(Baelon's POV)
"It is too sweet...." I said as I held the cup of wine in my hand, "That is strange..."
"I am going to bed, my love." Helaena said as she pulled me in for a kiss on the cheek, "Make sure you get your rest. I am exhausted."
"You should take it easy." I told her, "You're too concerned about sewing tapestries and blankets for the child."
"I simply wish to be ready for his arrival." She gave me a smile, "Do not drink anymore, it is starting to concern me."
"Hm...." I said as I set it back down on the table, "Very well."
"Mother wrote to me." She said, "They intend to come and visit again. Father and her."
"Very well." I said, "That would be a welcomed thing."
She rubbed my back as she looked at me with a worried look, saying nothing.
"What is it?" I asked her
"Nothing." She said, "You are getting rest, right?"
I nodded, "Yes."
"Do not lie to me." she said
"O-Only a bit." I said
"I need you to sleep, alright?" She said, "Let us sleep together tonight."
"Ah, do not worry about me." I leaned down and kissed her cheek, "I will be fine. You rest, you deserve it."
"Very well." She said before yawning, "I wish to see you asleep in the morrow after I wake."
"You will." I said, "I will go and do something in the Dragonmont before getting to bed."
"Hm..." She said as she walked away, "Very well...."
**************
I walked through the door of Rhaenyra's chamber, checking to see if she was asleep yet. I stopped when I saw that she was in her couch, in her nightgown, reading a book next to the candlelight.
She looked at me with surprise, "Baelon..." She said, "Is something the matter?"
I shook my head, "N-No, not particularly...." I said, "I wanted to check in on you."
"Oh." She said, "I see...."
I gestured at the book, "What are you reading?"
"The book that I went and got from your room that night when we...ehrm.." She said before closing it, "Can I help you with something?"
I walked over to the couch, seeing that her hair was let loose and draped over her shoulders. I noticed a brush on the table next to the couch and I leaned over, picked it up, and looked at her. I could see the reflection of the candle light in her eyes, there was a bit of confusion in them as she looked at me.
"May I?" I asked as I showed her the brush
"Oh." She said softly as she turned to the side, "Of course.."
I sat down behind her, seeing her long and beautiful hair from behind, "Last night, I combed Helaena's hair...." I said as I ran my fingers through her hair, "The smile on her face was so delightful that it made me think..."
"Made you think what?" She asked me
"I should do this more often...." I said, "For the both of you....."
I began to brush her hair slowly and gently as she sat there. I could tell that she was simply looking at the candles that were lit up in another small table that was next to the couch. I could not help but keep brushing her hair.
"When was the last time I did this for you?" I asked
"It was after the Trial." She said softly
"Right...." I said, "When you asked me if I hated you...."
"Yes..." She replied
I kept combing her hair, feeling how soft it was. As I ran the brush down, I ran my fingers through it as well, feeling a nice sensation.
"You should know." I said, "I do not."
"I know." She said softly
I then stopped brushing and pulled my hands away, feeling nothing but awkward in this situation.
"I did not wish for any of this to happen." She said, "This tension between us-"
"Stop." I cut her off, "Helaena is right. It happened....we should learn to move on....."
"But..." she started
"I love her so much." I said, "I do not have to tell you that. I love her so much that it hurts to even think that I am in this situation. I wanted nothing but for us to be happy, that much is true. I want the best for her, the best for us. I wanted us to have a family and live happily before I inevitably ascend the Throne. For the longest time, I was not sure what I felt, or who I loved. She made me open my eyes to the truth, Rhaenyra. I love her...."
"I know." She said softly
I set the brush down and reluctantly reached over to her shoulder, seeing that it was exposed by her nightgown moving sideways. I stopped my hand, holding it an inch over her shoulder as she sat there. It was almost as if she knew that I wanted to touch her and she waited.
I then gave in to the desire and touched her, placing my hands on both her shoulders and gently rubbed them, leaning in to her.
"But everyone was right." I said with my eyes closed, "At one point, as a boy....I loved you the way I currently love her...."
"Baelon...." She started
"But I was just a boy, an ignorant and innocent boy..." I told her as I neared closer to her ear, "Now, I am a man...who is madly in love with another woman who is not you....yet...I cannot bring myself to not love you...."
"You do not love me the way you do her..." She said softly, "I know that. I do not expect otherwise.."
I ran my hand down her arms, feeling her shake slightly as I pressed myself closer to her.
"You are not just any woman, Rhaenyra." I said as I placed my chin on her shoulder, "You are my Sister.....someone who I have always cared about."
I wrapped my arms around her waist and hugged her from behind. She gently placed her hands on my forearms as she felt my breath on her ear. I could tell her body was getting hotter by the excitement; I knew she did not know how to respond to this, to be held by the man that she was in love with.
"Everything that has happened..." i said to her ear softly, "I not only did it for her....I did it for you....to free you....and here we are, Rhaenyra....no matter what, I cannot bring myself to resent you....to hate you....I cannot....and Helaena knows that."
"Baelon..." She said as she looked at me, her eyes forming tears
"We said terrible things to each other." I told her as I gazed into her eyes, "And while I forgive you for the things you said to me.....I will not forgive myself for what I told you....never.....even if you forgive me...."
"I do..." She said softly, "I do...."
"But I don't..." I said as embraced her even tighter, "This tension.....should be placed behind us....for the sake of my child..."
"I understand." She said softly, "What do you wish to do?"
"Now?" I said, "I wish to hold you....to tell you that I love you. That I care deeply about you. I always have....my heart was broken.....at one point...but now....it remains broken because of the terrible things I told you....the way I shattered yours...it is unforgivable....and it would eat me up inside if Helaena becomes sad because of it."
"You love me....?" She asked
"Yes." I said, "I love you."
"Thank you..." She said softly, "I do not care about anything else....if you decide to bed me or not...but all I wanted...was that...."
"To hear those words..."