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SEVEN;
『 A NEW PROPOSAL 』

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ㅤ "NOT SO FAST." Jacaerys says, clicking his tongue. The blade is pressed against his neck and the princess stares down at him. Most of her face is shadowed from the darkness of the room, but her eyes are illuminated by the moonlight pouring in through the window. The prince inhales a sharp breath and places his hand around hers on the handle of the dagger.

      He rises slowly, pushing her back until he's sitting up beside her. She lifts the dagger away from his neck, though his hand sticks on top of hers. Her eyes dig into his.

      "Either you let go or I stab your hand." She says. Slowly, he releases his fingers from hers. She shoves the dagger back into her belt, keeping her eyes on his the entire time.

       "We have little time before the break of the war." Jacaerys whispers to her. Cerilla tilts her head to the side slightly, parting her lips.

      "What is it that you are suggesting?" She whisper back. His jaw clenched then unclenches as he searches for the right words to speak. Both of their breaths pour from their lips at rapid speeds.

      Jace leans forward slightly. "A moment of peace, perhaps?" He suggests. Cerilla inches forward, then she recalls something she had overhead previously in the halls.

      Jacaerys is betrothed to Baela Targaryen, daughter of Rhaenys Targaryen and Lord Corlys Velaryon. They were promised at a young age, a compromise made by a queen Rhaenyra in order to strengthen their alliance. She needed desperately the support of the Velaryon fleet, and unfortunately the easiest option to gain that was to promise both of her sons to the daughters of Rhaenys. The proposal was accepted, and they have been promised ever since. Cerilla would never wish to break a promise, even one in which she did not consent. She would never stand in the way of a marriage, especially one for power, that will help the Queen.

      "I'm sorry my Prince," Cerilla pushes backward. "This is wrong." She turns her head away, breaking away from his eyes. Jacaerys stands up and nods, brushing off his pants, out of nervousness. He takes in a deep breath as he nods in understanding. He believes she does not have an interest in him as he has taken to her.

      Jacaerys silently makes his way across the room to the chamber doors. His hand rests on the handle to push it open, but for some reason he cannot bring himself to leave. Cerilla stands up and faces him. Their eyes meet from across the room.

      "It would be immoral to participate in these sort of things unmarried, you are correct." He says to her. She blinks and shakes her head. That is not what she intended for him to think.

      "No," she says. "You are betrothed to Baela. I will not act against your future marriage out of lust." Her voice reaches him deep in his mind. The image of Baela circles around Jace's mind. She has just returned back to Driftmark with Rhaena, upon the death of Lucerys. The terms of their arrangement has not been discussed since. Rhaena's betrothed is now dead- so what is to become of Baela's?

      "If I were not promised, would you think differently?" He prompts. Cerilla searches his face. His expression remains calm, collected. She looks to the ground then back to him.

       "I would." She answers. Jacaerys crosses the room to where she is standing, inches away from the plush sofa. He is so close she can feel his breath coming down on her. She looks up slightly, to meet her eyes with his. Her dark lashes frame her uplifted eyes, making her appear even more doe-like. He is utterly entranced by her beauty, even now, after having been around her for many days, he still finds himself at a loss for words to describe her beauty.

      He moves a curl away from her face, tucking it behind her ear. "If I tell Baela I admire another, she will understand, she has suitors lined up, asking for her hand, even though she is promised. If I tell her to pursue another because I am as well, she will not hate you for it." He says softly. His voice trembles slightly. The feeling of his fingers on the top of her ear is enough to send her mind into shambles. Her thoughts are clouded.

      "Jacaerys," she says his name in a whisper. He closes his eyes and savors the way she says his name. "If you kiss me, you will have to marry me. I will not take your touch then marry myself off to someone else and say I am untouched by a man." She says in his ear. His body chills at her voice. He understands her words clearly. He is changing the fate of his heirs, his future, his lineage, just because of one woman, one woman with the power to overcome all seven of his senses at once.

      "Even if I did not kiss you now, I would marry you, Cerilla," he opens his eyes and speaks to her. "You have entangled my senses, you have been the cause of my sleepless nights, you have been the front of my thoughts since the moment I picked you up from the beach. You have been the-" she stops him before he can say anymore, pressing her lips to his.

       Their eyes whisk closed as their lips push against each other. Cerilla lifts her hands to his head, holding the back of his neck. She tastes the salt on his lips. He tastes the sweetness on her lips. He has never wanted anything more. His hands cup her cheeks, warming her sun kissed skin with his own bodily heat. Their chests press together. The closeness of the act is unbearable. She pulls her head back and takes in a deep breath of air. Jacaerys does the same. He searches her face, her sweet face, the face that has etched in his memory.

      His hands fall to her waist and he pulls her in tightly, hugging her. She keeps her arms draped around his neck, hugging him close. She shuts her eyes as she sinks her head into his neck. He keeps his head touching hers. They stay like that for a few long moment, swaying slightly. The rest of their destinies have been changed now, all because of a ship sinking and a young prince flying down from the sky to rescue the only survivor.

      "Will your father hate me because I have taken Baela from you?" She whispers into his ear. She feels him shake his head against her hair.

       "No," he answers delicately. "Lord Corlys know it is wrong of the Greens to have the capital. He will side with the Blacks as long as we fight for the right things." He explains. This brings at least a slight amount of relief to her mind. Their arms slowly unwind from the others body. He tips his head forward, resting his forehead against hers. Their eyes close in the act of intimacy. They both savor it.

       "Will you teach me how to properly ride a dragon now, my prince?" Cerilla asks him. His eyes etch open slowly and the princess comes into view. A smile spreads across his face and he nods, taking her hand in his. The softness of her skin does not go unnoticed.

"After I teach you to wield a sword," he says. "There is not a single callus on this hand." He remarks. Cerilla grins and allows him to lead her out of the room. The taste of his lips still lingers on hers. She wonders if those passing by can see the affair on her lips.

Though, the halls are mostly empty. Most of the knights have been sent on the fleet, to sail around Westeros and collect the fighting soldiers. Most of those that they past are servants. Jacaerys leads Cerilla to the small courtyard overlooking the cliffs. He grabs one of the training swords from the bucket and tosses it to Cerilla. She stumbles slightly, but manages to catch it in the air. Jacaerys grabs one for himself then positions himself opposite Cerilla, holding the sword with one hand.

      She has had some training, back in Dorne, mostly with spears and bows. She is not a large fan of swords, in fact it is her least preferred weapon. Spears are the most tactical, in her opinion. They can be easily thrown for far-off combat and easily held like a sword for close combat. They're long, which gives the advantage of distance, and lightweight. Bows are also preferred. The princess is a fan of long range weapons.

      The prince puts a hand behind his back and the princess matches his motion, placing a hand behind her back. "I'll go easy on you." Jacaerys says with a smirk. Cerilla rolls her eyes as he launches towards her. She holds her sword in defense, swiping off the blade. The two of them slide their blades a few more times, Jacaerys attacking and Cerilla defending. Eventually, he knocks the sword out of her hand and it tumbles to the ground.

       He holds the blade up to her neck. "And... Defeated." He says mockingly. She rolls her eyes and goes to pick up her sword, but as she's doing so, she catches sight of the weapons rack just outside the makeshift fighting arena. She walks over to the rack and grabs a spear from the hook. She tests it in her hand, weighing it. It appears to be about the same lightness as the ones back home.

      She makes her way back into the arena. "I won't stay defeated for long." She says with a grin. They circle around one another, weapons extended. They keep their eyes narrowed at one another. The way they circle one another is a dance, a ritual. It is performed by swordsmen and spearmen alike.

      He attempts to swipe at her, but the spear is much longer than a sword. She blocks his motion well before he would have reached her body. Cerilla slides the spear up, causing the sword blade to follow. She steps forward, breaking the distance between them. This has turned into close combat. He pulls back his sword and does some fancy prince spin. She scoffs and allows him to show off. He then shoves the sword at her. She spins out of the way, keeping the spear in her hands in front of her body.

      The sword comes crashing down for her again, which is blocked by the wooden spear in her hand. Their weapons create an x as they both use their bodies to push the other. The princess know that Jace likely has more body power than she does, which is why she must act fast. If she does not, she will be overpowered by his force and defeated. She ducks, bringing the spear down with her, and swats his ankles with the wooden weapon.

      Jacaerys crashes to the ground, still holding his sword outward. He attempts to roll out of the way, but she blocks his movement by shoving the head of the spear into the ground, forcing him to stop. He attempts to roll the other way, but she does the same thing. She huffs and points his sword to her, which reaches around her knees. She uses her spear to knock the blade out of his hand. It crashes to the ground beside him.

      Cerilla grins and pokes the end of the spear into his chest, raising an eyebrow. He groans in defeat and holds up a hand. She takes his hand and pulls him up. The prince brushes off his attire before meeting Cerilla's eyes.

      "Well played, princess." He smirks. She shrugs and walks off, placing the spear back on the hook in which it had been hanging from.

      "You're not so bad yourself, prince." She admits. He shoves the sword back into the bucket and catches her eye. The evening sun causes her skin to glisten and glow. Just as the prince is about to say something, he notices a white-haired figure appear behind Cerilla. Upon further momentary inspection, he realizes he does not know who this is. Cerilla notices his distracted gaze and turns around. Her eyes fall to the young boy, perhaps about Jacaerys' age. His hair is white as snow and his eyes are that Targaryen purple-blue.

"Adam of Hull," he introduces himself. "Son of Laenor Velaryon." Jacaerys' lips part in confusion. Cerilla stands her ground and keeps her eyes locked on the new tarver, the young silver-haired boy. He stifles a head bow.

"I have heard your request for dragon riders, Prince Jacaerys. I have the blood of the tide in my veins, dragon riding blood. If you would allow me to, I would like to seek out Seasmoke, the dragon my father once rode, and fly behind Queen Rhaenyra in the taking of King's Landing." He says. Jacaerys takes a few steps forward, breaking the distance between them. He notices Adam's skin, how it is neither pale nor dark, but somewhere in between. Jacaerys nods.

"Let us go to the Dragonmont, then," the prince says. "Seasmoke will only trust you if you are Laenor's son. Let this be a test of truth." He says. Cerilla follows the two down the bridge to the Dragonmont. It will be a long walk, but hopefully a rewarding one.

      The Blacks are in dire need of dragon riders. The more dragons means the more firepower, which means hopefully a greater chance of winning. If Adam of Hull is truly the descent of Laenor Velaryon, he will easily be able to claim the great Seasmoke. If not, he will likely be torn to bits. The three young ones venture until the dusk breaks upon the sky and night is upon the lands.

The three of them enter into Dragonmont, the volcanic structure. The mist rises from the top, into the sky. The entrance is thin, so thin in fact that each of them have to turn sideways in order to make their way into the main part of the volcano. Immediately the shriek of a dragon can be heard echoing throughout the large rock. Jacaerys leads the three of them, followed by Adam of Hull, then Cerilla at the back. The cave is dark, therefore upon entering Jace grabs a torch and lights it with one hanging from the wall.

He turns to the ground and places a finger on his lips, telling them to keep quiet. They walk gently, with predetermined steps. Jacaerys points towards one of the smaller caves structures inside the volcano. They walk in the given direction, allowing the torch to light the way for them.

       The torch illuminates the area first, then the white-pink dragon crouched down low, belly touching the ground. His eyelids flash open at the sound of their footsteps, though the three young ones had thought they were being stealthy. His lips part into a screeching roar, filling the area with the sound.

      Adam takes a few steps forward, hand outstretched toward the dragon. Seasmoke's wing rise in an act of dominance, fangs barred. Adam takes another few steps in his direction, keeping his hand out.

"Do you recognize me?" He asks. "I'm the son of Laenor Velaryon, your previous rider." He explains to the dragon. Now Cerilla understands just how odd it looks talking to a dragon. She watches beside Jacaerys, as Adam of Hull steps even closer to the dragon. Seasmoke rises to his feet, towering at an even greater height than before.

       Within the following minutes of taking tedious steps with his hand outstretched, Adam manages to conquer the dragon. It had come easy for him since he does carry the blood of Laenor Velaryon, the dragons once owner. Usually, taming a dragon that you had not been cradled with as a child would take a significant amount of time, but luckily for Adam of Hull he got off easy enough. After giving some scratches to the muzzle of Seasmoke, Adam turns around bearing a conquerors smile.

       "Well done," Jace says. "Since you have pledged your support for the war, you will be given a chamber at the keep. Training will happen at dawn every morning. The forgers have spare dragon mounts for you and Cerilla. I will attempt to train the both of you within the week on how to ride a dragon." The prince explains. His words carry across the cave.

      "I know how to ride a dragon." Cerilla says, turning to face him. The prince snickers and raises an eyebrow.

      "You know how to stay on a dragon, yes, but not how to control one. It is important you have full control of your dragon going into the battle, so that this attack will have the utmost success." Jacaerys says in return. The princess rolls her eyes and the three of them shuffle back out of the volcano. Adam walks ahead, now embodying the bouncy walk of someone who has just tamed a dragon.

      "I bet he'll fall off before me." Cerilla whispers to the prince as they make their way back into the evening moonlight. Jacaerys arches an eyebrow in surprise.

      "Oh is that so?" His eyes narrow. "I bet you'll be the first to fall, easily." The prince confirms. Cerilla punches him gently in the arm.

      Adam of Hull, newfound owner of Seasmoke, Prince Jacaerys Velaryon of Dragonstone, and Princess Cerilla, newfound owner of Grey Ghost, make their way back to the keep, this time, with a greater sense of pride. Perhaps, if they find riders for the rest of the untamed dragons, they will have enough power behind them to take King's Landing with ease.

      At least, one can hope.