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10 years later.
Small feet tapped against the halls of a castle in Pentos. A giggle escaping the young girl who ran through them halls, her nightgown nearly hitting the floor despite her age — "Father! Father!".
Daemon sat in his study reading when he heard his entire world screech for him, huffing a smile he placed the book down and leaned back in his chair, awaiting his child's arrival.
Daemerys. He had called her. Of course after himself.
Her elegant skin, her dark brown hair that had started growing lighter the older she got, her bright blue eyes shon everywhere she went.
She was pure, until she wasn't.
The door to the study bursts open as little Daemerys hovered by the door, seemingly looking for her father — running across the room when she spotted him watching her with a smile. A giggle escaped her lips again as she jumped on him, him grasping her quickly as she was in the air.
She snuggled into his chest as he petted back her hair, "There's a beast beneath the boards", she'd whispered and he tutted.
"I've already checked under your bed, sweet girl. No creature is there to scare you", Daemon shifted in his seat to take a look at his child, never understanding her riddles.
"I had a nightmare, father", her big eyes looked up at him and he tapped her nose with his finger.
"Tell me about it".
"There was a boy. With hair like yours".
Daemon raised an eyebrow, "Oh really?".
Daemerys nodded as though she were in a dream, "One of his eyes were gone, and he looked right at me. There was blood everywhere". Daemon frowned at her nightmare, not wanting such things keeping his daughter awake at night.
"And when I looked down, I was holding a knife like I was the one who had done it", she whispered, scared that someone would hurt her for such treason.
The prince snuggled her further into him and kissed her hair, "Tis nothing but a nightmare, sweet girl", he tried to reassure her but her small hands wrapped around his shirt in fright.
"Will you always protect me, father?", she looked up at him again and he smiled brightly.
"Always. Now, smile for me sweet girl".
Daemerys turned her frown into a smile and her father smiled down at her in turn. He would protect her with his life. Would give his life for her. There was no doubt about that.
"Let's get you back into bed", Daemon stood from his chair with Daemerys still in his arms, her hands wrapped around his neck as he carried her to her chambers.
Living at Pentos was nice, she thought. She once dreamed of a castle that had a huge chair, but people stared at her and called her a 'bastard' for whatever that meant — she did not understand. She often got that here, where she lived but didn't raise concern to her father because she thought it was nothing.
Once Daemon reached her chambers and placed her in bed, he kissed her forehead and blessed her with a goodnight before turning to leave — only turning back around when her small voice cut through the silence of the dark room. "Father".
"Hmm".
"Why do people call me a bastard and not Baela and Rhaena?", her innocent voice made his cold heart shatter. Daemon wished this day would never come but the Gods were never in his favour.
"When you are older, I will explain everything. Tis not matters to worry your little head about", he crouched in front of her bed and spoke softly.
"Promise?", she held out her pinky, making the man chuckle lightly.
"I promise", he wrapped his much larger pinky around her small one a vowed before she kissed his cheek and rolled over back to sleep.
Daemon closed the door quietly behind him and walked to his chambers where Laena, his pregnant lady wife resided in.
"What troubles you, my prince?", she asked softly when she noticed the wrinkles concerning his features.
"Daemerys. She asked why people call her a bastard and not Baela and Rhaena", he spoke with such hurt. He hated how even in Pentos, she could not escape who she truly was and not what he named her.
"She's a smart girl, Daemon. Her riddles and the way she can wield a sword even at her tender age amuses me. She will figure it out. She is a Targaryen because you named her so, not a Royce because her mother left her for dead".
Laena's words of comfort made him grateful for her, holding her swollen belly with a small smile. "I worry for her".
"She's stronger than you think", Laena cupped his face gently before getting into bed, himself following.
Daemon could not sleep though, Daemerys riddle echoing through his head and the displeasing nightmares she had to endure on top of the hateful word disclosed to her made him angry.
He thought her suffering would end when he took her home with him, legitimising her in front of his brother who had also taken the child into open arms, welcoming her as she had changed Daemon without even doing anything — purely by mere existence she had changed him.
She was Daemerys Targaryen and nobody would call her otherwise without losing their head.
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