Chapter 569: Viserys: My Dragon Can Be Yours

"Don't be afraid, Anna."

Rhaegar's face was a study in mixed emotions as he tried to piece together what had happened. The young dragon had become agitated and attacked the brother and sister who had come to see it.

"Jeyne, is this how you care for my children?" Rhaenyra's eyes were full of doubt, and her anger at her eldest son's mishap was palpable.

"No, it was an accident," Jeyne explained helplessly. "Dany almost had an accident too." She turned her head to the side, gesturing for Rhaenyra to look outside.

"Roar!" Stormcloud raised its head and snorted, carrying its rider slowly into the Dragonpit. Daenerys' eyes were blurred, her face unnaturally flushed in a state of drunken confusion.

"Stormcloud, slow down." The little girl's eyes were unfocused, her thin figure swaying back and forth as the scene before her spun. Stormcloud glanced at her with its golden pupils and lowered its back as much as possible to prevent her from falling off.

Jeyne, eager to prove her point, pointed at Stormcloud and said, "Dany was carried on the back of this dragon and almost died."

"Don't you think it's funny?" Rhaenyra snorted, grabbing her eldest son's burnt arm. She glared at the docile Stormcloud and asked, "My son was burned when he touched the dragon, but your daughter got a dragon?"

"Mother..." Baelon's face froze, and he tried to explain.

"Shut up!" Rhaenyra shouted angrily. "You were always the most behaved child, and this is the first time you've been hurt by a dragon."

Dragons are like the most dazzling roses in a garden, their charming appearance concealing endless danger. Everyone who has come into contact with a dragon has been scarred in some way. Not to mention Rhaegar and Aemond, who tamed a wild dragon and were injured by its resistance.

Like the Dragonkeepers who guard the dragons, everyone has scars left by the dragons. For this reason, every Dragonkeeper must have a dragon crystal dagger. If they encounter Dragonfire, they should use this to quickly end the pain.

Rhaenyra's eyes were full of murderous intent as she carefully examined her eldest son's entire body. His hair was slightly singed, his back red and hot, and his knees bruised and scraped. She took a deep breath, glaring at the innocent-looking Jeyne, and gritted her teeth. "How do you explain this?"

She couldn't believe that Baelon would be attacked by a dragon. Since his birth, her eldest son had been very popular with the dragons. No dragon had ever tried to harm him.

Faced with the accusation, Jeyne also became angry and said coldly, "Anna angered the black dragon. Baelon was protecting his sister. That's all I know." The implication was that she had deliberately tried to harm Baelon. This was ridiculous and incomprehensible.

"Grey Ghost and Iragaxys get along well. They have been in contact with Baelon longer than any other Dragonkeeper!" Rhaenyra raised her voice and approached menacingly.

"Mother." Baelon was flustered and hurriedly tried to stop her.

"Rhaenyra, I already said I did nothing!" Jeyne's face was ashen as she argued back.

The two women drew closer and closer, with only a six-year-old child standing between them. The old Dragonkeepers were stunned, their eyes recoiling in fear. They were lucky that the Dragonpit was a royal place and that outsiders were not allowed to enter. Jeyne had come alone, without her friends Jessamyn, Skylar, and the others. Rhaenyra, needless to say, had hurried to the Dragonpit, calling only one Kingsguard to bring her here.

Inside the Dragonpit, the empty surroundings were unusually lively. On one side, Dreamfyre growled lowly, using its enormous size to suppress the two restless dragons. At the Bronze Gate, Stormcloud crawled slowly, the little girl on its back drowsy.

In the center of the Dragonstone floor, Rhaenyra and Jeyne, both furious, nearly lost their heads and collided.

"Stop!" Rhaegar, watching from the sidelines, intervened just in time. What a joke—a trivial misunderstanding could ignite a fire in the harem.

"Rhaegar, look at Baelon!" Rhaenyra snapped, pointing at the little girl in Jeyne's arms. "I've been looking after Anna for so long, and the children have always gotten along. Jeyne has only been looking after Baelon for a day."

"If Jeyne had wanted to hurt Baelon, he wouldn't have only been hurt." Rhaegar sighed, trying to diffuse the tension. "This is all a misunderstanding!"

Jeyne's eyes widened, knowing that Rhaenyra was biased. "Stop it, both of you, right now!" Rhaegar's headache was throbbing, and he quickly stepped between the two women to prevent the conflict from escalating. The two women, still very angry, were forced to separate, staring at each other with cold eyes.

"You need to stop arguing and tell the truth." Rhaegar frowned, pulling Baelon, who was caught in the middle, out of the fray. Baelon's eyes were red and he was panicking.

"Don't be afraid, my child," Rhaegar cooed gently. "They are both prejudiced. Tell me what happened."

Women protecting their children can be completely irrational; they are not as reliable as children.

"Father, it's not like that." Baelon wiped away his tears. "Iragaxys lost control. I spoke High Valyrian, but I didn't accept its goodwill."

"Iragaxys showed you goodwill?" Rhaegar looked sideways at the struggling black dragonlet, surprised. "That's why it attacked you."

A dragon acknowledging a Dragonlord's bloodline is a significant gesture. Baelon's rejection of Iragaxys led to the attack.

"Yes," Baelon said, lowering his head and weeping. "I wanted to protect Anna, so I spoke High Valyrian without thinking."

Hearing this, Rhaenyra and Jeyne were both stunned. No one expected the young dragon attacked out of revenge. Rhaenyra, in particular, looked at her eldest son with a complex expression, unsure what to say.

"No!" Anna, lying in Rhaegar's arms, poked her head out, teary-eyed. "It was because I wanted to ride on the dragon's back that the dragon got angry." She shook her little body and apologized with a sob.

Jeyne, seeing this, took out a handkerchief to wipe her daughter's tears and tore off a corner of her skirt to bandage Baelon's arm. This time, the two women were silent. Both children were at fault, pushing the accident to the edge of a cliff.

Rhaegar shook his head and said slowly, "Listen carefully, this was an accident."

"I always knew that," Jeyne said in a low voice, gently bandaging Baelon's arm.

"Ssshh!" The silk touched the wound, and Baelon gasped in pain, tears welling up.

Rhaenyra glanced at him, then looked away, gritting her teeth. "Serves you right!" She thought, 'You had to be a hero, and in the end, you're just a crybaby.'

Knock, knock! The misunderstanding cleared up, but the atmosphere remained oppressive. With the sound of his crutches hitting the ground, Viserys walked over with great effort.

"Father," Rhaegar said, stepping forward to help him.

"No, I can still walk." Viserys's face was gloomy as he pushed his eldest son away with his crutches. His old, clouded eyes swept over the three women present. Rhaenyra and Helaena were his eldest and second daughters, and Jeyne was the niece of his late wife, Aemma. Helaena was the most innocent, standing alone on the edge, watching Dreamfyre taking care of the two dragons.

Viserys glanced over at his second daughter, who was always quiet and reserved. Rhaenyra and Jeyne both felt a chill in their hearts when they met the old king's gaze, and they quietly drew away from each other.

"Ahem, ahem, ahem..."

Viserys suddenly coughed violently, his dry hand grasping his eldest son's arm. His face was grave. "Rhaegar, I have heard much. As a father and former king, I must tell you that running a household is not easy."

"I understand," Rhaegar said with a forced smile.

"No, you don't." Viserys shook his head and called Ser Erryk, who was accompanying him. "You must know that a household represents many factors, and it cannot be managed by wisdom and bravery alone."

Erryk stepped forward, cradling the unconscious Daenerys in his arms.

"Dany?" Rhaegar was taken aback, then he saw Stormcloud already at the door. Viserys brushed his granddaughter's silver hair aside and touched her hot cheek with his finger. "My poor, sweet granddaughter, a brave dragon rider, and yet her parents have forgotten her."

In fact, this was not the first time the two had met. After Daenerys was born, Viserys had arrived at The Eyrie on Vermithor at the end of that farcical wedding. It was also after that that his health had deteriorated, and he had rarely ridden a dragon for many years.

"Father, I'm sorry," Rhaegar said, taking Anna in one arm and Dany in the other.

"There's nothing to apologize for." Viserys was very open-minded, and a smile appeared on his pale face. "Both girls are good girls. They often come to talk to me, their grandfather."

Jeyne's eyes flickered slightly at this. 'Was the old king trying to protect her two daughters?'

Rhaenyra clenched her fists, feeling a bitter wave well up in her heart.

Viserys sensed his eldest daughter's thoughts and took her clenched hand in his, wrapping both hands around it. Rhaenyra looked back in surprise.

"Rhaegar has done nothing wrong." Viserys' eyes were gentle, pouring all the love of a father into his words. "Baelon is a good boy, and this marriage will certainly strengthen the family."

Rhaenyra felt wronged, and she tugged at her palm, but couldn't break free. She pouted, "Maybe."

If it weren't for Jeyne, those two children wouldn't exist. She had already backed down step by step.

"My daughter, you have suffered injustice, and I have always been aware of it." Viserys looked up and said sincerely, "But you are the older sister, and occasional patience is necessary."

"Father~~" Rhaenyra's heart trembled, and she couldn't help but shed tears. After so many years, only her father remembered her contributions.

"Be good." Viserys smiled, a thousand words condensed into a single reminder.

Rhaegar watched silently as his father resolved conflicts for him one by one. In the early days of his reign, the family was weak, and he had to use his wits to survive. But now, with so many people in the family, the shadow of internal strife was beginning to loom.

Viserys patted his eldest son on the shoulder and then pulled the disheveled Baelon to him. "You gave up a young dragon. Can you tell your Grandfather why?"

Baelon looked up and glanced at his father. Rhaegar nodded, encouraging him to speak freely.

Baelon sniffed and said sheepishly, "Iragaxys is fine, but I want an adult dragon."

"Oh?" Viserys thought for a moment. Baelon pointed to the light blue Dreamfyre and said frankly, "I want this kind of dragon. I have a hunch that I need such a dragon."

Hearing the word "hunch," Viserys's face darkened, and he said sternly, "There are very few dragons in the House, and most of them already have owners."

"I know." Baelon lowered his head in disappointment. Dragons all have owners, and he didn't want a dragon without one.

Viserys thought for a moment, then said to Rhaegar, "Take Baelon to see Silverwing. It is an adult dragon, too. Although not as large as others, it is old enough and strong enough to suppress three generations of dragons in the House."

"I will," Rhaegar promised.

Baelon was less than enthusiastic. Silverwing was only slightly larger than Sheepstealer, and compared to the Cannibal, Vhagar, and Dreamfyre, it was far inferior.

"You don't like it?" Viserys noticed the expression on the little one's face, and a flash of inspiration crossed his mind. He smiled and said, "If you don't have a dragon when you become an adult, it may prove that you have another destiny."

"What do you mean?" Baelon didn't understand.

Viserys shook his head, laughing as he stroked Baelon's head. "When I die and if you still haven't found a dragon you like, my dragon can be yours."

(Word count: 2,000)