Dragonstone.
Daeron stepped off the wanton prince, setting foot on his family's ancestral land for the first time.
"Prince, watch out for the waves."
Davos offered a kind reminder, still concerned about the Prince's physical condition.
Daeron didn't want to dwell on his nightmares. He gave a perfunctory nod and looked around at the full view of Dragonstone.
He had a feeling.
He might have been targeted by 'Bloodraven', or rather, the three-eyed crow.
The three-eyed crow possessed the ability to send dreams.
In the original story, his eldest brother Rhaegar was obsessed with prophecies, and his father Aerys shouted 'Burn them all, burn them all' before he died; it was hard to say the three-eyed crow wasn't behind it.
Especially since the Targaryens were known for producing Dreamwalkers, receiving a dream-message might simply be attributed to natural talent.
"Is it because I changed history, or did the Dragon Language Farm attract him?"
Daeron couldn't figure it out and didn't dare to jump to conclusions.
Based on the limited information available, the other party seemed intent on guiding him.
The first time he found a dragon egg, the other party appeared in a dream.
Now that he had arrived at Dragonstone, the other party had appeared again.
"It seems I can't go to The Wall."
Daeron prioritized caution.
He made up his mind that whoever wanted to go to The North could go; he wasn't going anywhere near it.
Rumble!
The Black Stone Gates built into the cliff slowly opened. The garrison above was fully armed, staring down at the approaching group.
Daeron looked around, sensing that the atmosphere was off.
"Prince, they don't seem very welcoming toward you?"
Davos, who had read countless people, leaned in and whispered a warning in the Prince's ear.
"Don't be hasty."
Daeron signaled for them to stay calm and led the group through the gates of Dragonstone.
The Stone Drum Tower was built on one side of Dragonmont, connected to the coast by a winding and steep stone bridge. The end of the bridge was guarded by the Dragonstone city gate.
These were all constructed using the Dragonstone techniques mastered by the ancient Dragonlords of Old Valyria.
Even after passing the gate, there was still no one to greet them.
Daeron frowned.
He had sent a letter to Rhaegar in advance. No matter what, someone should have been sent to receive them.
Speak of the devil.
On the mist-shrouded stone bridge, a member of the Kingsguard in silver armor and a white cloak stepped out. He stopped in front of the group and said flatly:
"Everyone, please follow me."
Daeron remained composed and turned to meet Davos's gaze.
Davos understood instantly. He took a step forward and questioned, "A Prince of House Targaryen, the brother of Prince Rhaegar, has arrived, and you only send one person? Is this how Dragonstone treats its guests?"
When the master is insulted, the servant must act; he could not stand by and watch the Prince be slighted.
The Kingsguard stopped mid-turn, raised a hand to remove his helmet, and revealed a cold, hard face.
Oswell Whent.
Daeron recognized his identity at a glance.
This man was from House Whent of Harrenhal and was a die-hard loyalist to Rhaegar.
Oswell glanced at Davos. Not recognizing who he was, he curled his lip in disdain.
Then, he looked at Daeron at the head of the group:
"Prince Rhaegar has just returned from sea and is currently handling official business in the Chamber of the Painted Table. Please move to the Solarium first, Prince."
Handling official business?
What business could be more important than his own brother?
And the Solarium—Daeron had never even heard of it.
When did the Stone Drum Tower ever have such a structure?
"Don't take offense, everyone."
Oswell was polite in words but dismissive in attitude. He turned around and walked directly up the stone bridge.
"You...!"
Seeing the insolence of his fellow Kingsguard, Ser Jon couldn't hold back.
Daeron grabbed him and soothed, "Follow him for now. Don't be impulsive."
This was Dragonstone, Rhaegar's territory.
He had come to the island to ask for a favor; it was best not to start with a conflict.
"Prince, he is too insolent."
Ser Jon was fuming.
Under normal circumstances for a Prince, even if Rhaegar and Elia themselves didn't greet him, they should have sent the castellan or an honor guard.
How could they just throw out a single Kingsguard to lead the way and call it a day?
Besides, the Kingsguard represented the King. Could he represent Prince Rhaegar?
...Stone Drum Tower.
The so-called Solarium was a room on the sun-facing side.
The hard rock walls had been broken away and replaced with glass to form a sunroom, sweeping away the original gloom of the Stone Drum Tower. The entire room was bright and warm.
"Prince, please enter."
After Oswell opened the door, he stood motionless at the entrance.
Daeron gave the arrogant fellow a side-long glance, making a mental note of him, and strode into the Solarium.
As soon as he entered, the light refracted through the sunroom. The ground was filled with planted flowers and herbs.
The room's layout was also nice, with light-colored carpets, brown bookshelves, and various porcelains neatly arranged, making it look very elegant.
A beautiful young woman with smooth black hair, pale yellowish skin, and wearing a yellow Dornish dress with a high slit was standing in the room.
"You must be Daeron?"
Elia had been waiting for a long time and walked over with graceful steps.
She was very slender, yet her curves were striking. Under the revealing style of the Dornish dress, her shapely thighs were partially visible.
Daeron averted his eyes and asked, "Elia?"
Before this, the two had never met.
After his father Aerys's madness worsened, his desire to control his children became very strong, and he forbade them from seeing Dornishmen.
Elia smiled gently and took Daeron's hand. "It's me. I heard you were coming to Dragonstone, so I specifically wrote back to you."
"I hope I won't be disturbing you?"
Daeron looked at the soft fingers resting on his wrist, surprised by the difference of Dornish women, but he did not let down his guard.
Anyone who was slighted would not feel good.
Elia looked confused, then glanced outside the door and understood everything.
"I'm sorry, Ser Oswell didn't mean it."
Elia apologized and explained softly, "My uncle Prince Lewyn was injured, and Rhaegar is busy with other matters, so the atmosphere on Dragonstone is a bit strange."
Prince Lewyn was injured!
A flash of insight hit Daeron, connecting it to Rhaegar's trip to sea.
Prince Lewyn was one of the Kingsguard.
At the same time, he was the brother of the previous Princess of Dorne, and the uncle of the current Prince of Dorne, Doran Martell, and Elia.
"How is Prince Lewyn's injury?" Daeron asked with concern.
Elia felt a bit sad but didn't want to show it. She shook her head. "It's nothing serious. He just injured his lower leg. The Maester said he just needs to rest for half a year or so."
That was quite a serious injury.
Daeron nodded inwardly, having gained a rough understanding of the situation on Dragonstone.
He turned and signaled to Davos, who was waiting at the door. The latter handed over an exquisite gift box.
Daeron gave the gift box to Elia and said, "We were unable to attend your wedding with Rhaegar. This is a wedding gift from me, on behalf of my sister and brothers."
"Thank you."
Elia was slightly surprised; she hadn't expected a gift.
Daeron: "Open it and see. It should be able to help you."
Elia didn't know what to expect, but out of courtesy, she opened the gift box, which was printed with the three-headed red dragon and the Sun-and-Spear.
The box opened to reveal one gold-star strawberry and six silver-star strawberries.
"This gift is too precious."
Elia's expression froze.
As a Princess of Dorne, her knowledge was extraordinary, and she had seen countless treasures.
special crops were precious, but she never lacked them for consumption.
But precisely because of this, she knew the value of this gift even more.
special crops were already rare in number, and high quality was even harder to come by.
Seven high-quality fruits of the same variety, one of which was even of the incredibly rare gold-star quality—the meaning behind this was too great.
Daeron said solemnly, "Rhaegar said you are pregnant. I hope they can help nourish your body and assist you in a smooth delivery."