ARC 1: Birth of the Daemon and Daenerys
Chapter 15: Forbidden Knowledge
The weeks following Queen Rhaella's passing settled upon Dragonstone like a heavy shroud. Grief permeated the ancient halls, a silent testament to the loss of the last queen of the Targaryen dynasty. Ser Willem Darry, his face etched with a deeper sorrow, now bore the sole responsibility for the infant twins, Daenerys and Daemon. His vigilance intensified, his every action geared towards ensuring their safety in the increasingly precarious political landscape.
Daenerys, though still an infant, seemed to sense the shift in the atmosphere. Her bright laughter became less frequent, replaced by moments of quiet solemnity, her violet eyes often mirroring the sadness she undoubtedly felt in the hushed tones and worried glances of those around her.
Daemon, however, remained an enigma. His quietude persisted, but there was a subtle shift in his demeanor. His unnerving stillness seemed to carry a new weight, an almost palpable sense of… intent. His violet eyes, now capable of focusing with remarkable clarity for a babe of his age, often scanned his surroundings with an unnerving intensity, lingering on objects and places that held historical significance within the keep.
Ser Willem, ever observant, noticed Daemon's persistent fascination with the older sections of Dragonstone, particularly the library. Even more specifically, the infant prince seemed drawn to a section of the library that housed forbidden texts – scrolls detailing darker aspects of Valyrian magic, blood rituals, and the practices of the ancient dragon lords that were deemed too dangerous or heretical for general knowledge. These scrolls were kept locked away, accessible only to the Maester and under strict supervision.
Yet, Daemon, barely able to crawl with any real speed, would often fixate on the locked cabinet where these forbidden texts were stored. His gaze would linger on the intricate carvings of dragons that adorned the cabinet's door, his small hands occasionally reaching out as if drawn by an invisible force.
One of the older serving women, a kind but somewhat superstitious soul named Old Nan (no relation to the Stark retainer), often cared for the twins. She had witnessed Daemon's unusual behavior from his birth and harbored a growing belief that there was something… otherworldly about the quiet prince. She recounted tales of Targaryen children born with strange gifts, whispers of inherited magic and a connection to the ancient powers of Valyria.
One afternoon, while Old Nan was tending to Daemon in the library – a place he still seemed inexplicably drawn to – she noticed him fixating on a particular spot on the floor near the locked cabinet. His gaze was unusually intense, and he made a soft, almost insistent humming sound, a rare vocalization for the silent prince. Old Nan, attributing it to a baby's random fascination, thought little of it at the time.
However, the following day, a minor incident occurred. Maester Gerardys, preoccupied with the Queen's recent passing and the increased scrutiny from Stannis's men, inadvertently left the key to the forbidden texts cabinet on his desk in his private study. The study was usually kept locked, but on this particular day, a harried young assistant, tasked with cleaning, had left the door ajar after finishing his duties.
Later that afternoon, Ser Willem was searching for Maester Gerardys to discuss the security arrangements for the twins. He found the Maester's study unlocked and the young assistant nowhere in sight. As he entered, his gaze fell upon the Maester's desk, where the ornate silver key to the forbidden texts cabinet lay gleaming in the dim light.
A sudden, inexplicable thought flashed through Ser Willem's mind, a fleeting image of Daemon's intense gaze fixed on the locked cabinet and the soft humming sound he had made. It was a ridiculous notion, utterly illogical, yet it planted a seed of suspicion in his mind. Could the infant prince, in some unknowable way, have… influenced events?
Ser Willem dismissed the thought as the product of stress and sleepless nights. He retrieved the key and returned it to Maester Gerardys, mentioning the unlocked study as a security oversight. The Maester, preoccupied with his own grief and duties, thanked him absentmindedly.
However, the incident did not escape Ser Willem's notice entirely. He began to observe Daemon even more closely, paying attention to the direction of his gaze and any unusual vocalizations. He noticed that the infant prince's fixations often seemed to coincide with objects or locations associated with hidden knowledge or Targaryen history within the keep.
One day, while Ser Willem was examining a particularly old and damaged tapestry depicting the lineage of Targaryen dragon riders, he noticed Daemon, lying in his cradle across the room, his gaze fixed intently on a specific, faded section of the tapestry. It was a part that depicted a lesser-known branch of the Targaryen family, one rumored to have delved into more esoteric magical practices. As Ser Willem's fingers traced the faded figures on the tapestry, Daemon made a soft, almost guiding sound, a gentle hum that drew Ser Willem's attention to a specific symbol woven into the fabric – a symbol he vaguely recalled seeing on one of the locked scrolls in the forbidden texts cabinet.
The realization struck Ser Willem with a force that made him momentarily unsteady. It was impossible, yet the evidence, however circumstantial, was mounting. Could the infant prince, in his silent, unknowable way, be guiding them towards hidden knowledge, drawn by some innate connection to his heritage?
He began to subtly test this theory, occasionally focusing his own attention on areas of historical significance or hidden lore within Dragonstone while observing Daemon. He noticed that the infant's gaze would often follow his, lingering on the same objects, sometimes accompanied by those soft, guiding hums.
It was a terrifying and wondrous notion – a babe barely able to speak or crawl seemingly possessing an innate awareness of his family's hidden history and forbidden knowledge. Ser Willem knew that he could not dismiss these occurrences as mere coincidence. Something extraordinary was happening within the silent mind of the young Daemon Targaryen, a subtle stirring of ancient power and a connection to the dragon's hoard of forbidden secrets. The implications were staggering, hinting at a future far more complex and potentially dangerous than he could currently imagine.