"What are you doing?"
Visenya's voice came from right behind me, and I swear I jumped about a foot in the air. I'd been so focused on watching the pasta boil—riveting stuff, really—that I didn't even hear her approach. Which is impressive, considering she moves like a cat. A very dangerous, silver-haired cat who's probably judging my every move.
"Making food," I said, keeping my eyes on the pot like my life depended on it. "Good food. You'll like it."
She didn't respond. Just stood there, staring at the bubbling water and the gas flame like she was witnessing actual sorcery. Which, I guess, from her perspective, she kind of was. Fire from a knob? Hot water on demand? Must feel like magic.
After what felt like an eternity, she stepped back and left me alone. I breathed again.
A few minutes later, Rhaenys emerged from the bathroom wrapped in that post-shower glow that really shouldn't affect me as much as it does. Her hair was damp, she smelled exactly like my shampoo and soap—which did something weird to my brain—and she was smiling that smile again.
"That machine is truly amazing, sister," she said to Visenya, practically bouncing. "You should try it immediately."
Calm down, brain. Calm. Down. She just took a shower. That's all. Normal human activity. Nothing to get worked up about.
I focused very hard on the eggs I was boiling.
Rhaenys started explaining the shower to Visenya while I pretended to be extremely interested in pasta texture. They kept their voices low, but I caught fragments—Rhaenys's excitement, Visenya's skeptical grunts, the sound of water running again.
And thank the gods they closed the door of the living room. My sanity couldn't handle another water incident.
By the time I finished cooking, they were both done and dressed in their new clothes. Simple stuff—jeans, tops, nothing fancy—but on them? Looked like high fashion. Unfair, really.
I unfolded my little table—the one that's definitely designed for one person, maybe two if they're very friendly—and set out the food. Carbonara pasta with some spices and crumbled eggs on the side. Nothing Michelin-star worthy, but solid. Comfort food.
Visenya took the chair like she was claiming a throne. Rhaenys settled on the edge of my bed across from her. And I? I wedged myself next to Rhaenys on the bed, plate balanced on my knees like a peasant. Because apparently I was a peasant.
They both stared at their plates like the pasta might attack them.
Then they started eating.
And their faces... changed. In a good way, I think. They dug in with an enthusiasm that could've been hunger or genuine enjoyment—probably both—and I felt this stupid little swell of pride watching them.
"So?" I asked after a few minutes, trying to sound casual. "What do you think? Compared to the food at Dragonstone?"
Rhaenys twirled more pasta onto her fork—she'd picked up the technique surprisingly fast—and beamed at me. "It is good. I'm impressed, actually. I've never eaten anything like this. And I love the spiciness."
High praise from a Targaryen princess. I'd take it.
Visenya, of course, had to be Visenya about it.
"Not royal food," she said between bites, "but good commoner fare."
Classic Visenya. Couldn't just say "it's nice." Had to add that little edge. But hey, she was eating it, and she hadn't threatened me yet, so I'd count it as a win.
Watching her eat was... an experience, though. She handled her fork like a weapon—spearing pasta instead of twirling it, stabbing each piece like it personally offended her. Every bite came with this intense focus, and I kept wincing, half-expecting her to shatter the porcelain with her sheer Targaryen intensity.
Rhaenys, meanwhile, ate like a normal person. Well, a normal person who happened to be absurdly beautiful and sitting close enough that I could smell my shampoo in her hair.
"So," Rhaenys said, breaking the comfortable silence, "you live here alone? In this... small space?"
"Yep. Just me. Well, until recently. Now it's me and two time-displaced dragon princesses. You know. Normal Monday."
She laughed at that and even Visenya's lips twitched the tiniest bit.
"You have a strange way of speaking," Rhaenys observed.
"I guess so..." I trailed off, suddenly self-conscious.
The thing is, I'm not exactly a chatterbox by nature. Put me in a room full of strangers and I'll find the nearest corner and become one with the wall. But get me around people I'm comfortable with? Completely different story. I can talk for hours about nothing and everything.
And yeah, I know it's weird to say I'm comfortable with Visenya and Rhaenys. We've known each other for like, what, a day? But here's the thing—I've spent years reading about them. Studying their history, their choices, their personalities. I've analyzed their battles and their relationships and their dumb decisions. In a weird way, I felt like I already knew them before they ever showed up in my apartment looking confused and glorious.
Now that I've actually met them and seen how closely they match the versions in my head? It's almost... reassuring. Like meeting internet friends in person and discovering they're exactly who they claimed to be.
So yeah, maybe I'm a little more at ease than I should be. Maybe the situation is completely insane and I'm handling it with suspiciously low levels of panic. But desperate times, right?
Also, I'm probably just a weirdo. That's definitely part of it.
"By the way," I said, setting down my fork, "tomorrow I have to leave. For school. So you guys need to stay here until I get back. Absolutely no leaving the apartment."
Rhaenys tilted her head, curious. "School?"
" Yeah. Like... education. In a building. With teachers and other students and..." I trailed off, realizing I had no idea how to explain the concept of public high school to two women from a medieval fantasy world. "It's complicated. The point is, I have to go."
"How long?" Visenya asked. Straight to business, as always.
"Morning to afternoon. I'll make you food for the day before I leave, so you'll have stuff to eat. Just... please. I'm begging you. Stay here. Don't do anything weird. Don't destroy anything. Don't answer the door. Don't set anything on fire. Just... exist quietly until I get back."
I could hear how desperate I sounded. Didn't care.
Once I'm back, we'll figure out the bigger picture. How they're going to live here long-term. How to get them papers, identities, a place to stay that isn't my crumbling studio. I don't know how yet—I'm honestly overwhelmed just thinking about it—but I'll figure something out. I have to.
Rhaenys smiled at me, warm and reassuring. "Fine then. We will stay."
I appreciated her easy agreement, but my eyes were on Visenya. She was the wild card. The one most likely to get bored and start a small war with the neighbors.
"I have no interest in your town," she said flatly. "It's not that interesting. I'd rather stay here and practice with my sword."
"Please don't practice with your sword in my apartment!"
She glared at me.
"I'm serious! Just—no swords. You can do other stuff. Training without weapons. Bodyweight exercises. Stretching. Whatever warriors do when they're not stabbing things."
Rhaenys laughed softly, clearly enjoying my panic. "Don't worry, we won't destroy your precious very little home."
Ouch. Accurate, but ouch.
Still, I nodded gratefully. "Thank you. Really."
I meant it. Them agreeing to behave—even if Visenya looked about as thrilled as a cat being told no—was a huge weight off my shoulders. One less thing to stress about while I'm stuck in class pretending to care about algebra.
We finished eating after that, the conversation shifting to lighter things. Rhaenys asked more questions about the modern world—phones, TV, the internet—and I did my best to explain without completely overwhelming her. Visenya mostly listened, occasionally interjecting with sharp observations that reminded me she missed absolutely nothing.
By the time we settled in for the night—them on the bed, me on the floor with a pile of blankets—I was exhausted but weirdly content.
"Goodnight," I mumbled into my makeshift pillow.
"Goodnight," Rhaenys replied softly.
Visenya said nothing. But I swear I felt her watching me in the dark for a long time before she finally turned away.
Thank god.
I really thought she was going to kill me in the night.
Scared the hell out of me.