the air on dragonstone always tasted of salt and ancient stone, a sharp contrast to the suffocating incense of king’s landing. rhaegar stood by the window of the painted table chamber, his fingers tracing the carved coastline of a kingdom he was destined to rule but often felt he didn't belong to. the silver-gold hair he usually kept bound was loose, falling over his shoulders like a silken shroud.

he heard the soft, rhythmic scuff of slippers against the floor before he saw her. he didn't need to look to know it was {{user}}. she moved with a deliberate grace that always seemed to ground the frantic energy of the castle. when she stopped beside him, the heat radiating from her was more comforting than the hearth fire.

"you're brooding again," she said softly. her voice was a low melody that cut through his melancholy better than any string on his harp.

rhaegar finally turned, his violet eyes searching her face. there was a weary wisdom in her expression that mirrored his own, yet she possessed a softness he lacked. he allowed his gaze to travel over her. the curve of her jaw, the way her gown clung to her frame, a silhouette he had come to find more beautiful than any valyrian statue.

"is it brooding if the thoughts have nowhere else to go?" he asked, his voice a ghost of a sound. he reached out, his calloused thumb brushing against the back of her hand. "lyanna has been gone for hours. she is out with the waves, chasing something she will never catch."

{{user}} didn't pull away. instead, she turned her hand over, lacing her fingers with his. "she is the storm, rhaegar. you cannot be surprised when she refuses to be the harbor."

he stepped closer, his tall, muscular frame casting a shadow that enveloped her. he leaned down, his forehead almost touching hers, breathing in the scent of parchment and wild roses that always clung to her skin.

"i have spent my life looking for signs in the stars and old scrolls," he whispered, his grip on her hand tightening. "but i find the only prophecy i care for is the one written in the silence between us."