Chapter 1: STORM BORN

PART 1. AEGON

Aegon is the second son born to King Aerys and Queen Rhaella Targaryen. Prince Aegon IV has two older brothers Prince Rhaegar and Prince Viserys. Of his older brothers Aegon is closest to Rhaegar. He looks up to his brother who is more of a father to Aegon than his father Aerys who is now referred to as the Mad King. Aerys had become mad and irrational. Then everything turned upside down at the Tourney of Harrenhal. Aegon watches his brother win the tournament and gives the Winter Roses to Lyanna Stark. That is the beginning of woes for House Targaryen.

Several months later Lyanna runs off with Rhaegar, they marry, but the Starks don't take kindly to that. Brandon and Rickon Stark go before the Mad King demanding that his son return Lyanna. The Mad King has them killed and sends a Raven to Jon Arryn demanding that he send his wards Robert Baratheon and Eddard Stark.

Aegon stays close to his mother during the war. "Be a man…" Rhaegar says to Aegon before leaving for the Trident. "… I am counting on you to hold things together…"

"Yes sir…" He says wiping his tears away.

A few weeks later Rhaella receives word that Rhaegar was killed during the battle of the Trident. Aegon is standing in the doorway listening. He is eight name days old. Another month goes by and Aegon stares out the window watching as a fire rages in the city. "Tywin Lannister has betrayed us…" Sir Dylan Cade says to Rhaella. "My Queen we must leave and leave now…"

"Mother what of Aunt Elia?" Aegon asks.

"Sir Cade can you rescue her?"

"I sent some men…"

The Lord of Whispers bursts into the Queen's chambers, "Your Grace… You must leave… The Lannisters are inside the Keep… And Robert's forces have just arrived at the city gates…"

Aegon follows his mother who is eight and half months pregnant and his brother Viserys. They are guarded by Sir Cade of the King's Guard and five loyal Targaryen soldiers. Even a few guards of the City Watch help them escape the Keep. As they board a royal ship a battle rages in the city and on the Black Water. The ship sets sail with four war galleys following.

Aegon sits at his mother's side holding her hand as a healer helps her through the contractions. He gives her something to help stop the baby from coming. Eventually they make it to Dragonstone. Aegon pours himself into improving his sword skills. He studies under a Bravosi Sword Master named Edron Vao. He asked Rhaegar to teach him the sword and with a smile his brother replied, "The best swordsmen develop their own style of fighting." So Rhaegar hired a Bravosi sword master to teach Aegon to fight.

When Aegon isn't practicing the two handed sword technique he is watching over his bed ridden mother. A few days later the sky grows dark and lightening flashes in the sky. The sky rumbles and the seas heave with huge waves. Rhaella goes into labor, filling the castle with her screams. Aegon patiently sits outside waiting and praying that his mother and new sibling live.

The door opens and the midwife comes out wearing a bloody apron. "Well!" Viserys demands.

"I am sorry my Princes… Your mother did not make it…"

"King! My father and elder brother are dead… That makes me King…"

"Of course your grace my apologies…"

Aegon slowly enters the room and walks up to the bed. He stares at his mother's lifeless body. "Momma!"

"First our father… then our brother… Now our Mother… The Baratheons, the Starks, and the Lannisters will pay in Blood and Fire… I will wake the Dragon and burn them all…"

Aegon rolls his eyes at his brother's rants. He stands up and walks up to the handmaiden holding his baby sister. "Does she have a name?"

"With her last breath your mother named her Daenarys…"

"Dany…" Aegon says cradling his baby sister.

"Great another mouth to feed…"

Two weeks later after they bury Rhaella Aegon is summoned by Sir Cade to the main hall to hear the latest news. Viserys is already there pacing back and forth, "Finally get on with it…"

"We just received word… Robert Baratheon has declared himself King… he will marry Cersei Lannister… Also they are sending a force here…"

"We need to flee…" Aegon says speaking up.

"Flee… Flee… like a coward… No we make our stand here… Dragonstone is impregnable…"

"Even so My Prince we don't have enough men to defend the fortress…"

"I will not run!"

"Viserys… brother…" Aegon pleads. Of the two Aegon is the most level headed. His brother Rhaegar's words echo in his mind. ("A commoner, nobleman, Prince, or King that is ruled by his emotions is not very effective for himself or his family… Look at a situation from every angle…") "I want revenge as much as you… but we must strike from a place of strength… Here we are vulnerable…"

"I am the eldest now… I am heir to the Iron Throne…"

"And I support you brother… but to become the King you must survive and to survive you should heed the advice of those around you…"

"Wise words…" Sir Cade says.

Viserys sneers, "Fine… we should leave… with all haste…"

PART 2. WAKING THE DRAGON

The trip across the sea became unbearable with Viserys' daily rants of restoring the glory of House Targaryen. Aegon stands on the deck of the ship holding baby Daenarys or Dany as he likes to call her. "Aegon… I need to speak with you in private…" Viserys says walking up. He hands Dany to Nanna their faithful nursemaid and follows Viserys into the main cabin.

"Brother… in order to secure my throne I will need your support…"

"Of course…"

"I will have to rely on you the most… We are surrounded by incompetence…"

"Sir Cade and the men with him are loyal to us…"

"Yes and they allowed the Lannisters to enter the city and sack it… They failed our family…"

"Our ancestors overthrew the Ghiscari Empire… Aegon the First, Visenya, and Rhaenys survived the Doom of Valyria… I believe we will survive this as well…"

"Good lad… Keep up with your sword skills brother… Soon I will wake the Dragon…" Aegon just smiles, "Wait here I will summon the others plans must be made…"

Aegon watches his brother leaves the cabin. Then the fire in the Brazier catches his attention. He walks up to the brazier drawn to the fire. He sees images near and far in the brazier and smiles. He even sees something that he had forgotten. At four name days old he walked up to a brazier and pulled it down. His clothes caught on fire, but he was not in pain. The servants managed to put the fire out and stood their in shock as he was unharmed. His mother instructed the servants to keep it a secret, especially from his father.

Aegon pulls up the sleeve to his over shirt and sticks his hand in the fire. The flames dance around his hand, which remains unharmed; he feels no pain either. When he hears the door behind him Aegon quickly withdraws his hand."So what do we have in the way of gold?" Viserys asks.

"We have one chest of gold dragons…" The chief steward Rinval replies. "The jewelry you and your brothers carry on your persons. There is enough food and provisions for the voyage to Braavos… and there is medicine on board for emergencies and there is also a stockpile of lace, spices, and wool we can sell."

"We need gold to buy an army… This ship will fetch a hefty price when we reach Braavos…"

"Selling the boat will not be wise brother…" Aegon says speaking up.

"Why not?"

"It's the fastest means of transportation we have… especially if we need to make a quick getaway… We need a way to increase the gold we have. Find a way to earn gold quickly…"

"Work! I am a King I will not work…"

"Rhaegar use to say that the best Kings adapt to the situations around them…"

"Rhaegar is dead… a lot of good all his wisdom did him… The name Targaryen still means something in the world… When we arrive in Braavos I will go to the Iron Bank… They will loan us the gold we need…"

"A good name will only take us so far brother…"

"I am King and I have decided…"

Aegon bows and says no more, he can see it happening to his brother as it did with his father the Mad King; outbursts, fits of anger, irrationality, and paranoia. Viserys is not fit to be King, so Aegon would start making his own plans to avenge his family and secure the Iron Throne. Later he sits in a chair holding Dany as he liked to call her. She had been fed and was now sleeping.

"First I need more gold…" He says to himself thinking on how he could add onto the little gold they have. Aegon wasn't a singer like his brother Rhaegar nor was he musically inclined. He was a good swordsman, but too young to be a sell sword. His only other talent is cooking, so when they reached Braavos Aegon would get work as a cook.

That is one problem solved and he could save the gold and then use to bet on pit fighting in Meereen. That is if he could convince his brother to travel to Meereen. If he made good investments and bets the gold would grow into a fortune and then he could buy an army. "How should I deal with Targeryen enemies in Westeros?" He says causing baby Dany to stir.

Even if he hired sell swords, they could be bribed. He would need an army loyal to him, ("The Unsullied…") He thought, even with the Unsullied army, then there was House Martell. The Martells had been forced to fight for his father the Mad King. Surely they would want to avenge the death of his Aunt Elia and her children. The Starks could be potential allies accept it is well known that the Usurper and the Wolf in the North are good friends.

"If Eddard Stark knew the truth… He may not be so inclined to fight for Robert Baratheon…"

It was then that Aegon came to the conclusion that he needed information on his enemies. He needed to know their weaknesses, their secrets, and passions. Then he needed a way to turn them on each other and make them ripe for conquest. He shakes his head, "My first goal is to build our wealth."

The next day Nanna walks up to Aegon, "My Prince…"

"Yes Nanna what is it?"

"My Milk has gone dry… Please forgive me…"

He smiles touching the side of her face, "Nothing to forgive… Captain!"

"My Prince…"

"Set course for the Step Stones… Oars out…"

"What of your brother the King?"

"Do it I will deal with him…" Aegon didn't have to wait long.

He bursts into the cabin with the Captain, "How dare you give orders aboard my ship…"

"Dany needs milk…"

"That baby will be a hindrance…"

He sighs, "Or an asset… Our family tree is filled with female warriors… And consider your grace… Our sigil is a three headed Dragon… When Aegon conquered Westeros he had his sister wives and their Dragons… Three of them and three of us… This is a sign that we will return to Westeros and destroy our enemies…"

"Oh… well… In the future speak with me before making decisions like that…"

"Of course…"

A week later they arrive at the step stones. Aegon goes ashore with Sir Cade to buy a cow. They quickly find a young cow who had just had a calf. Aegon gives the man his gold and ruby ring for both animals. Upon returning to the ship they milk the animal and prepare it for the baby. As they travel the servants and guards rely on Aegon for leadership.