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Chapter Text

Aegon had decided when he turned three and one that he was going to become a new man. No longer would he be the whore of the realm. The man who was the personification of gluttony and sloth was no more. He would be a man who would live up to the name Targaryen. He would be a man who his children would look up to and want to emulate. He would be the best version of himself.

And no, it wasn’t because he no longer had the energy to fuck Helaena and Jacaerys and half of the whores of the realm because he had let himself go and visiting a whorehouse would more often then not leave him either unsatisfied or with a bad back (Go fuck yourself Daemon).

And also, no, it wasn’t because Aegon was getting old and becoming more like his father with each passing day (Go fuck yourself Rhaenyra).

And also, no, it wasn’t because Maelor had become obsessed with Aemond after a summer spent in Driftmark and Aegon was a jealous fuck who hated that his son had a new favourite man in his life, which meant that he finally had to recognise that he was nothing compared to his brother (Seriously. Go fuck yourself Daemon. He was fooling nobody with his new comb-over. Aegon may be a waste of space but at least he wasn’t going bald. If Daemon liked Aemond so much he should just go and fuck him and leave everyone else in peace).

Aegon was now three and three years old and he, more or less, had kept to the promise he had made to himself - (and to Helaena after a vigorous love making session that left her weak at the knees)(and to Jace after a vigorous love making session that left Aegon weak at the knees)(and to Luke in a letter with pictures for Aemond so he could also follow what Aegon was saying) - two years ago. However sometimes his half-wit of a sister really tried his fucking patience.

“Why are we here again?” Aegon whined from his seat in the Small Council chambers while he played with the small ball on the table. A small ball that he still had no fucking clue what purpose they had.

(“Its tradition Aegon.”

“Tradition for what? Rhaenyra, how in the ever living fuck does a stone ball represent tradition?”

“…. Its just tradition.”

“You don’t know, do you?”

“I…. shut up Aegon.)

He was often summoned to Small Council meeting’s and, more times then not, he forwent said meetings. Partly because they gave his sister and her bellend of a husband opportunity to complain to him about something else his youngest son had done or, more recently, to talk to him about the upcoming nuptials of his elder son and his elder daughter. Neither of which interested him. Helaena, Baela and oddly Joffrey had enough enthusiasm on behalf of everyone about the wedding and Aegon, in his new found wisdom, knew better then to get pulled into any conversation least he accidently agreed to something which either of the three disagreed with.

(“Did you tell the event planner to have silken drapes?!”

“I don’t know. Don’t remember. Maybe?”

“We can’t have silk! It will ruin the whole visual of the ceremony! For gods sake Aegon! You have thrown the whole colour palate off key! Taffeta was what we agreed! Are you so simple minded that you cannot tell the difference?!”

“Joffrey. I simply cannot put into words how much I do not care. I do not even know what taffeta is.”)

However he had been threatened upon pain of death that he had to be at this meeting and, if he were to be honest, he was kind of interested in what had got Rhaenyra’s knickers in a twist this time. It didn’t pass his notice that all the important people, and Daemon, were gathered around the table which usually meant that shit had hit the fan.

Last time they had all been summoned upon pain of death was when Rhaenyra and Daemon had discovered that sweet little Visenya had decided to take herself on a little trip to the Street of Silk. It took everyone a number of days to convince the rogue prince that burning down ‘that street of degradation’ was a step too far. Jacaerys had to summon a maester when Aegon stated it was sweet karma for what his sister had put their father through and said sister had lobbed one of the stone balls at his head. When he awoke a few days later he did not even get an apology.

“We are here” Daemon began, hands clasped upon the table as he leant upon his elbows. “Because of YOUR cunt of a mother.”

Aegon groaned, throwing his head back in exasperation. “What has my cunt of a mother done now?”

“Your cunt of a mother” –

“Can we please stop calling Alicent a cunt?” “But she is a cunt.” “I am aware that she is a cunt. I have, after all, known her all my life. However it is not fitting to refer to those less fortunate then ourselves as a cunt. It is garish and we are better then that.” “But we are agreed yes? That Alicent is a cunt?” “Of course Aegon. She is indeed a cunt. But everyone, especially you, must learn that we can’t call everyone we don’t like a cunt. It will set the wrong precedence for when you take the throne.”

- “cannot leave well enough alone and has, once more, decided to raise an army to claim what is ‘rightfully hers’.”

“How is this different to the twelve other times she has done this?” Baela asked. Sad to say that, indeed, this had not been Alicent’s first time trying to get herself back into power. All had failed and, over time, it had just become rather pathetic. How she once put the fear of god into Aegon was anyone’s guess.

“It is different because this time envoys have been sent across the land to galvanise support and we have had reports of movements of the Triarchy. If the Triarchy set sail under Hightower banners, the first place they will aim for is Driftmark and the Velaryon Fleet. I shouldn’t have to say why we are taking this seriously. Vhagar is not the beast she once was, Arrax is still young, Morning cannot go to battle and Luke and Rhaena still need time to learn how to command the Fleet. We can handle a battle from the tides but a battle from the tides and from the north will stretch our resources. War cannot be allowed to break out.”

Of that Aegon stood by his sister, for he knew better then most what war wrought upon Westeros.

“What is her plan? If she were to succeed?” Helaena asked from beside Aegon, the only other in the room who knew the hell that could and would befall them if the dark hand of war came to call upon them once more.

Everyone turned to look at Aegon.

“What!?” He threw his hands up in the air in exasperation, nearly knocking Jace out. “How?! Have I not shown time after time after time just how unsuited to power I am?!  What more can I do to prove it?!”

“Indeed we are all very much aware of how ill-suited you are for the throne and how such an event would mean the end of the world but yet here we still are. Quite how she thinks anyone will support her claim when she intends to give someone like you the crown is beyond me but it is well known that the Hightower’s and their kin are beyond reason and sensibility.”

Rhaenyra put her hand on Daemon’s arm, halting his tirade about how Aegon was beyond useless. “Nevertheless this is where we are. Now more then ever we need to stand together and show unity. A united House Targaryen is an infallible House Targaryen. House Hightower has already issued envoys to a number of houses through the realm whose loyalty to House Targaryen is not set in stone. We must turn that loyalty into stone.” She rose from her seat to tower over the table as she looked upon her kin and brethren.

“Of course mother.” Jacaerys said because, despite Aegon’s best efforts, he would always at heart be a brown-nose mothers boy.  He loves him in spite of it, not because of it as Jace’s adoration his mother and Aegon’s distain for Alicent is just something they will never see eye to eye on. “Tell us what you need us to do and we shall do it.”

Aegon could only sigh as, even there would be a small, very very small, part of him that wanted to see Rhaenyra brought to her knees, he did share his part-time bed-mate’s sentiment.

Despite all this time he had never really gotten over what had happened to his children before and he had accepted that a part of him would never get over it. He kept this to himself for nobody around him during this life could or would ever understand what he went through. At least before Helaena understood, even if he did not like her at the time. Sometimes he wondered if that was his punishment for the death and pain and suffering he had caused in his previous life – to live with the knowledge of what the loss of a child will do to a person and to live with the pain even though he had lost no one.

“We shall send our own envoys, envoys of House Targaryen. A sign of unity and a show of strength.” Daemon said. “Aemond, Lucerys and Rhaena must remain on Driftmark until the threat of the Triarchy has gone. Therefore the remaining children of Queen Rhaenyra and the late King Viserys will be sent across the realm. Gain a treaty by agreement if possible, by fear if necessary. Once the threats of an uprising in our land is gone, we can deal with the threat from afar.”

His sister nodded in agreement. “Baela to Casterly Rock, Daemon to Storm’s End, Aegon to Winterfell –“

“Hang on a minute” Aegon interrupted, raising his hand in the air. “Why the fuck am I going to fucking Winterfell?! Why not Jacaerys? He would be much better suited for such a task. Everyone knows that the Starks are barely better then a cabbage! It is like you are asking a god to negotiate with a pleb!”

Aegon was not at all bitter about the north siding with his sister. Not at all.

Rhaenyra turned to him with an air of annoyance. “Because we cannot afford to lose an alliance with the north. There are some houses I would tolerate losing. House Stark is not one of them. If the Hightower’s proposed heir to the throne himself goes to advocate for my claim, they will not turn their swords to us. The Starks value honour above all else –“ Aegon snorted. No house in the realm valued honour. The Starks may claim so but he knows that there will come a day, be it during his lifetime or within a hundred years, where the legendary House Stark’s value of honour will falter ‘- and, believe it or not, I do think you are the best person to secure that honour to our cause. That and we all know Jacaerys does not do well with the cold. He is particularly susceptible to a chill.”

Aegon would not be swayed. “Jacaerys truly is the best person for Winterfell. I may be seen as a fool but I do actually know what it is I speak of. Cregan and he, once upon a time, once had a bond. A bond that survived even when they had separated. I do not doubt that once secured Cregan will be loyal but your son is the best to make that happen. Not me. He can just take extra clothes and a pair of gloves if his constitution is that pathetic that he cannot even survive a day in the snow!”

"It's not pathetic. I’m just sensitive to changes in temperature.”

“It is a bit pathetic.” Joffrey said. Like Aegon, he too was happy to take any opportunity to bring his brother down a peg or two whenever he was able to tear himself away from arguing with everyone about which ice sculpture best captures the dream of young love.

“Either you go to Winterfell or you go to Bitterbridge and Crakehall. While I have no doubt that House Caswell would fight for us, I would prefer to be sure.”

Aegon would absolutely be swayed. “For fucks sake. Winterfell it is then.”

He could see from the corner of his eye the double takes both Helaena and Jacaerys gave him at his sudden capitulation and he did understand why. Aegon was renowned for digging his heels in when he wanted to: be it because he truly believed in what he was saying or because he just wanted to be a knob.

But Aegon simply did not trust himself to go to Bitterbridge. He did not trust that he would not burn the place down to the ground and piss on the burning embers as everything turned to ash and smoke. He would not be that person. He would not fall to rage and vengeance like his brother had done so before him.

See?

He is totally a better man then that swine Aemond Targaryen.

Maelor WILL recognise that one way or another, even if Aegon had to beat it into him with a brick.

Chapter Text

Aegon did not, and he could not stress this enough, want to go to Winterfell. And by fucking god he was going to make sure everyone in the Red Keep knew about it.

“They are a bunch of savages Helaena! Savages! Wild folk who still live in the old times. Un-enlightened. Uncouth. UNCLEAN! I would not be surprised if they still didn’t even have running water. I mean, honestly, can you imagine it? ME? Someone like ME conversing with a Stark? Do the Starks even speak the coming tongue? Shall I have to pay coin for a translator?”

His dear wife was helping him pack layers and layers of wool and furs to help him prepare for what was to come. He wasn’t sure if she was listening to his rant or if she was employing her well practiced method of tuning him out but it did not stop him.

“I mean, what is the point? Honestly? I’m a dragon. Dragons aren’t meant to be in the cold. Dragons wither and die in the cold. That is what is going to happen. I shall wither and die and those uncivilised brutes will fester on my rotting corpse. What do they even eat up there?”

“I think you are being a tad dramatic Aegon.” Baela sighed from where she was snuggled up to Jacaerys, sat upon the couch across from Aegon and Helaena, watching with great amusement at Aegon’s imminent breakdown as if it were the greatest thing she had ever witnessed.

It probably was. Aegon had tried his best but Jacaerys was still a bore.

“Why are you even here if you are not going to be of help?” Aegon turned to face the couple with his hands on his hips.

“Your rants are a source of amusement and I’ve been asked by grandmother to keep note of all the stupid things you say. Says its gives them something to discuss over supper.”

Aegon scoffed as he turned back to his wife. She always had his back.

“The northerners are just like you or I, Aegon. I think you are letting your unfounded and irrational dislike for the north cloud your judgement.”

Aegon squinted his eyes as his sister. “I want a divorce.”

“It is still not too late to go to Bitterbridge? I packed my fur’s in case you changed your mind?” Jacaerys offered with a helpful smile, the boring, soft hearted, fool.

Aegon shuddered. “No! Absolutely not! I would rather give Vermithor a prostate exam before I step foot anywhere near Bitterbridge. I am just… God it’s going to be soooo cold! Do they even have fire? Helaena please tell me that they know what fire is!?”

Helaena finally turned to her husband with a look that said she was clearly done with his tantrum - a look that Aegon was far to familiar with. “You are being ridiculous. Of course they have fire. And water. And food. And beds. And no, they do not live in wooden huts that are only held together by grass and mud. Husband, you will be fine in the north. But you will not be fine if you continue to annoy me! I have to organise a wedding, make sure Jaehaerys doesn’t abscond to Essos, make sure Jaehaera doesn’t throw herself out of Maegor’s Holdfast and all the while make sure Maelor does not, once again, try to set Silverwing on Caraxes.”

Aegon, knowing that he was at real risk of waking up once again with a spider crawling across his face because he had once more pushed his wife to the end of her very long tether, softened, pulling her into a gentle hug. He knew she had been stressed and, yes, he had done fuck all to help. He had always figured if he got involved he would just get in the way and make things worse. Maybe he had thought wrong?

“I can stay. We can send someone else and I can stay and help.”

“No.” Helaena sighed. “You would just get in the way and make things worse.”

Well.

Alright then.

Aegon pushed Helaena away with gentle hands, softly holding her shoulders. “Go and see to your pets. That always cheers you up. I shall finish packing and I’ll go find the children to say my goodbye’s.” He bent to give her a kiss, feeling the tension slowly drain away from her smaller body as she pressed closer to him.

“I have heard – “ she said as she broke the kiss, a small smile slowly spreading across her face “ – that Lord Stark makes all the ladies weak at the knees. Many have said to weep at night because they have tried and failed at becoming the next Lady of Winterfell. You may be cold and miserable, but you will have something pretty to look at. That will see you through this trying time, my love.”

“I too have heard he is a very beautiful man. Dark hair, bright eyes, kind face, brute strength and thighs to die for.” Baela said, ignoring the look of mock offence Jacaerys cast towards her. While Aegon and Helaena were in full agreement that they were open to see other people if it took their fancy, Jacaerys and Baela had long ago agreed that they could stray outside the marriage so long as any straying was kept to Helaena and Aegon.  Fuck knows why but it worked for all of them and they had managed to make it work for several years now.

Though Aegon would rather gouge his eyes out then lay a seductive hand upon Baela. She was one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen but her relation to Daemon was just something that would always make his dick limp. Same went with Jacaerys and Helaena, though he thinks that Jace’s argument of ‘she is my aunt, it is a bit weird’ is really missing the mark. No matter. After all he did not take Jace to his bed for his brains.

Aegon hummed, happy to humour his wife to get her out of her mind for a while before royal duties crashed down on her once more. “And what else do they say about Lord Stark? Tell me, dear sister, does he have a big, long, sword?”

“Oh his sword has kept many happy.” Helaena giggled, reminding him of the soft girl he grew up with before a marriage she did not want, children she had no say in having and a crown she never desired.

Aegon snorted. “Of course he has. What else is there to do up there other then fight, drink and fuck? Bet he doesn’t even have a court jester.”

“I have heard he is a fierce warrior.” Of course that was what his nephew would focus on. He thought he had taught him better but alas not. “They say he can outfight a dire wolf with one arm tied behind his back. As strong as an ox. Rumour has it that once that he threw his own uncle through a wall during an argument.”

“Ok now you are just taking the piss.”

Helaena wrapped her arms around his waist, all trace of tension gone. “Nobody would blame you if you took him to your bed to gain favour. All I ask is that you share the details upon your return.”

She was such a pervert.  He adored her with everything he had.

“I already have one dark haired, long sword, strong as an ox warrior in between my legs on a daily basis. I have no need for another. Especially one whom I am sure has never taken a bath in his life.”

He pressed another sweet kiss to her lips before she turned to leave the room with a happy skip to her step that could only signal her intent to set her creepy crawlies free to see where they ended up. Baela followed her with a small smile cast towards her own husband to go and keep her other lover company.

With a sigh, Aegon turned away from his packing and walked towards the balcony, settling his hands upon the stonewall as he watched the sun set on yet another day in Westeros.

Soft footsteps echoed behind him as strong-arms wrapped around his waist, a chin resting upon his shoulder. He couldn’t help but sigh as he lent back into the steady body behind him.

“Your sister wife is not the only one burdened by weight. I did not want to ask while the girls were here but I know something is sitting heavy in your chest. Why do you not want to go to Bitterbridge? I know you well enough by now to know there is a reason as to why.”

Aegon let his head drop back to rest on the firm shoulder behind him. “Back before, they say that those brutes tore my son apart limb from limb. I can forget some things but that is not one of them. Any hope for an alliance would not happen if I were to set my one remaining eye upon that land.”

A gentle kiss was pressed upon his cheek.

“Well, as Daemon said, gain a treaty by fear if necessary. I will make them so fearful they would never dare lay a hand on one of your children.”

Fuck but he loved this man. Almost as much as he loved his wife. If he were ever made to choose between the two of them, he would gladly meet The Stranger to keep his heart full and whole.

God he disgusted himself sometimes. It was imperative that nobody knew just what kind of man he had turned into. He had a reputation to uphold after all. He would rather give himself a circumcision with a spoon then become the next Daemon. Once a fiend to all who breathed, now a man mocked in taverns across the realm because he once was overheard saying that he enjoyed sharing a bath his wife and partaking in the odd face mask every now and then on account of his oily skin.

At least Aegon had the sense to keep that shit to himself.

Sunfyre was scary as fuck but even the most weak willed enemy would piss themselves laughing if they knew Aegon sometimes flew with Helaena’s Essential Oil’s of Essos face mask on to keep his skin fresh and youthful. Aegon certainty pissed himself laughing when he found out Aemond had done the same thing with oils he had lifted from Criston Cole before he had been firmly escorted from the Keep.

Obviously it did not help. After all Aemond had looked like he was twenty and six years old back when he was only ten and eight. Now that he was thirty he looked like their father when he was nearing the end of the mortal coil. He would feel sorry for him but Aemond is an arsehole and Aegon is surprised on a daily basis that Lucerys has not found himself another man to warm his bed that does not look like the crypt keeper. Fortunately he does not have that worry with Jacaerys for Aegon is the best Jace would ever get bar Baela.

He does have that worry about Helaena as, lets be honest, she could do far better then all of them and they all knew it.

The realm often spoke about Aegon’s bond with Sunfyre as something precious. Something that has not and will not ever be seen again. Targaryen’s were synonymous with dragons after all and the bond between prince and beast is a gift from the gods. A bond that could either withstand the fire of a thousand flames or a bond that could lead to damnation. Of all the bonds witnessed, none have ever stood as firm and been as strong as that between Aegon Targaryen and Sunfyre. Beasts with a mind of their own, ones that could turn on their riders as quickly as they could turn in the sky, and yet none have ever had the thought that Sunfyre would ever do so to Aegon. For as devoted as Aegon is to his Sunfyre, his Sunfyre was as equally devoted to him. There was no doubt that, as there will only ever be one dragon for him, there would only ever be one rider for Sunfyre. Aegon knew in his heart of hearts that once he was no longer here that his darling boy would be as wild and free as Grey Ghost and The Cannibal, never to accept another upon his back if they were not Aegon.

Though he does hope Sunfyre doesn’t become a knob like The Cannibal. He can live with Sunfyre killing all those who try to lay claim to him once Aegon was off chilling with his ancestors, but he would be disappointed if his precious boy secluded himself away in caves like a loner. He knew the peasant folk rejoiced every time they set their eyes upon the beauty that was his dragon. Be a shame to deprive them of their only joy in life.

Which was why he was starting to lose his shit when, for the sixth time, Sunfyre ignored his command to continue to fly north and tried to turn back to King’s Landing.

“I get it, alright? I get it! Do you think I want to do this?” He yelled over the wind, knowing full well his golden delight could hear every word. “Do you honestly think I want to be this far away from our home?! Of course not! But I have to do it and so do you! You had no issue flying off to take down a grandma of a dragon once upon a time but this is where you draw the line?!”

The dragon keepers used to laugh at him when he was younger and he would tell them he could feel what his bonded dragon could feel. They would say that no one, not even his namesake and the once great Balerion had such a bond. But they were talking out of their arses because he knew full well Sunfyre was sulking at him.

“Don’t you take that tone with me! We are in this together. Until death do us part. I help you in your time of need when you have that itch at the base of your wing you can never get to. You help me in my time of need. THIS IS MY TIME OF NEED, SUNFYRE!”

…

“You are such a child. You will think back on this when I am dead and you will regret being so mean to me!”

…

“Oh is that how it is? You think I am lucky to have YOU?! YOU are lucky to have ME! You are the most spoilt dragon in the realm. You think Syrax gets the finest lamb that money can buy? You think Vermax gets a bed of the finest silk known to man? You think Dreamfyre gets to fly to her hearts content? No! I am so nice to you and sometimes, just sometimes, it feels like you want to throw it all back in my face!”

…

“Oh don’t be like that. I’m sorry. I don’t mean to make you feel bad. I do it all because I love you. You were the first thing I have ever loved and I love you more then anything. Please don’t tell Helaena or Jace or the kids.”

…

“Sunfyre, we have been through this. Of course I do not love Vermax more then you. Vermax means nothing to me.”

…

“I mean, not to lower the tone, but I really wanted to have sex on dragonback. I mean really, REALLY, wanted to. But of course I would never do that on you. You are far too good for such filth. You are my special boy and I have standards. I will do a lot to get my end away but even I draw the line in getting you involved. I did it because I love you. And I was horny.”

…

“I mean, we could do it if you wanted to? If that would make you feel better? I’m sure Jace would have no problem if I spoke to him nicely. But honestly I think this is a conversation best left for later. I can’t introduce myself to Stark in a state of arousal, it will give off the wrong impression.”

…

“I know, I know. I don’t feel good about this either and if there were any other way I would have never subjected you to this. But there is no other way. War is not good. People die. Dragons die. I died. You died. I have watched you die before me before and I can’t do it again. It is not natural, for a rider to outlive their dragon. You can’t ask me to do so again. I need to make sure it doesn’t happen again and to do that, we need Stark on our side.”

…

“I mean, I don’t know if Stark will give permission for you to eat a Direwolf but what he doesn’t know wont hurt him.”

…

“You just let me deal with him. If you want a Direwolf, you will fucking get a Dire Wolf. Nobody will tell me what MY dragon can and cannot eat.”

…

“See? Maybe this trip wont be so bad after all! And listen, if its too hard, if the cold is too bad, I want you to fly back south and get yourself better. No need for you to be miserable as well. I can get a message back to you when I need to leave.”

…

“Alright I get it. Calm down. We wont be doing that. No need to lose your shit because I’m trying to be nice. No leaving Aegon at Winterfell unprotected with a bunch of enemies who may try to kill him and you cant do anything because you are too far away. I’ve got it.”

Seeming to have finally settled, they flew in silence. The air became colder and colder the further they flew until finally, just as night was about to take over and make itself known, Winterfell came into view upon the horizon.

…

“Of course I think you can take on all the Direwolves Winterfell has to offer. You took on two dragons older then you and won, they have nothing on you. But lets try not to decimate the wildlife of the north just yet? At least not until we know that Stark wont go off and fight for my mother.”

…

“Of course if that bastard Stark dares to try and touch a hair on my head you have full permission to burn everything to the ground and eat all the Direwolves.  Of course you do my love. I am just asking that you don’t do it unprovoked. You are not Vhagar, I raised you better then that. ”

…  

“I know. I love you too. Right, it is time for us to be brave little dragons. We can do this. We must not let Alicent win.”

Sunfyre roared in agreement as he descended from up high and down towards Winterfell’s welcoming committee.

Chapter Text

A small group of men – all dark-haired, all dirty, all carrying torches – were clustered outside the walls of Winterfell as Aegon came to land.

(Very, VERY, slowly because Sunfyre was still being a bit of a bitch).

As a welcoming committee, to be frank, it left a lot to be desired. Aegon wasn’t expecting a festival or anything but crowds? A musical band? A precession as a thank you for gracing them with his presence? It is not like he was asking for much. His visit to Winterfell had to have been the highlight of the northmen’s lives so he was perturbed that his welcome was so lacklustre. It would seem that his, pretty poor, opinion of House Stark was giving them far more credit then they actually warranted.

Not a surprise really why Cregan and Jace had gotten on so well. Both were equally stupid apparently.

No matter for he had no intention in staying for more then one night. He had spent the flight, in between fighting with Sunfyre, formulating a plan on how to broker a treaty with House Stark. He would simply walk up to the Lord of Winterfell, tell him to pack it in or he would burn the place to the ground, then get back on Sunfyre and fuck off back to civilisation. Simple, easy and quick. So very, very, quick. If he was really forceful about it he could easily get this whole thing sorted within the hour and he and Sunfyre could fly back to King’s Landing overnight.

He had never taken Sunfyre flying for so long but he knows that Sunfyre would crawl them back to King’s Landing over broken glass then stay overnight in this dump. His baby was a determined beast when he put his mind to it.

Aegon quickly shrugged on one of his furs before he descended from Sunfyre’s back, not noticing the fidgeting of said dragon. As his feet landed upon the snowy ground, making Aegon wince as his feet instantly became damp as they sank into the snow, he rested his head upon Sunfyre’s side for just a moment and took a deep breath.

In. Out. Easy.

He straightened his back with a deep exhale and turned to walk towards the group. With each step taken, he tried to remember who he was and who he had been: He used to be a King. He was a prince. He was a fucking Targaryen.

Who were these people to him?

He marched towards the tallest figure within the group, the personification of a lump of hair with eyes, with a steely resolve. He could do this. He could be firm but fair. He knew deep, deep down inside his core, that he was capable of diplomacy. 

“Prince Aegon Targaryen, we welcome you –“

“Cregan Stark, if you take up arms with my mother I will burn everything to the ground and remove you and all you love from history.”

See?

Diplomatic.

Honestly Aegon had missed his calling in life.

“I …” the hairy yeti replied. “… am not Lord Stark?”

Aegon frowned at the overgrown dog with eyes in front of him, wondering if the man was so simple that he did not know if he were a Stark or not. Maybe he was a bastard? He had heard that northerners liked to sow their seeds about with no care as to if the line was kept pure or not. Heathens. They would never rule a land if they kept this up.

He turned to the man stood next to the half man, half wolf monstrosity. “Lord Stark?”

He received a shake of the head in turn.

He turned to yet another one of his entourage, this one a man that was barely more then a child. “Are you Stark?”

“No.” the broken voice of a pre-pubescent child said.

Aegon threw his arms in the air in frustration. “For god’s sake, which one of you is Cregan Stark?!”

“Lord Stark is waiting for you to join him in the Great Hall. We have prepared a feast as a welcome to Winterfell. It is an honour to host you, for as long as you wish to grace us with your presence.”

Aegon, because he was a magnanimous man, held in his snort at the implication that he both wanted to be there and that he would be there for any longer then absolutely necessary.

He huffed, extending his arm out towards the castle. “Well lead the way then.”

The hairball with legs turned his back to Aegon to lead him towards the entrance to Winterfell.

“I…” the squeaking voice of youth stopped their progression which irritated Aegon for the chill had now started to seep deep within his bones, teeth beginning to chatter.

“Yes?” Aegon turned to the pimple faced youth.

“I… Is your dragon well? Is that normal?”

Aegon turned, worried for a brief moment that Winterfell had done what three dragons had failed to do and kill off his golden beauty. What he saw, indeed of a frozen iceberg in the shape of a dragon, was Sunfyre hopping from foot to foot, every so often flapping his wings like he were trying to take flight but making no real effort to do so. He reminded Aegon of the chickens he would see in the markets.

In all honesty, he had no idea what the fuck Sunfyre was doing.

He plastered on a smile as he begun to walk towards his dancing dragon, tossing over his shoulder. “Have no worries. He does this all the time….keeps him limber.  Joints and all that stuff.”

His smile promptly fell once he was out of earshot, ducking to avoid an errant wing that would probably have thrown him into the granite walls if it had connected.

“What the fuck are you doing?! You are embarrassing me in front of the manly men! Stop it!”

As par for the course, Sunfyre indeed did not stop it.

“It seems to me –“ a voice called from behind that was tinged with humour and amusement “ – That your dragon does not wish to get its feet wet. My child does the same thing. He is all of two years of age.”

Aegon did not know who spoke but he was sure it as the yeti man and, for that, he would burn him to death first.

“Nonsense.” Aegon called, again plastering on a smile as he turned back towards the men with a dismissive wave. “Of course he does not mind getting his feet wet. He is a dragon. This is just something that they do…. Acclimatising…honestly, no reason to worry.”

Suddenly he felt a sharp heat from behind. He saw the gaggle of men take a step back, hands rising to the hilt of their sheathed swords, as fire reigned from Sunfyre’s maw.

No matter the man, nor the bravery they had, they all faltered when faced with the breath of a dragon. It did not make Aegon smug in the slightest.

Turning to see what was being blasted by fire he saw Sunfyre burning a patch of ground next to them, not letting up until the ground was completely barren. Once the ground was clear, Sunfyre walked –

(And was very clearly trying to keep his feet out of the snow as much as he could, dammit)

- Towards the area before settling down with a sigh, making sure not one part of his body was touching the snow surrounding him, as he curled into a ball like a kitten in a bed.

Aegon was silent in disbelief before turning to the Northmen. “See? Normal. Shall we get on with this?”

He could have cried when he was lead into the Great Hall, thankful that the feckless northern barbarians were advanced enough to heat their own castles. His teeth had begun to chatter so hard that he had pulled a muscle in his jaw trying to clench his teeth to show no weakness. So now not only was he cold he now had to worry about lockjaw.

Nobody had suffered like Aegon was suffering.

The noise from the Hall could be clearly heard through the set of oak doors they had come to a stop in front of, as the tall man leaned to whisper to another Northman who was guarding the hall. Sounds of merriment and laughter seemed to fill Winterfell, reminding Aegon of his youth spent on the Street of Silk and nights upon nights losing his faculties to his cups, night turning to blur and darkness before awaking behind a building covered in urine and vomit only to stagger his way home to face the inevitable lectures from his mother or Aemond.

Such good times. He missed them dearly. If he were known what would befall him he would have been an even greater degenerate then he was.

It is very much a truth that youth is wasted on the young.

Such a waste.

Aegon was brought out of his musings as the doors to the hall were flung open. Any memory of his misspent youth, where the vagabonds of King’s Landing would cheer with gratitude whenever he would lower himself to grace them with his presence and his pocket full of iron coins, quickly vanished as all merriment descended into silence as every man and woman turned to look at him. Smiles dropped as quick as a stone into a pond as every set of eyes bore into him.

Stone.

Cold.

Silence.

Understandable. Aegon often left people feeling overwhelmed and in awe at the magnificence of his presence.

He set his eyes upon the raised platform to the other end of the hall and strode towards it with purpose in every step, never taking his eyes off of the man who held centre stage. He eyed Lord Stark as he walked down the hall, footsteps echoing all around.  Stark looked to be on the younger side - about the same age as Aegon because Aegon was young, no matter Maelor said - dark-haired with a wild, untamed mess that slightly reminded him of Jace. Where his other half was sharp jawed, Stark was softer. But where Jace had warmth, Stark was imposing, as he sat upon his seat that was decorated with direwolves on each arms.

(So unrefined and kitsch. You would never see such a tacky display in King‘s Landing. They all got it – Starks loved their wolves. No need to hammer home the point.

Utter lack of class and decorum in Aegon’s eyes.)

All in all Aegon could see how Stark had the reputation that he did and for one brief moment he was glad that utter bastard Corlys had killed him before he could come face to face with Lord of Winterfell during the war.

No matter.

Things were different now.

They were not at war (yet).

The whole of the North was not marching down to skewer him with a stick (yet).

Aegon was not a husk of a man confined to his bed (hopefully never).

Helaena and the children were not dead (will never happen).

And Jacaerys wasn’t bumming about the realm with his new best friend in the whole wide world like they were blood brothers to the bitter end even though they had only known each other a whole few months if that (better never fucking happen).

The closer he got to Stark the clearer his face became and he saw as Cregan eyed him from head to toe.

Then he did it again.

Then again once more, but slower.

Only after the third pass did Stark’s face begin to soften as he rose from his seat to welcome his visitor, a smile slowly beginning to stretch across his face as eyes shifted from harsh stone to warmth as if Aegon had passed some hidden test he knew nothing about.

Aegon knew full well what was going on. Stark was assessing him to see if he were a threat. He looked at him and dismissed him for he knew that if he thought Aegon to be a challenge he would not be welcoming him with a smile.

What an utter, utter fucking twat.

He knew exactly what Lord Cregan Stark thought of him.

A Targaryen. A southerner. A SOFT man.

Who was this inbred bastard to think him to be a soft man!

He would show him!

Aegon was a HARD man!

So very, very fucking HARD!

He had been HARD since he was a boy.

Aegon is hilarious.

Get serious Aegon.

This was not the time for jokes.

Cregan thought he was weak so Aegon would show him. Aegon would leave Winterfell and Lord. Fucking. Cregan. Stark under no illusions as to just how much of a manly man Aegon was. He would be so manly that Cregan Stark would weep with how inadequate he was in comparison to one Aegon Targaryen.

He came to a stop in front of the high table as Lord Stark rose from his seat, in what Aegon knew to be an intimidation tactic. Oh Stark could hide his motives behind a welcoming smile and a faux air of civility but Aegon knew the game that was being played, for he was no fool.

“Prince Aegon Targaryen. I welcome you to Winterfell.” Stark said as he began to circle the table before stepping down the raised platform to stand in front of Aegon. “It is a great honour that you have decided to pay visit, much like your ancestors did before you.”

Aegon tried to smile, playing along with Stark’s game. “The pleasure is all mine. I have heard many a great things about the North and I have always wish to see Winterfell for myself. It is, therefore, unfortunate that I shall not be able to experience all that Winterfell has to offer during my short visit, as I must return to King’s Landing once our business has been dealt with.”

Lords Stark’s smile dropped slightly, presumably he had assumed that Aegon was too simple to understand how he was plotting to betray Aegon to his mother and was biding his time until Aegon let his guard down to string him up from the rafters of the Great Hall before Cregan marched his army down to Kings Landing under the banners of Hightower green before absconding back to Winterfell with the love of Cregan life, Jacaerys, because Cregan Stark was a prick, however Cregan recovered as quickly as he faltered.

“We shall have plenty of time to discuss the matters which have brought you to my home. However we shall not discuss those matters tonight, for tonight we feast and celebrate your arrival.” And with a liability that nobody but a uneducated and uncultured swine could have, Cregan moved to stand beside Aegon as he wrapped his arm around his shoulders, bringing him into his side as they both stood facing the raised table.

“Allow me to introduce you to my sister, Sara.” The arm around his shoulder tightened as Aegon was brought even closer to Cregan, so close that he could feel the other man’s body heat began to permeate though the furs which had failed to keep him warm.

Part of Aegon was stunned at the mans familiarity with a Prince of the Realm - a feeling that was reflected upon the face of said sister, who looked upon her brother with an expression which could not be conveyed as anything other then astonishment. The other part of Aegon though was still very, very cold and Cregan was very, very warm and Aegon did not want to die of hypothermia so he allowed it. Maybe his body even betrayed him as he leant into the other man somewhat but again, he was very, very cold.

“My pleasure. I have heard many a tale about you.” Aegon said to Sara, who turned questioning eyes from her brother to Aegon.

(He had mostly heard that she was a tart who fucked Jacaerys during the war when he was betrothed to Baela because she was a tart and Jacaerys was a secret whore who couldn’t keep it in his trousers.

During the time of battle Aegon did not care that Jacaerys was a cheating adulterer. Now that Baela and he met up every Thursday to play a few games of checkers over a platter of cheese, biscuits and chutney? He was furious and he would gladly take the tarting shrews head back to King’s Landing for the dis-honour brought to the name of his cousin/step cousin/sister-wife’s lover/nephew-husband’s wife/brothers-husbands’-wife’s’ sister.)

“And I about you.” Sara responded as she cast her eyes back and forth between the two men stood before her. “We have set up accommodation for you in the guest hou–“ Sara began before she was interrupted.

“Rooms. The guest rooms.” Cregan said, ignoring the look his half-sister sent him. A look Aegon was very familiar with which said ‘what the fuck are you doing?’ Aegon knew such a look well for Aemond often looked at him with such a stare. But Aemond was a pleb and never knew what was going on because he was only born with half a brain which is why Alicent took pity on him all those years ago and adopted him from whatever gutter she found him in.

“The guest rooms. Within the Keep. Next to mine. Those rooms are free.” Cregan said, as he gestured towards one of the servant who approached them, listening intently as Cregan whispered in his ear, before scurrying off to obey what the Lord had asked him to do.

Aegon knew Cregan’s game play. He wanted him close to keep an eye on him. Because he did not trust him.

He thought him both weak and untrustworthy.

Such a slight would not stand.

How did Cregan think that Jacaerys was strong and trustworthy but not Aegon? It frankly baffled him. Aegon was the most trustworthy of them all, in his opinion.

Aegon would bet his children that Jacaerys was not housed next to Cregan for the Lord to keep watch over him.

Or maybe he was. Because they were secret lovers. Maybe this thing with the sister was a rouse to hide a love affair with Jacaerys and the Lord of Winterfell. The thought of Cregan and Jace together made him nauseous. Maybe slightly turned on? Mostly nauseous.

Fucking Stark.

How dare he.

What would be next for the northern deviant? First he tried to take his land, then his crown, then his nephew? Where would it end?! What else would he want to take from Aegon? Helaena? Absolutely fucking not.

“Now” Cregan said as he jostled Aegon from where he had, without realising, fully slumped against the larger man. “Let us feast. You must be hungry from your flight.”

“Thank you for the offer.” Aegon said as gracefully as he could while he was quietly seething as thoughts of a sweaty Jace and Cregan together in bed made him slightly chub up to the point where he had to think of Aemond and his mother together instead to get himself back under control. “However the flight was long and I find myself in need of sleep.”

Cregan nodded enthusiastically as he finally moved away from Aegon. “Of course. We shall have all of the day tomorrow to celebrate. I will personally show you around the castle. It is no Red Keep however I am sure you will find yourself content during your stay.”

Aegon once again smiled and said his thanks, knowing all plans to fuck off within the hour was all for naught as, between the warmth of the room and the warmth of Lord Stark, exhaustion was rapidly creeping up upon him.

“Does your dragon need anything?” Cregan asked. “We have increased our flock of sheep for food however anything else we can provide you need only ask.”

Aegon hesitated for, on one had he wanted to show just what a manly man he was. But on the other hand he knew Sunfyre was miserable.

“Fire? If you would be so kind. Just a fire close to Sunfyre to keep him warm. He is not a dragon used to such a chill and heat of some form would give him comfort during his stay.”

Cregan nodded. “It shall be done. A fire shall be set this night and will not be left to die until you and your dragon take leave, whenever that may be.”

Aegon smiled in gratitude, which Stark returned.

(He still thought Stark was a twat though. Even if he did take himself to hand later that night over the thoughts of Jacaerys, Helaena and Cregan all together in one bed. Naked.)

Chapter Text

The sun rose on another day in Winterfell. Birds were singing, wolves were howling, a dragon was whining and a Targaryen Prince was leaning out of a window wrapped from head to toe in any and all furs he could find.

"WILL YOU SHUT THE FUCK UP!? ALL FUCKING NIGHT SUNFYRE! ALL. FUCKING. NIGHT!"

Point made Aegon slammed the window shut tight, muffling the sounds of his groaning dragon as he sighed to himself. Collapsing upon his bed, he dropped his head into his hands as he tried to prepare himself for what was to come. Sunfyre had indeed kept both himself and everyone who had the misfortune to call the north their home up all night as he made his displeasure known to all. Aegon had felt sorry for him for the first few hours as he, too, groaned and grumbled at the situation they had found themselves in. However any and all traces of sympathy disappeared as hour 3 stretched into hour 4 and so on and so forth.

He rubbed his eyes with his fists before slapping himself on his cheeks softly, trying to galvanise himself to pull himself together, be an adult and get changed. The problem was that getting changed would mean that he would have to get naked -

A state that Aegon usually never had any problem being in. Or anyone else for that matter. If he had had his way when he took rule he would have decreed that all within King's Landing would have had to be naked as the day that they were born.

He did try to pass such a law but Cole told him they could not hope to fight a war without a stitch of armor on.

Fucking Aemond. Yet again something he had ruined for him.

- however, being naked meant relinquishing all of the furs he had finally managed to encase himself with. And that would mean he would be cold.

He did not want to be cold.

The thought legitimately made him want to weep.

He could hear the sounds of footsteps outside of his chambers, probably servants going back and forth between Cregan's rooms. Likely because the Lord was too simple to undertake basic tasks like changing and eating without help.

Aegon was not ashamed to say that it took him well over an hour to get the courage to change his clothes, much of the time battling with himself over asking the servants to set a fire for him - But he had requested that the servants did not enter his chambers least one of them strangled him with his underwear in order to curry favour with their Lord - or setting the fire himself - But he did not know how to do that. He had a fucking dragon. Why would he ever need to learn how to start a fire with his own hands like one of the smallfolk? He was tempted to open the window and call Sunfyre but Sunfyre, in the ever growing unlikely event that he could get over being a big baby, would likely set fire to the whole room and to Aegon himself. He may have been cold to the depths of his bones but he did not fancy returning to Kings Landing and being handed over to Helaena in a urn.

But eventually he did it, changing so quickly that he is not sure that he had put everything on as it should have been but he paid it no mind as his clothes, once upon his person, was quickly covered by every single fur that Helaena had packed for him. Sadly his achievement of dressing himself meant that he no longer had reason to hide within his rooms and he would have to go and face the day and be the emissary he was born to be.

The final step was to place his eyepatch on to cover his missing eye, a plain black leather one because he was here on serious business and he needed to be serious and now was not the time for a bejeweled accessory, no matter how fabulous they were. He breathed deep as he braced his hand upon to handle of the door, plastering on a smile to try and fool everyone that he was not getting closer and closer to slipping some poison into his cup in order to end this infernal torment, only to jump back with a -

(very manly. So soooo manly.)

- scream as he came face to face with Cregan Stark. To his credit Cregan also looked as surprised as Aegon felt but managed to cover it seamlessly.

"Lord Stark?" Aegon coughed, ignoring the echoes of his (manly) snort of surprise that was still echoing down the castle corridor.

"I... I was wondering if you would like to join me in breaking our fast?" Cregan asked as he smoothed down his shirt from when he had jumped when Aegon had opened his chamber door.

It was as clear as day to Aegon as to what the bastard Stark had been doing.

The man had been waiting on him from outside his chamber door for the opportunity to strike Aegon's head from his neck before sacking King's Landing on behalf of his mother then taking Jacaerys as his new wife.

Northerners would probably have no issue with their Lord taking a man as a wife. For they are all dirty deviants.

It was only down to Aegon's ingenuity and intelligence in catching Stark off guard that had saved his beloved from a lifetime of snow, boredom and getting knobbed on a daily basis by Lord Stark. He knows Jacaerys. Being knobbed is not his thing.

Aegon is such a good uncle-husband. 

However despite Lord Stark's failed assassination attempt, Aegon had a mission and he would not allow the other man's blatant stupidity to foil him.

"It would be my pleasure." He said through gritted teeth, partly gritted due to annoyance over having to share a meal with the Lord of Winterfell to not cause offence and partly because his teeth had begun to chatter, once more, with a chill.

"Wonderful." Cregan smiled. "I have arranged for everything to be set up within my chambers. More... intimate. Just the two of us. Where we can talk freely. Get to know one another."

(More chance to poison him more like. Aegon has played this part before.

Fucking Corlys.)

Aegon opened his mouth to reply with an objection, preferring to talk in the open, with witnesses to his impending death, however the sound of running footsteps interrupted him as several men with swords drawn approached them.

Aegon's breath caught in his chest, thinking for a moment that this was it. This was when he would be taken out to the back of the castle for his execution like a dog, blood not good enough to dirty the sword of Lord Cregan Stark. However he was pulled out of his panic when said man roughly pulled Aegon behind him, placing himself between he and the approaching guards with a firm hand upon his arm which he did not remove even when the guards came to a halt before them.

The man obviously wanted the glory of Aegon's death to himself.

What a braggart.

"What is the meaning of this?" Cregan demanded with a firm tone that, Aegon would never admit out loud, may have done something to his nether regions if his bollocks hasn't receded back up into his body the moment he landed in this twat of a region. No wonder Jace so happily opened up his legs to the Lord back before. What a whore.

The hair-with-eyes man from the day before stepped forward, sword still raised in preparation for battle "We heard the cries of a woman and were concerned for the Lady Snow. Alas, she said there was nothing wrong with her."

"Must have been one of the servant girls." Cregan answered, glancing back at Aegon with a secretive smile as if they were both in on a joke.

Aegon would have been offended however he was still too offended at being manhandled like he had been and at the hand that was still clasped onto his arm and he did not have the capacity to be offended at two things at once. However, mark his words, he would be offended by this new blatant act of disrespect at some point before the day's end.

"I am sure everything is fine." Stark continued. "No need to worry. Prince Aegon and I are in no danger and fool be to the one who tried to take on a wolf and a dragon. Best to return to your duties. The prince and I shall break our fast together then I shall show him Winterfell. No need to stand guard as I am sure we shall be fine."

The yeti man side-eyed Aegon as if Aegon was the traitor to the realm before nodding in reluctance. Only once the corridor was empty did Cregan remove his hand, turning to Aegon with a soft smile as all traces of the stern warrior from before disappeared. "Shall we?" He asked, Aegon soundlessly nodding in agreement.

Cregan turned to lead Aegon to his chambers, stopping at the next door down from the rooms Aegon had been given for the course of his stay, much to Aegon's surprise for while he had known he had been placed close to Lord Stark, he had not realised he was in the adjoining chambers which, in small castles like this, were usually chambers reserved for spouses or lovers.

The warmth of a blazing fire hit Aegon like a brick when Cregan opened the door to his chamber, making him instantly sweat under the ten layers of clothing he had huddled himself in. If he were at his home he would have divested himself of each and every garment but he did not want Cregan to think him so feeble that he could not stand the heat, especially as a Targaryen, so he kept all of it on as the Lord of Winterfell led him into his chambers and towards a set of table and chairs located to the foot of the fireplace. An empty table with no food or drink set upon it.

"The servants shall bring us all we need in due time." Stark said as he took a seat, gesturing to the chair opposite as he answered Aegon's questioning glance. "I, like you, prefer to keep my chambers to myself. A place that is mine and mine alone. A sanctuary, if you will."

"So none attend you in the morning?" Aegon asked, trying to ignore the prick on his hairline which let him know he was about to get a major sweat on.

Cregan shook his head. "No. They know that I require and desire solitude and peace when I retire from my duties. They do not come into my chambers and, usually, they do not cross the threshold to the corridors of this portion of the castle. Today will be an exception to deliver our meal but, other than that, you do not have to worry about someone entering your chambers. I have made it clear that none approach this area of the castle unless it is an emergency."

The Lord leant forward within his seat, resting his arms upon the table top as Aegon tried to subtly wipe away a bead of sweat that had been slowly rolling down the side of his face. "I find such a desire for space and privacy such a rarity within our world. It would seem that you and I, Prince Aegon, are a perfect match. In this matter of course."

Aegon could only nod and smile as he wiped away even more sweat, barely hearing Stark’s lies over the beating of his own heart as he felt his face getting warmer and warmer, feeling like the fire was cooking him from within. Stark was interrupted by a knocking at his chamber door, servants entering with a feast of food. However all Aegon could focus on was the jug of water which had been placed between the two men, wondering if it would be seen as the height of ill manners to simply grab the jug and throw the whole thing over his head.

He tried to remember that he was on a diplomatic mission for peace and prosperity as he, with a forced calm that could only have been grown from being a member of a family where every single one of them tried his fucking patience on a hourly basis, filled up a cup with liquid and drank it down within two large gulps. The relief the cool water provided only lasted a moment before Aegon, once more, felt as though all water contained within his body had disappeared into thin air. However, despite his genuine fear that he was about to pass out face first into a plate of ham, he refused to let his guard down or turn down the offer of food as he did not want to offend Lord Stark and give him just cause to rebel against him.

He wanted it to be known to all that when Cregan Stark eventually turned against him, displaying his - very dehydrated and withered - body from the walls of Winterfell in a sick message to his family about where the northerners loyalties lay, that Aegon had not brought any of it down upon himself and that he was the epitome of a gracious guest and that Cregan was just an utter, utter, bastard of a man.

However he was careful, waiting for Stark to sample a portion of food before selecting his own portion from the same plate, knowing that if Stark had intended to poison him before using his decomposing body for a pre-war blood ritual to his old gods for prosperity in battle, that he would not chance eating from a plate intended to kill his guest. With each plate of food Aegon sampled after he, the more Stark smiled at him.

Probably recognising that Aegon was as equal a warrior and tactician as he and that Cregan would have a challenge in besting Aegon.

However, saying that, Aegon was willing to admit that he was now starting to become fairly lightheaded as his undershirt was properly sodden with sweat, sticking uncomfortably to his back, so his rational thinking was not up to the extremely high standard that it usually was.

Aegon quickly refilled his cup, draining it as quickly as he had replenished it, as he wiped yet more beads of sweat from his forehead knowing that his hair was likely plastered to his head before he tried to talk business even while he felt like he was dying. "This offering is most generous. However, I do feel that it is imperative that -"

Cregan interrupted him. "I do understand, Prince Aegon, that the nature that has resulted in your visit this far north is one that you are invested in. However, we can discuss it later this day on a full belly."

Aegon felt like he could cry, knowing that the chances of him flying away with his task achieved before lunch was looking more and more unlikely with every moment that passed.

Between the growing disappointment of knowing he would more than likely have to stay yet another night in this infernal castle, the growing worry that he was about to be internally boiled alive and the growing concern that he was beginning to see two Cregan Stark's, Aegon must not have been able to hide his devastation behind his usually impenetrable disposition.

"My Prince... Aegon." Stark said as he leaned across the table with concern, hesitating slightly before placing his hand on top of Aegon's who couldn't even find it within himself to be insulted by Cregan placing all four of his hands on top of his. "I do understand the worry and concern you have for the safety of your family and kin, for I would feel the same for me and mine. We both value family above all else and will do anything to honour and protect them. We are, yet again, the same in this matter as we seem to match each other perfectly in so many things which becomes clearer to me the more we spend time together. Trust me, all will be well. Your urgent matter shall not be ignored. However now is the time to get to know one another, as I suspect that House Stark and House Targaryen could become firm allies to one another if given chance and time." Stark squeezed Aegon's hand before he withdrew and reclined back into his seat, not once taking his eyes off of Aegon who was, by this point, seriously worried that he was becoming a husk of a man. Any longer and he would legitimately resemble his father just before he died.

"So -" Cregan said, slapping his hands together, topic of conversation halted for the moment "- shall we begin our tour of my home?" Cregan asked.

"Good god's yes." Aegon said before Stark could even finish his sentence as he hurriedly rose from his seat and sprinted out of the door. His need for fresh air and the cold outside of Winterfell meant that he missed the fond, amused look his meal companion looked at him with as he slowly followed behind.

Chapter Text

Aegon still felt as though he were walking along the surface of the sun as Cregan took him around the Armory - where Lord Stark described the history of each and every weapon in great detail.

He felt semi-normal again as they walked around the kennels - where Lord Stark described the history of each and every hound in great detail.

He started to feel cold again as they walked around the library tower - where Lord Stark described the history of each and every book in great detail.

He couldn't feel his legs as they walked around the stables - where Lord Stark described the history of each and every steed in great detail.

He couldn't feel his face as they walked back towards the North Gate - where thankfully Lord Stark had decided to shut the fuck up before he described the history of each and every lowering of the gate in great detail.

He missed those brief moments in the very beginning when the Lord of Winterfell was stoic and, most importantly, silent. Aegon honestly did not know where he ever gave off the impression that he was a man open to conversation. But Aegon, because Helaena raised him to be gracious and with good manners, nodded in interest when he thought he was meant to, laughed when he thought he was meant to and asked questions when he thought he was meant to.

In all honestly if the situation were different and if the Lord of Winterfell was not trying to kill him, he might have even tolerated the man. He had had far worse mornings and spent time in far worse company.

However, the situation was not different. Cregen was trying to kill him, his mother was still a cow and he needed to make sure Cregan and Jacaerys never ever met one another because all this fucking boring talk about the history of doors/weapons/hounds and books? Jace would be gushing like a faucet in his breeches over it and Aegon just could not compete with that level of boring. Then Jace would move to Winterfell. Then Baela would follow. Then Helaena would leave him and then not only would he be alone, but he would be alone with the kids by himself and he would have to play Thursday checkers and eat a platter of cheese, biscuits and chutney all to himself and he would get fat.

(Fine. Fatter.)

He would be an old, fat man whose children would hate him because he wasn't Aemond fucking Targaryen while his wife was living it up with all who she felt worthy of being in her presence and while his husband was living it up on the arm of Westeros' most eligible bachelor.

(Aegon, in this own opinion, is absolutely amazing but even he knows that he is punching well above his weight compared to both his partners.

Helaena is Helaena.

Jacaerys, despite his flaws, is the best man in the realm bar none.

Aegon?

Aegon can burp the entire Targaryen family tree. Only Lucerys found it impressive but his taste is up his arse as evidenced by his deplorable choice of men.

Honestly how the man can look at Aemond on a daily basis and not feel abject disappointment in the life choices his younger self made is anyone's guess. Aegon still looks back on the time when he was seven and had the opportunity to push Aemond off of a cliff and he rues the day he did not save everyone else the grief of knowing his brother so god knows how his nephew must feel.

Nobody knows the stress Aegon lives with on a daily basis knowing that it could all fall apart within a moment.)

The two men strode across the open gate and out into the land beyond Winterfell with one destination in mind. Aegon only had eyes for Sunfyre, not noticing for a moment that his companion had stopped dead in his tracks. With a quizzical look he glanced back to Lord Stark, only slightly hoping that the man had fallen and broken his leg, to find the Lord staring upon his beast with a look of wonderment. As if Sunfyre was the most magical thing he had ever seen. Aegon could not understand it personally but, then again, he had grown up with Dragons so the fascination had worn off pretty quickly.

(Did Cregan look upon Vermax with such wonder once upon a time?

Probably not.

Vermax was fucking ugly.)

Despite himself, Aegon could not help but feel...something... softening within him. A chink in his wall. He had meant to try and intimate the Lord with Sunfyre but he, oddly and to his own amusement, did not feel like doing so at this moment in time.

"Beautiful." Stark whispered under his breath which caused Aegon to grin.

"Indeed he is." He said as he took a few more steps forward as Sunfyre turned towards them with a stern stare, slightly baring his teeth. To Cregan, it would look as though Sunfyre was preparing to set him ablaze before feasting on his still-smoking corpse. To Aegon, he knew it was Sunfyre saying 'Why the fuck are we still here and why the fuck am I still cold and why are you so fucking useless. I am extremely unhappy'.

"Do not start. This is, for the sixth time, not my fault."

"Are you -" Aegon turned back to Cregan, who had built up the courage to take another step closer "- are you talking to your dragon? Do you feel what he feels?" Cregan's look of wonder was now cast upon Aegon himself.

"The dragon keepers say that it is not possible but I know that it is. He can understand me so why can I not do the same?"

Cregan took another step forward which, in turn, caused Sunfure to rise up on his feet. Wonderment quickly turned to apprehension, Stark's hand quickly moving to the hilt of his sword.

"Do not worry." Aegon urged with his hands held out, palm forward. The last thing they needed was for an idiot Lord to try and fight a dragon. Aegon refused to go back to King's Landing and witness Daemon's smug face when he heard about what a pigs-ear Aegon had made of everything. "You are in no danger. He is...curious. That is all. He is actually pretty friendly? Sometimes? Definitely the most friendly out of the rest of them."

Aegon turned to Sunfyre. "Stop it. You are being rude." Sunfyre snorted before he lowered himself back to the ground once more.

Situation appeased for now, Aegon sent a small look of reassurance to Cregan before he turned back to Sunfyre, taking stock of the state of his baby and the pile of sheep carcasses that littered the ground in front of him next to the fire that had been set to give him comfort.

"We have kept him well fed. Six sheep this morning. We kept going until he refused to eat anymore. My apologies, we are not aware of how many sheep a dragon can consume so I fear we may have overfed him."

"Aw, my poor boy." Aegon crooned as he properly strode over to Sunfyre, wrapping his arms around his maw as he leaned against the dragon's head, stroking the warm skin beneath his hands. "You're obviously not feeling yourself. Do not worry, your appetite will settle soon."

Sunfyre looked at him with an imploring stare.

...

Aegon dipped his voice to a whisper so as to not be overheard. "No. I have not had the chance to ask about Direwolves. Do not worry for I have not forgotten."

...

"Of course, he is looking at me. All he has done is look at me."

...

"Because he is in cahoots with my mother. He may think he has me fooled but he does not. He is just waiting for the right moment to strike."

...

"Of course you do not think so for you are stuck out here and you are not in the castle. You do not see what I see."

...

"You think everyone is nice. All anyone has to do is offer you a leg of lamb and you think they are nice. You are innocent. You do not know the way of man and the devious nature that can be hidden behind a pretty face."

...

"Do not be so stupid. Of course, it is not like that."

...

"What would you know about love? The last time you thought you were in love Moondancer tried to eat your face off. May I remind you that I have been married for nearly twenty years? Out of the two of us, I think it is I who is more attuned to the language of seduction."

...

"You would never survive a day in the Keep. I knew reading those books to you when you were a hatchling was a bad idea. It has given you fanciful thoughts of romance."

...

"No. I have no idea if Grey Ghost has a paramour or not. I shall ask for you if you forgo this nonsensical idea. I need you on guard, for Stark and his men could strike me down at any given moment."

...

"Avenge me Sunfyre. Avenge me."

Aegon pressed a kiss between Sunfyre's eyes before he bade him goodbye, turning back once more to Cregan with a smirk as the Lord watched him saunter past and back towards the gate.

(Fine. Maybe he did take some delight in showing off his control over his boy.

Might make the Lord think twice before butchering him within his bed.)

"Just beautiful." a whisper carried across the wind.

At least that was something they could both agree on.

Sunfyre was indeed beautiful.

Cregan had invited him to sit next to him during the feast that night, much to the surprise of everyone including his sister - though Aegon was beginning to wonder if that was just the permanent state of her face.

Aegon could not find it within himself to care as he was famished, stomach rumbling so loud that he thoughtnfor a moment Sunfyre had somehow managed to join him in the hall. However, he quickly realised that the meal had thrown up another issue that would need tact and intelligence to navigate - a plated meal where he could not trick Stark into tasting his food for him.

Aegon tried to delay his inevitable poisoning, trying to convince himself that the last time he had poison wasn't that bad, even if he did die, but the soup was hot and it smelt delicious.

"I hope you do not mind me asking" a female voice spoke from his right-hand side, disrupting Aegon from his thoughts about how he hoped that this time when he died he wouldn't piss himself. "I have heard many stories. About you and your family. Are you as close as they say you to be?" Sara asked from the other side of Lord Stark.

"Indeed." Aegon nodded. "We are a very close family. Extremely close. Especially my brothers and nephews. Aemond especially. He and Vhagar? Very protective. Some would say insanely protective. God's help the person who ever upset my brother."

If Aegon were to die tonight he wanted Stark to know that vengeance would be coming for him.

Would probably be coming for him.

Might be coming for him.

Fine, a very strongly worded letter may be coming for him.

But the Starks did not need to know that. Nor did they not need to know that Aemond would probably not care all that much if Aegon did die. The more insane they thought - correctly - Aemond to be and the more they thought - incorrectly - that Aemond cared for him the higher chance that the Lord of Winterfell would realise that killing Aegon would probably not work out well.

"This does not seem to be the Targaryen way." Sara continued. "Familial harmony."

"It took time," Aegon said, once more stirring his poisoned soup. "Time and work but we achieved it. Our house is now as strong as ever. That is why I will not let anything ruin it. It is why I will stand side by side with my half-sister, even if we do not see eye to eye most of the time. "

"Even against your own mother?"

He met Cregan's eyes and refused to look away.

"Even against her."

I will stand against her. I therefore have no issue going against you as well.

Seeming satisfied with his answer Sara turned back to her supper. Cregan did not, instead looking at Aegon with a look of consideration and thought. Not once did Aegon look away or back down.

After a while Cregan smiled as he pulled something from his cloak pocket, extending his hand towards Aegon. Taking the bundle of cloth from Stark's hand, Aegon unraveled it to reveal a dagger, hilt fashioned into the shape of a wolf's head.

"I wish you to have it." Cregan whispered. "A symbol of our growing bond. House Stark and House Targaryen."

Aegon could only nod, a small "Thank you" uttered as he tucked his gift into his belt, mind whirring in confusion as to what was happening.

Why give him a weapon if he meant to kill him? Even for a northern man, who were all known to be simple of mind, this was exceptionally stupid if he wanted to remove Aegon's lungs from his chest.

Even if Aegon was the worst Targaryen to ever hold a sword (Go fuck yourself Daemon)

Lord Stark leaned in even closer, so close that his nose was nearly touching Aegon's cheek. "I am no fool." He spoke softly. "I understand that this land, my realm, is foreign to you and that you are on guard. I heard what life was once like in the Red Keep during the time of your father's reign and your grandfather's tenure as Hand of the King. All the subterfuge and the backstabbing. I do not blame you for proceeding with caution. I only hope that my gift -" Cregan nodded towards where Aegon had sequestered the dagger. " - gives you some form of comfort. For as long as you are here."

The Lord hesitated before he spoke once more, voice pitched so low that Aegon had to lean in ever further to hear what had to be said, feeling breath upon his face. "I have to admit I was never one for tales of the dragons. I never understood the beauty and allure that poets spoke of, that would inspire sonnets and make men go to war for them. I understand now. Why folk are so taken with them. Why they speak of...dragons...with the regard that they do. I find myself wanting, needing, to know more. However and whatever way that I can."

With that, Cregan straightened back up and turned to his sister, leaving Aegon once more with his thoughts.

His initial thought was that his sister missed a trick by not sending Aemond because if Cregan so desperately wanted to know about dragons, his brother would have happily obliged. After all it was well known by all that he was a fucking nerd about that sort of stuff.

His second thought was that he did not understand what was going on. He was on the back foot and he detested being on the back foot. It reminded him of life during the war when he did not know what was going to happen or who was going to die next.

(During the times when he was bedridden, riddled with agony but unable to do anything about it, he often wondered if it was his punishment to watch all those around him die while he lived.

He would never inflict that horror upon anyone. Not even his mother. Not even now.

One of the things he would always be thankful for, no matter how much he disliked Alicent, was that she would never know that in another life she lost all those that she loved. Everyone she lived for died and she watched it all happen, too late to do anything about it. Aegon included Rhaenyra in that list of people.

He knows it killed Alicent because it broke him. )

Stark was up to something. He had to be. There was nobody in this realm who did not want something, be it war or favour from a Prince. Aegon just had to figure out what it was. If he knew what Cregan wanted then he could get an alliance.

Maybe this was Stark's plan? To lure him into a truce before stabbing him in the back?

Stark was once loyal to Jacaerys, even after his death. But Aegon was no Jacaerys.

Aegon could inspire fear and revulsion. Exasperation and annoyance

He could not inspire loyalty.

Aegon took a breath and finally took a sip of his soup. At least if he died he would know where they all stood. And he was very, very hungry and he was always a slut for a good bowl of soup. Before he knew it his bowl was empty.

But he was still unsettled.

"Please excuse me, my Lord. I find that the day has taken it out of me and I must retire in for the night." Aegon excused himself as politely as he could, standing up from his seat. "Before I retire I would like to quickly see my Dragon, if the gates are still open?"

"I shall accompany you..." Cregan offered as he made to lift himself from his seat, only to halt when Aegon objected.

"I shall be fine Lord Stark. I simply wish to check up on Sunfyre before I retire to bed. He is not himself. I have no doubt that he is fine. It is more for my own peace of mind." Once Stark confirmed that the gates would still be open Aegon set forth, only mildly grumbling about the cold, belly still warm from his supper

Sunfyre was indeed fine, especially on account of the four extra fires which had been set to keep his dragon warm.

Chapter Text

He spent the night tossing and turning - and not in the fun way he usually tossed and turned. And it was not just because Sunfyre was continuing to be a foghorn of pain and suffering.

He was so sure that Stark was plotting to kill him. So sure and even now he could not let the thought and suspicion go. But then why the dagger? Aegons legendary incompetence with a weapon surely had not spread all the way to the North. Right? So then why?

For that question, he had no answer.

Maybe he was looking at this wrong. Could it be that Winterfell wished to butter him up? Gain favour for the gratitude of a Prince before using him for their own nefarious purpose, a land dispute perhaps? Stark would not have been the first to try such a tactic and, after all, what fool would stand against a Winterfell army backed by a dragon?

Well... he did. But not everyone is as brave as Aegon.

Alright.

Aemond did. But Aemond worked on behalf of Aegon so it was the same thing.

He still did more then Rhaenyra.

Aegon knew Cregan Stark was no fool for he had heard all about him during the war. The moment the North declared for his sister he knew, even with a psychotic dragon with an even more deranged rider, that the odds had tipped against the Hightower army. So then with the army that he had at his beck and call why would Stark need Aegon's favour?

It could not be that. Aegon had talked himself around.

So what was it? Why would Cregan not want to get negotiations over with sharp? Why would he not just declare for his half-sister the moment Aegon landed if he were going to pledge allegiance to House Targaryen? Why delay? It could only be because he wanted to declare for House Hightower. If that were the case then why would he not kill Aegon? Because Alicent meant to place Aegon on the throne again? So maybe he is stalling? Deliberately keeping Aegon in Winterfell and away from his family so that he would have the element of surprise when he shackled him in chains before handing him over to his mother? Keeping his greatest weapon, Sunfyre, cold and weak so that he would be defenceless when such a time came? But again, no. It made no sense.

But maybe it did?

It hurt his head. It made his heart want to beat out of his chest. It made his stomach turn to stone and his fingers felt numb. It made him break out into a sweat, unable to catch his breath. It made him feel as if he were not one with his body anymore.

The unknown. The apprehension. The wait for the other shoe to drop. The constant adrenaline. The constant fear. The unshakeable feeling that something was not right but not knowing what to do to fix it.

Aegon sighed in frustration as he punched his pillow in annoyance, turning onto his side.

He just needed sleep.

With sleep would come clarity in the morning light.

Clarity did not arrive with the morning light. All the morning light brought was a headache and an even colder room than before.

Aegon was not too manly to admit that he wept to himself when he realised he was no closer to figuring out why everything was just so shit.

A knocking on his chamber door rudely interrupted Aegon from his breakdown. He hastily wiped his face as he debated as to opening the door, knowing it was likely Lord Stark. Would he do it in just his sleepwear and without his furs where he may legitimately die from the cold before he even had the chance to wrap a hand around the handle or would he answer wrapped in all of his clothing/furs/bedsheets and properly show Stark just how weak and pathetic he was.

At least if he died from the chill he would be saving the maids from having to clean his blood from the stone floors. He was a considerate and charitable man like that. Always thinking of the smallfolk.

Throwing off his mountain of covers and quickly securing his eye patch in place, he walked towards the door, only slightly hopping on his tip toes as he did so.

It was indeed Stark stood on the other side, a fur throw over his shoulder and holding a bundle of wood and sticks within his arms.

"Prince Aegon, I know it may not be proper but do you mind if I enter for just a moment?"

Aegon, after a moment of hesitation, stood to the side to allow the Lord to enter. Cregan proceeded to walk towards a small table that was placed in front of the very, very dead fireplace, as he lay down his cargo before withdrawing a few pieces of lint from his cloak pocket. He placed the shoulder throw upon Aegons bed before he knelt in front of the fireplace, stocking the fire with kindling.

"My apologies. It was not until I was thinking late in the night that I realised that you would not have had your fire set for you."

"I know how to set a fire," Aegon argued, knowing full well that he did not.

Cregan turned to him as he made to grab the flint. "I do understand that the south is warm so you would have no need for fire much. I do not doubt that you can create fire and I mean no offence. However, it is my duty as Lord of this land to ensure you are comfortable during your stay. I shall endeavour, personally, that you are warm in the morning as you prepare for the day ahead."

The initial thought of Cregan Stark in his chambers was creepy but the thought of a fire, which was now slowly beginning to grow, was too tempting to pass up for if he were warm, he reasoned, then his normally sharp brain may start to work once more and he could be done with all this nonsense.

Only once the fire was roaring with life did Cregan rise from his knees, turning to face Aegon who was totally not trying to hide his rock-hard nipples behind folded arms.

(It was because it was cold. He couldn't help it. Not his fault they were sensitive.)

The Lord of Winterfell then turned his attention to the fur shawl, picking it up to show that it was a clock and not a fashionable accessory. Cregen looked down at the item as he took a deep breath before he strode towards Aegon and, gently, placed the fur over his shoulders. He clasped the buckle shut before taking a step back with an appraising focus.

"Your furs may be adequate for cold snaps in the south - " Cregan said as he ran his hands down Aegon's chest, smoothing down the fur with a gaze that if Aegon did not know better would be akin to pride. He is not sure because nobody has ever looked at him like that. Not even Jace or Helaena. He truly does not fault them for it. He knows they care for him but, truthfully, he would not be proud of him either if he were one of them.

" - however they do little to stave off the chill in these parts. Northern fur will keep the cold away."

Only when Cregan took a step back did Aegon look down, brushing his hand through the soft material. It smelt of smoke and woodland, a comforting scent that reminded him of Helaena and Jacaerys somewhat. He would have to ask what the North did to new furs to remove the stench of tanner that always lingered when Aegon received new garments. Upon inspection, he noticed the clasp was not that of a wolf but instead was one of a dragon.

"Huh," Aegon said as he fingered the piece. "This is very nice. Quality workmanship. A piece made for Queen Alysanne I presume? You should take care for it would be a shame to lose such a relic."

Aegon was too busy inspecting the clasp to hear the hesitation before Cregan responded. "Indeed...for Queen Alysanne."

Aegon was loathe to admit that Lord Stark was indeed correct. The fur was far better than any he had brought with him. Helaena would hear about this. She obviously was spending good coin on inferior products. Helaena loved a refund if she could claim one.

"Come." Cregan said, "I have our food all prepared for this morning within my chambers. Let us eat, then we shall see what the rest of the day brings."

Aegon failed to notice, as he tucked into his meal, that the table was only covered with plates that Aegon had sampled the day before and nothing else.

After a brief visit to Sunfyre, who was now surrounded by ten fires, Cregan took Aegon around the rest of Winterfell. Now that he was no longer preparing himself for the moment his heart suddenly stopped beating on account of turning into a block of ice, he could sort of appreciate the land. It was still a shit hole but the Northmen were making the best of it and Aegon could respect that.

It was amusing to see the passion with which Stark spoke about his home, a passion that Aegon had either completely missed or completely ignored, the prior day. Stark knew everything there was to know about his land, including all the people who called Winterfell home. What surprised him more was how nobody thought twice upon approaching their Lord, who welcomed them all with a sincere smile and questions regarding family members that let Aegon know that this was a common occurrence and not simply a show put on to impress him. The last time a member of the smallfolk tried to approach one of his family uninvited Daemon nearly ran them through with a sword.

They eventually came to a stop in the courtyard, watching as Starks men trained as the clash of metal upon metal echoed through the air.

"Do you train regularly?" Cregan asked. "I have heard many tales about your brother and your nephew and their prowess with a sword but, I must admit, that I have heard nothing about you."

Aegon hesitated somewhat, worried that if he were honest regarding his true incompetence in a duel Stark would think him weak - thus easier to despatch of once his true villainous purposes came to light. On the other hand, if Aegon pretended to be skilled with a sword then Cregan may challenge him to a spar which would likely result in a beheading, accidental or otherwise. Fortunately, Aegon had the perfect excuse.

"Alas, I am not what I used to be on the dueling court." He said as he gestured to his missing eye.

Technically not a lie.

It was probably the truth that Aegon was far worse with a weapon because of his eye than he was before Jace got drunk and ruined his life. Even if he had never actually tested such a theory.

Stark did not need to know that before he lost his eye Aegon was regularly bested by his son who was, back then, all of seven years old.

"Ahhh," Cregan said, now paying close attention to Aegon's eye patch. "I do suppose that it would be a hindrance. One that does not hold your brother back though?"

"Aemond was far younger than I when he lost his. I have found through my own children that we are more resilient in our younger years. It pains me to admit that, in the grand scheme of things, it did take me far longer to recover and be able to live like I once did than it took my brother."

Fucking Stark. Making him be nice about Aemond. Even if it was true for it did take Aegon an embarrassingly long time to not fall down the Keep stairs on a daily basis.

"I find it shows the mantle of a man on how they overcome such challenges in life. It is admirable. I myself find it inspiring."

Cregan turned back to the fighters for a moment.

"Do you mind me asking how it came to happen? The realm knows about your brother but nobody knows about you."

Aegon sniffed, nose in the air. "Saved my nephew from The Cannibal. "

The vaults creeped Aegon out, and not just because it was the perfect place for Stark to attack him, where nobody could bear witness and no way for Sunfyre to protect him.

It was the collection of dead bodies that made him feel unsettled, just like Helaena and her collection of insects. What made it weirder was how Cregan knew who was encased in every tomb.

(At least the Targaryen's were respectful enough to let their dead rest in peace and not show them off for entertainment purposes.

Northerners were truly abhorrent.)

They came to a stop in front of a relatively newer tomb.

"My late wife, the Lady Arra. This is where she rests. Looking down upon me and our son." Cregan said, a tinge of sadness seeping into his tone.

"I am sorry for your loss." Aegon said. "Was it a marriage of convenience or?"

"No. No, ours was a marriage of love for I had known her for most of my life. I understand yours was for convenience?"

Aegon snorted despite himself. He would not call his wedding to Helaena one of convenience. "It started as such but eventually it did develop into love."

"But you stray outside of the marriage bed do you not?"

Aegon looked at Stark, unsure of how to proceed but in this, there was no point in lying, for Aegon's past reputation proceeded him. "We have an agreement. Yes, I do stray from her bed but it is not in secret. She is well aware of everything and she takes no issue with it.

"Is this a Targaryen custom? To be intimate with someone other than a spouse?"

Rather than disgust, Stark seemed to be intrigued, probably impressed with how forward-thinking he and Helaena were when it came to their marriage. However, Aegon did not think Cregan would be so laid back if he found out that Aegon got on his hands and knees for his own nephew on a daily basis.

"I would not say custom. But yes, it does happen. As it does with most Lords whether they admit it or not."

Cregan hummed to himself, deep within thought. "Interesting."

Speaking of families, maybe now that Lord Stark was pondering upon his late, very dead wife, Aegon could broach the topic that had been the reason for his very presence in Winterfell - reminding himself he needed tact and nuance.

"Why have you not claimed allegiance to House Targaryen? Do you intend to raise the Hightower banner instead? Is that why you will not give me an answer?" He demanded.

Cregan, for a moment, seemed taken aback at Aegon's abrupt declaration but quickly gathered himself. "I have not given you an answer, for you have asked no question."

Aegon huffed as he turned away, crossing his arms over his chest. "Well, I would have if you had been open to it."

"I am open to anything you wish to ask of me. I understand you would like this business to conclude as soon as possible. However, I will admit that I am enjoying your company the more time we spend together. There is no reason for a bond not to form while I decide what is the best for the people that I have sworn a loyalty to."

Cregan clasped his hand around Aegon's arm, turning him to face the Lord once more. "I understand your frustration. Regarding my hesitation to declare for your house." Cregan said. "I have no desire for war. I know that may surprise many but it is the truth. The temptation of battle and glory is a beacon to many in this realm. But not I."

"I have met many Lords who have spoken similar words. However, I have seen how hollow such words are when the time for war is upon them. A victory in battle too tempting to ignore." Aegon said in reply.

"What victory is there to be had in sending men, good and honourable men, to their deaths? What glory is to be had to return home and witness the grief of children and wives when they realise that they have been left to face the world alone?" Cregan turned back to face Arra's tomb. "When I swore my oath to govern this land, to become Lord of Winterfell, I swore to protect its people. I will not send them to their deaths until such time that it is inevitable."

"Your allegiance would make such an event even more unlikely, even you must recognise that?" Aegon urged, knowing his opportunity to secure an agreement was slowly slipping through his hands.

"Is that something you can guarantee? That Winterfell's support would halt any prospects of battle? For if you can do so then I will rise Targaryen banners upon Winterfell's mast within the day." Stark asked.

Aegon was tempted to lie. So so tempted. But alas he could not.

Fucking Helaena and Jacaerys for making him soft.

"Ohhhh so sexy Aegon when you are honorable and noble ohhhh"

For fucks sake. Why couldn't he be the utter bastard he once was? Life would be so much easier.

"I hope you understand." Cregan said with such sincerity that Aegon could not help but believe it to be true. "My duty must take priority over my desire in this case. If it were just myself I would raise my sword for you... for House Targaryen with no regret. But as it stands I cannot. This does not mean that I will raise sword for your mother. On that, you have my word. Winterfell, long ago, swore an oath to Queen Rhaenyra. I will not be the one to break it."

Aegon knew that House Stark had indeed kept its oath to his sister. However, he also knew that many houses did not. He also knew that House Stark, and Cregan, in reality, swore to Jacaerys and not to Rhaenyra. Jace was not there, Aegon was no Jacaerys and Cregan would never swear to someone like him. That meant, as much as Aegon found himself wanting to believe in Starks impassioned words, that there remained a chance that Stark could march under a Hightower banner instead. Whatever small chance of such an event occurring was too large a chance for Aegon to take.

Aegon whispered "I must protect my family. As you must protect yours. I find, admittedly to my own surprise, that I do not wish to fight against you, Lord Stark. But I shall if I have to. I will not watch a dragon fall. Not to an arrow, not to an army and not to the sea."

For that was what was at stake when all was said and done. He tried to believe that Helaena and their children would be safe as Alicent, for all her faults, loved her daughter and her grandchildren. Aemond would be safe as Alicent loved her second-born son more than any other man in her life. God's even Daeron, her bastard child, would probably be safe because he was a ray of sunshine and not a waste of space like Aegon.

But the rest?

Jacaerys and Lucerys and everyone else?

They would not.

This was not the first time Alicent, likely encouraged by the remaining Hightower’s, had tried to reclaim the power she once had however this was different. Aegon treated this attempt differently because this time? This time she had involved the Triarchy.

(There were nights when Aegon dreamed of the day when he was told how Jacaerys had died. Memories haunted him over how he had been glad to hear that his nephew was rotting on the ocean floor, lying side by side with his brother and his dragon.

Aegon did not give thought, back then, of how much pain Jace must have been in. How scared he would have been to know that that was the end even though Aegon knew Jacaerys would have never have shown it, even as he took his last breath.

He would awake in a sweat, bedsheets dripping, as he cried. Jace would try to offer comfort, not knowing what it was that tormented him so for Aegon was too much of a coward to tell him, even though Jace knew that what it was that tormented Aegon involved him. He took no offence when Aegon would push him away, the touch of a ghost burning him with such guilt and sorrow that he wanted to scream.

Aegon could not live with the thought of it happening again. He would die, riddled by arrows and sinking to the depths of The Gullet himself, before he would stand by and watch Jacaerys be sent out to defend his family again and against a foe that once upon a time had ended his life. And Aegon would be glad for it, as he took his final breath with a smile on his face as he sank to the sea floor, knowing it was he and not Jacaerys who had suffered such a fate.

This altruistic bullshit was really fucking annoying if he were to be perfectly honest with himself.)

"I, too, do not relish the thought of an army of wolves against an army of dragons."

Aegon turned to face Cregan. "That is where you are mistaken. I do not need an army of dragons. I just need one dragon. And I have him." He said before turning on his heel and leaving Cregan in the vault to ponder his position.

Despite all that, he did understand. He just wished Cregan had had the same hesitation when he had declared against him.

The bastard.

Chapter Text

He dreamt of someone in his room and the smell of smoke, beginning to pull him away from the dark depths of slumber even though sleep was pulling him back under.

"Go back to sleep Aegon." A voice whispered to him

So he did.

He woke up sweating which confused him for a moment as he did not remember having one of his dreams which usually resulted in such a state. It was only when he blinked the sleep away from his eyes did he notice the roaring fire. Cregan had not only been in his room but he had neither harmed him -

Aegon quickly stuck his hand into the back of his leggings and had a feel around

- or molested him.

While Aegon was thankful for both, he was still no closer to figuring out what it was that Cregan wanted from him for while he did believe that Cregan spoke the truth when pressed about declaring for House Targaryen, deep down he knew there was something else that he was missing.

He stretched as he prepared to start the day, wincing as his back cracked when he did so. It was then that he noticed that his food for the morning had already been set out for him.

In his room.

And not in Lord Starks chambers.

Likely because Lord Stark did not take too kindly to Aegon insinuating that he would set Sunfure on him.

Shit.

Shit.

Shit.

Shit.

Aegon hurried along the castle corridors, valiantly trying to both put on his fur cloak while also trying to stuff a piece of bread into his mouth. He could not find scent or sight of Cregan and now he was beginning to panic with visions of Stark setting off in the middle of the night on top of his stallion, powered by pure outrage and offence, as he rode to treat with his mother.

(Even though he was being stupid as that was not possible as Stark had set a fire for him in the morning.

Shut up Aegon, you are not helping yourself.)

In such a rush he did not notice Sara until he smacked into her, knocking them both off balance while also causing Aegon to choke on his bread. He grabbed her to make sure she did not fall until he realised just how inappropriate it would look to be touching the sister of the man who was beyond furious with him.

"Shi...my apologies Lady Snow." He coughed, trying to dislodge the bread that was stuck in his throat. "I did not see you there. I do not suppose you have seen your brother, have you? He is not within his chambers and I desire to have words with him."

She cast him with a suspicious look. "Why would you think that he would be within his chambers?"

"It is where we break our fast. Or it was. Anyway, no matter. I would just like to find him." Aegon said as he sidestepped Sara, intending to continue his quest to find the wayward Stark, only to draw to a sharp halt as a small but powerful hand gripped Aegon's shirt. "You break fast together? In his chambers? He allows you access to his chambers?"

He could only huff in annoyance. "Yes. He does. Can I please go? I really do have to find him -"

"Does he go into yours?" Sara demanded.

"Yes. He does. Now seriously, I really do need to find him."

Sara assessed him before huffing out an exasperated breath. "He asked me to tell you when you were awake, that he is by the Wolfswood. Exit the castle from the East Gate and you shall find him."

"Thank you." Aegon shouted as he ran towards the door.

"You do realise your tunic is inside out?"

He had only been running for a few moments and Aegon was already out of breath. He followed Sara's directions and sprinted, then jogged, then walked with great haste through the East Gate. By the time he found Lord Stark, Aegon was too worried that he was about to cough up a lung to wonder why the man was chopping wood.

It also took him far longer than he would care to admit to realise he was chopping wood without a shirt on.

"How..." Aegon asked as he rested his hands on his legs, willing the shaking to stop before he collapsed face-first onto the dewy lawn. "...how can you possibly do such a thing...god, I think I'm about to die...in this...weather?! Do you not have servants for this sort of thing?!" He demanded, eliciting a chuckle from the other man who paused his swing, letting the axe dangle from his hand instead.

"I enjoy it." He answered as Aegon slowly recovered. "It helps me think."

Once Aegon was sure that he would not fall under the weight of his own body, he straightened up and took stock of the situation.

Cregan, from what he could tell even though he had known the man for just a short amount of time, did not appear to be angry with him.

In fact the opposite.

In fact, the more Aegon stared, it almost seemed as though the smugger Stark seemed to get. But it was not Aegon's fault as he looked upon the bare-chested man and his rippling muscles, covered in sweat

...body steaming from hard labour

...as a bead of water trailed slowly, so ever slowly, down the mans taught neck

...gliding down a rock-hard pec before stopping ever so slightly at a hard nipple before dripping down to the ground below only to be replaced by another not soon after.

(He was a human male with a working cock, alright? Of course, he was going to have a look.

Now and then he looked at Daemon. It does not mean he was going to drop his trousers for him.

Aegon did have standards after all. Unlike his sister.)

"Why have you come here, Prince Aegon?" Cregan asked, voice dark and husky. Aegon presumed was due to the chill of the air and the impact of a vigorous activity.

"You....asked me to? Through your sister?" He answered, confused as to how Stark seemed to have forgotten such a fact.

"Did I?" Cregan said, raising one brow high. "I must have forgotten. It happens when I lose myself in...strenuous activity. The whole world just disappears until all that is left is us."

"You mean you, correct? The whole world just disappears until all that is left is you." See, this is why Aegon forwent any and all vigorous activity that did not involve intercourse. It made people silly and stupid. And from the twitching and small flexing of Cregan's chest and arms as he stood in front of Aegon it also clearly resulted in cramps.

Cregan smirked at him, eyes dark which Aegon, again, assumed was due to exercise. "Yes. Most times it is just me. Though I do hope within time I shall have someone else to...enjoy strenuous activity with."

In all honesty, Aegon was not sure what Cregan was getting at - two people chopping wood sounded very boring. Maybe he meant other strenuous activities, like walking. He would ask Daeron when they next met because Daeron, like Cregan, enjoyed working up a sweat. Maybe he would broach the topic with Helaena when he returned. Go walking together or something like that?

Because he was magnanimous, Aegon decided to pretend the last few minutes did not happen as he was sure Stark would probably feel embarrassed once he realised he was still in a state of undress.

"I had worried I had offended you. With our conversation yesterday in the Vaults. I... I do not apologise for what I said but rather for how I expressed myself. With the whole... Sunfyre... thing. I am just protective. That is all."

"Do not worry for no offence was taken. The opposite. I understand protectiveness to those you consider yours." Cregan set down his axe. "It has given me an idea for what to show you next. While I decide what House Stark will do regarding your matter."

Cregan stood with his hands on his hips, grinning in a way that Maelor did when he was about to do something that would get himself, and Aegon by proxy, into trouble.

"You have shown me your beast. Let me show you mine."

They were deep within the Wolfwood and the only thing that kept Aegon going, as he walked yet again into another tree branch, was his promise to Sunfyre that he would secure him a meal of Direwolf.

He better not hear another fucking grumble from his boy for the rest of the stay after this.

Fortunately Cregan - who had thankfully decided to put his shirt and cloak back on - seemed to know where they were going which was a relief considering the last time he went for a walk in the woods he ended up with a broken leg.

(Baela and he, in an unusual, sudden and impromptu desire to do something a little different, decided to go and experience nature. Two arguments later over how nature was a little bit shit, they stormed off and away from each other. Baela found herself back at the Red Keep. Aegon found himself falling down a ravine.)

To the back of his mind, Aegon was still worried somewhat that Cregan was offering him up to his pet beasts to claim ignorance over his unexpected death.

("Of course my Queen, I did indeed tell your brother not to wander off into the woods but his abject stupidity is, was, legendary for a reason. Indeed. Such a loss. I am sure it was quick and painless.... is the Hand of the Queen around, by any chance?")

However Aegon wasn't too worried as he was out in the open and Sunfyre had fantastic hearing and would probably, maybe, save him if need be.

After what felt like days upon days of walking Stark finally slowed down. Dipping into a crouch he pulled Aegon down to his level as he softly walked forward, careful to keep his steps as light as possible. With gentle hands, he pulled Aegon forward until they were looking out into an open area of overgrown grassland.

"Do not get me wrong, it is a lovely area of grass you are showing me. However, it is not inspiring me to have second thoughts about decimating your army."

"Shh." Cregan hushed, raising a finger to his lips. "Just watch."

Aegon held in his groan, throwing his head back in annoyance but other than that he remained still. Just as he was about to call it a day, the sound of a twig snapping in the distance stopped any thought of such ideas.

He held his breath as the rustling of bushes and trees echoed around them, getting closer and closer. A rumbling growl, so deep that he could feel it in his chest was his first hint of what exactly it was that he was about to witness, closely followed by a massive snout that slowly broke through the tree line.

"God's" Aegon whispered in awe as a dark grey direwolf fully entered the clearing. A large beast, much larger than he expected, the size of one of the smaller horses housed within the Red Keep stables that Jaehaera learned to ride on if he were to guess. So grand and powerful yet so majestic and elegant as it moved through the clearing, paying no attention to the voyeurs which Aegon knew it could smell.

He understood why Stark spoke of them with such reverence.

The wolf paused for a moment, yawning to unveil a set of sharp, white, bloodied teeth that Aegon would not bet coin against that could easily tear through human flesh with ease. If pushed, he could not say for certain that one of Stark's wolves could not tear through the flesh of something else - a dragon hide for example.

A pack of these beasts against one dragon? Aegon shuddered to think of the potential carnage. One of these beasts against a man? Let's just say Aegon was mentally preparing to break Cregan's leg at a moment's notice as, after all, he did not need to outrun a direwolf. He just needed to outrun Stark if things took an unexpected turn.

Eventually, the wolf decided to move on, tracking across the clearing as if it had no care in the world. Aegon was transfixed, heart beating with adrenaline, as a bushy tail finally disappeared through the foliage. He could not quite find the words for what he had just seen. He did not know why the sight of a Direwolf had enamored him so much, but it did.

Nobody spoke until all sounds of the wolf had vanished.

"Impressive, correct?" Stark asked, nudging Aegon in the side playfully.

"It was alright. No dragon but I suppose it would suffice." Aegon sniffed, stifling a smile. Maybe this nature shit wasn't too bad when he wasn't with Baela.

Cregan gracefully rose to stand up straight, offering a hand to Aegon for help which he took as his knees were not once they were. Neither man spoke to the other as they slowly made their way back to Winterfell.

They had barely made headway back to the castle when a shuffling in one of the bushes in front of them stopped Cregan in his tracks, the man throwing his arm out to stop Aegon from continuing on his route, who just looked at the Lord in alarm.

See? This is why Aegon fucking hated nature. So many nasty creepy crawlies hiding under bushes and twigs and sticks able to bite, to sting, to poison, to kill.

"Stay here." Stark whispered into Aegon's ear. "Do not move. Not until I tell you so."

While usually, Aegon was contrary on pure principle, he did not dare defy Stark or answer back in case Stark, finally fed up with his attitude, left him there to die. He watched in silence as Stark slowly and silently made his way toward the bush in question, unsheathing Ice with such efficiency that not a single sound was made. Arm raised high, preparing to strike if the need was required.

It was in that moment that Aegon saw the warrior that the men within his army that Aemond said spoke only about in whispers, a tale spread throughout camps, of a man so great with a sword in hand that even the gods cried in envy.

Very hyperbolic if Aegon were honest but he will forgive his army. The war was a very trying time for them all so he could forgive them for their outlandish exaggeration.

That all being said, Aegon could see why men spoke of Lord Cregan Stark the way that they did. Now that he was witnessing Stark the warrior, he was tempted to send Corlys a bouquet as a thank-you for saving him from the fate of meeting the man.

He held his breath as Stark, so very slowly, used the tip of his blade to part the bush. So slowly the parting grew wider and wider until he could see enough to see what it was that had set them both on edge. Slowly Starks shoulders relaxed along with his tight grip on the pommel of his sword. He lowered his arm gradually, deeming the situation safe enough as he sheathed his sword back into its harness.

"What is it?" Aegon asked as Stark leaned in closer to the bush before sticking his hand into the middle. The man grunted as he began to withdraw his hand, a clump of fur firmly within his grip.

It was only once the fur started to wriggle that Aegon realised that it was a dog. A very young one.

"How did one of your hounds get this far out?" Aegon asked as he approached Stark, who had brought the puppy up to his face by the nape of its neck.

Cregan huffed a laugh. "This is no hound nor dog. This is a wolf cub."

Aegon staggered with speed closer towards the two, desperate to see a cub.

Helaena would fucking die when he told her he had gotten face to face with a direwolf cub. Maybe if he played his cards right he could use it to show Maelor that he was far cooler and far better than Aemond.

To Aegon's untrained eye, the cub looked exactly like a dog. Unlike the wolf they had just seen, this cub was pure white.

"Is it...will its mother not be around?" Aegon asked, worried that they may have to contend with a very angry Direwolf in their near future. However, Cregan shook his head.

"No. Mothers will not leave a cub. Not unless it is a runt. Or the mother has died. If this lad is alone, he is alone."

"So what will you do with it?" Aegon asked. Ergo is the cub, for as cute as he was, surplus to requirement and thus available as a snack for a curious dragon?

Cregan looked at the cub for a moment before looking at Aegon.

"Wolves are known for being loyal pets if raised by a man from their youth." Cregan said as he held the cub to Aegon, leaving him no choice but to accept the wriggling ball of fur within his arms.

"Maybe this way, instead of dragon against wolves, it can be a dragon alongside a wolf."

Struggling to hold onto his boon, Aegon wasn't quite sure what was going on. "What? You want me to have it? Is this a joke?"

"A simple hound is no match for a man who rides a dragon. A wolf? Maybe a wolf is a better suit instead." Stark whispered as he stepped in closer, staring down into Aegon's eye as he bracketed the cub between both their chests. "A token of our growing bond."

"A bond?" Aegon tilted his head to the side "Like a friendship?"

"Yes... A friendship. If this is how you would prefer it to be known. Is that not how the strongest bonds start after all?" Stark asked, voice low once again with a husk as he leaned in even closer. So close that the tips of their noses touched.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait." Aegon laughed, backing away from Stark as the cub started to move once more, causing him to readjust his hold. "You...wish to be my friend?"

For a moment Cregan seemed disappointed, inhaling deeply with his eyes closed, face drawn up to the sky before he exhaled. "Yes. I do at the very least, wish to be your friend."

"And is this what friends do? Exchange gifts? Should I give you a gift?"

Cregan seemed curious at Aegons observation. Curious with a hint of something else that Aegon could not put his finger on. "Do you not often give gifts to friends?"

Aegon shrugged. "I do not have any friends. I mean I have Sunfyre but I suppose he had no choice but to be my friend. Helaena maybe but she is my wife. Everyone else is family."

"Are your nephews not your friends? I was sure that I heard that you and your elder nephew are close, are you not?"

Aegon snorted. "Jacaerys and I are not friends. Though I have given him gifts before. He was not very appreciative of them if I am to be honest."

(Lovers yes but Cregan did not need to know about that.

And yes, maybe the wooden dildo was not the most appropriate gift to bequeath his nephew but it was not his fault that Jacaerys had decided to open his name day gift in front of his mother.

While Jace was a complete bitch in the immediate aftermath, he certainly wasn't complaining later that night when they put it to use. Seeing Aegon with both ends filled just really did it for him and it was the knowledge that he had utilised many times since.

Aegon is such a good uncle. Jacaerys would never have known what a dirty pervert he actually was if Aegon had not taken him by a forceful hand and shown him a new way of life.

Based on the hug Baela gave him within two weeks of Aegon and Jace being together intimately, she too was very appreciative of Aegon's tutelage in matters of sex.)

"My apologies. I thought that you were. But it matters not that Jacaerys does not appreciate you for I do. You have at least one friend if you will have me?"

Aegon thought on the matter for a moment "I... would not be against such an idea, Lord Stark."

"Cregan." Stark said as he began to lead Aegon and his cub back through the thicket once more. "Call me Cregan. If we are to be friends then I think that there is no more need for formalities between us."

Friends.

What a novel idea.

If it did turn out that Stark was not planning to kill him then maybe Aegon could be amenable to a friendship.

However, Aegon still had a few matters which he needed to see too.

"So these wolves. Exactly how many are there?" Aegon asked as he carried his wiggling companion who now seemed determined to lick his face no matter what it took.

"I am not sure." Cregan answered as he held back branches so that they did not hit Aegon as he walked through. "The numbers stabilise through the year. Some wolves die. Some wolves migrate. But it is always manageable. There are more of them around now as it is winter, however, once summer arrives they usually move to cooler pastures. Therefore we are grateful when it is winter."

"So you would not consider them like pests then? A species that needed to be controlled? Do you hunt them?"

"No. They are sacred to our House. We only kill those who are old and infirm or those who will simply not see the next day simply to spare any undue pain and suffering. Thise we lose, we reclaime with fur and bones no so wolf goes to waste, even in death. As Targaryen's cherish your dragons, we cherish our wolves. Yet another way that House Targaryen and House Stark are in synergy with each other, wouldn't you say?"

...fuck. Sunfyre is going to be so unhappy with him.

Aegon was still holding the cub, safely tucked into his cloak, as he paid a visit to Sunfyre who was now simply surrounded by fires and, based on the increasing sheep carcasses, was slowly getting his appetite back.

Aegon could see his boy was still somewhat unhappy however his dragon quickly perked up when Aegon approached him. Probably because he could smell the sleeping wolf that was huddled against Aegons chest.

...

"Yes. Hello to you too. And no, you don't need food. From the looks of it, you have had more than enough."

...

"Yes. About that. So it turns out that the wolves are important to Winterfell. House sigil or something like that. How dragons are to us. They... I don't think Stark will be open to you eating one."

...

"I mean I would not be happy if someone wanted to eat you. If someone approached you with a knife and fork in their hands I would be having words."

...

"You can't eat him. He is a gift. Do you know how rude it is to feed a gift to a dragon? Stark still has not formally agreed to an alliance. I can not risk angering him. And Cregan...he says he wishes for us to be friends. Good friends. I do not know what is expected from a friendship but I do not think feeding a gift to a dragon is what it entails."

...

"Erm... no? No you cannot eat him when we leave?"

...

"Of course, I want him around to make Daemon's life a living hell. Can you imagine it? Him running around the Keep weeping like a baby while a full-grown Direwolf tries to hunt him down? This is too good of an opportunity to pass up!"

...

"Look. I am sorry. I really am. But Direwolf is off the menu."

...

"Don't say that. I have given you everything you have asked for."

...

"Sunfyre?"

...

"Sunfyre??"

...

"Don't ignore me."

...

"Please don't ignore me. I tried. I really did."

...

"Plea... you know what? Why don't we sleep on it? This whole mission is setting me on edge and that is probably setting you on edge. We just need sleep and all will be well tomorrow."

Sunfure would forgive him. Eventually. Aegon would just feel pretty shit until that moment arrived.

It was during supper that a guard burst through the doors, clearly sweating beneath his furs. Aegon, who up until then had been sulking as he was unable to get Sunfyre out of his mind, sat up suddenly in his seat. He eyed Cregan from the side of his eye, looking for any hint of betrayal.

"Dragon." The guard panted. "A dragon has arrived. Its rider is requesting access. He demands to see to see the prince."

It was likely that it was a member of his family - probably making sure that Aegon did not cock anything up because nobody trusted him and, yes, he was very much offended by the insinuation of his ineptitude. However, there was always a chance that it was not for there were still three unclaimed, wild dragons out there in the world and Aegon had learned his lesson the hard way by assuming that only his immediate family members could claim a beast.

He followed Cregan and his sister out of the hall as everyone converged within the courtyard, waiting for their uninvited guest. Eventually, a figure appeared from the dark depths of the outside world, flickering light unveiling only a set of wide shoulders as the figure grew closer and closer, eventually stepping through the gates of Winterfell. While Lord Stark stood with his hand braced upon the hilt of his blade, body tight as though bracing for battle, Aegon felt himself break out into a smile so wide that it hurt his cheeks for he did not need to see a face to recognise who those shoulders belonged to.

After all, he had had his legs over those shoulders near enough every day.

Chapter Text

It took more willpower than Aegon ever thought he could possess to not throw himself at Jace like a weeping maiden welcoming a long-lost love back from war as his nephew finally entered the courtyard of Winterfell, looking as princely as he ever had with his sigil confirming him as the Hand of the Queen tacked firmly to his chest. Unlike Aegon, Jacaerys did not look like a weeping maiden but then he had always been better at hiding his emotions unless said emotion was annoyance (mostly directed towards Aemond), anger (again mostly directed towards Aemond) or extreme irritation (always directed at Aegon) when he wanted to whereas Aegon was an open book most of the time. But Aegon knew from his eyes alone that Jace was as glad to see him as he was to see Jace.

He only had eyes for his nephew therefore he did not see how Cregan first looked to Aegon, then to Jacaerys, then back to Aegon with a growing frown.

Jace came to a stop in front of them, taking his fill of Aegon with an assessing regard first before he turned his attention to the Lord of Winterfell. The Lord who was very firmly gripping the pommel of the sword he had strapped to his side, so tight that the sound of his leather gloves creaking could be heard by all.

"Prince Velaryon." Cregan greeted with a small bow of his head. "Please forgive our lack of welcome but, alas, we were not expecting a visit from yet another dragon."

His nephew grew bashful over the slight rebuke, donning a smile that usually made all the ladies of the realm weakness the knees, especially when his hair was blowing in the wind as it was currently doing.

God Aegon was so fucking hard it made him feel lightheaded. Astounding really because he would have bet Sunfyre and/or at least one of his children that his penis has frozen solid in a flaccid state.

"My apologies Lord Stark. My visit was very much a last-minute addition to my schedule." Jacaerys said, attention once again drawing to Aegon.

Sara spoke next "There is no need for apologies, my Prince, for it is an honour for my brother and I to host not one but two members of the royal family." She looked up to her brother, waiting for him to also relay his gratitude as was expected from the Lord. However, based on his disdainful snort, Cregan did not seem to be in the mood for such formalities.

Or for conversation.

Or for any extension of warmth.

Sara cleared her throat. "How long -" Sara said as Cregan grunted from the sharp elbow she had jabbed into his side. " - do you envisage your stay shall be for?"

"Only for a few days, if the imposition is not too much trouble," Jace answered as he focused on Sara.

"- of course it is not, my Prince." Sara said.

"- we do not have enough sheep." Cregan grumbled.

"Not to worry. Vermax was kept well fed at Bitterbridge so he shall be fine until it is time to leave." Jacaerys sniffed, demeanor becoming stern in response to... whatever it was that Cregan seemed to have taken issue with. "They were very hospitable hosts."

"I shall organise some rooms for your during your stay with us, for however long that shall be. The chambers next to Prince-"

“- The guest house.” Cregan said, which once again caused his half-sister to look at him with her standard ‘what the fuck are you doing?' face. "The guest house will be best for Prince Velaryon. Private and overlooking the Godswood. It will suit him best." Cregan tightly smiled while servants scurried away to prepare the chambers for Jace's stay.

His nephew looked to Aegon, probably seeing the slight dip in his uncle's demeanor when he realised he and Jace would still be separated before he replied. "You have my...gratitude for providing accommodation despite the lack of forewarning of my arrival. Your hospitality is appreciated. I shall endeavor to make sure that my mother, Queen Rhaenyra, hears of your graciousness."

And then it all just got a bit awkward. More awkward. The whole thing just got more awkward. And for once it was not Aegon's doing.

See? Growth. Aegon was becoming wise in his elder years.

The two men stared at each other - Cregan with an ice-cold glare. Jace with confusion that was slowly shifting to suspicion, squinting as he sized up Lord Stark.

"So -" Cregan Stark demanded, deciding to break the stalemate, hands still resting upon the pommel of his sword " - What brings the Hand of the Queen to my home?"

"I am here to see my uncle. There are a few developments that I think he should be informed of."

"In that case, I shall show you inside."

Cregan led the two of them into the Great Hall, dismissing all from the room so it was just the three of them alone. Cregan strode up to the raised platform, turning on his heel as he took a seat upon the High Seat, resting his elbows upon the arms and clasping his hands in front of him. With a tilt of his head, he gestured for Aegon to take a seat at one of the treble tables. No such offer was extended to Jacaerys.

"Speak." Cregan commanded, no show of the man that Aegon had gotten to know over the past few days.

"I would prefer to speak with my uncle. Privately." Jacaerys requested, jaw clenched tight as it always did when Jace wanted to do nothing more than throw a punch but couldn't because of duty and an ever-present fear of disappointing his mother.

"I assume that you will be discussing the Queen's matter?" Jace reluctantly nodded. "Then I will remain within this room. If you are to discuss a simmering war within the confines of Winterfell, a war that you not only wish for Winterfell to provide men to kill and die in, then it is my business. Just you being here, along with your uncle, can be considered a declaration of allegiance that I have not yet given. Aegon alone can be considered to be an envoy. Two of you can be considered the development of a potential treaty. A treaty that I have not yet agreed to. If you wish to discuss privately then you will remove yourself from my land."

Aegon turned to look at Stark, mostly confused as to why Aegon's welcome had been so different from the one Jacaerys was receiving and partly confused because he was pretty sure Cregan had just made all of that up however Stark was too busy staring Jace down. Jace, for what it was worth, was returning Cregan's stare with equal fervour. In all truthfulness Aegon is really not sure how, if this was anything like the first meeting between Jace and Cregan during the war, the two men ever became so loyal to one another.

"We can discuss matters of home in front of Lord Stark." Aegon said, trying to defuse the situation.

"Are you sure that is wise?" Jace asked, refusing to back down from Stark but bemused as to why Aegon wanted Stark involved in their discussions. His tone very much said that this was a stupid idea. However, Aegon had not fallen to madness, no matter how his nephew looked at him so, for there was strategy behind his decision. Aegon wanted to show Stark just how close and tight House Targaryen were. A united force. An unstoppable reckoning. A seamless unit, ready to defend one another no matter the cause. A family in perfect harmony -

"Fine. I received a raven from Helaena the day I intended to depart from Bitterbridge."

Aegon held a hand up to pause Jace "Why did she write to you? Why not to me? She is my wife! You have your own!"

Jace ignored Aegon's outrage at the fact that his wife had preferred to write to him over Aegon, even though Aegon, admittedly, had not sent a raven to her but in his defence he had been very busy having a nervous breakdown. "Jaehaera has fled the Keep with Aegon. They decided to take after my mother and wed on Dragonstone under the Valyrian Dragonlord tradition."

"...What? Wait, no -"

"Do not worry. Jaehaerys is not upset. Far from it. He has expressed a desire to our Queen that he wishes to serve under the Faith of the Seven. A vocational calling I believe were the words used."

"...What?! Stop -"

"The one that is most angry about the whole thing is Joffrey. Understandable, really, as he did spend so much time organising the event. He now has a room full of doves and he does not know what to do with them. And Aemond. Aemond is angry. However, he is always angry and we all know Aemond has always been weirdly protective of Jaehaera. In all honestly, Aemond does not help the rumours that Jaehaera and Jaehaerys are his children and not yours."

Aegon interrupted, brain feeling like it was about to burst from his head. "Why does all the good stuff happen when I am away?!" He threw his hands in the air in exasperation. Decades he had spent in the Keep with not a drop of drama or gossip or excitement and the moment he leaves it all happens?

And he is not there to revel in the chaos?!

He hated his life sometimes.

Jace continued undeterred. "Jaehaera and Aegon have taken leave in The Vale. They wrote to the Queen that they wished to spend time together as a wedded couple before returning. Aemond was last seen flying from Driftmark with Blackfyre. Luke is not sure where he was going or how he got Blackfyre but we think he has gone to kill Aegon. Either way Lady Jeyne is been informed about her potential visitor."

"Anything else to impart? Viserys has decided to become a boat and sail the high seas under the power of his own breath?" Aegon demanded.

Jace winced, parsing his lips together as though trying to hold back words that he knew that he should.

"Jacaerys Velaryon. What else. Has happened." Aegon demanded through gritted teeth, very much regretting saving his family from the war in the first place.

"... There was an incident. Between Maelor and Visenya."

Jace pointedly looked at Aegon's eyepatch.

"...No."

"Yes."

Aegon slammed his hand down upon the table. "What is fucking wrong with your fucking family?!"

"Technically it is our family -" He tried to argue but to no avail.

"No! No, it is fucking yours! You do not see my side carving out eye sockets for a laugh!" Aegon pointed at Jace. "So tell me, oh nephew of mine, how did it happen this time? Another squabble? A fight gotten out of hand? Maelor asked kindly for Visenya's slice of lemon cake and caused such offence that she attacked him with a fork?! Do tell me what horrific thing my son did to warrent such an injury."

Jace shifted on his feet, hand rubbing the back of his neck. It was his tell that he was truly uncomfortable with what he was about to say. "Yes... So see... It was... The thing is... That is the thing... So... God's I did not want to tell you like this... so apparently, from what was written, Maelor... asked Visenya to do it?"

"He... what?!" Fucking what?

"Helaena wrote that Maelor asked, very kindly, for Visenya to cut out his eye. He is, so she wrote, very proud of his new imperfection."

"Why?!"

Jace once more shifted on his feet "Erm... he was inspired? He wanted to be like family."

Jacaerys and Aegon were silent. Jacaerys as he was unsure how to proceed. Aegon as he was too astounded over the abject fucking stupidity of his youngest child.

"It is a credit to you Prince Aegon. That your son loves you that much that he wishes to emulate you." Stark offered weakly, electing a glare from Jace who was, very pointedly, not looking at Aegon.

"Indeed. Emulate. You." Jace said through gritted teeth. Aegon knew his nephew well enough to know that there was something that he was not saying. Usually when he acted as such it was because he knew it was something that would make Aegon angry and it usually involved Daemon or Aemond.

"...no." Aegon whispered in horror.

Jacr could only look upon Aegon with sympathy, both of them knowing that Jace could not default to his usual tactic of providing comfort and calm to Aegon when he began to spiral. Not with Stark in the room.

Maelor wants to be Aemond.

"...Prince Aegon? Are you well? You have gone very pale. Should I call the maester?"

"No need. He just needs a moment. He has had a shock, it just takes time for him to process."

Maelor wants to be Aemond.

"Fine. You apparently know him better than I so I shall cede to you on this. Now what of the situation with the Hightowers?"

Maelor wants to be Aemond.

"...All houses that have been paid a visit have declared on behalf of the Queen bar Lannister. They have not yet declared for Alicent however I would not put it past them to do so. The Riverlands are to be decided however no discussions have been held with them as of yet."

Maelor loves Aemond.

"And this Triarchy?"

Maelor loves Aemond more than him.

"We have received word that they are beginning to mobilise. As are Oldtown."

Maelor loves Aemond more than HIM?!

"THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE!" Aegon yelled, slamming both hands down upon the table as he furiously pushed himself up from his seat. "UNACCEPTABLE! I WILL NOT HAVE IT! DO YOU HEAR ME?! WILL. NOT. HAVE. IT"

"Aegon, you have a significant number of houses declaring for the Queen. Even the Hightowers, by now, will see that this is folly -" Cregan tried to calm the irate Prince.

" - That is not what Prince Aegon is upset about." Jace interrupted.

"That bastard. That utter, utter twatting bastard! That bastarding twat! Such a twatting...twat! Is it not enough that he has taken everything I hold dear? What, is he not happy with the love of every single fucking person in the realm despite being the biggest cock in all the land so he has to also have the love and adoration of my fucking favourite son? Do not get me wrong - I should not pick favourites and I love him and I would die for him but we all know Jaehaerys is a fucking wet blanket at best. Maelor at least has some grit about him! Aemond knows how much I love that psychotic little twat and yet he still does this?!"

Aegon marched over to Jacaerys, gripping his tunic with clenched fists in desperation and madness. "Was I not a good father? Was it not I who allowed the boy to sleep night upon night with Vermithor and Silverwing despite all those who said it was stupid? That we would awake one day to find the boy as flat as a piece of parchment because Vermithor is an old fart with no spacial awareness? Was it not I who gave him treats upon treats even when he did not deserve them? Was it not I who gave him everything he ever wanted, even when those fucking fiends at the Keep wished to tear our bond apart by saying I was spoiling him? -"

"Helaena did not wish to tear your bond apart."

" - just for him to forsake me?! For my stupid, hideous, cretin of a brother?! Why must he take everything I love? What, because once I mocked him because he was a fucking loser that cried to himself in bed like a little bitch boy because he was too incompetent to even get a fucking egg to hatch -"

"You know my dislike for Aemond. But even you have to admit it was more than once Aegon."

" - I teased him like brothers do and it is not my fault he cannot take a fucking joke. So what? So I should be punished for it? Why must he be so petty?! Why me? Why not you?! You were just as bad! Why can he not ruin your life?! You were absolutely a total bellend to him. Why must it be mine -"

"I consider that we had a mutual dislike for one another. Aemond and I have never seen eye to eye."

" - I mean, for fucks sake, it is really all your fault that he now cannot see out of half his face. And that I cannot see out of half of my face -"

"It was Luke's fault. And Aemond's. They were equally to blame. If you look at it, objectively, really I had nothing to do with the actual act itself. And I have apologised for Dragonstone more times than I can count. You said you had forgiven me."

" - So why is it that I, an innocent party, must suffer for YOUR actions and disrespect against him?! And do not get me started on Helaena for we both know she would have wed our brother instead of me -"

"Maybe at the start but the realm knows that is not the case. Helaena adores you. I ador... we all adore you Aegon."

" - and she still wants to see me in a wig. She has not asked for it recently but I know that is what she desires above all else no matter that I never say no to anything else she asks of me, no matter how perverted - "

"... a wig?"

"Do not ask. Truly. Do not ask."

" - and you! Even you prefer him to me! All you talk about is Aemond! 'Ohhh Aemond, I love you Aemond' That is you! That is what you sound like! -"

"I said I liked his coat. Once. In passing conversation. Four years ago."

Aegon sighed as if the strings had been cut from his body like a puppet on a marionette. "Please excuse me, Lord Stark. I find that I need to lie down for a while. I shall rejoin you... at some point to discuss this further."

And with that, Aegon left the room.

He was not hiding under his bedsheets. He was also not crying either. Any who said otherwise was a dirty, rotten liar.

God's what was wrong with him.

The creak of the door signalled the entrance of another. The dip of the bed let Aegon know who it was.

"Just... Just do not say anything." He pleaded as he shuffled over to the other man, who had snuck his hand into Aegon's cocoon of depression and under his back to pull the sulking Prince into his side.

"... I shall not say a word. We can just lie here together."

And so they did. Jacaerys, true to his word, said not a single word and just waited patiently as Aegon, gradually and over time, ceased his weeping. It took him a while longer to remove himself from his trappings but eventually he did, swapping his blankets for wrapping himself around his nephew instead, head resting upon a shoulder, legs intertwined with a hand upon a beating heart.

"It is all shit. This is all shit." Aegon sighed, eventually ready to speak.

"A problem shared is a problem halved." Jace spoke as he placed his own hand over Aegon's where it rested on his chest,  his other hand softly trailing up and down the other man's back.

"Why are you here?" Aegon mumbled. "Because I could not be trusted? Because you knew I would fail like the big, fat, old and fat failure that I am?"

He could feel Jace give a shake of his head "No. Not at all. I had always intended to fly north if my business was concluded before yours. And Helaena said in her letter to me that I would be needed. It would appear that she was not wrong in this case." He said.

"I am exhausted." Aegon admitted as he buried his face deeper into Jace's shoulder with a deep breath, inhaling his scent which would usually give him peace. "I just do not understand."

"Do not understand what?" Jace asked.

"Any of it."

"Aegon -" Jace said with a reassuring squeeze to his hand. " - I am the Hand of the Queen. Listening and advising without judgement is what I do. Tell me what has occurred and we shall figure out a path forward. Together. And, for what it is worth, I shall tell no one of my involvement. Then once this is all done we can fly to Driftmark and rub your success in Aemond's face. That will cheer you up."

And so Aegon told him everything: the plots against him, Stark's refusal to declare, Sunfyre hating him, the dagger, Cregan offering a friendship -

" - Hold on." Jacaerys interrupted. "Lord Stark gifted you a dagger?"

Aegon nodded. "Yes. And a cloak."

"Hmmm."

"And a direwolf."

".....interesting. Very interesting. A direwolf you say?"

"Yes. A direwolf. That is what friends do, apparently. Or so he says." Aegon answered as Jace began to shuffle underneath him, finger tapping on the top of his hand like it did when the younger man was deep in thought.

"Tell me, how is Lord Stark with you? Do you spend much time together?" He asked.

"That is what I do not understand and what hurts my head. He spends most of his time following me around, I think because he is keeping an eye on me. Spying. Waiting for a hint of weakness. But then when he comes in in the morning to set my fire for me or when we break fast together in his rooms, I could almost fool myself into believing that his intentions are genuine. But then I've seen what happens to those who trust the word of the Lords of this realm. They lie. Stark must be the same. But then he is a loyal man, of that I have no doubt, but he is not someone who would be loyal to someone like me. But yet he is a gentleman to my face and seems so earnest when he offers up a friendship or a bond. But then if we are supposed friends why will he just not give me what I want?" Aegon groaned. "God's. I am not used to this level of deception anymore. I have gotten old and complacent in my elder years."

"...so the Lord waits upon you like a servant?" Jace asked in a clipped tone.

"I think this might be a northern thing, a dislike for servants. He even chops his own wood! Can you believe it?" Aegon exclaimed in astonishment.

"Oh does he now?"

"Yes. He was even bare-chested, like a madman. In this weather! I think he may have called me over to watch him to intimidate me. He thinks me soft. A soft southern boy who cannot chop his own wood or light his own fire. But he doesn't mock me. This is what I do not understand for if it was me and I intended to betray someone, I would mock him to the point of tears and then feed him to Sunfyre. Unless this is what friends do? Chop wood together in a state of undress?"

Jace snorted as he buried his face into the crown of Aegons head "I do not do so with any of my friends. I assume you do not do so either with yours."

"I do not have friends." Aegon shrugged nonchalantly.

"What about me?" He felt Jace shift slightly to look down upon Aegon, as Aegon refused to meet his stare.

"We are not friends. You are my Jacaerys. Tis not the same."

"...We'll focus on the topic at hand for now but we will be coming back to this conversation. Of course, we are friends."

They lay together in silence for a while. Aegon was loathe to call it cuddling but he was clinging to Jace like an octopus to a leg.

"Do you think he truly wishes to be my friend?" Aegon whispered as he played with the buttons on Jace's tunic, just for something to do. "Or is this all just a ploy? Am I being so stupid that I cannot see the wood from the trees? This whole thing makes me feel stupid. It was so much easier when I knew what was to come."

"Do not worry. I think I am beginning to understand quite clearly what is going on."

"Glad one of us does." Aegon sulked.

"These gifts -" Jace continued, now softly trailing his fingers through Aegons hair as he usually did on a night, most times after a vigorous coupling between the two of them, which made Aegon feel at peace for the first time since he had departed from Kings Landing "- tell me more. This dagger. Why did he gift it to you?"

Aegon removed his hand from Jace's chest as he shifted it under one of the pillows behind Jace's back, withdrawing said dagger and handing it over. "He wished for me to have it for safety. Said he understood why I was unsettled and he hoped it would give me some peace of mind." Aegon mumbled, feeling his muscles starting to relax as he sank deeper into the body beneath him.

His nephew assessed the dagger with a critical eye, moving it side to side as he looked down along the blade with one eye shut.

"Tis a good blade. A very good blade, in fact. Well made, light. Would certainly cut through a man like butter if ever used. I shall give him credit for he did not arm you with a dud blade." Assessment done, Jace threw the dagger onto the bedside table with little care. "And this cloak?" He asked.

Aegon answered "I think it was a gift. I am not too sure, to be honest. The furs from home were ineffective and I was struggling with the cold. Lord Stark gave me something to help." His eyes began to feel heavy.

Jacaerys continued to stroke his hair, his other hand coming to Aegon's chest as he fingered the dragon head clasp, assessing it with just as much focus as he did the blade.

"And you say it is from the days of Queen Alysanne?" Jace hummed in thought when Aegon sleepily nodded in confirmation. "It is funny, for it is in very good condition for a heirloom that is nearly a hundred years old. If I did not know any better, one would assume it is brand new, such as the quality and shine of the metal with not even a single scratch upon it."

Aegon shrugged tiredly, brain starting to become slow with a lethargy that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. A lethargy from deep within his bones. "Queen Alysanne's visit was probably the greatest thing that has ever happened to Winterfell. Understandable why they would treasure the memory of it."

Jace again hummed to himself but left it at that.

"Be honest." Aegon whispered, voice low as his eyelids grew even heavier, so heavy that it took effort to blink, effort that Aegon had no strength to give "Do you think he is to be trusted?"

Jace hesitated a moment before sighing as he softly placed a kiss upon Aegon's forehead, lips remaining pressed upon the skin even after the act was done. "I do not think he means to hurt you. Or betray you. I think you are safe. I do not trust him but I do not think he will ever declare for your mother."

"Good." Aegon whispered, open and vulnerable "It is exhausting being on guard all the time."

"That is all it takes? One word from me and you are settled on the matter?"

Aegon tiredly hummed as his eyes closed for the final time "F'course. You are much smarter than I. If you think it is safe then I know it to be so. I know nothin'. N'ver did know anything."

"...Where is this coming from? This doubt? Where has my brash, cocksure, confident uncle gone?"

The fingers of sleep were starting to pull Aegon under. "m' too tired to keep up pretence... Not today... W'll pretend again tomorrow."

"Oh Aegon." He did not know why Jace sounded so melancholic but his eyes were now firmly shut and his mind was calm for the first time in days.

"Aegon, do you not suppose that Stark is trying to court -"

A loud snore interrupted Jacaerys, Aegon fully lost to a world of dreams and sleep.

The dark depths of the northern night provided adequate cover for a raven sent out unseen to all within Winterfell.

'Aegon thinks he has potentially made a friend out of Cregan Stark.

The Lord of Winterfell is attempting to seduce him.'

Not long after the arrival of a raven to a castle, a dragon soared high in the sky and headed north.

Chapter Text

He woke once again to the crackling and popping of a fire. With a groan Aegon felt around the bed, hoping to waste away a few more moments in the arms of another before he began the day. To his disappointment the other side was cold but he could hear the shuffling of clothes and movement around his chambers. Slowly blinking open his eyes he was surprised to find morning light streaming through the window before a fur-clad figure drew his attention away from his surroundings.

"You're awake." Stark said as he rose from his crouch from in front of the fireplace. "You slept through the night."

"Apologies -" Aegon began but Cregan interrupted him.

"None needed. You obviously needed rest after yesterday."

The more Aegon got his bearings, the more he realised just how true Stark's words were. He had felt like a weight had been lifted, the band around his chest which had felt at times as though it would take all breath from his lungs slackening. It was as if he had woken from a deep slumber with clarity and peace. Something within him had evidently settled over the acknowledgement that Stark probably would not kill him

(And apparently all he had needed was a reassuring word from Jace.

God's was he pathetic. Once upon a time, he would not even take a recommendation from the man, back then a boy, over what to put on his bread in the morning but now he cannot function without his guidance?

Oh how far he has fallen.

... He really needed to talk to someone when he returned home, someone that was not a person that he was either sleeping with or related to, for even he knew that his recent dip into paranoia probably was not for the best. But, in his defence, the last time he let his guard down surrounded by those that he did not trust he did, in fact, die.

He died in some - fine, an extreme amount - of pain and in a manner that was very, VERY, undignified for a King. He thinks he can therefore be forgiven for not being on top form.

Turns out being assassinated was something you did not just get over, no matter how much time had passed. Who knew?

Well.... Helaena. Helaena may have known. She had tried to talk to him many times about his death. She was 'concerned' and talking about his 'experiences' would help him to 'understand' and 'come to terms' with what had happened.

And Jace. He also may have known. He had said that he was 'compartmentalising' and 'avoiding' his feelings because he was not ready to 'face' what had been done to him.

And, oddly, Daemon who said Aegon was 'being a bitch' and 'for the love of the fucking God's will you just talk to someone' and 'as much as I would like to pretend otherwise you are my brother's blood' and 'This reaction to wine you have is just not normal Aegon' and 'Actually, you are just not normal Aegon' and 'Seriously. It is not normal. And this is coming from me.' and 'Saying that neither is Aemond. It is obviously Alicent's fault, that cunt. She ruined you' and 'Rhaenyra always said that you never stood a chance from the very beginning and I recognise that now' and 'Yes I obviously favoured my wife above you, because it is Rhaenyra, but you are still my nephew and I may not have acted like the best uncle to you, not like I did with her. Some could say that mistakes may have been made' and 'Maybe if I had been a proper uncle to you, you would not be the way you are now' and 'I cannot emphasise enough just how much of a cunt your mother is' and 'I have the address of someone who can help. Give me word and I shall send a raven to set up an appointment. If she cannot fit you in, I shall pay her a visit with Dark Sister. We can get you semi-competent at life within a few months' and 'If I do this for you will you please speak to Maelor and get him to stop it. Stop it all' and 'Truly she is just an utter, utter cunt')

"I shall leave you to change, then we can begin the day together for we did not get to speak after your nephew's arrival."

With that Cregan left his chambers, leaving Aegon to prepare for the day ahead. Now that he was not riddled with panic and stress with every waking moment - it was more so every fifth waking moment because they were still on the cusp of war and The Triarchy were still setting sail and Aegon was still trying to figure out a way to break Vermax's leg so Jace would be land bound and, you know, not go and fight a fleet of ships because he was an honourable man like that - he was even more determined to forge an alliance with Winterfell. Maybe now that Jace was there and Aegon had knowledge of the brotherhood that had formed between both men during the time before, he could help foster it between them once more. A united north and south could do more than a fleet of dragons ever could. It should be easy - all he had to do was let Stark and Jace bond as they did once before, with minimal input from himself, and all would be well.

With a new mindset Aegon threw on his borrowed cloak and walked into Cregan's chambers, stomach rumbling at the smell of food. He sat down with a greeting then proceeded to demolish every plate upon the table as Stark looked on with an air of contentment.

"Have you had word on the wolf? Is the cub doing well?" Aegon asked, a bit of small talk to start the conversation. Cregan had offered to house the wolf within the kennels of Winterfell until Aegon was ready to return home.

"He is fine." Cregan answered, reclining in his seat with his hands clasped on his stomach. "In want of a name however I am sure you shall think of one that fits your new pet perfectly."

Aegon continued to eat his body weight in food, surprised at where this newfound ravenous appitite had appeared from. He momentarily stopped to clear his throat. "Where is Jacaerys? Is he not to join us?" He asked.

"I have not seen him this morning. My sister will accompany him to the hall to eat when he is ready." Cregan answered with a slight crease of his brow.

(Bet she will show him everything Winterfell has to offer.

Including her undergarments.

The hussy.)

Aegon contemplated the situation, not so blind that he could not see the tightness in Starks's shoulders upon the mention of the Hand of the Queen."Is all well? Between the two of you?"

Cregan seemed to hesitate for a moment. "... As a friend, I simply advise caution. I admit that I can only go off of what I have heard over the past few days but... you say you extend the offer of gifts that he does not appreciate. Your wife and he converse behind your back. His recklessness resulted in significant injury to yourself and now he is here with no word or agreement from you. I would be weary of Jacaerys. And his intentions. I have no interest in court or in King's Landing but I am not naive to the way of the world. A snake can seem harmless until the moment they bite."

Aegon could not hold in his chuckle even if Cregan's worry, as misguided as it was, did touch him somewhat. He was only marginally kicking himself over how he probably could have gotten this situation all wrapped up within a day if he had not fallen to his delusions of sabotage and hidden wickedness. "Your concern is appreciated but misplaced. Jacaerys is the most honourable man I have ever met. I have no need for caution. Not with him. In fact, I would wager that you and he will be firm friends before the day has ended."

Cregan looked at him with soft eyes. "I fear you are blinded by familial loyalty. An admirable quality but one that many not see you well."

The two men walked down to the courtyard after their meal where Sara and Jacaerys were waiting, her hand threaded through Jace's elbow.

(See? Utter tramp. Taking full advantage of Jacaerys' gentry upbringing. He could very clearly see her copping a feel of his bicep. Subtle she was not.

Wait until he tells Baela. He doubts that Sara will be as flagrant with her whore-ish-ness when Baela's foot is connecting with her face.)

Greetings were exchanged where it became blatantly apparent to all that the light of a new day did not thaw the tensions of the previous night as Cregan and Jace's greeting to one another could barely pass as cordial.

Which was ruining Aegons plan.

Which was just plain rude and inconsiderate.

"I must speak with my nephew for a moment if you do not mind. We shall not be long." Aegon said as he grabbed Jace's arm and pulled him to the side.

Once they were a sufficient distance away from the Starks, he dipped his head close. "You were not there when I woke." Aegon whispered, looking over his shoulder to confirm that they would not be overheard by unwelcome ears, only to see that Sara was also whispering frantically to her brother.

Likely plotting a way to get Jacaerys naked.

Jace bent his head down closer to Aegon, also casting a glance around the yard. "I stayed for as long as I could but when it became apparent you had no intention of waking I had to leave before questions were asked."

Aegon could only nod in reluctant agreeance. "Have you been seen to well?"

"Lady Snow has been an attentive host. Lord Stark on the other hand has barely said a word." Jace replied with a quick glare to said Lord who was, also, glaring back.

"That is a surprise as the man will not shut the fuck up around me." Aegon said, only to be confronted with an exasperated look that, in his opinion, was completely unwarranted.

"No that is not a surprise at all. Do you honestly not see what is happening?"

Aegon opened his mouth but was interrupted by the approach of the Stark siblings, Sara now on the arm of Cregan.

"So what do you propose we do today? I am happy to show Prince Jacaerys around Winterfell while my brother keeps Prince Aegon company?" Sara suggested.

"A spar!" Aegon emphatically put forward as an alternative. "A clash between the best of the north and the best of the south. It is perfect!"

And indeed it was perfect. Aegon vaguely remembered hearing someone waffle on long ago, back before everything changed, over how Stark and Jace had bonded. While he does think getting them both drunk at this stage would probably be counterintuitive to achieving his aim, maybe a sparring session would be just what was needed to break the ice between the two men.

Aegon was officially a genius.

It was only when both men emphatically agreed did he think he maybe, possibly, had made a mistake.

It was when the training - and Aegon cannot emphasise the word TRAINING enough - spar commenced that he realised that he had unequivocally made a monumental mistake.

From the moment that their swords clashed for the first time, it became apparent to all that Jacaerys and Cregan had evidently decided that they were going to put forth all of their effort into beating twelve bells of shit out of each other.

Stark had strength and timing. Jacaerys had speed and precision. Both men equal however neither showed a hint of slowing down even as sweat began to pour off of them. A stalemate that showed no sign of ending within the near future. For every blow Cregan would land, Jace returned with equal fervour. They had drawn a crowd, one that was obviously firmly behind Lord Stark, that in the beginning had cheered in excitement over the spectacle that they were about to witness.

Said cheer turned to murmur when both men continued to exchange blows at full strength, neither giving an inch to the other as it looked to most that they were legitimately trying to behead one another even though they were, thankfully, using dulled blades on account of Sara insisting they did so.

Murmur turned to ribbing and taunts when Cregan 'accidentally' punched Jacaerys in the face. Taunts turned to grumble when Jacaerys returned the favour with a swift elbow to the nose, resulting in a fountain of blood drenching Cregan's face and tunic. The more they sparred and the more they span their deadly but beautiful dance, the clearer it became that neither would win.

A perfect match to one another.

Like a cannonball to the gut, Aegon understood then just why and how Stark and Jace had become the brothers that they had. Two sides of the same coin. Everything Jace held so dear to his heart, honour and duty and respect, was personified within a man like Cregan Stark.

Both men were panting as they came to a deadlock, an ending to their dance called by Sara, fire in two sets of eyes as they glared each other down as a sinking feeling began to settle in Aegon's stomach. For to the untrained eye the energy between Cregan and Jacaerys could easily be mistaken as one of simmering hatred. But Aegon knew, deep within his heart from his vast experience in the matters of seduction, that it was a simmering lust that he was witnessing instead only to be confirmed when both men turned to him, each with a dark, hotblooded, impassioned look in their eyes.

After all, the realm was littered with tales of romance where mortal enemies turned to passionate lovers. Destined by fate to be with one another. To forsake all others.

Fucks sake just look at Aemond and Lucerys. They used to despise each other - alright, Aemond used to despise Lucerys. They went from that to Aemond chasing down Lord Jasper Wylde upon Vhagar less than a year ago because he once dared to say that Lucerys had grown to be a proper strong man. Yes. The hypocrisy is not lost on Aegon. Or on any of them. Especially not on Lord Wylde who tried to outrun a fucking dragon on a horse. He still lives but he now keeps a very wide birth of Aemond and Lucerys during any formal functions.

While Aegon had no doubt that Jacaerys would never forsake Baela, because it was Baela and there was only one other woman in the realm better than her, there was another person who stood to lose if Jacaerys' affections turned towards another.

Everything that Jacaerys valued in a person was everything that Baela stood for.

That Cregan stood for.

Everything that, unfortunately, Aegon did not and never had stood for.

Jace and Stark were a true, perfect synergy between the North and the South.

Shit. Shitshitshitshit.

Suddenly all thoughts of an alliance were, at that moment, null and void. The threat of Alicent now paled into comparison over the threat of Jacaerys taking Cregan into his heart in place of Aegon.

He power-walked out of the gates to Winterfell, cloak blowing in the wind behind him. He was going to do what he usually did when things were starting to get out of hand.

"I know you are unhappy with me but I need help."

Sunfyre huffed out a snort, turning his head away from Aegon.

...

"I need to separate Stark and Jace. They have spent less than an hour together in total and I already see how they want to rip each other's clothes off. If I let this nonsense continue then I shall be tossed to the side. But how? I mean, I could try and foster something between the sister and Jace? I see how she looks at him. Maybe if he is preoccupied with her, I can steer Cregan away from that route? I know, I know, but Jace would not betray Baela like that. Not now. Not now they are wed. After all, Jace has never met a vow that he has not gotten a serious hard-on for. What do you think?"

...

"I... are you still angry with me?"

...

"You seem angry."

...

"No, I will not move on. Just tell me what to do to make it better and I will do it!"

...

"I am just saying that you seem angry."

...

"Is it because of the whole wolf thing?"

...

"Is it because of the whole Winterfell thing?"

...

"Fine. I...fine. I'll just... I'll just go. I shall figure it out in my own, I guess."

Aegon was staring up at the roof of his chambers from where he had thrown himself upon his bed, decidedly not having a shit fit like a toddler. Something was niggling at the back of his mind - a thought that was so near but yet so far. It was maddening as he knew if he could only grasp it with both hands, that it would be the solution to all of his questions.

He thought back through everything, trying to recolour his memories to remove any previous bias. He needed to be objective.

Look at the facts.

Look at every piece of evidence to determine a path forward. To right the wrongs and make everything whole again.

He could figure out what was amiss if he just gave it thought.

He mused for a moment then it happened. Like a flash of lightening across the sky he finally caught the niggle which quickly bloomed into a thought, which turned into an answer.

He sat up with a gasp.

He understood.

FUCKING FINALLY!

"There is something we need to talk about." Aegon burst through the doors to Jace's chambers without knocking, only partly hoping that he would catch Jacaerys off guard and in the nude. To his disappointment, Jacaerys was fully clothed, sat upon his bed with a cloth held to his rapidly developing black eye and seemingly deep within his thoughts as well.

"I am all ears."

Aegon began to pace the room as Jace looked on, all attention on him. "It is serious. I have given it thought as something is not sitting right but I finally have clarity. I see what is happening now. It all makes sense. I've figured it out!"

"Finally! Thank the God's!" Jace said, with a look of relief.

" - We need to have sex on Sunfyre."

" - Stark clearly wants to fu.... excuse me?"

"Things have not been right between Sunfyre and I for a while. He is upset with me. First I thought it was because we were up here. Then I thought it was because I could not get him a wolf to eat. But it is so clear to me now that I could kick myself for not seeing something that was so blindingly obvious." Aegon said as he began to wildly gesture.

Jacaerys, quite rudely in Aegon's opinion, gave a sigh of annoyance as he put his head in his hands, grunting slightly as his hand connected with the bruised side of his face. Only after he exhaled deeply, as if trying to regain his composure, did he look to Aegon once more. "I, too, could kick you for not seeing something that is so blindingly obvious."

"So we are agreed?" Aegon said as he came to a stop in front of Jace. "When we return we shall have sex on dragonback? Sunfyre's back to be more specific. Ideally we would do it now but the air will be cold. You would never get it up. The whole plan would be pointless and then he would be even more angry with me."

Jace fervently shook his head. "No! No, we are not agreed. Never again, we agreed. A stupid idea, we agreed. Aegon, do you honestly not remember just how bad it was?"

Aegon scoffed, waving a dismissive hand in the air "It was not that bad. You still came. I still came. You make it sound like it was the worst time with another person that you have ever had."

"Of course it was not the worst time I have ever had for it was with you. But it was the worst time you and I have ever had together."

"See but I have given it thought." Aegon said decidedly as he knelt in front of Jace, hands rising to clasp the other man's thighs. So set on his path that he did not use his positioning to sneakily feel Jace up nor did he even try to bury his face into the other man's crotch.

Because he was a grown-up now and this was serious.

"I think we will be far better on Sunfyre. His flight pattern is far smoother than Vermax. Less bouncing. Less jostling." He argued.

"There is nothing wrong with Vermax's flight pattern. He flies perfectly fine!" Jace scoffed as he folded his arms across his chest.

(Perfectly fine until you put a boat in front of him apparently.

Aegon had not told Jace that specific fact concerning his dragon. No need to send him into an existential crisis over his own potential death and/or the obvious visual disability Vermax clearly had.

Aegon just made sure to keep a close eye on him when they flew over Driftmark's harbour. Like the same way he always followed Helaena whenever she went to Maegor's Holdfast.

She thinks him odd for it.

He does not care.)

"Jace. Be serious now. Vermax flies like he has only discovered he has wings. Anyway, stop deflecting. We need to have sex on Sunfyre so that he loves me again."

"For the love of... I will consider it." Jace sighed, bowing his head in what Aegon knew was an acceptance of his inevitable defeat in this battle. "Only because I know you and I know that you will be miserable until Sunfyre is happy once more. But never again Aegon. I mean it!"

Aegon snorted. They both knew that if he really wanted it to happen again it would, no matter what Jace said.

He could never resist Aegon's arse.

Not that he had ever tried.

Aegon was not a master at anything but he knew he was a fucking god in bed.

The whores in his youth told him so, after all and they would know. Right?

Chapter Text

A plan was set in terms of ruining Jace and Cregan's burgeoning love affair. He knew it would not be difficult to implement said plan as Sara, the attention-grabbing harlot that she was, had already decided that she would be solely responsible for Jacaerys' care and wellbeing during his stay in Winterfell so after they had agreed to do the dirty on Sunfyre, Aegon lead a protesting Jace into the Great Hall and over to the Stark's, where Cregan had a slab of meat resting over his own blackening eyes. He waved his grimacing nephew off with a smile, a muttered "Remember you are happily married and Baela would castrate you if you decide to have an affair so don't fuck it up" and shoved him in Sara's direction, who proceeded to reclaim Jace's elbow and marched him away from the other two men.

Left alone, Aegon turned to Stark, unable to hide his wince as he got a clear view of the damage Jacaerys had caused. 

"It does not hurt. Only stings a little." Cregan assured with a smile.

"Indeed it will do. Jacaerys does have oddly sharp elbows. I have fallen victim to them enough times within my life to understand your pain." It was the truth as Jacaerys had accidentally elbowed him in the face whilst asleep far too many times to count. Even if Aegon is adamant that it is no accident as Baela seemed to escape a night next to Jacaerys without a single bruise.

"So -" Aegon said as he clapped his hands together. "- What do you suppose we should do for the rest of the day? Probably nothing too strenuous after the events of this morning."

Cregan rose from his seat, far slower than he would usually do and with a groan that signaled that the man was in slightly more pain than he wished to let on, muscles tight and sore and stiff. 

Aegon, again, understood. He often did the same when he had slept wrong or sneezed too hard and hurt his lower back.

"I do have one more place left to show you."

The Godswood at King's Landing had never held much sentiment for Aegon. Whenever he saw the place, it would inevitably make him think of his mother and the tree she would often sit against and sob into.

He was not thinking about his weeping mother as he looked upon a creepy face etched within a weirwood tree.

"What the fuck on Westeros is that?"

Cregan chucked to himself as he approached Aegon. "Legend speaks that it was a gift from the Children of the Forest long ago."

"And you have not thought to return it? I would return it. It does not seem like a very nice gift." Aegon would absolutely have returned it. Or set it on fire.

Stark shook his head. "Even if I could I would not. I understand that for a Southerner it seems macabre. An omen. But to me, it is Winterfell, the true Winterfell. This whole wood is Winterfell and the North. It is Westeros before the first man, before dragons and before fire. It reminds me of where we have come from and what we are now. That our time is short. What we do at this moment, even if we are not here to witness it, can matter to those of us who are to follow in our footsteps. What we do now and the decisions made are important, be it for good or for bad."

Aegon turned away from the tree. While Cregan's sentiment was noble, the thing still gave him the willies. "Do you come out here often then?"

"Quite often. I find that it gives me quiet. It is, in all honestly, my favourite place in the north. It holds many a happy memory for me. It is where my father and I would talk, it is where I wed my late wife and it is where I would bring my son when I wanted a moment to ourselves when he was just a child." Cregan answered as he led them around the Godswood, telling him the tale of Brandon The Builder and how Winterfell came to be.

They came to a stop in front of three pools of water next to a building, the Guest House if he remembered right. Aegon could see the steam emanating from the pools halfway from across the wood but could now, too, feel the heat.

All of a sudden, Cregan began to divest himself of his cloak. 

"What are you doing?" Aegon asked as Stark began to work on the fastenings of his tunic.

"WE are bathing. The springs are magic to aching muscles and hurting bones. My men and I often bathe here after sparring. A tradition, if you will."

Aegon assessed the situation as a now bare-chested Cregan was working on his breeches. On one hand, it was a bit odd and Aegon would never have thought to bathe with someone other than Helaena or Jace. But then on the other hand northerners were weird. And if it were tradition then it would be rude to decline. It may even be taken as an insult. Aegon did not want that, not now that he felt that Stark and he were finally on a level understanding with one another. 

By now Stark, fully bare, had begun to lower himself into the pool with a, frankly, obscene groan of relief. So Aegon took a breath, stripped himself out of all of his clothes as quickly as possible, did not cry at all when the cold winter air hit his uncovered skin and fell into the pool with the grace of a toddler.

He may have also let out his own obscene groan once he resurfaced.

This... this was bliss. 

It was maybe a good thing Stark had not taken him here first as Aegon would probably never have left the spring and all discussions would have had to be done while he was bathing. 

He sighed as he closed his eyes, dipping his head back so half his head was submerged underwater with a contented hum.

He felt the water shift as Cregan moved to the edge of the pool that was situated closest to the building, taking a seat on a hidden ledge. With a gesture for Aegon to join him, he trudged over and took the spot next to Stark.

"How are you?" Cregan asked as he cupped a handful of water to pour over his head. "After the news of your son?"

"I am fine. I should not have been surprised in all honesty. Maelor recently has taken a great shine to his uncle and he has not been shy in letting everyone know."

Cregan hummed. "Sons always think the world of their fathers. But we both know there is a time in their lives when they think others to be more in fashion than the man who raised them. That is the life of a parent. But, in the end, when the child is older they remember the adoration they had for their fathers. Just give it time."

"I would not know." Aegon said as he took in the Godwood from his new vantage point. 

"Did you not feel the same with your father?"

"No." Aegon said, muscles and mind beginning to relax. He was surprised by the honest words that spilled from his mouth. Surprised but he did not feel like making them stop. He wanted to be honest with Stark. 

He blamed the man's stupidly earnest face. It made him want to be open and truthful. 

Fucking twat. How very dare he.

"I scarcely remember a time when I adored my father. Do not get me wrong, it was not because I did not want it. But I just do not think he was capable of loving more than one child."

"That must have been difficult." The words spoken by someone else could have easily been taken as false, placating or sarcastic. But from Stark, it seemed to be genuine. Therefore Aegon took them as such. Being suspicious was exhausting and Aegon just did not have the energy in him at that moment to be exhausted. So he took the easy way forward and trusted that Stark's words were spoken with legitimate sentiment.

"When I was younger, when I realised just who exactly my father was, I was angry. So angry. Then when I had my own children, in the beginning, I was just disappointed. I... I do recognise that I am not the best father but I do love them all. In my own way. Now I simply accept what kind of man he was but I will not follow in his footsteps. I cannot love one and not the others. Even though sometimes it would be easier to do so. Jaehaerys has never given me much trouble. Not like the other two."

Cregan scratched his face, giving Aegon's words thought before he replied "That is part of fatherhood, is it not? To take the good examples that your elders gave you but change the mistakes they made?"

Aegon could not help but scoff, a long-held bitterness unable to be contained at that moment. "My whole journey of parenthood is doing the opposite of the examples I had. I had no good examples. Even then sometimes it does not feel as though it is enough."

"I do not think any parent feels that they have done enough. However, that is part of it, once again, when they are grown and make their own decisions. But, if I may speak freely, your children would not have done what they have done if they were not sure that they would be welcomed with love and open arms. A child under the thumb, a fearful child, would do what is commanded of them and not what they wish to do."

Aegon shrugged "I did what I wished to do and I knew I would not be welcomed with love so your argument, as well-intentioned as it is, is faulty."

"That is because you had no respect for them. That is different. I have heard nothing to suggest that they have no respect for either you or your wife."

Aegon had no response so he did not provide one. Fortunately, Cregan seemed satisfied to sit with him in a companionable silence. It was not awkward nor did Aegon feel pressed to talk just for the sake of something to do. He would have been happy to just bask in the duality of the warmth of the water and the frigid sharpness of the air.

But he wanted to talk. 

God's did he want to talk.

"I tried." He whispered, Stark shuffling along the ridge to be closer to him "I have never told anyone this but it was a lie when I said I had no good examples. When I was younger I would see how my sister was with her children. It used to infuriate me. Witnessing how she was with them to how my mother and father were with us. I despised Rhaenyra for it. I despised her children. I despised them all. For they, once again, had something that was denied to me. To my sister and my brothers too. But when Helaena had Jaehaerys, Jaehaera and Maelor, all I could think about was how Rhaenyra had been. So loving. So I tried to remember that. Sometimes I forgot but I tried."

Cregan said nothing and that, for Aegon, was the best thing he could have done.

"Do not tell anyone." Aegon cleared his throat, happy to have said his piece but wanting the moment, and the vulnerability that came with it, to be over. He never was comfortable talking about this side of his family "It will get back to King's Landing and Rhaenyra will hear of it and it will make her ego even greater than it already is. Either that or she will get all weepy and emotional. Then Daemon will get annoyed at the cause of her snivelling and then Maelor will get annoyed at Daemon because he is annoyed at me and he is just looking for a reason to torment him. And then we will have to rebuild yet another wing of the castle that has been destroyed by Silverwing trying to get to the Queen's husband. Best to just keep it to yourself."

Starks's lips twitched in amusement. "On my honour not a word shall pass my lips to another."

"You have a son, correct?" Aegon asked, keenly aware that he had spoken all about himself but had offered no such return to Stark and that was just rude. "I have not had the pleasure of meeting him yet."

"Yes. Rickon. Unfortunately, you will not be able to meet him during this visit for he is up at the Wall."

"As part of the Night's Watch or...?" Aegon asked as Cregan shook his head.

"No. Simply to learn. He shall, all things planned, take over once my time has come to an end. He must learn now why the Night's Watch and Winterfell are as connected as they are. Just in case my time ends sooner than expected, like it did with my father and I." He explained

"How old were you when he passed?"

A flash of grief, a grief that would always stay with a person no matter how much time had gone, crossed Cregan's face before he schooled his features back to normal "Ten and three. Too young for such grief. But I suppose that is often the will of the God's. To test us. Irrelevant as to which God's that it is you worship."

"It is indeed young, though you do not realise how young it is until you are older. Far too young for the duty of overseeing the North." 

Aegon could not imagine it. The weight of simply being the son of a King crushed him and ruined him when he was the age that Stark was back then. And even then he was nieve to the machinations that were swirling behind hidden walls and empty rooms that eventually landed him on a stolen throne with a blood-soaked crown. If he had known at that age just what duty was going to be thrust upon him, unwanted and undesired? He probably would have done a Laena Velaryon. That Stark did not crumble, as Aegon had done so, astounded him. That Stark had still not crumbled after all this time and was, by all evidence, a formidable Lord who had the loyalty of everyone who surrounded him was even more impressive. Impressive and inspiring. It seemed that with every day that passed the more respect Aegon gained for the Warden of The North.

"Does it not get too much for you? Governing? All this responsibility placed at your feet? All the expectation?"

Cregan sighed heavily, as he tilted his head back against the wall to look up at the skies above, beads of water slowly trailing down the side of his face "This duty... It weighs on me at times. Believe it or not, I do not always have the answers to everyone's questions. There are times, especially recently, that I would have nothing more than to place personal desire over my oath to the North. But I would not trade it. Not for a moment of peace. For I know, deep within everything that I am, that this is my calling in life. It is my purpose to lead. Only a few can carry the weight of such duty. I would wager that you, too, are one of those very few."

"Duty is not for a man like me." Aegon snorted, relaxed and not heeding note of his words. "I have worn a crown and it is an ill fit at best."

The atmosphere turned sharp and that was when Aegon realised exactly what he had thoughtlessly said. Cautiously he looked to Cregan. All softness and friendliness vanished as quickly as a puff of smoke, replaced by suspicion. He sat up straight and fully turned to Aegon.

"Your words. You said that you have worn a crown before. What do you mean?" Stark asked with steel in his voice, slowly but noticeably moving away from Aegon and towards the other side of the spring.

"I simply meant...the crown...of a prince?"

"Do not lie." Stark demanded. "Do not play me for a fool. I will not accept it. Not even from you."

Aegon sighed as he ran his hands down his face. The truth was he could not lie even if he wanted to for the words would not come. He could not even begin to construct a semi-coherent lie, no less one that had a remote possibility of Stark fully believing with no further questions. Questions would lead to answers and answers, based on the word of a lie, if asked enough would trip him into a trap that he would be unable to talk his way out of. Then everything would be for naught. Then he could be in very real danger. He and Jacaerys both if Stark was so inclined. Aegon did not think he would be but he had not seen Stark angry before and Aegon knows better than most what anger and betrayal can make even a nobleman do.

He exhaled deeply before he firmed his decision. He would not tell Cregan the full truth, but just enough. 

"There are some in my line, the blood of the old land, who have dreams. My wife is one." Aegon spoke softly, needing Cregan to believe him even though he knew what he was about to unveil might even stretch Stark's tolerance for a tale.

"And you?" Cregan interrogated, still with no warmth to his tone.

Aegin nodded "Just the one. I... only needed the one."

"And?"

Aegon looked down to the water for a moment, trying to find the right words. The right tale. He swallowed before he looked back to Stark. "A war. A war between dragons. Between family. A proclaimed heir and a firstborn son."

To his frustration, he felt emotion swelling within his chest, threatening to clog his throat before he would be able to finish his sentence. He cursed himself for he had thought, hoped, that he was long over the events that had previously transpired. 

"Fire. Death. Blood. Ash. Everyone... everyone died. My sons. My wife. My brothers. All gone. I was the last. Myself and Jaehaera. We destroyed everything. The whole realm, turned to smoke and dust. So much -" 

He felt the tears well in his eye as he remembered a headless boy, a wailing mother, another son screaming as he was made to watch as his mother was... God's he could still hear Aegon's screams as if he were right back at that moment, holding a child to his side with nothing but vengeance in his heart. He remembered every single plea that fell upon deaf ears. He remembered every single missive of the casualties of every battle fought, scores upon scores of families decimated in the space of one single dragon breath and he did not care. He remembered who he was back then, who he had become, the unforgiving and vindictive brother whose only focus was to watch his sister burn and perish under his own booted foot. 

It terrified him. What he had done. It still terrified him. The older he got, the further away he grew from the boy that he once was, the more his terror grew with each passing year. He had never told Helaena that. He would never tell her. Her or Jacaerys. 

" - so much loss. For nothing. The person I was, the person I know I am capable of becoming, worries me. But what worries me most is how easy it was. It was so, so easy. Just one slip of the hand, just one mistake and all the dragons took to the skies and thousands upon thousands died. Died fighting for a throne that mattered naught to them. It still haunts me. Even now."

He subtly wiped away the few tears that had escaped and fallen into the water below, head bowed in shame. Finally Stark would realise just what kind of man Aegon could be if given the chance. And the thing that hurt him, truly hurt his soul, was that even then Stark only knew a small portion of what Aegon could do and had done. He would never know what a genuine monster he was. 

Nobody knew. 

Only Aegon knew. Only he knew and he had to live with that.

"That is indeed a heavy burden to carry." Aegon still refused to look up, even when he knew Cregan had moved to stand in front of him. "But the greatest mistake you could ever make would be to willfully follow in those same footsteps. That it still haunts you? That is no bad thing. Our mistakes make us the men we are today. When you forget is the time to worry. Not now. And not in this case. That you are trying to stave off a war is proof of how you are not the same person. You, Aegon Targaryen, need to have more faith in yourself." 

He does not know how or why Stark seemed to believe him with no hesitation but it was appreciated. Yet another sign of how good of a man the Lord of Winterfell was.

"Thank you -" Aegon answered softly, voice hoarse from his tears. "- For your comfort. I do not know what help it shall be and I feel that your compassion is wasted on me. But it is appreciated nonetheless."

He still did not look up when he felt Cregan move to sit beside him once more. 

"Did Winterfell fall?" The man asked with interest.

"No. Winterfell remained standing. By the time I met The Stranger you were at the gates, still fighting for a brother bonded by an oath that was by then long gone."

Cregan hummed to himself. "I take it from your words that the brother bonded by oath was not yourself?"

"No. No, it was not me. You, even at war, were honourable to your oaths. Of that, you should take great pride. Coincidentally that is how I know you and my nephew will be good friends before our time is concluded here."

Cregan snorted derivatively at the mention of Jacaerys but did not say anything about his nephew, seemingly keen to have Jacaerys be no part of the conversation between the two of them. "I must admit it is difficult to imagine raising a sword against you."

Aegon shrugged "I was a different person back then. A sword raised against me was fully deserved. What happened to me in the end, truthfully, was also fully deserved. You decimated my forces battle after battle. It was highly annoying. If I had had the chance I would have happily watched you burn but, fortunately for you, both Sunfyre and I were indisposed."

"Well then -" Cregan said, nudging Aegon's side until he looked up at the Lord, jumping slightly in surprise at how close he was to Aegon, far closer than he had been before Aegon ruined it with careless words "- let us be thankful we did not meet upon the battlefield."

"I totally would have won." Aegon gave a shaky smile, still feeling uneven within himself.

"Of course." Cregan nodded seriously.

"I would have burnt you up good and proper."

"I know you would have." This time Lord Stark could not hold in his grin as Aegon snorted in amusement, feeling slightly better.

"Do you understand now?" Aegon implored. "Why I cannot settle until this threat is gone? Why I must secure this alliance. I have seen what power you hold and what you and your men are capable of. I cannot risk the chance, no matter how small it to be, that you will turn sword against us."

"I do. Truly I do." Cregan said, as a hand under the water took one of Aegon's and squeezed it tight. "But it is not just the south Winterfell has to be wary of." 

"I thought that Night's Watch was a friend to House Stark?" Aegon asked in confusion. 

"I am sure you have heard the tale of Queen Alysanne's visit to the North. How her beast steadfastly refused to cross over the Wall?" Cregan asked with another squeeze of a hand. "What do you suppose is on the other side that not even one of the largest dragons within the realm is brave enough to face?"

"... Well when you put it like that. Fair."

"- you must see the Glass Gardens, my Prince. It is heated by the hot springs so allows us to grow produce even when the rest of the castle has frozen solid. You can bathe in the springs if you wish. It will help with any tightness of muscles after your bout this morning. My brother makes use of them frequently." Came a feint, distinctly female, voice from the direction of the kennels which was located to the side of the springs. Aegon had little time to react as a wooden door opened to the side and Sara and Jacaerys stepped through the threshold. 

They halted as they immediately took sight of the two men who were currently basking in the heated waters.

Aegon watched as Jacaerys looked first at Aegon, then at Cregan, then back to Aegon, down to where he could clearly see two clasped hands under the sparking clear water and then, finally, down at the piles of clothes and the visible undergarments that were in plain sight to all.

He frowned and then clenched his jaw before storming away with Sara.

This time it was Jace who marched into Aegons room with no care for knocking or any form of civility.

"What the fuck are you doing?!" Jace hissed, absolutely seething. "What in the actual fuck are you doing?!"

Aegon went to answer but Jacaerys gave him no chance to do so. "I know you better than anyone Aegon Targaryen. I know when you are plotting and I know when you are scheming."

"I have no idea what you mean." Aegon tried to play innocent, even though he knew he was shit at it. Even when he was actually innocent of whatever it was he was being accused of he could not play innocent. 

"Why are you trying to push me off to Sara? Why are you entertaining Stark and his delusions? Naked, might I add. Is this...are you trying to get me out of the way? So you can be with HIM?!" Jace demanded as he ran his hands through his hair while stomping around the room.

Aegon stepped in front of the rampaging Prince, hands held up in surrender. "I am not trying to push you off onto Sara. She offered to show you Winterfell. That is no fault of mine. And I was hardly going to wear clothes in the spring. Honestly Jacaerys you make such a mountain out of a mole hill sometimes."

"You do realise you are a horrible liar?" Jace scoffed before anger turned into desperate pleading. "Do not lie. Not you. Not to me. Whatever it is, whatever you have done or want to do, I shall understand. I may not agree but I will not forsake you and I will not turn my back on you. But please just tell me the truth."

"Fine!" Aegon folded like a pathetic deck of cards under Jacaerys' emotion, hoping that this would not be a case of unrealised feeling only to come to fruition once out in the open. "Fucking fine. This honesty shit is so shit."

Aegon paused before he threw his hands up in exasperation "Stark wants to bed you. I saw with my own two. - one - eye the looks between the two of you. The tension. It is so thick and heavy that I am surprised that the whole realm could not feel it. I do not blame him obviously for wanting you because who wouldn't? But what can I say, I am selfish. So I wanted you to spend time with Sara, not with him. So then if you are not around him, you would never realise what is plain for me to see. I see what kind of man he is, so honourable and noble and shit and I know that's the kind of thing that gets you all weak at the knees because you, too, are honourable and noble and shit and I am decidedly not honourable and noble and shit and I just... please do not leave me? I know I should be principled and decent and say 'I just want you to be happy and if that is with him, I shall stand aside' but that is a lie. A filthy, dirty lie. I want you to be miserable with me more than I want you to be happy and in love with him."

"Aegon." Jace sighed with exasperation as he clasped Aegon's face between his hands, quite forcefully if Aegon was being honest, much like he did when he was trying to explain something to the other Aegon when he was being exceptionally stupid and Jacaerys was trying to keep a rein on his growing irritation. "Listen to me carefully. Cregan Stark does not want to bed me. He does not want to lay with me and he certainly does not want to love me. And I most certainly do not want to lay with him. Not now. Not ever. Baela and you? It is all I will ever want. On that, you have my word. That is not what is happening here"

"Then what is it?" Aegon asked as best he could considering how smushed his face was between Jace's in grip.

"He wants to lay with you!" Jace slowly explained, enunciating each word slowly and carefully. 

Aegon thought about it for a moment. 

Then he snorted in laughter as he shoved Jace away. 

"Do not be stupid. A man, a proper manly man like Cregan Stark, would never be interested in someone like me."

"... What do you mean a man like him? And why wouldn't he want to be with someone like you?"

"I mean let's be honest with each other, even his extension of friendship to someone like me is a surprise. I do not expect it to last mind you. Once he fully realises just what kind of person I am he will probably rescind his offer. It is only a matter of time."

" - I like someone like you."

"Does that mean I would have to give back the wolf? If he nullifies it? Now that I have had time to settle with the idea I am very much taken with having my own wolf at beck and call."

" - Hold on. Are you saying Cregan is better than me?"

"Actually if we are to be truthful I find that I am taken with the idea that he wants to be friends. It is so strange. It is not something I have ever given thought to before. Do not get me wrong, I had people I could stand from before but there was never the ease that I have with Stark. I mean it does not feel as though he wants anything from me. It feels as though he wants to be in my presence because he genuinely wants to. It is so peculiar."

" - A more manly man than I?!"

"And I find I like talking to him. Someone who is not one of us. It is nice. It does not feel like he judges me. Maybe it is because he does not know of the person that I was before?"

" - Do you honestly think he to be better? You do not consider yourself good enough for him but you are good enough for me?"

"Sometimes it feels like everyone is waiting for me to become the old Aegon once more, even after all this time. Nobody will say it but I can see it. Sometimes it feels like even I am just waiting for it to happen. But he speaks like he has such belief that I am a good man. And that... that makes me happy."

" - He is not. He is not good enough for you. I am not good enough for you."

"It is odd to want to talk to someone, not want to fuck them, but still want to be around them. Obviously, I do not want to fuck every single person I converse with, mainly as most people that I talk to are either relations or are just really, really old but still."

" - Bet he wouldn't have sex with you on dragonback. He looks like a man afraid of heights. It would never work between the two of you." 

"And I feel guilt, true guilt, for how badly I misjudged him when I first arrived. All my suspicions and misgivings were all for naught. And yet he did not cast me aside for it. He saw what could develop between us if just given time and space."

" - And you hate the cold. I hate the cold. He loves the cold. It just would not make sense logistically."

"Maybe, if I give him the time and space he bestowed upon me, we - I - can achieve something. Something great. Something long-lasting that will stand the test of time. Something that will be spoken about for generations to come. The fables of one Aegon Targaryen and one Cregan Stark. A kinship so strong that none could come between it. Not just an allegiance but a firm, strong, brotherhood like you two once had. I never would have thought that it would be something I could do. It is something I thought only you could be capable of. But maybe I can?"

" - and he just does not understand our ways. Our tradition. He would never fit into our family. I mean, look at what they do with their dead! It's barbaric is what it is."

"Maybe for once, just for once, I could do something truly good. Something to be proud of. Something my children can be proud of. Something that could outlive my lifetime. Unifying the North and the South in a way that has never been done before - Well it has obviously been done before, you did it before. But nobody knows about that so it does not count - and it would not be for duty or gain or malicious intent. It would be because I want to. I truly want to be kin with Stark. Because I like him. Now that I have begun to talk to him openly and freely without the hesitation from before, I find that I actually like him."

" - Just stack them one on top of the other all in one place. It is not normal Aegon!"

Aegon smiled at Jacaerys with a giddiness he didn't think he had felt before. "Jace, I made a friend."

It was during supper - again - that a guard burst through the doors - again - clearly sweating beneath his furs - again. 

"Dragon." The guard panted. "Another dragon has arrived."

Jacaerys spat out his wine in surprise at the proclamation, thumping his chest to clear his airways with a cough that sounded suspiciously like a laugh. Aegon threw his head back with a groan. Cregan glared at Jacaerys. Jacaerys turned to the Lord with an extraordinarily abominable attempt at containing a smile.

"Oh no -" Jace said as he pursed his lips, very clearly biting his cheeks. "- How unexpected. I wonder who it could be?"

Aegon could see from the corner of his eye Cregan reach for Ice, still glaring at Jacaerys, only to be halted by his sister slapping his hand away from the sword's pommel.

"What dragon is it?" Aegon asked the ceiling of the hall.

"I do not know." The guard said "But it is a large one. A very, very large one."

Aegon only groaned again. "I assume this very, very large dragon looks like an overgrown, ghastly, flying green prune?"

The guard nodded his head.

Of course it did. 

Of course it fucking did. 

Chapter Text

Just like before, everyone was gathered outside in the courtyard to welcome yet another unannounced and unwelcome guest. The only difference this time was that it was pissing it down with rain which just annoyed Aegon even more as he was not only cold, he was now also wet.

It did not take long for his half-witted, clearly adopted brother to make his appearance as he stormed towards them as if he were storming towards a battlefield for there was no greater a dramatic bitch in the realm than one Aemond Targaryen.

"Prince Aemond, what another lovely surprise. We are being spoilt, are we not brother?" Sara welcomed with as much cheer as she had given Jacaerys.

Cregan did not even greet Aemond.

"Aemond." Jacaerys said without half the venom he usually held for his uncle. If he did not know any better he could almost have fooled himself into believing that Jace sounded somewhat amused.

"What the fuck is going on with your hair?" asked Aegon.

A legitimate question in his opinion as Aemond's usually pristine, polka-straight hair was as tangled and wavy as the likes Aegon had not seen since they were children. Aegon suspected that his brother spent an unacceptable amount of time in the morning styling his hair with some form of hot implement. Lucerys had never confirmed or denied his theories when pushed but Aegon had spotted a two-pronged, short bar of iron with a leather handle next to the fireplace within their chambers the last time he had visited Driftmark and had taken it upon himself to search Aemond and Luke's room in the hopes of finding something to embarrass Aemond with at a later date.

It was either for his hair or Luke and Aemond were far more adventurous in the bedroom than he would have ever thought to give them credit for.

Which he would never do because the thought of the two of them naked made him want to claw his only eye out.

"It is the rain." Aemond sniffed.

"I hope you do not mind my asking, but what is your purpose here?" Cregan finally spoke.

"Simply to offer assistance." Aemond replied. Aegon knew full well what was happening. Aemond, powered by the dark magic imbued into him as a child by their mother, could sense Aegon was happy and about to do something worthwhile and had therefore decided to ruin it.

Like he always did.

Because he was pure evil.

"It is not needed. I am handling everything perfectly well." Aegon said with a forced smile.

Aemond huffed through his nose, hands clasped behind his back."Not as everyone else has concluded their tasks and have returned to King's Landing. Yet you are still here."

"He is here to discuss an alliance between North and South. I will not lead my men to war under the whim of a dragon just because he demands it. Your brother has given me the time and respect to weigh our options. He waits until I give him my answer. This matters why?" Cregan demanded as he moved to stand slightly in front of Aegon with his arms crossed.

"It matters -" Aemond admonished Stark while barely looking at him, deciding to stare down at Aegon instead because he was taller and Aegon never heard the fucking end of it " - as the longer he is here that is one less dragon to defend our family. If we were to be attacked what do you suppose he is able to do from up here? And now, because of this delay, you have two of our dragons." A feeble excuse if Aegon had ever heard of one. It was clear that Aemond had just made that up because he could not be honest in his intention to ruin Aegon's life because his brother tried to pretend to all that he was above it all. Aegon knew better.

Aegon cocked his head in confusion. "Are you not meant to be at Driftmark? Defending the Velaryon Fleet? Lucerys' Velaryon Fleet? The one that would be first hit if battle were to start? I am sure Rhaenyra said you were supposed to be guarding Driftmark."

"Meleys, Arrax and Morning are competent enough to hold The Triarchy off. More than. That and I can reach them in good haste if needed."

"No you cannot." Aegon scoffed.

"Vhagar is the largest dragon in the realm. She can cover great distances in a short space of time. Because she has big wings. I should not have to explain this to you brother. If The Triarchy were to attack, I would be back in time to defend my home."

"Wrong. Vhagar is indeed the largest dragon in the realm but she covers fuck all distance. Because she is old and fat."

Aemond pursed his lips, fist alternating between clenching and relaxing by his side as if he were trying to control his impulse to smack Aegon. Maybe Aemond had also grown in his elder years as he did not turn his impulse into action. He could see Aemond set himself to retort with another piss-poor reason as to why his decrepit grandmother of a dragon was not the most useless thing since Criston Cole but Jacaerys interrupted.

"Well -" he said with a shit-eating grin. "- Aemond is here now and there is naught that can be done so best he stay here for the night."

Cregan said nothing as Sara picked up the mantle of host and showed Aemond to his lodgings in the Guest House next to the chambers given to Jace as Aegon could only sigh in frustration to himself.

Everything had been going so well.

Two cloaked figures met in the Godswood under the cover of night.

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"What do you have to say for yourself? How could you have let this happen?"

"Aemond, I did not let anything happen. I did not even know about it until I arrived. What was I supposed to have done about something that I am not even aware of?!"

"I trusted you with the care and wellbeing of my brother and this is how you repay me?"

"You are trying my last nerve which is an achievement as we have been conversing for less than 15 seconds! I did not let this happen. I will not repeat myself anymore on the matter. I cannot believe that I allowed myself to be glad for a moment that you were here. You are as infuriating as you have always been."

"You know Aegon. You know well enough that he cannot be trusted to go off unaccompanied, by himself, and be allowed to have his own thoughts. What were you thinking? This is what happens when you let him make his own decisions! He goes off and gets himself involved with a Stark of all people!"

"This is not Aegons fault either!"

"I dislike but accept his use of the whores. I barely tolerate him lowering himself to take someone like you as a lover but a Stark?! Unacceptable. I will not stand for it. I will not have MY brother in a dalliance with a STARK of all people!"

"Someone like me? What do you mean by that?"

"You know what I mean."

"You mean a bastard? Like my brother?"

"Do not bring Lucerys into this. He is different. And no, I did not mean a bastard."

"Then what?"

"Aegon should be with someone of his own kind. That is all. Helaena is sufficent. You... are not."

"Wait, am I not Targaryen enough for you?"

"You spoke those words. Not I."

"You do realise that I am every bit a Targaryen as you, yes?"

"Hmm of course you are not."

"Hmm of course I am. You are half Targaryen, half Hightower. I am half Targaryen, half Strong. If I am a half-breed then so are you."

"I have always thought you to be half Cole. It would explain why Luke is far more preferable to you. This is about Aegon, Jacaerys. Do not make it about yourself. He would not be in this mess if you had done exactly what I had told you to do - look after him and keep me informed of all of his dealings."

"I do look after him. I love him and I care for him and I send you your stupid ravens every bloody week. Ravens that, by the way, could easily be sent by Helaena who is, coincidentally, someone that actually likes you."

"Helaena would lie so as not to cause upset. I need accurate and truthful information. Do not think your role to be more important than it is. You are a messenger. Nothing more."

"I truly hate you sometimes Aemond."

"I truly hate you Jacaerys. All of the time."

"You are not good enough for my brother."

"And you are not good enough for mine."

"God's you are just... enough. This is irrelevant. This is about Aegon and Stark."

"Does he know about Stark's nefarious intentions? Have you at least done that?"

"Of course I have."

"...and?"

"He did not believe me. A man like Stark would not have any interest in a man like him wad the general gist of how that conversation went."

"A man like him? He thinks himself to be less than a Stark? A Stark?! Why would he ever think such a thing?... What have you done to him to make him feel he is not worth a Stark?"

"I have done nothing. Cripping confidence issues from a poor childhood raised by two poor parents will have that effect on a man."

"We are talking about my Aegon still, correct? The man who once threw himself a feast because he got a haircut? You are telling me he has confidence issues?"

"Yes? Aemond, how -"

"- You did not think to mention this at all? Not once? This was the entire point of the ravens Jacaerys! For information as pertinent as this!"

"How did you NOT know?! Seriously. How did you not know this!?"

"I do not see him every day. Not like you. How was I supposed to know if you do not tell me so? Well then, why have you not fixed him yet?"

"He has always been like this. I just assumed you knew but were too busy addressing your own issues from Viserys and Alicent."

"... excuse me?"

"A childhood of craving love and affection manifests in different ways. For Aegon, it is issues with self-love and confidence. For you, it is homicidal tendencies because you are bitter over something that you did not get but which was freely given to others. The whole Driftmark thing did not help but that is a whole other issue. Aegon turns his anger onto himself. You turn it to others. Same issues, different outcome. It really is just fascinating when you think about it. Fascinating and a bit sad."

"Our childhood was not that bad. Stop exaggerating."

"Did you not ever stop to think why Daeron is the most normal out of the lot of you? Did you not ever theorise that it is because he was nowhere near your mother?"

"There is also nothing wrong with Helaena either. I am perfectly fine."

"We are getting off-topic -"

"- There is nothing wrong with me."

"I think you have me confused with my brother? The one who cares? That is not me. I do not care about you. I care about Aegon so can you please focus?"

"Yes. We shall focus as it is obvious that you need my help."

"I'll have you know that I already have a plan."

"We shall ruin Stark. We shall besmirch his name so horrifically that he shall pray for death. By the time we leave, he shall have impaled himself upon his own sword out of shame and humiliation, unable to live with the disgrace he has brought to the North. That will be the plan."

"What? No!"

"Fine. I shall take Vhagar up into the skies and burn the north to the ground. They cannot declare on behalf of Alicent if they cease to exist and Aegon cannot be intimate with a pile of ash and bone."

"We are not doing that either."

"I will challenge him to a duel for Aegon's honour. Then I shall remove his head."

"Stop talking. Please just stop. We are not going to be doing any of that and I'm telling my brother about this entire conversation. You are his problem. Not mine."

"Fine. Then tell me what is your great plan as mine are apparently beneath the great Hand of the Queen."

"We are going to take Aegon's scheme and repurpose it as our own."

"... Of course Aegon had schemed. When has Aegon not schemed."

"You shall draw Stark's attention away from Aegon. Interference. Then once this matter is concluded, time and space between the two of them will cause such feelings to fade until it is naught but a memory. Stark will not leave Winterfell and we can contain Aegon in King's Landing. We just need to create distance, a buffer, until such time as we can depart."

"So I must subject myself to conversing with a Stark? And you cannot do this why?"

"Because of Aegon's earlier ill-thought-out scheme, I cannot get away from the sister. She clings to me like a barnacle to a boat. That and Stark refuses to engage with me. He would just walk away and Aegon would follow. I cannot do it therefore I must, unfortunately, trust you to do it instead."

"So I am to divert Stark from his path and destroy all infatuation he has for Aegon so he has no desire or want for my brother. That should be easily done for I have many a tale that will easily turn Stark against him... what is that face for?"

"No. No. No we cannot do that either."

"Why?"

"Aegon believes he has made a friend. He is very proud of himself. He hopes that he can create a kinship between he and Stark. I do not want to take that from him."

...

"Do not look at me like that. I am not happy about it either but I have not seen him like this in so long. I do not have it within me to take this happiness from him. Neither should you if you hold any care for him. Let him have this belief. Let him have something good to come from all this. Do not ruin it for him. Just be yourself Aemond. Be annoying and infuriating and the constant thorn in Aegon's side that you always are. Stop them from getting any closer but do not ruin that which has already been developed. Once Aegon is back home then things will settle. Cregan can do nothing from Winterfell and eventually, he will forget about Aegon for it is simply a fleeting passion. This friendship will fade on its own and if it does not then it will simply be a bond of ravens."

"This is a foolish plan and it would just be simpler to use Vhagar. I honestly do not know why I am here."

"I did not ask you to come here. In no way did I ask you to fly up here. My raven did not contain the words 'Aemond, please stop trying to kill your niece's new husband and depart for Winterfell'. You took that decision all upon yourself. However now that you are here, we may as well put you to use. Now will you help or shall I figure out another way?"

"Fine. I will not allow my house to suffer the indignity it will inevitably face if it becomes known that my brother fell to the charms of a Stark. We shall go with your plan. And when it fails then I shall set Vhagar loose."

"You need to stop doing this. This is why nobody likes you."

Aegon knew Aemond had ruined everything.

He knew it from the moment he first saw a silver-haired newborn, swaddled within Targaryen colours in the arm of a wet nurse, when Aegon's first thought was that Aemond was not only an exceedingly hideous baby but that he was going to be his eternal damnation.

He knew it from the moment Aemond learned to talk and he told his mother that Aegon was the one who had painted Otto's Hand of the King badge bright pink.

He knew it from the moment Aemond claimed Vhagar and spent his first time on the back of the green bitch after they had returned to King's Landing chasing Aegon and Sunfyre across the bay in revenge for everything Aegon had ever done to him, his incessant commands of 'Dracarys' leaving him in no doubt that Aemond fully intended to end his life.

He knew it from the moment he walked into Cregan Stark's chambers for their customary meal in the morning to find Aemond sat upon Aegon's seat, eating all of his food.

"Aegon -" Stark shot up from his own seat with a nervous energy like a child caught stealing from the kitchen because his bastard brother had told his mother that Aegon was up to no good. " - I can explain."

Aemond turned to Aegon.

To the untrained eye, one would think his brother to be a stone emotionless wall.

To Aegon, who knew better, he knew full well what that look meant. It was the look Aemond got that said 'I am going to ruin your life. I am going to ruin it so badly that you will be sobbing like a baby by the time I am done with you. Because I hate happiness and if I cannot be happy nobody can. Especially you. As long as I am alive I will spend every waking moment making sure you are miserable because I hate you and I have not forgotten what a shit you were when we were younger.'

Aemond was such a petty bitch.

He was eating his meal in the Great Hall and he was alone. He had no Jacaerys - who he could not find sight or sound of - and he had no Cregan - who had extended the invite for Aegon to join him and his brother but between Aegon entering his chambers and Cregan offering him his own seat at the table all the remaining food that had been sitting on said table had disappeared into Aemond's mouth as he had become a gluttonous hag since the last time they had met. The fact that Aemond was the one who said Aegon should look to the Great Hall for sustenance as Cregan was to show him Winterfell just added to the indignity.

So there he was.

Alone.

Alone and bored.

So very very bored.

Usually, when he was bored he would go and annoy someone. But he only had Jacaerys and Aemond and he did not fancy watching Sara slobber over his nephew as she tried to get him to touch her nether regions so he would just have to settle for annoying Aemond.

Well that was the plan.

But try as he might he could not find the man anywhere. Nor could he find Cregan.

He tried the armory - nothing.

He tried the tower - nothing.

He tried the kennels - nothing.

He tried the kitchen - nothing but he did steal a fresh piece of bread.

He tried the kennels again - still nothing but he was able to squeeze himself into the area where the wolf pup was housed where he subsequently decided that he was going to gift it to Jaehaera. Not only as a wedding present but also so that it could bite younger Aegon's cock off if he was even a little bit untoward to his daughter as he would not abandon Jaehaera to 'just get on with her wifely duties' like his mother had done to Helaena.

He even tried, out of desperation, the privy of the Guards Hall after he thought that he had caught sight of a long mane of silver hair out of the corner of his eye heading in that general direction - again nothing. However during his investigation of said privy from the doorway, because he was not going to actually go into the room as the smell was already making his eye water, he suddenly felt a hand upon his back. He had barely registered the hand upon his back before he was shoved harshly into the room, the door slamming shut behind him. Still stunned over nearly falling face-first into the privy seat, he barely heard the sound of a scraping noise on the other side of the door which, subsequently, failed to open when Aegon tried the handle.

An obvious jest by the Winterfell guardsmen because they were childish and thought locking someone in a communal privy was the height of hilarity.

Granted Aegon, too, had found it the height of hilarity when he had done the same to Aemond back in their youth but they were boys back then and not fully grown men.

With no way out Aegon was forced to divide his time between banging on the door, demanding then pleading for someone to let him out, and standing on top of the privy seat to try and stick his head out of a small window up high, the only window there was and one that was just slightly out of reach, gulping down as much fresh air that he could just so he could take a breath that did not smell or taste like death.

A servant eventually opened the door, looking down at a crooked dagger in his hand in confusion, only to be more confused by the Prince who was dangling from the window, toes barely touching the privy seat, because he had gotten his head stuck during a desperate attempt to get as far away from the stench as he could.

Chapter Text

Aegon found himself within the library of Winterfell as he recovered from the trauma of a servent smearing his face with butter and oil. He had eventually slipped free from the window but the indignity of the incident was not something he would forget any time soon and he needed a distraction from how close he had come to not only strangulation but also from nearly falling feet first into the privy when he had been freed.

While the collection at Winterfell did not compare to the collection at King’s Landing, the tomes housed at Winterfell were nothing to sniff at. Not that Aegon was be sniffing anything at that moment in time, nose permanently damaged from the trauma of what he had been subjected to.

He should probably apologise to Aemond for his boyhood prank. But he also did not want to because that would mean he would have to apologise for every prank he had ever played on Aemond and he would be apologising forever. He did not have the time to spend the rest of his life apologising and Aemond was thirty years of age and he should really be over it by now even though apparently he was not because Aemond had never met a grudge that he did not with to continue until at least someone was dead.

Thinking of Aemond’s stubbornness made Aegon think of what had transpired since his arrival not even a day earlier. Of course he would do this to him. Of course his brother had to swoop in and ruin things and replace him. Aegon could never have something for himself. He always had to share. Always.

He had to share his father with Rhaenyra and Viserys loved her far more then him.

He had to share his mother with Aemond and Helaena and Alicent loved them far more then him.

He had to share Luke with Aemond and Luke loved Aemond far more then him.

He had to share Helaena with Baela – not that he would ever hold it against her. The complete opposite. He was happy for her because there was nobody who deserved to be happy more then her – but there were many times, more times then not, where he thought that Helaena probably preferred Baela to him. Understandable as Aegon was not so blind that he couldn’t see how difficult it could be to deal with someone like him.

He had to share Jacaerys with Baela – again, not that he would ever hold it against him either for he also deserved to be happy – but there were also times, again more times then not, where he knew that Jacaerys definitely preferred Baela to him. Also understandable. Because Aegon could be a bit of a twat at times.

Maybe he had hoped, deep down, that he could just have this one thing to himself. Just for once he wanted to have something that was his and his alone. Do not get him wrong, he had Sunfyre and he clung onto his boy with grip so tight that no-one would ever steal him away but a dragon could only do so much. So he hoped. A hope that had only grown when it became apparent that something had changed and that the bond between Cregan and Jace would not be able to form as it had once done so.

But it was not just that. It was not just a craving to have something to call his own, like a child hording his toys under his bed.

Maybe, for once, he could be like Jacaerys – not the man who was now Hand of the Queen but the man who everyone, be they under the banners of Black or Green, mourned when news of his passing spread across the realm. Someone who created a legacy. Made a name for himself. Did something truly remarkable.

It was hard to be a Targaryen. Yes obviously it could be worse – he could be one of the smallfolk who struggled to put bread upon a table day after day. He is not ignorant to that fact. But in some way he is jealous of them. Perhaps he has always been jealous of them and the freedom they are unaware that they have. The freedom from the shackles of expectation. Because that was what it was to be a Targaryen. Expectation to be significant and glorious like Aegon The Conqueror or Visenya or Jaehaerys or Alysanne. Those who shaped their House and shaped the realm. Rhaenyra had done it by being the first of her name. Aemond and Daemon would go down in history as two of the greatest Targaryen’s never to be King, a symbolism of what a Targaryen was meant to be. Jacaerys had the promise to achieve something great, truly great, within his lifetime.

But Aegon?

Aegon will be forgotten and buried within history. Because he is, despite his outward proclamations, a failure. Always has been. All pomp and bluster aside that is the true reason why he dislikes Alicent as much as he does. Because she was right about him. It is why he despised Otto as much as he did because he, too, was right about him.

Granted, yes, he had managed to stop a war but that was only because he had been cursed with the knowledge of what was to come. That was cheating.

This had been his chance to show them that they were wrong. That Aegon could stand side by side with those who are extolled over and not feel like an imposter. That he had earned his name rather then be given it on a silver platter. That he would go down in history for something other then a war that destroyed everything it touched, himself included.

More fool him.

He should have know better that it was not on the cards for him.

Because Alicent had always been right about him.

Because Otto had always been right about him.

He hated them for it.

He hated himself more.

See? This is why he did not like to think. Because thinking made him a dramatic whore and got him all in his feelings. He needed to stop thinking.

Fortunately for him, the door to the library opened and in walked the two men Aegon had spent an unacceptable time searching for. Aemond, as per usual, seemed disappointed to find Aegon within the room, which was both uncalled for and offensive, as he walked past him to peer at the collection. Cregan seemed... different. He could not put his finger on what was wrong with him but something was different.

It was probably spending an extensive time with his brother. That often put people on edge.

“Are you well?” Aegon asked as he began to walk up to Cregan, only to stop when a loud bang echoed around the room, making Aegon jump in a manly way. He turned to see that Aemond had picked up one of the large tomes and dropped it upon the large table that centred the room.

“An impressive collection.” Aemond said, assessing the room as if he had not just tried to throw a historic artefact through a wooden table and a stone floor to the room below.

“Do not worry. I am sure there are some picture books somewhere for you to enjoy. Or maybe Cregan could persuade a servant to read a book aloud to you?”

Aemond exhaled deeply in annoyance but did not retort, busying himself with pretending to read the titles of the tomes.

“So I see you two have been spending time together. Alone. Without me.” He was not jealous. He was not. He would not be jealous of someone like Aemond. He simply would not allow it.

“Your brother was insistent that I see his dragon up close. Very insistent. Very up close. She is... a formidable beast to say the least. Big teeth. Such big, big teeth” Cregan said with a side-eye to Aemond. Aegon thinks he may have detected a bit of hysteria creeping into Starks voice. But, again, Aemond often had that effect on people.

“I am sure he did. Aemond is very proud of Vhagar.” Aegon said, with a muttered ‘Because he is a loser with nothing else going for him in life’ under his breath.

“That I can see. He has explained, in vast detail, how his dragon was pivotal during Aegon’s Conquest. Such explicit detail.”

“Do not forget the Dornish War. They say Vhagar created burning ruin from the Red Mountains to the Greenblood. Rivers running red with the blood of her enemies. Sometimes when the wind was right, you could hear the screams of men as they burned all the way to Storms End. I would wager that a equivalent stretch would be, let’s say, from Winterfell to the Barrowlands perhaps? And that was when she was just the size of Sunfyre. I cannot image what destruction may be wrought from a beast the size she is now.” His brother said to which Aegon eyed him with suspicion for he had a feeling that Aemond was up to something other then just being a dick. He usually resorted to talking about Vhagar’s chronicles when he was after something.

Probably trying to impress Stark as he had nothing else to offer. He and Sunfyre could probably also make the screams of burning men reach the Stormlands if they felt so inclined. Which they did not. Because they were not evil. And because they had better things to do and they are a busy man/dragon. And because they would probably send Meleys to stop him and he had no desire for that confrontation again. He enjoyed walking and wanking free from burning agony and Sunfyre enjoyed flying with two wings.

His brother paused, nose high in the air. “... What is that smell? Is there a privy nearby?” He asked with an exaggerated sniff to Aegon’s horror. A horror that only increased when Cregan proceeded to also sniff the room and agreed.

“Please excuse me a mere moment, I shall speak to one of the servants to see what the issue is.”

Stark left the room, leaving Aemond and Aegon alone. His brother took a seat, staring at Aegon in that way that he did. Unmoving and unblinking. It would never not creep Aegon out.

“What are you doing?” Aegon asked.

“I am just simply spending time with the Lord of Winterfell. I think that he and I will be firm friends soon.” The bastard knew what he was doing.

Aegon slammed his hand upon the table “You are so fucking childish!” Aegon hissed through his teeth.

Aemond cocked his head to the side with a soft hum. “Am I not allowed to spend time with someone who has so graciously welcomed me into their home?”

“No! No you are not!”

“Now who is the one being chil- is that smell coming from you?” Aemond asked, once more taking an inflated sniff of the room before he began to edge his seat away from Aegon.

“I have no idea what you are talking about.” Aegon denied, offended that Aemond would imply such a thing. It was true though. He was, now that he was stationary and in one place, very pungent. Aegon in his younger years did not care much for hygiene. Now he detested feeling unclean. It all started when he accidentally used some of Helaena’s body wash and he discovered how delightful it was to be both properly clean and to smell like a fruit basket.

“Hmmm I think I do. For I do remember such a time when you had locked me in the privy. The clothes I was wearing had to be burnt for the stench refused to leave no matter how many times the maids washed them.”

“I did not lock you in the privy. That was Jacaerys.”

(It was not. It was him.)

“Was that the time when I was four years of age or when you did it again when I was seven years of age?”

“Again, that was not I. That time was Lucerys. “

(Him again.)

“And the time you locked me in the cellar where they store the dragon dung?”

“Not me. I have no idea who that was.”

(He did have an idea who it was. It was him. Yet again.

Alright, so Aegon was a monumental prick to his brother when they were younger to the shock and horror of absolutely nobody. Can a man not change?!

Fine. So he may have also done it again last year. In his defence Aemond was being an exceptional pillock that day.)

“I do not believe you.”

“It does not matter. It is not my fault that people did not like you when you were younger. You cannot blame them. You were a bit of a fanny back then. Really, it would be easier to rule out who in King’s Landing did not want to lock you up.” Aegon shrugged.

This is why he did not want to apologise to Aemond. Because he always had to make it about himself.

“You are correct. It does not matter. And it is not I who desires to spend time with Stark today. The opposite in fact.”

“What does that mean?”

Before Aemond could answer Cregan returned, informing them that a servant was investigating the issue of the smell and that it would be sorted in due time.

“And Sunfyre? Did you see him while you were visiting Vhagar?” Aegon could play this game – Aemond obviously wanted to show off his beast to impress Stark so Aegon would do the same. Not that he had to try hard. He doubts Stark called Vhagar beautiful. Nobody but the old Queen Visenya would have ever thought to call a dragon like Vhagar beautiful. And, lets face it, one of the most formidable people in the history of Westeros she may be but she also birthed Maegor so she obviously wasn’t all that right in the head. “They say that my boy is the most beautiful dragon to have ever lived.”

“I can see why they say such a thing.” Cregan said, finally turning his full attention to Aegon with a small, shy smile. “But no, I did not see him this time. He was nowhere to be seen in fact. Maybe he has flown to find shelter from the snow. Perhaps he has taken to the Wolfswood?”

Aegon frowned. That was not his boy. Sunfyre may be mad at him but he would never leave Aegon. Not like that. Sunfyre did not even like the distance the Dragonpit put between he and Aegon when Aegon was in the Keep and that was when Aegon was home and safe. For Sunfyre not to be outside the walls and as close as he could get to Aegon?

He turned to Aemond to ask him when he had seen. His brother looked deep in concentration until his eye widened, as if he had had a thought, but that was not possible as Aemond did not have a brain.

Aemond suddenly turned to Aegon with a growing smirk, amusement twinkling in his eye. “I did see Sunfyre this morning when I first sought Vhagar. He was getting close to her. Very close. She did not seem amused but you know Sunfyre, just as irritating and infuriating as his rider.”

Aegon knew the colour had drained from his face as his vision began to blur. For he knew what happened to the last dragon that irritated Vhagar.

She ate him.

“Oh fuck.”

Aegon fled the room in a panic, visions playing in his mind of him trying to cut open the old bitches stomach with a sword to try and free his poor baby.

“- Aegon?”

“Do not worry about him. He is a flighty man. Abnormally invested in his dragon. Now let us explore this Wolfswood. That should take up most of the day, would it not?”

“Should we not see if he is alright?”

“No. We will be going to the Wolfswood. There we will continue our discussion over how Vhagar, in just one single night, burned five houses in the Riverlands during the reign of Maegor. It is truly fascinating. I wager you will enjoy it.”

He sprinted out of Winterfell, surprised at his bout of athleticism, as he tried to calm his racing thoughts.

Could he take Vhagar in a fight? Man against dragon? Maybe. He could punch very hard when he wanted to.

Would Maelor allow him to borrow Vermithor for a while? He would not tell the boy that he was going to take The Bronze Fury to destroy his favourite uncle but Vermithor was probably the only other dragon, bar Caraxes, who could take Vhagar down. And there was no chance Daemon would ever let Aegon within a breath of Caraxes.

With thoughts filled with claiming vengeance for his poor, deceased golden boy, he came to a stop as he took in the scene in front of him. He had been hoping and praying to the God’s to see Sunfyre and his collection of fires. He had alternatively found Vhagar. The she-dragon, with no care for the snow apparently, had made herself at home in front of Winterfell and was happily sleeping with not a care in the world.

Visions filled his mind about how he was going to spill Aemond’s brains all over the stone walls of Winterfell before he did the same to his hag of a dragon before something caught his eye.

What caught his eye was Vhagar’s wing.

Or rather what was poking out from underneath it.

Two tails.

One golden, one green.

For a moment his heart stopped with the image of Vhagar rising to take Aemond and his new best friend Cregan on a flight to Driftmark only to unveil the remains of Sunfyre and Vermax, squashed as flat as a piece of parchment. However a slight movement, visible under the membrane of Vhagar’s wing, put paid to his worry. He breathed a sigh of relief, hands coming to rest upon his knees as he tried to calm his racing heart.

Fucking Aemond. He fucking hated him. He was such a fucking fuck.

However now that he was out there and Sunfyre was still alive there was something that he needed to sort.

Hesitantly he moved towards the three dragons, slowly planting one cautious foot in front of the other, refusing to take his eye off of Vhagar for one single moment. While she seemed happy to shield the two smaller dragons  he was unsure if such acceptance would extend to him.

Especially if she had decided to take after her rider and develop a illogical and unwarranted hatred for him.

Once he got as close as he was willing to get – far away enough that he did not think she could suddenly turn and eat him alive but close enough that Sunfyre may be able to hear him but unfortunately also close enough that if Vhagar felt like it she could very well bat him with her wing and then it would be Aegon who was the one to squashed as flat as a piece of parchment – he spoke.

“I need to talk to you.”

...

“Are you still angry with me?”

...

“What if I told you that Jace has agreed to do the thing. The S.E.X thing.”

The golden tail began to wag.

“I knew that was what was bothering you!”

...

“Yes, he honestly has agreed to it. I do not know why this is something that has upset you as much as it has but do not worry, it shall be done and we shall all have a miserable time together. Now that is out of the way will you listen to me?”

...

“Aemond is a dick. He is trying to replace me in the eyes of Stark. And I think it is working.”

...

“You say that but all it took was one meeting for me to be cast aside. Forgotten like a broken trinket.”

...

“I thought he liked me. Liked me for me. But now I am not so sure. I do not know. I used to be so sure of everything when I was younger but it feels that with time and age I doubt myself more and more.”

...

“I do not think Stark was lying. I think he, at the time, was truthful in his desire for friendship. But I know better then most what happens when others appear who are more preferable then I.”

...

“I will accept that I am being emotional. I will not accept that I am being melodramatic. Take that back!”

...

“It is the truth. It was inevitable, really, the Stark would eventually favour someone above me. I perhaps had fooled myself into believing different. I will admit that I did not expect it to be fucking Aemond of all people.”

...

“Nonsense. Of course he does not like me like that. Has Jacaerys been talking to you, is that where this opinion has come from? Ridiculous.”

...

“No, YOU are being stupid.”

At that Vhagar gave a groan which, to Aegon’s ear, sounded annoyed and exasperated. When she opened her eye to glare at him, he made the executive decision to end the conversation there and then because Vhagar, who was clearly getting to the end of her life and was probably suffering the withering of the mind that usually happened to those who were reaching the end of their mortal coil, was deranged and Aegon was wise enough to know that sometimes messing about with something that was deranged  was not the best policy.

(As Lucerys once learnt the hard way. Fucking idiot. Aegon still stands by his opinion that Luke deserved to die at Storms End based on his ineptitude and foolishness alone.)

Aegon retreated back to Winterfell and returned to his chambers. He skipped the rest of the day and ignored the world as it moved around him. The sun began to set, supper was taken and still he did not venture outside. When a knock at the door echoed through the room he ignored that too.

Later on when the door cracked open he feigned sleep. He heard gentle footsteps approaching his bed, the shuffle of fabric as someone came to kneel next to him as a gentle hand carded through his hair as to not disturb.

“Well?” A voice whispered from what Aegon thought to be the doorway. Aemond if he was not mistaken.

“Asleep.” A voice next to him softly replied that was undeniably Jace.

“Tomorrow when he awakes I will speak to him. I will not subject myself to Stark any more.”

A forlorn sigh was heard before lips were pressed against his forehead. “Fine.”

“We need to finish this and take him home. Back to Helaena. My brother has never dealt well with change or uncertainty.”

“You haven’t exactly helped.”

“No. I will give you that. I have not. I did not realise that he was as on edge as he had been. Usually he would laugh it off or be infuriating as he sought his revenge. I did not think he would get so into his feelings over everything.”

“Yes, well, he has not been his usual self recently. We shall talk tomorrow and figure out what we do next.”

A moment later the door snipped closed behind him. He could not help but smile to himself.

He knew Aemond cared.

Deep, deep down.

Very, very deep down.

He could not sleep, his mind unable to calm itself enough for him to slip into blissful dreams. If there was one night that he wished for peace it was this night but alas it was not happening. Not even the pitter-patter of rain against the window was enough to soothe him.

It was unusual that Sunfyre was unable to provide answers to him for his dragon was far smarter then he. It was, also, unusual  for Sunfyre to be so off base with his observation and opinions. So it stood to reason that he had a point, but it was a point that needed refinement by Aegon as he was the one who was in the castle grounds and not outside huddling against Vhagar because he was too much of a wimp to tolerate a little bit of snow.

He was initially minded that Aemond was just being a jealous fuck who wanted what Aegon had, but there were two things that put paid to such a theory:

1. Aemond hated everyone.

2. Aemond really did despise everyone not named Lucerys Velaryon.

So it stood that this replacement of Aegon in the eyes of Stark since Aemond’s arrival could not have been instigated by this brother.

So it had to have been instigated by Stark.

But why? Aemond was a dick so it could not be because of his stellar personality. So why, for the love of the God’s, would Cregan willingly subject himself to his brother?

Pity? It was quite clear to anyone who has ever had the misfortune of meeting him that Aemond was pretty pathetic. Like those dogs you met on the street that could clearly do with a bath and some food. You feel sorry for them so you humour the mutt when it wishes to lick your face at the first sign of human decency it has had in a while even though you know you are going to get ill. Maybe that was it. Cregan felt pity for Aemond so was humouring him.

See that was just another reason as to why Cregan was a better man then he, willing to humor someone obviously far less fortunate then himself.

Aegon could not do that. He had met many a person who he could not tolerate, no matter how pitiful they were, and most of those he had brushed away with a firm hand. Granted there were a sparse few that he had not immediately discarded because they were pretty and he wanted to fuck...

...oh.

‘...suspect that House Stark and House Targaryen could become firm allies to one another if given chance and time...’

‘...Why they speak of... dragons... with the regard that they do. I find myself wanting, needing, to know more. However and whatever way that I can...’

‘...find it shows the mantle of a man on how they overcome such challenges in life. It is admirable. I myself find it inspiring...’

‘...it is not I who desires to spend time with Stark today. The opposite in fact.’

Oh.

Ohhhhhh.

...Surely not.

No. It is not possible.

But is it?

No. It is Aemond.

Aemond.

Stark couldn’t be THAT desperate.

But then again everyone else around him seemed to find Aemond attractive?

But Aemond is hideous. That is not an opinion. That is just fact.

Another fact – Stark is a northerner. And northerners are weird. Stark is enamoured with Dragons. Aemond is a dragon. Stark wants to ally with House Targaryen even if he does not wish to declare for them at the moment. Aemond is a Targaryen. Stark thinks overcoming a challenge is admirable. Aemond only has one eye and everyone knows he only has one eye. Stark thinks dragons are beautiful. It is well said Targaryen’s are meant to be beautiful – though it did skip a generation with Aemond.

But then again, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

And Stark finds that ugly tree in the Godswood beautiful.

So maybe Stark, because he is northern and they are a backward species of man, finds beauty in the most hideous of creatures.

And who is the most hideous Targaryen of all?

Aegon burst through the doors to Jacaerys’ chambers, dripping wet and still in his nightgown.

Upon the bang of the doors Jace woke with a start, grabbing for his sword before he had even blinked open one eye.

“Wassit?”

“I think I figured it out. What Cregan wants!”

“Aegon it is the middle of the... you know what, fine. I’m glad you have finally decided to listen to reason.” Jace sighed as his shoulders slumped in relief, relaxing from his sudden state of alert.

“It is not you he desires. It is Aemond! It has to be. I don’t understand it but that has to be it!”

“...there is something honestly wrong with you. You cant be this dense. You cannot be this dense.”

Aegon said nothing. He understood that it seemed like madness had taken over him – because really who in their right mind would ever want to bed Aemond – but he is sure that his nephew would understand once he had explained his logic to him.

“Right.” Jacaerys said from where he had sat up on the bed, sheet covering his raised knees which he was using to prop his arms up, sword discarded to his side. “Explain this to me like I am five years of age.”

“Cregan must have been using me and befriending me to get to Aemond!”

“Why? Why does your brain consider that the logical idea to jump to?”

“Because that is the only reason for this. Think about it. It makes perfect sense. Get close to a brother so you can get close to his brother. A brother you want to fuck. Then bam. I mean it doesn’t have to be a brother. Any relation will do.” Aegon shrugged.

“You sound like you are talking from experience. Is this something you have actually done?”

“Phhft, of course I have. Why do you think I started talking to you in the first place? Hello... Harwin Strong ring a bell?”

“Wait –“ Jacaerys held up his hand, jaw clenched in annoyance. “- You only spent time with me in our youth to get close to and seduce Harwin?”

“Of course Jacaerys, don’t be dim.” Aegon answered, wondering why they were stuck on this part of the conversation and not the part about how Stark’s loins were burning for Aemond. Truthfully he had expected Jacaerys to take the fact that Stark has designs on the love of Lucerys’ life a bit more seriously.

“Did you sleep with Harwin?” Jace demanded, face turning red as annoyance turned to anger “Aegon, did you fuck my father!?”

Aegon rolled his eye “Of course not. I did try but he only had eyes for your mother. God’s knows why.”

“Is that why you are with me? Because I look like Strong?”

Aegon rolled his eye once again with a snort. “Of course not. If that were the case I would have had you in my bed once, maybe twice, then moved on to someone else. Let’s face it, Harwin was pretty but bland. Also, if anything, I would say in a certain light you look more like Cole and I certainly never wanted to bed him. I have never been absolutely convinced that Harwin was really your father if I am to be honest.”

Jacaerys rubbed his forehead with his hand, acting as if Aegon was giving him a headache. “This is so fucking stupid.” Aegon thought he heard him mumble to himself. “So, ignoring everything that has just been said in the last minute, because you got close to people to try and bed someone they are close to, it automatically means Stark is doing the same?”

“Exactly.” Aegon confirmed, happy that Jace was finally seeing his stellar logic.

“So just so I understand - Stark refused to declare, knowing an envoy would be dispatched. So he hoped it to be Aemond? Or he knew it would be someone from our family so he set this whole thing up to, potentially, get close to Aemond on the very, very, unlikely chance that Aemond would decide to visit the envoy who would be despatched to Winterfell? Aemond who he wants to bed despite never having met him before because...?”

“He is a Targaryen and he does not have an eye. I think that might be what gets Stark going.”

“Because he...does not...have an eye.”

“Precisely.” Aegon nodded. “Precisely.”

“I have no words. I seriously have no words.”

(Understandable.

Sometimes even Aegon was astounded by his own intelligence.)

Jace groaned, hands in his hair as he pulled the strands out of sheer frustration with a mumbled “How can someone so pretty be so brainless.”

Aegon was about to go and give Jace some comfort as he genuinely looked as though he was legitimately in pain but before he could take a step Jace exhaled harshly as he slammed his hands down hard onto the bed below. “No. No. You know what? I am not having this. No more.” He said as he launched himself out from the bed, moving around the room and mumbling to himself as he collected his trousers, boots and cloak. Once he was clothed he grabbed Aegon by the shoulders, turned him around and pushed him towards the door.

“Where are we going?” Aegon argued as he tried to shrug Jacaerys’ arms off of him.

“We are dealing with this. I cannot listen to another stupid idea that pops into your head when you have already been told that Stark wants you.”

Jace opened the door only to find a fully dressed Aemond on the other side.

“It is the middle of the night. Do you sleep fully clothed? Have you just been stood in front of my door since the moment Aegon arrived?” Jace asked.

“Why do you have your hair in a net?” Aegon asked, only to be rudely ignored.

“You were talking very loudly. Where are you taking him?”

“I’ve had enough. I have had enough.”

Aemond nodded sagely. “Understandable. I assumed that you were going to abandon him far sooner then you have. I will give you a little bit of respect for how long you have stuck it out. But only a little. I still do not like you.”

“No –“ Jace said as he shoved Aegon out the door and past Aemond. “ – we are going to Stark and we are getting to the bottom of this.”

Aemond simply shrugged as if this was to be expected before he took a hold of Aegon’s left arm. Jacaerys took Aegon’s right arm and the two of them together marched the struggling Targaryen out of the Guest House and towards the Great Keep.

“No, do not do this.” Aegon pled as he tried to drag his heels into the ground and failing miserably.

“It is the dead of night. You will wake everyone up. It is rude. The people will talk about our disrespectful behaviour!” He fought against his captors with all of his might, again to no avail.

“You are going to embarrass me in front of my new friend!” As a last ditch attempt for freedom and to stop this insanity Aegon simply let himself go fully limp, becoming a dead weight in the other men’s arms.

Sadly that, also, did not stop their progress as Jacaerys and Aemond simply just dragged his floppy body across the remainder of the courtyard, into the building and up the stairs to the corridor to Cregan’s chambers.

Aemond didn’t even have the decency to knock, throwing open the door with a bang. Stark, who was until mere moments ago deeply asleep, woke with a snort, grabbing a dagger hidden under his pillow and squinting in confusion at the intruders who had entered his room, dragging with them an apparently lifeless body.

“What is going on!?” Cregan demanded, voice thick with sleep, trying to aim his dagger in the right direction whilst also trying to wake himself up.

Jacaerys and Aemond, paying no heed to the man waving a blade in their general direction, unceremoniously threw Aegon onto the nearest chair they could find before they stood in front of him, Jace with his hands on his hips and Aemond with his hands clasped behind his back.

“Aegon. Listen to me carefully. Cregan Stark wants to bed you.”

“No he doesn’t.”

“Yes he does.” Aemond agreed.

“Yes I do.” Cregan also agreed.

“Really? Why? Are you sure it is not Aemond you want? He is absolutely repulsive.”

Aemond turned to glare at Jacaerys with hatred in his eye as he pointed at his brother. “Fix him. Fix him or I shall fix YOU. To the end of Blackfyre’s blade.”

Chapter Text

Aegon found Cregan within the Godswood. He was sat against the base of the ugly face tree, staring up at the foliage, seeming deep within thought. He hesitated for a moment before he went to join, taking great care to not look at the face as he sat next to him. To his relief Cregan gave him a small smile before he returned to gazing up at the sky.

“Well that was...something. How are you?” Aegon asked, no longer surprised with the level of his own sincerity towards the other man.

“I am well. Slowly recovering from the shock of three Prince’s storming into my chambers before the sun had even begun to rise.”

“In my defence, I was not storming. The opposite.” Aegon tried to exonerate himself.

“Yes. I could see that.”

He knew what he had to say but he still found it difficult and it was not because he was loathe to apologise for anything he had ever done in life. “I am sorry. Truly.”

“What for?” Cregan turned to face him.

For everything that has gone wrong since I arrived. For the chaos that follows me arpund whenever I try to do something worthwhile. For maybe bringing war to your door once more. For not returning what it is that you feel for me.

“Everything. I am sorry for everything. I am sorry that we cannot... that I do not...”

“Stop-“ Cregan interrupted with a kind smile as he laid his hand upon Aegon’s thigh with a reassuring squeeze. “- You have no reason to apologise. It is I who should be apologising to you. You are a guest and a friend and I have made it uncomfortable. “

“You have no reason to apologise either. And you have not made me uncomfortable.”

They sat in silence for a moment but Aegon could not hold in his burning question, one he had had from the moment Stark uttered those words.

“Was it real?” He asked in a low voice, picking at a loose thread of his tunic just to keep himself occupied. “Or was it all just a ploy to get me into your bed? I wont be offended if so, for I have done the same a few times before.”

Cregan turned to Aegon, face stern. “I may not be able to have you how I wish. But to not even have you at all, in any way you see fit, would be a shame. No. It was not a ploy. I meant everything I said. Every word.”

Aegon nodded, ignoring the relief that he felt that it had not all been for naught. He paused for a moment as, for once in his life, he wanted to be careful with his words. Careful, honest and deliberate because it was of vital importance to him that Stark understood what it was that he meant. “I’ve had many lover’s. Too many to count. So many that I can barely remember the faces of any bar two and those two are the ones who mean more to me then even my own life.”

Aegon continued “I do not have many friends. None in fact. A friend, if you will still have me, would mean more then most of the other lovers ever did. I find that what we have now means more to me then sleeping with you would. I know, I too am shocked.”

God’s Helaena, Jacaerys and old age really had ruined him.

“A friendship would be more then sufficient.” Cregan said, nudging Aegon with his elbow, any hesitation and awkwardness between them gone as if the events of earlier had never happened.

So obviously Aegon had to ruin it and run his mouth. “Do not get me wrong, if this had been five years ago I absolutely would have taken you up on your offer.”

“Aegon –“

“No I mean it. I would have fucked you all around Winterfell. Or let you fuck me. I really would not have been fussed over taking or receiving.”

“You really do not need to do this. I shall be sombre for a while but I do know that this will pass. It is not the end of my life just because you do not return my feelings.”

“I know.” Aegon said. “I just really cannot understate just how hard I would have let you fuck me. It is imperative to me that you know that the issue is not you, it is me. I do not want you to think there is something wrong with you. I understand that rejection can knock ones self confidence, not that I would know, but you are a great man. You shall find someone. Someone else. Not me. But someone.”

“...Thank you?”

“Besides I do not think you shall be missing out on much. Granted, I am amazing in bed but I have been told that being with me in a intimate way for an extended period of time is a the true test of the limits to human patience and that I am beyond infuriating and would drive any same person to jump in front of a carriage just to get the torment to cease.”

“I am sure that is not true.”

“Helaena once locked me in the privy for three days because I would not shut up about how the rumours that I am the worst Aegon to have ever lived were both unjust and slanderous and that I would be seeking monetary compensation against the Queen’s youngest son for the emotional turmoil he had caused me.”

Cregan went to reply but the sounds of footsteps approaching stopped him, Jacaerys slowly making his way towards the two men with clasped hands and an air of hesitation with a tinge of embarrassment.

“Apologies, my Lord, for our actions earlier. We –“ Jace began before he was interrupted.

“ – Fine. Do not do it again. Or I shall feed you to my wolves.” Cregan stated.

While it did not seem as though the actions of the morning had thawed things between Cregan and Jace, Aegon still gave his nephew a encouraging smile knowing just from his face that he had other words he wanted to say.

“I have been giving it thought.” Jace said as he stepped in closer. “It pains me more then you can ever possibly know to admit that Aemond is correct – we have been taking too long up here. There are houses we still need to talk to, to shore up alliances. The Riverlands in particular. He is also correct that three dragons in the North is not ideal.”

Aegon knew Jace’s words to be true because he really did not like to admit Aemond was right about anything. Ever. Most times Jace would disagree with his brother to be a contrary shit.

Aegon gave it some thought before he nodded to himself as he made a decision “You stay.” He said. “Aemond and I will return south. My presence here is not helping and Aemond has been fucking useless since the moment he arrived. It is best that Jacaerys stays to continue discussions.”

“I do not think this is a wise idea.” Stark disagreed. “You should stay. We can put this all behind us and we shall talk properly.”

Aegon turned to Cregan, imploring him to understand the true reason as to why Aegon wanted, needed, Jacaerys to remain north. “Do you remember our discussion? At the spring?”

Cregan paused for a moment, glancing towards Jacaerys before turning back with what seemed to be either a remembrance of Aegon’s words when he spoke of his ‘dream’ and the toll it had upon his family or, perhaps, a dawning understanding of who the second person was that Aegon would give his life for. Or maybe both.

“Then please. I know it is inappropriate to ask something from you considering what has transpired but please, please let this be the way that it happens. Keep Jacaerys here in the north until an agreement has been reached by all parties.”

Cregan sighed before reluctantly nodding his head.

“Then that is settled. I shall return home. Besides, it is clearly obvious that things fall apart if I am not there to provide sanity and wisdom. I had trusted Helaena to be the guiding light for the Targaryen’s when I am unavailable but, alas, she is only human and my family are idiots. My nephew shall stay. Also Aemond and I can possibly stop at the Riverlands on our flight back. Two birds, one stone.”

“About that –“ Jace stepped forward. “- I may have taken the liberty to extend an invite to House’s Blackwood, Frey and Tully to travel north to meet. I realise that I should have asked but I was growing concerned that we may yet be here for some time. They are on their way. If it is going to be of trouble, I can fly to meet them halfway then return once matters have concluded between House Targaryen and the Riverlands.”

“No.” Lord Stark spoke, with all the authority of a Lord of the realm. “We shall welcome them to Winterfell. Do not let it be said that the North is not hospitable to all who wish to visit. Especially when they have been invited and we are well aware in advance of their arrival. That and it would not do Winterfell harm to hold talks with some of the houses of the Riverlands. They can provide things we cannot obtain up here and we can do the same for them. Another agreement with the south will do the north no harm.”

Jacaerys gave them a small smile as he pointed behind him before he turned and retreated out of the Godswood, only slightly doing a double take at the face tree before he left. Aegon hoped that Cregan had not spotted the grimace Jace made as he left.

“I still do not like him.”

“I know.” Aegon sighed. “But he does grow on you. I do think without my presence here you two will find an accord with one another.”

“We shall see. At least there will be one bright side to your departure.”

“Which is?”

“Your brother, too, shall depart.”

Fair.

Entirely fair.

The three Prince’s were stood together outside the walls of Winterfell as two prepared to depart. He and Stark, in the confides of his chambers, had bade each other farewell with a – manly – hug, a promise to exchange ravens the moment he arrived back at King’s Landing and assurances that the cub, who he had decided to call Aemond much to his brothers annoyance, would be fine on its route to the south via the Kingsroad. If Cregan held onto Aegon during their embrace a moment too long to be proper he did not mention it.

Let the man take some comfort for the devastation Aegon had caused him in rejecting him.

“Before we depart there is something we must discuss.” Aegon said as he pulled his riding gloves onto his hands, the two other men turning to face him. “This situation with Lord Stark. It is of much import that Helaena never finds out what has occurred.”

“Would our sister not be happy that you have not done what you usually do and find comfort in someone else, someone far beneath her?” Aemond said with a not at all subtle side glare to Jace.

“No. It is like you do not even know Helaena.” Jace said, stoically ignoring Aemond’s dig with a small one of his own.

“You mean would our sister be happy that I had the chance to bed Cregan Stark, did not take it and therefore cannot tell her in glorious detail about our night of passion during a night of passion of our own? No. No she would not be happy. The opposite. She would be livid. Best she not know about this whole kerfuffle. By which I mean please Aemond, for the love of the God’s do not tell her.”

“It is truth.” Jacaerys backed up. “She would not be happy.”

Aemond alternated between looking at Jace and looking at Aegon, face blank as if his brain – as small as it was – had finally spent its last bit of power.

“You have ruined my sister.” He hissed before he turned to storm towards Vhagar.

Lies. Helaena was as magnificent as she had ever been.

“I shall see you soon?” He asked his nephew, ignoring his brother histrionics.

“You will.” Jace said as he pulled Aegon into an embrace – tight enough for Aegon to know that he will be missed and that he, hopefully, would be buggered silly at some point during the night of Jacaerys’ return and when they were in a private setting. Or semi-private setting, Aegon was not fussed – but not suspicious enough to warrant a raised brow from any onlookers.

He tore himself away from Jace as he, finally, bade goodbye to Winterfell, Sunfyre kicking up snow as he took to the skies to return south and to warmth. Not far behind him trailed Vhagar, far slower then his golden boy because Aegon was right and she was indeed too fat to fly with any speed.

But he kept glancing over his shoulder, past Aemond and back towards Winterfell and the North, as a simmering of an idea begain to take hold. An idea that would likely result in abject failure and a life-long cause for mock and embarrassment but maybe...

He looked down to Sunfyre. He did not believe in much but he believed in him. He always had.

However the idea was taken out of his hands as Sunfyre made the decision for him, dropping his left wing to turn them around to head back to where they had started. They bypassed Aemond, too high in the sky for him to see his brothers expression but from the annoyed grunt Vhagar gave and the put upon groan as she, too, banked to the left to turn around, he guessed it wasn’t one of joy.

It did not matter for Aegon had a purpose.

Or rather a theory he wished to test.

As quickly as it had disappeared, Winterfell breached over the horizon once more, Sunfyre approaching the castle with a speed and determination he very rarely flew with. Aegon could see the people gathering outside the walls, waiting as Vermax gave a roar to the approaching beast. If he squinted he could maybe have picked out Stark and Jacaerys as they, too, gathered with the waiting crowd.

Aegon gave them a cheery wave as they soared over Winterfell then carried on straight past it. For Winterfell was not his destination.

No. His destination was elsewhere.

Somewhere further north.

The most northern part of the Kingdom in fact.

His heart began to race as a blur to the top of the horizon came into focus. The Wall came into view, getting clear and cleared which each moment that passed, Sunfyre’s wings beating in sync with the beat that was pounding in his ears. He could hear Vhagar following in his wake, distant shouts of Aemond lost to the wind that was blowing in Aegon’s face but yet he did not stop. He gripped the reigns tighter around his hands, adrenaline making him buzz as the wall grew closer and closer, larger and larger until, in what felt like just the blink of an eye, they were upon it.

He knew it was probably folly and that he should stop but curiosity had gotten the better of him.

Could he do it?

Would Sunfyre do it?

He could see the men of the Nights Watch preparing up at him as he urged his dragon forward, the crest of the wall only now a stones throw away. He closed his eye and braced himself as he pushed on, waiting in anticipation for the moment that Sunfyre would sharply turn in refusal to fly any further.

The speed at which they were hurdling towards the Wall meant that when/if such a thing was to occur, Aegon would either likely be in a great deal of pain from the straps tying him down to his saddle or, in the event of a catastrophic strapping failure, shoot off of his dragon like a ball out of a cannon and down to an untimely, unexpected and entirely preventable depth.

That moment never arrived.

Wind billowing in his hair, surrounded by silence, Aegon slowly opened his eye. All he could see was snow and rock and trees extending so far out to the distance that he saw nothing else no matter how hard he tried. A never ending wild land so different from his own.

He turned around in his saddle, confirming to himself what it was that Sunfyre and he had just done.

Something that Vermithor would not do. Something that Silverwing would not do. Something that, based on the sudden turn taken that nearly cleaned out a significant portion of the wall, Vhagar herself would not do.

He could not hold in his cheer, hands raised high in the air as he whooped and hollered in disbelief, laughing with a hint of frenzy as he shouted to Sunfyre that they had done it.

He had finally done something that no other Targaryen, up to that point, had ever done.

He had crossed the wall.

He had flown over wildling territory.

He was not the first of his name but he was the first in this. Maybe his name would go down in history with Aegon and Jaehaerys and Aemond and Daemon. He had not felt this elated, this joyous in a long, long time as he looked further north and over the land that unclaimed, unexplored and unknown.

Then he swiftly turned Sunfyre back around and immediately returned over the wall in great haste.

He liked to believe that Sunfyre was stupidly brave but he could not discount that Sunfyre was bravely stupid instead.

It could be either/or with both of them if he were to be honest with himself.

Best not chance it.

“- And then he said to me “What do you know, for you are a mere Prince with little to no expertise to advise me.”

“And how did that make you feel?”

“Angry. Angry like I wanted to pick up Jaehaera and smack him across the face with her.”

“And what else?”

“Hmm... A little bit of shame. It made me feel how I used to feel when I was younger. In that moment he reminded me of my mother.”

“Did you practice those breathing exercises we discussed.”

Aegon nodded from the chaise lounge he was lain across, hands clasped upon his chest as he looked up to the ceiling.

“So you have said what you wanted to do. What did you end up doing?”

“I raised my hand up to pause him and I said “Please do not talk to me in such a manor Lord Celtiger. It hurts my feelings and I feel like I do not appreciate it. All I wanted to ask for was some coin to buy my daughter a castle in case her husband fucks up so she has somewhere she can flee too if such a measure was ever required. I am not stupid and I do not consider this an unreasonable request and I feel that you have taken this to heart. I do not feel that continuing this conversation, at this moment in time, will be of any benefit. In future please be mindful of the boundaries I have put in place for my own well-being.” Then I walked away, told Rhaenyra and she gave me the coin I requested. She said my request was made with logic and love for my daughter. It is as you have said many times – I cannot always control the situation but I can control my reaction. Because I am a strong and capable man.”

“That’s good progress Aegon. Very good. You are doing really well.”

Aegon turned his head to face Cregan Stark with tears twinkling in the corner of his eye. “Do you suppose so?”

Cregan nodded with a smile.

With a smile of his own and a nod, Aegon sat up and placed his feet on the floor. “Never mind me. Today is about you. It is your special day after all. How are you feeling?”

“I am good. Happy. It shall be a good day.”

“Now are you sure about this? Just say the word and I can create a diversion whilst you flee to the wall. I can say Aemond had his way with Sara whist he was visiting. Lucerys will kick off, chaos will erupt and while Alysanne is distracted you can abscond upon your steed. Lucerys will get over it in time so no harm, no foul.”

Cregan chuckled to himself as he shook his head. “No. No need for chaos for I am perfectly sure. That and I think we both know that if I abandoned Black Alys on our wedding day there would be no force, not even that of a dragon, that could protect me from her wrath.”

Alysanne Blackwood. Soon to be Lady Stark.

It would appear that the gathering of the North and the Riverlands not only paid off for House Targaryen but also for two others as well.

Aegon liked Alysanne. He really, really liked Alysanne. He liked even more that she was the perfect foil to Stark. Aegon had managed to visit Winterfell a number of times since his inaugural visit under the guise of ensuring a strong fellowship between North and South. Mostly his time was spent talking to Stark and, when Cregan was out doing Lord things, exchanging gossip with Alysanne about the Lords and Ladies of the realm. A vital exchange of information that Helaena and Joffrey both enjoyed hearing about upon his return. Sometimes she reminded him of Alys Rivers. He really needed to get them both together one of these days for the carnage that would follow with the union of those two women would be immeasurable and Aegon could not wait for it.

So he had gladly accepted the invitation to Winterfell when Cregan and Alysanne had decided to get married. Obviously he had to bring Helaena. Jacaerys receiving an invitation had been slightly unexpected but still welcomed. Obviously Jace had to bring Baela.

Aemond not receiving an invitation was fully expected. Him getting offended and deciding to show up anyway was not. But still he did so because he was a twat. Obviously that meant Lucerys had followed. And that then meant Rhaena had also followed. Alysanne was delighted that her wedding was prestigious enough to warrant the presence of seven members of the royal family. Cregan was not so delighted but had decided to keep his mouth shut so his bride could enjoy her day.

The ceremony took place within the Godswood under the hideous tree.

(“What the fuck is that?!”

“It is a tree. With a face carved into it.”

“It is awful.”

“Is it cursed?”

“I quite like it. It adds character.”

“They should have burned it to the ground the moment they had a chance”

“It is sacred to Winterfell. Don’t you come up here and besmirch this land with your intolerance to tradition. God’s Aemond, you really are an ignoramus sometimes.”

“Well said Aegon.”

“It is still ugly though.”)

It was half way though the ceremony when Jacaerys leant across to whisper softly into Aegon’s ear, just as Stark and Alysanne began to exchange their vows to one another. “I would like us to take a flight together to Dragonstone. Just as Aegon and Jaehaera. Like my mother and Daemon.”

“Why not –“ Aegon whispered back, trying his best to keep his voice low so as to not disrupt the proceedings, for he had no intention of dealing with the wrath of Alysanne Blackwood. “- It has been a while since I have seen Daeron. It would be nice to meet up with him, even if he is a bit weird. We should probably thank him for talking sense into Alicent.”

Unbelievably all it took to calm the waters was for Daeron to fly to Oldtown and talk to his mother. No one knows what was said between the mother and her bastard son with Daemon but whatever was said had worked. The Hightower army stood down and the threat from the land had, for now, been nullified. Aegon had almost felt pity for The Triarchy when they approached Driftmark, only to come face to face with the entire suite of Targaryen dragons. Even the baby dragons were allowed to go as Daemon had thought the whole thing to be a great excuse for a family trip to strengthen the bonds that tied them all together.

If Aegon did not know any better he would have been inclined to think the whole thing had been blown massively out of proportion.

“No. Aegon. Just as Aegon and Jaehaera did.”

Oh.

Ohhhhhhh.

“Really?” Aegon turned to Jacaerys, who was looking upon Stark and Alysanne with a soppy grin across his face, as if he had not just proposed what it was he had proposed. “You want to do that? With me?”

Jace nodded, still not looking to Aegon.

“Are Baela and Helaena aware of your grand plans of matrimony under the eyes of the Old God’s?”

“Do not be stupid, of course they are.”

“I... see no reason why I would be disagreeable to such a proposal.” Aegon magnanimously consented as the Septon began to conclude the ceremony. If anyone asked him why he was grinning so wide that his face began to hurt he said that he was just delighted for Stark.

Even as the guests moved to the Great Hall, where Lord and Lady Stark had prepared a feast followed by drinks and revelry to celebrate the night away, Aegon still could not wipe the smile off of his face.

Surrounded by his family, by those who mattered the most to him, he could not help but be content.

He looked to Aemond who was whispering softly to Lucerys, so open and content in a way he never was with anyone else. Settled.

He looked to Jacaerys, who was wrapped up by Baela in the tightest hug he had ever seen, looking like she had been crying into Jace’s shoulder. The beaming grin she sent him let him know that it was tears of joy and not sadness that she was wetting his tunic with.

He looked towards Helaena who smiled back at him with a wink before she returned to her conversation with Lord Stark and the new Lady Stark.

Which is why he saw Alysanne laughing and nudging a rapidly reddening Cregan with her elbow, teasing him, as she spoke to his wife.

Which is also why he saw Helaena’s face as it turned from joy, then to confusion, then to betrayal before settling on blind rage.

When she turned her eyes, full of fire and damnation, towards Aegon there was no doubt to any as to exactly who she was furious at.

“Wow. What have you done now?” Luke asked, turning to Aegon who was now beginning to legitimately panic.

“Shit. Shitshitshitshit.”

“What have you done now!?” Aemond demanded.

“I think she may have discovered that I did not sleep with Stark? Even though I could have?”

“You bedded Cregan Stark?” Rhaena exclaimed

“Did not sleep with him. Switch on Rhaena. Fuck fuck fuck.” Aegon panicked “What should I do?”

“Why would she be angry about you not sleeping with someone else?” Oh Rhaena. Such a naive, ignorant child.

“BecauseHelaenaisamassivepervert.”

“- you know what? I do not want to know. I do not understand. I do not want to understand.”

The moment his sister-wife excused herself from the Stark’s and began marching toward Aegon was the moment he turned on his heel and briskly walked towards the Great Hall door.

“How could you do this to me Aegon!?”

He knows she yelled at him some more but he was too busy running out the gates and towards Sunfyre to hear exactly what was said.

That was the day that they discovered:

1. Dreamfyre was also too much of a coward to cross over the Wall.

2. Sunfyre had no fucking issue getting his feet wet when Aegon and he spent 2 days huddled at the base of the wall on the other side until Helaena had calmed down.

To make it up to her, Aegon did to the one thing he had vowed he would never do. He had to suck up his disgust, don the long silver wig Helaena had kept in a pristine box since the day they were first married, put on a black eye patch and a long black leather coat and pout his way through the night as she had her way with him.

Never let it be said that he did not put the happiness of others before himself.

Because he was a selfless, good man like that.

And because it brought him more joy then he could have ever imagined when he told Aemond all about it.

In very explicit detail.

During the annual Targaryen family supper.

By the time Lucerys and Jacaerys had managed to pull Aemond off of Aegon and Daemon had stopped Rhaenyra – just like her father before her – choking to death due to a poorly timed grape, eaten/inhaled at the moment Aegon re-hashed his impression of Aemond in a state of arousal while whinging like a bitch over his decrepit dragon and crying over how he still could not read and how he was absolutely still a virgin whilst he was about to seduce his sister, Helaena clapping in joy next to him over his re-telling of events, the family feast was declared over.