The sun was behind a veil of clouds, it illuminated the world. The sound of waves from the sea the only constant as all else was booming and out of tune. During the day sailors voices were audible yelling across the ports of kings landing. Near the sea an illumination rose over the world leaving Jon in it's midst. Jon stared in awe here and knew someone needed the sight more.
Through the empty hallways of the keep the young prince traveled. He had expended a day among the docks and subsequently after several hours left to see a friend. Ending at a room on the far side of the keep. Deep under the numerous floors, even deeper into the dungeons where the cold waited and no one lurked, but one. Coming to a halt and knocking on the large door he waited until a familiar voice swiftly answered.
"Come in." the voice answered. Opening the oak door to a yawn he found nothing and no one to greet him, only a thick layer of copious smoke occupying his vision. With a few scrapes of paper and junk among the floor, garbage comprehensively in every nook it could find. Jars and liquids among ghastly shelves of rotting wood, dripping onto the floor with numerous colors. On the far side of the room the windows sealed and closed shut, giving no daylight in this haunting room, only the short candles emitted the light he needed. Looking up books layered the walls in a ray of color and size as corners of the room were likewise, amassed high with decaying books. It was a dwelling he did not feel welcome but nonetheless carried on.
"Mel?" He asked, for no response to answer. In the following room however there he found her. Behind her great marble desk, her head was delved deep in a book, not paying attention to him, or matter of fact anything. Melisandre's weaving eyes skimming over her book no matter of knowing what hour or day it had become. The darkness loomed over her as she refused to depart this room. The world was a thick fog to her, covered in her red cloth as she stayed locking herself in this room.
A crack caused Melisandre to look up and noticed the price from the corner of her eye. Never was she seen far from her study, on no occasion was she with others and rarely was outside, if at all. The people of kings landing despised her and their eyes spoke louder than words. Only Jon was there day in and day out and he, had tried countless times for her to venture with him, only to no avail.
"How may I help my prince?" She asked without a care.
"It is a day unlike any other out there. You should see it. If only I could open up these windows."
"I'm fine with the way the room remains. There will be another day like this and another, trust me I know." Melisandre stated with a dull tone and took little notice of the young prince. Instead gazing her book filled with life and mystery. A world of its own. Yet it wasn't strictly true, from the corner of the eye she saw him edging closer finally coming to a seat. Watching him, even here she still reminisced the day she encountered the young boy.
Year's prior-
Melisandre had finally arrived from asshai and the jade sea. She left weeks ago to bring her lord of light here to the new king. Hopefully to spread her lord. Arriving she was quickly given a room far from others, and was told to wait for a postponement. Days passed in a mist all forming as one before she met the king. Inside the throne room there she found him. She could faintly remember the look he gave her as his eye were somewhere else. He looked up from his work with distain to find the woman in red before him. "I have traveled across the sea to speak the lord of light."
At an instant he interrupted her. "I have no time for you, for this. Leave me." Melisandre was surprised and could hardly speak. She had traveled a distance of great length and he refused her. She left the room in annoyance to the library.
Melisandre went in the hallway, several books in hand. Numerous guards in Targaryen armor came from the opposite direction, malicious grins upon their faces as they drew closer. Once near enough the men grabbed hold of the books pulling them from her hands, with a laugh and spilling them on the floor. She took a step back from them. "You're not welcome here demon. Spread your lies in some other realm." One Ended with a glob of spit. They laughed heading the other way, pleased with themselves. Melisandre never spoke, she loathed this place and it's people, dropping to the floor picking the books up, one by one.
After a moment she heard someone draw near and in her sight found a book in her vision. Looking up she discovered young Jon with a book in his hands handing it to her. While others looked away or called her names he smiled. A young Jon stopped looking up at the red woman.
Present-
Jon closed the distance trying to skip over the books that covered the floor, pieces of parchment on the chairs before him, nowhere was unsoiled. "You keep yourself choked up in this room reading books welling yourself to madness. I can hardly see or breathe in this place."
"I do not enjoy the presence of others. And they do not care for my company." She spoke flipping the page of her book, not bothering to look up.
He came to a halt before the desk. "I care." He replied causing Melisandre to stop and gently place the book down, looking up at her friend. She saw the young man in his familiar Targaryen leather with the three headed dragon upon the chest.
"Is there something else, prince?"
"Just wanted to see a friend leave the one room she has spent a lifetime in." Jon looked over the several novels not a single one with dust. "You have read every one of these over a dozen times."
"There is more than you could ever know in these. Reading them more than once can tell me approximately what I need. A different idea unlike each time. And I do enjoy rereading some of my favorites." She told with a glee. Jon sat down as she dove back in the pages. After a moment of silence he flipped through a book of his own only to become bored.
"Let's get of here, out of the keep. Come with me." He pleaded to her as he had so many times before.
"I'm very busy as you can see and do not have the time."
"What? Reading this." Jon stood looking at her book with confusion. "This same book." She shot back slamming the book on him.
"A boy your age wouldn't understand. You only care about adventures and seeing what is beyond. Only you don't want to see what is beyond these walls."
"You should have a day out of here. Just for one."
"Where and mayhaps I will join you?"
"You'll have to find out." He told with a smile.
"You don't make this easy." Standing against her judgment she placed the book down and grabbed her red cloak. Once she was wrapped she followed Jon out the door and down the halls. Almost immediately he grabbed her hand and moved with an urgency, his feet quick.
She could hardly believe he was moving so quick. "Why are you in a hurry?" She asked struggling to keep up.
"The guards are on break." After a few minutes of winding through halls Jon came to a halt at the gate. Stealing a look around the corner he observed watching the large steel entrance. To his dismay Jon found the guards atop the walls. In their heavy plated armor their eyes scanning all, as they went back and forth, lingering.
"Wait." He whispered.
"What is it?"
"They'll give me a few guards to look after me. I can't have that."
"You shouldn't be alone without them. Someone could harm you." Jon turned back.
"I can handle it… I know another way." Through the halls they traveled down the floors reaching the tunnels.
Further Down under the keep they became stationary as she looked beyond. Only pitch darkness filled the void for what seemed forever. An endless sea of cold and dust she did not wish for. "It's freezing down here, Jon. What are we doing? Mayhaps we should find another way." Mel asked as she wrapped the cloak tightly around her body, the temperature was lower. Jon sighed and grabbed a torch as Melisandre kept close the warmth imbedding them.
Jon pushed a leaver and found the hidden door. Gradually opening the secret hallway to a crumble of rocks. Melisandre saw a long zigzagging path to an unknown location, slush among the ground and a howl to echo. She mentally shook herself. "This is disgusting, Jon." she told with a rotten look etched on her face. Jon simply smiled a look that he wore, with a look of discovery. He grabbed her hand and down they went to Mel's misfortune. Further and further they ventured on for a time, nothing but stone and dusk. She felt lost in the darkness down here, only Jon's hand kept her from the dusk that loomed around her. "Where are we? This looks like trash?" Her uttering never halted for a moment.
"Don't look okay. Keep your eyes ahead, that's all that matters." After some time they came to a halt, to the smell of the salt sea and yells of crews and ships coming in to port. Jon slowly pushed the door open and up through the gate. Jon helped her up to a bright sight and fresh air. The sun shined illuminating the world as the sea splashed against the sand. The tide came in, as it always does, and eventually the flat white sandy bottom of the bay was too deep to generate surf what waves there were turning into dumpers that crashed a few meters from the shoreline. The two had ended in the ports. Melisandre had purposely stayed away from these bright sections.
"A clear day. Here is where real fun is had. Not in the fancy balls or meetings but here." no time for breath he went down the streets. Through the crowded and murky roads they traveled. Jon carried a smile while the priestess only a frown, her eyes skimming over the people with distress.
Further Jon slipped through the crowds like nothing his hood over his face, his hand clenched around hers. After several winding alleys they stopped with a smile of gratitude. A large wooden building stood before them. Melisandre looked revolted as she gazed over the outsized tavern.
"This looks like a hell hole." She told.
"Come on." Inside Mel was greeted to lurid noise and yells of peasants, the aromas of filth and the scenes of peasants in ruff dirty clothes deep in conversation. Men and women drinking to their hearts content as a small band of four played in the corner, strumming as they stomped their feet. She could hardly hear herself think in here.
Coming back from the bar Jon grabbed a pint and she wine. Sitting down at a small table in the corner she gingerly sipped on the drink, it was years since she downed alcohol and the bitter taste was not to her tastes.
After sometime a hefty man with a beard and a round belly stood in the center of the room calming the many with his substantial voice. "Ladies and gentlemen if you will please gather around. I have the finest band in the seven kingdoms with me. And they would love if you would gather and dance, you will see. Hold your lady by the arm hold her tight to this jingle." And women stood and gathered around the center of the room where no tables stood. Jon smiled stood and bowed before Melisandre. Men she looked at him dazed and bewilder. Ready to stand and leave. It was one thing to be here another to dance in front of others he was mistaken.
"Oh no."
"As prince I command you to dance with me."
"I'm not one of your subjects." She told him.
"Just dance with me. Please."
"Fine." She stood taking his hand. Melisandre was no woman of parties particularly dancing. He stood up as Jon held her hand guiding her, traveling past various folks heading to the center of the hall where countless danced. In the crowd he brought her close as she wrapped her hand around his, he did the same slipping his arm around her slender waist feeling her soft dress against him. She wrapped her arms around him feeling his warmth and muscles against her. Once comfortable they moved side to side. She felt warm as he looked into her eyes and saw her blush. Once they were both comfortable, she stepped forward as he stepped back then side to side. As they danced many began a large circle moving quicker as the band initiated to play faster. Many roared as they stomped their feet and slapped their hands together, several others chime to the beat all among the crowd.
The hall filled with yells and hoots. In time they needed to move with the others. Both loose themselves, laughter plagued, her Melisandre with a bright smile as she observed her prince. Soon everyone was laughing and yelling. Melisandre was getting the hang of it feeling the cordiality. Jon was on no occasion very good at dancing, his life wasn't spinning around on a floor but with a sword unlike his very fluent brother. However he had seen how it was done and spun her around listening to her laugh. For once she felt joy and affection for her prince. And he flooded her mind. His dark hair shown bright above all else. But he knew soon it would be a war that filled his thoughts.
The two swayed as a pair of idiots, in her many years Melisandre never once danced, never even tapped her foot. No rhythm was awoken in her step as she followed her prince around the floor, the music ramping up. But around the room she felt a smile from her lips. He laughed with her around him, his smile infections. "You're getting it." The sounds came a blur as the music picked up in tempo. Their feet moved back forth Melisandre's laughs sounded throughout in a flurry. For an hour she lost herself; the charge of the dance, the fast turn, and the burst of acceleration necessary to was breathless. The hiss of the wake, the tumbling helter-skelter of limbs.
Before long they stumbled away from the others. "I loved it." The woman slowly softly pressing her hand to the dragon.
Mel gulped down the wine. For an hour they drank until they stumbled out from the tavern and back home. Back in the keep she smiled. "Thank you for this night." She told Jon with a smile.