Freedom

"—drowning in parchment from all over the realm" Viserys hissed to Rhaenyra, his voice catching Aerion and a few other nobles' attention. "Marriage proposals all!" He hissed loudly, far more people now paying attention. 

"I have tried often! To discuss it with you but you refuse me at every turn!" The king said, his voice raised in frustration. Rhaenyra straightened her eyes narrowing. 

"That is because I do not wish to get married" she hissed loudly, Viserys quickly exploding in anger.

"Even I do not exist above tradition and duty!" He shouted, everyone's attention on the pair. Rhaenyra looked about to respond when The Hand, Otto Hightower spoke up. 

"Excuse me your grace" the man said, catching the attention of the angry King who realised how loud he'd been. Viserys sighed in frustration, his eyes wandering back to Rhaenyra who was now storming off. 

Aerion following in her wake. 

Aerion followed at a sedate pace, he had to admit the King's anger was rather surprising. It seemed to just explode from the man, Aerion eyed the princess climbing atop a white horse, quickly riding away.

It was of no surprise, he'd been hassled by most likely every lord in the realm ballsy enough to send a proposal. 

Aerion sighed, but quickly his own black horse trotted over, sensing his need. He climbed atop and followed quickly, the Princess rushing into the Kingswood at full trot. Aerion followed behind, his horse quite easily keeping pace with the white mare.

They blurred past trees and foliage as the Princess turned directly into the thick of the forest, Aerions grip tightened around the reins but he knew how to ride through thick forest.

Eventually she stopped, his horse coming to a stop beside her in a large clearing, Blackwater Bay seen in the far distance. 

"My father, trying to sell me off to Jason Lannister" she scoffed, disgusted, hurt and angry. "Was I named heir, just so that I can further raise the standing of a Lord of Casterly Rock?" 

Aerion sighed "We all have duty princess" he said regretfully. She reared up, a scowl forming on her face. 

"I don't want to get married!" She hissed "I—I saw what happened with my mother, she—she was forced to have children until she died." Her breath hitched as she mentioned her mother, her grip tightening harshly on the reins, 

"I—I just want to get away" she said, deflated as she looked up at the sky. "I want to fly—be free…and eat cake" she said wistfully. 

"What kind of cake?" He asked, his voice tinged with amusement. She turned to him, her expression of hurt and anger switching to a brief surprise before a soft chuckle left her lips. 

"Lemon cake" she said matter of factly. Aerion nodded at her words, his eyes wandering to the glittering water in the distance. 

"If you ever visit Crows Point, I'll have the chefs make plenty" he said casually as he leaned forward on his horse, overlooking Blackwater Bay. "But, we should be getting back to camp by now" he said regretfully. 

She sighed, looking up at the sky, considering something before she spoke. "It's a beautiful day" she said, a smile growing on her lips. "Perhaps we should tour the Kingswood?" She suggested. 

Aerion smiled despite himself "Well, I can't deny the Heir to the Seven Kingdoms can I?" He said, with a hint of humour in his tone, Rhaenyra nodding at his words. 

They both slowly started to ride through the forest, Aerion kept his eyes out for any animals. This was a hunting ground after all and all sorts of animals lived here. 

"Have you been sent any marriage proposals?" She asked Aerion, the Prince nodding.

"I've received three" he said with a snort as they slowly trotted through the forest, the wind whistling through the tall trees. "All from houses poorer than even mine" he said in amusement.

"I take it you rejected them" she said, a hint of resentment in her tone. Aerion nodded, he wasn't prepared for marriage yet, and especially to one with no real benefits.

A moment of silence passed before Rhaenhra spoke up.

"Do you ever dream of escaping far away, never to return. Away from duty, away from expectations." She met Aerion's gaze, her voice soft, almost conspiratorial.

"I used to…though I'm not sure I could ever leave everything behind anymore." He had duties now, to the realm, to his people, to his legacy. 

A smile played on her lips, a hint of challenge in her gaze. "Maybe you just need a better reason"

Aerion knew better than to indulge in such thoughts, but the way she looked at him, the spark in her eyes, made it hard to ignore the unspoken invitation

"What type of reason would be worth leaving my house behind?" He asked plainly, his eyes meeting hers. Her eyes sparkled as she looked at him, moving closer on her horse. 

"Freedom" she said, her voice laced with a hint of longing. "No responsibilities, no duties, no expectations. Just living day to day and doing what you want, with who you want."

She was right next to him, their knees almost touching. Her eyes lighting up as she spoke, Aerions eyes were fixed—locked onto her. He sighed, it was a tempting idea. 

For a moment, the only sound was the wind rustling through the trees and the soft breath of their horses. The promise of freedom lingered in the air, impossible to ignore but dangerous to reach for.

"What you describe isn't freedom, it's escape. And that only lasts until someone catches up." There was an edge to his voice, but deep, deep down, he wondered if she could outrun the world's expectations—and if he could run with her.

—-

"Do you wish to hear my opinion on the matter?" Lord Strong said, the party around the duo loud and joyful. Yet the King sat, dejected and slumped. 

"Shall I guess?" The King said, a drunken slur in his tone. "Ser Harwin Breakbones? The strongest Knight in the Seven Kingdoms" the King hissed, almost mockingly. "Is he the best match for Rhaenyra?" 

Lord Strong nodded "You flatter me, your grace, but no" he said, Viserys eyebrows raising slightly in surprise. "It would seem to me, that the best match for Rhaenyra is the Son of the Sea Snake, Ser Laenor" 

Viserys leaned forward, interested in the man's honest opinion.

"You would tie your two families back together, Laenor is of true Valyrian descent, he shares blood with Princess Rhaenys and is the Heir to the wealthiest house of the realm." Advised Lord Strong simply, it seemed obvious to him. 

Viserys leaned back in his chair, a troubled look upon his face as he considered the option. 

—-

They were sitting around a crackling campfire, leaning back against large logs. The sky was dark, the moonlight barely able to make it through the thick foliage above. The forest was filled with the faint sounds of crickets and other insects. 

"Do you think the realm will ever accept me?" Rhaenyra suddenly said, her jaw clenched as she stared into the campfire. The fire reflected beautifully in her lilac eyes. 

"Some won't" Aerion said, thinking back to Lord Hightower. "But most will" he said, thinking of Syrax. 

She seemed to be thinking about his words, a faraway thoughtful expression on her face. The light of the campfire danced across her face, the glow of the flames making her features soft and almost angelic.

"And will you?" She asked, her voice filled with a hint of defiance, a challenge in her tone. She met his gaze, a flicker in her eyes, seeking validation. 

He exhaled slowly, caught off guard by the question. As he met her gaze, she held his stare, waiting for his answer. 

"Will I what?" He asked hesitantly. 

"Accept me as Queen" The fire cast shadows across her face, her expression intense as she studied him, waiting to see his reaction.

Memories of standing in a small stone chamber with an ancient bronze crown atop his head shot through his mind. The familiar burning fires of ambition lighting at the memory. 

He pushed the burning ambition down, a moment of silence passing as he met eyes with the Princess. A shiver running down her spine at the embers in his dark purple eyes. 

"Of course I would" he said, though he wasn't sure if he was telling the truth. 

"And if I don't believe you?" Her words were soft, but the challenge in her eyes was undeniable. He felt the heat of her gaze, felt her search for the truth in him. 

"There's not much I can do about that" he responded, softly his eyes locked onto hers. The fire crackled in the background as they held the stare for a while. 

The moment lingered, heavy and charged, until Aerion finally tore his gaze from hers, letting the flames of the campfire fill the silence. 

The soft crackle of the fire merged with the rustling of leaves in the night, though Aerion's senses were on high alert as something shifted in the underbrush. His eyes narrowed, but it was Rhaenyra's voice that brought his focus snapping back.

"Do you ever think about having children?" she asked, her tone playful but her eyes searching, watching his reaction. Aerion blinked in surprise, the question catching him off guard. She smiled, a teasing glint in her eyes. "Little princes and princesses running around?"

"My children won't be royalty" he corrected, his princely titles wouldn't be passed down. Rhaenyra smirked, as if this was what she wanted to hear, her eyes glinting.

"Unless of course, you marry royalty" 

His breath lightly caught in his throat at her words, firelight flickering across his features as the weight of her implication settled over them. 

A long moment of silence passed the pair, Aerions eyes locked onto Rhaenyras. 

"Which Royal would I marry?" He asked, his pupils blown wide as his dark eyes reflected the burning, crackling flames.

"Whichever one you wanted" she said, her voice had an innocent, teasing but dangerous tilt to it that seemed to dance through the air.

Aerion felt a smile tugging at his lips as he leaned forward—when suddenly, a wild boar exploded through the brush. The massive creature charged at them with terrifying speed, its tusks gleaming in the firelight, foam dripping from its snarling mouth.

Rhaenyra gasped, her breath catching as she instinctively jerked back against the log, panic flashing in her eyes. Aerion's heart slammed against his ribs. He was too far—too far to reach her in time.

His pulse quickened, and without thinking, his vision blurred, the world around him narrowing as his instincts took over. White. His eyes turned milky, a sudden chill rippling through his veins as his soul surged forward, leaving his body behind.

The boar's mind opened to him.

—-

Thoughts? I'm not totally sure that was written correctly