Chapter 120: Fire

"Isn't it punishment?"

The young girl slightly pinched her fair fingers hidden under her sleeves, feeling as if she understood something.

"Yes, Your Highness."

"If we strictly enforce the law, a husband who has committed intentional harm will face discretionary amputation, while a wife who has committed adultery will be publicly whipped, even stripped naked and paraded through the streets."

"As for the neighbor, who has committed theft, he will naturally lose one of his hands."

"In this way, all three people receive strict punishment, but now only one person has received the deserved punishment, while the other two have been warned."

The Maester's fingers were crossed on the table in front of him as he patiently explained to the brown-haired young girl wearing a crown.

Thump, thump, thump...

At that moment, a series of hurried footsteps came from behind the great hall. A guard rushed over.

"Your Highness!"

"Maester!"

"Something terrible has happened!"

Rhaenys and Maester Gunther, who were seated in the great hall, could smell a charred odor in the air.

They exchanged glances and abruptly stood up.

...

Due to the haste in constructing the castle in the early stages, a large amount of wood was used in the construction of Andalos Castle.

The entire Andalos city had vast areas of wooden houses, even being called 'City of Wood' at one point.

But a few years ago, an unprecedented fire caused severe damage. Since then, Viserys had ordered the gradual phasing out of wooden buildings within the city, replacing them with stone.

However, this process was not so simple. Constructing a magnificent castle might take several years or even decades. Viserys was aware of the disadvantages of wooden houses, but it was impossible to replace them immediately.

As a result, many wooden structures still remained within Andalos Castle, including the main building where Viserys and the two girls lived.

Early morning.

A sudden fire caught everyone off guard. No one expected a massive fire to erupt during the damp, warm, and blossoming season. By the time Rhaenys and the Maester arrived at the main building, the fire had almost consumed the entire royal quarters.

Billowing smoke rose into the sky, and red flames burst out of the windows. Screams could be heard from within, indicating that many people were trapped in the fire.

"Quick, quick, quick!"

"Run!"

The surrounding guards all started running under their commander's direction, continuously pouring water into the fire to put it out. But no one dared to rush in and save the people.

Clearly, the fire was out of control. Intense flames and thick smoke filled the air, carrying a choking, pungent odor.

Rhaenys and the Maester reached the scene at that moment. The brown-haired girl turned pale at the sight of the raging fire.

She then saw Ser Bessie beside her, hurriedly and anxiously asking him.

"Ser Bessie, has Daenerys come out yet?"

However, the young Andal knight turned to her, his eyes somewhat red, and he ordered the guards nearby to pour water on a soaked quilt.

At this moment, Ser Bessie had removed his coat, revealing his muscular physique. A seven-pointed star symbolizing the Faith of the Seven was tattooed on his shoulder, as if he wanted to enter the fire personally to save people.

His widowed mother was still in the castle and had not come out. She was the elderly maid responsible for taking care of Daenerys.

"Princess, please rest assured!"

"I will save Her Highness!"

...

Bessie stared at Rhaenys' beautiful face, forcing himself to suppress his worries for his mother. He wiped her tears away and knelt down on one knee, making a solemn oath.

"Please, I beg you."

"Be very careful."

The loyal young Andal knight then draped himself in a heavy, soaked blanket and, in the face of raging flames and smoke, he fearlessly plunged into the heart of the castle.

Rhaenys and the others anxiously continued to wait outside the castle.

BOOM—

Not too long after, a loud noise came from the sea of fire. It seemed that the beams had been burned through, causing the collapse and burying everything underneath.

"Meow~"

At that moment, a small black cat, resembling a little coal ball, burst out of the fiery blaze. Its tail was still on fire, and much of its fur had been scorched. Only its eyes remained bright.

WHOOSH—

The little black cat was doused from head to tail by a bucket of water from a guard, extinguishing the flames on its body before running towards Rhaenys.

"Balerion!"

Seeing the little black cat escape from the sea of fire, Rhaenys' anxiety eased slightly, and she even shed tears of joy.

It was a small consolation for the distraught girl.

She hoped this was a good sign, and that Sir Bessie would rescue Daenerys from the sea of fire; otherwise, she didn't know how she would face Viserys.

Rhaenys then squatted down and cradled Balerion in her arms.

...

Amidst the fiery inferno,

A little girl with silvery curls quietly held her dragon egg, seemingly in a deep sleep. The flames danced like little red sprites, swirling around her as if they were singing to her.

Then,

The girl's sleeping gown ignited, and the flames danced on her smooth, fair skin. Her beautiful, molten-silver-like hair was also teased by the mischievous sprites.

In the end, the flames completely engulfed Daenerys, leaving her naked and curled up.

Yet, Daenerys remained in her slumber, her brow furrowing slightly, as if sensing some discomfort or disturbed by the surrounding noise. She continued to curl up, clutching her "Viserion" tightly.

Her delicate, fair skin seemed like a piece of solidified fat, pressed against the pale cream-colored dragon egg.

At that moment, the dragon egg emitted a barely audible sound.

CRACK—

Simultaneously,

The ceiling of the castle, weakened by the raging fire, finally collapsed, causing a loud noise.

BOOM—

The sudden noise jolted Daenerys awake.

"What's happening?"

The girl opened her eyes and was horrified to find herself in the midst of a sea of fire.

Even... it seemed strangely familiar.

"Am I dreaming?"

Daenerys looked around somewhat bewildered, but all she could see was fire everywhere.

In fact, she had a similar dream months ago.

She dreamt of a white dragon singing for her, then opening its gaping maw, spewing a torrent of blue flames, burning her room down.

It was exactly the scene she was witnessing now.