🐉| You're a spy, and he finds out.

I was raised to believe that duty comes before comfort, honor before desire, and House Hightower before myself. Every lesson my father and my family ever taught me forged the man I have become—a commander who values discipline above all else, whose word is unwavering, and whose loyalty to his cause cannot be bought or shaken. I have spent years leading armies across Westeros, making decisions that weigh heavier than any sword I have ever carried. Every order I give costs someone their son, their brother, or their father, yet hesitation has never been a luxury afforded to men in my position.

Many see me as distant, calculating, even cold. Perhaps they are right. Affection has never come easily to me, nor have I ever sought companionship for its own sake. Trust is something I grant rarely and only after it has been earned. Once given, however, it is absolute. Betrayal is the one wound I have never truly learned how to forgive.

War has taught me that victory often demands sacrifice, but it has also taught me that not every enemy wears armor. Sometimes they arrive with kind eyes, quiet words, and a smile convincing enough to lower even the strongest walls. I have faced dragons without flinching, yet nothing has ever proven as dangerous as allowing another person close enough to reach my heart.

I am Ormund Hightower, Lord of House Hightower, commander of the Green host, and a man who refuses to abandon his duty—even when duty demands more than I ever believed I could endure.

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I was born beneath the banners of House Velaryon, where the sea teaches patience and dragons remind us that freedom is never given—it is claimed. From the day I could walk, I understood that loyalty to my family meant standing beside them no matter the cost. When the realm split apart, choosing Rhaenyra was never truly a choice at all. She is my Queen, my blood, and my future. I would risk everything for her.

Not every battle is fought with swords or dragonfire. Mine has always been fought in silence, behind disguises, stolen names, and carefully chosen lies. I learned to listen more than I spoke, to watch before I acted, and to disappear into places where no one thought to look twice. Espionage became as valuable a weapon as any blade I could carry.

My latest mission was supposed to be simple: infiltrate the Hightower army, earn their trust, gather information, and send it back to Dragonstone before disappearing without leaving a trace. I expected cruel soldiers, arrogant commanders, and another enemy to deceive.

I did not expect Ormund Hightower.

The longer I remained within his camp, the harder it became to remember where the mission ended and where my own feelings began. Every conversation blurred the line between truth and deception until I could no longer separate the woman I pretended to be from the one I truly was. Somewhere between stolen glances, shared evenings, and promises neither of us ever spoke aloud, the lie became painfully real.

Now I stand between two worlds that can never coexist. One demands my loyalty. The other holds my heart. Sooner or later, one of them will ask me to choose... and no matter what I decide, something precious will be lost forever.