Chapter 141: Detaining Daemon
The roar of dragons echoed across Driftmark, alarming everyone within the castle.
The banquet hall was already in chaos, a complete mess.
Daemon, who had hit the back of his head on the ground, was dazed. Clutching his legs, he hunched over in pain, cold sweat dripping from his brow.
He had been careless.
He hadn't expected Ser Harwin Strong to teach his nephew so well that even he would suffer such a defeat.
"You're getting old, uncle."
Rhaegar leaned against the table, sneering as he looked down at the fallen man.
He was no longer a child. Even without relying on Cannibal, he wasn't afraid to take on his uncle, the so-called Rogue Prince, in a one-on-one fight.
"Grrr…"
The roar of dragons reverberated. Rhaegar, panting heavily, pushed his disheveled hair back from his face.
He could feel the rage and terror of Cannibal.
Caraxes had been defeated, but this had triggered an all-out dragon brawl.
"Prince, listen to the dragons outside! What should we do now?!"
The dragon fight intensified, and Corlys Velaryon's eyes were filled with worry as he questioned angrily.
Dragons were not like men; they were fierce, temperamental beasts.
When they fought in earnest, it was a battle to the death, and injuries—or even fatalities—were inevitable.
The death of any dragon would be an irreparable loss, whether for House Velaryon or House Targaryen.
"Lord Corlys, the priority right now is dealing with Daemon. The dragons will not settle immediately."
Rhaegar, still connected to Cannibal through their bond, knew the dragon was unharmed for the moment. The immediate issue was quelling the unrest among the people.
"Daemon is already gravely injured. What more threat could he pose?"
Corlys, anxious and on edge, exclaimed, "One dragon is enough to destroy a town! Who knows how many are fighting out there—they'll destroy Driftmark!"
"House Velaryon tamed dragons and kept them on Driftmark. That is a risk your house must bear."
Having resolved a feud that had plagued him for years, Rhaegar's mind was uncharacteristically calm, completely indifferent to Corlys' shouts.
"Rhaegar, I can feel Vhagar's rage—she's joined the fight."
Laena Velaryon, cradling the dazed Daemon, urgently warned.
As Vhagar's rider, she could clearly sense the ancient dragon's fury.
Vhagar had entered a frenzy, and even she could no longer control her.
"Cannibal is the one fighting Vhagar—I am well aware of that."
Rhaegar remained unmoved, his gaze fixed on Daemon. He declared resolutely, "Right now, I only care about him!"
Laena's face turned pale as she pleaded, "He came here seeking forgiveness—he didn't mean to offend your authority."
As his wife, she understood her husband well.
Beneath his roguish exterior, Daemon regretted his past sins and wanted to atone by serving the realm.
"But he should not have appeared before me in this manner!"
Rhaegar glanced at Laenor Velaryon and commanded, "At dawn, you will personally escort him back to King's Landing."
"Yes, my prince," Laenor replied solemnly, taking the assignment seriously.
Daemon was the king's younger brother, and the prince couldn't execute him personally, as it would stain him with the crime of kinslaying.
Besides, Daemon still held value.
Imprisoning him in the dungeons of King's Landing would ensure that Laena and their twin daughters followed.
This would serve as an excellent bargaining chip to control House Velaryon.
Laenor, decisive in action, instructed his attendants to summon the royal maester and guards to swiftly take Daemon away.
Laena, distraught, tried to stop them but was held back by Corlys.
As mere vassals, House Velaryon could not prevent the heir to the throne from arresting a criminal.
The dragons on the island were still wreaking havoc, and this was no time to argue over one man.
"This farce is over—I'm going outside to see what's happening."
Rhaenys Velaryon, who had remained seated throughout, finally rose, her expression grim as she strode toward the door.
She disliked the arrogant Daemon and was equally displeased with her husband's greed.
As a woman, her heart was filled with both frustration and inner turmoil.
She couldn't meddle in politics, but she could take control of her dragon.
Meleys had also been dragged into the dragon fight, and Rhaenys could feel her agitation. She needed to act quickly to intervene.
As Daemon was carried away by the guards, Rhaenyra let out a sigh of relief. Grasping Rhaegar's hand, she asked, "Syrax has joined the fight too. What should we do?"
Her dragon was still young, with little combat experience.
This left her deeply worried.
For a moment, everyone's eyes turned to Rhaegar, except for Rhaenys, who had already left.
Rhaegar scanned the room, meeting each person's gaze before speaking firmly: "Dragonriders, follow me. Cannibal still listens to my commands—I will stop the dragon fight."
Then, he turned to Corlys and issued a direct order: "Send men to maintain order on the island and seal off all information about tonight's events."
With war looming, spies could be hiding in the shadows.
The realm was already at the brink of conflict; news of internal strife could not be allowed to spread.
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**"As you command. I hope you can successfully stop Rhaenyra."**
Corlys was deeply troubled. Tidetop Isle was the foundation of his family's legacy—it had to be protected.
**"Damn Daemon!"**
He cursed inwardly, turning to deploy his soldiers.
If it weren't for Daemon's sudden appearance, he could have approached King's Landing negotiations in a much stronger position.
Now that Daemon had been captured, his daughter and wife would take the opportunity to grow closer to the royal family, greatly weakening his own influence.
**"Laenor, come with me. We'll try to take control of Vhagar."**
Watching Laenor's grief-stricken expression, Rhaegar sighed. His husband and father were both ambitious men—what choice did he have?
Rhaegar was the first to step out of the castle, and the others quickly followed.
They could all feel the dragons' restlessness, each one gripped by fear.
**"Screeeeech..."**
In the night sky, six dragons clashed in pairs.
Meleys circled above, toying with the reckless Sunfyre, unleashing bursts of crimson dragonfire.
Sea Smoke and Syrax were locked in a fierce struggle, biting and clawing at each other mid-air.
But the most intense battle belonged to the two true giants.
The Cannibal's pitch-black body weaved through the clouds, spitting green flames like falling comets.
Vhagar, even larger in size, soared through the sky with hurricane-like force, its slitted eyes reflecting only the Cannibal.
A closer look revealed that a massive chunk of flesh had been torn from Vhagar's neck.
Had it been any other dragon, such a bite would have been fatal. But its immense size had saved it from instant death.
The Cannibal, however, was in worse shape.
Two massive gashes had been ripped open in its underbelly, and scalding dragon blood rained down from above.
Its fearsome head bore deep claw marks, with a bloody wound running across one eye—fortunately, its green pupil remained intact.
Below, the streets of High Tide were in chaos. Soldiers rushed to mobilize, hurrying to deliver messages to the two towns on the island.
**"Meleys! Stop fighting and leave the battlefield!"**
By the light of the torches, Rhaegar spotted Rhaenys standing beneath the stone archway, calling up to the sky.
Among the battling dragons, aside from the unrelenting clash between the Cannibal and Vhagar, most were still engaged over High Tide.
The roars of dragons were deafening, drowning out Rhaenys's desperate shouts.
**"Screeeeech..."**
Meleys, known as the Red Queen, was a dazzling sight to behold. She and Quicksilver had hatched from the same clutch of eggs.
With her incredible speed, she darted unpredictably through the sky, playing Sunfyre like a fool.
Daemon had to be imprisoned, the Sea Snake needed to be taught a lesson, and the dragons had to be claimed by the royal family.
Rhaegar carried a heavy burden.
(End of chapter)