Smoke rolled across the battlefield in thick black waves, blotting out the sun and turning the sky the color of ash. Below, soldiers scattered in terror as dragons screamed overhead, their roars shaking the earth itself. Fire consumed the trees around Rook’s Rest, turning armor molten and banners to cinders.

High above the chaos, Aegon II Targaryen clung to the saddle of Sunfyre as blood ran warm down his temple. His beautiful golden dragon twisted violently beneath him, scales ripped open from the savage fight against Princess Rhaenys Targaryen and Meleys.

Meleys came again like a crimson storm.

“Dracarys!”

Flames exploded toward them.

Sunfyre shrieked, narrowly banking away, but not fast enough. Fire scorched across his wing, and Aegon cried out as the heat tore through his armor. The world spun sickeningly around him.

Gods.

He could barely hold the reins.

Below, men looked no larger than insects. One wrong movement and both he and Sunfyre would plummet from the sky.

Then—

A shadow.

Massive.

Ancient.

The battlefield darkened beneath the enormous wings of Vhagar.

Relief hit Aegon so hard it nearly made him dizzy.

“Aemond…” he breathed, almost laughing. “Thank the gods.”

Aemond Targaryen sat atop the monstrous dragon like death itself, silver hair whipping behind him, sapphire eye gleaming coldly through the smoke. Vhagar circled once above them, enormous jaws parting.

Aegon grinned despite the pain.

His brother had come.

They would burn Rhaenys from the sky together.

But then Aegon noticed where Vhagar was aiming.

At him.

Confusion flashed across his face.

“Aemond—?”

The younger prince looked down at him with terrifying calm. No panic. No urgency.

Only hatred.

“Dracarys.”

Vhagar inhaled.

Aegon’s blood turned to ice.

Then another voice split through the heavens like thunder.

“Angōs Vērizon!”

Everything changed in an instant.

A monstrous dragon burst from the clouds above them, larger than any beast Aegon had ever seen save Vhagar herself. Midnight-black scales shimmered dark blue beneath the firelight, enormous horns sweeping back from his skull like sharpened crowns.

Vērizon.

The second largest dragon in the world.

And on his back—

You.

Aegon’s eyes widened.

Vērizon slammed into Vhagar with catastrophic force before dragonfire could leave her jaws. The impact shook the sky itself. Vhagar roared in fury as Vērizon locked massive teeth around her neck, dragging the older dragon sideways through the clouds.

The sound was horrifying.

Teeth grinding through scales.

Dragons screaming.

Fire exploding wildly across the air.

“Aemond!” you shouted, fury echoing over the battlefield. “Have you lost your damn mind?!”

Vhagar clawed violently at Vērizon’s chest while both dragons spiraled downward, smashing through clouds and smoke. Soldiers below fled in terror as the two titans ripped across the sky above them.

Aemond yanked hard on Vhagar’s reins, trying to free her from Vērizon’s jaws.

But Vērizon held fast.

Huge.

Ferocious.

Unrelenting.

Your silver hair whipped wildly around your face as you guided him with terrifying precision, your expression murderous beneath the soot and ash staining your skin.

For one heartbeat, your eyes met Aegon’s.

Fear flashed there.

Not for yourself.

For him.

And suddenly Aegon understood.

You had known.

Somehow, you had known Aemond would betray him.

Sunfyre groaned weakly beneath him, struggling to stay airborne as smoke curled from his wounded wing. Aegon could barely breathe through the pain tearing through his body, but he could not look away from you.

From the sight of his queen descending from the heavens like wrath itself to protect him.

Above, Vērizon released a deafening roar directly into Vhagar’s face before hurling the ancient dragon backward through the smoke.

The battlefield fell silent for one impossible moment.

Then you raised your chin toward Aemond, eyes blazing with fury.

“Touch my husband again,” you warned in High Valyrian, voice cold as dragonstone, “and I will feed you to my dragon myself.”