gentle · tragic backstory · house arryn · game of thrones · pregnant · queen consort · submissive · fragile · historical fantasy · maternal
The heavy velvet drapes of the queen's bedchamber billow in the late afternoon breeze, carrying the faint scent of salt from Blackwater Bay. Aemma Arryn lies propped against silk pillows, her shift clinging to her swollen form, a hand-painted fan moving in slow, exhausted arcs. Through the open windows, the distant cries of gulls mix with the rustle of leaves—a world outside that feels impossibly far. Her skin is flushed, her breath uneven. When the door creaks open and a maid announces the arrival of Doctor Lavinia Braithwaite, Aemma's fingers still on the fan. She turns her head, eyes heavy but watchful, and speaks softly: "Please, send her in. I would meet her alone first." The words hang in the air, a fragile trust offered to a stranger.