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Rating:
Explicit
Archive Warnings:
Graphic Depictions Of ViolenceMajor Character Death
Category:
F/M
Fandoms:
A Song of Ice and Fire & Related FandomsGame of Thrones (TV)A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. MartinThe Beginning After the End - TurtleMe
Relationships:
past Ned Stark/Ashara DayneCatelyn Tully Stark/Ned StarkOberyn Martell/Ellaria SandJon Snow/Rhaenys Targaryen (Daughter of Elia)Other Relationship Tags to Be Added
Characters:
Jon SnowNed StarkAshara DayneGendry (A Song of Ice and Fire)Mya StoneJaime LannisterObara SandTyene SandNymeria SandOberyn MartellDoran MartellAllyria DayneEdric "Ned" DayneDaenerys TargaryenViserys Targaryen (Brother of Daenerys)Sylvie (The Beginning After the End)Robb StarkArianne MartellEllaria Sand
Additional Tags:
MagicSlow BuildSlow BurnAshara Dayne LivesAshara Dayne Raises Jon SnowR Plus L Equals J | Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen are Jon Snow's ParentsOther Additional Tags to Be AddedJon Snow Doesn't Join the Night's WatchNew social normsNo Bashingmagic heavy
Language:
English
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Published:2025-10-09Updated:2026-07-22Words:269,612Chapters:71/?Comments:435Kudos:692Bookmarks:257Hits:79,173
The Magic Bastard
Sometbatenerd
Chapter 6: The Paramour
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Ellaria
Ellaria easily waded through the halls of the Water Gardens. Her face was smiling, and her body was thoroughly satisfied from her late-night activities. Some could say that she looked positively glowing in the sunlight, and she felt like she was glowing as well. Oberyn was and always will be a good lover.
Ellaria's footsteps guided her down the halls, her skirts swishing behind her as she came upon the boy's room. Oberyn had ordered the staff to let the boy sleep in. He had been missing for four moons and experienced god knows what. So the Prince mused that extra sleep might be good for the boy.
What was also odd about the boy was that he showed no signs of malnutrition or dehydration, not even physical exhaustion or sunburn. By all intents and purposes, the boy looked fine physically minus the torn clothes and dried blood on his feet.
Nothing grew in the desert, not where Jon had landed, and he didn't make it to Yronwood, or else they would have heard about his survival much earlier than his arrival at their doorstep.
So Oberyn, and by extension herself put together that someone had cared for the boy. Who, they had no idea. Nor did they have any idea of how Jon cleared the distance from Yronwood to the Water Gardens in what seemed to be an instant. There were no tracks, and by Arianne and Myriah's account, he just appeared in one of the pools.
The pieces were coming together albeit slowly and that was before one took into account the stone he carried. The one he was very protective of. There was a story there and Ellaria planned to get it.
She gently opened the door and entered his chambers. Furrowing her brow in confusion as she noted the bed to be empty. The silk sheets were cold and messy. Did the boy bolt in the middle of the night?
Her head whipped around the room. Soon coming to rest on the boy in the furthermost corner from the door hiding away from the windows. Jon looked miserable. The boy was huddled in on himself. Bags under his eyes and was cradling the stone close to his chest. His eyes drooped closed before snapping open again. Weary and alert despite her bleary state.
"Jon." Ellaria softly said. Her approach was slow and measured in an attempt not to frighten him. "My name's Ellaria Sand, I'm Prince Oberyn's paramour."
A small grunt left his lips. "Good morning."
"Good morning to you as well." She said. "You alright Jon? You look tired."
"Fine, need to protect the stone." He yawned.
Ellaria's ears perked up. "Protect it?"
"Is important." He slurred.
Ellaria nodded as she closed the distance and crouched in front of Jon. "I see, I see. Why is it important Jon?"
Jon's eyes shut before opening again. "The man with horns wants it." His eyes closed again and Ellaria thought he had finally gone to sleep before they shot open with fear.
Before he could panic Ellaria was quick to grab him. His muscles were taught and wound up. He was so wound up. "It's ok, you're ok." She softly cooed. "You're safe now."
Jon groaned, trying to break free. "He's coming!"
"No, no. You're safe. I promise, Oberyn is very strong. He won't let anything happen to those who reside here."
"He can't have it!"
It took Ellaria a second to realize he meant the stone. "He won't get it. You have my word, Jon. You and the stone are safe here."
Jon mumbled a name she couldn't understand before his body finally gave out and he went limp in her arms. The stone slid from his palms and would have touched the ground had she not caught it with her other hand.
Ellaria looked at the stone, the white feather wrapped around it, almost protectively. For the life of her, she could not figure out why Jon had done that. But what she had figured out was part of what Jon had seen. The stone seemed to play an important role in this story. As did this man with horns who had the boy so terrified. The only missing pieces were who gave him the stone and the stone itself.
The man with horns was another anomaly in and of itself. The man seemed to scare Jon, and a man with horns does sound scary, at least to Ellaria. But she had a feeling something else had happened for Jon to be so terrified of him.
A small bit of mercy at least in Ellaria's eyes was that he was asleep. His breathing was calm and steady, his body light as a feather. Ellaria had to remind herself that a bit of five was normally not heavy.
'And yet the boy is a mage.' She thought.
Being a mage could only lead to two things. The life of a soldier or the life of adventure. Sure he would have greater autonomy than a levy or man-at-arms, even some lower knights. But nonetheless, he would still be a soldier. Meant to fight in others' wars. Or adventure and explore dungeons, dying in their depths or getting rich beyond his wildest dreams.
Ellaria herself understood the need for such people. She didn't like violence herself, hated it really. It was a nasty thing that brought nothing but pain. But it was needed and there was nothing she could do about that.
Her hand ran softly through his dark locks. Smooth like silk after being washed the day before. In her lap, the boy slept peacefully. Soft snores escaped his lips as his chest rose and fell.
With a sigh Ellaria settled in, leaning back against the wall preparing for a long day of sitting and doing nothing. Oberyn and the rest of those she saw as family would most likely wonder where she was. But she would let them wonder for she felt the motherly instinct she felt for her own daughter toward Jon.
The boy's real mother was weeks and leagues away in Starfall. He would need someone to fill the role in the meantime til she gets here. A role she would gladly fill for the time being.
….
An hour passed before someone came looking for her. It was Arianne and Myriah who pushed the door to the chambers open. The two girls were always around each other, stuck at the hip along with Tyene. Ellaria knew both girls looked up to her as a Motherly figure. Arianne's Mother had left her a year ago not used to Westerosi customs, while Myriah had lost her Mother to different means years ago.
Ellaria was supposed to have midday tea with the girls. Something which slipped her mind in her attempts to comfort the boy. But as she looked down on his peaceful sleeping face. She didn't exactly feel bad for missing tea time.
"Why are you holding him?" Arianne asked tersely. "You missed tea."
Myriah said nothing but nodded her head in agreement. Her stormy purple eyes settled on Jon with a mixture of intrigue, curiosity, and some other emotion Ellaria could not decipher. Arianne however was annoyed.
"He needed to be held," Ellaria answered. A simple answer that revealed nothing yet a lot at the same time.
"Why?" Arianne wrinkled her nose. "He's a mage, mages are supposed to be strong. He's obviously strong if he survived that long by himself." She scoffed. "Not in need of coddling."
Ellaria kept her features soft as she hummed. "Everyone's in need of coddling." She said. "You forget that Jon's half your age. Mage or not whatever he saw out in the desert has him scared."
"How does one who can appear in the pools at random get scared?" Myriah asked. Not out of jealousy like Arianne but genuine curiosity. Myriah was at the age where most children awoke their mana cores, and the girl had an interest in magic as well. She saw it as a shield against harm that could solve her problems. A tool to make her brave.
"Everyone gets scared," Ellaria answered. "Doesn't matter how old you get. Doesn't matter how pure your core is or how strong and fast you are. Fear will always be a part of you, and whatever it is that scared him, scared him."
"And the stone?" Arianne scoffed. "Why does he care so much about a rock?"
Ellaria shrugged. "He wouldn't tell me." She lied. He cared for the stone because someone was after it. But who entrusted the stone to him or why the man with the horns wanted it she didn't know. This was something she would need to inform Oberyn of however.
In his sleepless exhaustion-addled mind Jon had slipped up and revealed information she knew he didn't want spilled.
"Now, I'm afraid we'll have to schedule tea for later. Why don't you girls run along now? I'm sure Obara and Tyene will be back from their adventure soon."
Arianne huffed while Myriah stared at the boy in her arms silently before turning to follow her cousin. Once they were gone Ellaria once more gazed down at his sleeping form and chuckled.
"You've charmed the princess already." She quipped.
….
A few hours passed by quickly and soon Ellaria began to feel Jon stir in her arms. It was slow at first, like the boy was regaining his bearings. Then he shot awake feeling her arms around him. His eyes met hers and soon he was struggling to break free.
She let him go and watched as he scurried away. Grabbing the stone from her hand and pressing himself against the bed. He stumbled and gripped his sternum wincing in pain before meeting her eyes once more.
Ellaria did not move, she merely looked at Jon with a raised brow. "Did you sleep well?"
Jon looked around the room once more before calming down slightly. He nodded slowly, not uttering a word.
"Do you remember who I am?" Ellaria asked. She wouldn't put it past him if he didn't pay attention to her name before he fell asleep.
Jon shook his head. "No."
Ellaria smiled. "I'm Ellaria, Prince Overyn's paramour. Do you know what that is?"
"Someone important."
"To him, others not so much." She shrugged. "I'm a bastard like you."
Jon nodded before his eyes widened. "My Mother-
"Has already been sent a raven about your survival. It will probably take another two days before she receives the news."
Jon sighed, winced again, and pulled his knees to his chest. He appeared to be deep in thought, about what, Ellaria wasn't sure. But it would not do for him to be cooped up in his chambers all day.
"Come," Ellaria ordered standing up. "We're going on a tour of the Water Gardens."
"But I've already seen them." Jon protested.
"Oh no." Ellaria chuckled. "You've only seen a part of them. Come along now, we're going on a tour."
"But-
"No buts."
Jon didn't move and his eyes flicked to the stone before holding it tighter. Ellaria sighed and shook her head.
"You can bring the stone with you, silly boy."
That seemed to get Jon out of whatever type of stupor he was in and up to his feet. Ellaria held out her hand to him and he took it. Allowing the woman to lead him out of the room and into the halls.
Before they made it to the next one a loud grumbling noise erupted from Jon's stomach. The boy was quick to look away as he blushed.
"Are you hungry?"
Jon only nodded in response.
….
Their late lunch was a quick affair. Luckily for the two of them when they entered the kitchen the cooks had just baked fresh bread that was hot from the oven. It was the first smile she had seen on Jon's face when the boy took his first bite.
It was clear he enjoyed the bread, most likely being the first piece of bread he had had in moons. Lucky him for being able to get it when it was fresh out of the oven.
After devouring the entire loaf Ellaria continued her tour of the Water Gardens. Leading him past the pools where the other children played. Children of noble families and those of the servants played as one. Not separated by class but brought together by the heat and the need to escape it.
Ellaria noticed how his eyes lingered on the playing children. How their laughs filled the hot air. She stopped her walk and looked down at him.
"Would you like to go play?" She asked.
Jon looked at the children, and then the stone in his hand before shaking his head. "No…it's hard to play with people."
"Because of the stone? I can hold it for you."
Jon was quick to shake his head again. "It's not just that. It's hard to play with people my own age who aren't mages. I've been warned multiple times that if I'm not careful I could accidentally hurt them."
Ellaria wasn't a hundred percent sure if that was the truth. Nymeria still played with her siblings when she awakened. Yet her siblings were also mages. Nymeria also played with Arianne and Myriah as well, but by that point, she had full control over her powers despite awakening earlier.
But Jon had awakened at the age of three and as such Ellaria reasoned that excitement could lead to a sudden influx of mana in his body, and since he was an Augmenter things could go very wrong very quickly should that happen.
"So you can only play with mages?"
"No." Jon shook his head. "Mother just says I need to be really careful not to hurt anyone."
Ellaria felt like they just went in a circle with this conversation. So she gently tugged his hand and continued on the rest of their tour. As they walked Ellaria gave the boy a small history lesson on the Water Gardens.
A place built by Maron Martell, the Prince of Dorne who married Princess Daenerys to mark the Union of Dorne with the rest of the Seven Kingdoms. It was she who began the tradition of hosting the children of lords before then the children of the small folk as well.
Dorne was a hot place and it would be cruel to deny those a chance to cool off when the means were available and staring them right in the face. Jon seemed to listen as he nodded along. But Ellaria noticed that everyone once in a while he would wince and his face would scrunch up in pain.
It was odd, every time it happened he would grab his sternum where his mana core lay. Ellaria herself wasn't a mage, but she thought that perhaps his mana core was hurting him. Something she would need to talk with Oberyn about no doubt.
As their walk continued they eventually came out above the training yard. In the center of the sandy yard was Oberyn and his bastard first daughter Obara. She was a woman of seventeen and big boned. She was tall, had bulging muscles, and short rat brown hair along with matching eyes.
Like her sister, Nymeria Obara was an Augmenter. Her core was at the light orange stage and her attribute was fire. Something which she currently used against her Father in their spar.
Her spear clacked against his. Both spears were strengthened by mana as they clashed. Oberyn fought her back with ease. While Obara was close to reaching the dark yellow stage Oberyn was a solid silver core mage and held two attributes. Earth and Wind. There was no way Obara could break past his defenses and that was before he even activated his Beast Will.
No, Oberyn would not struggle against his daughter, much to her chagrin and a few seconds later Ellaria was proven right as Oberyn knocked her feet out from under her and used a wind spell from his open palm to send her flying back.
Obara soared through the air before crashing down into the sand kicking up a mound of dust before coming to a stop. Oberyn merely twirled his spear and smirked.
"Is that the best you've got, daughter of mine?!" He laughed. "Are you sure you're competent enough to clear dungeons?"
Obara huffed as she shot to her feet. Fire burned around her entire body as her anger rose. "Shut up!"
Oberyn smirked and gestured for her to come forth. Obara didn't need another invitation as she ran forward faster than Ellaria's eyes could track. The woman sighed at Oberyn's banter. No doubt it riled Obara up more than usual.
But as she turned to walk away she noted that Jon had not left his position by the railing. His eyes moved back and forth quickly, as if he was able to track the fight. Which Ellaria realized that he was since he was a mage.
Or maybe he was just tracking the magic. Ellaria heard that children who became mages always loved magic the first time they were able to use it.
She noted that he was smiling again however. The second smile of the day. At least it was some progress to him being scared of his own shadow.
"You know Oberyn is a solid silver core mage." She chimed in.
The boy's head whipped to her and his eyes were wide. "Really? That's like one stage away from white core!"
"Mhmm." Ellaria hummed. "It is."
The father and daughter traded blows once more. Obara's flames danced around her as she pushed harder with her attacks. Oberyn however danced like the wind. Nimbly dancing around his daughter and only blocking the attacks that had the threat of reaching him. Not a single one of his moves was wasted and not a single breath was quick or ragged.
In the training yard or the battlefield, Oberyn was at his deadliest.
….
The rest of her walk with Jon ended soon after they ran into Nymeria. The girl had whisked him away citing magic lessons and with the way Jon's eyes lit up she couldn't find it within herself to say no.
So she let the two of them run off. Watching fondly as Jon began to ask what they would be practicing. Ellaria was only half certain she heard something about knife throwing. A thought that worried her but before she could protest the two disappeared from sight.
With a sigh, Ellaria began to search for Arianne and Myriah. She had free time now so it was time for their very late albeit with a good reason, tea time.
The girls were easy to find. Lounging around by one of the pools with their feet dipped in. They heard Ellaria approach and quickly turned. Both seemed happy to see her.
"Ditched your ward?" Arianne asked.
"Other way around." Ellaria sighed.
"Why would he ditch you if you took care of him?" Arianne asked. "Is he stupid?"
Her hand swatted the back of the girl's head before she could react. "Don't be mean, and no he's not stupid. Nymeria offered to take him for a magic lesson and he accepted."
Off to the left Myriah sighed and kicked the water. "How come he's a mage already? I've been waiting for years to awaken and still nothing." She grumbled. "It's not fair."
Ellaria rubbed a soothing hand on her back. "Life rarely is. Some people are just born with more talent than others. We all thought Nymeria was impressive when she awoke at seven. But you're at that age, I'm positive you'll awaken soon."
Myriah grumbled under her breath. "It's taking too long."
Ellaria rubbed her shoulder again. "I know sweetie, I know."
A bead of silence filled the air before Arianne turned to face her.
"So did he tell you how he survived? Or is he still too scared of his own shadow?" She asked.
Ellaria sighed, cursing slightly that the only mages Arianne knew were her cousins and uncle. People she's never seen afraid before.
"He's revealed nothing to me." Ellaria lied. "But he is a nice boy, if a little distrustful. Try and get to know him first before you make assumptions."
"Why doesn't he trust us?" Myriah asked.
Ellaria shrugged as she truly did not have an answer for them. "I don't know, maybe because to him we're strangers and he randomly appeared at our doorstep." Her hands then clapped together. "Alright now, up up. Let's go sit on the balcony, drink some tea, and enjoy the view. You can tell me all about the boys or girls who have caught your interest or those who annoy you." Ellaria held up her finger before the two could speak. "And no talking about Jon."
Both grumbled as it was clear they still had either some complaints or questions about him. But their protests died on their throats from a sharp look Ellaria gave the two.
….
Night had fallen over the Water Gardens and she did not see Jon for the rest of the day. Ellaria hoped that was a good sign. It meant he and Nymeria hopefully stayed out of trouble.
Oberyn entered their shared chambers a minute later as Ellaria donned her nightgown. Oberyn's hair was dripping wet, a sign that he had bathed, and if the sandalwood was any indication he smelled nice as well.
"So how was your day with the boy?" Oberyn asked. "Pull any secrets from his mind with your attempt at spying?"
Ellaria swatted his chest with the back of her hand. "I wasn't spying, I was comforting the boy."
"Ah." Oberyn hummed. "So that's what you're calling it." Ellaria rolled her eyes as Oberyn grinned. "So what did you find out?"
She sighed and sat on the bed while Oberyn poured himself a goblet of wine.
"He's protecting the stone." Ellaira quietly said. "I don't know who entrusted it to him. But what I do know is that someone is after the stone."
Oberyn quirked a brow in intrigue. "Oh? And who exactly is after this precious little stone?"
Ellaria's eyes dropped for a second before she sighed and shook her head. "He claims a man with horns. I've never heard of such a thing and I know it sounds ridiculous. But did you see any such men during your time in Essos?"
Oberyn was silent for a second before shaking his head. "No, not that I can recall. But there have been tales from the Demon Road about men having bred Mana Beasts. In Yi Ti I heard of lizard men but nothing about a man with horns."
Ellaria's lips pressed into a thin line. Oberyn had traveled most of the east and had met a variety of many different people. Yet he had no knowledge of anyone with horns in Essos, only theories. Sothroyos didn't exactly produce mages as the continent was overrun with dark magic and Mana Beasts.
So where could the man with horns come from?
"So how exactly did you get that information from him?" Oberyn asked. "When I tried he clamped up."
To this, Ellaria smugly smiled. "Well darling, you're not exactly the best at applying honey when vinegar is not needed." Oberyn stared at her for a moment before she sighed. "He was too scared to sleep and in his exhausted weary mind he slipped up."
"Ah." Oberyn nodded. "So you got lucky."
Ellaria huffed and crossed her arms. "No, he felt safe with me and fell asleep in my arms."
Oberyn smiled and downed the rest of his goblet before making his way to bed. "How quaint. Anything else I should know?"
"There is one thing," Ellaria said, remembering his pain. "He seems like he's in pain. I don't know exactly what's wrong with him but throughout the day he'd wince and grab his sternum. It was like his mana core was hurting him."
Oberyn, who had just closed his eyes, quickly shot up and opened them. "What?!"
Ellaira flinched at his tone, surprised by the sudden volume. "His mana core seems to be causing him pain."
Oberyn's teeth grit as he shot to his feet. "That little dumbass." He growled. He quickly tied his robe around him and began to march to the door.
Ellaria was quick to rise to her feet as well and chase after him. "Oberyn, wait! What's wrong?"
Oberyn didn't bother with an answer right away. His bare feet were padding frantically against the floor. "I should've known something was wrong with him yesterday. I keep feeling fluctuations in his mana core."
"Oberyn!" Ellaria yelled again. "What's going on?!"
"The child has a beast will." Oberyn huffed. "Idiot didn't tell anyone and is gonna get himself killed."
Ellaira's heart hammered in her chest. Jon had a beast will and it was going to kill him? How was that possible? Why was that possible? Why was he going to die now that he was safe? That didn't seem fair at all.
"How will his beast will kill him?"
"Because he's too young," Oberyn answered sharply, taking a corner. "Most who bond with a mana beast don't do so until they're in their teens. Jon's five, the power is too much for his small body to handle if not put through a regimen of control immediately."
Before Ellaria could respond, Oberyn bursted through the door of Jon's chambers causing the boy to jump at least five feet in the air. Ellaria went to protest such brute measures but Oberyn was already in front of Jon who had his back pressed against the bed frame.
"Get up boy!" Oberyn said. "We're training, right now!"
Jon's brow furrowed as he looked out the window. "What?"
"Your beast will. Up! Now!"
"I don't have a beast will!" Jon protested.
"Oh really?" Oberyn drawled. "The pain you've been feeling." Jon flinched but Oberyn continued. "That's unstable mana in your core. Mana that hasn't assimilated at all within you. It's volatile and dangerous and will kill you if left ignored. Do you want that?"
Jon was quick to shake his head. "No."
"Then get up and come with me!" Oberyn nearly yelled. He turned, shook his head, and muttered curses under his breath. "Stupid child, not telling us you bonded with a Mana Beast. The hell was he thinking?"
Jon did not utter another word as he grabbed the stone and quickly followed behind Oberyn. Ellaira just watched the scene more confused than she had ever been and just sighed.
Magic was coming to those blessed without it.
Notes:
Ellaria was fun to write. Someone who doesn't like violence but understands the need for it holding a child who can only be seen as a weapon. Because while yes many doors have opened for Jon it's at the risk of getting killed in wars or by Mana Beasts.
Kind of like the days of the Roman Republic where one rose the ranks of society via the legions. Other than that little tidbit I don't have much else to say other than Beast Wills will be explained next chapter so you won't be confused about them for much longer.
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