Chapter Text
(Editor is the great It's_Always_1895!)
Just so you know...
“You have blood magic?” Aemond whispered, his low voice was more curious than anything else.
“In a matter of speaking…” the prompting from Aemond’s eye made her feel comfortable enough to continue explaining. “I was born with magic in my blood, but Valyrian blood magic, debatable. Granted I don’t know much beyond what Draco’s parents told me about a common ancestor so it might be another branch or linked, I’m not sure...” she trailed off while her shoulders relaxed. She had feared the worst. Anger, denial, rejection…. maybe because she was taught to be wary because of the witch hunts and burning times. This reaction was far better.
“How did you learn you held magic?”
“There was always something different about me; weird things would happen around me all the time. I turned my teacher’s hair blue, I made a large glass window vanish, once I even disappeared and reappeared on the roof, but it wasn’t until my eleventh birthday that I found out it was magic.”
“Eleventh?”
“Um, the birthday after my tenth.”
“Ten and one then,” this satisfied he returned to the topic of magic, “how do you use it? What sacrifices do you need to make? Does it come naturally or do you need a conduit?”
“I use a wand though instinctual magic, the kind I did when I was little, doesn’t need one. Most magic doesn’t need a sacrifice, you just get tired the more you use it, like anything else. There are some very powerful or dark spell that need sacrifices but none that I use. The talent is something you are or are not born with, but it takes seven years of learning to master the skills to be able to wield it properly. The standard length is seven years, and multiple classes though specialists need more schooling or more likely an apprenticeship,” her voice sounding a little sour at the end.
“Giving up seven years seems more than a fair trade for becoming skilled in different classes of magic…” Aemond mused, a little in disbelief.
“You would think so, wouldn’t you? Let me assure you they were not an easy seven years… well, six years in my case,” she retorted with a huff. “Trolls, traps, killer plants and spiders, soul-suckers, and basilisks! It will take weeks to fill you in on it all, but if you want to hear it-”
“Yes,” he answered without hesitation, “I want to hear everything.”
He wasn’t merely accepting of her magic, he seemed captivated by it. His interest in it, in her, was genuine, his excitement impossible to miss.
“Can you give a demonstration?”
Aradia froze for a moment before her face once again broke into a smile. She felt like she had been smiling more in the last few weeks than she had in years, before the Tri-Wizard tournament certainly. Airy looked over and saw Teddy was awake and smiling at her happily. She cast a bubble spell to entertain him and an alarm spell to ensure he would be safe and sound. She then stood up carefully, walking toward the waves, stopping where the dry sand met the wet. She took out her wand as she heard him stand as well. The sound of his boots pressing down on sand was heard as he stepped closer to her, his eyes hungry.
She pointed her wand at the wave, but before she could cast anything, she felt a burning warmth behind her. Aemond fitted himself right behind her. Her flame moved close, almost impossibly so. His feet lined up with hers, his arm sliding along hers, enveloping her in his presence. The air between them shimmered, charged with the promise of something more.
He slid his lithe fingers over her hand. The one that was holding her wand. He then moved so his lips were right next to her ear and spoke in a breathy voice.
“Show me…” his gaze sideways locked onto hers — intense but also almost reverent.
A heated rush ran up her spine. She did her best to ignore it and pointed her wand toward the waves.
Vhagar was happy for her boy. When she smelled the mate and the hatchling, the scent of magic was clear and strong on them. She hadn’t smelt that in generations, not since her Visenya. Unless you count that foul wafting that came from that Tanya of the Tower but that was no real magic.
The mate was also fearless. She didn’t shake or tremble when meeting her. She didn’t scream, run, or burst into tears. She stood firmly, followed her boy’s words and most interestingly walked like she had already seen war. Vhager couldn’t help glee that came from that thought. Her boy was a true dragon, and he needed another dragon as a mate. He would not be truly happy with anyone else. This magical, war-hardened girl just might be what he needed.
When she saw them feasting and the way they acted around one another. They nearly orbited one another as they walked and talked, she couldn’t help but approve even more.
She was glad. She knew her boy would need a mate soon. He should have someone by his side when she passed. Her boy wouldn’t do well alone.
She knew that she was ill. She had aged, so it took her longer and longer to heal and recoup. But this time the pain in her body, her underbelly, had been growing over the years. She had been sleeping more to fight against whatever sickness had taken root in her, lying flat on her belly and letting her weight apply pressure was the only thing that lessened the constant pain. Pain she blocked from him and kept her side of the bond, as to not make her boy suffer with her. After they were bonded, he had lost his eye and spent months in fever and pain. She would not cause him anymore.
All this mixed together made her weaker. She was getting closer to her end. She had seen it before, with her beloved dark-scaled mate, Balerion. She had watched him age, fall into illness, and die. She had been by his side the whole time. Witnessed it all. She knew the signs. She had loved her fierce mate. His past still ached to this day. Soon, she would fly with him again.
She turned her head and looked at her boy, as he stood with his mate. She pulled out a stick and yelled out words. Large bursts of magic, huge bubble-like bursts of pure energy, were fired off one after another. Vivid colors, sharp and sparling lights, every single one different.
Vhager once again felt a sense of contentless and satisfaction. The mate was a strong one. The girl was obviously attracted to her boy, she already had some of his scent on her. She was also proving to be a good nest-mother, taking on a hatchling that smelled not like her at all. Vhagar looked at that impossibly small hatchling, barely a dot on the ground, with the sweet smell of magic to him already. He had promise, this hatchling.
She looked again at her boy and his girl. She saw how they turned to one another, the way their energy seemed to pull at one another, and dance around them...
Yes, this girl was what her boy needed. The Red Girl would become his mate. She would look after him after the illness took Vhagar from him. She need not worry about how he would fair after she was grounded forever.
If they were quick about it, she might even see her boy’s first hatchlings before she joined her mate. She had a year, maybe two, before her ailment saw the end of her. So, it was a possibility.
Until then, she would protect her boy fiercely, with everything she had left in her. From humans, dragons, and beasts, all were the same to her.
She’d spend the last moons and what was left of her fire on her boy, the Red Girl and the tiny hatchling, too. She’d see them safe and enemies burned til her very last breath.
After all, she had nothing more to lose. What better way than to go down, than in dragon flame?
They did not stay much longer after that. Before Teddy even awoke from his nap, they headed back to King’s Landing. Vhagar flew and glided with ease back home, even if she did land with a huge dust cloud around her. They started down the rope ladder to go meet Heleana and Aegon, then head to the Dragonpit.
On their way down, Aemond paused, and turned to open the hidden satchel.
“Halt a moment; I need to collect something we will need today.”
“What are you grab- is that an opening in the saddle?” she paused mid-climb, Teddy still snoozing on her chest.
“There is a Small Council meeting at mid-day. I’ll be attending as the Commander of the Red Guard, but you should come as well. Father ordered your investigation; it will have to be announced. I pulled up some old reports and records that can help prove your claim.”
Airy looked over her shoulder to Aemond, her eyes curious as she asked.
“The quicker the investigation is over, the quicker we can be engaged er betrothed, correct?”
“Correct, Nuha Dona,” Aemond had to fight off a smirk as he heard those words from her mouth and grabbed the leather pouch. As he pulled it out, he realized it was heavier. He turned it over to see he had not only pulled out the papers he needed, but a black silk bag with a solid weight inside.
“What do we need to help speed it along?” Aradia asked, both hands still on the rope ladder. Aemond’s attention returned to her.
“Any paper, seals, or evidence that point to your family line being from Gael,” he said, his own eyes turned to look down on the huge saddle they were on. “I have some already, but I’m not sure if it’s right time to use them…”
“Do you mean like marriage licenses, birth certificates, and family registries for example?”
Aemond’s eye snapped Airy.
“Pardon?”
Airy gave what she felt was a proper farewell to Vhagar, saluting her like a soldier, before they headed straight to the carriages.
Heleana was there, and in comfortable gold and green gown that looked warm but loose enough for flying. Two dirty boots peeked out from the carriage door, one foot turned away from one the other, with the sound of nasally snoring coming from the same direction.
Aemond gave look full of distain to the boots, storming over to the carriage at the same time Heleana was walking over to Airy. She didn’t give a large open-armed hug, but a gentle touch to the shoulders for Airy, and a fond smile to Teddy. Airy smiled and gave a light press to her hand in return.
Heleana was uncomfortable with touch, and Airy was not going to be rude or insensitive enough to press it.
“I’m looking forward to seeing your beautiful girl!”
“Dreamfyre is lovely, even for a dragon. She’ll be incredibly happy to meet you. She enjoys attention from new people very much.”
There was a loud smack on the boots, followed by a jolting and banging from the inside of the carriage. Aemond leaned over his brother’s form and hissed quietly down at him, so no one but the two of them could hear what was being said. A whiney voice then responded a moment later, just as low. After another two strikes, it quieted.
Heleana gave passive a look over her shoulder, then turned back to Airy, a small smile going back on her face.
“How was your first flight this morning?”
The ride was quick and bumpy. Heleana and Aradia were talking about the twins and cooing over Teddy. Aemond and Aegon sat closest to the door. Aegon reclined on the seat as if it was longue chair; boots up on the upholstery, hands folded behind his head lazily. Aemond kept the curtains drawn and his gazed fixed on his elder brother sitting across from him. He radiated hostility, an icy wall that kept Aegon silent for the moment, though it did little to restrain the elder prince’s lingering gaze at Aradia.
“So…” Aegon drawled, his eyes flicking over her form, lips curling with mischief, “you’re favoring those flying leathers again, I see. Two days in a row now — much more daring than a gown, I must admit. I daresay they suit you far… better,” his tone velvet-soft and suggestive as he sat up more in his seat. “Perhaps you’ll let me see how they fare in the wind sometime?”
“Enough,” Aemond’s voice snapped through the carriage, cold and razor-sharp — his glare fixed hard on Aegon. “You can speak to her, but you’d best mind your tongue.”
Aegon lifted his hands in exaggerated surrender, smirk barely contained. “I’m only trying to be friendly—”
“No, you aren’t,” Aemond cut him off, tone low and lethal, “maintain respect or keep your words to yourself. One or the other, choose wisely.”
Aegon’s amusement withered beneath Aemond’s unbroken stare, but the old arrogance still clung to him — the smug ease of a man long accustomed to indulging himself without consequence. It was in every inch of him, from his expression to the careless set of his boots: I am the firstborn. I do as I please.
“And if you continue to insist on your nonsense,” Aemond continued, each syllable deliberate and delivered like a threat, “I’ll tell Mother exactly how you've behaved today. In front of your wife, no less.”
That finally seemed to silence Aegon, as his eyes glimmered with a look of upset and disappointment. He gave a narrow-eyed nod to his younger brother that slowly shifted to a look so discussing smug Aemond could hear his brother’s thoughts.
Thousands of mocking words passed in that look, from pride that his brother had finally started to ‘act like a man’, to congratulating Aemond on being as perverse as he was. He kept that look locked on Aemond.
“Humble your face before my fists will humble it for you.” Aemond shot at Aegon, the daggers with a voice more cutting than Valyrian steel. It was only then that Aegon’s face became more normal, and Aemond could turn his eye and attention back to his sister and his flame.
Aradia stood at the platform of the Dragonpit, watching the entrance with excitement. Heleana and Aegon were right by the stairs, waiting for their mounts.
As she was waiting, and Heleana and Aegon had their attention elsewhere, Aemond reached out, and gripped her hand in urgent, rushed grip. She turned to him, and paused when she saw something worried, almost frightened in his eyes. It was buried under his poker face, but still there. She was taken aback, not only by the look, but by the feeling of seriousness that the look invoked.
“Stay away from Aegon, keep away from him, at any costs. You can’t trust him at all, and he can’t be trusted with you. Don’t ask why, just… trust me. Don’t let him near you.”
As Aemond spoke Airy’s smile dropped further. She felt the conflict in his voice, looking ready to spill the reason for his words at the first chance even if he shouldn’t. Even so, the hints in those words made the threat clears.
She no longer looked at a prince or a possible family member. It was now the hard look of a witch spotting an enemy. Her eyes only softened when they turned to Heleana, before returning to the eldest prince suspiciously.
“Here she comes!” Heleana exclaimed, childlike joy spreading over her face. The full-grown she-dragon with midnight-blue scales and beautiful spiral horns appeared. Emerging from the dark sand of the pit, into the sunlight she started making her way up. The gloss on her scales looked like clouds in the night. Her wings lifted, neck high and eyes alert, she was excited, even happy, to see her rider.
The kind mother dragon looked to Heleana, giving a happy trill as her eyes looked over her rider carefully. She stepped heavily over, using her wings like arms. Heleana gave a happy giggle.
Sunfyre walked behind the older dragon, his scales reflective and shiny even before the light hit them directly. Gold, yellows, oranges, some matching the sunrise she and Aemond saw together just a few hours before. His tail was swishing as he stepped forward, nudging his rider playfully. Aegon smiled and carefully wrapped his arms around his dragon’s snout.
“Airy!” Heleana called out in delight, “come meet Dreamfyre!”
A Grecian Blue, and a male Welsh Gold. Aradia smiled to herself, taking a moment to admire the two majestic dragons. Aradia cuddled a newly changed Teddy, then stepped forward to meet the dragons contrasting yet complementing each other like day and night.
After she had been introduced and took a full walk around them, her eyes turned back to Aegon. A twitch in her wand hand was the only hint at the thoughts going on in her mind.
While she would be sure to avoid Aegon going forward, she would now put effort into looking after Heleana too. Maybe arranging a few sleepovers and long-night chats for the next few nights would be just the thing to get to know her new sister-in-law to be.
Andy: Do you have any tea for us?
Black Alys: oh, girl, DO I!! *Spills IT ALL.*
Cissy: *Lady-like sip and smirk.*
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Airy: ... Okay. New objective. Operation protect the butterfly is a go. Lethal Force allowed.
Vhagar: ... Oh, I like her...