Good evening my dears!

The newest chapter is here! It took me all day but I'm super excited about where we are going next! I have so many bits and pieces of future chapters written down I can't wait to get to (even though it's like all shit that happens at the end! lol) I'm trying to figure out exactly how many chapters I wanna keep this story going for. My heart kind of thinks 50 might be a good place to put a finishing line, but we'll see how much we gotta do to get from here to where I'd like the story to end.

And yes, I already know how I want this to end.

"Kill him?" Valyria was confused. She was just a child; not even six yet, and yet her uncle was asking her to kill, well, him. Yes, only a few hours ago she had killed a man but she did it to protect her brother and sisters. She could still remember the strange warm sensation of setting herself aflame, and the smell of the man burning as she held him. Taking a life didn't make her feel good, but she would do it again if it meant protecting her family.

That much, she was sure of.

"It's a lot to ask of a child, I know," Bran explained to her, "But one day it will come down to just the Dragon and the Night, and the only way to ensure we get out is to make sure the Dragon win. Only it's light can guide us to spring."

"How will I know what to do?" Valyria asked him, starting to feel a touch weak. She could start hearing the voices of her siblings again, their words calling out to her.

Bran's image started to become unclear; as if he was fading away, and his voice sounded distant as he spoke to her, "You're a dragon, Valyria, just like your mother and father before you. A time for dragons come again… just like in the times of old-"

"Valyria!"

Valyria gasped as she opened her eyes, finding herself back in the Godswood with her brother and sister hovering about her. Grey Worm's face was the one she saw next, lifting her up out of the snow, "Are you alright, princess?"

"You fell down and your eyes looked weird," Lyaella explained hysterically and confused, "We thought you were dying!"

"No," Valyria shook her head, looking up at the weirwood, "Just dreaming."

"Children?" Their mothers' voice called to them from the entrance of the Godswood. Daenerys and Jon could see their children and Grey Worm all gathered under the massive weirwood. They were all surrounding Valyria, which made Daenerys nervous and had her rushing to them to see if her daughter was okay; Jon not far behind, "Is everyone okay?"

"I'm okay," Valyria told her mother.

Ned shook his head no, "You're not okay; you passed out!"

"Fell?" Jon picked his youngest off the floor and held her close, "You alright, Little Dragon?"

"I'm just tired, Father," Valyria yawned and laid her head down on his shoulder, and Jon cuddled her closer.

Daenerys walked up to Jon put her hand on her daughter's face, rubbing her cheek with the back of her fingers, "I think we've all had a long visit, and it might be time for us to head home."

"I'm ready to go home too, Mum," Lyaella told Daenerys as she stepped closer to her.

Daenerys pulled Lyaella closer with her free hand and held her close, leaning down to kiss her head, "Don't worry, love, we are all going home together."

It had been 3 months since Valyria and her family had gotten home, and she hadn't heard a thing from her uncle since she returned from Winterfell. In the time she'd been home, her birthday had passed, and the now six-year-old Valyria spent a lot of her time trying to find out whatever she could about dragons, the Long Night, and her powers. Her parents explained to her that she was special. According to Kinvara, she was a Warg, but according to Tyrion Lannister, she was a greenseer. Valyria had no idea what any of it meant, all she did know was according to her Uncle Bran: she was like him. Every time she found out a little more information about herself she was left with more questions. The young princess found herself growing up quicker than most kids her age, and while her brother and sister were learning how to fight and rule Valyria was trying to teach herself how to use her powers.

"How did you do it last time?" Kattra asked as she strolled along. The young priestess in training was collecting winter herbs from the garden while she watched Valyria try and concentrate but it was clear that the princess was struggling.

Valyria was sitting on her parents favorite the bench, trying to focus as she gazed upon Snowhome below her, "Every time I did anything I was already sleeping," She sighed as she turned around to face Kattra, "Only time I did it when I was awake was when we were still in Winterfell, and I touched the tree."

"Well didn't your father say there used to be a whole bunch of those weird-wood trees here, but then your parents burned them down," Kattra asked as she placed some herbs carefully into her basket.

"Weirwood," Valyria corrected her as she turned back to face the town, "Do you think the trees have a connection to my powers?"

"They could, but your parents won't tell us what they know," Kattra finished up her collecting and walked over to Valyria to join her on the bench; sitting down next to her, "I think they are more worried about you just, you know, being a child? Maybe we shouldn't worry about it so much Valyria. What can we do to help? We are only children."

"That man tried to kill us, but I protected everyone," Valyria explained with a serious face. To Kattra, she was so much more than a little princess. She could see the dragon in her eyes, "I can do it again, they just have to give me a chance."

"Valyria, you're six. I'm eight, what do you think we can do?" Kattra got up from her seat taking a deep breath, "One day when I'm a great priestess like Kinvara, then maybe I can do something to bring change but right now I'm only a child in training. I know I'm a quick learner, and I know much for my age, but I'm not stupid. I know when things are just… out of my control."

Valyria looked disappointed. Yes, she was only a child, but she didn't think it mattered. She had heard the stories about what her family members had gone through as children, and she thought if they could survive all the things they had been through then she would be okay too, "But I can do something about this, I know I can. I just have to figure out how to control whatever it is that's happening to me," Valyria sighed frustratedly and jumped off the bench, "I can't concentrate here… I'm going to go for a ride."

Kattra watched as Valyria stormed off; choosing not to follow her, "Just make sure someone goes with you, Valyria!"

After watching Valyria storm off, Kattra headed back inside to bring her herbs to her room. She made her way back inside Wolvesden, where she found the Ned and the rest Parsley's children sitting down doing their studies with Parsley. While the rest of the children were doing normal studies, Ned was trying to research what he could to help his sister. Kattra said nothing of the younger princess as she sat down next to Ned to see what he was doing.

"I see you're working hard," Kattra told him with a smirk on her face; indicating to Ned she was making fun of him. In front of him, a book about the history of House Targaryen.

Ned glared her way then looked back into his book, "I am, thank you."

"So… What have you learned?" Kattra asked the young boy.

Ned sighed in aggravation as he lifted his head slowly, "The Doom of Old Valyria was prophesied by my ancestor, Daenys the Dreamer. She had a powerful dream about the destruction of Valyria and she convinced her father to sail west, where they settled in Dragonstone with their five dragons."

"Aenar Targaryen was the first Lord of Dragonstone. He was the first person to bring dragons to Westeros," Kattra finished his thought with a sly smile, "What else have you learned about dragons?"

Ned rolled his eyes and went back into his book, flipping through the pages, "Aegon the Conqueror, he was the first Targaryen King who to rule the entire Seven Kingdoms. He started the Targaryen dynasty and, with the help of his queen sister-wives, they used their dragons to united all the kingdoms into one."

"What are you two going on about?" Parsley asked, budging into their conversation, "Why are you two so interested in the history of the dragons now?"

Kattra looked at Ned, who gave her a look of innocence, and knew to keep their secrets to themselves, "We just are."

"Did all the dragon eggs vanish after the Doom, Parsley?" Ned added in, trying not to be suspicious.

"According to your mother, for the most part, yes. Her dragons were given to her by a man who didn't think actual dragons would come out of them," Parsley smirked and then went back to studying with her own children, "If he did, I'm sure he would've kept them… or throw them into the ocean."

"Mother had three dragons: Drogon; who's still alive, Rhaegon; who died in King's Landing during the great war, and Viserion… she doesn't really talk about Viserion much," Ned spoke his last words as if he was trying to explain something to himself, "Parsley… what happened to Viserion?"

Parsley shrugged, not really paying attention to them, "She didn't tell me much about him, but she did say she lost him trying to save your Father. Maybe ask one of them?"

"Guess we are bothering my parents," Ned said as he shut the book and pushed it away from him, "Hopefully Lyaella has gotten more done today than we have."

Thwack.

Lyaella grunted as the wooden sparring sword hit the straw dummy Tormund made for the children to practice on. Where her brother and sister spent their time back home trying to deal with their own problems, Lyaella dealt with something much different. The eldest Targaryen child hadn't been the same since the attack in the keep. All she could think of was how she was saved by her little sister, and something about that bothered her. Lyaella wasn't even sure it was the fact that it was Valyria who saved her. She had a newly grown appreciation for her baby sister, and she wasn't truly bothered by her help. What bothered Lyaella was feeling powerless. There were so many things that went through her head that day that still played in her head as she trained in the snow. Why didn't she have her weapon? Why didn't she do more?

Why didn't she protect them?

She was the oldest child, it was her job to protect her younger siblings. Sansa had explained to her niece that they were all a pack, and only together would they survive.

"A pack of wolves, a pack of dragons; it doesn't matter. Only together do we survive."

Lyaella hit the dummy over and over again until the little wooden sword snapped in two and the broken piece was sent flying across the snow. She panted angrily as she stared at the dummy, imagining it to be the assassin in the crypt.

"I'm sure whatever he did, he didn't deserve it," A voice familiar voice behind her called out. Lyaella didn't turn around, she knew it was Aiden without needing to, "I've been here all week, if you were going to come out here you should have told me. I would've come with you ."

"I don't need you following me," Lyaella snapped as she looked back to face him. She didn't mean for it to come out as nasty as it did, but she was just fuming with rage.

Aiden threw up his hands and took a step back, "You got it, dragon girl." Just wanting to get away and be alone, Lyaella threw the other half of the broken sparring sword to the floor and began to walk back home, "You don't have to leave," Aiden called out to her, "We can train together if you'd like…"

"I don't want to train with you!" Lyaella growled as she turned back to yell at Aiden, "I don't need help training; I don't need help with anything!"

"What's with you? I haven't done anything to you!" Aiden snapped back now annoyed with the young girls' attitude, "I'm just trying to be a good friend."

Lyaella walked back to Aiden and shoved her finger into his chest, pushing him back, "I am not your friend!" With her the end of her sentence, Lyaella shoved Aiden to the ground. As the ginger boy fell into the snow, Lyaella could finally see how flushed his face had become. The poor boy had no idea what made the princess so angry, but he was feeling the blunt end of her emotions now, "I am your princess, and I don't need you for anything! Do you understand me?"

"Of course princess," Aiden huffed, looking defeated as his eyes glanced away, "As you command."

Lyaella stared at Aiden and her heart started to beat faster than when she was angry. She felt her own cheeks get warm and flustered, making the young princess only feel more frustrated and confused. She liked Aiden, he was her friend. Lyaella wasn't entirely sure why she said those terrible things to him, or why they made her feel like crying now that they were said. Feeling betrayed by her emotions, Lyaella ran off without a word.

Valyria wasn't sure how she did it, but the young princess managed to go for a ride without anyone following her or noticing she was gone. She was rather impressed with herself considering her parents had guards always keeping an eye on her. Valyria must have been gone for at least an hour at that point. She rode until she had no idea where she was riding to, and after Valyria came across a river. The youngest Targaryen dismounted her horse and walked it over to the river to drink from. As they neared the water, she could see that the horse was spooked by something. It whined and shorted as it tried to run from her, but Valyria pulled the horseback.

"Nothing is here, it's okay," She tried talking sweetly to the horse to calm it down but it didn't work.

Valyria could feel her heart pick up as a large shadow passed over them, and the horse buckled back and managed to pull itself away from her grasp. As the horse ran off, Valyria could feel the ground beneath her shake as something landed behind her. Very slowly, she turned around to see what exactly had approached her and to Valyrias' surprised it was none other than her mother's dragon: Drogon. It was rare to catch the massive black and red beauty flying in the west when winter around, but here he was in all his glory staring down his youngest sibling.

"Wow," Valyria was amazed. It was the first time she had ever seen him in her life and his first time Beyond the Wall since Lyaella's fourth name day. Slowly, Valyria stepped closer to Drogon and she could see his huff through his large nostrils. It was so cold, even the dragon's breath could be seen when he exhaled. She could see him watching carefully as she approached him. Valyria stared at the dragon's large face, and imagine he could swallow her whole if he really wanted to. Drogon did no such thing and was rather calm as Valyria inched closer and closer until she only an arms reach from the dragon. As cautiously as she could, Valyria reached both hands out to touch him; her heart racing as she did so. Valyria's hands looked like ants compared to the scales on Drogon's body, and as her fingers shivered anxiously as she touched his warm body. The moment she made contact, her eyes rolled back into her head, and Valyria passed out.

"You're a dragon, Valyria, just like your mother and father before you.

A time for dragons come again… just like in the times of old"

Valyria could have sworn she opened her eyes, but she in her mind she felt like she was still stuck in a dream. She could feel herself flying in the air, over the forest, and going beyond the sea. There was no way it was real, everything rational thought in her mind told her it couldn't. It was nothing a wonderful dream, no matter how real it felt: and gods, did it feel real. From the smell of the salty seas to the cold ocean breeze and vivid blue waters; every bit of it felt and looked so real. But Valyria knew, it had to be a dream. Little girls don't fly.

Author's Note: We have cover art! I taught myself how to do some cool stuff! I'm gonna start posting some cool things I made for the story on my Tumblr over the next week or so so make sure to follow me to check it out! (Tumblr: morosemagick / Life as Mernie)