the dragon's daughter.

"How does your son fare?" she asked belatedly. Better late than never, though a shiny new child could not take away Aerea's attention from the other new arrivals- the dragons, babes with teeth and claws that would just as soon maul someone as bond with them. As far as she knew, Viserys was the only one who had been lucky thus far. He was a strange, silent man but of all the siblings from that side of the war, she held the least animosity towards him. 

"I haven't spoken to him about it yet. I thought he would be flooded with anyone who has any chance of a claim, and I don't know yet how he plans to dictate who will get the opportunity. His namesake seemed to prefer that mostly men ride a dragon. Perhaps his grace would prefer to give dragons only to those he trusts completely." Not her then, nor any of her blood. They were all supposed to be past that, but could anyone ever move beyond tragedy? 

"i suppose you're probably right," caerella agrees, nodding. though the power of dragons has been reserved for anyone with targaryen blood, caerella could see anyone with valyrian roots claiming to have some sort of entitlement to them. jaehaerys surely wouldn't give in to that reasoning, but she could still see the case being made. "you have targaryen blood, aerea, and thus a good claim on one of them.. don't forget that. do not count yourself out just yet," she says, reaching across the table to place her hand on top of the other woman's momentarily.

Aerea had an appointment to meet with the princess, but her mind was firmly on other matters. A restless energy filled her limbs and she didn't know what to do with it- should she run or try and sit still or sleep or dream or- 

Enough. Now she annoyed even herself. She had her set time to see Caerella, a familly member who felt somewhat foreign to her, and she would not miss that. 

With a bottle of Arbor gold in hand, Aerea let a servant lead her to Caerella's chambers. The wine was all the more special given the fracturing of the seven Kingdoms almost back into their separate counterparts once again. Though she wasn't privy to the trade agreements House Velaryon made with others, she could only imagine that things had become more expensive, and dealing with the other Lords more fraught, and she did not envy her brother the work he had to do to maintain their own House's wealth. 

"Princess Caerella. It is a pleasure to see you again," Aerea said, but she spoke so quickly that her words ran together. 

she is just setting little baelon down in his crib when the guards announce that her guest has arrived. she places the boy down, kissing his tiny forehead before quickly turning on her heels to greet her cousin. she moves across the room, going over to grip aerea by the forearms as she grins. "please, there is no need to call me princess. we're family," she reminds her. "it is a pleasure to see you, aerea, truly. it's been too long."

as the words come tumbling out of her cousin's mouth, she giggles. she is just as excited as she herself had been when she found out the news. the princess wonders momentarily where she heard this from-- has jae gone around announcing it now? maybe as a way to show that house targaryen's days of great strength are not behind, but ahead?

There were dragons around him as he sat on the ground looking at the little creatures of various shades, he was shocked to look upon them. Westerosi dragons. That's what they were called in the quiet of Valyrian rooms only their words were whispered in hushed tone in their own tongue. A tongue he enjoyed hearing again. High and Low Valyrian was music to him, the sound of his mother singing or his grandsire telling tales of hunting.

The King stared at one dragon, small and copper in it's coloring and it never moved. The others wandered around, avoided him. But this one, this looked at him, it stared at him and if it were large enough he wondered if it would try to attack him.

"Kesīr. Māzigon naejot nyke." Jaehaerys stared at it, putting his hand out, "Here." He repeated in High Valyrian. "Come to me."

The creature stared at him, then started to walk toward him, standing in the center of his hand. He raised it up, it was very...small. He furrowed his brow, if it survived it would be many moons before it was large enough to be impressive.

a man comes to tell her that her cousin requests her presence, in the dragonpit. what a peculiar thing, she thinks to herself. had something happened with silverwing? the old girl had taken up residence in the pit since they arrived, deciding to go deep within it. caerella puts down her son, leaving him in the care of her most trusted handmaiden. it still makes her nervous, but she's slowly learning to be okay with being apart from little baelon.

she makes her way down to the pit, noticing right away how jaehaerys is sat on the ground. he brow furrows as the princess approaches but slowly, they come into view. tiny creatures. tiny dragons.

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@caetargaryen

Little Dragon,

Forgive my crude attempts at writing your family's tongue. I realized not long ago I may be the only Northerner who can actually speak and sort-of-write High Valyrian, which is mightily handy as we are at war and my missives may be taken. I would suggest you reply in kind, no matter how benign our conversations may be.

My brother's decided that the North will have nothing to do with your cousin's reign and lands, which disappoints me, but his choice to do so was made too close to our family tragedy to have the time to speak to him about the matter. He has not barred communication to my knowledge, so as long as we don't discuss politics, I believe neither of us will be in much trouble. Which is fine by me, I'm sure you remember how much I wanted to escape holding court as the Stark in Winterfell, how drained I was by the end of each day of complaints. Perhaps the Gods did well to make me a woman, at least in that regard.

How are things with you? With Baelon? That was his name, right? Your son, not your husband, though he has a very Targaryen name for a Stormlander. Daeron, right? Or is it Aemon? I know it was something very close to your father's name. I understand you were moved to Blackhaven after your cousin took the throne. Is it nice there? Certainly must be warmer than Queenscrown, and the beds are most definitely comfier than my current cot. Tell me however much you want, as I desperately need some distraction from the blood and the violence. 

Oh, I didn't tell you. Owen's let me fight in this war, given me men and everything. I'm not in the thick of it, but I won't say more in case someone from the Umbers can read this.

I look forward to your response, and I miss you very much.

Your sister,

you know you are always forgiven. and besides, your attempts are far better than most i have seen before. even i used to struggle with my writing, back when i was young.

it is most pleasing to hear from you. it has been far too long, and i have worried for you with your kingdom in such a state of disarray. please know that i have been praying for you all, and a swift put down of this senseless rebellion. know that you have my condolences for your loss, as well. jon was a good man, he did not deserve what happened to him.

yes, his name is baelon. he is doing well and growing bigger and stronger each day. and i have wonderful news, he is soon to be an older brother. i just confirmed it with the maesters the day before last, i am with child once more. daeron and i are ecstatic. in fact, i think he is even more excited than i am, if that were possible. though of course he worries, what with my family's history of complicated births. i have a good feeling about this though, alys. i want a large family, like my mother once wanted as well.

blackhaven is quite nice, though i do long for home. my twin has given me dragonstone officially, so we shall be traveling between blackhaven, dragonstone, and king's landing when necessary. quite a lot of movement, but i do like it. when the mess in your kingdom is put to rest, i would love for you to come visit whichever keep we are residing in at the time. i miss you dearly, sister.

please be careful, and know that i am praying for you and all your men. may the gods grant you all the strength necessary to win.

yours most sincerely,

“I told you I couldn’t wait.”

“You've not bled since I left?” he inquired, figuring that was the reason his wife suspected she could be with child again. Caerella's mother and grandmother had had a history of complicated pregnancies and that was something that continued to worry him. Each new pregnancy could be a new risk for his wife. “We can wait 'til morning if you wish, my love. The maester can come to check you then. Make sure you're well, if you are with child,” the lord smiled, a special warmth coming to his dark eyes which was only reserved for the woman he loved.

"no, i haven't," she shakes her head as she says it. the princess is... excited. pregnancy always comes with great risk, yes, but it is certainly worth it when the reward is a healthy babe. and despite her family history, caerella has found that she quite enjoys being pregnant. to know that there is a new life growing within her, it is a beautiful thing.

“Fine, fine. He is not Dornish.” Jaehaerys waved it off, while Criston Cole had been confused for a Dornishman as well, though these days the King believed him a bastard of House Dayne though he shared the theory with no one.

There was always the chance his eyes played tricks on him as his ears did in the nights when he walked through the Red Keep once more. It was different to be there. To stand in that room and to look around and know the chair was his and the people followed him and his favorite cousin still lived. She did not hate him.

“I could never hate you. You’re my twin. Ñuha idaña.” As much as he wanted to say no, as much as he wanted to turn her away from being there, he nodded his head.

He wanted her to be there. If she wished to be there, then she would be there for her sister. Allow her sister to see someone who would remember her well. Better than he would. He nodded his head once again, affirming it. “It will be you and I. If you wish, you may use your dragon. You can give her that honor.”

"thank you," she responds, smirking over at him. many have confused her husband for a dornishman, though jaehaerys is the only one she ever lets get away with it. all because he is her twin, her idaña. one of the closest people to her, even after all that has gone down.

caerella doesn't even realize it at first, but she ends up holding her breath when they once again broach the topic of her sister. he is the king now, he has the ultimate authority. would he allow her this? he has every right to say no. but then... he shakes his head. yes. yes he would allow her to be there in the end.

"thank you, idaña, truly. i think she would prefer i use silverwing... it would be an end befitting a dragon such as her," she says with a nod.

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"I realized that after a thousand years as family, you're the only one who's never abandoned me."