I really like this chapter. Things are about to get fun. I hope everyone is enjoying these newer chapters with the Targaryen children!
A week after they returned from Widow's Keep, Daenerys and Jon received news that Kinvara was bringing them something very important from Volantis and that she would need the whole family present for this gift. Daenerys and Jon had no idea what that meant, but the day they head Kinvara's ship was docked in Hardhome they were sure to be ready to greet her when she walked through the door of Wolvesden.
Jon and Daenerys stood before the head table as they waited for Kinvara to walk through their doors, with their three children standing to Daenerys's left.
"I don't like the red woman, Mother," Little Ned told her as he stood there impatiently waiting.
"I know darling," Daenerys glance at Ned and could see him fidgeting, "But she is a loyal friend to our family."
"Do we all have to be here with Kinvara arrives?" Lyaella was the next to complain.
Jon chuckled, "Yes, unfortunately."
Lyaella rolled her eyes and both her siblings chuckled. Right after their father remark, the main doors for Wolvesden opened wide and though the door came Kinvara. They all could see that there was a young girl following her in, who wore a similar red robe to what Kinvara had on. Both girls boys as they approached the royal family, the young girl standing to Kinvara's side.
"Queen Daenerys, King Jon, I'd like to introduce you to my apprentice Kattra," Kinvara pointed to the young girl on her left, "This young one is an orphan from Naarth, training to be a red priestess of R'hllor. It has been requested by the High Priest in Volantis for you to take Kattra in as your Ward and let her continue her training here in Snowhome."
"This is what we're standing here for?" Lyaella whispered frustratedly making Ned and Valyria giggle again, turning heads and covering mouths so their mother wouldn't notice.
"Lyaella, please," Daenerys shot this look to her children that made them all stop fooling around then look back to her guest.
"How old is she? She seems too young to be a priestess," Jon questioned as he looked between Kattra and Kinvara.
"She's seven, Your Grace," Kinvara explained, "But I promise you she is very skilled for her age. You might find having a priestess around full time very useful."
Daenerys stares for few moments at the little, dark-skinned, curly-haired brunette, who reminded her so much of Missandae, "But she's only a child, are you sure this is wise?"
"Kattra came to us on her own free will, and begged us for almost a month to let her train amongst us," Kinvara smiled, placing her hand behind the girls' head, "She is very serious in her training to become a priestess."
"I hope to serve you well, Your Grace," Kattra spoke to Daenerys in Valyrian as she bowed, "It's an honor to serve the great House Targaryen in the name of our Lord."
Daenerys smiled, replying in the same language, "No need to bow, child, you are part of this family now." Daenerys looked to her husband, who nodded in agreement and then turned back to Kinvara. Her next words were in the common tongue, "She can stay."
Jon smiled as he looked at Kattra, "Daenerys and I will raise her like she's one of our own."
"Just as the Lord hoped for, Your Grace," Kinvara smiled at Jon's reply, and then looked down at Kattra. "May the Lord guide you to do the right thing while you serve under House Targaryen."
"Yes, High Priestess," Kattra replied with a slight smile.
Over the next month, Kattra seemed to be getting along well with most of the Targaryen family. Jon and Daenerys kept their promise and treated her as one of their children, and Valyria and Ned got along great with her. It was Lyaella who was having a hard time getting along with the newest member of their family. She didn't want a new sister. Lyaella didn't even want Valyria, but now she was stuck with two little sisters constantly following her.
"Leave me alone!" Lyaella yelled through her bedroom door.
Valyria knocked again, "Lyaella we just want you to play with us."
"I don't want to play with your baby toys, I have my training to do!" Lyaella replied from the other side of the door.
Valyria looked at Kattra, who struggled, the back to the door, "Fine… you're going to miss out."
The two girls giggled as they ran away. They headed through the halls of Wolvesden, sneaking around as if they were up to no good. After a few minutes, they arrived at the door that led to their parents' room. Looking around to make sure no notice them, Valyria and Kattra quickly entered the room and shut the door behind them. Waiting in the room for them was Ned and Ghost, lying on the floor near him.
"Little Wolf, did you get the thing I asked for?" Kattra asked as she approached him.
With a smirk on his face, Ned turned around and pointed to the little table next to his fathers' chair, "One lit candle, just as you asked."
"Are you going to show us magic, Kattra?" Valyria asked her as she followed Kattra to the candle.
Kattra picked the lit candle off the table and brought it over to the fireplace. She used the candle to light the wood inside, and then put the candle back, "No, what I'm going to show you is much more magical than anything else in the whole West."
Both Ned and Valyria stood on either side of Kattra. All three kids were staring into the fire, when Kattra turned to Ned, "Alright you first Little Wolf, I need something that's part of you. Hair, blood doesn't matter."
"I got it," Valyria ran to her father's chest on the other side of the room where she knew he kept his special things. From inside the chest, Valyria pulled out a dagger and brought it back to the others, "Give me your hand."
"For what?" Ned questioned as he stepped back from his sister. Behind him, Ghost started to growl defensively.
"It's okay Ghost," Valyria told the direwolf. She looked back to her brother and grabbed his wrist, "I'm going to hurt you, stupid, I'm just going to prick your finger."
Valyria takes the dagger and sticks it into Ned's finger until she gets him to bleed. Ned hisses as it punctures him, pulling away once he starts to bleed, "That still hurt!"
"It'll be worth it," Kattra told him as she let him closer to the fire, "Now, just let the blood drip into the fire for a moment, I just got to grab something." Valyria watched as Kattra went to the other side of the room and pulled out some herbs from under Daenerys and Jon's bed. She ran back to Ned and through the herbs into the fire, "Alright, you can step forward now."
Ned did as told, sucking on his bleeding finger, "Now what?"
"Look into the fire, Little Wolf, tell me what you see," Kattra told him.
Valyria looked confused, "It's just a fire, how is he going to see anything?"
"If he's lucky," She told Valyria as Ned stepped closer to the fire, "The Lord of Light will show him something he's supposed to see. A glimpse of a future he might have one day."
Ned stared into the fire with uncertainty, "All I see is fire and wood."
"Well don't give up now, Ned," Valyria cheered as she urged her brother on, "Keep on looking, what if you see something cool!"
Ned continues to stare into the fire until he does eventually see something, "It's me! Or it looks like me... and there's Ghost! I'm big.. Like Father, and have a crown on my head…" Ned leans in a touch more to try and get a better look, "I look like a King but I'm wearing weird clothes."
"Weird how?" Valyria asked him.
"They don't look like what father wears…" Ned glances back to his sister then into the flames once more, "It's gone."
"He should you what he wanted you to see, nothing more and nothing less," Kattra explained to him.
"I want to go next!" Valyria chanted excitedly. The youngest Targaryen pricked her own finger with her fathers' dagger and let the blood drip into the fire.
Kattra stood directly behind her, watching her carefully, "Just give it a moment, when he's ready, he will show you something."
Valyria pulled her hand back and anxiously waited to see something as she stared into the fire. There was a smile on her face as she waited, but as she started to see something it faded, "I see… darkness."
"Darkness?" Ned asked confused, "What else?"
"Nothing it's just dark," Valyria took another step closer to the fire, "There's snow on the floor, I can't see anything but the snow… wait" The five-year-old eyes grew wide, "There's someone out there, a man… he… he," Valyria started panting, the vision in the fire making her anxious, "He looks weird... like he's made of ice," Her panting started to increase as looked into the fire, "He's looking right at me... He running towards me... no stop!"
Just as Valyria screamed a big splash of water put out the fire. Valyria turned around, tears in her eyes, to see that Lyaella was right behind them. "What are you three doing!?"
"There was a man! He-he," Valyria tried to explain what she saw but she was too spooked to describe anything, "He was trying to get me."
"Mum is going to be mad if she knew you were playing in her room," Lyaella noticed the dagger in Valyria's hand and snatched it from her, "Why do you have this? You could've hurt yourselves!"
"Don't tell Mother, Lyaella, please!" Ned begged their big sister.
"I'm not going to tell her because I'll be in trouble for not watching you," Lyaella signed and pointed to the door, "Just go! I better not catch you in here again!"
Without a word, Ned, Kattra, and Valyria ran out of the room with Ghost not far behind them. Lyaella stood there and watched them go, and once they were gone she turned back and looked into the fire. Whatever they were doing, it was probably something they shouldn't.
Valyria remembered falling asleep in her own bed that night, so when she woke up outside she was very confused. It was cold, and the ground was covered in snow. She tried to look around and try to figure out where she was but all she could see was darkness. The youngest Targaryen got chills as she walked through the snow, calling out for someone to help her.
"Mother?! Father?! Where are you?" Valyria walked a little further and didn't hear or see a thing. She stopped in her tracks and looked back and all she saw was more darkness. There was a sudden chill down her back and she could feel that something else was out there with her, "Hello?"
"Valyria Targaryen," The voice was soft and kind. Valyria felt like she had heard it before but she wasn't certain where "You shouldn't be here. He's going to find out…"
"Who? The Ice Man?" Valyria asked the voice.
"He's scared of you, you can't let him win. The future depends on it," The voice replied not really making any sense to the five-year-old, "You have to defeat the darkness."
"But I'm just a girl... I don't know how," Valyria started to pant as her vision got blurry, "How do I help you? Come back!"
"Come back!" Valyria woke up from her dream and jumped out of bed. Her breathing was heavy and she could feel her face was wet. She reached to her cheek and realized she was crying. Suddenly, Valyria couldn't remember what exactly she had dreamt about, only that it made her very sad.
"Valyria?" Through her bedroom door came Jon, who rushed to his daughters' side when he noticed her crying, "What happened, Little Dragon?"
Valyria was panting and as she tried to explain her dream she couldn't help but cry more, "The Ice Man, I have to save him from the Ice Man!"
Jon looked confused as he wiped her tears away, "What are you talking about, Valyria, what iceman?"
"The man in my dream! He needs my help!" Valyria cried to her father.
Jon sighed and pulled his daughter close. The things she told him made Jon uneasy but he wouldn't let her know how he felt, "It was just a dream, Little Dragon, no one can hurt you while I'm here," Jon tucked his youngest back into bed and kissed her on the bed, "Try to get some sleep, if you get scared again you can come to my bed alright?"
Valyria nodded okay and curled into bed. Jon headed back to the door and looked back one more time to make sure she was okay. Once he could see Valyria was fast asleep, Jon left the room and closed the door behind him.
Waiting outside of the room was Daenerys, "What happened?"
"I think Kinvara is right," Jon sighed as he reached out for his wife, "Valyria is a warg."