( FOURTEEN FIRES )
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chapter 1: love lost.

"THE Wroth of Winter," Vaella Paethorys could remember her brother Maegon saying years ago, when they'd spent time in the top of the tower of their keep. Always expressing sweet nothings and talking of their dreams. Maegon had always taken much pride in their house and it's words and was always the first to prove their power and worth. It would be such ambition that would bring him to his demise.

"Do you remember what that means?"

The longer she dwelled on the bitter sweet memory, the more painful it was to recall.

"I suppose I do," she had replied playfully as she looked up at the glowing glass that made up the roof of the tower. Beautifully crafted craftsmanship that mirrored much of the capitals architecture.

They were young then, merely in their early teens yet the love that their father had intended for them to have had long begun to blossom into something deep and true. Even now, she wished dearly to return to that day when everything was just as it should be, to the time that Maegon was alive and well.

"It means our house stands unchallenged. For who would challenge us, the Paethorys? We are the dragons of winter, touched by the Shivering Sea in the north."

She could still remember the way he had smiled at her that day so many moons ago, his lilac eyes seemingly looking into her soul the way lovers do. She used to marvel at the thought of him, at how regal and valiant he was to her and how their love would be perfect once they were wed. They were supposed live alongside each other, appreciate life together, fly together.

From the young ages of two-and-ten, when their dragons had finally reached appropriate ages to carry riders, Maegon and Vaella could be found in the skies together more often than not. Maegon had been such a talented rider, always sure in his actions.

Until the fateful accident.

Maegon, with his deadly ambition and strive to honor their house, didn't turn down the opportunity to defend their family from the liberal tongues of lesser lords that slandered their names in envy. A dangerous bet in a race on dragonback and the deceit of spiteful lesser lords would take his life in an aerial battle between dragons.

Yet, as Vaella now watched his still figure be engulfed in brilliant blue dragon fire, the memories of her brother still swirled in her mind as if she weren't standing vigil at his funeral.

She could no longer feel joy at the thought of him and their love for one another as she used to. Instead, her sad gaze focused on the stream of roaring flames escaping the jaws of her father's colossal blue dragon, Gidrad, who stood near the pyre. The beast unleashed its fiery plumes that roared and seared the pyre that had been constructed for Maegon.

The embalmers that prepared him were instructed to make his body appear sleeping and peaceful, but Vaella could only imagine the mangled corpse that had plummeted from the heights of the sky and met the earth in the most unholy of ways.

The young woman's eyes followed the stream of blazing flames to the beasts massive head, where she looked with a saddened expression as the intense heat flared against her pale skin. She thought of Maegon's copper dragon, Kevlir, and how the beast would be riderless now. She knew that while they bid him farewell, Kevlir was most likely somewhere off in the clouds mourning his rider.

Gidrad's plumes of flames finally extinguished as his jaws closed, giant head turning toward his rider as if to receive instruction.

Reluctantly, Vaella looked back to the pyre where the azure fire danced wildly, like a spirit. Maegon's form had all but incinerated in the searing flames, into nothingness. Vaella felt a twinge of heartbreak the longer she looked. She wanted to wail, weep, let out the anguish of losing her lover. The reality of it all reminded her that nothing could be helped, and what was done was done. A charred scent wafted toward her, where she forced the sleeve of her dress to cover her lips and nose. 

At her side, her mother softly weeped. It was a gentle sound, just the beginning of endless nights of weeping and wailing over her lost son. Vaella's father was making his way from Gidrad's side to comfort her mother as the pyre continually burned. Aelyx and Maelys, the surviving siblings of Vaella, held onto each other for comfort as they watched the flames, Maelys clutching her slightly swelling belly.

Gidrad's massive head turned toward his master, sapphire eyes focused as a deep and grieving purr emitted in the beasts throat.

"We will remember the life of Maegon," Lord Vaeron spoke allowed for the sad expressions in attendance, which mostly consisted of lesser houses in service to the Paethorys, friends, and extended family. He held onto Daevera as she still wept and his voice reverberated throughout the dismal courtyard as he spoke. "For his honor and strength. He was a brilliant man and brought honor to our house countless times, as he would have done many more," her fathers paused as if he were fighting off a raging anger. "Those who have taken him away from us will see our wroth to avenge Maegon. Forever, he will remain in our hearts."

Vaella felt a wave of unstoppable emotion begin to overtake her, a ruthless pain in her heart. She turned away from the gathered attendees to run out of the spacious courtyard. At first her walk was urgent as she wept, lilac eyes clouded with grief and seeping tears. She ran through the mammoth Keep, wanting to be only one place at that moment. She ran and ran, until she had climbed to the highest tower of the substantial structure, the tower that she and Maegon loved.

Once finally reaching the top of the tower, Vaella halted as she was finally faced with the vast view of the city of Valyria. She stopped in the great archway that was open to the outside where she then sank to her knees. As she sat, the busyness of the city strangely began to calm her as she watched countless dragons and riders commuting throughout the distance. She felt as if she might have receded from society for the smallest of moments to receive some sort of peace.

The familiar presence of Vaella's dragon was the most soothing thing she could have in that moment. Opalia, her gentle pearlescent mount, seemingly swooped up from nowhere, her wings flapping until she perched on the extended ledge of the tower intended for dragons to roost with a slight rumble to the structure. A beautiful beast bred for her beauty, Opalia was a prime example of the Valyrian craft of selective dragon breeding.

The dragon looked down at the grieving woman with crimson eyes, her massive head tilting intuitively as Vaella made her way over. She gazed up at her mount with defeat.

"He's gone," Vaella spoke to her as if the dragon could actually reply with words.  "He's truly gone. Forever."

Opalia rumbled softly, lowering her large head for Vaella to caress. She ran her hand along the pearly scale-like skin of the the dragons muzzle, gazing into her crimson eye until Vaella fully grasped her dragon's large muzzle with her arms as a form of an embrace.

"M'lady?"

Vaella turned toward the source of her voice, Opalia's head shifting as well, where she found her maid servant, Marlaena of Lys. The sweet, comely girl of six-and-ten stood tentatively in the archway. She gazed empathetically at Vaella with her foreign brown eyes as she made her way over to her lady.

"Marlaena," Vaella stated as she rubbed away the wetness from her cheeks.

"Is there anything I can do to soothe your pain?" The slave girl asked genuinely. Her eyes lingered on the dragon, reasonably cautious of the beasts presence. "Perhaps a hot bath with wine? I could read you poems."

As much as Vaella loved the combination of the three, she couldn't put herself to find peace yet. She couldn't forget Maegon as if his name were but a whisper on the wind, carried away into forever. As if the funeral marked the end of his licing existence to forgotten. She wanted to do something to say farewell.

"No, it's fine, Marlaena," Vaella replied as she crossed her arms. She glanced back toward Opalia, who was waiting patiently behind her, the dragon body seemingly protecting her. "Not at the moment. Perhaps later."

Marlaena frowned. "I know your pain, m'lady," she told her. "The ache is unbearable. It will numb eventually, over time."

Vaella hated thinking of a time where she could go a day without thinking of Maegon, of the opportunities lost, the experiences and future they had lied out for them. It was all gone, swept away like dust in the wind. The thoughts brought another wave of emotions, tears beginning to burn in her eyes again as she tried suppressing a sob.

"Maegon should have lived a long life. Instead, we watched him burn on a pyre," the young woman uttered in anguish. "My dreams are in ruins now, Marlaena. He is gone, and so is my life."

"No, m'lady, there is much for you to see," Marlaena reassured softly, stepping forward to embrace the silver haired woman. The two were close, unlike most slaves and masters. "There is a life for you to live, skies for you to soar and children for you to bare. There is much to live for my lady, do not give up."

Vaella looked to the servant girl with her grief clouded eyes. She wished the pain could be sapped away from her.

"Go," Marlaena pressed. She looked to Opalia, causing Vaella to look back to her mount as well. "You both used to love flying together. Perhaps you should now, in honor of him. He wouldn't want you saddened and never fly, would he?"

She knew Marlaena was right, that Maegon wouldn't want her to mourn him forever. Though he had just burned, dragonback felt the only place to mourn him in that moment. She hoped perhaps wherever he was, he was looking down on her with the same love and understanding he had when he had been alive.

"I suppose he wouldn't," the silver haired woman agreed, she and Marlaena pulling apart so that Vaella could go to her dragon. Opalia intuitively hummed before sinking a leathery wing down, allowing Vaella to climb to her saddle on the back of the beast. Once seated in the familiar spot, she felt the first signs of relief begin to fill her chest. She wasn't in the proper attire to being flying, but she didn't care.

"I'll ride to honor him," Vaella stated determinedly as Opalia begin to turn and prepare for flight. "To say farewell."

Marlaena nodded in encouragement from where she stood below the opalescent dragon.

With one bolstering swoop, Opalia launched into the air. Vaella clutched the saddle horns as wind blast passed her face, her body swaying with the movements of the dragons body. She felt her heart racing and her eyes watering from the sheer force of the wind. Opalia climbed and climbed into the sky, until finally they were high enough to see the chain of volcanoes that surrounded the capital. The fourteen fires smoked and boiled as usual, emitting a beautiful orange glow from their deep depths that illuminated the sheen of smoke that seemed to always hover. 

As she rode, Vaella knew it would take time to accept Maegon's death. Moons, years even. The thought still sickened her even though she was on dragon back, her escape. She fought away the tears once again to focus on the scene before her, a beautiful one despite having seen it a thousand times at least. Gazing down at the land below, she reminisced on all of the wonderful adventures she and Maegon had had throughout their years together. Upon dragons, horseback, or even foot, she would never forget him and the dream he had set off in her heart. The memories were long passed, but never forgotten.