Chapter 9
Mellos was dead, his head taken by Crown Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen as she wielded her husband's sword, Dark Sister.
The maester's head had been crushed under the Small Folk's feet and his body ripped to shreds at their hands.
The midwives' heads were stripped of their skin and hair, after which, the head butcher of the Red Keep found old, rusted spits that were going to be thrown away and held them steady as the five bloody skulls were shoved down the pointed ends. The makeshift pikes were then shoved into the ground outside the Sept.
A personal 'fuck you' to the devout and pious Green Queen.
The women's bodies were feasted upon by the dragons with Arrax receiving the largest share.
At the Red Keep, a few stable workers had returned and had begun tacking horses to hitch them to the carriages that would take Prince Lucerys, Princess Helaena, the children, and the midwives to Mud Gate where Lord Corlys would be waiting with his ships to take them to Dragonstone.
And while the Sea Snake had separated from the group to make sure that the Velaryon ships were being readied for departure, Prince Daemon, Princess Rhaenyra, Princess Rhaenys, and the Cargyll twins returned to the Keep. They returned to collect the Prince and Princess and to make sure that there would be no last attempts at keeping both of them and their children in King's Landing.
Prince Daemon stood in the courtyard, overseeing those who were preparing the carriages while his wife and cousin went inside to find Lucerys and Helaena.
As he waited, the doors opened. But it was not the people he was waiting for.
The Sick King wheezed his way down the steps, pausing every few seconds to catch his breath.
Behind him was The Hand who at first glance appeared indifferent to the whole thing, but Deamon saw the clench of his jaw and the way his shoulders tensed.
At his side was his daughter, the Queen Consort, who had red eyes and red fingers that twisted the cloak she was wearing to protect her from the light rain.
The Princes Aegon and Aemond were present, but they both stood at a distance from the three at the front, choosing instead to stand by Ser Harrold.
The Commander didn't acknowledge the two standing beside him, but he did shake his head at Cole when he tried standing at Aemond's side. So the younger Kingsguard was now standing further back, away from the royals.
Daemon rolled his eyes at the obvious attempt to save what little face they had left. He did not doubt his brother would try to convince Lucerys to stay while Alicent would plead with Helaena not to leave.
But Daemon would not allow that. Helaena and Lucerys wanted to leave and take their children to Dragonstone, he would ensure that they made it.
The doors opened a second time and everyone turned as Rhaenys and Helaena stepped out. Each princess had one of the twins perched on their hip, small hoods covering their heads to shield them from the rain, but their hands were held out to catch the drops falling around them.
After them stepped Rhaenyra, a newborn wrapped in blue strapped to her chest and her arm around Lucerys. The Prince had his oldest daughter strapped to his chest in the same fashion as Rhaenyra.
Lucerys had one hand supporting his daughter and the other was gripping Ser Erryk's arm tightly as he slowly descended the stairs. A pained grimace was on his face and deepened with each step he took.
When they reached the bottom of the stairs, the Queen moved.
Her hands, with blood staining her nails, were stretching toward Helaena as she desperately tried to reach around Rhaenys to grab her daughter,
"Helaena, please-" The princess stepped away from her mother but did not falter in her journey toward the carriage.
Jaehaerys and Jaehaera did not even spare their grandmother a glance and instead babbled at Rhaenys, asking questions about Dragonstone and her dragon Meleys. They only looked when Alicent called to them.
The Queen then found herself at the end of the most fearsome glare two two-year-olds could muster.
She briefly faltered and tried reaching for Jaehaerys who was in Rhaenys' arms, but before the Princess could move out of the way, the child scowled and slapped his grandmother's hand,
"No! No! You hur una Lu! No!" When Jaehaera heard her brother's cries, she joined in, pointing her fingers at the Queen with a scowl,
"Grama bad! Bad!"
Helaena tried quieting her children but quickly gave up and resumed walking while Rhaenys hid her smile in Jaehaerys' hair.
Daemon had no qualms about grinning broadly at the Queen's bewildered expression and began to laugh when the twins caught sight of Aemond and began pointing at him,
"Bad Unca Aem! Bad!"
"Hur Una Lu! Bad!"
The twins were quickly put into the carriage, followed by Helaena and Rhaenys, but their little silver heads poked out long enough to wave at Aegon,
"Bye Kepa!" They yelled before ducking back inside.
Aegon looked surprised that they had even known who he was.
Lucerys had to look up and breathe through his nose to keep from laughing at the two of them before resuming the painful walk to the carriage,
"Lucerys," His grandfather had walked up and was standing beside Alicent who was still staring at the carriage.
The King tried to speak, but Lucerys, while staring straight ahead, spoke before him,
"I am not staying here. My children are not safe here. I am not safe here,"
"You are and will be safe here-"
"The actions of your Queen and your son say otherwise," Lucerys said, his grip tightening on Ser Erryk's arm as his legs shook from the exertion, "Walk, please,"
Rhaenyra nodded as she readjusted her arm around Lucerys' waist while Ser Erryk began walking again.
They had almost reached the carriage when the Hand called out,
"Since you are taking the children, can their Graces know the names of their granddaughters, at the very least?" Once again, Lucerys stopped walking while he kept his gaze forward and he answered
"I am holding Aenyra. My mother is holding Aemma,"
He did not look at Aemond to see his reaction.
He told himself he did not care what Aemond thought.
He told himself if did not matter what Aemond thought.
There was a silence that rested heavily in the air before The Hand spoke again,
"And, these were the names that both you and Prince Aemond had decided-"
"Prince Aemond, lost any right to name my daughters when he abandoned them before they were even born!" The Prince snapped as he finally turned to face the King.
Viserys was staring in shock at Lucerys while Alicent looked at Rhaenyra. More importantly, at the babe, she was holding.
Her face was downturned and her eyes were wide as she stared at the child in his mother's grasp.
Lucerys turned back around and lurched forward to grab the carriage door, his feet shaking as they pushed him up. Rhaenys took his arm and helped him sit down beside her while Helaena pulled her children back so they wouldn't crowd around Luke.
Rhaenyra sat beside him as Daemon, who was smirking at the Greens, entered after her and shut the carriage door.
A small conversation started as the wheels began to turn, but the exhaustion weighed heavily on Lucerys and he found himself falling asleep against his mother.
It was slow going since the way toward the Mud Gate was crowded with Small Folk. They shouted blessings to Prince Lucerys and Princess Helaena, showing their support for the two Omegas and their children. Many hands reached out to touch the carriage while others prayed loudly for a safe journey.
There were a few curses heard, but not towards them, towards the Green Queen and her One-eyed Son.
When the carriage pulled to a stop at the docks, Lucerys was gently shaken awake by Jaehaera as she whispered,
"Boat, Unca Lu. Time for boat,"
He tiredly nodded and ran a hand over Aenyra's head as she shifted against his chest.
Daemon was supporting him this time, the two of them walking slowly toward the ships as Corlys approached them,
"How are you feeling, lad?" Luke shrugged as he answered,
"I feel like I've fallen from Arrax and then rolled down Aegon's Hill," He said, pausing with a hiss as his legs nearly gave out, "Though, I don't think either of those would be as painful, as this,"
Corlys led his grandson aboard one of his ships and directly into the captain's cabin. It was furnished with dark wood furniture that was polished to a shine. The bed was made up of the softest pillows and blankets that Gold Dragons could buy and thick curtains that blocked all light from entering the large windows that overlooked the sea.
The Omega sank into the mattress and almost fell asleep before Aenyra was untied from her bundle and handed off to Rhaenys.
Should he have wanted to hold onto her and Aemma the entire trip to Dragonstone?
Should he have asked that they be put beside him on the bed?
Was he relieved that his mother and Rhaenys would be the ones watching over his daughters instead of him?
"Your daughters will be kept safe, Lucerys," Daemon said as he and Corlys helped situate him against the pillows, "The three of you will be watched over on our journey,"
His stepfather ran a hand through his curls as his grandfather squeezed his hand.
The two of them approached their mates and spoke with them, but as Lucerys was nearing the verge of sleep, he could not make out the words.
The last thing he was aware of before he gave in to his exhaustion was his hand, as he had done so many nights before, reaching for the mating mark on his shoulder. Luke traced the scar, running his fingers along the ridges and bumps as he wondered what would happen next.
As Lucerys slept, Helaena smiled as she turned her face toward the rain. She had her children at her side, both of them ohing and ahhing at the dragons that flew above the ships.
When Lord Corlys exited the cabin with Daemon, he began calling orders out to his sailors who scrambled to undock the ships and prepare to sail.
Her eyes trailed over the different people around her until they landed on her new sworn shield and his brother. They were standing close, but still at a respectable distance away from her as they watched King's Landing begin to grow smaller before their eyes.
Helaena turned her gaze to the horizon, toward Dragonstone as the ship passed the watchtowers and entered Blackwater Bay.
Little Jaehaerys and Jaehaera soon found their way up to the ship's wheel where Corlys and Daemon were standing and began asking questions. The two Alphas happily answered their questions with smiles, and at some point, they both ended up holding the two toddlers and walking the length of the ship with them.
Helaena saw this and, despite all of her grandfather and mother's warnings about the Rogue Prince, she felt no fear as she saw him answer their questions about the dragons above them.
And when her children shrieked and pointed out two new dragons in the sky, Helaena knew they were coming upon their destination.
The green and orange dragon flew between Syrax and Arrax, letting out noises that could only be described as happy while another dragon, this one pale green, began her own dance around Caraxes and Meleys. While this was happening, Helaena's own dragon, Dreamfyre, was flying above them all, watching them and trilling with happiness at seeing these new dragons.
Her smile broadened as she watched them.
They were almost to Dragonstone.
Helaena knew she would meet her morning soon.
As Lord Corlys' men prepared to dock, Lucerys emerged from the cabin with Rhaenys and Rhaenyra. The young Omegan Prince was still shaky on his legs and visibly exhausted, but his entire face lit up with a weak smile when he saw how close they were to the island. And more importantly, five figures waiting for them at the docks.
Luke had no time to prepare himself because when the ships were docked and the gangplank secured, little feet came pounding onto the ship and went barreling toward him. Joffrey had weaved his way through hands trying to grab him and threw his arms around his brother, squeezing him tightly and nearly knocking him off his feet. Luke would have fallen on his rear if it were not for Rheanys steadying him.
The pain he felt was immeasurable, but Lucerys returned the gesture with a matched enthusiasm. And if he began crying into his little brother's hair, no one mentioned it.
Rhaenyra had tried convincing Joff to release Luke so that they could get onto dry land, but his little brother only redoubled the embrace when he saw their siblings marching up the gangplank.
Jace was in front, eyes fixating on Luke as he quickly ran over to where he was standing and added himself to the embrace.
Next was Baela who had Aegon the Younger perched on her hip. She also rushed over to Lucerys, fluffing his hair and cupping his cheek with a smile.
Last came Rhaena, and she had something hanging onto her shoulder. It took him a moment to realize just what his sister had with her and his face broke out into a grin,
"Your egg hatched!" He exclaimed and Rhaena nodded while stroking the pink hatchling on her shoulder,
"She hatched after father and Rhaenyra went to retrieve you from King's Landing," She said, "Her name is Morning,"
There were two little gasps that had everyone looking at Helaena's twins who were still being held by Corlys and Daemon. They squirmed until they were released and dashed over to Helaena.
The three of them were a bit too far to hear their conversation, but whatever was said had the twins rushing back over to Rheana,
"You Morning!" Jaehaera exclaimed.
Rhaena laughed and knelt to their height, "No, my name is Rhaena, but Morning is the name of my dragon,"
The children stared in aw at the hatchling before grabbing Rhaena's hands and began dragging her to where Helaena was standing,
"Muna! You ha' t'meet Muna!"
There was not one person who was not smiling when they saw the little Prince and Princess introduce their mother to their new friend, unknowing of the happy future in store for the three of them.
And Luke clung to his older and younger brothers, the tears that had not been shed at King's Landing finally appearing as it set in that he was finally back at Dragonstone.
Lucerys wasn't even on dry land yet, but he already felt a weight lifting from his shoulders.
He was here, as were his daughters, they were away from the Greens and their lies. Gods, Lucerys was now realizing that, after almost four months of constant fear, he was now safe.
His daughters were safe.
It almost didn't seem real.
It felt too much like a dream to be real and Lucerys was half expecting to wake back up in his chambers at the Red Keep.
But as he sat in the carriage taking them from the Fishing Village to the castle, Aemma in his lap while Jace and Baela cooed over Aenyra and Helaena and her children talking with Rhaena, Lucerys knew, that beyond any doubt, this was no dream.
And when Luke stepped out of the carriage and looked up at the castle with dragons flying overhead, he cried once again.
He cried when he saw the painted table and when he was helped into his old rooms.
He cried after being left to sleep while his daughters slept in the cribs beside his bed.
Lucerys was finally home, he was with his family again.
But his hand still reached for the mark on his shoulder, and the tears became ones of sadness as he thought about what he had lost in order to return.