Dragonstone ― Stone Drum…
Alicent was resting in her chamber with her son Jaehaerys, cradling her swollen belly with one hand while stroking her son's hair with the other. She had now entered the sixth-month stage of her pregnancy as of today. Although Jaehaerys's room was next to his parents, the little prince would often sneak out of his room and come into theirs.
Stars ripe like tears like fruit falls from a tree
I wipe my dreams off the nighttime
Alicent sang a calm, melodic song to her firstborn as Jaehaerys snuggled against her. It was the same song her mother had sung to her when she was a little girl. No matter how many complications she endured throughout her pregnancy, she would always be available for her child whenever he needed her.
Oh, my sunshine, my little wing
Being together as we walk hand in hand
And I want to go… to your city, to your home, into your arms
To feel your face
A touch of memories
And now as I awake… as far from a dream~
Ohhh… as from my dream~
Jaehaerys yawned and rubbed his eyes. Alicent, meanwhile, kept her son close to her as she watched him fall asleep. "Such a good boy, Jay," she whispered in a nurturing tone. "Now close your eyes and sleep soundly in mommy's arms, let your dreams carry you to a wonderous place where all is right." Three years. I cannot believe how big he's grown. It seems like yesterday when I fed him at my breast. And now look at him. Three years old, and soon going to be a big brother.
The doors to her room soon creaked open, catching Alicent's attention. As she turned her head to see who had come to see her, she noticed Aeonar coming in. Stopping by her bedside, the prince kissed his wife on the lips and brushed his hand across her cheeks.
"How are you feeling?" Aeonar asked.
"I'm fine," Alicent replied. "Jay's just fallen asleep next to me." She massaged her belly again, watching her husband place his hand on hers as well. "Oooh, only three more months of this and it's all over."
"Can I get you anything?"
"That's sweet of you to ask, but… but I'll be fine. You have enough on your plate already." Alicent sighed wearily. "Look, Aeonar, what happened back at the gates, I know it may seem a little out of turn, but I was only trying to help for the family's sake."
"I know. I'm sure you had the best intentions at heart. But sometimes it's just not enough, especially when sharks in the water swarm over you if the smell of blood draws them in. Call me cold and distant, cruel if you must, but the malcontents have embedded themselves deep within the royal family – so everything I do is to protect you and our children from them. To keep them from taking advantage of you. From using you for their gain."
"Even if it means hurting yourself?"
"Even if it means hurting myself."
"Then I pose a simpler question. Is it better for the realm if the ones who seek to tear us apart from the inside are permitted to be left unchecked, or is it better to beat them at their own game?"
Aeonar pondered Alicent's words closely. Even though his spy network was intact, and his agents were scattered throughout the Seven Kingdoms, there was only so much he could do from Dragonstone. The prince could not even believe that he was seriously considering his consort's words closely, but he knew there was a sense of truth in her advice. "Hmm," he hummed.
There soon was a knock on Alicent's door. Both Aeonar and Alicent turned to see who it was until the door was slowly pushed open. Walking inside, the guest turned out to be a Lykirī Mēre acolyte of Yi Tish origins. Her white hood covered most of her face and her uniform primarily consisted of vambraces, greaves, shoes, and a protective belt, all made of leather. "Qǐng yuánliàng wǒ de dǎrǎo, wǒ de wángzǐ. (Pardon the interruption, my prince.)" the acolyte spoke in Yi Tish. "Dànshì nàgè nǚhái hǎoxiàng shīzōngle. (But it seems the girl has gone missing.)"
"Shénme nǚhái? (What girl?)" Aeonar asked.
"Gōngzhǔ. (The princess.)"
"Rhaenyra?"
"Shì de. (Yes.)"
Alicent couldn't understand what they were saying, but once she heard Rhaenyra's name being mentioned, she now felt that there was something off going on. "Aeonar? What's happening?" she inquired.
Aeonar turned to his wife. "Ugh, that Rhaenyra is utterly impossible," he rolled his eyes, groaning with a hint of annoyance. "Seems my sister decided now was the time to go on an adventure without informing anyone."
"Why am I not surprised…"
"A mystery for the ages." Aeonar kissed Alicent's forehead. "Now, get some rest. I'll come back later to check on you. Try not to worry, all right?"
"I… understand," Alicent conceded. "But be sure Rhaenyra is safe, all right?"
"I promise."
Aeonar slowly left the room, closing the door behind him to not wake up Jaehaerys. Once it was just the two of them, he turned to the acolyte. "Nǐmen yǒu méiyǒu kàn dào wǒ jiějiě qù nǎ'erle? (Did any of you see where my sister went?)" he inquired.
"Wǒmen de dìxiōngmen shuō tāmen kàn dào tā de lóngfēi xiàng dōngfāng. Zǒuxiàng jìndì. (Our brethren said they spotted her dragon flying to the east. Toward the forbidden lands.)" the Lykirī Mēre acolyte pointed out the window.
East? Wha… Aeonar froze. The only place on Dragonstone located in the east was the Rhúqo region, an area he declared an exclusion zone. Every villager on the island, plus visiting dignitaries from other areas of the Seven Kingdoms and abroad was told to avoid the area at all costs. Those who ventured into Rhúqo were never seen or heard from again. Oktio Nāvar, Rāenion, Mōrislentor, even the ruins of Fort Embar... there were plenty of abandoned settlements in the region Rhaenyra could have wandered off to. But that was also where… the beast… resided. "That… little… I'm going to KILL HER!" he shouted. "Jǐnggào qítā rén! (Warn the others!)"
The acolyte didn't need to be reminded as she recognized the tone of outrage and dread in the prince's voice and immediately departed to warn her Lykirī Mēre comrades still located on the island.
Dragonstone ― Beach…
Aeonar gathered everything he needed in a hurry. Not even bothering to wait for the others, the prince was racing against time itself. Rhaenyra was in grave danger when she unexpectedly found herself in. By then, word had begun to spread around Dragonstone over what was going on.
"Wait! Where are you going?" Criston called out to Aeonar.
"Rhaenyra's in danger! Tell the king and the rest of the council I am heading east! Do NOT follow me no matter what!" Aeonar got closer to Vaelor, who by then was already on his hind legs roaring and screeching. It would seem the Swiftrunner sensed his rider's frantic breathing, indicating there was trouble. Aeonar climbed up and quickly strapped himself onto the saddle. "Adhirikydho, Valor! (Hurry, Vaelor!)" he commanded. "Sōvēs! Adre sōvēs! (Fly! Fly fast!)"
"*Rooooooa!*"
Vaelor spread his wings out wide and began running as fast as he could to quickly gain traction. Once the Swiftrunner has reached incredible speed, the dragon beats the air and, with a great kick of his legs, launches himself off the ground and into the air. Now gaining altitude, Vaelor began to live up to his moniker, demonstrating why he was known as the fastest dragon in the known world. From the ground, Criston watched as Vaelor flew away. By then, Viserys and the other councilors ran outside to watch the dragon soon disappear into the distance.
"What is doing? Where is he going?" Viserys demanded.
Criston snapped out of it. "Your Grace, the princess is in terrible danger," he explained. "The prince said she's gone east and is out to retrieve her right now!"
"East? But what could be―" Viserys's eyes widened with fear. "Oh no…" The king then realized what lay dormant in the east, and why the east was declared off-limits.
Daemon watched from a distance as his brother and his advisors began squabbling among themselves. The Rogue Prince knew what was waiting for his niece and nephew in the Rhúqo region: a wild dragon, massive in size with scales as black as coal and menacing green eyes, which was known for feasting on dead dragons, smaller dragons, hatchlings, and their eggs. He frowned as Rhaenyra had not told him where he was going, but seeing his nephew fly off to retrieve her, he knew they needed help. Even with Vaelor, Syrax, and Caraxes combined, they were no match for the beast nesting there.
"*Hiisssss!*" Caraxes snarled with anticipation.
Daemon said nothing but strolled over to the Blood Wyrm, climbing atop his dragon, and strapping himself in. "Piktan zirȳ, Karakses. (Follow them, Caraxes.)" he commanded in High Valyrian.
"*Reeeee!*"
Caraxes screeched and beat his wings as hard as he could before soaring into the air. The wing-like membranes on his back legs work to support the aerodynamics of his long, serpentine body as the Blood Wyrm flew off in pursuit of Vaelor. Although Caraxes was further behind, his sense of smell would allow him to track the Swiftrunner down.
Dragonstone ― Rhúqo…
Rhaenyra was in the mood for an adventure. She could surely need it after having to put up with the awkward reunion on the beach moments earlier. This time she was going to enjoy herself, damn the consequences. Syrax, on the other hand, instinctively felt nervous about being in this area of the island, chirping her concerns in draconic vocalizations to her rider.
"Aōle lykemās, Syraks. (Be quiet, Syrax.)" the princess hushed. "Huh. So, this is Rhúqo, huh? Talk about deserted. Well, time for us to have some fun." Rhaenyra strolled inland, noticing the vacant villages nearby.
"*Urrwuwurrrr!*"
"Shhh! Vestan lyka, Syraks. Gīda ilagon. (I said quiet, Syrax. Calm down.)" Sheesh, what's got her so scared suddenly? There is nothing here. Rhaenyra observed the abandoned village of Mōrislentor. "Hmmm. This place must be at least… more than two centuries old. More. But why would whoever used to live here leave this place like a hellhole?" One step, two steps, three steps, four… Rhaenyra then felt the tip of her boots knock into something. She looked down to notice a skull. "Ah, eww! Disgusting!" she gagged.
"*Reeewurururrrr!*" Syrax chirped anxiously again.
Rhaenyra turned back to Syrax, noticing her dragon was only growing more anxious. She didn't want to be here and was beseeching her rider to leave this place. The thrill of adventurous excitement the princess felt soon faded when Rhaenyra turned to notice in the distance a layer of scattered bones. "What the…?" Curiosity got the better of her as she tip-toed around the edge of Mōrislentor and saw a pile of bones – humans and dragons – littered everywhere along with broken eggshells. Rhaenyra was soon startled by a sudden thump as the ground shook. The princess shook around, looking left and right, trying to find the source. She could not see it, but she could hear and feel the tremor.
The sudden, yet brief, glimpse of a tail sliding across the ground between the outskirts of Mōrislentor.
What in Seven hells was that? Rhaenyra's eyes scanned the area. It became apparent she and Syrax weren't the only ones here beyond the abandoned village. The faint crunch and chomping sounds reached her ears. There was something here. Rhaenyra followed the tail's trail and looked up higher. Behind the village, beyond the outskirts, she saw a reptilian, draconic body with scales as black as Vaelor's but more coal-like. Except it was not Vaelor. She continued to look higher, her Valyrian purple eyes catching sight of an exceptionally large dragon eating something, its huge head swallowing chunks of meat before rolling its head and bellowing a roar.
"*UROOOOOOOOOOOOO!*"
Rhaenyra froze. This was a dragon, but Seven hells, it was enormous! It was the biggest dragon she had ever seen! And incredibly old, given the saggy skin on its neck and lower belly. She mentally began scaling the beast from head to tail, measuring its body length. It must have been almost 400 feet long with a wingspan of at least almost double the size of its body. And this dragon was eating another dragon, devouring its kind. It was the Cannibal! The princess slowly began to step backward, trying to be as quiet as possible, but the sudden step on a twig caused it to snap in half. "Shit!" she silently cursed.
The dragon raised its head, alerted by the sound. Turning around, the dragon's menacing green eyes locked onto Rhaenyra and Syrax. Growling, the Cannibal slowly raised itself to turn around.
"*Reeee! Wuraaaaa! Roooooo!*" Syrax screeched warningly.
Rhaenyra, feeling her heartbeat racing even faster, now felt a twinge of fear and immediately raised for her dragon. Climbing up, she fastened herself in her harness without haste. "Adhirikydho! Sōvēs, Syraks! Ozdakogon īlva! (Hurry! Fly, Syrax! Get us out of here!)"
"*REEEEE!*"
As the Cannibal reared its head back, Syrax quickly turned on her tail and kicked herself off the ground, beating her wings as hard as she could to take flight – narrowly avoiding the Cannibal's savage bite. Rhaenyra panted and looked over her shoulder to see the Cannibal staring up at them. Rumor has it the Cannibal was just as large as, if not larger than, Balerion the Black Dread. He might be bigger than Syrax, but Rhaenyra's dragon had one advantage over the beast: speed and maneuverability. If she could outpace the Cannibal, then Rhaenyra and Syrax would be beyond its reach. For a while, soaring through the clouds, it felt like they had just escaped.
"*UROOOOOOOOOOOOO!*"
Rhaenyra looked over her shoulder to see the Cannibal pursuing her and Syrax, mouth agape as it took flight in pursuit. She could feel her arms begin to shake uncontrollably, her sleeves flapping in the wind. Seven hells, she was frightened! The princess did not want to be here anymore. Rhaenyra knew what a dragon was capable of whenever it became aggressively territorial. She knew what would happen to people if they got too close. But this was the Cannibal; much, much bigger! The oldest and largest of all the wild dragons in Westeros. When the Cannibal roared, it was terrifying, a guttural and loud scream from some other world! But she had to do something. They could not just remain fly in a straight line.
"*Reeeee!*" Syrax screeched, beating the air with her wings harder than ever.
Thunder clapped, and the Dragonmont rumbled again. Rhaenyra looked behind her and saw the Cannibal rise from the clouds, its monstrous size blanketing her and Syrax in its giant shadow. It was chasing them!
"Sōvēs, Syraks! (Fly, Syrax!)"
Syrax curved right to dodge the Cannibal's jaws, then left as the dragon snapped again. Once the young she-dragon sensed the larger kin reared back, extending its foot claws forward to grab her, Syrax dove down. The Cannibal roared again, jaws open, as it continued chasing its next prey. In the glare of lightning, Rhaenyra saw the beady, expressionless, green eyes moving in its socket. She wanted to scream for help, but how? Nobody knew where she went, nor could they hear her no matter how hard she tried.
"Aderī! Pālēs! (Quickly! Turn!)"
Syrax spun around, flying ever lower to shake off the Cannibal near the Rāenion canyons. For such a large dragon, the Cannibal was fast for its size, its eyes always tracking Syrax's movements. Folding her wings close to her body, Syrax glided through the canyons while the Cannibal flew upward, watching her from above. Being smaller in size, Syrax easily fit through the canyon's narrow corridors knowing its quarry cannot follow.
It cannot get to us. It is too big!
But the Cannibal was relentless. Rhaenyra saw they were quickly running out of room and that a dead-end awaited them. The Cannibal slowly opened its mouth, a blazing emerald-colored ember glowing in the back of its throat.
"Syraks, urnēbagon! (Syrax, watch out!)" Rhaenyra warned. "Hepās, vēzot! (Climb, upward!)"
Syrax abruptly changed course, soaring higher as the Cannibal blasted the canyon with its dragonflame. Even from a distance, Rhaenyra and Syrax could feel the blazing sea of black flames shot with green and orange behind them. The older and larger the dragon the more devastating its fire. But the Cannibal had spotted them and beat its wing faster and harder, closing the gap, the hot roar of the Cannibal, its blazing eyes locking on its target, and its jaws were getting closer, threatening to chomp Rhaenyra and Syrax in a single bite.
Rhaenyra shut her eyes. "Mirtys! Baelza! (Someone! Help!)" she shouted.
Before the beast could ensnare its prey, a blazing conflagration of black swirling with a red shot from the skies upon the Cannibal's drooping neck.
"*UROOOOOOOOOOOOO!*"
The Cannibal abruptly turned its head away, bellowing an angry roar! Rhaenyra quickly opened her eyes to see another dragon flying past her and Syrax with incredible speed. It was Vaelor and Aeonar who managed to arrive on the scene. By risking a daring attack on the Cannibal, the Swiftrunner's dragonflame forced it to divert its attention away from Syrax.
"*RAAAAAAAA!*"
"Sagojika amāzis, dyni! (Get back, beast!)" Aeonar's voice echoed through the clouds. As Vaelor swooped back around, they rendezvoused with Rhaenyra and Syrax. "RHAENYRA! RUN!"
Rhaenyra did not need to be told twice, now that her brother had come to the rescue. Gripping her saddle's harness, the princess quickly pats her dragon three times.
Vaelor roars, taking the lead while Syrax follows closely behind him. The Swiftrunner maintains a steady pace for his younger female kin to keep up. Despite that, the Cannibal bellows loudly and resumes its pursuit. Utilizing their advantage of terrain, Aeonar directed Vaelor to strafe to the right, directing the other dragons toward the Sasholta Pass. Swerving left and right, in and out of the sharply eroded buttes, pinnacles, and rocky spires. The Cannibal moved to ensnare one of the dragons, but their agility caused it to demolish one of the spires with its massive head. It tried again on Syrax, but the she-dragon dodged; again, the Cannibal snapped its jaws at Vaelor, but the Swiftrunner banked left, causing the older, larger dragon to collide with one of the stone pinnacles.
"*UROOOOOOOOOOOOO!*"
The Cannibal roared in anger at these smaller, yet faster dragons dancing around him. Once more, rearing its head back, the Cannibal expelled its fire from its gullet and out of its mouth. Vaelor and Syrax flew upward, splitting in different directions before reuniting again. The Cannibal again bellowed a thunderous roar, fueled by anger and fury, as it pursued its prey.
Aeonar strained against his harness. Damn it, we cannot keep this up forever! Examining the surroundings, the prince recognized a cliffside near the volcanic Dragonmont's base – the Catacombs of Tozara. It was steep but slanted at an odd angle and eroded in key areas. If they could trigger a rockslide, triggered by a large mass ramming into it at high speed, the Catacombs would ensnare the Cannibal. It would not kill it but incapacitate it long enough for all of them to escape back to the castle.
"*REEEEEE!*"
Aeonar and Rhaenyra looked back to see Caraxes charging in from above, blasting the Cannibal from above. Their uncle, Prince Daemon, had arrived with the Blood Wyrm.
"Uncle!" Rhaenyra exclaimed.
Daemon had a serious look on his face. "Lure the Cannibal towards the cliffs! Rhaenyra, get back home!" he warned.
Rhaenyra panted, urging Syrax to quickly leave the area. Once the she-dragon was out of sight, Vaelor and Caraxes circled back to see the Cannibal lunging at them. Utilizing their speed and agility, both dragons dispersed and spewed dragonflame along the Cannibal's left and right flanks, angering the wild dragon. The Cannibal makes a wide turn to come back for a full-frontal assault.
Typical savage. Undisciplined. Daemon observed. He might be twice Caraxes's size, but it relies solely on raw, basic instincts in comparison to a well-trained dragon bonded with its rider. "Ivestragī urnēptre zirȳla skorion iksi vēttan. (Let's show him what we are made of.)" He patted the Blood Wyrm three times.
"*Reeeeeraaa!*" Caraxes screeched aggressively.
Aeonar, looking at Daemon, suspected his uncle was thinking the same thing. I can't believe I'm actually contemplating this! All at the whims of a maniac! "Mastan. Urnenptre zirȳla qilōni baes zaldrīzes. (Come. Let's show him who the apex dragon is.)"
"*Rooooooa!*" Vaelor roared. No one was going to make a meal out of him! The Swiftrunner was the alpha on Dragonstone, not some old, primitive pretender!
Vaelor and Caraxes knew they couldn't defeat the Cannibal in a prolonged battle. Neither dragon wanted to fight it, but they could certainly outsmart it. That was their primary objective. Ensure the Cannibal would be disoriented long enough for the rest to escape to safety. But how to drive it into the Catacombs? Aeonar surveyed the elder dragon's anatomy, searching for potential weak spots. The wings kept it airborne; if the membranes on one of them were tattered enough, then the Cannibal wouldn't be able to support itself midflight due to its massive size and weight. However, that meant getting dangerously close. They would have to avoid the Cannibal's massive jaws by relying on speed and maneuvering around it. Both Aeonar and Daemon looked at each other, nodding in acknowledgment on proceeding with the plan. They'd have to really rely on teamwork to take this thing down.
The two dragons surged through the air, outflanking the Cannibal as it snapped its jaws in the air, missing its prey. Caraxes circled around and expelled their fire on the dragon's left flank. An adult dragon's scales, which thickened with age, were stronger than steel and protected it from fire, although it is not entirely impervious to flame. For the Cannibal, the Blood Wyrm's flames felt like a mere annoyance. Swooping past Caraxes, Vaelor flexed his dorsal spines and flew under the Cannibal's right-wing, digging its spines into the membrane, scratching and tearing it. The beast angrily growled and turned its sights on the Swiftrunner.
"Dracarys!" Daemon commanded.
Caraxes shot forth another stream of dragonflame as a distraction. The Cannibal felt his right wing heating up and snapped its jaws, missing once more. Vaelor, making a wide turn, flew up before diving straight down, folding his wings close to his body to increase velocity. Once close enough, the Swiftrunner's legs reached forward and spread his toes, extending his foot claws before landing on the Cannibal's back, digging into the larger dragon's scaley backside, and clamping his jaws down on its wing.
"*UROOOOOOOOOOOOO!*"
The Cannibal roared and shook its body from side-to-side trying to throw Vaelor off its back. The Swiftrunner, although nearly being dislodged in the process, dug his foot claws into the dragon's hide to maintain his balance whilst continuing to rip and tear into the Cannibal. After inflicting a series of bites, one final shake forced Vaelor off the dragon's back. Aeonar strained as he firmly gripped the handles of his saddle to hold on. The Cannibal, furious, snapped his jaws again, missing the Swiftrunner's feet as his prey again took flight.
Daemon knew the Cannibal was pursuing Vaelor and instructed Caraxes to quickly close the gap. Vaelor was fast but was still physically no match for the older, much larger wild dragon. The Blood Wyrm beat his wings in the air aggressively, screeching as the Rogue Prince noticed the number of holes and puncture wounds in the Cannibal's right wing. Just a couple more and slowly the dragon's size would be a liability. Caraxes and Vaelor were both becoming exhausted from the confrontation; they needed to end this fight and get out of there as quickly as possible. While the Cannibal zeroes in on Vaelor, Caraxes flew over the dragon and dove down, sinking his claws and teeth onto the mauled wing.
The Cannibal, again feeling a pinching and stinging sensation, turned its head to Caraxes and moved to shake the Blood Wyrm off. Vaelor, meanwhile, bellowed and took advantage of the distraction to fly underneath and rake the Cannibal's wing with its dorsal spines again, but not until flicking his head back, digging his charcoal-grey horns into the membrane and leaving a tearing trail. The Cannibal's wing membrane was quickly becoming tattered, causing the older dragon to slowly descend as it roared, spinning in circles towards the Catacombs.
"Ozdakonon! (Back!)" Daemon commanded.
"Ozdakonon, Valor! (Back, Vaelor!)" Aeonar echoed.
"*Reeeee!*"
"*Roooooaaaa!*"
Both dragons disengaged and dashed to a safe distance. The Cannibal's roar echoed throughout the island as it fell from the skies. Its crippled wing made it unable to remain airborne. Colliding with the Catacombs, the dragon's sheer size, combined with its massive weight, triggered a rockslide from the mountaintops. The Cannibal exhales one last dragonflame being completely buried – tail, legs, hips, shoulders, and finally the head. It kept the dragon firmly in place but wouldn't contain it forever. Its physical strength would cause it to re-emerge from the rubble. Not wanting to take any chances, both Caraxes and Vaelor are forced to retreat.
Aeonar felt his heart racing. The prince tolerated more than his fair share of Rhaenyra's seemingly 'innocent, victimless' pranks and mischief growing up, but this one just took the cake. For the first time, the decree was violated. His law had been broken... by his own sister. Rhaenyra nearly got them all killed! Her blatant disregard for his rules was something he would not tolerate. Rhaenyra…
Dragonstone ― Beach…
As the storm off in the distance moves closer, Rhaenyra quickly returned to the castle of Dragonstone on Syrax. Adrenaline pumped through her body as her dragon landed on the beach. Dismounting, Rhaenyra worked to steady herself before noticing Viserys, Otto, Criston, and the others rushing toward her.
"Princess!" Criston ran. "Are you all right?!"
"Hah… hah… Y-yeah," Rhaenyra nodded. She would be lying if she said she was fine; the princess was anything but fine. That was by far the scariest moment of her life. Rhaenyra just felt relieved that she was able to escape with her life.
Otto, meanwhile, was less inclined to be more forgiving. "The proclamation has been instituted for a reason, princess," he reminded her. "Rhúqo was declared off-limits to visitors on the island."
"Don't think I don't know that now!"
Viserys checked his daughter, examining to see if she was hurt. "You are my daughter!" he scolded her. "You could have been killed!"
"I-I know!"
The king held his daughter closely. Viserys never felt genuinely concerned for any of his children the way he did Rhaenyra. She and her brother were all he had left of Aemma. But where was Aeonar? Where was his own brother? All Ser Criston told him was that Aeonar had gone off after Rhaenyra, but Daemon went missing as well. Did he go after them as well?
When the thunder rumbled, two faint screeches echoed throughout the darkening skies.
"Dragons returning!" a sentry called out.
Everyone looked up to see Vaelor and Caraxes descending on the beach, the waves crashing against their feet. Both dragons looked utterly worn out and strolled further inland before laying down to rest, their hot breaths blowing the sandy grains away.
As Rhaenyra watched Daemon and Aeonar dismount, she felt her brother's furious gaze on her. She now understood the gravity of the situation she put herself in. Aeonar was incredibly angry at her. No matter how many excuses Rhaenyra tried to produce or attempt to downplay, nothing would ever justify this. The princess knew she messed up big time. "Brother," she hesitated. I-I'm sorry… "I―" But the words never came out.
SMACK!
In that instance, an audible crack caused silence to fall. Rhaenyra felt her head whip to the right, accompanied by a burning, stinging sensation on her left cheek. Raising her hand to her face, Rhaenyra looked at her brother in surprise. Aeonar's pale lilac eyes were fixated on her and his right-hand curved down. He slapped her! He actually slapped her! Aeonar never raised a hand to his sister no matter how many times she pissed him off, until now.
"Aeonar!" Viserys exclaimed in surprise.
"What in Seven hells is wrong with you?! How DARE you disobey me!" Aeonar screamed at Rhaenyra, his voice filled with fury. "I take you in, give you shelter, ensure your protection and you do THIS?! THIS IS THE THANKS I GET?!" His voice grew increasingly louder, stirring the three dragons. "YOUR SHINENEGANS ALMOST GOT US KILLED!" His fists clenched tight. "Why?! Do you think everything is just a game to you, Rhaenyra?! You think this is funny? I thought I made it perfectly clear that if you are going to be under my roof, you are to abide by my rules!"
"Aeonar, I―"
"SHUT UP!" Aeonar shouted. Closing his eyes, he took deep, steady breaths to calm himself down. Reopening his eyes there remained a disappointing wave on his face. "Tomorrow morning, I expect you to pack up your things and go back to King's Landing. You're done here."
"Wait, I―" I'm sorry.
"I said YOU'RE DONE!"
Without giving anyone a chance to speak out, or blocking out the shouts and demands of everyone around him, Aeonar pushed right past them and went back inside his castle. Pushing the doors to the Chamber of the Painted Table, he nearly vented his frustrations – but now Aeonar felt his throat getting sore. He tolerated Rhaenyra's antics for a long time, but not anymore. Not this time. Not after being forced to confront the Cannibal. No one, family or otherwise, would dare go against his wishes afterward.
« Is it better for the realm if the ones who seek to tear us apart from the inside are permitted to be left unchecked, or is it better to beat them at their own game? »
Alicent's words soon came back to him. Aeonar surveyed the Painted Table, studying each castle, town, city, settlement, and terrain from each of the Seven Kingdoms. Again, his wife's words echoed through his mind. His thoughts flashed with the images of Viserys, Otto, Beatrice, Rhaenyra… "No," his eyes raised from the table. "Never again."