A Wish Granted

"Ahh!"

Aerion's expression was rather confident as he easily blocked every blow before countering with a strike to the leg.

"You announced your own attack beforehand. Maybe if you were Ser Robert, I'd be intimidated slightly… but you're not."

"Hmph."

Even while playing around, Aerion was easily stronger, faster, taller and far more skilled. For the next few exchanges, he practically bullied Jocelyn Baratheon without much effort. Parrying away her sword any time he wished, flicking her forehead multiple times, tripping her and dancing away from her strikes… Aerion was having a great time, to say the least. As for Jocelyn, another person would be greatly discouraged by such an event… but the fire in Jocelyn's eyes remained all the same.

"This is difficult to watch." Jaime Lannister remarked, sighing. "I suppose this is the result of pairing the greatest warrior in the world against a girl."

"It is an unfair matchup." Aerion nodded. "My three-year-old self would have won against her."

"Wow…" Jocelyn Baratheon pouted. "That is just plain rude."

"Come here, Jocelyn." Aerion waved towards himself with a kind tone. She came to him as asked and so he grabbed her left hand. Light magic coursed through her body and healed all of the bruises she got from fighting him. Even his lightest strikes could overpower men so these were to be expected…

"You strike like a wild beast without any sense of precision, you leave yourself far too open, your footwork is sorely lacking, you have no proper defensive stance and all of this while ignoring your physical limitations... overall, dreadful. If there was one positive that I've observed was that your reflexes are somewhat impressive."

"So... I failed?"

"The true question is are you encouraged enough to continue?" Aerion asked, letting go of her hand. "Being a warrior is not just a pastime you choose whenever you wish... it is a way of life! It is a path of courage, determination, struggle and endless pain. This way of life is not suited for many, especially a lady. Even if you are dear to me, I will not hesitate to be extremely harsh if you do still have a desire to continue."

"If I was fearful of pain, I would've never asked you." Jocelyn Baratheon replied, still determined.

'This girl...'

"... So be it."

...

After putting Jocelyn Baratheon through her hellish first day of training which focused more so on conditioning than anything else, he let her have the day to herself. Alas, this only meant that she glued herself to him for the rest of the day. He went over to see his two children; Daemon and Nymeria who had recently seen their second name-days pass. There was Valerion Targaryen, too, Viserys' and Cersei's son who was older by a few days than the other two.

"Why does this he look so annoyed?" Jocelyn Baratheon wondered, glancing at Daemon Targaryen. Indeed, he did look a little grumpy as he sucked on his thumb. "He frowns like my stern uncle, Stannis..."

"He hasn't gotten his mother's milk," Aerion replied, chuckling. "That spoiled brat doesn't like any of the wet nurses in the Red Keep and tends to spit on them more often than not."

Daemon Targaryen seemed to nod along to what his father said, although his frown remained. That was when Aerion came over and tickled him into laughter.

"Tickle him and he'll break the act... as you can see."

"He's so cute."

Just as Jocelyn Baratheon came to tickle him, he pushed away her fingers with both of his hands and his angry frown resurfaced. Then his thumb returned to his mouth, where it once was. Jocelyn Baratheon's expression was rather priceless.

"Nymeria's a far more pleasant child," Aerion remarked, taking Nymeria Targaryen out of her crib. As he did so, she started to play with his silver hair and pulled it cheerfully.

"Papa!"

He gently placed her down onto the ground and she began to stand, albeit a bit clumsily. He stepped back a little and bent his knee, making her slowly come towards him.

"Slow and steady-"

Instead of walking, however, she ran and fell over. Jocelyn Baratheon knelt beside Nymeria and raised her back up on her little feet.

"You should take your time, princess Nymeria." Jocelyn Baratheon advised, grabbing her little hand and leading her forward.

When Nymeria Targaryen reached Aerion, he smiled and raised her up.

"That's my girl."

~

Jocelyn Baratheon's POV.

It's said that every time a Targaryen is born, the gods toss a coin and the world holds its breath to see how it will land. That coin was the coin of greatness or madness... yet there were Targaryens who resembled neither while there were others who were both. I suppose it depends on the perspective.

To some, Aerion is the bane of all evil, a heartless sorcerer who uses the dead for his own whims, while to others he is their saviour and a man who gives others a second chance to live. He has always uplifted his people to prosperity and protected them with all his strength while also slaughtering so many who he did not consider 'his'... so which was he? The world was neither black nor white. In the end, good and evil are all about perspective.

That's what he taught me... and I believed it to be true.

What makes Aerion mad; his thirst for conquest, battle and self-improvement, ruthlessness towards outsiders, seemingly endless ambition and overall restless nature... is what also makes him even greater!

Many ladies ask me why I fell in love with him... predictably, they believe that I simply fell in love with his handsome appearance. I would be lying if I said he wasn't charming... but that wasn't the reason. When I was meant to be his prisoner, he was kind and gentle. He comforted me and showed me so much of the world. I felt freer beside him than anywhere else and I still do, even more so than ever before.

When he fought that fierce horse lord, I didn't want him to die. He was my father's greatest enemy at that point... and I wanted him to win. When he did emerge as the victor and put the Dothraki to heel, I was so very glad. Instead of being conflicted with my emotions, I embraced them and realised that I wanted to be closer to him and learn everything he had to teach. I wanted to be a part of his path to glory- and his life. Later, I realised that if I could get close enough and convince him... then he wouldn't be as ruthless to father. In the end, that was the case and now they fight each other almost every day- in a good way. It's quite amusing when I look back at it all.

Since I convinced him to train me, he'd put me through rigorous exercise every day. In the morning, I'd do my usual studies before being thrown into the seventh hell. Aerion was a very stern trainer, refusing to babysit me... and that's what I wanted. It felt like he was actively trying to throw me off the whole idea of learning how to fight while also motivating me to be greater at other times... either way, I remained determined.

My mother told me to live the life that I wanted to live... the life that she couldn't... and I intended to!

Aerion, despite his status as Emperor, was a free spirit that would often venture out with his dragon, Vermithor. I wanted to be by his side during said journeys... but sometimes they would be too dangerous. That is why I wanted to be strong... at the very least, strong enough to brave those perils with him.

One day, my wish would come true.

It was an ordinary evening. I was a little sore from all the running, jumping, exercises and sparring... but Aerion's healing worked wonders and I didn't feel so tired after a while. I went to court and spoke with my young ladies who always kept up to date with all the latest gossip. The greatest news of the day, or so they thought, was that Aerion glanced twice at one of them earlier... not an eventful day, clearly. There were talks of the newest additions to King's Landing and the migration to Step Stones amongst the wiser lords but that was old news.

As for the new King, Viserys hadn't seated himself upon the Iron Throne once while Aerion was present. However, Cersei Lannister had already gotten accustomed to the royal apartments and, by the gods, was she irritable. I tried to be sweet to her but she mocked me instead for being a 'wild she-wolf'. No wonder why, despite naming her a Queen of Love and Beauty, Aerion never married her and Viserys got the 'pleasure' instead. Maybe she was just jealous that I was betrothed to him...

While I was speaking to Dany, Margaery Tyrell approached.

"As we are all promised to Aerion... what would that make us?" She smiled, as she usually would. I liked her sweet outward appearance but sometimes felt that she was... fake.

"Sister-wives, I suppose." Daenerys Targaryen replied rather calmly. "Although we are not sisters in blood."

"But we will all share in his love, glory, struggles and burdens as if we all were." Margaery Tyrell added.

"And what do you know about struggle, Lady Margaery?"

"Dany..."

Every Targaryen had struggled, there was no doubt about that. Aerion had gone through hell when he was just a little child, constantly fought for his life against assassins and carved his way to the top through endless life-threatening events until he reached the sky. Meanwhile, Viserys and Daenerys had both struggled in exile for years with barely anyone willing to help them until Aerion saved them... conquering another city as he did so. Jon Targaryen had lived as a bastard and was mocked by many people, although his life was a bit better off than the other three at the start.

"I do not know nearly as much as you do, princess Daenerys." Margaery Tyrell admitted rather courteously. "It must have been difficult unjustly living in exile without another choice. You and His Grace, the King, are stronger than all of us to endure such harsh times and grow from them."

"The rose of Highgarden knows all of the right words to say, doesn't she, Jocelyn?" Dany asked me.

"Well... they are overly sweet, I have to admit," I replied.

"It seems that you are not quite as fond of me as I am of you." Margaery Tyrell replied, looking at Daenerys. "As I see it, you are an exquisite example of a female ruler... and I, in truth, greatly admire you. Before even your thirteenth nameday, you were ruling a city as prosperous as Volantis and gained the love of her people."

"I did not do it alone," Daenerys replied, shaking her head. "I had the brilliance of Aerion's advisors to guide my hand along the way. As for the reason, it is not your words that I am not fond of... it is your intentions behind them. Your intention is to be 'the Queen', is it not? That is plain enough for me to see."

"I'd never think of overstepping you, princess Daenerys. You are of the Blood of the Dragon and that is not something that I can compete with. If there was one true Queen worthy of reigning alongside His Radiance, it could only ever be you... that is my mind on the matter. It is true that I wish to assist His Radiance in any way that I can, however. The lesser his burden is... the better, wouldn't you agree?"

"That is true enough." Dany smiled a little, softening her previously cold look. "Sometimes he is too diligent."

"Speaking of 'true Queens', what about me?" I asked.

"Of course, His Radiance's own ward is fated to be a great Queen as well." Margaery Tyrell nodded, smiling as she looked at me. "Isn't he a little fortunate to have all three of us?"

"I'd say he has done more than earned that right. I can not say the same for others, however." Dany replied.

Was that an attack on Margaery Tyrell? Dany's time as 'Dragon Princess' of Volantis had made her a lot more politically astute, confident... and thorny. She was not scared of insulting anyone, although she always did so in a polite manner.

We... started to get along better after that. Although, I could feel like there was a tourney happening between all of us for Aerion's love and attention. And I, despite spending the most time with Aerion, felt like I was still in last place. He'd never, and I mean never, make an attempt to seduce me.

Was I not pretty enough? Maybe I was too young... after all, he was quite determined on stalling our marriage until I was sixteen.

After socialising with my fellow 'sister-wives', I turned to Aerion's study and occupied it for myself. Usually, he'd be sitting with his intimidating black crown somewhere in the room... but he wasn't this time. Well, who would blame him for being busy with something else? Anyway, this treasure trove was where he kept his personal notes.

Future plans, songs, strange little trinkets, maps of the world with places of interest marked in red... there was all sort of things there. For some reason, this room was rarely ever guarded from the inside. Outside, there were two of his knights. But inside... no one.

There was one book that caught my interest in particular. It was rather thick but all of its pages were empty. I'd look through it every time I came here to see if anything new was written... but no, it was always empty. Why would Aerion keep something like that around?

Alas, my question would be answered soon enough.

"A princess who fancies herself as a warrior..."

Suddenly, I heard someone speak and it shook me a little. I closed the book shut and looked around. No one was there.

Then, as I glanced at the cover... glowing red words appeared.

Tome of Hematomancy... a type of magic?

"No doubt, amongst the crowd of ardent admirers that the Dragon Emperor has attracted, you amuse me the most."

"Who... are you?"

I still tried to find the source of the female voice... but there didn't seem to be any. Except for the book on the table.

"Once, an aspiring girl like you with a tall, handsome, strong and royal lover in mind... although, I never had the fortune of being born as royalty. I had to climb my way to reach him, killing many along the way... and when I did, he called me a monster. So I feasted on his flesh and turned his kingdom to ruin."

"I..."

Feasted on his flesh and turned a kingdom to ruin?? How can you say that so simply??

"This Dragon Emperor you love so much, however, is a monster while you seem to be such a sweet girl. Knowing his ruthless nature... knowing the many hundreds of thousands he has slaughtered, you still stand beside him. I wonder if you truly are as sweet as you present yourself to be..."

"He's not a monster!" I denied, shaking my head. "Every time he does something like that, it's for the greater good... he doesn't enjoy slaughtering people, he never did!"

"Hm... when I see his domineering smirk in battle as he thoroughly crushes all that stands in his path, I like to think otherwise. Although, I suppose slaying an enemy in battle is considered nobler than outright slaughter... to people like you, anyway."

"What... do you want? What are you even doing here?"

"Well, the Dragon Emperor placed me here and told me to keep quiet. I can only do that for so long, however... especially when I see such a determined young girl. You want to be strong, to stand side-by-side with him, don't you?"

"... Yes... what of it?"

"Then I can make you strong."

The book replied, making me frown. How could a simple book make me strong? Well, it could talk... so I would guess that anything could be possible.

"Perhaps not Aerion's equal... but you can certainly become someone that he can lean on. You can venture into the distant world with him, complete the trials that he will no doubt partake in, rule beside him and earn his undying love. The truth is that men do not understand what they want... they never truly do. As much as he loves to pride himself in protecting others, what he desires more than that is someone who can fend for themselves."

"All of his other ardent admirers seek to charm him with beauty and lust... but someone as strong, adventurous and capable as him no doubt win him over completely. By walking down that path, you can not only be his Queen but his Dragon Empress as well."

The book could talk well... it felt like it knew exactly what I was thinking. I was extremely interested in what she was saying, throwing all of the flesh-eating and kingdom-ruining parts to the side.

"So how can I be strong?"

"Your body has already been blessed by his magic many times as of recent... it seems that he wishes to grant you the gift of magic. On the other end, physically, you could be considered herculean for a girl of your age."

"Herculean...?"

"The word came from a hero who possessed great strength... anyway, how would you feel about learning magic from me?"

"Magic... does your magic include flesh-eating? If so, I must refuse..."

"No, no... I wouldn't do that to a girl like you. That would simply be too cruel and I fear that the Dragon Emperor wouldn't rest until my existence was no more. He may fail, of course... but I don't wish to break the bond between him and I."

What bond? Aerion has a secret lover...?

I mean, he does love his books... never thought he'd take one as his lover, though.

"As for the magic you will be capable of unleashing, that relies solely on you. I can only awaken the gift... but I do not know what the gift may be, so to speak. What are you laughing about, girl?"

"N-nothing." I shook my head, still giggling a little. "So what do I have to do?"

"Place both of your hands on my cover... and I will grant you my blessing."

"Alright..."

I decided to trust the book. Since Aerion kept it around in his study, she had to be someone he trusted...

"So... what now?"

"ROAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!!!"

Suddenly, my head rumbled with images of a majestic black dragon with a few dashing golden scales and heard its booming roar...

It was such a strong roar that my body weakened and that... was the last thing I remembered from that day.

....

"My, you're almost as talented as your guardian."

The spirit remarked, chuckling.

...

When I next woke, Aerion was sitting at my bedside with a worried expression. Almost instantly, he stood up and sat down beside me.

"What happened? No one else had entered my study, so I've been told... was my training perhaps too harsh? It looked like you were fine but if it's too much, I'll be easier on you next time. Don't be afraid to tell me."

Honestly... I liked it when he cared for me. It was a warm and sweet feeling I didn't get from anyone else.

"I'm... fine. I only got a bit bored of one of the books and went for a little snooze..."

"I told you to stop going to sleep so late, Jocelyn." Aerion frowned, sighing. "As for sneaking inside of my study... I ought to better discipline my Soul Knights. The fact that they just let you in unattended is quite concerning."

"What can I say... I just convinced them that I was doing it for a good reason." I cheekily smiled, making him shake his head.

"Useless guards," Aerion muttered. "Anyway... I'd rather it was you who breached my study rather than most others-"

I stretched out my hands, unleashing a little water-like aura of gold that kept changing shape. It felt so natural... was this my magic?

"You attained the gift of magic?" Aerion remarked, his eyes widening as his previously disappointed expression turned to shock, joy and then pride. "Viserys couldn't no matter how much I fed him with magic... but you did and in such a short time, no less. It seems that not everyone can attain this gift."

"Yeah..." I replied, not mentioning the whole talking book part. "So, can I be your ward in the art of magic, too?"

"Of course. We can start seeing what you can do from tomorrow onwards."

He nodded as his pretty turquoise eyes seemed to glow.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't excited...