In his time in captivity, Viserys had forgotten how beautiful Dragonstone truly was. The ancient fortress burst into view through the mist, the stone dragons carved by sorcery with their wings unfurled, welcoming their living kin home. Silverwing seemed to like it too, for she gave a roar in excited greeting when she sighted the Valyrian stronghold. The guttural grumble of the Cannibal, the dragon he was here to claim, sounded in response.
Smoke and brimstone filled the air, and Viserys took a generous breath of it, savouring the aroma of the Dragonmont. Pale grey steam rising from the volcano blanketed the island in an ever-present, gentle mist. The mont itself rose to the height of the clouds, casting a shadow on the castle nestled beneath it. Baela's dragon took a lap around the island, roaring every so often, before wheeling around and making a graceful descent to the courtyard of the black stone fortress.
Viserys was first to descend the Silver Queen, followed by the usurper's daughter, whom they came with from Storm's End. A part of him still wished to snatch Baela's dagger and stick it into her chest, putting an end to the accursed bloodline that had been the cause of so much tragedy. Only the fear of rebellion from the usurper's supporters stayed his hand. He could not risk the life of his sister, the only one amongst them that would be fighting the rebelling lords.
Still, to marry the chit to his brother? To make her queen? To join her father's bloodline, tainted with greed and madness, to theirs? That was too much for him to bear. But, Viserys did not argue. The moon would turn and turn again before his brother's wedding. There would time enough to voice his protests after he became a dragonlord.
"Welcome home, valonqar," his sister said, her hands on his shoulders.
Horton Quince emerged from the castle to greet them.
"My princess, my prince. Welcome to Dragonstone," the youth sputtered at the sight of him, before his face twisted into a poorly veiled snarl at that of the usurper's spawn.
"Thank you, Horton," Baela replied graciously, one hand placed on the shoulder of the usurper's daughter, "Please have chambers for Princess Jaehaera prepared."
"Of course, princess," the man replied through gritted teeth.
Viserys gave his sister an incredulous look.
"Ser Robert was killed by the usurper's men," she explained.
Viserys saddened. He and Joffrey had loved playing pranks on the corpulent knight. The man had kept his siblings and him distracted as Mother drowned in sorrow after Luke's death and Father was away fighting for her crown. He understood Horton. Viserys too had a father ripped away from him. Hate rose within him as he turned to the usurper's daughter once more, being led into the castle towards her own chambers. No, there was no way Aegon was going to marry that. What else could a monster spawn if not a monster itself?
The servants milling around the ancient fortress did not hide their shock at seeing him. Viserys had grown up around most of them, and was gracious in answering their greetings. There were others that even shed tears.
"Oh gods! You're alive!" his serving maid exclaimed, when they met right by their chambers, bringing him into a fierce embrace.
"'Tis good to see you as well Sanelle," Viserys answered, returning the embrace just as eagerly. Sanelle had been with him for as long as Viserys could remember. She was his wet nurse when he was a babe, and after being weaned, she was assigned by Mother to see to his every need. A fever spared her from being part of their assigned household on the Gay Abandon with he and Aegon. Now she was hale and whole, though noticeably thinner than she used to be.
Tears streamed down her eyes when she finally composed herself and gave a clumsy curtsy to Baela, only then noticing her presence.
"Forgive me, princess, my prince," she said in a teary voice, "That was unseemly."
"None of that, Sanelle. I missed you the most," Viserys admitted honestly. An awkward silence followed, before she begged for leave to return to her duties.
"When do we to get started?" he asked Baela, once they were in their shared chamber.
"Are you not tired?"
An eager head shake was what he answered with. His sister let out a rather put upon sigh, before she had the elder Dragonkeeper summoned to their chambers.
The knight was sputtered at the sight of him, his eyes as wide as saucers, "My prince, it is… good to see you again. We thought you… No, it is good to see you whole and returned."
"I trust the instructions my sister left you are being carried out," she beckoned.
"Aye," the man answered, pride shining in his eyes, "Though remaining hostile, the dragon has proven receptive. These days, we find him waiting before the meat has even been placed. In the beginning, I thought it could not be done, but I was mistaken. The Cannibal can be claimed. Ferocious as he is known to be, he is a creature nonetheless, and behaves like one."
Baela gave an approving nod, "When is the next time you are to feed him?"
"At sunset, princess," the Dragonkeeper replied.
"Very well. We shall be there today. It would be good to begin getting him used to my brother's presence."
The man swallowed a lump in his throat as he looked from his sister to him, "Is it wise for the prince to try and claim him now? He is still quite young. We can wait a few years, work on pacifying him, mayhaps even getting him to live in dragon pens."
"It may not be wise, but it is necessary, before some dragonseed inspired by tales of The Sowing tries his luck. Worry not, Silverwing will be there. She'll be enough protection for my brother."
"Very well. We will inform you when all is made ready."
The Dragonkeeper gave a bow to made to leave, but Baela stopped him, fetching his dragon's egg, "See to the safe storage of this egg."
The evening could not come soon enough. Baela tried to distract him, roping him into several tasks. The first was sending a raven to Rhaena, informing him of his return, and that they would begin their quest that evening. Aegon they would write to when he was done claiming his dragon, Baela explained, as he hated dragons immensely and would not take well to learning that his little brother was to claim the most unfriendly of them all. He paid that no more mind, too impatient for the sun to set.
The second was gathering the entire castle staff and the Dragonkeepers in the great hall. Baela informed them of his return, urging them to ensure it remained a secret. The men that had taken him captive would seek to kill him once they learnt of his rescue, she explained. To their displeasure, they were also told of Jaehaera's presence in the castle, and urged to care for her despite the hate born to her father. She reminded them that her death would mean war once more, and war would put them in danger.
The third was fetching a wooden case from Silverwing's back as Baela got her pale hair cut. The dragon did not even move as he climbed her saddle to retrieve the case, climbed back down and headed back to their chambers. He found her seated by her vanity, the castle's barber busy sheering her long locks that had reached the small of her back. The haircut seemed to reveal the true Baela. This time, she cut it even shorter than his own. It was a man's cut, though it did nothing to diminish her beauty.
Impatience bubbling within him, Viserys paced from one end of the chamber to the other. He did that even as Baela had a searing bath and had a meal made for herself. Whether his sister seemed to be annoyed by his restlessness, he could not tell. His curiosity peaked when he watched her place the wooden case into the chest near her bed, before locking the chest and keeping the key to her person. When asked the contents of the wooden case, she refused to answer. With a shrug, he kept further questions to himself, too impatient for the sun to set.
Finally, the evening reached and light began to fade from the world. The elder amongst the Dragonkeepers came to fetch them.
"Make sure not to be too excited. Remain calm and keep your wits about you," his sister said, as they were about to mount Silverwing.
A nod was all the reply he gave, both of them suddenly serious. Baela was first on the dragon's back, Viserys following her. The Silver Queen took off for the short flight, circling the Dragonmont to its back, where the Cannibal made his lair facing the eastern side of the island. There they found the dragon, breathing fire on the large pile of meat lying before him, before taking mouthfuls of them greedily.
No mind was given to them as they wheeled around the Dragonmont, not until Silverwing began her descent before him, on the ridge right by the Cannibal's cavern. The dragon raised his black head and roared a warning. Silverwing rose to the challenge and screamed in return, as she landed right by him.
The attention formerly given to his food was turned onto them. The dragon raised his head, his burning green eyes locked on Silverwing. More than everything else, the sight of those menacing eyes was what made him uneasy. Viserys tried not to show it, though he held onto Baela's riding leathers a touch tighter than before. This time, as the Cannibal roared, green flames danced in his throat. Silverwing responded by raising her own head to the sky, making an arc of dragonflame above the black dragon's head.
Baela kept vigilant as she bade her dragon began feeding, watching for the Cannibal's response. Those green eyes, that so resembled wildfire, remained glued to the silver dragon, before they turned to those on her back. Viserys could swear he felt them on him.
For a few fearful moments, as the black dragons' eyes remained trained on them, Viserys' heart was in his mouth. They would have to fight, he thought, as the dragon unfurled his wings, ready to take flight. The Silver Queen did not respond to the challenge, continuing her sedate feeding. A moment later, shockingly, the Cannibal folded his wings, returning to his feeding too.
A long breath he did not realize he'd been holding left him. A few more deep breaths were needed to calm his racing heart. The scent of roasted dragon's meat reached his nose. It unsettled him that the corpses of their hallowed dragons would be used so, but he cast aside that thought immediately. The fault for so many dragons dying lay at the feet of the usurper and his allies.
Long moments passed and night began to fall, the dragons long since fed, now lying contentedly on the mont's ridge, facing each other. The whole time, Baela remained alert, his eyes not leaving the black dragon. He watched the Cannibal too, not with suspicion, but admiration. Like this, he looked magnificent, in the hostile, ferocious way only he could. Viserys would master this dragon, he swore to himself. He would prove himself as much a dragon as the rest of his family had.
When daylight faded in its entirety, the Cannibal left the ridge, going into the smoking vent nearby that he had made his lair for decades. Silverwing flew back round the mont to land at the courtyard of the castle. He watched in fascination as Baela gave affectionate strokes to her dragon, talking to her as if she were a babe.
"You did so well today, old girl," she whispered the encouragement in Valyrian. Silverwing gave a contented rumble, her demeanour now comparable to a friendly dog, not a fire-breathing beast that had seen war.
His shoulders were shaking with laughter when his sister turned to her.
"That is a dragon you speak to, not a babe," he told her.
Baela rolled her eyes and turned to her bonded, "Don't listen to him. Remember, you are older, larger, braver and far more beautiful than his dragon could ever hope to be." That rid Viserys of his humour, and this time, it was Baela's turn to laugh.
As they headed to the castle's entrance, Silverwing flew to find shelter in the caverns of the Dragonmont above the castle.
They found the head Dragonkeeper waiting for them outside their chambers.
"That went better than I expected," Baela said as their entered their chambers.
The man looked proud, "We have been feeding the dragon every day at sunrise and sunset since the dragons' remains arrived here, as Princess Rhaena instructed."
"I hope none of you were burned or killed as you did that."
"No, none of us were. We keep a fair distance from his lair, and these days the dragon seems to recognize those who give him his favourite food."
"Good," she said, "Do have one of the old dragon saddles in storage refurbished for my brother to ride. Making a new one will take too long, and it is something that can be done later. Pick one of Queen Visenya's during the later years of the conqueror's life. Vhagar then was about Cannibal's age and size now. Oh, and tomorrow, during feeding, do check for eggs in Silverwing's layer. Report to me if there are any."
With another bow, the man left them.
"Go to sleep," Baela said, "I'll wake you at sunrise."
So Viserys did, though, at daybreak, he was the one to wake his elder sister up. Her head was slumped on the writing desk, still dressed in yesterday's riding leathers. She woke with a start.
"What are you reading?" he asked. When he got no answer, he took the book in his hands.
Signs and Portents by Daenys Targaryen. He turned to his sister, "I thought you did not believe in dreams."
"My lack of belief does not mean I do not possess some curiosity about them," she replied, giving a yawn and rubbing her bleary eyes.
"How could you not?" he replied, switching to Valyrian, "Rhaena's dreams led you to me, did they not? You knew where exactly you would find me in Lys because of them."
"Aye," she said, a strained smile on her face, ruffing his hair, "We should go." She put the book into her locked chest, before putting her gloves on and heading for the door. Viserys wasted no time and followed her, long ago dressed in riding leathers.
Like the day before, the Cannibal challenged Silverwing when she appeared, but soon afterwards turned his attention back to his food. Baela and he stayed on her back, watching him eat and then lay down once fully sated. Only when the rain began to fall did he return to his lair. They flew back to the castle's courtyard.
That eve, Silverwing was the first to arrive, the Cannibal only emerging some time later, still drowsy from sleep. There was a funny moment when Silverwing lifted her head at sight of her black brother, suddenly stopping the Cannibal in his tracks as he waded towards his meal. A long moment was spent with the dragons staring at each other, Silverwing being the first to break, returning to her food. Though still weary, the Cannibal came forward and began to feed as well.
By the tenth day, there were no more roars issued in challenge by any of the dragons. The both appeared where the meat was laid before them, fed on it silently, before going their separate ways thereafter. At the sunrise of the eleventh day, Baela and he were late to rise from their beds. After finding Silverwing missing in the courtyard, they rode their horses to the other side of the island to find the two dragons already there, feeding on the meat laid before them, then basking in the rare sunshine that day for a long while after they were done.
"I think the dragons have got used to each other's presence," Baela said, as the two of them met with the elder Dragonkeeper, "We can now get the Cannibal acquainted to Viserys better. After the dragons have been fed and sated, we'll have Viserys bring him some extra dragon's meat and lay it before him."
That eve, instead of flying with Baela towards where the dragons would be fed, Viserys was left at the entrance of another cavern, close to the Cannibal's, but one with an entrance that was too small for even a dragon's maw to fit thorough. The overwhelming smell of dragon and brimstone reached him, and once his eyes got accustomed to the low light, he saw the colossal piles of dragon's flesh surrounding him, all of it cut into pieces.
"How many dragons are these?" he asked.
"Eleven dragons, my prince. All those that died in the war save for Vermax, Arrax, Moondancer, Vhagar and Caraxes," the elder Dragonkeeper answered.
Sixteen dragons dead, all because of the greed of the usurpers. He suppressed the anger rising within him at the thought. There was work to be done.
The prince watched as a metal basin small enough for him to carry was filled with dragon's meat. When done, he was asked to feel its weight. Satisfied he could carry it, he waited for his sister to signal him to approach.
"What happens the skins?" he asked after some time of them waiting.
"Princess Rhaena instructed us to preserve them, together with their bones," he was answered.
Not long afterwards, he was called for, only then noticing that night had already fallen when he headed out. Baela had descended the dragon and stood right by her wing.
"Do not be afraid, Silverwing is right behind you," was all she said as he passed by her.
Viserys took a deep breath to calm his racing mind.
"I am Viserys Targaryen," he mumbled, as if he'd somehow forgotten, approaching the dragon slowly, "son of Daemon the Rogue Prince, grandson of Baelon the Brave and blood of Aegon the Conqueror."
Before long, he walked the gap between the dragons, standing only a few feet in front of the black dragon. Judging the space small enough for the Cannibal to easily feed, he poured the contents of the metal basin on the ground. The dragon's gaze was on him all the while. Viserys tried to ignore his thumping heart, instead forcing his attention onto those green eyes. They were deep, beautiful pits of shining emeralds.
The Cannibal seemed to be taking the measure of him, before suddenly opening his maw, green flames filling his gullet. Silverwing's roar shook the black dragon out his violent trance. Viserys' heart was in his mouth, his breathing now coming in heavy gasps. Hurriedly, he ran into Baela's embrace, hot tears streaming down his cheeks.
"You did well, valonqar," she comforted him, "you did well."
When the Cannibal finished his fresh meal and curled himself up into a contented ball, Baela and him climbed Silverwing and went back to the courtyard of the castle. Tears still filled his eyes when they entered their chamber, and Baela held him silently as he sobbed into her leathers. After composing himself, Baela gave him a cloth to wipe his face of the snot and tears.
"If you wish to stop, we can stop," she said, her voice filled with concern, "We can try again in a few years, as the elder suggested."
"We're not stopping," he said, shaking his head, his voice still fairly wet.
No longer could he stomach being the runt of the family. Not after he was content enough to be sent away during the war, as his brothers and father laid down their lives to vanquish the usurpers. Not after Rhaena hatched a second dragon and was now blessed with dreams that led to his rescue. Not with the threat of the usurper still alive and well in his godsforsaken daughter. He'd prove himself a true Targaryen, worthy of the hallowed bloodline he was born into.
"Wake me at sunrise tomorrow," Viserys said, immediately plopping himself onto the massive lounge chair, suddenly exhausted from all the crying and the terror of staring down a monster and surviving. That was the important thing, he reminded himself; he'd survived. Sleep took him soon after.
He woke with a start when he felt a hand on his shoulder.
"The sun is almost rising," Baela said, "We should go."
Still wearing yesterday's leathers, he mounted Silverwing behind Baela. His stomach grumbled when the meat's scent reached him inside the cavern they were kept. Like the previous day, the basin was filled with the meat, and once full, he waited in the darkness to be summoned. A long while later, he was.
Viserys emerged, keeping his back as straight as he could, summoning courage from the deepest pit of his soul. His stomach flipped when he came face to face those pools of verdant. Silverwing was alert behind him, her wings almost fully unfurled, ready to cow or strike if need be. Focusing on his breath, he poured the meat on the ground, before standing still, his gaze upon the dragon.
The blood of the conqueror flowed within him, he reminded himself. He was a dragon too, kin to even this hostile creature they called the Cannibal. The same blood flowed in both of them. After a few moments of the two of them staring at each other, Viserys backed away slowly towards his sister and her dragon, the dragon's eyes on him the whole way. When he was far enough away, and Silverwing lay down, the black dragon unleashed a wreath of his emerald flames on the dragon's meat, devouring it quickly, before returning to his basking in the daylight.
He was a ball of excitement as they returned to the castle.
"I told you," he said, jumping on their bed once they got into their chambers, "I told you I could claim him."
Baela shared in his joy, though she remained weary, "Celebrate once you sit on a saddle on his back."
Viserys ceased his hopping, "Very well."
The prince called for a bath, and after having bathed and dressed, spent the day immersed in accounts of dragonlore in the castle's library.
That evening, instead of stepping back from the Cannibal upon placing the meat in front of him, he stepped aside, watching as he ate. After he was done, the dragon turned his gaze to him, and like in the morning, they remained staring at each other for a while longer. With the dragon's gaze still on him, he stepped back, returning to her sister, his blood singing.
On the sixth day of him offering the dragon food, the Cannibal did not stare at him for long moments until he returned to his sister, but laid down on the ground and shut his eyes, even with him remaining by his side. A foreign courage possessed him. Instead of returning to Baela and Silverwing, he took slow steps until he was close enough to reach out and touch his scales.
The blood in his veins felt as if it was set aflame. He did not hear Baela behind him, shouting for him to come back. He did not hear Silverwing take steps closer to him. Just as he was about to place an arm on those shining black scales, the dragon suddenly woke, maw open, flames pointed at him, and the prince knew he was going to die. Without thinking, he shut his eyes and curled into himself on the ground, waiting for the burning pain that would spell the end of his short life. Instead of hearing the roar of flames and his own screams, a huge crash sounded behind him, followed by deafening roars of both dragons.
"Hurry!" Baela screamed.
Viserys ran as both dragons unfurled their wings, ready to take flight to claw and tear at each other. Flames could be seen through the Cannibal's teeth. Silverwing let out another roar, seemingly breaking the Cannibal out of his mad trance. When the black dragon had calmed enough, Viserys joined Baela atop Silverwing's saddle, both of them silent.
"Alright," she said, when they were finally in their chambers, "We are stopping now. We can find a dragon's egg for you to hatch."
Viserys was still shaking.
"No, we cannot stop."
Baela was furious, "What do you mean we cannot stop! This is the second time the Cannibal almost killed you!"
"This is the only chance I have to become a dragonrider," he shouted back, "All eggs mother gave me over the years turned to stone. I am the only one amongst us that has never ridden a dragon. Even the usurper's spawn had a dragon born in her fucking cradle for gods' sake!" Why was he crying again?
His sister's hand clutched her too-short hair, her voice gentling, "Viserys. That dragon is mad. Mad enough to chance a duel with one larger than him. He is not worth it. You can try claim Sheepstealer when we fetch him from the Vale."
"No," he remained stubborn.
"Viserys…"
"Sheepstealer is for Aegon," he explained, "There are four of us, and only four dragons remain. You told me that Aegon is afraid of dragons now. Do you imagine him trying to claim the Cannibal? And you said it yourself. We cannot risk leaving any dragon unbonded. The world now knows you only need dragon's blood to claim a dragon. And many in the world have dragon's blood. The common folk of Dragonstone and Driftmark. The slaves of Lys. Saera's bastards in Volantis."
"Even if I did not wish to, I have to claim the Cannibal. He is the only dragon I could ever ride, and I know we will bond. I have already felt his mind reaching out to mine. It is why I tried to touch him today," he lowered his head, "That was perhaps, not too wise of me. But, give me more time, and I know that I will bond with him."
Baela gave him a long searching look, before letting out an exasperated sigh, "Very well. But, do not try anything like that again before you have my approval."
Viserys nodded.
"I need you to swear," Baela said, holding his shoulders.
"I swear," he gave the oath easily, "I will not try anything so rash again, at least not without your permission." He tried a smile. Baela rolled her eyes, let out a tired breath and called for their meal.
That night was filled with dreams of him being consumed by green flames, but he paid them no mind when sunrise came, and they went to feed the dragon again. This time, he did not try and touch the dragon, only stand in his sight for long moments, until he got bored with him and waded back into his lair.
The only thing that changed for the next five days was Viserys taking over the task of fetching all the dragon's meat, not just the small tribute he made once the main feeding was done. This gave more time for the dragon to get more accustomed to him. The Cannibal showed no sign of protest, even as Viserys stayed right beside him as he fed, and for a long time afterwards as he basked in the grey daylight before retreating into his lair. All the while, Viserys felt something begin to change within him, something he could not explain but knew exactly what it was.
When not with the dragon, the rest of his waking hours were spent studying all he could about dragonlore. Their lack of dragon horns was quite unfortunate. All ancient Valyrians used to do was blow their horns towards an unclaimed dragon of choice, and their bond would be sealed for all time. Even wild and hostile creatures were easily brought to heel. From the accounts of other dragonlords, the use of a glass candle eased the claiming of a dragon as well. What were Aenar and the rest of his ancestors thinking, fleeing the Freehold without any of these artifacts?
"I can try to go closer to him now," he suggested on the fifth day of him taking over the feeding, "Close enough to touch his scales."
His sister looked apprehensive. He rushed to add, "I promise to remain in his line of sight. The mistake I made last time was going up to him when he was asleep, making him unaware of my approach. I'll do it today after he is fed and sated, before he returns to his lair."
After letting out another frustrated breath, she said, "You will be the death of me."
"That was not a no," Viserys pointed out, giggling.
"Very well," she said, "we can try it tomorrow."
Viserys was laughing now.
"What!" Baela exclaimed.
"Father said that of you often," he replied.
Instead of joining him in laughter, her face turned grave, "He did, didn't he?"
That drained the good humour from Viserys. He went and hugged his sister, "I miss him too. I miss all of them."
Baela was first to disentangle from their embrace, tears shining in her eyes, "Get to bed. We have to be up before the sun rises." Viserys did as he was told.
The next morning was dawned bright and clear, unlike other mornings in the winter that were grey and dull. As he did every day, he poured the food, the dragon emerging as he did so, waiting patiently for him to lay out all the meat before him. With his usual vigour, he attacked the meat after roasting it, and Viserys stayed watching, his mouth watering.
When done, he came to his front, the dragon watching him. Slowly, though not enough to show he was timid, he approached, hand outstretched. The Cannibal did not move and most importantly, did not open his maw to set him aflame. Viserys shut his eyes when he felt hard dragon scales underneath his palm.
The dragon gave a contented rumble that shook his entire body. The feeling of something reaching out to touch his mind felt foreign, though only at first. The boy reached out too, opening his mind to it, and a wave of completeness washed over him when he felt a clasping, deep in his soul, like a piece of himself he was missing was finally found.
He was giddy when he opened his eyes again. The dragon opened his eyes too. For the first time since he'd sought the dragon out, those eyes appeared… gentle.
Baela was beaming when he ran into her, both of them falling onto the ground.
"Did you see! I told you! I told you!" he said in a sing-song voice, "I told you I would bond with him."
His sister laughed, "That you did. Now, get off me." She pushed him away from her and stood, dusting herself, still laughing. That did not abate the joy flowing through him.
They remained there through the rest of the morning, Viserys touching his scales in childish wonder and fascination. The dragon did not protest. In fact, he seemed to be enjoying the attentions his new bonded gave him.
"We should go," Baela said, when the sun was high in the sky, "In the evening we will saddle him, and you will ride, to ensure your bond is truly set."
The afternoon was spent with his sister explaining to him the bond with a dragon.
"It is different between each dragon and their rider. Moondancer hatched when we were already bonded, and thus as she grew, our souls were intertwined all the more. She would do what I wanted without me having to think of it. It felt as if we were one, two parts of a separate whole," she explained, "With Silverwing, it is different. Yes, she is docile, and easily bends to my will, but I have to give attention to what that will is for her to follow it. I suspect it will be even harder for you, as your dragon is a wilful creature, used to being in the wild for decades upon decades. Your mind will have to be clear, and your will made of iron."
Just then, the Dragonkeeper knocked, "My prince, my princess, the dragon's saddle is ready."
There was a smile on his face as it was shown to him in the dragon pens, where Silverwing rested, feeding on cow and goat with more interest than she fed on dragon.
It was a magnificent thing, filled with Valyrian runes chronicling the battles Vhagar fought in the conquest. The boning was done in dragonbone and not steel as they were accustomed to. It was padded with cloth for comfort and upholstered with the best leather to be found in the world.
"It was a gift from the conqueror to his queen," the Dragonkeeper explained, "trying to mend the rift that had opened between them in the decades after Queen Rhaenys died in Dorne."
"Thank you," Viserys said, marvelling at it as it was attached to Silverwing's saddle, "Its perfect that Vhagar's get should fly in this."
He could be forgiven for his impatience that evening waiting for the dragon to finish his meal. Once he was done, Baela helped him saddle the dragon. All the while, urging him to remain calm through their nascent bond. Viserys could feel his impulse to fly off and his frustration at not being able to do so. They checked and rechecked the saddle's fastenings to the dragon's body, remembering Mother's words.
"Never ride a saddle you haven't secured yourself."
The prince grumbled in frustration when Baela instructed him to wait until she mounted Silverwing for him to mount his dragon. After what seemed an eternity, Viserys climbed his dragon for the first time. No sooner had he fastened the chains that bound him to the saddle than his dragon took off with a roar, without so much as a warning.
Viserys was screaming as Silverwing pulled up beside him, easily matching their pace. Fuck. Terror rose within him as his dragon sped up, climbing into the darkening sky.
"Your will has to be iron," he recalled Baela's words, and took a deep breath, fighting to be calm.
Clarity returned to him after a moment, and he urged his dragon to slow. The dragon roared in response, but obeyed, levelling off, gliding at a sedate pace. Unbridled joy replaced the terror that had filled him just moments ago. He looked up to the stars clear in the sky, and then looked down to the clouds beneath him. Beside him was Silverwing, her scales glinting in the starlight, Baela a speck atop her back.
He now understood why his family loved flying so much. Up here, one could be free, truly free. They had to share the ground with others, but the sky belonged to the Targaryens alone.
Silverwing began his descent. Viserys urged his dragon to follow, and he obeyed. They landed in the castle's courtyard soon after, much to his dragon's displeasure. He patted his black scales with affection.
A part of him still could not believe it. With a patience he did not know he possessed, he had won the loyalty of a dragon that had terrorized the island for decades. He would never betray him, he vowed.
"Well done," Baela complimented with a smile, once they had both descended their dragons.
"Thank you," Viserys threw himself at his sister, tears in his eyes once more. Gods, he was being such a child, "I could not have done this without you."
"Of course," Baela responded, "You are my brother. I would do anything for you."
Once he'd wiped his tears, his sister said, "Now that you have claimed him, you will need to fly often, for both of you to get accustomed to each other. We will do that in the coming weeks."
Viserys nodded.
"One more thing," Baela turned to his dragon, "I believe he deserves a name more fitting than the Cannibal, that was given to him by common folk. Father gave us leave to choose our dragon's names. You should too."
He had given it much thought this past turn of the moon. None of the many, many names from the pantheon of Valyrian gods fit. Nor did the name he'd come up with to match Aegon's Stormcloud and Baela's Moondancer when he was a child. His choice was made a few nights ago, when nightmares of his eldest brother being shot out of the sky robbed him of sleep. Jace had been flying low in the sea, looking for Viserys. There would be no name more fitting than one to honour his sacrifice.
Viserys turned to his dragon, "From now, my friend, you will be known as Jacerion."
Jacerion let out an approving roar. Viserys smiled, and turned to Baela. It was her turn to throw herself at him in a fierce embrace, crying.
House Targaryens and their Dragons
Children of Daemon 'The Rogue Prince' Targaryen (b.81 AC)
Aegon II Targaryen (b.120 AC)Baela Targaryen (b.116 AC) - Silverwing 'The Silver Queen' (b.36 AC)
A female dragon born in 36 AC, hatched from an egg laid by Quicksilver and sired by Balerion. Silverwing is the largest remaining dragon in the world, docile and friendly towards even strangers, with silver scales and wings, gleaming yellow eyes and silvery-yellow flames.
Viserys Targaryen (b.122 AC) - Jacerion (b.48 AC)
A male dragon born in 48 AC, hatched from an egg laid by Vhagar and sired by Balerion. Before Viserys claimed him, he was known as the Cannibal for his penchant of feeding on young dragons and dragon's eggs. Jacerion is a ferocious and hostile dragon, with black scales and wings, menacing green eyes and emerald-green flames.
Rhaena Targaryen (b.116 AC) - Morning (b.131 AC)
A female dragon born in 131 AC, hatched from an egg laid by Syrax and sired by Caraxes. Morning is a beautiful dragon, with vivid pink eyes, scales and wing-membranes. Her flames, horns, crests, wing-bones and claws are black.
Children of Aegon 'The Usurper' Targaryen (b.106 AC) and Helaena Targaryen (b.109 AC)
Jaehaera Targaryen (b.123 AC)