Viserys had clearly promised that each of them would receive a dragon egg to hatch personally.
Aemon wasn't unaware that House Targaryen currently possessed only three dragon eggs.
One would unquestionably go to Daenerys.
Rhaenys and Aegon would certainly receive one each as well.
That left only him.
Aemon wasn't jealous, but he would be lying if he said he wasn't envious.
That was one of the reasons Viserys had not distributed the eggs immediately.
Whether it was Jon from another timeline or this timeline's Aemon, both possessed excellent character.
Thanks to Viserys's careful guidance over the years, Aemon had become even more outstanding than Jon, especially in terms of leadership.
In the future struggles against the Long Night, the Others, and even the gods themselves, Aemon would become one of Viserys's greatest allies.
In fact, after defeating Robert and his alliance, Viserys intended to entrust an entire kingdom to Aemon's rule.
The Targaryens had ruled Westeros for nearly three hundred years, yet outside the Crownlands they possessed virtually no directly controlled territory.
That simply wasn't acceptable.
So, in order to spare Aemon's feelings, Viserys planned to wait until the dragon egg from Volantis arrived before distributing any of them.
Humanity's desire to break free from the earth's pull was eternal. Even dragonriders could never truly experience the sensation of flight itself.
But Viserys, who could transfer his consciousness into a dragon's body, could.
When his awareness entered the black hatchling, he could still sense the little dragon's own consciousness.
The body was the hatchling's home.
When Viserys's much larger presence squeezed inside, the dragon simply moved aside obediently.
Viserys glanced at the little black dragon.
It had tucked its head beneath its wing and gone to sleep the moment he arrived.
He spread the dragon's dark wings.
As the wings pushed against the surrounding air, he gradually felt an upward force lifting him.
Relying on that force, the hatchling rose from the tree branch.
Viserys increased the frequency of his wingbeats.
The lifting force surged dramatically. The possessed hatchling shot upward into the sky.
"Look! Look! The black dragon is flying!"
Aegon pointed excitedly.
As the black hatchling circled above their heads, everyone found themselves wishing it would grow up faster.
All of them dreamed of becoming dragonriders one day.
They wanted to soar through the heavens like their Targaryen ancestors.
More importantly, with dragons restored, House Targaryen would never again suffer another usurpation.
Seeing their eldest sibling take flight, the other two hatchlings quickly followed.
The real reason was simple. They sensed Viserys's presence within the black dragon.
The three hatchlings became streaks of living fire dancing across the sky.
The sight captivated everyone below.
The others were fascinated because they believed they might someday become dragonriders themselves.
Arianne, however, was captivated by a different dream.
She imagined a day when Viserys would take her flying with him.
"The hatchlings are growing incredibly fast," Obara remarked to her father, Oberyn.
"It's only been three or four days since they were born, and they've nearly doubled in size."
"...Perhaps that's the wonder of dragons."
Oberyn watched the flying hatchlings with obvious longing.
At the same time, another thought had begun taking shape in his mind.
If only those with Targaryen blood could ride dragons... then perhaps he qualified as well.
The Water Gardens, Doran's favorite residence, had originally been built for a Targaryen princess who married into House Martell.
That princess had been named Daenerys.
The realization caused Oberyn to look at the dragons very differently.
Unfortunately, nearly all of House Targaryen's knowledge concerning dragons and dragon-taming had been lost.
Any attempts to tame them would have to proceed through trial and error.
Oberyn quietly decided that he needed to obtain a dragon egg somehow.
A short while later, Viserys withdrew his consciousness from the black hatchling and entered the garden alongside Strickland.
"Your Majesty."
"Uncle."
Everyone greeted him respectfully.
Meanwhile, Strickland stared at the dragons with wide eyes, determined to memorize every detail.
"Targaryen dragons grow remarkably fast. Less than a week ago they had just hatched, and now they're nearly twice the size."
He turned toward Viserys.
"Your Majesty, I can already imagine Targaryen dragonriders soaring through the skies atop fully grown dragons."
The compliment carried more than a hint of flattery.
What he said next, however, came as a surprise.
"Your Majesty, after the Golden Company finishes gathering the Dothraki of the Great Grass Sea, I believe the company itself should be dissolved and integrated into your army."
That had actually been part of Viserys's long-term plan.
What surprised him was hearing the suggestion come directly from the commander himself.
"Explain your reasoning."
Viserys spoke encouragingly.
"The Golden Company was founded by the descendants of House Blackfyre.
Even though the Blackfyre bloodline has died out, someone could still use that legacy as a political weapon in the future."
Strickland continued.
"The only way to eliminate that risk entirely is to break up the Golden Company and make it a permanent part of House Targaryen's military strength."
Viserys felt genuinely pleased by the man's attitude.
Such awareness was rare.
"I'll assign someone to assist with the transition."
Then he asked, "What title did your family hold originally?"
"Landed Knight, Your Majesty."
Realizing where the conversation was leading, Strickland could barely contain his excitement.
"Complete this task," Viserys said, "and I'll elevate you to a Lord. When the time comes, you may choose lands in either Essos or Westeros."
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
After Strickland departed, Viserys finally had a chance to spend time with the younger members of his family.
The three hatchlings immediately became excited upon seeing him.
They circled around him happily.
Viserys spread his arms.
The black hatchling perched upon his right arm. The bronze and silver hatchlings settled on his left.
Everyone watched enviously as the dragons displayed such obvious affection and obedience toward him.
Aegon, who had studied history extensively, knew that no Targaryen dragonrider had ever successfully bonded with three dragons at the same time.
Yet Viserys seemed destined to become the first.
Looking around, Viserys saw everyone gathered before him.
Daenerys. Rhaenys. Aemon. Aegon.
Oberyn. Arianne and her cousin.
Willem patrolling nearby.
There was something new in their eyes now. They had never seen someone return from the dead before.
Curiosity mingled with awe.
Previously, Oberyn would still occasionally joke and tease Viserys. Now he couldn't seem to find the words.
"What is it?" Viserys laughed. "Do I look that different?"
Once they realized he was still the same Viserys as before, countless questions burst forth all at once.
"Brother, why was your body covered in so much gold?"
"Viserys, what does death feel like?"
"Uncle, did Drogo really turn into a horse?"
"Uncle, why weren't you hurt by the fire?"
"Uncle..."
Viserys answered them one by one.
Whenever a question touched on matters he preferred not to discuss, he simply glossed over it.
Finally Daenerys asked, "Brother, have you chosen names for the dragons yet?"
Calling them "little black dragon," "little bronze dragon," and "little white dragon" clearly wasn't a proper Targaryen tradition.
Viserys couldn't be bothered inventing entirely new names.
Instead, he decided to name them after famous dragons from Targaryen history based on their colors.
"So they'll be called Balerion, Meraxes, and Vhagar?"
Aegon asked excitedly.
Viserys nodded.
"That's right."
"Later, I'll give each of you one of the remaining dragon eggs. If you want a dragon, you'll have to hatch it yourselves.
When I was reborn within the flames, my flesh and blood nearly merged with these hatchlings.
In a sense, they're extensions of my own body."
The group continued chatting enthusiastically for some time.
Then Aemon suddenly spoke.
"Uncle..."
"How do you intend to deal with that Lannister?"
___________
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