Shadow of the Dragon Queen

17.

Rhaegal stands behind me as Jon readies his Stark bannermen, he comes to stand next to me.

"Ready?" He asks, I look up to Daenerys atop Drogon, soaring high above us. I take one final risk, grabbing his arm and pulling him into an embrace. Our armor clangs against one another, he wraps his arms around me in confusion.

"She plots against us, brother." I whisper into his ear. "She will not let us live after she takes the throne, our parentage is a threat to her claim." Varys stands beside Tyrion atop a far off hill, watching me closely. Jon pulls back and looks at me in shock, Odanno and Tormund coming to stand beside me. Jon presses his lips together and nods before heading back to the front lines. I turn back to the Dothraki, their native tongue spilling from my lips.

"Blood of my blood! This is our final battle! Today we take back the Iron Throne! We win this city for the Queen! Fight well! Die well!" I shout, they roar in approval and storm in the front gates after the northmen. I turn to Tormund and kiss him one last time, Odanno pulling his sword from his hilt. "I will see you both inside." I turn and climb atop Rhaegal, he takes to the sky to monitor the battle from above.

I glide across the top of the houses, watching Jon move through the city beside Tormund and Odanno. They fight through the Lannister army, leaving no enemies in their wake. I follow Tormund's red hair, praying he does not fall among them. After long, long minutes filled with anticipation, I watch the Lannister army pause and drop their weapons. They begin to surrender to our armies, realizing the truth of what Cersi has done in herding the citizens inside. I land on the rooftops that remain just inches from Jon and our armies. I listen as the people of King's Landing scream for Cersi to ring the bells, begging her for their lives.

"We won." I say, meeting Jon's eyes in surprise. The bells begin to ring, Daenerys does not call off our armies. I look to her in confusion, she sits perched atop Drogon on the city walls. She watches the bells ring, unmoving from her spot, as the damning word leave her lips.

"Dracarys." I see her say, I look to Odanno in horror as she takes to the sky once more. The armies surge forward, Jon, Tormund, and Odanno attempting to stop them as Daenerys burns the innocents to the ground. I soar ahead, watching them run in fear from her flames of death. Below me lies an empty courtyard, Rhaegal lands within it and I slide from his back. Jon is beside me in second, Tormund and Odanno on his heels.

"She's going to kill them all." Jon says, I quickly nod.

"Stop as many bannermen as you can, they will slaughter the innocents if they remain unchecked." I say, I turn to Odanno. "Call off the Dothraki. They know you are my most trusted friend, that you were Drogo's most trusted advisor, they will listen to you as they do to me. Both of you, go now." My eyes finally meet Tormund's. "Pull as many innocents as you can to safety."

"What will you do?" Tormund asks, I look to Odanno. A moment passes as he looks at me with intense eyes, the burning truth hanging between us. He finally nods to me, a solum look on his face.

"I am going to stop Daenerys." I say, looking up to see the would-be Queen burn through thousands of innocents.

"She'll kill you." My lover says, stepping towards me with pleading eyes.

"She will try." I tell him, taking hold of Rhaegal once more. "Go, now!"

I take to the sky, the connection between Rhaegal and I surges as we near Drogon. Through it, I sense that he understands what we must do, the sacrifice we must make. Rhaegal soars forward until he is on Drogon's heels.

"Daenerys!" I scream, she looks to me with rage full eyes. "You must stop! They are innocent!" Her face does not shift, the anger and madness on it does not falter.

"It is a price that must be paid! I will not let you usurp my throne!" Her voice tears across the air, the dragons below us locking eyes. Her words sting like a fresh wound, tearing through me as Tyrion's warning rings clear in my mind. I feel everything she built crumble away within me, the Queen I sailed across the sea with faded long ago.

"You are mad, Daenerys! I will not let you burn them all!" Rhaegal blows a breath of flame, catching Drogon's talons as I pull the bow from my back. I nock the first arrow and raise it to fire, Drogon swerves to narrowly miss it. Daenerys looks back to me with wild eyes as I fire another, this one grazing her arm and tearing the fabric atop it.

Drogon slows, curving his neck to the side to snap at Rhaegal's throat, my dragon dives from his jaws and circles back around in the sky. A sea of emotions flow through me, hatred and betrayal lay intertwined with grief and sadness. For the loss of my friend, my aunt, for Daenerys Stormborn. Another arrow soars through the air, Daenerys cries out as it buries itself in her side. Drogon roars, aiming again for Rhaegal as my dragon dodges his attack.

"Betrayer!" Daenerys screams, pain slick in her voice.

"The only betrayer is you, Daenerys! You betrayed everything we once fought side by side for! You have forsaken everything we once stood for!" I shout back, tears welling in my eyes as I loose another arrow. I take a deep breath and sheathe the bow onto my back once more, pulling the sword from its hilt as Rhaegal flies only a few feet above where Daenerys sits. "I will not let you turn them all to ash, I will not let that be what my House becomes!"

I push myself to my feet atop Rhaegal's back, adrenaline flowing through my veins as I steady myself on his scales. Daenerys looks to be with unbridled rage that quickly turns into horror. In one swift movement, I launch myself into the air with Darksister raised high above my head. Daenerys throws her hands out in one last attempt to shield herself, to avoid the attack that cannot be stopped.

In my next breath, Drogon's scales collide my feet. In the same moment, I feel the blade of my sword connect with fabric, then with the flesh that rests beneath. I look down at Daenerys's fearful eyes, my sword ripping through her chest and sticking out the opposite side. In this moment, in the last seconds she remains alive, a clarity passes over her wild eyes. They look all around her, seeing the burning buildings and charred bodies that lie below. She meets my own eyes once more, her weak hand finding a place atop my cheek.

"What have I done..." She whispers with her last breath, before the last bit of life leaves her eyes.