96–98 AC – Between Firelight and Footsteps
Seeds Beneath StoneAs the court grows in Dragonstone, Aegon quietly begins shaping the pillars of a reign still far in the future. Everything is preparation. Everything is choice.
The Forging of the Firebound BrotherhoodNow nearly 9 years old, Aegon begins selecting the first boys for his secret order — the Firebound Brotherhood. Under the stern oversight of Ser Ryam Redwyne and with the strategic support of Lord Corlys Velaryon, the prince decrees that the recruits must be loyal orphans, disciplined and battle-ready.
With bold ambition, Aegon proposes training 300 orphans, focused on group warfare, island defense, and naval raids. Corlys insists they also learn fishing, navigation, and how to survive the storm-wracked coasts of Dragonstone. Fed regularly and pushed through rigorous training, the boys show remarkable growth in body and spirit. They are not raised as knights — but as living walls around the island of dragons.
"They shall be my blade and my shadow. Not by sigils — but by fire and loyalty."
The Birth of RhaenyraIn King's Landing, Viserys Targaryen and Lady Aemma Arryn at last have a living child: the infant Rhaenyra Targaryen. The news arrives tinged with cautious joy. The grief for their stillborn son still lingers, but the girl's birth rekindles dynastic hopes.
Aegon receives the news with respect — but also calculation. He knows that by the time he turns ten and sails to the capital, part of his duty will be ensuring the next generation holds strong.
Daemon's ColdnessDaemon Targaryen remains distant and dismissive. His contempt for his wife and the court is no secret. King Jaehaerys, now aging, pressures Viserys to see that his brother fulfills his duties — or face political and familial consequences.
Aegon watches quietly, aware that one of his first responsibilities at court will be addressing the "rogue dragon" of their house. He writes in his journal:
"He is a sword without a sheath. If not guided, he'll cut the one who holds him."
Letters to the ThroneAegon's correspondence with the king becomes more frequent. In one particularly meaningful letter, Aegon outlines his vision to strengthen the realm through marriage alliances — proposing the future children of Benjen Stark and Gael Targaryen be wed to descendants of the Velaryon-Baratheon bond.
The king, touched by this vision, replies with rare warmth and approval:
"You see the realm as a gardener — not as a reaper. Let peace come, if your branches grow."
Preparations for Departure
As his tenth nameday approaches, Aegon begins the final preparations to leave Dragonstone for King's Landing. Training with Ser Ryam grows more intense, and the first goodbyes start to form on the horizon.
He spends more time with his companions, cementing bonds and laying out instructions to maintain the Firebound Brotherhood in his absence. Every detail matters: supplies, hierarchy, watchfulness.
Aegon walks the halls of the island with a calculating eye — as one shedding the skin of a home to wear the mantle of duty. In his final letter before the journey, he writes:
"Dragonstone was my cradle; it will be my bastion. But to earn the crown, I must pass through the heart of the realm."
And so he departs — not as a boy, but as a promise in motion.