when you light the candle
in which gwayne hightower finds love in the arms of the targaryen heir, rhaenyra’s daughter
PAIRING: gwayne hightower x targaryen!reader
WARNINGS: arranged marriage, allusion to slight nsfw, typical HOTD language, Aegon being a creep, fluff!!
AN: in this fic, viserys is dead and rhaenyra became queen (YAY) but her peaceful accession came with a price... also ages for gwayne and alicent are different because i thought it would be weird to have a huge disgusting age gap!!
“My dear-” Rhaenyra sighed.
“I understand my duty as heir, Mother, but that does not mean I cannot express my grievances.” Her daughter crossed her arms. “You cannot blame me for being hesitant. A Hightower, really?” Her face contorted with disgust. “It feels as if I am being condemned to death.”
“Y/N…” Rhaenyra fought the urge to laugh. She often forgot how alike she and her daughter were. “My darling girl, I am sorry, truly, but our kingdom needs stability, and this marriage will see to that. You must-”
“Like I said earlier,” Y/N snapped back, sitting down rather unladylike. “I understand, no need to explain it any further.”
“Yes well… for what it is worth, I have heard he is a rather kind man.” Rhaenyra scoffed, plucking a grape off the vine. “Shocking for a knight, I think.”
Y/N smiled to herself, staring into the distance. “I seem to remember one such knight.”
While her daughter may have resembled her in personality and stature, much like her brothers, Y/N was the spitting image of her father. “He was very kind, yes.” Rhaenyra sat beside the young woman, pushing a stray hair behind her ear gently. “And loving.” She whispered. “Your father loved you very much.”
Y/N nodded. “I know, Mother.” Holding her hand, she smiled. “He loved you just as much.”
Rhaenyra could not find it in herself to speak, simply nodding.