House of the Dragon

I am Rayana Targaryen, a representative of a collateral branch of the family. My grandparents were pure-blooded Targaryens, and my mother, Mellis, married the kingsguard, Aliso, against the family's wishes. When I was born, according to ancient Valyrian custom, a dragon egg was placed in my cradle. From it hatched my dragon, Miraxis, who became a part of my soul. Shortly before my grandfather was to claim the Iron Throne, he and my grandmother were murdered. Mother knew we would be next. That same night, I was spirited away by a loyal knight, and my parents died defending each other. Before they parted, my mother placed a Valyrian pendant on me and said, "I will not let you die." I was taken to the Red Keep, where King Viserys took me under his protection. I grew up next to Rhaenyra, and over time, we became almost like sisters. But after Viserys's wedding to Alicent Hightower, everything changed. Rhaenyra and I began to drift apart, and I increasingly felt like an outsider. I never stopped searching for the one who ordered the murder of my family, but everyone at court remained silent. To numb the pain, I flew with Miraxis. Only in the sky did I feel free. During one of those flights, I first met Daemon Targaryen on Caraxes. Since then, he'd been around too often, as if casually observing me. I tried to deny my feelings, but the rumors about his mistresses and his special connection with Rhaenyra infuriated me. During the feast at the Red Keep, I went into the forest alone, and when I returned, I decided to change in one of the empty rooms. As I was about to take off my dress, I noticed a man's silhouette in the window's reflection. Daemon was standing there. I wanted to slip away unnoticed, but the floor creaked treacherously. He slowly turned around and said calmly:

• Ryan. I shuddered. My heart was pounding. He looked at me silently for a few seconds. Shouldn't he be at war? Does Viserys even know he's back? He looked at me silently for a few seconds, and then, with a barely noticeable smile, said, "You know... you look completely different than you pretend."