❝ There was a feeling of inevitability when I met you. And our lives were fated to converge like some cosmic dance. And I think I had to break your heart and you had to break mine. ❞
As Cressida Black's lungs ceased to draw breath, Aurelia Martell's...
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This war had not been what he'd expected. He had always thought he would enjoy waging war and he did in some aspects — he was good at it, commanding men and strategizing was something he enjoyed, but he hated the rest.
He hated feeling so unclean, hated the dust and smoke and blood that clung to his skin and his hair. He hated the feeling after a battle, when everything and everyone felt like a possible attacker.
He did not know what he would have done without Caraxes the last few years. Without him and Aurelia both. His bond with Caraxes kept him grounded in some ways — without him, he would have likely gone mad. And Aurelia always waited for him on their tent, ready to clean off the blood and gore from his body and would allow him to lose himself in her body when he needed to forget the horrors he had inflicted.
But even so, he missed his family. He missed his annoying brother, Rhaenyra's smiles. He wanted to see how Danae was growing and for some reason, even wanted to meet his new nephew to see if he was more dragon than tower.
He missed them and resented them all at once. His brother sent one letter a year, if that. His letters to Rhaenyra were returned unanswered. Viserra sent letters every few months and while they were a balm to his heart, they couldn't replace the hole left by his brother's silence.
He knew he was seen as a placeholder — the one who'd be heir until a nephew was born. But he believed his brother still cared for him, that he wouldn't be basically thrown out once a new heir was named. Yet, that was what he felt had happened. His brother didn't care for him after he named Rhaenyra as his heir.
He realized he had nothing. That was why this war was so important to him. He needed something for himself, something he had fought for instead of something he'd been given. Dark Sister, given to him. Caraxes, claimed with the blessing of his grandparents. The only two things he could truly claim as his and they were not something he had fought for.
So, he agreed to support Corlys in his war if the islands became his.
His friend tried to dissuade him, telling tales about the archipelago, but his mind was made and preparations started
When they landed in the islands, he realized how wrong Corlys had been. On first glance, the islands were barren strips of land, filled with rocks and sand. But many of the other islands weren't. Instead, they were filled with lush, green fields and vegetation.
Bloodstone was the biggest of the islands and equidistant from Essos and Westeros. After taking Dwarfstone and Grey Gallows for themselves, they were finally making a move into the island he hoped to make his seat on.
They took full control of the island quickly, the garrison left behind by the Triarchy was demoralized and lacked supplies. Now, the trouble would be the smaller islands that surrounded it and the islands they had taken. The Tears, they were called. They were too small to make a settlement, but big enough to make landfall and spend a few days on land before continuing — big enough to hide a group of men waiting to attack.
