You paused your walking down the halls of the Red Keep as you heard someone behind you ask,

"Are you lost?"

Turning around, you saw that it was the young heir to the Iron Throne who was addressing you.

After a brief bow of your head, you greeted the Princess before saying in admittance,

"Yes, I suppose I am. I was looking for the training grounds. Could you possibly point me in the right direction?"

However, instead of answering your question, the Princess curiously asked one of her own.

"Why do you need to go to the training grounds?"

With an amused smile, you playfully said with humor,

"To do what most people do: train, my Princess."

As an amused smile grew on her face as well, she raised a hand and said, "Please, call me Rhaenyra. We will be family soon."

After you thanked her for the privilege, she said,

"Come. I will show you where to find what you are looking for."

And began to escort you there after taking one of your arms in hers.

As you walked, the young girl helpfully pointed out the different rooms you were passing by as if you were on a tour.

It was when you reached your intended destination that she eventually asked,

"What exactly are you here to practice?"

You answered her while you took in the sight of the grounds and noticed a few members of the Kingsguard that were present.

"Today, I will practice the long sword, but I excel in archery and daggers."

You looked back to her to see her expression bloom with excitement at your words.

The smile on her face was bright when she asked,

"Can you show me how to use a sword?"

You returned her smile and were about to respond when you heard another voice say,

"I do not think that a good idea, Princess."

Looking forward, you arched your brow at the man who had intruded on your conversation.

"And you are?"

The man in question glanced toward the girl standing next to you before returning his gaze to yours. That is when he said,

"I am Ser Criston Cole, protector of the Princess."

You gave him an obvious once over as a disinterested smile grew on your lips.

In a way that made it clear you were only humoring him, you asked,

"So, why is it not a good idea, Ser Cole?"

There was the slightest tightening of his jaw as he responded.

"It is too dangerous."

"And yet, danger lies all around us," You were quick to reply. "Better she learn how to defend herself now than wishing she had later."

The knight in front of you did not hide his disagreement as he said with bravado,

"She does not need to learn. I will keep her safe from harm."

"And who are you?"

You incredulously asked once more with an amused laugh that you could not hold back.

After you finished chuckling, you decided to answer your own question.

"You are only a man, and a man cannot take on the whole world."

Seeing that he still had yet to budge, you let out a sigh and said,

"Fine. A wager then."

Moving around him and to the middle of the training grounds, you turned back and said loud enough so he could hear,

"We shall spar. If you can tap me once, I will drop the matter. If I can tap you once, I will begin lessons with the Princess."

The Kingsguard member hesitated only a moment before he rose to the challenge and met you on the field.

You began circling one another with your swords out before he made the first move. He was fast, but you were agile.

With every swing he made, you simply stepped out of the way as if you knew where the blade would fall.

What you lacked in brute strength, you made up for with intelligence.

So as you allowed him to push you back further and further, you waited for the perfect opportunity to side-step him and duck under one of his arms so that he was now facing the outskirts of the field. As you rose to your full height with your back now to your opponent, you used the flat side of your sword to smack him on his behind.

The added push proved to be too much for Ser Cole's balance and caused him to fall face first to the ground.

Having barely broken a sweat, you turned to face your now defeated opponent as he rolled over out of breath.

"It appears I win, Ser Cole. Thank you for the spar. It was a good warm up…I suppose." You finished with a mutter.

Rhaenyra had appeared at your side after you spoke and eagerly asked,

"Can you teach me how to do that?"

Your smile was kind as you said,

"It would be an honor, Princess."

The knight on the floor merely rolled his eyes before picking himself up out of the dirt and walking off in a hough.

You and the young heir glanced at each other and waited a moment before you both fell into giggles at the man's frustration.

"I should go check on him. It is not every day that he is defeated by a woman."

You nodded your head still wearing a smile and watched her walk off after her knight.

However, once she was gone, you heard the sounds of a slow clap echo through the air.

Turning toward the source of the sound, you looked around until you saw the Prince applauding you from across the field.

Though you were far away enough that his clapping sounded distant, you were close enough to see that his expression was one of pride.

As he began to slowly make his way toward you, you decided to do the same.

Once you met in the middle, he was the first to speak.

"You fight well."

Not expecting such a compliment given your first encounter, you arched a brow until he followed up his comment by saying,

"For a woman, of course."

But because he said it with a teasing quality in his eyes and tone, you ended up smiling to yourself as you realized this was how he was going about apologizing for his earlier remark.

Having forgiven him the moment it happened, you continued to smile as you replied,

"Well, I hear you are not so bad yourself. My Uncle speaks highly of your time in the Stepstones."

Pleased at your acceptance of his nonverbal apology, Daemon then chose to eye you up and down. Taking in the attire you wore which mimicked your dragon riding outfit, he had to admit that he liked the obvious fierceness that emanated from you.

In his mind, any woman capable of knocking a member of the Kingsguard on his ass was a woman he could talk to.

So he was sincere as he said,

"You could have joined us with skills like yours."

But you only smirked as you responded by asking,

"Who do you think was leading the naval fleet?"

Which caused a sly smile to grow on the Prince's face as well. He knew then, that of all the women he could have been matched with, he was glad he had been matched to someone like you.

Coming to a decision, the Prince took your hand in his and slowly raised it to his lips before brushing a gentle kiss to your knuckles and saying,

"Then I am glad we have met at a time of peace rather than at a time of war."

And as he daringly held your gaze after making such a statement, you knew it was no mistake that you felt the embers inside you start to ignite.