Hey guys sorry this chapter is late I forgot to hit the release button because I was super busy like doctors' appointments and driving for hours. So so it was finished just not out. So in exchange, I've made the chapter slightly longer but in exchange it will probably delay the next one, as I haven't started writing it yet as of this chapter release. In other news, the winner of last chapter's competition is 🥁Demon_Fire 🎉
I thought yours was the funniest so if you have an idea for a mini bonus chapter list it in the paragraph comments here. Note it will probably be only about 500 - 1000 words though as not to get too much in the way of me writing the next chapter.
Also, the next winner will be given a shout-out but but no mini chapter. Because of how the whole me being busy this week thing worked out. I don't really see my schedule changing anytime soon in fact it's more likely to get more intense. So instead I'll do either funny gifs or Game of Thrones questions and whoever gives my favorite answer wins. However, as their reward, they will also get this very nice crown 👑and be named king. They can suggest something that I might add to a chapter so long as it doesn't derail the story too much.
Also so they're not left out all hail king 👑Demon_Fire long may they reign. Make sure to read until the end for this chapter's question.
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The Red Keep 101 AC
Aemon Targaryen
I stood over my father in his room. By now he had been cleaned up and left in bed. He lay there sleeping silver-gold hair freshly dried and purple eyes closed. As I looked at him my mind wandered away as it tends to do.
'It's so strange' I thought here is my father the rogue prince a man only 20 years old. He was what? 16 maybe 17 when he had me? Yet he already has a fearsome reputation and is the wielder of darksister a sword that goes to our family's best warrior. When I was his age I was still in school but now I'm younger than he is. Now his father is dead and he's bearly done growing. Brain not even fully developed and already a father and a poor one by my last world's standards. Even odder is that I didn't really live that long in my last world. In this one a man is lucky to make it out of their teenage years. I lived to 25 or maybe 26 I can't remember exactly I just recall never hitting 30 years old. I suppose it doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things.
They left me here at my own request to watch over him as a dutiful son would. Of course when I said that they made grim faces and told me not to stay for too long as I was young and needed more rest than Father did. Meanwhile, I sat in a chair next to him dark sister lay across my lap. I'm strong enough to light the blade it's much lighter than a normal sword being made from Valyrian steel and it's made for a woman as well so it's not difficult for me. I looked down at it glancing away from my father.
I admired the rippling waves of the blade and the golden wings on its hilt. I lifted it to get a better look in the candlelight. It shines strangely in the dark. I do wonder how it was made. The ancient blade has been in my family for thousands of years since the time before the doom. A sword meant for a woman's hand and for a great warrior. From what I recall the process involved dragon fire and blood magic. I wonder how it holds up against my dragon steel daggers.
I look at my father double double-checking that he is asleep and bring out one of the dragon steel daggers from my system's inventory space. I hold the two best to each other in the air careful not to drop either.
[image of dragon steel dagger here]
Both blades had had black ripples in them like Damascus steel and an edge so sharp it glimmered. I put the dagger away quickly to make sure Father didn't wake up and find it in my hands. Too many questions and too few answers it's not worth the risk at all. So I went back to admiring dark sister.
[Insert Image of Darksister Here]
'If it is truly made from blood magic I wonder just how many lives were given up to make this blade. I'll never know I suppose. How strange the magic metal is. Perhaps one day the system will find a way for me to make it. If not I could go to Qohor and learn to reforge it. Of course, I'll still need premade Valyrian steel but that would be a start. Plus if I'm lucky I can learn some magic there that could be helpful to me in some way.' I shook my head dismissing the mental rant. I got far more into ranting and spiraling in my own head during this life. It wasn't doing me any favors that I was also spending lots of time staring off into space. Sure I know that I'm just looking at the system but others don't. I wouldn't want to be thought of as slow because of that.
I sighed and set the sword down a toss my lap. I looked back at father's slipping form. He rolled over messing up the bed and slipping his foot over the edge. I needed to focus on what to do with him tomorrow. Bringing an end to the beef between the two sons of Baelon.
'I have a bigger problem to focus on right now. I need to bring Father and Uncle Viserys closer together. I also need to figure out what to do to avoid the dance from happening. Honestly, the best way would be to convince Uncle V to stick to male primogeniture. If not just have him make it law in the first place. Although it's true Aegon would definitely be a worse ruler than Rhaenyra it's the easiest way to prevent the war. As for what to do about him well…' I cut off the grim thought pattern before it could go any further. I thought of the small girl innocent and kind. Right now I don't think she would care but to be fair she is only three with a true child's mind. But later on, she was promised the throne over Daemon but before that happened she seemed to believe her uncle would be the next king and had no problem with that.
The only reason Daemon wasn't the heir until Aegon was born is that he was being a dick. As a result, Rhaenyra was chosen instead of him. So if I'm right if she is never promised the throne in the first place she will never fight against Aegon's reign. Plus the fact that Viserys seemingly forgot the way he got the throne in the first place.
'The great council of 101 ac.' My mood turned grimmer again at the thought and I let out another sigh. Great-grandfather choosing Viserys as his heir isn't the problem. The problem is his letting the lords choose. Letting them believe they have a choice in who rules them is just one of the many problems it starts. I shook my head again I keep avoiding the topic but my mind keeps wandering back to it as if drawn by a magnet. So I look back down at the blade in my lap. Queen Visenya's blade wasn't just a sword with a nice pattern it was magical as well.
I remembered how the dark steel of blades like long claws could slay the white walkers. I shiver went up my spine at the thought of them. I probably won't encounter the servants of the great other in this lifetime but my descendants might. If they're going to have any hope of winning they'll need to know that. But I can't guarantee that the blade will reach them after all it was lost beyond the wall. But I can fix the night's watch. Right now the ancient order is in far better shape than it will be when the long night comes. If I could find a way to keep it as it is that might be a step or perhaps warn them of what is to come.
' I wish that I could somehow analyze this but I don't have any skills like that yet.' I thought but I once asked the system what kind of skills I could get from this system. The convo went something like this.
XXX
[Flash Back]
Runestone 100 AC
Aemon Targaryen
I was sitting at a desk in my room drawing some adjustments I wanted to make to the future saddle I would put on Agaraxes. A sudden thought occurred to me.
[" You can get any kind of skill from the system you fucking baby. However, most of them are going to be dragon-themed when given to you. Of course, being the pathetic loser that you are you've neglected to look thoroughly at the system store. As such you haven't noticed the fucking obvious search icon that will let you look for whatever the hell it is you want to buy dumb dumb."]
'Thanks system you sure are helpful.' I thought flatly.
["Of course I am you stupid fucking baby it's my whole job to help your dumb ass."]
'Then why do you always yell at me?' I questioned what was definitely not a childish pout caused by my new body.
["Because you fucking suck you fucking baby."]
'😭'
[End Of Flashback]
XXX
The Red Keep 101 AC
Aemon Targaryen
So I suppose that it might have something like that in there but I wasn't going to spend my valuable points on it. Then again it might be worth thinking about some more on another occasion for now I'll have to settle for the sky dragon eyes.
Then the thought popped into my head and I needed to look back at the description of the skill. I waved my hand and pulled up the skill window in front of me.
[Sky Dragon Eye Image Here]
[Skill (Type: Metamorphosis) Sky Dragon Eye: This skill gives the user enhanced vision allowing them to zoom in on targets from far away. The user can also slightly control slowing their perception of time on command which gets stronger with each use. Their eyesight can never go bad and they have an enhanced reaction time. Lastly, the user can see and detect draconic energy from a far distance.]
I was so busy planning and thinking about how to go forward in the wake of my grandfather's death I nearly forgot about the secondary part of the skill. So I decided to check if the blade had had any draconic energy.
So I lifted the blade and activated the skill my eyes became slit like a cat or a crocodile and a gradient mix of blue and purple. They felt strange a weird tingle filled them but not a bad sensation. Then after a second of adjusting the blade in my hand seems to light up in pure red flames. But those flames of crimson and ruby flicker hard and seem to fade slightly every second as part of the flames drift off into the air and fade into nothingness.
The beauty of it was almost mesmerizing. I looked closer into the magical flames. They were red as blood and in their details, I could almost see strange silhouettes moving with the red fire. Shodowy dragons of all types, long and dangerous beasts that I could only assume are fire wyrms. Alongside them are strange scale patterns, streaks of blood, and shifting shadows of men.
"You like the blade boy?" A sore voice spoke with amusement. I jumped slightly with surprise and tore my gaze from the glowing blade and saw my father staring at me with his trademark smirk. He lay sideways one fist propping up his head and I considered his perspective. His three-year-old son is in his room in the middle of the night probably playing around or something and has his legendary ancestral sword looking at with awe.
"Umm… yes," I say in my extremely manly voice as I quickly turn off the eye skill. He chuckles and gestures for me to hand over the sword. I do so and he smoothly sits up and takes the blade. He turns it in his hand and looks at it as well before looking at it.
"This sword," he says slowly. "It was my mother's sword. I… I can't remember her face anymore." He says still looking at the blade as if the answer to all his problems lies within its reflection. His purple eyes hung there for a moment transfixed on the blade as if waiting for its secrets to be revealed or for some sort of reply from the blade.
"Did she give it to you?" I ask I know she didn't give it to him but that isn't important I'll just pretend to ask to keep him talking. If I can just get him around to the topic of his brother needing him to protect him. Maybe this will be the first step in preventing him from getting disinherited.
"No. I wasn't much older than you when she… well… it doesn't matter. I got the sword from my grandfather your great-grandfather." He says still staring at it clearly having some sort of flashback to the day he received it.
"So then why did he give it to you?" I ask actually curious this time.
"I was around six and ten years old. Your great grandsire had a tourney thrown for one reason or another." He licks his dry lips and searches the room for something to drink. Failing to find anything he sighs but I already thought that in advance so I slip down off my chair and peek my head user the bed and retrieve a pitcher of water and some cups.
I pop back up pitcher and basin in hand the two empty cups squeezed between them. I walk over to a nearby table and set them atop it. Then I take the pitcher and one of the cups over to him. He looks at me with a single eyebrow quirked and looking at me strangely.
"What? I thought you would be thirsty so I left it there. I was going to move it in case you didn't wake up before I left." I say but he keeps looking at me strangely but clears his throat and walks over and takes a cup. His balance is off some but he makes a straight line to me. Realizing I already filled the cup in advance from the weight he drinks and then grimaces.
"Should have been wine." He says annoyed looking down at me.
"Believe you've already had enough for tonight," I say with a sarcastic smile. He looks at me deadpan but I simply power through it with my grin. I do however stay mindful of the blade still in his hand.
"Tch fine whatever. Sigh it's fine." Daemon turns away from me and sits back down sword still in hand. He lays it across his lap drinks again and clears his throat one more time.
"Ahem, now we're was I ah yes I was six and ten. Your great-grandfather gave dark sister soon after I was knighted at some tourney or another. He gave it to me because at the time I was the greatest warrior in our family." He says slowly becoming more and more wistful as he speaks.
"Even better than grandfather?" I say curious I know he is by the time Baelon died but was he really that good at only sixteen?
"Aye even better than your grandfather." He smirks but it fades quickly at the thought of his father. I don't think I've ever seen him look so sad before in any way. I've seen him drunk I've seen him angry I've seen him annoyed or proud I've even rarely seen him be quite caring especially when I was little. Well I'm still a little I suppose but I mean when I was an infant and a toddler. But I think he was like that because I would never remember that time. Even now he's still nicer to me than most people. But I don't think I've ever seen him filled with sorrow like this. Still, I have more questions to ask to so I press on.
"Then will you knight me one day? Or give me dark sister?" I asked he halted at that and looked down into his cup. I was asking mainly because although House Royce has the sword Lamentation it belongs to the current head. I'm still the heir and although I will likely outlive my mother it's not guaranteed. Although she might die young like in canon so I could get it that way but I'll be damned if I let that happen. A sudden darkness shadowed my thoughts as I remembered how she died in the show.
'I won't let you kill her even if I have to kill you.' I thought staring at Daemon's face still looking down into his water. I started to wonder where his mind is going but before I could come to answer he smirked again.
"Come talk to me again when you start swinging real steel. As for dark sister," He gripped the sword in his hand tighter and lifted it over his head. "You'll only get it if you earn it or I die." He tilted his smile condescendingly at me before pointing the blade in my direction.
'Fuck does he know what I was just thinking!? I shouldn't have told Ser Gerold to wait by my chambers.' I stiffened and stared at the point of the blade. Its dark gleam was truly impressive and the glow of red draconic energy would probably only make it more so. But then a sudden pride filled me with a strange indignation at the idea of backing down to another.
'No I won't be scared. I'm not scared. I am a dragon rider. I am the blood of old Valyria. And most importantly I am a Targaryen what need have I to fear anyone?' I didn't look away or back down instead I put on as serious a face as I could and diverted my gaze back into his eyes. I wanted to meet real steel with Valyrian will. We locked eyes and his smile faded instead he looked back at me the same stubborn will filling his eyes just as it did mine. Then another smirk slashed his face and he lowered the blade with a chuckle.
"Mayhaps you will earn it one day." He nods as if seeing that my dragon blood runs true after all. My pride and anxiety lowered at that and I think about how to get straight to my point without it seeming strange. I quickly decide to just go for it and hope he doesn't find my change in topic too suspicious.
"So if you're the strongest warrior of our family does that mean you'll protect the king?" I say quickly he raises another brow at my question but nods as he raises the cup to his lips to drink again. As he does so I can also see that he is a lot more muscular than he appears. Definitely more than you can see in the show at least. Not to mention he is also much taller than Viserys is and every other man of our family that I've seen. That tied with the fact that all the members of House Royce I've met even the women are quite tall for girls my mother especially so. I have rather high hopes for my future height plus the fact that I'm already enhanced will help as well.
'Maybe I'll end up as tall as the mountain although that seems a bit impractical. That and I'm pretty sure the mountain was in constant pain from his growth. I'm fairly sure he had something like André the Giant I think that it was called acromegaly or something like that. Still, I'm probably going to end up a big man and I'm probably going to have to spend a metric fuck yon of gold on clothes. Not that I mind of course I need my drip.
"If I must." He says shortly the mirth in his voice quickly is replaced by contemplation.
"So when Great-grandfather is gone does that mean Uncle V will be king? Will you protect him?" I say trying to portray hope that he will say yes.
' I can't think of too many ways to convince him to be there for Viserys when Aemma and Baelon die but at least I can try to minip-ahem I'm mean convince by usin-ahem portraying as much emotion as possible.'
"He will be of that I'll make sure. As for protecting him well… I suppose we shall see." He says there's a new iron in his voice now and with a look of determination on his face I'm sure that his words are true about Viserys becoming king. If I remember correctly he'll start rallying people to his cause in case Viserys had lost the Great Council.
'Mayhaps I will also need to seal the rift between House Velaryon and House Targaryen. I yawn and my eyes droop slightly before I blink away the slight tiredness. I don't need as much rest as a normal person does I believe I could probably manage four or five days. However, my body is used to sleeping every night so I am a bit off. Daemon meanwhile turns his head to look at me when I yawn though and as if suddenly having an epiphany he lets out an "ah" sound and smirks at me again.
"I think you should. I know he's been angry lately but when you were at your lowest he was there for you so you should be there for him. Both of you lost your father after all? I know that if I were a grieving mother I would want you there. I wanted you there when Grandpa Yorbert died. So I'll be there for both of you now that Granpa Baelon is gone." I say before he can get any ideas. I need to pull on his heartstrings as much as possible right now while I'm still young. I doubt he'll be as inclined to listen once I'm older. Plus if I can feed on his guilt for not being there for his grandfather's funeral I can probably convince him to spend more time with me outside of him being drunk or him "Teaching me how to be a true Targaryen man," which he usually does drunk anyway.
' If I want the bond between the two brothers to strengthen I need to plant this seed now. I'll 'water' this idea over time but this is a start' I think covering my mouth for another yawn.
"And what need have I for a babe still wet behind the ears?" He says scowling slightly in my direction. I try to put on a surprised or guilty look on my face as if to say 'I didn't mean to offend you. I only wanted to help you with your grief.' Seeing my expression he breathes out calming himself down again and looking away from me once more. He's always been rather distant from me and I get the feeling he doesn't much enjoy the idea of being a father to me but hell be damned if I turn out a craven or something.
"Hmm, it is of no matter now but… I suppose you're right." His face quickly growing grim again I swear this man is so quick to switch from smile to frown his personality is like a coin toss. He's quick to make or take a joke at his expense as he is to take serious offense.
"Now isn't it a little late for snark like you to be awake? You should be in bed not bothering me." He continued frowning changing just as quickly to a smile growing as he took another sip of water. He really is such a hard read of a personality sometimes. I suppose we might have that in common with each other. I too have always been quick to switch moods but now I have this growing pride that I'm only starting to realize wasn't there before.
'I need to make sure not to grow too arrogant. Pride is a sin after all and humility is one of the greatest virtues a man can have. That and discipline although as an adult in a child's body, I've certainly got more impulse control than the average three-year-old old' But as I think another yawn sneaks up on me too quickly to suppress. He chuckles at that but takes another sip of water while tilting the cup to finish it.
"Or do you think I forgot how you poured wine on me, boy?" He says with mirth as he stands and walks towards the pitcher to fill it back up.
"Ah… well… about that… I ugh." He laughs as I stutter out what is my best approximation of an apology and look down with a definitely not burning red face.
"Go boy I will see you tomorrow. And run along quickly unless you wish to be shoved inside my chamber pot like the shit you are." He says jokingly I hope as he walks towards me and ruffles my smooth pale god hair. It quickly turns back into the curly mess in inherited from my mother and I sigh at how much of a pain it will be to comb out in the morning.
I turn around and head for the door and look back to see dark sister now once again at my father's hip. I admire its craftsmanship one last time from a distance as he turns away. I then turn back and head for the door and grab the knob. Opening it the vast over a century old halls of the red keep present themselves to me. They seem rather cold and lonely at this time of night there are fewer windows in this hallway. Nearly all the servants are asleep and most of the candles our out. Now it feels like the castle belongs only to me and the ghosts.
A small part of me wonders if there really are ghosts in hear. Perhaps the ghosts of Meagor's enemies or members of my family and our foes. I hesitate to go out for a moment but the feeling is pushed aside quickly. Even if there are ghosts what are they before a dragon? Just up jumped corpses of long-dead men and widowed women. But something strange some lingering feeling of retreat compels me to say one more thing before I go.
"Good night father." Say not truly expecting a response from him. But to my surprise, I do get one. I turn my head back to see him doing the same to look at my water cup not too far from his lips. I can tell from his appearance that he's still somewhat drunk but somebody like him clearly has plenty of experience with it. But the part of him that draws my attention the most is his face. I can't read it. I can't tell what his thinking or feeling it's not obvious to me nor subtle just blank. But even still I can tell that some strange emotion is behind those purple eyes of his.
"Goodnight… Aemon." He says and his use of my now stops me for a moment. He seldom calls me by my name even when I was an infant he used it sparingly. But at that, a memory from a long time ago pops into my head. I hadn't forgotten the moment rather it was like it had been pushed to the back of my head or left open on another tab. Now it played in my mind like a YouTube video or like one of those unwanted pop-up ads on manhwa reading websites that are usually just porn.
It was my first time seeing Caraxes or any other dragon besides my own for that matter. It was not long after I was born and my father came bursting into my room startling all the maidens and nurses with me. Then he used his princely authority to dismiss but mostly threaten them into not telling Rhae and Yorbert what he was doing just yet.
Then he asked me if I wanted to get up to some mischief and cause my mother another headache. I plead the fifth on whether or not I agreed or objected. But regardless of my answer which was seemingly random baby noises he reached out his arms and took me out of my crib and brought me with him anyway.
After that Father had taken me from my cradle all the way outside the gates and down to the stables. After grabbing his horse and riding gear he took me out of the gates and held me as he went towards the hills. Agaraxes followed us out of the course because he never liked leaving my side and still doesn't even now. Soon I saw the destination as we crossed not too far from the grassy hills to the beach sand as it was at the time the largest creature I had ever seen by far. In the middle distance was Caraxes the blood wyrm. The beast was red, huge, and lean with sharp spikes and spines all over its body.
Red crimson scales like burn red fire and blood made invincible flesh and teeth sharp as Valeyrian steel daggers. Its eyes were orange and hot like the raging Dornish sun and vertical slit pupils darker than the shadow of a new moon during the long night. It's tail or I suppose his despite the gender of a dragon being as fickle as flame was swirling and swishing in the air behind him. He lifted his long neck which seemed to contain nothing but scales, muscles, fire, and death for his enemies.
I could feel the heat radiating from him and I didn't need any kind of enhanced vision to understand the aura of power and danger he gave off. I remember how as we dismounted Father carried me closer and closer to him. The red dragon seemed to almost smile and let out a strange, pitched trill. I couldn't quite place what else it sounded like the closest thing I could think of was the sound of a car or lawnmower trying and failing to start but even that doesn't exactly sound right.
Then before I knew it we were up close and Caraxes bent down his great spiked helm with a growl and my father spoke to him in high Valyrian to introduce me to him. Then he brought me closer and held me up by his snout and for the first time, I placed my hand on a grown dragon's scales. It felt like a mix of stone, leather, and metal but warmer. And when I looked into Caraxes's eyes it felt like he was looking into my soul and judging my worth. But the best part is that it felt like he judged me worthy.
Soon after he lifted me into the saddle while he climbed in and after just a few moments of adjusting we were up and off into the air. I will never forget the sky that day we started when it was still blue. Then we flew up and up over the clouds towards the sun until it started to set. It was the most magnificent thing I've ever seen and the only thing that compares is the stars that we saw on our way back. He guided my head up so that I could see all that majesty and all those colors. The infinite beauty of the countless stars in the night sky and the endless clouds draped in the light of the golden sun. But more than the sights what will always stay with me is the words that he told me that day when we first took flight and when we finally returned. It's those words that make me believe I understand him better than anyone else in this family.
We took off from the ground into the air and I felt a thrill and exhilaration that I just can't compare to anything else. It wasn't like a plane or climbing from any great height and although I had never been I imagine it's different from sky diving as well. There is a sensation of power, glory, wistfulness, joy, and nostalgia somehow all at the same time. We pierced the white vale above us and saw that blue sky and although I couldn't say it in words he could.
"This is it, my son. This is what it means to be a Targaryen."
[Chapter image here]
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Hope y'all enjoyed that second segment I added to this chapter. Make sure to comment and leave some powerstones 💎💎💎 if you did so more people can read the fic. In other news, I think I'm going to edit it so that the original ending of this chapter is the start of the next one, and just change it to fit better.
Also, I'm wondering how everyone's feeling about the childhood arc so far but it's been a little bit of a slog to write for me. Even still I think at times it's really helping me improve my writing skills and stamina if anything else. Which is the whole reason I write fanfics in the first place besides it just being fun to see my ideas come to life like that.
As for this chapter, I tried my best to portray Daemon as the complex character that he is but I also wanted to show how Aemon is lowkey always getting sidetracked by random details as his thoughts tend to wander a lot to very distant topics.
To be fair though I do the same thing but it's part of his character. Plus I personally am getting checked for ADHD rather soon I just need to set up the appointment for some point in the future.
Anyway like I said remember to leave a comment because more comments motivate me to write more and I really do want to keep this fic going for a while and make some real progress on the story. Also, leave some power stones as I really want to see what it's like in the rankings although I doubt it will last too long considering my upload speed. But it also helps more people read the fic so yeah that helps as well.
Goodbye 👋🏾