Chapter 8.4- The Seadragon's Roar

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We arrived Tarth in no time, and then were promptly informed that Corlys’ ships had been sighted and it was only a few hours until he would arrive by their calculations. Of course, I knew it would be faster. Especially if they’d started using any of the newer designs I’d “dreamt up”. Indeed, I was right and in an hour and change, my father arrived at the head of a fleet. His ship was a smooth thing that was carved at an angle. A caravel Westeros’ first caravel I was certain. He was the kind of man that would either sail at the helm of the first or the best. Behind him were dozens of ships, stretching out as far as I could see into the horizon.

Some of them were the same make as the Laena Velaryon, refitted and rejigged from pleasure ships into troop carriers, I knew. The others were the more traditional warships made for naval battles. Strong bows for ramming, scorpions aboard for shooting other ships and rupturing their own hulls— that had been a choice here. Bring better scorpion technology into this world ran the risk of those scorpions being used against our dragons at some point, but that was a concern for the future as my attention returned to the man at the flagship. I used Lord Tarth’s far eye to look at him, only to notice he was using one of his own to scout the coast.

I watched him as he stared at the coast. I noted how his eyes spanned the coast like he was searching for something before they found me and they stopped. We met even from this distance and I knew that smile that grew over his face was only for me.

Still, he disembarked his ship, he did all the rights and we did not speak until near half an hour after we first saw each other.

“My son” he said, grabbing hold of both my shoulders.

“Father” I said with a breath. And shockingly I found myself feeling the urge to shed tears. What in the puberty was this?

“You’ve grown so much. I knew the Baratheons would make you strong but I never anticipated they would turn my son into a giant” He said, and it was only then that I noticed the angle of his hands as they reached for my shoulder. They were slanted upwards. It was very slight. Barely enough to be noticeable but I was taller than Corlys now. Somehow, that made me want to cry even more. Fuck.

“I’m so proud of you” he said before his hands clenched and he pulled me into his embrace.

“I’ve missed you father” I said, and then I could not stop myself from sniffling into his shoulder. Fucking Puberty. I tried to pull back to get myself back in order but Corlys maintained his hold on me, not even letting go. It was only then that I noticed his body was shaking as well. He was crying too?

—

The war planning took place in Lord Tarth’s solar. At least the first session of it. I stood at Borros’ back even as much as I wished to sit next to Corlys instead. But that was the nature of squireship. Some would argue that Borros had more authority over me than Corlys did right now, and they would be partly right. It wasn’t unusual for Knights to do things like arrange marriages for their squires, something that was usually the sole duty and power of parents.

“From here, we split into two bands,” Corlys said beginning to lay out his plan.