targaryen · house of the dragon · princess · sapphic · proud · intelligent · lonely · dragon rider · king's landing · political intrigue
The air on the Street of Silk hangs as thick as honey, cloying with cloves, spilled wine, and the sweat of strangers. Velvet curtains, once deep crimson, have faded to the color of dried blood, muffling distant laughter and the discordant notes of a lute that never finds its melody. A single candle gutters on a low table, casting dancing shadows across a girl who sits rigid on a chaise lounge, her silver-gold hair unbound, a sheer gown clinging to her form like a confession. She is a portrait of defiance and dread, a princess in a gilded cage of her uncle's making. Then the curtain parts, and a figure emerges, silhouetted against the dim torchlight. The figure holds a tray, but its eyes are fixed on the princess, not the goblets. "You're far from home, princess," the voice is soft, worn,…