(please do not ghostread)

In Winterfell the winds blew quiet whispers through the castle. With nothing but the light of the moon peaked through Aelyna's window she forced herself to become drunk on the serenity and comfort of Cregan Starks arms.

The corridors of the castle empty, near ghostly as her ears listened to his breathing and his alone. She remained quiet laying still in his arms. Her body curled up against him as over the bed she looked into the fire. Her dreams had subdued, but she often found her mind slip away from her. In the last days all she dreamt of was a wolf. 

A grey wolf that stepped into a dancing fire, trailing behind a lamb. In his eyes was not hunger but rather fear. The grey wolf and lamb in her dreams trotted through storms and wind, when snow stuck to their paws and to the end of their journey was a great ball of fire circling them. 

The wolfs fur brushed by embers kiss, in the blaze no hesitation to follow the lamb. A fire roared, its hunger great. In the heart of the fire, the grey wolf coddled the lamb. Holding it close to him as though it was a loved one he wanted to protect from the fire.

Aelyna remained quiet as she felt her palms itch. It had been too long since she practiced magic, she could tell. Her dreams had always been exceedingly vivid when she couldn't use her own blood to stop them.

That was the price of blood magic, it needed to be paid in blood. But Aelyna had promised herself, that unlike her mother the only blood she would ever spill for magic was that of her own.

Cregan had little understanding of it, he empathized for her ordeal with being a witches daughter. He also cared little for the gossip amongst his guard for the smells of herbs from her chambers.

He had to remind her Aelyna, that there was not a list of complaints long enough to convince him to not feel something for her.

It was not lust, she knew what lust was. She had never said it, but as Aelyna spent more time in Cregan Starks company, the more she wondered if it could be love?

Love, a word that haunted her nightmares and that only invited death and misery to her life. Love, the word she held onto when forced to stay in the Red Keep while her father waged war in the Stepstones when the king himself paid no mind to it.

Love? The aching word she carried with her through her whole life pondering if she was worthy of it when her own mother denied her?

But what she felt for Cregan, there was no pain and ache in it. With him it was bliss, as though all the horrors of her mind for once went silent every time she had caught him glancing at her.

Holding her hand underneath the dinner table of the great hall. The warm in her chest when he helped her off her horse when she visited Vermithor. It seemed as though the idea of being separated from Cregan hurt her more. 

How does one know when they have fallen in love?

It has been said that Targaryens were closer to gods than men but there was something in how Cregan Stark looked at her that made the theory be true. The gentleness of when he kissed her, his softened gaze when their eyes met in crowded courts, his slow and tender ease when she found herself in his bed in his arms.

The din light of the fire perfectly captured the Starks beauty. Aelyna slow sat up in the bed as her finger slowly traced his face. Eyes so grey as though they hid a mystery of storm clouds and the calm of twilight.

Aelyna could feel herself become hypnotized by Cregans presence alone and  what it did to her. Her finger gentle grazed his nose, his eyes slowly fluttered open. 

A tiny smile crept on his lips. 

A sight he wanted to wake up to every time he had caught a moment of sleep. "Perhaps it is time I return to my chambers, my princess." He suggested with rich and softened tone that made Aelyna's cheeks feel warm

"I wish you did not have to." Aelyna said "If it were on our terms, I'd have married you on this day." she sweetly replied as she kissed the bridge of his nose. Cregan had wondered to himself was he fool to allow her to plague his dreams and fantasies.

From the moment she demanded to be taken to her dragon, with an arm barely hanging by the stitch he knew Aelyna was a siren that would lead his boat astray. And he would do it again, all for her.

"Is that so princess Aelyna?"

"It is, my lord Stark." Aelyna smiled as she leant over him, her body hovered of his as her silver hair fell to the side of her face creating a curtain from the gap between their faces. Aelyna felt her breath hitch when Cregans cold hands placed themselves around her waist.

"You have yet to see your family in years love." Cregan said "If you were to arrive on Dragonstone, already married-"

"It would be an insult to the crown and our families." Aelyna groaned as she drew back and slid off the bed. She could still feel his lingering eyes over her naked body as she dressed herself. Handing him his trousers "If we were across the Narrow Sea, I could have already been your wife and you my husband. All these rules for formality and alliances between our houses, who do they even benefit?"

"Unfortunately, we are not in the Free Cities. If I were to marry you, it would be an honor to prince Daemons blessing." 

Aelyna shook her head in defeat, a sweet smile still spread on her face "I find it rather sweet that you are so much for his approval. You must understand though, I am his firstborn."

"Which means no one will ever be good enough for him?" Cregan teased as dressed himself. He looked to the princess who clutched his fur cloak to her chest "To take you as my wife, it would not be honorable of me to do so."

Aelyna walked across to him. Her hands on his shoulders, as Cregan could see her tie the cloak around him. Her hand grazed the direwolf sigil on his cloak as she kissed him briefly "Honor always clouds ones desire, doesn't it?"

"It should but it does not succeed as much as you think."

Aelyna furrowed her eyebrows "How?" she quickly asked back "Had it not been for your duties, notable and admirable as they are, we could have been together since the first night we kissed."

"Perhaps." Cregan replied as he took Aelyna's hands from his shoulders and placed them on his chest, his skin taking in the warmth of her hands "But my sense of duty has wavered since you came North."

"Really?" Aelyna laughed "I was unaware that I could have such an effect on men."

Cregan shook his head, even in confessing she still wanted the last say. He placed a kiss on her forehead, drowing in her sweet scent of winter rose and lilies. His nose gently brushed against hers before he pulled back.

"You toy with me." He replied to her tease "A beauty like yours, it is near uncommon to go through life with hesitation of your charm."

"Charm and beauty is but one thing." Aelyna scoffed as she felt herself melt in his grey eyes "I have met beauties who's heart rotted them from the inside out." Aelyna explained "If one were to waver their duty for me, it would ease me more that it was for more than just my Valyrian beauty."

Her mother

Cregans eyes softened, his hands gently held the side of her face, with his thumbs tracing circles on her cheeks. Her skin as smooth as a silken canvas "To me princess, you are more than just your house sigil, your name and blood. It is your kindness and thoughtfulness to others that made me realize that I could l..." for a moment Cregan stammered. 

After all, how does one know when they've fallen in love?

Perhaps it was too soon to say it "That I waver my duty and honor for you because I have grown to care about you so deeply and so passionately." 

Aelyna was unsure was it the sex, the fire or her blushing cheeks that lit a fire in her chest. The cold winds from the window did nothing to her scorching skin under Cregans gaze. She could see it in his eyes, he wanted to say it. But what stopped him? Was it hesitation or fear? Was he driven by the same hesitation as she to say the words?

Was this love? To fear it yet craved for its touch, its smell and feel. To have ones throat become dry from screaming it for all to hear and declare? 

"It seems as though through lessons and responsibility to honor our family name we both are perhaps too scared to say it."

"I am not." Cregan answered "But I will not speak it an attempt to make you feel guilty to say it back Aelyna. What I feel for you princess is real." 

"Cregan..." Aelyna's voice cracked as she could feel her heart become heavy "If I say it will be real and I could never take it back. Once I say that I..." She stopped herself "Once I confess it I will always have a lingering fear that because I care so deeply for you, you will be ripped away from me." She shook her head "I have suffered a great deal of pain from caring too much for another. I will carry a fear of losing you forever if should ever say it." 

Cregan held her closer to him, his hands slowly travelled to her middle as she was brought into his hold. Aelyna sniffed, with eyes examining every feature of his eyes. "As would I." he said "We have both suffered loss from it, but to lose a loved one is know that there was a care to them."

If the essence of their existence was to fear a deep connection, rooted solely by desire and passion, was it not worth the risk to let go of ones guard that protects the heart. To not avoid the profound depth of love and the fruits that it offers?

"I will not say it in attempts to make you feel forced-"

Aelyna sighed "Cregan, I do love you." She smiled as she shook her head "I love you to the point where I am terrified to do so. I have never loved without opening a door for lose but..." Aelyna paused "I could not bare the thought that you think I would only say it back because protocols force me to. I love you and I dread should I ever lose you, but it would drive me more mad if there was a possibility in thinking you believe I only lust for you."

"Aelyna Targaryen, I love you so deeply." Cregan recited. His words created a fire that could burn cities to ash in her eyes. All of it was worth it, she was worth all swords that would behead if it meant he could have her "Princess, I promise that I will never leave your side. Your fears of losing me with soon become a thing of the past, nightmares that you will always wake up to when you realize I hold you in my arms. Not even death could part me from you Aelyna."

As their custom both their gazes lured the other one in. Her hands felt numb as she held to his sides. Cregans hold on her waist firm, as though he never wanted to let her go. 

One final look as their eyes shut closed. Nothing but the flame from the fireplace played before their closed eyes when she felt his lips onto hers. 

☆ ࣪ ִ AUTHORS NOTE :l 𝆬 3

Physically, mentally, and spiritually I am cant understand how we're almost through half of season 2.

AHHHHH WE GOT A LOVE CONFESSION THIS CHAPTER- and I know it's maybe too soon in the book but trust me I'm setting it all up for the war and trust me, we're gonna need prayers for Cregan and Aelyna during the dance of the dragons.

On a different note:
Im sorta playing around with the idea of having an MC who is team green or at least has close proximity to the greens and plays the war to their own needs.