The Dragon's Princess

5.

On the beach, young Aemond Targaryen had snuck out of the castle and found Laena's dragon Vhagar asleep in the dunes.

"Fuck."

Nearly the size of a sand dune herself, Vhagar was the oldest and largest living dragon, twice the size of even Caraxes.

Aemond approached cautiously and put a hand on the rope netting leading to her saddle. Vhagar woke up, but sensed that he was a Prince of Targaryen blood and backed down.

Aemond put his hand on the rope again and started to actually try to mount Vhagar at which she growled and started building up fire in the back of her throat to immolate him with.

"Obey. Obey, Vhagar. Calm. Calm."

Aemond bravely stood his ground, and shouted verbal commands in High Valyrian.

None could know the mind of a dragon, but after a mysterious moment, she relented and allowed him to climb to her saddle.

"Fly. Obey, Vhagar. Fly."

He then gave her the order to fly, and she launched into the night sky. Aemond nearly fell off the saddle several times because he wasn't properly secured.

But, eventualy he managed to level out and master the flight, taking Vhagar on a circle around the castle before landing again, a bonded dragon-rider.

♧

Meanwhile, Baela and Rhaena noticed that someone "stole" Vhagar and went to wake Naella, Jace and Luke.

"Nely. Nely, wake up."-the four children rushed into Naella's bedchamber, waking her up with a jolt.

"What is the matter? You all should be asleep."-Naella was startled awake and sat up in bed.

"Come with us. Someone stole Vhagar."

Naella groggily pushed herself out of bed, rubbing her eyes and trying to shake off the lingering effects of sleep.

"Stole Vhagar? You cannot steal a dragon."

Naella was also aware of the fact that dragons were not objects that could be stolen.

Dragons were intelligent beings, with their own thoughts and feelings, and they chose their riders.

Naella knew that a dragon couldn't simply be stolen against its will, which was why she had been so baffled and troubled by this revelation.

The young Princess was awake now.
She got up and followed the younger children's lead, heading out of her bedchamber.

♧

The five children used the tunnels around Driftmark in order to see the situation themselves.

"It's him."

The five younger children intercepted Aemond just as he was returning to the castle through the tunnel leading to the beach. Naella took the hands of her two younger brothers into hers.

"It's me."

"Vhagar is my mother's dragon."-Rhaena angrily said.

"Your mother's dead. And Vhagar has a new rider now."

He saw Naella standing between her younger brothers, protectively holding them close to her.

She had once been his best friend, his confidante, someone who understood him on a deep level.

He wanted so much at that moment to claim the giant dragon because he knew she would be proud of him.

It was almost as if he hoped that by doing so he could change everything and mend their wounds that was once caused by his harsh words.