**Chapter 27: Helena**
Rhaegar pulled up the system panel, his eyes fixed on the talents section.
There wasn't much explanation—only a gold quality label for the "Dreamer" talent.
The highest-quality artifact he had encountered so far was Balerion's skull, classified as legendary in red.
The quality hierarchy seemed to be:
Legendary (Red), Epic (Purple), Superior (Blue), Good (Green)...
It was yet to be determined if there was a lower tier beneath "Good."
Above the legendary level, it was safe to assume gold quality was supreme.
This gave him a sense of just how valuable the "Dreamer" talent truly was.
He had indeed dreamed many dreams—
Dreams of dragons, fire, war, and the future...
Dreams of bizarre and mysterious creations from unknown worlds...
And even prophetic dreams with incredibly precise foresight.
He had once dreamed of a white stag.
That very stag had appeared in the royal forest, befriended him, and even helped restore his health.
After hearing his father's recounting of events, Rhaegar began to rethink the significance of his nightmares.
He started to take the abilities of the "Dreamer" talent seriously.
**Gurgle...**
Suddenly, the sound of something rolling behind him snapped Rhaegar out of his thoughts.
Turning around cautiously, Rhaegar scanned his surroundings.
Elyrik, his guard, was off duty tonight, called away by his father for a discussion.
The sudden noise left him feeling a bit on edge.
The corridor behind him was empty, except for an ornate leather ball rolling across the floor.
It was already nighttime. The dimly lit corridor was silent and deserted, save for the out-of-place ball rolling along.
Rhaegar's face turned pale, and a chill ran down his spine.
"Whose ball is this? Who's playing pranks in the middle of the night?"
Despite his fear, Rhaegar mustered his courage and shouted down the hallway.
Whether it was something supernatural or not, shouting was the first line of defense.
At the very least, his voice might draw the attention of the night watch staff.
His voice echoed through the empty corridor, but no one answered.
He glanced back over his shoulder; the door to his room was just a few steps away.
Swallowing nervously, Rhaegar began to inch backward.
**Tap-tap-tap...**
Just then, a series of light footsteps echoed, as if leather-soled shoes were walking across wooden planks.
Rhaegar turned his head just in time to catch a glimpse of a white figure darting past.
"Big brother, do you want to play ball?"
A little girl suddenly appeared in the corridor, clutching the ball and looking at him expectantly.
She was petite, with a delicate face, wearing a white dress. Her silver hair and pale skin gave her an ethereal appearance.
Upon seeing her clearly, Rhaegar's face darkened like a thundercloud. He suppressed his anger and said sternly, "Helena, why are you sneaking out in the middle of the night to play ball?"
The little girl was none other than Rhaegar's half-sister, Princess Helena.
Helena hugged the ball and leaned against the corridor wall, murmuring, "Aegon plays with the ball during the day, so I play at night..."
Looking at her small and lonely figure, Rhaegar strode forward. "It's nighttime. Children should be in bed, not wandering around."
Startled by her rarely seen brother approaching, Helena lowered her head. "Aegon won't let me play with the ball, so I can only sneak out while he's asleep."
Rhaegar froze at her words. "He won't play with you? Doesn't your mother intervene?"
Helena shook her head lightly. "When Mother was here, Aegon would play with me. But since she left, he doesn't anymore."
"That Aegon... what kind of brother is he?"
Rhaegar was indignant. He took Helena's small hand in his own. "Come on, I'll take you back to your room. Tomorrow, I'll have the craftsmen make a ball just for you. You don't have to fight over his."
Helena didn't budge, remaining silent against the wall.
"What's wrong? Why aren't you happy?"
Unable to pull the little girl along, Rhaegar asked again.
Helena just shook her head without a word, clutching the ball tightly.
Recalling Aegon's usual behavior, Rhaegar carefully guessed, "Are you afraid Aegon will take your ball away?"
Helena looked up at him, biting her plump little lip without speaking.
After a moment of hesitation, Rhaegar suggested, "How about this: leave the ball with me. When you want to play, I'll take it out for you, and Aegon won't know."
Helena's violet eyes lit up with a spark of hope. She nodded her small head repeatedly and whispered, "Okay. I'll give the ball to you. Aegon won't dare to take it then."
She handed the ball, previously guarded in her arms, over to Rhaegar.
For a little girl who usually seemed naïve and quiet like a gourd with a sealed mouth, she was actually quite sharp. She knew Aegon wouldn't dare to cross Rhaegar.
Rhaegar couldn't help but chuckle. "Not this one. Tomorrow, I'll get you a brand-new ball. This old one can stay with Aegon."
Helena's rosy cheeks lit up with a smile, and she no longer resisted as Rhaegar led her along.
Helena's room was on the same floor as Rhaegar's.
Originally, she and Aegon lived with their biological mother, Alicent.
But with the arrival of baby Aemond, Alicent could no longer tolerate the baby's constant crying.
Thus, she arranged for three separate rooms, one for each child.
According to Helena, the servants assigned to care for her had often been called away for other duties recently, leaving her and Aegon together during the day.
As a result, Aegon frequently bullied her, forcing her to sneak out at night to play whenever she could.
Rhaegar didn't think too much of it; Red Keep had been bustling lately with preparations for Rhaenyra's return and the upcoming tourney.
A lack of manpower seemed perfectly reasonable.
After escorting Helena back to her room, Rhaegar leaned against the doorframe and warned her, "Don't wander off again. There are dangerous dragons prowling Red Keep at night—be careful not to get eaten!"
He playfully made clawing motions, trying to scare his little sister.
Helena, however, wasn't frightened in the slightest; she covered her mouth and giggled.
"Heh, brave little girl, aren't you?"
Seeing her adorable expression, Rhaegar raised his hand, intending to pinch her cheek.
Before he could do so, Helena suddenly shivered, her smile vanishing in an instant.
"What's wrong, Helena?"
Noticing the change in her demeanor, Rhaegar felt a twinge of concern.
Helena stared at him intently, her voice tense as she said, "A wolf has set its sights on the lamb!"
"What do you mean? Helena, did you see or hear something?"
Rhaegar immediately thought of the rumors about Helena and, recalling his dreamer's gift, speculated that Helena might possess a similar prophetic ability and had sensed something.
However, Helena's demeanor shifted. She shut the door without another word, leaving Rhaegar outside.
Rhaegar hesitated, raising his hand to knock but stopping mid-air.
Helena's current state was clearly abnormal—possibly a self-protective response to whatever vision she'd had.
Forcing her out of it might not be the best idea.
"Helena, rest well. I'll remember to get you a ball," he said softly through the door. Without lingering further, Rhaegar returned to his own room.
---
He still had a trove of ancient texts stored in his spatial bracelet waiting to be read.
If he wanted to understand the dreamer's gift, perhaps that was the place to start.
He paid particular attention to the lineage section on his system panel.
**[Rhaegar Targaryen]**
*Lineage: Ancient Valyrian Dragonlord (12%)*
Ever since his awakening as an explorer, the lineage section had been changing frequently.
Initially, the percentage in parentheses was only 5%. After gaining the *Bloodfire Resonance*, it surged to +8%.
It had continued to increase gradually since then.
Rhaegar guessed the percentage represented the purity of his bloodline.
As noted in the evaluation section:
*"A rich Dragonlord bloodline, remarkable even during the heights of Ancient Valyria."*
Over the past six months, his bloodline purity had reached 12%, more than double its original level.
The "+" before the percentage had vanished, likely indicating that the effects of *Bloodfire Resonance* had reached their limit, with no further increase possible.
"I'll have to check the books—what purpose does bloodline purity serve among Valyrian Dragonlord families?"
Vysarys' earlier reminder about the dreamer's gift made Rhaegar increasingly mindful of all his advantages. He was determined not to waste even the smallest bit of potential.
---
*(Chapter End)*