Rhaegar Targaryen was an ordinary child.
Grand Maester Pycelle had hailed him a prodigy in his studies. Even when practicing with the sword, however limited his interest was, Ser Barristan had told him that he had natural skill. In other words, he was gifted in both the mind and arms, something that was expected of a prince of the realm.
He still fell short compared to his brother.
Ever since Rhaegar could remember, his twin brother had been different. He did not have any experience interacting with kids his age other than Monford, but even he could tell that his brother was just…different. It had been Rhaegal who had helped him to read, to speak. His vocabulary was so advanced because of all the conversations he had with Rhaegal over the years. If Rhaegar were asked who his teacher was, then it would undoubtedly be his brother.
But then who taught Rhaegal?
Sure, his brother needed help when practicing his penmanship and other similar skills, and it wasn't as though he knew everything. But he had been able to speak like a man grown by the time he was two. It was said that he was already able to read before that.
Their father never questioned it. To him, Rhaegal was just special. It was normal for his brother to be so unnaturally gifted. Their mother tried to be more equal with her praise, often saying that they were both gifted in their own ways.
Only it was his brother who had the magic, not Rhaegar.
Despite the fact that Rhaegar had come into this world first, Rhaegal was still the one who had inherited the pyromancy skills of their forefathers. Furthermore, he was their father's heir. He was the crown prince.
To be honest, Rhaegar was thankful for this. He was sure that others in his position might feel bitter about being passed over, but Rhaegar saw it as a blessing. He had more freedom when compared to his brother. A part of him was hurt that their father's attention was focused solely on Rhaegal, but he never blamed his brother for that. He couldn't. Not when Rhaegal went out of his way to include him in his plans and activities.
Now that he was just a spare, Rhaegar had more freedom to choose what he wanted to do in his life. It felt comforting. It was embarrassing to admit this considering that he was the older twin, but he appreciated the shield that his brother had provided him with.
Rhaegar liked his quiet. It didn't earn him many friends, he knew. But it was just who he was as a person. Rhaegal wasn't like that. It was like the flames that he was born with. He was wild and outspoken, and the court had come to love him for it. Probably because he represented a new era for Targaryen power in the Seven Kingdoms. It helped that his brother was very skilled too, and with those skills came a lot of ambitions.
It was why Rhaegar worried so much at times. In so many stories that he had read, it was those that were the most skilled that met a horrible end, either due to their own actions or because others were jealous. They became so sure of themselves that they stopped being able to consider defeat.
It didn't help that there was now a foreign woman whom his brother kept at his side. Rhaegar would not lie and say that her religion did not interest him. After all, was it not his Valyrian ancestors who had been forged in the Fourteen Flames? "Fire and blood" was their house's words for a reason. He might not have the skills of a pyromancer, but Rhaegar liked to believe that he carried fire inside his soul too.
This did not mean that he trusted that red priestess, not fully. He didn't know what it was, but it felt like she held certain expectations that might cause his brother to make terrible decisions in the future.
Was it not the same for the Night's King in the end?
Or was he just being paranoid? Comparing his brother to a mythical figure probably didn't help his case any.
Rhaegar hated second-guessing himself. He just knew that he loved his brother, and he did not want to see him making terrible decisions that would spell his end.
Maybe that was why he was here, to be the one to look after him. They had to have been born twins for a reason. Otherwise, what meaning was there in his existence?
Yes. He might have just found the answer he was looking for.
No matter how weak he might be, Rhaegar was prepared to look out for his brother.
Even from himself.
---
The novelty of traveling through the Kingswood soon lost its charm. There were trees everywhere, and it felt nice to be out in nature and away from the horrible smell that was King's Landing…but that was about it.
Staring at trees felt old after so many days.
It only made it worse that they didn't get to go out hunting or something of the sort. Aerys wanted to make sure that they got to Storm's End as soon as possible, so there were no such stops.
They passed through several domains of different houses on their six day trip. Thanks to their speed, they were able to take off a day from their journey. During those times when they stayed at the different castles along the way, Rhaegal was forced to entertain the different lords there. It was only worse when they had daughters around his age who were rather forcefully shoved in front of him. One lord was blunt enough to have his five and ten daughter "show him" around the castle. And she looked a bit too eager to comply.
'Do they really expect a royal match?' Rhaegal couldn't believe how audacious these lords were, but maybe it was him that was being naive. It was the first time that he was traveling outside of King's Landing, true, but he shouldn't have underestimated how "valuable" his blood might be to many of these lords. If there was any possibility that his children might inherit his pyromancy skills, then they were willing to use their daughters as pawns to that end.
It also helped him realize that many lords might follow the Faith, but they weren't radical in their beliefs. Just because he possessed magic did not mean that they were going to be immediately put off by it.
It was kind of refreshing really. He knew it wouldn't be like this for every house, but at least in the Stormlands the lords were more focused about pragmatic concerns rather than matters of religion.
Rhaegal was more amused when Rhaegar was forced to fend off a few lords' daughters himself. He might not have magic, but he was still a prince. A match with him would be invaluable.
'The prize we pay for being princes.'
It was a heavy burden, he knew.
What was kind of weird was the lack of dismissal from his father. It was almost like Aerys was enjoying the blatant displays of political maneuvering that were happening right in front of him.
'He probably revels in it.'
His father enjoyed lording his position over others a bit too much if Rhaegal was being honest, but whatever. Even if his father said something about it, he doubted that the lords would stop with the scheming. They would just try to be more subtle about it.
House Buckler of the Bronzegate was the most forward of all, pressuring his daughter to try and get them alone in her room of all places. They were both six! Rhaegal was only able to understand the implications because of his unique mentality, but the young girl probably just wanted a friend, not realizing what the true intentions of her father were.
Politics. How tiresome.
After the Bronzegate, they did pass through the hill that was supposedly the site of the Battle of the Last Storm, where Rhaenys Targaryen and Orys Baratheon emerged victorious over the last Storm King, Argilac Durrandon.
What a battle that must have been.
It was the only place where Aerys decided to make a quick stop, offering his prayers. Even if it was the wrong hill, at least they were in the right general area.
Probably.
Two days later, the royal procession was finally within sight of the historic castle of the Stormlands, Storm's End.
Rhaegal's eyes were wide as he took in the massive outer curtain wall that was said to be one hundred feet high. The castle only had one tower, a colossal drum tower that stood proud. With the battlements surrounding it, it almost looked like a huge, spiked fist from a distance.
It was quite something.
Rhaegar and Monford were similarly awestruck by the castle.
"So that's Storm's End," Rhaegar whispered.
"Have your books told you anything about it, brother?"
"Many things, but seeing it for myself makes for a better experience."
"I'm glad you think so. Now I won't feel bad when I drag you all over the kingdoms one day."
Rhaegar didn't answer. Monford jumped into the conversation as he bounced in his seat.
"You have to take me too! I want to see Winterfell! They say that it's always snowing up north!"
"Winterfell. The Wall. We have to see it all!" Rhaegal nodded.
"Yes!" Monford raised his fists in excitement, making Rhaegal chuckle.
The boy was funny, what could he say.
It took them a few more minutes before their carriages reached the entrance of the castle. There, inside the inner courtyard, Rhaegal spotted three people waiting for them. It had been a few years since he had last come to King's Landing, but there was no way that Rhaegal would ever forget Steffon Baratheon's face. He wore his house's colors proudly as he stood straight, his hands clasped behind his back.
The years had really made the young Baratheon lord grow up from the excitable lad from before.
There was a woman standing beside him. She had light brown hair which was tied into a ponytail and was wearing a long dress that matched the colors of house Baratheon. No doubt that she was Cassana Estermont. Despite the fact that she was older than Steffon, Rhaegal had heard from his father that Steffon was pretty happy with his marriage.
There was a boy standing between them. He was but three but already tall for his age. He had the look of a Baratheon: black hair and bright blue eyes. He was dressed in his house's color as well. Rhaegal knew who he was.
Robert Baratheon, Steffon's firstborn son. He had been born back in 262 AC, the same year that his grandfather had died. Steffon had told his father of the news when he had arrived at the capital for the coronation.
Cassana was holding a bundle with her. Even from inside the carriage Rhaegal could spot the mop of black hair sticking out from the baby blanket. No doubt their second child, and the excuse his father had used in order to pay the castle a visit.
Rhaegal and the others waited for the king and queen to walk out from their carriage first. When they did, Steffon and his family dropped to one knee to pay their respects. All the guards and servants nearby did the same.
"Your Grace, welcome. Storm's End is yours."
Aerys looked on with eagerness as he stood proudly before his friend.
"You may rise, Steffon."
It was only after they did that Rhaegal and the others finally came out from their carriage, but not before Rhaegar warned Monford to be on his best behavior.
How nice of his brother to look out after the younger boy.
There were some whispers from the people gathered as Rhaegal stepped out, but he ignored it in favor of giving Steffon and his family his attention.
"My princes. It's good to see you both." Steffon did a half-bow which was reciprocated by the twins.
"Lord Steffon. I pray that everything has been fine in Storm's End. It's been three years, hasn't it?"
"Indeed. Not since the king's coronation. You two are growing to be more like one another each day!"
Yeah, they got that a lot.
Steffon took a moment to greet Monford as well.
"Monford Velaryon. I bid you welcome to Storm's End. I hope it will be to your liking."
"Yes. Thank you, Lord Baratheon, for your…um, welcome." The boy tried not to fidget as he found himself standing before the rather imposing lord.
Baratheons were said to be very tall on average, so Rhaegal couldn't fault Monford too much for his nervousness. He was still but four.
"I see that you have a new addition to your family." Aerys jumped into the conversation while glancing at the bundle in Cassana's arms.
"Yes." Steffon looked rather happy as he gestured to his kids. "You've never met my first-born, Robert Baratheon."
The boy, who had looked bored just standing around, perked up when he heard his name called out. It was obvious that he hadn't been paying attention as he scrambled to bow his head toward the king.
"He looks to be a strong one," was all Aerys said about the future lord of Storm's End.
Compared to how dismissive he was about most people, it was a greater compliment than one might have imagined.
Robert seemed to think so as he beamed at the king's words.
Steffon was happy too before he gestured to the infant. "And this is my second child, a son as well. Stannis Baratheon."
The baby was staring at them with a curious gaze from his mother's arms.
"He's a handsome one," Rhaella said with a smile.
Cassana was smiling too. "He's going to be a smart one, I can tell. He'll be helping his brother, the two of them at each other's sides."
"I say the same thing about my boys."
The two women seemed to come to an understanding as they traded smiles and pleasantries.
It was a good thing too, as at the moment house Baratheon were the closest kin that the Targaryens had in the Seven Kingdoms. It wouldn't be a bad idea to keep them close moving forward.
Alas, if only it were that easy.
As Steffon led them into the castle, Rhaegal's mind kept flashing to the visions he had had when first coming into this world. He had told Melisandre about them, and the red priestess had suggested that maybe they had been a dragon dream. After all, those three visions, of his family dying at separate moments, were different from the rest of his knowledge. He hadn't "seen" the conquest of the Seven Kingdoms or the Dance of the Dragons. He just already knew that they had happened. The visions about the future had just been more…raw. Almost like he had been right there at the moment that each happened.
Dragon dreams had been plaguing his family for so long now that Rhaegal considered them a nuisance. He knew about many such incidents in the past hundred years. Daeron the Drunken, Aerion Brightflame, and so many others that were probably lost in history. His knowledge told him that there had been Blackfyre pretenders who had suffered from dragon dreams as well, such as Daemon II, only to be misled which brought upon his doom.
Was his dragon dream the same? Just another riddle that would eventually spell his end? Was there any reason for him to be concerned about that possible future when it all might just be a misunderstanding?
'No, I just have to keep doing what I've been doing.'
Ultimately, he just wanted what was best for his family. For that reason alone, Rhaegal was willing to set aside his initial fears and approach the Baratheons honestly.
Sometimes it was better to keep his enemies closer. He might just discover that they weren't actually his enemies.
---
They spent three days at Storm's End. That first night Steffon organized a huge feast at Storm's End, attended by every lord from the Stormlands. Their arrival had been expected it seemed, as throughout the day more and more lords arrived at the castle to pay their respects. Even those as far south as the Dornish Marches came.
How loyal of them.
Thankfully, this time, none of the lords dared to push their daughters on the twins. Rhaegal wasn't sure how much longer he could play off being a "kind prince" when dealing with such audacious political moves. Rhaegar was probably reaching his limit soon too.
During those three days, Rhaegal spent much of his time exploring the castle to his heart's content. Rhaegar and Monford did the same. Stannis was still too young to accompany them, so it was Robert who acted like their "guide."
'He only ever shows us the training yard.'
The younger boy was more excited talking about his future lessons in the training yard or wanting to go on a hunt rather than being interested about anything related to the history of the castle. It was something that Rhaegar complained about, to which Robert said, "I already do that boring stuff with the maester. Don't wanna do it here too."
For someone so young, he was still well-spoken. Definitely lacked manners, though.
It was during their last day at Storm's End that Steffon organized a large hunt with the lords and the king. There was a lot of forest nearby, and Aerys was more than a little willing to capture some game before heading to Dorne.
If only he could have taken them along. It would have been rather fun.
Robert had complained to his father, but Cassana had forbidden it. The woman knew how to keep her son reined in, because the moment she had told him no in no uncertain terms, Robert was left grumbling for the rest of the day but let the matter drop.
How impressive.
To try and take his mind off it, Rhaegal suggested that they could have an adventure of their own.
Robert hadn't been too enthusiastic about the idea, but he still led them to the only part of the castle that he hadn't shown them yet.
The godswood.
The godswood at Storm's End had something that the one in the Red Keep lacked: a weirwood tree.
It was the first time that Rhaegal was seeing one and instantly he could tell that there was something…different about the tree compared to any other he had ever seen. And he wasn't just talking about the weird face carved into the trunk either. The leaves were blood-red, and the sap that was coming from the face shared that same color. The bark of the tree looked bone-white, giving it a most chilling appearance overall.
It was almost like the face was screaming in pain, only no one could hear it.
People in the North worshiped these things? How eerie.
"It's creepy," Monford whispered to him and Rhaegar.
Rhaegar shook his head. "Take care of your words, Monford. If a northern lord heard you say that, you would be causing a huge political scandal."
"Eh, I agree with him." Robert picked his ear with disinterest as he stared at the tree. "It's always weird. Don't like coming here."
The boy was very upfront with his feelings, wasn't he? It was refreshing in its own way. He was going to be the type of person that, if he didn't like you, then he would tell you straight to your face.
"Why do you have one here?" Rhaegal was curious. "I thought your family worshiped the Seven."
Robert shrugged. "No idea. Eh, the maester said that…who was it?" He was struggling to remember his lessons.
"There's a myth that Storm's End was built with the help of Bran the Builder, who many believe was a Stark," Rhaegar supplied the answer for him. "If that's the case, then it's no surprise that a weirwood tree would be planted here. There's supposed to be a weirwood tree in all the castles in the North."
Oh. How neat. Rhaegal felt like he kind of knew that already. Probably dismissed it from his mind as "not important" and then forgot all about it. Then again, most myths were like that.
Robert looked at Rhaegar, perturbed. "You know a lot of stuff."
"I like to read."
"That's just boring."
Rhaegal had to stop himself from laughing at the bluntness in Robert's words. Rhaegar didn't seem annoyed by it, but Rhaegal knew his brother well enough to spot the signs that he was trying to maintain his composure around the younger boy. They were cousins, but cousins with very different interests.
Anyway, it was a memorable experience, but one that Rhaegal would soon rather forget. That damn face....it felt like that face had been staring right at him the entire time.
Or maybe he was just too spooked by it. Either way, he was not a fan of these trees. Not one bit.
On a more personal note, Rhaegal wouldn't say that he had become friends with the Baratheon boy in the same way that he was friends with Monford. This was their first meeting, but he found him inoffensive enough. Rhaegal knew that Robert wasn't approaching them because he wanted something from them. More than likely that he was just asked to by his parents.
It didn't help him that every time he saw Robert he pictured the stag from his visions toppling the dragon. It made him twitchy at times.
How embarrassing.
---
On the fourth day, the royal fleet arrived at Shipbreaker Bay to pick them up and bring them straight to Dorne.
Rhaegal thought that maybe the Baratheons should rename the bay to something that wasn't so ominous, but after spending three days in the castle he came to realize how accurate the name was. It was rocky, and there had been a small storm on the second day that had the winds blowing pretty hard. With the powerful waves battering the coast, it wasn't hard to picture an unlucky ship getting caught and then smashing into the rocks.
Robert had told them that this storm was mild compared to others that he had seen, and Rhaegal believed him.
Thankfully, the flagship didn't have to contest with a storm and did not sink to the bottom of the bay. It was able to successfully dock to pick them up.
Aerys and Steffon shared some final words while Rhaella and Cassana did the same. The two women had become something like friends in the past three days. The former Estermont lady was similar to her son in that she could be very blunt at times. But she had also grace to her, and her rough edges had no doubt been tempered by age. Time would probably do the same to Robert, or maybe her presence would. Regardless, it was clear that the woman's lack of political aspirations had been a breath of fresh air to Rhaella, so the two had bonded nicely.
No doubt Aerys felt the same way about Steffon.
Rhaegal and Rhaegar shared a quick goodbye with Robert as well, but it was clear that any future bond among them would take more time to build.
Storm's End had been a treat, no doubt about it. The castle was impressive, even with just one tower. The fact that it was able to house all of the necessities, from a barrack to a feast hall, was astounding. When it came to its construction, whether it had been Bran the Builder or someone else, practicality had been the main concern. Here, where storms and wind were common and powerful, there was no need to concern oneself with multiple towers that could topple on one another and bring everything crashing down.
One sturdy tower was enough to get the job done.
Sometimes there was beauty in simplicity, and there was something to admire when gazing at the castle. Even after boarding the flagship and sailing away, Storm's End stood imposing on the cliffside, a constant reminder of the presence of house Baratheon over the region.
"I hear the island of Tarth is supposed to be pretty beautiful," Rhaegar commented inside their cabin.
"I bet Driftmark is better!" Monford exclaimed.
Rhaegar raised an eyebrow. "It's not a competition, you know."
"If it were, Driftmark would win!"
Maybe in the past, but certainly not right now. Rhaegal didn't have the heart to be blunt with the boy, so he kept his thoughts to himself.
He agreed with his brother, however. Visiting Tarth would have been nice. The island was said to be beautiful, with lakes and soaring mountains.
That beauty also carried a painful memory. Aemon Targaryen, the son of the Old King, had been killed on the island during a Myrish incursion back in the first century of Targaryen rule.
It was a good lesson to remember: dragons did not mean invincibility. If only that lesson hadn't been paved by such a tragedy.
'Maegor learned that lesson too,' he mused to himself with some dark amusement.
Sailing to Dorne took them around three days. Pirate activity in the Stepstones had been greatly reduced due to the recent war. Currently, the cutthroats were only operating further south, near Torturer's Deep. One of the members from the Band of Nine was still operating there supposedly, but he was losing more and more men as time went on. Many had seen the futility in his cause, which had been to annex the entirety of the Stepstones under his rule. Just like Daemon Targaryen had once declared himself King of the Stepstones, so too did this pirate want the same title for himself.
Or so the rumors went. There had been more than one pirate as part of the Band of Nine, so it was hard to say how they had planned on dividing the islands for themselves. It was also possible that Samarro Saan wanted Lys instead. It was where his family came from, after all.
Well, whatever. Understanding the motives of such men was always a waste of time. Let them fight for the scraps. There wasn't much point in worrying now, not after they had been defeated.
Dorne had also increased their naval presence in the area, and so it wasn't surprising that they did not meet any pirates along the way.
It made for a safe but boring journey.
It was then that Sunspear finally started to come into view.
Storm's End had been but one tower surrounded by impressive walls.
Sunspear was more…grand than that. There were massive walls here too, but there were many towers surrounding the original keep. Some described it as a dun-colored dromond, and Rhaegal could see the comparison. It was quite the difference. The towers and walls, as well as the rest of the settlement, were beautifully crafted in Rhoynish fashion. It made the original keep stand out from the rest of the buildings, and not in a good way.
Not that the Martells made any use of it anymore. No, they had the Old Palace for that.
While the flagship began to prepare to dock, Rhaegal and his family stepped out onto the deck. Already he could feel the difference in climate from the Stormlands. It felt like the sun was trying to scorch them just for existing.
And there were deserts that were much worse than this apparently.
'Trying to bring an entire army through this place would be such a pain.'
Somehow Daeron I had done it, though. Much respect to the now dead king.
Rhaegal spotted several people waiting for them at the docks. No doubt the current Princess of Dorne and her family.
Well then. It was time to meet the Martells.
---
Loreza Martell watched the Targaryen flagship dock with a sense of calmness. She had been waiting for this moment, ever since she had received the raven saying that the king had accepted her invitation. She was shrewd enough to see that it wasn't the queen who had accepted, but rather it was the king.
Clearly Rhaella had been hesitant to come here.
'It seems my friend has her doubts,' she thought to herself, a bit amused.
Loreza Martell bore the traditional look of the Martells. She was tall and slender. Her hair was lustrous and black, and her dark colored eyes shined even in the morning sun.
Her three children stood beside her, all of them already knowing what was to come. Loreza was proud of them all in her own way, even if they all had their faults. Doran, Elia, and Oberyn. They were all older than the princes, Doran most of all. While the age gap between her firstborn and the princes meant that a friendship was unlikely to manifest, the same wasn't true for her two other children.
Her welcoming party didn't just include her family, however. They had wards of their own at the moment. They were close in age to the two princes as well. Ashara Dayne and Arthur Dayne. They had arrived to Sunspear a few months back, and a friendship had already blossomed between Ashara and Elia.
Unlike the other houses in Dorne, the Daynes shared features that were awfully familiar to the royal family. The two Dayne children lacked the distinctive Valyrian silver-blond hair, but they shared the same deep purple eyes. Their father in particular looked more Valyrian than Dornish, having both the purple eyes and pale blond hair.
Truly a mystery there.
"There they are," Oberyn whispered with some amount of excitement as the royal family began to disembark from the flagship.
Her youngest had been the most excited to meet this "living dragon" the most. Doran was the most cautious, as was his nature. Her daughter, Elia, held some reservation about meeting the royal family, but Loreza knew her daughter well enough to understand that there was some excitement there too. She had a habit of being shy when first meeting new guests, but that quickly faded after a couple of meetings.
Loreza plastered the most flattering smile she could muster as she bowed before the royal family, her family and the Dayne children doing the same.
'As they say: nothing ventured, nothing gained.'
This was where the game began.