BONFIRE OF VANITY | legolas greenleaf

PROLOGUE

PROLOGUE

Aerysa Targaryen is a frightening woman.

"Aerysa, this isn't safe—You can't just ignore me." Ser Laenor Velaryon chased after his blonde wife, many curse words threatening to slip out of his mouth each time she chose to ignore his protests. "Just because you happen to mount the biggest dragon in our possession, does not mean you can just parade around and tame every aggressive, wild dragon we come across."

"They're going to kill her otherwise, Laenor, and that's not right. As the blood of the dragon, we must protect them, not let them die for killing a few sheep."

"She put Farmer Gil completely out of business, Aery, she is not innocent."

"If not me to save her, then who, Laenor?" Aerysa spun on her heel, nearly colliding with her distraught husband. "You won't save her, surely Rhaenyra won't, and my father's blind care can only go so far. They will not spare a wild dragon just because I feel bad for her. I must, at the least, try to save her before she departs this world."

"How can someone as cruel to man as you, care so much for a blood-thirsty dragon she's never met?" He sighed as he diverted his eyes from her own. He may not love her in the way conventional for a husband, but he did love her enough to fall victim to the pleading eyes she used whenever she wanted something. "I don't want to see you hurt, nor does anyone else in this castle."

"Maybe except for Alicent. That cu—"

"Do not finish that sentence if you want to live long enough to tame that she-dragon." Laenor had never placed his hand over her mouth so quickly, eyeing the area around them for anyone that could possibly relay her close to treasonous words back to their bitch of a Queen. "She will have you killed faster than any dragon."

"I'm sorry. I'm so used to spilling my guts behind closed doors." Aerysa snapped after she tore away from him. It was appalling to know how quickly she would rise to anger at the mere mention of—Queen—Alicent Hightower.

"You must unlearn that habit of yours. It'll get you hung, or worse." Laenor offered his arm to the young princess, annoyingly bumping it against her side until she took it. "I know I do not serve my correct purpose as your husband due to my... nature, but that does not mean I don't care about you. We have been friends since we were born, and I intend to keep us like that until we're old and feeble."

"I still don't hold a grudge against you for your interests, Laenor, nor will I ever." She reassured him with a smile and squeezed the arm she hung from. "That's why we're made for each other, respectively, of course. You like those similar in your physique and I don't like anyone at all. Saves us both the hassle of explanation and unsupportive spouses."

"I always enjoyed your outlook on life."

"You're probably the only one."

"It does get a bit too grim for the weak stomached at times..." He added with furrowed brows, recalling more times than not, Aerysa's "words of a warrior" tended to scare off anyone not accustomed to war and it's slew of new curse words and vulgarity. This made her very unpopular around the women Alicent tried to force her to befriend. "I believe we get away with it because of what we've done, what we've seen.'

"Yes. Trauma does give one a unique outlook on life." Her scars burned so suddenly she flinched into Laenor's arm, nearly letting go of it to clutch the burning cuts along her face. Had the feeling not disappeared as quick as it came, she would've fallen to her knees in pain. "Fuck."

"What is it? Are you alright?" Her sudden change in demeanor did not pass Laenor without notice and he froze the moment she flinched. He feared he would find an arrow or knife in her back if he looked. "Good Gods, please just be nothing."