Chapter 26
Daenerys was flying. She was riding Drogon, and his vast wings were carrying her across the Narrow Sea, and to Westeros. Close behind flew Rhaegal and Viserion, and though she could not see them, she knew they were there. Their presence felt vibrant in her heart, like an ever-burning ember. The sun was shining high up in the sky, blazing bright and red like dragonfire, and the clouds were purple and pink, and the shimmering waves of the sea beneath parted with a hiss as Drogon playfully dove lower and flew straight above them. She could almost feel the sprays of the salt water on her naked feet, and her heart was soaring in triumph and joy.
And then she saw the shore taking form in the distance. She could make out a mass of blurry black lines there, and as she flew closer still she could see those were lines of soldiers. "My enemies", she said. "Kill them all", she commanded her dragon.
Drogon circled above the mail-clad warriors, and they bore the banners of the Lannisters, the Tyrells, the Martells, and even the Starks and the Arryns and the Tullys. "Has all the world sided against me? Are they blind to what awaits them? Drogon! Dracarys", she cried.
At once the field below was lit afire. Searing breath came out of the black dragon's jaws with a deafening roar, which chilled the bones of the men. They shrieked in their agony of death, as they were cooked alive in their metal suits, but Daenerys kept burning them mercilessly. "Burn them all", she hissed under her breath, her violet eyes darkened with bloodlust. "Burn them all."
Then the other two dragons came and joined in the carnage. Daenerys looked to them, and saw Viserys mounted upon Viserion, and Rhaegar upon Rhaegal. "My brothers! The dragon has three heads. We are the blood of the dragon!" she yelled.
But then Viserys screamed, and his head turned into molten gold, and his flesh was burned away, and he fell from his dragon. "No!" cried his sister. And Rhaegar, he was struck by an unseen weapon, and the rubies of his armor flew from his chest, and he fell from his dragon. "No!" she cried again, but to no avail. The bodies of the Targaryen brothers were lost in the ash and smoke below.
In the blink of an eye she was left alone, but her enemies on the ground still burned, and Drogon still flew above their heads and breathed his fire upon them. But then Daenerys looked ahead, and there was ice and snow, and the Wall appeared. There was an earthquake then, and the ground split into ravines and chasms, and even the Wall crumbled. Viserion left her side and flew to the north, and as the ice welcomed him, he turned ashen-white, and he shrieked in a shrill voice she had never heard before. "No!" she cried in despair, and hot tears blurred her vision.
But the green dragon roared and her eyes fluttered open again. Rhaegal had a rider again, a new one, and in his face she recognized Thranduil. "Do not lose hope", he called to her in the lilting tongue of the elves. "Be strong, for our son."
"Our son?" she wondered. And then she turned her eyes to her belly, and suddenly it was big and rounded. The life of the living dragon she felt underneath her legs, as she rode Drogon, and the breath of another life she sensed stirring inside her.
"Our son", Thranduil said, and he was smiling.
But then Drogon shrieked in pain, as he was hit by a bolt, and he began falling from the sky. Daenerys held onto him tightly during his rapid and uncontrolled descent, feeling her death nearing, and wind blew past her, lashing against her and blinding her. But instead of hitting the ground hard, the black dragon exploded into flames all of a sudden, and everything around her collapsed. There was only fire, rising high like a wall, and though beyond it was the unending ice, it could not reach her.
"Thranduil?" she cried in fear. But no answer came.
Pain stabbed her belly then, and blood smeared her thighs, for the child wanted to be born. "No, not another dead baby", she whispered in horror, as the pain intensified, and the blood flowed out of her like a stream now. "Am I to die?"
A dark shape crawled out of her, glistening and leathery, covered in her blood. It raised its head, and unfolded what seemed to be wings. "Rhaego?" Daenerys called in fear, reminded of her stillborn son. "What atrocity have I birthed again?"
The creature then turned its face to her and she saw it for the first time, and it glanced at her with the deepest and most beautiful indigo eyes she had ever seen. She gasped and stared in awe. "No, not Rhaego, mother", he told her in a human voice.
He flapped his wings then and stood, and the scales were shed from his body, to reveal a skin creamy white and luminous, and the horns fell from his head, and long, silvery hair cascaded upon his back. The wings stretched golden and glorious and transparent, and the child said, "Mother, I am the dragon. You can rest now."
"My son…" she uttered.
The child gave her a reassuring smile, and then he turned and flew off, far above the towering flames and into the clouds.
Daenerys woke with a start, and with heaving breath. It was dark in her room, and everything was absolutely still and silent. The fire had died in her hearth, and the air was chill. But she was sweaty and feverish, and her body was shaking with tremors. She tried to push away the covers and move, but she felt weak, and fell back into the mattress.
Thoughts and questions swirled in her mind. What was this dream I dreamed? It felt so vivid and real… I do not recall having such a dream for a long time now. The last time I dreamed like this was before my dragons hatched, when I would dream of the shadow of a large, black dragon. What is the meaning of what I saw tonight? Does my dream mean something? Is it foretelling something?
For Daenerys knew of the dragon dreams, as they were called, that members of the Targaryen family sometimes dreamed. They were unlike regular dreams, far more intense, and were considered prophetic. She, too, had seldom had such dreams. But the dream of tonight had been the strongest of them all, and she felt she could barely move her limbs now. As the weakness of her body betrayed her, her mind was racing. I dreamed of a son… Am I truly to have a son? Or was the dragon-child perhaps symbolic in my dream? And all those enemies, and the Wall, and the ice… and my brothers, and Thranduil, and Viserion flying off and turning ashen-white… What am I to make of these visions? Why should I have them, if I am never to return to Westeros?
In brooding thought she sat in her bed, sleepless and frowning, until the first rays of the sun broke the darkness, and she was at last able to breathe again.
It was much later in the day, by late afternoon, when the Elvenking knocked on her doors, and was granted entrance. He walked in to find her standing idly by the window, her gaze lost and unfocused upon the distant trees.
"Daenerys?" he called to her. "I did not see you at all today. Is all well?" he worried.
She slowly turned to him. He noticed that her face was drawn and pale. "I do not know…"
"You look exhausted. Have you not slept well?" He approached her and his hand gently cupped her cheek. "Why, are you ill? You are burning with fever!"
"I had a very disturbing dream", she answered, and rested her head against his shoulder.
He caressed her back. "Dreams are just dreams, my love", he tried to soothe her.
"Some dreams are different."
She proceeded to painstakingly recount her vision to him, and he listened to her with great care. When she was finished, wonder and dread was written all over his face. "And you say such dreams may be foreshadowings of the future? That one with the ability of premonition dreams them, and they come to pass?" And he thought upon lord Elrond and his visions of foresight, as well as the Mirror of Galadriel and its dubious revelations.
But Daenerys shook her head. "They may be foreshadowings, but it does not mean the events come to pass as seen in the dream. They may be symbolic, or just hint to something. They are not clear visions; they serve only as notions of something that may occur in the future, or as warnings. Daenys the Dreamer dreamed of the Doom of Valyria years before it happened. And I dreamed of birthing a dragon some time before the witch took my unborn baby from me and he was stillborn, hideous and deformed like a winged lizard… And I dreamed of a black dragon, huge and majestic some time before my dragons were hatched."
Thranduil nodded, his brow furrowed, and held her by the shoulders. "How can you tell dragon dreams apart from regular dreams? How can you know it was not coincidence you dreamed of dragons before you actually hatched them?" he wondered.
"I told you, dragon dreams are different. When it is a dragon dream I feel it instantly. It is intense, and though the images may be unclear, or elements from the present and future mingled with those from the past, I can tell it is a foreshadowing of something", she explained.
"What is it then you think your dream meant?"
"I dreamed of a son… A dragon-child, beautiful, who looked like a combination of your face and mine, and had golden wings. The witch Mirri Maz Duur told me I was never to have a child, but this dream was so vivid, it felt so real…" Daenerys sighed. "I know not what to make of it. Perhaps the child stands for something else."
"Or perhaps the witch was wrong… Or she might even wish you to believe you were barren", he suggested.
She looked at him with questioning eyes. "Do you think so?"
"Has the thought never crossed your mind, that the witch was perchance lying?" And when she spoke not, but lowered her eyes in thought, he went on. "Evil creatures are not known for their love of truth and sincerity. She might have wanted to hurt you out of malice and spite."
"Your words give me hope as I have never dared hope before", she muttered, and he embraced her warmly.
"There is always hope, even in the darkest of places. And it is there that hope shines the brightest", he spoke soothingly.
"You elves and your stubborn clinging to hope…" she said with a faint smile.
"What meaning is there to life when there is no hope in it?" he asked and gazed at her lovingly, caressing her cheek.
She managed to smile back at him, and drew courage from his sparkling silvery eyes. If he, who had lost so much during his long life could still talk of hope and believe in it, then perhaps she could, too.
"I dreamed of my brothers, who are long dead… And I saw them dying in the way they actually died. I never knew my eldest brother, Rhaegar, for he was killed before I was born. And yet his face was so clear in the dream, and I felt as if I had known him for a long time. My brothers were there in the dream to help me conquer the west, but they failed…" she sighed, and a mournful frown formed upon her lips.
"Perhaps this part of the dream revealed a secret wish of yours, that you would chase your dreams alongside your brothers", Thranduil commented.
Daenerys nodded. "Yes, I understand that. My brothers died, however. This part of the dream is not a riddle to me, though it broke my heart to see them die, especially Rhaegar, whom I know only through tales and songs, and who is said to have been well-loved by the people during his life. But I saw my dragons, too, and what happened to them in the dream was far more disturbing. Drogon died and became an inferno of flames around me, and Viserion flew off to the icy north, and he was not golden any more, but deathly pale, and his roar was not deep, but shrill and chilling… What will happen to my dragons, Thranduil? This dream made me fear for them now."
The Elvenking looked at her troubled face, and softly caressed her silver tresses. "You said the dragon dreams do not necessarily depict events as they will come to pass. Perhaps the dragons' fate was symbolic, too", he offered.
She inhaled deeply. "Perhaps. But I cannot shake this sickening feeling in the pit of my stomach that something ill will befall them in the future…"
"Nobody can say that for sure. It can be neither confirmed nor denied. Daenerys, you must try not to brood on things that are uncertain", he urged her.
"This is easier said than done", she retorted, and turned from him, casting her gaze outside the window once more. A wild wind was blowing, sweeping violently through the trees and tearing the yellow leaves from their branches. "I wish I had a way to know what will be."
Thranduil came to stand behind her. "There are means of foresight in this world as well", he began in a low, measured tone. "Galadriel of Lothlórien has a mirror in her garden, and if she permits you to look in it, then visions will be revealed, though uncertain and hazy they may be, like your dragon dreams."
Daenerys gave him a side-glance. "Have you ever looked in her mirror?"
"I did once, long ago. And I tell you, what I saw caused disquiet in my heart, and I would think of little else for a time. I wish I would never have given in the temptation to look into the future", he said.
"But you had a choice, either to look or not. The dreams I have are not my choice. They just come to me unbidden. And if I ever get the chance to look in the mirror of Galadriel, then I will, for I would have those visions clarified, if possible", she stated. "Did you not promise me you will take me to Lothlórien in the spring?"
"I did. But I would advise against asking the Lady to look into her mirror", he replied.
"Then why have you brought it up?" she retorted with a hint of annoyance rising in her voice.
"Because I wanted you to know of all the possibilities at your disposal, so that you may handle them with wisdom and care, like a true Queen", he explained in a collected manner.
Daenerys crossed her arms before her chest and raised an eyebrow at him. "Never missing a chance for a lesson, I see."
"True rulers are forged through trials of hardship. Everyone may be adequately skilled to conduct himself appropriately at a victory banquet, but a ruler's value shows when he must make hard choices under the most unpleasant circumstances", he spoke on in the same manner, and his eyes seemed distant for a long moment, as if a memory had been brought forth in his mind.
Daenerys watched him but said nothing. She remained thoughtful, the frown etched upon her features. Then Thranduil abandoned his didactic mien and softly embraced her, winding his arms about her, and she leaned against his chest, allowing his warmth to envelop her, filling her with a sense of protection and security.
"No more teachings or talk of dark things now. I would speak of merrier things. In fact, my reason for visiting you now was to tell you that I spoke to my son yesterday about our decision to marry", he told her, nudging his nose in her hair and planting a small kiss on her temple.
"Oh." She looked up at him. "And how did he react?"
The King smiled. "He told me he knew I am in love with you."
A look of surprise appeared on Daenerys' face. "He did?"
"Yes. He said our love is plain for all to see."
Her eyebrows shot up in astonishment. "I would never have guessed that. I thought we were being discreet."
"The elves are a very perceptive race, my love. Nothing evades our keen senses", he told her with a grin.
"And you are obviously quite modest as well", she teased him, pinching his wrist lightly.
He laughed. "That we are, myself especially."
His mirth caused her to chuckle. "Well, then. And does your son not object?"
"He holds his doubts, but he wishes for my happiness. He told me that he does not believe a mortal will ever make me truly happy, for their lives are measured, but since it is my staunch decision, he will not object", he replied.
Daenerys nodded. "I understand… And I cannot give him wrong. I share these qualms too… but I cannot help loving you. I want to love you for all my life, though short it might be in your eyes."
"I would rather share a brief lifetime with you, than an eternity of solitude."
He bent and kissed her then, and her lips were soft, her body pliant, and she melted into his kiss. Her skin was slightly cooler, and not burning with fever anymore. Her fingers threaded through the silver waterfall that was his hair, and traced the sharp lines of his ears and his face. She kissed him with abandon, and he tasted of crisp winter nights and mellow summer fruits, and he smelled of the earthen autumn wind and the flowers of spring. And when their kiss ended, she remained in his arms, with her head resting beneath his throat.
"I will bring the matter to the council tomorrow", Thranduil muttered.
"There you will surely be met with some objection", she pointed out.
"I know. But it will be an announcement; I will not require their opinions on the matter. I will simply state things, and inform them of my desire and my will to marry you and make you the Queen of the Woodland Realm", he told her.
"But will they trust the mother of dragons to be their new Queen?" she worried.
"My people have been without a Queen for a very long time. The younger ones have never even known Gilwen. The realm needs a Queen, and there could be none better and more fitting than you, who were born to be Queen. As for the dragons, none forgets how they have aided us, saving my life twice so far. And the councilors are not idiots. On the contrary, they very well see what a powerful weapon the dragons are. They will see that by marrying you, I ensure your allegiance, and therefore the allegiance of the dragons. They will be the key for us to gain the upper hand in the coming war, and that is all the councilors will care about", he explained.
"I hope that is not your sole reason for asking me to marry you", she said in mock complaint, pursing her lips.
"Daenerys…" He cradled her head, caressing the hair on the nape of her neck. "You know how deep my love for you runs. I would never seek to deceive you."
She smiled up at him. "I know. I was just teasing you."
He huffed, feigning irritation, but then burst into laughter. "How can it be possible that I love you more with each passing day? I would say with each passing moment, but then I would run the risk of sounding ridiculous…"
"You are a majestic creature, do you know that, oh Elvenking?" And she pulled him to her and kissed him.
"So are you", he whispered to her, and held her hands. But then he noticed a slight tremor in her fingers, and his brow furrowed. "Daenerys, your hands are trembling. You are tired and weak after this nightly ordeal. You should rest, and not exert yourself anymore today. Have you eaten at all?" he asked her in concern.
"I have had some milk and bread…"
"But that is no proper meal. I shall have dinner ordered to be brought to you", he offered.
Daenerys shook her head in negation. "Thranduil… I am not hungry."
"You need your strength. Your energy is depleted. Having nothing to eat all day long will do you no good", he insisted.
She sighed. "Very well… But I would have a hot bath first. Will you stay with me, bathe and dine with me?" she asked of him.
"Of course…"
A while later they both sank into the heated water of Daenerys' tub. It was built into the ground like a small pool, after the elven fashion, and there were steps, facilitating the entering and getting out of the tub. The water was fragrant with herbs and flower petals, and Daenerys closed her eyes, allowing her senses to calm and relax.
Thranduil moved beside her and picked up a washing cloth. "The water is hot indeed", he remarked, and began scrubbing her shoulders gently.
"Exactly as I like it", she said and smiled absently.
"Do you feel better now?"
"Yes, much better. The effect of the dream has faded", she answered.
He touched her cheek. "Your skin is warm, but not feverish anymore."
"This was the most intense of the dragon dreams I have ever had. It left me almost crippled afterwards… I could barely move my limbs. The past dreams left me sweaty and shivering, but it would not take me long to come round. And their content was not upsetting or disturbing. But this time…" she sighed.
He lowered his face to hers. "Look at me, Daenerys." She did, and his eyes were deep and shimmering with a light of their own, like distant stars in the night. "Think upon the dream no more. Think of us, think of our wedding, think of the life that awaits us."
She took in his image; hair wet and glistening, face serene, lips eager to meet hers. Her eyes traveled to his white throat, his shoulders, his chest. And she realized she loved every bit of him. "Yes, I will think of that", she whispered. She closed then the small distance between them and straddled his lap. He pulled her to him, kissing her lips, her throat, her breasts, and soon enough they were joined in passion, gasping and moaning until they found what they sought.
And later still, after they had consumed a hearty dinner and chatted idly by the fireplace and were now lying in bed after a second round of lovemaking, Daenerys was awake, finding it difficult to sleep. Beside her Thranduil had dozed off, his breathing calm and noiseless. He was lying on his back, one arm resting upon his stomach, and the other half-tucked underneath the pillow. She turned on her side and watched him for a while. That was the man she loved. And she had agreed to marry him. She pondered the idea of becoming his wife and Queen. But will it be enough for me? She wondered. The promise of a life by his side seems enticing, and I will embark on this journey with all my heart… But will it be enough?
For she still yearned for conquests and battles, and for the homeland that was taken from her. She still yearned for her father's throne, upon which now the Usurper sat, and an angry fire always burned in her heart. She yearned for revenge, and it pained her that she could now never have it. The dragons were not gifted to me to make pets of them. They were meant to take me across the Narrow Sea, just like in my dream… And even if they aid us here to win this war against the Dark Lord of this world, it is not my war. I will do it for Thranduil, as I pledged, and I will fight his battles as if they are mine, for I wish to see this land prosper, and his forest to be green again, and free of evil, all for the sake of him. My dragons and I will fight for him out of love… but the battles I truly want to fight are not here.
Restless, she tossed the covers aside, slipped into her nightgown and walked to the fireplace. The logs crackled and burned, the flames flickered, and the shadows danced on the walls. If only there was a way to go back to where I belong… And then the words of Sauron's spell came to her mind. One life to leave this world, one life to pay for it. One willing to lay down his life for a friend, and the friend to claim it. Let now the blood run hot, let the darkness take it. Let it open this door, for one to leave this world and ever forsake it…
She had destroyed the accursed parchment, and yet the ominous lines had been carved in her memory. A blood sacrifice, the offering of a life… No, it can never be. I must not think of such evil things. But although she tried to banish these thoughts from her mind, the words of the spell kept returning to her head and repeating themselves over and over again.
"Daenerys?"
Suddenly Thranduil's voice interrupted her brooding thoughts, and she turned to him with a startle. "I thought you were asleep…" she muttered.
"I was. But I felt your absence. Are you unwell?" he worried, sitting up in the bed.
"I am alright… But I could not sleep."
"Why?"
"My mind is plagued by all kinds of thoughts. Our decision to marry, my life here, and the life I left behind."
He stood, draped a loose robe around his shoulders, and stepped up to her. "Are you having second thoughts?"
She looked into his eyes. "No. My decision stands", she replied firmly. "But it will be a grand step of change for me, to become your Queen. I have not come to terms with the idea yet, although I have agreed to do it. You see, I used to imagine myself as a different kind of Queen, one who would conquer the Seven Kingdoms upon the wings of her dragons… But this dream is gone now, and my reality is different", she opened her heart to him.
He touched her elbow. "Have I not told you that one day your dream will come true?"
"It is a noble sentiment, to still believe that."
"Trust to hope, and it will not betray you."
He gazed deep into her eyes, and she looked at him with sorrow. A sigh escaped her lips. She did not believe his words, and she could not live on hope. It damaged her soul to nurture false hopes of one day returning to her world. She had better forsake these thoughts and look to her future here, by the Elvenking's side.
"Let us go back to bed, Thranduil. It is late", she murmured.
He regarded her with sadness on his face, but said nothing. And once in bed, she hid in his embrace and breathed in his scent, until her heart was calm, and finally sleep descended on her eyelids.