The People's Prince

A Prince's First Flight

Two years into the reign of Viserys the Peaceful, the realm was prospering in a time of peace, with the goodwill of the King pleasing both nobles and commoners alike.

The Young Prince Aelor Targaryen had grown into a strapping young prince who was advancing in intelligence due to his education from the Maesters. The young prince was regarded by many as a prodigy, learning to read and write within half a moon and becoming fluent in Valyrian at a young age thanks to his sister and uncle refusing to communicate with him in the common tongue.

The young prince also loved history, a trait he shared with his father, King Viserys I. Both father and son spent hours together pouring over stories of the Old Valyrian Freehold and helping his father construct his model of Old Valyria.

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Today was a special day for the young prince, as the dragon keepers had informed him that his dragon, Heatfyre, was now large enough to take him on his first flight into the sky. The prince had been excited and waiting for this moment ever since his sister, Princess Rhaenyra, took to the skies on her dragon, Syrax, last year.

The court and House Targaryen all gathered in the dragon pit, with the young prince wearing his new riding leathers gifted to him by his parents. The dragon keepers brought out the prince's dragon, the splendid Heatfyre, who was only five name-days old, just like the prince. The dragon was characterized as abnormally sized, already rivalling his sister's dragon in size. The dragon keepers stated that considering the prince's dragon's rate of growth, they wouldn't be surprised to see Heatfyre compete or surpass the size of the mighty dragons Caraxes and Meleys by the time the prince reached adulthood.

Heatfyre's platinum scales shone in the sunlight as he was brought out into the daylight, his brilliant golden wing membranes unfurling as the young dragon stretched his wings in the open air outside the pit. Heatfyre turned to face the prince, his golden horns adorning his head like a crown, and his golden pupils staring at his rider with curiosity. A small saddle, imprinted with the three-headed dragon of House Targaryen, was attached to his back.

The prince's father, King Viserys, stepped forward to talk to his son. "Now, my son, I know you must be excited to take your first flight on your dragon but stick to flying low and only above King's Landing. Your mother would never forgive me if you were to die on the dragon's back, as she is already stressed enough with your sister's reckless nature." With the reassuring words from his father, the prince walked to his dragon, commanding it, "Doherās, Heatfyre, lyrkirī."

With no other words spoken, Heatfyre lowered his wing to his rider, allowing the prince to climb onto his saddle. When the prince was secure on the saddle, he and his dragon were ready. The prince gave the command the court was waiting for: "Sōvēs, Heatfyre." Without any protest, the young dragon, with a couple of powerful flaps of his wings and steps of his legs, descended into the skies and slowly ascended above King's Landing, making it look like more than an anthill to him and his rider.

Both rider and dragon exclaimed shrieks of joy as they circled King's Landing three times before the prince commanded his dragon to descend into the pit. "Embrot, Heatfyre, nopot." Heatfyre gave his rider no resistance to his commands, descending gracefully towards the dragon pit, his scales shimmering in the sunlight. The dragon landed before the onlookers. The prince stepped off his dragon, thanking his friend for his first flight before running into a hug from his proud father and the members of House Targaryen, happy to have another dragon rider among them.

Valyrian commands:

Doherās - serve me.

lyrkirī - be calm.

Sōvēs - fly.

Embrot - down.

nopot - to pit.