Prologue
Alyssa stared up at the sky watching with a sense of calmness as it slowly turned black even though in the distance it was still blood red after two weeks. Turning away and covering her nose with a silk handkerchief so as to keep out the smell of ash and smoke she left the ornate balcony and closed the doors behind her. Only once she was fully back in her chambers did she let out a sob and fell upon the four poster bed that occupied much of the room. Weeping loudly she failed to hear the door at the other side of her room creak open and the light sound of silk brushing against the marble floor. Feeling a hand rest upon her back Alyssa turned and through the veil of watery tears she saw the worried face of her mother.
"Darling Alyssa why do you weep still, it has been nearly a fortnight since the mounts erupted" her mother asked concerned at her daughters state of mind. " Remember we were exiled anyway so do not grieve for those who sentenced us to this fate".
Alyssa's expression almost immediately grew hard and she shot a look of loathing at her mother. "WHY DON'T YOU GRIEVE FOR AUNT SAERA OR FOR MY COUSINS" she screamed and then let out a sob and fell against the clutch of pillows. "Poor Maegor, Haern and...Daeron" she said that last name with so much sorrow that a fresh batch of tears poured down her face and she once again let out a hearty cry.
Daeron was her life, her hopes and dreams. Ever since she was a young child she had adored her cousin of the same age, so much that her father had consented for her to be married to him rather than her brother Vaermon. All these plans had been shattered when her father had tried to seize power in Valyria and crown himself the first King of Valyria. While her fathers petty rebellion had been quenched soon enough it was the punishment that had broken her poor heart. Her family was too be exiled the current Archon of Valyria had decreed, all ties would be cut with the house of Raennaris. Never again would their family be allowed to return to their ancestral homeland nor would they ever marry another person of Valyrian blood who dwelled inside the city. Thus with her betrothal broken and her family shamed beyond measure they left Valyria and moved to the City of Volantis where her father quickly seized power and crowned himself Emperor of New Valyria.
Her mother remained expressionless throughout her daughters continuous crying and screaming and only finally spoke up once she had finished. "I know you still grieve for your betrothed however we are of the house Raennaris and what are our words" she said harshly looking at her daughter with a cold frown at how emotional someone of their family was. "Steel Swords, Steel Resolve. Once we make a decision as a family we stick by it and if someone does not like it we give them a taste of our steel". With that her mother left her chambers with a proud look upon her face as her want was whenever her family motto was mentioned.
Alyssa finding herself once more alone rose from her bed and wiped her tears away angrily as the image of her mother disappointed in her revolved around her head. Crossing the room to the mahogany table that rested against the wall she opened up a drawer and smiled serenely. Picking up out of it an object of overlapping scales the colour of the beautiful blue coral reefs of Lys she held it tightly to her chest before swirling round her room as though she was attending one of the grand balls that were hosted by the richest and most powerful of the Dragonlords of Valyria. This was the one thing that would help her become more than Lord Jaecarys Raennaris's daughter. This would finally allow her to make a name for herself and by doing so be remember for all time.
Determined to get what she wanted immediately no matter the cost she rushed from her room with a grim look of determination on her face and sprinted down the steps of the highest tower inside the black walls of Volantis. After around ten minutes she began to take two or three steps at a time if it would only help to quicken her pace down to where her father and brother should be practicing swordplay with each other. Eventually Alyssa came to a wide arching door and threw it open to find herself upon a freshly cut lawn and could faintly hear the sound of metal clashing against metal. Running once again she cut across the lawn and pushed past a few slaves who she offered a brief apology before coming to a stop outside a small arena. Peering inside she watched for a brief moment as two men with silvery blonde hair attacked each other with blunt blades until finally one was knocked to the floor and left lying in the dirt.
"Father, Vaermon it's me" Alyssa called as she slipped though the small iron gate and descended down the empty stone stands until she finally arrived upon the bottom level and the actual fighting grounds where she came face to face with her fathers best friend.
Looking up at the scaled creature Alyssa gently patted his head and let a brief smile come across her otherwise mournful face as she felt the warmth of Cinderash. Turning away from the black dragon she gently placed her egg on the ground in front of him. Looking up once again at the dragon she for a moment beloved she could see a flicker of understanding enter his eye before she stepped back.
"Alyssa we've talked about this, we want your egg to hatch naturally" her father said, his stern eyes staring intently at the dragon and what it was about to do. "It will only be a short while I refuse to allow you to use Cinderash for your petty wish".
"Father I received the egg when I was born, now I am seventeen and have waited long enough" Alyssa said with a hint of resilience in her voice as she forced herself not to look behind her else she would submit to her fathers will. "Cinderash, dracarys" she said quietly as the dragon reared up and spat a swirl of black flames at her egg. For a few moments as the dragon continued to cover the egg in flames she was almost certain that she heard the sound of a stone cracking. Commanding Cinderash to stop she ran forward, not caring for the intense heat that emitted from the scorched earth and dived for the egg. Clutching it in her arms she watched as he smallest head emerged from the shell and screamed.
"Alyssa what will you name it" her brother Vaermon called as he came over and rested a hand upon her back.
"I will name her Domina, for with her I shall help our family forge a new life and empire" Alyssa shouted for all her family to hear.
"Remember darling we are not the only dragonriders to survive the doom, I would think that they have all come to the same conclusion as you" her father forewarned. "However what you said is true, we must reclaim all what we have lost and in doing so rebuild our former lives".
With that idea planted in her head Alyssa stood up, still cradling Domina in her arms and said the four words that made her father commit to her idea. "Steel Sword, Steel Resolve".