A Dragon Fate

Chapter 14: Never turn your back on the dragon

I was sitting on a bench not far from a tree with red leaves. It seems like about a couple of hours had already passed, but I couldn't take my eyes off the sky and greenery. Even if there was only a stone around me, there was a magnificent picture ahead. I didn't take a single book about dragons that I wanted to read here. Mostly because walking along the corridor of the Red Keep from the King's chambers, I suddenly remembered who I really was. Running away from my thoughts has never been in my character.

And I decided to just let everything fall into place in my head. The decision to talk about my visit to the city was sudden and, frankly, thoughtless. I need to stop doing this or I won't last long.

I quickly blinked away this thought.

I don't care if I last or not. Vermithor will be with me and is there at least one person who worries me in King's Landing? The voice in my head laughed and I felt embarrassed. Deceiving others is one thing, but deceiving yourself...

My feelings for Daemon will turn into obsession if I deny it. Whether I like it or not, he attracts me. I only thought about external attractiveness. But we slept together and nothing changed.

I should finally turn around and face the truth. And make it another wall, which will prevent those who want to hurt me from touching the things that are important to me. As I did with my mother's reputation. Or the fact that women don't participate in wars. I will be ready to hit.

I also thought that I had really crossed the path of the Hand. It's not that I'm afraid of the consequences. No. But it would be nice to know about these consequences in advance. If he's dangerous to me - and I guess it's exactly what he is - I will defeat him with pleasure. It's funnier to win when you knew that your rival had a chance.

I need my own people in King's Landing. Need knowledges about Hightowers. It's no wonder that the Hand has power, but why does the Queen behave this way? Her father didn't prepare her? Hadn't he filled her brain with a sense of power?

On the one hand, I understood. It's so easy to lose control over her. But for some reason it seemed to me that this wasn't the case. Looking at her behavior next to Rhaenyra at the feast that the King threw... They look like the same age. They may have a story. And I have to figure it out. I grinned. I hope it's more complicated than the Queen's unrequited love for her stepdaughter. Some of my mother's girls did really bad decisions because they thought they love each other's romanticly. I don't know if their stories and feelings was true or not. I didn't care and still don't.

I got up from the bench. It's time to get away from the crowd and make decisions. Having set up the situation in front of the King, I entered the game. And it is unlikely that it will end so easily. I won't back down, even if I go unnoticed this time. And I seriously doubt that they will allow me to stay in Westeros and live in peace.

I'm going to befriend Rhaenyra. Earn a good reputation with the King. Talk to Daemon. And finally find the damn heart of 'the Hightowers' intrigue. It's a good point for now. I smiled. I didn't really understand that I love fighting that much.

Most likely, my sudden movements and smiles looked crazy. I turned on my heel and just... walked. It's a good time to go around the castle, and this way, I have a better chance to meet with someone on my list of desired meetings. Better than sitting in your chambers and reading. If I want to see a dragon, Vermithor will be glad to service me. After all, he's more impressive than the depictions in books.

I became tired in less than twenty minutes. The Red Keep was... generally boring. Identical corridors and stairs. Halls and carved doors. I thought there, in the heart of Westeros - which is literally Targaryens' kingdom - would be a lot more dragon symbolism here. I could recognize the majesty of some details or the beauty of patterns, but there was nothing to see. And still, I persistently explored the structure of the castle. In particular because it was my only thing suitable only for the day.