The Bastard Dragon

Chpt 7: This Is A Tragic World

We began the journey home. I honestly thought this day would never come. We are returning with half the men we came with, but i'm still here. The bastard girl everyone doubted.

"Ow!" i shouted pushing Daemons hand away. He rolled his eyes as he continued tending to my wounds. The most painful part was him taking the arrows out of my arm and my leg.

He was now putting alcohol on my wounds as gently as he could... Which still was not very gentle. I had my own cabin in the ship which i was sharing with Daemon. "There. Done. You done whining now?" he asked sarcastically.

I rolled my eyes as he sat down on his bed. "Shit" i heard Daemon mumble trying to tug the knots out of his hair. "Come here. It's time you cut that hair" i said grabbing a blade.

"Wait... Do you know how to do this?" he asked. "Of course i do! I've done it many times" i said. I was lying. I began cutting the ends of his hair as we sat in silence.

"Why did you lie to me?" i asked breaking the silence. The man's head shot up at my words. "What are you talking about?" he muttered with a hint of annoyance.

"You told me the nightmares would stop once the war was finished. They haven't" i said. Daemon sighed. "I had to tell you that so you would not give up and go home. The truth is they never stop. You will always see their faces."

"I wouldn't have given up! Even if you told me the truth. And i most certainly would not have went home" i said. "Really? Not even when we ran out of foods that week?" he questioned.

"No. I'd starve myself for weeks all to see that Riverlands boy shit himself again. Remember his face when he saw Cannibal? And then shit just poured out of him" i said laughing at the memory. Daemon chuckled at the thought.

"Yeah... What was his name again?" he asked. "Bran, was it? No! Bronn i think. Or something along those lines... He died four weeks after that incident... He died right beside me" i mumbled as my smile faded.

"They all die, Rhaena. You mustn't dwell on it" Daemon said. Everyone says that war makes you stronger. But i think it made me weaker... Sure it gave me titles, respect amongst the men... But i couldn't help but see every single man's face. Everyone who died, it was like they were haunting me.

I shook off the thought as i continued slicing off Daemons hair. "There. Finished!" i said handing him a mirror. I surprisingly did a good job. "It's not as bad as i thought it would be" he said.

"Is that a compliment?" i questioned. "No. Most certainly not" he said. I smiled slightly as i laid down on my bed. "Are you happy we're going home?" he asked. I paused.

"Of course i am... I miss the food" i said. Daemon chuckled. "And that's it?" he questioned. "No... I miss my bed too" i said with a smirk. Daemon shook his head and laughed.

"Your sister will be happy to see you... And so will that guard" he mumbled. I turned to him. "You sound almost jealous" i teased. "I do... Don't i?... Ser Crispin wasn't it?"

"Ser Criston" i corrected. "Ah yes... Ser Criston... Foolish name really" he said. "It's no more foolish than yours" i said. "Trust me it is."

I rolled my eyes and turned back to the wall. "I am happy to be returning home by the way. I haven't seen the throne room in quite some time. I miss it" i said. "And you'll be welcomed back with nothing but open arms. 'The unburnt princess', remember?"

After a restless night, we finally arrived back in Kingslanding. Everything was just like i remembered. The people, the castle... Everything.... Everything except for myself.

Daemon and i rode in a carriage from the docks and into the castle. "Here. Take this" he said handing me a pathetic crown. "What is this?" i asked. "The Driftmark army have named you 'Queen of the Narrow Sea" he said with a small smirk.