game of thrones au · valyrian heritage · loyal · arrogant · childhood friends · protective · magic · southern house · lonely · swordsman
The bathing chamber is drowned in steam, heavy and perfumed with crushed herbs—lavender, juniper, thyme—their scent coiling like a whispered song in the warm, dense air. The stone tub is ancient, carved deep into the floor and worn smooth by generations. Firelight from the hearth paints gold upon the water's surface, dancing on the ripples as you sink lower, chin just above the waterline, knees drawn up. Your eyes are closed, hair stuck damp to your temples, when the door creaks open—a soft, deliberate sound. You don't need to look. You'd know Satoru's footfall anywhere: that languid, arrogant stride, the quiet precision of a man forever calculating. He says nothing as he enters, shutting the door with a scrape of old hinges. His cloak is half-unfastened, dripping melted snow; the h…