The dragon to be // House of dragons

12

Raina lay in her bed, feeling tired, but her eyes were wide awake. She hadn't slept at all the previous night, and as the sun slowly began to peek out, she sat up, looking around her room. She didn't want to be alone.

Determined, Raina stood up from her bed and walked to the door. She opened it slowly and looked out, where she was met by a guard. "Princess?" the guard said, looking at her.

"I'm going for a walk by myself, and I want you to make sure that no one enters this room," Raina said, her gaze firm. "My dragons are in there." The guard nodded in understanding as she turned and walked down the hall until she reached the room she was seeking. Surprisingly, there was no guard stationed outside, so she quickly opened the door and entered, making her way over to the bed.

"Aemond," she said, lightly touching him, but he didn't wake up immediately. "Aemond," Raina repeated, and this time he jerked and sat up, looking over at her.

"What are you doing, Raina?" he asked, clearly confused. She pushed him over and claimed a spot in the bed. "Raina, what... what are you doing?" Aemond asked again, but Raina didn't answer. She simply lay there.

"Just go back to sleep," Raina said, closing her eyes. Aemond moved closer to her, flipping her to face him.

"Raina, why are you..." he began, but she cut him off.

"Will you hold me?" Raina asked, her voice filled with vulnerability. She didn't fully understand why she had asked, but an overwhelming sense of insecurity had taken hold of her. She longed for someone else to hold her, to touch her—anything that could provide solace for the turmoil in her mind.

"Raina?" Aemond said, looking deeply into her eyes. "What did he do to you?" he asked, concern evident in his voice. Raina shook her head and gave him a small smile as she reached up to touch the scar that ran over his eye. But Aemond quickly grabbed her hand, slamming it down next to her head.

Aemond looked down at her, his gaze filled with a mixture of curiosity and desire. There was something captivating about Raina, something so intoxicating that it could draw any man in, even against their better judgment. They would know it was unwise, yet still succumb to the temptation, just to have a fleeting moment of her attention.

Slowly, he leaned closer to Raina, his lips hovering just inches away from hers. But before he could go any further, she pulled back and got out of the bed.

"Raina," Aemond groaned, lying back on the bed.

"Don't ever cut your hair," Raina said, catching him off guard. He looked at her, confusion evident on his face. "It looks good long, especially in the mornings," she added, before walking out to go see her grandfather.

The guards outside grandfathers room purposely avoided looking at Raina as she stood there in her night dress. It was highly improper, but she couldn't bring herself to care about social norms at that moment. Gathering her courage, she knocked on her grandfather's door before entering.

"Grandfather?" she called out softly, stepping into the room. Her grandfather's face lit up with a smile as he slowly sat up.

"Raina, my dear," he said, his voice filled with warmth. "What brings you here, my sweet?" he asked, his eyes full of love as he looked at her.

"I'm tired," Raina replied quietly. Her grandfather smiled at her and patted the bed next to him. She walked over and lay down, nestling beside him. "You won't leave?" she asked, her eyes closing involuntarily.

He gently brushed her hair back and kissed her forehead. "No, my dear. I will stay until you wake up," he whispered softly. With those comforting words, Raina drifted off to sleep