From Storms to Thrones (Part 1)

Chapter 19: The Promise

"Are you alright?" she asked, her voice gentle despite the discomfort we both must have felt.

"I'm fine," I murmured, trying to regain my composure as I moved to push myself off of Rhaenyra. But my hands slipped on the wet rock beneath us, and I lost my balance, coming back down on top of her with a soft thud.

"Shit, I'm sorry..." I started to say, but before I could finish, our noses bumped together. The sudden closeness startled me, and I froze, my breath catching in my throat.

Rhaenyra's eyes were wide, her expression shifting from surprise to something softer, something that made the world around us fade even more. The storm, the cold, the slick stone beneath us—all of it melted away in the warmth of that moment.

We were so close that I could see the droplets of rain clinging to her eyelashes, the way her lips parted slightly as if to say something, but no words came. I could feel her breath against my skin, warm and steady despite the chill in the air.

Time seemed to stand still as we lay there, caught in a moment that was both awkward and strangely intimate. The rain continued to pour down around us, but it was like we were in our own little world, isolated from everything else.

"I—" I started, not even sure what I was going to say, the words lost in the mix of emotions swirling in my chest. All I knew was that I didn't want to move, didn't want to break whatever spell had been cast over us in that instant.

The ground rumbled beneath us as the Cannibal stepped forward, his massive claws sinking into the earth with each deliberate movement. The sheer weight of him shook the ground, snapping us out of our shared moment as if we were waking from a dream.

I quickly pushed myself off Rhaenyra, this time more carefully, and scrambled to my feet, my heart racing for reasons that had nothing to do with the dragon now looming over us. The Cannibal's shadow fell over us both as he moved closer to the cave entrance, his black scales melding with the darkness in a way that made him seem almost ethereal—like a creature born from the night itself.

Rhaenyra followed suit, rising gracefully despite the rain-soaked ground, her eyes still lingering on me for a split second before she turned her attention to the Cannibal. He paused at the mouth of the cave, his head lowered, massive nostrils flaring as if he were taking in the scent of the earth and storm.

"You did well, insolent one," his voice echoed in my mind, a low rumble that made me shiver. His eyes flickered to Rhaenyra, lingering on her with an unreadable expression before he turned back to the cave and disappeared into the shadows, his presence both a comfort and a threat.

As his form vanished, Rhaenyra's hand brushed lightly against my arm, grounding me back in the present. "Let's get inside," she said softly, her voice carrying a gentle warmth that eased the tension still coiled in my chest.

With the storm still raging around us, the idea of stepping into the warmth and safety of Dragonstone was a welcome relief. I nodded, glancing one last time at the cave where the Cannibal had disappeared before following Rhaenyra toward the entrance.

We slipped through a side door carved into the cliff face, away from the dragon pit, and as soon as we were inside, out of the rain, I felt a wave of warmth wash over me. But it wasn't enough to shake the chill that had seeped into my bones; I felt like a soaked dog, dripping and shivering despite the relative comfort of the stone corridor.

As we walked down the hallway, the sound of our boots squishing with each step echoed off the walls. The dampness clung to us, the wet leather making each step heavier, more cumbersome. The light from the torches flickered against the damp stone, casting shadows that danced in time with our movements.