The Dragon & The Wolf

III

After a fearsome run into a dragon that terrified the duo, Aemond and Alysaria were brought to the queen to be questioned.

"Your Grace," the guard offered her up the pair of children, covered in dirt, clothes wrinkled, and hair in disarray. Alicent thanked the guard, who closed the door as he silently left. Stark grey eyes followed the guard, trying to plead with him as he left to take her with him, yet to no avail.
"What have you two done?" Queen Alicent huffed in worry. Alysaria looked over to her friend, beckoning him to take the reigns of the conversation, as he knew how to placate his mother best. His violet eyes blinked at her with understanding before he turned to his Queen mother.

"He did it again," Aemond began, but Alicent didn't let him speak further.

"You obsession with those beasts going beyond understanding - and that's directed at both of you!" The queen turned around and looked to where her daughter, Princess Helena, sat admiring a long insect.

"They gave him a pig!" Alysaria exclaimed in frustration.

"A what?"

"They, Aegon, Jacaerys, and Lucerys, said they found a dragon for me," Alys grabbed her friend's hand in support, as he looked so downtrodden. Helena murmured something to the insect she held, but it was indecipherable to Alysaria. Aemond finished off to his mother, looking down at his feet and squeezing the hand his friend held, "but it was a pig."

Alicent huffed and looked at her son with pity. She saw how the young Lady Stark was comforting her son and felt compassion for the girl. At first, the close relationship forming between her younger son and the child of the north worried the queen. She didn't want his mind being manipulated by some other house, even if the perpetrator was just a child. The queen had noticed the genuine smiles and laughs coming from her son over the weeks though, and it made her happy to see him joyful. Then, she began appreciating the friendship the young Stark offered and decided to put her cynicism behind her - for now at least. When the two grew into teenagers, then the queen would keep a close eye on Alysaria. She was a beautiful teenage girl once and knew the sway especially young men had when it came to women.

Alicent ushered her son over and pushed Aemond's rustled white locks out of his face with care, "You'll have a dragon one day."

"He'll have to lose an eye to get it," Helena muttered, and this time, Alysaria Stark heard the bizarre comment.

***

The next day, the incident in the dragon keep was all but forgotten as the Targaryen boys and young Cregan Stark, were sparring in the training yard. Alysaria, having been scolded by her lord father for missing her lessons with the septa, sat grumbling on a stool, every now and then pricking her finger with the needle.

Everything was bothering Alys today. From her dress being too heavy and scratching her skin, to the monotonous needlework required of her. The young Lady Stark would rather be working on her sword skills in the yard. Although, this did give her an advantage to be alone with Helena.

"Princess, can I ask you something?" Alys began as soon as the septa had stepped out for a moment. The white-haired Targaryen turned to the contrasting Stark girl, smile plastered wide across her face.

"Of course! Do you wish to be best friends, Lady Alys?" Helena set down her sewing and grabbed for the girl's hands, who had put her's down the moment the septa walked out.

"Oh- of course," Alysaria gently squeezed the sweet young princess's hands and gave her a small smile.

"Fantastic! I've dreamt of this you know? Us being friends, though we were much older and stealing sweets from the kitchen," Helena laughed lightly.