Chapter 3: Chapter 3
97 AC – Kings Landing
Baelon POV
He watched his youngest walk into the throne room with that distinct expression of his. He hated that expression, that dispassionate boredom that Aegon often bore whenever they were in the same room. It hurt him more than he would admit, to see that expression on a face that bore his Alyssa's eyes.
Mismatched eyes – one violet and the other the same startling green with hues of every spectrum of Valyrian purple. The same eyes his Alyssa once bore and had delighted him with.
The same eyes that gazed at him with indifference.
He knew he deserved some of it, his absence from his youngest' life ensured that.
Aegon's recovery from his infancy illness had been…different. He was no longer in pain as he had so oft been yet instead he had been…quiet. Subdued. The marked opposite to how his eldest sons had been who'd been boisterous and happy children.
According to Elysar, such behaviour had not been unheard of from children who had once been sickly and were without their mother, as if they were able to sense their mother's absence.
At times, he had wondered if his son had ever really recovered from his illness, so unlike a child of two, three namedays had he been.
It had seemed like the Stranger had left its touch on his son and he'd been left a husk of a boy infant. A mockery that had took the place of his Alyssa. Baelon stared at his son who was only a few paces away reaching the centre of the throne room.
It hadn't been easy for him, to bear the looks of those at court, to bear the looks of his father and his brother about his son. The strange son.
Sometimes it had seemed like there was more to Aegon than any realised, when he saw Aegon's eyes, Alyssa's eyes, were older than they had any right to be.
They seemed…weary and old, pained and numb.
Like his father when he thought none could see.
More than a few times had he looked upon his son with a gaze that wished it had been Alyssa who had survived and not this…shadow.
More than a few times since had he regretted thinking such spiteful thoughts. Alyssa would have been ashamed of him. With a fleeting thought, he thought she may even be looking down at him with a smug smile on her face and laughing eyes that said 'I told you so'.
Here he stood, his Aegon, their Aegon, wide shoulders and of stocky build, a long face that was losing its childish features, he was unrecognisable of the sickly infant who looked closer to death than he did living and, as he stood tall and firm, he could only think Alyssa had been right.
He never voiced how proud he was of Aegon, never in a way in which Alyssa would have done about the man Aegon was now becoming.
He remembered the day it all had changed, the day Aegon at four name days had met Mīsaragorn, the Runt Dragon as the dragon had been known at the time.
It was the only time he'd seen such great unhidden joy in Aegon's face, eyes wide with wonder and awe, as if he had finally found the half of his soul that had been lost to illness and to the Stranger.
His son had finally come alive and had rid himself of the shackles that seemed to have choked the life out of him.
It was one of the few memories since Alyssa's death that he cherished.
And since then, Aegon had only gone from strength to strength.
The acolytes, and then later Elysar, had told him of Aegon's sharp mind, no brilliant mind who had boundless curiosity about the world. There was little that Aegon did not excel in when he put his mind to it yet it was mathematics and history that Aegon truly was interested in.
Even Ser Crabb told him that he expected Aegon capable of gaining his knighthood at the same age as Daemon.
And when Aegon, at just eight name days, had solved every numbers puzzle his pompous little brother Vaegon had put to his son, it had been what made him laugh for the time since Aemon's death that same year.
To this day Vaegon's dislike of his son saw no end in sight especially when it was used against him whenever Vaegon got too uppity for their liking.
Elysar rarely could keep a smile off of his face whenever Baelon had asked him about what Aegon had been interested in then since the things that interested Aegon seemed to be as varied as the stars in the night sky though Aegon had a particular interest in ancient history, of times long past into legend.
The Age of Heroes, the Andal Invasions and Valyria's dominance thousands of years ago were oft what Aegon had seemed to be keenly interested in.
Yet…
For all of his improvements, Aegon had remained distant to all but a few.
He had preferred spending time alone or with his tutors instead of bonding with his brothers like he and Aemon had at their age or consorting with the sons of those of noble lineage at court as a Prince of the Blood should.
Yet whenever Aegon been ordered to, he had contorted himself as Prince should and it was clear that Aegon chose to be distant but he did not understand why.
He did not understand Aegon.
It was…enraging and more than a few times he had lost his temper with Aegon and after the last time he had simply let Aegon go to Dragonstone as he had wished.
And for what the steward's reported, Aegon seemed to have thrived even more for all of the freedom that Dragonstone gave.
With Baelon's blessing, Aegon had taken on the duties befitting a Prince and seemed to even struck up friendships with knights and members of Narrow Sea Houses.
Before Aegon's present return to Kings Landing, Aegon had taken on nearly all of the responsibilities of Dragonstone in Baelon's absence even sitting in judgement of commonfolk with 'just and fair mindedness' as the maester of Dragonstone reported.
The commonfolk of Dragonstone had taken to Aegon and Aegon them if what the steward said was true about Aegon having had some of the commonfolk taken on as squires or sent to Driftmark to become sailors.
It seemed like his son thrived away from Kings Landing…and from his family.
It did not escape his notice, or his father, that Aegon held little love for their family – with the seeming exception of Viserys and Gael.
His two youngest sons barely tolerated each other and then there was his own relationship with Aegon…
The tragedies of his sisters and Aemon had weakened his mother and she'd grown old and frail through age and grief. She had little strength to devote herself to her grandchildren, least of all Aegon who had been distant to begin with whilst his father had devotion aplenty but to the realm.
It was not to say they cared not.
His father knew more than he did of Aegon's interests, particularly his interests of the seas whilst his mother knew of the friendship between Gael and Aegon and encouraged it.
Yet such interest and care was done at a distance, a distance started by Aegon and left untouched by his parents and now they were subjected to that consequence with the way Aegon looked at them.
Aegon stopped before them and Baelon steeled himself, his eyes hardened as he set them upon his son.
"You are late." Baelon intoned in his usual assertive tone whenever he spoke with his son. It was the only way he knew how to speak with Aegon.
"The journey on dragonback took longer than anticipated." Aegon paused for a second "That was my error." Aegon looked at Baelon "Still, I have made it in time, have I not father? After all, Daemon only marries in the morn tomorrow."
Baelon lips thinned at his words but it was his father who spoke up "You were expected to dine with the family this evening." His father rebuked Aegon.
"My apologies, Lord Grandfather. I had not known my presence would be so keenly felt." Aegon had the audacity to smile at them. "Had I known, I would have pushed Mīsaragorn to his limits to get here in time"
"The raven we received states you deliberately chose to waylay your departure despite warnings from the maester." Baelon said sternly "Yours was the only absence from the gathering. You embarrassed us, in particular Daemon, in front of Lord Runestone and your goodsister to be."
"I had not thought we would be hosting the Royces. Had I known, I would have made the effort, father." Aegon said with a bow "The last thing I would want to do is embarrass that dear brother of mine." Aegon said with a tone that went too far.
"Enough Aegon." Father said, his commanding voice stifling any other sound under the weight of his authority "It seems like your time away at Dragonstone has only made you insolent."
Aegon's eyes widened before the boy regained his composure and his jaws clenched as if he was preparing himself. Baelon stared at his son. For a moment their eyes met and Aegon looked away from his hard gaze and towards the floor.
"My…apologies grandfather." Aegon said, this time quieter, more respectful and his head bowed. "I did not mean to offend. I forgot myself"
Baelon stared at Aegon, his mind stuck on a thought.
The throne room was eerily silent before his father broke the silence. "You may go, Aegon." Aegon bowed again and he turned on his heel before being stopped as his father spoke again. "You are not to leave after the wedding tomorrow. Is that understood?"
Aegon did not turn around as he spoke "Yes…grandfather." Aegon said before he walked towards the doors.
The doors clunk shut as Aegon left and his mother sighed and turned to him, a tired expression on her aged face "It seems like Dragonstone has done Aegon some good."
"I wouldn't call being disrespectful an improvement." Baelon said displeased.
"Better a little disrespectful than distant." His mother told him. "It was not like you were any better at that age." His mother said with a raised brow.
"He was worse" his father said dismissively before he set his stern gaze to Baelon.
"His apology…his real apology…"
"He was afraid you were going to make him stay at Kings Landing as punishment." Baelon finished for his father.
"How could staying in the capital, our seat of power, be a punishment?" His mother questioned, her silver grey brows drawn together in a hint of a frown.
She rarely involved herself in matters of court – or in council meetings. Her hearing was turning for the worse with moon that passed. It was only in the throne room or in the dragonpit were sounds were louder that she could still hear most of what was said.
Baelon looked into the distance. "Perhaps it is precisely the capital that he disdains."
"And since he is the only other dragonrider Targaryen besides the four of us, the attentions that are on him are greater than they have been before especially since he is coming of age." His father looked at him, a stern look on his face.
"It does not help that Daemon mocks his younger brother in secret."
Baelon's lips disappeared as they were drawn tightly. Daemon had always been jealous of Aegon's status as dragonrider and then later of Viserys when he had bonded with Balerion.
It had not been overt and it had been masked in jest when they had been younger but when Mīsaragorn began to grow at startling speeds, it had turned sourer and sourer.
The granting of Dark Sister did not seem to reduce this jealously if anything, it only made it worse.
"Has Daemon continued since I last spoke with him?" Baelon asked of his father.
He'd been furious with Daemon when word came back to him that Daemon was speaking ill of his brother to knights that had taken to follow Daemon.
"No but the damage is done." His father said to him "Regardless of what Daemon may or may not have said of Aegon, it speaks enough of a rift within the family."
"A rift that cannot be allowed to grow." His father finished calmly yet his words had deeper, serious meaning behind them.
Baelon clenched his hands.
What could he say? He knew it was his fault for letting it get to this stage.
"Viserys and Aegon are close." Baelon said finally. "Not as close as he is with Daemon but close."
"They are." His father said "They can be closer still."
"He'll have to stay at Kings Landing." His mother said quietly "He might dislike us for it" 'mayhaps even hate us' Baelon thought to himself "but this…in the family does none of us any good." His mother said and he knew what words she was leaving unsaid. 'another rift' was one of them.
"I agree." His father said calmly, likely ignoring what his mother had left unsaid.
He turned to her and met her gaze "It would be easier if we can marry him to Gael. They like each other enough."
His mother turned cold as she narrowed her eyes at him.
It was hard to see his mother look at his father in such a way. He'd seen how much they'd grown apart over the years. The deaths of Daella, Alyssa, Viserra in so close after one another and then to lose Aemon suddenly and Maegelle to greyscale…
It had taken a toll on his parents…and their marriage. They had aged more in the last one and ten years than they had the twenty before.
"Gael will not marry until she is one and twenty." His mother said, her tone ringing with finality and fire burning in her eyes like a true mother dragon. "I will not lose another daughter before they are ready. That was our agreement."
His parents stared at one another and his father relented.
"That was our agreement." His father paused and turned towards him "But once she does turn one and twenty, she will marry Aegon."
Baelon met his father's gaze. He knew why he was bringing this now.
It kept Aegon away from those who would seek to use this rift for their own ambitions. His father had come to power when it seemed all that his great grandfather had built was at risk at being lost.
The last thing Jaehaerys the Concilliator would allow all that he built to break at the foundations.
"Agreed." Baelon said finally. "But he cannot know for now." Baelon paused "I also suggest that we do not make him stay in Kings Landing the entire time."
His father thought it over. "Very well. It has been some time since there has been a royal progression." He looked Baelon directly in the eyes "Viserys as your heir after the wedding shall go to High Garden and before turning towards Casterly Rock, Riverrun and Storm's End. As well as Aegon."
Baelon nodded. Tourneys would be thrown in celebration of Viserys and grant ample opportunities for Aegon to partake and dismiss the baseless and irritating rumours for what they were especially once Aegon did well in the squire melees as Ser Crabb suggested he would do.
He and Aemon had been thick as thieves when they travelled together and he expected this progression tie the two brothers closer.
He would speak to Viserys about this too.
"And Daemon?" his mother asked.
He knew that Daemon would jeopardise with what they intended to show with this progression, that House Targaryen stood together. And one look to his father, he knew the old King knew it too.
"He will go to Runestone and learn the lands his wife-to-be stands to inherit." His father declared and his tone was final.
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97 AC, Kings Landing
The doors closed behind as he left the throne room. He glanced at the guards at their posts before he walked away, only allowing himself to breathe when he was alone in the halls barely lit by candle fire.
He would never see them as family.
Family had meant something. Did mean something. Whatever they were…they were not it. He remembered his father, his grandmother and his sisters.
He remembered the closeness of their family and how they looked after one another even if they lived in different countries, even if they disagreed and argued with one another.
Even if they disliked one another they had still been there for each other.
Something he would never expect from these people.
He did not hate them. No…he did not feel about them enough to even muster such a strong emotion. People who shared blood with him but shared no bonds.
Family that wasn't family.
Alysanne was a kind grandmother yes, even a somewhat loving one but it was not hard to feel uncomfortable and distant when her faraway eyes couldn't hide the pain she felt at what she lost.
Elysar once told him stories of the 'Good Queen Alysanne', the charming and kind woman who listened to all, loved all and was listened to and loved by all.
The woman Aegon knew was far from that person and he felt sympathy for her. The only person he thought deserved so much better than what she got.
Jaehaerys cared more for the realm than he did the rest of his family with the exception of Baelon who after Aemon's death rarely left Jaehaerys' side.
They were all too caught up with the 'duties' of their positions or personal tragedies to muster up the balls to be more to each other than just 'royalty of the blood'.
He scoffed as he shook his head.
Was it any wonder why House Targaryen was so dysfunctional?
They put so much value on this realm that they barely spared time for each other and in the end, just end up tearing each other apart again and again.
A realm that was barely worth ruling given how many of them would betray this family given the chance of elevation or gold.
That's not to say that any medieval society wouldn't do that anyway.
He knew the history of his own Britain and that of the general history of Europe during the medieval period. But honestly, given how stacked the decks were for the Targaryen's, they really dropped the ball way too many times by just not being decent people to one another.
Other noble families have tons of cousins in some way or another which was the same situation in his old world. There must be something seriously wrong with your family if cousins never make their own branch of Targaryens after two hundred and eighty odd years.
Even if there really was a maester conspiracy or a Faith conspiracy, it didn't mean that the Targaryens didn't make it easy for them.
"Aegon!" he heard and he was broken out of his thoughts. He just realised he'd walked into one of the courtyards and as he turned, he saw Gael stood by the rail of the second floor.
"Gael" Aegon looked at her with surprise.
He hadn't expected her to see her this evening. His surprise made way for wariness. The look on her face made him debate the merits of turning around and walking away…quickly.
The way she narrowed her eyes had him dash away that idea. He'd make the dressing down worse and she'd probably maul in the morning once she'd cornered him.
Once she descended down, she walked brusquely towards him and stopped right in front of him, her face contorted into a fierce glare.
She poked him in the chest. "You. Are. Late." She said with narrowed violet eyes in a way that only made her cuter.
God, she was beautiful.
At seven and ten, she was growing more and more into herself and the famed Valyrian beauty was coursing out like water out of a crack formed in a dam.
It didn't help that as time went by, she had grown more confident. She was going to be stellar when she is fully grown.
'She's your aunt!' he reminded himself fiercely.
He knew that to be Targaryen was to be incest-y. He would not be one of that.
Even if they had magic blood – which they definitely did otherwise he wouldn't be lacking of deformity he thought with an internal shudder – that crap was going to stack up, probably already did stack up.
Was it any wonder that the Targaryens at the time of Game of Thrones were pretty much all insane even if they were normal looking?
Aerys? No further comment.
Rhaegar?
Friend…your father was insane and you chose to abandon your wife and two infant children in a ruthless world eager to dethrone – because your family tends to be insane – your family by absconding with a teen girl from a powerful family who was promised to another powerful family that also happens to be your cousin that has a legit claim to your throne?
Yeah…insane.
Beggar King Viserys? Insane.
'Jon Snow' had to be insane to have allowed the Stark family do him in so dirty all his life without consequence especially after all he had done to save them and Westeros.
Rhaella and Daenerys seemed sane at first but can you really be sane if you don't stab your tormentors in the throat when they're doing all kinds of shit to you?
…Okay that was probably a stretch but still.
Whatever magic there was in dragonlord blood, it was way offset by nature.
He wasn't going to sack his children, if he ever was going to have any, with insanity.
Half Targaryens could ride dragons just fine.
"Not by much" he said defensively before he looked at her curiously "How was it?"
"Terribly dull." Gael said before she grimaced "I don't think Daemon likes her very much."
Aegon resisted the urge to smile "Why?" he asked, genuinely intrigued.
"Don't know" she said with a frown "She is comely and she seemed sharp when she spoke but that doesn't seem to interest Daemon from the way he didn't look at her."
Excellent start for a marriage, Aegon thought to himself. Unfortunately for Daemon, divorce was pretty near impossible in Westeros.
She shook her head before she refocused on him "Stop distracting me. I'm still angry at you."
"Because I'm late?" he asked a little incredulously.
Her lips thinned. "You left me." She said as she poked him again in the chest.
"I did not." Aegon denied as he grabbed her rather stabby hand. "I asked if you wanted to come but you said no" Aegon said with a raised eyebrow.
"You made it out as if it was going to be a quick trip!" Gael exclaimed.
"And it was!" he defended "I made it to Dragonstone in only a few hours." Aegon said proudly and deliberately.
She poked in him in the chest again and again and Aegon laughed as he tried to defend himself "Okay, okay, I'm sorry." Aegon said as he grabbed her wrists.
Gael looked at him with hints of hurt in her eyes.
Aegon sighed. He was the only one who spared Gael time beside Alysanne who wasn't exactly the easiest to be around especially for Gael. "I did write to you asking if you would come in almost every other letter. You could have come."
"As if mother would allow me to leave." Gael said with an embittered mutter.
Aegon looked at her with sympathy.
There was little freedom for noble women in this world especially for a Targaryen princess. It didn't help that nearly all of his aunts were dead one way or another.
Childbirth and illness had felled most of his aunts whilst Viserra had died a decade ago because of her idiocy and sheer dumb terrible luck whilst Saera had ran off not after he'd been born and turned into a…
Well, a completely free woman let's just say.
Go Saera…?
Honestly, it was kind of amazing to see House Targaryen's propensity to destroy itself. It didn't help that dear old grandfather was a terrible father to his daughters.
In any case, the whole misfortune with daughters and Gael's surprise birth made Alysanne's clinginess to Gael understandable. With Maegelle's death in the past year, Alysanne's emotional dependency on Gael only worsened.
As much as he wanted to take Gael away and give her room to grow away from this place, he'd only jeopardise his own plans.
Having ordinary people trained as sailors who he could trust wasn't exactly the easiest thing to do especially when he had to depend on Corlys Velaryon so much. He cared greatly for Gael, probably the most out of anyone in this world but for his own sanity, he needed to get away from this place.
Gael must have spotted his expression of sympathy and she grabbed his arm and curled her own arm around. She dragged him forward.
"I did offer to take you on Mīsaragorn. Easier to ask for forgiveness than permission." Aegon said with a smile as they walked towards the gardens.
Gael rolled her eyes "Mother would hunt you down with Silverwing." She said with a teasing smile.
Aegon laughed "Wouldn't that be a sight? The Good Queen Alysanne cursing a storm atop Silverwing as she chased us across the Blackwater Sea."
Gael giggled "As if mother would ever curse."
"Ah, you're right." Aegon paused dramatically and peered down at Gael who despite being four yea- name days older was still shorter than him at three and ten name days. "She definitely would instead pray to the Father to strike me down for daring to abscond with her dear Gael."
"My precious" Gael swooned in a raspy voice and Aegon laughed loudly at that. Gael burst into a fit of giggles whilst she clung onto him.
He might cheat and end up known as the local version of Leonardo da Vinci, Galileo Galilei and Marco Polo amalgam of his time but his greatest accomplishment would forever be to have gotten Gael to channel Golum.
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97 AC, Kings Landing
Grand Maester Elysar
Elysar twiddled with his heavy chains gently, his fingers fiddling around the edges of the links, soft sounds of clinking in the background was all that breached the silent chambers as he wrote in his memoirs.
He breathed out and his sigh was quivering as he dipped his quill in ink.
He heard a knock on his door and he made a noise of surprise. He did not know who would come to his chambers at this time. Septon Barth would be long asleep now whilst the days have long past since His Grace sought his council this late in the evening.
"Come in! Come in!" he shouted, his voice straining as he did so. He grimaced as he coughed and he quickly grabbed a piece of cloth as he cleared his throat. It was getting worse now.
It was odd, he mused to himself. To feel oneself grow weaker by the day.
The door opened and he turned towards the door. His heavy brows lifted up heavily as he saw who it was.
Elysar stood up, or at least tried to "My Prince!"
"Please sit, Grand Maester" Prince Aegon said as he walked in deeper into his room.
Aegon came quickly and grabbed his arm, guiding him to his seat. "Thank you, my Prince." Elysar said gratefully. Aegon smiled at him gently before he glanced towards the pages on his desk.
"Your very delayed memoirs?" Aegon inquired as he grabbed one of the chairs and sat by him.
Elysar laughed "Yes, my prince." He waved tiredly over the pages "One never quite realises the difficulty of objectively writing your story and the stories of others."
"I hope that when you get to my story you won't be so objective, Grand Maester" Aegon said with jest.
Elysar smiled at the nearly grown young man.
Yes…it would be hard to write objectively about the young Prince.
He'd grown fond of the boy over a short few years, more than he thought possible.
Especially considering of how the Prince had been in his infancy. He was better now, less subdued and more lively than he had been as a boy which itself had been an improvement of the near silent babe he had been.
He was still markedly different to Prince Baelon's other sons, both sons who were near total opposites to Prince Aegon's reserved nature that many mistook for targeted curtness but it was an acceptable level of difference, Elysar thought, for a prince that stood to not become king.
He had not expected much of the young prince when he first began tutoring him. Yet it seemed he was destined to be surprised once again by the boy whose survival was a miracle from the Seven themselves.
The boy's mind even as a child had been sharp, sharper and finer than a Valyrian Steel's sword edge. And the boy knew it too from a young age. It had taken him a while to notice that the boy was suppressing his much of his talents and it had taken him seeing Prince Aegon solve each of Maester Vaegon's mathematical puzzles to realise it.
The boy hadn't been able to resist the challenge set to him and he rose to it. It was then he knew that Prince Aegon was more special than most knew, even his own family.
Over time, he increased his time tutoring the boy and he was delighted to see him take to his own favourite subject history as easily as Prince Aegon took to numbers and swordplay.
By time Prince Aegon had been one and ten name days, Elysar knew the prince could debate with the most learned men of history and it was a point of pride of his as he looked to pale silver haired prince.
He had elected to not inform anyone of Prince Aegon's talents being more than they seemed. Aegon did little without taking his time to evaluate his options, a trait that he had approved of and one that seemed to be very strong within the prince.
It spoke of a diligent mind and his answers to Elysar when questions were posed were made with careful consideration which been beyond his years.
It was why he thought the prince hiding his talents had something to do with his distant relationship with his father and by extension the rest of the royal family.
He mused to himself that perhaps there were songs of truth when he had heard servants attending the prince in his infancy had waggled their tongues about his strange attentiveness and gaze.
To break the prince's trust had felt…wrong.
When Prince Aegon had opened to him, he had found the young prince to be charming and pleasant to be around, a side to the young prince that many besides him and Gael were not allowed to see.
"Unfortunately, my prince, I must humbly inform you that I may not be able to do so." Elysar smiled at the young prince "however much I may wish so."
Prince Aegon smiled at him before he glanced down and the young prince's silver haired brows furrowed in concern. Elysar looked at where Aegon was looking and saw it was the cloth he was looking at.
There were specks of blood that sunk into the cloth.
Elysar allowed a tired smile to form before he looked up to Aegon. "Age comes for us all, my prince, and with age comes the greater difficulty of defeating illness as one might with ease in youth."
Aegon remained silent before he met Elysar's gaze "How long?" he asked.
"Not long." Elysar answered. "I will not live more than a moon or two, I expect."
"You should have written." Prince Aegon said with a sigh as he leaned back on his chair, a displeased expression on his face.
Elysar smiled "You were thriving at Dragonstone." He gesticulated tiredly with his hand "It is not your place to worry for old maester past his time."
"You're not just an old maester, Elysar." Prince Aegon said firmly. "You have been my teacher and you have and are my friend." He said before he smiled slightly "A very old friend but a friend still."
Elysar chuckled. He was touched by the prince's words.
"Thank you my prince." He said gratefully with a nod that he hoped would make Prince Aegon understand how much it meant to him. From the Aegon's smile widened, he had understood.
Prince Aegon looked at the memoirs before he looked at the starless sky. "I won't be able to sleep much tonight anyway." The prince paused before he looked at Elysar intently "If you would like, I can transcribe whilst you speak out?"
Elysar considered it and Aegon spoke again "If we get started now, we can probably get thrice as much down on parchment by first light." Aegon said in a tone that Elysar would not be able to dissuade him from.
Elysar smiled and nodded. "Very well." He rarely slept during the night which was something Aegon knew very well.
Aegon grabbed the quill and moved around to the desk whilst Elysar sat by the window. He glanced at Aegon who looked at him with a patient look on his face.
Elysar turned back towards the starless night and began again the tale of his life and those he had observed.
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97 AC, Kings Landing
The rest of the evening passed quickly as he wrote down Elysar's thoughts and recollections. He had…quite unhappy that Elysar was dying.
Out of everyone, Elysar had been the person who reminded him the most of home.
An old boss that mentored him right out of university and to whom he had owed much with the way he had taught him all that he knew.
He knew better than to transpose people with people he knew but Elysar made it difficult to resist.
He wasn't sure what he had but it likely was a chest infection. A chest infection at the age that Elysar was at, was going to be terminal here even if he recovers.
It was on those thoughts that he entered the dining hall. He ate breakfast quietly where all of the family was seated including his cousin Rhaenys, her husband Corlys, Laena and little Laenor who was seated on his mother's lap.
Conversation rarely flowed when the family was together like this and thankfully it didn't happen all too often. Especially since Rhaenys was passed over for Baelon as heir to the Iron Throne.
Corlys was bitter about that, more so than Rhaenys herself.
Aegon was fairly certain that Corlys only agreed to train his people to become sailors because he thought a friendship or mentorship or a pseudo father figure-esque presence would become useful at some point.
Something Aegon capitalised on.
Still, that didn't mean he didn't learn to respect the ambitious man.
Corlys had made nine voyages, some of them as far as Yi Ti – which seemed to be China approximation – and the Summer Isles, equivalents of West Africa.
Places Aegon wanted to visit, would visit. The descriptions of these places fascinated him and Corlys' eloquence and way of language in describing them only got him dreaming about it.
Somehow the family bonding session remained civil and not long after, the nuptials between Daemon and Rhea of House Royce took place in the royal sept.
Daemon did put up an admirable effort of looking happy about the whole thing.
The party afterwards was pleasant enough even if he had to bear some looks that he wasn't entirely sure about. He recognised some of them, Daemon's sycophants. He narrowed his gaze at them and he was tempted to find out why he was being looked at like that.
He didn't get a chance as he was hauled over to dance by Rhaenys.
"You've improved." Rhaenys said complimentarily as they danced.
Aegon chuckled "Fishing for compliments for saving a lost cause?" Aegon said calmly but he couldn't hide the teasing lilt in his voice.
Rhaenys' smile widened and he felt himself shift a little uncomfortably. Rhaenys' was in her early twenties and she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen.
Sometimes he really wondered what the Valyrians, or perhaps specifically dragonlords, did to make themselves this inhumanely beautiful.
"Of course." She said with her nose up whilst her expression turned neutral "Some may even consider me blessed for what I was able to do with you."
"Of course." Aegon said with an equally neutral expression "I believe many would agree."
Rhaenys trickled into small laughter which he joined with soft chuckles as they danced. "You should come to Driftmark once the wedding has finished."
Aegon smiled. "I will, cousin. It's barely a few hours' ride on Mīsaragorn. I know he likes flying with his mother."
Rhaenys' eyebrows raised "Mother?"
Aegon shrugged "He's more respectful with her than other dragons. He's wary of Vhagar despite being my father's mount. He is snappish with Vermithor and Silverwing, not unlike the other dragons he's met. But with Melys…Mīsaragorn behaves differently with Meleys." Aegon finished.
Rhaenys considered it "Strange…" she trailed off before she blinked before eying him curiously "I hadn't noticed such a thing during our flights."
Aegon smiled at her but said nothing else. He couldn't explain how he knew that Mīsaragorn seemed to consider Meleys something of a mother.
Not long after, it was time for the bedding ceremony and Aegon watched with a neutral expression. It wasn't as bad as he thought, even as he saw men pawing at Rhea, his new sister-in-law.
He hadn't truly spoken with her all that much but what Gael said at least seemed about right. Given that she was heir to Runestone, it wasn't unexpected that she seemed sharp. She would know of the pressures that were on her as a female.
After he entered his room, he unlocked his chest and brought out his journal before he settled onto the bed. He opened it and a language he had not spoken once here and as far as he knew, unlike any other language here.
Common was similar to English but it was as if it was out of phase, out of tune. Like a poor replication heard by the tenth person in the chain of Chinese Whispers but people who didn't speak the language.
That similarity was also why he wasn't using it. He smiled softly as he looked at the drawings and the Greek words. He was thankful for his Greek mother making him learn how to speak and write in Greek.
His smile fell off as he remembered his mother…his family. He set his head back against the wall as he stared at the ceiling. Three and ten years…thirteen years…
Time had flown.
Perhaps it only seemed like it did through the way he kept himself occupied. Deep questions why him, why here and if his family was alright only threatened to take him back to depression.
He looked back down at his journal. He flicked through the pages, drawings of a sextant, a telescope, drawings and sketches of naval ships and what he observed of current ships, formulas of cement and designs of watermills and farming techniques were all in there.
Even what he remembered of penicillin and how it was discovered. Unfortunately, it wasn't much, only that it was a kind of mould that killed bacteria around it. Neither did he know how to extract the chemical penicillin from it.
It was a 'long term maybe' project.
Aegon flipped to the last few pages of the journal and a smile grew. At least this was complete. The drawn picture of a compass stared back at him.
He'd found lodestones after years of searching in a market in Driftmark of all places. A gimmick most had thought but none knew how much it could change everything. It would cut months of journeys and even small journeys between say Pentos to Dragonstone would be cut by a third to a half.
He closed the journal before he stared at the ceiling.
Jaehaerys was making him stay and he couldn't really refuse. He grimaced. It was foolish to behave as he did. He'd failed to adjust himself. It was understandable after having been on Dragonstone without answering to anyone but himself. Ultimately still stupid though.
As much as Mīsaragorn gave him freedom, he was still too young to travel and he knew he needed people with him.
It was why he was making an effort now with knights, non-heirs and commonfolk. Those who seemed to be at least somewhat trustworthy. He wasn't sure how many would eventually come with him but he hoped to have at least enough crew for two ships.
What Jaehaerys and Baelon would do to punish him, he could bear it.
Soon enough he'd be free.
Free to sail and travel without Westeros bringing him down to their level.
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98 AC – Kings Landing
Viserys POV
Viserys watched happily as Rhaenyra was being cooed at by his grandmother, his wife and Gael.
Viserys turned to his youngest brother who was drinking ale whilst he listened to Lord Darklyn. Several moons had passed since Daemon married and soon they would travel throughout the Realm in a royal progression.
It was going to be a grand affair and he truly looking forward to it. He visited some of the Castles in his youth, in particular High Garden and Storm's End yet this was different. He was his father's heir, who was heir to the Iron Throne.
And Aegon would be with just as Aemma and Rhaenyra were going to be. Daemon's absence was missed but Viserys was certain Daemon would prefer to acquaint himself with his wife as a man should.
Viserys shook his head with a smile as he walked over to his wife and child.
It was hours later that they retired for the evening. He was left with Aegon and Aemma in their royal quarters and Aegon slumped into his chair.
Viserys looked at Aegon with a chuckle behind his smile "You look as if you fought a score of bouts one after the other."
"Would have preferred such a thing over that again."
Aemma walked over and handed Aegon a glass of wine. "You will have to get used that after we arrive at the first castle on this progression." She said with a kind smile.
"Aye, little brother." Viserys said with a laugh as he took in Aegon's miserable face. In that moment, he reminded him of Daemon. He lost his laugh. If only they would get along. If they stopped their childish bickering, they'd see they were so alike.
"Our lord grandfather is cruel" Aegon muttered as he sunk into his cups.
"His Grace is not cruel." Aemma said reproachfully. Aegon shot her an annoyed look that had no heat behind. Viserys smiled. It was good to see them get along so well.
"Perhaps not. Still. To make me suffer a hundred Darklyns is definitely not kind."
"And all because you were late to a family dinner" Aemma said teasingly. "Mayhaps that will teach you."
"Consider me taught." Aegon said with a grimace before he looked at Viserys with a strange expression on his face.
"Have you heard from Daemon recently?" Aegon asked.
Viserys frowned "I have not. Not for over a moon anyway."
Aegon nodded slowly "Heard something interesting from Darklyn…the only interesting thing anyway. Apparently our brother is off hunting Vale mountain clans."
"Why?" Viserys asked baffled.
"Apparently one of the clans attacked a vassal of House Corbray." Aegon smiled and it was not the usual kind "Apparently Daemon decided it was time to bring the clans to heel."
Viserys shook his head. The Mountain clans may be barbarians but they were a wily sort. They evaded the Andals for thousands of years. There was no bringing the clans to heel.
"He better not get himself killed." Viserys muttered as he took a glass of wine and sat next to Aemma. He drank of his wine "Rogue Prince indeed." How foolish could Daemon be?
He knew Daemon to be reckless but to be th- "Rogue Prince?" Aegon's tone was hard and Viserys looked up and what he saw in Aegon's eyes startled him.
Aegon drew himself up, sitting up straighter in his chair. "The Rogue Prince?" Aegon said again "What are you talking about Viserys?"
Viserys cleared his throat before he glanced at Aemma who was just as surprised as he was before he looked to Aegon again. "It's a childish name Daemon jested about. 'Prince Daemon, the Rogue Prince'"
Aegon's hand tightened over his cup and Aegon's gaze went passed Viserys. Viserys looked back and saw what Aegon was looking at. At Rhaenyra's crib.
Viserys turned back onto Aegon who began to stand up. He drank the rest of his wine in one gulp and gazed at Viserys. "I am feeling a little too drunk, brother." Aegon paused "It's time for me to retire." Aegon finished before giving both him and Aemma a short nod and turned on his heel.
Before Aegon left, Viserys thought he heard Aegon "…Of course its him."
After Aegon left, Viserys turned to his wife who looked equally confused as he was.
"Strange." Aemma said thoughtfully before she looked at the door from which Aegon left.
Yes…it was strange, Viserys thought. In the morn he would ask what it had been about.
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