Dynasty of the Dragon [Daemon & Rhaenyra]

TO BE SATED

𝔗𝔴𝔬

𝓉𝑜 𝒷𝑒 𝓈𝒶𝓉𝑒𝒹

╚══ ♟•°♛°•♟ ══╝

     FOUR DRAGONS COULD NOT stop the beast from claiming its prey. Even as the creature soared through the sky, blotting out the very sun, there was no stopping her. Vhagar was a monstrosity, a calamity, and the clapping of her wings was as loud as thunder. The only solace was the lack of speed in replacement for all her great mass.

A way to check the balance, the elder dragon keepers had told Rhaenyra. They offered up many long strings of advice that Rhaenyra had eaten up with wayward excitement. Her King and father had forbidden her from riding the calamity dragon and forbade her from so much as going near her.

However, the unease of the orders had soured her nights. Restlessly, she wandered her room, wondering if Vhagar would forget her. She wondered if the old dragon would change her great mind, and that had made a sliver of apprehension cast a long shadow in Rhaenyra's heart.

It took fifteen restless, listless, long nights until she had found the secret entrance out from her rooms. It led through loops she would explore in later days. It led around the dark castle, and finally, straight to Vhagar down by the beach just below the palace.

Eventually, be it her father's exasperation or what, the chains she had to the castle were loosened. Perhaps, this might not have been too good an idea for a girl of only four and one to have such free reign. She, who thought she knew more than the Dragonkeepers, would listen to the advice yet choose what suited her.

She stroked up Vhagar's scales, gripping the saddle for dear life as she opened her great jaws and let out flames so hot that Rhaenyra could feel the sweat on her own brow. "Vhagar, enough, stop," she had shouted over the great flapping of her giant wings. Laenor had far more control over Seasmoke and certainly no mind for the danger he was in when Vhagar consumed the smoked lamb in so forceful a manner that it nearly had Rhaenyra flung from the saddle.

Seasmoke only flew in the other direction, landing upon the shores of the beach as Rhaenyra finally regained control of the great dragon now that Vhagar had food in her colossal belly. She made it down, also not an easy feat since the dragon was so giant that she had to tie a rope to her saddle. The logistics of dragon-riding was hardly something she considered when she spent long nights excited to meet her friend in the sky.

"What exactly were you trying to do?" Rhaenyra asked, meeting Laenor's carefree gaze that had no mind for his actions to steal another dragon's prey. "She could have turned on you."

"She did not," Laenor replied, and Rhaenyra's frown deepened.

"Well, congratulations on testing your mantle. That was the stupidest thing I have ever seen," she replied, whispering words of command in Valyrian to stop her from ripping Seasmoke's head from the tiny body.

"Perhaps you should have waited for Syrax then. We would hardly be having such an issue," Laenor said with a chuckle, but it immediately died in his throat when the beast lifted her great big head, only slightly. Rhaenyra felt her lips twitch, running her hand along the scales of her dragon's tail.

"Calm," she said in Valyrian, her hands stroking up and down the great big scales. Dragonstone hadn't been her destination on the ride, but she would not tell her cousin such. He already thought her a child, so she hardly wanted to place herself in a position of an inexperienced child.

Syrax hatched only five moons ago and Rhaenyra had yet to see the dragon that was supposed to have gone to her. She had awakened to whispers that evening, whispers that told her to calm, whispers that told her to stay. So Rhaenyra did not go to see the beast, did not feel her scales from under her palm.