This wasn’t his family, they didn’t care about him… But then, much to not only his surprise but to pretty much everyone’s, Baekseung reached out his hand for him too.

“Come here,” he said gently. Ayden hesitated for a second, then allowed himself to be pulled into a very unexpected hug by the King in the North. “Thank you for keeping my brothers safe…” Baekseung said lowly so only Ayden could hear him. “Maybe not all Baratheons are so bad after all,” He added, giving Ayden a small smile once they pulled apart again. Ayden wasn’t sure how Baekseung had figured out that he was a Baratheon, but right now, it didn’t seem like it really mattered anyway… They were not their fathers nor their grandfathers. Neither could be blamed for what their ancestors had done to each other, and both Baekseung and Ayden were mature enough to know that. And now, they could finally return home, knowing that Yujun was safe, and of course, Hunter as well.

- - - -

It had been about a month since they left King’s Landing, and they were currently on the King’s Road, just past the Neck. Taeyong and Haechan Reed had returned to Graywater Watch, but not before bidding their brother, Sungho, farewell. The rest of them were currently making their way through the wet and swampy mud of the Neck, torches flickering in the darkness of the night and hooves muffled by damp earth. Baekseung rode near the front, his cloak now more fur-lined and pale than the previous one, as it was getting much colder the further north they got. Behind him, Gyuvin suddenly called out for them all to halt for the night, which was probably a good choice so that they would be getting some rest, and so they stopped and made camp there. Yujun and Ayden hadn’t left each other’s side since they left the city, but Hunter had chosen to return with the Martells to Sunspear, which Baekseung wasn’t really a fan of, but at the same time, Hunter had his son waiting for him there, just like Baekseung had his waiting for him in Winterfell.

“You should rest too, you know,” Keum’s voice came from behind him, prompting Baekseung to turn and look at him.

“As should you,” Baekseung smiled at his husband before placing a kiss on his lips. “I’ll join you in a second, there’s just something I need to do first,” He added. Keum raised an eyebrow at him, but didn’t question it.

“Okay,” He answered and then just gave the younger a nod before entering the tent that had been set up for them for the night. Baekseung waited until Keum had fully entered the tent before turning to look out into the distance. He’d had this feeling of being watched for a few days now, but he hadn’t had the energy to care until now. Though he was not worried about who it was that had been watching him, because he already knew who it was…

“What do you want…?” Baekseung questioned once he’d walked far enough away from their camp that he knew no one else could hear him. A shadow stepped out of the trees, calm yet filled with purpose. The silver cloak stood out against the otherwise dark surroundings, and the man’s silver eyes gleamed faintly with something not entirely human…

“I think you already know what I’m going to say…” Taemin said, his tone unreadable.

“If you’re here to scold me, wait until morning. I’m too tired to play your games right now,”

“I’m not scolding you… I just want you to know that you could’ve had the throne, you know,” Taemin said.

“I know,” Baekseung answered. “But I didn’t want it…”

“Wanting is irrelevant,” Taemin snapped. “The realm doesn’t always care what you want! Destiny certainly doesn’t!” But Baekseung just huffed, looking past Taemin and into the woods.

“If the realm truly cares, they’ll strike Kane down. And if not…” He shrugged. “Then maybe the realm gets what it deserves… Regardless, I don’t care. I’m not one to be blinded by the madness that drove the Targaryens, and as I said to you before, I don’t care about my supposed fate! All I care about is my family!” Taemin silently studied him for a long while.

“And when the flames rise again? When the throne calls for blood, as it always does… will you still stay away?” Taemin asked, but Baekseung didn’t answer him immediately. Instead, he looked north, toward the direction of Winterfell.

“I’ll answer that when it happens,” He said quietly. “If it happens… But I hope to the old gods and the new that it never does…”

“But it will… The Prince That Was Prom-“

“I don’t care about The Prince That Was Promised either! There’s no way of knowing that he will even come! And if he does, I doubt it would have anything to do with me!” Baekseung interrupted Taemin.

“The Prince That Was Promised will come! But what you’ve just done, letting a usurper sit the iron throne and rule over all of Westeros, will only make his path forward harder! The Boltons weren’t meant to have a part in that story, but now they do! Because of you and your reckless decisions, not only will The Prince That Was Promised suffer, but so will those around him!” Taemin was yelling by this point, something Baekseung thought he’d never get to witness, and yet here he was. “And not to mention your brother!” Taemin added in all his anger, which was probably not something he was supposed to do because his face shifted after he’d let the words slip out.

“Hunter?” Baekseung questioned. “You can’t seriously think that I would believe some stupid northern tale of my brother being The Wolf That Brings the Dawn when I don’t believe in The Prince That Was Promised to begin with…” He sighed.

“Destiny doesn’t need your belief, all it needs is your blood…” Taemin said, prompting Baekseung to tense up, thinking that the silver-eyed man might try to hurt him. But all Taemin did was watch Baekseung for a few more seconds. “I hope you said your goodbyes to your brother because when your story ends, his is just beginning…” Taemin then, without a sound, took a few steps back into the trees and seemingly vanished with the wind.

Chapter Text

The sun hung low over the sandstone walls of Sunspear, bathing the palace in its amber light. The breeze carried the scent of salt and spices through its warm corridors. Hunter made his way through said corridors, in the direction of his and Seeun’s chambers.

“Yechan!” He called out softly as he entered the room. Two women were present in there, one standing by the window and the other sitting on the floor beside a small figure, seemingly unaware of his surroundings as he was still way too young to really understand them. Hunter dropped to his knees beside the little boy, and the woman moved out of his way as he did. “There you are, my little star,” he whispered, picking up Yechan and holding him tight. Yechan cooed with excitement, small arms waving around in the air happily. Seeun, who had followed behind Hunter, now stood in the doorway, smiling faintly as he watched them.

“He missed you, you know,” he said.

“I missed him,” Hunter said, rising with Yechan in his arms. “I miss him as soon as he leaves my arms,”

“You’ve gotten soft, my wolf,” Seeun teased, walking over and placing a kiss on Hunter’s cheek. “Not that I mind it.” This made Hunter let out a laugh while shaking his head at his husband. Jongseob entered a moment later, arms folded as he raised a brow at the scene.

“You forget, my dear Seeun, Starks are always soft when it comes to family. It’s the rest of the world they’re stubborn with,” The Dornish king chuckled, and Hunter smiled at his father-in-law.

“That might be the kindest insult I’ve ever heard,” He chuckled. Jongseob and Seeun both did the same before Jongseob turned to leave again. And after that, life was good. Peaceful even. Hunter spent his days training and laughing with Seeun in the water gardens, watching Yechan take his first steps, and falling asleep next to them both in the warmth of Dorne’s never-ending summer. But peace never lasts… Hunter knew that, and as most would think only war could interrupt peace, Hunter knew that there were other things that might disturb it as well...

- - - -

The Night that Taemin came to Sunspear, Hunter had almost allowed himself to forget his supposed purpose, and The Prince That was Promised seemed like a distant dream, or perhaps a nightmare even… It was just past midnight when the wind shifted. Hunter had been sleeping, Seeun’s arm around him, and Yechan curled up against his chest. But something had woken him up. It wasn’t a vision, which usually was what did wake him up at this hour… He carefully pulled himself free without waking his husband and son and stepped out onto the balcony. And that’s where he found him. Cloaked in silver, standing with his back turned to Hunter, and yet the prince knew exactly who he was.

“You keep following me…” Hunter said quietly, not surprised at all by the other’s presence here despite having almost forgotten about him.

“I follow fate,” Taemin answered, his voice low and eerily calm. “It just so happens that you’re part of it…” Hunter took a few more steps forward, gaze hardening.

“I’ve had enough of your riddles, you know that… So just say what you came to say…” Taemin finally turned around and tilted his head, studying the young Stark for a few seconds.

“You are the Wolf That Brings the Dawn,” He eventually said. “You are the one that’ll bring The Prince That Was Promised…” Hunter frowned at Taemin’s words.

“That story’s just a myth. A northern fairy tale… and for these past few months, even The Prince That Was Promised seems like nothing more than one of your stories…”

“No,” Taemin replied, stepping down onto the balcony soundlessly, like mist. “You are the myth, Hunter. And you’re the most important part of the story… Why else would you think you were born looking like you did and being able to do what you can do?” Hunter stood silent, though an uneasy feeling had started to crawl up his spine. “You feel it, don’t you, the fire growing inside you,” Taemin continued. “That fire… The same one that ran through your ancestors’ veins and drove them to madness, it will be the thing that brings back what they once lost while playing a game they couldn’t win…”

“Why are you telling me this?” Hunter asked. “You said that if I were to know this, I wouldn’t be able to stay here, with my family… and so I chose not to know… and I still stand by that choice!”

“I’m afraid that your brother’s decision to declare a usurper king of Westeros has complicated things…” Taemin answered. “And I think that you understood your purpose long ago, Hunter… You just chose not to see it… And that, one day, you will stand before the relics of the past… and you will give life back to them. You will bring back what was lost… You’ll be the one who awakens the dragons again…” Hunter’s heart skipped a beat.

“Dragons…?” Hunter questioned, hardly believing what he heard, but Taemin just nodded once.

“The magic of Old Valyria lingers, hidden. Waiting. And you, Hunter Stark… you are the key. Not because of what you’ve done in your life. But because of the destiny you were born to fulfill!” A silence fell between them after that, and all Hunter could do for a long time was just stare at Taemin.

“And what then?” Hunter asked finally. “What happens after I bring them back?”

“Then The Prince That Was Promised will do what he was born to do,” Taemin answered, prompting Hunter to look back toward the room where Seeun and Yechan were still sound asleep.

“I don’t want that life,” He murmured. “I want to stay here with them…”

“So did your ancestors,” Taemin said. “And yet, history never asked them what they wanted, either…” Taemin reached his hand out toward Hunter, his eyes almost warm for once… “I can’t change what destiny chose for you, and I think you know that already… I’m just here to guide you…”

“So I don’t even get to say goodbye…?” Hunter questioned, watching Taemin’s outstretched hand as he felt tears starting to well up in his own eyes.

“I can give you until sunrise…” Taemin said, and then he stepped back into the shadow, his silver eyes being the last thing to fade from view. Hunter remained on the balcony, despite being aware of the short amount of time he apparently had… He watched the stars, heart pounding with the weight of truths too vast to carry, and yet, somehow, he didn’t feel as bad as he thought he would…

- - - -

The light of dawn had not yet touched the sky, but the stars above Sunspear had begun to fade. Hunter stood in their room once again. Seeun had yet to wake up, which he usually did right before sunrise, but Yechan was awake, lying on their bed, eyes wide open, watching his father with curious eyes. The little boy had woken the moment Hunter stepped back into the room. Hunter debated whether or not he should wake Seeun up, fearing it would be too hard for him to say goodbye, but he knew that Seeun would never be able to rest if Hunter just disappeared without a trace. He at least owed him an explanation, just like he owed his brothers and father one… Which was why he’d written them a letter explaining what little he could, and at least trying to make them understand that they shouldn’t go looking for him because they would never find anything…

“You’re leaving,” Seeun’s voice startled Hunter, prompting him to turn away from the table with the letter and look over at Seeun. It wasn’t a question. His voice trembled, but it held no surprise. Almost as if Seeun had been waiting for this day to come, knowing that Hunter wasn’t supposed to stay here… Hunter swallowed hard and stepped forward, sitting down beside his husband on the bed. He reached out and brushed Seeun’s hair from his face.

“I didn’t want to wake you yet.”

“You weren’t going to,” Seeun whispered. “You were going to leave without saying goodbye…”

“I couldn’t… I didn’t know how to say it.” His fingers trembled slightly as they traced the line of his husband’s jaw. “How do you say goodbye to everything you’ve ever wanted?”

“You don’t,” Seeun said, sitting up. “You stay…”

“I can’t,” Hunter said, and the words broke him. “You know that…” Yechan moved slightly and blinked sleepily, letting out a tiny noise, then settled again as Hunter gently picked him up and pressed a kiss to his forehead. “You are everything I never knew I needed,” Hunter whispered against his son’s forehead. “And one day, when you’re older… I hope you’ll understand why I had to go…” His voice cracked. “I’ll love you, always.” He then turned back to Seeun, who’d now crossed his arms tightly over his chest, trying and failing to hold back his tears.

“You don’t have to do this,” Seeun said, voice shaking. “Let the world burn if it wants to! Stay with us!” Hunter leaned forward and took his hands.

“If only it were possible… You know I would! You know I want to. But I can’t…”

“You deserve peace, too, Hunter! You deserve to grow old with us! You deserve a life!” Seeun said. Hunter leaned his forehead against his husband’s.

“Peace isn’t mine to have. Not yet. But if this ends the way I hope it does… maybe it will be yours. Yours and his…” Hunter gestured toward Yechan, who had now fallen back asleep in his arms.

“I hate you for this,” Seeun whispered, voice raw. “But I love you more.” Hunter kissed him, slow and deep, memorizing the feeling.

“Promise me you’ll tell him stories about me. Let him know that I didn’t leave because I didn’t love him…”

“I’ll tell him you were the best that ever happened to me, even if you’re still leaving me now…” Seeun murmured. “And that you hopefully saved the world by doing this…” Hunter kissed Seeun once again before handing Yechan over to him and hugging them both one last time. He then stood up, stepping back from the bed as the horizon was now starting to show shades of blue and pink, a sign that the sun was finally rising.

“I’ll come back,” Hunter said. “Someday… I hope…” But Seeun just shook his head gently.

“Don’t promise what you can’t keep…” Seeun cried. He followed Hunter out onto the balcony, Yechan still in his arms, but he didn’t try to stop Hunter. And then, seemingly out of the blue, Taemin reappeared on the balcony. He didn’t say a word and only gave Seeun a small nod with his head. Hunter turned to look at Taemin, whose silver cloak caught the light, making it look like it was glowing, and then he looked back at Seeun.

“I love you, I always will!” Hunter said.

“And I love you,” Seeun answered. Then he watched as Taemin placed his hand on Hunter’s shoulder, and just as the sun rose about the horizon, they both disappeared into nothing but a faint, silver glow, which slowly blended into the sun’s light as Seeun could do nothing but stand there… He was gone… Hunter was gone…

- - - -

Baekseung stood before the gravestones and statues in the crypts of Winterfell, their dad’s grave in particular, fingers curled into fists. He hadn’t said a word since the letter had arrived in Winterfell… only being able to make his way down here with his brother, Yujun, in tow. Leehan had spotted his sons as Yujun chased after Baekseung down into the crypts, seemingly wanting the older to give or show him something, and once Leehan had joined them down there, he’d understood what it was that Baekseung had red and that Yujun had tried to get his brother to show him, which he’d now apparently had… The raven’s message was still clenched in Yujun’s hand, crumpled.

“He’s gone…” Baekseung finally said, his voice flat. Leehan closed his eyes.

“I knew… deep down. I knew he was never going to stay here forever…” Leehan said, prompting Baekseung to turn, face unreadable but eyes burning.

“It doesn’t matter what we think we know! I let him go to Sunspear thinking he’d be safe. That he could have peace…”

“He was safe,” Yujun said, stepping forward. His voice was sharp with pain. “But this… we all knew this was coming…”

“He was my little brother!” Baekseung shouted. “He wasn’t a goddamn weapon, Yujun!”

“Don’t fight, please…” Leehan said softly. “He wouldn’t have wanted you to do that… And yes, he was the brother of both of you, he still is! But this was his purpose… I knew that he was meant for something more from the moment he was born, I just didn’t want to let myself see it…” Baekseung took a shaking breath, then turned away from his brother and their father.

“I hate this! I hate that stupid destiny!” Baekseung yelled. Yujun didn’t say anything else; he just turned on his heels and walked back toward the stairs leading up out of the crypts.

“Where are you going?” Leehan asked.

“To Sunspear,” Yujun answered coldly.

“What good would that bring…?” Baekseung questioned. “If that stupid Taemin-guy was right, Hunter is nowhere to be found by now…”

“I don’t care! As you said, he’s our brother, and I’m not giving up on him!” Yujun stormed up and out of the crypts, followed by Leehan, while Baekseung chose to stay behind.

“Yujun, please think this through before you just storm off again!” Leehan called after his son, causing Yujun to halt momentarily and look back at his father.

“Your son is missing, and you act like you don’t even care!” Yujun yelled back. “Where’s the father I once knew, who broke down completely when dad and grandfather sent Hunter to King’s Landing, huh? Where’s that person? Because that’s certainly not you standing here right now!” It took some time for Leehan to actually answer, long enough for the snow that was falling from the sky to land in Yujun’s dark hair and stay untouched due to the cold air around them.

“Winter is here, Yujun… The Stark words, our words: Winter is coming, are more than just a prediction of when the white walkers came… winter doesn’t just bring bad things… it gives nature time to rest and prepare for what it’s meant to do once the snow has melted… I know it might sound useless to you right now, but your brother was meant for something more. From the moment he was born, he was different, and it’s only now that I understand what that actually meant…” Leehan said.

“That doesn’t change the fact that he’s gone! Probably against his will!” Yujun answered.

“Hunter has never done anything without having his own say in it, and you know that. People might have pushed him in different directions throughout his life, but he’s always found his own parts of those paths. And I think that this is just one more of those paths that he has to take… just a much bigger one than what you and I can fully understand…”

“I still won’t believe that he just left… I… I need to find him and know for certain that he’s safe…” Yujun mumbled, but Leehan still heard him. “I’m sorry, father, but I have to at least try… that’s my destiny… but I figure that’s something you won’t be able to understand…” Using his father own words against him hit Yujun more than it probably did Leehan, but Leehan seemed to accept Yujun’s choice either way as when Yujun turned to leave, his father didn’t try to stop him…When Yujun got back to his and Ayden’s chambers, he didn’t need to speak even a single word; the other just knew that he had to do what Yujun did and to follow him wherever he went, because that was what they’d promised each other all the way back in the House of Black and White, and so he did. He’d heard about the raven from Sunspear, and after Yujun acting the way he did, he knew something was wrong, and the very next morning, they rode for Sunspear. Kalea, Leehan’s white direwolf, passed away peacefully that morning as well, leaving Winterfell in even more grief… The journey Yujun and Ayden had before them was a very long one, but neither of them spoke much during it. What was there to say when fear had already started building in their bones? Yujun had known his brother was special, marked by something neither of them could really understand, but he’d never thought it would force him to leave him. Not like this. Not so suddenly. Not without a proper goodbye…When they eventually reached Sunspear, the Dornish palace was quiet beneath the blazing sun. It was Seeun who met them at the gates, looking rough like he’d not gotten much sleep at all, and his clothes loose around his frame. He looked like a man held together only by obligation. Jongseob stood a few steps behind, arms folded, jaw clenched so tightly it trembled.

“He’s gone,” Seeun said without preamble. That wasn’t what Yujun wanted to hear, and even if he’d prepared himself for it, hearing it from Seeun stung even more than hearing it from Baekseung back in Winterfell…

“No…” Yujun murmured as he stepped forward, voice rising. “No, he wouldn’t do that… not to you. Not to me. Not to Yechan.”

“He didn’t want to leave,” Jongseob said, stepping forward now, his voice quiet but steady. “But he had to… You, out of all people, knew that…” And as much as it hurt to hear those words, Yujun knew that they were true… He’d been the one who’d stayed by Hunter’s side for almost their whole lives. He’d been there when Hunter first learned of The Prince That Was Promised and everything that that had meant…

“This isn’t right,” Seeun whispered. “He’s not supposed to be gone. But he is…I begged him to stay! I really did! But he said that there was no other way… and then Taemin came…”

“Taemin?!” Yujun burst out, and Seeun nodded. The Stark prince fell silent for a while, seemingly thinking hard about something, and then he suddenly turned away and stormed toward the doors leading out of the castle. “Then I’ll find him. Wherever he is, I’ll find him!”

“Yujun-” Seeun stepped forward.

“No.” The word cut like a blade. “You said yourself, he didn’t want to go. That means he didn’t want to leave us forever. And if Taemin fucking took him?! I’m not giving up on my brother! Not until I’ve searched every corner of this forsaken world!” And with that, Yujun stormed out. Ayden placed a firm hand on Seeun’s arm.

“I’ll go with him, and we’ll find him and bring him back to you,” Ayden said.

“No, you won’t…” Seeun’s voice broke then. “But please just be careful. I don’t want Yujun to get hurt or go mad over this…” At this, Ayden nodded before running after Yujun. They left Sunspear the next day. They crossed the Narrow Sea with nothing but their blades, some food, and water, as Yujun was convinced that Taemin had brought Hunter to his own origins: Old Valyria. But on their way there, they searched the cities of Essos that they passed by, but to no avail. They eventually reached the Valyrian peninsula… but after that, no more word came from either of them, and they never returned to Westeros again… To the rest of the world, they’d disappeared like Hunter had… becoming nothing more than a myth… a story to be told as the years passed. Some say they were lost in the smoking ruins of Valyria, swallowed by the curses that lingered there. Others say they found what they were looking for, but that they were unable to bring him back… And when it came to Hunter, the northerners whispered that the Wolf That Brings the Dawn had simply disappeared, passed the flame to the one it was meant for, or simply never existed in the first place… But Baekseung, when standing atop the wall of Winterfell at night, still swears to this day that he sees a silver streak crossing the stars, like a flaming fire waiting to be lit. And he wonders, just maybe… if Hunter is still out there, waiting for the right moment to finally do what he was meant to do…

Chapter Text

To Leehan, losing yet another two sons was devastating, and now he only had Baekseung left… He did have Sungho, of course, and Gyuvin, Ricky, Jinsik, Doyoung, Woonhak, Yujin, and all of the others, but that wasn’t the same because they weren’t his sons…

His two grandsons, Yewang and Jaeho, grew up in Winterfell and eventually became engaged, by their own free will, to each other and carried on the Stark bloodline, just like Taemin had told Baekseung: Destiny doesn’t need your belief, all it needs is your blood… And Jaeho, as Baekseung’s only son, eventually became the King in the North once his dad passed away from natural causes at a very old age, the first king to do so in centuries. Yechan, Leehan’s third grandson, stayed in Dorne and eventually became king there as well, but only after his grandfather and father passed peacefully and were not killed like so many others before them.

Kane Bolton kept his word and did not interfere with the North or Dorne at all; he kept his distance from the two kingdoms that could stand against him.

Leehan himself passed away in his sleep at 81 years old in the year 303, almost exactly 40 years after his two youngest sons both disappeared. And he passed away not knowing what really happened to either of them…

As there were no wars looming over Westeros for a long time, most of the people, both in Winterfell and in Dorne, lived happy and long lives even after Hunter’s disappearance.

Sungho passed away a few years after Leehan, managing to turn 85 before doing so. And his brothers Doyoung, Taeyong, and Haechan all also passed peacefully.

Woonhak, who to this day thanked the old gods and the new that Kane hadn’t done anything else to him despite recognizing him as his nephew, spent the remainder of his life with Yujin, who, despite their large age difference, was very happy with the elder.

Keum lived happily with Baekseung, who was probably the one who’d had the hardest time accepting Hunter and Yujun’s disappearance the most… They’d been his brothers after all, and when they disappeared, he was the only one out of the six Stark princes born to Taesan and Leehan that remained… He did become a good king, despite his tragic backstory, and lived for a very long time before passing the title of the King in the North to his son, Jaeho.

The Umbers: Gyuvin, Ricky, and Jinsik continued to stay close to the Starks, and even they lived fairly long, happy lives. Despite Taemin’s harsh words to Baekseung about his decision to let Kane Bolton sit on the iron throne, one could say that this let the North carry on in peace. It saw no wars or hardships beyond those that came with nature. They managed to have rather good lives in comparison to their ancestors. And even if not much is known of the minor families around the Starks, as to history, they didn’t matter as much, but if you really look into it, the Starks would never have made it without them, and The Prince That Was Promised would never have been born…

- - - -

A teenage boy sat in a somewhat dark room, violet eyes locked on a box in the corner of the room. The box had remained untouched since he had placed it there by the bold boy. The box held something more valuable than any gold or other gems in the world… Dragon eggs… And the blond boy still couldn’t really believe it, but the longer he watched the box, the harder it became to ignore it.

“Damn it,” He finally muttered before standing up and walking over to the fireplace. He knelt down and easily lit a fire before reaching his hands out to bring the box toward him. He ran his hand over the lid before placing the whole box on top of the fire, and then he just waited. He watched the box begin to catch fire, and it slowly burned until it started to reveal the three eggs inside. They seemed to be unaffected by the fire, but the boy waited. He waited and waited for what was probably more than just a few hours. He waited until the fire burned out on its own, until everything but the eggs remained in the fireplace, but nothing happened… “Stupid liar!” He eventually murmured, angry at the silver-eyed man for lying to him. He then stood up from the floor and went over to get another box big enough to fit the eggs inside. Once he found a box big enough, he brought it back to the fireplace and reached out for the egg in the middle, the violet one, to place it inside the box.

“What is this…?” Hunter asked quietly as he and Taemin watched the blond boy by the fire. It had become clear to Hunter that the boy couldn’t see or hear them, but they could see and hear him. And another thing that Hunter certainly could see was the three dragon eggs currently lying in the fire in front of the blond boy.

“The Prince That Was Promised,” Taemin answered simply, prompting Hunter to look away from the boy and over at the silver-eyed man.

“You’re serious…?” Hunter question. This was The Prince That Was Promised…? The one who was supposed to save them all and take back the seven kingdoms…? Hunter had spent the last 157 years with Taemin, not aging a day and just waiting for the right moment to come, and now, this was apparently it… and this boy, teenage boy, was supposed to be The Prince That Was Promised? Sitting here in a dark room in a rundown house in the middle of the Valyrian peninsula…

“Not everything is what it seems at first glance…” Taemin answered. “This boy was meant for something bigger than just himself, just like you were…” The silver-eyed man turned to look at Hunter. “And now it’s your turn to do what you waited over a century and a half to do…” Taemin gestured toward the blond boy and the three dragon eggs, prompting Hunter to raise an eyebrow.

“What am I even supposed to do…?” Hunter questioned.

“Let the fires inside you finally break free… Let yourself go and just embrace the fact that you’ll finally be reunited with your family…” Taemin’s words echoed in Hunter’s head as he stared at the man before slowly moving his gaze to the blond boy still sitting on the floor. And as if his unconscious already knew what it was supposed to do, Hunter began making his way toward the boy.

“Drakari pykiros. Tīkummo jemiros, yn lantyz bartossa, saelot vāedis. Hen ñuhā elēnī, perzyssy vestretis. Se gēlȳn irūdaks, ānogrose. Perzyro udrȳssi, ezīmptos laehossi. Hārossa letagon aōt vāedan.” (One who breathes fire. One bearing wings, but two heads need three, and a spell that sings. Follow my voice, blood magic old. The price has been paid, as the fires foretold.) Hunter began singing quietly as he sat down beside the boy, who was still completely unaware of his presence there. ”Hae mērot gierūli: Se hāros bartossi. Prūmȳsa sōvīli gevī dāerī,” (In visions of flame: listen to me. The spell that needs three is made whole through me.) Hunter continued to hum as the boy began reaching for the violet dragon egg lying in the middle. Hunter did the same, feeling the scales on his back turn hot, the ones almost identical to the scales of the dragon egg, their color being the only difference, as Hunter’s scales were red and the egg violet. It was like the scales were burning with fire, feeling the flames lick around them like they had around the three eggs moments earlier, but it didn’t hurt Hunter… he just felt its warmth.

As the blond boy placed both his hands on the egg, he slightly touched both of the other eggs as well, and Hunter, whose hands were much bigger than the teenage boy’s, placed his them onto of the three eggs as well and as they both toughed the three eggs at the same time, a crack appeared from the furthest side on the left of the left egg across all three eggs to the furthest side on the right one, seemingly splitting all three eggs in half. Hunter then did what Taemin had told him; he just let go… of everything… and the fire from within him poured out around the eggs, around the boy, and seemingly engulfed the whole room, yet not harming or destroying any of it. And the last thing Hunter saw was how that fire poured into the crack running across all three eggs as the boy drew a sharp breath and pulled his hands away from the eggs. They cracked open more and more until the middle one split open completely, revealing a tiny violet baby dragon inside. The dragon looked up, its violet eyes matching not only the color of the egg it had hatched from but also the blond boy’s eyes, and it then let out a tiny sound. The egg on the right was the next to split open, revealing a dragon as black as night, followed by the third, a white dragon almost as white as snow. All three tiny dragons clumsily crawled out of their eggs and up into the boy’s lap. One, the violet one, crawled up onto his shoulder, the other, the black one, rested in the crook of his arm, and the last, the white one, sat right on his thighs, light-blue eyes looking right at the boy. And that’s when Hunter knew: this was the boy he’d seen in so many of his visions… and then those very words echoed in his head one last time… The words which Hunter now knew were about the boy sitting on the floor with the three baby dragons… The words of King Taehyung Targaryen, sat upon the iron throne… The words about Ni-ki Targaryen…

“From my blood, come The Prince That Was Promised, and his will be the Song of Ice and Fire…”