Come Back To Me

Chapter 7

4 years later

"But it isn't fair! Hardly anyone was there to defend my claim, so why am I the only one not allowed to at the very least be present to witness everyone else defend him? Hmm?" Daena slumped down onto the edge of the cliff just outside of Dragonstone. Daemon joined her side with an exhausted look on his face.

"I stopped questioning your mother the moment she said she wanted more children." Daemon joked, bringing a nudge to his side and a slight giggle from her. "I know you wish to defend your brother, but your mother was adamant on you not returning to King's Landing until she ascends the throne."

"But why? If I told her about all our years of training, all my lessons, all the maps you've made me memorize, or, I don't know, my fucking two dragons!" She scoffed, signaling up to the sky where Caraxes flew circles in between Vermithot and Silverwing. The two familiar pairs of eyes from many years ago. "It isn't fair I have to stay hidden, even after all I've done."

"So you truly believe we're out here now for you to continue to stay hidden?" He smirked to himself.

"Wh-what?" She scrunched her nose, curious as to what her stepfather had planned. She knew that look on his face. The look of plotting.

"Your mother wishes for us all to fly there, which is why she knows you'd be the only one who could not attend." Daemon began to explain, only making her scoff.

"And yet Aegon and Viserys are going to attend."

"Will you fucking let me finish?" She wasn't silent when she realized the sternness of his voice. "I will deal with your mother when you arrive to King's Landing."

"So I may come as well?!"

"There is a condition. I do not want anyone to know of Vermithor or Silverwing just yet. If war is in fact to come from this trial, I want to see the look on Otto Hightower's face when he sees King's Landing surrounded by 2 more dragons." The grin on both of their faces was enough to signal they were both on the same page. "I watched your title get taken from you by that wretched cunt. I will not see him get away with doing it again."

"Then what is your plan?"

"I will send word to my men in the city. There is an island just north of King's Landing, mostly sand and cliffs, but far enough neither of your dragons will be seen. A boat will be left for you to sail to King's Landing, where you will sneak in through the city. I'll leave you a map to the front gate, where your brothers will meet you."

"They know about this?"

"No, but I need them to leave your mother and I alone to speak with the king. I will simply just tell them to go explore their old training yard."

"What do I say when my mother asks how I got there?"

"Just..." He huffed at the question. He hated keeping Daena's claim of not only one dragon, but two, a secret. There was so much pride in his eyes when he saw her claim them, but he also feared for what it might do to her. He hadn't even told Rhaenyra over the years, fearing what would happen if she knew the power her daughter had.

He saw the look in her eyes every time she'd swing a sword or fly into the skies through both her dragons' flames. There was a purpose in her eyes. A purpose for revenge for what had been taken from her 6 years ago.

There was no doubt in Daemon's mind she was preparing for the day she'd return to King's Landing to come face to face with the one eyed prince. He knew she could take him in battle, but he feared even with two dragons Vhagar would still overpower her. The thought of her perishing at the hands of the boy who stole so much from his family drove him into madness at times.

"Tell your mother you snuck onto a ship and waited until our arrival. I will deal with her from there." He stood up, extending his hand for her to take. She looked up at him hesitantly. Yes, she'd be able to defend her brother, but she still had to keep her dragons a secret. It was a heavy secret she hated keeping, especially for so long. But from the sound of things, it wouldn't be for much longer.

She took his hand and begrudgingly agreed.

In just a matter of days, everyone's world was about to change.

Daena sat on the island Daemon directed her to, inspecting every last corner of it for the boat he'd promised would await her. Vermithor and Silverwing had already flown off into the distance almost the second she landed. She didn't want to risk them being seen for a moment. In truth, she was slightly scared of coming back to King's Landing.

Everyone would tell her it was her childhood home, but it looked so unfamiliar when she flew past it. She couldn't comprehend anywhere but Dragonstone as her home, especially when King's Landing was the home to so many other vile people. It burned her to be associated with any of the greens after what had been done to her.

Daemon and Baela were the only ones who were transparent with her on what was done. The greens spent years coming for Rhaenyra and her children just so they could take the throne for themselves after the king's passing. Daemon made sure to inform her of each and every last one of them, more vile than the last. The only one he had anything nice to say about was her aunt Helaena.

And now here she was having to face it all. But the problem preventing that was there was absolutely no boat in sight. She searched that entire island and found nothing. Now any fear or doubts she had vanished within seconds to be replaced with frustration. She was stuck.

She could just barely see the Red Keep from the island. It would take her a while to swim, but she still had the map Daemon gave to her of the tunnels as well as having memorized every map of the city.

"Fuck!" She kicked the sand roughly when she realized her fate. She quickly leaned over and pulled off her underskirts and boots so she wouldn't be weighed down in the water.

Within seconds, she was cursing her way into the water and on her way to meet her brothers.