Chapter Text
Dunk found Egg at the puppet show, sitting with his hood pulled up amongst the others gathered.
The boy had been too afraid to enter Ashford castle, which Dunk figured was due to Egg not believing himself worthy of mingling with highborns and princes.
It must be overwhelming for an orphan boy from King’s Landing.
All Egg needs is time. And perhaps, some kindness.
Just as the princess had shown Dunk.
The puppeteers’ were doing the tale of Florian the Fool and Jonquil. The tall girl, the pretty one, worked the strings of Jonquil, while a fat Dornishwoman played Florian.
“You are no knight. You are Florian the Fool.” declared the pretty puppet girl.
“I am, my lady. As great a fool as ever lived, and as great a knight as well.” the puppet that was Florian retorted.
“A fool and a knight? I have never heard of such a thing!”
Florian’s puppet bowed and approached Jonquil with outstretched arms.
“Sweet lady, all men are fools, and all men are knights, where women are concerned.”
The crowd laughed and cheered. When the show was over, the fat Dornishwoman went amongst the viewers looking to collect coins. The pretty puppeteer went to put away the puppets.
Dunk approached her with Egg at his side.
“M’lord?” asked the girl. She was a head shorter than Dunk, but still taller than any girl he’d ever seen.
“That was good. I like how you make them move, Jonquil and the dragon and all. I saw a puppet show last year, but the movements were all jerky. Yours are much smoother.” Egg stated.
“Thank you.” the girl said, smiling.
It’s a pretty smile. Almost as lovely as Prince Baelor’s daughter, but she was spoken for, to be betrothed to Prince Jaehaerys after the tournament, Dunk remembered.
“I’ve never seen such giant puppets. Do you make them yourself?” Egg wondered, eyes wide.
“My uncle builds them, but I do the paint.”
“Could you paint something for me? I have the coin to pay.” Dunk told the puppet girl. He slipped Ser Arlan’s shield off from around his shoulder.
“I need to paint something over the chalice.” he said, recalling Baelor Breakspear’s words from earlier.
“What would you want painted?”
Dunk had no response. He had not thought of a sigil of his own.
Dunk the lunk, thick as a castle wall.
“I don’t … I … I’m not certain.”
He felt his ears burning.
“You must think me an utter fool.” he mumbled.
The Dornish puppet girl smiled at him.
“All men are fools, and all men are knights.”
There was a silence that he did not know how to breach. The puppet girl did so for him, looking at his shield as she said, “The grey is a bit drab.”
Suddenly, Dunk thought of something.
“The field should be the color of sunset. The old man … Ser Arlan always liked sunsets.”
But what about the sigil itself? What will replace the chalice?
“An elm tree.” Egg chimed. “A big one, like the one down by the pool, with a brown trunk and green branches.”
“Aye. An elm tree, that’ll serve. But with a shooting star above. Could you paint that?” Dunk asked the girl.
She nodded.
“If you give me the shield today, I’ll paint it for you tonight and have it ready for you on the morrow.”
As he handed her the shield, he thanked her.
“I’m Ser Duncan the Tall.”
She laughed and said, “I’m Tanselle. Tanselle-Too-Tall the boys used to call me.”
“You’re not too tall. You’re just right for …” Dunk trailed, realizing too late how crude his words sounded.
“For?” Tanselle asked, a brow raised.
“Puppets.” Dunk said, sighing, before he handed over some coins and left the tent with Egg.
***
“Jae. You’ve been avoiding me.”
The prince ran a brush along Vermithor’s flank as he grumbled, “I have not.”
“You have, ever since earlier, after that business with my father and Ser Duncan.” Dany said, adamantly.
He continued brushing his horse.
“I’ve had to prepare for tomorrow. I want nothing amiss when I enter the lists.” he deflected.
His back was to her, but that did not stop her. She entered Vermithor’s stall and the destrier huffed over her extended hand before going silent.
Vermithor was well trained and would never hurt her, and Dany knew so.
“I thought we had settled this in Ser Lyonel’s pavilion.”
Well so had he, but that was before Ser Duncan had appeared yet again, needing Dany to rescue him.
“Are you jealous, my love?”
“Of a hedge knight?” he scoffed, and even he could admit he sounded like his father just then, but he could not help it.
Something inside him had ignited. Many men gazed at his beloved, but Ser Duncan was different. Dany had dreamed of him, and that meant something.
“Jae.” his princess whispered, softly.
One of her hands reached up and cupped his cheek, turning his face so that he gazed at her.
“I … I don’t like the way he smiles at you. I know that look.” Jaehaerys growled.
Dany’s violet eyes cut right through him.
He took a breath in and then said, “You never dream about me.”
Daenerys’ brows furrowed. “I do, and quite often.”
Her hand fell away from his face and touched her necklace, the one he had given her last year for her fifteenth nameday.
The necklace he wore, the one he always wore, suddenly felt fire hot against his skin.
“It’s the same dream. Nothing different.” Jae dourly noted.
“I don’t need it to be any different, and neither should you. When have I ever given you a reason to doubt the love I feel for you?”
There was hurt in her voice.
At once, he felt wretched. He dropped the brush he had been holding and took Dany into his arms.
“I’ve been a fool.”
“Yes, you have.”
Her head was tilted slightly back so she could stare him in the eyes.
“I will never love anyone else the way I love you. Don’t you know that?” she asked him.
“I do. I’m sorry, ñuha prūmia.” (my heart) he swore.
Jae inched his head forward. Dany did the same. They shared a tender kiss, lips moving perfectly together in time.
A steady fire engulfed his heart, warm and soothing.
“I love you more than anything. More than life.” he whispered when they parted.
“Oh, Jae … I love you the same. Forever.” she whispered in return, closing her eyes as they kissed again.
A long while passed until their mouths came apart. Their lips were pink and swollen, but Dany was striking in any state, especially now.
Heart beating fiercely, Jae made known, “I shall pray that this tourney ends quickly. The sooner we are betrothed, the sooner we can wed.”
His cousin grinned.
“Eager to call me your wife, my prince?”
“Amongst other things …”
Since they’d fallen in love, the most they’d ever done was touch one another, but never were they naked, and never had he even thought of dishonoring her by taking her maidenhead before they were husband and wife.
Dany was precious to him, and he wanted their first time together to be perfect, and what could be more perfect than the night of their wedding?
He ran a hand through her hair, for most of it was loose, the strands like liquid silver running between his fingers.
They might have kissed then, but a whinny came from the stall next to theirs.
“I believe Silverwing is the jealous one now.” Jae said, chuckling.
His joke made Dany giggle, the sound endearing and one of his favorites.
“I should see to her.” said the princess.
“As you wish, sweetling.”
They kissed, but before she went to her horse, Jae held her right hand in his left and told her, “My father is going to search for Daeron and Egg come tomorrow. He’s taking Ser Roland with him.”
“I hope they are found, though for certain your father will be unhappy regardless.”
“I simply want them to be found safe. As I said before, Daeron is likely drunk somewhere.”
Jae let out a heavy sigh.
“This need of his to pit us against Valarr and Matarys must end one day. How about that? Have you seen that in your dreams?”
She shook her head sadly.
“I’m afraid not, my love.”
“A pity, then.” Jae replied, sincerely.
He lifted up her hand and kissed it, smiling before he let her go.