Chapter 14: The Lady of the Tides

Third Moon, 88 AC

Viserra

While she had worked alongside him for weeks already since her wedding, Viserra was still in shock at the amount of work that Rhaekar had to do. As the steward of High Tide, and consequently of Driftmark and all the Velaryon lands, it was his responsibility to handle a great deal of the day to day affairs of the fief, especially whenever Corlys was absent from the island serving as her father's Master of Ships.

There hadn't been a true Lady of the Tides for many years now, not since the Velaryon brothers' grandmother had died in the Shivers along with their parents and half the rest of the family. While their aunts, including Laena, had at various times served as an acting lady of the household, all were by now married or in Laena's case, the matron of a simple orphanage.

Consequently, in addition to the usual duties of a steward, Rhaekar had for many years handled all the matters concerning the household that he would normally have shared with the lady of the castle. This had changed slightly upon Rhaekar's own marriage to Lady Irina of Tarth, who had become the highest ranking lady in High Tide until Viserra's own marriage and so had taken up a great deal of the tasks reserved for the lady of the household. Tasks which were now Viserra's duty to learn so as to reduce the burden on Rhaekar and Irina at long last.

Which was why from dawn till dusk for every day of the past few weeks, Viserra had been busy following both Rhaekar and Irina around as they taught her how to manage the Velaryons' fief.

"Oh good Viserra, you're already here. We have much work to do today," Irina said as she and Rhaekar entered the office. Viserra had had her personal maid Pina wake her up a little earlier today. She wanted to make an effort to try and arrive earlier then Irina and Rhaekar today, so as to get a head start on the work for the day.

Lady Irina Velaryon, née Tarth, was certainly a woman men would call beautiful. Warm golden blonde hair curled down past her shoulders, contrasting brilliantly with her sapphire blue eyes. In some ways, her appearance reminded Viserra of that of her own mother, and yet Irina was infinitely more approachable then Alysanne Targaryen. Velaryon blood ran through her veins as much as it did through Viserra's. Courtesy of her grandmother, Larissa Velaryon, a niece of Lord Daemon.

Irina's arm was locked with that of her husband Rhaekar, a handsome man who like his younger brother Aurane, greatly resembled their eldest brother Corlys, Viserra's own husband. Rhaekar's own indigo eyes were the exact same shade and shape as Corlys's, though he tied his long hair up in a ponytail while Corlys let his down the sides of his neck.

"Well let's begin," Rhaekar said as he stepped forward to look at the latest ledgers and reports, all of which had been brought in by the accountants and clerks earlier as Viserra had watched.

"We'll have to balance the budget for the expenses of the houshold today. Viserra, can we leave that to you?" Irina asked.

"Of course, I've already taken a look at the accounts. I can get started any time," she answered.

"Good lass, get to it then," Irina ordered.

Any pretensions Viserra may have had to take charge and order people about simply by virtue of title and seniority had been quashed swiftly. The servants and workers at High Tide were polite and obedient to her, but their respect and trust had to be earned and the best way to do that was by proving she actually knew what she was doing. The only way to do that was by swallowing her pride and accepting that Irina, older and more experienced than her, knew everything that she had to learn and it was Irina who the servants still deferred to as the lady of the household.

A natural consequence of this was the dropping of social niceties and formalities between herself and Irina and Rhaekar. Oh Irina might curtsey and call her 'my lady' in public, but here in the privacy of their rooms, it was Irina who was the teacher and Viserra her humble (that part was questionable according to Irina) student.

A younger and vainer Viserra might have petulantly demanded Irina, Rhaekar, and everyone else's obedience and deference outright like a spoilt brat but she was past such immaturity by now… mostly. It would have gotten her little ultimately and would have greatly soured her relations with the Velaryons and their servants, which would have been terrible. Though somehow Viserra had a feeling that princess or no, Corlys would not have accepted her hand had she still been the petulant vain princess of four and ten.

That Viserra had thankfully grown up. She was almost a score old now, nine and ten, a woman grown and wed, a dragonrider, and a young lady learning how to run her keep. She wasn't sure a time would ever come when she would thank her mother for those endless lectures, reprimands, and punishments, but it seemed at least some of it had done its job and sunk in.

As the day continued, Irina soon left to handle other duties, though for once Viserra did not follow her, remaining in the office with Rhaekar to continue balancing the budget.

"Rhaekar," she called, getting her goodbrother's attention.

"Yes?"

"How do I do this part?" she asked, pointing to a part in the account book she wasn't sure about. Viserra had of course been taught how to keep a household as part of her education growing up, yet the accounts on Driftmark were more thorough then she was familiar with, and organized in an efficient but unfamiliar way. Adjusting to the double-entry and all the various other new accounting and recording methods took time.

"Ah, well you have to…" Rhaekar began to explain and she listened attentively.

She had been warned by Corlys that being the Lady of the Tides would not at all have been what she had expected, yet even then she wasn't fully prepared for the amount of study that would be required. Every day it felt like the education she had received from her tutors, what should have been the best in the realm, was insufficient.

Another example perhaps, of how Driftmark was increasingly more advanced then the mainland. How long would it be before even the Maesters of the Citadel could no longer claim to be the most educated in the land? Had that already come to pass? She knew the university professors would argue so.

As she continued her own work, she watched Rhaekar look carefully at the map and could not resist her curiosity. Peeking over, she noticed it was a map of the Crownlands and Rhaekar was focusing particularly on the lands of the Velaryon vassals in Massey's Hook and the Kingswood.

"Anything interesting?" she asked.

Rhaekar looked at her. "Have you finished balancing the budget yet?"

"Almost. I should be done soon," she replied, checking the books.

"Alright, take a seat then," Rhaekar gestured to the chair in front of his desk. Viserra obliged.

"So when you look at this map, what is the first thing that comes to mind?" Rhaekar questioned.

"You're working on something, related to our vassals in the Hook and Kingswood?" Viserra asked.

"Yes, they are more important than one may think for seemingly backwater lands. They provide Driftmark with invaluable supplies of timber, lumber, firewood, and naval stores. Along with various other resources such as wool and bog iron. And of course, our new tea plantations are in the hills of the Hook.

"Driftmark's fleet, merchant marine and war fleet alike, as well as its market economy are highly dependent on the raw resources provided by the Hook and the Wendwater. Them being sworn to Driftmark gives us a great deal of influence that makes our economy more secure and increases our profit margins, as well as of course, levies for any wartime needs that may arise.

"Having said all this, how do you think we should further tie our vassals to us and develop their lands to better benefit ourselves?"

Viserra wasn't exactly sure all of this fit under her role as the lady of the castle. Helping to manage relations with vassals was one thing she had expected, but all of these matters pertaining to economy, fleets, and resources were a little beyond her purview no? Then again, Corlys had told her to expect more than just the usual roles of a lady when she became his wife.

"Corlys put you up to this, didn't he?" she asked.

"He may have mentioned something toward wanting you trained to handle matters like these in their fullest capacity yes. As much as myself and Aurane are. Even Irina will be able to answer all of this, and we will train Alys to do the same."

"Really? Alys too?" Viserra was not sure her other goodsister would be really interested in these matters. Alys Grafton had wed Aurane only a few weeks after her own wedding, she was the youngest daughter of Lady Prudence and Lord Gerold Grafton, a fitting match for a third son some would say. The match had been intended to further reinforce and strengthen the ties of kinship and alliance between the two families. Alys and her siblings were Corlys and his brothers' first cousins through their mothers, Prudence and Primrose Celtigar respectively. Viserra had found her to be a sweet girl and a fast friend, yet she couldn't say she would entrust her with responsibility. Not the kind Rhaekar was describing at least.

"Well… maybe not to this degree," Rhaekar admitted. "Still, neither myself nor my brothers have ever believed that any member of the house should not carry their weight in some way. We'll find something for Alys to do that matches her talents once she's settled in, but we're getting distracted.

"Any ideas on what to do in the Hook? You don't have to be specific with details you don't have, I would just like to hear your general plan."

"Well, I suppose the most important step is to bind our vassal houses to us by marriage. You and your brothers are all already wed, and with members of very prestigious houses. However, you do have many cousins who are unmarried and would draw interest despite their low rank in the house simply because the prestige and wealth of House Velaryon is so greatly beyond any of its vassals, enough for a match to a cousin of the Lord of the Tides to be a good one."

"Good, but all of this I think goes under what you would have been trained to see by your tutors in King's Landing. But go outside your comfort zone, what can you tell me about the infrastructure of the region? How do we maximize our resource extraction and the transport to Driftmark?"

Yes, this was quite beyond what she had been taught by now. She was finding that to be the norm more than the exception on Driftmark. Still it was worth a try at least.

"I suppose, roads?" she said hesitantly.

"Are you asking or are you telling me?" Rhaekar asked pointedly and for a moment Viserra found in herself the confidence and authority to speak assertively. She was the Lady of the Tides for Seven's sake, this was not, could not be, beyond her ability.

"I'm telling you. We will need more roads as a general rule of thumb. Preferably paved or concrete, but dirt tracks will do if that expense cannot be afforded. We should also consider looking into helping our vassals, especially Wendwater, invest into building many new sawmills to expedite the production of lumber. Expanding the port at the mouth of the Wendwater should also be a priority."

"Very general and brief and certainly not covering anywhere near all that should be done but a good assessment. How much of that did you get from glancing at my notes earlier?" Rhaekar asked.

"Almost everything," she admitted shamelessly.

Rhaekar laughed. "Well I suppose I can't blame you. These kinds of matters were highly unlikely to have been taught to you in any true depth. Still despite that seeming handicap, you have been learning remarkably fast. I have every confidence that you will become an extraordinarily capable Lady of the Tides, in all the roles and duties entailed by that position, both traditional and not."

"Thank you Rhaekar," Viserra said, and she meant it. Without Rhaekar and Irina, she would have been so lost, like a fish out of water.

"You better get back to that budget before Irina comes knocking," he said as he turned back to his work. The stack of papers behind him remained very tall.

The clock that stood at the room's corner told her that it was soon to be ten in the morning and Viserra doubled her pace to finish at Rhaekar's reminder, mindful of the time that had been wasted getting a lesson on the economy and infrastructure development of the Hook. Within the next fifteen minutes, she had finished her work and gave it to Rhaekar.

"This is very well done Viserra," he praised, making her smile. Her smile soon dropped when the 'but' came and he proceeded to criticize the seemingly endless mistakes she had made. He was kind, but the reminder that for all her efforts, her work wasn't enough to be perfect stung. It shouldn't have felt the same, but it reminded her a little of her mother's lectures, deserved or otherwise.

Noticing her change of mood, Rhaekar stopped and his face turned melancholic. "It's not meant to make you feel bad, it's to teach you how to do even better in the future. But sometimes it doesn't feel like that does it?"

"You saw right through me. Speaking from experience?" Viserra asked.

Rhaekar leaned back into his chair. "Well I was not always an expert steward you know. It wasn't truly that long ago that I was young and inexperienced like you. Actually I think I was worse than you. I was almost completely clueless, and an arrogant little brat."

"What made you change?" Viserra was curious.

"My grandfather. Let's just say Lord Daemon was a strict teacher, though I doubt Corlys remembers him the same way."

Rhaekar it seemed could not resist elaborating, as he began to tell her long stories of his tutelage under his grandfather, who though strict and overbearing at times, had still been very much a man he loved and respected. Shortly enough he was telling stories, many embarrassing, of the mischief he and his brothers had gotten into when they were younger.

"…and then Corlys, this rascal, tells our grandfather that he was experimenting. And our grandfather actually bought it, would you believe that?" Rhaekar asked exasperatedly as he finished a particularly entertaining tale of how Corlys had roped him and Aurane into yet another harebrained scheme that he claimed would benefit their house.

"And was he?" Viserra asked as she laughed.

"Well, technically I suppose. Seven knows he came up with too many good ideas for Grandfather to reject his explanation outright. That's Corlys, he comes up with the most ridiculous plan you can think of and then somehow it works. Latest example was the utterly reckless plan he had to steal silk and tea from right under the nose of the Emperor of Yi Ti and somehow he didn't get his head on a spike outside the Imperial Palace."

"And yet you sound like you admire him despite that," Viserra noted.

Rhaekar sighed. "I suppose I do. My feelings toward Corlys are very complicated. I mentioned earlier how strict my grandfather was with me. I can't help but think that was because of the long shadow Corlys cast, that he was trying to push me to match him when I never could. For all his recklessness and seemingly far-fetched ideas, he was, still is, absolutely brilliant.

"When Corlys speaks, men listen. When he has a plan, people will follow it. He has this charisma, this drive to change the world that makes everyone take notice of him. And now look where he is. Lord Corlys the Sea Snake, the most famous explorer the Seven Kingdoms have ever known, and soon to be the richest too! I suppose part of me can't help but feel resentful, even though it's not fair or right of me to. Does that make me a bad person?"

"No," Viserra reassured him. "It makes you human. Younger siblings in the shadow of their older siblings is a tale as old as time. That you feel this way need not be necessarily wrong, what matters most is how you deal with it."

"Speaking from experience?" Rhaekar asked.

She nodded. "Speaking from experience."

Rhaekar fiddled with his hands for a while before asking, "What should I do then?"

"Reach out to him. Make him understand. You are blessed Rhaekar, for by your brother's own words he wants to understand, to try and fix this estranged relationship between you. It took claiming a dragon to make my family hear me out. You don't have such an obstacle, all you have to do, is speak."

They sat there in a contemplative silence for a few moments before Rhaekar spoke again.

"Did things get better between you and your family after they heard you out?" he asked.

"With some yes, with others… well it's hard to say. My father is still angry I think. He has this cool stare when he looks at me sometimes. My mother it seems no longer has any idea what to think or feel about me and I don't really care what Vaegon or Maegelle think of me if I'm truly honest. Yet for all that I may have angered or estranged some of my family, there are others of my family that are closer now then I might have expected," Viserra said.

In the months after she had claimed Dreamfyre, she had found herself shocked at how close she had become to both Alyssa and Rhaenys. Even Aemon, whom she had never been close to as a child had become closer to her, and Baelon too had come over, becoming the doting older brother to her once again. She told Rhaekar all of this.

"How do I know he will listen?" he asked cautiously.

"He will, and if he doesn't, I'll make him. I have a dragon, I've been told that makes you very convincing," she jested.

At that moment, there was a knock on the door and soon entered Corlys himself. Viserra wanted to groan at the bad timing.

"Rhaekar," he said.

"Corlys," Rhaekar nodded back stiffly.

"Do you mind if I borrow Viserra for a while?" he asked politely, though anyone could tell it was not a request to be denied.

"Be my guest," he said as he moved his hands to emphasize his words.

"Thank you. Viserra?"

"I'm coming, don't worry," she said before turning back to Rhaekar. "Consider it," she told him before leaving with Corlys.

___________________________________________________

As she walked with Corlys through the marble corridors of High Tide, Viserra felt a bit awkward. Despite being newlywed, she had barely seen him the past few weeks. They had both been very busy, and Corlys himself was not always on Driftmark in the first place, flitting between Dragonstone, King's Landing, and the Hook in his roles as both the Master of Ships and the Lord of Tides.

Seeking to break the awkwardness, she decided to make a bit of small talk.

"Your timing was rather unfortunate," she said after mustering her courage.

"Oh?" he asked curiously.

"I was trying to convince him to talk to you about well... you know. I think I almost had him but then you showed up."

"I appreciate that Viserra, I do. Thank you. Keep working on him. With any luck he'll be open to have a proper conversation with me about everything one of these days."

And like that the conversation had died again. And now Viserra's thoughts had begun drifting exactly to where she had wanted them not to go. It was hard to otherwise, considering they had spent so little time together that wasn't in the bedroom the past few weeks.

She felt her face growing hot and red at those memories and shook it off. She was a Princess of House Targaryen, a dragonrider, Lady of the Tides! She wasn't going to let something like that make her shy and flustered!

"You've been awfully quiet. Everything alright?" Corlys said suddenly, turning to her as he stopped. She blushed even more as he ran his hand through her hair, moving it out of her eyes.

"There's no problem. Everything is well," she reassured him, and was most definitely not flustered as she said it. Definitely not.

Corlys didn't seem wholly convinced but he dropped the matter. "Alright, we should keep going then."

While relieved that he had dropped the matter, Viserra also felt a strange sense of… disappointment that he had relented so easily? As they continued walking, she desperately foraged for any topic to keep that line of thought and the dreaded awkward silence away.

"I've been reading the Odyssey," she said suddenly.

Corlys's hummed response made it seem like he was quite aware of her desperate change of topic but she pushed on.

"It's very well written. A part of me can't help but see the contrast to Aldarion and Erendis."

"Yes, those books are almost like the same side of the coin in a way. Did you read the Iliad as well? It's almost of a must to understand the Odyssey properly."

"I haven't yet. I've been very busy learning how to manage the castle. Rhaekar and Irina have been quite the demanding tutors. I must say though, the author who wrote Aldarion and Erendis and the Odyssey had quite the vivid imagination."

"And what makes you think they were written by the same author?" Corlys asked with… was that a hint of amusement in his eyes?

"I don't know, the same style of writing perhaps? The similar yet differing message and theme. Awfully convenient books for the wife of a seafarer to read I'd say," she said knowingly.

Corlys laughed and she chuckled with him, glad to feel the awkward feeling had begun to dissipate.

Soon they were taking the stairs down deeper into the castle's under levels, and Viserra felt her curiosity grow.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"We're almost there, I want it to be a surprise," he answered.

Soon they had reached a gated iron door that reminded her of the doors at the Dragonpit. A knight of the Tide Guard stood watch to the left of the door and opened it at Corlys's command. It opened to reveal a large cave in the side of the hill that High Tide was built on, with a large entrance exposed to the air. Viserra's attention however was drawn first and foremost by the large blue dragon that was napping in the middle of the cave.

"Dreamfyre!" she exclaimed in delight as she rushed toward her dragon, though she sensed that Dreamfyre was not as excited.

A sinking feeling soon began to fill her as she realized that Corlys was not the only one she had not been seeing very much the past few weeks. Dreamfyre was, to put it lightly, grumpy. Viserra winced as she felt her displeasure, feeling her snort a jet of warm air at her face as she got up.

"I'm sorry Dream. I'll make it up to you girl, I promise," she said to her dragon as she stroked the scales on her nose affectionately. Dreamfyre huffed another jet of warm air, though Viserra could tell it was a little gentler then the previous one. Dreamfyre could never stay mad at her for long.

Corlys stood behind her, mindfully keeping a respectful distance from her dragon. "What is this place?" she questioned him.

"I call it the Dragon Den. I don't think you noticed, but when you visited Driftmark before our wedding, Dreamfyre nested inside this cave. I decided to expand it and connect it to the castle so that you will be able to easily reach her. Better I would say, then a long ride to the Dragonpit in King's Landing."

"It is better yes. Thank you," Viserra said. A den for Dreamfyre beneath High Tide, one that she could access from the castle itself, was extremely convenient for her.

"It was my pleasure," he said with a smile that made her heart skip a beat.

Noticing the saddles in the corner, a thought occurred to Viserra. "Corlys? Could you bring me one of the saddles please?" she asked.

He did as requested, and approached warily. It wasn't long before Dreamfyre started growling at him, stopping him in his tracks.

"Dream," Viserra chided, putting her hand on her dragon and projecting her will onto her. Harming Corlys in any way was unacceptable. Rebuked by her rider, Dreamfyre relented and allowed Corlys to approach.

As he handed her the saddle, she beckoned him to come closer. "I'm not sure about this," he said, lacking his usual confident smirk for once.

Viserra was quite amused to see that. "It's fine. Dreamfyre won't hurt anyone unless I tell her to."

"I've never been this close to a dragon before," Corlys said almost breathlessly, a look of childlike wonder on his face.

"You'll get closer still. Here," Viserra said as she took his hand and guided it to Dreamfyre's snout.

Perhaps sensing her rider's trust for him, Dreamfyre relaxed and graciously moved into Corlys's hand. Corlys laughed a little, overwhelmed by the amazement. Viserra smiled at the sight.

"Help me strap the saddle on. You'll be riding behind me."

Corlys paused at that. "Wait, I'll be riding with you?" he asked, surprised.

"I don't see why not. Are you scared?" she teased.

He shook his head, his confident smirk returning, though she couldn't help but feel it was all merely bravado. "Of course not."

Viserra simply gave him a smirk of her own in response. "I'll take your word for it then."

It took them almost half an hour to prepare the saddle, but Viserra would say they couldn't be too careful since she was taking an inexperienced passenger with her, one she would have to make sure to chain to the saddle quite securely.

"You ready?" she asked as Dreamfyre unfurled her wings and crawled toward the mouth of the cave. As they reached the entrance, Viserra looked down and noticed the sheer drop and the jagged rocks below. Impossible to scale. No one would be claiming the Den could compromise the security of the castle, that was for sure.

Of course, that view was probably not doing Corlys any favours. "Can I say no?"

She chuckled before urging Dreamfyre into the sky with simply a thought. Soon High Tide became small as they climbed into the sky, seeing all the island of Driftmark before them. In the distance, she even spotted Hull and Castle Driftmark, which she had yet to visit still.

Her thoughts were soon drawn however, to the way Corlys had wrapped his arms around her waist and was trying to pretend he was not terrified. "So, you're scared of heights then?"

"It's merely a healthy appreciation of the danger of falling to your death," he retorted.

"Oh that's too bad. You don't trust me?" she teased before taking Dreamfyre into a spin that sent blood rushing to her head and exhilaration through her veins.

"Nope, no, I most definitely do not trust you!" he rebuked, annoyed. Viserra laughed, the contrast with the supposedly fearless explorer who had braved the greatest storms and harshest seas the world could throw at him tickled her. It made him seem a little less like a legend and more like a person.

For a few brief moments however, Viserra was so absorbed by the feeling of riding Dreamfyre again that she forgot about her passenger. To his credit, Corlys did not complain as she took Dreamfyre through a number of dives and spins, though she did notice how his grip around her would tighten, ever so slightly.

Feeling a little guilty, she reined in Dreamfyre and set her on a steady and gentle path through the sky for the Dragonmont in the distance. A thought occurred to her, that perhaps it was not necessarily the height itself that scared Corlys, but the loss of control. The captain of a ship, even in the harshest storm, was the man who gave the orders. It was rare indeed that the captain would put their life and the lives of their crew entirely into another's hands.

Viserra decided to coax Corlys into it gently. "It's alright. See? Feel the way Dreamfyre soars through the sky, feel the confident beating of her wings and the breaths she takes. She's never let me down, and she won't you either."

"It feels surreal. I never thought that I'd be riding a dragon," Corlys said, the fear having mostly dissipated and the amazement and wonder having returned to his voice.

Viserra turned back toward him and smiled. "Right? It never gets old. The feeling of wonder as you fly through the sky, it's hard to even describe it. I'm sorry about earlier, it's been some time, I couldn't resist taking Dreamfyre for some spins."

"It's fine. They weren't exactly unenjoyable, but, a warning perhaps next time?"

"Yes, of course."

They continued flying like that for a while. Eventually Viserra started taking Dreamfyre into more dives and spins, taking care to warn Corlys as she had promised. Soon she felt him relaxing, enjoying the ride as much as she was.

It was hard to find words to describe the way it felt to fly atop a dragon. The feeling of power and pride, like you were on top of the world. The wonder as you saw the clouds close enough to reach, the lands below as small as toys for children. It was beautiful, breathtaking, and extraordinary, and Viserra wanted to share it all with Corlys.

Eventually they finally made it to Dragonstone and Viserra noticed that Caraxes and Meleys were both on the island, the two giving roars of recognition to Dreamfyre who responded in kind. For a moment she thought of landing to greet Aemon and Rhaenys but decided against it. She could do that another time, this moment, this ride, was for her and Corlys. It wouldn't do to interrupt it.

Rounding Dragonstone, Viserra continued to fly Dreamfyre around the area of the Gullet, even going so far as to spot Massey's Hook in the distance. At one point she even descended low enough for Dreamfyre's wings to strafe the clear blue waters of the sea as they sped along so fast the wind blew her hair into Corlys's face. They had had some laughs over that.

They spoke rarely, if even that. More than the wind making it hard to hear the words stopped them, neither wanted to disturb the tender beauty of their flight, as if fearing that acknowledging it would make it vanish.

Time seemed to slip away from them. They finally returned to High Tide having missed luncheon and almost dinner too. The sun was setting when both had managed to slip away from Rhaekar's lecture to meet atop the 'Highest Tide', the nickname given to the tallest tower in the castle by its residents, and the very same one in which they had spoken at the end of Viserra's first trip to Driftmark all those months ago.

"Well I can't say that has been the first time I've been lectured by Rhaekar for being irresponsible," Corlys said as they reached the top of the tower and out of earshot of the man in question.

"It was for me, I felt so awkward. And Irina smirking at me was not helping!" Viserra said, aghast.

"Ah, Rhaekar was going easy on you. He likes you too much to really lecture you."

Considering they were on the topic, Viserra decided to tell Corlys a little of what she had heard of how Rhaekar felt, in order to prepare him for the conversation she had a feeling they'd be having soon.

"I can promise you that I'll listen to what he has to say, and do what I can. I want to mend my relationship with him as much as you. But he has to be the one to approach me, I've tried talking to him before and he won't hear it. It has to be on his terms," Corlys said at last.

"Thank you, that's all I need from you."

Corlys nodded before looking out from the tower and she followed. Like the last time, the Dragonmont was in the distance, yet for the two of them who had seen it in all its glory just earlier that afternoon, it seemed a pittance now.

"The view doesn't quite compare does it?" Corlys asked.

"It has its merits," Viserra said.

"That's just you trying to be polite. But it's alright. Once you've see the world from the eyes of a dragon, any view would pale in comparison," Corlys said wistfully, staring into the skies and the tint of the setting sun's light gilding the clouds.

"And how was it?" she asked, making her husband snap out of his daze.

"It was extraordinary. It's hard to truly find any words that do it justice I think," he finally answered after taking a few moments.

"Something special that you cannot truly put into words?" she teased, bringing up the old jape.

Corlys laughed and Viserra could not stop herself from thinking that she liked his laugh. "Something like that."

"As special as myself?" she asked, half teasing, half genuinely curious.

"I don't think I'll ever find anything that's quite as special as you, Viserra Velaryon," he said, emphasizing her new family name, making her shiver at the way he said the name. As if he was pleased to be able to claim she was his.

"It was incredible to fly. To feel the wind on my face, my hair flowing behind in the air, the clouds I stared at as a boy now close enough to reach out and touch.

"It was also humbling I suppose, to see that everything I've built looks so small when seen from a dragon's eye. Yet none of that can compare to the pride and joy I felt with you in my arms, knowing that you were there to share that experience with me, to give it to me."

Viserra felt her cheeks burning red. Just when she had calmed down and he was making her feel shy all over again. Was he doing this on purpose? She turned away, trying to hide her blush. "Flatterer."

He laughed, amused at her reaction. "I wouldn't call telling the truth to be flattery."

"The last time we were on this tower together, do you remember what I asked you?" he asked suddenly.

"You asked if I thought I would be happy, as Driftmark's lady and as your wife," she replied as the sun finally dipped below the horizon and twilight took the world.

"And are you? I got a lecture from Irina the other day, about leaving you to drown in work you are not prepared for."

Viserra felt a bit down. She had thought to have impressed Irina but she thought she was unable to handle the duties of the Lady of the Tides?

"She also said that you were perhaps the fastest learner she had ever seen, picking up things faster even then she had. Do not feel upset Viserra, she was only looking out for you and her praise is not something she gives for no reason.

"It's also made me realize that I haven't been entirely fair with you and I am sorry about that. I've been extremely busy the past few weeks and I haven't been able to spend time with you or teach you all this like I promised I would. I apologize."

"It's alright. It's just… it's been very stressful. The education given to me by my tutors did little to prepare me for being the Lady of the Tides, I can't help but feel that there's something lacking in me," she confessed.

"Never think that Viserra. Not once has either myself, Irina, or Rhaekar thought that of you. It's not your fault, it's mine for not doing more to prepare you. I can reassure you that had you been the lady of any other castle, whatever you had learned growing up in the Red Keep would have been more than sufficient," Corlys said to her, turning her face to his to look into her eyes, indigo on deep purple.

"But not High Tide, not Driftmark," she countered.

"Well, that's less to do with you and more to do with us."

"I know, Rhaekar said something like that. Something about having every member of the family carry their weight in whatever way they can?"

"Yes. I have scores of cousins from cadet branches of the family and not one has been allowed to sit and leech off our treasury. Each one has been found a job to match their talents, so they may contribute in some way to the house. Be it as the governor of Velos, captains of ships both mercantile and military, accountants, artists, clerks, knights, guards, officers, and more."

Viserra raised her eyebrows. "I can think of a few houses that would stand to benefit if they do the same."

Corlys smirked. "Well like I told you before, House Velaryon operates differently from our peers. I am sorry that you had to find that out the hard way. But let me make it up to you. I will be clearing some of my schedule in King's Landing so I can handle matters both as the Master of Ships and Lord of Tides here in the area of the Gullet. While there probably will be traveling to say, the Hook or Dragonstone, I don't think that that will be a problem."

Viserra was a bit confused, why was he telling her this? She said as much when she asked him.

"That's because you'll be coming with me. For the next few weeks until I have to return to King's Landing to report to the Small Council, you will be accompanying me, not Rhaekar or Irina. Irina can handle those particular duties you may be concerned about for the time being. What's important is that we bring you up to speed on the way we do things here in Driftmark.

"I can kill two birds with one stone, spend time with you and also teach you what you need to know, and I can promise you that the next time I return to King's Landing and you are left as the highest ranking person in this castle, you will not feel like you have been thrown into the depths of the ocean and asked to swim without being taught how."

"That would be amazing, thank you," Viserra said, a little stunned. It would be a change to go from barely spending any time with her husband, to working alongside him for weeks on end, but she could not say it was an unwelcome one.

They remained there for a while, just taking in the view as the stars came out, no longer outshone by the sun, before she excused herself, saying she needed to take a bath before supper. Before she left however, Corlys called out to her.

"Viserra, I would like to fly with you again, if you don't mind," he said tenderly as he looked at her.

"Of course not, I'll ask if you're free the next time I take Dreamfyre out for a ride," she replied. "I'll see you at supper," she added on almost as an afterthought before she walked down the stairs, leaving her husband alone to his thoughts.