Daenerys grunted and pushed her brother’s hand away with a glare. “Don’t touch my hair. You’re going to mess it up,” she said stubbornly. “You don’t know how to braid hair. You’ll make it look bad. Mommy is going to do it because she actually knows what she’s doing and thinks my clothes are pretty. Unlike you.”
Viserys huffed, offended by his sisters words. “Fine. But you know if mother wasn’t here I’d have to do everything shes doing for you.” He didn’t think his braiding skills was that bad and he was still learning how to do more complex braids. “Be that way Daenerys.” He turned to leave, going to do some slight exploring before he returned to where their mother was at.
Rhaegar had heard word of his brother Viserys Targaryen and his life in Essos, raising his sister all alone as he himself had been brought back from the brink of death by a Red Priestess who had nursed him to full health herself. He’d been told that he had in fact died but he remembered nothing of any kind of after life. There had been breath and life in him and the next, nothing.
He traveled for a while, picking up on trails of his siblings after hearing about how Robert Baratheon seized the throne despite there being a legal and rightful heir to the throne, a child no less one he thought they would have used to their advantage as they had used his father’s illness. Jaime Lannister had killed his own father and while he had been sad to hear it, he knew that even if he himself had claimed the throne his father would have been dealt with in a similar fashion wither by his own hands or not.
Both Elia and Lyanna were dead, their children were dead as well. So much death and heartbreak and he was the cause of all of it. He had found his way to Pentos and came across an Illyrio Mopatis who had taken in his siblings and told him of their whereabouts and what he had heard about them since and once again heartache and guilt found it’s way to fill Rhaegar’s heart.
He traveled for months to get to Pentos and would have to make his way to where she’d last been seen which was Vaes Dothrak and once he did he was able to pick up on a lead to where they might have been, least a very basic understanding as he tried to pick up some of the Dothraki language. He could see a fire ahead of him thats when Rhaegar saw what looked like a funeral pyre and he watched as some Dothraki left and he felt compelled to stay as he heard one of the Dothraki mention Khal Drogo. So this was it! This was his sisters Khalassar, at last!
He found no sight of a woman matching his family apperance until he saw a man who looked to be Westerosi and sure enough he was. This Ser Jorah didn’t seem to like him very much but Rhaegar felt the feeling was mutaul and stated he was a sellsword from Lys looking to join with a great Khalassar and as he was interagated by the knight the fire had died down and in the ashes was a young woman and three baby dragons.
Rhaegar felt his heart stop as he looked at her, she looked so much like their mother that he stumbled close to her eventually falling to his knees looking at her with an expression of bewilderment and awe that she had survived being in the fire. “Daenerys…” He whispered, still shocked that he wasn’t alone in the world, that there was another Targaryen and that maybe there was a chance they could reclaim what was theirs.
It had been so long since he had seen her last and he couldn’t quite recall the last time he had seen her. His eyes followed her movement through the crowd, Kings Landing had grown and everything around in Westeros had changed and aged, some monuments to the past to his age of rule had changed and some things had been restored but there were some precious memories that seemed like they would rather be forgotten about, becoming a myth once more.
Aegon looked at Daenerys longingly, wanting to go over to her, ask her what her name was, if it by chance was still Daenerys, if she had any inkling of their past life together, anyone he had known from their time together he’d met before this and during this time but some had known their past life and wanted to forget while others had wanted to have some semblance of it back or still held it. Families like the Lannisters had recently come back into power after Tywin took control of his father’s company and merged/acquired Castmere Cosmetics.
Aegon remembered every time he came back, first as Aegon VI with his past life as Aegon the Conquer and than again fifty years later and on and on it went till now, almost seven hundred years later and a dozen deaths he had come across her. His descendant, his Aunt and lover and perhaps now, a friend.
He was about to cross the road to get to where she had been at moments before until a car screeched at him, honking it’s horn and he gave an apologetic wave and jogged across the cross walk till he saw her enter what appeared to be a coffee joint, Starfell which had become a nation wide beloved corporation for selling coffee and had been started by a few of House Dayne’s people and Aegon silently slipped in behind Daenerys in line and before she could order he came to her sided, offering his payment for her drink and his own iced lavander latte. “Please, I insist. You can pay it forward to someone if you really want to debate me on this.” He told her with a charming smile as he adjusted his red jacket as the barista slide his card and handed it back.
“This wasn’t even the dress I was going to wear when we meet the Princes and Princesses, but what do you care? Obviously you don’t,” Daenerys huffed and crossed her arms, turning away from her brother. It had been a long few days of traveling for them and it was clear that the young Princess was exhausted. All she wanted to do was sleep, but they were to meet with the royals today. “I just want to get into Dorne, alright?”
“I don’t wear dresses. So yes, you are correct. I don’t care….persay.” Viserys admitted as his sister huffed he reached out a hand to ruffle her hair and than smoothed it out “ Come on, I’ll braid your hair real pretty like okay?” He asked knowing his sister was still moody and there was nothing he could do to quell her mood. “We will soon, I promise Daenerys”
Daenerys was expecting her brother to say that her dress was beautiful and that Mother did an amazing job at making her look beautiful. Instead, she was shot down by horrible words, tears filling her blue eyes. “I-I…” she whimpered, sniffling, and quickly wiped her eyes. Princesses didn’t cry. “I…M-Mommy makes all my dresses, Vis. You know that. I have more dresses she made me…” Daenerys said sadly, casting her eyes down to her plain sparkly pink dress.
He could feel the guilt rising the longer he watched her trying not to cry and felt the overwhelming sense of dread that if he didn’t quell her sadness that she would tell their mother and than he’d get in trouble. “Dany” He started, his tone softening as he knelt down to be at her level “It’s lovely, really. Mother makes amazing dresses but we haven’t had much time or material of late to make more improvements on some of them”
He was trying his best to make her feel better the only way he knew how and that was by stretching the truth “An I think you should wear the fluffiest dress you have. I’m sure you’ll be all anyone talks about when we meet the Martells.” While he hated the ruffles and the extra fabric of the dress in question, he knew it always put a smile on his sisters face and that’s what he needed right now. Smiles, not tears.
“Viserys, do you like the dress Mommy made for me?” the young princess asked her brother excitedly. The siblings and their mother had reached Dorne from Dragonstone and Daenerys had never seen a more beautiful place in her life.
Viserys looked at the incoming blur that was Daenerys as he tried not to jump having not expected her to come up to him so excited. “Are you sure you didn’t make it? Mom can do way better. You shouldn’t be allowed to hold a needle” He told her as he turned his attention to the Dornish landscape. It had been a long trip from Dragonstone and Viserys was afraid that every day his mother and their own lives would be taken from them despite his mothers reassurance that everything would be okay once they were able to reach Dorne. “We’re to meet with the Dornish Prince’s and Princess’s don’t you have anything better to wear?”
“Viserys, I purposely keep the thoughts of me not being able to bear a child in the back of my mind for very clear reasons. I would rather not think about them. I know that you understand,” Daenerys didn’t mean for the words to come out harsh. She’s never spoken about having children since the incident and it was a touchy topic for her.
Pushing the conversation about children to the side, she wanted to focus on the main things that Viserys was talking about. That being her army. “Yes, well, over the years I have taken many titles, those of which you may have heard of over the years. I am to get a fleet soon from the Greyjoys and I will be sailing to Westeros to take my Throne. I will allow you to be Prince of Dragonstone, yes, but my Hand? No. Tyrion Lannister already holds the position of Hand of the Queen.”
“Of course” He spoke the words in a hush and his eyes stared at the nearly empty food dishes around him, realizing just how hungry he had been after all this time and one of Daenery’s people came over to refill his wine goblet but he waved them off, telling no thank you. He didn’t want to be drunk by the time he went to bed.
“Thank you, Dany. I did’t expect hand but I will graciously take Prince of Dragonstone. The Greyjoys eh? How did they come to the service of you and are there more of Weteros’s houses are loyal to you? I assume not all of House Lannister is going to agree with Tyrion.”
The bells chimed softly in her hair as she turned her head toward Aegon. He’s relaxed, even in this environment and she wondered at that. Even here, among all her people, safe, with the plans already in motion to capture the Iron Throne, Daenerys didn’t know how to ease the tension she felt. For too long, she’d been at the mercy of others and now, with Aegon’s arrival, she had finally found the family she’d always wanted in his easy, handsome company. She’s pleased, yes, but happiness was more elusive. Dany wouldn’t make the mistakes she made in Meereen, leaving enemies to flourish under her nose. “I will endeavor to do my best,” she answered him honestly.
“I am still learning much of Dragonstone from the staff who have been here longest. I was but a babe when I was taken to Essos ahead of the Usurper’s dogs,” Daenerys explained with a small shrug. The meal was a bit more lavish than usual, in honor of their newest guest, but not so much as to be wasteful. With the number of mouths to feed as she had here on the island and on the bit of mainland opposite, nothing would be wasted. It’s only after the head table was finished with their meal that the minstrel began playing a livelier tune. A few pairings moved to the open area and began dancing. Finishing her glass of wine, a servant moved to refill it but she shook her head ‘no’, before turning to Aegon. “I’m very curious to know in what ways our childhoods might have been similar, Aegon. Would you care for that tour now or was dancing on your agenda?”
“Dragonstone is quiet the place to live in, the halls echo history.” Aegon said, having only experienced Dragonstone in his dreams and it had been wonderful exploring it then but seeing it in person was more wondrous and beautiful in person. He watched as some of the others that had been at the table started to dance and he watched with a pleased eye.
His attention was drawn back to Daenerys as she addressed him. “Dancing wasn’t in my agenda at first but I wouldn’t mind doing so if that’s what you want, Daenerys” Aegon answered truthfully as he rose from his seat to meet Daenerys having taken one last sip from his cup and straightened his tunic. “Did you travel much or did you have a few key places you lived in?”
They were so different. He had a hard time keeping most of his emotions in while she held on to them tightly. “It’s okay to let them out. The memories…not all of them were bad, right?” He asked, still surprised at the softness in his voice, the tenderness he held in his heart for his sister. Viserys was still working on being a better, different person and while he wanted to shake her and tell her to just let everything out and stop hiding he knew just how destructive that could be in the end if one wasn’t careful.
“I know I would have. If he was anything like you were as a babe. Well..a toddler. Babies cry and whine too much.” He mused as he cautiously took another spoonful of soup. “Will Ser Jorah be joining us or-?” Viserys still was unsure of the mans whereabouts and he was secretly hoping he was gone. “I never quite liked him if I may be frank Daenerys. Never approved of his leering ways. Who cooked this meal by the way? It is delicious”
Daenerys smiled as he brother began to eat, beginning to eat herself. Missandei was always a wonderful cook. She could tell he hadn’t eaten in a long while, but she could tell that he didn’t want to be rude and scarf it all down at once, even though it was just the two of them. Her brother seemed happy. However, when Viserys mentioned the lack of Drogo’s appearance, her expression slowly faded and she stopped eating for the moment.
“Yes, Khal Drogo did…die, Viserys,” Daenerys finally said, her voice quiet. The room was so quiet that a pin could be heard dropping. “It was tragic. I wanted him back so badly. I had a witch try and bring him back with blood magic, but he was just in a vegetative state and I couldn’t let him suffer, so I-” Daenerys stopped herself short, not wanting to bring up that horrible night. It was as if she hadn’t heard the question about the baby because she didn’t answer that.
Viserys nearly dropped his spoon at his sisters words. He couldn’t quite believe it. Khal Drogo was indeed dead. She had involved a witch no less and Viserys had wished he had been there, maybe he would have tried to stop her from getting such a vile creatures help. “Blood magic” He nearly scoffed as the words came out, more disbelief than meaning to sound rude to her, he knew what that had meant and seeing as she was still here as were her dragons that must have meant she had unknowingly traded one life for another. He had heard tales of such things when Daenerys was younger and they wondered the streets. He too had almost dabbled in such things, if only to get Ser Darry back but the cost was not one he had been willing to pay.
“I’m sure he would have wanted that. I could not see Khal Drogo being okay with being..Nevermind.” He shook his head now torn between wanting to comfort her and atone for everything no matter how awkward it would be and scarfing down his food or taking it with him to leave her be
“Dany. I am so so sorry for the losses you’ve gone through…I-” He had
no words, all the words that wanted to come would be meaningless should
have and if i could haves. Words that couldn’t bring the dead back.
.
At this rate he felt he had soured the mood and had no way of getting it out of the low point. “You were alone…No brother or husband. Yet you prospered. Blossomed, look at you, just like your dragons. Fierce and capable of doing anything. I a truly sorry you had to go through that alone, Dany. I know you had Ser Jorah, which is some what of a comfort” Though at the mention of Jorah there was a tone of bitterness and hate. He never liked the way that man looked at Dany. He’d rather have the Khalassar have her than that old bear.
Goldnwulf 