The Haunted Shadow

by Storyteller206

House Targaryen had regained its dragons. House Blackfyre stirred from across the sea. The Others waited in the winterlands. Rhaegar Targaryen ruled over Westeros. Reincarnated into a world so different from the one that he had read about, Jon Snow realized he was in the middle of all of it. [SI-Jon] [AU]

5. Dragonstone

The eighteenth day of the seventh moon — 298-AC:

Clouded waves of water surged around the great dragon-themed ferry. Jon Snow leaned against the timber taffrail of the ship coated in iron. Its mast was shaped in the image of a dragon's unfurled wings.

Ghost pressed his head against the deck of the ship, experiencing the usual sea-sickness most first-timers on boats got. Jon patted his direwolf on the head.

Multiple vicious roars rumbled from above them. The sailors on the ship trembled a little, gazing at the three dragons in the clouds. Balerion flapped his wings, releasing a violent bellow. Garmented in his dragon-riding leathers, Aegon sat on Balerion's saddle.

Vermax soared through the air with his fellow dragons — most of his scales were marked with light spots of purple and dark blue. Two crooked blue horns were wrapped around his head and his lazy sapphire eyes were brighter than any candlelight. Viserys was secured in his saddle, dressed in chainmail and boiled leather.

Meraxes followed behind Balerion but flew ahead of Vermax. Her scales were green with patches of vivid yellow—though her eyes were a dark orange. One of her green horns was malformed and the other horn was pointier than a knife. Yellow sinuous spikes ran along her wings.

"Our dragons tend to terrify most sailors docking around Blackwater Bay." Rhaenys stood on the deck of the ship in her dragon-riding leathers — Barristan Selmy was at the stern of the ferry. "Despite seeing them so many times across the last few years, there still remains a good portion of the common folk who fear them."

"I believe I can imagine why." Jon responded. 'But I wonder what it must be like to ride on a dragon.'

Ghost hunkered down even more when the ship rocked to one side for a moment.

"Meraxes and our rambunctious uncle's Vermax much favour Dragonstone over the Dragonpit in King's Landing." Rhaenys said. "There is a Dragonpit off to the southern part of the island, but our dragons choose to hide away in the hollow caves in the Dragonmont."

The ferry soon closed in on Dragonstone. Hazy plumes of smoke drifted upwards from the Dragonmont. Jon noticed the fishermen around the island on their small boats in the sea — they reeled in their catches for the day and tucked the fishes into make-shift bags. Ghost recovered from his sea-sickness, licking his teeth in hunger.

Rhaenys shouted in High Valyrian at Meraxes and the dragon descended towards the Dragonmont. Vermax circled the volcano twice, flying into its unorganized labyrinth of enormous caves afterwards. Balerion crashed into the shore of a beach on the island.

Once the ferry had reached Dragonstone and it was docked at its port, Jon trekked onto the island and checked out its taverns, inns, wooden homes, and villages. Rhaenys handed a golden dragon to the captain of the ship but she became surrounded by Dragonstone's residents.

Ghost saw a grove several feet away from them, nudged Jon, and rushed off into its thicket.

'At least Ghost will have somewhere to spend his time.'

"Rhaenys is a smidge popular with the smallfolk here." Aegon had gotten off Balerion's saddle and approached him. "They'll be celebrating her arrival at this damn place for some time."

"I see you do not inspire the same awe."

"Indeed." Aegon laughed. "Ever since aunt Daenerys' Dreamfyre hatched, the dragon eggs brought to this island by her have hatched. Mayhaps you'll be able to claim one of the most recent hatchlings."

'My own dragon, huh?' Jon quelled his short feeling of greed. "I fear such intrepid action would have many ramifications for me."

'Cregard and Serena would call me a fool for refusing such an offer. They always did love Old Nan's tales about those ice dragons.'

Aegon shrugged. "There would be no drastic ramifications. Do not forget the authority our father has bestowed upon you, brother."

"Prince Aegon."

Aegon looked at the group of guardsmen on their warhorses who had galloped towards them on the port. Richard Lonmouth was stationed at the head of the welcoming party and was garbed in blue armour. A silken red cloak embroidered with black thread enfolded his shoulders.

"Ser Richard." Aegon nodded, then told Jon. "Ser Richard Lonmouth is the captain of House Targaryen's household guards at Dragonstone. He squired for our father in his youth."

"You must be prince Jon." Richard lowered his head. "A pleasure."

'First time hearing someone call me that.'

So Dragonstone had received news about Rhaegar's latest proclamation? Had his kin back at Winterfell also heard the news?

"We shall escort you two, of course." Richard waved his hand and two stallions were brought out to the front of the crowd by a guard. "Will it be the Stone Drum or the Sea Dragon Tower, my prince?"

"The Sea Dragon Tower." Aegon responded, getting on his stallion. "Balerion will remain ashore for the time being. Fetch a Dragonkeeper to feed him."

The guardsman beside Richard grunted in acknowledgement. "Very well, your grace." He urged his destrier off to Dragonstone's Dragonpit.

Richard wheeled his horse around and drove a soft kick into his stallion. "If you would follow us."

Jon secured himself on the stallion's saddle, hit a foot against his side, and rode out towards the Sea Dragon Tower with Aegon's retinue.

On their journey to the Sea Dragon Tower, he glimpsed more and more villages, hovels, and cabins constructed across the beaches of the island and under the Dragonmont's slopes, cliffs, and ledges.

Small dragons hovered across the air above the island, screeching and flapping their wings. They soon arrived at the entrance of the Sea Dragon Tower—where Viserys waited for them. Jon and Aegon dismounted from their stallions.

"You two are here at last." Viserys dismissed Richard and the group of guardsmen. "I fear I was close to getting lost in Vermax's cavern lair."

"I would not be surprised. You sometimes get lost in the Red-Keep, uncle." Aegon snorted. "Is aunt Daenerys at the Dragonpit?"

"She is in her study chambers." Viserys replied, motioning for them to follow him into the tower. "I hear one more dragon egg has hatched."

'More dragons?' Jon walked into the Sea Dragon Tower, going up a flight of stone cold steps with Aegon and Viserys. "How many dragons have hatched here in Dragonstone?"

"All of them, nephew." Viserys answered. "Except our talented Aegon's Balerion. That one hatched in the Red-Keep."

The three of them set foot into a long steep hallway—there was an oaken door coated in iron, bronze, and gold at the end of this hallway. Two guards stood in front of it and bowed when they noticed them.

One of them opened the door and ushered them into the study chambers. Several portraits of Aegon the Conqueror, Rhaenys Targaryen, and Visenya Targaryen were attached to the blue walls. Huge wooden tables designed like dragons with outstretched wings surrounded them. Scrolls, books, and tomes about dragonlore lined the tables. Eight windows with timber shutters were spread around the chambers. Jon saw House Targaryen's three-headed dragon engraved into the crimson silk banner hung against the widest of the walls in the room.

'They sure do love their dragons.'

Daenerys Targaryen was positioned at the head of a table. She wore a purple silken dress. Short yellow ribbons of velvet were sewn into its sleeves. A golden circlet sat on her head of silver hair — a sapphire dragon with bright blue gemstones for eyes was carved into it.

"Aunt Daenerys." Aegon called out. "I see you're hunkered down here."

"Aegon." Daenerys recognized his voice, turned away from the small dragon on the table, and smiled. "And I see you and Viserys have brought a visitor."

Jon stared at the dragon on the table — crimson and dark blue patches covered his pale scales. Light purple blazed from his red eyes and both of his sinuous horns bent around the crown of his head. Ten red spikes creased his wings — five spikes were on each wing.

"I am Jon Snow, princess." He lowered his head in response. "It is a pleasure to meet you."

"Decorum is wasted here. You are among kin." Daenerys laughed and the dragon tilted his head at him. "I have also heard about my brother's newest declaration."

"I see news of that has spread fast." Viserys skirted around Daenerys, analyzing the dragon hatchling. "How long ago did this one hatch?"

The dragon fixed his gaze on Viserys, flared his wings, and cried out.

"A fortnight ago." Daenerys fed the dragon a piece of venison to calm him. "He is growing faster than most of the other recent hatchlings."

'Could I claim this dragon?' Jon's features were unreadable. 'Aegon's right — I've been afforded some of the highest authority possible in the Seven-Kingdoms by Rhaegar, so the consequences would be light. Claiming a dragon would be an incredible boon.'

The dragon released a light puff of smoke in Jon's direction.

Daenerys raised an eye-brow, amused. "I believe he wants you to approach him."

'Here goes nothing.'

Viserys and Daenerys parted from the table. Aegon stayed in front of the closed door of the room, folded his arms, and watched him.

Jon stepped towards the dragon and stretched his hand out to pat him on the head until a sharp pain bubbled out from his head. Out of nowhere, the dragon screeched at him in fury, puffed out a harmless mass of flames, glared at him, and flew out of the window. Gritting his teeth, Jon stumbled into a different table with scrolls about dragonlore and hissed in agony. Jon's vision changed — he saw a forested area and then he saw snow everywhere. Soon, though, he felt his sight return to its usual state. 'Wasn't that forest the one Ghost is in?'

The art of the skinchanger and a warg was one Jon had practised during his free time. He had seen the grove that Ghost was in. However, how had he seen all that snow? There was no snow in Dragonstone, but there was snow down in the North and winterlands.

'And this damn headache.' Jon clutched his head once the pain in his mind intensified. 'Just like when I first met Balerion in the Dragonpit!'

"Steady, brother, steady." Aegon helped Jon to his feet, separated from him, and reorganized the scrolls on the table. "That was an unnatural reaction from the dragon, was it not?"

"Unnatural? No." Daenerys shook her head and went to a table to pick up a book with a leather cover. "It is not unusual for a dragon to refuse one when they try to bond with them."

"It was odd, though." Viserys combed through a scroll. "The dragon was the one who beckoned Jon to approach him."

Jon scratched his hair, feeling his headache dull a little. 'I didn't get a headache when I saw Vermithor back in Winterfell nor did I get a headache when Viserys introduced me to Vermax earlier this morning.'

"What was all that commotion I heard a moment ago?"

"Ah, Rhaenys!"

"Dany." Rhaenys shut the door to the study chambers, walked over to a window, and stared out at the island. "I also heard a dragon cry out."

"Put the blame on our brother for that." Aegon patted Jon on the shoulder in amusement. "It was he who scared the loud dragon off."

"Are you alright?" Daenerys asked him. "It was quite sudden how you teetered off into a table after the dragon beckoned you over to him."

"I am fine." Jon touched his head. 'The pain is gone at least.'

"We'll make a dragonrider out of you." Rhaenys chuckled. "And where is that direwolf of yours?"

Daenerys perked up in intrigue. "Direwolf?"

"Much like how we have dragons, the Starks have their direwolves." Rhaenys told her aunt. "His direwolf is never far from him most times."

'Yet I am no Stark or Targaryen.' Jon's mouth curved into a small wry smile. "Would someone tell me where my bed-chamber would be?"

"Fear not, nephew, I had your chambers prepared." Viserys opened the door to the study chambers. "If you would follow me."

Jon and Viserys departed from the others, heading down a second flight of stone steps and trekking into a corridor on a different level in the Sea Dragon Tower. Doors lined the walls, but it was the doors at the far end portion of the corridor that contained Jon's bedchamber.

"I will be off at the tavern at the port."

Viserys disappeared around the corner of the corridor.

Pushing open the entrance to his chambers, Jon spotted a wide bed. It was placed on top of a wooden platform. The heads of dragons were carved into its corners with vibrant rubies for eyes. A chair and table manufactured from the timber found on the island was set off to the right side of the room and a wardrobe sat across from the bed.

Two banners with House Targaryen's feared sigil were plastered on the walls and four statues of an obsidian-scaled and green-eyed dragons were perched on blocks of wood encrusted in gold around him. The two chests he had packed for the trip leaned against the foot of the bed.

Jon exited his chambers after he had changed into less heavy leathers. Trudging down a flight of stone steps, he ventured off to the Stone Drum and found the infamous Chamber of the Painted Table.

Walking deeper into the vacant room, he planted his palm on the table and on the spot where Winterfell had been chiseled out. Aegon's Conquest had resulted in Westeros being ruled under the banner of House Targaryen. It wasn't until Rhaegar's Revolt that the realm was divided once again. Not even the Blackfyre Rebellions had separated Westeros so much. At the end of the war, dragons had returned.

Jon closed his grey eyes for a second, then opened them.

'In a different world, it would have been Robert's Rebellion.'

'I still don't understand why Rhaegar named me a prince of House Targaryen.' Jon imagined his kin back at Winterfell and Moat-Cailin. 'Robb would advise caution if I investigate Rhaegar's reasons for this. Cregard would go with the flow of things. Serena would be casual.'

"So this is where you were." Aegon's voice called out. He entered the room, no longer in his dragon-riding leathers and instead wearing black and red silks. "Admiring the Painted Table, I see."

"Indeed." Jon's gloved palm stayed on the spot where the North and Winterfell was chiseled out on the table. "It is quite eye-catching."

"It is, is it not?" Aegon's fingers touched the part of the table where Dragonstone was chiseled out. "Do you intend to try your lot claiming a different dragon? There are still many hatchlings scattered around Dragonstone."

"Mayhaps another time." Jon responded. 'My mind still hurts a little from that earlier headache. Not much, but the back of my head stings.'

He left the room — yet Aegon remained in it and brooded over the map.

Exiting the Stone Drum, Jon headed over to the stables outside of the Sea Dragon Tower where Richard had left the two stallions he had given him and Aegon. Noticing his arrival, a bored stable-lad handed him the horse's reins and returned to his seat on a small stone bench.

Supplying the stable-lad with some coin from his pouch, he mounted his stallion and urged it across the island. Jon spent the next hour going through Dragonstone and exploring its villages and places.

'Dragonglass can be mined from Dragonstone.' Jon thought. 'It is strange, though, there hasn't been any sign of activity from the Others at all during the last few years.'

One year ago—Brandon had taken him, Serena, and Cregard deeper into the North to visit the Wall. It was at Castle Black where he had met maester Aemon — the man had been the only member of his Targaryen side of the family he had met besides Rhaegar at the time.

During his visit to the Wall and Castle Black, he had realized that there had been no sign of the return of the Others. Unlike in the Canon timeline, no-one had gone missing on their trips beyond the Wall. Even the free folk hadn't been stirring up much trouble for the Night's Watch.

Jon ended up at the port, left his stallion at a local stable, and encountered Viserys outside a tavern. Although drunk from all the wine he had sampled, Viserys spotted Jon and staggered over to him.

"Nephew." Viserys slid onto the stone bench outside of the tavern, staring out at the open view of the sea. "Have you explored the magnificent contents of our ancestral island?"

"Yes. I will admit that it is quite incredible."

"That it is, Jon, that it is." Out of the blue, Viserys turned his head to him and said in an inebriated tone. "I don't believe my brother has ever told you what he intended to name you when you were born, has he?"

"It was my uncle Brandon who named me." Jon said. "My mother had passed on beforehand, so she was not able to name me. He chose a simple Stark name for me — there have been a few Jon Starks in history."

"My brother wanted to name you Orys at a time." Viserys told him. "You would have been named after the founder of House Baratheon and the man rumoured to have been the Conqueror's bastard half brother."

Jon snorted. 'It is fitting in a way. I am Aegon's bastard half brother.'

Viserys soon rose from the bench, deciding to return to the tavern for more wine. Jon left the port, walking back to his chambers in the Sea Dragon Tower.

(-)

Ghost had been loitering around the entrance to the Sea Dragon Tower and joined him on his stroll to his chambers. Finding the carpet in the massive square room, he curled into himself and closed his eyes.

A servant had brought Jon his lunch — cooked salmon covered in some kind of gravy, roasted lobster wreathed in garlic butter, and toasted bread with a small tub of plain butter. Ghost perked up and Jon fed him some of the fish. After he finished his meal, he took his plates to the kitchens with Ghost and ran into Daenerys in a hallway.

"Ah, Jon." Daenerys' lips twisted into an easy-going smile. She looked at Ghost in fascination. "Would this be the direwolf Rhaenys told me about?"

"You would be right. This one is called Ghost."

Ghost blinked his red eyes.

"Do the rest of your Stark kin have these wolves?"

"Yes. My cousins have their own direwolves." Jon replied. 'Best to remain ambiguous about it.'

"Interesting indeed." Daenerys curtsied. "Pardon me but I have to attend a small gathering with my ladies-in-waiting."

She approached the stairway at the end of the hallway, leaving the Sea Dragon Tower.

Jon escorted Ghost back to his chambers since the direwolf had grown tired and explored the other levels of the Sea Dragon Tower for the next twenty minutes, then he left it and trekked into a courtyard — where guards and men-at-arms trained under Richard's surveillance. A circular table with a parasol had been erected in one huge corner of the yard. Daenerys was seated at the table with her ladies-in-waiting and they talked and dined on all kinds of cakes. Wearing his crimson armour, Aegon sparred against someone off in a different corner of the yard.

"Brother." Rhaenys went to stand beside him and watched Aegon disarm his opponent of his blade. "I was worried you had gotten lost."

"Navigating through the island was a little difficult." Jon shrugged. "But I managed."

Rhaenys laughed. "You did much better compared to our uncle. I fear he'll stumble into Balerion's cave at the Dragonmont someday because he believed it was an alehouse of some sort."

"Tell me." Rhaenys said. "How have you found King's Landing and the Red-Keep?"

"It has been pleasant enough." Jon replied. "There have been no overwhelming issues adjusting to King's Landing."

'I knew it smelled bad, but Robb was right when he told me it smells repugnant.'

"Believe me, brother, I understand how strenuous the change of environment can be." Rhaenys spoke. "I fostered at Sunspear in Dorne for a majority of my youth. I did visit the Red-Keep at times, but that was only to check on Aegon and my mother's fluctuating health."

"Once my fostering at Sunspear was over, our father called me back to the Red-Keep on my sixteenth name-day. Though it is easier for me since I can visit Dorne often on dragonback whenever I please."

"I believe it is time for me to leave." Rhaenys commented, heading out of the courtyard. "I imagine Meraxes is due for a meal."

Aegon had won his last spar and walked up to him. "I see you have found the courtyard, Jon!"

"Indeed I have." Jon glanced at the courtyard—most of the guards and men-at-arms had left the area. 'I guess their training has finished.'

"How much of Dragonstone have you seen?"

"Most of the island I have explored." Jon said. "I have not seen much of the Dragonmont, though."

"Best to keep it that way." Aegon chuckled. "The wild dragons are fond of those caves in the volcano. The Dragonpit here does house a few of them, however."

'I still don't understand that headache I got around that dragon earlier.'

Aegon then strolled out of the courtyard.

Jon decided to return to his chambers.