authorsnote: thanks for the great response! do enjoy

also the povs will be weird on this for a while to move the story, this is almost 'part 1', part 2 will see split povs.

do enjoy, do review

songrecs: flight of dragons - got season 8

'A king should never sit easy'

- Aegon the Conquerer to his armourers

-x-

10 years later the prospective Kings and Queen, were not acting like royalty.

Unless royalty involved the eldest of the three chasing the prospective Queen around the manse, whilst the two squealed, the youngest brother watched on laughing, but was not one to run and scream. Instead he watched from the side, as Aegon reached Daenery's and tagged her 'it'.

"It's not fair!" Lamented the white-haired Targaryen, stomping her foot to emphasise just how unfair it was. "You're faster!"

"So!" Aegon said with a sneer that he'd surely inherited from his Grandfather (thankfully he hadn't inherited much else, all three Targaryen's were madness free as of yet, thank goodness). "I can't help being the fastest!"

"You're not the fastest" Daenery's proclaimed with a delicate roll of her violet eyes. Only Jon had missed out on the trademark Targaryen eye colour. Dany's were a delicate violet, Aegon's a deep amethyst, and Jon's a grey that perhaps in a trick of light could pass for a dull purple ... just.

"Jon's the fastest" Dany stated, as though it were fact. It was. Aegon was stronger sure, but Jon was faster, more agile, yet Aegon was not such a fan of hearing his little brother could out race him.

"Nu-uh!" He shot back, red slashing across his cheeks, not happy to be called out at all.

"Uh-hu!" Dany glared back, the two were frighteningly alike, even though Jon and Aegon were the siblings, one would rather mistake the two white haired Targaryen's as brother and sister instead.

Jon was the odd one out, grey eyes, black hair, quieter, more brooding than the white haired, purple eyed Targaryen's who were sometimes too outgoing, but it didn't matter to them. They loved one another all the same.

That was a beautiful thing about the three children who'd been smuggled across the narrow sea. They had bonded quickly and strongly. Perhaps it was a side effect of having no other children to play with, or perhaps the tied destiny they knew awaited them, but it had cemented in iron clad bonds between the three that anyone would find hard pressed to break.

The three loved one another, like siblings. Aegon was the big brother, outgoing and looking out for his siblings. Dany the girl of the trio, fierce and yet with two very overprotective brothers. Then there was Jon, the odd one out, quiet too. The three were as thick as thieves, adored one another to the ends of the world and yet could fight like cats and dogs.

"Jon, tell Aegon you're the fastest!" Dany demanded, for she could be terribly bossy … her brother's (for Jon may be technically a nephew to them, but they had grown up as siblings and thus saw one another as such), knew this and walked the line between giving into her demands because it was easier, and rolling their eyes as she tried to tell them what to do.

"Jon, tell Dany she's a stupidhead!" Aegon demanded then, and Dany gasped in outrage, which had Jon laughing, though he held up his hands in mock surrender as both of his siblings glared at him, demanding an answer.

"I'm not getting involved" He proclaimed, something he often did. Stupider men or boys would try and break up an argument between Dany and Aegon, Jon was far too experienced in the area and thus wiser to never try.

The two would fight and scream, and eventually it would all be forgotten as they were called for lunch.

Which they were at that precise moment, by Wylla, Jon's old wet nurse whose primary job was now to corral the three children around, it was not an easy job.

"Lunch time!" She called out, thankfully she didn't have to order the three around for this. Growing children, the three of them happily bounded into the main dining hall for lunch. The three were lean, skinny kids, with Aegon and Jon showing the first signs of muscles thanks to their training regimes, but they certainly loved their food.

The three children, for they were still children, Aegon only 11 now, Dany and Jon a year younger at 10, though Dany was a month or two older. They were still children, though they hadn't quite had normal childhoods…

Normal children got to grow up playing, having fun, the weight of expectations on them not present until they were in their teen years. Even the heirs to the noble houses of Westeros got to have a childhood before the expectations and responsibilities were foisted on them. The three Targaryen's however did not have such a luxury.

From the moment they could listen the three of them had been told the same thing over and over.

To Aegon they said, 'One day you will rule the Six Kingdoms, as King of Westeros, of the Andals. You will rule as a Targaryen King once more from the seat of Kings Landing as your ancestors did before you, you shall rule over the land Aegon the 1st conquered, with a newly forged crown like his on your head'

To Daenerys they said, 'One day you shall be Queen, perhaps not as Aegon's bride, but you will rule all the same. Perhaps Queen of a newly forged Valyria, or even a conqueror of the Free Cities. You shall be Rhaenys and Visenya reborn, a beautiful Targaryen Queen'

To Jon they said, 'One day you shall be a King, not of Westeros or the Andals, but you shall be King of the First Men. You shall rule the dominion of the North, of the untamed land of the Stark's, you shall be King here where you will be accepted as half Stark, but also half Targaryen'

From the moment they could listen that was what they heard. Normal children grew up listening to fairy tales, the Bear and the Maiden Fair, The Sleeping Princess, The Knight and the Hungry Dragon, but the Targaryen siblings? They grew up listening to the story's historians would write about them.

It was a great weight to put on children, to expect so much of them, but it strengthened the bonds between the three of them. From the moment they could talk they had known their destiny, known they would go through it together, and thus knew they'd be stronger in standing by one another, and thus they did, without fail.

And so no, a normal childhood they had not, but not only because of the stories.

Whereas normal boys trained for an hour or so a day in preparation for manhood, Aegon and Jon were drilled for hours. Jory, and the Bravosi dancing master Syrio had them at it from dawn until lunch 5 days a week. It was tiring, it was exhausting, but it was preparing the two boys to lead armies one day, to stand at the head of armies as their Father Rhaegar had.

Aegon excelled at bow work, at horse riding, 'the prettier things' Jon would joke when he was in the mood to tease, something that did make Aegon laugh, with his usually stoic brother doing the ribbing he could handle it easier than say Dany making fun of him, for she did it often.

For Jon he was better at the sword, better than most at that age. He had a natural talent, was quick and fast on his feet but also sure with his strikes. The two complimented one another nicely. Aegon was more of a shield, to fire from far and hit the target, Jon was the sword, to swing into battle and strike.

And when the boys trained Dany would spend hours learning the customs of just about everywhere. Whereas Aegon and Jon's futures were mapped; they would be Kings of the same continent but different Kingdoms, Dany's was more fluid, with multiple options for her Queendom going forwards, and so it was important she knew enough about any potential Kingdoms she may rule.

So as the boys fought and trained in the extensive yard out the back of the manse, Dany sat with her tutor, who drilled her on languages, arts, customs, diplomacy. The boys had some training of that as well, Jory sat for hours with Jon going through Northern houses and customs, and Aegon had a Westerosi Maester who they somehow had employed to talk him through the Southern houses and customs of the South.

They were training to be rulers, even at such a young age, and had been since they had been able to walk and talk.

It was a lot for young children, but it was all they had ever known.

Still, they found some time to have fun.

As the three ran into lunch, they sat themselves down at the table, and began to serve themselves food. Dany preferred sweet treats, and Wylla had scolded her fair few times that she must eat her mains before diving for cake. Aegon loved spicy food, anything with a kick the boy would guzzle down, even if it turned his pale face red. Jon had taken on his Stark side for his taste in food, more hearty fair designed for cold climates did Jon prefer.

In fact, the three were so focused on shovelling food onto their plates (and then into their mouths), they did not notice that not only Wylla sat at the table.

"Children" Their nurse admonished them, for all she tried to make them have good manners and courtesies, children sometimes just had to be children, royalty, or no. "Look who has joined us"

Sure, initially they had ignored (not even noticed really), the man who'd sat with them silently at lunch, but as soon as the three of them realised just who the guest was food was forgotten, and they were running and squealing (well Dany squealed, Aegon cheered, and Jon grinned), around to said guest in delight.

"Varys!" Dany screamed in delight, and soon she was sat on Vary's lap, with Jon and Aegon sat around them, grinning from ear to ear. They all liked Vary's, he bought them sweets (and produced some as soon as Dany plonked herself on his lap), he always smiled at them, and most importantly he bought them stories of Westeros.

"Tell us of Westeros!" Aegon demanded, excitement making him jiggle his knee, to which Wylla scolded him 'King's don't fidget!' (she had said that same phrase far too many times).

"What of the North?" Jon asked, grey eyes wide with enthusiasm.

Dany was munching on her sweets, and for once silent, and Varys gave them all a smile as he told them of Westeros.

He always painted a picture with his words, a tapestry of how life was on the continent they had never lived on but still called home. He told them of how the smallfolk still missed the Targaryen's, toasted to them in the night and said secret prayers, 'They will welcome our return!' Aegon boasted, as Dany nodded, and Jon rolled his eyes, to which Aegon went to sock him on the arm, only pausing at the death glare Wylla gave him…he thought better of it then.

Varys told them of the North, of how the Stark's still ruled, of how the Wall still stood strong. Varys told them of the summer that persisted as it did in Essos, but summer snows were common in Winterfell now and beautiful.

"Now children" Varys said with an indulgent smile after half an hour of Westeros talk, "Tell me of your studies" He always asked that. He would give with his stories, but he expected some back.

First went Aegon, who spoke of his economics lessons with barely hidden disdain, but his horse riding lessons with joy. Then Dany who complained about learning Dothraki but cheered up when she spoke of her painting lessons. Then Jon who spoke of his most recent test on Northern sigils that he had aced, and then his bow and arrow lesson where he'd got two bullseyes (he didn't mention that Aegon had got three, but Aegon certainly did).

Then Varys said he had to go, and the children whined, and he produced more sweets. It was like a choreographed dance at this point. Varys would arrive with sweets and stories of home. The children would give stories of their studies, and then more sweets and then Varys would be gone. Once a month or so he came, but never stayed more than an afternoon.

"Goodbye my sweets" He always said as he departed, and Dany whined, Aegon stormed off and Jon brooded. They always missed Varys and his stories when he left.

Still, they weren't allowed to sulk for long. Back to lessons and training, for them, as it was day in day out, every day, every week, to prepare them for their future, their destiny, to prepare them for King and Queenship.

thoughts?

do let me know watcha think, I love to hear it!

also, yes many a twists to come

speak soon