Perzys Āeterña | Hope Mikaelson

Chapter 2

Learning English was surprisingly easy.

"This," said Rhysaenya on the third day of her lessons, speaking clearly though with a slight accent, "is simpler to me now. English is similar to the common tongue spoken in Westeros. Many words look a bit different but they are close. You all pronounce things very strangely. It's no wonder I could not understand you."

Hope managed a smile. "Languages have evolved a lot over time. Some are lost permanently. Only few remain who speak certain dead languages like... Aramaic."

"Your family," mused Rhysaenya, toying with a strand of her dark hair as she eyed Hope. "I may have acquired a few books from some admirers that tell of your aunts and uncles, the Originals."

"Admirers?" inquired Hope.

"Yes, it appears many have heard of 'The Dragon Girl' you have confined in a cell here and they send me little presents." She lifted her mattress to show off her collection of books. "They want my autograph on a few. Only, I've no idea what to write."

"Well, you could write your name...?"

"In what tongue should I write it?" she inquired. "In Tērañguis, I am Rhȳsāeñya Tārgaryeñ. But my true Tērragoñhicname would have required me to take my father's surname and have my name plainly as the word my mother based it on: Rȳsēña Īgnividus. In old Trīgēdasleng I would be Rōzn kōm Īgnividkrū. I am not sure who I am supposed to be in this world."

"We would write it this way," said Hope, taking a moment to drag a pen over the nearest piece of paper. "Rhysaenya Targaryen. It's an interesting name."

"As is yours," noted Rhysaenya. "Also named for a word. In Tērañguis, you would be Spērañz Mīkāēlsoñ. In Trīgēdasleng, you would be Sārȳ kom Mīkāēlkrū. I would need to look for the word 'hope' in High Valyrian. The closest thing that comes to mind right now is the word for 'wish,' jaelagon. If Westerosi common tongue is equivalent to your 'Old English,' then you would be hopian."

Hope raised a brow. "Exactly how many languages do you speak?"

"Well, I speak Tērañguis, Trīgēdasleng, High Valyrian, the Westerosi common tongue, and now English. That puts us at five. I wish to learn more when I have the chance. I wish to do many things." She tugged at the strand of hair she'd been holding, "Starting with this. I wish to have the hair of my ancestors. The silver-gold, platinum-white. My eyes will stay as they are. My mother always wished we could have had the hair. The purple eyes, we could live without. A witch can surely help me there, yes?"

"I can," said Hope. "If it's what you want."

"It is. It's the only way I can really look like a Targaryen. Perhaps I'll even acquire a tattoo with the words 'Fire and Blood' on my right wrist. On the left, the motto of the Īgñividus family: 'Ñāȳ ūquē Ārquea,' which means 'Born to Burn.' Many other families thought this simply went along with the meaning of the name, that they were like phoenixes– Īgñividosi– rising from the ashes; this was silly to them, as they believed no one was immortal and because of it they thought my family weak. But in my father's family, it was a tradition to be a warrior of fire, quite literally learning to fight with flaming staffs and arrows so that you kill with fire. Born to burn other people. Additionally, when you bested someone in battle, you had to burn the body and then burn a small dot on yours, continuing each time you make a kill."

She pulled up her shirt, showing five circular dots under her breasts, the one in the center appearing most faded. "Five kills and it still wasn't enough to save myself from the fate I endured." She smiled sadly. "Safe to say the family was violent; there was a reason I didn't have grandparents on his end. They were great warriors who didn't live to meet me."