Familiarity ||| Jacaerys Velaryon

twenty-four

"Your Grace, there's been a dragon sighted in the skies."

Both Daemon and Rhaenyra turned. A dragon? Were the Greens finally attacking them?

"Which dragon?"

"We believe it to be Cannibal."

Daemon and Rhaenyra glanced at one another. And then Daemon was gone. Sprinting toward the Dragonmont, no time to wait and explain. Either Alyssa was dead or she was back.

***

Alyssa was exhausted by the time she saw Dragonstone. And she was so flooded with relief, she almost cried. For days, she didn't know if her plan would work. If she would be able to return. If she was going to be used like a bargaining chip, forced into a marriage.

Instead, she was going back to her family. Her father and her sisters. Her betrothed.

She killed a man to get back to them. And Alyssa didn't regret it. But it was still a heavy weight to bear.

So when she landed Cannibal and climbed off of him, Alyssa wasn't sure she was quite... there. Shaky as she pushed down Cannibal's wing and touched the gravel of the Dragonmont.

"Alyssa!"

That was a voice she knew. A voice she often sought comfort in. Alyssa turned and found her father, Daemon, running to her.

And then she was crying because she missed him so much. She felt like a little girl, helpless. She'd had to kill a man, feared for her life, and was absolutely exhausted.

For Daemon, he was greeted with a horrifying yet relieving sight. His daughter. Alive and standing before him. But she was crying, face screwing up as tears began to flow, and covered in dried blood.

Without a moment to think, Daemon collided with Alyssa and pulled her into his arms. Daemon took a moment to simply live in her presence. Cradling the back of her head, squeezing her shoulders.

Alyssa held onto him like he was a lifeline. Sobbing into his shoulder. "Father," she cried, knowing she shouldn't be crying like that but Alyssa couldn't help it. That was what she'd needed while they kept her in the Holdfast.

Daemon remembered the blood all over her and pulled back for only a moment, taking her face in his hands. "Did they hurt you?"

She shook her head, bottom lip quivering. "It's not mine," Alyssa said, alluding to the fact that she'd killed someone to get out. The blood on her face was not her own.

"Oh, little dragon."

That was what she needed. Her father. To know he would keep her safe, at least for the next few hours, while her mind recovered from her time in captivity.

He knew asking about what happened was something that needed to happen. But not while she was covered in blood and almost collapsing she was so tired.

Instead, Daemon pulled her close and took her back to the castle. Past knights and familiar lords. Everyone was gawking at her, staring at the girl covered in crimson.

The others could greet Alyssa after. She could explain after. After she was cleaned and got rest. Daemon took Alyssa to her rooms and called for the maids, leaving Alyssa in their care while he went to update Rhaenyra.