Dance of The Dragonwolf

Words are like an Arrow

Hello, Drinor here. I'm happy to publish a new Chapter of Dance of The Dragonwolf.

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Chapter 40 (Viserys's Decision),  Chapter  41 (Aenar's Answer), Chapter 42 (You Will Doom Us All), Chapter  43  (The First Cry of War), Chapter 44 (Revenge is a dish best served   Cold), Chapter 45 (Dragons and Snakes), Chapter 46 ('You are not   Loved'), Chapter 47 (Rhaenyra's Rage), Chapter 48 (Spread your Wings),   Chapter 49 (A Falling Dragon), Chapter 50 (Even Eyes Can Lie), Chapter  51 (A Crying Dragon), Chapter 52 (Tears of a Dragon), Chapter 53 (I  Wish We Had More Time), and Chapter 54 (The Bitter Harvest) are already available for  Patrons.

' A girl with long brown hair swung her legs over the balcony's edge, steading her arms against the stone beams that supported her back.

"And what are you doing, girl?"

She turns slightly, smiling. "Father!"

He stepped forward, dragging a hand against his face. Lines seeped deep into the sun-tanned skin, and she saw the exhaustion in his gaze.

"Working hard today, Father?"

"As hard as a man can to go up a peg on the ladder." Otto Hightower grasped her waist, forcing her backwards so she wasn't so far on the edge. "What've I told you about sitting up so high, Alicent? If you want to have air, sit in the breezeway or go to a lower floor."

"I like feeling tall. We're higher than anything else in the world. Have you ever thought of that? Even little birds can't fly higher. Even dragons don't go this high."

Otto chuckled at her pride. "You're right, my dear, dragons go much higher. Just be careful. It'd be a shame for you to fall from this height. You'll be dead before you hit the ground."

There's a moment of silence.

"Mother was looking for you," Alicent frowned. "You weren't in your solar. She cried again, so then Gwayne cried, and then the twins had to carry on and on about it. Where were you?"

With defeat, he sighed. "The library, my girl." Otto placed his hands against the large, finely cut stone and swung his legs over so he could sit. The whole world seemed so much smaller here. "Learning. No matter how old you are, you can always learn more. Education, my girl, intelligence, that's what'll rise you up in the world. It's why I work so hard—to advance our family."

"So you can be on the council of the King?"

"Aye, you're a smart girl. Kings need men like me. Our King Jaehaerys is wise, but to be on the council you must be wiser. Better than even a ruler. A king would not have a council if he was enough for the kingdom on his own."

Alicent adjusted her skirts, wrinkling the pretty fabric between her fingers. "I see." The girl, an eight-year-old, looked across Oldtown. Wisdom won't make Mother stop crying. You're breaking her heart being gone so very much. I don't like it when Mama cries."

"Helaena is a tender-hearted woman just as all Tyrells are. That's why their sigil is of a flower. You're not like your mother, though, Alicent. You're not a delicate flower. You're a strong stone tower."

Alicent sighs softly.

"If I was without boys, I could be just as pleased with you. You're going to do great things, Alicent, I can see it in your face. You ought to be a queen or a princess, not the daughter of a second son." Otto's voice became a bitter sneer, for his true anger was at his own position. Such an ambitious man limited by a brother's rank. He would never be Lord of Hightower or the Port or anything more than a second son. He turned to the girl with the long brown hair.