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Rating:
Teen And Up Audiences
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Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Categories:
F/MF/F
Fandoms:
Game of Thrones (TV)House of the Dragon (TV)A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. MartinA Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms
Relationships:
Rhaenyra Targaryen/Laenor VelaryonRhaenyra Targaryen & Daenerys TargaryenAlicent Hightower & Rhaenyra TargaryenHelaena Targaryen & Rhaenyra TargaryenLaena Velaryon/Daemon Targaryen/Daenerys TargaryenAegon II Targaryen & Rhaenyra TargaryenAemond "One-Eye" Targaryen & Daemon TargaryenJon Snow & Daemon TargaryenDaemon Targaryen/Daenerys TargaryenJon Snow & Daenerys Targaryen
Characters:
Laenor VelaryonRhaenys Targaryen VelaryonLucerys Velaryon (Son of Rhaenyra)Jacaerys VelaryonDaenerys TargaryenDrogon | Daenerys Targaryen's DragonAlicent HightowerDaemon TargaryenAegon II TargaryenAemond "One-Eye" TargaryenVhagar (ASoIaF)Rhaenyra TargaryenHelaena TargaryenLaena Velaryon (Daughter of Corlys)Caraxes | Daemon Targaryen's DragonVermithor | Jaehaerys I Targaryen's DragonJon SnowGhost | Jon Snow's DirewolfMelisandre (A Song of Ice and Fire)
Additional Tags:
Time TravelTime Travel Fix-ItDragon POV - FreeformWhite Walkers (A Song of Ice and Fire)ProphecyDreamsDance of the DragonsReconciliationPoliticsAlternate Universe - Canon DivergenceSome RomanceFamilyRhaegal livesGood Sibling Rhaenyra TargaryenHelaena Targaryen Joins Team BlackAemond does not lose an eyeSome angstHurt/Comfortsiblings bondingTime ShenanigansBlood MagicThe Long Night (A Song of Ice and Fire)One-Sided Jon Snow/Daenerys TargaryenJealous Jon Snow
Language:
English
Series:
Part 1 of The Wings of Time Next Work →
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🌑 𝑫𝒂𝒓𝒌 𝑴𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓 🌑
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Published:2023-09-27Updated:2026-07-08Words:479,849Chapters:115/130Comments:6,122Kudos:9,244Bookmarks:1,865Hits:519,728
Dragons, Dreams, and Second Chances
BearlyMadeIt
Chapter 10
Summary:
Laenor is fighting against time trying to get to Harwin, while Rhaenys can do nothing but wait and watch and hope.
Notes:
Trigger Warning for childbirth, I guess. I have changed my usual scene break to stars before and after the paragraph so you can skip it. Embryotomy in the middle ages sounds fucking scary. But hey, I learned things. Yay?
Happy reading. I hope you love it!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Laenor pulled Lyonel Strong away from the door with all his might. The older man stumbled, caught himself, and stared at him, his face going through all sorts of emotions. Panic and terror, surprise, disbelief, and the slightest bit of hope.
"We have to go!" Laenor yelled above the roaring of the flames, gesturing to the window. Wood cracked. Lyonel stared once again. A dragon. Seasmoke peered at them, trying his very best to stay put.
Laenor dragged him towards the window, towards his dragon, towards the only way out.
"No. No!" Lyonel stopped and refused to take another step. "Harwin… he…" he coughed and gestured to the door.
Laenor stared at him and turned. Harwin. On the other side of the door. Oh, to the seven fucking hells.
---
Before Rhaenys could take another step, she remembered the maester. She had left him. With three dragons. Might as well have thrown him to the wolves.
"Wait for me," she said and turned away, hurrying back. Maester Gerardys was still alive, thankfully. He had tried to unbind himself but had seized all movement when Caraxes head got closer, breathing in his scent. Meleys growled lowly, raising her head. As if she was saying, this one is mine. Gerardys stared at the rows of fangs and about watched his life flash before his eyes. Fitting death, kind of, although he didn't like simply being forgotten. Dragons happened when serving dragons.
"Meleys," Rhaenys said, and her dragon's head turned towards her. "Come." And she did, the maester whimpered lowly. She unbound him and led him closer to the stairs. "Take a moment," she said softly, and he took a shivering breath. He needed more than a moment!
---
Daemon led the way through their possibly not-much-longer home. Rhaenys still hadn't said more. He hadn't asked more.
"Viserys sent you," he said eventually. It wasn't even a question. He expected her to mention it any second now.
"No."
He glanced at her. Oh, certainly.
"How is Laena?"
No answer. A girl came darting down the corridor, only halfheartedly holding up her dress to make sure she did not stumble. Her silvery hair flew behind her. Rhaenys stared. Like Leana, little again. She would be the spitting image of her mother soon enough.
"Father, who…" she stopped and stared at them.
Daemon stopped, a tiny smile dancing across his face. Of course, Baela would come check on him.
"Baela. Princess Rhaenys."
"Grandmother," she breathed out and stepped closer, looking up at her. Rhaenys knelt carefully, feeling her old bones protest at the prospect. Before she could say a word, the girl threw herself at her, giving her a hug.
"Mother talked so much of you, Lady Grandmother. Did you come on Meleys? Can I see her? Please, please, please? Maybe in the morrow? I have to introduce you to Moondancer! I bet she will like you. Oh, and you have to meet Rhaena. She will love you too! She does not have a dragon yet, but you sure know that. Her egg just never hatched. Still puts it in the fireplace at times, you know? Which is –"
"Baela," Daemon said softly.
She looked at her father. "Yes?"
"Rhaenys came to see your mother."
"Oh?" She looked at her grandmother. "Oh! How did you know? The babe is coming! I will show you the way!" and with that, she darted off again.
Rhaenys stared after her. Babe? Had she said babe?! Death in childbirth, shot through her head. Aemma had died that way. Rhaenyra was scared out of her mind of it.
"How could she know?" She whispered beneath her breath, while Daemon helped her up again. All the occasional gentleman.
"What?" He asked.
"Nothing. When did the pain start?"
"At first light."
Rhaenys stomach sunk. A day and nearly a night already.
---
Laenor stared at the door. Solid wood, albeit surely weakened by the fire. He would still need too long to break through it. Maybe if he had an axe, but he only had a damn sword. His gaze flickered to the hinges. Looked way too sturdy too, but maybe the fire had distorted them already. They'd either break easily or never move an inch. Lyonel had fought with the door before… but they hadn't tried together. Worth a shot.
"Help me," he yelled and grabbed the door handle, momentarily happy he was Valyrian. He felt the heat, but it didn't bother him all too much, not yet anyway. Lyonel grabbed a stoker and tried to stem open the door. Even together, it wouldn't budge.
"Fuck." He moved back towards the window, dragging the Lord along despite his protests, and kept low to avoid most of the smoke. The damn door… they couldn't… Laenor stared at it. He could try break it or its hinges, yes, but it took time; time they didn't have, lest of all Harwin.
"Do you have a rope?"
"What…? No."
Of course, he didn't. Who would have rope lying around? Laenor scanned the room. Bedding would do, hopefully. Drawing his sword, he seized the lord's bedding, cutting it into stripes. Lyonel understood, although he didn't get why, and grabbed his dagger, cutting his pillow cover to usable pieces, as well as his robe. He could bother about being naked when he hadn't burned to death.
---
Laena's face lit up when Rhaenys entered the room. "Mother!" Her mother had come! How she could know fully escaped her when another contraction rolled around, making her scream and cry. The midwives stared at her and then glanced at the surgeon once again. While he was here, he had a say in things.
Rhaenys settled down beside the bed and took her hand, squeezing tightly. "I am here. All will be well." She would burn the world down otherwise.
Maester Gerardys finally made it into the room, staring. He needed a few moments to assess the situation and then turned to the 'surgeon', charlatans in his honest opinion, and asked about the state of things, his voice not much more than a whisper. Stupid dragon flight, but he would make do. Afterwards, he turned to Prince Daemon.
"What do you want, my prince?"
Daemon's gaze flickered to Laena, who was screaming and screaming, ripping at her bedding. "Save her."
---
Knotting together the pieces of makeshift rope, Laenor checked it as much as he could given their non-existent time. He dumped part of it in the lords' chamber pot and then approached the door, wrapping the wet part of the rope around the handle. Hopefully, it was enough to keep it from burning. Ducking low, he hurried through the room, back to the window, hoping the makeshift rope was long enough. Thank the Gods, it was. He yelled for Seasmoke to get closer. His dragon stared at him for a few seconds before he complied. His head got lower and then his snout poked through the window. Laenor wrapped the remaining rope around his head horns and stepped back, joining Lyonel cowering in a corner, doing his best to cover them with his travel coat.
"Pull back!" and Seasmoke did. Threw his head back. Wood screamed and splintered, myriads of tiny wood pieces flew through the room, as well as half a door. The roaring of the fire got louder.
Seasmoke rumbled all happy at the chaos he had caused and looked at Laenor for a pat.
---
Laena screamed. Having four fucking people stare at her between her legs didn't feel much better than before. Exchanging opinions. Arguing about it. As if she was some curious cattle to be discussed.
One of the midwives stepped beside her, patting down Laena's sweaty face with a wet cloth. "We could try to break and remove the babe, my lady," she said very softly. Laena nearly didn't hear her.
"Fucking do it!" She snapped. If it hadn't come by now, it wouldn't come, not on its own, and if it wouldn't come, it would take her with! She… she wanted to live. She wanted to see her girls again, her father…
---
Coughing, not only from smoke now but from wood dust as well, Laenor turned towards where the door once was. The wood had given way halfway, big broken pieces poking out of it, casting weird shadows with the fire dancing behind it. The hinges looked deformed, but they hadn't given way. Thank the Gods he hadn't tried to break them. Dashing forward, he found Harwin on the ground and dragged him inside the room. He was vaguely aware the man was burning or at least part of his clothes. Lyonel had the whereabouts to grab his chamber pot and dump what remained on his son. The little fire died down to glimmers. Laenor, in the meantime, stopped once they had reached the window. Smoke was streaming around them. He looked up at his dragon, who was bobbing up and down ever so slightly with every wing beat, looking way too giddy.
For a split second, he saw himself stepping away, maybe while he was ordering Seasmoke to get lower again, to help Lyonel, whatever it was. Seasmoke would eat Harwin; rip him to pieces. What else was the man other than slightly charred and smoked meat, to his dragon anyway? For him, he would look like a big snack for good work done.
"Hold him. Stay behind me," he said to Lyonel and turned to face his dragon, ordering him closer again. He patted him, feeling cool scales beneath his fingers.
"Do not eat him, Seasmoke. Understood? No food."
Seasmoke just grumbled.
"I will get you more food if you do not."
Another grumble. Whether this was good or bad, who knew? Laenor grabbed the rope still wrapped around Seasmoke's horns and unwrapped the door handle.
"You will likely hate this." He wasn't even sure who he was talking to right now. Himself, his dragon, or Lyonel. But it was the only good way out. He could try order Seasmoke to cling onto the wall somehow, try jump onto him, but…
"Seasmoke. Head. Here," he ordered and gestured for him. The big snout poked back through the window. Laenor stepped aside ever so little. "Lord Strong."
"Yes?"
"I will wrap the rope around you and him. Have him lift you to his back."
Lord Strong looked about as thrilled as he had expected but nodded either way. During all of this, Laenor still stayed between Seasmoke and Harwin. Just to be sure. He watched Lyonel get lifted off the ground, sheer panic on his face while he swung through the air, and then Seasmoke placed him on his back nearly carefully. His head swung back to him. A little growl. As if he wanted to say hurry. The smoke was getting worse. Laenor glanced behind him and saw fire spreading into the room, leaking up of what was left of the door, jumping to the wooden structures in the ceiling. Yes. Hurry.
"No food," he said again and pushed the hopefully unconscious Harwin forward. The second that followed seemed forever. He already saw Seasmoke's head shoot forward, Lyonel screaming. But nothing happened. Binding Harwin to Seasmoke's neck, he felt the heat of the fire reach for him. Ever more smoke poured around him. He could barely breathe.
Now or never.
Clinging to Seasmoke's neck behind Harwin, he only coughed. He couldn't give another command.
****
Laena felt them reach up inside her. She cried and screamed, feeling horrified. But what else was there to do? She looked at her mother, who only looked stern and loving, still holding her hand. Daemon stepped beside Rhaenys and kissed Laena's forehead.
"I'm here," he whispered, stroking her cheek, and settled down beside the bed as well. Laena smiled ever so weakly, tears welling up in her eyes. If this didn't work, she would at least not die alone. But… she didn't want to die here. Not if she had a say in things. Not in a fucking bed, to a fucking child. She wanted Vhagar. One last flight. Please. Or die through fire, if flight wasn't possible.
Instruments were pushed inside her. The head collapsed. She felt it. Things moved, which shouldn't be moving. Something was cut. More instruments. The maester and the surgeon argued while the midwives continued without them. And then they started to pull it out. One of the midwives screamed and something dropped to the floor. Rhaenys frowned and got up slowly. Daemon didn't move. Took her place rather, holding Laena's hand, kissing it.
"You will get through this," he said. Laena smiled weakly. She wasn't so sure.
Rhaenys stared at the dead babe. Or its arm, rather. Dragonscales. One of those again.
****
Seasmoke stared at the approaching fire. He grumbled at the smoke, waiting for a command which never came. In the end, he didn't bother wait. Pulling his head back, he flapped away from the hole in the wall, hoping he wouldn't see his Laenor lying on the ground, unconscious. Smoke and two-legs didn't mix well. Then he got aware of more weight clinging to his neck. He heard coughing. Had to be. Hopefully. He swung his head around, back to the seat-thingy. Saddle. That's how they called it; and watched elated how Laenor dropped down, clinging to the saddle and coughing for his life.
Back on the ground, the two-legs talked among themselves, an older man looking at not-his-snack. Seasmoke didn't bother listening. He rather watched the spreading fire, inhaling its scent. Wood and stone, clothes, paper, two-legged ones. Would he be allowed to snack on the latter? They were burnt already, after all. But probably not. Two-legs had weird beliefs with their dead, buried them or dumped them in the sea or set them ablaze because who knew why. He could smell it all within the smoke. Like a story told. But there was something else, which he just couldn't place. He took another breath and then another. Some oil, maybe? It was only the faintest smell, but it was there.
Laenor said something to the servants standing around. Seasmoke perked up at his voice. "Can you get me a cow?"
Cow? Seasmoke rumbled happily. A snack after all! One of the servants further back, wearing a coat against the cool of night, stepped away as well. Probably to help with his food. Then he got a whiff of the oil.
Seasmoke was in the air before he even thought of it. The humans below him screamed and ran, Laenor was yelling his name, but he was landing in front of the servant with the coat already. The man who smelled of the oil. Lowering his head, he growled, baring his fangs. The man stumbled back but didn't scream.
---
With an orange sun rising, Daemon, Rhaenys, Baela and Rhaena were gathered in the yard. A few of the household and the prince were in attendance as well, much to his dislike. Laena was up in the chamber, having fallen into an uneasy sleep, the midwives and Maester Gerardys looking after her. Daemon held the dead thing wrapped in lots of linen. None but the four and them had seen it. Caraxes drew closer. He knew what he had to do, had seen enough little ones getting burned.
Rhaenys and Daemon had had a hurried discussion whether to burn it or bring it back to Driftmark to pass it to the sea, but Daemon had argued no one ought to see it. And thus, Rhaenys had fallen quiet. He had a point. They didn't talk about the thing.
Daemon placed the little bundle on a few slats of firewood, which made a makeshift pyre. Nothing big. Nothing special. He just wanted this over with, away from prying eyes. Look after his girls for a moment and then pass them back to the servants. Maybe ask Rhaenys to stay with them now that she was here. He only wanted back to Laena. Make sure she was still alive.
He stepped away and Caraxes closed in. The dragon eyed the little firewood and the bundle atop. It smelled even more of dragon than the others. Too much dragon, maybe, which seemed ironic. It was dead, after all. Well… How the two-legs got their offspring was insane anyways. Hatching from eggs was so much more efficient.
Caraxes breathed in and breathed out fire, watching the linen and whatever underneath disappear in dragon flame. One of the girls sobbed, the other cried silently. Daemon and Rhaenys kept quiet.
---
The same sun rose over Kings Landing. Not red like blood, but warm and soft. An orange glow reached over the land. Helaena stared at it. It was so different to her dream. All warm and calm. There were no dead.
She had tried to change dreams, years ago, when it all started. The little things. Aegon playing a joke on Jace. But she never could. Her dreams always came true, no matter what, and the more often she dreamt them, the closer they were. Aemond closing his eye was close now, so very, very close. Only days, maybe. Laena would die, maybe had already. He would ride Vhagar and the rivers of blood would come to pass. An eye for an eye. Only it would be an eye for a boy for the monster beneath the boards. Helaena frowned. That one was still confusing, she just couldn't get it. How did the boy falling lead to the monster? She only knew they were all somehow connected. It was the start of the river. Things falling into place so that it could flow.
Only then she hadn't known about the dead, for the dead would come after Aegon ascended the throne. The rivers would flow, turn their dragons to thread, and no one could stand against them. What should one dragon and one Queen do against them all?
Die, that was it.
Helaena swallowed and turned away from the window. How should she stop any of this, though? She always tried little bits and pieces with her mother, who never listened. No one ever listened to her. They just thought she was the odd one, always lost in thoughts. Her father... No. The first time, she had tried, she had believed he would hear her, knowing he was obsessed with dreams. Her mother had said so. But he too had only smiled and ruffled through her hair. She remembered how heartbroken she was. Helaena had so hoped someone would finally listen, and nothing.
---
Said Queen and her dragon sat at the beach of Dragonstone, watching the very same sunrise bleeding across the waves. Daenerys cried silently, Drogon half-curled around her. She was snuggled against his warm scales, listening to his steady breathing. They were both staring at the waves.
"I miss them so much," she whispered, getting a growl in return. She felt worse of all about Missandei. She had brought her to fucking Winterfell and for what? To die. She should have left her with a few Unsullied at Dragonstone. Hold the line, so to speak. Be a defence against… the dead? After they fell? They would die, just later. She had known she would die long ago. Was taking her to war, after all. She sighed weakly and leaned her cheek against Drogon's side, feeling another growl rumble through him.
Steps came closer. Drogon raised his head.
"Daenerys?" Rhaenyra asked. "Can I join you?"
"Yes." Of course, she could. Daenerys wiped her tears away and sat up straighter but didn't move. She didn't want to be away from Drogon right now. Rhaenyra hesitated for a few seconds but walked around Drogon into her field of vision. She hesitated again, only to sit down beside her after all, both leaning against her dragon now.
"I sent Rhaenys and Laenor on their way. Try safe Laena and Lyonel." And Harwin, but she didn't say. "If Vhagar does not fall to the greens…"
Daenerys nodded. "Better chances for us."
"Do you know what the next steps should be?"
Daenerys shook her head. "Wait for your father, I suppose. Get that settled." And then… either go for Alicent or Otto in one way or another.
Rhaenyra sighed. "Well, yes." And fell quiet for a while. "Can you write more of your histories down?"
Daenerys nodded. Of course, she could. She had thought of it already. The Dance was only one thing. House Targaryen seemed to fall into chaos at least every other generation. If she averted this fight, there would be half a dozen others she had to put out. And how should she, if she would die within however many years? Between now and her birth were ages. Maybe they needed some form of oversight, to keep themselves from bashing in each other's heads and murdering their dragons.
"Are you experienced in politics? The scheming and plotting part," Rhaenyra asked.
"A bit. But…" Daenerys shrugged. She had just barely held onto Meereen. "Not all too much." She had done some, like setting the Khals aflame and walking out of the burning building. She knew of the superstition of the Dothraki. Why not use it?
This time, Rhaenyra nodded. "I will tell Rhaenys and Laenor once they are back. Hopefully, before my father gets here. She will be able to help us."
Daenerys hummed.
"She saw it coming miles away." Rhaenyra smiled weakly. "Back then, when I was named heir, she told me I would never ascend the throne, that there would be war. They bend the knee to me, I said." She snorted lowly. "Fuck they did."
Rhaenyra sighed. Right now… she forced down a chuckle. Right now, she could really use Alicent's help. Not the bitch Queen, but her friend. She had always been good at making plans and sneaking about… which had brought them into this chaos in the first place, hadn't it? Sneaking around behind her back to see her father.
"Do you think they will believe us?" Daenerys asked at last, interrupting her brooding.
Rhaenyra smiled thinly. "If Harrenhall burned and Laena died or not, they will."
Notes:
I had a fucking blast using Seasmoke in this chapter. Researched breaking down a good old-fashioned door... and fuck, that doesn't look good. Hacking through one apparently needs forever. Harwin is a crisp until then. But we have a dragon!
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