Author's Note: This is going to be a fusion of the show and book, as normal for my ASOIAF works. I am mostly going to be using the show ages as that makes things a bit easier, but I will be filling in holes in the timeline with information adapted from Fire and Blood. Essentially the premise is that Daemon got lucky and knocked Rhea up at their bedding ceremony and she had a son and let's be fully honest, Daemon is a terrible dude and would be an awful father so Aegor understandably hates the man's guts. I debated having him claim one of the wild dragons ahead of time but that felt overpowered, best to give him a hatchling early so it can be about as old as Syrax by the time the Dance hits. Daemon and Rhea got married the same year Rhaenyra was born so that would make Aegor here only a year younger than show-Rhaenyra.
I am still writing Curiosity btw, just hit a wall with how I wanted the SS Anne chapters to look and feel and doing some rewrites.
Chapter 1: Egg
Crack!
The sling bullet slammed into the skull of the thrush, crushing it and sending it down out of the branches of the bush it had thought itself safe in.
Aegor Targaryen loved hunting and falconry, the same as his mother, Rhea Royce. At two and ten he often came out into the woodlands and scrublands surrounding Runestone to hunt small game with his sling or shortbow. Making sure to never venture too far away, for though they were further from the Mountains of the Moon than most of the Vale there still was always the slight danger of roving Mountain Tribes and such.
As he bent down to pick up his quarry the sky darkened for a moment, turning up to look he saw the unmistakable form of Caraxes, his father's dragon, pass across the sun. The young boy narrowed his violet eyes and his face darkened into a most unbecoming scowl.
It was his name day after all, he knew the man would be visiting like usual, however that did not mean he had to like it.
No matter how many strange presents he brought or tales of bravery he regaled him with, Daemon Targaryen would never buy his son's love.
Because in the eyes of his son he was more of a bastard than any baseborn man alive.
With a sigh the boy hooked the feet of the thrush to his belt and began making his way back to the outer bailey.
"Mornin' young lord!" One of the guards greeted him as he went through the gate, "His princeliness is waiting for you up in the castle with your lady mother."
Aegor grunted an affirmation and made to walk past, but then he paused and turned to face the man who had spoken, "Thank you for the news, Ser Robar, I am just in a dark mood today."
Not quite apologizing, but still adding politeness back to his brusque start of his interaction. He always strove to be respectful of those underneath him and his mother. Even if so much of his drive to do so was just to be the opposite of his father.
"Of course young master, hope your nameday improves."
Snorting Aegor kept moving, he made his way up into the castle and dropped the thrush and his two quail off with the kitchens before continuing his way up to his mother's solar, where his parents were no doubt already fighting.
"He's not going! You hear me? You are not taking my son from me!"
"Our son, you bitch! And it's not me taking him anyways! It's my brother! If anything he's heaping honors onto the boy just to spite and control me!"
"Oh I wonder why he would want to do that? Could it be your shirking of your small council responsibilities? The whoring? The drinking? The-"
There was a thump and Aegor heard his mother gasp in pain.
That's when he pushed his way through the door and into the room, only to see his father standing over his mother, fist raised.
Someday, Aegor thought to himself, I am going to kill this pathetic excuse for a man.
However, today was not that day, "Get away from her!" He instead yelled, knowing his father didn't particularly like to show his worst behaviors to him.
For all his many many faults Prince Daemon wanted his son to love him. He just wasn't good at achieving that goal.
"Bah…take a few hours to say your good-byes to your mother. We're heading to King's Landing after that. The king wants you to start squiring. Hope your little wyrmling can fly by now." He slammed the door on his way out.
Aegor simmered in fury at the man's attitude, but soon turned to his mother who was shakily getting up off the floor.
"Are you alright, Mother?" He asked worriedly.
"I am fine, my boy." She quickly strode over to give him a tight hug, "You truly are the only good thing to ever come from that man."
"Must I really go to court with him?"
"Yes, Egg, unfortunately you must. Luckily you should not have to…associate too closely with him. You will be squiring for Ser Erryk Cargyll of the Kingsguard. A truly momentous opportunity. "Further, you will get to associate with your cousin and the other children of the court. Lords Hightower, Velaryon, and Strong all have children at court. Though I believe Lord Strong's are of an age they will be leaving on their own endeavors shortly. And Queen Aemma is a dear friend and kin to Lady Jeyne."
He sighed, nodding as he continued to hold onto his mother's sleeves, "I don't know if Urrax will get along with the other dragons in the Dragon Pit. He's only ever known the hills and sea cliffs around the castle."
His mother chuckled, "Oh sweetling, I am sure he will be fine. Only eight years and he is nearing the size of Caraxes. Though with Vermithor and Silverwing as progenitors I suppose that makes sense. He's certainly put enough of a dent in the local goat and tuna population that it will take years to recover. The fishermen down the coast will name a holiday after this day I am sure."
Snorting, Aegor pulled back and tried to discreetly wipe away the few tears glistening in his eyes, "There is that I suppose. I don't think I can go out hunting when I finish my lessons anymore."
"No, no sweetling, I don't think you can. I am sorry for that, I know you love the hunt as much as I do. I will have your falcon and luggage sent on a ship from Gulltown in the next week. For now it will just be whatever you can pack into Urrax's saddlebag. I will gather some coin from the castellan so you may purchase a new wardrobe in the capital."
"I…yes…I've never flown Urrax so far. It's only been a year since we got the saddle." He had received a saddle for his dragon for his eleventh nameday the year before. A present from his father once more. The man was always trying to buy his affections. He had yet to try actually being a good father and person, however, thus Aegor had never given him what he wanted.
He sat with his mother another quarter of an hour, speaking of what he would need for the capital and court. People he should avoid or befriend, topics of that sort. All too soon however it was time for him to go pack his belongings for the saddlebag and then bring Urrax to heel so they could follow his father and Caraxes back to King's Landing.
Urrax was a wild beast, not in the sense that he would not work with Aegor, but in the sense that they had only had one elderly dragon handler sent to teach Aegor how to work with him when the beast had hatched on Smith's Day when he was four namedays old. The old dragon handler had only stayed two years to make sure they had bonded well and that Aegor knew how to care for Urrax before once again departing back to Dragonstone.
Thusly, Urrax had largely been left to his own devices for the first seven years of his life. Aegor often searching him out to relax together and bond, but as often as not the beast was off in the mountains, the hills, or flying along the seaside cliffs eating his fill of wild game and lately even the occasional Mountain Tribesman.
Which had led to a special ritual dragon and rider had together that was not necessarily shared by other riding pairs.
Aegor walked down, his bag over his shoulders, and stood in the center of the outer bailey. Though his mood was dour he could never restrain the grin that appeared on his face when he did this.
Putting an ivory hunting horn, ironically a gift from one of his father's trips to Essos, to his lips he sent out a trumpeting call.
One might have presumed it echoed back out of the hills, but that was not the case, for soon the source of the mimicking return call was apparent.
A large, bronze dragon with silvery and gray veins on his wings came careening out of the foothills in the distance.
As it closed it became obvious that Rhea was exaggerating earlier. Urrax was no competitor with Caraxes in size yet, except perhaps in width. Being a scion of Vermithor and through him Balerion the Black Dread his lineage was a robust one. Thick dragons that grew quickly and proportionally. Unlike Caraxes with his long and sinuous body.
Still, Urrax was certainly more than large enough to ride at this point. A point driven home when his hindlegs slammed into the ground and shook the courtyard as he bled off his momentum with a few extra steps before fully landing with his wings pulled in and bat-like front talons bracing himself on the ground.
The stablehands quickly ran forward and dropped off his saddle nearby before retreating.
Cowards, thought Aegor, he wouldn't snap at them while I am here.
Moving forward Aegor lovingly rubbed his hand underneath the dragon's large jaw, already bigger than what any fully grown lizard-lions reportedly had.
"Hey, boy. Hope you had a big breakfast. We're going on a long trip today."
Any response Urrax had for him was cut off when the dragon's head sharply shot up and a deep and rumbling series of clicks spit out of his gullet, Aegor turned just in time to see his father, upon Caraxes, stalk into the courtyard with the lithesome red dragon clicking angrily back at Urrax.
"Heel, Urrax!" Aegor sharply commanded and his dragon, still simmering, somewhat backed down. Leaning in, Aegor whispered next to the dragon's head, "We'll get our chance at them some day. But we aren't ready yet."
Understanding if not the words then the intent Urrax truly calmed himself at that.
"Get him saddled up, boy!" His father called down, "Our journey is quite some length, and I have not had enough to drink to tolerate delays!"
Yes, Aegor thought, I am going to kill him some day.