Daeranyx POV
103 AC
"I do not take you for a coward, Cousin," said Daemon, his tone mocking and his laughter trailing off. Rhaenys' purple eyes blazed with fury as she rose to her feet, Velaryon's mirroring her action, both looking incensed by Daemon's remark. However, Daemon raised his hand in surrender, "I jest. There's no need for such uproar. As for your question, Lord Drakonar will be on standby when we confront the Cannibal, and regarding the strategy to draw him out, I ponder the same. Yet, I recall how Sheepstealer, a naturally timid dragon, fought against Anarion, who is nearly the size of Vhagar. For such a battle to occur, Lord Drakonar must provoke him to the point where he won't flee at the sight of Anarion. Thus, the answer to your last question is also Lord Drakonar," Daemon explained, his gaze fixed on me. Indeed, I had not pegged Daemon as the analytical type.
"It's straightforward: just take some eggs and leave them out in the open, and the Cannibal will come running out of its den. That's what happened with Sheepstealer; Anarion ate his meal right before its eyes. If it doesn't work, I'll see what I can do, but I make no promises," I explained to them. Revealing that my magic doesn't affect Dragons, but rather angers them, would be like serving my weakness to them on a silver platter. They all looked skeptical about the idea of placing the eggs out in the open to lure the Cannibal.
"But sacrificing the eggs would be a fool's errand, as they will be much needed after the war," said Rhaenys, looking at Viserys.
"Yes, they would be. However, if you two could distract him before he reaches the eggs, that would be beneficial. I will station some Dragon keepers there for the safety of the Dragon eggs, and once Cannibal emerges from its lair, they will secure the eggs and make a run for their safety," Viserys proposed, as he sought a solution for protecting the eggs.
"I don't like these. Those eggs are the future of our house," said Rhaenys, frowning.
"If Caraxes, Meleys, and we will be not our best on the battlefield, there would be no future for hatching those dragon eggs," Daemon said angrily, as the situation took its toll on him. The constant issues Rhaenys raised were wearing on him. "Brother, I could handle it alone. I only have Lord Drakonar on standby if the situation gets out of hand. Should you desire, we can delay the hunt until after the birth of your child. This will afford sufficient time to strengthen your bond with Vermithor and to further develop your riding skills enough so that you can join me. I don't believe even the Cannibal would be a match for Caraxes and Vermithor together."
Viserys's face wore a frown when Daemon commented on his riding skills not being sufficient in front of everyone. However, he neither denied nor replied to Daemon, instead, he began to contemplate Daemon's proposal. It's unclear what motivated Viserys to support Daemon now, as he was previously against hunting the Cannibal when we discussed it. Well, more magical ingredients are nice for me, isn't it?
Rhaenys appeared conflicted about whether to participate in Viserys and Daemon's scheme. Her expression suggested reluctance, yet as her gaze shifted to her children, a fierce determination to shield them from the world's dangers was evident. When she looked at Corlys, he seemed to grasp her impending decision. Eventually, he gave her a nod of approval.
"I'll join you in this. Not for any other reasons, but for my children. Do you hear me, Viserys? Meleys and I will fight in this war with all our might. But spare my children from what is to come." She spoke after summoning all her strength, yet there was a tremor of fear in her tone. She knew that with the largest Dragon under her daughter's command, she would inevitably be drawn into this, whether she liked it or not.
Viserys regarded her with a look of uncertainty and concern. "I don't know what the future holds, so I can't give you my word. However, I promise you that I will not send your children unless we have exhausted all other options. And Laenor's dragon won't even be old enough for him to ride into battle," Viserys reassured Rhaenys. Although he did not agree to keep Rhaenys' children out of the war, it was enough to somewhat calm her fears about them being at the forefront of the conflict.
Daemon, still seething from earlier, nonetheless had a trace of satisfaction on his face. It seems he holds Rhaenys and her dragon-riding skills in high esteem. I wouldn't know, as I have never flown with her before.
"So when shall we act? We can't delay, as the Cannibal may prey on the newly hatched hatchlings. The dragon keepers have informed me that multiple eggs have hatched this time. Among them is a magnificent dragon with golden scales and pink wings, which we must shield from the vile Cannibal." Daemon attempted to deceive everyone into believing he was concerned for the hatchlings. However, upon witnessing their reactions, he dropped the pretence and sang the final words in a melodious tone.
"You and Rhaenys will be fighting the Cannibal after two moons," Viserys said with certainty. "Why? Because Lord Drakonar has assured me that his bird, Vezofina, will have grown sufficiently by then to heal dragons. We must wait, for if one of your dragons were to sustain heavy damage and too many injuries during the fight, we would be helpless. Currently, we have no means to treat dragons." Rhaenys seemed somewhat relieved to hear that Vezofina could heal dragons.
Daemon looks disappointed, yet he understands that the delay is necessary. Vezofina will have her hands full after two moons, it seems. I don't believe that this particular wild Dragon of Targaryen will go down easily. And how do I know this? Call it a gut feeling. I've started to trust my gut, as it hasn't been too wrong until now. So if my intuition proves correct this time, I will have to involve myself in the fight, or Caraxes and Meleys will emerge victorious but with heavy injuries. Let's see what happens then.
"I agree. Over these two moons, we should ride our Dragon as much as possible. It would be beneficial to understand our Dragons beyond our current knowledge," said Rhaenys, glancing at Daemon. Daemon nodded in agreement with her suggestion. And I must concede that the Targaryens' bond with their Dragons is weaker than that of the lowest of the Dragonlords in Old Valyria. I had presumed that books and reality had vast differences, as G.R.R.M. couldn't possibly know everything.
However, there are specific rituals that each Dragonlord family performs after taming dragons. These rituals use magic from the dragons themselves to strengthen the bond with their riders, ensuring better control. I had assumed that the Targaryens conducted these rituals in secret due to the magical involvement. Yet, observing their connection with the dragons led me to believe they were unaware of these practices until I informed them. It seems that their ability to bond with dragons is solely due to their practice of constant inbreeding.
Some of them appear to have a stronger bond than others. It seems better for me to offer a simple ritual known to every Dragonlord family in the Freehold, as this would suffice to request the one thing I desire from House Targaryen. Not that I couldn't take it by force, but if it can be obtained peacefully, why choose the path of violence? Besides, bestowing the ritual upon the Targaryens would not grant them instant power.
The discussion turned to the realm's lords who might rebel upon learning of the threat that is coming from Volantis. The focus was on the Iron Islands and Dorne, as the other Lord Paramounts were unlikely to rebel, and the minor lords were not considered significant threats. Although the current lord of the Iron Islands is not raiding the Seven Kingdoms, he lacks the intelligence and virtue of his predecessor, Lord Goren Greyjoy. Dorne would not miss an opportunity to cause trouble, yet Corlys noted they would not align with the Dragonlords of Volantis. However, there remains a possibility that they might ally with the Free City of Volantis due to their favorable relations.
After discussing the houses that require close monitoring during the upcoming conflict, the conversation shifted to more mundane matters. I suddenly remembered that I would need additional ingredients to perform the ritual on Anarion. Conveniently, the man sitting before me could procure them. "Lord Corlys, I require certain items from various places. I believe you could acquire them for me. Naturally, I am prepared to pay whatever the cost, as some of the items I seek are quite rare," I said to him directly, knowing that subtlety or flattery would be futile with a merchant like Corlys.
The attention of everyone in the room shifted towards me. Even Laenor and Laena, who had been conversing among themselves and looking quite bored after their parents began discussing the Lords and the realm, took notice. Corlys turned to me and said, "Of course, I will use all my resources to secure what you desire, Lord Drakonar." After he spoke, his gaze drifted towards Laena, and as he looked back at me, I immediately knew what was coming. "Lord Drakonar, I have wanted to discuss something with you for some time. I wish to propose a marriage alliance between our houses. I am aware that my house is not a Dragonlord house like yours or the Targaryens. However, my daughter Laena is a Dragon rider, as you are well aware." And my intuition was correct.
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