The last light of day bled through the tall windows of the Red Keep's library, staining the stone floors in shades of gold and crimson. Dust drifted lazily in the beams of fading sunlight, and the candles long since lit flickered against shelves of ancient Valyrian tomes.
Rhaenys Targaryen had not noticed the time.
She sat cross‑legged on the floor, posture straight, a single green leaf balanced on her forehead. Her breathing was slow, controlled, her expression focused with a determination that reminded Aranji of seasoned shinobi.
Aranji sat beside her, a scroll open across his lap, brush in hand. He wrote quickly, precisely techniques modified specifically for her, for a dragonrider whose chakra pathways had already been awakened by fire.
Meditation with her dragon.
Breathing exercises synced to a dragon's heartbeat.
Leaf‑balancing adapted to a rider's chakra flow.
He didn't need to activate her chakra.
Her bond with Meleys the Red Queen had already done that.
Aranji:
"Good. Hold it there. Don't grip your chakra. Let it settle on its own."
Rhaenys exhaled softly. The leaf trembled, then steadied.
She opened one eye.
Rhaenys:
"It feels like trying to hold wind in my hands."
Aranji:
"That's because you're trying to seize it. Chakra isn't seized. It's guided."
He dipped his brush again, continuing to write.
Aranji:
"You and your family… you have an incredible amount of chakra for this world. That's because of the dragons. Or something older in your bloodline. Either way, it's rare."
She tilted her head, curious.
Rhaenys:
"Older? What do you mean?"
Aranji:
"I don't know yet. But your chakra feels… shaped. Like it was meant to resonate with something powerful."
Her lips curved slightly.
Rhaenys:
"You mean dragons."
Aranji:
"Maybe. Or maybe dragons were meant to resonate with you."
She blinked, surprised by the thought.
He continued writing, but his tone softened.
Aranji:
"I've been wondering… how do you communicate with your dragons? What is that bond you feel with them?"
Rhaenys's expression warmed. She set the leaf aside.
Rhaenys:
"We speak in Old Valyrian. Always. It's instinctive. When the bond forms, it's like… a thread. A pull. I don't have to shout. Sometimes I don't even have to speak. But the words they matter. They shape the intent."
She paused, remembering.
Rhaenys:
"When I bonded with Meleys, I felt something open inside me. Like she had always been waiting."
Aranji watched her closely, his Byakugan deactivated but his attention sharp.
Aranji:
"That sounds like chakra resonance. Two flows syncing. But the words… that's what I don't understand."
He leaned forward, thoughtful.
Aranji:
"Is it the language itself? Or the chakra behind the words? Maybe dragons don't understand meaning—they feel the intent. The chakra woven into the sound."
Her eyes widened.
Rhaenys:
"You think we're shaping chakra when we speak?"
Aranji:
"Possibly. In my world, some techniques use only the voice. Tone, breath, will those shape chakra too."
She looked at him, realization dawning.
Rhaenys:
"Then Old Valyrian… it might not just be a language. It might be a key."
He nodded slowly.
Aranji:
"That would explain 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, the idea settling between them like a spark waiting for flame.
Then
A sound.
Soft. Barely audible.
But enough.
Aranji's chakra surged. Before Rhaenys could react, he grabbed her wrist—not harshly, but firmly—and the world blurred.
Body Flicker.
Wind rushed past her ears. The library vanished. Stone walls became streaks of color.
Then—
They were outside.
Balanced on a narrow ledge beneath one of the high windows of the Red Keep.
Rhaenys clutched his arm, breathless.
Rhaenys:
"What in the—?!"
He put a finger to his lips.
Inside the library, the door swung open.
Her father entered.
Prince Aemon Targaryen.
Heir to the Iron Throne.
The man she adored more than anyone in the world.
Rhaenys's heart lurched. She hadn't realized how late it had become. The sky was deep violet now, stars beginning to pierce the dusk.
Aranji whispered, barely audible.
Aranji:
"I didn't want him to see me here. That's all."
She blinked.
Rhaenys:
"You could have just left."
Aranji:
"You panicked. I reacted."
Her cheeks warmed.
Inside, her father's voice echoed.
Aemon:
"Rhaenys? Are you in here?"
She swallowed, then slipped back through the window with practiced grace. Aranji stayed hidden in the shadows outside.
She stepped into view.
Rhaenys:
"Father."
Aemon turned, relief softening his stern features.
Aemon:
"There you are. You've been gone since morning. Even Meleys grew restless."
Rhaenys hesitated.
Rhaenys:
"I was reading. Learning. There's so much about our history I never understood."
Aemon smiled gently warm, proud, patient.
Aemon:
"You always were curious. But you missed supper. Your grandmother worried."
She stepped closer.
Rhaenys:
"Father… may I ask you something?"
He nodded.
Aemon:
"Of course."
She took a breath.
Rhaenys:
"Is there anything we should know about our dragons? Something deeper? Do we… control them?"
Aemon's expression shifted surprised, then thoughtful.
He shook his head.
Aemon:
"No, my sweet girl. We do not control dragons."
He placed a hand over his heart.
Aemon:
"We are bonded to them. That is all. A dragon is not a beast to be broken. They choose us. And we choose them."
Rhaenys listened closely, Aranji's theories echoing in her mind.
Rhaenys:
"But the commands… the words…"
Aemon:
"Words help. But they are not what binds us. The bond is older than Valyria. Older than language. It is instinct. Trust. Fire recognizing fire."
Her breath caught.
He kissed her forehead.
Aemon:
"Come. Your grandmother will want to see you."
He left.
Rhaenys waited until his footsteps faded.
Then she turned toward the window.
Aranji stepped inside silently, landing without a sound.
Their eyes met.
Rhaenys:
"You heard all of that."
Aranji:
"Every word."
She stepped closer.
Rhaenys:
"Was he right?"
Aranji studied her for a long moment.
Then he nodded.
Aranji:
"Yes. But there's more to it. More than even your father knows."
Her heart quickened.
Rhaenys:
"Then teach me."
Aranji's expression softened.
Aranji:
"I already am."