Chapter 57 - The Preparations Before the Coronation (II)

"Is the gift of a god really a gift? I doubt it, but we must accept what fate gives us." Aenar Targaryen, observing the Water of Life.

------------

Volantis, at night.

Aenar was in his room, wearing only baggy silk trousers, his purple eyes focused on the paper in his hand, the quill with its ink-soaked tip gradually drawing the outline of something utterly impossible for the people of this planet to figure out what it really was.

With her head resting on his lap, Daenerys, wearing a sheer pink nightgown, lay on her stomach, her feet swaying up and down as she studied the drawing with a curious gaze.

In her eyes, the drawing showed what she could summarize as a dragon made of iron, but much fatter and with intimidating spikes.

Leaving Aenar's lap, Daenerys walked to his back and hugged him from behind, wrapping her arms around his neck. She rested her chin on his shoulder, seeing more clearly the black-ink scribbles on the paper.

"What is it? It looks like a very ugly, fat iron dragon." She asked, her lilac eyes filled with an almost unbridled curiosity.

Aenar laughed when he heard her question. He stopped painting, took the girl in his arms and showed her the paper. "It's a space cruiser, imagine a ship that flies and shoots spitting fire." He explained as he pointed to the drawing on the paper.

"Can that exist?" She asked with a perplexed look on her face. In her mind, only dragons could have that kind of power, but here she was seeing something that could have that same power, how could she not be confused and disbelieving?

"It will come into existence in five hundred years." Aenar replied in a soft tone, his purple eyes seeming to glow with a phosphorescent radiance.

Seeing that glow, Daenerys knew her nephew had a vision of the future.

"Pity, I wanted to see it for myself." She muttered to herself, she really wanted to see a ship that could fly through the air.

"You will see." Aenar kissed her forehead tenderly and spoke in a soft tone.

Daenerys looked at Aenar in confusion. How could she live for five hundred years?

Seeing her sweet expression, Aenar smiled and spoke. "You, me, Visenya and all our family will live longer than any other people in the world."

He continued: "This planet is only the beginning, Daenerys. One day we will leave it for the stars. We will be the gods to our people as we pave the way for the eternal prosperity of the human race."

"Would you like to see?" Aenar asked, looking at Daenerys with a calm gaze.

Daenerys nodded silently and closed her eyes.

Aenar reached out and gently touched Daenerys' forehead with the tip of his finger, transferring some fragments of memories he had seen in the future.

Planets, other civilizations, and thousands of different races.

An endless war of death and horror.

And at the end of it all was an Iron Throne, and on it sat someone Daenerys knew very well.

Her beloved nephew.

Opening her eyes, Daenerys couldn't help but open her mouth and desperately suck air into her lungs. She looked at Aenar with a frightened gaze, but that fear vanished the moment she saw those purple eyes looking back at her with a calm, determined gaze and a sense of confidence that was simply unshakable.

Holding Daenerys' face in his right hand, Aenar used his thumb to stroke her cheek, soothing her with the gesture. "It's all right, we'll walk this path together." He spoke, his tone so soft and warm that it made the fear for the future disappear completely from her mind.

"Together and forever." Daenerys said and hugged Aenar, who just smiled and hugged her back. "Yes, forever together." He replied in her ear with a determined tone.

Visenya's words the night before had made him stop wanting to do everything alone, he had people at his side who could carry the same burden he did.

Aenar assumed that if he remained as he was before, he would gradually become indifferent to everything and everyone, having only one purpose in life, to lead humanity to a peak never seen or thought of by any other human.

Would he still be himself or just a puppet for the Omnipotent and Omniscient God?

"What is this? I don't remember having anything like that in the room before?" Hearing Daenerys' question, Aenar followed her voice and saw a delicate glass vial on a wooden dresser. Inside the vial was a thick turquoise liquid.

Aenar's eyes narrowed at the sight of the vial with the suspicious liquid inside. A name appeared in his mind.

Water of Life.

Leaving Daenerys on the bed, Aenar rose from the bed and picked up the vial, studying it intently. The prince knew exactly who, or rather what, had sent it to him.

The Almighty and all-knowing God.

"A reward for following the path you prepared for me?" Aenar muttered, wanting to throw the bottle against the wall and destroy it.

"Your face looks strange, what happened Aenar?" Daenerys, who had gotten out of bed, walked across the cold floor in her bare feet and asked, coming to his side.

It was the first time she had seen this expression on her nephew's face. She had always seen that Aenar was always calm with a smile on his face, no matter what the news, but now she saw

An expression of anger, almost a feeling of pure rage in his expression.

Hearing Daenerys's worried voice, Aenar's turbulent mood calmed in an instant. He looked at her and pulled her into a tight embrace. Laying his head in the crook of her neck, Aenar gradually calmed down, smelling the faint scent of lavender that came from the petadas after their bath.

"It's nothing, just a gift from a bad guy." Aenar answered her earlier question with an amused laugh.

Daenerys frowned but did not ask further. She knew Aenar was hiding something from her, but she didn't press further. She didn't want the trust they had just built to be tested by a few simple questions.

If she had to know, Daenerys was sure Aenar would tell her everything; like her, he hated lies. After all, as her mother had said, a relationship is built on mutual trust.

Guessing what Daenerys was thinking, Aenar couldn't help but smile, kissing her cheek and mentally thanking her for having such an understanding wife. It wasn't that he didn't want to talk about the almighty god, but what he was planning was best left to him alone for now.

Returning to the bed with Daenerys in his arms, Aenar gently placed the young woman on the bed and lay down beside her. It was Daenerys' day to spend the night with him, something Daenerys and Visenya had done, and he was grateful.

Finding the most comfortable position on his chest, Daenerys laid her head on his chest and asked in a hopeful tone, "Aenar, will I be able to create a ship that flies?"

Aenar was surprised for a moment, but then smiled with satisfaction. Daenerys could very well choose to be an idle queen, but she chose to improve rather than settle for what she had, which pleased him.

"Although I don't know how to build a flying ship either, I can teach you what I do know." Of course, Aenar didn't know how to build a space cruiser, the Earth he had lived on was still normal and far from special exploration, but he had a deep knowledge of physics, quantum physics and other knowledge,

He spent his time in the hospital bed with nothing but books, the only way he could entertain himself. Unfortunately, this damned disease had even taken away his only happiness.

Daenerys' eyes lit up with a touch of emotion, but then she thought of something very worrying. "Aenar, if there are flying ships, won't dragons be obsolete?"

Aenar smiled at this very important question for their future. "Of course not, as science advances, magic will not be left behind. Dragons have grown stronger with blood magic, we will make them true gods capable of destroying stars."

Daenerys didn't doubt a word Aenar said, she had practically blind faith in Aenar.

Just as Aenar and Daenerys were getting ready for bed, someone knocked on the door.

"Your Grace, Archbishop Benerro has sent word that the ship carrying the representatives of House Martell has docked in the harbor."

Aenar heard Titus' voice from behind the door and couldn't help but be surprised.

"Looks like we're going to the throne room to welcome our guests from afar." Aenar said in an amused tone. Daenerys rolled her eyes, but she was also curious about the famous House Martell.