Author's Note: Again this is a weird timeline compromise between Book and Show canon. Finally yes, Daemon was an OK father to his twin daughters he had later in life with a Valyrian wife and his other children he had even later in life with his Valyrian-Princess-Niece-wife. I don't think young Daemon would have been a great dad to a dirty-blonde son of a woman he considered "uglier than a sheep" for not being Valyrian. Also the arrangement with the Velaryons in the show was a special arrangement, normally, particularly when a man of a higher house married a woman of a lower house, the children would be of the higher house. So legally Aegor is in fact a Targaryen and not a Royce. Anyways short chapter, wanted it longer but this felt a better end point than what I had so I just added more to chapter 4.
Chapter 3: Rumblings
That flight with Laenor and Rhaenyra had been a turning point for Aegor. More and more he went out with his cousins, when dragons were not involved, also including the mischievous Laena.
He and Laenor sparred often, though the slightly younger boy's lack of a growth spurt hurt him more and more against Aegor's robust build, inherited all the way down the line of Royces from the First Men.
From there on, Rhaenyra would often join Laena in watching their bouts, though not jeering and heckling the way the younger girl would.
Soon enough time had passed and Queen Aemma was once more with child. The king was particularly hopeful for this one, as they had an entire team of Maesters attending her, but still one day early on, Aegor, who was nearing six feet at four and ten and a solid hundred and forty pounds, caught the queen as she became dizzy and stumbled down some steps.
"Your Grace!" He cried out as he steadied her, "Shall I help you back to your chambers and then fetch the Maesters?"
She nodded glumly, "Yes, I believe that may be best." She waved off her Kingsguard, "It's alright Ser Willas, my nephew may help me."
Nodding the Kingsguard followed along behind.
"However is your mother, by the by?" She questioned him.
"Oh! She wrote to me a fortnight past, she is doing quite well. The Mountain Clans still have yet to begin testing the area again, even after Urrax has left. Likely they do not wish to test when he will return. She says that has led to a wonderful amount of game to hunt and hawk."
He would never accuse the queen of giggling, but there was certainly melodious laughter that followed, "Your mother always was an active one! Why I remember she and your father's wedding! She caught half the quail for the feast!"
"They were matched by the Good Queen were they not?"
"Indeed! Unfortunately grandmother did not have so good a grasp of your father's…preferences and perhaps it was a less good match in practice than theory. She always wished to tie the houses of the kingdoms tighter to the throne but the poor woman was thwarted at every step by my aunts and uncles."
"I have heard…whispers of what happened to the princesses Saera, Viserra, and Gael."
The queen shook her head sadly, "Those poor girls…well except for Aunt Saera. She may well be a demon incarnate for all the damage she did to the family, still living quite large out in Essos."
The scorn was not something he was used to hearing from the typically charming queen.
"I have met your niece, the Lady Arryn, on a few of her trips out to join my mother on some hunts." Egg clumsily changed the topic.
"Ah yes! Young Jeyne! Truly a wonderful young lady. A pity my eldest brother, Jonos, left us to the Shivers at such a young age. But she has done wonderfully as Lady Paramount. Rose high as honor to the occasion one might say!"
Egg chuckled gamely at the queen's pun. A bit surprised at the humor.
They chatted politely about the Vale as he led her back to her rooms. Quickly enough he ran to get the Grand Maester Runciter from the chambers maesters held beneath the rookery tower.
"Apologies, Grand Maester, but the Lady Aemma went faint and disoriented just now and I got her back to her rooms. I had the servants fetch fresh water and possibly some food for her, but I also felt I should come and inform you so whomsoever has her care can attend her."
The Grand Maester, getting up in the years and not one Aegor usually associated with personally, nodded his understanding, "Good work, young Egg. I shall send Mellos and one of the assistants along presently. Now get yourself down to the stables, I believe you have mounted practice today."
"Yes, Grand Maester! Thank you!" He bowed and exited quickly.
Aegor was forgiven for his tardiness when he informed Ser Erryk of the nature of it, "Well enough then. We shall be working on after charge combat today. Your sword work is goodly, boy, but I want you to have flexibility if ever a real war comes. The Vulture King and the Myrish raiders all came on almost no warning so let us ignore the daisy-chain making of tournament fighting for now."
Walking over to the racks he grabbed a blunt poleax of a middling length, "You do not have your full growth yet, boy. But it looks as if you shall be a stocky one with it. So I shall start you on some of the weapons that use more muscle, eh? This is a poleax. Mostly we fight with it like a quarterstaff and use the head and spike to finish an opponent. Tripping, disarming, all that dishonorable stuff the knights of summer scoff at. This is a weapon for when you have been dismounted, whether it was willingly or not. A shorter version can be used while mounted, and I've seen some knights use it as a reserve spear, though that is not ideal. This type of side weapon is favored by the Vale, the Riverlands, and the North. Those with strong First Men blood. Thus I figured you may take to it."
Grinning at getting to try out a new weapon Aegor grabbed it firmly, "So why are we here by the riding area if this is an unmounted weapon?"
Ser Erryk grinned evilly, "Because, young Egg…we are going to practice unwilling dismounts and quickly switching to our infantry weapons."
"Oh…oh no."
Egg skipped out on dragon riding that night. Going back to his chambers bruised and battered, with a servant bringing him some bruise salves from the maesters.
Ser Erryk would never admit to Aegor how surprised he was by how well the squire took to the slashing and multiple use polearms, but the young Valyrian's First Men blood obviously rang strongly in him. The poleax did not remain alone. He devoured the forms shown to him on voulge, halberd, and raven's beak as well.
"I like the longsword well enough, 'tis very flexible." Aegor said to his instructor and knight one day, "But the leverage I get with the swinging arms feels better to me most of the time. It feels as if I am getting the full use of everything."
This was the trail of thoughts on his mind when he next flew upon Urrax with Laenor and Seasmoke.
His cousin noticed his distance as they dismounted and commented, "What has you so out of sorts today?"
"Hmm…oh I've just been thinking about what it would be like to fight from dragonback. They get even larger than this, correct?"
"Aye…I saw Vhagar a sennight back when she stretched her wings out. Absolutely monstrous."
"Well a sword very well shant work then shall it?"
"Oh, I suppose not."
"So I imagine you would need a very long polearm to hit another dragon rider, probably a bladed hook to dismount them by slicing the saddle as opposed to getting lucky and killing them outright?"
"Why are you thinking of fighting other dragon riders?"
"Well the maesters did cover Maegor the Cruel last moon. So the thought lingered." He'd never admit to his cousin he was thinking of how to knock his own father off of Caraxes. Not only was the rider a softer target, but Caraxes hadn't done anything wrong.
"Well yes, I suppose if you did not wish to rely purely upon your dragon you would need a very long polearm. Perhaps even with a second handle like a farming scythe."
"Yes! That would allow additional leverage with the length! Hmm…I shall have to ask the maesters for some weaponsmithing manuals." It would be famous to fight on dragonback as more than just a passenger and guide for Urrax.