𝑬𝑻𝑬𝑹𝑵𝑨𝑳 𝑭𝑳𝑨𝑴𝑬 | Elia Velaryon x Aemond Targaryen

Chapter Fourty-Four

Phoenix let out a low huffing sound, flaring steam from her nostrils before taking a step toward Elia, her snout almost pressed against the Princesses outstretched hand.

Elia smiled at the dragon and slowly inched her hand closer to the end of Phoenix's snout, her fingers gently touching her red scales.

The ruby dragon flinched at first, but soon adjusted to the once familiar touch of a humans palm against her scales. Phoenix pulled her head away after a moment and crouched low to the ground, allowing the girl to climb upon her back if she so wished it.

The Princess grinned widely as she moved around to the dragons side and took slow, gentle steps onto the arm of Phoenix's wing before pulling herself up onto the red scales that covered the dragons back. Phoenix hadn't been ridden for almost 20 years and had since outgrown her saddle, leaving Elia with nothing to comfortably sit on, though it didn't particularly matter, Elia knew how to ride on dragon back since the early days with Cannibal when he hadn't gotten a saddle crafted for him.

Elia leaned forward and gripped onto the spikes on Phoenix's neck to keep herself balanced as the dragon began moving forward out of it stable.

The red dragon made its way up the stairs into the dragon pits ground level, where the dragon keepers were busy tending to Tide Breaker.

The pale dragon let out a high pitched roar towards Elia and the Red dragon, seemingly greeting his rider.

"Behave Tide Breaker." Elia said to her white dragon with a chuckle as she noticed he was becoming excited with the new dragon and had begun yanking against the ropes bounding him to the dragon keepers hands.

Tide Breaker chirped before complying with his riders commands, he calmed himself down and faced back to the dragon keepers, allowing them to continue scrubbing his scales with a large wet broom.

Elia ran her hand across the side of Phoenix's shoulder and smiled. "Sōves girl." She spoke.

The red she-dragon lifted her wings upwards as she hopped off the ground and into the air before darting out of the Dragonpit doors. Phoenix let out a powerful roar as she finally met the warm sun and beaming blue skies above, how it had been so long since the dragon of 80 years old had seen clear skies and open vast lands.

Elia had now successfully claimed a third dragon, which she would present all of them on the day of her crowning as a demonstration of her prowess.

...

A few hours had passed since claiming Phoenix the red She-Dragon and Elia was currently laying across the soft green grass, surrounded by her three dragons, with the exception of Vhagar, who had no choice but to remain in the field behind the Dragonpit when her rider didn't need her.

Tide Breaker had taken kindly to the red dragon and tried multiple times to introduce himself, but it seemed Phoenix was much like Cannibal in the way that they both didn't like the interaction with other dragons and would avoid them as much as they could.

Elia couldn't blame Phoenix and Cannibal for not enjoying the attention they would receive from all the other dragons, considering Phoenix had been bound in the dark stable under the Dragonpit for years on end, while Cannibal had lived as a wild dragon, having no other interaction with dragons his entire life until the Princess had claimed him.

Elia lay her head against Tide Breakers white belly, while Cannibal lay down near her feet and Phoenix slept just a little bit away from them as she preferred her personal space. Elia didn't mind the red dragon being distant for now, she knew that eventually Phoenix would accustom to the new lifestyle and would soon warm up to the company of other dragons again.

A pretty blue sky encapsulated the above, with few white clouds and the sights of birds flocking past. From where Elia was, the birds looked like small black outlines that from a distance, could resemble a dragon. Elia frowned, her mind wandering back to her mother, she wondered what she was doing right now, and what her brothers and step father might be doing. She wondered if they all knew about the plan for who would sit the throne, and if so, did they hate her now? Just as Elia's mother does?

It hurt deep in Elia's heart, to think the people she was just trying to do right by, now could possibly loath her. She loved her brothers especially and hoped that they could somehow find it in there hearts to understand her perspective. Elia doubted Jace would be as understanding, considering he was always more stubborn and hot headed. Though despite Jaces nature, Lucerys was very different from him and was much more gentle, relaxed and most of all, affectionate towards his older sister.

Lucerys had always admired the older figures in his life, but he admired Elia the most, he wanted to be just like her one day.

Tide Breaker and Cannibal could sense the sadness dwelling inside their rider, and they both let out a soft chirp towards her. Tide Breaker curled his tail around her while Cannibal shifted his head to lay beside Elia's lap. His head alone was enough to make Elia look as small as an ant.

She smiled softly and pet Cannibal's head, "You're a good boy." She spoke.

Tide Breaker nudged Elia's leg with his tail, displeased that he wasn't getting any attention. Elia smiled and reached a hand over her shoulder to scratch Tide Breakers belly. "You're a good boy too, don't worry." She chuckled.

Phoenix lifted her head from the grass as she heard the sound of foot steps approaching them. The red dragon let out a low hiss towards the person, baring her teeth to intimidate them.

Aemond stopped where he was, looking at the dragon in surprise. "I don't recognise this one?" He spoke, gesturing toward Phoenix with a frown.

Elia lifted her eyes to look at the Prince as she heard his voice. She smiled, "Her names Phoenix, she's Meleys sister, and my newest claim." The Princess explained, "Lykirī Phoenix, he's our friend."

Aemond let out a chuckle before moving towards Elia now that Phoenix had returned to her nap. "A third dragon? You seem to impress me more everyday." He said as he came to stand over Elia.

The Princess sat up from Tide Breakers belly and glanced at her three dragons. "Run along my sweet things." She spoke in High Valyrian to her dragons.

Tide Breaker, Cannibal and Phoenix all picked themselves up from the ground and bounded off into the air to fly around the sky freely. Vhagar let out a roar as she watched Elia's dragons take off into the blue skies above, the old dragon clearly wanted to join them.

Aemond chuckled at his dragon, "Do what you want Vhagar, you don't need my permission." He said before lowering himself onto the grass beside his wife.

The titanic She-Dragon lifted her wings and slowly pulled herself up into the air, her wings creating a tornado like wind as they flapped to carry her upwards.

Aemond smiled as he moved a strand of Elia's hair behind her ear before pushing her down onto the grass and kissing her. The Princess lifted her hands and cupped Aemond's cheeks as she pulled his lips deeper into her own. One of Aemond's hand slid down her waist before stopping and resting along the side of her thigh.

Elia went to unbutton Aemond's leather waistcoat when the booming of the dragons above startled them, and then followed the orange sea of flame that was drowning the sky as the four dragons bounded throughout the air playfully. Aemond and Elia looked at each other and chuckled at their dragons.

"I love you." Aemond said in a low hushed voice.

Elia's eyes flickered wider for a second, her heart jumping over a beat at his words. It had taken her by quite some surprise, they had never gone that far as to say such words, though she was glad he did, it meant she could finally say it too.

"I love you too." She smiled and pulled him into her lips again.