Sun and Fire ~ Aemond Targaryen

PROLOGUE

When little Daemma Targaryen opened her eyes to the world everyone said she was a beautiful girl, she was the second daughter of Prince Aegon and Princess Kassaia Martell, the first marriage to take place between the two houses that for generations were enemies to the death, a necessary measure to appease their enmity and unify the kingdom once and for all.

Many Lords were divided on this fact, while some were satisfied others continued to cling to past quarrels, however both houses united their blood and bore fruit.

That marriage took place a few moons before the controversial wedding between Princess Rhaenyra and Ser Leanor Velaryon. Despite being complete strangers, both Prince Aegon and Princess Kassaia showed goodwill and both felt an attraction soon after living together.

Aegon was about twenty eight summers, considered a handsome Targaryen with typical Valyrian features, his silver hair was short and straight, his eyes were blue, he wore a bit of a beard that covered both his chin and his sideburns, his smile was "charming" according to the whispers of the ladies of the Kingdom, all his life he grew up in the Red Keep with his older brothers and was rumored to be the spoiled grandson of the Old King, Jaehaerys, not to mention that he was the only one of his brothers who made the dragon egg hatch under his cradle whom he called Boasher, in honor of the God of Old Valyria, Boash, also called the Blind God.

When his brother ascended to the Iron Throne he was named assistant to the Master of Coin and worked for many years with Lord Lyman Beesbury on the Small Council as an accountant, regarding his personality the prince was known to be quite similar to his older brother, King Viserys, peaceful, polite and gentle in nature, although he could also show some sarcasm and adored the chaotic personality of his other older brother, Daemon Targaryen.

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On the other hand, Princess Kassaia was the second of a total of four siblings, her older brother Qoren as the ruling prince and the youngest, Princess Tarja Martell and Prince Doren, who was her closest brother. Kassaia was a woman who was nineteen summers at the time of her marriage, yet she possessed a more mature appearance with marked Dornish features, curly dark brown hair and brown eyes, was taller than the general average of women her husband knew, and her skin was firm and tanned.

However, the personality of the princess was not at all gentle, from the beginning she demonstrated a strong character, bold, cunning, but also reserved when she had to, she had control of her impulses and this was something to be admired.

After the wedding and while the couple stayed for two subsequent summers in the Red Keep, Princess Kassaia developed a positive bond with Queen Alicent Hightower, who from the beginning showed courtesy and goodwill, while otherwise forged a kind of adversity against Princess Rhaenyra, the most curious thing is that both had similar personalities and that is why they constantly clashed and could not trust each other.

Prince Daemon also frowned upon the marriage between his beloved younger brother and a Martell, but his presence quickly faded from the castle when he took Lady Laena Velaryon as his wife and the two moved to live in Pentos far from their families.

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When Princess Kassaia gave birth to her firstborn, little Naemon, a boy who inherited his mother's hair and eyes, but whose skin was white like the Targaryen's, Queen Alicent was there to support her.

In the same way, two summers later, Queen Alicent gave birth to her third son, Prince Aemond Targaryen, and it was Princess Kassaia who accompanied her during her difficult birth, Rhaenyra and Prince Daemon were not at all pleased when they learned of the birth of a new male child of the king and never hid their disdain for it.

A summer after the birth of Aemond many births came, Princess Rhaenyra gave birth to a child of curious features that were different from those of their parents causing the court to explode in rumors, the little boy had light brown eyes and hair, was named Jacaerys Velaryon, although it is known that his father Ser Leanor intended to call him otherwise, but was objected by his father and his wife.

Two moons later Princess Martell had her second daughter, the beautiful and fragile Daemma, the most similar of her children to the Valyrian features of milky white skin, blue eyes like her father and dark blond hair, again Queen Alicent was present at the childbirth and in the same way Kassaia would accompany her time after during the birth of Prince Daeron.

No doubt both woman forged a friendship in those years.

Prince Aegon always maintained a close and positive relationship with his niece, he loved her as if he were an older brother to her in the same way that Rhaenyra trusted and loved her uncle, despite detesting his wife.

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Unfortunately the time where they all lived together did not last long.

When Princess Kassaia moved to the Red Keep she brought with her a huge Dornish scorpion as a wedding gift from her younger brother, Doren. Despite keeping it hidden from the eyes of others, there was a day when the ladies of Princess Martell neglected the arachnid and it slipped away until it reached Princess Rhaenyra's chambers. All this caused a tremendous scandal, as the crown princess wanted to kill the animal and publicly accused Princess Kassaia of alleged attempted murder by her scorpion.

As much as the king, the queen and Prince Aegon tried to mediate the situation there was no case, so Viserys asked his beloved younger brother to move, not only because of the disputes, but so that he could have time to be with his family away from the intrigues of the court and the heavy work in the Small Council.

That was how Prince Aegon decided to realize a dream he had since he was a child, to live in the territory he loved most of all Westeros, the Reach, specifically in the lands of Highgarden, the most fertile place, full of vegetation, flowers and rivers, its mountains were wonderful and the weather was extremely pleasant, his dream had always been to own his own vineyard in those lands, he had only resisted to not be separated from his brother, whose illness was eating him and the resentful loneliness of his niece.

But finally he decided that it was the best thing he could do, for his family, for the good of all, so a few moons later Aegon and Kassaia's family finally decided to move to a huge mansion near Highgarden, hundreds of acres were bought, servants of all kinds were hired, including dragon keepers for Boasher and the dragons that were hatched under the cradles of Daemma and Naemon.

Also soldiers, horses and other real estate, deep down no one was happy about that decision, but they ended up respecting it, Queen Alicent increased her resentment to her stepdaughter as she felt she had lost an honest friendship because of her.

And the story of little Daemma and her cousin Aemond was just beginning.