It was still late into the night when Maekora suited up to ride Maxis to Daemon's home in Pentos. She wrapped her scabbard and tied it around her waist, placing Truefyre steadily at her hip.
Maekora stands near an open window overlooking the city. Her Queensguard, Ser Richard and Ser Wyatt, stand at attention nearby. Maxis waits outside, ready for flight.
Maekora points her fingers at her guards and ushers them close. Her voice suddenly turns to that of authority, "Prince Daemon Targaryen has summoned me to Pentos with claims of urgency. But we must remain vigilant. There's much at stake."
Ser Richard and Ser Wyatt step closer, their eyes fixed on their queen.
"Your Grace, should we be wary of a possible trap?" Ser Wyatt asks as he fixes the sword sitting at his hip.
"Indeed, Ser. We shall proceed with caution. This man is certainly not to be trusted. He could be in front of the damned king and murder me right then and there."
Ser Wyatt speaks up once again, "What are your orders, Your Grace?"
"We shall prepare for the worst while hoping for the best. I want you to call our little friend to find out about Prince Daemon's relations and his alliances. I want to know who he has been talking to and possibly prevent an ambush."
Ser Richard nods, ready to carry out his queen's command.
He knew just who to call.
"Consider it done, Your Grace," Ser Richard confirms.
Mae turns back to Ser Wyatt, "Ser, ensure your weapons are sharpened. We must be prepared for any confrontation that may arise."
Ser Wyatt stands taller and places his hand on the hilt of his sword, "As you command, my Queen. Our blades will be ready, sharp as ever."
Mae suddenly feels a little nervous. She did not know why Prince Daemon had summoned her to his home in Pentos. The thought of it being an ambush or possibly something worse plagued her mind.
She clips on her black cloak, bearing her house sigil. The emerald dragon now painted over with black. Mae sighed as she walked over to Maxis, who lay awaiting her rider.
She held on the reins as she climbed up and settled on the saddle, comfortably. Followed by Ser Richard and Ser Wyatt who sat behind her. As they all held on to each other, Mae gave the command to fly and they took to the skies.
Prince Maegor remained in King's Landing by order of Maekora, to protect her children and watch over them as she tended to the problem that was Prince Daemon.
Ser Wyatt sat in the back, praying and muttering to himself as they flew over the Narrow Sea and into the clouds of the dark skies.
Ser Richard sat in awe of the sights as they passed small islands and the whipping of the wind invaded his ears.
Maekora sat in the front holding on the reins as she relaxed, pondering on what may happen next.
•
Queen Maekora walked the halls of Prince Daemon Targaryen's home in Pentos. The faces around her reflected a mixture of terror and awe as they caught sight of Maxis just outside the doors. She was slighty longer than Vhagar who had made her lair not too far from them.
The resemblance to the Targaryens was unmistakable, despite Maekora's lineage belonging to House Maltheon, an ancient dragon-riding family of Old Valyria.
Finally, her eyes locked with Prince Daemon's, who wore a smirk of disbelief and stood in the middle of a large room.
Daemon smirks, "My Queen. I must say, your presence here is unexpected. But seeing you, I can understand why they say you command the strength of dragons."
Maekora's disappointment was palpable as she looked at the man Princess Rhaenyra had once swooned over. She couldn't fathom what had captivated Rhaenyra's heart.
Maekora sighs, "Ah, Prince Daemon. The tales of your exploits precede you. I must say, they did nothing to impress me. You seem to enjoy the attention, though."
"As do you, Your Grace. I expect you are getting a lot of attention from the Princess. She has shown a lot of interest in you. I do find it quite interesting."
"The only thing that is interesting to me is that someone was actually willing to marry you," Maekora counters as Ser Wyatt smirks, "Poor Lady Laena is probably deprived of pleasure and fun in this marriage."
"I could say the same about your husband, where is he now? Did he die of boredom? You probably killed him and put him in bottom of the fucking ocean," Daemon's lips curve into a smile.
"That is where he belongs. And I will gladly put you there right beside him if you do not get to the point," Mae says through her teeth, as she smiled at him.
Their words hung in the air, heavy with tension. The verbal standoff reached its peak when Ser Richard drew his sword and pointed it at Daemon, a show of protection for his queen.
"One false move, and my blade will find its mark," Ser Richard shoved the blade close to the Prince's throat. It was no use.
Daemon's laughter echoed through the hall as he pushed Ser Richard's sword away with a mere flick of his finger, cutting him but he ignored it.
"Ser Richard was it? The ever-loyal Queensguard. Your dedication is admirable, but unnecessary. I mean no harm to your queen."
With the tension lingering, Daemon shifted the conversation.
"As much as this has been entertaining, a fight is not what I am looking for," Daemon tells her.
"Then what it is you seek, Daemon?" Maekora sighs as she rests her arm on Truefyre. Ser Wyatt stands with a firm look on his face beside her, a hand on his own sword as he listened. Ser Richard was behind Ser Wyatt, standing protectively, but still slightly embarrassed.
Daemon turns serious as he stands confidently, "My Queen, let us set aside our differences for a moment. Consider the safety and future of Princess Rhaenyra. Many doubt her legitimacy, and it is our responsibility to protect her. If you truly love her as you once claimed, a betrothal can solidify her position."
Maekora's skepticism wavered for a moment as she considered the well-being of Rhaenyra. The weight of the decision bore down on her, as she laughed to herself.
Daemon stares at her confused, "What are we laughing about?"
"You are telling me that you care for the Princess's reputation and safety? You did not seem to care when you took her to a whore house and were going to fuck her right then and there. Was that your way of protecting her or did I miss something?"
"That was a mistake. I spared her that night," Daemon grits his teeth as he approaches her aggressively. Mae returns the energy as she approaches him too. Their faces merely inches apart as they stare at each other.
Swords were drawn behind her but she waved them off.
"Spared her from what exactly? It is because of you that Rhaenyra is in a relationship of duty and not love. It is because of you that Rhaenyra is now subject to abuse in her own home! The children suffer insults in their own home! Does that sound like she is safe to you?" Mae angrily spits out as Daemon does not move away.
"Help me fix that, my Queen," Daemon whispers to her.
Mae scoffs, "I do this for the sake of Rhaenyra. It is her birthright. She will sit your family's throne. Do not think I am doing this to HELP you."
"It does not matter. Our only concern is to protect her," Daemon tells her, "That council of leeches manipulate my brother's judgement. Rhaenyra does not deserve this."
"On that we can agree," Mae says as she looks down at her sword. As Daemon watched Mae, he slowly starts to see why Rhaenyra was interested in the Queen. She was beautiful, fiery, and carried herself in a very powerful way.
It is no wonder the Princess decided to go to the Queen after her night with Daemon.
"I wanted to propose an idea for you. For the sake of the realm, it would be the greatest honor if our children were betrothed. House Targaryen and House Maltheon united not once but twice. I am aware of Princess Mikaela betrothed to Prince Jacaerys. A powerful union that certainly benefits both houses. But if my daughter, Baela, and your son Prince Maegon were betrothed, our houses will be at its highest strength. Two dragon riders creating a long line of kings and queens to come. It also gives us a reason to be together when it comes to protecting Rhaenyra. Whether you like it or not, we need each other." He points his finger at Maekora's chest plate that bore the dragon in the middle of it.
She was still slightly skeptical as she wanted to believe the Prince, but every time she looked at him, all she saw was that night he had with Rhaenyra.
She felt jealousy.
"As much as the idea makes sense, why exactly does my House need protecting? We are across the fucking sea," Mae argues.
"That has never stopped anybody from launching an attack. The council is against Rhaenyra. My brother is not in the right state of mind to do anything about it. If they see this alliance that you have proposed with her and your children, they will stop at nothing to kill you and your family. They will stop at nothing until Aegon is on that throne."
With those words, a fragile agreement was reached. Maekora's eldest son, Maegon, would be betrothed to Daemon's eldest daughter, Baela, sealing the pact between their houses.
Though intense and filled with skepticism, their encounter had brought about a significant shift in their relationship. Now, they would work together, bound by the shared goal of safeguarding Princess Rhaenyra's future.
•
After Daemon and Maekora spoke of betrothals, Mae sat outside near Maxis as she stroked her scales. She was purring and puffing out hot breath as she growled at something.
She turned and was met with the face of Laena Velaryon, Daemon's wife and Laenor Velaryon's sister.
She tightly smiled as she had never met her and did not know her at all.
But Laena approached her and completely ignored Maxis. Maxis bared her teeth and that is when Laena stopped.
"Gīda ilagon," Maxis whispered to Maxis as the large she-dragon turned her head away from Laena and laid down comfortably. (Calm down)
"Ziry iksos nykeā rigle naejot rhaenagon ao, issa dāria," Laena happily greets her. (It is an honor to meet you, my Queen.)
"Issa riñnykeā," Maekora greets her back as she retied the reins on Maxis, ready to fly again. (My Lady.)
"Leaving so soon?" Laena questions as she approaches her, stopping right beside her.
"Yes. I am afraid, duty requires me to go back home," Mae informs her as she ties the last rein and gives Laena her full attention.
"Duty? Or is a certain princess waiting for you back in King's Landing?" Laena playfully counters.
"Does everybody know about me and the Princess?" Mae sighs as she squeezes the bridge of her nose.
"It is nothing to be embarrassed about," Laena tells her, "I find your devotion and love for her captivating. I am jealous."
"Do not be. Your husband loves you."
"Loves me. I long for someone to be in love with me the way you are with the Princess," Laena says, "But Daemon is not all bad. He is loyal to me and the girls."
"I am sure he is," Mae dryly tells her. Laena laughs, her attempts at starting a conversation with the widely known and stubborn woman was not going well.
"What can I do to get you to stay?" Laena asks her.
"I am not going to be staying, my Lady," Mae counters, "It is late into the night and my children are expecting me back at King's Landing."
"Are all of your children as wonderful as you?" Laena continues to push and force a true conversation with Mae. And it is not long until the Queen finally breaks.
Maekora laughs at Laena's words, "No one is like me." Mae chuckled at her joke as Laena grins at her.
"Would you look at that? The Dragon Queen has a sense of humor," Laena gives her a toothy grin as she gets closer.
Mae shyly looks down as Laena gets closer, "Let this not be the last time we meet. I want to get to know you more. I want to see the side of you that Rhaenyra is very lucky to see."
"You are looking at it right now," Mae jests as she walks to Maxis's mouth and grabs raw meat from her bag, tossing it to her.
"I long for more. We are to be family
soon," Laena smirks at the woman before her. Watching her bravely putting her hands into Maxis's mouth and properly feeding her companion.
"My Lady, are you trying to tell me something?" Mae says, eyeing Laena who simply shrugged her shoulders.
"Is there something to you want to hear?" Laena playfully counters. They stare into each other's eyes, observing each other's features.
Their moment is interrupted by Ser Richard and Ser Wyatt who come striding around Maxis and inform Mae that they are ready for flight.
Mae clears her throat as she excused herself and quickly climbs the reins, her Queensguard following her. Prince Daemon comes walking out and placing a hand around Laena's waist, kissing the side of her head.
Mae playfully gags at them, as the couple laughs.
Maxis takes to the skies and is startled by another dragon's roar. It is Vhagar, the she-dragon, the mount of Lady Laena.
She was told of her size a long time and it was clearly an understatement. She was really big. Just as big as Maxis and she was roaring at them from the ground. The only reasons he was able to see them was from the little bit of light being casted by the rising sun.
Mae looked down below and admired Vhagar's size. She was really old, with green scales, sagging around her.
Ser Wyatt asked from behind Richard, "Should we be worried about the size of that dragon? She's almost as big as Maxis."
"Vhagar will not be a problem," Mae confidently tells him as she commands Maxis to fly lower as they make their way back to King's Landing.