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THE SMALL BABY DRAGONS WERE CURIOUS ABOUT THE WORLD AROUND THEM. The petite golden one sat on Bilbo's head, the hobbit remained completely unmoving and petrified, while he sat on the ground underneath a tree with Rhaenyra. Drogon's wound was still healing, and he could not fly long distances without being in too much pain, so Thranduil had extended an invitation for Rhaenyra and her dragons to stay in his lands, so the Winged Shadow could heal. Rhaenyra had thanked him with a shy smile for his consideration before strolling out into the gardens with Bilbo and her hatchlings.
However, not too soon after Gandalf joined them and asked if he could have a few words with Bilbo about what has happened to him during this adventure. Rhaenyra thought it wise that Bilbo talks about it all to someone, seeing how adventures across Middle Earth involving, orcs, dragons and war didn't often happen to hobbits, and it must have been strange for Bilbo to live through them. The Dragon Queen smiled and waved a temporary goodbye to him before turning her eyes back to her three hatchlings who laid curled up in the grass before her, tails interlacing with each other.
She found herself in a serene and calm world for a short while, birds singing in the trees above her, the sound of water running from a nearby stream reached her ears. Rhaenyra closed her eyes and tilted her face up towards the sky, letting the sun shine straight at her face. It is a relaxing moment to find herself in and after the many stressful days as of late Rhaenyra had endured, war would never be easy and both she and Drogon had almost died.
A small head nudged against her hand. It was the small white and blue hatchling who had woken up from her nap and crawled away from her siblings, begging Rhaenyra for scratches and attention. The small dragon tried to stretch its neck and full length and purred happily as Rhaenyra gave her all the scratches she wished for. Happily she flapped her pale wings, using her sharp claws to crawl up Rhaenyra's leg and curled up in her lap.
"I hope the clothes I provided for you are comfortable and to your tastes."
Rhaenyra looked up from the dragon in her lap to see the Elven King approach. Thranduil had decided to dress in a set of long and comfortable robes, dark green in colour with shimmering silver threads woven into the fabric in the patterns of tangling vines. His long silver hair fell past his shoulders and wore no crown of flowers and twigs this day. The King looked at ease with his surroundings when he stood close by her.
His words then made her glance down at the gown she was currently wearing. A purple gown with long sleeves, the colour matching her eyes. Rhaenyra was momentarily embarrassed that she was sitting on the ground while wearing something new Thranduil had provided for her, but swiftly dismissed the thought. He didn't seem to mind and instead joined her, sitting close beside Rhaenyra on the soft grass underneath the tree.
"I do, thank you." Rhaenyra made sure to thank him, smiling politely and laughing just a little when the golden and purple hatchlings woke from their slumber and started to sniff at the long cloak that was part of Thranduil's cloak.
"I have to admit..." Thranduil paused, as if he was searching for the right words, "Even though I personally may not have a good past with dragons of any kind, these small creatures here are quite beautiful."
"They are, aren't they?"
Rhaenyra glanced at Thranduil from the corner of her eyes, watching how he silently observed the golden and purple dragon climb around his green and silvery cloak with wary eyes. Rhaenyra herself had one hand resting on the spine of the silver and blue dragon to keep it calm, seeing how of the three of them she was the hatchling that was prone to aggression. Their mother's touch seemed to calm them all down.
"Have they been given names yet?"
Thranduil tried to reach out with his hand when the purple dragon sniffed in its direction, but quickly changed his mind and drew his hand back.
"I have been thinking of some names." Rhaenyra mused, lifting the pale hatchling up in both her hand, holding the purring little dragon at eye-level. "This feisty girl here I have decided to call Daenara, after my mother."
The dragon Daenara flapped her wings and shrieked, as if she approved of her name.
"A beautiful name." Thranduil praised her choice as well, smiling softly as he watched Rhaenyra place the newly named Daenara in her lap again. "And this one here?" He had gestured to the golden hatchling who right now had a firm grip on the fabric of his cloak between his small jaws.
Hastily Rhaenyra reached for the small dragon, mumbling words in High Valyrian for him to let go, "Sweetling, let go, we don't bite holes in other people's clothes.". She let the dragon climb up her hand, lifting it up a little up into the air, so he could hang from her hand by his tail.
"This one here with his golden scales reminding me of the sun, I have decided to call Jaedos, which in High Valyrian is the word for summer, the time of year when we can see the sun the most."
"Jaedos." Thranduil repeated the name. Rhaenyra noticed he spoke the name with uttermost care, as if he tried to recreate the exact sound she had just made. The pronunciation was not perfect but Rhaenyra was happy he tried too hard. Jaedos squawked and flapped his wings at Thranduil before crawling down Rhaenyra's arm down to her lap to bother his sister Daenara who hissed at his approach.
"And the purple one?" Thranduil asked her about the last and third one, warily watching the little creature crawl up his leg and curl up in his lap.
Rhaenyra arched her brows at his reaction, "I know you are scared, but they won't hurt you." Rhaenyra shuffled closer to Thranduil. The dragons in her lap protesting from the movements but Rhaenyra instead focused on grabbing Thranduil's right hand before slowly moving it, so the tips of his fingers stroked the purple dragon's snout. When Thranduil was not as tense as he once was she let go of his hand and let him acquaint himself with the dragon at his own pace.
"I have never seen a dragon this kind and gentle, not even the two other dragons my mother hatched all those years ago, Rhaegal and Viserion, were as calm as this one." Rhaenyra thought out loud, "Before I came to Middle-Earth there was one person I can remember who was just as calm, just as kind and just as gentle. Missandei I will call this one."
"All beautiful names." Thranduil complimented her choices, slowly and extremely carefully stroking Missandei's back with a single finger, his eyes on the other hand strayed over to Rhaenyra's face.
She pretended she couldn't see him look at her, preoccupying herself with stopping Daenara and Jaedos from sniping at each other and biting the respective sibling's tail. Though she could feel his intense gaze on the side of her face, it made her smile.
Together they watched how the three dragons caught sight of a large bird sitting perched on one of the tree's lower branches. Daenara hissed and leapt from Rhaenyra's lap with her wings unfurled, gliding through the air a short distance before making a clumsy landing. Her siblings were quick to follow her lead, landing equally clumsy seeing how none of them knew how to fly well quite yet. Keeping their heads low the three dragons crawled on the ground through the grounds to the thick trunk of the tree where they used their sharp claws to climb. Rhaenyra could hear Thranduil chuckle at the sight, and she too giggled when the bird angrily squawked and puffed up its feathers to appear bigger as a warning as it watched the three dragon babies advance along the branch.
Before Jaedos managed to take the last leap and bite the bird, it flew off, making a loud noise of disapproval that drowned out her children's hisses.
"They like it here." Rhaenyra spoke, keeping her eyes on the dragons and surprising Thranduil by her sudden statement.
Thranduil shifted on the ground, so he could face her better, "And what of their mother? Does she also like it here?" He said it before he could stop himself, perhaps a tad too desperate in tone. Did he fear she would leave Mirkwood so soon? Go back to the Shire or Rivendell?
Rhaenyra sighed after a silent moment of deliberation, looking straight into his eyes, "I do like it here."
His smile and sudden sparkle in his eyes made her laugh. "Drogon is still injured, and so tired from everything that has happened. I'm no cruel woman, I won't go anywhere until Drogon has healed well."
Rhaenyra felt Thranduil physically relax beside her, unconsciously both of them moved closer until her head rested against his shoulder.
"I would be happy to host you in Mirkwood for as long as you need." He vowed to her, one of his hands resting on her knee. "For as long as you want and as long as you need, Mirkwood's doors will be open to you."
Rhaenyra's hand landed softly on Thranduil's, hesitating before lacing their fingers together and held his hand with a contempt smile growing on her lips. "Thank you," Rhaenyra mumbled, "However, I also need to apologize to you for something."
Thranduil tensed up beside her, "What do you have to apologize for?"
Rhaenyra squeezed his hand and mustered up the best and kindest expression she could, "For what I said to you before I hatched the dragons. My words to you were cruel, and you didn't deserve that. If I could go back in time and take those words back... I would, because they were a lie. In truth, I said what I said because I was scared."
"Scared?" Thranduil said, as if he was doubting that Rhaenyra could ever be scared.
She nodded, "Drogon had just been gravely injured, and I didn't know if he would recover and if it wasn't for Narya I would have perished." She shuddered as she thought back to her close call with death, "Then while you must have thought me to be sleeping, my mind went to the Valar, and I spoke to them. Manwë, the King of the Valar spoke to me privately and said many things, half of them I have yet to begin to understand. He welcomed me and my dragons to this world, however he also said that it may be many years from now, far too many years for someone of the race of men to live, but he began speaking of the future, saying that I may be needed for something. Then Manwë pointed out that in this world my blood is something more than the normal flowing through the race of man, so he raised my Valyrian blood to stand on equal footing to the elves so that my dragons and I, and those who may come from me and therefore shares my blood can live in Middle Earth and protect these lands from darkness."
Rhaenyra took a deep breath, closing her eyes while doing so and felt Thranduil press a tender kiss against her temple to bring her comfort.
"So much happened, and I was told so much in a short period of time. I was scared because everything as I knew it was changing." She told him and at the same time her three children, Daenara, Jaedos and Missandei had made their way down the tree and curled up around their mother. "Middle Earth is my home now, and I will forever be grateful that I can spend forever here with those who care about me-" Rhaenyra was still holding Thranduil's hand when her second one searched its way up to his face, cupping his cheek, "- and to spend forever with those I care about."
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RHAENYRA HUGGED HER FRIENDS CLOSE AS THEY PREPARED TO LEAVE MIRKWOOD. She even shed a tear when she knelt to the ground in order to give Bilbo a proper hug goodbye, squeezing him a little harder before pulling away, letting him dry her tears the same way he had done when she was a child.
The three dragon babies had been clinging to her shoulder's during this time and Jaedos who felt mischievous had climbed from her shoulder to sit on Bilbo's head, his favourite spot where he playfully chirped at anyone who looked at him. Rhaenyra giggled, lifting him away from Bilbo with a smile. Daenara snapped at her brother's tail and Missandei purried, pushing her head closer to Rhaenyra's.
"I'm going to miss you." The Dragon Queen said, smiling and fighting away tears that threathened to spill as she rose to stand at her full height again.
"You can always visit." Bilbo pointed out, laughing a little and fixing his hair from Jaedos sudden attack on it. He looked around her, eyes going to the Elven King who was conversing with Glorfindel and Elrond. This didn't go unnoticed by Rhaenyra who felt a blush grow. "But I guess it won't be for a while." Bilbo drawled out.
Rhaenyra bit her lower lip to stop herself from giggling to what Bilbo was implying. She, too, glanced over her shoulder to look at the King, seeing him walk towards her and Bilbo. Elrond and Glorfindel strolled back to their own company, where Galadriel and Gandalf already stood and talked.
Daenara flapped her small wings in greeting, the dragon that was the quickest to anger had taken a liking to Thranduil faster than any of her dragon's, Drogon included. Or perhaps the little she-dragon simply enjoyed how he would tense up in surprise and fright when she leapt over to him out of nowhere.
Like he always did when approaching the dragons, Thranduil did so with caution and momentarily closed his eyes when Daenara leapt from Rhaenyra's shoulder to Thranduil's. He then opened his icy blue eyes and presented a calm expression, smiling down at Bilbo.
"You will always be welcome here, Bilbo Baggins. There will always be a place for you at my table." Thranduil said to him.
Bilbo was surprised, the honour of being promised a seat at a King's table whenever he visited... "It's an honour, I can't thank you enough."
Final goodbyes were given, though just before they were set to begin their travels back, Rhaenyra stopped Glorfindel from mounting his horse.
"Let me go with you," She said, "To the edge of the forest. Some guards were out scouting and said Drogon had landed there, I need to see him."
Glorfindel locked eyes with Thranduil, who was trying to be subtle with his attention on Rhaenyra. Daenara's loud shriek brought the Balrog Slayer back, and he nodded, "I know better than to stop you." Glorfindel smiled at her, "Maybe you should let the King know first?"
Her friend and smoothly gestured in Thranduil's direction before turning to take the reins to his horse. The Elven King's eyes twinkled in the sunlight as he nodded at her with a smile, letting Rhaenyra know he had heard what they had said.
The horse Rhaenyra rode with Glorfindel on was at first spooked by the small dragons clinging to Rhaenyra. Jaedos didn't make it better either with his mischievous nature, constantly shrieking and hissing at anyone who moved. Daenara had jumped to Glorfindels head while Missandei snoozed in Rhaneyra's arms.
Like Rhaenyra had been told, Drogon rested outside the entrance to Mirkwood's forest in the plains. He greeted his rider and the hatchlings with a deep rumble, opening his red eyes and shifted his head closer to them. The Queen dismounted the horse and let the smaller dragons take a short leap of flight from her arms to land on Drogon's head. It made her happy to see all her dragons spend time together. seeing how Drogon is fantastic with them and tried his best to be gentle while they played.
"You will always be welcome in Rivendell." Elrond said from ontop his horse.
"And it would be my pleasure to finally host you in Lothlórien soon as well." Galadriel made sure to add, a knowing look in her eyes.
Rhaenyra bid her final farewells and waved at her friends as they left. Drogon and the hatchlings roared their own goodbyes, though the sound Drogon made drowned out the sounds coming from the much smaller dragons.
Smiling to herself, Rhaenyra watched them leave. The smaller dragons quickly became bored with watching the scenery and bored with Drogon who was still too tired to keep up with them. Looking away from the horizon where she could still just about make up the silhouettes of her friends, Rhaenyra swept forward to Drogon's resting head to pick up the little ones. The Queen bid a temporary goodbye to her mount and strolled back to the edge of the forest where it opened up and a path had formed.
Underneath an oak tree stood an old weathered stone statue with long thick vines growing over it, with only the face of the statue somewhat exposed still. In truth the leaves from the vine made it look like the statue was wrapped in a long green cloak, like a true creature of the forest. Rhaenyra stood in front of the statue, looking straight into the cold stone eyes with the hatchlings in her embrace.
So different she was to the woman the statue was made to represent. One of the two women, a true elf of Mirkwood who had once ruled there as its Queen and even in death nature loved her. The other woman, Rhaenyra herself is a Queen as well, from a different world and is fire incarnate to those who saw her survive an inferno and birth three dragons and ride a fourth one. Rhaenyra couldn't help but to think that, even if its simple elegance, this stone statue covered in flowers and vines, would have been nothing compared to the woman herself when she had been alive.
"I know you can't hear me, because I know you have passed from this world." Rhaenyra spoke, doing her best to sound respectful, "But I know that magic exists in this world and maybe through some twist of fate your spirit may still hear what I have to say and that you will hear my promise to you."
Rhaenyra paused to collect herself, feeling her dragons purr and move around in her arms. They gave her strength to continue.
"I promise this, I will make sure that I will protect the elves of Mirkwood as if they are my own people, I will do my absolute best to keep your son away from harm, and I will do the same to your husband. I promise you, Queen of Mirkwood, that I will do everything in my power to make sure this world remains safe from the dark forces that wants to see it fall."
Then Rhaenyra felt a breeze sweep past her, softly brushing past her cheek. It was not a cold feeling or even chilly as breezes often are, but warm and inviting instead. It reminded Rhaenyra of the warmth she used to feel roll of her mother in waves when Daenerys would hug her or kiss her goodnight. The warm breeze ruffled the leaves and vines as it passed by. Rhaenyra thought the next thing to be a trick and a simple figment of her imagination, but what she heard was a soft and faraway voice whisper in her ear.
"Thank you." The voice had whispered.
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To make a long story short, Uni is kicking my ass and I have barely had any time left to write on my stories.
I also want to thank those of you who gave suggestions for what I could name the dragons. I hope the names I picked and came up with myself go over well with you all!