Days have pass since their last meeting.
Arianne moved through the shadowed corridors of the Old Palace like a ghost in orange silk. She had told the guards she was going to speak with her father about the Water Gardens. A harmless enough excuse.
But when she turned the corner toward Doran's private solar, she froze.
Quentyn was already there.
Her younger brother stood outside the heavy door in simple traveling clothes, speaking quietly with two trusted lords, Andrey Dalt and another man she recognized as one of Doran's most discreet envoys.
Quentyn looked focused, determined. The kind of look he wore when their father gave him a real task.
Something sharp twisted in Arianne's chest.
She slipped behind a column before any of them noticed her, heart hammering. From there, she could just make out the voices drifting through the slightly ajar door.
Doran's voice was calm, measured, as always.
"…considered the dragon prince's request carefully. He has fire in him, that much is true. But sending him openly across Westeros right now would be reckless. His appearance alone is a beacon. We cannot risk it."
Arianne's nails dug into her palms.
Quentyn's voice answered, respectful but eager. "Then I will go in his stead, as you asked. With a small party. Low banners. We can reach Highgarden quietly and feel out Lady Olenna's mood."
"Yes," Doran said.
"Take only those you trust completely. Speak of old alliances, of shared blood, of the storms gathering in King's Landing. Do not mention the boy yet. Not until we are certain."
Arianne felt heat rise in her face.
They were going ahead without Rhaego. Without her. Doran had listened to everything she said… and still chose to send Quentyn. Again.
She stayed long enough to hear Doran give final instructions, routes, codes, how to approach the Tyrells then slipped away before the door opened fully.
Her steps were quick and silent as she moved through the palace, blood roaring in her ears.
By the time she reached the Sea Tower, she was almost running.
In the sea tower.
Rhaego paced the wide balcony of his chambers like a caged animal.
four days.
four long, suffocating days since the meeting with Doran and Arianne. four days of silence. four days of Doran "thinking."
His tail lashed behind him, scraping against the stone floor.
At this rate, he thought bitterly, I'll be fully grown with a beard before he makes a decision. Wait... do dragons even get beards?
He needed to move. He needed to get north. He needed to reach the Reach before the Tyrells got any deeper into their mess with the Faith Militant.
If he could sneak in, maybe talk to Lady Olenna, maybe even help get Margaery and Loras out before things got worse…
He stopped at the railing, one foot already planted firmly on the carved balustrade. The sea glittered far below, endless and inviting. The wind tugged at his loose tunic, whispering the sweetest temptation he'd heard in days.
Just go, the voice in his head hissed. Spread your wings, you oversized lizard. Fly north. Find allies for your mother.
Stop wasting time.
His back twitched the wings beneath his skin, ready to burst open at any second.
He leaned forward, muscles coiled, heart pounding with reckless anticipation—
"Rhaego."
He jerked back so fast his tail nearly whipped him in the face.
He turned sharply.
Arianne stood in the open doorway to the balcony, breathing hard, strands of dark hair sticking to her flushed cheeks.
Her eyes widened slightly as she took in the sight of him, one leg still propped up on the railing like he was about to swan dive into the sea.
Rhaego quickly lowered his foot and tried to look casual, folding his arms across his chest as if he'd just been enjoying the view. His tail betrayed him by curling guiltily behind his legs.
"Princess," he said, voice a little too loud. "I was… uh… stretching."
She arched an elegant eyebrow, clearly not buying it for a second, but she played it cool, stepping forward with graceful purpose.
"We need to leave," she said, voice low but urgent. "Now."
Rhaego blinked, caught completely off guard. "What?"
Arianne came closer, close enough that he could smell orange blossoms and warm skin. Her gaze flicked once more to the railing, then back to his face.
"My father has considered your request," she said, her voice smooth and confident. "He understands the urgency. But you know how he is… he moves slowly, always weighing every possibility."
She reached out and took his wrist, her grip warm and surprisingly strong.
"So I have decided for us," she continued, eyes locking onto his with fierce determination. "We go tonight. Together. You and I. We can head north quietly at first, then make our way toward the Reach on our own terms."
Rhaego stared at her, utterly overwhelmed.
"You… you want to leave with me?" he asked, voice rough with disbelief. "Just like that? Without Doran's direct permission?"
Arianne's smile was small, sharp, and dangerously confident.
"He has not forbidden it," she said, which was technically true. "And time is not on our side. If we stay, we lose everything."
Rhaego's chest tightened. The frustration he had been swallowing for four days surged hot in his blood.
She squeezed his wrist once, her touch steady.
"What do you say, dragon prince? Are you ready to stop waiting?"
Rhaego looked at her, really looked. The fire in her eyes mirrored the fire burning in his own chest. For four days he had felt trapped.
Now someone was offering him wings.
He swallowed hard, heart pounding against his ribs.
"You're serious?" he asked, voice cracking slightly.
"You really want to come with me? Princess Arianne… this could be dangerous if something goes wrong—"
Arianne cut him off with a confident smile, stepping even closer.
"I'm sure," she said.
"With me at your side, our request for alliance will carry far more weight. A Dornish princess speaking for Dorne is very different from a lone dragon prince appearing out of nowhere. And don't worry about my safety."
Her eyes sparkled with mischief. "We're bound by the same cause now. So you had better be very careful with me, dragon prince. Or I'll make sure you regret it."
Rhaego let out a short, nervous laugh.
Before he could overthink it, he reached forward and gently took both of her hands in his. His palms were unusually warm, slightly rough, and noticeably larger than hers.
Arianne's eyes widened a fraction at the sudden contact, but she didn't pull away.
He looked down at their joined hands for a moment, then back up at her face, voice low and earnest.
"If you ever feel like you're going to vomit… you have to tell me immediately, alright?"
Arianne blinked, clearly confused. "Vomit? Why would I—"
She never finished the sentence.
Rhaego released her hands, took one step back, and rolled his shoulders. With a soft, powerful sound like canvas snapping in the wind, his wings unfolded behind him.
They were massive.
Deep charcoal-black at the base, fading into crimson and gold along the membranes, veined with faint traces of shimmering scarlet. They stretched wide, easily twice his height, catching the moonlight like living silk. The tips curved elegantly, deadly and beautiful at the same time.
Arianne's breath caught.
Gods… she thought, eyes wide with genuine awe. He's been hiding these the entire time?
She had known he had wings. But seeing them fully extended was powerful, graceful, unmistakably draconic hit her harder than she expected. This wasn't some strange boy anymore.
This was something ancient and magnificent standing in front of her.
Rhaego gave her an almost shy smile, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand.
"Excuse me," he muttered.
Before she could respond, he stepped forward, slid one arm under her knees and the other behind her back, and lifted her effortlessly into a bridal carry.
Arianne let out a small, startled "Oh—" as her feet left the ground. Her arms instinctively went around his neck.
"Hold on tight," Rhaego said, voice suddenly serious.
He crouched low, powerful legs coiling like springs.
Arianne's eyes widened. "Wait— Rhaego—!"
He jumped.
The sudden upward burst was violent and exhilarating. The balcony dropped away beneath them in a rush of air. Arianne gasped sharply, burying her face against the side of his neck for a moment as the wind whipped past them.
Her stomach lurched, but she refused to scream so instead, she tightened her grip around his shoulders, heart racing wildly.
Then his wings snapped open fully and gave one powerful, thunderous flap.
They shot upward.
Higher. Faster.
The lights of Sunspear grew smaller and smaller below them, becoming a glittering cluster of gold against the dark land. The night air turned colder and sharper as they climbed through the clouds.
When they finally broke through the cloud layer, the world changed.
The moon hung enormous and brilliant above them, bathing everything in silver light. Below, the clouds stretched like an endless glowing sea. Sunspear was now just a faint sparkle far beneath the white blanket.
Arianne slowly lifted her head from Rhaego's neck, eyes wide with wonder.
She could see the curve of the horizon, the vast darkness of the sea, the tiny pinpricks of light that were distant towns. The wind rushed past them, but Rhaego's arms held her steady and secure.
She let out a breathless laugh, half-shocked, half-thrilled, and tightened her arms around his neck.
"You absolute menace!" she shouted over the roaring wind, still grinning against his shoulder.
"Warn a girl before you launch her into the sky like a catapult! I nearly left my stomach back on the balcony!"
Rhaego's laughter rumbled deep in his chest, warm and boyish despite the powerful beat of his wings.
"Sorry!" he called back, sounding not sorry at all. "I got excited! It's been so long since I've flown properly… I missed the air too much!"
Arianne pulled back just enough to glare at him, though the effect was ruined by the huge smile on her face.
"Missed the air? You nearly missed my breakfast!" she shot back, laughing. "Next time, give me at least three heartbeats of warning, you oversized bat!"
Rhaego grinned, fangs flashing in the moonlight.
"Noted, Princess. Next time I'll count out loud."
Arianne laughed again, bright, breathless, and freer than she had felt in years and rested her cheek against his shoulder once more, watching the sea of clouds glow silver under the moon.
For the first time in her life, she understood what it truly meant to be free.