Familiarity ||| Jacaerys Velaryon

thirty-three

Rhaenyra knew who she would send to fight at Oldtown. Her dragons would meet with the Arryn, Stark, and Manderly hosts.

Rhaenys, Daemon, Alyssa, and Jace. Three massive and full-grown dragons, a smaller dragon to maneuver more easily. All formidable foes. And they would be going against thousands of soldiers and one other dragon.

They would not risk defeat against Ormund Hightower and Borros Baratheons army. They could not risk it. Four dragons would go along with thousands of footsoldiers.

It would be a decisive battle. If Rhaenyra lost, she was sure to lose the war. But if the Greens lost, there was nothing stopping Rhaenyra from descending on King's Landing.

Many weeks, many moons, did it take for things to be set in place. The hosts had to be prepared, banners had to be called, and they had to march and get near Oldtown before anything could truly happen.

For many days, Rhaenys, Jace, and Alyssa were training in the sky with their dragons. They had Baela up there to help them. She acted as Tessarion, Daeron's dragon.

He would've been about the size of Vermax. They were in similar stages of development, which was good. Tessarion would be easier to kill than Sunfyre.

They were quite a good team all the way up there in the sky. Mindful of the sizes and strengths of their dragons. Meleys, Cannibal, or Caraxes would've been able to take Tessarion on easily.

After all, Daeron had never experienced combat with dragons before. Not fighting other dragons. All the others had.

It was gearing up to be a great battle. One that would test them all.

And though Rhaenyra was confident, she was stressed. Because she was sending two members of her family to that battle, two more that she cared deeply for.

She needed them to be alright. Rhaenyra would have preferred not to send any of them. But she knew that being safe, sending four dragons, was better than trying to keep her family close to her at all times.

Before Oldtown, Rhaenys, Jace, and Alyssa would go to Harrenhal to convene with Daemon. They would go over more of the plan with him and then they would meet with the hosts from the north.

Alyssa spent much time saying farewell to her sisters and her brothers. They'd grown during the war but Alyssa knew it was worth it. So they could grow up like the royalty they were.

"This battle will be hard. But hopefully, next we meet, we'll be marching for King's Landing."

And then it was off. After goodbyes and promises to be safe, Rhaenyra, Luke, Rhaena, Baela, and Corlys saw them off.

Three dragons; the Hightowers wouldn't know what hit them.

***

Harrenhal was so much bigger than Alyssa had anticipated. It was the biggest of the castles in Westeros. Much of it, however, had been burned by Aegon the conqueror.

It was the seat of House Strong. And Harrenhal was said to contain a curse, a curse which killed Ser Harwin and his father, Lyonel.

Alyssa knew what it meant to be at that castle. At least, for Jace. She couldn't outright say anything, no one could. But Alyssa imagined it would be quite difficult.