the two-headed dragon (a. targaryen)

CHAPTER IV

ALTHOUGH HER DEPARTURE WAS TEARFUL, Vaera enjoyed sailing to Dragonstone, much unlike her brothers. While Jacaerys and Lucerys battled seasickness, Vaera basked in the salty air. Her balance took a bit longer to adjust, but she managed to grow her sealegs once King's Landing had faded from the horizon.

With her mother and father in the air atop Syrax and Seasmoke, and her brothers on bedrest below deck, Vaera found herself at a lack for company - that is, until she became acquainted with the crewmen above deck. She tried not to get in the way of their work, but they welcomed the little princess, showing her the ins and outs of maintaining the ship. The Ropemaker, a grizzly man named Arker, taught her how to tie a bowline knot. Wilhelm, the Sailmaker, put her embroidery skills to use on a few patches in the sails. Quartermaster Nigel even had her steer the ship once, and the only other time she felt nearly as powerful was with her father on Seasmoke's back.

On day three of their voyage, she stood at the bow of the ship with her eyes closed, breathing in the fresh air of the Blackwater, when the sound of sure footsteps brought her out of her reverie. She turned to find a boy standing by the wheel. He looked young, but older than her - perhaps Aegon's age, and he wore a warrant officer's uniform.

"Oh, I'm sorry, am I in your way?" asked Vaera.

"Not at all, my Princess," said the crewman. "I am Midshipman Kellan Caswell, son of Lord Caswell."

"Very nice to meet you, Midshipman Caswell," she said politely. She almost curtsied, but she thought better of it when she felt the rocking of the vessel. In the teenager's hand was a golden contraption that piqued her interest. "Might I ask what that is?"

The Caswell boy smiled. "My ship's mate told me you'd be curious," he remarked, walking closer and holding up the tool so she could see it better. "This is a sextant."

"And what does it do?"

"It helps me navigate," he said simply. "Would you like to see how it works?"

Vaera nodded enthusiastically. Kellan then pointed the sextant to the horizon, explaining to Vaera how to move the arm until one could see the sun in the mirror. He then showed her the graduated scale. "Can you tell me what number's in that little slot?"

She looked to the scale. "Forty-three," she answered. "How does that tell you where you are?" she asked.

"That's the Sailing Master's job, I'm afraid," Kellan said with a hopeful grin. "Thank you for your help, Princess," he said, giving a quick bow before leaving her at the bow of the ship.

Vaera turned and looked towards the horizon, and imagined that she had her own sextant. Then, she would never be truly lost.

Though she was loath to admit, Vaera also did her fair share of eavesdropping aboard The Sea Maiden. She heard tell of the 'real' reason why her mother relocated with such haste. House Targaryen had unofficially split into two factions: The Greens, led by Queen Alicent, and the Blacks, which Vaera assumed was her mother's side. That there were even sides at all made the young girl incredibly uneasy, but she dismissed that feeling as queasiness from being aboard a ship for so long.

Other crewmen spoke of a wild dragon spotted in the Gullet a moon's turn ago. The she-dragon (if the rumors were to be believed) had been seen weaving in and out of the ocean by merchants, feasting on swordfish. Some thought her to be a sea dragon, but the theory was met with much skepticism, as sea dragons have not roamed the skies or the seas since the Age of Heroes. This excited Vaera, as she remembered reading legends of Nagga, the great sea dragon from the Iron Islands. She often dreamed of dragons near the water.

Vaera also wondered if this dragon, wherever she was, dreamt of her too.

-

Dragonstone was dreary, windy, and the smoke that rose from the Dragonmount left a constant smell of brimstone throughout the island. Still, Vaera felt a deep energy brimming beneath the land as soon as she set foot on its soil. A low hum settled in her ears that never quite went away.