This chapter has been edited due to content. I have made small edits throughout the chapter. If you want to see the unedited version GO HERE.
“House Kaari.” Jorah said.
His voice had seemed to say every letter individually. As if
each letter had its own significance. It was an odd thing for him, but today
was an odd day. After two hundred years of ruling Westeros, we had both agreed
to give the reins to someone else.
“If our children don’t disappoint us, our House will
continue to rule the Seven Kingdoms.” I said as I finished up packing.
It was hard to pack for a place you had no idea where it
was. I was in our room at the Red Keep. A
room that would be passed down onto one of our children. I had decided to honor
the customs of my House and have a set of trials for my offspring. Tomorrow the
new ruler of House Kaari would be announced. Jorah wanted to leave before a new
king or queen was declared as he knew we might very well be dragged into
staying.
“I am sure they will make us proud.” Jorah reassured me.
“They won’t make the people mad enough to overthrow our children by conquest or
by the special elections.”
After the war there had finally been time to restructure.
One House would always rule the Iron Throne while each part of Westeros would
send a representative to King’s Landing like I had planned before reaching the
Vale. It was a start for democracy in the Seven Kingdoms and had already
started to break the wheel. A wheel that Daenerys had wanted destroyed before
she had gone mad.
Jorah walked over and put a hand on my shoulder and I
squeezed it. I almost took his hand and put it on one of my ****. ******* right
now would be relaxing but I couldn’t relax that way. Not until we got to
wherever we were going. The roaring of dragons both made us turn and look
outside. For two hundred years dragons had started to become a part of the
world yet again. A yell of a wyvern soon followed and I smiled at the sound of
the creatures playing.
“Jeor will miss us.” Jorah said. “It’s good that we at least
got to say good-bye when we visited the Eyrie.”
“He’s a father now and wants to take care of his children.”
I replied with a sad smile. “At least until they grow to adulthood.”
“Do you really think your plan is safe?”
Safe? No, I didn’t think traveling realities was safe. But
it was the only way to make sure that our people didn’t turn to us ever again.
The world had to move on and as long as they knew we could be contacted, there
was always the possibility they would turn to us. I had thought about going to
Sothoryos but ever since the alliance with the Nieth I couldn’t escape there.
They thought of me as a deity and so there was the chance they would ask me for
advice. Possibly on orders from the Iron Throne.
“It’s the best thing we’ve come up with.” I replied.
“We could stay here if you wanted, my love.” Jorah told me.
“You gave up one reality just to be here. You shouldn’t have to give your home
up. We can live in the Eyrie for the rest of our days. In the winter we could
travel north to spend time with the Ice dragons. We don’t need to do this.”
After I had left the Nightmare for the final time I thought
that I could stay here. That realization had brought me such happiness. I had
held a celebration for it under the guise of it being for the people. I had
told the majority of people that the celebration had been for all the hard work
the people of Westeros had done. Those who had dragons had put on a show. The
biggest showoff had been Lei. The saddest thing about living so long was seeing
others die of old age. It had been a sad funeral that day when Lei had died. I
had first thought that I would only live as long as my dragon but then
Alexander had brought up a point I hadn’t thought of: now that I was truly
Lightbringer I would never die. I was as much a sword as a human. Jorah,
sharing my life, would also get the same lifespan.
“We do.” I told him. “Us being here will make it easy for
people to turn to us. And you know me, I won’t be able to turn away from a
cause. We have to leave now before another conflict starts and I feel compelled
to stay.”
“You do have a tendency to help those in need.” Jorah said
with a slight smile. “If we run into a war in another reality I’m sure you won’t
be able to help yourself.”
“Not every reality is at war. There has to be instances of
peace.”
I put a hand on Alexander. It had taken a lot of thought to
decide what to do about my sword. Alexander was made to help my House rule. It
gave its wielder the ability to see past memories as well as being a good
weapon to fight with. Try as I might I couldn’t give it up. So I had crafted a
Valyrian blade similar to Alexander and put a copy of its memories in the new
weapon. The most painful part was putting my own memories in as…the process is
difficult to explain. But it is more than painful in a way that is beyond
words. I have been tortured but making the new sword was a new level of pain I
didn’t know existed.
“You’re still going to take Longclaw?” I asked and Jorah
nodded.
“House Kaari doesn’t need another Valyrian steel blade.”
Jorah replied. “One is enough for our children to fight after.”
“The people of Westeros have grown used to our children.”
Jorah and I chuckled. The first few Kaari that had hatched
were very sought out after they hit puberty. They had the beauty that House
Targaryen was known for. The Nieth even fell in love with them. One or two of
our children were now living in Storm’s End with their Nieth husbands and
wives. But the children I got from Jon were not our only children. Most of my
children came from Jorah. A good majority of the children I had from him had
powers. They also had no problem finding mates.
Too soon Jorah and I took our bags and started to make our
way out of the Red Keep. We would walk to the Dragonpit and then leave Westeros
for good. After we left our room there were guards and Rasiki lining the
hallways. They all bowed their heads as their queen and king passed by. All of
their faces were strange to me. Ser Barristan Selmy was no longer Lord
Commander of my Queensguard. No longer was Ser Davos Seaworth my Hand. I wanted
my father, Benjen Stark, to see me off but that wasn’t to be. He hadn’t even
been able to celebrate the end of the war as he died when the Night’s King did.
No one I had known during the war was here to see me off. Lei wasn’t here to
greet me with her wit that had become greater once the war was over.
Even though we didn’t have to, I walked through the throne
room. I touched the Iron Throne one last time. I looked at Jorah and saw a sad
smile form there. The first time I had been in this room I was a prisoner.
Another time I had drank moon tea as a means to torture myself for Cersei’s
amusement. Another time Jorah had been revealed to be Azor Ahai. Another memory
was me making love to my husband on it. Jorah and I could **** once we arrived in the other reality.
For now I would remain queenly.
After a nod to Jorah I finally made my way out of the Red
Keep. All of our children were currently recovering from the trials and so
couldn’t be here today. I had said my good-byes to them before their trials. We
had gotten rid of as many tears as we could then. I was leaving more of my
children and that cut into my very being. How I wished I could not feel such
honor as I did. Maybe in the reality I ended up in I could have more children.
Children I didn’t have to leave.
“Queen Rin Kaari and King Jorah Mormont, we are sad to see
you go.” A Rasiki said as two bucks were brought out. “I am glad to live in a
time when I can see two of the people who helped bring down the reign of House
Targaryen. That House is now left for only the odd person to discover. I am
aware that you may worry what will happen after you leave, but I assure you
that the Rasiki will always be loyal to House Kaari. We will protect all you
have done to Westeros.”
Jorah and I bowed to the Rasiki. Both of us held our
tongues. Daenerys Targaryen had been put down in history as a monster. To not
upset the peace, I hadn’t cried out about it so only a few knew the truth. Some
maesters and some that studied on Dragonstone knew the truth but didn’t care
about clearing her name. As long as a few knew the truth I was happy. Jorah,
though, had to be consoled whenever Daenerys was mentioned as a mere monster. I
imagined I would have to be doing that later.
I hopped onto my buck and Jorah did the same for his. I
loathed horses and had decided not to ride one today. It had taken some time to
find bucks of decent size. I ran a hand through its fur and found it to be
groomed. It was so much better when a buck was dirty and smelled of wilderness.
It helped me feel a sense of how powerful the creature was. Having the animal
groomed made the moment less powerful moment than it should have been. Yet that
was the way with humans. They had to have everything clean to be considered
worthy of royalty. It was something I wouldn’t mind leaving behind in this
reality.
I lead the way with Jorah beside me. The men gathered around
followed. Not everyone joined in this ceremony and I didn’t mind. Others had
things to do and troubles I couldn’t begin to imagine. Troubles I would no
longer be able to help with. I looked up and a wyvern flew down low as if it
were saying good-bye. After the wyvern flew back up I could see dragons
gathering. Their cries sounded like an odd version of a song as it they were
singing me good-bye. I turned to Jorah and saw him look in amazement. I
recognized one voice.
Viserion was leading the pack, his skin as white as new
fallen snow. He hadn’t yet accepted a new rider and none from House Lannister
had been able to mount him. A few had tried and then had died. He was the only
immediate family that remained in Westeros. He was the only one with the
lifespan that was comparable to mine. I changed my vocal chords so that I could
imitate the dragons flying high above. Their colors ranged from Viserion’s
white to green to red to blue. They were colorful except for Chris who was the
only one of Viserys’ dragons to come here today. Chris was had been the one to cut
me off from the Nightmare forever. It was fitting that the dragon bearing his
name would be here today.
“Easy.” Jorah said softly as our bucks were frightened.
“They will be glad once they can run away from the
creatures.” I said. “Best for all of us if we get this over quickly.”
Like going away would stop the pain. I had thought my steps
away from my pack’s territory had been difficult but I was proven wrong today.
Going away from all I’d ever known was a much higher level of pain. I might
return to another Westeros reality in the future, but it wouldn’t be the same.
It would never be the same. Things would be different and people might not
exist. What if I returned to a Westeros without Lei or Arya? What if I returned
to one where Daenerys had gone mad with no one to stop her cruel reign? What if
I had to kill her yet again?
I turned to Jorah and he tried to smile. The rest of the
walk was in silence as more and more people joined in. More and more people
decided to walk with the Queen and King one last time. One last time to show
their appreciation and support for the two hundred years of peace that might be
at an end. When the Dragonpit was in sight a bard started to sing and others
joined in. I didn’t listen to the words in fear that they would make me break
down.
After years the Dragonpit was now completely open and so I
would have an easy time flying away. A few of the walls had crumbled away into
nothing which gave me just enough room to fly away. I got off my mount as did
Jorah. I handed him our bags and then turned to the large crowd. I resisted
squeezing my love’s hand for comfort.
“It has been an honor serving as your queen these two
hundred years.” I said loudly so everyone could hear. “It has been an honor
helping Westeros rebuild after the War for the Dawn. It has been an honor to
let Westeros become more than it was before. It is with great sadness that I
leave you. I had fought so long ago to have a place here and it hurts to give
it all up. It hurts more than I can tell any of you.”
I took my sword out and held it high so that it caught the
sun’s light. All at once the crowd around me bowed low. Old men and young women
bowed as if I were some kind of deity. Throughout my time as queen I had tried
to make them see me as human, but that had never worked. People wanted to
worship a goddess and not a human. The next ruler would have a lot to live up
to. The next ruler would be one of my children and so I trusted them.
“I do not leave you without hope.” I told them. “I leave you
with a ruler of my own blood. I leave you with the strength to carry on. My
passing will not be the end to Westeros but a new beginning. Life is but a
circle with no end. You survived the dead and you will survive anything else
that the gods send your way.”
I sheathed Alexander and positioned myself for my
transformation. For the first time I focused on every little part of my
transformation. I focused on the way I stretched and my arms turned into wings.
I focused on how the raw power of my dragon started to course through the very
core of my being. I focused on my neck stretching out and the fangs that formed
in my mouth. I focused on how my skin turned into snow colored scales. I
focused on how all my senses improved.
Once the transformation was complete I just stood there. I
could barely turn my head with how large I had gotten. So I had to resist
watching Jorah as he climbed on me. A few brave people came up to touch me. The
words they said were prayers. They were trying to get power from me. One even
going so far as asking the gods that I return once Westeros had need of me
again. Even if I could speak now I wouldn’t ruin this farewell. I wouldn’t have
told them that I would never return here. No god or mortal could convince me to
come back here.
“I say farewell to you also.” Jorah said once he and our
bags were secure around my neck. “I am honored that I was able to be forgiven
by all. By the gods, by my house, and by you. The farthest I have ever been is
Essos and today I go even farther than that. I go with my wife, my queen, my
Lightbringer to places only the gods can reach. To places far away that I don’t
care to go to. But it is my duty and so I will.”
Carefully I took off. I did so slowly so that I could spend
more time in my home reality. I wanted more time before I would leave this
place forever. Much too soon I was in the sky and flapped my wings which took
me higher and higher. Alexander and I had gone over how I had traveled before
and came up with a way to navigate realities. Maybe our plan would work and
maybe it wouldn’t. In any case gaining altitude wasn’t needed, it was just a
way for me to increase my time here.
“You can do this, my love.” Jorah said and lightly kissed my
neck.
I turned my head and saw Viserion catching up to me. We flew
around King’s Landing and talked in a way that only we could understand. He
dove under me and brushed my belly with his head before flying beside me. He
cried out in a way that sounded both like a lover and a brother. A cry that was
romantic and platonic all at once. He was crying out for me not to go, I
realized. I gave a cry of my own and watched as the other dragons gathered
around me.
Viserion gave me a nod of his head as he finally accepted my
passing.
With one flap of my wings I left my home reality behind
forever.
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