Heir of the Dragon

Doom of Valyria

Jessica quickly set the book on the stool next to her and crossed her arms to cover herself. "I'm in a bath, Ser Criston."

Criston stood his ground. "We need to talk."

Jessica narrowed her eyes in confusion. "I heard you the first time, and I'm in a bath."

Criston huffed then began to undress.

"By the Gods, Criston, what are you doing?!"

Criston Cole didn't say a word. Just stripped down and joined her in the bath tub, sitting at the opposite end. "You like it this scalding?"

Jessica rolled her eyes, keeping her arms crossed and leaned against the back of the tub. "What is so important that you cannot possibly wait until I was finished?"

Criston met her eyes. "I want to be a good Hand, Princess. And for me to be a good Hand I need to know your Targaryen history. I'm common born, Jesscareya, lucky enough to read and write, but I had no real Master to teach me beyond the basics."

Jessica let out a long breath. "And you thought now would be the opportune time to ask?"

Criston grinned. "The boys aren't currently breathing down your neck. In fact I have no idea where they ran off too."

Jessica shook her head but smiled. "You know, as Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, and now Hand, that's probably something you shouldn't be saying out loud."

Jessica got herself comfortable, her and Criston's legs intertwining. She looked out the window then took a breath. "If you want to know our histories, there no better place to start than the Doom of Valyria. The Doom of Valyria, or simply the Doom, was a cataclysm of an unspecified nature that caused the collapse of the Valyrian Freehold, which had prospered for five thousand years. It occurred about a century before Aegon's Conquest of Westeros, in 102 BC. Spells, knowledge, and recorded history were lost in the Doom, and the Century of Blood followed the disaster."

Criston adjusted, getting more comfortable. "But what was the Doom, exactly?"

Jessica grinned. "Who's giving the history lesson here? Now twelve years before the Doom, Lord Aenar Targaryen's maiden daughter, Daenys the Dreamer, had a powerful prophetic dream along with visions that Valyria would be destroyed. Foreseeing the Doom, she convinced her father to leave Valyria before the cataclysm. Aenar set sail, moving House Targaryen, their property, and their five dragons to the island Dragonstone. Other Houses of the narrow sea of Valyrian descent include the Velaryons of Driftmark and the Celtigars of Claw Isle."

Slowly Jessica had uncrossed her arms, relaxing around Criston. "On the day of the Doom, every hill for five hundred miles exploded, filling the air with ash and smoke and fire, which killed even the dragons. Earthquakes destroyed palaces, temples, and towns, while lakes boiled or turned to acid. The Fourteen Flames, the fiery mountains of Valyria, sent molten rock a thousand feet into the air, and red clouds rained down dragonglass. The cataclysm fragmented the Valyrian peninsula surrounding Valyria into numerous smaller islands and creating the Smoking Sea between them. East of Valyria, Velos and Ghozai on the Isle of Cedars were destroyed by a tsunami."

Criston leaned in closer to her, transfixed on her every word.

Jessica smiled. "It is commonly believed that the Doom was a natural calamity caused by the eruption of the Fourteen Flames, although some septons believe the polytheistic Valyrians delved too deep to the seven hells. Alternatively, Septon Barth and some maesters believe that Valyrian spells controlling the Fourteen Flames faltered. Other explanations include the curse of Garin the Great, the fire of R'hllor, or infighting dragonlords assassinating fire mages."