Have you ever seen the movie How to Train Your Dragon? If you haven’t there is a scene where the main character takes the girl he likes to fly on his dragon. At first it was scary, but then she got to see the amazing sights of mountains, the sea, the clouds and even touching them. Anyway, I think it would be so romantic if Aemond did that to the person he’s been crushing on. He wants to share the beautiful scenery he sees when he rides Vhagar, and see the look of amazement on their face. 🐉 🏔️
Cold air whipped about you, stinging your face, your heart beat wildly as though trying to escape the casement of your ribs.
Aemond's sturdy arms around your waist held you firmly against his torso, your fingers dug painfully into his thighs. You had your eyes screwed tight shut, the lurching of Vhagar climbing higher into the sky leaving your stomach somewhere far below.
"Open your eyes, Y/N!" Aemond called into your ear, his chin coming to rest atop your shoulder as his hands gave your waist a reassuring squeeze. "I'm not going to let you fall." You could hear the suppressed laughter in his voice and would've given him a swat on the shoulder in any other circumstance.
You squinted open an eye, then the other. It took a moment to adjust to the chill air, your throat tightening with fear as you saw Vhagar's massive wings beating through the dusky sky.
Gaining courage ounce by ounce, you tightened your grip on Aemond. "Don't let me go." You craned your neck, shifting slightly to view the earth far below and growing distant with each vast movement of the dragon's wings.
"Never." Aemond's voice was carried away on the wind. You barely registered his meaningful promise as your eyes scanned the horizon, widening in wonder despite yourself.
The sun setting in front of you, casting golden light upon your face, reflecting on the sparkling waves of a shimmering cobalt ocean. The sandy beaches looked like silver ribbons winding their way toward where the sun was descending in its brilliant majesty. You gasped and looked to your left, a flock of birds riding the eddies of wind, eyeing the great dragon with alarm and making haste to fly the opposite direction.
Mountains rose beyond the beaches, verdant and proud, reaching toward the darkening sky where stars had begun showing their twinkling pinpricks of light.
"It's beautiful." A giggle erupted from your gasping lungs, your hands loosening to lie flat on Aemond's legs.
He took your wrists and gently rose your arms with his own until they were spread wide, like those of a soaring eagle. The wind had lost its deathly chill, the sun bathing you and Aemond in a warm embrace, the salty air flowing over and under your outstretched arms held securely in your husband's hands.
You laughed in earnest now, your smile stunning as the vista of the earth's beauty surrounding you. You could not see but Aemond grinned just as widely, his heart full to bursting at your unadulterated joy. Through you he was able to relive the magic of riding a dragon for the first time, the feeling of power and wonder heady and intoxicating.
The sun sank below the horizon, a green flash over the waves accompanying its disappearance. Vhagar turned to the side, her great mass dipping and causing you to yelp and once more grip at any part of Aemond within reach.
He laughed, tucking your head under his chin and wrapping his arms once more around your torso. You relaxed into him as Vhagar straightened her course, the stars now shone bright overhead and you tilted your head back to look at them.
You saw Aemond looking down at your face, his eye lit by the rosy glow of the saturated horizon. He traced a finger down your cheek, his curved lips pressed against your forehead in a gentle kiss. You could not express the intimate wonder of this moment, so you cuddled further against him, hoping your eyes would convey the emotion your words could not.
"I love you."
"And I you."
"Always."
"As long as the stars hold their places in the sky."
The sky was streaked with magenta and vermillion, the great pillows of clouds framed with fuchsia light. The light zephyr brought smells of salt and pine to your nostrils, you inhaled deeply, Aemond's arms tightening around you, your hands resting atop his.
To think you had been so afraid of riding Vhagar mere hours before, Aemond had to bribe you up the rope ladder with promises of back massages and imported silks. You giggled again, a rare emotion of sheer contentment rushing through your body, causing a lazy smile to perpetually tug your lips.
Only when darkness began descending in earnest, the moon making her graceful way into the night sky, did Aemond command Vhagar to begin heading back to the ground.
When your own feet hit earth once more, you were wobbly, and fell into Aemond's waiting grip, perhaps a little more dramatically than was strictly necessary. You gave Vhagar a grateful pat, hoping the old dragon would feel the affection you had for her. She grumbled, a sound that shook the ground, and watched as her rider and his wife walked back towards the city.
"Thank you, Aemond." You leaned your head on his shoulder as you walked, your fingers interlocked and swinging at your sides.
"I told you to trust me." He chuckled, a rich lovely sound.
"She's the size of an island, forgive me for balking." You nudged him with your elbow, the two of you lapsing into companionable silence for a moment. "Though I do expect you to take me out riding often."
"When would you desire to go flying once more?"
"Tomorrow."
Aemond laughed, a rare expression of mirth you relished seeing. You looked up at him, his head tilted toward the sparkling night sky, shimmering hair illuminated by the moon's silver light. "I knew there was a reason I married you."
You feigned outrage and attempted to tackle him to the ground.
It took longer than normal for the two of you to return to the Keep that night, taking full advantage of the solitude and peacefulness of being without the city walls. No politics, no plots or prying eyes. Just two people who were very much in love.
For a crystalline moment, time seemed frozen just for you. Duty and the future momentarily forgotten as you basked in each other's arms. The ocean crashing its song against the sandy rocks, Vhagar's massive form shifting far below upon the beach. A perfect night, watched over by the silent moon and glimmering stars.
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