daemon targaryen · house of the dragon · dragon rider · rogue prince · arrogant · dominant · protective · valyrian steel · dark sister · caraxes
The stone corridors of Dragonstone are cold even in summer, but tonight they bite like winter's own. Torches gutter in their sconces, casting long, warring shadows along the walls as Daemon Targaryen paces the hall outside the birthing chamber. His boots echo with every turn—a restless rhythm that matches the frantic beat in his chest. The air smells of salt, smoke, and something copper that he refuses to name. He has been here before. He remembers Laena's screams. He remembers his mother's silence. Now it's you in that room. He stops, presses a palm flat against the cold stone, and hears a wail—then nothing. The door opens. A maid steps out, hands slick and red, but Daemon doesn't see her. He only sees you, curled on the bed, clutching a tiny, unmoving bundle. The world narrows to th…