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Her mouth lights a spark, but nothing more.
"Dracarys!" I yell again, with more force. She just makes a small noise, her head falling back onto the sand below her. She does not do as she is told but I cannot blame her. My head falls, chin to chest, as I sink to the ground. After a moment I lift up my head, looking at her. I press my forehead against her snout, my chin trembling. I sniffle before wiping my tears. I will have to leave like this, in my nightdress and nothing else. "Let's go." I whisper, before standing and leading her out of the Dragon pit, saddling her.
She knows what I want, I do not have to tell her to fly or to go faster. I look at the Red Keep from behind me, the tears in my eyes making it blurry. The orange glow of the candles get smaller and smaller and soon it disappears from sight. I'm cold and I can feel the skin of my hands cracking as they become dry.
I did not think this through. I did not think anything through as I stormed out of our chamber. I left everything. And most of all I left my throne. Mother will be furious. However right now I do not care.
It is a long flight to Dragon stone. I had to study maps while under the apprenticeship at Pentos. That is the only way I know where I am going. That and the stars above me. I have finally escaped the suffocating confines of the Red Keep and it took my brother's death to do it.
The cold night air whips through my hair, and I clutch the reins with a white-knuckled grip, my nightdress billowing behind me like a ghostly apparition. I know that my hasty departure will surely raise questions, but in this moment, I can't bring myself to care.
As the miles stretch on, I feel the exhaustion begin to seep into my bones, but I refuse to slow. I press on, Lyrax's wings so silent in the air as I make my way towards home. The towering silhouette of the ancient fortress soon comes into view, and I feel a surge of relief wash over me. It had taken me half the night and early morning to get here. I am blinded by the sunlight that rises over clouds.
With trembling hands, I guide Lyrax down towards the gates, the loyal beast sensing my distress and slowing her pace. As I dismount, I feel a wave of dizziness wash over me, the weight of my grief and the exhaustion of not sleeping in days finally catching up to me.
Stumbling forward, I make my way towards the grand entrance, my nightdress clinging to my frame and my bare feet leaving a trail of dust in my wake. The few servants I encounter along the way stare at me in stunned silence, their expressions a mixture of concern and confusion.
But I pay them no heed, my sole focus on finding my mother and siblings. I notify one of the knights that I would like to see them, not caring if they are asleep or not. A maid leads me to a room filled with couches and chairs and a fireplace that crackles every once and a while. I pick at the skin around my nails before I switch to biting the skin of my bottom lip off as I anticipate the doors to open and to finally see them again.
"Maella?" My mother's worried voice comes from the halls before the doors open. I turn around, seeing her. Her arms outstretch for me, her chin trembling as mine does the same.
