Legacy of Valyria: Maegor’s Glory

-264 AC-

It had been two months since Maegor's birth. Most of the time, he passed sleeping in his cradle, but occasionally his father Aerys, whom he had learned was his father, would visit, carrying him around and giving thanks to the gods for his health. He spent most of his days with his mother Rhaella, whom he had learned was named Rhaella, and his brother Rhaegar, who was six years older than him. Maegor was grateful every day that he could feel his body again. He would kick his tiny legs and delight in the slightest touches. Maegor realized he was in the ASOIAF world, which he had enjoyed watching and reading so much before he died, only on his second day. The people here showed similarities and differences to their counterparts in the series. The common language was somewhat similar to English but more primitive. Thanks to Helen's books and the series, it could be said that he was quite familiar with this universe.

-270 AC-

By the age of 2, Maegor had completely mastered the common tongue, and by 5, he had begun studying the Ancient Valyrian language. Grand Maester Pycelle and others who knew Maegor considered him to be remarkably intelligent for his age. Unlike other children, Maegor did not cry unnecessarily; he communicated his needs and showed great respect to his family. Meanwhile, his father Aerys II had begun to grow paranoid, clashing with Lord Tywin Lannister and other lords. His mother Rhaella had been pregnant three times since Maegor's birth, but unfortunately, all three children were stillborn. These miscarriages deeply affected Rhaella and fueled Aerys' suspicions of her fidelity. In a fit of paranoia, Aerys accused Rhaella of infidelity and confined her to Maegor's Holdfast, decreeing that two septas should accompany her every night.

Despite appearances of peace in the realm, unrest was slowly brewing.

Maegor knew that if things continued like this, they would mirror what he had read in the books, with the possibility of dying alongside Rhaegar, perhaps at the Trident. Despite his respect for his family, due to their actions, he only saw himself as close to Rhaegar, the one person he loved in his family.

When Maegor turned 4, he began to experience strange dreams. Often, he saw a group of people walking through a meadow and eventually discovering a cave. At the age of 5, while reading the histories of the houses in his room, he heard a woman's voice for the first time: "When will you hear me, when will you hear me..." The voice repeated the same words incessantly. Feeling tired, Maegor shook his head and tried to sleep. As we move forward to the present day, Maegor still heard the voice, but no matter how hard he tried to respond, he received no answer.

His brother Rhaegar, at the age of 11, had a strong inclination towards music, books, and ancient tales. He disregarded Aerys's requests for him to learn swordsmanship and knighthood from Ser Barristan Selmy, keeping the king at bay with distractions.

-272 AC-

It had been a full decade since Aerys II ascended the throne. Hand of the King Tywin Lannister organized a grand tournament in King's Landing. Lady Joanna Lannister attended the feast with her twins, Cersei and Jaime. During the feast, Aerys asked Lady Joanna whether nursing her twins had ruined her breasts, further straining the already fragile relationship between the King and his Hand. Maegor looked down upon his father's behavior during the feast and began to ponder whether his father would ever change.

Tywin Lannister, observing rival lords laughing at him, informed his wife that he would resign the following morning. The next day, Aerys refused to accept Tywin's resignation and insisted he continue in his role. After the council dispersed, Maegor approached his father and requested that Ser Barristan teach him swordsmanship. Aerys was pleased that at least one of his sons had chosen the path of a warrior, and the 8-year-old Maegor held a sword in his hand for the first time the next day, even if only in practice.

-276 AC-

Rhaella had given birth once again, and Maegor pondered whether this new baby, named Viserys by Aerys, would survive. Upon learning of his brother, who would later be known as the Beggar King in the Free Cities, Maegor resolved to both protect him and ensure he did not turn out as troubled as before.

Over the years, Maegor had finally been able to converse with the voice in his head, which called itself "Mera." Maegor questioned Mera's purpose and identity, stating that he would only reveal the truth when he turned 15. Attempting to speak with the voice again yielded no response; the voices in his head had even ceased.

After four years of training under Ser Barristan, Maegor had become a skilled swordsman, comparable to some knights in the realm, yet he knew there was still a long road ahead. At 13 years old, Maegor was taller than his peers and even some older children, standing as a small giant at 169 centimeters tall.

A few months after Viserys' birth, the Targaryen family set off for Casterly Rock. Tywin Lannister, the Hand of the King, was organizing a tournament to celebrate the healthy birth of the prince. Maegor was aware of the strained relationship between his father Aerys and Tywin, particularly worsened since Lady Joanna's death. During the tournament, Maegor was merely a spectator. Aerys' efforts had borne fruit: 17-year-old Rhaegar had been motivated to become a warrior for several years, and Maegor seemed relaxed while supporting his brother in this tournament. Rhaegar managed to advance several rounds without being defeated, culminating in his knighthood declaration due to his successes.

While the tournament was ongoing, Tywin Lannister's intention was to betroth his daughter Cersei to Prince Rhaegar. However, Aerys only uttered a few words to the Hand of the King: "A servant's daughter is not suitable for a prince of royal blood." These words severed the relationship between the King and his Hand entirely, and Tywin Lannister would never forget the insult from his king. During the feast, Maegor had met 'The Imp' Tyrion, and was surprised by the clever glances the 3-year-old threw around. He hadn't seen Cersei Lannister at the feasts, and Jaime Lannister's offer to become Rhaegar's squire had been rejected again by his father Aerys.

-278 AC-

The Defiance of Duskendale had occurred, and Aerys II had completely descended into madness. He saw traitors everywhere he looked, convinced that everyone was plotting against him. He believed his Hand of the King, Tywin, and his eldest son Rhaegar were betraying him, and suspected Tywin of conspiring against him by attacking Duskendale. Aerys thought that if he were to die in Duskendale, Tywin would marry his daughter Cersei to Rhaegar and claim the Iron Throne.

Today, Maegor turned 15, and he was quite excited. He had been waiting for the voice in his head for these past 3 years. The young prince had spent these years quite productively; like his ancestor Maegor I, he was exceptionally skilled in matters of war. At 14, he had defeated Ser Barristan for the first time during training and could hold his own against Ser Arthur Dayne for extended periods. Despite the loyalty of the Kingsguard to Maegor's prowess, only a select few knew about it. Maegor projected an image of youthful indulgence to others at a young age.

Maegor heard the voice he had been waiting for as he lay down in bed that evening: "Can you hear me?"

Maegor communicated with the voice in his head: "I've been hearing you for a long time. Who are you?"

The voice responded: "Finally... The moment I've been waiting for centuries has arrived. My name is Mera, and you?"

Maegor replied: "Maegor II Targaryen."

Mera was surprised: "A servant?"

Maegor proudly declared: "I am the son of Aerys II Targaryen, ruler of the Iron Throne. I am a prince!"

Mera responded thoughtfully: "The first Targaryen I knew was a slave."

Maegor explained: "For nearly 300 years, we and our dragons have been the rulers of Westeros. But once our dragons died, only we remained."

Mera speculated: "It seems this land's magic has diminished so much. If magic hadn't faded, our voices might have reached each other sooner."

Maegor insisted: "You still haven't answered my question."

Mera recounted her story: "I am a soul from ancient Valyria. When disaster struck, against my siblings' objections, I used forbidden magic to divide half of my soul and left it in void until I encountered you. A soul drifting aimlessly in emptiness. It was strange; how could a soul without magic exist in void? I saw holes in that soul, and I couldn't make sense of it. Curiously, as I approached the soul, we began to merge. I tried to separate myself from the soul, but I couldn't. I think that soul is you, Maegor Targaryen."

Maegor remembered memories he had been trying to forget. It seemed the light that drifted in the void was Mera.

Maegor asked, "So what is your purpose?"

Mera replied, "My purpose is to remind of the forgotten and to bring back my siblings."

Maegor inquired, "Who are your siblings?"

Mera responded sharply, "You are not worthy to know who my siblings are, a servant does not deserve to know."

Maegor retorted, "You keep calling us servants, we are not servants."

Mera recounted, "The first Targaryen I remember was the cupbearer of the Dragon Lord Aemion Jaelyx. One night, he got into an argument with another Dragon Lord over mines. The argument didn't end in agreement, and that night an assassin entered the Lord's house to kill Dragon Lord Aemion Jaelyx. Aemion was a skilled fighter and had never needed guards in his life. Taking advantage of the opportunity, the assassin tried to kill Aemion while he slept, but failed. Aemion struggled with the assassin as he tried to reach his sword. Hearing the sounds, the slave Aethan, who was supposed to fulfill any request of the Lord, rushed into the room upon hearing the commotion. Seeing the struggle, the slave immediately came to his Lord's aid, and seeing the assassin ready to stab the Lord, the slave threw himself in front of his Lord. Seizing the opportunity, the Lord grabbed his sword and cleaved the assassin in half like a piece of cheese. The slave was wounded by the assassin's dagger, and his loyalty had impressed Dragon Lord Aemion. With the help of doctors, the dagger lodged in the slave's abdomen was removed and he was treated. When Dragon Lord Aemion asked if the slave had any request, being of Valyrian blood himself, the slave wished to be freed. The Lord granted the slave's wish and gave him a bag of Valyrian Gold as a gift."

Aethan was sharp and ambitious; with a bag of Valyrian Gold, he could have fed a family of five slaves for centuries, but he took the risk. Starting with a small ship bought with a bag of gold, his journey ascended to a fleet of ships. He sold exotic foods from the Free Cities and wild animals from the deserts of Westeros at high prices to the conceited children of Dragon Lords. Aethan, who began to make a name for himself, managed to marry the youngest daughter of the Serra family, whose dragons had all died during the Rhoynar Wars. Ambitious Aethan eventually mixed his blood with that of the dragons, welcoming his first son, Jaemon, and daughter, Elaena, into his arms. He had Jaemon trained by the best masters he could find in Valyria for years and taught his son to fight by purchasing gladiators who survived the slave arenas. Young Jaemon, caught in a moment of madness during the Rhoynar Wars, entered the Dragon Summit of the Yaereagan family with all his dragons. The Yaereagan family was very wealthy and powerful even among the Dragon Lords. In the dead of night, he began to climb the mountain, and as dawn approached, he approached the summit of the mountain. The Yaereagan family was so powerful that even the name of the family caused the guardians to relax and fall asleep during their vigil. Jaemon quietly searched the summit like a shadow cat and eventually found what he was looking for: the largest red dragon egg from the Yaereagan family's dragon eggs, which he stole and escaped with.

When the sun rose, Valyria's Freehold trembled with the wrath of the Yaereagan family. Even one dragon egg was highly significant in Valyria. For months, the entire Freehold was on edge, but the egg could not be found. When Aethan heard of his son's theft, he almost had a heart attack, but he had secretly buried the egg three meters underground, terrified that it would be discovered during the searches. With the victory of the Third Rhoynar War, the situation changed somewhat, and the frequency of searches decreased.

Aethan, frustrated by the failure to find the dragon egg buried in his family's garden, had a discussion with his wife. Based on the remaining knowledge from the Serra family records, they decided to hatch the dragon using the purest emotions between a baby and the egg. For the purity of the dragon blood, Aethan decided to marry his 23-year-old son, Jaemon, and 21-year-old daughter, Elaena. Despite all their efforts, the dragon egg did not hatch. The last option recorded in the Serra family's records was to place the dragon egg in a baby's cradle and establish a relationship between the baby and the egg with the purest emotions. At the age of 53, Aethan held his first grandchild, Arrax, in his arms. While Arrax was in the cradle, the dragon egg finally hatched, and a tiny crimson baby dragon named Aurion came into the world.

Aethan managed to keep Dragon Aurion hidden for the first few years, but eventually he was caught by the Yaereagan family due to a slave's loose tongue. Nevertheless, the dragon had hatched from the egg. This matter was presented to the Council of Dragon Lords, and a decision was made. Whoever successfully hatched a dragon from an egg, no matter how guilty they might be, could not be killed. After lengthy debates, despite objections from many Dragon Lords, baby Arrax was chosen as the 37th Dragon Lord. Until Arrax grew up, Aethan would represent him and ensure the best upbringing for Arrax and Aurion. A seat was closed in the Council, Aethan gave the Targaryen name to his own family, and thus the lineage of the 37th Dragon Lord was established.

Maegor was enthralled by the story he had heard—a slave from nothingness had propelled himself and his family step by step towards greatness. As he pondered to himself, he recalled that the records of his family were known only as far back as his great-great-grandfather Aenar and his daughter, the Oracle Daenys Targaryen. He realized that the information might not have been hidden during the Doom or lost during the Dance of the Dragons. Perhaps it was burned by Saint Baelor, he thought.