Spread your wings little dragon

The Ride

Three moons have passed since Daemon left Kings Landing to go fight in the Stepstones, and his young niece Rhaenyra hadn't hear a single word of his wellbeing. But when Rhaenyra thought of it, maybe that wasn't a bad thing. That meant, he hadn't been hurt or even worse, died. In Daemons mind dying in battle would be the perfect way to die, he would die doing what he loved and for a course that he believed in. But Rhaenyra was certain that this wouldn't be the war that killed him 

In those three moons, Rhaenyra had been bored out of her mind. Her father was busy with paperwork and council meetings, Rhaenyra attending some of them, but got distracted halfway throughout them, and wishing she was doing something else. 

Around noon the sun had gotten trough the thick morning fog and the Red Keep shone a bright red. Rhaenyra was sitting under the weirwood like she used to do with her mother, reading a book about her ancestral home, Old Valyria. Throughout the day Rhaenyra had felt the urge to go riding, but she didn't want to go alone, and she needed other company than her guard Ser Criston. She closed her book and decided to go ask her best friend Alicent if she would like to accompany her. Alicent didn't like dragon riding, so horseback riding was the next best thing she could come up with. 

As she was walking trough the busy halls inside of the Red Keep, she decided to make a stop and go check on her baby brother. Baelon is almost four months old, and Rhaenyra hadn't been paying much attention to him since he was born. He reminded her of their mother, which were still a sore memory. But he was still her brother. 

When she got to Baelons chambers the nursemaid was knitting something that looked like a beanie, but it could've been a sock, she wasn't quite sure. "Princess" she said as Rhaenyra entered and gave a polite bow. Rhaenyra gave the nursemaid a smile and looked towards little Baelon, who was playing with a wooden dragon she assumed her father had made for him. He looked up at Rhaenyra with his pretty violet eyes and offered his toy to her. "Zaldrizes" Rhaenyra said in Valyrian and pointed at the wooden dragon, Baelon babbled something in the complete opposite direction but it made Rhaenyra chuckle. 

After spending some time with Baelon, she went to go find Alicent who she later found sitting in the library. Ever since Alicent and her father Otto arrived at Kings Landing, she would always find Alicent with her nose in some book in the library. Rhaenyra herself didn't understand how a person could spend so much time reading, she would get bored after ten pages. 

"Knew I would find you here" Alicent looked up as Rhaenyra spoke, "wanna do something more fun than reading that dusty old book?" she said and took a chair besides Alicent. "It depends on what 'fun' you have in mind". 

-

It took some time convincing Alicent, but in the end she decided to tag along. Rhaenyra rode her four year old grey mare that she called Mist. Her uncle Daemon had gotten her the mare for her fourteenth name day, and Rhaenyra loved the horse to pieces. 

As the two of them rode along a dirt path talking, Rhaenyra had almost forgotten that Criston had followed along for protection. "Princess we should be heading back soon, the sun is starting to set"

"Oh come on Ser, the night is hours from now" Rhaenyra said slightly annoyed. Sometimes Rhaenyra wondered why she even named Criston as her guard, because he looked fine and knew how to use a sword?

Criston didn't answer her, but kept riding along. An hour had passed and the three of them made a halt at a small creek so the horses could get some water. Rhaenyra patted her mare, when she heard a twig snap somewhere in the bushes. She could sense her horse getting restless, and before Rhaenyra could get a hold of it, it spooked off along with the other horses. 

Ser Criston had already drawn his sword and was walking towards the sound. Rhaenyra narrowed her eyes, in the distance she saw eyes coming towards them with high speed. Wolves, Rhaenyra thought. 

"Princess, run!" Criston shouted as the animals came running towards them, growling. Rhaenyra took Alicents hand and began to run. As they ran, Rhaenyra could hear steps behind them coming closer and closer, and when she turned her head around to get a look, Alicents hand let go of hers. One of the wolves had caught alicents foot, and she let out a high pitched scream. 

"Rhaenyra help" Alicent screamed as she tried to kick the wolf with her other food, but all in vain, the wolf only bit harder. Rhaenyra looked around for something to smack the wolf with, but the only thing she could see, were pebbles and twigs. Nothing big enough to get the wolfs attention away from Alicent. 

The wolf suddenly let out a cry that died off right after, and when Rhaenyra looked, Criston had drawn his sword right into the stomach of the wolf, that now laid dead on the forest ground. 

Rhaenyra looked at Criston and saw blood trough his tunic. The wolves must have put up a good fight, despite a few bites and scratches, Criston seemed to be alright. 

"Are you alright?" Criston asked, looking at Rhaenyra worriedly. She nodded, but her focus was on Alicent who was still laying on the ground holding her now bloody leg. Criston knelt besides Alicent "Can you walk m'lady?" he asked examining her leg. Alicent shook her head, tears streaming down her face. 

Criston picked her up bridal style "the horses are long gone, so we have to walk the way back to the Keep"