PYROPHILIA ▸ Aegon the Conqueror

16. ( Playing With Fire )

Chapter 16

•  Playing with Fire •

"BE CAREFUL, ALRIGHT?" Aegon exclaimed, the moment Lyarra tied the strings of her nightgown, before she pulled her hair out of the white fabric.

Aegon was laying on the bed, his head resting on the golden dressed pillows. His eyes were almost shut and his lips were merely parted, making it clear that he was about to fall asleep at any time. Lyarra always wondered how exactly Aegon did that, how he could sleep almost every night for no more than two hours and then with the rise of the sun, running around the Keep again. Lyarra could sleep for as long as she wanted, until she met Rhaenys in the Great Hall or in her chambers, but that was a luxury Aegon as a King didn't have.

"Goodnight, Aegon." Lyarra whispered, without getting an answer. Aegon must have fallen asleep by that point, after all she knew very well how easy it was for him to do that, all he had to do was just shut his eyes.

If only Lyarra was as fortunate as him, for she was envious of that ability. She couldn't just lay on a bed and surrender herself to a deep slumber... To her, it wasn't that easy... Ever since she was little, Lyarra's mind was a loud little thing, never shutting down, never resting. Sometimes she would admire that about her, how sleepless her mind really was, but at most times it just annoyed her that she couldn't just relax. Noise is a deadly thing to have in her head, but she had learnt to leave with it after all this time.

Lyarra's hand slipped on the knob of Aegon's door, slowly twisting it, all the while hoping it would not squeak... Not so much about waking Aegon from his peaceful sleep, but the Keep was never really asleep and where there was noise there were always ears. And they've been lucky enough until now, but luck worked in ironic ways and she didn't dare to even think about what would happen once that luck was gone. She probably already knew the answer to that, just like Cyran Tyrell did but she had never uttered those words herself, despite the fact she always knew the hard truth. Her heart's desires could really cost her her head.

Lyarra sighed in relief as she turned to the corridor next to Aegon's hall, heading towards the stone built staircase that connected the royal quarter with the rest of the Keep, but that relief faded quickly once her eyes drifted to the woman standing next to wall, her slender lilac eyes piercing right through Lyarra's soul. Lyarra felt the need to curse, as she felt her heart drop, her breathing becoming heavier. Luck worked in ironic ways, Lyarra was reminded. How could she have been so naive?

"Your Grace." Lyarra exclaimed, trying to steady her voice, but despite her efforts, her words came out as guilty as she was certain the look in her eyes did.

"Lady Stark." Visenya kept her gaze straight to the blue eyes girl, her haunting eyes never leaving her view.

She was dressed in her usual attire, a long black dress with leather trousers underneath that were barely visible from all the fabric of her gown, similar to what she wore every other day. Her hair was styled in complicated braids that tied together tightly at the back of her head, causing her to look even more rough and scary than she already did... And to Lyarra, she looked pretty scary already.