CHAPTER EIGHT ─── messages and escapes

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𝕬laelanna had not meant to be awake that late.

On the night that her parents had left King's Landing, Alaelanna had found that sleep eluded her. Every noise she heard, every quiet breath of air made her feel as if she was being watched.

It was the reason that she had heard the servants whispering outside of her door just as the night reached its darkest point. Their voices were hushed, but Alaelanna managed to duck by the keyhole and listen as best she could.

All she could hear was 'king' and 'dead'.

Her heart paused, grief filling her. If she hadn't been sat on the floor already, she feared her legs would have given out in that moment. Her grandfather was dead, and the only person who would have been able to keep her safe in this city without her parents was gone.

But Alaelanna knew what she had to do. She knew that this news would not be told to her mother, who had just left King's Landing. Alaelanna had to get her mother back, so that she could take her rightful place as queen.

It took her a precious minute to find a quill and ink, jotting down a note as quickly as she could. She kept the message short and sweet, before pulling a dark cloak from her chest. Opening the door carefully, Alaelanna hurried through the corridors, up the stairs and to the highest tower of the Red Keep. 

It was where the ravens were kept.

She prayed to the gods, before opening the closest cage. The raven did not crow, as if hearing her prayers.

It watched her with beady eyes as she tied the parchment to the raven's legs. Lowering her voice, she whispered to the raven quickly.

"To Alterwoode, please." The raven tilted his head. "Please, Alterwoode. To Rhaenyra Targaryen."

The raven chirruped before Alaelanna opened the window on the tower and threw the raven out. It flapped for a moment, before turning and flying south, towards Alterwoode. Now, she would just need to follow it.

To most, it would seem the smart decision to leave the city by horseback or on foot, but Alaelanna would not leave Littlewing. She knew that it was stupid, and the likelihood that she was caught would only grow, but she refused to leave her dragon.

So, she took the risk and left the castle, sneaking past guards and servants alike, hurrying through the dark corridors and tunnels, heading for the Dragon Pit as best she could remember. Everything made her jump, but she kept going. She refused to lose Littlewing.

It took her a painstakingly long half of an hour, where she was sure that they probably had already noticed her having gone missing. But she continued. She was a Thorne, and Thorne's were not scared of anything.

The other dragons in the pit barely stirred as Alaelanna padded past their sleeping forms, both her uncles dragons and her aunt's not moving an inch. Littlewing seemed to have noticed her mistress coming, her eyes opening and watching her with curiosity. Alaelanna's heart broke, seeing the heavy chain that kept her dragon pinned down.

"Hush now, I am here." Alaelanna promised quietly, reaching down and pulling her dagger free as she attempted to pick the large lock. Occasionally her dragon's nose would reach down and bump against her hand, trying to help even though these were designed to stop her from escaping. "Almost there."

Littlewing clicked nervously, sapphire eyes darting to and fro, before she nudged Alaelanna again, trying to urge the girl on.

The lock clicked.

"We can go." Alaelanna pulled the large chain off, wincing at every thud and clank that it made as it fell to the ground, hoping that the dragon keepers would only think that the large animals were rolling over in their sleep. "Come, Littlewing."

The dragon lowered it's wing, allowing for Alaelanna to quickly jump onto the beasts back as she shuffled across the sandy ground.

Every time they passed a dragon, Alaelanna's breath would catch in her throat. Littlewing knew to keep quiet, both of them watching for anything that moved. As the door grew closer, Alaelanna grew more and more relieved. She would be free, and she would go home and it would all be sorted.

A deep, rumbling growl had her turning. Vhagar was awake, watching the pair with narrowed eyes as she stood to her full height. Littlewing trembled beneath her, tensing with every movement the large dragon took as Alaelanna soothed her.

"Calm, Littlewing. Obey me." The High Valyrian came easily to her, soothing her tense dragon as she watched Vhagar.

"A late night flight, niece?" Aemond was standing by his dragon, scratching at her scales gently as he watched the girl, a cruel smirk playing on his lips. "Or running away?"

"What's it to you?"

"Well, I can not have my betrothed running away before we are even married." Aemond mused.

"Let me go, Aemond." Alaelanna watched him. "You do not want this marriage and neither do I. Let me go and we will not be forced into this."

"Now, whoever said that I did not want this marriage." Aemond patted Vhagar, as the large dragon stood to her full height, towering over Alaelanna and Littlewing. "It is probably best that you put your little dragon back, before they notice that you have gone."

"Do not do this."

"I will not ask twice." Any sense of hope and happiness left her body, her soul feeling crushed as she looked at the doors. She was mere metres away, mere metres to freedom and she had been stopped. Littlewing clicked and whistled, nervously backing away from the larger dragon, as Alaelanna soothed the beast. 

As much as she wanted to go home, she would not risk her dragon to do so. 

"It is alright, Littlewing." Alaelanna slid down, soothing her dragon as a hand clamped onto her elbow.

"Send her back."

"It's alright, Littlewing." Her dragon had begun to call out to her in a nervous manner, as Alaelanna soothed her once more. "Back to your cave. I shall come back soon and we can go flying. I promise."

Littlewing whistled at her, clicking and calling out as Vhagar growled once more.

"Littlewing, obey me. Go back." Her dragon reluctantly padded back to her own cave, settling down and watching Alaelanna with mournful eyes of sapphire blue. The girl smiled sadly, before a gentle tug on her arm had her walking away. "Let go of me."

"I do not trust you to run."

"I will not be walked back to the Red Keep like some common criminal." Alaelanna pulled her arm free, glaring up at Aemond. "I do not understand you. You hate me so, yet you keep me here as if you wish to marry me? Do not let us both suffer."

"I am saving your life, niece. A little gratefulness would be appreciated." Aemond hissed, tightening his grip. "Do you know what they will do if you run? If you attempt to escape? Do you know the punishments they would bring on your family?"

"There is no punishment that they can bring that is not treason." The girl dug her heels in, staring up at Aemond with wide eyes. "My mother is Rhaenyra Targaryen, the crown princess, the heir to the Iron Throne, to suggest any different in the greatest treason that there could be."

"Do not be so foolish that you do not know what will now happen now that my father is dead." Aemond chuckled. "You should have known that your mother would never be the one to sit the throne. They would never allow a woman to do so."

Alaelanna's breath froze in her throat.

"Your family is eighth in line for the throne. You have no claim whilst my brothers and I live." She pulled her arm free, standing frozen in the alley of King's Landing. "There is only one true heir. The people know it, the lords know it."

"No one knows that. The announcement will be made." Aemond approached her, though Alaelanna continued to back away. "My brother shall be the one to become king. As is my father's wish."

"Be reasonable, Aemond, though I know it is hard. Your father hated Aegon just as the rest of us did. He loved few in your family, possibly only his daughter." Aemond's eye narrowed, his hand drifting towards his sword. She reiterated one of her previous points. "The people know that there is only one true heir, my mother."

"They will know what is told to them."

"Is that you or your mother speaking?" Alaelanna shook her head. "Even now, you still allow her to manipulate others though you know it is wrong."

"Your mother is a woman, she should never have been made heir whilst my brother lives. Whilst I live." Aemond replied, in a sentence that seemed so mechanical, as if he had been told it religiously, since he was young. "The city will rejoice at the news of their new king."

Alaelanna stepped back, before turning on her heel and running as Aemond cursed. 

As the girl ran, dodging through the streets, she began to shout, hoping that her message would be out.

"The king is dead!" Aemond's curses reached her ears, as she feinted right and then sprinted left through another alley. "Long live Queen Rhaenyra!"

She repeated those two sentences over and over, until chatter and whispers started from behind her, until she felt a body slam into hers, until Aemond picked her up by her arms and began to drag her back to the Red Keep.

"Silence your tongue, Alaelanna!"

"Long live the queen." The girl hissed in response as cheers for the new queen started up all around them. Alaelanna chuckled, looking up at the man, as his eye narrowed. She smirked, stumbling to her feet as he pushed her back towards the Red Keep, his hand on his sword all the while. 

"You will get yourself killed."

"Then they shall start a war they cannot win."

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Hiya,

So, Alaelanna could have lived but she loves her dragon too much and refuses to leave her there. Also, she and Aemond are pretty funny, because she just lives to insult him and cause pure carnage in King's Landing. Alicent and Otto aren't having fun now that the news of the king's death is out on the streets, and also to Rhaenyra.

Let me know what you think,

Love Li xx