บท 19: Rhaena (3) jacaerys (2): thoughts of dragons
AN: Corlys speaks to Rhaena about her dreams and gives her the journal of jaenyx Valhalla. This gives her a little more insight to the man she's been dreaming about.
All of this is supplemented by the conversation jace has with Rhaenys, talking about what his mother whispered to him.
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Dragonstone, The narrow sea, 130 AC
When I hear my grandfather speak the name that's been running wild through Dragonstone for a sennight my mind and everyone else's in the room raced.
Corlys spoke before any of us could. The look in his eyes was indescribable
(How do you know that name?)
Without waiting for someone else to speak I did, (we could ask you the same question grandfather. Arthur Valhalla is the name of the man who saved grandmother and stopped the arrow the kingmaker fired from killing her. Were you not listening when she spoke of rooks rest? )
At the end of my query his response was not words, but a toss of the journal he was talking about showing us. The one with the Valhalla sigil.
He speaks as I open the book, (this was in a trunk I received from a man whom claimed I'd saved his ship from pirates. While I don't remember such an event I took the gift anyway. I read this journal. Which belonged to lord jaenyx Valhalla.
In this journal, he speaks of his grandson the most. A boy who suffered under his hand. Most of the writing was him apologizing. However, he described his grandson as different from every other member of his family.
He claims this grandson didn't have the pure red eyes of his family, but a mixture. A beautiful Valyrian steel grey interspersed with dragon fire red. He calls his grandson…..)
But before he finished I spoke (Arthur)
My mind raced. A boy my age who was alive during the doom. My grandmother seems to have read my mind because she spoke out against it as well, (Corlys. Don't you think that's a little far fetched? The boy I met was special sure. But…) she tried to finish but my grandfather wasn't having it.
(Do you not understand? How much of a coincidence could it be that the boy who saved you had the same eyes and name as the heir of house Valhalla almost 200 years ago? No. I don't believe it. Where is the lad?)
Corlys, my grandfather, is a man who rarely gets excited. In truth I can count on one hand how many times I've seen him smile for true. All of them in front of only our family.
(I do not know. He was adamant about getting back to his people. Claimed they would starve without him.) My grandmother responds.
The look on Corlys' face is one we all know well. He's thinking. Hard.
After a few minutes he excused himself. Claiming to find this Valhalla.
Looking at baela who's been mostly quiet I ask her, (and what do you think sister mine?)
She gives me that patent smirk before replying, (from the look on grandfathers face he believes it wholeheartedly. I myself haven't read the journal or met the man so I can't say for true.
But does anyone here actually believe grandfather to be a fool?) the unanswered question was all she needed before continuing, (I think we should meet this Arthur Valhalla to be sure.)
Both my grandmother and jace nod at this.
Making up my mind I go to see if I can catch my grandfather. Surely he's not chasing 200 year old ghosts.
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(Jaceaerys pov)
Being left in the room with the only person in our family to meet and speak with the Valhalla I decide it's time to bring up what mother told me to someone I trust implicitly, my grandmother Rhaenys.
Since she returned from driftmark before going off to rooks rest she was different. Now that she survived a near death encounter she's slowly Been coming back to the sweet women she was in my childhood and not the cold hearted dragon lord she'd become after my aunt and fathers death.
I'll need to speak with her about whatever that was before too long. However, since my mothers words I've done nothing but fret over Rhaena and the horrible fate she could be handed down by my mother.
I never worried with Luke. In all honesty he was far too good for this world. I still remember the way those who called us bastards would get to him. The anger in his eyes when he took aemonds own for the words he spoke of baela and Rhaena that night.
It's times like this that make me miss him so much more. Because now that he no longer lives, and therefore can't inherit driftmark or marry Rhaena; my mother is doing all she can to marry her off.
In honesty had she not ridden a substantially sized dragon, I fear my mother would've already passed her to the celtigar or sunglass families. Although, with the way daemon would react, I have my doubts.
Still, she isn't making this easy on me. But I guess being the heir to an entire continent is supposed to be hard.
Sighing I make my words come out before I can run from them again.
(Grandmother?) my words seem to have snapped her out of whatever she had been pondering. She didn't give a verbal answer but her attention is on me which means she's waiting for me to continue. I do so.
(The day you came back, mother told me something I'm not sure how to handle.)
She looks at me searchingly for a moment before giving her response, ( I'm sure your mother has her reasons for everything she does and says. She is the queen Afterall. But what is it that's got you so nervous? You haven't looked like that since your first day in the training yard?) she asks, clearly trying to lighten my mood.
But nothing will stop this feeling until I'm confident that my mother isn't sending Rhaena to another version of aemond.
Again I sigh. It feels like that's all I've done for the last 6 moons. From my mothers and subsequently my birthright being stripped from me, to having to go north, only to find out my brother had been murdered while trying to get our kins help. A kinsmen that either aided or allowed aemond to do what he did.
For that alone, Boros Baratheon will die by blackfyre. To be completely truthful, had i a dragon of the right size I would've already burned storms end to the ground in an attempt to recreate harrenhall.
I respond before my grandmother grows impatient. Loving and kind she may be most of the time, but a dragon is always a dragon.
(My apologies. I've been what feels like halfway around the world in a few moons time.
Before she left to inform the court of the usurpers demise, mother told me she wishes to marry Rhaena to lord Valhalla.)
I'd expected a multitude of reactions from Grandmother, what I didn't expect though was her beautiful laugh and smile to break through before she replied.
(Surely she's told the two of you about her dreams?) knowing who she was talking about I nod quickly why wondering how long my grandmother had known about them.
(And do you know for how long she's dreamed of flying beside that young man who saved my life?) This time my answer to her question is a shake of my head.
Shaking her own in response to that my grandmother speaks once again, (from the time she was barely up to my belt line she's been talking about the beautiful man with Valyrian steel for eyes. Did she show you two the picture?)
(She did. I'm confused on what that means for her being tied to him though grandmother) princes Rhaenys shakes her head and responds.
(Because if she actually saw the eyes in a dream it's no wonder my young dragon has fallen for the Valhalla. I assure you the picture does not do his eyes justice. A young girl like that who's already dreamed about the boy who ended up saving her grandmothers life? Cmon jace. Use that head of yours for something other than inheriting my beauty.)
My cheeks flush At her last statement but I shake it off to try and discern what she means. Then it hits me.
(She's always wanted to marry him. But she still was going to do her duty to luke. Now that he's gone and this man has appeared. She has something to hold onto. Something to validate her dreams that she's felt for so long were a fantasy of a life that couldn't be.
Not to mention his actions as a heroic dragon knight and saved the women who she looks at like a mother.) a nod is all I receive in return.
I don't know how to feel about this either. I know Luke loved Rhaena. And the thought of her pining after another makes my blood boil. My grandmother can clearly see my thoughts run across my face if the words she speaks and the tone she uses are anything to go by.
(You will not be angry or hold a grudge on her because of this. Regardless of how she felt she always remained steadfast In doing her duty.
You forget dear grandson, that I was the one she spoke to about these dreams and her thoughts on them and the man in them while the rest of you, even baela, remained none the wiser. So, I'll repeat this again. You WILL NOT hold this against her. For the first time in her life I see her smile reach her eyes. And you, her cousin who she loves like a brother, just like she did lucaerys. You do not have the authority or heart to be angry at her. Watch her speak about this man who she's never met. Watch her eyes light up with happiness. If you can take that away from her because you feel slighted over something that has nothing to do with you or Luke, then you are not the boy I helped raise. You and baela have been galavanting since you came back, don't you think a young women who sees that everyday would not want such a thing for herself?)
And with that I'm left to ponder my grandmothers words as she leaves the chamber.
AN: there's the chapter. A little more dialogue heavy. Hope that's not a bad thing.
We will stay in Dragonstone for some of the next chapter as well. Hope you enjoy. Send me suggestions for chapter arcs, pictures, whatever.
Also, check out the pictures auxiliary chapter regularly. I'm always posting ideas I have for future things in there. And those who like and comment on such things are those who help me make the decision of what picture to use that will inevitably affect the story.
Live long and prosper ❤️💪🏼
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