(This chapter contains chapters 4 and 5! Enjoy!)
4: Let's try this again...
Haelemys Peverel…
That was to be name she was going to go by from now on. A name picked for her by the gods themselves. While people still worshipped the 14 in places in the east, in Westeros (The place she was to be sent) they mostly worshipped "the old gods or the new." meaning the gods of the first men, or the faith of the seven. there were others in the mix, but those were the most popular. Haelemys, however, would be from Volantis. The first Colony of Valyria and the city of Magic. Where the Valyrian gods still had temples dedicated to them.
Lumi would be going with her, and Harry… Sorry, Haelemys… Couldn't be happier about that. She wanted her Dragon with her, the poor thing had probably gone through enough after being re-captured by the ministry and chained back up again. Her poor, wounded, brave girl…
They also sent her with all of the information and knowledge she would need in order to live her life without suspicion. From day-to-day things, to once a year holidays, to Valyrian language, history and (of course) religion of the 14 flames.
Her main goals? Restore the worship of the 14 as much as she could in Westeros and save the Targaryens and their Dragons.
Haelemys would be a devotee to the 14. They were the ones that gave her this second chance, after all, so she was all for it. Because of them, she was able to keep her magic, though it would be slightly changed. Her magic would be 'Radiant' magic, or holy magic, now. Better for healing, protecting, but still good for defending as well.
She was still going to be a Vessel of light, Goodness and Justice. She was still to save countless numbers of people. It was part of their deal. In this world she'd just have to go about it a bit differently…
She'd heal, save lives, inspire change, and hopefully stop a war that was on the horizon. Oh! As well as get married, give birth to AND raise FOUR children.
But by the Gods, she would do it...
The sensation of falling was jarring.
On second she was saying goodbye to Balerion and Meleys, and the next…
Free-falling on to Dragon back.
Lumi gave out a screech as Haelemys let out a shriek, both started flailing in their own ways. Haelemys with her arms and Lumi with her wings. Luckily her sickly white dragon caught a good wind under her wings, and soon, they were righted. As soon as Lumi's back leveled out, Haelemys got a good grip on her scales and held on tight. A suddenly, striking pain hit her stomach as she was jolted. She grimaced and held on a little tighter, Lumi letting out a small uncomfortable noise as well.
After a few moments that Lumi and Haelemys both took to collect themselves, they both let out a sigh of relief. The first thing they noticed was that the wind was warm, the water they were over seemed calm, and they were flying west…
The second thing she noted was that, just like Lumi, she now had cuffs and chains on her hands and ankles. As well as a semi-ornate collar around her neck. She had just 'Freed' herself from captivity from slavers. Her and Lumi were now fleeing over the stepstones, where two sides were fighting a war for a second time…
The third and most surprising thing she noticed was when Haelemys looked down to see what was causing her stomach to hurt so much… Only to be meet with the shocking sight of a swollen Belly…
Her jaw dropped opened and her eyes widened as the rest of her brain seemed to freeze.
Pregnant… She was pregnant… Maybe halfway through her term? She didn't know. Far along enough for her stomach to be noticeably rounded, but not to have popped out yet. Four months? Five months? Frist trimester? No, Second. Right? She had no clue.
It seems the goddess of life and the god of death took her request very literally… They truly did send Teddy with her. As her eyes stayed locked on her stomach, she suddenly felt a bit of movement under the skin. A sort of watery shifting. She realized she was feeling of Teddy moving. His little knee pressing on her right side... He was moving his legs.
The 14 had really done it… They had really given Teddy back to her. A large smile came across her lips.
They were safe. They were free. THEY WERE ALIVE! Her and Teddy had been given another chance… and she was not going to let it go to waste.
"Adere, Lumi! Se lua endia!" Faster, Lumi! and keep west!
"Lord Corlys… There's been a Dragon sighting." The sea snake snapped his head to the Commander of his scouts. Everyone else on the bridge also went quiet.
"Where was it sighted? And where is it Heading?"
"It came into view in the east, already passed the Gullet… It looked to be heading directly west."
Corly's eyes raised. "It's already flown PASSED the Gullet? How was it was not seen before? And what do you mean, directly west?"
"Headed straight for Dragonstone, Lord Corlys… Maybe even King's landing."
"What was the coloring of the Dragon?" Veamond asked from his spot beside his brother.
"The lookouts said it looked light-colored… White, Silver, or Grey. And sir… The lookout said… It looked like there was someone riding the dragon, sir."
Corlys looked to his brother with hesitation in his eyes. Veamond look panicked.
"Silverwing and Vermythor never leave one another's side, unless their riders make them. They have no riders and are still on Dragonstone…" Veamond began.
"Seasmoke hasn't left Drift mark… If he had, my wife would have written us, and he would be flying east, not west. Gray Ghost?…"
"Last spotted on Dragonstone, but that was months ago… and It's Gray Ghost. He could be anywhere. He goes in and out of the Gullet as he pleases."
Corlys nodded, then turned to two soldiers standing at attention at the door of the war-room/meeting tent.
"We're not going to risk it… Get me parchment, pen and ink. We're sending out two ravens out immediately. One to Dragonstone, the other to King's landing. We'll inform them of the Dragon, and about the possible rider… And make them the fastest Ravens we have."
A/N: HEY GUYS! Just to Clarify; Haelemys is pronounced Hay-Le-MEs.
Chapter 5; Rocking the boat.
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Haelemys kept flying west, straight towards the sunset. Even as the pain from her stomach steadily grew worse. Every few minutes a ripping, tearing feeling would overtake her, causing her to curl up on herself. She'd try her best to ignore it, but it was no use; IT HURT.
And more than that; It was hurting Lumi, too. With every stabbing pain, would come a shriek from her dragon's mouth… She hated that her dragon had to share her pain with her. Lumi had endured enough of her own...
She tried desperately to keep focused on what was ahead of her. 'Keep heading west, till we hit the shoreline, then find a castle… Keep heading west, till we hit the shoreline, then find a castle… ' She repeated to herself over and over. A temporary mantra to help keep her resolve. But it was becoming harder to ignore…
It wasn't only her, ether. Lumi was exhausted. Her poor girl didn't have much energy left… Haelemy would bet that the ministry had been starving her again… It was then that a remote island, about 6 miles long and 4 miles wide showed up just left of the horizon. It had a large, risen rock face on the southern end, maybe 50 feet high at its tallest point. Good enough to shelter them for a few hours. Haelemys sent the mental image of it to the shared brain space. Lumi quickly looked towards it, then angled and swooped down, heading that way.
They would land, rest, then pick up their journey afterwards. She would dis-mount and hope that not being jarred by the flying would lessen the pain…
Crown Princess Rhaenyra read the raven message that had been sent by Corlys outload. Deamon, Jace, Luce, Baela and Rheana were all listening to her, standing Infront of her in a semi-circle.
"-Wouldn't be so worried if the Dragon didn't get pasted the Gullet so easily and was heading due West. For Dragonstone or Kings landing, we do not know. If the scouts are correct, and it does have a rider, this could spell danger. Do be careful. The Sea Snake."
Rheanyra then lowered her hands and looked to her uncle and husband. No one in the world knew the dragons and their habits better then him. His face was void of emotion, but his eyes were worried.
"Silverwing is currently nesting; She will not leave her cave, and Vermythor will not leave her side for longer than it takes to hunt… Not with Cannibal taking up residence in his cave here in Dragonstone once again. Vermythor won't give him a chance to eat his clutch. Seasmoke is still on Driftmark. Even so, he never fly's past Dragonstone, let alone the Gullet…"
"Gray Ghost, then?" Rhaenyra questioned. To her surprise Daemon gave a slow shake of his head.
"Gray ghost was spotted two weeks ago passing claw island, headed north… And he only ever flies past the gullet or east during winter, when the hunting gets harder… For the warmer weather as well, I assume."
Rhaenyra's eyes widened at that. "So… This Dragon is unaccounted for?"
"A new wild dragon?" Luke asked, sounding more curious and excited then scared.
"Not wild…" Jace corrected, seeing the threat that his little brother did not. "They said it looked like he had a rider. As it was heading DIRECTLY East, which is a perfect straight line here and to king's landing…"
"The dragon isn't just flying around, it's following course. It MUST have a rider." Rheana added. Daemon nodded slowly in agreement.
"Could it be a Green?"
"No, all the Greens that can have a dragon have claimed a Dragon already… Daeron has been in oldtown for over a decade. All the other green dragons are at kings landing with their riders… Also, none of the green's dragons are white or gray. They have one gold, two blue, and Vhagar; Green."
"The Dragon is coming from the east… What's east of the gullet, if we follow their path back?" Jace asked.
"Essos; Specifically, Volantis, Slavers' Bay… and Bravos." Daemon answered with an angry growl. Rhaenyra's breath caught.
"The three stolen eggs…" She said, almost in a whisper.
"What?… Stolen Eggs?! When? How?" Luke questioned, now starting to feel the worry the others were feeling.
"When my grandsire was newly on the throne after Meagor was killed, a woman named Elissa Farman came to Dragonstone and became good friends with former Queen Rheana Targaryen… The great aunt you were named for." Daemon said, nudging his head to his daughter.
"She was a charismatic and charming person, made quick friends with Rheana and her daughter… She asked the former queen to fund the building of a great ship. One that could handle longer voyages, maybe even pass Ye-ti itself. Rheana tried to convince my grandsire, but he refused. Elissa then departed for Bravos… But she stole three eggs and took them with her when she left…"
Luke and Rheana hissed lowly at this, but Jace just locked his jaw in anger. He, unlike the others, had heard this tale already and knew what it meant.
"When she got to Bravos she was suddenly able to pay to have her ship made and made quickly. By the time the Eggs were found to be missing, Elissa had hired a crew and disappeared with her ship into the seas… Corlys swears he saw that ship when he was docked during one of his nine travels. We could never prove she sold the eggs to the Sealord of Bravos However, But the bank of Bravos and the Sealord were more than willing to pay the crown a handsome consolation prize for the loss of the eggs. Since grandsire needed the gold to repair damages from the war and start building the King's road, he took the offer. From what Grandsire told me, the Sealord said 'I can't say if I do have them or if I don't, but even if I do; they will not hatch. They will just be pretty stones'…"
"You think Elissa might have kept the eggs warm? One might have hatched?"
"There are no other eggs, Or dragons, unaccounted for but those three… Even Cannibal is watched just in case he breeds." Daemon remarked as he and Rhaenyra looked at one another. They didn't need to say another word to understand what the other was thinking. They both knew this could turn bad and turn bad Quickly.
"It would be suicide to try to attack us here… or Kings landing. One dragon can't take down 3 or more. It doesn't make sense…" Jace stated, as Baela nodded.
"No… It doesn't." Daemon said and Rhaenyra locked her jaw and placed her hand over the swell of her own stomach were her girl, her Visenya, lay in wait. She took a deep breath and made her decision.
"We need to know why it's heading this way… and WHO, if anyone, is riding it… If it is an Enemy, I don't want the fighting to be here on the island. Definity not by the Dragon mount. I want it kept away from the children and the dragons… Cannibal alone will rampage if he catches the scent of Dragon's blood…" Rhaenyra started, her hand tighter around her belly. Rheana shivered visibly at the terrifying thought.
"I'll take Caraxes and meet the Dragon. I'll intercept it before it gets here, and if it's Feral or a Bravosi plot to attack us while there is fighting still a war in the stepstones, we'll tear it to fucking pieces before it can land."
"And if it's a wild dragon? Not Feral?" Rheana spoke, soft sympathy in her voice.
"… Lead it back to the dragon mount, let it find its own cave. Keep a close eye on it, see if can be tamed and claimed."
"I'll go with Daemon. Two Dragons are better than one." Jace said.
"No, you will not." Rhaenyra instantly burst. "You are my Heir; you will stay here."
"Let him patrol east of the island. Pasted the Dragon mount before Driftmark waters." Daemon added. Rhaenyra started to give a glare, But Daemon quickly explained himself.
"He shouldn't go with me and Caraxes, I agree, but we don't know how big this Dragon may be… Cannibal is a perfect example of this. By the time he showed himself, he was full grown and far too vicious to be dealt with… Patrol towards the east, keep your eyes open. If it is Feral, or too big to take on my own, I'll have it follow me over to the Driftmark water boarder. Jace and I can bring it down together there. It never reaches the Island proper. It Bleeds or Drowns, ether way it dies."
Rhaenyra frowned slightly outwardly even though her heart was screaming. She didn't want her son in harm's way. Also, While Daemon didn't use the words 'Chase' and 'Bait' she knew what his plan entailed… But then she saw the look in Jace's eyes. The look that was begging her for a chance to prove himself… She sighed loudly.
"Very well… But be careful. I expect you both, and your dragons, back home -safely- tonight."
Aemond walked into Otto's solar without knocking. The door was opened, and the manservant said he was needed urgently. His dear mother Queen Alicent and surprisingly, Aegon, were already there.
Aegon was unsteady and weak on his feet, already reeking of wine. He looked as miserable as Aemond was feeling. Aegon may be his brother, but he was a selfish monster. If it wasn't for Mother and Grandsire covering for him, he would have been disowned by father years ago, illness or not. But they did, so Aegon never learned. He kept Drinking, Whoring, and Abusing the ladies of the keep… Including their dear sister. As much as he hated it and hated his brother, Aemond could do nothing about it. He was the older brother, Heleana was his wife, and they wanted HIM to be king... Aemond was discussed by him. He wanted nothing more than to spare Heleana from her husband's hands. But with Cole, Grandsire, and Mother all backing and covering for him, there was nothing he could do.
He doesn't get a chance to greet them or say anything, before Otto starts talking. A small slip, a raven message, was still in his hand.
"There has been a Dragon sighted heading this way from the East. It has already passed the gullet. Headed toward us or to Dragonstone, we do not know which. According to Lord Corlys, it is not one they've seen before… and it may have a rider."
Aemond eyebrows and lone eye raised at that. Targaryens were the only ones in the world to have Dragons. Even if the blood of Valyria was still out there, as few as they were, it was only the Targaryen family that claimed them and hatched their eggs… A Rouge Dragon was bad. Very bad.
And if a non-Targaryen was riding it…
"Well, Holy Shit…" Was all Aegon said. The look his mother and Grandsire gave to Aegon could have started another winter.
"… We need both of you to find this Dragon before they reach Dragonstone… If it is a lone Dragon, let it be…. But if they have a rider, it is imperative you bring them here. The Blacks already out number us in Dragons…. We must secure whoever the rider is to our side. By any means."
Aegon grimaced and looked ill. Aemond just nodded his head respectfully.
"Good… Now. Get on your Dragons and go."
They landed safely behind the rock face, away from the wind. Luckily the fish were plentiful. So after an hour and a half and a little dragon fire to start a small fire pit, they both had full bellys. The pain in her abdomen had lessen the moment she hopped off dragon back and went away completely after eating and relaxing.
She was aching and tired, as was Lumi. She curled around her rider as both got ready for a nap. She had no pillows or blankets, but her Lumi was a dragon. Her scales were warmer than any blanket. She nudged herself into the crook of Lumi's arm, and after placing one hand on her round belly, closed her eyes.
Just a Nap... Four hours or so. They would wake up rested and ready to continue on.
She was sure not much would happen in a few hours.
They did JUST arrive after all, right?...