A/N: This takes place a few months before the other chapters. I think this is one of the biggest examples of how my worldbuilding has changed things. You'll see what I mean.
Also, sorry this took so long, I rewrote this chapter several times because... I just wasn't satisfied, and then my computer died, and I had to start again again. But now I am done, and I hope you all like it!
Aegon had grown quite tired of seeing grass. The problem was, that's all he could see. Looking out over the ridge, the greenery stretched out as far as Aegon's eyes could see. There were no mountains, and they had passed out of the Forest of Qohor, opening up to the wide plains of Essaria. They rode along the Valyrian road for days. In the days of the Old Freehold, caravans could travel unmolested from Sarnath to Tyrosh, and now a caravan had to pay for Dothraki protection to the borders of the Free Cities, and even then could not guarantee their protection, not since the Great Khal's death three years past.
However, that was neither here nor there, as he was part of Khal Drogo's group now, serving in the same capacity as the Westerosi Knight, Mormont. He was known as "Young Griffon" or "Little Griffon" based on his association with Jon Connington, who had worn a tabard with a griffon on it. Unfortunately, he couldn't do as his uncle had asked him to. "Grow close to her, Aegon. Become an invaluable counsel to her." his granduncle had told him. Unfortunately, Mormont seemed to take that role, due to the fact that he at least had passing knowledge of Dothraki. Aegon's Dothraki... was basic, and didn't go beyond simple phrases, but he was determined to learn the language.
The wind blew his blue dyed hair into his face, as he brushed it aside. It had to be dyed, his natural silver would be far too suspicious, and blue helped the lilac of his eyes look more blue, thus enhancing his disguise even further. After brushing the hair out of his face he over at the hoard of Dothraki. Bronze skinned riders, leathers covering the lengths of their bodies, with a few wearing some steel mail. Many of them carried a bow with arrows along with an arakh, a sword with a curve near the end of it. Some of the Khos even carried Fire-lances from Yi-Ti, a wooden stick attached to a spear that shot flames and iron pellets toward whatever they were pointing at.
Then Aegon's focus shifted to Daenerys on her silver mare riding down the cliffside. He smiled as he watched her. She always brought out a smile in him, in a way that only Jon had managed to before. Thinking of Jon made him remember why he was on the hills of Essaria. With Qohor and Volantis forming an alliance to cleanse the Rhoyne of Piracy, it was no longer safe to hide on the Rhoyne whenever trouble came near. Thus he was to go east of it for a time. "You must help her, Aegon, your father's sister. Your claim will be doubted by many, her claim will be doubted by none. She will secure the throne. But first you must secure her."
Aegon rode toward the ridge. It had been hard at first, but as time went by it became easier to sit in the saddle of the horse. As he rode toward the passage down, one of the riders who spoke Valyrian told him, "The Khaleesi commands that we wait at the top of the ridge." He had given the rider a response of confirmation, stopping his horse and taking a deep breath. The breeze, coupled with the grass blowing in waves made Aegon feel almost tranquil.
That tranquility was shattered almost immediately when his uncle began complaining. "She dares?!" Viserys growled. "She dares to command me?!" he directed his horse in the direction of the cliffside.
"I advise against that, Your Grace. The Dothraki do not take it kindly when the khal or khaleesi are disobeyed." Mormont said.
"The Dragon is not ordered!" He screamed as he spurned his horse, charging down the path on the cliffside.
"Damn..." Aegon muttered before spurning his own horse to move toward the cliffside. The Dothraki paid him little heed as they began to form up themselves. He rode down the path, until he reached the tall grass at the bottom of the ridge. He turned to look above him, and saw riders trotting down the path that led down the cliffside.
Confidence restored, he turned and rode into the high grass. "HOW DARE YOU?!" A shout rang out from the grass. Aegon spurred his horse harder as he rode toward the source of the noise. The grass swiped at him, as his speed increased. Suddenly, he burst into a clearing and reined his horse to a stop. His eyes widened a bit as he saw Daenerys sitting on the ground holding herself up, and Viserys standing in front of her, looking at him in annoyance.
"Little Griffon." Viserys stated.
Aegon gave a light bow, his frown deepening. "Your Grace."
"It's about time you showed up. She," Viserys pointed to Dany, "has dared to try and order The Dragon. The Dragon is not ordered! She deserves to be punished for it."
Aegon hops down off his horse whilst he is talking. "Your Grace." he attempts to reason with him. "You are the King of the Seven Kingdoms, not of the Dothraki. She is their Queen-"
"A Queen of savages!" he barks out. "The Dragon is not ordered!"he spins and slaps his sister back to the ground as she tried to stand. As he moves closer to her, Aegon reaches out and grabs his wrist.
"'tis bad luck for a King to beat his heir." Aegon said in the most cautionary voice he could muster. Viserys looked almost shocked for a moment, before pulling his hand away, but he made no further motions toward his sister. Aegon turned, and as he did so, heard the south of steel against leather. Quickly, he kicked his leg behind him, hitting Viserys, before turning quickly around and driving his fist into his uncle's gut.
Is this man truly my uncle? Aegon thought to himself. Or is he truly just a younger form of my grandfather? As Viserys fell to the ground, Aegon grabbed his sword from his hand. The rest of the Khalasar chose that moment to show up, one of the Khos even hefting his Fire Lance and a black rock, pointing it at Viserys with a furious look on his face. Aegon stabbed the blade into the ground and went to help up Daenerys. She took his hand as he pulled her to her feet.
He turned to look at the man hefting the Fire-Lance, who was speaking. Mormont helpfully translated. "He wishes to execute him, and asks if he has your leave to do so." Daenerys looked up at Mormont, then back at her brother. One of the other Dothraki said something, causing some of the others to laugh.
One of her handmaidens translated, "Quaro says you should take an ear and a hand. an ear for respect, a hand for striking you."
Viserys was writhing on the ground still groaning from the punch Aegon had given him. In this state, he looked almost pitiful.
"Say I do not wish him harmed." her handmaiden translated Daenerys' words into Dothraki. The copper-skinned man glared at Viserys, before slinging his Fire-Lance over his back.
"We warned him." Aegon said. "Said what'd happen should he follow."
"I know." she said. "Take his horse and sword. Let him walk back to the Khalassar unarmed."
"NO!" Viserys screamed, sitting up. "Mormont!" he screamed in High Valyrian. "Beat her, hurt her, kill these savages and that traitorous Griffon and teach her a lesson about disobeying the Lord of the Seven Kingdoms!"
Mormont simply looked at him, then back at Daenerys and Aegon, before nodding his head. "He will walk behind us unarmed. Little Griffon, take the sword."
Aegon blinked at that, then nodded, picking up Viserys' sword and climbing up onto his horse. "Your Grace." he called in High Valyrian. "You may be the Lord of the Seven Kingdoms, but we are not in the Seven Kingdoms; we're in Essos, where no Lord of the Sunset Kingdoms has ever held lordship over."
His eyes then shifted back to Dany, and upon his eyes meeting hers his face heated up slightly; he quickly force himself to look away lest he make a fool of himself. He placed Viserys' sword on his belt as he caught up with the rest of the group, leaving Viserys and his crazed screams behind. Dany and Mormont shared some comments about Viserys, but Aegon wasn't interested in such discussions. If he was truly honest, he felt no love for Viserys. He would never reclaim Westeros for House Targaryen, he would land on the shore and suffer a mutiny within a fortnight, forever sullying their house name, in the way Maelys had done for the Blackfyres.
Aegon shut his eyes and thought deeply. "Daemon and Daeron… both my forebears, both whom I have a duty to reclaim Westeros for… Queen Jaehaera, whose descendants were cheated out of their throne by my other ancestors' treachery… funny how it all comes back around. Had Rhaenys survived, we may have been even stronger." He could barely remember his sister now, only remembering a copper blur yelling "Egg!" at his crib. Poor girl having met her end from 50 stabs from a Lannister bannerman. He had already been on a ship to Essos, some poor infant from Flea Bottom having died in his place.
He often said a prayer to the Seven for the boy's soul at Jon's insistence, despite being unable to be actively religious unless he happened to be in Braavos. "De Zeven zijn een integraal onderdeel van wie we zijn." [The Seven are an integral part of our lives] They always told him. Septs were found all around the city, in addition to the shrines that were built for the Moonsingers that led them to the lagoon that their city was built upon. The two made up more than half of the religious buildings in the city.
Aegon was suddenly snapped out of his thoughts when the Khalasar stopped to make their camp. It would not be long now before they arrived at Essaria, maybe a few more days. He took a deep breathe before dismounting his horse and nodding a 'thank you' to the servant (or maybe slave? He couldn't tell) taking his horse. The rest of the evening passed uneventful, despite Viserys (finally) catching up late that night.
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