forum Born in Flames (1-1, Closed, Mature)

Started April 04, 2023 by @Serpentess health_and_safety language

tune

@emilyevewrites

Ghar’Teus/Rhaenys

I figured the title would be fitting, lol.

Ghar’Teus gazed out across the forested valley below him. He was at the peak of a tall mountain, enjoying the scenery and quiet. He loved moments like these.

A long while passed before Ghar’Teus moved, standing up. He then spit out a mouthful of bloody lava on a patch of burned grass he’d made from previous spits. He watched the spot to make sure it cooled without starting a fire, then followed the trail he’d made coming up the mountain.

He made it halfway down before a faint flickering light abruptly appeared in front of him. He tried to stop, but he only ended up stumbling into it, and was sucked into the portal without a trace left behind.

Moments later, Ghar’Teus fell out of the portal with a yelp and found himself in the middle of grasslands. Quickly, he got to his feet and looked around, searching for any familiar landmarks. None.

Shit!

A low growl of frustration rumbled to life in his throat. He then scowled at the landscape, before realizing that he wasn’t alone.

Ghar’Teus whirled around to face this new person, his claws becoming a bright red, fire and lava building in the depths of his being, waiting to be unleashed.

“Who are you and how are you here?”he growled, his deep, gravelly voice heavily accented by a lisping, gutteral accent.

(OMFG I'm obsessed with the title!!!)

It all happened so fast. Was this even real?

Rhaenys had been riding on the back of her dragon, the Red Queen, Meleys. The recent death of her son, Laenor, had made the death of her daughter, Laena, resurface in her mind, and the pain was overwhelming the Lady of Driftmark day in and day out. Rhaenys needed to clear her head, and what better way was there to accomplish that than by flying? Sometimes, it was Meleys who understood Rhaenys better than anyone, even her husband Corlys.

So the pair had taken a ride around the island of Driftmark and were just approaching the castle again. However, something odd happened. Rhaenys' saddle clasps somehow came loose, and as Meleys banked over toward the castle, Rhaenys slipped out and fell toward the dark blue waves beneath her. The breath was sucked from her throat, and she couldn't even scream. The world was reduced to flashes of blue and brown, and a resounding roar from Meleys echoed through the air until-

Suddenly, Rhaenys landed in the middle of a grassy field. She lay still for a few moments, struggling to catch her breath and figure out what had just happened to her. After a moment, she regained herself and stood up. The scene that greeted her was like nowhere she'd ever been in Westros… and Meleys was completely gone. Where was she?

She reached up to smooth her wild, windblown hair while she continued to take deep breaths. To make matters even more confusing, she suddenly heard a noise from behind her and turned to see another person who had seemingly just appeared. Her eyes widened, and a hand unconsciously drifted to her hip where her concealed dagger and whip were buckled at her side. Thankfully she was at least wearing her armor. She always wore the red and silver protective metal when she was out for a ride with her beloved dragon.

The man growled at her with a very heavy accent, so it took her a moment to process his words. She narrowed her eyes and studied him for a moment before resigning herself to the truth. Obviously, he didn't know her or where they were either.

"My name is Rhaenys Targaryen," she stated, straightening herself and keeping a hand by her weapons. "And… I'm not entirely sure. Yourself?"

(Lmao!)

Ghar’Teus eyed the woman closely, noting her white hair and red and silver armor. A warrior? A warrior that smelled like a dragon? A true dragon. How had she come across a true dragon? They were rare.

Her name confused him. She was definitely from a world he didn’t know of. Though, he noted the way her hands lingered by her weapons. Not surprising, given that she was standing in front of a tall, eerie-looking, reptilian man.

Ghar’Teus took a deep breath, closing his eyes a moment and massaging his temples with his fingers. The bright glow in his claws slowly faded, until they were back to their typical black hue.

“I am Ghar’Teus,”he replied.

He looked around again, then sighed.

“Damned portals,”he muttered, shaking his head. He then spat at the ground off to the side, before turning back to Rhaenys. He didn’t even bother to glance at the smoldering spot.

“I suspect we were captured by portals somehow and dropped here. ‘Tis been known to happen,”he said.

Even as the strange man took a deep breath and closed his eyes, Rhaenys's hand by her weapons didn't falter. Wherever she was and whoever this stranger was with her… she trusted neither. Her trust was hard to earn, especially after the hell she'd gone through in her life.

Her eyes studied the glow of his claws fading, and she caught his name with interest. She'd never heard of a name like that before. But as he spat literal lava onto the ground, her eyes widened, finally betraying an emotion of surprise. What kind of creature had she encountered?

But her eyes quickly narrowed again at his words. "Portals?" she repeated skeptically. "I've never heard of such things before. They aren't known to happen in Westeros."

If she was really captured by a portal, did that mean Meleys was still safe back in Driftmark? Rhaenys hoped so.

Ghar’Teus noticed her eyes widening at his spit. Her first show of emotion. Tough woman. Good to know.

Though, at her question, he could only stare in incredulity. How in the hell did she not know what a portal was? The multiverse was rife with them! Fucking oblivious humans.

“Portals are magical doorways that allow one to travel to far places with ease. One could even travel to the other side of the multiverse if they wished. However, navigating the innards of a portal is tricky. I have gotten lost before,”Ghar’Teus explained breifly.

He looked around again, at the endless grasslands, and growled.

“We need to get out of here. I hate landscapes like this. If you have no suggestions, I might have one. Though, you may not like it,”he said.

Rhaenys frowned slightly at the way he was looking at her. Were these… portals something she was supposed to know about? She'd never heard of them before, not once. Though his explanation did aid in her understanding… somewhat. A multiverse? Rhaenys didn't like leaving Driftmark. The mainland and Kings Landing reminded her far too much of her struggles as The Queen Who Never Was. Besides, she was much keener to spend her downtime strolling the Driftmark's castle with Corlys or flying laps around the island with Meleys.

She studied Ghar’Teus as he growled at their surroundings. The plain, unending horizon was starting to get to her too, so when he spoke, Rhaenys was immediately in agreement. Though she was still wary of him and kept her fingers close to her weapon.

"I don't blame you," she agreed, inclining her head slightly to brush a strand of her long white hair out her face with her free hand. "I'm not exactly partial to them either."

Her eyes narrowed as she studied him skeptically. "What exactly is it that you have in mind?"

Ghar’Teus didn’t acknowledge her frown, but he quickly figured out that Rhaenys wasn’t familiar with portals, the multiverse, or any similar subjects whatsoever. Great. A clueless mortal.

“Good,”he replied to her comment. He was glad she didn’t like such open lands like this either.

When her eyes narrowed and she questioned him, he snorted. Then, as his answer, he unsheathed his wings, the appendages bursting out from his back. He reveled in the sensation for a moment. It was always… freeing to unleash his wings, even just in his true form. He then turned to Rhaenys, folding his wings slightly.

“I can carry you like this. Or, I can morph into mine full form. You smell like you are familiar with dragons, yet you are not familiar with me. Also, know that you will not be riding on me. I will carry you, nothing more,”he explained, his voice going stern.

Rhaenys' eyes narrowed a bit more at his snort, though the expression was fleeting. If he was anything like the men from Westeros's archaic, patriarchal monarchy, she was prepared for the constant demeaning remarks and subtle backhanded comments about being a woman. A stupid woman with no knowledge of society or the way things ought to be run. Her fingers twitched and almost curled into fists just thinking about it.

However, Ghar’Teus made no snide judgment over her question. Not verbally, at least. It was a start. But Rhaenys quickly focused more on the fact that this stranger could, essentially, morph himself into a dragon. Or something similar. She watched in awe and fascination while still feeling the weight of her weapons sheathed her side.

"Your… full form?" she asked. Her fingers fluttered slightly at her sides, like she wanted to reach out. Touch the membrane of his wings. Feel the texture of them at her fingertips. But her hand stayed steady at her side.

The rest of his words began to process in her mind. "You're right," she stated simply. "I am familiar with dragons, though not with you."

Rhaneys then straightened her stance and inclinded her head with acknowledgement. "Yes. I understand."

Ghar’Teus noted her expressions, but didn’t comment on them. He would study her first, learn her habits, her tells, before he decided if she was worthy of his continued company or not.

“Indeed. I am a shapeshifter… of a kind. Mine full form is mine… ‘beast’ form, if you wish. The dragon in me,”Ghar’Teus explained.

He noticed her fingers, and what seemed like her eagerness to touch his wings. But, he wasn’t in the mood to be caressed, so he made no move to offer a wing, or any other body part for her to touch.

Ghar’Teus nodded his head slightly, pleased that she was smart enough to understand that he was not something she knew of. And, with her ignorance of portals, he doubted she would comprehend his true strengths.

His eyebrow rose slightly at her acknowledgment though. He had thought she would be a little more defiant about his words. Apparently not. Fascinating.

“I hope you are not as flammable as many I have known,”he commented in mild amusement.

Ghar’Teus then started to walk away. After a short distance, he called to the coiled beast within him, letting it grow and grow, reveling in the sensations as his limbs snapped and skin tore. Heat poured from his body, causing the air to ripple around him as his body rapidly changed, becoming quadrupedal instead of bipedal, bestial instead of civilized.

He grew to be massive, a few thousand feet from his snout to his tail-tip. His body glowed with heat, lava oozing from his skin and mouth, coating his body before solidifying into enormous scales. Smoke drifted off of much of his body.

A deep rumble, like that of an earthquake, echoed from the dragon’s throat and he shook his horned head, settling into his form. He then stretched his gigantic wings, which cast Rhaenys into an eerie glowing darkness, like being at the foot of a volcano as it erupted at night.

After a moment, Ghar’Teus folded his wings and turned his massive head to face Rhaenys. One of his teeth was the size of a large tree compared to her, and his breath was a scorching gale that could easily knock over a giant with just a gentle blow. And, all of his teeth were visible due to the constant glow of the lava that oozed from the depths of his mouth and throat.

Ghar’Teus’ great orange eyes watched her closely, then he turned away to dig a trench in the ground near Rhaenys. He stuck part of his foot, palm-side up, in the trench, making it far easier for Rhaenys to get into his grasp by simply walking instead of trying to climb up his huge black claws.

Heat still radiated off of him in visible waves, but to those accustomed to fire they wouldn’t be bothered by it. Those that weren’t accustomed to it however, would find it hard to breathe, let alone move, in the scorching air.

Rhaenys's interest peaked immediately as Ghar'Teus described his abilities. He could shapeshift… into a dragon. She could only imagine the chaos that would descend upon Westeros if humans could shapeshift into dragons at will.

Her mind circled back around to her beloved dragon, Meleys. Hopefully, she would have returned to High Tide by now. But what would Corlys think happened if Meleys returned without Rhaenys on her back? What kind of panic would descend upon Driftmark with its Lady gone, vanishing into thin air?

She was pulled from her spiral of thoughts in time to catch his nod and a slight look of surprise. Had he really expected her not to be understanding? Rhaenys always respected Meleys, and in turn, the dragon respected her rider. Why would this be any different?

Rhaenys then arched her eyebrows in turn at his amused comment. "I have lived and I will die amidst blood and fire," she remarked simply, lifting her chin to show confidence in her words. "I've known nothing else. There is no need to be concerned about me."

With that, she watched with wide eyes as he transformed into a beast of a dragon bigger than her Meleys. Rhaenys was in complete awe as he formed lava scales across his body and spread his wings to completely block the light from around her. The fresh red color of the lava momentarily reminded her of Meleys, but then Ghar'Teus turned to her and she noted the many differences between him and her darling.

She wasn't put off either by the lava dripping from his mouth or the sharply observant gaze of his orange eyes. Instead, she looked fearlessly into them and observed as he made her way easier.

And true to her word, the heat of his fire bothered her very little as she made her way to where she figured would be easiest for him to accommodate her. She coughed once, but that was the extent of it. Having Meleys as her mount had already made her used to the feeling of sickening heat surrounding her, though Rhaenys preferred the heat of a dragon to the heat of a crowded room.

Once she was settled, she reached down and patted his scales, as she often did as a signal to Meleys. The texture and warmth of his scales under her fingertips delighted the Targaryen princess. "You're remarkable, by the way," she murmured, unsure if he would hear her or not.

“Good,”was all Ghar’Teus said in reply before he morphed.

Ghar’Teus noted her fearless gaze. She was truly used to dragons, so she wasn’t bothered by him at all, despite being unused to his sheer size. And, she was mostly unfazed by the heat radiating off of his body. That was very good.

She settled onto his hand and patted his scales. It was odd, being touched in this form, since so few could actually be near him. Even his siblings were a little frightened of him, but that had always been like that.

Her words brought him out of his thoughts before he sank too deeply in them. A chuckle then escaped him, one that echoed like thunder just because of his size.

“I am an Elemental,”he then replied, speaking a bit slower so that she’d be able to understand his deafening voice. He waited for her reaction, as he knew that not many dragons could speak. After all, his uncle was the only other one he knew of that could.

Afterward, he lifted his occupied foot up toward his chest before he leaped into the air, unfolding and flapping his great wings until he was a good height above the ground. He then soared through the sky, a behemoth with an even greater shadow below him.

Rhaenys finally looked caught off guard at his chuckle and then his words. She could hear his voice! He could speak in dragon form! She was shocked, and it showed in her expression. If only Meleys could talk. A twinge of jealousy sparked in her, but she quickly dismissed it. It was silly to be jealous of Ghar'Teus since he could speak and Meleys couldn't.

But his words were already processed in her mind a few seconds after he spoke them. An Elemental? What was that? Did he have control over a particular element? Fire, obviously. The lava dripping from his mouth and the heat suppressing Rhaenys told her that much was true. Were all dragons elemental then? The dragons of Westeros could breathe fire.

But before she could think too much more about it, a sudden swell of sadness enveloped Rhaenys. She was reminded too much of her daughter's death. It pained her greatly, and her heart truly began to hurt if she thought about it for too long.

Fortunately, that was when Ghar'Teus took off. She gasped in surprise and curiosity as he lifted off and began to fly through the air. Rhaenys's hair was blown back, and she immediately relaxed at the feeling. Flying was a sensation of release for her. Other riders in Westeros had different views on flying and their dragons, but with Rhaenys, she was always so close to Meleys that the two were both easily relaxed in the air.

She did pause for a moment to wonder where they were going. They were both strangers in this world. What could he be looking for?

Ghar’Teus chuckled again at her shock. He had figured she’d never seen a dragon speak before, and her face showed it clearly. Though, he was a bit less amused by her ignorance of Elementals. Rhaenys had a lot to learn if she stayed near him.

Then, he smelled sorrow. Somehow, fire bothered her, even if it was only in memory. He didn’t like it.

“Sorrow does not suit you,”he said just before he lifted into the air.

Thankfully, she seemed to calm down as he took flight. Well, at least she had her comforts.

Ghar’Teus flew for a long time, hours, scanning the landscape. They exited the grasslands after a while and entered a forest. Then, the forest rose into a mountain range. Ghar’Teus turned to follow the mountains, then found a suitably large mountain with a fairly level area near the peak.

He landed on the mountain, leaving plenty of level ground for Rhaenys. Lowering his foot, he let Rhaenys get off before he curled around the peak, lounging, the lower half of his body reaching far below Rhaenys’ perch, though the mountain still stretched far below him. Ghar’Teus then scanned his surroundings, sniffing, seeking the one place he craved most to lounge in. A volcano. If he was lucky, one would be nearby.

Rhaenys was pulled from her anguished thoughts by Ghar'Teus's thundering voice. She sighed quietly in response and lifted her chin even though no one was watching her. "I know," she replied simply. But the problem was that she constantly worried sorrow did suit her. It was all she ever seemed to experience in one form or another.

She was taken aback by how long they flew with Ghar'Teus's size. They could've flown four laps around Westeros by now at the very least. As the scenery below them finally changed, Rhaenys's shoulders dipped with relief. Thankfully this entire world wasn't grasslands. She didn't know how long she'd be able to take the same repetitive sight of waving grass.

The forests and mountains were pleasing to her eyes. It was more like home now, though what she longed to see was water. A vast ocean where she could admire the waves and feel the breeze. She'd become inclined to such locations after marrying Corlys and living at High Tide for so long.

As Ghar'Teus lowered his foot for her, Rhaenys understood his meaning and stepped down. Her eyes tracked him as he wound himself around the mountain while she waited patiently. "I miss so much already," she said quietly. "Do you?"

Ghar’Teus rumbled at her answer, but didn’t reply.

It confused Ghar’Teus for a moment how long it took him to get to the mountains, but he supposed this world was bigger than he was used to.

He waited patiently for Rhaenys to get off before getting comfortable. He turned away from his sniffing to look at her as she spoke.

“‘Tis not the first time I have been lost,”he replied, a sad gleam breifly coming into his orange eyes.

He went back to his sniffing. He knew there was a volcano close by. It was dormant, but there. And, near. Which one? Which mountain was it? He would need it soon. He was getting cold. He hated traveling to new worlds, because it made him cold. The cold had nearly killed him already, and he refused to go through that again.

Rhaenys looked up at him and frowned slightly at Ghar'Teus's words. Empathy shone in her gaze as she noted the sadness in his. Her own brown ones were warm and soft despite her armor and warrior-looking exterior. As tough and strong and bold as she was, Rhaenys had a gentle, caring, motherly side that was the equivalent.

"Oh," she said slowly. "I'm sorry."

She noticed the way he was sniffing the air around them. It was a behavior she recognized from Meleys. Ghar'Teus was searching for something. Something that was near enough that he was able to catch a scent of it. If whatever he was looking for was too far away, he would've stopped by now.

Rhaenys looked around, knowing her attempt to help would be less helpful, but she wanted to aid him any way she could. "What are you looking for?" she asked.

Ghar’Teus noted her look, and listened to her words, but didn’t react. He wasn’t in the mood for empathy, or sympathy, or sadness. He wasn’t in the mood to brood either. He wanted to figure out what this world was, then find a way to either get out or settle in.

He didn’t realize that Rhaenys had been watching him until she questioned him. He looked at her in mild bemusement at her attempt to help, then sighed.

“A volcano. Being an Elemental, I require heat. Traveling to other realms makes me lose heat. I cannot bear the cold as well as I used to,”he answered.

Ghar’Teus sniffed the air again, then turned to look a couple mountains away. There was a stunted one between two taller ones. It didn’t seem like a volcano at first glance, but Ghar’Teus knew it was one.

He carefully unraveled himself from his perch, so he wouldn’t accidentally shake Rhaenys off her place. Then, he jumped to the neighboring mountain, flapping his wings in midair to steady himself. He then jumped again and landed on his target.

Ghar’Teus started to claw at the peak of the dormant volcano, tearing it off and quickly causing an avalanche. He dug into the mountain more, building a crater. Then, he inhaled deeply, gathering flames in his throat, before letting loose white-hot fire from his mouth. His breath almost instantly melted the rock in the crater he’d made, going straight down into the core of the mountain.

Moments later, the land shook with several small earthquakes. Ghar’Teus continued to breathe flames into the mountain, until one final quake cracked the side of it. Ghar’Teus stopped, watching as smoke started to billow out from the hole he’d made. The volcano was awake now, and filling its own throat with lava.

With a pleased rumble, Ghar’Teus waited, moving to stand directly above the crater. His body would block the main part of the eruption when it happened, so that Rhaenys was at less risk of getting hurt. But, also because Ghar’Teus sincerely enjoyed having his belly blasted by an erupting volcano. It was the best kind of massage he’d ever had in his life.

Rhaenys listened intently, curiously, as he explained more about Elementals. So maybe the Westeros dragons were not Elementals after all. They certainly didn't require any volcanos to keep them warm.

She watched him sniff again and turned to another peak that was farther away from where they currently were. To Rhaenys, it didn't look like a volcano, but she knew that she didn't have the heightened sense that dragons tended to have. That must be it, she thought, and her assumption was confirmed as Ghar'Teus unwound himself from the mountain, careful of her, and leaped onto the other mountain.

Her eyes widened as he clawed the mountain open and breathed fire down into its depths. When the earthquakes started, Rhaenys stumbled across the rocky mountain surface. She braced herself and breathed heavily as one faded into the next and the next and the next until the last earthquake cracked the side of the mountain. That was apparently what Ghar'Teus wanted since he stopped and stood over the newly awakened volcano.

Rhaenys sighed quietly and lowered herself to sit down as the volcano erupted under Ghar'Teus. For a moment, she was worried, but then she calmed down again. If the volcano would hurt him, then he wouldn't have woken it up in the first place. Her fingers drifted back to her side, and she slipped her crimson whip out of its leather carrier at her side.

The rush of lava bursting upward onto his belly was marvelous! Though, Ghar’Teus quickly curled his wings down to act as a shield as the lava blew up his sides. He wanted to contain the biggest part of the eruption, so that Rhaenys didn’t get hurt, and also because he enjoyed it that much.

Ghar’Teus shivered in euphoria as the lava continued to pummel his belly and curl around him. He then used his wings and magic to encourage the lava all over his body until it was dripping off his snout and tail.

When the eruption finally eased to an oozing flow, Ghar’Teus let his wings droop and allowed all of the lava to slide off of him. His scales glowed with heat and he let his mouth hang open slightly, drooling a mixture of his own lava and blood.

As he stood there, Ghar’Teus momentarily forgot Rhaenys was watching him. Though, he didn’t forget for long. He licked his lips and lifted his head to glance over at Rhaenys. Despite his distance, he could see her fairly well and he was curious what she was doing with her whip.

Rhaenys watched the eruption and Ghar'Teus's reaction with wonder. As the lava began to coat his entire form, she gasped softly. So this was what it meant to be an Elemental. How interesting.

The lava slid off of him easily as he lowered his wings, and Rhaenys didn't fail to notice the new fiery glow that his scales had achieved thanks to the lava. Briefly, Rhaenys wondered what would happen if her Meleys tried to do something similar. Her dragon was somewhat vain, and a new glow to her scales would certainly boost her morale, especially after a long surveillance ride.

Habitually, her fingers slipped into little grooves etched into the whip's handle. This weapon had clearly been made for Rhaenys Targaryen and Rhaenys Targaryen only. She looked up and noticed Ghar'Teus had turned his attention to her and was watching curiously. Her eyebrows arched, and in a fluid, practiced motion, she flicked her arm, flawlessly manipulating her elbow and wrist to the whip snapped cleanly in the air. And it was loud too. Loud enough she was sure Ghar'Teus would hear it.

Ghar’Teus watched her closely, fascinated by her practiced movements. He then slithered off of the volcano’s peak before simply diving down its side. He gained speed quickly, then tilted his wings and shot upward. Then, he vanished in a cloud of steam.

Moments later, he reappeared in his true form, continuing his upward curve, but this time he was almost right above Rhaenys. With ease, he slowed himself down, then floated down to the ground.

His robe had several new holes burned into it, revealing his still glowing scales, but he didn’t care. His skin was flushed and his claws glowed a bright red. His eyes were still orange, but they slowly changed back into their typical blue. However, the intensity of his gaze didn’t change at all.

“Tell me, what other weapons have you mastered?”he asked, approaching her.

Ghar’Teus crouched low, to better meet her eyes. His wings were folded behind him, but their violet hue highlighted his every feature. Like a living flame, all of his features and colors rolled into each other, complementing and contrasting simultaneously.

Rhaenys exhaled slowly after her weapon had been used, and she began to wind it back up in a methodical rhythm. Her eyes lifted to see Ghar’Teus swooping down the mountain and heading for her again.

She released her hold on the thong and tip of the whip to let it fall by her side again for easy use, should she need it. Though the Targaryen princess never stopped watching Ghar’Teus’s descent. She kept a close eye on him until he was in front of her. When he dipped down to her height, her eyes squinted in the briefest micro expression before she lifted her chin a bit.

“I’m skilled with most blades,” she replied easily, still caressing her whip in her right hand. “Mainly daggers and swords. But I’m keen with a bow as well.”

Rhaenys’s gaze flickered briefly over his form, from his claws to his eyes to his scales. The effect that the volcano had on his appearance, and not just his full dragon form, was spectacular. “Must you do that often?” she asked.

Ghar’Teus watched her with the same intensity as she watched him. Her whip had piqued his interest, but she held it. If only Rhaenys understood what she was getting herself into. Ghar’Teus was the wild one of his siblings, after all. The nomad, the loner, the freak. He embraced all of it, embraced his untamed instincts. And, bathing in a volcano always did make him moody, in many different ways, good and bad.

He listened closely to her, his gaze switching between her face and her right hand. A hum escaped him afterward.

“Blades and bows. And whips,”Ghar’Teus said, his voice a low rumble.

As she stared at him, he couldn’t help flashing his wings a bit. He wasn’t quite sure why he’d done it, but he always did odd things after a lava bath.

“Preferably, yes. Yet, I only need to do such when I am cold. It will happen, given time, yet it typically takes months, or years, depending on mine location. Though, certain circumstances, like traveling to another realm, will make me cold. Believe me, if I do not warm up quickly, I get psychotic,”he explained bluntly.

Rhaenys hadn't become an integral part of the Westeros courts by simply doing nothing for hours on end. She'd picked up on minuscule tells, body language, and subtle expressions. The flickering of Ghar'Teus's eyes between her face and the beauty of a weapon in her right hand did not go unnoticed. She gripped the whip's handle tighter and observed his quiet hum.

A coy smile broke out on her lip, and Rhaenys did nothing to stop it. She inclined her head slightly, letting her white hair sway around her face as she murmured, "How interesting."

The motion of his wings immediately caught her gaze, and she made note of that as well. His words only intrigued her further. "I see," she said quietly. "And… if I may ask, what exactly happens when you get… psychotic."