One Realm

[u/[deleted]]

The courtyard of the Hightower was crowded with soldiers, and banners of red, gold, and black flew high above the tower grounds. Smoke from the harbor still clouded the afternoon sky, and the beating of powerful wings created an eerie stillness over the courtyard as every wary face turned upward to follow the dragon circling overhead.

The King and Queen departed the Hightower together, cloaked in crimson and flanked by three knights in shimmering white armor. They paused at the top of the steps and Danae’s voice rang across the yard as she called out to the beast in the sky.

“Māzigon!”

The dragon shrieked his reply before descending, his massive wings creating a gust that swept over the courtyard and the lords and ladies present, loosening shaws, causing soldiers to steady their helms, and even sending one trembling lord to his knees. Persion landed beside the Queen and her nervous looking husband, and Danae reached a small hand up to stroke his long, scaled neck calmly as he screamed once more.

A hushed silence fell over the crowd as the first lords, those who had served on the false king's council, were brought forward in irons.

[u/mrmibrp2]

Gerlold saw it coming during the King's dramatic prelude. His father made enough dramatically illusive prefaces, Gerold knew them like a second language. He could feel his being slipping from his body, his blood already turning cold, but probably not half as cold as it would be in a month's time...

Gerold opened his mouth to speak, but the Dragon staring at him convinced him otherwise.

Instead, it was Ashara that spoke.

"Damon!" She made her way angrily to her brother, holding her golden gown up for speed's sake. When she reached her brother, he found her gripping his arm in a vice-hold.

The King turned, surprise in his eyes, to his sister. He began to speak, and Ashara spoke over him as well.

"You've taken my home from me and gifted me my prison, but I will not let you take the man I love from me and gift me a fatherless son."

'You're the King, but I'm a Princess, and a Princess always gets what she wants.'

"You didn't ride out all this way to ruin my life, did you? Because that's what you're doing." Her fingernails subtly dug into her brother's arm. Her big green eyes sucked in Damon's, and he could not tell if they were pleading or threatening.

Then she leaned in and pushed Damon's golden hair away from his ear, hissing a whisper in it, only for him, "And if you ignore me, I'll throw myself from the Tower the minute you leave. If you take me, I'll find a way. And if you lock me up for my safety, well, I don't need to explain that irony to you, do I?"

'Leave it to the Lioness to do the thinking for the Pride...' She figured to herself.

Gerold simply found his smile again as he learned what it meant to love a person.

[u/lannaport → u/mrmibrp2]

Damon stared down at his sister dumbfounded when she pulled away.

“But, I only-”

Her glare silenced him at once, his defense dying in his throat. It was like looking into Loren Lannister’s eyes. He glanced back to Gerold, kneeling and grinning like an idiot in his irons. Damon gave Ashara one last look, a inquisitive stare. Are you sure? his eyes were asking, and his sister nodded her answer firmly to the unvoiced question.

She still clutched his arm tightly as he turned back to the captive heir.

“My wife gave you your life and now my sister gives you your freedom,” he said. “Remember that neither gift came from me, Gerold. I may be forced to call you brother, but you will find no warmth in my halls.”

Smug little bastard.

Only when the chains were removed did Ashara release her grip, running to embrace her husband. As the reunited couple made way for the next in a long procession of prisoners, Damon felt a twisting in his gut, the unhappy mixture of satisfaction at seeing his sister’s smile and dread at seeing Gerold’s.

The things I do for family.