….
I was their brother, younger to one older to another.
I was born a middle child. She was my older sister, he was my younger brother.
We were born in quite a short succession to each other with her being just three name days older than him with me sitting with a one to two years difference to them both.
She and I shared both a father and a mother whilst it was just our father in his case.
I do not remember a time before he came into our, mayhaps it was different than what it would be throughout our life… I do not know.
Since my earliest memories they were always together, mayhaps it was because he had lost his mother and she wished to comfort him… I do not know.
The three of us ran across the beaches of Dragonstone, Kingsguard watching over us, i would always be the cautious one, while they would run wild. Was this that pushed those two together… I do not know.
Both of them would take up the sword while I was six name days old, it came as a shock to many to see a princess do such a thing, yet she did not care, why… I do not know.
I would be seven when my mother died and it would be a scene forever etched into my memory.
Flashback Begins :-
Soft rays of sunlight entered the room where the Queen Of The Seven Kingdoms, my mother lay dying. Grandmaester Marwyn sat beside the table on the other side of the room, mixing some liquids, making some concoction to ease her suffering.
I sat beside her, her hand in mine, while my sister did the same to her other. My father kneeled by the bed looking on to his almost dead wife. Whilst he just stood beside the bed, his head bowed, eyes fixated upon the ground. There was a silence in the air, one that heralded death.
" Aemon… Aemon come here…", she called.
His head perked up immediately as he moved as fast as a five year old could as he took his place by her side.
" Your grace… ", he began in his ever cordial tone, his voice shaking.
She let out a soft smile as her hand went to his face cupping in ," you are such a… such a sweet child… Aemon… a child any mother would wish for… I know we… we weren't close in the little time we sp.. spent… together.. but … know this.. you may not be my blo..od, blood , but… you are as muc.. much… my child as Eg...g Egg or Rhae ",
Tears rolled down his eyes as he grasped on to her hand, while our sister wrapped her own around his back.
" Take care… care of Rhae for me… and always sta… stand by Aegon, he is your big brother after all "
He said no words, just nodded and cried all the while holding on to her hand.
Flashback Ends
After our mothers death, another two would follow with our uncle Viserys falling to his death at Dragonstone whilst the forgotten dragon maester Aemon Targaryen son to Maekar and brother to Aegon the Unlikely would die at the Wall, it would be at their funeral at Dragonstone when those two would bring dragons back into this world.
Three dragons each in exchange of the three deaths that occurred as some would later say, accusing them of dabbling in sorcery and blood magic.
His was white as snow with blue spots, hers as bright as the sun with orange stripes and finally mine as black as the night with red splashes all along the body.
I still remember that sight as if it was yesterday, as those two walked down from the Dragonmont with the hatchlings, while more dragons have hatched in recent years naturally in cribs, how those three hatched… I do not know.
As we grew older, I spent more time asy father cupbearer, leading all I could whilst from him, regularly attending lessons under Grandmaester Marwyn and Hand of the King Lord Jon Connington all the while training under Ser Barristan The Bold and Ser Arthur Dayne The Sword Of The Morning, whilst they spent their days on Dragonstone learning from our grandmother and training under Ser Oswell Whent The Black Bat and Ser Jamie Lannister The Kingslayer.
Often we got requests to foster my sister in Dorne from my uncles, Doran and Oberyn. Both wanted to raise her in a proper Dornish fashion, all the while separating her from the
' Northern Whores Spawn ' and making her see sense as they would later describe to me.
However Grandmother put an end to any such discussions and announced her intentions to raise them both herself, along with my aunt Daenerys on Dragonstone.
And thus our interactions lessened, as theirs increased throughout the next few years that followed. I found companionship in Ser Harold Hardyn, Ser Loras Tyrell, Ser Renly Baratheon and several lords and knights that accompanied my uncle Oberyn when he decided to visit, whilst they kept to themselves finding companionship amongst members of Houses Velaryon, Celtigar and Scales… but most of all amongst themselves.
As the years passed on and all three of us grew into adulthood we started getting proposals for marriage, there were various options available however another thing to consider was that with the return of Dragons and all three of the king's children Dragonriders the marriages would have to be carefully ordained and moreover the blood of the Dragon needed to preserved and rebuilt.
I knew of this to be so and was always prepared for if my father would order me to wed my sister, I would do it. Not that I felt something for her, it would be our duty and we would do it.
But before any of that came to pass, a scandal shook our house to its very foundations when my older sister and younger brother were found abed, while he was four and ten and she was seven and ten…
And I would remember the confrontation that followed for the rest of my life.
Flashback Begins :-
The room was as silent as the crypts under the Sept Of Balor. My father stood in front of his table, his eyes stiff as he stared at them two, I stood to his left whilst grandmother took his right.
" Explain yourself, both of you ", he said in a time I have never heard before, one filled with rage and hurt.
However it seemed to have little to no effect on these two young lovers as they all but glared back, as they stood tall and unashamed, each clutching on to the others hand.
" Father ", he spoke ," I love Rhae as she does me and I would have no one else as my wife and partner all though my life, I might be young but I beg you, do not think me a greenboy infatuated with a girl, I love Rhae.. always have always will.. "
" Even if I command you otherwise, even if I command you to marry someone else, you would forsake your duty…", father asked
This time she spoke ," With all due respect father, you are the last person who can lecture us about duty, had you done your duty Aems wouldn't exist and I for one am glad that you didn't for I cannot imagine a life without him, force me to marry someone and I would burn this said groom alive and if left with no choice I would rather kill myself than wed someone else "
The reactions of such a statement was almost instantaneous, with both him and my father protesting heavily. Whilst our grandmother just looked on
" Rhae!!! never say such a thing you hear me, never say such a thing…..", our father all but shouted.
Flashback Ends
In the end our father relented and would later on officially announce a betrothal between the two and would arrange for their upcoming nuptials once he turned five and ten.
A big part for this leading to this decision would be grandmother's intervention with her arguing in favour of a match between the two.
And thus by the end of the year those two would be wedded and bedded at Harrenhal.
Following their wedding two more betrothals would be drawn up, one between my aunt Daenerys and Lord Robb Stark of Winterfell the heir to the North, this fulfilling the Pact Of Ice And Fire while another for me and Lady Margaery Tyrell.
My marriage would be held first, at the Stoney Sept we would wed in the most extravagant ceremony in years and following it, we would journey North for another wedding in Winterfell.
Following the wedding and the festivities that followed I along with my wife, father and grandmother would return to Kings Landing while those two would choose to stay up North, exploring the ancient kingdom.
But as we reached Kings Landing tragedy struck, with my father being assassinated and the Ironborn declaring rebellion. Whilst one might think this a foolish thing to do, after all who would dare go against a house that commanded dragons we can attribute this foolishness to Lord Euron Greyjoy the Mad Kraken. After returning from the east armed with the knowledge of several forms of sorcery and blood magic, Euryon Greyjoy would unleash live Krakens raised with blood magic upon the royal fleet, while his brother burned Lannisport and he himself sailed North with the intention of using a Dragonhorn to bind my sibling's dragons to his will and secure a Dragon princess as his bride.
But what he failed to foresee was that Dragonhorns were bound to a certain House of the Forty by blood and magic and only the top ten houses ever had one. And thus as he braved my siblings and tried to bend their dragons to his will he would be rewarded with naught by a stream of dragonfire burning him to a crisp whilst every Ironborn that landed in the North would be massacred.
All this while I personally lead a host to the Westerlands while Lord Monford Velaryon would lead what remained of the Royal and the Velaryons fleet West to help crush the Ironborn at sea, yet the news that we would receive upon arrival at Lannisport would be equally awe inspiring and terrifying.
The Scouring of Pyke was what they called it, A Second Harrenhal one that would inspire dread and loyalty in everyone that would even think of betrayal.
Survivors would speak of how two beasts of fire and blood would rain hellfire upon the city of Pyke and the assembled Ironborn host, not a single member of House Greyjoy present at Pyke would survive, with several other Houses completely wiped out. With the few that remained surrendering unconditionally.
It would be during their stay in the North while my sister would come in possession of Dark Sister, one of the two ancestral swords of our house and would claim it as her own. While my brother would retrieve Nightfall, a Valyrian steel sword for myself and Red Rain for himself from two of the defeated Ironborn Houses.
Following the war and my coronation I would name my brother as Master Of Coin following lord Connington's advice yet things would go terribly wrong as he and my sister requested the position of Master of Laws for herself.
What would follow suit would be something I regret till this day and would continue to till my death.
Flashback Begins :-
" Are you serious, this is a Small Council not a gathering of ladies discussing embroidery, a woman has no place here ", Lord Connington exclaimed, replying to my sister's request, his words would be met with both horror from members like Lord Velaryon and support from the residents septon who performed a advisory role to the council.
Within moments Red Rain renamed Bloodfyre and Dark Sister would be drawn with both at the Lord Hand's neck.
" Care to say that now my lord ", my sister would exclaim, her voice cold and stiff as pure rage erupted from her violet valyrian steel eyes.
All the while Ser Barristan and Set Arthur had already drawn their blade ready to do my bidding as I commanded my siblings back.
The clear look of betrayal visible on their faces as he said.
" Would you not defend our sister brother "
Flashback Ends
And there it was, a moment that would wish to change a thousand times for all my life.
Their reply would be simple, both would walk out of the room, he renouncing his position as Master of Coin all the while saying he had nothing to do with someone who would not respect his wife and sister.
They would fly away to Dragonstone, before leaving for Essos and that would be the last time I would see them in ten years.
Throughout those years I tried to become a better ruler, a better husband and a better father. Yet I failed miserably if I say so myself.
Three children were born of my and Margaery's union- Maelor, Balor, Jaenara and of these only Jaenara would bear a Valyrian look.
Often at the various festivities I would observe Daenerys and the affectionate relationship that she and Robb Stark shared and wonder if I would ever experience the same, despite knowing the answer to be no.
For all these ten years all I would hear about them would be the news that travellers brought and those that little birds sang, they would fight a blackfyre pretender along with the Golden Company, fight several Khalasars in the Great Grass Sea, help lead a slave revolt against the slavers of Volantis and burn down half of the black walls, free unsullied and create a safe haven for slaves all across Essos all the while adventuring across Old Valyrian and even to the ancient city's of of the Rhoynar that were afficted by the Garin's curse.
Ten years later they returned with their son, Prince Gaemon Targaryen.
They returned not to visit but to fight an enemy that they believed was slowly emerging beyond the wall, one born of ice and cold. One whose single aim was to end all life. One that could only be stopped by the prince that was promised and in this case as the Red Priests announced-
" The Prince And Princess Who Would Bring The Dawn, Born Amidst Salt and Smoke, Under a Dying Star, Born to Ice, Fire And The Sun"
While originally I would have ignored them attributing such to be only tales used by wet nurses to get children to sleep and stupid prophecies, there were in fact disturbing reports coming from the North, and a thus a Great Ranging was organised, one that would in fact bring some very disturbing news.
An army of more than a hundred thousand undead marched upon us. Consisting of the dead Wildings, Giants, mammoths, Ice Spiders and last but definitely not the least an undead dragon….
And thus the greatest army in the history of the seven kingdoms marched North under my command, one whose aim was to destroy this enemy before it even crossed the wall and thus we engaged in the battle for the dawn, fought by and at the Nightfort and ancient fortress shrouded with a mysterious past.
It would be at this battle where both my siblings would fight on the frontline in a fight to death.
She would successfully pull off a Rogue Prince, taking the undead dragon that was once Sheepstealer down.
Whilst he would take down the Night King himself ending the Long Night and thus earning the monikers of the Dragonslayer and the Dawnbringer respectively.
And thus the war would end with one of the harshest Winter in history and starting a new spring that would last for years.
At first their son would grow to care for my children, Jaenaera in particular and yet in the end it was not a match that was meant to be.
The blood of the Dragon had to be preserved and with our bloodline weakening, I commanded her to marry her elder brother Maelor, something she did despite her heart saying otherwise.
And here I lay, upon what would possibly be my deadbed, surrounded by family yet so alone.
Leaving behind a broken family, one in which cousin hates cousin for a legacy.
Here I lay as a thought crosses my mind, what would I be know for, the king who crushed the Ironborn… but I didn't, The king who led the armies of the seven kingdom and brought the dawn… but I didn't, maybe as the king who broke his family apart… or maybe just a sibling to Rhaenys the Dragonslayer and Aemon The Dawnbringer…
A brother, younger to one older to another.
….
Author Notes :-
So there you have it...
Love it hate it...
Comment down below...
And one more thing, should I do another chapter as either a Jon or Rhaenys PoV
And yes I know I went for a sadder ending... Don't hate me...
And just to clear up, Jon and Rhaenys died in the Battle for the the Dawn taking down the Night King and Undead Sheepstealer.
