Hi guys! Sorry for the wait, here's a new chapter! You know the drill, I own nothing, read, review, moo.

Thanks to A_Strange_Twist_Of_Fate for betaing!

Corlys wanted to say something. Anything. Even if it was utter nonsense, it would have felt infinitely better than being frozen in either terror or total confusion, and he didn't know which was worse. Apparently, either Vaemond hadn't been fully honest with him, or simply did not know anything else about the rider.

The girl kept staring at him with narrowed eyes, holding on to that monstrosity of a war hammer. Why there was a dragon skull on its head, Corlys did not know…and some part of him was afraid to ask.

"ποιος είσαι?"

Thankfully, the girl's voice snapped him out of his stupor. He slowly raised his hands, making sure she saw that he meant to harm. The girl looked him up and down, and while the grip on her weapon never lessened, her gaze seemed to soften ever-so-slightly. That was good, that meant dialogue was still an option.

But her tongue - it was foreign, yet something about it sounded familiar to him. It was not some far-off dialect he had heard from merchants and peddlers during his voyages, but one that he had heard many times before. It was not Valyrian and certainly not the Common tongue so -

"μπορείς να με ακούσεις?"

His eyes widened. Volantene! That was it! He had even overheard Laena singing a song in that tongue not two nights ago! But what would a child of Volantis be doing all the way here? And if she was truly the rider, then why had he received no news about her or her beast from Volantis?

"Corlys," he slowly said as he pointed to himself. "Corlys…Velaryon."

The girl kept looking at him, not a trace of recognition in her eyes. He slowly pointed to his wife, who was still atop Meleys. "Rhaenys. Rhaenys Targaryen."

She looked towards his wife and her mount, but not even the name of the royal House drew any reaction. The girl returned her gaze to him and pointed at him with her free hand. "Corlys."

He nodded. She then pointed toward Rhaenys. "Rhaenys." Then, she turned her finger towards herself. "Ecclesia."

Ecclesia. That was her name then?

Corlys took a step forward. The dragon saw it and let out a low growl, and Meleys hissed back. Strangely, the dragon did not seem to react to her. Nevertheless, he slowly reached into his bag and pulled out a small loaf of bread. The girl's eyes widened at the sight, and Corlys smiled internally.

While he did not have the other ingredient on hand, there was one ritual observed by all in the known world. Once bread and salt were offered, hospitality was returned. And by the looks the girl was sending him and the bread, she seemed to understand.

With a twirl of her hand, the girl set down her hammer with a hard 'thud'. Resisting the urge to flinch, he observed the girl more closely as she stepped forward and gingerly tore off a piece of the bread.

Her hair was more golden than any Lannister he had ever seen, despite the dirt and soot accumulated on her locks. Combined with her fair skin, the quality of her clothes and the spark of intelligence in her eyes, he would not be surprised if she was a noble. Yet her frame and thin arms did not at all match the feat of strength she had just pulled. Looking upwards, he pondered at the meaning of the strange mark upon her forehead, a golden cross between two lines. It was no slave tattoo, for no Islavemaster would ever give even a pleasure slave such fine clothing. And the horns on her head - where to even start?

He needed to seize the chance while he could. Recalling all his admittedly scant knowledge of Volantene, Corlys cleared his throat.

"I am Lord Corlys Velaryon of Driftmark, and I am a sailor. I saw your dragon up in the sky. Who are you?"

The first part of his sentence was a phrase he had used many times in his voyages in the area or a rudimentary form of it. Not that it was untrue - a sailor he was and will be till his dying day.

The girl - no, Ecclesia - looked up from her loaf, already half-eaten. After swallowing whatever was left in her mouth, she replied.

"I am…Ecclesia. He is Albaz," she gestured to the beast, still perched on the rock, then towards Rhaenys. "This is…Rhaenys? Your γυναίκα?"

He didn't understand the last word, but it didn't take a maester to guess what it meant, so he nodded. "Yes, she is my wife, the Princess Rhaenys Targaryen."

Ecclesia spares another glance at her, but there was still no recognition at the mention of her family. Odd.

"She has dragon."

The corners of Corlys' lips twitched upwards. "Yes. Targaryens…ride dragons." Unfortunately, his current knowledge of Volantene wasn't enough to accurately describe the power the royal family wielded.

The girl fiddles with the remaining bread, her expression becoming pensive. "Where are we?"

"You are in Valyria."

She tilted her head. "Valyria? What is that?"

Corlys blinked. He must have misheard her. Even the lowest of smallfolk have heard of Old Valyria, the dragonlords and the fate that befell them. "Valyria. The old home of the dragonlords."

But the girl still showed no signs of recognition. "I have not heard of this name. Where is this 'Valyria'?"

"...in the Smoking Sea, south of Essos. I am from Westeros. Have you heard of them?"

Ecclesia shook her head and the Lord of House Velaryon's mind reeled. Something was very wrong with this situation. How could she not know of both Essos and Westeros? Such things were common knowledge! Unless…

"Where are you from?"

This time, the girl paused for a moment, looking hesitant, before exhaling. "Tο έθνος των Δογματικά."

…what was that? The last word, 'Dogmatika' - he had never heard of such a place. Not anywhere in Westeros or Essos at least. It did not even sound like a name from Yi-Ti or Leng.

"Why are you here?"

He was snapped by his musings by the girl's query, though a note of caution entered her tone. He had to proceed carefully. "Dragons are…almost gone. Only the Targaryens have them. I am family to the King and I have heard stories of a dragon in these waters. So me and my wife came, then found the dragon and you."

Her fingers slightly twitched. No doubt to reach for that hammer. "And now?"

He gave another look-over to the dragon - Albaz - and rubbed his bearded chin. Despite the sheer strangeness of the situation, the plan that he had formed days prior was still applicable. "How long have you been here?"

"...thirty days, more."

This time, Corlys gaped in shock. A whole month, and both she and the dragon looked none the worse for wear!? Despite being lost for longer - a year - even Balerion the Black Dread and Princess Aerea were forever changed by the horrors of their homeland. Yet she looked as though she were taking a woodland stroll.

More questions for later. "I would like to invite you and your dragon to my home as my…guests. I would feed you, give you a home and protect you. You two are dragon and dragon rider. This place is not fit for you."

Ecclesia startled back. Whatever she was expecting, that was not it. "Where do you live?"

"The island of Driftmark. My family's home for many, many years. A great castle, one where you would be welcome to dwell."

The girl ducked her head and Corlys could practically see the whirl of emotions around her, along with the caution that had not abated. The Lord didn't blame her; were he offered such things by a total stranger, he would have been suspicious as well.

"..why? Why do you offer this?"

Now he needed to be careful. What he might say could define the nature of this newfound relationship. "You have been here in these dark lands for over a month. Such a place is not…acceptable for a dragon rider. A castle with a roof and good food is a far better place, yes? I do not mean you any ill will, and our king will be happy to see a rider outside his family. You will be welcomed."

She mulled over his words, rubbing her forearm as she did so. After a few moments, she replied. "You are offering us ξενία?"

"...what was that last word?"

She tilted her head. "Ξενία. You offer us bread and a place to sleep and protect us yes? That is ξενία."

Ξενία? Yes to all of those but - ah! Guest rites! But that was not the Volantene word for it. "Yes, if that is what you call it. A place to rest and eat, and we protect you."

She nodded, thenslowly looked to her dragon, her gaze occasionally shifting to the forest.

"...can I talk to Albaz about this?"

At that statement, Corlys quirked an eyebrow. Talk to her dragon? Well, no harm in humoring her. "Very well."

She nodded in thanks, picked up the hammer with not even a grunt and walked over to her steel-clad beast. He did the same, except his destination was his wife. After trudging over the oily-black vines that were scattered over the ground, he heard footsteps and saw the Rhaenys had disembarked from Meleys' back, holding a wineskin.

"How did you fare?"

Taking the wineskin, he took a quick swig of the drink, feeling it cool his throat. "Better than I expected, but I am still left with many questions. We will have to find someone who can translate Volantene; I was surprised at myself for knowing to speak that much."

"Volantene? That was the language you both were speaking then? But if Volantis has managed to acquire a dragon rider then -"

"She is not from Volantis," said Corlys, cutting her off. "She speaks their tongue, but she is not from there. Her looks, her accent, essentially everything about her other than her spoken language does not fit a lady from Volantis."

"Where is she from then? And how did she acquire a dragon and outfit him with such steel?"

He glanced over to the aforementioned beast and saw it leaning its head down as Ecclesia talked to him.

"...I do not know. She mentioned a place, but I have never heard of it. But she told me her name: Ecclesia."

"Ecclesia…" Rhaenys repeated, the name rolling off her tongue. "That does not sound like any name I have heard of. And how did she lift a hammer as big as herself?"

"I wonder the same thing myself, but regardless of the 'how', it is clear she is a warrior-woman. But I believe I have managed to get her to seriously consider my offer. All of those days of flying will finally bear fruit."

The princess nodded and a smile flickered on her face. "Yes, it would appear so. So we return to Pentos, then leave right after?"

"We might have to stay for another few days, and before you ask, I am aware of the potential risks, especially with Daemon involved. But if we play this right, said risks will pale compared to the rewards our House would reap."

She pushed a strand of hair away from her face and stared at the girl. No doubt she is planning how to accommodate her on Driftmark. A room set aside for her, and for the dragon, they would have to hope Seasmoke and Meleys wouldn't mind a new nest-mate. But he had no doubt that everything would go smoothly.

"Hello?" He turned and saw Ecclesia waving at him. Eyes widening, he quickly rushed forward to her.

They met again near the same bush and the girl crossed her arms. "We talked. We will come with you." Corlys smiled and moved to speak, but Ecclesia cut him off. "But I tell you now: if people try to attack us, we can attack them back. If people try to capture us, we attack them. If you want to do something with me, you ask me first." Her grip on the hammer tightened, and for a moment Corlys swore that something flashed from inside the giant skull. "Yes?"

He suppressed a frown. Not that unusual of a demand, at least regarding the first two, but that was no way to talk to a Lord. Then again, she was a dragon rider. Control over such folk was difficult enough. "Understood."

"I must bring our εξοπλισμός first. We cannot leave without it."

Again, she was referring to both herself and the dragon…mayhap the bond between them was deeper than he had assumed. "Very well, we will wait here, but do not take too long. We wish to return by sunset." The unknown word she said, it had to mean supplies or something of the fashion.

She nodded and ran towards the dragon, hammer in hand. With the grace of a water dancer, she leaped over the boulder and right onto the dragon's neck. This time, Corlys did not stop his shock from appearing. How was she doing that!?

With another metallic roar, the dragon flapped its glowing wings and took flight, soaring towards a deeper part of the jungle. He walked back to Rhaenys, who when he arrived, was already on her dragon. "Should we pursue?"

The Sea Snake shook his head. "They are retrieving some supplies; they will not be long. And I would rather not tempt our luck any further." He glanced towards the thick jungle and glowing mist that hung over it. "The fact that we are inside this much is nothing less of a miracle. How she lasted here for a month, I hope to uncover that soon."

His wife frowned but nodded. Then, she pointed at something behind him. "And have you managed to uncover what is…that?"

He turned and sure enough, the glow they had seen every day since flying was there, up near a range of mountains. Squinting, Corlys even made out a tower in the distance, illuminated by the glow. And as for the glow itself…it appeared to possess a shape to it.

"...I do not know. And I am beginning to dislike that phrase." A new horror of Valyria? Some unexplained natural phenomenon?

Was it related to their new acquaintance?

As some time passed and Corlys mused over his wine about the revelations his new guests would bring, he noticed that Meleys had begun shuffling around in place, her yellow eyes darting to and fro. His wife was rubbing her scaly neck, calming her down, yet the Lord of Driftmark could not help but agree with the dragon's unease; if even a dragon did not like this accursed land, then they should leave as soon as they could.

Soon though, he heard the beating of wings and turned to see the steel-clad dragon approaching them, with Ecclesia on its back. This time though, the dragon landed right next to them, startling Meleys. The she-dragon tensed like a snake and let out an angry hiss, but the other dragon let out a sharp growl and his fiery wings crackled with red lightning. For a moment, Corlys braced himself to pull his wife out of the way of the inevitable clash…but to his surprise, Meleys let out a huff and slowly relaxed, though she did not take her slitted gaze off the dragon.

Well, that is one crisis averted.

"Do we go?" she asked. Corlys idly noted that there was now a large satchel swung over her shoulder and the hammer was somehow attached to her back, yet she once again showed no strain at the act.

Questions will come later. He nodded. "Yes. It is not safe for us to stay here longer."

The two nobles mounted Meleys and with a cry from Rhaenys, the Red Queen took flight and headed back through the narrow pass. One rush of wind later and they were back over the Smoking Sea. Corlys let out a sigh that he did not know he held in; all in all, it was a far more fortuitous exchange than he had anticipated. But compared to the possible fallout, he had the notion that this was the easy part.

The flight back was spent in silence, with Meleys leading and Ecclesia's dragon - Albaz - following her trail. He occasionally glanced over his shoulder and saw the girl looking all around her with an expression of awe and curiosity. The corners of his lips twitched; if she was as truly a stranger to their lands as he suspected, then of course the sight of the open seas would instill the same wonder in her as it did to him, all those years ago.

Thankfully, the gods must have been watching over them, for other than the occasional gust of stormwind, the skies were calm. He idly noted that Rhaenys had chosen a slightly longer route, avoiding land, but it made sense; the fewer people saw their latest prize before their proper debut, the better. By the time the great brick walls and manses of Pentos peaked over the horizon, day had bled into twilight.

When he had sighted the Prince of Pentos' manse, a welcoming party was already out to greet them on the beach, and many of them were openly gaping or pointing at Ecclesia on her mount. He straightened himself and dusted off his shoulders. As intriguing as this past week had been, it was time to resume playing the game.

The two dragons touched down on the sands and Corlys started to unclasp his saddle chains as Meleys lowered her head to the ground. With a slight jump, he dismounted her and landed on the soft ground below.

"Father, Mother, welcome back," said Laena with a smile on her face, which he returned with his own. Flanked by handmaidens and two Velaryon knights, even the swell of pregnancy did not diminish his daughter's regalness. "I take it then you had an eventful journey?"

She asked the question as her gaze shifted towards the steel-clad dragon, which was now staring at the newcomers with those intense glowing eyes.

"Indeed we have, my dear. Ever since my last voyage aboard the Sea Snake I do not think I have run into as much excitement as I have had today!" he chuckled at the last part. He turned to the golden-haired girl, who had finished dismounting from her dragon. He began to approach her with Laena in tow. "This is Lady Ecclesia and her dragon. She is the main reason why we ventured to Pentos and the Smoking Sea this past week." He then gestured to his daughter. "Lady Ecclesia, this is my daughter, the Lady Laena Velaryon."

Ecclesia smiled at her and performed a short bow, rather than a curtsey. If Laena noticed, she did not say, for her eyes widened in surprise. "You are from Volantis?"

Ah, it would seem his daughter's knowledge of Volantene extended beyond that of songs. The dragon rider shook her head. "Lord Corlys asked me that too. I don't know this 'Volantis'."

"She speaks their tongue, but she is not a child of the Volantene," he interjected. "The name of her land is strange to me, so she has come from afar. We found her amidst the ruins of Old Valyria with her dragon, and have offered her our hospitality."

Laena let out a quick gasp and leaned forward, startling their guest. "You have been to Old Valyria? Have you seen the palaces of the dragonlords? Were there any Valyrian steel weapons? Did you -"

"Daughter, please," he gently chided. "Our guest has come a long way and is very exhausted, as are your mother and myself." Laena paused in her questioning and flushed, gracefully stepping back. "Of course father. My apologies." She went to speak to Ecclesia, but paused in shock as she took in the sight of the war hammer attached to the young girl's back. Before she could start asking more questions, Corlys intervened. This was not the time. "See to it that a room, a bath, and fresh clothes are prepared for her and a place to store her equipment."

Laena blinked and then schooled her expression. "Of course father. Shall I also notify the servants to prepare an additional spot at the table tonight?"

"That would be wonderful, thank you Laena." He turned to address Ecclesia, who was staring at the two with confusion and some trepidation. "I apologize, my lady. My daughter is very…excited. We are preparing rooms and clothes for you. Do you wish to secure your dragon to the sand?"

She smiled at the news of a room, but grew startled at the mention of securing her dragon. "Ah, thank you, but Albaz will be fine." So she trusts her dragon not to wander off and cause trouble? Admirable, but even Meleys, with the bond she shared with his wife, had to be chained. But before he could tell her that, she turned to the beast. "Albaz! They have food and bed for us, you can turn back now!"

To his - and now everyone's - shock, the dragon nodded. In an instant, there was a flash of fire and a clap of thunder, forcing Corlys to shield his eyes. After a second and upon hearing the sound of steam, he lowered his arm and drew a sharp breath, as did Laena and the servants behind him. For in the middle of a smoking ring, instead of a dragon, now stood a boy. A dark coat adorned his shoulders, with gold and red linings - a pattern that was repeated with his baggy pants. His hands were gloved and each adorned with a circular jewel. But like the girl next to him, the most striking features were on his face. Hair the color of ash with red markings, a lone white jewel upon his brow and ears shaped like knives. He opened his eyes - no, just one, for the other bore a scar over it - and red stared back at them.

Corlys took a step back. He even heard his family gasp and a thud from behind him, no doubt one of the servants. This was…this was far beyond anything he had anticipated. It certainly explained why the girl wished to speak with her mount - no, Albaz - before they left. Just as she seemed to be no mere dragon rider, this was no mere dragon.

But beneath that shock, he felt himself brimming with excitement. 'This could change…everything.'

And that was the first meeting! What do you think? Cliffhanger, I know, evil, but it's a good place to finish off the chapter, in my opinion.

I'm using a mixture of both books and show for this whole thing, including character looks and timelines, but the show is a strong reference guide.

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