The embers flickered in the specially made brazier, bathing everything in the room in a dancing, warm orange-red glow.
Aegon and Daenerys still held hands, their fingers interlaced. The mingled blood from the wounds in their palms no longer dripped, but the dark red stains and the lingering warmth of a bond rooted deep in their blood remained unmistakable.
As though drawn by a magnet, their gazes stayed fixed on the three dragon eggs undergoing a dramatic transformation in the brazier.
"Crack... crack, crack..."
Fine fissures wound across the shells and spread, like hidden currents beneath ice gathering the strength to break free.
The first to stir was the darkest egg, its black and red markings resembling solidified lava.
A crack at its tip suddenly burst into a small opening. A fragment of shell was pushed out from within and fell into the ashes below.
Then a tiny, wet head struggled out through the opening.
Covered in fine black scales, the head had yet to fully unfold, and slippery egg white clung to its scales.
Two slight bumps rose from its crown: the beginnings of tender black horns, not yet fully formed. A small piece of shell still perched on them, making it look rather comical.
It seemed to take some effort for the hatchling to open its eyes completely.
Its slit pupils were still veiled by a thin, wet membrane, leaving it looking bewildered and innocent.
It turned its little head, its eyes reflecting the firelight in the room and the two faces watching it intently from so close by.
Silver-haired, violet-eyed Aegon, and Daenerys with tears shimmering in her eyes.
"Hiss..."
An exceedingly faint hiss, frail with newborn life, squeezed out of its throat.
It seemed to recognize something. Its slit pupils moved between Aegon's and Daenerys's faces