Bloodline : The Cause of the Dance of Dragons

I : The Prince Who Never Was

Aerys

When the Prince Aerys Targaryen was born in the year 98 AC, both House Targaryen and the realm rejoiced for his birth meant the secured continuance of the Targaryen Bloodline. Aerys's birth hadn't come easily for Lady Aemma, and she had feared that he would not make it to his first nameday. Fortunately he did and it became quite the blessing for The Old King, Jaehaerys. Especially after his son, Aerys's grandsire, Prince Baelon fell ill and died.

Prior to the Great Council of 101 AC that resulted with his father being named Heir, Aerys had already shared a close relationship with his great grandsire. Having spent most of his of early years in between the company of his mother and his great grandsire. For Jaehaerys wished to share the remainder of his time with his great grandchild. It was not because he held no love for Rhaenyra. He did, and very much so, but young Rhaenyra was more interested in training with dragons and had little interest in his stories. Aerys on the other hand, was always enamored by his tales of old Valyria and Great Histories.

Aside from reading histories and hearing stories, Aerys also held a great love for dragons, but unfortunately the egg he shared his cradle with did not hatch. Instead, he grew attached to his great grandsire's mount, Vermithor. As he would take him to visit the Bronze Fury on the days when he felt well enough. So it was no surprise that Vermithor became his mount after Jaehaerys died. Although he would not fly on Vermithor until his 7th nameday.

Having been quite close with his great grandsire, the news of King Jaehaerys's passing broke Aerys's heart. So much so that he refused to leave the Dragonpit for three days after the Old King's funeral. Aerys had always been a rather emotional boy, far too emotional for a future king as Otto Hightower would say. He was always unashamedly vocal about his feelings and had a tendency for speaking his mind without filter. While the court and the men of the King's council saw it as a weakness, Queen Aemma saw this as his strength. Because of his tendency to be headstrong about his feelings, she knew her son wouldn't be easily swayed by the words of others that seek to use him as they did her beloved husband.

Despite his vocal approach to his emotions, Aerys was a rather shy boy. He preferred the company of dragons more than boys his own age. So he mostly kept to himself or his mother's company if he was not visiting Vermithor at the Dragonpit. His favourite activity to this day is reading to Vermithor. Not that the Bronze Fury cared much for the histories of Westeros as his rider did. But he still listened because he found Aerys's company soothing.

As young children, Rhaenyra and Aerys rarely got along well due to their contradicting natures. He was calm and she brash. She was bold and he was calculated. He preferred quiet while she preferred chaos. The only thing the siblings had in common was their love for their friend Lady Alicent Hightower.

Both the Prince and Princess would often do foolish things to win Alicent's favour. An example of one of said foolish things was putting the realm through a great state of panic when Aerys snuck off to the Reach on dragonback to get Alicent flowers after she told him that she felt homesick. Upon his return, Queen Aemma pulled her son into a tight embrace before giving him an earful. Aerys ended up being barred from flying Vermithor for two moons, but he was allowed to give Alicent the flowers he collected when he saw her at court later that same day. The court awed at the chivalrous display much to Alicent's embarrassment and Otto's delight.

Still, despite having the Prince's good graces, Aerys had only thought of Alicent as a good friend. He liked Alicent because they share many similarities in personality and in hobbies. But he loved Rhaenyra because she was his walking contradiction. She was the fire to his ice.

Soon enough years passed and Aerys had turned ten. That was when everything changed. Somehow the Gods had decided to play a cruel jest on both him and the Targaryen bloodline. During one of his baths, Queen Aemma had noticed that her son was on the cusp of developing breasts. Worried by the discovery, Aemma took him to the Maesters to have him examined.