Disclaimer: I don't own ASOIAF or GOT. This fanfiction is purely for fun and doesn't really hold true to what happened in Canon.
Chapter 6 - A Duel over the Dragonmont
Wind rushed through her hair and moisture hydrated her exposed skin as Princess Valaena rode her dragon through the clouds as she made her way to Dragonstone. It'd been a while since she had visited the island where her mother was born and from where she began the second targaryen conquest of the seven kingdoms. Dragonstone not only carried historical significance for her family but there was also an emotion attached to it, a sense of belonging. It was the last remanent of the extinct Valyrian Freehold and the first step towards greatness for her Family.
Greatness, a knowing smile made it's way to her lips. A cursed word, she thought to herself. Her mind drifted to the hushed whispers of the nobles at her mother's court, they said that the Gods flipped a coin whenever a Targaryen was born, depending how the coin landed the new Targaryen would either be destined for absolute greatness or would plunge the world around them in the fires of destructive madness.
As her mind continue to dwell on unpleasant thoughts, Valarr suddenly roared breaking Valaena's chain of thought and drawing her attention to their volcanic home. In the distance she could see the fishing boats out at sea and trade ships anchored at the docks waiting for the tide to rise so they could set sail. The Fortress of Dragonstone looked just as majestic as the last time she saw it, which was close to six moons ago when she had come to visit her cousin Prince Aegon and his family with her mother, the Queen.
However, something else caught her eye this time. While the Dragonmont was an active volcano, it hadn't smoked or spewed ash in recorded history but today the summit of the Volcano was hidden by white smoke. Someone else could have mistaken it for clouds but Valaena was confident that the Dragonmont was smoking and looking at the amount of smoke in the sky it seemed apparent that the Dragonmont had been spewing out smoke for a while now. Strange, she thought and wondered why hadn't cousin Aegon sent a raven in regards with this to King's Landing.
As she drew nearer to the island, she lightly nudged Valarr to signal their arrival and Valarr at the gentlest of nudges just like his sire Drogon let out an earth shattering roar heralding the arrival of the Crown Princess of The Seven Kingdoms. Pleased with Valarr obeisance, Valaena leaned forward and scratched her dragon's neck which made Valarr roar again this time of what Valaena felt was happiness. Valaena laughed but her laugh and her dragon's roar were soon drained out by a chorus of roars coming from Dragonstone.
Laughter dropped, Valaena's face morphed behind a mask of Steel as she swerved Valarr in the direction of the Dragonmont. Valarr too roared in defiance, challenging the other dragons to come and engage with her. The Dragon and her rider, picked up their speed and charged towards the summit of the Dragonmont. A sudden flash of concern crossed through Valaena's mind as they approach the smoke screen but not for long as suddenly Valarr twisted in mid-air and banked away from the smoke cloud right before diving at an incline towards the base of the Volcano.
It had all happened within a blink of the eye but Valaena had caught on to what triggered Valarr to maneuver away. As they were about to breakthrough the smokescreen, three dragons had ambushed them. One from beneath them, another from the top and the third from the right. In order to avoid being attacked from beneath and the right, Valarr had twisted sideways to her left and rolled in mid-air causing the dragons ambushing from beneath and the right to almost crash into each other but their riders had managed to avoid a mid-air collision but were at the moment trying to calm their dragons from taking jibes at each other.
The third dragon, the one that had flown in from a higher vantage point was still on Valarr's tail following her into a nose dive towards the base of the Dragonmont. Valaena didn't dare look back to see how close the dragon was instead she drew her spear and forced Valarr to pitch upwards and then suddenly bank left so she could get the rider in her line of sight and take aim at her. Grasping the spear tightly in her hand, she raised her arm and as soon as the dragon and it's rider came in her line of sight she took the best possible aim and threw the spear before Valarr again began his ascent.
Valaena saw that the spear missed the armored rider by an arm's length but had managed to scrape the dragon's unprotected neck causing it to shriek and also turn and give chase to Valarr out of anger.
Valaena then drew another spear, with the injured dragon giving chase and the other two squabbling dragons now back in control of their riders and diving towards her ascending dragon, fire coursed through Valaena's veins as she growled "Dracarys" loud enough for Valarr to hear over the din of the other three roaring dragons. With an earth-shattering roar Valarr released plumes of fire on the oncoming dragons whose riders seeing the oncoming pillar of fire scattered into opposition directions and out of sight with only the one rider giving chase.
Valarr rolled as she ascended high up into the sky and then suddenly came to a halt flapping her wings to hover in the sky and then breathed fire again on the dragon that was giving her chase. The heat of the dragon fire was such that it would have incinerated anything in it's path. Valaena could feel the heat emanating in waves from Valarr's maw and when Valarr finally stopped breathing fire they were all alone in the sky.
Valarr continued to flap it's wings and hover and when Valaena felt that Valarr had calmed down enough, she nudged her to begin her descent towards Dragonstone. As they continued to descend Valaena could now see the few fields that the farmers of Dragonstone could till on, flocks of sheep and goats grazing on the mountain cliffs and as she flew closer to the castle and the surrounding town the hustle and bustle of the people going about their daily lives completely undeterred by the dragons that had been dueling in the sky. Then again, dragons flying dueling was a constant at Dragonstone now.
As she flew over the town and across the high outer wall of the fortress, Valaena observed that the other three dragons and their riders had already landed and were being assisted by several squires, handlers and guards in removing pieces of armor that helped protect a dragon's weak points. Valaena made Valarr land into the courtyard and made sure to put some distance between Valarr and the three dragons however her effort was in vain as the dragon that she had injured shrieked and roared at her sight causing Valarr to roar in retaliation and threateningly advance towards it.
Valaena quickly undid her protective straps and jumped from her saddle to come and stand in front of Valarr into to prevent her from charging at the other three dragons.
"I see that you have been keeping up with your training" Valaena heard a familiar voice say to her. Ensuring that Valarr would not charge, Valaena turned, flashing a smile at her cousin, "I'm sorry that I injured Syrax" she said "I was really aiming for you though" she added laughing.
Lady Alysanne of Dragonstone removed her helmet, her long black hair tumbled on to her shoulders with her forehead covered in perspiration that she wiped with her arm. "Yeah well you aren't a Martell" Alys said mocking Valaena before she gently bowed her head in deference and acknowledged her cousin's status as Crown Princess. She was followed by soldiers, squires and other members of the household all of whom took to their knee until Valaena placed her hand on Alys' shoulder and pulled her into a hug.
Guards and other members of the household took this as a sign and got up and began to go about their chores.
"It's definitely been a while" Valaena said as the cousins separated, "Why haven't you come to visit us in King's Landing? It's not far on dragon back, I rode out after the break of dawn and am here before noon."
Alys sighed, "I apologize" she said "but father has me managing the training of the dragon riders so I haven't been able to find the time to visit".
The two cousins then fell in step beside each other and began to make their way towards Dragonstone's throne room and were soon joined by the other two dragon riders as well who fell in step behind them.
"Well I'm sure you're training them really well." Valaena said, turning behind and nodding at the two riders "I must admit there was a moment that I did get worried".
The other two riders simply bowed and accepted the compliment in silence as the royal cousins continued to make their way now ascending the spiraling central staircase of the drum tower to the very top where the throne room was.
"Thank you. It's been difficult to find good riders and then those that survive the bonding process with their dragon. Not to mention that the five most recent dragons to mature in the last two years have been more wild and aggressive than we have originally had to work with." Alys said irritation clear in her voice while listing the complications with the training.
Valaena simply nodded, she knew training dragon riders with traces of valyrian blood wasn't an easy task.
"Well we're here", Alys said as they reached the top of the staircase to face the double doors ornately carved with dragons embedded with rubies and dragonglass. The guards standing on either side of the door bowed to Valaena before they took positions to open the double doors for her.
"Well time to meet Prince Aegon" Valaena said with a smirk on her face one that was mirrored by her cousin. As the guards opened the double doors to the throne room inside Valaena summoned once again the dormant fire within her for she'd need to it to face her Cousin.
Author's Note: It's been a long time since I updated this story but something within my has recently stirred. Taking the time to write this out. Hope you guys enjoyed reading.
