Daeron looked with some envy as Seasmoke soared into the sky, carrying Aemon and unleashing the dragon's vibrant vitality over Dragonstone. In truth, both King Aegon and Prince Viserys had always prioritized the steady, introverted, and chivalrous Aemon among the younger generation. Their initial thought was to let Aemon try both Caraxes and Dreamfyre.
However, in the end, it was Seasmoke and Aemon who mutually completed each other.
"Wow!"
Aemon could no longer maintain his "steady and introverted" expression, clutching tightly to the worn dragon saddle. His shouts were clearly audible even to Daeron on the ground.
"Aemon, remember to ask Seasmoke where Sheepstealer is!" Daeron shouted.
Aemon heard Daeron's voice and exerted a slight pressure with his hands, signaling Seasmoke to descend. "Seasmoke, do you know Sheepstealer?"
Seasmoke conveyed a puzzled message; it did not know what Sheepstealer was. After Aemon gained Seasmoke's approval, the two naturally established a dragon-rider bond, a capability every dragon knight acquires after successfully taming their dragon. However, Seasmoke had been a wild dragon for so long that it seemed to not fully grasp many of Aemon's meanings.
"The other wild dragon on Dragonstone."
Seasmoke was puzzled again. It remembered there were three wild dragons on Dragonstone, including itself. Which one did Aemon mean? Nevertheless, it landed steadily in front of Candlelight and Tyraxes. As a dragon hatched during King Jaehaerys's reign, its size was already considerable, approaching Caraxes in apparent size, slightly larger than Candlelight present, and significantly larger than Tyraxes.
Joffrey looked at his "father's" dragon with a touch of melancholy. He knew very well that he was not of Ser Laenor's bloodline, but a "Strong." Although those who questioned their lineage had vanished after the Dance of the Dragons, Jacaerys I's wisdom had completely reversed the reputation of his three brothers, even salvaging some of his mother Queen Rhaenyra's name. But a thorn still pricked Joffrey's heart.
A thorn named "bastard."
After the deaths of his two elder brothers, this thorn had only dug deeper. He felt he had failed both House Velaryon and his true Targaryen family. Thus, Joffrey, despite pressure from the House Velaryon branch, took Adam as a sworn son, and also poured his heart and soul into the revival of the Targaryen royal fleet.
This magnificent silver-grey beast was now even more majestic. Clearly, Seasmoke still remembered Joffrey; after landing, it looked towards Joffrey, not Tyraxes, then lowered its head.
Aemon felt Seasmoke's renewed confusion and pondered himself.
Was the information I conveyed not accurate enough?
"It's an old, muddy-brown dragon that loves to eat sheep."
This time, Seasmoke understood Aemon's message. It tilted its head in thought, and without waiting for Aemon to react, it quickly ran a few steps and charged out, spreading its dragon wings and soaring into the sky. "Seasmoke, wait!"
"Oh, why are you in such a hurry? Wait for us!" Daeron exclaimed, jumping up and shouting. Seeing that Seasmoke had no intention of turning back, Samantha sighed lightly. Candlelight leaped up, its tentacles gently scooping up Daeron and placing him steadily on the dragon saddle. Daeron quickly fastened his straps. "Mother, let's hurry and catch up."
Samantha nodded, gesturing to Joffrey that he needn't follow; Seasmoke and Candlelight were enough. If Tyraxes joined, Sheepstealer might flee immediately.
Joffrey nodded, placing a hand on Tyraxes' scales, signaling it not to take off but to wait there.
"Seasmoke, wait, wait." Only then did Aemon realize he had used the wrong language, and quickly switched to High Valyrian commands: "Seasmoke, stop!"
Seasmoke tilted its head and glanced at its rider, not obeying Aemon's command, but instead accelerating.
Aemon could only press his body tightly against the worn dragon saddle, letting Seasmoke carry him around Dragonstone's peaks, soaring over the ancient castle, startling the people inside.
However, the swiftly approaching Candlelight did make Aemon breathe a sigh of relief. He continued to carefully press himself against the dragon saddle, his greatest fear now being that the saddle was not sturdy and would break apart mid-flight.
But as it turned out, Aemon had worried too much. Seasmoke flapped its wings a few times and smoothly glided into a valley.
Only a pool of cooled black ash remained here now.
Seasmoke sensed something. Before landing, it ascended again, circling the valley covered in black ash and sheep bones twice. Even Daeron and Samantha on Candlelight, who had just flown in, could hear the anger in Seasmoke's roar.
Aemon received it even more clearly.
He was certain he had just felt a string of unspeakable obscenities from Seasmoke, the only word he could utter without reservation being:
"Coward."
Daeron sighed in disappointment. It seemed they had underestimated Sheepstealer's cunning and caution. Perhaps the moment Sheepstealer sensed the two dragons flying to Dragonstone, it immediately took off and fled.
Seasmoke landed furiously in the center of the valley, still seemingly enraged. It opened its mouth and unleashed golden-red dragonflame, which surged from one end of the valley to the other, scorching the valley, once Sheepstealer's dwelling, beyond recognition before it angrily lowered its head, allowing Aemon to dismount.
"Well done, Aemon." Daeron, having just jumped off Candlelight's back, rushed to his cousin and punched him, looking enviously at the magnificent and beautiful Seasmoke.
"Now your dragon is the largest in the family."
Daeron muttered with some disappointment.
"No, Your Highness, even if I were riding 'Bronze Fury,' I would remember my vows, to the King, to you, and to the entire family. This has nothing to do with the size of the dragon I ride," Aemon said calmly.
"Your Highness, you can try Dreamfyre."
This was Aemon's second sentence.
Daeron was stunned, then a look of pleasant surprise appeared on his face. Yes, Aemon had tamed Seasmoke, meaning the Targaryen family now had a controllable adult dragon. With Seasmoke, Stormcloud, and Candlelight, wouldn't the problems of Father, Mother, and Uncle worrying about Dreamfyre's volatile reaction be solved?
"Dreamfyre..." Samantha pondered, "That would require us to suppress its ferocity together, Aemon, you just tamed Seasmoke, can you do it?"
Aemon nodded: "Rest assured, Your Majesty, my elder brother, and my younger brother and I have learned many dragon-taming commands and knowledge from Father. While we are not as skilled in working with dragons as you and the King, we can certainly manage a simple confrontation with Dreamfyre in the Dragonpit."
He continued:
"Moreover, Caraxes will also help us suppress Dreamfyre."
Samantha nodded with satisfaction.
Just as the people on Dragonstone were celebrating Aemon's taming of Seasmoke,
In King's Landing's Dragonpit,
Syrax lazily watched Prince Aegon, who had walked up to her.
Prince Aegon still looked with some fear at this enormous topaz-colored creature. As Queen Rhaenyra's companion, this dragon had participated in only two battles in its life: serving as bait in the dragon battle to encircle Cannibal, and burning rioters during the King's Landing uprising. It had never engaged in a one-on-one direct confrontation with any dragon, and even after Queen Rhaenyra's death, Syrax's flights out of the Dragonpit were few and far between. It could even stay in this huge, spacious cave within the Dragonpit, whose ground was covered in mucus to protect dragon eggs, until the end of time.
It remained enormous, though compared to other dragons' growth rates, Syrax's belly might have grown the fastest. Its topaz scales became more mellow with time's polishing, and even this dragon's gaze was exceptionally gentle.
Its cave was filled with dragon eggs. The Dragon Guard, King Aegon, and Queen Samantha would regularly take some, while the remaining eggs were still stored here.
Unfortunately, none had hatched.
Even so, Prince Aegon cautiously approached this plump dragon.
Syrax tilted its head and let out a soft whine. Prince Aegon trembled but still extended his hand and said in High Valyrian: "Syrax, calm down, lower your head."
Syrax tilted its head and thought for a moment, then surprisingly and docilely obeyed Prince Aegon's command, slowly lowering its massive head.
Prince Aegon smiled. He gently placed his hand on Syrax's snout: "Syrax, my name is Aegon, the name of Aegon the Conqueror. My grandmother was your previous owner, Rhaenyra Targaryen."
Syrax gently nudged Prince Aegon, making the handsome young man sway, but made no further move. Prince Aegon felt that Syrax harbored no ill will.
Excellent.
Prince Aegon grew excited. He slowly withdrew his hand from Syrax's snout, then walked towards the hanging ladder dangling from Syrax's saddle.
Syrax watched Prince Aegon with interest. It did not stop him, but instead stretched lazily, and surprisingly, obediently lowered the position of its saddle, making it easier for Aegon to grab the ladder and climb onto the saddle.
This made King Aegon, who stood outside the cave with Stormcloud lying behind him, feel somewhat amused and exasperated.
Taming Vermax had been so difficult, almost costing him his life, yet before Syrax, this enormous topaz-colored creature not only offered no resistance but even quite obediently accepted Prince Aegon, allowing him to ride upon its back.
This left King Aegon utterly perplexed.
Perhaps the problem lay with the dragon?
Only the Seven would know.
News of Prince Aemon Targaryen and Prince Aegon Targaryen taming Seasmoke and Syrax spread like wind across the entire continent of Westeros, and soon after, reached the Free Cities.
The fall of Tyrosh and the centralization of Lys rekindled both the desire for and fear of dragons among these Free Cities. Braavos, while not showing overly strong reactions, saw a continuous stream of envoys arriving by ship at Dragon Nest City and King's Landing, which seemed to suggest many things.
Volantis's Elephant Party Governors began a new round of purges. Over the past thirty years, the Elephant Party, leveraging their advantage in the Volantis Senate, had intensified their suppression of the Tiger Party, employing assassinations, defections, bribery, and crackdowns through various endless means. Tiger Party members who had once acquired Varezes family lands one after another exited the stage of history.
The Tiger Party's counterattack, however, was not fierce; there was even a sense of letting the Elephant Party trample them.
This puzzled the Volantis Governors and made them wary.
They had guessed the reason for these disappearing Tiger Party young people, and the Tiger Party's passive, yet still existing, resistance.
Thus, the Volantis Elephant Party Governors meticulously compiled a list of family members claiming Dragonlord family descent within the Black Wall, along with their physical characteristics, and presented it to King's Landing and Dragon Nest City.
Under the iron fists of the two true Dragonlord families, many Volantis people who had infiltrated Westeros were exposed, meeting with swords, expulsion, or the dragonflame they had yearned for.
"Damn it."
In the basement of a tavern on Gray Terror Island, a silver-haired man with a scraggly beard slammed his fist on a dilapidated table, but he couldn't say anything. In the end, he could only pick up the wine glass on the table and gulp down a mug of strong ale.
They had been stuck on this godforsaken little island for many years.
But there was no hope of success at all. Meral was a complete waste. His comfortable life had completely extinguished his ambition and courage. To their secret recruitment, Meral had only one attitude.
He drank the fine wine they sent and slept with the beautiful women.
As for anything else, Meral didn't know and didn't want to know.
They watched Meral grow from a decadent youth into a decadent, alcohol-addicted middle-aged man.
They themselves had also grown from young men who once dreamed of owning their own dragons into middle-aged men well-versed in the Common Tongue.
But forget dragons, they couldn't even enjoy dragonflame.
Until the woman they brought conceived Meral's bastard. Which family was she from again? The bearded middle-aged man pondered; it didn't matter, she was pregnant anyway.
That was enough.
"Has our ship not arrived yet?"
"They probably won't make it." A man who had dyed his hair and beard purple, disguised as a Tyroshi, smiled bitterly as he poured another strong, bitter beer for his companion, or rather, his former master, now friend.
The ruined city of Tyrosh was now occupied by the Varezes family. A Governor from the Lawful family governed the reborn city. The Stepstones had been re-divided into spheres of influence after being fully annexed by the Baratheon family, and knight lords from the Stormlands diligently governed this barren land.
For a time, piracy had subsided.
"The Silver Fleet has recently increased patrols in the Summer Sea, and your family has been struck down by the damned Elephant Party, damn it."
"As expected." The man bitterly gulped down another mug of ale.
"This is goddamn awful. By the way, where's the child?"
"I found a local wet nurse to care for him." The purple-bearded man finally smiled.
"He is our hope."
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