Noon.
After a long flight, the dragons finally reached Driftmark. This island was geographically closer to King's Landing than Dragonstone and had a strategic advantage over Dragonstone in controlling the Narrow Sea.
Driftmark had three main settlements: There were three main settlements: High Tide, Hull, and Spicetown. As they flew over the island, Rhaegar, Rhaenyra, and Aegon took in the sights below.
The westernmost part of the island had a castle perched on a craggy cliff, which made it easy to defend. The other two towns were located near the narrow sea and were quite busy.
Rhaegar noticed the many ships docked at the ports of these towns, a testament to their prosperity.
"Let's go, we should land at High Tide."
The dragons flew around in the sky, their riders getting a better understanding of the island's layout before they landed. As they got closer to High Tide, they heard a loud dragon roar from below, which caught their attention.
"Roar..."
Cannibal, sensing a potential threat, let out a warning growl, its green eyes alert. Rhaegar quickly scanned the area and identified the source of the roar as a clearing next to the beach, surrounded by grassy fields.
There, a massive green dragon lay prostrate, its amber eyes fixed on the sky. Rhaegar's heart raced as he recognized the dragon: Vhagar, the last surviving dragon from the Targaryen family's early days.
Born on Dragonstone in 51 BC, Vhagar was once ridden by Visenya Targaryen, sister and queen to Aegon the Conqueror. Later, Vhagar was claimed by Rhaegar's grandfather, Baelon Targaryen, the Prince of Spring.
Most recently, Laena Velaryon became Vhagar's rider. Now, the dragon was 169 years old, a testament to its long and storied past.
Rhaegar marveled at the sight, silently acknowledging the accuracy of Larys' intelligence. Laena had indeed returned to Driftmark in secret.
"That's Vhagar? It's enormous!" Aegon exclaimed, eyes wide with shock.
Rhaenyra shot him a look of contempt. "I told you to get out more. Staying cooped up all day is making you useless."
"Roar!"
Vhagar saw the three dragons above it and twisted its massive body, roaring again to assert dominance over the territory.
"Rhaegar, let's get out of here. We shouldn't provoke this old dragon," Rhaenyra urged, her voice edged with urgency.
Everyone knew Vhagar's reputation for being bad-tempered. It was wiser to keep a safe distance.
Rhaegar nodded. "Agreed. Let's move away."
"Roar..."
Cannibal, Rhaegar's dragon, growled lowly, a deep rumble emanating from its throat, clearly harboring hostility toward Vhagar. The green dragon was older and larger than Cannibal, and it left an impression.
Cannibal's charcoal-black scales gave him a dark, intimidating look, like a dark god. In contrast, Vhagar's skin was wrinkled and sagging, its jaw hung loose, and the crown of its horns had fallen off long ago.
Despite this, Vhagar exuded an aura of power and experience.
Vhagar's body was covered in battle scars, with holes in its wing membranes from scorpion crossbows. Its cold, merciless eyes surveyed the newcomers, and it felt like an ancient war machine coming back to life.
Rhaegar could tell that Cannibal was eager for a confrontation, so he chuckled bitterly. "We're not here to fight."
Rhaegar couldn't help but feel a mix of admiration and apprehension. Vhagar had fought for House Targaryen for over a century, and its combat experience was unmatched by any other dragon.
Although Cannibal had beaten Vermithor and Silverwing,Vhagar's prowess was not to be underestimated.
If a fight were to happen, Cannibal would need to wait until he reached his full strength, which could take over a hundred years.
"Roar..."
Heeding Rhaegar's guidance, Cannibal reluctantly turned away, snorting in frustration but wisely choosing not to provoke the ancient dragon.
...
Far from the beach, Rhaegar and his siblings rode their dragons towards High Tide.
The three dragons flew around the city twice before landing, which was a clear signal to the locals that the Targaryen princes and princesses had arrived.
With a resounding boom, Cannibal was the first to land, its massive body kicking up a gust of wind as it touched down in the open space near the tidal walls. Syrax and Sunfyre followed, but kept a respectful distance from Cannibal, wary of the black dragon's aggressive nature.
"Welcome, Prince and Princess," greeted a knightly dressed guard captain, stepping forward from a group of stationed guards.
"Lead the way, Ser," Rhaegar commanded, assuming his role as the eldest and heir.
"Follow me, Your Grace," the guard captain replied. With his silver hair, he appeared to be of Valyrian descent.
Rhaenyra and Aegon joined Rhaegar, following the captain. High Tide Castle, perched on a high-altitude island, required them to traverse a path of verdant stones laid over the tides.
Although the dragons could land directly in front of the castle, such an act would be seen as disrespectful to its owner. They were here to celebrate, and proper decorum was necessary.
After about ten minutes of walking up the cliffside path, the stone archway of High Tide Castle appeared before them.
"This way, please, Prince and Princess," the guard captain said, leading them through the archway into a lush, open garden.
The castle stood tall and proud, facing the stone archway.
As they stepped through the door, they heard the clash swords. Rhaegar glanced over to see two men engaged in a sword fight in the garden.
One of them, with dark skin and silver hair, Rhaegar recognized him. It was Laenor Velaryon, the eldest son of the Sea Snake, a cousin who had always been fond of him.
As the group passed through the archway, Laenor saw them. He wiped the sweat from his brow and called for a truce, then approached with a warm smile.
"Rhaegar, Rhaenyra, Aegon, welcome to Driftmark," Laenor greeted them, sheathing his sword gracefully.
"It's been too long, cousin," Rhaegar replied with a warm smile, returning the gesture.
At that moment, the castle gates swung open, revealing a man bearing a striking resemblance to the Sea Snake, accompanied by a silver-haired, dark-skinned butler.
Rhaenyra leaned in close to Rhaegar's ear, whispering, "That's Vaemond Velaryon, the Sea Snake's younger brother and Laenor's uncle."
Nodding in acknowledgment, Rhaegar focused his attention on Vaemond. With a dignified bearing and an air of arrogance, Vaemond approached and bowed respectfully.
"Welcome, Your Grace," Vaemond greeted formally.
"Greetings, Ser Vaemond. Your reputation precedes you," Rhaegar replied with polite courtesy.
Then, casting a curious glance toward the castle, he continued, "I expected Lord Corlys, the Sea Snake, to welcome us. We've come to celebrate Aunt Rhaenys's nameday. Is he not joining us?"
(Word count: 1,106)