𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐜𝐚𝐛𝐫𝐞 | 𝐣𝐚𝐜𝐚𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐬 𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧.

𝐱𝐯𝐢𝐢. 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐦𝐬 𝐚 𝐭𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫, 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤 𝐮𝐩 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐫𝐮𝐩𝐭 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫

After two weeks of patient waiting, intensified training, regular checking letters from spies - and after gloomy funerals, two funerals in the row; after the, as it seemed, eternal silence, after ceasing together dinners - the day had come. Saying that everyone was nothing but a bundle of nerves.

And, well, the situation inside the walls wasn't helping to relax. With Rhaenyra, who hardly appeared around, and if she did, still looked more like a shadow of herself, giving blunt orders. Daemon, although he appeared much often, still was clearly not with them mentally. And all of them? They tried to stick together.

Lucerys took the new dragon in his care, Malax - they decided not to talk about it, being ready for Visenya originally - as he taught himself to attach to this creature that wasn't his. Baela buried herself between books and swords, while Rhaena unpacked things that were left from Rhaenys, focusing only on good things. Jacaerys tried to balance his studies and war tactics simultaneously, ignoring anything else most of the time. And Aemond with Aelina? Nothing changed for them.

Or everything changed long ago, when they left the capital. It changed when they tried to learn how to sleep properly, what rest is and how to comprehend the idea of safety. Yet, learning was never easy as there were days when they intentionally ignored sleeping hours, when Aemond instinctively hissed at Lucerys, ever protective, when Aelina was mad, taking every word as an offence. And sometimes, all this generosity felt like an offence, too.

So now, with everyone struggling, twins admittedly felt more comfortable. The atmosphere of everlasting grief and tense - that was what they were used to, after all.

'I just don't understand why aunt should take care of Sunfyre all alone,' Jacaerys sighed, annoyed, glancing at Daemon across the table.

Gods, they were discussing it the third time already, and tomorrow they were leaving for the mission.

'Because, obviously, Aemond cannot go with her, his task being focused on no less important part,' Daemon answered, surprisingly calm. 'And we all know that both of them are the only ones that Sunfyre, after all, would hesitate to kill af first.'

'At first!'

Aelina rubbed her eye, wondering since when she is being pampered like a little kid. Aemond, too, looked amused from his seat on her right.

As much as they were worried for each other, trust between them was more meaningful. If their wish to accompany couldn't be satisfied, they were sure that both of them would be capable of surviving all alone. This time was no exception.

'Jacaerys,' she stood up, seeing as Daemon sighed in relief, definitely not wishing to argue again. 'I am no kid. I fought battles you cannot imagine. And it's my wish and desire to go there. Will you go and speak against me?'

Jacaerys sighed even more tired than before.

Of course, she knew that it wasn't the understatement that talked in him - she figured that out, when they actually tried to spare together, she almost broke him a skull somewhere in between - but worry, yet, they talked about it a few times.

'No. Of course, no.'

'Then, can we, please, stop rehearsing that plan already?' Rhaena groaned, pointing at her father. 'You keep us here for three hours, dad.'

Daemon did his best to smile. Nowadays, it was less shining/

'Sorry, sweetheart. Of course. I think we...'

He couldn't finish his sentence as something broke the window, smashing it to pieces with loud noise. What Aelina thought was a brick or something, turned out to fly further in the room, waving with massive wings, uncontrollable and feral.