He is the rider of the dragon Vhagar. Aemond is the thirdborn child and second son of King Viserys by his second wife, Queen Alicent. Aemond is the only boy without a dragon of his own. The three boys trick Aemond into thinking they found him a dragon, only to present him a pig they dressed up as one, mockingly proclaiming it the "Pink Dread. When Dreamfyre roars and breathes fire, however, a frightened Aemond is knocked back and runs away. Aemond tells his mother of the incident while Helaena overhears.
Alicent later reprimands Aegon, who calls Aemond a twat. Aemond attends the funeral of his aunt, Laena Velaryon , on Driftmark. He and his brother watch their sister Helaena study a spider, and they argue over Aegon's betrothal to and dislike of their sister.
Aemond defends Helaena by reminding Aegon she is their sister and his future Queen. When Aegon suggests Aemond should marry Helaena if he's willing to defend her, Aemond says that if he were betrothed to Helaena, he would do his duty to keep their Valyrian blood pure.
Later, Aemond approaches Jace, Baela, and Rhaena who are all mourning a parent. A long look is exchanged, but nothing is said.
That night, when his grandfather Otto Hightower drags off a drunken Aegon to put him to bed, Aemond decides to achieve his dream of claiming a dragon to prove himself. He sneaks away from his family and finds Vhagar sleeping on the beach. When he approaches her and tries to climb her, she wakes up. Vhagar goes back to sleep once Aemond backs away, but when the boy tries again, an angered Vhagar almost burns him alive. He successfully bonds with her by commanding her to calm herself and serve him in High Valyrian.
