Chapter Text
Dunk knelt before Prince Baelor, hoping his expression did not show his embarrassment or his guilt. Prince Maekar was silent at the window, avoiding looking at the hedge knight, which was probably for the best. Dunk wasn't sure how to directly interact with the prince without in some way revealing something of the dalliance that took place the previous evening.
"Rise, Ser Duncan." Prince Baelor commanded. Dunk stood unsteadily, slightly sore from a mix of the trial and other activities. The heir smiled at him, only a small bandage around his head from his own injuries. There had been an awful moment before Prince Baelor had turned around, when he had fainted, that Dunk had thought he had caused the death of the honorable heir to the iron throne. Fortuneteller for everyone, it was merely a concussion, one the prince was almost fully recovered from. "You swore yourself into my service after the trial. Now, I will not hold a man to vows he made while suffering from as many wounds as you were. But I do have a request to make of you."
"I meant my vow, my prince! I intend to serve whatever way I can, even if it takes my life! Although I'm sure you already have far better knights already" He finished quieter, insecurity creeping in. Behind Baelor, Maekar made a furious sound, but did not move to join the conversation.
The prince smiled warmly at Dunk. "Ser Duncan, you are more honorable than any other knight in my service, you need not worry about that." He paused. "And I do wish for you to enter the kingsguard. Eventually that is. I would like to request that you, for a period of three years, take my young nephew, Aegon, as your squire. He needs to learn of the world, and is quite insistent you are the only teacher he shall accept."
Dunk could not contain his grin. He had hoped that whatever path offered to him would allow him contact with Egg, he had grown most fond of the boy. "Of course! That is far more than I ever even hoped for, my prince."
Baelor smiled wide enough that the corners of his eyes crinkled, teeth flashing. "In three years time, Ser Duncan, I shall send a raven bidding you both to king's landing. Until then, you shall travel as a hedge knight with the young prince Aegon posing as your squire," He chuckled. "Egg."
At that Prince Maekar stormed from the room, but he did not protest. The bond between them throbbed as he brushed past Dunk.
Baelor stood, rolling his eyes slightly at his brother as he does so. "I look forward to the day you join me, Ser Duncan, you will fit well in my household. Please urge my nephew to write occasionally." He smiled softly as his eyes trailed over Duncan, bidding his knight farewell.
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Egg stared at his knight. Duncan was throwing up into a ditch again. Had been every morning for weeks now. Their bond felt queasy and unsure.
They had been traveling for three months now, helping the small folk whenever possible. Duncan helped Egg shave his head, and when it rained they stayed in an inn. Though Duncan was far more careful rationing the coin given to him by prince Baelor than Egg thought he needed to be. But, Dunk had been truthful, Egg had not gone hungry and Dunk had yet to hit him once - despite the many empty threats to do so.
The retching continued. Egg winced. He did not want to ask. Asking meant acknowledging things he did not want to. Acknowledging things Duncan certainly wouldn't want to mention.
When they were riding again on the empty roads, Egg finally found the words he needed to say. "Ser, you probably know that Targaryens are considered by many to be blood magickers, sorcerers, and the like."
Dunk raised an eyebrow at the lad, skeptical. "Aye, 've heard such things.
"Well, it is an element of truth. The Valyrian blood we possess give us some, I'll call them gifts for lack of a better word." Dunk peered at the lad, no idea what he was prattling on about, but listening anyway. "You know my brother's dream of dragons and prophecies." He nodded, Egg cleared his throat, continuing. "Some of use, like my Uncle and cousin can touch fire with no ill effects. Apparently, Uncle Baelor & my great aunt Sheira used to nap in bonfires as children." Dunk snorted. "There is of course the ability to control dragons. And our soulmarks forming in halves, needing to be confirmed by second touch, which allows for a second healing." Egg bit his lip, saying the next part as quickly as possible. "And, those with Valyrian blood have the ability to get men they lay with who don't drink the moon tea with child."
Dunk fell off his horse. Chestnut took the opportunity to chew his hair.
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That evening, by the camp fire Dunk stared at Egg cautiously, tense with anxiety. "How did you know? I certainly did not."
Egg hummed. "The symptoms. The timing. Your bond feels like a small thread is wrapped around it. Not that I mind at all."
Ser Duncan visibly relaxed, there was still a lot to worry about but that had been one of the more pressing issues. If his only support in all of this - Egg, who he'd come to love like his own - left for King's Landing not looking back, Dunk doubted he'd survive.
Egg continued. "I'm sure I'll love my little cousin when they arrive."
Dunk felt like he'd been punched in the gut. He wheezed. Well, it might change some things for Egg to realise he'd actually be getting a new sibling, that the father was not his Uncle. He supposed it would have made a lot more sense. Baelor fought for him, promised him a place in his kingsguard, trusted him with Egg and was a beautiful man. Dunk felt if it had been either prince who came to him that evening, things might have led there. Not that Baelor would be interested. And even Maekar certainly wasn't past a single night, despite the neglected soulbond that ached constantly on his waist. But, he came to Dunk so angry and stressed and so relieved and needing to talk to someone. Dunk almost fell over bowing only for Maekar to catch him, upon realising the bond they talked for hours, and somewhere talking became kissing, then kissing became more, a lot more. It had been Dunk's first time with anything more than a peck from another squire, and certainly more than he'd ever done with a soulmate, as he had precious few bonds, but the prince had made his regret quite clear by disappearing while Dunk was asleep, then not seeking him out once before his and Egg's departure.
A fork in the road decision lay before Dunk. Either Dunk let's the assumption lie, the way Egg had done when they first met. Or he tells the truth. He supposes after scolding the boy after the omission being revealed, he should lead by example. Also, traveling together Egg would inevitably see burgundy not navy on his side. He gathered all his knightly courage before replying. "Well, Egg. About that, the father would actually be-"
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Egg hadn't spoken to him for near a week after that. He was still a dutiful squire, even more protective than before, but he refused to actually talk to him. The stream of swearing that followed Dunk's admission would have made Egg's father proud, but since then nothing. He even avoided directly connecting their marks. That hurt the worst, Egg knew Dunk could not feel them as he did.
Dunk was still himself in denial about the whole situation. Yes, he may have shared a night with a prince, but he certainly was not with child. He simply had a badly timed, almost 3 months long stomach flu. Which was completely normal. He's sure many hedge knights develop such sicknesses. Though since the realisation, Egg had silently decided his knight was not allowed to touch hard salt beef ever again. Trading for and foraging berries, vegetables, bread, eggs and decent meat.
It was on the seventh night when Egg finally broke. He had a nightmare, Dunk woke to his squire curled close and crying into his tunic. He instantly wrapped the lad up in his arms, pulling him into his lap as he sat up. "What happened? Are you okay? Egg?"
Egg sobbed harder, bond lighting up for the first time in a week, filled with grief and fear. Eventually after some rocking back and forth he cried himself out. Dunk kissed his squire's forehead, trying to send comfort through. Egg spoke, voice hoarse and cracking slightly. "I dreamed this would kill you being born if we stay on the road, a dragon born in the hedges,burning up the great elm she came from. I know-I know I d'nt take it well, but I can't lose you Ser, but I want to stay your squire."
Dunk shushed his squire, wiping the boys face with his sleeve. "I shan't die. But when the time come, we will make sure to find somewhere safe, aye? And, even when she's" he paused to marvel at that, he couldn't really deny it with that revelation hanging arounf them, "born, you won't lose me any other way. I plan to stay a hedge knight for our full time, even if I have a babe swaddled to me." He grinned at Egg, getting a watery smile in return. "I don't intend for either of my soulbonded hatchlings, you nor her, to be taken away from me."
Egg knocked Dunk back onto his bedroll with the force of his hug.
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Dunk huffed through the pain, wrapping the blanket tighter around him. He had taken rather too long to finally agree to come to Storm's end. He hadn't been sure of his welcome, given he spurned Lord Baratheon last time they had spoken, nine months ago now. Soulmate or no, rejecting the lord could have fully rejected the bond if Lyonel so chose. But, they hadn't found anywhere else really safe, where there was both qualified Maestors and word would not drift back to the Targaryens, and the healing of soulmate bonds is unmatched. Egg had managed to guide a heavily pregnant hedge knight and the two horses right up to the castle. Which was very good timing as Dunk's labor had started a few hours earlier.
Dunk knew he would get the biggest lecture ever from his squire about leaving the journey until the last possible hours. Egg had been a fierce guard dog the last six months. He had controlled their meals, forced Dunk to rest, and tried to stab any man who so much as playfully slapped Dunk's arm at the inn, which after the halfway point they had stayed at more often than not. Every knight he kept his little hand firmly on Dunk's neck, on his own little green mark.
Egg shouted up to the guards. "This is Ser Duncan the tall, I am his squire. We are here on invitation of Lord Baratheon."
The guards refused to let them through. Dunk started to panic. He had promised Egg he would not have this child on a road, where he would no doubt die, leaving little Egg, his child soulbonded, all alone with a newborn bastard to care for and no one to help. As Egg desperately tried to calm Dunk's hyperventilating, a yelp came from slightly above. "Let them in you useless cunts or else I'll hit you with much worse than that! I don't pay you to turn away my fucking soulmates for sevens' sake!" A booming voice shouted.
The gate opened and Egg led the horses in, hands shaking. He gently as possible helped Dunk off his horse, which was mostly him talking Dunk through getting down, as he was still too small to be of much help, and settled his knight on the ground. Within seconds of Egg re-wrapping the blanket around Ser Duncan, Lyonel Baratheon came skidding around the corner, curls sticking up in every direction, eyes wild. He ran up to Dunk, throwing himself onto his knees - Egg winced at the audible sound of them meeting the stone, at Lord Baratheon's age that probably hurt a lot - before the hedge knight, wrapping his arms around Dunk.
Dunk gaped as he was pulled into an embrace, between waves of pain now. He had been worried that Lyonel would turn him away personally, never wanting to see him again. He almost fell from the relieflovemissedyou pulsing around him.
Lyonel leaned back onto his haunches, raising an eyebrow. He stared down. "Well, that's new." He paused, confused. "Did i do that? I drank a lot but I did not think so much as to bed a soulmate without any courting, Ser Duncan." Lyonel picked through his memories of Ashford, he did have Targaryen blood in a generation or two, so he knew it was possible. One of his uncles had married a man and had several children together.
Dunk spluttered. "No! Lyonel, nothing of the sort. But it was at Ashford. I-I hoped to have sanctuary here during the birth. I promised my squire is all. That I wouldn't risk birthing on a road." He inhaled shakily. "But if that's not an option, I'm sure there is somewhere we could find."
Lyonel stared at Dunk. Okay so his soulmate he was madly in love with was heavily with child with the heir to the throne's bastard, and somehow thought that would be enough that Lyonel would throw him from his home into the storm. He was almost offended if he wasn't so worried, he probably would've accepted it if Duncan had just lied and claimed the babe was his. He glanced at his knight's squire, pleasantly surprised to find the young prince glaring at him defiantly, daring Lyonel to even think about rebuking Dunk. He sunk down closer to Dunk. "Of course you can stay, forever even if you wish it, I would never deny you such a thing. How long until the birth? A month, two?"
Dunk flushed, looking away, embarrassment filtering into the bonds. Egg sighed loudly. "Hours?" Dunk's tone was sheepish as he shrugged.
Lyonel choked. He calmly stood, walked a few paces away, then started running around and screaming his head off to summon every Maestor in storm's end.
Egg sat next to Dunk, leaning into the hedge knight, who was breathing deeply as another wave of pain started. "I told you we should've come earlier." Duncan gave his squire a weak clout around the ear.
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The birth was a long and difficult one. Egg had to be held back when the bleeding broke, the Maestor's panicked voices blending together as they worked to save the knight. Lyonel was holding Dunk's hand, begging him to survive.
When Egg was dragged from the room by Lyonel's mother. He ran to a desk, hot tears streaking down his cheeks as he shook from sobs. He wrote, messy and angry, tears and blood staining the paper. He wrote furiously, with single minded, irrational blame, to his father, who was not even aware of the child's existence. But to Egg it was all his fault. He tied the letter to a raven, uncaring that the letter was cruel, Dunk was dying on the birthing bed so couldn't stop him.
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Hours later Dunk was okay, had a strong daughter and a new sapphire blue soulmark of a tiny hand on his finger. Brienne had hair as pale as Egg's had been, eyes as blue as Dunk's, and lungs as strong and loud as her other father.
He smiled down at her, asleep in his arms. Egg was curled on the bed next to him, face still red from how much he'd cried. Lyonel was sat on a chair pulled up close, watching the scene, his eyes soft.
"You could stay" Lyonel suggested, quiet. "I would claim her as my own and marry you. She could be my heir, we could keep Egg here too."
Dunk's head jerked up, eyes wide. "What? Lyonel, I couldn't shackle you into a marriage with a soulmate who spurned you and has no political advantages just to legitimise my child."
Lyonel laughed. "Sweetling, I loved you when I put my crown on your head the very first night we met. This really is me taking advantage of the situation to marry my soulmate and get two children as well." He sighed. "It would also be a soulmate marriage so" He gently as possible nudged Dunk's burgundy soulmark, "You would be free to
Dunk's entire face flushed, staring at Lyonel adoringly. "I thought the bond would be crumbled after my rejection." He paused as Egg shifted against his side, clearly awake from the reassuring comfort emanating from him, but pretending to sleep still. "I would not be a particularly good husband though. I made vows to travel with Egg three years and I intend to keep it, so I would force you to live on visits. I would need to bring my daughter with me. And when those three years are over, I wouldn't settle here. Not permanently, not with her father, Egg, and Raymun as well."
"Fuck that. I can sometimes travel with the two of you, I don't mind missing some luxury. And when you visit we'll make the most of it. And as heir paramount I already spend most of my time away on unnecessary tourneys or diplomacy - when the years of travel are done I can spend as much time as I need wherever you go." Lyonel was sleepily grining now, tired from the wild range of emotions in the last few hours.
He picked Brienne up, grinning when his storm grey bloomed on her shoulder. Her little foot kicking his arm, leaving the sapphire blue of Tarth's ocean behind.
He kissed Dunk as Egg made fake gagging sounds next to them, heart feeling lighter than ever.
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In King's landing the heir to the throne and his younger brother read a short letter they had received via a particularly bedraggled raven. The writing was messy, paper blotchy and with droplets of blood along one side.
'Father. Dunk's dying. & its your fault. You dishonored your soulmate and left. I never want to see you again. If Uncle needs to find me Lord Baratheon has offered me place as his ward, dont want you here. - Egg'
Maekar made a horrified choked sound and read it again and again, looking for some deceit or ransom coded in the letters. He tried to feel for the dormant bond, hand squeezing at his arm where sunset orange lay.
Baelor spun his ring around and around, frowning. Why had Maekar not told him something as vital as a new soulmate? They would have to make it to storm's end quickly. Baelor did not wish to lost his knight nor his nephew. But before they left, he would need consult Brynden.
He stood quickly, grabbing the letter from Maekar who stayed frozen. "We are leaving. As soon as possible. And while we ride, you will tell me what that meant by you 'dishonoring' Ser Duncan." Baelor ordered, before sweeping from the room.
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It took only a week for Dunk to become restless and after three they left storm's end. With plenty of hidden coin, food and another horse. And matching rings from a small ceremony with the children, Lyonel's mother, a septon and a few friends present.
Seeing his soulmate perform his hedge knight duties as they travelled with little Brienne tied to his front was a sight that never failed to bring a grin to Lyonel's face. They were a perfect little family, four souls all bonded.
Learning to care for a baby was difficult enough, even not being on the road, but Lyonel couldn't begrudge Dunk this. And Brienne was strong for a baby. Egg was clearly delighted, bursting at the seams with happiness and cheeky as anything. Between them they were slowly helping Dunk's bond sickness, but the absence of two of his soulmates grated on him. So six months into their travels, on their way back from Dorne, Lyonel offered they visit to the Green Apple Fossoways.
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Rowan and Dunk sat next to each other, leaning on each other, new platonic bond thrumming between them, pretending not to notice little things about the others babes.
Dunk overlook the darker shade of red in the wild curls, and the stormlander brow. Rowan pretended not to see the Targaryen white hair, or that one of Brienne's eyes was closer to violet than the blue of the other. Their soulmates were well aware, but ignoring things was easier than discussing things sometimes. Raymun adored her and the child all the same, and Lyonel showed off Brienne proudly as his own.
Though it was noticeable that Brienne, being seven months now, next to Rowan's baby's eight, had clearly inherited Dunk's size. She was be a mighty hatchling he thought, stroking her curls and kissing the crown of her head.
Before they left Raymun's he brought out a dappled white foal, maybe a year old. He grinned, eyes twinkling. "Turns out Sweetfoot came as a packaged deal. I wondered if for your Brienne you would want Sweetling as a mount in a few years."
They kissed goodbye. Bond full of comfort and mutual contentment.
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Baelor fought rain as he rejoined his son and brother. They had been searching for eight months now, disguised as a royal progress. He could've hit Maekar with his own mace when the story came out.
Maekar upon Baelor waking from his concussion at Ashford had gone to tell Ser Duncan. Half to have a go at him no doubt. But instead formed a soulbond. They spoke for a couple of hours, which was fine, then they kissed which was less fine, without any courting. Then Maekar consummated the bond with the poor knight. Under a tree! With no courting, courting permission, marriage nor septon approval. What was worse is that Maekar had simply left the knight there, with no explanation. Baelor was in fact proud to say he punched his brother upon being told that. Maekar also made no effort to procure moon tea after dishonoring his soulmate. And from the scant information they have found, Ser Duncan The Tall has been sighted with a pale haired baby.
Maekar justified the whole thing by saying he had been so ashamed of his behaviour that he thought to approach Duncan after the three years traveling and properly court him.
Baelor had not told his brother what his own plan actually was when they found Duncan. He did not think Maekar rightly deserved to know. Baelor planned to marry Duncan, to legitimise the child as his own. He could not be sure yet, but he had suspected that he and Duncan would perhaps be soulmates if they made proper contact. It mattered not, Baelor was willing to offer his knight this, with or without a bond.
He simply hoped no horrifying event had befallen the man destined to be the beloved of a dragon. Even if that was not the dragon fate had chosen.
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Lyonel laughed with joy, throwing Egg into the air in celebration, sunset palm of his bald head gleaming. Beside them Brienne clapped from where she was sat on Dunk's who was lying back soaking in the sun, as she repeated her first word. "Egg! Egg! Egg!"
The little family enjoyed their moment of peace, unaware of the dragons closing in around them.