Hi before we begin, I would like to announce two new arrivals, maybe three in the form of a HoTd fic, a Reyne story just published, and lastly a Martell or Dayne story as I have yet to decide on it.
Chapter 7: The Northern Dragon
Aegon
295, Winterfell
Aegon knocked Theon Greyjoy into the dirt, men clapped to his victory.
The Prince sighed and helped the Greyjoy to his feet, "Whacked me harder than you should've, huh?" He scoffed and shook his head.
"Ser Willem once told me to show no mercy, that and every hard hit is a remembered lesson." He cracked a smile and the two exited the circle and Jon and Robb went in next.
Aegon watched Jon and Robb go around in circles, striking and defending against one another and in Aegon's mind he thought about the last few years since coming here.
When his uncle Jaehaerys returned, his Uncle Viserys arranged a welcoming feast that more or less became a final dinner.
He was angry, and resentful. He begged Jaehaerys not to send him away and Viserys and Rhaenys threatened Eddard Stark and his men but Jae told them to stand down.
His uncle had taken him by the shoulders, "Listen to me Aegon, I don't want you to go but this is better than the alternatives... Going North ensures that you'll return one day." He didn't understand at first, he remembered telling Jae that he wished he died in the war but over the voyage he agonized over what he said.
Lord Stark said about a month after getting to Winterfell that he was originally intended to go to Casterly Rock, he figured that Tywin might have made sure he died in some way as the Usurper wished to kill them all anyway.
And the Starks weren't the scary lackeys of the Stag as his uncle Viserys once told them, they treated him fair and made him and Theon who also was a ward like him feel at home but it never took the urge to run, find a way back to Dragonstone and seek Jaehaerys forgiveness for what he said.
"Fine job, Lord Robb. And Jon, you need to work on your footing." Rodrik said and Theon laughed at Lord Stark's baseborn son.
Jon and Robb became like brothers to him and Theon, he remembered feeling so alone until one day Jon came up to him and talked with him.
Two years in and he and Jon became closer, they'd train together when Theon was off chasing servant women and Robb was traveling the North with Robb. At feasts, the four of them would sit together, joke, and tease each other or Robb's two sisters, Sansa and Arya.
"Look, haha!" Theon laughed, pointing at Jon and Robb rolling in the mud, Rodrik yelling at the two to cut it out.
Theon is a few years older than him, he himself is older than Robb and Jon by two years. The heir to Pyke is always lusting for women, going to the Wintertown Brothel, or defiling a servant causing Lady Stark to chastise him. Aegon is quite surprised that the man hasn't fathered a bastard or two.
It's the Kraken's nature.
After training, he and the three were putting their equipment away when a knock at the door caught them off guard. It was Jory, Rodrik's nephew and the next head of House Cassel.
"Aegon, you have a package from the South."
His curiosity piqued, "From Dragonstone?" He asked and Jory nodded.
"Better run along, Egg. Don't keep Lord and Lady Stark waiting." He hurriedly put his training chest piece down and ran out of the armory.
Running past Mikken the smith, he received a hateful glance. Aegon's smile dimmed somewhat.
He understands the resentment, he was the grandson of King Aerys Targaryen. His House once did some terrible things, the execution of Brandon Stark and the death of Rickard Stark in a trial by combat to Ser Barristan, and then the Lady Lyanna who he heard was the beloved sister of the three brothers yet no one speaks of her.
He was also the son of Rhaegar, the one who began the war by kidnapping Lyanna Stark.
Aegon reached the great hall, and Lord Stark and his pregnant wife were speaking quietly alongside Maester Luwin. "My Lord? Jory said I got a delivery from home?" Lady Catelyn gestured for him to approach and he walked over to the dais.
It was a large box and he grinned thinking it was what it was, it wasn't. He lifted the top, frowning slightly as it was a new cloak, a dark red with black trimmings and the sigil of House Targaryen at the back.
He unfurled the cloak and replaced the old one that he was wearing, "It looks good on you, Aegon." Catelyn complimented. "Your sister sent it, here is a letter for you." Luwin gave him the scroll though it was already broken meaning Lord Stark had read it already.
It wasn't what he wanted, though the thought it appreciated by his sister.
What he hoped it was was his egg, he had begged Jaehaerys to at least let him keep it but his uncle said that though the dragons are gone, just having one could panic the Starks, and through them Robert Baratheon.
It won't hatch but the enemy doesn't know that and will assume that the family has more, and will try to hatch them.
He left the hall to attend to his chores with the other boys, Jon found him sometime after in the great hall eating some stew and gave him a piece of bread before sitting by him.
"What was in the delivery?" the thirteen-year-old asked him and he chuckled, "What?"
"It was a fine new cloak, do you want my old one?" He asked and Jon hesitated whilst looking at his own, seeing it dirtied.
"Well, you do keep your things cleaner than I." He and Jon laughed as that is very true.
Although his family isn't the leading House of the Realm, they didn't lose their behavior on keeping things tidy and nice. Rhaenys often got on him, the way he used to want to just run barefoot through the shores and overindulge in food.
He and Jon finished their food and left, he retrieved his old cloak from the time he arrived. He wiped the dust off of it, leaving his chambers and dusting it in the air while Jon laughed, that very dust got on his dublet.
"Here." He threw it over the younger brother of Robb, "Looks very Kingly, Lord Jon." He said amusingly and Jon posed with his tourney blade pointing to the sky.
Feeling a pair of eyes on them, he turned and looked up at Lord Stark who was wide-eyed seeing Jon walking around with his cloak on. Aegon didn't understand why he was angered, "Jon you remove that cloak this instant, give it back to Aegon." The command was serious.
"I'm sorry, my Lord, I thought that... " He tried to speak but Lord Stark waved him off.
"No, Aegon. I'm sorry, Jon should not have asked this of you." Eddard then turned to his bastard son, "If you needed a new cloak, you should have come to me, Jon."
He stepped up, defending Jon, "Actually, my Lord." Eddard turned to him, "I offered him it, a gift."
Lord Stark didn't say anything for a long moment, looking at the cloak that he took from Jon and running a hand over the three-headed dragon sigil. It was strange, why Lord Stark would worry about something like this.
"The stitching has to be removed, but you may keep it, Jon." Lord Stark relented and handed it back to his son then turned to him, "Thank you for the gesture, Aegon, and for being a constant companion for my son."
Night had fallen over the castle, a short snowfall was raining down and he and the others were outside catching snowflakes.
It was fun and he formed a snowball, throwing it at Theon's chest which started a snowball war that engulfed not just them but every young child within Winterfell.
He was struck in the face by nine-year-old Arya, Bran attacked him next and he dodged the next volley whilst hiding behind a stone wall. Aegon rolled two then four and jumped out of hiding, striking Arya, missing Bran, and hitting Robb twice.
In the end, everyone was laughing and soon Lady Stark was calling for everyone to get to bed and get warm.
Aegon fell back on his bed, hearing his heartbeat, and dreamt of home that one day his uncle said he'd come back to.
AN: A sweet but short chapter detailing teenage Aegon and his relationship with the Stark family plus his brother who he doesn't know is his brother. The next chapter will be the final time-jump as we enter the main storyline of A Song of Ice and Fire/Game of Thrones.
The next chapter will be back at Dragonstone and in Rhaenys pov this time around, we will also get a look at how Jaehaerys and the others took Aegon's departure and how it has affected the overall morale.
Well until next time, I hope you all do well in you ventures and so good night and sleep tight.