####
Ramsgate Castle,
Wylis had big plans, but he needed to plan those plans first. In his solar, he placed a large parchment and started to draw. He wanted to use Civil Engineering to make sure that all the changes he was about to make to the castle wouldn't destroy the structure. On top of that, he wanted to plan out the town, divided into districts. Sure, it was too ambitious, but he expected it to become a city one day, and he didn't want King's Landing's stench.
Knock! Knock!
The door opened, and Lyanna walked inside, holding both Magnus and Arthria. She was lucky that he was still working from the ground floor solar and not his tower.
"Are you busy?"
"For you? Never," Wylis quickly put away the make-shift pencil and ruler.
Lyanna strolled closer to him, missing her usual teasing and sunny flair. "Why are you avoiding Ashara?"
"Hm?" He wasn't expecting that. "I'm not avoiding her."
"But it certainly looks like it, doesn't it? We've been here for days, and you've done little more than nod at her over supper and mumble about Arthria. Wylis, that's cruel. She deserves more than being treated like a ghost. She's frightened, rattled. She even asked me if she ought to flee back to Starfall like some lost maid."
Wylis frowned, tense. "I… don't want her to go. Arthria is my daughter, and I love her."
"Then why aren't you accepting Ashara?"
"Because I've no notion what to do, Lyanna. The others… Each child I sired came of my own will. I chose it, and the mothers knew my mind. But Ashara is different. She had no wish for it, nor I. We… After I cast aside Aerys' cursed offer, we thought only to steal one last night together. Hell, I didn't even finish in her."
Lyanna winced at the detail, but she didn't let it bother her. "It happened all the same. None of it was your fault, nor hers, so why gnaw at it now? I lived with Ashara for a year, Wylis. I know how her eyes light up when your name slips out. The woman is smitten, hopelessly so. She only hides it because she's frightened of ruining our marriage. And I told her already, I'm not some wilting girl fretting about her husband being stolen."
"You did?" Wylis exclaimed. "This doesn't bother you?"
"At first, it stung, it truly did. But I know you must, to keep breathing, to keep growing stronger. I… It's impossible not to feel something for the woman they lie with, I get that, as much as I don't want to think about it. All I ask from you is… just promise me one thing, promise me you'll never trade me for another. And if your love fades, tell me first, before I'm left chasing ghosts."
Yet again, Wylis felt reminded of how lucky he had been to land in Winterfell and then somehow earn this she-wolf's heart. It pained him to think how much she must have struggled accepting everything. Lyanna was feral, territorial, and for her to accept a man like him…
I fucking lucked out with her.
He scooted closer to her, wrapped his arms around her and the two babes, and kissed her lips. "I'd rather battle a Dothraki horde and die before I even think of replacing you, Lyanna."
Lyanna rolled her eyes. "Fine, fine, Lord Wylis Smoothtongue. Off with you then, Ashara's waiting at the top of the middle tower. It's okay if you feel fondness for her, Wylis. I won't hold it against you. Besides, she won't be the last, I know. You're bringing the Queen soon."
Wylis felt like hiding his gaze from her. Fuck, he felt ashamed in front of Lyanna. All his proclamations of love probably felt hollow.
He kissed her lips again. "But you'll always be above the rest, my she-wolf, sticking with a bastard like me. Not the smartest of the bunch, but mine."
"Hey!" She yelled, giggling, unable to smack him with her hands as she held the kids.
Bam!
But she was Lyanna Stark for a reason, and kicked his knee.
Wylis acted injured and walked away. But he stopped at the door and looked back. "Lyanna…"
"Hm?" She turned to look at her giant of a husband.
"Thank you for loving me. More than anything, this castle, my blade, I'm glad I have you with me."
And then the giant sent her an embarrassing flying kiss, leaving Lyanna blushing.
####
Away from the setting sun, Ashara Dayne looked down from the tower as she stood on the battlement. It was a steep drop, the courtyard of the castle below. She wasn't planning on jumping, even though the thought had crossed her mind.
She knew Wylis would care for Arthria like his own and raise her with love and luxury. And that thought also made her feel unneeded. Her role was minimal in everything. While she wasn't heartbroken, because it was one-sided the whole time. Arthria was a surprise, but she saw her as a beautiful gift.
What saddened her was the strange silence and hesitation she felt from Wylis whenever in her presence. He didn't seem to like her company.
"If you jump, I'll jump after you."
She turned to look and froze. "I… I wasn't…"
"I'll break a few bones, sure. But I can guarantee that you won't get a scratch."
"I wasn't going to jump, Lord Wylis… I was only looking," she clarified, though seeing worry on his face, toyed with her thoughts. Anything but that coldness was a blessing, she felt.
She watched him come closer and give her his hand. And he was a man she couldn't say no to. "Ah!"
As soon as she felt his grip on her hand, a harsh force pulled her. She fell towards him completely, losing her footing. She yelped, yet the pain never came. She felt his warm, strong arm snugly wrap around her midriff. The next thing she knew, she was in his embrace, flat against his chest, so tightly held that her feet were still dangling below.
"I forbid you from ever leaving me and Arthria."
Tears welled up in her eyes all of a sudden. His voice was so unusually emotional, like he was struggling to speak. As his other arm also wrapped around her, she almost melted into him.
"I forbid you from thinking that you're not loved or needed."
Tears slid off her eyes, onto his shoulders. Her arms wrapped around his neck, holding back herself from sniffling. But it was his emotional state that confused her. It was as if… he truly believed she was going to jump. That he'd lose her.
"I want you here. I'll keep you in my arms until you see that truth. I wasn't shutting you out, only stumbling in my own confusion. I felt like a wretch, a coward, leaving you burdened with care, with my child in your womb. Shame weighed on me for dragging you into this life, and I knew not how to carry it. You must despise me for it."
"What? No! Never!" She yelped, pushed her hands on his face until he lowered her to the floor. Gods, he was so tall, she looked up, her violet eyes brimming with tears, and captured his face, raw emotions oozing from his gaze. "I can never despise you! I would never! I was shocked at first, but I love Arthria. Not for a single moment I felt otherwise."
Seeing him freeze, Ashara grabbed the collar of his doublet and pulled him down. She rose on her toes herself and met his lips with warmth, the warmth she wanted him to know. The truth of what she felt about him.
"And that's what I feel about you," she confessed. Seven know where her courage came from. But his emotional voice broke her, feeling his tall, steel-like frame pour raw emotions. "I love you, Wylis."
"I—"
She pressed her finger on his lips before he could speak. "I know it's one-sided. I don't hope for you to marry me. I love Lyanna too, like a sister, who has been my light in dark hours. And I would never even imagine taking her place or ruining her life. All I want from you is maybe… a small place for me in your heart? I want to be with you, near you, talk to you like we used to, laugh with you, and… feel you close."
There, she had done it. As silence fell between them, she looked at him in hope. It was nerve-wracking, wondering what was going on in his mind.
"And if… You want me gone, I'll l—"
"Like I'd let you ever go!"
She felt his arms once again draped over her, this time gently, affectionately, around her back, pulling her against his warmth. And then his lips fell on hers, so warm and strong, she just melted, her eyes shut.
Their faces tipped, shifted, again and again, both of them losing breath as the kiss lingered. Lips feverishly crushing and clinging, slick with their mingled spit.
The crimson glow of the setting sun spilled across their faces, gilding their closeness in fire.
When Ashara dared to open her eyes, her heart swelled to see his still closed, lost wholly in the moment, surrendering himself to her warmth.
Right then, she knew she wanted him. Even if it was only a fragment of his heart, a sliver of his soul, she would take it and count herself lucky. To feel him, even briefly, would make her whole again. She knew it was wrong to shatter the fragile beauty of that kiss, but desire surged through her veins, demanding.
Her hand moved before her thoughts could catch up. Sliding between their bodies, her slender fingers closed around him, capturing his soft length, filling her palm with heat.
"Ashara?"
She felt embarrassed, ashamed, but with determination, she stared into his gaze. "I want to feel you again, Wylis. Plea—"
Yet his lips fell on her again, his one hand sliding down to knead her hips. That was enough to know his answer, and the mere thought of it filled her body with arousing joy.
"That is your right, Ashara."
He pecked her again.
"And Gods will strike me if I refuse a charming lady like you."
She laughed, completely undone merely by his words. This was what she wanted. His voice, his affection, his attention, and his… touch.
______________________
Check out Wylis X Genna Lannister & Wylis X Lyanna Stark NSFW ART, and advance chapters at [email protected]/MrPlotThickens Or Subscribestar.adult/mrplotthickens
Advance chapters on [PATREON] are in long-form format. I have 8 long chapters of this story on Patreon. That's equal to 24-28 Webnovel chapters.
Old Free Art on Discord: https://discord.gg/W5FdB6WXaP