POV: Viserys Targaryen
Viserys was alone in the great hall of the Iron Throne, lost in his thoughts. As the realm faced new threats, the issue of Rhaenyra's marriage had become more urgent. Not only for political implications but for her future as the heir to the Targaryens. The weight of that decision rested on him, but now something made him think that the time had come to take the next step in his daughter's destiny.
Daron Snow, the legitimized son of Baelon Targaryen, had proven to be more than just a young Targaryen. He had shown himself to be a man capable of wielding both the sword and the mind of a true Targaryen. He had earned his place among the greats of the family, not just because of his skill in combat but because of his presence, intelligence, and determination.
In the distance, the door opened softly, and Rhaenyra entered with a serenity that contrasted with the worry in her eyes. There was something in her bearing, something that had changed in her after all she had been through. Viserys looked at her, knowing this conversation wouldn't be easy, but it was necessary.
"Father, are you worried about the war in the Stepstones?" Rhaenyra asked directly.
Viserys nodded slowly, his face serious.
"Yes, but even more so about the future. The fate of the realm is tied to your future, Rhaenyra. And that is the conversation we need to have."
Rhaenyra frowned, not fully understanding what her father meant. But she didn't interrupt.
"I think the best thing for you, and for the realm, is for you to marry Daron." Viserys's words sounded firm, as if he had already made up his mind in his heart, as if it was not an option but a necessity.
Rhaenyra remained silent, her eyes scanning her father's face, reading his seriousness. She couldn't deny there was a tension between her and Daron, a connection that had grown over time. But still, something in his words made her hesitate.
"Do you think it's what's best for me?" she asked, almost in a whisper. Her voice was full of repressed emotions, emotions she hadn't yet had the courage to share.
Viserys nodded, his gaze fixed on her.
"I do. Daron has proven himself to be a man of honor and skill. Not only to fight but to rule. And his bond with you... is more than evident. The realm needs a marriage that is strong, solid. And Daron... Daron is the man who can offer you that."
Rhaenyra, for the first time, lowered her gaze. Her thoughts flew to the night they had shared, the connection that had been born between them in the silence of the darkness. It wasn't just empty promises; what she felt for Daron was real, deep, and full of a passion she couldn't ignore. In that moment, she knew her father was right. Not only the realm needed this marriage, but she herself did.
"I'll do it, Father," she finally said, her voice full of a new resolve. "Daron is... what I want. I don't care what the court says. I want to be with him."
Viserys smiled slightly, satisfied with his daughter's response. However, he knew that this decision wouldn't be easy for either of them, especially for Rhaenyra. Even though they shared a silent love, the demands of the crown were not always easy to fulfill.
"I congratulate you for making that decision, Rhaenyra. The best is yet to come."
POV: Daron Targaryen
The city of King's Landing was beginning to awaken, the first light of day reflecting off the city towers and the sea surrounding the harbor. The air was thick with the usual hum of life in the capital, but inside the walls of the Red Keep, the atmosphere was different. Something had changed in Daron. Though the war in the Stepstones called to him, he knew that Rhaenyra's departure was what weighed most heavily on his chest.
He was in the training yard, adjusting his armor. Each piece fit perfectly, but nothing compared to the weight of what he was leaving behind. War was an inevitable destiny, but part of him would always be tied to what he had found in Rhaenyra.
A sound interrupted his concentration. He turned toward the entrance of the yard and saw Rhaenyra. Her silhouette stood out against the morning light, her gaze fixed on him. There was something in her presence, something that drew him in, as it always did. But this time, there was a silence between them, something they couldn't express with words.
Rhaenyra walked toward him, her eyes filled with a hint of sadness, but also with a determination that Daron recognized. Stopping a few steps from him, they didn't say anything at first. The weight of the unspoken hung in the air.
Finally, she broke the silence.
"You're going to return, right?" Rhaenyra asked, her words trembling, but full of that silent concern only the two of them understood.
Daron looked at her, searching for the right words, but he didn't need many to convey what he felt. He knew she expected something more, something beyond the empty promise of a safe return. But all he could offer was the certainty that he would try, that he would do it for them.
"I promise, Rhaenyra," he replied, and his tone left no room for doubt. He wasn't saying what she wanted to hear; he was saying what was true in his heart.
Rhaenyra watched him in silence, her eyes shining with a mixture of emotions that Daron knew well. But there was something more in that moment, something only the two of them understood. Without saying another word, Rhaenyra took a step forward, moving toward him with a gentleness that made Daron's heart beat faster.
"I'll wait for you," she said, her voice soft but firm, a promise that resonated between them, beyond the distance and the war that would separate them.
Daron, unable to contain the flood of emotions that overcame him, nodded slowly. There was nothing more to say. It was a farewell, but also a promise that their destinies were tied together, beyond words and deeds.
Daron took a step back, taking the reins of his horse, Cannibal. The black dragon waited patiently, its imposing figure standing out against the morning sky. The sound of Cannibal's wings beating powerfully made the air vibrate. The dragon quickly ascended, and Daron mounted with agility, adjusting himself to the position with skill.
From the ground, Rhaenyra watched him, and for a moment, their eyes met. There were no words that could express what they felt, but they didn't need them. Daron, with his shining armor and determined gaze, turned one last time. The connection between them was palpable, even in the silence.
"We'll see each other soon," Daron said, his voice deep but full of meaning. And before she could respond, the dragon took flight.
Cannibal soared into the sky, over 300 meters high, flying over the city of King's Landing. Daron felt the cold air brush against his face as they ascended, the city shrinking in size as they moved away. The horizon opened before him, with low, dark clouds that foreshadowed the storm in the Stepstones.
Rhaenyra remained there, in the yard, watching as the dragon disappeared into the sky. Though distance separated them, she felt that part of her was with him. They shared something beyond war and politics; it was a bond that nothing could break.
POV: laena Velaryon
The wind blowing over Dragonstone was cold and salty, as always. The sound of the waves crashing against the rocks echoed across the island, but inside Daemon's chamber, the air was thick with a different kind of tension, one that only he could provoke. laena stood before him, watching intently as Daemon adjusted his armor, preparing for a ride. Although his face showed a serious expression, there was something in his gaze that always made her feel as if they were connected, something that only the two of them shared.
"Are you going to stay on Dragonstone?" laena asked, her voice soft but firm. There was something defiant about her, but also a certain vulnerability she didn't often show.
Daemon turned his head to look at her, his deep blue eyes as vast as the sea surrounding the island. He smiled, but it wasn't a smile of amusement; it was the smile of someone who understands the other person's emotions, even if they don't express them. His gaze was so intense that laena had to look away for a moment.
"Not for long," Daemon replied, adjusting the buckle on his belt. The answer was vague, as it always was with him, but there was something more in his tone that didn't go unnoticed. War was on the horizon, and he couldn't stay behind. But she also knew that there was something else that kept him here, beyond the duties and politics that always surrounded him.
laena took a step closer to him, coming near enough that the silence between them grew heavier. She couldn't help it; she felt an attraction to Daemon that could never be explained in simple words. Since they were children, he had been an enigma to her, a figure who overwhelmed her with his unpredictability and his skill in everything he did. But at the same time, he had accepted her, in some way. In him, she saw not just the Targaryen prince, but the man who had always been near her, willing to guide and challenge her at the same time.
"Why do you always make it so difficult?" she asked, almost reprimanding him, though deep down, she knew he wouldn't change. She knew the relationship they shared would never be simple. It wasn't about the typical court of Westeros, empty promises or forced alliances. Their connection was deeper than that, and much more dangerous.
Daemon looked at her again, and in his eyes appeared a spark of something she had learned to recognize: it was attraction, the same one that had accompanied her since she was young, the one that had never disappeared between them. But it wasn't just that. There was mutual respect, an understanding that had grown over time, even though he rarely admitted it.
"Because I don't want it to be easy," Daemon answered with a crooked smile. And although his words were playful, there was something serious in his tone, something laena could never ignore. He didn't desire an easy relationship, not even in the life they shared, marked by uncertainty and politics.
laena lowered her gaze, her fingers playing with the edge of her cloak. Her thoughts were confused, but there was one thing clear: Daemon had always been the center of her world, and although he didn't say it, she knew that some of that love, even if distorted and dangerous, was reciprocated.
"And what about us?" laena asked directly, her words hanging in the air between them. The silence that followed was heavy, and Daemon didn't respond immediately. laena already knew that his answer wouldn't come easily, but she still waited, as she always did.
Finally, Daemon took a step toward her, his hands reaching for her face with a gentleness that was uncommon for him. He stared at her intently, as if he were seeing beyond what she showed, as if he could read every unspoken thought.
"We," he said slowly, "will never be simple."
laena couldn't help but smile at his response. That was the truth between them, something they both understood without needing more words. Their relationship wasn't simple, but it was theirs. And at that moment, just like all the times before, the only thing that mattered was the now, the connection between them, one that defied the expectations of the rest of the world.
Daemon pulled her toward him, and without saying anything more, kissed her. It wasn't a brief kiss, nor one of those they shared in court; it was deep, passionate, as if they were both searching for something more, something they only found in the intimacy of their relationship.
When they parted, laena looked him in the eyes, knowing that her fate was intertwined with his, no matter how much he tried to deny or complicate it. And even though war loomed over them and everything seemed to indicate that their paths should separate, something inside her told her they wouldn't. That there would always be something that kept them together, even as the world changed around them.
Daemon's Flight to War
After their conversation, Daemon mounted Caraxes, the dragon with scarlet wings, who roared as he rose from the ground of Dragonstone. The fire and blood creatures had always been an extension of him, and Caraxes was no exception. The dragon was as unpredictable as his rider, but he was also loyal, the perfect companion for someone like Daemon, who had always lived with the sense of not being fully understood by others.
laena watched him from the balcony, Daemon and Caraxes already fading into the stormy sky of Dragonstone. He didn't look back. He knew what he had left behind and what he had to do: war was on the horizon, and although his heart was divided, his duty was clear.
With a graceful movement of his wings, Caraxes climbed, carrying Daemon into the sky, through the dark clouds surrounding the island. From below, laena watched as they disappeared into the distance, their shape growing smaller but unmistakable in the air.
An endless war... laena thought, her heart heavy. She knew Daemon would always seek the fight, the glory, and the chaos, but that didn't change what she felt for him. Their relationship, though turbulent, had never been more real. And as she watched the trail of fire they left in the air, laena wondered if the next time she saw him, he would be the same person she had known, or someone else, marked by war.
But for now, all she could do was wait