Chapter One- The Seadragon's Roar

The beginning of the reign of Leanor Velaryon, the first of his name, is as disputed as every other thing we know about the King that countless dubbed the Builder, the Glorious, the Mighty, and countless more dubbed the Breaker, the Destroyer, and most damning, the Kinslayer. Did his reign begin when he crowned himself Lord of the Stepstones after seeing it abandoned by his relative, Daemon Targaryen, the Rogue Dragon? Did it begin when he finally rode through the gates of King’s Landing at the head of the largest army in the Seven. Kingdoms at the time? Did it begin with his first marriage? Or his second? Historians, Maesters, and Scholars of all dispositions debate and present good arguments in favour of any of these, but there is no debate as to when the Legend of the Greatest King of the Targaryen dynasty began. No dispute as to where either. It all began in Harrenhal, One hundred and one years after Aegon the Dragon forged the seven Kingdoms into one. 

— Archmaester Galadriel Velaryon, “The Life and Times of Leanor the Valiant, Great, and Undoubtedly Extraordinary.”

“You will wear the Seahorse and the colours of house Velaryon because that is the house to which you belong and I will not hear anything to the contrary” Corlys pressed, and I felt the urge to sigh. Prideful men were the bane of good sense and reason, it seemed. I tossed an exasperated look in my mother’s direction and I could see the smile she choked down. A lot could be said about this new life— not the least of which being the indignity of shitting in a chamber pot of all things, but none of them could outweigh the joy my family brought me. Rhaenys, Leana, and even Corlys when he wasn’t being stubborn as a bull.

“Sadly, you will hear it again. I cannot win if I am not seen as a Targaryen, father. The lords of the realm, they will mislike elevating one of their own above them. The only reason Aegon could hold the seven kingdoms was because he was not one of them. Like it or not, the Targaryens are seen as better, higher, superior. They will crown a Targaryen but they will not crown a Velaryon” I said, and if the oddness of my speech bothered either of my new parents, they said little of it. I had decided that I was no where near crafty or circumspect enough to hide my advantages and so I leaned into them.

I was no smallfolk to be accused of witchcraft and Corlys Velaryon was prideful enough to believe without doubt that the union of his blood with that of Rhaenys had been enough to create a prodigy beyond compare, as Maester Alaric put it.

“They will crown you because every tradition, whether Andal or Rhyonar, or First Man places you ahead of Viserys in the line. They will not so easily threaten their own claims” He said.

“They—“

“Enough, Leanor. Are you so shamed at our family? Our history? That you seek to cast it aside for another?” He said, and now there was audible hurt in his voice. I had pushed too much, I feared. But I could not stop here. This was my chance. Win the Great Council, and no Dance of Dragons— no dying of the Dragons either.

“I am proud to be a Velaryon, and a Velaryon I will remain. The blood of the seahorse runs in my veins as surely as it runs through yours. What does a name matter when we share blood?”

“History will not remember blood, but it will remember names. And I will not be the man who bore a son who refused his own name. Not after everything I have sacrificed for this family”

“So it’s about pride, then”

“Everything is about pride, Leanor. You must not be as intelligent as they say if you haven’t learned that yet” He said, and to make sure the conversation was at an end, he walked away.

“At least let me speak for myself in the Council” I called out to his back. He didn’t reply, but something told me I’d won that much at least.

“Go saddle and prepare Igneel, Leanor.” Mother said, turning in my direction. She had remained silent all through the argument, still pretending to skulk at the decision we’d made not to press her claim in her own right. I knew her too well though, and she was definitely playing it up to get Corlys to come back begging.

“Leana, I assume you will be flying with your brother. Go help him” She said next, turning to my sister when she felt I was not moving quickly enough for her tastes. Leana peeped in excitement and next thing I knew, I was being dragged out of the castle towards the stable set aside for my ever-growing Dragon.

A/N: And so we have a story on our hands, boys and girls!