164
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299 AC
Summer Isles - Ebonhead
Eragon Targaryen
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Arrax shakes off the clinging baby dragons as he tires of them treating him as an obstacle for their enjoyment. He practically runs forward with his wings flapping hastily as he takes to the sky to avoid the screeching younger dragons. But his escape is not as effective as he would like as they are treating it like a game and chasing after him.
"Won't be too much longer and he should be able to lift you, he could probably lift Danny if you did not get her fat with a babe." I raise an eyebrow at Rhaenys words and pretend to look behind her and widen my eyes.
"Shouldn't have called her fat." Rhaenys acts how I predict as she guesses Daenerys is behind her and twirls around only to find no one.
"Real clever Eragon, I am dying of laughter." She looks at me dryly as I chuckle imagining how Danny would have torn her up if she did hear her, she got lucky.
"Best leave the fat word out around Daenerys, she has been moody since the bump started showing." She is quick to get over it when she holds one of the babes though, it reminds her why she is swelling up and puts a smile on her face.
I narrow my eyes at Rhaenys own stomach and don't see anything, not sure if I should be thankful or not. They all have been acting as if a sickness hit them, at times they are wild like a storm and then they remember how Shaena and Ashara screamed and they lose all the fire. But Melisandre tells them it's not so bad and they are back to burning with a desire unmatched by even the wildest whores.
I am suffering but also feeling a deep satisfaction, truly a wild experience.
"Maybe I will be riding him soon enough, will be likely half a year or more before he gets to the size I would consider riding him at an enemy though. I do not want to risk it at the moment even if he could get me off the ground and into the air, living is most important." Though it won't stop him from trying to burn shit when the time comes.
My boy has become wild and untamed but also acts like a leader to the rest and keeps them in line as he always has. It is nice to see but I wonder what started him on that path, is it why he also grows faster?
I would kill to find out how he manages to grow faster, it's nothing too drastic but it's also noticeable. If they could all grow like that I would be very satisfied as the bigger they get the faster I can just fly them in and perch on something to claim it. Would make the war brewing in Westeros nothing serious if I could just burn the gathered armies that oppose us.
"I think before long we will be in the sky and touching the clouds." Rhaenys always shows her impatience to take flight, she feeds Meraxes as much as the poor thing will eat in the hope of it growing faster.
I look up one more time to see more of the larger dragons joining Arrax and swooping around the youngest dragons. The troublemakers flee seeing the reinforcements and head for one of the tallest peaks of the stone palace. I shake my head hearing all the cries echoing out as the dragons sing to one another.
"Let's head inside, I thought I could get rid of some of these nerves if I relaxed with Arrax but that got spoiled." I loop my arm with Rhaenys and we head through the gardens back to the palace.
I suppose I could check on the babes, which always wastes some time away when I visit them. I can't get rid of the feeling that I want to move and fight and I wish I could forget about the war until we are actually prepared to sail. No one tells of the preparation that goes into war and how long it takes men to move around. It's always songs and stories of glory and blood and leaves out the waiting around.
We are planning to leave a good number behind but are on alert as the overall power of the Summer Kingdom will drop while we are away. It will also let us leave sooner by not trying to drag every last man out of his home to go fight a war they were not expecting. But even if this is the first war the Summer Isles will be fighting in a foreign land, they don't seem to be against it. In reality, there are quite a few that rushed on the summons and are awaiting the voyage to see battle, I guess some of their blood runs hotter.
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"She is just perfect." Helaena holds Shaera to her chest, Shaera already has the most hair out of all my babes with it matching her Mother in coloring a red almost bloody in color.
Shaera came out with her red hair showing brightly and I thought it was blood until I realized she was already washed. Her red hair and purple eyes make her one of the most unique-looking people I have ever seen. She also is the most active constantly moving her legs and arms around without a care of what she hits. Because of that she often times ends up screaming her cute little head off when she hits something and hurts herself.
I look at the Blackfyre with narrowed eyes before sighing, Melisandre trusts her to hold her and is in the room so even if I don't like it I will extend some trust. If I have to tell someone to not hold my babe because I think they will hurt the babe then I don't need that person around me to begin with. Helaena is actually really nice even if she does not talk much and she has somehow wiggled into a somewhat friendly relationship with almost everyone here. I don't know how someone who does so little talking could be so... persuasive.
Her sister on the other hand is a damn menace.
She seems to have become addicted to fighting against me, not a day goes by she is not pestering me about going to the yard. I already would practice, mostly with the men who are being trained as personal guards. It is also nice when the men who are going to war with me come to watch me fight in armor, showing them what is to come and what to expect. Most will be archers but that is beside the point as of now, Ciri and her buzzing like a fly is the problem.
It is also what I am ignoring as I stand in the doorway to the baby's room and she is leaning against the far wall with a keen look on her face. Any moment now she will push off the wall and stride toward me with some passing words as an insult in some way to goad me. She is quite good at thinking up different ways to get me fired up to kick her ass.
"Let me in." I hear from behind and almost leap out of my skin as Ashara giggles and wiggles by me with Daeron in her arms.
I shake my head at how distracted I was while trying to ignore the growing threat of the Blackfyre 'challenge'.
"How is he?" I ask Ashara and she turns to show Daeron wiggling his head this way and that way as his eyes take in everything they can.
Daeron looks almost just like Jaehaerys which I guess makes some sense, but he has some more noticeable cheekbones even with his fat cheeks. Ashara was not happy when I corrected her that he is named after Daeron the First and not the Second. The Young Dragon may have died young but he was likely one of the best leaders of men in battle out of all Targaryens. It is hard to really know since most Targaryens in war have ridden a dragon, but I always have like stories of Daeron.
She wanted to know why I wanted him to be a warrior and squeezed him to her chest, and then went red with anger when I told her my plan. To have him steal the title of Sword of Morning even though it is meant for those with the Dayne name. If anyone with Dayne blood could have Dawn even I could take it, Maekar the first married Dyanne Dayne after all. But I have every intention of trying my best to have a son with one of the best-looking blades I have ever seen.
House Dayne will not be happy but I have a feeling Arthur would laugh about it once he knows it will be returned upon Daeron dying. It will be like any Sword of the Morning and he will only use it if he is worth it, and once he is done with it then it will go back to Starfall. I think I am going to have to give some serious compensation to get my boy's hands on it even if it's only for a while though...
I do not know what House Dayne will want for the chance but it will not be for a while anyway. They also will be getting some glory in the form of a Prince wielding their ancestral sword so I do not think they will whine too much. I just need to find something they something they actually want and it should be possible.
"He is wild, Morgana was not half this bad but I love him dearly for it." Ashara has been an entirely new person since she has Daeron to carry around, I am glad to see it.
It's also fun to see his older sister act differently around him as he giggles and she tickles his belly. Though she would rather be around him alone and not show she is enjoying him as much as she does.
I see Ciri push off the wall and I sigh as she smiles wide and heads straight for me.
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"Why don't you let me fight with Blackfyre again? It was the most heart-pounding fight I ever had." She whines as she lies on the ground breathing heavily with a heavy layer of sweat from the sun and training.
"I am still thinking about what to do with Blackfyre." To be honest I see no reason she cant use it till I have a son ready to wield it, unless Viserys wanted it...
"What have you thought of so far?" She sits up while wiping her face but faces away, I know she misses the blade she carried around.
She has not said it but it is not hard to tell, I would feel naked without Brightroar so I guess I get where she is coming from. The only threat the sword is in her hands is if she is trying to run me through with it, but she has made no moves like that. She is well-behaved besides the challenging me constantly which is not the worst thing. She is a girl and it's not like men would rally to her call of 'I am the one who bears the sword' as the Blackfyres have in the past.
"I might end up letting you use it so long as you pledge it to my service, only till I have a son able to carry it." She turns back a surprised look but covers it up with a sweat-covered stony face.
She is already my prisoner in all but title, they are watched and never allowed to go far without an escort. They seem fine with it thus far and they already know the Blackfyre name is dead with them. But would she go the extra step and directly serve me, I think she just might if I promised to fight her whenever there is a chance. She looks thoughtful and it gives me more time to think about it as well.
No reason to just let Valyrian Steel sit around and even if one of my wives wanted to wield it the size of it does not fit their style. It might be as light as the blades they use but the size is an entirely different story and Ciri is already confident in using it. So she would make the best option to wield it even if I would expect it back in the future, it would also kill the Blackfyre name, even more, to have her sworn as my sword.