Hiraeth

Daenerys I

"He did this for his sister and the Throne", is her last conscious thought, as she looks in his eyes. She tries to reach for the dagger, to pull it out, but her limbs are too heavy, and the pain is too great.

Then there's nothing. No pain, no sound, no thought. Nothing.

She's standing on a sandy beach, with water so clear she can see that the ocean floor is covered in shells and brightly colored stones. She quickly looks down at her chest, where a dagger should be, only to see that it's not. Odder still is the fact that she's naked and there's no wound marking her breast, as there should be. She glances around her, but no one, man or beast, can be seen. Truly alone.

She starts walking along the shore, her feet in the water. The water is neither cold or warm, and it takes only a few steps to realize that she can not feel the wetness of the water. She crouches down to scoop a handful up, and even though it rests in her palm, she still can not feel the wetness. Straightening back up, she realizes that there is no breeze, which is peculiar, as there is a slight ebb and swell in the water. The sun is brighter and bigger than she remembers, without a cloud in the sky to obscure it, however briefly. Despite the glare and brightness, she doesn't feel the warmth.

"So, this is the after life," she says out loud, wanting to hear something, even if it's only her own voice.

"This is the in-between," a female voice responds from behind her. Turning around, Daenerys sees a beautiful woman with blood red hair and robes.

"R'hllor has sent you here because He has deemed you worthy enough to choose your fate, an option only given to few. You were chosen to lead the world into greatness, usher in a new era, but your path was cut short, betrayed by the man you love. You did great things, but terrible ones, as well. However, the bad does not always outweigh the good, and your purpose has not been served. Will you go back to the land of the living? Will you resume your destiny and herald in a new age, like the Targaryens of old promised to do? Or will you continue your walk into the shadow, where you will find the ones you have lost?"

"Go back to what? The place where I will be seen as the Mad Queen, where people will fear and despise me, where I shall have no moment of peace? I have nothing waiting for me there, only fear and hate. If I continue walking, I will be reunited with the people who love me. But most importantly, Rhaego is there. I have never held my son. My arms ache to hold him, my nose craves the scent of his hair, my lips hunger to place a kiss in his brow. I have been a mother with no human child for more than six years. Tell your God I appreciate the offer to go back, but I rather see the ones I've lost and hold my son."

"If you go to Rhaego now, then you will never meet him," the priestess responds, nodding towards Daenerys's abdomen. "A witch once told you that you could never have children, she lied. The same witch also said that death paid for life, she told the truth. Many deaths have paid for many lives, however small that consolation may be to others. Such is the way of life, as it has always been and always will be. Bluntly, my dear, the deaths in King's Landing have paid for the births in Valyria. And the dragons there will need a mother."

Daenerys looked at her in disbelief, hand resting at her naked belly.

"Are you sure that this child will live?" She asks, with tears in her eyes.

"He will live, as will the others. There are three heads to the dragon, are there not?"

She had thought herself barren for so long that the very idea of having a child, and maybe more, is overwhelming in itself. Thoughts whirl within her head, too many for her to be able to latch on any single one and really think clearly. Her heart feels light and heavy all at once. She feels tears fall down her cheeks, and wipes them away with the back of her hand. She has to control her emotions. She has to weigh her options. Yes, she wants this child, so much more than she had ever even wanted the Throne in that forsaken land she'd been born on, but she has to be cautious. Nothing comes free. Nothing.

"I have never been given anything without a price. In return for this child, and the promise of other living children, what must I do?"

"This child is your gift, for all the good that you have done. As for the others, their births depend on your choices. The future is more sand than stone, and even stone can crumble. I have seen the possibilities, but it all depends on the choices you make, the paths you follow. I can offer help and guidance as the Lord deems, but I am afraid that is all. I have seen your son live a long and healthy life, o-", but Daenerys cut her off.

"Will he be happy? Will I be a good mother to him? Will the world hate him as they hate his mother? Will he succumb to madness like his ancestors?"

"Those are all questions that you yourself have the ability to answer. Will you love him fiercely and protect him as only a mother can? Will you teach him to treat those beneath him with kindness and respect? Will you show him that we are all capable of mistakes, but we are also capable of learning from those mistakes? Our time grows short, and you must give me your answer."

"You mentioned help and guidance," Daenerys says, determination in her voice.

The red-haired woman smiles kindly and nods. "You will awaken from Drogon's fire, as he was born from yours. Send for your old friend in Essos. He has amassed quite a large army and still leads under your banner. Greyworm and Yara are loyal and true. Seek their council. Make your home in Valyria, for all is not as it seems there, as Drogon well knows. Dragons are children of the Light, children of our Lord. The Targaryens understood this for a time, but they lost the way when they set out for Westeros. Leave all thought of Westeros behind, for now."

"Your Lord knows me well. I will want vengeance against those who have betrayed and hurt me. Am I allowed this vengeance?" Daenerys could hear the urgency in her own voice.

" 'Fire and Blood', those are the words of your House. I only implore that you be more cautious than you once were. This is your chance to do what you wanted to do. Destroy injustice where and when you can, and guide the future rulers down the same path. That is the way it should have been done from the beginning."

"I will go back, and I will do as I should have from the beginning. As for the dragons to come?"

"Go back to Valyria, Queen Daenerys, for there they are awaiting your arrival." She stepped closer and touched Daenerys's temple. "Be good and wise. Use your gentle heart, but be the dragon when you must. Do not be hasty. The Lord always brings back the people who must serve a purpose." She kisses her gently on the forehead, and finally Daenerys can feel it- the water, the sun, the wind, the kiss.

The sensations only last a moment, and then everything fades to black.