Chapter 54: The Madness of Volantis

Aegon made his way alone up Dragonmont toward Balerion's lair. He hadn't asked anyone to guide him—he'd been there once before, during his grandfather Daemion's cremation, and still remembered the path.

The mountain was composed mostly of black volcanic rock, its surface rough and hardened by heat and time. Here and there, carvings and sculptures of dragons were etched into the rockface, remnants of ancient Valyrian craftsmanship.

Aegon turned his head to look out over the distant horizon. The vast waters of Blackwater Bay stretched before him, waves crashing against the reefs near Dragonstone, sending up great plumes of spray with a thunderous roar.

The Dragon Tower on Dragonstone soared into the clouds. At its peak, the Screaming Hall overlooked everything below like a sovereign sentinel. From its balcony, the Targaryen family watched from afar, the breeze stirring their cloaks and robes as they observed Aegon's approach to the dragon's nest.

...

A short while later, Aegon reached the edge of Balerion's lair.

The dragon's nest lay in a natural depression along the mountainside. Years of the great beast's movements had compacted the ground into a rock-hard basin. As Aegon stepped forward, he could feel how firm and solid the earth was beneath his feet.

Dragonmont still preserved the Valyrian tradition of raising dragons through a semi-wild system, and the lair itself remained partially open to the elements.

Aegon spotted the enormous black dragon still curled up inside the nest and felt a wave of relief. Had Balerion gone out hunting, he would have faced a long wait.

Balerion noticed Aegon's presence but merely cast him a fleeting glance before turning away, uninterested.

Perhaps the death of his former master had left him in a somber mood.

Aegon approached cautiously but steadily, careful not to make any sudden moves that might startle the dragon.

This was his second time attempting to tame a dragon. Although Balerion had a fierce reputation, he seemed far more composed than Tiamat, the infamous beast once called a devil. At least in Aegon's eyes, Balerion was still relatively mild-tempered.

The distance between them steadily closed—two hundred meters... one hundred... fifty...

A sudden image from a century ago flashed through Aegon's mind: he and Aenar being tested for their bloodline. The memory stirred a faint melancholy.

Perhaps it was the Dragonlord blood running through his veins, but this time Balerion didn't resist. Aegon approached without incident, the dragon remaining still in the nest, seemingly not even looking his way.

He's ignoring me, Aegon thought, a bit embarrassed.

Maybe after serving two previous masters, Balerion just doesn't care anymore.

Without hesitation, Aegon grabbed the rope ladder attached to the dragon's flank and began to climb. Balerion's body towered nearly twenty meters high like a small mountain, but Aegon scaled it with ease and mounted the saddle.

In that moment, his blood awakened.

Aegon's spiritual field merged with Balerion's, and a bond beyond words was forged—one of dragon and rider.

Balerion finally stirred. The great beast turned its massive head and let out a thunderous roar, acknowledging his new master.

"Balerion—fly," Aegon commanded in High Valyrian.

Balerion rose from the nest, dragging his immense tail as he walked toward a cliff edge on Dragonmont. Dragonstone, ringed with steep cliffs—especially to the north—had long used these natural drop-offs to help dragons launch into flight. Dragonmont, built on the island's northern face, made such takeoffs easier.

Balerion reached the cliff's edge. Aegon looked out over the deep waters of Blackwater Bay.

With a single mighty leap, the dragon launched into the air, stone fragments flying in every direction. Its wings, spanning more than a hundred meters, spread wide as it soared into the sky. After a brief descent, Balerion beat his wings with tremendous force and began to rise.

...

From the balcony of the Dragon Tower, the Targaryens erupted into cheers at Aegon's successful taming of the dragon.

Visenya pumped her fist in the air with joy and shouted Aegon's name. Her eyes were locked onto his figure atop Balerion, full of admiration and yearning.

Her heart surged with passion. In that moment, she wished it were her on that dragon's back.

Fiery and proud, Visenya loved fiercely and hated with equal intensity. Now that Aegon had shown his affection for her, she was fully committed to fighting her sister for him. Competitive by nature, Visenya had always dreamed of a powerful Dragonlord as a husband—and Aegon, the strongest of them all, fit that dream perfectly.

She had harbored feelings for Aegon since childhood. Now that he had defeated her in combat, those feelings only grew stronger.

Rhaenys was also waving excitedly at Aegon, but as she caught sight of her sister's exuberant face, her mood soured. Her thoughts drifted back to the duel on the training field, and her small lips pouted again.

She and Visenya had been opposites since they were young—constantly at odds, clashing over toys, treats, and attention, always ending in tears and tantrums.

Rhaenys brooded with quiet frustration. Aegon's always liked me more—so why the sudden change?

Her eyes drifted to her sister's chest, watching the way it bounced with every leap and cheer. She let out a silent sigh.

In her heart, Rhaenys believed she was better than her sister in every way—personality, looks, brains—everything but her figure. She wasn't as full-bodied, and she couldn't beat Visenya in a fight. Could that really be why Aegon doesn't like me anymore?

Their mother, Valaena, perceptive and sensitive, immediately noticed her younger daughter's mood. She gently pulled Rhaenys into her arms, offering a soft, comforting smile.

Rhaenys flushed with embarrassment and buried her face in her mother's chest.

...

High above, Aegon soared through the sky on Balerion's back. From the air, he could faintly make out the silhouette of Driftmark—domain of House Velaryon, vassals of House Targaryen.

As it was his first flight on Balerion, Aegon didn't travel far. He simply circled Dragonstone once, allowing the people below to witness a dragonrider in flight, restoring morale among the Targaryens and the island folk in the wake of Daemion's death.

After returning to Dragonmont, Aegon ordered the Dragonkeepers to give Balerion an extra meal.

Then he returned to the Dragon Tower, reuniting with his family to celebrate the success of his bonding.

Aerion, the head of House Targaryen, decided to host a grand feast in honor of his son's achievement. In the past, Daemion had grown too old and frail to ride Balerion into battle, which had left the Targaryens powerless to respond to the provocations of the Dragon Party from Volantis.

But now, with Balerion once again under their command, the tides could turn. With just one decisive strike, the entire balance of power might shift in Targaryen favor.

It was a moment worth celebrating—an opportunity to rally the morale of their bannermen and allies.

The feast was scheduled for five days later. Invitations were sent not only to their old vassals, House Velaryon and House Celtigar, but also to two Westerosi houses with close ties to Dragonstone: House Bar Emmon of Sharp Point and House Massey of Stonedance.

Though technically sworn to Storm's End, these two houses had stronger ties with the Targaryens.

Before the banquet, Aegon took his father's advice and toured their territories atop Balerion. The Targaryens' sphere of influence was still relatively small, so it didn't take long to complete the flight.

His first stop was Driftmark. Aegon flew high over the island as the people of High Tide cheered at the sight of the great dragon.

Lord Daemon Velaryon, along with his wife and children, emerged from High Tide Castle and knelt on one knee as Balerion passed overhead, a show of loyalty and submission.

Balerion had become the living symbol of House Targaryen's might.

Daemon had already received a letter informing him that Aegon had inherited Balerion from Daemion and was planning to visit Dragonstone to offer his congratulations.

Aegon didn't land on Driftmark. He simply had Balerion dip low in greeting before soaring off once more.

Next, they flew toward Claw Isle.

House Celtigar, like House Velaryon, had once fled the Valyrian Peninsula. But compared to Velaryon, they were far less influential. Most senior naval command positions within the Targaryen forces were held by members of House Velaryon, leaving Celtigar somewhat sidelined, their roles overlapping but far less prominent.

After Balerion made a brief pass over Claw Isle, Aegon turned back toward Dragonstone.

...

Several days later, the banquet was held as planned.

In the great hall of the main keep, Aerion had Aegon seated beside him at the high table—an unmistakable sign of a shift in power within House Targaryen.

Though Aerion had yet to formally step down as head of the house, Aegon was already issuing commands and taking on leadership responsibilities.

The heads of the two major vassal houses approached with deep respect, bowing slightly before offering toasts to Aegon. He received them with a warm smile, sharing a few words of encouragement.

Next came the lords of House Bar Emmon and House Massey.

Because of their proximity to Dragonstone, these houses respected the overwhelming power of the dragons and had been drawn in by the wealth and influence of House Targaryen. Though they remained nominally loyal to Storm's End, in practice, they now served Dragonstone.

Their leaders likewise congratulated Aegon with deference, and he responded to each with composed grace.

House Massey, whose seat was at Massey's Hook, held particular strategic value as a bulwark against House Valentine.

Their position placed them closer to the Stormlands' capital, Storm's End—making their allegiance to House Targaryen all the more remarkable.

Every year, King Durrandon of the Stormlands lodged fierce complaints and condemnations against House Targaryen over House Massey's "disloyalty." Fortunately, both the Stormlands and House Targaryen shared a greater enemy: the Kingdom of Volantis. This mutual threat was the only thing that had prevented war.

After a round of toasts and pleasantries, Aerion, head of House Targaryen, led the four vassal lords into the study of the Dragon Tower. As it was a formal strategy meeting, only Aegon, the designated heir, was present—Visenya and Rhaenys were not included.

The four lords once again bowed to Aerion, who gave a slight nod in return, and everyone took their seats.

A maidservant stepped forward and poured tea for Aerion first.

"Here, try some fresh Tyroshi tea that just arrived today," Aerion said as he handed a cup to Daemon Velaryon.

Daemon received it with both hands, offering a word of thanks.

The other three lords were also served tea.

Daemon waited until Aerion took a sip before gently blowing on his cup and taking a light taste himself.

Laid out across the desk was a detailed map of eastern Essos, already marked with red dots and blue crosses—red for Targaryen holdings, blue for the forces of the Kingdom of Volantis.

"Daemon, let's hear your assessment first," Aerion said, setting down his cup as he formally opened the meeting.

As the admiral of House Targaryen, Daemon naturally spoke first to provide his analysis of the current situation.

He gave a small nod, rose to his feet, and pointed to a chain of islands stretching across the Narrow Sea. "Ross Island is the northernmost of the Stepstones. According to our latest intelligence, the Kingdom of Volantis has already taken it."

Aegon followed the direction of his gesture. Ross Island lay not far from both the Stormlands and Dragonstone—a critical position.

Facing the room, Daemon continued, "With Ross Island captured, Volantis has three likely courses of action.

First, they may continue pushing into the Disputed Lands and strike at the closest Free City—Tyrosh.

Second, they could launch an assault westward on the Kingdom of Storms, attacking from the Stepstones.

Third, spurred on by the Dragon Party, they may turn north and come directly for us—Dragonstone."

"The Kingdom of Volantis has been far too aggressive in recent decades," sighed the Lord of House Massey. His family had long suffered from Volantene naval raids, and their trade with the Free Cities had been crippled for nearly fifty years.

Aerion also stood, tapping the tabletop with his finger as he asked in a low voice, "If they continue expanding, where do you believe they'll strike next?"

Daemon slid his finger west across the map, stopping at the Stormlands. "We can rule out the Stormlands for now. Their people are fierce, their navy is no weak force, and King Argilac is a seasoned war leader. Capturing Storm's End or Tarth would be extremely difficult.

That leaves just two realistic targets: Tyrosh or Dragonstone.

If they choose Tyrosh, we Targaryens will certainly send troops. Our grudge against the Dragon Party of Volantis runs deep. There's a chance the Storm King might even join the campaign to prevent Volantis from establishing global dominance.

And considering Volantis has already conquered three Free Cities in rapid succession, it has provoked massive backlash among the others. Moving against Tyrosh now would not be easy—it would mean facing united opposition."

Aegon caught the implication and said, "You're saying the Kingdom of Volantis will come straight for Dragonstone?"

Daemon nodded. "Exactly. Because our House and the Dragon Party are mortal enemies.

If they destroy Dragonstone, the Valentine family—the Dragon Party's leader—would become the only remaining Dragonlord house in the world. That would strengthen Volantis' claim as the rightful successor to the Freehold Empire.

With Dragonstone out of the way, nothing would stand between them and Tyrosh.

The Dragon Party also fears we might tame more dragons. Even now, with only Balerion, they're already struggling to counter us.

In conclusion, I firmly believe the Kingdom of Volantis will make Dragonstone its next target."

Aerion slowly shook his head. "To think Ross Island fell in barely over a month... We had planned to launch a major joint strike on their navy with the Storm King. Now, it seems they've seized the initiative."

Aegon let out a cold snort, slamming his palm down on the map over the Narrow Sea.

"Let them come," he said grimly. "Balerion's already starving."