Happy Monday, kiddos!
So this weekend I got my first bitter review. It was more hateful than it was constructive critacism, and it had me thinking about the way I write my Daenerys. In my eyes, Daenerys isn't a crazy power hungry monarch that the end of the show depicted her as. Daenerys is a smart, clever and a stragic ruler. She knows when she right and when she's wrong. This person claims I write Daenerys off as a broodmare and a housewife which is not the case. Daenerys is the true political compared to Jon, and the real brains behind the success of Snowhome. Jon doesn't know diddly shit about being King and Daenerys does. As well as being a good ruler, motherhood is something I feel is very important to Daenerys. She lost her first son, and I feel like a second chance at children isn't something she would take lightly. She is as much as a devoted Queen as a Mother, and just because she isn't going around on Drogon burning her enemies doesn't mean she's lost her entire character. If you don't like the way I write my Daenerys then don't read my fic, it's that easy lol. Also Lyaella is named after Lyanna Stark and Rhaella Targaryen, so no not all of their kids have Stark names.
Okay rant over, back to your daily fic.
"Alright love, just aim a little higher… no no keep your back straight, okay now let go." The whoosh of an arrow followed by the crack of the head colliding with the wood startled little Ned, who was sitting right next to her which caused Daenerys to chuckle. Her eyes gazed down to the target away from them, where she could see the arrow hit just outside the target. With a proud smile, Daenerys looked back to her almost four-year-old daughter and applaud, "Wonderful, Lyaella! You're doing so well my darling."
"But Mum, I missed!" Lyaella huffed as she turned to face her mom.
Daenerys got up, leaving little Ned to play alone, and walked over to the target to pull out the arrow, "Last time you only could hit the outer rings, you're improving quite quickly, darling."
Lyaella sighed, "But I wanna hit the targets as you can."
Daenerys smiled and walked back to Lyaella. She took a knee next to her daughter, and helped her set up her body for the next shot, "Now remember, inhale on the draw, exhale on the release, okay?" She stood up and took a step back, watching as Lyaella did as told. With a deep breath, Lyaella drew back her arrow and on her exhale she let the arrow go, watching carefully to see where it would land.
Right before it made contact, a voice from behind them made Lyaella forget about what she was doing, "There you all are, I've been looking for my family all day."
"Father!" Lyaella smiled at the sight of her dad, who had been gone for a month while he traveled around the North with Tormund visiting the many clans Beyond the Wall.
"Right on target, I see someone has been training very hard with their mother," Jon smirked and nodded his head back to the target. When Lyaella turned around she could see she had hit the bullseye straight on.
"Mum I did it!" The oldest Targaryen yelled excitedly as she jumped up and down.
"Wonderful my dear, now see if you can do it again." Daenerys walked past Lyaella and ruffled her long wavy hair before she approached her husband. Little Ned had already beat her to him, her boy now being cuddled his father. Jon smiled as she got close, pulling her in to give her a kiss, "How was your trip?"
"Cold," Jon chuckled, "Winter isn't far off now. Many of the father north clans are starting to experience snowy weather."
"Well, we always knew spring and summer wouldn't last forever," Daenerys told him as they both looked back to watch their daughter practice, "You Starks are always right eventually."
Jon smirked, "So how is everything here."
"Lyaella's name day celebration is coming together well," Daenerys smiled as Lyaella got another hit, her almost five-year-old daughter was a skilled child, to say the least, "We have more than enough harvest to last us at least a seven-year winter, hopefully, it won't be much longer than that. Hardhome is expecting a big shipment of good within the next few weeks, and your sisters should be arriving by weeks end."
"And this, my blood, is why you're in charge." Jon kissed the top of her head again and put little Ned down, "How about you, Ned, you think Mum is a good leader?"
"Mum the best!" His son smiled, "I go play?"
"Yes, love, you can go play." Daenerys nodded and Ned headed back to his toys, "You are a good King too, you know." She kept her eyes on her children as she complimented her husband, "What we do here is a two-person job, we both keep the peace around here. We both put in the sweat, blood, and tears to make sure everything runs as it should."
"I know, I'm just saying," Jon pulled Daenerys closer by her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder, "I couldn't do this without you. I know nothing about politics and all the other things you do here. You're a much better Queen than I am King."
"I know," Daenerys joked and Jon squeezed her tight as he gave her a kiss, "But our balance for things is how we make this work."
"Aye, I suppose it is."
A week after Jon got home, he and Daenerys had thrown a Name Day celebration for Lyaella. Their oldest was now five and gods was she smart for a five-year-old. Their daughter was very wise and could catch on when her parents tried to hide things from her. Which is why they didn't bother throwing a surprise celebration for her. Clansmen from all Beyond the Wall came to celebrate their princess's birthday, as well did Jon's sisters. There were also some special surprise visits from some of their former Southern allies, such as Yara Greyjoy and Samwell Tarly. Also to Jon's dismay, Daario Naharis had also sailed in from the East to celebrate the name day of Jon and Daenerys' oldest child.
All that came to visit brought not only presents for their daughter but tributes to the Targaryen family as well. The dynasty that Daenerys and Jon were establishing Beyond the Wall was becoming a big deal, sure it wasn't as grand or as advance as Westeros or Essos but the Kingdom they ruled was very enticing to all who visited. Not just because of its beauty, but because of how peaceful the land Beyond the Wall had become.
"You have done quite well for yourself, My Queen," Daario told Daenerys as he stood beside her at the head table. The feast in her daughter's name had become quite the event, and everyone seemed to be having a wonderful time, "I'm impressed, this isn't how I always imagined you."
"I didn't realize conqueror was the only way for me to get validation," Daenerys replied to him bluntly, her eyes on her children. They were dancing around in the middle of the hall with Sam's children little Sam and Josephine Tarly, and her nephew Robb Baratheon. She was pleased by the happy faces of her children as they danced, their presence filling her heart with love.
"I'm just saying, this isn't what I expected. I don't think it's a bad look for you, though." Daario stuttered as he tried to reword his previous statement.
"When I lost my firstborn, Rhaego, I thought that that was it for me. I would never experience what it was like to have a family again," Daenerys played with the rim of her untouched glass of wine as she continued talking, "What is everything I do for if there is no one to live out my dreams once I die for the last time? Why be Queen if all that would mean is a lifetime of loneliness? Being Queen isn't half the experience that Motherhood is," Daenerys chuckled and rose to her feet, turning as she did to look Daario in the eyes, "There is no title I would rather have in this world than mother."
"What I mean to say was," Daario sighed as rubbed the back of his neck, "All of this, it suits you better than I ever thought it could. I'm glad… that you never went back."
Daenerys smiled softly, "As am I, my friend."
Jon could see Daenerys chatting with Daario from where he was on the other side of the room. He was sitting with Sam and not far away from them Gilly was catching up with her sisters. "Gods, I really don't like that man."
"I never saw you as the jealous type, Jon," Sam chuckled as he watched his friend turn back around.
"He comes here and acts like he knows how things are here, but he hasn't a clue," Jon told him as he took a sip of his ale, "We've done so much to not be like other Kingdoms. Every day is a struggle to be better, not just as a whole but in every means of the word. Better rulers, better parents… better people. When people from other kingdoms come here I don't want them to see us as Kinslayers or Mad Queens, I want them to see us as what we've fought so hard to become. I just can't help but feel-"
"Judged?" Sam finished the sentence for him, "Jon, you're the bravest, stronger and sometimes dumbest person I've ever know," Sam and Jon both laughed at his statement before Sam continued talking, "You have both done, questionable things, I understand that but I don't think anyone here judges either of you for that anymore."
"Bran still does," Jon took a long drink of his ale before slamming the cup down, "No offense, but your King still wants me dead, remember?"
"What are you two going to do about that?" Sam questioned
Jon sighed, rubbing the temple of his forehead, "You know I can't tell you that."
Sam huffed, crossing his arms over the table, "Your brother… he's my king, yes, but you are my best friend Jon. I would never put your family in harm's way."
"I know but if I tell you, you'd be unintentionally doing it anyway," Jon explained, "Their safety is my top priority, and if telling you somehow puts them in danger then I just can't bring myself to do it." Before Sam could agree or argue Jon's statement, a clansman approached Jon and whispered something quietly in his ear. Jon sighed at his words and quickly rushed to his feet, "I'm sorry Sam, I have something I have to take care of."
"No worries, we'll talk later then." Sam watched as Jon and the clansman rushed off. From the other side of the hall, he could see another clansman whispering into Daenerys' ear causing her to get up and do the same. Something important was clearly going on.
"We aren't sure where he landed, luckily it was one of our men who noticed him flying around up there otherwise there probably would have been a panic. Last we did see him, he was headed east towards the river," Davos told Daenerys and Jon as he watched them mount their horses. Drogon had been spotted flying overhead not long ago, and it wouldn't be good for anyone if Jon and Daenerys' guests found out.
Daenerys rode off first, and Jon turned back to talk to Davos before following her, "If someone asks for us, stall. We shall return as soon as Drogon is dealt with."
"Of course, Your Grace." With a nod of Davos' head, Jon turned back and rushed off to follow his wife.
They rode for an hour or so before they picked up on Drogon's trail. He had stopped to hunt which Jon could only assume was either a couple of wild boars or stags and then continued forward. After another hour of riding, Daenerys and Jon eventually found the large dragon resting by the river. It had been over five years since they had seen Drogon, and from what Daenerys could tell he had definitely gotten a bit bigger. Jon waited behind with both the horses as Daenerys went alone to approach the dragon.
She moved slowly, being careful not to spook her son, "Drogon," she called for him as spoke Valyrian, "Drogon, what are you doing here? It's too cold for you, my son." Daenerys smiled as Drogon's eyes opened to look at her. The large dragon breathed calmly as his mother approached him, her hands resting on the side his large skull as she placed her head down on his, "You should go back east, a place of winter is not a place for you Drogon." Drogon exhaled heavily as she spoke. Daenerys could see his eyes staring out at Jon. "We don't need you just yet, my dear, but when we do you will know."
There was a rustle in the forest around them that make the horse huff and worry. As the horse got anxious, Drogon lifted his head to see what was going on, and Daenerys looked back to Jon nervously. She could see him trying to calm the horses, and Daenerys suddenly got the feeling that something was wrong. As Drogon rose to his feet to defend himself, Daenerys could see an arrow wiz through the air and hit Drogon in the face. The arrow did nothing but irritate the dragon, causing his breathing to get heavier.
Daenerys ran out to see where the arrow came from, and down the side of the river standing in a clearing was Lyaella with her little bow in hand, "Leave my Mum alone!"
"Lyaella, no!" Daenerys screamed as she looked back at Drogon who was opening his mouth to fire at her daughter. Daenerys yelled for Drogon to stop in Valyrian but everything seemed to happen too quickly. She could hear Jon screaming their daughter's name as a blast of fire left Drogon and the flames engulfed Lyaella. Daenerys cried as she pushed Drogon's face away, too scared to watch the horror that was happening, "Drogon, Stop! I said stop!"
When Drogon's flames settled, the dragon took to the sky and flew off. There was a moment of terror as Daenerys stood there. Her body refusing to move and her eyes glued to the site before her. It took her a couple of minutes before Daenerys could look at Jon whos face had gone pale as tears fell from his eyes, then back to the burnt pile of ash where their daughter once stood. Daenerys sobbed as she approached the site slowly, Jon not far behind her. She could feel Jon's hand on her shoulder as they both looked down into the ash and both of them gasped at the site before them. Lyaella was alive.
Their daughter laid there in the middle of the scorched ground, unburnt. Just as her mother did long ago, Lyaella stood in the flames and lived. Her dress and bow and burned to ash, but their daughter still lived, "Lyaella!"
Daenerys dropped to her as she picked her daughter off the ground and pulled into her arms. She sobbed as she covered her daughter in kisses, and Jon wrapped his arms around both of his girls as he let out a sigh of relief. Lyaella coughed, trying to get the smoke out of her lungs, "I didn't burn, Mum."
"That's right, my darling," Daenerys replied as she held Lyaella's face, "Fire can not kill a dragon."