Part Two - Olyvar
“What happened?!!” Daemon ran into the solar that served as Commander Largent’s office in Dragonwatch, staring in horror as his niece was covered in dry blood.
He was only away for a week!
He then noticed the rest of the people in huge room, including the two horse-sized dragons that were sticking their head in the door leading to the garden outside, crooning against Rhaenyra’s youngest lady in waiting and, he inhaled a sharp breath, the boy he had been avoiding for the past four years, both looking lost in their blood drenched clothes, their hair matted in dark brown-red like Rhaenyra.
(Morag, the only other dragon keeper in Dragon Den when the attack happened, managed to hide herself in the rocks before raising the alarm using the pyre set in Dragon Den for such emergencies. Together with the group that came from Felstrong (who witnessed from afar the fiery battle) they all took the group to Dragonwatch, the closest place with medical help needed. Thankfully Master Gerardys was there on a medical visit and immediately tended to the group while a group of off-duty dragon keepers tried their best to make Grey Ghost and Syrax comfortable (Grey Ghost had suffered some deep laceration while Syrax had a broken wingtip that needed careful tending).
The door behind him opened again, this time, admitting the rest of his niece’s ladies in waiting, carrying bowls of hot water and towels, and that blasted blacksmith and his crippled son that boy insisted on playing house with as well as a young man that vaguely looks like that blasted Lord Strong.
“Master Gerardys said Layla’s fine, only her right shoulder is sprained from the swim and he had given her some dreamwine to sleep the pain off. Brother had some claw injuries from the little dragonet in his armor but he insisted on coming here after we forced him to change clothes.” Morna pointed at Harwin who took his place by the door, fresh bandages can be seen poking out of the shirt he borrowed from Commander Largent, a borrowed sword held loosely by his right hand.
The ladies quickly helped Rhaenyra clean her hair and pulled most of her dirty clothes off her, Joffrey helpfully held a cloak up to cover her modesty. Rowena meanwhile managed to coax Elinda to at least take off some of her riding clothes before covering her up in a blanket, Edmondo doing the same for Olyvar, both careful not to disturb the dragons resting beside them.
They all jumped again when the door crashed open, Harwin pointing his sword at the newcomers.
“Put that sword down, boy!” Vaegon barked as he helped Rhaella enter the room. “Where is my niece?”
“Here uncle.” Rhaenyra said wanly as Joffrey stepped back to reveal the princess, now dressed in a dressing gown, her hair were being cleaned by Valaena.
“Are you alright, my sweet child?” Rhaella’s voice trembled in relief, having spent the trip from Moonstone terrified she might lose another family member.
“I’m fine Grandaunt.” Rhaenyra tipped forward into Rhaella’s embrace, shuddering as she remembered the carnage. “Syrax and the dragons saved our lives.”
“How can this happen?” Vaegon asked furiously at both Commander Largent and Irys, the Head of Dragon Keepers in Stepstones. “Why were there no alarms raised?”
“A report just came in, The Seagull, ” Commander Largent named the watch ship stationed south just outside of Grey Gallow, “tried to raise the first alarm when they spotted him before Cannibal ravaged the ship and fed on its crews. The lone survivor that managed to escape was picked up by a passing fishing boat and tried to raise the alarm but by that time it was too late.”
“ We believe ,” Irys spoke softly in High Valyrian, the language they prefer to speak in, “ the dragon is hungry and was hunting. My compatriots in Dragonstone had written that there are no more eggs in Dragonstone after Lord Hand had them all moved to King’s Landing and there are no new hatchlings born after Princess Rhaenyra’s left. With Grey Ghost currently living here and Windstrum up in Vale, we think that Cannibal had not been eating for a long time and came here to feed on the dragon hatchlings.”
“ Have we lost any dragons to this attack?” Daemon asked sharply.
“No, my prince. Other than Grey Ghost's and Syrax's current injuries, all the dragon hatchlings and eggs are all accounted for.”
“Write a letter to your compatriots to confirm your hypothesis on this and submit it to me soon.” Vaegon commands. “ Have your keepers work together with my assistants to exhumed the carcass and see what we can learn from them. The bones are to be kept in a safe place until Princess Rhaenyra is ready to deal with them.”
Irys bowed and after a long look at Olyvar, left the room.
“Damn Otto Hightower.” Daemon spat angrily. “ What the fuck does he think, taking ALL the eggs from the incubation chamber in Dragonstone and bring them to King’s Landing?”
“We can talk about this later, Daemon. There are people listening.” Vaegon hissed. “We still have something more important to talk about than that. He turned to the horse-sized dragons by the door. “It seems Terrax and Dusk had finally chosen their riders.”
“How is that possible Master Vaegon?” Valaena asked. “I thought only Targaryens can be dragon riders, and Elinda isn't a Targaryen.”
“Maybe all that intermarrying between Targaryen with Velaryon and Velaryon with Massey throughout the years granted a miniscule Valyrian bloodline in the child, or maybe one of her ancestress had tumbled with a Targaryen,” Lady Elyse who accompanied Vaegon and Rhaella glared furiously at Daemon for the slur against her family.
“The thing is we never know what exactly happened for her to be able to claim a dragon.” Vaegon gestured at Elinda who shrunk against her mother. “There’s a lot more we still don’t know about dragon lore, what with most of them lost in Valyria. But be rest assured, I will investigate this thoroughly.”
“But how about me?” Olyvar finally spoke, looking up after spending throughout the discussion hiding his face against Kriss’s curls, who was sitting on his lap. “I’m not a Targaryen bastard, am I? I shouldn’t be able to bond with a dragon.”
Everyone looked awkwardly at each other before staring pointedly at his white gold hair. “I can’t be!” The dragon keeper said defensively. “I have blue eyes! And we all know Targaryens, trueborn and bastards, have purple eyes.”
“My mother has blue eyes.” Vaegon suddenly said, putting aside the report one of his apprentices had given him. “She got that from her ancestress from the Velaryon side, Alarra Massey. Rhaenys Targaryen-Velaryon has black hair before it turned white after giving birth to her twins and Daemon’s son is all Royce other than his purple eyes. What do we truly know about genetics? It’s possible whoever fathered you and gave you those eyes, is one of my stupid relatives.”
“It’s not.” Everyone turned to Rhaella, who was looking at Daemon of all people. “Will you tell them or shall I do it?”
The Rogue Prince frowned, “Are you sure? It’s still possible we could be wrong.”
Rhaella frowned on him. “You spent too much time investigating this to be wrong now. And the evidence is on its way here so at this point we might as well tell them.”
Daemon’s eyebrows furrowed before shrugging. “Your mother was Gael Targaryen.” Daemon finally said.
“What?!!” Almost everyone shrieked, not expecting that.
“Your aunt, The Winter Princess?” Rhaenyra said in bewilderment. “Didn’t she die before I was born?”
“Yes, but not because of winter fever like the Good Queen led everyone to believe.” Daemon sneered. “She was seduced and left pregnant by a visiting minstrel. Grandmother tried to hide the pregnancy and later her suicide in fear for her reputation, not that it was successful, not after the scandals caused by aunts Saera and Viserra.”
“But how can you be so sure his mother was Gael?” Vaegon asked, looking at Olyvar in search of any family resemblance. Then again he had left for the citadel years before his youngest sister was born.
“I was her playmate when we were young and growing up in Red Keep. When I saw him years ago,I thought I saw her again. I wasn’t sure back then but when I asked aunt Rhaella, she agreed that you looked exactly like my late great granduncle, Viserys.”
“The one tortured to death by Maegor the Cruel?” Prunella said faintly, being the one in Rhaenyra’s retinue who is well-versed in history.
Rhaella sighed. “There is a painting of him my uncle once showed to me and looks like a spitting image of him. But again we weren’t sure so I told Daemon to investigate it and a contact of mine in Red Keep to get a copy of that painting before we can say anything. It is on its way here now as we speak.”
“Mysaria helped me track down grandmother’s surviving ladies and later Gael’s nurse and I finally got the truth from them. Grandmother,” He sneered, “lied to Gael, telling her that you didn’t survive the birthing and told the nurse to take you away. From what I can gather, the woman left you in an orphanage in Flea Bottom when she was supposed to raise you with a chest of gold grandmother gave her.”
“She thought she was doing this to save her daughter’s life and her reputation but all she did was driven my poor aunt to commit suicide, throwing herself into the Blackwater Bay from the window.”
Vaegon stepped forward and placed his hands against the boy’s chin, tipping it upward and stared down at him. “I’ll be damned, he does have my mother’s eyes. To think we have a family member near us all this time.” He muttered.
“Does that mean you’re a prince now, Ollie?” Kriss asked in wonder as Edmondo had a weird look on his face.
“I think I’m going to be sick.” Olyvar turned green before moving away, throwing up out the window and on the poor roses outside.
They all agreed it was a long day and they should rest. Commander Largent offered his guest suite to them before moving off to find his husband to see if they offer some nourishing food for their guests.
Vaegon and Daemon immediately left to see Grey Ghost while the girls (and Olyvar and his pseudo family) were bundled off to bed at the guest suite. Joffrey even relieved Harwin of his guarding duties and pushed him into bed, telling him he needed to rest after the ordeal.
Rhaenyra snuck out of her bed quietly, trying her best not to wake Valaena and Prunella, who were sharing her bed. On the pallett by the dying fire, she can see Morna and Rowena huddled close to Layla while on the daybed by the window, Elyse held her daughter in her arms.
Pulling on a robe, she walked out of the bedroom just to see Harwin sitting uncomfortably on the set of chairs, his blanket had slipped off while he was asleep. Tiptoed toward him, she gently picked up the blanket and covered him. “Thank you for trying to protect us, Harwin.” She said softly before slipping out of the suite.
There outside the door, poor cousin Joffrey was nodding off. The princess decided to let him be, walking in shadows past him and toward the stairways leading to the roof.
To her surprise, someone else had the same thought as she was.
Olyvar was sitting on the edge of the battlement, looking up at the night sky. “Can’t sleep too?” he asked as Rhaenyra climbed up to sit beside him. He opened a corner of the blanket he was wearing and tucked the princess close when she came in.
“You too?”
“I can still see blood and hear the bloodcurdling roar everytime I close my eyes.” The dragon keeper confessed.
“I feel like I’m back in the water, struggling to breathe while fire is raging over us.” Rhaenyra whispered. Olyvar puts his arms around her and hugs her tightly, both of them sitting in silence.
“So, apparently, I’m your uncle.” He suddenly said, “It’s weird, all this time all I wanted was to look for my family and it turns out I found it all along.” He leaned his head over hers. “ It is weird, right? To hear my own grandmother sent me away like a dirty secret and abandoned in an orphanage.”
I-I always had this dream, you know? That one day I’m going to go back to King’s Landing and find my parents and tell them, h-hey, look at me now? Are you proud of me now? Will you l-love me now?” Olyvar said with a sad hitch in his voice. “T-To find out my father seduced my mother and she committed suicide after giving birth to me, it really hits hard. Maybe I should be born in the fi-” Rhaenyra’s hand covered his mouth, her purple eyes glared angrily at him.
“Don’t say that. It’s not your fault that the man who fathered you seduced a princess or the fact your mother died. I won’t let you blame yourself like that. I am glad you were born and here right now with me. You are family.”
Olyvar pulled her hand away from his mouth. “No, I’m not your family. I’m just an orphaned bastard.” He said sadly.
“No, no! You’re family! So what, you're a bastard? Uncle Vaegon is an asshole, Uncle Daemon is Daemon, pretty sure Grandaunt Rhaella is actually Grandaunt Aerea, the twins are born on the wrong side of the sheets, Aelyx are more Royce than Targaryen these days and I would like to remind you my father abandoned me the moment he has his perfect, male heir. Olyvar,” she cupped his cheeks, looking into his eyes, “you fit just fine in this messed-up family of ours.”
“Waters or Targaryen, we don’t care what your surname is or what blood flows in you. All we care, no, all I care about is my sweet friend. You’re Olyvar and you are my family.”
Olyvar cried into her hair, his body shaking with grief as the both of them held each other. Moments or perhaps hours later, the dragon keeper pulled away, wiping his teary face with his sleeves. “So what now?”
“Now we see how it goes but nothing has to change, Ollie. Though…” Rhaenyra wondered if she should tell him after everything that had happened but figured she might as well do it before she loses her nerves. “I like you.” Rhaenyra suddenly blurted out. “Ever since I first saw you in Felstrong three years ago, offering to help me fix Syrax’s broken saddle. You were so sweet and kind to me and never treated me differently even when you found out I’m not a dragon keeper but Syrax’s rider. Also you’re very, very pretty.” She giggled.
He froze. “Like as in…”
“Like-like you, yes.”
“But you’re with Sayiddah?! Also I'm your uncle?!!”
“It’s an on and off thing, and you should know she also likes you. Also, we're Targaryens, this is normal.” She laughed at his dumbfounded expression. “I know this is a big ask and you can say no but I would really like to kiss you.”
“Oh. Umm, I’m flattered but what if this ruins our friendship?” He asked shyly.
“Whatever happens after this, it won’t change us, we explore the idea of being lovers or just stay being friends like we already are. But no matter what, Olyvar of Scarwood, you’re family. So, may I kiss you now?” Rhaenyra whispered against his lips.
“Yes.” He breathed as both of them leaned closer, their lips touching for the first time.
Kissing a man wasn’t like kissing a girl, Rhaenyra thought, feeling the rough stubble rubbing against her chin, the firm muscle in her hold rather than the soft curves. She tilted her head, deepening the kiss and couldn’t help but smile at the punch of moan coming from Olyvar.
Needing air, she pulled away and giggled as Olyvar unconsciously followed her lips. Catching each other’s eyes, they laughed.
“Friends?” Olyvar smiles tentatively, his eyes starry with wonder.
“For now, yes, still friends. Though can I kiss you again?” Rhaenyra asked playfully and giggled as Olyvar tilted her head again with his hands and kissed her at the corner of her mouth, laughing.
“That’s not fair! I should be the one kissing him first!” Both of them pulled away to see Edmondo scowling at them.
“Wait, Eds, you like me too?!” Olyvar was gobsmacked while Rhaenyra laughed against his collarbone.
“Yes, you idiot, ever since you helped carry Kriss when I first arrived in Scarwood and made him his crutches.”
“B-But that was years ago?!!”
“He chased away so many of your admirers.” Rhaenyra teased.
“Y-you did?!” Olyvar stared at him in horror. “Wait, is that why Natalya and Aly don't talk to me now?”
Edmondo rolled his eyes. “I love you, I truly do, but sometimes your cluelessness is not that endearing at all.”
Olyvar pulled a face at him. “Shut up Eds, and come here already.”
He climbed up and sat on Olyvar’s other side, quickly stealing his way into their shared blanket. “So what are we doing here?” He asked.
“Waiting for sunrise and be thankful we’re still alive.” Rhaenyra said softly, not caring whose fingers were digging into her ribs or wrapped around her back as they all huddled together for warmth.
“That’s a good idea.” Edmondo paused before whispering, “And I’m glad all of you are still alive.”
The three of them held each other as the sun rays began to paint the sky with soft colors of dawn.
Unbeknownst to them, Harwin, who woke up and realized the princess was missing, had come up just in time to see Rhaenyra and Olyvar kissing for the second time.
Oh.
He immediately turned away, feeling oddly unhappy.