Dragon Princess || Aegon II Targaryen

𝖢𝗁𝖺𝗉𝗍𝖾𝗋 22

It was not needed to be a dragon dreamer to foresee that the royal family would return to King's Landing by morning.

So, when the dawn broke on the horizon and after the King and Queen had bid farewell to Lord Corlys and Princess Rhaenys, the royal children mounted their dragons and took flight through the blue skies of Westeros towards the Red Keep, with the exception of Hūrazys, who remained on the ship with their parents, still unable to fly such a long distance.

And Aegon had never had so many opportunities to reaffirm how much he rated his brother insufferable. After all, this was Rhaenys' twin brother's first flight next to his brother and sisters, and he seemed, in Aegon's eyes, to be eager to ruin everything.

Aemond, mounted on Vhagar, made a point of displaying the impressive size of his dragon. He executed unnecessary, risky, and flawed maneuvers, making Aegon roll his eyes so many times that he suspected they might never return to their original state. Thus, the elder brother opted to turn his attention to much better matter: Rhaenys, mounted on Karnax.

As Karnax and Sunfyre ruled in the skies, with synchronized ascents and descents, meeting Dreamfyre, the prince kept replaying the late afternoon on the beach with Rhaenys. His mind kept making him relive that moment, that kiss that, innocent as it had been, awakened in him all possible and imaginable feelings. And so, he could not help but look to the side and see the princess facing the wind and the morning sunlight.

Her hair blowing, her eyes shining, and her confidence as she rode one of the greatest tamed dragons... She was much more than a princess. Rhaenys was a queen. Yes. A queen. And the late Lord Commander of the City Watch had been right to crown her Queen of Love and Beauty years ago.

Tired of Aemond's antics, Rhaenys rolled her eyes and descended with Karnax, skimming the water's surface, the dragon's tail breaking the line of the waves and causing the princess to feel salty droplets on her face and hair. With her hair flying in the wind, the same wind rushing against her face nearly forced her to close her eyes. But she wouldn't. She wanted to see everything. She wanted to see the world around her.

Rhaenys and Karnax controlled each other. One was an extension of the other. One trusted the other. One loved the other. Just before Rhaenys could collide with the boat carrying her parents, her grandfather, and all the knights of the royal guard, Karnax lifted off, passing its massive body close to the boat and almost touching the railing with its hind paw. Upon hearing the startled shouts of several people, Rhaenys widened her eyes, knowing this would bring severe punishment from her mother.

"Sorry!" the princess shouted, looking down to find her mother's stern expression and Ser Arryk's amused eyes. "Vēzot, Karnaks! Vēzot!" Rhaenys commanded, biting her lip to contain the laughter that threatened to escape her.

Karnax obeyed, taking off in a vertical climb. The sound of the dragon's massive wings beating and the increasing distance between her and the boat allowed the princess to lean closer against her dragon, letting laughter bubble up from deep within her heart. After all, despite what had happened with Aemond, the previous day had been possibly one of the best of Rhaenys's life. It was certainly the best she could remember.

The strange feelings from that moment on the beach filled her with happiness and delightful confusion. And as she glanced to her right and saw, in the distance, the one who made her feel that way, her smile widened and her heart raced. Then she heard a loud sound coming from within Karnax, but it wasn't a sound that froze her blood. It wasn't a sound of danger. No, the dragon seemed to understand what its rider felt. It seemed as happy as she was.

There, in the distance, Sunfyre heard Karnax's call, hurrying to approach her and the princess, surprising Aegon, who had been too distracted watching his sister. However, realizing where his dragon was headed, he allowed himself to be drawn in. He would follow anything that brought him to Rhaenys. The four of them drew closer, with the sunlight shining on the water as their meeting point, a point of connection between them.