Dragonhearted
The Skies over Dragonstone Castle, Dragonstone
130 AC
The Fourth Day of the Ninth Moon
As Sunfyre and his rider dived down towards her and Moondancer, Baela Targaryen was sure that this was the end of her life.
So this is it then. This is death. Funny how I don't even feel that frightened.
Her father Daemon had often told her stories of his death-defying adventures with Caraxes and while Baela had fought well against Sunfyre and the fat bastard that rode him, Moondancer was rapidly tiring from her ceaseless maneuvering against the golden beast. Sunfyre was clearly bleeding on his back, with a heavily torn right wing and he was struggling to stay aloft. Yet Aegon had somehow managed to outmaneuver her and was now diving down on her and Moondancer. Sunfyre's claws were extended, ready to grapple the younger she-dragon as he zoomed through the clouds towards them.
Yet out of the corner of her right eye, Baela spied a small purple cloud below her. The cloud was not like any ordinary cloud, for flashes of lightning zipped around inside the cloud even though it was a calm summer day. Knowing that this strange cloud was her only chance of survival despite the twinge of fear that it gave her, Baela steered her she-dragon in a swift dive for the purple cloud. As Moondancer raced for the purple cloud, Baela looked back for a single moment at her opponent. What she saw almost made her whimper in fear.
Sunfyre opened his mouth and Baela could see a torrent of dragonflame gathering the golden dragon's throat, ready to be unleashed upon her and Moondancer. With a sudden fierce lash of her whip, Baela urged her dragon forward as the distance shortened between her and the strange cloud. In a split second, Moondancer flew into the strange cloud, taking her rider with her. All this occurred just as the torrent of dragonfire from Sunfyre threatened to engulf Moondancer's tail, though the young she-dragon was able to whip it around and avoid the deadly flames before it hit her.
As soon as Moondancer and her young rider disappeared into the cloud, it exploded in a spectacular manner, with bolts of lightning flying out of the fluffy explosion. One bolt of lightning was somehow attracted to Aegon II by way of his steel armor and the unfortunate usurper ended up being fried by his own protective garments, as his dragon was knocked out of flight by the force of the explosion. Plummeting to the ground with his dead rider and a busted right wing, the beautiful golden dragon could only roar in fury and terror as it fell earthward towards the dark blue waters of Dragonstone Bay.
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Somewhere in the Void...
Meanwhile, Baela and Moondancer floated through a dark void, an empty realm filled with the voices of those lost and gone forever. Yet the young girl could only one of them, that of her mother's. She was the late Laena Velaryon, the Beauty of Driftmark, rider of Vhagar, and second wife of the Rogue Prince. A beautiful young woman beloved by her parents Corlys and Rhaenys as well as her brother Laenor, though she would come to love another with same intensity; Daemon Targaryen, the Rogue Prince.
"Oh my dear daughter, look at you. You're all grown up now." whispered Laena's voice.
"M-Mother? I-Is that you? Mother?" A single tear rolled down Baela's eye as she remembered seeing her mother's body on her bed. She looked so much smaller than she had in life, all the strength and vigor gone from her body, with her eyes closed as if she were sleeping.
"Yes, Baela. It's me. It's your mother." Baela could feel her presence around her, yet she could see nothing in the pitch black of void. The only thing she could feel was Moondancer, who made rumbling noise in her throat, something she usually did when someone pet her.
"Where are you mother? Why can I feel you but not see you?" Baela desperately wanted to see her mother last time, even if was at the cost of her life.
This has to be the afterlife. After all, how else can I hear mother?
"Oh darling, you're mistaken," replied her mother, who seemed to read her thoughts. "This place is but a crossroads, a precipice upon which your fate and that of House Targaryen stands. Taking a physical form is almost impossible here Baela, though I would give anything to hug you one last time."
"What do you mean mother? Does this mean I can go back to kill that fat Hightower bastard and his golden beast?" Baela smiled in anticipation at a chance to return to the fight and burn Aegon the Usurper and blasted golden beast to ashes for good.
"Oh darling, you and your father are alike in so many ways, always so protective of our family. Yet I cannot send you back, for it is not I who controls this realm." Laena whispered back.
"Then how are you here mother? And where exactly am I going?" Baela was more confused than ever at this point.
Where in the Seven Heavens and 14 Flames am I? My mother said this was a crossroads, but she also said that she wasn't in control of this place. Well, whatever happens, there's only way and that's forward. I wonder how Rhaena and father are doing though...
"Your father and Rhaena will be fine, Baela. The Black Dragon has promised that he will keep them safe from harm, as he has done for you." answered her mother Laena, as if she read the thoughts off her daughter's mind.
"The Black Dragon?!? The Valyrian gods are real then, because the Black Dragon has to be Balerion!" exclaimed Baela excitedly, remembering the lessons taught by her father about Valyria, it's people, and it's culture.
"No Baela, the Black Dragon is not Balerion, though the two are related. Yet his every action has our best interests in mind, so you must trust whatever he shows or tells you. Now I have one more thing that I must tell you before I go, Baela. It is essential that you listen carefully, for the fate of House Targaryen now rests on your shoulders." responded her mother, a serious edge to her tone.
"I'm listening mother. What is the message?" asked Baela, just eager to hear the voice of her beloved mother, who was cruelly taken from her when she was but a child of four namedays.
"Not everything is what it seems Baela. Don't just base your judgements on a person's outward appearance and actions, but look deep into their heart to find their true self." said Laena, in a unusually solemn voice that didn't belong to her.
"Wait, what do you mean by that mother? I don't understand. What does looking into someone's heart have anything to do with the fate of House Targaryen?" replied Baela, the confusion and desperation evident in her voice. She knew in her heart that her mother's time with her was coming to an end soon.
"I'm so sorry darling, but that's all I can tell you. Just remember what I've told you and never give up, my dear daughter." her mother said, as her voice began to crack with emotion. "I love you Baela, I really do, but I can't stay here any longer darling."
"Mother, please don't go! Mother! Please! Just wait for me! Please! MOTHER!" Baela was close to breaking down by that point, tears welling in her eyes. She extended a hand out, grasping the darkness in a desperate attempt to find her mother. Feeling her mother's hand brush against her face, she tried to grab it but it was gone as fast as it had come. The only thing she could hear was the whisper of her mother's voice.
"I love you, my dear Baela. I love you so much..." whispered her mother as her voice gradually faded into the silence of the void.
"I-I love you too mother. I-" Baela felt a lump form in her throat as she broke down, tears streaming from face as she sobbed for her mother to come back. Sensing her rider's sadness and grief, Moondancer let out a mournful roar, the sound of it echoing through the void.
"You cruel fucking bastard! You took mother away from me, you craven cunt! You-You will bring her back or I will command Moondancer to burn down your realm!" Baela was wild, willing, and fearless, just like her father Daemon, and her grief quickly turned to fury as she screamed and swore at the endless void. Yet it was all in vain, for there was no reply from the yawning abyss that they were trapped inside. Baela continued to alternate between crying for her mother and screaming at the void to bring her back.
Suddenly and without warning, the void opened a portal right under Moondancer, as if it had heard her screams of anger and rage and decided to reply in kind. With a final scream of fury, Baela and Moondancer disappeared through the portal.
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Dragonstone Castle, Dragonstone
25 AC
The Fourth Day of the Fifth Moon
Maegor Targaryen had just finished beating the absolute shit out of his opponent (a household knight in service to House Targaryen) when he spied a strange purple cloud appearing in the sky while raising Dark Sister in triumph. As he watched, lightning began to form inside the cloud, even though it was clear summer day. And then out of the blue, a slender green dragon with pearl colored horns, crest and wingbones fell from the strange lightning filled cloud, which promptly exploded, the force of the explosion knocking the dragon several meters through the sky. Yet it recovered quickly from the explosion and as it made a wide turn, Maegor could see that the dragon had a saddle and a rider, who appeared to be a young boy. The dragon circled several times before it's rider chose to land on the beach. Almost immediately, Maegor called for a dozen guards before he jumped on a waiting horse, already galloping out the open gates of Dragonstone Castle as the House Targaryen guards struggled to catch up to their prince.
As he neared the beach, Maegor saw the dragonrider dismount the dragon, which he could clearly identify as a she-dragon according to his mother's lessons. The rider saw his approach but did not flee or produce any weapons. Maegor dismounted and drew Dark Sister before marching over to the rider. As he got closer, he realized that the rider was not a young boy as he had first thought, but a young teenage girl of pure Valyrian heritage; the slight bulges in her clothes produced by her breasts revealing her sex. She was dressed in fine dragonriding leathers, the black and red of House Targaryen, yet it was her face that made Maegor pause in wonder. Her silver-white hair, though cut short, shined as if it were platinum while the sun cast it's rays upon her. The girl's violet eyes glowed with a fierce fire, the very same fire that Maegor had once seen in his mother's eyes after an argument with his father. The rest of her face was almost exactly like his mother's description of his late Aunt Rhaenys, the most beautiful woman in the Seven Kingdoms until her untimely demise at the hands of the bastard Dornish before he was born. The only difference was that this girl seemed to have cried recently, judging by the dried tears on her face and her sore red eyes. As he approached she managed to rise up and stand before him, though he towered over her as she was a full head shorter than him. Despite the fact that he had Dark Sister unsheathed in his right hand and his intimidating height, the young female dragonrider was the one who initiated the conversation.
"Who are you and why do you have my father's sword?" she demanded in a bold voice, her body tensing up as if Maegor was going to attack her any second.
"Your father?!? By Balerion's black bones who the hell are you talking about? Dark Sister belonged to my mother until she gifted it to me. I don't know who you are girl, but you have a minute to explain yourself before I order my guards to seize you and throw you into the dungeons."
"Girl? As if you're any older." she retorted in a sarcastic tone. "And swords are earned, not gifted." Maegor had to control the urge to slap her in the face with his left hand, for the boy was known to have a short temper and did not tolerate any sort of mockery. "I am Princess Baela Targaryen, daughter of Lady Laena Velaryon and Prince Daemon Targaryen. Now if you're going to kill me, just get over it." Maegor could see a purple fire blazing in the girl eyes, challenging him to strike her if he dared.
Yet Maegor did not strike her and instead he sheathed his sword, for the girl's defiance intrigued him, as well as her claims that she was a Targaryen from two people whose names he had never heard before. Plus, she was completely unarmed save for a dragonrider's crop in her right hand. The girl responded by lowering her guard ever so slightly, but the defiant fire burning in her eyes told him that she was ready to kill him if he made any threatening moves towards her. Just then, the House Targaryen guards arrived on their horses and dismounted immediately, drawing their swords and readying their spears at the young woman. Yet Maegor ordered them to stand down with a single flick of his wrist. Baela noticed the power dynamic between the guards and the young man, who was dressed in training gear with the prominently displayed sigil of House Targaryen. Wisely, she chose to curtsy and asked the young man for his name.
"Now that I've told you my name, I suppose you could tell me yours." Seeing that she had finally chosen to pay him the respect that he deserved, Maegor gave a small bow before responding.
"I am Prince Maegor Targaryen, son of Queen Visenya and King Aegon of House Targaryen, and Prince of Dragonstone. I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Princess Baela." The second sentence wasn't really true, though the Princess's actions and attitude had intrigued Maegor and her beauty was simply dazzling, a million times better than the Hightower hag his father was going to condemn him to once he agrees to their betrothal. But the most curious thing was the girl's reaction to his name and the names of his parents. Her defiance had swiftly turned into surprise and then curiosity.
"Well, Prince Maegor, would you be so kind and tell a lady what is the date? I seem to have lost track of time during my travels." quipped Baela, who was sure that he was lying and that she hadn't just traveled 105 years back into the past because of that damn purple cloud.
"It's the fourth day of the fifth moon of 25 AC, Princess Baela. How long have you been traveling to lose track of time?" Maegor was confused at the girl's odd question but chose to answer it regardless. Yet her reaction to his answer began to confirm a suspicion he had, that the purple cloud was magical and that the girl was a member of House Targaryen from another era. He had briefly read about something similar during his studies, and though he considered the idea to be mostly wishful thinking, a tiny part of him believed it to be true, especially since his ancestors had been able to do similarly impossible things, such as the creation of dragonstone and Valyrian steel, as well as the taming of dragons.
Baela on the hand, was in a full on panic once she realized that the young man before her was not lying and he was truly Maegor the Cruel, albeit younger and she was in 25 AC, during the reign of Aegon the Dragon, the founder of their dynasty. At the same time she realized that there was no way of getting back to her time and that both her father Daemon and her sister Rhaena were lost to her forever. As she tried to comprehend the changes that occurred around her, she heard the roar of a dragon and turned around to see which one it was. The sight that greeted her shocked her beyond disbelief, as she watched Vhagar descend from the sky and land on the beach beside Moondancer, who quickly scurried to Baela's side, fearful of the older and more powerful dragon. Baela stroked Moondancer's horns as she watched a woman who she presumed to be Queen Visenya Targaryen descend from Vhagar's back. Even more surprising was Maegor's reaction to his mother's appearance, for his face quickly brightened into a smile as he ran towards her with his arms wide open. Mother and son wrapped each other in a tight hug, which lasted for several seconds before they let go of each other and Maegor began talking to his mother in a hushed tone, occasionally pointing to Baela.
Suddenly, the exhaustion of her ordeal began to overcome her as she felt the adrenaline leave her body. Her head grew light and the world seemed to spin around before her eyes. The last thing Baela remembered was being caught by someone before her head hit the ground and confused shouting in High Valyrian and Common. As she closed her eyes, Baela felt herself slipping into the dreamless sleep of exhaustion, which came with a certain sense of relief that she could finally rest after her maddening ordeal.
After what seemed like an eternity, Baela started to hear something. Opening her eyes, she tried to get up, before she felt someone gently lift her up and set a number of plush cushions behind her back to prop her up. When the haze of awakening that covered her eyes finally cleared, Baela found herself staring into the smiling faces of Queen Visenya Targaryen, with Prince Maegor Targaryen absentmindedly reading a book as he sat behind her in a chair. Queen Visenya coughed once to get Maegor's attention and he immediately responded by putting his book down and turning his attention to her.
"Looks like your guest is awake, Maegor." she said happily. Baela could not understand why she was so happy but it certainly brightened her mood slightly.
"Yes she is, mother." replied Maegor, before he turned to Baela. "Well Princess Baela, it seemed that you have much to tell mother and myself." He paused before continuing.
"Let start with the basics, Princess Baela. What year are you from?"
And so it begins...
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