A pair of violet eyes fluttered open in an extravagant bedroom, Helaena's mind taking a moment to push back the dreams to wake up.
Her head turned to the side, staring at the empty spot on the bed with a slight pout. She then sat up, stretching her arms with a low groan before shuddering at the rush of blood going through her body.
At that moment, a knock came from her door, Helaena clearing her throat as she moved her legs over the side of the bed.
"Come in," she spoke, smiling as the door opened and her handmaiden walked in with a smile.
"Princess."
"Alya," she greeted with a smile, walking over to her dresser with Alya following close. Sitting down in front of the mirror, she handed the brush to the older woman and sat patiently as Alya began to brush her hair.
"Your gaze is lingering, princess," Alya spoke with an amused smile, Helaena's eyes flicking from Torrhen's spot on the bed to give the woman a narrowed-eyed stare.
"No teasing me while I am missing my husband, Alya."
"Of course. Apologies, princess," they both knew that the apology was empty as Helaena looked forward, but she didn't deny the woman's words.
Ever since the two had met each other all those years ago, this was the longest she had been away from Torrhen's comforting presence and she missed it.
The calm yet cocky smirks, his authoritative yet comforting presence that made her loins tingle, the piercing gaze he gave everyone as if he knew what they were.
Gods, she missed him.
"Alya?"
"Yes, princess?"
"Do you think that Torrhen is a good match for me?"
"A bit too late to be having doubts, princess," Alya replied and Helaena rolled her eyes as the woman began to apply the finishing touches.
"That is not what I mean."
"Well, then what did you mean?"
"Do you think, like everyone else, that Torrhen is manipulating me?"
"Yes," Alya nodded, Helaena looking at her with a raised eyebrow. "I do not mean in the traditional sense, princess. What I meant is that he is manipulating you just like how you are manipulating him, like how any husband and wife would manipulate each other to get their way."
"What does that mean?"
"It means that you're in love. Blindly, I might add, but simply and justifiably in love. There is simply how things are for people of royalty, princess. You manipulate one into loving you while knowing that the other person is doing the same.
Then, once you both figure it out, you are so deeply in love with each other that the manipulations do not matter anymore. Just the relationship and the false love that becomes real."
"I...see," she murmured, smiling as Alya placed her hands on her shoulders and let her dragon-braided hair fall to her lower back.
"However, I will say that since Lord Torrhen has gotten here, he has become a lot more outgoing compared to the young man we all first saw when he arrived. If anything, I'd say that you've manipulated him into liking you more."
"Don't start. Just start my bath," she replied, smirking as Alya giggled and walked off. She threw her braid over one shoulder before shaking her hair, letting it fall back as she stared at the young woman in the mirror.
With a soft giggle, she stood up, making her way to her chamber pot before her eyes widened as the world spun. Thankfully, Alya was there to help her stand as she caught her, immediately pulling her hair back with Helaena heaved.
The young woman threw up, the food from last night coming up with a vengeance. For a few moments, heaving and gagging filled the bathroom before Helaena could finally stand.
Alya picked up a towel and dabbed her mouth clean, but the woman's eyes were focused on Helaena who stood silently.
"How late are you, princess?"
"...Almost two moon cycles," she muttered back, staring at Alya who had a soft smile on her face before hugging her.
"Well, at least you now have another something that you and Lord Torrhen can love about each other."
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"So, I've been using Aether wrong?!" I shouted over the wind, holding onto Vermithor's reins as he dove down. The dragon breathed out a torrent of bronze-gold flames that eviscerated another third of the pirate fleet we were facing.
Far in front of us, the royal fleet were continuing on their journey as Vermithor and I made quick work of our enemies, waving my wand with a smirk.
The Water Elemental I had summoned followed my movement with a gargling bellow, slamming its fluid body into the side of a ship that tried to fire a scorpion bolt at us.
"Yes, you are," Anne nodded, perched atop Vermithor's saddle. "See how you just moved now? You ordered the elemental to follow your command instead of commanding it to follow your movements."
"Let me guess: the Aether are the strings and my magic the puppets?!" I asked, leaning back as Vermithor turned with a flip and dove back down.
"Exactly. For instance, command the Water Elemental to follow your exact movements," she spoke and I nodded, narrowing my eyes as I let my own Aether flow along the strands of ones connecting the Water Elemental to my wand.
Instead of flicking my wand to make it move, I instead relaxed my body and commanded it to follow my hands, raising an eyebrow when the elemental spirit clenched its fists at the same time that I did.
Then, I raised my hands high before bringing them down, feeling excitement as the Water Elemental replicated the movement.
Of course, it was a lot more devastating than mine as it created large waves that washed over the ships, distracting them as Vermithor blew out another surge of scorching flames.
"See?"
"How, though?! I thought my wand was needed for the foci as Bran said in his journal?!" I asked, turning Vermithor's reins to join with the ships.
"Simple. Remember the ritual that was used to make you the Old Ones' chosen?" she asked and I nodded. "That exact one changed the composition of your body, turning your own flesh and blood into a foci."
"...So, what you're saying is that I don't need a wand?!"
"Did Coryanne and Dalton use wands?" she asked, a laughing caw escaping her when I frowned. "That was the difference between you and them. You tried to add rules and regulations that were not needed. They simply learned to listen to the Aether as it is."
"So, my logical mind has failed me yet again?! Isn't that a shocker?!" I grumbled, waving to Otto as we caught up to the main ship.
"Any survivors?!"
"One!! Although, considering that most of the men atop said ship was pushed into the ocean, I'd say a few!!" I shouted, to which the Lord Hand nodded with a smirk.
"Good work, then! We're approaching King's Landing!" he shouted and I nodded, taking Vermithor back up high as I saw the mountains in the distance.
Gods, it's almost been a month since I last saw Helaena or heard one of Aemond's lame jokes. Vermithor himself let out a longing rumble that made me smile, rubbing his scales with my boots as we soared through the air.
My mind soon wandered, wondering what she was up to as I leaned back in the saddle.
"Are you thinking of your beloved?" Anne asked, letting out a caw-giggle when I nodded.
"I am. This is probably the longest we've been away from each other since we met."
"At least you have quite the story to tell about Aliandra," she replied and I gave her a flat stare.
"There is no way I'm telling my wife that a member of the family that loathes her family used my dagger as a sex toy."
"Who knows? She might feel inclined as to ask Aliandra to share your bed," she said with a shrug of her wings and I just shook my head.
It was then that I noticed the two large dragons gliding through the air, glancing at Otto as he noticed them as well.
"Go!! We're still a fair bit away from our destination!"
"I'll meet you at her Grace's solar, Lord Hand!" I shouted, the man nodding in response. "Okay, Vermithor. Time to go say hello to our wives."
The dragon let out a deafening roar as he pulled up, Vhagar and Silverwing doing the same as their riders sat tall with matching smirks.
"Hello, my Lord Husband," Helaena greeted and I bowed my head with a chuckle.
"Good afternoon to you, my Lady Wife. Have you missed my soothing presence as much as I have missed yours?"
"But of course. I yearn for your warmth."
"If this is how your reunion is going to go, Vhagar and I will go in another direction!" Aemond shouted and I laughed as Helaena giggled.
"It's too late for that anyway, Aemond!! I can see two that would like nothing more than to ravage each other at this moment!!" I shouted back, gesturing towards Vermithor who looked far too occupied with growling at Silverwing to care for my words.
The silver dragon on the other hand heard my words, giving a huff as we began to drift towards the Dragonpit.
I was the first to touch down, Helaena touching down moments later as we climbed down.
"Erryk!! Arryk! How I've missed you two twins!" I exclaimed with a grin, walking forward and hugging the two. Erryk just patted my shoulder with a chuckle while Arryk returned the hug, tapping my shoulder as I pulled back.
He cleared his throat while pointing behind me and I turned only to give an apologetic smile at Helaena staring back with a raised eyebrow.
"I did not know you missed my sworn swords more than you missed me."
"Oh, but I have missed them in a friendly way, my love. You on the other hand..." I trailed off with a whisper, making my arms around her and snuggle my face into her neck.
She giggled as she hugged me back, a soft moan escaping her lips as I kissed the crook of her neck before pulling back.
"Okay, you're forgiven for now, but you'll have to make up for it later. Also, we have something to talk about."
"Now?" I asked, smirking when she shook her head. "Okay, after. Prince Aemond? You going to continue flying?"
"Of course, especially since your dragons will be busy elsewhere!" he shouted from where he was circling the Dragonspit and my eyes moved to where Vermithor and Silverwing were dancing around each other in the air.
Yeah, none of us are seeing either of them for the next week at least.
'Hey, same could be said for me,' I thought with a chuckle as I followed Helaena to the carriage, helping her up its steps before I climbed in after her.
The doors were closed behind us and we sat down, Helaena resting her head against my shoulder as I wrapped an arm around her waist.
However, I raised an eyebrow when she pulled my hand into her dress, letting me grab a handful of her perky chest. Her own hand drifted into my breeches and I let out a low hiss as I felt it wrap around my girth.
"My, my. Someone's excited to see me."
"Someone hasn't seen any action in a moon's cycle," I replied, chuckling as she looked at me with a doubtful stare. "I speak naught but the truth."
"No one else? You weren't even tempted by the Dornish women?"
"Oh, scores of them tried, but they're Dornish women. Nothing compared to the scorching beauty of a Targaryen princess I call my beloved," I replied and she giggled as she softly kissed my lips.
Her hand hadn't stopped moving as our tongues danced, the sweet taste of her lipstick lingering to my tastebuds. She pulled back with a gasp, but I didn't get time to complain as she bowed her head and wrapped her lips around the tip.
"Oh, by the gods," I groaned, my hands resting on the back of her head as she giggled. Then, she took it deep and my entire body felt hot as her tongue began to dance.
And I'm in love once again.
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"Mother, I have brought Torrhen as you asked," Helaena spoke, a smile on her face despite her smeared lipstick and the droplet of white liquid that peeked out from under the collar of her dress.
So, I may have gone more than one rounds, ending with a bit of a titjob. In my defence, I did try to end it on the first round, but you know what they say about Targaryens.
Their desires are equal to that of their dragons.
"Thank you, Helaena. May I speak to him alone?" If she saw it, Alicent didn't comment on it as her eyes were fixed on me. Helaena nodded as she gave me a quick peck on the cheek, the taste of her loins on my tongue still as she left the room.
"I see that my daughter could not wait until you two returned to your room, could she?" Alicent's words drew my attention back to her and I turned back to see the smile on her face.
"Apologies for our dishevelled forms, my Queen."
"No need to call me 'my Queen', Torrhen. You are my Good-son. Please, call me Queen Mother," she replied and I bowed my head, though I didn't exactly know the difference between the two.
"Of course, Queen Mother. Now, Helaena said that you wished to see me?"
"But of course. I wished to ask you on your resurrection capabilities," she said and I sat down in the chair she gestured to. "You see, something has been gnawing on me since Aegon's unfortunate passing."
'Yep, expected this,' I thought, already having figured that she would have asked me to do this ever since I revived those men for a brief moment.
Well, it's a good thing I had countermeasures prepared.
"If I can help in any capacity, you need only ask, Queen Mother," I replied, observing her eyes as she paused at that before nodding.
"Thank you, Torrhen. I wished to know three things. Is there a time limit of how old the body has to be before it is unusable for this, do you need the actual body to resurrect their spirit and can you truly revive someone?"
"There is no time limit, I only need a drop of either their blood or the blood of a relative to form a connection and no, I cannot fully revive them," I replied in quick succession, going into an explanation at her look on the last part. "Trying to fully resurrect or revive someone from the dead is not possible, not because of their body but because of their soul."
"Explain," she insisted and I looked around before taking a piece of parchment paper and her quill-and-in.
"May I use these?" I asked, continuing when she nodded. I then drew two different pictures, one being a rough stick figure sketch of Aegon and then another that had part of its ear and foot missing.
Then, I cleared my throat and began speaking, "Okay. Here is why resurrection is not allowed. A person that has died or has been dead for as long as Aegon has is bound to have some form of scarring from their time in the afterlife no matter where they ended up.
Trying to bring that scarred soul back into the human realm could have unforeseen consequences such as their mind unable to comprehend that they are alive or them tearing away part of their mind, body and soul to try and forgot what happened to them in the afterlife.
If they were in the eternal paradise that some expect the afterlife to be, he would do his very best to return to said paradise, which would include taking his own life. Something that I assume no mother would want to see."
For a moment, Alicent was quiet, her eyes focused on the drawing. Then, I was not surprised when she looked at me with a frown and nodded.
"Very well. Bring only his spirit back like you did with the men," she replied and I smiled, raising a hand to my side as I closed my eyes.
Well, time to test this out.
"Old Ones, allow the soul of the former dragon known as Aegon II Targaryen to return back to this life," my voice echoed on the walls of the room as the Aether condensed beside me.
However, my eyes widened while Alicent was stunned when an ethereal being formed next to me, Aegon opening his eyes and staring at his projected form with wide eyes.
"...What the hell?" he asked, my eyes fixed on the pair of dragon wings on his upper back.
'...Anne!! I need your help!!'
A/N: And we end it here~!! A bit of shorter one that will lead into a longer one next week!! A bit of a Helaena chapter, some exciting news for Torrhen, but unfortunately, he's got his own problems.
Next chapter: Oh, that's bad.
As always, read, enjoy, review and until the next one...
Ba-Bye~!!