It happened just as I predicted. Those two days passed by swiftly and weirdly. I also didn't get terrified in my dreams. Mostly, because I didn't sleep for the past two nights and only had a short nap in the day in the company of Aiday. When my mother asked about the reason behind the dark shade under my eyes, I told her I was reading and sleeping late which she confirmed with Aiday, who only saw me with books for the past two days.
Baella and Rhaena had a lot to tell me about the Red Keep as we sat on the dining table. I asked my mother how my sister's betrothed looks and how they are in nature. In short, the lunch was all about the stories of Red Keep and my grandma's childhood.
As they all went to rest after lunch, I came by the shore and sat at a distance from where I can see all the dragons but I noticed Caraxes was missing, which notifies the reason behind father's absence from the dining table.
I stared ahead of me, at the sea trying to remember the sight even though it scares me. But we will be leaving Driftmark in a fortnight utmost, maybe back to Pentos.
My focus was disrupted by a loud growl up in the sky as Caraxes started to get closer and closer. Soon it landed with a thump that almost convulsed the entire ground, while my father stepped down in his own greatness. Well my step-father strictly speaking, but he didn't mind being called father and I didn't mind calling him that. He noticed me while petting Caraxes neck and soon walked towards me.
"When the ship arrived at the river gate in King's Landing, I was waiting to see you come out of it." Now I'm going to get scolded. He settled on a rock, a little diagonal to me.
"I didn't think I would feel comfortable there, among unknown faces."
"Every face is unknown until you meet them." He never liked my introvert self.
"Why meet when I can stay between the people I know, right?"
"Wrong, you will not be able to endure alone if the people you know left you." This hurted me.
"Why would they leave me?" My voice is already getting dense.
"This is life, Maenya...it is filled with uncertainties. You can never be too cautious with life." His life lessons frighten me sometimes.
"Then I will stop it" he scoffed at my words.
"I would like to see you try."
My relation with my step-father has always been affable. It was always easy to talk to him. Back in Pentos, he made sure all three of his daughters were in his sight. I don't know how good Argen Gallani was as a husband to my mother but he was not a good father. He barely ever acknowledged me, so all I have for a father is Daemon Targaryen and I think he is doing a satisfactory job at that.
"What are they like?" His question snapped my attention back at him. Seems like my mother has told him about it. I gave him a look that I didn't get the question.
"Your dreams. Where do they take you?" He looked quite serious.
"Did mother tell you that?" I smiled lightly.
"Well she mentioned something back at Red Keep but the darkness under your eyes tells me that they have scared you enough to deprive yourself of sleep." I could never hide anything from him with a plain lie, that's why I never tried.
"I am not scared, I am freaking terrified," My eyes sting with the tears that immediately gathered in my eyes at the mere thought of my dream. "They don't leave me...they just keep coming back." I felt a tear escape my eye.
"They always bring me right there," I signaled with my finger towards the end of the shore where water meets it. "That sea...it calls me, it whispers in my ear, and I can't help but move towards it." Recalling those haunting whispers of the water, my tears fell one after another as I lost control of my emotions.
"Where does it take you?" He was keenly watching me.
"To drown," I chuckled bitterly. "It tries to drown me, but I never submerged in it, as mother always pulls me out of my sleep by then." I wiped my face as a smile took over recalling how my mother always saves me.
"Hmm...what does it say when it calls you?" His gaze didn't waver from my face.
"I don't know...the words are faint but it's something in high valyrian." I really never understood those words. He gave out a long sigh.
"I think we should return to Pentos now," He stared at the sea as he stood from his place and his hand reached out for me. "Come on, it's starting to get dark." He firmly grabbed my hand and I followed him inside.
↞↞↞⋅⊰⋅•⚬☽☾☀☽☾⚬•⋅⊱⋅↠↠↠
120 AC~
SEVEN MONTHS LATER
The sky was convulsing with the force that flew through it. Every now and then, we will hear the ear splitting snarls of my parent's dragons. My mother wanted to be on dragonback today and soon father followed her on Caraxes whilst me and my twin sisters stood among Pentoshi lords of some sort. I only recognized one who was our host and landlord of the manse.
Today, My parents invited them to dinner. I wanted to oppose it but couldn't. Now they are entertaining themselves by seeing the world's largest battle dragons fly with their riders.
As I looked upwards, Caraxes caught up to Vhagar as my parents flew beside each other only for mother to direct Vhagar further up in the sky and I heard her scream something to her dragon.
"Dracarys." The dragon opened her mouth as fire came out in Caraxes's way, only for father to take the dragon in between the fire and as everyone gasped, only for him to come out of it, untouched.
I smiled at them and moved away from the crowd towards Aiday, as she took me inside the manse.
Later in the evening, the table was filled with different delicacies while all the chairs were occupied. My appetite seemed never good in front of a lot of people but I was just eating to get past this dinner. Prince Daemon was sitting at the head table, with mother on his right and Rhaena beside her while I was on his left and Baella by my side. The foot was occupied by the Pentoshi magister and his family on either side.
"We are fortunate in our cook, Your Excellence," My mother being the humble host, she is. "There's a plum-cake yet to be served, which will have us fighting over the crumbs." She smiled towards me, well I fought over its crumbs more than once.
"Then before we come to blows," The magister's voice startled me as he raised his glass. "A toast to Aegon the Conqueror, your exalted forebear, who joined our cause against Volantis in the Century of Blood," My parents exchanged a look. "On the great dragon Balerion, he flew to our aid in Lys and burned a fleet of enemy ships, thus turning the tide." At the end, my father rose to his feet holding his glass in one hand that made everyone hold out their glasses.
"Aegon the Conqueror," As he said, everyone raised their glasses, "To Aegon." and emptied their glasses while I kept my glass back on the table.
"This brings me to some business." I rolled my eyes, can't he eat in silence and let others as well. "A proposal I wish to make in the spirit of honoring our storied alliance." This sounds suspicious.
"If your aim is to marry one of our daughters, Your Excellence, you might have said so and spared us the history lesson." I looked at my mother while Baella asked a clear question 'what?' while Rhaena sheepishly smiled. Twins are already betrothed, that leaves them with only me.
Me. Suddenly, my appetite dissolved.
"I would not count myself so deserving, my Lady Laena," This weirdly made my father chuckle. Mother smiled reassuringly towards me while Baella scrunched her face towards her.
"I wish to offer you permanent residence here in Pentos, this manse I would gift it to you, outright, along with its farms and lands, the vineyard and the wood." Now the dowry is being discussed, impressive. "The tenants would pay their tributes annually to their new Targaryen lord. You would have your freedom of the city and the harbor, as befits your royal station."
He took a pause only to be encouraged by my father, "Continue." This seemed to disappoint my mother.
"Lys and its allies rise again. The Triarchy has made common cause with Qoren Martell of Dorne. At any moment, they may turn their sights north." He eyed all of us. "Your family has dragons, three now, mayhaps four in the future." He said, indicating towards my mother's now visible belly bump. "My aim is to protect Pentos from the lustful eye of the Triarchy. Aid Pentos in this, as Aegon once did...and my gratitude will fill your cup and overflow it."
My mother placed her hand on the table, as she said "Your Excellence, we are travelers. We've already extended our visit here-" Only to be stopped by Daemon, placing his hand on top of hers, as they had a change of glances between them.
"It's the most generous offer," He took a dramatic pause which made me mentally scoff. "And one we will certainly entertain." My mother slipped her hand out of his.
Times like this, I can't help but wonder how can someone be so greedy and selfish even after being the Prince of a realm.
Rest of the night passed in a blur as I retired to my chambers.