Chapter 3

'How do you mean, she is gone?!' Rhaenyra feels the defiance starting to stir, that feeling that has kept her and her sister company for so many years while their father did what he wanted.

Alicent seems to be worried but there is also a veiled look of anger in her eyes, and Rhaenyra's back goes ramrod straight. Laenor sighs, shaking his head.

"She has gone to look for a dragon.' Rhaenyra nods, remembering that Maegelle mentioned it a few times. She also entertained cousin Laenor with her dreams of finding her own dragon, he only never thought she would do it not even a fortnight after Rhaenyra's wedding and her own engagement.

"Is she defying me because we offered her as a second wife to Laenor?' Viserys asks again, exasperation clear in his voice. 'No, she...' How can Laenor explain that his youngest niece does not care at all? That she is happy she wiill be married to him, who allows her to do whatever she wants, instead of some Lord who would push her to bear children, something she is not ready for? Something Laenor has a feeling she never will be ready for. And that is quite allright.

That he is happy he has two wives who accept him who he is, with his, ... No, he should not try to think about Joffrey now. The pain is still too fresh.

'I know she has gone through a lot in the last years. Losing her mother, having no dragon, being married off in the future as a second wife, ...' Alicent trails off, her eyes falling back on Rhaenyra. "But still, this is extremely childish."

Rhaenyra's jaw locks, but Laenor holds her back, giving her a warning look. "She left a note she has gone travelling. We tried to find out which ship she was on, but at the rate we found out more information, she is gone too far to try to get her back.'

Laenor nods, taking a sip of his cup. 'She will return in due time, uncle. She has not gone alone. She has two servants with her, one of whom is highly trained in combat. She will be fine.'

"All we can do is wait now, father." Rhaenyra finishes, all of them lapsing into an uneasy silence.

The wind is not as harsh here as it is at sea, Maegelle thinks. The thirteen-year-old smiles when she looks back at the harbor that is but a point in the distance now, the horse underneath her trotting calmly ahead.

Her Septa had been furious but had insisted on coming, as did Aleera, a servant who has had combat training and is now her unofficial bodyguard.

"Is it still far to Vhagar, my princess?" Maegelle hums, looking in front of her. This is a crazy idea, she realizes. She might very well die trying to ride Vhagar. But she is willing to try. She has nothing left to lose.

"This is the sixth suitor you have refused, Maegelle!" Her father screams at her, Maegelle shaking her head. "I am not ready to be engaged yet, father! I am thirteen, soon going on fourteen years old! You wish to marry me off already now that you have a new family?!"

"This has nothing to do with it, Maegelle!" Viserys explodes, his daughter taking a step back in shock and a little bit of fear. "It does! You have barely looked at me and Rhaenyra since you married Alicent!" The thirteen-year-old screams back, tears brimming in her eyes.

"We are only ever good enough if you have something to gain from us!" A sob escapes her, the door slamming on the way shut, Alicent calling her name, but before the queen can try to corner her in the hallway, Maegelle has run off.

"Are you alright, princess?" Her Septa asks, eyes falling on the ring that adorns her hand now, the one that shows she is Laenor's soon-to-be second wife. She shakes her head, trying to forget the memory of Joffrey's bloodied face. He was such a nice boy.

He did not deserve this. And despite everything, she is taken back to that faithful night, the night of Rhaenyra's wedding and her engagement party.

Despite the tension between her father and uncle Corlys, Laena is delighted to see her cousin again. They talk for hours and hours, until Maegelle is called over by Laenor and Rhaenyra.

It takes a little while before she understands the whole talk about geese and duck, since she has always been a naive and always has had her head in the clouds. She is only thirteen, going on fourteen though, so she supposes it is allowed.

She meets Joffrey and they get along quite well. She thinks everything will work itself out. She is sure of it.

The feast itself is merry, Maegelle's gaze falling on Rhaenyra and Laenor who are dancing. The second dance will be her and Laenor soon enough, and she hopes she can have some fun soon. Her hair is less elaborate than Rhaenyra, but it itches, and pulls on her hair, a headache starting to show itself.

"It is your turn to go dancing, Maegelle." Laena whispers, giving her a small smile as Maegelle goes to the dancefloor. She and Laenor cannot help but laugh, the atmosphere and music making her feel giddy and happy for once.

She ignores the stare Alicent gives her, knowing full well her father has had more than once arguments with his wife what to do with his unruly youngest daughter. If Alicent had her way, she probably had been shipped off to some small House, never to be seen again.

Anything to advance the advantage of her own children. Be it for the throne, marriage or power.

She is having fun with Laenor and Laena, twirling around the two siblings, when everything goes to chaos. A scream is heard and then another and then another.

Rhaenyra calls for her and Laenor, Maegelle being pushed to the front of the mass of people. What she sees is ser Criston Cole beating the hell out of Joffrey, Laenor pushing her aside as he goes to help his lover.

What follows is blurry, Criston Cole keeps beating and beating and beating Joffrey. Maegelle finally finds her bearings, standing up and running towards them. "Stop it! You are killing him!"

She finds her world being tilted, her head banging on the ground as Criston Cole pushes her off him, still beating Joffrey to a pulp. Her gaze goes hazy, eyes fading in and out of focus, the last thing she sees, Joffrey trying to protect himself.

She wakes up a little while later, face full of blood, not her own. Laenor gives her a sad smile, Rhaenyra squeezing her hand as they say their vows.

Maegelle keeps it together until Rhaenyra and Laenor have said their vows, but she feels herself unraveling slowly but surely. She sees the pool of blood on the ground, her father feinting and then she loses it.

It is Rhaenyra that manages to snap her out of her panic attack.

She needs space and time. So she left a note and ran for the hills, so to say. She is sure her sister and cousin understand. Her father? Well, she will worry about that when or if she returns.

She realizes full well there is a chance she might not make it.

And then she hears it, the sound. She remembers her father saying that people said Vhagar cried often. And the sound she hears, it sounds like it. It sounds like crying, like she is calling out for someone to come to her.

Maegelle's heart squeezes together when she hears the sound. Might Vhagar be the balm to her soul?

She hopes the dragon will be. Anything to close the gaping hole that has been festering in her heart since her father remarried and pretty much cast her aside.

"We will wait until nighttime." Maegelle decides when she has gotten closer and ruled out the place where Vhagar will pass the night.

Her Septa and Aleera nod, setting up a small tent where they can sleep and stay in.

"But Vhagar has no saddle, my princess. How will you mount her?" Maegelle's mouth snaps shut, lost in thought.

"I guess I will work out the details when we get to it." They lapse into an uneasy silence, until the sky darkens and darkens and eventually the stars appear.

Vhagar is staying in the hills near one of the beaches, a beach that is largely avoided now that Vhagar sleeps there. Maegelle is the first one in years to show herself, apparently.

She motions for her servants to stay back, braiding her hair back so it is out of her face. She takes a deep breath and start slowly walking towards the hills where Vhagar sleeps, Maegelle thankful to be hidden.

Her mouth falls open when she sees how big Vhagar really is compared to her, and finally she begins to understand how a foolish plan this is. Maegelle steels her nerves, deciding she will try and if she dies, so be it.

Her trembling hands and weak knees that she keeps locked to not fall onto her face? No one needs to know but her how nervous she is.

Okay, so she might not have thought this completely through. Her breathing picks up when she approaches Vhagar, the dragon still snoring undisturbed. Though Maegelle has her doubts Vhagar does not already know she is here.

Instead of going towards the dragon's side, Maegelle decides to be bold and to go to the front of Vhagar.

She is trying to catch her breathing, panic seizing her as she complains to herself how stupid this plan is, not seeing Vhagar has already opened her eyes and is silently watching her.

A sound that comes from the dragon betrays her, and Maegelle lets out a shocked shout, falling back on her butt. Vhagar makes a sound in her throat, head rising as she opens her mouth, fire gathering in her throat.

"Lykirī, Vhagar!" Maegelle eeps, and the dragon blinks, the fire in her throat snuffing out, as if she is snorting at the young girl before her, whose voice is barely heard above her loud breathing.

"Dohaerās!" Maegelle's voice wavers the first time, but when she repeats the word, this time, her voice is strong.

"Lykirī!" Maegelle says again, and this time, Vhagar stops growling, head laying down in the sand as she allows Maegelle to approach her.

Hand outstretched, another firm "Dohaerās", and the dragon finally allows Maegelle to touch her, something akin to a soft rumble coming from deep within her belly. A small and nervous smile appears on Maegelle's face, the tension bleeding out of her body.

She grabs the rope, stepping towards Vhagar's neck. The dragon's head turns, curious eyes following her new rider, but she does not move. Maegelle manages to wind the rope twice around Vhagar's neck, with a soft command to lift her head.

The rope is strong and well bound, nothing that will restrict Vhagar's breathing, but it is strong enough for Maegelle to hold onto while she can have a saddle made, preferably in Driftmark.

"How am I going to get onto your back, Vhagar?" Maegelle whispers to herself, turning round the dragon to see how to best approach this.

She eventually decides to climb on Vhagar's neck. Not the best move, and not the most ideal (judging from Vhagar's teeth that are showing she is not amused), but it will do for now.

When Maegelle is finally seated on the dragon, she only then understands how immense Vhagar really is. She settles on Vhagar's back, legs squeezing together with all their might, scared as she is she will fall off.

Vhagar moves her neck, eyes falling onto her rider. Maegelle feels a lump in her throat, the butterflies in her stomach reaching a crescendo. "Sōvēs." The dragon looks at her for a moment, as if to say, "Don't test me, child".

Maegelle feels her courage wane, tears starting to form in her eyes, angry and disappointed that it is not working. "Vhagar, please." she whispers, fully aware Vahagar cannot understand her.

"Dohaerās." The Targaryen princess' voice breaks, but she manages to get out the word once more. "Sōvēs!" Maegelle whispers, looking down at her hands to the rope.

She has failed again. Can she not even have this?

A sudden scream leaves her lips when she is jolted, Vhagar looking at her, teeth showing. But she stands up, Maegelle's breath catching in her throat, legs squeezing together when Vhagar's feet start to move.

The Targaryen's princess' eyes widen when Vhagar begins to walk, slowly going faster and faster. Another scream leaves Maegelle when Vhagar finally flies up, sand flying everywhere as the dragon gains height.

"Your Highness!" She hears her Septa scream, fully aware that she is hanging on by a thread. Had she not rolled the rope several times around her arms, Maegelle is sure she would have fallen off.

Vhagar is old, and her scales are slippery, so there is no good foothold for her legs to lie. The dragon underneath her rights for a small moment, but it is enough for Maegelle to gain a foothold once more.

Vhagar roars, as Maegelle tugs on the rope, lying back when Vhagar takes a deep dive, but rights herself at the last moment.

The dragon roars again, but in joy this time, as the princess on her back let's out a laugh, her Septa and servant shouting her name in happiness. "You did, You Highness!" She hears Aleera shout, as Vhagar flies a few rounds and then goes up into the sky again.

Soon they find themselves over the sea, the water occasionally splashing in her face as Vhagar's wings hit the water, but she has to admit she has never felt so light in months.

They leave the next morning on horseback, Vhagar lazily flying over them, eyes trained on her young charge.

When she arrives at Driftmark, it is Meleis that remarks her first. "What is this?!" She hears Rhaenys shout, as Meleis is enveloped by a large shadow, Vhagar keening in greeting. Maegelle let's out a shout, her aunt shaking her head.

They are happy to see her back in Driftmark, some staring at her in awe, but she is happy to be home. Laena has also finally claimed a dragon, and she and her cousin often go out flying.

Eventually, Rhaenyra and Laenor join her at Driftmark. "She is gigantic!" Rhaenyra says, eyes sparkling as Vhagar comes closer. She puts her head next to Maegelle, her rider scratching Vhagar on the nose.

"Do you want to come fly with me?" Maegelle asks, Rhaenyra looking shocked at her. "Can I?" Maegelle nods, a grin appearing in her lips when Rhaenyra sees the rope to climb up on Vhagar's back.

"How is your climbing these days?" Maegelle teases, but eventually they manage to crawl on Vhagar. And if Rhaenyra asks to fly a few more, rounds shocked at how different riding on such a big dragon is, Maegelle wisely shuts her mouth, a happy feeling on her belly.

Her mood sours a week or two later, when she finally decides to return to King's Landing. Her father and Alicent are waiting for her, and though she is sure they were worried, she does not expect the fury on Alicent's face.

She cannot greet them, before Alicent is berating her, her father a silent watcher next to his wife. Maegelle's gaze falls on her father, silently begging him to intervene, to say anything. But he stays quiet.

A silent tear trails down Maegelle's cheek, as she realizes her father is nothing but a coward. He will not stand up for her, and the resentment against Alicent grows a bit bigger.

"Stop shouting at me!" Maegelle screeches back, Alicent taking a shocked step back. "You are not my mother, and you never will be!"

A gasp leaves Rhaenyra's mouth, who has just come running, when the sound of a slap fills the air. Alicent is breathing hard, her eyes falling onto the red imprint on Maegelle's cheek.

"Maegelle, I..." The youngest Targaryen's princess stands ramrod straight, nothing but coldness in her eyes, tears long gone. "Do not touch me. While you are my father's wife, I am still not your daughter and never will be. Do not ever dare to raise your hand against me again, Alicent."

The queen is stunned into silence as Maegelle backtracks, turning back to Vhagar. The dragon's eyes are trained on the Alicent, as if to warn her not to take one step closer.

Maegelle crawls on her dragon, Vhagar jumping up, Syrax and Seasmoke following suit. And if the kind and queen tell everyone the princesses and their consort have gone to Driftmark on their honeymoon, it is a wellknown fact that Alicent has fractured whatever was left of the friendship between Maegelle and her.

Otto Hightower is silent when he watches his daughter, who has come to visit him. "You need to be careful, Alicent. You are queen, but Rhaenyra is backed by Maegelle, who now rides the largest living dragon."

Alicent bites her lip, cradling Aegon closer on her lap.

"I have told you before, that Maegelle's blind support of her sister was something to be concerned about. The fact that they are backed by House Velaryon by marriage and now by the largest dragon alive, is concerning." Otto hums, eyes falling on his daughter.

"Not concerning,father." Alicent sighs, but the worry is clear in her eyes. "Dangerous. Maegelle and Vhagar are downright dangerous."