Asha Greyjoy POV
Standing on the main deck of the ship, she watched as Oldtown became smaller and smaller in the distance until it finally vanished into the Horizon.
After escaping from that place, she heaved a sigh of relief, but couldn't shake off the apprehension she felt about their next destination - the Arbor, where her fellow Ironborn had unleashed their brutalities- committing rape, murder, and plunder without any remorse.
Admittedly, she was not treated with outright disrespect in the Oldtown. Probably because she was with Stephen. But that didn't mean she was spared either.
Snide remarks within her earshot, curt looks from the servants and guards, hostile glares from those who had familial connections with the Redwynes, baths with water that hadn't been heated properly, clothes that still had creases in them, food that she was sure had been spat upon, and a thousand other minor inconveniences that added on top of one another over the course of a day.
It was slow torture. And in hindsight, this was exactly the kind of thing she feared would happen to her in Dragonstone.
And it was only now that she had gotten of taste of life in Oldtown, did she truly appreciate just how well she was treated in Dragonstone.
Yes, Lady Selyse still looked at her like she was a savage barbarian who doesn't know anything about civilised people. But aside from that, life had been pretty damn comfortable in Dragonstone.
She had the liberty to roam wherever she pleased, engage in any activities she wished, and converse with whomever she desired, but it wasn't until now that she realized she hadn't fully appreciated this level of freedom.
She kept the details of her mistreatment in Oldtown from Stephen as she didn't want to burden him unnecessarily, especially considering how preoccupied he was with discussions involving merchants, traders, ship captains, maesters, lords, ladies, and so on.
But she had a feeling that Stephen found out regardless, which was why he had cut their stay in Oldtown short by 3 whole days, citing excuses to Lord Leyton Hightower and other prominent figures who wanted him to stay longer.
It was possible that she was mistaken, but at the moment, she felt nothing but relief that they had departed from that dreadful location. If given the opportunity, she would gladly avoid Oldtown for the rest of her days.
When the burning tip of the Hightower finally vanished into the horizon as well, she left the main deck in order to search for Steph.
She found him at the prow of the ship, talking with two of the Maesters that followed him on his journey. She recognised one of them as that crazy guy Marwyn, but she didn't know who the second one was. Sarella was there as well, and was currently listening intently in on their discussion.
"…a lot more to food than we know." She heard Steph speaking as she came within eavesdropping range. "A serving of meat and a loaf of bread of the same weight do not provide you with the same energy or benefits."
"That seems like common sense, Prince Stephen." The unknown Maester spoke up, a warm smile on his face.
"Aye. But have you ever wondered why that is? Why does meat provide more energy than wheat? Why do rich people who consume a lot of meat and wine are the only ones who suffer from Gout? Why is it that Sailors who do not eat dry lemons out in the sea, start losing their teeth? Why do people who rely on only one type of food, have a higher chance of developing illnesses compared to those people who eat a variety of food?"
She saw that words had stumped his three listeners, though she didn't know why. Food was food. Different food gave different things to the body. Meat gave more meat to your body. Bones gave more bones. Wasn't that simply common sense?
"Your words are valuable as always Prince Stephen. And since you've broached this subject with us, I believe that you have an explanation to the mysteries of the food that we eat." The unknown Maester said. She wasn't sure if he was genuinely interested in Steph's words or if he was merely doing it to kiss ass. Could be either, with these greenlanders.
"Glad that you asked. And yes, I do have explanation to the mysteries of the food. I've written it all down on a notebook. But let me give a basic explanation of how it all works. I'll start with the concept of energy. Or Calorie as I call it. I'll explain how much Calorie is roughly needed by a man or woman every day in order to survive, and how much do we get from the various food we consume." Steph said and she realised with some horror that he was about to go in one of his hours long lectures.
"Steph!" She called out and ignored the annoyed look his three companions threw her way as she walked up to him and leaned on the railing beside him before looking at the unknown maester. "Who's this old man?"
Steph raised an unimpressed eyebrow at her blatant interruption but then nodded at the maester. "This is Qyburn. A new Maester under my service. A very talented man."
"Is he?" She said as she sized up the man. "Doesn't look very impressive."
"Greetings Lady Asha." The Maester said with a bow. "I have six links of Silver healing in my chains. Second only to Archmaester Ebrose. If you have any trouble in regards to your health, then please, feel free to come to me."
"If I have any problems with my body then I'll go to Steph." She said before she added a seductive tilt to her voice as she side glanced at him. "And he can bless me with his holy water all he wants."
"Down girl." Steph drawled out as he gently slapped her ass. "And don't dismiss Qyburn out of hand just yet. He might not be an Archmaester of Healing but he is almost as good as the Archmaester if not even better in some aspects."
"Really now?" She asked, her gaze shifting toward the old man with newfound interest. "And why did you follow Stephen on this voyage instead of going directly to Dragonstone like so many of your fellow Maesters?"
"I believe that I'll learn far more by working directly for the Prince." Qyburn said. "A sea voyage might not be good for an old man like me but I'm more than willing to make that sacrifice if it means I get to learn more from his Grace."
"You're really good at brown-nosing, aren't you?" She asked and the man simply smiled at her. A humble but fake smile.
She had a feeling that the man didn't like her. Well, good for him. Since she didn't like him all that much either.
She ignored him and turned to Steph. "Come." She said as she took his hand and started to pull him along with her.
"And where are you taking me?" He asked as bid farewell to his companions.
"You have not fucked my cunt a single time while we were in Hightower. I intend to change that." She told him as they descended down the stairs and started moving tower his cabin.
"Very well then." Steph said and the next moment, she found herself being picked up and thrown over his shoulder like a sack of potato. He strode into his cabin and tossed her onto the bed. "Let me make it up to you."
Then his lips descended onto hers, his hands slipping inside her trouser. She wrapped her arms around him kissed him back with equal passion before she felt his fingers slip inside her pussy. A shuddering moan escaped her lips, and her back arched as she lost herself in pleasure.
—
Steph shoved his hips forward, his large and girthy member sliding deep inside her asshole one last time before she felt his balls twitch against her hips.
One of his hand held her hips in place, as he drained his balls inside her while the other continued to play with her cunt.
She moaned and gasped in pleasure as she felt his hot seed filling up her bowels. "By the drowned god!" She gasped as the pleasure intensified and triggered her own orgasm.
Her pussy squirted out its juices as Steph pumped forward, his cock drilling deeper into her arsehole, pushing his seed deeper within her before he groaned in pleasure and fell on top of her, utterly spent.
Of course, she knew that this relief was temporary and that he'll be hard within moments but for now, she could relax in her lover's arms, knowing fully well that she had satisfied him. Even if it was only temporary.
They spent the next few moments in silence, with Steph humming a soft lullaby while she took deep breaths, the sex being far more intense for her than it was for Steph.
Then Steph pulled back, his dick slipping out with a satisfying 'pop' before she felt him put a cloth near her arsehole, absorbing all the seed that trickled out of her well fucked arse. Once it was done, he threw the cloth to the side and pulled her close to him. Her soft petite body meshing against his muscular and chiseled figure.
"You were certainly enthusiastic today." Steph said softly as his fingers started to trace lines into her back.
She nuzzled into his arms. "This is what happens when you don't fuck your girl for a week."
"It was only four days." Steph said as he tightened his grip around her waist nuzzled her forehead with his own. "And 'your girl'? Are you finally accepting the fact that you are mine."
She bit off the immediate retort that wanted to came out of her lips. Telling him to fuck off just… didn't feel right this time. Instead, she explored her actual feelings for him and realised that she did not want to hide them from him any longer.
She shuffled into his arms and raised her face to look into his eyes. The tender and loving expression in his eyes firmed her resolve and she spoke up.
"And what if I am?" She asked and Stephen blinked, looking confused for a moment.
"Are you confessing to me?" He asked as his eyes suddenly sharpened and he gazed at her with an unrecognisable expression.
She gulped under the intensity of that gaze before she gathered her courage and nodded. "Yes." She heard a faint 'buzz' eminating from somewhere in the room but ignored that in favour of staring at Steph, a man that she had come to love in the past few moons. "Yes, I am."
Stephen continued to stare at her with that unrecognisable expression before he suddenly chuckled, his emotionless facade breaking into one of joy and happiness as he pulled her close and planted a deep, passionate kiss on her lips.
"I love you too sweetheart." He said and her joy soared with joy at his confession. "But…" He said and she felt her joy begin to crumble at the edges. "I'll not be able to marry you."
"Marriage?" She asked, confused.
"Yeah… you know, in case you were hoping to get married to me. I just wanted to make this clear before we go any further." He said as he gently caressed her face.
She scoffed at his words. "I may not be as learned as you or your Maesters, Steph, but I'm no fool either. I know that you have ambitions, and marrying a Greyjoy would be a complete catastrophe for your dreams and aspirations. No, I never dreamed of marrying you," she lied. She knew full well that Steph would never marry her, but that didn't stop her from dreaming about it. Knowing now, that he won't marry her, did hurt. But it didn't really change anything in between them. "I simply want to remain close to you, to be a part of your life as you achieve your dreams and ambitions."
Stephen hummed thoughtfully for a moment before he nodded. "Storms End."
"Storms End?" She asked, confused about why he would mention that place all of a sudden.
"I'll not marry you, but I'll have you be my Paramour." Stephen declared. "The children that I have with my wife, will take the Iron Throne. But the children that I have with you… I'll eventually legitimise them and give them the Storms End."
There was… so much wrong in that statement. That the Storms End was not his to give. Or that he was not the ruler of the Iron Throne. But the sheer conviction in his voice made her believe that he was telling the truth.
"So you'll give Storm Lands to my children?" She asked, and couldn't help but feel elated in her heart at what she now knew was going to be her future.
"Not all of it." Steph said. "I intend to annex sizable portions of Stormlands, Riverlands, and some of Reach into the Crownlands, making it 'the' largest and most powerful Kingdom in all of Westeros. But yes, the children I have with you will inherit the lower half of Stormlands."
Well… half of Stormlands was better than marrying some old lord in Iron Islands and inheriting an old, dusty keep.
There was only one problem with this though.
"Legitimising royal bastards has never ended well for the Westerosi rulers of the past." She reminded him. Though it would pain her to see her children lose the Stormlands, she could not bear to see Steph harmed by her actions.
"Don't worry. I have contingencies against that." Steph reassured her, his confident tone calming her worries. "Making Crownlands the most powerful Kingdom in all of Westeros is just one of the many contingencies in my mind. Believe me when I say that I've thought long and hard on this before making my decision."
"If you're prepared for that, then I see no problem with this arrangement." She said with a soft smile before she remembered something. "What about Melisandre?"
"What about her?"
"Are you not planning to have any children with her?" She asked, knowing well enough how deeply Stephen cared for Melisandre.
She also wondered why she wasn't feeling any of her usual jealousy towards Melisandre. In the past few moons, she had become aware of her growing feelings of envy towards Melisandre, knowing that Steph would always choose the red woman over herself. However, in that moment, she felt no such emotion.
In fact, she actually felt glad that Steph had other women in his life that would eventually become her sister wives in all but name. Strange.
"Melisandre is barren right now. But if we ever do solve that problem and she does give birth to my children, then I plan on giving her the Island Dragonstone." Stephen said. "Seems only right, considering she is the one who contributed the most to its development."
She hummed at his words. "What about Tyene and Sarella? Or any other other woman you might have kids with? Do you plan to give lordships and lands to them as well."
Stephen nodded. "By the time the war for the Iron Throne ends, there will no doubt be many houses that'll need to be punished for their rebellion. So there shouldn't be a lack of land and castles for my children. But if there is, then there is always the Step Stones."
"You'll give that hell hole to your children?" She asked in shock.
"It is a hellhole that is strategically located at the centre of the busiest trading route in the entire world." Steph said. "It has the potential to be a great trading hub. But it'll only achieve that potential if it is protected from the enemies as well as given a large amount of investment. Something that I'll eventually be able to do without much problem."
Upon hearing his statement, she nodded in agreement. Until that moment, she had never viewed the Step Stones from that perspective. However, his observation made her realize that he was correct - the Step Stones were indeed situated in the center of the world's most significant trade route, possibly only rivaled by the Jade Gates near Qarth.
But… she was really not in the mood to talk about trade or economy right now. She wanted something lighthearted to talk about so she looked up at him and asked. "So, how many of the Hightower girls did you fuck?"
Stephen blinked at the sudden change in topic and looked at her in bewilderment.
"Don't look at me like that. I know for certain that you fucked those Hightower girls. I just want to know just how many of them you pounded into a drooling mess."
Stephen stared her for a moment before he scoffed and said. "One."
"Only one?" She asked in surprise. She was sure that he would've fucked more. "Was it Lynesse Hightower?"
Her words elicited a chuckle from Stephen, who then shook his head. "No," he said, "The funny thing is that even her father offered to let me take her - not as my wife, but as my lover."
"And you didn't?" She asked with some surprise.
"No. Maybe in the future. But right now, you, Tyene and Sarella are already too much for me. Plus, Lynesse doesn't seem like the woman who would enjoying sharing her man with other women."
She hummed at his words. "If not her, then who? Was it Alysanne, or Layla?"
He gave her an unimpressed look at those words. "They're both married woman."
"Aye. And both of them would've still bent over, hiked up their dress, and spread their arse cheeks for you if you so much as asked. Especially after listening to one of your 'concerts'." She said with a scoff.
"Perhaps. But I don't want to ruin their homes for a momentary bout of pleasure." Stephen said. "And before you ask me any further questions, it was Malora Hightower."
"That crazy looking woman?" She asked in surprise.
"That crazy looking woman has some of the largest teats I've ever seen. And her figure if nothing to scoff at either." Stephen said "And come to think of it, she offered me a threesome with her sister Lynesse as well."
"And you rejected the offer?" She asked. "Are you really my Stephen, or a faceless man in disguise?"
"It was tempting, I can admit that." Stephen admitted with a smile. "But as I said before, Lynesse Hightower is the kind of girl who'll not be satisfied until she's the head of the house. She's the type of woman who'll push others down to the bottom of the hell, if it meant that she can rise up in position. I would rather not bring someone like her into my family."
"Hmm… yes, if she really is that kind of girl, then I can definitely see why you did not fuck her." She said as she sighed. "I'm still somewhat disappointed that you only fucked one of the Hightower girls."
"Are you?" Stephen asked with some amusement.
"Of course." She nodded. "You stayed in Hightower for 4 days. You should have at least fucked 4 of those 6 sisters in that amount of time. Shame on you Stephen."
"Shame on me huh…" Stephen said before he turned her around and climbed over her naked body.
A moment later, she felt his hot, throbbing member sinking into her tight pussy and she let out a pleasurable gasp as he started to pounding into her with long and hard strokes.