Yuri_Lover23
patreon
House of The Dragon-A God Amongst Men: Chapter 266: The Portrait II
🕑 Added 2025-06-06 17:45:56 +0000 UTC(Third Person POV)
Maegelle walked into the Throne Room, looking around as she held Vaella in her arms, "Drakken, are you here?" She asked, "You were not in bed. Did you spend the rest of the night with Lady Mya?"
She stopped and widened her eyes, a bit taken aback by the sight that was before her.
In front of her, behind the throne, a large Portrait was on the wall. It was that of a woman with blonde hair and emerald green eyes, wearing a red and gold dress with pure black in the background. Maegelle recognized the woman immediately; it was Daranne. The massive portrait was that of Daranne.
"Oh my...." She said softly as she slowly walked over to the throne, "That.....is it fresh?"
She sniffed the air, smelling the fresh scent of paint, confirming her thoughts.
The moment Maegelle stepped to the side of the throne, she accidentally stepped on a hand.
"Oh!" She said as she stepped aside, looking at Drakken, who was sitting down and leaning against the back of the throne, "Drakken!"
Drakken was sitting down, looking directly at the portrait, right into Daranne's eyes. There was a bit of emptiness in his eyes, something that Maegelle noticed right away. There was no reaction in his face due to having his hand stepped on, it was like he didn't care at all.
He didn't say anything, he simply stared at the portrait.
Maegelle saw that his hands were stained with paint, as well as his shirt, which was unbuttoned completely save for the bottom two.
She then looked at the portrait, the massive painting on the wall that was at least fifteen feet tall and seven feet wide, perhaps larger than those dimensions.
It didn't take long for her to realize what this meant, for her to know what Drakken was feeling. She could immediately tell what was in his mind at this moment, seeing his eyes glued to Daranne.
"Drakken...." She said softly as she slowly sat down next to him, "Are you alright?"
Drakken's eyes did not move, "I'm fine."
"I see...." Maegelle said as she looked at Vaella, who was shifting slightly, "A portrait, huh?"
"Portraits are ways to remember someone." Drakken said
Maegelle looked at him, "That is what I said when she wanted to get the one with Sylas." She said, "Drakken..."
"She was mine." Drakken said, his voice soft but full of anger, "And she was taken from me."
"I know." Maegelle looked down, "I know you're still hurting."
"I wanted to rip your Father's head off." Drakken said, "I wanted to tear him apart, limb from limb, and feed him to his own dragon."
"I know." She said softly
"What am I going to do?" Drakken said, "What am I going to do if I can't bring her back?"
"I don't know." Maegelle said
"Neither do I." Drakken said, "This is foolish, this is fucking stupid....."
"What is?" She asked
"I'm not supposed to have these fucking feelings." Drakken said with an angry scowl, "I've lived for centuries, fought countless wars, and not once have I felt emotional attachment with anyone long enough for this to happen to me. During those centuries, I did not think of having a family, not once. Viktor and Riktor were family enough for me, I didn't care about having children. And here I am, thrown in this world.....and within twenty years, I have three children with three different women...and I wanted more...Why? Why is it this way?"
Maegelle reached for his hand, "I....I don't have the answer to that." She said softly, "But....what matters.....what matters is that it already happened."
"If I had done things differently, none of this would have happened." Drakken said, "I've had plenty of lovers, lost some of them, but none of them hurt me like this. None of it hurt this fucking much...."
"Drakken...." Maegelle said
"I hate it." Drakken said seriously, "I fucking hate this feeling."
"Here." Maegelle smiled slightly and handed him Vaella, who was looking at her father and smiling, "Take her....take your mind off things...."
Drakken looked at this and reluctantly took her in his arms, "Tch...." He said as he looked at Vaella, "And this one.....so eager to see the face of an angry god...."
Vaella was reaching up for him, smiling brightly as she cooed. Drakken simply looked right down at her daughter, taking in the sight.
"She knows you need it....." Maegelle leaned against him, "You need to take your mind off your pain."
Drakken looked at Vaella, "Hm." I said, "Traversed...."
"What?" Maegelle asked, "What did you say?"
"Traversed....that is what I am." Drakken said, "I just realized that. That is a term we call individuals that come from another world, thrown into Infernis via the Soulway. They crash into our lands like I did in this one. They are foreigners who are forced to adapt....."
"I see...." Maegelle said, "Just like you..."
"There is no way back to their world. But they fight, regardless." Drakken began to explain, "Eventually, they give up and settle in. Some even decide to begin new lives, either by being fighters or sorcerers....or being a humble civilian. Nevertheless, they start families of their own, mixing their Traversed blood with the native Infernals.....and they start lines of Traversed blood."
"Interesting....I guess it makes sense." Maegelle said, "They have no way of returning so they accept their fate."
"I always thought of it as stupid." Drakken continued, "Traversed bloodlines, what makes them so special? Everyone always speaks of them as if they were holy bloodlines. But I guess it makes sense, they are individuals that were bathed in the Soulway, they are not normal. No doubt, those who are native to Infernis consider those Bloodlines as special. And...well, I guess that is what this is.....the start of a Traversed Bloodline....my three children.....my sons...and my daughter..."
Maegelle looked at him, seeing that Drakken's expression softened greatly as he looked at Vaella.
"Drakken...." She said softly, "I love you."
"I know." He said, "So you've said it before."
"I mean it." She said, "I mean it, with my whole heart. You've changed me.....you've.....you've made me realize that there is horrors to this world that I would never experience if I were a Septa still....you made me realize that despite how terrible you are made out to be....that there are others who would do worse to me....to others....."
Drakken looked at her, "Is that so?"
Maegelle patted his cheek, "You've.....changed me so much....just as I changed you...." She said softly, "And I gave you a daughter.....I simply love you...."
"I...." Drakken started
"It's okay...." Maegelle smiled, "You can say it."
"I cannot..." Drakken said, "It is not right.....to say it to you in front of her."
"Lady Daranne would understand..." Maegelle kissed his cheek, "But so I do....."
"It is fine."
