The warm sun had begun to dip beneath the horizon, casting a golden glow over the beach where Helaena sat, still in awe of the connection she had just shared with Vensalia. Dreamfyre purred contentedly beside her, her silvery-blue scales catching the last light of the day, while the black dragon, Gazaro, rested not far from them. Helaena felt a strange sense of peace wash over her, though a faint curiosity tugged at her heart. The days spent with Dreamfyre and Gazaro had been nothing short of transformative, yet there was still so much she didn’t understand about this enigmatic black dragon, his bond with Dreamfyre, and the connection he seemed to have to her family.

It was at that moment when the peace of the evening was disrupted by the distant sounds of voices approaching. Helaena’s ears perked up as she recognized the familiar voices of her brothers and Aegon, the eldest of the Targaryen boys. She hadn’t seen them much since their arrival, but their presence was unmistakable, their footsteps reverberating through the sand as they made their way toward her.

“Ah, there they are,” Aegon’s voice rang out arrogantly, as always. “So this is the famous black dragon that’s been courting Dreamfyre.”

Aegon’s tone was teasing, his usual smirk firmly in place, but there was a glint of curiosity in his eyes. Helaena sighed softly, knowing exactly what would happen next. The eldest Targaryen son had a tendency to act with bravado, and she knew he wouldn’t be easily dissuaded from poking at the mystery surrounding Gazaro.

“Be careful, Aegon,” Helaena murmured under her breath, sensing the tension already building in the air. Dreamfyre lifted her head slightly, her large eyes gleaming with an odd mixture of contentment and watchfulness, as though she understood that something significant was about to unfold.

Aegon walked up to the black dragon with a swagger in his step, his posture exuding his usual arrogance. “So you’re the one who’s been following Dreamfyre around like a shadow, huh?” he scoffed, trying to maintain his bravado. “What’s your game?”

Gazaro, however, was not in the mood for Aegon’s usual arrogance. He raised his head slowly, his glowy eyes narrowing in an intimidating glare as he let out a low growl. The sound reverberated across the beach, sending a chill through the air. Aegon, who had expected the black dragon to be docile or even intimidated by his presence, froze. His smirk faltered for a moment, a flicker of uncertainty crossing his face.

Gazaro growled again, his voice deep and thunderous. Aegon’s haughty expression immediately dropped, and for the first time, the eldest Targaryen son seemed humbled by the sheer power of the black dragon before him.

Aegon stumbled back slightly, a momentary look of surprise passing across his face before he regained his composure. “Alright, alright,” he muttered, hands raised in mock surrender. “I wasn’t going to insult you. Just wanted to see what all the fuss was about.”

Helaena, who had been observing the interaction from a distance, couldn’t help but chuckle quietly to herself. It was rare for Aegon to be put in his place, and it seemed that Gazaro had done so without even breaking a sweat. But even as she smiled, a deeper sense of unease settled within her. Gazaro wasn’t just any dragon, and she could sense that the Targaryen boys, particularly Aemond, were more affected by him than they were letting on.

As if on cue, Aemond, the second eldest son, stepped forward, his single eye fixed on Gazaro with a mixture of awe and something else—something more primal. His posture was confident, yet there was a subtle tension in his shoulders as he met the black dragon’s gaze. Gazaro’s piercing eyes locked onto Aemond’s, and for a brief moment, time seemed to stand still.

Helaena noticed the way Aemond’s breath hitched, how his normally composed demeanor faltered as he stared into the depths of Gazaro’s gaze. A chill ran down her spine. There was something unspoken between them, something ancient and undeniable. It was as though Gazaro recognized something in Aemond, something that had been hidden away for so long.

For a long, breathless moment, the two remained locked in an unyielding stare. Aemond’s bravado faltered, and his hand twitched at his side, as though he were about to draw his sword—but he didn’t. Instead, he stood his ground, meeting the black dragon’s gaze with a brave face, despite the subtle tremble that ran through him.

And then, without warning, Gazaro moved.

Slowly, deliberately, the massive black dragon began to approach Aemond, his eyes never leaving the boy’s face. Aemond’s body tensed, his legs planted firmly in the sand, but there was no fear in his eyes, only a quiet intensity. His brothers shouted from behind him, urging him to run, to get away from the dragon, but Aemond didn’t move. He stood tall, unflinching, as Gazaro came closer.

The other Targaryen boys, Jacaerys, Lucerys, and Joffrey, looked on with wide eyes, unsure of what to do. They were used to their dragons, of course, but none of them had ever seen anything like this before.

“Run, Aemond! Get away from him!” Jacaerys shouted, his voice laced with panic.

But Aemond ignored his nephews, his gaze locked onto Gazaro, who now stood directly in front of him. For a brief moment, it looked as if the black dragon was sizing him up, testing him.

And then, without warning, Gazaro lowered his massive head and, with surprising gentleness for such a fierce creature, used his mouth to nudge Aemond forward. Aemond, startled by the action, stumbled but didn’t resist. Gazaro’s massive jaws wrapped around him, lifting him up with ease, and before anyone could react, the black dragon leapt into the sky.

Aemond, now perched on Gazaro’s back, adjusted his position, gripping the dragon’s scales tightly. He glanced back at his nephews and older siblings, who stood frozen in shock, their mouths agape. The wind whipped through Aemond’s hair as he looked ahead, feeling the rush of air around him. He could hear their shouts from below, but he was too far away to make out the words.

Helaena, seeing the black dragon take off with Aemond, immediately called out, “Gazaro! Gazaro, wait!”

Dreamfyre, who had been resting beside her, stirred at the sound of her rider’s voice. Helaena, now feeling an urgent need to follow, scrambled to mount Dreamfyre, the silver-blue dragon’s scales gleaming as she rose to her feet. The two dragons were a pair, inseparable, and now, as they took to the sky, Helaena knew there was more at play than just the courting ritual between Dreamfyre and Gazaro. There was a deeper connection, one that only the dragons fully understood.

The Targaryen children on the beach watched in stunned silence as the two dragons soared into the sky, their wings beating in unison, the bond between them undeniable. It was only then that Helaena’s voice reached them, carried by the wind, and they heard her call Gazaro’s name—Gazaro.

The name echoed across the beach, reaching the castle where the adults are observing, and the realization hit the Targaryens all at once. Helaena knew something they didn’t. She knew the black dragon’s name, and with that knowledge, they understood that there was far more to this dragon than they had initially thought. The mystery deepened.

But as the dragons disappeared into the sky, their figures growing smaller by the second, the Targaryens were left with only questions—and a growing sense of unease. What had just happened? And why had Gazaro chosen Aemond as his rider?

For now, there were no answers—only the sound of the wind, the distant cry of the dragons, and the quiet realization that everything had changed.

---

The sky was vast and endless, the wind rushing past them as Aemond clung to Gazaro’s back, still in shock. His heart raced, a mix of exhilaration and fear flooding his veins. The black dragon’s massive wings cut through the air with effortless grace, his silver eyes focused ahead, a strange sense of purpose in every movement. Aemond had heard the rumors—the stories of the dragon who was said to be larger than Balerion, a dragon whose black scales emitted a glowing white light, whose presence was so powerful it could shake the very foundations of the world. But now that he was sitting on his back, experiencing it firsthand, the reality was far more overwhelming than he could have imagined.

He had expected to simply witness the black dragon, to stand at a distance and observe, maybe even draw his sword in some kind of confrontation—something grand and fitting for the Targaryens, something bold and daring. But this? This was something entirely different. His plan had been simple, yet the outcome was anything but.

Aemond could feel the dragon’s immense strength beneath him, his massive body moving with fluid precision as they soared higher into the sky. His mind raced, trying to catch up with the reality of the situation. Gazaro wasn’t just any dragon; he was something more. Something ancient, something tied to power and destiny that Aemond couldn’t comprehend. He had tried to issue commands, tried to assert himself, but the words faltered on his tongue as his fear took over.

What was I thinking? Aemond thought to himself, his hands gripping the black scales beneath him. I didn’t mean for this to happen. I don’t know what to do.

His mind was clouded with doubt and panic, his pulse thundering in his ears. He had always prided himself on his bravery, his resolve to stand firm, but now, sitting atop this great beast, he felt nothing but a deep, gnawing fear. He had no idea how to control Gazaro, no idea how to make the dragon obey him. Every instinct told him to command the beast, to assert his will, but another part of him—something primal and deep inside—told him that this was not a creature that could be controlled.

As he tried to calm himself, Aemond’s gaze flicked nervously to the ground below. The beach, now a distant memory, seemed so small from up here. The figures of his nephews—Jacaerys, Lucerys, and Joffrey—were no longer visible, swallowed up by the vastness of the sea and sand. The only thing that existed now was him and Gazaro.

Suddenly, Aemond felt a gentle presence in the air around him. He didn’t know how to describe it, but it was as if something was reaching out to him, calming his frayed nerves. He turned his head slightly and saw Dreamfyre soaring beside them. The silver-blue dragon’s wings beat in perfect synchrony with Gazaro’s, the two dragons flying as one. And atop Dreamfyre, riding her, was Helaena.

“Aemond!” Helaena’s voice carried on the wind, warm and reassuring. “Are you alright?”

He turned his head to meet her gaze, his lips parted in surprise. Helaena, her eyes wide with concern, seemed to be looking straight at him, even though she was a great distance away. She was clearly worried, but there was something else in her expression—something more familiar and comforting.

Aemond swallowed hard, still struggling to find his voice. “I—I don’t know what to do,” he admitted, his voice shaky. “He’s... he’s not like the other dragons. I can’t control him, and I don’t know why he chose me.”

Helaena’s eyes softened, her expression full of understanding. Dreamfyre glided effortlessly beside Gazaro, her silver-blue scales shimmering in the dimming light. “He didn’t choose you to control him, Aemond,” Helaena said gently. “Gazaro doesn’t work like that. He doesn’t need a rider to control him. He’s choosing you because he sees something in you.”

Aemond’s brow furrowed, his confusion growing. “What do you mean? And his name is Gazaro?”

Helaena smiled, a calm and soothing expression. “Gazaro is different from other dragons. He doesn’t form bonds the way they do. He chooses his riders carefully, but it’s not about power or dominance. He sees something in you, Aemond—something that connects you to him.”

Aemond blinked, trying to process her words. “But... I’m not like you, Helaena,” he said quietly. “I don’t have that connection to him. I’ve never been able to bond with a dragon like you have.”

Helaena’s expression softened even further as she approached him on Dreamfyre, the silver-blue dragon drifting close enough for Aemond to hear her calming voice. “That’s the thing,” she said gently. “You don’t need to force a bond, Aemond. Gazaro doesn’t expect that from you. He wants to be with you, to help you, to protect you. But it’s up to you to trust him.”

The wind whipped around them, sending strands of Helaena’s hair flying behind her as Dreamfyre and Gazaro continued to glide through the sky. Aemond’s grip on Gazaro’s scales loosened slightly, but his mind was still racing. Trust him? Aemond had never been one to trust easily, especially not a dragon who was so foreign, so unlike anything he had ever encountered.

But Helaena’s words resonated deep within him. She spoke with a confidence and a certainty that he didn’t quite understand, but it was enough to make him pause. Gazaro, the great black dragon, didn’t want to dominate him. He wasn’t interested in control. He was offering something far different—something that Aemond had never allowed himself to truly believe.

The dragon was offering him a partnership, a bond. A chance to fly, to be free in a way that he had never experienced before.

“You just have to let him in, Aemond,” Helaena continued, her voice soft but firm. “Let him show you how to fly, how to be free. He’ll take care of you, and Dreamfyre and I will be here to help guide you.”

Aemond swallowed hard, his anxiety still clinging to him, but something in Helaena’s words reached him. He glanced down at Gazaro, who flew with ease, as though this was what he was made to do. The dragon’s silver eyes locked onto Aemond’s once more, and for the first time, Aemond felt something shift deep within him—a sensation of understanding, of trust that began to form, however tentative it might be.

He took a deep breath, his body still trembling slightly, but the fear was beginning to subside. Slowly, hesitantly, he allowed his hand to relax, reaching forward slightly to stroke the dragon’s scales. The touch was tentative, but it was enough to acknowledge the bond that was beginning to form between them.

Gazaro, in return, let out a low rumble, almost a purr, as though to reassure him. The dragon’s silver eyes gleamed with satisfaction, as if acknowledging Aemond’s small but significant step toward trust.

Helaena’s voice broke through the moment of quiet connection. “You’re doing great, Aemond,” she called out. “Just let him lead you. You don’t have to be afraid.”

Aemond looked up at her, his face still pale but his expression slowly softening. “I’m trying, Helaena. It’s just... he’s so different from anything I’ve ever known.”

Helaena smiled warmly, her eyes kind and understanding. “I know. But that’s why he chose you.”

For a moment, the two dragons flew in tandem, their wings beating in perfect harmony, the air around them filled with the hum of life. Aemond felt his body relax, the tension in his shoulders easing as the black dragon continued to soar beneath him, leading him higher into the sky. The fear that had gripped him earlier was still there, but it was now accompanied by something else: a growing sense of wonder, of freedom, of the potential that lay in this bond.

Helaena’s words rang in his ears, and he finally understood what she meant. This wasn’t about control. It was about trust. And as Aemond looked at the vast expanse of sky before him, with Gazaro flying beneath him, he realized that this was only the beginning of a journey—a journey that he would share with the black dragon who had chosen him.

And maybe, just maybe, he wasn’t as alone as he had always thought.