Chapter 25
Six weeks later….
It was hard to imagine that there might be a parallel between relief and guilt, but if there was Rhaegar was certain he was experiencing it right now.
He was standing on the prow of the ship the Golden Queen next to Ginny and waving to the people of King's Landing as he sailed out over Black Water Bay and into the Narrow Sea.
His garb was elegant, a deep blood red edged with black and a silver pin fashioned into the three headed dragon that signified House Targaryen was fastened to the cloth of his right breast. Extending from the top of the pin was a silver chain that went up and over his shoulder connecting to a silver cloak that blew out like a cape behind him. It was attached to the top of the silver chain and ran down the length of his back ending at the curve of his left hip and making him appear all the more striking.
Ginny was also sporting her house colours, but her garb was far more serious as she wore a golden dress that had been fashioned to look like she had been cloaked in dragon scales. Its sleeves were long but its collar went right to the edges of her shoulders. Along the back of her dress right where her shoulder blades would have been located there was a short black cape that was jagged along the edges so as to appear like the membrane of a dragon's wing. Her long scarlet curls were pulled to the top if her head, leaving the rest to cascade down her back like a waterfall but she wore no jewelry.
The whole picture caused her to look dramatic and striking so as to portray not just the beautiful monarch, but also the fierce and stoic woman who had helped her father conquer an empire.
Standing next to Rhaegar, the two of them made quite a pair, looking to all those gathered as if they were about to bring the entire world to heel.
Rhaegar's face was as grim as Ginny had ever seen it and she wondered what was going on behind those violet eyes of his.
They had said a private goodbye to his mother and brother earlier that morning and Ginny had had a lump in her throat as she watched three year old Viserys bid farewell to his only sibling.
Viserys had wrapped his arms around his brother's neck and buried his face in his shoulder length platinum hair.
He had refused to let go until Rhaegar had whispered something into his ear. Then he had pulled back and reached for Ginny.
"You'll take care of him right?" he had asked and Ginny had felt the corner of her eyes begin to sting to her consternation.
"I promise," she whispered back into the three year old's ear. "He'll be perfectly safe with me."
"I am standing right here you know," Rhaegar had joked good naturedly but there had been an air of seriousness in his tone and eyes as they stood there in Queen Rhaella's private chambers. Ginny knew that of all the people in the capital besides her own entourage these were the only three that she could trust. And she was determined not to betray the faith Rhaella and Viserys had in her by anything happening to Rhaegar while they were in Essos.
"And when you come back you'll show me your dragon?" Viserys asked and Ginny smiled as out of the corner of her eye Rhaegar had rolled his eyes up to the ceiling.
"I promise on that too," she said. "Septimus doesn't like a lot of people so when there's a quiet time I'll show him to you. Alright?"
"Alright," the tiny prince replied. "Can I ride on him too?"
Ginny cast an eye at Rhaella who bore a mixture of a smile and a grimace. "We'll see if we can work something out."
She handed the little boy back to his mother who walked over to the door and called for his nursemaid who promptly came and took him from the room.
Only then did the queen turn to the young couple.
She looked back and forth between them for a moment before reaching one hand down for Rhaegar's hand and then surprising Ginny by reaching for her other one.
"Be careful," she said. "Both of you. I know you are traveling to your realm Ginevra, but I feel in my heart that there will be tension from an unknown source. I cannot explain it and yet I feel uneasy. Keep your eyes and ears open."
Ginny frowned, wondering why on earth she was one of the people to be receiving this speech from Rhaella. She wasn't her daughter.
And then a thought struck her….Rhaegar must have said something to his mother about what the two of them had decided in Dorne several weeks ago.
And Rhaella knew that Ginny fully intended to marry her son when the three months in Mereen had passed.
She thought that he had wanted to keep such information to himself for the time being, but then decided that this was his mother and the knowledge that he would soon be marrying her was important enough to share.
So she decided she wouldn't begrudge him that.
What did surprise her however was that Rhaella was regarding her suddenly as a member of the family?
After all what had Ginny truly done to merit that? Just because the two were going to marry didn't mean that she would automatically share blood with the queen.
But even more than that Ginny was amazed at the level of trust Rhaella had in her already. The two had only had a few conversations since she had come to Westeros and in almost all of them, the queen had been emotionally aloof, being polite but not too warm which Ginny had taken to be a defense mechanism.
That was fine with her as she had kept herself emotionally aloof as well. But the queen's change of heart without words had surprised her deeply.
She did appreciate it though.
Rhaella was obviously a loyal woman and if she had it in her head that this was the woman that her son would be marrying, perhaps she had seen it fit to take the younger red head under her wing.
Maybe her transition to the keep wouldn't be as strange or as awkward as she was worried about.
It was certainly something that eased Ginny's mind. Aerys opinion on who she was didn't matter. But connecting with Rhaella and Viserys? That had always been something that made her nervous.
And now it seemed she didn't have to worry about it.
Ginny found her mind drifting to the conversation as she stood on the stern of the ship with Rhaegar beside her and watched the rapidly disappearing coastline. Even now King's Landing was no more than a dot on the horizon.
It was a beautiful day for travel with not a cloud in the sky and a hot sun bearing down on them from the blue heavens.
They had passed out of Black Water Bay not long ago and the farther they drew from King's Landing the more Ginny could feel the tension in her shoulders draining away.
The wind blew strands of hair about her face and she turned to the tall handsome prince beside her. He was staring out to sea with a very focused gaze and the lines that sometimes creased around his eyes had smoothed out. He looked strangely…relaxed.
"Are you alright?" she asked.
He took a noticeable deep breath, closed his eyes and then opened them again, giving her a long deep look with those violet eyes until she almost felt as if she could drown in them.
"Yes," he said in a low calm voice. "I think….that this is the most…alright I have been in a very long time. I feel even calmer than when we left for Dorne. Perhaps it is because we going as far away from my father's influence as I could possibly become, or perhaps for the first time in my own memory I can safely set aside for a time the mantle of pressure my father has placed upon me."
He paused here for a moment and then surprised Ginny by reaching down and taking her hand, running his thumb back and forth across her knuckles, causing chills to rise on the red head's skin.
"If anything, I'm happy," he said lowering his voice exponentially. It seemed to have become deeper lately and caused and unconscious thrill to sliver down Ginny's back. She gritted her teeth and forced herself to focus. "I know that my mother and brother will be safe whilst I am gone and I will be away from a court that has become toxic over the years. When I become king, I plan on ridding the keep of all poisonous influences and this time away will give me a chance to think about who would best fit the realm."
Ginny raised an eyebrow. "I take it that you've been thinking about this for a while."
He nodded. "I have. Nearly every member of my father's small council is a bunch of power hungry fools who've taken advantage of the king's madness. I want people installed that I can trust and who will act in the best interests of the realm and not themselves."
Ginny chuckled slightly. "Its one thing to say that and one thing to actually carry it out. I find there are a lot of people in this world who are so focused on their own personal glory that they forget there are other lives around them."
"Indeed, but you and your father seemed to have managed it reasonably well," Rhaegar replied.
"That's because the political system of Essos is far different from Westeros," Ginny gently explained. "There isn't as much consolidated power in the east. There were seven kings in Westeros before the Targaryens arrived and many armies that needed to be put down before your ancestors could assume the throne. My father and I didn't encounter those sorts of problems. There was only one magister in each city and our dragons and magic had much to do with infiltrating each of them. After all, people want power and once it was explained to some of the ancient noble families who inhabit Myr that they may keep their titles and influence so long as they agree to bend the knee to my father, we encountered little resistance."
Rhaegar sighed. "I know it, and this is what makes me far more uneasy about setting a crown on my head."
"Power isn't something to be afraid of," Ginny said squeezing his hand gently. "But it should be treated as a burden and not as a right."
Rhaegar stared at her for a moment before reaching down so he might take her other hand and turned her to face him.
The look in his eyes was soft, a feeling which caused Ginny's toes to curl in the most pleasant way possible.
"What is it?" she asked.
"How is it that at eight and ten you have grown to be so wise?" the prince asked. "I am willing to wager all the coin in the realm that none of the women at court would have answered me in such a way."
"They don't understand power because they have never experienced it," Ginny explained smiling. She liked the way he was holding her close and listening carefully to what she had to say.
Rhaegar had a peculiar way of looking at her in such a way that made her feel as if she were the only person in the world that mattered.
Harry had always had the look of a man who was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders and it had only intensified in their last few years of school as the war with Voldemort had ramped up.
He hadn't been able to give her his full attention and in no way had Ginny faulted him for that. Saving the world was far more important.
But even though Rhaegar also bore the burden of power, he had a manner with which he viewed her that said she was more important than all that.
And Ginny's superficial side liked that. She had a feeling this would be love before long and she was excited to see how they got there.
There was also a balance to Rhaegar that calmed Ginny. She knew he would a far more level headed man than his father and power would be something he would treat with respect and tenacity. He would lead the realm with tranquility and compassion and it made Ginny all the more relaxed about marrying him.
His proposal to her a few months ago in the Water Gardens of Sunspear still made her head spin. The knowledge that was she was going to be married not long after
Rhaegar's trip to Mereen was still strange to her.
She had never planned to marry so young before and the knowledge that she had met someone who wasn't Harry and who understood her better than almost anyone in this life could, who had compassion, sincerity, honor, humility, intelligence and awareness of his realm still floored her. She could only wonder herself how she had become so lucky.
"True enough," Rhaegar replied. "And I am increasingly blessed that you do."
Ginny smiled up at him and reached up a hand to rest it against the side of his face. "We'll still need to figure out much of what ruling entails for ourselves."
"I'm not worried," the prince replied with his usual quiet confidence. "Whatever happens, we will face it….together."
Ginny smiled at him and then glanced back out to sea, noting that they had gone a good distance from shore. She was certain they were out of Black Water Bay and she could no longer see the tall towers of the Red Keep in the distance.
It was time.
She turned away from Rhaegar. "Captain!"
The sharp faced man standing at the helm with his hands grasped tightly to the spokes turned at the sound of her voice. He was dressed in a black tunic and trousers with the golden symbol of a gryphon emblazoned on his breast pocket.
He was a merchant captain that Sirius had known before his days of being king by the name of Abrien.
His quick grey eyes looked her way and he barked a command to one of the men standing near him. The second man immediately took the wheel and the man strode up to her and prince, giving them a smart bow.
Abrien was a middle aged man with a face that had been repeatedly burned by the wind and sun. It was leathery and dark but there were lines around his eyes that indicated that he smiled a lot.
He was one of the finest captains in their employ and he and Sirius had a long history together. Once her adoptive father had assumed the throne of Essos, he had offered the sea captain a position in his navy as admiral of their fleet. He had been responsible for ferrying them back and forth from Mereen to King's Landing.
Sirius trusted him absolutely and therefore so did Ginny.
Once he had bowed he straightened up and nodded to Rhaegar. "What may I help you with your grace?"
"Are we out of sight of King's Landing and the coast completely captain?" she asked.
Abrien gave her a sharp nod. "Aye your grace. Not even the finest Myrish spyglass from the topmost tower of the Red Keep would be able to see us now."
Ginny nodded back smartly. "Good."
Abrien raised an eyebrow at her. "Shall I give the order then your grace?"
The red head gave him an almost wolfish grin. "If you please captain. I promised my father we would be back before midday."
"Right then."
Captain Abrien strode away and Rhaegar fixed Ginny with a confused expression. "What did he mean by an order? And how on earth are you planning to get back to Mereen by noon? Are you planning to apparate us there?"
"No," Ginny replied. "Apparition involves moving people. There is another way of magical travel that allows one to move whole objects no matter the size. Its called creating a portkey."
Rhaegar appeared intrigued. "What is a portkey?"
"It is a magical object that has been charmed to take someone to a destination of their choosing," Ginny explained.
"I see," Rhaegar replied furrowing his brow. "And what is the portkey you have charmed to take us to Mereen?"
Ginny gave him a bright smile. "Why this entire ship of course."
Rhaegar blinked and opened his mouth to ask more question when all of a sudden he was cut off with a shrill whistle from the captain.
Immediately all work and chatter on the deck ceased and all eyes turned to the grizzled captain standing at the helm.
"Listen up you lot," Abrien barked. "The princess has given the order. You know what to do. Grab hold of something solid and for the love of all the gods, do not let go!"
There was a flurry of motion as all deckhands abandoned their tasks and raced for the side of the ship, the rigging or the mast to grasp hold of the ropes.
Rhaegar watched the process from the stern in bewildered fascination. "Have they all traveled with you before? I can only assume that that is how they know what to do."
"Not all of them," Ginny replied. "Some know what a portkey is and others do not. But Captain Abrien instructed all of his men that there would be a time when we were far enough out to sea where no one could spot us that he would ask the men to cease their tasks and take hold of the rigging. Some know what it means and some do not. But they will know hereafter. Now I suggest we take hold of something as well."
"Come your graces," Abrien said gesturing to the wheel of the ship upon which he was holding on. "There is no more secure place aboard this vessel than the helm herself."
"Thank you captain," Ginny replied and led Rhaegar over to the wheel.
"This is just like apparition then?" Rhaegar asked.
"Yes," Ginny replied. "But when you open your eyes we will be on the edge of Gryphon Bay and weeks of travel will have been diminished to all but a few seconds."
"I have a feeling I'm going to need to become used to this," the crown prince muttered prompting a musical laugh from Ginny.
"Right then," Abrien barked, "how much time do we have your grace?"
Ginny glanced down at the centre of the helm and grinned slightly when she saw that the wooden spoke had begun to light up with iridescent colors, a telltale sign that departure was imminent.
"Ten seconds captain," she said. "Shall I call it out for everyone?"
"Please do," Abrien nodded. "That way when we appear in the sky above the bay I may order the men to brace for impact."
"Of course."
"Appear in the sky?" Rhaegar asked suddenly, a look of bewilderment covering his stunning face. "Surely that's not possible!"
Ginny smirked at him. "You'll find the more time you spend with me Rhaegar that the things you thought impossible don't apply to House Gryffindor."
Before the prince could ask any more questions, she turned to the rest of the ship and tapped her throat, "Sonorous."
And then with an augmented voice, the red head began to call out the remaining time that was left. "Six….Five….Four….Three…Two…ONE!"
Every member of the crew appeared to tense up and white knuckled their hold on whatever structures they had grasped.
There was suddenly a most strange feeling as if they were being tugged forward at a great speed. Ginny felt her hair blow back from her face and her eyes begin to tear so she closed them.
And then as quickly as it had come, the rushing ended and then there was a most frightful jerk where Ginny felt as if she were being turned upside down and she gripped hold of the helm harder.
She heard a muffled curse from Rhaegar who was standing next to her. The sensation of being turned upside down lasted for no more than a few seconds before they were jerked right side up and Ginny knew they had come across the known world.
The princess smiled as she opened her eyes and was confronted with an azure blue sky dotted with clouds here and there.
Her smile was confronted for a moment as she felt her stomach rise up knowing they were beginning to fall.
In the distance, she could see the golden pyramid of Mereen with the statue of the gryphon at the very top.
She jerked her head to the right to Abrien who was still holding onto the helm. "Captain! Tell the men to brace for impact! I will slow our descent!"
"Aye your grace!"
While the old sea dog was busy shouting orders, having to almost roar them over the howling wind as the ship plummeted towards the sapphire waters below, Ginny cast a quick sticking charm to Rhaegar's feet so he wouldn't be knocked off them when they landed.
"What are you doing?" the prince demanded glancing down at his feet.
"Making certain no one gets hurt," the princess replied before diving forward and gripping the railing at the back of the ship.
"Wingardium Leviosa!"
In an instant the feeling of weightlessness became very much less and the men who had begun to rise into the air due to the loss of gravity came back down to the deck with a thud.
Hold tight gentlemen, I'm taking us down.
The ship's descent stopped its plummet and slowed to a float as they wafted down in the morning breeze.
Ginny could hear oaths and curses from the sailors behind her but she paid them no mind as she brought the ship down upon the wings of the wind.
She glanced back at Rhaegar as she was performing this task and grinned to see the look of wonder on his face as he looked about him at the open ocean.
There was a sharp intake of breath that followed and she knew he had caught sight of the Great Pyramid of Mereen off in the distance.
"Good lord," he whispered. "Is that it?"
"Aye," Ginny replied. "That is my home."
No more was said as she continued to lower them to the surface of the water and the ocean came up to meet them because no more needed to be said.
When they finally landed on the top of the waves there was a rocking sound that unbalanced Ginny and she stumbled back a few steps only to be caught by Rhaegar who wrapped his arms around her waist when her back hit his chest.
The closeness of their bodies and the way she felt the heat of his skin through his tunic caused heat to rise in Ginny's cheeks and she prayed that the prince wouldn't see it.
"You know," he whispered quickly in her ear, causing chills to rise on her skin. "I can handle more than I think you give me credit for."
The red head turned towards him and cocked her head to one side, conscious of the fact that he hadn't taken his hands from her waist. "What do you mean?"
The prince gave her a knowing smile and then glanced down at his charmed feet that were still glued to the deck.
"Oh," Ginny said sheepishly. "Right."
She immediately muttered the counter charm and watched as Rhaegar freed himself from the magic.
Only then did he take his hands from her.
"I mean that I think you worry too much about me," he said. "I can handle more than you think I can, magic or no. At some point, I hope you will realize that."
"I know," Ginny said with a sigh. "But I don't like to take chances, you know that too. And its far easier for me to take said chances when I'm alone than it is when I'm with someone else. When I'm with you….I don't want to risk anything."
To her surprise, Rhaegar's eyes merely softened at the omission.
"I understand," he said. "But you do know that marriage is a risk yes? We'll be partners in everything and such things do require a degree of trust. I want to reach that place with you."
Ginny melted slightly. He could be quite romantic when he was away from his family and the pressures of court and being the crown prince.
"So do I," she said. "And you're right, marriage will be an adventure. But it's one that I am very much looking forward to."
Rhaegar smiled at her and then squeezed her hands gently before moving apart as the captain strode back up the bridge toward them.
"We are roughly an hour's journey from Mereen your grace," he said. "Your foresight of our landing was impeccable."
"Thank you captain," Ginny said. "Please do not feel as if you have to rush. Time is with us."
"Very good your grace."
After Abrien had strode back to the helm, Ginny led Rhaegar down the steps of the bridge and across the main deck, nodding at the sailors who bowed to them. Some seemed shaken from the magic warping of the portkey and others looked at her in wonder, obviously knowing that whatever had happened, she had done it.
"They seem quite in awe of you," Rhaegar said quietly as they walked side by side towards the prow of the ship.
"I'm afraid the stories of magic have journeyed faster across Essos than my father and I have," Ginny explained. "People have blown the stories far out of proportion and made it seem as if we are gods rather than simply a king and princess."
"To the average person who has never experienced magic before, you might as well be," Rhaegar replied. "I remember how some of the children looked at me when you took me to that orphanage some months ago as if I were some sort of angelic creature come down from the clouds and realizing that who we are has a profound effect on those around us, especially if you have power."
"That is very true," Ginny conceded.
They said nothing more until they arrived at the front of the ship whereupon they would have the best view when they entered Gryphon Bay.
The sun was shining just as brightly in this part of the world as it had been in the one they had left behind with the exception of the breeze being even hotter and Ginny was glad she had worn something light.
"What a beautiful day," she commented. "Perfect weather for sailing."
"Aye," the prince replied. "But somehow I don't think we're going to be doing a lot of it while we're here."
"What gives you that idea?" Ginny asked.
"There are other forms of transportation than sailing," the prince said giving her a knowing smile. "And faster ones too. And I will be in Essos for three months before returning home. I expect I am going to be treated to those forms of transportation."
"You just might," Ginny said with a smirk.
They lapsed into silence for a little while simply watching as they drew nearer and nearer to Gryphon Bay. A few words were exchanged but for the most part, Ginny was simply content to watch Rhaegar's face as details along the coast came into view.
It was rather amusing.
At first, the prince's violet eyes had been glued to the Great Pyramid as it was the largest thing he could see and its color rendered it unmistakable. But then as they drifted closer, he saw the large horseshoe shaped landscape extending on either side of them that was a mix of green and gold and orange and brown and then azure blue in the middle. Rising over all of it was the great pyramid with its crowning gryphon that was drawing attention like a moth to a flame.
Slowly the city began to emerge from the shimmering waves of heat and Ginny began to see the houses, the temples, the hospitals that had been erected, the schools, and the green spaces that had been set aside for public enjoyment along with the market places.
The horse shoe shaped bay seemed to reach out with the landscape on either side like arms to receive them as they drew nearer and Ginny felt her heart quickening.
She was almost home.
"Good lord," Rhaegar whispered beside her. "It's enormous. It must be twice the size of King's Landing."
"There is about two hundred thousand. It is as large as Astapor and Yunkai combined," Ginny informed him.
"Where are all the colors coming from?" Rhaegar asked.
"The houses are made of the same sort of brick, but many of them are different colors," Ginny explained. "I don't really know why, it was like that before my father and I came to Mereen. The walls are higher and thicker and better maintained than the other former slave cities."
"Are those defensive towers?" Rhaegar asked pointing to the city in various places.
"They are. The north wall runs along the riverbank and the west that we are now approaching faces the bay. The northern wall is higher than the others and there are still bronze harpy heads studded along that wall with open mouths so that defenders can pour boiling oil down upon an attacking army."
Rhaegar visibly cringed. "What a horrible way to die."
"There are no more brothels in the city and the fighting pits have been abandoned, but the temples, granaries, smaller palaces and baths are still in use. The brothels and some questionable taverns have been turned into hospitals and schools and orphanages for the children of the city. Do you see the scores of lesser pyramids?"
She pointed and Rhaegar nodded. They weren't as easy to see as the Great Pyramid but their shades made them stand out.
"Why are they different colors?" the prince asked.
"I don't really know," Ginny replied. "But the Great Masters and their families once lived in those pyramids before my father and I came to the city."
"Once?"
"Yes. Some still reside there but have taken up different professions. Others refused to bend the knee to my father and fled east, taking as many of their possessions with them as they could. In many places, my father gave the rule of those pyramids to better men and some were converted into public spaces. There is the Pahl pyramid on the south side of the city which is pink and white and is used as a hospital for the poor and sick and the children. Then there is the pyramid of Naqqan which is green and black. It housed the Creed before they came to serve us and it still does to an extent. The pyramid of Rhazdar is yellow and green and is a great center for learning and for those who wish to devote their lives to knowledge. The pyramid of Kandaq is the possession of the family of our steward Gulian. And between the pyramids are the lesser well to do places. It used to be very poor and the difference between the impoverished and the wealthy was polarizing but now, its slowly becoming a city of equals. Attitudes are changing and I'm very happy that my father and I have been part of it."
"There is a lot I have to see," Rhaegar said with a touch of wonder in his voice.
"Well, we have three months," Ginny said easily. "That's plenty of time to see everything and perhaps we can go to some of the others cities as well."
"I believe I would like that."
"Good."
Ginny cast her eyes back to the city and for a moment ceased thinking about the future and thought on the past.
Sirius was the first king the city had had in a thousand years which was a remarkable feat. But unlike the kings, the tall cedars that once grew along the coast were no more, having been felled by the empire.
Maybe that would be a good project to start for Vellaena, the red head thought. Once the baby is born and is a little older, we could bring the trees back and make Mereen even more green.
"We are nearing the bay your graces!" a sailor called from the rigging.
"Thank you!" Ginny called back.
However as they sailed into the newly named Gryphon Bay, and Rhaegar got his first good long look at Mereen, for a moment he almost forgot the reason he was there and felt his jaw slacken in shock and awe.
He knew that Mereen was one of the greatest cities in Essos next to Qarth and had many wonders. Its great pyramid alone was a sight to behold and gleamed like it was made of solid gold in the midday sun.
It was a perfect day for travel with a hot sun overhead, not a cloud in the sky and a consistent breeze blowing from the west which pushed them even further east.
The water of Gryphon Bay was as clear as glass and in some places Rhaegar thought that he might be able to see clear to the bottom if he looked hard enough.
In Essos, the air was far fresher and clearer and he had no problems taking as many deep breaths as he desired.
Gryphon Bay was in the shape of a perfect u and he could see many ships weighing anchor as they passed. There was the sound of sailors calling to one another from across the water in their many tongues and the salt in the air was sharp.
The sun was warm against their faces as they looked up to it and with the steady wind blowing, they would reach the harbor in perhaps another five minutes.
"It certainly is beautiful here," the prince muttered to himself. "And one thing I don't have to worry about is the smell."
Ginny laughed. "Yes, that's one benefit of living in this city. Mereen has a different sort of drainage than King's Landing."
"You mean to say that its actually effective," Rhaegar muttered and her laughed sprang forth again.
Just then, their conversation was suddenly interrupted by a screech from overhead. Rhaegar jerked his head upwards and was astonished to see a large winged creature swooping over the deck of the ship.
It was not a dragon of this he could tell right away for it was far too small. But it was the most unusual creature he had ever seen.
From the short look he had been allowed, he could tell it was a sort of hybrid creature as he could see the sharp talons of a bird and its head was one of a bird of prey. The second half of its body was that of a lion with its golden pelt and tail and back paws. Its great white wings gave off a great pulsing wind as it flew and Rhaegar felt it blow his hair back as the odd creature passed.
"Is that a gryphon?" he asked with wonder in his voice.
"It is," Ginny whispered a grin of surprise on her face. She knew they would see the creatures soon enough but she didn't know that one would fly right out to the ship to greet them as if it sensed their coming.
She was even more pleased when the gryphon paused right above the mast and then swooped even lower before hovering above the deck and landing with a clatter of hooves.
The startling presence of the magnificent creature caused many of the crewmen to jump back in surprise as it was as large as a horse and its wingspan was as long.
It stood there for a moment looking around at all the crewmen with a focused golden gaze making many of them shrink from it.
The crewmen stared at it for a moment before Captain Abrien bellowed at them to get back to work and there was a flurry of activity as tasks recommenced.
Ginny gave a delighted cry however and dashed forward. "Buckbeak!"
She left behind a confused Rhaegar who was watching the creature with wide violet eyes.
The gryphon pranced right up to her and preened slightly when she stroked the feathers atop its head. "You're always patrolling the skies aren't you?"
She turned back to the prince. "Rhaegar, come here!"
Looking a little uncertain, the prince walked forward and Ginny took his hand. "I'd like you to meet the eldest of our gryphons. He was also the first one I ever rode."
"I see," the Targaryen replied. "And where did you decide on a name like Buckbeak? It's certainly very original."
"An inside joke between my father and me," Ginny replied with a secret smile remembering the wild ride Sirius had taken on Buckbeak in order to escape from Hogwarts. The beloved Hippogriff had become very dear to Sirius in the months of his exile and when he was cooped up in Grimmauld Place.
In a way, giving a name to this character was a callback to nostalgia and the life she and Sirius had left behind.
The past might have been gone, but it was never forgotten.
"He's magnificent," Rhaegar whispered as the gryphon continued to gaze at him. "Will he grow any larger?"
"No," Ginny replied. "They will grow to be the size of a horse but no larger. Since Buckbeak is the eldest, this is as large as he will ever grow."
"Is riding him the same as riding a dragon?" Rhaegar asked.
Ginny shook her head. "I don't ride Buckbeak as much as Septimus but riding both of them is different for different reasons. Bucky here is much smaller than Septimus though he is just as proud. I happen to think that all winged creatures have a lot of arrogance."
Just then Buckbeak snorted as if he took issue with her statement and Ginny laughed. "I'm sorry Bucky, but its true."
The creature huffed again and then turned its attention back to Rhaegar.
Ginny looked back and forth between her secret betrothed and the gryphon. "You can pet him Rhaegar. Just make sure he sees what you're doing. If there's anything Bucky hates, its being surprised."
Rhaegar nodded before hesitantly stretching out his hand towards the white feathered eagle's head of the creature.
Buckbeak's eyes followed his hand for a moment before he surprised Rhaegar by lowering his head towards him as if he were bowing.
Rhaegar's eyes widened but he continued reaching until he was able to rest his hand atop the large head of the gryphon and move his fingers back and forth.
"Incredible," he whispered. "It seems I'm constantly being surprised around you Ginny."
"Well you should probably get used to it," the red head chuckled. "There's nothing predictable about being around me."
She meant it partly in jest and was thus surprised when Rhaegar turned to her and smiled. "I know."
"Your graces!" Abrien called from the helm. "We are nearing the city! You should prepare yourselves to disembark!"
"Thank you Abrien," Ginny called back and turned to Rhaegar with a large smile. "Welcome to Mereen my prince."
Ω
I wonder if they've left yet. Ginny said that the ship would be in the harbor before midday.
Sirius was finding it a little bit difficult to concentrate on his work as he knew today was the day that Ginny would be returning from King's Landing.
It would be nice to have her under their roof again even if he had a feeling that this would be the last block of consistent time they would have with her.
He had observed her closely when they were in King's Landing and he had seen her face when she had seen Prince Rhaegar for the first time.
Her expression had been both fearful and joyful as if she had been bracing herself to know that what she had seen was just a dream and when she had seen him, it had become achingly beautiful.
She was both sad and happy and sorrowful all at once because it was as if some of the pieces she had been struggling with had fallen into place for her.
She hadn't wanted to admit it but the vision she had had in the House of the Undying had affected her personally. As strong as Ginny was, Sirius had known there was still some part of her that wasn't as happy as she could be.
He had known right away that this was the man she would be marrying when he had seen her face. And he had hoped and prayed with everything he had that this prince would treat Ginny like the queen she was.
And despite his initial qualms, Sirius was slowly warming to the prince. He seemed like an intelligent, thoughtful and compassionate young man.
I wonder how long it is before I have grandchildren, he mused to himself with a smile. Gin hasn't talked about it much but I always knew she wanted to be a mother.
Just then there was the sound of a throat being cleared.
The Gryphon King looked up and bright smile came to his face when he saw his beautiful wife standing at the threshold.
"Yes?" he asked.
"I believe we should go down to the harbor with our retinue now darling," she said. "A ship bearing our sails has just come into the bay."
Sirius was on his feet in an instant. "She's back."
"Yes, she is."
"Well then," Sirius said striding over to the bed and taking up the cloak of the gryphon king. "I suppose we should go and greet our future good son."
"Sirius!" Vellaena said slapping his arm as if she were scandalized. "You don't know for certain if she is going to marry him!"
"Trust me my dear, its simply one of those things that I just know," Sirius said with a small smirk. "You wait and see. Before long we'll be in Westeros and I'll be walking her down an aisle in the Great Sept and giving her to Prince Rhaegar. Just you wait and see."
Ω
Whew! And I'm back! Sorry about the long wait guys and thank you very much for your patience as I went through work, exams and the holidays without having a lot of time to write. Don't worry, we will be hearing wedding bells before long but there's an adventure that I have planned for Ginny and Rhaegar in Essos that will be crucial to their life together. I hope you liked the chapter and don't forget to review!