Familiarity ||| Jacaerys Velaryon

twenty-nine

Fighting on dragonback with Jace was set to be more of a test to their future marriage than anything else would be. A war was more straining than any other marital problem they could possibly have. Alyssa was sure of that as she was dressed in her blood-red armour and riding leathers.

Quite a sight against the coal-black scales of her beast.

Daemon was told she would be fighting. And he knew enough strategy that he could not just show up at the battle. He trusted Alyssa's abilities on the back of her dragon; he was the one who taught her.

She would be fine. And if she became a kinslayer, so be it. There were degrees to that taboo, of course. Cousins weren't so bad, anyway.

Rhaenys, Jace, and Alyssa had gone over their plan a number of times. Who would be doing what in the event of an all-out battle with Vhagar and Sunfyre or a battle with Sunfyre only.

Baela and Rhaena bid farewell to all the people they cared about. Their cousin, sister, and grandmother. They wished them well, prayed over them, and made them all promise to be careful.

Rhaenyra and Corlys did the same at the base of the Dragonmont. Hugging her eldest son, pulling Alyssa into an embrace, and giving a respectful nod to Rhaenys.

Corlys had faith in all three of them. Especially his wife. "The usurper stands not a chance," he'd said, kissing Rhaenys in farewell.

And before the three of them mounted their dragons for battle, Rhaenys took one of Jace's and one of Alyssa's hands. "Fight well. Stick together. We are true dragons; they will be answered with fire and blood."

They would fight with everything they had. Calling on the blood of the dragon that ran through their veins, on their ancestors who used the beasts for war.

Alyssa said farewell to Jace a little differently. Just a peck on the cheek before she departed up the Dragonmont. "I will see you after we've won," Alyssa assured, leaving to get to Cannibal.

It would be his first instance of war but not his first instance of battle with other dragons. Perhaps he'd usually battled smaller dragons than himself.

But Cannibal knew how to kill. He knew how dragons fought back, how to go for the kill shot. He was big and tough and old. Alyssa had no doubt that he'd been made for war.

The Dragonkeepers had retrieved her beast for her. Cannibal was waiting outside his lair, growling when he saw his rider. That's how he showed affection.

She needed a moment with him. Alyssa stood before Cannibal and raised her hands. Cannibal obediently lowered his head and Alyssa touched him tenderly. A strange change for a dragon of his size and ferocity.

But she needed to feel connected to him. Alyssa needed to ensure they were as bonded as ever, that they were unshakable. She breathed in time with him, humming softly.

"We're going to fight," Alyssa said to him, switching easily to Valyrian. "We will fight and we will win. Obey me. Trust me. We can do this."

Cannibal shook his head, becoming a little bit riled. He knew what fight meant, knew some of those words. He was ready.

With that, Alyssa let him go and walked around his body to his wing. She could hear Jace and Rhaenys mounting their beasts and rising into the air already.