The Red Viper and the Tempest.
An unlikely match from the beginning.
A moment of attraction, fleeting and memorable.
A hint of vulnerability, strong and lasting.
A spark of a flame, inevitable and ruining.
In the midst of storms and poisons, tw...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"Thank you, Oberyn."
Oberyn's head snapped up at the sound of her voice, not expecting to see her so soon. Especially after she had just reunited with Ashara.
He had been looking out at the large expanse of the gardens, his arms crossed out in front of his chest while the decorations for Arianne's nameday were being set up along the trees.
The little princess had requested for her celebration to take place along the area where she was used to playing and of course, who could ever say no to her?
He had been standing there for hours, overseeing all the preparations to keep his mind off of Cassandra. Only to hear her voice now.
For a second, he had thought that from his longing, he had already started to hallucinate her but when he turned around, he found her standing right in front of him.
Looking as beautiful as she did that morning. As beautiful as she did every day.
"I know I already thanked you but having Ashara here, it was everything I had missed." Cassandra continued, unaware of the effect of her presence on him.
Oberyn gazed at her for a moment longer before he shook himself from his stupor, uttering. "I know."
"You do?" She asked, a small smile growing on her lips at his hurried response.
It was that smile that had caused him to be even more thrown off his axis. It had been some time since he was the cause of such a smile. He hadn't realized just how much he missed it.
"I-I mean, I wanted to do something for you." He cleared his throat, composing himself. "Speaking off, shouldn't you be spending time with Lady Ashara? I seem to recall the trouble you always seem to get yourselves in."
"I figured I should let her rest after her long journey." She responded, still speaking softly. "Besides, I wouldn't want to cause such havoc before Arianne's nameday. She and Owain might team up to return the favor."
The two of them were conversing in such hushed tones as if they were both afraid to speak loudly and let the moment pass.
The sounds of servants fixing decorations and good-natured quips lingered in the air gently, providing a sense of calm against their gentle conversation.
It was as if they were the only two people in the garden as they were painted in the soft hues of the setting sun, a precursor to the long night that would be lit with thousands of lanterns.
As the last rays of the sunset touched her pale skin, all Oberyn wanted was to pull her close to him and feel her skin against his.
"Don't worry. If it comes down to it, I wouldn't let them know." He promised, his grin revealing itself to match hers.
