Rhaella Targaryen always knew that there was more behind her mother's death than what she was told. Alysanne was a healthy, strong woman, and yet she was gone in a couple of days because of a mysterious illness. Rhaella was only a child when the tra...
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WINTERFELL
134 AC
GREEN SCALES GLISTENED UNDER THE SUNLIGHT as the creature stretched its limbs, its mouth opening and letting out a sound that shook both the earth and the sky, making the trees tremble and the small animals that still inhabited the forest during winter run away in fear.
Rhaella was met with a ghost, a spectre of her past that she never expected would resurface again. She wondered if she was dead, if perishing because of the heartbreak could be possible ― maybe Aelyx was there to claim her soul, to bring her to her mother now that she had finally left the world doomed of suffering she was in.
The last time Rhaella had seen the green beast, she was merely six years of age, her young mind unable to cope with the fact that she would never witness her mother's smile, that she would never hear her voice. Alysanne Targaryen had been brought away from her daughter far too soon and, not even two days later, Aelyx had left too. Rhaella still remembered the dragon's gaze, his eyes pleading for her to let him go. Rhaella had seen in his eyes the mirror of her pain and had let him do the thing she couldn’t ― escape from that land in which every single corner screamed Alysanne's name.
She had regretted it, sometimes. The loss of Aelyx had amplified the loss of her mother and she had thought, more than once, that the presence of the green scaled dragon could have make it easier for her ― though it was probably just an illusion, as nothing could truly easy the pain in her heart, the wound in her soul. A wound that was still bleeding, even if, with the passing of the years, Rhaella had learned to make peace with it. It was a part of her, it always would be, but this didn't mean she couldn't live her own life. Alysanne wouldn't have wanted her to waste her life in grief. And, for a moment, Rhaella had found happiness again. But then, Jacaerys had ruined everything, he had ruined her.
After Aelyx had left King's Landing, Rhaella had never heard of him again. She had often wondered how it was possible, that such a huge creature could vanish without a trace, but she had figured he would probably be back to Old Valyria, the place where dragons truly belonged. Or maybe, he had travelled even further away, trying to find a way to cope with the loss of his rider.
She couldn't believe her own eyes as she stared at the great dragon letting out another roar. Rhaella swallowed hard, her gaze running between Rys Rivers and Aelyx ― she was surprised to find that the First Ranger of the Night's Watch didn't seem shocked, or scared. Aelyx shook his head, the snow falling from his face and his wings as he spread them open. He was larger than twelve years before, probably even larger than Caraxes, though not as big as Cannibal. Dragons kept on growing their whole lives, even if, according to the Maesters, the last generations of dragons were smaller than their ancestors. It seemed like such a thing didn't apply to Aelyx, who had been thriving away from King’s Landing.
