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.

Away (408 - 413)
Whilst events before Aeryn's taming of Stormsong are well documented by those around him, the moments between then and his resurgence in the Stepstones are few and far between. What is known is that he flew to King's Landing on the back of his great beast, informed Queen Visaera of his thanks, and that if he was required, he would fly to her aid, then left for Storm's End, to meet with Gwayne Baratheon, thanking him with greater zeal than he did Visaera, and making the same promise. Then, he flew east, to Essos. It is not known where the young dragon rider spent the majority of the five years away from Westeros, but it is know what the results of it were. In the absence of Aeryn, and the death of his sister, the Magisters of Lys took control of the Lysene Targaryen property, selling off what they didn't want, and seizing what they did. In his absence, however, Stormsong's rider was unaware of the chaos he had inadvertently caused.

All across Essos, rumours spread of a great charcoal beast roaming the land with a blonde-haired rider upon its back. No names are ever mentioned in the rumours, and only suspicion can be shared as to who the dragon belonged to. Often using Stormsong to assist small villages, and helping with mundane tasks, the nameless rider established a reputation for being helpful, and word spread across the continent of Essos of the great beast and its kindhearted owner.

The Scouring (413 - 415)
When Aeryn Targaryen returned to the public eye, he returned in great fashion. It is unknown what set him onto the goal of taking the Stepstones, with rumours telling of how Visaera Targaryen placed the idea in his head, how something in Essos changed him, how he discovered something on the islands that needed to be contained. What is known, however, is that the dragon rider was swift in his movements. Arriving on Bloodstone under a banner of peace, over the course of one day, the young man had spoken with all three lords of Bloodstone, Leganos Jaqarro, Horonno Maratis, and Samiros Calluras. His discussion with Leganos, who called himself King of Bloodstone, was the longest and least fruitful, with Leganos confident in his ability to defeat a dragon using his superior numbers. The discussions with Lords Maratis and Calluras were far more productive, and with the support of the two pirate lords, Aeryn began to send agents into the ranks of King Jaqarro's ships. One of the contacts he established was with Cassus Leander, a captain in Leganos' fleet, and a famed pirate. Along with Leander, Aeryn personally entertained the pirate Lady Shiera Vunatis, descendant of a family of Lysene exiles, and wielder of Poison, a Valyrian Steel blade. During his time on Bloodstone, the young Targaryen and Vunatis grew close, and, the night before Aeryn took to the skies against the King of Bloodstone, became lovers.

When Stormsong first rose above the castle on Bloodstone, it was alone, with nothing save for its rider and the sky. When it descended on the Bloodstone fleet, it was alone. When the horns blew out across the castle and the fleet, Aeryn Targaryen had the backing of the island, and a hefty portion of Leganos' ships. Sending the King back to his Sunstone palace, the new Lord of Bloodstone had Shiera Vunatis pursue, pretending she was a captive, and attempting to earn the trust of the 'King of Bloodstone'.

After a while of consolidating his power on Bloodstone, assuring the loyalty of his new subjects, and arranging the reconstruction of areas harmed by dragonfire, Aeryn left the island. Sending Cassus Leander to seize Wreckstone, the Targaryen took his fleet, and Stormsong, to Sunstone. Surrounding the island, Aeryn noticed a strange silence over it, and a lack of Leganos' banners anywhere to be seen. Entering the King's old palace, he discovered the corpses of rival pirate lords scattered around, and Shiera Vunatis sat upon Leganos Jaqarro's throne, his body splayed out beneath it.

Whilst dealing with business on the two islands that belonged to him, Aeryn received word that a third force had entered the war, defeating the pirate lords on the isle of the Skulls, and planning to move through the Stepstones and bring it to order. Though Aeryn Targaryen and his enemy shared similar goals, there was one key difference. Who they envisioned would hold control. And so, he assembled his fleet, and set off for Bloodstone, where his contacts had told him the enemy fleet was headed.

When Aeryn arrived at his castle, he found it under siege, the enemy fleet surrounding it. Unaware of the threat that lied just over the sea, the Tyroshi were confident in their numbers and the skill of their men, expecting little resistance from pirates. When Stormsong came overhead, however, the enemy was taken off guard. The larger fleet was able to fight reliably against Aeryn's navy, but could not get a hit on the swift flying beast that tore through ships like they were nothing. Focusing Stormsong's flame on the Tyroshi flagship, Aeryn forced the Tyroshi into a retreat, killing the Archon in a great inferno. Peace was declared soon after.

As it was wont to, time continued to move whilst Aeryn fought the third party in his war, and the remaining lords of the Stepstones banded together, placing their headquarters at Grey Gallows. The journey to the island was uneventful, with the dragonrider affirming the loyalty of the neutral islands on his way, including famous pirates Vaerona of Volantis and Syro Silvertongue. With the backing of these two well-respected pirates, Aeryn's cause was strengthened, and his fleet for the battle of Grey Gallows was greater.

At the start, Grey Gallows looked to be an even battle, the two fleets equal in strength and quality. However, when a second, smaller part of the pirate alliance's fleet came to the back of the Targaryen ships, Aeryn felt worried for his cause, that it could end so soon. Bringing Stormsong over the flanking ships, the young rider let his dragon loose on the enemy, burning the crew and the ships at once, in a rare show of brutality from the Targaryen. Demoralised by the horrible death of their comrades, many of the pirate alliance's ships turned and fled, and by the sunset, Aeryn had taken the island of Grey Gallows, and slain its ruler in personal combat.

The Stepstones belonged to him.

Consolidation, Consolation (415 - 417)
As soon as he was sure that the Stepstones were fully under his control, Aeryn got to work on building up Bloodstone. Inviting every pirate lord in the islands to attend his coronation, the new Prince of the Narrow Sea made his intentions clear. Raiding of Seven Kingdoms ships was strictly prohibited unless they were intending to extort the citizens of the Stepstones. Raiding of Tyroshi ships was encouraged, and the other Free Cities would be given heavy tolls at least. Pirates would be free to operate as they wished within these rules, and were allowed to keep a large majority of their takings. Comfortable with his vassals' views, Aeryn put himself to the objective of increasing Bloodstone's size, creating a rudimentary town around the castle.

Through this time, Aeryn became swamped with complaints from minor captains, always looking for some way to swindle the Prince out of his money. After a long argument with his second, Aeryn began looking for any excuse to escape. When news came of a second dragonrider in the Stepstones, he was relieved immensely, and left Bloodstone with little warning, flying to a small rocky outcropping in the west of the island chain. There, he encountered Valaena Velaryon, and her dragon Erinnon, lacking in supplies, shelter, or a destination. Empathising with the Velaryon, Aeryn welcomed the woman into Bloodstone, arranged for rooms and food, and promised that his castle was always open to her. Anyone who was close with the Prince of the Narrow Sea would know that the young man was smitten with "Vale", and cared for her more than he cared for his own life.

Valaena would be spotted a few more times in the Stepstones, and would be a familiar sight to observant occupants of the growing city on Bloodstone. Aeryn, however, was still constantly pestered by the pirates on his island, and in 417, disappeared without notice again, throwing Bloodstone into chaos.

Treachery, Twice Over (417 - 418)
In the single day that Aeryn Targaryen was absent from Bloodstone, his two close advisers, Horonno Maratis and Samiros Calluras, both attempted to assume control to keep the island stable whilst Aeryn was away. Horrono was very much concerned with keeping Aeryn's rule stable, furthering his goals, and allowing the Stepstones to flourish. In contrast, Samiros Calluras was a lover of chaos, remembering the time before there was a Prince in Bloodstone fondly. Whilst Aeryn went to the outcropping he loved so much, the two men's supporters fought and killed each other in the streets, Maratis' beneath the pale green dragon, and Calluras' beneath the pirate's own banner, a red sword over a yellow field.

As the two factions slew each other, Aeryn found his own objective. After taking Grey Gallows, he had been given a journal by the pirate lord Saan, as a gift and a warning. After reading through the journal and searching the island, Aeryn came across a treasure unparalleled by all he had discovered in his time in the Stepstones. A Valyrian Steel blade, pale as milk, with a gold and grey hilt, adorned with a pommel displaying a blue dragon. Piecing together clues from the journal with his own thoughts, the Prince named the blade Treachery, and sword in hand, returned to Bloodstone.

When he returned, he was greeted by Samiros Calluras, standing before him with Horonno Maratis kneeling in chains. When questioned, Calluras said that the other pirate had attempted to betray the Prince of the Narrow Sea, and Calluras had saved the island. After thanking the pirate for his assistance, Aeryn stepped towards Calluras, extending a hand to thank him, before quickly drawing Treachery, and plunging it through the traitor's chest. Horrono's men cheered, and Aeryn thanked the other, loyal pirate, for his service, ordering some soldiers to get the man some medical assistance.

Not often seen in the Stepstones, Aeryn has assembled a faithful and effective set of vassals, who both respect and acknowledge the dragonrider's power. Well-known to be firm, fair, and often ruthless, Aeryn has built up a reputation as a strong ruler and a strong pirate, knowing his vassals' needs to be prioritised along with his own.

Recent Events
Aeryn now prepares to fly to Summerhall, to attend the tourney, and make connections for the potential conflict with the Triarchy.

Family

 * Baelon "Prince of Lys" Targaryen (305 AC - 334 AC)
 * m. Eireni of Lys (306 AC - 350 AC)
 * Saera "the Siren" Targaryen (328 AC - 374 AC)
 * m. Orenn Rogare
 * Evaeline Targaryen (353 AC - 405 AC)
 * Selenya Targaryen (381 AC - 408 AC)
 * Aeryn Targaryen (b. 391 AC)
 * Elaena (355 AC - ?)
 * m. _________
 * Kaelon (b. 370 AC)

Household Members / NPCs

 * Horonno Maratis - Castellan of Bloodstone, Captain of the Windshearer
 * Other Bloodstone Captains

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.

"Dragon riders need to stick together. No matter what titles they hold. ''I was naught but a bravo with a dragon before I landed on Bloodstone and took the castle, and I am barely more than a bravo now. There is no game to be played here." ''- Aeryn addresses Valaena Velaryon's suspicions of his intentions.

"The only treachery I will suffer, Calluras, is the blade I hold in my hands." - to Samiros Calluras as he kills him for attempting to take control of Bloodstone.