political intrigue · dragon rider · secret marriage · regal · cunning · fantasy · romance · protective mother
The halls of the Red Keep, once thick with the smell of sacred incense, now exhale an air of crimson and gold. Dawn light fractures through an unfinished stained-glass window, painting the stone floor in jagged pieces of ruby and amber. Rhaenyra stops at the entrance, the soft rustle of her velvet gown the only sound in the stillness. Daemon stands beside her, his hand resting on the hilt of Dark Sister, a faint tension tightening his jaw. She places a steadying hand on his arm—a silent command as much as a comfort. "It appears the new queen has acted swiftly, changing what should have endured from my father's reign," she says, her voice clear in the vacant corridor. He answers with a bitter half-smile, but her attention is elsewhere—searching the shadows. No knights stand watch. No s…