House of The Dragon: The blind warrior

My steps echoed through the empty cavern that led to the dungeon, every step sounding like multiple steps. The heat emanating from the walls made my forehead gather a bit of sweat.

Mysaria, or the White Worm, she was a cunning person from what I've seen in my dreams. All of the things she did, from getting close to Daemon to wanting to marry him and later lying about him defiling my mother when she was young, all of it was done for her benefit.

People like this are best to be disposed of, that is, if they're not useful.

"My lord," said one of the two guards standing by one of the many cells in the dungeon as I approached them.

"I trust she has been treated accordingly?" I asked, making sure they treated her well.

"Yes, my lord," answered the other, older guard.

Nodding for them to open the door, I stepped into the room that smelled of death and defecation.

The cell door closed behind me as I observed the occupant of the room. The first thing I noticed was how the person's heartbeat started to quicken, which meant they were nervous.

The smell that was coming from her indicated that she had not washed for some time. The way she stood still, unmoving, showed her caution.

But as I was observing her and the room, a familiar smoky smell lingered in the air, a smell only a member of my family emitted. Because everyone's smell was unique, I recognized who it belonged to.

"So, Daemon was here before me?" I started, while I walked toward the stool placed in the corner of the room, setting my walking stick on my lap as I sat on it.

I turned my masked face to the woman named the White Worm.

"Are you also here to threaten me?" she asked, guarded.

"Threaten?" I asked. "Is that what Daemon did?" I continued while she shuffled, clearly on edge.

She didn't say anything.

"Hmm… tell me, Lady… White Worm," I said, unsure what to call her.

"Do you know who I am?" I asked the woman who my informants said had all but put Aegon on the throne.

She may have done it for her gain, like the other lords of the small council, but that did not change the fact that she committed treason.

I heard her move, which meant she was shaking her head.

"Let me show you, then," I said, before taking off the black mask I wore, fully displaying my scarred face.

There was a spike in her heart that indicated shock, her breath caught in her throat.

"Do you know who I am now?" I asked, my expression passive.

She stared at my face for a moment before she moved her head again, this time adding a vocalization.

"Yes," she said shortly.

She had likely caught on to the fact that my white orbs for eyes couldn't see.

"I… I thought you were dead," she said, her tone edged with disbelief.

"Many thought the same, but here I am," I said humorously, before continuing.

"It was my men who found you on that ship to Essos. I heard from my people that the Greens attacked you," I stated matter-of-factly. Ignis had already given me a rundown of how she ended up on that ship.

Apparently, she had traded the whereabouts of Aegon, the pretender, while he was trying to escape King's Landing, to Otto Hightower—for a bag of gold.

"We had an agreement," she said sharply. "But they betrayed my trust." A downcast expression marred her face.

"Yes, an agreement that you give them Aegon the Pretender in exchange for what? A bag of gold?" I scoffed at her stupidity. Otto Hightower was a scheming weasel; any man should know to tread carefully when dealing with him.

"You should have known better than to make dealings with the Greens. I thought you were a spymaster," I said contemptuously, starting to doubt her reputation the more I recounted her situation.

"I could not have known that they would burn my establishment," she said in a low voice.

"Yes, well, you know how the saying goes," I said, feeling the salty air wafting through the barred window.

"If you play with fire, prepare to get burned," she said self-mockingly, fully aware of the risks she took when making the deal with Otto.

"Hmm… but that's not why you're here," I said, standing up and walking toward the barred window.

"Then why exactly am I here?" she asked, sounding helpless for the first time since our conversation began. I knew she had an inkling of what I wanted, but I could see she was taking the ignorant route.

"White Worm, or Lady Mysaria," I began.

"You've been operating in King's Landing for some time now, even before my birth. Protecting and giving the smallfolk better lives while working in the shadows," I said, recounting what I knew of her.

"In short, cleaning up the mess the king and the royal family should have dealt with," I added, doubting her accomplishments throughout the years.

A person like this should have shrewdness and cunning, but all I saw in this woman was a broken soul, trying to piece together what was left of her shattered life.

"I did not do it to be praised," she said in a low voice as I turned my gaze to her.

"I was not praising you," I replied, before turning my gaze back.

"You have many operatives in King's Landing, and you hold many secrets…" I said, finally getting to the point I was trying to convey. As much as I disliked the idea of letting her live and roam freely in the castle, she could be useful.

"You want me to serve the queen?" she asked, surprising me.

"No!" I said, a bit too forcefully.

"I wouldn't trust you within my mother's radius," I said, making sure my message was clear.

I was giving her a chance… she knew it.

If she worked for me, it meant protection—from Daemon and from potentially being hanged.

'Something feels off with her, my lord,' I remembered Ignis's warning.

I trusted Ignis with all my heart. That was why I needed her close—because if I sensed even a little betrayal, I would put her down where she stood.

"Won't Daemon have something to say?" she asked hesitantly.

"His thoughts do not concern me… for now," I said, stepping in front of her.

She sat there on the cell bed, weighing her options. It was so obvious that I could practically hear her thoughts. When she opened her mouth to speak, I cut her off.

Before she spoke, I needed to make one thing clear.

"I do not need to hear empty words from you. My letting you serve me means I want results," I said, before adding, "Now, if you understand me, nod." And so she did.

"Good. I'll tell the guards to take you to more fitting quarters," I said, turning to leave.

Knocking on the door, one of the guards opened it to reveal Yue waiting for me on the other side.

"One more thing," I said, turning my masked face back to her.

"Wash up, will you?"

"You stink of piss and death," I said as I walked out, noticing Yue making a face at me.

Before I could question why he was there, Mysaria stopped me in my tracks.

"Do you not want to know why he came here?" she half-shouted behind me, referring to Daemon.

"I'm sure that will be cleared up soon enough," I said, already knowing from last night's dream what he was planning.

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POV: Mysaria

As the masked man—whom I now know to be the Crown Prince—left the cell, I exhaled a breath I hadn't realized I was holding.

Daemon was terrifying in his own right, but this man? Standing before him felt like staring into the eyes of a raging beast barely restrained.

From the moment he entered, the air in the room shifted. Every word, every subtle gesture, steered the conversation exactly where he intended. It was a dance I had no control over—a sharp contrast to the negotiation I had envisioned.

This was not the encounter I had prepared for.

When the Sons of Dragons captured me, I had assumed I would be presented to their infamous leader, Ignis. The rumors painted him as a cunning, ruthless warlord. But now, I understood that Ignis was nothing more than a figurehead.

The true power behind the Sons of Dragons was Vealor Targaryen—the Crown Prince thought to be dead.

The revelation had sent my mind reeling. His survival alone was shocking, but his sudden reappearance, commanding a fearsome army, was a game-changer.

The lords' rebellion against Queen Rhaenyra wasn't merely because she was a woman, though for some that was the excuse. The true tipping point had been her heir apparent—a child widely believed to be a strong bastard. But now, with Vealor alive, undeniably legitimate, and bolstered by his own forces (and likely a dragon), the entire board was about to shift.

The question was, where did that leave me?

I could only hope that remaining here might guarantee my survival.

My thoughts were interrupted as two guards entered the room. They were tall, clad in dark armor that gleamed faintly in the dim light, their expressions unreadable.

"You're to be relocated," one of them said, his tone clipped and formal. "By the master's order."

I blinked, absorbing the words. Relocated? My confusion warred with curiosity, but I schooled my expression and nodded.

"Well," I murmured to myself, rising to my feet, "I suppose I should take that bath now."

Falling into step behind the guards, I followed them out of the cell. Each step echoed through the stone corridor as my mind spun with possibilities, questions, and the faintest spark of hope.

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The lord has trusted me with the important task of bringing someone important to him.

His betrothed.

I have not heard much of her, since the lord rarely speaks about her. But the times he had spoken of her were the times he was most vulnerable, and he always said one thing and one thing only:

'She is an angel that lives in hell.'

So, for him to trust me with this task means he has faith in me and my skill… I cannot let him down.

No!

I will not.

Walking toward where the command ship was docked, I signaled for the man I knew would be perfect for the task.

"Ezio!" I called, as the man, who many thought was only a shipwright, came walking toward me after I signaled to him.

"First General, how may I be of service?" he asked as I looked him over.

Ezio was a young man, with short black hair and blue eyes. He would be considered an ordinary-looking man, but that would only be a façade created by him. Because Ezio wasn't just an ordinary shipwright in service to the Sons of Dragon. In truth, no one who was a part of the Sons of Dragon was ordinary.

Ezio was the leader of the Shadow Squad, a squad known only to me, the lord, and Yue. They specifically dealt with espionage, information gathering, and, if needed, assassinations.

It was created for safety measures by the lord, after an incident that happened two years prior, where a man had infiltrated our ranks and tried to cause mutiny. It was dealt with quickly, but the lord said he could, and would, not be blind to something like this happening again.

And so, the Shadow Squad was created.

"I have an important task at hand," I said, handing him a small missive. He opened it and read the contents before handing it back to me.

"It will be done, General. For the lord," he said, bowing lightly, while I patted him on the shoulder.

"Good. Now go with haste," I commanded, and he was off.

Now it's in his hands. I could only hope the mission would go without any surprises.

Turning to look at the castle, I wondered if the lord had already spoken to the one we found being smuggled in the ship.

"Gods, I hope you don't do anything crazy again, my lord," I said aloud.

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Hey everyone, Author here!

I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it—though I won't lie, this one was tough. It's really tested my writing skills more than anything I've done before. Along the way, I even discovered something I'm calling "word fatigue." (I might've coined that term, but trust me, it's exactly what it sounds like!)

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