Chapter 103 The Conspiracy of the Dragon and the Rose
270 AC, the Riverlands
Rhaegar rode the Silver Dragon through the sky, drifting like a boat without a mooring, swaying with the wind.
Behind the Silver Dragon, two more dragon shadows streaked across the sky like flames: one deep black, one bright purple.
For the first time in a century, dragons danced above the Riverlands once more.
Rhaegar rode his dragons, preparing to return from the Riverlands to the Crownlands.
After leaving Harrenhal, Rhaegar also visited Riverrun, seat of House Tully. As for other places in the Riverlands—Seagard, seat of House Mallister; Raventree Hall, seat of House Blackwood; and the Twins, seat of House Frey—there was no time to visit. He had spent too much time training the young dragons at the Gods Eye, but it was worth it. However, with the Stepstones war raging, he could not remain in the Riverlands for long.
The Riverlands encompass vast plains, forests, hills, and countless rivers. It is a fertile land, yet also a battleground where blood flows freely and wars are frequent.
Rhaegar looked down upon the three great forks of the Riverlands; it was their dense network of waterways that nourished the region.
The Red Fork rises in the hills of the Westerlands, flowing past Riverrun.
The Blue Fork springs from the western highlands and runs northward toward Seagard.
The Green Fork flows down from the Neck and past the Twins, where House Frey prospers from river tolls.
Rhaegar reflected that the Riverlands had long been fragmented. Under King Harren Hoare, called Harren the Black, they stretched from the Iron Islands to the Blackwater Rush, with Harrenhal at their heart. But after Aegon I Targaryen's Conquest, the Crownlands were carved from its eastern reaches, leaving the Riverlands exposed on all sides.
Rhaegar would remember the warmth of the Riverlands: resilient warriors, peaceful fishermen, and devout smallfolk. After the war in the Stepstones ended, he intended to return and explore the Gods Eye and Stone Hedge, seat of House Bracken, once more.
Rhaegar recruited six hundred additional men in the Riverlands, mostly second sons of noble houses, bastards, and well-fed sons of prosperous farmers—sturdy material for soldiers. Yet his greatest gains were not men, but runes: the Rune of the Tree and Fire Sight.
Aside from Harrenhal, he discovered no further traces of runes elsewhere in the Riverlands.
The military situation in the Stepstones was dire. The Lyseni and pirates firmly held Bloodstone and many of the islands. They had hired sellswords from Myr to occupy lesser isles. The straits were blocked with wooden palisades, leaving only narrow passages controlled by Lysene captains and pirate lords.
The Lyseni exiles had largely abandoned hopes of returning to Lys, instead styling themselves kings of the Narrow Sea. They extorted passing merchant ships, demanding coin—or beautiful boys and girls as payment—provoking outrage throughout the realm. King Jaehaerys II Targaryen had received numerous petitions.
Rhaegar knew that King Jaehaerys II had dispatched Lord Tywin Lannister, Prince Aerys Targaryen (the crown prince), and Ser Steffon Baratheon to lead the royal fleet. Yet without dragons, a naval war in the Stepstones would become a grinding, protracted conflict.
Upon the back of the Silver Dragon, Rhaegar summoned blue flame, shaping it into symbols:
Longsword. Greatshield. Warhammer. Tree.
Each rune possessed unique properties.
The Rune of the Tree was extraordinary, slowing aging and enhancing vitality. Combined with the essence he called the Fountain of Youth, its effect was remarkable.
These powers, bestowed upon young dragons, would become a nightmare for the Lyseni and pirates alike.
Originally, Rhaegar had worried about the Stepstones campaign. With the Rune of the Tree and Fire Sight, he now believed victory could be swift.
Yet one mystery lingered: the fate of Alys Rivers. If she yet lived—and if she had indeed borne Aemond's child—her whereabouts remained unknown. Had she hidden somewhere in Westeros? Or crossed the Narrow Sea to the Free Cities?
The dragons flew from the Riverlands back toward the Crownlands.
Rhaegar chose not to land in King's Landing, but instead at Maidenpool, seat of House Mooton, north of the capital.
He gazed upon tranquil Maidenpool. If the ancient Valyrian arts of fused black stone could be recovered, a dragon tower might be raised here. Such knowledge, however, survived only in places like Volantis, with its mighty Black Walls. Perhaps his contact there might uncover secrets.
Maidenpool was now ruled by Lord Bryan Mooton. Grateful for Prince Rhaegar's favor—and with many young men of Maidenpool joining Rhaegar's Dragon Camps—the town had become a firm supporter of the prince. The memory of House Darklyn's former dominance in the region had faded.
At Mooton's hall in Maidenpool, several distant guests awaited, each lodged separately.
The first to present himself was Lord Mace Tyrell, Lord of Highgarden and Lord Paramount of the Reach.
Mace Tyrell was broad-faced and florid, brown-haired and large-eyed, clad in green velvet adorned with the golden rose of House Tyrell.
"It is a great honor to see Your Highness. I am willing to offer my humble strength and utmost loyalty," Lord Mace declared.
"I am grateful for the loyalty of House Tyrell," Rhaegar replied with a smile.
Mace's personal abilities mattered less than his resources: the wealth of Highgarden and the powerful fleet of House Redwyne of the Arbor.
"With Your Highness leading, I shall command the Redwyne fleet along the coast, sweeping pirate strongholds before joining Prince Aerys and Lord Tywin. A pincer attack will destroy the Lyseni and their corsairs," Lord Mace proclaimed.
With the Iron Islands relatively quiet under Lord Quellon Greyjoy, House Redwyne could commit more ships without fear of reaving along the western coast.
"Indeed," Rhaegar said. "With House Tyrell and House Redwyne beside us, victory shall be swift."
Lord Mace beamed, already imagining songs sung in Highgarden of his valor.
"However, there remains one concern, Your Highness," Lord Mace added more cautiously. "If we sail along the coast of Dorne without proper sea charts, the whirlpools and shoals may prove dangerous."
At that moment, a Dornish envoy entered.
Rhaegar had ensured the envoy of House Martell, ruling princes of Dorne, was housed separately, for the Reach and Dorne had seldom been friends.
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