Familiarity ||| Jacaerys Velaryon

twenty-five

Rhaenyra had her messages prepared quickly for her envoys. Two for Alyssa and one each for Luke and Jace. She spoke to her sons separately from Alyssa, she made them swear not to fight. To go as envoys only.

That wasn't something she needed to warn Alyssa of. She understood the games well. What was expected of her. And Alyssa had already sworn she was only joining their quest to garner support.

She'd had to swear that to Daemon. Rhaenyra knew Alyssa swearing to Daemon was a much stronger oath than her putting her hand on a book. So Rhaenyra gave Alyssa her messages at the base of the Dragonmont, watching as her envoys ascended the path to their respective dragons.

Alyssa wished both Jace and Luke good luck with their respective journeys. They'd all be going to different places and dealing with different Lords and ladies. She hoped they were all successful.

After all, while they were gone, Daemon was going to take Harrenhal and use it as a base for operations. Quite close to King's Landing but far enough away that they could escape should anything go wrong.

And once they all said goodbye, Rhaenys included since she was going to patrol the gullet, the envoys mounted their dragons. Each going a different direction, it was quite a site that left Dragonstone that day.

***

It was getting colder across the Realm. That was clear to Alyssa as she flew further North. She was glad she was wearing her cloak and had packed a heavier one just in case.

The Vale was beautiful; Alyssa had been once.

That was where her late aunt had come from, though. Aemma Arryn. Alyssa would've liked to meet her. She knew Aemma had died in the pursuit of a male heir. Instead of Viserys accepting Rhaenyra, he kept making her try.

Alyssa wouldn't do that. She didn't expect Jace to be the same as Viserys, though. Desperate for a boy. She imagined Jace would be contented if Alyssa had a girl first. He better have been. Because she wasn't doing all of that shit.

Listening to a man angry that he had daughters. So concerned that their children didn't have cocks. It was childish.

She knew she'd entered the borders of the Vale when the land beneath Cannibal became mountainous. The Vale was somewhat isolated from the rest of Westeros because of it and their harsh winters.

Traversing the mountains was extremely dangerous. Apart from the rough terrain, there were also looters waiting to prey on unfamiliar travellers. Alyssa was glad she was riding a dragon and wasn't riding a score of horses.

It wouldn't take long once she got into the Vale. And she couldn't miss the Eyrie when she saw. Hell, Alyssa could've almost run into it, it was so high in the sky.

The smallest of the castles of the Great Houses, no bigger than Maegor's Holdfast, it sat atop a mountain. The castle was made of fine whitestone and had seven slim white towers that were bunched together.

Quite cold all the way up there, Alyssa wanted to find somewhere to land quickly.

She had Cannibal circle the castle, so she was spotted and could find a place to land. And despite its small nature, the castle still had a stone courtyard. Just big enough for Cannibal to land; Alyssa would let him fly off and keep himself occupied.