Chapter Text
Flames licked against his tan skin. Nimble fingers danced across the orange and red, unaffected by the searing heat. Fire cannot kill a dragon. For Lucerys Velaryon, this connection to fire was one of his few connections to his bloodline, for he did not look much like his mother.
Where Princess Rhaenyra had hair like snow, her son’s hair was thick, and flowed in waves of rich, dark brown. Where her skin was pale, his was tan, sun-kissed and dotted with freckles and beauty marks. His eyes however, were a deep shade of violet, shadowed by beautiful long lashes and shapely eyebrows. Those eyes were his other connection.
His hand fell away from the fire as he came to stand and walk to his window, staring out at the starry night. Tomorrow was his name day, he would be ten and four, a man in the eyes of Westeros. It scared him, for he knew that this meant he’d be much more visible to the people of the realm.
Quiet knocks sounded at his door, knocking him out of his stupor. His head turns, hair swaying. He strides quickly across the room to the door. “Who is it?” He asks, his voice soft, curious.
“Your favorite brother.”
“Joffrey’s voice isn’t so deep.” Lucerys jokes back, immediately recognizing his older brother’s voice.
“Oh come on, let me in.” Jace huffed, tapping on the large door.
Luke opened it, his pink lips tilting up into a sly little smile as he looked up at his older, much taller brother. While Jace stood taller than even Daemon now, Luke had yet to manage matching his mother in height. “How disappointing. I thought little Joff wanted cuddles.”
Jace rolled his eyes, stepping inside. “I’m a much more exciting visitor, and I give the best hugs anyway.”
“Well I’m sure you didn’t come here for a hug.”
Jace grinned. “No. I’m here because you’re a man now, and what better way to enter adulthood than on dragon-back.”
Luke’s eyes widened. “Right now? It’s the middle of the night.”
“Don’t be boring, everyone is asleep and I know the guard rotations.” Jacaerys convinced. “We can get out easily, mount our dragons and fly.”
Luke nibbled at his lip, a nervous tick he truly needed to get rid of. He glanced out the window, then back to Jace. “Fine…”
Jace grinned.
“…but I need to change.” Luke glanced down at his night clothes.
Jace groaned and rolled his eyes. He hopped onto Luke’s bed face first into the covers. “Hurry up.” His voice was muffled.
Lucerys giggled, quickly changing into his riding clothes. They were all black, breeches and cloaks, leather boots and gloves. “Get up.” He smacked Jace on the butt. “Let’s go.”
Jace flipped over and laughed, hopping of the bed and grabbing Luke’s arm to pull him through the castle on Dragonstone and through various corridors until the two of them made it out unseen and to the dragon pit. The pit on Dragonstone was large and only used by the dragons for sleep when they weren’t roaming free and growing larger, more content.
“There’s no dragon keepers at this time of night.” Jace said. “So get on Arrax and let’s race.”
Luke got that competitive glint in his eyes, tying his long hair up into a bun and calling to his dragon in High Valyrian.
~Arrax, come to me.~
The little dragon came rushing from his place in the pit, like a happy puppy, the pearlescent dragon bumped into and nuzzled his rider.
~Be calm, sweet dragon.~
The Valyrian rolled perfectly off his tongue. He ran his small hand over the snout of the great beast, before mounting his dragon bareback, no saddle needed. He often chose to ride this way. It terrified his mother but if he wanted to beat Jace- who was wasting time saddling Vermax- then he needed to get in the air then and there.
~Fly!~
Arrax trilled and took his starting steps, flapping his large wings to ascend among the stars. With a strong leap and flap of wings, the dragon took flight, Lucerys holding on tight, squeezing with his thighs and feet.
~Try to keep up, brother!~
Jacaerys groaned, annoyed as he finally got into his saddle. “Luke, you know mother gets upset when you ride like that!”
Luke swooped back around his brother and narrowed his eyes. “You know I get upset when I speak in High Valyrian and you respond in only the common tongue. Jace I cannot be the only one of us to be fluent.”
“I am good enough at it.”
“Yeah yeah.” Luke rolled his eyes with a laugh. “Now let’s see who’s fastest.”
Luke darted off on his dragon while Jace tried his best to keep up. The boys flew under the moon for over an hour, laughing and grinning like fools. They truly were the best of friends, brothers that would do anything for the other.
As Jace flew with his little brother, he felt his heart surge. He knew his brother was different, born a bearer, intersex. His coming of age meant he would be betrothed soon and Jace swore that he would not let Luke be wed to someone that will hurt him in any way. Jace would protect him with all he has.
Luke slowed Arrax, cruising about the sky and laying forward to hug Arrax. As his violet eyes pierced through the sky, he saw the sand dunes where the Queen Dragon once resided. Vhagar. She was the largest dragon alive, unless the Cannibal rumors were true. Luke felt afraid just thinking about her towering size. She’d dwarf his own dragon ten times over. There was one thing that scared Luke more than Vhagar… her rider.
His heart sunk as he remembered the night Aemond Targaryen claimed Vhagar. The very same night Lucerys Velaryon claimed his eye. Overwhelmed with guilt, Luke tightened his grip on Arrax and steered toward the pit.
~Land, Arrax.~
Lucerys could no longer stay up in the sky and play like a child. He needed to grow up, he needed to be the Lord the realm desired. And he needed to not let fears of one night haunt him forever.