Aegon had done his travels to all corners of the continent on Dragon back when he was alive, sometimes alone, sometimes with his Queens, but mostly with his heir and current King Aenys when he came of age. But rarely had Aenar accompanied his brother on these progresses. So his journey to the Wall was his first, and the closer he got the worse the roil in his belly got.
The shade in him had warned him once upon a time, that the Wall would work in the same manner as it did to repel the Great Darkness from beyond. But what Aenar doing now was important, and for that, he was prepared to push through the unpleasantness.
The dragons landed just outside the gates of Castle Black and both Targaryens disembarked. Aenar stared ahead, swallowing the discomfort he felt at this proximity.
"Grandfather" Rhaena whispered with a hint of fear, "I don't feel so good. I shouldn't be here. We shouldn't be here."
Aenar's head snapped to the girl, his eyes wide with surprise.
"How is she feeling this?!" Aenar thought to the shade inside him.
"Perhaps your children and their children after them inherited some of me as well. Faint as they are" the shadow thought back.
The worry hit Aenar like a sledgehammer. If his descendants felt this… No, he couldn't allow that. The Targaryens must not be repelled from the Wall. He would die one day, and when that day came he didn't want whoever was ruling to ignore the Wall because he or she did not feel at peace here.
Aenar kept those thoughts to himself, instead reaching out and grabbing hold of Rhaena's hand.
"As people who have been bestowed responsibilities, we must push through our discomforts so our subjects may know peace and comfort."
"But the Night's Watch is not part of our rule" Rhaena pointed out.
"They are not. But you know why we became what we became, yes?"
"The Long Night" Rhaena nodded.
Aegon had shared that secret with his heir Aenys, and upon Aenar's insistence, the secret was shared with Maegor. Maegor had shared it with his son, and Aenys had shared it with his children (only Rhaena and Aegon, considering that Viserys was still young and tended to blabber).
The gates were opened for them the moment the dragons landed and they entered to see the Castle being worked on. Castle Black was one of the older Castles along the wall, not in ruins or anything but in need of upkeeping. That was where these workers came along. They were not part of The Watch, but men sent by the crown to work for them. Similarly, men were sent to help with collecting firewood beyond the Wall. The Crown had backed the Warden of The North in the expansion of Mole's Town (a Village before now a medium-sized Town) so men and women from the Reach and Riverlands could move in and help the Watch by farming their lands. It was not easy for them with the change in climate and the different land they had to work on but with the help of the Maesters of the Citadel, these men and women were taught how to apply their skills on these lands.
The Lord Commander of The Night's Watch had come to greet them, welcoming the Hand of the King and Princess with smiles. The man was none other than Arys Baratheon[1], the second son of Orys Baratheon and Argella Durrandon. Davos had succeeded his father and was the one to continue his line, while Raymont (the youngest) had joined Aenys' Kingsguard. Arys the middle child, a fine knight and warrior, had decided that his sword was needed at the Wall. And he must have done wonders here to have been made Lord Commander.
"Lord Aenar! Princess Rhaena! I welcome you both to The Wall" the man boomed.
"Enough of the Lordships, Nephew" Aenar smiled and the man laughed, embracing in the courtyard before he curtsied to the Princess and kissed her on the back of the Hand.
Arys gave the two a walk around the Castle and showed them how things had changed since he (Arys) had come.
"Castle Black would soon look like the Formidable Castle that it should be. As will the other Castles along the Wall. The Crown's help in getting us to where we are going has helped us come a long way, Uncle. We have people bringing us timber from beyond the wall, crops that feed our men, and fishes that we both trade and use. Life up here is getting better!"
"And the Freefolk?" Aenar asked.
"The Wildlings come to attack, but our men are always alert. We've dug in deep Beyond the Wall and have claimed lands in our name. Any Wildling that comes close meets the sword or an arrow."
"Perhaps you should check before they are hostile or not" Rhaena suggested.
"Trust me, dear niece, a peaceful Wildling is a dead wildling."
Aenar and Rhaena shared a look but did not press the matter further.
"The only thing I can complain about is the lack of men joining our ranks. And I mean good men who are skilled and honourable, not rabble and the like."
"With how things are moving, you'll have your men soon enough. Lots will flock when there's enough food to feed them and rooms to shelter them" Aenar pointed out, "though if I were to suggest things..."
"Please do. Your wisdom is always welcome."
He meant it genuinely.
"Would you recite your vows for me, nephew?"
Arys gave a confused look but obeyed without question.
"Night gathers, and now my watch begins. It shall not end until my death. I shall take no wife, hold no lands, father no children. I shall wear no crowns and win no glory. I shall live and die at my post. I am the sword in the darkness. I am the watcher on the walls. I am the fire that burns against the cold, the light that brings the dawn, the horn that wakes the sleepers, the shield that guards the realms of men. I pledge my life and honour to the Night's Watch, for this night and all the nights to come."
"That's a long vow" Rhaena muttered, making Arys and Aenar chuckle.
"A long but very solid vow, hard as ice and clear as the skies" Aenar stated calmly. "Though the recruits should be aware that they wouldn't be breaking any vows if they choose to, let's say, frequent Mole's Town."
Arys cleared his throat, but there was a small smile on his lips.
"I will make sure they are aware of it."
Aenar nods, pulling at his collar. He was becoming less comfortable, more so than what he was holding back till now. He needed to finish the visit soon.
"Tell me, nephew, are all the Castles coming along as well as this one?"
Arys grew slightly tensed.
"Well…"
"The Princess has grown to be a beautiful maiden. And before we know it, she will become Queen. She would need a strong husband to back her."
"She is a Targaryen, a Dragonrider at that. She has more than enough strength backing her."
"The realm might bend the knee, but people are as people have been raised, and almost everyone across the realm has been raised to follow a strong King. Now I do not say that Rhaena is not a strong woman, I would think otherwise knowing whose blood she hails from. What I suggest is she requires a strong consort, someone who would ease the realm. My father used to say that an exchange of words should always precede a show of force. I do not wish to step over your authority or your opinions, uncle. I simply share my fears with you."
"Your fears are noted" a pause, "and you perhaps have men in mind for that?"
"I do. My brother Davos has two eligible sons…"
That was the last conversation that Arys and Aenar had before the Hand of the King and the Princess left for their final destination.
"Perhaps a marriage into someone not of your blood could dampen the effects of my inheritance" the shadow in his mind whispered.
But Aenar put the thought away for later and focused instead on where he and his Granddaughter just arrived.
The Nightfort was the largest Castle on the Wall, and the oldest, being twice as old as Castle Black.
It was a cursed place, marred by centuries of darkness within its walls. Arys reported that any attempt at getting this place up had been thwarted because men seemed to grow agitated and turn on one another. The brothers of the Watch fared no better, having fallen for the same agitation. Arys had no choice but to move them away.
But when the two arrived at The Nightfort, they felt… normal. Not even the uneasiness from the wall seemed to affecting them.
"I feel fine here" Rhaena said in confusion, "and I thought this was supposedly the bad part."
Aenar only frowned and thought.
"What is this?" he asked the shadow inside him.
"Blood magic has been performed here" the shadow spoke, "it's weakened the runes for the darkness to pass. It's similar to what I am… which is why neither of you are feeling anything."
Aenar's frown deepened.
"Do you think you can put the wards up again?
"I may be able to," the shade said.
"Grandfather?" Rhaena gently shook the man and he blinked out of his thoughts.
"Darling, I need you to stay with the Dragons, okay?" Aenar spoke softly. "And no matter what you hear or see, do not enter the castle."
"But-"
"Do not."
Rhaena bit her lip nervously but nodded.
She walked back to the dragons and Cannibal wrapped himself around her and her dragon with a look at Aenar.
Aenar nodded before walking into the Nightfort. The doors slammed behind him on their own and the shadows beneath Aenar spread until they encompassed the entire courtyard. Figured emerged from his shadow with a groan and shriek as Aenar's eyes turned blood red.
"Let us begin, shall we?"
"Aye…"
[1] According to A Wiki of Ice and Fire, canonically Orys and Argella had three sons, the firstborn was unknown, Davos was the second and Raymont was the youngest. For my story, I switched Davos and the firstborn's places since Davos has been more present in the stories. Raymont canonically does join the Kingsguard. As for the Unknown firstborn turned secondborn, the name Arys Baratheon and his story are both made up by me since he didn't have a story associated and I felt it fitted in nicely with the youngest making a name as a Kingsguard and the oldest as Lord of Stomr's End, the middle child would make a name for himself as a Lord Commander. There were no mentions of who was the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch during Aenys' reign, so the blocks were easier placed for this.