Chapter 3.3- The Seadragon's Roar

“And if he does not? You would give up a certainty for a probability?”

“I would give up the world to see my children safe, Corlys.” She said, staring him down. And for perhaps the first time in his life, the Sea Snake yielded. He took the no for what it was and nodded before turning to leave the room. As he did so, Rhaenys turned around, tears beginning to build in her eyes before she walked up to us and enclosed us in her grasp.

I understood what she was giving up for our safety here. A throne. Not just a throne, the throne. The one she had been raised to rule. The one that her father had assured her was her birthright. She would give that up for us. I will give you a throne, mother. I silently swore.

—

While Rhaenys won the argument to decide whether to plunge the realm into a civil war or not, Corlys won the one to determine how House Velaryon appeared at the funeral of King Jaehaerys and Viserys’ coronation. The answer to that was in full force. He sailed atop his flagship, the eponymous Sea Snake, while the rest of the extended family took quarters within The Laena Velaryon. She was easily the biggest ship in Westeros, and he was going to show her off.

For the dragon-riding part of our family, however, there was but one choice. Several leather-workers, tanners, and blacksmiths had to be requisitioned and practically whipped into working day and night, but they had managed to make a worthy saddle for Vhagar in the two weeks before we were to set off. That was where I stood now, helping Laena onto her massive dragon even as the Bronze bitch sent heated puffs of air in my direction every few minutes to register her displeasure.

When I finally managed to secure my sister into her saddle and locked the chains, I took a step back. A step back that was helped by the Bronze Bitch’s tail pushing me until I landed right on my arse. Igneel had watched the whole thing with patience but that was clearly the last straw. I heard him roar in my mind and in reality as he pushed away the Dragon handlers that had been taking the duty of saddling him— the Bronze Bitch had badly burned the two dragon handlers who had gotten close, and even though she was her full bitchy self with me, it was still better than what she did to others.

I pushed myself to my feet, forcing myself between both dragons. “Igneel, calm. Calm. I’m okay” I whispered to him in high Valyrian even as I pressed upon the bond we shared, trying to make it clear that he didn’t want that smoke. Behind me, I could hear Vhagar snort like she felt the entire thing was funny. Yup, she was definitely a bitch, I thought to myself as I led Igneel away. We were in a massive field so that meant I could go some distance to speak to my dragon.

“Yes, I know she’s annoying” I said to his first roar while I worked to complete putting the saddle on.

“I agree. She has no right to treat people the way she does just because of her size” I said, to another roar. And the roar that followed made me almost double over in laughter. Even as I heard Vhagar roar from a distance away. She probably had some idea she was being mocked.

“Yeah, she’s definitely put on some weight in the midsection” I said.