I'm sorry for the long absence, but I've a lot of things on my mind. At certain points I find time to write this book, but it's very difficult. I hope that you'll understand and be understanding for me during this difficult time, which is preparation for the final exams. I'll try to write new chapters in my free time, but I don't promise that publications will be frequent. Just until June. For now, enjoy this new chapter!
theoneandonly
[THE ASHES AND BLOOD]
[ACT ONE
CHAPTER SEVEN]
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It's a Targaryen custom to place a dragon egg in the cradle of a newborn child. This had been the practice from the very beginning, and when the Doom came and most dragons were extinct, members of the House of the Dragon made sure that each newborn Targaryen received their own dragon egg. It was no different for young Daenerys Targaryen, daughter of Viserys Targaryen, the first of his name, and his first wife, Lady Lyanna Stark. The princess received a black dragon egg which was placed in her cradle.
For most Targaryens, the dragon egg has hatched. With her, no. This was a blow to the young Princess and the reason why the rest of her family looked at her with pity. However, Daenerys didn't give up. When she learned to walk, she would take her dragon egg and sit near the fireplace, hoping that the hot temperature would tempt the dragon to hatch from the egg. That didn't happen.
One night, the door to the Princess's chamber opened and a maid entered the room. She held a basket of freshly washed and dried linen. At first she didn't notice the silence in the room, but her concern increased when she didn't notice the gleam of the Princess' silver hair anywhere. She wasn't on the bed under the scarlet canopy, she wasn't under the bed, she wasn't under the chest of drawers, or in the room with the spacious bathtub attached to the chamber. She was also not on the terrace attached to the Princess's chambers.
The woman hurriedly left Daenerys' chambers and ran through the corridors looking for the girl who was only nine days old. Her unusual behavior alerted the guards that something had happened. And when the woman confessed that the Princess wasn't in her chambers, an alarm was raised in the Red Keep. The servants ran from corridor to corridor, searching every, even the smallest, corner of the castle looking for Prince Viserys' daughter.
The servants were running around like crazy and searching even the smallest nooks and crannies of the castle, even going down to the cellars. The Queen, informed about this, immediately took part in the search. Despite the difficulties in moving around, the woman actively searched the castle until she finally found her grandson
Prince Viserys looked mad. When he heard about his only daughter's disappearance, he saw red. The dragon inside him told him to breathe fire at anyone who neglected his duties and let the Princess out of their sight. He took an active part in the search for the girl, searching for her and barking orders at the poor guards and servants. The pregnant Aemma wanted to join her husband, but Viserys flatly refused due to her current condition. Over the last few moons, they spent a lot of time within the four walls of their chambers, or rather Viserys' chambers, which Aemma moved into after marrying him. Aemma, despite her young age, actively enjoyed her husband. The gods sent them a gift in the form of a child growing in Aemma's womb. That's why he was so worried about Dany. She was his daughter and his only living child until Aemma gave birth to their child - Viserys wanted more than anything for this child to be a boy.
His desire for a son was due to court rumors that Baelon Targaryen's sons had no male heirs. When Baelon takes his father's place, Viserys will become his heir, and when he ascends the Iron Throne, his son will become his heir. Which he didn't currently have. However, he had one daughter, whom the entire Red Keep was currently looking for.
The guards reported that a horse had disappeared from the stable, or more precisely, the princess's favorite mare, which she received as a gift from her grandfather on the occasion of her ninth name day. Viserys was terrified and furious. How could none of the guards and servants notice one girl sneaking through the halls of the Red Keep and taking her favorite mare from the stable? Was everyone asleep? Were they not doing their jobs properly? Well, certainly not since she managed to escape.
"You're to search every nook and cranny of this city! Every corner, every street, every household! Look under every stone if necessary!" Viserys barked orders at the lined-up guardsmen and members of the King's City Watch. He was panting like a mad dog, his eyes darting furiously across the worried and frightened faces of the men. "If you don't find the princess by sunrise, your heads will hang above the gates of King's Landing, and your name will be struck from the Kingsguard book forever. Now go and look for my daughter. Don't return without her or without news of her whereabouts."
The men hurried away. Their hearts were pounding in their chests. Their breathing was uneven. Meanwhile, Viserys Targaryen sat in front of the fireplace and stared into the flames, wondering why Daenerys would run away. She had everything here. Home, family, friends and all the riches she could ever want. Was she overwhelmed by life as a royal? Was she overwhelmed by her duty as a princess? Or maybe she wasn't as happy as she looked. Maybe she wasn't really happy with her father's new marriage and the baby that was growing in her stepmother's womb. Unanswered questions swirled in the silver-haired man's head. Furious, he overturned the table with various trinkets on it and walked over to the small table next to his bed and poured himself a large amount of wine, which almost spilled out of the goblet.
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Was she the black sheep of her family? She was a Targaryen without a dragon. Without the great creature that was on her family's coat of arms. Unlike her relatives, she couldn't take to the skies, couldn't float above the clouds, and couldn't feel the excitement of flying her own dragon for the first time. Previously, Daemon had taken her to the back of Caraxes, but it was his dragon, not hers. And although she absolutely adored Caraxes, for some time now she hadn't been able to look at the Blood Wyrm, nor could she touch it, much less ride it. Knowing that she was separated from her family hurt her so much that two nights earlier she prepared a plan to escape from the Red Keep. She knew about the hidden passages built on Maegor the Cruel's orders, Daemon had told her about them. She waited until the entire Red Keep was asleep and slipped out of her chamber, taking advantage of the absence of her maids.
Amidst the constant darkness of the hidden corridors, she made her way through them with a burning torch that cast a faint light on her path. And when she finally got out of the stuffy corridors, she breathed in fresh air. She quietly slipped past a group of knights sitting around a fire and reached the stable where the royal horses were. She quickly found the one that belonged to her. Prince Baelon gave her a black mare as a gift on her ninth name day. She named it Sȳndor, which meant Shadow in High Valyrian. She had previously spent her free time watching the horses' caretakers saddle them, and now she did the same. The bag that had been hanging on her shoulder since her escape from the chamber was secured so that it wouldn't fall during the journey. The princess mounted her mare and set off under the cover of darkness.
She could drive through town, but she didn't want to risk anyone recognizing her. The hood of her black cloak obscured her silver hair, but she still didn't want to risk the hood falling off her head as she galloped, revealing her Valyrian features. So she chose the path leading through the forest. She knew it might not have been the best decision she'd made in her short life, but she was only nine and then she hadn't thought about outlaws roaming the forests.
Sȳndor's hooves left traces in the wet soil as the princess's mare moved along the forest path. Daenerys gripped the reins as she led her mare to the place she originally wanted to go. The bag slowly began to weigh on her shoulder as she thought about what she was going to do. A Targaryen without a dragon isn't a Targaryen. This sentence kept repeating in her head, clouding her mind. She had heard these words many times as she walked through the walls of the Red Keep and the servants, lords and ladies gossiped about the silver-haired princess who was too weak to claim a dragon. She was sick of the tears streaming down her face every time she heard their mean comments about her. Every time she heard it, the idea of escaping became more and more real.
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Daemon Targaryen was furious. All he saw at that moment was red. He was in the arms of a whore when a guard from the City Watch burst into the private room of the brothel and began searching the place, regardless of the protests of the brothel owner and the other whores. When the guard noticed the angry prince, his face turned pale and he looked like he was about to fall. He clung to his sword as he told the prince about the order his older brother had given. He was furious. How could these fools allow his niece to leave the safety of the Red Keep on her own? And then he remembered the night he had told her about the hidden corridors built on Maegor's orders, and despite the situation, a smirk appeared on his face. Clever little thing. But then the smirk fell, and true rage, known to him as dragon's anger, flared in his eyes. His sweet, innocent niece was out there somewhere, outside the castle walls, and there was a possibility that she would be hurt. Daemon swore he would have the cock and head of any man who dared to touch a single hair on her head.
Ignoring the whore's protests, Daemon threw the golden dragon towards her and began to dress, then ran out of the brothel and mounted his horse, whose color resembled the furthest abyss of the seven hells. He had no intention of returning to the Red Keep, where his worried brother was, probably peering into a cup filled to the brim with wine. Instead, the prince joined the City Watch and supported them as they searched for his niece. He knew her like the back of his hand, he had been with her for nine years. Daenerys was his reflection. He knew every place they sneaked out to at night or during the day. Inns. A place by the stream where they often had picnics. The meadow where they grazed their horses and sat leaning against each other and watching the sunset. Each of these places was empty. There is no sign of the princess or her mare.
Until finally the prince's gaze fell on a distant structure built on the orders of Maegor the Cruel, located on the Rhaenys's Hill, the favorite wife of Aegon the Conqueror. And he knew this was the last place his niece could be. If he didn't find her there, he was going to burn the entire King's Landing with the Caraxes's fire and search for his sweet niece on his own.
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The Dragonpit was built where the Sept of Remembrance once stood on the top of Rhaenys's Hill. Aegon ordered this place to be built as an expression of the love he had for his sister-wife even after her death. In 42 AC, Maegor the Cruel burned the place down with Balerion's dragonfire, seeing the suffering of his mother, whose husband loved her own sister more than her. Instead of leaving the site vacant, he ordered the Dragonpit to be built on the ruins of the former Sept of Remembrance. It's a huge building, as big as the Red Keep. It's a huge castle with a dome. Its walls were thick and its roof was strong. The main gate consisted of a massive door, mostly bronze with some iron. It's speculated that the main gate could accommodate thirty knights, who would all ride inside on their horses at the same time. The main gate wasn't the only entrance. There were also dozens of smaller entrances, some of them with oak and iron doors. Inside the structure, long, cave-like tunnels lined with bricks were dug deep into the hillside. Under the dome there were forty huge underground vaults, carved into a large ring. The tunnels were closed on both sides with thick iron doors. At night, moonlight streamed through the opening in the dome, casting a soft glow on the dragons living inside. Maegor called it "a great stone stable for dragons".
Construction continued at the beginning of Jaehaerys' reign. In 49 AC Lord Rogar Baratheon married the Queen Regent, Alyssa Velaryon, at the Dragonpit in front of forty thousand people. It was the first wedding in the Dragon's Den. Jaehaerys often visited this place with his sister, Alysanne. He oversaw the construction of a place where the Targaryen dragons would live, as he increasingly heard complaints from local residents who were suffering from the dragons' voracious and rebellious nature. Construction of the pit was finally completed in 55 AC. and a great tournament was held to celebrate. Ser Lucamore Strong, the victor of the hand-to-hand combat, was rewarded with the white cloak of the Kingsguard.
Balerion was the first dragon to live in the Dragonpit. This happened when the Conqueror's dragon returned to King's Landing, and Jaehaerys, remembering that the dragon also belonged to Maegor, ordered it imprisoned in the Dragonpit. Later, three young dragons were placed there, until the Dragonpit was gradually inhabited by the newest dragons. Jaehaerys raised warriors who knew the High Valyrian and became the Dragonkeepers. By 72 AC, Caraxes was considered the fiercest of the young dragons living at the Dragonpit. Last year, a few moons after his former rider's death, Daemon bonded with Caraxes and became his new rider. In 75 AC, Princess Alyssa Targaryen claimed Meleys as her mount in the Dragonpit. Meleys had been on Driftmark for several years, ever since the dragon had bonded with Rhaenys Targaryen. In 84 AC Princess Saera Targaryen tried to sneak into the Dragonpit, but was caught by the Dragonkeepers and returned to the Red Keep. And just a moon ago, Prince Viserys became involved with the Black Dread.
Daenerys visited the Dragonpit many times. And each time she was just as impressed as the first time. The knowledge that many dragons lived inside fueled her with excitement and fear. The princess deftly jumped down from Sȳndor's back and tied her reins to a nearby tree. She adjusted her bag on her shoulder and slowly walked towards one of the many side entrances. She knew that the dragonkeepers were sleeping at this time, but she still remained silent as she went deeper into the tunnels. Her body warmed up pleasantly from the high temperature in the basement of the Dragonpit. She knew she was getting closer. However, she was still anxious. This time her uncle wasn't with her to calm Caraxes down as he began to snort nervously as he sensed the stranger approaching him. She was alone and on her own.
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Daemon's black horse galloped through the city path that led straight to the Dragonpit. He had passed this road many times to meet Caraxes. He passed through here with his father when Baelon Targaryen was taking his sons to meet Vhagar. His mother, Alyssa, was more than pleased when Daemon expressed his desire to meet Meleys, also known as the Red Queen. He didn't have a dragon of his own back then, the dragon egg, which his father placed in his cradle never hatched. Back then, he could only marvel at the bonds his parents shared with their dragons. Then he couldn't stop the jealousy that began to bubble up in his chest. Until his uncle died and Daemon claimed Caraxes, the Blood Wyrm.
Now fear rose in his chest. He knew what the desperation of not having a dragon led to. He knew how his niece felt. He knew what she was going to do. And he was going to stop it before Daenerys was burned to ashes. And when he spotted her mare standing just outside the side entrance to the Dragonpit, Daemon didn't hesitate. He hurriedly jumped off his horse and barked orders at the City Watch members, then ran towards the entrance.
He hoped it wasn't too late. That his niece is alive and well.
But when he heard the angry roars of the dragons and noticed the terrified faces of the dragonkeepers who had been roused from their sleep, he knew he had little time to find his niece.
"Find the princess or I will have your head," Daemon threatened them as the group of men led by the prince continued deeper into the tunnels.
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Daenerys pressed her back against the stone wall, avoiding the fire that was already soaring towards her. Her heart was pounding violently in her chest. She clutched the bag that was still hanging on her shoulder. Hearing heavy footsteps, the girl carefully poked her head around the corner and noticed that Dreamfyre had turned her back to her. She breathed a sigh of relief and tiptoed forward. She had to be more careful. She had to keep her eyes and ears open if she didn't want to die from dragon fire.
"You can do this. You can do this" she repeated to herself, drowning out the other thoughts that told her to turn around and leave the Dragonpit. Abandoning her common sense, the silver-haired princess pressed on, delving deeper and deeper into the dragon's home.
With her free hand that wasn't clutching her bag, she reached for the burning torch, pulling it off the wall. The further she went into the caves, the moonlight streaming in through the opening in the circular dome became dimmer, and she needed additional light.
Various questions were swirling in her head. Was it really a good decision? Should she turn back now? Wouldn't it be better if she stayed within the safety of the Red Keep? Or maybe she should simply ignore the malicious comments of the inhabitants of the Red Keep and move on with her life? Did she really want to do this?
A Targaryen without a dragon isn't a Targaryen. That one sentence kept running through her head, drowning out the unanswered questions.
Her thoughtfulness meant that before she knew it, she found herself in a completely dark room. Even the torch she still held couldn't get rid of the darkness. She thought she was lost and had reached a dead end. She turned to leave the dark room, but stopped when she heard distinctive sounds behind her and felt a sudden warmth hit her back.
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Viserys Targaryen was furious. The jug of wine was emptied by him and he called for a servant to bring him another one. The wine was buzzing in his body. His thoughts revolved around one person. His daughter. It was slowly starting to dawn outside, and she still hadn't been found. His fatherly heart shrank at the thought of losing his only daughter. However, a man standing close to him advised him to stay in the Red Keep and wait for news. The wine he drank made Viserys submissive and he listened to Otto Hightower's words. He sat within the four walls of his chamber while the Kingsguard led by his father, the City Watch led by his brother, and other knights searched for his daughter.
He looked up when he heard the door open, hoping it was his daughter or one of the men who had found out something about her whereabouts. A sigh escaped his lips when he saw his wife's face instead of Daenerys' face. Aemma slowly walked into the room, her brown eyes scanning the interior, and when she noticed the fully empty jug of wine, her husband resting his forehead on the table, and Otto Hightower standing in the corner, she decided it was time to call it quits.
"Ser Otto, I want you to leave us alone," she used the softest voice she knew. Unlike her lord-husband, she saw the real Otto Hightower instead of the illusion the man had created long ago. She didn't want Hightower anywhere near her husband, especially when he was clearly drunk and mumbling under his breath.
The man bowed to the prince and his wife and reluctantly left their chambers. Aemma slowly walked over to her husband and sat down on the empty chair. Viserys avoided looking at her face. He knew she didn't like it when he reached for the wine and he couldn't look her in the eye to see the anger and disapproval there.
"You're worried..."
"Of course I'm worried! My daughter has disappeared and only the gods know where she is right now. No one noticed when she left the Keep and took her mare from the stables. A nine-name-day girl deceived grown men! Guards who have been serving here longer than she has been alive. To make matters worse, there are many dangers at night that can be fatal to a nine-name-day child!" his pupils were dilated and his eyes were like plates as he breathed heavily, trying to calm the dragon anger that was raging within him. Turning to face her, he noticed Aemma's wide eyes and pursed lips. "Aemma, I..."
"It's okay," she assured him, not wanting him to blame himself. "I understand that you're angry. You've every right to be. You're worried about your daughter and it's completely natural and understandable. I just want you to know that I'm here to support you in this difficult moment. I'll always be here, next to you to be your rock and support"
As she spoke, she grabbed his hand and rubbed his knuckles soothingly.
Viserys managed a small smile, grateful for her presence. "I know it, Aemma."
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The prince was unaware that while he was melting his lips in the cups, holding his wife's hand and admiring the child - a son growing in her womb, his daughter was coming face to face with death. That was the first thought that came to her mind when she felt a sudden warmth on her back. The characteristic sounds for dragons came from behind her. The girl closed her eyes. Her body was shaking, not from excitement, but from pure fear. Why did she even think of leaving her chambers? Why did she come here? She felt the bag weighing heavy on her shoulder, but she didn't dare to move.
That was until the sounds got louder. Bracing herself, Daenerys turned around and slowly opened her eyes. She was greeted by complete darkness. Hearing sounds above her head, the girl looked up and saw dark red eyes in the darkness. She swallowed nervously.
Before her was a huge beast that belonged to her father. Balerion, known as the Black Dread, looked down at her. Now, even in the dark, she could see his flared nostrils. The dragon, who survived the Doom of Valyria, took an active part in Aegon's Conquest alongside Meraxes and Vhagar, saw all the wrongs committed by Maegor the Cruel and took Princess Aerea Targaryen from there to the ruins of Old Valyria, who then died in very strange circumstances. And just a moon ago, her father claimed Balerion and became his next rider.
Oh Gods. That's all Daenerys thought as she slowly began to back away. The further she retreated, the closer Balerion's large head came to her. She felt the weight of the bag on her shoulder again. It was only now that she remembered its existence. She slowly pulled it off her shoulder and stuck one hand inside. Her eyes were still connected to those of the dragon, whose large head was getting closer. She slowly pulled out a dragon egg from inside the bag. The same one her father placed in her cradle when she was a baby. The same one that refused to hatch, no matter how many times she sat with it near the glowing fireplace, no matter how many times she prayed to the gods or the Fourteen Flames for her dragon egg to finally hatch.
She slowly and carefully placed them on the ground and stepped away.
According to the stories she heard from her nanny, dragons have no specific gender. According to Nanny, dragons are once female and can later change to male. Her egg was entirely black with sharp scales. It was speculated that the egg was taken from Balerion's nest, which was met with opposition from the maesters, who believed that the dragon wouldn't be able to lay eggs. Septon Barth believed that a dragon could change gender like a flame, after all, dragons came from the Fourteen Flames. Daenerys believed his words.
And now, as she watched Balerion slowly tilt his head towards the black egg, she knew the septon was right. The black dragon wrapped itself around the egg as if protecting it, causing a warm feeling to spread in the princess's chest. As she watched this huge beast protect its egg, Daenerys suddenly felt something she had always tried to push away. The pain of not having a mother. She had heard stories about Lyanna Stark, a beautiful she-wolf from the North who was brought to King's Landing after the Dragon Prince saw her portrait among his name day gifts from one of the lords. She had heard stories of the strong love that united these two, stories of the love of a dragon and a wolf. And then she was born, and her mother passed away before she could hold her baby in her arms. Daenerys felt unshed tears welling up in the corners of her eyes.
A Targaryen without a dragon isn't a Targaryen.
"There you are"
Daenerys felt a hand wrap around her forearm and pull her away from the black dragon, which raised its large head at the new presence, its red eyes resting on the two Targaryens. Staring wide-eyed at the huge dragon, Daemon pushed his niece behind him, standing protectively in front of her. But what could he do? Him with his sword against the dragon's fire? The prince felt his heart pounding in his chest as they both watched the dragon that had survived the Doom of Valyria slowly rise and tower over them once again.
"Lykiri," Daemon ordered. Calm down.
But he wasn't Balerion's rider. And Viserys wasn't there to stop his dragon from burning his younger brother and daughter.
"My princess!" the voice of one of the dragonkeepers echoed in the cave. A group of men surrounded the prince and princess. Daenerys clung to Daemon's back. He wrapped his arm protectively around her waist, making her feel safe.
"Lykiri, Balerion. Dekuragon arlī." the dragonkeeper ordered, but he was unable to control the furious dragon that was protecting its egg. Calm down, Balerion. Step back.
Balerion moved his large head back, causing relief to everyone standing in front of him. But as its large mouth began to open, the anxiety returned. Daemon managed to push Daenerys and himself out of the path of the dragon fire. The two dragonkeepers weren't so lucky, and their screams remained etched in the princess' memory forever.
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Aemma was lying in bed. Her head rested on her husband's chest and she calmed down as she listened to the steady beat of his heart. Some time ago, Viserys fainted from too much wine. The pregnant woman asked the two guards who guarded the door to their chambers to help put the prince in bed, and Aemma joined him shortly thereafter. The silver-haired woman's eyes were closed, and listening to Viserys' calm breathing and steady heartbeat made her feel sleepy. If it weren't for the kicks the baby gave her, she would certainly have fallen asleep. So now she lay next to her lord-husband, her hand flat on swollen stomach.
Her brown eyes opened the moment she heard a commotion outside. She raised her head and first looked at the peaceful face of Viserys, still in deep sleep, and then slowly rose from the bed so as not to wake her husband. Once she managed to do so, she walked to the door made of thick wood and opened it. She came face to face with the pale servant. His face was twisted in fear as he glanced anxiously at the prince's wife.
The boy looked like he wanted to say something. He opened and closed his mouth several times, looking like a fish. Finally he gathered himself and said:
"I'm here to...to inform Prince Viserys that Prince Daemon has returned to the Red Keep...with Princess Daenerys safe and sound...apart from a few bruises and soot on her body."
"Do you know where my daughter was?" came the hoarse voice of her husband from behind Aemma.
"In the Dragonpit, my prince"
Angry flames flashed in the prince's purple eyes. Aemma swallowed nervously.
"Bring her here, now"
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Daenerys was scared as she walked through the halls of the Red Keep. Two guards followed her. No one was going to risk her escaping again. But she wasn't going to do that. Not when she knew that the wrath of her father, grandfather and great-grandfather would come upon her. Even her uncle. Daemon didn't exchange a word with her on the way back to the Keep. Daenerys sat on Sȳndor's back while Daemon sat on Ānogar's (Blood) back, and the two rode in silence. When they reached the gates of the Red Keep, the prince hurriedly dismounted his horse and headed towards the castle, ignoring his niece's pleas for him to stop and talk to her.
She noticed the two guards guarding the door to her father's chambers and swallowed nervously as they looked her up and down. No one said anything, but Dany knew they were angry at her. She wasn't surprised at all. Her father probably turned the entire Red Keep on head and ordered to search her, threatening to take their lives. No wonder they were angry at her. But no one would let her go if she said she wanted to go to the Dragonpit and face the Black Dread. Her father would probably laugh at her if she said she wanted to give Balerion his egg. So she acted on her own. And she was in trouble.
Without a word, they let her inside, and as the heavy wood slammed shut behind her, her eyes darted nervously around the room, looking for her father. And she found him. He stood by the window and stared at the sun rising outside. Aemma Arryn sat at a table a few feet away, stroking her swollen belly.
She cleared her voice, catching the woman's attention, who gave her a tight-lipped smile. Daenerys didn't answer, just looked at her father's back, who refused to face her.
"Father" she said in a gentle voice.
"All night," the man spoke. "The entire Red Keep was looking for you all fucking night. Instead of sleeping in your bed, you slipped out of the safety of the fortress walls, stole a horse from the stables and ran away." he finally turned to face her. His usually calm face was contorted in anger, his eyes stabbing it daggers and his lips pursed until he spoke again. "Your little trip to the Dragonpit cost us all nerves and a sleepless night. Aemma is pregnant. She should be resting and not worrying about her stepdaughter's whereabouts. Even the King and Queen stayed up all night searching the castle. The City Watch, instead of continuing their daily patrols, they were looking for you, as were the Kingsguard. And then you were found in the Dragonpit, in my dragon's nest. Do you know what could have happened to you? Why did you do it? Why did you run away?" He was asking.
Her voice was quiet, almost inaudible. "I wanted to return the egg"
"Excuse me?"
"I wanted to return the egg to the dragon who owned it," she replied more confidently. "It was of no use to me. It has been petrified for nine years. I did everything to hatch it. But it didn't happen. I didn't want the thing that remind me that I'm not a real Targaryen to be with me all the time."
"What are you talking about? How are you not a real Targaryen?"
Aemma shared his confusion.
"Ask your servants. They think I can't hear them gossiping behind my back. A Targaryen without a dragon isn't a Targaryen. It hurts more than anything else. The reminder that I'm the only person in our family without a dragon of my own, the legacy of our ancestors and our name."
Oh, sweet girl. Aemma wanted to get up and hug her to her chest. She understood what she was talking about. She didn't have a dragon either, but not because she didn't want to. After her mother's death, her father was too grieving to continue the Targaryen tradition. No one placed a dragon egg in her cradle when she was a baby. Later, as she grew up, she became afraid of huge flying beasts and never dared to claim a dragon.
Viserys' jaw relaxed. "That's not true. I also didn't have a dragon until the last moon. My dragon egg never hatched, just like your uncle's egg. Now, I'm Balerion's rider, and Daemon is Caraxes' rider. Your time will come too, sooner or later. I know that you will have a dragon one day. And then you will feel as if your soul has connected with a special bond with your dragon, with which you will float above the clouds" Viserys promised her.
He moved closer so that he was standing in front of her. He lifted his hands and cupped her soft cheeks. "You're a Targaryen. You're a dragon. In every sense of this word. The blood of dragon flows in your veins. Those who can't see this will one day be suddenly thrown out of their bubble of unconsciousness and see who you are. You're a true dragon."
His words made her feel better.
She was a Targaryen in flesh and blood. She was the dragon princess who united the North and the South. The Princess of Ice and Fire, as she was called. And she didn't need a dragon to prove she was a true Targaryen. She could rip her wrist open and show all the envious lords and ladies the blood they wouldn't recognize. Because she was a Targaryen. She was the daughter of dragons.
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