Chapter 5: Cupbearer and Feast

As expected, in the following days, Prince Aemon captured the full attention of the court by becoming the rider of Caraxes. However, Vaegon was not particularly impressed; fierce as that dragon might be, it was four times smaller than his own dragon, and its power was incomparable. Although a notable event had occurred when Draco, as Vaegon had named the Cannibal, obeyed him while calmly resting in the gardens of the Red Keep, its size made it visible from a distance. So terrifying was the dragon that a mere glance from it could make several knights faint. Such was the extent of its fearsome reputation that no one dared to approach it, except for Septon Barth, under whose supervision Vaegon fed "the walking death" three lambs daily. In fact, it was likely that Draco's feeding costs would increase significantly over time, but the king had declared that this would be covered.

After being released from his punishment, Vaegon resumed interacting with his sisters. He accompanied Maegelle in her prayers and tried to bring sweets to Daella, but the poor girl was a bundle of nerves, and Draco's presence had made her almost entirely seclude herself in her chambers. On his way back to his own chambers, he encountered Alyssa, who looked at him insolently.

"Well, little brother, congratulations on your dragon," she said with a hint of envy.

But Vaegon smiled superiorly. "Thank you, dear sister, but tell me, where is your dragon?" he asked maliciously, making her frown, which, according to Vaegon himself, made her look uglier due to her crooked nose.

"I don't have a dragon," she replied angrily while grabbing him by the neck, revealing her ire. "Because of you, they've sealed the Dragonpit!" She shook him as if he were a rattle. "Father says no one will claim a dragon until we are adults!" and her forehead collided with his. "And Baelon is confined to his quarters for trying to escape to Dragonstone to claim Vhagar... tell me, little brother, do you need anything?"

But Vaegon headbutted his sister, breaking her nose again. "Don't ever lay a hand on me again!" he shrieked in the high-pitched voice of a child.

"Runt!" bellowed Alyssa, her nose bleeding.

And Vaegon bolted down the corridors, with his older sister chasing him with the murderous rage of an out-of-control dragon. Vaegon's legs were not athletic, but he managed to keep ahead of Alyssa, at least until a pair of guards stopped them. Nevertheless, Alyssa managed to punch Vaegon hard enough to knock out one of his milk teeth. But Vaegon wasn't intimidated and lunged at his older sister like a cornered cat, knocking her to the ground.

Finally, more guards separated them after causing such a commotion that they were later brought before the kind-hearted queen, who looked at Vaegon with severity.

"What happened?" inquired the queen, already very annoyed.

Alyssa was the first to speak. "Vaegon broke my nose!" she said, trying to slap Vaegon again while covering her nose with a cloth.

But Vaegon did not hold back. "Alyssa knocked out one of my teeth!" he shouted, showing his bleeding gum.

"You started it!" screamed Alyssa.

"You started it!" Vaegon retorted.

"It's all your fault!" Alyssa barked at him.

"Baelon is confined because he's an idiot!" he screeched.

But then he received a slap from the queen, who looked at him sternly. "Do not speak of your older brother like that!" his mother warned him.

Vaegon frowned but took a moment to speak. "Mother," he said calmly, "I apologize for the trouble caused by my actions, but I could not avoid them, for my blood is the blood of the dragon, and I felt Draco's call. There are riders destined for a dragon, and a dragon for several riders... tell me, mother, how strong can the bond between a dragon and its rider be? Silverwing was born in your cradle, just like Vermithor in father's... what else could I do?"

The queen was furious, but Vaegon had a point. The bond between dragon and rider was something too unique to explain. However, she would not be entangled by her most troublesome son.

"Even so, you will remain confined to your chambers for a fortnight as punishment for attacking your sister," his mother said. "You too, Alyssa."

Both withdrew from her presence under the watchful eye of the royal guard. Vaegon was confined for a fortnight on bread and water, with guards posted at his door. His father came once to reprimand him but was more understanding than his mother and said they would talk when the punishment was over.

In the meantime, Septon Barth had brought him a couple of ancient books. In secret, he showed him a passage indicating that some Valyrian dragons had reached lengths of over nine hundred feet, but he did not show it to the kings to avoid giving the Targaryens an inferiority complex. It was quite amusing, considering that Balerion, supposedly the largest dragon in the known world, except for Draco himself, was in practice no more than a lesser dragon. Vaegon and the Hand of the King agreed to keep it secret.

Finally, when he was released from confinement, he received a good plate of roasted meat with a glass of fresh cider. But by then, attention was mostly focused on the wedding between Prince Aemon and Lady Jocelyn, a grand event for which Vaegon had been instructed by his father to take the dragon out of the city. Vaegon flew it under his father's supervision, but only took it a few meters outside the city walls. Draco growled, but Vaegon patted its snout and said he would visit later.

Later, when Vaegon returned to the Red Keep, escorted by the guard, he was taken to his father's office, where he found him with Septon Barth, reviewing some documents.

"Father," said Vaegon, giving a bow.

The king smiled slightly at his son and asked him to sit.

"Vaegon," said the conciliator, "I have been talking to Septon Barth, and I believe I should give you some responsibility."

"Some responsibility?" he asked, intrigued.

"Indeed," he affirmed. "Although you are just a child, you have already shown more mental prowess than the best archmaesters, or so says Grand Maester Elysar. And perhaps I should give you a position to keep you occupied... so from now on, you are my cupbearer," the king said.

Vaegon was not very flattered by the idea. He had never served a drink to anyone in his previous life, but at least he would have access to the small council, which could be very useful to him.

"As you wish, father," said Vaegon kindly, "but I would like to make a request."

The king gestured for him to continue.

"I would like access to the kitchens; I would like to innovate the food to be presented at Aemon's wedding."

The king laughed heartily. That was unexpected, and Septon Barth was also amused, though he did not laugh. Nonetheless, he granted permission, provided it was under supervision.

The next day, Vaegon went to the kitchens. He was already tired of medieval food, finding it odd, and he longed for some normal food. Over the following days, he took control of the palace kitchens, and although the cooks treated him with respect, they also treated him like a small child. Nevertheless, Vaegon began to show them the dishes he had prepared. The first, the simplest, was a Spanish omelette, which Vaegon made as juicy as possible. The next dish was more complicated, but after a few hours, Vaegon managed to make the first cheeseburger in Westeros, followed by the first pizza, topped with melted cheese, beef strips, tomato, and a bread crust, along with peppers. Another dish he created, which required the presence of a blacksmith and a butcher for the spits, was the first mixed kebab. Another use he found for oil was frying potatoes instead of boiling them, presenting them as French fries. Using leftover meat and with the help of a few bakers, he created several dozen hot dogs with ketchup and onions. Then, under his instructions, the cooks made the first pasta in Westeros. Pasta had begun to be consumed in Italy during the Middle Ages, so Vaegon had no trouble making al dente noodles with tomato sauce and grated cheese. Finally, he took care of the desserts. It was a shame there was no cocoa in Westeros, which limited him somewhat, but he successfully made the first custards, croissants, and glazed donuts. Although Vaegon had this knowledge, he had to admit that he only achieved the magnificent presentation thanks to the cooks' expertise. Later, he would suggest a salary increase for them.

But aside from his appreciation for the food from his previous life, Vaegon saw an opportunity to build bridges, so he requested his father to hold a meal with just the four men of the family to introduce them to his dishes and strengthen family bonds. Jaehaerys agreed, as he wanted his sons to be as close as possible and was curious about Vaegon's dishes, having heard some gossip about them being strange.

A few days later, in the king's private dining room, Jaehaerys was waiting for his son Vaegon, while Aemon and Baelon were already at the table. The two brothers had differing opinions. On one hand, Aemon was ecstatic about marrying Lady Jocelyn Baratheon, whom he was madly in love with, but he was also slightly jealous of Vaegon for having a dragon. Baelon looked at him with some resentment, but in reality, it was a bit of envy, as it was irritating to him that his scrawny and repulsive younger brother had a dragon larger than the Black Dread itself. He longed to claim Vhagar, but his guard would prevent him, and Aemon, as much as he loved his brother, knew he would never disobey his father. Not to mention Alyssa, how could he dare do that to his precious sister? referring to the headbutt that had broken her nose again, although Baelon loved her as much as ever, he wished he could grab Vaegon by the neck and twist it for such an offense.

After a while, Vaegon entered. He was all sweaty and wore a worn-out doublet, unbefitting a prince, but he was followed by other servants who carried carts with rudimentary wheels, which caught the king's attention. Rightly, he thought it was one of Vaegon's ideas.

"I hope you have an appetite," Vaegon said jovially. "I've spent all morning cooking for you."

"And what have you prepared?" Aemon asked with his characteristic curiosity.

Vaegon smiled, and from the cart, he took out four large hamburgers with cheese, ham, fried egg, lettuce, and tomato sauce. Beside them, he placed a serving of salted French fries. This surprised the king and the princes; it didn't look bad, but it was understandably strange to them.

"I call it Ponientesa," Vaegon said, sitting down. "And I thought of frying the potatoes instead of boiling them, and sprinkling them with salt. Try them and see what you think."

The three of them tried it, and indeed, they liked it. Wishing each other a good meal, the hamburgers, made of beef, were tasty and freshly made, and combined with a bit of Arbor wine, they were a feast. Aemon ate with joy, but Baelon with eagerness.

"Truly delicious," King Jaehaerys conceded while wiping his face with a cloth.

"There's more," Vaegon said.

And then, a two-kilo pizza with beef, melted cheese, tomato, pepper, and bread crust appeared. Vaegon began to divide it into equal portions. He got up from his seat and started serving each of them a slice. Finally, he served himself. Vaegon, above all, enjoyed it the most because it reminded him of old times, though the other diners were not far behind.

The dessert was vanilla custard, which, although somewhat sweet, was enjoyed by the princes, though not as much by the king, who was not accustomed to sweets. Finally, with their stomachs full, the king and the princes served themselves wine, except for Vaegon, who drank a bit of lemonade.

"Vaegon, I must congratulate you," Aemon said with a touch of satisfaction. "Little brother, how did you make these delicacies?"

Vaegon smiled.

"My head started spinning when my stomach growled in the dungeon," he replied with a touch of humor.

The king grimaced, but Baelon let out a grunt.

"Brother, what's wrong? Why are you upset?" he said, referring to the spring prince.

"You know what's bothering me," he retorted.

Alyssa already told him.

"I understand what you feel about Vhagar," he said. "The bond is very strong. After all, you are destined to be his rider."

"What do you mean?" Aemon asked, intrigued.

"We are all destined to be the rider of a specific dragon," Vaegon began. "Balerion had Aegon, Maegor, and Aerea, besides the first rider who came from Valyria with him. Some, like father, are more fortunate and have their companion from the cradle."

King Jaehaerys could not deny it.

"But those of us destined to their call must find them. Aemon, why did you choose Caraxes?" he asked his brother.

"Because his fierceness attracted me; he is the fiercest dragon in the Dragonpit," he said with some doubt.

"But you chose him and not another dragon; you could have chosen Vhagar or Balerion. However, you chose Caraxes, although I believe it was Caraxes who chose you."

Everyone stared at him.

"Father, I sincerely believe you should let Baelon travel to Dragonstone and bond with Vhagar, for I am sure he is destined to be his rider, just as I am destined to be Draco's rider," he said.

"I agree with Vaegon," Aemon spoke in defense of his brother.

The king pondered for a moment but found no objection. Baelon was very brave, perhaps too much for his own good, but he still believed he could become Vhagar's rider.

"Agreed," the king conceded. "Baelon, you may go to Dragonstone after your brother's wedding."

"Thank you, father," Baelon replied.

At the end of the lunch, Vaegon returned to his quarters. He was satisfied. It seemed he had removed some of the bad blood between Baelon and himself. But upon reaching his quarters, he found his brother Aemon, before whom he felt like a dwarf.

"Do you need something, brother?" he asked cordially.

"I'd like to see those writings of yours that the maesters talk about... I think they're interesting."

"Alright," he replied with a smile.

And they entered his quarters, with Prince Aemon carefully closing the door.

"And tell me about your prophetic dreams," he added.

In the next chapter, Aemon's wedding with Jocelyn will take place, and some surprises will occur.