VALYRIA

VII

123 AC PENTOS

"How are you feeling?"

"Fine, for now. I do feel different this time, but the midwife says that everything is going well, with the babe."

Daemon looked at his wife, before kissing her round belly. Laena smiled at him.

Suddenly, the doors bursted open, and two seven year olds ran inside.

"Father, father! Baela attacked me!"

"No, she attacked me!" The twins yelled.

They squabbled some more, before he got them to be silent.

"Baela, Rhaena, stop. What happened, exactly? Laena wondered.

"Wasn't your sister with you?" Daemon questioned.

"No, she's probably flying somewhere on Irudy, like she always is." Rhaena rolled her eyes.

Baela pushed her down.

"You're just jealous! Your mad, because your egg didn't hatch!" She yelled.

Everyone stayed silent for a second.

"Baela! How could you say that!" Laena finally yelled.

Rhaena quickly stood up, but before she could get to her sister, Daemon stopped her.

He catched her in his arms, while Rhaena tried to snuggle herself off of him.

"Stop!" She screamed.

"Let me go!" She cried.

Daemon tried to calm her down by stroking her hair, which only angered her more.

"Let's go." Laena ordered, as she pulled Baela out of the room.

"S-stop." Rhaena tried, but quickly she got too exhausted to fight back.

Tears dropped down her cheeks, as she started to relax.

"It's okay." He said, calmly.

"No, no it's not okay."

She was tired.

"She — she always does this! She thinks she's better, because she has a dragon, and I don't!"

He sighed as he tried to find the correct words.

"I'm sure it's not like that —"

Rhaena pushed herself off of him.

"You always do this! Be on her side!" She ran out the door.

Daemon tried to run after her, but decided not to.

...

"She's your sister, Baela! You can't say something like that to her." Laena said as she closed the door behind them.

"But she always teases Valyria, because she's jealous. Isn't she my sister too? Aren't I supposed to defend Val too?"

"Yes, of course, but —"

"But what?" Baela tucked her arms over her chest.

"Baela. You know what I meant."

"I don't, actually." She muttered.

"It's just, —" Laena took Baela's hands in hers.

"I only think that you should defend your own blood." She whispered.

Baela took a few steps back.

"She's father's child, is she not? Blood or not, she is still his child, you said."

"I —" Laena tried.

Baela stormed out, smacking the door  shut after her.

...

As the evening set in, Daemon watched outside as the white dragon peaked through the sky. He smirked, as he saw it coming down.

Finally, the large dragon landed on the ground. The wind blew harshly across the prince's features, caused by Irudy's large wings.

Now, the dragon was as large as Caraxes, only with a wider figure.

Valyria slid down Irudy, finally hitting the ground.

She wiped the sweat off her forehead, while walking towards her father.

"Did you see us? Irudy flew right on tops of the sea, her feet almost touching the water!" Valyria hugged Daemon tightly.

"I was so cool!"

Daemon saw as Irudy hopped into the air, and left. Valyria talked like she didn't notice it happen, but Daemon was sure she did.

"She flew faster that ever before, I swear!"

"Oh, I believe you, little dragon." He smiled down at her.

"Stop calling me that, I'm not little, not anymore." 

Daemon held a grin on his face as he held Valyria tight.

"Okay, little dragon." He laughed.

She rolled her eyes, not bothering to argue any further.

"You haven't seen Rhaena, haven't you?" He asked.

"Uhmm, oh, yeah! She's walking near the garden."

"Aah, good. She and Baela had a fight, Rhaena ran away. Wait, how do you know that she's there right now?"

Valyria looked around her, warily.

"I don't know. I suppose I saw her go there as I arrived." She simply said.

"Wait, they had a fight? When?"

"After you left."

Even though Valyria was nine years old, she was tall and her features sharp.

Her mannerisms were well calculated, and she knew what she should say, and what to leave as thoughts.

Some might say that she had a good upbringing, her parents educating her on various topics from an early age.

Some could believe that it was not a coincidence, that the girl born of death acted and looked like she did.

...