-Chapter 83-
-POV Rogar Stone-
DRAGON ROAR
DRAGON ROAR
I woke up with a start, hearing the roar of two dragons in the sky, announcing their presence and the arrival of the Prince and his family.
I dressed as quickly as possible and rushed out of my quarters, as if demons were chasing me.
I arrived just in time to see Urrax and another dragon, even larger than him, land outside the castle.
'Surely his fianc... his wife's dragon,' I corrected myself mentally.
"Open the gates! The Prince is back!!!" I shouted to the guards, though they hadn't waited for me to give the order.
The gates quickly opened, and what I saw surprised me greatly, as the Prince had not come alone.
I already knew he would bring his wife, Laena Velaryon, rider of the largest living dragon...
'For now,' I added mentally, as I was convinced that Prince Aemon's dragon would soon catch up to or even surpass his companion's dragon.
But what truly shocked me were the two children they each carried in their arms, fast asleep.
'These can't be his bastards, he's too young for that.'
"Rogar, my friend," said the Prince with a smile, looking very happy to return to his fief.
I snapped out of the momentary daze caused by the surprise of seeing these two children I knew nothing about, but who were important enough to be brought by the Prince himself, on dragonback.
"My Prince, Lady Regent, Runestone is yours to command," I said, bending the knee.
Aemon smiled and passed by me, saying in a humorous tone:
"It's only been two weeks since we left, you wouldn't have had time to plot treason, even if you wanted to."
I smiled and said, "Courtesy demands it, my Prince."
"I trust you know what's best for you," said the Prince firmly, though I could detect another meaning, something more tacit.
'I trust you.'
I stood up, and the future Lady of Runestone said politely:
"My husband has spoken a lot about you."
I simply lowered my eyes in front of my lord's wife, as a sign of respect for my lord and master, but also to avoid betraying my thoughts, as before me stood the most beautiful woman I had ever seen in my life.
'The kind of woman who takes away all possibility of falling in love if you allow yourself to be tempted.'
'The kind of woman who also takes your head.'
"Let's go inside, I have many questions for you, Rogar," Prince Aemon said loudly, already moving ahead of us.
"Yes, my Prince," I replied quickly, following them inside.
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-POV Aemon Targaryen-
"Prince Aemon," said a servant I had known since my childhood.
"Perra, take these children to their rooms so they can rest. The journey was particularly hard on them," I said, handing over the two children to two knights.
"Very well, my Prince," Perra said before signaling the two knights to follow her.
"I'm going to rest now. That dragon ride has made me sleepy," my mother said.
I nodded to signal that she could retire in peace, as I had nothing to say to her, and as Laena gave me a look, silently asking if we would do the same, I shook my head and said to a knight standing by the door:
"Take the new princess to my private chambers so she can rest in peace, and stand guard at the door."
The knight nodded, and Laena followed him, somewhat reluctant that I wasn't accompanying her, given the foreign environment she had just entered.
'I'll be there soon anyway,' I thought, suppressing the slight pang of guilt for 'abandoning' her so quickly in 'unknown territory.'
"So, how did you manage in my absence?" I asked Rogar, as I had been away with him.
Rogar shook his head, then said, "Everything went very well, nothing alarming happened in the castle or nearby. Our farms continue to prosper thanks to the investments you made, but..."
"But?" I asked, sensing he wasn't telling me everything.
"But something worries me," he said hesitantly.
"What is it?" I asked, fearing that a real problem had arisen during my absence.
"Some mountain clans have been in contact with Ser Harrold Shett. He even expressly forbade me to interfere in his affairs," Rogar said.
He paused, then added, "I did as he asked, but I had his every move watched."
"And?" I asked, even though I already knew what he was going to say.
"Apart from a few brief visits to the camp, accompanied by some of his most loyal followers within the Knights of the Bronze Shields, no one knows what he's up to," he said.
"What do you think he's doing?" I asked.
"I can't say, my Prince, but I sense a conspiracy, and I don't like it. It's one thing for him not to tell me anything, but he should at least inform you before dealing with savages behind your back," Rogar said.
"And who says it was behind my back?" I asked my steward.
"You're aware of what Ser Harrold is doing?" he asked.
'Of course I am, since I'm the one who gave him his orders,' I thought, but didn't explain to Rogar.
"Very well. I'm going to sleep, but I want Harrold and his men summoned before me tomorrow, before I take petitions from my subjects," I said as I walked away.
"I will do as you wish, my Prince," he said.