Through Morning's Eye

Seven: Winds of Change

If Kristyne Strong could forget any night of her childhood, it would be the night Aemond Targaryen lost his eye. First of all, the smell of all the blood was putrid and the longer it stayed on her face, the worse the smell became. She wasn't the one to take his eye, but the way he looked at her said differently. His remaining blue eye was filled with hate the entire night.

As Kris sailed to Dragonstone with her newfound family, she reflected on that night the entire time. The fear she felt as Alicent tried to take Luke's eye, when she cut Rhaenyra, and just that look from Aemond. She'd never seen him look so hateful.

And then the following morning, Laenor turned up dead from a fight.

So much death clouded that trip, and she'd swore she'd never return to Driftmark. That place held her worst nightmares and her darkest time.

With the death of both Laena and Laenor, Daemon and the girls traveled with Rahenyra and her children to Dragonstone. There were already talks of their wedding.

Finally arriving at the castle, Rhaenyra showed them all inside and began to travel to where their rooms would be. Kris' would be a room that overlooked what seemed like a training yard, and her heart started racing. A training yard. Her favorite place to be with Harwin.

"I can't, I-I can't see that, Rhaenyra," she shook her head with tears in her eyes. She stumbled back and sat on the bed, her lungs and heart once against being crushed by the pressure in her chest.

Rhaenyra sat next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, letting her cry.

"Your mother says Harwin was training you as well as the boys," Daemon said from the doorway.

Kris looked up at him and nodded.

"Well, I plan on continuing the boys' training, I don't see why I can't continue yours."

Her eyes widened and she looked at Rhaenyra. "May I?"

Rhaenyra placed a hand on her cheek. "Blood or not, you are my daughter now. You do not have to share my name to get a share of my affection. I promised your father I would care for you and intend to do that. You may do as you wish, this is your home now."

Kris placed a hand over her chest and her necklace. "I would like to start with a new wardrobe."

Rhaenyra nodded. "My riches are yours now as well. What are you thinking?"

"Blues and reds for my father, and purples for my mother. The Dayne flag is purple, and Father said that she liked purple. I want to honor my family. But no green. I have grown to dislike green."

Rhaenyra smiled. "Green is awful."

It took a few days for Kristyne to adjust. Now that she had moments of quiet, she had time to grieve. She would never see her father again. She would never hug him again. Never hear 'I love you' again.

So Kris tried to urge a vision. Not of the future, but the past. She wanted to hear his laugh, to see his smile ... she wanted to bring him back.

It seemed hopeless at first. She would lay on her bed with her eyes closed, trying to find serenity. Maybe she could find that part of her mind if she was at peace.

She cleared her mind, forgetting the grief for a moment. She tried just sitting and hoping they would happen, but that yielded no results. Her next option was to reach out and seek it, and suddenly, she disappeared.

"Harwin?" Lady Asha entered their shared chambers.

Harwin looked up from the scroll he was writing on and smiled at her. "There you are. When I woke, you were not in bed. Waking up next to you has been a sight I have enjoyed."