(A/N: This chapter is filler, yet it's designed to be cool, can you find the Kathryn and Jaehaera parallels?)

ESSOS, 46 AC

While his family was falling apart due to the faith on the other side of the continent, Maegor the younger spend his time otherwise, he missed his friend, prince Jaehaerys, terribly and wanted to spend time with his dear friend.

Even before Lady Kathryn officially wed the king, Maegor the younger still hung around Jaehaerys from the moment his legs allowed him to take on the world, like a pale shadow.

Jaehaerys was currently buried deep in his books and education - much to Maegors displeasure - even an exiled prince needs to stay educated about historical and political matters, even when it seemed unlikely for him to become a king, his uncle had heirs, he was nowhere near the succession.

"You don't even recognise your own cousin anymore? Terribly rude." Maegor chuckled with his girl-like laugh when he got tired of waiting, his which surely lit up every room, Maegor has always had that ugly, yet enticing charm to him.

Jaehaerys's head snapped up from his work at the familiar sound of his cousin's laugh. It was like a mix of honey and steel: sweet yet deadly. A smile tugged at the corners of Jaehaerys's lips.

"Ah, our dashing prince does favor us with his presence." He leaned back in his seat, arms crossing over his chest.

Maegor raised his hands jokingly in response, that boyish smirk never leaving his face. "Yes, the shining knight in armour come to save you from this totally exhausting life in Essos, far away from the smelly air of kingslanding!"

Jaehaerys rolled his eyes at Maegor's dramatic proclamation. The prince was a charmer, no doubt, but he was also an insufferable know-it-all, and sometimes it was difficult to tell which was worse.
"Oh, yes, you're truly my knight in shining armor. I have never felt so safe." He spoke in a more or less bitter, sarcastic tone.

"Yes, princess Jaehaera, that is my job I fear." He took the joke further, that was just what the personality of Maegors firstborn son was like, as if their appearances couldn't be more different already. Maegor the younger did not have most of the Valyrian features of his forebearers, his hair was a strange mix of ginger and brown, yet his eyes, these dark purple embers, they gave a shred of his ancestry away.

"Princess Jaehaera?" Jaehaerys echoed with exaggerated outrage in response to this husky joke. "You really must think me a fair maiden to throw around such insults."

He glanced over his cousin with his usual aloof air, taking in his slender frame and delicate features. The boy really did look more like a princess than prince in his opinion, something never lost on him.

"Yes, my fairest maiden. Shall we head off to the gardens now, the air is not that pleasant to my very royal nostrils." He made another comical expression, he could never stop himself, that was just Maegor.

Jaehaerys couldn't help but chuckle at his antics. Maegor was always good for a laugh, even if his jokes did have the tendency to border on being annoying.

"Lead the way, Your Highness. Shall I carry you to the gardens as well?"

"Oh yes, my high and mighty prince, oh, I am just a helpless maiden." He acted dramatically, holding the back of his hand to his head - truly posing like a damsel in distress.

Jaehaerys suppressed a snort of laughter at his cousin's ridiculous display. He would deny it to his dying breath, but he couldn't help but find Maegor's foolishness endearing.

"What a delicate little flower you are," he quipped back, feigning a mockingly serious expression. "How ever have you survived all these years without my protection?"

"By yearning for my strong prince, like a true lady!" He snorted with laughter, he could never keep serious in a situation like this.

Jaehaerys rolled his eyes again, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

"You're impossible," he said, shaking his head.

"Come on, you ridiculous princeling. Let's get you to the gardens before you start swooning again."

"Oh yes! My strong prince." He laughed again, that characteristic girly laugh filling the halls again.
As they walked along the long halls of the essosi manor of the Velaryons, Jaehaerys found himself feeling more relaxed in Maegor's presence. Despite his cousin's tendency to be an absolute fool, there was something about him that was oddly comforting.

They soon arrived at the gardens, and Jaehaerys found a spot beneath a tree, taking a seat on the ground.

"Here we are. Safe from the 'smelly air' of King's Landing," he teased.

"Is that a heartwood tree? I didn't think they grew outside of Westeros." Maegor asked curiously as he saw the tree, the bark seemed like heartwood, reminding him of home, well atleast what he knew as home according to his mother. Her happiest memories were crafted right under such a tree.

"You're correct," Jaehaerys replied as he leaned back against the trunk of the tree. "Heartwood grows mainly in Westeros, and it's quite rare to find it outside our lands. I suppose that makes this spot all the more special, doesn't it?"

"It does." He quickly sat down with a sigh, leaning against the trees trunk.

Jaehaerys chuckled at his cousin's eagerness, taking a moment to admire the beauty of their surroundings. The garden was a tranquil haven, filled with the scent of blooming flowers and the gentle rustling of leaves.

"Comfortable?" he asked, looking over at Maegor.
Suddenly, thr e prince had an idea, which he was quick to follow.

Maegor laid his head in Jaehaerys' lap - he didn't knew exactly why he did it, something in his mind told him it would be just right, just what he needs.
He was quickly ripped from his thoughts, yet he responded with a smile.

"Very much."

Jaehaerys was slightly taken aback by Maegor's abrupt action, his eyes widening in surprise as the prince laid his head in his lap. He wasn't used to such displays of affection, especially from his cousin. Despite his initial shock, Jaehaerys found himself relaxing as Maegor settled against his leg.

"Ah, so I've become your new pillow," he said, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"A new custom pillow indeed." Maegor smirked, though his smirks weren't conventionally attractive, it somehow befitted him.

Jaehaerys chuckled, shaking his head at his cousin's words. It was typical Maegor behavior, both strange and endearing. He looked down at the prince's head, resting on his lap, and couldn't help but reach out and gently ruffle his hair.

"And what am I supposed to do now, with you taking up residence in my lap?"

"I do not know, enjoy the nature, maybe read a book, or perhaps just talk to me." He shrugged, giving a small giggle again.

Jaehaerys smiled at the sound of Maegor's girlish giggle. It was a sound he was all too familiar with, and one he'd come to find oddly charming over the years. He looked around the garden, admiring the natural beauty around them, before returning his gaze to Maegors face in his lap.

"Very well, I suppose I can spare some time to chat with you. What do you want to talk about?"

"I don't know. I suppose I just want to here the sound of your voice." Maegor said, not yet making eye contact, feeling too embarrassed somehow.

Jaehaerys raised an eyebrow at Maegor's words, a small smile playing on his lips. The response was unexpected, yet undeniably endearing. He found himself slightly flustered, not used to being the center of attention in such a way.

"The sound of my voice, you say?" he said, his tone slightly teasing. "I'll have you know, I've been told I have a very boring, soothing voice. You might fall asleep if I talk for too long."

"I wouldn't mind listening to you forever." He shrugged, giving another smirk.
Jaehaerys chuckled, feeling his cheeks heat up uncharacteristically. He had always known Maegor to be the flirty type, but the prince's directness was making him feel slightly off-balance.

Clearing his throat slightly, Jaehaerys looked down at his cousin, his fingers still gently playing with Maegor's hair. He decided to change the subject, hoping it would distract from the flutter in his chest.

"So, tell me, how long do you plan on using my lap as a pillow?"

"As long as you let me." Maegor chuckled, although he knew he had no plans of leaving anytime soon.

Jaehaerys chuckled again, his fingers still running through Maegor's hair. He could feel the prince's breath lightly against his leg, sending tingles up his spine. The situation was undeniably intimate, and yet it felt oddly comfortable, like they had done this a hundred times before.

"You're not going to fall asleep, are you?" Jaehaerys teased, trying to maintain his composure.

"What if I do?" He smirked again, quickly breaking into laughter, this situation was incredibly natural for him - as if he had done this before in another life.

Jaehaerys rolled his eyes at Maegor's smirk, unable to suppress a smile of his own. There was something about the prince's carefree attitude, his girlish laughter, that just made him want to smile. He continued to play with Maegor's hair, the strands of platinum blonde catching the sunlight in a way that was almost hypnotizing.

"Then I shall be stuck here forever, with an overly-affectionate prince taking up residence in my lap," he replied, his tone more fond than annoyed.
"Overly affectionate, once divorced prince, get my titles straight." Maegor winked.

Jaehaerys raised an eyebrow at Maegor's words, but an amused smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

"My apologies, overly affectionate, once divorced prince," he repeated, rolling his eyes dramatically. "I will take care to remember your many titles and histories in the future."

He leaned back against the tree trunk, suddenly feeling more relaxed than he had in a long time. Something about this moment, with Maegor in his lap, in the soft sunlight... it felt oddly right.

"Good, you better do." He said in a scoffy, sarcastic tonem breaking the short silence. For the first in a long time, the prince had genuine fun.

Jaehaerys chuckled again, rolling his eyes once more. "You're impossible, you know that?"
He continued to run his fingers through Maegor's hair, enjoying the feel of the silky strands against his skin. The atmosphere was surprisingly comfortable, and yet there was an underlying tension, a closeness that was undeniably present.

"Hey!" Maegor slapped his shoulder playfully in response. "I am not impossible."

"Hey, what was that for?" Jaehaerys mock-protested, feigning offense. He knew Maegor was just playing around, but he couldn't help but feel a strange flutter in his chest at the sudden slap on his shoulder.

He glanced down at the prince in his lap, their eyes meeting for a brief moment. The tension in the air was almost tangible, and Jaehaerys found himself strangely drawn to it.

"For calling me impossible, oaf." He feigned a pout, giggling again.

"Oaf? Is that any way to talk to your dear cousin?" Jaehaerys replied, raising an eyebrow and feigning irritation. He gave a light tug on Maegor's hair, just to add to the jest.

The air between them felt charged suddenly, the jesting back and forth only making the tension build further.

"Yes, OAF." He pouted again, pulling himself closer to Jaehaerys.

Jaehaerys felt his heart skip a beat as Maegor pulled himself closer, the prince's warmth pressing against his leg. His fingers involuntarily tightened in Maegor's hair, his breath catching in his throat for a moment. They were suddenly very much alone together, secluded in their own little world within the garden.

Jaehaerys looked down at Maegor, meeting his eyes again. There was a certain intensity in the air, a silent question hanging between them.
"Do you want me to go away?" Maegor asked in an attempt to break the silence, looking up at him in a rather concerned, yet genuine fashion.

Jaehaerys was taken aback by the sudden shift in tone. He quickly shook his head, his fingers gently massaging Maegor's scalp. The last thing he wanted was for the prince to go away.

"No, no," he said quickly. "It's not that. I... I just..."
He trailed off, not knowing how to articulate the sudden rush of emotions he was feeling. The tension between them was becoming almost overwhelming, and yet it felt... right.

Maegor quickly caught up to the hesitation that Jaehaerys has, breaking the awkward ice with a joke.

"You what? I can only look at your forehead, I can't look past it into your mind." He joked.

Jaehaerys chuckled, the tension slightly lessening at Maegor's joke. He looked down at the prince, caught momentarily by the sight of Maegor's smirk. The sight sent a shiver down his spine, his skin prickling with goosebumps for a reason he couldn't quite explain.

"It's... it's nothing," he eventually muttered, his fingers still tangled in Maegor's hair. "Just a thought, that's all."

"If you say so." Maegor shrugged in defeat.

Jaehaerys bit his lip in response, a slight tinge of pink coloring his cheeks. He wanted to say more, to explain what he was feeling, but the words wouldn't come.

Instead, he continued to play with Maegor's hair, his fingers running through the silky dark strands. The garden was quiet, save for the distant sound of insects and the occasional bird call. The silence between them was oddly comforting, yet also charged with an undercurrent of something more...

(A/N 2: I AM BACK!!! sorry for being absent for so long, school got crazy, my life got crazy, it's a lot. 😭)