Gaemon Targaryen (107 A.C. Second Moon)
Gaemon had just been fed, though grudgingly so, by a wet nurse. He much preferred the comfort of his mother's arms. The bond he felt with her was undeniable. He had never known Lyanna Stark, his other mother he had never known, though he had heard a story of her. She would always be a part of him, yet that did not replace the warmth and familiarity he shared with Alicent. In every way that mattered, she was his mother.
She had wished to nurse him and Aegon herself, but as queen, she was forbidden from doing so. He had overheard the hushed argument between his mother and Viserys, the man he had seen no more than thrice in his short life. His father, a distant figure, left his mother to battle alone against the constraints of courtly expectations.
Lying in his cradle, boredom settled over him like a heavy fog. Then the door creaked open. His small body tensed with expectation. Had his mother returned? She had announced she wanted to take a walk while he nursed.
"Princess, welcome. Did you wish to see the princes? Prince Aegon is asleep, but Prince Gaemon is still awake, and the queen has just gone for a walk," the wet nurse proclaimed.
'Rhaenyra? He had not expected her. The Black Queen. The Realm's Delight. His sister. She had never visited before. He did not know why, only that the relationship between Alicent and Rhaenyra had soured at some point.' He mused.
"Leave me alone with them," Rhaenyra ordered.
The wet nurse hesitated for only a moment before obeying. He heard her footsteps retreat and the door click shut. Silence settled between them, broken only by the faint sound of his brother's even breathing.
"So, you are one of the sons my father always wanted," Rhaenyra murmured softly above Aegon's crib. Her voice was not unkind, but it was heavy with pain. "For what? He exhausted my mother to death and took my best friend for his own."
'Best friend?' The revelation sent a wave of understanding crashing over him. His father had taken his daughter's closest friend as his wife? His opinion of Viserys had already been low, but this made it sink even lower.
His newborn instincts betrayed him, and a cry escaped his lips, a manifestation of his own frustration.
Rhaenyra turned her attention toward him. Slowly, she moved to his cradle and peered down at him. "Hmm, my little Valonqar," she whispered as she lifted him into her arms.
Her touch was tentative yet warm. He could feel the sorrow on her face, the pain pressing down on her. "Strange," she murmured. "For so long, I wanted a sibling to hold, to love. And yet, holding you, I feel only bitterness and pain." A single tear escaped the corner of her eye, slipping down her cheek.
Gaemon cooed softly, pressing himself against her, his tiny hands reaching out. He did not fully understand her grief, but he felt it.
Rhaenyra's fingers stroked his silver hair gently, a sad smile curling her lips. "Perhaps… I will try to be a sister," she whispered. Then she began to hum, a soft melody that lulled him into sleep.
Two Moons Later
Two dragon eggs rested before them. One was golden with pink flecks, the other a deep crimson with a shimmering bronze hue. Gaemon stared at them with fascination.
His thoughts turned inward. 'The golden one is yours, Aegon. Sunfyre the Golden. I wonder what you'll look like one day. His gaze drifted to the other egg. And you… are you mine?'
Beside him, Aegon reached out, his tiny fingers brushing against the golden egg.
"Well, it seems someone has already chosen," Viserys mused with a chuckle.
Gaemon observed his brother, who cautiously ran his hand along the smooth shell. Then he looked at the second egg, the one meant for him. He searched for something, some spark, some warmth, a connection. But he felt nothing. No pull. No call. Just cold, lifeless stone.
'This isn't my egg. Or dragon.' He mused.
"Go on, Gaemon," Viserys urged. "That one is yours."
But Gaemon pulled his hand away.
Viserys frowned. "Well, let it lay in his cradle. He may warm to it in time," he said, turning to Alicent.
She nodded, but her gaze lingered on Gaemon. "As long as he is happy."
Viserys smiled. "Indeed. That is all that matters."
Four Moons Later
Gaemon stirred in his cradle, the soft rustling of blankets around him a quiet comfort in the dimly lit nursery.
Then a sound broke the stillness. A sharp crack. Then another.
Gaemon's tiny fingers twitched, his breath hitching as the noise came again. Sharper this time, followed by a soft crunch and a wet, squelching sound. A gurgling coo of delight reached his ears, unmistakably his brother's.
"Oh my, summon the King and Queen! Prince Aegon's egg has hatched!" the wet nurse cried out in delight.
'So, my brother has a dragon,' Gaemon mused.
Not long after, the doors swung open, and Alicent and Viserys entered, their faces alight with anticipation. Viserys rushed to the cradle, peering inside. His eyes widened, and his lips parted into a grin.
"A true beauty," he murmured. "Golden as the sun."
Alicent stepped closer, a soft smile on her lips as she looked down at the tiny, glistening hatchling curled near Aegon.
"Perhaps that can be its name," Viserys continued thoughtfully. "Sunfyre." He glanced at Aegon, still too young to comprehend. "Although he must choose when he is old enough."
"A good name," Alicent agreed. "Fitting."
Gaemon watched as his mother turned her attention to him, her face softening with affection. She leaned over his crib, and he giggled, reaching for her.
"Come, Gaemon," she cooed, lifting him into her arms. "Let's see your brother's dragon. Perhaps it will inspire you."
As she carried him closer, Gaemon's gaze locked onto the hatchling. Even in its newborn form, it was radiant, its golden scales shimmering like molten sunlight. In time, he will be Sunfyre the Golden.
Gaemon smiled, captivated by the sight. 'I wonder if I will ever find my own dragon…'