Bound by Blood and Oaths

Chapter 56

Summer Sea

"You okay, Your Grace?"

Jaehaerys flew straight back from his encounter with Euron. First, he had pain in his stomach and now his chest. It is as if every body part will burn with pain at some point. Rhaelor flew as close as she could to Alysanne's ship yet he still had to jump. It was not a jump of the most comfortable kind.

"My chest burns, Alysanne," he said with a wheeze. "Fly and destroy them, Rhaelor!" He said in Valyrian to his dragon.

The dragon did so without question. Alysanne halted the advance of the entire fleet as well. He could see why. It was like a sea of fire and smoke. No captain worth their salt would wish to near it. Even more so considering Jeyne and Daenerys flew overhead, setting fire to dozens of ships. The men stood watching with eagerness to fight yet none were too eager to join a fiery grave.

"A rib must be broken," Alysanne said. "I know the feeling. Burns like a bitch. Hard to breathe. Come, I'll help you. Your women can burn the fleet well enough without us gawking like idiots."

"He, I guess they can," Jaehaerys chuckled only to hiss a moment later. "Why is it always me?"

"You think this is painful?" Alysanne laughed, helping him walk through the ship. "Your wife gave you a child. If you wish to feel pain, take her place, Your Grace. Then you'll know true pain."

"I take your word for it," Jaehaerys said. He sat down in his room on one of the wooden chairs. It was a relief to sit and not move. Each movement of the rib felt like a stab of a sword. If giving birth is more painful, he is glad to be a man and understands why Daenerys almost crushed his hand.

"It isn't broken," Alysanne said who knelt down to inspect his chest. "You're lucky. I think it is bruised up, two ribs. Nasty but should be alright in a couple of weeks."

"Didn't know you were so learned."

"I know from experience," she said, standing up again. "In my life, I fought several times, Your Grace. I broke things, was cut by weapons I could not think of. I know when something is broken or not."

"Good to know," Jaehaerys said, a breath leaving him. He wonders what grave wound he will get next. It seems the world likes to test the endurance of his body. If those two women weren't enough of a challenge.

"The dragons will make short work of the Ironborn. I saw you killed Euron," Alysanne said as she handed a cup filled with water. "I didn't think it would be that easy. Men say terrible things of that man. I suppose he didn't anticipate the bond between dragon and rider."

"He did, though. What he failed to understand was the magic of Valyria. Blood was the power of the basic. I understand yet that's not enough. What else I don't know, and he didn't either."

"I suppose. I sent a boat to his ship, see what can be scavenged. He was their king, perhaps something to be learned about the affairs of Westeros. It can't hurt."

"Yes, I hope they return with the armor... it was Valyrian steel. I could tell as clear as day," Jaehaerys muttered. "Well, I need to lie down. I hope that offers some support to my burning chest."

"Very well, I'll make sure we'll be on our way to Dragonstone after this is done."

Jaehaerys gave a nod as he let himself lay down on the featherbed. It was much better, perhaps just his imagination. He hoped things won't be difficult the entire way to Dragonstone. This is more than enough to deal with. Surely, he hasn't that much bad luck.

He wonders what comes next.

Daenerys was quicker than Jeyne. It was almost a full-on sprint to where Jaehaerys was. How many times does she have to see him in pain with wounds? For years she has seen with all ranges of injuries, even patched up a few herself. She pushed the door to their cabin open, rushing past Jorah and Barristan to Jaehaerys' side.