King Daeron withheld a sigh as Aerys finally joined the rest of his brothers in the solar. Aerys' reaction was understandable. No one expected to suddenly see a dragon after so long.
To be honest, he did not remember the last time he had seen his son so expressive. Not even the birth of his own son had made Aerys this….emotional.
Daeron didn't know how to feel about that, so he didn't dwell on it.
"What is going on here!?" Aerys raised his voice when his question went unanswered. "Is this some kind of trick?"
Maekar for his part seemed pleased for some reason as he crossed his arms. "I can't remember the last time you raised your voice like this."
Aerys glared at him. "Enough with the jokes, brother. What is the meaning of this?"
"Are you blind, you fool? What do you think is happening?"
"Enough, both of you. This is not the time nor place for a petty fight." Thankfully Baelor was able to step in before Aerys and Maekar started arguing. Because they didn't talk with each other much, Daeron sometimes forgot that his two sons did not get along very well.
'At least Baelor is able to be the peacemaker between them.' Daeron could take solace in that.
"Your brother is right." Myriah's glare settled on the bickering brothers. "Do you think we have time to waste on your squabbling right now?"
Almost as if on cue, Aenys began babbling in what appeared to be excitement as the baby dragon followed suit, chirping as it spread its wings out. It was almost as if the two were communicating.
'Don't tell me he enjoys the bickering?' Despite himself, Daeron began to smile at the sight. It was comforting to see the innocence of his youngest grandson in the midst of all this.
Maekar seemed to agree as he merely grunted while looking away.
Dyanna looked at her husband with exasperation but also fondness. It might have been a political match, but Daeron was happy to see that his youngest had found happiness with his lady wife.
If only he could say the same about Aerys.
All the noise had the benefit of stirring Aelinor from her thoughts as she tore her eyes from her happy child, her eyes drifting to Aerys.
"Husband. You're finally here."
Her voice lacked any sort of affection or warmth. She wasn't bothering to put up a front right now. No doubt the events of the day had already taken a toll on her.
Daeron could not blame her, so he began to speak.
"Aerys. There has been a development."
He did not know how else to begin this talk. He was still trying to wrap his head around it to be honest. And he was the king.
Aerys looked disgruntled. "Father, I can see that. I am not blind. But how has this happened? Did my son's egg really hatch?"
Hm. At least he was calling Aenys his son. Progress, right?
Aelinor looked down at Aenys who was making faces with the baby dragon. She answered in Daeron's place.
"I don't know. The egg was still the same when I retired for the night yesterday. I didn't see anything amiss at the time. The dragon was already there this morning when I awoke. And then I….rather shamefully screamed, which alerted the guards and the servants. You know the rest, your Grace."
Yes. The commotion in the hall. It wasn't just the guards who saw the dragon. Many of the servants had too. Trying to keep this information a secret was going to be impossible now. Daeron was sure that, while he was panicking, many of the servants had already blabbed to the rest in the Red Keep.
It was not his best moment in retrospect.
"There's no need for you to feel guilty about anything," Myriah reassured Aelinor. "We do not blame you for your reaction. I'm sure any of us would have felt the same at that moment."
"Yes." Jena eyed the baby dragon while Valarr sat on her lap. It was obvious that she too was wary of the creature. "I cannot imagine seeing such a….animal in the cradle with my son."
If Daeron were any other king, he would take offense to Jena's insinuation. The dragons and the Targaryens shared a special history. If Aenys truly did bond with the dragon, then there should be nothing to worry about.
Or perhaps it was just his pride thinking that. To be frank, a part of him did feel wary about the dragon. It was an unknown, a creature that Daeron had no experience with. And that was scary.
When he was but a child, Daeron remembered lamenting the mistakes of his predecessors. He was not able to become a dragonrider due to the selfishness of those who came before him. The throne seemed inconsequential when discussing dragons. Then again, he grew up in a time when dragons were starting to become a legend, creatures of the past. By the time his children grew, most in the realm regarded the dragons as mere fantasy. No one expected to see their return anymore. He could only imagine how the dragons had been viewed by the time of the Dance when there had been so many of them.
Aerys glanced at Jena with disdain. "Do not speak of the dragon with such a tone. They are not mere animals. You know nothing of them."
While Jena looked startled by Aerys' unexpected rebuke, Baelor placed a comforting hand on his wife's shoulder.
"Brother, she did not mean anything by it." Baelor's words were cordial, but there was a hint of warning in his eyes. "None of us have seen a dragon before. It is understandable for a mother to be worried for her son's safety."
For once, Aerys did not back down. "Understandable? Brother, I did not take you to be so shortsighted. It is because of the dragons that we are here today. Are you trying to insinuate that we should let a woman's fear dictate our actions?"
Aerys' words surprised everyone in the room. No one expected the sudden hostility.
"Aerys!" Myriah stood up sharply. "We are not here to start picking apart every little word that is said. We have bigger concerns. Jena was not trying to insinuate anything."
It was clear that Aerys did not agree, but in the face of his mother's anger he let it go with a frown. He did not apologize to Jena. Rather, he approached Aelinor and Aenys while the dragon's attention shifted to him, its eyes studying every one of his movements.
"So now you have a spine," Maekar muttered, but it was heard by everyone.
Myriah's glare settled on him, which made Maekar look away again.
Daeron felt like he was going to get a headache. He did not think that the conversation would be hampered like this, and by Aerys of all people.
Since when was his son so.....passionate?
Aelinor just watched Aerys kneel beside her as he studied Aenys and the dragon.
The young Aenys' babbling ceased as he glanced at his father with clear curiosity. Daeron would not be surprised if the child did not recognize his own father.
"Father, what do you intend to do?" Aerys' question was clear and concise.
"Aenys cannot remain in the Red Keep." Daeron already had a plan. He had been mulling over what to do, and he could only see one path for the time being. Everything else could come later. "He and the dragon are to relocate to Dragonstone at once. Above all else, Dragonstone was once the home of the dragons. I'm sure it will feel more comfortable there. Aenys will also be safer there. Once the realm learns that a dragon egg has hatched, we cannot be certain of the lords' reactions."
Daeron knew that many would not be happy with this incident. While the Dance of the Dragons had occurred sixty years ago, the stain of the civil war was still haunting them. The raw fear of the dragons still remained even if the dragons themselves were no longer here.
It would invite more instability in a time where Daeron was already dealing with many other problems.
Aelinor looked worried. "My son. He-"
"I will not let anything happen to him," Daeron reassured her. Despite his own fears for the future, Aenys was still his own grandchild. He would do everything he could to make sure that he was safe.
Aerys on the other hand looked pleased. "Yes. Dragonstone will be fitting. I will accompany him there, to make sure that he and the dragon grow well."
So now he was taking an interest in his son's development.
"You won't be alone, brother." Baelor stood up and approached the couple. Despite Aerys' earlier words, Baelor remained amiable. "I believe I have been ignoring Dragonstone for too long. As the crown prince, it is only appropriate that I make sure that my nephew remains safe."
Baelor made a good point, but Daeron was not so easily fooled. He understood his heir's motive. No doubt Baelor wanted to make sure that Aenys grew up to have a close relationship with Valarr. Aenys was not going to inherit the throne, and yet he was now a future dragonrider in a time where no one else had a dragon of their own.
It spelled uncertainty for a future where Baelor's merits were already being questioned by many. Given Aenys' features and now his dragon, Daeron foresaw nothing but friction between Aenys and Valarr if they did not develop a good friendship. Baelor was right to step in and try to mend this as soon as he could.
If Aerys understood his brother's true intentions, he did not show it. He just offered Baelor a small nod in turn.
"Hmm." With a hum, Dyanna looked down at the sleeping Daeron in her arms. "If possible, I would be happy if we could visit you. I do not want Daeron to grow up all on his own."
Baelor offered her a smile. "You're more than welcome any time, good sister."
Maekar did not seem like he disagreed with the idea, so there would be no trouble there.
"I want to go to Dragonstone too!" Rhaegel announced with enthusiasm. "I want to see the dragon grow big!"
There were no schemes with his desire. He just wanted to see the dragon.
There were some chuckles from the others at this. Rhaegel was the sweetest of them all, and right now it did the family some good.
It was a small comfort, but right now Daeron would take all that he could. He desperately needed it.
---
Shiera was in a good mood. A very good mood in fact. So much so that that morning she decided to take a stroll through the godswood of the Red Keep after her morning bath.
The young girl was one of the two bastards of King Aegon IV who remained in the Red Keep. The others had all moved on. She was still young, so it was not surprising really. A few of her half-sisters had returned due to Lady Aelinor's pregnancy, but Shiera had never known them. She was the youngest of the so-called Unworthy's bastards, so Shiera's relationships with most of her half-siblings were nonexistent.
Daeron was kind to her. He was kind to everyone, though. He had to be, in order to try and maintain the peace.
Despite her young age, Shiera understood much. She had been forced to grow up quickly in a world where she was all alone. She was never able to meet her mother, and her so-called father never paid her particular attention other than allowing her to keep her mother's library of books and other artifacts. They had come in handy during her own studies over the years, but Shiera knew that she had a long way to go.
When she drugged Aerys that night, she did it on a whim. That particular concoction had been an invention of her own. Her very first one in fact. So far in her studies she had been replicating her mother's previous works, following along with her notes. So one day, Shiera decided to strike on her own.
Her idea? A love potion of course! Everyone wanted to fall in love, right? It seemed like such a good idea. It kind of still did. She saw how miserable Lady Aelinor was even if she tried to hide it. It was kind of pathetic to be honest. Shiera did not understand why Aelinor would allow herself to be tied down by someone like Aerys, but then again Shiera understood that their positions were very different. Even if her father had decreed that she was a Targaryen and not just a bastard right before his death, Shiera knew that she didn't have many expectations placed on her. She had more freedom compared to someone like Aelinor.
Unfortunately, it seemed as if her concoction had been a failure of sorts. Shiera already knew what sex was, and while Aerys had lain with Aelinor no feelings seemed to have developed between them. She even got punished for it! Daeron didn't allow her to have access to her mother's books for months after that! It really sucked.
Shiera had sulked, but then she heard that Aelinor was pregnant thanks to that night.
In a weird way, Shiera felt responsible for what had happened. She didn't feel guilty. Just….responsible. She saw how happy Aelinor became after that, but Shiera didn't care about that either. She was more curious to find out what kind of child would be born, a child that had been born from her concoction.
Had Shiera used anything special in her concoction? Not particularly. She had read that there were certain herbs in the Summer Isles that could help with fertility. There was one in particular that Shiera had used in abundance which helped with fertility, to the point that she had run out. The herb was said to make the man shoot more, whatever that part meant. It would also help reduce stress, among other things.
The herb came from a small shrub with dull green, elliptic leaves. They were rare in Westeros as the herb did not grow here. Thankfully she had managed to get her hands on it from the markets in King's Landing.
'I'm a genius.'
Her mother would be proud, wouldn't she?
What's more, the baby was adorable. Shiera saw for herself the strong features of the child. He reminded her of Daemon if he were a baby oddly enough. One would not expect such a beautiful child to come from someone boring looking like Aerys, but Shiera took the credit for that. Her concoction had done its part for sure.
The name Aenys was interesting. Shiera would have picked a different name, but she wasn't consulted despite the role that she played. The name carried a lot of bad connotations. Only someone like Aerys would name his child as such.
Shiera had noticed an interesting phenomenon during the night Aenys was born. A red comet of all things. In her mother's notes, she often spoke of how weak magic had become since the Doom and later the death of the dragons. That the world of magic was a shadow of its former self but yet that there was hope that one day magic could see a resurgence.
The red comet was seen as a symbol by many, a sign that could herald many things. Shiera didn't fully get it, but she was fascinated by the idea. Had she helped create someone unique? She often thought about it as she gazed upon the sleeping Aenys, wondering what the future was going to be like.
Unfortunately, Aelinor was being stingy with her, not letting her see Aenys as often as she wanted. Shiera had to often sneak into her chamber in order to get a look at Aenys to see how he was growing. He was quite big for a child only a few months old. Very active too. He ate a lot, but he also slept a lot too. By all accounts, he was the epitome of health.
Shiera was happy. She truly felt like she had created something wonderful.
Despite basking in her success, Shiera continued with her studies after she was allowed to have her mother's books again. Many looked at her strangely because of her background, but Daeron wasn't one of them. They were not particularly close, but to be honest Shiera didn't have a problem with him.
She could not say the same for the rest of her half-siblings.
Shiera discarded those thoughts. The political situation in the realm interested her very little. Her true passions lied elsewhere.
Shiera spent over an hour in the godswood before she left, feeling hungry. She was deciding on how to best spend her day when she started to notice all the commotion in the halls of the Red Keep. Many of the servants were scurrying about in a panic, whispering frantically with one another.
The guards too.
How curious.
Shiera was used to having people speak about her behind her back, but this time she knew that she was not the subject of the whispers.
'What is going on?'
Shiera was about to stop one of the servants to tell her what had happened until she noticed someone walking by, someone she was very familiar with.
Brynden. One of her half-brothers. The only other former bastard to remain in the Red Keep other than her. Even his sisters, Mya and Gwenys, had left the Red Keep to Raventree Hall to be with their mother. The last Shiera heard her two half-sisters were being wed to some lords in the Crownlands, but she didn't bother to keep up with them after that.
Her older brother was dressed in crimson and black, wearing a loose crimson tunic with black trousers and black boots. He carried Dark Sister with him despite favoring his weirwood bow.
Honestly, with his milk-white skin and red eyes, not to mention that strange birthmark of his, Shiera sometimes thought he looked more like a wraith than a man. Still, appearances aside, she did enjoy his company, especially since he was the only person she could talk about magic with. Everyone else was always uncomfortable at the mere thought of it.
So boring.
"Brother." She immediately called out to him.
Despite all the noise in the hall, Brynden stopped and turned at the sound of her voice. It was typical of him. Recently Shiera had begun to understand men more and despite her background there were many who were starting to admire her features despite her young age. Brynden was but one of many.
It was just something else Shiera kept in her mind as she walked up to her older brother.
"Shiera." Brynden inclined his head in greeting. She could tell that his eyes were taking in her form, but she welcomed it. "I see you're up already."
"As are you." Shiera glanced around the hall. "What is happening? What is everyone whispering about?"
"Oh. You mean you do not know?" Brynden seemed surprised.
"No. I have been in the godswood since this morning." Shiera had not bothered to stop and talk to anyone during that time.
"Hm. Then I suppose you should know since you had a hand in it."
"What?" Shiera didn't understand. She had been keeping to herself all this time! Had someone blamed something on her?
Shiera was starting to get angry, but what she heard next changed everything for her.
"Earlier this morning Aenys' egg hatched. It seems there is a dragon in the world again, dear sister."
---
By the time Aelinor and Aenys were relocated to Dragonstone, word quickly spread throughout King's Landing that one of the prince's eggs had hatched. King Daeron had issued a decree within the Red Keep that no one was to talk about the dragon, but it was more for a formality than actual law as no one really enforced it.
It was said that it did not take long before the king was forced to give answers to his small council after the whispers reached their ears, confirming what they already knew.
Naturally, it did not take long for word to spread to other parts of the kingdom too.
It was said that when she first heard of the news that her dragon egg had hatched for the young prince, Princess Elaena set sail for Dragonstone immediately to confirm the rumors with her own eyes.
Many of the lords of the Stormlands were feeling their excitement grow when they heard of the newborn dragon. They did not forget that Prince Aenys carried the blood of the Penroses with him, and to them that was enough to claim that he was one of theirs. Many sent gifts and congratulations to Prince Aerys and Lady Aelinor on Dragonstone with many hints of possible betrothals in the future. Lord Baratheon was one of those supporters, one of the loudest in fact.
Dorne was also celebrating the news, as many of the Dornish lords were happy to still count Prince Aenys as Dornish as the grandson of Queen Myriah. This was despite the fact that it was said he looked like a full Valyrian unlike his cousins.
Prince Maron Martell was also said to become ecstatic at the news, sending his own gifts as well as expressing his congratulations to his sister. His wife, Princess Daenerys Targaryen, expressed her desire to travel to Dragonstone to greet the new prince and his dragon.
The Citadel did not remain inactive during this time as they were quick to get in touch with the king, expressing their desire to study this phenomenon firsthand. Only a rare few of their Archmaesters still remembered the dragons, and the idea of studying one again was too big an opportunity to pass up. King Daeron welcomed them to Dragonstone with open arms as he wanted nothing more to ensure that the dragon grew healthy and strong. In addition to that, it was said that the king also sent out many expeditions to Essos to see if he could gather any additional information on dragonlore as the Targaryens had lost much of theirs after the Dance.
There were more muted reactions from other parts of the realm.
Kingdoms like the Iron Islands and the North remained silent for the most part as the news of a new dragon would take additional time to reach them, and when it did many of the reavers were not happy by this.
Still, by the end of the year, the realm had, for the most part, received the unexpected news of a new dragon being born.
Someone who heard of this occurrence earlier than most was none other than Daemon Blackfyre. His modest keep along the Blackwater was close to King's Landing, and he had many supporters within the Red Keep who were more than eager to share the news with him as soon as they were able.
Clad in a black tunic, Daemon stared at the letter in his hands with fascination as he sat within his own private solar.
'A dragon has been born.'
He could not believe it. The eggs were said to long be dead, devoid of life. How could this have happened? And to a child born of Aerys and some Stormlander no less?
Due to being a bastard, Daemon was never given the privilege of owning a dragon egg himself. It was a resentment which he held within his heart for a long time now, but such was the lot that he was given in life. For he had been nothing but a bastard for a very long time. This was despite the fact that his claim to the throne was one of the strongest. Not only had his father been king, but his mother had been a daughter of Aegon III.
Daemon did not let these thoughts fester for too long. He had been doing that a lot more often these days despite his wishes. He knew the cause. There were many lords who were trying to win his favor, many who wished for him to aim higher than he already had. It did not help that his brother Aegor was often in agreement with these lords, often citing that his blood was more pure than Daeron's. He was, after all, the very embodiment of the Warrior with looks that resembled the Conqueror himself.
In comparison, Daeron was nothing more than a bookish ruler who preferred talking over martial prowess, a man who had sold out to the Dornish for so-called peace.
Ah, he was becoming melancholic again. Right now, Daemon had to consider more pressing concerns than what the lords wanted from him.
Of course, with the letter that he currently held, Daemon realized that many who claimed his blood was "more pure" than Daeron's would lose momentum. After all, the young Aenys Targaryen came from Daeron's bloodline, not Daemon's.
Daemon would not lie and say that he did not feel something akin to jealousy in this moment. Daeron already had the throne. Why had a child of his blood been blessed and not Daemon?
'Are the gods mocking me?'
Frowning, Daemon threw the letter on the table just as there was a knock on his door.
"Enter."
His beautiful wife Rohanne walked inside a moment later, closing the door behind her. Despite no longer living in Tyrosh, Rohanne kept her hair dyed as was the way of her people. Hers was a striking purple color. It complimented her dark purple dress well.
Daemon knew Rohanne was beautiful, and her beauty had grown after giving birth to many of his children with her body becoming more full. Already they had four sons, the last of which was named Haegon Blackfyre. She was already pregnant again, but such was the duty that she held for Daemon's house was nothing more than a fledgling in the grand scheme of things. He would need plenty of heirs for his future ambitions.
Something akin to affection was present in their marriage, no doubt, and Daemon knew that he could trust her.
He knew all of this already, but there was always a part of Daemon's heart that would remain close to Rohanne. A part of his heart that had died when Daenerys had been sold to the Dornish like cattle for Daeron's ambitions. It was an act for which Daemon would never forgive Daeron. He and Daenerys had not spoken in years, but his affections remained true, even if they were nothing more than a thing of the past.
"There is a lot of excitement in the keep," Rohanne said as she joined him by the table. "I have been hearing some interesting things."
Before the letter had arrived, Daemon had heard of the rumors coming out of King's Landing from his own subjects. He had dismissed them until Ser Quentyn wrote to him.
"What have you been hearing?" Daemon decided to play coy with his wife for once.
"Talks of dragons returning. Of a young prince who has bonded with one. Of the future." Rohanne studied him. "Tell me, how true are these rumors?"
She must have waited until she saw the raven arrive in order to confront him.
Daemon sighed as he looked down at the letter. "More true than you realize."
Rohanne looked interested. "So it's true? The dragons are back?"
"One," Daemon corrected her. "Only one egg has hatched. No more."
Still, the significance of the event could not be understated. Despite the fact that he had taken a new name, Daemon wanted nothing more than to ride to King's Landing and see the dragon for himself. Above all else, his blood was that of the Targaryens. The dragons were just as much a part of his heritage as the king's and his family's.
"Fascinating." Excitement danced in Rohanne's eyes. "Can we see it?"
"Unfortunately, I doubt it. It seems like the young prince and the dragon are being moved to Dragonstone."
A sensible move really.
There was also the fact that Daemon had acted more distant with Daeron recently. Well, even if they were on the best of terms, Daemon doubted the king would let him see the prince and the dragon so easily. They needed to be safeguarded for the future.
"That's too bad." Rohanne seemed disappointed. "I have read a lot about the dragons. A chance to see one so young would be amazing."
She was not wrong.
Daemon did not allow himself to wallow in the sentimentality of the news for too long, however. As amazed as he was about the dragon, he had to be practical about what this meant for the future.
'No doubt Daeron already suspects that many of the lords are not truly loyal to him. And now, with the birth of this dragon which is not tied to Baelor and his line, a new faction might just rise.'
Daemon had not seen the young Prince Aenys for himself, but he had heard that his features were very much like his own. Silver-blond hair and purple eyes. A true Targaryen. Many in the Crownlands had already been clamoring that he was more worthy than either Baelor or that son of his on this fact alone. And now that his egg had hatched when Baelor's son's remained cold, many lords would start to gravitate to this prince in the coming years.
Where did this leave Daemon and his own plans for the future?
'The board seemed so simple. And now….'
Daemon could not begin to guess what would become of the future now.
He supposed the most prudent question to ask himself was this: what did he want to do?
Daemon began to ponder this as the stars of destiny continued to drift ever apart.