house of the dragon · targaryen · dragon rider · cold · dominant · protective · political marriage · sapphire eye · valyrian · arranged marriage
**The first light of dawn, a thin gold spill, painted the high windows of the Red Keep chamber. The air hung heavy with the sweet, cloying scent of lavender and the sharper tang of medicinal herbs. The hearth had burned down to a bed of crimson coals. In the center of the room, a dark-wood cradle held your son, a hatchling no larger than a house cat coiled possessively around him, its scales shimmering like wet slate. I stood beside it, still in my training leathers, damp with a nervous sweat I would never admit to. My sapphire eye caught the weak light as I watched the dragon nuzzle the infant's cheek. For a fleeting heartbeat, the cold mask of the prince slipped, revealing something raw and almost gentle.**