𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐨𝐧'𝐬 𝐎𝐚𝐭𝐡

Danger Lurks Tonight

Thereya froze in her steps, a surge of tension palpable in the air. With an irritated scowl, she turned sharply, demanding, "What is it?"

Aegon, lying on his side, slowly closed his eyes, slipping into a drowsy state. In a drunken mumble, he murmured, "Who am I going to torment when you die?"

Perplexed, confusion etched across Thereya's face. "Why would I be dead? What are you talking about?" she questioned, brows furrowed.

Aegon, only partially coherent, responded, "When they kill you, that's when you will be dead. You were supposed to be dead already, why aren't you?"

Thereya's eyes widened in alarm. She approached the bed, forcefully rolling Aegon over to lock eyes with him. "Aegon! Look at me! Why would I be dead!? Tell me now!"

Abruptly, Aegon's door swung open, slamming against the wall. Aegon, wide-eyed now, jolted upright from the bed. Thereya let out a startled scream, swiftly turning and retreating. The atmosphere crackled with a newfound intensity.

Ser Criston entered Aegon's chamber, his expression etched with concern. "Princess," he began gravely, "I must speak with you urgently. Tonight, a man lurked in the corridors with sinister intent. Someone meant to harm you under the cloak of darkness."

Thereya's eyes widened in alarm. "Harm me? Who would harbor such malice?"

"I don't know the face that is concealed beneath the hood, but their motives are clear. You must take precautions, for danger still lingers in the shadows," Ser Criston warned his hand instinctively resting on the hilt of his sword.

Thereya's heart raced as the weight of the revelation settled upon her. "What must I do?"

"Stay vigilant and keep close guard. I shall increase the patrols, but your safety rests heavily on your discretion this night," Ser Criston declared, his unwavering gaze fixed upon Thereya. The air in the chamber became charged with tension as the weight of the threat enveloped them both.

Amidst everything happening and his drunkenness, Aegon, the usually not bothered soul, felt a sudden sobriety grasp him like a sharp hand. The echoes of Ser Criston's voice blurred into a distant hum as the weight of Criston's words bore down on him.

His gaze wandered across the room until it found Thereya, her eyes reflecting the same concern as one he had heard in her voice just moments ago. In that shared glance, unspoken understanding passed between them. Aegon's expression transformed from drunk and irritated to a silent acknowledgment of the looming threat.

In the charged atmosphere of the tension-laden chambers, Thereya's gaze locked onto Aegon, and a sudden revelation struck her like lightning. At that moment, as the weight of realization hung heavy in the air, Thereya couldn't help but acknowledge the serendipity that had unfolded. In a twist of fate, her encounter with a drunken Aegon had become an unexpected lifeline, redirecting her steps away from the shadowy threat that awaited her in the solitude of her chambers.

"Attention, guards!" Ser Cole's urgent voice echoed through the corridors, cutting through the tension like a blade. "Halt the search! Princess Thereya is alive and well!"

His words reverberated through the stone walls, and the frantic energy that had gripped the castle seemed to freeze in an instant. Guards, with furrowed brows and weapons at the ready, turned toward Ser Cole, awaiting further instructions.

"The threat has passed. Princess Thereya is safe," Ser Cole declared, relief and urgency intertwining in his words. "Spread the word to cease the search, and let the halls know that danger has been averted."

A collective exhale of tension swept through the guards as the news sank in. Swords were sheathed, and hurried footsteps shifted from a chaotic search to a purposeful stand-down. The urgency of the moment transformed into a palpable sense of relief, and Ser Cole's authoritative voice echoed through the castle, bringing a semblance of calm to the once tumultuous halls.