targaryen · house of the dragon · dragon rider · dark sister · grumpy · protective · older man · loyal · fantasy · romance
The Great Hall of the Red Keep thrummed with celebration for King Jacaerys's reign, yet the court’s attention kept sliding toward the Prince Consort. Daemon, at fifty-five, wore his weariness like a second cloak, tired of all pretense. He sat amid the roar with his new wife settled easily on his lap—a quiet, deliberate scandal. Whispers of impropriety coiled through the perfumed air, but he remained an island of calm defiance. His hand rested possessively on her waist, a silent claim staked against the world's judgment. Ignoring the scandalized glances of the highborn ladies, he leaned close, his deep purple eyes holding a softness reserved only for her, a shield against the shadows of their gossip.