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[vermax]

𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 | 𝘁𝗲𝘅𝘁 | 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄

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WESTEROS AU | @homosexuals

[vermax]

CW: omegaverse-adjacent, dom/sub undertones, canonical violence, weird dragon magic, heat/rut, period typical mysoginistic language, sex

( The bond between a dragon and its rider is a strong one, a thing of blood magic so old that it cannot be comprehended by those without Valyrian blood. Men say that Targaryens are closer to gods than mere mortal men. And they are, but they are, but the connection to the great creatures that makes them such comes with a price to be paid. For all the complications that already come with being an omega and heir to the throne. The designation does not remove him from the line of succession, for as a man it comes with nothing more than the inconvenience of a heat that leads to nothing instead of turning him into a broodmare for some political ally. But. But it does draw in attention he does not want when his cycle is near and pulls him from his duties as Prince of Dragonstone.

The complication comes because of Dragons. Or particularly, it comes because of Vermax. Vermax, who shared his cradle and mirrors a designation a male dragon should not bare. Which makes his season more difficult to predict than Jace's own.

Which is why Jacaerys had thought nothing of the fever the morning prior, the discomfort in his gut. It did not occur to him until his own scent rippened the second day, until Vermax emerged from the Dragonmount to cry for a proper mate upon the jagged clifftops below. Silverwing had likely rejected him and other candidates were gone from the castle with Moondancer and Baela in Driftmark for the time being.

It leaves a pecarious position, but one the Crown Prince had wanted to ignore when he'd left his chambers this morning. It is also the reason he stands in his solar, before a small dining table, with arms crossed and frowning at the Queen's Guard before him. His mother had sent him to Dragonstone with one personal guard, Hawkins of House Strong, who'd made his oath and donned his cloak before the new Queen and her King Consort. A cousin to Ser Harwin, the resemblence visible. Perhaps there is irony in the assignment, considering Jace's true sire and his own mother's history with Sworn Protectors of House Strong. Yet, his Sworn Protector is an honorable man, Jacaerys knows, and an Alpha worthy of bearing the duty assigned to him. To guard a prince, an heir, is no small duty. He smells of clove, of sweat, of metals and sharp spice even from where he stands across the room. And he is handsome, Jacaerys is keenly aware of that without the animal inside wishing for the Queensguard to step closer. Afterall, he has seen the Alpha's eyes upon him as he has looked himself. )

I am in no danger in this castle, Ser Hawkins. Are you saying you cannot keep me safe here? ( he means for it to come out questioning, stern. Instead, the words are cut by a gasp and groan as he leans his hands on the table before him to remain upright. Perhaps there had been reason for him to be absconded from the training grounds and back to his own rooms, but defiance remains in the prince's gaze as he is herded like a child and not a man shy of twenty summers. )

[homosexuals]

[there are some that may say hawkins fuller has kept his white cloak unsullied only on a technicality. but by the letter of the law, he's kept his vow to protect the queen and king consort, to don the honor of serving the crown prince himself on many an occasion when the royal family finds itself occupied outside of dragonstone. that doesn't mean he's found himself alone some nights when he takes that cloak off outside the castle walls - not when he's in the company of strong, dark-haired and chisel-jawed men often younger than he, the kind who are undeniably strong even in their naiveté, though less likely to cause problems for it. so long as he fathers no bastards, deflowers no maidens, and lays with no women - he isn't besmirching his duties, nor is he breaking his oath even if it's by mere semantics.

but he takes his station seriously, knowing that there are moments when he will sully that cloak so the queen and king consort and prince and eventually princess will not have to dirty their own hands - and he knows it will be as near as an honor as if he'd donned one of the crowns himself. part of him expects that the rest of his companions will be much the same - to the queens liking of dark-haired, well-built, solid and strong and undeniably set in their ways as alphas. though he supposes an omega might very well be a useful tool all the same in the queensguard - underestimated, perhaps undervalued for their mere standing. the sharp edge of a knife no one might see coming.

it's why admittedly he's fascinated by the young prince. whipsmart, handsome and fierce in his loyalty and his desire to make a difference in his mother's rule and standing amongst the kingdom. he's been told from a young age that he'll make a fine ruler of his own someday, and hawk knows it to be true as surely as he sees the raven-haired, dark-eyed features that render him a beauty as if he were the subject of a children's fairytale. but the targaryens are practically fairy tale themselves, even if jacaerys velaryon isn't the usual on looks alone. maybe it's that which has drawn hawk to him in the rare moments he's assigned to his side - the knowledge that if whispers are to be believed, perhaps there is more than just circumstance that pulls between them like a blood red thread of fate.

but like any omega, there are bound to be complications. he hadn't expected to wind up at the center of it in jacaerys' chambers, surrounded by the intoxicating and heady scent of an undeniable heat. it nearly makes his knees buckle and his whole body ache with desire - a need to claim it by force, to supercede decorum and titles and let the demand that resides solely within their bodies take over. nature demands that someone like hawkins is entitled an omega like jace - a lithe body begging to be breeded and commanded and taken. his eyes are wide, pupils blown black between the rings of oceanic blue as he grits his teeth and lets his jaw be the only tremor to reveal his own discomfort when everything is screaming at him to bar that door for more than just jace's own protection. he does it anyway, unsure how much time they have.]

Of course not, your Grace. I can keep you safe under any conditions - but it is the other men who will pay the price within these walls.

[the other alphas - young, inexperienced and likely never having even had their first ruts. hawkins holds himself well because of his own discipline and experience, the weathered skin of his hands and the crinkles at the corners of his eyes that speak of years lived to their fullest while his counterparts were still nestled into cradles and suckling at their mothers. is this jace's first heat? hawk knows the legends from the dragon keep: that they are often tied to the cycles of their otherworldly companions of old valyria in more than just the way they are permitted to ride.]

You must come with me. The Queen has commanded I keep you safe at all costs - that means you're obliged to heed my decisions, even if you don't agree with them.

[there's a challenge to pretty brown eyes, a jut of his smooth chin, and hawk longs to stroke his fingers across it before bending it in submission. his eyes slip closed, shaking his head to clear his thoughts and keep fighting the overwhelming onslaught of raw omega heat that permeates the entire room.]

There's an island not far from here - it was used for training the royal guard when the tides are low. They're high now; but it won't matter. No one will follow us there. You or Vermax.

And then...we simply wait.

[for biology to run its course. for jace to suffer through the worst of it burning up like fever, wet and desperate for something that no one else should think to take from him. there's a throb of lust at the thought of it, and hawk is grateful to be burning up just as much under the heavy suit of armor as he steps forward and offers his hand.]

Your trail grows stronger and more irresistible, my Prince. We must go now, before we're surrounded.

[vermax]

( If speaking to any other prince of the realm, it would be foolish to mention the other men in the castle. After all, to a dragon what is a mere mortal man? But Jacaerys frowns slightly as he thinks of those in the castle tempted, those pulled from their duties because he cannot control his scent as well as he ought. It strikes a nerve; the right nerve.

And the prince curses under his breath, a pout on his lips that he does not realise has taken shape. Logic remains still within his grasp, though it floats away ever slowly as the waves of his heat crash against his shores and wash away all else that could remain. He wonders what he smells like, then, to Hawkins. Baela has always described his smell as warmth, as a familiar hearth and shelter from a storm. Until his anger flares, that is, and the fire rages in his scent. In a heat, he wonders how it changes. And if to an Alpha who is at best a distant cousin if rumors are to be trusted, it smells differently than someone of Valyrian blood.

Hawkins smells tempting as ever and Jace grows more and more aware of the sweat on his brow, the clove that clings to him like smoke from herbs smoked. He does not realise that he's moved around the table until his knees feel weak and he leans back against it, steadying himself as his hands grip the edges of the wood. )

An island? ( he asks, dumbly. ) You mean for me to fly like this?

( he does not realise at that moment that he's given in, conceded that Hawkins is right and they must leave Dragonstone before the pull of his scent is too much. But Jacaerys is not sure that he can fly in this state, is sure that Vermax would not listen to his orders to take to the skies if there was not a better prize than misery at the end.

And then-- then he realises, stands straighter again and hopes that he looks more prince-like than he feels with his stomach tight with cramps, with a dampness starting to make itself known between his legs. ) Her Grace bid you to keep me safe by any means, Ser Strong. To take me through the castle like this would be just as unwise as staying here.

( he takes a step closer, ) To clear my mind and so Vermax may fly us, I need an Alpha's help.

( Help me, help me, havemehavemehavemehaveme, his pheromones scream in ways that the little prince cannot put to words but knows he will surely beg if he must suffer the worst of it alone. All other heats have not wrecked him so, have not come on so quickly. Perhaps because Vermax had not been alone those other times, desperate as he is and feeding his desperation into Jace's mind and body so he sways forward until one palm lands on the cool armor of Hawk's chest plate.

The metal hides a broad chest beneath it, the Alpha before him the peak of strength and temptation before him. ) You would protect me from the others if they found us here, wouldn't you? If we were surrounded.

@wolfpacts | continued from texting meme

[vermax]

continued.

You spoke of hot springs. They are the castle's life blood? ( he was paying attention on the tour. look at that! )

ty! ♡

[wolfpacts]

[ Ten points apiece to House Velaryon and House Targaryen, much as he's enjoying toying somewhat with a prince built for hot southern summers. ]

A quick study. [ At this stage it wouldn't surprise him to find his guest had studied up on the keep's rumored features beforehand, either. ]

They have a way of perking up visitors' interest, aye. Their heat flows through the walls and floors. More strongly in some chambers than others.

[ Where better to house a dragon? ]

[vermax]

( He may have done some research as well but he'll never tell. It's good to know things about your allies! ) The Dragonmount warms Dragonstone, it is not dissimilar.

Where are the hot springs themselves?

[wolfpacts]

[ He suspects as much, given the other had come prepared to remind him what his ancestor, the King Who Knelt, held dearest. ]

Are you still so cold?

[vermax]

I was thinking that if there is room, Vermax would like the heat and likely startle the those outside of your walls less.

But I do wish to see them. If you are amenable, Lord Stark. ( Are they on first name terms already? Perhaps. But he’s being cheeky rather than admitting that he is in fact still cold. )

[wolfpacts]

[ Are they talking about Vermax's delicate constitution or his rider's?

And yet—mutual playful give-and-take aside, though he can do little to inure the four-legged variety of dragon to the North's cold bite, if it's within his power to make the prince more comfortable, it behooves him to do so. ]

I can't match a volcanic dens, but Silverwing and Vermithor found caves to suit them, so I'm told. I will mark them on the map.

There are several springs easier for people to reach. Do you have a like for outdoor bathing?

[vermax]

I would appreciate it as I am sure Vermax will. Would you join me on in ensuring he settles there? ( Surely, the great Lord of the North would not fear to venture close to a dragon? )

I am not so sheltered that such a thing concerns me. The hot springs on Dragonstone were not private baths.

( But only used by his immediate family... so.... )

[wolfpacts]

[ Taunt for taunt, feather ruffling for feather ruffling. Personally tending to the prince's mount? At one time the question might have been is the Lord of Winterfell stupid enough to draw near a dragon, until a two-legged one appeared at his door. Now his brief pause is more out of consideration for the benefit of time spent in each other's company, to ride out together. ]

If you wish it.

[ Deliberately chosen wording. If he wants him to—then he'll meet the beast that's been flying over his lands. ]

I see. [ Oh, is that a fact? ] And snow wouldn't bother you?

[vermax]

( Perhaps it is too foward to say but if he is truthful then -- ) I would be glad for your company.

The snow would not be in the hot springs, would it? ( that wouldn't make them very warm, Cregan!! )

[wolfpacts]

[ There are myriad more unpleasant ways a crown prince could be forward. This isn't one of them. ]

Very well. Then I'll take you on the morrow.

[ Today is for hidden smiles at the plight of other wary warm weather creatures. ]

Pools in the yards and the godswood are exposed to the elements, my prince. Some larger, some smaller, some less traversed than others.

They're good to soak in even when the snow is falling.

[vermax]

Thank you, my Lord. ( And if that is said with a private smile, there is no one to see it. )

Even when your true snows are falling? Or only the summer snows you claim are not yet truly storms?

If the pools provide refuge, I will not mind the chill before they warm my bones. Which pools do you favor? Are those less traversed the secret treasures of Winterfell? ( He is not afraid of a hike, even if the coat he has with him will not keep him warm against the chill of summer snow. )

[wolfpacts]

Perhaps I'll learn something of dragons in turn as my forebear did.

[ Meanwhile questions, questions from the student of the North. ]

Even then.

And I don't claim it, that is a fact. Flurries at most. [ As is the Wolf of Winterfell's undeniable amusement each time Jacaerys' considered poise meets a new and unfamiliar facet about the lands he now tolerates with an admirable amount of grace—to the prince's credit, he swallows his complaints well. Added to the list of things sight unseen: the stoniness worked into the lord's grain cracking around his grin.

He won't let him freeze, will keep the furs and fires in abundance in the warmest rooms in the keep, but he can still take some enjoyment in the other flexing his diplomacy with a reddened tip to his nose. Possibly an act of mercy that he thinks his answer over a moment or two. ]

They're one and the same, in some respects. [ His favorite places and what he considers his home's treasured places. ] I'm partial to visiting the godswood. Few ever venture so deep, it's as privy as anywhere can be. I find the dark parts of the forest comforting. Others disagree.

But for you, maybe somewhere more to your liking. Below the castle. A short trek and indoors, protected by the rock and the walls.

[vermax]

Vermax's temperament is not the best to learn from, I fear. But if we bring his favorite meal with us to your introduction, I am sure you'll win him over. ( strange how he gets along best with creatures considered temperamental and grumpy. )

Flurries that still chill the bones and cover all the lands.

Would it be too much for this prince to ask to see both? The hot spring beneath the castle and then the treasure in the godswood when these flurries pass?

[wolfpacts]

[ !

Surely he doesn't mean him to actually get that close in leading a proverbial dragon to water. ]

Where livestock is concerned, it will be done. I'll trust the rest to you, dragonlord.

[ One has to wonder about the nature of a bond like that—do Vermax's moods reflect his rider's, or do the prince's reflect his dragon's? ]

Ah, but snowflakes on steaming skin is the best part about it when the weather abides. As perhaps it is with the rain on Dragonstone.

[ A beat, to allow for something softer. Winterfell runs in him as much as its heated waters, as much as Old Valyria for the last of its people. Sharing its privy, lesser known parts is like sharing parts of himself, opening up under the other's curiosity. ]

Then we'll go. I'll take you wherever interests you.

[vermax]

( Oh, surely he does. The thought has taken root, the seed starting to grow into a sapling. He thinks he would like to see them interact. For Vermax is not his blood but his closest friend, Cregan growing into something close to that. ) We will need a sturdy goat brought before him. A meal such as that will keep him away from the forests where Northmen hunt for a few days.

Ah, I see your point. That is a pleasure I agree with. Though it takes quite a bit for my skin to steam and blood to run warmer than it already does.

Anywhere? And if I wish to see so much of Winterfell and its lands that I overstay my welcome?

1/2

[wolfpacts]

As long as his appetites keep to goats and game.

[ Not for a moment forgetting that is no docile hound on a leash, but a wild predator flattening trees with the beat of his wings.

If he's being honest, Jacaerys feels no safer—warmer and more likable than proven to be ill-natured, and making tempests of his own. ]

What then heats your blood?

2/2

[wolfpacts]

[ The last... the last is as much a surprise to him as anyone, to find the protest earnest that the Targaryen prince could be a burden on his time and company. ]

I'll be sorry to see you go.

Perhaps you'll come again one day. It would please me if the North leaves a welcome impression.

[vermax]

As long as our friendship does not take a sudden, sour turn, you will be fine. My lord. ( He's joking. )

The same magic that tells the dragons that I am one of their own. The magic of old Valyria or so the tales say. ( If it is truly Valyrian blood magic, Jacaerys knows not. But he is glad for it, for the bond. It gives him Vermax, yes, but it also solidifies his claim as his mother's heir when his plain features do so much to bring question to it. )

I would like to, once my mother's throne is secure. I hope this is not the last time I see the North, nor do I plan to remain on Dragonstone or the Red Keep like a stranger to the kingdom I will one day rule.

[wolfpacts]

My sense is you are not so fickle as that. [ In friendship, or in temperament—or perhaps more to say... he wants that not to be the case. That his instincts about the crown prince aren't wrong. That his friendship—not lightly given—isn't to be pettily misspent.

Is it foolhardy to hope for in so short a time, to lean into his gut impression? Possibly, yet the majority of him doesn't believe so. It's been more difficult to put his finger on things about Prince Jacaerys that would sourly curdle his company. ] Nor am I.

[ All to say, no promises.

His temper runs just as hot and should he make Cregan wroth, who's to say if a dragon-blooded boy will learn what cold is truly like with closer inspection of snow and ice. Mayhaps a jaunt during the snowfall would sound very nice, accompanied by that dragon's rumbles and whines? A toothless jest to match, of course. (Or is it.) ]

That is more than the mutters of old children's tales, then?

[ Also not quite what he had half wondered with his query.

No matter. ]

Under better circumstances, you'll have a proper cloak, heated quarters, and the breadth of Winterfell's lands on your return.

20. june tfln

[vermax]

tl here.

@sapphyre

[vermax]

( from here. )

And why would I so freely share those secrets now that you've revealed you nearly poisoned me?!

@longlegs

[vermax]

( from here. )

If you find a soft bed and a warm hearth romantic.