A chuckle followed the Princess’s proclamations; the girl now claiming a chance to defeat the slimy squid of which Rodrik spoke. If the rest of Rodrik’s clan did come to visit, however, the last place he would let his daughter be was in their presence. For trusting Rodrik was much different than the rest, and the child he loved dearly did not need to face the kraken’s wrath.
“Everything okay?”
The dragon grimaced. Rhaegar could not recall when anything ever had been. There was always a thick mask of worry, and a deathly ghost settled through hallways he trailed. Now more than ever, the thought of Rebellion was leaving its phantomed form. “Daughter,” the prince relayed, “a respectable Knight tends to their own steed.” And just as soon as she’d arrived, the girl kissed her uncle’s cheek, hugged father, and vanished toward the stables.
“No,” the dragon sighed, though kept defeat from breaching his firm tone, “nothing at all. But promise me something. I consider you my blood, and blood protects family. So if I die, dear brother, protect them.” Them. Rhaenys. Aegon. Elyria. The people.
Rodrik ruffled Rhaenys’ hair as she wandered away to tend to her steed, and watched her with fondness. He truly believed her his niece, blood or no blood, and he would protect her with his life if need be, the same as he would do for her father. The Greyjoy had been taught all his life to hate dragons but there was only one dragon to hate, the others - the ones who weren’t mad - were as noble as any would be.
Rodrik caught the grimace, not that he blamed Rhaegar for making it. Nothing was ever really ‘okay’ but the kraken wanted to know what especially was on the dragon’s mind today so that he could make an attempt to fix it. Rodrik used to be fun, before he’d come here and the weight of his problems had stamped that out, but now at least if he couldn’t cheer Rhaegar up he could try and convince him that things were going to get better.
“You know I would, as best I could. More than I would protect most of my own.” Rodrik said, clenching his jaw. He couldn’t imagine life without Rhaegar, he didn’t want to imagine life without Rhaegar. “But you’re not going anywhere any time soon, dragon prince. You have a King to unseat, a rebellion to lead, and a throne to reclaim.”












