64 The Targaryen's Return, Plus One
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~~~(POV: Oberyn Martell)~~~
~~~(Current Age: 43 Years)~~~
~~~(Location: The Great Pyramid, Meereen, Essos)~~~
~~~(Date: 300 AC)~~~
The days have been long and exhausting. Raenon and Daenerys should be arriving any day now. My mind constantly drifts to Sunspear... The home of House Martell has been destroyed... Tywin killed my brother and his heir...
Only my daughters survive, and I don't know where they are. The lack of knowledge regarding my children has kept me up at night, along with Ellaria and her attempts to ease me.
She's doing her best to take my mind off my despair as much as she can. For that, I love her. I look out over Meereen as the sun is starting to rise over it. My balcony doesn't have the same view as Raenon's. That doesn't mean it's not beautiful.
The troublemaker daughter of Raenon has been another cause for concern. Alysanne has been sneaking out and abandoning her protection. Vaelor is her main subject of interest. She spends a lot of time with the dragon.
The guards, including me, are worried she'll climb atop the dragon. She's still too small. However, there is a knowing deviousness in her behavior. She knows she's not big enough to ride Vaelor yet. She'll make a powerful queen one day.
Speaking of future royalty, Jaehaerys has been spending even more time with Caelex than Alysanne is with Vaelor. It's more tolerable, given they're near the same size. Caelex proves to be overprotective of Jae, but that's expected.
They've been bonded since around the time Jaehaerys was born. In many ways, they're the same person. I've always wondered what the secret magic behind Targaryen and their dragons was. But that's a secret even lost to the family itself.
Caelex has two unborn siblings still in their eggs. I don't know the secret to hatch dragon eggs and wouldn't try. That'd be an act of treason again, Raenon and Daenerys.
"You're up early, my love... I take it you couldn't sleep last night..."
Ellaria approaches me from behind and gently wraps her arms around me. Kissing the side of my head as she does.
"Never did I imagine I'd be taking Sunspear as my own... Trystane and Doran have haunted my dreams... Screaming and crying about why I wasn't there to help them... Why I'm half a world away from home..."
When I close my eyes, I can see it. Every. Single. Time. No matter what I do, it never goes away. It's fed my rage for House Lannister and House Baratheon more than ever before. First, they took my sister and her children from me. Now, I've lost my brother and nephew too.
"They'll be here soon... Do you still plan to make your request..."
My request...
Of Raenon...
"Yes. We need to strike back. We have the power and the chance to take it all. Meereen... Yunkai... Astapor... All of them belong to House Targaryen now. It's time we moved across The Narrow Sea."
I'm Raenon's Hand, which comes with great power and responsibility. It'll abuse that power to ask Raenon to move on from Essos. He's done what he set out to do. Free Slavers Bay. Now, it's time to take on the real challenge.
Westeros won't be like Essos. Using dragons to burn cities and people. While effective, it won't win anything in the end.
Braavos has been burned into the minds and memories of everyone across the world. The Smallfolk will reject Raenon and his rule. They'll rebel until there are no people left to rule. This isn't the time of Aegon.
The Rebellion showed House Targaryen wasn't infallible. The Smallfolk cling to that memory just as much.
"He listens to you. Remember that. I do believe we're strong enough to take Westeros. But Tywin always has plans. Always."
Ellaria need not remind me of that poisonous fact. It never leaves my mind. My paramour and I watch the sun slowly rise on the city, and off in the distance, I see two massive approaching figures in the sky.
It's been about an hour since I got up and almost two weeks since Raenon's been gone. The Hand should greet his King when he returns.
~~~(POV: Raenon Targaryen)~~~
~~~(Current Age: 16 Years)~~~
~~~(Location: Landing In Dragons Resting Area, Meereen, Essos)~~~
~~~(Date: 300 AC)~~~
My Shadow Magic easily gets Margaery off Rhaenys. It only takes a moment for her to make it to my side. I look over to Raevor, and Dany is already off her dragon. Making her way over. My attention turns to the place we call home.
"Mommy! Daddy!"
Out of nowhere, Aly comes running from the pack of guards that Oberyn is leading. Aly is so much brighter than girls her age. It'll only be a matter of time before she's riding Vaelor.
I open my arms and catch my daughter. Spinning her around and kissing her adorable face all over. Squealing in joy as I shower her with attention. I've been gone two weeks, and that's a long time for little kids.
"How's my little princess!? You've been good for Oberyn and Ellaria, haven't you?"
The cheeky smile I receive in response tells me she's given them some trouble in our absence. My eyes turn toward Oberyn and Ellaria, and Jae is in the paramour's arms. She makes her way to Dany and hands her our only son.
My life has gotten a little better seeing my kids again. But it doesn't last as Oberyn gives me the look he needs to speak to me. It's a look I'm familiar with.
"Aly, go say hello to your mom too."
I set her down, and she rushes over with her arms open to Dany. Nearly tackling her mom. I go over to the two of them and grab Jae from Dany so she can pick up Aly. There is one person I forget in all this.
As I turn around, I see a slightly overwhelmed Margaery. A smile that's understanding graces my lips, and I wave her over.
"Aly. Jae. This woman is Margaery, and you'll be seeing a lot more of her."
That's all I can say since they're still toddlers. They don't know much about how relationships work, and I'm glad. Margaery makes her way over to us and stands there. Presenting herself.
"You're very pretty..."
The words that leave my daughter are small, but Margaery hears them. Smiling as she approaches Dany. Her hand raises, and she lightly glides it across her cheek.
"Oh, you sweet little thing... You have your parent's eyes..."
The introduction is going better than I thought it would. Even Dany isn't making any faces. But this sweet scene will need to end. I have duties, and my adventures in Westeros are over.
Time to speak with Oberyn, as he so eagerly reminds me.
~~~(POV: Daenerys Targaryen)~~~
~~~(Current Age: 16 Years)~~~
~~~(Location: The Great Pyramid, Meereen, Essos)~~~
~~~(Date: 300 AC)~~~
Margaery and I are in the bedroom Rae and I share. Aly is running around, having fun with her wooden toy dragon. Jae, my one and only son, is currently asleep in Margaerys arms. I'll admit, that makes me jealous. My son has betrayed me in a childlike way.
"You have beautiful children. You're a year younger than me and already have two to love. With a third on the way. I'll be playing catch up for a while."
She lightly rocks Jae in her arms, and he's knocked out. Caelex is resting near the window next to Margaery. He's asleep too. It says a lot that he is.
He trusts Margaery.
"When Rae and I first knew I was pregnant with Aly, we knew things had changed. Everything wasn't about the two of us anymore. We had to build a future and life for our children. I wanted the children more than he did at the beginning."
But as plain as day, that's changed. Rae was never against having kids. Only having them while we were so young. However, the process of making a child proved too irresistible to us. Thus, we now have a boy and a girl.
"Were you scared..."
There is a solemness in her voice... She even looks at Jae as her own in a way... It's hard to tell if she's asking that because she's scared or because she's excited...
Margaery is someone I'll be spending a lot of time figuring out. But we're family now. It won't be hostile reasons.
"Not of being of mother... Not when Rae is my husband and father of my children... The only thing that scared me was birth. That was the most difficult part of it. But, when you hear the cries of your babe entering the world... It makes it all worth it..."
I still remember it... The first times I held Aly and Jae... Those are memories I'll never forget and I'll always cherish.
"I'm thankful for having you beside me, Daenerys... I think the more time passes, the closer we'll grow too... Do you think the same?"
An interesting question. And a nice sentiment to give.
"I think so. We're the women who bare the children of House Targaryen. As I said before, you're my sister in everything but blood now."
That does mean something. Even if people don't say it, it does. And I can see it's important to Margaery too. I don't know if she's fallen for Rae or if she's happy with her life now. But she won't be an enemy.
She belongs to House Targaryen now.
