Chapter 6: The Dreamers
Daemon was walking down a black stone road barefoot. The stone beneath his feet steaming with heat from below. The road blended almost disappearing into the night if it weren't for the lines of red between the tiles. He was walking towards something he didn't quite know what.
The darkness around the road began to glow with stalks of tall white grass. The grass illuminated in the night lived in it. The white of the grass reminded him of what a ghost would look like. It consumed all other grass around it and spread.
"One day ghost grass will consume the world and kill all life."
Jorah's voice echoed through the darkness. He found himself running down the burning black road as the grass chased him. The grass whispered to him in voices that crackled like crunching dry leaves. Daemon didn't know what they said but it only struck more fear into his heart.
An askew brick caught his foot and he was thrown down to the floor. The heat of the road comforted him like a blanket. When he stood the grass was upon him. They loomed over him ready to consume his life.
Fourteen pillars of fire erupted from the black stone and burned away the grass. The flames surrounded him and consumed him. Amongst the flames, he saw three silhouettes. He first thought they were human until they came closer and saw their leathern translucent wings and heard their song that made his body shiver.
Dragons.
Daemon opened his eyes and remembered where he was. He was in a bundle of silk sheets and leathers entangled with Daenerys and Drogo. He smiled fondly at his husband and wife before looking over their heads. There on a dying brazier were their three dragon eggs.
Carefully he untangled from his spouses and crawled off the bed. His eyes remained on the eggs as he moved away from them. Soon he stood over the brazier and looked down at the eggs. He reached down at the cream and gold egg and hesitated before touching it. He worked up the nerve and picked up the egg.
He was waiting for the stinging bite from the heat of the egg but felt only warmth. The warmth he felt as if he was touching Dany's heartbeat whenever he wanted to feel her heart. It felt alive with heat as if was on the verge of hatching.
He must be going mad.
"Daemon?"
He dropped the egg back into the brazier and looked up to see Daenerys. Their eyes met and mirrored each other and they said nothing. Daemon broke the silence, "I was just about to get Irri, Jhiqui and Doreah to get me breakfast do you want anything?" He asked quickly before he walked out before even letting her answer.
He spent the rest of the day avoiding Dany. He knew how he must have looked. If she thought him mad she would tell Drogo and that would be a whole new situation he would want to avoid. Daemon had spent his day feeding his four camels and narrowly avoided a jet of saliva directed towards him. He played with a few young children with fighting with sticks and he would let them win.
All the while he was followed closely by two of his khas, Aggo and Quaro. The other two were Jhogo and Rakharo. Daemon often thought them as their own Kingsguard. Viserys used to tell them of the members of the Kingsguard who served their father, the Lord Commander Ser Gerold Hightower, Barristan the Bold, Arthur Dayne the Sword in the Morning, Prince Lewyn Martell to name a few. He would always be bitter about the traitor who disgraced the White Cloak, Ser Jaime Lannister.
When the sun was at it's highest Daemon decided to return to the Eastern Market. He needed a distraction from what ate at the back of his mind. This time he was given gifts from almost any trader he passed. Jewels, wine, elephants, camels and even a monkey from Yi Ti. He had his entourage of handmaidens and Khas load up all his gifts onto his camels and elephants.
While they were busy loading all the crates onto the elephants and camels, Daemon decided to hold onto the wooden cage of his new monkey. He feeds her grapes which she eagerly grabs and nibbles on. She is just larger than his hand no doubt taken from her family. She would often glance up at him with those big brown eyes with fear which would make him look away.
She already finished the grape so he gives her another, "You just love to nibble on these, little one." He comments before taking a grape into his own mouth. An idea comes to him, "That's what I'll call you, Nibbles. Do you like that?" He looked through the wooden bars of the cage to see her shaking at the sight of him. He could give her another grape but she would only shrink away again. He looked up to see nearly all of his gifts loaded onto the beasts. He set the cage down on the ground before opening the latch on top. The baby money began to shake in fear. She was abused.' he thought. "Nibbles, I have to go but here's a gift." He dripped an entire cluster of grapes in the cage before shutting the latch.
He lifted the cage to see an awed look on Nibbles' face. He smiled as she plucked a grape and began to chew on it. He handed the cage over to Aggo who gave the monkey an incredulous look before loading her on top of a camel. He gave a once over to the Eastern Market before something caught his eye.
Daemon wandered away from his party and to a wooden stand. The merchant was absent from his post. The sword lying there enticed him. As he got closer he saw the rippling patterns across the flat side. The handle was pitch black and a ruby as the pommel. The crossguard is two roaring dragons facing away from each other. He reached out to touch the blade.
"Take it." He gasped at the voice and looked up to see a woman with a red lacquered mask. Daemon wondered how could she sneak up on him? "Valyrian Steel. To honour you, the one true king of Westeros." She proclaimed as he picked up the sword.
Daemon looked down to the blade in his hands, "I'm not the-" When he looked up the woman was gone. 'Swords are forbidden in Vaes Dothrak so how did she smuggle a Valyrian Steel sword inside?' He glanced around to see if anyone watched their interaction. He quickly sheathed the sword and wrapped it in silk sheets before he rushed away.
When Daemon returned he found the room empty. He found the dragon eggs still on the brazier. The prince gave one quick glance to the entrance before unsheathing the sword. The sword was a bit heavy for him he needs both his hands to lift it. It fitted near perfectly in his hands. He smiled at the blade before giving it a testing swing. He felt powerful with a Valyrian Blade and with the dragon eggs at his side.
"It's a beautiful sword." He quickly turned around to see Daenerys at the entrance. He stuttered a reply but she only smiled at his nervousness, "It looks good with you."
"I shouldn't have it here." He shook his head sheathing it.
"No." She only replied walking past him.
Daemon hesitated to face her but did anyway. Might as well address the elephant in the room, "This morning with the dragon eggs. I-"
"I know." Her eyes locked with his. Her violet eyes were bright with confidence, "I know how they feel. Their warmth. As if they're-"
"Alive." Daemon replied slowly walking towards her, "As if they're ready to hatch. Even though they are stone." Daenerys took his hands into hers, "Please tell me I'm not going mad."
She shook her head, "You're not." Her grip on him tightened, "It began with dreams I had. Of Viserys and a dragon and then only the dragon."
"It began with a dream for me as well but it had three dragons." Daemon replied. He smiled looking into her eyes, "Here we are, a pair of dreamers in the Dothraki Sea. Dreaming of dragons."
Daenerys smiled wistfully, "Sometimes dreams come true."
