A man hurriedly approached Viserys, his expression urgent, and handed him a letter.
Rhaegar openly glanced at the newcomer.
With neatly combed golden hair slicked back and a meticulously groomed beard, he appeared to be a very dignified individual.
Viserys took the letter and examined it, remarking with puzzlement, "A letter of appeal? That doesn't sound like something Daemon would do."
Tyland Lannister nodded slightly and sighed, "The letter was sent by Sir Vaemond Velaryon, the Sea Snake's brother."
"I knew it. That arrogant fool wouldn't humble himself to write directly to me, his elder brother," Viserys said with a knowing smile.
He quickly read through the contents of the letter.
Viserys's expression shifted slightly as he glanced at the assembled councilors. "The Stepstones have reached a stalemate. That Crab Feeder idiot refuses to fight directly, and Daemon's forces are bogged down."
The councilors exchanged glances, offering their respective suggestions.
The proposals were predictable: send reinforcements or wait for Daemon and the Sea Snake's forces to fail.
Massaging his temples, Viserys felt a headache coming on.
He hated war.
The conflict in the Stepstones was entirely instigated by the Sea Snake, who had goaded Daemon into acting without royal consent.
Now that they were in trouble, they expected him to clean up their mess?
"Rhaenyra, take your brother out of here. This discussion won't end anytime soon, and I don't want him getting exhausted," Viserys said, planting a kiss on Rhaegar's forehead before entrusting him to his daughter.
Understanding the complexity of the situation, Rhaenyra didn't object. She held her brother's hand and led him out of the hall.
---
Once outside the council chamber, the siblings stopped by a floor-to-ceiling window in the corridor.
Rhaenyra gazed through the stained glass at the scene outside and asked, "Do you think Uncle Daemon can defeat the Crab Feeder?"
"Dear sister, your young brother just turned six," Rhaegar replied, glancing at his own height, which barely reached her hips, and furrowed his small brows in frustration.
"…"
A moment of silence passed before Rhaenyra slapped her forehead, defeated by her own foolishness.
"I'm so silly! I always treat you like a little grown-up and forget that you might not even know who the Crab Feeder is."
Rhaegar said, "If I hadn't overheard Uncle Daemon calling me a 'one-day prince,' I wouldn't even know I had an uncle."
Rhaenyra: "..."
Tilting his little head, Rhaegar quietly said, "I noticed Father is missing two fingers."
"He's ill. The Grand Maester has been treating him," Rhaenyra replied, stroking his head in a comforting manner. She assumed her brother had been frightened by their father's injury.
Rhaegar simply stared at her, then grabbed her hand as she ruffled his hair. Using two fingernails, he pinched a small piece of her skin.
With a sharp squeeze.
"Ow! What are you doing? That hurts, you know!" Rhaenyra yelped, snatching her hand back like a startled rabbit. A red mark, faintly bleeding, appeared on the back of her hand.
Facing his sister's angry glare, Rhaegar said seriously, "If a small wound like this makes you scream, imagine Father losing two fingers—or more—and not showing weakness because he's the King."
Pausing, he continued, "As his children, we shouldn't waste time on a war started for personal reasons. We should focus on strengthening ourselves to support Father."
Rhaenyra stared at him, dumbfounded, and stammered, "You… you just said you're six, and now you're lecturing me?"
Rhaegar replied matter-of-factly, "My age limits my experience, but books expand my wisdom."
"Sister, you should read more books. Stop spending all your time either riding dragons or getting tangled in petty rumors."
He made a theatrical attempt to pat Rhaenyra on the shoulder but, realizing he couldn't reach, settled for patting her waist instead.
Then he turned and walked away with a flourish.
Rhaenyra stood frozen in place for a long moment.
It wasn't until a cool breeze blew through the corridor that she snapped out of it.
The next second, her furious roar echoed through the hall.
"Rhaegar! How dare you disrespect your sister! Prepare yourself to face the wrath of the sleeping dragon!!!"
---
Two days later.
A luxurious carriage made its way toward King's Landing, accompanied by a procession of guards and attendants.
--- .
Inside the spacious carriage sat the royal family.
Viserys was seated in the center, with Queen Alicent and Rhaenyra sitting across from each other on either side.
Aegon and Helaena sat beside Alicent, with a swaddled infant in her arms.
Naturally, Rhaegar was next to his sister, staring boredly at the little baby.
"Such a tiny thing, but cries as if the world is ending. It's terrifying," he muttered under his breath, pulling a funny face at the infant.
Alicent maintained her usual gentle smile. "Aemond isn't used to the carriage yet. He's quite the crier."
Viserys laughed heartily. "Such powerful lungs! He's bound to grow into a brave warrior."
Alicent smiled sweetly, then held the baby out toward Rhaegar, speaking softly, "Would you like to hold him?"
"I could give it a try," Rhaegar replied.
He gripped the baby under his tiny arms, letting the infant kick and squirm as he amused himself with the little one.
Don't say it—don't even say it.
Someday, if this little rascal dares to defy me, he's definitely not getting away with it.
A grin spread across Rhaegar's face as he imagined the scenes of future discipline.
Before long, Aemond, after enduring some playful torment, was wailing loudly and returned to the safety of his mother's arms.
Viserys watched the scene, his usually furrowed brow finally relaxing.
His wife by his side, riding in a fine carriage, surrounded by his children—what could be better than this?
Noticing Viserys's contentment, Rhaegar spoke up at just the right moment. "Father, is that Blackfyre, the sword of Aegon the Conqueror, by your side?"
Viserys picked up the sheathed longsword with a proud smile. "Indeed it is. Blackfyre, the symbol of royal authority, was the blade Aegon used to unite the Seven Kingdoms."
"May I take a closer look?" Rhaegar's eyes sparkled as he stared eagerly at Blackfyre.
Viserys began to hand the sword over but pulled it back halfway.
Eyeing Rhaegar's thin frame, he said regretfully, "Not yet. Blackfyre is a weapon of blood and steel. When you're older, you'll be ready to wield it."
"I'd like to try," Rhaegar insisted.
A relic as old and storied as Blackfyre, comparable to Balerion's skull—it was too tempting to pass up.
But Viserys shook his head, placing Blackfyre back in its scabbard and rejecting the request.
Disappointment clouded Rhaegar's face as he lowered his head.
"If you want to see a sharp blade, this might be a good substitute," Viserys said.
Perhaps unwilling to see his eldest son upset, he unfastened a dragonbone dagger from his belt and handed it to Rhaegar with a mysterious smile.
Rhaegar fumbled to catch the dagger, staring at his father in confusion.
Viserys chuckled. "This dagger once belonged to Aegon the Conqueror himself. Before him, it was owned by Ennar."
"Wow, that's ancient," Rhaegar exclaimed as he drew the dragonbone dagger from its sheath.
*Shing—*
The blade emerged with a cold, sharp gleam, sending a chill through the air.
Rhaegar squinted slightly, observing the intricate patterns etched into the dagger's Valyrian steel, its craftsmanship flawless.
"Is this a Valyrian steel dagger?" Rhaenyra, drawn by the blade, asked in amazement.
Viserys nodded. "Everything passed down from our ancestors carries a touch of the extraordinary."
At that moment, a system notification rang in Rhaegar's mind.
**"Ancient artifact detected, containing traces of magical elements. Scanning in progress..."**
"Magic?" Rhaegar's spirit perked up.
The system notification chimed again.
**"Scan complete. Dagger of Ice and Fire detected. Would you like to begin exploration?"**
*(End of Chapter)*