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A bride for the river god
#lucemond
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Luke never imagined that he would come to his mother’s birthplace, a village nested between mountains and twisted forests, which hid away its backwardness and sins. It was where his mother desperately tried to escape from all her life.
#lucemond
.
.
Luke never imagined that he would come to his mother’s birthplace, a village nested between mountains and twisted forests, which hid away its backwardness and sins. It was where his mother desperately tried to escape from all her life.
A oxen-drawn cart took him up the dark, tortuous highway carved into the mountain’s bedrock. The forest overhead was so dense that only a few sparse spots of light reached the earth at midday. Lucerys paid the cart driver with a silver coin and entered the looming building that
Stood in front of him. He walked through a series of wooden arches, whose joints creaked and swayed with wind, crying in the sound of a child. Then the folded doors swooshed open with a gust of particularly strong wind. Lucerys was startled but kept walking forward until he
Was inside the devouring mouth of the building at last. There, he saw an old crone praying in front of a low altar, kneeling faithfully on a worn silk cushion whilst uttering foreign words.
“You came,” the old crone croaked. She used a cane to prop up her gnarly body.
“You came,” the old crone croaked. She used a cane to prop up her gnarly body.
She smiled at Luke, a smile that exposed her shriveled gums with a few crooked yellow teeth barely hanging on. She must have once been beautiful in her youth, Lucerys thought.
“Hey,” Lucerys said as he dropped his duffel bag by his side, “Luke.”
“Alicent,” the crone introduced
“Hey,” Lucerys said as he dropped his duffel bag by his side, “Luke.”
“Alicent,” the crone introduced
Herself, “I was your mother’s father’s second wife, so in that regard you can call me ‘Granny,’ but…” A sly smile reappeared on her wrinkled face; her eyes widened til the whites of her eyes eclipsed her irises. “In a few days, you should be calling me ‘Mother.’”
Luke shuddered
Luke shuddered
But that was their agreement.
“Settle in,” Alicent said and led Lucerys to an upstairs chamber. Luke studied the ancient room. Alicent retreated as Luke had been captivated by this foreign surrounding.
Click.
“Let me out!” Lucerys banged on the doors.
“Settle in,” Alicent said and led Lucerys to an upstairs chamber. Luke studied the ancient room. Alicent retreated as Luke had been captivated by this foreign surrounding.
Click.
“Let me out!” Lucerys banged on the doors.
“Shhh, I’ll let you out once you are ready to marry my son,” Alicent giggled and left.
The Maiden Vault. The words popped into Lucerys’ head. He vaguely recalled his mother mumbling something about how they locked up maidens till their marriage day once when she had too much to
The Maiden Vault. The words popped into Lucerys’ head. He vaguely recalled his mother mumbling something about how they locked up maidens till their marriage day once when she had too much to
Drink.
[…]
Alicent had given Lucerys his wedding clothes ahead of time. When right time came, she had hired maids from the village help Lucerys dress into the binding layers of red silks with bracelets and anklets and necklaces of heavy gold, topped with a crown too large for
[…]
Alicent had given Lucerys his wedding clothes ahead of time. When right time came, she had hired maids from the village help Lucerys dress into the binding layers of red silks with bracelets and anklets and necklaces of heavy gold, topped with a crown too large for
Luke’s fifteen-year-old body. Lucerys sweated. He could barely hold his footing with all the intricate jewel rows of gold.
The maids never spoke a word as they perfumed him with incense and powdered his cheeks with crushed pearls. Alicent was delight when she saw Luke.
The maids never spoke a word as they perfumed him with incense and powdered his cheeks with crushed pearls. Alicent was delight when she saw Luke.
“My, my, what a beautiful bride you are!” She exclaimed wearing her finest wine red clothes. “Oh!” She dabbed her eyes with a white handkerchief, “My Aemond would be so delighted to see you!” Then she took a gold locket from a box and clasped the thing around Lucerys’ already
Overburdened neck. “My Aemond wore that since birth. It kept him safe from evil spirits. And now… it’s yours. Such a shame he couldn’t place it on you himself,” Alicent explained. Next she tied a piece of red cloth around Lucerys’ eyes. When Lucerys flinched, she assured that
It was all for tradition. “My good child,” she whispered in a hoarse, tearful voice. “Have a safe journey there. It’ll all be over soon.”
-
On the journey to the riverbank, Lucerys recalled the tale of Alicent’s second son, his soon-to-be “ghost husband.”
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On the journey to the riverbank, Lucerys recalled the tale of Alicent’s second son, his soon-to-be “ghost husband.”
Fifteen years ago, Alicent’s son Aemond of age 10 possessed by his evil eye, or so the tale went, and drowned in the river by the village, a not uncommon death. However, strange things had happened to the river that nourished the village even since the day he drowned, or so was
Told. A wandering priest had said that the boy’s spirit had merged one with the river, and the village must satisfy his desire to become prosperous again. And so Alicent claimed that her dear Aemond came to her in a dream, saying how scared and lonely he was, ruling the river.
And that he wished for a bride.
Hence, Lucerys, recently orphaned and in dire need of money for himself and his brother Jace, agreed to play pretend in Alicent’s “ceremony.” Alicent would pay him in gold, and then he’d leave this god-forsaken village and live his life in peace.
Hence, Lucerys, recently orphaned and in dire need of money for himself and his brother Jace, agreed to play pretend in Alicent’s “ceremony.” Alicent would pay him in gold, and then he’d leave this god-forsaken village and live his life in peace.
The procession arrived by the river that had once taken Aemond’s life. Lucerys was placed into a boat that would carry him downstream where the villagers would collect him and bring him back to Alicent’s house; then the marriage ceremony would be complete.
Lucerys thought about Aemond, wondered what kind of boy he was as the boat drifted into the river and downstream. The banks were awfully quiet on this moonless night. No even a toad’s croak could be heard. The silence made Luke lose consciousness… sinking deeper and deeper
Into a deep slumber. Sleep, Luke, a voice whispered in his head. Sleep.
Glughhh…
The water had enveloped Lucerys. The boat that had carried him was now loose planks floating on water, rifting further and further apart.
His survival instincts kicked in. He tried to flail his
Glughhh…
The water had enveloped Lucerys. The boat that had carried him was now loose planks floating on water, rifting further and further apart.
His survival instincts kicked in. He tried to flail his
Arms and kick his legs to stay afloat but quickly grew tired as the heavy clothes and heavy gold dragged him deeper and deeper down into the darkness of the river.
Water, as though a sentient creature, lapped at his every crevice. A tingling coolness originating from his nether
Water, as though a sentient creature, lapped at his every crevice. A tingling coolness originating from his nether
Regions spread throughout his body. Something was touched him there, where he oft avoided. Something was touching his girl parts that should not have been there… and Lucerys sank deeper and deeper as he experienced desire in his flesh for the first time…
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