The rhythmic sounds of waves and the gentle creaking of the ship greeted Thereya as she slowly stirred from unconsciousness. Sunlight streamed through the cracks, casting warm rays on the confined space. With a groan, she brought a hand to her head, feeling the dull ache that pulsed through her skull.
As Thereya sat up, the ship's movement beneath her became apparent, and the realization of her surroundings settled in. The salty air mingled with the lingering scent of the sea, and she found herself in a confined space, uncertain of how she had arrived or what awaited her beyond the wooden walls. The journey, once promising hope, had taken an ominous turn, and the princess now faced the uncertainty of her circumstances on this ship bound for destinations unknown.
As Thereya adjusted to the dim light filtering through the cracks, the contours of her surroundings became clearer. The confined space she found herself in was not just any part of the ship; it was a cell. The realization hit her like a wave, bringing a surge of apprehension.
The air in the cell felt stagnant, and the only sounds were the distant echoes of the ship's movements and the occasional lapping of waves against the hull. Thereya's eyes scanned the wooden enclosure, searching for any signs of an exit or clues about her captors. The salty sea breeze that once promised freedom now carried an undertone of captivity.
She suddenly felt an unexpected weight on her. Turning with a mix of relief and irritation, she discovered Aegon deeply asleep, his leg casually draped over her. Relief washed over her at the sight of him alive, but annoyance quickly followed as she found herself entangled in an unintentional embrace.
"You!-" Thereya exclaimed, her voice a hushed combination of frustration and disbelief. Aegon, oblivious to the commotion he had caused, continued to sleep soundly, his leg serving as an unwitting barrier to her freedom of movement.
Fueled by frustration, Thereya wasted no time. With determined resolve, she reached down and unceremoniously yanked off Aegon's boot. Gripping it firmly, she began smacking him with it, the blows landing with a series of indignant thuds.
"How could you sleep at a time like this?! You little shit!" Thereya shouted, her anger echoing in the confined space. The rhythmic smacks of the boot against Aegon served as a percussive backdrop to her tirade.
Startled from his slumber by the stinging sensation of the boot strikes, Aegon jolted awake with a yelp. "Ouch! What in the Seven Hells!?" he exclaimed, attempting to shield himself and wrest the boot from Thereya's grasp.
As he fumbled to reclaim his stolen footwear, Aegon couldn't resist making unnecessary comments with a smirk, knowing full well it would only escalate the situation. "Well, if I knew you were into that kind of wake-up call, Princess, I might have slept even more soundly," he quipped, a mischievous glint in his eyes, fully aware that his words were likely to further fuel Thereya's already palpable irritation.
Frustration etched across her face, Thereya paused, taking a moment to angrily sweep the strands of hair from her eyes. Standing up with a determined resolve, she grabbed the boot and hurled it at Aegon with an exasperated force. The clang of the boot against the bars punctuated her growing irritation.
Storming over to the cell's bars, Thereya's hands gripped the cold metal as she tried to shake them and, futilely, even attempted to rip them off. The frustration in her voice echoed through the cramped space as she turned her ire toward Aegon. "You got me into this cell, now you need to get me out of it!" she demanded, her eyes flashing with a fiery determination. The confines of the cell couldn't contain the intensity of her desire for freedom, nor could they hide the palpable tension between the two captives.
Aegon, still seated with a skeptical expression, looked at Thereya like she was the one in need of a reality check. "There's no way out unless they let us go themselves," he stated matter-of-factly.
But Thereya, driven by frustration and a surge of determination, didn't accept this bleak outlook. In a sudden burst of irritation, she turned around and, with an unexpected agility, jumped on Aegon. "I'll strangle you if I have to!" she shouted, initiating an impromptu scuffle.
The confined space of the cell became a chaotic battleground as they grappled with each other. Aegon, seizing the opportunity, pulled Thereya's hair, and in response, she retaliated by gripping his collar.
The sudden, ear-piercing screech disrupted their tumultuous struggle, prompting both Thereya and Aegon to startle and instinctively pull backward. Aegon, acting on instinct, pushed Thereya in front of himself as if to shield himself from an unseen threat.
The source of the disturbance remained unknown, leaving them suspended in a moment of tense anticipation within the confines of the cell. The air crackled with a heightened sense of uncertainty as they both strained to discern the origin of the unsettling sound and what it might mean for their unforeseen situation.
As another screech reverberated through the cell, Thereya's eyes widened with a mix of realization and worry. Her gaze shifted towards the cloth that once cradled the dragon egg. Something was stirring beneath its folds, and a sense of urgency overcame her.
"There's something there! Reach your hand inside!" Thereya exclaimed to Aegon, her voice laced with a blend of concern and curiosity.
Aegon hesitated for a moment, skeptical about the idea of reaching into the cloth. "This is ridiculous," he protested. Nevertheless, he reluctantly extended his hand into the makeshift nest.
Thereya, leaning in with a mix of curiosity and concern, asked, "What is it? Can you feel anything?"
However, Aegon initially shook his head, saying, "I feel nothing." There was a moment of uncertainty, both of them trying to make sense of the situation.
Suddenly, Aegon's calm demeanor shattered as he shouted in pain, pulling his hand out of the cloth. There, clamped onto his thumb, was a small blue dragon with red scales, roughly the size of a larger bat. The creature screeched, its tiny jaws firmly latched onto Aegon's thumb.
Thereya, startled and almost in disbelief at the sight, jolted back. Aegon, now in distress, shouted at her, "Take it off! Get it off!" The unexpected addition of a miniature dragon brought a chaotic twist to their already tumultuous situation, and they were left grappling with this unanticipated companion that seemed to have emerged from the mysterious depths of the dragon egg.
In a moment of instinct, Thereya, summoning courage and a touch of maternal instinct, grabbed the small dragon like one would pluck a misbehaving chicken. She pulled it off Aegon's thumb, him still hissing in pain, and cradled the tiny creature in her hands. Aegon, nursing his injured thumb, moved away, eyeing the tiny dragon cautiously.
As Thereya held the dragon, it gradually stopped its screeching, and the chaotic energy in the cell subsided. Thereya, her initial shock giving way to a sense of joy and curiosity, looked at the small dragon with affection. "Hello, pretty girl," she greeted it, creating an unexpected bond in the midst of their uncertain circumstances.
Aegon's shout echoed through the cell, his words a mixture of incredulity and frustration. "How is that even possible? Where did you get the egg in the first place? It's not like dragons grow on trees!" His disbelief hung in the air, the reality of their bizarre predicament sinking in.
As Thereya carefully set the dragon on a barrel, she began to explain, "It must have been the fire that awakened the hatching." She paused before continuing, "Your half-sister, gave me the egg. As i requested... Like a welcome gift into the family."
Aegon, raising an eyebrow in surprise, asked, "Helaena?"
Thereya turned around quickly as she looked at him in frustration again "I said half-sister you donkey. I meant Rhaenyra."
Aegon, rolling his eyes at the mention of his half-sisters involvement, he muttered, "Same thing." However, any potential eye-rolling ceased as the small dragon suddenly took flight around the cell. Aegon, once again startled, questioned, "What's wrong with that thing!?"
Thereya, unfazed by the dragon's sudden aerial display, skillfully caught the creature mid-flight and began to pet its head soothingly. "Nothing's wrong. She's just stretching her wings, and have in mind that she's just a baby, and she's probably hungry." Thereya replied with a calm assurance, as if dragons flying around cells were an everyday occurrence.
As Thereya continued to give her dragon affectionate scratches, she shared a more personal part of her past with Aegon. "My mother used to tell me stories about Targaryens. She dreamt of having a dragon herself, i mean all of the children ever wanted to... You are lucky you have been born in there." Thereya began, her voice carrying a touch of nostalgia. "She used to tell me she would name it Drakus. My mother wasn't just any woman, she dreamt a lot. I thought that everyone did and that she is no diffrent. The difference was that her dreams come true."
In that moment, amidst the uncertainty of their situation, the dragon seemed to bridge the gap between Thereya's past dreams and the unexpected reality she now found herself in.
Aegon, after a few moments of thoughtful silence, spoke quietly, almost to himself. "I'm beginning to think I'm rather damned than lucky to be born in this... Gods forsaken family... But it's only when you have everything that you realize how much you lack." His words carried a weight of introspection, hinting at the burdens that came with the privileges of being a Targaryen.
In the dimly lit confines of the ship's cellar, Thereya's eyes met Aegon's in a moment of shared uncertainty. The air seemed to hold its breath as the silence lingered between them, filled with unspoken thoughts. She opened her mouth as if to break the quietude, but before any words could escape, the ship's cellar door swung open with a creak that echoed through the confined space.
The sudden intrusion of light and sound disrupted the calm, casting flickering shadows across the cell. Thereya instinctively took a step back, her hand instinctively holding her small dragon closer. Aegon, too, shifted into a defensive stance, eyes narrowing as he peered into the newly revealed corridor beyond the door.
The ship's interior held an eerie stillness, the only sound being the gentle creaking of the vessel and the distant murmurs of the crew above. There was a palpable tension in the air, a sense that whatever awaited them beyond the door was significant and possibly dangerous. Thereya's gaze remained fixed on the entrance, a mix of caution and curiosity etched on her face.