GREEN & BLACK /// HOUSE OF THE DRAGON

{5}

𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐄𝐍 & 𝐁𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐊

Rhaenyra has gone missing.

Eirene had grown tired of the councils complaints and demanded, very loud and angrily, that they - and i quote - "shut the fuck up!"

and come midday, Baela had returned once more from her patrols. "Ser Criston Cole and his host have taken to exploiting the tree cover to conceal its movements. he now only travels by night to confound our dragons."

"and what is Cole's heading?" Bartimos questioned, taking a sip from his wine.

"it is difficult to say, but there were signs of an army moving northwest, i believe." Baela looked to Eirene who nodded, dismissing her. she smiled stiffly before walking off towards Jace who gave her a sweet smile and a little nod, despite his worry for his mothers whereabouts.

"she believes." Lord Massey laughed nasily.

"you should have burned them when you had the chance." Ser Alfred accused, earning a nasty glare from the Hand, but Baela handled her own.

"perhaps you can Ser Alfred when you next sight them on your dragon." her tone was taunting and sarcastic as she smiled mockingly at him. Ser Alfred scoffed but his face flushed red and he looked away.

Rhaenys dropped her head to dismiss her smile, but Eirene saw it and one bloomed on her own.

"the only reason we know any of this is because of Baela's efforts." Jacaerys defended, commemorating Baela for the helpful information she'd gathered. so far, she'd been the most helpful. he stared at Alfred with a pointed glare, daring him to speak up once more.

"what do we know, my prince?" Lord Bartimos questioned the young man, rather than the Hand who had been left in charge by the queen's orders. "if you ask me, it is little and less."

"we know that Cole possesses a host and that it is growing in strength and that is a problem." Rhaenys said, lifting her head as she pushed down her amusement.

"can Daemon hope to meet it in his own time?" Lord Gormon asked them.

"why don't you ask him?" Eirene snapped. they had already established that Daemon refused communication with them, and they had no one who could meet him. Eirene needed to remain by Rhaenyra's side to lead the council, Rhaenyra refused to let Jacaerys go out of fear of losing him, Rhaenys was needed to patrol the Gullet and Baela already had her own task.

the council tensed as the woman sucked in a deep breath, attempting to control herself. "an angry Hand is not a Hand that commands respect" was something Otto always said, and no matter how much she hated him, she had to admit that his words were true.

"well," Lord Gormon continued, "if i know the Riverlands, he has more disentangling ahead of him than the end of a Lyseni Orgy."

"have you had word from your father?" Lord Bartimos turned to Baela who pursed her lips and shook her head, no. Daemon was growing neglectful as of late. he hadn't always been the most present for the girls, but he grew more absent as the years blew by and now he almost entirely ignored them.

"no." she said. Jace leant over and placed his hand on her own in comfort, squeezing it thoughtfully as the council continued.

"Maester Gerardys turned to Eirene, "ravens were sent to Harrenhal seeking news of Daemon's progress with the Riverlords. none have, as yet, returned."

"just so," Ser Alfred added, "an enemy host, growing in constitution, marches....somewhere in the vastness of the Crownlands. we could perhaps act, if only we had a host of our own, or someone here to lead us."