I See Fire / Jacaerys Velaryon

Chapter 19

Jace, Daemon, the guards, and I come back to the docks to find the man in the same spot with his eyes closed. Daemon kneels beside the man and checks his pulse. He turns around and shakes his head, signaling that the man is dead. I sigh, and Jace puts a hand on my shoulder.

"You two go back to the castle. I'll be there shortly." Daemon says as he looks at Jace and I. We both nod and start the walk back to the castle. "You're bleeding." Jace says after we get far enough away from the docks. "It's nothing." I say as I continue to walk to the castle. "Rhae -" Jace begins before I sharply cut him off and turn to look at him. "I'm fine, Jace." I say and then continue to walk up the staircase to the castle. Jace remains standing on the staircase as I make my way to the war hall.

I enter the war hall to see my mother waiting anxiously at the fireplace. "Rhaella." My mother breathes out in relief as she wraps me in a hug. "Are you alright?" She asks as she grazes her finger over the cut on my cheek. I slightly flinch, not expecting the cut to be so tender. "I'm fine, your grace, but we have bigger problems." I say as I walk over to the war table. "Concerning the man?" My mother asks as she walks up to me. "Yes. He was sent here by the Greens to gather information. I fear that we could have more traitors in our midst." I say as I bow my head.

"We have a problem." Daemon says as he enters the war hall with Jace. "What is it?" My mother asks worriedly. "He managed to send word to the Greens before he died." Daemon says as he holds up a quill. "We need to go to the Gullet now." Daemon says, and my mother shakes her head. "Our soldiers are not ready. We leave on the morrow at first light." My mother says, and Daemon reluctantly nods.

"Go and have the Maester look at your cheek." My mother says to me. "I'm fine." I say, but my mother gives me a stern look, and I reluctantly nod and start my walk to the Maester chambers. I enter the Maesters quarters, and he looks up at me. I point to my cheek, and he points to a chair in the center of the room. "What happened, Princess?" He asks as he gets a wet rag and wipes away the dried blood on my face. "A man threw a dagger at my face. I dodged away just before it hit my face. It ended up grazing my cheek, and I managed to get the upper hand and kill him." I say with an emotionless face.

"It's not too deep, so you won't need stitches, but it will scar." The Maester says and I nod. "I will, however, give you this ointment so it will heal faster." The Maester says as he hands me a small jar with a green cream in it. "Thank you." I say to the Maester as I take the ointment. "Of course, your majesty." He says with a small bow as I stand up.

I open the door to see Jace waiting for me. I close the door and Jace looks up at me. "What did he say?" Jace asks as he walks up to me. "I don't need stitches, but it will scar." I say as I start to walk to my chambers. "Of course." Jace says with a small chuckle. "I still have the scar on my arm that you gave me when we were children." I say with a smile as I look over at him. "Really?" He asks with a smile and I nod.

I open the door to my chambers and Jace enters behind me. "Shouldn't you be packing for tomorrow?" I ask as I go over to my wardrobe and get out a satchel. "I have everything I need." Jace says as he wraps his arms around my waist. "Oh really, because I think you need clothes and a sword too." I say with a laugh. "Oh shut up." Jace says as he lets go of my waist. I laugh again and go over to my wardrobe and get out my flying gear.

I get out a pair of black boots and I also get out my black dragon armor Daemon had made for my sixteenth name day. I run my fingers over the detailed armor. The breastplate is rigid and mimics the underside of a dragon. The shoulder plates and gauntlets look like dragon scales and they have a small black dragon with emeralds for the eyes on each piece. I turn over one of the gauntlets to see the words 'fire and blood' carved into the inside. I turn over the other one to see the words 'blood of the dragon' carved into it.

"It really is beautiful armor." Jace says as he comes over and places his hand on a gauntlet. "Yes, it is now you need to go get yours." I say as I turn around to look at Jace. Jace sighs with a smile on his face and holds his hands up in mock surrender. He turns around and leaves my chambers. "I love you!" I call out as he closes the door. I hear him laugh and I go back to packing. I go back to my closet and get out the daggers that match my armor.

I open a secret compartment in my wardrobe to reveal the two Valyrian steel swords my mother had made for me: Heartstriker and Azurewrath. They are the same black steel as my armor. They both have a dragon carved into the hilt with emerald eyes that looks like Valathore. When I was training in Kings Landing, I became very good at dual-wielding swords. Jace always hated learning how to dual-wield, but I always found it the perfect challenge. Plus, if you lose one sword in battle, you still have the other.

I then get out my black undershirt and pants that I wear under my armor. I get out the corresponding black chainmail armor and I place my normal sword Willbreaker and my dagger into the secret compartment in my wardrobe and then close the compartment. I hear a knock on my door and I close my wardrobe. "Enter." I say as I continue to pack my bag.

"You know there won't be any fighting, don't you? You will be accompanying us, and then you will return here, to Dragonstone, while the rest of us go to King's Landing." Daemon says as he walks over to me. "I know, but I just want to have an opportunity to wear this armor." I reply with a smile as Daemon chuckles. "I never got the chance to properly thank you for this." I say as I run my fingers over the detailed armor. "There's no need to." Daemon says as he looks down at the armor. "Yes, there is. You've done so much for me and my mother, Daemon. I don't think I'll ever be able to repay you." I say as I look up at him. "You already have by being a wonderful daughter and being so kind to Baela and Rhaena when they felt like they didn't belong here." Daemon says with a smile. "I should be the one thanking you, Rhaella." Daemon says and I smile.

I hear a knock on my door and before I can say anything, Daemon says enter. A servant enters and looks at Daemon. "The Queen has requested your presence, your highness." The servant says as he looks at Daemon. "I will be there shortly." Daemon says and the servant bows and exits my chambers. "We will have our revenge, Rhaella, but you must be patient." Daemon says as he places a hand on my shoulder. I nod and Daemon exits my chambers.

I sigh as I go over to my balcony and look out over the ocean. I smile as I see Vermax and Valathore flying side by side one another over the sea. I turn around and walk back into my chambers. I walk over to my vanity and take off my jewelry and undo my braids. I slip off my dress and put on my black nightgown. I walk over to my bed and sit down. I hear my door open and I look over to see Jace. "You were really gonna go to sleep without me?" Jace asks in a fake offended tone. "You were being too slow." I say sarcastically as I pull the covers over my legs. Jace and I laugh and Jace falls onto the bed.

"I love you." Jace says with a smile as he looks up at me. "I love you too." I say as I kiss him. "You know this will be the last night we have together for a while." Jace says and I sigh. "Don't remind me." I say as I close my eyes. "Well then, I guess I better give you something to look forward to." Jace says as he turns over on his stomach. "Marry me." He says and my eyes snap open. "Jace -" I begin before he cuts me off. "I know what people will think, but I don't care. I love you, and you love me. We were made to be together, Rhaella." Jace rambles on before I cut him off by kissing him. "Yes." I say and his eyes widen. "Yes?" He asks, and I smile and nod. "Yes, I will marry you." I say and Jace kisses me again. Jace breaks away and laughs as he looks down at me.

"I love you." Jace says and I smile. "I love you too. Now we need to go to sleep because we're going to be flying most of the day tomorrow." I say and he nods. Jace wraps his arms around my waist and I smile as I slowly drift off to sleep.