73
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113 AC
Bloodstone
Daeron Nymeros Martell
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Flying over Bloodstone it is hard to even recognize it without all of the Triarch fortifications which have now been replaced. A small port that seems to be thriving already with trade in the small town raised by the workers and early settlers. There are a ton of the famous Rhoynar pole boats likely brought out here by a miracle from the Green Blood.
Looking over the small town both down by the water I smile at how quickly things are coming together on this island. The town slowly has built up toward the cliff with some bigger houses being built on the top likely by the wealthy settlers who want to invest in this location. I can imagine quite a few traders being willing to risk setting up a 'shop' here even if only a smaller one. This location is a natural bottleneck into the Narrow Sea and will have heavy traffic the longer time goes on.
Lewyn is sure to become wealthy even with the way the laws were set up for this island to appease the Triarch while keeping as many benefits as possible. Even if we can burn out the Three Daughters a hundred times over no one wants to actually go to war that many times. So although the 'appeasement' is small and mainly just leaving a slice of the market open for the remaining two free cities, it made them happy to walk away with something.
Personally, I think they rolled over too easily but then again I have not been on the receiving end of a dragon since I claimed my own and that turned out fine. I am sure they were just terrified and wanted us to leave them alone after seeing the dragons in action a few times. They took some scraps and called it a day, not that anyone will find me complaining about that.
""Land!"" I shout over the cutting wind and my large mount lets out a loud rumble as he lowers his head and tucks his wings slightly.
I have seen all I will see from the air, it's time to see all of this from the ground.
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113 AC
Bloodstone
Rhaenyra Targaryen
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Landing near the new docks of Bloodstone seemed to be a good idea as now we get to walk through the small town and market.
"Here." Daeron lifts a necklace he just bought from a young girl who was sitting outside of a building with some hand-crafted items on a rug before her.
"It's lovely." I smile down at the young girl who returns one of her own with a few missing teeth reminding me of Aegon and wondering how he is doing with his tooth pain.
Aegon was fussy last night because his tooth was hurting him and it's because it's taking forever to come all the way in. My sweet boy is probably missing me terribly right now since it's the first real-time we have been apart. Other than short dragon trips here and there we have been together since I birthed him and I just hope he is feeling fine.
"He will be ok." Daeron guides me away from the little girl after giving her some extra coins. "He has both of his Grandmothers and his sweet little Aunt to keep him company, he has probably not even noticed we are gone." I scoff but still walk closer to him pressing my side against his as his arm snakes around to my hip.
"He might not notice you are gone but he will certainly notice I am gone." He shakes his head seemingly not wanting to continue this conversation as he pulls me toward a large cliff wall with some painting on it.
"Tyraxes." Daeron smiles looking up at the large painting of the sheep-stealing dragon who lives on this island most of the time.
"Seems the towns folk like having a big strong dragon around to keep away the bad people." This island was filled with killers selling their swords for gold and now it's starting to grow into a small little community.
The painting only looks half finished but it seems whoever is doing it is putting a lot of time and effort into it with how good it looks. It had to have taken months to even get this much done and it's only the large brown dragon's head and neck with Lewyn sitting on the back.
Lewyn...
I need to have some words with my Good Brother.
"Let's finish checking everything out before we head up the road." He nods toward a guarded cliffside path with some gates and towers built onto it.
"Let's." I lean my head on his shoulder and smile feeling his head lean against my own.
----
"It is good to see the both of you." Lewyn greets us at the outside ring of the two walls protecting the tower being built in the fashion of the Rhoynar with a mix of Valyrian features like a few stone dragons.
"Nice to see you again so soon, Brother." The words come out chilling as Daeron claps his Brother roughly on the shoulder making the younger of the two flinch.
"Are you mad?" He asks softly but I hear it as his eyes dart from Daeron and Myself. "Because if you are then I am due for a flight over the Disputed Lands to make sure no Dothraki horde is stomping through the place."
"Let's talk about it later." Daeron smiles and lets go of his white knuckle grip from his brother's shoulder.
Lewyn quickly steps away from Daeron and seeks refuge with me as he embraces me in a light hug.
"I am sorry but don't let him get me..." Lewyn mutters and I chuckle as he avoids a kick that was going for his rear.
"Ease off a little on him my beloved Husband, he already agreed to talk 'later'." I narrow my eyes playfully at Lewyn as he cringes once more before nodding slowly.
"First let's get some wine in the two of you... I have some fresh stock from a Yi Ti trader who swore by it that the stuff was crafted by the Gods themselves." I nod stepping forward to wrap my arm around my Husbands.
Lewyn better hope it's good wine if he wants to avoid the talk that I have been planning to have with him.
----
Sipping the sweet and 'aromatic' wine I feel it burn my throat a little making me feel like a real dragon. I could see Syrax drinking a whole barrel of this stuff with glee with how it felt going down my throat and then warming my stomach like a furnace.
"This is good, I suppose when fish is one of your main food sources for the time being you would get good at making it in different ways." Daeron speaks up as he takes another bite of the large spiced fish we have been sharing with how big it is.
"I have found a few new ways to have it served when all the spices I could ever want are gifted to me. People have been wanting to get into my good books and have been throwing fine items at me to do it. I won't lie and say I don't feel good about it though, my coffers are a little lighter than I would like them to be but my store room is packed full." I smile feeling an opportunity for fun presenting itself.
"Storeroom?" I ask curiously while hoping he will tell me more about it... and what's in it.
"Yes, I had to set aside one of the largest rooms I currently have just to fit all the stuff I have been 'burdened' with." He waves a hand around before clasping both hands together. "The finest silks and gowns from the far east with some other items originating from closer by like glass artworks from Myr." I smile wide as I nod.
"I would love to see it." I lift my glass to my lips and take a sip seeing the color drain from Lewyn's face brings me great joy.
Lewyn sends Daeron a pleading look but only receives narrowed eyes as my Husband bits off more of the fish.
"You did this to yourself." I have to bite my lip to stop from chuckling as my body feels light and I know I might have had too much.
"Fine... nothing more than you can carry though." I nod in acceptance, I didn't plan to take anything if he was against it but he has already said the words and he will have to live by them now. "So about... the talk you two want to have." Lewyn clears his throat and sits forward while looking between the two of us.
I have both been dreading this and eager, I want to know more about how my Good Brother feels and what exactly is going on. He was brief in his explanation and I have had time to think about it and came to the conclusion I can at least hear him out. I am not being forced into anything I do not like and Daeron seems to want to just avoid it all together and save himself any marital hassle. I do not feel nearly as angry as I was in Storms End or the few weeks after, time cleared my mind.
I also spent a lot more time with Myriah with it on my mind and I know she is caught up in all of the mess. She has not said anything about it after the first time I brought it up but I know she surely wants answers.
"We can talk about it in the Morning, I was not expecting this wine to be as strong as it was." Daeron speaks up, but I know it's not the wine bothering him but more so he noticed I might have indulged a little too much.
I smile at him and how observant he is of my moods and attitude, it is one of the things I enjoy most about his company. Put aside everything else and the thing I love the most about being in a room with my Husband is how quickly he picks up on things. When I am bored he will try his best to subtly entertain me, if I am tired he will carry me off to a bed and hold me as I rest, many things he does without me ever even asking. Some might would call it useless flattery since we are already wed and have a Son making our marriage as secure as steel in the eyes of Westeros.
But to me his actions take it beyond what I ever expected when I thought about marriage, it makes it feel much 'stronger'. This secure and comforting feeling he gives me is why I lashed out so harshly against Lewyn when he 'stepped too close'. Like a dragon seeing a stranger in their cave I was ready to burn the trespasser and remove them.
But after a lot of thought I realized I have nothing to worry about... my 'Cave' is not going anywhere.
"We can go ahead and talk about it, I am feeling good and want to hear out your full story Lewyn. And I trust you have had plenty of time to think of something better than the last way you presented it with your lover." His eyes widen but he quickly starts nodding as he almost slips out of his chair leaning forward.
"I have." He replies seriously and I nod casting a look at Daeron who looks ready to groan and ask to be allowed to leave the room with his face looking sour.
With his face like this, he reminds me so much of Aegon and when our little boy tasted the blood orange after I peeled it for him in Sunspear. The fruit had his face scrunched up just like his Father's is right now going into this conversation.