➣ waking the dragon

┊ PROLOGUE ┊

The innocence of a child is so easily erased.

A mess of bright rusty locks flowed behind the young girl as she ran down the muddy, clammy path through the crowds of islanders and sailors. Her small bare feet becoming filthy, covered in mud and excrement of many unknown sources. Her giggles could be heard by all the sell swords, smugglers, soldiers and sellers of the muggy and misty path as she dashed by with not a care in the world. Behind her, two of her older cohorts attempted to keep up with the little redheaded rascal.

"Vespyria, wait! Father said we have to watch you!"

Yara called in desperation to her spry young friend who only ran faster from her grasp. Theon, who ran beside his older sister in a fruitless attempt to catch their little companion. Vespyria cackled loudly as she took a quick turn down one of the docks. Her calloused and blistered feet slapping against the damp wood. Shipmen and salt wives laughed as the three noble children ran by, greeting the three of them with shouts, chants and laughter. The end of the dock was fast approaching the speedy child. Without hesitation, she dove into the salty sea her long mess of hair was quick to follow her into the murky depths. Both Yara and Theon shouted into the sea after her. Vespyria could only smirk as she swam through the cold water. Before long, she shot out of the water in front of her two closest friends with a cheeky grin. She supported herself with her elbows against the dock. Yara laughed while Theon smiled and reached down to pull her out of the sea's depths. He scooped his hands under her arms and plucked her from the sea like a sea shell.

"One of these days, you are going to dive in and never come back up. You should not tease the Drowned God with your tricks, sister."

Theon remarked with a cocky smirk, Vespyria only laughed playfully as Theon placed her on her feet between him and Yara. Theon tolled his ocean blue eyes and threw his warm gray cloak over her dainty shoulders. Knowing Vespyria well, Theon noticed her big steely eyes dart down the ship dock, knowing she would dash away again. Within seconds, Theon was walking back down the dock with Yara, Vespyria wrapped up tight in his gray cloak and thrown over his shoulder. The three noble born children laughed as the two eldest marched back to their home, their naive companion wriggling in Theon's grasp.

When the three children returned to the Greyjoy children's keep, their father was sat at a long stone table. One that held his closest advisors and nobles, all sat around the table, talking amongst themselves. The chattering ceased as soon as the three youngest entered the hall. Still giggling towards one another, their chuckles stopped as they looked to see the men around the table staring at them. Theon set Vespyria down gently and looked back at his father. The people that sat around the table soon laid their gaze onto Vespyria; long wet frizzy locks hung like seaweed around her back. Her cheeks and nose dusted red from the cold winds against her wet face. Freckles dotted her nose and faded out around her cheeks, her big blue gray eyes swam with wonderment as she looked at her intimidating guardian. Her thick dark eyebrows furrowed; confusion finding its way onto her face. She broke gaze with her father and looked up to Theon with a questioning look before her father, Balon Greyjoy, broke the silence.

"Vespyria, my ward, come to me."

Balon commanded in the lightest tone he could muster. Vespyria, who had been gripping Theon's hand, released his warm hand gingerly before going to Balon obediently. Balon picked up the cold, wet child and sat her on his lap, looking into her eyes.

"Now, Vespyria, our family depends on you being a good girl; for the sake of the Iron Islands and all Ironborn. I hope you understand that."

Balon conveyed in his commanding, raspy voice though his tone wavered in a way that the young redhead had never heard before in her eight years of life. Her dark eyebrows furrowed and her bottom lip quivered. She knew something was not right here. Something about the silence in the room and the brooding men around the table set off an odd and uncomfortable aura that the young girl did not like one bit.