The dragon roars was loud and clear on Driftmark, startling the people in the castle.
The banquet was already in chaos, the ground covered in wreckage.
Daemon's consciousness blurred as the back of his head hit the ground. He hunched over, clutching his legs, cold sweat trickling from the pain.
He had been careless.
He hadn't known that Syrio had trained his nephew so well that even he had been bested.
"You're getting old, uncle," Rhaegar sneered, looking down at the fallen man while holding onto the tabletop with one hand.
Rhaegar was no longer a child, and he was not afraid of his uncle, even when fighting alone without relying on Cannibal.
"Roar..."
The dragons roared, and Rhaegar gasped, brushing his loose hair back.
He felt Cannibal's fury and horror.
Caraxes had been defeated, but it triggered a wild dance of dragons.
"Prince, listen to the dragons' roars outside. What should we do now?" Corlys questioned angrily, his eyes full of worry.
Dragons were not human; they were fierce beasts with ferocious temperaments. Once they fought, they wouldn't stop until death, and casualties were inevitable.
The death of a dragon would be an irreparable loss to both the Velaryon and Targaryen Houses.
"Lord Corlys, our priority now is Daemon. The dragon won't be able to intervene for a while," Rhaegar, connected to Cannibal's mind, assured, emphasizing the need to calm the people's agitation.
"Daemon has been seriously injured by you. What threat does he pose?" Corlys fretted, his heart racing. "One dragon is enough to destroy a town, and there's no telling how many dragons out there will fight. They'll destroy Driftmark!"
"The Velaryon family tamed and bred dragons on Driftmark. This is the risk you should have accepted," Rhaegar dismissed, his mind clear, focused on resolving the situation.
"Rhaegar, I sense Vhagar's wrath. It's engaged in battle," Laena warned, holding the dazed Daemon. As Vhagar's master, she could clearly sense Vhagar's current anger, which was beyond her control.
"The one battling Vhagar is Cannibal. I know that very well," Rhaegar declared, focusing on Daemon.
Laena pleaded, "He came here seeking understanding, with no intention of offending Your Grace."
She knew her husband well. The outwardly prodigal man had repented and wanted to atone by serving his kingdom.
"But he shouldn't have appeared to me in such a manner," Rhaegar insisted, commanding Lyonel, "You will personally escort him back to King's Landing in the morning."
"Yes, Prince," Lyonel affirmed solemnly, understanding the gravity of the task.
Daemon, being the king's brother, meant Rhaegar couldn't risk being killing him and being accused of Kinslaying. Moreover, Daemon held value as a bargaining chip for the Velaryon House.
Lyonel dared to think and act, instructing his servant to call the royal family's accompanying guards to take Daemon away promptly.
Laena, uneasy, tried to stop them, but Corlys dragged her away.
The Velaryon House was only a vassal and could not stop the Heir from arresting criminals.
The dragons on the island were still raging, and now was not the time to argue over Daemon alone.
"The farce is over. I'm going outside to see what's going on," Rhaenys, who had been sitting steadily in her chair, said as she stood up and strutted out the door with an ugly look on her face.
She disliked the domineering Daemon and was equally dissatisfied with her husband. As a woman, her heart was full of anger and struggle.
She couldn't control many political affairs, but she could control her own dragon. Meleys was also involved in the battle of the dragons, and the restlessness of her emotions pulled at her mind. She had to hurry and stop it.
Seeing Daemon being carried away by the guards, Rhaenyra breathed a sigh of relief and took Rhaegar's hand, inquiring, "Syrax is involved in the battle too. What's going to happen?"
Her dragon was still very young and had no combat experience. This made her very worried.
For a while, except for Rhaenys who had left earlier, everyone's eyes fell on Rhaegar.
Rhaegar scanned them one by one and said with a determined face, "Any dragon rider, come with me. Cannibal is under my command. I will stop the fight."
Saying this, he looked to Corlys and commanded, "Dispatch men, maintain law and order on the island, and seal off information for tonight."
On the eve of a war, there were many spies lurking in the shadows. With the Triarchy as an enemy right now, news of infighting must not be leaked.
"As you command. I hope you succeed in stopping the fight," Corlys responded, his heart in turmoil. Driftmark was the foundation of the family; it had to be protected.
"Damn you, Daemon!" Corlys cursed in his heart as he turned to deploy his soldiers.
If not for Daemon's sudden appearance, he would have been in a better position for negotiations at King's Landing.
Now that Daemon was captured, his daughter and wife would take the opportunity to get closer to the royal family, greatly reducing his influence.
"Laena, come out with me and try to control Vhagar," Rhaegar said, looking at the sorrowful Laena. He sighed, knowing that both her husband and father were too ambitious.
Rhaegar took the lead and walked out of the castle, followed by the rest. They all felt the dragon's agitation, and they were all afraid.
"Roar..."
In the night sky, six dragons were fighting each other.
Meleys flew in a circle, teasing the reckless Sunfyre and spitting scarlet dragonfire.
Sea Smoke and Syrax fought fiercely in the air, one with bites and the other with claws.
The most eye-catching of all were the two adult dragons.
The blackCannibal weaved through the clouds, its green dragonfire falling like a swarm of comets.
Vhagar, even larger, swept through the winds as he flew, its eyes fixed on the Cannibal.
On closer inspection, it became clear that Vhagar had lost a large chunk of flesh from his neck. If it weren't for his size, this bite would have killed any other dragon.
In contrast, Cannibal was in a worse state. His abdomen was torn open with two large holes, and hot dragon blood kept pouring down.
The head of the dragon was also scratched, a bloodstain piercing through one eye, but fortunately, its green pupil was intact.
The city of Driftmark was in a state of chaos at night, with soldiers being deployed to the two towns on the island.
"Meleys, please stop fighting and stay away from the battlefield!"
In the light of the torches, Rhaegar saw Rhaenys standing under a stone archway, shouting into the night sky.
Most of the dragons were still fighting in the sky above High Tide, except for Cannibal and Vhagar, who were chasing each other.
The dragon's roar was so loud that Rhaenys's cry was barely audible.
"Roar..."
Meleys, known as the Red Queen, was exceptionally gorgeous and was hatched from a nest of dragon eggs alongside Caraxes.
With its speed, the young Sunfyre was easily fooled.
(Word count: 1,176)