Daenys Velaryon is the oldest child of Rhaenyra and Laenor Velaryon, but she shares the same true lineage as her brothers Jacaerys, Lucerys, and Joffrey. As the oldest child of the heir to the throne, she has duties to fulfill, duties that she is ex...
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Year: 129 AC
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"Did you find them?" Daenys called down, peering down into the darkness of the cave Daemon had disappeared into.
The terrain of Dragonmont was rough beneath her feet and the chill of the evening mist clung to her like a damp shroud, obscuring her vision even further. Daenys wrapped her arms around herself and she rocked on her toes as she waited.
Eventually, she spotted a figure emerge from the shadows, and the wide grin on Daemon's face seemed to break through the mist. With him, he hauled a large leather satchel, his eyes glimmering with barely contained excitement.
"How many then?"
"Syrax brought a fresh clutch! Three eggs" he exclaimed in High Valyrian. "Three eggs!"
Daenys mirrored his smile then.
"One for Rhaena, one for the new baby, and one more too-"Daemon cut himself off once he spotted the two Dragonkeepers approaching them. He carefully handed them the satchel with explicit instructions, "See that they are placed in the warming chamber."
"At once, my prince," one of the Dragonkeepers answered.
The other pulled out a slip of paper, handing it to the Targaryen prince, "The maester brought this. It has just arrived from Lady Baela on Driftmark."
At the mention of his daughter's name, Daemon's grin broadened. It had taken years for her to forgive him, and now
At the mention of his daughter's name, Daemon's rugged features softened. It had taken years for him to gain her forgiveness, and now he navigated their relationship with great care, as cautiously as a man of his temperament could anyway. They were remarkably alike in their stubbornness and their shared obstinacy was often a source of conflict. Still, for a man who was not used to making compromises, for her his begrudging attempts spoke volumes.
Daenys couldn't help but feel a pang of loneliness at the soft look in his eyes as he unfurled the letter. It was stupid really. Daemon was good to her, good to all of them, but her heart broke a little every time she thought about the mountain of letters hidden in the bottom of her chest that her own father would never read. It was another childish habit that had carried over, even now, when she was almost nine and ten. She wrote to Laenor, less often now, but still monthly. She imagined she was updating him on the events of her life and in some alternate reality, he read her letters and was proud of the person she was becoming.
After the Dragonkeepers were dismissed, Daemon opened Baela's message and his smile disappeared.
"What's wrong? Is Baela alright?" Daenys looked at him in concern.
