To Take What Is Rightfully Ours

Chapter 34. Coming Back Home

Gerardys got woken up by someone banging on his door loudly and repeatedly. It wasn't yet dawn, even though the light started to dim on the horizon, so it was rather dark in his room. The maester lit up a candle and rushed to open the door.

There was a guard outside. 'There is a dragon!' the man exclaimed.

Gerardys looked at him for a few seconds like he was dumb and then slowly said, 'Of course, there is. There are multiple, actually. It's called Dragonstone for a reason.'

The guard shook his head, 'No, I mean... a dragon is flying towards the castle, only a few minutes out. One of the dragonkeepers thinks it's Silverwing.'

'Silverwing?!' Gerardys exclaimed, suddenly very awake. 'Oh Gods... come on, we need to go!' he then said, rushing out of his room without even taking time to dress up properly. He had to be there when Silverwing landed because there was no way to tell what she would bring. Gerardys prayed for Diane's safe return, of course, but he also had to be prepared for the worst. And, as far as he knew, what happened to Aerea might not be "the worst".

When Gerardys reached the landing place Diane usually used when she flew to visit, he saw that the High Priest and a few dragonkeepers were already there. 'Can you tell if there is anyone in the saddle?' Gerardys asked because his eyesight was not the best and he knew it.

The High Priest shook his head. 'It's still too dark. We will just have to wait and see.'

It became obvious that it was, in fact, Silverwing when she landed on the terrain with a practiced movement. A second later a woman slid from the dragon's back.

'Lady Diane!' Gerardys exclaimed when she glanced in his direction. She looked slightly different than he remembered her. She appeared older than she used to be. Not by a lot but if Gerardys saw her for the first time, he would have thought she was in her early or mid-twenties and not only eight and ten. Her hair was also shorter, now barely reaching her shoulders. Diane wore tight black pants, a white shirt, and a black jacket embroidered with white thread. It was definitely not the fashion of Westeros or even Dragonstone.

'Gerardys!' Diane smiled. 'Oh, how I missed you!' she exclaimed before running up to him and hugging him. Gerardys did not expect it but hugged her back nonetheless.

'You have also been missed greatly, my lady.'

'Sorry, I'm just really happy to see another living person,' Diane said when she broke the hug and then added, 'No offense, Aliyah.'

It was only then that Gerardys and others noticed another woman who got off Silverwing. She looked old, with her hair mostly gray and half-hidden under a dark red cape. 'Absolutely none taken, my dear,' Aliyah answered, approaching them.

'I believe introductions are in order,' Gerardys said, glancing at the woman. She didn't seem threatening or anything but something felt different about her. And well, considering where Diane had supposedly come back from...

'Right, of course. This is Aliyah Day'har, she is a Molfar and she will be staying with us for some time. Aliyah, this is Gerardys. He is the maester of Dragonstone.'

'Pleasure to meet you,' Aliyah smiled slightly.

'Uh- I apologize but I do not know much of High Valyrian.'

'Not a trouble. But my Common Tongue is rather dusty so forgive any mistakes of mine,' the woman switched languages rather easily.

Diane looked at her. 'You knew it all along and yet spoke to me only in High Valyrian?' she raised an eyebrow, perplexed.

'Right your father is. You need practice.'

'You do not know each other and yet you are already plotting against me. Unbelievable,' Diane scoffed but the corners of her mouth tugged into a small smile. She did get a lot of practice in High Valyrian in the last seven moons.