As a child, you would wait and watch from far away
But you always knew that you'd be the one
That work while they all play
In youth, you'd lay awake at night and scheme
Of all the things that you would change
But it was just a dream
Here we are, don...
Raina sat with a blanket wrapped tightly around her body as she gazed out the window. "Raina?" Daemon called out to her from the bed, his back against the headboard, with a thin blanket covering his lower body.
"You're angry, I understand, but..." he began, but Raina interrupted him.
"Angry doesn't even come close to describing what I'm feeling," Raina said, her gaze still fixed outside. "Why would you keep something like this from me? Haven't I shared enough of my life with you to deserve the truth?" she asked, her voice filled with frustration. Daemon let out a sigh.
"Raina, we..." he started to say, but once again, she cut him off.
"No... I've confided in you about my father, I've cried to you about him, I've shared my fears of his reaction to seeing me now, and for what?" Raina turned to face him, her eyes filled with hurt. "So you could lie to me? Make a fool out of me?" she said, her voice trembling with emotion.
Daemon sat up, acknowledging Raina's point. "You're right, Raina. We should have told you. But if we had, you would have gone after him," he admitted. Raina's eyes snapped up to meet his.
"Yes, I would have, Daemon!" Raina hissed, her voice filled with frustration. "For seven years, all I wanted was to say goodbye, to tell him that I loved him. Just one more glimpse of his face. And even after I confided in you, you chose to remain silent... Why?" she demanded, her voice trembling with emotion.
Daemon mumbled softly, "I've asked myself the same questions about you."
Raina raised an eyebrow, her eyes narrowing. "And what do you mean by that?" she asked, her curiosity piqued.
"Why do you do the things you do, Raina?" Daemon questioned. Raina shook her head, not understanding what he was getting at. "Why do you insist on building an army? Why can you emit smoke when you're angry? And why can you shape that smoke into various forms? Why... why are you doing what you're doing?" he pressed, his tone filled with genuine curiosity. Raina looked away, deep in thought.
"What does this have to do with my father?" Raina asked, still avoiding eye contact.
"You mentioned trust, Raina. You've shared so much about your life, but when we ask these questions, you never answer. Why?" Daemon inquired. Raina looked back at him, her expression filled with frustration.
"You're trying to shift the blame onto me?" Raina said, taking a step closer to him. "You will know when the time is right, but the reasons behind why I'm building an army, why I can emit smoke, or why I do the things I do have nothing to do with why you lied to me," she asserted. Daemon stood up, his lower body now visible, and approached her as smoke began to emanate from her nose.
"See?" he said, gesturing towards the smoke. "Just tell me why?" Daemon pleaded. Raina couldn't answer those questions because she herself didn't know the answers. While she understood her motivations for building an army, she didn't comprehend the reasons behind her ability to hear whispers or manipulate smoke. Thus, she couldn't provide him with an answer.
"...I..." Raina started to speak but then stopped, her voice trailing off. "...I will tell you when the time is right. But right now, I'm not happy with you," she asserted, her tone filled with disappointment.
"Raina," he whispered in her ear, his breath warm against her skin as he gently removed the blanket from her, his hands resting on her hips, drawing her closer to him. "What can I do to make you happy?" he asked, Raina leaned back against him, her head and back resting against his shoulder.
"We will finish this first, and then you will tell me where he is," Raina said, pushing back against him. "I want him to meet them," she added, determination evident in her voice.
"Alright," he agreed, pulling her back towards the bed.
. . .
Daemon was fast asleep, but Raina found herself unable to find solace. Slowly, she slipped out of bed, grabbing the sheet from the floor and draping it around herself before quietly making her way out of the room.
"You are angry," the whispers echoed around Raina. "And you have questions. Ask them, Raina," they urged. Raina's eyes darted around the hallway as she continued walking, feeling a mix of curiosity and trepidation.
"Tell me why," Raina finally asked, her voice filled with a newfound determination. She had never directly questioned why she heard the whispers before, but now she felt compelled to know.
"When you were born, you were not meant to take your first breath. She had pleaded, to any and everything, to save you after your birth, and we heard her, granting her wish," the whispers revealed. "You hear us because you have walked the path where we exist. You are alive because we breathed life into you, and with every breath, you manifest what you truly are—the soul of a dragon. And with a dragon comes fire and smoke," they explained. Raina closed her eyes, absorbing the weight of their words.
"We gave you life when you didn't have the strength to live. You are not the same girl who was born that night. That girl was never meant to survive. The connections and bonds that girl would have had were lost because you are not her," they disclosed. Raina's mind swirled with a mixture of emotions and realizations. Suddenly, everything started to make sense.
"I understand," Raina said as she continued walking, absorbing the instructions from the whispers.
"Good," they responded. "Now you need to harness the power of the next flame. Dragons will be scarce when it is born, so ensure that it gathers them and creates a safe haven for them to hide," they advised. Raina nodded, understanding the significance of protecting the dragons.
"Also, learn the Dothraki language," they added. Raina felt a wave of confusion wash over her. Why did she need to learn that language?
"Why?" she asked, seeking clarification.
"The Dothraki language is not native to the land you currently reside in," they explained. "By learning this language, you will be able to communicate openly with your followers. We will teach it to you, but it is essential for your army to learn as well," they replied. Raina nodded once again, accepting the challenge.
Raina continued walking until she found her knights. Moving swiftly, she grabbed a piece of paper and began writing. "This needs to be delivered to my grandfather, the king, and no one else," she instructed, handing the letter to Ser Alden who nodded in understanding. "And let it be known that anyone who wears this ring must learn the Dothraki language. Both of you have important tasks. Get them done," Raina directed looking to Ser Roderick, her gaze fixed on the knight holding the letter.
"You need to return within 15 days, and be extremely cautious with what he sends," Raina urged, a sense of urgency in her voice. "Hurry!" Both knights sprang into action, swiftly carrying out their assigned tasks. Raina turned and quickly made her way back to her room, her mind filled with anticipation and the weight of the impending responsibilities. Time was of the essence, and she needed to prepare for what lay ahead.
~~~ Raina, Ser Alden and Ser Roderick ↓
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