Aegon, son of Baelon, knew he was a special case and not just because he was a Targaryen prince. But because he had these memories in his head about a scrawny kid named Harry Potter.
The Prince of Whispers
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Ch1: Prologue
99 AC
His circumstances were surreal, and even now, he didn't know exactly how he became the Aegon Targaryen, the son of Prince Baelon Targaryen and the late Princess Alyssa Targaryen. He distinctly remembered he went by another name, Harry Potter, in another world where wizards and witches hid amongst the muggles, and he was a student in a school for wizards called Hogwarts. He also remembered many facets of Harry Potter's life. Harry Potter was an orphan who was hated and bullied by his relatives for a long time. Harry Potter was a hero in the wizarding world, which was his only escape from his abusive relatives. But the wonderful world of magic in the wizarding world also housed danger to Harry Potter's life in the form of the Dark Lord Voldemort.
The memories in his head about the life of Harry Potter ended at a graveyard where he fought a resurrected Dark Lord. There was a duel, and then he remembered a flash of green light. After that, he heard some indistinct voices, but for the life of him, he could not remember what it was. It was only later that he realised he was inside a woman's womb as a baby. He came to this conclusion only after he was brought out of the womb of his mother. It took him a long time to come to terms with his situation as a newborn baby, but he learned to forget his 'other' memories. Sometimes, he even convinced himself that the life of Harry Potter was all but a terrible dream or a figment of his imagination.
Aegon liked to think it was a bad dream because he had the one thing Harry Potter desperately yearned for… family! He now had two elder brothers and a father. His dear mother had perished half a year after giving birth to him. He rarely remembered his mother sans for her warmth and loving voice as she sang to him in the crib. According to his father, she had fiercely loved him. But no matter how often his father had said it, he could see the bitterness in the man's eyes whenever the heir to the Iron Throne looked at him. He knew Prince Baelon Targaryen deeply regretted having a third son. He knew if his father were given a choice, he would've preferred to have his wife by his side rather than his third son.
He also suspected his brothers felt the same way. After all, it was his birth that caused the health of Princess Alyssa Targaryen to deteriorate.
Despite the dysfunctional family he found himself in, it was everything Harry Potter desperately hoped for, and Aegon Targaryen had it all. The life of Harry Potter taught him the importance of family. The life of an orphan was tough and alone. No one helped Harry Potter when he was suffering under the yoke of the Dursleys. He could feel Harry Potter's loneliness in the muggle and wizarding world. The only family Harry Potter had was Sirius Black, but the man could not care for Harry because the Ministry of Magic was hunting him.
Even if he didn't have a mother to raise him, he was not denied the love of a mother. He found a mother in his grandmother, the Good Queen Alysanne Targaryen. His grandmother taught him the noble tongue of the Valyrian Freehold. His grandmother took him on his first dragon flight on her dragon, the mighty Silverwing. At her insistence, he even squired for Lord Boremund Baratheon at Storm's End.
In some ways, Aegon was thankful that his grandmother had made him serve as Lord Boremund's squire. It kept him far away from King's Landing, which he hated with a passion, but it also served as a balm to keep House Baratheon happy. His grandfather's decision to name Prince Baelon as his heir over Princess Rhaenys had displeased House Baratheon. Prince Aemon's daughter was the rightful heir to the Iron Throne according to all the laws of gods and men, but the king's word was final in this matter. Even his grandmother had failed to convince King Jaehaerys to restore Princess Rhaenys' inheritance. The fallout from that decision even affected their relationship with House Velaryon, with Lord Corlys resigning from the post of Master of Ships.
Under such circumstances, it was the Queen's wish to see Aegon squired under Lord Boremund. It was an attempt to rekindle the old familial ties as well as a kind gesture from the Good Queen. Lord Boremund had been a ward of King Jaehaerys when the Stormlands were under the threat of the Vulture King. It was this history Queen Alysanne used to convince the Old King to send Aegon to Storm's End.
The only thing he missed was spending time with his grandmother, Gael, and Viserys.
All these thoughts flashed by in Aegon's mind as he stared at the blood coating his sword. His sword was shaking, as were his arms that were holding the sword. It was the first time he killed someone, and the shock of it was something he could not easily overcome. He searched his memories for his worth, and he could not find it as he stared in horror at his victim.
It was a young Dornish boy drowning in his own blood from a stab wound to his neck. Somehow, Aegon had managed to stab the young boy through his neck amidst battle.
"Keep your mind in the fight." Borros roared, and Aegon was forced to the ground by his friend.
A spear occupied the space where his head was.
Aegon, known for his footwork and agility, was not so easily intimidated by the Dornish spearman. He expertly rolled onto his back and managed to kick-up with his legs. Along the way, he unsheathed the dagger he had holstered on his forearm and stabbed straight into the neck of his enemy, who was about to stab his friend. He nearly flinched as red-hot blood sprayed on his face but held back the urge to vomit and pushed away the Dornishman.
"You saved my life." said Borros, climbing to his feet while Aegon picked up his sword from the ground.
"You saved mine first." said Aegon, sweeping his bloodied silver hair out of his face.
"I did, didn't I?" Borros smiled before a maniacal glint came to his eyes. "Now, what'd you say we kill some dornish dogs, my brother of the sword?"
"I thought you'd never ask." Aegon smiled even though, in his mind, he was horrified at how easily he was killing people.
Together, they brandished their swords and waded into the fight.
It took half an hour for the fighting to stop, and by then, Aegon felt like his limbs were made of iron and his heart made of the coldest winter. The Dornish raiding party that had been terrorising the villages near Blackhaven were dead or captured. The captives were put into chains for Lord Boremund Baratheon to judge.
"You did good, my prince." said Ser Reginald Reyne, patting him on his shoulder while sitting against the same tree Aegon was resting his back.
"I don't think this is something that I crave, Ser. I'm not fit to be a knight." Aegon muttered, frowning at the blood on his sword and his hands.
"Tell me my prince. What does a knight do?" Ser Reginald asked, staring intently at Aegon with his bright green eyes.
"Kill for the sake of their sworn lords and king." Aegon answered bluntly.
"In war, yes. But in peace, knights protect the innocent from the wicked. We guard the women and children and fight for those who can't fight. We keep the king's peace in the realm."
"The realm?" Aegon scoffed. "You don't even see for whom you fight. Look at yourself, Ser. You are far away from your home, fighting in a battle that has nothing to do with you. Yet, you claim knights fight for the innocent."
"I fight for you, my prince. I believe I'm fighting for the innocent – an innocent boy who mourns even his enemies." said Ser Reginald, nodding at the bodies stacked up near a ditch.
"I never asked for you to fight for me." Aegon said frostily.
"You didn't, but the Good Queen did."
"And you follow her orders blindly, don't you?"
"Queen Alysanne asked me to guard an innocent boy of pure heart. I believe I've been doing a great job so far."
"What makes you think I'm that same innocent boy with a pure heart?" Aegon asked with a scowl, making Ser Reginald chuckle.
"A young prince who spends his monthly allowance on feeding a few hungry mouths anonymously in King's Landing and the villages near Storm's End is of pure heart in my eyes and worthy of my protection. It'd be a true knight's dream to guard such a prince."
Aegon remained silent after his sworn shield's response.
"I don't like killing." Aegon finally said.
"No sane person does, but war and death are part of nature. Think about it, my prince. If kings, knights and lords refuse to do their duty, anarchy would follow in the realm."
"Do you want to hide from your duty and let lawlessness thrive in the realm of your grandsire?" Ser Reginald asked, for which he had no answer.
Aegon had no answer to that, and he sort of understood the gist of what Ser Reginald was saying.
Taking a deep breath, Aegon climbed to his feet. He took one last look at his bloodied sword before cleaning it with his cloak.
"We should move and rejoin Lord Boremund. He'll decide what to do with the prisoners." said Aegon.
****
Upon returning to Storm's End, Aegon was promptly knighted by Lord Boremund for his valour on the battlefield. He was not the only one to get a knighthood. Borros was also knighted, and a feast was thrown in Storm's End in their honour.
A feast in Storm's End meant not just food. Drunken brawls and food fights were customary in the halls of the Storm Kings of old. While Aegon rarely partook, he nonetheless enjoyed the spectacle. Therefore, he watched with great amusement as Borros picked a fight with the heir of Nightsong over a box of oranges, of all things.
It was an eventful night filled with laughter and merrymaking. So, when he was summoned by Lord Boremund to his chambers the next day, he wasn't expecting what the lord of Storm's End had to say.
"I'm being asked to return to King's Landing?" Aegon asked, unable to mask the disappointment he was feeling.
"I'm afraid so, Prince Aegon." Lord Boremund said.
"Does it say why I'm being recalled?" He asked tentatively.
"It does not. I had informed his grace of your knighting, and this was the response I received from King Jaehaerys."
"I see." Aegon muttered.
"I'll make the arrangements for your travel, Prince Aegon. I suggest you say your goodbyes."
Aegon just nodded slowly before showing himself out of Lord Boremund's solar.
The last few days of his stay were hectic, to say the least. Borros and the few friends he made, like Hector Swan and Jon Tarth, during his stay openly expressed their displeasure at his prospective return to the capital.
"You could stay at Tarth instead of the smelly underbelly of King's Landing. I'm sure I could convince my uncle to give shelter to a Targaryen Prince." Jon Tarth offered.
"I'm flattered, and I'll take up that offer if I ever run away from the horrendous smell of the city." Aegon blandly replied, and they all laughed in good sport.
All the joking aside, he had no other choice but to return as ordered. After all, the order came from his grandfather, the king of Westeros. Besides, his stay in Storm's End was supposed to be for earning his knighthood, which happened a few nights ago. He no longer had a valid reason to extend his stay other than his personal desire not to stay close to his father and the opportunistic vultures of the royal court.
Aegon also realised he was only a few months from his fifteenth namesday. At the same time, a month from now was the fiftieth anniversary of King Jaehaery's reign on the Iron Throne. So, he supposed knight or no knight, he'd have most likely been recalled at some point. The last time he was in the capital was for Daemon's wedding to Lady Rhea Royce. Since then, he hadn't set foot in the Crownlands.
He supposed it wouldn't be too bad. After all, Daemon was away at Runestone. That should reduce the chances of pissing him off, which was a unique sport Daemon often enjoyed. That particular feather on the cap of Daemon's character developed after King Jaehaerys gifted Dark Sister to Daemon after the wedding.
But he was not holding out much hope on Daemon, giving him a bad time in the capital when his father and grandfather were competing for the first spot on his shit list. His father and grandfather had never disappointed him on that front till now. He had more beef with the two of them than Daemon at this point.
****
Aegon rode towards the River Gate with a company of Baratheon guards on either side. The Blackwater Rush was to his back, and the Smallfolk gave them wary eyes. The banners of House Baratheon flew proudly amongst their company, so everyone knew House Baratheon had sent someone important to the capital.
"This place stinks much worse than my chamber pot." Borros grunted while making strange actions with his nose that put a smile on Aegon's face.
"I warned you this would happen."
"Yes, you did. I now understand why you prefer Storm's End to this shit hole." Borros grunted.
"If you're put off by the smell, wait till you meet the people here. You'd happily spent the rest of your life at the Wall without a complaint." said Aegon as their horses trotted at a sedate pace through the outskirts of the city walls.
"Nothing can make me join the Night's Watch. To swear off women and freeze my balls at a wall of ice for the rest of my life…" Borros shuddered as if he was feeling the cold grip of a Northern winter. "I'd rather die."
The stench of sweat, shit and fish became all the more pronounced as their company closed in on the gate. Along the way, Aegon tried his best not to stare at the skinny children who were most likely suffering from malnutrition, trying their best to follow the riding party discreetly. He kept seeing the same faces over and over among the children until he finally pulled the reins of his horse and stopped mid-way.
"Aegon?" Borros looked at him in askance.
"Ser Reginald." Aegon called.
"My prince."
"We have some leftovers in our provisions, do we not?"
"Yes, my prince."
"Give it to the children and the needy. The gods blessed us with a safe journey. We should give alms for the blessing." said Aegon.
"As you command, my prince." Ser Reginald nodded.
Aegon looked expectantly at Borros, who rolled his eyes but gave the orders to his men to follow suit.
"I'll have your men recompensated and more at the Red Keep. You have my word." Aegon said, smiling at the good-natured grumbling from his good friend and the men of Storm's End.
They had to stop by the side of the road and give away their provisions to the children, who happily alleviated their hunger. Some of the Begging brothers passing by the road also accepted alms from them.
"Blessed are the ones who give alms to the needy without recognition or reward, my prince." A Begging brother said.
Aegon was slightly startled by the recognition from the Begging brother.
'My eyes. No one has purple eyes save for a Targaryen.' Aegon thought while searching for any stray hair coming out of his helmet. 'Well, not exactly purple eyes. I took after my mother with one purple and one green.'
"You'll have to put blinders on your helmet not to get recognised, my prince." Ser Reginald said with a slight grin.
"I'll remember that from now on." Aegon muttered, quickly climbing back to his horse.
"Good Ser. Please tell us the prince's name." the Begging brother requested while holding.
"Prince Aegon, third son of Prince Baelon and Princess Alyssa." Ser Reginald answered before Aegon could order the knight to keep his silence.
"We'll pray for the prince's good health to the Seven." the Begging brother promised.
With a deferential bow directed at Aegon, the Begging brothers retreated into the masses. Aegon eyed them as they disappeared among the shacks of the Smallfolk.
"You shouldn't have done that." said Aegon as he observed the excited chatter among the children once they realised a Targaryen prince was amongst them.
"Forgive me, my prince. I thought they had the right to know." Ser Reginald said.
Aegon eyed the Reyne knight critically for a moment before sighing. The man was a leal knight picked out by his grandmother and Septon Barth, but they were politicians in their own unique way. His dearly departed Aunt Maegelle had been the one to teach him about the teachings of the Seven. He learned the virtue of giving alms from her actions, and he continued to do so to this day in her memory. Though her visits were sparse to the capital, he had enjoyed spending time with his aunt, who took him to meet the less fortunate of the city. It was a deep loss when word reached them from Oldtown about his aunt succumbing to Greyscale.
Though he was sad at her passing, he was also proud of his aunt, who died doing what she believed in. After all, she had succumbed to Greyscale because she was treating those among the less fortunate affected by the infliction.
He kept such thoughts at bay as he rode away before more people gathered to see a Targaryen prince. The city's outskirts rarely saw royals, and he had no intention of being the local attraction for the day.
The River Gate was wide open, and the guards stationed at the gate allowed them entry. The smell of fish became more pronounced as they stepped into the Fishmonger's Square.
"How do you folk live in this place?" Borros asked incredulously. "I'm surprised this place is not swarming with dragons hunting for fish."
"That's because they're all chained inside there." Aegon pointed at the giant dome-like structure to the east that sat upon Rhaenys' hill.
"The famed Dragonpit." Borros said in awe. "I hope you'd let me have a closer look at that place, Aegon."
"That entirely depends on your ability to charm my grandfather and grandmother. Not even the gods could access the Dragonpit without their approval." said Aegon, turning away from the dome in the distance to eye the massive castle that was the Red Keep that sat upon Aegon's Hill overlooking the city.
It was there that the rest of the drama was about to unfold.
An all too familiar screech reached his ears, and when he looked towards the direction of the sound, he found the source. Seeing a sleek red dragon flying in the sky, he understood one thing. The drama he was expecting in the Red Keep just got spiced up thanks to the arrival of Daemon.
"Well, there goes my peace of mind. Come, my friends. Let's seek refuge in the Red Keep and spend the last few hours in peace before my brother inevitably finds us."
Aegon urged his horse forward on the road ahead and rode towards the Red Keep.
AN:
For artworks related to the story: Discord
His circumstances were surreal, and even now, he didn't know exactly how he became the Aegon Targaryen, the son of Prince Baelon Targaryen and the late Princess Alyssa Targaryen. He distinctly remembered he went by another name, Harry Potter, in another world where wizards and witches hid amongst the muggles, and he was a student in a school for wizards called Hogwarts. He also remembered many facets of Harry Potter's life. Harry Potter was an orphan who was hated and bullied by his relatives for a long time. Harry Potter was a hero in the wizarding world, which was his only escape from his abusive relatives. But the wonderful world of magic in the wizarding world also housed danger to Harry Potter's life in the form of the Dark Lord Voldemort.
The memories in his head about the life of Harry Potter ended at a graveyard where he fought a resurrected Dark Lord. There was a duel, and then he remembered a flash of green light. After that, he heard some indistinct voices, but for the life of him, he could not remember what it was. It was only later that he realised he was inside a woman's womb as a baby. He came to this conclusion only after he was brought out of the womb of his mother. It took him a long time to come to terms with his situation as a newborn baby, but he learned to forget his 'other' memories. Sometimes, he even convinced himself that the life of Harry Potter was all but a terrible dream or a figment of his imagination.
Aegon liked to think it was a bad dream because he had the one thing Harry Potter desperately yearned for… family! He now had two elder brothers and a father. His dear mother had perished half a year after giving birth to him. He rarely remembered his mother sans for her warmth and loving voice as she sang to him in the crib. According to his father, she had fiercely loved him. But no matter how often his father had said it, he could see the bitterness in the man's eyes whenever the heir to the Iron Throne looked at him. He knew Prince Baelon Targaryen deeply regretted having a third son. He knew if his father were given a choice, he would've preferred to have his wife by his side rather than his third son.
He also suspected his brothers felt the same way. After all, it was his birth that caused the health of Princess Alyssa Targaryen to deteriorate.
Despite the dysfunctional family he found himself in, it was everything Harry Potter desperately hoped for, and Aegon Targaryen had it all. The life of Harry Potter taught him the importance of family. The life of an orphan was tough and alone. No one helped Harry Potter when he was suffering under the yoke of the Dursleys. He could feel Harry Potter's loneliness in the muggle and wizarding world. The only family Harry Potter had was Sirius Black, but the man could not care for Harry because the Ministry of Magic was hunting him.
Even if he didn't have a mother to raise him, he was not denied the love of a mother. He found a mother in his grandmother, the Good Queen Alysanne Targaryen. His grandmother taught him the noble tongue of the Valyrian Freehold. His grandmother took him on his first dragon flight on her dragon, the mighty Silverwing. At her insistence, he even squired for Lord Boremund Baratheon at Storm's End.
In some ways, Aegon was thankful that his grandmother had made him serve as Lord Boremund's squire. It kept him far away from King's Landing, which he hated with a passion, but it also served as a balm to keep House Baratheon happy. His grandfather's decision to name Prince Baelon as his heir over Princess Rhaenys had displeased House Baratheon. Prince Aemon's daughter was the rightful heir to the Iron Throne according to all the laws of gods and men, but the king's word was final in this matter. Even his grandmother had failed to convince King Jaehaerys to restore Princess Rhaenys' inheritance. The fallout from that decision even affected their relationship with House Velaryon, with Lord Corlys resigning from the post of Master of Ships.
Under such circumstances, it was the Queen's wish to see Aegon squired under Lord Boremund. It was an attempt to rekindle the old familial ties as well as a kind gesture from the Good Queen. Lord Boremund had been a ward of King Jaehaerys when the Stormlands were under the threat of the Vulture King. It was this history Queen Alysanne used to convince the Old King to send Aegon to Storm's End.
The only thing he missed was spending time with his grandmother, Gael, and Viserys.
All these thoughts flashed by in Aegon's mind as he stared at the blood coating his sword. His sword was shaking, as were his arms that were holding the sword. It was the first time he killed someone, and the shock of it was something he could not easily overcome. He searched his memories for his worth, and he could not find it as he stared in horror at his victim.
It was a young Dornish boy drowning in his own blood from a stab wound to his neck. Somehow, Aegon had managed to stab the young boy through his neck amidst battle.
"Keep your mind in the fight." Borros roared, and Aegon was forced to the ground by his friend.
A spear occupied the space where his head was.
Aegon, known for his footwork and agility, was not so easily intimidated by the Dornish spearman. He expertly rolled onto his back and managed to kick-up with his legs. Along the way, he unsheathed the dagger he had holstered on his forearm and stabbed straight into the neck of his enemy, who was about to stab his friend. He nearly flinched as red-hot blood sprayed on his face but held back the urge to vomit and pushed away the Dornishman.
"You saved my life." said Borros, climbing to his feet while Aegon picked up his sword from the ground.
"You saved mine first." said Aegon, sweeping his bloodied silver hair out of his face.
"I did, didn't I?" Borros smiled before a maniacal glint came to his eyes. "Now, what'd you say we kill some dornish dogs, my brother of the sword?"
"I thought you'd never ask." Aegon smiled even though, in his mind, he was horrified at how easily he was killing people.
Together, they brandished their swords and waded into the fight.
It took half an hour for the fighting to stop, and by then, Aegon felt like his limbs were made of iron and his heart made of the coldest winter. The Dornish raiding party that had been terrorising the villages near Blackhaven were dead or captured. The captives were put into chains for Lord Boremund Baratheon to judge.
"You did good, my prince." said Ser Reginald Reyne, patting him on his shoulder while sitting against the same tree Aegon was resting his back.
"I don't think this is something that I crave, Ser. I'm not fit to be a knight." Aegon muttered, frowning at the blood on his sword and his hands.
"Tell me my prince. What does a knight do?" Ser Reginald asked, staring intently at Aegon with his bright green eyes.
"Kill for the sake of their sworn lords and king." Aegon answered bluntly.
"In war, yes. But in peace, knights protect the innocent from the wicked. We guard the women and children and fight for those who can't fight. We keep the king's peace in the realm."
"The realm?" Aegon scoffed. "You don't even see for whom you fight. Look at yourself, Ser. You are far away from your home, fighting in a battle that has nothing to do with you. Yet, you claim knights fight for the innocent."
"I fight for you, my prince. I believe I'm fighting for the innocent – an innocent boy who mourns even his enemies." said Ser Reginald, nodding at the bodies stacked up near a ditch.
"I never asked for you to fight for me." Aegon said frostily.
"You didn't, but the Good Queen did."
"And you follow her orders blindly, don't you?"
"Queen Alysanne asked me to guard an innocent boy of pure heart. I believe I've been doing a great job so far."
"What makes you think I'm that same innocent boy with a pure heart?" Aegon asked with a scowl, making Ser Reginald chuckle.
"A young prince who spends his monthly allowance on feeding a few hungry mouths anonymously in King's Landing and the villages near Storm's End is of pure heart in my eyes and worthy of my protection. It'd be a true knight's dream to guard such a prince."
Aegon remained silent after his sworn shield's response.
"I don't like killing." Aegon finally said.
"No sane person does, but war and death are part of nature. Think about it, my prince. If kings, knights and lords refuse to do their duty, anarchy would follow in the realm."
"Do you want to hide from your duty and let lawlessness thrive in the realm of your grandsire?" Ser Reginald asked, for which he had no answer.
Aegon had no answer to that, and he sort of understood the gist of what Ser Reginald was saying.
Taking a deep breath, Aegon climbed to his feet. He took one last look at his bloodied sword before cleaning it with his cloak.
"We should move and rejoin Lord Boremund. He'll decide what to do with the prisoners." said Aegon.
****
Upon returning to Storm's End, Aegon was promptly knighted by Lord Boremund for his valour on the battlefield. He was not the only one to get a knighthood. Borros was also knighted, and a feast was thrown in Storm's End in their honour.
A feast in Storm's End meant not just food. Drunken brawls and food fights were customary in the halls of the Storm Kings of old. While Aegon rarely partook, he nonetheless enjoyed the spectacle. Therefore, he watched with great amusement as Borros picked a fight with the heir of Nightsong over a box of oranges, of all things.
It was an eventful night filled with laughter and merrymaking. So, when he was summoned by Lord Boremund to his chambers the next day, he wasn't expecting what the lord of Storm's End had to say.
"I'm being asked to return to King's Landing?" Aegon asked, unable to mask the disappointment he was feeling.
"I'm afraid so, Prince Aegon." Lord Boremund said.
"Does it say why I'm being recalled?" He asked tentatively.
"It does not. I had informed his grace of your knighting, and this was the response I received from King Jaehaerys."
"I see." Aegon muttered.
"I'll make the arrangements for your travel, Prince Aegon. I suggest you say your goodbyes."
Aegon just nodded slowly before showing himself out of Lord Boremund's solar.
The last few days of his stay were hectic, to say the least. Borros and the few friends he made, like Hector Swan and Jon Tarth, during his stay openly expressed their displeasure at his prospective return to the capital.
"You could stay at Tarth instead of the smelly underbelly of King's Landing. I'm sure I could convince my uncle to give shelter to a Targaryen Prince." Jon Tarth offered.
"I'm flattered, and I'll take up that offer if I ever run away from the horrendous smell of the city." Aegon blandly replied, and they all laughed in good sport.
All the joking aside, he had no other choice but to return as ordered. After all, the order came from his grandfather, the king of Westeros. Besides, his stay in Storm's End was supposed to be for earning his knighthood, which happened a few nights ago. He no longer had a valid reason to extend his stay other than his personal desire not to stay close to his father and the opportunistic vultures of the royal court.
Aegon also realised he was only a few months from his fifteenth namesday. At the same time, a month from now was the fiftieth anniversary of King Jaehaery's reign on the Iron Throne. So, he supposed knight or no knight, he'd have most likely been recalled at some point. The last time he was in the capital was for Daemon's wedding to Lady Rhea Royce. Since then, he hadn't set foot in the Crownlands.
He supposed it wouldn't be too bad. After all, Daemon was away at Runestone. That should reduce the chances of pissing him off, which was a unique sport Daemon often enjoyed. That particular feather on the cap of Daemon's character developed after King Jaehaerys gifted Dark Sister to Daemon after the wedding.
But he was not holding out much hope on Daemon, giving him a bad time in the capital when his father and grandfather were competing for the first spot on his shit list. His father and grandfather had never disappointed him on that front till now. He had more beef with the two of them than Daemon at this point.
****
Aegon rode towards the River Gate with a company of Baratheon guards on either side. The Blackwater Rush was to his back, and the Smallfolk gave them wary eyes. The banners of House Baratheon flew proudly amongst their company, so everyone knew House Baratheon had sent someone important to the capital.
"This place stinks much worse than my chamber pot." Borros grunted while making strange actions with his nose that put a smile on Aegon's face.
"I warned you this would happen."
"Yes, you did. I now understand why you prefer Storm's End to this shit hole." Borros grunted.
"If you're put off by the smell, wait till you meet the people here. You'd happily spent the rest of your life at the Wall without a complaint." said Aegon as their horses trotted at a sedate pace through the outskirts of the city walls.
"Nothing can make me join the Night's Watch. To swear off women and freeze my balls at a wall of ice for the rest of my life…" Borros shuddered as if he was feeling the cold grip of a Northern winter. "I'd rather die."
The stench of sweat, shit and fish became all the more pronounced as their company closed in on the gate. Along the way, Aegon tried his best not to stare at the skinny children who were most likely suffering from malnutrition, trying their best to follow the riding party discreetly. He kept seeing the same faces over and over among the children until he finally pulled the reins of his horse and stopped mid-way.
"Aegon?" Borros looked at him in askance.
"Ser Reginald." Aegon called.
"My prince."
"We have some leftovers in our provisions, do we not?"
"Yes, my prince."
"Give it to the children and the needy. The gods blessed us with a safe journey. We should give alms for the blessing." said Aegon.
"As you command, my prince." Ser Reginald nodded.
Aegon looked expectantly at Borros, who rolled his eyes but gave the orders to his men to follow suit.
"I'll have your men recompensated and more at the Red Keep. You have my word." Aegon said, smiling at the good-natured grumbling from his good friend and the men of Storm's End.
They had to stop by the side of the road and give away their provisions to the children, who happily alleviated their hunger. Some of the Begging brothers passing by the road also accepted alms from them.
"Blessed are the ones who give alms to the needy without recognition or reward, my prince." A Begging brother said.
Aegon was slightly startled by the recognition from the Begging brother.
'My eyes. No one has purple eyes save for a Targaryen.' Aegon thought while searching for any stray hair coming out of his helmet. 'Well, not exactly purple eyes. I took after my mother with one purple and one green.'
"You'll have to put blinders on your helmet not to get recognised, my prince." Ser Reginald said with a slight grin.
"I'll remember that from now on." Aegon muttered, quickly climbing back to his horse.
"Good Ser. Please tell us the prince's name." the Begging brother requested while holding.
"Prince Aegon, third son of Prince Baelon and Princess Alyssa." Ser Reginald answered before Aegon could order the knight to keep his silence.
"We'll pray for the prince's good health to the Seven." the Begging brother promised.
With a deferential bow directed at Aegon, the Begging brothers retreated into the masses. Aegon eyed them as they disappeared among the shacks of the Smallfolk.
"You shouldn't have done that." said Aegon as he observed the excited chatter among the children once they realised a Targaryen prince was amongst them.
"Forgive me, my prince. I thought they had the right to know." Ser Reginald said.
Aegon eyed the Reyne knight critically for a moment before sighing. The man was a leal knight picked out by his grandmother and Septon Barth, but they were politicians in their own unique way. His dearly departed Aunt Maegelle had been the one to teach him about the teachings of the Seven. He learned the virtue of giving alms from her actions, and he continued to do so to this day in her memory. Though her visits were sparse to the capital, he had enjoyed spending time with his aunt, who took him to meet the less fortunate of the city. It was a deep loss when word reached them from Oldtown about his aunt succumbing to Greyscale.
Though he was sad at her passing, he was also proud of his aunt, who died doing what she believed in. After all, she had succumbed to Greyscale because she was treating those among the less fortunate affected by the infliction.
He kept such thoughts at bay as he rode away before more people gathered to see a Targaryen prince. The city's outskirts rarely saw royals, and he had no intention of being the local attraction for the day.
The River Gate was wide open, and the guards stationed at the gate allowed them entry. The smell of fish became more pronounced as they stepped into the Fishmonger's Square.
"How do you folk live in this place?" Borros asked incredulously. "I'm surprised this place is not swarming with dragons hunting for fish."
"That's because they're all chained inside there." Aegon pointed at the giant dome-like structure to the east that sat upon Rhaenys' hill.
"The famed Dragonpit." Borros said in awe. "I hope you'd let me have a closer look at that place, Aegon."
"That entirely depends on your ability to charm my grandfather and grandmother. Not even the gods could access the Dragonpit without their approval." said Aegon, turning away from the dome in the distance to eye the massive castle that was the Red Keep that sat upon Aegon's Hill overlooking the city.
It was there that the rest of the drama was about to unfold.
An all too familiar screech reached his ears, and when he looked towards the direction of the sound, he found the source. Seeing a sleek red dragon flying in the sky, he understood one thing. The drama he was expecting in the Red Keep just got spiced up thanks to the arrival of Daemon.
"Well, there goes my peace of mind. Come, my friends. Let's seek refuge in the Red Keep and spend the last few hours in peace before my brother inevitably finds us."
Aegon urged his horse forward on the road ahead and rode towards the Red Keep.
AN:
For artworks related to the story: Discord
This is where the fun begins and I will be looking forward for more of this promising story with great interest.
Ch2: The pyromancer prince
Aegon's footsteps echoed throughout the room. He hated how silent the room was because he could feel the stares of the two men occupying the room. These two men were Jaehaerys Targaryen and Baelon Targaryen. He disliked them both because they were the schemers in the family and the primary source of all drama in the House of the Dragon.
However, Jaehaerys Targaryen was his grandfather and king, while Baelon Targaryen was his father and the heir to the throne. If his grandfather and father had immediately summoned him to their presence upon his arrival, then there was bound to be some official business involved. So, he didn't dally any longer.
"Your grace." Aegon fell to a knee before his grandfather.
"Stand Aegon."
"Thank you, your grace."
"How was your stay with Lord Baratheon?" Baelon asked, pinning Aegon with a scrutinising stare.
"It was eventful. Lord Bratheon was courteous, as were his family and bannermen." Aegon said curtly.
For a moment, an awkward silence lingered in the room. If the two older men thought they were trying to make him uncomfortable, they were solely wrong.
"Do you know why I allowed you to squire under Lord Baratheon?" Jaehaerys asked while neatly folding his fingers into the safety of the silver-white robes.
"To smooth over any bad feelings your former ward might hold against you for declaring my father your heir instead of Princess Rhaenys." Aegon said airily.
He could come up with more reasons, but that was the primary point of disagreement between his grandfather and Lord Baratheon.
"And?" Baelon prodded.
"Have you reversed your decision and named Princess Rhaenys your successor?" Aegon directed the question at the king, whose eyes twitched at his blatant disrespect.
But the silence that lingered in the room was his answer.
"I didn't think so. So, without addressing Lord Baratheon's core grievance, why do you expect him to change his attitude?"
"Then what've you been doing all these years in Storm's End if you knew the reasons for your presence there?" Baelon asked furiously.
"I've been squiring for Lord Baratheon and making friends with his family and bannermen. For your information father, I do not have the power to control someone's mind and make them think in a certain manner." Aegon snapped back.
"You…" Baelon glared.
"Enough!" Jaehaerys shouted. "There is enough conflict within the family. I do not wish to see more of that with my own eyes."
Aegon watched his father settle down beside the king by taking deep breaths.
"Baelon. Leave us." Jaehaerys said eventually after looking between Aegon and Baelon.
"Father." Baelon nodded at the king before walking out of the room.
On the way, he paused just behind Aegon and hesitantly glanced at his son. Closing his eyes, Baelon shook his head before taking his leave.
"You are so much like your mother in expressing your opinions without any care for others." said Jaehaerys tentatively.
"Alternatively, people call it speaking the truth." said Aegon.
"Yes, truth," Jaehaerys muttered before his old eyes gained strength. "I'd hear it if you have more to share, Aegon."
"As I said earlier, Lord Baratheon is not pleased with your decision to declare my father as heir over his niece. He loved his sister, Lady Jocelyn, most dearly. He holds that same love for Princess Rhaenys. He is her uncle, but most of all, her steadfast friend. No matter what you do, you won't turn him away from supporting his niece." Aegon said dutifully.
While he disliked acting as a spy, his grandfather was his king. There were limits to his freedom, and Aegon was aware that his freedoms ended when his grandfather became serious.
"I see. That's unfortunate." Jaehaerys muttered. "But you've struck a close friendship with Boremund's son. Isn't that right, Aegon?"
"Yes, your grace." Aegon nodded.
"Good. It'll be to your advantage to make friends with the future lord paramount of the Stormlands." said Jaehaerys.
"I did not befriend Borros for the sake of his future position." Aegon said with gritted teeth.
"Then Borros Baratheon is lucky to have a friend like you." Jaehaerys smoothly said while resting his back against the pillow on his chair. "Now, tell me. Have you been practising your gift?"
"Yes, your grace." Aegon replied testily.
"Daily?" the old king prodded.
"Yes, your grace."
"Does anyone at Storm's End suspect anything? Does your friend know?"
"No." Aegon said curtly.
"Are you sure?" Jaehaerys looked suspiciously.
"Yes, your grace."
"Good. Now, show me." Jaehaerys ordered, taking hold of a dagger resting on the table beside him.
Aegon eyed the fireplace in the far corner of the chamber filled with firewood. Pointing his right hand towards the fireplace, he willed his magic to come forth to his fingertips. He could feel a slight tingle pass from his gut all the way to his fingers, and in the next moment, there was fire in his palm.
With a slight jerk of his palm, the fire in his palm shot out and lit up the fireplace.
"Wonderful! Magnificent!" Jaehaerys said happily. "You've learned to control your gift better."
"Thank you, your grace."
"I had thought about inviting some pyromancers from abroad to develop your gift, but…"
"You feared word would spread, and I'd be targeted by the fringe elements within the Faith." Aegon finished.
"Yes. But not just the Faith. House Targaryen have many enemies, Aegon. We've kept them at bay with our dragons till now. But dragons cannot be everywhere, and you've yet to bond with one…" Jaehaerys trailed off, looking thoughtfully into the distance.
"Your grace?" Aegon called hesitantly when his grandfather was lost in his thoughts for too long.
The faraway look on his grandfather's face was replaced by a calculative one once he returned to reality.
"Tell me, Aegon. What are your plans now that you've been knighted?" Jaehaerys asked, suddenly putting Aegon on the spot.
"I suppose I could partake in tourneys and earn my spurs in the jousts. I also hoped to study medicines and higher mysteries at the Citadel. Septon Barth often spoke of the glass candles of Valyria. The maesters of the Citadel would know how to operate one, and I intend to learn from them."
"I see. I can understand your interest in magic and the crafts of our ancestors. But why do you need to study medicine, Aegon?" Jaehaerys asked.
"I've learned the ways to take lives. Now, I'd like to learn how to save lives."
"A noble thought." Jaehaerys nodded. "I shall speak with your father and Septon Barth about your wishes. They'll know better than myself on this matter."
"Thank you, your grace." Aegon bowed.
"You may leave. However, tell your friend that I've summoned him. It'd be remiss of me not to speak with my Baratheon nephew."
"As you wish, your grace."
Aegon bowed one last time before hightailing out of his grandfather's solar. It was not every day that a meeting with the King of the Seven Kingdoms ended on amicable terms. So, he was most eager to end the conversation before something unusual happened.
He was also lucky because the moment he opened the doors of the solar to leave, he found Daemon walking down the hall straight towards the king's room.
Closing the door behind him, he walked straight ahead.
"I see you've returned, brother. Did you kill the Dornish cunts, or did you run away while real men fought in your stead?" Daemon mocked with a pretentious smile.
"Daemon. How has the Vale been treating you?" Harry asked candidly, letting the insult wash away, knowing full well that Daemon would enjoy getting under his skin.
"A dreary place, the Vale. I had often wondered why Aegon didn't make his capital in those mountains. But having seen the place, I can understand why my Bronze bitch's lands were unappealing to the Conquerer." said Daemon.
"I see. I'd have thought you'd find Runestone appealing. I've heard First Men runes keep Royce men's armour invulnerable to time and the elements."
"I could care less what some weak barbarians doodled on their stones in ages past. It didn't save them when the Andals crossed the Narrow Sea with their steel." Daemon said with a derisive snort.
"Anyway, you shouldn't keep grandfather waiting." Aegon tapped on Daemon's shoulder in a friendly manner before abruptly walking away.
Dealing with Daemon was like dealing with a child. All he had to do was distract him with something else, and that was something Aegon was an expert at – distraction. But that was not all he did. He turned a corner and stopped moving and instead closed his eyes, focusing on the listening charm he sneakily slapped on his brother's shoulder.
It was by accident that his grandmother and grandfather discovered his talent for magic. But instead of celebrating his magical powers and making a fuss about it, his grandfather and grandmother swore themselves to secrecy. Not a soul outside the king and queen knew about his powers. They didn't even know the full scope of his powers because he kept that information close to his heart. They only knew he had an uncanny affinity for fire, which was not a rare trait as there were pyromancers in Essos with similar powers.
But his magic was far more versatile.
However, he wished he had more memories of Harry Potter's life. The spells he knew were few and less useful for his needs. The only spell he found more helpful was the listening charm, but he needed direct contact to apply the charm on something, and that was a disadvantage. The lack of a wand was also a problem that inhibited his growth as a wizard. Even if he wanted to create new spells, the lack of a strong foci left him in the lurch.
Aegon had some ideas on how to procure a wand, but that involved desecrating the remains of a dragon.
Suddenly, he stopped the flow of thoughts as his ears picked up on faint sounds transmitted by the listening charm.
'I need a way to tie a listening charm permanently in the king's room.' Aegon thought as he listened in on their conversation.
****
This was the only place in the capital where Aegon could relax and not look over his shoulder all the time. It was his grandmother's room.
"He sleeps like a baby."
A feminine giggle followed the claim, but Aegon paid it no heed. He nuzzled into his grandmother's lap as she sang an old Valyrian song while petting his hair.
Blessed is the Promised Prince
With the fire of fourteen upon his blade
A hero who delivers the world from darkness
The herald of a new dawn!
A red star will bleed the north sky
Darkness will gather under the lion of the night
Amidst salt and smoke, a dragon is born
In Ice and Fire, his song is sung!
His grandmother had such a beautiful voice that made it so easy to sleep when she sang. He nuzzled in and was ready to slip into sleep, but he was jerked awake when someone pinched his nose.
"Grandmother." he whined.
"Let him sleep, Gael." Alysanne chided her last remaining daughter.
"He can go to his precious sleep after he explains this game he brought for me." Gael complained stubbornly.
"Aegon. I think we both know how this is going to end." Alysanne said, looking exasperatedly at her stubborn daughter.
"I cannot catch a break in this castle." Aegon complained as he sat up lazily.
"You brought the board game, Aegon. You have the responsibility to explain the game to Gael." Alysanne admonished, flicking his ear.
Aegon eyed his grandmother reproachfully for always taking Gael's side in all things. Nonetheless, he took the wooden box with black and white squares painted on its surface from Gael's hand.
"This game's name is Chess." said Aegon while opening the box.
All the pieces he had painstakingly carved by his two hands were neatly arranged inside the box. One by one, he had the pieces taken out and explained them to Gael and his grandmother, who found some interest in the concept of the game. While his grandmother had abandoned political pursuits in the court, she was not always like that. In her prime, Queen Alysanne had her own court in parallel with King Jaehaerys. In fact, his grandmother remains the only person capable of making policy changes by directly influencing the king.
But nowadays, she imposed a self-exile from court politics after some disagreements with her husband surfaced.
"Tell me, Aegon. Why did you make the Queen the most powerful piece in this game while keeping the King powerless?" Alysanne asked after he explained the game and its rules.
"A king doesn't actively take part in the battle. He should be the one directing the strategy of his troops. The piece representing the Queen is supposed to be the general of the king's army, like Queen Visenya. Visenya won the Conqueror the Vale and smashed the Braavosi fleet. Queen Rhaenys helped secure the Stormlands for King Aegon. I wanted the power of Conqueror's wives represented in the piece." Aegon explained.
He had seriously considered naming the piece a dragon but then thought better of it. He didn't want to diminish the game from what he remembered in his dreams. It was a way of honouring an old friend he only knew in his dreams.
"Hmm. Don't let your grandfather hear you speak so highly of the late Queen Dowager." Alysanne warned.
"Why don't you mind, grandmother?" Aegon asked curiously.
"Because as a grown woman, I can understand Visenya better. What mother wouldn't want the best for their children? No matter what they had done, a mother could never turn her back on her children. That's something my stonehearted husband refuses to see or care about." said Alysanne, her eyes filled with sorrow.
Aegon didn't know whether his grandmother's sorrow was for the many children she lost or her estranged daughter Saera Targaryen.
'It's probably both.' Aegon thought.
"Mother, let's play." Gael said, hugging the queen closely. "Help me beat Aegon in his own game."
"Of course, my sweet." Alysanne smiled, pressing a kiss against Gael's curly silver hair.
"Now, tell me the rules of the game again."
"I'll have them written down so you can learn faster." Aegon said with a sigh.
The first few games were decisive victories for Aegon, but the longer he played, the more difficult his opponents became. They played games throughout the day until lunch, which they had in the same room. The game then went on to the evening, with Gael showing no less enthusiasm to defeat him despite the string of defeats she suffered.
Then, surprising Aegon and his grandmother, the king visited them in the chamber. When grandfather learned about the game from an excitable Gael, who suffered from the inability to read the room, he decided to join.
"This game of yours is fascinating, Aegon. It rewards logic and punishes moves made on instincts. A game fit for developing a strategic mind." Jaehaerys praised.
But Aegon saw the praise as an indirect jab at his grandmother. There was a cold distance between his grandmother and grandfather. Ever since his aunt Maegelle's passing, it was his grandmother's wish to have his other aunt Saera brought back from her exile. But that was something his grandfather opposed vehemently. It was a request his grandfather would never accept because Saera was the third most hated person in his grandfather's books after Maegor and Visenya.
He could understand why his grandfather passionately hated his exiled aunt. She had disgraced the Targaryen name by turning into a whore in Lys.
The last he had heard of Saera Targaryen was that she was in Volantis and amassed a great fortune and political power running pleasure houses inside the Black Wall. To this day, the matter of Saera remains a contentious issue between his grandparents.
Knowing his grandparents and their penchant for double speak, Aegon carefully navigated the rest of the time spent with his family. The only one least bothered by such inane worries was Gael, who was loved fiercely by the king and queen. Nothing could ever go wrong with Gael, but he was not equal to that stature.
"That's enough for today, Gael. Why don't you introduce this game to Viserys and Aemma? I'm sure they'll appreciate some respite from their duties and caring for Rhaenyra." Jaehaerys suggested softly.
"Oh, okay, father." Gael smiled brightly.
She jumped to her feet and kissed the king's cheeks before doing the same to the queen.
"Come, Aegon. Let's go and play with Aemma and Viserys."
"We have something to say with Aegon, my sweet daughter. You go ahead. I'll have Aegon sent after you in a minute." said Jaehaerys.
For a moment, Aegon thought Gael would protest, but she smiled brightly at everyone.
"Okay. But don't keep Aegon for too much time." said Gael.
"We won't." said Jaehaerys. "Ser Ryam, escort my daughter to Viserys and Aemma."
The door closed behind Gael with a small thud, and Aegon looked between his grandparents. It was his grandfather who spoke first.
"I've spoken of your interests in studying at the Citadel with Grand Maester Allar and Septon Barth. Allar has agreed to check with his colleagues in Oldtown while Septon Barth presented me with a unique suggestion."
"Oh." Aegon muttered, looking curiously at his grandfather.
"Septon Barth suggested that you take up some duties in Dragonstone while tutors can be arranged for your studies and have them teach you at our ancestral home. I think it is also time for you to claim a dragon." said Jaehaerys.
Aegon opened his mouth to protest but then thought better of it. Having a dragon companion was not something he could easily protest. He had no intention of becoming a dragonless Targaryen like his uncle Vaegon. Some time spent in Dragonstone was also a good idea. The ancient castle built by the Freehold held many secrets, and he was sure there were ancient scrolls in the secret vaults of the castle that were accessible only to Targaryens. Most of the scrolls that contained knowledge from the Valyrian Freehold were kept behind vaults with keys guarded by his father, Baelon Targaryen. He was present when his father was given the keys to the vaults by King Jaehaerys after his father was declared the Prince of Dragonstone.
The Prince of Dragonstone was supposed to be the guardian of several artefacts and knowledge from the Freehold and also the protector of the Dragonmont.
The dragon keepers of Dragonstone were supposedly the best in their work, and if he wanted to find the right dragon, he needed their services. An extended stay in Dragonstone would help him amass some knowledge of Valyrian magic if he could access those vaults. If he could learn medicine from a master in Dragonstone at his leisure, it would be even better.
"I think I can agree to spend some time in Dragonstone and complete my studies there. But I'd like to have access to the vaults." said Aegon.
His grandfather took a long look at him but, in the end, agreed with his request.
AN:
For artworks related to the story: Discord
However, Jaehaerys Targaryen was his grandfather and king, while Baelon Targaryen was his father and the heir to the throne. If his grandfather and father had immediately summoned him to their presence upon his arrival, then there was bound to be some official business involved. So, he didn't dally any longer.
"Your grace." Aegon fell to a knee before his grandfather.
"Stand Aegon."
"Thank you, your grace."
"How was your stay with Lord Baratheon?" Baelon asked, pinning Aegon with a scrutinising stare.
"It was eventful. Lord Bratheon was courteous, as were his family and bannermen." Aegon said curtly.
For a moment, an awkward silence lingered in the room. If the two older men thought they were trying to make him uncomfortable, they were solely wrong.
"Do you know why I allowed you to squire under Lord Baratheon?" Jaehaerys asked while neatly folding his fingers into the safety of the silver-white robes.
"To smooth over any bad feelings your former ward might hold against you for declaring my father your heir instead of Princess Rhaenys." Aegon said airily.
He could come up with more reasons, but that was the primary point of disagreement between his grandfather and Lord Baratheon.
"And?" Baelon prodded.
"Have you reversed your decision and named Princess Rhaenys your successor?" Aegon directed the question at the king, whose eyes twitched at his blatant disrespect.
But the silence that lingered in the room was his answer.
"I didn't think so. So, without addressing Lord Baratheon's core grievance, why do you expect him to change his attitude?"
"Then what've you been doing all these years in Storm's End if you knew the reasons for your presence there?" Baelon asked furiously.
"I've been squiring for Lord Baratheon and making friends with his family and bannermen. For your information father, I do not have the power to control someone's mind and make them think in a certain manner." Aegon snapped back.
"You…" Baelon glared.
"Enough!" Jaehaerys shouted. "There is enough conflict within the family. I do not wish to see more of that with my own eyes."
Aegon watched his father settle down beside the king by taking deep breaths.
"Baelon. Leave us." Jaehaerys said eventually after looking between Aegon and Baelon.
"Father." Baelon nodded at the king before walking out of the room.
On the way, he paused just behind Aegon and hesitantly glanced at his son. Closing his eyes, Baelon shook his head before taking his leave.
"You are so much like your mother in expressing your opinions without any care for others." said Jaehaerys tentatively.
"Alternatively, people call it speaking the truth." said Aegon.
"Yes, truth," Jaehaerys muttered before his old eyes gained strength. "I'd hear it if you have more to share, Aegon."
"As I said earlier, Lord Baratheon is not pleased with your decision to declare my father as heir over his niece. He loved his sister, Lady Jocelyn, most dearly. He holds that same love for Princess Rhaenys. He is her uncle, but most of all, her steadfast friend. No matter what you do, you won't turn him away from supporting his niece." Aegon said dutifully.
While he disliked acting as a spy, his grandfather was his king. There were limits to his freedom, and Aegon was aware that his freedoms ended when his grandfather became serious.
"I see. That's unfortunate." Jaehaerys muttered. "But you've struck a close friendship with Boremund's son. Isn't that right, Aegon?"
"Yes, your grace." Aegon nodded.
"Good. It'll be to your advantage to make friends with the future lord paramount of the Stormlands." said Jaehaerys.
"I did not befriend Borros for the sake of his future position." Aegon said with gritted teeth.
"Then Borros Baratheon is lucky to have a friend like you." Jaehaerys smoothly said while resting his back against the pillow on his chair. "Now, tell me. Have you been practising your gift?"
"Yes, your grace." Aegon replied testily.
"Daily?" the old king prodded.
"Yes, your grace."
"Does anyone at Storm's End suspect anything? Does your friend know?"
"No." Aegon said curtly.
"Are you sure?" Jaehaerys looked suspiciously.
"Yes, your grace."
"Good. Now, show me." Jaehaerys ordered, taking hold of a dagger resting on the table beside him.
Aegon eyed the fireplace in the far corner of the chamber filled with firewood. Pointing his right hand towards the fireplace, he willed his magic to come forth to his fingertips. He could feel a slight tingle pass from his gut all the way to his fingers, and in the next moment, there was fire in his palm.
With a slight jerk of his palm, the fire in his palm shot out and lit up the fireplace.
"Wonderful! Magnificent!" Jaehaerys said happily. "You've learned to control your gift better."
"Thank you, your grace."
"I had thought about inviting some pyromancers from abroad to develop your gift, but…"
"You feared word would spread, and I'd be targeted by the fringe elements within the Faith." Aegon finished.
"Yes. But not just the Faith. House Targaryen have many enemies, Aegon. We've kept them at bay with our dragons till now. But dragons cannot be everywhere, and you've yet to bond with one…" Jaehaerys trailed off, looking thoughtfully into the distance.
"Your grace?" Aegon called hesitantly when his grandfather was lost in his thoughts for too long.
The faraway look on his grandfather's face was replaced by a calculative one once he returned to reality.
"Tell me, Aegon. What are your plans now that you've been knighted?" Jaehaerys asked, suddenly putting Aegon on the spot.
"I suppose I could partake in tourneys and earn my spurs in the jousts. I also hoped to study medicines and higher mysteries at the Citadel. Septon Barth often spoke of the glass candles of Valyria. The maesters of the Citadel would know how to operate one, and I intend to learn from them."
"I see. I can understand your interest in magic and the crafts of our ancestors. But why do you need to study medicine, Aegon?" Jaehaerys asked.
"I've learned the ways to take lives. Now, I'd like to learn how to save lives."
"A noble thought." Jaehaerys nodded. "I shall speak with your father and Septon Barth about your wishes. They'll know better than myself on this matter."
"Thank you, your grace." Aegon bowed.
"You may leave. However, tell your friend that I've summoned him. It'd be remiss of me not to speak with my Baratheon nephew."
"As you wish, your grace."
Aegon bowed one last time before hightailing out of his grandfather's solar. It was not every day that a meeting with the King of the Seven Kingdoms ended on amicable terms. So, he was most eager to end the conversation before something unusual happened.
He was also lucky because the moment he opened the doors of the solar to leave, he found Daemon walking down the hall straight towards the king's room.
Closing the door behind him, he walked straight ahead.
"I see you've returned, brother. Did you kill the Dornish cunts, or did you run away while real men fought in your stead?" Daemon mocked with a pretentious smile.
"Daemon. How has the Vale been treating you?" Harry asked candidly, letting the insult wash away, knowing full well that Daemon would enjoy getting under his skin.
"A dreary place, the Vale. I had often wondered why Aegon didn't make his capital in those mountains. But having seen the place, I can understand why my Bronze bitch's lands were unappealing to the Conquerer." said Daemon.
"I see. I'd have thought you'd find Runestone appealing. I've heard First Men runes keep Royce men's armour invulnerable to time and the elements."
"I could care less what some weak barbarians doodled on their stones in ages past. It didn't save them when the Andals crossed the Narrow Sea with their steel." Daemon said with a derisive snort.
"Anyway, you shouldn't keep grandfather waiting." Aegon tapped on Daemon's shoulder in a friendly manner before abruptly walking away.
Dealing with Daemon was like dealing with a child. All he had to do was distract him with something else, and that was something Aegon was an expert at – distraction. But that was not all he did. He turned a corner and stopped moving and instead closed his eyes, focusing on the listening charm he sneakily slapped on his brother's shoulder.
It was by accident that his grandmother and grandfather discovered his talent for magic. But instead of celebrating his magical powers and making a fuss about it, his grandfather and grandmother swore themselves to secrecy. Not a soul outside the king and queen knew about his powers. They didn't even know the full scope of his powers because he kept that information close to his heart. They only knew he had an uncanny affinity for fire, which was not a rare trait as there were pyromancers in Essos with similar powers.
But his magic was far more versatile.
However, he wished he had more memories of Harry Potter's life. The spells he knew were few and less useful for his needs. The only spell he found more helpful was the listening charm, but he needed direct contact to apply the charm on something, and that was a disadvantage. The lack of a wand was also a problem that inhibited his growth as a wizard. Even if he wanted to create new spells, the lack of a strong foci left him in the lurch.
Aegon had some ideas on how to procure a wand, but that involved desecrating the remains of a dragon.
Suddenly, he stopped the flow of thoughts as his ears picked up on faint sounds transmitted by the listening charm.
'I need a way to tie a listening charm permanently in the king's room.' Aegon thought as he listened in on their conversation.
****
This was the only place in the capital where Aegon could relax and not look over his shoulder all the time. It was his grandmother's room.
"He sleeps like a baby."
A feminine giggle followed the claim, but Aegon paid it no heed. He nuzzled into his grandmother's lap as she sang an old Valyrian song while petting his hair.
Blessed is the Promised Prince
With the fire of fourteen upon his blade
A hero who delivers the world from darkness
The herald of a new dawn!
A red star will bleed the north sky
Darkness will gather under the lion of the night
Amidst salt and smoke, a dragon is born
In Ice and Fire, his song is sung!
His grandmother had such a beautiful voice that made it so easy to sleep when she sang. He nuzzled in and was ready to slip into sleep, but he was jerked awake when someone pinched his nose.
"Grandmother." he whined.
"Let him sleep, Gael." Alysanne chided her last remaining daughter.
"He can go to his precious sleep after he explains this game he brought for me." Gael complained stubbornly.
"Aegon. I think we both know how this is going to end." Alysanne said, looking exasperatedly at her stubborn daughter.
"I cannot catch a break in this castle." Aegon complained as he sat up lazily.
"You brought the board game, Aegon. You have the responsibility to explain the game to Gael." Alysanne admonished, flicking his ear.
Aegon eyed his grandmother reproachfully for always taking Gael's side in all things. Nonetheless, he took the wooden box with black and white squares painted on its surface from Gael's hand.
"This game's name is Chess." said Aegon while opening the box.
All the pieces he had painstakingly carved by his two hands were neatly arranged inside the box. One by one, he had the pieces taken out and explained them to Gael and his grandmother, who found some interest in the concept of the game. While his grandmother had abandoned political pursuits in the court, she was not always like that. In her prime, Queen Alysanne had her own court in parallel with King Jaehaerys. In fact, his grandmother remains the only person capable of making policy changes by directly influencing the king.
But nowadays, she imposed a self-exile from court politics after some disagreements with her husband surfaced.
"Tell me, Aegon. Why did you make the Queen the most powerful piece in this game while keeping the King powerless?" Alysanne asked after he explained the game and its rules.
"A king doesn't actively take part in the battle. He should be the one directing the strategy of his troops. The piece representing the Queen is supposed to be the general of the king's army, like Queen Visenya. Visenya won the Conqueror the Vale and smashed the Braavosi fleet. Queen Rhaenys helped secure the Stormlands for King Aegon. I wanted the power of Conqueror's wives represented in the piece." Aegon explained.
He had seriously considered naming the piece a dragon but then thought better of it. He didn't want to diminish the game from what he remembered in his dreams. It was a way of honouring an old friend he only knew in his dreams.
"Hmm. Don't let your grandfather hear you speak so highly of the late Queen Dowager." Alysanne warned.
"Why don't you mind, grandmother?" Aegon asked curiously.
"Because as a grown woman, I can understand Visenya better. What mother wouldn't want the best for their children? No matter what they had done, a mother could never turn her back on her children. That's something my stonehearted husband refuses to see or care about." said Alysanne, her eyes filled with sorrow.
Aegon didn't know whether his grandmother's sorrow was for the many children she lost or her estranged daughter Saera Targaryen.
'It's probably both.' Aegon thought.
"Mother, let's play." Gael said, hugging the queen closely. "Help me beat Aegon in his own game."
"Of course, my sweet." Alysanne smiled, pressing a kiss against Gael's curly silver hair.
"Now, tell me the rules of the game again."
"I'll have them written down so you can learn faster." Aegon said with a sigh.
The first few games were decisive victories for Aegon, but the longer he played, the more difficult his opponents became. They played games throughout the day until lunch, which they had in the same room. The game then went on to the evening, with Gael showing no less enthusiasm to defeat him despite the string of defeats she suffered.
Then, surprising Aegon and his grandmother, the king visited them in the chamber. When grandfather learned about the game from an excitable Gael, who suffered from the inability to read the room, he decided to join.
"This game of yours is fascinating, Aegon. It rewards logic and punishes moves made on instincts. A game fit for developing a strategic mind." Jaehaerys praised.
But Aegon saw the praise as an indirect jab at his grandmother. There was a cold distance between his grandmother and grandfather. Ever since his aunt Maegelle's passing, it was his grandmother's wish to have his other aunt Saera brought back from her exile. But that was something his grandfather opposed vehemently. It was a request his grandfather would never accept because Saera was the third most hated person in his grandfather's books after Maegor and Visenya.
He could understand why his grandfather passionately hated his exiled aunt. She had disgraced the Targaryen name by turning into a whore in Lys.
The last he had heard of Saera Targaryen was that she was in Volantis and amassed a great fortune and political power running pleasure houses inside the Black Wall. To this day, the matter of Saera remains a contentious issue between his grandparents.
Knowing his grandparents and their penchant for double speak, Aegon carefully navigated the rest of the time spent with his family. The only one least bothered by such inane worries was Gael, who was loved fiercely by the king and queen. Nothing could ever go wrong with Gael, but he was not equal to that stature.
"That's enough for today, Gael. Why don't you introduce this game to Viserys and Aemma? I'm sure they'll appreciate some respite from their duties and caring for Rhaenyra." Jaehaerys suggested softly.
"Oh, okay, father." Gael smiled brightly.
She jumped to her feet and kissed the king's cheeks before doing the same to the queen.
"Come, Aegon. Let's go and play with Aemma and Viserys."
"We have something to say with Aegon, my sweet daughter. You go ahead. I'll have Aegon sent after you in a minute." said Jaehaerys.
For a moment, Aegon thought Gael would protest, but she smiled brightly at everyone.
"Okay. But don't keep Aegon for too much time." said Gael.
"We won't." said Jaehaerys. "Ser Ryam, escort my daughter to Viserys and Aemma."
The door closed behind Gael with a small thud, and Aegon looked between his grandparents. It was his grandfather who spoke first.
"I've spoken of your interests in studying at the Citadel with Grand Maester Allar and Septon Barth. Allar has agreed to check with his colleagues in Oldtown while Septon Barth presented me with a unique suggestion."
"Oh." Aegon muttered, looking curiously at his grandfather.
"Septon Barth suggested that you take up some duties in Dragonstone while tutors can be arranged for your studies and have them teach you at our ancestral home. I think it is also time for you to claim a dragon." said Jaehaerys.
Aegon opened his mouth to protest but then thought better of it. Having a dragon companion was not something he could easily protest. He had no intention of becoming a dragonless Targaryen like his uncle Vaegon. Some time spent in Dragonstone was also a good idea. The ancient castle built by the Freehold held many secrets, and he was sure there were ancient scrolls in the secret vaults of the castle that were accessible only to Targaryens. Most of the scrolls that contained knowledge from the Valyrian Freehold were kept behind vaults with keys guarded by his father, Baelon Targaryen. He was present when his father was given the keys to the vaults by King Jaehaerys after his father was declared the Prince of Dragonstone.
The Prince of Dragonstone was supposed to be the guardian of several artefacts and knowledge from the Freehold and also the protector of the Dragonmont.
The dragon keepers of Dragonstone were supposedly the best in their work, and if he wanted to find the right dragon, he needed their services. An extended stay in Dragonstone would help him amass some knowledge of Valyrian magic if he could access those vaults. If he could learn medicine from a master in Dragonstone at his leisure, it would be even better.
"I think I can agree to spend some time in Dragonstone and complete my studies there. But I'd like to have access to the vaults." said Aegon.
His grandfather took a long look at him but, in the end, agreed with his request.
AN:
For artworks related to the story: Discord
Ch3: The King's Tourney
The crowd's excited chatter could be heard while Aegon tightened his armguards.
"Are you sure you're not partaking in the melee? I assure you the melee will be much more fun than poking each other with sticks on a horse." said Borros.
"I'm afraid his grace ordered the prince to stay away from the melee." said Ser Reginald, who helped tighten the straps on Aegon's chest plate.
"Why would he do that? I told him Aegon would be by my side in the melee, and we'd crush everyone that stood against us."
Aegon froze upon hearing that and glared at his friend.
"What?" Borros cocked his head, noticing the glare from Aegon.
"You! You outed my plans to partake in the melee to my grandfather. You caused this." Aegon jabbed an accusing finger at the heir of Storm's End.
"I don't get it. King Jaehaerys was quite happy when I said it." Borros said confusedly.
"He was happy because he gleaned my plans easily from you without much effort." Aegon deadpanned before shaking his head.
"Oh." Borros muttered in realisation.
"'Oh', he says. You robbed me of the chance to knock a few blows against my prickly brother in the presence of a large enough crowd. Because of you. I'll have to wait for another chance." Aegon complained.
"Or maybe Ser Borros will have saved you from a few blows from Prince Daemon by unwittingly exposing your plans." Ser Reginald coughed.
Aegon threw a dirty look at his sworn shield but otherwise didn't try to refute the claim. It was entirely possible that Daemon could end up thrashing him in the field, but Aegon was willing to bet he could give a good fight.
"In that case, I'll make sure to exchange a few blows with Prince Daemon in your name, my friend." Borros vowed.
"Do be careful. Daemon is an arrogant prick, but he'll goad you into making mistakes. My brother is a puissant warrior, and he carries Dark Sister."
"Ser Borros need not fight Prince Daemon. Prince Aegon will have the chance to exchange blows with his brother. Look…" Ser Reginald pointed outside their tent, and sure enough, Aegon saw Daemon riding into the field with his winged helmet while the crowd cheered.
"He looks as stupid as his helmet. It's as if he has a death wish to die of a broken neck." Aegon muttered.
"Showmanship is as much a part of a tourney as skill with a lance, my prince." Ser Reginald said sagely.
"Hmm." Aegon grunted as he climbed atop his horse.
The trumpets blared again, signalling the crier was about to make another announcement.
"Announcing Prince Aegon Targaryen."
"That's my cue." Aegon muttered as he pulled on the reins of his horse and trotted into the tourney field amidst cheers from the crowd.
He had his horse stand right next to Daemon in the field.
"Look who's here. I thought you'd be hiding behind the queen's skirts and watching from the box." Daemon smirked.
This was why Aegon disliked Daemon most in his dysfunctional family. Even when there was no bad blood between them, he always wanted to punch the smirk right off Daemon's face whenever he opened his mouth. It also didn't help that his father liked Daemon the most among his children. Aegon also disliked the fact that his grandfather gave Dark Sister to Daemon.
"I could not let myself let the chance to gain a thousand dragons slip away. A third son has to look after himself." Aegon said in a composed manner.
Daemon shot him a strange look but otherwise dropped the matter, for which Aegon was thankful. Instead, he focused on the crier, who began calling out the names of eight other knights. His eyes went to the box where the royal family was sitting with a few guests from the great houses of the realm. He found his grandfather and father engaged in a whispered conversation while his grandmother was happily laughing at something Lady Aemma said. Gael had Rhaenyra in her lap, and she was tickling her like there was no tomorrow.
When his eyes fell on Viserys, he found his older brother teeming with excitement while chatting away with Septon Barth.
Viserys was always an easygoing character who disliked conflict in any form. Of all the Targaryen men in the family, he loved Viserys the most. The rest were all dickheads in some way.
But he regretted he was not as close to Viserys as Daemon. The blame for that could be squarely put at his father's feet, Baelon Targaryen, the Spring Prince. It was his father that kept him far away from both his siblings. He was always pawned off to Aunt Maegelle, Queen Alysanne or even Grand Maester Elysar when he should've spent more time with his siblings. The constant flashes of memories of a whole other world were also a hurdle that made Aegon think he was a foreigner in his own family.
His attention went back to the crier who announced the order of the jousts. To his amusement, he was supposed to go against Ser William Royce. He had never heard of the man, nor could he recall the man from Daemon's wedding.
'Maybe a distant relative of the main family.' Aegon mused.
"Don't lose to that ugly pig from the Vale." Daemon murmured at Aegon as he passed by.
Aegon was unsurprised that Daemon disliked his wife's family. If his brother got along with anyone, it was the Blood Wyrm.
He didn't reply verbally to Daemon and instead went to the stands near the Queen.
"Princess." Aegon looked expectantly at Gael, offering his left hand.
Gael happily bounced towards him and tied a red ribbon on his wrist. She had insisted beforehand that he ask for her favour and, knowing Gael, she'd make a fuss if he didn't follow through.
"Win it, Aegon. For me." Gael said, smiling at him.
Aegon nodded and guided his horse towards one end of the jousting area while everyone made preparations by arranging lances on either side.
"Take a deep breath and release it when you jab with your lance." Ser Reginald advised him as he gave him his first lance.
"Your opponent is older and, therefore, more experienced but also slow. But you are young and strong. Be quick with your lance. No hesitation."
Aegon nodded at the knight. He took one last look at the box and saw his grandfather and father were watching him.
Snapping his visor shut, Aegon raised his lance in challenge at the Royce knight. A loud horn blared, signalling the start of the joust.
Aegon harshly tugged at the reins of his horse.
"Hyya!"
His horse galloped forward, picking up speed. Aegon held the lance in a firm grip and controlled his breathing. Just when he neared his opponent on the other track, he took a deep breath. Time slowed down, and he could feel his heart hammer away in his ears.
It was as if he was blessed with some form of magic because he could see where Ser Royce's lance was aiming. He knew beforehand on instinct where his opponent's lance was about to make contact.
Aegon lurched to a side and jabbed his lance while releasing the breath he was holding. His lance connected right at the abdomen of the Royce knight. His lance broke clean, and the Royce knight was thrown off the horse. Only when he reached the other side of the jousting area did Aegon realise he had evaded his opponent's lance, and the Royce knight was on the ground.
"Yeah!" Aegon pumped his fist in the air, feeling the thrill of victory.
The thrumming of his heart lessened, and he could now hear the shouting and cheering from the crowd. Looking at the box, he found Gael on her feet, cheering for him. He looked at each face in the box, and only one man was not cheering, and that was his father. Baelon the Brave, they call his father. But Aegon knew him as Baelon, the Coward. This was a man who could not look straight into his eyes, and in that moment, Aegon found all the more reason to win at the tilts.
The following seven jousts were time-consuming compared to his. Daemon unsurprisingly won his joust by breaking eight lances against his opponent, a knight from Fossoway. By the time the eighth match ended, it was noon, and the king announced a break. When the afternoon break ended, it was time for the next batch of knights to fight it out in the arena.
The crowd came alive when the jousting started in earnest in honour of the fiftieth year of King Jaehaerys' reign. Aegon stood prepared even as he kept a close watch on the second batch of knights duking it out in the tilts.
It took hours for his name to be called out again. This time, his opponent was a young knight from the Crownlands.
"Announcing Prince Aegon Targaryen and Ser Redmine Brune."
They rode hard and broke lances against each other. Eleven times, they broke lances against each other, but neither was close to being knocked down from their horses. However, Aegon gained the upper hand on their twelfth tilt when his lance delivered a blow that dislocated the knight's shoulder. With one dislocated shoulder, Ser Brune could not hold his lance properly. The knight accepted defeat instead of trying to joust with a handicap, making Aegon advance in the tilts.
"You look like you're being boiled inside that armour." Borros commented as he helped Aegon remove the armour from his body.
"You've no idea." Aegon muttered while privately cursing himself for not knowing the cooling charm.
He had tried to use his magic to keep the temperature in the armour moderate, but it was not working. Sometimes, he could not understand how magic worked. It was as if there were different rules for different situations. Sometimes, his will and imagination were enough for the magic to work. But on rare occasions, knowing a spell and chanting the spell's name aloud yielded better results.
That was a real blow to his wish to use magic, as he only knew a handful of spells. It was one of the reasons why he was most eagerly looking forward to getting his hands on the knowledge safeguarded in the vaults.
The rest of the jousts in the lists were as lengthy as his own bout. As the tilts continued to the evening, Aegon had more time to rest and freshen up. The one interesting thing that happened was that Ser Desmond Templeton, the Knight of Ninestars, unhorsed Daemon.
"Tell me more about him." Aegon said, looking at his sworn shield expectantly while jabbing his finger at the victorious knight.
"Never heard of him till now. He's obviously a talented knight, but that's no surprise, as he is a knight of the Ninestars. The Templetons have always produced good knights famed for their battle prowess." said Ser Reginald, eyeing the Templeton knight critically.
Aegon hummed as he turned his sights on his brother, who looked like he wanted to unsheathe Dark Sister and challenge the Knight of Ninestars to a duel. But Daemon walked away from the jousting area with a frustrated yell after a long staring contest with King Jaehaerys.
His sense of enjoyment at Daemon's failure only lasted till he found the angry red face of his older sibling get into his field of vision.
"You better defeat that prick from the Vale tomorrow." Daemon scowled.
"You know, brother, I'm not as good as you." Aegon said sarcastically.
But the dufus never picked up on the sarcastic undertone and merely walked away after letting out a grunt after getting his ego stroked.
'And to think grandfather thought you are worthy of Dark Sister brother.' Aegon thought with a snort.
****
"Congratulations, Aegon. You are the youngest knight in the family to make the final tilts." Viserys beamed as he clapped Aegon's back.
"It was all because my little niece was so supportive in the stands. Isn't that true, Rhaenyra?" Aegon cooed, plucking his niece out of Aemma's hands.
She immediately latched on to his hair and began earnestly tugging at it with a giggle.
"It looks like she thinks you're a horse brother." Viserys laughed at his daughter's antics, who tried to climb into Aegon's shoulders.
Aegon kept a safe hold on his niece's body as she managed to climb herself to his shoulders and urged him on by pulling his hair.
"Careful." Aemma warned.
"She is safe." Aegon said as he slowly moved around to Rhaenyra's satisfaction, making her happily giggle.
"You know, his grace talked to me about you being sent to Dragonstone." Viserys said while watching amusedly as his younger brother acted like a horse to entertain his daughter.
"He did?"
"Yes. He asked me whether I'd like to join you in Dragonstone along with Aemma and Rhaenyra."
"Did you say yes?" Aegon asked with hopeful eyes. "Having you, Aemma and my sweet niece on the island would be fantastic."
"It's more about what his grace wants, Aegon. Now that Lord Corlys has refused to take up his post as Master of Ships for all these years, his grace fears Dragonstone is suffering from maritime trade. He intends to remedy that." said Viserys.
"Of course." Aegon sighed, handing Rhaenyra to Aemma. "He is concerned Lord Corlys is amassing wealth in Driftmark at the expense of Dragonstone."
"That is also true. Will you help me, Aegon?"
"Dragonstone will be your seat one day. I suppose it'll be better to start familiarising with the island a little early." Aegon said. "Of course, I'll be happy to help you and Aemma in whatever capacity I can."
"Thank you, brother." Viserys grinned. "Oh, and best of luck for tomorrow. If you win, you'd be the youngest knight to have won a tourney."
"If I win..." Aegon muttered as he stared after the retreating back of his brother and his family.
He became all the more determined to win the tourney by any means necessary.
****
The arrival of House Velaryon into King's Landing was with a flair. Princess Rhaenys announced their arrival by circling the city atop her dragon, Meleys. The gleaming scarlet scales of the Red Queen looked mesmerising under the rays of the setting sun. Aegon went straight to the Dragonpit with Gael to welcome the princess into the Red Keep.
Also, he had to see the Meleys with his own eyes as the fierce she-dragon was his late mother's mount. The fact that Meleys chose Rhaenys to be her next rider greatly helped his opinion about his cousin, and he had only fond memories of Prince Aemon.
"Princess." Aegon dipped his head respectfully when his cousin climbed down from Meleys' neck.
On the other hand, Gael ignored such formalities and hugged the Lady of Driftmark dearly. While people in the court often whispered that Gael was simple-minded and childish, Aegon only saw Gael's deep love for people. Gael could be incorrigible on a good day with her bubbliness, but that was part and parcel of Gael's character. It often had the effect of diffusing the tension in the room.
Aegon smiled as he watched how easily Gael managed to bombard Rhaenys with so many questions about her family. Out of all the Targaryens among the living, Princess Rhaenys was the odd one out, more so than him. While he sported mismatched eyes, Princess Rhaenys had black hair. In some sense, they were the odd ones in the family.
His eyes inevitably fell on Meleys, the dragon of his mother. The Red Queen was a sleek she-dragon but not as benevolent as Silverwing. When he moved close to the dragon, Meleys suddenly looked in his direction with her nostrils flaring and a growl in the back of her throat, making Aegon back away.
"Careful, Aegon." Rhaenys warned.
"I apologise, cousin. I forgot myself." Aegon backed away to a safe distance while watching the dragonkeepers patiently guide the Red Queen into the Dragonpit.
"It's understandable." Rhaenys said with a nod.
Aegon watched the Red Queen disappear into the darkness of the pit, as did Gael and Rhaenys.
"Meleys has grown. She is now larger than Caraxes." Gael commented.
"Faster as well." Rhaenys said proudly.
"Grandmother is most eager to see you and the children. Please come with us, cousin." said Aegon, inviting Rhaenys into a wheelhouse.
Gael and Rhaenys took the wheelhouse while Aegon rode on a horse along with the escort.
He eyed the two women inside the wheelhouse. They were the favourites of the queen.
The last few years have been cruel to his grandmother, who lost one daughter after another. Under such a time of loss, the presence of Princess Rhaenys and Gael kept his grandmother sane and together with his grandfather. With Aunt Maegaelle's passing, the wedge between the king and queen had only wide-eyed day by day.
When they finally reached the Red Keep, Laenor, Laena, and Lord Corlys had already arrived outside the castle walls. It was his duty to welcome the Velaryon family into the Red Keep and oversee their accommodations. Going by the cold shoulder Lord Corlys was showing to his father and grandfather, the Lord of Driftmark was not ready to forgive or forget the perceived injustice done to his wife.
Therefore, the family dinner his grandfather called was an awkward one filled with tension.
The only ones who were happily chatting away without a care about the tension in the room were Gael and Laena. Laenor was a bit more reserved and read the room even though he was the youngest.
Aegon had often marvelled at Gael's ability to make people open up to her easily. The harmless vibe and her bubbly personality were undoubtedly an asset that made most people love her.
"Aegon has made many games for us to play since he was a child. They are the most fun. Come. I'll teach you how to play Marbles and Carroms. Those are my favourites." Gael said excitedly to Laena and Laenor.
"Aegon made these games? How?" Laena asked, looking at him with wide eyes full of admiration after Gael whispered about the games and how they were played nonstop.
"Well… I had nothing but time. You wouldn't believe how productive a bored Targaryen can become when he is suitably motivated to engage an excitable Princess." Aegon said with an easy shrug of his shoulders and an amused smile on his lips while Gael swatted his shoulder.
Even Princess Rhaenys had a ghost of a smile.
"I've heard you've moved up in the lists. It's a fine accomplishment for someone so young, overcoming several grown warriors." said Lord Corlys.
Aegon would've felt a sense of gratitude for such kind words from Corlys Velaryon if not for the fact that it was intended as a verbal barb at Daemon.
"I was lucky, that's all." Aegon said.
"Not just luck, Prince Aegon. Prince Aemon had often told me you had strong hands. Whenever he took you from your crib, you often had a strong grip on the prince's fingers. He was sure you'd become a renowned knight in tourneys. It'd seem he was not wrong about you even though he was wrong about many other things." said Corlys.
There it was again. Another dig at King Jaehaerys for stealing the birthright of Aemon's daughter. This was why Aegon hated family gatherings like these. It was always the talk of politics and who got what.
'There was never anything about grief, love, or anything that remotely affected the family.' Aegon mused with a sigh.
He was not naïve to think politics and power should not be topics of discussion in the royal family. But it was the sole talk in family gatherings and totally unproductive.
"Come on Laena, Laenor. I'll show you the news games." Gael suddenly stood up. "Are you coming, Aegon?"
'Bless her heart.' Aegon thought.
He followed Gael out of the dining room with Laenor and Laena as fast as his legs could carry. Playing games with Gael and the Velaryon children was far more productive than whatever was about to happen at the dinner table. This he knew for sure.
****
The next day, Aegon was back in the tin can, toiling away as he faced his opponents in the joust.
The celebrations of King Jaehaerys' fiftieth anniversary on the Iron Throne continued in full swing, with court jesters and bards providing a suitable flare in the court. For his part, Aegon was back to jousting against his opponents.
He didn't know how he became so lucky because all his opponents fell before him one by one. Either he was extremely lucky or just that good with a lance.
"I think the Warrior has blessed you today, my prince." said Ser Reginald, giving him the shield as Aegon prepared to face off against his last opponent.
Ironically, Aegon ended up facing Ser Desmond Templeton in the finals to determine the winner of the tourney. The knight of the Ninestars had unhorsed his brother the previous day, and Daemon hated all things that came from the Vale.
"Wish me luck." Aegon muttered as he snapped the visor shut and strengthened his hold on the lance.
The horn blew loud and clear, making Aegon ride into the arena with his lance aloft. He ignored the screams from the crowd and focused entirely on his opponent. The Templeton Knight was strong and quick. But Aegon had one thing going for him for the whole tourney: luck.
Saying a silent prayer to Lady Luck, he jabbed the lance in his hand with full force. The tip smashed into the shield of Ser Desmond and broke, but the knight remained seated. Only when he reached the other end he realised his opponent had let him go unmolested. The Templeton knight never even attempted to strike Aegon with his lance.
Aegon was more insulted than anything else when that happened. Therefore, when they tilted their lances again, he was set on doing everything he could to unseat Ser Desmond.
Time crawled down to a halt as his heart hammered in his chest. Aegon's eyes widened in a fraction of a second as he realised he was prepared to kill for victory in a measly tourney over an imaginary offence. With that realisation came a conflict within his mind as the words of the Sorting Hat of Hogwarts confronted him.
"Ambition, cunning, greatness…"
Those three words repeated over and over in his mind as he rode hard and fast against his opponent. When the time came, Harry made his choice. The lance in his hand smashed straight into the neck of Ser Desmond while the knight's lance was deflected by his shield. The Templeton knight was thrown off his horse on the ground.
It was only when Aegon had crossed over to the other side did he realise what a horrible thing he had done. He turned his horse around and was ready to gallop towards his fallen opponent when Gael's excitable yell and Daemon's victorious shout reached his ears. The growing horror in his mind subsided when he saw the two celebrate at the royal pavilion. His eyes fell on Viserys, who was clapping but was not as expressive as Daemon and Gael. His grandfather had a stoney look while his grandmother was looking at him in concern.
"Aegon. Aegon. Aegon."
The crowd started chanting his name while the servants dragged the unmoving body of Ser Desmond from the tourney ground. Aegon was surprised at his callous discard of his opponent, and it was at that moment, he knew that he was not as different from the rest of his family.
'I'm sorry, Aunt Maegelle. It seems I'm a dragon through and through.' Aegon thought as he assumed a bright smile and took the crown of flowers from one of the servants.
His horse trotted towards the royal box and placed the crown of flowers on Gael's head. The bright smile and blush he received from his childhood friend was far more precious than the life of an unknown knight from the Vale.
'No…that's not entirely true. Victory is far more precious than the life of a stranger.' Aegon thought.
****
"Idealism is truly dead." Aegon muttered as he snapped his fingers.
Aegon stared into the flames that danced on the palm of his hand. Gold-yellow flames bathed his room in light in the early morning, with the sun slowly peaking from the edges of the horizon. The first light was barely up, and the city was covered in fog. The celebrations had ended with the melee's end, which had unsurprisingly been a humiliating affair for his friend Borros. The headstrong attitude of the heir of Storm's End made the guy pick a fight with a couple of knights instead of staying inconspicuous as he advised.
Still, Borros was happy despite the defeat, as he had a good fight on the field. King Jaehaerys had even personally commended Borros for his battle prowess and bold actions in the melee. Aegon could only roll his eyes when Borros preened as if it was the best of compliments instead of seeing the transparent manipulation.
Aegon supposed he was starting to see the world and everything in it with the same eyes as his grandfather to some extent. A few days back in King's Landing, he had undone the wall he had built around his mind to safeguard himself from becoming a wily dragon like the rest of the family.
'I suppose it's better this way. A morally compromised dragon rider would bring only shame to the family.' Aegon thought.
He didn't know how long he sat there staring at the flames dancing in the palm of his hand. He had been spending sleepless nights ever since the tourney ended, and today was the day he was supposed to leave for Dragonstone.
But he came back to reality when a knock on the door distracted him. Snuffing out the flames in his palm, Aegon opened the door to find a woman who served in his grandmother's retinue.
"Her grace requested your presence, my prince. She waits for you near Silverwing's lair."
Aegon dismissed the servant before returning to his room, deep in thought. Ever since the tourney, his grandmother had been acting distant towards him, which was a source of discontent inside him. It felt like he won the tourney but lost an important battle. He supposed his grandmother had high hopes that he'd remain different from the rest of the family.
Shaking such dreary thoughts away, Aegon freshened up as fast as he could before leaving his room behind.
The lair of Silverwing and Vermithor were not inside the Dragonpit like the rest of the dragons. The dragons of his grandmother and grandfather were the largest dragons after Vhagar. Both of those dragons were allowed to rest near the Red Keep, with a stone stable built for their stay. Vhagar was also afforded the same courtesy. But Aegon believed the three dragons were kept close to the Red Keep so that House Targaryen would never again suffer the same trouble Aenys' heir faced during the rebellion. A dragon ride being cut off from their dragons was like a swordsman without a sword.
However, Silverwing and Vermithor were now essentially riderless. His grandmother and grandfather no longer had the health to ride the dragons. Still, both dragons were kept close by the castle, and no one had the guts to challenge Prince Baelor, who had the allegiance of Vhagar. While many extolled the Conciliator for keeping the peace, the truth was that the dragons of his family truly kept the peace in the kingdoms.
As Aegon exited the confines of the castle walls, he saw his grandmother standing before the towering form of Silverwing with dragon-keepers standing close by. The Queen was feeding her Dragon freshly caught fish. Silverwing was the first to notice his arrival as Aegon drew closer to the group. The she-dragon lazily blinked at him with her sparkling blue eyes while munching on the fish the Queen was feeding her.
"Grandmother."
There was an awkward silence between them that was broken by his grandmother's sharp command.
"Don't just stand there. Help me feed this fish to her."
Aegon sprung into action and began offering the fish stored in a barrel to the mighty dragon of his grandmother. Vhagar and Silverwing were the most battle-oriented she-dragons he knew. However, Silverwing was far more tolerant of strangers, unlike Vhagar, which even the dragonkeepers fear. Silverwing was calm and docile, making her manageable and approachable like he was doing now. If it were Vhagar or Vermithor, he wouldn't have dared approach them without their riders' presence.
"When did my grandson think killing to win was decent?"
Aegon paused, feeding the dragon for a moment. He took a long moment to think about what to say before resuming feeding Silverwing. He observed Silverwing's eyes and saw no change in her lazy attitude. Sometimes, dragons express their rider's emotions even when they are far away. He had seen it happen with his grandfather and Vermithor.
"It was not decent or honourable. But necessary." Aegon said finally.
"Necessary? Does a Prince of the realm is in desperate need of gold that he kills his opponents in a joust?"
"I'm a third son. I stand to inherit nothing. I must earn every penny to make something of myself in the future."
"Is this the same Aegon raised in the light of the Seven by Maegelle and myself?"
That wounded Aegon far deeper than any sword could cut.
"Idealism died with Aunt Maegelle. When his grace gave Dark Sister to Daemon, I knew no one would give anything to me. My father is the heir, which makes Viserys one as well. Daemon is the spare while I…" Aegon took a deep breath as he glared at the fish in his hand.
"I'm the third son of a Prince. I have no worth in the family other than being an object of amusement because of my strange gifts."
"That is not true, Aegon."
"Really? Then why did grandfather give Dark Sister to Daemon? Did he do something distinguishable that set him apart from Viserys or myself?" Aegon asked.
The silence that greeted him was enough of an answer.
Aegon was startled when Silverwing rubbed her snout against his hand. He picked a few more fish from the barrel and offered it to the dragon.
"Are your actions justifiable for the sake of you being denied a sword?" Alysanne asked with an infliction in her tone.
"No, grandmother. But I won't apologise for winning where I can, what I can."
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
"When you go to Dragonstone, you'll learn all you need to bond with a dragon. Viserys will guide you to our treasures in the vault. Do be careful, Aegon. The relentless pursuit for little scraps of power will leave you blind to what matters most to you."
"Strange you never bothered to give this advice to your husband when he took the throne that rightly belonged to your elder sister, Rhaena Targaryen and her children. Nor did you act when he stole it again from Rhaenys for my father." Aegon said blandly.
He deposited the contents of the barrel on the floor for Silverwing, and the dragon happily gorged on the flapping fish on the ground. Aegon turned his back on his grandmother and her dragon as he walked away and never looked back.
By noon, Aegon had boarded the Seawind for his journey to Dragonstone.
"I'll not depend on the leftovers my grandfather and grandmother indulgently throw my way. If I depend on them, they'll use me like they used Maegelle, Viserra, Daella and Aemon.' Aegon thought as he stared at the harbour from the aft of the ship.
He could see Gael, Laena and Laenor wave at him from the harbour.
"Don't worry, brother. We'll see them again soon." Viserys said, throwing an arm around his shoulder. "If you bond with a dragon, you can see them all at your convenience."
"In that case, brother. I submit to your sage teachings o' rider of the great Black Dread." Aegon gave an exaggerated bow to his elder sibling, making Viserys laugh and Aemma grin at their banter.
AN:
For artworks related to the story: Discord
"Are you sure you're not partaking in the melee? I assure you the melee will be much more fun than poking each other with sticks on a horse." said Borros.
"I'm afraid his grace ordered the prince to stay away from the melee." said Ser Reginald, who helped tighten the straps on Aegon's chest plate.
"Why would he do that? I told him Aegon would be by my side in the melee, and we'd crush everyone that stood against us."
Aegon froze upon hearing that and glared at his friend.
"What?" Borros cocked his head, noticing the glare from Aegon.
"You! You outed my plans to partake in the melee to my grandfather. You caused this." Aegon jabbed an accusing finger at the heir of Storm's End.
"I don't get it. King Jaehaerys was quite happy when I said it." Borros said confusedly.
"He was happy because he gleaned my plans easily from you without much effort." Aegon deadpanned before shaking his head.
"Oh." Borros muttered in realisation.
"'Oh', he says. You robbed me of the chance to knock a few blows against my prickly brother in the presence of a large enough crowd. Because of you. I'll have to wait for another chance." Aegon complained.
"Or maybe Ser Borros will have saved you from a few blows from Prince Daemon by unwittingly exposing your plans." Ser Reginald coughed.
Aegon threw a dirty look at his sworn shield but otherwise didn't try to refute the claim. It was entirely possible that Daemon could end up thrashing him in the field, but Aegon was willing to bet he could give a good fight.
"In that case, I'll make sure to exchange a few blows with Prince Daemon in your name, my friend." Borros vowed.
"Do be careful. Daemon is an arrogant prick, but he'll goad you into making mistakes. My brother is a puissant warrior, and he carries Dark Sister."
"Ser Borros need not fight Prince Daemon. Prince Aegon will have the chance to exchange blows with his brother. Look…" Ser Reginald pointed outside their tent, and sure enough, Aegon saw Daemon riding into the field with his winged helmet while the crowd cheered.
"He looks as stupid as his helmet. It's as if he has a death wish to die of a broken neck." Aegon muttered.
"Showmanship is as much a part of a tourney as skill with a lance, my prince." Ser Reginald said sagely.
"Hmm." Aegon grunted as he climbed atop his horse.
The trumpets blared again, signalling the crier was about to make another announcement.
"Announcing Prince Aegon Targaryen."
"That's my cue." Aegon muttered as he pulled on the reins of his horse and trotted into the tourney field amidst cheers from the crowd.
He had his horse stand right next to Daemon in the field.
"Look who's here. I thought you'd be hiding behind the queen's skirts and watching from the box." Daemon smirked.
This was why Aegon disliked Daemon most in his dysfunctional family. Even when there was no bad blood between them, he always wanted to punch the smirk right off Daemon's face whenever he opened his mouth. It also didn't help that his father liked Daemon the most among his children. Aegon also disliked the fact that his grandfather gave Dark Sister to Daemon.
"I could not let myself let the chance to gain a thousand dragons slip away. A third son has to look after himself." Aegon said in a composed manner.
Daemon shot him a strange look but otherwise dropped the matter, for which Aegon was thankful. Instead, he focused on the crier, who began calling out the names of eight other knights. His eyes went to the box where the royal family was sitting with a few guests from the great houses of the realm. He found his grandfather and father engaged in a whispered conversation while his grandmother was happily laughing at something Lady Aemma said. Gael had Rhaenyra in her lap, and she was tickling her like there was no tomorrow.
When his eyes fell on Viserys, he found his older brother teeming with excitement while chatting away with Septon Barth.
Viserys was always an easygoing character who disliked conflict in any form. Of all the Targaryen men in the family, he loved Viserys the most. The rest were all dickheads in some way.
But he regretted he was not as close to Viserys as Daemon. The blame for that could be squarely put at his father's feet, Baelon Targaryen, the Spring Prince. It was his father that kept him far away from both his siblings. He was always pawned off to Aunt Maegelle, Queen Alysanne or even Grand Maester Elysar when he should've spent more time with his siblings. The constant flashes of memories of a whole other world were also a hurdle that made Aegon think he was a foreigner in his own family.
His attention went back to the crier who announced the order of the jousts. To his amusement, he was supposed to go against Ser William Royce. He had never heard of the man, nor could he recall the man from Daemon's wedding.
'Maybe a distant relative of the main family.' Aegon mused.
"Don't lose to that ugly pig from the Vale." Daemon murmured at Aegon as he passed by.
Aegon was unsurprised that Daemon disliked his wife's family. If his brother got along with anyone, it was the Blood Wyrm.
He didn't reply verbally to Daemon and instead went to the stands near the Queen.
"Princess." Aegon looked expectantly at Gael, offering his left hand.
Gael happily bounced towards him and tied a red ribbon on his wrist. She had insisted beforehand that he ask for her favour and, knowing Gael, she'd make a fuss if he didn't follow through.
"Win it, Aegon. For me." Gael said, smiling at him.
Aegon nodded and guided his horse towards one end of the jousting area while everyone made preparations by arranging lances on either side.
"Take a deep breath and release it when you jab with your lance." Ser Reginald advised him as he gave him his first lance.
"Your opponent is older and, therefore, more experienced but also slow. But you are young and strong. Be quick with your lance. No hesitation."
Aegon nodded at the knight. He took one last look at the box and saw his grandfather and father were watching him.
Snapping his visor shut, Aegon raised his lance in challenge at the Royce knight. A loud horn blared, signalling the start of the joust.
Aegon harshly tugged at the reins of his horse.
"Hyya!"
His horse galloped forward, picking up speed. Aegon held the lance in a firm grip and controlled his breathing. Just when he neared his opponent on the other track, he took a deep breath. Time slowed down, and he could feel his heart hammer away in his ears.
It was as if he was blessed with some form of magic because he could see where Ser Royce's lance was aiming. He knew beforehand on instinct where his opponent's lance was about to make contact.
Aegon lurched to a side and jabbed his lance while releasing the breath he was holding. His lance connected right at the abdomen of the Royce knight. His lance broke clean, and the Royce knight was thrown off the horse. Only when he reached the other side of the jousting area did Aegon realise he had evaded his opponent's lance, and the Royce knight was on the ground.
"Yeah!" Aegon pumped his fist in the air, feeling the thrill of victory.
The thrumming of his heart lessened, and he could now hear the shouting and cheering from the crowd. Looking at the box, he found Gael on her feet, cheering for him. He looked at each face in the box, and only one man was not cheering, and that was his father. Baelon the Brave, they call his father. But Aegon knew him as Baelon, the Coward. This was a man who could not look straight into his eyes, and in that moment, Aegon found all the more reason to win at the tilts.
The following seven jousts were time-consuming compared to his. Daemon unsurprisingly won his joust by breaking eight lances against his opponent, a knight from Fossoway. By the time the eighth match ended, it was noon, and the king announced a break. When the afternoon break ended, it was time for the next batch of knights to fight it out in the arena.
The crowd came alive when the jousting started in earnest in honour of the fiftieth year of King Jaehaerys' reign. Aegon stood prepared even as he kept a close watch on the second batch of knights duking it out in the tilts.
It took hours for his name to be called out again. This time, his opponent was a young knight from the Crownlands.
"Announcing Prince Aegon Targaryen and Ser Redmine Brune."
They rode hard and broke lances against each other. Eleven times, they broke lances against each other, but neither was close to being knocked down from their horses. However, Aegon gained the upper hand on their twelfth tilt when his lance delivered a blow that dislocated the knight's shoulder. With one dislocated shoulder, Ser Brune could not hold his lance properly. The knight accepted defeat instead of trying to joust with a handicap, making Aegon advance in the tilts.
"You look like you're being boiled inside that armour." Borros commented as he helped Aegon remove the armour from his body.
"You've no idea." Aegon muttered while privately cursing himself for not knowing the cooling charm.
He had tried to use his magic to keep the temperature in the armour moderate, but it was not working. Sometimes, he could not understand how magic worked. It was as if there were different rules for different situations. Sometimes, his will and imagination were enough for the magic to work. But on rare occasions, knowing a spell and chanting the spell's name aloud yielded better results.
That was a real blow to his wish to use magic, as he only knew a handful of spells. It was one of the reasons why he was most eagerly looking forward to getting his hands on the knowledge safeguarded in the vaults.
The rest of the jousts in the lists were as lengthy as his own bout. As the tilts continued to the evening, Aegon had more time to rest and freshen up. The one interesting thing that happened was that Ser Desmond Templeton, the Knight of Ninestars, unhorsed Daemon.
"Tell me more about him." Aegon said, looking at his sworn shield expectantly while jabbing his finger at the victorious knight.
"Never heard of him till now. He's obviously a talented knight, but that's no surprise, as he is a knight of the Ninestars. The Templetons have always produced good knights famed for their battle prowess." said Ser Reginald, eyeing the Templeton knight critically.
Aegon hummed as he turned his sights on his brother, who looked like he wanted to unsheathe Dark Sister and challenge the Knight of Ninestars to a duel. But Daemon walked away from the jousting area with a frustrated yell after a long staring contest with King Jaehaerys.
His sense of enjoyment at Daemon's failure only lasted till he found the angry red face of his older sibling get into his field of vision.
"You better defeat that prick from the Vale tomorrow." Daemon scowled.
"You know, brother, I'm not as good as you." Aegon said sarcastically.
But the dufus never picked up on the sarcastic undertone and merely walked away after letting out a grunt after getting his ego stroked.
'And to think grandfather thought you are worthy of Dark Sister brother.' Aegon thought with a snort.
****
"Congratulations, Aegon. You are the youngest knight in the family to make the final tilts." Viserys beamed as he clapped Aegon's back.
"It was all because my little niece was so supportive in the stands. Isn't that true, Rhaenyra?" Aegon cooed, plucking his niece out of Aemma's hands.
She immediately latched on to his hair and began earnestly tugging at it with a giggle.
"It looks like she thinks you're a horse brother." Viserys laughed at his daughter's antics, who tried to climb into Aegon's shoulders.
Aegon kept a safe hold on his niece's body as she managed to climb herself to his shoulders and urged him on by pulling his hair.
"Careful." Aemma warned.
"She is safe." Aegon said as he slowly moved around to Rhaenyra's satisfaction, making her happily giggle.
"You know, his grace talked to me about you being sent to Dragonstone." Viserys said while watching amusedly as his younger brother acted like a horse to entertain his daughter.
"He did?"
"Yes. He asked me whether I'd like to join you in Dragonstone along with Aemma and Rhaenyra."
"Did you say yes?" Aegon asked with hopeful eyes. "Having you, Aemma and my sweet niece on the island would be fantastic."
"It's more about what his grace wants, Aegon. Now that Lord Corlys has refused to take up his post as Master of Ships for all these years, his grace fears Dragonstone is suffering from maritime trade. He intends to remedy that." said Viserys.
"Of course." Aegon sighed, handing Rhaenyra to Aemma. "He is concerned Lord Corlys is amassing wealth in Driftmark at the expense of Dragonstone."
"That is also true. Will you help me, Aegon?"
"Dragonstone will be your seat one day. I suppose it'll be better to start familiarising with the island a little early." Aegon said. "Of course, I'll be happy to help you and Aemma in whatever capacity I can."
"Thank you, brother." Viserys grinned. "Oh, and best of luck for tomorrow. If you win, you'd be the youngest knight to have won a tourney."
"If I win..." Aegon muttered as he stared after the retreating back of his brother and his family.
He became all the more determined to win the tourney by any means necessary.
****
The arrival of House Velaryon into King's Landing was with a flair. Princess Rhaenys announced their arrival by circling the city atop her dragon, Meleys. The gleaming scarlet scales of the Red Queen looked mesmerising under the rays of the setting sun. Aegon went straight to the Dragonpit with Gael to welcome the princess into the Red Keep.
Also, he had to see the Meleys with his own eyes as the fierce she-dragon was his late mother's mount. The fact that Meleys chose Rhaenys to be her next rider greatly helped his opinion about his cousin, and he had only fond memories of Prince Aemon.
"Princess." Aegon dipped his head respectfully when his cousin climbed down from Meleys' neck.
On the other hand, Gael ignored such formalities and hugged the Lady of Driftmark dearly. While people in the court often whispered that Gael was simple-minded and childish, Aegon only saw Gael's deep love for people. Gael could be incorrigible on a good day with her bubbliness, but that was part and parcel of Gael's character. It often had the effect of diffusing the tension in the room.
Aegon smiled as he watched how easily Gael managed to bombard Rhaenys with so many questions about her family. Out of all the Targaryens among the living, Princess Rhaenys was the odd one out, more so than him. While he sported mismatched eyes, Princess Rhaenys had black hair. In some sense, they were the odd ones in the family.
His eyes inevitably fell on Meleys, the dragon of his mother. The Red Queen was a sleek she-dragon but not as benevolent as Silverwing. When he moved close to the dragon, Meleys suddenly looked in his direction with her nostrils flaring and a growl in the back of her throat, making Aegon back away.
"Careful, Aegon." Rhaenys warned.
"I apologise, cousin. I forgot myself." Aegon backed away to a safe distance while watching the dragonkeepers patiently guide the Red Queen into the Dragonpit.
"It's understandable." Rhaenys said with a nod.
Aegon watched the Red Queen disappear into the darkness of the pit, as did Gael and Rhaenys.
"Meleys has grown. She is now larger than Caraxes." Gael commented.
"Faster as well." Rhaenys said proudly.
"Grandmother is most eager to see you and the children. Please come with us, cousin." said Aegon, inviting Rhaenys into a wheelhouse.
Gael and Rhaenys took the wheelhouse while Aegon rode on a horse along with the escort.
He eyed the two women inside the wheelhouse. They were the favourites of the queen.
The last few years have been cruel to his grandmother, who lost one daughter after another. Under such a time of loss, the presence of Princess Rhaenys and Gael kept his grandmother sane and together with his grandfather. With Aunt Maegaelle's passing, the wedge between the king and queen had only wide-eyed day by day.
When they finally reached the Red Keep, Laenor, Laena, and Lord Corlys had already arrived outside the castle walls. It was his duty to welcome the Velaryon family into the Red Keep and oversee their accommodations. Going by the cold shoulder Lord Corlys was showing to his father and grandfather, the Lord of Driftmark was not ready to forgive or forget the perceived injustice done to his wife.
Therefore, the family dinner his grandfather called was an awkward one filled with tension.
The only ones who were happily chatting away without a care about the tension in the room were Gael and Laena. Laenor was a bit more reserved and read the room even though he was the youngest.
Aegon had often marvelled at Gael's ability to make people open up to her easily. The harmless vibe and her bubbly personality were undoubtedly an asset that made most people love her.
"Aegon has made many games for us to play since he was a child. They are the most fun. Come. I'll teach you how to play Marbles and Carroms. Those are my favourites." Gael said excitedly to Laena and Laenor.
"Aegon made these games? How?" Laena asked, looking at him with wide eyes full of admiration after Gael whispered about the games and how they were played nonstop.
"Well… I had nothing but time. You wouldn't believe how productive a bored Targaryen can become when he is suitably motivated to engage an excitable Princess." Aegon said with an easy shrug of his shoulders and an amused smile on his lips while Gael swatted his shoulder.
Even Princess Rhaenys had a ghost of a smile.
"I've heard you've moved up in the lists. It's a fine accomplishment for someone so young, overcoming several grown warriors." said Lord Corlys.
Aegon would've felt a sense of gratitude for such kind words from Corlys Velaryon if not for the fact that it was intended as a verbal barb at Daemon.
"I was lucky, that's all." Aegon said.
"Not just luck, Prince Aegon. Prince Aemon had often told me you had strong hands. Whenever he took you from your crib, you often had a strong grip on the prince's fingers. He was sure you'd become a renowned knight in tourneys. It'd seem he was not wrong about you even though he was wrong about many other things." said Corlys.
There it was again. Another dig at King Jaehaerys for stealing the birthright of Aemon's daughter. This was why Aegon hated family gatherings like these. It was always the talk of politics and who got what.
'There was never anything about grief, love, or anything that remotely affected the family.' Aegon mused with a sigh.
He was not naïve to think politics and power should not be topics of discussion in the royal family. But it was the sole talk in family gatherings and totally unproductive.
"Come on Laena, Laenor. I'll show you the news games." Gael suddenly stood up. "Are you coming, Aegon?"
'Bless her heart.' Aegon thought.
He followed Gael out of the dining room with Laenor and Laena as fast as his legs could carry. Playing games with Gael and the Velaryon children was far more productive than whatever was about to happen at the dinner table. This he knew for sure.
****
The next day, Aegon was back in the tin can, toiling away as he faced his opponents in the joust.
The celebrations of King Jaehaerys' fiftieth anniversary on the Iron Throne continued in full swing, with court jesters and bards providing a suitable flare in the court. For his part, Aegon was back to jousting against his opponents.
He didn't know how he became so lucky because all his opponents fell before him one by one. Either he was extremely lucky or just that good with a lance.
"I think the Warrior has blessed you today, my prince." said Ser Reginald, giving him the shield as Aegon prepared to face off against his last opponent.
Ironically, Aegon ended up facing Ser Desmond Templeton in the finals to determine the winner of the tourney. The knight of the Ninestars had unhorsed his brother the previous day, and Daemon hated all things that came from the Vale.
"Wish me luck." Aegon muttered as he snapped the visor shut and strengthened his hold on the lance.
The horn blew loud and clear, making Aegon ride into the arena with his lance aloft. He ignored the screams from the crowd and focused entirely on his opponent. The Templeton Knight was strong and quick. But Aegon had one thing going for him for the whole tourney: luck.
Saying a silent prayer to Lady Luck, he jabbed the lance in his hand with full force. The tip smashed into the shield of Ser Desmond and broke, but the knight remained seated. Only when he reached the other end he realised his opponent had let him go unmolested. The Templeton knight never even attempted to strike Aegon with his lance.
Aegon was more insulted than anything else when that happened. Therefore, when they tilted their lances again, he was set on doing everything he could to unseat Ser Desmond.
Time crawled down to a halt as his heart hammered in his chest. Aegon's eyes widened in a fraction of a second as he realised he was prepared to kill for victory in a measly tourney over an imaginary offence. With that realisation came a conflict within his mind as the words of the Sorting Hat of Hogwarts confronted him.
"Ambition, cunning, greatness…"
Those three words repeated over and over in his mind as he rode hard and fast against his opponent. When the time came, Harry made his choice. The lance in his hand smashed straight into the neck of Ser Desmond while the knight's lance was deflected by his shield. The Templeton knight was thrown off his horse on the ground.
It was only when Aegon had crossed over to the other side did he realise what a horrible thing he had done. He turned his horse around and was ready to gallop towards his fallen opponent when Gael's excitable yell and Daemon's victorious shout reached his ears. The growing horror in his mind subsided when he saw the two celebrate at the royal pavilion. His eyes fell on Viserys, who was clapping but was not as expressive as Daemon and Gael. His grandfather had a stoney look while his grandmother was looking at him in concern.
"Aegon. Aegon. Aegon."
The crowd started chanting his name while the servants dragged the unmoving body of Ser Desmond from the tourney ground. Aegon was surprised at his callous discard of his opponent, and it was at that moment, he knew that he was not as different from the rest of his family.
'I'm sorry, Aunt Maegelle. It seems I'm a dragon through and through.' Aegon thought as he assumed a bright smile and took the crown of flowers from one of the servants.
His horse trotted towards the royal box and placed the crown of flowers on Gael's head. The bright smile and blush he received from his childhood friend was far more precious than the life of an unknown knight from the Vale.
'No…that's not entirely true. Victory is far more precious than the life of a stranger.' Aegon thought.
****
"Idealism is truly dead." Aegon muttered as he snapped his fingers.
Aegon stared into the flames that danced on the palm of his hand. Gold-yellow flames bathed his room in light in the early morning, with the sun slowly peaking from the edges of the horizon. The first light was barely up, and the city was covered in fog. The celebrations had ended with the melee's end, which had unsurprisingly been a humiliating affair for his friend Borros. The headstrong attitude of the heir of Storm's End made the guy pick a fight with a couple of knights instead of staying inconspicuous as he advised.
Still, Borros was happy despite the defeat, as he had a good fight on the field. King Jaehaerys had even personally commended Borros for his battle prowess and bold actions in the melee. Aegon could only roll his eyes when Borros preened as if it was the best of compliments instead of seeing the transparent manipulation.
Aegon supposed he was starting to see the world and everything in it with the same eyes as his grandfather to some extent. A few days back in King's Landing, he had undone the wall he had built around his mind to safeguard himself from becoming a wily dragon like the rest of the family.
'I suppose it's better this way. A morally compromised dragon rider would bring only shame to the family.' Aegon thought.
He didn't know how long he sat there staring at the flames dancing in the palm of his hand. He had been spending sleepless nights ever since the tourney ended, and today was the day he was supposed to leave for Dragonstone.
But he came back to reality when a knock on the door distracted him. Snuffing out the flames in his palm, Aegon opened the door to find a woman who served in his grandmother's retinue.
"Her grace requested your presence, my prince. She waits for you near Silverwing's lair."
Aegon dismissed the servant before returning to his room, deep in thought. Ever since the tourney, his grandmother had been acting distant towards him, which was a source of discontent inside him. It felt like he won the tourney but lost an important battle. He supposed his grandmother had high hopes that he'd remain different from the rest of the family.
Shaking such dreary thoughts away, Aegon freshened up as fast as he could before leaving his room behind.
The lair of Silverwing and Vermithor were not inside the Dragonpit like the rest of the dragons. The dragons of his grandmother and grandfather were the largest dragons after Vhagar. Both of those dragons were allowed to rest near the Red Keep, with a stone stable built for their stay. Vhagar was also afforded the same courtesy. But Aegon believed the three dragons were kept close to the Red Keep so that House Targaryen would never again suffer the same trouble Aenys' heir faced during the rebellion. A dragon ride being cut off from their dragons was like a swordsman without a sword.
However, Silverwing and Vermithor were now essentially riderless. His grandmother and grandfather no longer had the health to ride the dragons. Still, both dragons were kept close by the castle, and no one had the guts to challenge Prince Baelor, who had the allegiance of Vhagar. While many extolled the Conciliator for keeping the peace, the truth was that the dragons of his family truly kept the peace in the kingdoms.
As Aegon exited the confines of the castle walls, he saw his grandmother standing before the towering form of Silverwing with dragon-keepers standing close by. The Queen was feeding her Dragon freshly caught fish. Silverwing was the first to notice his arrival as Aegon drew closer to the group. The she-dragon lazily blinked at him with her sparkling blue eyes while munching on the fish the Queen was feeding her.
"Grandmother."
There was an awkward silence between them that was broken by his grandmother's sharp command.
"Don't just stand there. Help me feed this fish to her."
Aegon sprung into action and began offering the fish stored in a barrel to the mighty dragon of his grandmother. Vhagar and Silverwing were the most battle-oriented she-dragons he knew. However, Silverwing was far more tolerant of strangers, unlike Vhagar, which even the dragonkeepers fear. Silverwing was calm and docile, making her manageable and approachable like he was doing now. If it were Vhagar or Vermithor, he wouldn't have dared approach them without their riders' presence.
"When did my grandson think killing to win was decent?"
Aegon paused, feeding the dragon for a moment. He took a long moment to think about what to say before resuming feeding Silverwing. He observed Silverwing's eyes and saw no change in her lazy attitude. Sometimes, dragons express their rider's emotions even when they are far away. He had seen it happen with his grandfather and Vermithor.
"It was not decent or honourable. But necessary." Aegon said finally.
"Necessary? Does a Prince of the realm is in desperate need of gold that he kills his opponents in a joust?"
"I'm a third son. I stand to inherit nothing. I must earn every penny to make something of myself in the future."
"Is this the same Aegon raised in the light of the Seven by Maegelle and myself?"
That wounded Aegon far deeper than any sword could cut.
"Idealism died with Aunt Maegelle. When his grace gave Dark Sister to Daemon, I knew no one would give anything to me. My father is the heir, which makes Viserys one as well. Daemon is the spare while I…" Aegon took a deep breath as he glared at the fish in his hand.
"I'm the third son of a Prince. I have no worth in the family other than being an object of amusement because of my strange gifts."
"That is not true, Aegon."
"Really? Then why did grandfather give Dark Sister to Daemon? Did he do something distinguishable that set him apart from Viserys or myself?" Aegon asked.
The silence that greeted him was enough of an answer.
Aegon was startled when Silverwing rubbed her snout against his hand. He picked a few more fish from the barrel and offered it to the dragon.
"Are your actions justifiable for the sake of you being denied a sword?" Alysanne asked with an infliction in her tone.
"No, grandmother. But I won't apologise for winning where I can, what I can."
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
"When you go to Dragonstone, you'll learn all you need to bond with a dragon. Viserys will guide you to our treasures in the vault. Do be careful, Aegon. The relentless pursuit for little scraps of power will leave you blind to what matters most to you."
"Strange you never bothered to give this advice to your husband when he took the throne that rightly belonged to your elder sister, Rhaena Targaryen and her children. Nor did you act when he stole it again from Rhaenys for my father." Aegon said blandly.
He deposited the contents of the barrel on the floor for Silverwing, and the dragon happily gorged on the flapping fish on the ground. Aegon turned his back on his grandmother and her dragon as he walked away and never looked back.
By noon, Aegon had boarded the Seawind for his journey to Dragonstone.
"I'll not depend on the leftovers my grandfather and grandmother indulgently throw my way. If I depend on them, they'll use me like they used Maegelle, Viserra, Daella and Aemon.' Aegon thought as he stared at the harbour from the aft of the ship.
He could see Gael, Laena and Laenor wave at him from the harbour.
"Don't worry, brother. We'll see them again soon." Viserys said, throwing an arm around his shoulder. "If you bond with a dragon, you can see them all at your convenience."
"In that case, brother. I submit to your sage teachings o' rider of the great Black Dread." Aegon gave an exaggerated bow to his elder sibling, making Viserys laugh and Aemma grin at their banter.
AN:
For artworks related to the story: Discord
Ch4: Gael's knightly lover
Aegon flipped a page of his book as he reviewed some of the recent notes he had made while studying some of the sacred scrolls in the secret vaults. Waves crashed noisily into the shoreline of Dragonstone, and the salty scent of the sea was ever-prevalent. While Dragonstone was a dreary place, Aegon found some appeal to the ancient outpost of the Freehold.
It was his family's true seat of power in Aegon's mind. No Targaryen worth their blood would ever say otherwise after they look upon the might of Dragonmont. The Iron Throne, the Red Keep, and the surrounding city were illusions of power. Those who commanded the Dragonmont commanded the true power in House Targaryen.
Unfortunately, the rest of the family didn't share Aegon's views. It was understandable, considering he was the only one gifted with magical powers in the family. His pyromancy only became strengthened near the Dragonmont.
Viserys thought it was a punishment or a test of some sort that landed him and Aemma in Dragonstone. Aegon didn't wholly disagree as there was most likely an element of a test of competence involved courtesy of their grandfather.
Ever since their uncle Aemon died and their grandfather denied the throne to Princess Rhaenys, the post of Master of Ships had been left vacant in the Small Council. Lord Corlys had resigned from the post in protest over the insult to his wife. King Jaehaerys left the post vacant all these years for reasons beyond Aegon at the moment. It was almost as if his grandfather had a grudging respect for Lord Corlys but was too prideful to reconcile with the Lord of the Tides.
But his grandfather was not the only one with pride. Lord Corlys had refused to grace the seat of Master of Ships so far. This left the King in a bit of a quandary. The Royal Fleet had gone into disrepair in the absence of a Master of Ships. It was a serious oversight on the part of his grandfather. Now, Viserys was saddled with the responsibility of rejigging the Royal Fleet and the maritime commerce in Dragonstone. Both had suffered with the absence of the Master of Ships and a diligent authority in Dragonstone.
Aegon didn't envy Viserys's job, but his elder brother had managed to do some serious work on the island so far. Together, they visited all the shipbuilders and port facilities. They had taken stock of the workers, the state of the ports, and the resources available the moment they set foot on the island. Many renovation works were discarded, and as a result, some of the ships anchored at Dragonstone were nearly useless.
The ports were no better. Without an iron hand to oversee their functioning, the officers on port duties were siphoning off funds that should've gone into Dragonstone's coffers. Aegon also learned that the officers tolled ships from Pentos and Myr while giving them free run on the ports during less favourable weather conditions. Aegon had investigated the nexus of guards and officers on the payroll of Myrish and Tyroshi captains. He had even run into a slave ring, but he had yet to move against them.
He was only charged with finding out all the information by his elder brother. As the eldest son of the Prince of Dragonstone, it was Viserys' duty to discharge any punishments. Aegon suspected his brother was discussing the next course of action with maester Gerardys at the moment.
Letting out a sigh, Aegon admonished himself for getting lost in thoughts. He flipped the pages of his diary until he finally came to the last page, where he kept tabs on the sheep he fed to Sheepstealer. The bleat of the sheep made him look back, and he saw the four sheep he had secured for today were restless. But he also saw Aemma coming towards him with Rhaenyra in her arms.
"Aemma." Aegon stood on his feet and acknowledged her with a nod while dusting off the sand that clung to his clothes.
"Aegon."
"I see you had to bow to the whims of the little dragon." Aegon amusedly noted, tickling the little bundle of joy in Aemma's arms.
His niece giggled and tried to hide in the arms of her mother.
"So, no duck-watch today?" Aegon asked with a grin.
Watching ducks swimming in a nearby pond close to the Dragonmont was Rhaenyra's favourite pastime in Dragonstone.
"Unfortunately, no. They didn't come today." said Aemma.
"Wave-watch!" Rhaenyra clapped her hands excitedly as a large wave crashed into the shore.
Aegon chuckled, seeing his niece's excitement.
"Keep a close watch on the waves 'nyra. Maybe a sea turtle might come ashore like last time." Aegon said, petting her silver locks before eyeing his horse and the sheep.
"I apologise, goodsister. I must visit the Dragonmont."
"Aegon, Viserys was asking for you." Aemma said.
"I'll visit him immediately after I try my luck with Sheepstealer." he promised.
Aegon climbed on his horse while holding on to the ropes tied around the sheep's necks. Slowly, they made their way towards the eastern side of Dragonmont, where plenty of caverns lay. In one of those caverns, Sheepstealer would be resting. While Sheepstealer was a wild dragon, it was also harmless, as it had never attacked anyone on the island. It had an obsessive taste for mutton, but other than that, Sheepstealer was harmless.
It was still dangerous to try bonding with a wild dragon as old as Vermithor. But Sheapstealer was one of the largest dragons comparable in size to Vermithor. Aegon hoped to build a connection with the wild dragon, and someday, he hoped the dragon would choose him as its rider.
At the foot of the Dragonmont, Aegon jumped down from his horse. After tying it nearby, he climbed the rocky terrain of the Dragonmont with the sheep. There were small hot springs as he climbed higher, and he could see smoke coming out of the vents. But he neither felt any heat nor did he sweat. His unique magic was at its peak whenever he was at the Dragonmont. Here, his magical powers were tenfold strong, which allowed him certain leeway. Any kind of heat didn't bother him the slightest. After all, he could hold the hottest flames in the palm of his hands.
A low growl came from one of the caverns, making Aegon pause. The sheep began bleating when the ground beneath them shook as the Sheepstealer crawled out of a cave. The dragon's muddy brown scales were covered in ash and soot as it fully emerged from the cave.
"I'm a friend. I brought you food." Aegon said in High Valyrian, pointing to the sheep.
The enormous dragon blinked at him and then turned its full attention to the sheep. It snatched three sheep between its jaws in a single pass. Sheepstealer lazily munched on the sheep while keeping a wary eye on him. Aegon didn't understand why the dragon was afraid of him of all people. If anything, he should be in fear as he took an enormous risk trying to bond with a wild dragon. He tentatively moved closer towards Sheepstealer after it became sufficiently distracted by gorging itself on fresh mutton. As he touched the scales of the muddy-coloured scales of the wild dragon, it let out a low growl in warning.
But Aegon didn't move an inch back and continued to pet the dragon's scales as it devoured the sheep. Feeling a bit confident, Aegon moved closer to the head of Sheepstealer. Step by step, he came close, and Sheepstealer kept a close eye on his movement.
"I'm a friend," Aegon softly said in High Valyrian and tried to touch the dragon's lower jaw.
But the moment his fingers grazed the scales, Sheepstealer let out a growl and turned his head away. Aegon moved back slightly as the dragon picked up the sheep and crawled back into its cave.
"At least I managed to touch the scales. That's an improvement." Aegon muttered before turning away from the cave.
When he returned to the castle, he found Viserys sitting on a chair in grief.
"Brother?" Aegon called tentatively while looking at askance at maester Gerardys.
"A raven came from the Red Keep, my Prince. Septon Barth has passed away in his sleep." maester Gerardys said.
Aegon was struck by the news like any self-respecting Targaryen born during the reign of King Jaehaerys.
"We must make arrangements for our departure to the capital. Septon Barth deserves a proper and respectful burial." Viserys said softly.
"Of course, brother." Aegon said, placing his hand on his elder brother's shoulder. "I'll have our ship ready by tomorrow morning."
****
The bells tolled throughout the capital as the entire city mourned the passing of Septon Barth. All colourful banners were lowered, and black flags were raised to represent the city's mourning of the longest-serving Hand of the King. Some had credited King Jaehaerys' prosperous reign to the guiding hand and wisdom of Septon Barth.
Septon Barth was the architect of reconciling the Faith with House Targaryen. His masterstroke, the Doctrine of Targaryen Exceptionalism, snuffed the flames of war that damaged the Seven Kingdoms. The rebellion of the Faith Militant and Maegor's tyranny were the dark history of Westeros, and it was Septon Barth who helped King Jaehaerys solidify the hold of the Iron Throne.
But to Aegon and the rest of the Targaryen family, Septon Barth was more than just a political figure. The man was like an uncle to most of them. The close friendship between King Jaehaerys and Septon Barth was such that the Hand of the King became a part of the Targaryen family. It was Barth who gave Aegon the knowledge of letters. He learned the Common Tongue from Barth, as did Viserys and Daemon.
"Septon Barth, my best of friends, was a man of great wisdom and humble beginnings. He was born into this world as the son of a blacksmith. And now we honour him as the man who helped to bring peace to the realm, a trusted friend and revered spiritual man."
Aegon watched from the sidelines as his grandfather delivered a moving eulogy to honour his friend before covering the body of Septon Barth with a Targaryen cloak. He supposed his grandfather likely saw Septon Barth as a brother rather than a friend in his later years. The silent sisters folded the cloak neatly and kept it close to the body before they began their prayers. It wasn't long before Septon Barth was interned according to the last rites offered in the Andal fashion. The body was buried near a small sept on Rhaenys' Hill.
Condolences had poured in from most lords of the realm, but they all had an ulterior motive as well. With Septon Barth's passing, the office of the Hand was now open. Perhaps his grandfather foresaw Lords of the realm pouring into the capital to make their play for the office. The next morning, ravens flew from the Red Keep to all corners of Westeros, carrying the news of Ser Ryam Redwyne's appointment as Hand of the King.
There were some disgruntled murmurs in court about Ser Ryam's ascension. Some believed the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard was not a good candidate for the post. After all, if Ser Ryam were to assume the Hand's duties, who would guard the king?
But for reasons unknown to most, including Aegon and the rest of the family, King Jaehaerys went ahead with his decision and pinned the badge of the Hand on Ser Ryam's in full view of the court.
Aegon could only stare at his grandfather in stunned silence like most, but he supposed the man had been making such decisions for a few years. The decision to force Daemon to marry Rhea Royce was one such decision that, to this day, baffles Aegon. He found no political advantage in the match. Sure, having relatives in one of the prestigious great houses of Westeros was a boon, but there were other great houses. Besides, Viserys had already married Aemma Arryn, which gave them familial connections in the Vale. House Arryn was now married into House Targaryen, and one day, Viserys would sit on the throne, and after him, a king with Arryn blood would sit on the throne. Under such circumstances, forcing Daemon to marry Rhea Royce simply didn't make sense.
Aegon shook his head before turning away from the court proceedings. If the court was filled with this level of drama, he couldn't wait to see what kind of drama awaited him at the family dinner tonight, especially with his uncle Vaegon also arriving from the Citadel.
When the night fell, Aegon received the invitation to dine with the king. It was more of a direct order than an invitation, and Aegon attended like everyone else. When he arrived at the dining hall, he found his grandfather conversing with his uncle Vaegon.
"Grandfather. Uncle." Aegon nodded respectfully at the two elders.
"Come sit by my side, Aegon." Jaehaerys directed him to a seat immediately to his left.
"Umm…" Aegon was immediately wary as the spot was usually reserved for his grandmother.
"Is there a problem?" Jaehaerys asked upon seeing his hesitation.
"No. Not at all." Aegon shook his head and slipped into the seat next to his grandfather.
"Vaegon was just telling me of your progress in your studies. Maester Alyn only had high praises for your talent to grasp the subject of medicines and poisons."
Aegon nodded at his uncle, but he highly doubted that was the case.
It had been barely a month since he started his journey on the subject. It was not enough time for anyone to make a judgement, much less about a complicated subject like medicine. He had barely started to learn about anything with Maester Alyn. In the last month, he had made more strides in magic than in any other field of study.
"Now, tell me about Dragonstone. What have you found?"
"I thought Viserys had told you…"
"I'm asking you, Aegon." Jaehaerys smoothly cut in with a frown.
"Our fleet is in disrepair, and we've been identifying the men responsible. The funds we've unceremoniously been dumping into Dragonstone had all gone down the drain. It'll take much time and effort to retrieve even a portion of what we lost."
"What about our ports itself?" Jaehaerys asked, his frown only intensifying with every second.
"The port officers are corrupt to the core. They've been taking bribes from Essosi captains in return for avoiding port duties. The revenue loss is incalculable since the books kept in Dragonstone are obviously fake. Some port officers have also used your decree of granting fee relaxation to Manderly ships to line their pockets."
"How so?" Jaehaerys asked curiously.
"They've been falsifying records in our ports by marking certain ships as Manderly ships. When, in fact, Manderly ships rarely make their journey this far south."
"How do you know they don't?" Vaegon asked, breaking his silence.
"I've managed to contact the captains of Manderly ships prowling the Narrow Sea. They prefer Driftmark over Dragonstone as their preferred trading port." Aegon answered truthfully, "The fact that you don't know this is concerning, your grace."
There was an awkward moment of silence between them, which was broken by his uncle Vaegon.
"Lord Corlys exacts a steep price on port duties." Vaegon commented.
"Yes, he does." Aegon nodded at his uncle, "But Lord Corlys hosts some of the best merchants and their wares in Driftmark. Why would any Northern ship looking for supplies to stave off the hunger brought forth by winter sail anywhere else?"
For a moment, his grandfather and uncle engaged in a silent conversation between themselves. But whatever their response was, he never heard a peep of it as the rest of the family started to walk in.
The dinner was a silent affair, and the tension at the dining table was so thick that you could cut it with a knife. His grandmother chose to sit close to Aemma and put Gael in between Aegon and herself. Ever since their spat, his grandmother hadn't spoken a word with him or sent a letter. He had sent a note of apology after sense returned to him once he was in Dragonstone, which remained unanswered to this day.
"I've heard you and your brother have done splendid work finding the corruption among the Dragonstone garrison and our ports. Now, what do you hope to do to restore Dragonstone to its former glory?" Jaehaerys asked, steepling his fingers while pinning Viserys with a stare.
'Former glory?' Gael mouthed at him with a roll of her eyes.
Aegon struggled to laugh at her blatant insult. He doubted his grandfather didn't see what his youngest daughter was doing, but Gael could get away with almost anything. She was the golden child of his grandfather and grandmother, who could do no fault.
But Gael was not wrong. There were no glory days for Dragonstone in the last five decades. Maybe there was in the time of the Freehold, but after that, Dragonstone was never a hub for trade in the Narrow Sea. The island could've been a trade hub had Maegor and the Faith Militant not wasted the formative years of King's Landing by waging a destructive war. The war in the continent had devastated the confidence of merchants from across the Narrow Sea and drowned the Iron Throne in debt with the Iron Bank. Even House Velaryon held outstanding debts with the Iron Bank despite their rising wealth. It won't be long, however, when Lord Corlys removes the debts of his family owed to the Braavosi. It was the same case for the Iron Throne, but the good thing was that the royal coffers received gold and silver from the Seven Kingdoms through taxes. These taxes played a crucial role in settling the debts with the Iron Bank and other local creditors.
But the woes of the Iron Throne were hardly over. Even though there were decades of peace under his grandfather's rule, much of the wealth of House Targaryen was spent on restoring order in the realm, building the Kingsroad and completing the works in the city. Amidst all that, Dragonstone had gone unattended for years. Even though Prince Aemon served as the Prince of Dragonstone, he spent most of his time in the capital. The same was true for Prince Baelon.
The only piece of glory in Dragonstone was the Dragonmont and the dragons, who called it their home. There were no other grand symbols of power in Dragonstone that anyone outside the Targaryen family could possibly see.
Aegon paid only half an ear to the answer Viserys gave to their grandfather. Instead, he focused on the steak pie on the table. He looked at Gael and nodded at the pie on the table. They made a quick game out of it as they competed to see who could consume a larger portion in a short time. While the rest of the table descended into talks of politics and whatnot, they were competing with gusto.
But their game came to an abrupt halt when their grandfather turned his attention on Gael.
"My daughter is ten and nine. In a few months, she'll be a woman of twenty namesdays. It's time that she marry someone of suitable standi…" Jaehaerys started to say but was abruptly cut off by none other than his wife.
"No! You'll not touch my daughter and use her for your political gains. Never again." Alysanne almost snarled with a feral expression that shook everyone at the table.
"Alysanne!" Jaehaerys slammed his fist on the table.
Not to be outdone, Alysanne did the same by slamming her hand on the table, making Aegon flinch.
"Jaehaerys! I hope you hear me true and well. I'll not let you or anyone else use my daughter in your schemes. She'll marry when I say so, and that's final." Alysanne growled in anger as she stood up from her seat. "If anyone likes to think otherwise, they'll find how hot Silverwing's flames are."
"Come, daughter. You've dined enough." Alysanne said imperiously, dragging Gael out of the dining hall after delivering her threat.
"I won. You were too distracted, Gael." Aegon shouted at her, showing his clean plate while her plate had some pie left.
He could hear Gael complain loudly to her mother for making her lose another one of their games.
When Aegon turned his attention back to the table, he was the recipient of several incredulous stares from Daemon, Viserys and his father.
"Your ability to engage in the most childish games while serious matters are being discussed astounds me, Aegon." Baelon said reproachfully.
"Discussion? I only heard shouting instead of a civilised discourse. When there is a civil discussion in the family, I'll be mindful not to bother the adults with my games father." Aegon promised with a faux serious face.
"Enough, Aegon." Jaehaerys warned, and that dissuaded him from making any more snide comments.
Having the king of the Seven Kingdoms annoyed at you was not a good prospect, especially when he had no dragon under his command.
Even though the dinner ended on a sour note, King Jaehaerys called Aegon and Viserys into his office after the dinner. Aegon noticed the presence of Ser Ryam Redwyne and maester Vaegon in the office.
"Sit."
Aegon and Viserys followed the command and sat across from the table of their grandsire.
"The situation in Dragonstone is perilous, and I can no longer tolerate it. Therefore, I've decided on a punishment fitting for those corrupted men in Dragonstone. Hang half the corrupt men you found and leave the rest to confess their crimes. Their ill-begotten wealth must be seized, and Dragonstone must rise in stature with Driftmark."
Aegon gaped at his grandfather as if he was seeing the man for the first time.
"Did you just tell us to kill half a hundred people and also revive Dragonstone to match the grandeur of Driftmark while we are at it?" Aegon asked incredulously.
"Are you telling me two dragons are no match against a sea horse?" Jaehaerys asked airily.
Aegon and Viserys remained in stunned silence at what was being asked of them.
"Your grace. How are we supposed to match Lord Corlys in wealth so suddenly? It's impossible." said Viserys.
"Shall I send Daemon to Dragonstone if you fear failure this much?" Jaehaerys asked innocently.
"Twenty thousand gold dragons and ten thousand silver stags must be sent to Dragonstone monthly for the next two years. We'll also need two hundred trusted men and a proportionate number of knights to command those men. They must be loyal to the crown, preferably from the Crownlands." Aegon immediately said before Viserys could ask for Daemon's presence in Dragonstone.
"What? Aegon… I don't…" Viserys spluttered.
"I assume we also have the power to make administrative decisions in Dragonstone?" Aegon asked, avoiding his brother's eyes and focusing solely on his grandfather.
"Yes. Maester Gerardys will keep me informed of your decisions. If I find anything I disagree with, I'll let you two know." said Jaehaerys.
"The coin and the men that I asked?" Aegon looked expectantly.
"The coin will be ready by the time you're ready to sail. The men will be ready by the end of this month."
"Good. Then I give you my word we'll match Dragonstone's stature and wealth with that of Driftmark within two years." Aegon promised with a straight face.
"You're bold, Aegon. I'll give you that. But many men have made promises before me. The question is, can you keep your promise?"
"I gave you my word, your grace. You'll understand the value of my word within two years." said Aegon with his head held high.
****
Jaehaerys watched his grandsons leave the room. Once the door slammed shut, he turned his attention to his newly appointed Hand and his son Vaegon.
"What do you think Vaegon?" Jaehaerys asked, looking curiously at his son.
"I think Baelon is as stupid as I remember him. Viserys is a lazy man content with the trappings of opulence, Daemon is an overexcited child, and Aegon is the only one with a drive for excellence and learning." said Vaegon with a snort.
"Prince Viserys is also a kind and merciful soul who even tamed the Black Dread. Prince Daemon is a puissant warrior. It'd be unkind to overlook the princes' other attributes, your grace," Ser Ryam Redwyne reminded him.
"Maegor also rode the Black Dread. Did that make him a good king? King Aenys was merciful, but did that stop people from rebelling?" Vaegon asked, glaring at the Kingsguard knight, who looked abashed.
"Baelon and many in the family coddle Viserys and Daemon too much. Aegon's strength comes from his self-reflection that he must make something of himself. That's an admirable trait lacking in my brother and his two children. They thrive in knowing they will succeed my father without any challenge."
"I agree with Vaegon. They do not give due diligence to the threat posed by Lord Corlys and his children. They're self-assured in their positions save for Aegon." said Jaehaerys with a thoughtful frown.
"Then perhaps, your grace should speak with Prince Baelon. Your guidance would surely help the prince." Ser Ryam advised.
"Baelon is no longer a child. He must learn from his mistakes. The only thing he has done well so far was keeping Aegon at arm's length." Vaegon said with a snort.
"You seem to like Aegon, yet you've hardly spoken to the boy. Perhaps you'd take up an interest in passing your knowledge to…"
"Spare me your plots, father." Vaegon immediately cut in before he got saddled with his nephew's education.
"Then I'll trouble you with the matter of Gael's marriage."
"You shouldn't. I have no interest in testing the heat of Silverwing's flames." Vaegon deadpanned.
"Have you taken leave of your senses like your mother, Vaegon? Your sister is old enough to give me grandchildren. How long do you reckon a noble lady of a great house remain unmarried?" Jaehaerys thundered.
"Fine!" Vaegon huffed. "If you want my suggestion, then here it is. Have Gael betrothed to Lord Rickard Redwyne's heir, Ser Alfred Redwyne."
"Alfred Redwyne?" Jaehaerys frowned thoughtfully before turning his sights on his Hand.
"What is your opinion, Ser Ryam? After all, he's your nephew." Vaegon posed the question with a pointed look.
"My nephew is an accomplished Knight and a leal man, your grace. He is two and twenty and he served as Lord Hightower's squire. House Redwyne would be blessed and honoured to accept Princess Gael as the future lady of the Arbor." Ser Ryam said with grace.
Jaehaerys frowned thoughtfully into the distance.
"Lord Rickard also has a daughter, doesn't he?" Jaehaerys asked as a plan started to form in his mind.
"Yes, your grace. My niece Alicia is a sweet girl."
"Age?"
"Your grace?" Ser Ryam blinked in surprise.
"Your niece's age, Ser Ryam."
"Four and ten, your grace."
"Hmm…" Jaehaerys hummed thoughtfully.
"Your father was a loyal man, Ser Ryam. He served faithfully in the Small Council and built the Royal Fleet from nothing after Maegor gutted it. If the Shiver hadn't taken him, your father might've been sitting in the Small Council as my Master of Ships."
"My father was an honourable man, your grace. He and my elder brother passed away before their time." Ser Ryam said, nodding at the King graciously for his kind words.
"Yes. I propose another betrothal between Aegon and your niece, Alicia Redwyne. Two royal marriages shall bind House Targaryen and House Redwyne in their destinies for generations to come." Jaehaerys declared. "What say you, Ser Ryam?"
****
Aegon celebrated his fifteenth namesday in the Red Keep instead of Dragonstone. He should've left for the island, but the unexpected delay in procuring the coin from the treasury facilitated an extension of his stay in King's Landing. It also helped that he got the time to recruit a couple of knights from the city for what was to happen in Dragonstone. The city being host to many knights of the Crownlands made it easier to recruit some fresh blood for what was undoubtedly a bloody and dangerous campaign at Dragonstone.
If a Targaryen started fearing for his life in Dragonstone, of all places, their tenuous hold on the island was quite apparent. It was a shame that most of his family had written off Dragonstone as a dreary place. It was not as populous as King's Landing or bustled with foreign merchants like Driftmark, but Aegon loved it all the same. Perhaps he loved it far better than the capital. The smell alone strongly motivated Aegon to love Dragonstone over King's Landing.
Even his namesday celebration didn't brighten up Aegon. The tension in the capital was thick as the king and queen were at odds once again. Therefore, any celebration had gone out of the window. Still, his grandfather had ordered a feast to celebrate Aegon's namesday.
But Aegon was content with the gifts and even a rare smile his grandmother had reserved only for him when she gifted him a handmade cloak. Despite the thaw in their relationship, he had made up with his grandmother.
There was a time when he could remember spending his birthdays all by himself in a dark corner of a cupboard. Compared to that, he felt like he was having the time of his life. Sure, there were disagreements and rivalries within the family, but he'd take a dysfunctional family over not having one at all.
Suddenly, a handful of seawater splashed on his face, making him cough and splitter.
"What was that for?" Aegon yelled between coughing and spitting out the salty water and sand that went into his mouth and nose.
"You were brooding again when you should be happy today." Gael huffed, splashing more seawater as another tide came forward to wet their feet.
"All right. I'll be happy from now on." Aegon raised his hands in surrender and began laughing exaggeratedly.
"Hmm… I'll be the judge of that. Now, help me collect more seashells. I want to make a necklace for Rhaenyra and Aemma."
"Yes, my queen. Your words are my command." Aegon performed an exaggerated bow, making Gael giggle.
Gael suddenly stopped laughing and assumed a serious look. Her eyebrows scrunched together, and her lilac eyes suddenly became sharper.
"Mother says I don't have to listen to father, and I can marry anyone I like." Gael suddenly said, making Aegon blink a few times at the sudden tangent their conversation went.
"I assume she also said you can pick someone within reason." Aegon said tentatively, knowing this was a delicate matter.
The last thing he wanted was for him to get involved in the tug-of-war between his grandfather and grandmother.
"Within reason? What do you mean?" Gael asked, tilting her head to the side.
"You can't obviously marry a commoner. I don't think grandfather or grandmother would stand for that. So, the least worthy candidate would be a landed knight, and that's being generous. I suspect they'll both search for a man from one of the great houses."
"I see. What if I already love a knight? He has no substantial lands to his name, but his family is wealthy and powerful. But most importantly, I know he'd never mistreat me, and he makes me happy."
"Then I suggest that you inform grandmother about this mystery knight. She might approve of this knight once she meets him, and we can leave her in charge of convincing grandfather." Aegon suggested.
"That's sound advice." Gael said brightly before a shy look graced her delicate features. "There is one other thing, Aegon."
"What's it? Do you want me to accompany you to inform grandmother about this mystery knight?" Aegon asked.
"No. I've already told mother about the knight, and she approved."
"Oh! So, do you need me to support your choice before grandfather? I can do that." Aegon nodded, but Gael shook her head.
"I've yet to tell this knight of my love for him." Gael said with a blush.
Aegon started laughing hard upon hearing that.
Suddenly, a pair of lips smashed against his own, forcing Aegon to go silent. He stared into Gael's lilac eyes as she threw her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to her body. She took turns to nibble at his lower and upper lips. His hands were now suddenly on her waist on their own accord, and it was only then that he realised he was enjoying the kiss just like Gael, who had her eyes closed in bliss. Her fingers were now threading through his hair while their lips were engaged in a sensual battle that neither of them was willing to concede.
It felt like his lungs were burning, and his heart was ready to break out of his ribcage and fly away to the distant stars. With a gasp, they separated for some much-needed air.
Gael was smirking at him even as she struggled to breathe after they broke apart.
"Gael…" he started to say, but she immediately clamped his palm over his mouth.
"I know what you're going to say. You've made your thoughts known about the incest in our family many times. But be sure to keep this in your mind, Aegon. If I'm to marry someone, it'll be you and no one else."
"Gael, I don't think everyone else will approve…"
"My mother approves, and I know you love me." Gael said, cutting him off.
"How do you know I love you?"
"I know." Gael said softly, touching his lips tenderly while gazing into his eyes with an intensity that made him forget himself.
Soon, they were kissing again, and this time, it was Aegon who pulled Gael into the kiss.
AN:
For artworks related to the story: Discord
It was his family's true seat of power in Aegon's mind. No Targaryen worth their blood would ever say otherwise after they look upon the might of Dragonmont. The Iron Throne, the Red Keep, and the surrounding city were illusions of power. Those who commanded the Dragonmont commanded the true power in House Targaryen.
Unfortunately, the rest of the family didn't share Aegon's views. It was understandable, considering he was the only one gifted with magical powers in the family. His pyromancy only became strengthened near the Dragonmont.
Viserys thought it was a punishment or a test of some sort that landed him and Aemma in Dragonstone. Aegon didn't wholly disagree as there was most likely an element of a test of competence involved courtesy of their grandfather.
Ever since their uncle Aemon died and their grandfather denied the throne to Princess Rhaenys, the post of Master of Ships had been left vacant in the Small Council. Lord Corlys had resigned from the post in protest over the insult to his wife. King Jaehaerys left the post vacant all these years for reasons beyond Aegon at the moment. It was almost as if his grandfather had a grudging respect for Lord Corlys but was too prideful to reconcile with the Lord of the Tides.
But his grandfather was not the only one with pride. Lord Corlys had refused to grace the seat of Master of Ships so far. This left the King in a bit of a quandary. The Royal Fleet had gone into disrepair in the absence of a Master of Ships. It was a serious oversight on the part of his grandfather. Now, Viserys was saddled with the responsibility of rejigging the Royal Fleet and the maritime commerce in Dragonstone. Both had suffered with the absence of the Master of Ships and a diligent authority in Dragonstone.
Aegon didn't envy Viserys's job, but his elder brother had managed to do some serious work on the island so far. Together, they visited all the shipbuilders and port facilities. They had taken stock of the workers, the state of the ports, and the resources available the moment they set foot on the island. Many renovation works were discarded, and as a result, some of the ships anchored at Dragonstone were nearly useless.
The ports were no better. Without an iron hand to oversee their functioning, the officers on port duties were siphoning off funds that should've gone into Dragonstone's coffers. Aegon also learned that the officers tolled ships from Pentos and Myr while giving them free run on the ports during less favourable weather conditions. Aegon had investigated the nexus of guards and officers on the payroll of Myrish and Tyroshi captains. He had even run into a slave ring, but he had yet to move against them.
He was only charged with finding out all the information by his elder brother. As the eldest son of the Prince of Dragonstone, it was Viserys' duty to discharge any punishments. Aegon suspected his brother was discussing the next course of action with maester Gerardys at the moment.
Letting out a sigh, Aegon admonished himself for getting lost in thoughts. He flipped the pages of his diary until he finally came to the last page, where he kept tabs on the sheep he fed to Sheepstealer. The bleat of the sheep made him look back, and he saw the four sheep he had secured for today were restless. But he also saw Aemma coming towards him with Rhaenyra in her arms.
"Aemma." Aegon stood on his feet and acknowledged her with a nod while dusting off the sand that clung to his clothes.
"Aegon."
"I see you had to bow to the whims of the little dragon." Aegon amusedly noted, tickling the little bundle of joy in Aemma's arms.
His niece giggled and tried to hide in the arms of her mother.
"So, no duck-watch today?" Aegon asked with a grin.
Watching ducks swimming in a nearby pond close to the Dragonmont was Rhaenyra's favourite pastime in Dragonstone.
"Unfortunately, no. They didn't come today." said Aemma.
"Wave-watch!" Rhaenyra clapped her hands excitedly as a large wave crashed into the shore.
Aegon chuckled, seeing his niece's excitement.
"Keep a close watch on the waves 'nyra. Maybe a sea turtle might come ashore like last time." Aegon said, petting her silver locks before eyeing his horse and the sheep.
"I apologise, goodsister. I must visit the Dragonmont."
"Aegon, Viserys was asking for you." Aemma said.
"I'll visit him immediately after I try my luck with Sheepstealer." he promised.
Aegon climbed on his horse while holding on to the ropes tied around the sheep's necks. Slowly, they made their way towards the eastern side of Dragonmont, where plenty of caverns lay. In one of those caverns, Sheepstealer would be resting. While Sheepstealer was a wild dragon, it was also harmless, as it had never attacked anyone on the island. It had an obsessive taste for mutton, but other than that, Sheepstealer was harmless.
It was still dangerous to try bonding with a wild dragon as old as Vermithor. But Sheapstealer was one of the largest dragons comparable in size to Vermithor. Aegon hoped to build a connection with the wild dragon, and someday, he hoped the dragon would choose him as its rider.
At the foot of the Dragonmont, Aegon jumped down from his horse. After tying it nearby, he climbed the rocky terrain of the Dragonmont with the sheep. There were small hot springs as he climbed higher, and he could see smoke coming out of the vents. But he neither felt any heat nor did he sweat. His unique magic was at its peak whenever he was at the Dragonmont. Here, his magical powers were tenfold strong, which allowed him certain leeway. Any kind of heat didn't bother him the slightest. After all, he could hold the hottest flames in the palm of his hands.
A low growl came from one of the caverns, making Aegon pause. The sheep began bleating when the ground beneath them shook as the Sheepstealer crawled out of a cave. The dragon's muddy brown scales were covered in ash and soot as it fully emerged from the cave.
"I'm a friend. I brought you food." Aegon said in High Valyrian, pointing to the sheep.
The enormous dragon blinked at him and then turned its full attention to the sheep. It snatched three sheep between its jaws in a single pass. Sheepstealer lazily munched on the sheep while keeping a wary eye on him. Aegon didn't understand why the dragon was afraid of him of all people. If anything, he should be in fear as he took an enormous risk trying to bond with a wild dragon. He tentatively moved closer towards Sheepstealer after it became sufficiently distracted by gorging itself on fresh mutton. As he touched the scales of the muddy-coloured scales of the wild dragon, it let out a low growl in warning.
But Aegon didn't move an inch back and continued to pet the dragon's scales as it devoured the sheep. Feeling a bit confident, Aegon moved closer to the head of Sheepstealer. Step by step, he came close, and Sheepstealer kept a close eye on his movement.
"I'm a friend," Aegon softly said in High Valyrian and tried to touch the dragon's lower jaw.
But the moment his fingers grazed the scales, Sheepstealer let out a growl and turned his head away. Aegon moved back slightly as the dragon picked up the sheep and crawled back into its cave.
"At least I managed to touch the scales. That's an improvement." Aegon muttered before turning away from the cave.
When he returned to the castle, he found Viserys sitting on a chair in grief.
"Brother?" Aegon called tentatively while looking at askance at maester Gerardys.
"A raven came from the Red Keep, my Prince. Septon Barth has passed away in his sleep." maester Gerardys said.
Aegon was struck by the news like any self-respecting Targaryen born during the reign of King Jaehaerys.
"We must make arrangements for our departure to the capital. Septon Barth deserves a proper and respectful burial." Viserys said softly.
"Of course, brother." Aegon said, placing his hand on his elder brother's shoulder. "I'll have our ship ready by tomorrow morning."
****
The bells tolled throughout the capital as the entire city mourned the passing of Septon Barth. All colourful banners were lowered, and black flags were raised to represent the city's mourning of the longest-serving Hand of the King. Some had credited King Jaehaerys' prosperous reign to the guiding hand and wisdom of Septon Barth.
Septon Barth was the architect of reconciling the Faith with House Targaryen. His masterstroke, the Doctrine of Targaryen Exceptionalism, snuffed the flames of war that damaged the Seven Kingdoms. The rebellion of the Faith Militant and Maegor's tyranny were the dark history of Westeros, and it was Septon Barth who helped King Jaehaerys solidify the hold of the Iron Throne.
But to Aegon and the rest of the Targaryen family, Septon Barth was more than just a political figure. The man was like an uncle to most of them. The close friendship between King Jaehaerys and Septon Barth was such that the Hand of the King became a part of the Targaryen family. It was Barth who gave Aegon the knowledge of letters. He learned the Common Tongue from Barth, as did Viserys and Daemon.
"Septon Barth, my best of friends, was a man of great wisdom and humble beginnings. He was born into this world as the son of a blacksmith. And now we honour him as the man who helped to bring peace to the realm, a trusted friend and revered spiritual man."
Aegon watched from the sidelines as his grandfather delivered a moving eulogy to honour his friend before covering the body of Septon Barth with a Targaryen cloak. He supposed his grandfather likely saw Septon Barth as a brother rather than a friend in his later years. The silent sisters folded the cloak neatly and kept it close to the body before they began their prayers. It wasn't long before Septon Barth was interned according to the last rites offered in the Andal fashion. The body was buried near a small sept on Rhaenys' Hill.
Condolences had poured in from most lords of the realm, but they all had an ulterior motive as well. With Septon Barth's passing, the office of the Hand was now open. Perhaps his grandfather foresaw Lords of the realm pouring into the capital to make their play for the office. The next morning, ravens flew from the Red Keep to all corners of Westeros, carrying the news of Ser Ryam Redwyne's appointment as Hand of the King.
There were some disgruntled murmurs in court about Ser Ryam's ascension. Some believed the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard was not a good candidate for the post. After all, if Ser Ryam were to assume the Hand's duties, who would guard the king?
But for reasons unknown to most, including Aegon and the rest of the family, King Jaehaerys went ahead with his decision and pinned the badge of the Hand on Ser Ryam's in full view of the court.
Aegon could only stare at his grandfather in stunned silence like most, but he supposed the man had been making such decisions for a few years. The decision to force Daemon to marry Rhea Royce was one such decision that, to this day, baffles Aegon. He found no political advantage in the match. Sure, having relatives in one of the prestigious great houses of Westeros was a boon, but there were other great houses. Besides, Viserys had already married Aemma Arryn, which gave them familial connections in the Vale. House Arryn was now married into House Targaryen, and one day, Viserys would sit on the throne, and after him, a king with Arryn blood would sit on the throne. Under such circumstances, forcing Daemon to marry Rhea Royce simply didn't make sense.
Aegon shook his head before turning away from the court proceedings. If the court was filled with this level of drama, he couldn't wait to see what kind of drama awaited him at the family dinner tonight, especially with his uncle Vaegon also arriving from the Citadel.
When the night fell, Aegon received the invitation to dine with the king. It was more of a direct order than an invitation, and Aegon attended like everyone else. When he arrived at the dining hall, he found his grandfather conversing with his uncle Vaegon.
"Grandfather. Uncle." Aegon nodded respectfully at the two elders.
"Come sit by my side, Aegon." Jaehaerys directed him to a seat immediately to his left.
"Umm…" Aegon was immediately wary as the spot was usually reserved for his grandmother.
"Is there a problem?" Jaehaerys asked upon seeing his hesitation.
"No. Not at all." Aegon shook his head and slipped into the seat next to his grandfather.
"Vaegon was just telling me of your progress in your studies. Maester Alyn only had high praises for your talent to grasp the subject of medicines and poisons."
Aegon nodded at his uncle, but he highly doubted that was the case.
It had been barely a month since he started his journey on the subject. It was not enough time for anyone to make a judgement, much less about a complicated subject like medicine. He had barely started to learn about anything with Maester Alyn. In the last month, he had made more strides in magic than in any other field of study.
"Now, tell me about Dragonstone. What have you found?"
"I thought Viserys had told you…"
"I'm asking you, Aegon." Jaehaerys smoothly cut in with a frown.
"Our fleet is in disrepair, and we've been identifying the men responsible. The funds we've unceremoniously been dumping into Dragonstone had all gone down the drain. It'll take much time and effort to retrieve even a portion of what we lost."
"What about our ports itself?" Jaehaerys asked, his frown only intensifying with every second.
"The port officers are corrupt to the core. They've been taking bribes from Essosi captains in return for avoiding port duties. The revenue loss is incalculable since the books kept in Dragonstone are obviously fake. Some port officers have also used your decree of granting fee relaxation to Manderly ships to line their pockets."
"How so?" Jaehaerys asked curiously.
"They've been falsifying records in our ports by marking certain ships as Manderly ships. When, in fact, Manderly ships rarely make their journey this far south."
"How do you know they don't?" Vaegon asked, breaking his silence.
"I've managed to contact the captains of Manderly ships prowling the Narrow Sea. They prefer Driftmark over Dragonstone as their preferred trading port." Aegon answered truthfully, "The fact that you don't know this is concerning, your grace."
There was an awkward moment of silence between them, which was broken by his uncle Vaegon.
"Lord Corlys exacts a steep price on port duties." Vaegon commented.
"Yes, he does." Aegon nodded at his uncle, "But Lord Corlys hosts some of the best merchants and their wares in Driftmark. Why would any Northern ship looking for supplies to stave off the hunger brought forth by winter sail anywhere else?"
For a moment, his grandfather and uncle engaged in a silent conversation between themselves. But whatever their response was, he never heard a peep of it as the rest of the family started to walk in.
The dinner was a silent affair, and the tension at the dining table was so thick that you could cut it with a knife. His grandmother chose to sit close to Aemma and put Gael in between Aegon and herself. Ever since their spat, his grandmother hadn't spoken a word with him or sent a letter. He had sent a note of apology after sense returned to him once he was in Dragonstone, which remained unanswered to this day.
"I've heard you and your brother have done splendid work finding the corruption among the Dragonstone garrison and our ports. Now, what do you hope to do to restore Dragonstone to its former glory?" Jaehaerys asked, steepling his fingers while pinning Viserys with a stare.
'Former glory?' Gael mouthed at him with a roll of her eyes.
Aegon struggled to laugh at her blatant insult. He doubted his grandfather didn't see what his youngest daughter was doing, but Gael could get away with almost anything. She was the golden child of his grandfather and grandmother, who could do no fault.
But Gael was not wrong. There were no glory days for Dragonstone in the last five decades. Maybe there was in the time of the Freehold, but after that, Dragonstone was never a hub for trade in the Narrow Sea. The island could've been a trade hub had Maegor and the Faith Militant not wasted the formative years of King's Landing by waging a destructive war. The war in the continent had devastated the confidence of merchants from across the Narrow Sea and drowned the Iron Throne in debt with the Iron Bank. Even House Velaryon held outstanding debts with the Iron Bank despite their rising wealth. It won't be long, however, when Lord Corlys removes the debts of his family owed to the Braavosi. It was the same case for the Iron Throne, but the good thing was that the royal coffers received gold and silver from the Seven Kingdoms through taxes. These taxes played a crucial role in settling the debts with the Iron Bank and other local creditors.
But the woes of the Iron Throne were hardly over. Even though there were decades of peace under his grandfather's rule, much of the wealth of House Targaryen was spent on restoring order in the realm, building the Kingsroad and completing the works in the city. Amidst all that, Dragonstone had gone unattended for years. Even though Prince Aemon served as the Prince of Dragonstone, he spent most of his time in the capital. The same was true for Prince Baelon.
The only piece of glory in Dragonstone was the Dragonmont and the dragons, who called it their home. There were no other grand symbols of power in Dragonstone that anyone outside the Targaryen family could possibly see.
Aegon paid only half an ear to the answer Viserys gave to their grandfather. Instead, he focused on the steak pie on the table. He looked at Gael and nodded at the pie on the table. They made a quick game out of it as they competed to see who could consume a larger portion in a short time. While the rest of the table descended into talks of politics and whatnot, they were competing with gusto.
But their game came to an abrupt halt when their grandfather turned his attention on Gael.
"My daughter is ten and nine. In a few months, she'll be a woman of twenty namesdays. It's time that she marry someone of suitable standi…" Jaehaerys started to say but was abruptly cut off by none other than his wife.
"No! You'll not touch my daughter and use her for your political gains. Never again." Alysanne almost snarled with a feral expression that shook everyone at the table.
"Alysanne!" Jaehaerys slammed his fist on the table.
Not to be outdone, Alysanne did the same by slamming her hand on the table, making Aegon flinch.
"Jaehaerys! I hope you hear me true and well. I'll not let you or anyone else use my daughter in your schemes. She'll marry when I say so, and that's final." Alysanne growled in anger as she stood up from her seat. "If anyone likes to think otherwise, they'll find how hot Silverwing's flames are."
"Come, daughter. You've dined enough." Alysanne said imperiously, dragging Gael out of the dining hall after delivering her threat.
"I won. You were too distracted, Gael." Aegon shouted at her, showing his clean plate while her plate had some pie left.
He could hear Gael complain loudly to her mother for making her lose another one of their games.
When Aegon turned his attention back to the table, he was the recipient of several incredulous stares from Daemon, Viserys and his father.
"Your ability to engage in the most childish games while serious matters are being discussed astounds me, Aegon." Baelon said reproachfully.
"Discussion? I only heard shouting instead of a civilised discourse. When there is a civil discussion in the family, I'll be mindful not to bother the adults with my games father." Aegon promised with a faux serious face.
"Enough, Aegon." Jaehaerys warned, and that dissuaded him from making any more snide comments.
Having the king of the Seven Kingdoms annoyed at you was not a good prospect, especially when he had no dragon under his command.
Even though the dinner ended on a sour note, King Jaehaerys called Aegon and Viserys into his office after the dinner. Aegon noticed the presence of Ser Ryam Redwyne and maester Vaegon in the office.
"Sit."
Aegon and Viserys followed the command and sat across from the table of their grandsire.
"The situation in Dragonstone is perilous, and I can no longer tolerate it. Therefore, I've decided on a punishment fitting for those corrupted men in Dragonstone. Hang half the corrupt men you found and leave the rest to confess their crimes. Their ill-begotten wealth must be seized, and Dragonstone must rise in stature with Driftmark."
Aegon gaped at his grandfather as if he was seeing the man for the first time.
"Did you just tell us to kill half a hundred people and also revive Dragonstone to match the grandeur of Driftmark while we are at it?" Aegon asked incredulously.
"Are you telling me two dragons are no match against a sea horse?" Jaehaerys asked airily.
Aegon and Viserys remained in stunned silence at what was being asked of them.
"Your grace. How are we supposed to match Lord Corlys in wealth so suddenly? It's impossible." said Viserys.
"Shall I send Daemon to Dragonstone if you fear failure this much?" Jaehaerys asked innocently.
"Twenty thousand gold dragons and ten thousand silver stags must be sent to Dragonstone monthly for the next two years. We'll also need two hundred trusted men and a proportionate number of knights to command those men. They must be loyal to the crown, preferably from the Crownlands." Aegon immediately said before Viserys could ask for Daemon's presence in Dragonstone.
"What? Aegon… I don't…" Viserys spluttered.
"I assume we also have the power to make administrative decisions in Dragonstone?" Aegon asked, avoiding his brother's eyes and focusing solely on his grandfather.
"Yes. Maester Gerardys will keep me informed of your decisions. If I find anything I disagree with, I'll let you two know." said Jaehaerys.
"The coin and the men that I asked?" Aegon looked expectantly.
"The coin will be ready by the time you're ready to sail. The men will be ready by the end of this month."
"Good. Then I give you my word we'll match Dragonstone's stature and wealth with that of Driftmark within two years." Aegon promised with a straight face.
"You're bold, Aegon. I'll give you that. But many men have made promises before me. The question is, can you keep your promise?"
"I gave you my word, your grace. You'll understand the value of my word within two years." said Aegon with his head held high.
****
Jaehaerys watched his grandsons leave the room. Once the door slammed shut, he turned his attention to his newly appointed Hand and his son Vaegon.
"What do you think Vaegon?" Jaehaerys asked, looking curiously at his son.
"I think Baelon is as stupid as I remember him. Viserys is a lazy man content with the trappings of opulence, Daemon is an overexcited child, and Aegon is the only one with a drive for excellence and learning." said Vaegon with a snort.
"Prince Viserys is also a kind and merciful soul who even tamed the Black Dread. Prince Daemon is a puissant warrior. It'd be unkind to overlook the princes' other attributes, your grace," Ser Ryam Redwyne reminded him.
"Maegor also rode the Black Dread. Did that make him a good king? King Aenys was merciful, but did that stop people from rebelling?" Vaegon asked, glaring at the Kingsguard knight, who looked abashed.
"Baelon and many in the family coddle Viserys and Daemon too much. Aegon's strength comes from his self-reflection that he must make something of himself. That's an admirable trait lacking in my brother and his two children. They thrive in knowing they will succeed my father without any challenge."
"I agree with Vaegon. They do not give due diligence to the threat posed by Lord Corlys and his children. They're self-assured in their positions save for Aegon." said Jaehaerys with a thoughtful frown.
"Then perhaps, your grace should speak with Prince Baelon. Your guidance would surely help the prince." Ser Ryam advised.
"Baelon is no longer a child. He must learn from his mistakes. The only thing he has done well so far was keeping Aegon at arm's length." Vaegon said with a snort.
"You seem to like Aegon, yet you've hardly spoken to the boy. Perhaps you'd take up an interest in passing your knowledge to…"
"Spare me your plots, father." Vaegon immediately cut in before he got saddled with his nephew's education.
"Then I'll trouble you with the matter of Gael's marriage."
"You shouldn't. I have no interest in testing the heat of Silverwing's flames." Vaegon deadpanned.
"Have you taken leave of your senses like your mother, Vaegon? Your sister is old enough to give me grandchildren. How long do you reckon a noble lady of a great house remain unmarried?" Jaehaerys thundered.
"Fine!" Vaegon huffed. "If you want my suggestion, then here it is. Have Gael betrothed to Lord Rickard Redwyne's heir, Ser Alfred Redwyne."
"Alfred Redwyne?" Jaehaerys frowned thoughtfully before turning his sights on his Hand.
"What is your opinion, Ser Ryam? After all, he's your nephew." Vaegon posed the question with a pointed look.
"My nephew is an accomplished Knight and a leal man, your grace. He is two and twenty and he served as Lord Hightower's squire. House Redwyne would be blessed and honoured to accept Princess Gael as the future lady of the Arbor." Ser Ryam said with grace.
Jaehaerys frowned thoughtfully into the distance.
"Lord Rickard also has a daughter, doesn't he?" Jaehaerys asked as a plan started to form in his mind.
"Yes, your grace. My niece Alicia is a sweet girl."
"Age?"
"Your grace?" Ser Ryam blinked in surprise.
"Your niece's age, Ser Ryam."
"Four and ten, your grace."
"Hmm…" Jaehaerys hummed thoughtfully.
"Your father was a loyal man, Ser Ryam. He served faithfully in the Small Council and built the Royal Fleet from nothing after Maegor gutted it. If the Shiver hadn't taken him, your father might've been sitting in the Small Council as my Master of Ships."
"My father was an honourable man, your grace. He and my elder brother passed away before their time." Ser Ryam said, nodding at the King graciously for his kind words.
"Yes. I propose another betrothal between Aegon and your niece, Alicia Redwyne. Two royal marriages shall bind House Targaryen and House Redwyne in their destinies for generations to come." Jaehaerys declared. "What say you, Ser Ryam?"
****
Aegon celebrated his fifteenth namesday in the Red Keep instead of Dragonstone. He should've left for the island, but the unexpected delay in procuring the coin from the treasury facilitated an extension of his stay in King's Landing. It also helped that he got the time to recruit a couple of knights from the city for what was to happen in Dragonstone. The city being host to many knights of the Crownlands made it easier to recruit some fresh blood for what was undoubtedly a bloody and dangerous campaign at Dragonstone.
If a Targaryen started fearing for his life in Dragonstone, of all places, their tenuous hold on the island was quite apparent. It was a shame that most of his family had written off Dragonstone as a dreary place. It was not as populous as King's Landing or bustled with foreign merchants like Driftmark, but Aegon loved it all the same. Perhaps he loved it far better than the capital. The smell alone strongly motivated Aegon to love Dragonstone over King's Landing.
Even his namesday celebration didn't brighten up Aegon. The tension in the capital was thick as the king and queen were at odds once again. Therefore, any celebration had gone out of the window. Still, his grandfather had ordered a feast to celebrate Aegon's namesday.
But Aegon was content with the gifts and even a rare smile his grandmother had reserved only for him when she gifted him a handmade cloak. Despite the thaw in their relationship, he had made up with his grandmother.
There was a time when he could remember spending his birthdays all by himself in a dark corner of a cupboard. Compared to that, he felt like he was having the time of his life. Sure, there were disagreements and rivalries within the family, but he'd take a dysfunctional family over not having one at all.
Suddenly, a handful of seawater splashed on his face, making him cough and splitter.
"What was that for?" Aegon yelled between coughing and spitting out the salty water and sand that went into his mouth and nose.
"You were brooding again when you should be happy today." Gael huffed, splashing more seawater as another tide came forward to wet their feet.
"All right. I'll be happy from now on." Aegon raised his hands in surrender and began laughing exaggeratedly.
"Hmm… I'll be the judge of that. Now, help me collect more seashells. I want to make a necklace for Rhaenyra and Aemma."
"Yes, my queen. Your words are my command." Aegon performed an exaggerated bow, making Gael giggle.
Gael suddenly stopped laughing and assumed a serious look. Her eyebrows scrunched together, and her lilac eyes suddenly became sharper.
"Mother says I don't have to listen to father, and I can marry anyone I like." Gael suddenly said, making Aegon blink a few times at the sudden tangent their conversation went.
"I assume she also said you can pick someone within reason." Aegon said tentatively, knowing this was a delicate matter.
The last thing he wanted was for him to get involved in the tug-of-war between his grandfather and grandmother.
"Within reason? What do you mean?" Gael asked, tilting her head to the side.
"You can't obviously marry a commoner. I don't think grandfather or grandmother would stand for that. So, the least worthy candidate would be a landed knight, and that's being generous. I suspect they'll both search for a man from one of the great houses."
"I see. What if I already love a knight? He has no substantial lands to his name, but his family is wealthy and powerful. But most importantly, I know he'd never mistreat me, and he makes me happy."
"Then I suggest that you inform grandmother about this mystery knight. She might approve of this knight once she meets him, and we can leave her in charge of convincing grandfather." Aegon suggested.
"That's sound advice." Gael said brightly before a shy look graced her delicate features. "There is one other thing, Aegon."
"What's it? Do you want me to accompany you to inform grandmother about this mystery knight?" Aegon asked.
"No. I've already told mother about the knight, and she approved."
"Oh! So, do you need me to support your choice before grandfather? I can do that." Aegon nodded, but Gael shook her head.
"I've yet to tell this knight of my love for him." Gael said with a blush.
Aegon started laughing hard upon hearing that.
Suddenly, a pair of lips smashed against his own, forcing Aegon to go silent. He stared into Gael's lilac eyes as she threw her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to her body. She took turns to nibble at his lower and upper lips. His hands were now suddenly on her waist on their own accord, and it was only then that he realised he was enjoying the kiss just like Gael, who had her eyes closed in bliss. Her fingers were now threading through his hair while their lips were engaged in a sensual battle that neither of them was willing to concede.
It felt like his lungs were burning, and his heart was ready to break out of his ribcage and fly away to the distant stars. With a gasp, they separated for some much-needed air.
Gael was smirking at him even as she struggled to breathe after they broke apart.
"Gael…" he started to say, but she immediately clamped his palm over his mouth.
"I know what you're going to say. You've made your thoughts known about the incest in our family many times. But be sure to keep this in your mind, Aegon. If I'm to marry someone, it'll be you and no one else."
"Gael, I don't think everyone else will approve…"
"My mother approves, and I know you love me." Gael said, cutting him off.
"How do you know I love you?"
"I know." Gael said softly, touching his lips tenderly while gazing into his eyes with an intensity that made him forget himself.
Soon, they were kissing again, and this time, it was Aegon who pulled Gael into the kiss.
AN:
For artworks related to the story: Discord
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Ch5: Wild dragons P1
Aegon was so confused when he left King's Landing. That confusion didn't change when he set foot in Dragonstone. Even when he led his men to root out the corrupt officers in the parts of Dragonstone, that confusion persisted.
His woes started after Gael kissed him and confessed her love for him. While he had no trouble kissing her back, he was now suffering a mental crisis.
He liked Gael, no question about that, but the incest part made him queasy. Even his own existence was weird to wrap his head around, considering he was the son of Baelon and Alyssa. His parents were siblings, and now he was supposed to follow in their footsteps by marrying inside the family.
Aegon knew why House Targaryen followed the custom of brother marrying sister. It was to keep the dragons within the family and not allow another family to usurp their dragons. There was also the fear of losing the ability to bond with the dragons should Targaryens breed with those they consider their lesser. Only the members of House Velaryon were considered a safe marriage by his family as they were a Valyrian house with substantial Targaryen blood in their family.
But even that was in jeopardy with House Velaryon exerting more influence in the Crownlands and a dragon under their command.
Under these circumstances, Aegon could see the advantage of choosing Gael as his life partner. If he married outside the family, he could end up creating more factionalism within the family. The Velaryons have already formed a faction, and Aegon feared the same would happen with Daemon once Lady Royce gives his brother children of his own.
He liked Gael enough to marry her even though he was squeamish about the incestuous nature of such a relationship. He also had to consider this from Gael's perspective. Her fear of being sold to some 'old bloated Andal' for political expediency was a genuine concern. Aegon liked to think he knew his grandfather better than most, and he knew the man wouldn't bat an eye to act against his own blood if there was a political advantage.
Right now, his grandfather was looking to prop up his father's claim on the throne and suppress the rise of House Velaryon. To that end, King Jaehaerys would do anything to prevent another house in Westeros from gaining power comparable to House Velaryon.
Aegon had always wondered why his grandfather allowed Princess Rhaenys and Lord Corlys to marry. After all, Viserys could've married Rhaenys, and the succession of the throne would've been secure within the family.
Aegon shook his head and started to rub his forehead as it began to throb by going in circles about his concerns.
"My prince. Are you well?" Ser Reginald asked in concern.
"I'm fine, Ser."
"If you're feeling unwell, you might want to return to the castle. We can handle the traitors of the crown."
"No," Aegon said firmly, "My King charged me to dispense justice on those who betrayed his trust. I'll oversee that his will is done, Ser Reyne."
His sworn shield nodded and stayed silent like the rest of the men.
Aegon was sitting atop his horse, with fifty men behind him on their horses, overlooking one of the ports. They patiently waited for one of their own to report back to them before moving in on the officers. Aegon had arranged for a ship from King's Landing to sail into Dragonstone's port and charged a few men to bribe the officers. He intended to catch these men red-handed with their ill-begotten wealth.
"My prince. Someone is coming."
Sure enough, he could hear the sound of a galloping horse nearing their position. Thankfully, it was the man he had tasked to arrive by ship. Ser Patrice Brune was a distant cousin of the current head of House Brune of Brownhollow. The men of Crackclaw Point were Targaryen loyalists to their bone.
Although most of them supported Maegor, that era had passed. Queen Visenya was no more, and Maegor died a fitting death, like the traitor and usurper he was.
This left his major supporters in a quandary. The men of Crackclaw Point were now leal servants of the crown. Only time would tell whether the knight of Brownhollow was as loyal as he claimed.
Still, Aegon was willing to give the man a chance.
"My prince." The brown-haired knight greeted him, stopping a few feet from Aegon.
"I'm happy to see you're here, Ser Patrice." Aegon nodded at the knight of Brownhollow. "I suppose you can lead us to the port."
"Of course, my prince. I posed as a local merchant in touch with Myrish glass merchants. I negotiated a small deal with the port officers for my ship to be in port for five days. I paid upfront, just like you said."
"Very good." Aegon grinned before turning to the rest of the assembled knights, "Now, let's put some heads on spikes."
Aegon didn't enjoy the task at hand, and he was careful to remove the corrupted officers without causing a huge scene in the harbour. The last thing he wanted was to scare off potential customers. But the last few weeks, he had been a learning experience for Aegon. He was slowly getting accustomed to the iron hand of power and law. It didn't help that he failed to uphold his morals when it mattered most.
The knight he killed intentionally weighed heavily on his mind, but at the same time, he also understood that no one would be giving him anything freely.
Now, he keenly felt his position in the royal court was precarious. With his budding romance with Gael, he'd undoubtedly attract the wrath of his king and father.
Therefore, he didn't shed tears for the executions he oversaw in Dragonstone. He was ruthless and gave no quarter to those he found guilty. He not only punished the officers but also recovered the revenue loss by attaching the officers' possessions. Most of the families of these officers were on the receiving end of his brand of justice, forcing them into crippling poverty and no roof over their heads.
Aegon knew most of those families would die of hunger or disease. In the worst case, those families might fall into the bottom end of society by making a living out of selling their daughters.
The stench of the rotting heads lining the pikes on the wall brought Aegon out of his musings as he walked along the wall-walk of the castle.
"How can men stand guard in these walls with this smell? Remove these heads." Aegon ordered.
He looked out into the sea as the men rushed to obey his orders. He could see the harbour in the distance and the relatively peaceful atmosphere in the castle. In one fell swoop, he had carried out two dozen executions across the island within a week. Then, he had to force himself to oversee the families of those corrupted officers being thrown out into the street.
It was more than Harry could bear, and Viserys hiding himself in his chambers with Aemma and Rhaenyra didn't help anything. Right now, he was feeling a surge of jealousy and anger towards Viserys more than Daemon.
At least Daemon had the skill to wield a blade like Dark Sister. Viserys, on the other hand, was blessed with the position of heir to Prince Baelon, but he was an expert in running away from his duties. Instead of helping him clean up, Dragonstone Viserys was content to hide in his room.
'It almost feels like the entire world is acting against me.' Aegon thought.
But he couldn't curl up in a corner and curse the world for making his life incrementally difficult. That'd be the stupidest thing that could be done for someone in his position.
Instead, he poured himself into his studies of Valyrian magic and dragon lore. Most of the scrolls in the vault often contained violent and cruel blood magic that left a bad taste in his mouth. It was pretty challenging to weed out some of the most brutal and most hateful magics from the treasure trove of knowledge locked away in the vault. Separating the despicable and useless magic from useful knowledge took time, but he occasionally found certain treasures.
For instance, he found a method to augment his pyromancy skills. The knowledge was lying in wait in an old dusty scroll where runic enchantments consecrated in silver functioned as amplifiers to his innate fire magic. Of course, there was the requirement of strengthening rituals every three years to be performed on a volcano. But that was a slight disadvantage considering the slew of blood sacrifices required for most Valyrian magics.
When he got free time in the evenings, Aegon went on a trek to the caverns of Dragonmont. He'd take sheep to the caves and present them to Sheepstealer.
At first, he found Sheepstealer very charming, but his defiant streak was faintly amusing. The dragon liked Aegon well enough to come out of his lair and feast on the sheep and pigs he brought. But it came to a point that he was starting to get tired of the routine because of the lack of any results. Despite spending months on the island, he could not woo Sheapstealer to bond with him. It was dampening his mood despite the success he enjoyed in his magical studies.
'Sooner or later, I'll have to devise a different strategy or concentrate my efforts on another dragon,' Aegon mused.
****
The glass candles were said to be one of the greatest Valyrian inventions. They were made of obsidian, but a rare few were built using emeralds. It supposedly had the power to give visions to a proper master of magic of lands thousands of leagues away. In the hands of a true master of magic, the glass candles supposedly could invade people's dreams and even see the past and future.
But Aegon didn't know whether most of these claims were true. After nearly an hour of staring into the black obsidian glass candle, nothing happened.
He managed to light the candle, but nothing else happened, which was a shame. Lighting the candle was an easy thing to do. All he had to do was focus his magic to form a rift between his palms, and the candle lit up. He used a similar method when he used pyromancy.
But activating some of the finer functions of the glass candle eluded Aegon.
'Hmm. What if I use the same trick to enchant objects with listening charms?' Aegon pondered.
He reached out with all his fingers, touched the obsidian on the glass candle, and used the enchantment.
Immediately, Aegon felt his feet being swept from underneath him. It was as if he was being pulled into the eye of a storm. Sounds started to bombard his ears, and soon, flashes of images flew past his eyes. The pain started to flare up in his body as the sensory overload simply beat down his mind.
He suddenly found himself face-first on the ground in stark silence. When his vision cleared, he saw a red sky and black smoke around him. His eyes widened when he saw hundreds of dragons flying leisurely in the red sky. He saw towers and grand palaces reaching as tall as the clouds. There was a sprawling city all around him as the fog surrounding him slowly receded, making Aegon see more and more of the city.
And then a terrible tremor passed, upping the building from the ground. The large, expansive trees, with roots as thick as the hindlegs of a fully grown dragon, uprooted themselves as the ground beneath them tore asunder. Steam rose from the fused stone roads of the Valyrian Empire. The ponds and fountains in the city boiled as steam rose from them.
Then, as one, the Fourteen Flames came alive as one. With one voice, they roared with the intensity of a thousand suns.
Dragons roared as they were burned away in the sky. The guzzling heat tore away the scales of dragons as miasma tore through the most powerful empire of Essos. Dragons found they were not fire made flesh, and they screamed, but so did Aegon. He was consumed by a pillar of lava that tore through the ground right beneath his feet.
Suddenly, the pain disappeared, and Aegon found himself standing before a giant red dragon. The beast towered over him, and he could only gape at its size. It was as tall as a mountain, its teeth the size of long spears. Unlike the dragons of Dragonstone, this one had two additional limbs in addition to the hind legs.
The dragon blinked at him almost lazily as it stared at Aegon like he was a fly.
"What do you seek, child?"
Aegon looked around at the all-encompassing sound that pressed heavily in his mind. It took him a moment to reconcile with the fact that the red dragon was talking to him.
'What do I say? What do I seek? Is this all in my head?' Harry worried privately in the confines of his mind. 'Am I going insane? Am I dreaming?'
"Your ancestors sought knowledge. But their thirst for knowledge turned into a lust for power. But they soon grew bored of power and sought immortality. Look at their fate now."
"The Doom." Aegon whispered.
"Yes. So, what do you seek?"
Aegon stared at the massive dragon, completely lost. He blurted out the first thing that came to his mind.
"Your name." Aegon said.
He watched the dragon cock its head to the side as it observed him. He got the distinct impression that the dragon was amused. Seeing that the dragon was not turning him into a crisp, he became slightly emboldened.
"My name is Aegon Targaryen. What is your name, great dragon?" Aegon asked, gazing expectantly at the dragon.
"You want to know my name? You don't want the power to rule the world, the knowledge to build great cities, or the spirit to live for centuries?"
"No. Your name will suffice." Aegon said.
The dragon lowered its massive head and stared at Aegon.
"Interesting. Then, take my name along with my flames, Aegon Targaryen."
The gigantic dragon opened its jaws wide, making Aegon step back in fear. Suddenly, he was consumed by pure white flames, but one word resounded loud and clear in his mind as his feet were swept from underneath him.
Harry found himself in the vault holding the glass candle. The flame on the candle was no longer yellow; instead, it was now bright silver.
"Gaelithox, guardian of the sacred flames," Aegon whispered, and the candle flickered as if happy.
****
Appointing new officers in the harbour and the keeper of keys in Dragonstone was supposed to be Viserys' job. But as usual, Aegon was saddled with duty while his brother wasted away in wine, bards, plays and queer company.
He didn't complain about his brother's lack of interest in ruling Dragonstone, but he did his duty. It took quite a lot out of him, but he hired new men and promoted some he felt deserved a raise in stature. The dragon keepers who watched over the eggs received a pay raise for their good work.
In Dragonstone, the dragon keepers were his steadfast allies and a source of good information. Through them, he learned whom to trust and who to hire. Ser Reginald was also adept at sniffing out lazy bums and lickspittles. He called it his 'lion senses'.
Once Aegon had replaced the harbours and ports of corrupt officers with loyal men, he turned his attention to inviting merchants from across Westeros and Essos.
His plan to attract trade from the Narrow Sea was not to give any offers to the merchants or ship captains in the first phase. Dragonstone could ill afford to bleed any gold or silver that it received as port duties while they were restoring and building new harbours and ports on the island.
Instead, his grandfather, on his recommendation, offered tax breaks in King's Landing to the merchants who used the ports in Dragonstone. He was very careful to whom he extended his offer. When the delegation of merchants met with him in Dragonstone, there was only one merchant each from Braavos, Tyrosh, Lys, Myr, and Volantis. The rest of the merchants he met that day were all from Pentos.
The Pentoshi were deeply pleased with the preferential treatment their merchants received. They were the chief spice traders, and his grandfather had an amicable relationship with the Free City of Pentos. They were so happy with the Crown's tax breaks that the Prince of Pentos officially sent a delegation to Dragonstone with an invite to visit their city.
"I don't think this is such a good idea, brother." Viserys said.
As usual, his lazy older brother was the naysayer.
"Why not? Grandfather sent us to develop Dragonstone. We can't do that without the help of our natural trade partners. The Free City of Pentos is our closest and favoured trade partner from across the Narrow Sea. We cannot ignore this invite without causing offence to the Prince of Pentos." Aegon explained slowly and carefully with a lot of patience, but Viserys shook his head.
"You can go in my stead, brother. I trust you to handle such matters, and besides, you're the architect of this entire enterprise. You should claim the credit for the success, not me." Viserys smiled at him and gave him a proud look.
Sometimes, Aegon wished his brother had an ambitious bone in his body. His brother trusted too easily and blindly without any reservation, and that could be a problem going forward.
"You do not understand, brother. It's not about who gets to claim credit. You are the heir to the throne after our father. One day, you'd be king, and the Prince of Pentos expects to meet the future king of Westeros."
"I don't think this is such a good idea." Viserys muttered distractedly.
"Oh, come on, brother. We can bring Aemma and Rhaenyra with us. Surely, they've never set sights on a beautiful city like Pentos. This would be a good opportunity for them to enjoy Pentoshi hospitality, meet new people, hear new songs and watch new plays." Aegon touched on the familial angle to get Viserys to agree. "It'd be like one grand family adventure."
When Aegon saw the spark of interest lit in Viserys' eyes, he knew he had succeeded.
"I guess it'll be wonderful to travel as a family and enjoy the sights." Viserys said thoughtfully.
"I'll try my best not to let the talk of trade and other courtly duties affect Aemma and Rhaenyra. They'll surely have a wonderful time, and I hear Pentos has a warm sun this time of the year. Surely, Aemma and Rhaenyra would enjoy some warmth on their skin."
"You have convinced me, brother." Viserys said with a chuckle. "Now, enough talks of trade and politics. Tell me of your attempts with that wild dragon."
"I'm afraid there is nothing exciting to report," Aegon muttered as they walked along the castle's wall-walk, enjoying the sea breeze.
Now, wasn't that an understatement? He thought being blessed by the Valyrian god of flames would make that stupid dragon bond with him. But nothing in his life was ever so simple. If anything, Sheepstealer avoided him like the plague these days. The dragon won't even be enticed to come out of its lair even if he offered sheep.
"Come now, Aegon. Why are you insisting on forcing yourself by pursuing a wild dragon? They have become accustomed to their freedom and alienated themselves from bonding." said Viserys.
"I fear you might be right." Aegon sighed, seeing the sense in his brother's opinion. "I might've wasted months on a failed quest."
"Fear not, brother. You'll find a strong young dragon in the dragonpit. The next time we visit the capital, I will accompany you and help you find a suitable dragon." Viserys smiled and patted him on the shoulder.
"That'd be for the best, I think." Aegon said gratefully.
Whatever the faults, Viserys was the owner of a kind heart. It was an endearing quality that was abundant in his brother. It was one of the reasons why he liked Viserys, but it also made his brother vulnerable.
"Perhaps this might also be an opportunity for you, brother." Aegon said thoughtfully as they climbed down the stairs from the wall walk to the castle's training yard.
"What do you mean, brother?" Viserys asked with a raised eyebrow.
"You've been dragonless for too long. This might be the ideal time to seek a new dragon for yourself. We could seek dragons from the pit together." Aegon suggested happily.
Whatever Viserys was about to say was drowned out by the terrifying roar of a dragon in the sky. It was immediately followed by painful screeches from another dragon.
Aegon could only gape in utter bafflement and fear as he saw the familiar form of Sheepstealer crashing into the training yard of the castle, kicking up a dust cloud.
"What in the name of the Seven is happening?" Viserys shouted.
Aegon concurred with his older brother's sentiments. He also wanted to know what was going on, but the dust cloud and an injured wild dragon in close proximity shifted his priorities to getting out of this alive.
"We must escape. That dragon will cook us alive and eat us for lunch." Aegion said with fear.
"Climb up the stairs and retrace our steps through the wall walk. We can take refuge in the tower." Viserys suggested.
"Sounds like a good plan." Aegon nodded.
Before they could take a single step to proceed with the plan, a giant shadow fell on them, and then the stone beneath their feet trembled. Aegon couldn't help but let out an audible gasp as a gigantic, black-as-night dragon settled itself on the wall of the castle, blocking their path. Its massive hind legs crushed the stone underneath.
Aegon and Viserys exchanged a worried look and slowly backpedalled, careful not to attract the attention of the mighty beast before them.
There was no doubt in his mind about the identity of the foe that they were facing. It was the bane of all dragons in Dragonstone. The Cannibal had graced them with its terrifying presence.
AN: More content can be found on Patreon
For artworks related to the story: Discord
His woes started after Gael kissed him and confessed her love for him. While he had no trouble kissing her back, he was now suffering a mental crisis.
He liked Gael, no question about that, but the incest part made him queasy. Even his own existence was weird to wrap his head around, considering he was the son of Baelon and Alyssa. His parents were siblings, and now he was supposed to follow in their footsteps by marrying inside the family.
Aegon knew why House Targaryen followed the custom of brother marrying sister. It was to keep the dragons within the family and not allow another family to usurp their dragons. There was also the fear of losing the ability to bond with the dragons should Targaryens breed with those they consider their lesser. Only the members of House Velaryon were considered a safe marriage by his family as they were a Valyrian house with substantial Targaryen blood in their family.
But even that was in jeopardy with House Velaryon exerting more influence in the Crownlands and a dragon under their command.
Under these circumstances, Aegon could see the advantage of choosing Gael as his life partner. If he married outside the family, he could end up creating more factionalism within the family. The Velaryons have already formed a faction, and Aegon feared the same would happen with Daemon once Lady Royce gives his brother children of his own.
He liked Gael enough to marry her even though he was squeamish about the incestuous nature of such a relationship. He also had to consider this from Gael's perspective. Her fear of being sold to some 'old bloated Andal' for political expediency was a genuine concern. Aegon liked to think he knew his grandfather better than most, and he knew the man wouldn't bat an eye to act against his own blood if there was a political advantage.
Right now, his grandfather was looking to prop up his father's claim on the throne and suppress the rise of House Velaryon. To that end, King Jaehaerys would do anything to prevent another house in Westeros from gaining power comparable to House Velaryon.
Aegon had always wondered why his grandfather allowed Princess Rhaenys and Lord Corlys to marry. After all, Viserys could've married Rhaenys, and the succession of the throne would've been secure within the family.
Aegon shook his head and started to rub his forehead as it began to throb by going in circles about his concerns.
"My prince. Are you well?" Ser Reginald asked in concern.
"I'm fine, Ser."
"If you're feeling unwell, you might want to return to the castle. We can handle the traitors of the crown."
"No," Aegon said firmly, "My King charged me to dispense justice on those who betrayed his trust. I'll oversee that his will is done, Ser Reyne."
His sworn shield nodded and stayed silent like the rest of the men.
Aegon was sitting atop his horse, with fifty men behind him on their horses, overlooking one of the ports. They patiently waited for one of their own to report back to them before moving in on the officers. Aegon had arranged for a ship from King's Landing to sail into Dragonstone's port and charged a few men to bribe the officers. He intended to catch these men red-handed with their ill-begotten wealth.
"My prince. Someone is coming."
Sure enough, he could hear the sound of a galloping horse nearing their position. Thankfully, it was the man he had tasked to arrive by ship. Ser Patrice Brune was a distant cousin of the current head of House Brune of Brownhollow. The men of Crackclaw Point were Targaryen loyalists to their bone.
Although most of them supported Maegor, that era had passed. Queen Visenya was no more, and Maegor died a fitting death, like the traitor and usurper he was.
This left his major supporters in a quandary. The men of Crackclaw Point were now leal servants of the crown. Only time would tell whether the knight of Brownhollow was as loyal as he claimed.
Still, Aegon was willing to give the man a chance.
"My prince." The brown-haired knight greeted him, stopping a few feet from Aegon.
"I'm happy to see you're here, Ser Patrice." Aegon nodded at the knight of Brownhollow. "I suppose you can lead us to the port."
"Of course, my prince. I posed as a local merchant in touch with Myrish glass merchants. I negotiated a small deal with the port officers for my ship to be in port for five days. I paid upfront, just like you said."
"Very good." Aegon grinned before turning to the rest of the assembled knights, "Now, let's put some heads on spikes."
Aegon didn't enjoy the task at hand, and he was careful to remove the corrupted officers without causing a huge scene in the harbour. The last thing he wanted was to scare off potential customers. But the last few weeks, he had been a learning experience for Aegon. He was slowly getting accustomed to the iron hand of power and law. It didn't help that he failed to uphold his morals when it mattered most.
The knight he killed intentionally weighed heavily on his mind, but at the same time, he also understood that no one would be giving him anything freely.
Now, he keenly felt his position in the royal court was precarious. With his budding romance with Gael, he'd undoubtedly attract the wrath of his king and father.
Therefore, he didn't shed tears for the executions he oversaw in Dragonstone. He was ruthless and gave no quarter to those he found guilty. He not only punished the officers but also recovered the revenue loss by attaching the officers' possessions. Most of the families of these officers were on the receiving end of his brand of justice, forcing them into crippling poverty and no roof over their heads.
Aegon knew most of those families would die of hunger or disease. In the worst case, those families might fall into the bottom end of society by making a living out of selling their daughters.
The stench of the rotting heads lining the pikes on the wall brought Aegon out of his musings as he walked along the wall-walk of the castle.
"How can men stand guard in these walls with this smell? Remove these heads." Aegon ordered.
He looked out into the sea as the men rushed to obey his orders. He could see the harbour in the distance and the relatively peaceful atmosphere in the castle. In one fell swoop, he had carried out two dozen executions across the island within a week. Then, he had to force himself to oversee the families of those corrupted officers being thrown out into the street.
It was more than Harry could bear, and Viserys hiding himself in his chambers with Aemma and Rhaenyra didn't help anything. Right now, he was feeling a surge of jealousy and anger towards Viserys more than Daemon.
At least Daemon had the skill to wield a blade like Dark Sister. Viserys, on the other hand, was blessed with the position of heir to Prince Baelon, but he was an expert in running away from his duties. Instead of helping him clean up, Dragonstone Viserys was content to hide in his room.
'It almost feels like the entire world is acting against me.' Aegon thought.
But he couldn't curl up in a corner and curse the world for making his life incrementally difficult. That'd be the stupidest thing that could be done for someone in his position.
Instead, he poured himself into his studies of Valyrian magic and dragon lore. Most of the scrolls in the vault often contained violent and cruel blood magic that left a bad taste in his mouth. It was pretty challenging to weed out some of the most brutal and most hateful magics from the treasure trove of knowledge locked away in the vault. Separating the despicable and useless magic from useful knowledge took time, but he occasionally found certain treasures.
For instance, he found a method to augment his pyromancy skills. The knowledge was lying in wait in an old dusty scroll where runic enchantments consecrated in silver functioned as amplifiers to his innate fire magic. Of course, there was the requirement of strengthening rituals every three years to be performed on a volcano. But that was a slight disadvantage considering the slew of blood sacrifices required for most Valyrian magics.
When he got free time in the evenings, Aegon went on a trek to the caverns of Dragonmont. He'd take sheep to the caves and present them to Sheepstealer.
At first, he found Sheepstealer very charming, but his defiant streak was faintly amusing. The dragon liked Aegon well enough to come out of his lair and feast on the sheep and pigs he brought. But it came to a point that he was starting to get tired of the routine because of the lack of any results. Despite spending months on the island, he could not woo Sheapstealer to bond with him. It was dampening his mood despite the success he enjoyed in his magical studies.
'Sooner or later, I'll have to devise a different strategy or concentrate my efforts on another dragon,' Aegon mused.
****
The glass candles were said to be one of the greatest Valyrian inventions. They were made of obsidian, but a rare few were built using emeralds. It supposedly had the power to give visions to a proper master of magic of lands thousands of leagues away. In the hands of a true master of magic, the glass candles supposedly could invade people's dreams and even see the past and future.
But Aegon didn't know whether most of these claims were true. After nearly an hour of staring into the black obsidian glass candle, nothing happened.
He managed to light the candle, but nothing else happened, which was a shame. Lighting the candle was an easy thing to do. All he had to do was focus his magic to form a rift between his palms, and the candle lit up. He used a similar method when he used pyromancy.
But activating some of the finer functions of the glass candle eluded Aegon.
'Hmm. What if I use the same trick to enchant objects with listening charms?' Aegon pondered.
He reached out with all his fingers, touched the obsidian on the glass candle, and used the enchantment.
Immediately, Aegon felt his feet being swept from underneath him. It was as if he was being pulled into the eye of a storm. Sounds started to bombard his ears, and soon, flashes of images flew past his eyes. The pain started to flare up in his body as the sensory overload simply beat down his mind.
He suddenly found himself face-first on the ground in stark silence. When his vision cleared, he saw a red sky and black smoke around him. His eyes widened when he saw hundreds of dragons flying leisurely in the red sky. He saw towers and grand palaces reaching as tall as the clouds. There was a sprawling city all around him as the fog surrounding him slowly receded, making Aegon see more and more of the city.
And then a terrible tremor passed, upping the building from the ground. The large, expansive trees, with roots as thick as the hindlegs of a fully grown dragon, uprooted themselves as the ground beneath them tore asunder. Steam rose from the fused stone roads of the Valyrian Empire. The ponds and fountains in the city boiled as steam rose from them.
Then, as one, the Fourteen Flames came alive as one. With one voice, they roared with the intensity of a thousand suns.
Dragons roared as they were burned away in the sky. The guzzling heat tore away the scales of dragons as miasma tore through the most powerful empire of Essos. Dragons found they were not fire made flesh, and they screamed, but so did Aegon. He was consumed by a pillar of lava that tore through the ground right beneath his feet.
Suddenly, the pain disappeared, and Aegon found himself standing before a giant red dragon. The beast towered over him, and he could only gape at its size. It was as tall as a mountain, its teeth the size of long spears. Unlike the dragons of Dragonstone, this one had two additional limbs in addition to the hind legs.
The dragon blinked at him almost lazily as it stared at Aegon like he was a fly.
"What do you seek, child?"
Aegon looked around at the all-encompassing sound that pressed heavily in his mind. It took him a moment to reconcile with the fact that the red dragon was talking to him.
'What do I say? What do I seek? Is this all in my head?' Harry worried privately in the confines of his mind. 'Am I going insane? Am I dreaming?'
"Your ancestors sought knowledge. But their thirst for knowledge turned into a lust for power. But they soon grew bored of power and sought immortality. Look at their fate now."
"The Doom." Aegon whispered.
"Yes. So, what do you seek?"
Aegon stared at the massive dragon, completely lost. He blurted out the first thing that came to his mind.
"Your name." Aegon said.
He watched the dragon cock its head to the side as it observed him. He got the distinct impression that the dragon was amused. Seeing that the dragon was not turning him into a crisp, he became slightly emboldened.
"My name is Aegon Targaryen. What is your name, great dragon?" Aegon asked, gazing expectantly at the dragon.
"You want to know my name? You don't want the power to rule the world, the knowledge to build great cities, or the spirit to live for centuries?"
"No. Your name will suffice." Aegon said.
The dragon lowered its massive head and stared at Aegon.
"Interesting. Then, take my name along with my flames, Aegon Targaryen."
The gigantic dragon opened its jaws wide, making Aegon step back in fear. Suddenly, he was consumed by pure white flames, but one word resounded loud and clear in his mind as his feet were swept from underneath him.
Harry found himself in the vault holding the glass candle. The flame on the candle was no longer yellow; instead, it was now bright silver.
"Gaelithox, guardian of the sacred flames," Aegon whispered, and the candle flickered as if happy.
****
Appointing new officers in the harbour and the keeper of keys in Dragonstone was supposed to be Viserys' job. But as usual, Aegon was saddled with duty while his brother wasted away in wine, bards, plays and queer company.
He didn't complain about his brother's lack of interest in ruling Dragonstone, but he did his duty. It took quite a lot out of him, but he hired new men and promoted some he felt deserved a raise in stature. The dragon keepers who watched over the eggs received a pay raise for their good work.
In Dragonstone, the dragon keepers were his steadfast allies and a source of good information. Through them, he learned whom to trust and who to hire. Ser Reginald was also adept at sniffing out lazy bums and lickspittles. He called it his 'lion senses'.
Once Aegon had replaced the harbours and ports of corrupt officers with loyal men, he turned his attention to inviting merchants from across Westeros and Essos.
His plan to attract trade from the Narrow Sea was not to give any offers to the merchants or ship captains in the first phase. Dragonstone could ill afford to bleed any gold or silver that it received as port duties while they were restoring and building new harbours and ports on the island.
Instead, his grandfather, on his recommendation, offered tax breaks in King's Landing to the merchants who used the ports in Dragonstone. He was very careful to whom he extended his offer. When the delegation of merchants met with him in Dragonstone, there was only one merchant each from Braavos, Tyrosh, Lys, Myr, and Volantis. The rest of the merchants he met that day were all from Pentos.
The Pentoshi were deeply pleased with the preferential treatment their merchants received. They were the chief spice traders, and his grandfather had an amicable relationship with the Free City of Pentos. They were so happy with the Crown's tax breaks that the Prince of Pentos officially sent a delegation to Dragonstone with an invite to visit their city.
"I don't think this is such a good idea, brother." Viserys said.
As usual, his lazy older brother was the naysayer.
"Why not? Grandfather sent us to develop Dragonstone. We can't do that without the help of our natural trade partners. The Free City of Pentos is our closest and favoured trade partner from across the Narrow Sea. We cannot ignore this invite without causing offence to the Prince of Pentos." Aegon explained slowly and carefully with a lot of patience, but Viserys shook his head.
"You can go in my stead, brother. I trust you to handle such matters, and besides, you're the architect of this entire enterprise. You should claim the credit for the success, not me." Viserys smiled at him and gave him a proud look.
Sometimes, Aegon wished his brother had an ambitious bone in his body. His brother trusted too easily and blindly without any reservation, and that could be a problem going forward.
"You do not understand, brother. It's not about who gets to claim credit. You are the heir to the throne after our father. One day, you'd be king, and the Prince of Pentos expects to meet the future king of Westeros."
"I don't think this is such a good idea." Viserys muttered distractedly.
"Oh, come on, brother. We can bring Aemma and Rhaenyra with us. Surely, they've never set sights on a beautiful city like Pentos. This would be a good opportunity for them to enjoy Pentoshi hospitality, meet new people, hear new songs and watch new plays." Aegon touched on the familial angle to get Viserys to agree. "It'd be like one grand family adventure."
When Aegon saw the spark of interest lit in Viserys' eyes, he knew he had succeeded.
"I guess it'll be wonderful to travel as a family and enjoy the sights." Viserys said thoughtfully.
"I'll try my best not to let the talk of trade and other courtly duties affect Aemma and Rhaenyra. They'll surely have a wonderful time, and I hear Pentos has a warm sun this time of the year. Surely, Aemma and Rhaenyra would enjoy some warmth on their skin."
"You have convinced me, brother." Viserys said with a chuckle. "Now, enough talks of trade and politics. Tell me of your attempts with that wild dragon."
"I'm afraid there is nothing exciting to report," Aegon muttered as they walked along the castle's wall-walk, enjoying the sea breeze.
Now, wasn't that an understatement? He thought being blessed by the Valyrian god of flames would make that stupid dragon bond with him. But nothing in his life was ever so simple. If anything, Sheepstealer avoided him like the plague these days. The dragon won't even be enticed to come out of its lair even if he offered sheep.
"Come now, Aegon. Why are you insisting on forcing yourself by pursuing a wild dragon? They have become accustomed to their freedom and alienated themselves from bonding." said Viserys.
"I fear you might be right." Aegon sighed, seeing the sense in his brother's opinion. "I might've wasted months on a failed quest."
"Fear not, brother. You'll find a strong young dragon in the dragonpit. The next time we visit the capital, I will accompany you and help you find a suitable dragon." Viserys smiled and patted him on the shoulder.
"That'd be for the best, I think." Aegon said gratefully.
Whatever the faults, Viserys was the owner of a kind heart. It was an endearing quality that was abundant in his brother. It was one of the reasons why he liked Viserys, but it also made his brother vulnerable.
"Perhaps this might also be an opportunity for you, brother." Aegon said thoughtfully as they climbed down the stairs from the wall walk to the castle's training yard.
"What do you mean, brother?" Viserys asked with a raised eyebrow.
"You've been dragonless for too long. This might be the ideal time to seek a new dragon for yourself. We could seek dragons from the pit together." Aegon suggested happily.
Whatever Viserys was about to say was drowned out by the terrifying roar of a dragon in the sky. It was immediately followed by painful screeches from another dragon.
Aegon could only gape in utter bafflement and fear as he saw the familiar form of Sheepstealer crashing into the training yard of the castle, kicking up a dust cloud.
"What in the name of the Seven is happening?" Viserys shouted.
Aegon concurred with his older brother's sentiments. He also wanted to know what was going on, but the dust cloud and an injured wild dragon in close proximity shifted his priorities to getting out of this alive.
"We must escape. That dragon will cook us alive and eat us for lunch." Aegion said with fear.
"Climb up the stairs and retrace our steps through the wall walk. We can take refuge in the tower." Viserys suggested.
"Sounds like a good plan." Aegon nodded.
Before they could take a single step to proceed with the plan, a giant shadow fell on them, and then the stone beneath their feet trembled. Aegon couldn't help but let out an audible gasp as a gigantic, black-as-night dragon settled itself on the wall of the castle, blocking their path. Its massive hind legs crushed the stone underneath.
Aegon and Viserys exchanged a worried look and slowly backpedalled, careful not to attract the attention of the mighty beast before them.
There was no doubt in his mind about the identity of the foe that they were facing. It was the bane of all dragons in Dragonstone. The Cannibal had graced them with its terrifying presence.
AN: More content can be found on Patreon
For artworks related to the story: Discord
- Location
- England
Looks like the Targaryen blood is strong in this one.
I herd u lik dragons. So I got u a dragon that eats dragons.
Ch6: Wild Dragons P2
New
Viserys was in a unique but dangerous position. He was standing right in between two massive temperamental wild dragons. Sheepstealer was not usually a harmful dragon, but it was a dragon with extraordinary strength and a penchant for being aggressive to anything that challenged it. It was also one of the older dragons on the island after Vermithor and Silverwing.
The Cannibal, on the other hand, was the most dangerous dragon in the world after Vhagar because of its sheer size and character. The dragon had made it a habit of picking fights with other dragons and making dinner out of them. Its avarice for dragon flesh and bones made it one of the most dangerous creatures in existence. The Cannibal was one of the reasons there were not as many dragons in the Dragonmont. It was also a major reason the Dragonpit was built in King's Landing.
The Cannibal's presence in Dragonstone had culled many young dragons. The hatchlings would find themselves as food for the Cannibal. Even some large dragons that dared to challenge it found themselves as food. The dragon stayed well out of anyone else's way, especially when larger dragons like Vhagar, Silverwing, and Vermithor were present on the island.
So, it was just his luck that he and Aegon somehow ended up right in the middle of Sheepstealer and the Cannibal.
"Do not make any sudden movements. They'll burn us to a crisp." Viserys whispered to his brother as he stared at the wild dragons in abject terror.
"So, what's the plan?" Aegon whispered back. "If we stay, we'll be crushed when these dragons tumble, and if we move, these two might scorch us to death."
That was a quandary Viserys keenly knew. Dragons were temperamental, especially wild dragons. He also knew dragons took any sudden movements as hostile, especially when they were primed for battle.
"Sheepstealer knows you. Perhaps it'd be less inclined to see us as a threat with the Cannibal this close." Viserys muttered, desperately hoping his brother's many attempts to woo the wild dragon would make it predisposed to disregard them.
"So, we move towards Sheepstealer?" Ageon asked, which gave Viserys pause.
"We'll take a slow, tentative step backwards and see how it'll behave." Viserys said finally.
"All right. On three, then." Aegon whispered back.
Viserys took a deep breath, counted to three, and stepped backwards with his younger brother. The roar from Sheepstealer made him flinch.
Not one to back down from a challenge, the Cannibal also let out a terrifying roar that rattled his bones.
Looking up at the glinting black scales of the Cannibal, Viserys was reminded of his late mount, Balerion. The Black Dread's presence was more than enough to scare men and dragons alike. The Cannibal also had that same effect on people despite not being the largest dragon. It was one of the reasons why no one had tried to put an end to the dragon. The Cannibal was a cunning and dangerous foe.
'And now, that foe has ended up inside the walls of the castle where my wife and daughter were…'
Viserys' eyes widened at the thought. He realised belatedly that if the dragons fought inside the castle walls, everyone, including his wife and daughter, would die. In his desperation, his eyes fell on the closed door of a tower, and an idea started to form in his mind.
"I'll create a distraction by running towards that door. When I do that, you'll run inside the castle and find Rhaenyra and Aemma. Take them as far away from the castle." Viserys said, after gathering his wits.
"What?" Aegon asked with wide eyes.
"Promise me you'll protect them." Viserys asked earnestly.
Viserys watched his little brother stare at him with wide eyes before a strange gleam entered his brother's eyes.
"No child should grow up without their parents." Aegon said firmly.
Before Viserys knew what was happening, his brother kicked his legs from underneath, making him fall. With growing horror, he watched his little brother run towards the tower while shouting at the dragons.
"No!" Viserys whispered in horror.
The two dragons stopped glaring at each other and focused on his brother.
"No!" Viserys cried as the dragons opened their maw and breathed fire on his brother. The Cannibal spat out purple flames while Sheepstealer spat out blood-red flames.
He watched teary-eyed as his little brother was consumed by the wild dragons' fire. Taking a deep breath, Viserys ran towards the castle's main keep, crying for his lost brother. He saw knights with their swords drawn, men with spears and shields, and archers with their bows pointed at the dragons.
"Don't attack the dragons. Get inside now." Viserys ordered, clamping down on the grief.
"My prince, look." Ser Reyne said, nodding at the dragons.
When Viserys looked back, he saw something impossible. His jaw dropped open in disbelief as he saw the purple and red flames of the two dragons being pushed away from his brother, who was on his feet with flames of his own dancing on the palms of his hands.
Viserys blinked twice and shook his head for good measure, and still, the scene did not change. His little brother was pushing back the dragon fire with white flames pouring out of his palms.
"The dragon fire… it's changing." Ser Reyne said in awe.
Viserys also started to see what Ser Reyne noticed. The flames surrounding Aegon were changing colour to white. The red and purple flames started to become white until both dragons stopped breathing flames altogether, as they, too, realised something phenomenal was happening before their eyes.
The white flames roared to life as they towered over the dragons in the blink of an eye. Viserys saw Sheepstealer let out a painful shriek as the white flames bit into the wild dragon's brown scales.
Perhaps it was the strangeness of the situation, the presence of the Cannibal and Aegon's white flames. Whatever it was, Sheepstealer turned tail and flew away rather than remain inside the castle. But the Cannibal was not so easily pacified or chased away. The bane of dragons had fought for decades against its own kind and had made a habit of crushing dragon bones between its teeth. It was not ready to back down from a challenge so early.
Viserys watched with worry as the Cannibal breathed more and more flames against Aegon. The heat from the flames was such that he was forced to turn his eyes away. He felt a tremor pass through the ground, followed by a large thud. When the heat subsided, Viserys looked back and found his brother's white flames had dominated the field, and the Cannibal lay prone on the ground with smoke coming off its pitch-black scales.
On a closer look, he could see the black scales of the wild dragon were singed and pulsing with heat. The wings were the only part of the dragon that looked untouched. Viserys took tentative steps out of the safe confines of the castle despite the warnings from the men. He made his way to his younger brother, who looked out of his breath and sweating profusely.
"Aegon." he hesitantly called, but his brother remained unresponsive.
"My Prince, we should kill the dragon while we have the chance," Ser Reyne said, drawing his sword and looking at the Cannibal warily.
"No! No one will be killing that dragon." Aegon shouted, making everyone step back as they saw his fiery eyes were trained on them.
Viserys' eyes widened when his brother suddenly collapsed on the floor.
"Call for the maester." he shouted immediately while cradling his brother's head on his lap.
He could feel the heat rolling off his brother's body, and for a moment, he wondered how his brother was even alive. How did his brother even make flames from his hands? Those were questions which bothered Viserys, but the answers were far out of his reach. The only person who could give him those answers was lying unconscious on his lap.
****
Jaehaerys felt like he should've seen this coming. The signs were right before his eyes. But as his dear wife accuses him these days, he was willfully blind to Gael's interest in Aegon. His daughter had not only summarily rejected the betrothal he had painstakingly nurtured, but she had made her intentions to marry Aegon quite clear and loudly proclaimed to everyone in the Red Keep.
And now, his daughter wanted to leave King's Landing to be with Aegon while he remained bedridden in Dragonstone.
"What do you mean I can't go to Dragonstone?" Gael shouted at her father, her lilac eyes flaring in righteous anger.
"It means what it means." Jaehaerys said firmly, glaring at her daughter, unwilling to back down in front of his rebellious daughter.
"I must go. Aegon needs me." Gael stood her ground and glared right back at him, making Jaehaerys all the more angry.
"You'll not be going anywhere without my say." Jaehaerys thundered.
He swallowed heavily when tears rolled down the cheeks of his sole living daughter. She turned on the balls of her feet and ran from his solar, crying all the way. All that rage in him drained away upon seeing that, and his eyes fell on the two kingsguard knights in his solar.
"Ser Clement, look after my daughter. Make sure she doesn't do anything untoward," he ordered.
"Your grace." the Crabbe knight bowed before speedily exiting his solar, chasing after his wayward daughter.
"What am I to do now, Ser Harrold? When I try to solve one problem, another takes root within the family." Jaehaerys bemoaned, rubbing his forehead tiredly.
"Your grace, shall I offer you some water?" the Westerling knight asked.
"Yes." Jaehaerys gasped as he felt himself sweat.
He greedily drank the water that Ser Harrold had provided. After that, he gave the chalice back to his trusted kingsguard knight as he rested in his seat. It took him some time to bring his racing heart under control, and slowly, his sweating ceased.
'I'm not a youngster anymore. I might've been crowned King of the Seven Kingdoms when I was ten and six. But now… the crown is far too heavy a burden for me to bear,' Jaehaerys thought morosely.
Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and gathered his thoughts.
"The fault lies with me, I suppose. I should've seen this coming sooner. Gael was always interested in Aegon. Ever since she saw him in Alyssa's hands, she had never left his side." Jaehaerys muttered, his eyes glazed over as he focused on a distant memory. "They were playmates and friends before anything else. I didn't see their friendship growing into something more."
"May I ask a question, your grace?" Ser Harrold asked as the silence that followed his admission dragged on for too long.
"Ask away, Ser." Jaehaerys opened his eyes and watched the Westerling knight.
He rarely gave much leeway to his kingsguard knights, but he was in desperate need of good counsel. In the absence of his dearly departed friend Barth and his wife in open defiance, Jaehaerys felt he had very little choice in whom he confided. He'd have talked with his Hand, but Ser Ryam Redwyne was too close to the issue at hand. Baelon was also not an option, and that left him with the recent addition to the kingsguard. Ser Harrold Westerling had taken the place of Ser Roxton, who passed away in his sleep.
"Why may I ask your grace sought a betrothal for the princess with House Redwyne? Wouldn't it have been better for Prince Aegon and Princess Gael to marry to keep the dragons within House Targaryen?" Ser Harrold asked with genuine curiosity.
This was why Jaeherys liked Ser Harrold. The man had a good head on his shoulder but was also not a self-serving knight who'd sing praises day and night.
"You're right, Ser Harrold. I made a mistake. The enemy at the gates blinded me to what was happening right under my roof." Jaehaerys admitted.
"Forgive me your grace. Are you perhaps talking of Lord Corlys?" Ser Harrold asked tentatively.
"Who else?" Jaehaerys muttered angrily. "That man has poisoned my queen against me. He has sunk his claws into my wife, and now he wants to claim Aegon to his side through Alysanne."
Jaehaerys didn't miss the way Ser Harrold's face twitched at his words.
"You do not know Corlys Velaryon like I do, Ser. He is a snake that bites the hand that feeds it. My biggest mistake was giving the hand of Rhaenys to that ungrateful upstart." Jaehaerys snarled, his lilac eyes blazed with fury.
"It is not enough for the Velaryons to claim a Targaryen bride and a dragon, but now he wants my throne. I don't know why I trusted the man to be any different from his grandfather. They were Maegor's supporters. Opportunistic turncloaks, the whole lot." Jaehaerys spat derisively.
"May I speak freely, your grace?" Ser Harrold asked after Jaeherys fell silent after his rant.
Jaehaerys looked searchingly at the bald-headed knight before letting out the breath he was holding.
"Speak your mind, Ser."
"I don't think Prince Aegon necessarily supports Lord Corlys. Make no mistake; Prince Aegon is well-trained and smart for his age, but he is still a boy. I believe he likes Princess Rhaenys more than Prince Baelon for the same reasons he liked Princess Maegelle or Queen Alysanne. He sees his mother in them, and that is enough for Prince Aegon to stand with them."
"She is only ten namesdays older than Aegon." Jaehaerys said with disbelief.
"And yet, Princess Rhaenys has always treated him like her little brother or a son." Ser Harrold pointed out, "She claimed the Red Queen, and you know how Prince Daemon took the news. But Aegon was never bothered to see his mother's dragon bonding with Princess Rhaenys."
'Could it be that simple? Have I been blinded my fears over Corlys to see…' Jaehaerys frowned thoughtfully and closed his eyes in shame as he came to a painful conclusion.
'Yes… yes, I went too far and allowed my fears to guide my actions.'
Jaehaerys also remembered with a wince how happy he was to have pushed Aegon into a conflict with Corlys. That was the sole reason he manipulated Aegon into taking up responsibility for the development of Dragonstone. Otherwise, he'd have sent Baelon and Viserys in Aegon's place as they were his chosen heirs. Not that he regretted sending Aegon to the island. From all the reports he received from the island, Aegon had worked splendidly so far.
Still, he realised that in his quest to ensure Baelon's succession, he had started to behave like the enemies he so despised. It left a bad taste in his mouth to admit that he was callous enough to throw his family into danger, just like Daemon Velaryon did when Maegor usurped the Iron Throne.
Most importantly, he didn't want to make his daughter unhappy. She was the light in his darkest days, and he knew Aegon would protect her with his life. His grandson was loyal and honourable to a fault—a rare trait in the House of the Dragon.
What more could a father ask for from a prospective husband of his daughter?
'I need to make things right with Aegon, Gael…' Jaehaerys decided, '…and Alysanne.'
He had already sent the best maesters to Dragonstone when word reached him of what had happened to Aegon. The details of the incident were not clear, but Aegon had fallen ill after a confrontation with two wild dragons. Viserys mentioned that Aegon survived the ordeal using his power over fire. More details on the situation remained unclear, and perhaps it'd remain so for the time being. But whatever it was, he was confident Aegon would recover. The maester of Dragonstone had said as much using the raven.
"Ser Harrold."
"Your grace?"
"Make preparations for my journey to the Arbour. I'll need to speak face-to-face with Lord Redwyne to ensure there is no bad blood."
"As you will, your grace." Ser Harrold bowed before stepping out of his chambers.
Jaehaerys relaxed in his seat as some unseen weight on his shoulders disappeared. He watched the Westerling knight take his leave, and for a moment, he said silent thanks to his old friend and Lord Commander of his Kingsguard, Ser Gyles Morrigen.
Ser Harrold was Ser Gyles's squire, and it'd seem the Westerling knight had learned much from his old friend and sparring partner. The loss of Ser Gyles was another blow in his reign, but now he felt like the man was helping him from even beyond death.
'If only there were more men like Ser Gyles, this land would be heaven.' Jaehaerys thought as he reminisced about his oldest supporters and dearly departed friends.
The preparations were speedily done, and he was out of the city within the day with a retinue of knights and lords accompanying him in his progress to Oldtown and from there to the Arbour. Jaehaerys stared out of the window of his wheelhouse and watched the lands passing by as the wheelhouse moved swiftly through the Roseroad. He had so wanted to take Vermithor and fly all the way to the Arbour, but he was not confident he'd make the journey with his body's weaker constitution.
He shook his head and put all his worries to death. He needed to conquer his needless fears on this long journey so he could visit the Starry Sept along the way to Arbour. He was hardly a man of faith, but lately, he had been having trouble finding strength on his own. But at times like these, faith had the power to strengthen the mind, and that's what he needed.
While he was away, he trusted his son to manage the affairs of the crown.
'It's time Baelon assumes some responsibility. If he's to rule one day, he must learn what it means to be responsible for the Seven Kingdoms.' Jaehaerys thought.
****
Baelon glared into his own hands as his mind churned out possible solutions to the quandary he was facing. His father had left the capital five days ago and since then he hadn't had an iota of sleep.
"My Prince."
Baelon wished he could snap at Grand Maester Allar for interrupting his thoughts, but the man was old—older than his father. It'd be disrespectful not to be mindful of such things when he was the crown prince and now the regent in his father's name.
He was not supposed to sit in the small council chambers in his father's seat and rule in his name. Ser Ryam Redwyne was his father's Hand, and the man should've been making the day-to-day decisions regarding the running of the realm.
But King Jaehaerys had charged Baelon with the responsibility of leading the small council until his return.
Baelon felt the weight of the realm on his shoulders, and he blamed his son for this entire mess. He knew for certain that it was because of Aegon that his father was now travelling to the Arbour to apologise to Lord Redwyne. Rumours of the affair between Gael and Aegon were spreading through the realm like a forest fire. His father was now humiliated in the eyes of the court and the lords of the realm for announcing the betrothal.
However, a small part of Baelon also blamed his father for rushing headfirst into betrothing his little sister and youngest son with the Redwyne siblings. He had hoped to betroth Aegon with Laena Velaryon and bridge the gap in the family. For all his talk of keeping the family together, his father was determined to keep Lord Corlys and Rhaenys at arm's length when there were many avenues to bind their families together.
Although his father feared the Velaryons, Baelon considered them family, and he felt guilty for stealing his niece's birthright.
He shook his head as his mind once again went into places that were not supposed to.
"My prince?"
"What is it, Grand Maester?" Baelon asked in frustration.
"We await your decision about the brigands camping at the Oldtsones. They've been attacking the bridges across the Blue Fork. Merchants are being harassed at the Sevenstreams and Fairmarket."
"Tell Lord Frey to deal with these miscreants." Baelon said with a scowl.
"The Oldstones encompasses a sliver of land that maintains the border between the holdings of houses Mallister, Frey and Blackwood. If one lord is to send their men into Oldstones, the others will respond aggressively."
"Are you telling me the Riverlords will fight amongst themselves instead of hunting for these brigands?" Baelon asked incredulously.
"Grudges are far aplenty than pebbles in the Riverlands, my prince." Grand Maester Allar said patiently with a thin smile.
"The Riverlords are not known for their understanding nature, my prince. They've quarrelled amongst themselves for thousands of years." Lord Beesbury said, looking at Baelon with a look of pity, "I'm afraid the crown will have to intervene in this matter."
If anyone in the small council understood his predicament, it was Lord Lyman Beesbury. The man had only served in the small council as the Master of Coin for a year, so Baelon had a much better relationship with the young Master of Coin, who was comparable in age to his own.
"Fine. We'll send ravens to lords Frey, Blackwood and Mallister. Inform them that the crown will send an assortment of knights under Ser Lorence Roxton."
"But my prince. Ser Lorence is of the Kingsguard. He is needed here to guard the royal family." Ser Ryam protested.
"Ser Lorence will represent the crown. I trust you and your sworn brothers are more than capable of defending my family without Ser Lorence for a few days." said Baelon, eyeing the Lord Commander.
"Of course, your grace." Ser Ryam reluctantly agreed.
"That's settled then." Baelon sighed. "Now, what's next?"
"The lords and knights of the Cracklaw Point are acting up again, my prince. Lord Celtigar urges the crown to punish them and brand them as traitors." said Grand Maester Allar.
"Punish loyal men of Crackclaw?" Baelon snorted, staring at the Grand Maester in disbelief, "I'd sooner cut off my own hands than do anything of the sort. Tell Lord Celtigar to mind his own business."
He knew Lord Bartimos Celtigar was Corlys' man through and through. He wouldn't trust a word from that man's mouth.
"Moving on then…"
Baelon, the Spring Prince, was bound to the small council chambers for another hour as he dealt with the affairs of the realm. By the time the meeting ended, he was just about ready to collapse into a bed and forget he was now responsible for keeping the Seven Kingdoms together.
He cursed the gods for taking Aemon's life as he walked the corridors of the Red Keep with Ser Victor of the Kingsguard, shadowing his every step.
'If only Ameon was alive…' Baelon thought with grief, unable to shake the feeling of being a thief for serving as their father's heir.
Suddenly, he heard screams coming from the end of the corridor, making Baelon stop.
"My prince. Let me lead…" Ser Victor stood before him fast and true with his sword drawn, but only a hysterical maid came running from the end of the corridor.
The woman immediately came to a standstill upon seeing him and Ser Victor.
"Why were you screaming? What happened?" Baelon asked immediately, already feeling something had gone horribly wrong under his watch.
"Princess Gael is missing, my prince."
"What!"
AN: More content can be found on Patreon
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The Cannibal, on the other hand, was the most dangerous dragon in the world after Vhagar because of its sheer size and character. The dragon had made it a habit of picking fights with other dragons and making dinner out of them. Its avarice for dragon flesh and bones made it one of the most dangerous creatures in existence. The Cannibal was one of the reasons there were not as many dragons in the Dragonmont. It was also a major reason the Dragonpit was built in King's Landing.
The Cannibal's presence in Dragonstone had culled many young dragons. The hatchlings would find themselves as food for the Cannibal. Even some large dragons that dared to challenge it found themselves as food. The dragon stayed well out of anyone else's way, especially when larger dragons like Vhagar, Silverwing, and Vermithor were present on the island.
So, it was just his luck that he and Aegon somehow ended up right in the middle of Sheepstealer and the Cannibal.
"Do not make any sudden movements. They'll burn us to a crisp." Viserys whispered to his brother as he stared at the wild dragons in abject terror.
"So, what's the plan?" Aegon whispered back. "If we stay, we'll be crushed when these dragons tumble, and if we move, these two might scorch us to death."
That was a quandary Viserys keenly knew. Dragons were temperamental, especially wild dragons. He also knew dragons took any sudden movements as hostile, especially when they were primed for battle.
"Sheepstealer knows you. Perhaps it'd be less inclined to see us as a threat with the Cannibal this close." Viserys muttered, desperately hoping his brother's many attempts to woo the wild dragon would make it predisposed to disregard them.
"So, we move towards Sheepstealer?" Ageon asked, which gave Viserys pause.
"We'll take a slow, tentative step backwards and see how it'll behave." Viserys said finally.
"All right. On three, then." Aegon whispered back.
Viserys took a deep breath, counted to three, and stepped backwards with his younger brother. The roar from Sheepstealer made him flinch.
Not one to back down from a challenge, the Cannibal also let out a terrifying roar that rattled his bones.
Looking up at the glinting black scales of the Cannibal, Viserys was reminded of his late mount, Balerion. The Black Dread's presence was more than enough to scare men and dragons alike. The Cannibal also had that same effect on people despite not being the largest dragon. It was one of the reasons why no one had tried to put an end to the dragon. The Cannibal was a cunning and dangerous foe.
'And now, that foe has ended up inside the walls of the castle where my wife and daughter were…'
Viserys' eyes widened at the thought. He realised belatedly that if the dragons fought inside the castle walls, everyone, including his wife and daughter, would die. In his desperation, his eyes fell on the closed door of a tower, and an idea started to form in his mind.
"I'll create a distraction by running towards that door. When I do that, you'll run inside the castle and find Rhaenyra and Aemma. Take them as far away from the castle." Viserys said, after gathering his wits.
"What?" Aegon asked with wide eyes.
"Promise me you'll protect them." Viserys asked earnestly.
Viserys watched his little brother stare at him with wide eyes before a strange gleam entered his brother's eyes.
"No child should grow up without their parents." Aegon said firmly.
Before Viserys knew what was happening, his brother kicked his legs from underneath, making him fall. With growing horror, he watched his little brother run towards the tower while shouting at the dragons.
"No!" Viserys whispered in horror.
The two dragons stopped glaring at each other and focused on his brother.
"No!" Viserys cried as the dragons opened their maw and breathed fire on his brother. The Cannibal spat out purple flames while Sheepstealer spat out blood-red flames.
He watched teary-eyed as his little brother was consumed by the wild dragons' fire. Taking a deep breath, Viserys ran towards the castle's main keep, crying for his lost brother. He saw knights with their swords drawn, men with spears and shields, and archers with their bows pointed at the dragons.
"Don't attack the dragons. Get inside now." Viserys ordered, clamping down on the grief.
"My prince, look." Ser Reyne said, nodding at the dragons.
When Viserys looked back, he saw something impossible. His jaw dropped open in disbelief as he saw the purple and red flames of the two dragons being pushed away from his brother, who was on his feet with flames of his own dancing on the palms of his hands.
Viserys blinked twice and shook his head for good measure, and still, the scene did not change. His little brother was pushing back the dragon fire with white flames pouring out of his palms.
"The dragon fire… it's changing." Ser Reyne said in awe.
Viserys also started to see what Ser Reyne noticed. The flames surrounding Aegon were changing colour to white. The red and purple flames started to become white until both dragons stopped breathing flames altogether, as they, too, realised something phenomenal was happening before their eyes.
The white flames roared to life as they towered over the dragons in the blink of an eye. Viserys saw Sheepstealer let out a painful shriek as the white flames bit into the wild dragon's brown scales.
Perhaps it was the strangeness of the situation, the presence of the Cannibal and Aegon's white flames. Whatever it was, Sheepstealer turned tail and flew away rather than remain inside the castle. But the Cannibal was not so easily pacified or chased away. The bane of dragons had fought for decades against its own kind and had made a habit of crushing dragon bones between its teeth. It was not ready to back down from a challenge so early.
Viserys watched with worry as the Cannibal breathed more and more flames against Aegon. The heat from the flames was such that he was forced to turn his eyes away. He felt a tremor pass through the ground, followed by a large thud. When the heat subsided, Viserys looked back and found his brother's white flames had dominated the field, and the Cannibal lay prone on the ground with smoke coming off its pitch-black scales.
On a closer look, he could see the black scales of the wild dragon were singed and pulsing with heat. The wings were the only part of the dragon that looked untouched. Viserys took tentative steps out of the safe confines of the castle despite the warnings from the men. He made his way to his younger brother, who looked out of his breath and sweating profusely.
"Aegon." he hesitantly called, but his brother remained unresponsive.
"My Prince, we should kill the dragon while we have the chance," Ser Reyne said, drawing his sword and looking at the Cannibal warily.
"No! No one will be killing that dragon." Aegon shouted, making everyone step back as they saw his fiery eyes were trained on them.
Viserys' eyes widened when his brother suddenly collapsed on the floor.
"Call for the maester." he shouted immediately while cradling his brother's head on his lap.
He could feel the heat rolling off his brother's body, and for a moment, he wondered how his brother was even alive. How did his brother even make flames from his hands? Those were questions which bothered Viserys, but the answers were far out of his reach. The only person who could give him those answers was lying unconscious on his lap.
****
Jaehaerys felt like he should've seen this coming. The signs were right before his eyes. But as his dear wife accuses him these days, he was willfully blind to Gael's interest in Aegon. His daughter had not only summarily rejected the betrothal he had painstakingly nurtured, but she had made her intentions to marry Aegon quite clear and loudly proclaimed to everyone in the Red Keep.
And now, his daughter wanted to leave King's Landing to be with Aegon while he remained bedridden in Dragonstone.
"What do you mean I can't go to Dragonstone?" Gael shouted at her father, her lilac eyes flaring in righteous anger.
"It means what it means." Jaehaerys said firmly, glaring at her daughter, unwilling to back down in front of his rebellious daughter.
"I must go. Aegon needs me." Gael stood her ground and glared right back at him, making Jaehaerys all the more angry.
"You'll not be going anywhere without my say." Jaehaerys thundered.
He swallowed heavily when tears rolled down the cheeks of his sole living daughter. She turned on the balls of her feet and ran from his solar, crying all the way. All that rage in him drained away upon seeing that, and his eyes fell on the two kingsguard knights in his solar.
"Ser Clement, look after my daughter. Make sure she doesn't do anything untoward," he ordered.
"Your grace." the Crabbe knight bowed before speedily exiting his solar, chasing after his wayward daughter.
"What am I to do now, Ser Harrold? When I try to solve one problem, another takes root within the family." Jaehaerys bemoaned, rubbing his forehead tiredly.
"Your grace, shall I offer you some water?" the Westerling knight asked.
"Yes." Jaehaerys gasped as he felt himself sweat.
He greedily drank the water that Ser Harrold had provided. After that, he gave the chalice back to his trusted kingsguard knight as he rested in his seat. It took him some time to bring his racing heart under control, and slowly, his sweating ceased.
'I'm not a youngster anymore. I might've been crowned King of the Seven Kingdoms when I was ten and six. But now… the crown is far too heavy a burden for me to bear,' Jaehaerys thought morosely.
Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and gathered his thoughts.
"The fault lies with me, I suppose. I should've seen this coming sooner. Gael was always interested in Aegon. Ever since she saw him in Alyssa's hands, she had never left his side." Jaehaerys muttered, his eyes glazed over as he focused on a distant memory. "They were playmates and friends before anything else. I didn't see their friendship growing into something more."
"May I ask a question, your grace?" Ser Harrold asked as the silence that followed his admission dragged on for too long.
"Ask away, Ser." Jaehaerys opened his eyes and watched the Westerling knight.
He rarely gave much leeway to his kingsguard knights, but he was in desperate need of good counsel. In the absence of his dearly departed friend Barth and his wife in open defiance, Jaehaerys felt he had very little choice in whom he confided. He'd have talked with his Hand, but Ser Ryam Redwyne was too close to the issue at hand. Baelon was also not an option, and that left him with the recent addition to the kingsguard. Ser Harrold Westerling had taken the place of Ser Roxton, who passed away in his sleep.
"Why may I ask your grace sought a betrothal for the princess with House Redwyne? Wouldn't it have been better for Prince Aegon and Princess Gael to marry to keep the dragons within House Targaryen?" Ser Harrold asked with genuine curiosity.
This was why Jaeherys liked Ser Harrold. The man had a good head on his shoulder but was also not a self-serving knight who'd sing praises day and night.
"You're right, Ser Harrold. I made a mistake. The enemy at the gates blinded me to what was happening right under my roof." Jaehaerys admitted.
"Forgive me your grace. Are you perhaps talking of Lord Corlys?" Ser Harrold asked tentatively.
"Who else?" Jaehaerys muttered angrily. "That man has poisoned my queen against me. He has sunk his claws into my wife, and now he wants to claim Aegon to his side through Alysanne."
Jaehaerys didn't miss the way Ser Harrold's face twitched at his words.
"You do not know Corlys Velaryon like I do, Ser. He is a snake that bites the hand that feeds it. My biggest mistake was giving the hand of Rhaenys to that ungrateful upstart." Jaehaerys snarled, his lilac eyes blazed with fury.
"It is not enough for the Velaryons to claim a Targaryen bride and a dragon, but now he wants my throne. I don't know why I trusted the man to be any different from his grandfather. They were Maegor's supporters. Opportunistic turncloaks, the whole lot." Jaehaerys spat derisively.
"May I speak freely, your grace?" Ser Harrold asked after Jaeherys fell silent after his rant.
Jaehaerys looked searchingly at the bald-headed knight before letting out the breath he was holding.
"Speak your mind, Ser."
"I don't think Prince Aegon necessarily supports Lord Corlys. Make no mistake; Prince Aegon is well-trained and smart for his age, but he is still a boy. I believe he likes Princess Rhaenys more than Prince Baelon for the same reasons he liked Princess Maegelle or Queen Alysanne. He sees his mother in them, and that is enough for Prince Aegon to stand with them."
"She is only ten namesdays older than Aegon." Jaehaerys said with disbelief.
"And yet, Princess Rhaenys has always treated him like her little brother or a son." Ser Harrold pointed out, "She claimed the Red Queen, and you know how Prince Daemon took the news. But Aegon was never bothered to see his mother's dragon bonding with Princess Rhaenys."
'Could it be that simple? Have I been blinded my fears over Corlys to see…' Jaehaerys frowned thoughtfully and closed his eyes in shame as he came to a painful conclusion.
'Yes… yes, I went too far and allowed my fears to guide my actions.'
Jaehaerys also remembered with a wince how happy he was to have pushed Aegon into a conflict with Corlys. That was the sole reason he manipulated Aegon into taking up responsibility for the development of Dragonstone. Otherwise, he'd have sent Baelon and Viserys in Aegon's place as they were his chosen heirs. Not that he regretted sending Aegon to the island. From all the reports he received from the island, Aegon had worked splendidly so far.
Still, he realised that in his quest to ensure Baelon's succession, he had started to behave like the enemies he so despised. It left a bad taste in his mouth to admit that he was callous enough to throw his family into danger, just like Daemon Velaryon did when Maegor usurped the Iron Throne.
Most importantly, he didn't want to make his daughter unhappy. She was the light in his darkest days, and he knew Aegon would protect her with his life. His grandson was loyal and honourable to a fault—a rare trait in the House of the Dragon.
What more could a father ask for from a prospective husband of his daughter?
'I need to make things right with Aegon, Gael…' Jaehaerys decided, '…and Alysanne.'
He had already sent the best maesters to Dragonstone when word reached him of what had happened to Aegon. The details of the incident were not clear, but Aegon had fallen ill after a confrontation with two wild dragons. Viserys mentioned that Aegon survived the ordeal using his power over fire. More details on the situation remained unclear, and perhaps it'd remain so for the time being. But whatever it was, he was confident Aegon would recover. The maester of Dragonstone had said as much using the raven.
"Ser Harrold."
"Your grace?"
"Make preparations for my journey to the Arbour. I'll need to speak face-to-face with Lord Redwyne to ensure there is no bad blood."
"As you will, your grace." Ser Harrold bowed before stepping out of his chambers.
Jaehaerys relaxed in his seat as some unseen weight on his shoulders disappeared. He watched the Westerling knight take his leave, and for a moment, he said silent thanks to his old friend and Lord Commander of his Kingsguard, Ser Gyles Morrigen.
Ser Harrold was Ser Gyles's squire, and it'd seem the Westerling knight had learned much from his old friend and sparring partner. The loss of Ser Gyles was another blow in his reign, but now he felt like the man was helping him from even beyond death.
'If only there were more men like Ser Gyles, this land would be heaven.' Jaehaerys thought as he reminisced about his oldest supporters and dearly departed friends.
The preparations were speedily done, and he was out of the city within the day with a retinue of knights and lords accompanying him in his progress to Oldtown and from there to the Arbour. Jaehaerys stared out of the window of his wheelhouse and watched the lands passing by as the wheelhouse moved swiftly through the Roseroad. He had so wanted to take Vermithor and fly all the way to the Arbour, but he was not confident he'd make the journey with his body's weaker constitution.
He shook his head and put all his worries to death. He needed to conquer his needless fears on this long journey so he could visit the Starry Sept along the way to Arbour. He was hardly a man of faith, but lately, he had been having trouble finding strength on his own. But at times like these, faith had the power to strengthen the mind, and that's what he needed.
While he was away, he trusted his son to manage the affairs of the crown.
'It's time Baelon assumes some responsibility. If he's to rule one day, he must learn what it means to be responsible for the Seven Kingdoms.' Jaehaerys thought.
****
Baelon glared into his own hands as his mind churned out possible solutions to the quandary he was facing. His father had left the capital five days ago and since then he hadn't had an iota of sleep.
"My Prince."
Baelon wished he could snap at Grand Maester Allar for interrupting his thoughts, but the man was old—older than his father. It'd be disrespectful not to be mindful of such things when he was the crown prince and now the regent in his father's name.
He was not supposed to sit in the small council chambers in his father's seat and rule in his name. Ser Ryam Redwyne was his father's Hand, and the man should've been making the day-to-day decisions regarding the running of the realm.
But King Jaehaerys had charged Baelon with the responsibility of leading the small council until his return.
Baelon felt the weight of the realm on his shoulders, and he blamed his son for this entire mess. He knew for certain that it was because of Aegon that his father was now travelling to the Arbour to apologise to Lord Redwyne. Rumours of the affair between Gael and Aegon were spreading through the realm like a forest fire. His father was now humiliated in the eyes of the court and the lords of the realm for announcing the betrothal.
However, a small part of Baelon also blamed his father for rushing headfirst into betrothing his little sister and youngest son with the Redwyne siblings. He had hoped to betroth Aegon with Laena Velaryon and bridge the gap in the family. For all his talk of keeping the family together, his father was determined to keep Lord Corlys and Rhaenys at arm's length when there were many avenues to bind their families together.
Although his father feared the Velaryons, Baelon considered them family, and he felt guilty for stealing his niece's birthright.
He shook his head as his mind once again went into places that were not supposed to.
"My prince?"
"What is it, Grand Maester?" Baelon asked in frustration.
"We await your decision about the brigands camping at the Oldtsones. They've been attacking the bridges across the Blue Fork. Merchants are being harassed at the Sevenstreams and Fairmarket."
"Tell Lord Frey to deal with these miscreants." Baelon said with a scowl.
"The Oldstones encompasses a sliver of land that maintains the border between the holdings of houses Mallister, Frey and Blackwood. If one lord is to send their men into Oldstones, the others will respond aggressively."
"Are you telling me the Riverlords will fight amongst themselves instead of hunting for these brigands?" Baelon asked incredulously.
"Grudges are far aplenty than pebbles in the Riverlands, my prince." Grand Maester Allar said patiently with a thin smile.
"The Riverlords are not known for their understanding nature, my prince. They've quarrelled amongst themselves for thousands of years." Lord Beesbury said, looking at Baelon with a look of pity, "I'm afraid the crown will have to intervene in this matter."
If anyone in the small council understood his predicament, it was Lord Lyman Beesbury. The man had only served in the small council as the Master of Coin for a year, so Baelon had a much better relationship with the young Master of Coin, who was comparable in age to his own.
"Fine. We'll send ravens to lords Frey, Blackwood and Mallister. Inform them that the crown will send an assortment of knights under Ser Lorence Roxton."
"But my prince. Ser Lorence is of the Kingsguard. He is needed here to guard the royal family." Ser Ryam protested.
"Ser Lorence will represent the crown. I trust you and your sworn brothers are more than capable of defending my family without Ser Lorence for a few days." said Baelon, eyeing the Lord Commander.
"Of course, your grace." Ser Ryam reluctantly agreed.
"That's settled then." Baelon sighed. "Now, what's next?"
"The lords and knights of the Cracklaw Point are acting up again, my prince. Lord Celtigar urges the crown to punish them and brand them as traitors." said Grand Maester Allar.
"Punish loyal men of Crackclaw?" Baelon snorted, staring at the Grand Maester in disbelief, "I'd sooner cut off my own hands than do anything of the sort. Tell Lord Celtigar to mind his own business."
He knew Lord Bartimos Celtigar was Corlys' man through and through. He wouldn't trust a word from that man's mouth.
"Moving on then…"
Baelon, the Spring Prince, was bound to the small council chambers for another hour as he dealt with the affairs of the realm. By the time the meeting ended, he was just about ready to collapse into a bed and forget he was now responsible for keeping the Seven Kingdoms together.
He cursed the gods for taking Aemon's life as he walked the corridors of the Red Keep with Ser Victor of the Kingsguard, shadowing his every step.
'If only Ameon was alive…' Baelon thought with grief, unable to shake the feeling of being a thief for serving as their father's heir.
Suddenly, he heard screams coming from the end of the corridor, making Baelon stop.
"My prince. Let me lead…" Ser Victor stood before him fast and true with his sword drawn, but only a hysterical maid came running from the end of the corridor.
The woman immediately came to a standstill upon seeing him and Ser Victor.
"Why were you screaming? What happened?" Baelon asked immediately, already feeling something had gone horribly wrong under his watch.
"Princess Gael is missing, my prince."
"What!"
AN: More content can be found on Patreon
For artworks related to the story: Discord