Dragonstone 18 B.C
Aegon moved slowly through the tall grass as he approached a certain black mountain to take a closer look…
The mountain in question was the largest dragon in his family: Balerion.
Like any other child in this world, Aegon dreamed of the day he would mount a dragon and fly through the skies…
Swallowing hard and taking a deep breath, the young Targaryen Prince finally decided to take the final step toward the dragon to attempt to mount it, when he was interrupted by a strange figure dressed in black approaching from a different direction, approaching Balerion even faster…
The man seemed to make no sound, nor did he leave any footprints in the sand. When he was close enough to Balerion, the figure in black disappeared from Aegon's sight, and when he reappeared, he was standing atop the dragon's enormous head.
Aegon was startled by what he saw and rose completely from the tall grass where he had been hiding. Then the dragon gave a loud sniff and swallowed the man in black whole in a single bite...
Aegon took two steps back in alarm after all, it was his first time seeing a human being devoured alive, when a soft palm touched his back, startling him.
"So this is where you were, Young Prince…"
Recognizing the familiar, mature voice, Aegon turned to see a middle-aged maid who had always cared for him since he was very young. Not far behind her, his two sisters had suspicious eyes.
"We knew you would be here, Aegon!" Visenya said, smiling at him and coming over to wipe the dirt and grass from his face and hands where he had been crouched.
"Let's go back, Father's going to receive an important visitor…" Rhaenys added in a more serious tone, but at the same time, she also approached, trying to clean her brother's clothes, while also straightening them and closing the buttons of his open shirt.
Aegon blushed a little as his sisters helped him clean himself, but soon returned his focus to what he had seen.
"Wait, I saw a man approaching Balerion… And he… He was devoured!"
"That happens sometimes when anyone approaches a dragon, Young Prince..."
The middle-aged maid patted his head before leading everyone back to the Knights, who were terrified by the Young Prince's further disappearance.
The group quickly returned to the castle, and Aegon continued to tell his sisters about the mysterious man who had been devoured. The middle-aged maid slipped away from the group unnoticed, heading to a secluded, dusty room in the castle.
Inside, she used a magic scroll to confirm that the dead man's mission had been completed and immediately wrote a letter:
"Esteemed leader of the Order, the eighth spy parasite has been planted in Balerion's body. But unfortunately, this attempt has cost us the life of FM.02.14.*[1] It appears we were partially successful, and the parasite remains alive inside the dragon. I will continue to monitor his health over the coming months and will send you updates if the situation changes...
...Regarding the latest news, we are currently receiving a visit from a Bloodmage named Kalindor. According to rumors spread by the head chamberlain, he has been invited to become the family's Bloodmage. I will send you more news as soon as I learn more details about the meeting..."
From your loyal servant, FM.02[2].17.
***
Meanwhile, in the banquet hall of the Targaryen castle, King Aerion himself was receiving the distinguished guest.
Quite different from his last appearance, Kalindor now displayed a youthful appearance with long violet hair that matched the color of his eyes, eyebrows, and mustache. He wore a simple cloak made of luxurious fabric without any adornments or runes that would make one think it was a magical cloak.
At this moment, Kalindor was looking out the window at Meraxes and Vhagar flying nearby with satisfied eyes…
"And how many eggs did you say you have?"
"Only two."*[3]
"Hmm, not bad…"
"And where are the children?"
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know you were arriving today, so they weren't at the castle right now. But my knights are already bringing them." King Aerion apologized, afraid that the absence of his heirs would somehow offend the powerful Blood Mage.
"And your Queen?"
Kalindor asked, still looking at the dragons in the sky.
"She wasn't feeling well today, so she decided to stay in her room and rest. I hope Lord Kalindor forgives her for not coming to see him today…" Aerion lied…
Aerion was sweating nervously. He knew how important it was to recruit a Bloodmage for the family, but he had never met one in person. All he knew about them was what was in his family's secret archives… And Kalindor was one of the names in some of those archives. It was thanks to this information that he prevented his wife from meeting the Bloodmage in person until everything was arranged.
"If she's sick, I can treat her. There's no illness we Bloodmages can't cure…"
Aerion swallowed and said,
"I would never dare trouble Lord Kalindor with something so simple. It's just a…"
"Knock, knock."
"Your Majesty, I've brought the feast, drinks, and delicacies you asked me to prepare…"
Aerion thanked the head chambermaid for her perfect timing, arriving with the feast and other rare delicacies to keep Kalindor occupied and distracted…
After she served the many items, Kalindor sampled a bit of everything and quite enjoyed one of them, which pleased Aerion for the first time.
"You said this was called chocolate?"
"That's right, it's a very valuable product, with only a small amount produced annually. But our family purchases most of what's produced due to our good relationship with one of the merchants who exports it from the Far East. If Lord Kalindor wishes, I can set aside as much as you like for your consumption. Furthermore, we have an agreement with the island that produces the Gold Summer Wine.*[4] According to my grandmother, this wine was a favorite of the Bloodmages and Lords of the Freehold City."
"Then I'll have to trouble Your Grace to get me some bottles."
"It's no trouble at all; we welcome Lord Kalindor into our family with open arms."
"It's not like there are any other families to welcome me... I spoke to that girl in Essos, but she was too stubborn to accept the deal I offered. I hope Lord Aerion doesn't follow suit, or I might end up creating a new royal family, despite despising all the surviving lesser nobles..."
"We've already agreed to all your requests regarding magical resources, gold, and slaves. Is there anything else Lord Kalindor still desires?"
Aerion waited apprehensively for an answer when there was another knock on the door.
"Knock, knock."
"Your Grace, I've brought the children..."
"Oh, please come in."
Soon, Aerion's three sons entered the room, with the Knight Commander following behind them.
"This is my heir, Aegon. He recently turned eight. And behind him are his older twin sisters, Rhaenys on the left and Visenya on the right. There'll be ten in three months. Behind the children is Lord Tristan, our family's Knight Commander and one of the three finest swordsmen in Westeros."
***
Aegon looked at the man his family called the Bloodmage Kalindor and greeted him and his sisters…
Since they entered the room, the man had been smiling kindly at them, but Aegon noticed his eyes never left his two sisters…
"They are good children, both the Prince and the Princesses. I can sense the Valyrian magic in their blood, and also their magical affinity…"
"Do they have a talent for magic?" Aerion asked in surprise.
"Yes… Besides, their bloodlines are quite pure, suitable for Dragon Lords. And for my final request, I want both girls as my concubines…"
Aegon saw his father freeze after the Bloodmage's last sentence, while his sisters held his hands tightly.
"That… Lord Kalindor… I fear it will not be possible. They are still children, and there are many other more suitable young women in our secondary bloodlines…"
"Have you promised them both to anyone?" Kalindor asked in a serious tone, his smile instantly fading.
"No, Lord Kalindor, I haven't promised them to anyone... But my wife, she..."
"Then there's no reason to refuse. I'm sure your wife will be happy that the girls will be married into the family, after all, I'm not one of you now?" Kalindor smiled again.
Aerion bit his lip and said:
"I'll make the betrothal arrangements in the next few weeks, and we'll set the wedding for 3-4 years from now, then..."
"Why wait so long? I'm going back to take care of some matters in Asshai, but I'll be back in a month or two."
"But the girls are still children and—"
"Ah... Sometimes I forget that you, Your Grace, didn't grow up in Valyria... Them being so young was never a problem..."
As Kalindor said the last sentence, he licked his lips quickly and discreetly, looking at the pair of beautiful, innocent twin sisters.
Aegon was still a child, but he already knew the duties of the family's Princes and Princesses. But somehow, seeing his sisters handed over to the strange man like this made him feel furious and jealous, as if it were unacceptable…
"Father… I—"
When he opened his mouth to speak, his father looked at him with stern eyes, making him instantly silent.
Not long after, Kalindor departed for Asshai, flying an unusual green dragon*[5] made of vines that frightened everyone on the island who saw it…
And for the first time since Rafael's arrival in this world, the future of the entire original Targaryen line was threatened…
AN:
-(WebNovel) This chapter contains additional information in the paragraph comments. Enable the function in the settings to read.
-Rafael received a letter about the topics of this chapter in the previous chapter. But I must remind you that a chimera dragon has more speed and stamina than normal crows and blood crows.
****
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[1] Name coded in case the letter was intercepted. Balerion's name was also coded in the original letter. FM = Faceless Man / 02 = Assassin Rank / 14 = Identification Number
[2] 01 is a code for a human Faceless Man, while 02 is a code for a Faceless Man who has a magical affinity.
[3] Besides the three original dragons, I couldn't confirm how many eggs the Targaryens had after fleeing Valyria. I also don't know if Vhagar or Meraxes had laid any eggs by the current date. Therefore, I'll keep two eggs here, possibly three. But if it's three (unconfirmed information), we'll just say Aerion lied again. If you know anything, leave a comment for me and other readers.
[4] For those who don't remember, it's the wine Rafael stole the last 100 bottles during the sack of the Golden Dragon. The island is now producing this wine again, and the Order holds the rights to purchase 16 bottles per year. King Aerion has the right to purchase 24 bottles per year. The remaining units produced annually belong to various influential merchant lords...
[5] For those who don't remember, this is the same Chimera that fought alongside Kalindor during the assassination of White Shadow. It has become even more powerful and larger, capable of performing various transformations...