He wasn't interested in watching kids tame dragons. Sunfyre was his one true love.
Aemond glanced at his unhappy older brother, hesitated for a moment, and pretended not to notice.
He was already seven years old.
At this age, his eldest sister, Rhaenyra, had successfully ridden the dragon Syrax.
His eldest brother, Rhaegar, had gone even further—taming the largest dragon he'd ever seen, the King of Wild Dragons, Cannibal, at just six years old.
He longed to tame a dragon, to earn his father's approval and his mother's praise.
As for his brother Aegon… well, he could only offer a silent apology in his heart.
…
Time ticked by slowly.
The dragonkeepers sent out gradually returned.
"Hiss… Roar…"
Two distinct dragon cries echoed through the air. Following the commands of the dragonkeepers, they moved closer to the destination.
Before long, the two dragons—one large and one small—appeared, slowly crawling out of their respective lairs.
There was no need to introduce Dreamfyre.
Her pale blue scales were streaked with silver lines, her light blue wings and silver back scales gave her a slender build, and her horned crown was majestic and imposing.
The other dragon was much smaller, barely the size of a horse.
Her wings were a deep cobalt blue, her claws, horns, and belly scales shone like polished bronze, her form was well-proportioned, and her bearing was regal.
She was the newly hatched young dragon—Tessarion.
"Dragons! There are two dragons!"
Seeing the two dragons before him, Aemond was so excited that his voice trembled.
"Don't rush. They are unclaimed dragons; you'll both have a chance."
Rhaegar placed a firm hand on Aemond's shoulder, fearing the boy might charge forward in a burst of enthusiasm.
To be honest, he had a bit of admiration for his youngest brother.
At the very least, Aemond's love for dragons reminded him of his own passion at that age.
It was one of the few things the two of them had in common.
"Yes, yes, I'll listen to you, big brother."
Aemond's eyes never left the two dragons, scanning back and forth with unbridled eagerness.
As the dragons drew closer, his breathing grew rapid. Grasping his sister Helaena's hand, he exclaimed with excitement, "Sister, look! Big brother brought us two dragons!"
Before they arrived at the dragon lair, Alicent had instructed the three siblings not to anger Rhaegar and to focus on taming the dragons.
Aemond had mentally prepared himself for the possibility of being tested by Rhaegar.
He hadn't expected Rhaegar to be so accommodating, offering up two dragons at once for him and Helaena to tame.
Helaena winced slightly from the tight grip on her hand and frowned, saying, "Keep your voice down. You might not succeed in taming them."
"Sister!"
Aemond felt like he'd been doused with cold water and protested indignantly.
Helaena pulled her hand away, kept her eyes fixed on the ground, and muttered vaguely, "The beasts will tear at our flesh."
"What!?"
Rhaegar's expression turned serious as he immediately looked at Helaena.
This little girl often spoke nonsense, but her words always carried a hint of prophecy.
Her statement just now was too ominous to ignore.
Rhaegar couldn't help but take it seriously.
Helaena shivered, her gaze panicked, and she stammered, "N-no, it's nothing. I didn't mean anything."
"I heard what you said just now. What do you mean by that?"
Rhaegar crouched down, gently smoothing her messy hair, and asked softly.
"N-no, I didn't… I didn't say anything."
Helaena seemed frightened, trembling as she stepped back, her eyes welling with tears.
She was scared!
Ever since she was little, she'd endured gossip because of fleeting visions in her mind.
Her mother had also told her not to speak out of turn and to behave like a proper lady.
Though she didn't quite understand what being a "proper lady" entailed, keeping her mouth shut was something she remembered well.
"Be brave, Helaena."
Seeing his pitiful little sister, Rhaegar sighed, gently pulling her into his arms.
He stroked her head tenderly, his eyes filled with compassion as he spoke softly, "Don't be afraid. No one can hurt you. I will protect you."
Tormented by his own dreams, he felt a natural affinity for this girl who shared a similar burden.
It was only natural for him to want to shield her.
"Sister, don't cry. I'll protect you too."
Aemond's expression was full of concern as he held Helaena's hand and gently shook it.
Compared to their overbearing elder brother Aegon, he much preferred spending time with his quiet sister.
Seeing her cry, he felt utterly at a loss.
Imitating Rhaegar's soothing gestures, he tried to comfort her.
Thanks to the care and comfort from her brothers, Helaena's sensitive heart felt some relief. She buried her face in Rhaegar's chest, reluctant to let go.
"Prince, Dreamfyre has arrived."
A dragonkeeper's voice came from nearby.
"I understand. Take Aemond to meet the two dragons first."
Rhaegar's voice was indifferent as he helplessly glanced at Helena in his arms.
Looking at this girl's demeanor, it seemed unlikely she could tame a dragon today.
"Big Brother, I'll head over now," Aemond said.
Aemond patted Helena's hair before eagerly walking off with the dragonkeeper.
Once he tamed a dragon, he would take his sister for a ride through the skies.
Surely, that would stop her tears.
The dragonkeeper asked, "Prince, which dragon would you like to try?"
Aemond's gaze darted between Dreamfyre and Tessarion, his throat feeling a little dry.
Both dragons looked stunning—he wanted them both.
"This one. It's smaller and seems gentler," he finally decided.
In the end, Aemond chose the young dragon Tessarion.
He wasn't charging in recklessly to tame a dragon; he had gleaned plenty of information through subtle hints from his older brother, Aegon.
Dreamfyre was known to be a temperamental female dragon, locked up in the Dragonpit for years.
He vividly remembered Aegon gleefully recounting the story of how their eldest brother, Rhaegar, had tried to tame Dreamfyre when he was younger but was nearly burned alive by her flames.
Until today, Aemond had thought that if Rhaegar could tame the gluttonous Sunfyre, then he must be no less capable than Aegon.
Even so, since Rhaegar himself had been attacked by Dreamfyre, Aemond had the sense to stay cautious.
After making his decision, Aemond approached Tessarion slowly under the dragonkeeper's guidance.
"Tessarion, look at me."
He repeated the phrases taught by the dragonkeeper, trying to communicate in High Valyrian.
Tessarion lay lazily on the ground, her tail swishing back and forth.
Her fiery orange, slit-pupil eyes didn't even glance at the human boy.
From time to time, she sneaked wary glances at Dreamfyre and Sunfyre nearby.
The two dragons were much larger than her, and their close proximity made her uneasy.
"Tessarion, we can become partners," Aemond said with anticipation, extending a hand to touch her horned crest.
"Hisssss!"
As his hand approached, Tessarion suddenly lunged forward, baring her menacing jaws.
"No, stop!"
Startled, Aemond yelped and quickly pulled back his hand, stumbling backward in fear.
"Calm down, Tessarion!"
The dragonkeeper tugged on the chain around Tessarion's neck, using his voice to pacify her and prevent further aggression.
Having narrowly escaped the young dragon's attack, Aemond's legs gave out, and he collapsed onto the cold floor.
His heart pounded wildly, beads of sweat forming on his forehead as he gasped for air.
It was the first time in his life he had faced such danger—especially the sting of failure in taming a dragon, which hit him even harder.
"Hahaha, did you wet your pants, Aemond?"
Aegon, seated atop Sunfyre, was drawn to the commotion and mocked him without mercy.
He knew it—this foolish little brother was destined to fail.
"Hissss!"
Sensing his master's delight, Sunfyre let out a coordinated screech, shaking its head and unfurling its wings dramatically.
In the story, Aemond seemed to harbor some affection for Helena.
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(End of Chapter)