ACT I — CHAPTER III
Dʀᴀɢᴏɴsᴛᴏɴᴇ

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Myra had always valued the time she spent with no one but herself. She saw it as valuable time to focus on the endless thoughts racing through her head and to find some peace after long days constantly spent around her tumultuous family.

Unfortunately for Myra, Aegon often enjoyed intruding on that time.

"Did you hear what your mother proposed yesterday during the small council meeting?" he asked her as he lounged across the chaise in her chambers.

Myra, who was at her desk trying to take notes on the reign of Aenys I, sighed, "No, I did not. I expect that you will enlighten me?"

"She proposed that you and I be betrothed."

Myra's quill broke from the sudden pressure. She turned in her seat to face him, "What?"

Aegon laughed, "She also proposed the betrothal of Jacaerys and my sister. It seems that your mother is keen to be rid of her children."

"She is not keen to be rid of us," Myra said, wringing her fingers together, "I am sure there is a perfectly reasonable explanation for her actions other than that she is tired of us."

"Perhaps she has seen how we interact with one another and saw potential," Aegon suggested, twirling a strand of his hair around his fingers.

"I doubt it."

Aegon sat up, "You do not think that we would make a good match?"

He sounded genuinely hurt by her words. Myra wasn't sure as to why.

"You do not think that we could rule the realm together? I think, together, our reign would be extraordinary," Aegon said. He stood up from his seat and walked over to her, leaning against her desk as he looked down at the girl, waiting for an answer.

"I think we are too similar. We would drive one another mad," Myra told him.

That seemed to reverse the damage she had done and lighten Aegon's spirits, as he was laughing again.

"You and I? Similar? I think not, dear niece," he said, "But I do agree that we would drive one another mad. But some madness would be good, do you not agree?"

"I suppose I do," Myra agreed, picking up the broken pieces of her quill, "But that does not mean I am any more keen to marry you."

"Oh, how you wound me!" Aegon cried. He clutched his heart with his hands and stood up from the desk, stumbling back over to the chaise and falling across it, "I have fallen ill, Myra! The only thing that can save me is true love!"

Myra laughed, shaking her head as she discarded the broken quill pieces.

"Please, Myra! I need your true love to live!"

"Then you are going to die."

Aegon shot up, looking very offended, "You cannot just let me die, Myra!"

"You should not rely on true love to save you!"

Their jesting went on for a bit longer until Aegon accepted his fate and collapsed back over the chaise. Myra smiled at her dramatic uncle's antics before picking up a new quill and continuing with her notes.

•⋅•⋅•

"Why did you not tell me you planned to have me marry Aegon?"

After she had decided her personal studying was complete and she coaxed Aegon out of her chambers, Myra immediately hunted down her mother. Rhaenyra wasn't in her chambers when she arrived, so Myra waited for nearly an hour for her to return.

Rhaenyra was not expecting to be greeted by her daughter, nor was she expecting Myra to waste no time in questioning her. Immediately, she dismissed her handmaidens, preparing for the long and hard conversation ahead.

"I did not tell you because I did not think you needed to know," Rhaenyra answered, still standing by the door, "There was no way for me to predict how you would react to the news, and I thought it better to wait until I was sure of what your future would be."

"Aegon said — he said that you wanted to get rid of Jace and I. Do you really think that?" Myra asked, her voice wavering.

Rhaenyra's heart melted. She walked over to her daughter, grabbing both of her hands before letting them go and squeezing her shoulders.

"No, my darling. I would never want to be rid of you. You and your brothers mean more than the world to me," she said, softly running her hand over Myra's hair, careful not to mess up her curls, "I am in a difficult position here, in King's Landing. I believed that marriage pacts would help alleviate some of the difficulties, but it did not."

Rhaenyra sighed, her hands moving back down to her daughters and squeezing them, hard.

"There are people at court who do not support — who still struggle to see — for one reason or another, some people do not support me, nor my claim to the throne. Some of those reasons are my own. I am not perfect, and I have made mistakes, but I stand by them," Rhaenyra said, choosing her words carefully, "As I said, I believed your marriage with Aegon could amend some aspects, but my proposal has been denied. I have few allies here. You are one of my strongest ones, and I do not wish to lose you. I promise to inform you of my plans before I enact them from now on."

Myra was pleased with her mother's answer, and grateful that she understood why she was upset. If Rhaenyra had come to her beforehand and told her of her proposed betrothal to Aegon, she would have complied without question, despite her own reluctances. However, this had felt like a stab in the back, a lack of trust. But now, it was mended, and she didn't have to marry Aegon. Myra's day seemed to be getting better and better.

At least, until Rhaenyra spoke again, "Which is why I want to tell you of my next plan, and I know you will not like it. Come, my darling, sit down with me."

Rhaenyra led Myra to her chaise, pulling her down next to her. This new plan of her mother's had her nervous. How bad could it be if she knew Myra would not want to hear it?

"Now, as I just told you, I have few allies here, in court. Many have their reasons for not supporting me. Every day I am here it is as if I am walking through a battlefield, dodging swords thrust my way," Rhaenyra explained, looking Myra in the eyes as she ran her thumb up and down the back of her hand, "I can no longer take it. I have made the decision to move us to Dragonstone. It will be what is best for all six of us in the long run."

Myra suddenly felt as if her world was collapsing.

"Leave? For Dragonstone? We cannot! This — this is our home!" Myra argued.

How could she leave King's Landing? It was the only place she had ever really known. She had only left the city's walls on a few occasions, all of them to see her grandparents on Driftmark. She had never even been to Dragonstone. How could Myra leave her home, her family?

What would she do without Aemond? Lessons at the dragonpit would be unbearable without him. Did Dragonstone even have a dragonpit?

She very quickly realized that was a silly thought, as dragon was in the name. Of course there was going to be a dragonpit. That just made the news even worse.

"I know this is hard for you to understand, but I am doing this for all of us. It will be good for us to escape the endless cycles of rumors and ill words said about us," Rhaenyra explained.

It was then that Myra understood. This was about her brothers. It seemed that Ser Harwin's brawl with Criston Cole followed by his immediate dismissal to Harrenhal had done more damage than Myra had been aware of. People were suspecting the truth of her brother's parentage, so, to keep them safe, they had to leave. Rhaenyra couldn't outright say this, for she wasn't aware of how much Myra knew.

Even though it pained her to do so, Myra solemnly nodded her head, "I understand, Mother. I am sorry for trying to fight you on it."

"There is no need to say sorry, my darling," Rhaenyra said quickly, wiping tears off of Myra's cheeks, tears that Myra did not even realize had fallen, "I know it is hard to hear. It was hard for me to decide. This is my home, too. In a perfect world, we could stay here forever."

Myra hugged her mother tightly. She was not ready for the journey ahead, nor did she want it, but as long as she had her mother, perhaps things would not be so bad.

•⋅•⋅•

"Is it true?"

To find solace, Myra had gone to the Godswood to lie under the weirwood tree and soak up the sun for what very well may be the last time. She had expected to do it alone until Aemond's voice caused her to open her eyes.

"Bad news seems to travel fast," Myra remarked, propping herself up on her elbows. Aemond stood not too far away, an unreadable expression on his face.

"Why did you not tell me?" he asked, his voice wavering.

"I just found out myself," Myra answered, sitting up, "Did my mother tell you I was here?"

"No," Aemond said, slowly walking closer to her, "I know you well enough."

He did, she thought. In times when she was in distress, she would retreat to the Godswood to recuperate. It was a trait she had noticed she shared with the uncle who stood before her.

"Are you angry?" Myra asked.

Normally, she was able to read his expressions and know what he was feeling. But now, as Aemond stared down at her, Myra had no idea what he was thinking.

"At you? No," he said.

"Then who are you angry at?" she pressed, squinting her eyes as she looked up at him.

"I am not sure," Aemond sighed, his eyes looking her up and down, "May I sit?"

"Of course."

Myra moved over a bit so that Aemond could sit down next to her. For a few moments, they sat in silence.

"It may not be so bad," Myra said, trying to lift her uncle's mood, "Many families do not live all together. Not even ours does. My father's sister is off in Pentos and Daeron is in Oldtown. It will not be the end of the world."

"We never see Daeron. We hardly even speak of him," Aemond said, pulling grass out of the ground by the handful.

"Then I will not give you a chance to never speak of me," Myra replied, "I will write to you so much that you think of me every day. I will write you so many letters that you will grow sick of me and wish that you could never speak of me."

Myra laughed at her words, but Aemond stayed silent, staring at the ground. For a moment, Myra thought she had said something to make him more upset.

That was, until, Aemond said quietly, "I could never grow sick of you."

A sad smile grew on Myra's face. She grabbed onto his hand and squeezed it tightly.

They sat in the Godswood for what felt like hours, her head on his shoulder and their hands intertwined. Myra did her best to ignore the nagging voice in the back of her head telling her that this would probably be the last time they would be together like this.

•⋅•⋅•

The day of their departure arrived sooner than Myra would have liked. Before she knew it, her belongings were packed away and her chambers felt like an empty shell of what it was.

Many people at court came to see them go, but the only ones who mattered to Myra were Aemond, Helaena, Aegon, and her grandsire.

Viserys was the first to bid her goodbye.

"There is no need to cry," he said as Myra hugged him tight, "It will not be for forever. You have a strong heart, and you will thrive anywhere you go. It is how I know you will make a good Queen one day."

The next to say goodbye to her was Helaena. She lightly held Myra's hands as she spoke, "I will miss you dearly. Do be safe. Be wary on the mountaintop."

Aegon was next. He hugged her tightly as he said to her, "I am sorry that you have to go. Hopefully, in another life, we are not so similar."

Myra smiled up at him and squeezed his arm. Aegon patted her on the head, careful not to mess up her curls, and gingerly pushed her along.

Aemond was the last to wish Myra goodbye. He held her close, rubbing his hand across her back.

"You meant it when you said you would write?" he asked her.

"With my whole heart," she told him.

Aemond held her tighter. Myra's tears fell on his shoulder.

It wasn't until Laenor stepped to coax Myra away that the pair separated. Laenor took Myra's hand in his, and together, they followed the rest of their family to the ship that would take them to Dragonstone.

As Myra stood on the deck of the ship, watching King's Landing slowly fade from view, she felt a deep longing to go home, even though she knew that it wasn't her home anymore.

•⋅•⋅•

Dragonstone was a cold place.

Her ancestors must have been very cold people to have built a place like this. Every nook and cranny of the castle was made with a dark stone, and there were hardly any decorations or banners to make the building seem as if it had been lived in before. There was no feeling of warmth that one typically had in their home.

The worst part of the castle was how lonely it was. The Red Keep was always filled with people, whether it be her family, servants, members of court, or visitors. On Dragonstone, it was just her family, servants, two members of the Kingsguard, and some other knights and soldiers. Myra had no one her age to spend time with save her brothers. While she loved them very much, she worried that the lack of social interaction would drive her mad.

Myra often found herself exploring the castle, trying to find something about it she liked. There was no Godswood, which meant no more lying under weirwood trees. There was Aegon's Garden, named for the conqueror, that she quite enjoyed. While this garden was nowhere near the splendor of the one in the Red Keep, it was still very beautiful, and Myra would read there on warm days.

She liked to try and find all of the dragons hidden in the architecture. While everything else about Dragonstone was drab, the dragons dancing in the walls brought Myra some joy.

One thing that Dragonstone had over King's Landing was the beach. Since the island was relatively empty, there was no danger for them to go down to the beach. Myra and her brothers were too young to go alone, but it was still fun for them to play down there nonetheless.

Not long after they moved to Dragonstone, Myra and Laenor were walking along the beach. Her brothers had been going out of their way to jest with her, to her distaste, so Laenor offered to take her on a walk to calm her down.

Laenor told her of his life growing up on Driftmark, as being so close to the sea reminded him of home. He was just telling Myra how he planned to have them all visit his parents more often when an earth-shaking roar came from above them.

Myra immediately clung to her father as the dragon flew above them. This dragon was all black, like the night sky, and was bigger than any dragon she had ever seen.

"Which one is that?" Myra asked, her voice barely above a whisper as the dragon flew away from them and towards the other side of the island.

When they had first arrived on Dragonstone, Myra and her brothers had been warned of the three wild dragons residing there. Their presence was part of the reason why they were not allowed outside on their own.

"I believe that one is the Cannibal," Laenor said, wrapping his arm around his daughter and using his other arm to point to where the dragon was headed, "Do you see those mountains over there? That is where he resides, just on the other side. You would never catch me dead there."

"They are very close," Myra muttered, her face almost buried into her father's shirt.

Laenor laughed, "I suppose they are very close. There is no need to fear. As far as I am aware, the Cannibal has yet to eat a person."

Her father's words did nothing to put Myra at ease. She continued to cling to her father as the dragon disappeared over the mountains.

•⋅•⋅•

Before bed that night, Myra made sure to go into extreme detail of her day when writing her letter to Aemond, as she did in every letter.

Dear Aemond,

I hope this finds you well. I was walking through the gardens this morning and I could not help but miss you. Every day I wish I was with you in King's Landing, but I know I have a duty to my family.

I have continued my studies on Aenys I. The more I read of him, the more I realize he was a poor King. I do not want to be like him.

Today, as I was walking with my father along the shores, one of the dragons that lives on the island flew over us. I had known they were here, but I had never seen one before. It was ginormous, the largest dragon I have ever seen. My father says they call it the Cannibal. I do not wish to know why.

I wish my days were more exciting so that my letters were not so bland. However, I made a promise to write to you until you grew sick of me, so you must suffer through them.

I miss you terribly, Aemond. I count down the days until I get to see you again, even though I do not know when that will be. Please tell Aegon and Helaena that I am thinking of them.

With love,
Myra

The Velaryon girl set her quill down and sighed. It was too late to take the letter to the maester to be sent off, so she would have to wait until the morning.

Another roar, similar to the one from earlier that day, came from outside. Myra stood slowly and walked over to her window. Despite the night being dark, she could see the Cannibal, circling the midnight sky, just above the mountaintop.

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WRITTEN: july 2024
EDITED: july 2024
WORDS: 3,178

AUTHOR'S NOTE! when i was editing this my cat pounced on me and scratched my leg as she fell to the floor and now i have two giant scars on my leg and im in a lot of pain lol

this is sort of a filler chapter, but im really proud of it. im really proud of every chapter i've put out so far. but i took it upon myself to fix the never mentioning daeron plothole, no need to thank me guys im glad to do it

please vote and comment if you liked this chapter!! i hope you all have a wonderful day :)