Astrid looks up at the royal apartments' balcony.And lo and behold, with a smile as if nothing happened, Loras is looking down at them.Esmee is all shades of red, getting small glimpses at the king while Astrid is as pale as a ghost. After last evening's fiasco, she hoped she could avoid him for a bit to put her thoughts in order, but she didn't think he would be the one that calls her.Astrid bows down, certainly not as low as Esmee, but, you know, respectfully enough.Loras is still smiling, not a care in the world and that pisses Astrid off."Let's go inside Esmee. The king wants to admire the view and we are in the way." Astrid says loud enough for him to hear."Ah, Lady Astrid, but the king feels kind today and allows you to stay." He answers, with a tint of provocation in his tone."We thank the king for the generosity, but we should go. It got windy." Astrid answers and it's not a lie. A breeze from the sea reached the palace, cooling off this torrid summer day."Fine then. T
Astrid expected him to be all smiles like he was in the afternoon when he invited her, but instead, he was distressed. He looks at her up and down and smiles at the outfit, but rather than his usual straight-to-the-sex approach and arrogant smirks, he sighs and invites her into the study.Astrid is surprised and a bit disappointed, but follows him anyway."I exiled Tommen." He drops the bomb as soon as they sit down and Astrid’s face drops."Why?""He was the one that hired that assassin. And he used Lanna to cover it up. That night that we arrived, he was planning to have her killed."Astrid can't process what is happening right now. Tommen? The second prince sent an assassin to kill her? Why?"Why?" Is all she can ask.Loras sighs, not looking too surprised, just very disappointed."When Lysa was pregnant it was a war in itself to keep her and the child alive. Every day something would happen and I ended u having to hide Lysa until she gave birth. Everyone knew it was Tommen, but my
Astrid opens her eyes as the sound of the singing birds starts to fill the bedroom. Loras is next to her, softly breathing, still deeply asleep.She smiles and brushes her fingertips over his closed eyes, over his lips, over his chest. It's nice to see him so calm, without that constant smirk glued to his face. Images from last night come back to her mind. She never thought she could feel passion like that. It was like her entire body was thrown into flames. He wasn't as gentle as the first time either. He bit, pushed, and pulled like he was a starving animal eating her alive. She blushes remembering. Can't say she didn't enjoy it, but who is she going to have a serious talk with him this morning when all she has in her mind is his whispered orders?Turn around!Lick it!Open your mouth!She shakes her head. She can't get all fired up again first thing in the morning.She gets up. If she's going to sit here, looking at him as he sleeps half naked, she will end up tied to that bed for
Astrid remembers a story her mother told her. Cinderella, made a slave by her evil stepmother before she met a prince and became his princess. The love part is not what remembers Astrid about the story, however. But the fact that the girl was friends with the rats. While Astrid, hopes she won't be here enough to become friendly with the huge one that's been staring rather for the last few minutes. "Shoo!" She tries to scare him away, but this rat looks like he's seen some stuff. She gives up. She doesn't even have a window here to see where the sun is. It feels like she's been here for days already. The rat takes a few steps closer and despite her speech from earlier about being brave, she screams. A guard comes to check on her. "I see you met Rabbit. Don't look him in the eye and you'll be fine. He hates provocations." The guard says and Astrid looks away from the rat. "See? He left." The guard laughs and Astrid looks around. The damned creature is truly gone. "Thank you..." As
"Tamara is still not here?" Astrid asks, the day growing late as Loras returns from his meeting. "No... I sent people to go bring her, but we won't be hearing from them for at least two days." Loras answers, throwing himself on the bed. The meetings started to become longer and longer as Tommen's support from the corrupt lords is rising. Loras has become increasingly tired. James, his general, rushes in not even a minute after Loras returned. The king sighs, but still gets up to hear what the bringer of bad news got today. "What has he done, now?" Loras asks, but James is just staring, place as a ghost. "James!" "The... the prince. Omar is sick." Loras pushes James aside and starts running towards the harem. Astrid and James follow him. In Lysa's apartment, the atmosphere is so heavy you can cut it with a knife. Lady Sansa arrived here too and tries to console Lysa in a corner. "What happened?" Loras asks them. "The medic is with him..." Sansa answers as Lysa starts sobbing lo
"Still nothing?" Astrid asks, leaning on the study's door. It's almost midnight and Loras must be tired, but he has been stuck with his nose in those books since he came from the dinner with the prince. "I just want to make sure you're not fine now and become ashes in the morning." He answers stretching his back. Astrid goes behind him and starts massaging his sore muscles. "I don't think it works like that." "The dragon's breath is not a normal fire. No one knows the true extent of its power. But I've seen it turn enemies into nothing." He shakes his head, not wanting to stop. "Fine, then let me help you!" "It's the old Valarian language, you don't know it." He says. They had this discussion earlier. "Not with reading. With putting your thoughts in order. I don't know, maybe I can find a connection that you somehow missed. Do you have theories, something?" "Not really. But it can't be because you were holding him. I checked that first." "Maybe your love kept me alive." Astrid
The next day, early in the morning, Astrid takes a deep breath, as the dragon rises through the clouds."We can check on Tamara tonight when we come back. The hunting lodge is in the way" Loras says, checking the map in his hands. Astrid smiles, as she started to become more and more worried about the princess with every day that passed."I miss her. With everything that happened..."Loras tightens his grip around her waist."Tommen will pay for this ordeal."A war of succession... Only legends remember those things happening. And the legends are bloody.They are silent for the rest of the flight it's hard to talk with the wind hitting their faces at that speed. He could go slower, of course, but they agreed to hurry so the news of him leaving the palace don't reach Tommen."Is this the place....?" Astrid asks as she looks around where the dragon landed. There's nothing, not even the shadow of a tree Just an empty field."The idea for it is not to be found." Loras answers as he turns
An explosion of light makes Astrid scream and close her eyes. She hears Loras saying something in the background, but she can't understand what. After a moment, she feels his familiar warmth on her skin as he picks her up and runs away.She opens her eyes again after what feels like hours and even now the colorful light in front of her is blinding."What is happening?" She asks Loras while he still holds her in his arms, looking at the source of the light and taking small steps back."You did it..." He answers."What?" She asks again, confused. He points up at the sky and Astrid sees Dracos flying in circles above what looks like a head of a dragon forming from the light.The sun is almost down when the dragon fully emerges from the egg and the light dims down to nothing.Astrid watches in disbelief as two magnificent beasts fly above them. One playful and one cautions."It's not a baby dragon?" She asks, looking around like this other dragon just happened to be around and the dragon