The North Remembers || Jacaerys Velaryon

9. Dragonback

Song for this chapter: Home - Dotan

"Princess Nicoletta?" Lucerys knocked at my door, I smiled at his shyness.

"come in!" I shut my book placing it on my table and continued to stroke Nymeria's fur.

"erm- are you certain-"

"Luke!" Jace hissed, pushing the door open to reveal a flustered Lucerys, I couldn't help but laugh. They wouldn't be a bad family to keep. 

"My apologies princess, my brother has no manners." he gritted his teeth with a look at his brother. I smiled while Nymeria went to rub her head against the two.

"she approves of you," I nodded "That is very well, if she didn't we would have a nasty bit of business on our hands."

"nasty business?" Lucerys asked, standing awkwardly.

"as in shed rip you to pieces!" Jace joked, sitting down in one of my chairs as if he'd been here before. 

"ah," I smiled "That exactly, Nȳhmēria, māzigon sit, sagon sȳz." 

"you speak high valyrian?" Lucerys's eyes widened.

"that I do, on another note" I placed the crown I had been holding on Nymeria's head, "why have you come here today?"

Lucerys got slightly red at this question, and he still stood awkwardly in the middle of my room. I sighed looking at the boy sway back and forth with his words unable to come out. "Lucerys," I smiled as kindly as possible. 

"yes, princess?" he responded, choosing to ignore the quiet laugh from Jace.

"Nicoletta, please" I waved my hand, "and you do not need to be so formal, find a seat, a couch, a chair, the bed, it doesn't bother me wherever you choose to sit." I shrugged and he finally chose a seat near the door. 

"Nicoletta" he corrected, "we have come here to ask you if you'd- well-"

"would you like to ride a dragon?" Jace finished, "We leave for Dragonstone tomorrow, so this would be your only chance for a while to ride one- well while in the north, your home."

I stared at the two of them, were they truly asking what I believed? asking me if I wanted to ride a dragon. I could ride a dragon!? my face must have given away my shock, and eagerness due to the giggles they shared with themselves. 

"yes, that exactly," Lucerys smiled "You would ride Vermax, my dragon is not yet large enough to ride and I wouldn't dare attempt and ride mothers" he shuddered leading to a laugh of mine that was real. I found that funny.

"I would love to" I stood feeling as if I was forgetting something, "are you sure this is alright? I can truly ride a dragon?"

"yes," Jace nodded, "I brought it up last night when we were speaking of leaving, and Luke thought it was an excellent plan."

I smiled lightly, staring down at Nymeria I couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement, I loved riding by wolf, it was an exhilarating experience. but what would it feel like to ride a dragon?

"When do we start?"

"so, you'll ride Vermax with Jace," Lucerys smiled, preparing the saddle on his dragon, "then I will ride Arrax alongside you two. I would try and ride vermax with you but dragons don't do so well with other people riding them apart from their riders." 

"Vermax is gentle, violent when needed but gentle any other time of day." Jace patted Lucerys on the back, and climbed onto his dragon "She'll have a blast, won't you Nicoletta?"