KastheJedi
patreon
The Crimson Dragon- chapter 6: New Discoveries
🕑 Added 2023-07-25 12:00:06 +0000 UTCChapter 6: New Discoveries
Bold- High Valyrian
Italics- Inner thoughts/emphasis
A Year Later
Lilyanna Targaryen reincarnated 21st century woman, had found it a little discomforting just how quickly time was passing in the Red Keep.
Now, Lilyanna found herself squished together with her siblings, brother-in-law and nephew in a carriage that was on its way to the Dragonpit.
This ‘family excursion’ came to be because Aegon had asked their father to come with him to the Dragonpit and see how Sunfyre was progressing.
Of course, the ill King refused, it was not surprising given how Viserys had not been to the pit since his own dragon died and had refused every other invitation from his son. Viserys had told Aegon that he had pressing matters to attend to.
This time, he actually did.
Grand Maester Mellos had told the King that the infection that had started on his hand, which led to Viserys having most of his fingers cut off years prior, had traveled up his left arm and that the arm would need to be amputated.
Viserys’ arm had been nothing but a rotting piece of flesh that he had started to lose feeling in for the past few moons. It had gotten to where you could smell the Targaryen monarch approaching long before you saw him. The procedure to amputate Viserys’ arm had been scheduled for that very day.
Alicent, playing the role of the dutiful wife, had elected to stay with Viserys while the amputation was occurring. And Rhaenyra had decided to take her family on a trip to the Dragonpit, telling Aegon that she had wanted to see Sunfyre. In truth, she did not want her young siblings and son to be anywhere near the Keep as the surgery was happening.
To be fair, Lilyanna did not want to be near the Keep either. Her inner doctor revolted when she saw some of the tools the measters would be using to cut off her father’s arm.
Then after they’re finished hacking off Viserys’ arm, they’ll drown him with milk of the poppy, which I'm pretty sure is this world’s equivalent of opium. Lilyanna thought.
Before Lilyanna could think more of Viserys and his illness, the carriage had come to a stop. The second the door had opened, Aegon and Aemond had jumped out, pushing past Ser Harwin, and running to the entrance of the pit.
The rest of the group had exited the carriage more calmly than the two princes. Once they had entered the massive building, the dragonkeepers soon brought out Sunfyre.
“Greetings, Your Grace. We have brought out Sunfyre per your request.” One of the elders said to Rhaenyra in High Valyrian.
Back when this world had been nothing but fiction to her, Lilyanna had been fascinated by the dragonkeepers. They were a monk-like order tasked with guarding and taking care of House Targaryen's dragons.
She could understand why Jaehaerys created the group, especially after what happened to Aerea. But she could not imagine giving and changing her entire life to this cause like the dragonkeepers did.
Looks like dragon lovers exist in this world too. I guess if you can't be a dragonrider then being a keeper would be the closest thing to it.
The dragonkeepers before her appeared both how they did in the show and how they did in the books. The ones in the actual pit with the royal family were dressed in plain, humble garments and wielded quarterstaffs. The rest of the seventy-seven dragonkeepers wore shining black armor, helms crested with dragon scales, and instead of quarterstaffs, they wielded swords.
Rhaenyra nodded her head to the older man before facing Aegon. “You were right, valonqar, Sunfyre has become bigger. I am sure it will only be a matter of time before he is as big as Syrax.”
Rhaenyra was not wrong when she said Sunfyre had gotten bigger, the golden dragon now slightly larger than a horse. Aegon’s smile widened as he went to show everyone how good he had become at commanding his dragon as of late.
Just as Aegon had stopped giving commands, Sunfyre turned his head in Lilyanna’s direction. The gold-colored dragon let out a loud screech before running at the girl, Lilyanna soon found herself on her back as the dragon nuzzled its head into her chest.
“No Sunfyre! Embrot! Embrot! Rȳbās!” Aegon yelled, but Sunfyre ignored him and continued to cuddle with Lilyanna.
Aegon groaned, “Why does this always happen when they see you?”
Aegon was not exaggerating, every time Sunfyre, Vermax, or Tessarion saw Lilyanna they would affectionately attack the girl. Sunfyre would then ignore Aegon’s commands, giving Lilyanna most of his attention.
Lilyanna herself did not know why this would occur, she thought that it might have something to do with her resurrection and the strange dreams that came with it, but she did not know for certain.
Sunfyre began cooing as Lilyanna scratched the spot between his wings that he could not reach. Eventually the dragon rolled off Lilyanna, his hind legs twitching as he writhed under Lilyanna’s expert touch.
“Perhaps we should start calling you the dragon whisperer, Lilyanna.” Laenor joked as he and the others amusedly watched the scene in front of them.
Lilyanna stood up and rolled her eyes, “Please do not. I do not need that title following me around for the rest of my life.”
“Can we see Syrax now?” Aemond interrupted. While he liked Sunfyre and the dragon’s antics, he wanted to see an actual adult dragon like the one his eldest sister rode.
“Of course, Aemond.” Rhaenyra replied.
Aemond smiled before nervously looking at the ground, “Can I - can we ride Syrax with you?”
It was a surprising question as none of the children besides Jacaerys had ever ridden with Rhaenyra. The Princess had once asked the King and Queen if she could take her younger siblings on a ride, Viserys had agreed, reminded of the times he and Daemon would ride with their parents when they were children. Alicent refused, stating that her children were too young and unpredictable to be around such a large beast even with Rhaenyra’s presence.
“Each of you can come ride with me.” Rhaenyra said, in her mind her siblings were Targaryens and they had the right to ride and bond with dragons. Who was Alicent to judge their practices when she lacked their blood? There was also the fact that doing this would anger Alicent and Rhaenyra had now found herself liking it whenever Alicent’s face would twist with rage.
“Are you sure that is a good idea? You do remember that the Queen had said the children were too young?” Laenor asked, he knew that his wife mostly wanted to do this because Alicent said no.
“The Queen said that almost two years ago, surely my siblings are more than old enough now. It is not as if they will be alone, I will be with them the entire time.” Rhaenyra reasoned.
Laenor’s worried expression did not change, “That may be, but this will cause trouble. Besides, are you sure you can look after them in the air while in your condition?”
The condition Laenor was referring to was the fact that Rhaenyra was currently pregnant.
Rhaenyra rolled her eyes, “I’m pregnant not invalid, Laenor.” The princess had discovered she was pregnant with the couple’s second child six moons prior and was currently seven moons into said pregnancy. It had come as a shock when one of her midwives had told her the news, she knew that Jacaerys would not be their only child, but herself and Laenor (and Harwin) were not actively planning this pregnancy.
After a few minutes of back-and-forth, Rhaenyra won the argument and led her family into Syrax’s den, the formidable beast was devouring a roasted lamb when they arrived.
“How is my gorgeous girl doing today? I see you are being well fed as always.” Rhaenyra spoke, rubbing her hand along her dragon’s snout.
Syrax let out a puff of smoke as she leaned into her rider’s touch, her meal forgotten in place of Rhaenyra’s affection.
Rhaenyra faced her siblings, “Come on now. Syrax will not hurt you so long as I am here.”
Aemond was the first to move, running to where Rhaenyra was standing and touching Syrax when she told him he could. Aemond was amazed as he could feel the heat beneath the she-dragon's yellow scales, said dragon paid the young boy no mind as she went back to her lamb.
Jacaerys was next, having no fear of the dragon due to being familiar with his mother’s mount. Daeron followed, not wanting Jacaerys to leave him behind and feeling emboldened by his brother and nephew.
Helaena calmly walked over to the others but made no move to touch Syrax. The young princess crouched down as she watched Syrax eat.
Aegon crossed his arms and turned his nose up at the sight. “I still think Sunfyre is better. And prettier too!”
“Oh, then I guess you do not want to fly with us? Since Sunfyre is the superior mount.” Rhaenyra said in fake contemplation. “If that is what you want, then I suppose you can wait until Sunfyre is big enough to ride.”
Aegon’s eyes widened, “No! I want to ride! Syrax is the best, better than every dragon ever!”
Rhaenyra smiled, “You hear that girl, my brother believes you to the best dragon ever.”
Syrax stared at Rhaenyra for less than a few seconds before returning to her meal, clearly not caring about Aegon’s opinion of her.
Sunfyre, who had followed his rider into Syrax’s den, did care as he stared hissing and growling at Syrax. The larger dragon paid no mind, unbothered by Sunfyre’s threats. Lilyanna placed her hand on Sunfyre’s snout, causing the dragon to calm down.
“Now,” Rhaenyra clapped her hands together, gaining everyone’s attention. “Who will ride with me first?”
~X~
Over an hour passed before it was Lilyanna’s turn to ride with Rhaenyra on Syrax. Unlike her siblings who were excited for their first dragon rides, Lilyanna was nervous.
She had stood off to the side as her siblings rushed to Rhaenyra, each wanting a turn to fly. She had hoped that Rhaenyra would have been distracted with their siblings and Jacaerys, who eventually wanted his own turn after seeing Aegon riding with Rhaenyra first, that the Crown Princess would forget that her youngest sister had not gone, and they would leave the pit and return to the Keep.
But she was wrong.
So very wrong.
The second that Syrax landed, and Rhaenyra had unchained Daeron from her body and placed him on his feet, she looked directly at Lilyanna, crushing the young girl’s hopes of a quick escape.
Lilyanna did not move even as Rhaenyra called out to her, the girl’s legs refusing to work. And for the first time since being reborn, Lilyanna had found herself terrified.
It was not long before Rhaenyra stood in front of Lilyanna, staring into her sister’s eyes.
“Have you changed your mind, Lily?” Rhaenyra gently asked.
Lilyanna opened her mouth, but no words came out. Lilyanna looked away from her sister in shame, glaring at the ground.
Rhaenyra lifted Lilyanna’s head, “It is okay if you are afraid. I was too the first time I flew with Syrax.”
Lilyanna wanted to deny that she was afraid, but she could not. She was afraid, she knew that Rhaenyra would not let anything happen to her, but she could not help the way she felt. While Lilyanna was fine with being around smaller dragons like Sunfyre, flying on a dragon as large as Syrax was an entirely different story, it made her aware of just how powerful the creature before her truly was.
It reminded Lilyanna that she was not a real Targaryen, simply someone from another world wearing the skin of one. A true Targaryen would not be afraid of their family’s symbol of power, the very thing that made them Kings.
It was not that Lilyanna was afraid of dying again, she had accepted what had happened to her and how it could just as easily happen again. But she realized just how insignificant she truly was against this force of nature, and just how crazy her ancestors and her family had to be to think they could control them.
“I was afraid that day, but our Uncle Daemon had told me that he would never leave my side. He rode on his own dragon Caraxes and kept his promise, he was never more than a few feet away from me. I promise you Lilyanna, I will not allow anything to happen to you.” Rhaenyra swore.
“You promise?” Lilyanna quietly asked.
Rhaenyra’s smile did not waver, “I promise, nothing will happen to you, Lily.”
Lilyanna nodded her head, reaching down and holding Rhaenyra’s hand in a tight grip, allowing her older sister to pull her towards her mount. Lilyanna took deep breaths as they got closer to Syrax, trying in vain to calm herself down.
“Syrax, I have one more person here to meet you.” Rhaenyra said to her dragon, the Princess of Dragonstone then pushed her sister in front of her. “This is my sister, Lilyanna. She is someone you must protect.”
Lilyanna stood straight as a rod as the dragon’s large eyes stared her down. The staring contest between them had been going on for a few short moments when Syrax suddenly lurched forward, pushing the princess to the floor of the cave, and rubbing her snout against Lilyanna’s stomach.
Everyone was shocked by the display, Rhaenyra herself had moved to grab the whip at her side, about to order Syrax away before she realized that the dragon meant her sister no harm.
Just like Sunfyre earlier, Syrax was completely taken with Lilyanna Targaryen.
Lilyanna had shaken herself out of her shocked stupor and began to scratch the underside of Syrax’s jaw, causing the large she-dragon to purr and release belts of steam from her nostrils.
“Maybe we should start calling her the dragon whisperer.” Laenor said as he stood behind his wife, watching the sight before them.
That comment had caused Rhaenyra to recall the celebration at court that was held after Jacaerys’ dragon had hatched. During the event, Daeron’s egg also hatched, and his she-dragon rushed towards the Queen to reach the infant prince in her arms.
Criston had almost killed the hatchling, thinking it was a threat to Alicent and Daeron’s lives only for Lilyanna to step forward and save the dragon, somehow getting the dragon to crawl into her hands and bringing her to their brother. She had been thrown by the moment entirely, shocked that Lilyanna could get a dragon to ignore its instincts, its own violent tendencies.
Lilyanna had a connection with dragons that no one else in their family had ever shown and Rhaenyra did not know how to respond to it.
It made Rhaenyra wonder if this ability her sister had would become more prevalent when she eventually claimed a dragon of her own.
“Serve me Syrax. Calm. Calm. Up Syrax, get off her, Syrax.” Rhaenyra said as she approached Lilyanna and Syrax.
Unlike with Aegon and Sunfyre, Syrax obeyed Rhaenyra’s commands, lifting her head off Lilyanna, sitting back on her hunches.
“Thank you.” Lilyanna gasped, taking deep breaths as she no longer the heavy weight of Syrax’s head on her body.
“Come, sister. We have a dragon ride to go on.” Rhaenyra said as she helped Lilyanna to her feet, the two making their way to Syrax’s neck.
Rhaenyra helped Lilyanna onto the saddle before climbing on herself. Lilyanna leaned back into Rhaenyra’s chest, she could not deny that she felt safe and secure in her sister’s arms.
“Iōrās Syrax. Naejot.” Rhaenyra yelled. Syrax obeyed, standing up and moving forward.
Lilyanna tightened the grip she had on Rhaenyra’s arms when she heard her sister’s next command.
“Sōvēs, Syrax.”
Syrax took off, flying through the opened roof of Dragonpit. The she-dragon continued to ascend, the people below listening to the sounds of Lilyanna’s screams and Rhaenyra’s laughter as they disappeared into the clouds.
Lilyanna eventually stopped screaming, but she had yet to relax, squeezing her eyes shut as the wind continued to hit her face and they flew higher.
Rhaenyra looked down at her sister, “You can open your eyes now, Lilyanna.”
Lilyanna took of breath and slowly opened her right eye. When she did, she immediately opened both at the sight. The sun was shining brightly above them as they gilded across the expansive blue sky.
“Wow...” Lilyanna whispered in awe. King’s Landing was nothing more than a speck underneath them as they flew.
“It is beautiful, is it not?” Rhaenyra asked, seeing the amazement on her sister’s face. She was glad that Lilyanna was no longer scared and was now enjoying herself.
“Yeah, it is. This is the best thing ever.” Lilyanna responded. She now understood why the Targaryens enjoyed dragon riding so much.
Being up in the air was exhilarating, she never wanted to go back down to the ground, wanting to spend the rest of her days up in the sky. It felt as if Syrax's power was her own, as if she could do anything.
“I am glad you think so.” Rhaenyra said, laughing at her sister’s claim. “Do you wish to see something even better?”
Lilyanna turned her head to Rhaenyra, “This can get better? How?”
Rhaenyra’s smile turned into a mischievous smirk, “Like this. Syrax, let us show my sister what we are capable of.” The princess tightly gripped the regions, pulling them upwards.
Syrax roared and flew upwards, after going up a couple of hundred feet, the large dragon leaned backwards and began falling to the ground.
Lilyanna felt her stomach drop as they continued to fall. Before Lilyanna could speak, Syrax straightened herself out, returning to her previous position. It was then that Lilyanna realized that they had just done a barrel role.
“Holy crap!” Lilyanna cheered, forgetting herself for a moment. It felt as if she was riding on the world's most dangerous rollercoaster.
Rhaenyra was shocked by her sister’s cursing but likened it to her excitement. “Do you want to see the other maneuvers that Syrax can do?”
Rhaenyra already knew the answer when she saw the pleading look in Lilyanna’s eyes.
The two sisters spent the rest of the ride going through fancy and dangerous maneuvers alike, some of which Rhaenyra had Lilyanna swear she would never tell her mother that they did.
~X~
Lilyanna had quickly rushed back her and Helaena’s room after they returned from the Dragonpit. The two sisters had been given their own room after their fifth name day, being seen as old enough to no longer sleep in the nursery.
Alicent had been waiting for them in the courtyard when they arrived. After greeting her children, Alicent had informed them that the King’s procedure had been a success and that Viserys would make a full recovery. They would not be able to visit Viserys right away as he was still unconscious, having passed out due to the pain and the milk of poppy he received.
Rhaenyra was about to ask the Queen more questions about Viserys, when Daeron started babbling about Syrax. This led Aegon and Aemond to talking about their first dragon rides with Rhaenyra and Syrax.
The anger was evident in Alicent as she continued to hear about the different maneuvers that Rhaenyra had Syrax do while they were in the air from her sons, the Queen’s stare never leaving Rhaenyra’s face.
It was clear that if they were not in public, being watched by Knights, guards, nobles, and small folk alike, Alicent would have chewed out the elder Targaryen. A fact that Rhaenyra knew as she smirked at the mother of five, silently daring her to say something, to do anything unseemly.
Alicent was forced to hold her tongue, but the argument was not yet over as she planned to discuss it with Viserys as soon as he was awake. Alicent then led her children inside, not sparing Rhaenyra, her husband, or her son another look, and taking them to the nursery.
Once in the nursery, Alicent began inspecting her children, looking for any signs of injury on their tiny bodies. She mumbled under her breath about Rhaenyra’s recklessness and irresponsibility, saying how she would have to get guards that she trusted to go to the Dragonpit with them from now on.
The Queen was so distracted in her search for physical injuries that she failed to notice the burlap bag that Lilyanna had brought with her. Lilyanna was grateful for this small mercy, quickly leaving the nursery before Alicent could notice and question her.
“Are you going to make it now?” Helaena asked Lilyanna as she walked into their room and shut the door behind her.
Lilyanna looked up from the table that she had commandeered as her ‘workstation’ when they first settled in room. “You know?”
“I saw you making it this morning.” Helaena hummed. “It became clear when you stopped us on the way back.”
As they were riding back to the Red Keep from the Dragonpit, Lilyanna had pleaded with their older sister to stop by a sprawling expanse of markets. Rhaenyra was confused but complied with her sister’s request.
The two left the carriage with Harwin Strong following behind them. At the corner of the street laid a few shops belonging to Yi-Ti merchants and sold primarily products from that kingdom.
Lilyanna spent the next twenty minutes looking through these shops before finally stopping at a rundown stall that was on the verge of falling apart. There Lilyanna found circular brown tree berries that fit within her small hands.
“Excuse me sir,” Lilyanna said to the merchant in front of her. “What are these berries?”
The man looked between Lilyanna and Rhaenyra, “Chaulmoogra berries.” He responded with a thick accent.
A sharp gleam shinned in Lilyanna’s eyes, “How much for twenty?”
“Why do you want these, Lilyanna?” Rhaenyra asked, confused as to why her sister had spent so much time looking for these berries.
“Three silver stags.” The merchant said. Lilyanna nodded her head, reaching down into her coin purse to pay the man, but was stopped when Rhaenyra grabbed her arm.
“Three silver stags?” Rhaenyra asked incredulously. “How can they cost so much?”
“The cost of transporting them all the way from Yi-Ti.” The merchant shrugged.
“Please, Rhaenyra. I need them.” Lilyanna pleaded.
“Why? You still have not told me why you need them so badly.” Rhaenyra was unable to keep the agitation out of her voice as she spoke, it was clear that Lilyanna had been planning this from the start. Why else would a five-year-old have a filled coin purse with them when going to a place where they would not need it?
How did she get the silver stags she has? I doubt Alicent would have given it to her, so who did? Rhaenyra thought to herself.
Lilyanna thought about her answer before responding, “I need them to make something for father.”
“To make what for father?”
“To help him feel better, he going to lose his arm today.”
Rhaenyra’s expression changed to one of surprise, not expecting the answer she received. “Lily, our father is going to be fine. He has a group of well trained and experienced maesters taking care of him. You do not have to go out of your way like this.”
Rhaenyra noticed from Lilyanna’s expression that she did not trust the words she spoke, as if she were trying to force herself to believe to spare Rhaenyra’s feelings.
“I know but I would feel better if I gave this to him.” Lilyanna said softly.
The two sisters stared at each other, neither backing down. Eventually Rhaenyra rolled her eyes and sighed, “Fine, get the berries, Lilyanna.”
Lilyanna smiled at her sister, reaching into her coin purse, and handing the silver stags to the merchant. The man was not bothered by long the transaction took, looking very amused by the sisters’ back and forth.
“Thank you, sir!” Lilyanna exclaimed when she was handed a burlap bag filled with her recently purchased Chaulmoogra berries.
“You had a dream of me buying the berries?” Lilyanna asked her sister as she poured the berries onto the table.
Helaena nodded her head, moving to stand behind her sister. “So, what are you making?”
“I am trying to make chaulmoogra oil. In my world, well my previous one, there was this traditional medicine known as chaulmoogra oil, it was and still is used to treat various skin aliments, most famously, leprosy. I’m glad that this world also had chaulmoogra trees that produced berries.” Lilyanna explained.
“What is leprosy?” Helaena asked, watching Lilyanna crack open the chaulmoogra berries and pulled out the seeds, she then ripped out the leaves that were still attached to the outside of the fruit.
“Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease which is caused by a type of bacteria called Mycobacterium leprae. The disease affects the skin, the peripheral nerves, mucosa of the upper respiratory tract, and the eyes.” Lilyanna casually remarked, sounding more like a Wikipedia article than a five-year-old girl.
“The damage done to Viserys’ body is focused on his feet, hands, and eyes which are clear signs that he has the disease.” Lilyanna poured the seeds and leaves into a mortar, using a pestle to begin grinding and mixing them together.
Helaena did not understand most of what was said but trusted Lilyanna enough to know that it was the truth. “And this will cure our father of his leprosy?”
“No, it won’t.” Lilyanna sighed. “There is a more advanced version of this technique made by Alice Ball that involves isolating the ester compounds within, but I’m no chemist and even if I was, we don’t have the necessary equipment in this world. The chaulmoogra extract will slow down the disease’s progression, but it will not cure it.”
“Then why are you making it if it will not cure father?” Helaena asked.
“Because the longer Viserys stays alive, the more time I have the save this shitshow we call a family.” Lilyanna plainly answered.
“So, father will die from this disease?” Helaena was not closed to her father, and she already knew from her dreams that this would not change but she did not want him to die. Even if he was not a great father, Helaena still loved Viserys and did not wish pain and suffering upon him.
“The second Viserys had started showing symptoms of leprosy, he was already a dead man walking, this world is just too primitive to stop an illness like this. It may take longer than it would have before and Viserys might experience a less painful end, but he will die.” Lilyanna said, her voice never wavering.
Lilyanna knew she sounded callous, but it was the truth. Viserys Targaryen was going to die of leprosy and nothing short of a miracle would save him. “The oil will be less effective when directly used on the skin but it's our best bet.”
“If it is less effective, then what about the other ways it can be used?”
“It can be used internally, either ingested through the mouth or injected on the infected areas, but this comes with side effects. Cough, difficulty breathing, throat spasms, kidney damage, visual disorders, head and muscle pain, and paralysis when used internally. When used on the skin at worst you would get mild skin irritation.”
The room fell into silence as Lilyanna continued to work, the process taking much longer to due to small body. An hour passed before Lilyanna finished, pouring the freshly made oil into ten small jars that she had taken from the kitchen days earlier.
“Now, I just have to figure out how to get this into Viserys’ room without getting caught.” Lilyanna spoke aloud.
“You could use the tunnels.” Helaena said while pointing to the adjacent wall.
“You know about the tunnels? Wait, why am I even asking?” Lilyanna asked, she was aware of the secret tunnels that encompassed the Red Keep that Maegor the Cruel had ordered to be made by the builders he tasked with the Keep’s construction.
After The Red Keep was completed, Maegor had a feast thrown for those who took part in the construction. In reality, this was just a ploy so he could roundup all the builders and put them all to death to protect the secrets of the castle.
It should not have surprised Lilyanna that Helaena had known about the tunnels, due to her dragon dreams. The only reason she herself knew was because of her preexisting knowledge of the world she was in, but she had yet to explore them as she did not how to navigate the maze these tunnels created and most certainly did not walk into one of the many traps littering them.
“I can show you which path to take to father’s bedchamber.” Helaena walked to the wall she had pointed at. She pushed against it, causing the wall to give way, revealing that there was a door built within it. “But how are you going to get father to take it?”
Lilyanna smirked, reaching into her dresser, and pulling out a folded piece of parchment. “With this.”
Helaena took the parchment from her sister’s hand and read its contents aloud. “Your Grace, I was going through various tomes and found a recipe for a medicine I believe will alleviate your pains. All that is required is that you apply it to the areas of infection. - Grand Maester Mellos.”
Helaena looked up once she was done reading and stared blankly at Lilyanna. Slowly Lilyanna’s smile dimmed, and her lips formed a pout with the younger twin crossing her arms in offense.
“Stop looking at me like that.” Lilyanna muttered.
“Like what?” Helaena asked, her expression remaining the same.
“Like you think I’m an idiot!” Lilyanna exclaimed.
Helaena tilted her head to side, “But I do think you are an idiot.”
“Hey!” Lilyanna yelled, offended by her twin’s affirmation. She knew that Helaena did not mean anything malicious, but she had never taken insults to her intelligence very well.
“I do think you are very smart, Lilyanna. But I also think you can be very dumb and oblivious to things around you. You are the dumbest smart person I know.” Helaena said with a kind smile on her face.
Lilyanna stared at Helaena blankly, she opened her mouth trying to speak but no words came out. Helaena’s smile grew wider as she took in Lilyanna’s stumped expression, she could feel her sister trying to think of a witty comeback but failing.
After a minute, Lilyanna scoffed, “Whatever. This is going to work, I know Viserys, he’s too trusting and is not smart enough to question the note. And even if he does, Mellos will just take credit for it.”
“If that is what you believe.” Helaena airily said.
Lilyanna rolled her eyes, “Can you please just show me the way to his chamber?”
Helaena walked through the trapped door, motioning for Lilyanna to follow her. Lilyanna grabbed two of the jars of the chaulmoogra and the note she had written, closing the door behind her as she entered the tunnel.
The twins walked through the winding maze of tunnels in silence. Lilyanna looked around the tunnels, amazed by the craft and detail that went into making them.
The two could see various parts of the Red Keep, seeing small gaps that allowed them to look inside rooms and hallways.
It did not take long for Helaena and Lilyanna to reach a dead-end with a large door. The door was much larger than the one that led to their own room, indicating that it was the King’s chambers.
It makes sense, Maegor was the one who drew up the plans for the tunnels. Of course, he would want it to be known that he was the King, even if he was the only one using the tunnels. Lilyanna thought.
Helaena moved to the side of the door, looking through the eye slit that was craved into the wall. “Father is still asleep. You should be able to place the oil and the note on father's desk and get out.”
Lilyanna nodded in agreement, quietly pushing the door open and tip toeing into the room. Lilyanna took a quick look at her father to ensure that he was still asleep as she made her way to his desk.
Just as Lilyanna had placed the items down, she heard the voices of her mother and oldest sister.
The secret door was on the other side of the room, so Lilyanna was forced to dive on the floor, sliding under Viserys’ bed when she heard the bedchamber door begin to open.
“I have told you before, princess, the King is perfectly fine.” Alicent said as she and Rhaenyra walked into the room.
Rhaenyra rolled her eyes, “Well excuse me for wanting to check my father's condition with my own eyes.”
Lilyanna pressed her head against the cold floor, refusing to move a muscle out of fear of getting caught. The young girl hoped that the two would not notice the chaulmoogra oil and the note she had written. Unlike Viserys, Alicent and Rhaenyra would most certainly question the validity of the objects.
Rhaenyra walked to the side of Viserys’ bed. The man was still peacefully sleeping, unbothered by the world around him.
Even though there was a blanket covering Viserys’ entire body expect for his head, Rhaenyra could still see the now flattened area where his left arm used to be.
“Kepa.” Rhaenyra whispered as she pressed a gentle kiss upon his brow.
“Thank you, Alicent.”
Alicent tore her gaze away from the adjacent wall, staring at Rhaenyra in shock. “Excuse me?” She whispered.
Lilyanna too was also shocked, not expecting Rhaenyra to say anything nice to Alicent, let alone thanking her.
Rhaenyra began playing with the rings on her hands, a flash of heat running up her neck. “Thank you, for taking care of my father. I know it could not have been easy sitting her as he… as he had his arm removed.”
“It was nothing. I was just doing what any wife would do in this situation.” Alicent responded, the words not feeling quite right as they left her lips.
“Yes, what any wife would…” Rhaenyra trailed off. She hated that she was reminded of how her father stole Alicent away from her, turning her greatest support into her enemy.
“Thank you for taking the children with you to the pit. I would not have wanted them to witness it even if they would not have been in the room. Although I disagree with you flying in the air with them… they had fun, so I thank you for that.” The words rushed forward as Alicent spoke.
Rhaenyra gave Alicent a tentative smile, “You are welcome.”
Alicent returned the smile before her eyes widened and she cleared her throat, making an offhanded excuse and calmly (quickly) leaving the room.
Rhaenyra let out a winding sigh, her head leaning up to the ceiling. She then placed another kiss on Viserys’ head and left the room as well.
Lilyanna immediately crawled out from under the bed when it became clear that no one else would enter again.
“Whoa…” Lilyanna whispered to herself while looking at the bedchamber door. She was filled with hope that Rhaenyra and Alicent’s relationship could be saved or at least strengthened.
“That was unexpected.” Helaena said once Lilyanna rejoined her inside of the tunnels.
“Yeah, let’s just hope I don't have to do that again anytime soon.” Lilyanna replied, walking past her sister and back to their room.
Helaena hummed to herself and followed, she had been referring to the moment between their mother and older sister.
The silver haired twin had assumed that the bond the two women shared was irreconcilably severed, but seeing how they were in private when the rest of the world was not watching changed this opinion.
Lilyanna’s presence is changing things. I hope it will change this. Helaena pondered.
~X~
A Fortnight Later
Viserys Targaryen did not appear like the aging King he had been weeks earlier. Granted he still looked much older and weaker than his age suggests but he was healthier than he was before the surgery.
Viserys had even called Grand Maester Mellos to his room in order to thank him for the oil that had been making his recovery possible.
“Oil, Your Grace?” Mellos asked in confusion.
“The oil that you left on my desk, Mellos.” Viserys clarified.
Mellos’ face became gravely serious as he stared at the King. “Your Grace, I did not leave any such oil on your desk.”
“You are not lying?” Viserys asked he then reached into his pocket and pulling out the chaulmoogra jars. “You did not leave these for me?”
“Husband,” Alicent said from her place next to Viserys. “The Grand Maester could not have left this oil for you.” Alicent had spoken to Mellos and requested that all treatments be discussed with her, and the oil in his hands could not have been one of them.
Viserys then had Mellos bring forth all the Keep’s maesters to figure out who could have given the King the oil to use. One by one each of them denied being the perpetrator, all being unfamiliar with the liquid within Viserys’ hand.
It was this commotion that drew Rhaenyra to her father’s bedchamber.
“Father? What is going on? Why are there maesters coming in and out of your room?” The princess asked as she walked up to her father, the Queen, and the Grand Maester.
“Rhaenyra, you know how I have doing better than I have been these past few weeks?” Viserys asked his daughter.
“Yes, I have noticed. We have all assumed that it was a blessing.” Rhaenyra said.
Viserys shook his head, “It was this.” He said while showing the jars of oil that he had placed on the table. “I have been placing it on the areas of infection each morning and they have been making me feel better. I had thought that Mellos or one of the other maesters had left them here for me, but I have discovered that is not the case.”
Rhaenyra thought about what her father had said, “When were these jars placed in your room?”
“The day of my surgery.” Viserys replied. “Why do you ask?”
“I think I know who had placed these here.” Rhaenyra sighed, she then explained how on that very day Lilyanna had asked her if she could buy some strange fruits that she had seen in one of the city’s many markets and how she wanted it to make something for Viserys.
“Why did you not tell us this before?” Alicent immediately asked, her thoughts swirling as she tried to comprehend what Rhaenyra’s was implying.
Rhaenyra clenched her jaw, “I did not think it was serious. Lilyanna is five, I did not think whatever she would make would work but it appears that I have been proven wrong.”
“Stop this.” Viserys said, ending the argument that would have undoubtedly occurred between the two women. “Ser Criston, go to my daughter’s room and bring Princess Lilyanna here at once.”
“Yes, Your Grace.” Criston responded, turning on his heel and leaving the room to complete his King’s order.
Five minutes later and Criston had returned with Lilyanna at his side. Lilyanna looked between her parents, older sister, and Grand Maester and she immediately knew why she had been summoned to Viserys’ bedchamber.
“Lilyanna,” Viserys said as he motioned his daughter forward. “Did you make this?” He asked pulling one of the jars of the table and holding it for her to see.
“I did, father.” Lilyanna said earnestly, not seeing the point in lying when everyone in the room knew the truth.
“And you wrote a note, pretending to be Grand Maester Mellos? Why?” Viserys asked, his expression never changing as he towered over his daughter.
“If you knew the oils were from me you would not have taken them. I knew if you thought the Grand Maester gave them to you would not have questioned it.” Lilyanna responded.
“How? How were you able to make this... medicine?” Mellos quickly asked before anyone else in the room could speak. He knew from his fellow maesters that Lilyanna was very smart for her age but to make something like this without any previous training, knowledge, or experience was unheard of.
For someone who had only just left infancy, who was still learning to read and write properly, it was unthinkable.
Lilyanna was unfazed by the question, “I brought Chaulmoogra berries, took out the seeds and crushed them until they became an oil, Grand Maester Mellos.”
“Chaulmoogra berries? I have never heard of such a fruit.” Mellos said, as if surprised that there was something that he did not know.
“They are from Yi-Ti.” Rhaenyra answered.
“Yi-Ti?” Viserys asked Rhaenyra.
“Yes, Yi-Ti. It is where the merchant that Lilyanna bought the berries from said they originated. It is why they were so expensive.” Rhaenyra said, her eyes never leaving Lilyanna’s form.
“Expensive?”
“They cost three silver stags.”
“You gave your sister three silver stags to buy this fruit?”
Rhaenyra shook her head, “No I did not. Lily already had the coin in a purse she brought with us.”
“Lilyanna, where did – how did you get three silver stags?” Alicent finally spoke as she removed herself from Viserys’ side and stood in front of their daughter.
Lilyanna shrugged, refusing to make eye contact with the woman as she knew Alicent would not like the answer.
“Lilyanna.” Alicent stressed, using the tone that she almost exclusively used with Aegon whenever he did something wrong.
Lilyanna let out a sigh and said, “I asked a servant to lend me the money. I said I would pay them back when I eventually received my own allowance.”
This statement was a lie, in truth, Lilyanna had been stealing money from the Knights and lower nobles of the Red Keep for the last two years. Being a small child and her new love of disappearing and not being found had made it quite easy for her to reach into people’s pockets and purses without being noticed.
Lilyanna had been taking this money and placing them in a large sack that she had now hid within the walls of her bedroom, loosening a few bricks with Helaena’s help in order to make it possible.
She had done this just in case she needed the money in the future. It would be best for future problems/endeavors if she had her own money that was not monitored by the Crown.
It was not as if Lilyanna could tell her mother this, so it was the lesser of two evils to simply lie about where she had gotten the money.
“Lilyanna!” Alicent exclaimed, shocked by what she had just heard.
“I am sorry, mother.” Lilyanna tried to put on pitiful face of remorse, but either it was not convincing, or her sins were too great, because Alicent was not falling for it.
“How did you know that this concoction would help me, Lilyanna?” Viserys asked, temporarily sparing Lilyanna from Alicent’s wrath.
“I read through the few books we have about Yi-Ti in the Keep’s library. It said that chaulmoogra could be used to heal skin aliments.” Lilyanna told her father.
“Skin aliment? How do you know I have such afflictions on my skin?” Viserys questioned.
Lilyanna had to fight to not look like she thought her father was an idiot, “I have heard about the symptoms you have, father; bleeding from the nose, loss of hair, and scaring on the hands, feet, and face. I knew that the chaulmoogra oil would help with this.”
“And it can cure my disease?” Viserys had started to become hopeful, wondering if the treatment his daughter had secretly given him would cure him.
“No, it will not cure you.” Lilyanna said, she did not want to become response hen Viserys’ disease would continue to ravage his body by lying that it would. “I do not know what the disease is that you have, father. But the oil will not heal you, only slow down its speed.”
The room grew quietly as everyone inside gave their attention to the King, Viserys visibly deflated at what Lilyanna said. The King then surprised everyone when he turned to Mellos, “Grand Maester, I want you to be in charge of Princess Lilyanna’s education from now on.”
“Father, you cannot be serious about this.”
“Viserys, let us talk about this.”
Rhaenyra and Alicent said respectively, to the both of them it seemed like a rash decision to put an aging maester completely in charge of a little girl’s education.
“Clearly Lilyanna has some protentional in this area, besides it is not as if we can send her to the Citadel. It would best not to ignore this.” Viserys stated, there was a shine in his eyes as he looked at Lilyanna.
“I agree with you, Viserys, Lilyanna does have... a talent for medicine. It is clear with how she created this oil for you but have the Grand Maester be entirely in control of her education is excessive and unrealistic.” Alicent said to her husband, gently trying to get him to see reason.
“I must agree with the Queen, Your Grace. It would be best if Princess Lilyanna continues her education as is.” Mellos said. The maester did not know how to feel about Viserys’ decree, it was clear to him that Lilyanna was intelligent, but she was still a small child, a girl, it was yet to be revealed if this was an act of genius or simply luck that grew from a young girl’s whims.
There was also the unseen presence of Otto Hightower. Despite being ousted from his position years ago, he could still be felt through the actions of Alicent and her Greens. Mellos believed that it would only be a matter of time before Otto returned to the Red Keep, whether it would be because of the King, or the Queen had yet to be seen.
Mellos thought about how Otto would react to Viserys demand that Lilyanna be taught by him to essentially become a maester.
Viserys thought about what was said to him, “Perhaps you are both right, Lilyanna should maintain her normal schedule. However, I want Lilyanna to have lessons with you at least once a week, Grand Maester.”
“Of course, Your Grace.” Mellos replied with a bow of his head. He then turned to Lilyanna and Alicent, “Let us start as soon as possible. Does tomorrow work for you, my Queen, Princess?”
Lilyanna said nothing, looking up at Alicent and waiting for her mother’s answer before responding. She already knew that Alicent would agree, the Queen had no choice since Viserys had decreed that Lilyanna would learn from Mellos.
“Of course, Grand Maester. That would be fine for Lilyanna.” Alicent said, visibly conflicted about the situation. Alicent felt that so much attention, so much pressure was now being placed on her daughter and she could not do anything to stop it.
“Thank you, Grand Maester.” Lilyanna said, hiding her feeling on the matter knowing that it was best to go along with the decision instead of fighting against it.
Lilyanna did not know why Viserys was suddenly wanting Lilyanna to learn from Mellos. She had assumed when the King confronted her that he would write off her actions as blind luck, giving her a slap on the wrist for her deception, not order her to become Mellos’ student.
Helaena was right, I really am an idiot.
