Falley Hills hasn't changed much since Daemon was there the last time. The same trees, the same river, the same houses. It felt like time stopped in this small village that was only on half of Westeros' maps. It was the same as Daemon remembered. He didn't remember the trip there being almost four hours though but then again he usually traveled with Caraxes and not by horse. This time, however, he didn't want to draw any attention to his whereabouts. If everything went smoothly, he would be back at the Red Keep before midnight and everyone would be none the wiser where he had been.

Villagers spotted him almost as soon as he rode into the village. They didn't approach him, didn't even say anything, but Daemon knew they were looking. He knew they knew who he was. They probably even figured out who he was there to see. People from small villages never forget faces, not in ten years at least, and surely not the face of a person who used to bring his dragon with him all the time.

Daemon saw the house he was looking for after a few turns. The uncomfortable sense of dread settled somewhere inside his chest. He knew there was no danger there, but facing memories was terrifying. A part of him wanted to just flee this small village and never come back, but Daemon told it to shut up. He had a task to do, and it was important. Surely memories can't be scarier than a fight with the Crabfeeder.

'Daemon?' the voice called, and he stopped the horse. An old woman was standing near her fence with her eyes narrowed slightly as if she was trying to see his face more clearly. 'Is it really you, my dear, or am I becoming senile? At my age, it won't be even surprising.'

That made Daemon chuckle. 'Yes, it's really me, Azea,' he jumped off his horse and went to her. 'It is good to see you.'

'I don't see you quite clearly just yet, let me,' Azea went around the fence and took his face in her hands when she reached him. 'That's better. You've changed a lot since the last time I've seen you.'

'And you haven't changed a bit.'

Azea laughed, 'I know you are lying. I grew old, but that's just the way of life,' she patted him on the shoulder. 'What are you doing here?'

'I need to talk to Haisa. Is she still living...'

'Oh, yes,' the old woman answered. 'I know she planned to move but since Iris was gone... she didn't want to leave that house. Well, you understand.'

Daemon didn't. Theoretically, of course, he could guess the reasoning behind it, but... when Iris died, he fled and refused to come back because it was just so painful to see and walk the streets they once walked together. He couldn't imagine how Haisa could bear to stay in the same house for ten years. But people grieve differently, he supposed.

'Anyway, I'm not going to hold you longer. She is probably already waiting for you. News travels fast here.'

'Yes, I remember,' Daemon gave her a small smile. 'I'll stop by again before I leave.'

Haisa's house was two houses away from Azea's so it wasn't a long walk. And when Daemon approached it, the woman was already standing in the doorway. Her dark brown hair got longer since the last time Daemon saw her, and she gained a bunch of wrinkles. She must have been around forty if he remembered correctly. She was wearing a plain brown dress and cleaning her hands with a towel.

When Daemon stepped past the fence, their eyes met.

'Do something... Haisa, do something!'

'I'm so sorry... I can't- she- she is gone...'

The memories can indeed be scarier than the Crabfeeder.

'I thought I would never see you again,' Haisa said with a small smile on her lips. 'Come on in, I'll find us something to drink.'

Daemon nodded but it was easier said than done. Because she wasn't there anymore.

He screamed. He cried. He begged the Gods not to take her away.

He felt like the walls were crumbling around him, and he oh so wished they actually did. Because he did everything he could. He spent a small fortune, he asked Mellos for a favor, he got a medicine that was supposed to help her... and he couldn't save her anyway.

The house inside didn't change much. And yet it was completely different somehow. There were no children's toys lying around anymore. Diane grew up, and Haisa's kids did too.

'I know I said I will visit-' Daemon started, but Haisa shook her head gently.

'It's okay, Daemon. I knew you were lying.'

That made him feel a little better. He wasn't the one to usually feel guilty about things but that was still a relief.

'Have Gale tried to get in contact or...'

'No. I suppose if you threaten a man to feed him to a dragon, it scares him away for good,' Haisa poured two cups of something and offered one to Daemon. He took it. 'Brandy,' she said. 'I thought you might want something stronger than wine.'

'Thanks,' he answered, taking a sip. The whole situation seemed awkward, and Daemon didn't know who was precisely at fault: him, Haisa, or both of them. Iris was the reason they met, she was one of the few things they actually had in common, and without her here... Daemon felt out of place. He probably was out of place. Days when he belonged here were long gone.

Haisa observed him for a few seconds and then said, 'Why are you here? Is it about Diane?'

'No- partially, maybe.'

'Is she well?'

'Oh, yes, yes, she is,' Daemon rushed to assure Haisa, only now realizing how his arrival might look after ten years. 'She is in King's Landing. Safe and - I want to believe - happy.'

'I heard you legitimized her,' Haisa took a sip of whiskey. 'Everyone heard. You raised the bar.'

Daemon frowned, 'I did?'

'Oh, don't sound so surprised. The bar for fathers of bastards was always on the ground. If you admit they exist and give them at least a little bit of money, you are considered an exceptionally good father. And you made her your heir, Daemon. Not everyone was even aware noblemen could do that.'

'Stepped on a few throats here, didn't I?' he chuckled. 'Took away their excuse.'

'That you did, yeah,' Haisa chuckled and then invited him to sit on the kitchen table. 'Will it last?' she then asked.

'What?'

'Diane being your heir. Everyone knows you are to marry the princess. And she is young, you most likely will have sons.'

'Yes. But it doesn't change anything.'

'No?' Haisa sounded mildly surprised.

'No. Diane is the Lady of Dragonstone, she will inherit it after me and her kids after her if she decides to have any. She is my firstborn, Haisa. The circumstances of her birth do not matter. She won't be overlooked.'

'I was skeptical, you know,' Haisa said after a few seconds of silence. 'When Iris brought you here the first time. You were a kid...'

'I was five and ten,' Daemon interjected.

'You were a kid,' Haisa insisted. 'You both were. And you were ridiculously smitten with her.'

Daemon chuckled at the memory, 'Can you blame me? She wasn't afraid of my dragon.'

'Really? That was the most important thing?' Haisa couldn't help but laugh.

'Back then yes, it was pretty darn important! I've just claimed Caraxes and even I myself was still slightly wary of him. And she asked if she could pet him! And he let her!' Daemon laughed too. It was probably the first time the memories of Iris made him laugh. He had told Rhaenyra that he let her go and that was the truth, but it didn't mean her death didn't hurt him anymore. It was just so random, so pointless, as if the Gods decided to laugh at him.

'Have you ever... talked about it?'

Daemon didn't understand the question at first, 'About what?'

'About the way she wanted to go.'

He just stared at Haisa with red-rimmed eyes, his expression blank. He just had so much on his mind. He had a daughter who was barely six years old and he had to somehow tell her about her mother's death. He was only four and twenty years old and already a widower... well, almost. He would have been a widower if they were married. But they weren't because his brother had stubbornly refused to grant him an annulment of a marriage Daemon never wanted.

'Funeral, Daemon,' Haisa said, bringing him back from the thought spiral. 'I'm asking if you talked about it.'

'No. No, of course, we didn't. Fuck,' he got up abruptly, ruffling his hair, and then added with a whisper, 'We were supposed to grow old together.'

Haisa sobbed, and it was obvious she was trying to be the stoic one, but it wasn't working. It took her a few long moments to pull herself together and then she said, 'Falley Hills has a priest, we can...'

'No,' he cut her off. 'She despised the Faith of Seven, we can't-' he took a shaky breath. 'We will give her a funeral in the traditions of my house. She would have got it if she was my wife.'

'I thought you would bail,' Haisa said, pouring more whiskey into their cups. 'When Iris wrote to me that she was pregnant.'

'I would have never. But I was scared out of my mind. I wasn't even eight and ten, I had no idea how to be a parent. I kind of panicked, and Iris had to comfort me which was... well, not my best moment,' Daemon chuckled.

'She wasn't panicking?'

'Not really. She was worried but- I don't know. Maybe it was because she was older, but I don't think two years make this much of a difference.'

'Did you want a child?' Haisa asked. 'Or did you just take responsibility?'

'I wanted a child. I mean, when I stopped panicking and actually thought about it, I got excited. And when Diane was born... I don't know how to explain it. But when a midwife handed her to me, my whole world changed,' he smiled.

'I know what you mean. I felt this way with each one of my children. They were little perfections even though their father was everything but.'

Daemon didn't know how to do it. "Dracarys" was such a simple word. He just had to say it. He just had to say it, and Caraxes would do the rest. But he just... the word stuck in his throat. He couldn't- He couldn't do it.

'Daemon-' Haisa's hand touched his shoulder. 'You have to say it.'

'I know.'

'Caraxes won't listen to anyone else.'

'I know, I can't-' he took a shaky breath and looked at the sky. Gods, why was it this hard?

There were footsteps behind him. He would later figure it was Azea leading Diane to him by hand. His daughter didn't say anything when she approached, she just hugged his waist tightly. Daemon tried his best not to cry, hugging Diane with his right hand.

Caraxes was sitting on top of the hill, waiting patiently for his command, and Daemon couldn't say it. He knew he had to but he physically couldn't.

Suddenly Diane's voice sounded, 'Dracarys!'

It was loud and as confident as a child could master. She knew her father couldn't do it so she decided to do it for him. Caraxes shuffled a little and then breathed fire, engulfing Iris' body in flames.

Daemon let out a sob and picked Diane up, hugging her close to his chest and letting her hide her face in his neck. She was stronger than him. His daughter was the most precious thing he had in the world, and he vowed to make sure she always knew that.

They were into their second bottle when Daemon said, 'You do know I asked for annulment, right?'

Haisa blinked at him, 'No. No, actually, I didn't.'

Daemon shrugged, 'Three times. Once when we found out she was pregnant with Diane, and then twice after my brother became the King. I didn't hold much hope when I asked Jaehaerys but with Viserys... I suppose I still hold a grudge.'

'You are free now.'

'I am.'

'You are going to be King.'

'King Consort,' Daemon corrected her. 'But yes.'

'Do you love her? Or is this a political move?'

'Why are you asking?'

Haisa shrugged, 'I'm curious, I guess. You have always been an enigma to me, Daemon. You never do what I expect you to do.'

Daemon shook his head with a chuckle and then said, 'I love Rhaenyra. Truly. No political play, no scheming, no nothing. I just want her. After Iris died, I thought I would never love again. I loved my daughter and that seemed like enough vulnerability for a lifetime, but Rhaenyra... She makes me feel alive again, whole again. I believe she is the one for me.'

Haisa observed him for a few seconds and then stated, 'There is fire in your eyes again.'

'It has always been there.'

'Oh no, it used to be. And then it dimmed. I don't know if she was the one who reignited it or you found it along the way, but that doesn't matter. She is the reason why it is burning. I think I like her already.'

Daemon saw the opening and took it, 'That's why I'm here, actually. The things in Red Keep are not... completely in favor of the princess right now. There are only a few people I can fully trust, and none of them is skilled at medicine. I came here to offer you a job as our healer.'

Haisa's eyes widened, 'You are... you are kidding, right?'

'No, not at all,' Daemon leaned on the table. 'Healing others has always been your calling, and, even after ten years, I assume it still is. You will be staying at Red Keep, I'll pay you every moon whether or not we use your services and make sure you have any materials you need. Your kids can come with you, of course. If you have any other requirements, I'll do my best to meet them.'

Haisa looked at him in silence for a minute or two. Despite him starting to feel quite uncomfortable, Daemon stayed silent as well, letting the woman think about his offer and decide for herself.

'I suppose it's time for me to let go as well,' Haisa finally said, her gaze traveling around the house. 'Levi and Faith are old enough to fend for themselves. I taught them well, they can stay on their own now. And Bianca always wanted to see King's Landing,' she mused and then looked back at Daemon. 'I tell you what, give me three days. To pack the things up and everything, and then I will join you.'

Daemon smiled, 'Thank you, Haisa. Truly. There is no one I would rather trust with the health of my family.'

***

When Daemon returned to the Red Keep, it was already dark so he went straight to Rhaenyra's rooms. Even before he opened the door, he heard laughing and chatting coming from inside her chambers so he waited a minute or two before he made sure that Diane and Rhaenyra were alone there, and only then entered.

'Daemon!' Rhaenyra immediately smiled and got up to meet him, tripping over her own legs a few seconds later. He caught her in his arms, and the princess giggled, for some reason finding the fact that she almost met the hard floor exceptionally funny. 'Sorry.'

It took him a second to realize. Gods, she was drunk. Really, really drunk.

'I warned you against sharp movements,' Diane's voice sounded from the bed. She was lying on her stomach, a bottle in hand, and her gaze was unfocused enough to tell Daemon she was drunk too, even though she seemed to handle the alcohol better than his wife-to-be.

'What is the occasion?' Daemon asked, smiling.

'Nothing. We just felt like day drinking,' Rhaenyra slurred slightly, clutching to Daemon's clothes so as not to sway.

'It's already dark, my little dragon.'

Rhaenyra looked honestly surprised when she glanced out of the window, then she looked back at him and seriously said, 'We just felt like night drinking.'

Daemon laughed and led Rhaenyra back to her bed. There were a few bottles around the bed and a dozen plates on the bed, nightstands, and floor with half-eaten food. And if food might be the courtesy of the servants, the alcohol was most likely supplied by his daughter. His girls were definitely having fun without him. Daemon wondered if all the alcohol came from Diane's stash or if they snooped and also found his because he could swear he had the same bottle of wine.

'How was your trip, father?' Diane asked, scooting over so Daemon and Rhaenyra could both climb on the bed.

'I'll tell you tomorrow,' he answered, reaching out to take a bottle out of her hands. 'When all of us are sober,' Daemon added before drinking right out of the bottle. Both Rhaenyra and Diane were rather far away in their drinking journey, he had to really put an effort to catch up.