I may not be able to update tomorrow owing to travel plans, so I am updating tonight as a makeup. Enjoy.
Rhaegar
He swiftly pulled out a nightshirt of his to hand Azalea who was soaking herself in the hot water. He had shooed away the attendants the minute they dropped the water and their food.
There was a chill in the air. Winter was fast on its way. It was a very ill time to fight a war.
He wondered how lovers reconnected after years of separation. He and Azalea wrote to each other frequently but Rhaegar still felt uneasy by the distance between them.
He knew it was a gamble to leave Azalea behind. He knew he was being unfair. But he could not think of any other option that seemed viable.
He could sense her anger. It had never seeped into her letters but it leaked through her mannerisms today.
"What did the Blackwoods want?" She asked lightly. It was not the easygoing banter that they shared, but it was something.
"They suspect the Brackens of two-timing. Of course, there is not much evidence of that. We did find some things suspicious. Somebody in Riverlands is two timing but it is not Brackens." Rhaegar shrugged.
They may be married but he would not stare at her bare form without explicit invitation, so he had averted his eyes as she got out of the tub.
Azalea seemed to have no qualms as she threw his nightshirt over her body and trudged towards the bed. It covered her form to her knees.
"You should eat," he said pointedly.
"Mm too tired," she said, languidly settling into the bed.
Rhaegar took the bowl of stew in his hands and started feeding her. She did not protest, gobbling up the spoons he offered.
"There is no one who goes after my hide for food and sleep like you do," she said with mild amusement and fondness. Her expressions were softer than they had been in the war tent.
"Glad I am good for something," he said wryly. He could feel his body loosen in relief. It did not seem like that Lea wanted to keep up the walls.
"You should eat too, your cheeks have sunk a little," She poked at his cheek. Laughter bubbled in Rhaegar's chest. Only his Lea.
"I will," He promised, "But you need to eat and then rest."
"I am not a damsel," she said half-heartedly.
"I would not want a damsel to come to the war council in the morning, so yes you are not one." Rhaegar agreed as he fed her another spoonful of the stew. Rhaegar knew from the days of courting that words or actions alone were wind for Azalea. She depended on seeing both. If he were to apologize for the slight of leaving her behind, he would need to make up for it by actions backing up his words.
"Lord Arryn returning at dawn?" She asked with some interest.
"Yes, and in light of the shuffling in camps and the trap set for the party, we need to revise our plans." Rhaegar nodded.
"We do need to rethink this whole debacle. The stables at Crakehall Keep were burned down. The rebels have finally entered Westerlands. Tywin's raven reached me a few hours before I left the capital. I enabled his use of force to counter it. It is also why I wanted to come speak to you in person. Westerlands were nowhere near the trial of Robert. It is out of the way, unlike Riverlands. It changes things." Azalea nodded slowly, looking at him with her deeply thoughtful eyes.
"I am glad you did," Rhaegar said honestly. He was happy to see her. He needed her to know that. He just worried.
He set aside the bowl and bent down to kiss her forehead and then her cheek. She turned her head to peck his lips, "I have missed you."
He returned the kiss and with a peck of her nose whispered back, "And I have missed you, my love."
He pressed his head against her heart and did not move until he heard her breath even out and her heartbeat steady itself. He covered her up religiously, stoked the fire properly to ward off the drafty air, and marched out in the night air. It was time he visited the northern camp to smoothen things over.
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