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He had enjoyed ten years of being totally irresponsible.
Ten years where he had roamed across King's Landing, Westeros and later Essos, free of any obligations, free of any duties or tasks. Public appearances or courtly presence only when he wanted to, not when someone else dictated it. It had been his father's gift to him, to give him the childhood and youth that he had never been able to have, this freedom and this knowledge that he could make mistake without hundreds of eyes watching and judging him. He had been able to find out who he was and whom he wanted to become without people throwing their opinions at him over what they thought he needed to be.
Jon and him had grown up free of stiffling royal duties that demanded even of children to sit still for hours while grown ups drowned on and on about political things that went far above their understandings at only ten. They had been children who had ran free in the Red Keep, who made the sparring yard their playground long before they could truly hold a sword of their own in their hands.
They had happily turned up to lessons and learned and studied, not because it was demanded of them as princes but because it had been fun, they had enjoyed it. They hadn't been Aegon and Jaehaerys, they had been Egg and Jon while they stole cakes and apples out of the kitchen and climbed up the old worn out walls in the Dragonpit. Once they had been old enough, their father had allowed them to travel, to see Westeros out of the eyes of a young boy and not a Prince focused only on the bad things. Their father had wanted them to see the beauty of this Kingdom they would serve in the future, to see the differences and the similarities. And of course there were guards with them but they were still not Princes, just boys travelling from South to North and down South again.
They visited Jon's blood in the North, rode from Winterfell to the Wall and looked far beyond the kingdom that Aegon would one day rule. They visited Egg's blood in Dorne, played with the children in the Water Gardens and rode endlessly through the dunes. They visited their grandmother on Dragonstone where she lived now with their aunt, their uncle residing in King's Landing, presenting the Targaryen dynasty together with their older sister. They always returned to King's Landing for the important moments, for the family celebrations, for the anniversaries of King Rhaegar's coronation.
The people knew them but accepted their freedom.
Ten years, his father had told him when Egg had been eight and just barely able to understand and grasp what incredible gift this truly was. Ten years until Jon came off age. Ten years where they could be boys and brothers first and Princes secondly. When Egg was four and ten and they had four years left, they set sail to Essos, together with some guards and Egg's Uncle Oberyn they toured the Free Cities. They saw this foreign world where their ancestors had once lived in the greatest Empire in history. They saw Braavos and Pentos, they sailed to Lys and Myr and saw far away Volantis. They met the people, they lived the culture.
They messed up and got in trouble, but it was them and not their House, not the kingdom. Egg got to meet girls and be with girls without anyone judging them up to become the future Queen, without anyone thinking they could gain advantages. In Essos he was just some foreigner's son, he wasn't the King's son, he wasn't the Crown Prince.
Ten years he had gotten.
And as he walked on deck of the ship in Targaryen flags that was bringing Jon and him back home, Egg knew that it had been the happiest time of his life so far but now it was time to go home and become Prince Aegon. Rhaenys and Viserys were both going to marry within the next year and in their new homes they couldn't fulfill the duties of the Crown anymore. Jon and Egg had grown up, they weren't children anymore, they needed to become Princes of the Blood now.
But they were ready.
--
Aegon smiled when he walked up to his brother at the bow of the ship, Jon was watching King's Landing rise out of the sea in the Blackwater Bay in the distance, the Red Keep a red beacon on top of it.
"Welcome home," he told his brother and knocked their shoulders together, Jon smiled, he was no longer that skinny frightened kid who had left King's Landing four years ago while hiding behind his brother. Aegon would never get so far and call his brother a people' person but he had grown a spine and a confidence.
"Is it weird for you, too?" Jon wanted to know when the Captain called for the larger sails to be pulled down to slow them down as the harbor came into view. "It's been so great to travel but I really missed all of this, too. We haven't seen them all in so long."
"It was time to come home," Aegon agreed and smiled when he saw the dozens of Targaryen flags and crests that decorated the harbor for their welcome.
Horses and people were lined up at the docks, white cloaks gave the Kingsguard away who were surrounding their sister dressed all in red and their uncle watching the crowds with his stern face. There was no sign of their father or Aegon's mother but they hadn't expected the King and Queen to come down from the castle, it would have been too much of a hassle. The ship docked and they stepped down onto the pier under the cheers of the people, waving left and right as they walked up towards where their family was waiting with the Kingsguard. Rhaenys and Viserys had dismounted, as had the Knight whom had been uncle, mentor and friend for both of them since they had been in the cradle.
"Look at you all grown up," their sister greeted them with a smile and some fussing over their hair, the top button on Aegon's tunic got quickly fastened and Jon's belt got straightned. Nothing in their sister had changed at all, her eyes critical, her smile brilliant and devious. "Oh, Mother is gonna be so happy to see you so well."
"Your Father will be as well," their uncle said as he stepped forward, no hugs from him but a tight handshake that no longer had their legs shaking. "He has been much looking forward to it."
"As have we all," the warm voice of the Kingsguard's Lord Commander said with a chuckle from Aegon's right and Jon and him were grinning when Arthur brought them into a hug at the same time. "My boys, I have missed you so much and I am so happy to see you again." Jon was grinning against Arthur's shoulder, no longer looking up so much, and Aegon could even look over his shoulder now, catching Ser Oswell's rogue grin.
Ten years he had gotten to be free but now Prince Aegon had returned home and it was time to take up his position as Crown Prince.
Duty called.
And he was looking forward to it.