Chapter Text
Daemon I
Daemon didn't know where he was, but it was dark and the only thing his brain could concentrate was in the pungent smell in the air. His hand immediately went to his nose on a tentative to minimize it. Then suddenly his eyes focused in the big and round shining green circles in front of him, they were pretty he thought, like big shiny emeralds, only a little lighter in color.
All his wonder dissipated when the green circlets blinked, like eyes, the thing before him started to move and the ground began to tremble, a flash of green flames left the semi open mouth and Daemon had the first glimpse of the Dragon, it was big, his mouth could without a doubt chew a horse entirely, black scales covered his body like an iron armor and smoke left the holes in his snout. Daemon didn’t even have the time to be afraid, a jet of Green white flames left the dragon’s mouth and instead of pain he only felt peace.
289AC
They had received a raven three days ago announcing the arrival of his Uncle Eddard Stark, which would be good news in Daemon’s opinion, but with him was also King Robert Baratheon, which definitely wasn’t a good thing. The King, according to Lady Catelyn, “had a personal vendetta against his paternal family”, she had said it hesitantly, her eyes filled with pity in his direction.
Daemon understood very well his situation, people acted like he didn’t but he did, he knew that Robert Baratheon wanted him to die, he knew that his uncle had done the possible to dissuade him of this idea and in the end the deal was that the “dragonspawn” would go to the wall once he completed fourteen name days. It was better than to die for sure, but it wasn’t good, and definitely wasn’t what he was planning to do.
His thoughts were interrupted by his cousin loud voice.
“Jonnn!!!” he was always Jon to Robb, never Daemon, but he didn’t knew, so Daemon could hardly blame him.
“Come! Mother said that banners were sighted and we should prepare for Father arrival!” Robb said energetically, a big smile that made his blue eyes shiny even more, his hand reaching for Daemon’s arm.
"Right, right, can you not be so loud? " Mumbled Daemon.
Robb gave him a yellow smile and puffed his chest.
" I'm doing the work for the two of us, you know that. Now, stop whining and come, Mum will be angry if we are late."
Then he started running, his hand still on Daemon arm, he suppressed a smile and followed his cousin through the halls of the castle.
The Starks were together, waiting for him to join them a few meters in front of the main gate. Lady Catelyn was holding little Sansa hand, her daughter with the same red hair and blue eyes that Robb and his mother possessed. Daemon briefly wondered if the next one, the one that the lady was carrying would look like her too. As he made his way to join them the others who were close to receive the King and their lord turned their gazes to him, like they always did. He had lived there for Seven name days, but the people of Winterfell still looked at him like he was a pretty and rare animal, or worse, like he was the most disgusting thing that they would ever see, either way, his silver locks and indigo eyes were a rare sight in Westeros.
Robb gave him his always bright smile and seemed to want to say something, but a stern look from his mother made him bite his lip.
Lady Catelyn looked in his eyes and left a light sigh scape her lips.
" Very well, Jon Snow" He did not flinch at the emphasis on the name " You know what to do, now, tell me "
" When the King comes, a deep bow "
She continued to look at him expectantly.
"When he says my name a step forward, only one, no need to raise the head "
" And? You're forgetting the most important child "
" Do not make him angry "
"Which means? "
" No talking back " Daemon mumbled
Lady Stark makes him stay behind Robb, Sansa at her side and she just a little behind.
The gate opens and a procession of men, on horseback and on foot, begin to gather within the walls of Winterfell. There are a lot of banners, some are recognizable to Daemon, the merman of Manderly, the black bear of Mormont, the flayed men of Bolton, and a lot more that he doesn't know. He finally sees the Stag, and with him the Direwolf of house Stark. His uncle and Robert Baratheon make way to them, their horses trotting, until they stop a few meters away to dismount.
His uncle can't stop the beaming smile that appears in his face when he looks to his wife and children, he also can't stop the sad smile that always appears whenever Daemon is close.
He make his way to them and Daemon start to notice that he has more expression lines , his face looks tired and his shoulders heavy .
First, he kneels and embraces Robb, who throws himself on his father arms, his smile never fading, then it's Sansa, she isn't free like Robb, always trying to imitate her Lady mother, always composed, but even she can't resist this time and embraces her father with a strong and sweet hug. He doesn't approach Daemon, and goes directly to his wife arms. In this moment Daemon really wants to cry, he shouldn't, his uncle lied to him, to everybody, but even so he still wants a warm hug, he still missed him, but the hug doesn't come and the only thing keeping him warm is his clothing.
But something does come, the King, tall, black haired and with a golden crown in his head. This time Daemon can see everybody kneeling, all the houses and knights and soldiers that followed the King here, one by one they kneel, even the Starks. Daemon doesn’t, he knows he should, Lady Stark words pass on his mind ' Do not make him angry, don't talk back '. But he can’t, he won’t, Robert Baratheon isn't his King.
He isn't even surprised when the slap comes, he can hear Sansa gasping and Robb saying "father" but the clearest thing is Robert Baratheon.
" Fucking dragonspawn" the anger in his voice is real, he shouldn't be angry, he doesn't have the right to be angry.
Daemon wants to say that, but he doesn’t, "no talking back “he hears himself saying to Lady Stark.
" Robert, please, not here and not now " he hears his uncle pleading, at the same time he notice that there's blood in his mouth, it doesn't taste good. " Cat is pregnant, I have no desire to stress her, and besides, that’s a war you already won”
" So be it, Ned" he hears the King spit on the ground where he's still laying." But keep the dragonspawn away from me "
And with that everyone disperses, he feels a shadow over him and Robb helps him get up. Lady Catelyn is at his side, she looks at the cut in his lips and sigh's.
" I didn't talk back " Daemon says, looking expectantly at her, a bloody little smile in his face.
She just stares hardly at him, but her resolve soon comes to an end and she lets her own smile appears.
" No, that you did not "
****************************************
It's night and Daemon is banned from the main hall, it doesn't bother him, uncle Ned gave him a warm hug and a kiss in his head on private after the incident on the gate.
He knows he shan’t present himself in the same space as the King, so he goes to his favorite place in Winterfell, where he knows no one will bother him, the godswood, where the haunting heart tree stands, tall and beautiful, even the face carved in it doesn't scare him anymore.
Getting there would be a problem, the halls were filled with people he didn't know, people who could or not be hostile to him, with or without the ale that sure warmed their bellies. Luckily, he was a more than apt climber, at first, he wasn't, he was afraid, afraid of the powerful winds of the north, afraid of clinging to the high towers, afraid of falling, but he was a dragon, and what Is a dragon afraid of flapping his wings?
When his feet finally touched the ground, he almost let a scream of happiness out, almost, but he wasn’t where he wanted to be yet, better not risk being caught.
Daemon took five steps in the direction of the godswood before being caught, his captor had a firm hand holding his shoulder and not even Daemon's quick thinking of detaching the cloak worked. For a second, he thought that it may be the king, that maybe he was going to be beaten to the death for nothing, but it wasn’t Robert Baratheon, the hair was a golden blonde and the eyes green, a handsome and shaved face, and a white cloak on the shoulders. Jaime Lannister stared at him, as if seeing a ghost, his face pale and eyes reflecting the light of the torches.
The white cloak only stared at him, as if expecting something, Daemon didn’t know what, but he had a place to be.
“So, are you going to let me go? Or are you going to kill me before I go mad like my grandfather?” Daemon asked boldly.
Jaime Lannister finally came out of his trance and his grip on Daemon’s shoulders eased. He was staring attentively at Daemon now, his head pending to the side.
“You look like him” He finally said
“Aerys?” the name of his grandfather left his mouth like whisper
“Rhaegar” said the knight, mouth forming a sad smile.
“Thank you” Daemon said drily “It’s a much better comparison”
It actually was, but Jaime Lannister didn’t know the truth, only he and uncle Ned knew.
“Of course, it is!” the knight said with a smug smile “It wasn’t Rhaegar that my blade pierced”
“No, it was a hammer “Daemon shot back “Tell me, why did you do it?”
Jaime smile died for a second and Daemon knew he had him.
“Because he was mad of course” Jaime retorted "burning people alive, one side of your family included, isn’t a good trait on a king”
“I agree” Daemon said, and he did agree, for the most part at least “But it wasn’t just for that, was it? I mean, he burned a lot of people when you served him, I’m sure something made you reach the limit” Daemon asked, his eyebrows raised.
Jaime scoffed
“What does a child knows of limits?” the anger was visible in his voice
“More than you know of duty, apparently” Daemon said with a little smile.
“I DID MY DUTY TO THE PEOPLE!” shouted Jaime Lannister, his jaw clenched and his breath heavy.
“So, there was something else” Daemon studied the golden lion figure attentively "Will you tell me, Jaime Lannister?"
The knight hesitated for a second before releasing Daemon shoulder and turning his back to him.
“Ask me again the next time we see each other, Jon Snow, and I will answer you, for now, be happy with your dreams of summer.”
Daemon wanted to say that he only dreamed of winter, ravens, dragons and fire, but the knight was gone, his white cloak trembling on the wind.
He reached the godswood without further interruptions, it was dark but the light of the moon and stars was enough for him to find the way to the heart tree. Daemon was in the godswood almost every day, and each time entering it was like the first time, beautiful and haunting. The face on the tree stared at him as he made his way to climb in one of the thick branches, a raven perched on a close branch made his presence know.
“King! King! Corn!”
“Shut up bird, there’s no corn for you today” Daemon mumbled
He settles down on the branch and closed his eyes, using his cloak as a blanket and letting the dark consume his mind.
It’s morning and Daemon knows it worked, he isn’t in the godswood, with the crow or in the dragon’s den. It’s warm and he’s in a garden, a lonely lemon tree stands in the middle of it and at its side is a girl, she’s his age, a little smaller, her violet eyes and pale silver hair shine in the sunlight.
Her eyes finally spot him and she runs to him, her arms are warm and Daemon wonder, not for the first time, if he will ever meet her in the real world.
“Dany”
“Daemon” she says, her smile is blinding and it reminds him of Robb
“How are you? and Viserys?”
Her smile dims a little at the mention of her brother and Daemon doesn’t know if he hates Viserys or himself more for saying his name.
“Vis is…. Moody” she says slowly
“He isn’t hitting you, is he?” Daemon ask, his hand closing in a punch
She looks at him and hold his hand, guiding him to the shadow under the lemon tree, they sit down, Dany embraces her knees and gives him a sad smile.
“We were kicked out of Ser Willem house, I’m in this garden now only on my dreams.” She admits, her voice low and failing, tears forming into her eyes.
Without thinking he closes the distance between them and embraces her into a hug.
“Please don’t cry, I don’t know what to do when ladies and princess are crying”
Dany lets a muffled laugh scape and Daemon is happy for this win
“A princess of nothing, a lady who cries and is always afraid” her voice is broken now, and the tears roll free on her face.
Daemon doesn’t know what to do, Dany is never sad, she’s always smiling, always running and playing, she’s like the sun, always high and shiny in the sky. So he does what he usually does with Sansa when she’s sad or can’t be bribed with sweets, he sings.
It’s always summer, under the sea
I know, I know, oh, oh, oh
The birds have scales, and the fish take wing
I know, I know, oh, oh, oh
The rain is dry, and the snow falls up
I know, I know, oh, oh, oh
The stones crack open, the water burns
The shadows come to dance, my lord
The shadows come to play
The shadows come to dance, my lord
The shadows come to stay
His voice is sweet and melodic, he isn’t a singer, not really, but Dany cries are fading and he continues, he sings until he hears her humming the song with him. He looks at her and her eyes are red, a trail of tears is clear on her cheeks but the tears are gone, her eyes locked in him.
“I guess you do take after you father in more than appearance” she says sniffling “but couldn’t you sing something happier?”
He smiles at her and starts to pet her pale curls.
“Happy songs are for happy moments” Daemon conclude” You crying isn’t one of them, and besides, I suck at singing happy songs”
This time she laughs, the light returning to her features.
“You can’t suck at singing just because it’s a happy tune”
“Of course, I can, that’s what I just said” he retorts “but I understand your confusion, I mean, me, doing something that isn’t awesome? humph, impossible.”
“That’s not what I said!!!”
“No, it wasn’t- “he almost can’t finish the word, the world around them starts to spin and suddenly he’s being pulled away from her.
“DANY!!” he screams her name “I’LL SEE YOU AGAIN, BE SAFE, AND TELL VISERYS THAT I’LL BEAT HIS ASS IF HE HURT’S YOU”
She tries to scream something too, but in the end his eyes open and he’s on the godswood again, still in the branch, the crow is still perched and it’s still night, but he isn’t alone anymore, a gloved hand shakes him.
His eyes focus on the figure and even in the dim light of the stars and the moon is impossible not to recognize him. The crow choses this moment to announce himself and take flight.
“KING! KING! DRAGON!”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBGHSJBH7Gw (Shireen singing Its Always summer under the sea)