King's Landing, 293 AC
Robert and Aylis ride out of the Red Keep, towards the forest surrounding the capital. The King has invited her for a hunt, and she has accepted gladly, happy to be, for a few hours at least, far from the cries and the constant attention seeking her children give her. She knows this is totally normal, but she needs to breathe a bit, to be on her own, or so. She smiles gratefully at Robert, who smiles back huge at her.
"So, how is my favorite nephew?" he asks as their horses lead them slowly.
Aylis chuckles:
"He's the only one you have… for now…"
Robert turns his face at her:
"Are you with child once more?" he asks, astonished.
She laughs:
"No, but I know Stannis and I will have more children. Well, to answer your question, your nephew is very fine. He almost runs already, and he is barely one year old. How can he be that strong…" she smiles tenderly thinking about her only son.
They had come back from Riverrun, welcomed by a drunken Robert who had roared with joy so loudly when he had known Aistan was a boy he had woken the baby up. The King had taken him in his arms and has raised him high in the sky. Aylis would never forget the look on Cersei's face. The King has immediately loved Aistan, more than Shireen, more than his own children. Why? Aylis could not say, at least at the beginning. But then, with weeks, she has understood: Aistan reminds Robert of himself. He has been a big baby from the very beginning, suckling on Aylis's tits all day long or so. She has not minded, she was a lady, and everything was made to serve her. When he was one month old, he weighed as such as a four months old baby. And now, at one, he was almost as big as his sister, who was two years older. Robert often says with a smile the baby will be a giant, and teases Stannis asking if he is sure he is the father. Aylis has learnt how to ignore Robert's incessant taunting of Stannis. Stannis, him, is not as forgiving towards his brother and often scowls at him. Aylis knows how much he aches when he sees his son laughing with his uncle, and almost crying when his mother tries to give him to his father. She keeps reassuring him, telling Aistan loves him, but she knows he doubts it. He does not doubt his paternity, though: the boy is strong and big, with long black hair covering her ears and half of his face, running to his shoulders. And his eyes…. Blue as the sea, sparkling with joy all the time, and two adorable dimples showing every time he is smiling. The loud laugh of Robert takes her out of her thoughts:
"He is a Baratheon, sweet sister. It cannot be otherwise!"
She smiles and focuses on the road, hearing the cries of Fury flying upon them. They have reached the forest now, and are riding among the tall trees, Ser Barristan Selmy riding behind them. Robert likes to show how strong he is for hunting, but Aylis has asked that he would not take the whole court with him. She wanted a moment on her own, and she has always loved Barristan, despite the fact he was fighting her husband during the War. She is hoping he would go on serving the Baratheons, after Robert's death. The King looks up to watch her falcon:
"It has been a while since I have not hunted with falcons", he says quietly.
"You know you can take Fury whenever you want, your Grace", she nods at him.
"I know, but I prefer killing the animal myself. And I have a thing for boars", he laughs, before getting down from his horse. "Stay here, sister. I don't want you to be a cripple. My brother would kill me for that", he finishes his sentence with a laugh, grabs a spear and walks away with Barristan. Aylis lets her horse eat, listening carefully to the sounds of the forest. Robert does not talk anymore, and the forest is silent suddenly. She looks up to see if she can see Fury, but the bird has disappeared. She closes her eyes, enjoying this welcoming silence, the wind in the leaves of the trees, the soft sound of her horse cutting and eating the grass. She could almost fall asleep, there, sit on her horse, but a sudden grunt makes her open her eyes, and her horse turns its head to the sound. She hears a whimper, and Barristan's voice congratulating the King. They come back a few minutes later, Barristan holding the boar they just have killed. A beautiful beast, she thinks as Barristan places it on the King's horse.
"Congratulations, your Grace", she smiles. "Nice catch."
"Thank you, Lady Aylis!" He gets back on his horse with difficulties and Barristan eyes him, to check if he will be okay. Aylis looks away, sad to see her brother in law like this. When he sits down, he is all red and out of breath.
"Some wine would do me good, Ser Barristan!"
The kingsguard gets closer and hands him a wineskin. Robert downs it and notices Aylis's look upon him:
"Let's go back", he orders, and they ride back to the castle. "And don't look at me like that", he groans at Aylis. She gives him an inquiring look:
"As if you pity me", he explains.
Aylis reddens with shame and stammers:
"I… I am sorry, your grace… I didn't…"
"Stop it", he groans louder and glares at her. "I have good reasons to drink."
"I do not doubt this, your Grace. I am sorry if I have offended you."
For a moment he keeps glaring at her, and he raises his hand to her, before awkwardly tapping her hand:
"Forget this, Aylis."
She cannot help but sighing with relief, and they keep riding in silence. Once they get to the red Keep, she notices Fury has come back to the aviary on her own, and has a large rabbit by her. Aylis cuddles her and grabs the rabbit, goes with Barristan to give the two beasts to the cooks. Then she quickly runs back to her son, feeling milk starting to drip off her breasts. When he sees her, he squeals with joy, and immediately walks to her, gets on her lap and hungrily pulls on her dress to bare her breasts. He suckles greedily, and Aylis cannot help but chuckling. Shireen walks to them, shyly. Aylis does not know how Aistan will grow up to be, but it is already clear that there will be huge differences between him and his sister. She is as quiet as he is loud, as frail as he is strong. But she cares a lot for him, and loves him with all her heart. She sits down by them and watches her brother drinking milk, stroking his back gently. Aylis stays with them during the afternoon and, as Shireen goes to have dinner with her cousins, she puts Aistan to bed, and gets ready for dinner with the King and the Queen. She realizes she has not seen Stannis since the morning, and is eager to know how his day has been. But when he gets in the room where they all eat, he looks clearly angry. He does not look at her, sits down by her side though, and does not say a word as they eat. He is the first one to leave, and Robert gives Aylis an inquiring look. She shrugs, not knowing what is wrong, and finishes eating before joining her husband in their chambers. He is shirtless; her clothes carefully put on a chair, and is watching Aistan sleeping. As Aylis is still breastfeeding him, she has asked that he stays with them, and Stannis has agreed, not without trouble. Aylis smiles softly as she watches them and silently hugs Stannis from behind. She lays a kiss on his shoulder, but he recoils pretty brutally, leaves to the bed, undresses and lies there on a side. She gives him an astonishing look, and joins him once she got rid off her clothes. He does not look at her, turns his back at her. She places a hand on his shoulder, and he moves it away.
"What is it, husband?" she asks as softly as she can.
He mumbles something that she cannot hear. She gets closer from him and he moves away:
"Leave me alone!" he spats.
She recoils, not scared but surprised.
"Have I done something to make you angry?" she asks him, sitting up by his side.
If he thinks she will let him talk to her this way, he really does not know her.
"I am tired", he mumbles, but clearly this time. "I don't think you are, seeing the activities of your day. I hope you enjoyed your time with my brother."
She stares at him, confused, not knowing what he means, not knowing what he is talking about. She grabs his shoulder and makes him look at her:
"What are you talking about? Do you not think I care for our children?!"
"I think you enjoy the company of their uncle more than theirs", he spats again, nastily.
She hesitates between crying because of how rude he is, and slapping him. Instead, she brusts out laughing nervously:
"Are… Are you jealous? Of Robert?"
She keeps laughing, finding the idea so ridiculous she is sure she is wrong. But Stannis glares at her, his eyes dark with anger and disappointment. Aylis's laugh vanishes right away:
"By the Seven, Stannis, I love you! How… Do you think I have an affair with your own brother? Do you trust me so little?" she asks, hurt like seldom.
He looks embarrassed, and his look shifts slightly:
"I know how he is with women…"
"He loves me like a sister, Stannis. Just like I love him like a brother, like a friend."
She cups his face and keeps protesting:
"You are the only man I ever wanted, the only one I ever gave myself too. I hope you trust me when I say that!"
He looks at her but moves away again:
"This is not you I distrust, but him. Cersei does not make him happy, and he looks for happiness in sex, and drink. Who knows what he would be able to do one day he is so drunk?"
"I would never let him touch me this way", she firmly asserts.
"Who says he would ask your advice?" he asks again, staring at her.
Her hands grab the sheets tight:
"You really think your brother could rape me?"
There is an awkward silence, broken by a loud sigh of Aistan in his sleep and Stannis's voice, sharp as a knife:
"Yes."
Aylis gapes, not believing it. But Stannis is no man of jokes, and his clenched jaw makes her think he is very serious:
"Why do you hate him so much?" she genuinely asks.
Even if she is not as close from her siblings as she used to, she still loves them with all her heart and would never think her brother able to do this. Their father would kill him anyways, and Edmure has any girl he wants, and has probably already a few bastards of his own.
"I do not hate him. I just know his qualities and his flaws", Stannis slowly replies, rubbing his face. "Now, I am really tired. Good night, wife."
He lies back on a side, turning his back at her, and she lies by him, not touching him, while craving for it. He has fallen asleep since long when she is still staring at his back, getting her hand close but not daring touching him, and tracing invisible strokes on him.