Jace had been in the yard when Rhaena rode in. He'd been sparring with the king's guard which was ankercise in being allowed to win." I will be better prepared to defend myself if I can have a real bout." he'd said. They remained of the opinion it was their job to defend him and his words fell on deaf ears.
So it was not a hardship to go and greet Rhaena instead of being allowed to win again. She'd have been at the dragon pit. As she had every day since Morning took flight. At first he and Baela had tried to find time to go with her but there was reason she could not fly alone. That she should rely on anyone else’s schedule. Baela on the other hand had not yet reached the point she could not fly but it was getting close.
He went to Rhaena's side at once concerned at the look on her face. She was in pain.
"Is something amiss," he asked "Did something happen in the city? Rhaena shook her head and Jace glanced at Ser Robin, the Kinsgguard who had accompanied her. The man looked startled.
"Nothing, Your Grace," he said. "Queen Rhaena is very popular in the city."
Both she and Baela were the darlings of the city. Many of the ordinary folk of King's Landing seemed very done with King's but very keen on both of their Queens. The best thing Jace had done for his popularity was marry both of them.
Rhaena went to dismount with a grimace and Jace reached up to help her down. He had helped Rhaena off a horse dozens of times on the beaches of Dragonstone when they rode. His hand settled on her slender waist as he set her on her feet. She made a small noise of protest and leaned against him her whole body stiff. His arms went around her to hold her steady rubbing at her back a little which made her shiver. And then Jace understood - they had all had that moment - those who had rode dragons anyway.
"Ah hāedar, how long were you aloft?" he said as the groom took her horse off.
"A while," she said, she looked shifty and the look was so entirely like her sister it nearly made him laugh. He might have laughed if she was not in pain.
"We went to the pit an hour after dawn, Your Grace," Ser Robin said. Rhaena glared.
"That will be all Ser Robin," Jale glancing at Rhaena's furious face. He wanted to talk to his wife not hear tales from her guard.
"Sit down," he said steering her towards the mounting block and encouraging her sit. He brushed her hair off her shoulders, and encouraged her to lean forward. His hands rested on her shoulders and he rubbed hard, feeling the stiffness in her muscles and feeling like his touch was doing very little for her tension except she sighed a little and he knew it was helping.
"You cannot spend half the day aloft when you have only just begun." he said.
"You and Baela would think nothing of it," she said.
Jace paused. There was no way to say it that would not upset her. But he and Baela had years of dragonriding experience.
"Not now we wouldn’t," he acknowledged."But when we were new riders?"
"Baela did," Rhaena said softly. “She spent hours on Moondancer the instant she could carry her.”
“Baela is a great inventor,” Jace said. “I watched your father teach Luke,” she stiffened, “and Joffrey and prepare Aegon.” It was rare to mention their brothers. Rarer still to mention Luke to her. “It was an hour aloft for a week, then two for two weeks. It was gradual. He would not have taken less care with Baela.” Baela had always been his favourite, he managed not to say that. “She might have spent hours with Moondancer. She did not spend hours aloft. If nothing else it is a lot for the dragon.” It was probably less so for Morning, Jace thought the dragon had grown at tremendous pace and would have been ready for a flight sometime ago but Rhaena had waited until she was in King’s Landing with other riders with her sister. And of course, she had needed a saddle from what Dragon Keepers had remained.
“I am already so behind,” Rhaena said.
“You are not,” he said. “Vermax was eight when I rode him. Moondancer was seven. Morning is only a year hatched. And there is peace. There is no rush. You have all the time in the world to perfect dragonriding Rhaena.”
Rhaena no doubt thought about what would have happened in the war if she had had a dragon earlier. But the dragon that would made a difference had been taken from her. Morning had had hatched for her and was meant to be hers. He tightened his grip on her shoulders rubbing in a way that would ache but help when he let go, her breath settled.
“Go and have the hottest bath you can stand,” he said. “And tell your maids to keep it hot for at least an hour. Then we’ll do this again, I promise it will help.”
“You don’t have to,” Rhaena said.
“I do,” Jace said. It had to be someone who knew what they were doing. He decided to chance a tease. “Your chances of getting a backrub off Baela are currently higher than mine but I still would not bank on it.” It did not make her laugh at all.
“It’s hardly a job for the King,” she said colour high on her cheeks. “You are meant to meet with the master of ships,” Rhaena always knew his schedule.
“Nothing he has to say is as important as the health of the Queen,” Jace said firmly. Rhaena stood stretched a little - her shoulders clearly a little better and then she kissed him on the cheek.
