the thing about dragons

chapter four (III)

in which Lyra and Ancalagon go on a trip.

part III

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warnings: bad life decisions, Otto doing Otto things, implied underage, runaways

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It's been several moons since the royal wedding, and some more since Daemon and Corlys left for Stepstones, though not a whole year, when the stability Lyra found in her life on Driftmark crashes and burns.

There's a gaggle of knights that come to Driftmark, dressed the same as those that followed Otto to Dragonstone when he came for the egg, though there's a notable absence of Otto. Good for him; he'd have gotten fed to Ancalagon if he showed his scheming mug before her.

Instead, they're being headed by a Kingsguard Lyra recognizes as Willis Fell.

Rhaenys welcomes them in the throne room, sitting on the driftwood throne. She looks like a real ruler, dressed in Targaryen black and Velaryon blue, with her black hair twisted into traditional braids. Lyra, Laena, Laenor, and Jocelyn all stand next to the throne, a little to the side. Several Velaryon cousins stood some ways off, looking at the knights warily.

Lyra has a bad feeling about this.

"What brings you here, ser Fell?" Rhaenys asks.

Ser Fell bows politely and pulls a scroll out of his bag.

"I am here by the orders of His Grace, King Viserys, first of his name. In the absence of her father, the Lady Daelyra Targaryen is to return to her lady mother in Runestone."

Lyra hears static. Her hand is on the dagger hidden in her pocket before she makes a conscious decision to reach for it, and it's only Jocelyn's hand landing heavy but warm on her shoulder that prevents her from taking a step forward.

Rhaenys purses her lips, her fingers digging into the driftwood throne. "Daemon has personally entrusted us to look after her in his absence."

"But she is not being fostered here, is that correct?"

"Yes."

Ser Darklyn steps forward and offers Rhaenys the scroll with a bow. "This is the Royal Order. His Grace is worried about his niece's wellbeing. We will escort her to Runestone as soon as possible."

Rhaenys takes the scroll, though if a glare could kill, Fell would have died at least five times over. The Kingsguard seems rather cowed by Rhaenys' barely-contained rage, at least.

As for Lyra—Lyra is physically vibrating in a way that makes her feel weightless, clenching her fists so tight she can feel her nails break the skin of her palms.

This whole thing—this has Otto written all over it. Viserys is an idiot, but he would have been more than happy to let Lyra stay at Driftmark, not bothering anyone. The Velaryons are her family, Rhaenys even more so. Not to mention that the island had much better means of sustaining Ancalagon—Runestone may have been on a peninsula, but it was much farther north. Big sealife was not nearly as abundant there.

Lyra was willing to bet her whole arm that Rhea was not informed of the whole situation at all either, if only because if she was, she would have in no uncertain terms told everyone to shut up, fuck off, and let Lyra and her new pet keep-sized nuclear lizard stay where they were, away from Runestone.

Jocelyn pats her back, and Lyra looks up, and then at Rhaenys, who's looking at her. Did she miss something?

"You will leave tomorrow," Rhaenys says (or repeats, Lyra doesn't quite care) though she doesn't seem very enthused about it. She takes her promises seriously.