Disclaimer: I don't own these properties. I just write fiction about them!
A New Game
Chapter Thirteen: Dragon Queen
Year 284 AC
"And that's why you're here in my safehouse... your majesty." When Naruto finally finished his retelling, he needed to drink some of the water he intended for the Targaryen on his bed. Considering the events he lived through getting her here, Naruto had to wonder if he did the story any justice. Maybe sometime in the future he could hire a bard to write a ballad or something.
After all, his story included all the makings of a great folk tale. However, unlike others, proof of Naruto's deeds lay with the woman listening to him speak. The fact she made it to Essos alive lent credibility to every word coming out of his mouth.
While Rhaella hadn't seen much in the way of magic during her lifetime, the last Targaryen queen carried a deep respect for the art. After all, her family had a deep history with magic as it was the primary tool that bound them with their dragons in decades past. "Show me."
That said, she wouldn't be doing her due diligence if she didn't ask for some sort of demonstration. Admittedly, her request came less from suspicion and more from her personal curiosity.
"Alright, please give me your hand." From the moment he mentioned his unique brand of arcane talents, Naruto counted on having to prove it with action. What right-minded individual wouldn't need proof?
Rhaella's stare sought any ill intentions. But after finding none during her thorough sweep, she obeyed Naruto's instructions. Holding hands with Naruto let the former queen feel the warmth of his skin against hers. She almost forgot how contact with another human felt it'd been so long.
"Okay, here we go." The soothing glow that enshrouded their hands amazed Rhaella as much as it comforted her. Its effect on her also left Rhaella sighing softly. "As I am now, this is the best I can do, my lady."
Naruto chased away any lingering aches she might have had with his brief usage of Chakra. Limiting himself to this small amount also avoided damaging his body further in the process. But even that minuscule amount felt like climbing a mountain to the tired healer.
"Fret not, I believe you." Believe she did. Rhaella's brain was already racing to encapsulate the memory of Naruto's magic in the halls of her brain. She always imagined magic as destructive and powerful. But that turned out to be a misconception on her part, a rather severe one at that.
Naruto showed her magic could be serene and comforting in the right hands. It was an exhilarating experience to behold.
The man responsible for opening her eyes slumped back into the bedside chair with an audible exhale. "Phew."
Flashing a smile in Rhaella's direction, he continued where he left off. "This went surprisingly well, considering all that's happened these last few hours. The cynical part of me expected this meeting to go horribly, if I'm honest." It certainly would've been par for tonight's course.
Rhaella couldn't explain why, but seeing Naruto smile left her smiling as well. Albeit a more reserved one than his. "I'll admit, I had my suspicions about your intentions when you stepped through that door, but those have long since passed."
Naruto and his attempt at a reply were stopped by Rhaella's raised hand. The authority of a queen pierced the veil of fatigue, compelling the assassin to follow her unspoken order.
As a woman who thought she'd die in Dragonstone's tower, Rhaella had plenty to say. Showing gratitude for his efforts would suffice as a first step in that regard. "When you have spent as much time around snakes and rats as I have, you learn to see good. You're a good man, Naruto. Thank you for everything you've done for this old woman."
A slight widening of his eyes was all the surprise Naruto showed at Rhaella being clever enough to pick apart his argument before it started.
Her last statement did remind Naruto of something he overlooked during storytime. "Erm, I might have forgotten to mention something about my healing spell."
"What is it, Naruto?"
"Nearly all of my spells are directly linked with my lifeforce. That means when I healed you, it literally reverted the damage done to your body. In other words..." Naruto figured the best way to do this was to tell Rhaella straight.
No one said anything for a handful of seconds as Rhaella did her best to wrap her mind around what Naruto told her. Then without warning, she yanked back the long-hanging sleeves of her top and marveled at the healthy skin on her hands. "You turned back the age of my body?"
He thought that was putting it too simply, but that was the gist of it, so Naruto nodded his head affirmatively.
"Thank you." Her first words were so soft-spoken, Naruto almost missed them. "Thank you." The second time she thanked him, it was louder but came with a layer of tears, which Naruto pretended he didn't see.
Sitting there with his eyes closed left Naruto open to what came next.
"Thank you!" Rhaella surprised Naruto with the final of her three gratitudes because she ended up in a half-sat, half-laying position from which she hugged him.
To her credit, the former queen didn't break down. She did not weep or sob. Tears simply poured down her face in silence as she sat with her face against Naruto's shoulder. "Ah... you're welcome?"
Unsure of what he could do to help Rhaella through her outburst of pent-up emotion, Naruto laid a calming hand on her upper back and provided a gentle rub alongside a shoulder to cry on.
When the flood passed, Rhaella looked abashed. No part of her planned on crying like that, but it just sort of happened. Her smile lost that confidence and appeared almost hesitant to Naruto. "My apologies, I lost myself for a moment. That wasn't befitting of someone of my position."
"Do you want to talk about it?" He played it conservatively. The last thing he wanted to do was overstep a boundary and offend the pride of the Targaryen woman, destroying any progress made to this point.
"It's not a happy tale." Any shred of goodwill melted off Rhaella's regal face. Left behind was a stone-faced expression that'd be right at home in the somber throne room he remembered back in King's Landing.
The encouraging smile and the warmth inside it came naturally to Naruto. Queen or commoner, if Naruto had a chance to help someone, he had a hard time looking the other way. This instance was no different. "If it's your story, then it's worth hearing, your majesty."
"You're a good man. Bear with me; this can be difficult to discuss."
"Take all the time you need. The night is still young." Did he want to catch up on his sleep? Absolutely. However, some things were more important than a few extra winks.
Her cobalt and purple eyes drifted toward the passable sheets stretched over her body as she began her story. "You might be aware of the Targaryen tradition of siblings marrying. It's been that way long before Aegon came to Westeros."
"Most of my kin saw this as a means to show devotion to the family, but I believe this was a misguided attempt to stop Targaryen blood from being diversified."
Rhaella remembered the demand for purity only getting more strict the longer they went without any new dragons being born. The older members of the family were near fanatic in the belief that only pure Targaryen blood could usher the return of the dragons.
'The things people will do for a shred of power.'
Seeing how Rhaella just got started, Naruto didn't want to interrupt her with unimportant questions about family traditions and practices. Those could come later.
"Personally, I never wanted to marry Aerys, and I believe the same could've been said for him. However, our father had the final say. As such, we became husband and wife. No matter how I tried, and I tried, I couldn't find the love in me that a woman should have for her husband."
The assassin bit at the inside of his cheek to refrain from an outburst. Having an outsider be the one to select a life partner for someone else was the kind of violation of free will that went against everything Naruto believed in.
"The first time I remember being happy in my marriage to Aerys was when Rhaegar came into this world, kicking and screaming. My little dragon..." With the memories came a beautiful smile that only a mother could pull off. At this moment, Rhaella didn't see a simple room, but the baby version of Rhaegar she held in her arms so long ago.
Naruto watched with a smile. It was brief, but the mention of her son gave Rhaella a peace of mind he doubted anything could replace. "I know he turned out to be a real spitfire."
Rhealla's quiet laughter filled the bedroom. It was a good sound. "Yes. That's an apt description for Rhaegar." Things went downhill from there. Laughter was replaced by such a striking expression of pain that it even made Naruto cringe.
"But things weren't well for long. In the next seven years, I lost eigh... I lost eight children! H-He, Aerys blamed me. S-Said it was all m-my fault!"
Naruto didn't know what to say. What could he say? Nothing would change the pain Rhaella endured losing so many of her babies. Naruto couldn't imagine the agony nor inner fortitude a person needed to survive it.
In that respect, Rhaella reminded Naruto of Elia. Maybe that comparison helped Naruto decide what to do next?
He reached out and took one of Rhaella's hands. Even if words failed him, the least he could do was be there in this difficult time. Now a large part of himself felt guilty for making a good woman relive her dark past.
The physical contact made Rhaella flinch. So absorbed in her buried memories, the Targaryen forgot all about Naruto. Seeing his hand through the curtain of tears, she hesitantly tried squeezing in return. Being larger than hers, Naruto's hand supplied a warmth that Rhaella sorely needed, whether she realized it or not.
For the longest time, the pair of blondes sat in silence. Rhaella thought about her children, who were taken too soon. Meanwhile, Naruto remained nearby with his eyes closed out of respect for Rhaella and her kids.
"It was a dark time... so dark. Rhaegar had his life. Aerys hated me. When I was lost, the Gods gave me a light. I gave birth to another healthy baby, my chubby Viserys." Naruto expected some sort of spark to return to Rhaella but was surprised when he got more of the same.
"At this point, my husband considered me nothing more than a plague. In his eyes, I was cursed. He wouldn't let me near my own child unless he had no other choice. It wasn't the ideal family, but we were all healthy. I thanked every God I knew for that small blessing." Rhaella hardened her heart for what came next. She wouldn't break down in tears for a third time.
She was a dragon with a dragon's fiery pride!
"That's when the curse of our family hit Aerys, the madness." This was the first time that Naruto lost his look of empathy. No one could put together an argument that'd convince Naruto Aerys wasn't rotten to the core.
The staggering cruelty Aerys enacted from the Iron Throne left scars on the land and its people. It was the type of damage, which would take generations to heal. 'It's over, Naruto. All we can do now is move forward.'
A loathing expression of guilt sunk itself on Rhaella's face. Talking about it now, she felt ashamed she didn't do more for her people. "I knew what he was doing to the people, our people, but my priority was shielding Viserys."
"There was one time that I stood between Aerys and my handmaiden. He let the matter go, but that night he turned his abuse on me, both physically and sexually." Goosebumps raised up on her forearms as Rhaella silently assured herself that her monster of a brother couldn't hurt her any longer.
If the proficient assassin had any steam left in him, that admission from Rhaella would've sent the blonde into a murderous rampage. The former queen wouldn't have seen it, but several slavers in the city would be missing their head if Naruto possessed the energy.
"After that, I closed my eyes to the evil committed by my husband. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't apologize for being a bystander as my subjects burned by my husband's hand." But as a mother, Rhaella needed to put the safety of her children before anything else. And she'd do it a hundred times out of a hundred.
"I doubt there's a parent out there who wouldn't make the same choice." Naruto offered kindly in hopes of putting her mind at ease.
Rhaella tried to muster a thankful smile, but her heart wasn't in the gesture. "And you, Naruto? What would you have done?"
"I'd like to think I'd do the right thing in the moment. However, until I'm truly in the situation, I can't say one way or the other." His blue eyes lost some of their focus as he contemplated the scenario in his own head.
Naruto's answer seemed to impress the one-time queen. She might have only known him for all of an hour, yet her savior showed everything a leader should be. "Spoken like a lord, thoughtfully and fair."
Rhaella successfully snapped Naruto out of his thoughts, leaving him with a spooked expression. While the Targaryen woman got a much-needed laugh out of this, Naruto shook his head adamantly.
"No! Nope, not a noble! I'm just a guy, nothing more!" Despite the people of Dorne doing their best to change that, Naruto saw himself the same as any other man or woman, no better, no less. He had no desire for the trappings of power.
A forthcoming reply got pushed back by Rhaella's tired body making itself known. Her quiet yet substantial yawn brought the talks between assassin and queen to a timely halt. "Forgive me; I appear to be more tired than I first thought."
"Don't stress yourself, my lady. Anything we say now can be said tomorrow. Your body needs its rest." Needless to say, Naruto's first concern was getting Rhaella back up to full speed. Everything else could come after.
"Rhaella..."
"Huh?"
"Rhaella, I believe you've earned the right to call me by my name." Personally, the dragon found Naruto to be a welcomed change of pace. Before, people always walked on eggshells around her, inadvertently removing that human element from her interactions.
Naruto was already well on his way to changing that.
"Well, Rhaella, my name's Naruto. It's nice to officially meet you. For now, though, I think I should let you get some sleep." His attempt to stand up and leave was halted by Rhaella tugging on his hand. He'd totally forgotten they were still holding hands.
"Wait! My children, are they safe?" The desperation baked into the fearful rasp of Rhaella's voice wasn't something Naruto would wish on many people. Thankfully, he had some good news for the fretful mother.
"From what I saw, there weren't any children in Dragonstone, living or dead. So I assume whatever plans you had in place were successfully carried out by your retainers." This time the worried woman sagged in relief as the invisible weight on her shoulders disappeared.
"Thank... the..." Her still recovering body couldn't make it any further. The demand for rest caught up to Rhaella and put her to sleep in the middle of the conversation.
Naruto smiled one more time at the woman with almost platinum hair and readjusted the sheets until she was blanketed in their warmth. "Take your time, Rhaella. Let your mind and body get their well-deserved rest. I'll see you in the morning."
Masters Meeting, Myr
A man dressed in fancy-looking robes found himself being fed by a woman in transparent clothing. His power left him in this position quite often, but he'd never get tired of having a shapely woman lounging in his lap. "Mhhm. That's exquisite. Another one!"
The olive-skinned beauty obeyed his command, of course. However, the next treat came from a nervous hand as the slave woman tried ignoring the eyes on her and her master.
In a situation like this, there was some sort of awkward cough. Not at this meeting, not this time, because another of Myr's masters could only sigh. It was always like this with the youngest of their small group.
"If you're done, we have business to discuss." Another master, dressed well but muted in color, tried his best to return order to their meeting.
Thoroughly put off by the seriousness of his fellow masters, the hedonist smacked the side of his slave's backside and shooed her away. "Go..."
After the sheepish servant scurried from the semi-crowded room, there was a prolonged silence until the same man spoke again. This time his voice carried an insufferable snark to it. "There, all the fun is gone. Now, can someone tell me what's so important that I had to leave my home so late in the evening?"
It took a monumental effort for an older, mustached man to keep his temper in check. "Are you daft, boy? Our home has become a bloody pit of chaos, and you're asking why we're here?"
Looking to some of the other men that have yet to speak, the younger master scoffed as he drank from a gilded goblet. "This is what happens when you invite the crazies into our home. Reap what you sow."
Many of the younger generation began to laugh.
Their laughter didn't last long before the sharp sound of an elder shut them up with a wince. "Quiet, you fools! Don't you realize what this means? Any more instability like this, and we'll find our enemies on our doors. We can lose everything we have, and you're laughing?"
No one said anything, either thinking about the presented scenario or too afraid to open their mouths. That changed when the spokesman of the younger generation made himself known. "Would you stop with your senseless fear-mongering, old man? The solution is simple."
"What's that?"
"I wonder what he's thinking?"
Gracefully rising from his elongated chair, the outspoken master moved front and center. The small power play forced all eyes on him, whether they wanted to or not. "First and foremost, we must drive out the excessive religious institutions from our city. Leave the burnings to someone else."
The quiet murmur of multiple men agreeing with him didn't stop the monologue. "Next, we find a resource to fill the void left by the god-fearing nuts. I suggest the unsullied; eunuchs are unproblematic by nature."
"Finally, we forgot all this intrigue and return to what we were... a city of merchants and artisans. Our lands are desired because of placement- our power is in our money! And I think it's about time we start making more! Right?" The more conservative faction watched the swell of support building and frowned at the turn of events.
"Yeah!"
"He's right!"
"We were built on money, not faith!"
Whether any of them liked it or not, Myr had a new course charted for itself, and this time it was spearheaded by a younger generation of minds.
The Next Day
Naruto finished putting the final touches on the morning's breakfast, content with what he produced. Today he put more work into the meal than usual because he was cooking for someone. He didn't think Rhaella would mind a simple meal, but he couldn't help himself.
The soft steps behind him alerted Naruto to Rhaella's presence. Turning over his shoulder, he welcomed her with a warm smile. "Good morning. I hope you don't mind eggs?"
Rhaella managed to stop her stomach before it answered for her. Only now, in the face of a home-cooked meal, did the former queen realize how hungry she was. "I wouldn't say no to a plate."
His smile turned into a grin. That answer was more than enough to please the blonde-haired warrior. "Go and sit. I'll bring the food to you."
It took all of five minutes before the assassin and lost queen sat across from each other, both sharing a breakfast of eggs, potato, and some form of spicy meat Rhaella hadn't had before. The silence lasted until Naruto felt compelled to ask something he didn't get the chance to yesterday.
"What do you plan to do next?" Naruto poked around the mixed foods on his plate, never committing to a particular bite as he spoke. "Are you going to follow after your children?"
Rhaella didn't show it on her face. However, her eyes reflected an immense pain wrapped in a guise of composure. "No, I can't risk their health. Right now, my children are unknown to the larger world. I am not. If I follow their path, it will lead to nothing but ruin for us all."
Naruto's frown lasted until his fork deposited some of the morning meal into his mouth. Once the food went down, he offered a portion of his thoughts. "Then a return to Westeros is also out of the picture."
The pale-haired monarch's lips twisted wryly around the prongs of the fork. "Yes. That'd be an even worst idea than living life in Essos with my children." She felt the flatness in her voice was well placed.
A chuckling Naruto nodded his head in acceptance. "What do you have in mind?"
Rhaella looked back at a curious Naruto silently. She took a few seconds before she gave him an answer. "Perhaps I can explore the world. See things past the expectations of a queen. At least, until my children are older."
"You want the life of a wanderer..." Naruto added helpfully, giving a more specific description to the whimsical desires of a liberated dragon.
She placed the cup of tea back down with a smile put upon her face. "I always wondered what existed beyond the walls of a castle. What kind of world waited for me as Rhaella, not as Queen Targaryen. Thanks to you, Naruto, I have a chance to live that life."
Naruto allowed himself a smile when he heard her gratitude. However, he felt responsible for informing Rhaella of what awaited her on this journey. "The world isn't always kind. Doubly so for women, Rhaella."
A piercing fierceness filled the queen's sharp gaze. It was a fiery change that showed how serious Rhaella was taking this. "You think I don't know that? I'm aware of how cruel people can be."
The inner resolve she showed was a good first step, but Naruto wasn't satisfied. "I know you do. You know a lot, but you need more than knowledge. What can you do about it?"
"I beg your pardon?"
"It's one thing to know what you can expect. Rhaella, doing something about those hardships is a whole other thing entirely. If you want to put yourself out there, you'll have to defend yourself when the time comes." He knew a thing or two about protecting himself. Both from threats he expected and those he didn't.
"But I don't know anything about swinging a sword. From the day I was born, I was groomed to be the queen of the Seven Kingdoms!" And honestly, Rhaella never entertained the idea of trying her hand at weapon fighting. In her mind, battles were best left to the many knights of the realm.
"Then, if I'm being honest, you won't make it far. These roads will chew you up and spit you out, and I don't think there will be any third chances." He hated sounding overly cruel. It felt like him trying to crush her dreams beneath his heel. And still, Naruto saw no other way of being honest than being harsh.
When Rhaella realized she had no response, she looked down at the table in deep thought. Her face showed a myriad of conflict as her dreams conflicted with reality.
'Elia is gonna kill me for this. Ashara might too, but to hell with it.'
Naruto made his choice.
"How about I teach you how to defend yourself?" There it was, Naruto lending himself to a cause that'd delay his journey back west even further.
When Rhaella's head snapped back to meet him, she looked like a fish with her mouth wide open, and her eyes expanded in a period of shock. Respectfully, Naruto refrained from laughing at Rhaella as she fought to regain her composure.
"N-No! You don't have to do that! I'm already in your debt, Naruto. I can't take advantage of your kindness any longer." Despite her best efforts, Naruto wouldn't let Rhaella talk him off this metaphorical hill.
Leaning back, Naruto just started to talk. "Y'know, I'm a firm believer in the idea of karma. You do something terrible, and shit happens to you. But good people are rewarded in the end. Rhaella, you're a good woman. You deserve a lot more than a little bit of help from yours truly. So please, let me help you."
What commenced was a sort of silent duel between the two individuals. Rhaella did her best to make Naruto cave with her stare, but the stubborn blonde wouldn't budge. He had his mind made up, and as far as Naruto was concerned, that was the end of it.
Eventually, Rhaella had no choice but to concede to the iron will of her savior. "Fine, you win. When do we start?"
Water Gardens, Dorne
"What's wrong, cousin?" Arianne was having a tough time enjoying herself, seeing Rhaenys nearby with a sour look on her face. They were supposed to be on vacation having fun!
The young daughter of Elia Martell looked toward her older family member. Their eye-to-eye contact lasted all of three seconds before Rhaenys dropped her gaze to the knee-deep water. "I miss Naruto."
A momentary frown tugged down on the Martell princess' lips. It lasted as long as it took Arianne to shake her head. Her wet locks bobbled about on her head, shining beneath the desert sun. "I do too, but he's coming back, so we shouldn't worry."
"But it's been so long." Clearly, Naruto made quite an impression on Rhaenys in their limited time together. Anyone with eyes could see what kind of effect the friendly blonde had on the young lady.
Arianne sighed quietly. Her cousin could be so stubborn. So now it was up to her to save the day... again. "Do you remember what Naru told us, Rhae?"
"Yeah... once you make a promise, keep it always." Rhaenys didn't even have to think about it. Naruto always stressed the importance of keeping your word, something both she and Ari also believed in because of him.
"Then we don't have any reason to worry! He promised he'd be back!" Arianne stated confidently, wearing a smile one usually found on Naruto's face. Wide and brimming with life!
The more she thought about it, the better she felt about it. Now Rhae felt a little silly for worrying. "Yeah! You're right, Ari!" By this point, Rhaneys also donned a massive smile of her own.
"Of course I am! I'm older and smarter~!" The young woman puffed out her chest in a show of superiority. This was one of Arianne's favorite ways to tease her little cousin.
SPLASH!
A wave rose from the pool courtesy of Rhaenys' sweeping arm. Totally unprepared for such an attack, Arianne stood there sputtering as her drenched body dripped back into the swimming pool. "Not smart enough to see that coming!"
Arianne narrowed her eyes challengingly at Rhaenys, who had her tongue stuck out victoriously. Mumbling something under her breath, Ari started throwing water back at Rhaenys. They engaged in a full-on splash fight that sent water and laughter everywhere.
Meanwhile, another pair of ladies enjoyed the comfort of a pool further down. "Oh sweet mother, I really needed this vacation." Elia truly meant that as she sunk shoulder deep into the water.
"We can both drink to that, sister." As her best friend, Ashara's job was to tease Elia for being so emphatic, but for once, she agreed whole-heartedly. Their jobs, they sucked.
"I never knew administrative duties could be so taxing." If Elia never saw another piece of dry-written paperwork again, it would be too soon for her taste.
Being the good friend she was, Ashara signed on with Elia, becoming something of a secretary. She still wasn't sure if that was a mistake or not. "Right? I'm starting to think that blonde fool was right when he told us about his feelings on the upper class. It can be more trouble than it's worth."
"Ashara, we're part of that upper class." Despite her words, Elia's face showed no shortage of amusement.
Closing her eyes and basking in the soothing waters of the garden, Ashara's next comeback came out over a pleased sigh. "Yes, but I'm definitely worth the trouble~."
"Silly me, how could I forget?" This time Elia rolled her eyes, but it also came with a bit of laughter.
"I'll forgive you this time, Elia."
Elia's eyes cut toward her childhood friend, during which she snorted. Yes, very lady-like. "You can forgive me by making sure the zoning plans for the Shadow City make it to my brother."
"Ugh, I hate climbing all those forsaken stairs!" Towers. Ashara was starting to loathe their unreasonably tall existences. The message they conveyed typically wasn't worth the effort of climbing them.
The Viper Princess grinned at the frown she put on Ashara's face. "Too bad, I'm your boss. You have to listen to me."
"I quit," Ashara stated bluntly.
"You're resignation is not accepted." Just as blunt, Elia had her response ready quickly.
"There's no stopping-" The playful banter came to a dead stop when the unsuspecting Ashara found herself on the receiving end of two buckets filled with water. Shoulders locked up near her ears, Ashara found herself as tense as a statute.
An equally surprised Elia looked a few inches behind her frozen friend and saw Rhaenys and Arianne holding said buckets giggling to themselves. "Oh my..." Even with a hand over her mouth, Elia's laughter was loud and clear.
Turning her head slowly like a puppet on a string, the composure on Lady Dayne's face shattered with the twitch of her brow. "One sec, I have to deal with a pair of gremlins." The straight forward delivery of her retort should have set warning bells off in the heads of the pranksters, but they were too busy giggling to pay attention to their victim.
Ashara moved faster than either Arianne or Rhaenys anticipated. This sudden burst let Ashara wrap an arm around each girl and pull them both into the water with matching...
"EEP!"
Amidst the chaos and ruckus of Ashara water wrestling with the two children, Elia was free to shed her burdens one joyous laugh at a time.
But the carelessness of her laughter also came with consequences. Jerking abruptly, laughing became a cough that Elia turned to hide. When she removed the hand over her mouth, she saw blood.
The mother winced and turned to see if the others noticed. When she realized that none of them noticed her coughing, she sighed in relief. Quickly wiping away the incriminating evidence, Elia made a promise to herself to be more careful. Now that she had a life worth living, not even death would pry it from her. That was her promise.
Unbent. Unbowed. Unbroken.
Having the business end of a kunai mere inches from his face didn't dampen the smile on Naruto's face. Quite the opposite, actually. His smile couldn't be wider as he pushed Rhaella off the deadlock of blades.
Both warriors sported a few cuts and tears in their training clothes. However, none drew blood, which was the important part of a training session.
Naruto watched Rhaella slide backward a good three feet. The disengagement between the two gave Naruto a moment to think about how far his pupil came in only three months.
By no means was Rhaella a natural to armed combat, but the former queen was a quick study. She grasped the basic logic behind his every order and devoted herself to them entirely. Man or woman, Naruto couldn't envision many people possessing the drive of his first student.
'Who would've thought I'd be a teacher? Certainly not the bastard who taught me!' Naruto chuckled at the various thoughts going through his mind.
Blowing the hair out of her eyes, Rhaella raised an eyebrow at Naruto's random fit of laughter. "What's so funny?"
"I'm just proud of how far my student's gone. That's all." His heavy praise put a soft flush on Rhaella's face. The sight of her blush only increased the amused twinkle in Naruto's blue eyes.
"I won't go easy on you because of a few honeyed words, Naruto!" Rhaella was glad to be in the middle of a fight. It helped distract her from the pleasant feelings bubbling in her chest. Instead of focusing on that, she was free to lunge at Naruto again.
She moved faster than ninety percent of people were capable of but wasn't fast enough to beat Naruto. When Rhaella's blade came down from an overhead angle, Naruto moved his identical weapon into its path. The resulting clang of metal hitting metal filled their ears.
"It's me who should be saying that to you, my dear student. For example..." Naruto abused his natural strength and experience advantage when he forced Rhaella into a ripcord spin. But before she went too far, he wrapped his free arm around her stomach.
Tapping gently at her collar bone with the flat half of his short blade, Naruto smirked impishly. "What did I tell you about trying to get into power battles with a bigger opponent?"
Despite her compromising position against Naruto's chest, Rhaella wore a most peculiar grin. She tipped her head back to see at least some of his face before she answered. "You said not to, but who said I didn't want to be here?"
Naruto didn't get a chance to explain his confusion. He felt the pointy end of a kunai digging gently into his side, and suddenly all things became clear. "Hahaha! Sneaky and daring, well done!"
A pleased hum worked its way up Rhaella's throat. After a moment of gloating satisfaction, she extracted herself from the intertwined position she shared with her teacher and friend. "So? Am I ready?"
"You've been ready for the last two weeks, but I kept you around to give you experience in actual fights. If circumstances were different, I'd have you work with me for another three months. Unfortunately, I have business in Westeros." Naruto was apologetic by the end of his evaluation.
"You have nothing to apologize for, Naruto. You've already given me so much, and I'm grateful for every second of it." Rhaella cemented her gratitude with a respectful bow that made Naruto wave his hands in front of him.
"Come on, what are you trying to do to me?"
Taking great joy in how she made Naruto uncomfortable, Rhaella laughed as she righted her posture. "Nothing~! I just want to make sure you understand how much I appreciate you."
Naruto was so busy grumbling about Rhaella's growing need to tease him that he failed to notice the woman moving closer to him. That's when he locked up in surprise because Rhaella went ahead and kissed him on the cheek.
"Wha?" With the amount of brainpower at his disposal, this was the best Naruto could muster.
Rhaella wasn't done there. She combined her surprise kiss with a lasting embrace that ended up with her toned arms looped around the blonde's shoulders. "I'm not saying goodbye, because I know we'll see each other again. Until then, I'll carry everything you taught me with pride."
As Naruto's first student, that was her lifelong promise! And she hold it through fire and blood.
END
Writer's Note I: Happy holidays everyone, I hope everyone has been staying healthy and safe. More people than I expected have been asking me about the story, so I wanted to publish more content for you to enjoy. Now then, let's talk about the story for a little bit.
As you've read, this chapter was more about character than conflict. Let me tell you, Rhaella Targaryen got the short end of the stick when it comes to Ice and Fire. It's not good for her, so I decided Naruto and Rhaella should build a strong relationship. This chapter was the first step.
Okay, so as promised, the next chapter will revolve around Naruto fixing the problems with his Chakra. I've decided to give Naruto a power boost in the form of elemental Chakra. For the first portion of the story, he relied on cunning and technique, and he still will, but now when he gets angry, Naruto will have an ace in the hole to unleash. Vote for which elements in my poll!