Aeryn Targaryen

Born a bastard, Aeryn Targaryen is the Prince of the Narrow Sea, and the only son of Evaeline Targaryen and the Braavosi merchant Calogero Antaryon. Though his father offered to take the child to Braavos and raise him as his own, Evaeline declined, preferring to keep the child close.

With his mother holding a seat on the Lysene Council of Magisters, Aeryn's childhood was one of luxury and prosperity. His father regularly sent money and letters for his son, and when he was ten, paid a semi-retired bravo to travel to Lys in order to guard and train the child. When he was sixteen, Aeryn was a lithe figure, but since coming into rulership of the Stepstones, he has taken on the exercise routine of a sailor, and is more muscular as a result, whilst still staying as lean as possible.

Appearance and Character
Aeryn has his mother's dark lavender eyes and his father's curly hair, diluted to a golden blond color. More than a hand's-length taller than his elder sister, he has the slim and muscular build of an expert bravo.

His hair aside, Aeryn has the look of an ancient dragonlord; his high cheekbones, aquiline nose, and strong jawline leave him rarely in need of paying for company. Growing up in a house dominated by women, Aeryn is the stuff of many a lady's dream: gentle yet forward, flattering yet genuine, romantic and a skilled hand at pleasuring a woman.

On the streets at night, it would be hard to recognize the cheerful and fun-loving Aeryn in the lean and harsh swordsman willing to duel at any insult to his house. Even as a child, Aeryn was eager to pick fights over what he perceived as slights; more than once, his ability to scramble up a clothesline and escape over the roofs of Lys has saved his life.

History
During a year-long sabbatical to Lys to improve his health, Braavosi merchant Calogero Antaryon fell madly in love with magister and courtesan Evaeline Targaryen. Though Evaeline did not return the man's love, she was flattered and amused by his persistent attempts to woo her as though she were a maiden of honorable noble blood. Finding herself enjoying his company before long, they fell into a relationship. Calogero was married, his wife still in Braavos, but childless; when Evaeline told him she was pregnant and the child could only be his, the Braavosi was delighted. Though he offered repeatedly to take the child to Braavos and raise it as his heir, Evaeline refused. So it was that only a few months after Aeryn's birth, Calogero kissed the babe and his mother goodbye, never to see them again.

Early Life (391-401)
Despite Evaeline's riches and high status, Calogero regularly sent money for Aeryn, along with letters. The boy first learned to read by following along as his sister Selenya read them aloud. With his mother returning to the Council of Magisters not long after his birth, his elder sister - "Senny", as he still calls her - was his primary caregiver. With Senny teaching him to walk, talk, and keep his head high, Aeryn remembers his mother as a mostly distant figure.

Aeryn had a golden childhood, climbing trees, exploring the alleys and tunnels of Old Lys. Yearly he had the chance to escape the city to participate in the grape-harvesting festival, and to travel down to the sea to celebrate the festival of rising lights. Though he was usually the one to start a fight, especially over the honor of his house, his mother, or his sister, he won and lost in fair proportion, learning humility and a sense of fair play at the hands of other children.

At the age of ten, Aeryn's father sent his last and greatest present: a semi-retired bravo, interested in life on a warm seaside, hired to guard and train Aeryn. Loreto Maros found the humid climate easy on his joints, the lovely women easy on the eyes, and his young pupil easy to teach. If Aeryn had been any more eager to learn the ways of the bravos, he would have packed his bags and swum to Braavos.

The Dragon Bravo (401-407)
While Selenya made a name for herself in the pleasure palaces and the Lysene underground, Aeryn did the same in the streets of Lys. Though at first, the only points to his benefit were his enthusiasm and determination, he practiced in almost every waking moment. When Septa Malora visited the household, Aeryn barely noticed. When Evaeline received word that Selenya's father had died, Aeryn barely noticed.

It was only when he was herded into his mother's sickroom to bid her goodbye that the boy realized he had been neglecting his duty to his family. When Selenya received her mother's dragon egg and was determined to hatch it, Aeryn supported her. When Selenya fell pregnant, Aeryn supported her. And when Selenya travelled to Harrenhal, Aeryn supported her.

In the Sunset Kingdoms (407 - 408)
It took little time for Selenya and Aeryn to grow apart again. Whilst the two often stayed in contact, Selenya had left to serve under Visaera I and the new Master of Whisperers, and Aeryn had left for the Stormlands, as a squire to Lord Gwayne. Initially resenting the fact that he would have to serve the Lord Baratheon, and fight like a Westerosi, the young man became almost accustomed to the barbaric style that was common in the Stormlands. When he saw a body hanging from the walls of Storm's End, however, Aeryn felt disgusted, but had his faith in the Westerosi returned when Gwayne Baratheon suggested a way to save the man.

It was not much later when he watched the duel between Alester Steelsong and Padriac Baratheon, that he developed an interest in the knightly way of combat. The crude, yet calculated strikes were a far cry from the elegant parries and thrusts of water dancing, and the armour that the two men wore would have been impractical at best for a Bravo. But for a knight, the protection was necessary. Aeryn's wonder of how Westeros and Essos could have developed in such different ways was shattered when a bolt struck Steelsong in the back. At that point, he was aware of what made Westeros and Essos so similar. Their love of betrayal.

After the Siege of Storm's End, Aeryn continued to train with Lord Baratheon, having become enthralled by Westerosi combat. Training with his mentor, using both the longsword and the bravo's blade, the young dragon weaved the two styles together, having a thinner longsword forged by Storm's End's blacksmith, allowing him to have the lighter blade that he had grown used to, along with the cutting power of a Westerosi sword. With this new style, Aeryn became renowned in the Seven Kingdoms for his strange mixture of honourable fighting and agile movements. During this period, the young man also began to read of the exploits of Targaryens of old, focusing on honourable knights such as the Dragonknight, the Young Dragon, and the Breakspear. It took little time for Aeryn to attain a new objective in life. To have his name held high in the history books along with such famous figures of the past. Whilst growing underneath the guidance of Lord Gwayne, Aeryn felt himself longing for home, and longing for further contact with his sister.

Alone, With Little More Than a Storm (408)
That longing would prove unfruitful. Whilst sparring with Gwayne at Storm's End, a messenger gave word of the death of Selenya Targaryen in King's Landing. Aeryn felt his world crumble around him, repeatedly begging the messenger to give up his cruel joke, and tell him the true news. Instead, the messenger just beckoned him forward, and whispered something into his ear. After nodding, turning and taking a knee before Lord Baratheon, the young man requested that he be knighted, intending to ride to King's Landing, for a plan he would not reveal to his mentor. After a brief argument, the Redstag relented, and touched a sword to the Dragon Bravo's shoulders, saying brief oaths, and wishing him great luck. Aeryn replied sarcastically, and left Storm's End quickly, on the horse he had first arrived at the castle upon.

When he arrived at the capital, the young man pulled his hood over his head, only providing the guards glimpses of his violet eyes, and nothing but his sister's name. When the guards eventually took him to the Queen, the two were left alone in her solar, and Visaera gave Aeryn what would seem like the most perilous journey of his life, at the time. Thinking all was lost with Selenya's death, he accepted. He was to tame the dragon of the former Prince of Summerhall - Stormsong, the dragon that had once felled Arranax over the Grey Gallows, and ended the War of the Three Thieves in a moment. Aeryn knew that he could be killed as soon as he laid eyes upon the great beast, and welcomed the idea. However, the young man still requested permission to access the Red Keep's library, and spent many a night researching dragons, and how they should be treated, until he felt ready to meet his fate.

When Aeryn arrived at Stormsong's newest nest, he was cautious. His first action was to approach the dragon carefully, raising a hand whilst calming the creature in High Valyrian. Rolling briskly out of the way of a short burst of fire, Aeryn continued his advance, arm outstretched. As soon as he was able, he placed his palm upon Stormsong's nose, and spoke in the ancient language of his ancestors. Expecting a retaliation from the dragon, Aeryn repeated the same phrase he had been, over and over again. When he saw Maekar Targaryen's dragon bowing its head to him, Aeryn burst out laughing, and tentatively stroked the beast's head. From the back of his horse, he pulled the saddle he had been given by the Crown, and after a small struggle, attached it to Stormsong. His dragon.

Quotes about Aeryn
"Quick as a cat and just as willing to bite. I'm glad the wicked little lad's mine to train, rather than mine to fight." - Loreto Maros, former swordsman of Braavos.

"If you touch so much as a hair on my brother again, you and yours will know the true meaning of Misery." - Selenya Targaryen.

Quotes by Aeryn
"I am sorry that I must disappoint you, my lady. I am no prince, only... a humble admirer of beauty." - to Lady Meredyth Brax.