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I Promise

The paradise island that Aerion had stepped into only had a small port town and several natural landmarks. There was a beautiful waterfall at the centre of the island that led to a body of water that resembled a lake. Around that waterfall, there were luscious green forests thriving with life - including a mythical white stag that no one could catch.

As Aerion and his siblings made their way through a forest and towards the waterfall, they encountered a long snake that was almost perfectly hidden on the ground. Once Aegon had seen it, he stepped back. The snake hissed, making Rhaenys shriek a little.

"It's a snake... do something about it!"

Aerion laughed, shaking his head. "It's just a snake, what can it possibly do? Just grab it and throw the thing far away. Better yet, slap its head and show your dominance!"

"If it can be so easily done, why don't you do it then?" Aegon crossed his arms.

"Fine... watch this."

Bang.

Aerion slapped the snake's head, making it shut up. Then he grabbed it with one hand, spun it around and threw the snake a good distance to the side.

"See? Easy." Aerion shrugged like it wasn't a big deal.

"That snake won't be bothering us again," Aegon remarked, seeing it slither away. "You're not scared of anything. You know, many men die early due to being over adventurous. I wouldn't want you to be one of them, older brother."

"That's rather sweet... but I can handle myself pretty well. You should worry about yourself, Aegon. If you don't stand your ground, there will always be people who will take advantage of you. Like that snake... you let such a pathetic thing scare you, hahahaha."

"Shut up... I'll beat its ugly head next time!"

"Sure thing, little brother. I'll be watching."

...

Eventually, they reached the spot where Rhaegar Targaryen was playing his harp atop a large yet smooth rock with Elia Martell by his side. The rock was to the side of the waterfall, providing a pretty clear view of the never-ending stream of water. Aerion knew who it was upon first sight...

His cheerful mood had been disrupted as he frowned at the sight of him. He had a desire to see how durable the man's face was but didn't act in the presence of the others.

"Elia, why don't you take Rhaenys and Aegon out to collect some berries?"

"Berries?" Aegon frowned a little. "Come on..."

"Should be a fun little exercise." Elia, knowing that Rhaegar wanted to speak with Aerion in private stood up. "Come along now, you're not quite yet a man to be making any demands, Aegon."

"... Whatever."

"Oi." Aerion flicked Aegon's forehead. "Its 'yes mother, your wish is my command. I shall fulfil my duty and collect every last berry in your name!'"

"Says the man who goes out on trips to foreign lands without any permission." Rhaenys countered.

'I do that here?'

"Well... that's just me."

"The classic; rules for you but not for me," Aegon remarked.

...

Once they left Rhaegar and Aerion alone, there was silence for a brief moment. Rhaegar Targaryen tapped on the rock beside him. "Come, sit."

Aerion's fist tightened as he walked closer. Once he was at arm's length, his fist smashed directly into Rhaegar's face, leading to him falling down onto the ground.

"My son grows stronger with every passing day..."

"You bastard... it's all your fault." Aerion's piercing violet eyes looked down on Rhaegar Targaryen. "You're the reason why Robert's Rebellion broke out. You're the reason why Rhaenys and Aegon had to die. You're the reason why my mother mourns their deaths. You're the reason why I had to fight to even sit on the throne that rightfully belonged to me."

"What are you talking about?" Rhaegar Targaryen got up to his feet. "Robert Baratheon fell in battle to me years ago. Rhaenys and Aegon are both alive... perhaps, you had a bad dream and mistook it for what is real? Hmm..."

"I..." Aerion Targaryen sighed, loosening his hand. "I want to know why you risked it all for a woman."

"Don't you know the answer to that already, Aerion? If Arianne was promised to another, would you not fight for her hand, even if it meant angering a man she did not care for?"

"Well..."

Deep down, he knew it to be true. He was willing to do the exact same thing... the only difference was that there was not a single man who could defeat him.

"Hahaha... I know you have a distaste for Lyanna and hate me for having her as a second wife. Yet, to me... you are still my first son. Even if you draw your arms against me, I will never retaliate. You are the rowdiest of my children, there's no debate for that. Even so... you are my life's greatest pride."

"... Hmph."

"Please, sit."

Seeing Rhaegar Targaryen's expression, Aerion slightly pitied him and reluctantly sat down.

"I still remember the day you came into this world. The wind howled louder than a dragon would and the lightning that fell was deafening, leaving some men to think that it was the end of the world. Fortunately, it was not..." Rhaegar smiled. "Instead, what came was the prince that was promised and a brilliant ray of light as the storm faded."

"Azor Ahai reborn..."

Rhaegar nodded. "Yours is the song of ice and fire, Aerion. When the world one day falls into darkness, you will be its beacon of light. I named you after Aerion Brightflame... to which, I do hope that you don't ever intend to drink wildfire."

"I'm not that brave..." Aerion chuckled. "Although..."

"I'm sure I did not raise a complete fool." Rhaegar smiled, grabbing his harp. "You live and breath swordsmanship, which has made you even a greater warrior than I. Yet, I believe you should make time to enjoy the finer arts of life."

"You want me to learn the harp?"

"Songs are a powerful way of expressing yourself. It can affect those listening to you and even yourself when you immerse yourself into the song. I want to see you give it a try, at the very least."

"Eh..."

"I know you want to be popular with the ladies." Rhaegar smiled, placing the harp at his side. "Besides, there's a great difference between earning a girl's glance and taking her heart. To take her heart you must put forth more effort. You can't rely on your pretty face for everything."

"Easier said than done... I've never used an instrument before."

"And that's why I'm here. To guide you."

"... Then I will be relying on you in this endeavour, father."

Aerion decided to let go of his grievances for once and make use of this opportunity.

"First, we must always start with the fundamentals."

~

Aerion had no idea of how to pass or leave the trial ground. There was not a single indication that he could, for that matter, so he simply lived his life. He realised that the 'Aerion' that he had overtaken was one of a different time. His mind and soul were the same... but the body and identity he had were both different.

In this reality, Rhaegar had defeated Robert Baratheon and crushed the rest of the Rebellion with the assistance of House Lannister, marrying Lyanna Stark shortly after. King Aerys was removed from the throne by force and Rhaegar took the crown for himself, mending the wounded Realm from then on. For his late yet crucial assistance in the Rebellion, Lord Tywin was named Hand of the King and Aerion would seek his advice often. He looked up to him, in a way.

As these memories slowly reached him, he chuckled at the irony.

Aerion himself was the Prince of Dragonstone and had completed several expeditions around the Known World, expanding his influence, navy and growing fortune. Instead of conquering the Free Cities, he had built a network of 'friends' to serve him well in Essos and become known as the Gold-Touched Dragon.

To add to that, he had completely erased most of the pirate presence in the Narrow Sea and began construction for port settlements in the Stepstones as a way of trade between Essos and Westeros. He was the crown prince and had almost all the freedom he could desire, without the responsibility of the crown which laid on his father's head.

This life... wasn't so bad, Aerion thought.

~

"Your melodies are like a river, flowing from mellow to sorrow. They are powerful... it seems that you placed your whole heart into every note." Rhaegar Targaryen observed Aerion's string work with a proud tone. "It's a shame that you don't sing..."

"That would be too embarrassing." Aerion Targaryen shook his head, refusing to do so.

"How so? Although I am troubled with the duties of the crown, I will always have time to settle your concerns. You don't have to hide anything from me."

"No, I won't."

"Very well, I won't force you to... though, when you do sing, I am sure it will be the most wonderful song of all."

Aerion smiled a little. "You flatter me too much, father. My singing voice would probably sound worse than the croak of a toad."

"Nonsense and you know it to be true. There is not a single goal that my son can't accomplish when he puts his mind to it." Rhaegar pat his head affectionately. "Look at you already, you're twice the warrior and crown prince I ever was! Even if I were to die now... I would have no regrets simply because the greatest king the known world ever knew will succeed me."

"What gives you all your confidence in me?"

"The simple truth that you are my son."

'I see...'

For some reason, the words 'you are my son' had never moved him quite so much. Rhaegar Targaryen was genuine when he spoke to Aerion and those same very words seemed to come from the heart. For once, he truly had a supportive and caring father who empowered him to reach for the skies.

This Rhaegar Targaryen... he found difficult to hate.

"When the Realm is yours, many lords will serve you... some until the bitter end. As King, you must serve them as well as they serve you. Know that kingship is not simply your right... nor a past-time or hobby. In truth, it is the most important duty of all."

"A king must always put his people first... to live and rule for them, that is his duty. That will be your duty."

"... I know what it means to be the King." Aerion nodded. "To live for others is one aspect of Kingship... but another is to live for yourself. A true King should be the most ambitious, greediest and most willing man of all. Through that, he inspires others to follow him through fire and storm, wherever he leads. They trust that he will soar as high as his wings will take him... and so, he leads both his people and himself to greatness."

"That is the way of the conqueror... and the path that I've chosen for myself," Aerion added with a determined look in his eyes.

"I see... then a great conqueror you shall be." Rhaegar Targaryen nodded.

~

In the port town, all three siblings went shopping around with Ser Arthur by their side. When the latter went with Aegon and Aerion for a brief moment, one of the local men approached the princess with a smirk that revealed three missing teeth and twice as many that were black.

"Pardon me, princess. Might you know where might a lonely, charming, sailor sheath his sword?"

"With all due respect, you have all the charms of a vulture." Rhaenys Targaryen coldly shut him down, leading to the sailor sighing. "You may sheathe it into the ground."

"Worth a try..." The sailor almost choked when he saw Aerion turn to him. "Prince... ah, it's good to see you."

"How much do you love the head that rests on your shoulders?" He inquired before the sailor could make his escape.

"... Sorry, I'll never do something like that again. I swear it."

When Aerion stepped forward, Rhaenys Targaryen grabbed his hand. "It's fine, he was just making a jest."

"You're too kind."

Aerion eased his other hand, turning to her. When he glanced at his preoccupied hand, he realised that her hold was firm... and quite warm.

"Uhm..." When they looked into each other's eyes, Rhaenys turned away and let go. "Anyways..."

"Anyways..." Aerion added, smiling a little.

"I got you a gift."

"Oh, and what may that be?"

"Follow me... I'll show you."

Rhaenys led Aerion to their residence in the town and eventually to her room, which was decorated quite well. It was a sweet-smelling room that was extremely organised except for its second section which was used for art. There was paint everywhere, a hobby that Rhaenys quite enjoyed alongside writing stories. On the wall, there was a painting of Rhaegar and Elia Martell standing over their three children.

"Did you make that?"

"Yeah, but it's not perfect. I had to do a lot of improvising..."

"It looks wonderful to me." Aerion praised, walking closer for a better observation. "It's really sweet of you to dedicate your time and effort to such a painting."

"Well, thank you."

"Whoever is to have your hand is a most fortunate man."

"There aren't any suitors, I'm afraid," Rhaenys replied, playing with her black curls.

"How so?" Aerion scratched his hair. "You're beautiful, a princess and..."

"I have an obnoxiously loud-mouthed twin brother," Rhaenys complained, although in a playful manner. "The moment any young lord asks for my hand in a dance, you badmouth them all until they no longer have the pride to return to court. All of my suitor's faces, without fail, become redder than dornish wine with embarrassment!"

Aerion chuckled. "If that's the case, then I simply believe that they aren't worthy of my beautiful sister's hand."

"Hmph, you even fought duels in my name against the more brash men... if I have such a frightening brother, what man would be interested in me?"

"The one who'd fight the world for you," Aerion stated. "You deserve nothing less, Rhaenys."

"Then why don't you... marry me."

"...." Aerion's eyes widened in surprise. "You don't mean that do you?"

"Forget I said anything. Uhh... right, the gift."

"..." Aerion's expression grew conflicted as he knew a little of womanspeak. Sometimes when they tell you to forget something, they actually want you to remember it. This... was one of those occasions.

"Since you've been learning the harp with father, I wanted to get you one so that you could play on your own too. It's not as flashy or brilliant as father's, but it has a nice few coloured feathers on the top... quite the exotic look, don't you think?"

Aerion chuckled as Rhaenys brought out the harp. "It's... unique, I'll give you that."

"It suits your wild nature perfectly, I'd say." Rhaenys cheekily remarked.

"Hmph."

"Why don't you play it a little for me?" Rhaenys offered.

"I need better scenery..."

"Then let's go outside, no one's stopping us! Come on..."

"Sure...."

And so, the twins traversed outside of the port town and into the wilderness, eventually reaching the other end of the island where he recalled getting cold water thrown into his face. He found a rock from which to sit and placed down the harp.

"Since you've given me this harp, its first song will be dedicated to you." Aerion chucked. "Mind you, I'm a terrible singer."

"And who decided that?"

"Well... I'll try."

"What is real and what is an illusion,

the knight asked himself as he dreamt of his fallen maiden.

She had left his side long ago,

But he loved her still, with all his heart.

When he saw her in his dreams,

the knight would embrace her as regret filled his heart.

If his feet had been swifter, if his sword arm had been stronger,

Perhaps she would be with him now."

Aerion stopped, watching Rhaenys who had rested her head against his shoulder.

"Such a sad song..." She sniffled, almost crying. "Is there a good ending to it?"

"Though his dreams of her were an illusion, his love for her was true."

Aerion finally added, ending off the song with a more mellow note.

"... That was the perfect song." Rhaenys Targaryen grabbed his hand that was to her side. "Don't you dare ever call yourself a terrible singer again, alright?"

"I only keep the best songs for my dear sister," Aerion replied, turning to face her and softly lowering his harp onto the ground.

"I don't... want you to leave me."

Rhaenys spoke the words he had kept to himself.

When they faced each other once again, Rhaenys nudged forward and kissed him on the lips. Caught by surprise, Aerion didn't make any pushes of his own. As swiftly as she had made her move, Rhaenys retreated.

"I... I'm sorry. It's just that... whenever you're away, I feel like I've lost my other half. When I'm with you, there is not another place I'd rather be. All the times you shamed my suitors and fought in my name, sending them all away... I was secretly glad because I could be with you longer. You're my brother and already married... so it isn't right, is it?"

"... I wish I could, I really do." Aerion sighed, looking into her dark yet brilliant eyes. "But... as was in the song, the knight's fallen maiden was an illusion. Yet his love for her was real."

"Then..."

Aerion stood up, raising her with him. He gave her a confident smile before reciprocating her kiss with one of his own.

"One day, I will find the miracle of complete rebirth and return you to my side. We'll be reunited as a family when that day comes... I promise. After that, not even death will separate us."

"Then I will be waiting for that day..."

As if she understood what he meant, Rhaenys cheerfully smiled.

That smile gave him life as his dream and trial came to an end...

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