Envy

"My prince," a guard murmured as Daemon passed, offering a respectful nod. Aerion followed closely behind, his eyes narrowed slightly as he focused on his elder brother's back, making their way toward a familiar set of gardens.

Ahead, King Viserys, Queen Alicent, and the gathered courtiers exchanged pleasantries, their conversations a low hum. 

Daemon strode confidently through the throng, brushing past nobles and guards alike, while Aerion's eyes flicked over the faces surrounding them, noting the glances and whispers sent their way.

Viserys smiled as he saw Daemon but faltered slightly when his gaze caught Aerion.

"Aerion!" Viserys exclaimed, drawing Queen Alicent's attention. She glanced toward Aerion, her gaze assessing, as did several others. "When did you arrive?" Viserys asked, a hint of a frown creasing his brow.

Aerion offered a smile, though discomfort still lingered from his earlier exchange with Daemon. "Only today, Your Grace. I was merely collecting supplies for Crows Point."

Viserys nodded, his expression softening, but before he could respond, Daemon's voice cut through the moment, his words laced with an edge.

"Crows Point," Daemon echoed, his tone measured, though something sharper lay beneath it. "That is the keep you were granted, was it not?"

Aerion met Daemon's gaze, holding it for a moment longer than necessary. "Yes, you ought to visit" he offered, though both knew the invitation was hollow. Aerion preferred Daemon—and his dragon—far from his lands.

The cost of feeding such a beast alone was staggering.

"Perhaps I will," Daemon replied, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. Silence followed as the two brothers stared at one another, the tension simmering just below the surface. Viserys shifted, about to intervene, when a familiar voice spoke up from behind Aerion.

"Congratulations on your victory," Princess Rhaenyra's voice broke the tension, and Aerion turned his head, surprised to see her.

"Thank you, Princess," Daemon replied, his eyes lingering on her as an uneasy silence followed. Aerion glanced toward Viserys, noting the sudden discomfort on the king's face.

"Perhaps Prince Daemon would like to see the gallery?" Queen Alicent's voice broke through the silence, her gaze flicking to Viserys. "The tapestries from Pentos—he hasn't yet seen them." There was something strained in her tone, the effort of keeping the conversation polite apparent.

Aerion furrowed his brows as Viserys turned to Daemon, a grin slowly spreading across his face. "Ah, the tapestries," he said, chuckling. "Do you care to see them, brother?" His voice was tinged with amusement as Daemon smirked lightly.

"Daemon has no interest in such things," Viserys added with a laugh, taking a sip from his goblet. Alicent smiled, though it was forced, her discomfort only deepening as the king chuckled again, and Daemon's smirk grew.

"I, for one, would like to see the tapestries," Rhaenyra declared suddenly, her voice cutting through the awkward laughter. Viserys' amusement faltered, and he turned to his daughter with a confused frown.

"Well, you should not deprive yourself," Viserys said, though his voice was now tinged with impatience, as if the topic had soured for him. Aerion glanced around, sensing the tension tightening among the small group. 

"I'll see them alone, then," Rhaenyra said, her voice clipped as she turned on her heel. Aerion's gaze flicked between Viserys and Daemon before he quietly stepped back from the circle, feeling the weight of their attention shift.

"I've found myself curious about these tapestries" Aerion said, inclining his head to Viserys, Daemon, and the Queen before turning to follow Rhaenyra. He could feel their eyes on him as he moved, though he paid them no mind, his focus now on the princess as she took a seat on a wooden bench nearby.

He joined her, leaning back on the bench, his gaze steady. "What happened to the marriage tour?" he asked, leaning back slightly.

Rhaenyra scoffed, her eyes flicking to him.

"I endured it as long as I could" she said as she looked down at her lap, her tone seeming to drop in annoyance. Aerion hummed, looking up at the blue sky.

There was bitterness in her tone, the same frustration Aerion had sensed in her letters. She was meant to be gone for weeks longer, and yet here she was.

"That must have been tiresome" he commiserated, Rhaenyra snorted, shaking her head as she thought back to the tour.

"It was," she said dryly, a hint of bitterness creeping into her voice as she looked down at her hands. "I've never been surrounded by so many fools at once."

Rhaenyra's eyes flicked from the courtyard to the Prince sitting next to her on the bench, her violet eyes tracing the curve of his jaw. She then looked up at the sky, a crow slowly circling the garden.

"Does it follow you everywhere?" Rhaenyra asked, her gaze still on the crow circling above them.

Aerion nodded. "Always."

A moment of silence passed.

"And what about you?" Rhaenyra asked, her gaze steady. "Do you follow anyone?"

His eyes met hers, holding her gaze for a beat longer than usual. "I follow my own path"

Her lips quirked. "And where does that path lead you?"

Aerion's mind wandered briefly, flickering with unsettling images of fire, blood, and the shadow of Rhaenyra's fate. He quickly buried them, returning to the present.

"Wherever it's meant to" He said with a shrug. 

A short pause followed, Rhaenyra seeming to study him for a moment before she spoke. 

"Sometimes I envy you," Rhaenyra said, her voice soft as she toyed with the edge of her sleeve. "You can leave the city whenever you please, ride wherever you wish."

A long moment of silence followed, Aerion clenched his jaw slightly as old memories flashed up. His eyes flicked over to her form, staring down at her arm.

"I used to envy you too" he revealed "When I first met you, I already knew about my father" Rhaenyras eyes shot up at that.

She parted her lips as if she was about to speak but Aerions voice cut through her attempt. "I was staring up at you" he said, as if reliving the memory. "You were atop Syrax, flying over the city" 

Her lilac eyes were fixed on his form, the now seven-and-ten prince looked up into the sky, as if Syrax would simply fly by at any moment. 

"I felt so…jealous" he said "I knew I was a Targaryen bastard, but I also knew that if I was a trueborn, I'd be up there too" he sighed, shifting slightly as he looked back at Rhaenyra. 

"You used to envy me?" She asked, slightly bitter "Not anymore I take it?" 

Aerions lips pursed, images of the Iron Throne passing through his mind, the sheer power of her title thrumming through his veins.

Heir to The Seven Kingdoms. 

"I still envy you" he casually admitted as he tilted his head.

"Why?" She asked, her brows furrowing. Aerions eyes flicked over to her, a hint of something—unreadable shining in them.

A moment of cold silence encapsulated the pair, the chattering of courtiers seeming muted as they stared at one another. 

His hand reached out toward her, brushing a lock of her platinum blonde hair, his finger flicking it gently so it fluttered across her face.

"I envy your hair, it's truly captivating" he said with a soft chuckle, the lie slipping from his lips easily, though the images of the throne and the weight of her legacy still hovered in the back of his mind.

She scoffed, though a smile pulled at her lips. "Is that all you envy?" She asked as she leaned forward, her eyes locking onto his.

"Your dragon" he responded bluntly as he tilted his head, his dark purple eyes clashing with her lilac ones. She smirked, her eyes lighting in something that resembled victory as she leaned back, 

The warmth of the sun bathed the garden in a golden hue, illuminating the vibrant blooms that surrounded them, the fragrance of flowers mingling with the faint sound of laughter from the court. 

"It's your name-day soon correct?" She asked, though going by the look in her eyes, she already knew the answer.

"Yes" Aerion responded,

"Why don't you visit Dragonstone, with me" she offered. "Tour the Dragonmont" she hinted, a wild sort of grin sporting on Aerions face as he leaned back into the bench.

"Kesan dōrī deny ao dārilaros" he declared, this time his words felt more polished, practised as he spoke High Valyrian to the person who had taught him the language. 

Rhaenyra felt a smile grow on her face at his words. 

'I would never deny you Princess'