House of The Dragon: The blind warrior

Sitting in my usual spot next to Lucerys, I strummed my lute to a tune I had played countless times.

Jacaerys sat on the other side of the bed, watching Lucerys's sleeping form.

After he had arrived two days ago, we had a long conversation where I told him most of the things that had happened to me while I was in Essos, sparing him the more gory parts of my travels, but nonetheless sharing the struggles and adventures I had gone through.

After that, I introduced him to both Yue and Ignis. They both took to him well enough, with Yue warming up to him more than Ignis.

Jacaerys was quite surprised to find out I was the creator of the sellsword company. He had many questions on that topic.

Later, he told me about his travels to the North. He had stopped at the Eyrie to get Lady Arryn to pledge her support, to which she agreed, stating that the knights of the Vale would gladly help their lady's own kin.

The North had apparently been a more tricky ally. Lord Cregane had welcomed him with open arms, but the grim young lord had said he needed his men in the North. Jacaerys was unsure of the reason, but he mentioned that Lord Cregane had shown a hint of fear when he spoke of winter.

I knew all too well what he was afraid of, and his fear was warranted, but I did not say that to Jacaerys. Perhaps I should visit the North myself to treat with Lord Cregane.

I changed the tune I was playing to one I knew both Jacaerys and Lucerys would enjoy.

Jacaerys, who had been staring at Lucerys's face, turned to me in recognition of the song I was playing.

"You remember?" he whispered, not wanting to disturb Lucerys.

Lucerys had woken up a handful of times in these three days. I hadn't seen him awake yet, but the maester had confirmed he was getting better little by little. I had Yue confirm the same thing. The reason he was sleeping so much was that his energy was going into healing his arm and leg.

"Of course I remember. I used to sing this to you and Lucerys every night," I said, strumming my lute to the song I made sure to sing every night before I slept in the fighting pits. Jacaerys didn't know, but this was one of the many things that had saved me when I was feeling hopeless.

I journeyed through these hunting grounds

To a sheiling in the wooded grove

Night descends upon me now

To the call of a hooded crow -

While I kept strumming the lute and humming, my mind wandered to what Ignis had told me this morning. He had informed me that he sent Ezio to rescue Heleana from King's Landing. I wasn't surprised, because he and Inej would be the perfect duo for the job.

What surprised me, however, was the news that came this morning.

Ezio and Inej had succeeded in their endeavor, but they wrote in the missive that they had encountered a disturbance... Daemon had apparently still sent the cutthroats after Aemond.

When I read that part, my mind instantly played the gruesome scene of a little boy's head sewn together, but thankfully, Ezio and Inej had dealt with the problem.

Yet it still stood that Daemon had disobeyed my mother's direct orders, and I wasn't going to let that go—not at all.

I approach and take her hand

But her touch is as cold as the grave

I realize too late where I am

For I cannot stop her embrace -

I finished the song with a heavy heart, my thoughts completely taking over all my senses. I hadn't realized that Jacaerys and Lucerys had started to stir, their fluttering eyes catching my attention.

"Lucerys," I heard Jacaerys say, hearing the third heartbeat, which had been slow, start to pick up pace, the shallow breathing turning into a deep inhale.

I stopped strumming the lute in recognition of what was happening.

He was waking up.

"Lucerys, can you hear me, brother?" Jacaerys asked, moving closer to the now fully awakened form of Lucerys.

"W...w..." Lucerys croaked, sounding terribly parched. I slowly reached for the boiled water I had prepared for this very moment and poured some, before moving closer to Lucerys, who finally noticed I was there. I was wearing one of my masks so he couldn't see my face, but there was clear recognition in his eyes as I helped him drink.

"T...thank you," he said slowly, taking in my form, unable to see the smile behind my mask and the overwhelming relief I felt in this moment.

"You're welcome," I said, helping him sit up as Jacaerys placed pillows behind him to make him comfortable.

"How do you feel?" I asked, sitting back down, with Jacaerys choosing to sit on the bed next to Lucerys.

"I guess a bit dizzy," he replied, likely still feeling the effects of the milk of the poppy.

"Yes, well, that will wear off soon enough," I said, a silence descending in the room. I wasn't sure what to say—this had gone far better in my head.

"You were there," Lucerys finally spoke, beginning to recall the day when all of this happened to him. He shook his head before looking back at me. "I remember, when I broke through the clouds and I saw V...Vhagar's form about to..." He didn't finish, and Jacaerys comforted him by taking hold of his shoulder. I slowly reached for his hand and held it in mine.

"There was purple light, then... then I saw darkness," Lucerys continued.

"You don't need to say anything more," Jacaerys spoke up, seeing the pain it was inflicting on him, but I held up my hand to stop him, knowing that Lucerys speaking about it was the beginning of his healing.

"Then I saw you, we... we were riding atop a dragon, and even though you were wearing a different mask, I know it was you," he said, looking at me with his black eyes, showing an intensity that betrayed his earlier weakened state.

"You saved my life," he finally said.

"Yes, I did," I replied shortly, waiting for him to come to the conclusion I knew he would.

"You had a dragon?" he asked.

I nodded in confirmation.

"But that's..." he began.

"Impossible?" I asked.

He nodded.

But the next moment, I went to take off my mask to reveal my long white hair and the scar he had inflicted on me many years ago.

I didn't resent him for it then, and I surely didn't resent him for it now.

He looked at my face, wide-eyed, not at all believing what he was seeing. I heard his already fast heartbeat speed up even more. He extended the hand I had been holding earlier to touch my face, tracing his hand across the scar that ran diagonally where my eyes had once been. He stopped his hand just before reaching my eye.

"Vealor," he whispered.

"Yes, brother," I said, allowing a smile to come across my face, and slowly inching forward to wrap my brother in a hug, being careful not to hurt him on his injured arm.

"I... I'm sorry," he said, shaking in my arms, tears flowing down his face to my exposed neck.

"For what?" I asked my brother, whom I had missed dearly.

"For your eyes... if it weren't for..." He didn't finish, but I didn't let him.

"Nonsense, it wasn't your fault. It never was," I said. It was my incompetence that had led to my eyesight being taken, and it was a constant reminder to never make the same mistake again.

"But... If I hadn't done that, you wouldn't have left," he said, clearly internalizing the reason for my departure.

"How many times do I have to tell you, Lucerys, it wasn't your fault?" Jacaerys finally spoke up.

"He's right, you know. It wasn't your fault," I said, slowly letting him go so he could take a look at my face. At the same time, I heard someone open the door.

"It wasn't anyone's fault except for mine," I said as my mother entered the room, slowly approaching us. "But now I'm here," I continued.

"So get better quickly, little brother," I said, feeling my mother's arm on my shoulder. Lucerys nodded, wiping away his tears.

"This is a wonderful sight," my mother spoke, sitting down next to me to hold Lucerys's arm. "All my eldest boys, together once again," she said, Jacaerys and Lucerys giving our mother a smile, while I only gave her a nod.

"It's only natural," I spoke.

My mother looked at me and nodded as well. "Yes, and soon after this godforsaken war is over, we can all stay together in the Red Keep as a family, as we once did," she said, Lucerys's eyes widening.

"War?" he asked, looking around the room, his gaze stopping at mine.

"It's a long story, but I promise to tell you all about it after we're done with the council meeting," I said, hearing the approaching sound of the Queensguard.

My mother and Jacaerys looked at me funny.

"Council meeting?" my mother asked, as Ser Steffon entered the room to inform my mother of an emergency meeting.

"Yes, a meeting," I said, standing up. Yue had already entered the room with my walking stick and extended it to me.

"I'll see you soon, Lucerys," I said, before leaving the room, my mother, Jacaerys, and Ser Steffon following behind Yue and me.

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