A/N I am going through some edits in the first chapters, not anything that change the story, just more readable and understable
Aerglo's back arched and his ass felt like rock, his northern robes no longer suited to the weather that reached the south. Sweat ran down his back. His marks made with dragon blood increasingly bled against his robes. He'd never spent so much time away and hadn't expected it to be like this, although with a quick thought, he'd know he'd do the exact thihng. Even if time passed he would honor his family.
This time when he ride to King's Landing, there was no carriage, there were no women, his sister was long gone, so the boy had to continue with the horse. He fixed his nose ring and anything that bothered him every five minutes, the trip was going to be hell, to finally see paradise.
His master-at-arms was beside him, riding his horse, just like Aerglo, and he had been aware of Ser Aerglo's discomfort from the very beginning of the journey. He had changed from a white robe underneath for a black one days ago, as it had been covered in blood.
Magic, the Perzys called it, of the dragon, and the maester called that was an infection, either way had an absurd activity. Each day they went without their dragon was a new wound, and Aerglo was almost to his three months without it.
The boy fixed his hair at the sight of the sky one of the same magic he shared in Valyria's blood. Bronze with green highlights. Vhagar. Aemond had met halfway. Every wing beat the dragon took was a step back from their horses. Aerglo didn't wait, he quickly dismounted from his horse and ran towards Vhagar and of course Aemond. The entourage that was with him, this time of less than ten horses, had moved away. His master-at-arms hadn't retreated that far, but he knew Aerglo's need for a quicker ride to the dragon pit.
Each step of Aerglo was defined with a descent of Vhagar to the ground, the boy didn't care about the size of the dragon in front of him either, he had mounted it and would rather die by the dragon's breath than prevent it from getting closer to him. Zaldrītsos, even if miles ahead.
He circled Vhagar as he neared the dragon, and was met by Aemond, riding in all his glory. His hair flying in the south wind, the eye patch made Aerglo's pocket burn, and a concern for the older man's well-being. Aerglo was grateful.
"How are the injuries?" Aemond questioned, as soon as he dismounted from Vhagar, not caring about the entourage behind, all with a curious look and even distressed with the dragon in front and his master so close, but whispers already circulated through the kingdom, they had an almost peculiar friendship.
Aerglo, didn't show his wounds, but what escaped the neck Aemond noticed that they looked like they were made with a knife, they were raw. "Terrible." he reiterated. Everyone knew the affinity the house had for dragons.
"I'm sorry, as soon as I received the crow I came to meet you on the king's road." Aemond didn't dare touch Aerglo, but he apologized nonetheless. Even though the boy took moons to respond to his message. He honestly didn't care as long as he was okay. "Come on up soon, Vhagar is tired, but I believe we arrive on a flight." Aerglo cared about respect, even if his skin burned.
He walked, again circling the dragon in front of his entourage, and saluted.
"We meet at the Red Keep, everyone who does not have the need to accompany me can go." Aerglo ordered, the road wasn't that dangerous in those days, they could easily access it without moribund attacking them. On account of the banner that a man carried, just as the Targaryens were a dragon, but unlike the three heads, they had two men side by side with the dragon, symbolizing the two people who had come to Westeros, in search of the peace that the dream of the dragon had shown.
They didn't turn their backs on OldCastle until Aerglo mounted the dragon and so the boy did, whatever arrogance he sometimes showed was forgotten by the need to get to Zaldrītsos. He didn't mind accepting help, and so he did.
"Thanks for understand me." Aerglo was grateful as he returned to meet Vhagar and Aemond, watching him until the winds bothered his eyes. He was handsome, but everything involving him and the eldest was wrong. Even if it's out of pure friendship on the part of one.
"Stop wasting my time." Aemond ordered in his princely tone. Aerglo rolled his eyes and found himself riding ahead of Vhagar, like the preferred one on the other trip a few moons ago, the youngest took the reins, wrapping around Aerglo and the sky, before long he saw his entourage a part fall apart and a part stay.
"Take off your shirt." Aemond urged the older boy, through his shouts above the sky, the younger had noticed the constant movement of the older hands to peel the robes from his body. It was impossible to have normal conversation unless the dragon had stopped. Aerglo shook his head, behind his back Aemond rolled his eyes. "You leave the wound covered, it will only get infected, Vhagar can fly low, that way you take little wind and ease the pain." That part Aemond whispered in the elder's ear, who finally nodded.
"Keligon, Vhagar." Aemond commanded and the dragon landed, near a citadel. It wasn't hard to imagine that eyes would be on them, they were close to Riverrun, but outside its walls, where there were only a few houses at most five.
They were all rather precarious, Aemond noted. With three boys who used to play between themselves, found pulled by a woman when they were met with the desire to approach the dragon.
Little by little Aerglo removed his clothes, firstly the heavy fur cloak. Which he passed behind his back, handing it to Aemond, where he went to guard in the sophisticated cell, in their pockets. Then came the black shirt he wore underneath, this time Aemond was able to see the true damage that the moons without the dragon had done to his body, they looked like abrasions caused by swords. The usual black was long gone and the red was running down his body. Aerglo handed his shirt to Aemond, ignoring everything Aemond did, not wanting to see his face, as he imagined it to be. Revulsion, but Aemond's expression was one of concern.
Aemond removed a canteen of water from Vhagar's own pockets, and a shirt he had kept there and with his dagger divided the shirt in two, wetting a part. Aerglo still didn't look back, fearing to see the younger's face. He arched his back as he felt the wet cloth touch his wounds, letting out an unexpected cry. Finally he turned to see Aemond's worried face as he passed over each of the wounds the Targaryen saw. At that moment they didn't even have a person on their mind other than themselves.
Carefully and gently, he passed over each one, a thick line of bruises that had formed. Aerglo, did not turn his head forward. He watched every feature Aemond made as he cleaned them, and Aemond noted every grimace the boy made, every time he noticed, his hand was kinder.
"If it was Aegon, it would have alcohol. It would be better for treating infections, but more painful." He explained to him, while still tracing the lines dyed in red with the cloth of her shirt. "Disassemble." He asked. And truly, whatever Aemond asked Aerglo to do at that moment he would do, like a king ordering his subject.
Aerglo, carefully descended from Vhagar. Vhagar didn't even seem to mind Aerglo's presence at his back, or around him anymore. Aemond followed. "Turn around." Aemond tucked the dry part of his shirt into his own pocket and just as carefully began cleaning the wounds. Aerglo had a structural body, with all the sword training he did and even if Aemond had his eyesight down, he now had no desire to look at Aerglo's face, if he did, he would notice the red colors that also colored his cheeks.
The commoners looked at the scene curiously and the prince noticed the look, but ignored it. Not Aerglo, he had turned to them with the worst face he could muster, staring at them, and then saw them running to their homes. Aemond let out a low chuckle at the sound, and inadvertently pressed harder against the bruises, and heard the older moan in pain. The youngest raised his face in an apologetic gesture.
Aerglo's gaze rested on Aemond for a few seconds before Aemond continued his work. With the tips of his fingers he lifted Aerglo's chin, who was watching him very calmly, but his heart wanted to leap out of his chest. Releasing Perzys's chin, he cleaned the marks on his neck. With equal care, he changed the cloth and dried each part as carefully as possible.
Aerglo's face was almost touching Aemond's as he dried the wound on his neck. His gaze traced all the perfections and imperfections of Aerglo, instinctively, he put his hand in his pocket, and again with a grimace, when he got close to the worst part, close to his jugular, the older one held the younger one's hand and with a look asked for calm.
Aerglo inhaled and exhaled and nodded. Aemond continued his work, turning the older one to his back and drying all the other wounds. Ultimately, he gave his own cape to Aerglo. "When we get close to King's Landing, put it on. For now let the winds heal." he asked, his voice gentle. A smile stamped on his face, but it soon left, but the older one didn't fail to notice and this brought a smile too, but more lasting.
"Hurry." Aemond directed Aerglo to climb Vhagar. The two did so. Aemond taking space from the scars on the older's back, keeping his distance from Aerglo, only one hand faithfully held his waist where he wasn't so badly hurt. Aerglo didn't mind the pain.
"Valahd, Vhagar! Lykirī." Fly Vhagar, take it easy. As soon as Vhagar took flight, Aerglo carefully handed back Aemond's cloak, if that flew he feared what would happen to him. Nothing, but it was dramatic.
They landed not long after, Aemond's hand on Aerglo's waist all the way, it took them less than three hours to reach King's Land. Aemond believed very much that he should have a home for elderly dragons, Vhagar despite being the greatest in the world, really needed a break from his so splendid career. The dragon really must have been tired.
As soon as they reached the dragon's pit, Aemond made Aerglo wait, as he was planning to run towards where Zaldrītsos stood. He putted his own cloack on the boy's back, and closed it with a pin, a Targaryen one. Once he noticed that wasn't going to fall he let the boy run free to his dragom, each step faster than the last. Aemond chatted with the trainers and caretakers as they tended to Vhagar, where he followed, this time not so worried toward Aerglo. A smile formed on his face, seeing him whispering and kissing Zaldrītsos, the black dragon seemed to snuggle with the boy.
Aemond felt genuine happiness and he was afraid of it.