Chapter 217: Aegon's Rebellion
Half a month later.
**King's Landing, Old Gate.**
Rhaegar stood at the city gate, watching as a four-wheeled carriage departed into the distance.
A well-equipped escort followed behind the carriage.
"Sigh, the Riverlands remain in constant turmoil, and mediation has little effect."
Rhaegar let out a soft sigh before turning away.
Inside the carriage sat the Hand of the King, Lyonel Strong.
The standoff between House Blackwood and House Bracken continued to escalate.
Several large-scale skirmishes had broken out, each involving over a thousand men, disturbing the peace across half of the Riverlands.
Unable to bear the mounting pressure, old Lord Tully of Riverrun once again pleaded for royal intervention.
With no other choice, Viserys dispatched Lyonel to mediate.
---
Rhaegar strolled through the streets of King's Landing.
He was on his way to the Dragonpit.
Perched atop Rhaenys' Hill, the Dragonpit overlooked the city.
Traveling from the Old Gate toward the Riverlands, one had to pass through Silk Street.
Silk Street was the busiest marketplace in King's Landing, always bustling with people and noise.
Rhaegar walked alone through Silk Street.
With just a few glances, he noticed something different about the streets.
In the past, Silk Street was always filthy, yet the main roads remained relatively clean.
But today, the alleys and streets were littered with human waste.
A foul stench filled the air, hitting him with full force as he walked.
It was the peak of summer in July, and under the scorching heat, the stench of waste was overwhelming.
Rhaegar, with his keen senses, found it suffocating and hurried past.
Just as he left, the voice of a Gold Cloak rang out from behind.
"Public defecation is strictly forbidden! Violators will face heavy fines!"
"…!"
The only response was a chorus of curses from the common folk, chaotic and disorderly.
Rhaegar quickly pieced things together, realizing that Otto's policies were facing resistance.
"Just a little longer…"
Muttering to himself, he quickly left Silk Street.
---
**Noon, under the scorching sun.**
**Inside the Dragonpit.**
After handling some matters, Rhaegar descended the stairs.
Looking up, he spotted Jeyne cradling a baby dragon—Blizzard.
"Hiss—screech!"
Blizzard was still the size of a cat, its shimmering silver body crawling over Jeyne as it stretched out its tiny dragon head and let out a cry.
Jeyne beamed with delight, attempting to stroke the little dragon, but it kept eluding her grasp.
"Jeyne?"
Rhaegar spoke with curiosity, his gaze shifting between her and the dragon.
Blizzard was known for its bad temper.
Even Rhaenyra couldn't get close to it.
The dragonkeepers usually kept a shackle on one of its hind legs to prevent it from flying off or spitting fire unpredictably.
Hearing Rhaegar's voice, Jeyne turned her head, smiling brightly. "Rhaegar, this little dragon is adorable."
"It is… quite surprising."
Rhaegar stepped closer, astonished. "Blizzard doesn't seem to mind you."
Jeyne tilted her head in thought. "It's fine, I suppose. It won't attack me, but it won't let me touch it either."
"Hiss—screech!"
The moment Blizzard noticed Rhaegar, it let out another cry, flapping its wings and breaking free from Jeyne.
Still too small to fly properly, it wobbled through the air before landing on Rhaegar's shoulder.
Rubbing its tiny head against Rhaegar's cheek, it playfully tapped its hind legs against him.
Rhaegar patted Blizzard's head and turned to Jeyne with a smile. "This little one is quite picky… and a bit dangerous."
That was true.
Jeyne wasn't a Targaryen, so the fact that she could even approach Blizzard was remarkable.
The Targaryens had long intermarried with House Arryn.
Rhaegar's maternal grandmother, Daenella Targaryen, was the eighth child of King Jaehaerys I.
She had married Rodrik Arryn, the Duke of the Vale at the time.
Together, they had a daughter—Aemma Arryn.
Not long after giving birth, Daenella succumbed to childbed fever at the age of eighteen.
Aemma Arryn later married King Viserys I, giving birth to Rhaenyra and Rhaegar.
She died in childbirth due to a failed C-section.
Technically, Rhaegar and Jeyne were cousins, but their blood ties were distant.
Before marrying Daenella Targaryen, Rhaegar's grandfather, Donnel Arryn, had a previous wife.
That marriage produced three children.
After his first wife's early passing, Donnel wed Daenella.
Jeyne's father was the eldest son from Donnel's first marriage.
From that generation onward, the bloodline of the two families had diverged.
Jeyne carried no dragonlord's blood.
"Blizzard is a beautiful little dragon. I come to see it often," Jeyne said, her eyes soft as she gazed at both Rhaegar and the dragon.
Rhaegar avoided her gaze, feeling a chill run down his spine.
"Prince, a message from the Stepstones!"
At that moment—
Ser Erryk rushed into the Dragonpit, his expression urgent.
Rhaegar instantly snapped back to attention and stepped forward. "What happened?"
Over the past half-month, he had been flying between King's Landing and the Stepstones on Vhagar, ensuring everything remained in order.
Erryk handed over an unsealed letter, his voice grave. "The Three Daughters have hired mercenaries and launched a nighttime assault on Grey Gallows Island."
The letter had already passed through the Grand Maester and the King before reaching Rhaegar's hands.
He skimmed it quickly.
The kingdom still had over four thousand troops stationed in the Stepstones, primarily defending Bloodstone Island.
Grey Gallows, however, had weaker defenses and had now fallen back into the hands of the Three Daughters.
Aegon and Laenor had launched dragon raids, but the enemy forces had hidden themselves in caves, refusing to engage in open battle.
---
**Sent to inquire how to respond.**
Rhaegar slammed the letter against Eryk's chest and walked out without looking back. "I'll head to Bloodstone Island first to assess the situation."
Sensing his change in demeanor, Blizzard hastily jumped off his shoulder, flapping its wings as it flew away.
"Skreeee—"
The dragon lair's doors creaked open, a deep, bell-like roar echoing from the cavern's depths.
Rhaegar strode outside with large, determined steps.
The Glutton burst out of the cave, streaking across the sky like a black meteor over Rhaegar's head.
**Boom!**
The pitch-black figure landed heavily on the ground. Rhaegar quickly climbed the rope ladder, mounting the dragon to cross the Blackwater Bay.
---
**Bloodstone Island**
Amid the vast, boundless sea, a flash of black dragon wings swept through the sky, descending onto the desolate, rocky island.
"Cousin!"
"Your Highness..."
Rhaegar dismounted the dragon.
Led by Lannino, a group of commanders surged forward.
Rhaegar gave them a sweeping glance and got straight to the point. "We've lost Grey Gallows Island. Any other movements from the Three Daughters?"
Lannino shook his head. "None so far. They've been hiding in their caves, refusing to come out no matter what."
"Heh, looks like they're using the crab-feeder tactic," Rhaegar sneered with contempt.
It wasn't a clever strategy—yet oddly effective in island warfare.
Rhaegar didn't have a brilliant counterplan at the moment, but he had to maintain a confident demeanor to stabilize the troops' morale.
"Cousin, let's go inside the main tent."
Lannino leaned in and whispered near his ear, "Aegon's been in a foul mood lately, and House Manderly from White Harbor sent someone here to investigate."
"House Manderly?"
Rhaegar frowned.
He didn't care much about Aegon.
The brat was always lazy, spending all day patrolling on dragonback over Bloodstone Island—he was probably bored out of his mind by now.
But House Manderly was a different story.
They controlled one of Westeros's five major ports and were key bannermen to House Stark in the North.
At the start of the Stepstones War, Lannino had sought aid from House Manderly and returned with over a dozen warships and 1,400 soldiers.
During the battle for Bloodstone Island, the Manderly heir had conspired with Tyland and others, only to die amidst the chaos.
"Let's go see what they want," Rhaegar said, fully aware that their intentions were likely hostile.
---
Inside the main tent, Rhaegar immediately spotted three people with varying expressions.
Aegon, sulking angrily in a corner.
A rotund, half-gray-haired old man with bristle-like facial hair, gesturing animatedly as he spoke, saliva flying everywhere.
Across from him sat Weymond, his face dark and stiff.
Rhaegar's entrance drew the trio's attention.
"Rhaegar..."
Aegon's eyes lit up, briefly revealing joy before he quickly masked it.
He wanted to return to King's Landing. He had to reason with his older brother Rhaegar today.
"Prince Rhaegar, you're finally here!"
The rotund old man locked eyes with Rhaegar, aggressively closing the distance.
"Ser Wilson, keep your distance!"
Lannino stepped between them, firmly pressing a hand against the man's chest.
This old fool was like a rock in a cesspit—filthy and unyielding.
Rhaegar bypassed the two and sat imposingly at the head of the war table. "Ser Wilson, what brings you here?"
Lannino had briefed him on the way.
Wilson was the younger brother of the Lord of White Harbor, here to demand justice for his deceased nephew.
"Your Highness, my nephew died in service to the realm! Where is the culprit responsible for his death?"
Wilson's booming voice was filled with accusations, his gestures wild and erratic like a fishwife's tirade.
Rhaegar's expression darkened. He slammed a hand heavily on the table and roared, "Who sacrificed himself for the realm? And who is the so-called culprit?"
Wilson hadn't expected such an immediate outburst. His voice faltered as he lowered the volume slightly. "My nephew... he's dead..."
"I know your nephew is dead!"
Rhaegar barked angrily, "He led troops without authorization—that's treason! His death was justified."
What nonsense about sacrificing for the realm—what an absurd attempt to gild a shameful act.
Wilson's confidence wavered. "But... but he died on the battlefield."
"Of course he did! And if not for that fact, do you think I'd have overlooked his crime so easily?"
Rhaegar was relentless. "Remember this: his death was the consequence of his own actions. There's no glory, and no culprit."
He saw right through their ploy.
The heir of White Harbor was dead.
Meanwhile, Tyland and the other conspirators were alive and well.
So they'd come to cause trouble.
Rhaegar wasn't having any of it. He called to the guards at the tent entrance and ordered sternly, "Escort Ser Wilson out and remove him from Bloodstone Island."
"Your Highness, I represent House Manderly of White Harbor!" Wilson protested loudly.
Wilson hadn't expected the other party to be so ruthless, and his beard quivered furiously with anger.
Rhaegar said coldly, "If you want to question me, bring your brother here. House Targaryen will account to him."
"Now, get out!"
The guards, all members of the Second Sons, were eager to prove their loyalty to Rhaegar.
They twisted Wilson's arms, pinned his legs, and carried him out of the tent like a squealing pig.
The commotion ended abruptly.
The commanders stood wide-eyed and speechless, stunned into silence.
Rhaegar swept his sharp gaze across the group and said, "Now that the distraction is over, let's discuss serious matters!"
"Yes, Prince..."
The commanders snapped back to their senses and quickly took their seats.
After months of war, Rhaegar's decisiveness had only grown sharper.
As the crown prince, he temporarily held the position of naval commander.
In this vast realm, aside from his father Viserys, he was the most powerful man.
No one dared to shout at him.
...
Night fell.
The discussions concluded.
The commanders agreed to maintain a strategy of surrounding without attacking.
Patrol ships and dragons would blockade Grey Gallows Island, cutting off its supply lines.
No matter how much food the pirates had, they would still need fresh water.
They would eventually reach a breaking point.
The moment they made a move would be the perfect opportunity for a counterattack.
As Rhaegar left the tent, the night sky shimmered with countless stars.
"Rhaegar, I need to talk to you!"
Rhaegar was walking ahead when Aegon's voice called out from behind.
(End of Chapter)