-Chapter 131-

-Chapter 131-

-POV Baelon Targaryen-

"Prince Baelon, it is time for you to wake up," said Ser Rupert, frowning as he entered my room without even bothering to knock on the door.

"I'm coming," I said as I got up without flinching, despite the lack of respect he had just shown.

'I'm used to it anyway,' I thought, mentally shrugging.

"Prince Daemon was very clear: you must train to properly control his dragon, at least if you want to eat today," he said in a disdainful tone and with a slightly haughty air.

"I know, I'm coming," I said, annoyed.

This had been my morning routine since Aegon's birth.

The knights would wake me and take me to face Sheepstealer, and as long as I failed to make him obey, I wasn't allowed to eat.

This was how it was every single day of the year, and I wasn't allowed to complain, or Father would make me regret it instantly.

'I understand why my big brother hates our father. If I were in his place, I too would have done everything to live as far away from him as possible,' I thought.

ROAR OF A DRAGON

Upon hearing the roar of a dragon coming from the sky, I quickly ran to my balcony and arrived just in time to see Aemon perched on the back of his dragon Urrax, diving straight toward the wall, mouth open, glowing with a silvery-black light, ready to destroy everything.

"DRAGON!" shouted the guards and knights as they scattered in every direction.

'It's Urrax,' I thought, quickly realizing that my brother had come to take revenge on our father.

BOOOOOOOOOM

The gates and the outer wall, which weren't very tall but had been built from extremely solid rock, exploded under the force of Urrax's burning breath.

I crouched slightly, feeling the heat of the flames, then slowly raised my head only to see Urrax landing in the courtyard of the small castle of Bloodstone.

'The castle Father had built in recent years so we could live decently on this island,' I thought, inspecting the now-deserted courtyard.

'The guards are all dead,' I thought, frozen in fear, as I saw the ashes of the men rising into the air, along with the smoke from the walls still burning with a silvery-black fire.

"Prince Baelon!" shouted Ser Rupert as he burst into my chambers.

He quickly grabbed my clothes and threw them at me, yelling, "Put on your clothes quickly! You need to use your dragon to save us!"

'But I don't even know how…'

"I…"

"HURRY! IT IS YOUR MISSION TO PROTECT THIS ISLAND!"

"Since when do dragon knights dare speak to princes this way?" said a cold voice I would recognize anywhere.

'Big brother,' I thought as I turned toward the speaker.

I watched my brother jump from his saddle and land gracefully on my balcony.

Before any of us could say anything, he pulled a small dagger from his sleeve and threw it at Ser Rupert with incredible speed.

"Blurgh," muttered Ser Rupert.

I turned quickly toward him, just in time to see him clutching his throat, pierced by my brother's dagger, before collapsing to his knees, choking on his own blood.

I felt a hand on my shoulder, gripping me.

I turned again to see my brother looking at me without any emotion.

He sensed my tension, as he smiled and then said, "You're afraid."

It wasn't a question—it was a statement, slightly mocking.

He stepped back and extended a hand to invite me to climb onto his saddle. He didn't need to say anything because I was terrified.

I feared he might decide to kill me too, to take revenge on our father, so I did what I had been taught my entire life… I obeyed without question.

---

-A Few Hours Later-

-POV Saabhos Saan-

"He's a monster," said Ferdinio as he observed the smoking ruins of Bloodstone Castle.

'The first stone castle since these cursed islands have existed,' I thought, appreciating how long it had taken the Prince to destroy the life's work of his father.

'Years to build a castle, reduced to ashes in less than a day, along with the outposts on every island,' I mused, still impressed by how easily he had destroyed the outposts.

"A monster, you say? I'm not so sure about that," I said, before adding, "What I am sure of, however, is that he controls a huge monster. The monster that managed to burn down ten years of Prince Daemon Targaryen's life."

"And who will make you the King of the Narrow Sea," Ferdinio said in a slightly sarcastic tone.

'That's true as well,' I thought, recalling my new title.

'I was clearly a puppet, a disposable pawn meant to bait the Prince's enemies, but I knew I had no choice but to accept.'

He didn't need us.

He could do everything on his own.

The only reason he accepted was to force us to attack Prince Daemon, so we couldn't turn back.

'So, since I had no choice, I might as well take everything I can from this new alliance,' I thought, smiling slightly as I observed the Prince's new fleet, still intact in the port.

'My new fleet,' I thought, watching with a small smile the new Volantene warships.

---

-POV Aemon Targaryen-

I watched Baelon tremble slightly in my arms as I controlled Urrax's movements.

'I must have terrified him by appearing in this way,' I thought, looking at the little boy who was about to turn ten this year.

"Don't be afraid. I don't mean you any harm," I said, trying to reassure him, which didn't work at all.

When he replied, I could hear the suppressed trembling in his voice.

"Wh-where are we going?" he asked me.

"To see your mother," I said honestly, as I was heading to Lys.

'I need to pick up Willem, then return to the Vale,' I thought, mentally urging Urrax to fly faster.

"You know my mother?" Baelon asked, visibly surprised.

"Hmm," I said calmly, nodding.

"Who is she?" he asked curiously.

"You'll see," I said, ending the discussion, as I hadn't yet talked about this part with Johanna, and I doubted she would take it well.