Fire and Blood (Book One)

Chapter Four

She could also sense Lord Hightower making fun of them on the inside, enjoying their reactions, as Lord Corlys and her father began to argue about the absurdity of this. Valaena threw a glass cup off of the table not caring if it would break a bone from the impact of slamming her fists against the few shards of glass. "You are a fool. House Velaryon was the best choice. I knew something was going on between you two. You've both betrayed us." As Valaena glared at both of them, she glanced at her twin who had turned and ran out of the room, she glared at her father who called out for the sister but neither of listened to him as she left the room with Lord Corlys. Valaena's blood was boiling with anger as she walked through the corridors and watched Rhaenyra run off and to her room, Valaena instead walked by his side. "Shit!" Valaena rested her back against a wall and slowly fell down hugging her legs together; Valaena realized that Rhaenys was right all along, men would rather see the city burn than let a woman lead. Valaena wondered what her uncle would think as she couldn't clearly see her uncle's intentions and how much of a fool she truly was. Never thinking well and seeing the outcome of things, Valaena thought the reason she kept on defending him and standing by his side was she loved him. Due to this, following Viserys's refusal to marry Lady Laena and his unwillingness to help with the threat of the Triarchy, Valaena watched from the shadows as Corlys approached Daemon and invited him to Driftmark. At Driftmark Corlys spoke of House Velaryon's ancient history and relations to Old Valyria like House Targaryen, as well as how Daemon and he were both alike in the sense that both of them were being seen as lesser than their older brothers.

Bored with his discussion about families, Daemon questioned him for the true reason he was at Driftmark, only for Valaena to walk out of the shadows and to walk up to Daemon's chair, unlike Corlys, Daemon was surprised to find her in Driftmark but she didn't care. Valaena watched as Daemon stood up and with a glass in his hand, he walked over to the fire, allowing Valaena to seat down his chair, but due to her young age, she was not allowed to drink alcohol. The former Master of Ships spoke about the looming threat of the Crabfeeder, how he had grown powerful thanks to aid from the Free Cities and how his House could be crippled when the shipping lanes of the Stepstones fell, speaking about Viserys's weakness. While Valaena stayed silent, Daemon made it clear that only he was allowed to speak freely about the King and him alone. Corlys then said that if Daemon and Valaena were to help him with this conflict, they could prove his worth in the eyes of those still seeing them less as than the King. Hearing Corlys stated that their worth was not given but made, with a silent look between them, the two agreed to aid his house with the Crabfeeder. The next three years came as a fruitless struggle for Daemon, Corlys, Valaena and their men, with Daemon willingly to kill the survivors on the beach while Valaena used her time and skills to save them. As for the Crabfeeder, Craghas Drahar, and his Triarchy forces continued to hold the Stepstones in their control. Even their dragons couldn't be used as a weapon they could use to turn the conflict in their favour, as the numerous caves of the Stepstones allowed Drahar and his men to avoid the dragon fire.

News of their rising defeat spread far and wide, leading many to wonder if Viserys should send his own armies to win his brother and daughter's seemingly lost war. Even amongst their own forces, trust loomed thin, while Vaemond, Corlys and Laenor were having a War Council, Daemon and Valaena were on the backs of their dragons burning more and more of the Crabfeeders's men and equipment. Together the two arrived at the War Council and dismounted from their dragons, once at the actual table Daemon and Valaena removed their helmets and gloves, with Valaena was mesmerising the map and what the men had planned. While Daemon stood beside her but stared quietly at his men, who all were wondering who-for their newest plan-would offer themselves as bait at a strategic point on Bloodstone. Suddenly a messenger from King's Landing arrived and took his time to list all of Viserys's title before handing Daemon a letter, knowing it was from her father, Valaena stepped to Daemon's side and with him read the letter. She was surprised that her father had planned to send ten ships and two thousand men in order to help win the war. But she knew that Daemon would only see it as her father bailing them out of their own fight and just like she thought would happen, Daemon furiously attacked the messenger with his helmet. This caused Vaemond, Ser Joffery Lonmouth and Corlys's son Laenor to try to restrain him but none of them were having any luck. So Valaena knew she had to stop him and she did this by placing a hand on the one holding the helmet and placed the other on the back of his neck, bringing their foreheads together, thus successfully stopping him. From the cliffs, Valaena watched as Daemon used a small rowboat to get to Bloodstone, she hoped that everything would go to plan.