THE YOUNG PRINCE had been issued several warnings in regards to THE BLOOD WYRM ──── the mount of his late uncle ; a near FERAL beast , the dragonkeepers had stated , FEROCIOUS and FORMIDABLE in battle. it was unknown if the dragon would take another rider after the fall of prince aemon , and though the risk of losing prince daemon to the blood wyrm's whims was great , he had been intent on claiming caraxes as his own. not only did the blood wyrm's ferocity mirror his own , but his cousin , princess rhaenys , had claimed his mother's dragon for her own , DENYING the prince his opportunity to claim THE RED QUEEN. oh , how daemon had RAGED , prince baelon's and prince viserys' attempts at calming him falling flat.
BUT IT MATTERED LITTLE as daemon entered the pit. the rogue prince , as they had dubbed him , let the heat of the dragon’s fire wash over him. his heart raced as the flame lit the darkness of the pit ──── fear , however , had not grasped the prince ; instead , THRILL and EXCITEMENT festered in his soul. the dragonkeepers , though brave souls in their own right , had taken tentative steps backward as the beast rose. his steps shook the earth , reverberating within the prince’s very bones , and a WILD grin spread across his face as the blood wyrm emerged. a curious creature , unlike any of the dragons in possession of house targaryen , yet daemon felt as if he understood the beast. two beings so different from their kin . . . yes , they would get along fine.
THE DRAGONKEEPERS GAPE AT the prince as he strides forward , not an ounce of fear in his eyes , upon his face. their urgent whispers do not reach him as he faces caraxes , the roaring in his ears far too great. he is vaguely aware of someone grasping for the sleeve of his leathers , a lousy attempt at reigning him in as though he were some wild creature in need of taming. daemon jerks his arm away and continues forward , eyes of lilac locking with the dark eyes of the blood wyrm.
DAEMON’S VOICE BELOWS through the pit, “ dohaerās , caraxes ! ” the prince reaches out a hand , an invitation for the beast to scent him , to judge him as he would. “ rȳbās naejot nyke , caraxes , se dohaerās ! ” [ listen to me , caraxes , and serve ! ]