103

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115 AC

The Eyrie

Daeron Nymeros Martell

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"I won't lie-" I speak up as I adjust the twins, one on each hip with their hands gripping tightly at my clothes. "-this is likely the best castle to defend from if Dragons were not around." Admiring the Eyrie as we walk down a carved stone staircase that is built right into the mountain I smile.

"Jealous?" My Wife asks with a grin as my Son looks over her shoulder and down at the fall not many feet away that would spell both their deaths if she slipped.

"Watch where you are going." I reply swiftly and seriously as she merely shrugs uncaringly.

"I got Arryn in me, this kind of thing is in my blood." I sigh as I speed up my walking and bump her with my hip toward the stone wall and away from the drop.

"Falling is not a part of your blood." I think at this height my gift would mean little to nothing, I would be a smear on the ground regardless.

"You two are are something else." Rhea who is walking before us and leading the way from where we landed on the castle with our dragons shakes her head while speaking up. "But I suppose you are used to the heights..." She thoughtfully muses aloud likely thinking about the flight over here from Runestone.

I hum in response while looking off at the distance at all the beauty the Vale has to offer, they picked a nice spot for this castle is my immediate judgment. Not only is it strategically a good location but it has a view that is quite literally to die for.

"Senya!" Aegon chirps and I look around Rhea wondering if the little troublemakers spotted one another but only see a closed door we are approaching.

"I take it you are excited?" I gaze at my Son while awaiting his response and he nods once with his hair blowing in the wind.

"Yes." He brings a hand to his head and tries to hold down his silver locks that are wildly blowing around.

I shake my head in amusement even as my baby girls murmur and attempt to babel as they clench tightly to me. Aegon hardly slept last night after we told him we were soon to see Visenya and Aemma and I know he will crash soon and sleep through the rest of the day and night. The girls on the other hand slept all night like rocks and during the flight over, a habit they have formed due to the fact they can't move much in their 'seats' on the saddle. They learned it's best to sleep if they can't move... showing infinite wisdom at their young age.

"I hope there are not too many people hanging around... I want to relax and not deal with people wanting to see us until we have been here a few days." Rhaenyra huffs, each new castle we visit seems to have the trend of people visiting their Lord to get a look at the future Queen and King Consort.

I don't add on my own opinion as I don't want to fuel her flame of annoyance but I also feel the same, it would be best if we could relax a few days before greeting the guests that Lady Arryn is sure to invite.

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"Senya!" Aegon set onto the ground charges ahead and tightly embraces Visenya who is equally as excited.

"Egg!" She croaks out as they squeeze the life out of each other, the sight of the two instantly turns the room 'warm and fluffy'.

"Aww, there are my sweet babes." Aemma wastes no time and approaches me and quickly takes Rhaenys with one arm and sets her on her own hip.

Rhaenys takes a cautious look at her Grandmother before seemingly recognizing her and pressing her face against her chest. Nymeria meanwhile is completely distracted with trying to get to the floor to join her Brother and Aunt.

"It is nice to see you again, Jeyne." Rhaenyra casually greets the Lady of the Vale and the owner of the castle we are in.

She seems to have spent time with Lady Jeyne in Kingslanding, something I did not know until before we left Runestone. I know they have communicated by Raven before, but I did not know they actually sat down face to face.

Jeyne Arryn has blonde hair and blue eyes with a similar overall build to Rhaenyra and is proudly dressed in her house colors. A sky blue dress with white trimming and a pearl necklace around her neck. Her blue eyes filled with obvious amusement as she watches the children squawk and animatedly vocalize their happiness.

To her right is likely Lady Jessamyn Redfort who Rhaenyra told me about and later Rhea also filled me in on. A redhead with green eyes and dressed in her own houses colors of a white dress with red trimming kind of reminding me of a Templar. Though if what I have heard about her is true, then she is the farthest thing from a 'Templar'.

Not that I care about their preferences, in fact, I think they make a cute 'couple'.

"It's nice to have you come and stay with us here at the Eyrie for a time, I look forward to showing you around." Jeyne Arryn approaches and goes about greeting Rhaenyra as I make an effort to not have Nymeria wiggle herself out of my arms. "It is nice to meet you in person, Prince Daeron." She turns her attention from Rhaenyra to me and offers me a bow as well as my Wife.

Most Lords and Ladies I have first been introduced to tend to focus on my Wife when we first arrive at their homes, after all, she is their future Queen. I always feel a whole lot better though about those who 'acknowledge' me even though I don't actually care all that much about the bowing and kneeling. Until Rhaenyra actually sits on the throne I likely will always be seen as 'just' Dornish to most Lords and Ladies until I talk to them personally. It usually is just a jealousy thing that can be easily smoothed over by getting to know them and listening to their House histories that they are always eager to speak about.

But some people are just straight-up racist and want nothing to do with me simply because I am a Prince of Dorne... mostly the people of the Stormlands and the Reach.

"-we can show you to your room, it is not far from your Mothers and my own. I do hope that you will be willing to sit down and have a meal together to celebrate your arrival though. I have planned on serving your favorites that your Mother has told me about." Rhaenyra nodded as I seemingly tuned out most of Jeyne's words and as I look toward my Wife she seemingly noticed and rolled her eyes.

"Let me take Nymeria, you can wrangle Aegon and Visenya into following us to our room." I nod passing over my Daughter before swiftly approaching and snatching up both of the confused children who look around in confusion as they find themselves lifted into the air.

"Come on, let's go jump on our new bed." I tempt the children who seemed dissatisfied at having their reunion broken up but quickly are distracted hearing my words.

Though my words do earn me a questioning look from Lady Arryn and her 'friend' while my Wife scoffs with my Good Mother shaking her head exasperatedly.

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A knock at the door is heard before Rhaenyra calls out to enter and we are joined by Lady Royce who seems to have settled her personal matters. She didn't just tag along because we asked, she also had some things she wanted to do when here and it seems she either handled it or started the process.

"I half expected to find you actually jumping around on the bed like a fool." Rhea jokes while heading toward Rhaenyra who waved her over to ask for her help with her outfit for the meal later on. "This one looks good, shows off your hips." Rhaenyra deadpans and looks over toward me as I hide my smirk.

"Daeron said the same thing... did he tell you to say that?" Rhea shakes her head while scrunching her nose.

"No, it's just the truth." I nod in approval as I keep Aegon from falling back after Visenya pushes him a bit too hard.

"Ease up there, he might have grown but so have you." I ruffle the little girl's hair and she pouts with her brows furrowing but does not avoid my hand.

"Can we go riding?" Aegon completely unaffected by his stumble moments ago eagerly asks me for the tenth time since we settled into this fancy stone-carved room.

"Not today." I suddenly feel ten years older speaking the words once more, it's almost enough to cause me to throw caution to the wind and head outside to find my dragon. "We will go for a flight tomorrow... maybe we can find some Mountain Clans and burn down their little dirt houses?" I tempt my Son with Fire and Blood knowing full well my Wife can hear me and tosses me a venomous look that rivals the vipers around Sunspear.

"There will be no burning." Her brows furrow as she looks between a disappointed Aegon and an annoyed little Sister who is petulantly crossing her tiny arms.

"Dracarys!" Visenya shouts and soon Egg attempts to do the same but my hand stops him as I hold it over his mouth.

"No Dracarys." Rhaenyra turns fully around to look at Visenya who puffs up seemingly taking offense to her older sister's words.

"Albion will." I cringe seeing I have likely made a mistake, this three-year-old girl seems to have made it her new mission to burn something now.

"Where is her dragon anyway?" Rhea asks while sitting across from me on a couch while I remain sitting on the ground with both children.

"Sky cell." Visenya answers while thoughtfully looking toward the door.

"Tomorrow." I softly speak up hoping it will placate her and she looks at me with her purple eyes a bit glossy.

"Promise?" I nod reaching out and pulling her to sit on my mid-thigh while brushing her hair back from her eyes.

"I promise." Her glossy-eyed look instantly transforms as I expected it would but I care little about her small 'manipulation'.

Her Mother warned us about her picking up bad habits, but I see it as an absolute win. She is learning skills that will help her later in life, she is a Princess, and manipulating people needs to be a daily skill in my opinion. I don't see it as bad she is using it on her family until she is old enough to know better.

Baby lions learn to stalk and take down prey by attacking their parents, the older lions even go out of their way to pretend to be scared when it happens as well. When the baby lions get big enough the elder lions just start kicking their butt to let them know it's time to stop practicing on them and move on to real prey.

We will just have to do the same with Visenya and the other children if they pick up this habit. This way of thinking in my opinion is hundreds of times better than sending them to a Septa to be taught what is 'proper' and how to act. It's how I will try to guide my children, I will also bring it up with Aemma later on as well even though it's really not my place.