WILDFIRE○J. VELARYON

10○ 130 AC: THE SNOW PRINCESS

Vaera had been flying on Meraxes for what seemed like an eternity. There was only one place she wanted to be, and that was away from King's Landing.

As she contemplated where to go, she realized that she should've stayed with Lucerys. It was the safest option.

But Vaera didn't think. She never thought. If she'd thought everything through maybe she wouldn't be in this situation. She knew she could never go back to King's Landing or Rhaenyra, for that matter.

She'd have to tell her that she caused Lucerys to lose his arm and nearly his life.

She flew until she reached the wall but was shocked when Meraxes wouldn't fly over it.

"Sōvēs! (Fly!)" Vaera yelled, but to no avail. Meraxes would not fly beyond the wall. Vaera pulled back on her reins, causing her to turn away from the wall and fly somewhere else.

She flew until she found an odd-looking castle. She didn't know why it was there, but her curiosity was peaked.

As she flew closer, she saw a tattered flag waving in the cold winter wind. The sigil was also one that Vaera didn't recognize, causing her to fly a little closer.

Meraxes eventually landed and the Princess jumped down from the creature, her feet hitting the snow below her with a dull thud.

She'd learned about the different houses in Westeros, but never about a house with a black star as its sigil.

As Vaera approached the castle, she suddenly froze when she saw a man standing at the gate. She hoped that the man hadn't spotted her, but it seemed that her luck had run out for the day.

The man quickly began making his way to the Princess but stopped dead in his tracks when he finally spotted Meraxes.

The dragon let out a low growl as she and her rider both stared at the man, his dark, warm clothes contrasting with his surroundings.

"Lykirī, Meraxes. Umbās. (Be calm, Meraxes. Wait.)" Vaera put her hand on Meraxes' neck as she whispered the words to her before removing her hand and walking forward.

The man stood still, staring at the dragon as Vaera approached him. When he noticed her, however, his gaze averted to the Princess.

The man smiled slightly as Vaera approached, making her feel uneasy. Eventually, she stopped, taking in the man's striking appearance.

His eyes seemed to be darker than hers and his hair was just as dark, if not darker.

If she didn't know any better, Vaera would've mistaken him for a Baratheon, but this man's features were much darker than the house she was familiar with.

"Princess," The man spoke, startling Vaera ever so slightly. Even though she didn't recognize the man or the house, he definitely recognized her.

"I apologize for intruding..." Vaera trailed off, not exactly sure what to say.  

"Believe me, you would know if you were an intruder."

~~~

Vaera sat in the hall of the castle as a woman put a bowl of soup in front of her. The steam coming from the soup was more apparent in the cold.

Vaera worried about Meraxes outside, but the dragon wasn't unfamiliar with the cold, and her scales were thick, giving her the protection that she needed.

The woman smiled as Vaera took the soup, but the girl had yet to eat it.

"You must excuse my brother," The woman spoke, causing Vaera to look up. "He can be a frightening man." Vaera slowly nodded as she stared down at the soup, worrying that these people had ill intentions.