Planetos: Long live Rhaegon of House Targaryen, the First of His Name

Godfrey removed his sword from its leather scabbard and stepped into an open space in the gardens. The flat stone underfoot was warm from the midday sun. His eyes flicked to his lord as he awaited him, preparing himself. Aegon sheathed Blackfyre back into his scabbard and took the chance to put on a pair of leather gloves. Then, he gripped the sword a servant was presenting to him from one of the guards.

"Ready?" Godfrey asked.

Aegon nodded once.

They approached, swords held high in vom Tag, a common guard used to deliver powerful downward cuts. There was no circling; this wasn't a dance. Aegon stepped in with a quick oberhau, a high diagonal cut, the kind meant to test the other man's guard. Godfrey parried with a solid zornhau, the bind sending a sharp jolt through both their arms.

The moment of blade contact lingered longer than expected. Godfrey furrowed his brow as he felt it. The strength behind Aegon's strike wasn't ordinary.

They disengaged. Godfrey didn't speak but adjusted his stance, brought his weight lower, and stepped in again. This time, he tested with a feint to the leg before shifting up to the shoulder. Aegon read the movement and responded accordingly, catching the blade edge-on-edge before stepping inside the bind.

Aegon shoved, and Godfrey staggered back a few steps, surprising the latter.

He reset quickly, trying not to show it. They clashed again, this time Aegon pressed harder into the bind, the metal of their swords squealing under pressure. Godfrey tried to disengage and cut low, but Aegon advanced with surprising speed, catching his movement, blade snapping down against his own.

Their swords locked.

Godfrey twisted, trying to gain leverage with a quick winden, a winding technique to control the center line. Aegon's arms didn't budge, not even a little tremble in them. When he forced the motion, Godfrey had to take a half step back again.

Aegon didn't grin nor did he boast. He stayed quiet and focused, but his eyes were gleaming with something like joy inside them.

Godfrey stepped to the side, repositioning. "This is becoming hard each passing second, my lord," he muttered awkwardly. "There is no doubt that you are stronger than before."

"I can feel it," Aegon replied. "Let's exchange a few more blows and stop, Godfrey. I feel so happy now!"

Godfrey nodded and went for a half-swording thrust, one hand gripping the blade for control, aiming a tight jab to the chest. It was a solid technique used in armored fighting. Aegon swatted it aside with his forearm, moved inside, and planted his shoulder into Godfrey's chest.

The older knight grunted as he staggered backward. Dust kicked up under his boots. He found his footing quickly and raised his sword again, but his eyes told the truth: surprise, uncertainty.

They traded three more blows: fast, close, compact. No wide swings. Their feet always moved in alignment, trying to seek an advantage. Then Aegon struck with a low rising cut that Godfrey blocked, only for Aegon to shift momentum and hammer a pommel strike into Godfrey's pauldron with such force that the older knight lost his balance.

Godfrey hit the ground hard, back first. His sword clattered nearby.

Silence.

Aegon stood over him, chest rising a little but at ease nonetheless.

Godfrey looked up, his face unreadable. Aegon smiled at him, and Godfrey smirked back, happy for his lord. Then Aegon extended his arm to him. Godfrey took it, and Aegon gripped his hand and pulled him upwards in a swift lift.

"You're not the same, clearly," Godfrey said, unbothered by the fall. "You could have just lifted me from the ground without fighting at all, and we could have seen that you are stronger, my lord."

Aegon stood there awkwardly. "You are right. Thanks, Godfrey, for the exchange. It was entertaining."

"My lord," Godfrey said as he gripped his sword, which a servant fetched for him, and sheathed it back as he moved aside.

As Aegon made his way to the table, removing his leather gloves, a servant fetched the sword he was using. He could see his son and father there with a smile, which made him smile as well.

"Well, Godfrey was right, Dad, Grandpa," Rhaegon said, amused. "You could have lifted something heavy, and we would have known faster, but a nice quick spar is also entertaining as I ate my short breakfast."

"You know nothing, boy," Aerion harumphed in reply to his bothersome grandson. "Aegon isn't only stronger; his reactions were even faster than Godfrey's while fighting. It seems the magic indeed worked."

"Yes, yes, Grandpa knows best," Rhaegon accented, though inside, to him, everything was the same old slow as always. But it was better to have the old man happy after dropping bomb after bomb on him.

*Tsk* Aerion could see his grandson's smug and non-interested look, even if he didn't show it outside. After all, he already knew his ballsy grandson's way of thought. Because he was supernatural compared to the rest didn't mean that others were like him.

Seeing that it worked, he also wanted to test more, if he could become younger than stronger. He didn't need that kind of strength; he didn't have any mind of going to battle anytime soon. But being younger meant enjoying fucking women as he pleased, years past. Damn kid, he fucked my wife, but still, he had to be grateful for having him in their family, as he was surely a gift to the family. With him, the Targaryens would surely soar to even greater heights, they were living a nice and more comfortable life already than before, and the kid already had ideas to make it even more better, which was good.

Aerion unsheathed a short dagger he had and cut his palm, filling a cup with his blood. "Let's try it with me now."

Rhaegon took the cup and cut himself as he talked. "You will not be grumpy anymore, Grandpa?"

"Hateful kid, if I wasn't fine with you and your gimmicks, I would have punched your face already. But don't get cheeky, parading before my eyes at every chance."

"Mhm-mhm." Rhaegon nodded happily. "I will try, no promises tho," he said as he drank a few gulps and passed him the cup.

"Aerion Targaryen, what do you think you are doing talking hard to my beloved grandson?" Valaena's voice suddenly sounded as she appeared with her daughters and other women tailing her.

Aerion's mouth hung open as he gazed at his wife, unable to believe what his eyes were showing him. Valaena appeared beautiful and younger, just as he remembered from years long past. "Love..." he said, awestruck. "You look dashing." His expression flickered slightly as he noticed the mark of a dragon now adorning his wife's white neck, but he chose to remain silent, turning a blind eye to it. Although he appeared strong on the outside to his grandson, he wasn't actually that bothered by his grandson's actions, and even less so by his wife's desire to jump on his grandson's bones. He had plenty of other women to enjoy, and the emotional bond and the years he had shared with Valaena were still there, even if she was 'pampering' the kid.

"Thank you, dear." Valaena smiled radiantly as she showed her body proudly. But then she came first beside her grandson and kissed his lips, raising a few gasps from the people around.

Rhaegon smiled, seeing his grandpa twitching his eyebrow as he looked at him while his grandmother kissed his lips as a greeting before moving to him and pecking Aerion softly.

Aerion looked at Rhaegon hard but didn't say anything, just limiting himself to drinking the blood in the cup.

"I didn't do anything, Grandpa."

Aerion was silent, knowing better than to talk back.

"I didn't forget about you, my beloved son." Valaena said as she kissed Aegon's cheeks and sat beside him.

"Mom," Aegon happily greeted her back.

Rhaegon then kissed every one of his women as they greeted him and sat at the table. The servants brought more chairs for everyone, along with foods and drinks.

"Good morning, Father, Brother." Visenya greeted as she kissed Rhaegon and sat beside him.

"Morning, family." Rhaenys also greeted and sat beside Visenya while her niece Vaenya sat on the other side of her nephew.

"Good morning, sisters." Aegon warmly greeted them both and then the other wives of his son. "Ladies."

"Good morning, Lord Aerion, Lord Aegon." The girls greeted them both courteously.

"What is Grandpa doing, Brother?" Rhaenya asked as she sat on Rhaegon's lap, winning over her sister, who also wanted to do the same.

"Drinking from the fountain of youth," Rhaegon laughed. "He wants to be like Grandma."

Soon, Aerion's body also boiled like Aegon's, but differently from his son, he also started regressing in years before everyone's eyes, to their surprise and amazement.

"It worked," Aerion said, looking at his hands. He wanted to see his face, so he quickly ordered the servants around, "Quickly, fetch me a mirror."

"Father, you really became younger..." Aegon said, observing his father in wonder. Even though he was already awestruck seeing his mother looking so young again, it was even more magical seeing it happen to his father.

"Dear, you look so handsome like before..." Valaena said.

"What do you mean, Valaena? Wasn't I still handsome?" Aerion asked.

"Yes, yes, you were, just...older, dear. Now you look better," Valaena replied.

Aerion rolled his eyes. She was like him, also older.

"Still..." Rhaegon said as he snickered.

"What?" Aerion asked.

"Nothing..." Rhaegon replied.

"Damn kid, if you've got something to say, say it!" Aerion snapped.

"Dad, congratulations on being younger! Now you're middle-aged instead of starting to be an old man," Rhaenys said happily.

"What???" Aerion cried out. Valaena was looking like both his daughters in age, what did she mean by middle-aged? He quickly grabbed the mirror his lover passed to him and looked at his face. Indeed, he was younger but not like his wife.

"Why ain't I looking like Valaena, kid?" Aerion quickly asked, a little mad.

"I don't know, I did the same with you, old man," Rhaegon replied.

"Dad... maybe it works differently from person to person?" Visenya said wryly to her father, trying to calm him down. She could see he was a bit disappointed but still happy.

"Again! Let's do it again!" Aerion said strongly to his grandson. He cut his palm and passed the cup to him again.

Rhaegon sighed and cut himself, drank, and passed the cup back to him. "I've already bled enough for today. If it works, good; if not, it's not my fault, Grandpa."

Visenya grabbed Rhaegon's bleeding hand and licked his palm until it healed.

"Mom," Rhaenya pouted, seeing her mother licking her brother's hand. "I wanted to do that."

"Sorry, sweetie," Visenya said, but she didn't feel sorry at all.

Rhaenya rolled her eyes, seeing her mother. She jealously kissed her brother's lips, wetly and loudly. Visenya just chuckled, seeing her daughter like that.

"Mm," Aerion made a pensive sound. "There is nothing..."

A moment later...

"Nothing, there is nothing happening," Aerion said, disappointment evident in his voice.

"Maybe it's a one-time thing that works? Or maybe there's a waiting period, who knows," Rhaegon shrugged.

"Father, anyway you look good like that. If it is permanent, it's enough joy already," Aegon said, comforting him.

Aerion sighed but nonetheless, he was already happy and satisfied. "Let's drink to us, to our family!"

"Yeah!!!" Rhaegon supported that, clacking his cup on the table. "To us! To the Targaryens' glory!"

Everyone cheered. "For the family."