Main Content
Archive of Our OwnArchive of Our OwnHi, TheBrimmedHat!PostLog Out
FandomsBrowseSearchAboutWork Search
tip: "uchiha sasuke/uzumaki naruto" angst kudos>10
Actions
Entire Work ← Previous Chapter Next Chapter → Chapter Index Edit Bookmark Mark for Later Comments Share Download
Work Header
Rating:
Explicit
Archive Warnings:
Creator Chose Not To Use Archive WarningsGraphic Depictions Of Violence
Categories:
F/MM/MOtherF/F
Fandoms:
House of the Dragon (TV)Harry Potter - J. K. RowlingA Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms
Relationships:
Daemon Targaryen/Laena Velaryon (Daughter of Corlys)Alicent Hightower & Rhaenyra TargaryenRhaenys Targaryen/Corlys "the Sea Snake" VelaryonAlys Rivers/Edric Stark
Characters:
Harry PotterFemale Harry Potter - CharacterCorlys "The Sea Snake" VelaryonGringotts Dragon (Harry Potter)Rhaenyra TargaryenSyrax | Rhaenyra Targaryen's DragonRhaenys Targaryen VelaryonAlicent HightowerMeleys | Rhaenys Targaryen Velaryon's DragonAemond "One-Eye" TargaryenHelaena TargaryenAegon II TargaryenDaeron Targaryen (Son of Viserys I)Viserys I Targaryen
Additional Tags:
Alternate Universe - Canon DivergenceNOT beta read we die like Ned StarkFemale Harry PotterPeriod-Typical SexismPeriod-Typical HomophobiaPolitical DramaPolitics
Language:
English
Collections:
A better Known World, Blue_Axolote's Favorite Collection, my heart is here, Novel's List of Books to Read, oh stars~!（＾Ｏ＾☆♪, the reasons why my laptop constantly lags, 🌑 𝑫𝒂𝒓𝒌 𝑴𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓 🌑, Lilranko Interesting Read List, ✨💐A_Listers💐✨, Maeve Ks ASoIaF Fics....In Progress and Otherwise, THE 🎵 UBIQ 🦋 ☠ THE 🎭 UNIQUE 🌹, JNW1'S favourite ASOIAF/GoT fics, Charlies Collection of Scrumdiliumtuous Fics, JNW1's Favourite Book Fics, 🐥My Favorite Isekai Fantasies🐣, 😍Best Freaking Crossovers😍, Whatever this is.. I'm into it😉
Stats:
Published:2022-11-20Updated:2024-09-01Words:328,865Chapters:61/?Comments:5,091Kudos:6,170Bookmarks:2,718Hits:367,838
(Restricted) A Stranger in a Strange Land
A_Strange_Twist_of_Fate
Chapter 8: Blood and Potions
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Rhaenyra #1
The results were beyond what Rhaenyra could ever have dreamed of. Her father's condition became worse and worse every time she saw him. He had already lost one entire arm and two fingers on the other, and even then the skin continued to blacken and fester. Maester after Maester had been called from the Citadel to help with his condition and neither their bleeding nor their cupping, or anything in between, did anything to dull the pain or slow the progress of his illness.
Not until the Sorceress. Rhaenyra had been skeptical of her claims. A potion that renewed one's blood seemed improbable, magic or not. She simply could not picture how that would work, what it would do. The potion that cured one's headache seemed entirely more plausible, although a potion and a poison could look deceivingly similar, could they not?
And yet….she had been proven incorrect.
"Remarkable, is it not?" Father asked as she studied his hand.
The skin looked better, clean -- healthy, even. No longer was the skin of his hand and fingers a festering, odorous black that made Rhaenyra gag with the stench. Instead they were a healthy reddish pink and looked as if they had been on the mend for a few weeks. Father could bend his fingers, hold a quill, and move his hand without pain or discomfort.
That wasn't even to speak of his shoulder! He looked and walked a man newly born, as if he had never known pain.
If only they'd had this magic when her Mother lived, mayhaps Rhaenyra would have a Mother and a brother.
It did no good to dwell on the past, however.
"I cannot believe it." She murmured, Rhaenyra could see the disbelief in the eyes of Lyonel Strong as they gathered at her father's apartments.
Alicent assessed them calmly and did not seem surprised. This was why, then, she was content with allowing Aemond to join Princess Rhaenys and her Sorceress? It had bothered Rhaenyra that Alicent had changed her mind so quickly in the night and had stood and watched Aemond sail away to Driftmark without complaint.
Alicent was not one to trust so easily, and she, like Rhaenyra, liked to keep her children close. Daeron, her youngest, had been given to the Hightowers of Oldtown to be fostered, yes, but Rhaenyra would have been surprised if that was not the doing of Otto Hightower, who always had his fingers in the pie.
So why would she change her mind? What had happened? Rharnyra had felt as if she had missed something important.
She did not like being left out like this. It was bad enough that Lord Corlys and Princess Rhaenys had been the ones granted leave to find this Sorceress, she would not be left out again.
This is what she had missed. The miraculous return to health of her father. He had seemed more lively as they broke their fast, but Rhaenyra had assumed his lifted spirits had eased his pain. Her father was so easily amused and fascinated by magic that the very knowledge that it was here would absolutely make him as overjoyed as a child claiming their dragon for the first time.
Rhaenyra had been determined to have her children learn this magic, if only because it would further quiet the absurd notion that her children were anything but of the old blood -- and the dragonspeech would be nothing if not a delightful boon. Oh, to know what Syrax thought!
But now -- now it was not something she could put off, not something that she could set aside and claim later. This Sorceress was much more useful than Rhaenyra had given credit too, and her blasted half-brother had already made himself her apprentice.
"I have set some of the ointment aside for you, my dear. I know you still have some aches and pains from your labor." Father told her, and Rhaenyra could not help but smile at him.
"Thank you for this gift, father, I will treasure it. Have you tried the others, then?" Rhaenyra asked.
"The Sorceress has given us strict instructions for these…potions. The Blood Replenishing is not to be given unless one has lost an excess of blood, as it would be a waste to simply try it for the sake of trying it. Mayhaps even detrimental to give it to one who has not lost an excess of blood." Lyonel said, lips pursed and Rhaenyra could see the strain he carried in his shoulders despite his otherwise calm exterior.
He was so much like his son…or rather, Harwin was so much like his father that she had no difficulty reading him.This magic was not something he liked. As useful as it was, it was still an unknown and something that was difficult to wrap one's head around.
"Yes, yes, that is all true -- let us hope I do not have need of that one! I have tried the Headache one, and it was splendid. I had been developing a bit of a headache this morning when I took it and it vanished immediately! Gone the moment the drink touched my lips, although the taste was not pleasant." He chucked. "No, not pleasant at all."
"Of what did it taste, husband?" Alicent asked.
"Earthy, muddy, very bitter. The Sorceress has also said that many potions do not have pleasant tastes, although I cannot find it in myself to complain when they work…well, like magic!" He beamed. "I have already spoken to her about getting more of these potions so that I might stock the castle with them. She needed ingredients, so I am having them gathered and sent for Driftmark for her as we speak."
Rhaenyra wanted to see this list of ingredients, wanted to know what went in these potions that this Sorceress were made of.
"We will need to discuss with her how we will divvy up time that we all might learn this dragonspeech and magic." Rhaenryra said.
"Yes, yes, that is very important indeed. Aemond, of course, will be starting as soon as they arrive back and I imagine we can set dates so that all of the children can gather together to learn." Father said, and looked between Alicent and Rhaenyra. "It will be better for them to learn together, as they are similar in age and can study together and I will not hear differently. I will do my best to carve out time between my duties, but I am afraid that it will not be as much as I like."
Alicent and Rhaenyra eyed each other. It was bad enough that Father wanted them to spend more time as a family, but to have to learn this magic together as well was something Rhaenrya did not look forward to. No, she wanted her children to have privacy.
"Father, mayhaps it best if we have separated instruction -- " Rhaenyra started, but Father's look was sharp and stern.
"No, daughter. There is only one Sorceress and many of us. She will have neither time to learn herself nor to make potions for the Crown if she is running around like a frazzled maid trying to give individual instruction to our three Houses. Any child, or adult, who wishes to learn will learn together or not at all. This is final."
Rhaenyra frowned at her Father and had to resist the urge to scowl at Alicent when she seemed too pleased at this declaration. Instead, she pursed her lips and nodded stiffly.
"Alright. Let us speak of times, then."
Laenor's hand was heavy on her shoulder as they returned to their apartments. "Mayhaps this is best, Rhaenyra. We do not need to divide our Houses any further than they already are or we risk splintering."
It was not what she wanted to hear, not now, not from her husband.
"This gives my brothers and Alicent the chance to sabotage us, Laenor. This is not a good thing at all!" Rhaenyra declared, although she tried to keep her voice down as Joffery had just been put down for his nap.
Would Alicent truly sabotage her? Rhaenyra did not know. She did not want to believe so. They did not get along as they had when they were younger, when all Rhaenyra wanted was to eat cake and fly drgaonback with her friend….but that was a lifetime ago.
Would Alicent, truly, try to sabotage her and her children, though?
Rhaenyra was inclined to say no, if only because underhanded trickery was not something that Alicent seemed capable of. She was an honest woman, a faithful women, a woman who would not stoop so low.
(Oh, but Alicent married her father and did not see fit to tell her, though, Rhaenyra's mind whispered. Oh, but Otto Hightower was capable of such trickery).
Still, the fires of her anger demanded that she declare this, even if her heart waged a war with itself over the validity of the claim.
But Laenor shook his head, stubbornly, and took her by the shoulders that he could look her in the eyes. "Rhaenyra. Wife. You know that I will support you and the boys -- our boys - and our claim to the Throne until my very dying breath, but that does not change the threat that we face. You and Alicent have your quarrel, and I will not diminish it, but if we can get the children to get along they will be far less likely to challenge you. We can use this, if only you let yourself see that."
Rhaenyra scoffed. "What matters if they challenge me? I am the Heir."
"You are a women, and there are whispers about our children being bastards. It will matter, Rhaenyra." Laenor stressed, frowning and serious. He squeezed her shoulders. "It will matter."
Rhaenyra knocked aside his hands and moved to stand by the window. There was a chill in the air that held a whisper of Winter in it, although Rhaenyra hoped that it was but a lie.
Her husband spoke true, but she did not want to listen. She did not want to send her children to mingle and get along with her half-siblings.
With the children of Alicent.
With the woman Rhaenyra still longed to call friend, still longed to speak to, still longed to reach across to so that they could mend this farce of a feud.
The woman who still made digs at her children's legitimacy, who had married her father without even speaking to her, warning her, whose son was set to steal her throne if Otto Hightower had anything to do with it.
But what Laenor had spoken was true, and she could not deny it. They already heard the whispers that declared her children bastards and denied their legitimacy, despite their eggs hatching and their dragons bonding with them. Magic would further their claim, but it would also further the claim of her half-siblings if they managed to wield it as well.
And Rhaenrya could not see a world in which any children of her Father did not wield magic, no matter how much she did not like admitting that Alicent's children were also her Father's.
"You are right." Rhaenyra admitted, grudgingly. She turned to face her husband. "I still do not like it."
Laenor chuckled and moved forward to pant a kiss on her forehead. "One does not need to like a sword to wield it, Rhaenyra. It only helps."
They lingered there for a moment before they parted, hands clasped. "We will return to Driftmark in a week hence, that we can begin these lessons. Shall I send word to have Ser Qarl moved from Dragonstone?"
Laenor grinned and bumped his forehead against hers. "Who am I to argue with my Princess?"
-
Aemond #2
-
She was truly a magnificent beast, this Artemis. She was almost as large as the dragon Meleys, with silver scales that shone like moonlight or polished silver. She stood on four legs, not two — something Aemond had never thought possible, had never dreamed of.
While different dragons might have different looks -- Sunfyre, Aegon's dragon was a brilliant gold that rivaled the sun while Meleys herself was a red so vivid her scales were the color of freshly spilled blood. Some of them were so different in size it was alarming, Vhager was so large that she could most likely consume the dragon Seasmoke in two or three bites.
Yet, they all had similar bodies. Two legs, two wings that they sometimes used as legs to walk, and a long tail. Sure, their heads might be different -- but two humans could have very different faces and still be human.
Even the Cannibal, the dragon that Aemond had heard whispers about -- that he could be a different breed than the rest, he was so hostile and ate his own kind -- had only two legs.
Yet this one had four. It was baffling, and it fascinated Aemond so.
Lady Hariel stepped forward and spoke in a hissing, whispery language that Aemond strained to hear, to understand. It was in his blood, was it not? He found that he could not understand, but that when he paid attention the whispery hissing language started to become clearer — that he could distinguish the subtle differences between one hiss and the next. The one sounded a little higher pitch, the next had a deeper pitch and seemed to dip in the middle.
The dragon, Artemis, answered back and Lady Hariel smiled and reached out to touch the muzzle of the dragon.
"What is she saying?" Aemond asked eagerly, and stepped forward.
He was not told to stay away like he normally was. Even Helaena did not allow him near her newly claimed dragon, Dreamfyre, as the beast was too temperamental to be around. One moment placid, the next agitated and angry. Instead Lady Hariel moved a little so that he could be closer to her dragon's face. Artemis peered at him with blood-red eyes and Aemond found himself staring back for a moment before he quickly looked away, least she think he was challenging her.
"She is asking if my journey was alright, and saying that she is glad that I have returned. She also is asking who you are. This is a good chance to choose your own dragon name, if you want."
"My own dragon name?" Aemond repeated, and furrowed his eyebrows. What did that mean?
"Yes, the dragons all have their own names for their riders and themselves. Meleys, for example, calls herself Quickwind and calls her rider Lighttouch, because when she rides Quickwind her touch is always so gentle, so light. Lord Corlys' name is Salt One as he smells of the sea. Artemis calls me Skybringer, and her own Mother named her Favored Daughter, as she was the only one to survive hatching."
"Why does she call you Skybringer?" Aemond asked.
That was so fascinating -- that the dragons had their own names! And he never would have known, would have never been able to find that out in any of his books.
Hariel's smile was a little sad. "When I met Artemis she was locked up, deep underground and had never seen the sky. I freed her, and that is why she calls me Skybringer."
Aemond frowned. "That is not right. Dragons are not meant to be kept away from the sky."
They kept the dragons of the Dragonpit chained so that they would not fly out and eat the smallfolk, or their livestock -- but they did not keep them there all the time, and they did not prevent them from seeing the sky. But Artemis had never seen the sky? That was too much. Aemond hoped that the people who did that were dead, because they did not deserve to live after keeping a dragon locked away.
"You are right." Lady Hariel said, and Aemond beamed.
"My name, then…" Aemond trailed off.
There was Lighttouch, Salt One, and Skybringer. Princess Rhaenys and Lady Hariel had both been given their names because of something they did, or how they acted, and Aemond rather liked the idea of getting his name the same way.
"Can I wait for it? So that they can give me one? I want to get one like you and Princess Rhaenys did." And not like Lord Corlys, who was named after how he smelled.
"That's fine. I will tell her that you are related to Princess Rhaenys. There is no word for cousin in dragonspeech as the only words for family they know are mother, grandmother, sire, grandsire, daughter or son, and sister or brother so I will have to tell her that you are brother to Princess Rhaenys." Lady Hariel said, and then turned to the dragon and spoke in dragonspeech again.
No word for cousin -- that was fascinating. Already Aemond was learning about the dragons in ways he[d never dreamed of.
"The hatchlings are sleeping right now, but we can meet them a little later in the day. It is important for them to get sleep so that they can grow big." Lady Hariel told him as soon as she was done speaking with her dragon.
Aemond wanted to argue for a moment, but instead nodded. It was important for them to get big -- that was also something else he'd learned about them. Mayhaps Vhager was so big because all she did was sleep? Or was it only when they were newly hatched that it mattered how much sleep they got?
Besides, Lady Hariel had told them that they could start learning today. She would lend him some books that he could read, although he might have some difficulty with the language as High Valryian and this Latin she spoke were only similar, not the same.
Aemond did not care if it was the most difficult language in the world. He would learn a thousand languages if it meant that he could learn to turn one thing into another, or to create a potion that replenished one's blood. Unlike Aegon, who had to be forced to read even a single page, Aemond would enjoy it, too, as a Prince should enjoy bettering oneself with education.
"Hmm….Potions for Beginners will be best, I think, although I think we may need a way to create some copies later when the others join us." Lady Hariel said, although she seemed to speak more to herself than him as they walked back to the dorms. "I would make a copy myself, but those blasted booksellers have spelled them so that we cannot do it with magic."
Aemond wrinkled his nose. On one hand, he liked the idea of having the only copy. On the other, he would be forced to share with the others at some point. "We can have a scribe copy them."
"Oh, brilliant idea! I'll have to see how soon we can have that happen." Hariel said, and Aemond could feel himself straighten out more in pleasure. Of course it had been a brilliant idea, but it was nice to be recognized.
"I'll send word to Father so that he can send the best scribes today." He promised her, already thinking of how to word his letter.
He scrawled out his letter quickly. They would send it by raven and thus he needed to be to the point, to convey the importance of his request with little words. He could send it by ship, true, but raven would be faster and he wanted the scribes here by the end of the day.
He thought he managed to accomplish it, and watched as the raven disappeared into the horizon before he turned back to the book in his lap.
Lady Hariel had given him the book Potions for Beginners as she took her Common lesson, although Aemond did not know why she needed to learn Common at all. She had waited to see if he could understand the book first, and Aemond had been proud when he'd been able to do so reasonably well. The words were oddly uniform, were oddly neat and clean and just weird, but so far they were legible. He found as he delved into the book more that sometimes words threw him him, and that he needed to ask the Sorceress for clarification, but overall he found that he understood what the book was telling him.
Potions. Potions! They were fascinating. Some were so easy all one needed to do was put all the ingredients in a pot and let them boil. Some were so complicated you had to stir it an exact number of times, to put ingredients in at the exact same time, and that how long it boiled for mattered. Some had to be stirred for days! But they could do so much. They could bring one back from the brink of death, although they could not stave off death forever. They could make one person look like another, they could make one lucky or they could make one sleep forever.
The variety, the power, the magic of it all made Aemond never want to give the book up, not even to the scribes.
Potions would become Aemond's new favorite subject, he knew. Way better than History, although sword fighting was still a strong contender.
Aemond looked down at the book, at the glossy page that depicted a moving painting -- a moving painting! -- of a woman turning from a dark haired maiden to an old man with a thick, white beard in quick succession.
No, mayhaps sword fighting was not a strong contender at all.
Notes:
Once again thanks to everyone who is reading, who has left a comment, who has made a bookmark, or who has left a kudos! :)
Actions
↑ Top ← Previous Chapter Next Chapter → Edit Bookmark Comments (126)
Kudos
AesiraAkira, frijac, Senku_Keisuke, Zenomew, sometimesisleep, satorusins, Carpet_29, Iris_Hope_Flower, Shadow_Monarch_14, LinkedIsland, McReaperking, Verscilith, Shinxielan, FreeSpirit_14, katara_wolfe2005, sakuraeffy, Nephelium_lappaceum_var, MangaKarma, CharlieJackie, Dalia_Delilah_Dolma, L1v1cs, Number1Big_Back, HoshiNoHikari12345678910, TemperanceRoseBlue, Pratudo, lucifer_devil5, Visility, Nlazar292, WalrusFromSpace, Yuuyaa18, Plantghost11, TwistAndKnots, CrossTurtles96, AIicePendragon, Katherine760, NoodleNut13, Expen5iveGurl, Here4theTea_hehe, Cignus17, Bat_Eater, itsmomou, Fernweh05, Shredsofglass, rosiecarter, JadenWinters, Kyuubi123456, BlackBerryPrince2, Chamsel, inkdrinker1616, Gadreel115, and 4325 more users as well as 1793 guests left kudos on this work!
Comments
Post Comment
This work's creator has chosen to moderate comments on the work. Your comment will not appear until it has been approved by the creator.
Comment as TheBrimmedHat
Plain text with limited HTML ?
Comment
10000 characters left
Footer
Customize
Default
Low Vision Default
Reversi
Snow Blue
About the Archive
Site Map
Diversity Statement
Terms of Service
Content Policy
Privacy Policy
DMCA & TIDA Policies
Site Status
Contact Us
Policy Questions & Abuse Reports
Technical Support & Feedback
Development
otwarchive v1.2.0.0
Known Issues
GPL-2.0-or-later by the OTW