Beginning of the End | House Of The Dragon

9.1

"Come on Jace." She encouraged, rubbing a soft hand up and down his arm. Rhaenyra pretended to be blind to the soft looks shared between the two, letting them think she knew nothing about their 'illicit affairs'.

"Perhaps that's enough for this morning?" As much as she found it adorable and would never dream of scolding them for it, she didn't much want the master to see it so plainly.

"No, no." Jace was adamant. Vis rolled her eyes and threw herself back against the painted table with a groan. "I want to keep going." He got what he wanted.

"Aegon ordered that the tree should be killed." He spoke with such happy confidence as if he'd finally gotten it.

"Felled." Her voice was one of annoyance but in reality Vis found joy in bringing him down a peg or two by being right and he wrong. It made it fun later when they were alone.

"It is a related word." His mother tried to soften the blow.

Jace didn't even spare her a glance and instead stared at Visenyra with shock coating his strong features. "What, I sit with you trying to learn it enough, I was bound to pick up on a few words myself. Plus, why would he order the trees killed?" He smirked and his tongue pressed against the inside of his cheek at her smugness. They both enjoyed teasing one another, though it made it increasingly difficult when after only a short amount of time they soon found themselves longing to go off into some secluded hallway alone.

"I don't expect you to learn High Valyrian in a day, Jace." Rhaenyra's voice seemed to cut through them and they broke apart their stares to gaze at different parts of the room.

But hearing his mothers words he was now truly frustrated with himself. "A King should honor the traditions of his forebears." Visenyra bit her lip as a small sadness tugged at the strings of her heart. A King must also take a wife worthy of his name. She knew it could never last forever, and had went into this with a clear mindset of pointless fun, but after time passed feelings had found their way to the surface and she knew that he felt them too as he shot a quick glance her way. A barely hidden sense of longing lurking beneath their dark depths. He wanted to marry her and he knew he couldn't, he vaguely wondered if this was how his mother and his father, his true father, had felt. His mothers voice shook him from his thoughts once more.

"Well, unless you planning to depose your own mother, you have plenty of time to study." Visenyra smiled in admiration for the woman, she always knew just what to say to her children, and had such a warm feel to her that it was impossible not to think of her as perfect. The perfect woman, the perfect wife, the perfect mother, daughter, heir, the perfect Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. It was intimidating to say the least.

Just then Vis sat all the way up as Daemon trudged into the room somewhat skulkily, as if he bore news he was wont to keep to himself. Rhaneyra saw it as well and we were all quickly dismissed.

Jace pulled her off the table by her hips, a little too enthusiastically, before composing himself. He quickly let go of her as if she burned and cleared his throat. "Joffrey, come."

He held her hand softly, no trace of that phantom burn remaining, and ran his thumb in soft circles over the back of her palm as the three left from the room. Less than two minutes later she was pressed against the wall with his lips desperately attached to hers.

"You think it's funny to embaress me infront of my mother?" He asked imbetween bruising kissed.

Her respose was only a light chuckle. "You embarrass yourself." His tongue caressed her gently, as if trying to coax out what he wanted to hear instead; it didn't work. "You don't need my help in that."