Chapter Text
italic - valyrian word
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When Borros Baratheon told them that there would be no dragon's blood spilled on his castle, Aemond let his nephew go with the intention of killing the boy mid-air. Lucerys owes him, and if he's not going to fight him, his nephew will die in the air.
As he soars in the sky, he gets close to Lucerys and his dragon. He sees his nephew look back at him, his fear, and Aemond relishes it, and he craves more. He orders Vhagar to attack, but the dragon ignores him. Instead, she guides Arrax out of the storm and into some part of the sky where the rain is lesser. He repeats the order, but Vhagar inclines her head, looks at him, communicates something, and then goes back to assisting Arrax to land at the nearest island.
As the dragons land, both nephew and uncle look at each other, then back at their dragons. Vhagar and Arrax are purring and grooming, like a mother car to its children.
"Uncle?" Lucerys calls Aemond, who goes down his dragon and draws his sword. But was blocked by both Vhagar and Arrax. They growled at Aemond, clearly protecting Lucerys.
"Uncle? What's happening?" Lucerys asks as he goes down and walks toward his uncle.
Aemond's frustration and anger suddenly die down. He remembers a book that Helaena reads about Valyrian culture and tradition about dragons finding their dragon rider's soulmate. The tradition died when only two houses survived the Valyrian's doom, they needed to repopulate, and soulmates could hinder it.
"Uncle? Aemond?" Lucerys voice echoes thru the island. He was almost a foot away from him, clearly wary if Aemond would attack but still near for Aemond to see him.
He looks clearly at his nephew, Lucerys is beautiful, and something in Aemond stirs. He looks back at Vhagar and Arrax, who is clearly looking back at them. Aemond sighs; he needed a plan.
He looks at Lucerys, "Go back to your mother. Tell her that I spared you because you are my intended. Tomorrow I'll go to dragonstone to discuss my terms."
"Intended?" Lucerys asks, not knowing what the word means.
"You owe me your life, Luke. Best remember that." Aemond mounted Vhagar flew.
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People forget that when you drill something into a child, they will remember that their whole life. Alicent has drilled into Aemond and his sibling that true-blood blood Targaryen and that he should claim what is his. Her intention is that for her children to fight for their rights to the throne. But what she didn't think about is the obsession Aemond will have in regard to his blood, tradition, and everything that's connected to being Targaryen.
Once back in the castle, Aemond immediately went to Helaena's chamber to get the book. Heleana looks at him knowingly with a smile, "Dragons should claim what's rightfully theirs."
Aegon who's also in the room rolls his eyes, clearly annoyed at his wife's antics.
But to Aemond, it's another sign from the heavens. He give thanks for the book and immediately went into his room. The book is using old valyrian words but he can translate them, he laughs as he reads the chapter about soulmates. It's like his and Lucerys life is written in it. And as he closes the book and rests his back on his bed, he recites the valyrian phrase in the first verse of the chapter.
"Courtship by blood; showing strength. Roars of the dragons; guide to your soul bond. Two houses under one crown; combined by the pleasure of the flesh."
They started their courtship when Lucerys showed his strength by defending his brother. Their dragons Arrax and Vhagar have guided them together. And the last one, that made him laugh like a madman.
Tomorrow, he'll go to dragonstone with the head of his mother and brother as a courtship gift for his soulmate.