Baelon King of all Dragons

Chapter 14

25th Day, 2nd Moon, 111 A.C.

On a beautiful day in the midst of a summer year, the population of Dragonstone Island didn't reflect the good weather in their mood as they would normally do; today they were mourning, and every prayer they sent towards the fourteen flames, or even the seven who are one, was directed up a hill where they could see a long black and red tail of a dragon.

The rest of its body couldn't be seen by the smallfolk as they were too far down from the hill to see anything of the proceedings; perhaps they could see a claw or even the head if they were on another side of the hill, but not today.

But even only the tail was enough for them to know whose dragon it was that was standing there.

Normally, the presence of the large dragon of the Prince and Lord of Dragonstone was no unexpected event, for the smallfolk knew that their prince liked to go flying with him or even just letting his dragon bathe in the sun on the very hill where he was stationed today.

But today was different; it could not only be seen by the small fleet of ships that docked in the new harbor the prince had built a few moons before; looking up at the sky was enough; there they could see even more dragons circling around the hill and the thing on top of it.

It was a rare occurrence to see all four of the dragons of the royal family in the air at the same time in the same place.

Beneath the Dragons was a mass of people all clad in dark colors, mostly black. On the right side, nearest to Arrlithox and the pyre under him, stood the King of the Seven Kingdoms, Viserys Targaryen, but today he was no king; he was just a grieving father and a husband who regretted his choices. Beside him stood not his family, but Otto Hightower, the Hand of the King, despite his appearance, wasn't as sad about the Queen's death as some might have thought.

On the other side, a few feet away, stood Baelon with his sister and uncle, who just reminded them that 'they' were waiting on them.

He meant, of course, the whole procession of the funeral, including the Velaryon family as well as their own family and Otto and Alicent. As Baelon was wondering about the reason why Alicent was here while holding no position at court or being part of the royal family or its branches, he heard his sister ask him something.

"Do you think that in the few hours that our brother was alive, our father was finally happy?"

"He looked happy as I came into the room they were in, at least until I screamed at him, about how he could just cut our mother and his wife open like a slaughtered pig."

Before the siblings could talk more, Daemon intervened.

"I know what he did wasn't good or even acceptable, but he is grieving with you, and he will need you both."

"I will never be a boy. I will never be the spare he wanted."

Before his uncle could answer, his sister's statement. Baelon stepped forward and commanded Arrlithox to breathe his golden-orange flames onto the pyre before him.

Viserys wanted only Syrax or even Caraxes to be the dragon that burned Aemma and his son Aemon, but Baelon said that it would not do to send a smaller dragon to burn his mother and that she only deserved the best. After hearing his son's argument, he would later relent and agree to let Arrlithox burn his late wife.

So it came that Arrlithox stood over the assembly as he burned his bonded mother and brother to ashes. Normally any of the other dragons would have to take a few steps to reach the pyre, but not Arrlithox; he was so large that Vhagar was discussed as not being the largest dragon alive anymore.

After the ceremony had ended, the court flew or sailed back to King's Landing to continue ruling the continent that wouldn't rule itself even in such a sad hour.

As they came back to King's Landing and the Red Keep, it was late afternoon, so they didn't do much anymore; they just talked a bit in their respective social circles. The only thing that changed the atmosphere that had overshadowed the Capitel in the last few days was that the King was talking to his children without the hate-filled looks shared between them.

As night came and sleep came, Baelon once again stood in front of all of the Valyrien gods except for Balerion, whom he had only met once, and even that had only come to pass, so that he could tell Baelon that his mother wasn't in pain anywhere she was after she died and that she and his brother were safe.

As he thought about that encounter, he heard the voice of Arrax as he talked about some tasks that could help him if completed.

"Sorry, what did you just say?"

"I said that you could go to Valyria for something that would help you and your dragon."

"No great-grandfather had a decree made that all who would fly there on dragonback would lose their heads."

"Yes, and who says that anyone would know about it?"

"They would still find out later, wouldn't they?"

"Well yes, but only after you are back safe and sound and with rewards, so they couldn't kill you for that."

"I don't know if I even want to go there."

"Oh, the task is optional, but going there to get some books is not; you have to explain somehow where you get your knowledge about Valyria from, so it is needed that you go there."

"But you cannot make me do it, can you?"

"We could, but we won't; you will go there anyway just to please your curiosity."

"You know what they say about the waters and air there."

"The waters are fine, just like a hot spring, nothing more. And the air will never hurt a dragon, and because you are bonded with the gods, it surely won't harm you."

"So you are saying I can go there without any problems and return with techniques and knowledge I have never seen before?"

"Yes, that sounds right."

"So, when should I go?"