Chapter 124: Tessarion

He wasn't interested in watching a child tame a dragon; Sunfyre was his true love.

Aemond glanced at his less-than-happy brother and hesitated for a moment, pretending not to notice.

He was seven years old now.

By this age, his older sister Rhaenyra had already successfully ridden Syrax.

His older brother Rhaegar had tamed the largest dragon he had ever seen, the king of the wild dragons, the Cannibal, at the age of six.

Aemond wanted to tame a dragon so he could be honored by his father and praised by his mother.

As for his brother Aegon, he could only say sorry in his heart.

...

Time passed.

The Dragonkeepers returned one after another.

"Roar..."

Two distinct dragon roars echoed through the Dragonpit, accompanied by the voices of the Dragonkeepers as they approached.

Before long, a large and a small dragon emerged from their respective crypts.

Dreamfyre needed no introduction.

With light blue scales threaded with silver, light blue wings, and silver back scales, the dragon was sleek and adorned with a regal crown of horns.

The smaller dragon, barely the size of a horse, was equally striking.

Its wings were a deep cobalt blue, and its claws, crown, and belly scales gleamed like polished copper. Its form was elegant and noble.

This was the newly hatched baby dragon, Tessarion.

"Dragons! There are two dragons!" Aemond's voice trembled with excitement as he took in the sight.

"Don't worry, they're unclaimed dragons. You'll have plenty of chances," Rhaegar said, placing a hand on Aemond's shoulder to prevent him from rushing forward in his enthusiasm.

To be honest, he was glad to see his third brother so enthusiastic.

Aemond's passion for dragons was similar to Rhaegar's from childhood—it was a shared interest.

"Uh-huh, I get it, brother."

Aemond's eyes never left the two dragons, scanning them eagerly.

As the dragons drew closer, his excitement grew. He pulled Helaena's hand and exclaimed, "Sister, look! Brother has prepared two dragons for us!"

Before coming to the Dragonpit, Alicent had advised the three siblings to avoid provoking Rhaegar and to focus on taming the dragons.

Aemond had been prepared for Rhaegar to make things difficult.

He hadn't expected Rhaegar to be so accommodating, presenting them with two dragons to tame.

Helaena winced in pain from her brother's grip and frowned. "Keep your voice down, Aemond. You might not succeed in taming them."

"Sister!" Aemond yelled, frustrated as if doused with cold water.

Helaena pulled her hand away, continued to gaze at Rhaegar, and muttered absentmindedly, "The beast will tear our flesh!"

"What?" Rhaegar was startled by her words and immediately turned to Helaena.

This little girl's occasional nonsensical remarks often held prophetic truths.

Her words were too powerful to ignore.

Rhaegar couldn't help but take them seriously.

Helaena flinched, her eyes filled with panic, and she stammered, "No, nothing, I'm talking nonsense."

"I heard what you just said. What does it mean?" Rhaegar asked gently, kneeling down to smooth her hair.

"No, no, I didn't..."

Terrified, Helaena backed away, tears welling up in her eyes.

She was scared!

Ever since she was a kid, she'd been plagued by visions and the rumors they'd sparked.

Her mother had taught her to be quiet and behave like a lady.

Although she wasn't sure what it meant to be a lady, she knew to keep her mouth shut.

"Be brave, Helaena."

Seeing his distressed sister, Rhaegar sighed and gently embraced her.

He stroked her head with a tender look of pity in his eyes. "Don't be afraid. No one can hurt you. I'll protect you."

He had the same nightmares, and he understood her situation.

Of course, he wanted to protect her.

"Sister, don't cry. I'll protect you too," Aemond said, holding Helaena's hand and gently shaking it.

Compared to their domineering brother Aegon, he preferred the company of his quiet sister.

When Helaena cried, he felt helpless.

He tried to mimic Rhaegar's comforting gestures.

Helaena's sensitive heart was soothed by their support, and she nestled into Rhaegar's arms, unwilling to let go.

"Prince, Dreamfyre is ready," the Dragonkeeper reported.

"Thank you. Take Aemond to meet the dragons first," Rhaegar instructed, his voice calm.

He looked at Helaena in his arms, a mix of concern and resignation on his face. It was obvious that she wasn't ready to tame a dragon today.

"Big brother, I'll go ahead," Aemond said, patting Helaena's hair before eagerly following the Dragonkeeper. He was determined to tame a dragon and envisioned taking his sister on exhilarating flights to cheer her up.

The Dragonkeeper asked, "Prince, which dragon would you like to try?"

Aemond's gaze flitted between Dreamfyre and Tessarion, his mouth dry with anticipation. Both dragons were magnificent, and he wished he could have them both.

"I think I'll go for this one, smaller and more docile," he finally said, pointing to the young Tessarion.

Aemond approached Tessarion with a bit of caution, following the Dragonkeeper's instructions.

He wasn't making a spur-of-the-moment decision; he'd carefully gathered information from his brother Aegon.

Dreamfyre was known to be feisty and had been confined in the Dragonpit for years. Aegon had told him how Rhaegar had once tried to tame Dreamfyre and nearly got incinerated.

In Aemond's mind, Rhaegar's ability to tame the Cannibal marked him as extraordinary. If even he struggled with Dreamfyre, Aemond knew he needed to be realistic.

Under the Dragonkeeper's guidance, Aemond approached Tessarion slowly. "Tessarion, look at me," he said in High Valyrian, trying to establish a connection.

Tessarion lay lazily on the ground, flicking his tail and glancing occasionally at Dreamfyre and Sunfyre, clearly uneasy in their presence.

"Tessarion, we can be partners," Aemond said, his eyes full of hope as he reached out to touch Tessarion's horn.

Suddenly, Tessarion leaped up, snapping his jaws fiercely.

"Ah, no!" Aemond cried, pulling his hand back and stumbling away in fear.

"Quiet, Tessarion!" The Dragonkeeper tugged on the chain around Tessarion's neck and spoke calming words to pacify the young dragon.

Aemond collapsed to the cold ground, his heart pounding, cold sweat dotting his forehead. This was his first brush with real danger, and the failure stung deeply.

"Hahaha, did you pee your pants, Aemond?" Aegon taunted from atop Sunfyre, who roared in apparent agreement and spread his wings, shaking his head in mockery.

Feeling humiliated and defeated, Aemond could only watch as his brother continued to laugh at his expense.

(Word count: 1,073)