Prince Hidden in the Sands
I have found myself back in this position and I think I will stay. This chapter might be long, so maybe 5k or more(not long by any means but long for this story). The beginning of this chapter is a flashback, this one will be the one with Aemon and Jon is 10 at the time of the flashback. Enjoy
Also, I'm looking for name suggestions for Aegon's dragon, I have one but I'm not a fan of it. So if you have an idea leave a review and I'll think about it.
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Castle Black
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Maester Aemon could feel it in his blood and stomach, a feeling he hasn't had since before the Rebellion when Rhaegar last visited him. But who? His family, the former kings of Westeros, were all but killed leaving only 2 of them alive in Essos. So who was it that gave him this feeling?
Standing from his chair, the former prince made his way to leave, to not only find who had his blood flowing through his aged veins but also because he had an obligation to meet the Warden of the North when he arrived. Now with the Lord Commander away on an expedition, his obligation only grew to that of also being in command of Castle Black.
Opening the door to his dorms he heard the familiar breathing of Night's Watch. Giving a small smile he spoke. "Ser Allister." He called out to the man, and within a few seconds, he felt the man's eyes on him. "I do believe we have somewhere to be, Ser."
"Aye." The man said as he offered an arm for the old maester to lean on. Accepting it the two men made their way to the grounds where they will meet the Starks and guests. "Maester," Allister called out of the blue. "Why do you think Lord Stark is making a visit now? Wouldn't he know that the Lord Commander is out?"
Aemon nodded in agreement as he answered. "I do believe so. Lord Stark and Lord Benjen are very close, so I wouldn't be surprised if they sent ravens to each other on updates. So I do believe Lord Stark knows that his brother is away." Aemon felt the make a ste-down, meaning that they were almost done with this tiring walk. "But the purpose of the visit, I haven't a clue Ser, but what I do know it's not for anything ill towards us."
Slowly the two made their way down the stairs, until Aemon felt his boots wetten, meaning that they were done. The former City Watch Guard then spoke. "How are you so certain… my prince." The man said quietly as the bells rang, signalling the arrival of the Warden and his entourage. "What if they discovered your true identity?"
Aemon only smiled as he stopped, standing what he can only presume to be a few dozen feet away from the gate. "My identity has never been a secret Ser, and the only reason why no one cares is because I'm too old and the current King is way too lazy to come to kill me himself."
At that the gates slowly opened, allowing the aged Maester to hear all the horses and footsteps of those who came with Lord Stark. Talk grew louder around them as more came in, this confused the former prince, why did Lord Stark bring so many men with him? After a few minutes, the sound of horses stopped, and 2 pairs of feet landed on the muddled ground.
"Lord Stark." He said, his aged body giving as much of a bow as he could. "Welcome to Castle Black, please sip and eat some of this water and bread." With that, a steward stepped forward, with a plaster of bread and water on it. After a few seconds, the sound of metal signalled the ritual over. "Now with that, May I ask why you are here?"
Silence reigned for a few seconds more before the Northern Warden spoke. "Maester, if I remember correctly my brother is out." Aemon nodded and the lord continued. "Well, I've brought men to help man the Wall. All of them are fine, strong and willing men who are willing to help with watching the wall."
Hearing this surprised the Night Brothers, no one has ever given them so many. For centuries the Watch only took in criminals and 3rd sons, so hearing the Warden of the North say this was a surprise to all.
Maester Aemon was also among those who were shocked at this news, but unlike those around him, he regained control of his emotions quicker. "Thank you, Lord Stark, for the men." He gave a small bow once more. "May I ask how many?"
It wasn't the Warden who spoke but a younger voice, one that held a mix of dornish and northern accents in it. "420 good Maester, enough to man a few more of the castles along the walls." The boy said, and when he did the former Targaryen prince's eyes widened.
However it wasn't at the number of men, yes that was a lot and indeed it would allow the Watch to begin the process of rebuilding the other castles along the Watch and putting men on them once more. But it was the feeling he had inside of him that made Aemon almost lose balance.
This… this was the one who gave him the feeling since he woke up. Maester Aemon's thought process came to a sudden halt and the noise silenced. Oh how much he wished to be able to see once more, to see who it was that shared his blood.
"Thank you…." He said as he regained control, "This is an offer no one has made to us in a long… long time." Aemon then moved his head towards the young man whom he wished to see with his own eyes. "May I ask who you brought with you, Lord Stark?"
The boy stepped forward and introduced himself, and when he spoke the old Maester knew that it wasn't the truth. "My name is Jon Sand, Maester. My mother is Ashara Dayne, and my father is Eddard Stark." Jon finished, as he slowly put the man's hand in his.
When Aemon felt the boy's hand in his, all he felt was warmth but it wasn't only the warm touch but also a familiar touch that happened whenever he took a fellow Targaryen's hand in his. In a matter of seconds, a stray tear rolled down his cheek. Removing the connection he spoke.
"Well, it's nice to meet you, Jon Sand." He said with a true smile, as he looked at his family's descendant, imagining what the boy looked like. Looking over to the Warden of the North the aged Maester continued. "Lord Stark, would you and your son like to join us in the Main Hall for some ale and food? We may continue our conversation there if you would like."
"That would be a wonderful idea Maester." The Lord said, and all four of them made their way to the hall, Aemon and Allister leading the way. Once in the hall, they all found a spot to sit, however, the Maester only stepped towards the 'bastard'.
"May I?" He asked simply, as he reached up and placed his hands on the boy's face, feeling a nod Aemon began his ritual, starting with the hair. Slowly the old prince moved his way down and spoke. "I apologize for this, Jon, but when you are blind like me, you tend to make up for a loss of a sense with the other senses."
The boy nodded again and spoke. "It's fine Maester. I don't mind." The hidden prince smiled and the much older prince could feel it. "May I ask why though?"
Finished, the Maester smiled as he spoke to himself. 'He's Rhaegar's son all right." Aemon turned around to find himself his own seat. "Oh, it's for no reason at all, my boy. I'm just being a curious old man, I did it to your father when he first visited as well. Isn't that right Lord Stark?" The Maester couldn't see it but the lord nodded and after finding his seat he asked. "So Lord Stark, I believe you have another reason for making yourself travel all this way here than to just give us men."
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Indeed the Warden did have more to do while he was at Castle Black, and what that was was an actual relief to the Watch. After a few days until the Lord Commander returned from their expedition, the talks finally began, the buying and selling of the Gifts off the Watch's hands. It didn't even take more than a few hours for the deal to be made, within the first hour the plans were already made and a raven was sent out to Winterfell for the transport of gold for the purchase.
Within the next few hours the talk then went to what shocked all, the integration of the Wildings into the North. Obviously, it would take maybe years but the plans were being made now and that was all it mattered.
During the days the Warden of the North was at the Wall with his 'bastard' son, Aemon spent quite a bit of time with the young lad and found that not only was he a welcoming young man, but also a strong lad, one who spent most of his time helping in the training of the few brothers of the watch who were new to wielding their swords.
However as time went by, the time for the Northern Lord to leave came, and with him leaving the only remaining family the former prince had would be leaving with him. This made the old maester wish for more time with him, or more idle to go with him, but his oaths and old age kept him here.
However during the last few hours, his milky eyes stared at his bed, or more specifically what was under it. He could remember it as if it was yesterday, Brynden Rivers before his last expedition gave him Dark Sister for safekeeping and that one day when one more worthy of wielding the sword would reveal himself.
With a nod, Aemon calls out. "Ser Allister." After a few seconds, the blind maester heard the aged knight enter his room wondering why he was called for. "Under my bed, you will find a sword wrapped in leather, can you take it out?" The maester said as he slowly got to his feet and walked over to the door.
"Of course." The man said as he did as he was asked and pulled out the wrapped sword. Feeling the man's eyes on him, Aemon waved him over as he left the room. "Maester, what is this?"
Allister asked this as he began unwrapping the sword, and when the Targaryen Loyalist saw the handle, guard, hilt and a bit of the blade, the knight almost dropped it in surprise.
Chuckling, already knowing that his fellow brother had seen the blade and what it was. "That Ser Allister is Dark Sister. One of the ancestral swords of House Targaryen." Feeling the breeze he listened to what was happening around him. Pawing of horses, the brothers of the watch speaking, the clanging of swords, and the cawing of crows. "Ser, is Lord Stark around?"
Nodding the knight temporarily forgot the former prince was blind, but knowing that in his hands was one of the two swords of the former royal family, his surprise was called for. Shaking his head he spoke. "Uhhh, yes Maester, he's talking to the Lord Commander by the elevator."
Aemon nodded and made his way over to them. "How about the boy? Where is Jon Sand at?" He asked, curious about where his family descendant was. 'That boy has a bright future.'
Looking around Allister searched for the bastard, after a look around his eyes landed on the elevator going up the wall. "I believe he went up the Wall maester." He finally said, receiving a nod from the aged man.
After a few short but quick seconds, the two Brothers of the Watch reached their destination. "Lord Stark." Maester Aemon called out as he walked up the few set of stairs, one hand hanging onto Ser Allister as he made his way up.
"Maester Aemon, how can I help you?" The Warden of the North said back as he took attention away from his brother. The Lord Commander at that moment nodded to the former knight of the city watch, who returned it. "If you are hoping to see my son, you'll have to wait a while. He went up the wall to look at what was beyond it."
The maester shook his head with a slight smile and said. "Ah I wish I could see what is beyond the wall, but age seems to be failing me." He chuckled a little and continued. "I was hoping I can talk to you in private, my lord."
This confused both Stark brothers, but Ned nodded. "I don't see why not. Do you have a place in mind Maester?" With a single nod, they entered an enclave, where no one would hear them nor see them. "Now Maester, what's so important that we had to speak in private."
Aemon turned around and asked. "Tell me Lord Stark, is 'Jon Sand' really your son, and is that even his name?" He asked with a slight smile, and immediately after saying those words the ancient man could feel the surprise coming from the man. "Ah, from the silence I can already tell what the answer is, and I must say, Lord Stark, you've surprised me. To know that the best friend of the current king was hiding a son of Rhaegar Targaryen from him right under his nose." The former prince chuckled. "It's… a relief honestly, to know that I'm not the last Targaryen in Westeros."
Silence followed as Aemon smiled and shade a few tears, happy to hear that his theories were true and that he indeed wasn't alone on this continent. He knew he had others but from what the Ravens say the two were constantly on the run and one has even gone mad from what has happened.
"Maester." The voice of the Warden spoke up at last, regaining the attention of the old prince. "How did you know?"
He let out another chuckle and said. "When one loses sight they tend to adapt to their surroundings, or enhance their other senses, and sometimes even awaken a 6th sense. I felt 'Jon's' presence before he even got here, and when I felt the structure of his face it only further strengthened my suspicions." He finished explaining. "But I must ask again, Lord Stark, what is his birth name?"
Silence grew as Aemon felt the Lord's old eyes on him, and when he spoke he didn't answer the question but said something else. "I don't know why you would say that. Jon is of my blood."
"Oh, I'm sure he is. But you most certainly aren't his father." Ned's hand slowly wandered lower to where a dagger was at his hip.
"If you fear that we would divulge your secret let me assure you we won't. If I'm right then Jon is family and I would never betray him or his secrets to anyone. Besides we are of the Night's Watch Ser Alliser and I take no part in the struggles of the Realm." he paused, weighing his words.
"I'm an old man, Lord Stark, not long for this world. And there is nothing that I would wish for more than before it is my time to be in the company of my family. So please do an old man a favour and tell him that he isn't delusional and that what his guts tell him is true"
Aemon felt the lord's eyes wander between the two of them and when he spoke he said with a bit more certainty. "Before I reveal anything, can I get you and Ser Allister here to swear oaths that nothing here will be revealed to anyone else? It's not only Jon I'm worried about, but also my family. If Robert ever hears of this my family will be killed and as of now, the North isn't stable enough to support a war between the South and itself."
The Maester nodded and said. "I swear that the information you will be giving me, won't be revealed to anyone outside of these walls and among those here with us." He said plainly with a wrinkled hand over his heart. "I swear it on my blood and my former titles of Prince."
He didn't see it but he got the feeling the Warden of the North nodded as his cold eyes moved to the figure beside the Castle's Maester. "What say's you, Ser?" For the first time the whole visit the lord held a biting cold voice. "You might be my brother's third after Maester Aemon, but this is a secret I won't risk getting out."
Only if Aemon had his sight so that he could see what was happening at this very moment. "I, Ser Allister Thorne, swear that what is being said this moment and day won't leave my lip or the confines of these walls. So I swear." The Master in Arms said as he followed his prince's movement, having placed a hand over his heart.
Hearing a defeated sigh the Warden of the North answered his question. "His name is Daemon Targaryen. He is the trueborn son of Lyanna and Rhaegar, both married on the God's Eye in secret." The Maester then felt a hand on his shoulder. "I must apologize for hiding it from you Prince Aemon but with the current circumstances I couldn't risk it."
Nodding his head, Aemon placed a hand on top of the lord's hand. "There is no need to apologize, Lord Stark. Your reason is sound, but I must thank you for bringing him with you. What I said earlier was true, for the last 10 years I truly thought I was a lone dragon on this continent, you bringing him here… I cannot describe the feelings that are going through me right now."
Lord Stark nodded and removed his hand from the aged prince's shoulder. "Was there anything else Maester Aemon?" There was a short silence that followed. "I believe Jon is on his way back down, so we must be going soon."
Aemon nodded and waved Allister forward who had been silently watching and waiting. In the onyx eyes, one could find new refound respect for the Northern Lord, hearing that the man was hiding the son of his last prince.
"Before Lord Benjen, his predecessor, and Lord Qorgyle's predecessor we had Brynden Rivers, one of the 8 Bastards of Aegon the Unworthy. Before his last expedition, he left me his sword." Aemon said and as he spoke the former city watch knight unwrapped the guard and hilt of the sword, revealing it to the two Starks. "I wish to give this to you in hopes that Daemon might wield it one day, or someone more worthy than an aged Maester such as myself."
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Storm's End
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Aegon grinned at the kneeling figures before him as he sat back on the throne. It was laughably easy to conquer this fortress, and the reason for it was the man who knelt closer to the throne than the others. Renly Baratheon, the current Lord of Storm's End, and a failure of a man. Chuckling at the sight of the former lord, pathetic truly pathetic.
Leaning back further into the Storm's Throne(that's the name of the throne of Storms End), he ran his hand along the pale scales of Palefyre's head, which has grown quite a bit since a fortnight ago. He wasn't self contendable but he was able to fly and breathe fire, he was also the size of a medium-sized hound.
The dragon let out a loud growl as he stared at the cowering people before the throne, making them all flinch and tremble. Seeing this made Aegon disappointed, so running his hand along his dragon's head he said in perfect Valyrian. "Gīda ilagon Palefyre, ēzi gaomagon īlva daor pirta yet(Calm down Palefyre, they have done us no wrong yet)."
With that, the dragon looked to him, and the two bonded looked into each other's eyes. Letting out a quiet growl that still made those kneeling flinch, the red-eyed dragon laid his head down on the feet of the throne.
Looking at the prisoners, his eyes gliding over them all, Aegon gave them a smile. "I must apologize for the sudden change but you must understand that it's time for the Dragons to take back what was theirs a decade or so ago." The prince stood up and continued. "Also I swear no harm will be done to you while in these walls, we are not monsters. You'll get your own rooms and you will have your meals. But you must understand that I cannot let you go without a guard, you are still my prisoners." He said as he stood before them, his hand gripping his sword's grip.
All the lords looked up to him with stunned eyes, not having expected what he said. Among them was Lord Beric Dondarrion, who looked at the so-called prince. "How can you confirm you are who you say you are? All we know is that you have a dragon but no proof." The lord of Blackhaven asked what everyone wanted to know.
Aegon's smile faltered when he was asked that, memories that he had a hard time remembering flooded his head. One of dark halls, a hooded figure, and a girl with brown and silver hair. Shaking himself back to reality he answered. "I do not have proof sadly, but my memories do not lie. I am Aegon Targaryen, son of Rhaegar and Elia Targaryen and younger brother of Rhaenys Targaryen." He said as he looked at all those before him.
"So we are to trust the words of a boy who only has a dragon as proof?" A man with no hair on his head but a red beard asked out, and he finished as he let out a laugh. "Like 7 Hells would I believe that. A bastard has a stronger claim to the throne than you do."
When the man finished his words, Aegon noticed a handsome boy with big ears close by flinching, which made him ask questions in his head. His attention then went back to the man and with a smile, he continued. "Ser Cortnay Penrose, am I correct?" This made the man's eyes widen, having not expected the prince to know his name. "I appreciate your words, but I wish I could prove it but as of now, I cannot. But I hope to one day gain your loyalties, just as my family did before my grandfather." The man was speechless and only nodded as he looked at the blue-haired boy.
Aegon with a small smile then looked to the man who was kneeling closer to him than the others. "Ser Renly." He said, gaining the man's attention, who looked at him with scared eyes. "I must apologize. Not only for my own family's crimes against yours but also House Tyrell's." Those words made a blonde flowy haired man sit up straighter. "They tortured and humiliated your family during the rebellion. Yes, it might be in your older brother, Stannis' fault but still, they had no right to do such things to your family while they feasted and laughed in their tents outside these walls."
He watched as the blue eyes sparkled, and as the young lord nodded. "Thank you… Prince." Was all the man said as he looked to the ground. "What do you want with me? You obviously planned on taking Storm's End for a reason, may it be revenge or maybe just because it's a strong defensive castle."
Aegon smiled at the man's words. "I did aim for Storms End other than just to hold it." The Lord's eyes looked at him with questions in them. "I came to offer you a deal, Lord Renly. You've shown that you are not only smarter than either of your brothers but you are also willing to listen." Aegon got into one knee, making it easier for the Baratheon Lord to look at him, but also to make it seem as if they were equals, which they were not. "Bend the knee to me and I promise not a hair on your body will be harmed, and when I win this war you can keep your lands and titles." Purple eyes looked into deep blue, and deep inside them the invading prince saw the defeat in them. Standing to his full height, Aegon smiled. "Thank you Lord Renly." Looking at the Golden Company men surrounding the room he said. "Take them to the rooms."
After receiving nods from the men, he turned to the throne and sat down, watching as the lords were taken away, all but a few glaring at their liege lord. Once the room was emptied of them, leaving Aegon, Jon and a few others, the former closed his eyes and released a chuckle. "That was easier said than done, don't you think Lord Hand?"
The older man nodded but didn't move. "You have a lot more to learn, but you did well your grace." Jon said as he kept his hand on the hilt of his sword, and his eyes on the slumbering beast. "What's our next move, your grace? By now all of Westeros will know of what happened, and within a moon or more, the Usurper will be upon us with his army."
Aegon opened his eyes and stared at the grand doors to the room. "For now we wait for my Uncle and to see how he responds. If he doesn't respond in a sennight we leave. King Robert's army won't be as strong as it should be, with the North and Dorne rebelling, and the Erie not knowing what to do. Their numbers are going to be split, we will meet them on the field." Standing from the throne he moved to leave Palefyre finally waking, and said. "For now I'm going to bed."
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TBC
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