Chapter Seven: The Dragon Pass
Aemon led the way, with Baelon following close behind. "Er, brother, should we not wake our sister?" the younger brother asked. "You're thinking with the wrong head brother" Aemon responded crudely, smirking back at him. "This is a quest for men, not girls" Aemon said. But, today is her nameday Baelon thought.
As they made their way through the Red Keep, Aemond halted in his tracks to say "I know a quicker way to the Pit out of the way of curious eyes". He placed his palms on two bricks and nudged to another for Baelon to follow suit. "The dragon must have three heads" he said, giving Bealon a mysterious look. The bricks gave way to a tunnel near as wide and high as the two princes shoulder to shoulder "Being the Prince of Dragonstone comes with privileges, brother" Aemon smirked.
"Have you ever considered which beast you would grow up to ride?" Aemon posed a while later. Baelon, still sleep drunk and half-aroused from his dragon dream wondered why his brother chose this very day to pluck him from bed at this ungodly hour. "Father says the dragon chooses its rider, not the other way round, for me, it makes no matter. Regardless, might I ask, we've talked about it for many moons, why Aemon, have you chosen today?"
Aemon took a moment. "Young brother, you and I both know you will wed our sweet sister on the morrow." Baelon's mind wandered, he would finally get to be with Alysanne, really be with her. He found his thoughts had wandered when Aemon interrupted them saying "Darling aunt Rhaena is said to be with child again. Darling as she may be, hers is still the female line.
"Female senior line" Baelon thought. Aemon continued: "To secure my succession, my Jocelyn must bear me an heir, and a male one at that". All the talk of producing heirs made Baelon want to turn around to visit Alyssa even more.
"If your ambitions are to plant a dragon in your wife's womb, then why brother, are on our way to tame dragons?" That question made Aemon pause his stride for a moment, only to resume his pace only an instant later. "I have sought council from septon Barth"
"The grey man who smells of donkeys and does naught but pine over old scrolls?" Baelon posed. "Yes" said Aemon. "Barth knows much and more, and his specialty is Valyria of Old, dragons and wyverns" "So, the donkey cares for ancient history, but why do you need a gray man to tell you how to get your wife with child?" Baelon mocked.
"Because septon Barth burns glass candles. "the man speaks of prophecy. He told me what must be done before my heir can be conceived, and I know his word to be true." That took Baelon aback, he thought glass candles were some fable. Disallowing his brother any time to respond, Aemon continued: "Your wedding guests will include any and all people left in Westeros with even a trace of High Valyrian ancestry: our family, the Baratheons, the Valeryons, the Celtigars, house Quoherys and the myriad of dragon seeds, the bastards of these great houses. Barth has uncovered a rare spellbook of the days of Valyria of Old. Apparently, the bravest and most infamous dragonlords more oft than not had trouble conceiving. When this spell of Barth's is muttered around enough people of the blood of Old Valyria during sun high, any dragon rider present who makes love that night will leave a healthy babe in the womb of his lover, do you not want to give our sweet sister a brave son?"Although Aemon's tone scared Baelon, he uttered an "I do".
"Then quit stalling and let us become dragon riders, as our forebearers before us. The blood of Aegon the Conquerer and his sister-wife Rhaenys runs through our veins. I have taken my pick, I shall be the first to mount Carexes, the blood wyrm." proclaimed the Prince of Dragonstone confidently.
Aegon's blood may run through my veins, but so does his son Aenys's, whose legacy proved to be a weak one, thought Baelon. Both princes' heads were so full of dragons that did not hear the footsteps beyond the tunnel wall.