Author's Note:
I'll be stockpiling a few more chapters after this one and then releasing them gradually. I'm currently on vacation and have the time, so it's the perfect chance to build up a backlog. It'll get harder once I'm back at work. Thanks again!
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**2 B.C.**
**(Kael POV)**
We were gathered in our tower again. Now that I think about it—why do we even have a throne room if we only ever meet here? Our people built such a beautiful room, and we don't use it at all. Erlef has already dubbed it the "most beautiful, expensive, and useless room we own."
Errine took a sip of her wine. "The Targaryens have sent a messenger. They expect an audience; they wish to speak with us."
She let that sink in. I thought to myself: *Ah, so that's what the throne room is for.*
Erlef, who would usually make a joke of it, turned furious. "What? Those lizard-riders... they EXPECT? They WISH?!"
Luna, who was about to take a sip of her fruit juice, paused and stared at Erlef for a long moment. "Aha, 'lizard-riders'? Someone here seems to know exactly what those creatures are," Luna remarked with amusement.
Erlef's eyes went wide, and she tried several times to start her sentence again. "Yes... well... uh... anyway..." But she couldn't regain her previous anger. I watched with a slight smile, letting the song *"Fuck it! I cast Fireball!"* play in my head to keep the mood up.
I took a sip of my tea and asked, "And what did you say? Where are we meeting? And most importantly, did you ask why?"
Errine, also slightly amused by Erlef's dilemma, said: "I did. I asked the messenger, but he was a bit too arrogant. I think the Targaryens are flying a little—just a tiny bit—too high. I sent the messenger back with the word that the Targaryens are welcome to bring their dra... er, lizards, to Luna's resting place."
Now it was Luna's turn to be annoyed. "You did what? To my resting place? If those lizards cause any chaos there, they can swim all the way home!"
I couldn't hold it in anymore and burst out laughing.
**2 B.C.**
**(Targaryen POV)**
Visenya looked at her siblings: Aegon, the arrogant idiot, and Rhaenys, the silly, dancing, drinking little sister. Over the last few weeks, she had scoured the libraries of Dragonstone and the Citadel. She had read stories, myths, and fairytales about immortal enemies who raged during the so-called Age of Heroes. This could explain the "death and ice" in Aegon's dreams. But it was too fantastic, wasn't it?
She and her siblings were now on their dragons, headed for Amber Isle. Another mystery. The Citadel had no records of the island since it was conquered nearly 300 years ago. Only Daenys had ever been allowed into the island's interior. No other Targaryen had ever been there. And now Aegon demanded to speak with them. The Sea Queen had received the messenger but allowed only the three of us onto the island. She supposedly even said, "Feel free to bring your lizards." It seemed we were dealing with quite arrogant queens.
Amber Isle came into view. The island was surrounded by a massive wall. We approached from the northeast, directly from Oldtown. I sat atop Balerion and looked at my sisters. Visenya was calm as always on Vhagar. Rhaenys was constantly looking around from Meraxes. Oldtown had been interesting; Rhaenys and I had experienced much there while Visenya hid away in the Citadel.
As we circled over the island, Balerion became restless, as if facing a great enemy. Vhagar was the same; I saw the old lady dragon looking around nervously, as if expecting an attack at any moment.
There was the lake—our meeting point. We circled several times until we saw four people at a table. Time for a grand entrance. I urged Balerion to land nearby and announce our arrival with a roar. But Balerion simply would not roar, no matter what I did. Defeated, I began the landing sequence and signaled my sisters.
**(MC POV)**
Luna was already pissed off the moment she sensed the Targaryen dragons. This was her territory. I had to calm her down the whole time, keeping a hand on hers so she wouldn't run off and swat the creatures out of the sky—though it would have been a funny sight. I told her multiple times that they were Daenys' children and we had promised to support them.
Luna turned to me, annoyed. "We promised that House Targaryen wouldn't be destroyed and that we'd take some under our protection. *She* was my sister, but *these*... they are not!"
I wisely kept my mouth shut.
Damn, they landed right on Luna's tree. Oh crap, Erlef's lounger is broken too. Oh no... that was Errine's hammock. *Okay, the Targaryens are going to die today,* I thought, slapping a hand over my face.
**(Targaryen POV)**
Ah, a sight I like to see: The three women have looks of shock on their faces, and the man with them is clutching his head in fear.
The three of us dismounted our dragons, and I walked forward with a satisfied swagger.
Then, all I saw were three blurs flashing past me, followed by three sickening sounds of breaking bones and three massive *booms*, as if something had been hurled against a wall.
**(MC POV)**
Fittingly for the spectacle before me, the "Drunken Tavern Fight" music started in my head as I watched my women give the giant lizards the worst thrashing they'd likely ever had. I sat there, laughing, as I heard the three of them shouting:
"THAT WAS MY LOUNGER! YOU STUPID BEAST!"
"WHO GAVE YOU PERMISSION TO LAND ON MY ISLAND? WAS LAST TIME NOT ENOUGH? HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN ALREADY?"
"YOU DAMN OVERGROWN SALAMANDER! THAT WAS MY HAMMOCK! I'LL PLUCK YOUR SCALES OUT ONE BY ONE!"
Man, I couldn't breathe. Errine was on Meraxes, actually ripping scales out. Erlef was standing on Vhagar's head, pounding it into the ground. And Luna? Luna was tossing Balerion across the lake and back, and every time you could hear something crack. Let's see when he can fly again.
After a few minutes of one-sided "discipline," the three of them returned to me with satisfied grins. I just shook my head.
"And you tell *me* not to cause chaos..."
The three just smirked, said nothing, and sat back down as if nothing had happened.
I turned to the Targaryens with the friendliest smile I could muster without laughing.
"Well, that settles the pecking order. And it likely shows you why only Daenys was ever allowed here. One more thing from me: I don't like it when anyone disrespects my women."
I let a bit of my magic leak out. The air went still, like the moments before a storm of the century. The ground vibrated slightly. I looked Aegon dead in the eye. "I want your messenger's head! I hope it arrives soon! Otherwise, I'll come get it myself—along with everything around it!"
**(Targaryen POV)**
**(Visenya)**
Oh hell, what was that? I slowly turned to Vhagar and saw only the broken crown of hers, horns sticking out of the ground. I just hoped she was still alive... ah yes, she's breathing.
I turned toward the cause of this brutal display. When the man spoke, I felt like a small, weak child before a terrifying monster. What have we done?
**(Rhaenys)**
Wh-what happened? Who am I? Where am I? I don't understand anything. A moment ago we were in the air, landing elegantly, waiting for the typical flattery or fear. And now Meraxes is lying there like a plucked chicken. What happened? We are dragonlords... is this a dream?
**(Aegon)**
I... I was just about to flirt with the most beautiful women I've ever seen. And now Balerion, the largest living dragon and the terror of Essos, is lying half-deformed in the lake. What is going on here? Is this a new dragon dream?