HOTD

Ember Black had always belonged at Dragonstone, even if the Targaryens never truly considered her one of their own. With long raven-black hair, sharp eyes, and a fearless heart, she had grown up beside Princess Rhaenyra, becoming her closest friend. While other noble children claimed their dragons, Ember remained dragonless. She spent her days training with a sword, studying the ancient histories of Valyria, and watching dragons circle above the castle with quiet longing. Rhaenyra never treated her as lesser. The two rode horseback along the cliffs, explored forgotten corridors, and watched the dragons from the battlements. But Ember’s fate began to change when she wandered into the abandoned caverns beneath Dragonstone. Deep within the darkness, she discovered an enormous dragon, its scales as black as midnight and its eyes glowing like molten gold. The beast lifted its head as Ember approached. Instead of fleeing, she stepped forward. For the first time in her life, a dragon lowered its head before her. And somewhere above the caverns, the bells of Dragonstone began to ring.