Under the banner of the black dragon on a silver field, the soldiers worked together with Prince Rhaegar to build a stone fortress.
After the Mandate bar appeared, Rhaegar felt as if there were an invisible, imperceptible thread connecting him to several vast lands.
From Westeros to the ruins of the Smoking Sea of Old Valyria on the other side of the Narrow Sea in Essos, and the desolate banks of the Rhoyne River.
However, Rhaegar felt that the states of these places each had their own merits; Westeros was the most prosperous, though cold winds lingered in the north. Rhaegar had the deepest connection with Westeros and received the most favor; he was a child of Westeros, and this land would bless him because of his Mandate.
Next was Valyria. By instinct, Rhaegar knew this was a land of curses and ruin, but it was also the root of all Dragonlords, and it had a connection of blood and fire with Rhaegar. There was a mysterious substance calling to Rhaegar from deep within the Smoking Sea, which made Rhaegar quite intrigued.
As for the Rhoyne River, it was desolate and full of curses, slightly more vibrant than Valyria, but his bond with it was the lowest.
Rhaegar felt that the Mandate was something profound and mysterious.
The soldiers around Rhaegar were concrete, but the Mandate was an abstract existence that was unfathomably high.
Rhaegar looked at the Mandate system and found that the other templates had no new enhancements; it belonged to a mysterious attribute.
The Mandate should be a combination of divine will and human effort. As a person grows stronger, divine will will gradually favor them. As the saying goes, "where heaven rises, there must be auspicious signs"; the luck and destiny of these people will soar to the heavens.
Rhaegar's foundation for the Mandate, without a doubt, had to be Westeros.
The current ruins of Valyria and the banks of the Rhoyne River were both too dangerous.
The ruins of Valyria were nothing but a ruined city and the Smoking Sea; it was said to be filled with curses, as well as volcanoes and sea monsters, and countless expeditions had died within.
The Rhoyne River was slightly better, but it had also entered the Century of Blood; its brilliant civilization had been burned to the ground. Now, parts of the Rhoyne River had become a paradise for bandits and runaway slaves, while some of its essence was held by Volantis.
"The magic in this world is very unstable, but there must be gods. Otherwise, those miraculous phenomena like resurrection would not appear. Especially after the Red Comet, I wonder if the magic wave will trigger more miracles. I don't know if this Mandate system conflicts with the gods? However, gods do not appear all the time, and their divine power is also limited. When I possess earthly royal power, the gods should also retreat. Moreover, when the hegemony of Old Valyria existed, they never believed in any true god; the Dragonlords were extravagant and lecherous, blood flowed everywhere, and they did as they pleased, living freely for many years before Valyria finally fell." Rhaegar thought, deciding not to dwell on those messy matters and to focus on upgrading the Mandate system first.
He still needed to recover those lost treasures, Rhaegar thought.
His Mandate score in Westeros was already maxed out, and if he added the crown of his ancestor, Aegon the Conqueror, and the family's ancestral sword, Blackfyre, he would be the unquestionable choice of Mandate in Westeros.
The crown of Aegon the Conqueror was a simple ring of valyrian steel, inlaid with large, square rubies. It was lost when the Young Dragon died in Dorne. Although simple, this was the crown of The Conqueror, and its significance was extraordinary.
Rhaegar made up his mind to mobilize Gaelin, the orphan of the Greenblood River in Dorne; Lysandro, the Quickfinger thief from Lys across the Narrow Sea; Magistrate Marajo of Volantis; and Roken, his secret contact, the Rat Catcher in King's Landing, to strive to find the crown of Aegon the Conqueror and the sword Blackfyre as soon as possible. It would be even better if he could find the lost dragon eggs of his family.
However, treasures were all about fate; sometimes, perhaps he needed to go look for them himself.
The banner of the black dragon on a silver field fluttered as Rhaegar worked with the soldiers until dusk; with the prince doing so, the others joined in as well.
Including Ser Brynden, the deputy commander of the construction of Bloodstone, whom Rhaegar had appointed; Ser Lucerys, the naval commander of Rhaegar's Dragon Guards; and Bronze Yohn, the commander of the spear guards from the Vale.
In the evening, Rhaegar dined with all the soldiers.
The magic dragons also began to eat; someone brought them whole cows, and the magic dragons roasted the beef. With such a huge appetite, staying in the Stepstones for a long time was indeed a bit troublesome.
"Bring me those summer red!" Rhaegar instructed. He had gained some unexpected harvests in Dorne, having pilfered quite a bit of summer red wine from Gaelin.
Rhaegar was not a man who loved wine, but he was a man of nobility who loved his men, and he had always shared joys and sorrows with his soldiers.
"Cheers!" Ser Lucerys raised his cup first. "We are drinking here today, and we must thank Prince Rhaegar for his wise command!"
"The wine of victory is not for me; my victory depends on all of you soldiers. Let us drink this cup together."
Rhaegar raised his cup; wars were endless, and today was a good day to drink with his soldiers. Rhaegar's command style was the same as the typical command style of this era: being at the forefront, engaging in one-on-one duels, mobilizing reserves, maintaining initiative, and seizing the upper hand.
But at the same time, Rhaegar placed greater importance on logistics, strategy, and other aspects.
"Cheers!" The camp became a flowing feast, and the soldiers drank happily and excitedly.
Continuous victories, the prince's charisma, talent, and generosity could win the love and devotion of all the soldiers.
No matter what era it was, the truth under the blade was also a kind of truth.
If one wanted to win glory and wealth, a loyal army was indispensable.
Late at night, Rhaegar was still in the tent giving instructions to Ser Brynden about staying behind to guard Bloodstone; he was about to prepare to go to Dorne, so he still needed to give a few more instructions.
"The Prince is truly full of energy," Ser Brynden exclaimed admiringly.
Rhaegar smiled and said nothing; vitality and energy were the foundation for achieving great things.
"Hurry up with the construction of the defense line in the Stepstones; we cannot relax, especially with the Dragons Roar Fortress on the two famous islands. As long as this defense line is built, and Tyrosh is still wedged between the Two Daughters, Myr and Lys, we will be able to resist the return of the Two Daughters Kingdom and the pirates," Rhaegar said.
"I hope the Prince can bring back better news from his trip to Sunspear this time," Ser Brynden said. The Stepstones were between the Stormlands and Dorne, and they were in great need of the assistance of these two Lords. As for the peace treaty, Ser Brynden thought it was nothing more than a joke.
"I will bring back good news, Ser. I will have to trouble you to stay and guard Bloodstone this time; I am not quite at ease with anyone else. However, you will not be able to enjoy the honor of accompanying us on this trip, but next time I will bestow upon you a higher honor," Rhaegar said apologetically.
"Then I shall wait for it," Ser Brynden said with a smile; his red hair was truly like a flame.
Dorne, Sunspear; the Triple Gate was wide open, and the crowd was like a wall. Princess of Dorne Elia, with her three children and the Lords of Dorne, warmly welcomed the visiting Crown Prince Aerys and his party.
The dignitaries from various places, led by Prince Aerys, were also a gathering of elites; Dorne had not seen such a grand scene in many years.
At the head, of course, was Prince Aerys; he looked charming, magnificent, and luxurious, with the legendary silver hair and purple eyes. The nobles who followed could also be recognized by their hair color, eyes, and physique: the black-haired Steffon Baratheon, the golden-haired and blue-eyed Lord Tywin, and the tall, brown-haired and brown-eyed knight Mace.
"Where is Prince Rhaegar?" Princess Elia asked.
"Rhaegar will prepare a better gift for Dorne," Aerys said with a smile.
Amidst the sound of the magic dragon's leather wings flapping, the magic dragon suddenly swooped down from the sky, and clusters of fireballs exploded high above Sunspear, like lightning and thunder, giving these black-haired Dornishmen a little shock.
Rhaegar slowly descended from the dragon and presented the gift that Aerys had prepared to the Princess of Dorne.
It was a beautiful golden sculpture of a spear piercing the sun.
A huge cheer erupted from the crowd, the sound rolling like waves.
Rhaegar saw the Lord of House Yronwood, who was ranked second in the Dornish ranks. Rhaegar looked at the old man, and the more he looked, the more he disliked him; he always felt that this family had some secret.
Could it be that the lost crown was hidden in their house?
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