94 AC – Moon of the Owl
The Burden of Legacy
As spring settles over Dragonstone, bonds of brotherhood and lineage continue to grow. New heirs are born, friendships are tested, and the fires of destiny burn brighter in the hearts of boys who will one day be legends.
The Prince's Vision
Now approaching his seventh nameday, Prince Aegon begins to shape ideas for the roles of his companions:
Benjen Stark will become his eyes and shadow — a warg and watcher, whose northern instincts balance fire with ice.
Borros Baratheon, storm-blooded and bold, will be his shield and hammer — a tempest meant to strike with fury when diplomacy fails.
Aegon confides in Ryam Redwyne, who notes how the young prince thinks in terms of unity and contrast. The mentor writes in his private scrolls:
"Aegon speaks not just of loyalty, but of balance. He sees chaos not as danger — but as potential. The boys he gathers are not playmates. They are pieces of a storm he means to shape."
Aegon also pleaded with the king to allow Princess Gael to remain on Dragonstone with him, hoping that in time she might grow close to either Benjen or Borros — uniting the blood of the dragon with the houses he esteems most. The request is bold, and not yet answered, but speaks volumes of the boy's vision for alliance and legacy.
Aemon Velaryon and the Cradle Without Flame
Rhaenys Targaryen gives birth to a healthy son, Aemon Velaryon, in the high tower of Dragonstone.
Celebrations ring across the fortress, yet a subtle discomfort lingers: for the first time in generations, a Targaryen child is laid in a cradle without a dragon egg.
Rumors stir. Some whisper that the flames did not answer. Others believe the decision was deliberate, agreed upon by the Crown Prince and his mother — a firm decree that no dragon should ever be bonded outside the Targaryen bloodline. As heir to Driftmark, Aemon Velaryon would remain dragonless by choice, to preserve the power within their house. Corlys Velaryon resents it, believing his son deserves a dragon of his own, yet he understands — and helps carry out the will of his daughter and her prince. For he knows that Laena, with her own dragon, is destined to be queen — and through her, his blood will one day sit the Iron Throne. Rhaenys says nothing — only cradling her son with a gaze like iron in moonlight.
"Let him earn his wings with deeds, not birthright."
Driftmark Beckons
With Aemon's birth, the Velaryons prepare to leave Dragonstone and return to Driftmark. The farewells are quiet but heartfelt.
Laena Velaryon, barely two and full of fire, bids a teary goodbye to Aegon, her betrothed. Though too young to speak much, she wraps her arms around him with surprising strength. Lunaryon, circling overhead, lets out a mournful cry.
Aegon stands beside his mother, Jocelyn Baratheon, watching the sails vanish over the dawn-lit sea.
"They leave with ships," he says. "We stay with stone."
He is now truly alone — but not without allies. Benjen, Borros, Ryam... and the shadow of Aenarion remain.
Steel and Fury
Ryam Redwyne intensifies Aegon's training, both in mind and body. The boy, now wielding his twin red-gripped war hammers, strikes with the strength of a grown man.
The courtyard often echoes with the sound of steel against shield, and the soldiers begin to watch Aegon's sessions not with amusement — but with quiet awe.
His footwork sharpens. His blows carry weight. Ryam notes:
"He fights like a memory of war — not learned, but inherited."
Yet Aegon's spirit remains that of a boy. He laughs with Borros. He walks the cliffs with Benjen. But behind the laughter, there is always purpose.
And far above them, in the shadows of Dragonmont, Aenarion watches — wings unfurled, eyes glowing, waiting for the day when the skies will know their rider.