Chapter 80: The Last Days of the Dragon
People always lament that the wheel of time stops for no one, for time is truly the most detestable thing in the Seven Hells of this world.
Seeds grew into crops, and toddlers grew into youths. Some hatreds faded with time, while others flourished under its nourishment.
King Viserys I Targaryen held a grand banquet for the great victory of conquering Dorne, but his most anticipated guests did not arrive. Prince Aemond, together with Prince Aegon the Elder, traveled from Oldtown, visiting every castle in the South and West, finally attending a banquet hosted by the aging Lord Grover Tully in Riverrun for the two princes. Princess Rhaenyra, meanwhile, was busy visiting various castles in Dorne, receiving oaths of fealty from the Dornish lords.
The Dornish were truly exhausted, so much so that an irrepressible wave of insults against Princess Meria Martell, the "Yellow Toad" who led Dorne against King Aegon I Targaryen, arose among the common people of Dorne.
House Martell did not stop this wave; not only were they also tired, but it was also a statement. Furthermore, it was already very difficult for the Iron Throne to offer such favorable terms to Dorne. Although House Martell was "Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken," they also understood when to let go. Moreover, Rhaenyra also showed goodwill: her son, Prince Joffrey Velaryon, would be betrothed to Princess Alexandra Martell of Dorne, and the marriage of dragon and sun would end thousands of years of turbulent border conflict.
The lords of the borderlands also eased their anger; almost all Dornish lords along the borderlands line had their lines cut short in this war that lasted for several years, their castles collapsed into ruins, and ancient bloodlines were destroyed by swords and dragonflame.
People could finally settle down and set up open-air feasts in the green lands along the shores of Dorne. The Dornish guests had never been so well-behaved as they were this time. Prince Corwin Martell personally played music for the banquet, and Lord Albin Dayne acted as the minstrel at the table. A small combat demonstration was even prepared, and Lord Daolang Gogenles and Ser Alan Tarly fought to a draw, the two young men hitting it off instantly and becoming good friends on the spot.
Of course, Dorne did not truly regain peace. House Yronwood left a huge mess. House Martell and House Dayne needed to re-digest House Yronwood's territory. House Dayne was fine, as they suffered almost no losses throughout the war, but House Martell was different. The heavily damaged Martell forces could only painstakingly reclaim villages and castles, and also had to guard against the remnants of House Yronwood suddenly rushing out of the desert.
They did not dare to attack the House Varezes Silver Blood estates, because these estates had to provide soldiers for the Silver Blood army. Each estate supported at least two cavalrymen and about fifteen infantrymen. But they dared to attack the dilapidated Dornish villages, to the extent that many Dornish villages began to seek protection from the Silver Blood estates.
The wheel of time slowly moved forward. The New Year of 127 AC passed amidst the sound of fireworks along the shores of Dorne.
After the grand banquet in Dorne, Princess Rhaenyra returned to Dragonstone with her husband. They made a stop in King's Landing before flying back to their castle. King Viserys's close friend and trusted Small Council member, Grand Maester Mellos, accidentally fell down the stairs. The old and frail Grand Maester quickly fell into a coma. The maesters of the Red Keep tried their best to save him, but the Stranger ultimately took the old man away.
Upon learning of his old friend's death, the already frail King Viserys felt even more distressed. What distressed him even more was that his queen and his beloved daughter were arguing again, just for a seat next to the Iron Throne!
Princess Rhaenyra recommended Maester Gerardys of Dragonstone, while the Queen insisted on a maester from Oldtown. In the end, the exhausted King simply chose neither, directly accepting the recommendation of the Citadel—Maester Orwyle, an older maester with a beard that reached his chest.
Under the treatment of Maester Orwyle's potions and medicinal wines, the King's health improved somewhat in 127 AC, although gout, paralysis, coughing, chest tightness, and insomnia still weighed upon him. But he never sat on the Iron Throne even once again. The realm's affairs fell upon the Small Council.
Perhaps compared to state affairs, King Viserys, who already sensed his body's decline, preferred to be with his children and with his fool, Mushroom, who was full of crude jokes but occasionally spoke great truths.
What made him happiest was that his daughter, Princess Helaena, had added another new life to the royal family; a young prince was born, but unfortunately, the dragon egg placed in his cradle did not hatch.
Dragonzel continued to focus on digesting his vast territory. The immense wealth of House Varezes was his strongest backing, and the family's wealth continued to grow even with coin being spent like water.
Dragonzel strongly agreed with Lady Diana's statement that gold piled in cellars was meaningless.
Silver Crown City, located between the former Yronwood City and Blackwing Hold, finally began laying roads and foundations. House Varezes attracted the Dornish people, who had not had a harvest in years, with bread, beer, and copper coins.
The first to be completed was the Silver Port district. The massive port, in terms of scale, was second only to the Varezes military harbor, "Silver Dragon Port." Then came the commoner residential areas: Thatch District, Black Bread District, and Tree Pit District. These three areas rose up relying on the port. Under the planning of the family's designers, although chaotic and not as regular as Summerhall, they were still infinitely better than King's Landing.
Dragonzel personally arrived by dragon, and above the Red Mountains, he built a much smaller but more refined castle, Silver Crown Keep, in the style of Dragon Nest City. If it were not for the extreme heat here, this location would be far superior to both Dragon Nest City and Summerhall, whether from a geographical, military, or political perspective.
Prince Valarr and Lady Leira welcomed the fruit of their love in 128 AC, a beautiful little girl. The girl had brilliant silver-gold hair and light purple eyes as bright as morning stars. Dragonzel named the child "Daniela," a common Valyrian girl's name.
A Silverwing dragon egg hatched at the moment Daniela was born. It was a pure white little dragon, without a single blemish on its entire body, and even its membrane wings were pure silver-white. The little dragon had no horns, but a cluster of tall, spiny folds extended from its head all the way to its tail. Unlike her cousin Lingor's dragon, the little dragon's folded dorsal fin was upright from birth.
When people welcomed the one hundred twenty-ninth New Year after the conquest with bonfires, feasts, revelry, and a great harvest—
King Viserys could already see the Stranger beckoning to him, and the Princess of Dragonstone was pregnant again.
March 3rd, 129 AC.
King's Landing, Red Keep, Maegor's Holdfast.
Princess Helaena knocked on the King's bedroom door with her children. She had not had those dreams that once plagued her in a long time, but last night, she once again dreamed of the familiar scene: the great beast upon the Iron Throne had fallen into a deep slumber, and black and green flames finally consumed her dream.
"Father, I've brought the children over."
A weak groan came from inside the room. Helaena knew this meant the King allowed them in, so she pushed open the door.
Unusually, there was no scent of milk of the poppy or boiled wine in the King's bedroom. The King sat in a specially made recliner, his only remaining eye narrowed to a slit, but Helaena could still see the love beaming from her father's face.
"Hmph, hmph, Rhaenyra," King Viserys struggled to sit up, "Oh, I'm sorry, Helaena, come, bring the children over."
The King smiled and rubbed the little baby's nose, making the child cry loudly. The King stiffly pulled at the corners of his mouth, then pulled off a pearl ring from his finger and handed it to the little prince. The little prince's eyes instantly lit up, and he stopped crying, happily playing with the ring.
"Father, do you need—"
The King shook his head firmly. "I can already see Him beckoning to me." The King sighed, "Helaena, how I wish my children could always be as carefree as little children."
"Father…"
"Children, do you want to hear a story?" King Viserys embraced the two older children and asked with a smile.
Jaehaerys immediately nodded: "I want to hear about great-grandsire fighting wildlings and giants!"
"Good, good."
Helaena quietly listened to her father tell the story he had told dozens of times. She suddenly felt her face grow wet, but before she could wipe it, she heard her father cough twice.
"Go back. Let the children rest early. It might rain heavily tonight; don't let the storm frighten them." The King glanced at the gloomy window outside and said weakly.
Helaena nodded and left the King's bedroom with her children, looking back every few steps.
Viserys watched the faint flashes of lightning outside the window and slowly closed his eyes.
"Rhaenyra… Rhaenyra… Rhaenyra… Daemon."
Boom.
A muffled thunder broke the silence before the storm.
Volume Two: Sunset of Dorne — End
Next Volume: The Dance of the Dragons
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