LotwD - Book 1 : Rise of the White Dragon

Aemon Targaryen (92 A.C. Second Moon)

King's Landing – Aemon's Nursery

He woke up and looked at his father, smiling at him. "Well, little dragon, are you up for a flight? All dragons need to fly one day," his father said as he picked him up. 'Was his father really taking him on a dragon? A few weeks old, babe?' Aemon thought in wonder as he opened and closed his mouth.

Dragonpit

Not much later, he was proven right, as his father took him to the Dragonpit. He looked on as his father held him, and they brought out Vhagar. He hadn't yet seen any of the dragons; he had only heard them. Yet he felt something strange, a connection, from the moment of his birth.

He gaped at the massive dragon, her bronze scales with greenish-blue coloring that reminded him of copper. Vhagar was maybe two times as large as Drogon. Perhaps larger, but he wasn't sure. Vhagar, the great she-dragon of the Conquest, looked magnificent. How would she look in the sky? he thought in wonderment.

"Vhagar, my girl, meet Aemon," his father said in High Valyrian. 'Huh, since when can I understand High Valyrian? Was this a boon of the gods?' he wondered as the colossal dragon came close to him and his father to investigate. The dragon sniffed and gave a rumble of approval, allowing him and his father to mount her.

After his father was saddled in, he was held closely against his father's chest. His father gave the command, and the great she-dragon took to the sky. Flying with his father was wonderful, and he truly felt like a Targaryen for the first time.

Yet then a roar and the sight of Balerion leaving the Dragonpit by himself and taking to the air was even more breathtaking. The Black Dread had flown up after them. "Hmm, this is a surprise. It seems someone wants to join us, little Aemon. I hope you don't get any ideas, little one. Flying with you has frightened your mother enough," his father said. As he spoke, Aemon could feel the bond with Balerion. The Black Dread himself dwarfed even Vhagar; the she-dragon, perhaps 100 meters long, was around half the size of Balerion. The large golden orbs stared at him, and then Balerion roared in recognition.

Then he felt the connection, something similar to what he had with Rhaegal and Ghost, yet this was more potent. He closed his eyes and opened them again. 'What happened?' he thought as he saw his father and himself on Vhagar. 'Oh, shit, I'm seeing through Balerion's eyes!' he thought, bewildered.

"Yes, you are my fire bond. Although I can feel you aren't in control. Don't worry. You are just a passenger, although this is unusual. The only ones with whom I could connect like this were Aegon and Daenys, and only via dreams," an old and powerful voice answered.

'Oh, by the gods, I'm talking to Balerion! How is that possible?' Aemon wondered. "I'm not sure. It seems your blood carries a potency that even surpasses that of the Conquerors and the Dreamer," he received an answer.

"How can I hear you in my head?" he asked.

"Our words flow like the currents of ancient fires, for your blood binds us. I express my gratitude for rekindling my life's ember. I seemed destined to fade into oblivion, bereft of a worthy successor. My fire can only be enkindled by the flames of those born of fire or those of strong Valyrian blood, much like you," Balerion rumbled, his immense form emanating a deep, resonant tone.

"But you also possess an icy undercurrent, a force that intertwines with my life's fire. I am now both the fusion of your ice and my fire courses through my being. This amalgamation sustains me, rekindles the vitality of my youth, and keeps my existence aflame, without which I would have been dead in a year," the ancient dragon conveyed.

"Ah, the honor is mine to make your acquaintance, Balerion. It seems our paths are intertwined. I have no doubt that the gods have a part to play in this, and I hope we shall take to the skies one day. Yet, before I ask more questions, can you send me back to my body? I don't want to freak out my father. I doubt he enjoys the fact my eyes are now all white," Aemon questioned the great dragon.

Everything went black, and he was back against his father's chest. "Thank you," he added. 'Can he hear me now, too?' he wondered. "Yes, I can," Balerion replied.

"Aemon? Thank the gods, I thought I lost you for a second," his father said, worried, and kissed his brow. "Return, Vhagar," his father commanded, and Vhagar began to fly back to the Dragonpit.

"So Balerion, about this inner fire and fusion of my ice with your fire. What does that all mean?" he asked.

"Alas, that remains a mystery. Valyria knew only of fires that blazed with fervor, for ice was absent in the realm of our forebears. But your essence carries a duality, where fire and ice coalesce. In the frigid expanse of the North, ice holds dominion, a formidable force that must find harmony with fire. This causes equilibrium and shall usher in an era of balance. Yet, tread carefully, for an excess of either element portends disaster, as we saw already with the Doom and fall of the Empire of the Dawn. The old ones told me of a power that seeks to end this duality for a cruel purpose. A harbinger of death, the cold that comes in winter, this power aims to cease the perpetual cycle. Fire, the harbinger of life, counters this dire vision, and a delicate balance is maintained. Should either force overwhelm, the world shall descend into a wasteland of ash or a frozen abyss," Balerion murmured, his ancient wisdom flowing like an age-old song.

"You are speaking of the Great Other. The gods spoke to me about it. He wants to end life as we know it, bring eternal darkness to the world, and end the cycle. As you say, fire and ice are opposites but balance each other. But where did you learn all this knowledge?" Aemon inquired, his voice a mere whisper. It was reverence he was feeling in the face of Balerion's millennia-spanning existence.

"As you dwelt in Valyria for a decade, as I said, the old ones, or elder dragons, told me tales of ancient lore. How they came to know all they knew is a secret that remains veiled even from the ancients. Not all of my kind share my insight. However, they have a higher mind than other creatures in the world. So they feel the sting of severed bonds upon death, much as I did when I lost Maegor and little Aerea. Aegon's and Daenys' passing, my closest companions next to you, inflicted the most profound anguish, a pain endured across nearly seven decades," Balerion conveyed, his rumbling voice carrying a melancholy sound to it.

He giggled in delight at what he had now and said, "I am bestowed with a treasure trove of ancient lore indeed. Balerion, I humbly thank you for choosing me as your dragon bond. It's something I shall enjoy fully."

"Good, at least you can still laugh, little Aemon," his father said, smiling.

"His eyes went white?" his mother asked, confused.

"Yes, I don't know what happened. One moment, Balerion roared loudly, and the next, Aemon's eyes were white," his father explained. 'He wondered if his mother knew about wargs.' Aemon wondered.

They flew a little bit more before Vhagar landed, with Balerion not far behind them. "Well, it seems we have a little dragon rider in the making," his father said to his mother as he dismounted from Vhagar. Vhagar was led into the Dragonpit, with Balerion following after her. "We will speak again," Balerion added as he disappeared into the pit.

"Well, it seems that is my lot. I love both men to be riders," Lyanna said, kissing him and Baelon. Then his mother saw Baelon's look. "What, is there something wrong?" she asked, frowning.

"His eyes went white for a while," his father admitted, and his mother gave him a confused look.

His father explained more. "It was after Balerion came close to us, and it seemed he and Aemon connected, but I do not know how. Yet after that, Balerion roared, and Aemon's eyes turned white for a few moments." 'He wondered if his mother knew what wargs were.' He wondered.

"Mmm, there were these stories I heard in Winterfell. People's eyes turned white when they went into the minds of animals and controlled them. They were either called wargs or skinchangers. Although you are saying that Aemon did it with Balerion, it's possible my house intermarried with the Marsh Kings ages ago, and it was said they were wargs as well," his mother explained and looked at him in his father's arms.

"Truly, such a thing is possible, but Lya, Aemon is just a babe," his father added.

"I know. We will not know the truth until Aemon speaks and tells us. It is maybe even a good thing. From what I know of wargs, most times, the bonds between a warg and an animal are very personal. They connect more than any other bond. Like you might have with a hound or horse. Perhaps it also goes for dragons, but I don't think there ever has been a warg with Targaryen blood," his mother added, smiling.

"Perhaps then it will be useful, as I'm almost certain Balerion is bonded with Aemon, yet the last time a young Targaryen tamed him, it ended in disaster," Baelon added. There was more concern in his voice. 'I know what he means. Aerea Targaryen died when she claimed Balerion and returned with a form of disease.'

"Let's hope so, and come, let's see your father. He might be interested to know if his grandson has received the interest of The Black Dread," his mother added.

They went into the carriage, not much later arriving back in the Red Keep, and went right to the King's solar. His father, receiving nods from the Kingsguard, was let through the door.

"Ah, son, good-daughter, good day. What brings you to my solar?" Jaehaerys questioned from his desk.

"Good day, father. Father, it seems we have a new dragon-bonded," his father said proudly as he walked into the solar of King Jaehaerys.

"Oh, how so? I saw the Black Dread flying again, for a second time. More times than I have seen it do in 30 years. Is little Aemon the cause?" the King asked, curious. The voice was loving. 'Do I remind him of his lost son? He had noticed his grandfather often visited his nursery, sometimes just holding him or staring into his crib. On occasion, Princess Gael also came along, a sweet child, if a bit thin.' He thought as he stared at his grandfather.

"Yes, Father, more or less. The moment I flew with Vhagar into the sky, Balerion followed. The dragon's golden eyes never left our boy," Baelon said, looking at him and his mother. 'Hmm, it seems they won't tell him yet about the possibility of me being a warg.'

"Very good. I thought that he would never fly again after Viserys tried to tame him and how weak he was. But it seems something in the boy has awakened the flame of the old dread," the King said with a laugh.

"Well, let's hope Aemma brings us a healthy babe, too, a great playmate for little Aemon here," Lyanna said with a smile, tickling his tummy. 'Damn himself, he was happy at this moment. The Black Dread was his dragon. He had a loving mother and father and more family he adored. He felt guilty but hoped his family would want him to be happy. It wasn't even half a year ago, yet he was starting to be truly happy despite some of the difficulties of being a babe.' He thought, conflicted as he took in the happiness of the room.

The First Four Moons

I still remember the earlier days of my new life. They were both a blessing and a curse, and I couldn't do much as I was still a babe. I could only laugh or murmur. So, I planned what I needed to ensure the world would be better prepared for what was to come. I planned what I would do with my fortress in Sea Dragon Point, as I learned from my parents, King Jaehaerys, and my grandfather Rickard Stark, Lord of Winterfell and previous cousin to Ellard Stark. They had negotiated that I would have connected the North better to the Seven Kingdoms. It also seems it lessened the tensions of the North losing the New Gift.

My family was mostly a blessing. Viserys and Aemma were also trying to learn to handle a babe. They were both excited to meet their new child, so they gave as much of their attention as they could. My mother adored both Aemma and Viserys because of it.

My father gave me a newfound peacefulness, which I didn't know I needed. Where Eddard Stark had raised him, he could never truly show him open affection because of Catelyn Tully. Baelon never had that issue. He gave him the support he needed as a father. Neither Eddard Stark nor Rhaegar Targaryen could have given him that before. As for Rhaegar Targaryen, I would find out more later about the man.

Then, his brother, Daemon, had not accepted my mother and father's union and felt his father had betrayed his mother, Alyssa, with my mother. He said I was a half-breed, not a pure Targaryen, and that my eyes were wrong. Later, I found out he called my mother other colorful names. That was a thing with Daemon. He picked for himself what was pure Targaryen and what was not, as I found out later. It seemed mostly to be a distaste for my blood and me.

As for my other kin, like my Septa Aunt Meaggale, she was a sweet woman. Unfortunately, she would die four years after my birth of greyscale. Little Gael was a sweet child and became a good companion to me through the years I knew her. My two Targaryen grandparents were both good to me in their own way. Alysanne was more affectionate and loving, yet Jaehaerys looked at me with curiosity and a look of promise. I found out later why that was.

The greatest blessing was my mother. Her presence was a boon in my life, one I had always wished for. Knowing she was my mother from the same timeline made our bond even more special. I remember looking forward to the day I could speak with her and get answers to the questions I always harbored about the rebellion, her earlier life, and my father, Rhaegar.

Notable to me in these early days was the birth of Laena Velaryon, the firstborn of Corlys Velaryon and Rhaenys Targaryen, four moons after my own birth.

Page out of the Journal of Aemon Targaryen the White Dragon.