Sun and Fire ~ Aemond Targaryen

01. Welcome to the World

Dragonstone, the imposing ancestral fortress of the Targaryens since their exodus from ancient Valyria, known as the traditional residence of the heir to the Iron Throne. For the past six years, it has been home to Princess Rhaenyra and her family. However, no one could have foreseen that shortly after Lady Laena Velaryon's funeral, her beloved brother and Princess Heir's husband, Ser Leanor, would be murdered by his lover, Ser Qarl Correy, who disappeared without a trace despite the substantial reward offered for his capture.

The suffering of Princess Rhaenys and the Lord of the Tides has been immense; their only children had departed this world before them, adding to the shock. The recent widow remarried quickly to her uncle, Prince Daemon, in a ceremony following the rites of the Valyrian Freehold.

"Too much of a coincidence" murmured many, even those close to them couldn't deny the unease the situation brought. However, as with so many events in history, the details remained shrouded in mystery and absolute silence, allowing each individual to construct their own version of events.

For Lord Corlys Velaryon, the best way to face his grief was to wage war against the Triarchy to secure the Stepstones once more. Six years he had been in that struggle, while his wife remained alone on Driftmark, surrounded by her political kin and her greatest comfort. Their eldest granddaughter, Lady Baela, grew under his guardianship with Daemon's approval.

During these six summers, many things had occurred. Princess Kassaia Martell suffered three miscarriages in that period. The first occurred a summer after the events at Driftmark; unaware of her pregnancy, she awoke to a sharp pain in her belly and sheets stained with blood. The next happened three summers later, only two moons into gestation. The last occurred a year after that, just one moon into pregnancy.

Now, the gods seemed to smile upon her again, as she carried nine moons of pregnancy and her belly swelled, ready to bring forth new life.

The anticipation among Prince Aegon and his daughters, Lady Daemma and Lady Meria, was palpable. When Princess Rhaenyra offered a newly hatched dragon egg of Syrax to be placed beneath the newborn's crib, joy filled the air.

Prince Daemon and Rhaenyra had recently welcomed their first child together, a son named Aegon. This choice of name surprised many, as they did not expect it to be repeated in the family. Nevertheless, it was ultimately well-received, or at least begrudgingly accepted

*:･ﾟ✧ *:･ﾟ✧ *:･ﾟ✧ *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ *:･ﾟ✧

The wind on Dragonstone was as fierce as on Driftmark, if not more so. The rocky surroundings and volcanic caverns that were once the cradle of dragons rose imposingly from their foundations, forming perilous cliffs along the coast that few dared approach if they valued their lives; it was an adventure reserved for the boldest.

While some dragonkeepers and Princess Rhaenyra were several meters away with her baby and other children, Princes Daemon and Aegon, along with Lady Meria, ventured beneath the cliff to reach the egg. Fortunately, Syrax was flying freely in the skies, allowing the intrepid trio to approach their target. Covered in dust, they approached the nest, while the brothers watched Meria with amusement.

"Shall I choose?" The girl asked, leaning closer to the nest, scrutinizing the scaly-textured eggs intently, and then spoke again in a bored tone, "All four eggs look exactly the same to me."

"Just pick one before Syrax returns and turns us into ashes" Daemon replied sarcastically, and the girl only smiled arrogantly, beginning to point her finger at each egg as she sang a choosing rhyme.

"Eeny, meeny, miny, moe..."

"Seriously?" Chuckled her uncle with ironic laughter, and Aegon, with his usual pleasant grin, interjected.