"You were the one was dragged me over here, asshole." She hissed as he walked back into the pub, either completely ignoring her existence or going to grab his counterpart. She didn't stay long enough to find out as she made her way back through the forest to find the dragon still sleeping. The sun was nearly set at this point, something else she was going to get punished for when her father found out. She untied the dragon and mounted, taking to the air.
The flight home was brisk, getting the dragon cooled down and put back in her stall before she stopped to visit Aegon one more time. He was curled in a ball, asleep. He didn't stir when she checked on him, seeing the bandages were fresh and clean. She quickly checked his food and water before she made her way out, locking the stable doors behind her.
Ethelia stared up at the castle I'm annoyance. There was no way in hell she could sneak past the guards to her room. She glanced up at the balcony about twenty feet up the side of the castle. Looks like she'd have to climb. Again.
Ethelia sighed as she found the foothold and the stone jutting out of the sides of the castle, pulling herself up and up. She fixed her gaze on the balcony, not letting herself look down. She felt much more comfortable on the back of a dragon that would at least make an attempt to catch her if she fell. The castle wouldn't do much to catch her if she slipped.
After a particularly long climb, she finally pulled herself over the railing, opening the glass double doors to her room.
The room was large in size, with a large four poster bed against one wall, a fireplace and sitting area on the other. All of the furniture, curtains, rugs, and everything else that was fabric was her kingdom's color, a blood red. On the wall opposite of the fireplace was a vanity that stored her jewelry and other accessories. Next to that was the door that led to her closet, where all of her gowns and other clothes were kept.
She was greeted by her hound, Koa. Ethelia had found her on the streets when she and her father were visiting the city. She begged and begged to keep her, and he let her.
Koa was nearly four now, her coat still the same shining white it was when she found her. She suspected she was a wolfdog of some kind, her pointed ears suggested that much. She also had an obsession with howling that her father very much disliked.
Ethelia quickly ran a bath in the washroom that was attached to her room, then changed into her sleep clothes when she was finished. She was about to go to bed when a knock sounded at her door.
"What is so important that you need to interrupt me at this time of night." She muttered to herself, trudging to the door.
She wasn't surprised when she opened the door to reveal Revyn Selke, a guard of the castle, and one of her few friends.
"Not now Vyn. I'm tired." Ethelia said, trying not to roll her eyes as Koa tried to shove past her. Ethelia pushed her back. Although he was a good friend, he was rather...clingy.
"Spend to long exploring the world on dragonback?" He teased, not even looking the slightest bit tired.
"Can it wait? I'm about to collapse and you have your duties to attend too."
Revyn was 23, with short chestnut brown hair and dark brown eyes. He was tall, about 6'1 and strongly built. He had been training to become a guard when Ethelia was about eight, and the two had crossed paths in a corridor, hitting it off immediately.
"I suppose, I hadn't talked to you in a while so I figured I'd stop by. I'll see you in the morning then?" His eyes were hopeful. Vyn was and has always been a jokester, always finding ways to turn things into a joke.
"Yeah, in the morning." She said. She felt slightly guilty for dismissing him like that, but she was so, so exhausted, and after her earlier encounter, she didn't have the energy to talk to anyone.
Ethelia bid Revyn goodnight and shut the door, relived to finally be able to sleep. She walked towards the bed, nearly tripping over Koa as she did so. She crawled into her bed, pulling the quilt up to her chin as she drifted off into sleep.