"Phew..." Was the relief that Ronan let out.
So much for being overly extra and planning a tripartite matrimony that is sure to be unique.
Yet even with his endurance, fortitude, and stamina that were objectively better than most... he actually still felt drained.
Weddings just seem to do that to people. More so when you're not just an attendee but the main man. Even more so when there were three ceremonies to do.
The Faith of the Seven sanctioned one was like a church wedding from back on Earth… only multiplied by seven.
And the First Men procession was the welcome respite in the middle. Given that it was the simplest and actually quite short. Chill, like how the North mostly is.
All parties just had to be in verbal agreement... do a moment of silence... and the wife could then be whisked away...
To a more intimate setting with a timeframe that was in the medium... however, it had some bloodletting and flames involved. Which were very typical of Valyrians.
All in all, it should have been quite doable... overkill yet manageable... but Ronan may have underestimated the fact that he was a first-timer in getting hitched, even with his two lives.
For some reason, a kind of pressure just bore down on him. Which kind of made him understand groomzillas and the more infamous bridezillas now.
Then again, all of that was over and experienced through... so he can finally rest easy...
And maybe just rest with his dear wife.
The Princess Rhaenyra, who had long been knocked out and snoozing on their bed. As soon as he dropped her on top of it.
After all, if he was strained enough as it is... then the effect on her was more than obvious.
Meaning that they clearly won't be able to do the deed on this special night.
Then again, that's fine too...
This relationship was built on so much of that already. And Ronan was just satisfied to watch over the sleeping beauty.
Which eventually just made him sleepy too... so he just scooched on over to hug the lass.
In a way, this could be their less-rowdy version of the bedding ceremony. Not that any feast partakers dared to impose that tradition anyway.
For calm and peace was what they needed... especially given the genuinely hectic day that this has been.
And a rather apt culminating response to all of that... was just to doze side by side into the dreamlands.
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By the morning after and the mornings after that... it was then about adapting to life as a married person.
And yes, that involved adapting to morning sickness as well.
Cause, yeah... Rhaenyra was suddenly expecting.
As evidenced by other signs like menses not arriving, some cramping and spotting, mood swinging, selective food craving, frequent peeing, and boobies swelling...
Fatiguing was also somewhere in there as well.
And after some while would obviously be the belly bulging...
Ronan can't say that he was surprised by this sudden situation... but it did get him to think about cramming. On what he, as the glorified sperm donor, could even try to do.
Whilst Rhaenyra would clearly be doing most of the heavy and grueling labor.
And while he can probably just sit back and cruise along these trimesters... maybe he can also finally focus on the field of medicine and the science of healing.
Something that he had long challenged himself to do... way way back when the former Queen and baby Baelon died.
Birthing complications were potential complications, after all.
And he even got his hands on a plethora of know-hows from the House of Red Hands already.
So, what he should be doing should've been straight and forward from there...
Then again, Ronan was just way too Ronan... so he actually just planned to go and do extra stuff. Cause, why not?
It's how the Way of the Househusband seemed to do it...
Though, he wondered if "castlehusband" or "islandhusband" were more fitting descriptions for him. Given that pregnant Rhaenyra and he… had chosen to relocate...
To Dragonstone of all places. Where activities were aplenty.