156
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299 AC
Summer Isles - Ebonhead
Eragon Targaryen
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Waiting at the docks I watch as the ship carrying the Blackfyres sails closer and closer, but I would rather be back at Shaena's side. She has been uncomfortable and the baby has been very active, the fertility priestess says the baby will be born soon. I feel nervous and excited in an odd mix that makes me want to run around like a madman. My hands won't stop sweating and my heart is racing faster than I thought possible.
The Blackfyres just had to arrive when it is almost time for my first baby to breathe air and I am annoyed out of my mind. I feel the urge to say forget it and just let the arrive at an empty dock and get escorted to the palace. But I won't be a poor 'host' when it was one of my people who began all of this, Oberyn better hope I don't miss the birth. There is a candle in the room with Shaena and all my wives are in there with her ready to summon me with my candle.
The candle I keep taking peeks at it as it rests on top of the open palms of one of the palace servants, a steadfast young boy who refuses to shake while holding it. He heard me shouting about having to be at the docks when my child is almost here and was shaking up till I told him to hold the candle steady. It has not even budged as it rests on his palms making me nod in approval.
""You impress me, I will make sure you get the training you want or if you want a different job and not a warrior I will see you set on the right path."" The boy nods but his eyes never leave the candle and only his head moves with no movement of his body.
He would look like a statue without the rise and fall of his chest and the blinking of his eyes.
A shout as the ship comes in is all I hear making me realize I have been distracted long enough for the ship to arrive the rest of the way. A screech from the ship makes my heart jump as a green and bronze baby dragon exits through a window. It flaps around steadying itself before diving at me like a bird trying to catch a meal with a loud screech.
I am more than accustomed to this particular habit of baby dragons and sidestep at the last moment and grab the dragon right out of the air. It keeps swinging its wings not realizing I grab it around its waist until it finally stops.
It looks back with a confused look before it starts trilling and wraps its tail around my wrist. Two more fly out of the ship and head toward me circling wearily as they watch their sibling be manhandled and placed on my shoulder. I almost missed the tiny claws digging into my scalp and nipping at my hair.
""Come here."" I hold out both arms and like well-trained falcons, they dive in and hook onto my arms.
I smile watching them sniff and trill as they explore my scent, they remind me so much of their older siblings. I can't wait to introduce the little shrimp-sized dragons to my much larger dragons who will teach them the ropes. Arrax will no doubt take to showing them around the jungle and what to hunt and what not to hunt.
"Your Grace, I present to you the last two members of House Blackfyre, Cirilla Blackfyre, and Helaena Blackfyre." I lift my arms and drop them quickly jolting the two hatchlings into taking flight and they fly toward the Blackfyres.
"Welcome to the Summer Isles, or the Summer Kingdom as it is known so far. I would show you around and would love to have a nice conversation with the two of you but my first baby is soon to be born. I am sure you understand why I will be cutting this short and I am also sure you are tired from your journey anyway, so rooms are at the ready for the two of you. There are two rooms but they have a door connecting them for your comfort, the rooms used to belong to an old married couple who have a famous story in Ebonhead. But I am sure you are more interested in a bath and food and proper rest, so I welcome you to my Kingdom and will have you seen to your rooms." The older Blackfyre looks on edge but the younger one looks much more relaxed, an odd pair they are.
"Right this way." A servant steps forward and some guards as well as some of Oberyn's daughters lead the Blackfyres to the palace.
I watch them walk away while taking a peek at Blackfyre strapped to the hip of Cirilla and she catches me looking and glares. I smile and nod in hopes she doesn't think I am going to steal the sword or something. Well, I guess it's more returning the sword to its rightful owner if you look at it from a certain angle. But then I would need to return Brightroar and I have no intention of doing that in the slightest.
"Truly your firstborn is on the way?" Ellaria asks with some excitement and I nod, she always seemed excited at the idea of some babies to care for back on in the cove.
"It is true, or at least if you ask the fertility priestess and she has seen hundreds if not thousands of births and only seen a handful of deaths. She is supposed to be one of the best on the entire island and has a concoction she can make that helps with the birthing." I wave them on to follow as I head back to be beside Shaena for the rest of the process.
They say a birthing room is not a place for a man but I say I am a King and they can kiss my ass.
"I heard something about the concoctions of the fertility priestess and a little whisper reached my ear about a certain King who drank a whole bowl at his wedding. They say his might spear almost ripped his clothes right there in front of the guests." Oberyn speaks in a faraway tone as if talking about a legacy of an ancient time.
"Zinbab, make sure Prince Oberyn has plenty of the fertility milk served to him with dinner and that he drinks the whole thing before being locked in his room alone." One of the head servants on my side nods accepting the order with ease but her eyes are bright.
"As you wish my King." I smile at her as I pick up the pace so I don't miss anything.
"He is not serious is he?" Oberyn asks concerned but gets a snort from Ellaria who also seems interested at the prospect. "Also why didn't my sister greet me if she is here? I spent so long away from family and she doesn't greet me with open arms?" I think I am going to like Oberyn being here, he seems fun.
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299 AC
Summer Isles - Ebonhead
Cirilla Blackfyre
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I thought I might be wrong about the Targaryen King, he seems cut from a storybook as he stood there with dragons climbing all over him. Then he spoke in that Kingly voice and seemed a genuine host and not our captor. I was willing to give him a chance and see this all out until he was watching my ass as I walked away.
Just like the stories say about him, a lustful man who seeks to claim every woman in the world for himself.
"Is it possible we can see the other dragons and let them get to know our dragons?" Helaena asks Tyene who is one of the nicer of Oberyn's daughters.
"It should be, I will ask on your behalf when I head to see how the baby is coming along. I can't wait to see a new Prince or Princess." I watch as Daemeon sniffs around with great interest at the scents in the air.
"Prince." Helaena whispers to herself but I hear her as I am used to her little ghostly hints under her breath.
"Where is Jadewing? Did that traitor already jump ship the moment we hit land?" I look around and only see Daemeon and Serral and Helaena laughs.
"Jaehaerys will need his Bronze fury." She smiles at me and I roll my eyes as we walk through the admittedly beautiful palace.
Plants I have never seen grow within little gardens inside of the building with light coming in from windows high above. A channel of water flowing on each side of the hallway adds a soothing water-flowing noise to the massive hall. It is cool and comfortable with none of the heat from outside. Birds can be heard chirping and squawking throughout the building and I can even see some with large beaks that are multiple colors watching us.
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"This will be your room, clothes will be delivered after one of the girls comes by and measures you both. The door you see right there goes straight into your sister's room and you can just sleep in one room if it makes you feel more comfortable. If the King gets time with what is going on he will summon for you but expect to eat with him in the morning at the latest." I nod as I look around the room that is fit for a royal family member and not a prisoner.
High ceilings that would take a climbing pick to reach, intricate carvings on the walls telling stories and events. A massive mirror that must have cost a fortune and a nice changing station with a tub behind it. A table stocked with wines and rums from the Summer Kingdom and a bowl of colorful fruit. The bed is as massive as 6 of the beds on the ship that Helaena and I shared, to top it off there is a nice little garden out the window.
"It's a trap." I growl and Helaena sighs from behind me as she walks around the large tub made of some kind of pink wood.
"It is not a trap Ciri, if they wanted you trapped they could put you in a cell. We have a nice pair of rooms that are stocked and comfortable so relax a little." I shake my head and look back at her with narrow eyes.
"They want our guards down." She nods and grabs one of the jugs and smells it before pouring some into a cup.
"They want our guards down so we don't feel the need to try and escape because there is no escaping. It would also be better to talk to someone at ease than someone ready to lunge for a door and run for their life." She gives me a pointed look as she ships the drink and lightly groans. "This is really good, better than I hoped." I ignore her and start looking around the room once more for hidden passages or holes for spying.
She can be calm and I will be guarded, maybe then we can get some results.