Broken Wheel (Chapter 4) A Game of Thrones Story
I forced a smile. āIāll be back.ā For a moment, memories of everything I had survived flickered through my mind: the long years hiding in Essos, the constant fear of discovery, the promise I made to my family that we would find a safe place at last. I could not fail them now. I grabbed the reins. āEndien, sÅvÄs!āĀ (Fly).Ā My dragon followed my command and, with a few strong flaps, took to the sky. I looked back at the ship as Erno brought it to shore as I requested. Hopefully I could stop the army before they reached my mother. āEndien, sÅvegon va se tolie zaldrÄ«zes yn gaomagon daor engage!āĀ (Endien, fly towards the other dragon but do not engage!)Ā I commanded, and Endien began to pick up speed towards the marching army. They were at least a dayās march from Kingās Landing. They saw us coming before we left Dorne. I didnāt know how this would end.
As we got closer, I noticed it wasnāt the Queen on Drogon as I expected. Instead, it was a younger man with the same pale blonde golden hair as Daenerys did, and he was flying one of her dragons. Green and bronze colored scales meant it was Rhaegal. I couldnāt get any closer because the next thing I knew, a ball of fire was coming towards me. This dragon rider wasnāt going to give me the chance to talk.
āEndien vÄzot!āĀ (Up!)Ā I pulled up on the reins, getting Endien to fly above the fireball and the larger dragon. I saw how the man looked at me as I had complete control of my dragon, avoiding his attack. āI only want to talk!ā I yelled above the roar of dragons. āPlease!ā The man didnāt listen; instead, he got Rhaegal to turn and made his way back to me. This was a battle I wouldnāt win.
Endien and I had trained, but she hadnāt fought any battles and was only four years old. Rhaegal alone had fought multiple battles. I could evade until Endien grew tired, but after that I was dead. My only hope was to get the rider to listen. If the common tongue wasnāt going to work, High Valyrian might.
āNyke mÄzigon isse lyks! nyke Č³dra daor jaelagon naejot vÄ«lÄ«bagon!āĀ (I arrive in peace! I don't want to fight!)I arrive in peace! I don't want to fight!)Ā I pleaded. The High Valyrian had some effect. The rider hesitated before barking his next command to Rhaegal.
āAngÅsāĀ (Attack.)Ā His voice sounded familiar to me, even though I was sure I had never seen him before. He barked commands with confidence, the authority in his tone clear, but beneath it was a subtle urgency, almost like he felt he had something to prove. I watched the way Rhaegal obeyed him instantly, sensing their bond. Was he trying to impress someoneāmaybe Daenerys herself? I tried to piece everything together as I hovered just out of reach. He had the same pale golden hair as the queen, unmistakably Targaryen, and he was riding Rhaegal, one of her dragons. There was something else, tooāa slight resemblance in the sharpness of his features, the set of his jaw. My mind raced. Daario had once mentioned the Prince of Dragonstone would be around twenty-two by now. Slowly, all the pieces clicked into place. My heart pounded as the realization settled in: this had to be Daenerysās son and heir, the prince himself.
I cursed myself for thinking I would be able to arrive in Westeros with a dragon and thinking I wasnāt going to be viewed as a threat. I needed to show I meant to harm. I saw a clearing nearby, and an idea popped into my head. If I failed, Iād be dead, but I had no other option. āEndien, tegun toliot konÄ«r!āĀ (Endien, land over there!)Ā I turned my dragon towards the clearing while avoiding the Prince of Dragonstone's attack. Endien landed, and I knelt as Rhaegal and his rider flew closer. I closed my eyes, waiting for the fire, but it never came. Instead, the ground shook as Rhaegal landed across from Endien, his size dwarfing my dragon.
I kept my eyes glued shut, but I heard the Prince unsheath his sword as he dismounted his dragon. āRaqiros iÄ foe?āĀ (Friend or foe?)Ā He asked, his High Valyrian crisp and clean.
I lifted my head and came face to face with his amethyst eyes. āRaqirosāĀ (Friend.)
His eyes narrowed. He didnāt believe me. āEmÄ iÄ zaldrÄ«zes,āĀ (You have a dragon.)
āSe hÄre tolÄ« drÅma syt se dÄria.āĀ (And three more eggs for the Queen.)
The prince took a step back in surprise. āHÄre drÅma?āĀ (Three eggs?)
I nodded. āKessa.Ā ArlÄ« rČ³ Ʊuha lÅgor.Ā Nyke mÄzigon isse lyks.āĀ (Yes. Back at my ship. I come in peace.)Ā I went to stand, and in doing so, my cloak moved, showing my Valyrian sword.
āDark Sister!ā The prince switched to the common tongue and unsheathed his sword. āThat is a Targaryen ancestral sword. How do you have it?ā
I pulled the sword out, letting the blade catch the light just for a moment. āI got this in Essos,ā I said, my voice carefully measured. I tried to explain, but it seemed to do more harm than good.
āYouāre an assassin from Volantis!ā
āWhat!ā The prince swung his sword, and I lifted mine to block his attack. āIām not an assassin! I want to help Daenerys!ā
This seemed to anger him more, and he kicked me in the chest, causing me to stumble back. Pain exploded across my ribs, and for a moment, all I could do was gasp for air and taste blood on my tongue. Fear surged up, icy and sharp, as I realized just how easily he could kill me. I tried to catch my breath but didn't have time before his sword slashed across my chest. I cried out and fell to the ground, desperation tightening my throat. I couldn't die here. Not like this, not after coming so far. Endien didnāt take kindly to seeing me hurt and began to huff, coming out of her nostrils. āEndien daor!āĀ (Endien no!)Ā I ordered. āRČ³bÄs. Lykir.āĀ (Obey. Be calm)Ā The smoke dissipated, and she came over to nuzzle me. āSČ³zāĀ (Good).Ā I blinked back tears and forced myself to meet the prince's gaze as he walked over and placed the tip of his sword to my throat. My heart battered against my chest. He had complete control, and with one swipe heād take my life. In that moment, I clung to hope that he might listen, because hope was all I had left. āBelieve what you want of me, but I stole these eggs from Volantis to bring to the queen. I come seeking asylum.ā
