The days seemed to be longer now that an army stood at bay near Dragonstone. It had been three days since the Last Dragon appeared with a fleet so large that Davos wondered if the Royal Fleet could ever compete with the humongous Galleys that Rhaegar commanded. Davos recalls that King's Landing only had fifty ships at their disposal, the rest of the Royal Fleet had been at Dragonstone but half of the ships had been sent away to the Stormlands.
Davos tried to think of anything that could be of any use to his lord but his mind proved to be useless. Davos could think of no battle strategies that could defeat the navy Rhaegar Targaryen commanded, at least not with the measly fleet at Dragonstone now.
Failing to come up with anything of value, Davos was forced to hear the fighting between Lady Selyse and Stannis Baratheon.
The tension in the room was palpable and Davos felt as if he were disrupting an intimate moment between his lord and his lady. He had tried to leave when they had first begun arguing with one another but Lord Stannis turned his attention away from all the arguing and promptly ordered Davos to stay before going back to his intense discussion with his lady wife. Always one to obey orders, Davos stayed, though he wished he would have left them be. Hearing the married couple argue was uncomfortable but Davos had no other choice but to stand still and try not to draw any attention to himself, the last thing he needed was to be dragged into the heated discourse.
"We can not just march out there, Rhaegar outnumbers us. I need time to think of something." Stannis Baratheon's voice was stern, as it always was. Though now his voice has hints of irritation as he continuously argues with Lady Selyse. "I need more men and ships, without that I will not be able to defeat Rhaegar."
"If only you had been more cautious of Monford Velaryon. We could have had all eighty ships in our control but instead we must make do with what?" Selyse looks at her husband with contempt. "Twenty ships, all of which are Cogs, capable of holding no more than ten men. That may have been enough to cause some sort of damage to the Targaryen fleet but you don't even have enough men to man the measly Cogs." She spat.
Davos saw the way his lord tightened his jaw and the hard fist both his hands formed. Stannis glared at his wife before ordering her to leave. Lady Selyse appeared to want to say more but she held her tongue. Instead the woman nodded curtly before leaving, the dark crimson gown that she wore flowed elegantly as the woman walked away.
As the doors shut behind her, Davos let out a relieved sigh. The Lady of Dragonstone was always one to state her opinion on matters that she neither understood or was asked about. He heard the chair slide harshly onto the ground. When he turned to look at what had made the piercing sound, he saw Stannis already working his way to the balcony that overlooked the sea. Davos could not see his face but he could tell from the rigid posture Stannis had that his lord was not pleased. And the onion knight could sense the waves of despair that rolled out of his lord.
Both the knight and lord stood in silence, Davos did not wish to speak, fearing that he would say something wrong and cause his lord further distress. Many moments passed and just as Davos was about to speak, Stannis spoke for the first time since he ordered his wife to leave.
His tone was strangely calm and steady despite the rigid stance the Lord of Dragonstone had as he gazed out towards the sea where his enemy fleet floated just above the water.
"I need you to go to Kings Landing and tell my brother that Rhaegar has a large fleet and is ready to take Dragonstone for himself." Stannis' voice shakes as he continues. "Let the King and his hand know that I will not be able to Dragonstone for long. Lord Monford Velaryon has betrayed the crown and has been conspiring with Rhaegar for gods know how long. The traitor has taken sixty out of the eighty ships that Robert allowed me to keep." Davos notes the bitterness in his lord's voice. He recalls how angry Stannis had been when Robert sent a letter from Kings Landing ordering Stannis to send half of the ships that resided at Dragonstone to Storm's End. Stannis had tried to argue with his brother, telling him that it was unwise to send most of Dragonstone's defenses away but the king would not hear of it and adamantly ordered for his brother to send all of the large Galley's to the Storms End for Renly to command.
And like always, his lord proved to be correct. Robert Baratheon had made a mistake in sending half of Dragonstone's defenses away and now Stannis must be the one to pay for such a foolish decision.
"I shall leave tomorrow morning My Lord." Davos said. Stannis shook his head.
"No you will leave tonight with the cover of darkness at your side. Let the darkness cloak you from the ships and the men that wait on our shores."
"Of course My Lord." The onion knight quickly responds. "I shall leave once the sun sets and the moon rises."
"You must go alone." This request caught Davos off guard but he accepted his lord's request easily enough.
"It may take longer for me to reach Kings Landing with no ship crew but I shall get it done." The knight nodded his head as he spoke.
"Yes, you must reach Kings Landing as soon as possible." Lord Stannis spoke in his usual tone. "Now go, prepare all that you may need for your trip."
Davos nods his head and leaves without saying anything else. He spends most of his day preparing for his journey.
When night comes he goes to announce his departure to his lord. Davos was informed by the guards outside the consul chambers that Stannis was in the great hall with his wife and the red priestess. That had struck Davos as unusual, for the past three nights Stannis had not left the chamber with the painted table. The onion knight began to make his way to the hall but before he could go any further he was stopped by the beautiful red priestess.
"Davos Seaworth, our lord has wished for me to see you off." Melisandre says pleasantly. The red woman had always made him uncomfortable, with her flowing red gowns and bright red eyes, she seemed like a demon out of the seven hells. A beautifully tempting demon but still a demon. Davos could not fault Stannis for taking such an interest in the woman's religion, with a beautiful priestess such as Melisandre any man would turn their back to the Seven Gods and worship the Lord of Light. But Davos could sense evil within the woman and that made him incredibly cautious towards the red lady.
"I must announce my departure to Lord Stannis first." Davos said. He made a move to leave but Melisandre intercepted. The tall woman raised an eyebrow.
"Lord Stannis wishes for me to see you off, there is no need for you to seek him out. He will know of your departure once I return from seeing you off." She says with a knowing smile. Davos shifts uncomfortably at her smile. He debates for a moment before nodding his head in acceptance.
"Let us go then." He tells her. The pair leave the castle.
As Davos sits in the small cog boat, with an oar in his hand, he could not help but have a sinking feeling that something was dangerously wrong. The feeling lingered as Davos caught sight of Kings Landing, he should have felt relief upon seeing the city but the knight couldn't help but think that he was sailing the wrong way.
I should be in Dragonstone, not here. That thought never went away.
It had been a long three days but at last, Viserys was finally able to put his sword to use and reclaim what was his as a son of House Targaryen.
The sea was a raging inferno as ships burned and men jumped overboard, desperately trying to escape the growing flames. He could not seem to remember which ship had been the first one to be lit aflame. It could have been 'Honor of Oldtown' or perhaps it was 'Lady Baela', either way it no longer mattered which ship had burned first, they were both lost now. Viserys watched as some of the burned men made it to 'Pride of Driftmark' or the Pentoshi ship 'Moonrunner' for safety but others were too far gone. He listened to the painful sounds one man made as his body was being consumed by flames. The scene before him reminded him of Pentos, of when his sister had walked into the burning fire and came out unburnt. He wondered why that was so. What was so special about his sister that made her capable of walking through fire. Where these men not worthy of such power.
There seemed to be fires burning everywhere, the coast of Dragonstone was filled with an alarming amount of burned bodies.
He tried not to look at the burning flesh but every so often he caught a glimpse of the cooked skin of what was once a man. It made him sick. Instead of looking at the burned corpses he fought his way through the men, his sword 'Lamentation', was covered in thick blood. He could see his brother from the corner of his eye. Rhaegar had not been much of a warrior before, his defeat at the hands of Robert Baratheon had proven that, but as Viserys watched his brother cut through Stannis' men; he saw a warrior. A true Targaryen warrior, worthy of having songs written about him. After his failure at the Trident, he knew his brother had started learning the craft of sword fighting with a lot more interest and attention. His painful lessons with Arthur Dayne would be worth it if he became a great warrior, his brother always told him, even after he would take a nasty beating from the knight. Viserys knew that his brother had taken his defeat hard but Rhaegar was never one to show unrelenting anger and so Viserys was slightly frightened at his brother's fury. His fury is what will keep him alive in battle.
His sword buried itself deep into the stomach of a man, Viserys winced slightly at the wet sound that was made as he slid the sword out the man's body. The man hit the ground and Viserys continued to fight. Only a few of Stannis' men remained, Lord Stannis himself, had still not come out of the keep. The twenty soldiers that remained surrendered as they saw the new wave of soldiers that climbed out of the ships behind them.
Viserys heard as the man that Rhaegar had been fighting yielded.
"My Lord, I yield." He yelled. The man had dark hair, he appeared to be the commander of Stannis' forces they had just fought because as soon as the dark haired man yielded, the man Viserys had been fighting dropped his sword to the ground, kneeling slowly to the ground. Viserys waited for his brother to say something. As the moments went by Viserys saw that the bloodlust had not left his brother's eyes and for a second Viserys feared that his brother would plunge his Valyrian sword into the heart of the man who had just surrendered to him. But Rhaegar did no such thing, the bloodlust was still there but Rhaegar warily accepted the man's submission.
"Rise, Ser." Rhaegar commended the man, he did as Rhaegar asked. "What is your name?" He asked.
"Ser Ryam Florent, Lord." He said. Rhaegar nodded. House Florent was one of their allies, most of the Florent's had joined them but the few that didn't were Selyse Florent's men.
"And where is your lord, Ser Ryam?" Rhaegar's voice had a slight edge in it. Ryam looked around nervously, clearly unsure if he should answer. Annoyed at the man's hesitation, Lyanna spoke up.
"The King asked you a question." She said. Ser Ryam looked stunned to see a woman dressed in armor and looked at Lady Lyanna with his mouth agape. But the man came to his senses and turned his gaze back to Rhaegar, and answered him sincerely.
"Lord Stannis ordered us to fight you off and that he would join us on the battlefield momentarily." Ryam Florent's gaze turned dark. "He never came. He is still in the castle."
Rhaegar looked in deep thought but then he turned to Arthur, Viserys watched as they communicated with their eyes, never uttering a single word. They seemed to have agreed on not trusting what the man said. "Lord Stannis hid in his keep. Now that doesn't sound like him at all." Arthur said condescendingly. Ser Ryam quickly began to defend his statement.
"No, I swear it, My Lord. Lord Stannis remains in the keep." A sudden spark of light flashes through the man's otherwise dark eyes. "He is alone and unguarded. He sent every man down here to fight you off." Rhaegar and Arthur exchange another glance.
"If this is a lie, I will have your head." Arthur threatens. Ryam Florent visibly shivers at the threat and simply says, "I swear, I am not lying." He reassures Arthur. Viserys watches as Arthur gives Ser Ryam a false smile.
"Let us reclaim our home for certain brother." Rhaegar tells Viserys, a ghost of a smile plain on his face, Viserys nodded his head.
And so the brothers headed off and climbed the massive stairs that led them into the keep. Viserys observed the stone gargoyles that supplanted themselves onto the steps that led them into the castle. He tried to gaze upon the castle but he couldn't, a part of him thought that if he stared too closely at the walls and towers that made up Dragonstone, it would disappear. He feared that his home would disappear from his sight just like it did all those years ago as he stood aboard the boat that would be taking him and his family to Pentos. It was foolish to believe that but Viserys could not help but think that his home would be taken from him again. He rather not gaze upon Dragonstone if the risk of it being taken away from him still remained.
They finally reached the top of the stairs, Ser Ryam led them to the main hall. The doors were shut. They tried opening the large doors but they had been locked on the other side.
"Break the doors open." Rhaegar ordered. Arthur yelled out an order for someone to find a ram and miraculously, someone quickly did. They all stepped aside as they let a group of soldiers slam the ram against the heavy doors.
"I am not sure our cousin would want us barging in unannounced ." Viserys jokes. Arthur snorted while Rhaegar rolled his eyes.
The doors broke open with the sound of broken wood. Arthur entered the hall first, Viserys followed. It was eerily quiet, it was dark as there were no candles lit. He let his eyes glance around the room before finally looking at the center of the hall. Viserys remembered the hall clearly from his childhood, the decorated chair that sat in the middle was his most vivid memory. The chair was exactly the same. The only difference was that Stannis Baratheon laid limply on the chair, a vial was laid at his feet.
He was dead.
She did not know how much time had passed when Ser Whent knocked on her door. "Come in." She called out, trying to keep her nerves at bay. The knight opened the door and stepped into her small room. She studies his face, searching for any signs that will indicate why he wished to see her. He looked calm and relaxed. Good news then. She relaxed as she saw how at easy he was.
" Has something happened Ser?" She asked. To get relief the knight let out a smile.
"Your brother has taken Dragonstone. We are sailing towards it now." His excitement is obvious.
"Truly?" She asked. "Yes, princess. Rhaegar has reclaimed your home. Our first victory, and many will yet come." He says. Daenerys could not help the bright smile that enveloped her face. Home, I am going home. She only wished that her mother were here, Rhaella had remained in Pentos with Rhaenyra and Daeron, for they were much too young to come. Daenerys had almost been forced to stay in Pentos as well but somehow she was able to convince her mother to let her join her brothers on the voyage. Daenerys almost wished to say as she saw tears in her mothers eyes as they said their goodbyes.
"Promise that you will listen to Viserys and Rhaegar." Her mother had said. Daenerys nodded her head enthusiastically, eager to reassure her mother that she had not made a mistake allowing her to go with her brothers. "Yes mother, I promise."
"Dany, do you really have to go?" Rhaenyra asked. Viserion was on her shoulders. The green and black dragon was the friendliest of the three dragons. Both Daeron and Rhaenyra fought over him, wanting to carry him on their shoulders at all times, the often bickering between the two siblings did nothing to Viserion. In fact he rather seemed to enjoy having them both fight over him.
"I'm sorry Nyra, I must go." Daenerys replied to her niece. The little girl sighed and reluctantly handed Viserion back to his mother. "Here, take care of him for me, please." Rhaenyra said gently as she gave the green dragon a kiss on its scaled head. "Of course." She told her. And with a final hug to her mother, Daenerys climbed onto the ship that would be taking her home.
And here I am.
Lord Tyrion had remained behind on 'Red Claw', the man wasn't as eager as Daenerys to go to Dragonstone. "I quite enjoy Red Claw, I shall stay in it for as long as I can. You go on ahead princess, I am sure I will see you there soon." He has said. The silver haired girl had simply nodded and headed towards the deck to board the smaller ship that would be taking her home.
Now that she was only a distance away from the castle, she was finally able to see it a bit more clearly. The sun was rising and it offered her more light than the night sky. There were a few wrecked ships but all of them were small. The larger ships were still floating on the water below, she spotted the tower of House Hightower on the banner of the largest ship. The Targaryen sigil was tied to a number of different ships. 'Elia' had been the ship her brother and the rest of her family were on, Daenerys was glad to see that the ship remained unblemished.
With the help of Ser Whent she stepped out of the small boat that had sailed the short distance between 'Red Claw' and Dragonstone. And for the first time since she had been born, she was home. The castle was menacing and dark, a fit castle for that of the blood of the dragon. Stone gargoyles were placed everywhere around the large castle. Daenerys climbed the large and long steps that lead to the castle, the stones seemed to be watching her.
All three of her dragons let out roars. They have returned home too. Daenerys felt an enormous sense of pride as she realized her dragons will be the first dragons in hundreds of years to fly the skies of Dragonstone. The skies would be filled with the sounds of dragons once more.
She reached the final steps and was greeted by Lady Lyanna. The woman rushed over to hug her. Her hair was braided back neatly and she had on armor.
"Oh Dany, you are home," She whispered into her ear, making her smile even more widely. Lyanna placed a gloved hand on her face.
"I cannot believe Rhaegar managed to get our home back," Daenerys said excitedly. Dany nodded towards her three dragons who excitedly flapped their way through. "Look at them!"
"Yes," Lyanna said wistfully. "We would not have done this without our allies"
"Of course!" Dany said.
"But I'm afraid that it comes at a cost." The dark haired woman said sadly, her eyes staring out into the distance. "They shall be taking something in return." Daenerys gave her a puzzled look, not quite understanding what she meant. Noticing her expression, Lyanna began to clarify.
"They will expect marriage proposals, Dany." She said gently. Lyanna brushed away Daenerys' hair, a mournful expression clear on the woman's face. "The Tyrells are all but expecting to have Aegon marry their daughter Margaery. They even want one of the twins to marry the heir." Lyanna scoffed as she said the last part. "They want to lay their filthy clutches on my children." She said angrily. Daenerys had always known that she and the rest of the children had to marry to maintain alliances but the way Lyanna spoke of it made her feel frightened of it.
"But you need not worry about that." Lyanna reassured her, seeming to have sensed her growing fear. "I will never let this happen to any of you," Her attempt at a smile looks more like a grimace. Just as Daenerys was about to speak up, she froze in her steps, feeling like her throat suddenly ran dry. Scores of corpses were strewn across the shore, their lifeless bodies tinged with the color of dirt and blood. Their cold hands were still clutching tightly on to their swords, evident of the struggle they must have faced at the force of her brother's allies.
Their men scurried around, rounding up the corpses and wrapping them in linen cloths. One of the generals barked out orders for the men to strip the corpses of their swords and armor. Daenerys stood rooted on her step by the sheer magnitude of the destruction that lay before her. The stench of death hung heavily in the air and she found herself unable to breathe.
Lyanna noticed her tensed figure and grasped her hands with her rough gloved ones tightly.
"It's alright, Dany," she whispered soothingly as she guided her way through. "Let us go meet your brothers"
At that Dany let out a shaky smile. She had prayed for her brothers' safety while on board the 'Red Claw', she only hoped the Gods heard her prayers and that her brothers remained unharmed. By Lyanna's lack of worry, Daenerys could only assume that her brothers had not received any grave wounds.
Before Daenerys falls into step with Lyanna, she hands off the cage filled with her three dragons to Gerold Hightower. The man had not fought in the battle for he was much too old; instead he stayed aboard the ship and waited just as she had.
Daenerys follows her into Dragonstones central keep, the Stone Drum. It was a massive tower, several feet thick that it seemed to reach up to the very sky. They reached the Chamber of the Painted Table quickly enough. But no one noticed their presence, the men in the room were far too busy arguing amongst themselves. They surrounded The Painted Table, Daenerys looked at the table in amazement. This is where Aegon planned his conquest. It felt surreal looking at the table, she had never truly believed that she would see it.
"Do you really expect them to believe that Stannis Baratheon killed himself instead of facing us and dying in battle. Arthur, the would never believe that." She thinks it is Rhaegar speaking but she couldn't be sure, his voice sounded a lot more hoarse than she was used to hearing.
"But it is the truth Rhaegar, you saw it for yourself. Stannis killed himself with a vial of poison. Perhaps we had misjudged him and he was more of a coward than we expected him to be." Arthur said. "We all saw it. Robert can not blame you for the death of his brother for you did not kill him."
"He will not care, Arthur. He will blame me regardless." Her brother sounded angrier, upset that his friend did not understand what he was saying. She could hear Arthur let out a sigh.
"Ser Arthur has a point, Your Grace." Lord Celtigar said. "There were many witnesses that saw the state of Stannis' body, he was clearly poisoned, poison is a woman's weapon or a cowards and you, Your Grace are no coward." He said.
Rhaegar said nothing at this and instead turned to Oswell Whent. "His daughter and wife, where are they?" He asked the knight.
"They were in their chambers, My Lord, hiding. Shall I have them brought here?" With a nod, the Kingsguard gave orders to the two guards standing idly by and told them to bring Selyse Florent and Shireen Baratheon to them. The guards rushed out of the room. With the sudden mention of the former Lady of Dragonstone and her daughter, Lord Velaryon expressed his curiosity about what Rhaegar intended to do with them both.
"They shall remain my prisoners for the time being. Once I have taken back the Throne, I shall see what will be done to them then." Rhaegar informed the Lord of Driftmark. These garnered nods of approval from the lords in the chamber.
Still oblivious to her presence, Daenerys watched as the two guards returned to the chamber. Three people that Daenerys had never seen before were being led by chains into the room. A lady with dark hair and ears much too big for her slim face. A red haired beauty with a heart shaped face and a small girl, clearly younger than Daenerys herself. The greyscale on the side of the girl's face gave her identity away. The greyscale that lingered on Shireen Baratheon was well known, even across the sea.
The young girl looked so terribly frightened, Daenerys watched as the girl tried to touch her mothers hand but Selyse ripped her hand away and the dejected look on the girl's face made Daenerys want to cry. No little girl should ever look so sorrowful.
The guard to the left, harshly yanked on Shireen's chain, the girl stumbled forward at the sudden movement. A few laughs were heard around the room and Daenerys watched as the girl lowered her head, a pink blush spreading across her face. Angered by such a display of heartlessness, she stepped forward, her hard footsteps finally gave away her presence and the men in the room looked away from the prisoners and glanced at her.
"Daenerys," Rhaegar called out, a pleasant smile on his face. "I did not notice you. Come, we have much to discuss." He said eagerly. She gave him no smile in return.
"Is this how you treat your prisoner's brother?" She asked. Taken aback by her outrage, Rhaegar glanced at the prisoners, as if wondering what he had done wrong. He looked back at her. "What do you mean Dany, we have done nothing to them." He said.
"Then why must you have them chained up like animals." Daenerys replied. A few shaky laughs bounced off the wall of the chamber.
"Princess, this is the way things are done." Edwell Celtigar said slowly as if she were a dim minded child.
"I do not see a reason for having two women and a young girl chained up." She said to the old man. "Or are you perhaps frightened that they would get the best of you and somehow escape from the grasp of your men." She continued coldly.
Sensing the tension between them both Rhaegar's voice cuts through. "Release them from their chains." He orders the guards. They do as they are told.
The Lady Shireen remained pointing her head towards the ground. Daenerys only paid attention to the young girl that she completely missed the intense stare the red haired woman was giving her. Feeling uncomfortable, she looks away. "Leave us, I wish to speak with Lady Selyse in private." Rhaegar commands.
Daenerys moves to stand next to Viserys. As soon as the room was cleared of everyone but their family, Rhaegar addressed the former Lady of Dragonstone.
"You have my deepest condolences, My Lady. I did not know my cousin much but I know that he was an honorable man." Rhaegar said politely. Daenerys saw as the young girl, Shireen, looked at Rhaegar with alarmed eyes. The poor girl had tears in her eyes, it made her already beautiful blue eyes even more breathtaking.
"Yes, he was." Lady Selyse replied curtly.
"Your uncle, Lord Alester Florent, has sworn himself to me. He has asked for you and your daughter to be spared. I intend to honor his wishes." He paused briefly. "I do not wish to do you or your daughter any harm, Lady Selyse, so I am asking you to not be… difficult." He finally said.
Daenerys found it incredibly strange that Lady Florent looked at the red haired woman before answering at the nod of the heart shaped face woman. "I shall be as compliant as I can, Your Grace." Her answer had shocked his brother, for he was momentarily silent before finally responding to the lady.
"Very well," he responded before proceeding. "You and your daughter shall be relocated to a room in Sea Dragon Tower." Rhaegar finally acknowledged the enigmatic lady with fiery red hair.
"I regret that I do not know your name, My Lady," Rhaegar stated. The lady approached, and it was then that Daenerys noticed her eyes—a deep, unnatural shade of red. Despite its peculiarity, the color suited her well.
"I am Melisandre of Asshai," she responded to Rhaegar's inquiry, but her gaze lingered on Daenerys as she introduced herself. The woman's peculiar and magically captivating beauty stirred an unfamiliar sensation within Daenerys. There was something about her that made her cautious.
Rhaegar uttered something, but Daenerys failed to catch his words, her mind preoccupied. She sensed there was more to this woman—her presence faintly reminiscent of her dragons, albeit to a lesser degree. Yet, it was undeniably present, piquing Daenerys' curiosity as to why.
"I am a red priestess," Melisandre answered one of Rhaegar's unheard questions, as Daenerys remained distracted by the woman's presence, rendering her oblivious to her brother's words.
A red priestess, a follower of the Lord R'hllor. Daenerys had heard of his worshippers in Pentos but hadn't paid them much attention until now. She wished she had. Her brother seemed acquainted with the Lord of Light and his devotees, his tone growing slightly hostile towards the red woman.
"And what brings you to Dragonstone?" Rhaegar inquired.
"The Lord of Light guided me here. Lord Stannis and Lady Selyse were once followers of the Seven Gods, but I bestowed my knowledge upon them, and now they are devout followers of R'hllor," she replied with evident pride.
"Stannis Baratheon, a follower of your God?" Arthur interjected, clearly taken aback.
"My husband was the most devout worshipper of our Lord," Selyse Florent responded defensively.
"One should never doubt a person's devotion to their God," Melisandre asserted, her gaze once again fixed upon Daenerys as she spoke.
"And what about your own loyalty? Are you still faithful to Stannis?" Viserys finally spoke, drawing the attention of the red woman, her eyes piercing and menacing.
"Stannis Baratheon is dead. Why would I remain loyal to a dead man?" she retorted.
"I see," Rhaegar sighed, taking a deep breath before continuing. "Regardless, we cannot place our trust in you. You, too, shall be confined to your chambers."
Melisandre displayed no sign of being perturbed by this decision. She simply nodded in understanding. With that, Rhaegar ordered the prisoners to be escorted to the Sea Dragon Tower. As they departed, Daenerys' gaze remained fixed on Melisandre, unwilling to avert her eyes even as the red priestess left the chamber of the painted table.
They all lingered in the room for a while, briefly recounting to Daenerys how the battle had been won. They spared her the gruesome details of war and horror, knowing she had no desire to hear about the victorious outcome, especially when she had already witnessed the grim sight of fallen soldiers being gathered.
"Dany, what do you think of Dragonstone?" Rhaegar questioned. All eyes in the room fell on Daenerys as she answered her brother.
"I love it. As do the dragons." Daenerys had a bright smile on her face. "I only wished that my nieces and nephews were here. Mother as well." She said sadly. Daenerys was sure that her nephews and nieces would love Dragonstone as much as she did.
Lyanna spoke with enthusiasm, "Aegon, Aemon, and the twins will be arriving soon, Dany. Your mother, Rhaenyra, and Daeron will join us shortly as well." Her words filled the room with excitement. "And then, all the Targaryens shall be in their ancestral home," she continued. Daenerys couldn't help but smile, and Arthur and Viserys shared her joy. The prospect of Dragonstone being filled with the last surviving Targaryens made her feel as if she were living a beautiful dream.
However, as Daenerys glanced at Rhaegar, she noticed the frown forming on his lips. His brows were furrowed, deep in thought. Immediately, she realized that Lyanna's words had upset her elder brother.
"No, there would still be a missing Targaryen. Rhaenys will not join us until I've killed Robert," Rhaegar declared fiercely, his hands clenched into fists.
"Indeed, you're right," Lyanna agreed promptly. Daenerys found herself nodding in agreement as well. "Once Rhaenys is here, our family will be complete."
Abruptly, Rhaegar stood up and declared his intention to go for a walk. When Lyanna and Arthur offered to accompany him, he dismissed them. Daenerys observed her brother's departure from the chamber.
Rhaegar is not happy, she thought. He has won back his home but it means nothing to him without her. Daenerys couldn't help but feel sad for her brother. He lived in a constant state of sadness and grief. His only truly happy moments came when he reminisced about two dark haired beauties. One of them was forever lost to him and the other was hidden away from him, locked away and far from his reach. Daenerys has only ever known her brother in his grief, she wonders how different her brother was when he was happy.
Her mother had told her that Rhaegar had always been shrouded in sadness, "That is his nature." She had said as she braided her daughter's hair.
"But that's terrible. Has Rhaegar never experienced true happiness?" Daenerys had asked, her curiosity piqued. Rhaella ceased braiding, and when Daenerys turned to face her, she was taken aback by the tears glistening in her mother's eyes. Immediately, Daenerys embraced her, seeking to provide solace in the best way she knew. "What troubles you, mother?"
Rhaella wiped away her tears, offering her daughter a melancholic smile eerily similar to the smiles Rhaegar wore upon his beautiful face. With a gentle touch to Daenerys' face, she spoke in a hushed tone, barely audible to her daughter's ears.
"There was a time when your brother was the happiest I had ever seen him. A part of me could not believe it, it's shameful for me to say this but I truly never believed that Rhaegar could ever be happy. Even when he was a child I thought that, I saw a boy with the saddest eyes and my mind and heart simply couldn't see any happiness for my son." Her mother paused. "Rhaegar's happiest years were at Dragonstone, far away from your father and I." She said sadly. "But I do not blame him for finding happiness away from me, Kings Landing was not a place where joy could be found, the only thing that city has is loneliness and isolation."
Daenerys continued to listen to her mother in silence.
"Rhaegar found joy in Elia and Rhaenys. He had been fond of Elia. How not, for she was sweet and gentle, kind and with a heart of gold. There was only goodness in Princess Elia. She gave her heart to anyone who needed it, be they rich or poor, old or young, it never mattered to her. Elia was easy to love, Rhaegar liked her kindness and sweet nature, he was very fond of her." Rhaella said with a sad frown on her face. Princess Elia sounded so much like a dream, like a princess from one of Rhaegar's songs. Elia Martell sounded too good to be true and yet she was real. And I shall never meet her. The realization that Daenerys would never meet the Sun's Daughter made her sadder than she had thought it would.
"In truth, I would have liked to meet Princess Elia," Daenerys whispered, her voice carrying a hint of longing. "I believe I would have held great affection for her, as everyone else did."
Daenerys locked eyes with her mother, observing a gentle smile spreading across her face. "And she would have adored you, Dany," her mother replied warmly.
Despite hearing of Elia's kindness and how she was adored by all, a lingering question still plagued Daenerys. She hesitated for a moment before gathering the courage to ask her mother, her lip caught between her teeth.
"But did Rhaegar... did he really love her?" she inquired, her voice filled with uncertainty.
"While I do not know if Rhaegar truly loved Elia, I know that he loved their daughter." Rhaella's smile widened as she spoke of the bond between her son and granddaughter.
"Rhaegar had been there for the birth of Rhaenys, despite the maester being adamantly against it. He held Elia's hand as she gave birth to their first child, it was a difficult birth for her but when Rhaenys was born, Rhaegar was the happiest he had ever been." Rhaella had a gentle smile on her face as she spoke.
"Rhaegar has a special bond with his firstborn and to be truthful I do not understand it. As mothers, we love all our children equally, that is our nature." She took a heavy pause before continuing. "Fathers are different I think, they can afford to pick favorites and the world would never judge them for it. But Rhaegar is a bit different. Most men would pick their son as their favorite but Rhaegar picked Rhaenys, a girl, who looked nothing like him. A girl who was the complete opposite of him, a girl who was always happy and smiling. Rhaegar picked Rhaenys, if he had to choose from all the children in the world to be his, he would pick her in a heartbeat, he will always pick her." Rhaella said.
"He would do anything to have her back." Her mother concluded.
And Daenerys hoped that Rhaegar would one day regain what he had lost all those years ago, his heart.