Fire and Blood

Chapter 58: Confrontation at Driftmark

Driftmark ― Somewhere along the beach...

In a different part of the shoreline, a youthful Aemond Targaryen engaged in a surreptitious departure from the fortified stronghold undetected. Seizing the opportunity presented by the somnolent state of his fellow inhabitants, he set his sights on carrying out a feat that few would dare to try – subduing the most powerful dragon in all of Westeros: Vhagar, the esteemed Queen of All Dragons. Now was his chance to prove himself as a Targaryen and for Aemond to get payback at those who belittled him for not having a dragon. He glanced over his shoulder, a quick survey of his surroundings to check for any potential scouts or other tamed dragons, but he was in the clear for now.

« You're the only one of us without a dragon. And we felt bad about it, so we went out and managed to find one for you. »

« It wasn't easy. Took a lot of time and effort... but we got one, Aemond. Trust us; you're going to love it. »

« Behold... The Pink Dread! »

« Be sure to mount her carefully. The first flight's always rough. »

« Ulōrvos pryjatā, mittītsos? Jaehossa itymagon daor. Lo tolomy ozletti zaldrīzī dārligon sylvō, morghūlilā. Jikagon. Se henujagon Zaldrījudiri.
(Have you lost all sense, you fool of a boy? Do not trifle with gods. Try to claim a dragon bound to another, and you will die. Now go. And leave the Dragonpit.) »

« Listen to me, Aemond. You will have a dragon one day. I know it. And once you do, the world will bow beneath your feet. You are my darling boy, a prince of House Targaryen. The blood of the dragon flows through your veins. And the truth will be exactly how you will make it out to be. »

As Aemond reminisced, he couldn't help but recall his family's hurtful insults, including his brother Aegon the Elder and nephews Jacaerys, Lucerys, Aegon the Younger, Viserys, and Daeron, had directed towards him. Yet, he also took comfort in the words of encouragement from his mother, Queen Beatrice. With determination, Aemond knew he would reach his goal and make the world submit to him. Muffling the sound of his footsteps to ensure he was as quiet as possible, Aemond swiftly approached the sandy dunes until he eventually found Vhagar asleep in the dunes. "Fuck," he silently uttered under his breath. There she was. One hundred eighty-eight years old, 330 feet long. Nearly the size of a dune herself, Vhagar was twice the size of even Caraxes and was significantly larger than both Vaelor and Vermithor. With Balerion and Meraxes dead, she was the last of the original three dragons from the Targaryen Conquest.

But even so, recalling his encounter with Dreamfyre in the Dragonpit, Aemond had to be cautious when approaching a mature dragon. Vhagar was still asleep, chest rising and exhaling with each breath. Her eyes were closed, and she shifted slightly. Aemond looked up at the empty saddle on her back before lowering his gaze to the rope netting leading up to the saddle. Of course, he will strap himself in and tame the dragon if he can climb it, but that would mean getting dangerously closer to the ancient dragon herself and risking waking her up. Now's your chance. Do it. Claim a dragon as your own. Go on, do it. Aemond held his breath and placed one foot in front of the other before slowly reaching his hand out to grab the rope netting. It was then that he heard an audible inhale and quickly backed away.

Vhagar's eyes opened, sensing an intruder. Raising her head, she noticed a small boy staring at her. He didn't seem frightened by her presence for such a small creature. However, Vhagar sensed that the child was a prince of Targaryen blood. From experience, the Queen of All Dragons knew the Targaryens were the only ones who could successfully bond with her kin. Yet Vhagar was seemingly uninterested and rested her head against the dunes and went back to sleep.