He had never done this before, offering a woman so much open affection that others couldn't help but notice. While he had a lover once before and Melisandre's attention, neither of those encounters had prepared him for something like this. He had tried to put his duty first, focusing on the Night King and everything that needed to be done to secure both Cersei and Dany's support. But after the events beyond the Wall, putting this off and ignoring it no longer seemed possible. She was inevitable for him and everything inside him hummed with anticipation. She rooted him in a way he had never experienced until now and occupied every inch of him.

He thinks back to the woman he saw in the throne room at Dragonstone, how severe and cold she was. He didn't know what to think of her, but it was never something like this. Seeing that vulnerability and tenderness on her features had changed everything, now he never wanted to be without it. Just a simple touch, the feel of her gloved hand against her skin makes his breath hitch.

"That doesn't matter." Never to him and never to the people she inspired. "You're still queen and I am still sworn to you." He had told her before that even without her dragons, she was different than the rest. She was still extraordinary.

He smiled shyly, looking nothing more than a boy beside her. "It must have taken some time for her to memorize it." He had been impetuous in using that name, enough that he didn't blame her for brushing its use aside. So it was a surprise to hear her offer it to him now. He gazes down at her, watching as the light danced in her, mesmerized by her presence. In a low voice, he murmured her name. "Dany."