Chapter 3 - Lust or Love..

[Rhaenys Pov]

"That can move my black heart.." The pedaling of rain echoed around the stone of this beautiful walkway, the wind gently combing over my already wet skin, only for my body to stiffen, I could feel it shake as he wrapped my midsection, his voice licking my ears as I could not pull myself away.

"Your lips speak questioning words, but yes, your words are true. No man has a blacker heart than you. Something I seemed to have looked past on many occasions." I would not fall for his words again, I could not. It was too painful. No matter his mistakes, I would forgive him, only to be hurt by it each time. My heart trembled as I pulled myself from his embrace, making some distance between the two of us.

"They may be true in every sense of the words, but it has never swayed my heart from you, for you alone know your place in my heart." Keth spoke slowly, his eyes looking stressed as I pulled away, his head turning away from me as he walked to one of the stone pillars, leaning his forearm on it as his body shined in the light. His figure was drawn in beautiful color of purple rolling along his skin.

"Do you think such words can move my heart now? What is the meaning in all this, while you find pleasure, seeding some whore of a man who only cares for his ambitions, I am made to wait for you to call on me?! As if some Maiden in waiting?! With full belly, and wandering thoughts! If it were not for your seed within me, would you reach so far?" His words angered me, just because I am in his heart does not stop him from stabbing so deeply. Yet it has been days, in pain, and hoping for a single moment to be with him, however selfish. He has come up with many reasons for us to have chance encounters, but now that their is another to warm his bed, he thinks these words would move me.

"You knew who and what I was, long before this my aged flower, even before the child, or before this mess of thrones and war, I had been the same. You may hide behind whatever words you want, a promise was made and broken, and for that, I am sorry. But do not act as if you do not use your lacking heart to stay within the arms of another.. such a broken fam.." Keth spoke, his words no longer having its sweetness, each word spoken I understood full as my belly, but each word confused and angered me. Was it not him that said I could take my time, speaking about my family as if chains.

"Your fire still has not changed.." Keth spoke, his head turned out to the sea, his words even lower as he brought his hand to his cheek. Feeling the spot I had slapped him, his eyes covered by his hair as I looked at him deeper.

"And who told me to move slowly? that I may have time to put this matter together?! that if I did not wish it, I could go back to as if nothing even happened. Who was it that poisoned me?! Leaving me between my family and your wild wants that you can not fulfill?! Yet you speak of my family as a burden.. truly, I was ridiculous.." I yelled, who was it that brought us here, who said they would find away for us to be together, like a young Maiden I fell for his whispers, what could he do as he is now.

"I truly am a fool, clouded by lust and believing it love.." I spoke, pulling away from him again, I was a fool. The life I had was good to me, even if I would never be seen as a queen, or was i allowed into the world Keth knew of men that he had showed me, did it matter, I had a loving husband and beautiful childern. "I do not wish to do this any longer. A man promised to stay faithful, while it was I that desired another. Believing fairy tales as if I lost reason.." I continued. There was no reason to go on with this. No matter how I looked at it, the only thing that would come from this is more of the same, even if I have to face who this child was, I would not hurt those people any longer, who I had lied to for so long.

The moon seemed to lose its glow, the scattered flowers no longer drifting along the mixing winds of rain, the drops of water shining as it coated the leaves and stones around us, the words I spoke still echoing for no one to hear. No matter how much my heart ached for Keth, I had spoken these words because they were the truth, this could not last forever. I was at fault myself, if the child was Keth's, how would I explain this, but that was something I was willing to face later.

My hand reached out to the stone entrance, my eyes turning back to still see him with his head low, the dripping of water from his hair fell to the floor. The beating in my heart became more rough, I knew I pushed all the blame on him, but why must we continue to hurt each other, for a love that started out as nothing but lust.

"So will you run away? Like I said, still lacking in heart.." Keth finally spoke, my head away from him, but his voice so near as I turned, his steps walking past me to the paved stone as he spoke a few words.

"Anything you want to say.. It will fall on deaf ears.." I said, my heart was moved slightly, may be it was expectation, to wrap me in his arms as he had done before and tell me sweet nothings, no matter how my heart protested against with my mouth said. It seemed he would not, but who is to blame him for being this way after I said that, so instead of listening, I would shut it out.

"Rhaenys, could you shut up for a moment.. so much talking to the point others forget their words. Do as you see fit, cruelty, lies, broken promises, and false words to a future. You can believe them all.." Keth said, his bare feet stopping after a few steps, His pale blue eyes looking back down at me as he spoke in a colder tone.

"What is broken is not your family, but our own. So many lies mixed in with more, snakes that fill my brothers court, A maester that takes his power to far, another brother who is blinded by power, a niece who knows nothing about the world, and a young Maiden that has fallen in love with me, if only for the sake to calm the discord within my brother's court." Before my lips could part to speak back, his words again cut me off, his hair drifting in the Moonlight while he looked to the sky for a moment.

"The naming of King jaehaerys, as you people fought over that piece of useless metal, I was made to put northen villages to the torch for their disappointment of who would next rule, even as I did, the Prospect of you becoming Queen fascinated me. Oh, Queen, who never was, someone not unlike me, dissatisfied with the way these people few women of this world. So, I sought you out, and while Viserys is no fool, he is no king either. But what better to have a woman as queen along with a dragon, or a man with none and easy to move. I would put you on that throne before my brother, if asked many times." Keths words twisted a lot, I did not know what he was doing on that day, but it seemed it was more killing. My heart burned for what he had been through, but my anger for that ridiculous name echoed louder from him, he would only call me queen when we were alone and it would be a lie if it did not bring happiness to my heart. Yet his words were cold to me, even more so as those men who spoke in whispers behind our backs.

"But I fell in love, not for the woman who placed her hand in to be named the next Queen, but for Rhaenys Targaryen, the woman who moved my heart after I lost everything, the one who spoke words to me when others would not, the one that could move my heart. Like I have said before, I have done many things I am not proud of, but you were never a mistake, nor did I speak lies to you about a future together.." His eyes seemed to have become soft, looking at me as he did many times before, his steps bringing him to me, as he reached his hand out to touch my cheek, my head unconsciously rubbing into it as he looked into my eyes.

"If that is what you wish for, then so be it, My Queen. I did tell you, if you never wish to indulge and it's Sweeting, you are free, I may be many things, but I have not lied to you." Keth continued, I wanted to rebuke his words, but each word he spoke seemed to stab more deeply into my heart, I did not know why he sought me out before, like I had said I thought it merely vent his lust upon me, but it was not from what his words meant.

"This is the drug used by the ming, 3 pills, and you will be out of yourself for a while, but you will not have to face the consequences of having another's child, but the effects are quite difficult to deal with. Their side effects pale the skin, which could be used in another way, but that is up to you." Keth said, pulling a wooden holder from his pants, something I knew of, and something I knew he carried, giving me options the situation I would face even now.

"Why must you do this to me, even as I speak pained words to you.. you still worry.." I finally spoke, I wanted to know, this was not the first time he has looked past my words, and still only cared for my well-being, even if I knew what the first option meant, while painful he still gave me a way to get out of this matter.

"Tell Lord Corlys, I will speak with him at length about what to do within the stepstones. If that is all, I will retire to my room, my lady.." Keth said, pulling the warmth away from my cheek as he gave a light bow, his words distant again as before I could reach out, he was steps away.

"As for why.. It should be clear, it's because.." Keth spoke, his legs carrying him up the steps, the rain a blanket over the entrance blocking my view of him clearly as his words seemed to drown.

"Because I love you.."