"Guess when they'll hatch?" Rhaenyra asked excitedly, pinching her child's cheeks.
"Don't pinch them, they'll drool," Rhaegar gently chided, stroking her face. Her cheeks were soft and plump, even softer than custard pudding.
Rhaenyra pouted and reluctantly withdrew her hand. Rhaegar smiled, trying to make up for it. He flipped his right hand over, and a halo of light appeared out of thin air. Rhaenyra stared in surprise. Rhaegar had many mysteries, but he rarely revealed them to her.
"This is a treasure I acquired in the Starry Sept, a gift from the Seven Gods," Rhaegar said casually, deliberately showing it to Rhaenyra.
Rhaenyra, intrigued but restrained, asked, "What is it for?"
Rhaegar smiled, knowing she guessed it was for the children. "A gift for the birth of our children, to bestow certain blessings," he explained. He reached into the halo with both hands and split it in two like an apple.
A system panel appeared before him:
Seven Gods' Blessing
Level: Legendary to Rare (Blue)
Effect: +50% magic talent, Stars Blessing
Comment: "The gift of the Stars is divided into two, nurturing a blessing of excellence."
A legendary relic transformed into two rare ones. Rhaegar held a halo of white light the size of an apple in each hand, feeling no regret—only excitement. The relic could be divided, and as its level dropped, it adapted into a new form. The original magic talent blessing had become a stars blessing, which was still quite valuable.
"Children, are you ready?" Rhaegar said, amused, as he placed the two halos in the cradle.
Rhaenyra watched intently, her eyes wide with concern and wonder, ensuring she didn't miss a single detail.
Hum...
The halos glowed brightly, sensing something before disappearing into the two children's round bellies. A system prompt sounded in Rhaegar's ear.
"Stars blessing activated, triggering effect determination..."
Rhaegar watched as the two children's bodies emitted a radiant mix of red, white, and green light, shining and rotating. The light first stopped on the eldest son.
[Born Warrior]
Level: Rare (Blue)
Function: Favored by Warriors, born with extraordinary fighting talent.
Comment: "Excellent physique, agile, but too young to be burdened with such a task."
Before Rhaegar could take a closer look, the light of the second son also solidified.
[Unforgettable]
Level: Rare (Blue)
Function: Flexible thinking, learns everything far beyond the average person.
Comment: "Don't let him read too many books, unless you want his rebellious period to come early."
"Wow!" Rhaegar was stunned. These two blessings essentially laid the foundation for the future lives of his children. The Longevity (Green) he received as a child and the Long Lasting Face (White) triggered by Rhaenyra seemed less valuable than the Stars blessing.
Of course, blessing relics are usually most suitable for the user's needs. Rhaegar was born sick, so Longevity helped him overcome his illnesses. The blessings of his two children, one for martial prowess and one for intellectual prowess, were added talents.
Rhaegar's eyes flashed as he looked at his eldest son, who was fast asleep. He thought to himself, "You have to discipline a child when they're young, or they won't listen when they're older."
A lesson learned the hard way. Before the age of ten, he was oppressed and disciplined by Rhaenyra daily. Only after he grew taller than her was he able to turn the tables, treating her as she had treated him. After that, Rhaenyra never spanked him again.
Soon, the light faded, and everything returned to normal. Rhaenyra, unable to see the magical display, couldn't wait to ask, "What's changed? Is it for the better?"
"Of course," Rhaegar replied, sitting on the edge of the recliner and wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "They are blessed children."
Rhaenyra patted her chest in relief.
At that moment, a childlike grunt sounded. The eldest son opened his eyes in confusion, his little hands scratching around randomly as his body twisted. Bound by swaddling clothes, he wriggled like a caterpillar, exerting effort to free his chubby legs.
Bang! His right leg kicked hard, landing on the bronze dragon egg next to him. The egg shook slightly but then settled back against his little feet.
"Ooh~" The eldest son grunted with effort, his face flushing as he kicked the dragon egg, pushing it back and forth like a soccer ball.
Click!
A crisp sound suddenly echoed through the room, catching Rhaegar's attention. His spirits lifted as he glanced first at his eldest son's cradle and saw the diligent baby playing with the dragon egg.
"He's awake? And not crying or fussing," Rhaegar noted, pleasantly surprised.
But it wasn't his eldest son who was causing the commotion. His gaze shifted to his second son's cradle. Unlike his busy older brother, the younger one was still fast asleep. Somehow, the baby had managed to push aside his swaddling clothes and roll onto his side. His face, pressed against the blanket like a plump peach, was all flesh and softness. It was hard to believe that these twins, born prematurely at eight months, had developed so well.
Rhaegar immediately moved closer to inspect the cradle. The baby lay on its side, its tiny hands clutching the dark green dragon egg. The newborn and the oval dragon egg were nearly the same size. The baby, apparently dreaming, had its head pressed against the egg, its mouth open as if to nibble at it. Drool trickled down the corner of his mouth, sticky and slimy.
"Good thing he didn't bite it," Rhaegar thought, remembering that this dragon egg had been found in fossilized dragon droppings.
Click!
The dark green dragon egg shook slightly and cracks began to appear on the shell.
"Is it hatching?" Rhaegar whispered, a mixture of surprise and joy in his voice.
"Let me see," Rhaenyra said, coming to life. She climbed out of her chair and peered intently at the cradle.
Crack, crack, crack... The shell of the dragon egg continued to crack, gradually turning into a shattered mosaic. The baby, still nibbling at the egg, began to stick out its tongue and lick it.
Rhaegar and Rhaenyra watched closely, their eyes never leaving the egg.
"Roar..." Finally, a small, dark green dragon head broke through the shell, emitting its first feeble roar.
Then, an unexpected miracle occurred. As soon as the baby dragon emerged, it fell forward, tumbling over the egg.
"Aww~" The baby persistently grasped the dragon, opening his mouth to bite down on one of the dragon's wings.
"Roar..." The baby dragon screeched in surprise. It hadn't expected to be attacked so soon after being born and was ready to retaliate.
"Shut up!" Rhaegar acted quickly, shoving his hand into the baby dragon's mouth, saving his child from potential harm.
"Ga!" The young dragon, its mouth stuffed with Rhaegar's fist, snorted in frustration.
Rhaenyra, shocked, swiftly separated her son from the baby dragon.
"Wa wa wa~~" Deprived of the "delicious" object in his dream, the little one awoke and cried in distress.
Rhaenyra, a mix of anger and fear in her eyes, picked up the baby and cradled him, loosening her sling to breastfeed him. The baby immediately stopped crying, his purple eyes gazing up at his mother with a teary but contented look.
Rhaenyra lightly slapped his little butt and said in a scolding tone, "You're really hungry, aren't you? Trying to eat anything you can find."
"It's not his fault," Rhaegar interjected, looking at the baby with a peculiar mix of amusement and concern, trying to smooth things over.
"Roar..."
The young dragon was terrified, struggling to hiss. Rhaegar withdrew his hand, gently grabbing the dragon's wing and cradling it in his arms. He stroked the small dragon's head, secretly summoning the magic of fire to nourish its body. The young dragon shivered at first, but gradually relaxed, its tense body softening as it allowed itself to be petted like a kitten.
"Be a good boy," Rhaegar murmured.
He took the opportunity to closely examine the young dragon's appearance. The egg had been excavated from the ruins of House Belaerys, different from the eggs of House Targaryen.
The young dragon had dark green scales, black pearl-like horns on its head, and bright red wing membranes. At first glance, it resembled two red mushrooms growing on a clump of moss. Its body shape was similar to that of a young Tessarion or Stormcloud, appearing quite normal and unremarkable.
It lacked the distinctive, massive heads of Morghul or Tyraxes, and it was not a mutant like the snake-like Caraxes.
Rhaegar noted the lack of obvious dorsal scales on the dragon's neck or tail, which was consistent with the Cannibal, Vermithor, and Caraxes. The scales were a functional feature, varying according to the dragon's needs. Dragons like Dreamfyre, Syrax, and Seasmoke had distinct dorsal scales.
The most intriguing part of this young dragon was its slightly elongated, curled tail. Rhaegar couldn't tell if this was an individual trait or a matter of bloodline.
Rhaenyra, observing his scrutiny, asked, "What's different about the dragons of House Belaerys?"
"The young dragon has just hatched, so it's hard to tell," Rhaegar replied, not wanting to jump to conclusions. He placed the dragon back in its cradle.
"Roar..." The young dragon whined reluctantly, lying down on the quilt and looking pitifully at the world.
Rhaenyra mused, "Forty Dragonlord families lived together in THE Fourteen Flames. Even if the dragons are different breeds, they must have interbred with each other."
She considered the difficulty of determining whether dragons with distinct differences, such as Morghul and Caraxes, belonged to different bloodlines. The color and shape of dragonfire could also indicate some connection, as seen with Sheepstealer and Grey Ghost, whose dragonfire differed significantly from that of Vhagar and Vermithor.
Rhaegar, still hoping for a unique trait from the Belaerys family dragon egg, smiled and said, "When the young dragons grow a bit, we can observe their appearance and dragonfire."
"As you wish," Rhaenyra replied, smiling and emphasizing, "This young dragon will belong to the little one in my arms in the future."
No one had expected the egg from House Belaerys to hatch just a day after the baby was born. This egg had been sealed for hundreds of years, and the chances of it hatching were slim. Rhaegar was convinced: "Of course. When the little one grows up, it will be just right to ride the a young dragon."
The relationship between dragons and men is complex and dependent on fate. The fact that this egg retained its vitality for over a century suggested something special. The little one's ability to hatch it proved that dragon and human were meant to be together.
Rhaenyra's eyes sparkled with pride. "When I was small, I hatched Syrax. From the eggs it laid, new young dragons will also hatch," she declared, raising her chin defiantly.
Rhaegar glanced at his eldest son in the cradle. The baby stared wide-eyed at the ceiling, reaching for things, but the bronze dragon egg under his feet showed no signs of hatching.
The same parents had given birth to them, yet they were so different. "Is it really my problem?" Rhaegar wondered.
After all, few Targaryens were capable of hatching a dragon egg in a cradle. The black egg he had as a child was still in the Dragonpit. It should, perhaps...
No, It wasn't his fault!
(Word count: 1,899)