"Father, what are you…" Little Aegon shrank back nervously inside the wheelhouse, not daring to step out. Just after he had promised Viserys that he would tame Vermax, Viserys suddenly ordered the wheelhouse to halt, stepped out on his own, and stared coldly at his eldest son.
"Get down." Viserys's face was expressionless. "You promised me you would tame Vermax. How can you do that without meeting the dragon?" With a wave of his hand, the white-armored soldiers around them retreated, clearing a space. Aegarax, who had been circling above the convoy, slowly descended, casting a disdainful glance at little Aegon before affectionately nuzzling Viserys with its horn.
"Vermax is at least twice the size of Aegarax," Viserys murmured, stroking his companion's scales. "If you tame it, at least no one will dare gossip about your… disgraceful behavior anymore. Seven hells, three—no, counting the others, six. How in the world did you manage that?"
Little Aegon cautiously shuffled out of the wheelhouse.
'Father, you overestimate me.'
Not the six bastards—he meant taming a dragon.
Among their siblings, 13-year-old Alysanne, 7-year-old Illyon, and 5-year-old Maegon were all too young to attempt taming a dragon. Viserys had hoped they could claim one of the great dragons in King's Landing's Dragonpit, but unfortunately…
They had failed.
Little Aegon hadn't even mustered enough courage to get close to Syrax. Brave Aemon had challenged Caraxes, but he too had failed, even injuring his leg in the process—he still walked with a slight limp. As for Naelys…
'My cowardly sister only likes trailing behind my insufferable little brother. As for dragons? Hah! The whinny of a warhorse scares her, let alone a dragon.'
Little Aegon couldn't help but mock his sister inwardly, though he forced an obedient expression for his father's sake. "I understand, Father."
"You understand nothing," Viserys snapped. "That was your uncle's—the late king's—dragon." At the mention of his elder brother, Viserys sighed inwardly.
'I'm sorry, brother. For the sake of House Targaryen… and my idiot son who can't keep his breeches laced, your dragon must endure this.'
---
The royal procession of King Aegon and Queen Samantha had set out slightly earlier than Viserys's wheelhouse convoy.
Though King Aegon's vigor was waning with age, he remained a diligent and beloved ruler, ever attentive to his duties. Stormcloud and Candlelight circled lazily above the royal party. With their children in tow, flying directly to Dragon's Nest was out of the question.
Sixteen-year-old Daeron had never been one for obedience. Compared to the maesters' lectures, he far preferred the clash of steel in the training yard. And more than riding or archery, he loved lurking outside the Dragonpit, watching the dragons in their daily lives.
He wanted a dragon of his own.
Once, he had tried secretly taming Caraxes—but the fierce red beast had rejected him. Had his father and mother not arrived in time, with Candlelight's tendrils restraining Caraxes, the dragon might have left permanent scars on him.
Yet his passion for dragons never faded.
"Brother, be honest—why not try for Vermax?" His younger brother, the wiry Rhaegar, egged him on. Daeron had returned to King's Landing a year ago, having completed his squirehood.
"Hah! Vermax is too small," Daeron scoffed, then mused, "In Dragon's Nest's dragonpit, only Vermithor, Silverwing, Shadowmare, Starsong, and Sendros are worth conquering!"
"You're just boasting," Rhaegar smirked. Still too young to safely attempt taming a dragon, King Aegon had forbidden him. "Are there no other dragons in King's Landing's Dragonpit that catch your eye?"
"There's Caraxes… and Dreamfyre."
Daeron's mood darkened. "But Caraxes rejected me. Dreamfyre—Dreamfyre!" He suddenly brightened. "Rhaegar, you're the scholar—isn't Dreamfyre the oldest living dragon?"
"Yes," Rhaegar scratched his head. "But not the largest. The biggest dragons are all with Grandfather Draezell. Oh, and I heard there are two more great dragons on Dragonstone—one called… Sheepstealer, I think? A beast said to rival Caraxes."
Daeron's eyes lit up. "Perfect! Rhaegar, once the family feast is over, let's go to Dragonstone and claim them!"
"Deal!" Rhaegar grinned. 'This was exactly what I wanted.' With Daeron leading the charge, their parents would take it more seriously. Maybe even Grandfather and their uncles would fly in to help—making their success all but certain. After all, hadn't their uncles tamed their dragons with Rhaegor and even Grandfather supporting them on their own dragons?
Rhaegar had waited for this moment for so long.
He had already set his heart on Seasmoke—beautiful, majestic, and massive.
More magnificent than most dragons in the pit, and battle-tested.
'Perfect.'
---
Meanwhile, in the Twins' Tower, the Hall of the Children, Dragon's Nest.
"What?!" Jacaerys slammed the table, making the entire room tremble. His siblings flinched.
"Brother, how can this be?" Jacaerys turned to Rhaegor, seated at the head of the table. "Vermax has lived in Dragon's Nest's dragonpit for years. Even if someone were to tame it, we should have first rights! How can the Targaryens just waltz in and claim it?"
Seryna nodded. "Jacaerys is right. Vermax has been here for so long. If we hadn't already bonded with our own dragons, we might have tamed it. How could Father agree to something so—"
"I won't allow it." Jacaerys stood abruptly. "Brother, if we do nothing while the Targaryens take Vermax, what's next? Vermithor? Silverwing? Do we just hand them over too?"
Dan said nothing, but his eyes told Rhaegor everything—he, too, opposed letting House Vaelarys surrender Vermax to the Targaryens.
"Everyone." Rhaegor's voice was calm but firm, and his siblings fell silent.
"This was Father's decision. Do you want him to break his word?"
"That's not what I meant…" Jacaerys slowly sat back down.
"Besides, whether Vermax even accepts a Targaryen is another matter."
Rhaegor continued softly, "And let's not forget… Candlelight still belongs to them."