Perzys Āeterña | Hope Mikaelson

Chapter 27

Kaelena stood beside The Watcher.

"Āmeȳ," whispered Rhysaenya, entire body tense as she moved toward the stairs. "Scībāq pūqrā ūtȳ sūñsēr ōñt?" (T: Mama. Do you know why you are here?)

Her mother nodded. "Īsȳ. Cōlū āst, tē āqū. Dūq tē ōñ āqū ēsthoc pūqrā ūtȳ sūñsēr." (T: Yes. That, I know. What I don't know is why you are.)

The Watcher cleared her throat, smiling sweetly. "Pāeña, Kāēleña?" (T: Problem, Kaelena?)

"Ōñȳ," replied Kaelena flatly. (T: None.)

Rhysaenya refused to believe it was her mother. Surely The Watcher was making an illusion. She challenged, "Lo issa ao, muña–" (T: If it is you, Mother–)

"Issa nyke, Rhysandra," said Kaelena, lip twitching as she reminded her of the name her daughter had had to go by in Westeros. She could speak High Valyrian, she simply didn't want to in front of The Watcher, who didn't seem to understand them. "Ūtȳ mōrȳa Vāztȳros, ōñ ūtȳ?" (T: You remember Westeros, don't you?)

"What the hell is going on?" asked Hope, not prepared for this. "That's your mother?"

"It is," said The Watcher with a sly grin. "I plucked her out right on time. I knew I would need her. After all, only I can control her." She saw Rhysaenya narrowing her eyes. "Ūtȳ sūñsēr ā ñiȳā, Rȳsēña. Qōmis sūmotȳ?" (T: You are smart girl, Rhysaenya. Who am I?)

Her stomach churned painfully. "She's not just the witch who created Malivore," she said in a small voice. "She's the woman that made dragons in Tērragoñh. And not just when my mother was dying. No... you were the witch who saw the vision, too, weren't you?"

"I was," said The Watcher. "I knew the dragons of Old Valyria would fall, and I knew that when they were gone, the other supernaturals would rise in power like never before. I made a species of my own to grant me my heart's desire... the existence of only witches. I succeeded in slaughtering many creatures, in ensuring witches were all that remained. My first batch was killed when Aegon and his wretched sisters conquered Westeros. They came for us first. When I realized my beauties had been killed, I performed a spell that made everyone forget they ever existed. Aegon, Visenya, and Rhaenys moved on to Westeros, leaving Tarragona in the dust.

"I waited... and waited... until suddenly that same blood came calling again in the form of Kaeden Targaryen. Poor Sēleña... my spell had come with a curse that affected her. After all, her ancestor was the one whose blood I used to make my little ones... The Lāvasȳ were Born of Lava and I used their magic too well. It was not until the last Targaryen in Westeros died that I was able to lift my spell and let her conceive. But little Kaelena was a frail child. The Lāvasȳ magic that ran through her blood came in conflict with the Valyrian roots she carried from her father. I made her a dragon to save her and anchor my species in the blood of Old Valyria. They would not fall again.

"I did not expect the people who saw it to be so selfish, I did not expect to find out that beasts of the night and bloodsuckers had been created elsewhere while I focused on only my native land. They used the dragons for their own gain, they attacked me when I would not perform the spell for those whose interests conflicted with mine. I was driven away from my land. I faked my death and when fleeing, encountered a witch who showed me another way. I didn't need dragons to kill all supernaturals. I needed Malivore. So I waited. I learned. And when the time came, when the dragons were hated, I made my beautiful boy and unleashed him. As I will when I finish killing all of you."

"How the hell have you stayed alive?" said Hope. "If Rhysaenya was born in 307 in your time... three hundred years afterAegon's Conquest..."

"The creatures I killed have fueled me. Why else would I have given Malivore the ability to consume? In between, well, I've had no choice but to feed off my fellow witches. When Esther Mikaelson died, I fed off her energy and used it to convince her that she'd made a great mistake... I thought she might handle the vampires for me while I worked on taking control over my Malivore again. It did not work. But I continued... I grew in power as more creatures were killed. When your family killed Dahlia and Inadu, I fed off that energy. I fueled the Spirits and I helped them make the red oak. I promised them I would make us the only faction... the Tribrid and all the mutts associated with her would fall. I will not fail in my task. If I succeeded, I'd no longer need to feed on the dead. I will live forever."