Born in Flames || Game of Thrones

Chapter IX ''Astapor''

Some might find it strange, but she had never ridden a horse. Never.

So when she came face to face with having to sit in the saddle and ride a horse... She was a little scared. And the little dragon looking at her happily from the bag didn't encourage her at all.

"Put your left foot in the stirrup, push off the ground with the other and swing to the other side." she looked at Ser Arthur with a not-so-satisfied look and didn't move from her spot. She held the saddle with her hands and assessed her chances of making it.

"I can't ride a horse." she said completely seriously.

"So you'll learn." he can't be serious... He's supposed to defend her, not try to kill her! "Come on, we won't stay here until the end of the world, you wanted to go to Astapor."

In fact, they could stay here forever, it was even warmer here than in the capital and the sun was pleasant on her skin. But not only did the weather seem friendlier to her, her attitude began to change. She slowly stopped fearing that Tywin Lannister could reach her here, on the other side of the Narrow Sea. Some of the tension had already disappeared from her, but another one was piling on top of her - what next? What happens when she meets his aunt?

"Can't I ride with you?"

"You can. But are you going to hide behind someone's back for the rest of your life?" this question knocked her out of her rhythm a bit. She watched him as he passed her and approached the other horse.

But he didn't get in yet, he was still waiting for her to make a move.

And she was actually considering riding in the back until she heard this question. This was probably the first time someone had spurred her ambitions... And she wasn't going to just give up. She took a deep breath, held the gathered reins in one hand and at the same time clung to the saddle, with her other hand also holding on to it. She put her left leg into the stirrup, pushed off the ground with the other, and climbed into the saddle.

"Use your calf." he instructed her further when he himself was sitting on his horse and Vis put her other leg in the stirrup.

"And what if I don't stop it?"

"It'll listen, take it easy." he smiled gently, explaining to her the basics of horse riding. Calmly, without unnecessary nervousness, and then they could move forward on their journey.

Looking at her, he had this strange feeling, like he was looking at his long dead friend. Seventeen years had already passed, it seemed that the image of Rhaegar had already faded from his mind, but when he saw her for the first time, on the ship... All the colors came back to his memories.

In the daylight he could definitely tell that Visenya looked much more like her father than her mother. The most striking thing was the same purple eyes and silvery hair, usually tied in a single braid, flowing down the back.

As for her character, it was hard for him to say, firstly, he hadn't known her for quite a long time, and secondly, she had spent seventeen years practically in captivity, and considering the circumstances she was holding up very well.

"Why?" she asked after a long moment of silence. "Why wouldn't you rather settle in one of the free cities and live a peaceful life? Why did you decide to follow me, you don't know me at all, ser." she asked questions to which she could not find answers.

"Everyone believes in something, including me." although believing in prophecies and some prophetic dreams is one of the things I wouldn't expect from myself... "I'm a knight, I want to die like a knight."

"I don't want you to die." these words spoke the childlike, good side of her that didn't want anyone to get hurt.

Just like Selaria...