What you want isn't always what you need.

Warning: Explicit content. I wasn't going to add these anymore, since it's M rated (you should expect some titillation), but this time I went a little overboard. I still think it's tastefully done, but your mileage may vary.

Conversely, I found writing sex scenes from a female POV much more enjoyable than the male counterpart. I'll keep that in mind for future chapters.

Unrelated note: I'll post the next chapter on Thursday, so I can return to a regular schedule.

30. What You Wanted - Daenerys

Dany felt tight and strong muscles under her right arm, while her left was being pressured by something heavy. What… Dazed, and slowly opening her eyes, she saw a mess of dark curly hair in front of her. Aegon. She felt her face break into a smile. He was sleeping soundly, his chest moving in rhythm with his measured breaths. One of her arms was draped around him in a hug, her hand over his scarred chest, while another arm lay under his resting head. We fit together perfectly. They were close enough for her nipples to press up against his muscled back, her head almost on the crook of his neck.

So that wasn't a dream…

She recalled the previous night. After Aegon had made an off-hand comment about sleeping better with someone else, she figured it was an invitation to share his bed. Then he awkwardly tried to explain his reasoning without much success, until Yara arrived and made things clearer. They have an interesting relationship.

It was certainly fun, she had to admit. Yara seemed very enthusiastic, taking charge and leading both of them through the motions. Her tongue works miracles. Dany remembered reaching her climax two times with the captain's mouth between her legs, while Aegon pounded the woman from behind in a steady flow, which only seemed to increase when their eyes met. His glistening chest had made her mouth water, and she longed to be in Yara's place, having him invade her depths.

But he never did, she thought bitterly.

Aegon had taken Yara in many ways during their lovemaking, yet Dany had only felt the pleasure of the man's tongue. He's quite good too. She remembered coming undone over his mouth, feeling his hands grip the inside of her thighs for support, while Yara was busy riding him and stealing kisses from her lips, or feasting on her breasts, tongue still wet with her pleasure. Watching the woman reach her own peak and shake uncontrollably so many times had made Dany long for Aegon to give her the same attention.

But he never did.

With these memories on her mind, her body reacted. Feeling the heat between her legs, she started moving her hand lower and lower on his scarred chest, slowly passing over his rippled stomach and…

I just want to…

His hand grabbed hers before she could reach any further.

Ugh, so close…

"Good morning, Dany." He said, loud enough for Yara to wake up too. The woman had slept facing him, and now she stirred awake, her mouth widening in a big yawn. "Did you sleep well?" He asked, turning his head halfway back.

"Yes." She replied, smiling despite herself. Then she leaned in to whisper in his ear, low enough so Yara couldn't hear, "But I wanted more."

Dany kissed his neck, inhaling and committing his scent to memory, before taking her arms away from him, shifting the furs to leave the bed and stand up. Her left arm was a little numb from the pressure, but as she stretched, her heart soared. I haven't slept this well in a very long time. Moving to pick up her clothes from the floor, her legs still felt a little wobbly.

"There's no rush to leave, my Queen." Yara said, watching her with a crooked grin. "We could always continue our fun. Right, Prince?"

As she got dressed, Dany was tempted to steal another look at Aegon. He had shifted his body to lie on his back, with only part of his chest exposed, the furs covering the rest. Her eyes lingered on his waist, where a tent was being formed by his arousal. Was it my touch? She wondered, mesmerized by the sight.

The captain must have noticed her staring, for she quickly grabbed the furs covering him to expose his lower half. Dany gasped, looking at his manhood shooting up, hard as a rock, throbbing with desire. Her head went wild at the thought of riding him faster and faster, until she screamed and he filled her up entirely.

"I bet I can convince him to stick it into you this time. What do you say?" Yara asked, her grin even wider now, as her hand moved to slowly stroke his length.

Dany felt the heat rise to her cheeks and quickly finished getting dressed, avoiding their eyes. "No, that's fine." She said, trying to maintain some dignity. A Queen does not beg. Walking to the door, she turned around to look back at them. "Thank you for…" Her voice faltered when she saw Yara licking his hard member with a smile, staring back at her. The woman loves to tease. "A lovely evening." She finished, and left the room, closing the door behind her.

Catching her breath outside, her heart racing, she overheard Yara saying, "I guess we'll have to take care of that on our own."

Even a Queen has needs, she mused, feeling the wetness between her legs, as she leaned against the wall for support. And no tongue can satisfy my need.

In the Chamber of the Painted Table, Dany was waiting for her council to gather. Most of them were present already, except for the two lovebirds. Tyrion had called for the meeting, his expression grave. She had spotted the man whispering hushed secrets with Varys several times during the morning, yet neither of them had divulged what made them so worried. They must be afraid of my reaction.

Kinvara eyed her. "Worry not, Princess." The High Priestess said in High Valyrian, still calling her by the title from prophecy. "This war of distractions shall be over soon. By this meeting's end, you will thank your Prince for that."

Hmm… Prince and Princess share the same word in High Valyrian. While that was certainly amusing, another thought troubled her mind. He may be my Prince, but he isn't mine alone. I have to share him.

As if conjured, Aegon finally arrived with Yara, their hair disheveled and their clothes wrinkled. "Sorry we're late." The captain said, grinning at her. "We had to… take care of something."

That woman is going to rub my own Prince in my face at every opportunity she gets. Dany forced a smile, trying to ignore the images floating on her mind. "It's fine, we haven't been waiting long." Turning to Tyrion, she asked, "Well? What was so important that we needed to gather everyone to discuss?"

Her Hand cleared his throat. "There has been news from Harrenhal, Your Grace." He paused, briefly glancing at Varys, before taking a deep breath and continuing, "Euron Greyjoy has burned Lord Randyll Tarly, along with the Dothraki, Dornish and Reach soldiers following him."

"What?" She practically screamed at his ear.

No, no, no… This has to be a mistake. It can't be true. I must have misheard it.

Tyrion flinched from her loud voice, backing away slowly. "It seems that there was a battle between Lord Tarly and the Lannister army, but Euron appeared with Rhaegal and burned everyone to dust, betraying his own alliance with Cersei." He spoke quickly, as if to dampen the effect of his words. It didn't work.

Dany took a deep breath to try and cool down, failing to keep her fury in check. This is a disaster. "You mean to tell me that we've lost most of our army?" She asked, her hands balling into fists, ready to strike at something. At him. His foolish strategy may have cost me the war.

But I was an even greater fool for listening to him.

"We still have the forces here at Dragonstone, Your Grace." He replied, avoiding her gaze. "And now that Cersei has lost her entire army, she will pose no threat."

She ground her teeth, barely opening her mouth to say, "Your sister barely posed a threat when we arrived at Sunspear with more than a hundred thousand soldiers under my banner." Yara was right, we should've just attacked from there. But instead, she listened to him. "If we're counting who lost more since I've landed here, she's winning."

"She did lose Euron, though." Aegon's voice made her blink and turn around to look at him. "I'm just saying, now Cersei has two enemies instead of one. She should be more willing to discuss terms."

Looking at his calm expression, her anger subsided a bit, as she paused to consider his words. He's right. Cersei must be desperate now.

"We still have Euron to deal with." Yara supplied, frowning. "What happened after the battle?"

Varys spoke up, "He has taken up residence at Harrenhal, intimidating people into joining him under threat of dragonfire." The Spider produced a piece of parchment from his robes and walked over to Dany's side, offering it to her. As she read the words, he continued, "The madman is claiming the Iron Throne, and demanding a marriage to both Cersei Lannister and Queen Daenerys."

Harrenhal is filled with the corpses of Dothraki and their horses, Dany read, her anger returning in full. She had united the khalasars in Vaes Dothrak, made them all her bloodriders, and they followed her across an ocean, just to die in this strange land. Only five thousand remained with her at Dragonstone. I'll burn him alive for this, she vowed, crumpling the letter. He will die screaming, and Drogon will eat his charred remains for supper. No, Rhaegal will. Vengeance tastes sweeter.

"That's ridiculous." Lord Paxter Redwyne said, shaking his balding head. "Every man needs a little ambition, as Aunt Olenna used to say, but that's just silly."

Aegon was also shaking his head. "He took Rhaegal. We can't negotiate with him."

"My Prince is right." Dany nodded at him. "The only thing I'll offer Euron Greyjoy is a quick death. But we do need to take his blasted horn first. Any ideas as to where it might be?" She asked the room, hoping against hope that someone could offer her something, anything, new. How long has it been since that day at sea, when the world came crashing down into the waves?

The room went silent. Predictable. She was hardly surprised, as the horn could be anywhere…

"The horn is hidden away in a ship moored at an inlet between the Isle of Tarth and Massey's Hook. There are twelve other ships guarding it." Aegon said, in a strange voice, almost as if he was quoting someone.

Everyone turned to stare at him, wide eyed. How did he know that? Dany wondered, her heart racing. All this time, I've been lost and he had the map all along.

Tyrion snapped out of shock first. "How… how do you know that?" He asked, giving voice to what everyone else was thinking.

Aegon hesitated, blinking a few times, before replying, "I had a… dream."

"Surely, we can't base our strategy on a dream, Your Grace." Lord Redwyne said, giving a weak smile.

Yara narrowed her eyes. "Are you questioning your Prince, my lord?" She seemed ready to attack the man.

But Aegon put an arm in front of her, saying, "There's nothing wrong with questioning your rulers, since no order should be followed without question." He turned to face Lord Paxter and everyone else. "I understand it might be difficult to believe me, but this was no ordinary dream. I know we'll find the horn there." His voice was calm, exuding confidence.

I'm no ordinary woman, Dany remembered telling a rude merchant in Qarth, My dreams come true.

"I believe you." She said, gazing into his grey eyes. He belongs by my side. We are one and the same. He nodded back, a hint of a smile on his lips.

Yara looked from one to the other and clapped. "Well, now we have a destination. To fight thirteen ships, I think a fleet of fifteen should be enough." She said, scratching her chin. "Though I'd feel safer with twenty."

"Twenty, then." Lord Redwyne agreed, clearly convinced now. Or pretending to be. "That should still leave us with enough to handle whatever problems arise here."

Ser Davos Seaworth cleared his throat, and said, "Speaking of problems, after we get the horn, how do we deal with the Crow's Eye? He'll still have a dragon."

Everyone turned to her.

"I won't have my children fighting each other." Dany said, her voice steel. That cannot be allowed to happen. In the entire world, there were only three living dragons. They are miracles, and I would be a poor mother if I used one to harm another.

Tyrion spoke up, "We only need to kill Euron, really. There must be a way to lure him away from Rhaegal." And he scratched his bearded chin, seemingly lost in thought.

"There is a faster way." High Priestess Kinvara said, calmly. She turned her eyes to Aegon and continued, "All I require is your help, my Prince."

"My help?" He asked, narrowing his eyes in suspicion.

The woman smiled, her eyes shining rubies, as she raised one finger. "Lie with me for one night, and I shall produce a shadow to kill this Euron Greyjoy. It will be over quickly and quietly."

Dany's shock was replaced by a strange humor. Why do they all want to sleep with him? She wondered, feeling a bit guilty herself. We are dragons, and everyone wants to feel the heat.

Aegon slowly backed away, Yara moving to shield him. "What the fuck are you talking about?" The lady captain asked, with a scowl on her face. "If you want his cock so badly, you could come up with a better excuse." Her eyes glanced over to Dany, who tried very hard to keep her face still.

The High Priestess kept smiling. "If you doubt my intentions, ask Ser Davos Seaworth." She said, pointing at the man.

They turned to look at the old knight, who nodded. "It's true. I saw it myself, when that Red Woman birthed a shadow monster to kill Renly Baratheon." His voice was rough, and his eyes unfocused, probably recalling the memory. "Stannis must have slept with Melisandre, but she was only pregnant for a few days before she came to term."

"Then it works?" Tyrion asked, frowning. Ser Davos nodded, and he continued, "It sounds too good to be true. You have sex, and a magical assassin is born to kill your enemies? Why didn't Stannis use this to kill the other kings?"

Kinvara replied, "Everything has a cost, my lord. This ritual trades life for death. The man loses some of his…" She paused, apparently searching for the right word. "Essence each time, growing weaker and weaker. I've never seen a man cast more than two shadows, and everyone who tried for a third time ended up dead."

"No." Yara said.

At the same time as Dany said, "No." The two women shared a look, before Dany continued, "This is not an option. We'll think of something else." I can't risk losing him.

Varys cleared his throat. "There was another raven, Your Grace." He moved to give her another parchment. "This one is from King's Landing. I believe it's another option."

She read it over quickly, then passed it to Tyrion, who was trying to catch a glimpse. The nerve of the woman!

Missandei spoke up for the first time, "What does it say, Your Grace?" While a dear friend, she needed more confidence to speak up for herself. Which is a shame, since I value her counsel above all others. Grey Worm stood by her side, though he barely ever said anything at all.

"Cersei Lannister is offering an alliance against Euron Greyjoy." Dany replied, trying to keep her voice even.

Aegon's expression brightened, looking relieved. He was probably considering the shadow option. "That's good. At least she's considering peace. What are her terms?" He asked, looking at her.

"She will step down peacefully and allow me to take the Iron Throne, in exchange for a marriage to one of my allies."

It's clever, she had to admit. The woman must have known there was no chance to survive an open conflict. She would burn down King's Landing to the ground, if necessary. But now it won't be. And if I still do it, she can always claim that she had offered peace, and I was just as mad as my father.

Dany turned to Tyrion, who had finished reading and now looked to be in deep thought. "What's her game?" He muttered, more to himself.

"You should accept this, Dany." Aegon said, moving closer. "We have to end this war, before it's too late. You know the reason why."

The Army of the Dead. She had her doubts before, but there was no question on her mind now. I believe him. About anything and everything. They had already begun the mining of dragonglass, most of the effort being supervised by Ser Davos, who knew the island better than anyone else. She would supply the ships to take the mineral to White Harbor once they had gathered enough of it.

Tyrion barked a bitter laugh, and said, "You might want to reconsider that, my Prince, when you learn who my sweet sister wishes to marry."

"Who?" Her nephew asked, curious.

"Why you, of course." Tyrion replied, with a grin. "One Aegon Targaryen in exchange for a throne. Seems reasonable, doesn't it?" His voice lowered a tone. "Which is why she would never do something like this. I understand the will to survive as much as anyone, but why would she relinquish power? It goes against everything father taught us as children." He shook his head. "No, she's definitely up to something here."

Yara was frowning. "Might be a trap. It wouldn't be the first time people died at a wedding." She flinched, as if struck by something, then turned to Aegon. "Sorry." The captain apologised, placing a hand on his arm.

Dany had heard about how Robb Stark died. The Red Wedding, Tyrion had called it. Odd that Daario suggested almost the same thing in Meereen, she wondered, feeling a bit disgusted with the notion. If she had to murder someone, she would never do it in such an underhanded way. Those who wrong me deserve a very public and painful death.

"It's fine." He said, patting her hand. "I know it might be a trap, but I still say we should accept."

"Are you serious?" Dany asked, incredulous. "You know the woman can't be trusted. And even if by some miracle the wedding isn't a trap, are you truly willing to stay married to Cersei Lannister for the rest of your life? Think carefully, nephew."

She noticed Yara's reaction. I've never seen her so afraid before. The woman was looking at Aegon as though he might vanish in front of her eyes at any moment.

He hesitated for a moment, before finally nodding. "Aye. This war has gone on long enough. The sooner we find peace, the sooner we can all focus on the real threat."

"You say that now, but you don't know my sister." Tyrion said, with a grimace on his face. "You'll never find peace with her."

Aegon seemed determined. "It doesn't matter. None of this matters if we can't work together." His voice grew stronger, as he walked around the Painted Table. "Cersei isn't the enemy. Euron isn't the enemy. No living person is an enemy. We shouldn't be fighting each other right now." He stopped by the northern edge of the map, and placed a hand on the Wall. "I've seen the face of the true enemy, and when he crosses the Wall, Gods help us all if we're not ready." He paused to take a deep breath, then continued, "If marrying Cersei can give us even a small chance to prepare, to stop this madness before more good soldiers die, it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make."

The room went quiet for a while, everyone considering the weight of his words. My Prince would be a fine King.

"Impressive." Kinvara said, breaking the silence. Her red eyes were fixed on him with a burning intensity. "Perhaps Priestess Melisandre was right after all."

Lord Redwyne seemed confused. "I don't understand, who's the true enemy?" He asked, looking from one person to the next.

"It's a long story, my lord." Dany replied, unwilling to prolong the meeting any further. "However, know that my Prince is right, and we need to end this war soon." Turning to Aegon, she continued, "I must admit I'd prefer burning Cersei alive, rather than seeing her marry my nephew, but if you're willing to make the sacrifice… I suppose we could at least try to work together."

Tyrion spoke up, "I just hope Lady Olenna Tyrell can understand this urgency, considering how badly she wanted to kill my sister."

"That's true." Lord Paxter offered, his eyes narrowing. "Aunt Olenna will never accept working with that murderer. Not without good reason."

Ugh, that's right. She hadn't considered how the Queen of Thorns might react. She won't be happy.

"She's not the only one." Nymeria Sand spoke for the first time, her expression severe. "Cersei Lannister has many enemies."

Aegon sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I know it can be hard to let go of the past. Some things can never be forgotten." He glanced at Theon Greyjoy with a pained expression, before turning back. "One family kills someone you love, then you kill someone they love, and on and on it goes, until there's no one left to love." He closed his eyes for a moment, slowly shaking his head. "I should hate the Lannisters. Lord Tywin is the reason I never met my brother or my sister. He's also responsible for killing Robb, who I loved as a brother. Cersei and Joffrey arrested and executed my uncle, who I loved as a father." He paused to take a deep breath. "Vengeance won't bring them back, though. They're gone. More death won't solve anything."

Nymeria didn't seem convinced. "Are you saying we should forgive Cersei for her crimes?" She asked, exasperated. "She didn't just kill your uncle, she burned down the Sept of Baelor! Hundreds of people, dead, because she wouldn't admit to fucking her brother, to cheating on that fat oaf Robert and making little pale blonde bastards instead of fat princes. That woman is evil. Is that what you want?"

"What I want…" Aegon started, chuckling to himself, his eyes drifting to the Painted Table. "That's a great question. I don't hear it very often, but I've always thought about it. And I've learned that you can never get what you want, because everybody wants something else. Of course I don't want to marry her." Frowning, he scratched his bearded chin. "But I don't think she wants to marry me either. We'll both be miserable together. Maybe that will be her punishment."

"Death is a far better punishment." Nymeria insisted.

Aegon shook his head. "Trust me, death is no punishment. Death is nothing. It's darkness." He speaks as if he knows… Dany remembered the many scars on his chest. No one could survive that. But no one could survive walking through fire either, she reasoned, while he continued, "I'm not asking you to forgive her. I can't forgive her. All I'm asking is that we stop killing each other for a while. Is that really so much to ask?"

The woman stared at him for a long time, before finally relenting. "I hope you can convince her too, because I'm pretty sure she's planning your death right now."

"Indeed." Tyrion agreed, raising his hands in a conciliatory way. "While I appreciate what the Prince is trying to say, it's quite clear that Cersei will try to kill both him and the Queen sometime in the near future. That's the only way she can return to power." He added, shrugging.

Dany was tired of the discussion. We've all said what we needed to say. "Many men have tried to kill me. I'd wager my nephew has a similar past. And yet, we're both still standing here. If Cersei tries anything, we'll catch her and deal with her appropriately." She clapped, drawing the attention of everybody.

Yara jumped, as if shocked out of her stupor. The woman had been strangely quiet ever since Aegon agreed to marry Cersei. Now that she can't have him, she knows how she really feels about him.

"I accept the alliance. Let Cersei know, and figure out the best way to fool Euron Greyjoy." Dany addressed Tyrion. She wasn't happy with his service, but he was still her Hand. Until I find someone better. "In the meantime, Lady Yara will assemble a fleet of twenty ships to find the horn."

Aegon nodded, and said, "I'll go with her."

"No." Yara quickly replied, her voice cold.

The mood in the room shifted. Everybody exchanged nervous glances, not knowing how to react.

"Yara?" Aegon seemed confused, turning to look at her.

The captain avoided his gaze. "We'll need experienced sailors. The Prince has little experience at sea."

"I need to go. The… dream was very specific about that part." Aegon turned from Yara to Dany, almost pleading.

Ugh, I don't want to get in the middle of this. But she had to. For Rhaegal. "Prince Aegon will join you, Lady Yara. Don't fight this."

Yara bowed low. "As my Queen commands." She said, stiffly. "If that's all, I'll go assemble the fleet. Excuse me." And she left the room.

Aegon looked as if he had been slapped on the face, watching the captain leave.

High Priestess Kinvara spoke up, "I shall join them as well." She turned to Dany, probably remembering she had to ask, "If my Queen allows, of course."

The woman could be useful if they need to go faster… Gwynt. His name was Gwynt.

Dany nodded. "Well, I think we're done for today." She said, exhausted. "My lords and ladies, my prince…" Her eyes lingered on Aegon, trying to convey her gratitude with more than words. "Thank you. We might have peace after all."

This was the biggest chapter yet. I knew there was a lot to discuss, but I didn't expect to go on, and on, and on… I mean, by the end I was just wiped. You almost forget all the smut at the beginning ;)

About that, I feel I should clarify Dany and Yara's sexual preferences, since it came up here. The books and the show differ on that, but my version of their sexuality is more fluid. While they're both willing to explore, Dany prefers men, while Yara prefers women.

Yara's case is particularly interesting, as she comes to grips with her feelings. I don't plan on having her POV, but I might reconsider that.

The date is 24/06/2019