Chapter 4: Father and Son. 114 AC

[114 AC, Hills of The Vale]

It was a beautiful day. Me and my mother were traveling through the Vale using her white horse. We're hunting some birds, using a bow and arrow… I was wearing the Bronze armor, with a black and red Targaryen robe under it, a sign of my two houses.

A couple of years have passed, and still no sign of Daemon, my so-called father. The Royce soldiers returned last year, half of them are dead, but the quartermaster said that the ones who have fallen will be given some coins, courtesy of the Prince.

Daemon had crowned himself the king of the stepstones, but he gave the crown to his brother, all that, and still, he didn't meet me at all.

I guess that is to be expected from him.

Though, House Royce has been invited to the royal wedding this year, and my mother said that I will go with her to King's Landing, to greet the king.

But that's for another day.

"Focus, Andar. Try to find some birds to hunt." my mother said behind me, training me to hunt. I looked around, and I used my abnormally good vision to spot a poffin at the hill in front of us, just laying around, doing nothing.

"There." I pointed.

"Where?" my mother asked in confusion, as she can't see it from this distance. I guided her head towards it, and finally, she saw it. "Wow, you can see quite far, boy. Alright, let's get closer."

"I think I can shoot it from here." I said. Not to brag or anything, but I'm good at stuff like this.

My mother scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous. Even though you have good eyesight, it doesn't mean you can pull the strings strong enough to reach it from here."

I was about to refute, but then, a loud screech echoed throughout the sky. My mother turned towards the source of the sound, and she let out a quiet curse, low enough to not know what she actually said.

But I didn't turn. Instead, I pulled my bow strings as the poffin flew away towards us, and shot the damn bird right in its heart, and the bird dropped just right in front of us.

"Mother, I got one!" I proudly showed it off, the bird still impaled by the arrow, and I waved the thing in front of her eyes.

"Andar, let's go back." Mother said seriously. I wonder why…

"Hm? Why?"

"Your father's here." said Rhea, walking towards the white horse. "Come. I dread the thought of him barging to Runestone like he owns the place."

Well… here goes nothing I guess…

—

As we neared Runestone, we saw a fucking red dragon on top of Runestone. The dragon was screeching at the guards below it, trying to make them stay away from the place.

"Fucking cunt." mother cursed, and quickly galloped the horse to Runestone. When we arrived at the gate, mother told the guards to stay away from the castle, and us alone will approach it. Mother and I dismounted, and slowly approached the dragon that guarded the castle.

The Dragon noticed us, and it let out a loud roar right in front of our faces. Holy shit! It's a fucking dragon!

I feel like I might just piss myself. This 'thing' in front of me is a menace…

"Stay calm, Andar." said mother quietly. "I think your cunt of a father wants you to come inside, go, the dragon will not attack you."

"How do you know that it will not attack me?" I whispered loudly, a bit annoyed.

"Just go. Your father might be a madman, but I am willing to bet he won't feed his own son to his dragon."

Shit… I took a deep breath, and slowly walked towards the dragon. The breath of the thing is fucking hot, and it smells of death. I took small steps, but eventually, the red dragon approached me, making me flinch.

He took a quick sniff of me, but then, he retracted his head, and finally, he flew off towards the side, not blocking the entrance to the castle anymore.

Fucking hell…

I turned towards my mother once again, and she gave me a go, gesturing me to enter the castle.

And so I entered the place.

—

As I entered a specific room in the castle, I saw a man, silvery blonde hair with a dangerous look on his face. He was drinking some wine, and when I entered, his gaze turned towards me.

It was Daemon. My biological father.

"You're taller than I expected." said the man, twirling his wine cup in front of his face. "You have your grandfather's eyes."

"Almost all Targaryens have violet eyes." I refuted.

"No, I didn't mean the color." Daemon shook his head. "Brave yet vulnerable eyes."

"I didn't know that reading personalities are one of your specialities, father." I said.

Daemon just chuckled as he stood up, walking around me, checking every inch of my body as if I was a statue. "I was once the commander of the gold cloaks. I know my fair share of things. How old are you?"

"If you're a part of my childhood, then perhaps you might know." I continued. "But you are not a part of it, so I guess it is only natural that you don't know. I am approaching my 8th name day."

"My my, you inherited your mother's tongue." said Daemon in amusement, sitting on the chair again. "A good trait to have if you are a man."

"What do you want, father?" I blatantly asked. "You let your dragon take the castle, scaring every smallfolk in the area. You surely pissed mother off."

"Straight to the point. Good." Daemon nodded. "I'm here to visit my son, is that not allowed? You said that I wasn't a part of your childhood, that can still change, you are still in your 8th name day after all."

I raised my eyebrows, confused about what he's thinking. "What do you want to do?"

"These years, you've been living as a Royce." he said, standing up from his seat. "Now it's time that I teach you to live as a Targaryen."

The fuck does that mean?

[Gaomagon ao gīmigon se vestriarzir hen aōha lentor, Maegor? (Do you know the history of your house, Maegor?)] Daemon asked me, using fluent high Valyrian.

[Se vestriarzir hen lentor Royce, iā Targārien Lentor?(The history of House Royce? Or house Targaryen?)] I asked back.

[Se mērī mēre konir sagon sȳz. (The one that matters.)] said Daemon flatly.

[Lanta hen lenton issi sȳz naejot nyke. (Both of them matters.)] I answered. [Emā naejot sagon tolī qantre. (You have to be more specific.)]

Daemon chuckled. "The Dragonkeeper taught you well. The history of house Targaryen, they taught you that?"

"They did. Though, it's short, we're only a hundred year old dynasty after all."

Daemon just nodded. "Then what do you think of it?"

"Full of fire & blood." I answered. "Though, I had thoughts on Aegon the conqueror himself."

"Which is?"

"That there is a possibility that we're not descended from him." I continued. "He had two wives for years, and yet only two children. Aenys was a weak king, different from his father. Either we got lucky, or Queen Rhaenys slept with another man."

"They really taught you well. I didn't even think about such things when I was your age." Daemon hummed. "And from the lessons. Do you know what is the thing that made us as the kings and queens of the seven kingdoms?"

"Dragons."

"Dragons." daemon repeated, nodding his head. "You don't have one."

"Do I have to have one?" I asked again, just stop with this peer pressure of owning a dragon…

"You don't know the joy of owning one yet." Daemon said. He walked towards the window, looking at the gathering of smallfolk in front of the castle. "Do you like it here?"

"It's the only place I've ever known." I answered.

"Do you not feel constrained?" Daemon asked again. Wow… these questions are too complicated for a normal 8 year old to answer…

"I don't know what you mean, father." I simply said.

"At the end of the day, you are my son," he said. "You must have some resemblance to me. Do you wish to feel the feeling of freedom?"

"Freedom?" I repeated. Wow, not a question I thought I would get from Daemon. "I still don't quite know what you mean."

"Of course." Daemon hummed. "You are still a child, I forgot for a while there."

Daemon then put his wine cup on the table, and walked outside the door. "Follow me."

—

I now stood on top of the castle, where Daemon and his dragon were waiting for me. The dragon was growling at me, and I tried to keep my composure.

"This is Caraxes. My dragon." Daemon said, caressing the dragon's head.

"The blood wyrm." I spoke out loud.

Daemon nodded. "He was my uncle's. Now he's mine."

"So you didn't get a dragon hatched besides your cradle?"

"No." Daemon answered, he patted the dragon's head, and the dragon showed his back at Daemon, offering a seat.

"Let's go." Daemon said, climbing the dragon, while also offering his hand to me.

"Wait, what?" I asked, taking a step back.

"Come on, don't be such a pussy." Daemon then pulled me towards the Dragon, and put me right in front of him.

Holy shit. I'm riding a dragon… a FUCKING DRAGON!

Caraxes flapped his wings, taking off of the castle. We're not flying, the cold air of the Vale hit my face sharply, and it's bloody scary.

It was not a fun start. The dragon kept shaking, and I felt that I could fall off at any second.

"Calm down." whispered Daemon. "Just hold on tight. Feel the cold hitting your face, breathe in the pure air of the sky."

I kept closing my eyes, a bit afraid of heights to be honest. Daemon, my father, took my hands, and he put it on the saddle, telling me to hold on tight.

"Open your eyes." Daemon commanded.

To be honest, I didn't want to. But I guess… It's worth a try.

I slowly opened my eyes, and I was greeted with a beautiful sight.

The landscape of the Vale was beautiful. The hills, the mountains, the grasslands, the combination of those biomes made me feel… nostalgic, even though I never even saw this view at all.

The feeling of cold air hitting my face started to feel good, started to feel… free. The quietness of the sky seemingly made my soul comfortable, it was a nice feeling, a calming feeling.

For the first time in my two lives, I feel… infinite.

—

[A couple hours later]

Caraxes landed on the outskirts of Runestone as mother rushed towards the Dragon, probably worried about me. I dismounted the dragon, but Daemon was still on Caraxes.

When mother saw me in the distance that I was okay, she slowed down, approached me and Daemon carefully.

"Andar, come here." she said to me, and I walked to her, where she continued to hug me. When she was finished, she stared at Daemon. "Husband."

"You look the same after all these years. Maybe even fatter." Daemon commented.

"And you're a cunt, as always." mother scoffed.

Daemon turned towards the guards, he looked at them up and down. "How are the men? They fought bravely in the war."

"They are fine, my Prince." said a guard. "The family of the deceased have received their money as well."

"Good." Daemon quickly turned to Rhea. "I will bring him to Dragonstone. Tell your servants to pack his things, preferably bring proper clothing."

"Why Dragonstone?" Mother frowned.

Daemon didn't straightforwardly answer. "We'll see you at my niece's wedding, pack his things quickly, I'll be waiting here."

"You've been exiled, Daemon." Mother pointed out.

"My brother wouldn't mind." Daemon continued. "Just pack his things. You will get what you want when he comes back."

Mother frowned deeply at his words, I don't even know what he's talking about to be honest.

"Fine." said Mother, turning around. "Come, we'll pack your things Andar."

Honestly, it was a great day. The feeling of riding a dragon… it's… addicting… exhilarating… and I want more, the feeling of freedom…

Perhaps, it isn't so bad living a second life after all.