A free woman and her mate reunited

"It took you long enough..." Astrid comments when Loras comes back to the room. Two weeks after the baby was born, he had to start spending the nights with the milkmaid, as Astrid's wasn't enough. It took a while to get used to the idea, but seeing Erik grow faster and happier reassured her, and the fact that she got to sleep with Loras again helped.

"It was something that needed to be addressed." He answers with a long sigh, throwing himself on the bed.

"I do hope you weren't too harsh on her... Her feelings are valid and..."

"I am not an idiot, Astrid. I know her feelings are valid. Omar's too and if this would be a normal situation I would like to be more patient with this. But those types of things left unresolved can turn into wars of succession, into a bloodbath. You saw what happen with Tommen. And we got along when we were young. Can you imagine if we didn't? This would have started before my father would have even been dead. It would have thrown the kingdom in chaos. So, no.