The King's Feast 30: Queen of the Dragons
"Look, Baela, that's Driftmark. Over there. Can you see it? That's where grandmother lives, and where I grew up, when I was your size." Laena said to her daughter.
She carried Baela in one arm and held on to the wet gunwale with the other, trying her best not to fall on the slippery deck. Baela was four now, and Laena felt the strain of carrying a child with one arm. Daeron was even heavier than Baela, but he was now tall enough to be able to peek off the edge and look off.
That is, if he wishes to come out on deck.
Daeron was seasick for the entire boat ride there, and the six year old prince remained in his cabin in the lower decks of the galley, preferring the company of a copy of The Glory of Volantis, a version specially made specifically for a child, with brightly drawn illustrations of the chronicle on the pages.
"Mummy, where is grandmother with her dragon?" Baela asked, not minding the spray from the sea splashing on her face or the harsh winds that rocked the small galley.
"When we get to Driftmark, I'm sure grandmother will show you Meleys." Laena replied, gently.
"I want to ride on Meleys! Is grandmother nice, like you? Will she let me ride her dragon? Will she, mother?" she pleaded, with an eager grin on her face.
Riding on dragons was all Baela spoke about when she first learned to talk. Laena had forbidden her from riding on Moondancer, regardless of the little princess' angry demands. When Baela found out that her grandmother rode a massive she-dragon from her older brother earlier on the voyage here, that was all she asked Laena, and was equally as upset when Laena denied her.
"We talked about this, darling. Grandmother will not let you ride on her dragon, you're still a young girl. Mayhaps when you're older."
"That's not fair! I thought grandmother was nice! You said she was nice!" she shouted, with tears bubbling in her pale purple eyes.
"Grandmother is nice, Baela, you have met her before, you were just too little to remember." Laena said, to calm the girl.
"Then why can't I ride on the dragon?" Baela demanded.
"Because you are still small, Baela. When you are older you will be able to ride on dragons as much as you want, do not worry about that, darling."
"I don't want to ride the dragon when I am bigger! I want to ride dragons now! This castle is stupid, I want to go back home!" her daughter moaned, and Laena took her back below decks. "I will ask grandmother myself, and she will say yes!"
"Sure..." she sighed. "You can ask her, but if she says no, do not get upset. Promise, Baela?"
"Promise, mummy." Baela dejectedly replied, and Laena stroked her silver-and-gold hair and gave her a little peck on her cheeks.
When they reached the bottom decks, Laena placed her daughter gently down onto the wooden floor. Baela then sprinted up to Ser Criston Cole and dragged him with her tiny hands towards her cabin.
"Ser Cris, Ser Cris!" she said to the white knight, jumping up and down. "Can we go and put on my training armour? You said we will play swords when we reach the island!"
"Yes, Baela, but we only play swords when we reach the island, and after you say hello to your grandmother." Ser Criston laughed, patting Baela on the forehead.
Baela had loved watching the knights train in the yards of the Red Keep, and when she first picked up a sword made for young lads, she loved swinging it about, pretending that she was Nymeria the Warrior Queen or Visenya Targaryen. When Viserys told her that little princesses should not be swinging swords around, she started wailing in fury, kicking her father, and whacking him with the toy sword. After that, Ser Criston reluctantly agreed to train Baela in the ways of sword and shield, and she enjoyed every minute of it. The knight also enjoyed it, as he got to teach her his greatest talent, considering Daeron hated the training yard.
Laena entered her son's cabin, and the boy sat there glumly in his bed reading his book. He had bags under his dark purple eyes, his silver hair was a complete mess, and he had a frown upon his face. The entire cabin stunk of vomit, and he looked to be having the worst experience of his six year old life, but that didn't stop him from being engrossed in his little book.
Good thing he took it with him, Gods know how miserable he would have been without it.
After so many years of living alone in the Red Keep, and suffering the presence of Jason Lannister and Rhaenyra Targaryen, Laena was finally happy to be visiting home. Her husband constantly refused to send help to the Stepstones, and it had been years seen Laena had seen her brother and father. To make it even worse the last raven she had received from them was over two weeks ago now, announcing the passing of her cousin, Ser Daemion, during the fighting.
What if they have died since then, and I don't even know it yet.
She begged Viserys to let her leave King's Landing for once, to visit her mother, the only other family she had that was still accessible. He eventually did relent after some persuading, letting her go visit Driftmark for a fortnight. That was the greatest news Laena had received in years, but the evening was soured when Viserys summoned her to his bedchambers to do his husbandly duties.
I had not visited his bedchambers for some years, and the last time was even worse than I remember. Gods, his flaky arms...
Laena shivered and tried not to think about that, instead sitting down next to her son. She put her arm around Daeron, giving the boy a small hug, which seemed to brighten up his face.
"We are arriving soon, mummy, are we not?" Daeron grumbled to her.
"Yes, it is only a few hours until we arrive, dear." Laena said, stroking his hair. "Me and Baela went up to the deck and we could see Driftmark from the prow."
"I am never going up onto the deck of a boat again." Daeron grimaced. "I could have ridden on Tessarion here instead."
My father will not be pleased that his grandson now hates the very sight of boats.
"You have never flown on her before, dear. And even if you had, you know that your little sister would want to join you up on dragonback." Laena explained.
"Then you could have let her take her own dragon too."
"She is still too young for that, you know that."
"Yes mummy, but it would be better than going on a boat." He said, frowning. "Do you think grandfather's library has a book I can read about the Andal invasion? Septa Roelle said the one in the Red Keep has too many big words for me to read."
"It might do, you will have to ask grandmother." Laena replied.
"I can't wait to see grandmother again. I just wish grandfather and Uncle Laenor were here too." Daeron said, sadly.
"I wish they were here too. But like I said dear, they are off bravely defending our house from our enemies all the way in the Stepstones."
"I do not want to go to the Stepstones where grandfather and uncle are." He replied, shuddering.
"You needn't worry about that, Daeron." Laena smiled. "You are not old enough to need to fight in battles yet."
"It is not the battles I do not like. Battles are nice, they have heroes and kings. It is the boats I do not like."
One day, you may be fighting in your own battles, and maybe you will be a king when you fight in them.
The ship docked at Driftmark a few hours later, when the sun was almost setting, the pink and red sun setting in a pool of purple and blue behind them. Daeron had puked once again, and when they finally arrived, his sunken eyes finally lit up. Baela went running towards the port, dressed up in children's training armour, brown leather pads covering her arms, body, and legs, and a helmet that was much too big for her tiny head.
"Careful, Baela!" Laena called, as she jumped up and down next to the gunwale, before Ser Criston carried her onto the pier, and she sprinted onto the mainland.
They quickly made their way into High Tide, the brand new castle built by Laena's father, from his immense wealth made on his voyages. When they arrived in the Hall of Nine, Baela was bouncing with excitement, and Daeron was shivering from the sickness, but his mood was lifted upon seeing his grandmother.
"Grandmother!" Daeron called, as he ran into her arms, where she then scooped him up and gave him a long, tender embrace.
"Daeron, it has been so long since I saw you! My, my, boy, you have grown so tall!" she said, before showering his cheeks with kisses.
I have not seen her in just as long.
Laena's mother looked just as she remembered, but there were more silver streaks in her black hair, and her crow's feet had become more visible. But the same smile and friendly pale lilac eyes was still the same, and Laena felt her own eyes water at the sight of her.
After she was done greeting her grandson, she moved onto her granddaughter. Baela embraced her grandmother, though not as long as her brother did.
"You won't even remember me, Baela." She said, joyfully. "But you have grown so much too! Gods, girl, why are you wearing training armour at this time?"
"Ser Cris said we could practice swords later on, grandmother!" Baela replied, with a large smile on her face, as if she knew her grandmother since forever.
"The hour is late, and it shall be cold outside. Maybe on the morrow, Baela." Laena said, smiling at her daughter's audacity.
"You can play swords here in the hall, sweetling, do not worry." Her mother laughed.
"Thank you, grandmother! I love you, grandmother! Can you also take me on your dragon? Pleaassseee?" Baela asked, her smile and eyes growing even wider.
"Baela, we talked-" Laena began.
"Yes, Baela, I will take you. But only on the morrow. It is late, Meleys is sleeping now." Her mother laughed.
"Yaaay! Thank you, grandmother!" Baela shouted, running around the hall, before she went off with Ser Criston to play swords.
"And how about you, Daeron? ...Oh gods, there's vomit on your doublet. Are you well, sweet boy? Was the voyage difficult?" She asked, worriedly, stroking his shoulders.
"I hate boats, grandmother. I shall never set foot on one again!" Daeron angrily declared, stomping his boots, and crossing his arms defiantly.
"Oh, you poor thing... are you feeling better now, lad?"
"Now that I am not on a boat, I am much better!" he said, his voice as commanding as a six year old prince could muster. "Grandmother, can I go to the library? Mummy said that you have books about the histories that I could read."
"You come all this way and you don't have time to spend to your grandmother?" She asked, sadly. "It is no worry, sweetling, one of the servants shall take you there. Your grandfather's library is even bigger than the one in the Red Keep, but you must tell me of how you have been over the last few years."
"Yes, grandmother!" he happily said before quickly scurrying off with a servant.
"Don't stay up too late, dear!" Laena called out to Daeron as he ran out of the hall, almost as excited as Baela was.
When he left, it was just Laena and her mother left there, and Laena turned to her and hugged her.
"Mother, it has been too long." Laena said, unable to stop the tears from flooding down her cheeks. "It's a fucking nightmare in King's Landing, truly. I cannot bear it there any longer. I have no one there, only Daeron and Baela."
"Now, there, sweetling, don't cry." Her mother said, gently stroking Laena's curly silver hair.
When all the tears dried up, Laena finally pulled away from her mother and looked her in the face.
"It is the first time you have come to visit me, Laena." She said, solemnly. "You must come more, sweet."
"I would if my husband allowed me to. It took so long to even convince him. I am only here for a fortnight, but it shall be good to be with you for this short time, and the children finally get to meet you."
"Yes, it is good to see Daeron and Baela after so long. But that is not the only reason you came here, is it, Laena? It is your first visit here since I returned here, and just weeks after Vhagar made her nest here. I have not forgotten those times when you had those dreams of Vhagar." she asked, her tone much quieter.
Her mother had the right of it. Laena did not come all the way to Driftmark only to visit her mother. As of late, the recurring dreams of Vhagar had become more often. Her parents were well aware of her dreams, and how Laena refused to attempt to claim any other dragon, because she felt Vhagar calling out to her.
Laena did not believe in the power of dreams, in truth, especially since she was now one-and-twenty and without a dragon. Her husband once told her of a dream he had, of his son sitting upon the Iron Throne wearing the Conqueror's crown, but Laena did not think that dream meant much either.
If he believes in the power of his dreams, why has he not named Daeron heir?
Eventually, the dreams of Vhagar became less common, and she lost all hope that she would ever claim a dragon, and stopped thinking that dreams brought any meaning. But upon hearing that Vhagar had made her nest on Driftmark, the dreams became more and more common, until she had the same repeating dream every night of her riding Vhagar back home after winning a glorious war. After that, she started to slightly believe that the dream meant something.
I still came here firstly to visit mother. If Vhagar is here too, I shall know that I must aid my father and brother, but I truly wish that the dreams were just dreams.
"You know me too well, mother." Laena conceded, looking down at the stone floor. "Father and brother need our help, and my fool of a husband refuses to do anything about it, thanks to the whisperings of my stepdaughter and that Lannister."
"I do not think it is safe, Laena." She simply said. "I have not seen Laenor or your father in years, and my mother is dying. What if something happens to you there, and then I lose my daughter too. What do I tell Daeron and Baela if that happens?"
She is correct, it is risky, and if something happened... but I cannot just abandon father and Laenor... mayhaps the dream was just a dream... but is that just a lie that I kept telling myself?
"It is dangerous, yes, and I do not want to this either..." Laena pleaded. "If you deem it too unsafe, then come with me on Meleys, two dragons will be better than one..."
"Who would look after the matters of Driftmark then? And the children too..." she scoffed.
"As much as I don't want to do this, if you shall not go with me, I shall go myself, we can't leave father and Laenor abandoned there. If I were to go, then harm would befall me, I would make sure of it. I would have Vhagar, nobody could harm me on Vhagar. "
She sighed before putting her hands to her hips. "What can I even say to dissuade you, Laena? You will go, whether you receive my blessing or not, I know the type of girl I raised, as much as I say you do not want to do this, I know you do... the dreams you've always had... Gods... keep safe my sweet... but I still mislike what you are going to do..."
I do not want to do this either, in truth. But father and Laenor… and if I do not go and they both die there…
"Thank you, mother. I promise to you no inch of my body shall be harmed. I swear it." Laena sighed, tears streaming back down her face again.
If only my fucking husband had balls, gods…
That evening, she visited Daeron and Baela's chambers to just be with them. She would stay with them on Driftmark for the next two weeks, before leaving for the Stepstones, but she wanted to just be with them until then.
"Just know this, my children. I love you and I always will." Laena said, whilst embracing them, her salty tears falling onto their hair.
"Mummy, what is going to happen?" Daeron asked, already knowing something was afoot.
"I am going to help grandfather and Uncle Laenor in the Stepstones in a few weeks. It is the only way they shall be able to get back home, my loves. But I promise you, I shall be back soon, and it would be just as I never left."
I don't want to leave though... I do not want to leave you alone…
"Stay safe, mummy." Daeron simply replied, before hugging Laena even tighter.
"Beat the bad people, mummy! I want to come as well!" Baela added, innocently.
The fact that they did not react as badly as Laena originally expected just made her even more upset.
I cannot do this... they are still children...
Laena embraced her children once again and left their chambers to sleep herself, with a sick feeling in her stomach.
No, I shall not do this...I shall stay with my children…
When she was about to head back to her children's chambers, a loud roar shook the entire castle.
Laena quickly looked outside of the nearby window and saw a dragon bigger than she had ever seen. It was bronze, with greenish blue scales on its wing and horns. The eyes glowed an angry green, and when it landed in the yard outside, they looked directly into Laena's eyes.
Vhagar! The dream then... it was true, no... I don't want it to be true...
She quickly rushed out of the castle and came face to face with the Hoary Old Bitch. She was even bigger up close, her entire body towering over her. Laena looked like a small bug next to the gigantic she-dragon.
It is the first time I have ever seen Vhagar outside of a dream.
The dragon heard Laena's footsteps and turned to face her again. Laena stood underneath the mouth of Vhagar, the she-dragon's teeth was borne, and she slowly opened her mouth.
Please, Vhagar, fly away and ignore me, so I do not need to do this.
Small flames of bronze and green spat out of her nose, and she looked at Laena with rage.
Laena's legs started to tremble, and she shakily reached out her right hand to the dragon. Slowly Vhagar opened her mouth, and more flames started to burn within the dragon's throat.
If I die, then not like this… in the Stepstones then… as much as I would not… please…
Vhagar seemed to understand Laena's thoughts and the flames went back down its throat.
"Lykiri, Vhagar!" Laena whispered, her voice quivering.
Calm, Vhagar!
The dragon roared at her, spraying hot dragon breath on her, the dragon saliva hitting her skin. Then, Vhagar opened her mouth again and flames built up again.
"Lykiri! Dohaeris, Vhagar, Dohaeris!" Laena said, now shouting, but without any fear in her voice.
Calm! Serve, Vhagar, serve!
Vhagar closed her mouth and moved her giant head closer to Laena, letting Laena pet her. Her skin was hot, and the texture was bumpy and scaly.
Gods, I truly have to do this then... the dream was true…
The dragon let out a lazy growl and turned her head, displaying a bunch of old ropes on her side.
I made a promise to return home to my children, and I swear that I will honour that promise.
Laena grabbed the ropes and climbed onto Vhagar.