Chapter 4

True to his promise, Thranduil made for Daenerys' chambers the following morning, with the intent of taking her to the dragons. In front of her doors he stood now, and softly knocked on the carved wood.

"Daenerys?" he called.

In a moment the door unlocked and opened, and the silver-white head of Daenerys appeared. "Good morning, hîr nín Thranduil", she greeted him, and smiled. "I had been expecting you", she added, and pushed the door open wide, offering him entrance.

The Elvenking stepped in, and glanced at her, as she hurriedly walked to a chair by the bed, where her cloak had been carelessly draped. She was wearing the light blue gown, and shone like the waves of the sea with sunlight. Her hair was done in three braids that met on the crown of her head, and her tresses hung loosely beneath the intricate pin. Beautiful.

"Of course. I told you I will take you to your dragons, and I mean to keep my promise", he responded. "Have you broken your fast yet?"

"Yes, Luithen saw to it. She has been very kind to me, and lady Istuives as well. We continue with the lessons, and my grasp of Sindarin is improving by the day", Daenerys said with a fond smile. "I must say I found your language difficult at first, but I like it. The sounds are unique, and you have words that express emotions so well."

Thranduil lowered his eyes momentarily and smiled. "Yes, Sindarin has this quality. I am glad that the lessons are not a nuisance to you. Well now, if you are ready, shall we go?"

"We shall."

They left her rooms behind, and made for a long corridor. Thranduil walked not too fast, but measured his pace, so as not to force Daenerys to run to keep up with him. She watched him from out of the corner of her eye. He was dressed in a silver-grey tunic today, and had a sword strapped on his belt. Clearly he wants to be ready for whatever might happen, she presumed. His long hair caught the light of the lanterns as he went, descending like a waterfall of starlight upon his back. On his head he wore a crown of holly and mistletoe, for winter was come. He is so tall and majestic. And his hair… Not very much unlike Targaryen hair. Perhaps Rhaegar looked a bit like him… Or I would have liked him to. Alas, I have known him only through the stories. But now I like to imagine he was a little like the Elvenking, tall and proud and magnificent… a true dragon. But how will indeed Thranduil react to the dragons? Will he allow them out of the cage?

Such questions danced in Daenerys' head, as they walked mostly in silence. At last they came to the chamber where the dragons were kept, and the King ordered the guards to grant them passage. They complied at once, and soon they walked in and found themselves face to face with the beasts in the cage.

"Oh, they have grown!" Daenerys exclaimed and rushed to them. The little dragons reached with their heads and nibbled on her fingers. "Drogon, Rhaegal, Viserion… my furious children, how much I have missed you", she whispered to them, as tears rose in her eyes.

"How do you find them, then?" Thranduil asked and approached her, standing behind her crouched silhouette.

"They have grown", she repeated, "but not as much as I would have anticipated for their age." A sigh followed, and she turned her violet eyes to him, now deep and pleading. "They need to feed on meat more often, my lord. They are dragons, not rabbits."

The King huffed and looked away, contemplating her words. Can I truly allow them to grow unhindered? Can I allow them to hunt for their food?

"You know I am right", Daenerys pressed on.

Finally he looked at her. "We shall see. I can make no promises now", he replied curtly, and she was silenced.

The dragons screeched and tried to unfold their wings, but they bumped against one another. "The cage is small. They hate this confinement", their mother muttered.

Thranduil knelt carefully beside her, and peered at the wondrous creatures. Rhaegal looked back at him with curiosity, and made to approach him, but the King drew back.

"Do not be afraid. He will not harm you", Daenerys assured him in a velvety tone.

He assessed her for a short while, and she nodded with a smile. He extended his hand then, and grasped the bars of the cage. The green dragon flapped forth, and touched his fingers with his nose. Thranduil gasped. The dragon's skin was not cold, as he had anticipated, but hot as an ember, and yet not unpleasantly so. When Rhaegal made to bite on his hand, Daenerys reproached him. "Rhaegal! Do not harm him. He is my friend", she spoke in High Valyrian, and the dragon recoiled.

"What did you tell him?" Thranduil wondered, watching the exchange wide-eyed and amazed.

"I told him you are a friend", she explained quietly, and petted the green dragon.

"And he drew back", Thranduil noted.

"Yes. They listen to me. They obey me. I am their mother", Daenerys declared self-assuredly.

"Is that a trait inherent to all your people?" he asked.

"Not all. Not all Targaryens could walk through fire unscathed. My brother Viserys could not. Not all of them could train dragons", she replied, remembering how Viserys died, unable to withstand the heat of molten gold, and her gaze darkened.

"But you can."

"I am the dragon's daughter. I am the blood of the dragon, a true dragon myself", she stated stubbornly.

The Elvenking peered deep into her eyes. "And can you train your dragons? Will they obey your every command?" he inquired intently.

He is up to something. But what? Her gaze traveled back to the hatchlings. "I do not know. You must know, my lord, a dragon is not a slave to be ordered around. They are wild beasts, free of will. If they obey their masters, it is out of respect for them, and because they have chosen to. It is not something you can impose by force", she explained.

"You say that often. A dragon is not a slave."

"Because it is true."

He nodded. "These little beasts here seem to like you well enough. And they obey you. You told the green one – what was his name, not to bite me, and he did not", Thranduil remarked.

"Rhaegal. Yes, he obeyed me. He is the most perceptive of the three, I think. Drogon is the fiercest, and Viserion, well… he is the most playful", she said with a soft smile, as the cream-and-gold dragon coiled his tail around her hand. "I share a bond with them, and that bond is unbreakable. But I do not know what will happen if I disappoint them."

"I see…" Thranduil muttered, while his mind was racing. "And did you intend to conquer your Seven Kingdoms with your dragons, when you were in your world?"

Daenerys closed her eyes and breathed deeply. How far was that dream now? "I still do, once I find a way out of your world, my lord King. In my world, I am the rightful Queen, and I will take what is mine with fire and blood."

Her violet eyes burned with their secret fire then, and inside them Thranduil saw determination and purpose unexpected from a woman so young. "I admire that", he said with a small smile. "But would you do the same here, I wonder?" he asked her under a raised brow.

Daenerys' countenance turned serious. "What do you mean?"

"If your dragons are not evil, as you say, they can do good. They can aid us in our war against Sauron. Would you do that? Would you remain loyal to me, and pledge me your help? In return, I vow to do everything within my power to help you find a way back to your world. In the meantime, you will be treated as the Queen that you are." He looked at her intently, while her brow remained furrowed and her lips pouty. "What do you say, Daenerys? Do we have an accord?"

"Even if I conceded, it would take time for the dragons to grow. And they will need to fly and hunt freely. I do not condone cages. Dragons are not chicken", she replied.

He smiled. "I understand that. If I accede to that, will you do as I asked? Will you fight for us, to help overthrow the Dark Lord and free Middle-Earth of his dominion? Your dragons would make a vast difference in the war. Thousands of lives would be spared. Is that not important?"

Daenerys turned her thoughtful gaze back to the dragons. They were only babies now, but in the months to come they could grow large, if fed properly. Could she do as he asked? Could she risk their lives?

"And if I do not agree to your proposal?"

Thranduil sighed. "Why would you not? Do you not wish to return to your world?"

"Is that blackmailing, my lord? Do you threaten to keep me captive here, if I do not choose to aid you?" she spat angrily.

But the King was unfazed, and his deep, ancient eyes shone with tranquility. "If the Dark Lord prevails, nothing of what we discuss now will be of import. Our realms will crumble, and all will turn to ash and ruin. And even if you survive, the sleepless Shadow will claim your dragons. If his dominion is absolute, nothing and no one will be able to stand against him. His malice will sweep through the land like black wings of doom, covering everything is his shadow. All hope will be lost. You will never be able to find your way back."

"You paint such a dark picture", she commented with doubt in her tone.

He shook his head. "I have seen the horror of Mordor, young one, and I cannot forget it. Even the mightiest of my race fell beneath Barad-dûr. There my noble father was slain, and Gil-Galad, the High King of the Noldor, and so many more… Alas, if Sauron wins the oncoming war, it will be the end of all things", he lamented, and his eyes glistened with unshed tears.

He then reached for the cage once more. Rhaegal flapped his wings and cried, and then touched him with his nose. "It was no threat", he muttered. "I would not wish to visit grief upon you. But in the darkest of times, one must turn even to the most unlikely allies", he told her, and looked at her with sincerity in his eyes.

"You would let me go free, then", she said tentatively.

"You are already free. Do you wish to go?" he asked her with a flicker in his gaze.

Daenerys pondered the prospect. If she were to go, where would she flee? She had no idea of the land and its people. She had no weapons, and three little dragons to protect. There was a good chance she would happen upon those orcs Thranduil had mentioned, and that would mean her death, or worse. And, she was entirely ignorant of how she could ever leave this world. Her brow furrowed. Thranduil knows all of this. He is no fool. He has me, and he has me for good. I have no choice but to stay, and do as he pleases, at least for now. At least until my dragons grow.

She turned to him. "No. Where would I go? I am a stranger here, and you have treated me kindly."

"You were lucky to happen upon our path. Had you been found by the enemy, I cannot tell what might have befallen you…"

She nodded. "We have an accord. I will be loyal to you, and fight for you, when the time comes. And you must help me return to my world", she briefly repeated the terms of the agreement.

"The knowledge of the elves is vast, and there are some amongst us far wiser than I am. If there is a way for you to go home, we shall find it", he promised her.

"Very well. And now unlock the cage, please", she demanded.

The Elvenking looked at the dragons. It still struck him as an oddity that these beasts were not the spawn of Ancalagon, and not evil by nature, but free and untamed in their own right.

Seeing his reluctance, she repeated, "Unlock the cage, or there is no agreement at all."

Thranduil felt his ire rising at her aggressive and audacious manner, but he managed to contain it. He gave her a steely glance, and his lips were drawn into a thin line. "Himeldir, bring me the keys", he ordered a guard.

When Himeldir returned and handed the keys to Thranduil, the King bade Daenerys stand. "Here, take them", he said as he pressed the keys in her hand. His fingers brushed against hers, cool skin against warm.

He has chosen to trust me at last, Daenerys thought. "It is time I proved to you my dragons are not evil, as I have promised you."

Having spoken thus, she turned the key in the lock and opened the door of the cage. At once Drogon sprang forth and onto her arm, his claws digging into her skin for purchase. Rhaegal followed, and Viserion hopped forth last. All three of them cried and splayed their wings, enjoying the freedom of space and movement. The green dragon flew to his mother's shoulder, and the pale one snorted, and plumes of smoke came through his nostrils. Drogon took the cue and his jaws parted, producing a long column of dark smoke as well.

"Impressive", Thranduil uttered.

"It will not be too long before they breathe actual flames", Daenerys remarked with a bright smile. To be in such close proximity to her children filled her heart with immense joy.

Then Rhaegal turned his head towards the Elvenking, and flapped his wings. "It seems to me he has taken a liking to you. Here, take him", she said, and extended her arm towards the elf. He hesitated, looking at the little beast in disbelief. "Do not be afraid", Daenerys breathed, and touched his elbow. Rhaegal then descended from her shoulder, and, using her arm as a bridge, passed on to Thranduil's arm.

"Unbelievable", he stammered, as soon as she retracted her arm and he felt the full weight of the dragon.

Daenerys smiled. "Is he not beautiful?"

Thranduil slowly, carefully raised his arm, and looked at the dragon more closely. "Rhaegal", he said his name. The hatchling screeched, and rewarded him with a breath of black smoke and a flap of his translucent wings. The King drew back instinctively, but the green dragon extended his neck, wishing to touch him with his nose.

"Let him. Do not be afraid", Daenerys said again, and came closer, taking Rhaegal and placing him on Thranduil's shoulder.

The closeness and the heat of the dragon made his heart race. Or was it the closeness of his mother as well? Rhaegal licked Thranduil's pointed ear, and he gasped, startled.

Daenerys laughed. "He is getting to know you."

The dragon then went on to nibble lightly on his ear, clearly intrigued by its peculiar shape, and the Elvenking began to slowly relax. He got used to the dragon's weight on his shoulder, and he found that the nibbling on his ear was not an unwelcome sensation. Furthermore, he noted that the dragon's scaly skin was not cold as a serpent's, but warm, as the living fire that he was.

Daenerys watched him and smiled, pleased that he got on so well with her children. "See? They are not evil at all."

"Not in my wildest of dreams would I ever think that the day might come when I held a dragon in my hands. I lost so much in dragonfire, and yet here I am, cradling a dragonling", he reflected.

"The dragons of your past were different. Mine come from another world. They are not the same. Please, remember that always", she asked of him.

Thranduil returned his attention back to Daenerys. She looked much more peaceful now, and contentment shone through her eyes. "Shall we feed them?" he suggested.

She laughed merrily. "I am sure they are starving!"

Then Thranduil ordered the guard to bring what deer-meat was left, and in a while he returned with a large platter of raw meat and a knife. The King lay the platter on the ground before them, and removed Rhaegal from his shoulder, placing him down next to his brothers. The little dragons approached and sniffed at the meat, but they did not touch it.

"Why will they not eat it?" Thranduil wondered.

"They like it roasted", Daenerys replied, and, cutting a chunk, she rose and took it over the hot coals of a brazier. When she returned and tossed the meat at the dragons, they fought amongst themselves for it, biting, clawing and shrieking. "You see now?" she laughed, and repeated the process.

The King nodded, and took more cuts to the brazier. Daenerys tore a piece and held it out for Drogon, while his brothers ravaged another large chunk. "Thranduil, look", she told him. "Dracarys", she whispered to the dragon, and the Elvenking turned just in time to see Drogon, who was the largest and the most ferocious of the three, angrily breathing out smoke at first, but stubbornly he tried again when his mother repeated the command, and again, and on his fourth attempt a wisp of a flame came through his jaws. The meat was instantly roasted, and the black dragonling devoured it hungrily.

Thranduil was astounded, and he locked eyes with Daenerys. "Dragonfire is the hottest there is", she said.

"He breathed fire", the King uttered.

"I told you it was a matter of time they would. Drogon is the biggest and the wildest. I knew he would breathe fire first", she commented. "Now will you bring those meat chunks from the brazier, before they are utterly burned?"

He made to do so, and only then did he realize Daenerys had called him by his name only, forgoing all titles and styles. He was so used to being called "My lord", or "My King", that to be named otherwise nearly made him feel uncomfortable. Nobody has called me by my first name in a very long time, he mused. When did I allow such a manner of ease between us? Things transpire here that are beyond my notice! This woman, the mother of dragons, has enthralled me. I should be more careful, he chided himself.

"My lord?" she called, pulling him out of his reverie.

"Yes, they are properly roasted now", he replied, and returned to her side.

They continued feeding the dragons for a time, until the little winged serpents were sated. "They already look stronger and larger to me", Daenerys said. "As long as a dragon is free and feeds regularly, he can keep growing, only it gets slower after he reaches maturity."

"I cannot imagine the day they will be fully grown", Thranduil said, watching them as they now turned to play with each other, not forgetting to include their mother in their games as well, gifting her with stray scratches. But she did not seem to mind them at all.

"One day they will be huge and magnificent, like Aegon's dragons", Daenerys responded dreamily.

"Aegon?"

"Aegon the Conqueror. He and his two sister-wives conquered the Seven Kingdoms with their dragons, and thus began the Targaryen dynasty", Daenerys said.

"Sister-wives?" Thranduil felt puzzled. "How can one marry his own sister? Preposterous!"

"Such was the tradition of Old Valyria, and of House Targaryen as well. The blood-line had to be kept pure. The affinity with the dragons should not be lost by thinning Targaryen blood with blood of other families. It sounds strange to you, as it was for the people of Westeros, when Targaryens first settled there, but it served a purpose most important", she explained.

They were interrupted then by Viserion's pained cry, and Daenerys turned her attention to the dragons. "Drogon! Leave your brother be!" she shouted to the black dragon, who had been clawing at the smaller, pale one for some time now. Drogon turned his head to his mother and screeched, but in the end he relented, and crawled away from Viserion.

"They can be dangerous", Thranduil noted.

"Of course. They need to be trained. Especially Drogon; he is fierce and aggressive", Daenerys agreed.

"I noticed you speak to them in that strange language of yours…"

"High Valyrian. It is the language of Old Valyria. They understand it better than the Common Tongue", she replied, taking hurt Viserion in her lap.

"Would you teach me your language?" the King asked.

A curious smile lit her face. "Why?"

"I find it most appealing… And I would like to communicate with the dragons, if ever that becomes possible", he answered her.

"You taught me Sindarin… I do not see why I cannot teach you High Valyrian. The lessons will also help me fill my many empty hours", she replied.

Thranduil nodded. "Excellent, then. We shall use the library of the Halls for this purpose, for there silence reigns, and the lighting is soft and ample, and we will be undisturbed."

The library, a good idea. There I will also be able to scour through the ancient tomes of the elves for information about how I might leave this world, Daenerys pondered. "We can begin as soon as you like, my lord", she offered kindly, disclosing nothing pertaining to her thoughts.

"Come next week, we shall. I need to attend to some more pressing matters during the weekend… Those obnoxious dwarves of Erebor will never leave me at peace with their trading demands", he huffed.

"Dwarves? I would like to see a dwarf, one day", she expressed her wish.

"Short and stunted, ugly creatures, who care for nothing but gold and wealth! Stubborn, noisy, avaricious, vain… Why you would care to see a dwarf is beyond my comprehension!" he exclaimed.

Seeing him so vexed amused Daenerys, and she laughed. "I should better not speak of dwarves again", she spoke in jest.

He looked at her smiling face, and his annoyance faded. For a short while he allowed his starlit gaze to drown into her indigo pools of fire and mystery, finding a strange sense of calm in them. But then he straightened his back and said, "I believe we should be going now. My council awaits me."

Daenerys stood as well, allowing little Viserion to hop off of her. "And what of the dragons? You will not cage them again, will you?"

"No, I suppose I can allow them a small measure of freedom within the walls of this chamber", he replied. "Daenerys", he then called her name, and ever so lightly touched her sleeve. "You have spoken true. You said your dragons are not evil, and here today you have proven it to me. Therefore you can now wander freely in my Halls, unaccompanied, if so you please. You may also wander outside the Halls, but I advise against going beyond the gardens and the training grounds, for darkness and peril lurks in our forest, and you are unaware of it and unarmed."

Daenerys was pleasantly surprised by his gift. "Le hannon, hîr vuin. I promise I will not give you cause for grief."

He smiled faintly and nodded. Her eyes then fell to his fingers, which were still grazing her arm. His touch is soft and cool, like flowing water, like a breeze in a hot summer day. And not without care. But then he removed his hand, and slightly bowed his head before her. "Queen Daenerys, allow me to take you back to your chambers now", he spoke rather formally.

"Of course".

She turned to glance at her children one last time. They swarmed closer to her, sensing that she was about to leave, and their cries of complaint filled the air.

"It seems to me you will be missed dearly", Thranduil observed.

"But I will be back again."

At that she decisively spun on her heel and made for the door, with the King by her side. On their way to her chambers, she looked around her carefully, counting steps and bridges and memorizing turns and hallways, so as to be able to find her way to the dragon-chamber again, should she wish to. She should not rely on anyone to get her anywhere, now that she was free to roam by royal decree.

At long last they reached her doors, and he stood opposite her, smiling. "I hope you enjoyed yourself", he said.

"I did. And for that I am grateful."

"You can visit the dragons as often as you like, as long as you remember how to get there… But the dragons cannot leave the chamber. On that I am adamant", he stated.

"I understand. I do not seek to exploit your goodwill, my lord. And I shall find other things to occupy myself with. Your halls are vast and wondrous, after all, and there is still so much for me to learn here", she assured him.

"Very well, then. I shall tend to my affairs and leave you to rest. Novaer, Daenerys", he told her, looking into her eyes.

She curtsied. "Novaer, Thranduil."

There it is again, that familiarity. But… I think I like it. It is refreshing. Wish such thoughts in his head he turned and marched off. Daenerys watched him as he walked away, long cloak billowing about his strong legs, and for a brief moment the image of his naked body returned to her mind. She shook it off as a silly notion of her loneliness, but still she could not avert her eyes from his receding silhouette. I must not lose sight of my purpose, she thought, and stubbornly turned and locked the heavy, wooden doors behind her.