Dawn crept over Volantis like a cautious predator, its pale light filtering through shattered windows and over bloodstained stone. The city's heartbeat was uneven now — the echo of the previous night's chaos still lingering in the air like smoke.
Kaerys sat in her chamber, the weight of the dagger cold against her palm. Her eyes were distant, but her mind raced through possibilities and threats. Each breath felt like a countdown.
Jaro entered silently, bowing his head. "The factions stir. Some call for peace, others for vengeance."
Kaerys's voice was steady, unyielding. "We answer with fire."
Secrets in the Shadows
In the hidden catacombs beneath the city, Lady Elira met with her closest council. Maps and letters were spread across the stone table, detailing troop movements and whispered alliances.
"We must strike before the Targaron heir can rally the clans fully," Elira insisted, fingers tracing a path of burning villages and bloodied banners. "Delay means death."
A councilman's voice trembled. "But the Merchant Queen's spies have infiltrated even our ranks."
Elira's eyes flashed cold steel. "Then those ranks will be cleansed."
Forging Alliances
At Cair Volakar, Neron convened with a delegation of northern lords, their faces hardened by winter and war.
"Dragons and steel," Neron declared. "Our strength lies not just in fire, but in the bonds we forge."
A grizzled lord spat on the ground. "The Targaron claims dragons, but we hold the sword. The old ways still bind us."
Neron's smile was grim. "Then let those old ways be reforged in flame and blood."
A Whispered Promise
Kaerys met with Lord Daven in the secret gardens, the scent of night-blooming flowers mingling with tension.
"Will you stand with me when the city burns?" she asked, her gaze piercing.
Daven's answer was a dark chuckle. "I don't wait for cities to burn — I set the fires myself."
The Flames Begin
As twilight fell, Serenthis's wings cast vast shadows over the city. Neron and Kaerys watched from opposite sides of the courtyard, their eyes reflecting the burning horizon.
The gathering storm was no longer a threat — it was an inevitability.
End of Chapter 34