Chapter Text
Daenerys
Screeching was all she could hear. One second, it sounded like Kaeres, the next like the Undying Ones.
She had to believe Kaeres was here - outside, with Jon and Melisandre. How big would she be now? Wandering around Essos had to have been wonderful for her. Dany's heart ached to have missed it.
Perhaps both noises were sounding around her. If the dragons were here, her captors didn't have long left in their eternal dream.
"Locked away, never seeing what's right in front of me-" she wondered aloud. It felt like the hallways and stairways in the Tower were endless. Maybe they were in whatever state she was in.
Locked away. She groaned. "I'm still in that fucking cell-"
More screeching echoed around her and she had to press her eyes closed at the sound. When she opened them, she sat on the hard ground with the same warlock facing her as she recalled from every time she'd been awake.
"You are strong, Princess."
"I doubt this has anything to do with my strength and everything to do with your failure to end our dragons. The Undying Ones will be no more if you do not release me," she hissed as she stood painfully. How long had she been sitting there? Her body was not prepared to move.
The warlock gave what must have passed as a smile, blue-black teeth showing behind his dyed lips. "Perhaps you will choose to stay when you hear the Old Ones' offer." He turned and opened the door behind him - no lock, no keys, just opened it. If she truly had been strong enough, she would have been able to just walk out.
He led her to the familiar chamber with the table and the wasting creatures that were barely husks.
"What could you possibly have to offer me that could compare to my family - my destiny?"
"What you have longed for. We have seen it - yes, felt it in the core of your soul. You desire rest. No more endless lives, grief and death. A simple life with your love. We can give you that."
Dany couldn't deny a longing echoing in her chest. Yes, she just wanted peace. But she would get it - after. "And you think I'm so selfish as to just leave the Realms of Men to the Long Night? That I should ignore the calling of the gods because I desire rest?"
"Can the gods call on no one else?"
Perhaps they could. But she had been in the soul of all of the greatest Targaryens. It was her fire that would be needed. It was not Daenerys as a person - it was something deeper than that, something warlocks who believed they were greater than even Balerion of Valyria or the Stranger of the Seven could never understand.
"You think yourselves above our gods. I think my cousins will show you the power of Old Valyria when our dragons breathe the fires gifted to them by the Thirteen upon your tower. Then, maybe you will understand why Targaryens are chosen."
She turned on her heel only to be jerked back by a searing pain in her ankle. The place where the vine had wrapped around her was red and swollen.
"You will leave when we allow it."
She was still trapped. Kaeres. Kaeres, if you're out there, I need you. Jon? Melisandre? Lynara? Maybe she was still stuck in that dream state. Maybe they could hear her.
There was a low vibration in the air and the warlock who had accompanied her vanished for a moment, only to return seconds later. He must have communicated something, because hissing soon followed.
The vibration became audible and was the deepest and loudest roar she'd ever heard - that had to be Vhagar. Laena found her!
She turned to her captors, "I believe your chance to resolve this peacefully has passed."
Alicent
Her quarters had barely been used except when Rhaenyra was in Kings Landing for the last seven years. It was odd to be living in them now. But it did give her extra time to work with the ladies in waiting to the princess and try to find someone to function as a steward - something she had more-or-less been doing.
She decided Margaret Karstark would likely be the best to keep close to Rhaenyra - be the one to gently remind her that she needed to spend time with the ladies, do tea occasionally, etc. It was a slightly more prestigious role, to be closer to the princess, declared mistress of the robes. Alicent had not needed the title - she'd been Nyra's closest friend since a young age.
But things would be changing dramatically in Dragonstone. If Rhaenyra was smart, she would marry Daemon as soon as the Stepstones were conquered. Without her there to reign her in, Nyra might become more unpredictable, but she hoped that much of her bitterness and hurt would be healed when she found that she had always been loved - by all of them.
She put the last of her jewels and gowns in a trunk and closed it, glancing around the empty chambers. Somehow, it didn't feel changed. She felt no connection here. Alicent had lived with Nyra, in her rooms, in her bed. That was the place she would miss.
A knock sounded at her door.
"Enter."
One of Rhaenyra's personal guards barely entered - only far enough to speak to her. "Forgive the intrusion, Lady Alicent, but I believe it's time for you to board the ship."
She gave him a gentle smile. "Yes, of course. I just finished packing the last of my things, if you can have them loaded with the rest." She gestured to the trunk.
The man inclined his head quickly, "I will see to it personally, m'lady."
With a nod, she moved toward the door and he scrambled to open it to allow her to pass before rushing in the room to lift her final trunk.
Ali turned to him briefly as she made her way through halls that were as familiar as her own hands, "I don't believe we've met, Ser."
"Apologies, m'lady, I was recently brought into her grace's service after receiving honors in the City Watch."
She raised a brow. That wasn't common - and certainly not something Rhaenyra would have done without consulting her. "I offer you my congratulations. When did you join us here on Dragonstone?"
"I was settled about a fortnight ago, brought from Kings Landing with Lord Corlys' party."
Before Dorne. Before she stopped consulting me.
"Again, I offer my congratulations. To guard the princess is a prestigious post."
"I thank you, m'lady."
As they approached the docks, surrounded on all sides by stone dragons, she could hear the calls of the dragons - likely unhappy to be leaving the island and saddled for a trip to the Dragon Pit. Their three riders were out on the beach near the dock, likely waiting to bid her a quick farewell.
"I'll speak with the prince and princess for a moment, Ser-"
"Jaqen, m'lady. Jaqen Nestaar."
"Ser Jaqen, then. Please see my trunk to the ship. I shall follow in a moment." She watched him leave before heading to speak with Rhaenyra - who instantly frowned, knowing something was wrong.
"What is it, Ali?"
"Did you recognize that guard?"
Her eyes flicked up, but the man was already gone. "I didn't see him. Why?"
Daemon moved forward menacingly, "Why? What did he say?"
"Did we have any guards join us from Corlys' party? That received their vows after serving in the City Watch? He said it was a fortnight ago."
Laenor shook his head, "My father was here, sure, but everyone who came with him carried on to the Stepstones. No one stayed behind. I would remember."
Rhaenyra lifted her chin, "I would have discussed such a decision with you before adding to the household guard."
Alicent let out a quiet breath, "I know. But I had to be sure."
Daemon's eyes lit up with a kind of glee, "We've found our Faceless Man. He must not have known about your relationship with the princess, or else misjudged your separation."
"That's enough, Daemon," Nyra hissed. "This isn't a Faceless Man. It's someone who learned their skill but never their craft. This is the second mistake they've made since taking Dany. I don't trust it."
Laenor flexed his riding gloves, "We are the mouse watching the cheese, knowing that the trap is there, but not what happens when you spring it."
Daemon huffed, "Lots of bait and not enough prey. Dragons grow reckless in these situations."
"Would you rather find yourself in a trap?" Rhaenyra turned to him with what almost looked like amusement. Something had changed.
Alicent's heart nearly stopped in her chest. So fast - she knew she shouldn't let it hurt. After all, she'd been pushing Nyra to marry him for years. But watching that small upturn of her lips given to someone else? That was enough to convince her that marrying the Prince of Dorne was the right thing to do. It was necessary for everyone. Especially her.
To his credit, the prince looked awestruck, as if he couldn't believe he was seeing her. If Alicent got a moment with him, she would make sure he never took it for granted again.
"Well, he has offered himself as my escort for the trip, so I will stay close and see you all in Kings Landing." She gave them a weak smile and left for the docks again. She had no intention of watching red and gold dragons flying in the sky together.
The Chronicles of the Queen to Never Be
As best recalled by King Viserys, First of his Name; King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men; Lord of the Seven Kingdoms; Protector of the Realm.
At the knowledge of House Targaryen's destiny, shared by the memories of Daenerys Targaryen and Melisandre of Volantis' flames, we went about making changes. I, King Viserys, did not remarry and there were no brothers to challenge Princess Rhaenyra's right to the Iron Throne.
However, it became common knowledge that Daenerys Lannister, as she was born in this life, was more than a common Targaryen. She was sought out by those who worshipped death and wished for the Long Night to prevail. The Undying Ones wished for her endless lives to sustain them and the Many-Faced God would have the world end in ice and death.
A Faceless Man attempted to abduct her from Rhaenyra's feast for her naming as heir. They were unsuccessful - until we gathered later that evening and discovered that the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard had his face stolen and had taken Princess Daenerys to Qarth. To the Tower of the Undying.
It was clear then that we were being drawn into some kind of trap. The Narrow Sea had been baracaded by a group of pirates from a collection of the Free Cities calling themselves the Triarchy - led by a self-fashioned prince men called the Crabfeeder. We could not get to the princess by sea - it would force us to go by dragon.
A trap. Our dragons had to have become vulnerable. So I found that my destiny is to cause the division of my House, regardless of how.
We divided. Cousin Rhaenys took her daughter and Melisandre to Essos - assured that the Triarchy's ships would let the Red Priest's vessel through.
Rhaenyra left for Dragonstone to prove her worth as a leader - as queen. Which she did so admirably. However, a rift between herself and Daemon was torn and he fled to the battlefront in the Stepstones. They were not engaged before our House was reunited.
We found the boy to be born as the White Wolf, this time born as a Stark, and sent him with Melisandre. The tie between their souls had to prove strong enough to break Daenerys free from whatever magicks the warlocks of the Tower of the Undying had worked on her.
It would be seven years we each lived in isolation - Rhaenyra on Dragonstone, leading the war; myself in the Red Keep, maintaining the Seven Kingdoms; Daenerys trapped in the warlocks' grasp; Rhaenys across the Narrow Sea searching for answers to the trap that lie in wait for our dragons; and my brother - Daemon - off fighting back and forth battles on stony islands against an enemy that had the advantage.
Once again, Daemon and Rhaenyra were kept apart. It would seem destiny is not so easily escaped.
However, we do not trifle with the gods so easily. The Stark boy spent his years in a temple in Braavos, eventually able to communicate with us across the sea. Our dragons had been poisoned, and the cure was as simple as the leaves of a Weirwood tree. It would seem that, despite my failings, the dragons would not die out under my rule.
The group in Essos set their sights on Qarth. They made their demands of the merchant guilds that rule the city, but none would help them in retrieving Daenerys from the Tower of the Undying.
In their adventuring of Essos, Laena Valerion had finally found her dragon - Vhagar, the oldest and strongest of the dragons. With the might of Vhagar, Daenerys' young dragon Kaeres whom hatched after the death of Queen Aemma and Prince Baelor, upon their funeral pyres, as well as Meleys the Red Queen - the city stood no chance.
The Stark boy traveled with a black-as-night direwolf the size of a bear and Melisandre had studied the warlocks' magic and made it her own over the years. Songs will be sung for generations of how Kaeres the Grey Ghost appeared as if from the very air to rip the tower's walls apart as the shadow of Vhagar covered the entire city. It was said her roar was deeper than any thunder and could be felt in the very earth beneath the Quartheens' feet.
There has always been a black forest surrounding the Tower of the Undying, but Melisandre's shadow creatures were said to crawl from the glass trees, shattering them and leaving ashen ground in their wake that scattered in silver clouds as the great wolf bounded over, joy in her face.
The tower was ripped apart by dragons as creatures of shadow devoured the warlocks who tried to flee. Lady Laena rescued dozens of victims of the warlocks, held in prison cells to be drained of their life to sustain the Undying Ones.
Daenerys walked out of the ruins accompanied by Jon Stark and his wolf before she called her silver dragon to herself and commanded the Grey Ghost to burn what was left to ashes, ridding the world of the Undying Ones. She then collapsed into a slumber that lasted seven days and seven nights.