Confessions and Self-realization

After Lord Manderly wished him the best of fortune on his quest to find his sister, he left his king at the tall, isolated terrace where they had been feeding the Ice Dragon some goats and mounds of snow. Which made sense, since he had to organize his forces and Jon Stark had ordered the ruler of White Harbor to hurry.

He approached his mighty dragon and she lowered her neck so that he could more easily caress it. He smiled at her with affection in his gaze. "Hello, girl. Have you enjoyed the food?"

As if on cue, she belched a bit and gave him a toothy grin. The young king shook his head in amusement at that.

"You are really smart, you know that?" The secret god asked her without expecting a verbal reply.

He wasn't disappointed when she almost seemed to shrug her wings in response. Archmaester Marwyn's unmistakable laughter reached him from behind and he turned around. "That is one magnificent creature," The specialist on the Higher Mysteries declared. "And I feel the strong urge to write a treatise on Ice Dragons for posterity at some point. Oh, the idea of becoming the first to properly document details about such barely sighted magical beasts fills me with purpose."

Jon chuckled. "Good to hear that you will also get something important to you out of serving me as Grand Maester."

His eyes widened. "So, it's official, you're Grace?"

"If you really want the job, then sure," The young king responded. "I could really use the counsel of an Archmaster that specializes in the arts of magic in this day and age. Besides, I'll need a new Maester for Winterfell now that Luwin is dead."

The elderly man gripped his Valyrian steel rod more tightly and bent the knee. "Thank you, your grace, I shall strive not to let you down."

"I am sure you will do your best," The newly legitimized Stark replied wirh a nod.

Then he turned to Samwell and gave him a pat on the shoulder. "Learn as much as you can from him."

He chuckled. "Is that an order, my king?"

"You bet it is," Jon said quickly. "Because if we manage to defeat the White Walkers for good this time around, then the Night's Watch will have no purpose anymore as far as I am concerned. And if you have become a skilled Maester by then, I will definitely want you to succeed him as Grand Maester when the time comes."

Sam gasped at that, his eyes as round. "Are you serious?"

"You are one of my best friends Sam," Jon said with a nod. "And I trust you more than most. Of course, I would want you on my council when you would be able to earn the position. But for that, you need to study so do what you do best and read to your heart's content."

The fat but ultimately courageous man was silent for a long moment as he contemplated his friend's words but then he nodded with a wide smile on his lips. "It will be my honor and my pleasure, Jon. Thank you."

"You're welcome," He answered before turning back to his new Grand Maester. "I will be back to White Harbor before long but in the meantime, I made sure Lord Manderly would formally take you in as his special guests until my return. And he added that you have his permission to explore the Library of New Castle. That should keep you entertained until I am back, I would imagine."

The elderly man grinned at that "For sure, your Grace."

"Good," the young king said. "Now, please leave us, I have something to say to my advisor before I go that is of a sensitive nature."

At that, the two men bowed and walked away, just as Sarella Sand turned to face him. "Yes, my king?"

Jon took a deep breath to calm his mind, wanting to handle this with care. "It's just that, well, I couldn't help but notice the way you reacted to seeing Nadria again."

The Dornish woman tensed at that, a look of concern on her face. Jon sighed at that.

"I know many people in Westeros disapprove of such unions between women," He began. "But I want you to know that you don't have to fear my anger on that matter. Being a bastard for most of my life has thought me that the world would be a much better place if people were **** to one another. And I happen to know a thing or two about loving women when society claims you shouldn't be together," He added, thinking of Ygritte and Sansa with fondness.

Sarella's eyes widened at that and her lips even started to quiver. "I...didn't know what to think at first," She admitted. "I have loved men before. But then I met Nadria two years ago on that fateful journey and was completely fascinated by her. And before long, she made me feel things I had never experience before."

She paused, her eyes distant. "I knew that my father had loved both men and women but, well, my mother wasn't particularly fond of that part of him and made it known to me. So, I kept my brief but intense relationship with Nadria hidden, since I have always spent a lot more time with my captain of a mother than with House Martell. And I tried hard to forget her after Volantis and of the passion we shared. But then, I saw her again and all those feelings started rushing back in."

The Sand Snake sighed. "I just wish I had made time to talk with Oberyn about this before his ****. I am sure he would have known how to help me."

Jon locked his gaze with hers as he sensed the inner turmoil that was boiling over within her. Almost on impulse, he took her hand softly and kissed it.

"Well, my Lady, I am not your father and I can't say I know what it's like to be attracted to men as well," He said. "But I will tell you this. I have grown rather fond of you. So if you ever need a good listener, I will try to make time for you. And again, you are welcome in my company."

Sarella started tearing up at that instant, as she bit her bottom lip. Then, before she could stop herself, she rushed to hug him. The young king's eyes widened slightly at that but soon decided to shrug off the major breach in protocol. So, he held her in his embrace as he tried to comfort her, her dark hair brushing with his face. Their heartbeats pounded against each other and Jon realized she smelled nice, a pleasant fragrance coating her neck that was probably from Dorne.

Then just as suddenly as they had rushed into each other's arms, they broke away and Sarella seemed to tense when she finally realized what she had just done. Jon raised a hand before she could apologize. "I will let it slide because we are alone right now. Just refrain from doing that in public the next time around."

Sarella's smile grew wider across her lips. "There will be a next time?"

Jon paused for a moment, and then repeated the truth. "As I have said, I have grown quite fond of you," He admitted.

They locked eyes with each other one more time as unspoken feeling crossed between them. Then Jon looked away, sighing for more than one reason. "I need to go look for my sister at Braavos but I'll be back soon. Take of yourself, please."

"Likewise, my caring king," She replied with affection in her tone.

Jon inhaled sharply and turned around. He took a few minutes to strap his Ice Dragon's now bigger saddle and once it was tight enough for his liking, he climbed on top of her. Then he grinned at her as a sudden idea crossed his mind. "Tell you what, I hadn't been able to come up with a name for my she-dragon that I like enough yet, so how about you give it some thought and offer me some advice on that matter when I return?"

Sarella's eyes glimmered with excitement at that prospect. "Oh, that would certainly be a high honor as far as I am concerned. I will take care of it, your Grace," She vowed.

The young king chuckled as he stared at her one last time. Then, he took a deep breath and urged his winged companion to take flight across the harbor. And as the city grew smaller behind him, he realized there was something he needed to do.

"Sansa, can you hear me?" He beamed out with his thoughts. _"It's me."- - - - - -

_

Essos: Free City of Braavos

Arya Stark stood on the isolated corner of an alley, thinking about recent events as she tried to lay low while she waited until the street in front of her to become more deserted.

She had spent her iron coin to come to Braavos when it seemed that there was next to nothing for her in Westeros anymore. Well, aside from her dear half-brother Jon but she had come to realize the journey to the wall would have been too perilous without a ship. So, she fled the war and factions that wanted her dead and took Jaqen H'ghar's offer to train as an assassin of the order of Faceless Men. There, she hoped, she would learn the skills she needed to avenge her family and cross off everyone on her list that had personally wronged her.

"I should have known things weren't going to end well when they tried to **** me to suppress my identity," Arya thought with a sigh.

Pacing a bit, the young Northern woman reminisced about the last few weeks. At first, she had been relieved when Jaqen had told her that she no longer had to kill the actress she had grown to like, even though she wasn't quite sure what to make his explanation. The Many-Faced God had sent the order important visions for the first time in centuries? That had seemed...hard to swallow for her. But his mentor was convinced of it and had summoned all the Faceless Men that were out on assignment back to the House of Black and White. According to him, the only time the order suspended all active contracts was when their **** God sent them omens through the blackened pools of the temple because, by creed, all Faceless Men must rally together to analyze the visions and decide their next course of action as a group.

However, since Arya was not properly initiated into their order yet, she wasn't allowed to take part in the proceedings. So, Jaqen had told her she was free to explore the city and do as she pleased except for premeditated **** until their deliberations had finished. They had been at it behind closed doors for 4 days now, ever since the 59th and last Faceless Man arrived at Braavos from his own assignment.

During her wandering through the city, she ended up making an unlikely friendship after a chance encounter. A courtesan had recognized her from the time she killed that damned sadist of a Kingsguard, Meryn Trant. And instead of reporting her to the authorities, she invited her to have a meal at a nearby inn, all the while thanking her for ridding the world of such a vile man that got off on torturing little girls during sex. They actually got along quite well and during the conversation, she learned that she was one of the most famous courtesans of Braavos and actually came from a prestigious line of them.

Most people knew her by the title she had inherited from the beautiful courtesan of a mother she had have, and of her mother before her: the Black Pearl. But her real name was Bellegere Otherys and Arya had raised an eyebrow with curiosity when the sensual woman had explained that she was also a direct descendant of King Aegon IV of Westeros. Regardless, they had a pleasant evening and she walked with her back to her exclusive brothel, Bellegere had told her that she was welcomed to come to her establishment any time and that she would be willing to show her the ropes in the arts of pleasure if she was ever in need of a new job to live. Arya had chuckled at that and told her she would consider the offer, thinking at the time that it was unlikely they would actually see each other again like this after she completed her initiation.

"And now, I must go to her for sanctuary because she is the only person in this city that came to like me," The Westerosi girl muttered with a sigh. "I really hope I won't be putting her in danger," She said, almost with the strength of prayer.

As the street started to empty, Arya thought back to the events of the morning. She had gone the House of Black and White again to see if the Faceless Men had finished their deliberations but she ended up finding a crew of mutes with a look of despair trying and failing to get someone to open the gates. Frowning, Arya introduced herself as a member of the order, which was true enough in the sense she was an acolyte, if not a fully initiated member. Relieved, the mute men gave her a letter and a chest, which she imagined was intended payment for an **** contract that the letter was supposed to explain.

Since no one else from the order was likely to answer the **** men, the Stark girl opened the letter and read it. And it took a lot of effort to ensure her face remained indifferent when she learned that Euron Greyjoy wanted to use a dragon egg as payment to kill her remaining sibling, Jon.

Taking a deep breath, she made a dangerous decision right then and there. She lied to the mutes and assured them their contract would be carried out by her order as soon as possible. Relieved, the men left and Arya sighed, realizing she was going to have to run after sabotaging what may have amounted to a valid contract. And she was going to need the dragon egg to pay passage to the Wall.

That was how she had ended up in front of her newest friend's whorehouse with a medium-sized chest in her hands. When one of the guards at the entrance asked her what she wanted, she told him that one of the Black Pearl's paramours had hired her to personally deliver this gift to the famous courtesan. With that, the bored man let her in she hurried to find her.

Impatiently, she made her way to the section of the brothel that catered to customers that wanted a massage along with the sex. So, she slowly opened the door to see if her friend was there. And then she blushed when she realized the attractive courtesan was massaging a naked woman, her skin covered in oils.

Suddenly mesmerized by her dark-skinned friend's delicate but sensual touch, Arya's eyes became glued to the spectacle before her. The other woman moaned loudly as Bellegere played her sensitive pussy like an instrument she was intimately familiar with. Then she stopped.

"Get on your hands and knees," She purred.

The woman on the bed obeyed without hesitation and Arya watched with rampant fascination as the famed courtesan started to lick her cunt with deep, calculating strokes.

The Westerosi girl swallowed, and before she knew it, she started caressing her own clothed crotch as the other woman screamed in ecstasy.

"Oh! That feels sooo GOOD!" The nameless woman shriek. "Please don't stop!"

"Don't you worry about that," Bellegere replied when she took a moment to breathe, licking her smirking lips. "Your essence is quite sweet."

And with that, she sucked her clit hard and with abandon, making the other woman shudder.

Arya's fingers had found their way inside their pants by then and she was furiously rubbing her own folds. Moreover, she had even started imagining herself in that woman's position and she realized that the idea of learning the arts of pleasure from her friend was starting to seem more appealing to her by the second.

Before long, the expert whore started pushing her own fingers deep into the woman's love tunnel at a tremendous pace and the customer also started rubbing her own clit with a passion as she repeatedly yelled she was about to cum.

At that, Bellegere pushed her fingers as deep as they would go moved to whisper into the woman's ear, her beautiful breasts bouncing as she did so.

"Then go ahead," She said seductively, gripping her client's ass with the other hand. "Cum for the Black Pearl."

The other woman could do nothing but do as commanded as she climaxed on the spot, the courtesan's lips sealing around her snatch so that she could suck her nectar right from the source. Arya placed a hand on her mouth to hold back a scream as she herself came at the erotic sight, and tried to hide her subsequent pants.

After a long pause where the paler woman caught her breath and gave the ebony-skinned beauty a look of devotion. Bellegere smiled at that and sent her on her way to clean herself up on the bathhouse that was located across the opposite door of the room. After vowing to return, the thoroughly satisfied customer did just that and Arya inhaled sharply before remembering why she was there.

So, she grabbed her chest from the floor and entered the large, private room. There she saw the friend she was becoming increasingly attracted to without her clothes on, a necklace with a key around her neck.

Then her eyes widened. "Arya? What are you doing here?" She asked, without even trying to cover her bare form.

The member of House Stark swallowed, and for more reasons than one. "I need your help, Bellegere."

A/N: Yes, Bellegere is also a character from the books and one of the few named dark-skinned characters that descend from a bastard line of Targaryen blood, and of one that was actually from a king at that. Hope you enjoyed the gif treat! And please let me know what you think :D