Chapter Forty-Two: Aegon

Beneath the Dragonpit's vast arched dome, in the afternoon.

As Aegon Targaryen guided Sunfyre down to land, the gusts kicked up dust from the ground, making several nearby Dragonkeepers stumble backward.

Aegon had not seen his dragon in nearly half a year. As soon as he returned to King's Landing, he had rushed straight here without even taking off his travel clothes.

Sliding down Sunfyre's broad golden back, more than eager to reach the ground, he landed unsteadily and nearly stumbled. Fortunately, he caught hold of his beloved dragon's warm foreleg.

Sunfyre—the magnificent golden dragon, over thirty meters long, with wings that stretched more than fifty meters.

He lowered his head, his molten-gold eyes gazing gently at his rider. He nuzzled Aegon's shoulder with his golden snout and rumbled softly in his throat.

Aegon let out a long breath. Only on dragonback, high among the clouds, could he feel even a little room to breathe.

"Good lad. You're still the one who understands me best," he murmured, patting Sunfyre's hard scales once more before turning around.

Then he froze.

In the open space by the Dragonpit's exit, bright with daylight, he saw a familiar figure.

Aemond.

His younger brother stood sideways, holding a large chunk of dark red meat.

On Aemond's left lay Vhagar, as still as a dark brown mountain, the old dragon dozing with her eyes shut.

On his right was a young dragon, a little over three meters long, its scales pitch-black, their edges faintly shimmering with a dark red sheen. It affectionately rubbed its head against Aemond's hand.

It snatched the meat from his palm, its teeth tearing at it with a faint ripping sound.

Aegon stared in shock.

One man, two dragons...

He couldn't understand how it was possible.

Wasn't a dragon supposed to have only one rider?

Aemond had noticed his arrival long ago, but didn't turn around. He remained focused on feeding the black dragon hatchling.

Aegon gathered himself and forced his feet forward. His boots crunched over fine sand and ash.

"How did you do it?" he asked, curious.

"Ride... two dragons?"

Aemond still didn't turn around. His voice came back calm and flat. "You return to King's Landing and don't go to the Red Keep? Don't visit Mother, who's missed you for over half a year? You come to the Dragonpit instead."

"Aegon, is Sunfyre really warmer to you than the worry that's kept Mother awake night after night?"

The few casual words pierced straight through Aegon's strained pretense of ease. His face suddenly burned.

"When did it become your business to question me? Who do you think you are?"

Only then did Aemond slowly turn around.

His gaze lingered on Aegon's slightly pale face, the faint shadows beneath his eyes, and his unsteady stance.

"Tsk..."

"Riding after drinking? That unnecessary sharp turn Sunfyre made in the sky just now nearly threw you from the saddle, didn't it?"

Aemond tilted his head slightly, assessing him. "Unsteady on your feet? Sounds like you had quite a time on Tidepool Island."

"You!" Aegon was stung by the observation, humiliation and anger rising in him. "Who do you think is responsible for my being stuck like this?!"

"No, wait—you caused trouble on Tidepool Island and made Jacaerys lose an eye!"

"Was I supposed to be held there as a hostage?"

"You?" Aemond gave a soft laugh.

"You seemed to enjoy yourself on Tidepool Island. No one to control you, free to do as you pleased."

"Isn't that the life you've always dreamed of?"

"Aemond!" Aegon's face flushed bright red. Humiliated at being seen through, he snapped, "How I live is my business!"

"You're only a second son. What right do you have to lecture me?"

"A second son?" Aemond said mildly.

"What number I was born doesn't matter."

"What matters is whether you, Aegon Targaryen, still remember the name you bear—and the duty you ought to shoulder."

"My name? My duty? Ha!" Aegon reacted as if he'd just heard the most ridiculous joke in the world. The frustration of being held captive, mixed with the lingering effects of the wine, made him speak without thinking.

"Fuck being the Greens' firstborn son! Whoever wants it can have it!"

"She promised me herself that if I kept out of trouble and stayed out of her way, she'd grant me the title of prince and a rich estate!"

"If you want to fight over that chair, to battle each other to the death, that's your business!"

"Don't drag me into it!"

The Dragonkeepers in the distance had already stopped working. They watched tensely, but no one dared approach.

Aemond gazed at him silently for several seconds, making Aegon inexplicably uneasy.

Then Aemond suddenly scoffed. His gaze swept past Aegon and settled on the magnificent golden dragon behind him, whose radiant beauty was undiminished even in the dim light.

"Sunfyre..."

"Truly beautiful."

"When he spreads his wings, he could probably turn the whole sky gold."

His tone shifted. Looking back at Aegon, he said coldly, "Too bad he's gone blind and chosen to follow a... useless fool."

"Useless?!" The word struck Aegon's most sensitive, vulnerable pride like a red-hot iron.

He rushed forward several steps, reaching to seize Aemond by the collar. "You dare call me useless?! Aemond! You're nothing but a—"

Before he could finish, Aemond simply flicked his wrist and gave a seemingly casual shove, redirecting Aegon's momentum.

Aegon felt a force hit him. With a startled cry, he staggered backward and fell awkwardly onto the cold, rough ground.

Before he could get back up—

"Hiss! Raaah!"

A short, vicious hiss suddenly rang out!

Lothron, the black hatchling that had been docilely resting at Aemond's feet, sprang into action without warning!

He beat his wings and unleashed astonishing speed and strength from his small body. Like a black bolt of lightning skimming the ground, he thrust his head forward and slammed into Aegon just as he started to rise.

"Thud!"

The impact sounded heavy. Aegon felt a blow to his chest and stomach. His vision went black as he was thrown backward again, hitting the ground with a dull ache in his back.

Before he could react, an even more terrifying pressure bore down on him.

Lothron pinned him firmly to the ground with his forelegs, covered in fine black scales. One claw rested beside Aegon's cheek.

The young dragon had him completely subdued.

The grotesque black head lowered. Its scorching breath, thick with the stench of blood and sulfur, washed over Aegon's face.

Its red, slit-pupiled eyes fixed on him coldly, while a threatening growl rumbled deep in its throat.

Even more terrifying, a few drops of hot, viscous dragon drool—

"Plop"—fell on his forehead and cheek, stinging faintly as they burned.

"Sunfyre!!!" Aegon screamed in terror.

Not far away, Sunfyre saw his rider pinned down and erupted into a deafening roar of fury!

His golden head rose high, the scales along his neck flaring out. His wings sprang open, their brilliant golden light illuminating nearly half the Dragonpit. His massive body leaned forward, poised to charge!

"Raaah—!!!"

But another roar, deeper and more powerful, swept through the Dragonpit like a monstrous tidal wave, drowning out Sunfyre's furious cry!

Vhagar rose to her feet.

The simple act of standing sent a suffocating gust through the cavern, and the ground trembled faintly beneath them.

The ancient she-dragon stretched out her enormous body. Her shadow nearly swallowed Aemond, Aegon, Lothron, and Sunfyre in the distance.

She slowly turned her head. Her enormous, molten-gold eyes fixed on the young, hot-blooded golden dragon, radiating menace.

She took a step forward.

"Boom!" Her heavy foot struck the ground like muffled thunder.

Sunfyre's roar caught in his throat.

Facing Vhagar's overwhelming strength and the ancient dragon's power, which seemed to rise from the depths of his very blood—

The beautiful golden dragon instinctively trembled. Yet he still bared his gleaming teeth and let out a warning hiss.

His golden body shook with tension, but his spread wings drew back despite himself, and he even retreated half a step.

"Sunfyre! Don't come over! Stop!" Aegon cried out with all his strength.

He knew all too well that Sunfyre was no match for Vhagar. If a fight broke out, the consequences would be disastrous!

Sunfyre whimpered in pain and frustration, his golden eyes fixed anxiously on his pinned rider. But hearing the command, he didn't dare take another step forward.

Lothron's growl grew louder as he pinned Aegon down, carrying the cruel amusement of a predator toying with its prey.

The claw beside Aegon's cheek pressed down slightly. Its sharp tip nearly pierced his skin.

Only then did Aemond start forward, walking unhurriedly over to Aegon.

He looked down at his elder brother, pinned to the ground by the black dragon hatchling, his face full of terror, utterly humiliated.

"I say you are," Aemond said coolly. "So you are."

Aegon looked up at Aemond, with the cold, hard dragon claw beside his cheek, the dragon's hot, rank breath in his nostrils, and the scalding, sticky drool on his forehead.

All his anger, resentment, and grievances were crushed beneath the most primal fear.

He didn't doubt that if Aemond so much as willed it, this seemingly young black dragon could easily end his life.

"...Yes." He closed his eyes and forced the word through clenched teeth.

"I say you are, so you are," Aemond repeated.

"...If you say I am, then I am." Aegon trembled from head to toe, completely surrendering.

Aemond raised a hand.

Lothron immediately released him and sprang nimbly away, landing lightly at Aemond's feet. But his dark red eyes remained fixed on Aegon, his tail held high in warning.

With the weight and mortal threat gone all at once, Aegon collapsed onto the ground and began coughing violently, his whole body trembling uncontrollably from the shock.

A hand reached out to him.

The fingers were long and well-defined, steady and strong.

Aegon raised his tear-blurred eyes and saw Aemond looking at him.

The icy frost on his younger brother's face seemed to have eased a little.

"I don't care what you think, Aegon," Aemond said, his expression softening, though his voice remained heavy. "But there are things you've been burdened with since the day you were born. You can't avoid them."

"Remember who you are. Remember where you stand."

He paused, looking into Aegon's still-shaken eyes, then added:

"Even if you really are a hopeless fool..."

"You're still my brother."

"When you're standing on the edge of a cliff, I'll still pull you back."

Aegon stared blankly at the offered hand, then at Aemond's serious expression.

Silence spread through the Dragonpit's damp, oppressive air.

Not far away, Vhagar lowered her mountain-like body back to the ground and closed her eyes.

Sunfyre let out anxious, low calls, but in the end, he still didn't dare approach.

After a long while, Aegon raised his hand and took Aemond's.

His hand was steady and strong. He hauled Aegon up from the cold ground in one pull.

"Come on," Aemond said, turning away first and returning to his usual cool manner. "Back to the Red Keep. Mother has been waiting for you."

"Besides... Rhaenyra and her whole family have already arrived."

"Without someone missing from tonight's family dinner, the show won't be nearly as entertaining."

Aegon brushed the dust off his clothes with some effort, then let out a sigh.

He looked back at Sunfyre, who was still calling anxiously, and managed a wave to reassure him.

The Greens and the Blacks, the Iron Throne and the succession...

But all he wanted was to live as he pleased, drink fine wine, soar on dragonback, and enjoy himself.

But of course, he was the eldest son.