The Emancipation of Rhaegar

Chapter 33

Thirty - Three

The celebrations had ended, the Queen had retired, not before giving Arianne a sweet kiss on the cheek. "I'm sorry for not making time to spend time with you. I promise we'll see each other much more soon." Rhaella smiled, toying with Arianne's hair.

Arianne smiled back at her. "There are bigger things that a Queen must see to, your grace."

"Hush, I'll plan something just for the two of us soon. Keep your days free."

Arianne raised her brows and huffed. "Oh, don't worry, my days are very free." She told her, the Queen let out a small laugh and said goodbye once more leaving Arianne to search the crowds from Nymella and Penelope to go back to her chambers. Rhaegar took her hand in his and pulled her along behind the curtains. "What're you doing?" She exclaimed, almost tripping on her own dress.

"I suddenly don't care for what others think of us," he told her.

Arianne rolled her eyes as he led her through a path she'd never seen before, and assuming from the freshly planted small trees and flowers, it was new. "Rhaegar, I can walk you know," she said to him, wriggling her hand free. "Are you suddenly ready to promote me from maiden to mistress?"

Rhaegar turned back to her and sighed, ignoring her crude question. "Sorry, I'm excited." He pushed her forward and put a cloth over her eyes. "Now be quiet and allow me this one chance to be romantic." Arianne couldn't help but let out a laugh but went along with it as he took her hand once more and walked her carefully. Though she couldn't see him, she knew he was watching her as he spoke. "I always think about you, our future, our children." He said silently. The walk was short and it seemed that they had arrived because they had stopped walking.

Arianne, not wanting to seem foolish and try to find his voice, looked towards the ground. "I forgot how poetic you were," she smiled.

Rhaegar smiled, though she couldn't see it. "Not poetry," he whispered behind her. "Prophecy."

Arianne bit her lip in anticipation, ignoring his words. She usually did so when he began to talk about prophecies, ice and fire, the dead coming for them, it bore her to no avail and more importantly, made her worry about exactly what was happening in his mind. "Okay?" She said, feeling his cool touch behind her.

Rhaegar turned her around to the left. "I think the Keep is impractical. I think you shouldn't have to share a garden with others, I think you deserve everything. So..." he untied the cloth around her eyes. Arianne looked at the guest house in front of her. She'd never seen such thing. She knew that the castle was large, but she hadn't imagined to was large enough to hold another house within it. Unlike the dusty bricks of the Keep, the guest house was made of white bricks and in substitute of doors, had white curtains and drapes.

"For me?" She asked him, turning to look at him.

Rhaegar nodded his head and held her waist from behind. "Four chambers to house whomever you please, a private pool, a lounge and a dining hall. And of course, a garden is being made behind it for your own use. I've arranged for my own guards to take care of you if you choose to stay here."

Arianne turned back around to the guest house, touching his arms that were still on her and letting out an unattractive laugh. "I love it!" She smiled, containing the excitement she held and wrapping her arms around his neck.

Rhaegar instantly regrated those who had invited to the guest house, knowing that they would be waiting for them by now inside. He knew neither of them wanted to leave the embrace, it had been the first time they had even come close to such affection, most of the time it was small touches and hands being held but he'd never thought she'd initiate a hug. As foolish as it sounded to him. As she let go of him to gaze at the house one more time, he couldn't help but sneak a small kiss on her cheek. One she didn't respond to, still admiring the house.