Chapter 118. The Wall.

700 feet high. That was 100 higher than the tallest tower in Argentstone. The wall stretched for miles along the horizon. A huge block of ice, the closer they got, the colder it became.

Jaehaerys had been there before, when he was younger. But now it seemed more fascinating. The perspective from the sky was different. The wall was wide enough for the dragon, Moonfyre, to perch on top. Jaehaerys looked at Daenerys on the back of her dragon; she showed no intention of stopping.

Some two hundred years ago, Alysanne Targaryen made a trip to the north. The Conciliator's wife arrived at the wall, determined to see the Night's Watch. She rode the dragon Silverwing . A peaceful and obedient dragon, as much as a dragon can be. But no matter how determined the Queen seemed to be to take a ride beyond the wall, Silverwing did not dare. It was as if something repelled her.

Blackfyre, Daenerys' dragon, was exactly the same.

She barely passed a few feet beyond the wall and turned sharply, heading south. Jaehaerys felt a hollow in his chest when he saw the sudden turn. Moonfyre jumped off the wall and chased after Daenerys and her dragon. They landed below the wall. Blackfyre shook, as if she had chills running through her body. Dragons had never been cold before.

His movements were as if he were shaking off some insect that had crawled up his body.

"Daenerys!" Jaehaerys shouted.

The princess seemed to be calming her dragon. Little by little, Blackfyre was calm enough to allow her to dismount safely. Jaehaerys did the same, and Brandon followed behind him. This time, the bastard landed on his feet.

Jaehaerys's hand went to his wife's waist and held her tightly. Warm air came out of his mouth like smoke.

"I'm fine," the princess said, looking worriedly at her dragon. The huge creature looked back at her, seeming annoyed. "I knew the story... It was my fault," she said. She had sensed the dragon's reluctance to go beyond the wall but decided to force it anyway.

She approached and stroked Blackfyre's snout. The dragon was the most violent of the three, and Jaehaerys did not leave her side for a second.

The dragon exhaled hot air through its nostrils. It was foul-smelling, but the heat comforted Daenerys.

Moonfyre approached and nudged Blackfyre aside; she was quite playful. She seemed to be taunting the black dragon.

"Lykiri, Moonfyre," said Jaehaerys, and he felt that the silver dragon obeyed him for a moment before walking away with Blackfyre.

"They seem to hate each other," said Brandon.

"Sometimes I think they do," Daenerys replied. She looked at her husband. "Dragons don't go beyond the wall," she said. "You said the White Walkers still exist," she believed him when he told her.

"They do..." Jaehaerys bit his cheek from the inside.

"It's curious, I wonder what makes them so afraid," he said into the air. Daenerys shivered, either from cold or fear. "If anything is capable of causing dragons such fear... how it is that men will fight them?" Daenerys said.

"Do not underestimate the human spirit of survival, nor that of dragons. Humans have precious things to fight for," Jaehaerys's hand went to Daenerys's cheek. "And a dragon, when it is backed into a corner, is when it becomes most ferocious and dangerous," he continued. "Let's go to the castle, you'll freeze out here," he said, hugged her, and pulled her close to his body.

---------------------------

The old maester sat looking at a parchment on a wooden table. His thinning hair seemed about to fall from his head. He was wrinkled, looked like skin and bones, and yet seemed quite alive.

"Your steps are heavier now, Jaehaerys. You've grown, boy, no, you're a man now," Aemon greeted him, his smile tender but concerned. "Too much, you've grown too much. They already tell stories about you even here, on the wall," the stories seemed not to be to the old maester's liking. "Dragons... fire and blood," he said sadly at the end.

"Have I disappointed you, Grandfather?" Jaehaerys' voice sounded more hurt than he could have expected. Aemon was a Targaryen, brother of Aegon the Fifth. He was the only family Jaehaerys could see regularly, apart from his mad father.

"The prince of scrolls..." The old man's voice was rough as sandpaper. "Now no one talks about your brilliant mind or the things you invented. There is only blood associated with your name. It saddens me to see that. When you were a child, you wanted to be an inventor, a revolutionary. What was that invention you wanted to see created? Ah, yes, a train. I still have a drawing of it. Although I'm afraid I still don't quite understand it. The rest of Westeros can't see it," he admitted, an unhappy smile adorning his lips.

"If you understand it, then it's wonderful to me," Jaehaerys put a hand on the maester's shoulder. "I want peace..." Jaehaerys said weakly.

"I know, but you were also angry, weren't you?" Aemon said, as if he knew exactly how the prince felt. "Your daughter attacked, Ironborn in your home... I must admit I was enraged when I heard all that. No, my child, I am not judging you. War brings out the worst in all of us. You are a man now, you no longer need the advice of an old man," he smiled, his teeth no longer complete.

"They will always be valuable to me," Jaehaerys sighed heavily.

Aemon's wrinkled hands took Jaehaerys's. His milky eyes seemed to want to look him straight in the eye.

"But you don't need my advice anymore, not now at least. What you did with the Ironborn, you accepted it and moved on," he said with a loud snort. "Maybe it wasn't the best decision, but you did it, and they're safe. Protect your family, as you have been doing now. That's the duty you chose, right?" His hand went to Jaehaerys' cheek.

"Thank you, Grandfather," said the prince.

"You've always called me Grandfather. My nephews might feel sad to see us," said the old Maester, moved.

"I never knew them. I can't pretend to love them. I'm sorry," he apologized, but Aemon said nothing.

"Why have you come to the Wall this time, and with your wife too? Things are quite turbulent," Aemon asked.

"To investigate. I was at Winterfell, Lord Stark told me about the raid and Daemon," Jaehaerys said. "And Daenerys wanted to meet him," he added more bitterly.

"Ah, Daemon, more inclined toward the martial. He had a lot of resentment in his heart, but I think he's a good man," he said, hurt by the man's disappearance. "And Aerys... Oh, Aerys!" he said regretfully. "He hasn't stopped repeating the same thing since he found out you had dragons," Aemon said with a horrible grimace.

"What? What does he say?" asked Jaehaerys, though he was sure he knew.

"Burn them all," said Aemon, moving his mouth as if he had licked dung.

"I see... I'm surprised at how easily he stays alive," said the prince.

"Now, more than ever, no one wants to touch him. No one wants to risk going against the House of the Dragon, going against you," said the maester.

"I wouldn't waste my time avenging my father's death, " said the prince with a grimace of disgust. "Everything he did to my mother, I have never forgiven him for that," he looked into the maester's white eyes, who nodded.

"The watch doesn't know, and Aerys thinks you would. No, it's as if he's sure of it." Aemon stood up, the chains around his neck clinking as they collided with each other. "Are you sure you won't do it?" he asked curiously.

"I am," Jaehaerys didn't even hesitate.

"You are his most beloved son, you and Daenerys are. It's curious, quite curious," said Aemon.

"What's curious?" asked Jaehaerys.

"It was always about the two of you. Always." The maester nodded. "The mother of dragons, the prince of scrolls. Aerys mentioned your names with such devotion even before you earned those titles. As if he were a—"

"Dreamer," the word crossed Jaehaerys' lips in a second. "I doubt he is, actually." In the canon, there was a theory that it was the Three-Eyed Raven who caused Aerys' madness. Jae didn't think it was crazy at the time.

"We'll never know, his mind has been broken for decades," Aemon said sadly. "That doesn't matter now. I want to meet Daenerys; unlike you, they praise her kindness and intelligence," he said with a bit of humor.

Jaehaerys smiled fondly as he helped the old maester walk out.

Look at my bio for more chapters!