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299 AC
Volantis
Oberyn Martell
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Smuggling the Blackfyres out took weeks to plan once they were on board, long enough my long unseen paramour managed to track me down. I first thought she just couldn't go without me any longer and hunted me down. To my surprise that was only half the reason, she came with an update from Summer Isles.
The dragons really do have the Isles and are 'counting' their earnings while awaiting an opportunity. This opportunity has presented itself but too soon, they are not ready but thankfully they gave her a glowing magic candle. I first thought it was something else when she first pulled it out and I realized she might have 'really' missed me. But it turns out it is a candle that burns and lets you talk to someone else through the flame.
Disheartening.
But my beautiful daughters also being with her managed to cheer my spirits, they fit right into my next plan. Getting the Blackfyres out of Volantis, a tricky thing but it is not impossible. There few Dothraki might even come in use when we get out of here.
The Second sons that joined the Golden Company with me are truthfully employed by me and not the Golden Company. They have been enjoying the double pay but that is coming to an end shortly, thankfully the Targaryens are fine filling in the hole in their purses. One thousand men will be a part of this escape until we are out of the city, then it will be three thousand by a recent count of the Dothraki.
Three dragons as well but their ankle bitters at this point.
In the chaos I expect the Golden Company and the Tiger Cloaks to cut each other bloody as we set off with our 'prize'. I could just snag the dragons and kill the girls but who knows what could go wrong with angry hatchlings and their flames? I would hope nothing, we carry some blood of the dragon ourselves but there is no guarantee.
The Blackfyres are also useful in other ways with their lives instead of as corpses.
House Blackfyre died in the male line and is only survived by two girls from the female line, the cause is dead. With dragons, they could indeed conquer but they will fail against the Targaryens and their dragons. So I have the thought of them being brought into the fold and joining with the Targaryens.
I would not even come close to humoring this idea if I had not been watching them myself all this time. They are good people, they seek what they believe to be their birthright but that is what many people do. I judge them off their actions and Helaena is a sweet girl who would not hurt anyone let alone kill for a throne. Cirilla Blackfyre is a family woman whose entire focus in the world now is the safety of her sister.
Even with three dragons, she could care less, she would rather stand between me and her blood than stand between me and her dragon. Maybe she is still in shock about there being a dragon she is bonded with but I think it is her natural inclination to defend her family. She loves her family and would do anything for her, but now that she is not only known as a Blackfyre but bonded to a dragon it got much harder to survive.
I think if their lives are guaranteed they will serve House Targaryen, House Blackfyre is dead and these two girls are strangers to Westeros. It remains to be seen but I believe there is potential in my plan. Worst case I put them out of their misery in a painless way and take the dragons to the Summer Isles along with the sword Blackfyre. Best case when I arrive at the Isles I also have two riders for the dragons I bring.
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299 AC
Volantis
Cirilla Blackfyre
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I pace back and forth in my room as we await our escape, a way to finally leave. Mehrune and his people will see us out of the city and to the Dothraki who have remained, so a dangerous situation. But a chance at getting out is better than sitting around waiting to die or be captured for only gods know what purpose. I refuse to be made into a bed slave or my sister and would sooner see both of us die myself instead.
Mehrune and his odd plans and motives have me on edge but I have little to no other option. If he can get us out of the city and to the Dothraki we will be between two separate 'forces'. Mehrune and his people and the Dothraki, both want us for different reasons. From there I can hopefully use that to my advantage for a real escape with my sister at my side.
The gold has already been slipped out, hopefully not straight onto a ship sailing far away. The gold was for buying a slave army that actually looks very useful at this moment, even though it still sounds horrible. I won't even humor that idea at this point, we will be lucky if they just take that gold as payment to smuggle us out.
If they even wanted Blackfyre as payment I would give it up but I imagine they are after the dragons. My only hope is getting me and my sister out of this alive, at least my sister but without me, she would likely end up dead or worse. So if we are not getting out together then we will die together.
Helaena herself is just happy to sit around with her dragon and spends all her time talking and hugging it. I almost could cry seeing her treat a fire-breathing dragon as a real baby but I hold it together, for now.
A knock at the door causes me to jump in fright as I look toward it with hesitation.
Is it time? Have we been discovered and someone from the Golden Company has come to put us in a harsher 'cell'? Did the fire fanatics finally burn a hole in the Golden Company and charge here to take us?
"Who is there?" I finally speak up with a hoarse voice as I draw Blackfyre and prepare to fight.
"Your grand escape." A familiar voice responds and I lower the blade as I look back at my sister who is packed and holding the three dragons.
How can she be so calm?!
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299 AC
Summer Isles - Ebonhead
Eragon Targaryen
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"You can't just sit around for days on end watching a damn fire like a priest of R'hllor, at this point you likely do it more than they do!" My very irritated mother walks into my bedroom as I lay across my bed on my side watching a flame show the progress in Volantis.
"But things are getting good." I mumble and hear a foot start tapping and flick the flame out in response, picking your battles always leads to victory.
"Please Eragon, it won't even be but a month or less until your babies are born and things will be 'different'. I want to spend as much time with 'my' babies before they all start losing interest in their old mom." I stand up and cross the room and pull her into a hug.
"I could have a thousand babies and would never lose interest in my mom, you ensured I grew up happy and healthy and always loved on me. I can't remember a time I have been truly upset with you, I don't think there even is a time. You are who I hope I can be to my own kids, a real parent and I will need your help to make sure I don't mess up." She puffs her lips and her eyes start to wet as she holds back tears.
"You better not have a thousand babies." She pulls me into a hug with a soft chuckle. "Don't take that as a challenge against your manly pride, I know you could if you wanted." There is a touch of desperation in her voice and I smile as I pull her in tight.
"Only one hundred." She sighs and pats my back with both hands to get me to let go, her purple eyes bore into mine.
"Fifty, no more no less, or I will start forgetting names and if I don't see that many I will be disappointed." Her lips thin as she fights a smile from surfacing.
"I can do fifty." I wrap my arm with hers and walk toward the door while imagining fifty kids. "I think I would have problems remembering names if it went too high as well..." She sighs as she lays her head on my shoulder.
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Watching the sunset over the mountain I lean back in my lounger, no problems arose today and we even managed to get the plans for the expansions done. Bigger and better defenses being built and a revamp to the sewer drains. It all looks so easy on paper and discussing prices but when stone and wood starts moving it's different. Five years and the bulk of the defenses will be done with the manpower we put toward it.
We still have a bunch of the able-bodied men working on ships so it's not as fast as it could be. We have the young boys and girls that wished to join in training for archery and spears. The Dornish troops have been a huge help in the spear training and the archery comes naturally to the people of the Summer Isles.
Things are looking good and most of the ships that are in our possession have been fitted with black sails and red dragons. We will be ready in a few more months to move the bulk of our army that is combat-ready. It would be best if we had half a year to a year but we can get ten thousand men on the move at any moment.
That is better than nothing and with at least five thousand of them carrying golden heart bows, I can see them winning many fights. From all our victories and donations such as gifts, we have gathered more than six thousand golden heart bows. That is most of the golden heart bows on the islands and we won't be wasting them. One thousand will stay here to defend Ebonhead at all times and any more that are created or acquired will go to the army.
I doubt the growth of that number will be fast, the trees are borderline sacred and rarely cut.
"What is on your mind, my love?" Danny walks up behind me and presses her growing baby bump against the back of my head.
"Nothing really, just kicking around out here as I relax." She nods and I look back to the room with the whole family on the Summer Isles packed inside.
Mom was not playing when she said she wanted a family day, this got heated after a discussion on the Blackfyres came up so I left. Soon that problem will be solved, Oberyn feels confident about that and I trust him. He has given us valuable secrets from behind enemy lines for a long time now, even with the candles I can't see everything.
So if he thinks he can handle it and make out with the sword and dragons then I will trust him. Time is important in this matter as things are hectic and they are walking on the edge of a blade. One mistake and they might all die, yet he was still confident with his daughters joining in. That only further reinforced the idea he can handle Volantis, but I still can't help but want to watch.
"Well 'we' are going to sit out here with you." She joins me on the lounger and looks off at the setting sun.
I place a hand on the baby bump and lay my head against hers as I relax.