The Dragonpit

"Then I will do it. It would be an honour. If there was a chance, I could perhaps even help you with your flying. I think we'd be a great team."

She stopped herself, noticing she was a little tipsy, and over-excited.

"Aegon, can I ask you something...a bit personal?"

She drew circles in the grass with one hand to control her urge to fidget.

"I understand. Best to try and catch him in a good mood anyway, if he has those," she said, with a joking look.

She looked at him shyly;

"I saw you dancing with my sister. Do you like her? I mean, like like?"

"It's not irrelevant when you have your pick of all the ladies at court, Aegon," she responded, laughing slightly. "Many men would kill to have such a selection before them, and there are few to whom the King would object, I expect. I see the way everyone looks at you, and how the women eye eachother. People think I am just some small girl, but I am not so small and witless as all that. I see everything. I see everyone's hungers, and for many, it is you."

She knelt up, hands on her knees, and leaned squarely towards him, her face solemn;

"I just want to know your intentions. I would not have her led on...any more than I would allow myself to be led on."

There was a weight to the last of her words that surprised her, as she gazed purposefully into his eyes, not entirely sure what she was doing, or whether she was getting carried away again.

"I'd rather be strange than dull," she replied, with a wry smile.

She averted her gaze, looking off into the distance, not at anything in particular.

"I understand. The Realm comes first, of course. That thing we hold most dear, but is so much a part of us, that we cannot always be ourselves in it."

She flopped over onto her side next to him, propping her head up on one hand, and stroking the grass idly with the other.

"She is very good at being courtly, she will have no trouble finding someone good for her, if she gets a choice in the matter."

She began to pluck up blades of grass, staring closely and intently at them, rolling them between her fingers.

"Do you like spending time with me too? I like spending time with you. This is good, this here, now. You're nice to me, unlike some people."

Elseyris felt rather disappointed at being compared to Aemy. Her observations of Aemy were that she was cruel and grasping. She said nothing about it, though she wrinkled her nose.

"I will, though I can handle myself quite well too. If I am to be a warrior for the Realm, I cannot simply run and hide behind you, comforting as your protection may be. I want to be able to stand up for myself, no matter what."

She looked up into the sky for a moment, then back to Aegon.

"Even if I don't ever get to leave here or be free, I still never want to be just some Lordling's bedwarmer. That would be worse than death for me."

Elseyris clambered to her feet, brushed most of the grass from her breeches and tunic, and followed Aegon over to where the dragons waited.

"Yes, we should, I'd hate to get either of us in trouble."

Before he got into his saddle, she grabbed the crook of his arm.

"Just one more thing," she said, and embraced him, the top of her head just brushing under his chin;

"Thank you, Aegon. Flying out with me, all that we've talked about, it means a lot to me. If I do marry, I hope my husband is as good a man as you are. Whomever you choose for a wife will be lucky indeed."

She pulled away, a look of bittersweetness on her face, then turned to ascend into Nenyan's saddle.

She was silent and pensive on the ride back, analysing every detail of their conversation.

He must think me mad. Perhaps I am mad. Oh Elsie, you must stop this foolishness. You didn't care about boys at all a year ago, and now you get all giddy at a winning smile. If you get this chance to fight for the Realm, don't cock it up with your silly feelings. Do you even know what you would do with a man if you had one?

Her self-flagellating thoughts preyed upon her all the way to King's Landing.

As she returned to the central chamber, after settling Nenyan back in his sconce, she felt deeply awkward to meet Aegon's eyes.

"What will you do now?"

Elseyris winced a little at the hair-ruffling. It was something she associated with being patronized. However, she let it go.

"I will."

As the doors of the Dragon Pit closed behind them, she strode off ahead, not yet sure where she wanted to go, but away would be enough for now.

The tunnel was very long and went very deep into the ground. It was as if some really grumpy winged lizard had purposely dug it to be as far away from potential annoyances as possible.

Inside the tunnel, near when Tyraxes' Den actually was, Dany would see Rhaena stroking her dragon's scales and she finished attaching a saddle to him, he never enjoyed having his saddle on, but needs must. After the dragon had finished having the saddle placed he immediately moved round and nudged Rhaena's side with his head lightly, moving so his nose nuzzled under his arms, and making a weak mewling sound as Rhaena laid her head atop his an hugged his snout.

It didn't last long, as Tyraxes got a sniff of Daenerys and immediately pulled back a growled, reeling back before taking a run at her.

Rhaena jumped in front of him and he immediately stopped, rounding back to the far wall and letting out a lick of fire, as Rhaena glared at him.

"Sorry about that you know what he is like..." she said, turning and grinning when she saw who it actually was.

"I arrived last night, I shall probably be leaving after we get someone some food, we should go together, Tyraxes has not seen his brother in a while, I imagine." Rhaena said, looking briefly round at Dany not knowing what the dragons got up to when she wasn't there.

"I didn't know you were here, or I would have come and seen you, I have been so busy being back you would not even believe it. I only came to deliver a message." she said, letting a bit of weariness show, before giving Dany a half smile, "forgive me?"

"I asked Maekar if he could hold off the war until I got back, but he said something about it waiting for no one and it being out of his hands," she shrugged playfully, "some pathetic excuse or another, and so i must return, or risk his wrath."

She shook her head, "how was braavos?"

"You wound me, my lady." Tybalt said as he took her arm eagerly. "I only spend my time with women of quality. Few meet the that qualification."




Tybalt's bravado seemed to fade noticeably at the sight of the massive beast which Elseyris road with little fear. He approached it slowly, blood draining from him face and sweat beading on his brow as he eyed it nervously.

Perhaps noticing his dear, Nenyan hissed at the young man, snapping his rows of dagger-like teeth an inch away from his face. Tybalt took a hasty step backwards, nearly tripping over himself, looking up at Elseyris, eyes inquiring whether he had done something wrong and it was truly safe.