Blood Upon The Snow ||| Cregan Stark

thirty-one

Before they could descend on the city, the new dragonriders needed to learn. That task kept Jacaera occupied, kept her mind from wandering to her husband and the happiness she'd found in Winterfell.

There were many things happening with the armies out in the Seven Kingdoms. Daeron and his dragon in Old Town, he'd made a name for himself out there.

Other fights happened, ones that weren't as decisive. Rhaenyra and her council on Dragonstone were much more focused on taking King's Landing.

Jacaera and Jace were training their dragonseeds. Teaching them about dragons, helping them bond more fully, and telling them more commands. Commands for war and flight.

The first flights were always rough. Jacaera was somewhat amused watching all of their dragonseeds learn to fly. And it was also strange, knowing that they were all descended from Targaryens.

Nettles was interesting. She'd claimed her dragon in a different way. The girl had repeatedly brought sheep as offerings to Sheepstealer, letting the dragon get used to her, before she climbed on his back. It was an innovative method, somewhat like Jacaera.

Still, there were many lessons Jace and Jacaera taught the dragonseeds to prepare them for the day that they would take King's Landing. They would never be as experienced as the dragonriders who'd been riding for years. But it would be enough to take the city.

Before they could take the city, though, something terrible would happen. Something that would fracture the family on Dragonstone.

Despite his removal as Hand, Otto's Hightower's pursuits would bear fruit. The Triarchy agreed to ally themselves with the Greens. As a result, ninety warships sailed from Lys with the goal of breaking the Velaryon blockade of the Gullet.

These warships would sail and happen upon the ship carrying Aegon the Younger and Viserys.

Aegon's dragon, Stormcloud, would carry the boy from the ship. Even as he was injured, the dragon managed to carry Aegon away from the fighting.

Viserys had only an egg. Stuck on the ships as they were attacked. Aegon thought him dead and sobbed as he clung to his dragon.

***

It had been a normal day. Jacaera was with her brother, planning exactly how they would take the city. And that was when the chaos broke. People yelling and rushing around the castle.

Jacaera and Jace tried to find out what it was all about, pulled servants and other men aside. But all they could gather from them was their brother's name, Aegon.

He was at the castle.

That was bad. He was supposed to be sailing to safety in Pentos.

Together, Jacaera and Jace raced through the halls of the castle, desperate to find their mother. But they didn't find her until they were in the outer yard.

Dozens of people were gathered there. All standing around a sobbing boy and his bleeding and injured dragon.

Rhaenyra was holding her first son by prince Daemon, trying to get an answer out of him. How his dragon was injured, why he was back.