Naenya watched the storms ravage against the glass panes of the castle. Such storms only left the strong standing, taking everything weak into its grasp and tearing it apart. The castle of House Baratheon was indeed a strong thing.
As Naenya stared deeper into the storm, she was reminded that she was also a strong thing. Despite the storms' darkness masking the abyss-coloured scales, Naenya could spot her dragon from anywhere. The wild green eyes bore into her from a nearby rock cliff, which was being washed by the rainfall. Such intense storms seemed to pull Cannibal's more protective nature out of him. Even within the eye of the storm, Naenya held power none of the weather-hardened Baratheons could ever dream of.
"Princess Enya,"
Naenya broke her stare with Cannibal, turning to see Elden Baratheon standing before her. The smell of the feast still lingered on him, though another smell wrapped around Elden and reached towards her. The scent was warm and earthly, with a distinct hint of dew. He almost reminded her of early spring at Dragonstone. The familiar scent wrapped around such an unfamiliar man left her stomach turning.
"Lord Elden," Naenya greeted.
Turning her gaze back to the window, Cannibal's eyes were nowhere to be seen.
"I had assumed you'd gone to bed," Elden spoke, watching Naenya with his signature stupid grin, "That's what you told Lord Baratheon, at least,"
"I did, didn't I?" Naenya hummed, taking a second to pause before shrugging her shoulders.
Elden let out a short chuckle, shoving his hands into his dress pants as he walked up to her, "I can show you around our great Storms End if you like. Or you can return to the feast?"
Elden's eyes raked over Naenya's face, searching for the reaction he was trying to pull out of her. Naenya had spent months practising the skills that made a good Queen. She had slowly developed the skills required to come off as calm and collected, the talent of reducing one's expressions to a hardly noticeable twitch of the eyebrow or slight clench of a fist. The ability to appear unreadable to others was something Naenya had little skill in prior to her departure from Kings Landing. Now, about a year in, Naenya was certain the mixture of irritation and vexation was unnoticeable to those that did not know intently know her.
"I would love a tour," Naenya finally said, brushing down her uncrinkled dress, "I shall fetch Ser Loren,"
"I will accompany you to him," Elden said, his voice a husky drawl as he took purposefully slow steps after her, "After all, you had such a hard time at Caterly Rock. We don't want you to have a similar experience,"
Naenya contained her bristles, keeping her head high as she walked through the halls towards the kitchen where Ser Loren was eating. Ser Loren had never liked to eat in crowds.
The two walked through the halls in silence, an act Naenya was surprised Elden Baratheon could manage. Unfortunately for her, Elden Baratheon could only hold his tongue for so long.
"So, how's your mission going?"
"Mission?" Naenya quirked a brow, side-eying the eldest son.
"To prove yourself to the Lords. To gain their respect and loyalty," Elden said casually, giving her a sly, knowing look, "Not the loyalty they already gave you, bending the knee and reciting old words. Their true loyalty, undying,"
Naenya stopped short, rage running through her veins like the fire that breathed out of Cannibal's mouth. She was being deliberately triggered, pushed into the inferno of pure emotions. Elden Baratheon wanted to see the true her. She would give him that, if he so desperately wanted it.
A sharp slap bounced through the empty stone walls. Elden stood with a grin, his face tinged with a delicate red handprint, his face only slightly titled to show the force of the attack upon him. Naenya stood in front of him, fire painting her eyes. Fire that burned hot and died fast. The speed at which the Targaryen dragon princess took control of herself and regained composure was an impressive sight to behold.
Naenya took a step away from Elden, smoothing down her dress as she let out a restrained breath.
"Sorry, I saw a mosquito," Naenya said cooly, clearing her mind with a head shake.
Elden stared at her intensely, the silence deafening as his face became stone until he finally spoke up.
"...I liked that," Elden broke into an approving smile, "Do it again,"
Naenya scoffed, rolling her eyes, "And since you so... desperately wish to know, I do not need anyone's approval, and I already hold the loyalty of the entire Kingdom. You forget yourself,"
"No, you certainly don't need it," Elden agreed, his eyes sparkling, "And I think you'll find you have more undying loyalty than you first thought,"
Naenya let out a short but bitter laugh, "And I assume you are one of those? Those who swear undying loyalty to me?"
Elden gives a small smile as he lowers his head, shoving his hands into his pants as he gazes up at her from his eyelashes.
"Of course, after all, a king consort must be utterly supportive of his queen," Elden told her, "After all, supporting a strong dragon Queen as she wields her power over the realm? Sounds like a dream. I'll even take up the more womanly duties like raising the children, only for you of course,"
A short silence befell the two as Naenya absorbed the information her ears had just received until she finally burst into laughter. It was a pure kind of laughter that signalled clear joy and happiness had been received from whatever had caused the laughter. It was obvious to anyone that Eden was mesmerised by it, the way Naenya's head tilted back, and her soft lips parted. Luckily, no one was around to notice it, and Naenya was too absorbed in laughter to notice fully.
"You are utterly vxing," Naenya said, as she regained her composure.
"So I've been told," Elden grinned, "Though my mother thinks I'm quite handsome too,"
Author typing...
Young Elden, love him. Older Elden? Love him even more!