Chapter 335: Whose Dragon?

Suddenly.

Roar--

A deep, resonant dragon roar echoed like a bell from afar, its long tone filled with a powerful warning.

Daemon frowned, recognizing the roar as that of the wild dragon beast.

"Uncle, have you come to the tournament grounds to fight me as well?" Rhaegar spoke first, his tone calm and questioning. "Will it be on horseback or dragonback?"

Roar--

The words were barely out of his mouth when a massive, pitch-black dragon shadow sliced through the sky and landed with a thunderous crash on the eastern side of the arena. Cannibal stood rooted to the ground, its hideous dragon head peering down at Daemon and Caraxes. The dragon's massive black wings spread wide, casting a shadow across half the arena.

"Roar!!"

Another sharp roar echoed from the direction of God's Eye Lake. The sky stirred with thin clouds, revealing a light gray dragon shadow.

With the appearance of four dragons, the audience was electrified. Two behemoths threatened from the east and south, Blood Wyrm crept around the arena, and an unknown dragon lurked in the shadows. Many nobles, sweating profusely, felt the power of the Targaryens.

On the platform, Viserys glanced at Vhagar and straightened his clothes, maintaining his regal bearing. With the world's greatest dragon standing behind him, there was no room for indifference. He wondered why Vermithor hadn't come to defend his master like Cannibal had.

Laena dismounted her dragon and walked slowly, her slightly bulging belly showing. She wore a simple white dress with a red vest to show her pregnancy.

"Your Grace, Daemon and I were preparing a gift for you, which is why we are late," Laena said, curtsying with an apologetic tone.

Viserys managed a genuine smile. "Never mind, you are pregnant. Please, take a seat."

Laena touched her stomach and smiled as she took her place beside her mother, Rhaenys. Her presence eased the tension on the platform and lessened the fear of a confrontation between uncle and nephew.

Inside the martial arts arena, Daemon noted the presence of Cannibal and the hiding Grey Ghost and realized that his provocation had reached its end. Though reluctant, he knew it was inevitable. As much as he wanted to inherit his brother's throne, his brother's six children had broken his line of succession.

Rhaegar held his head up, his eyes gleaming with interest. He relished watching his uncle squirm, trapped and unable to leave the stage gracefully.

"Heh~"

Daemon, with a smug air, looked down condescendingly at his nephew, a mocking smile playing on his lips. "Rhaegar, since when did you start stepping out with makeup, are you seeking new female companions?"

Rhaegar's heart skipped a beat, fixating on the word "companions." He feared his roguish uncle was about to publicly expose him. Except for that one incident in Volantis, he had kept his interactions with the Daella sisters strictly proper. But he was clearly mistaken.

Daemon raised a hand, gesturing to both sides of his face, and continued his taunt, "The lipstick marks left before the tournament seem to have brought you good luck."

Rhaegar froze, recalling the lipstick marks Margaery had left on his cheeks.

Dang...

The obese referee appeared, banging a gong and shouting, "It seems our Prince Rhaegar is very popular with the ladies, with kisses aplenty!"

Rhaegar turned back, glaring at the red-faced man with thinly veiled irritation. This meddling fool was tarnishing his reputation.

"Hahaha~"

"..."

Daemon was the first to laugh, followed by many nobles who had heard the jest, resulting in a chorus of laughter. Rhaegar forced a smile, but his back teeth were clenched in frustration. Still, flirtation was a noble pastime, and he had nothing substantial to lose. He cast a wary glance at his uncle.

Both were Targaryen male heirs, and Daemon had indulged in far more scandals. There was an unspoken agreement to preserve each other's dignity.

However, Rhaegar noticed a mischievous glint in Daemon's eyes, sensing something amiss. Realizing the ruse, he cursed internally, "Bastard, deliberately misleading."

Daemon, pleased with himself, stood up from the saddle and climbed down the soft ladder to the dragon's back. His bond with Caraxes was strong, often forgoing the use of solid chains on the saddle. Clad in armor, he didn't bother fastening the chains this time.

Rhaegar dismounted, lifting the scarlet cloak from his horse's head and leading the white horse to the rest area. Despite the intimidating dragon roars, the horse remained steadfast, proving its worth.

As a squire took the reins, Rhaegar instructed, "Take good care of it. It won't be in the field for a while."

"Roar..."

Caraxes roared, flapping his wings and swiftly ascending, his long, snake-like scarlet body undulating gracefully. Ignoring the dragon, Rhaegar sought out Tormund.

Daemon brushed past him, heading toward the king with a triumphant smile.

...

In the Corner of the Arena

Rhaegar spread his arms wide as two Unsullied helped him remove his armor. Tormund stood behind him, his voice heavy with concern. "Prince, there have been many rumors circulating these past few days. I've found out two things, one good and one bad."

"Tell me the bad news first," Rhaegar said, his tone calm but curious as to how bad the bad news was.

"As for Storm's End, two bastards are trying to resurrect the family name and inherit House Baratheon," Tormund replied bluntly.

"Idiots," Rhaegar muttered, frowning. Restoring a family name to bastards was rare, and legitimizing them meant they had a legitimate claim to inheritance. Storm's End was currently under the control of Lady Elenda and Rhaenys, and there had been no mention of these bastards until now.

Tormund added, "These two bastards are not easy. They, or those behind them, have gained the support of many nobles in the Stormlands and even some in the Vale and the Riverlands."

"The House Dondarrion of Blackhaven and the House Swann of Stonehelm?" Rhaegar speculated.

"Those two houses are involved, but there's also an unorganized group behind them," Tormund continued. "Lord Jason of Casterly Rock has openly criticized Lady Jeyne's rule of the Vale and suggested that the king consider the bastards to inherit Storm's End."

He then named the two bastards.

"The elder one is Bronn Storm, bastard son of the late Lord Boremund, born of a dalliance with the daughter of the Lord of Dondarrion in Blackport. He served the Lord of Dondarrion, spent three years as an infantryman, and fought in the wars of the Dornish borderlands."

"The younger one is Arno Storm, bastard son of Lord Borros, born of a tryst with the nursemaid of the eldest son of Lord Swann. He apprenticed to a blacksmith before being taken as a knight's squire by Lord Swann and fought in the Second Battle of the Stepstones."

"No wonder the old men of Dondarrion and Swann support these bastards," Rhaegar sneered. "What about the good news?"

Tormund leaned in and whispered, "Larys Strong is dead."

Rhaegar was momentarily stunned, then remarked, "A month has passed; he should have died by now."

Larys had been exiled after his trial. Lyonel, worried about his second son dying prematurely, insisted on delaying the exile for two months in the Red Keep's dungeon before sending Larys, along with other prisoners, to the Night's Watch.

According to the slow travel speed of the prison wagon, they should be near the Goldroad by now. Rhaegar had anticipated that the harsh conditions of Goldroad would cause Larys to succumb to illness or an infection caused by midges.

Tormund shook his head. "Larys didn't die as we expected. He was burned to death by dragonfire."

Rhaegar looked shocked.

Tormund continued, "A few days ago, our scouts lost contact. I went to investigate and found a scorched area in the Goldroad with several charred corpses, including Larys."

"Larys was a wreck. Who would use a dragon to kill him?" Rhaegar wondered, thinking of potential culprits.

"Judging by the burn marks, the dragon was at least an adult, not one like Sunfyre, who just reached adulthood," Tormund explained. "I suspect it was the king's Vermithor."

Rhaegar fell silent, contemplating. The term "adult dragon" was broad, encompassing dragons over 60 years old, mature in both size and temperament. Among the adult dragons in the family were Dreamfyre, Sheepstealer, Blood Wyrm, and Red Queen, along with the three behemoths: Vhagar, Cannibal, and Vermithor.

After a moment, Rhaegar asked, "The other dragons are not suspicious?"

Tormund replied, "They are a little suspicious, but the king has the best reason to be the most suspicious one."

Helaena traveled daily on Dreamfyre, and Aemond often forced his fiancée to join him in riding his dragon for fun. After Caraxes was healed, Daemon and Laena rode their dragons beyond the Narrow Sea.

Initially, Viserys was fascinated with Vermithor, but after a month, he let the dragon roam freely in the Dragon's Nest on Isle of Faces, occasionally going out for a walk, one dragon at a time.

With the distance between Harrenhal and the Goldroad, Vermithor could make a round trip in half a day, stopping occasionally to unleash a puff of Dragonfire with ease.

Larys made a big mistake and caused a scandal involving the royal family. Viserys had good reason to intercept them halfway.

Rhaegar thought for a long time before cautiously asking, "Are you sure Larys is dead?"

A cunning man like Larys would rather cut off his leg than beg for his life, and Rhaegar wouldn't be sure until he saw the body.

Tormund thought for a moment and said in a low voice, "There is a charred corpse with a broken leg in the ashes, holding a golden ball in its broken hand.

Larys had a scepter that never left his side, with a golden cicada carved into the handle that melted into a golden ball.

Rhaegar's purple eyes flickered with suspicion. "But why do I feel like he's not dead?"

The more he thought about it, the stranger it seemed. He understood why Harwin had sought him out in the arena to fight for his life. Harwin probably believed that Rhaegar had lost his credibility and burned his brother, who should have lived. And Viserys was no fool; he wouldn't do something so obvious.

Tormund's eyes lowered, considering the oddity as well.

"Where do you think a sinister worm escaping death would go?" Rhaegar asked.

Tormund picked up the thread, "That depends on who rescued it."

Larys was close to Alicent, making Helaena, Aemond, and Aegon suspects. Daemon's whereabouts were uncertain, making him a suspect as well.

Rhaegar mused over several potential hiding places: Stone Hedge, the fiefdom of House Strong; Oldtown of the Hightowers; even Lord Jason's Casterly Rock, may have a hand in everything. But all these places had loopholes.

Stone Hedge was the least likely; Harwin wouldn't have gone mad and risked serious injury. The Hightowers and Lannisters would probably be protecting themselves, not harboring a criminal.

Rhaegar's eyes flickered to Tormund, and they spoke in unison, "The Red Keep!"

The most likely suspects to rescue Larys were Alicent and Otto, and the Red Keep was a logical place to hide.

After months of refinement, the Red Keep was already under Rhaegar's influence. They immediately sent men to search and arrest, ready to capture Larys.

(Word count: 1,881)