131

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118 AC

River Rhoyne

Rhaenyra Targaryen

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"What are they doing?" Laena asks aloud what she has no doubt been wondering since she dismounted Vhagar.

I follow her gaze and find my Husband treating the Blood Wyrm while trying his best not to laugh as Daemon curses and points toward Gaelithox. Shifting my gaze to the large black dragon I find it lying down curled up almost like a cat with his baleful green eyes locked onto Caraxes with clear amusement.

"-I for the life of me can't figure out how, but I swear it's laughing!" My Uncle loudly complains which causes my Husband to lose his restraint and laugh aloud, further annoying Daemon. "It was a lucky bolt." Daemon grits out and I smile as Daeron shakes his head and I catch his eyes shift from the wound he is healing toward me.

"A lucky bolt is all it took to kill Meraxes." Rhaenys speaks up from the stump she is resting on, her attempts to wash off the soot on her face have only made the smudges worse.

"I am aware." Daemon blandly responds.

I smile and shake my head as I lift my water skin up and drink what remains in it before I turn and head toward Syrax.

"I am pretty sure I saw someone melt when the dragon's blood sprayed down upon them... makes me wonder if we really do have fire in our veins." Lewyn speaks up and I come to a stop as I open a saddle bag on my mounts side.

"Really?" I ask filling the sudden silence that appeared.

"Really." Lewyn nods with a haunted look. "I have seen Daeron bleed himself thousands of times and discard tubs of blood without melting anything though... so maybe not." Daeron snorts as he pats the Blood Wyrm's now sealed wound which earns him an ear-piercing complaint from the displeased but obviously still thankful dragon that chooses to just lay down and rest.

"I did hit someone one time with some of my blood, they walked under the window when I threw it out." I snort in amusement remembering the horrified look of the servant when we both peered over the balcony to see who screamed.

"Wait." Rhaenys speaks up with obvious confusion. "Why do you bleed yourself?" She scrunches her nose and looks around judging everyone's reaction, obviously finding it strange how no one else is making a big deal out of what was said.

"I like researching magic, and my blood is powerful... it also doesn't stay good for long so I have to bleed myself rather frequently." Rhaenys nods slowly with narrowed eyes as she watches Daeron walk past her and toward me.

That is the story he has concocted on why he bleeds himself, it's nearly impossible not to get caught every now and then when he is the center of most people's attention and is pale for a few hours after the bleeding.

"I see... have you rediscovered any of the ancient Valyrian blood magics?" The suspicion has left her tone and instead, it has a hint of curiosity.

"A few." Daeron smirks but Rhaenys can't see it as his front is now only visible to me and Laena who is standing beside me. "I figured out a recipe for a potion that the Valyrians of old used to make... it has many miraculous uses." Daeron wraps his arms around me and I wrap mine around him before standing a bit on my toes to meet his lips.

"Huh... interesting." Rhaenys seems to have lost interest and stands up without another word and heads toward her Red Queen.

"Speaking of your potion..." My Uncle speaks up and we break apart our kiss so we can turn to face him. "What exactly did it do to your dragon?" Daemon turns to look at Gaelithox, the large black dragon huffs smoke noticing most eyes turn to observe him.

Shimmer, I still have zero idea how Daeron pulls it from his blood... I mean I get how, just not the how of how it got there.

Confusing.

But he had buckets of the stuff and gave plenty of it to his dragon before we arrived.

None to my little girl though... Syrax seemed to turn her nose up at it for some reason.

"Just a little something to get him in the mood." Daeron cryptically responds to annoy Daemon and succeeds easily.

Boys.

Always poking fun at one another, reminds me of our Sons.

Not that our girls don't do the same... I just have hope they will actually grow out of it in time.

Maybe not though... now that Shimmer is on my mind, I am once more reminded that our children also have magic purple stuff in their veins.

Worrying.

But Daeron seems to think it's fine and I have trust in him and the fact he has turned out more than fine with special blood.

"In the mood, he calls it." Laenor shakes his head with a scoff. "Gaelithox seemed to spew more flames than all of our dragons combined... and whatever they hit seemed to explode." Laenor chuckles with a dark look in his eyes. "The black walls turned into wax when the green flames hit them." I nod in agreement as I also remember the power of my husband's dragon, its flames almost hurt to look at today.

"Let's take a quick walk." Daeron pats my back before lowering one of his arms, keeping the other around my back as he slips to my side and starts guiding me away.

"Can't you two wait for a room?" Laena groans as we pass by her, which causes Daeron to reach his free arm around her and drag her with us. "Wait!" She tries to put her feet down and lock herself in place but quickly is dragged along.

"Shift your thoughts from the perverse for a moment woman." Daeron jokes as he leans his head down and whispers into Laena's ear which causes her to almost trip as her jaw drops.

"You wouldn't." Dread is heavy in Laena's voice as she tosses a look over her shoulder and then quickly picks up the pace after turning her head back and seeing Daeron nod.

"I would." I pinch my Husbands waist as best I can with his armor on and he jolts before turning his attention toward me.

"Care to fill me in?" I raise a brow and Daeron's wounded look turns into a sly one rather quickly.

"Oh trust me... I will fill you alright." I roll my eyes but fight off the heat that spreads through my body as I know his words are just for fun.

Battlefield sex is only fun when we know for sure we are not going to be randomly attacked.

Volantis has multiple cities and settlements with hundreds of farms all around her, we are still in enemy territory and need to keep our wits about us even with our dragons on alert.

'Constant vigilance' Daeron kept hammering into my head before we flew off to fight this fight.

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118 AC

River Rhoyne

Lewyn Nymeros Martell

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"Honestly she should have waited on the coronation..." Laenor mumbles and I look over at him with a raised brow. "She could have named herself Empress with the lands in Essos that seem to just keep growing and will continue to do so if all things go to plan." I purse my lips and nod at his words.

"It would be better for her to send out letters to all of the Free Cities and everyone else with power in Essos. Like Aegon did before his Conquest, then the real fun could begin as we bring Fire & Blood to all of this continent and make a new Valyrian Empire thrice the size of the old one." Daemon smoothly joins the conversation while taking the stump my Good Mother was sitting on not long ago.

"You want more war after this one is over?" I ask curiously, my mind drifting to the many plans I have seen my Brother working on in his Solar.

"Not war... War is just a means to an end." Daemon cryptically responds as he picks up a stone off the ground and starts tossing it up and letting it fall back onto his open palm.

I remain silent for a moment to see if he will further explain but sigh as it seems he wants me to waste words out of my mouth if I want an answer.

"Then what do you want?" I dryly ask while turning my gaze toward where my Brother went with his lovers.

I hope they aren't actually fucking off on the riverside... that does not sound safe... or clean.

My poor Wife already looks a mess and doesn't need mud and grass added onto the thick layers of soot and ash all on her armor.

"Legacy." Daemon finally speaks up and I find myself looking back toward me with a surprised look upon my face no doubt.

"You?" I snort. "If my Father or Good Father - Gods rest his soul - said that, I would believe them." I shake my head. "But I don't believe that from the Rogue Prince." I snort and reach for my wineskin and am slightly surprised to not hear a growl or complaint from Daemon, instead, he takes my words in silence.

Which is surprising.

I shift my gaze over to Laenor instead of lifting my wine skin up to drink from it, I find him looking toward Daemon with surprise as well.

"You are serious?" Laenor asks as if he read my mind.

"I am." Daemon swiftly responds before lifting his gaze from the ground and looking between Laenor and Myself with strange eyes.

Huh.

Consider me interested.

"Tell me more." I lift my wineskin and sip some of the pleasant Dornish Red.

I don't know how much Daemon knows of what my Brother plans... but it can't hurt to hear Daemon's own plans before bringing it up with Daeron.

Who knows?

Maybe it's true and great minds think alike after all.