Chapter 46
DAEMON TARGARYEN
Daemon would never have the support of the Lords. They had already made their choices, and no matter the laws he may recite or the precedents he may quote, they had chosen their paths.
Words had failed him, and so he would now have to depend on actions. Apart from him, there were two claimants to the throne, and while many of the Lords flocked to his Aunt's side, the Velaryons had few allies, yet they had more dragons than he did.
Maegor, they had called him, and so Maegor he would become, and as he came upon the castle of High Tide, he felt the Gods smile down at him, as he saw a bluish dragon circling the castle.
"Quiet," he hissed to Ceraxes, who shared his hunger for blood as they flew towards the flying beast, and it was Seasmoke. The dragon of that swordswallower who thought that he could take his throne, and when Ceraxes roared forth, it was too late for the little man, as Daemon roared forth with all his might.
"Dracarys!" and Ceraxes met his rage, as it spewed a storm of fire towards the beast, which flapped its wings in panic, as the boy tried to fly away.
"AGHHHHH!" the little blue beast roared in agony, as Ceraxes tried to push its talons into its belly, but the beast had flown away, as bells began to ring all over the city, and Daemon took a turn and began to chase after the blue beast once more.
"Dracarys," he ordered, and as they flew through the markets that the Sea Snake was so proud of, Ceraxes fires lit them all up as he made a beeline for the blue beast as it tried to fly away.
"NOOOO!" he heard the boy's roar, as his dragon tried to retaliate.
"AGHHH!" it spewed out fire, yet Daemon did not stop as Ceraxes flew through the fire and plunged its talons into the beast's underbelly.
Screeches and wails filled the skies as Seasmoke roared in agony before it plunged to the ground, with its rider still atop it.
The dragon crashed into the buildings under it, as Daemon flew around the city, and began to circle the massive castle, built by the Sea Snake.
"Dracarys," he roared, as Ceraxes created a ring of fire around the castle before, and once all the paths leading out of the castle were roaring with flames, he turned towards the fallen dragon once more as he landed infront of him, as the bloodied form of Laenor Vealryon stepped out of the rubble.
"ROAR!" Ceraxes roared, as Seasmoke screeched in agony, as rubble from the fallen buildings covered its wing.
"What are you doing here, Daemon?" the boy questioned as Daemon smirked.
"Claiming what was rightfully mine," he ordered, and the boy shook his head in defiance.
"Is this about the throne?" he seemed taken aback.
"I have no desire for it," and Daemon scoffed.
"Then ben...."
"Step away from him!" a loud voice came from behind, and Daemon turned his head around and saw a small contingent of knights gather there in defiance.
"Joffrey no..." Laenor Vealryon's scream made him chuckle as he finally recognised the man.
"Joffrey Lonmouth, the famous knight of Kisses," and what a vulgar and useless title it was.
"Get out of there, Laenor! GO!" the man shouted, and Daemon was impressed by his courage.
"NO! GET OUT OF HERE! GO!" the Velaryon bastard shouted, as Daemon chuckled.
"A lover's spat, how intriguing," he teased as he looked the defiant knight in the eye, as Ceraxes prowled towards him.
"But I have no time for this," he warned as Ceraxes roared and half of the men ran away while the other half wet themselves in fear.
"KNEEL OR BURN!" he offered.
"Do as he says, Joffrey. Please," Laenor shouted.
"The only King I know is the King born of sea and salt," and so he had made his choice.
"I will never bend my knee to a rogue, and Daemon's lips pursed at that,"
"NOO! NOOO!" Laenor shouted as he pulled on his dragon's reins.
"Dracarys!"
"NOOOOOO!" Laenor Velaryon's scream was dwarfed by the screams of agony of the men infront of him, as Ceraxes doused them in thick and burning flames, and as he was relishing those screams, suddenly he heard a scream.
"FIRE!" and a volley of arrows came down on him, as Ceraxes flapped its wings as it roared in agony, as men began to pour out of the streets, as a loud dragon's roar tore through the skies once more.
"Meleys," and he had hoped that with fire surrounding the gates, his cousin would not be able to reach her dragon, but somehow she had managed to get out of the castle.
"You will not leave this place alive, Daemon!" and he recognised that voice, and recognised it well as he looked down and recognised Corlys leading the men.
"Corlys! I will make you the same offer I did to your boy," and with that, he saw Meleys take to the skies.
"Bend the knee or burn," and the man scoffed.
"I would rather die a thousand times than bend the knee to you," and Daemon ground his teeth.
"We will see about that," and perhaps the dead body of his wife and son could make him change his mind, and as Meleys drew near, he knew that he had to take off to the skies himself, and so it was time for the dragons to dance.
"Ceraxes! Soves...."
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RHAENYS TARGARYEN
For all his faults, Daemon was no fool. He was a warrior and understood war better than many men, and it was why he had come after their House. Daemon lacked Gael's support, and the only way for him to win was through war.
And for he would have need of Gold, men, and ships. House Velaryon could offer them all three. They were the richest House in the realm and had the greatest fleet on the seas.
If House Velaryon were to come under his reign, then he would control the seas and could resist Gael's overwhelming might, or at least counter it to a significant degree.
Still, he had come out of nowhere, and had burnt all of the passages leading out of Hide Tide, trapping them all inside, as Ceraxes and Seasmoke battled in the air. Seasmoke was fast, yet it was no match for the Blood Wyrm and Daemon.
In the end, the only one who could battle him was her and Meleys. In the end, the man had led her out of the castle while shielding her with their own body. Two dozen guards had burnt just to get her and Corlys out of the castle, as she rode fast and hard towards the edge of the city where Meleys rested.
Her skin carried burns, and she wore a simple dress with scorch marks on it, and she wore no riding leathers as she came into view of her dragon.
"Meleys," she roared, ignoring the guards in her way, though most of them understood the reason behind her urgency rather well.
The Red Queen rose from her slumber, as Rhaenys jumped off of the horse, and began to push herself onto the saddle, while a dragonkeeper rushed forth.
"My lady, your riding leathers..." but she ignored his call, as she grabbed the reins, and roared.
"Soves," and she had no time to waste. She had already lost one of her children; she would not lose another. Corlys and her had their differences, yet he cared for her and her children.
It was the only reason she had forsaken him, his mistake. Even his desire for the throne stemmed partly from wanting his children to never suffer as he had. She would save them. She would protect them, for she was the only one who could.
"The wind rushed through her face, and she saw smoke rising from all parts of the city," and soon enough, she saw Daemon taking to the skies as well, as Ceraxes roared forth, and flew straight towards them.
They were both two of the fastest dragons, and Daemon rose straight towards her, as her grip on the reins tightened.
"Dracarys..."
"Dracarys..."
They both shouted at once, as their dragons let out a guttural roar, and spewed massive torrents of fire at one another. Yet she pulled on the reins a bit, as Meleys twisted in the air, and turned just at the last moment, while Daemon did the same, as the two of them brushed past one another in the open air.
"Turn," she ordered, and Meleys twisted in the air, and she saw Daemon doing the same, as he flew towards her, and once again their dragons met in the air, their talons locked with one another as they tried to bite at each other's neck.
Still, Ceraxes had a thin neck, and Meleys found it difficult to bite into it, as Her dragon roared in agony as Ceraxes scratched its neck.
"Dracarys," she raged, and Meleys spewed a torrent of fire straight at Ceraxes' face, and the two dragons separated in the air, and the dance continued for some time, and it was if they were breaking lances against one another at a tourney, until they both landed on the ground as she finally met her cousin's gaze.
"What do you think you are doing, Daemon!" she roared, and despite their differences, this was low even for him.
"I am taking what is rightfully mine!" he roared back.
"And do you think you can win it this way?" He was tired, it was obvious. And he should be.
He must have flown for a few hours to come here, and then he had battled Seasmoke. His dragon must be reaching its limit by now.
"You could bend the knee and make it easier for yourself and your family. Otherwise, I shall burn these lands until the people here bow to my will," and she would never bend the knee to the likes of him. Not now.
Not ever.
"You will die here today," she roared back, and he shouted back, as their dragons took to the skies once more, and Ceraxes came for her once again, yet much like their initial clash he slid past her and Meleys as Rhaenys ordered her dragon to turn just as she had before, and yet as she saw the skies she saw that Ceraxes had not turned, and was flying towards the edge of the city.
Her first thought was that he was running away, yet the realization came to her a moment later as she gasped in desperation.
"No," she whispered as she pulled on Meleys's reins.
"Faster! Faster," she begged and ordered, as her dragon flapped its wings once more, as it cut through the air, but Meleys and Ceraxes were near equal in their speeds, and then she saw it.
She saw them.
She saw her son and her husband standing there beside a wounded Seasmoke, as Daemon rushed towards them, and she was on Ceraxes tail now. But it was too late. It was too late.
"RUN! RUN!" she shouted, but it was futile, as Ceraxes lowered itself dangerously, and she could hear Daemon's scream.
"DRACARYS!" and what came out was fire, and she saw Corlys push their son behind him, as he let the fire burn him, as Daemon's dragon rose quickly into the air.
She tried to follow him up, but she was simply too fast, and in the end Meleys hit the ground hard, and she was forced to push it to the side t prevent it from crushing her own son underneath.
"AGHHH!" The talons hit the ground, and with no riding gear keeping her bound to her seat, Rhaenys was pushed out of it, as she fell from Meleys's back and hit the ground.
"She grunted as her head hit the ground, and the world began to spin, as she heard someone scream after her.
"Mother!" "MOTHER!" and by the time the world came into focus once more, she saw Daemon coming after her and yet before his dragon could burn her whole, Meleys pushed herself off the ground, and chose to shield her with its body.
"ROARRR!" the Red Queen roared in agony, as Ceraxes talons tore through her wing, as the Blood Wyrm bit into its side. It tried to burn it back, but Daemon flew away once more as blood began to flood the ground.
"NO!" she shouted in High Valyrian as she saw her precious beast scream in agony.
"GO! FLY AWAY!" she ordered, as Meleys eyed her and gave her a smile as Ceraxes came down at her once more, and once again it used its own body to protect her as Ceraxes bit out another chunk of its neck and burnt its face.
"NOO! NOOOO!" and it happened once more, until half of her face was gone, and with a final roar, the Red Queen fell to the ground and gave a weak roar, as it covered her with its wing with its last dying breath.
"NOO! NOOOO!" and Rhaenys could not help but fall to her knees, as the ground shook as Ceraxes landed on the ground, along with Daemon.
"I must say she was quite a loyal beast," he roared from the back of his dragon, and it was his mother's dragon. Alyssa Targaryen's dragon.
"You will rot in hell for this," she roared back in defiance, as the Blood Wyrm glared her down.
"Mark my words! You will burn in the Seven Hells for this...."
"We will see about that," and with that, she stood tall, as Ceraxes roared as Daemon gave his command.
"Dracarys...."
"MOTHERRRR!"
.
.
.
Hours later, with half of Spice Town aflame, Daemon Targaryen stood tall on the dead remains of Meleys, as he looked down at Vaemon Velaryon kneeling in infront of him.
"Wise choice," he said with a smile, and thousands had been burnt until now, and High Tide, the castle built by Corlys Velaryon, had been torn apart as well, yet amidst the kneeling crowd, one man stood tall still.
"Do you have no shame, uncle?" Laenor Velaryon roared at his uncle in defiance, even as burns and wounds covered his body.
"DO YOU HAVE NO HONOR!" he roared, and yet no man answered his call. No man rose in defiance as Daemon Targaryen smiled.
"I have spilt enough dragon blood today," he said to the little lord.
"Go, and give my message to my precious little aunt," he said with a smile.
"Tell her that I am coming for her next..."
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