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Rhaenyra was sure that the Lannisters had poisoned her food.
After all, why else would she be seeing her youngest brother flying, alone, hundreds of miles away from Oldtown? Her brother, who was all of ten and meant to be safely housed in Oldtown under the care of his mother’s family.
Rhaenyra had a feeling she really wasn’t going to like any of this.
Sighing, she directed Syrax to bank towards them. It seemed it would once again fall upon her to be the voice of reason and sanity.
Gods she missed the days where she didn’t have to be the mature one.
As they drew closer, Syrax let out a loud trill. Tessarion answered in kind, her rider twisting in his saddle to stare at them.
“Land, Daeron!” Rhaenyra called, her eyes narrowed on the young prince. Then, when the boy obviously hesitated. “Now!”
Rhaenyra could see his shoulders slump in defeat before he was directing Tessarion to circle closer to the ground. Syrax followed, her eagerness to meet with Tessarion pounding through their bond.
Tessarion was one of Syraxs first hatchlings, Rhaenyra realised. One Syrax had not seen in a number of years.
Well at least one reunion would go well.
Daeron took his time to dismount, fingers fumbling at the chains that Rhaenyra was pleased to notice he actually used.
Their eldest brother didn’t. It was a common topic of debate between them.
By the time Daeron dismounted Rhaenyra had already grabbed out some of the bread and cheese she had packed for her own flight. She was no stranger to boys Daerons age and she knew of the bottomless pits their stomachs were. Her own boys were almost always hungry nowadays.
Daeron accepted the food with a muttered thanks, staunchly avoiding meeting her eyes. Rhaenyra kept any trace of her amusement off of her face, knowing that she would have to remain stern if she wanted to prevent this from happening again.
Gods knew their other siblings caused enough trouble. Rhaenyra had been run ragged trying to keep them out of trouble. She shouldn’t really be surprised that Daeron had also inherited the Targaryen penchant for mischief.
That didn’t mean he was going to get away with it.
“So,” she said, “want to explain why you are out here, alone, instead of being at Oldtown?”
Daeron froze, his hand midway to his mouth. Rhaenyra simply arched one eyebrow, unwavering in her search for answers.
“You can either tell me here and now or I can put you on Syrax and fly you to Kings Landing so you can explain it to your mother and father.” Daeron winced at her words, obviously aware that neither of his parents, Alicent especially, would appreciate their youngest son having flown off on his own.
“I just wanted to spend some time with Tessa!” The boy protested. “But my uncle wouldn’t let me unless I had completed all my lessons and the Maester just kept giving me more and more work until I could barely see her for an hour a week!”
“So you decided to fly off on your own.” Rhaenyra muttered , rubbing at the bridge of her nose. “Why am I surprised, of course you did. It seems to be a rite of passage for you lot to do something dumb that I have to deal with.”
“Hey!” Daerons head snapped up, his face indignant. “I prepared for this! I had food and water and Tessa with me! I’m not like Helaena wandering off or Aemond trying to disturb a sleeping dragon or Aegon sneaking out through his window! I was safe!”
“Safe.” Rhaenyra said flatly. “You call being hundreds of miles away from where you are meant to be, with only your young dragon for company and presumable with no one knowing where you are, safe?”
Daeron muttered something incoherent, kicking at the dirt beneath him.
“Sorry, what was that?” Rhaenyra questioned, ears straining to hear her youngest brother.
“I said,” Daeron sighed, looking embarrassed, “that i got a little lost.”
“Yeah I sort of figured that.” Rhaenyra muttered. “How long have you been gone anyway?”
It would only take a day or so on dragon back to reach Oldtown from here, taking into account Tessarions size and what she knew of Daerons skill as a rider. They may have only just started to panic, may not have even sent a raven to alert the King and Queen yet. Vaguely she heard Daeron muttering, but Rhaenyra paid only the slightest bit of attention as her thoughts continued to swell…
“I’m sorry!” Rhaenyra head snapped to stare at the boy in shock, eyes wide in disbelief at what the boy had sheepishly murmured. “Did you just say that you’ve been gone for four days!”
“Yes?” Daeron stared at her, confused. “I left three nights ago. I meant to be back after one night but then I got a bit lost… Where are we anyway? Somewhere near Highgarden?”
“Somewhere near… Daeron you are not even in the Reach anymore!” This had just got so much worse. There was no way Alicent and their father had not been alerted to Daerons absence by now. Rhaenyra was surprised word hadn’t reached her at Casterly Rock.
“Oh.” The boy said quietly, the seriousness of what he had done finally sinking in.
“Right. You are coming with me.” Rhaenyra decided, already starting to plan their flight home.
They would have to stop at one of the keeps near them, for she sincerely doubted Tessarion, young as she was, would be able to fly for very much longer without some sort of nourishment. Perhaps Silverhill?
“With you!” Daeron exclaimed, looking alarmed at the notion. “But I must return to Oldtown and you said you wouldn’t tell Mother or Father if I told you now!”
“Daeron, if you think that the King and Queen do not already know of your flight from Oldtown, then I am sorry to say that you are most likely incredibly wrong.” Rhaenyra bluntly remarked. “It takes a raven two days to reach the Red Keep from Oldtown and I do not doubt one was sent by that first night.”
Horror drew itself over her brothers face as it dawned upon the boy that there would be no escape from his mothers wrath.
“I don’t suppose I could prevail upon you to just return me to Oldtown?” The boy asked weakly, his face suddenly ashen.
“Nope!” Rhaenyra was already turning the boy towards Syrax, hands gripping the boys shoulders firmly. “I am not risking your mother’s wrath and she would be quite wroth with me if she heard I found you and didn’t immediately return you to her.”
“Fair.” Daeron grudgingly admitted. “But I’m not a child! I can ride Tessarion home.”
Rhaenyra let out a rather unladylike snort at that, refusing to loosen her grip.
“Nice try, but our other siblings have prepared me well.” She chuckled at the sulking prince, stopping them in front of her beloved mount. “I’ll be giving you no opportunity to escape me! You will fly with me to Silverhill and then to Kings Landing the day after. Perhaps then you may be able to spend time with Tessarion, though I have no doubt that will be up to your mother.”
“You are my least favourite sister.” Daeron grumbled, pouting as she strapped him into the saddle.
“Considering my competition is Helaena, I can accept that.” Rhaenyra patted him on the leg before climbing up and settling in behind him. “Still wont stop me from bringing you back.”
Daeron groaned and thumped his head into the saddle pommel as Rhaenyra just snickered at his plight.
Serves him right.
Bloody siblings always giving her heart attacks and then making her be the voice of reason.