Born to Die

Chapter 48

Aemond took a single step toward Aemeryn, and Caraxes turned his head. A shrill shriek escaped again and blew Aemeryn's hair back.

"Caraxes, lykiri!" A small growl vibrated in his chest, but he listened to the command.

Her family watched in equal parts shock and terror as Aemeryn commanded Caraxes. He was the wildest tamed dragon to exist and listened to no one but Daemon. Aegon moved slowly over to Helaena and stood slightly in front of her while Aemond tried to inch his way to Aemeryn. "Nyke gīmigon, Caraxes. Nyke miss zirȳla, tolī."

Caraxes let out another whine and tapped Aemeryn with his snout. Aemeryn stumbled slightly but quickly regained her balance. Aemond and Rhaenyra both moved too quickly, and Caraxes let out another roar. Aemeryn turned her head to look at them both before shaking her head no.

"Em..." Rhaenyra let her voice trail off as she kept her eyes on Caraxes. While Daemon was alive, she barely trusted Caraxes. With him dead, she didn't trust him at all. She knew that he was in love with Syrax, but Syrax wasn't here. She was in the Dragonpit.

"Jikagon lenton, Caraxes."

Caraxes turned his attention back to Aemeryn. She had never felt sadness come from a dragon, but she was definitely feeling it come from Caraxes. He opened his maw and turned his head skyward to let out a stream of fire. Aemeryn turned her head and moved slightly so she wouldn't get singed, and Aemond felt his stomach drop. Caraxes beat his wings to take flight, but he didn't leave. Instead, he circled above the pyres until they burnt out.

Aemeryn stayed there the entire time. Everyone but Aemond had left long ago to go back to the Red Keep and away from the grieving dragon, but Aemeryn couldn't bring herself to leave. Aemond sat beside her on the ground and watched Caraxes intently.

"Why did he listen to you?"

Aemeryn looked over at Aemond, but he kept his gaze on Caraxes. It had been bothering him since it happened, and his curiosity was about to boil over. Never had he known of a dragon listening to another rider. In fact, they barely listened to the dragon keepers, and he knew that Caraxes had never listened to anyone but his rider.

"I bonded with him long before I bonded to Vermithor," Aemeryn admitted softly as she turned her gaze back to the pyres in front of her. They were almost completely burnt out, and she knew that the High Septon would be along shortly to place them in urns and take them to the Sept. "Well, I like to think I did."

Aemond jerked his head down and over to his wife. She knew he would react strongly to that fact. "There had never been a Targaryen bonded to more than one dragon at a time. What do you mean you're bonded to him?"

Aemeryn sighed and laid back on the grass. She didn't want to explain this to him; she didn't want anyone to know. "I learned to fly on Caraxes. I learned how to command a dragon with Caraxes. I didn't know that there was even a bond there until I claimed Vermithor as my own. He pouted at me for six months straight," Aemeryn said with a smile as she finally looked over at Aemond. He was staring at her wide eyed. "Kepa knew about the bond before I did. I was just a little girl without a dragon. I didn't figure it out until my first battle. Even then I've questioned if it was all in my head or not."

"What happened?" Aemond asked as he laid down beside her.

"Vermithor was doing what he always does to make sure I'm okay; he was eating people. Kepa was behind me to make sure I wasn't ambushed, but I had missed someone coming up beside me. Caraxes came out of nowhere and picked the man up before dropping him a few yards away. I thought he was protecting Kepa, but I realized that the man hadn't been staring at Kepa. He had been staring at me."