The Prince and the Falcon | Aegon II Targaryen

08

The news of Lady Laena Velaryon's death brought a dark cloud over at the Red Keep. While Leysa had never met her, Lady Arryn told her she was Ser Laenor's sister and daughter of Princess Rhaenys and Lord Corlys Velaryon. Leysa recognized Princess Rhaenys' name from her books and stories. She was going to be queen if succession was to be followed, but the Great Council had chosen her younger cousin, the now King Viserys, so some still call her "The Queen Who Never Was". If circumstances were any different, they would have to bury a queen's only daughter.

Lady Laena had been married to Prince Daemon Targaryen, the king's younger brother. He was, a time ago, King Viserys' heir until he announced Princess Rhaenyra as Princess of Dragonstone. There had been some animosity between Prince Daemon and Lady Arryn, ever since the death of Prince Daemon's first wife, the Lady of Runestone, Lady Rhea Royce. Daemon tried to come to the Vale to claim his "inheritance", but Lady Arryn was having none of it and even forbid him from coming to the Vale. Runestone went to his child with Lady Rhea and first-born son, Aenar. He stayed in the Vale while his father went with his new family to travel around Essos.

This was something Leysa related to.

But perhaps the most shocking thing she heard was how the Lady Laena died. Alys, who in turn told her, had heard from rumors of the Red Keep's servants that her own dragon had burned her. Some claimed that she died at childbirth, while others said she died giving birth on her dragon. Alys also heard one that claimed Lady Laena was dying and tried to mount her dragon before she perished. It didn't matter which story had truth in it, it was still awful for a parent to bury their children.

Together with Lady Arryn, Leysa had to come to Lady Laena's funeral in Driftmark. Leysa would've complained about being part of the party to travel to Driftmark but the tragedy of the news, whichever story was the truth, kept her from voicing her discomfort. Especially when they finally boarded a ship. 

She thought back at the time she wanted to try being on a ship and wished she could hit herself. She did not like being on a ship at all. She couldn't stand straight, much less walk in a straight line. Her maid Mya advised her to stare at the horizon, somewhere far away to distract herself, instead of her shoes. She tried the suggestion but it didn't work. Alys was lucky to stay behind with Lady Jessamyn in the Red Keep. They would only be gone for a few days time, and they only had a few place in the ship. Leysa wished she'd volunteer to stay back.

However, she found that she was not alone in her situation. Lucerys and her made a pair, sitting by buckets the servants had prepared for them. Both of them got seasick before the ship even left the harbor.

The breeze on her face helped elevate her nausea but whenever the ship tips to one side, she found herself raising the bucket to her face, emptying whatever little she had in her stomach. She wouldn't eat any of the food the servants offered and whatever she drank, she would vomit. Instead, she perched herself on the side of the ship with Luke sitting on a little stool, his own head bent over his bucket.

Suddenly, she heard a loud screeching that was a cross between a squawk and a roar. It reminded her of falcons, but this sounded bigger and heavier. The people in the ship didn't seem to mind it, but as soon as she heard it, her head turned to the sky.

"Have you not seen one?" Luke asked, his voice small and his grip tight on the rim of his own bucket. He was green in the face, although he was the first one to encourage Leysa that the trip would be quick and easy. She realized now that he had also been encouraging himself.

"No," she answered truthfully. She knew the Targaryens had dragons, it were those monstrous beasts that had made House Arryn bend the knee when Visenya, Aegon the Conqueror's sister-wife, arrived in the Vale. They said the boy-king of the Vale gave up his crown for a chance to ride one.