The Banished Blood

Chapter 18

I had left the king to rest, I headed for the childrens chambers, as song came to my ears as I opened their doors. Helaena was holding their hands, as they swung around with her, dancing and chanting. 

"Oh little dragon, out from the egg you burst. Oh little dragon, how could you be the worst? You have no paws, as you only bear your claws. With great big teeth, how the meat beneath you is- oh so weak and oh so charred-" The children babbled the little rhyme. But as soon as they saw me, Helaenas face turned with glee, Jaehaerys bounded to me, and hugged my leg. 

"Aunty! Look! Join us! I want to hear more about the dragons!" He demanded. I smiled down at him, running my fingers through his white hair. 

"All in good time my hatchling." He just continued to hug my leg, I looked to Jaehaera, as she hid behind Helaena. I smiled to her, waving softly. "Hello." She poked her head out more. Giving a small wave. I stepped over to her slowly, attempting to shake Jaehaerys from my leg, I stooped down to her. 

"I don't suppose you'd like to hear about the dragons too?" I asked her warmly. Her fingers were in her mouth, gnawing at her nails, she nodded with a sly smile. "Come then." I held out my hand, as she took it. I sat down with them by the fire, Helaena just sat upon the plush sofa, picking up some sewing as she listened. 

I felt like I was talking with them for hours. Jaehaerys screamed like a dragon every time I said one of their names, which was alot. Jaehaera just gave small wry smiles. 

"So today, your uncle Aemond rode Lochxis together. We swooped down by the harbour, and to the farthest parts of the seas-" I began to explain, moving my hands above their heads like a dragon diving. 

Jaehaerys just gasped. "Aemond rode a dragon that wasn't Vhagar? But he told me he'd rather die than do that!" I raised a brow. 

"Well he did, and do you want to know what else I saw today with him? I saw Morghul, and... Shrykos!" I smiled, Jaehaerys let out a delighted roar, as Jaehaera just gasped. 

"I want to see them! But mother says I have to wait many many more years!" He whined. 

"No- I said two years Jae. Two." She raised a sly brow, pulling the needle from the board she was sewing. "And now I think it's off to bed, with both of you. You have a big day tomorrow. Your aunt is coming with your cousins, so you must behave. Understand? So that means a night of good sleep. Come now. Dyana?" She called, as my handmaiden, who I knew also sought to Helaenas children too, took Jaehaeras hand, leading her to bed, as Helaena followed. I took Jaehaerys hand, as another handmaiden saw me to his room. I picked him up, as he started talking about Morghul. 

"And when I grow up- he's going to have great big wings! Bigger than Vhagars! And teeth like thisss!" He began to hiss, bearing his teeth, I laughed, propping him down in his bed as the maid tucked him in. I sat on the end of his bed, I brushed his hair from his face. 

"Goodnight little hatchling." I smiled, getting up. I went to walk out the door, but he said something I couldn't walk from. 

"Are you going to leave us?" He spoke in his fickle needly voice as a child would when sad. I turned to him concerned. 

"Why would I do that?" I asked him, but he shrugged, fidgeting with his hands. 

"You're fun. More fun than grandmother and father. They don't like coming to see me, but you're funny. Uncle used to come all the time- but he stopped." His voice turned to a whine. But I stepped back over, and took his little chubby hand. 

"I will never leave your side, I will always see you safe. I promise." I smiled warmly, kissing his head. "Off to sleep now, you heard your mother."

"Y/n?" He asked, eyes wide. 

"Yes little hatchling?"

"Can we go see the dragons together?" He pleaded with his violet eyes. 

"When your mother sees fit." I smiled, he just gasped at gave one final dragon roar, as I left. I walked over to Jaehaeras room. Helaena was singing to her, in Valyrian. I wasn't sure of the song, but what I could make out was:

"Oh little light, how great you will grow, oh little light of fire, you will reap what you sow. As the world falls down around you, you shall see it all. When the time comes, when dragons come to fall." She sung, as she finished, the little childs eyes flicked shut. Helaena got up slowly, smiling at me. Closing the door slowly. She let out a sigh of relief. I smiled as we sat by the fire. 

"You're a perfect mother." I admired. 

"I- thank you... I just wish to be a good a mother as mine was to me." She smiled. Dyana came over, with a set of cups and a jug of wine. We took one each, she poured. 

"I-I've been told this arrived from Dorne today, my Princesses. If it please you." She was nervously shaking. I took a drink, I just looked at her. I grabbed her arm, forcing her to sit, I took the jug from her, and filled the cup. 

"You need, a drink. Calm yourself, we may be dragons, but we don't bite." I smiled to her, but she was still nervous, she looked to Helaena, but she just gestured her to drink. She did. "Aye, we burn." I added. Dyana choked on her drink, but I just laughed. Another handmaiden scurried over with more cups. But I just made her sit too, I poured her wine. I poured one for myself. 

"Ladies, I have been in your position- and it is a shit one. Serving people you know, when they know nothing with you. So I ask for you to drink with us, as equals." I raised my cup, Helaena smiled, raising hers too. Dyana wasn't as anxious. Rasising hers too. I turned to the other girl. "What's your name?" I asked her. 

"Shireen. My princess, if it please you." She raised her cup reluctantly. 

"To Shireen and Dyana, for putting up with our shit, our families shit, day in day out." I toasted, sinking my cup. 

"Here here." Heleana jeered. We sat around the fire for hours, as Dyana and Shireen came to tell us the drama that had been going on in the kitchens. 

"Oh seven hells she said that? To you?" I asked Dyana. She just nodded, she was clearly drunk. 

"She did! And she picked up the tray and dropped it before me and made me clean it! She's been horrid to all of us for years." Dyana looked to Shireen, the other girl just nodded. 

"She's a bitch." Shireen slurred. I knew what I had to do in this drunken moment. 

"Ser Arykk!" I called for him, as he entered the room. 

"Yes- Princess?" He asked confused, looking at the drunken maidens around us. 

"So- my girl- Dyana here, has a problem, with this wench named Betty-" I slurred. 

"Bertha!" Helaena corrected. 

"Yeah Bertha, the kitchen devil. Have a word with her, on my behalf. Make it... Sharp." I raised a brow to Arykk, so he knew what to do. He reluctantly nodded. "Make sure she can't stick her nose into things anymore." 

From that, I didn't remember Arykk leaving. But he came back, with a bloodied blade, we all laughed. I turned to see how dark it had gotten. I stumbled to my feet. 

"Right- okay- Dyana. I know this is like an informal thing right now. But please make sure I get up on time tomorrow. I have things to sort." Dyana and Shireen got to their feet, draining their cups. But their cleaning mode turned right back on. Dyana bowed. 

"Yes princess, and- thank you." She smiled. I smiled back, I hugged Helaena before I left, as Arykk helped me to my room. That night I stumbled into bed. Falling to a dreamless sleep.