A Bond Between Dragons

tainted love [015]

"Do not touch me!"

Vaella's anguished scream pierced the suffocating silence of the chamber, her voice a raw, trembling explosion of pain and disbelief. Her eyes, usually bright with the spark of mischief, now blazed with fury and confusion as she recoiled from her mother's attempt to comfort her. The room felt as though it was shrinking, the walls closing in around her, amplifying the chaos swirling in her mind. She felt lost in a tempest of emotions, her heart racing as thoughts collided within her—fear, anger, and a profound sense of helplessness.

Beside her, Jace was a storm of indignation, fists clenched tightly at his sides, his face flushed with a mixture of rage and desperation. "This cannot be true," he shouted, his voice cutting through the air like a blade. Every word dripped with disbelief, each syllable fueled by the desperation that clawed at his insides. Meanwhile, Luke stood apart, a quiet island amidst the storm. His usually calm demeanor had been disrupted; tears streamed silently down his cheeks as he absorbed the weight of their father's absence. He looked at his siblings with wide eyes, fear flickering behind them, as if the very foundation of their world had crumbled beneath their feet.

Rhaenyra, standing at the epicenter of this emotional cyclone, felt the tremors of dread ripple through her. She had come to the chamber with the intention of offering solace, yet now her heart raced with a different kind of fear—the fear of losing control. "Children, please—listen to me." she urged, her voice a desperate attempt to pierce through their turmoil. Each word felt heavy, laden with the weight of her maternal responsibility. "There was a fight between him and Ser Qarl, and in the heat of anger, Ser Qarl struck him. He—he killed him. Your father... he is gone." The confession hung in the air like a dark cloud, threatening to envelop them all.

"But that makes no sense!" Vaella interjected, her voice rising in pitch, disbelief clawing at her throat. "Ser Qarl was Father's best friend!" The thought of betrayal twisted in her mind, each word echoing the painful truth of their loss. Confusion and rage coursed through her veins, igniting a fierce determination to uncover the truth.

Helplessness gnawed at her insides, a bitter taste that left her feeling raw and exposed. She wanted to scream, to fight against the cruel twist of fate that had stolen her father from her, but instead, she stood paralyzed by the swirling emotions around her. Jace, beside her, was also crying, tears mingling with anger, the two emotions blurring together in a storm of grief.

As if sensing the heightened tension, Daemon emerged from the shadows, his presence looming ominously in the doorway. He stepped forward, a dark figure against the pale light, his eyes glinting with a mixture of curiosity and something deeper—perhaps a flicker of admiration for the fierce emotions erupting before him. "Sometimes friendships turn to ash," he offered, his voice low and deliberate, each word designed to distract and soothe, though the truth within was chilling. His tone was casual, almost mocking, as if this burden was not his as well.

Rhaena and Baela, sensing Luke's silent grief, moved closer to him, their whispers gentle and comforting, yet there was an unmistakable heaviness in the air, a collective uncertainty that pressed down upon them. Baela reached for Luke's shoulder, her fingers a warm anchor against the storm of emotions swirling around them. "It's okay to feel lost," she murmured, her words soft like a lullaby, attempting to weave a sense of comfort in a moment of profound loss.

With Jace's anger boiling over, he turned to Baela, frustration etching lines on his youthful face. But just as he began to unleash his pain into a cacophony of noise, Baela stepped closer, her hand outstretched in a gesture of peace. "Jace, it's alright," she said, her voice a soothing balm. "We're all feeling this."

Rhaenyra felt the weight of her children's emotions pressing down on her, an unbearable load that threatened to crush her. She knew she needed to guide them through this darkness, to provide them with the strength to navigate their grief. "There are decisions we must make now," she declared, her tone firm but trembling slightly.