Dragon of the North | B. Stark

PROLOGUE

[ Rhaella ]

IN PENTOS, she watched from the window of her chamber as the children laughed and played outside. She sighed. "Dany, are you happy here?" Daenerys thought to herself for a moment as she brushed her sister's curly hair. "Well, it is quite nice." She cupped her hand and scooped up water from a bowl and ran it through the hair. "But, all I wish is to go back to Ser Willem Darry's home. The place with the red door."

She remembered that place vaguely. That was where she had been brought to Viserys and Daenerys when she was only an infant. The two girls were inseparable ever since.

"Thinking of that place seems to only bring me comfort these days." Dany said sorrowfully. "And being with you of course." They stepped out of the room and made their way into the bathing chamber.

Dany dismissed the slaves, leaving the two of them in the room. "I wish we could live our lives like the princesses in the stories. Perhaps, a brave prince rescuing us? Or kissing a frog and it suddenly transforms into a handsome prince?" She used a clip to put up her hair and began to untie the strings of Rhae's silks.

Rhaella stuck out her tongue. "There is no way in this whole wide world I'd ever kiss a frog, yuck!" She wouldn't mind being in the arms of a prince. Someone brave, gentle, and wise.

The chamber was filled with giggles. They stopped abruptly once they heard the sound of someone storming to the room. "Oh no." Dany whispered. "He's coming."

Rhae swallowed her saliva nervously. What does he want now? He swung the door open. "What are the two of you doing?" Dany placed down the brush and stuttered. "We . . . well- I was only brushing her hair and now I'm helping her get in the tub." She avoided eye contact with her brother. Daenerys always told Rhaella to never look him in the eyes. Viserys scoffed, "That is the job of a slave, my sweet idiot sister."

He looked over at Rhaella. He grinded his teeth. "Cousin," he spat. He spoke as if she was a disease. Viserys never addressed her by her name, despising the idea of his mother's name given to the likes of a foreign girl. Even though she was still a Targaryen, he only considered her half and not pure.

When they first met, he tolerated her and was much nicer. Until, they were forced to flee Braavos. They struggled to find food and shelter. He did the best he could to take care of them. His anger only grew once he had no choice but to sell his mother's crown.

How could someone so handsome be so cruel, she thought. She looked him in the eye slowly. "Viserys . . ."

Viserys walked over to Daenerys, eyeing her body as if they weren't siblings. "Let me see." He commanded. Dany trembled as she lifted her hands to the strings of her gown. He grew impatient, doing it himself. That made both of the girls flinch. He backed away to observe her body. Dany was sixteen, considered to be a woman grown in their world's standards. To Rhaella, poor Dany was still just a girl.