nathalya.
nathalya would be a fool to not understand the unease that most felt at having the dragons in the north, to not feel the intensity of each gaze that trailed after them upon arrival. it doesn’t bother her the same as it once might’ve, for she’s come to stand tall in the face of the whispers that plagued even king’s landing. she did her best to squash most of them, for they held little stock most of the time, and it was not another stress that aeragon needed to bear, in her eyes. ❝ yes, back to chasing our little dragons down halls we are far more familiar with. ❞
it was nice to see such happiness cross her husband’s features, even if it was only behind the closed doors of their chambers. ❝ they would be wishing for as short of a stay as ours before long. the wolves don’t have coats suited for the southern heat. dragons are forged from fire, surely we can withstand even the hottest of summers. ❞ but her smile is bright to punctuate her logic, teasing almost. she had to assume that the heat hardly bothered them because they were accustomed to it in the same way that those in the north were to the cold.
her expression is soft, and though it is often kind, this was an expression reserved solely for aeragon and their children; her siblings whenever she saw them. ❝ i must admit that even under better circumstances, i do not think they would favor southern company. though hopefully they shall remain cordial, as shall we, and leave little ill - will between us. ❞ as much as could be left with the late brandon stark’s death hanging over the upcoming coronation and his assassin still at large. though it wasn’t something she planned to dwell on for the greater portion of their visit. nathalya recognized the look in his eyes, the distant expression that took hold of her husband more often than not, but her smile is soft all the same, leaning into his touch as thoughtful hum left her lips. ❝ i couldn’t agree more, my king. there is much to see beyond our own four walls, after all. ❞ she pressed a chaste kiss to the palm of his hand. ❝ i remember your own crowning as though it were yesterday, this is a time for rejoicing indeed. ❞
a soft smile tugged at the corner of his lips when she mentioned their children, whom they had debated bringing to the north. aeragon had advised against it, but their children would always be safe with them. not only that, but leaving their children in king’s landing and not bringing them to the north would probably take notice and surely people would make comments on trust. that was the last thing thing the tension between the north and south needed. aeragon wasn’t keen on having another war, but he’d surely fight if it came down to it. ❛ i can practically hear our littlest one’s screams of laughter echoing off the stone walls. ❜
he nodded with her words and let his eyes roam her face while she talked. ❛ you are absolutely right, my love. the heat does not bother us dragons and we should have enough fire within us to keep us warm in this cold. ❜ his hands still, lovingly, rubbed at her arms to help create some friction and a little more warmth. as much as aeragon thought about it, he was sure he would never get used to the cold of the north no matter how long he stayed.
❛ they would not. ❜ possibly not all of the northerners anyway. some had settled with the idea of a rested feud between the two kingdoms, but northerners were stubborn and most would not forget history. ❛ we shall congratulate the new king stark and be on our way... they would be foolish to not be cordial. ❜ though there wasn’t much thought in his mind that someone would start something. this was a happy occasion for the north and despite the dragon’s presence, it shouldn’t put a stop to their festivities. hopefully this would allow the targaryens some time to relax and enjoy their moments before heading back to the diplomatic life at king’s landing.
then again there were whispers here. whispers of his supposed targaryen madness. something that seemed to weave its way through targaryen generations and pluck one of the unlucky ones from the masses. if the disease was true and if he did have it, he feared passing it along to his children. he always feared for their safety, but this was something he couldn’t control. her voice slowly came back to him just in time for his eyes to move back to her as she placed a kiss to his palm. a brief glimpse of a smile graced his features at the memory of his own coronation. ❛ i was so nervous, ❜ a chuckle mixed in with his words as he spoke them. ❛ though i do not remember much from the coronation. ❜ a brighter smile and a bigger laugh came from him, remembering bits and pieces of the lavish party in king’s landing that the alcohol hadn’t blurred out.
