The Dragon's Legacy

Chapter Eighty-Seven

The letter in Rhaena's hands trembled as she read the final line again, the words blurring into shadows. Her worst suspicions had been confirmed: every death on Dragonstone had been caused by poison—the deadly Tears of Lys. Her chest tightened, fury mixing with a deep, hollow ache. She stood alone in her chambers, the wind outside screaming against the ancient walls, but inside her, there was only a cold, simmering rage.

She could hear the soft murmurs of her children playing in their chamber, blissfully unaware of the horror that was creeping through the fortress and the revelation that their mother had only experienced. Visenya's laugh echoed faintly, but Rhaena couldn't find solace in it.

Not now.

She quickly walked within the chamber of her children, finding Vallar and Visenya playing

As Visenya was taking her small cup to her mouth, Rhaena screamed and slapped the cup out of her hands as she picked Visenya and began to hold her face down, forcing her to empty her stomach.

"Muña! What–"

"Spit everything, Visenya! Please! For my sake vomit whatever you have drank!" Rhaena screamed as she kept shaking her daughter.

Visenya looked at her mother and only obeyed as she began to gag and emptied her stomach.

"Muña... What is going on?" Vallar asked terrified as he looked at his mother's horror-struck face as he walked toward Rhaena as Rhaena put Visenya down and he grabbed Visenya's hand.

Rhaena got on her knees to reach the height of her young tiwns as she held Vallar's head with one hand and Visenya with other.

"Nothing, my loves. You and your sister are safe. Do understand? Safe! But I do not wish you to not drink anything! Stay in your chambers no matter what you hear! Only open the door for I, Lana and Sly. Do you understand?!" She told her twins as she held them.

Visenya and Vallar nodded scared.

Rhaena looked at the door where a young maid stood and yelled at her. "Sly! Find and call for Sly!"

The maid nodded as she was shaking and left.

Someone had brought death into her home. Her children's home.

Someone had betrayed her.

Someone had betrayed Daemion.

Someone had betrayed their house.

The words from the maester's letter haunted her: Tears of Lys are tasteless if they are poured in wine.

All of the victims had drunk the wine then, perhaps that is why none had suspected the wine...

Her mind raced. Wine. Poisoned wine.

Who had been serving wine?

Who had access to their solar and wine?!

Why hadn't she gotten poisoned?!

Androw Farman was often seen at the gatherings, always there, always pouring. Androw. The name clawed at her thoughts. A fool of a man, one she had never trusted. His pale blue eyes always wandered around her. Looked at her in ways that she only cringed and felt her stomach turning, as one would when they looked at a horse's making.

How she wanted to take his eyes and feed him to Dreamfyre or Modread. She had thought of telling Daemion so her husband could show the fat bastard that his eyes have more consequence than he had thought, but Jaehaerys had insisted that they shelter him here, even after Elissa's betrayal. Rhaena had obeyed her brother, but now... now that same man, that fool, had been pouring the wine.