Chapter 18: Two Days Prior
Duncan Selmy
When Robb, Gendry, and I finish what I really hope isn't going to be our last training session until Joffrey leaves, we enter the cozy hall to break our fast with the others. Both are rather evenly matched but I take secret pride in me being a clear step above them both. Having Barristan the Bold for a father isn't so bad I guess.
As I almost take my seat beside Jennelyn to Lord Baelish's raised eyebrows, my sister saves me with a cough. The Master of Truth's gaze follows me as I awkwardly slide my bowl a few seats over before he goes back to his whispered conversation with Tasha.
She got cozy with him awfully fast. Is she trying to find a match with more clout than Bronn? He's the only one on Skagos pursuing her seriously and I'd feel a little bad for the guy after all we've been through.
"I'm glad you finished early," Uncle Benjen broaches as soon as I have a mouthful of porridge. "We have some shocking news and Lyanna is going to need everyone to be especially kind with Prince Joffrey."
I haven't seen my cousin since I left Griffin's Roost and I didn't even know us related at the time. Just thought he was a spoiled brat trying to take all my time with Viserys. I do need to remember to keep that part a secret though.
Sighing heavily at finally knowing who I am but not being able to share it with the world, I let Robb ask for us. "What happened Aunt Lyanna? Did Joffrey's ship get lost?" His voice is carefree and his face relaxed… right up until he gets and answer from her.
"Pentos attacked Storm's End," But Storm's End has never fallen! "King Stannis died of his injuries with Princess Shireen and Prince Renly both missing."
… What?
"How?" Gasps Dany for everyone, shock plastered across her face as she drops her spoon into the bowl.
"That hasn't been explained but once Joffrey has made his choice," Lord Baelish explains with a wink that thankfully elicits no response from Mother. "He and she shall both return to King's Landing for the Coronation."
My sister is the first to react, slamming her rage filled fists against the table hard enough to knock her mug onto the floor. "How is that fair? Father died and we get shuffled off to some frozen island, but Joffrey gets to be King?"
She's been nothing but furious since learning of Joffrey's visit and I can't even offer her any public support as long as Lord Baelish is here. Same reason I'm hiding who I am.
Except… why are we still hiding here? The dragons are all big enough that they aren't endanger anymore and we're old enough to decide for ourselves.
I don't want to be King or anything, Viserys made it very clear how much it ruins a family. But unless Dany or Jenn are giving Gendry a dragon… the secrets not going to last very long.
That warm beach he kept talking about sounds pretty nice. Maybe I should go find myself one?
I miss the rebuttal while I'm lost in thought but it only makes Jenn's face go as red as my dragon's scales. "I'm not going to be here long enough for any choice to be made!" She turns to Dany and I find my own temper rising. "You can have him. Enjoy being Queen!"
My sister jumps to her feet, the long black braid swinging with her every motion as she dashes from the hall in a rage. Uncle Benjen is already halfway outside before he's instructed to keep an eye on her, Gendry grumbling as he follows.
She hasn't actually run away yet, despite claiming she will every week for the last two years, which means hopefully she'll have gotten the anger under control by supper time. If she hasn't, I'll see if she wants to go scout the bay for wildlings once it's dark.
"But I don't want to be Queen." Daenerys has an expression of horror on her face at the idea and firmly declares i]t for all to hear.
That only intrigues Lord Baelish and he leans towards my aunt with gleaming eyes. "Why ever not? Don't you feel the throne stolen from you?"
"Why would I?" She smirks back and shrugs casually. "I can't find my brother if I'm stuck in King's Landing."
"You have reason to believe he survived his miracle?" Interest has the Master of Truth steeple his fingers.
"Only that I know in my heart he did." Dany's never been able to find any physical proof but she claims the mysterious gifts are from him but insists they are. They've come almost halfway between our namedays but her name is the one carved onto the chests.
Her glass candle hasn't done anything but flicker every once and a while but it's not like many people would send Valyrian steel to Skagos. Especially without taking credit for handing over four priceless blades.
No one's been able to explain away the watch also got four of the weapons but have ensured they will eat for the next decade. A single one sent to Braavos was more than enough to fill their coffers even after reopening a few castles.
"Well I-" Lord Baelish's charming reply is cut off when the bell at the docks rings, announcing the sighting of Prince Joffrey's ship. "Guess that means he's here."
"Maybe the Prince will be awed at the sight of me and forget all about you two," Sansa has dreams in her green eyes and I can only pray she gets let down easy. Though knowing Joffrey… she'll likely be sobbing within the first hour.
"He doesn't like to be kept waiting," My groan is joined by several more. "We better get down to the docks before he thinks we're late."
By the time we all make it to the pier, the Lannister ship is close enough for absence to have been noted. "He's not going to be happy."
"Well let's hope his mother's letter makes him forget how late we where." Sighs Mother Lyanna, her lips set into a scowl. "And remember to be nice, most of you know what he's going through right now."
When he and his white cloak guard finally reach us, the tense greeting is delayed when Joffrey is handed his mother's letter. My mother does her best to brace him for whatever it says but the Prince just closes in on himself.
"Father is dead…" He stutters out the words with a chocked sob, doing his best to remain strong in front of strangers. "And Shireen is missing." He lists off a few more fates before his eyes nearly spring from his face.
"One of Renly's eggs hatched!" The shriek of disbelief has my mind racing. "And it's bonded to Orys…" His glee almost instantly shifts into shattered hope. "Grandfather thinks it would be best for me to remain here until Pentos has been dealt with. So Orys' reign can be properly established before I return."
I guess we really do know exactly how he feels. "I'm sorry Joffrey." With no one else saying anything, I'm left as the only one who really knows him.
I know he's shaken to the core because he doesn't protest the hand I put on his shoulder. If an egg hatched, that means we have no reason to keep our own dragons a secret.
"Viserys was right…" He whispers with grim resolve. "The throne is cursed."
"You knew my brother well?" Of course Dany is able to see past her own frustration before anyone else and latch onto what she finds most important in his words.
"He treated me like his brother…" Joffrey glances at my aunt and blinks in surprise at the strawberry pink hair. "But you don't look anything like I remember." He frowns at the face being Targaryen but such a strange hair color. "Why is your hair pink?"
I'd like to know if she has a reason beyond liking how it looks but was always to polite to ask. Dany just smiles back at the Prince and shrugs sadly. "After my Father was killed and I learned he wasn't actually mine by blood…"
She trails off awkwardly and I understand fully. I didn't like learning the Mad King was my grandfather either.
"But I wanted to show the world which father I chose." With a grin of growing confidence, Dany holds out a hand which Joffrey reflexively kisses. He's at least well trained in his manners, not nearly as spoiled as I remember.
"Do you want to see our dragons?" I blurt out for some reason I cant fully understand.
It's better to reveal them on our terms instead of it being reported and that's what I'll tell the others. "Orys' can't carry a person for about six months, so you can still ride one before him."
"So the reports from the Watch had been true," Purrs a very interested Lord Baelish and I want to smack myself for forgetting his presence. "You have a dragon? I wonder if that means the one in the Sorrows is also a reality."
"I told you Viserys was alive!" Daenerys cries out in triumph. "I need to go find him."
"Viserys is the only one who can help me make Mother understand." Agrees Joffrey as his hold on my aunt's hand tightens into a firm grip of support. "Will you help me go bring him home?"
She finds a loophole in Mother's rules. "No one said we couldn't take you flying, only the Starks are stuck on the ground."
With the knowledge of dragons at the end of the ride, the unicorns are no more than an oddity compared to something called stabbits. Joffrey does far better on his first ride than I expected and I have to admit he's following the guidelines we gave him perfectly. I think his voice is even higher than Sansa's right now.
Three are already stabled outside the cavern claimed as the dragons' den and the sound of yelling can be heard as we go inside. I call out to warn my sister things aren't what she thinks, only for her to shriek at me with a finger pointed at Joffrey in betrayal.
"What is he doing here?" Viserion senses her fury and lunges towards us in an attempt to scare defend his lair.
A gout of silver fire streaks towards us and only instinct has me knock Daenerys to the ground in time. With the others in the tunnel, they have no way to escape the searing flame.
Robb slams into Joffrey from behind and knocks him onto his belly, but Sansa was bringing up the rear. Just as the pale fire reaches them, he kicks her legs out from beneath her.
Sansa shrieks in pain as her scalp ignites but Robb doesn't even get a last sound. His charred body collapses in a heap of charred bones and I can only wish myself dead.
This is my fault. I'm the one who invited Joffrey, knowing full well how angry my sister was.
"No!" Benjen roars in anguish and dashes for Sansa, smacking out the smoldering hair.
I can't here anything else, my heart hammers in my chest and I react on instinct. Mother will know what to do.
It's not until I'm on Rhellagar's back and following a panicking Jenn outside that I realize my first thought was of Ashara. All this time searching and my family was right beside me the whole time. I'm the one who ran away and they gave me as much space as I needed to deal with my anger.
Viserion's silver body flaps North even as Rhella's scarlet wings bring me South. My sister and I lock eyes for only a moment but it's enough for me to regret ruining her life as well.
…
Viserys Ashtar
As the fleet of swan ships pull into the bay, we manage to catch nearly every ship that tries to flee. Only four are far enough away to make us break formation and so I regretfully let them be taken North.
We're outnumbered as it is and I can't afford to lose any ships in a chase. "Give the signal! I want a carpet of arrows on each ship."
My roared command is followed by an orange flag going up the Celebration's mast. As soon is it hits the top, thousands of arrows fill the sky and rain down on the enemy ships.
"You have command Garlan," I clap my friend on the back and make my way to Coppernicus.
"But why will the fleet listen once you're in the air?" He snaps in concern as I climb into my regular seat a vertebrae behind the base of my dragon's neck.
"Because they think you're my goodbrother and have no reason to argue." So you better not give them any, unless you'd rather I go back to the Summer Isles.
Doubt I'd be able to come North until the Others are marching openly and by that point… will I really even make much of a difference?
"You really thinking killing Victarion will make the rest surrender?" His pretty boy face is twisted into a worried scowl and I hope it gives him wrinkles.
"Thoros isn't the only Red Priest and it's the one Victarion has gotten a hold of that's been giving him such perfect intelligence." I can't believe I forgot about Moqorro… he's the only reason the Ironborn in Essos had any chance of success.
"Margaery is going to watch you closely in the air, we're not letting you fake your death again." His smile is teasing so I don't snark back.
Instead I settle for some general good advice. "Well make sure someone gives her a far-eye. Otherwise she'll see nothing once I land."
"Already got one!" My words get her to lean out of the dragon's nest and wave one such device at me.
"Just be careful." My whisper is only heard by an anxious Coppernicus, who takes some encouraging to throw himself into the air. "Don't want to lose anymore friends."
A steady stream of smoke from his mouth leaves us with cover in the sky and within only a few loops around the fleet, the sky is hazy with ash. "The big one with the black and gold sails is our target but we can still make the pirates suffer."
My reluctant dragon concedes with a whistled growl followed by a torrent of hot ash covering a dozen ships. The sails ignite on all of them and leave them helpless, but we don't use enough to ensure the crews die. No time to be thorough, I need to rip the head off this snake and fast.
We slam down hard on the long ship not to screams of fear but roars of challenge. Victarion and his priest cry out in triumph over my arrival and it's only when he roars commands to his crew, that I finally realize the extra sails are not over mere crates.
Three steel cages are revealed with snarling reptiles about half the length of Coppernicus. The wyverns are a brownish green color and each one has a wickedly sharp spike on the tip of their tails.
"Finally get to show you who the real King of the Summer Sea is!" Howls the Ironborn as he swings an ax through the chains holding one of the cages shut. "You aren't the only one who can tame himself some beasties."
I feel Coppernicus tense underneath me as the wyverns emerge from the cages with angry hisses. Of course I'm as stiff as a statue because I was not expecting an actual plan from the brute beyond maybe a scorpion.
"Big one first and maybe we can get the others to back off." Trying to remain calm and focused on victory, I clench my legs to signal my companion.
He answers with the timing only brought on by years of closeness and lunges for the largest wyvern before it can get in the air. Roars and hisses fill the air as his tail thrashes above me, the other two wyverns trying to find an opening to strike.