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House of the Dragon (TV)Warhammer Fantasy
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Ikit ClawRhaenyra TargaryenJacaerys VelaryonLucerys Velaryon (Son of Rhaenyra)Baela TargaryenRhaena Targaryen (Daughter of Daemon)Daemon TargaryenCorlys "The Sea Snake" VelaryonHelaena TargaryenAddam VelaryonBackground & Cameo CharactersSilverwing | Alysanne Targaryen's DragonOriginal CharactersJoffrey Velaryon
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Crack Treated SeriouslyCanon-Typical ViolenceThe Dance of the Dragons | Aegon II Targaryen v. Rhaenyra Targaryen EraAlternate Universe - Canon DivergenceCanonical Character DeathCharacter Turned Into a HumanIkit got isekai'd as Jace's twinSkaven Species (Warhammer Fantasy)Death to all GreensHuman ExperimentationScience ExperimentsIkit is his own warningSilverwing still has shit taste in male ridersPOV MultipleBackground RelationshipsBackground Character Deathshow canon onlyDragon RidersAnimal AbuseIkit is an abusive dragonriderTho he's fairly mellow compared to his SkavenselfGood Parent Rhaenyra TargaryenNo beta we die like LucerysDysfunctional FamilyCannibalismBlood and TortureCanon-Typical BehaviorBAMF Helaena Targaryen
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Published:2026-02-26Completed:2026-04-22Words:181,492Chapters:55/55Comments:1,270Kudos:749Bookmarks:160Hits:33,677
The Rat Prince of Westeros
SkilledWarriorKiwi
Chapter 42: Aemond
Chapter Text
The great corpse remnants of the so-called 'Butcher's Ball' were starting to rot. The field between the Gods Eye and the Blackwater Rush were choked with bodies, being feasted upon by crows, flies, and savage dogs. Left out in the sun and elements to decay.
Nearly four thousand men had gone to Harrenhall only to find it empty. At first Aemond thought Daemon had been too old and weary to face him, only to be livid when he learned of the Fall of King's Landing while there. With the bastard riders the worthless false queen had risen, he knew despite Vhagar's ferocity she could not face five grown dragons alone. He and Ser Criston had argued over their options with Cole finally leaving back towards King's Landing, intending to bypass the capital to go westward to join the army of Ormund Hightower and Prince Daeron Targaryen, which was marching through the Reach towards the capital. There they could consolidate their strength and plot to take back the city and the Iron Throne.
Aemond saw no use to it, his sister was a woman and due to that she had a woman's heart with all their fears and weakness. She was too fragile and pitiful to fly out to meet him, so Aemond chose to raze the Riverlands to entice one of her male dragonriders. Let her allies see how useless she was at protecting them, perhaps they would do the realm a favour and kill the thieving whore in her bed. Let her know what it is like to be butchered in her sleep, as Jaehaerys was.
Yet even after nearly half a dozen towns scorched and scattered there was no sign of a crimson dragon in the sky. Not even a bronze one, and he wished the bastard seed would fly out to challenge him. Stealing a dragon on behalf a woman who wouldn't fight her own battles was far different with being raised with them, as part of the royal House with the true blood of the dragon.
Vhagar's wing beats were steady and slow, her immense form flying over farms and villages before the great ugly remnant of Harrenhall came closer and closer. Ever since he butchered House Strong for the insult of the Fall of King's Land, the burnt keep had been entirely abandoned. None of the Blacks had returned and those that did had the sense to hide themselves in the forests else be burnt to ashes when they saw Vhagar's great wings.
When Vhagar landed it made a few stubborn crows rise to the air, cawing and screeching. As he climbed down the rigging he noticed the dark clouds and colder winds as winter threatened them. Even so Harrenhall was a miserable place, full of dripping holes and melted towers and ghosts. The Godswood was its own forest now, choking the courtyard with pale bark and crimson leaves. One looked like a slumbering woman on her side, branches stretching up from her back to entangle with those above as the pale trees grew with unnerving speed.
Despite his unease Aemond made himself check the ancient keep yet again. He found nothing but bloodstains and rats. Always the rats. He only attempted to sleep in Harrenhall once and the dreams of being eaten alive by monstrous pale-furred rats were relentless so he never tried again.
All because of that befouled Prince Ikit, Aemond knew. The boy was mad, his mother always knew that, and Driftmark showed it to everyone yet the king refused to put him down like the animal he was. Even when Ikit attacked the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms he was not punished. A further showing of how weak his father had been.
Then, years later, they had to rectify King Viserys's mistake in never naming Aegon as heir. Women were unfit to rule, King Jaehaerys was considered the wisest king the Seven Kingdoms had ever known and he knew the folly of a woman on the throne. It was why he summoned two grand councils, to refuse to let a queen lead. They were unfit and his own mother had regrettedly shown it as the war continued. At first she had been staunchly upon their side and he never forgot how she tried to take a knife to Ikit upon that night. The rage at his disfiguration, at the lack of justice from the king. He had expected better of her, when she found Aegon and crowned him before the masses.
But then she faltered, even when her grandson was murdered. Faltered and was found wanting, for women did not belong in war. Helaena had their second largest dragon but had been broken after Jaehaerys murder, erratic and wild and useless.
Leaving Harrenhall he had climbed back up onto Vhagar and began anew his scouting of the Riverlands. Rhaenyra was cowardly and still had not sent a dragon against him as of yet, but as he flew westward that was when he found the silent battle site that had felled Ser Criston. From high above it was desolate and down below it was no better. Bodies and bones crumbled under Vhagar's weight as she landed, the huge she-dragon grumbling as she settled upon her stomach.
Aemond had to watch his footing as he walked through the corpse field, anger making his blood run hot. The Lannister host being destroyed, now this. He was beyond sick of how incompetent everyone was behaving. First the Triarchy had failed to do anything more than kill a child and wyrmling, and now even men were useless.
As he walked Vhagar was idly eating the corpses, unbothered by their rotted state. Aemond noted how all those left to rot like animals were all in green. It would seem the Blacks had taken their own dead while leaving their enemies to rot. No respect whatsoever, no dignity from those who supported a woman.
Instead he found Ser Criston Cole, his severed head impaled upon a spear jutting up from the ground and the rest of his arrow-riddled body strewn across the ground before it. His white cloak had been so heavily rubbed in filth it looked black. A slab of wood, from a wagon or split shield, had been placed against the spear, with a single word carved into it in large blocky lettering.
W H O R E
Aemond scoffed, turning away from the rot and pretending he hadn't seen the numerous fat rats gnawing at Cole's body. Ser Criston had been a knight, not a general. Little wonder he had been felled.
Leaving the field Vhagar took to the air, each wing beat bending the trees as she rose in slow steady movements.
The towns of Claypool and Swynford burned in retaliation. Fitting punishment for those serving the pretender queen. Still no dragon.
At Spiderwood it was there he learned of King Aegon's death during a failed attempt to take Dragonstone.
Learning of his brother's death, Aegon being felled in battle against Baela and Ikit who had finally returned from his long absence, Aemond accepted that he was now king. Silverwing was still smaller than Vermithor, much smaller than Vhagar, so he did not fear the Rat Prince and whatever unholiness that he had brought. The whoreson would die screaming like the bastard boy Lucerys, like the traitor Princess Rhaenys. He had killed dragons before, Vhagar would defeat them all. If only the cravens stopped hiding and faced him in proper battle.
The crown was much better suited for himself either way, as would the Iron Throne when he retook the capital.
He then burnt down Spiderwood, setting all the buildings and smallfolk aflame. Worthless mouths to feed, if Vhagar didn't kill them then winter would, as even with the heat of her flames rain was spitting down upon them.
Then he traveled further, wondering if he should start burning along the Crownlands to invoke a response from King's Landing. Yet when he flew to Maidenpool some days later, burning the town of Darry along with its keep and fields as he went, Lord Manfryd greeted him with fear and respect.
The lord told him of the challenge Prince Daemon had left behind, as while Aemond had been burning the Riverlands the Rogue Prince had been seeking him out as well. He had been in Maidenpool, trying to hunt him down and returning each end of day with nothing. Now however he would wait for Aemond in turn, leaving word that the Rogue Prince had left to Harrenhall and would await him there. Only three days ago, and Aemond nearly found it laughable at how they must have only just missed another upon dragonback.
Aemond knew if Daemon died then that would be it for his sister's worthless reign. She only ever gained support by using her whoring ways to ensnare Prince Daemon. When Aemond killed the Rogue Prince, then he would do the same to Vermithor who's bastard rider had not even had him for several months. Then Silverwing, then Syrax herself. One by one Aemond would kill them all and sit upon the Iron Throne as was his right.
In thanks for the words of Lord Manfryd, Aemond burnt down the harbour and left thousands screaming and burning beneath Vhagar's shadow.
Then he flew to Harrenhall, to face the Rogue Prince and end this ridiculous war once and for all.
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