Violent Tides - Chapter 8: Accurate Premonitions

A moon has passed since Laena Velaryon and her daughters left Driftmark and returned to Essos and Rhaenyra and her family returned to King’s Landing.

The event itself had been somber and tearful instead of joyous with Corlys, Rhaenys, and Laenor most of all acting as if Laena was leaving for her execution instead of across the Narrow Sea.

Since then, Laenor had been in a depressed state, his smiles few and far between and only in the presence of his children.

He could not help but wonder if he would have to wait another three years before seeing his sister again, but knowing Daemon, it could be even longer before Laena, Baela, and Rhaena ever return to Westeros.

The return to King’s Landing was also hard on Aelora, for the first few days she avoided Aegon, still terrified of the dream she had that night on Driftmark, terrified that Aegon would kill Rhaenyra and want to kill her.

After the fourth day of this avoidance, Aegon burst into the nursery and demanded that she explain her actions, and when she could not, Aegon began to cry.

“Did I do something, ‘Lora. If I did, I'm sorry, please don’t leave me!” He begged, not wanting Aelora to treat him the other people he loved did.

Aegon did not think he could live if Aelora hated him, if she looked at him the same way Viserys, Alicent, and Otto did.

Aelora stared in shock, but remembered that her Aegon could not have been the one she saw in her dream. This Aegon loved her, always wanted to be around her, he was not the hate filled, sadistic, and broken man that could kill his own sister with no remorse.

“I’m not mad at you, Egg. I just.... I miss our Aunt Laena and I didn’t want to bother you.” Aelora lied, not wanting to tell Aegon the truth, afraid that he would become angry for thinking he was capable of such horrific acts.

 Aegon smiled, relieved that Aelora did not hate him. “You wouldn't be bothering me, ‘Lora. You can come to me if you are sad.”

“Are you sure?” Aelora quietly asked.

A blushed formed on Aegon’s face, “Yes, I’m sure.” His face turned bright red, and he turned his gaze away from Aelora’s face and to the floor. “You’re.... you’re my best friend.”

Aelora grinned and ran into Aegon, wrapping her arms around him. “You’re my best friend too.”

Aegon returned the embrace just as fiercely, resting his head on top of Aelora’s and breathing in her scent. To him, Aelora smelled like sea salt and chocolate, a smell that he loved and would never forget.

Their loving moment was soon shattered when Helaena and Aemond entered the room, their nanny trailing behind them carrying Daeron.

As soon as Aemond saw Aelora and Aegon hugging, he ran as fast as his little legs could carry him and jumped on Aelora’s back. This caused Aelora to fall forward, bringing Aegon to the ground with her.

“Lora!” Aemond cheered, giggling happily to himself as he now sat on top his fallen niece and brother.

“Aemond!” Aegon growled, this time his face turning out of anger instead of embarrassment.

Helaena then walked over to the three and sat down next to them, she then opened her hands revealing that she was holding a spider in her grasp. “I found a new spider, ‘Lora.”

“Helaena! Get that thing away from us!” Aegon screeched, shaking his head back and forth to try and get away from his sister’s ever approaching hands, but was unable to move while being trapped underneath Aelora and Aemond.

It was this screaming that caused Daeron to start crying, the young boy being startled by the sudden noise. The servant holding him immediately tried to calm him down but nothing she did could stop his cries.

Eventually, Aelora gently pulled Aemond off her back and made her way by the nanny’s side. Aelora began to make silly faces at her uncle, and Daeron stopped crying and giggled, reaching over his nanny’s shoulder in an attempt to latch onto her.

And so Aegon was once again forced to share his precious niece with siblings. Any other time he would have been annoyed, but after seeing a genuine smile on Aelora’s face for the first time in days, Aegon was able to begrudgingly accept their presence.

~X~

Two Days Later

“Princess Aelora, Your Grace.” Ser Harrold Westerling, Lord Commander of the Kingsguard proclaimed from outside the King’s bedchamber.

Viserys smiled, “Let my granddaughter in, Ser Harrold.”

The King’s smile grew wider as he watched Aelora enter the room, the girl carried a tray filled with desserts and a few books in her arms.

“Hello, grandpapa!” Aelora chirped, making her way as quickly as she could to her grandfather’s side and Viserys chuckled and gently brushed back a few of Aelora’s loose curls with his fingers.

Aelora leaned into her grandfather’s touch, but her smile soon started to fade as she realized that it was his left hand that he was using.

Missing several fingers, covered in scars, scabs, and pieces of peeling skin, for as long as Aelora could remember, Viserys’ left arm had been a symbol of his illness, that the King was marked for death.

Viserys lead Aelora to his ever-growing model of Old Valyria, it had become a weekly tradition for them to meet in front of the model as the King told his granddaughter about their history and family members long since passed.

Usually, Aelora would have been enthralled by Viserys’ stories, listening with rapt attention as he weaved tales of dragons and conquerors; of fire and blood but all she could focus on was her grandfather’s rotting arm.

“Aelora?” Viserys asked, finally noticing how distracted the girl was.

“Sorry grandpapa.” Aelora muttered as she removed her gaze from Viserys’ left arm.

“What is wrong, young one?” Viserys asked as he retook his seat next to Aelora.

Aelora questioned if she should tell her grandfather the truth, thinking that he would be put off by what she told him, but decided to tell him anyway. “I don’t want your arm to be cut off.”

“Why would my arm be cut off?” Viserys asked confused.

Aelora hesitated for a moment but continued, “In my dream the Grand Maester cut off your left arm. He said it had gotten worse and worse, it had to be taken away.”

Viserys looked between his arm and Aelora, he could see the fear on her face as her gaze returned to his arm.

The King made sure to place his right hand on Aelora’s shoulder before speaking, “Aelora, it was just a dream, my arm may not look as it once did, but I am not in danger of losing it.”

Aelora nodded her head in acceptance, but was still unable to focus as Viserys went back to showing her the new addition he had his sculptors make to the model city.

Ever since she had gone to Driftmark, Aelora had been having strange dreams, dreams that felt so real and terrifying in the moment. She hated waking up in the night, breathless and covered in sweat and being unable to stop seeing these dreams. Aelora noticed that she did not even need to be asleep for these strange visions to occur.

The previous day when she went to the Dragonpit with her father, instead of seeing the view of King’s Landing from on top of Seasmoke, Aelora saw older versions of Aegon and Helaena.

This version of Aegon was younger and not horribly injured as the one when saw in the dream she had on Driftmark. Helaena was plumper than she currently was, and her hair was much longer, both she and Aegon were dressed in heavy green colors.

Helaena was sitting on a couch and in her arms her two babies, both wrapped in bright green blankets. Helaena smiled at the babies, gently cooing at them while Aegon rolled his eyes at this display of affection and reached for a nearby pitcher, not even bothering to reach for one of the cups next to it and drinking from it straight.

Nothing serious happened in this vision, just Helaena holding and smiling at the children in her arms while Aegon looked like he wanted to be anywhere else than near the three people across from him.

Aelora snapped back to reality when Laenor commanded Seasmoke to land back inside the Dragonpit, the man being none the wiser of what his daughter just experienced.

The adults in her life believed these to be nothing but dreams or the overactive imagination of a child so Aelora kept them to herself, only telling Viserys today because the sight of Mellos cutting into his arm disturbed her.

Is there something wrong with me? Aelora thought to herself as she leaned against the arm of her grandfather, the same arm she dreamed he would lose.

Viserys continued talking about his model as he wrapped said arm around Aelora’s shoulders, but the princess was numb to the gesture.

~X~

A Fortnight Later

Rhaenyra quickly made her way to her father’s chambers once she received word that he had awoken from his surgery.

Days earlier, Viserys had collapsed during a small council meeting, the sick King had grasped his left arm, his face twisting in pain as he fell out of his chair and onto the floor. Rhaenyra and Alicent both jumped from their seats, rushing to the fallen King, both woman surrounding Viserys as the rest of the council was slow to act.

After a few seconds, Mellos stood and commanded the Kingsguard in the chamber to lift Viserys off the ground and carry him to his own chambers so that the maester could attend to him.

It was not the first time that she had seen her father collapse like this but the expression on Viserys’ face made Rhaenyra think that this was it, that this would be day that her father’s body would finally give up on him and he would die.

Once the pain had receded, Mellos had explained that the infection on the King’s left arm was spreading further than anyone could predict it would, and that the only way to stop it from continuing to spread and risk killing Viserys, the appendage had to be amputated.

Rhaenyra wordlessly motioned for Harwin to stay in the hall once the two had reached her father’s chambers, she ignored both Harrold and Criston as she pushed past the two men guarding the room, not giving them time to announce her presence.

The first thing the princess saw was her father lying in the middle of his bed, dark circles were visible under Viserys’ eyes, but Rhaenyra was especially drawn to the flattened space under the covers where her father’s arm had once been.

Alicent sat right next to the bed, her head turning from Mellos who was standing at the foot of the bed, in Rhaenyra’s direction once she heard the doors open.

“Father.” Rhaenyra said as she moved quickly to Viserys’ side, the young woman gently lifted her father’s hand into her own, rubbing circles with her thumb on the back in a calming gesture.

“Rhaenyra?” Viserys asked, his voice hoarse from lack of use and his struggle to breathe.

“I am here, father. Are you feeling better?” The princess said, her voice barely audible as she whispered to her father.

Viserys let out a chuckle that soon turned into a series of harsh coughs, causing Alicent to reach for a cup of water on the nightstand and help her husband drink from it. “Thank you, love. I am fine, daughter, it was nothing, truly. I will be back on my feet in no time.”

Rhaenyra visibly grimaced at this statement and then looked at the Grand Maester from the corner of her eye.

Mellos saw this and cleared his throat, “Now that the appendage with the rot has been removed, I believe this should stop the infection, Your Grace. Although you will need to remain in bed.”

Viserys' groan went ignored as Alicent spoke to the maester. “What kind of treatment will he be receiving?”

“I believe it would be best to continue with the use of milk of poppy, and the maggot treatment for the King, my Queen.” Mellos answered.

“You want to continue with treatments that did nothing to stop my father from losing his arm?” Rhaenyra asked, her tone sharp as she stared the Grand Maester down.

“Grand Maester Mellos is an expert in his field, princess; He knows what he is talking about.” Alicent said in Mellos’ defense.

Rhaenyra scoffed, “Yes, because my father’s missing limb and the scars on his body that refuse to heal show that the Grand Maester is quite the genius.”

A glower appeared on Mellos’ face, but he quickly turned his head to the ground when Rhaenyra turned away from Alicent to look at him again. The princess was not the first to question his abilities as a maester when concerning Viserys’ illness, but it never got easier to have to sit and take the insults that people who did not have a fourth of his training and education directed at him.

“Rhaenyra don’t be rude; Mellos is doing everything in his power to cure me. This is of no fault of his own, things like this can be out of the control of men.” Viserys said, gently scolding his eldest daughter for her behavior.

Rhaenyra said nothing, staring at her father blankly. She did not believe that what she said was wrong but knew that arguing with Viserys especially now would be pointless and make her look like a petulant child in front of the Queen and Grand Maester.

Viserys smiled, thinking that Rhaenyra had agreed with him, “Now, I need to speak with my daughter; alone.” Viserys said the last word with the authority of a King as he directed his gaze to the other two people in the room, specifically his wife.

Alicent pursed her lips at the clear dismissal, but remained silent as she pressed a kiss on her husband’s cheek and left the room.

Mellos placed a cup filled with poppy milk on the nightstand next to the King’s bed before taking his leave.

“What is it that you want to discuss with me, father?” Rhaenyra asked once she and Viserys were alone.

“It's about Aelora.” Viserys said.

Rhaenyra’s posture straightened and her expression became serious, “What about Aelora?”

“Has Aelora told you about any dreams she has had recently?” Viserys asked.

Rhaenyra scrunched her face in confusion, “Dreams? Why are you asking me about Aelora’s dreams?”

“Aelora had a dream about me losing my hand.” Viserys finally explained, no longer seeing the point of beating around the bush.

“What?” Was all Rhaenyra could say in response, although she did wonder if Viserys was still not completely lucid after his surgery, with his mind still muddled from the effects of the milk of poppy.

“It is the truth, Rhaenyra. Aelora came to me about a fortnight ago, when we usually sit in front of my model and told me that I would lose my left arm, that Mellos would be the one to cut it off and that is exactly what happened.”

Rhaenyra then thought about the nightmare that Aelora had during their first night on Driftmark. Her daughter was convinced that what had happened was real, even after she and Rhaenys told her that it was nothing but a dream, Rhaenyra saw that it still affected her as afterwards Aelora refused to sleep in her for the remainder of the trip.

“There was an incident when we first when to Driftmark...” Rhaenyra said before going on to tell Viserys everything that Aelora had told them that night.

How Aegon and herself had grown to hate each other, the son she would eventually have, and how Aelora and said son were forced to watch as Aegon had ordered Sunfyre to burn her alive before devouring her burnt corpse.

Viserys remained silent as he took in what his daughter had just told him, his terror was visible as he thought about what the future held.

“Father, these are just dreams, dreams of an innocent and naïve little girl. They do not mean anything.” Rhaenyra tried to retort, knowing just where the King was going with this thought.

“Many said the same of Daenys, of Aegon, and look where those so-called foolish dreams took them, where they led us, their descendants.” Viserys argued, his right hand turning deathly white as he twisted the sheets beneath him within his grasp.

“So, you believe that Aelora is just like them, a dreamer?” Rhaenyra asked, knowing the answer to her question.

“I do and I know that you believe it as well, daughter, I can see it in your eyes no matter how much you want to deny it.” Viserys answered.

Rhaenyra found it ironic that her father was accusing her of being in denial but figured that the seriousness of the discussion is what caused this change.

The princess could not deny that the thought of her daughter being a dreamer had not crossed her mind, it did the second that Aelora had told her and the Velaryons what she had seen in dream. She was first concerned about Aelora seeing something so horrifying, but then she started to think of whether what Aelora had seen was truly a vision of the future.

The reason for refusing to entertain the idea was because it would then prove her darkest fears true, that her Hightower siblings would try to usurp her the second that Viserys was dead. And if Aelora’s dream was real then Aegon would become a kinslayer and kill her.

It was why Rhaenyra had been avoiding her siblings for the past moon, even being unable to look directly at Aegon, wondering just how such a young boy could end up killing her in the future.

“I just don’t understand why you and Aegon would be fighting each other.” Viserys spoke aloud, not seeing the incredulous way his daughter looked at him in response.

It seems I spoke too soon about him changing... Rhaenyra thought, thinking how the man before her could be so blind to what was happening right in front of him.

“Father, you cannot be this blind to the plots of the Queen and her supporters, can you? It has been clear since Aegon was born that the Hightowers want you to make him your heir in place of me, to become King after you. Aelora’s dream only proves that they will go to any lengths to accomplish this, even killing me.” Rhaenyra said fiercely.

“And I will ensure that they will not, Aelora’s dream shows that we must be untied.” Viserys argued.

“And how will you do that?” Rhaenyra asks, still angered that Viserys was not truly listening to her, already having made his mind up.

“I will summon the Lords of the realm once more, have them swear fealty to you again and this time Aelora as well. This will eliminate the allies that the Hightowers have.” Viserys declared, thinking that these oaths would keep the nobles from going against his daughter this time around.

They all swore to me once, and those men and their sons will still betrayed me. Rhaenyra thought bitterly.

“And we must pay more attention to any dreams that Aelora has from this point onwards. This knowledge of the future must be used for the betterment of our house.” Viserys said, ignorant of the anger that was brewing within his daughter.

Rhaenyra knew there was some truth to what her father was saying, Aelora’s dragon dreams could be a great boon to their family, but the thought of using her daughter in any context made her sick to her stomach.

“She is a child, father, not an animal that you can train to do what you want on command. It's bad enough that Aelora will undoubtedly see so many terrible things that no child should have to, I will not have her be treated like a commodity. I want my daughter to live as normally as possible.” Rhaenyra declared to Viserys, openly glaring at the man.

Viserys had to forcibly keep himself from flinching under the weight of Rhaenyra's stare. But he pressed forward, “Rhaenyra, think about this, Aelora has a gift and it’s one that must be used.”

“According to who?” Rhaenyra hissed.

“According to me!” Viserys yelled before sputtering into a nasty cough.

“And how did trying to force dreams work out for you, father?” Rhaenyra asked, knowing about the dreams he had years prior about a son that would succeed him.

Despair was painted on Viserys’ features, his thoughts turning to the wife and son he lost in pursuit of his dream. “Rhaenyra…”

“No, I will not force my child down a similar path. This is the last we will discuss this, father, I want to hear no more of it.” Rhaenyra reiterated.

Rhaenyra went to leave the room but was stopped when Viserys called out to her again. “Rhaenyra, please wait!”

The princess paused and looked at the King from the corner of her eye, waiting to hear what he had to say.

“You are right, to use Aelora in such a way would be wrong, but you cannot deny that if Aelora does speak of these dreams, of her own will, we must act.” Viserys pleaded, needing Rhaenyra to see reason.

Rhaenyra stared at her father for a few moments, “I shall see you tomorrow, father.”

Rhaenyra left the room, ignoring Viserys’ calls for her to return.

The princess walked back to her chambers in a contemplative daze, ignoring Harwin's concerned gaze, thinking over her father’s words and the dreams that her daughter was having.

When Rhaenyra entered her bedroom, she found Aelora standing over her brother’s cradle in the center of the room as Laenor sat on the bed with a book in his hands.

Laenor quickly placed the book on the bed and walked to Rhaenyra when he saw the expression on her face. “Did the surgery go wrong? Is the King's health still declining?”

“My father is well, joyful even. He was trying to move around as if he isn’t a sick man who just had a limb removed.” Rhaenyra joked but the smile she made was entirely too fake to be believable.

“What are you all doing?” She asked, wanting to leave the topic of her father.

Laenor noticed this but decided to acquiesce to his wife’s silent desire. “Nothing really. I asked Aelora what she wanted to do today, and she said she wanted to see Jace. Weird thing is she’s not playing with him, just standing there, staring at him.” Laenor answered, pointedly staring at their daughter as she continued her strange behavior.

“Aelora, is something wrong with Jacaerys?” Rhaenyra asked as she made her way to her daughter’s side.

Aelora hugged her mother, grinning as she looked up at her. “No, mama. I’m waiting for Jace's egg to hatch.”

Laenor chuckled as he returned to his place on the bed, “Lora, it's impossible to know when a dragon egg will hatch. You may be waiting years or even forever.”

Aelora pouted and turned her attention back to Jacaerys and his dragon egg, determined to see it hatch and prove her father wrong.

“Aelora,” Rhaenyra said softly, “Did you dream of Jace’s egg hatching?”

Aelora looked away and that was all the answer Rhaenyra needed. The princess then kneeled and cupped the side of Aelora’s face. “You can tell me about it, my darling. I promise to hear you out.”

Aelora was hesitant but began to speak about her dream, “Jace’s egg will hatch soon, and a green dragon will be born.”

“That is good to hear.” Rhaenyra said.

“You believe me?” Aelora asked, surprised as she believed this would end up the same way it did on Driftmark and how it went with Viserys a few weeks ago.

“Of course, Aelora. Thank you for telling me.” Rhaenyra said as she kissed her daughter’s forehead, lifting the young girl into her arms as she rose to her feet.

Aelora grinned and pressed her head against Rhaenyra’s, “I can’t wait to see Vermax!”

Vermax? Will that be the dragon’s name? Rhaenyra asked herself, still feeling a whirlwind of emotions bubbling inside.

The woman ignored the confusion on Laenor’s face as he looked between her and their daughter, she did not want to explain what was going on just yet still trying to sense of it herself.

Rhaenyra knew that her father was right, she could not just ignore her daughter’s ability and hoped it would go away, no matter how much she disliked it, it was something she would eventually have to address.

~X~

The Next Day

“See! I told you it would hatch!” Aelora cheered, a look of childlike smugness appeared on her face as she stared at her father.

Aelora had rushed towards her parents that morning and dragged them to the nursery, only to tell them that she had something to show them.

When they entered, Rhaenyra and Laenor saw that Alicent was standing in the room with Criston by her side, the mother of four actively have to keep her children from running to Jacaerys’ cradle.

A loud chirp was heard from the crib and the parents saw Jacaerys sitting up with an olive-green hatchling crawling on his right arm. Jacaerys giggled, patting the dragon, and babbling to it as the dragon cooed at his touch.

“What in the seven hells?” Laenor whispered to himself as he stared at his son’s newly hatched dragon, remembering what his daughter had told him yesterday.

“Can we see it now? Rhaenyra and Laenor are here so we won’t get hurt!” Aegon yelled from behind his mother.

The second the dragon egg started hatching Alicent and Criston pulled the siblings away to the other side of the room as Aelora ran from the room in search of her parents.

“No, Aegon.” Alicent hissed at her son, even less inclined to let her children near their nephew’s dragon now that Rhaenyra and Laenor were there.

Rhaenyra stared at her brother for a few moments only yielding when she saw the sneer Alicent was directing at her, and the princess returned the look before focusing on her own family.

“You were right, Lora.” Rhaenyra said as she brushed her daughter’s hair back with her fingers.

Aelora grinned and she reached into the cradle to touch her brother’s dragon. Laenor moved to stop her but stopped himself when the dragon pressed its head against Aelora’s palm, letting out shrill chirps and growls as Aelora petted him.

Laenor turned his head to Rhaenyra, seeing that she was looking at him too. Rhaenyra said nothing, staring at him for a few seconds before turning back to look at their children.

The heir to Driftmark saw what the woman was trying to tell him with her eyes, not wanting Alicent and Criston to know what they were talking about.

I will explain everything when we are alone. Is what her eyes told him.

And Laenor Velaryon was not prepared for the bombshell that Rhaenyra would drop on him later that day and the implications they held for their daughter and their family.