The Dragon's Legacy

Chapter Fifty-Nine

Daemion walked around the training ground of Red Keep as he awaited Alysanne's carriage to arrive at the Red Keep.

Upon leaving Rhaena's chamber he had informed the nurses that Rhaena was awake and ordered them to care for her and stand by her until he himself returned to her.

How desperately he wanted to stay by her side and not wait in the courtyard, but yet he could not help but to remember old memories as he looked around the courtyard, and right across it the training yard of the Red Keep.

Daemion calmly walked toward the training yard, and his eyes fell on a dummy, with small burn fractures on where it stood.

Daemion looked at the dummy. It looked much like the dummy... No, he knew the dummy, and for that, he softly smirked to himself.

For many days Daemion had tried to force Modread to set this dummy on fire when he was Six years old... Though Modread was only capable of setting his own small pieces of meat on fire for his supper, and only the foundation of where the dummy stood.

Simpler days... Daemion thought to himself. But he did not know whether he would have lived in those days. Those days were long gone... And so were most of the people in those days... Buried with the better days.

"When it rains, it pours... But remember Prince Daemion, sun will always shine brighter after rain." That is what Gawen had once told him after the day he had taken his first life when he was fourteen... Though his words did not seal Daemion then, now, nearly twenty years since when he spoke those words, Daemion could see through his wise words...

Arregont old bastard... Daemion thought to himself and smiled a small smile. Perhaps the wisest man he ever came to know if not the most honourable and loyal man he knew... Daemion knew he would miss him, but he also knew Gawen died a death worthy of him. A soldier's death... For the King he believed in.

Daemion was yet to give his father a funeral worthy of a King and his father... He knew his father's funeral will take place in the Red Keep, but he was going to take his ashes to Dragonstone, to let the northern wind take his ashes where only the wind take him... For he knew then and only then he could mourn his father...

But he could not help but to remember what they said his father's orders was for Gawen and Viserys, their last duty before fighting for his father in the Trial of Seven, which was acting as shields for the twins... Rhaella and Aerea...

Can they be mine? Daemion wondered to himself. I could be, It is quite possible but yet—

But then a familiar voice interrupted Daemion's thoughts.

"You know what, brother?" Sly's voice spoke loud as he approached Daemion. "I must say that maybe Westerosi gold is not as bad as I thought it to be. Maybe I should have sent your head here when Aegon the Dragon was still alive... I am sure he would have rewarded me generously."

Daemion turned his head to meet Sly's amazed face and only raised his eyebrow as he looked at Sly with his deep violet eyes.

Sly and Ser Walder had arrived at the Red Keep a day ago with Aegon's body, though Daemion chose Rhaena's company over anyone else... But Daemion knew Sly was welcomed by King Jaehaerys as Daemion's friend and brother-in-arms.

"What?" Daemion asked as he looked at the man who he called his brother. "Choosing gold over friendship, Sly? Is it the shit smell of Kingslanding that has made you go mad or the whores of the street of Silk?"

Sly chuckled. "Perhaps a little of both. Though had I known you lived in such castle, I would have chosen gold over brotherhood." Sly joked with a grin on his face as he ran his thick fingers through his orange mustache. "Though when I spoke your name in the brothels, everyone thought you were dead or simply do not exist. You do need to visit brothels more often, Commander."