/ Chapter 03: Feelings And Flight \

/ Author's Note: I am not an experienced Author and besides, english is not my main language, so please point out any mistake you guys may find, so I can correct it. \

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/ 1st Person, Arkar Pov | Jaenara's bedchambers, Early Morning \

As the warm sun light softly enters the room through the bedchamber's window, my still half-asleep mind starts to wake itself slowly, as memories of the night before invade my thoughts in a relaxing way, making me remember everything that had happened on the night prior. A content smile graces my face because of it, and I open my eyes with a small yawn.

Following right after it, I catch the beautiful sight of my mess of a sister resting on top of me with a content expression on her face.

Her chest slowly going up and down in a serene manner, while her silvery hair wildly covers her nude, slender back.

And me being, well... me, I succumb into the temptation that her natural gives me, ending up combing through her unruly hair with my own hands, to which she reacts slowly, snuggling ever so close against my bare chest, while no doubtly seeking more of my body's heat.

...

Soon, her eyes open up as well, and she gazes upon me with fervent love and longing, uttering a chaotically enamored: — "Good morning." Her words mesh together due to her still foggy mind, and I simply give her a peck on the lips, staying there for a few seconds before pulling back, leaving behind a crimson mess of a blushing and beautiful woman.

"Morning to you too." I tell her with a sweet smile, brushing aside a strand of her beautiful slivery hair while she keeps her sight fixated on me. Her very own purple orbs of beauty, looking at me in a loving way, while her chin rests on my chest — her expression showcasing a childish wonder as she takes in every trace of my face.

How adorable.

...

"I need to get up, sis." I tell her after a while of back-and-forth cute moments between us, and she can't help herself and whine slightly at that.

"Already? Can't you stay for a bit longer?" She begs with an adorable pout, her voice pained and yet hopeful that we could stay like this for a few more minutes.

Unfortunately, I have to crush her desire for us to stay together for longer, as it would do us no good to be caught like this, not unless we come out with the truth of our relationship before-hand. "I have to leave, Jae." My eyes fixate on her own, and I kiss her forehead softly before muttering, "I have things to do, and we both want things to remain unofficial, right?" The meaning behind my words very clear, as we had decided once to keep things unofficial between us until the time felt right.

Though I am now starting to think that my sister won't take long to differ, and ask for something more openly known to our family.

"Alright..." She reluctantly gives me space to move, ever so slightly moving to the left side of the mattress, allowing me to get up.

And I took the opportunity as it comes, getting up while putting on now some clothes that I had brought yesterday as precaution.

"I will see you around, beautiful." I tell her, with a longing, yet fast kiss on her neck, much to her giggling amusement. "If you say so." She answered enamored with my figure, by the looks she was throwing me.

...

Perhaps later on we could assume things like this more openly between out family.

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/ 3rd Person Pov | A Few Hours After Waking Up, Training Grounds Of The Belaerys Family Manor \

With a loud clanging sound, two Valyrian Steel swords met each other in a stalemate of strength, neither backing down from the other as tension rose in the background.

The standard hues of white and silver of one sword, hard pressed onto the golden and yellow of the other.

Sparks flew from each sword slash that got its trajectory deflected by the opponent's, the metal's special characteristics composing an exquisite melody of sorts that captured the attention of all men present in the courtyard.

On one side, stands the focused force of nature that is the Commander of the Dragon's Guard, clad in silver armor and white cloth. His focused eyes narrowed and fully observant, tracing his opponent's every move, like a falcon that surveys his prey muscle's every budge.

Many cheer the Commander on, be it fellow Dragon's Guard knights or simple House Belaerys soldiers but, the opponent he currently faces, — he receives the most of the cheering support.

Donning black armor with golden details all over it, the 'storm' that is Arkar Belaerys, confidently strides around his Commander, with silvery hair and purple eyes lost behind the armor, all that is left of his appearance is the known posture of a seasoned warrior. A yellow cape flows in the soft wind — the dragon's head of his family banner very well pronounced on his back.

"Is that all you've got, Commander?" Arkar's taunting voice traveled to every cranny of the courtyard, trying to measure his opponent's concentration by teasing and taunting him, as both of them separated for the first time since 'headbutting' swords earlier on.

They circled each other, eyes locked and swords ready in hand, and faced with the smiling expression of his Lord, the Commander's exposed face showed not a speck of emotion, — a contrast to his usual playful demeanor.

"Not at all!" The Commander's voice ranged out from one side of the sparing circle, a pointed stab being executed by the same, done so fast that many present knew they would not be able to resist such a thrust, were they in their Lord's position that is.

Arkar though, was different from the many present, and so with an easily manouvered parry, yellow and golden sword in hand, riposted a quick counter-attack with grace and technique that glued the spectators onto each of his movements to try and learn from them.

And with grace and purpose Arkar sent an attack from his right side, so quickly that his speed ended up shocking everyone that stood there, watching with their mouths opened in disbelief and awe at their leader — well, some of them did.

And with a simple, yet effective counter-attack, Arkar's Commander found himself unable to react fast enough. Arkar's capabilities shinning throughout the spar, eclipsing his Commander's very own sharp and deadly abilities with his swordsmanship.

"Urgh!" With a grunting reaction sound, the Commander's knees found themselves placed on the paved ground with his armored legs making a loud clank, when hitting the latter.

By then, cheers from all the men immediately rang out, and the white and silver Valyrian Steel sword of the Commander found itself lying on the ground, ending then the spar between both men.

"You win, my Lord!" The slightly tired voice of the Commander reached everyone's ears, especially Arkar's, and the same relaxed his posture instantly, allowing himself to smile in return. "It seems that I did, old man." He teased the downed man with a playful smirk on his face, having taken off the dark helmet he wore on his head during the spar, now showcasing his sweat-filled silvery hair that by now was glued onto his face and neck.

Both men smiled softly in appreciation, content with the small morning spar, and both would've happily talked about it more between each other, were it not for the newcomer servant walking in near Arkar's position.

"My Lord, I have been asked to bring you a message from your sister." The male servant spoke, his voice respectful, – fearful even, and Arkar looked at him asking all but a simple question, while confusion sparked in his deep purple eyes as to what his sister would want with him right now.

"Pray tell, what my sister wishes from me?" His face showed confusion by the subtly upwards of his silvery brow, and the servant present, showed his nervous state by taking too long to answer back.

"... I would've imagined she would have told you, my lord... But by my observations, she seemed inclined to go on a morning flight alongside her brother — ...I would humbly guess of course!" He finished his part, and by then, Arkar had already gotten the gist of what the servant was trying to say, all the while his nervousness poured out in waves, making some soldiers behind Arkar chuckle in amusement between themselves.

"I see, pass on to her that I will be with her shortly." Arkar told the servant, watching him "run away" as fast as he could with a subtle smirk.

He ended up guessing that people, even here, feared his widely known unforgiving reputation.

Though here, no one should've to worry about it, since Arkar would always be the simple and dutiful son of the Belaerys family.

Well, counting on the fact that nothing of a negative manner impacts his family, that is.

"Well, you all heard the man, gentleman." He mused aloud to his men, a playful twinkle present in his eyes, "Guess I have better things to do than to hang out with you lot." He finished, not forgetting to throw a playful jab at them all.

Their reaction was widely different, as it varied from laughs and chuckles, to teasing words of dismissal which Arkar no doubt found entertaining, before walking away from the men after a few more jabs and laughs.

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/ Jaenara's 1st Person Pov / Belaerys Manor's Backyard \

As I await my brother presence, I relinquish my time with Valys, my ever-faithful companion. The she-dragon that has been by my side since I was born, smaller than most sure, but still my one and only, beloved girl.

The sun from above reflects whenever it makes contact with Valys white scales, making me shield my eyes while I stroke my hand through her steel-like exterior.

We both getting bored by ourselves, waiting for the boys to arrive.

And I can't help myself but to get amazed by my dragoness beauty, her pearl eyes filled with intelligence as she purs, looking at me in a loving way.

"Feeling excited for a flight with yours truly?" I suddenly hear a teasing voice behind me that I know damn well, and so I turn around with a small smile, now facing my brother in riding gear as he walks up to me with graceful yet hastened steps.

"As if! It was just simple courtesy that you boys even got invited." I bit back at him with a false – superior look on my face, amusing the bastard even more, as he answered me in kind.

"Ahh, to feel your so characteristic superiority complex, truly a great morning!" He over-jested with his arms open wide at his sides, and I couldn't help but giggle at his playful mannerisms.

However, I soon changed the subject, wishing to be flying already, not here wasting our time.

"Where's Bahamut?" I asked him, and faced with my change of tone to a more serious one, I am sure Arkar noticed my present desire to fly away from our family's possible grasp with some urgency.

And so, he took my cue and closed his eyes for a few moments, before re-opening them with a slight smile that did not reach his eyes.

"Bahamut's coming." He told me with that all-serious expression of his, leaving his playful demeanor behind when faced with my wish to go away from our parents. A cue he took seriously. "But you better tell me what happened, for you to wish for a so-early flight in the morning." His words hit home, and I could feel some of my earlier anger sweep through my normal facade, though I hid it well.

Or at least I think I did.

"Right, perhaps if you catch me I will tell you about it!" I smirked at him, before running up onto Valys saddle, urging her forward when I got ready to fly.

"Onwards Girl!" And as a dutiful companion, she did indeed fly upwards in such a quick manner that would leave many wondering eyes perplexed at how such a colossal animal could fly so darn fast.

...

Soon I found solace in the white clouds above ground, their whitish color bringing me a sense of peace and belonging, as Valys gracefully glided through them.

"Why is he taking so long...?" I muttered to myself, wondering where Arkar could be, as he would've already caught up to me by now.

However, there was no need for me to question it, because as soon as I thought about it, a huge shadow was cast over me and Valys. It eclipsed the warm sun rays that fell from above, and with it a small chill ran through my body as the now-gone source of warmth brought back the cool sensation of the dense clouds. "Ah, there you are!" I mused aloud to myself in childlish wonder, as Bahamut's figure could finally be seen gliding down from above onto Valys level, stopping right besides us, in an even flight path.

"Feeling quite moody today, dear sister?" I heard my brother shout with a curious tone to him that brought me nothing but a wish to wipe out his smirk off his face. "Fuck off!" I shout at him, telling Valys to dive down, away from the boys.

"Jaenara!" I heard Arkar shout my name, but I ignored him as I feel the wind around me pick up due to our rapid descent.

The world around me seems to blur and I can't help but release a primal shout that grants me a sense of freedom more than anything I could ever have done in my life.

Valys roared in kind, feeling my somewhat unruly emotions, before unfolding her white wings far to the sides.

In an instant, we were fighting against gravity, our weight pressing down on our backs as Valys evened out our trajectory.

Slowly, but surely we stopped being crushed by the unbreakable force of nature, evening out ourselves to gracefully glide above the water.

The cold wind of the Gulf of Ghiscar's Ocean bit at my face, as droplets of salty water blinded my eyes in a fun and relaxing way.

The salty smell of the ocean doing wonders to my receptive senses of smell while the beautiful blue colors of the sky and the ocean merging together at the horizon gave off a serene picture, that I simply wished to be able to save inside my mind and transfer into a painting board later on.

However, that momentary peace was broken off by the approaching beast of brown color descending from the skies at frightening speeds.

I urged Valys to forcefully roll onto our left side as Bahamut's figure came to a halt in the place we were previously. His large and strong wings beating strongly against the ocean's waves, breaking them in the process, to mantain a even flight level.

...

My brother's laughter soon reached my ears, and I couldn't help but smile at the serene scene that, against time stood motionless inside my mind.

"What's so funny?" I asked him curiously, and I swear I dreaded the moment his laughter got replaced by an amused smirk.

"You should have seen your pouty face when you told me to kindly 'fuck off'." He replied with a twinkle of amusement as his purple eyes fixated on my own, while he slowly guided Bahamut's form to near Valys and me.

Both our dragon's wings were almost touching each other as Arkar's riding position soon changed into a breathtaking dare against death and the laws of gravity.

His handsome expression showing nothing but confidence in what he was doing, as he took off his belt from the saddle, and got up on his feet while Bahamut controlled his movements as to not let his rider fall onto the salty blue water of the Gulf.

"Arkar! What are you doing?!" I screamed at him in surprise and anger, managing to keep Valys own movements restricted in an attempt to make it easier for whatever my stupid brother was doing, to be successful — or at least to help him not die.

"Relax, it's just some wind I am fighting against!" He shouted at me, his usual stern and strong figure now reduced to a wobbly scene of clumsiness as he fought hard to maintain his balance atop Bahamut's left wing, his figure growing ever so close to me as the bastard actually walked above a dragon's wing, ending up jumping onto Valys back, landing with a soft groan of pain as he tried to hold on onto dear life.

"You're mad! What are you even doing you mindless idiot!" I shouted at him, as Valys followed suit, mirroring my very own emotions as well.

"Relax now dear sister, I am completly fine!" He said with a forceful smile, as he neared my saddle while crawling against the ocean's wind that has been howling at us ever since we reached the ocean.

"You're unbelievable!" I turned around to face the front, but soon felt Arkar's strong arms enveloping my body in a loving hug, making me shudder and forget everything that happened in the last few minutes.

"Hush now dear sister, just enjoy my company, will you?" He neared my right ear when speaking in that damned low tone of his. "Damn you, Arkar!" Was all I could do and say to him, showing my protest to his stupid and dangerous ideas. To which he said and did nothing, gently nudging his face against the right side of my neck, hugging me tighter than before.

Bahamut's figure, that I could now see flying above us, moved away silently, allowing us to enjoy this reckless, shared moment of ours in silence. My she-dragon though, seemed to disapprove of the stunt Arkar had now just done as well, but sensing our currently positive emotions, she too soon forgot those feelings, and relaxed under us with the only sound remaining being the simple beatings of her wings, ocasionally spraying some water on my bastard of a brother's face.

Much to my amusement.

... A few hours later ...

"We should go back soon, Jae." Arkar's voice took me out of my daydreaming, as we stood atop a cliff that overlooked a beautiful beach in the territory of Velos, part of the isle of Cedars.

"Hmm, soon." I told him, hugging his side with ternure and longing. Valys and Bahamut were resting behind us, and only their slightly loud breathing and the sounds of the waves crashing against the sand beach could be heard.

Some birds flew near the coast, in front of us, and the green trees that stood behind us, swayed side to side thanks to the evening wind.

We had actually strayed far from home, making stops in the middle of the ocean to let our dragons rest a few times or to catch a few mouthfull of fish, ending up spending the rest of the day on a random beach of Velos, before coming up here to enjoy the sunset together.

The view is great, and the picnic I had prepared and stored on Valys beforehand was eaten by us earlier.

Now all that was left of this perfect day, was to go back home...

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/ Arkar's 1st Person Pov | Moments Later, Velos \

"Say, sis. What brought you to do this?" I questioned my sister, as we stood huddled together, watching the nearing sunset far away on the ocean and sky's horizon.

She looked uncomfortable at the question, but since it had passed a whole day without her telling me the reason for this day away from home, which was peculiar for someone like her, who loved to be reading books in her usual corner in the garden. "Well..." she started with a small and hesitant expression on her face, before looking away from me.

"... I heard mother and father discussing my future." She muttered, her voice so low that were it not for the wind that brought her words back to me, I would not have heard her at all. "And?" I pressed her to continue.

"And they intend to marry me to some dragonlord from the Freehold..." She lamented with a sigh, "I just wanted to get away from them for a while." She explained her reasonings, and I could not help but feel an angry pit of emotions swirl within my mind.

The fact that my parents were even thinking of 'selling' my sister to another family, vexed me to no end. Because of what reason would they do so? Power? We were the strongest family in Valyria. So what could they have been thinking, trying to arrange a marriage so suddenly?

I knew it would come one day, unless we both told our parents the truth about our relationship, but did it have to be right now?

My musings were soon taken away from me though, as my sister snuggled closer and closer to my neck, inhaling my scent in a captivating and alluring way, and I sighed at that, holding her even closer, whispering comforting words in her ears, trying to ease her mind about the topic.

"Worry not sister. I will talk with them, perhaps it's time we show them what we are to each other." Her eyes found mine when I spoke, and a few tears fell from her glassy eyes, and she ended up drifting to sleep in my arms. "Hm, I would like that."

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/ Ending Note: Any feedback? Today's chapter was softer, but on the next one we will have some drama and action. Hang in there, we are nearing the Doom as well. \