"Aegon, Son of Prince Daemon Targaryen" I smiled as I rode into the field. Once again, my father's influence on things brought me great amusement. The man hated the name 'waters' with a deep passion, and it took no time for people to figure that one out. After all, there was only so many people that could taste Dark Sister's kiss before the rest would figure out what to do and not to do.

I looked up at the tourney stands and smiled at my father. This was to be m y first tournament, at the age of four-and-ten. Old enough to not be a boy, but far too young to be a man. Only two men were irresponsible enough to have their heirs ride in tournaments against fully trained knights at such an age. Mace Tyrell and Daemon Targaryen.

Unlike the fat flower, however, Daemon had ensured I had everything I could possibly need to succeed in this endeavour. Training, equipment, and most importantly of all, motivation. He'd been clear in his warning. Disappoint me and wait a few more years to get a dragon of your own. When I first came into this world, I'd thought that Daemon Targaryen of all people would be ecstatic at the thought of me claiming a dragon of my own, but I couldn't be more wrong.

After Mysaria's death, the Rogue prince had become just a bit less rogue. He still whored and cavorted like Robert Baratheon would in the future, but now he did it with a careful eye on his surroundings and with guards watching both his and mine every step. Sneaking out of dragonstone to try my hand at claiming one of the wild dragons on the Island was impossible. I was trained to be a Knight of Westeros, not a faceless man, so my stealth wasn't really anything to write home about, but I still tried and failed continuously, regardless.
The announcer's horn jolted me out of my thoughts and I focused on the man ahead of me. This tourney of Duskendale was going to be my first time off the Island. In four and ten years, I'd never got to see the rest of the world or even try my hand against warriors not of my father's guard. I was a bit nervous to see how I'd compare to Ser Farlan Frey.

Both our horses charged down the field and I braced for impact while levelling my lance at him as he did the same. My breath was almost knocked out of my chest by the impact, but my shield had taken the brunt of it. It took me a few seconds to notice that I'd shattered the lance in my hand. I tossed it away and motioned the serving boy that was acting as my squire to pass me a different one. He did, and I rode back down the field to clash with the Frey Knight again. This time, I could see his weasel-like face as we closed the distance, and I let out the breath I was holding before doing as I was taught and feigning an attack at his left to draw out his shield, before twisting and getting him right on his chest. He went sailing from his horse, with his lance still in hand, never actually getting the chance to attack me in that exchange. I threw away my shattered lance and rode around the field twice. Daemon's applause were perhaps the loudest, and even though I was sure most of the nobility present here cared little for me because of my birth, they still clapped. Either for the violence they got to witness, or for the threat of Daemon Targaryen in their midst. It mattered little, and I made my way to the rest of the knights after a second victory lap.

Jasper Manderly and Jerome Redwyne went through seven tilts before the Redwyne knight triumphed over the Northern Lord to secure his place as one of the few knights remaining. Since I took my place on the line, I hadn't even been challenged once. The reasoning wasn't hard to figure out. I was both a 'child' and a bastard. There was no 'honour' in beating me, and one would even lose some of that precious honour by losing to me. It just wasn't worth it for the stuffy Westerosi knights to even try.

I had to wait for my name to be called again before I could get my second tilt. I went across the line before tapping the shield of Meryn Darklyn. This tourney was held in his sister's honour, so I might as well make him eat some dirt. He was also a skilled knight, so I'd get some acclaim for beating him at least.

We rode against each other the first time, and I just barely managed to keep my seat on the saddle. I hadn't even seen what he'd done. I turned to him and found him already taking a mini-victory lap as if the outcome was already guaranteed. I kept hold of my lance since I hadn't even managed to touch him with it, and this time, I focused intently on his lance. I could detect the clever feint and even managed to move my shield to cover his true target, but I didn't manage to strike at him in turn, so we both turned around and rode for each other once again. This time, I was doing my best to focus both on his lance, and his defensive positioning. As a result, I spotted a weakness in his guard and prepared to take advantage of it when I suddenly lost all the air in my lungs and felt my body collide with the ground. "Fuck. That had to have broken something" I muttered as I struggled to rise from the ground with my armour on. I walked to the tent that had been set up for my use and wasn't even the bit surprised to find Daemon waiting for me there.

"A Darklyn Knight? I could have sworn I thought you better than that" He said in high valyrian, my first language. The bastard had ensured that it was the only one I heard throughout my childhood, so when I finally got to learn the common tongue, I spoke with a distinct accent that marked me out as a foreigner.

I ignored him as I took of my helmet and began to take off the rest of the armour.

"Nevermind that, though. You did well enough. Meryn Darklyn might be an asshole, but he is undoubtedly one of the most skilled knights to call the crownlands home. The fact that you lasted so long is in and of itself a testament to your skill." He continued after failing to get a rise out of me.

"Does this mean I get to claim a dragon?" I asked in our mothertongue as I turned to him in interest.

"Indeed, Aegon. You failed to disappoint me, so you may claim a dragon of your own. When we arrive at Dragonstone, I will inform the guards to provide you an escort to the Dragonmount. I will also be returning to the stepstones. The war there continues to rage and I'm sure Caraxes and I are sorely missed."

I tuned out the rest of what he said after I was sure he'd given me permission. All my mind went to was the dragon I was sure to claim. There was only one dragon in my mind. The Cannibal. There was a war coming, and there was no dragon more fearsome than the cannibal itself. Large enough to measure up against Vhagar, and young enough to be able to do more than a few flights across the Island before tiring. Vermithor was also an option, but something about the notorierty of being the first to tame the fearsome Cannibal drew me in totally and completely.

All I saw when I dreamt was me on the back of the black dragon. Flying across the sky, the world below us moving so quickly I couldn't see what was there. Could this be a dragon dream? Maybe. It could also be my desire to ride the beast showing up in my subconscious. Either way, the Cannibal would be mine. I'd studied, trained and prepared for the day it would happen.

I finally managed to take off my armour and freshen up before heading into the castle for the feast. Meryn Darklyn had won the tourney and crowned his sister the queen of love and beauty. She was beautiful, don't get me wrong, but definitely not the most comely of all the ladies that had graced the tourney.

I rode down the route to the castle on horseback. My trusty warhorse was in the possession of the Darklyn knight so I contented myself with one from Daemon's retinue. I wasn't sentimental enough to care which horse I rode, so leaving the horse in his custody was preferable to having to see that smug smile up close to ransom it from the pretentious douchebag.

XXXXXXX

"To the Lady Jeyne" Another drunk lord shouted at the top of his lungs, and the rest joined in the cacaphony. I rose my goblet with the rest of them, but didn't drink as they did. At four-and-ten, I was far too small to even attempt drinking with the alcoholic lords of Westeros. From my seat on the lower high table, I could see Daemon indulging with the rest of the lords. There was still a distance between them, but I couldn't deny my father's skill at charming the lords of Westeros. Even as rude and abbrassive as he could come across, he was still a prince and a dragonrider besides. Everyone in the hall sought to please him and gain one of those rare smiles he seemed to bestow at random.

When the feast had gone on long enough that I felt it would no longer be rude to leave, I took to my feet and walked off. It was a long day, and all I wanted to do was get in bed and end it.

Of course, I didn't get that opportunity. I opened the door and was met with a woman it took me a fewm seconds to recognise. "Talia Darklyn" I said in a whisper. She was sitting at the desk in the chambers that Lord Darklyn had set aside for my use.

I gave a shallow bow. "My Lady. What brings you here today?"
The wife of the host only gave me a smile and stoodup from the seat and walked over to me. "Aegon. What a name. A fearsome name for a boy, don't you think?" She whispered in my ear and I tried my best not to flinch from her breath in my ear.

"My lady, this is most improper" I gasped out as she moved even closer to me. Our bodies were practically molded together.

"Improper? You don't seem to think so" She said and moved her hand down to grab my hard member. "A beautiful valyrian specimen indeed. All the tales of your looks clearly weren't exaggerated" She said while stroking me till I got even harder.

"I have an itch to scratch and your help would be most appreciated. You want to help me, don't you?" She whispered in my ears again and I could do nothing but nod my head as she dragged me to the bed by my member.

XXXXXXX

Dragonstone looked beautiful in the early evening. Daemon had insisted on setting off for the Island once he'd overcome his hangover. Valyrian genes showed their superiority as he was raring to go while the rest of his drinking partners from the night before were still moaning and clutching their heads in pain.

We made good time on the back of the blood wyrm and arrived at the castle right in time for dinner. Daemon didn't bother staying for a meal just leaving me on the castle courtyard and exchanging some words with the head of the castle guard before heading back to his war in the stepstones. He'd come back for my nameday and whisked me off for the tourney so he could see my skill in person.

I could barely sit still during dinner and the moment it ended, I made my way out of the castle. At least, I tried to.

"Prince Daemon was quite insistent, my lord" 'My lord'. I hated that title. The guards couldn't risk Daemon's wrath by treating me like the member of the smallfolk I actually was and calling me a prince was actual treason. The title they'd given me was born from being stuck between a rock and a hard place.

"He's given me permission to climb the mount" I bit out through ground teeth.

"Yes. In the morning, my lord. He said I was to not let you leave for the mount at night by any means. The mountain is dangerous enough to climb by day." I could tell that he wouldn't budge so I gave up and turned away with a huff.

'Just a few hours more', I thought to myself as I tried to go to bed.

XXXXX

I stood at the bottom of the mountain with an escort of fifteen guards around me. They wouldn't be climbing the mountain with me though. As Loyal to Daemon as they may be, even they wouldn't risk ticking off a dragon. I was a Targaryen so I had some protection they didn't. I bid goodbye to the captain of the guard and made my way up the mountain.

The cannibal was known to lair on the eastern side of the dragonmont so I made my way there when I was sure I'd gone beyond the sight of the guards.

It took me a few hours of trekking to arrive at the cave the Cannibal was suspected to stay in. At this point, all the tiredness I'd been feeling fled my bones. I could feel it. I could feel the dragon. Something in me was being pulled into the cave and I was nothing but a slave to that feeling as I walked into the cavern without ever even deciding to.

I didn't return to my senses until I felt the hot breath of the dragon on my face. I screamed in shock and fell back on my arse. The large head of the Cannibal only looked right at me and I could swear I saw some amusement in those emerald eyes. I crawled back from the dragon's head before i managed to get on my feet again.

The words I said next came from somewhere deep within me. Something I couldn't understand. "Cannibal, king of the dragons. Obey me" I spoke in High valyrian, and those senses proved to have given me the wrong words when the Cannibal roared and sent a bolt of fire at me. I could just barely dodge out of the way and I prepared myself to run out of the cavern when the dragon's tail lashed out and brought the exit crashing in on itself. Fuck. Stuck in a cave with a fucking dragon. Could I have been more stupid?

I tried to think of a way out of this when the dragon's tail whipped out again and almost sent me crashing into the wall. "Cannibal. Listen. Listen" I said and the Cannibal gave me a look that looked like interest. "I'm sorry. I don't dare command you. You are no slave. Let's work together,Cannibal. Part of me is in you and part of you is in me." I said and the dragon finally calmed down.

It dropped its head down and I walked forward with my hand outstretched. I kept a slow pace, careful to avoid startling the massive dragon. My pace clearly annoyed the massive creature as it moved its head forward to meet my hand and I felt something snap into place. The cannibal's, no not the Cannibal's, Arrax's green eyes looked at me in acceptance of the bond that had cemented its place between us.

I wasted no time moving up the creature's neck and climbing up to get to its back. It took me the better part of three minutes to succeed. The Cannibal was a massive creature, and I wasn't helped by the fact that it refused to stay still.

Once I finally managed to settle down and grab a hold of enough support, Arrax wasted no time in blasting a hole through the cave with its green flames. It moved out and then took off into the air.