A Dance Of Scales And Shadows | Aemond Targaryen x OC

Part 22 - The High Arches

Aika stood in the middle of the dark corridor once again, but now she noticed how vast and spacious the "tunnel" was, with high arches reaching far into the distance. It was dark—so dark that her mind played tricks on her. Intangible shapes danced on her back, and voices rang in her ears, pushing her forward. Shadows closed around her, calling her by name, urging her to run faster into the void. And, just like in all of her other dreams, at the end of the corridor, only rot, blood, and fire awaited her. Then, water flooded over her, filling her lungs...

She sprang out of the dream, finding herself alone in her room. The space, decorated in warm blues, now felt like the coldest place in the world. She slid her hand across the coverlet and swiftly moved to the other side of the bed. Warm, she thought, realizing Aemond had seemingly left not long ago.

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Her feet felt heavy, as did her heart, as she climbed the stairs of the Dragonpit. The last time she had been here was only days ago, when she said her final goodbye to Starlight. The large doors were opened immediately as the princess and her guards approached, and a couple of dragonkeepers came forward to greet her.

"Welcome, Your Highness," said the older one. "Didn't expect to see you here. How can we be of use?"

The younger boy kept his head low and bowed respectfully.

Aika didn't have a specific plan. Now that the rumors about Rhaenyra having three more dragons had proven true, she knew that facing her with only Vhagar was foolish.

"I am here to see all the dragons," she replied. "Please bring them to me, one by one."

The dragonkeepers exchanged uneasy glances. "Your Highness, we send reports regularly about their well-being..."

"I've seen the reports from last month. Two died recently," Aika interrupted. "I want to see the rest—the biggest ones." She turned and walked in.

More dragonkeepers came forward, and not long after, dragons—one after another—were brought out for display.

To Aika, calling these hatchlings "big dragons" seemed like a stretch. Some of the largest were still too small to carry a rider, while the smaller ones had trembling limbs.

"Aren't there any bigger ones?" she asked, looking at the dragonkeepers, searching for a hopeful sign. But none of them dared meet her gaze.

"No, not at the moment," replied the older dragonkeeper. "In two months, some of these will be the size of..."

"Two months is too long," Aika cut him off, frustration rising. "All of this is pointless now. I thought there were dragons ready to be saddled..." Her voice dropped, more to herself than anyone else.

As she turned to leave, Aika cast one final glance at the interior of the building. She had come here all her life, but she had never really studied the structure. A massive hall designed for dragon training, its walls adorned with intricate carvings, and three enormous arches leading out of the hall—through which the dragonkeepers brought the dragons. The arches were so high that it was impossible to make out the intricate details carved into them.

When she stepped outside the Dragonpit, the younger dragonkeeper who had greeted her earlier sprinted after her.

"Princess," the boy called, making her turn. "Sorry, Your Highness," he corrected himself, bowing deeply.

"What is it?" she asked, her curiosity piqued.

"I need to tell you something," he said, glancing nervously at her guards. "In private..."

Aika gestured for her guards to step away for a moment, then patiently waited for the boy to speak.

"I probably shouldn't be telling you this, but I think it's important," he began. "Sometimes hatchlings go missing, and I never see them again..."

"Hatchlings are known to not survive easily," Aika replied.

"The two dragons that died recently, the ones mentioned in the reports—they weren't as small as these," the boy continued.

"Go on," Aika urged, sensing his hesitation.

"I think those two were killed," he said, his voice trembling.

"What do you mean?"

"I saw how the older dragonkeepers carried out... parts of the dragons," he said, swallowing hard. "Parts of their wings and so on... I don't know why they keep it a secret, but I think there's something else going on, something deeper, beneath the surface... A vicious dragon"