The Grey Wolf & The Golden Dragon | Aegon Targaryen II

Battles Devised and Emerald Eyes

Alysanne

Days became weeks, a mournful silence falling over the keep as the King and Queen, and the rest of the family mourned the loss of Torlyn. Alysanne spent much of her spare time with Daeron, knowing he needed the company. They rarely spoke, but she suspected it comforted them both to have one another for company. It seemed that, no matter how she tried, all Alysanne could do was bring more heartache to those around her.

"New information from Elin?" Daeron asked softly as Alysanne reread the letter in her hand.

"Indeed," she replied before tossing the parchment into the flames of the hearth and watching it wither to ash, just as the rest of her life had. According to Elin's letter, Rhaenyra's twins had been intercepted by pirates during their voyage across the Narrow Sea, and Jacaerys was planning on flying over the wreckage to recover them. Alysanne knew that would never happen. Those boys were beyond reach for anyone except their captors. Another small stroke of luck for her and Aegon...

Alysanne felt a twinge of guilt stir in her gut. Only months before, Rhaenyra had stood beside her in the nursery, offering friendship and a betrothal between their children. How things had changed in such a short amount of time...

"It seems that Elin has become your new spy master..." Daeron mumbled.

"Absolutely not." Alysanne replied. Elin was her best friend, not a weapon for her to use at her discretion. Alysanne wanted her back at the keep and by her side, not traveling with Daemon's army, but Elin refused to return to the keep. "I would never put that kind of pressure on her. Elin offers us this information because she cares about us, not because I ask it of her. I'd prefer her back here..."

"It's not as though the keep is much safer than anywhere else these days..." Daeron replied, stroking his fingers over the blue and copper blanket Torlyn had made him.

"The keep is fine!" Alysanne snapped. "The traitors are dead, and your mother remains confined to her chambers." she insisted hotly. A part of her realized that she was taking out her frustration on her younger brother-in-law, and she let out a sigh.

"Yes, but Torlyn is still dead..." Daeron replied softly. His words pierced Alysanne through the chest and she couldn't disagree. She only wished that she had confronted Alicent and Larys when she had overheard their conversation. Perhaps, if she had, Torlyn would still be alive. Alysanne sank down onto the sofa and buried her face in her hands. Gods, how she wished she could turn back time and do everything differently... "I don't blame you, Alysanne..."

"Well you should," she replied in a broken whisper. "She was my charge, my friend... I am the Queen; I was supposed to protect her, and I failed, as I have failed at everything else..." As if sensing Alysanne's distress, Crimson padded into the room and nuzzled her arm; the motion calming her, if only fractionally. She reached out, stroking her fingers through Crim's fur, recalling the first time she laid eyes on the direwolf. So much had happened since that day.

I'm still a fucking direwolf... Perhaps it is time to act like one...

"Elin's letter stated that Cregan's army will be moving again soon, and that Daemon has returned to Dragonstone to be with his wife. Jacaerys is prioritizing trying to find his brothers... I think, mayhaps it is time for us to take advantage of the Black's momentary weakness..."

"What do you have in mind, Lys?" Aemond asked, appearing in the doorway.

"I think it is time to bathe Daemon's army in fire and blood..." Alysanne finally replied, looking up at her brother-in-law. A smirk spread across Aemond's face at her words.

"I think you're right, sister..." he finally agreed. 

Aemond

"I don't think this is—"