Aenys X
3rd moon, 37AC
The flapping of his stunning dragon's golden wings filled Aenys's ears as Quicksilver slowed her descent toward the ground. His elegant dragon beat her wings quickly, kicking up a cloud of dry dust before her two slender legs gracefully landed on the hill.
Aenys sighed heavily as he climbed down the ropes hanging off his dragon's neck. The flight to Harrenhal was not a short one, with a flight from Dragonstone to Harrenhal being close to the maximum distance a dragon could cover in a single day, but he had made it to Lord Prentys Tully's camp nonetheless.
Aenys could make out a welcoming party approaching him in the fading light as a loud thud shook the hill Aenys and his dragon were on. He swiveled his head to find that his little brother's black dragon had landed right next to his shining silver dragon, albeit much less gracefully.
Aenys could not help but marvel at just how much bigger Terrax had grown over his few years in Essos. His little brother's dragon had been the same size as his beloved Quicksilver when he first entered exile all those years ago, but it seemed his little brother's dragon had since outpaced his.
'I wonder why,' Aenys thought as he studied his silver dragon, impatiently waiting for his little brother to dismount his dragon. Terrax was far more docile than Aenys remembered him as and he no longer seemed to try and pick fights with Quicksilver. Hells, he even noticed the two of them practically on top of each other in Pentos. Aenys hoped that the trend would last during their stay away from the pits, there were no Dragonkeepers to keep them separated this deep in the Riverlands after all.
Logically, Quicksilver ought to be larger than Terrax, she was six years older than him, after all, yet it was not the case. 'Is there more dragonlore than what I read on Dragonstone?' Aenys wondered. He had long since noticed that dragons had different builds, Quicksilver and Dreamfyre were noticeably thin compared to Balerion and Terrax, but perhaps there was more to be found in the Dragonpit's libraries.
The DDragonkeepers had many different duties. The first and most prominent was caring for House Targaryen's dragons of course, but it was not their only one. The Dragonkeepers not only cared for House Targaryen's dragons and defended the Dragonpits, but they also kept records, defended the precious dragon eggs, and even aided in the instruction of new dragonriders.
"Perhaps they have some old Valyrian texts," Aenys thought aloud as he moved away from Quicksilver. He moved just far enough away to get a full view of his shining silver dragon before a large hand grabbed his shoulder.
"What are you mumbling about?" he asked as he pushed Aenys into a walk heading for the bottom of the hill.
"Oh, I was just wondering about the libraries in the Dragonpit," Aenys said as he gradually settled into a walk next to his little brother.
"Hmm, looking for more dragonlore?" Maegor asked as he fiddled with his armor. How Maegor managed to spend all damn day in his heavy set of Dragonstone Steel armor never ceased to confuse Aenys. Aenys could only stand to remain in his armor for a few hours at most, anything beyond that and his muscles grew sore.
"Indeed, I was wondering why my dragon is so much smaller than yours," Aenys said as they continued walking down the hill, the light from the welcoming party closing in quickly.
"Hmm, they mostly have theories, from what I remember at least. It has been a few years since I last perused their material," Maegor hummed as he scratched at his short beard.
"Well, I suppose we ought to conclude this quickly, so I can go and check for myself," Aenys said with a smile and Maegor gave him a small smile but a smile all the same.
"You will be welcome on the island any time you wish brother, same goes with your family. I will have it passed as a law as soon as we return," Maegor said and Aenys was relieved to hear that he had not gone back on that promise. He knew he should not trust his wife's words when it came to his little brother, but sometimes it was hard not to have at least a little doubt.
"Good, now then," Aenys said as he cleared his throat as the welcoming party finally arrived on their horses. They had decided to set their dragons down a little ways away to ensure the safety of the soldiers. They both trusted their dragons to behave but they did not trust the soldiers.
"Your Grace, welcome to the Riverlands," what must have been Lord Prentys Tully said as he descended from his horse and quickly took a knee before him. Aenys was still getting used to the sight, so it took a quick elbow to the side from his brother for him to finally speak.
"Thank you, Lord Tully. Now stand, and tell me of the situation," Aenys said in the most kingly voice he could manage.
"Of course, Your Grace," Lord Tully said as he got to his feet and brought two horses forward. Aenys and Maegor gingerly mounted their steeds and Aenys could almost feel a bit of jealousy from his bond to Quicksilver, but he chose to ignore that for now and focus on the words emanating from the Lord Tully.
"The bastard has brought his army behind the walls, a smart choice," Lord Tully began as they all brought their horses up to a light gallop. The summer was soon to end after all, and the air had already begun to grow colder, the sooner they got to the Tully tents, the better.
"Well, we will need to flush them out then. Unfortunately, we cannot simply set the castle alight again," Maegor said, and Aenys presumed that was his wife's decision. Harrenhal was technically her castle now, given that she was the last living member of House Qoherys. Had the bastard not heinously murdered Gargon's infant children, it would have gone to them, but as of now, it belonged to Shiera.
"That will be difficult, the granaries of Harrenton have been brought inside of the walls," Lord Tully said and Aenys hummed in thought. He was still trying to figure out how to solve this situation peacefully, he remembered how kindly he had been welcomed by the smallfolk of Harrenton on his progress through the Riverlands just two years before Lord Gargon's death.
"Lord Tully, send messengers to the walls in the dark. Have them yell over the walls that only the leaders of this rebellion must pay. His smallfolk soldiers will all recieve a pardon from me should they surrender tomorrow," Aenys said, and suddenly, Aenys felt a dozen sets of eyes on him.
"Pardon, Your Grace?" "Are you sure, Aenys?" Lord Tully and his brother said instantly, and Aenys decided to answer his vassal first, as he presumed his answer would explain himself to his little brother.
"They rebelled due to Lord Gargon's poor governance. The garrison and the bastard's posse must all hang or be sent to the Wall, but I will pardon his smallfolk soldiers should they lay down their arms," Aenys clarified and it seemed he was correct that it would explain himself perfectly, as the rest of his ride was silent.
"Your Grace… they joined in a rebellion against you," Lord Prentys continued, but Aenys had a response ready.
"Did the Houses Lannister and Stark not march against my father? He forgave them both, and I will do the same," Aenys declared, and Lord Prentys Tully looked apprehensive but the look he got from his younger brother was more concerning.
The ride to the camp was silent the rest of the way. Lord Prentys confirmed that he would send out the men to do as he was asked, but he seemed upset about it. Maegor meanwhile gave Aenys a serious glare all the way to the camp, and all the way through the war meeting, and all the way back to Aenys's personal tent.
"Are you sure about this, Brother?" Maegor finally said as they were awarded some privacy in Aenys's tent at the center of the camp.
"Of course I am, the leaders of this rebellion shall be punished, but can you fault the smallfolk for being upset?" Aenys declared, and Maegor looked apprehensive.
"I cannot, but you must realize what exactly you are doing," Maegor said and Aenys could not stave off the confusion. He was acting to prevent needless bloodshed, was that not what his father did countless times during his conquests? He even offered Harren the Black clemency if he had just knelt.
"Am I not emulating our father? He offered clemency to countless numbers of his enemies," Aenys said and received a conflicted look from his brother.
"I am not totally against what your plan is, Brother. But you must act with caution," Maegor clarified and Aenys still did not understand what his younger brother was trying to get at.
"Whatever do you mean, Brother?" Aenys asked as he took a seat and began pulling his castle-forged steel armor off his body.
"The men here wanted to fight. The knights, nobles, and men-at-arms were called up by Lord Tully and the defectors from the bastard's camp. They wanted to earn some glory in a battle, and now you are planning to send them home empty-handed. Grant clemency to smallfolk that dared to rebel against their lot in life," Maegor clarified, and Aenys scratched his chin in response.
"Hmm?" Aenys hummed a question, hoping for clarification from his brother. Aenys wished he had paid more attention in all those Small Council meetings years ago, perhaps he would have learned a thing or two there.
"Ugh, how could I explain it more clearly? Many here will assume that you are favoring the Smallfolk over your loyal noble and knightly vassals. The smallfolk may till the fields but it is the nobles and knights that lead the smallfolk masses; angering them would be unwise," Maegor said with an annoyed look and Aenys was subsequently thrust deep in thought.
"Favoring them? I am merely offering them the same right my father afforded to the peoples he conquered," Aenys tried to explain his actions and Maegor just looked more disappointed.
"I am aware, Aenys. The problem here is that the men-at-arms and knights here wanted to fight. They wanted to put down these rebels and get some honor under their belts. Refusing that and granting clemency to the same smallfolk that killed a fellow Lord of theirs is not a good look," Maegor fully explained the situation and Aenys could understand better now.
"Hmm. What to do then?" Aenys pondered, scratching at his long beard.
"Are you certain you wish to offer them clemency? You still have time to rescind the order," Maegor asked and Aenys was immediate in his response.
"I do wish to offer it. I would rather this conflict end quickly and as bloodlessly as possible," Aenys declared. The people of all the Seven Kingdoms welcomed him wherever he went. He was their protector, their King, their ruler. It was his duty to rule them well, not simply butcher them when they had some reasonable complaints.
"Ugh," Maegor simply exclaimed, bringing his hands to his cheeks.
"What can we do to soften the blow?" Aenys asked, he certainly did not want to spark another conflict by resolving one as bloodlessly as possible.
"Besides sending them to the Iron Islands for another fight? Paying them off is an option, but I doubt they would be very satisfied. It is still summer, and the Riverlands are rich for now," Maegor sighed and Aenys decided to put off the problem. If they were upset, they would bring their concerns to him in a petition, where he could address their specific concerns there. As of now they were only speaking of hypotheticals anyway; perhaps the men would not get upset at all.
"They can bring their concerns to me later. For now, let us rest and recover. As we may be departing for another long flight tomorrow," Aenys said with a hint of confidence. He knew that the smallfolk would see reason.
"Very well," Maegor said with another sigh as he stood from his chair and departed for his own tent. Aenys could not help but think of his words as he drifted off to sleep in the bed gifted to him by Lord Tully.
…
Aenys was quite pleased with himself as he watched the group of men leave the gates of Harrenhal, white flags raised and a number of prisoners trailing behind them. It was obvious that his gambit had worked, and he could not help but smugly smile to himself.
'Not too bad, if I say so myself,' Aenys thought to himself with a smile. The army around him was prepared to fight if need be, but Aenys knew it was not necessary. The white flags over Harrenhal and the white flags raised by the group of smallfolk approaching their camp made it evidently clear.
Aenys patiently waited on his makeshift throne as the smallfolk gradually made their way before him. Quickly throwing a few gagged and tied up bodies at his feet before kneeling.
"Please forgive us, Yer Grace!" an older man shouted, kneeling so low that his face was practically touching the ground.
Aenys gave his brother a quick smirk before clearing his throat and preparing his kingly voice. "Of course. I presume these men here are the ones who killed Lord Gargon and his family?" Aenys asked, spying the dirty red-haired man gagged before him, accompanied by perhaps a dozen other miscreants.
"Yes, Yer Grace," the old man said once more, and Aenys could not help but smile at his victory. The bound and gagged Red Harren stared daggers at Aenys, but he paid him no mind. His victory had been secured; sure, there was still clean up to do, but the hard part had been done for him.
"Wonderful, you may all return to your farms and homes, I hereby pardon you of all your crimes," Aenys declared easily, wishing to be done with this whole debacle so he and his brother may fly to the Iron Islands.
"Thank you, Yer Grace," the old man bowed before the small crowd all raced back toward Harrenhal. It was then that Maegor whispered in his ear.
"An investigation will have to be made to find any perpetrators that fled into the populace. The Garrison that betrayed my wife's family also has to be put to death," Maegor demanded, and Aenys sighed heavily. He understood that it had to happen, but allowing people he had pardoned to face charges would look poorly.
"Shall I bring my men into the castle, Prince Maegor?" Lord Prentys asked his little brother, who spoke for his wife and lady of the castle for the moment, and Maegor nodded hesitantly.
"Capture all the garrison. I want them all hanged. Expel the staff as well," Maegor said with a frown on his face. Meanwhile, Aenys could hardly believe his brother's ears. 'All of them?' Aenys wondered, shocked beyond measure.
Aenys pulled his brother aside as Lord Prentys bowed and departed for his horse, some of his men following him while others remained to help guard Aenys. "Brother, you wish to kill the entire castle garrison and expel the staff?" Aenys asked, hoping for his brother's reasoning to make sense of it all.
"None of them are trustworthy. One of my children will one day inherit this wreck of a castle, and I would not have them gutted in their sleep like my nephew and niece," Maegor said, a harshness in his tone that was normally alien to Aenys's ears. Another alien sound bounded across the field as the previously deadly silent Red Harren snickered to himself, earning the ire of all the soldiers present.
'Oh right, I suppose I ought to offer the perpetrators of this rebellion the chance to take the black,' Aenys thought as his brother separated from his side and walked toward the still prone Red Harren.
Aenys reasoned that offering the black was the right thing to do. He would of course understand if Maegor wished to have Red Harren killed, but the Nights Watch was always in need of more soldiers, and Aenys would rather not have to oversee executions.
Just then, before Aenys could really think any longer about the subject, a sickening crunch and a gushing sound filled the air. The sound was quickly followed by more gushing sounds as Aenys's eyes found the source of the noise. His little brother was currently stomping what was left of Red Harren's head into the dirt and grass of the hill.
The whole crowd in attendance stared in shock at the gruesome scene, and Aenys did his best to hold down the light food he had eaten to break his fast. His brother's leg was coated in thick red blood and bits of Red Harren's brain were strewn about the grass where his head must have exploded from the force.
As Maegor turned to the rest of the crowd and placed a hand gingerly on the pommel of his sword, Aenys stepped in. "Brother, wait! What are you doing?!" Aenys asked, quickly standing from his makeshift throne and tugging on his brother's arm.
"Disposing of the traitorous bastard who gutted infants in their sleep. This dirty rat deserved to die like the cretin he was. But I suppose the others could hang if you wish," Maegor shrugged and Aenys was bewildered. 'Was he that close with House Qoherys?' Aenys wondered; his brother did not appear to be angry or upset or anything but his tone was chilling.
"I-I would offer them the chance to take the black, Brother," Aenys asked, earning a deadpan look from Maegor.
Maegor quickly returned the tug, harshly gripping Aenys's arm and pulling him closer so his little brother could whisper to him.
"Are you certain you wish to do that, Brother?" Maegor asked, and Aenys momentarily froze.
Was he sure? He didn't really know. Sure, he knew that traitors needed to die, but the Night's Watch also needed new recruits. 'What would Father do?' Aenys wondered as he stared at the petrified eyes of the rebels before him.
"Y-yes. I will allow anyone under trial to take the black if they wish," Aenys said with a little hesitation, loudly enough for the rest of the crowd to hear. Aenys could not help but feel odd as he thought of his reasoning. Was he making this decision because he did not want to see the executions? Or because it was what his father actually would have done?
"Tch, very well," Maegor said as he let Aenys go and walked back toward the throne. Aenys righted his armor which was pulled out of place before taking a seat on his makeshift throne again and speaking to the crowd.
"Ungag them, I would let them choose their fate," Aenys said and three of House Tully's soldiers brought the men to their feet. Nine of them were now on their knees before him, with the corpse of Red Harren between them.
"As I said earlier, all of you are pronounced guilty of treason and are hereby sentenced to death. I will however allow you to take the black and join the Nights Watch in the North if you so choose," Aenys said, a regal tone once more returning to his voice.
Aenys was prepared for all of them to take the black, living was better than dying after all, but the first answer he received shocked him greatly. A black haired man with a bushy, unkempt beard was dragged before Aenys first. His clothes were clearly a size too big for him, obviously ripped right out of the wardrobe of Lord Gargon. He stared daggers at Aenys before he began to speak.
"I choose death, Yer Grace," the man spat, venom dripping from his voice. He glared up at Aenys with eyes full of hatred, then sneered, "Better die than live under you cunts."
The guards swiftly moved to punish the lowly, insubordinate man. All the while, Aenys was shocked. "Why?" Aenys wondered aloud. Why would someone choose death over life? Sure the Nights Watch was not a pleasant farm in the Reach, but they could earn honor and prestige there. Get to live out the rest of their lives serving the realm which they dishonored and betrayed.
"We'd rather die," an older man growled, his voice steady despite the ropes bounding him tightly, "than live under the boot of abominations like you."
"What?" Aenys thought aloud again as more guards moved to intervene, only for Aenys to stop them.
"Stop!" he declared, and all the warriors and knights currently roughing up the traitors ceased and looked at him.
"I would hear your reason," Aenys declared. He had to know why they would prefer death over living under him. The smallfolk all loved him from what Aenys remembered, had be been mistaken in that belief?
"Brother just put them to death and be done with this entire farce," Maegor whispered in his ear but Aenys waved it away. He was King now, and he should hear complaints from his subjects, even if they had committed heinous crimes.
"I would hear their reason," Aenys declared again, this time a tad more sturdy and forceful. Maegor sighed but backed off, letting the old man speak once more, given the black haired man was currently unconscious on the ground.
"You damned dragons are abominations. The father says so in his book. You are all bastards and abominations, foreigners who shouldn't rule us," the old man spouted and Aenys only grew more confused.
"Huh?"
"You lot are all like Lord Gargon. He raped our wives and daughters and he taxed us to hell. You lot are no different! We would side with Red Harren again and again if it meant that our families would be safe from you sister fuckers!" the man spouted before he was swiftly met with a bloody boot to the face from Maegor that silenced his cries.
"Enough of this farce, hang them all," Maegor ordered and many of the guards surrounding the prisoners quickly sprung into action. Aenys meanwhile was stuck in his own head, completely unaware at what was going on.
He remained dully confused, trapped in his mind wondering why the old man was upset at him while the traitors hanged. The sight normally would have sickened Aenys, he had seen death first hand of course, but he was too trapped in his own mind.
'Abominations?' Aenys wondered again as the camp was being picked up. Maegor had ordered Lord Tully to clean up Harrenhal while Maegor brought men in from Pentos to staff the castle. Meanwhile, Aenys simply sat in his tent, wondering what had just happened.
Did all the smallfolk think like that old man? Aenys could not help but wonder it. After all, thousands had joined Red Harren in his rebellion, even if they had eventually turned coat. 'No… thats impossible,' Aenys thought, remembering all the happy crowds of smallfolk that would gather in each of the towns he visited on his progresses. From the North to Oldtown, all the smallfolk seemed so happy to just catch a glimpse of him. Surely, this man was an odd aberration.
Even still, Aenys could not help but worry that perhaps the people really were upset. Aenys knew abstractly that the life of a commoner was not easy. Long working days, poor shelter and food, not to mention being drafted to work for their lord when needed. They even had to deal with their lords occasionally enforcing the right to the first night.
"Perhaps that needs to be changed," Aenys thought aloud as he racked his mind for ideas. Recalling what his mother had done with the rule of six, Aenys had a brilliant idea pop into his mind. Surely passing a law that mandated better treatment of the common people would ensure that they were happy and would not rebel. After all, if they were not upset, why would they rebel in the first place?
Aenys rejoiced in his mind at his wonderful idea and readily produced a piece of paper and began scribbling his notes and ideas down. He would have to wait until he returned to the court on Dragonstone to properly make new laws, but he could come up with ideas here in the Riverlands, and when he was on the Iron Islands too.
'I wonder if Maegor has any ideas about this?' Aenys wondered as he tried to remember the seemingly countless reforms Maegor had made about slaves within his territory in Essos. Aenys had to do something; the idea that the smallfolk believed the same as that old man was too terrifying for Aenys not to. He just needed a plan, and he thought he had a pretty good one.
Aegon III
4th moon, 37AC
A low growl powerful enough to shake the foundations of entire castles rumbled from beneath Aegon and he relished in it. The low rumble filled his entire body with excitement. His dragon's power and might was his own and Aegon had never felt more secure, even as his entire body vibrated from just his dragon's low growl.
'Up,' Aegon thought simply, lightly tugging on the reins to reinforce his will. He was still getting used to the idea of commanding his dragon from his mind, and Balerion was far too willful for Aegon to enforce his mental command like what Viserys could do with Silverwing.
Balerion's gargantuan wings flapped with increasing force as they cleared the cliff face easily. They ascended higher and higher, up toward the clouds and Aegon could not restrain the smile on his face. He finally understood what his grandfather had been saying all those years. The feeling of having a dragon of your own was like nothing else.
As Balerion raced skyward, high enough to pass cleanly through the clouds, Aegon felt free. Free from his troubles, from his concerns, from his duties, and from his irritating family. Balerion cleared the cloud, and Aegon was greeted with a sea of endless, deceptively fluffy white.
"Incredible," Aegon spoke to nobody in particular. This was not the first time he had brought Balerion this high. He had been nearly inseparable from his dragon ever since he claimed him, so naturally, he had gotten curious. But the sight never ceased to amaze him.
'Did Grandfather do this too?' Aegon wondered as he urged his dragon to descend once more. Breathing was harder above the clouds and Aegon was not yet used to it, so he had to time his instances above the clouds carefully. The last thing he needed was to pass out because he was out of air. His grandfather and the Dragonkeepers had both warned him of that a few times.
Dragonstone rapidly reappeared in Aegon's view as Balerion burst from the lower parts of the cloud. From the Dragonmont, still billowing smoke like it always did, to the town beneath the castle, where the common folk of the island toiled about, to the harbor filled with Pentoshi galleys, Aegon could see it all.
The sight of the last thing brought Aegon back down to earth so to speak. It reminded him of the troubles he had gone flying trying precisely to ignore. His mother's grating voice unfortunately rang in his head again as he recalled her words.
"Aegon! Where are you going?!" she screeched like a needy hatchling begging for food as she barged into his room.
"For a flight," Aegon responded simply, like he had with his mother many times by that point. She had tried to lecture him dozens of times now already, and he had already decided to simply be curt with his traitorous mother.
"And why is that? It is your cousin's fifth name day, you ought to make yourself present," she demanded and Aegon fought the urge to snap at his mother. The last time he had done so, he only made her more annoying.
"Because I want to," Aegon said simply once more. Nobody could deny him of his dragon now, besides perhaps his father but he was not on Dragonstone.
"You have responsibilities , Aegon. Now get into proper courtly attire and be the dutiful heir you were raised to be," his mother demanded once more and Aegon's rage rose within his hollowed out chest, fire filling the hole is sister had made.
"Responsibilities, Mother? I think someone else has been more troublesome in that regard. Perhaps you ought to devote more of your time to them rather than me," Aegon said with an acrid acid oozing from his tone. He smiled as his traitorous fool of a mother recoiled at his tone, a stunned look appearing on her face.
He did not remain in his room any longer than that. He could not be bothered to listen to any more of her screeching, so he simply departed for the pit. She had no right to follow him there, so it was mostly a safe space for him.
Balerion let out another low growl as Aegon recalled his irritating mother's latest attempt at a lecture, eliciting a smile from Aegon. Had he known that Balerion would have his back so reliably, he would have claimed Balerion the moment he had gotten back from Pentos.
Balerion was his truest companion in this world now. Sure, he loved his little brothers and Alysanne dearly, but Balerion shared his mind and emotions. Only when he was atop his bonded dragon could Aegon feel free from his hollowed-out heart and his agonized mind.
"Thank you, Balerion," Aegon said as he reached down to pat his dragon's hard scales. The saddle he was riding in was so large that he could barely reach his dragon's diamond-hard scales, but Aegon stretched to do so anyway. Balerion deserved all the love and affection that Aegon could give.
Balerion did not respond to his words, but he did not need to. Balerion's mere presence was enough to calm Aegon, or at least distract his traitorous mind and thoughts. Aegon's eyes wandered back down to the castle, and then back to the compass in the saddle so he could orient Balerion west.
"I wonder if Father and Uncle Maegor are having any trouble in the Iron Islands," Aegon thought aloud, exploring the idea of flying there and giving them his aid. Dragonstone had not gotten any letters from his father after the letter from Riverrun announcing that Harrenhal had been reclaimed had arrived. That meant that they may very well be bogged down in the mess that was the Iron Islands.
His uncle had told him to remain on the island, saying that he had to defend the island and his family but Aegon could not really understand that reasoning. After all, Vhagar was in the pit, and Aegon could see Driftmark from his position in the sky, where a mighty fleet resided. There was no danger to be found on the island, much to Aegons chagrin.
Aegon wanted to do something, anything except remain on Dragonstone. Dragonstone was where all his problems were, where the annoyances that beggarded his life and the traitors that betrayed him lived. Meanwhile, he rode the largest dragon in the world, and his father and uncle refused his help in quelling rebellions.
'Free yet chained up all the same,' Aegon thought, imagining what it must have been like for his dragon, who spent most days locked in the pit before Aegon claimed him. Aegon stared at the great bronze doors of the Dragonpit as he flew by, tempted to simply take his dragon elsewhere. Nothing was really stopping him from leaving, from flying straight to the Iron Islands and burning up some damnable pirates.
Yet Aegon did not do that. Instead, he let out a great sigh as he urged his dragon to return to the Dragonpit. As much as he absolutely loathed to admit it, his mother had a point. It would not look good for Aegon to avoid his little cousin's fifth name day.
Unlike her and his mother. His Uncle Maegor's family had done nothing to wrong him in any way. His cousin Daeron had even started following him around the last few days asking about Balerion, Aegon had been tempted to offer him a flight, but the timely appearance of his mother had stopped him several times.
"Ugh," Aegon groaned as Balerion landed on the cliff face, seemingly shaking the entire mountain as his claws gripped the Valyrian stone floor. He really did not want to go and see his mother or her. But he would return to the castle for his cousins and for his little brother Viserys, who Aegon was unfortunately ignoring.
'My troubles cannot be theirs,' Aegon thought as the Dragonkeepers opened the colossal steel gates of Balerion's den. Viserys and cousins had nothing to do with what happened on that damned day and Aegon had to remind himself of that. The last thing he wanted was to drive them away.
…
As the large doors opened to the packed dining hall, the sight that graced Aegon's eyes was an odd one. The room was positively packed with people, which was odd given that it was a banquet for a second son's name day. 'Just how much pull does my uncle have in Essos?' Aegon wondered as he scanned the dozens of blonde and silver-haired heads that dotted the tables strewn about the hall.
A dozen or so Pentoshi ships had arrived over the last two sennights. Each had been packed full of noblemen and noblewomen from Pentos's great families. They had officially arrived for his cousin Baelon's name day, but their shopping around for houses on the island spoke of different intentions.
'Looking to get closer to their Prince?' Aegon wondered as he walked through the cleared path toward his family's table. Music was already playing and the center of the hall was filled with people dancing, but he figured he should wish his cousin a happy name day before he indulged in food or dance. He supposed it ought not to have been that odd, considering plenty of Andal lords from the mainland purchased homes on the island after the Red Keep began its construction.
"Oh right," Aegon whispered, realizing the meaning of their arrival. Dragonstone belonged to his uncle now, the formal transfer had not really been made yet. But it was widely known among the nobles and staff in the castle. The island he called home for the last five years, now it belonged to his uncle.
Aegon could not help but feel a little jealous at that. This island was his grandfather's, he was its lord before he even began his conquest of Westeros. Yet it went to his uncle and his family instead of his family.
The sight of his young cousins excitedly looking at him quickly dispelled the jealous feelings. 'His family,' Aegon thought as he let out a light scoff. What on earth was he thinking? His cousins were his family too, and his uncle Maegor had already made his intentions clear of the island. He may be its prince but it was still home to any and all Targaryens. Plus he already had Balerion, and would one day have Blackfyre once he convinced his father he was ready to wield it, he supposed he could share Dragonstone.
"Aegon!" Viserys excitedly said as he tried to get up from his seat before Aegon stopped him.
"Good evening, Viserys. Enjoying the banquet?" Aegon asked as he picked at some of the fresh bread and pastries strewn about the table.
"Yes! We thought you wouldn't come," Viserys said, gesturing to their cousin Daeron. Aegon could not help the smile on his face as Daeron quickly spoke in a whisper with Viserys. The two of them had quickly become fast friends ever since his uncle's family had arrived on Dragonstone almost two sennights ago.
Aegon feared that witnessing their grandfather's death would scar his little brother. Yet it seemed Daeron had easily pulled Viserys from his quiet sadness and now the two of them had been terrorizing the staff of Dragonstone daily. How Baelon fit into their budding friendship and rivalry Aegon had no clue. But thinking of his younger cousin reminded Aegon of his purpose.
"Oh, how could I forget. Happy name day, Baelon," Aegon said as he turned to look at his youngest male cousin. Baelon thanked him in an adorable tone while bobbing his head up and down and it almost made Aegon forget just who he was in the presence of.
Aegon's peripheral vision betrayed him as he spotted two women he had less than zero interest in even seeing at that moment. One of them was his mother, who was sporting her typical smug smile, like he had arrived because of her words. The other woman Aegon deliberately did not look at in any way, instead focusing on his mother.
"I am glad you decided to join us, now sit. I will have the cooks prepare the next course," his mother said and Aegon almost missed his aunt correcting his mother. He was so mad.
His mother had ushered him toward a particular seat at the table. Right next to the silver-haired sister he would sooner die than sit next to. Aegon fixed a glare onto his smug mother before turning on his heel. Luckily for him, a change in the music was occurring which gave him the most glorious of ideas.
"I am not hungry. I think I will go for a dance instead," Aegon said as he walked away from the table, and he could almost imagine the look of bewilderment on two Valyrian faces as his eyes began perusing the tables.
"Aegon!" his mother exclaimed, but he ignored her. His eyes roamed the dozen or so tables that dotted the room. Each of them had a handful of people sitting at them as most were standing, and it did not take long for him to find a target. He spotted a pretty enough girl a little ways away seated at an ornate table and he approached her as princely as he could. The people at the table were clearly of Valyrian descent, even if their blood was also clearly nowhere near as pure as his own or his Velaryon cousins.
Silver hair adorned their heads but it lacked the same luster as his own, plus several of the heads had some blonde hair mixed in there too. Their eyes were of course purple however, which was enough for him as he approached a fine looking lady.
She turned in her seat to look at him then, and Aegon took note of her features. She had large doe-like eyes, with a pretty, heart shaped face. Her silver hair clung to her face tightly, and really brought out her light purple eyes.
'Adequate,' Aegon thought. His mind could not help but find faults in the girl's appearance. She would do for his wonderful idea, however.
"My lady, might I have this dance?" Aegon asked not so quietly in his pristine High Valyrian, extending a hand for her to take.
The room quickly descended into absolute silence as the girl quickly swiveled her head around to look for what must have been her father's approval. The old man she looked to seemed apprehensive at first, before he hesitantly nodded.
Aegon greeted the Pentoshi noblewoman with a princely smile as she turned to look at him again. "Y-you may," she said in a quiet whisper as she took his hand.
A stern glare towards the musicians got the music going again as Aegon pulled his dancing partner toward the center of the hall. More bodies began moving around him then as Aegon easily pulled his partner into a simple slow dance.
He had practiced dancing numerous times with a certain someone before, so he easily led the noblewoman around the room in a slow waltz. She was far less capable than that certain someone, so he took the lead. He took the chance to look toward the royal table, where all were staring at him, differing levels of shock and confusion on their faces.
'Good,' Aegon thought with an ear-to-ear smile as he noticed the stupefied look on his mother's face, but her devastated look gave him pause for the slightest moment. Did she actually care? .
Aegon's distraction came back to bite him as he stepped on the foot of his dancing partner. Hearing her wince in pain, he quickly acted on instinct. "My apologies, my lady. Your face is a most wonderful distraction," Aegon said smoothly, and the blush that rose to his partner's cheeks was most satisfying. It was cute in a way but his heart did not truly stir at the sight. He almost wondered why.
"T-Thank you, my prince," the girl said through a blush, and her thick Pentoshi accent was interesting, even if it lacked the same refinement his own family had when speaking in his ancestral tongue.
"Where are my manners? Please forgive me, my lady. I never asked for your name," Aegon said with a flare as the girl in front of him refused to meet him in the eyes, before she cleared her throat.
"M-my name is Saeleya, of House Nestaar," she whispered, and Aegon let the name dance on his tongue. It was a pretty enough name, he supposed, but like the rest of this lady, something was missing. It was like she was a star whose light was being measured against the splendor of the sun. .
"You have my thanks for gracing me with this dance, Lady Saeleya," Aegon said as he easily weaved through the crowd of dancers, which were moving slower than they had been when he first arrived but they were picking up their pace again.
"N-no, you have my thanks, my prince." his partner turned the thanks back onto him, and Aegon scoffed.
"Please, my lady. There is no need to thank me, the pleasure is all mine," he said with a wink as he continued to easily lead the girl around the room. It was clear she had already been trained in dancing, similar to himself. All those days he had spent with his mother and her practicing paid off as he easily led his partner around the dance floor.
Aegon took every chance he could get to look back at the head table.. His aunt, little brothers, and cousins all looked confused, while his grandaunt had a bemused smile on her face, but the looks on his mother and sister's faces were exactly what he wanted to see. His mother's previous stupefied look had turned to one of abject rage, barely restrained by the formality of the event and his shield of two dozen dancers. Meanwhile, his sister looked hollowed out and deflated in her chair, he could almost believe she actually cared for him before a startling realization came to him. Maybe Rhaena didn't love him, but it was clear that she was feeling something right now, some feeling of possessiveness perhaps, of jealousy and humiliation.
Good.
Aegon barely repressed his smug smile as he finally locked eyes with Rhaena for the first time that day, twirling his dance partner lightly in his arms. He made sure to be as flashy as he could be with his dance moves, even with the relatively calm music playing, making sure that everyone could see it. While his mother would feel enraged at his actions, perhaps his sister would finally understand that her actions had consequences.
She had betrayed him, betrayed his trust and his love. Yet despite that, their mother had seemed content to let her escape with nothing more than a slap on the wrist. For her dalliances with multiple women and betrayal of her betrothal, his sister's only punishment had been for all of her ladies sent away and to be grounded from her dragon for a month.
Aegon remembered the anger he had felt when he had learned of how she had escaped, it still burned hot in his chest even now. He knew there was no chance that Rhaena could ever hurt like he did. To feel the same agonizing feeling of your heart crushing in your chest, of your blood boiling and your veins compressing until you wanted to die every time the memory of your love betraying you came to mind. There was no hope of that, she wouldn't have betrayed him to begin with if she had actually loved him enough to feel that way.
But if he could make her feel even a fraction of what he had felt that day… then that would only be fair wouldn't it?
Aegon let his eyes wander, looking for more ladies to potentially invite to a dance. His current partner fulfilled her role well, and he did not mind continuing their dance even as the song was nearing its end, but he knew that inviting more ladies to dance would enrage his mother even more. Perhaps it might even make her jealous that the foolish boy she had once wrapped around her finger had grown beyond her.
He danced for a few more minutes before he led his partner to the edge of the dance floor and bid her farewell. Yet before he could approach another decent looking Pentoshi lady, a tight grip appeared around his wrist.
"What in the Seven Hells do you think you are doing!" A positively incensed voice whispered in his ear and Aegon merely smiled at his enraged mother.
"Dancing," he said simply, staring her dead in the eyes.
"Have you no shame? Cease this… disgusting act this very instant!" she continued in her hushed yet forceful tone.
"No," Aegon said just as forcefully, and the impact it had on his mother would have made an onlooker think he had struck her in the face. It provided him the time he needed to yank his arm out of her grasp and move toward another table. He dared her to try and stop him, she would not succeed. She may be the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, but he rode Balerion. None measured up to him now.
Aegon continued to dance for another hour and a half according to the clock hanging over his family's table. He danced with every noblewoman he could find that was not sitting at his family's table. Every one of them got an offer, and every single one accepted readily. It was only natural, of course; who would refuse a dance with the crown prince?
After his legs finally began to tire and he ran out of new faces, he decided to call it quits. The night was almost upon them after all and the feast was soon to end. He was honestly surprised that his younger brother and cousins had not been put to bed yet, but he decided he would rather not go to his family's table.
Instead, he moved toward where he saw a few of his friends sitting on one of the tables and he made his way there, preferring to spend his time with them than in the presence of his sister or his mother. He felt a bit bad at ignoring his little brothers and cousins but he would make it up to them. He already decided to offer Daeron a ride on Balerion on the morrow.
"Good evening, Elyas, Guncer, and Simon," Aegon said as he readily took a seat next to his closest non-familial friends on the island. He was still riding the high of finally repaying his mother and sister in kind, so he was in quite a cherry mood.
"Good evening, Prince Aegon," Elyas Scales answered him. No doubt the closest of Aegon's friends on the island, he was the most confident in speaking to him on account of their shared Valyrian heritage. Granted House Scales' purity was even lesser than most of the Pentoshi nobles in attendance, but it was still more than his Sunglass and Staunton friends.
"Are you lot enjoying the festivities?" Aegon asked while looking at his friend Guncer, who was snickering at something or other. Guncer Sunglass was another close friend of his, distantly related to him from his great great grandaunt Rhaella Targaryen, he was one of the few nobles in the Seven Kingdoms who could trace their lineage to House Targaryen, even if he was damn near all Andal at this point.
"Clearly not as much as you," his last good friend on the island, Simon Staunton, answered him with a cheeky smile. Aegon returned a scoff, he was not so much enjoying the festivities as he was enjoying being a nuisance for his mother and sister. His actual dances had all been quite boring; the ladies he danced with were all mediocre dancers at best.
"Nonsense," Aegon rebuked his least favorite friend of the three. Both Elyas and Guncer were closer to him than Simon, who was a more recent arrival in comparison. Simon must have merely been projecting.
"Seriously? Aegon, everyone saw your smile," Elyas answered, a look of brief apprehension on his face while Guncer and Simon continued to chuckle.
"Yeah, you can be honest with us, Aegon," Guncer said with a cheeky smile, as if he was trying to squeeze some truth from him.
"Be honest about what?" Aegon asked, perplexed.
"About your betrothal, it's obvious you are unhappy," Simon continued and Aegon decided he was not particularly enthused about where this conversation was heading.
"Oh?" Aegon asked, daring his friends to step further. Unfortunately for Aegon, they did.
"Come on Aegon, we all know you aren't faithful. You don't need to hide it from us, we won't judge," Guncer began before Simon foolishly continued. Elyas meanwhile wisely remained silent.
"Is there perhaps some truth to the whispers about your sister? Is this your revenge?" Simon said conspiratorially before Aegon stood rapidly, the anger of a dragon coursing through his scorched veins.
"Do you want to lose your tongue, Simon, for spreading rumors and slander about a princess of the royal house?" he bit out instantly, as ferocious as a roar from Balerion.
Simon, taken aback by his sudden wrath, cowered beneath his fury. "No, my prince,". Guncer and Elyas both looked wary as well.
"Then I suggest you learn quickly how not to raise the ire of the dragon. You as well, Guncer." Aegon had not forgotten how the latter had dared to even suggest he was anything like his sister. He was not her. He was not unfaithful.
"Both of you should follow Elyas' example. The decisions and actions of royalty are beyond your place to question," he told them harshly before he made for the exit of the chamber, unable to tolerate their presence any longer.
During his entire walk back to his room, he worked to stifle the rage bubbling in his chest. As if he would ever allow his friends to humiliate him further. None could be allowed to know of his sister's betrayal. Aegon did not know if he could live with that shame on top of being betrothed to her.