It's Time To Go // Criston Cole // Harwin Strong

19. No One Likes a Little Dragon

'Daemon, he would venture off, abroad, winning tournaments...'

'No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.' Daemon said immediately a smile on his face. Winning back into his brothers good graces.

'I will not revisit this debate. You were always mother's favorite.' Viserys told him. 'No, it's no great mystery. You were.' Viserys assured 'Our mother, she had no regard for custom or tradition, rules. And I, sadly, was no great warrior.'

"I'm sure you have other redeeming qualities." Aislynn offered and viserys chuckled out while Daemon cocked his head to her.

"Little hightower." Daemon remarked "So good to see you again. I see you havent lost your tongue."

"Little Targaryen... you see you saying little is a compliment, I work on my figure," She ran a hand over the bodice of her dress. "but... no one likes a little dragon." Aislynn rasped in his ear. He licked as his lips as she pulled back.

"Want to go on a dragon hunt Aislynn? You find he is not lacking in size." Daemon countered.

"Aislynn is engaged to Ser Harwin." Viserys spoke up.

"And I'm married... whats the harm in a talk?" Daemon countered.

"You couldnt handle Aislynn." Viserys murmured and Aislynn laughed out.

"He's right, you couldnt." Aislynn agreed.

'Congratulations on your victory.' Rhaenyra said walking up to her family and the hightower monsters.

'Thank you, Princess.' Daemon said kindly.

'Perhaps Prince Daemon would care for a tour of the gallery? He hasn't yet seen the new tapestries gifted to you by Norvos and Qohor.' Alicent offered

'Oh, oh. Would you like to see the tapestries?' Viserys questioned and the siblings burst out laughing.

"I will take that as a no." Aislynn added looking to Alicent. "Clearly not a man of the finer things."

'He has no interest in such things.' Viserys agreed. Alicent was trying to be kind, she didnt know much about Daemon he was Viserys aloof and distant and half the time exiled brother. She was just offering but now their out burst at what a ludacris thought that was made her go silent. Alicent leaned into Aislynn as she wrapped an arm around her little sister.

'I'd like to see them.' Rhaenyra said, for she had been gone on her royal tour of looking for a suitor for many moons.

'Oh, well, then you should not deprive yourself.' Viserys told her bitterly. He wasn't happy about her early return with no husband to be. Otto however was thrilled that Aislynns union was underway and his sons had not tried to kill Harwin yet.

'I shall enjoy them alone.' Rhaenyra said heading off.

'More wine. As I said, you were the favorite.' Viserys went on happily

'No, you were. You were. I insist.' Daemon mused. Aislyn rolled her eyes as she headed off.

'I surmise the tour did not go well.' Alicent said walking over to Rhaenyra as she sat along on a bench staring at the gardens.

'I endured it for as long as I could.' Rhaenyra told her stiffly.

'To have every young knight and lord in the Seven Kingdoms fawning over you... What misery. It is rare for girls in this realm to get a choice between two suitors, no less two score of them.' Alicent reminded her.

'Those men and boys don't fawn over me. They only want my name and my Valyrian blood for their offspring.' Rhaenyra corrected

'I think it's rather romantic.' Alicent offered a gentle smile on her face.

'How romantic it must be to get imprisoned in a castle and made to squeeze out heirs.' Rhaenyra heard it as she said and looked over at Alicent with a pinched gaze. 'Sorry.' She murmured 'How angry is he?'

'The King went through great effort to arrange your tour. He is... frustrated. But I am glad you are home.' Alicent told her 'I find I have... few friends lately. I like to believe I'm still the Lady Alicent, but... all anyone sees when they look at me now is "The Queen." Alicent told her as Rhaenyra grabbed Alicent's hand. "I have Aislynn but she will be wed soon starting a family of her own." Alicent looked to Rhaenyra cautiously.

'I've missed you, too.' Rhaenyra offered. 

+

"Quite the sweet tooth you have Lady Aislynn." she turned around licking the glaze from her lips. 

"I think you can you should actually just call me Aislynn, we are to be wed." Aislynn remarked as Harwin ran his finger along her bottom lip before sucking the residue from his finger and damn if that wasnt just about the sexiest thing Aislynn had ever seen. 

Her lips was caught between her teeth as he brought a hand to her chin, her lips pulled away from each other as she arched up into him.

Daemon stood basking in the sun when Rhaenyra found him.

"You seemed so content on Dragonstone.' She remarked. 'Why did you come back?' he opened his eyes and looked down at her. 'There is surely more to your return than simply taunting my father.' She remarked. 'So... what do you want?' Rhaenyra questioned.

"You're sweet." Harwin whispered against Aislynns lips. 

"That's because I'm so sweet." Aislynn agreed practically purring into him. 

'Only the comforts of home.' Daemon assured as he moved to a buffet line and started picking at the food. He glanced at Harwin and Aislynn semi hidden by the collum as their lips collided. 

'I had not thought you particularly comfortable in this home. Though I do suppose you seem changed by your adventures. More mature, perhaps.' Rhaenyra offered

'You've matured yourself these last four years, Princess.' Daemon told her 'You'll get used to the attention.' Aislynn noticed Daemon's gaze and peered out looking to Rhaenyra. 

'The attention I can endure. It's the rest I could do without. My father seems content to sell me off to whichever lord has the biggest castle.' Rhaenyra corrected. 

'There are worse things to be sold for.' Daemon remarked sitting down. "marriage is only a political arrangement.' He informed her. "Once you are wed you can do as you like. You as well little Hightower."

"I already do as I like." Aislynn corrected. "I'm no ones property." Daemon hummed as he took a sip of his wine. 

'For men marriage might be a political arrangement.' Rhaenyra corrected 'but for women it is like a death sentence.'

"It can be... not always for the women though." Aislynn agreed as she pulled Harwin along. Rhaenyra's gaze stuck on Harwin a moment longer. 

'Would that it were. I would have been rid of my bronze bitch ages ago.' Daemon told her. He handed over his glass, she looked down at it.

"Your wife has been fortunate,' she remarked taking a drink and Daemon chuckled 'you have not put a child in her.'

'Oh...' Daemon mused. 'I doubt a child would grow in such a hostile environment.' He mused and Aislynn chuckled thinking the same of Rhaenyra moons ago. 

'My mother was made to produce heirs until it killed her.' Rhaenyra reminded him. "I wont subject myself to the same.'

'What happened to your mother was a tragedy.' Daemon confirmed. 'But this is a tragic world. You cannot live your life in hear or you will forsake the best parts of it.' Daemon told her confidently.

"I have no desire to live in fear. Only solitude.' Rhaenyra corrected.

'Such a lonely prospect.'