Legacy of the White Dragon: A Dance of Dragons

Chapter 44 : Dragon's Tale

Laena Velaryon (109 A.C. Eleventh Moon)

Dragonstone – Aemon's chambers

"Choose the girl or the boy. If you don't, we'll kill them both," one of the black shades hissed, its voice a venomous whisper that crawled under her skin. One shade gripped Arya, older than she remembered but still her beautiful daughter. The other shade clutched a boy—her son. His eyes, a haunting mirror of Aemon's, stared at her in terror. Yet his face also had much of her father's, though he was a stranger. He hadn't been born yet.

"Please," she whispered, her voice breaking as she dropped to her knees, "Kill me instead. Let them live." Her plea was unheard as the shades were unmoved by her despair.

"Choose," they gurgled, their voices like the grinding of bones, as blood trickled down Arya's throat, staining her gown. Arya, her firstborn, her fierce warrior queen-to-be, and the boy, her son, her flesh and blood, both held on the edge of death.

"Please," she begged, her voice a ragged whisper. But the shades only sneered, their empty eyes glinting with malice.

"Now choose, or we kill the babe too," they growled, pointing at Lyanna, cradling another infant in her arms, its tiny breaths barely audible over the pounding of her heart.

"The boy," she sobbed, the words tearing from her throat as if they were her own lifeblood. Her son's eyes widened in horror, betrayal etched into his young face. "You hear that, little boy, your mama wants you dead." The shade that held her boy hissed cruelly.

A shriek pierced the air as Arya's head rolled to the ground, her body collapsing like a broken doll.

"NO!" she screamed, her voice shattering the night. She awoke with a start, her body drenched in cold sweat.

"Laena, wake up," Aemon's voice cut through the lingering terror, his eyes wide with concern as he shook her gently. She clung to him, her sobs wracking her body as her tears soaked his chest.

"Oh, Aemon," she gasped between sobs,

"Laena?" Rhaenyra said, her eyes filled with concern.

"Blood and Cheese, they killed Arya," She choked.

"Oh dear, it's alright, it didn't happen. It was just a dream." Aemon said as he kissed her forehead. "That will never happen, you hear me? Never." Aemon said, his voice full of conviction, as he held her face.

"I know, yet it felt so real, and I chose a future child of ours. A boy, a mix of my father and you." She said, slowly coming back from the shock of her dream.

"Laena, nothing will happen to our children. Our husband would never order a thing like that. Or cause it so that someone else would order it for revenge." Rhaenyra said as she took her hand. "Hmm, come we know the future, and already much has changed. It can't be the same. We will not let it." she vowed.

Aemon nodded and continued Rhaenyra's words. "Laena, Rhaenyra is right. Much has already changed. For example, Arya and the future twins Rhaenyra carries wouldn't be here, nor would Visenya. Not even Daemon's twins would be here. I know things will be different. I promise you none of our children will be subject to fates like Lucerys, Joffery, Jaehaerys, Jaehaera, and Maelor."

Maelor, Jaehaera, and Joffery, but they still lived during the part Aemon had told.' She thought, confused.

It must have shown on her face as Aemon sighed. "I haven't told you both of their fates yet. Their fates happen later in the tale of the fall of our house and the dragons."

'The dance, even the start, sounded horrible, and now Aemon was saying it would get worse?' She thought as she hung her head down.

"It will be all right, my love. It will not happen again," Aemon said as he embraced her. She may command the second-largest dragon in the world. Yet, being embraced by the man she loved was still soothing.