A/N: Here we go.

Hope this chapter puts a smile on your face, writing at this pace really tuckered me out.

Elden Ring is done for the month, should have some RWBY and Genshin updates in the next few days.

Sorry for vanishing. I slept all day Monday and feel a bit better as a result; it gave me back some strength in my arms. Hopefully it lasts. Doctor's got me on some medication for my cough/lungs, only problem is that said medication makes me sleepy and irritable.

In other news, the explicit version of last chapter -and its lemon- is now on A03. Give it a look, if you like. I'll be doing the same for this chapter relatively soon, but I AM writing while sick, so please be patient.

That said, Depression's starting to hit real hard these days.

Sometimes I wonder why I do anything at all. Bloody annoying, it is.

At this point, even I can't claim to understand what's going wrong with my head.

I don't even know why! One moment I'm fine, then my mood craters for a few hours, then I'm back again for a bit, and the cycle repeats. Its rather annoying; as though I've become a prisoner in my own mind sometimes. Sure, what's one more mental problem on the pile. Not like I don't have enough, what with already being this old. Feels like every day is a battle sometimes. But when I go to the docs and try to talk to someone, they say oh no, you're fine, you're just tired. HA!

*siiiigh*

Don't mind the rambling of this geezer...I've been at this for fifteen years and I'm still here, still trying to beat this thing. Writing helps...sometimes.

So here we go. The fate of this story depends on you, the reader. Fan feedback determines the fate of this tale, and many others.

Once more, I own no quotes, references, or memes. Not a wit or a one. NOT! A! THING!

They're all tributes to legends far greater than little 'ol me. Now then...

Brace yourself. This IS Game of Thrones, after all...

"Love is a precious thing. I had always hoped that you might find your own.

Do not worry about the Realm. Leave that to me.

Follow your heart, child.

~A Good King.

Never Forsake Me

Viserys heard them.

Indeed, how could he not? His dear daughter and Naruto tried to keep quiet, and to be fair, they made a good attempt at it, but he was not a father for nothing. He knew the signs. Likewise he knew what was coming-what had been coming for quite some time now. Sound carried quite far here in Dragonstone; with the fortress mostly empty and his quarters nearby, he'd heard quite a bit-more than he cared to admit. There had been a brief bout of initial panic when he first heard his daughter's wild shout, but then he'd heard the noises that came afterward and...well.

He'd been young once.

Even now, knew what to listen for.

A slow smile spread across his face. "And so it begins."

This might cause chaos in the Realm, no, it undoubtedly would, but he couldn't bring himself to care. Let them have their moment. Let them be happy. Let them choose, as so many in this world were unable to. They were stronger together. They would face whatever might come in their stead and if that pack of parasites in King's Landing tried to push them apart...they wouldn't live to regret it.

"Why are you smiling?"

Aemma was a bit slower to catch on, but once she did...

"Oh!" she sat up in bed beside him. "Well, I suppose they shall have to marry one another after all."

He quirked a pale brow at her. "Was it not you who wagered that she would break first?"

She laughed. "I believe you said he'd be the one to court her."

"You wound me dear wife!"

Then his Queen kissed him and he thought no more of the night.

(.0.0.0.)

Rhaenyra got her wish.

She didn't dream one bit that night; on the contrary, she slept the sleep of one most thoroughly exhausted, and when she did wake, it was to a most pleasant soreness pervading her very being. She stirred to a warm bed, warm blankets, and an even warmer body tucked against her. An arm was draped over her waist almost protectively. She found herself snuggling into its owner for a moment before she realized where she'd wound up; the who, what, when and why of it all.

It was, in a word, bliss.

She opened her eyes to the early morning light, remembered where she was, and felt no panic. No pain. Only sweet catharsis. Her body was sore, yes, but also sated. She'd fed a terrible hunger that had been gnawing at her for some time now, and she'd be damned if she felt sorry for herself now that they -both of them!- had taken that final fateful step together.

Looking up, she confirmed her helpless hopes with a pleased sigh.

A small, satisfied sleepy smile slowly slid across her face.

Finally.

She snuggled back down and took a long, lingering look at her lover. Naruto seemed so harmless sprawled out beside her in sleep, downright innocent, even. Well, maybe not so innocent now. She'd gone and corrupted him, or maybe he had been the one to corrupt her. Perhaps they'd simply changed one another. Yes, she rather liked the sound of that...among other things. Her hand trailed his chest tracing the scars there, pale silvery things that had healed well in some places and not so in others. Each was a testament to every battle he'd been in, all those he'd saved and failed to save.

She wondered if he would ever speak of them. Perhaps in time. Not now, later.

In hindsight, Rhaenyra knew it would be wise to rise and face the coming dawn...but in the same vein she had no desire to move whatsoever. Perhaps a few more seconds, or minutes...maybe hours...hmm. A few hours were just what the Maesters ordered; that sounded nice. The world could take care of its problems without them for awhile yet.

She closed her eyes and let herself drift back into the black.

Humming softly to herself, she laid her head down on his chest and resolved to savor the moment. Questions could come later. The future was of no immediate concern at the moment. For now she wanted to just...be. She tucked her head into his chest and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Don't let me go, she whispered. "Not ever."

A chuckle, then she caught his voice in the low light. "I hear you."

Her eyes snapped open. Gods be good, how much of that had he heard?!

(.0.0.0.)

He really did love her.

The realization should've shocked Naruto; once upon a time, it might have. Now? He found he'd grown to care for Rhaenyra. Deeply. Completely. Absolutely. He enjoyed being around her. All her curves and all her edges, all her surly imperfections. She wasn't perfect and he neither was he. Good. Perfection was boring; being perfect meant there was no room for improvement, no chance to change, be better than you were, no opportunity to truly excel. He despised perfection. Nothing should be truly perfect in this world.

Besides, there could be no turning back now.

Rhaenyra snugged closer to him. "Are you awake?"

"Hmm." he sighed into her shoulder. "A little. Still sleepy."

She hummed, dipped her head up and kissed him, sending a pleasant electric thrill shooting through his body. Did Westeros even have electricity? Probably not. Ideas for later. He found himself pulling her closer regardless of such thoughts, to which she happily melted into his embrace. For a single blessed moment all was well. And then:

"We'll have to tell my father, of course."

Naruto made weary Naruto noises into the pillows.

Yeah, that was gonna be a thing. He hoped Viserys was alright with this.

"He might drag us to a septon before sunset," Rhaenyra continued, an impish gleam in her eye. "Wouldn't that be something."

Kurama barked a laugh in his head. "Hello shotgun wedding."

They shared a brief laugh at that.

"Would it be so bad, really?"

He looked down at her. "Would what, now?"

"Being wed." She threaded her fingers through his and squeezed his hands gently. "Not here and now of course, but someday.

And just like that his mind was away, sprinting headlong into the sunrise with a giddy cackle. He had a wild image of Rhaenyra clad in a wedding dress cut sinfully short, of carrying her in his arms across the threshold as one might a princess, then of her sprawled out on bed, lifting her legs for him...

"I see that look in your eyes." her own went half-lidded, regarding him with all the intensity of roiling dragonfire. "Thinking about it already, are we?"

He dared to lean down and peck her on the lips, delighting in the pleased noise she made. "Thinking of tearing you outta your wedding dress."

She laughed as he ran a hand a over her flank, even as her own danced across his chest. "Such a charmer."

"What can I say? I learned from the best."

Something flashed across her face then; there and gone before he could get a proper read on it. Naruto felt the fear that followed, a sudden surge of nameless primordial panic. Belatedly, he recognized it; the same fear from last night, when she'd had that terrible, horrible dream. Or was it a vision? Did Targaryens have those...? He sensed her emotions coalescing, hardening into a fiery pearl of defiance as she grappled with her anxiety and finally got the better of it. Yet still she didn't speak, not at first.

She was silent for a long moment, weighing her words. And then:

Her eyes met his. "Never betray me, Naruto."

"Why would I do that?

Kurama sighed. "You might be powerful, and that gives you confidence, but she doesn't have that kinda power."

Huh. Fair point. He wanted to laugh it off, to say it would be fine, but one look from Rhaenyra told him she'd absolutely bite him if he made light of her now.

.

..

...fine. If she needed encouragement, he could afford to be serious just this once.

And so he clasped his hands in hers. "Never forsake me and I'll never forsake you. Sound good?

Rhaenyra shuddered, not in fear, but delight. Those wild violet eyes narrowed not with mischief, but the darkest of desires. In that instant he thought she just might jump him, consequences be damned. She pushed him down, crawled into his lap, and pressed her forehead to his. Her lips sought his with heat and he found himself returning it for all of a moment before she pulled away. He wondered if she would try and ride him right then and there-it looked like she wanted to-but no, she leaned back, perched happily in his lap.

"And you have my word that I will never forsake you." She seemed to be taking this seriously if nothing else. "Now then, let us speak of Alicent."

His face began to burn for an entirely different reason. "Am I gonna enjoy this conversation...?"

"Oh, yes." she leaned in, whispering into his ear now. "You will."

As luck would have it, Naruto did.

Very much indeed.

(.0.0.0.)

They knew.

Mother took one look at them come breakfast and Rhaenyra knew there could be no keeping secrets from her.

She didn't say anything. Not a word.

Then again, she didn't have to.

She just...smiled.

Nor was she the only who noticed.

Father raised a goblet of wine in silent solidarity and nodded Naruto's way as they joined them for breakfast. Heat speared through her companion's face. No one protested. Was that it, then? Were they going to go about their business as normal? She'd known Mother favored Naruto, but she'd expected at least some semblance of confusion, maybe congratulations. Not these subtle smiles and nods. They baffled her beyond belief! Had she known it would be this easy, that the two of them would be accepted so wholeheartedly, she would've jumped him ages ago!

Of course that wasn't to say no one reacted; Alicent had always been a clever girl and she put two-and-two together quickly.

Rhaenyra saw it as her friend's face crumpled in disbelief.

The pain. The realization. The suffering.

Perhaps she had fancied Naruto in her own way, or perhaps she simply despaired at being left further and further in the dust. Whatever the case, Rhaenyra saw the precise moment Alicent Hightower broke. Such a sight was something she prayed never to see again, if only because of the pain she'd inadvertently caused her.

With a wordless noise, her dearest friend turned and fled.

Oh, no, no, no. They weren't having any of that.

She gave chase.

It would be a small matter to track her down, even less to corner her; she knew Dragonstone better than Alicent ever could, all the places to hide. Naruto made to follow her, but Father grabbed his arm and he let himself be guided back down into his seat. Good. Alicent would listen to her if it was just the two of them, she knew. She had to. She must.

Now came perhaps her greatest battle of the day.

She hunted her friend down like a dragon.

It was the best day of her life.

(.0.0.0.)

This was the worst day of her life.

Here and now, in this very moment, Alicent wanted nothing more than to curl up into a ball and die. To simply shrivel away beneath her sheets and perish in bed. If the gods were good they would grant her request. But the gods were not good and so she was left to suffer. She wept, great heaving sobs wracking her chest until her eyes ran red and her very breath betrayed her. It felt as if she were choking out her last gasps. Yet still the anguish in her heart strangled her...

The door parted. Blast. She'd forgotten to latch it.

A groan pushed past her lips and into the pillow, muffled by misery. "...go away."

"I will do no such thing." She heard the mattress creak as Rhaenyra sat beside her. "What's wrong with you?

"Me?! What's wrong with you?!"

Rhaenrya considered that for a moment. "Nothing at all."

Sniffling, she dared to look at her at last. "You mean to marry him."

"Someday." Rhaenyra rubbed her finger, perhaps imagining a ring on it, and looked away with a wry smile; she almost seemed to glow in the early morning light. "After all, we only just-ahem." She coughed into a fist to master herself and the memory. "Things are still new. Fresh." she stumbled over the last word. "Its quite a lot to take in."

Curiosity reared its ugly head in Alicent's heart. "Was it really that good?"

...yes." Her face went a little red. "There was pain at first, but afterwards it was quite pleasant. Why would you care so much unless...? Oh. You're fond of him."

Alicent looked away, not trusting herself. "I'm not." Her denial came just a tad too quickly.

Rhaenyra's gaze widened in realization-and was that delight? No, surely not. "You are! Why didn't you say something?!"

"What could I say, Rhaenyra?!" she spun away with an anguished sound. "That I fancy him? That I find him a dashing gentleman?

Because she had, and she did, and now she was entirely too late to do anything!

The princess tilted her head. "Then why do you complain!"

"I do not know!" Truly, she didn't!

"I'm tired of dancing around this. Aren't you? Can we not be free? Happy, even?" she dared a step closer to her. "Do you not want to be free?"

The fire faded in her. "Of course I do."

"Then be free!" her friend flung up her arms. "Cast off the chains your father has thrust upon you, do as you wish and to the seven hells what anyone thinks of you!"

"How easy it is for you to say that!" her voice piqued, rising in distress. "You're a princess! The world itself is your oyster!"

It could be yours, too!" Rhaenyra snapped back.

Her mind fizzled. "I beg your pardon?"

Rhaenyra stepped to her with frightful speed -further evidence of her training- and took her by the hands. "I am free to marry whomsoever I wish." She ran her fingers over hers, tracing her knuckles gently. "And I do not wish to choose between you and Naruto. There will always be room in my heart for the both of you.

Alicent's face began to burn. "Both...?

Her dearest friend smiled. "Both."

Words clogged in her throat.

Oh. So she meant...ohh. But that would mean-ohhh! She understood now. She'd heard tell of such things before. Decadently depraved acts, the kind of stories one really shouldn't read this side of the Narrow Sea. It went against everything she'd ever been told or taught by Father. She knew she should refuse out of hand. It would be the proper thing to do. And yet the thought burrowed into her brain. It became a thorn, pricking at her side to hold her back, flooding her mind with possibilities. She'd never even considered it. Rhaenyra had always and ever been friend first, princess second, and now...she didn't know what she was to her.

She tried to rally. "I am not a whore...

"I am not asking you to be." Rhaenyra's smile was sensual sin. "I've discussed it with him, and he's quite alright with it."

Rhaenyra kissed her cheek. Not her lips, but the implicit promise was there, a gift left for her to claim.

Her eyes flitted to her lips, idly wondering what they might taste like if she kissed her.

What it might feel like, to be trapped between her and Naruto.

Every fiber of her body burned.

"I...I must think on this."

Rhaenyra let her hand go with a small smile. "Take all the time you need. We'll be returning to the capital shortly. Think on it."

Alicent did not run, she still had some semblance of dignity despite desire swarming its way through her. She forced herself to walk away gracefully, chin up, head held high.

She'd never been with another, man or woman. The thought was strange, unusual...provocative.

And so it was; with another little nudge and a few soft words.

The seed Rhaenyra had planted began to bloom.

(.0.0.0.)

Their return to the capital was a grand affair.

Too grand, some might say, full of pomp an' circumstance and all manner of things Naruto didn't care for. The people of King's Landing were delighted to see them once more, but their true delight lay in the sight of the dragons. Vermithor and Silverwing wheeled high above them in the sky with Skyrax, calling out to cheering masses below.

It all seemed so...overdone.

Maybe that was just his nature, he enjoyed parades to be sure, but he didn't like being at the center of one. Rhaenyra kept shooting him little looks out the corner of her eye, and if she sat a little closer than necessary, he didn't complain.

He would miss Dragonstone...

Otto was waiting for them at the gates. "Welcome home, your grace."

Viserys frowned at the sight of his Hand. "Where is Daemon?"

The silence that followed proved weighty indeed

"I'm afraid I bear grim news." The Hand of the King bowed his head low. "Prince Daemon has fallen ill."

A/N: Right, he's fallen ill. How very convenient, Otto...

Weeeell? What did you think? Should this remain a story? Yay or nay? Really need to hear from you, here.

As stated, this has a high chance of being upgraded to M later down the line, but I need to know if folks want to see that.

Once more, we're sticking with the "Embers" rule for this story, and others. Meaning folks don't like this, it won't be continued. If the story itself ain't popular/well-received...well, I won't be able to continue it. I'm working two jobs, holidays are here too, meaning I barely have time to write; as such, I cannot afford to write something folks don't enjoy.

So by all means, speak up! Your voice matters! Make yourself heard! As ever, reviews are the fuel that sustain me. Without them I cannot write a single word. Simple as that. Working nearly all hours of the day keep me absurdly busy, and I can't bring myself to write something folks don't like.

So? Should this little tale continue? Or fall into oblivion?

By all means, speak up! Make yourselves heard!

So in the Immortal Words of Atlas…

...Review...Would You Kindly?

And enjoy the Previews!

As ever:

SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS!

PLOT DETAILS AHOY!

YE BE WARNED!

Read at your own risk!

As ever, these are from the far flung future...or are they~?!

Previews are mostly the same, wouldn't want to spoil things now.

(Previews!)

"Is the safety and security of the realm not worth one life?"

"You'll never stop at one!" he righted himself with a grunt, turned his head, and spat out a bloody tooth. "I'll take you all on!"

Our lives are the sum of our choices. Good. Bad. Blacks and Greens. This is going to hurt you, Naruto.

"Let it. Pain's an old friend. I've gotten used to it. Their lives means more to me than mine."

"Your fate is already written. You'll die. All men do...why are you laughing?"

"Because! I stopped being human a looong time ago! Fire can't hurt me! I can walk across water for crying out loud! can't smother me. Whatcha gonna do, smite me with lightning? No? Didn't think so."

If you're that worried about the Stepstones, send me. I'll have them cleaned out in a year. Probably less. I can keep you and Aemma safe at the same time."

Viserys heaved a sigh. "You are skilled, but even you cannot be in two places at once."

Naruto smiled. It was a smile that would terrifying their enemies. "About that...

Smoke bloomed. Viserys blinked. He blinked hard. "I stand corrected!"

Otto's heart sank into the pit of his stomach. "This...complicates matters."

"You think this hurts? Compared to what I went through, being forced to watch you hurt innocent people, and even my own blood! This is NOTHING! Well? How does it feel? To be utterly hopeless and not being able to do a damn thing about it? Fools! How do you think they felt when you ganged up on him in the rain and he had no way out? Well now it's your turn. I hope you enjoy it. Do you feel defenseless? Scared? Good, now you know how they felt before you killed them!

"If you do this you will make enemies. There will be nowhere left for you to run!

"Run?" he tilted his head to look back at them. "Who's running?" Blue eyes bled into red, snapping into furious scarlet slits. "Where?" Golden radiance flashed around him. "And why?!"

The world burst into light.

Visenya whooped, leaned back in the saddle, and flung up her arms. "Dracarys~!"

Her dragon answered in a rush of fire. The girl grinned.

Riding on dragonback was the best!

"Faster, papa! Faster!"

His daughter bounced on his back, grinning from ear to ear as she tugged at his hair.

Naruto smiled despite himself. "Feisty as your mother, I swear...

EDIT: Hope you enjoyed! Have a great day!

Warm regards,

~Nz.

R&R~!