Chapter 296: The Old Father's Mistake
Viserys was stunned upon hearing those words, looking at his eldest son in surprise.
He studied him for a moment and realized that his son was not joking.
Viserys' smile faded, and he fell into deep thought.
**Have you ever considered taming another dragon?**
The answer had long been clear in Viserys' heart: **"Of course!"**
After all, the first time he tamed a dragon, he had chosen none other than Balerion the Black Dread—the oldest and largest legendary dragon of the time.
That decision alone spoke volumes about his youthful arrogance and boldness.
Unfortunately, his experience with dragon taming mirrored his path to inheriting the Iron Throne.
He had taken shortcuts, planting the seeds of future trouble.
At that time, Balerion was over two hundred years old, well past his prime.
His decline was not like Vhagar's slow aging, but more like the fading twilight of a setting sun—on the verge of death.
Weakened by age, Balerion resisted all commands and feedings from his dragonkeepers.
No one dared—or even thought—to approach and attempt to tame him.
Until one day, the legendary dragon crossed paths with young Viserys in the Dragonpit.
Perhaps Balerion saw something in Viserys.
Or maybe, after a lifetime of war and conquest, the mighty dragon yearned for one last flight.
Man and dragon locked eyes, forming a tentative bond.
At that point, Balerion was rarely fully awake, yet when Viserys urged him to take flight, the dragon struggled to lift off and spread his wings.
In Balerion's final days, they soared three full laps around King's Landing.
Viserys once admitted that he had wanted to fly Balerion back to Dragonstone, so he could pass away there.
But the old dragon was too weak for long-distance travel. In the end, he carried his rider for one last flight before collapsing in the Dragonpit six months later.
Flashes of these past memories crossed Viserys' mind, making him shake his head with a wry smile.
**"Taming dragons isn't child's play. At my age, I am not fit to be a dragonrider."**
Taming a dragon was a dangerous endeavor.
In times of peace, even if Viserys himself wanted to attempt it, the Small Council would never approve.
If the dragon went berserk during the taming process, their king could end up as dragon food.
**"Father, while traveling in Volantis, I discovered a lost dragon-taming secret unique to the greatest dragonlords."**
Rhaegar's expression was serious as he spoke of the long-forbidden spell of House Baleris.
He carefully omitted his journey to the Smoking Sea and the dangers he had faced, weaving a story of pure luck instead.
Viserys' expression shifted, his sharp eyes scrutinizing his eldest son.
By the time Rhaegar finished, Viserys' suppressed emotions suddenly erupted.
Gripping Rhaegar's wrist tightly, his voice carried unmistakable fury:
**"Rhaegar, tell your father the truth. Did you enter forbidden lands and take reckless risks?!"**
He didn't believe a single word of the so-called **"lucky coincidence."**
House Baleris was one of the most powerful dragonlord families during the era of the Freehold—far beyond House Targaryen's reach.
How could such valuable knowledge from such a supreme lineage be casually discovered?
Considering Rhaegar's near-disappearance in Volantis for almost a month, only one possibility came to Viserys' mind—**the Smoking Sea and the ruins of Valyria.**
Caught off guard by his father's interrogation, Rhaegar's eyes flickered, hesitating to speak.
Viserys, uncharacteristically sharp and perceptive, caught even the smallest details.
He turned to his daughter with a stern gaze.
**"Rhaenyra, do you know anything about this?"**
As their father, Viserys knew better than anyone how close Rhaegar and Rhaenyra were.
Rhaegar rarely kept anything from his sister.
Rhaenyra lowered her head, unable to meet her father's gaze, remaining silent.
**"Father, don't make it difficult for Rhaenyra. This was my decision alone."**
Realizing there was no avoiding the truth, Rhaegar chose honesty, openly admitting his actions.
Under his father's piercing gaze, he carefully omitted the most dangerous parts and gave a vague summary of his journey to the Smoking Sea.
Viserys listened with growing fury.
Even with the dangers downplayed, he could still sense the immense risk.
He jabbed a finger at his son's forehead and spent the next **hour** angrily berating him.
The royal chambers echoed with the furious shouts of the king.
Rhaegar was scolded so harshly that he wished he could bury his face in Rhaenyra's arms.
Rhaenyra, as his accomplice, was not spared either and endured her fair share of reprimands.
It wasn't until Viserys' throat grew hoarse and dry that he finally stopped.
He was **truly** enraged by his son's recklessness.
The **Smoking Sea** was the kind of place where, out of a thousand who entered, perhaps **one** might return.
He had no intention of losing his eldest son and being forced to name another heir.
After a long pause, Viserys drank the water Rhaenyra handed him, clearing his throat as his anger subsided slightly.
Rhaegar glanced at Rhaenyra, who was now acting obedient and considerate, and gritted his teeth in frustration.
**Father was already exhausted—why did you have to help him recover?!**
Noticing Rhaegar's expression, Viserys snorted and gave him a scrutinizing look.
Rhaegar assumed another scolding was coming and kept his head down, staying silent.
But instead, his father's voice carried **suspicion** rather than anger:
**"Does the forbidden spell truly help with dragon taming?"**
Rhaegar carefully raised his head, watching his father's expression.
**"Stop staring and answer me."**
Viserys' face was dark as he repeated his question:
**"Now that you've learned the secret technique, do you have full confidence in taming a dragon?"**
Rhaegar thought for a moment before shaking his head.
**"Not necessarily. Dragons are highly intelligent creatures—they also choose their riders. The forbidden spell is merely a safeguard."**
If he had discovered a **flight spell**, he might have had a **30% chance** of success.
The **forbidden spell**, however, was meant to **calm** dragons, reducing their aggression and preventing them from incinerating him on sight.
Hearing this, Viserys finally felt a weight lift from his chest.
He let out a sigh of relief.
**"Good. The harder it is to tame dragons, the more stable our family's position remains."**
House Targaryen was the **last** surviving dynasty of dragonlords, and their rule depended on dragons.
If a mere spell could ensure taming, it would be **disastrous**.
If the technique ever leaked, countless Targaryen bastards or distant Valyrian bloodlines could seize the opportunity to steal the dragons of **Dragonstone**.
A shiver ran down Viserys' spine at the thought.
He turned to Rhaenyra.
**"Are the dragonkeepers and Dragonstone's guards sufficient?"**
Rhaenyra nodded.
**"There's no issue. The dragonmount is constantly patrolled by the Dragon Guard. No one can approach unnoticed."**
Since the discovery that some dragonkeepers had been bribed, Dragonstone underwent a thorough purge of its dragonkeepers and Dragon Guard, ensuring strict enforcement of duties.
Viserys was finally at ease, and he couldn't help but think about what his eldest son had said about taming dragons.
After some hesitation, he found a way to continue the conversation: "I remember… there are still three dragons on Dragonstone?"
Rhaegar's eyes flickered briefly before he calmly replied, "Yes! Vermithor, Silverwing, and Sheepstealer."
Then, as if just remembering, he added, "After the Kingswood Hunt, I promised to take Aemond to Dragonstone to tame a dragon."
"If none of those three choose him, we can retrieve Grey Ghost from the Isle of Faces."
That way, he would have four dragons to choose from.
Viserys cleared his throat, ignoring the teasing tone in his son's words, and responded seriously, "Taming a dragon is a significant matter. I will consider it carefully."
Rhaegar lowered his head, pressing his lips together to suppress a smile.
He knew that no one could resist the temptation of taming a dragon.
Leaving his father deep in thought, Rhaegar grabbed Rhaenyra and hurriedly slipped away.
They had been scolded harshly tonight—neither of them wanted to linger a moment longer.
---
Time flew by, and a month passed.
Outside King's Landing, along the Kingsroad leading to the Kingswood, a luxurious white carriage moved slowly.
Ahead, Kingsguard knights in white cloaks rode on horseback to clear the path, while behind, cavalry carrying banners of the three-headed red dragon followed closely.
Inside the carriage, Viserys, draped in a black cloak, was in high spirits. "Isn't this great? Our whole family going to the Kingswood together—to celebrate and seek adventure?"
He sat on the soft couch on the left side of the carriage. To his right, drowsy-eyed Aegon leaned against him, while to his left, Helaena sat neatly dressed.
Alicent sat facing the carriage door, with young Daeron lying beside her.
Rhaegar and Rhaenyra naturally took the only remaining couch on the right, with the quiet and reserved Aemond squeezed in beside them.
Hearing their father's question, the six children remained silent.
The atmosphere grew awkwardly quiet.
Rhaegar nudged Rhaenyra with his shoulder, and the siblings exchanged amused glances.
Finally, it was Alicent who displayed the grace of a devoted wife and mother, gently replying, "It's wonderful. We haven't been to the Kingswood in a long time."
Clunk—
Just as she spoke, the carriage jolted violently over a rock.
Alicent, caught off guard, trembled slightly, her pale red fox fur cloak shifting as she tightened her hold on the sleeping Daeron.
"Pfft…" Aegon couldn't hold back a laugh and quickly covered his mouth.
Seeing this, Viserys gave a sheepish smile and fell silent.
There was a reason things had come to this.
For the journey to the Kingswood, led by his eldest son Rhaegar, all the children had unanimously agreed to travel on dragonback.
Even Aemond, who had no dragon of his own, wanted to ride Sunfyre with Aegon and soar through the skies.
Viserys had firmly opposed the idea, insisting that the Kingswood Hunt should be done on horseback. He stubbornly used his veto power.
And so, the mighty dragonriders found themselves squeezed into a carriage—though, at least, it was spacious.
"Screech—"
A sharp dragon cry echoed from high above, not far from the carriage.
Aemond's eyes lit up. He quickly pulled back the curtain and peeked outside.
In the vast blue sky, several dragons of varying sizes spread their wings and soared.
Leading the way was the jet-black dragon, Vhagar. Behind her, the golden Sunfyre and the fiery-orange Dreamfyre playfully chased one another.
Whoosh—
A flash of pale blue streaked past—it was the graceful she-dragon, Moondancer.
"Skreee!"
Farther back, Tessarion, her deep-blue scales glistening with copper undertones, flapped her wings hard, letting out a high-pitched cry as she struggled to keep up.
Aemond gazed at the sight in awe, whispering to himself, "So beautiful…"
Because of their father's orders, the young dragonriders had been denied the chance to fly.
But Rhaegar wouldn't let things end so easily.
He had secretly released several dragons from the Dragonpit to guard their riders and accompany the carriage to the Kingswood.
Hearing the dragons' calls, Viserys clicked his tongue in mild frustration.
With dragons, his children were beginning to challenge his authority.
Rhaegar glanced out the window before turning to his father with a grin. "Father, this hunt in the Kingswood is meant to send a message to the Stormlands' lords. How can we not bring dragons?"
Helaena was the first to respond. Her neatly tied bun bobbed up and down as she nodded enthusiastically.
She didn't want to be stuck in a carriage—what a waste it was to have dragons and not ride them!
"That's right! Rhaegar is absolutely right," Aegon chimed in, raising his hand as if stirring up trouble was the most entertaining thing in the world.
Even little Daeron, half-asleep in Alicent's lap, opened his eyes and gave a small, cooperative grunt.
He was still young and rarely had the opportunity to ride a dragon.
Finally getting the chance to travel with his older siblings, only to be grounded by their father—it was utterly disappointing.
**(End of Chapter)**