Chapter 58

When Kaelarys entered the hall, which had been the family's gathering place for some time now, the conversations immediately quietened. All eyes turned to him, and an expectant silence filled the room.

Most of those present were younger than him, but a few - his parents, uncles and aunts - were older. Their eyes were also on him, but unlike the younger ones, they were not filled with tension, but with calm confidence. They had known Kaelarys the longest and knew that he would always make the right decisions. They trusted that he knew the right path.

With slow but determined steps, he walked forward into the hall, where a glorious throne awaited him.

Kaelarys nodded briefly to his father, who returned the nod with a proud smile.

His parents were probably among the few who were truly content with what they had here. Surrounded by their family, children, grandchildren and even great-grandchildren, they had found a peace that many in their position sought.

Over the years, there were always some who thought it would be wise to mount their dragon and flee. But this decision never ended well for those involved. The family's secret had to be kept at all costs, and those who tried to jeopardize it were severely punished. They were locked up - even more strictly and in more isolation than before.

One of those who tried to escape was his cousin Zaelarys. Kaelarys and he had never really got on well, and the fact that Kaelarys could rule over him was a constant thorn in his side.

Zaelarys had never been able to accept that Kaelarys had the upper hand in everything and was better than him.

The situation worsened when Kaelarys granted him immortality - a decision he only made because Zaelarys was the son of his beloved aunt. But instead of treating this gift with respect, it had only further inflated Zaelarys' already overblown ego.

With the arrogance of a spoiled prince, Zaelarys believed he could do whatever he wanted. It culminated one day in him being foolish enough to publicly insult Kaelarys and insinuate that he had no authority over him. He stood up and said that he was free and could act as he pleased.

Of course, Kaelarys had not let Zaelarys' arrogant behavior go unpunished and had him locked up. It was necessary.

His aunt, Zaelarys' mother, understood from an objective point of view why Kaelarys had acted the way he had - after all, she was an intelligent woman.

But mothers are often guided by their feelings when it comes to their children, and although she understood why he did it, she never really was happy about his decision. The fact that he had locked up her son put a strain on her and Kaelary's relationship.

Although the wounds healed over the years and their relationship returned to normal, she often tried desperately to make him think differently.

Zaelarys' brother Laenor and his sisters, on the other hand, had no problem with the decision to lock him up.

Laenor and his sisters had always had problems with Zaelarys' arrogance and inferior complex.

Then there were those few who couldn't cope with immortality.

Immortality, as tempting as it may be in the mind, is a burden that most people only realize when they carry it. The human psyche, bound by nature to finiteness, cannot comprehend infinity, let alone bear it.

What at first appears to be a blessing quickly becomes a curse.

It was something that was never meant for mortals, but it seemed to be different for dragonriders and Valyrians. Perhaps it was their mentality, their pride or even their megalomania.

They wore it like second nature, as if they were born for it, but even among them there were those who struggled with eternity.

"You've probably already seen it or heard about it from others. Perhaps there are those of you who, like me, have felt it. And I can assure you that no matter what you have seen, heard or otherwise witnessed, it is most likely true," Kaelarys spoke in a strong, authoritative voice that echoed through the great hall.

He let his gaze wander slowly through the assembly, his eyes cool and steady, before announcing with a calm but unrelenting clarity, "Valyria is no more as of today!"

Many took a sharp intake of breath as they heard his words.

Whispered conversations began quietly at first, but quickly grew into loud, jumbled scraps of words.

Kaelarys remained calm even as chaos erupted around him. He let those present talk to each other for a moment, letting them share their bewilderment, before he finally spoke up: "Quiet!" His voice was firm, but still controlled.

Some of those present had noticed his words and fell silent, but many continued to talk, too much in shock.

Kaelarys' patience ended and he raised his voice again, this time with unmistakable authority, "I said SILENCE!!!"

The words echoed through the hall like a thunderclap, and an almost palpable silence fell over those present. All eyes turned to him, and the booming conversations abruptly fell silent.

"Well," Kaelarys continued, his voice now calm and relaxed again, as if the chaos that had just occurred had never happened. "I'm sure you realize what that means."

"The time has come for us to stop hiding," Kaelarys announced in a firm voice. "The time has come to take our rightful place in the world."

"Valyria may have fallen," he continued, "but we, we still stand."

Kaelarys rose from his throne and took a few steps forward, looking into the faces of his family. "We will establish our power in this new world. It is ours, and there will be no doubt as to who rules it."

As he spoke the last words, it was Kaelon, his eldest son, who was the first to move. Without hesitation, he stepped forward, sank to one knee and bowed his head in a gesture of absolute respect. "Long live the Emperor," his voice rang out clearly and firmly.

Kaelon's brothers, Sylas and Lorion, immediately followed him. Both stepped next to Kaelon, knelt down and spoke as if from one mouth: "Long live the Emperor."

Without hesitation, the other family members stepped forward. One by one, they bent the knee, the younger ones as well as the older ones. Uncles, aunts, cousins, sons, daughters, grandchildren - even his parents paid their respects.

Not that they had to, but they did it as a gesture anyway.

"Stand up," Kaelarys said in a gentle voice. "We are family."

Slowly the family members rose, one by one, and as the last knee left the ground they all awaited his First words now as Emperor.

Kaelarys' daughter, Nysara, took a step forward and his gaze turned to her. "What is your first order, father?" She asked the question on everyone's mind.

Kaelarys looked at his daughter, his mind wandering for only a moment before he turned back to the room.

"Go now," he said, "and wake the dragons."

Kaelarys had put the dragons into a kind of stasis, a complicated and laborious process, but necessary if the family members wanted to preserve their adult dragons for the future. The dragons' longevity was impressive, but it was also limited.

He had managed to achieve immortality for humans, but for dragons it was quite different.

Their biology was far more complex, and trying to renew their cells and rejuvenate them was an almost impossible challenge.

In order to rejuvenate the dragons, countless humans would have had to be sacrificed - a number so large that it could not even be contemplated.

And even then, it was not certain that it would work, for dragons, as Kaelarys knew, functioned differently from humans.

Instead, he had put the dragons into a magical sleep so that they would not age.

At least for those who wanted it, the option to put their dragons into stasis was a welcome one. They also had the option to bond with a new dragon, but after so many years of bonding with a single dragon, it was hard to let go.

The bond between a dragon rider and his dragon was special.

The dragons of the Baelaeron family were hidden deep in the impenetrable jungles, far away from prying eyes and potential threats where they remained undetected.

This precaution had caused much confusion over the years, especially among those who wondered why the Baelaeron dragons kept disappearing without a trace.

However, it was always arranged so that there were enough adult dragons in circulation to nip any potential curiosity in the bud.

And then there was the mystery of Ancalagon, the most powerful and oldest of all the dragons in the Baelaeron family. He was an anigma - far older than a dragon should be, and yet he showed no signs of weakness or the approaching end.

Ancalagon was one of the main reasons why no one ever dared to look down their noses at the Baelaeron family in public.

He was glad it was that way, though. He didn't want to put Ancalagon in statis like the others, even if it was better for the other dragons, or their riders.

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To be honest, I think making dragons immortal is where I have to draw the line.

Well, this is fanfiction, but even I have limits and pulling dragon immortality out of my ass is not something I want to do.

And using the same method as humans would mean that I'd have to sacrifice a million people every time for a dragon and there aren't even that many people.

Well, that's just the way it is.

Men scroll

Men see

Men smile

Men gifts Stones

Men leaves Review

Men leaves happily.

Yours,

Jasonenrick! :D