Main Content
Archive of Our OwnArchive of Our OwnHi, TheBrimmedHat!PostLog Out
FandomsBrowseSearchAboutWork Search
tip: words:100
Actions
Entire Work ← Previous Chapter Next Chapter → Chapter Index Edit Bookmark Mark for Later Comments Share Download
Work Header
Rating:
Teen And Up Audiences
Archive Warnings:
Graphic Depictions Of ViolenceMajor Character Death
Category:
Gen
Fandoms:
House of the Dragon (TV)Warhammer Fantasy
Characters:
Ikit ClawRhaenyra TargaryenJacaerys VelaryonLucerys Velaryon (Son of Rhaenyra)Baela TargaryenRhaena Targaryen (Daughter of Daemon)Daemon TargaryenCorlys "The Sea Snake" VelaryonHelaena TargaryenAddam VelaryonBackground & Cameo CharactersSilverwing | Alysanne Targaryen's DragonOriginal CharactersJoffrey Velaryon
Additional Tags:
Crack Treated SeriouslyCanon-Typical ViolenceThe Dance of the Dragons | Aegon II Targaryen v. Rhaenyra Targaryen EraAlternate Universe - Canon DivergenceCanonical Character DeathCharacter Turned Into a HumanIkit got isekai'd as Jace's twinSkaven Species (Warhammer Fantasy)Death to all GreensHuman ExperimentationScience ExperimentsIkit is his own warningSilverwing still has shit taste in male ridersPOV MultipleBackground RelationshipsBackground Character Deathshow canon onlyDragon RidersAnimal AbuseIkit is an abusive dragonriderTho he's fairly mellow compared to his SkavenselfGood Parent Rhaenyra TargaryenNo beta we die like LucerysDysfunctional FamilyCannibalismBlood and TortureCanon-Typical BehaviorBAMF Helaena Targaryen
Language:
English
Stats:
Published:2026-02-26Completed:2026-04-22Words:181,492Chapters:55/55Comments:1,270Kudos:749Bookmarks:160Hits:33,677
The Rat Prince of Westeros
SkilledWarriorKiwi
Chapter 36: Baela
Chapter Text
The reports were tedious things, Baela going through each line with the supply stocks, the taxes and levies, the selling value and the losses. Then she would calculate them against the potential growth and earnings, trying to balance them with the war effort.
Truthfully it wasn't within her responsibilities but keeping watch on Dragonstone was boring. Every other day she would fly to Driftmark and once a week would visit King's Landing. Reports were tedious but at least they gave her something to do besides brood in her room, festering in her rage over the death of her little brother Viserys. It had been nearly two months now but Baela was as angry as ever. She had wanted Rhaenyra to execute Alicent as well, especially as that stupid woman had failed to even mention the Triachy alliance her worthless sons had made with the foreign slave nation which led to her two younger brothers unexpectedly sailing into a hostile navy, but Jacaerys had persuaded the queen otherwise.
Logically Baela knew it was the more diplomatic move, and could make the likes of the Lannisters and Baratheons be more like to sue for peace and not fear annihilation, but emotionally Baela hated Alicent so intensely and wanted her to die screaming like the rest of her disgusting children.
Her little brother Aegon was still inconsolable even if Baela spent much of her time in the capital trying to comfort him. The guilt of leaving Viserys, combined with Stormcloud's death, had left him deeply despondent. Baela wasn't much better but she chose rage over grief.
Writing the letter to Rhaena explaining what happened was even worse, Baela's words clipped and short as she informed her twin sister they had lost a brother. Rhaena was still grieving Lucerys's death and now Viserys was gone as well while Rhaena was in the Vale.
Baela ended up going down to the courtyard and training with a short axe against one of the training dummies in the aftermath. It was hardly her weapon of choice but she found it a good way to work out her anger least she explode at any of the servants or guards. Strange, she had always felt annoyed at Daemon and his temper for as long as she could remember but now after going through a loss like this she never understood him more.
It was why she worried with him leaving to support the Riverlands, even if it was expected that Hugh would be sent to reinforce him once Prince Daeron and Oldtown was dealt with. She shifted between worry and anger and it was exhausting at times. But she would pick them over grief, that would threaten to swallow her whenever she crossed the courtyard of Dragonstone and saw the dull stains Stormcloud's dying body had left.
So Baela dealt with the reports, the boring monotony of books taking and taxes and gross and growth and taxes and debt. She knew the empty vaults of King's Landing worried the queen and for good reason, and she spent some time speaking with her grandfather about potential means to help fill the coffers when she visited Driftmark.
When she returned to Dragonstone that afternoon she was given reports from a servant about sailors speaking of the corpse of a dragon having washed up on the shores of the Dragonmont. She took Moondancer to the location cited and inspected the wild dragon's corpse; it had clearly lost its life to a fellow dragon, great chunks of flesh torn from its long slender body. The Cannibal no doubt, as she knew the beast dwelled upon the mountain somewhere, just as she knew the dead dragon was that of the shy Grey Ghost.
So she made a report of that as well, speculating that they may need to address the Cannibal. Apparently he was quite good at keeping the population of feral dragons low, due to his habit of eating the wild egg clutches and hatchlings which is why he was tolerated. But if he was actively attacking adult dragons then he may need to be addressed.
The morning after was not anymore exciting. As she ate a small morning meal a light rain began to fall over Dragonstone, with the clouds thick and heavy and hanging low until the Dragonmont itself was swallowed by grey. Even the uppermost towers of Dragonstone had slithers of cloud coiling around them as the day continued to be grey and miserable.
The morn was spent receiving yet more reports, some ravens from across the Seven Kingdoms- including news the villages of Blackbuckle and Buckle had been razed by dragonflame. There were some spotty rumours of Criston Cole's host, including reports of them being sporadically attacked by men loyal to Rhaenyra who had disguised themselves as corpses, picking away at the army but as of yet there was no outright battle commencing.
The only real news was from Daemon who had sent a raven from Harrenhall, having found the weirwood now strangling the entire courtyard and House Strong found dead and mutilated. He theorized Aemond had done such a thing, out of pettiness for the fall of King's Landing as if House Strong had anything to do with it.
Baela snorted, tossing aside the letter. Aemond being a childish, petty, ridiculous man who terrorized the helpless was nothing new. She wished Ikit had bitten his throat out so long ago.
That just led to complicated thoughts about her most wayward cousin, a part of her still wishing she had flown across the narrow sea to find him. They just lucked out the usurpation hadn't occurred even a week earlier when Corlys reunited with his grandson, Ikit would have been able to aid Rhaenys and Daemon in killing Vhagar.
Her grandmother was another thing to blame the Greens for, yet at the very least Princess Rhaenys had died in fire and blood instead of being butchered like Lucerys and Viserys. She hated them so much, King Aegon couldn't even die with honour. Baela also wished death for all his siblings, even Helaena she could not care less about. She had stood by and allowed herself to be crowned queen during the usurpation, Baela thought her just guilty and needed to be held accountable like all the Greens. Her fleeing King's Landing made it clear to Baela that the false queen knew her guilt.
With a sigh Baela shook her head, thick white curls bouncing on her shoulders, before she pulled out a clean strip of parchment and reached for her quill as she went to write an assortment of replies to her various letters.
That was why she was oblivious to the Green enforced takeover of the keep happening beyond her rooms, until it was down the corridor.
Dragonstone was minimally defended with most accompanying Queen Rhaenyra to King's Landing. And even before that Dragonstone did not garrison many soldiers, due to location and how the castle itself was designed with dragons in mind.
And so those loyal to King Aegon, who had been spirited away from King's Landing before the Fall, made their move after watching Baela's movements for weeks. Studying her habits and her consistent scheduled of visiting Driftmark and King's Landing, now striking when there was the largest time between visits.
Minimally defended, it was why it only took an hour for those who felt slighted by the queen- be it from losing family in the war, dislike of a female ruler or imagined grievances -to be led in by the turned-traitor Ser Alfred Broome. They took advantage of the overcast sky and gloomy weather to enter the keep largely unopposed. One group of Greens quickly took control of the armoury and another seized the guardsmen and master-at-arms and took them into custody. Maester Gerardys was surprised in the rookery, so no letter of warning could be sent to King's Landing as he was taken captive.
It was a distant shout of alarm and pain that snapped Baela out of her writing, her head snapping up as her eyes narrowed with her quill frozen against the parchment.
If they were not in the middle of a war she may have tried to find the source of the close noise, to go questing for answers. But now she quickly ran over to her door and twisted the key to lock it. Then she dragged a chair over, shoving it underneath the door handle.
Not even a moment later she heard hard metal boots running to the door, quickly followed by the knob rattling as someone tried to open it. She heard the door try to be pushed open before someone started banging loudly on the door.
A voice she didn't recognize shouted, "Lady Baela, Dragonstone is now under the authority of King Aegon the Second, rightful ruler of the Seven Kingdoms! Comply and no harm will come to you."
"Go to the Seven Hells!" she yelled back.
The banging increased, as if the intruder was now throwing their full weight against the door, and Baela knew it wouldn't hold for long.
Unfortunately for her would-be captors, she had lived on Dragonstone for years and knew its secrets. She left through the window, knowing the ledge down below lead to the back of the hall which in turn, would allow her to descend down into the courtyard where the immense stone stables were with Moondancer. Baela was dressed for travel already, in breeches and hard boots, and she ignored how the ancient stone of the keep bit into her hands as she clambered out the window and scampered down to where her dragon was waiting for her.
With a swiftness born of years, she freed Moondancer of her chains and by the time her pursuers had made their way down the stairs down to the courtyard, Baela had already lashed Moondancer's saddle onto her.
As Moondancer launched herself into the air Baela spied Ser Alfred Broome with the traitor's colours amongst the group of invaders and her hate nearly made her steer Moondancer down to bathe them in flames. But no, she had to return to King's Landing and inform the queen immediately that she had liars and traitors upon her council. The rain had intensified, a thick curtain of water that quickly soaked Baela to the bone as she turned her steed skyward.
Yet as Moondancer spiraled upwards into the air to make her way across the Blackwater, high above in the dense cloud something called out in a high shriek and there was a shimmer of golden scales within the grey.
Baela's expression grew taut with hate as she recognized the dragon descending down the volcano towards the keep, slipping free of the dense low clouds, even with the ugly grey scaring along its belly and how lop sided one of the pink wings were with several chunks of membrane missing she recognized Sunfyre.
Baela thought Meleys had killed Sunfyre but it seemed the wounded beast had played dead then hobbled to freedom with its worthless rider now in tow.
Still, there was the opportunity for her to kill the Usurper King right here and now so with a crack of her whip and a shout, Moondancer flew forward to meet her much larger foe in the sky.
Moondancer was not even half the size of her opponent, but Sunfyre was slow and unbalanced due to his lopsided wings and barely healed injuries. Baela felt nothing but rage as her dragon lashed out with tooth and claw, even as the rain rapidly made them all sodden. In the damp Sunfyre's hide gleamed like gold and blood splattered as both dragons snapped and clawed and roared.
Down below watchers gathered, staring up at the battle high above Dragonstone. Golden flames and pale green fire lit the sky, and Baela was nearly thrown from her saddle several times as Moondancer was forced to tuck and swerve to avoid Sunfyre's much larger bulk.
At one point Moondancer managed to latch herself onto Sunfyre's belly, clawing at his abdomen as her serpentine neck tried to snake over his shoulder to snap, jaws gaping, at where Aegon's burnt form clung to the saddle. Baela was essentially hanging upside down, only the chains and her grip preventing her from plummeting down to her death.
Sunfyre managed to kick Moondancer off, his hind legs dragging several ugly tears into the she-dragon's hip and tail. Baela's forehead collided with the saddle as Moondancer had to twist, nearly vertical to the ground, to avoid Sunfyre's lashing jaws and the jet of fire that swiftly followed.
Yanking on the reins and ignoring her broken nose, Baela steered Moondancer to avoid another blast of golden flames as the she-dragon sped past him. Her small size was her saviour against a much larger foe, even if Baela knew a single solid bite would be their end.
Screeching Moondancer swerved violently to avoid Sunfyre's hind legs as he lashed out, sweeping past his tail and managed to swing up and behind the bigger dragon. She managed to rip open his thigh and hip, clawing open the barely healed wound left by Meleys moon's ago. Rain continued to fall down upon the battle making the dragon scales shine as if polished.
So fierce was their battle in the air that all combatants were oblivious to the ominous distant tolling of the bell, growing closer and closer along with the great shadowed form within the low hanging clouds as it flew across the sea towards the castle above where the battle was raging.
Those upon the ground weren't as lucky, many clutching their ears as they tried to rid themselves of the terrible, unholy noise that seemed to resonate through their bones and blood.
The two fighting dragonriders only noticed the additional dragon in the sky when the great grey clouds bulged and then burst forth as a colossal dragon exploded out from the cover high above them.
Both Baela and Moondancer screamed, Baela's rage shifting to panic as for a heart-stopping moment she thought Vhagar herself was descending upon Dragonstone with the sheer wingspan that burst into being high above. Moondancer swerved violently, tail snapping like a whip as the huge dragon dove down.
Its wings nearly struck Moondancer aside, sending rain scattering in all directions, as the dragon swung its head down and then up sharply so its massive horned forehead smashed right into Sunfyre's stomach and sent him flying upwards like a ragdoll.
As the huge dragon swept down her huge wings to pursue her flailing prey, the membranes shone so brightly in the rain and flame that Baela had to shield her eyes.
Silverwing.
Her cousin had finally returned home.
Moondancer shrieked, quickly veering away from the great she-dragon as she engaged the Usurper King. She was massive, even larger than Vermithor, and when she seized Sunfyre's neck in her jaws she started throwing her head back and forth like a terrier trying to kill a rat as the smaller dragon struggled and yelped.
"Kill him, kill him, kill him!" Baela was screaming, half mad with rage and glee.
Rain continued to fall upon them, Sunfyre gagging and wheezing as burst of flames escaped his narrow jaws as he flailed, before with an ugly sound Silverwing tore Sunfyre's head and neck away from his body.
Sunfyre's body plummeted down, the watchers below scattering before the dragon's headless remains struck the courtyard with a great crack.
Up in the air Silverwing tilted her massive wings as she leveled out, throwing back her head and swallowing the severed head of Sunfyre with a flash of her bloody jaws.
Bolstered by the death of Sunfyre and the abrupt arrival of Silverwing, Baela steered Moondancer back down towards Dragonstone where Sunfyre's body lay. She had several burns and her broken nose was bleeding freely but Baela had never felt more gleeful especially as the noticed how the traitors were trying to scatter. Moondancer shot down in a green streak with a shrill whistle, a blast of fire spraying the ground before the castle gate and preventing them from fleeing back into the keep.
Moondancer then landed in the courtyard, talons making sparks spit from the stone as she skidded to a halt, hissing and snarling at the men who cowered from her. Meanwhile she spotted the traitor Aegon on the ground, screaming and thrashing from where he was clutching at his legs. Idiot must have jumped from his dragon before Sunfyre's corpse had struck the ground, breaking both legs.
Good, suffer, she thought hatefully.
A moment later Silverwing landed as well, making the very ground quake. She was so massive she no longer could land in the courtyard, but the ancient magic of Aenar's craft meant the walls did not collapse with Silverwing used them to balance her wings and legs upon them. One huge wing was resting in the courtyard, the other on the other as she leaned partially over the wall so her chest and shoulder were near the ground.
Upon her back the huge bell tower had finally stopped ringing, even as Silverwing swung her head around and howled at the trapped men. Most collapsed on the ground, begging for mercy.
Baela was breathing harshly, adrenaline beginning to fade and reminding her of her various injuries. Moondancer was tattered as well, with several wounds along her body but more than ready to fight.
It turned out to be a moot point as her cousin dismounted and used Silverwing's wing to slide down onto the ground. Fully clad in gleaming Valyrian armour he pointed at the men and shouted something.
Then he looked over at her, pushing back his rat-faced helm to show his face. Green eyes, silver hair, her cousin Ikit Velaryon as if it had never been in doubt. Baela waved at him with a grin, ignoring the painful twang of her shoulder.
Ikit nodded at her before he went stalking towards King Aegon who was still writhing on the ground on the other side of his dragon's corpse. Baela meanwhile urged Moondancer forward, until she was just before the usurper forces. She wanted to kill them right then and there, but grudgingly remembered Jace's warnings.
Her expression was hateful as she announced to Alfred Broome, "Yield for the queen's mercy or die in dragonfire, traitors."
Broome, expression ashy, was about to reply when gurgled screaming got everyone's attention. Baela and the men all looked over in time to see Ikit biting Aegon, having yanked the crippled king upright with a hand in his hair and another at his upper arm. Baela watched speechlessly as Ikit tore his way through Aegon's throat like a wild animal, blood spraying everywhere until with a ugly noise he tore Aegon's head off.
Ikit threw aside the usurper's twitching body, swinging around to brandish Aegon's severed head at the group. His expression was madness, green eyes glowing through the rain and gloom, blood staining his mouth and armour, lips curled back and showing flesh-stained fangs like a beast.
"You heard the girl thing," Ikit shouted, his voice carrying a terrifying level of authority as he kept Aegon's head aloft. "Yield or I bite-tear your heads off like traitor here!"
Silverwing screamed at them as if to emphasis his point.
There was crying, pleas for mercy, some even wet themselves, and Baela contented herself that these worthless men understood their place.
Then she heard a voice calling out to her, high and shrill and immensely familiar. Baela blinked, squinting through the rain to try and find the source. She quickly found it, waving at her wildly from Silverwing's immense back and looking so, so small. A familiar face she had thought lost, calling out to her.
"Viserys?" Baela asked in disbelief, eyes widening, before she was hastily yanking at the chains at her waist. "Viserys!"
She fell off Moondancer, landing heavily on her side and making her dragon snuffle at her in concern, but just as quickly Baela pushed herself up to her feet and went running to the great she-dragon. A part of her knew it was the height of rudeness, climbing up another dragon's saddle like that, but crazed disbelief seized her as she clawed up the long ladder to reach Silverwing's back.
And there chained to the saddle was her brother, face flushed from windburn and splattered with black dragonblood, but achingly, wonderfully alive.
Baela was crying as she seized Viserys, wrapping her arms around him and sobbing with relief. Viserys himself wasn't much better, bursting into tears as soon as she embraced him.
"You horrid little beast," she found herself yelling, half shouting and half crying. "We thought you had died, that you'd been dead for a moon. When the Triarchy came, when-"
"They took me away," Viserys said, even as Baela pulled back and started to fuss over him. "They took me to Lys to be a hostage after Aegon flew away. Ikit came and rescued me."
"Good. I hope he killed those wretched slavers who stole you, I hope they died screaming" she said fiercely, before pressing more kisses to his pale hair. Her little brother was alive, they hadn't lost him. He was alive and warm in her arms.
Viserys was about to reply when movement and shouting down below and both looked to see Alfred Broome attempting to flee back into Dragonstone. Ikit moved, raising one hand and a great twisted thicket of green lightning burst from his hand and struck Broome in the back. There was a great snap of noise and then Broome's entire body exploded, armour and gore going in all directions as red splattered the area. People shrieked and shied away, many of the men now cowering on the ground.
"Who else wants to die-die?" Ikit demanded, sounding both angry and amused.
"He's magical," Viserys said in awe, looking up at Baela with big red-rimmed eyes.
Baela snorted, only to immediately hiss and grimace as she was reminded her nose was in fact broken. Viserys made a noise of alarm, as if only just realizing that the blood all over Baela's face was in fact her own.
"It's just a nose," she teased. "Maester Geradys will be able to set it. Now-"
The stink of burning meat and Baela glanced to the side only to flinch when she realized how close Silverwing's bloody maw was to them both. However a sharp whistle and the she-dragon quickly pulled away, before Baela could really register at how wrong Silverwing looked, and then Ikit walked over to them, squinting up at them both through the rain. In one hand he still held Aegon's severed head, blood dripping down onto the stones from the torn neck and was just as quickly being washed away in the rain.
"Get down from there," Ikit said, annoyed.
Viserys quite happily unhooked himself from Silverwing only to jump right off her back before Baela could even shout or think to grab him. Ikit dropped Aegon's head, catching Viserys mid-fall. A drop from Silverwing's back could've broken a limb and Baela had to stop herself from scolding her little brother from above, even as Ikit put Viserys down on the ground next to him. Then he looked up at Baela, letting out an almost exaggerated sigh before offering his arms to her.
Baela barely hesitated before she jumped down, Ikit easily catching her.
Even when he let her go Baela tightened her arms around his shoulders and ignoring how his bloody face stained her white hair. Instead she squeezed once, saying, "It's wonderful to have you back, cousin."
She stepped back, Viserys clinging onto both of them.
"Seems much drama-stupidity has happened since I saw Grandsire," Ikit said with a sniff as he looked about. "Traitors I always knew. Obvious."
"Indeed but we now have a grand gift indeed for our queen, she has much missed you and we have all thought Viserys perished," Baela said, her hand tightening on Viserys's hand. She couldn't believe how much she had missed Ikit's oddity, that clipped and double speech. Her cousin was back, her little brother was back.
Baela then glanced at King Aegon's severed head and resisted the urge to kick it. Viserys stuck his tongue out at it.
"Severed head as well," Ikit shrugged as he followed their stares. Then he grinned, showing his flesh-stained teeth and saying, "Gift for den mother. But first I want food, yes-yes. Flew all way from Lys in one trip."
"We must dig out the traitors inside keep first, they have taken most of the staff hostage as well as the armoury," Baela said, even as Moondancer ambled over to them while Silverwing continued to eye the men still lying on the ground before the towering form of Dragonstone.
"Bah, I have Morskittar and am greatest warlock engineer. I can do such a thing on my own. You keep Birthkin close, I will dig out enemies. Then food, then go to den mother and littermate."
Baela grinned back at him, "Of course, cousin. Make them bleed."
Actions
↑ Top ← Previous Chapter Next Chapter → Edit Bookmark Comments (25)
Kudos
Paddle_Dragon, TheRedHood1e, Sparta10, Svuvyzusuki, Debbyblack09, Ana_17_AA, Crutt_Nacker2008, CecyBlack, Tasya_Claw029, Jasonthedeer, trouverme, ManiacaLaugh, dog3n, Soneaa, The_Most_Lovely_Rodent, Saya_Rose, Mel_ina, Diamonds4Daffodils, Thedarkknight12, Cassisins, wiejmx, NoNameGambit, Imotek, Strawberryboi, LiteralPanic, Poopsi, Donutlover4, Password5363, Kw921225, Pixel_Picasso, 0037, ForgottenAngerCourter, AndromiaTornado, ariadne22, lucifer_devil5, Sulzi, XiuLan_GracefulOrchid, ordermixtre, OwlrageousJones, b_s_s_rr_s, SabrinaRodrigues, WitcherGod90, Lescliffe, Starvaleorrego, Lsywastx369, Kaustubh, 3Juul, Kai_Meli, NotaPridefulWitch, Jazzy_Savvy, and 333 more users as well as 366 guests left kudos on this work!
Comments
Post Comment
Comment as TheBrimmedHat
Plain text with limited HTML ?
Comment
10000 characters left
Footer
Customize
Default
Low Vision Default
Reversi
Snow Blue
About the Archive
Site Map
Diversity Statement
Terms of Service
Content Policy
Privacy Policy
DMCA & TIDA Policies
Site Status
Contact Us
Policy Questions & Abuse Reports
Technical Support & Feedback
Development
otwarchive v1.2.0.0
Known Issues
GPL-2.0-or-later by the OTW