Chapter 16: Fools in Love

~o0o~

"Three weeks?" the disappointment on Sansa's face was evident when Jorah told her about the tour and that he would be leaving before the week was out. He wanted to tell her that it was quite short for a Commonwealth Tour, that Prince Rhaegar had been on one that lasted three months, not three weeks, but he just stood there and let her work through her emotions. "You'll forget about me by then, surely."

Sansa fascinated him with how she could let her emotions peek through her confident, powerful façade for just a second before she reigned them back in. Her comment brought levity back into the conversation and within seconds she regained control of herself.

"I don't think anyone could ever forget about you, Lady Sansa," Jorah spoke what he knew was the truth, but he was also eager to end the conversation. He had texted the Princess a few minutes ago and she could be there at any moment, "But we should continue this conversation another time. I need to get back to work and you don't need to be out of the spotlight any longer. Go and enjoy the party. Your party."

"Fine," Sansa playfully pouted, "But one kiss first?"

Jorah sighed and gave her a small nod. It wasn't that he didn't want it, but kissing her would make things real between them, when part of him was holding out on an insane hope that he had a sliver of a chance with the Princess. Jaime and Rhaegar were wrong. They had to be. She felt nothing for him and he was pushing away a beautiful woman who he did have a chance with because of it.

Right? Right. He told himself all of this as Sansa stepped closer and brought her hand up to his cheek.

CRASH

Jorah instantly turned away from Sansa, his senses on high alert. Nothing to his right, but what he saw when he pivoted the other way made his stomach drop.

Princess Daenerys was standing not more than three meters from them, a mixture of pure shock, embarrassment, and hurt on her face. She had dropped her champagne glass and the immediate crowd around her were staring, following her gaze to him and Sansa.

The party was too big for it to attract the attention of more than a dozen people, and a waiter was already grabbing towels to clean up the liquid and broken glass, but none of that mattered to Jorah. What mattered was that he had told her where to meet and she found him in Sansa's arms, clearly not doing his job. He had never let himself become so unprofessional and as they locked eyes, he tried to convey how sorry he was.

The shock, he understood. But the hurt was harder. Was it Sansa? Was it him not being there for her? Surely, she wasn't jealous…was she?

As quickly as she had dropped the glass, the Princess steadied herself, gave him and Sansa a brief nod, and turned around to walk away.

~o0o~

"Missy…Missy pick up…" Daenerys' hand shook as she held her mobile to her ear. She was pacing by the women's restroom, calling her friend over and over again with no luck. Straight to voicemail every time.

She needed her best friend. And then her thoughts went to Lyanna. She started to dial her number but then stopped, not wanting to bother her. She could tell she was in one of her melancholy moods when they had spoken earlier and she didn't want to bore her with unnecessary drama. Lyanna had lost the love of her life. All Daenerys had witnessed was her crush about to get kissed by someone she didn't like. That felt vastly different.

But it didn't make it any less painful for her.

As she paced, her hands still shaking, she went from hurt to angry, concentrating her jealousy and her insecurities into a new emotion, one that could protect her. One that wouldn't make her seem weak and childish. The last thing she wanted Captain Mormont to see was her crying. She was a Princess. A Targaryen. And for all intents and purposes, his boss.

She tried her best to channel that anger as she saw Jorah striding towards her. He was walking quickly, determined, his jaw set and his eyes apologetic. She sniffed back her emotion and put her mobile back in her clutch.

"Princess, can we talk?" Captain Mormont asked, his voice unsteady and he put his hand on her upper arm. As if physically hurt, she quickly pulled away on instinct.

"Don't ever presume to touch me." Daenerys glared at him. "You are far too familiar. Maybe that is alright with some others, but it seems you have forgotten that I am the Princess of England."

Jorah clasped his hands in front of him, taking a military stance and lowering his head in reverence. "I apologize, your Grace."

Daenerys hated that she had snapped at him and been so cold, but it was the only way she could avoid revealing her feelings for him. She had acted like they were strangers when they had built up such a good relationship in their short time together and now it was broken. She knew she was putting up a wall and had no doubt he would build one as well.

"If you could let me explain…" Jorah tried again and she shook her head.

"I want to go home." Daenerys finished the conversation and began to walk outside, with Jorah on her heels.

"I only have the motorbike," he implored her to stop, but she kept walking. There were a few people mingling outside, but the paparazzi had moved on, for which she was thankful.

"Then take me home on the motorbike. I don't want to wait for the car."

Knowing she wouldn't bend, Jorah handed her the helmet and straddled the bike, keeping it steady for her as she carefully maneuvered her way on it behind him, hiking up her ball gown to do so.

"You'll need to hold on, Princess." Jorah reminded her when he started the bike, the loud motor reverberating in their ears and she felt it shake her entire body. Begrudgingly, she wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned against his strong back. In any other moment, she would have been thrilled to be so close to him, but right now it was like rubbing salt into a wound.

They took off into the night and Daenerys closed her eyes most of the time, feeling the wind blowing her hair around from out under the helmet. He didn't drive like Daario. He was careful and smooth, but all she could think about was the smirk on Sansa Stark's face staring back at her next to Jorah.

When they arrived back at the Kensington Palace apartments less than ten minutes later, Jorah offered his arm to help her off of the bike, but she refused it.

"Princess… let's get you inside," Jorah spoke softly.

"No. We will talk here." She said, smoothing the skirt of her ballgown as she stood in the courtyard with him. It was late and she didn't want to wake anyone. And she wanted their conversation to be private. "How could you?"

Her words were loaded. To Jorah, they meant so many things and he wasn't sure how to answer. She was clearly upset, and he didn't know how to fix it. All he knew was that he hadn't acted in any manner befitting the equerry to the Princess of England.

"I'm sorry, your Grace. I really am. I should have been doing my duty, not being a guest at the party," Jorah offered the apology and he truly meant it. To think things could have been so much worse. What if instead of broken glass, it was a real emergency and he had been too busy thinking with what was in his pants to truly protect her. He saw her starting to shiver and he took off his suit jacket to give to her, but once more she refused his help.

"You had messaged me to meet you there. And I find you…" Daenerys couldn't even finish her sentence, "Were you purposefully trying to make me look like a fool?"

Jorah's eyes went wide, and he shook his head. He understood how it looked, as if he had set it up. "No…of course not…Princess, I would never…"

"Well you did. People will talk. They know you and the position you hold." She tried to play it off as not wanting another scandal. Another story about her in the newspapers. But it was all a deflection. Her mind was screaming at her to just ask him about Sansa. She had to know. But if she told him…

"I didn't mean to cause you any embarrassment, Princess. I am so very sorry for my lack of judgement," Jorah kept on and she crossed her arms – her face unreadable. They stood, staring at one another for what seemed like an eternity, but only amounted to a moment. Both of their minds were spinning, trying to draw conclusions, but coming up short.

I should tell her that Sansa means nothing to me. Not anymore…

If he knows I'm jealous, he'll know I have feelings for him…

Why can't I just be honest with her?

I've been a fool. I've made up something that was never there in the first place…

Daenerys sighed. She needed to be the bigger person. "I may have overreacted, Captain Mormont. I do not care who you spend your time with, just so long as it is not while you are on duty. I was simply surprised to see you acting so…casually." Instead of looking directly at him, she focused on a space just above his shoulder. It made it easier to lie. "If you would like some time off to be with Lady Sansa, you only have to ask. Grey asked me and I was more than happy to make arrangements."

"I think you've misunderstood mine and Lady Sansa's relationship."

"I don't think I've misunderstood anything at all. In fact, I'm surprised at myself for not realizing it earlier. She was only just telling me about her boyfriend, saying it was someone I knew." Daenerys couldn't hide the annoyance in her tone and her words came out sharp as knives.

Jorah's eyes widened and he couldn't think of how to explain everything with all evidence against him. He had no idea Sansa had been saying such things. "Princess, Lady Sansa is not my girlfriend. We are merely acquaintances."

"Acquaintances who kiss?" She raised an eyebrow at him, "I don't judge you, sir." Another lie, she was absolutely judging his taste in that vile woman, "As I said, your personal life while off duty is none of my concern. Let's just keep work and pleasure separate?"

Jorah lowered his head. This was certainly not how he anticipated the evening going.

"Goodnight, Captain Mormont." Daenerys said before walking away from him to go inside.

She walked along the dark hallway from the living room to her bedroom, as if in a trance. As soon as she reached her room and closed the door behind her, she started to cry. Never had she anticipated her feelings for him would cause this type of reaction within her. She had thought it was a crush, but clearly it was more than that.

As she stripped off her dress and looked in the mirror, she only felt worse. She was tiny and curvy – completely unlike Sansa and her statuesque figure. Was that what he wanted? What did he see in her?

She was pushy and snarky and pretentious. Is that what he preferred?

As she climbed into bed, Daenerys knew she shouldn't waste her time comparing herself to another woman. Especially not Sansa Stark, who could very well be her sister-in-law one day.

Imagine the holidays…she whispered to herself, laughing at the thought of her and Robb and Sansa and Jorah all celebrating together as if they were some big happy extended family.

She just hoped she would feel better in the light of a new day.