35: Unexpected Additions
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(Circa 297AC)
“Well?” Asha demanded as she stood across from me, one arm draped protectively over her belly. “Don’t you have anything to say?!” I looked at her, my eyes drifting from her face to her stomach and back as I tried to process what she’d just revealed.
When Oberyn, who was in the room with my mother and their paramour Ellaria Sand, had met me at the docks, and been excited about something, I’ll admit I feared I’d impregnated Ari. This, however, was both better and worse, as while I’d not left Ari with an unexpected surprise, I’d done so to Asha Greyjoy.
That it was her that would carry my child, and not Ari and Nym was a shock, as while she was a regular in my bed, the other two were the more insistent that I fuck them, with Asha often preferring to enjoy her time with whichever one I wasn’t directly fucking. At least during those times when we weren’t all going at it as a group.
“Um, congratulations?” I replied, my mind not quite catching what I was about to say before the words had slipped from my mouth. Asha stepped toward me as I understood my mistake, and a moment later I took a step back. “Oh,” I muttered, one hand coming up to rub my jaw where she’d punched me, as I turned my head back toward her. Normally, I’d have stopped that and then pulled her close before distracting her in certain ways, but it was that behaviour that had possibly resulted in her carrying my child.
“That is what you have to say?! Why you…” she took another step toward me, though I shuffled back quickly, my hands coming up to defend myself from the understandably upset woman.
“I think,” my mother began as she stepped closer and I turned, readying myself to block Asha’s next attack, “that Cregan is simply overwhelmed by shock at this surprise.” I nodded as my mother slipped between us, hoping to ease some of the fury in Asha’s eyes. A faint, stifled chuckle drew my attention for a moment, and I saw Ellaria had a hand over her mouth. While she was trying to restrain her amusement, Oberyn wore a smile that they’d likely be able to see in King’s Landing.
“Yes,” I said, returning my full attention to the furious, but gorgeous, Ironborn lady who was glaring daggers at me. “I mean, when my father met me at the docks, I was unsure what had him so amused. This,” I gestured toward her, “was not what I was expecting. Not that I am upset,” I continued, not wanting Asha to get the wrong idea, “I simply was not expecting to be a father yet.” My words seemed to soothe some of Asha’s rage, and I wondered if she feared that I might choose to abandon our child. Even ignoring that Oberyn would have my head – possibly both of them – for such an action, I wouldn’t. I could already feel a need to protect the progeny growing in her belly, though other matters kept that sensation down.
“Do, we, um, have to contact Lord Victarion or Lord Rodrik Harlaw?” I asked as Asha continued to cool. With Balon dead, Victarion was the head of House Greyjoy while The Reader was Lord of the Iron Islands. That said, from the few details I’d heard about how things were going with the Ironborn, Lord Rodrik was struggling to maintain control as he wasn’t a hard follower of the Drowned God nor the Ironborn way.
“Fuck no!” Asha replied though I couldn’t be sure if the venom in her tone was directed at me for my suggestion or the two lords I’d named. From what she’d said on the occasions we talked, she liked her uncle, Lord Rodrik, having fostered there as a child, and wasn’t against Lord Victarion as head of House Greyjoy. That said, she did feel that right should go to her, an urge that Ari and Nym supported even though I knew she could never inherit. “Leave my family,” that word sounded almost like a curse, “out of this!”
I wondered if she would perhaps be forced to marry some old Ironborn lord as a way to secure their alliance for Lord Victarion. If that were the case, I knew I’d need to instigate a duel to ensure it didn’t happen. Not because it was the Ironborn way, but because she, like Nym and Ari, were mine and I’d remove the hand and head of any man who touched them.
“Unfortunately, we cannot,” Oberyn cut in, his mirth fading away. “While your uncle had no choice in you becoming a ward of House Martell, the change in your condition is one he must be informed of.” he moved closer and gestured toward Asha’s belly. “I regret even more that because it was a decree from King’s Landing that made you our ward, they must also be made aware of the situation. It is unlikely that they will order you returned to the Iron Islands, but we cannot attempt to hide the matter.”
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
I noted that, as normal, my father refused to refer to Robert as King, instead choosing to talk of the capital as the throne. It was a subtle change; one few had picked up on – or at least commented on in my presence – but a smart way to handle matters of the realm without addressing House Martell’s grudges toward Houses Lannister and Baratheon.
“This is all your fucking fault,” Asha groaned as she looked at me, weariness in her tone.
“Before I last sailed to Dustspear, I seem to recall that it was you and Nym that dragged me to bed,” I fired back with a smirk. That angered Asha and she took a step toward me, the passion that drew me to her on full display.
“You little,” she began as she neared, but my mother was still between us. As she managed to slide around my mother, I moved forward.
Grasping her raised hand, I pulled her closer. “My apologies for my words,” I said as my other hand slid around her back, though I made sure to not pull her too tightly against me, just enough that the arm over her belly couldn’t do much in retaliation. “I spoke with the intent of inflaming your fire, which serves no purpose here. Merely my father's influence.”
“Leave me out of this,” I heard Oberyn say, but my focus was on Asha, and the storm raging in her eyes. I hadn’t expected to bed her, but now that I had, even without her carrying my child, I knew I wasn’t going to let go. Her passion, her rage spoke to me – both the Wolfsblood and the Dragon’s Flames – and I’d kill any that tried to take her from my side.
“But you do share the blame, darling. Cregan has seen and learnt this from you,” Ellaria offered even as the rage in Asha’s eyes shifted, moving from fury to desire as she saw how I looked at her. “Along with the tendency to bed women he should not.”
“Well,” Oberyn began with a chuckle, “I suppose you are correct there, my dear lady.”
“Lady Ellaria and I are always right, dear husband,” my mother commented even as I pulled Asha closer, wanting to taste and claim her once again. The Ironborn girl licked her lips as the hand I’d grasped to stop her from striking me pressed against my chest.
I glanced at my parents and Ellaria. The trio were looking at us with expressions that mixed amusement, pride, and joy, and I knew all three were about to comment on how I now held Asha. “Look,” I said, turning back to the Greyjoy, “I know this,” my hand that had earlier grasped her to protect myself drifted lower, settling on her hand over her belly as I spoke softly to her, “was never planned, and I am far from ready to be a parent but, no matter what comes, I will do all I can to protect and raise them beside you.”
“I expect that, you ass,” she shot back, though with none of the venom that had been there minutes before. “And I will be carrying this to birth.” I felt the hand on her belly begin to slowly move around. “I have no choice. The moon tea failed, and it’s been nearly three moons since we….”
“Fucked like rabbits?”
“Oberyn!” My mother snapped, slapping her husband on his upper arm.
“What? Am I wrong,” he shot back with a growing smirk. “And if I remember, you complained about the noise coming from my niece's room. At least on the nights where it does not seem to excite you or Ellaria.” He winked as he finished, though I groaned, dropping my head onto Asha’s shoulder even as she buried her head into my chest.
“Gods,” I muttered into her clothes, “Can you please stop?”
“Why?” he shot back, and I turned my head to find him smiling like a maniac. “Today is a glorious day,” He added, spreading his arms wide and encompassing my mother and Ellaria. “I have another grandchild on the way, and I shall be present for the birth this time!”
I grunted, understanding that. Obara had borne Benjen two children that we knew of; Torrhen and Meria, though both had been born in the North. We’d met Torrhen when we’d last been in the North, with Meria being born near the end of the year after we’d left Winterfell.
“I know it is too early to consider names,” My mother said slowly, a smile spreading across her face as she looked at me and Asha, “but while you are in Sunspear I hope you might think of some. It is custom in Dorne for the name of a son to be chosen by the father, and the daughter by the mother. With your campaign in the Stepstones, we cannot be sure if you will be here for the birth.”
I looked at Asha. “If I can manage it, I shall be here. But before I go, I will leave some names with you all,” I continued turning my focus back to Asha. “I know this was never planned,” Asha snorted at that, “but it seems the Gods have decided to make us their playthings.” I already knew the Gods, or whatever was posing as Gods, and the powers that had brought me here, were doing that but no one needed to hear that. “Regardless of how we ended up here, I swear by the Old Gods, that I will do all I can to help you raise and protect our child.” I was just repeating what I’d said earlier, but this time I was making it clear to all that I had no intent of abandoning my child, be they bastard or trueborn. That might be acceptable to some, but even without being raised by Oberyn, I’d never allow it.
“Good,” Asha replied, offering me the first smile since she’d revealed her pregnancy. “I… Even if I had the choice, I feel I want to carry this child to term. I am not sure what sort of mother I might be…”
“Brilliant.”
“… but I know you will make a good father,” she finished, her smile growing at my faith in her. “We will teach them, be they boy or girl, how to fight on land and sea, and be ready for all this world may throw at them.” Her hand came up and she jabbed a finger into my chest. “But do not think for one second that this means I want to marry you.”
“Thank the Gods for that,” I shot back with a chuckle. “I fear I would not survive the bedding.”
“Probably not,” Asha agreed after chuckling. “However, I would make sure you died a happy man.” She gave me one of those wicked, dangerous smiles that I adored and set my passion racing.
Asha wasn’t a traditional beauty like Arianne, Nym, or even Ty, but she was far from unattractive or unappealing. There was a fire, a desire in her that called to me, and like a moth to a flame, I couldn’t resist it. The child she carried wasn’t intended, but it was mine and I’d burn the world and everything in it, if any threatened my child. Not even the Gods would stop me from moving heaven and earth to protect my progeny.
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