Chapter I - Blood of the Dragon

52 AC, the ninth day of the first month of the year.

"Oh DAMN IT! Oh FUCK, it hurts! SEVEN HELLS!"

The loud screaming did not originate from some common peasant boy who may have stubbed his two, or a groom whose horse had kicked him in the shin.

No, this was from Queen Alysanne Targaryen, beloved consort and wife to King Jaehaerys, First of His Name, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms. She was currently in the middle of her first childbirth, but it was hardly cause for celebration.

It was merely three months prior that the queen had joined her husband on his royal progress when she had decided to visit the Jonquil's bath in Maidenpool, rumored to possess healing waters of remarkable potency. She hoped such waters would bring health and good fortune for the babe growing inside of her. Yet even as King Jaehaerys's chosen seven speakers spoke of the Targaryens' right to wed brother-sister, some in the Faith still viewed any such union as disgusting, any children from such marriages being nothing but "abominations."

Three septas of this mindset were hiding near the pools and attempted to stab Queen Alysanne when she had only gotten her feet into the alleged healing waters. They feared having the incestual "abomination" inside her belly touch Jonquil's Pool would taint the waters forever. It was only through the remarkable sacrifice of Alysanne's ladies-in-waiting that she survived the attempted assassination: Septa Edyth and Prudence Celtigar received minor wounds, but Rosamund Ball was tragically taken from this world when a blade pierced through her stomach.

The two Kingsguard standing outside the bath chambers for her protection - Ser Joffrey Doggett and Ser Gyles Morrigen - raced into the room after hearing sounds of screaming, slaying two of the mad septas and capturing the third for interrogation on the ones behind the plot, having her hung afterward. Alysanne and Jaehaerys had ended their progress immediately afterward and returned to the safety of the Red Keep, but Alysanne was in labor approximately one month before she was due.

From the start of the day up to that point, the queen had been in the utmost pain as her womb was ravaged with the first symptoms of childbirth. Right now, Alysanne was lying in her bed yelling in pain and breathing heavily in the hopes of relieving her condition. With her in the room were wet nurses to help her deliver the future heir to King Jaehaerys, half a dozen midwives providing words of encouragement and two septas praying, Grand Maester Benifer, Septon Barth, the Hand of the King, and of course, her husband, brother, and one true king: Jaehaerys.

Of all the people in the room, it was the king himself who felt the most powerless. King Jaehaerys was said to be as skilled with a blade as his horrific uncle Maegor, he wielded the Valyrian steel blade Blackfyre, and his dragon Vermithor was a large bronze beast of war. Yet he could now only watch as his beloved Alysanne struggled to bring forth their baby. His prayers meant less than those of Barth or the septas, his knowledge of medicine inferior to that of Benifer's, and no amount of strength or skill with a blade could beat the Stranger, who seemed to be teasing him with the thought of taking his child and, gods forbid, his wife too.

All too common was the deaths of noble ladies in childbirth, regardless of whether or not the child they released from their wombs survived as well. Back on Dragonstone, when they hid their love from the Small Council, Jaehaerys recalled that Alysanne had spoken with a boy whose young mother had died giving birth to his little sister. She had condemned any man who would put their wife - one who was more girl than woman - through such an ordeal, and the king now wondered if he was the same type of husband that his beloved queen spoke of.

A crueler trick by fate and the gods there never has been, he thought to himself earlier that day. Perhaps the gods of Old Valyria have sworn to bestow endless pain on House Targaryen for beseeching them.

But the thought was more morbid humor than truth, and at this moment, he did everything he could to stay by Alysanne's side as she lay in the birthing bed in the utmost agony. As her pain grew throughout the day, he held her hand tightly with his two. It truly was the best thing he could do for her at this point, yet he felt shameful that he could do little more.

"Come now, Your Grace," the Grand Maester told Alysanne, "you are doing well. Just be strong for a few moments and your babe will be in your arms before long."

Alysanne grimaced and clenched her teeth. "Easy…for you to say…when you will never…carry a child…inside of you!"

Spoken between heavy breaths, Alysanne's words were followed by her screaming louder than she had ever in her life. The babe was coming now, and Grand Maester Benifer knew it.

"Push now, Your Grace!"

Grabbing the sheets beneath her, Alysanne let out a scream that could have been mistaken for a dragon's own as she pushed one last time. She felt the emptiness of her womb that was accompanied by the dissipation of her pain, though the queen felt as if most of her strength had been spent bringing forth her first child. What else could be expected from her, a young woman who would only turn six-and-ten later in the year?

Benifer held the babe in his arms as Alysanne did her best to keep her eyes open in spite of her immense exhaustion. "It is a boy, Your Grace. You have given the realm a prince."

Alysanne smiled if only a little. "Prince or princess, it does not matter to me. Only that my child grows to be strong and wise and brave.'

Yet the Grand Maester did not return her smile. He looked down at the babe, which cried loudly as the wet nurses cleaned the area near Alysanne's legs.

"My King, my Queen, I must warn you that, from what I have studied and observed in other newborns, your son is rather small and light for his size. I shall do everything possible to care for him as will Septon Barth, for he has studied many books on maesters' medicinal practices."

Jaehaerys could only look at his wife and as her eyes stared into his own, he held her hand tightly. They had already been through so much to get to this point, and now the Seven seemed intent on teasing them with thoughts of their son being taken by the Stranger so soon after his arrival.

Alysanne swallowed and spoke again, her words interrupted by her breaths of exhaustion from the childbirth. "Thank you…Grand Maester. Our son…will be named…Aegon."

"Aegon? That is a marvelous name," Benifer said with great praise. He made sure to pinch the cord on the babe's stomach with his glove-covered fingers before cutting it with a scalpel. "Forgive me for asking, but is it for your late elder brother, or for the Conqueror himself?"

"For both," Jaehaerys interjected, still clenching his wife's hand. "Both our brother and the Conqueror were brave men worthy of sitting on the Iron Throne, even if the former was robbed of his birthright."

"I couldn't agree more, Your Grace. If I may ask to be excused to bring Prince Aegon to his cradle and give him the proper care to try and ensure his survival."

Jaehaerys quickly nodded for him to leave to try and save Aegon's life. As he left, accompanied by some septas and all of the wet nurses, Septon Barth entered the room and moved to Alysanne's bedside.

"How are you feeling, my Queen? I only wish to ensure that your health is intact after such a difficult birth."

"I thank you for your loyalty," Alysanne said, being able to speak without having to breathe so heavily this time. "But my son Aegon is in far more need of your help at this point. I assure you that the mess at the bottom of this bed is natural amongst new mothers, or else Benifer would have noted otherwise."

"Looking at it now, I would say you are correct," Barth replied. "The Citadel would have benefited greatly had you been born a man and come to them as a child. But then again, it would mean we would not be here."

"I would say we would, but with a far less wonderful woman than my Alysanne," Jaehaerys jested, smiling for what felt like the first time in the day. "In any event, thank you, Septon. Since the day you arrived in the capital, you have been nothing short of extraordinary."

Barth, who had officiated the second wedding between the royal couple, smiled and bowed. "'Tis always my pleasure, Your Grace."

He departed from the room with every other person in the room without Targaryen blood. Left alone, Jaehaerys and Alysanne looked deep into each other's eyes, the former's violet and hers blue, as their hands were locked together tightly.

"I wish Mother were here," Alysanne stated. "She had six children and will soon have a seventh with Lord Rogar. No one would be better to help me deal with this pain, this tiredness, this mess."

"Alas, the child she is to bear with the name Baratheon is exactly why she cannot be here," Jaehaerys sighed. "She's four-and-forty herself, so if the gods are being particularly cruel, they may take away both our son and our mother."

"Don't think like that ever," Alysanne scolded. "We should only hope for the best. I'm certain our boy will be as strong as our grandsire and our mother will give us another sibling, even if our new brother or sister has brown hair rather than silver."

"Forgive me, my queen," Jaehaerys said with a slight bit of humor, if only to soften the mood brought about by the perils facing their son, "I will never do so again. Perhaps our troubled childhoods have accustomed us to the face of death so early in our lives."

"Gods be good, we'll never have to see such a horrid face on our children, whether we have two or four or eight of them."

"Maybe we'll have a dozen of them. Our own army of dragonriders like the days of Old Valyria."

Alysanne chuckled, and Jaehaerys put a gentle kiss on her forehead as he held her hand in his two. Yet their jests did little to hide their fear over what would happen with Aegon, born to them after such a terrible event struck his mother during her pregnancy. All they could do was wait as those who served them so faithfully worked day and night to save the poor child.

…

The past two days had been strenuous for the king and queen, the pair having not been so worried since they had been held hostage by Maegor's mother Visenya on Dragonstone whilst they were still young. While Alysanne recovered from Aegon's difficult delivery, Jaehaerys would ask the Grand Maester every question he could think of regarding the health of their son Aegon.

Early in the morning, Alysanne now asleep as she continued to regain her strength, Jaehaerys was now in a room with Septon Barth and Benifer as he pondered how to save the baby prince's life, which seemed to be hanging in the balance even after two days of effort to save him.

"Are you certain the wet nurses have fed him properly?"

"Of course, my King," Benifer replied. "They dutifully watch over him and try to feed him from their breasts to give him strength."

"I thank them a hundredfold for their dedication, but it doesn't seem to be enough."

Hearing the anger sharply rise with the last word in that sentence, Jaehaerys took a deep breath, put himself into a chair, and rested his head on his hand. Silence filled the room as the three men - the rightful ruler of the Seven Kingdoms who rode a dragon, a man revered as one of the smartest in the Realm, and one of the chief advisors to said ruler - were powerless to save a small child.

As it so happened, the last of those men, seemingly the one with the fewest resources, was the only one to come up with a possible solution.

"Your Grace, didn't your eldest sister Rhaena put a dragon egg into your crib when you were a baby?"

Jaehaerys and Benifer looked to see it was Septon Barth who had spoken. His words were unsteady, as if the man himself was unsure of what he was about to suggest to save Jaehaerys's son.

"Yes, but why is that relevant?"

"In my time in the Red Keep's library, I have been studying the history of the Targaryens and their ties to dragons. Many knowledge-filled scrolls and books on the subject remain on Dragonstone, but the books within this castle have been more than enough to imply a distinct magical connection between the dragonlords and their mounts. For example, the magic from their dragons might possibly explain how marriages between Valyrian brothers and sisters have produced such strong children over the centuries."

"And if I dare to guess," Jaehaerys began, "you believe that acquiring a dragon egg for my son will give him the strength to survive?"

"To be completely honest, your Grace, this theory of mine is a last resort. As a man of faith, I do my best to separate what is real in our world from the delusions of those such as the Faith Militant. But what I have learned about dragons since I came to this city almost two years ago…they are truly magical and wondrous creatures to behold."

Jaehaerys was silent for a moment before looking over at Grand Maester Benifer. "What say you to his idea?"

Benifer thought on the question for a second before giving the king a response.

"What do we have to lose?"

…

Jaehaerys had never pressed Vermithor to fly so fast to Dragonstone. The bronze dragon, seventeen years old just like his rider, was not as large & slow as Balerion, so Jaehaerys could only hope it could reach his family's ancestral home in time to find the egg to save his son. Every moment in the air felt like agony, a part of him fearing that Aegon had died and he was flying across the Narrow Sea like a fool.

Yet he knew he had to press on, if only to give his child even the slimmest of chances to survive. Aegon had done nothing wrong, yet the Gods seemed fit to deny him a chance at life that even his vile uncle Maegor had received. The king had to save his son not only for the sake of himself and his wife but for the sake of Valyrian blood, to show the blood of the dragon was strong because of the beasts they controlled.

They were greater men, closer to gods than the average Westerosi.

When Vermithor arrived at Dragonstone, it had turned into the middle of the day, with the sun shining bright in the sky. Though its light enabled Jaehaerys to easily spot his targeted location, he knew he would be discovered quickly, creating unneeded gossip and questions about his presence on the island. His sister Rhaena would be particularly suspicious, having been granted Dragonstone as a seat almost a year prior at Jaehaerys's wedding to Alysanne, but the king had no choice now.

Vermithor circled the island once before landing next to a cave at the base of the Dragonmont, the mighty volcano from which Valyrians had shaped their island fortress. He had recalled the pit, which was known as a popular location for dragons to lay their eggs, from his time hiding with Alysanne away on the island when the Realm sought to tear them apart.

He got down from Vermithor's back and approached the cave slowly, hoping to ensure no female dragon was there to protect their territory. The king was fortunate that dragons did not have an overwhelmingly close bond with their children, seeming to bond with their respective riders more than their offspring. In a battle between a full-grown dragon and its parent, there would not be any mercy in their flaming breath or powerful bites.

Jaehaerys snuck inside the cave and immediately focused on finding egg sacs. When dragons laid their eggs, they were not laid one by one like a bird or lizard. Rather, they were released from the body within sacs that hardened quickly after exposure to air. Cracking them open required a sharp tool, and the steam rising from within the sacs was not to be ignored. The eggs themselves could be so hot immediately after birth that gloves were necessary to hold them during their removal from their sac.

Luckily, Jaehaerys found one such sac, which most would mistake for a large stone covered in some moss. But as he read in the scrolls of Dragonstone's library, the Valyrian dragonlords of old would spend days or even weeks studying dragons' activities and behaviors, and they knew how to recognize a sac of eggs. After all, those eggs contained the key to their dominance of the vast lands of the Essosi continent, though the Doom was so terrifyingly powerful that no dragon in recorded history could have stopped it from destroying the Valyrian Freehold.

Taking a Valyrian steel dagger from its sheath on the side of his belt, Jaehaerys punctured the sac lightly, and since the eggs were outlined on the sac's surface, avoiding them was rather easy. Steam arose from the hole, and Jaehaerys slowly used the small but sharp blade to open the gap further along the sac's surface.

The surface was difficult to penetrate, but beneath the initial layer, which was durable enough to mistake for any large stone, the sac was not too difficult to pull open. the internal components having a consistency similar to bread, albeit if the bread were slightly stale and harder to pull with one's own hands. When Jaehaerys pulled open the sac, he saw five eggs inside, a typical amount for a dragon to produce in one clutch.

In a less strenuous time, Jeahaerys would have pondered which egg would be the most suited for his firstborn child. After all, he had always hoped for his sons to be dragonriders like him and Alysanne, and his daughters would earn their own mounts once they had been wed to their brothers. Now, however, he simply took the first egg he saw, a bright violet one he made sure was as large as the others in the clutch.

The king put the egg into the small bag he had brought for that specific purpose and departed from the cave, once more moving cautiously to ensure no dragon was flying nearby to become aggravated by his entrance into their home. Jaehaerys quickly made his way back to Vermithor and was prepared to fly back to his wife & son, slipping the egg into an even larger and more secure bag tied to the dragon's saddle, when he saw a small figure running to him. As the shape grew closer, Jaehaerys could make it out to be his niece Aerea, a girl who would turn ten later in the year.

The energetic child was sent to Dragonstone as requested by her mother Rhaena, Jaehaerys's eldest sister to whom the king had granted the island as a seat following her departure from Fair Isle. Maegor had named Aerea his heir after the mad king killed Jaehaerys's elder brother Viserys - not because his uncle believed women were just as capable of ruling as men, but rather to disinherit the last surviving son of his older half-brother Aenys.

In the aftermath of Maegor's death, Jaehaerys, who did not possess any children upon ascending the throne at twelve, would also name Aerea as his heir. Her mother wanted nothing to do with King's Landing after the heinous suffering Maegor put her through as one of his six "Black Brides," enduring nights of horror for a year as their wicked uncle desperately sought an heir. Much to the realm's fortune, it was in vain, and no sons were left to challenge the new king after Maegor's mysterious death on the Iron Throne.

After being forced to depart Fair Isle in the Westerlands by the angry and arrogant Lord Franklyn Farman, she had successfully asked her siblings not only for the island which housed them and their ancestors, but her daughter Aerea as well. The girl had not been with her mother for years under Maegor's reign, but Jaehaerys had no reason to aggravate his older sister, especially when Rhaena, King Aenys's eldest child, had forsaken any claim she possessed to the Iron Throne to instead support his own ascension.

Right now, Jaehaerys had very little time to entertain Aerea, even if he felt that she would be far happier at court surrounded by nobility than here where her only friends were dragons. Yet the girl who now was face-to-face with Vermithor seemed delighted to see him.

"Uncle Jae! You're here! Have you come to take me with you back to King's Landing?"

Jaehaerys sighed, yet he smiled as well. Her face, filled with joy and excitement, was the first thing today that didn't make him feel as though death was surrounding his loved ones.

"Hello, Aerea. I must be quick now so I will tell you the truth. I have not come here for you because I respect your mother's wishes even as I personally disagree with them. The reason I am here without warning is to get a dragon egg for my son."

The smile on Aerea's face began to disappear at the last part of her uncle's admission. "You and Alysanne…you have a baby?"

She fears losing her position as heir, Jaehaerys told himself. "Yes, Aerea. I cannot say much now, for I fear that my young son will die if I do not bring him a dragon egg to place in his cradle just as your mother did for me."

"But…but…" Aerea began. "I'm close to ten! You can't have a baby as the heir! It should be me! Uncle, please!"

The king knew he had to leave now if there was any hope for the babe Aegon. "Give your mother my best wishes. I hope to speak more with you soon, Aerea."

Jaehaerys then turned away to face forward even as his niece continued her pleading.

"Sōvēs, Vermithor!"

Without being forced to repeat himself, Jaehaerys felt Vermithor open his wings and push himself upwards with a mighty flap as he took flight. Jaehaerys heard Aerea's voice fade as he had the dragon turn to return to the capital, having left just before Rhaena could confront him near the Dragonmont.

"Aderi, Vermithor! ADERI! ADERI!"

Commanding his dragon to fly quickly, Jaehaerys, not noticing Rhaena and her female favorites had now seen him, only hoped his dragon could reach King's Landing fast enough to save Aegon, his firstborn child, son, and future heir.

…

Vermithor circled the Red Keep once before lowering himself into the yard of Maegor's Holdfast. The king was immediately surrounded by an army of septons, septas, and minor nobles residing at court who were all concerned for his safety. It was the last thing Jaehaerys wanted, as he wanted to see his son immediately so he could put his newly collected egg in Aegon's cradle.

Jaehaerys undid the chains securing him to the saddle and lowered himself to the ground when Septon Barth came running to him.

"Your son still lives, Your Grace, but his breaths weaken even as Benifer tries his best."

"Then I haven't a moment to lose," Jaehaerys replied. The king grabbed the egg and slid it into his bag before he hurried up the steps, taking precautions not to go too fast and have it fall out onto the floor. Barth followed in close pursuit, the king's good friend proving to be a wise and understanding pillar of support in the short time he had resided in the Red Keep.

It was late in the evening even as Vermithor had flown to and from Dragonstone in great haste caused by his rider's desperation. What few rays of light remained from the setting sun shone through the windows of the enormous red castle as Jaehaerys ran to the chamber built for the children he hoped would soon be running around the Red Keep. He came upon Benifer, along with an assortment of wet nurses and septas, surrounding Aegon as the baby lay on a table, his eyes closed and breaths being heard only by those standing closest to him.

Jaehaerys pulled the purple dragon egg out of his bag and held it up for all in the room to see. Most stared at the artifact in awe, but luckily the Grand Maester was able to instead focus on gently lifting Prince Aegon and carrying him to his cradle. Once Benifer had set the babe down, Jaehaerys placed the egg he had brought from Dragonstone in front of his son. Aegon moved his arms and legs around and even let out a faint cry, but he still looked to be in poor condition.

"What…what do I do now?"

Jaehaerys felt a sense of confusion come to him that mixed with his fear as he believed his child would be saved by his magical gift.

"I believe we should wait, Your Grace," Barth reassured him. "So far today, you have gotten no food and little sleep. Grand Maester Benifer and the fine women in this room will do everything possible to save Prince Aegon, but as the King of Westeros, it is your responsibility to remain rested and healthy so as to administer over the Seven Kingdoms. You have already done so much for your son, but now there is nothing left for you to do."

Jaehaerys took a few seconds to contemplate his advisor's words before he responded.

"You're right. I do need to ensure my own health at this time. I just need to make sure Vermithor is properly fed before I go to eat. Thank you for your help, Septon Barth. If my son survives to become a wise and brave prince, I shall make sure he knows and respects the wisest and bravest man this city has ever seen."

Barth smiled as his eyes looked slightly away, a tad embarrassed of the king's kind but surprising words. "You honor me beyond words, Your Grace."

…

52 AC, the thirteenth day of the seventh month of the year.

Alysanne was on her way to breakfast when she noticed a serving girl assigned to watch over the baby hurrying to inform her of something urgent. The queen had felt far more at ease in the last half-year as her son's health had improved since Jaehaerys had flown to Dragonstone. It was gradual at first, but before long, Grand Maester Benifer remarked to her how he would within a month or even less "catch up" to babes born at the end of their term rather than before it such as Aegon.

It was a shame that Jaehaerys couldn't be with her. After one month, his firstborn's health had greatly improved as the baby had become alert and moved his limbs in a manner that Benifer said was a sign of his growth. Adding to Aegon growing in size quickly after the egg was set in his crib, the king decided to resume the progress from last year that those murderous septas had violently interrupted.

With Jaehaerys visiting locations such as Gulltown and Runestone in the Vale, Alysanne had decided to vary between flying alongside him and staying at the Red Keep to watch over her son. The childbirth had left her slightly weakened, but Alysanne did what she could to still ensure peace & prosperity in the Realm, such as arranging a marriage between her lady-in-waiting Prudence Celtigar and Lord Guyard Grafton of Gulltown.

She had returned to King's Landing from Heart's Home two days prior and planned on returning to Jaehaerys's side within half a fortnight.

But after hearing the information this one serving girl brought to her, Alysanne's sole priority was seeing her boy Aegon. Hurrying down a flight of steps, the grand maester's prior advice to rest and walk gently be damned, the queen soon found Aegon's chambers, and standing outside of it was a small assortment of wet nurses and serving girls whose mouths were agape at what was occurring inside the room.

Curious, and increasingly worried, Alysanne pushed past the two of them into the room only to be greeted with two sounds: a baby's giggling and a dragon hatchling's cry.

At three days past six months old, Prince Aegon, who only now had a dash of silver-gold hair grow on his head, was on his hands and knees in the cradle in an attempt to crawl. Meanwhile, the empty shell of a violet dragon egg was in front of the babe as a small dragon, purple like the eyes of her husband Jaehaerys, was perched on the front-facing gated side of the bed. It clung to the top of the cradle's frame as it slinked along the side to approach Aegon, lowering itself to smell the babe which seemed to enjoy its presence.

In response, Aegon rolled onto his back and, still giggling, reached his small arm up to the hatchling's nose. The wet nurses gasped in fear of the newly hatched dragon harming the child, yet instead it smelled the finger of the baby to whom it was gifted. While doing so, it sounded quite similar to a cat's purr or even a trill of happiness, then emitted another small but high-pitched cry before flying to the other side of the cradle's frame.

While the baby Aegon continued to giggle and raise his small hands toward his new dragon friend, Alysanne, who had not made a sound throughout her son's interaction with the hatchling, suddenly understood what to do.

"Go down to the gardens and tell Silverwing's handlers to have her ready for my departure to the Vale," she commanded one of the serving girls, knowing that her husband would likely be visiting the Eyrie when she arrived.

"Once I have my breakfast, I shall tell the king that his son has a dragon of his own."

...

...

My second story! Hope you enjoy this what-if scenario, for this will be the first chapter in what I hope will be a wonderful and interesting story. Feel free to ask me any questions and/or leave me any comments.

If you haven't already, check out my other story "The Lion on the Hill", which is already up to 10 chapters.