Disclaimer: I don't own the A Song of Ice and Fire series.

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Chapter Fifteen

295-296 AC

Jaehaerys Targaryen

"So, which one is your favourite?" Aegon asked. Jae had been here for about a week, and the brothers had decided to eat outside today. They had simply brought their food out to the yard and now they were sitting, just the two of them, continuing their discussion on their ancestors.

"I don't know," Jae admitted, eating a piece of his chicken. "Aemon the Dragonknight, maybe, although I loved the story of the Young Dragon too. What about you? Do you have a favourite?"

"Jaehaerys the Conciliator," Aegon said at once, smiling at him. "Your namesake, brother. I think he was one of the best kings our family produced."

Jae thought about that for a moment, and then he nodded. "Aye, I suppose that's true. A lot of the laws in place today were put into action by him."

"Exactly. And his reign was mostly peaceful too. Yes, there were problems, but there were no major wars."

"Aye, it must have been a good time to live. Wasn't he the one to build the kingsroad too?"

"Yes, he was. That was a good idea, wasn't it? It's a wonder no one thought of it before."

Jae nodded in agreement, and they ate quietly for a little while. Finally though, Jae spoke, remembering a time from years ago in Winterfell. "Do you remember that during the Dance of the Dragons, prince Jacaerys Velaryon went to Winterfell on his dragon Vermax?" He asked, and Aegon looked at him curiously.

"I do, I have a book on the Dance actually. Wasn't his visit when the Pact of Ice and Fire was signed?"

"Aye, it was, but it was never fulfilled I don't think. Anyway, did you know of the rumour that the prince's dragon left eggs in Winterfell?"

"No, it wasn't. The crown never got around to it, I suppose. And I did hear that, is it true? I thought it was only a myth."

Jae laughed, and shook his head. "Oh, no it's not true. Robb and I looked for those eggs for years though, just in case. He'd be Cregan Stark, and I'd be the Dragonknight. We made a game of it, I suppose. It's funny now, thinking back on it. I always did enjoy stories of our family...even before I knew."

"Maybe part of you did know," Aegon mused, looking at him. "I mean, they say that our family has magic in our blood, do they not? Perhaps that's why you enjoyed those stories, you felt a connection with them."

"You know, I never thought of that. It could be true...I suppose we'll never know." He smiled, and Aegon nodded in agreement.

"How are you getting on with that book Haldon gave you?" Aegon asked him, and Jae shifted slightly. Haldon had given him a small book, written in Valyrian. He was to practice with it, and although he was doing so, he was finding it difficult.

"Well...I'm doing all right with it," He said vaguely. "It's taking some getting used to."

"Well, you have just started to learn," Aegon pointed out with an encouraging smile. "As for that book, I used it too. I could help you when we're finished here, if you like."

"Are you sure? I thought you wanted to play father's harp after dinner." Jae said, silently grateful for the offer of help.

"I could do both," His brother replied easily. "As long as you wouldn't mind listening to me playing that is."

"Of course not," Jae assured him, and Aegon grinned.

"It's settled then." He said, and Jae nodded in agreement.

"Thank you for this," He said a little later on when they had finished their meal. They had carried the plates and cups back inside before heading up the stairs to Jae's room. Aegon had fetched their father's harp, but for now they were looking at the book together.

"It's no trouble Jae, I'm happy to help. That's what brothers are for, is it not?"

"Aye, it is," Jae replied, and he smiled softly. His brother was truly everything he could have hoped for. He was kind, and he was easy for Jae to talk to. Jae never felt that he was beneath him, that he was lesser somehow. As much as he loved Robb, he had felt that way sometimes and he was glad that with Aegon he didn't. He'd been a bit surprised, actually. Aegon was the king, after all, and Jae was not. He'd thought that it might make the distance between them greater than the one between him and Robb, but it hadn't. Aegon never once said or did anything to make him feel that way, and Jae was grateful for that. It would have hurt him a lot if he had, so the fact that he hadn't was a huge relief.

"Jae, are you all right?" His brother asked, and Jae blinked, coming out of his thoughts.

"What? Yes, sorry I'm fine. I got lost in my thoughts, I suppose." He admitted, and his brother nodded.

"What were you thinking of?" Aegon asked, and Jae hesitated. Aegon knew of his lack of confidence, but they hadn't discussed the things that Jae had been thinking about. Aegon had asked though, so Jae would speak. He'd promised himself that he'd not hide things from his brother, for him honesty was definitely the best policy.

"I was thinking of how happy I am that you and I get on so well. I...before I came, I worried, you see. You're the king, and I...well, I feared that you'd not want me for a brother, or that if you did you'd see me as lesser. I mean...I know that I am, but-"

"No, you're not," His brother interrupted, shaking his head. "And I don't ever want to hear you say that again, Jae. You're my brother, and you're certainly not lesser, not to me and not to anyone else. I'd have never thought so, brother. You do know that now, don't you?"

"I do, and I'm glad," Jae replied, and Aegon smiled. "I...thank you, brother."

"For what, Jae? We're family, and we're equals. Yes, I might be the king, but you're my brother. We're a team now, aren't we? We're in this together, and we always will be."

"Aye, we're a team Aegon. We'll do this together, and we'll take back the kingdoms."

"That we will," Aegon said, clearly satisfied. "Now, speaking of things we're going to do together, let's see to that book, shall we? What is it that's giving you trouble?"

Jae nodded, and opened the book, turning to the page he'd been working on. It was a passage on dragons, but there was a phrase that he just couldn't work out. "Here," He said, gesturing to the line. "I know it's something about dragons, but I can't make it out."

Aegon took the book from him, and looked down at the page. "Oh yes, I remember this. That phrase says: A dragon is not a slave."

He handed the book back, and Jae looked at it again. "A dragon is not a slave." He repeated, and Aegon nodded.

"Exactly. Do you know what it means?" He asked, and Jae thought about it for a moment before answering.

"It means that a dragon is free. That they can't be controlled."
"Yes, exactly. Dragons are wild creatures, Jae, they can't be tamed nor should they be."

"But didn't our family tame them?" Jae asked, a little puzzled. "We rode them for generations, did we not?"

"We did, but no the dragons weren't tamed. They chose their riders, Jae, they chose who was worthy and who wasn't. You know of the Dragonseeds during the Dance of the Dragons?"

"Yes, I think so. Prince Jacaerys had the idea, he wanted all of the dragons that were on Dragonstone to have riders so he offered rewards to anyone who managed to ride one. The island was full of Dragonseeds, people with Targaryen blood...mostly thanks to princes of our house being...intimate with the local smallfolk."

"Yes, that's right. A lot of people died in the attempt to claim a dragon though."

"Aye, I remember. Few were able to, and some of those who were able to turned on queen Rhaenyra. She was furious, and wanted all of them dead. Isn't that why prince Daemon went to Harrenhal to fight his last battle?"

Aegon thought for a moment, and then he nodded. "Yes, partly. One of the dragonseeds was a girl named Nettles. No one knew much about her, but prince Daemon took her as a lover. When his wife Rhaenyra ordered her death, he instead let her go and that's when he flew to Harrenhal."

"Aye, you're right. I had forgotten that part of the story." Jae admitted, and Aegon chuckled.

"The Dance of the Dragons was complicated," He mused. "The whole realm was in chaos, just because no one could decide who should rule."

"Neither of them was very worthy," Jae said, and at Aegon's look he went on. "Well, Aegon the Second was horrible. He had his dragon eat his own sister while her young son watched."

"That's true," Aegon admitted. "But Rhaenyra wasn't exactly much better. She did order all the dragonseeds dead after all, not just the ones who had betrayed her."

"True enough, that wasn't very fair of her." Jae agreed, and his brother nodded.

"You know, it's strange," Aegon said, and Jae looked at him. "Our family has faced a lot of threats, but the worst ones have always come from within. Why do you think that is?"

"I don't know," Jae admitted. "Ambition, I suppose. A lot of the time, it's other people pushing our family apart. Aegor Rivers did it with Daemon Blackfyre, and Aegon the Second's mother did it with him."

"That's true, it usually is someone else pushing them to act. Ambition is a terrible thing, is it not?" His brother sighed, and Jae nodded seriously.

"It is, brother. I really don't understand how someone could turn on their family for power."

"Neither do I. It's wrong, and a lot of the time, it doesn't work anyway so you just end up dead." Aegon shook his head, clearly not liking the notion of it.

Jae agreed with him, and after that, they went back to the book. Jae found that with Aegon's help, it was much easier and soon enough, they had gone through a good number of pages. That was when Aegon turned to the harp, and Jae found himself smiling.

"What will you play?" He asked, and Aegon glanced at him, his expression thoughtful.

"I'm not sure," He admitted. "Do you have any requests?"

"How about Alysanne." Jae suggested, and he smiled when his brother began to play. He was good with the harp, and he sang well too, Jae found out. He played Alysanne, and then a few other songs, and Jae listened on quietly.

Finally, Aegon stopped playing, and Jae realised how late it was. The moon was up now, and as he looked at his brother, he saw him yawn and he laughed a little.

"What, aren't you tired?" Aegon asked, and Jae nodded after a moment.

"Aye, I am actually, though I hadn't noticed it until now. I suppose we'd best get to bed, we have history lessons with Haldon tomorrow."

"Yes, I know, and you're right. We probably should sleep." Aegon said, and he gathered the harp and got to his feet. "Goodnight, Jae, I'll see you in the morning."

"Goodnight, Aegon. Sleep well." Aegon left, and Jae got undressed and went to bed. He went to sleep, glad once again that he'd come here, and that Aegon was such a good brother to have.

Aegon Targaryen

Aegon watched Jae as he read the letter again, wondering what it could be about. He'd smiled at the letters from Robb and Arya, but this letter seemed different. They were sitting at the table, Jon and Arthur were there too, and Jae had been looking at the letter for a good few minutes.

Aegon had now known his brother for a few moons. It was a new year now, and his four and tenth nameday was approaching. Jae was everything he'd always wanted in a brother, and looking at him now, Aegon wondered what his uncle's letter could possibly say to have his brother rereading it so many times. Before he could ask though, Ser Arthur did, and Aegon was quietly grateful for it.

"What is it, Jae?" The knight asked, making Jae look up.

"It's...it's..." He looked at the letter again, and then he tried again. "He's supporting us, he's giving us the support of the North."

"What?" Ser Arthur asked. "Are you sure, Jae?"

"Yes, that's what the letter says. He says that I'm pack, that Aegon's my family so he's pack too, and that he's with us."

"So we have the North?" Aegon asked, honestly surprised. He'd heard quite a lot about Jae's uncle, and he hadn't thought that he'd come to their side. The fact that he had was good, and from his brother's slowly spreading smile, he knew that this news made him very happy.

"Aye brother, we have the North. My uncle has chosen family...he's chosen me, and you as well."

"Well, this is wonderful news!" Aegon said, beaming at his brother. He was incredibly happy about this turn of events, but it was Jae that he was truly glad for. His uncle was a complicated subject for him, Aegon knew. He loved lord Stark, but Aegon suspected that a part of him hated him as well for all those years he'd lied to him. To have him choose Jae now was excellent, and Aegon knew that it would mean much and more to his brother.

"Aye, it is," Jae replied, beaming. "He's meeting with some of his lords soon, only the most loyal of them."

"Well, that's a good thing too, having them onside will help." Ser Arthur mused. The knight looked surprised, but he too was smiling at the news. "I'm glad he's made the right decision, Jae. I feared that he wouldn't do so."

"Aye, I did too, my prince, but I'm glad he hasn't." Jon added with a small smile. "Having the North on our side will be a blow to the usurper too, which can only be a good thing."

"Exactly," Aegon agreed, and Jae nodded. "This calls for a celebration, I think."

"Really? What did you have in mind?" Jae asked, and Aegon grinned.

"You know that tavern in the city, the one we had lunch in last week?" He asked, and after a moment, Jae nodded in agreement.

"Aye, the one with the honeyed chicken." He said, and Aegon nodded.

"Yes, that one," He agreed. "Well, I think we should all go there for some dinner. Today is a happy day, after all."

"Aye, that's a good idea." Jae said, and they both looked at Jon and Ser Arthur. Aegon hoped that they would agree. They'd had some good news today, they deserved the treat, he thought.

"I don't see why not," Ser Arthur said after a moment. "I had that chicken too, and it really is good. Besides, Your Grace, you're right. Today is a good day."

"Aye, I agree as well," Jon said, and so it was decided.

The walk through the city was a pleasant one, their whole group moving together with Jae and Aegon leading them. Sadly, Ghost couldn't come, but both Aegon and Jae had promised to bring him back some of the chicken.

Aegon and his brother spoke the whole way to the tavern. They spoke of inconsequential things, but Aegon could see how happy his brother was. He was happy too, it was wonderful that his family would be on their side. He knew that Jae had worried about it, and now he wouldn't need to do so anymore.

When they reached the tavern, they found that it was fairly quiet. They were seated at a large table, and once their orders were taken, Aegon turned to his brother who was sitting beside him.

"Tell me more of Winterfell." He said with a smile which Jae returned. Jae had spoken of it before of course, but he rarely went into detail about it.

"What do you want to know? Have I told you about the glass gardens yet?" He asked, and Aegon shook his head.

"No, I don't think so. What are those?" He asked, and Jae smiled.

"It's a place where food and flowers are grown. It's like...a glass house, and it's always warm inside. I didn't spend a lot of time in there, but I did like the winter roses that grew in it."

"Winter roses?" Aegon asked, and Jae nodded. He looked a little sad he thought, and he wondered if he shouldn't have asked about it.

"Aye, winter roses. They're pale blue, the colour of frost. My mother...apparently, she loved them as well."

"Oh." Aegon said quietly. They rarely spoke of their mothers, he realised. It wasn't that they didn't speak of them at all, they did, but neither of them had known their mothers at all really. They both mourned their losses, as they did their father's and their sister's, but they only knew so much about their mothers. "I'm sorry," Aegon said now. "I didn't know."

"No, it's all right," Jae replied, offering him a small smile. The others at the table were talking to each other, and Aegon was glad of that. This was between himself and his brother, it wasn't really for them to join in with. "You couldn't have known, after all. My uncle told me about it after I learned the truth. I took her a few you know, brought them down to her statue."

"She has a statue?" Aegon asked, surprised. His brother hadn't told him of it, but he supposed that it was good that Jae had somewhere to go to feel closer to his mother. Aegon wished he had somewhere like that for his own mother, and as he thought that his sadness grew knowing that there was nowhere like that for him to go. Perhaps when he was king, he'd have a statue of her commissioned. He could make a shrine of sorts for her, one for his father too perhaps.

"Aye, it's in the crypts," Jae explained. "I...I never paid it much mind before I knew. I mean...we played in the crypts sometimes, but...I never realised that my mother was right there in front of me all along."

"Well, of course you didn't. You didn't know, Jae, it isn't your fault." Aegon told him, and Jae nodded. He felt bad for his brother at times. He'd been raised as a bastard, raised to believe that everyone in his life was better than him. It made Aegon furious, especially since it was so far from the truth. He wanted to make them pay, all of them who had dared to treat his brother that way. Jae was getting better now, but there were still times when he held back, thinking that it wasn't his place to speak or to do something.

Aegon was doing all he could for him. He had told his brother more than once that he mattered, that to Aegon he was an equal. His brother believed him, he knew that, but he could still see the uncertainty in his eyes sometimes. He hoped that it would fade, that his brother would be able to have the confidence in himself that those people had stripped from him. In the meantime though, Aegon would be confident for both of them, and he'd be happy to do that until his brother could be that way on his own.

"I know you're right," Jae said, and Aegon looked at him. "I know that I couldn't have known, but I still feel bad. I ran through those crypts so many times, and I never thought of it."

"You shouldn't feel bad, brother. You know now, and that's what matters." Aegon said, and Jae nodded.

Just then, the food arrived and they began to eat. The mood lightened again, and they returned to happier topics until the meal was done. After the chicken, Jae suggested they get some cakes and so they did. The ones they had here had pieces of orange in them, which both of them enjoyed immensely.

They had given some to the others too, but if Aegon were being honest then he'd have to admit that he and his brother ate most of them. They went home after the cakes were done, and Aegon saw how late it was.

"Time for bed." Jae announced as they went up the stairs. They had given Ghost the chicken they'd saved for him, and now both of them were tired.

"Yes, time for bed. We're sparring first thing, and I'll need my rest for that." Aegon said, and Jae chuckled.

"Aye, that you will, brother. All right, goodnight then."

"Goodnight Jae." Aegon said with a smile and he went into his room.

He got himself ready for bed and climbed into it. He'd gotten used to having his brother here with him, he realised. Their relationship had been good from the very start, better than Aegon could have hoped for. They were brothers, now and always, and Aegon was glad that Jae was now by his side.