𝐃𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐘𝐒

mēre

Valyrians

    "My name is Gaemon," the man said, walking side by side with Rhaella. The princess questioned why she was following a strange man deep into the ruins of Valyria, but her options were follow the man and get an explanation, or stay and pray for Rhaegon to be back.

    "How did you find me?" The girl was still confused about what that man was doing in the ruins of Old Valyria.

    "I saw you yesterday, I also saw the dragon you had with you, so I stayed away. But I thought you would need company today," he said, leading the girl in between the ruins, as if he knew those ruins like the back of his hand. The man wore clothing that reminded her of what the Dothraki usually wore, the only difference is that he wore an old tunic to cover his chest.

     "But what were you doing in these ruins in the first place?" the Targaryen girl was confused. She had spent a day in the ruins and she was dirtier than she had ever been, her dress was ripped, the only water she was able to find was from a hot spring in the cave, and if it wasn't from Rhaegon she was sure she would be starving by now, so she could not understand how this man in front of her looked so healthy and happy.

     "I live here," he said, simply, making Rhaella stop walking.

    "Live here?" she asked loudly, and she quickly resumed walking when she realized Gaemon would not stop.

The man, who couldn't be any older than herself, did not answer this time, he just kept walking ahead of her. When suddenly he stopped, opened his arms and said, "welcome to my home."

What Rhaella saw surprised her. It was a place enclosed with thick bushes around it but she still had a clear view of the sky, a campfire in the middle, with a cookpot on top of it, to the left there was a pen with some livestock in it, to the right there was an opening in the bushed, which led directly to a river, in front of the girl stood a small house, it looked like it was made of parts of the destroyed buildings of Valyria.

Rhaella Targaryen was speechless, she was always taught that this was a place of death, and it amazed her that people had been living here. Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the wooden door opening in front of her.

     "Where were you, boy?" She heard a strange voice, it came from a short woman, with skin as dark as Gaemon's, dark eyes, a shaved head, just like Gaemon's, and a mad look on her face, when she saw Rhaella, she gasped and dropped the rust goblet that was on her hand. "A Valyrian," she ran towards Rhaella and kneeled, "they are back! I told you they would be back!" She told Gaemon and a girl that came out of the same door she did.

     "Mother, that is one of the Targaryen twins," the girl told her. This girl also had dark skin and dark eyes, the only different thing about her was her hair, she had very short, almost shaved, golden hair.

     "She is still Valyrian," the woman said, getting back on her feet.

    "How do you know who I am?" Rhaella had some many questions, she had no idea how those people had survived here, or how they knew High Valyrian so perfectly.

     "Well, the Targaryens were one of the few families that survived the Doom, and they were the only family that still have their looks, even after hundreds of years," the girl said, approaching Rhaella. "I am Saera, and this is my mother Daenora," she said, giving Rhaella a small bow. Rhaella noticed that Saera wore a loose brown tunic and a dark leather skirt that reached just over her knees and leather boots like herself, and Daenore wore similar leather boots, dark pants, and a white tunic that was so dirty that now was more of a shade of brown.

     "I am Rhaella, Rhaella Targaryean," the girl introduced herself. "How do you guys survive here?" Rhaella asked. "Why do you stay here?" Rhaella felt that it was the most important question.

     "Sit, supper is almost ready," Daenora said, stirring something in the cook pot.

Gaemon led Rhaella towards a small wooden table that sat by the cookpot. "Fish stew, I hope you don't mind," he told the girl, filling a bow with the stew and handing it to the girl.

     "It's perfect. Thank you," she said to the whole family. The truth was, Rhaella Targaryen had never met such a strange family, she could not understand how they knew who she was and why they were being so generous with her. The four people ate in silence, and when they were done eating the princess could not wait anymore, "who are you, and why are you living here?" She asked.

    "Our family has lived here since before the Doom. We did not live in Valyria, our family was from Qarth, oh we were proud and influential, the richest of the families that lived in the city. But one day, the head of the family decided he wanted more, we do not speak his name or our family's name anymore for they are cursed. The Valyrian Freehold grew stronger each day and so did it's capital, Valyria, so our ancestor sold all of our land, took all of our gold and moved the family to Valyria. He bought land and a good house, he thought he would prosper, how could he not, he had a great business in Qarth he was sure to succeed in the Freehold's capital. But in a short period of time our family had lost everything, and they had to sell themselves into slavery so they could pay their debts. After years our family was all owned by the same master, all that was left of us was a father, a mother, and a son, and this son fell in love with a slave that was owned by the Targaryens. When Daenys the Dreamer had the prophetic dream about the destruction of Valyria the slave girl told the son, who convinced her to run away with him, and after years of planning so they did. Right after they ran away the Doom happened, shattering the land and destroying the capital. A year after the Doom they had a family, many sons and daughters, but they were not happy, the couple felt tied to the land of Valyria somehow, and one day his wife had a dream, but it was not a commun dream, it was a prophecy, its contents are a story for another time. But her dream told her that they had to go back and wait for the return of the Valyrians, so they took their children and the little they had and moved back to the ruins of Valyria, and so we had lived here ever since," Daenora told Rhaella, who listened carefully.

     "How did you survive all of these years?" Rhaella asked in awe.

     "We learned how to hunt and survive off the land. And we learned with the Valyrians how to keep our bloodline pure," Saera said, smirking to the princess.

Before Rhaella could ask any more questions the older woman interrupted her,"no more questions. You three are filthy, go bathe," she said, getting up and gestured the three away.