Daeron took a closer look.
Hah!
Lord Haran had invited him to Harrenhal, with the note "keep it quiet."
"What does he want?"
Daeron couldn't suppress the corner of his mouth.
They say House Rivers is Rhaegar's die-hard loyalists, but I see their bottom line is quite flexible.
Maester Harvy was more cautious: "Your Grace, could Lord Haran be harboring ill intentions?"
Such as, secretly plotting harm.
"No, Lord Haran doesn't have the guts for that."
Barristan answered first, describing his impression of House Rivers: "House Rivers appears prosperous and splendid, but it's actually like oil on a raging fire—their situation isn't as good as outsiders see."
It's easy to guess.
During the reign of Maekar I, House Rothstein of Harrenhal became obsessed with black magic and descended into madness. House Rivers, as sworn knights to House Rothstein, helped quell the Harrenhal rebellion.
As a reward, Harrenhal was granted to them.
House Rivers achieved a leap in social class, but they couldn't change their origins.
Their current prosperity is largely thanks to the fertile lands around Harrenhal.
But how long can this peak last?
The widely circulated "Curse of Harrenhal," and the pressure from various Riverlands lords.
For House Rivers to sustain their glory, they must closely follow the royal family's footsteps.
That's why Oswell Whent joined the Kingsguard.
And between the Mad King and Crown Prince Rhaegar, they chose to follow Rhaegar.
"But the situation has changed now."
Barristan's voice was firm and resolute.
Daeron chuckled: "I have a dragon, so Lord Haran is getting timid."
The survival rule for nobles isn't to stick to one path blindly.
It's about playing both sides, not putting all eggs in one basket.
Barristan strongly agreed, saying: "To use an inappropriate example, the threat you pose now far exceeds that of Daemon Blackfyre in his day."
Daemon Blackfyre was called "the Warrior incarnate" and had the support of half the nobility in the Seven Kingdoms.
And that was without a dragon.
Daeron has a dragon.
He isn't Daemon Blackfyre; he's the next conqueror.
Even if the newborn young dragon hasn't grown up, Daeron is also younger.
Who can guarantee which prince will sit on the iron throne in the future?
Daeron asked knowingly: "Ser, do you think I should go?"
Barristan was as sincere as ever: "Wherever you are, I will protect you at the forefront."
That meant it was worth a try.
Daeron pondered: "We must prepare properly for the trip to Harrenhal and not act rashly."
This is a good opportunity.
If Lord Haran truly has thoughts of hedging his bets, it would be a heavy blow to Rhaegar's faction.
And Lord Haran, as a new noble in the Riverlands, is a core member of Rhaegar's faction.
He could bring Daeron a lot of convenience.
"Your Grace, there's a line here."
Maester Harvy suddenly paused, spotting a subtle point in the letter.
Daeron looked again and indeed found an inconspicuous passage.
It mentioned that Jaime Lannister was a guest at Harrenhal and had someone Daeron needed.
"The Forest Witch?"
Daeron thought of it instantly, then noticed something suspicious.
Why would Jaime go to Harrenhal for no reason? Shouldn't he be at Riverrun for a marriage arrangement?
Cersei had sent him a message to search for traces of the Forest Witch.
If he found her, he should have rushed to King's Landing to curry favor with Cersei.
"Could she have been detained by Lord Haran?"
Daeron speculated boldly.
Surely not.
Would Lord Haran dare to be so bold?
...
Riverlands, Harrenhal.
Jaime wore a sour expression as he approached Lord Haran for the third time, demanding the return of the Forest Witch.
But he hadn't even seen her.
The reply was: "The lord is busy preparing for the tournament; he'll give you news later."
"Damn it, Walder Rivers is deliberately making things difficult for me."
Jaime's handsome face darkened; he really wanted to leave without a second thought.
But the Forest Witch was still being held at Harrenhal.
His sister Cersei had sent him a message to search for the Forest Witch.
To please her, he asked Lord Hoster to search all over the Riverlands.
Finally, with the help of Lord Walder Rivers, they found the reclusive "Ghost of High Heart."
It's worth mentioning.
Lord Hoster's wife is some aunt of Lord Haran.
So, Jaime trusted Lord Haran.
Little did he expect that the other would detain the "Ghost of High Heart" privately under the guise of inviting him.
He wasn't restricted, but he couldn't bear to leave in disgrace.
"Just wait."
Jaime grew angrier the more he thought, gritting his teeth: "Don't let me find an opportunity, or I'll make you pay."
...
Bluegrass Hills.
Daeron inspected the construction progress of the Hall of Plenty with three young dragons.
"Hiss-screech!"
Coraxes circled in the sky, its molten-gold vertical pupils gazing down, casting wing shadows over the white marble structures below.
Two months had passed.
The drainage and foundation of the Hall of Plenty were complete; external masons had built the wall bases, and internal plans included facilities for a castle garrison.
"Not bad."
Daeron looked around, his gaze lingering on the residential area outside the Hall of Plenty.
His ideal fiefdom was to build a city.
The current residential area housed orphans taken in during the King's Landing clearance plan.
"Your Grace, let me show you the Dragon Guards."
Lord Manley straightened his back, proudly inviting Daeron to inspect.
He had stepped down from his position as Commander of the City Watch.
Currently, Daeron himself served as the chief commander, with Alliser as deputy commander.
As compensation, Lord Manley was honored with the position of Dragon Guards commander.
He was responsible for selecting and training the Dragon Guards daily.
"Let's go see."
Daeron had been thinking the same.
The Bluegrass Hills stretched east-west, with the Dragon Language Farm to the east and the Hall of Plenty to the west.
The Dragon Guards' camp wasn't placed on either side but on the open ground south of the Bluegrass Hills.
Backed by the farm, facing The Kingswood to the south.
As soon as they arrived at the camp, they heard the shouts of warriors training from afar.
Daeron turned his gaze.
Two squads of Dragon Guards, clad in black armor and equipped with various weapons like longswords, morning stars, spears, and flails—all tall and sturdy—were drilling on the training ground.
The Dragon Guards were founded during the reign of the "Old King."
The cause was when "Queen Dowager" Rhaenys Targaryen had three dragon eggs of the dragon "Dreamfyre" stolen. To prevent such incidents from recurring, the Dragon Guards were specifically formed to protect the dragons.
The Dragon Guards' equipment standard was full-body armor and various weapons.
Lord Manley quickly added: "As per your requirements, the recruitment standard for Dragon Guards prioritizes Dragon seeds, followed by clean family backgrounds, preferably with parents and siblings alive."
"They all meet the requirements."
Daeron nodded: "You've done well, my lord."
Hearing this, Lord Manley felt ashamed: "You flatter me. After all this time, I've only recruited fifty-six people."
Daeron understood.
The Dragon Guards watch over dragons; loyalty is the primary guarantee.
Dragon seeds are scarce to begin with, and filtering makes it even harder to find them.
Among these fifty-six, some are scions of Velaryon and Crownlands nobles.
Daeron noticed a silver-haired Dragon Guard.
A handsome young man with silver hair, yellow eyes, and fair skin, he was the strongest among the Dragon Guards, having single-handedly knocked down several newly trained comrades.
Lord Manley introduced: "That's Lord Luthor's nephew. He's upright and has never oppressed commoners."
"From House Velaryon."
Daeron was impressed, saying: "Lord Luthor is really willing to invest heavily."
After the Dance of the Dragons ended.
The Targaryen Family declined, and House Velaryon wasn't far behind.
Sending a direct bloodline to serve as a Dragon Guard shows Luthor dares to gamble.