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The rustling sounds of moving animals and the wind disappear when you step out of your cabin. Looking at the sky, it is partly cloudy and mostly sunny. The weather you like. A sigh escapes your lips before starting to walk.
Snaps of twigs and leaves greet your every step, something you cannot control. However, you try to avoid stepping on them, specifically the crunchy-looking ones, whenever you hear a noise nearby, as you do not want to attract their attention. Sometimes, they are from groups of curious teenagers and unsupervised children who wander off into the woods. Most of the time, hunters, because they want to catch or witness the mysterious figure in ancient lore and in people's stories, accidentally go deeper into the forest.
"A figure watching from afar with sharp eyes, glowing at night," they say.
"Sovēs, Syrax! Sovēs!" a voice echoes, followed by the flap of wings, disturbing the dust around them.
You hide behind the oak tree, peeking behind it. It is a great distance from the scene. The dragon with its dragon rider takes off, leaving behind the two dragonkeepers. You look up, watching the dragon fly over the tree you're hiding behind.
"Sovēs," you mutter in fascination as your gaze stays on them.
Fascinated by the activity the Princess does, you heard the dragonkeepers call her when you first spotted them, depending on her frame of mind as you observed: agitated, in a foul mood, and happy. You follow her every time.
As part of their activity, you have noted that they land on the lake slightly farther from their takeoff place. The dragon drinks from the lake while the Princess sits on the big stone near it, just watching. When they are done, you follow them back, peeking, again, from behind the oak tree, watching the dragon lower its body so the Princess could slide off. The Princess halts for a moment, looking at the woods, before entering the carriage. You instantly hide yourself. Your heart starts to beat against your chest.
Darn it. Then, you go back to your cabin, picking some fruits, vegetables, and some herbs on your way. Then, you do the same on the following days. It became your activity every day, and when the Princess and her dragon and dragonkeepers are not there, you go back and collect some wood for your fuel.
This dragongazing, you named it, started when a scream woke you from a deep slumber. You grabbed your blade and followed it. You saw the white-haired girl on her knees, crying with her face buried in her hands. Then, a dragon nudged her, comforting her dragon rider. It was not the first time you saw a dragon. However, it was your time to see a girl with white hair. Her skin complexion matches it. You just stayed hidden, watching her from the darkness of the forest. It was cut short when you accidentally stepped on a branch, catching her attention.
"Who was that?" The girl perked up and looked around, trying to identify which direction it came from, and her dragon became alert, protecting her.
"Show yourself!" You glanced at her one more time before leaving the scene. From then on, you go to the lake just to watch her, with her dragon, rest. Burning with the desire to know, you trailed behind when they left the lake. You saw her takeoff location near the Dragonpit and not far from the big walls of the Red Keep. After that, that is where you go every morning.
Then, her presence became scarce, and one day, the girl with her dragon just stopped showing. A big trace of burnt was evident, and ashes were scattered on the ground when you went there one day in the hope of seeing her again.
Desolation starts to creep in on you. You went back to your usual morning routine without the Princess and her dragon. You drop the woods you collected when you saw a white deer eating your plant.
"You-..." you run after it, throwing a small stone to shoo the animal. You growl out of sanity to let out your frustration. It happens every time.
"When I catch you! I will have a great meal!" you scream before taking a deep breath and picking up the wood you collected, stacking it on the side. You check your plants and cut off the damaged parts with your blade.
A moon passed. A loud noise woke you up. It was not the sound you heard when the deer visited your cabin to destroy your plants. It was different. Someone was grunting with a squelch of a sharp blade hitting flesh. You cautiously follow it as it comes from a dense part of the forest. The sight of the dragon girl standing up from her knees, splashed with the blood of a wild boar, lying cold on the ground, covering her neck and soaking her dress, unfolded.
"She's alive," you mutter to yourself.
You watch the knight help her put the dead animal on the back of the horse and follow them to the cliff, where they talk about something you cannot hear. A moment later, you see the deer make an appearance, catching their and your attention. It is the same deer that kept eating your plants. The girl stops his companion from killing the deer.
'Good, 'cause I'll be the one to kill it.' You thought.
Burning with curiosity, you trailed behind until they reached their camp. Your gaze followed her as she dragged the dead boar behind her, a fierce, cold look written all over her demeanor. You did not stay long, as you accidentally stepped on a branch, attracting the attention of a couple of men guarding the area.
A couple of curses leave your lips as you run for your life, as the two men show no sign of letting you out of sight. You did not run back along the path to your cabin. You would be a fool if you did that. You ran in the opposite direction, leading to the same forbidden forest. They stop when you enter it.
You slump on the ground, resting your back against a tree, trying to catch your breath. That was the scariest thing that happened to you.
The next morning, the first thing you do is check your plants. They do not have any damage this time. You water them before grabbing a basket and a fishing rod, as you suddenly crave fish for your meal today. Deafening silence surrounds the path you walk on. Only your quiet humming and the rustling sounds your footsteps make can be heard. Nearing the location, you spotted the Princess sitting on the rock, and her dragon resting beside her.
A sigh left your lips. Your meal will be slightly delayed today. You hide behind a tree, though the darkness of the forest is enough to make you invisible, but you do not trust that.
A foolish bird flew in front of you. Petrified, it turns into a stone, hitting the ground in pieces. Your eyes sharpened at it before your attention went back to the Princess and her dragon, who were already looking in your direction.
"Who's that?" she called, slowly walking towards your direction with her dragon beside, ready to attack. You watch the Princess squint her eyes, trying to see through the darkness surrounding the place where you are standing.
"Who are you? I will not ask you twice?" You do not answer. Slowly, you walk backward, not taking your sight off them.
"Dracarys, Syrax," she commands. The dragon shoots a flame in your direction, making you stumble, and hiding yourself behind a tree.
The Princess catches sight of you hiding behind the tree. She commands her dragon to shoot one more to the other side, leaving you nowhere to run. The flames eat the surrounding trees in your area, defeating the darkness that was once protecting you.
"Don't come near me!" You shout.
"I don't take orders from anyone?"
You exhale as irritation infuriates you, "Just don't!"
However, the Princess did not listen. They both surprised you from both sides.
"No!" you shout, but it was too late. The Princess gets petrified, turning her into a stone. While her dragon is not affected by the hissing snakes on your head. The dragon snarls at you, making you step back from them, creating a distance.
"Dragon! Calm!" You say, putting a hand in front of you.
"You'll lose her if she breaks in that form," the dragon seemingly understands you, creates a distance between them while not taking its sharp eyes on you.
"I told you not to come near!"
"And you are a menace to me!" you say as you smack your palms on the serpents on your head. The bites they gave you made you stop.
You sit on the ground before lying completely on it.
"Now, we have to wait three days for her to go back to normal," you hear the dragon scoff.
"It's not my fault. You didn't listen." You look at the dragon glaring back.
"I just want a fish for my meal," you groan.
A moment later, you tried to go near the Princess, wanting her body to lie down so you would stop worrying about her falling to the ground in pieces. However, the dragon won't let you near her.
You collect your equipment from the ground, alerting the dragon.
"Chill, I'm going to fish. Do you want some?" The dragon turns away from you. It completely ignores your presence. Although the dragon seems to calm down around your presence now, it still won't let you near the Princess.
Once you finish fishing, the dragon knocks the basket out of your hand, spilling your catch. The next action of the dragon makes you flinch. It blows a fire on it, cooking it. It looks at you. You cautiously grab one, and the dragon eats the rest.
"Geez," you say before eating yours.
"This is good," you mouthfully say, "I thought it would taste like saliva."
After that, you go back to your cabin to get blankets. Tonight, you plan to sneak and try to lay the body of the Princess down while the dragon is resting. All day, there was not a moment when the wind blew without making your heart skip a beat. Initially, you planned to approach whoever was near the Red Keep to help the Princess be sent home, but you did not want to risk it. Asking for help means showing yourself to the world and risking being put behind bars... for safety. You do not want to leave this world yet. You will give the other idea a chance. It might work out. Hopefully, it does.
"Wish me luck," you say to yourself as you start to walk back to the lake with a lamp hanging on the cart you are pushing. Unlike most women, you feel safe walking at night as there are few or no people wandering at night in this part of the forest. Also, the nature around you seems to have become wary of your presence. No animal dares to come face-to-face with you or even around you. Mournfully.
When you came back, the dragon was already resting, and you noticed a blanket the beast was nestling in. Curiosity bubbles in your head, but you ignore it.
Its head perks up at the sound of the cart's wheel rolling on branches, but instantly goes back to the previous comfortable position once it sees that it was you.
You act normally as you push your cart near the petrified Princess.
"Do you think they would behead me because of this?" you ask, testing the waters to see if the dragon would pay attention to you. The dragon is still sleeping, and it lets out a low purr of agreement.
"I agree. I might be after this," you say, shaking out the blanket, folding it in half, before letting the air lay the blanket on the ground, behind the petrified Princess.
"You'll miss me for sure," the dragon grunts in disagreement. You lay the second blanket on top of the first one.
"Rude. But, hey! We are making a connection by being here, are we not?" you lay the third one.
"Your dragonrider is not a good listener, I presume." You lay the last one, before stretching your body in preparation for what you are about to do. The Princess' weight will be two to three times her weight in the petrified state.
Cautiously, you hug her cold body, bending your knees in a squat position as you slowly and gently lie her down, with your dominant right arm under her both shoulders for support. When the petrified body is already lying down, your arm gets stuck. A prick of sweat rolls down your forehead. You bite your lip as you conceal a cry of agony as you pull your arm.
You let out a sound of relief when you finally pried your arm. Standing up, you notice the dragon looking in your direction, looking down at its dragonrider, then at you.
You smile awkwardly. "Hi?" you say as you slowly walk backward away from the petrified princess.
"She's safer that way. See?" you say as you shake out the blanket.
"You want one?" you ask the dragon, showing the blanket. The dragon huffs before going back to sleep.
"What's with the attitude? You did not even help me. A 'thanks' would be much appreciated," you continue as you cover the petrified body with the extra blanket. Then, the last extra blanket, the small one, you lay on the ground for yourself.
"Goodnight, dragon. Watch over us." You lie down and turn your back on them.
"I hope they are not looking for her yet," you say before finally letting sleep and tiredness take over.
The next day, you feel a warm, scaly thing nudging you. You suddenly sit upright as you realize what it was.
"What?" you say, turning and having the dragon in proximity. The dragon nods its head behind her. You turn as you see a big slab of meat, partly cooked, partly burnt, on the charcoaled ground, which you assume to be the dragon's doing.
"Uh, thanks, dragon." You stand up and walk towards it. Feeling the dragon's eyes on you, you pinch the meat, but a big cut goes with it. You pluck a leaf from a nearby tree and make it your plate.
"It won't taste like your saliva, right?" you jest, earning a low grunt from the dragon. To your dismay, the dragon is still expecting you to devour the food it presents to you.
You bite off a small portion and chew it.
"Whose lamb is this?" you ask after you swallow. The dragon growled in disagreement.
"Ah, the lamb just happened to walk here?" the dragon nods.
"See? Where making a connection here," the dragon just lies down, ignoring you.
"Wow, thanks...but thank you for this," you say before going back to eating.
After that, you bid a temporary goodbye to the dragon and the petrified princess as you have to check your cabin and your plants and get supplies.
"I will be back as soon as I can."
You grab the cart and start pushing it. When you arrive, the cabin is the same as you left it yesterday. Your plants show no damage from being bitten. You sweep the twigs and branches of your yard. Then, bring necessary supplies, such as your favorite wooden mug, a small table, and your favorite books. You pick fresh fruits and a quite big pumpkin for your dragon friend from your little garden on your way out. You place them in your cart before locking your cabin and the small fence gate.
On your way back, as usual, silence envelops your surroundings. You gather a chunk of wood for tonight's fire.
You feel a little exasperated at yourself for putting the Princess in that position. However, in your defense, she did not listen. Somehow, that was partly her fault.
"How could she be a princess and not be a good listener?" you ask yourself, groaning as you try to push the cart as the path becomes bumpy.
The serpents on your head hiss in agreement, "Right?"
The dragon perks up at your arrival and ignores you again. You rummage through the cart. You place the woods in the middle, as the three of you form an acute triangle.
"This one is your snack," you say, placing the pumpkin near it. Surprised by your action, you no longer fear the dragon's presence.
The dragon nudges and smells it, and goes back to its position. You take it and place it back in the cart.
"I don't think you eat lemons," you say, looking back at it. But you are surprised to have the dragon's attention on you.
"Lemons?" you say one more time and notice a different behavior from the dragon.
"I see," you place three lemons in front of it, not the whole basket, as you want to make a lemon-squeezed drink later.
The sun has set. You are trying to start a fire with the two rubbing sticks, but the flame keeps failing.
"Can you help?" you ask the dragon, but it does not budge.
"I only know lykirī and sōvēs," you say.
You let out a frustrated groan," I guess we are not making a connection here," you say as you keep rubbing the pieces of wood.
It was only a moment later when it flamed. You pile a stack of wood in it to supply the flame. You stab the leftover meat with sticks before placing it beside the pieces of pumpkin on the stone slabs that you found near the lake.
After that, you place two stone slabs with meat, pumpkin, and lemons in front of the dragon. You have no knowledge of how much a dragon eats, but you hope it will be enough for it. You go back to your place and enjoy the meal.
You did the same routine on the third night in the woods. In the morrow, by ten, the petrified Princess will go back to normal. By that time, you will make sure that you are out of her sight, as you do not want to put her in the same position the second time. Hopefully, she will listen this time.
And that day has come.
Frightened by what may unfold if you are not cautious this time, you hid three trees away from where the petrified princess is lying down. You sit behind it and wait. Not long after, you start to hear a groan from her.
"Seven hells, I feel like I was stunned." You accidentally let out a laugh. The princess, slightly disoriented, becomes alert when she hears you.
"That's because of your aversion to listening," you say.
"Who are you? Show yourself," the princess says calmly this time.
"I cannot, or else you would be petrified, again."
"How did that happen?"
"Because I was cursed before I was even born," you say in a calm manner. You have accepted your fate. You are the cursed child of the Gods. The only explanation you could think of because you did not get one from your parents, as you petrified them right after you were born. It was not a surprise that you had serpents on your head because you were living in a world where magic and dragons existed.
"I have these things, serpents, in my head that when anyone looks at them, they turn to stone," you manage to state, though there is a lump in your throat. You never really acknowledged it until now.
"But I return to my original state...?"
"You are fortunate because you did not fall when that happened. Not a lot of the people and animals I petrified survived."
You were, in fact, surprised when the dragon did not turn to stone when it looked at you. This raises a number of questions for which you have no answer. The Princess frowns at the idea of not being able to witness your face. She did see you, but it was blurred and quick.
The rustling sounds reach your ears. They are coming from behind you, from where the Princess is. You pull out a piece of glass and use it to see behind you. The Princess is walking towards you.
"I told you to stay away," you say in some way, in a threatening manner, because you learned the Princess's inability to listen.
"Relax, I can't hear you this far. I will just sit behind you," she explains. True to her words, the Princess sits behind you, with her back against the tree.
"How many are you in there?"
"Only I," no words are uttered after that.
"The silence is deafening here. I'm not used to this," she says.
"That is because nature knows I am here."
"Oh," though it came out as a whisper, you still heard it. The Princess receives the message behind it.
"I'm sorry. It must be lonely,"
"I'm used to it," you reply.
"I am Rhaenyra. What's yours?" she asks. "I figured we haven't properly introduced each other," she rambles. She smiles when she hears a small laugh from you.
"I'm Elyssia," you say.
"We can still touch, right?" Rhaenyra suddenly asks, confusing you.
"Huh?"
Rhaenyra laughs, "I mean, here. Look to your right."
You look to your right and see her hand.
"I haven't tried it," you say as you turn to reach it. The Princess patiently waits for you to reach it. Her hand slightly shakes as an indication of stiffness, but she does not say anything.
You hesitated for a moment before finally reaching and wrapping your hand around her.
"There, nice to meet you," she shakes back.
"You have a soft hand," you hear her, making you flush. It is probably due to the herbs you are using for your tea and bath.
Rhaenyra's hand is a bit rough, maybe due to the intense grip on the reins attached to her dragon to control it.
"Then, my dragon's name is Syrax; she is a she-dragon," she explains, withdrawing her hand. You frown at the loss of warmth.
"I am hopeful she did not do anything harmful when I was petrified," she says.
"She did not do anything aside from growling when I came near you," you hear Syrax scoff.
She laughs, "She can be like that to new people."
"She was good company," you say, looking at the she-dragon, smiling.
The sky is getting gloomy above. You stand up, dusting off your long skirt.
"I think you should go, Rhaenyra." You say. Behind the tree, the Princess catches herself smiling at the sound of her name. No one calls her by her full name, except Alicent.
"Your parents might be looking at you. You've gone for three days now," you say, looking at the trunk.
"I doubt it," you hear her say. You refrain from asking.
"But alright, I'd better get going as it will rain," she says, observing the sky before standing up.
"Syrax, māzis." The dragon goes to where her dragonrider is.
"You as well, my lady."
"I will," you say. You watch them from the small glass. Syrax lowers her body for Rhaenyra to get on the saddle.
Rhaenyra looks back one last time and sees the small glass peeking behind the tree. She smiles. You catch it.
"Sōvēs, Syrax!" Rhaenyra says. You mutter the words as well.
Syrax flaps her wings and takes off. Only then, when you go out of your hiding. Your gaze never left them until they were out of sight.
A sigh left your lips. The silence you are used to surrounds you. You never hated it until now. There are no dragons' snores. No scoffs. No low grunts and growls.
You stop on your track when you see the blankets folded neatly in your cart, along with the utensils you brought. A small smile etches onto your face.
In the following days, there were no sightings of Rhaenyra and her dragon on their takeoff when you went there. You feel a bit disappointed, but she is probably prohibited from continuing her activity because she has been missing for three days. Maybe she has an important duty to attend to as a Princess of the Realm. You might not be there, but you are aware of the world around you.
Tranquility envelops you at the thought of her having her parents, who worry about her and look after her. You turn your back and start walking back to your cabin.
You are too occupied in your head while gathering fallen branches and herbs on your way back. Too occupied, you do not hear someone running after you while calling your name.
A hand reaches toward yours, and a body collides with your back, startling you. You drop the basket, scattering its contents, making you grip onto the arm wrapped around your midsection and the hand that reaches your right hand for balance. The hand is familiar to you. It is Rhaenyra's.
Rhaenyra's forehead is pressed against your right shoulder as she catches her breath.
"You...are difficult to call," she says.
"I did not hear you. And, I can't exactly risk turning around," you speak matter-of-factly.
You miss her warmth when she pulls away, creating a small distance, but her hand stays.
"You're right." Rhaenyra has not looked up. Eyes still closed.
"You're going back?" she asks.
"Yes. I thought you weren't there. I just picked up woods and herbal plants," you say, looking at your basket on the ground.
"Oops, apologies, my lady." Rhaenyra withdraws her hand and starts picking up your plants and woods.
"Do not look at me," you say as you pick up the basket and its contents.
"Yes, madam!" you hear her say, eliciting a small scoff from you.
"But can I still look at the back of your head?" she asks.
"I-... I actually don't know. Did you look at my head when you were running after me?"
"Yes," she says, putting what she has collected in your basket. One question from your list has been answered.
"I think you are safe. As long as you do not look at the serpents' eyes," you say.
"That's good then," you squeak when you feel her presence beside you. Not behind you.
"Do not do that, you imbecile," you say, turning your back on her.
"You say as long as I do not look at the serpents, I'm good." Rhaenyra protests and stands beside you.
"See?" she says.
"Yes. Yes," you feel her reach for the basket. You try to get it back, but she holds it away from you. You do not want to risk it, so you let her.
"What do you know about your serpents so far?" she asks, starting to walk.
"A few," you follow a couple of steps behind.
"Are you really going in this direction?" you ask.
"Yes. I want to compensate for the days of my absence. Life in the court happened." Her voice came out soft as she explained.
"Have I told you I am a princess?" she says the latter in a dull tone.
"It's alright, you know. And no, you did not mention it last time, but I know. Your dragonkeepers call you that every time."
"You have a beautiful place," Rhaenyra says when you arrive at your cabin.
"Thanks," you say as you open the small fence, entering first. Your eyes land on the plants and the half-eaten pumpkins.
"Fucking deer," you whisper.
"Huh?"
"The deer keeps eating my plants, and now my pumpkins," you say with dramatic hand gestures. You make a mental note to remove it later, before proceeding inside the cabin. Rhaenyra, a couple of steps behind you, is looking around.
"Can I have the basket, please?" you reach out behind.
"Would you like something to drink, water, tea?"
"Tea would be fine," she says.
"You can sit," you say when you feel her standing awkwardly behind you.
"I-...uh-, thanks," Rhaenyra sits down on the wooden chair. She just watches your back while you make the tea, tapping her fingers on the table. You can feel her eyes on your back. You are trying your best to ignore it and not let it affect you.
It does not take time for the kettle to start whistling. Finally. You pour two cups and put them on a wooden tray.
"How are you sitting?" you ask.
"Uh, facing you?"
"Please turn around,"
"Alright," she says, but does not make a move to turn, even to her side. However, you turn around, trying not to spill your drink. You look up to see Rhaenyra facing you, but her eyes stay on the table.
"I told you...!"
"I did not turn to stone...-include that in your list of answers," she states mischievously.
"You-...You are experimenting." You place the tray on the table and look at her crown.
"I'm merely helping you get your answers."
A sigh escapes your lips. You place a cup in front of her and hear a small 'thank you'. You sit on the chair beside, leaving a distance. You can't risk it. At least, in this position, you have a little control.
A comfortable silence envelops the two of you. Your fingers silently drum against the mug, feeling the warmth of the tea on your palms and fingertips, as you do not know how to fill the silence. This is the first time you have had a visitor in your cabin. You never had anyone visit you or accompany you for tea. The lack of conversation is evidence of your lifelong isolation. However, you offered your cabin and a drink to a stranger. That is something. Something that Rhaenyra is grateful for.
"Seems like you escaped an event in the palace," you tried after taking a sip, trying to fill the silence that you had once embraced
"I did not. I left after the ceremony," she says, eyes still on the cup in front of her. She tilts her head to her side, towards you. Her gaze shifts to yours, then slightly goes upwards, trying to test how far her eyes can look at the girl in front of her.
"Ceremony?" you ask, unaware of her little experiment.
"Ceremony of fealty," she says before continuing, "The King declares me as his heir to the Iron Throne, and the allies pledge their loyalty to me." She takes a sip, trying to shake off her sorrow.
"Throne of Iron swords?"
"Yes. Made out of swords of the slain enemies."
"Must be nice," you say, not sure which information you're referring to as "nice".
"It is not when you are a girl inheriting the power to rule. They would perhance turn their backs on me when it was my turn. Now, they are already trying to replace me with my father's bastard, if he has one." It is not covert to the crown that the enemies are in search of the King's bastard son to replace her. Something that the King elucidated to the council and to Rhaenyra as untrue and deceitful, to have them destroyed.
In your peripheral view, you see her look down at her hands wrapped around the warmth of the cup.
"And don't you have a brother to carry that burden that you called Ironthrone?"
"I did have one, but he died at birth, which almost cost my mother's life. I am their last option," she sighs, shrugging off the heavy and cold feeling in her chest.
"I thought the King's words were the law? The people should accept you," you say, not certain of how it works.
"I don't have a cock," she says.
"Men would rather put the realm to the torch than see a woman ascend the Iron Throne," you listen, letting her express her frustrations as the sole thing you can offer.
Being in her shoes is something you would not want to be in. You would rather choose the situation you are already in, alone and untroubled by any expectations, than have a title in the court, yet no one respects your position and believes in your capability to rule.
"I pledge my loyalty to you," you whisper enough for her to hear.
It was not a pity. It's a promise you chose the moment you saw her mount that dragon many moons ago.
You do not know what you are getting yourself into. Having nothing to lose makes you brave or stupid. Maybe both. You don't know. Regardless of only meeting her for the second time, you know one thing for sure: you would give it all for her.
Feeling warmth spread from her cheeks to the tips of your ears, you look down, tilting your head away from what her peripheral view can see.
"My serpents agree," you say.
Rhaenyra let out a small laugh, "Thank you." At that moment, the princess decided she would do the same thing for you.
The clandestine meetings became more frequent than you had imagined. You would still go to the Dragonspit to watch her take off. She always looks your way before flying. You two would meet at the place where it all started, where she had obstinately ignored your plea and petrified herself. Then you two would walk to your cabin for tea.
Rhaenyra would recklessly experiment with ways you two could see each other without her ending up petrified. The princess had already given up denying herself what she wanted. She longs to see you. All of you. Not just what her peripheral view can offer.
The Princess is once again in your cabin. This time, instead of sitting in your chair and watching your back, she is standing beside you, helping. The Princess helped you harvest lemons, as it is the harvest season, and volunteered to consume them.
"Who would have thought I would see the Princess of Seven Kingdoms squeezing lemons?" you jest as you whisk the lemon juice in your bowl of flour.
Lemon cake. Rhaenyra's request: you can't say no to. That's the first time you will make it. The first time you hear about lemon in a cake. Your lemons usually end up being either a drink or an air mist. You honestly have no idea what you are doing or how it will taste and turn out, but you know how to bake. You will leverage that knowledge and experiment with how to make that lemon cake.
The intelligent guess that Rhaenyra has no knowledge of baking or anything about the kitchen brings you comfort, as she will not know about your inexperience in making lemon cakes.
You put a little more lemon juice in the mixture before tasting it on a clean utensil. 'Not bad,' you say in your head before proceeding to the next procedure.
"You must be special," Rhaenyra says as she does your instruction to squeeze the cut lemons into a flagon of water.
Rhaenyra keeps her eyes on her hand as she converses with you. It took her a whole lot of discipline and practice because she is not used to not having her gaze dance on the face of the speaker she is talking to.
"I must be the most fortunate girl in this kingdom." Not being able to see each other eye-to-eye is somehow a blessing in disguise, as she cannot see how her words affect you.
There is a comfortable silence between you; only the whisk of the flour and the slosh of water can be heard.
"Can I see you?" you hear her ask.
You frown, "Huh?" You may not know if there were words before that question, as your head must have been floating to miss it.
"What I mean to say... You mentioned that as long as I do not get eye-to-eye with your serpents, I will be alright. Does that mean I can still look at you?"
You hum as you try to recall the written do's and don'ts in the notebook your late guardian gave you. You did not have a company before the Princess came; you never considered remembering what was written about looking in your eyes.
"I don't know." You let the silence linger. "I never had someone before; I did not pay attention to that part in my chapbook."
"You have a chapbook?" you hear her ask behind you as you put the mixture in the small horno filled with fire.
"Yes. It was drafted by a woman who became my guardian."
"Where is she now?"
"She passed away long ago. She was the only person who stood by me." You pause. "Her name was Thelma. She explored ways to take care of a poor babe without turning her into stone. Hence, she made a chapbook containing the mystery of my serpents." You say as you put more wood on the fire
"I condole with you," Rhaenyra wants to offer you comfort, but she doesn't know how.
"I appreciate it." You take a deep breath.
"I think I am done with my specialty," you hear her say, grateful for redirecting the conversation.
You scoff at the last word, "Let's see." You grab the tankard near the flagon of Rhaenyra's "specialty," then pour the juice for you to taste.
"Hmmm," you hum after taking a sip.
"Acceptable," you say.
The Princess takes offense at your choice of words, "Acceptable?"
You ignore her whine as you rummage through your herbs. You grab cilantro and mint leaves, and an extra flagon. You can feel her eyes on the back of your head as you cut the leaves, then put them in a separate tankard before pouring the lemon juice.
"Here, try it," you say, sliding the two tankards in front of her. "On your right is your 'specialty' with cilantro, and the other is with mint."
"It is not a poison," you say when you see her not making a move in your peripheral view.
"I know," she says before taking the first sip, the one with cilantro.
She coughs after tasting the first cup, "I dislike this one. It tastes like a cleanser."
You grab the tankard containing what she calls a cleanser in disbelief and take a sip.
"It's not. You are exaggerating," you say.
"I'm not," she says, then takes a sip of the other lemon juice. "Ooh, I like this one," she says. You grab the other cup and drink it.
After that, Rhaenyra arranges the table, and you check the mixture. It is now fluffy and embossed. You put it out, and as you got burned from holding it too long, you gently set it on the nearby table. However, it turns out that the cloth you used is very thin, a sign of frequent usage.
"Are you alright?" Rhaenyra asks, sensing something is wrong despite not hearing you hiss.
"I'm alright," you say as you stick in a small stick to check the cake.
"Perfect," you mumble, leaving it to rummage through your utensils to serve it. Then, you go to the table to find her already sitting, looking down at her hands on the table, playing with her accessories.
"Here is your lemon cake, Your Grace." You say with a hint of jest in your tone. Rhaenyra detests it when you call her that instead of her name.
"Thank you, my lady." Seven hells, you want to dislike that, but every time she calls you that, you get flushed for some unknown reason.
Rhaenyra cuts the cake and puts a slice on your plate first, then takes hers. Her gesture makes you feel things you can't put into words. Your lips quirk up before you take the seat beside her.
You mutter a small 'thank you' before you take a bit of the cake. Both of your heads nod as you two savor it.
"How was it?" you ask after you swallowed.
"The finest I have ever tasted," you chuckle at the compliment.
"If you say so."
"It's true!"
"We shall make this every week," Rhaenyra declares beside you. You look at her plate; it is empty, and its owner is down for the second serving.
"We'll turn to lemons. Fantastic," you say sarcastically. You know that the Princess is not jesting when it comes to lemon cakes.
Rhaenyra gently bumps her shoulder against yours.
"You'll love it." You know yourself; you will.
A comfortable silence settles after the flagon is drained and the lemon cake is murdered.
"Have you tried putting on a chapeau?" she asks, looking at her empty plate.
"I tried. They did not like it." Hearing her sigh makes you feel guilty. Rhaenyra knows that. She reaches for your hand to stop you from fidgeting.
One day, you two were having tea and talking about her day in the court as an heir when you heard a familiar rustle coming from outside.
"Ah, she came back," you say as you make your way outside, not excusing yourself from Rhaenyra.
"What-..." Rhaenyra's eyes follow you when your back is facing her. Then her gaze landed on the white hart in your garden, which you were trying to shoo.
"Stop! Don't," you heard her voice, and you did.
"It's a rare sight."
Not for you.
You saw Rhaenyra carefully walk towards it, trying not to spook it.
"Was it?" She does not answer you, as her whole focus is on the deer.
"Yes! Now, shhh," she hushes.
You peek behind the door as you watch her. The Princess held out a hand as if she were trying to tame a dragon while uttering, "Calm. It's alright," to it. Her hand was about to touch it, but the deer turned away, running. It looks at her one last time before completely leaving.
Disappointment is evident on her shoulder. You hide yourself behind the door, resting your back on it, when you feel that she is turning back.
"I just want to touch it," she groans.
"It's not a dragon, Nyra." A small laugh escapes your lips.
"I know it's not a dragon!"
—
Rhaenyra went back to the castle that night. The white hart that appeared the second time in her life in your cabin was supposed to be in her mind, as it is a good omen for her as an heir. It was you, instead.
It was you who kept her awake at night. Your voice. Your small laughs. The feeling when she was sitting beside you. She thought it was just a simple admiration for friendship that was blossoming when she thought of you. But then, she realizes it is deeper than that. She cannot go through her day without the tranquility of your company and the random subjects you two talk about. Your presence is enough to fuel her to accomplish her duty in the court. A sour mood is left with her when she could have come to you. Even Alicent senses it. However, she only correlates it with seeing and not seeing Syrax.
Rhaenyra was staring at the canopy of her bed when the feeling sank in. She did not know that she preferred the company of women to that of men. She rarely has one. She has the company of her ladies-in-waiting and Alicent, but no one ever makes her feel the things she feels with you. With them, she is constantly under pressure from expectations and performance, but with you, she is at peace and can be her truest self.
She did not fight the winning feeling of somnolence. It was you in her mind when it did.
The next day, after she quickly eats her breakfast, Rhaenyra excuses herself immediately. Aemma was discreetly watching her daughter the moment she entered the hall.
"Where are you headed?"
"To the Street of Looms," she says. Viserys straightened his back at the words as he placed his cup down.
"Do you not find your clothes to your liking?" her mother inquires.
"I am to buy Syrax another blanket. Her old blanket is already ruined," she reasons. It is not what she really intends to do there. Although a part of it is true, it is only her secondary objective and a cover-up for her true objective.
"Very well," the King agrees, though he knows it is not what his daughter intended to do. He does not wish to dictate what she does to her beast, as he did not like being told what to do when he had one.
"Ser Criston will accompany you to your escapades," the King nodded to the knight standing not far from them. He moves forward and stands behind the Princess.
"That is settled then. I'd better get going," her parents could not say or do anything but watch their daughter turn her back on them and walk out of the dining hall. The Knight is following behind her, trying to match her pace.
"Your daughter is something else," Viserys says.
"She's yours too," Aemma glares.
Rhaenyra arrives at Fleabottom on a horse, with Ser Criston following behind. Neither of them is wearing their court attire, but rather a simple one. Rhaenyra is wearing trousers and a loose top, her usual riding attire. Simple, yet she makes it look elegant. If one sees her, they will not consider it simple attire.
She can feel the eyes on her. She ignores it, hops off her horse, and gives her horse's rope to Criston.
"Stay, Princess," Criston says as he goes away from her to park their horses, not far from where she is standing.
Rhaenyra ignores him and still walks to the street of looms. Pieces of fabric are either on the ground or floating in the air.
Most vendors offer her their merchandise, which she politely declines.
Her true objective is to buy you the finest, softest fabric. You mentioned that your serpents don't like being covered. Rhaenyra thinks they may require a certain fabric that will not irritate them, like her dragon.
Consider this as one of her experiments on how she can see you without being turned to stone. The Princess is hopeful that this will work.
She found a fabric boutique that sells the wools and cottons she is looking for. She bought a yard each and bought a couple of yards for Syrax.
Rhaenyra commissions the boutique to make a headscarf and a blanket for her dragon.
The boutique refuses to let her pay, as it is rare for them to have a customer from the palace, and people start coming in to buy their merchandise when the Princess enters, either to trail her or to genuinely buy. Either way, they are still customers.
"It is only right that I pay for what I get and for the labor," she says as she pushes the currency to the lady.
"If you insist, my Princess. The finished fabrics will be dispatched immediately." The lady says as she signals her couturières to get her chosen fabrics.
"Please, do not put everything behind for my commissions," she says, still looking at the other fabrics.
The old lady tries to reason, but she cuts her off: "It is a command."
"Of course, my Princess. They'll be transported to the gate once finished," Rhaenyra turns and smiles at the lady.
"Very well. Thank you for your service."
"The pleasure is ours, Your Grace." The lady and her couturières and helpers vow.
Rhaenyra and Criston returned to the Red Keep and went straight to her duties in court. She did not come to visit you today, as she mentioned she would not be able to because she had something to do. She did not tell you exactly about the commission, but she told you about buying Syrax a new one.
The next couple of moon rises, she did not get to visit your cabin because Daemon happened. He is causing the court problems, and she is needed there. She informed you that after she left your "lemon cake day", as she names it.
Later that day, her uncle summons her to the throne and gives her a necklace crafted of Valyrian steel, which symbolizes both of their heritage. She was grateful for the gift. However, when the night swallowed the whole sky, Daemon lured her to the brothel. He tries to kiss her, but she pulls away.
"Are you out of your mind?" she says.
Daemon looks at her before he leaves her there. She clutches the hood over her head to hide her hair when she goes out of the brothel. She snatches a bottle of liquor on her way.
She is upset and mostly angry. She wishes to all existing Gods that no one had recognized her. Rhaenyra chugs the whole bottle as she walks. Her feet take her to her dragon.
The liquor is already taking effect on her when she reaches the dragon pit. Her body slams against the door, waking most of the dragons there. Syrax immediately stands when she sees her dragon rider. Rhaenyra climbs on her, not securing herself, and she mutters soves.
—
You have not slept that long yet when you are awakened by the loud bang on your door. You light up your lamp before leaving your bedroom. The loud bang continues.
"Seven hells," you say, as you place the lamp on the nearby counter.
When you open the door, a person in a boy's clothes stumbles in, landing on you. You help the boy, and when the lamp's light reaches the person's face, you recognize her.
"Nyra?" you call. She hums, still eyes closed. Rhaenyra is still aware of the curse despite being intoxicated.
"You are intoxicated." The alcohol is reeking in her breath, which you can smell due to proximity as you help her to her feet.
"Do not open your eyes," you help her sit on your couch.
"I'm still aware of it, my lady." Then she leans her body against it, opens her eyes, and stares at the ceiling.
"Drink," you place a wooden mug full of water on the small table in front of her.
You take a seat beside her and watch her. "Drink. I will not have you complaining about your throbbing head in the morrow," you say for the second time when she has not made a move.
"I'm angry at myself," she says after she finishes her drink.
"I was not thinking. How could I not see what he was doing? He wants the throne. He lured me there and kissed me." Your stomach drops at the mention of the last words. You ignore it as you listen to her.
"Who are we talking about here?"
"Daemon."
"Your uncle kissed you?" You may not have a family, but you know what should not transpire between relatives of the same blood.
"I-... We have this tradition of marrying our relatives to keep the bloodline pure and to keep control of dragons. It's strange, I know. I loath it," she says, sniffling.
"I wanted it to be you," she says in a mix of whining and crying.
"Me?" you ask. Your heart beats against your chest. You have no words to reply to her.
"Yes, Elyssia!" she says as if it is the most obvious thing in the realm.
"I don't know exactly when it happened." In her mind, she is terrified of what it could mean for your friendship and how you would react. She is not supposed to be saying this, drunk and a mess. She should be saying this to you when she can see your face and look you directly in the eyes.
Silence lingers for a while before she continues.
"Maybe it was in the middle of an ordinary conversation, when you laughed at my jest that was not even funny at all. Maybe it was the way you listened when I talked, making me feel every word I said mattered. Or maybe it was not one moment at all," she shrugs, sniffling.
"Perhaps it was a hundred small moments that quietly found their way into my heart," she says quietly, thinking that maybe if she whispers it would lessen her vulnerability.
"I tried to convince myself it was just an admiration. I swear. That-... that I would get over it, get over you if I gave it enough time. But every time something happened, you were the first person I wanted to tell. Every time I saw something beautiful, I wondered if you'd like it too," she laughs as her mind takes her back to the time when one of their dragon laid eggs, and she was so delighted to tell you that, and even wanted to give you one so you could have a dragon, but you declined. The time when she immediately left the throne room to fly to you, the day she was announced as the heir.
Despite the lack of socialization, it was not difficult to differentiate the change in Rhaenyra's behavior towards you. It was hostile when you two first met, but it became nice and friendly later on. Then, as the days passed, you became an exception to all her rules. Very considerate and patient. She even listens to you now, contrary to her aversion to listening before.
"Somehow, without realizing, you became part of my thoughts, every night and day." It is true. Rhaenyra even started measuring moments by the space you could have filled in them. Every new experience came with the same quiet thought, 'I wonder what this would feel like if you were here with me.'
"I am not expecting anything. I just want to be honest and know where we stand, rather than spend months wondering what could have been," she finished, wiping her face with the back of her hand.
Rhaenyra has everything she could have asked for. But at the moment, she is asking all the existing gods in the realm to have you. She has two things planned out for either of the outcomes of this sudden drunk confession; one, if her confession is returned, she would marry you, as it is easy to make new rules when the throne was passed to her; two, if not, then she would continue her reign and do her duty, rule the Seven Kingdoms, marry a man, and have an heir.
"I'm glad you told me. I am not good with words, but... I like you too, Rhaenyra." You hear her sigh and laugh. You get confused at first, but then you remember she is drunk.
"Really?" she asks, not believing the words she heard. You just watch her side, then reach for her hand. You watch your hands lace. It feels like it is meant to be like that.
You move closer, and thoughtlessly, your hand hovers over her closed eyes while the other supports your weight as you straddle her. She groans at the sudden contact but relaxes when she realizes it was just you. Her hands find their way to your sides as if they have been there.
"Don't open your eyes," you remind her as you slowly take your hand off her eyes. Your gaze dances on her face. It is your first time seeing her up close. You wonder what her eyes look like.
You cover her eyes again. "I hope you are not too intoxicated for this," you say, then your eyes land on her lips.
"I am quite sober now," with all those pumping that her heart made drain the alcohol in her system.
Rhaenyra is, in fact, waiting for your next move, albeit a little impatient. She can feel your breath hitting her skin.
You peck her lips.
"I hope that was alright," you say as you watch a smile form on her lips.
"That's more than alright," she replies, then her hands leave your waist, placing them on both sides of your neck, pulling you for another kiss.
A sign left your lips, then you kissed back. Your free hand finds its way on the side of her neck. Rhaenyra tilts her head to deepen the kiss. She takes the opportunity to slide her tongue when your lips part, causing you to hum at the feeling.
Both of you slowly pull away.
"That's better," Rhaenyra says breathlessly.
Neither of you pulls away from your position.
Rhaenyra lifts both her hands, halting before her fingers touch your skin. "Can I?" she asks.
"Yes," you say, quietly. Her fingers gently touch your face. Starting from your forehead, going downwards. She memorizes each touch since she cannot fully see your face. You instinctively kiss her fingers when they touch your lips. Rhaenyra smiles at the gesture.
Then her hands cautiously touch your serpents. They make no hostile movements, nor a hiss when she does it. You notice they are calm when she is around and guarded when she is not.
"They are beautiful," she whispers as she gently pets them, feeling the smooth scales against her fingers. Each touch is a silent gratitude for protecting you.
"You're beautiful," you hear her say, then her hands position on the side of your neck before pulling you for another kiss. This time it is quick.
After that, you plan to go back to prepare the other room for Rhaenyra to sleep in, as you do not want her to go back. The sun is not up yet.
You try to get off her, but she stops you, wrapping her arms around your waist.
"No! Stay. I'm at ease in this position," she says.
"You are not," you argue.
"Stay for a moment, please?" you sigh, giving in. You lay your head on her shoulder, snuggling close.
"Just for a moment," you mumble.
A moment later, you are about to doze off when you remember you two need to go to bed, as you do not want you two to have sore muscles in the morrow.
"No," Rhaenyra groans when she feels you moving.
"We'll worry about sore muscles in the morrow. For now, I want you close," her voice is a little raspy.
"No, Rhaenyra." You say firmly as you try to wiggle your way out of her grip, but your effort does not make a shift in her hold.
"Very well," she says, then loosens her grip but places her firm hold on your hips. She sits up straight before standing up, making you squeal and cling to her.
"Put me down!" You order, but she ignores it as she carefully and blindly navigates her way to your bedroom.
She manages to have you both under cover in the same position on the couch, but this time your bodies will not ache in the morning.
"Now, sleep." She says, tightening her arm around you. You want to protest, but the drowsiness wins and stops you from fighting.
"I hate you," she chuckles, pulling you closer.
The next day, she appears at the council, then goes to her room, where Elinda had placed her shipment from the boutique. She opens the box to check them.
"For Syrax," she says, pulling it out to check for defects. When she finds none, she hands it to Elinda, who folds it and places it back in the box neatly.
"And for Elyssia," she pulls out three headscarves and two bonnets, neutral in color.
"They are beautiful, my Princess." Rhaenyra looks at her in agreement.
"Thank you, Elinda. Now, accompany me to the dragon pit," she says. The lady-in-waiting helps her with the boxes, then they head out of the castle.
"If my mother and father look for me, tell them I'm flying Syrax," she says after she settles on the saddle.
"Yes, Princess," Elinda replies before standing beside the dragon keepers and watching the Princess take off with the box securely tied in front of her.
—
Across the vast land from King's Landing, you are preparing for the lemon day. You reach for the harvested lemons in your pouch and place them in the basket on the table. Then, you start pounding the dried leaves, mixing them. You brew them as you wait for her arrival.
Not long after you place the pot on the burning wood, you hear the rustling of dried leaves outside. You try to listen closely as the sound of the footsteps is different from what you used to hear when she arrives. It is precise and quiet, seemingly trying not to let her know of their presence. You catch sight of the intruders and crouch down when you see one of them take a peek in the window. Swiftly, you move towards the fireplace and grab the bow displayed above it and a sheaf of arrows near it, slinging it on your back.
The intruders began ramming the door. You take a deep breath as your heart starts to pound against your sternum. With shaky hands, you carefully nock the arrow onto the string below the brass bead.
The sound of a breaking window startled you. Still in the crouching position, you move towards the thick wood in the middle of the cabin, serving as the foundation of the house, and stand with your back against it. Your eyes catch one intruder already inside, opening the front door for the others.
"What do you want?" you shout, gripping the readily drawn arrow, not caring if that had your presence known to the intruders.
The atmosphere suddenly goes quiet. One intruder advances inside, unsheathing his sword, holding it with both hands as he quietly moves towards the thick wood in the middle.
But then, your ears perk up at the hushed movements. You draw your small mirror and peek into it to check. Without a thought, you show yourself, startling the intruder and turning him into stone, while the others squeeze their eyes shut as they turn their head away from the sight. You take that as an opportunity to run to the back door, fleeing from the scene.
"Follow her!" was the last thing you heard as you ran without looking back.
Rhaenyra is about to land near your cabin when she sees three horses in front of your yard. No one goes there except for her.
Then, she sees you burst out running from the back of the cabin with two men following you. She commands Syrax, her eyes never leaving you. Her fists grip the reins as she guides her dragon near the scene.
"Fuck," she mutters as she loses sight of you because of the thick leaves and branches. She guides Syrax over the trees, trying to see if the flap of her wings could disturb it.
Then, the trees become scarce. She sees you already limping.
"Crouch down!" you hear her shout, and you did. Then, you feel the wind hit your body as the dragon flies over you.
Without a thought, "Dracarys!" Rhaenyra commands her dragon, drawing a line of fire between the two men and you.
Rhaenyra commands another one when she notices the two men show no signs of leaving you alone. This time, the flame is aiming at them. Fortunately for them, the Princess has no intention of killing them. She wants them to carry the message back to where they came from that the person they are hunting is protected by a dragonrider.
They land just beside you. Syrax is facing the direction from which the two intruders are standing en guarde, roaring and walking towards them when they do not make a move. Rhaenyra slides down her dragon, holding a cloth, hastening towards you. She gently places the cloth over your head, covering your serpents.
She has thought about it. She has no concern about the outcome of what she is about to do because she is desperate. Rhaenyra is longing to see you.
Heart beating against her chest.
"You're alright. You are safe now," she mutters, as her shaky hands secure the scarf on your chin. She expects the serpents to hiss at her, but it does not come. She crouched down in your position, trying to look at your face. But you are too stubborn to look at her.
She knows you are too shaken to stop her, as she feels your grip on her forearm. She cups your face, gently making you face her. A hope blooms in her chest when she does not turn to stone.
Her eyes dance around your face. Trying to memorize it, just in case it does not work out.
Feeling her heart in her ears, "Look at me," she whispers.
"Are you certain?" your voice came out weakly.
She chuckles, "I am certain."
"What if this does not work out?" you ask, scared of what it could mean to both of you.
"Then, you will wait for three days," she says, earning a small laugh from you.
"We will forget about this, and we will continue what we are used to doing...with our eyes closed," her words feel like a promise.
It calms your mind and your nerves.
You exhale a shaky breath you don't know you are holding before slowly opening your eyes. You squeeze your eyes shut when you see a glimpse of her. Then, you try once again, and this time you do not squeeze shut.
"It works!" Rhaenyra celebrates, not pulling her hands away from your face.
You gently touch your head. They are calm under your touch, which is new. For as long as you have been alive, they have detested being covered. You have tried many times, and each time you ended up being bitten.
"Are they alright? Are they irritated? Agitated?" she asks worringly as she sees your teary eyes.
"It works," you say, feeling the immense happiness as it finally sinks in. It works.
"I'm sorry. I did not ask permission to do t-..."
"Thank you," you say.
"You are welcome," she says, helping you up. Once you two are standing up right, she cannot look away from you.
"You're staring," you point out, suddenly becoming timid under her gaze.
"I-... uh-.. Sorry. I can't resist not looking. You're beautiful," she says, scratching her name.
"You are too, don't worry. You still have the title of 'The Realm's Delight,'" you tease.
"Oh, shut up!" you laugh loudly, knowing how she dislikes that title.
There is a brief silence between you two.
"I don't know how to do this without embarrassing myself," she says.
"Close your eyes," you mutter.
Rhaenyra is confused but obeys you. She closes her eyes, putting her hand behind her back, interlacing.
You step closer, eyes dancing on her face. You put your hands on the sides of her neck while you rise up on your toes and kiss her. The kiss is supposed to be brief, but her hands snake around your waist, pulling you back.
In between the kisses, Syrax scoffs impatiently beside you two. You are about to pull away, but she pulls you back.
"Ignore her."
Rhaenyra is the one who slowly pulls away, controlling herself, as she does not want to make you feel uncomfortable. She looks at Syrax momentarily, trying to calm herself, but her other hand remains on your side.
"Have you ridden a dragon?"
"No, but... uh... no thanks," you say, pulling away and starting to walk, cursing yourself for forgetting your injured leg.
"Come on," Rhaenyra says, catching your hand and pulling you back.
"You are injured. It's getting dark. It's not safe," she reasons.
"Syrax would love to take you for a ride," she says, when you are still walking, pulling her behind. The dragon growls, showing her sharp teeth, as if it would make any difference.
It takes you completely collapsing due to a wrong step, sending sharp pain through your injured leg, before you agree. Rhaenyra catches you on time before you sit on the ground. She squats down, bending her knees, placing one arm on your shoulder and the other under your knees, and stands up, lifting you up.
The action startles you, but you make no protest and let her lift you as she walks towards Syrax. She put you down before helping you climb on the saddle.
"You won't feast on me, right, Syrax?" you ask, petting her. The she-dragon let out a low growl as she waited for her rider to hop on.
"Are you ready?"
"I don't know," you answer as your arm tightens around Rhaenyra.
She let out a small laugh, holding your clasped hands, "Sōvēs!"
In the fading twilight, you two are flying in the sky. Rhaenyra takes a couple of detours to show you the world you have missed growing up. The dragonrider explains the history, infamous story, or folklore about the place as you listen with your chin resting on her shoulder, still not unclasping your hands.
That night, she did not take you back to your cabin. Instead, she took you to King's Landing, to the palace, as it was not safe for you to be back at your place because the hunters already knew it. And this had become one of her reasons to convince you to stay.
—
The throne is filled with murmurs when Rhaenyra does not emerge from the door when the guard calls her name. The King stands up from the throne to look for her daughter in the crowd. You search in the crowd but find no sight of her.
"Dear, do you know where she might be?" Aemma asks you, placing a gentle hand on your shoulder.
"I'll look for her," you say, before abruptly leaving the throne without hearing any command from anyone.
You look in the places where she could be, only to find her in her chamber. She is sitting on her bed in her red dress with a black-and-gold cape, facing the window and staring into nothingness.
"There you are," you say, inviting yourself before shutting the door close.
"I don't think I can do it," she says, still looking at the window.
You take a seat beside her, placing a hand over her fidgeting ones.
"You will be a great ruler and listener to her people," you say, interlacing your hand with hers.
"You are fearless. You do not blindly follow authority. You take orders, yes, but you do not obey them without assessing their consequences. You will be a great ruler that the realm has ever had," you say, placing a comforting hand on the side of her face when she finally looks at you in the middle of your sentence.
"I'll be here, every step of the way."
"Swear an oath," she says.
You bend down on both of your knees, holding her hands.
"I swear to you in the name of whoever the God is," you say before placing a soft kiss on her knuckles.
A smile spreads on her lips. You look up at her. Her hand makes its way to the side of your neck, her thumb caressing your cheek. Without a thought, she leans down to capture your lips. It is soft and full of love. All the unsaid words are poured into it.
"We have to go. They are worried and looking for you," you say as you gently push her.
"I need my kisses," she says.
"You perv! You'll have more later," you say as you pull her from behind.