I'm back!
I'm sorry I was gone for so long, I was sick most of the week and just had no desire to write. I literally had 90% of this chapter done but I couldn't bring myself to finish it because I had no energy to do so. But now it's here and up and I'm very excited about the next few chapters. There will probably be another time jump coming soon; I'm just superrrrr freaking anxious to get them to teenagers lol. So much more to explore, learn and discover for this story and House Stargaryen!
"Mum, tell us more about the dragons." Lyaella, Valyria, and Ned were all in the same bed as their mother. Daenerys had allowed her 11 to 6-year-olds to spend the night with her one time while he was away at Hardhome. Little did she realize they would not let her sleep, just like when they were babes.
"Well let's see; there was Meraxes, Vhagar, Balerion the Dread; largest dragon to ever live…" Daenerys smiled wide as her children stared at her doe-eyed and mesmerized by her stories, "Many dragons were born after their time, but the Dragonriders who cared for them became careless and with time the dragons vanished. For almost 200 years there were no recordings of dragons alive in the East or the West; until the day that three dragons were born in the Dothraki Sea in the funeral pyre of a great and powerful Khal. Does anyone remember their names?"
Lyaella was the first to reply, "Rhaegal!"
"Yes, Rhaegal was named for my eldest brother; Rhaegar," Daenerys reminisced of her emerald green dragon as she told the children more about him, "Sweet Rhaegal was like his namesake, fought for his family when needed but a gentle soul was his true nature. Your father was the only rider Rhaegal ever had, and he died on my own fault," Her smiled softened as she continued on with her story, "What about the others, my loves?"
"Tell us about Drogon, next, Mother!" Ned exclaimed from where he laid in the bed.
"Drogon is the last known dragon alive, and though my love has been known to fly West from time to time, Drogon prefers to be East where it's warmer," Daenerys explained to her children, "I rode Drogon into many battles, he was my closest son and he loved me dearly."
Lyaella gave her mother a confused look, "He was just a dragon, Mum, how did you know he loved you?"
Daenerys chuckled, and sweetly rubbing her daughter's face with her fingers, "You could see it in his eyes, my darling."
"What about Viserion, Mother?" Valyria asked bringing up her final son.
The look on Daenerys' face turned bittersweet as memories of Viserion came to her mind, "Well, my Viserion was a lot like my brother he was named for. He was known to be ill-tempered, and sometimes he didn't listen. But he could be kind and loving to his mother when he wanted. My dear Viserion passed long ago, and his passing breaks my heart to this day."
Valyria frowned for her mother's pain, "Do you miss your dragons, Mother?"
"Yes, my loves, for they were as much my children as the three of you," Daenerys somber eyes drifted away as she smiled, "and not a day goes by I don't I wish I could have them here again."
Valyria woke from her dream with a gasp, jumping up from where she laid as she tried her best to catch her breath. The first thing she noticed was how hard it was to breathe, and how humid the air felt. The Targaryen princess looked around at her surroundings and found herself in a place she didn't recognize. A layer of smoke blocked the sun from beaming down on her; though occasionally it peaked through, and the air was much warmer than she could ever remember since her birth. Valyria was a winter child, and she had not yet in her life experienced heat as intense as this before. Too warm for her winter clothes, Valyria removed all of her heavier winter clothes until all she had left was the thin slip that she wore under her dress and her shoes.
She left her clothes on the floor and continued on her journey to figure out where exactly she was. By her surroundings, Valyria figured she was in the ruins of something but what exactly she wasn't sure. The ruins themselves seemed to be taken back by nature, much of the broken left behind buildings covered in vines and moss. Some of the stone was still attached, and Valyria could make out the remnants of a long-forgotten city. Valyria made her way to a riverside and at the far end of it, she can see it breaks off into the ocean.
Valyria sighed as she turned her head to stare down the opposite end of the river, "Where did you take me, big brother?" Realizing that wherever she was Valyria was stuck, and Drogon had left her behind, she turned back and continued deeper into the ruins.
For the next hour, she kept on exploring, making her way through the ruins until she came across what might have once been a town square. As she stood in the middle of the square, Valyria was hit with this strange feeling of familiarity. Time seemed to slow down as visions of the late past played around her, and the ghosts of this dead city momentarily walked amongst her. She could see the shadows of people who were long dead, some that reminded her of her mother. All of these people seemed very fancy and though Valyria knew this had to be a vision of something that had happened something about it seemed very advanced. She looked into the sky and to her surprise, visions of dragons came to her. Not just one dragon but dozens of them flying through the sky, all different shapes and sizes.
It was then that Valyria knew exactly where Drogon and taken her to.
"Old Valyria," The young princess gasped, her face beaming with excitement. Valyria had never been to someone so extraordinary in her whole life, let alone somewhere that wasn't so cold. Her happiness didn't last, as a rustle in the ruins and the sound of running feet made the little Targaryen jump and her visions come to an end. Valyria turned around, trying to figure out where the noises were coming from, "Who's there?!"
The scurrying got close, and the rustling bushes louder as whatever was out there closed in on her. From behind the sound of footprints approaching her had Valyria on her toes, turning quickly to see who or what was there. When she turned around she felt a brief moment of relief, thinking she was found by an adult. "Hello?" Valyria tried to get a better look, but as the stranger got closer she could see something was wrong with him. His completion was an odd grey color, and it almost looked like his skin was made of scales. His face looked unfriendly and made Valyria start to panic. Scared for her life, the 6-year-old turned around and ran away.
"What do you think we are having this time?" A very pregnant Daenerys asked John as he crawled into bed with her. She cuddled herself against her husband as he covered them both with the blankets. It was an extra cold winter night, and not even their fireplace was much help.
"I tell you what I told you about Lyaella and little Ned," Jon kissed Daenerys' head as he pulled her in close, "I don't care about the gender, only that they are happy and healthy."
"Oh come on, Jon, you must have a slight preference for one gender," Daenerys pushed his chest playfully, making him chuckle, "I would like another boy. I don't know what I'd do with two daughters. Lyaella is already so much to handle, and I'm sure she loves being the only girl."
"I don't know," Jon shrugged, actually thinking about Daenerys' question, "Another girl doesn't sound so terrible."
"I knew you had a preference," Daenerys chuckled, "What would you name her?"
"Honestly?" Jon sighed to himself, unable to bring himself to answer her, "It's a silly name…"
"Tell me, my blood," Daenerys squeezed Jon tighter, "I promise I won't think it as silly."
Jon looked at his wife, who had a big beaming smile on her face and caved, "Valyria."
"Like… the old country?" Daenerys questioned his choice, making Jon feel embarrassed
"It's stupid," Jon told her as he sighed.
Daenerys smiled, cupping his face with her hands, "It's not, tell me why."
Jon smiled faintly as he explained, "The City of Valyria was one a beautiful and prosperous kingdom. Queen Valyria would be just the same. Except there would be no Doom to bring her end, and her namesake will thrive again; leaving a better mark in history than it did before."
Daenerys kissed Jon then went back to laying down on his chest, "That does sound incredible, but what would she be the queen of? Where would she rule?"
Jon chuckled as he replied, "She's would be a dragon, she could rule wherever she pleased."
"We haven't found anything yet, King Crow," one of his clansmen explained as he rode up to Jon, "No one has seen Princess Valyria." He was surrounded by a dozen all other men all of them trying to tell him the same thing. It had been hours. They had noticed Valyria's horse was missing and after realizing the princess was nowhere to be found Jon had sent out a searching party for her, but the search came up barren.
His youngest; his baby, was gone.
"She has to be somewhere," Jon growled in frustration, "How far did your men get?"
"Edge of the forest, My King," Another man replied.
"Go out further, if she's not in this area she must have ridden out further," Jon exclaimed to all his men, but everyone looked absolutely exhausted.
"Your Grace," Kristof approached the group with Tormund and three other men, "Went to the rivers before the Frostfangs and there's no sign of her."
"We have to keep looking!" Jon growled.
"Crow," Tormund put his hand on Jon's shoulder, "She ain't up here. Girls only six, we would've found her if she was still on foot."
Jon started to panting. What would he tell Daenerys? Their daughter was missing and nothing of her could be found. Not her horse, not a body… nothing. He was distraught, Tormund could see it in his eyes, "I-I have to tell my wife…"
"I'll go with you," Tormund nodded, gripping his shoulder tighter to steady the broken man. Together they headed back to Wolvesden, where they know Daenerys would be waiting for them.
"No!" Daenerys's screams echoed throughout the stronghold, and her cries could be heard all throughout Snowhome. The broken queen fell to the floor sobbing, Jon there to catch her before she hit the floor. Lyaella and Ned watching from a distance as their father tried to calm their mother after breaking the terrible news to her. Valyria was gone.
"I don't understand," Ned looked to his older sister with tears in her eyes, "Where could she have gone?"
Lyaella didn't look sad, she looked angry. There was a fire in her eyes burning brightly, and it wasn't going out soon, "She couldn't just disappear. Someone must have taken her."
"But who?" Ned questioned.
"I don't know," Lyaella turned back to walk away, "But we know someone who might."
"Lyaella!" Ned chased after his sister, following her through the halls until they reached Kattra's bedroom. Lyaella through open the door to find Kattra sitting there alone in her room, a blank expression on her face. Not sad, or sly, or happy or confused, just blank.
"Where is our sister?" Lyaella asked Kattra.
The little priestess in training looked up, "Why would I know?"
"You were with her last! You were watching her practice!" Lyaella snapped, "You should've been with her!"
"She said she needed to be alone, she couldn't concentrate," Kattra told Lyaella managing to stay come, "I told her to make sure someone went with her."
"She's six! You should've gone with her!" Lyaella's anger turned to tears.
Ned walked over to his sister and put his hand on her shoulder, "We all should've been watching her. Father told us to stick together… and we didn't."
Kattra looked between Lyaella and Ned. She could see the heartbroken look on their faces and she knew she couldn't continue to hold this calm act. The little priestess sighed, and got off of her seat, "He told me not to follow her… she had to do this on her own."
"What? Who told you?" Ned looked at Kattra confused.
"The Lord of Light, he showed me in the flames what Valyria must do next," Kattra started shaking, her feelings catching up to her, "I didn't want to let her go but Kinvara said I must listen to the flames!"
"Where did the Lord say she was going?" Ned asked Kattra, she could tell by the look on his face he felt angry and betrayed.
"He didn't say," Kattra lied.
Lyaella stepped closer to her, "Then ask him."
"That's not how that works, Lyaella," Kattra replied as she distanced herself from the angry princess.
"I don't care," Lyaella growled, "Find my sister!"