Rhaegar's gaze was intense, piercing through Aemond, who couldn't meet his eyes.
Helaena, calmly curling her fingers in her hair, stated, "He wants a castle."
"Huh?" Aemond was taken aback.
Helaena's blunt words hung in the air, and she silently looked away.
Rhaegar was on the verge of laughing in anger, "Worthy of being my younger brother, so perceptive."
With control over the Triarchy and the Stepstones Islands, the lower half of the Narrow Sea was securely in Targaryen hands. Nas Island in the Stormlands and Stonehelm in Cape Wrath were strategic points within this route.
Aemond, panicked and at a loss for words, stammered, "No, I was just thinking."
Bang!
Rhaegar raised his hand and smacked Aemond on the head. The sound was sharp and clear.
Aemond winced in pain, covering his head and shrinking back.
Helaena glanced at him, then chose to ignore it. He deserved the beating.
Rhaegar grabbed Aemond's ear, his anger palpable. "If you want a castle, you can talk to me. My father and I haven't treated you so badly that you need to resort to trickery. You're really making the royal family proud."
"Ouch! Ouch!" Aemond was pulled up on his tiptoes, not daring to resist.
Aegon had grown up being whacked by their elder brother, and Aemond vividly remembered those experiences. The worst was when Rhaegar terrorized Aegon by hanging him on the gallows for everyone to see.
"You're really something!" Rhaegar shook him repeatedly, as if he were carrying a chicken.
Of the three younger brothers, Rhaegar thought the most highly of Aemond. He admired the boy's boldness in taming a dragon, seeing in him the same spirit he had had as a child. How could he be so calculating?
Helaena couldn't maintain her expression and turned her back, her words cutting, "If you want a castle, you have to pay the price."
"Sister! ~" Aemond's voice was tearful as he begged for help.
He was only 10 years old, and being handled like this was overwhelming.
Helaena inclined her head, pretending not to hear.
"Don't scream!" Rhaegar growled.
He now wanted to beat this troublesome brother to a pulp. Aemond was really good at getting into trouble!
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became.
Rhaegar's smile was cold and ruthless. "Let me ask you, who do you expect to clean up yourmess when you delay the occupation of the Stormlands and kill House Swann?"
Alicent? Otto?
Aemond trembled, not daring to cry out in pain. He knew his mother and grandfather weren't capable of handling the massive trouble he'd caused.
Rhaegar's smile widened, his arm swinging as he shook Aemond. "If you can't answer, you're expecting Father and me to clean up after you.What a beautiful thought!"
"I was wrong," Aemond whimpered, closing his eyes in apology. He hadn't thought things through. He assumed that once House Swann was gone and the Dornish were driven away, Stonehelm would be his for the taking.
Bang!
Rhaegar raised his leg and kicked, causingAemond to stumble. "Get lost, there'll beconsequences for you!"
"Yes," Aemond responded, grateful for the reprieve. Whimpering, he ran off. "I'll get Olyvar Yronwood back."
Rhaegar shouted, "Get lost!" Aemond didn't dare to look back. Covering his red, swollen, and bloodied ears, he ran away as fast as he could.
"Idiot," Helaena muttered, her heart aching a little. Aegon had always been foolish, and now Aemond seemed infected.
"Isn't that the same for you?" Rhaegar reached out, messing up Helaena's hair.
Helaena's eyes watered, her pink lips pouted, silently accusing: After scolding him, will you scold me too?
Rhaegar rolled his eyes, walking to the main seat in the hall. He sat down, propping his chin with one hand. "Why are you here? How's King'sLanding?"
He had bumped into Helaena halfway; she had been riding Dreamfyre with a determined look,speeding towards Meleys. Her presence suggested something significant had happened in King's Landing.
Helaena furrowed her brows, smoothing herdisheveled hair. "Dorne is preparing for an all-out attack. I snuck out," she said sharply, detailing thedecisions of the Small Council.
Rhaegar listened in silence. It was pretty muchwhat he had guessed. The main force of the Dornish ransacked the Stormlands, while stragglers invaded the Prince's Pass and the Boneway to deplete the population of the DornishTerritory. With Braavos and other forces pushing from behind, it might actually work if the two fortresses were caught off guard.
Rhaegar had a flash of insight into what QorenMartell's mind might be. First of all, was the Dornish Rebellion necessary? It was necessary!
The Triarchy beyond the Narrow Sea had been conquered, so how could the Dornish Territory, which had been feuding with the Iron Throne for generations, escape?
Rhaegar's initial target of aggression was therelatively barren Dornish Territory. Analyzing Dorne's environment, national conditions, and internal situation revealed a bleak picture.
Recent harvests had been poor, leaving civilians without enough food to eat. Despite this, Dorne had a substantial population, much stronger than the North. Gathering 20,000 soldiers to counter the invasion of the Stormlands wouldn't be a problem, especially if Braavos and other supporters provided food and equipment.
Given that the Dornish regularly violated the border, it was no surprise they would go to war. When the Triarchy was fully controlled, the Iron Throne would cut off sea routes in the lower Narrow Sea.
What should Dorn do? Should they until a fleet of dragons fly to Sunspear to spray Dragonfireindiscriminately?
Fighting now would at least weaken the Iron Throne, destabilize the three city-states, and aid Braavos in their counterattacks.
Rhaegar sighed softly, "People are poor, and land is always the root of struggle." The Targaryens needed new land, and so did the Dornish.
Helaena, somewhat confused, asked softly, "What happens if Olyvar Yronwood escapes?"
Rhaegar waved his hand dismissively, "It's fine, the man can run, but Dorne can't escape."
First, there was the invasion of the Stormlands,and then the moviments in the Vulture Mountains. The war had begun to spiral out of control.
Qoren didn't want to fight, but he had no choice. The Iron Throne wanted to avoid conflict even more, but the noble lords on both sides hated each other and wouldn't willingly stop the war.
Rhaegar knew his next steps: lead his army to clean up the remnants of the Dornish forces in the Stormlands and then support the VultureMountains. If Qoren remained unconvinced, Rhaegar had three ways to crush him.
Helaena said, "Father is on his way to Blackhaven on his dragon, can we help?"
"Of course," Rhaegar replied.
Helaena hesitated, "But what about the Triarchy? Are you sure you can leave them?"
She was only 13 years old, and the farthest she had ever traveled was the last time she sped toWhite Harbor. The free trade city-states had agreat reputation, and it was said that each one was worth no less than a realm of territory on the continent of Westeros.
Rhaegar smiled, his eyes softening. "Don't worry, Aunt Rhaenys is in charge there."
Then, seemingly to satisfy his sister's curiosity, he shared a bit about the inner workings of the city-states.
"Lys has over two million people?" Helaena's eyes lit up.
Rhaegar nodded with a smile, "Lys is the most populous Free City among the Triarchy. There are more freed slaves than can be counted."
Carefully calculated, the Northern Realm probably had a population of more than 300,000 people, and Dorne had about 500,000. Compared to the Triarchy, it wasn't even as populous as King'sLanding, which had a resident population of up to half a million people.
"Such poor countryside," Rhaegar thought to himself.
Helaena smiled and jumped into her brother's arms, her little head nuzzling him affectionately. Having not seen him for a few days, the little girl wanted to be close.
Rhaegar was a bit uncomfortable at first, but he couldn't resist Helaena's enthusiasm. After awhile, he noticed the tight bracelet on her wrist.
"You're still wearing this bracelet?" Rhaegar asked.
Helaena arched her head, not bothering to look up.
Rhaegar took her hand. The bracelet was as simple as the silver-gray one from ten years ago, almost tightening around her wrist.
"It's too small; don't wear it," Rhaegar said with some pity. He took off Helaena's bracelet and replaced it with the space bracelet he was wearing.
The space bracelet, imbued with magic, automatically adjusted to the wearer's size and fit perfectly on Helaena's wrist.
Helaena's eyes sparkled as she whispered, "Is this for me?"
Rhaegar was amused, "Keep it safe. It's degrading to keep wearing imitations."
He suddenly remembered he had given Rhaenyra a Valyrian steel necklace while Helaena had only an imitation. At that time, it was still Erryk who paid for it, costing one and a half gold dragons.
Helaena raised a smile and innocently asked, "What will you use if you give this to me?"
"Good question. I have a better one," Rhaegar said, pulling out the space necklace from under his collar and waving it around conspicuously.
The necklace had more space and was easier to carry. Helaena looked at it and realized it was Valyrian steel with a somewhat nice appearance.
She raised a small white hand, admiring the space bracelet and necklace, feeling very happy.
Rhaegar chuckled. With the space necklace, the role of the bracelet was reduced. But a storage tool was still precious. He originally wanted to give it to Rhaenyra as a first gift for the birth of her twins. But stumbling upon Helaena still wearing the imitation bracelet, he didn't want to favor one over the other.
"It's so pretty."
Helaena, as if she had been given the most precious treasure, admired the bracelet for awhile. Then, she discreetly replaced the imitation bracelet with the space bracelet.
Rhaegar noticed her actions but didn't say anything. Instead, he took out a piece of broken dragon scale from the necklace.
Helaena's eyes widened in fascination. The dragon scale, even though half-mutilated, was still palm-sized. Dreamfyre's complete scales were only about the size of a palm. The original owner of this tattered dragon scale must have been larger than Vhagar and Cannibal.
Rhaegar pondered for a moment and then made up his mind. "Cut your finger and drop a drop of blood on it."
He had a hunch that the Fourteen Flames Remnant might activate some sort of relic tied to the dragons. With Rhaenyra pregnant and unable to go into battle, Helaena was more suitable toactivate this relic.
Zira-
Without hesitation, Helaena took the tattered dragon scale and cut a slit in her finger. Blood oozed out, staining the surface of the dragonscale.
Rhaegar admired her decisiveness.
"Here you go, brother."
Helaena sipped her injured finger and handed back the tattered dragon scale. Rhaegar did the same, cutting his finger, and let the crimson beads of blood drip onto the scale. The two different types of blood flowed together, blending and seeping into the dragon scale.
In the next second, the dragon scale bloomed with bright red light.
"Congratulations, the Fourteen Flames Remnant have been activated. You have obtained..."
[Dragon Essence]
Grade: Legendary (Red)
Effect: Enhances the growth speed of a dragon (only up to adult dragons)
Evaluation: "The size of a dragon grows with age, and one dragon lived to be three hundred years old."
The tattered dragon scale underwent a metamorphosis, transforming into a complete scale covered in strange inscriptions. Uncontrolled by Rhaegar, it lightly landed on topof Helaena's head with a snap.
"Ahh~" Helaena grunted.
Rhaegar's eyes were full of helplessness as he looked at Helaena, who had scrunched up herface, and then at the bronze scales on her skull.
Flipping through the font of the system panel, he could only think, "Foolishness has its blessings."
"How did it turn out like this?" Helaena rubbed her head and removed the bronze scales that had smashed into her.
Rhaegar explained, "It's good stuff. Feed it to Dreamfyre."
The column of effects was clearly described:suitable only up to adult dragons.
Cannibal was around 90 years old, with a body size of more than 170 years old, comparable to Vhagar had long been an adult dragon. Feeding it to Dreamfyre, who was of a suitable age and slightly inferior in size, was just right.
It would quickly raise an adult giant dragon.
(Word count: 2,060)