The library had become their sanctuary.
The sun had long since dipped behind the walls of the Red Keep, casting golden light through the high windows. Dust floated in the air like ash, and the only sound was the soft rustle of parchment and the occasional flick of a brush against scroll.
Aranji sat across from her, calm and focused, a single green leaf resting on Rhaenys's forehead.
She sat perfectly still, eyes closed, lips slightly parted in concentration.
Aranji:
"Don't force it. Just breathe. Let the chakra settle. It's already there you're not creating it, just holding it."
She exhaled slowly.
The leaf trembled, then stilled.
He nodded.
Aranji:
"Good. You're not pushing too hard anymore. That's the first step control without tension."
He didn't need to awaken her chakra. Not like he would with someone uninitiated. She already had a dragon. Her chakra pathways had been enhanced by that bond stretched, awakened, tempered by fire. All he had to do was guide her.
She opened one eye and looked at him.
Rhaenys
"It's harder than it looks."
Aranji
"It always is. But you're doing better than most would."
He leaned back slightly, arms folded.
Aranji:
"You and your family… you have an amazing amount of chakra for this place. That's probably because of the dragons. Or maybe something older in your bloodline. Either way, it's rare."
She tilted her head, curious.
Rhaenys
"Older how?"
Aranji
"I don't know yet. But your chakra feels… deliberate. Like it was shaped for something more than ruling castles and holding courts."
He smiled faintly, then added:
Aranji:
"You're interesting. All of you. But especially you."
She looked away, a small smile tugging at her lips.
Then he asked, voice curious but gentle:
Aranji:
"I've been wondering… how do you communicate with your dragons? What is that bond you feel with them?"
She blinked, surprised by the question. Then her expression softened.
Rhaenys "We speak in Old Valyrian. Always. It's… instinctive. When the bond is formed, it's like a thread between us. I don't have to shout. I don't even have to speak sometimes. But the words they matter. I think they're the key to giving commands."
She paused, remembering.
Rhaenys "When I first bonded with the Red Queen, I didn't understand it. I was just a girl. But the moment I touched her… I felt it. Like something inside me opened. Like she had always been waiting."
Aranji watched her closely, his Byakugan deactivated now, but his attention sharp.
Aranji "That sounds like chakra resonance. Two flows syncing. Like a contract. But the words… that's what I don't understand."
He leaned forward, thoughtful.
Aranji:
"Is it the language itself? Or is it the chakra behind the words? Maybe the dragons don't understand the meaning they feel the intent. The chakra woven into the sound."
She considered that, intrigued.
Rhaenys "You think we're shaping chakra when we speak?"
Aranji "Possibly. In my world, we use hand signs to shape chakra. But there are techniques powerful ones that use only the voice. Genjutsu. Seals. Even summoning. The tone, the breath, the will behind the word… it all matters."
She looked at him, eyes wide with realization.
Rhaenys "Then maybe… maybe that's what Old Valyrian is. Not just a language. But a key. A way to shape chakra without knowing we're doing it."
He nodded slowly.
Aranji "That would explain a lot. Why only your bloodline can ride dragons. Why the bond is so rare. It's not just heritage it's compatibility. Chakra alignment."
They sat in silence for a moment, the weight of the idea settling between them.
Then she smiled again, softer this time.
Rhaenys "You speak like a scholar. But you move like a ghost."
Aranji
"I was trained to be both."
She laughed quietly.
The leaf on her forehead fluttered again, then fell.
She caught it before it hit the floor.
Rhaenys:
"Does that mean I failed?"
Aranji:
"No," he said, smiling. "It means you're human."
Their eyes met.
And for a moment, the library felt smaller. Warmer. Like the world outside had faded, and only the two of them remained.
She didn't look away this time.
And neither did he.