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THE CARRIAGES WERE PREPARED, luggage packed and Daenerys' armies were prepared for war. All of the residents at Dragonstone readied themselves to not see the island for the near future as they would venture North directly after their stop at King's Landing, while many accepted the possibility they'd never see it again.
Rikkia Baratheon didn't fear for her fate as she stood outside in the cool sea air, staring out at the stars above the sea from behind the safety of the castle wall. Against all odds, she had found some form of serendipity whilst staying at the Targaryen ancestral home, and relished in the scenic views of its surroundings on the last eve before they marched to her home city. All week she had practiced the words she would tell her mother, fearful if she stammered over anything it would be seen as a sign of weakness. Her eyelid twitched occasionally as she stressed over what would surely be an explosive argument with her parents, but she fell back on the hope the that the urgency of Daenerys' impending arrival at the city gates would distract them from their own wrath.
"I will never understand how you Westerosi have adjusted to the cold," Daenerys' voice sounded in the near distance, prompting Rikki's head to turn to face the approaching Queen, who was wrapped tightly in a fine cloak.
"I would have thought the Queen of Fire would be unaffected by the cold?" The blonde smirked in reply, leaning her elbow against the stone, hip-high wall. "And aren't you Westerosi, or have you spent too long in the Land Overseas?"
"I can stand in a pit of flames until it died to ash but I admit this cool air is rather biting, especially on the cheeks." True to her word, her cheeks were nipped red from the wind.
"Perhaps you should go inside then," Rikki raised an eyebrow, turning fully away from the sea to face her companion. She frowned when she saw Daenerys appeared offended by the suggestion.
"Do you want me to?" The Targaryen questioned, finally reaching her side and peering at the Lannister daughter with widened eyes. It was a question that was more loaded than it first appeared, as Daenerys was extending a metaphorical bridge between the two high-born ladies.
Her companion couldn't bring herself to give an answer, settling for a shake of her head instead that left the Queen's lips lifting in a smile as she moved forward to join Rikkia by the wall.
"I would have thought you'd be asleep, your journey begins before ours," Daenerys stated, awkwardly resting her palms on top of the stone. This was the first night in a week she had managed to speak to Rikkia without blushing intensely, unable to rid herself of the intimate and explicit dream.
"Something about telling your family to renounce all that they are and hand it to a foreign Queen leaves me a little restless," Rikki replied in a dry tone, curious about the Queen's sudden outburst of confidence. She too had noticed the Dragonrider's nervous demeanour around her all week, and couldn't for the life of her figure out its cause.
