AEMOND II

Taming the Cannibal had been a blessing, she was a terrible beast of strength and ferocity, and Aemond loved her for it. He could feel the fear on everyone's faces every time she came close, but he had to admit that she was a struggle sometimes.

When they flew back to King's Landing she almost attacked Vermax, and in the Dragonpit she had driven Dreamfyre from her lair, so in the end they agreed to have the Cannibal fly outside most of the time and slowly introduce her to the pit for safety of herself, the other dragons and the dragon keepers, the only dragon she had liked was Sunfyre. That meant that when Aemond was going to train and fly with her they had to take a hike outside the city to find her.

"Likyrī." He said to her, the dragon looked at him and rested her head on the ground, at which point Aemond began to pet his gigantic lizard, Aemond had found out she loved rough scratches below the chin.

"You big lizard." He said in high Valyrian. "It's time for you to eat."

Aemond motioned for the dragon keepers and guards accompanying him to bring the cow closer. The Cannibal stood up and breathed flame at the caddle, she then took it in her mouth and swallowed half of it with one bite.

"You can stay back a little, I'm going to stay with her for a bit." The guards were hesitant, but left all the same.

The prince took a piece of meat from the cow and bit it, the taste was charred, the texture rough. Aemond laid against the dragon and closed his eyes, happy to have a friend. It was a great meal.

– Dinner was cold, they ate in silence, that night they were served roasted goose with lemon, accompanied by mashed vegetables, a bountiful meal full of rich taste, but it was cold.

His family didn't talk, there was always tension in the air as Alicent and Rhaenyra stole glances at each other.

Splat

The mashed vegetables hitting his face brought Aemon from his introspection. He looked at Aegon who smirked. Aegon had done this many times, to get a reaction out of him, and once more he would get that reaction, just a different reaction.

Aemond's goose thigh flew across the table and hit Aegon straight in the face. "Ah! You little brat!" The older brother stood up.

"Fuck you, you cunt!" Aemond shouted back.

"Aemond! Aegon!" Alicent scolded her sons, making them both sit down.

Aegon gave Aemond an angry look, to which Aemond felt his blood boiling.

– The next day they trained in the courtyard like usual, Ser Criston observed them, gave instructions and criticism.

"Aegon, your form is lacking,"Criston said. "Mayhaps, you should spar against me."

"Ser Criston." Aemond intervened. "I would like to spar against my brother."

Ser Criston looked between both brothers, Aegon seemed pleased with the idea of fighting his brother. "Very well, your grace."

The brothers took a step in front of each other.

"Ready?" Asked Criston. "Go."

Aegon jumped at Aemond who parried and pummeled Aegon's side.

"Point for Aemond." Ser Criston said.

Aegon walked to the side and Aemond got into position to wait for the signal.

"Ready? Begin."

Aegon jumped again, Aemond tried to parry, but the strength behind his older brother's blow threw Aemond back. Aegon pressed again, Aemond tried to block only for Aegon to change sides and hit Aemond in the face.

Aemond fell to the ground and Aegon smiled. "Point for Aegon."

They separated. Aemond felt his face sting and his anger build up as he stood.

"Ready? Begin."

Aegon came on the offensive again, pushing Aemond back. The younger brother could do nothing, but retreat, always on the back foot, always weaker, always the one made fun of, always the target, always overlooked.

Aegon's training sword struck hard, but Aemond caught it on his hand, pain seared through Aemond's hand and up his arm.

"Point for Aegon." Criston said, but Aemond held Aegon's sword and thrusted his own training blade hard against Aegon's stomach. The older brother tried to retreat only to be met with an upwards strike, throwing him to the floor.

"Point for Aeg-" "AAAAAH!" Ser Criston tried to say, but was cut off by Aemond who began to swat and hit hard against his brother while screaming bloody murder. "Enough, Aemond!"

The younger prince stopped and looked at his brother, satisfaction reigned in his heart. "Never again."

– Aemond felt strong, he watched his sister working on her bugs.

"Scales of gold and scales of black, as anger goes forward and back." She said while working on the centipede.

"Hel, instead of just saying things at random have you ever thought of just writing your little poems down."

"Aemond, be nice to your sister." Alicent scolded him.

Aemond had to contain a snort, she had punished him for beating Aegon by making him sit with her and Heleana instead of training, but he didn't care, since then Aegon hadn't made fun of him, in fact he hadn't even looked in Aemond's direction. The feeling was great, it was the same feeling the prince felt when riding the Cannibal.

After his lessons in bug anatomy from Heleana he was sent to the dragonpit with the rest, the whole trip was boring as Aegon kept his distance and the Strong bastards eyed him. Ser Criston and Ser Cargyll flanked the group.

First was Jace with Vermax, then Aegon with Sunfyre, the idiot kept looking at Aemond as he ordered Sunfyre in common tongue to roast a goat, surprisingly enough the dragon responded.

"Is that supposed to mean something, Aegon?"

"Mayhaps, brother. Dragon fire burns." The older brother marched to Aemond.

"Are you threatening me? Because you can't fight me fairly you now seek to place your dragon upon me?" Aemond marched too. "I welcome the challenge, brother, my black beast Will rip that yellow lizard to shreds."

"Enough!" Ser Criston screamed. "It's understandable to have differences, but do not say such things without meaning them, your graces, you are still brothers and should care for each other."

Aemond stared at Aegon, Aegon stared back. They both huffed.

Aemond left in a hurry, behind him Ser Cargyll and a few dragon keepers followed.

He didn't need them, or Aegon, or anyone else, he just needed his dragon and nothing else.

ALICENT I

She watched from afar as Aemond flew that beast around, it looped and flew, every time they took a turn Alicent felt her heart skip a beat. "What if her son feel?" She asked herself every day.

The memories of six months ago when he returned home from Dragonstone plagued her mind, on the outside she was proud of him for taming such a fearsome beast of unparalleled strength, she asked about the dragon to the grand maester and he said that the Cannibal was only shorter than Vermithor and Vhagar. But deep inside she felt fear of the possibility that the thing would have swallowed him whole.

She looked at those green eyes full of rage, those spikes and teeth that had been the death of many hatchlings, the horn protruding from its snout. "What kind of person could ride such a beast?" Was a thought she tried to not have, yet they plagued her mind anyway, especially on light of Aemond's recent behavior, she had known of Aegon's actions towards his younger brother and she tried to stop him, but she failed, just like she did on every area relating to Aegon, then Aemond had to take matters into his own hands.

"The prince looked half mad, your grace, even if was a blunt sword it would still hurt, yet Aemond powered through the type of pain that would make most battle tested men yield." Ser Criston had told her.

"What kind of men would her children become?" Was a question always on her mind, Aegon refused to see reason in front of him, he had been diligent and hard-working before, yet that behavior had since then vanished to give space for a degenerate fool. Aemond was an enigma, hard-working and obsessed, driven by fire, but she feared he might also seek blood. Heleana was an enigma too, one that was far beyond Alicent's understanding. Daeron was her favorite, her little boy in Oldtown, letters from him were always promising.

A knock came from her door. "Small council." She muttered to herself.

Alicent knew it would be difficult to hold hert ongue now that Rhaenyra had spawned a third bastard, but she had to, for the sake of decency and of the realm.