PALE FINGERS RAN ACROSS the stones of hallways, stopping at every carving to look at and examine it thoroughly. They all depicted the same thing. Dragons, warriors, knights, chivalry. 'Westeros is nothing like this' Aemma thought.
She had only been at Dragonstone for a week, yet she found it incredibly boring. It was all drab walls, carvings that were entirely inaccurate, and nothing to do. Lucaerys was entirely too young for a girl of seventeen to really enjoy spending time with him, and with Jacaerys, it was entirely too awkward.
So she resorted to wandering around. It was times like these that she wished she was far more interesting. At her age, Rhaenyra had been called the Realm's Delight. All Aemma was called was a nuisance.
Examining this engraving on the wall almost made her forget about her surroundings. Only the crashing of waves behind her, the smell of ocean air, and a voice cutting through it all.
"Princess Aemma!"
She knew that voice anywhere. Jacaerys. A sigh escaped her lips as she turned on her heels, looking to the boy. Brown hair and deep purple eyes that she could recognize anywhere too.
"Prince Jacaerys." Aemma forced a small smile on her lips. Only being there for a week, it was hard to sit and pretend that she knew Dragonstone. She was only here because she was engaged to be married, and Viserys said that it would be good for Rhaenyra and Aemma to spend time together while she is a maiden. By the Seven, it made Aemma sick to think about.
"Jace, please," He said. Although he technically was above her in station, Jace still offered the platinum haired girl a bow, one she returned with her curtsy. At least, it was supposed to be a curtsy.
'Perhaps Rhaenyra sent him to entertain me.' It only made her muscles tense more, lilac eyes trying his best to avoid his full gaze. Rather than meeting his eyes, looking to the bridge of his nose.
"Would-" Jacaerys started to stumble over his words before recollecting his thoughts, leaning up against the stones of the wall. "-Would you like me to show you around? Mother has mentioned you seeming lost and upset, and I- and I thought I might ask." His smile was large and lopsided, an infectious one that urged Aemma to set her attitude aside.
Lilac eyes glanced around, trying to avoid his gaze. It felt like it burned into her chest, seeing through her act of indifference. Aemma might try and pretend all she might, but she was not the stoic princess that she claimed to be.
"Perhaps. Care to share where you might show me that I have not already seen?" Aemma pressed for some type of clue as to where Jacaerys might show her that she had not seen the night before. Not that she would let on that she had been out of her chambers at such an early hour.
"Have you seen the dragonmont, princess?" Jacaerys questioned.
"Of course I have. It is a mountain that the castle is named for, it would be hard to miss it."
Jace's laugh was infectious. Aemma couldn't help but smile a bit. "Clever, Princess, but not the volcano itself. The caverns. Perhaps we might see Vermithor, Grey Ghost, The Cannibal?" His last words were teasing, flinching back as Aemma's slender hand moved to playfully hit his arm.
"Do not say such things! I would much rather see The Cannibal than The Bronze Fury." Aemma joked back at him, glancing towards the windows before meeting Jace's gaze. "Besides, I am happy to see any of them. Me and Aemond have always been fascinated by them-" Aemma cut herself off once she realized what she said.
Both Jacaerys and Aemma fell silent, the memories still fresh and vivid in the princess's mind, even if it was over five years past.
Jacaerys was the one to break the silence. "Come, my Princess? It may be the last adventure that you have for a while." He implored, offering his arm to her, which Aemma accepted.
»»————- ♔ ————-««
Aemma could admit, Jacaerys was not as... insufferable as she remembered him to be. He spoke to her with ease, witty remarks that made her laugh. Much more than she had in the past few months, that was for sure.
"Say, Jace," Aemma said, shoes making soft footprints in the sand below them. "You still haven't shown me the Dragonmont." A sly smile creeped it's way onto her face.
Jacaerys's eyes looked from the sand to Aemma, hesitation lacing his voice. "No, I have not-"
"So why not show me? It could not be that dissimilar from the Dragon Pit."
"No-" Jacaerys started to say. "Perhaps you should like to see Vermax?"
"I should."
»»————- ♔ ————-««
The Dragonmont wasn't the Dragon Pit, as Aemma might've claimed. The darkness was familiar, she knew it well. Hours spent reading in the dome of it when Aegon and Aemond decided to play with their dragons. Aemma never had half a mind to claim one herself, so she was perfectly happy standing to the side and reading as they commanded them. But now, she had to rely upon Jacaerys to guide her.
"So deep into the volcano," Aemma commented absent mindidly as her eyes traveled across the caverns that they traversed.
"They tend to nestle deep. Steam still comes out of the volcano from time to time."
Aemma nodded, hand moving to gently grab the fabric of his tunic to try and keep up with his quickened pace. Her hand lingered for a moment more, but was quickly brought away when a specific tunnel was caught out of the corner of her eye.
A flash of fire, a wave of quick heat that was suddenly on her skin. 'Something is in there,' Aemma thought, stopping in her tracks.
"Who caves in there, Jacaerys?" Aemma asked, eyes still intently on the entrance of the cave.
Jacaerys looked over his shoulder, brows furrowing. "Vermithor, usually, you know, our great-grandsire's dragon, Prince Daemon has seen him many of times, when coming to get Ceraxes." Usually, he doesn't stop to see anyone other than Vermax, Aemma knew that.
"Do you care to hand me the torch?" Aemma asked, glancing over her shoulder back at him. Not waiting for an answer, she quickly took it from his hands, to many a protest from Jacaerys, to which she only responded.
"You know, if you wish to keep the light, you can follow me."
Which was now his only option.
Anxiously, Jacaerys trailed along behind Aemma. One foot after the other, they both walking into the cavern, Aemma with newfound invigoration, and Jacaerys with caution.
Vermithor, The Bronze Fury, dragon of Jaehaerys the Conciliator. Like a moth to a flame, Aemma couldn't help but keep moving forward. The danger she knew, yes, but the reward was worth it. She did not even wish to claim the dragon for herself, but simply see him.
"Aemma-" Jacaerys attempted to grab her arm, but she writhed out of his grasp.
"Aemma!" He tried to call again, to no avail. Her eyes stay focused on the cavern ahead of her, the flame of the torch illuminating her lilac eyes.
Finally, she stopped, with Jacaerys dead behind her. She could feel the tenseness of his body, even if they were not touching. The heat had amplified, she could hear the large breathing of the dragon curled up not too far in front of them, even if she could not see it. Yes, he was here.
"Vermithor..." Aemma whispered.
The dragon stirred. They could both see the silhouette of him. Large, the only one larger that was living was Vhagar,
"Aemma!" Jacaerys examined as quietly as possible, hand now on her upper arm, trying to lead her away from the cavern where Vermithor lay.
"Let go of me," Aemma said, looking between her arm and Jacaerys, looking up at him for a split second before-
Vermithor roared. A roar so loud it shook the earth below them, his large head only looking down at them as he opened his mouth. Aemma saw the flame in his throat building up, the tightness of Jacaerys's grip on her arm.
"Vermithor, daor! Lykirī!" Vermithor, no. Calm down. "Dohaerās, Vermithor!" Serve me, Vermithor.
Aemma spoke with such conviction, it even shocked herself that she spoke to the Bronze Fury in such a way.
A foot away from the Targaryens' faces, Vermithor stopped. His fire quenched for a moment, and he titled his head, as if studying the two. One with the palest of hair, like moonlight had kissed her, and one brown.
"Daor, Vermithor!" She called again, standing taller now, though an arm was in front of Jacaerys, trying her best to shield him from the fire that may come. "Lykirī!" It was all she could say, an attempt to soothe the dragon.
Aemma and Jacaerys both stood paralyzed, but Aemma made an attempt to slow her breathing. 'We will survive. Fire cannot kill fire.' She repeated in her head, over and over, as if her life depended on it. It did.
She held one hand out to Vermithor and the other arm in front of Jacaerys, which she could feel him trying to protest against.
Vermithor made another low grumble, deep in his throat. Slowly, Vermithor lowered his head to the ground, in front of the two, eyes of molten bronze looking at them. Aemma.
"Jacaerys," Aemma whispered, now in common tongue. "What is he doing?"
"I don't know," Jacaerys spoke again, letting go of Aemma's arm, which now dropped by her side.
Slowly, cautiously, Aemma took a step forward towards the beast, holding her hand out towards his nose, letting him sniff, like one would do an unknown street animal. By the end of his sniffing, Aemma still had her hand. She then placed it on him, feeling the toughness of his scales. He did not stir, at least in a way of showing his annoyance.
"I think-" Aemma's glances quickened between the dragon and Jacaerys as she continued to run her hand along his nose.
"We need to get Daemon, Mother," Jacaerys cut her off. "Come with me," Jacaerys said, but Aemma shook her head.
"No! What if he changes his mind when I am not here?" Aemma protested, which only earned a sigh from Jacaerys. Knowing he could not fight her, he simply turned, practically sprinting out of the Dragonmont.
Her attention was now on Vermithor. Golden and bronze scales, it was almost as if he didn't exist. Yet now, he did. He was real, laying his neck to Aemma. His scales were as bronze as the copper that adorned coins, but it was more luminous.
He was more beautiful than Syrax, Aemma had decided quite quickly. Also quite the anomaly, she had decided.