The Peacemakers

hapter II - The Peacemakers

Being a newborn had been sheer torture for Jon. He had nothing to do but sleep, drink milk from a giant nipple, pissing, shitting and having his ass cleaned by a woman's hand. On top of that, he found Aegon more annoying that any creature he had ever met in his previous life. He knew he shouldn't hold it to his new brother, but Gods did he hate to hear him cry, and he cried all the bloody time. His first years would be the worst of his new life, of this he was sure. His only joys came from his mother, who often visited him to sing for him and his brother. That was one of the dreams Jon had craved to see fulfilled. How many times had he seen Lady Stark sing for Sansa ?For Arya ? For Bran ? For Rickon ? And Alicent, the only person he would ever call 'mother' in both of his lives, had answered his prayers and fulfilled the gaping hole in his heart.

Rhaenyra's visits had been another joy during his infancy, his sister always picked him over noisy Aegon, and proceeded to tell him her day. She talked about her Dragon, Syrax. About Ser Criston Cole, her handsome bodyguard. About their Father, about the noblemen and women at Court.

She would talk for hours until he fell asleep or a handmaiden would inform her that her baby brother needed to be fed. Then she'd reluctantly let him go.

Jon felt glorious by his sixth month, for he could finally crawl around the nursery and even the halls of the holdfast when his caretakers would neglect to close the door after their visit. After having been almost immobile for half a year, he felt delighted in being able to move about without the humiliation of being carried with his face plunged in a young woman's chest.

However, he'd always get a little carried away.

"Prince Jonothor!" Shouted one of the nannies as he crawled under his cradle in an effort to evade her tyrannical pursuit.

Much to his chagrin, the nanny always managed to pull him out from under the cradle without much trouble.

"You mustn't go running now, my prince," she said with a tired amusement.

Jon just laughed, this was just a game for him, and he was so utterly bored that he had to invent new ways of entertaining himself until he grew large enough to read and to join the training yard.

Perhaps he was enjoying the attention too much, now that he thought about it. Perhaps years of isolation as the Bastard of Winterfell had affected him far deeper than what he had expected.

Now he was a prince, and everyone was over the moon for him, except perhaps his father, but Jon had already had a father, and Viserys had duties to the Realm as King.

He couldn't fault his new father for being absent, and perhaps he was being too harsh. Jon himself would have no idea what to do with a six months old baby.

"My brother is already a terror then," Rhaenyra said with amusement as she entered the nursery along with her loyal knight, Ser Criston Cole.

If Jon was happy to see his sister, he honestly didn't know what to make of her sworn protector. Ser Criston had been one of the villains he and his brother Robb had impersonated during their children's games, but now Jon knew better than to judge a man through what maesters had written about him.

After all, he had half-expected Rhaenyra to outright hate him for being a boy, but instead, his sister had confessed her insecurities and enjoyed his presence for moons. If Jon could prevent the Dance of the Dragons then he would do everything in his power to achieve his goal. In the end, Rhaenyra's line had sat the Iron Throne, while the Targaryen-Hightower line went instinct. Jon would find a way to prevent this, he would never harm his sister and would protect his mother and siblings, this he vowed.

"Love is the death of duty."

He brushed away Maester Aemon's words, his duty was to the ones he loved, in that regard, he was reborn lucky.

Rhaenyra smiled at her baby brother and took him from his caretaker's arms.

"You are getting heavier by the day," she said with a smile. "I cannot wait for you to be big enough to come riding with me."

Now that was something that Jon was eager to do; to ride a bloody dragon !

During his first life, Dragons had been instincts for more than 150 years, but nowadays, they still roamed around Westeros. Jon himself had received an egg that was constantly in his cradle. Sadly, the newborn hadn't felt anything from it, no warmth, no sign of life, nothing…

He hoped it wouldn't be an issue in the future, he was a Targaryen Prince, he was expected to ride a Dragon and lead it to battles and glory. And he would more than likely need one to prevent the dance.

Rhaenyra seemed to have noticed his somewhat worried look, as she proceeded to tickle him from head to toes, which made him laugh out loud so hard, he couldn't help but to gesticulate in all directions.

He remembered when he had done something similar to Arya when she was a babe, he was so glad to have an older sibling that would take care of him in such a way.

" There you go! " Rhaenyra said with pride as her smile reached her ears. " You're so much cuter with that adorable smile of yours! "

Jon laughed and his sister laughed with him, life was good despite being a six months old baby. Jon hoped it would last.

(-)(-)(-)

On the morning of his first nameday, Jon was awoken by a sudden heat wave that enveloped his tiny body in an instant. He opened his eyes in panic, and scanned the nursery, expecting the room to be on fire.

But there were no flames, and the handmaidens weren't alarmed at all, neither was his mother as she poked his cheek with her usual smile.

" Morning my sweet, and happy first nameday. "

Jon didn't answer, and the frown he was showing slightly took Alicent aback. Her firstborn had always welcomed her with warm smile and happy cries, never in his young life had he looked at her in such a way.

Unknown to her, Jon was still trying to understand were that heat wave was coming from, for he was almost suffocating. He sat in the middle of his cradle, and looked everywhere around him, before he finally realized that the heat was coming from his egg.

It was Rhaenyra who had picked and placed Aegon and Jon's Dragon eggs in their craddle, for Aegon, she had chosen a magnificent golden and purple egg, for Jon, she chose the egg she had chosen for their brother Baelon, when her mother Aemma was still alive, Dreamfyre's egg.

At that time, she had picked it because she had expected a sister that she would have wanted to name 'Visenya', the egg was white as snow and had reminded her of Vhagar. Yet tragedy had stroke her family and the Stranger had taken bother her mother and brother. And the egg had been returned to the Dragon Pit, where Rhaenyra had never laid eyes on it ever again. Yet, when she saw Jon for the first time and spoke to him, she had known, deep in her heart, that he would sew her wound and allow her to move forward. And that was why, she had chosen that egg for his cradle, believing this egg not to be cursed, and that if it was, Jon would break the curse.

All of this could be interpreted as unreasonable superstition born from the mind of a grieving daughter and sister. Jon didn't know half of what was going on inside his older sibling's head, and never knew of her torments. All he knew, was that the heat that came from the egg was real, and this old feeling that was starting to tickle his brain was very familiar.

He crawled to his egg under the worried look of his mother, and proceeded to grab in order to inspect it.

The moment both his hands were on the scaled rock, a crack resonated across the nursery, and another, and another.

Jon was as mesmerized and aghast as Alicent when he saw the shell break, and even more so when the head of his companion came out of his.

Jon couldn't believe his teary eyes when his oldest friend was reborn under his new form, for he knew, deep inside his heart, that this baby dragon had been a direwolf in his previous life. And just like said direwolf, he had shiny red eyes and white scales instead of white fur.

Ghost looked ecstatic when he saw his former master and future rider, he came out of the egg completely and flapped its wings happily while singing his joy with his new voice.

Attracted by Ghost's cries, the handmaidens hurried around the cradle and gasped when they saw their young prince welcome its dragon to the world. Alicent had not uttered a single word yet, too shocked to compose herself.

Jonothor was barely a year old, no one expected his egg to hatch before many years, yet it had happened. And the happy cries of the newborn dragon filed everyone's hearts with warmth and joy. Jon's eyes were filled with tears as he held out his hands to hug his new friend, Alicent had never seen a more perfect picture, her little quiet and always smiling Jon was her only pride and joy in her cold marriage life.

Without realizing what she was doing, she picked her firstborn up, and giggled as the baby dragon climbed on her sleeves to rest on Jon's belly as Jon himself made himself confortable in his mother's arms.

Without a second thought she rushed outside the nursery and went to the small council's chambers as her handmaidens were already indulging in gossip and spreading the happy news across the corridors.

When Alicent arrived at the small council's door, she was so taken by her little boy's success that she almost didn't notice how the Kingsguard allowed her entry without a word, understanding the urgent news that needed to be given to the King.

Alicent had never entered the small chamber before, mostly because Rhaenyra was still her father's cupbearer and their relationship had grown so cold that they hadn't spoken to each other in more than a year. However, Alicent knew that her former best friend often visited Jonothor, perhaps Jon's first nameday and the hatching of his dragon would be a first step towards a reconciliation.

(-)(-)(-)

" The Queen Alicent. " The Herald announced, much to the surprise of all the persons present around the small council.

Viserys and Otto had stood up, ready to inform her that a small council's reunion could not be interrupted by anyone, even the Queen.

But the sight that greeted them erased any intention of scolding the young consort.

Alicent was truly a sight to behold, with her bright green dress, her bright smile on her face and her little prince in her arms with his newborn baby dragon.

" My love, " She said warmly. " Our son has received his first nameday's present. "

Viserys laughed in delight.

" A more than welcomed news in what had started to be a grim day. " He said as he proceeded to poke Jon's cheek. " Well done, my boy! I think you're the youngest Dragon-owner in the history of House Targaryen! "

Otto Hightower's eyes gleamed when he heard this piece of information, he couldn't help but add:

" Truly, our prince has been blessed. "

Rhaenyra had almost frowned in disgust when she heard the Lord Hand's words, but she had found herself unable to. Today was Jonothor' nameday, his egg had just hatched ! She couldn't find it in her to be upset.

On the other hand, she wished she could just push her father and his hand away so that she could congratulate her brother herself.

But even if she had the ability to do so, a problem remained; Jonothor was in his mother's arms.

It might sound silly, but Rhaenyra often forgot that her baby brother was also Alicent's son. Even two years later, she hadn't digested the fact that her best friend had married her father. They hadn't spoken to each other in moons and never with kindness, it was actually the first time that she saw Alicent and Jonothor in the same room.

Suddenly, the baby dragon stretched his wings and let out a beautiful cry that made him look almost as cute as her brother. Then, without warning, the small beast clumsily took its first flight, and flew straight to Rhaenyra, who almost had to caught before its small wings weren't ready yet to fly.

The Realm's delight laughed as she saw the white reptile climb along her arm to reach her shoulder, and giggled when it proceeded to rub its small head against her cheek.

Rhaenyra smiled as she eyed the red iris of the creature, she felt a little twinge in her heart, though.

" Hello little one, " she whispered in Valyrian, " I've been waiting to meet you for a long time now… "

The baby dragon just shriek in return, and the Princess had taken it as a greeting.

A small sound escaped Jonothor' tiny mouth as he held his hands towards his sister, resulting in her and Alicent locking eyes.

There was no hostility in the young women's gazes, a bit of fear, a bit of apprehension, a bit of sadness. They would have both stayed paralyzed had Jonothor not insisted with another cute moan.

Alicent ended up being the bravest of the two, as she slowly approached her former friend with her son in her arms, Rhaenyra swallowed as they were closer that they ever have been in years.

" Gosht! " Jon cried as he held out his hands towards his dragon.

Both young ladies frowned as the one year old prince.

" Gosht! " He said again, and his dragon went down Rhaenyra's shoulder, back to its friend's baby belly.

It took Rhaenyra a moment to understand what her brother had just done.

" Did you just say…'Ghost'? "

" Gosht ! " Jon repeated with pride.

Alicent was over the moon.

" You've just said your first word! "

Rhaenyra was looking at the dragon, with a pensive expression.

" Ghost… " she whispered, and the newborn reptile lifted its head to look at her with his mesmerizing red eyes.

She exchanged a knowing look with Alicent, and for the first time in two years, she actually smiled at her. Her stepmother was so happy that she couldn't help but smile back.

" It's a good name. "