[There was a chance a maester might see through such a trick, but it had to be weathered in stride. If that came about, she would think of another means to protect her reputation. Daemon had at least not hesitated to help her, managing a part that she might have waivered in, had it been left completely to her. When he twisted and bruised her ankle, she hadn't bitten him, instead tearing at her lip. Worrying the skin herself and digging her teeth into it would lower the fullness of her lips. Her flush might well go down, both sources of pain turning her pale.
Her ankle was quick to swell and her flesh started to turn into a more appropriate color for such an accident. Any defect in her appearance would be ignored in the face of an injury. The grime and scrapes on her hands, the dampness of her dress and the sweat could be better explained. It merely meant that she had to sacrifice the rest of the hunt and remain surrounded by the ladies of court. A momentary annoyance, but there was a price for stepping too far from her morality.
It was agony to move, but all the better. She would not have been able to fake such a thing.]
The rocks are slippery. [She glanced around them, at least his own state was better explained as well.] We were forced to wait a moment for my ankle to heal, but as you see, it was badly twisted.
[ There was a chance the Maester might question it, but at the same time, the second round of bruising left it looking quite believable. Especially here where it's wet, slippery, and there are some vines around the area and in the water. There's also the fact that Viserys wouldn't question or look to close himself, more concerned for his wife's safety and the assurance that she'd be okay given rest and elevation of the ankle.
Truthfully, while the bruising and swelling look bad, the pain itself should fade in a day or so, he had tried to be gentle even in twisting it. It's his grip on her skin and the muscles that left it looking so bad.
Reaching, he runs a gentle thumb across her lower lip where she's worried and bit it so it's such a sight. ] Glutton for pain, my Queen, even when offered a reprieve of it in little ways. [ It's not chastising or surprised, but there's a softness to the words that says he was trying to save her some pain. To offer a shoulder, literally, to help with what she would have to go through.
Kneeling as he is, the knees and lower portions of his pants are now grime covered, and he shifts to settle the stocking and shoe in her lap before lifting her into his arms. ] Are you ready to go back? Or do you need a minute more to take a breath? [ She feels slight and little, even with the gown she wore, in his arms, legs up and over his arm to keep her foot elevated as he could while carrying her. ]
And no, we're not going to have you limp back to the entourage. There's nothing you can threaten to have me set you down verses carrying you back injured.
[She didn't push his hand away as he ran his thumb over her lip, but lowered her gaze instead. They had been bent over each other, but she was still hesitant to look at him with such a gentle gesture. Was she a glutton for pain? She had never once protested wherever her father sent her. She lower her guard against Rhaenyra when it should have been clear things could not return to normal. Now she was being pinned against rocks and being taken roughly out of a...what? Passing moment of madness? It may well be she was a glutton. It was difficult to truly argue with that.
He's quicker than she is and gathers her up in his arms before she can push him away. He was right, she was intending to limp back, if only to make her ankle swell all the more. Viserys wouldn't protest this action as much as others might, but it still felt unseemly, given all that had happened. Without control, she could only be lifted up with a sputter of protest. Little else would stop this.
Perhaps truthfully, she didn't want to walk back so far with a bloodied ankle.]
[ There's a gentle kiss to her temple and he can't help but smile at him winning this at least. Though he'd noticed that lowering of her eyes, the way she sent from wonton and commanding him to claim her, to now barely able to look at him. He hadn't meant it as an introspective way, but more, that she liked pain with her pleasure.
Though he might have hit a little of a nail on the head with her some too. Unintentionally. But no, he's not letting her walk back on an injured ankle. First and foremost, even if he hadn't been the one to give it to her, he'd have insisted on carrying her. He's not one to let a woman suffer in pain. ]
No choice at all. But you can ride back with Helaena and I'll guide your horse back with me. You won't be bale to ride with the ankle like this either.
[It was far from his words that left her unable to meet his gaze. Instead, it was the hint of shame and uncertainty. A gentle touch was a bit difficult to process after all they had done, where there had been no real gentleness there. It made the moment more tangible and real. She couldn't simply ignore it when it was brought back to her in that moment.
It wasn't the foot that would honestly keep her from riding, but it made a convenient excuse. She couldn't explain being sore or bruised otherwise. A cushion, her feet up and maybe some wine to clear her mind. It seemed far better than a saddle so soon after. It mean, however, Ser Criston would be left with Daemon for company, which was unwise for multiple reasons. He was about to see her carried by Daemon, there would likely be affronted feelings.]
I know. [Aegon would likely want to ride with Daemon, but the idea was not a good one. Without her there, both Ser Criston and Daemon already assertive men, she didn't want the further presence of her son to make matters into a rivalry.] Aegon should stay with me as well.
[ He would be a little curious about that feeling shame and uncertainty, but it's not his nature. And this is new to both of them. There's still a learning curve on figuring this out. Either way, he'll let her process this as she needs to too.
He's well aware why else she can't ride, but he's saving her some by blaming the ankle. Besides, even if she could ride with the ankle, and only the ankle, she shouldn't be. It needs to be elevated with what he did to it so it won't swell too much more. Hurt enough not to walk, hurt enough to take the rest of the afternoon with the ladies of court, but well enough to be able to limp around the keep at least in a few days. If she stayed off it.
There's a small bow of his head. at her assertion that Aegon should stay with her and Helaena. ] If he pouts, we can tell him he needs to use that dragon toy of his to guard you and his sister on the way home. It should lessen any sadness of not riding back with me, because he gets to be strong and a knight to his queen mother.
[ Give the boy a job, make him a hero for his mother and sister. Because as much as he'd enjoy having Aegon ride with him, he's well aware this will leave him alone with her knight, and neither like each other. So he gets it and wouldn't want to put Aegon in the middle of that. This also lets her escape any questioning glances Criston might try to throw at her. ]
[When they returned, Ser Criston was quick to dart to her, as did the various other servants. There was a hint of a struggle between Ser Criston and Daemon for who would carry her, but given that he didn't want to jostle her, Ser Criston held back. She offered a sympathetic look, but there were so many others swarming around that there was little room to meet his eyes.
There was a rush to gather up everything and herding the nurse to the wheelhouse. Helaena didn't seem too bothered, but Aegon fussed quite a bit. First, she was settled inside, placed on her seat with her foot put up. A few brief reassuring words to Aegon and giving him his dragon toy again, he was less bothered by not riding the horse again.
With Helaena and the nurse settled, the door was shut before Alicent could even look back at Daemon. With one sweep, it seemed as if the matter was done and it was time to return to reality.]
[ It took almost everything not to actually growl at the knight when Ser Criston had tried to take Alicent from his arms. But he's also happy that he doesn't have to give her up until he's helping her settle in the wheelhouse, as best he can before her servants and nurse take over to get her settled as was their place more than his.
He's also glad the suggestion about giving Aegon a job, protection, had quieted him down, because he could see, as he gathered his horse and the horse Alicent had used so they could head back.
He's watching the wheelhouse as they settle everyone, watching Alicent some as the door is closed. He knows that there's no getting close to her now that they're back to being surrounded by everyone. But the feel of her still lingered in his head, under his hands, on his body. He knew it would for days to come, dreams to fester as he watched her quietly from afar. Biding his time, because as they returned to reality, he's not sure things would ever go back to what had been normal.
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Her ankle was quick to swell and her flesh started to turn into a more appropriate color for such an accident. Any defect in her appearance would be ignored in the face of an injury. The grime and scrapes on her hands, the dampness of her dress and the sweat could be better explained. It merely meant that she had to sacrifice the rest of the hunt and remain surrounded by the ladies of court. A momentary annoyance, but there was a price for stepping too far from her morality.
It was agony to move, but all the better. She would not have been able to fake such a thing.]
The rocks are slippery. [She glanced around them, at least his own state was better explained as well.] We were forced to wait a moment for my ankle to heal, but as you see, it was badly twisted.
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Truthfully, while the bruising and swelling look bad, the pain itself should fade in a day or so, he had tried to be gentle even in twisting it. It's his grip on her skin and the muscles that left it looking so bad.
Reaching, he runs a gentle thumb across her lower lip where she's worried and bit it so it's such a sight. ] Glutton for pain, my Queen, even when offered a reprieve of it in little ways. [ It's not chastising or surprised, but there's a softness to the words that says he was trying to save her some pain. To offer a shoulder, literally, to help with what she would have to go through.
Kneeling as he is, the knees and lower portions of his pants are now grime covered, and he shifts to settle the stocking and shoe in her lap before lifting her into his arms. ] Are you ready to go back? Or do you need a minute more to take a breath? [ She feels slight and little, even with the gown she wore, in his arms, legs up and over his arm to keep her foot elevated as he could while carrying her. ]
And no, we're not going to have you limp back to the entourage. There's nothing you can threaten to have me set you down verses carrying you back injured.
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He's quicker than she is and gathers her up in his arms before she can push him away. He was right, she was intending to limp back, if only to make her ankle swell all the more. Viserys wouldn't protest this action as much as others might, but it still felt unseemly, given all that had happened. Without control, she could only be lifted up with a sputter of protest. Little else would stop this.
Perhaps truthfully, she didn't want to walk back so far with a bloodied ankle.]
It seems you give me little choice.
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Though he might have hit a little of a nail on the head with her some too. Unintentionally. But no, he's not letting her walk back on an injured ankle. First and foremost, even if he hadn't been the one to give it to her, he'd have insisted on carrying her. He's not one to let a woman suffer in pain. ]
No choice at all. But you can ride back with Helaena and I'll guide your horse back with me. You won't be bale to ride with the ankle like this either.
no subject
It wasn't the foot that would honestly keep her from riding, but it made a convenient excuse. She couldn't explain being sore or bruised otherwise. A cushion, her feet up and maybe some wine to clear her mind. It seemed far better than a saddle so soon after. It mean, however, Ser Criston would be left with Daemon for company, which was unwise for multiple reasons. He was about to see her carried by Daemon, there would likely be affronted feelings.]
I know. [Aegon would likely want to ride with Daemon, but the idea was not a good one. Without her there, both Ser Criston and Daemon already assertive men, she didn't want the further presence of her son to make matters into a rivalry.] Aegon should stay with me as well.
no subject
He's well aware why else she can't ride, but he's saving her some by blaming the ankle. Besides, even if she could ride with the ankle, and only the ankle, she shouldn't be. It needs to be elevated with what he did to it so it won't swell too much more. Hurt enough not to walk, hurt enough to take the rest of the afternoon with the ladies of court, but well enough to be able to limp around the keep at least in a few days. If she stayed off it.
There's a small bow of his head. at her assertion that Aegon should stay with her and Helaena. ] If he pouts, we can tell him he needs to use that dragon toy of his to guard you and his sister on the way home. It should lessen any sadness of not riding back with me, because he gets to be strong and a knight to his queen mother.
[ Give the boy a job, make him a hero for his mother and sister. Because as much as he'd enjoy having Aegon ride with him, he's well aware this will leave him alone with her knight, and neither like each other. So he gets it and wouldn't want to put Aegon in the middle of that. This also lets her escape any questioning glances Criston might try to throw at her. ]
End Scene?
There was a rush to gather up everything and herding the nurse to the wheelhouse. Helaena didn't seem too bothered, but Aegon fussed quite a bit. First, she was settled inside, placed on her seat with her foot put up. A few brief reassuring words to Aegon and giving him his dragon toy again, he was less bothered by not riding the horse again.
With Helaena and the nurse settled, the door was shut before Alicent could even look back at Daemon. With one sweep, it seemed as if the matter was done and it was time to return to reality.]
End Scene!
He's also glad the suggestion about giving Aegon a job, protection, had quieted him down, because he could see, as he gathered his horse and the horse Alicent had used so they could head back.
He's watching the wheelhouse as they settle everyone, watching Alicent some as the door is closed. He knows that there's no getting close to her now that they're back to being surrounded by everyone. But the feel of her still lingered in his head, under his hands, on his body. He knew it would for days to come, dreams to fester as he watched her quietly from afar. Biding his time, because as they returned to reality, he's not sure things would ever go back to what had been normal.
Not for him. Or her, if he could help it. ]