AEGON TARGARYEN
PRELUDE: targaryen blood, hightower lies

SEVEN YEARS AGO

         His mother calls them bastards.

He calls them his playthings.

To that, she had something to say as well. She always had a comment or a side remark, that he did not ask for.

("Rhaenyra's sons will not be your playthings forever, Aegon. If things go as they are now, Rhaenyra will become the queen and Jacaerys Targaryen will be her heir." He had only smirked at his mother then.)

Little Jacaerys and Lucerys Velaryon. They were the sons of Rhaenyra and Laenor, but mother had told him that their true father was not Laenor Velaryon at all. Mother always told him things, and he never knew what was the truth and what was a lie she had thought of.

"Born of the princess' indiscretion with Harwin Strong," They were the perfect targets to have some fun with. Aemond is a twat. Aegon had never held any kind of fondness towards his younger brother. And Helaena no more no less. She was kind, but quite an ugly girl. And Aegon simply does not have any interest in her, despite their long-standing betrothal. She was his sister. Aegon hated the idea that he must marry his sister.

He supposed his youngest sibling Daeron was his favourite, though Daeron was away in Oldtown. Aegon wished he could be there with him, instead of here with mother and father. Neither payed him any attention. That could be a home, perhaps. The Red Keep was no home. Simply a place he lived.

Jace and Luke were funny. They were easily swayed into pranking Aemond, and easy to scare as well. Though he had a dragon bound to him, Luke was terrified of dragons. But he would also cry if he was away from his brother. And Jace loved to be around his dragon, Vermax. 

The stupid child had named his dragon after Vermithor the Bronze Fury, who had once been the mount of the Old King, Jaehaerys. Vermithor was now ridden by eight year old Prince Gaemon, the son of Laena Velaryon and Daemon Targaryen. Gaemon was his cousin, but for him Aegon held no fondness either.

He was more Velaryon than Targaryen in appearance. He looked just like his uncle Laenor, and when they looked at him, people saw Corlys Velaryon. That was scary to most. It scared his mother, and so Aegon just found it funny. What Aegon loved most was to apposed his mother.

Aegon knew that his father did not love his mother. Aegon knew that his father did not love him or Aemond or Daeron. If he loved any child he produced from Alicent Hightower's womb, it would be Helaena. And only because Helaena was a just a girl. He had married Alicent for a son and then once he had three, he had neglected them. But Alicent had not loved Viserys. 

Aegon knew this. But wasn't it enough that she loved Aemond? That a part of her husband she saw in him, a piece of his face that she could learn to love. Mother seemed to love all her children, all except for him. Aegon could not find it in himself to blame her. Though bored easily and swayed quickly, he was just a boy. A boy who wanted his mother to see him.

And so he acted out. Did things he knew he shouldn't, but he did them anyway. Because if he was the rebellious one, if he refused things, then and only then would his mother pay him attention. His hair may be Targaryen, his eyes may be Targaryen, but his blood and his soul is Hightower.

              "Luke, come here." Lucerys Velaryon was nothing if he was not a loyal child. It was no surprise that he dutifully walked over to Aegon. What was a surprised was that Aegon remembered his name. Usually he does not. Though he is more sober than he usually is.

Both of the 'Strong' boys, as his mother called them, were utterly devoted to Aegon's every whim. If he asked something of them, they would do it. It was as easy as that. Gaemon Targaryen was less fond of him. He was a shy boy, which circled the rumors that he was not his father's son. Though one man had publicly claimed this, and he had lost his tongue.

That was not as bad as it could have been, Aegon knew. Daemon had threatened to torture the man and then cut off his head after all, to ensure no one would ever speak such vile allegations against his children ever again. Lady Laena had made no threats, but all knew that she would protect her son and her daughters if need be.

"How would you like to do another prank on my twat of a brother?" 

Aemond sat in a corner quietly. Next to him was Gaemon. The two were close friends, though both Alicent and Daemon had forebade it. But then there was Viserys as well. He had bid the two children be given the same wetnurse, and though born two years apart, they were as close as brothers. Closer perhaps, as both could share the pain of not having a dragon born to them. For the past year year Gaemon had been riding Vermithor, but before that he was dragonless as well.

Aemond found it comforting, Aegon supposed. The younger prince had seen it as his lifelong dream to ride a dragon. Aemond was ten now, and he still did not write a dragon. And so when his even younger cousin, at just seven years old, claimed Vermithor, Aemond looked up to him even more. 

Aegon was honestly bored with his dragon. Sunfyre was pretty yes, but he was spoiled and would never go out to hunt and he wouldn't ride over King's Landing with him. All Sunfyre wanted was to sit in the dragonpit eating and sleeping. It was boring. So yes though he had a dragon where Aemond did not, his dragon was boring. And Aegon hated being bored.

His blood, though Targaryen, was overfilled with that of Hightowers. He longed for Oldtown, to be trained as a knight by his uncle Gwayne and to live in peace. Not whatever this was. His mother used him as a puppet for her own ambition and he hated it.

He wondered what it would be like, to be in the highest tower of Oldtown, to see that magnificent city and realise that he had not a job to do in the world. He was free to just be a child. Aegon had said more than once that he'd run away and become a septon, and each time his grandsire he reprimanded him. 

He was to be the heir, they always said. Then why was it that his father never even gave him the light of day? Why was it then, that though she'd never be a son, he'd never be Rhaenyra. He was a son yes but he wasn't the heir. And no matter how many times he mother uttered it into his ear, he'd never believe it. Because it was his father that must name his heir, and he never will.  Though it has caused him much pain, Aegon does not actually wish to be King, at all. He's perfectly happy just as he is.

Maybe one day he will fly to Essos or the ruins of Old Valyria. That is if he can get his lazy dragon to fly. Aegon can barely remember the last time he took flight on top of Sunfyre. He is only thirteen years old, the same age as Aegon is himself.

"Aegon, what prank are we going to do on Aemond then? Nothing that involves Gaemon this time. You remember how much Jace cried over that." Aegon nodded. This plan was brilliant.

For a reason Aegon could not fathom, Jace and Gaemon were really close. They were best friends. Though each time Aegon told them they were as close as brothers, Gaemon could kick and scream and say Jace was not his brother, for he was not born of Laena Velaryon's womb. Gaemon would declare that the only brother he was to have was the one in his mother's tummy right now.

"No, It will not be with Gaemon. But it will be funnier than any prank we've ever done." Aegon said, a wide grin on his face. Well, pranks he had done. Though he told his mother otherwise, he was always the mastermind behind all the plans. "I need you to go and find Jace and the two of you need to go find a pig." Luke looked confused at his uncle.

That was the way Aegon did it. He never told Jace and Luke what the prank was until they had already done it. And with this pig, it would be the funniest one yet. And then at dinner, Aegon could order a pig be slaughtered, perhaps even the very same one Jace and Luke were searching for right now. And then he would make Aemond eat it. It would be so funny, and Aegon would laugh and maybe even his father would laugh. 

Maybe his father would laugh with him. Aegon would never speak it aloud, but more than anything he wanted his father's attention. The Pink Dread, he had already nicknamed the pig.