Red Keep. An hour after the trial by combat.

Rhaella Targaryen was moving with as much speed and swiftness that she could muster, caring not that people were looking at her with surprise or shock, and only shadow of modesty at this point prevented her from ripping off her skirts and running. The Dowager Queen was not simply angry at this point, but straight up furious and mad at her son, Rhaegar, and now she was heading to his solar to not only express her fury, but also to make him reverse his most recent decision, which Rhaella feared, could very were spell disaster for House Targaryen.

There have been vicious Kings, there have been stupid Kings, but there never was a King who straight up defied the will of the Gods, until today. Trial by combat was a sacred rite, one that if denied would mean that the Lord or King who did it not only rejected the Gods, but also went against his own law and people. If one won the Trial, whether confirmed guilty or not, all accusations were dropped, no matter what, and the person could go free, and yet today that was not to be, as Rhaegar had just condemned Daemon to life imprisonment on the Wall. He did so right after Daemon had won his trial and was effectively cleared of all charges, but Rhaegar ignored all customs and laws, and simply sentenced him anyway, and he did it in front of hundreds of nobles, from simple hedge Knights to Lords Paramount that were in the city.

This was a disaster, since not only Daemon was cleared of all charges, but also because Rhaegar acted without any regard for the fact that there were powerful Lords and Ladies in attendance, people who could easily become enemies to House Targaryen. Rhaella knew that right now her House could not afford making new enemies or alienating Lords and Ladies, especially now that the peace and trust in the Crown had been restored after Robert Baratheon's Rebellion. Nobles and smallfolk alike didn't easily forget or forgive Rhaegar for putting the Realm through a civil war just because he married a second wife, without telling anyone, disregarding common sense and customs.

The trust in House Targaryen even before the Rebellion was very small, thanks to Aerys, but Rhaegar nearly destroyed it all and alienated allies and friends from their House with his actions. Even now, there were still people that did not support House Targaryen, and Rhaella knew that what her son did today could cause their ranks to swell up even more. Dorne and House Martell did not take well to Rhaegar betraying Elia and taking a second wife, with Doran having nearly broken all relations as the result, suspecting that Lyanna's own children would sideline Elia's children. Only assurances from Rhaegar and an arranged betrothal between Daenerys and Quentin Martell were able to reinforce good relations with Dorne.

The Westerlands may have remained nominally loyal, but even fools knew that Tywin Lannister held no love or respect for the Crown and House Targaryen, after so many slights have been towards him and his family by Aerys. Nobody has forgotten the attempted capture of the King's Landing years prior, and since then Rhaegar has kept Tywin away from the capital, which caused House Lannister to unite with House Tully of Riverrun via marriage of Cersei and Edmure Tully, a person best known for his foolhardiness and hatred of Targaryens.

The alliance of the Riverlands and Westerlands was a cause for trouble for the Crown, and the fact that Eddard Stark's wife was Edmure's sister meant that there was a possibility that the North may not be able to respond to the Crown's summon, should the war happen. While Rhaegar and Lyanna believed that the North would respond no matter what, Rhaella knew that things were as simple as those two believed.

For years now, Rhaella has been in contact with Lyarra Stark, the She-Wolf of the North and Lady of Winterfell, a title that she retained even after her daughter-in-law came to Winterfell. According to Lyarra, the position of House Stark wasn't as strong as it used to be, and Lyanna was partially to blame for it. The Lords of the North once loved Lyanna and marched out to save her from Rhaegar, but when the truth of what had happened to her came out, the feelings of the northerners changed, and instead of relief, they felt insulted and used. The North loved Rickard and Brandon, and they were more than happy to avenge them, but to find out that it was Lyanna's foolish decision to run off without saying a word directly to her father and brother… That was seen as a crime by northerners, one that led to the deaths of their liege lord and his prime heir, and northerners were not going to forgive that for a long time.

Another thing that Lyarra wrote that caused distress in the North was Eddard Stark and his family, or rather, Lady Catelyn and the way she was upbringing children. From Lyarra, Rhaella knew that Starks have always take care to be brought up in the faith of the Old Gods, religion of the First Men, and that North was different from the South. Lady Catelyn knew of this, yet cared naught about it, as she intended her children to be brought up in a southern way, with Septa being put in charge of educating her daughters, while also making sure that her children all worshipped the Seven only. Rhaella knew that Lyarra was furious and had tried to steer her grandchildren towards being more northern, but she was unable to do so, because her own son was against her on this matter.

Eddard Stark didn't seem to see any problem with the way his children were being educated, and he never had any trouble with the Faith of the Seven, having been fostered by Jon Arryn and also educated on the matter by him. While he didn't openly convert to the religion, the fact that he was brought up by a person known for his strong religious views and seemed to have inherited far more from Arryn than from Starks in terms of qualities, made many Lords question if Eddard even held true to North values at first. However, when he had ordered a sept to be built in Winterfell, a heart of the North and religion in the Old Gods, and his seeming indifference towards the fact that his children were turning out to be more southern then northern made a great many Lords and Ladies of the North angry with Ned.

For a number of times now Lyarra had wrote to Rhaella of how she heard talks among nobles of North of how they may need to replace Eddard with his brother Benjen, who was brought up in the North and married to Dacey Mormont, a daughter of a loyal and respected House Mormont. For now, that was only small talk and nothing more, but Lyarra feared that it could grow into something worse, since she knew that while House Stark could always count on its vassals to be loyal, that loyalty was only ensured by House Stark's own loyalty to the North, its people and its traditions. And in the recent years, House Stark has not been a good liege House to their vassals.

While the North remained in an uncertain and unsecure position, Rhaella was also worried about the remaining three great Houses: Baratheon, Royce and Tyrells. Stannis Baratheon had been loyal throughout all these years since his brother's death and did not give even a hint at disloyalty, but even though he had little love for Robert, it should not be forgotten that his House had been insulted and bloodied by Targaryens. House Tyrell, while loyal and able, were not to be simply trusted, as the opportunistic and ambitious Olenna Tyrell, the real ruler of the House, sought any and all opportunities to further the power and prestige of her family. And if she were to smell such an opportunity among the ranks of Targaryen enemies, she would join her family to them without any hesitation, and that would mean that all of Reach would be an enemy to Targaryens.

House Royce had managed to establish a firm and strong position in the Vale and while Yohn Royce was grateful to Rhaegar for his new position that did not mean that, he was going to be blind to a King who disrespected the laws of Men and Gods. He attended during the trial, and it was clear that he had found the entire event utterly disgusting and atrocious, and Rhaella knew that he, along with many other Lords and Ladies, held strong sympathies towards Daemon, even before the trial. And such sympathies, coupled with the distrust towards the Crown and current King could lead to thoughts of replacing the monarch with the wrongfully accused and mistreated Prince, who now was seen to be favored by the Gods.

Rhaella was excellently aware that House Targaryen was not as strong as it used to, and Rhaegar did not help the matters, as he seemed to be oblivious to all of it. Partially she blamed all the sycophants that surrounded him, like Richard Lonmouth, Jon Connington and others, but she also knew that her son was always aloof towards the realities of the world and how it worked. At times Rhaegar didn't even seem to understand that his actions, all that he took, had consequences, and instead he simply focused his attention on the prophecies and his obsessions about the future, without even realizing that he was jeopardizing it all right now in the present with his foolishness. Just the fact of Rhaegar alienating and basically imprisoning Daemon had made many Lords question Rhaegar in their mind, and after today, those same Lords who kept silent about their opinions were now more and more boldly expressing it all.

That was already happening, and unless something was done now, tomorrow House Targaryen might have another war on their hands, and Rhaella wasn't going to have it, nor shall she have Daemon wrongfully sent to the Wall. She finally reached her son's solar, which she found being guarded by Lewyn Martell, whose presence meant that Elia was also inside, and Gerold Hightower. Ser Barristan followed the woman close behind and she motioned him to stop here.

"I shall speak with my son." Rhaella announced and moved towards the door, but the two men stopped her from going inside. "Did you two not hear me? Move aside, now." Rhaella commanded.

"Your Grace, the King has ordered to not be disturbed." Gerold replied, yet Rhaella remained unmoved.

"I intend to do far more than just disturb him, now get out of my way, good Sers, before I order Ser Barristan to fetch Anarion and have you join Ser Arthur in the afterlife." Rhaella was not joking and the two saw it clearly in her eyes, and decided to let her in.

Once she opened the door and stepped in, she saw that Elia was in heated argument with Rhaegar and Lyanna, one that was about Daemon and the predicament Rhaegar had put them all in. This was not a surprise to Rhaella, who knew that Elia cared for House Targaryen just as much as she did, and felt sympathy and pity towards Daemon. Rhaella always loved Elia as if she were her own daughter, and she believed that Rhaegar couldn't have found a better wife than her, but her son had other opinion on this matter.

For years now Rhaegar has been distant from Elia, having grown almost indifferent towards the woman, viewing their marriage now to be only a duty that was needed to be fulfilled, while Elia grew to despise Rhaegar because of how he treated Daemon. The kind dornish Queen once loved Rhaegar, much more than he ever loved her, and she forgave him many things, even taking a new wife, but Daemon… Elia could not stand how Rhaegar acted and thought towards his youngest child, and the way that his own Mother had abandoned him also disgusted her.

Much like Rhaella, Elia came to care for Daemon, though never to the same extent as towards Aegon and Rhaenys, but she always acted with care, kindness and compassion that Lyanna could not muster in a hundred years. This act alienated Rhaegar, Lyanna and even her own children, and yet Elia did not back off and even now she was trying to protect him.

"You have no right to do this to him! For all his life, you've kept him imprisoned like a criminal, all because of some ridiculous prophecy, and now that he has been proven innocent, you still send him to the Wall like a criminal?" Elia asked Rhaegar in a rhetorical manner. "Daemon is innocent before the Gods and Men, and that means that you have absolutely no right to send him to the Wall!"

"It is done, Elia. Guilty or not, Daemon will be sent to the Wall tomorrow, and that is the end of it. Should he try to flee from there, he will be hunted down and executed as a deserter. Either life on the Wall, or death here, just as it had been all these years before." Rhaegar reminded her, uncaring for his wife's pleas.

"Elia, you should understand that Rhaegar is simply trying to protect us and our children. He is the King and he has every right to defend the future our House." Lyanna stated to her, oblivious to how ridiculous it sounded to Elia and Rhaella. "You yourself saw Viserys, and that is just the beginning. If Daemon allowed to go free, with Anarion and Miriel, he will return to put us all to torch. We cannot let him do it. The future of House Targaryen, your son's future depends on it!"

"The two of you have done far more to destroy this future that you claim to try and preserve." Rhaella finally spoke up with icy cold voice, drawing attention to her. "Because of you two, and your insane hatred and fear of Daemon, we now stand before the worst catastrophe since the Dance of Dragons, and it is not Daemon's fault, but yours, Rhaegar." Rhaella glared at the man.

"I did what I had to, mother." Rhaegar simply stated to her.

"No, you did what you wanted to do, not what you had to do. You always think that what you want is what you must do, but that is wrong." Rhaella stated to him with anger. "I thought I had raised you to be responsible and always know what to do, but I was wrong… I should have been far stricter with you, but now it is too late for me to lament. Now it is time for me to tell you what you must do, Rhaegar: reverse your decision towards Daemon." Rhaella demanded of him.

"Out of the question. My decision stands…" At that moment, Rhaella slapped Rhaegar hard on his cheek, shocking and surprising him. "M-mother… Why did you…"

"This is what mothers do: punish their children for doing what they aren't supposed to do. And if you continue to act like a little boy, then I shall treat you as such." Rhaella stated to Rhaegar. "You will reverse your decision today, Rhaegar, and hope that this will be enough to repair the damage you've done."

"All I did was for the good of the Realm and my family. You know this better than anyone, mother." Rhaegar insisted.

"Do I? All I know is that my son started a civil war because he desired to take a new wife, thinking that it would bring him new children because of a stupid prophecy. I know that my son disregarded common sense and customs by taking new wife, insulting several powerful Lords in the process. I know that my son had locked up his own child out of baseless fear and obsession with prophecies. I know that my son cares nothing what Lords and Ladies think of him and our House, when they hear and see how we imprison one of our own. I know that my son, having spit on laws of Gods and Men, in front the entire Realm, has sentenced his son to the Wall, despite winning the Trial by combat." Rhaella recited to Rhaegar and Lyanna. "You never did what you were meant to do, Rhaegar. You always did what you wanted, and because of that, you might've doomed our House."

"The Nobles and smallfolk love Rhaegar, and they know that he is right to send Daemon to the Wall." Lyanna defended her husband. "You are just being angry that your favorite pet is being sent away…" At that moment, Rhaella slapped Lyanna so hard, that she broke the young woman's lip.

"Another word out of your mouth, and I will have Ser Barristan throw you in the same cage for a month that you put Daemon in." Rhaella threatened Lyanna, before turning to Rhaegar. "You say you are trying to protect the future of our House. Tell me, how does disregarding the laws of the Realm and Gods, acting like a tyrant and alienating every Lord and Lady in this realm from us helps secure the future of the Targaryen dynasty?" Rhaella asked of Rhaegar.

"If Daemon was allowed to go free, he would've sought to take the Iron Throne from me and my children. He would've started another civil war, and we would've perished." Rhaegar stated Rhaella. "Only by disinheriting and banishing him from the family and to the Wall do I preserve the peace and prosperity of the Realm and our family."

"Is that how you see it?" Rhaella was honestly stunned at how narrow minded her son actually was. "Do you honestly not see how you yourself have just given those same Nobles the perfect cause to rally behind Daemon?"

"What are you talking about, Mother?" Rhaegar asked of her.

"Daemon won the Trial by combat and in accordance to the laws of Men and Gods. He is free of all accusations and crimes, but you still went on ahead and sentenced him to the Wall. Rhaegar, you disregarded the law of Men and Gods, and hundreds of nobles saw you do in public, just so you could send a child, which you've imprisoned and held like a criminal all his life, to the Wall." Elia explained to him and Lyanna what he had done. "You have just spat on all laws and traditions of Westeros and its people, and you did in front of numerous powerful Lords. Yohn Royce, Mace Tyrell, Randyll Tarly, Monford Velaryon, Kevan Lannister, and those are just the once I can recall immediately, and there are dozens more. In a few days, all of the realm will hear of what you had just done, and then not only will the number of our enemies swell, but they will also have a perfect cause to take you down- tyranny and disregard of laws of Men and Gods!"

"The Lords will not start another war so soon after Robert's Rebellion and we have strong allies on our side." Rhaegar reminded them all. "Dorne and North stand on our side, and through the North, we also have the Riverlands, and Tyrells will not abandon their oaths and forget what my family has done for them."

"Rhaegar is right. With those four Kingdoms on our side, no one will be able to stand against us. And remember, that with the return of Jaime Lannister back to his father, Tywin has no more interest in getting involved in the politics." Lyanna spoke up, not realizing how wrong she was at that moment. "And with my brother as Lord Paramount in the North and northerners' loyalty and love towards me and my House, they will answer and come at the first sign of trouble."

"Lyanna, when was the last time you have received word from your mother, and not from your oblivious older brother?" Rhaella asked of her, before answering for her. "Years ago, ever since Lyarra had found out about Daemon and how you've imprisoned him for no good reason. I know that because Lyarra and I have been corresponding with each other for years now, and I know better than the two of you of how the North thinks of you, and House Stark. The North will not march out to save the person responsible for the deaths of their previous Lord Paramount and his heir, and who treats her own child as a caged animal."

"What? You can't be…" Lyanna refused to believe, but then Elia interrupted her.

"And as for House Lannister, Tywin now has the only thing that held him back from outright starting a war- his heir, and Jaime Lannister has no love for either of you. In fact, the only person with Targaryen blood he actually likes and would support is Daemon." Elia reminded them all. "Now remember that Tywin has married off his daughter to Edmure Tully, meaning that the Riverlands will most definitely fight alongside the Lannisters. Now you have unlawfully sentenced Daemon to life on the Wall, after he has won his Trial by combat, in front of hundreds of nobles as witnesses. Within a week, Tywin Lannister can have an entire coalition formed against us all, with righteous cause, a good claimant to the Iron Throne, and even the Faith of the Seven standing on his side." Finally, the reality has begun to settle in the head of Rhaegar Targaryen.

"He… He wouldn't dare…" Rhaegar was now starting to realize the magnitude of the possible disaster. "I have spared him after he had tried to storm the City, and I have allowed his son to return when I could've taken his head… Daemon can't leave the city… He must…" Another slap followed from Rhaella, who understood what her son was planning to do, hoping that she had knocked some sense into him.

"Don't you fucking even dare to think about it! You've turned my grandson's life into hell the moment her arrived her, and now you think you can just go ahead and kill him, hoping that it would solve everything?" Rhaella asked of him, furious at the fact that Rhaegar would do such a thing. "If you kill Daemon, or if he dies in any suspicious manner, not only will you have solidified your state as an insane ruler to all those, but I swear to you, by Old and New Gods, I will personally throw my support behind those nobles!"

"You would betray your own son?!" Lyanna was shocked to hear Rhaella say this.

"My son would never have imprisoned a child for just a birthmark. This… man is not my son." Rhaella's cold words, devoid of sympathy and filled with disgust, hurt Rhaegar even further. "Now, Rhaegar, do you understand why you can't just do as you wish?"

"Y-yes." Rhaegar shakily said, as he tried to regain his composure. "What… What should I do?"

"Repair the damage that you have already done, and finally start being the King you are supposed to be." Elia coldly stated to him. "First of all, reverse your decision about Daemon. And not simply in private, but before all of the court and nobles. Reinstate him as a Prince and return all of his privileges, and finally start treating him as the Prince that he deserved to be. That means that he will be equal to all our children."

"Out of the question! You want Daemon to threaten and burn Aegon and Jaehaerys, as he did with Viserys? You two saw the burns and he still has not woken up! No, Daemon will not be allowed to remain here! I forbid it!" Lyanna stated in a near hysterical fashion.

"You don't want him to be here? Good, because I won't have him spending any more time in this keep and city." Rhaella stated with determination. "I will take Daemon with me to Dragonstone, with Anarion and Miriel. With any luck, we'll at least be able to help him heal after all you've put him through."

"No, you will not." Rhaegar put his foot down on the matter. "You will not leave for Dragonstone, as you will stay in here to take care of Viserys and his injuries. And as for Anarion and Miriel, they are to be banished from Westeros, for betraying me and our family."

"I shouldn't even be surprised, that you would deprive Daemon of the only people that care about him, aside from me and Elia, but do you honestly think that at this point, you have any right to make demands of me?" Rhaella asked of Rhaegar in cold tone. "Viserys may be my son, but much like his father and now you, Rhaegar, he has shown complete disregard for decency and acted out of his own desires and nothing more. Do you even know why he was there today? He was there simply to belittle and humiliate Daemon, and before he was set on fire, he was beating him and Miriel, just because he thought they had insulted him! You have allowed him to grow unhinged and unrestrained, forbidding me to take care of his upbringing and educations, and this is the result! Viserys is not a kind, noble and caring little brother, but a vile, malicious and malcontent maniac, that is what he is!"

"Even if that is the case, it doesn't matter if Viserys was beating Daemon and Miriel. What matters is Daemon using some kind of sorcery to set him on fire, and I cannot allow a demon like him to remain in the keep." Rhaegar stated, before thinking of how to solve this entire situation. "I will reinstate Daemon into the family and as a Prince, with all his rights, but he will not stay here. Anarion and Miriel will still be banished, and as for Daemon… He is of age when sons like are sent away as wards. So I shall send as a ward to the North."

"North?" Lyanna was puzzled with the choice.

"A sensible decision, at last. Lyarra has always been interested in Daemon and expressed multiple times the desire to take him to the North as her own, since you and Lyanna have abandoned him." Rhaella could settle on this one, knowing that Lyarra would take care of Daemon with same kindness as she would.

"Rhaegar, he can't be sent to the North as a ward. Eventually, he we will have to return, and if it happens…" Lyanna was against the idea.

"I know, but it must be done, or else… For now he shall go to the North as a ward, at least until the things finally settle down." Rhaegar told her. "Once all is secure, we will deal with him, one way or the other." Rhaegar assured her, not missing the deadly glares that Elia and Rhaella were sending him.

Rhaella and Elia knew what he meant by those words, and it was clear to the two women that the man was not so keen on letting his own son live freely. This obsession, which was starting to take maddening proportions, still gripped Rhaegar as tightly as it did and he was willing to do whatever it takes to feed it. At least now he was starting to realize the damage his actions have caused, and that was the start, which meant that now Rhaegar will try to restore the position of their House and be mindful of his actions, or try to be, at the very least. Rhaella understood that at any moment in the future, Rhaegar may change his mind, especially if someone like Lyanna or Connington whisper the wrong things in his head, so she and Elia will have to be careful about what he does.

She was honestly sad with the fact that Anarion and Miriel will have to leave Daemon, as Rhaella knew that the pair viewed the child as their own, and Daemon trusted and loved them more than anyone. Dowager Queen could see that Rhaegar felt betrayed and cheated by Anarion, when he won the Trial and slew Arthur Dayne, one of her son's closest friends, while doing it with near utter ease. This came as a shock to everyone, as nobody had expected this foreigner to win against the finest and deadliest knight in all of the Seven Kingdoms, and yet Daemon's instructor and champion did it without even any visible effort.

Rhaella knew that there was more to Anarion than met the eye, as he always seemed to be far more than he let out into the open. Dowager Queen had some small suspicions about Anarion, but nothing of malicious kind, simply thinking that he hasn't told them everything that there was to know about him. He never showed any sign of ill intention, always gave good advice and remained loyal to the end, and that made Anarion one of the more valuable servants and retainers to have, despite the ghostly feelings about him. However, today… Today Rhaella believed that she and others have witnessed a glimpse of what Anarion truly is, and to be quite honest, she did not know what to think. The man's armor and sword alone were made out of the material that never was seen before, and they were clearly not made out of Valyrian Steel.

No, Rhaella clearly saw Anarion's sword chip Dayne's Dawn, a sword known to have the properties that were equal or even better than Valyrian Steel, and Anarion damaged it. She could already see all the Lords trying to buy either Anarion's services, or his weapon and armor in addition to it, because by simple logic, if the blade is made the same metal as the armor, then it was definitely impenetrable to everything known. Rhaella doubted that the man would surrender those to anyone without a good reason, believing that the only reason he revealed them to the public like this was because he needed to save Daemon, no matter the cost, and he did.

And this spoke volumes of the amount of loyalty and care that Anarion had towards Daemon, and Rhaella was honestly wished that the man could remain near her grandson, but this was not to be. Rhaegar would see to it personally that Anarion and Miriel were removed from the King's Landing and Westeros without any right to return. At the very least, Daemon will be in the care of Lyarra, the She-Wolf of Winterfell, and at least this thought brought a little comfort to Rhaella.


An hour later. Great Hall.

Less than two hours have passed since the Trial by combat, and most of the nobles still remained in or close to the Red Keep, and were quickly assembled in the Great hall after receiving summons from the King. The nobles assembled inside, but their minds were troubled with what they had seen and it was clear to anyone who understood at least something about the nobles, that there was clear dissatisfaction and discontent with Rhaegar and his decisions. Anarion, who was able to get changed from his ebony armor into his more usual clothes, didn't need any magic or special training to see that the plots were being hatched and interested parties were speaking with each other. Moreover, in each of those talks, he could clearly see and hear the name of Daemon being spoken, and in many instances, Anarion had to stop himself from going there and smashing the heads of these would be schemers.

The main topic of these discussions was, of course, the unjust punishment that the King had inflicted upon the boy, yet many of the more ambitions and greedy Lords tried to find a way to use the child to their advantage. Anarion and Miriel were not blind to what was happening at the court and how the people reacted to Rhaegar and his decisions, and they about the rumors of Daemon and his treatment, which had long reached out to all corners of the Seven Kingdoms. If before these rumors weren't taken as seriously as they should've been by others, then now that they have been confirmed, the nobles started to whisper about the unjustly treated prince and how he spent his life behind bars, like a criminal.

Almost all nobles and people present here had either forgotten or ignored the previously made accusations towards Daemon, as it was now clearly confirmed that the Gods were on Daemon's side, and that the King went against their will. Rhaegar was quite literally digging his own grave with his own actions towards Daemon, acting out without any consideration for the consequences and without a second thought. Going against the established laws, sentencing a proven innocent person to the Wall, in front everyone in the court… Anarion knew that Rhaegar was capable of stupidity, though he underestimated just how stupid the man could be.

At this point, however, Anarion and Miriel did not give a damn about Rhaegar and the Targaryen family, despite having cared and protected it once in the past. They were only concerned with Daemon and his safety, and that is why they were planning on finally taking the boy away from the King's Landing and leaving the Westeros entirely. They would've done this a long time ago, had it not been for the instructions by Kyne, who was adamant that they simply remain and raise Daemon in the conditions they were set in, without revealing who they were. Bound by eternal oath, both Kaan'Dov obeyed her orders, unable to break them, lest they face consequences that would prove to be too much for both of them. Even now, they were forced to obey and wait for the decision of Rhaegar, which as both had felt, has changed in regards towards Daemon, quite possibly thanks to Elia and Rhaella showing the man the mistakes of his path.

And while they waited, listened to the plotting nobles and observed the game of thrones being played right before their times, they sensed that they have attracted the attention of several quite prominent persons. Persons, who were making their way towards them.

"There he is, the Starcaster, standing in the shade, instead of basking in the sun's rays." Oberyn Martell and a number of other nobles made their way to Anarion and Miriel, with the former sensing a great deal of hostility from the Dornish Prince. "What is the matter, Fisherman? Afraid that the sun's rays will burn you, after you've made one of the brightest of stars fall?"

"I have nothing to fear from the Sun, Prince Oberyn, and you are neither a sun nor a ray of it." Anarion reminded the man with cold tone, with Oberyn taken aback by the sheer disrespect towards him. "If you feel that I have insulted you in some form, then you are welcome to challenge me to a duel."

"You dealt a grave insult not just to me, but to all of Dorne and its people, when you took the life of Ser Arthur Dayne, upstart foreigner." Oberyn stated to Anarion. "Taking your damn life will be the least that I can do to sooth the pain of my people and of House Dayne…" However, faster than Oberyn could reach for his dagger, a short blade was already at his throat, already drawing blood from broken skin.

"Leave, Prince Oberyn, or Dorne will lose not only its Star, but also its bellicose Viper." Miriel's cold grey eyes were enough to instill a sense of dread into even the hot-blooded Prince, and he relented, allowing her to return the short sword back to her husband.

"Your wife has a Dornish spirit, Stagslayer. A shame that she has chosen such a poor man for a husband." Oberyn stated, before moving through the crowd, akin to a child that had just lost.

"My apologies for my Prince, he… He hasn't taken well to the death of my brother." Ashara Dayne, one of Queen Elia's closest friends and confidants, said in a far calmer and kinder voice and tone. "I know that you have had no ill intent and only acted to protect Daemon, Ser Anarion. I will make sure that my brother and other Dornish lords know that Arthur died in an honorable way."

"I find death to hold little to no honor, Lady Ashara, but I did not wish for the death of your brother. He was a good man and someone worth admiring and respecting. I fear I can't say that I regret fighting him, but I do regret the King choosing him to be my opponent." Anarion admitted with honesty, which Ashara appreciated. "As for your sword Dawn… I know a blacksmith who might be able to restore it in its former state."

"Would it be the same blacksmith who crafted you your weapon and armor?" Ashara asked with curiosity, with many others listening in closely. "You have left quite an impression upon the public, when you came dressed in your strange armor, and fought with your blade. I may be no warrior or smith, but even I know that they were made not from steel, or even from Valyrian steel. Would you care to reveal what material was used in its creation, if you do not mind me asking?"

"The material that was used is close to obsidian in nature, but the methods of its creation is a secret that I am not at liberty of revealing." Anarion stated to Ashara. "The only other thing I can say is that neither in Essos or in Westeros there is a smith that can make that kind of metal, though my acquaintance may have the skill to restore your sword."

"A kind offer, Ser Anarion, though it may be best to leave that chip in place, as a reminder that even the best can fall." Lady Ashara said to him. "But, if my brother decides to have it repaired, I will let you know. Lady Miriel." Ashara nodded to both of them and left them.

"Quite an unexpected fight you have showed us, Ser Anarion." Bronze Yohn Royce, Lord Paramount of the Vale, spoke up with respect to Anarion. "I remember you defeating men I considered my better in martial skill, but the way you've beaten Ser Arthur Dayne… I am starting to feel a little insulted, at the fact that you've not fought with your full skill back in Harrenhall." Yohn Royce admitted with a dry chuckle.

"I always fight with my full skill, Lord Royce. I simply not exercise it completely with my other qualities. Today I did just that, because the need to save Daemon was greater than simply showing off my prowess." Anarion answered to the man, who understood him.

"A noble cause, to fight for the wrongly accused child, who was also so badly treated by his own parents. You have my respect for that, Ser Anarion, mine and of my friends and vassals." Lord Royce told him. "I had thought that King Aerys was a cruel and merciless man, but his son… His Grace may not burn the people on stakes, but trialing his own son because of some strange reason, and to defy the laws of Men and Gods… That is not the King I expected to follow."

"Rhaegar has always acted upon his own wishes, disregarding the consequences of his own actions and thinking naught of what damage he could cause to the people around him." Anarion revealed to Yohn Royce, who looked with curiosity at him. "Robert's Rebellion is a prime example of that."

"Hm, you are correct. Well, this time, His Grace will have to face the consequences of his own actions." Yohn Royce told Anarion. "I am certain that you have noticed that a great many of Lords and Ladies here are not in agreement with what had transpired. A more than a few are ready to petition the King to change his mind and decision about the poor Prince."

"Simply petitioning him will not make Rhaegar change his decision, not unless he knows there are serious consequences to him refusing to reverse his decision." Anarion warned Lord Paramount. "And even then he might simply ignore you. He has shown this quality a number of times already, to tell you the truth, especially before his secret wedding to Queen Lyanna Stark."

"This time he will know that there will be serious consequences for him, if he doesn't comply. I've already spoken with a number of Lords, and they are in agreement that His Grace should be… enlightened about the laws of Men and Gods." Yohn Royce assured Anarion. "We have had enough with one tyrant. Another one can run our realm into ruin, unless culled at the very beginning." And just as Yohn Royce said that, the trumpet announced the arrival of the King, who went on to take his place on top of the Iron Throne.

With him inside also came members of the Small Council, The Most Devout, High Septon and many others of those who were present here earlier, but they didn't matter to Anarion and Miriel. The pair looked towards Daemon, who was practically dragged into the hall by two guards, shackled and dressed in rags, before he was made to stand in front of the Iron Throne, where he locked eyes with Rhaegar once again. The King almost flinched again when his eyes locked with Daemon's grey blue ones, almost seen a fire burning in the orbs of his son, a fire that didn't charm him, but frightened and scared the man. Rhaegar expected to see a broken and defeated child, but instead…

Instead he saw a defiant and strong person, one that refused to bend before the dragon that was sitting on top of the Iron Throne. At that moment, Rhaegar had to, for a second, admit that of all his children, Daemon was quite possibly the only one to have inherited the dragon side of him. Once all those he wanted have assembled, Rhaegar gestured the people to be quiet and began to speak.

"Today, the Realm, the Crown and I personally, have suffered a terrible loss. Arthur Dayne was more than simply the Sword of the Morning or the finest Kingsguard or Knight since days of Aemon the Dragonknight. He was also a very close friend to me, a voice of chivalry and honor, and a symbol to which all knights must aspire to be. And today, he was taken from us all, defeated and slain in a trial by combat, where another one of my closest friends had slain him. Thus today, I lost two friends, because of one who hurt my family and blood." Rhaegar stated with barely concealed disdain and anger, as he looked at Daemon. "However, the Gods have deemed him innocent of all his crimes, and in my grief and anger, I ignored their verdict and dared to defy them, before all you noble men and women. For my mistake and defiance, I ask for forgiveness from both the Men and Gods."

"Your Grace, the Father judges us all for our actions and punishes us for our mistakes. But He and Mother are merciful and welcome those that seek their forgiveness, and to those that are sincere, they grant it." The High Septon said with a gracious and magnanimous tone. "The Faith declares Your Grace to be forgiven of your mistake."

"The Gods may be merciful and forgiving to those that ask, but Men are not so easy to forgive." Lord Yohn Royce spoke up, stepping forward as an unofficial leader of the opposition that was forming against Rhaegar. "You have openly defied the laws of Men and God, mistreated your own son for ages, and now you ask for our forgiveness. If you truly wish for it, then ask for it before the one you wronged the most. Repent and we shall see if you truly deserve it!" The majority of others agreed with Yohn Royce, and Rhaegar felt an urge to shut them all up and remind them whom they were, but he was unable to do it, and so relented.

"Daemon, I know that my condemnation of you was unjust and I have made in a wrong state of mind and soul. For it, I ask your forgiveness, and let all know, that I, Rhaegar Targaryen, restore your name from Feldrake to Targaryen and restore your title of Prince." Rhaegar told all in an official and ceremonial manner, while the guards unshackled the boy. "Do I have your forgiveness, Daemon?"

"Your mercy knows no bounds, Your Grace. This is the most bountiful gift you have given me since my birth, aside from my life." Daemon stated with coldness and clear indication of fury, which did not escape anyone. "However, if you seek my forgiveness, then I fear I'll have to disappoint you. I deny you my forgiveness, and I reject your gifts to me." Daemon's words came as a shock to all, safe for Anarion and Miriel.

"Prince Daemon, His Grace has showed you a great mercy and boon. Surely, as a good son and Prince, you should thank…" Jon Connington tried to reprimand the boy, but was unable.

"The only thing I shall thank him, is for allowing me to live, instead of dying at his command when he first laid eyes upon me." Gasps of shock filled the hall, with Rhaegar too being surprised that Daemon revealed to him. "All my life, you and Queen Lyanna have kept me locked up in a cage, like a criminal or an animal, for something that I was never responsible for- how I was born and because of some half-crazed prophecy my father believed in! My kin and blood, treated me as an abomination and curse, and only Queen Elia, a woman that had no obligation to me, and Queen Mother Rhaella showed me kindness and treated me with kindness and care! I lived in darkness and with no right to leave, while your Kingsguards made me into a jester for them, giving me empty promises, and only Jaime Lannister saw me not as a cursed aberration, but a child unjustly treated! All my life, the only thing I ever wanted and asked for was your love and warmth, something all children desire and have, but not me… Now, however, I find that I neither need nor want your love, forgiveness or warmth, and so you can take my name and status. I renounce you as my father and I renounce my status as Prince, heir to the throne and your son! You named me Feldrake so as to insult me, but I take it as a sign of my identity, Your Grace." The look of shock and disbelief upon all of Small Council members and King was quite satisfying to Daemon.

The Lords and Ladies in attendance were too in shock, as they have now heard the full extent of the wrongdoings that poor Daemon was put through, never expecting that the child would go as far as to renounce the King, his name, status and instead choose the name that Rhaegar thought would show him as an aberration. To hear that the boy was kept in the cage, treated worse than some prisoners, and that the King had wanted to kill him when he just laid his eyes upon him… If before the people in here had some lingering good feelings towards the King, now they withered and began to die completely. Aerys was a cruel and merciless man, obsessed and paranoid, and with his death, the nobles had believed and hoped that the Crown Prince would be different, and though he was not his father, this was not what they had wanted and wished for.

In their minds, treating one's child like this, his full-blooded, legitimate son was akin to committing kinslaying, and the fact that the Kin was actually thinking of doing it further compounded to the Lords the level of cruelty that previously thought kind King is capable. The boy never deserved to be treated, as he was, not by the Crown, and especially not by the Kingsguards that were supposed to defend him, not make him a do their bidding. The foul rumors that people refused to believe before were now proven correct and the real face of Rhaegar Targaryen and Queen Lyanna was shown to the people. Anarion and Miriel were also surprised to see Daemon act like this, but deep down, they were proud of him, admiring the child to reveal this foulness to all, and to even go as far as to reject the name of Targaryen and status of the Prince. This will make it so much easier for them to take him with them, now that he has effectively broken all the ties with the House and Westeros.

Rhaegar stared at the child with a mix of fury and incandescent desire to make him suffer, never before desiring to torture and hurt anyone like this. He had believed that he will be able to save his family from a catastrophe, but instead he found himself and all he loved now being pushed into the maw of disaster, by this thrice-damned child. For an uncountable time now, Rhaegar wished he had not showed mercy back then in the past and had slain the boy, and he was barely restraining him from just going and taking his life, and only the knowledge of what will happen next kept his hand from going to his sword. Composing and gathering his remaining calmness, Rhaegar spoke with a voice that only barely hid his anger and displeasure.

"If that is how you wish to treat my kindness and magnanimity… So be it." Rhaegar practically spat that at Daemon. "Daemon Feldrake, since you have so openly renounced your name, your blood and status, then I see no purpose as for which you should remain in the King's Landing and Red Keep. Hence, by royal decree and my command, I send you to the North, to the kin of your rejected mother, to live among the Starks, as outsider and ward, for the rest of your life, however long it may be. Should you try to leave, I shall consider this as an act of defiance to the Crown, and it will be treated accordingly. You will depart at the nearest opportunity."

"Nothing would make me happier than finally leave this place. Thank you, Your Grace." Daemon was actually grateful to Rhaegar for once, before the King ordered the boy escorted to his room.

"This is our chance." Miriel whispered to her husband, who agreed and prepared to move towards Daemon, but then the two were interrupted.

"You shall take no actions to retrieve the child." Suddenly, both of Kaan'Dov heard the command from Kyne herself, making them stop and listen to her. "Daemon's destiny for now lies not in your hands, but in the hands of his kin to the North. It is best you let him go there, at least for a time. And even if you do try to approach him, you will only endanger the child's life, since Rhaegar has decreed you to be banished, and should you appear, he made a secret command to have the child killed, knowing that you value his life more than your own."

"Lady Kyne, with all due respect, even if Lyarra Stark will offer him kindness and care, she is not us and doesn't know like we do!" Anarion stated in his mind with wrath present in his tone. "Please, I beg of you, let us take Daemon. He is the Dovahkiin, and he deserves to be brought up by those who can show him the path of Dovah, and who is better to do it than Kaan'Dov?!"

"Milady, please, has he not suffered enough in this land? Do you have no mercy for the one you have chosen?" Miriel asked of Kyne.

"Do not mistake my concern for malice. The child needs to learn that he has kin that loves and cares for him in this land, and they are on the North. The blood of Shor's descendants will protect him there, those that still remember what it means to be wolves." Kyne assured them, though the two remained unconvinced. "Daemon shall be safe in the North, for I have sent word to my daughter and the two other Kaan'Dov to be in Winterfell, and guide him on the paths he shall take. But for you two, I have a different task at hand, one that must be accomplished before it is time for Daemon to leave."

"And what is thy bidding, my lady?" Anarion asked, knowing that he and Miriel had no other choice.


Several hours later.

Daemon was packing what little belonging he had left at this point, which were not a lot, but he was not bothered with the lack of things that he possessed. If anything, he was more or less glad to finally be out of this place, his cage and cell, in which he had spent his entire life. He wondered what kind of wonders the Nirn actually held past this Keep, wanting to see it all for himself. Daemon wanted to see the night sky, see the stars burning across the dark heavens, to smell the sea and touch it, see what real snow looked like and if forests and mountains were truly as big and great as they were. And the North contained it all in spades, being the biggest kingdom in all of Westeros, capable of house all other Kingdoms in itself with much of space still being left there.

Daemon had read whatever books he could get his hands on the North, and all of them did little to sate his hunger for learning more, instead serving only to inflame it further and birth the desire to see all that he has read. A land as vast as it was wild and untamed, with the fewest population of all, but to Daemon, this seemed as not a disadvantage, but as another interesting feature of the land. And in all honesty, Daemon felt like he could use less people, especially if they were nobles that permeated this city and the keep, with their personal ambitions and intentions that Daemon could practically sense.

The contact with Miriel has opened up more than he first expected in Daemon, sharpening his senses and feelings, but also changing his attitude and dashing away what feeble and damaged self that he had in him. Daemon did not mind the change in himself, instead finding it to be comforting and natural, like he was finally feeling like he was always supposed to be, a person that he was and is meant to be. His human side and his Dovah sides were not in conflict, instead existing in a form of alliance and union that empowered Daemon and gave him the strength and confidence he needed to do and say what he needed. It was thanks to those qualities that he had stood up and revealed to all those people what had been done to him, and what kind of a person Rhaegar Targaryen was to him.

Destroying this holier than thou image of this man brought far more satisfaction than the boy had imagined, the look of the man's face, barely containing the fury and rage at the fact that he was no longer seen as the paragon he pretended to be… It all brought satisfaction and pleasure to Daemon, and he felt that this was the right thing to do, part of him having screamed and raged at the fact that he had wronged them far too many times, and it was time for him to pay. And now Rhaegar will have to pay for all he had done, as now he has just been exposed as a fraud that preferred to trust a prophecy from some witch, rather than reason and logic.

Miriel had done a great job at educating Daemon in terms of politics and how they are being done in the Seven Kingdoms, and now House Targaryen, the very house that had imprisoned and mistreated him, will have to pay for their crimes to him, and Daemon was glad it would happen. Just as he had finished up packing and sat up on his bed, looking at his dark, dreary and empty room for probably one last time, he heard the door open up and saw his grandmother and Queen Elia walk inside, looking at him.

"I'm sorry I can't offer you anything to sit upon." Daemon told them, looking around the barren room. "Most of the furniture has been removed before I got here."

"That is okay, Daemon, we weren't looking for a seat." Elia told him softly. "Rhaella and I were hoping you would join us for a walk in the gardens."

"It sounds nice, but… I don't feel like going out right now, not after what had happened today." Daemon told them with a sigh, with Rhaella and Elia understanding him. "For all the bad things about this place, at least this is here where no one unwanted will disturb me. At least when the King and second Queen don't send fanatics to torment me."

"Daemon… What you told everyone in the Great Hall, about you renouncing all of it… Why did you say that you are renouncing your status and name?" Rhaella was honestly shocked to hear that Daemon would do it. "Don't you want to be a Prince, a real one? And what about our family name and continuing it?"

"I said it all because that is how I felt like it. I did it because that is what I wanted to say to all of them." Daemon simply replied to Rhaella, surprised to hear such a simple response that did not answer any of her questions. "For all my life, I did not have the freedom to do anything but what I was told by the man that had imprisoned me here. All I knew was this cage and the life I was given here, with only you and Anarion with Miriel treating me like I was a normal child, while everyone else saw me as trash and abomination. I never knew what it meant to be a Prince, or what it means to be a Targaryen, but what I saw and learned in recent times… It made me realize that I want nothing to do with it. I never was either of the two, and I don't want to be, so I simply threw it away."

"But after today, you could…" Rhaella tried to speak up, but Daemon interrupted her.

"Grandmother, I know what you are trying to say, but I… I just can't be a Targaryen or a Prince." Daemon's voice shook a little, as memories of the past came to haunt. "After all that had happened, after what Aegon had told me, and how that man tried to send me to the Wall despite winning the Trial… I have no place in that family, a family that I do not even know, and which wants nothing to do with me. Do you Rhaenys, Visenya or Jaehaerys would accept me like nothing had happened? And even if they did… It would just make it all worse." Daemon let out a sigh as he lowered his head.

Rhaella and Elia looked at each other, finding themselves stunned and shocked by what Daemon had told them, and unable to disagree with his reasoning. For all his life, House Targaryen had rejected him and kept him locked away like a dark secret nobody wanted to be revealed. The children of Rhaella, Elia and Lyanna were raised on the principal that Daemon wasn't one of them, one of the dragons of Targaryen blood, but a corrupted worm that they shouldn't associate themselves with. Though Rhaella and Elia tried their best to steer their progeny away from that wrong path, all they had achieved was alienation of their own children and further division in the Targaryen family.

When the two recalled all that had been done to Daemon, and how he was mistreated all his life, it became apparent why he had essentially destroyed Rhaegar's reputation and status. For all his life, Daemon had been a victim of Rhaegar's obsession and fear, driving the child into the darkness and hoping that he would be able to break him completely, and he failed in that. Rhaella and Elia now looked closer at the child, and they both could see that he was no longer the same boy they had seen grow up before their very eyes. Though he possessed talent, passion and drive for learning and training, Daemon didn't have this… this inner strength and power inside him before. It was as if a boy they knew had died and on his place came a new being, a dragon.

Rhaella could see how fire burned in the eyes of her grandson, but it was not the same one she saw in Aerys or Rhaegar. No, this fire came from the courage, pride and confidence that Daemon discovered, a fire that hasn't been seen for a long time in House Targaryen, and one that this House was not ready for. Dowager Queen knew that her eldest son will not let Daemon get away without punishment, after the boy had his vengeance upon the man, and she could also see that Daemon had managed to shock Rhaegar to the core. She could've sworn she had heard him mumbling something about demons and resurrected monsters, but Rhaella was currently looking at the object of his obsessions, and she found neither monster nor demon. No, she found a dragon, who had with him the favor of Gods with him, and apparently had some form of magical power in him, and this was something that she needed to find out about. She moved closer to Daemon and knelt before him, looking directly into his eyes and speaking to him.

"Daemon, what Rhaegar and Lyanna accused you of… Do you know how Viserys was set on fire?" Rhaella asked of the boy, hoping that he did not know. "I am not accusing you of anything. I simply want to know if you know anything about it."

"Viserys came and insulted me and Miriel, before ordering Whent to strike her. I broke free and pushed him, but he pinned me down and started beating me." Daemon recited what had happened, and both Elia and Rhaella knew of it. "As for fire… Viserys awakened the dragon." Daemon answered in much the same way as Viserys often did, but in Daemon's case, there was only cold confirmation, not gleeful joy or gloating.

"What do you mean by that, Daemon?" Elia asked of him, concerned.

"Dragons don't attack with fists. The attack with fire." Daemon simply told her and Rhaella, who now understood that her worst suspicions were not unfounded, while the boy turned to her. "I am sorry, Grandmother, but Viserys… He is a vile man, a very bad person who made a lot of people hurt, and he hurt Miriel. He had to be punished."

"Daemon…" Rhaella was in shock when she learned of this, but quickly collected herself and looked at him. "This magic, this power… Can you control it? Will it come out against your will?"

"No, it won't." Daemon assured her, with Rhaella looking relieved. "If I don't say and mean the right word, nothing will happen."

"I do not know how and where did you get that magic, Daemon, but I want you to not ever use it! If people find out that you are capable of magic like this… Daemon, please promise me that you will be careful with it." Rhaella asked of him.

"I will, Grandmother. I promise." Daemon promised to her, and Rhaella breathed a sigh of relief, before she went to hug him. "I'll miss you, Grandmother."

"I will miss you too, my Dragon." Rhaella told him with soft tone. "You will like Winterfell, and you will like Lyarra. She is not like her daughter, and she is eager to meet you. She will take good care of you while you are in the North. I will be sure to write you, and if I am capable, I will try to pay you a visit in the future. The North and its people are very different from the King's Landing and the south, but they are good, honest and earnest people, unlike here. Be diligent, patient and strong, and they will be your friends, Daemon, and Starks do not abandon one of their own, and you are a Stark."

"I will be writing to you, Grandmother." Daemon assured her, as she rose up. "At least I won't be going there alone." Both women understood what the boy meant, and decided not to keep him in the dark about it.

"Daemon, about Anarion and Miriel…" The moment Elia spoke up about them, Daemon understood that he was wrong in thinking that Rhaegar will allow them to go with him.

"They are not coming, are they?" Daemon asked realization clear in his voice and eyes.

"Rhaegar… My son has decreed that they are to be banished from Westeros, on the charges of misconduct and disloyalty to the Crown." Rhaella said to Daemon with a saddened voice. "They only have today to say their goodbyes, and I am sure they will…" The two women were startled when they heard a knock on the door, before Barristan Selmy opened it.

"Pardon my interruption, Your Graces, but Ser Anarion and Lady Miriel have arrived, and they ask to see Daemon. Shall I tell them to come later?" Barristan asked of them.

"No, tell them to come inside." Rhaella said before Elia could respond. "We will see you later, Daemon. Come, Elia." Rhaella and Elia moved to leave the chambers, nearly running into Miriel and Anarion as they entered.

"Your Graces." Miriel and Anarion greeted them, with Rhaella leaning closer to the two and whispering.

"Whatever magic Daemon used, his secret is safe with us." Rhaella simply told them, before she and Elia left the three alone, with Miriel and Anarion moving immediately to the boy.

"Are you alright, Daemon?" Miriel immediately went to look over the boy and see if anything was wrong.

"I am fine, thanks. Are you hurt, Miriel?" Daemon asked of her, concerned after all that had happened.

"I've had flies that bit worse than that foul bat." Miriel smiled to Daemon.

"Had Lady Kyne not prohibited her to exercise her might as Kaan'Dov, neither Viserys nor his pet bully would be alive." Anarion simply told Daemon, before looking at the boy. "But, from what Miriel had told me, if Viserys survives, he will not ever lay a hand on either man or woman."

"If he survives?" Daemon asked of Anarion.

"You've unleashed the raw power of a Dovah upon him, Daemon. Fire one of the quintessential elements that Dovah use, more potent and powerful than what Beindiiv use. Even if one survives its fires, they will be scarred for life with burns that will never heal and never stop aching with pain. You've seared even Viserys' soul with your very first Thu'um." Anarion explained to Daemon. "Had it been any other person, I would be concerned for you, but Viserys… He deserved a taste of real Dragon's fire." Daemon could see that Anarion wasn't displeased, but rather proud of him.

"Though you shouldn't have even drawn his attention like that! What were you thinking?" Miriel asked of the boy.

"He was hurting you, and I had to protect you, like you always protect me." Daemon told them. "Well, protected me, since…"

"I see that you have been told, Daemon." Anarion sigh, before kneeling down before the boy. "Daemon, if we were able, we would've long spirited you away from this wretched pile of a city, and neither Rhaegar, nor his armies would stop us. We intended to take you with us, but…" Anarion's face contorted in rage, as he seemed to be fighting against himself.

"Daemon, remember what I told you about Kaan'Dov?" Daemon nodded to Miriel. "Anarion and I… We are bound by an oath and bond to Kyne, to follow every order and command she gives us, even ones we have no desire to comply with, and this is one such case. Our Lady commands us to undertake a task, one that will send us away from you, and for a long time. A year, at most." Miriel said to him with a sadness.

"Then… is this a goodbye?" Daemon asked of them.

"No, it is not a goodbye, Daemon." Anarion told Daemon. "Rhaegar may have decided to banish us away, but he is no authority to us, and only Lady Kyne's command will keep us away from you. However, once it is completed, we will rush to your side without losing a moment in time."

"But if you won't be coming with me to the North, who will teach me what it means to be Dovahkiin?" Daemon asked of them with sadness in his voice. "There is so much I want to know about Nirn, Aedra, Dovah and others… How will I learn it all if you aren't there with me?"

"We may not be there with you, Daemon, but you won't be alone in the North." Miriel assured him. "She has sent two Kaan'Dov to the North, and her own daughter, to both protect and guide you, should you desire to learn more of the world you belong to?"

"Other Kaan'Dov? And Lady Kyne's daughter?" Daemon asked of them, with the two nodding to him. "Will… Will they be kind to me?"

"They will be, Daemon. Both Kaan'Dov will protect you with their lives, much like we would, and as for Lady Kyne's daughter… She may have an appearance that may frighten you at first, but she is like you in some ways, having fought for her freedom and having become who even Daedra fear." Anarion assured Daemon, who calmed down after that. "Daemon, though we are not parting for eternity, we do have several gifts for you." Anarion said to Daemon, until he produced from his back and a long object, wrapped in what looked like black steel mail.

Daemon carefully took it into his hands and laid it down, before unwrapping the heavy mail and revealing what it held hidden. It was a short sword, with a leaf blade, possessing a red handle and silver guard made in form of the wings, while the head was made in a form of a two-headed dragon. The boy withdrew the blade from its sheath, holding it in his one hand and marveling at the beauty of the sword, which looked like it was made out of pure white silver, but it was clearly not the case, as the sword was lighter than expected. Daemon moved it around a bit, trying it out for his own hand, and found it to be an excellent fit for him, as indicated by his smile, at which Anarion responded with his own smile.

"This sword had served me for over three thousand years, and it has tasted many enemies, from Daedra to Dovah. It had once served the man who had forged the Valyria into what it became, and seemed lost for centuries, until I obtained it." Anarion told Daemon, who looked at him with surprise. "What you have in your hands, Daemon, is a short sword made out of a meteorite, a rock that fell from one of the moons, and forged through flames of Malerion himself. The Dragonlords of Valyria for centuries had tried to replicate his success with his weapons, but all they achieved is what is now known as Valyrian steel."

"You mean that this sword…" Daemon looked again at the blade one more time with awe.

"It is stronger than any Valyrian blade, yes." Anarion told him. "It is known as Drakeire, the ire of the Dragon who wields true power."

"It is exquisite. Thank you." Daemon put the blade back in the sheath.

"That was my husband's name. Now, take a closer look at what I have gifted you." Miriel motioned Daemon to the mail in which the sword was originally wrapped.

Daemon did as Miriel told him and looked closer and with more intent at the object, before realizing that this was no simple mail, nor was it made out of ordinary steel. It was a scale mail, with usage of rings to give it additional flexibility and ability to move for a person wearing it. The rings were interconnected with the scales, which looked like what Daemon would see on a dragon, and they seemed thick enough to stop a blade. The entire thing was as black as the night, and it took Daemon a little while before he realized that it was the same material from which Anarion's armor is made out of.

"This mail… It's the same as your armor." Daemon told Anarion, who nodded to him.

"This mail was made by the same person who crafted my armor, from the same material as well, called Ebonite, which is the crystalized blood of Shor himself. The metal is stronger and more versatile than even Valyrian steal, and the mail itself can hold the attack from anything, be it a spear, sword or arbalest bolt." Anarion told Daemon. "It also has an enchantment put upon it, fairly unremarkable, but quite useful overall in form of dampening every attack. In short, if you are hit by anything, you won't even feel it, unless it breaks the armor."

"This was to be a gift to our child, if we were to have another… And now we give it to you, Daemon." Daemon heard Miriel, and looked at her with his eyes conveying shock and surprise.

He understood what she meant by it, and when he processed and realized what was the meaning of this gift and her words, Daemon was unable to hold his tears. Gently laying the mail down onto the bed, he moved to Miriel, and simply embraced the woman, who immediately closed her hands around the boy, bringing him closer to him. Anarion soon joined in, gently hugging both his wife and the boy, who in all but blood has become his own son, a child that he did not know if he deserved, but one that the gods had gifted him.

Miriel too was unable to hold her tears, as she felt and sensed Daemon not simply embracing her and Anarion, but also accepting them as his parents, and her heart felt once again reignited and whole again, after centuries. Dovah had several ways of communing and conveying their thoughts and feelings, and this was one of them, a level of senses and feelings, devoid of deceit and empty words. Through this Dovah could say what a million words were unable to convey, and never would those same words carry the same weight or meaning. Right now, the three holders of Dragon souls and blood communicated on a plane and language which simple mortals were unable to touch.

For Daemon, this was more than a simple connection. For the first time in his entire life, this child had desperately tried to gain what most children had from the beginning- love from their parents. It was the most sacred and desired wish that Daemon had, hoping on the border of desperation that his parents would love and embrace him, but that had never happened. At least that is what he believed until now, when he finally realized that all this time, his real parents were with him all along. Rhaegar and Lyanna may be his progenitors, but his real parents, those that gave him love, care and kindness without any restraint and didn't see him as a monster… They were here, and Daemon cried, as a child cried after finally finding his parents after so many years.


Okay, I know that I promised that we would be moving towards Stark in this chapter, but it had gotten out of hand a little bit, so yeah. Next chapter will be all about Starks and only them, plus new Kaan'Dov OCs and daughter of Kyne.

Now, some of you have asked of me as to why did Miriel had allowed herself to be beaten, and the answer is that she was ordered by Kyne to not reveal herself as a Kaan'Dov, since she needed to maintain a certain amount of discretion while taking care of Daemon. And if Kyne gives a command, Kaan'Dov obey, even if it goes against what they want to do.

Hope you liked the chapter and will leave a comment, suggestion about it, or ask questions. Feel free to do so, as I like a feedback from my readers.

Next time: The North; the Starks and the Fishes.