A/N: some smut here…

Dragonstone, 292 AC

Aylis grows very protective over Shireen, after what happened. She still feels guilty, as she is the one who bought the doll for her. She often sleeps in her room, or takes her to bed with Stannis and her. He disapproves this, stating the children need to sleep in their own bed, and not in their parents' ones. But Aylis is stubborn, and often argues with him about this. The year has just begun and Stannis decides it's time for them to have some time alone. He feels like they have not seen each other in months: even for meals, she has Shireen with her. But Aylis is his wife, and thus, she has duties towards him. She has given him a taste for sex, and she is constantly refusing him lately, which drives him crazy. He feels like a teenager again, like when he was hiding himself to jerk off. Frustration grows in him, until it becomes really unbearable and he gets in Shireen's chambers one day: he's sure to find Aylis here, and he is not mistaken. Mother and daughter are together, playing on the ground. Stannis could find this cute, but all he thinks about is the desire burning his veins. And even for Aylis, it is not good to always be with Shireen, to not see anyone else or so, to cut herself from the world. They both turn to him and Shireen clumsily gets on her feet and stumbles to him. She has been walking since a few days and she gets self assurance quickly. She holds her arms at him and he picks her up, holding her close, smiling at her. Aylis stands up too:

"My Lord…" she curtseys.

He nods at her:

"My Lady… I thought we could go hawking today. The weather is perfect, and the birds are a little bored I guess."

She seems to hesitate, looking at Shireen.

"She will be fine", Stannis sighs as if he could read in her mind. "You need to get out of this castle."

She curtseys again:

"As my Lord commands."

She walks out of the room and Stannis gives Shireen to Cressen: the two of them get along well, and the baby does not cry or anything as he walks away with Aylis. She puts on a comfier outfit for hunting and they walk to the falcons, take them out. They cry impatiently, and their masters get on their horses. Stannis walks in front; Aylis slightly behind him and the falcons fly away as soon as they have passed the gates.

He turns to her as they ride to the rare trees of Dragonstone:

"How are you?..." he asks her.

She gives him a surprised look:

"I'm good of course… why do you ask?"

He places his horse closer from River and looks at her:

"I… It's been so long since we have not talked… or even be together…"

Aylis looks down and sighs:

"I know… I have been so scared for Shireen… I needed to be with her…"

Stannis chews on his cheek:

"I understand but…."

He does not know how to tell her he misses her, he misses how she was before having Shireen, and how he could sneak into their chambers at night and snuggle against her. He feels how she is staring at him, waiting for an answer, and he is about to say something when a loud cry from Fury makes his horse neigh and rearing and he falls, surprised, in a big puddle of mud. Aylis grabs the reins of his horse so he doesn't run away, and gasps:

"Are you okay?"

Stannis has fallen headfirst and spits mud out of his mouth.

"I'm fine", he stands back up and turns to her. When she sees him, his face covered with brown mud, she can't help bursting out laughing. He groans and glares at her, which she finds even funnier. He grabs the reins, and pulls his horse away.

"Not funny", he grumbles. "Your bloody bird almost killed me."

Aylis tries to calm down, and walks to him, holding her handkerchief to him.

"Your horse is too nervous, that's it", she manages to say between two giggles.

"Let's go back to the castle, I need a bath", he grumbles.

Aylis smiles and shakes her head:

"Follow me, I need to show you something…"

He wipes his face and his hands with his shirt, but does so; letting her lead him on a path he does not know. They get deep in the forest, and ride down on a dirt road. Aylis turns to him and says it is better if they go by foot then. Stannis frowns slightly but gets down from his horse and binds it by Aylis's one. They can hear the falcons crying in the sky, and Aylis takes her husband's hand to lead him through ferns. Stannis can hear water running somewhere but he does not really know where, until Aylis moves the last fern out of their way and he gapes suddenly: they are suddenly on the verge of a kind of cliff. Except, down there, there are a huge cascade and a lake. The sound is deafening and Stannis needs to shout:

"When did you find this place?"

Aylis does not answer and walks closer to the edge with a smile. Stannis stares at her:

"What are you doing?..."

"Don't be afraid, okay?" she slips the straps of her dress off her shoulders and lets it fall down on the rocks.

"Aylis, what are you…"

Before he can finish his sentence, she jumps. He tries to grab her and yells her name but she dives in the water with a huge splash. For seconds, nothing moves in the lake. He keeps calling at her, terrified, and, suddenly, she appears again, taking deep breaths. From the lake, she yells at him:

"Come! It's safe!"

She cannot go into water, and him being afraid of. He takes a few steps backwards, takes off his mud stained clothes and jumps off the cliff. The coldness of the water strikes him like a slap in his face and he gasps under water, swimming quickly to breathe out again. Aylis is by him, and she wraps her arms around his neck, staring at his beautiful eyes.

"You're all clean", she whispers, stroking his face, and he smiles at her. He turns his face to the cascade:

"Have you ever tried to see if there was something behind this?"

She shakes her head slowly:

"Do you want to?"

"No… I'm good here", he leans his head in the water again, so he's sure every little piece of mud has gone away. He feels Aylis's hands running in his hair, and he closes his eyes and smiles, loving the feeling. And then her hands venture way down south. He looks at her and kisses her suddenly; unable to restrain the passion that burns his kidneys. He feels her wrapping her legs around him and heaving herself before slowly going down, impaling herself on his shaft. Stannis groans loudly and leans down on her to suck her nipples. She leans her head back, allowing him full access and moans overtly, as water splashes all around her with the strength of his thrusts. She feels the heat of his tongue, the roughness of his scruff, the sweet bite of his teeth on her skin and she moans loudly as he hits her deepest spot. Stannis is completely demented, unleashed, and she has trouble breathing. She tries to calm him down but, at the same time, everything is so good and brings her close to the edge in a few minutes. She loves how hard he breathes too, how he restrains his moans as if it is something shameful, something he should hide. He is never truly noisy in bed: Aylis does not ask him to yell like a girl, but she often notices how he bites his lip, or hers, to stifle his noises. He barely talks as well, when she is all "yes", "go on", and stuff like this. She feels how he gropes her butt, and how he speeds up suddenly, slapping her belly hard and noisily. Aylis stares at him and digs her nails in his shoulders, scratches his back. He yelps with pain and stares back at her, speeding up again. She nibbles his lobe, as he often does to her, and whispers sweet words, before her climax hits her so violently her whole body shakes. Stannis, for once, forgets a bit about convenience and comes right after her in a loud, very loud groan, which excites Aylis even more. She holds onto him tightly, trying to ease the jolts of her body and he breathes hard against her skin, his hands leaving her butt to stroke her back.

"I want to give you a son…" Aylis whispers.

Stannis chuckles slightly, and lays a hand on her belly:

"I bet he is already on his way."

"Gods, I hope so", Aylis smiles and gently strokes his cheek, leaning a kiss on his lips. "I love you so much, Stannis. You have no idea… No idea…"

A long silence follows her words, and, her heart beating hard, she almost thinks he's going to tell her how much he loves her too. His hand strokes her hair and his voice rings out, but to say:

"We should go back…"

She nods slowly and silently, wondering if he could ever tell her so. He keeps her in his arms until the shores and they slowly walk back to their clothes, climbing up carefully. By luck, the sun is pretty hot, and they are already dry before they reach them. They dress back and walk back to their horses. On the path, Stannis takes her hand and squeezes it hard in his, and she looks at him with a smile. Maybe actions are what matter to him, and not words…