Inviolable Bindings | Aemond & Aegon II Targaryen

Chapter 52

The day before had been more emotionally tolling than physically, but Viserra was somewhat surprised she still found herself waking at sunrise. Perhaps it was the anticipation of whether or not Alys' visions continued to prove themselves true, something she both hoped and feared.

Partially due to her distracted mind, she packed lightly, bringing little more than the leathers she wore and the blades on her hip. There was still so much uncertainty of what exactly she would find there on Dragonstone or if she would be returning to Harrenhal without a trace of Aegon.

Aemond walked with her out past the courtyard and to her dragon. Although she had thought herself ready to make this trip, it was hard to grasp onto hope built of blood magic and unknowns. She stood there, letting the moment stretch out, lingering in his arms without saying a word.

Aemond's hold on her was strong and comforting, though she could feel the tension in his chest and jaw as he leaned his head on top of hers. Neither of them had been willing to voice their emotions out loud but truthfully, they did not need to speak to understand what the other was feeling.

As she pulled herself back slowly, hands lingering on his arms, she felt better as he looked at her with a small smirk on his face. Answering it with a smile of her own, she held his face and pressed a kiss to his lips. Then with a final squeeze, he let her go.

Without another moment of delay, she turned to Rhyn who let out a low growl as if knowing how she was feeling. Climbing up his back and swinging herself into the saddle, she strapped in quickly while taking one last look at Aemond. His continued smirk and bright eye as he watched her brought what she needed to be reassured that things were going to be okay.

Commanding Rhyn into the sky, she left the castle and Aemond behind. They set out to the west, navigating mostly above the clouds to avoid unwanted attention. Following the water around the peninsula, she eventually crossed the land again before returning to the open waters of the sea.

The sun had been beating down on them well after midday and knowing they were almost there, she took Rhyn down closer to the water. Just when beginning to wonder how much further they needed to go, Viserra finally spotted their destination on the horizon.

The island stood alone and was larger than she imagined. Thick, low hanging clouds surrounded the land. But as they came closer, she was not sure if it had been all clouds or a mix of smoke and ash. The black stone of the castle helped it to blend in with the surrounding mountains but as they flew in she could truly see the details of the work her ancestors had completed.

Dragons were carved into every tower, gate and walkway. The magnificence of it all took her breath away as she thought this kind of beauty had only been seen in Old Valyria.

Though Viserra wanted to close in on the fortress and see it all in further detail, she knew better than to fly directly to the castle. She brought Rhyn around the island, attempting to find a much less obvious place to land.

The air only thickened with the scent of sulfur as they circled around the largest peak of the volcano. But right before she brought Rhyn down any further, sudden movement above them caught her eye as she took in a flash of gold and pink.

There was no denying who the shimmering scales belonged to. She could recognise Sunfyre from any other beast, his beauty far surpassing most others. Seeing the dragon after so many moons, she was surprised to see he maneuvered almost as well as he had before Rook's Rest.

This brought her hope. If Sunfyre was here, then Aegon must be also.

The realization burned a wave of anticipation in her chest as she let Rhyn follow behind the other dragon. They landed heavily, both working to steady themselves on the loose rocks of the volcanic terrain. Viserra's eyes were drawn to a plume of gas smoking from a large cavern nestled into the side of the mountain.