A song of Fire and Blood

Chapter 6: The Last Hope of House Targaryen

Ser Barristan Selmy

The rebellion had reached its deadly crescendo. The Battle of the Trident had taken the life of Prince Rhaegar Targaryen, the shining hope of his house, leaving the Targaryens fractured and broken. Robert Baratheon's warhammer had fallen upon Rhaegar with the force of a storm, and the prince had fallen, bringing an end to the man once known as the Dragon Prince. The red rubies of his armor scattered like broken stars across the river's surface.

Ser Barristan Selmy had heard of it from Dragonstone, the weight of the news pressing heavy on his chest. Rhaegar was dead, and with him, the heart of the Targaryen hope. Yet news said that Aerys rested the future of house Targaryen upon the shoulders of one child—the Prince that was Promised, Aerion Starborn, born of both prophecy and blood. Though he did not name him his heir.

Thoros of Myr

Back on Dragonstone, the winds had begun to shift. Thoros of Myr was frantic, his eyes flickering with firelight as he gathered the remaining forces around him. Barristan stood beside him, his face grim, his eyes reflecting the unease that had taken root in the heart of the realm.

"Ser Barristan," Thoros said in a low voice, "we must act quickly. The king is gone, and the madness has spread. We must protect the child—Aerion is our last hope."

Rhaella, still mourning the loss of Rhaegar, stood on the balcony overlooking the sea, her eyes dark with sorrow. She had already decided to sent Aerion away with the fleet, watching the ships depart with a heavy heart. Her mind was clouded with grief, but her motherly instincts had not faltered. Viserys, her remaining son, had not yet come to understand the weight of the crown, but the time was near and they would be needed at Dragonstone.

"I cannot go with them," Rhaella said softly, her voice cracked with sadness. "I will stay here. Viserys needs me, and the war is coming to us. I will stay in the heart of my home, at Dragonstone, while the rest of you flee."

She looked down at her swelling belly, the child she carried—another Targaryen—hidden from the world. It would not be safe here for her and Viserys, but she could not abandon her son, not now. She knew her place was at Dragonstone, while Aerion needed to be hidden away.

Ser Barristan

Ser Barristan exchanged a glance with Thoros. The decision had been made, and it was time to move. Rhaella had made the difficult choice to remain behind, but Aerion would not be alone.

The fleet, led by Monford Velaryon the 14 year old heir of Driftmark, set sail from Dragonstone. Among them were the few fastest ships that had been chosen to protect the future Prince of House Targaryen. Aurane Waters, Monford's half-brother, would accompany them, as would Ser Guncer Sunglass the Lord of Sweetpoint Sound, a man loyal to the Targaryens. They also brought Clement Celtigar, the heir to Celtigar, though only a child of five years old, a reminder of the power and legacy of their house.

The air was thick with the smell of salt and the weight of loss as the fleet left Dragonstone behind. Queen Rhaella watched from the shore, her heart torn in two. Her son was gone, but she had made sure the last hope of her house would survive. She could only pray this Lord of Light would guide him through the darkness to come.

Thoros of Myr

The fleet, led by Thoros of Myr and Ser Barristan Selmy, sailed across the narrow sea, heading toward Volantis, the city of flame. The journey had been long, but the ships had carried on, their course unwavering. Upon their arrival, the city was a bustling, vibrant place—a city steeped in the faith of the Lord of Light, and it was here that Aerion would be hidden away.

The priests and priestesses of the Red God awaited them. Kinvara, the High Priestess, stood at the forefront of the gathering, her eyes bright with anticipation. She had long known that the child of prophecy would come to them, and now he had arrived.

"The flames have foretold this," she said, bowing low before Aerion. "The Prince has come, as was written in the stars. I see your mother in the prince, his red eyes like gis mother kissed by Rhollors flame"

Narion Qoherys, the last living descendant of the ancient house of Qoherys, stepped forward. He led the Lost Legion, a group of 8,500 soldiers of pure Valyrian descent, and followers of the Red God, ready to serve the child of prophecy. The flames had shown them this path, and they would follow it.

Barristan and Thoros exchanged a quiet look. The protection of Aerion Starborn had now passed into the hands of the Lord of Light's faithful. The Targaryens were not without their allies, even in this far corner of the world.

Back at Dragonstone, the winds of change had swept through the land. Rhaegar Targaryen was dead, and with his death came the loss of the last hope for a peaceful reign. Robert Baratheon's rebellion had gained more ground, and the Starks were making their moves in the north, their forces growing stronger by the day. Gulltown had fallen to the rebels, while Robert had won the Battle of Summerhall and the Battle of Ashford, though Randyl Tarly had chased him from the field at Ashford, costing the rebels a chance to strike a decisive blow.

In Volantis, though, the flames burned bright. The Targaryen fleet had arrived, and with it, the future of House Targaryen was safe—at least for now. Rhaella's sacrifice had ensured that her son, Aerion, would live on, hidden from the storm that raged back in Westeros.

The next few days in Volantis were spent acclimating to the strange land and its people. The temple was grand, but the Triarchs of Volantis did not look kindly upon the presence of foreign Targaryens. They feared the shifting tides of politics, and the rise of the Lord of Light had created tensions.

Kinvara, however, assured them that the faith would keep them safe. Aerion would be hidden, his identity known only to a select few.

And then came a new, uncertain future. Rhaella had stayed behind on Dragonstone, pregnant with her second child, while her son had been sent to safety in Volantis. For now, Aerion was safe. But with the fall of Rhaegar, the rebellion was far from over. The Starks and Baratheons would not rest until the last Targaryen had been burned from the face of the earth.

But Aerion Starborn, the last of the dragons, was safe—for now.

And his story was just beginning.