The Pyre for a hero

Pyre for a hero

Daemon finally allowed himself to sleep at mid-day, after hours of  reassurance from Shaera that she felt stronger. She had felt much better after recovering.

Daemon's eyebrows furrowed as he saw blurry figures that revealed themselves; his mother, father and brother. Viserys stepped towards Daemon, pulling his younger brother into an embrace.

"You have done well, brother. Your children are glorious", Viserys beamed before his face dropped along with his tone....

"If only you had not failed my daughter, my Rhaenyra".

"Viserys-",

"Daemon", Baelon spoke, his stern voice felt surreal. He remembered that tone, the one he recognised when he misbehaved in his youth.

"We are proud of you, my boy but your mistakes must be paid for",

"How do you mean? father?".

Baelon stepped back, ignoring him as Alyssa went closer to Daemon. She held his face, her hands felt oddly warm against his skin. The embrace he longed for now awarded him.

"My son. You were the most like me, my favourite.    Lost time cannot be remade nor reversed. No matter how painful, you must mourn and burn what remains of your saviour",

"I do not understand?".

"You will. When the time comes you will have to burn she who saved you from yourself. It will be hard and it will hurt but that is the way it must be".

The figure of Alyssa walked over and locked arms with Baelon before the three figures turned away from Daemon, he gasped when the figures of his family went up in flames. Their loud screams haunted his very being, the deafening sounds accumulated in his mind.

Daemon awoke gasping, sweat clung to his body as he hyperventilated. He dwelled on what his parents told him in his dream; mistakes? Saviour? The cryptic riddles confused him until they became clear to him, she who saved him from himself was the only one he truly loved.

Shaera smiled as she spent time with Aerion and Daella, the void in her heart had been fulfilled by the babes. The babbling of the twins was melodic in her ears. She felt content despite missing her other children.   Shaera held them both in her arms, she would protect them from the atrocities of the world as would Daemon.

Shaera felt a pain in her head, a sudden wave of fatigue. She called for the wetnurse to take the children from her, the babes were taken to their nursery. Shaera stood from the chair she sat, she tried to walk but her legs could no longer withstand her body weight. She leant against the nearby table at the sudden weakness that overcame her.

Shaera cleared her throat before coughing profusely, the tickle she felt could not be shed. She looked down to her hand to find speckles of blood, as she inspected the substance on her hand she felt a bout of dizziness. Shaera reached up when she felt a rush of liquid in her lips, her nose had begun to bleed as had her eyes. Spluttering from the blood in her throat, Shaera gripped her throat before her greying body fell to the floor. Clawing for breath, an aching suffering in her final moments. She felt the slowed thumps of her heart until nothing, complete silence. Her final breath escaped her lungs, her body contorted on the floor. Aethalrax felt the moment that the air left Shaera's lips for the final time, the magnificent dragon screeched louder than ever before. The bond between dragon and rider was broken.

The wetnurse returned to the room to retrieve Daella's toy that was left when she found Shaera's bloodied corpse. The woman screamed her lungs raw as she ran around the castle trying to find Daemon. When she found him and told him, he ran to her. Daemon barrelled into the room, the door thudded against the stone wall.