𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐘-𝐒𝐈𝐗 | Reunions and Surprises

{ Coren }

✧✦✧

𝕸ereen was just as vast as Coren remembered it. The walls towered over them, ivy creeping around certain segments but now, the familiar dark armour of the Unsullied was scattered along it's guards post.

"Head down now, Rhaenerys." Coren cooed to his daughter, covering her face and hair more as she sat ahead of him on the horse. 

They had travelled through the Red Waste, Falkor as their guide and protector. He had led them to water sources and food supplies, keeping them safe and warm before they were free of the desert. From there, Coren found a horse, loaded their supplies onto it and travelling became faster as Rhaenerys did not have to walk and a horse had less trouble moving quickly over the terrain.

When Mereen had first come into sight, Coren had sent Falkor off. Daenerys was alone, with no protection and with Falkor by her side, no one would dare question her or argue with her. It was the most that he could do to help her out before he returned.

It took another few days before he and Rhaenerys could join the traders going in and out of Mereen, trying their best to blend in. 

The night before, Coren had gone over what was going to happen with Rhaenerys. She had to stay quiet and protected whilst they went through the city, past the guards. She had to listen to what he said. It was all for her protection, for Coren did not know whether people still wanted to kill his daughter, but he would not take that risk.

He also wished to see if Daenerys' guards had become lax in Coren's time away. He doubted it, but if he could sneak into the palace, then anyone could and it would show him the areas that they needed to work on.

"Dada." Rhaenerys hand clutched onto Coren's as she looked around with wide, fearful eyes. "Scared."

Rhaenerys had not grown up in the city, not used to the loud sounds, the smells and the amount of people that filled it.

"It's alright, little dragon." Coren cooed, keeping them moving as they entered the city. Once they did, he was directed to leave his horse in the stables for the merchants. Helping Rhaenerys down, he slung their packs over his shoulder, before picking his daughter up and into his arms. "Trust your father."

"I do." Rhaenerys nodded, eyes blinking owlishly a few times as she looked around. "Kor?"

"We'll see him in a bit." Coren winked at her, before moving through the city. He dodged the old patrol routes, making sure that his daughter was close to him as they headed upwards.

It took an hour or two to make it out of the lower parts of the city and up into the area that the nobility had lived in. That was when it grew harder to hide, especially with it being broad daylight, but still, Coren managed it.

"'M tired." Rhaenerys leant into his shoulders. They had stopped, to drink something and eat some of the leftover food from their travels. "Much longer?"

"You see that big palace, up there on the hill." Coren helped his daughter find the palace, seeing how her eyes lit up at the sight of it. "Falkor is up there, along with Mama."

"Mama's here?" Rhaenerys' eyes went wide. "What is she doing? Why she not with us?"

"We are going to surprise her. She has missed you." Coren calmed her. "Come now, eat your food."

"No, go now, find mama."

"No, young lady, eat first." Coren corrected as Rhaenerys scowled at the thought. Still, she ate the food that was provided for her. Coren cut the fruit up, that he had taken from one of the stalls that they had passed, handing it to his daughter in smaller chunks for her to eat. His dagger flashed, cutting through the apple easily as he looked around at the people on the street who passed them. Any one of them could try and harm his daughter, and he would have to kill them for it.

No one approached him, as if sensing the aura of death that surrounded the young man.

Once they were done, they were off again, weaving through the streets as the sun reached it's peak and then began to dip. It was slow to get to the castle, Rhaenerys was still young, and when they reached the entry point that Coren wished to use, the sun was on the verge of dipping into the sea, the sky painted orange like dragon fire.

"Alright, remember, we have to be quiet."

"But 'm tired." Rhaenerys mumbled, as Coren kissed her head. 

"Almost there, I swear. You have done so well, Rhaenerys." Coren grinned. He took their packs off, finding the stables that held his horse. He had not taken it with him when he had left, instead it had remained in the stable with the other Dothraki horses. "Hello girl."

The mare knickered softly as Coren stashes their pack in the corner, far from where his horse could hurt herself. Rhaenerys watched her with wide eyes as Coren shrugged his cloak off. It revealed his leather armour, free of dust, the Thorne sigil emblazoned on the shoulder. 

"Rhaenerys, come here." His daughter shuffled over, both of them ducking as soldiers marched past. Coren licked his lips, before pulling Rhaenerys cloak off. He smoothed her white hair back, rubbing the dirt from his face as best he could. The last of the soldiers marched past, as Coren looked out, before picking Rhaenerys up. He winked at his daughter, who giggled, before Coren hurried through the back passageways, up unused halls that he had hoped not to be guarded.

If the guards found them, it was not as if they would harm him. The Thorne sigil and a small girl with white hair gave him immunity. He was the queen's favourite advisor, they could not dare.

Still, no guards appeared and Coren hummed in disapproval as Rhaenerys fell asleep in his arms. There were more twists and turns, dodging maids and others who worked within the palace, before Coren found himself outside the queen's bedchambers. Looking around, Coren was disappointed at the lack of guards.

Coren had a lot to do when his position was returned to him.

It was simple to enter Daenerys' room, finding that there were documents spilled out across her desk, the bed was made and the fire lit too. The sun had, by now, disappeared beneath the sea, and Coren rocked his daughter, before placing her down carefully onto the bed. The small girl sank beneath the covers, stretching out across the large bed as she had never been able to do before. Coren kissed her head softly.

Now, all he had to do was wait.

✧✦✧

The sky was dark by the time the door creaked open once more. Coren was settled in the chair by Daenerys' desk, an eye on his daughter as he waited. At the sound, Coren twisted towards the door.  

Daenerys appeared in the doorway, yawning as she began to unbraid her hair. Coren watched her, eyes wide as he saw Daenerys. She was as beautiful as he could remember, but more tired that he had seen her before. She did not notice him and Coren smiled.

"Your guards are terrible." Daenerys jumped, picking the first thing she could do to throw it at the voice. Coren dodged it, wincing as whatever it had been, shattered. "Gods above. Your Grace, it is me."

"C-Coren?" Daenerys stammered out, before Rhaenerys began to cry and wake up. Coren shot up from his seat, as both he and Daenerys rushed over to the bed. Rhaenerys' eyes were wide, shocked at the sound as Coren was quick to coo and calm her.

"Rhaenerys, you are alright, little dragon." Coren soothed, as Rhaenerys' eyes fluttered closed and she went back to sleep, curling over with little to regard of if there were anyone else in the room. 

Coren stepped back, before turning to Daenerys, who was watching their daughter with wide eyes.

"We thought it time to come back, but Rhaenerys, she is young and tired. It was a long journey." Coren drew closer. "I am sorry for scaring you, but I..."

"You came back." Daenerys wrapped her arms around him, clinging onto him tightly as Coren stopped. He had not thought that this was what the response would be. "I-I have missed you."

Coren's hands hovered, before he wrapped them around Daenerys, clinging to her tightly as she trembled lightly in his hold. He took a deep breath, burying his head in her hair as she relaxed completely into him. Her nails dug into his neck, breath coming out in huffs.

"Falkor came back and you were not with him." Daenerys whispered, before pulling back. "I feared the worst and then he told me that you were alright."

"Are you saying you now believe the dragon talks back?" Coren pulled away, holding Daenerys' arms gently. "Never would I thought the day would come that Daenerys Targaryen would think that dragons could speak to her."

"You have been back for mere minutes and already, you are being infuriating." Daenerys' smile was wide and soft, reflecting that she was not annoyed with him at all. "Rhaenerys had grown so big now. She has been gone so long and I have missed so much."

"It was for her safety." Coren soothed. "Have you found the perpetrators?"

"One is, was, in custody. We know the group names and their intentions but we are yet to find them all." Daenerys sighed. "They are hiding in plain sight, in an infuriating way."

"I'll speak to the one in custody."

"I know you wish to torture information out of him, but you cannot. It is an update for tomorrow morning I fear." Coren rolled his eyes, before smiling. Daenerys sent him a soft look, her hand touching his cheek gently as he leant into her. "Falkor has grown too."

"You can say that he is fat."

"He is not fat."

"He put on some weight." Coren nodded as Daenerys chuckled, before he kissed her hand quickly. She blushed, before looking back at her bed. 

"I suppose I am not allowed to sleep in my own bed whilst the heir is there."

"She does kick," Coren nodded, pulling a face, "and they hurt. She's got little bony feet but that shall be your own risk, Your Grace."

"Does she remember me?" Daenerys knew that it was a fool's hope to ask that, for she knew that it was not true, but she could not bare the thought of her daughter not remembering her love or her touch. Coren softened.

"She knows stories. I tell her of you. She asks every night for stories of Mama and what she's doing." Daenerys smiled gently, staring down at her daughter. "Rhaenerys looks like you. She acts like you too, always commanding Falkor around."

"Then she is not like me, I was a meek child." Daenerys pulled away from Coren, sitting down on the bed beside her daughter and brushing her hair from her face. "I do not regret sending you away, but by the gods, I hate that so much time has gone by."

"We are back and we are staying." Coren reassured. "I have unfinished business."

Daenerys froze, eyes narrowing before she turned to look over her shoulder at the man. He grinned innocently, as she fought a scowl. She knew exactly what was on his mind.

"For now, I wish to sleep in a bed and I will take the little menace with me." Coren grinned, before reaching to pick their daughter up. Daenerys tensed, not wanting them to go, but knowing that waking Rhaenerys up in an unfamiliar place with someone she did not know might scare the child. "Let you have a full night's sleep before you reintroduce us to the court on the morrow."

"If you are certain." Coren picked their daughter up with ease.

"I assume my chambers are still my own."

"Of course."

"Then, I shall see you on the morrow with an awake princess." Coren cooed at his daughter. "She has had a long day."

"Coren, there are clothes for her. In her old chambers, I-" Daenerys stopped herself. She did not know how to tell him that even though her daughter had not been with her, Daenerys had not been able to remove her from her mind so easily. She had clothes made for Rhaenerys, for whenever she would return, though she had not know when or if she would ever see her child again. "I do not know whether they will fit."

Coren hummed, before bowing his head to her and then letting Daenerys' kiss her daughter's head. The queen hovered for a moment, before squeezing Coren's hand. They were home, her daughter was home.

Hiya,

So, Coren just snuck into the castle for the shits and giggles because why not? Rhaenerys is vibing and Daenerys chucked something at his head but missed. It's fun to have them all back together, and I'm excited for the next few bits.

Let me know what you think,

Love Li xx