The next day.
King's Landing, Mud Gate.
Daeron yawned, waiting for the large ship to dock.
He only went to sleep at 2 AM last night.
As soon as he arrived in King's Landing, he was dragged over by the Hand of the King to represent the royal family in welcoming the guests.
Who else could do it when his father, Aerys, was acting like he was possessed?
Usually, he huddled in the Dragonpit and didn't come out; I heard his recent research topic was the fashion of the ancient valyrians.
"Truly a fine quality of perseverance."
Daeron complained inwardly.
Qarlton approached and whispered a reminder: "Prince, mind your appearance. The one coming this time is Prince Oberyn, the younger brother of Prince Doran."
"Just a Red Viper."
Daeron's reaction was flat.
Qarlton choked for a moment and said sheepishly: "After all, he is Princess Elia's younger brother. We cannot lose our manners."
O
Daeron rolled his eyes in his mind.
If it weren't to welcome Elia, he would have learned from his father and teacher and wouldn't have come at all.
Elia gave birth late last year.
She gave birth to a daughter, named Rhaenys Targaryen.
The baby was very fragile and did not set off for King's Landing immediately.
It was now April.
Little Rhaenys had safely passed five months and could now make an appearance before the nobles of the Seven Kingdoms.
The minister beside him advised: "With the birth of Princess Rhaenys, Prince Rhaegar's supporters are increasing, and his influence has reached a new high."
Daeron scoffed.
With a dragon, he had long been in an invincible position in this competition.
Even if that Iron Throne were passed to Rhaegar, he would eventually have to clean up the mess.
It was enough to maintain a calm mind.
Woo—!
Two large ships docked, and the sailors blew their horns.
Many noble lords had come to welcome the Princess of Dorne and the little princess of the royal family, crowding the entire harbor so much that there was nowhere to step.
Soon, Elia's familiar figure appeared under the protection of guards.
She was still so delicate, but having given birth once added a bit of charm and grace.
When she reached him.
Daeron looked at her arms and asked, "Is this my little niece?"
"Yes, her name is Rhaenys Targaryen."
Elia's face was somewhat pale, perhaps from seasickness or the toll of childbirth, but she spoke of her daughter with a face full of gentle smiles. O
At her gesture, Daeron pulled back a corner of the swaddling clothes, revealing a chubby baby face.
Little Rhaenys's physical features followed her mother's.
Black stubble of hair, olive skin.
At this moment, the little one was sound asleep, completely unaware that her uncle was observing her.
"Very cute."
Daeron poked the bouncy cheek and escorted Elia into the city.
He thought to himself that, as expected, the firstborn takes after the mother.
An unwritten law of the House Targaryen.
When a male marries a foreign woman, the physical characteristics of the first child born are basically inherited from the mother.
"She doesn't look like a Targaryen at all."
Daeron felt a secret pity.
After settling Elia and her daughter, Queen Rhaella also disembarked with the third brother Jaehaerys and the youngest brother Viserys.
"Second Brother!"
"Second Brother—"
The two little ones had been away from home for more than half a year. As soon as they saw their brother Daeron, they pounced on him like swallows returning to their nest.
Daeron picked up one in each hand and asked with a smile, "How was life on Dragonstone?"
Jaehaerys said with a bitter face, "It was okay."
Viserys sniffed. Now a year older, his ability to express himself had improved, and he said bluntly, "They're all Dornishmen, it stinks."
"Viserys, shut up!"
Queen Rhaella spoke up to stop him.
Viserys's little face turned pale, and he hid behind his brother.
Seeing his brother being scolded, Daeron said calmly, "Let's go home."
A wheelhouse had already been arranged to send the family back to the Red Keep.
Queen Rhaella said nothing and stepped into the white-painted wheelhouse.
After waiting a while longer.
A messenger dressed in Dornish attire came forward, his accent unpleasant: "Noble Prince, you don't need to wait any longer."
He stated that Prince Oberyn disliked formalities and had already set out before dawn; he was already in King's Landing.
"Oh?"
Daeron remained calm and said, "So, it seems a viper can crawl in anywhere."
Playing this game with him.
With a glance from the corner of his eye, Alliser, who was maintaining order, immediately understood.
Shortly after.
Daeron led the Dornish messengers through the city gate.
These Dornishmen represented Prince Doran, first to visit the Princess of Dorne, Elia, and second to have an audience with the Iron Throne.
"Prince, we found a suspicious person in a brothel in Flea Bottom."
A squad of Gold Cloaks blocked the way and dropped a bright yellow embroidered outer garment unique to Dorne.
They had stolen it while the suspect was busy in bed.
The Dornish messenger's pupils contracted; he clearly recognized the owner of that garment.
Daeron chuckled: "Don't worry about it. King's Landing is full of rats; it's just another viper catching rats to eat."
The Dornish messenger's expression suddenly turned ugly.
He never expected the Iron Throne's control over King's Landing to be so high.
Just after saying Prince Oberyn was in King's Landing, his location was found so quickly.
"Let's go."
Daeron flicked his horsewhip and said, "I don't want to keep my father waiting."
In the afternoon.
Daeron returned to the Red Keep from the Dragonpit.
Upon inquiry, he found that Elia had not been summoned by his father and was temporarily staying in Rhaegar's original chambers.
"As expected."
Daeron had anticipated this.
After more than half a year, the Dragonpit was nearing completion, with only the domed roof and the inspection of the drainage channels remaining.
His father Aerys took the opportunity to make things difficult, demanding that Toothless be confined in the Dragonpit.
This way, he could be with the dragon every day without having to look at his second son's face.
Daeron completely agreed and also settled Caraxes and Tessarion there.
However, none of the three dragons were restrained by chains.
Five hundred and thirty Dragon Guards were stationed on Rhaenys's Hill, taking shifts twenty-four hours a day to guard the Dragonpit and protect the safety of the young dragons.
—Well, they couldn't be called young dragons anymore.
Caraxes was the largest, over ten meters long, and could be considered a sub-adult dragon.
Once its body length passed the twenty-meter mark, it would be comparable to the adult dragons recorded in the family history.
The growth speed of Tessarion and Toothless was not slow either.
They were both roughly the size of a warhorse, meeting the initial requirements for riding.
But they had no riders and would not follow instructions from anyone other than Daeron.
Whoever approached without permission would be burned by fire.
"Once a dragon enters the sub-adult stage, its growth rate will gradually slow down."
Daeron recalled the contents of the books as he walked.
A dragon's life is roughly divided into the hatchling stage, sub-adult, young adult, prime, and adult giant dragon.
Except for the hatchling stage, the growth rate slows down in each subsequent stage.
Throughout the family history, only three truly adult giant dragons have appeared.
"The Black Dread" Balerion, Vhagar, and "The Bronze Fury" Vermithor—
The first two were the founding giant dragons and were truly old dragons.
Vermithor was less than a hundred years old, but its size was remarkable, so it was recorded.
The remaining dozen or so giant dragons were all less than a hundred years old, and most were in their prime.
After the Dance of the Dragons, they all perished.
"I'm not afraid; special fish can feed any dragon to its limit."
"If Caraxes grows up, it will be the most promising existence to surpass the 'Black Dread' Balerion."
There was a fire in Daeron's heart.
Once this fire was released, it would surely become a prairie fire.
Knock, knock, knock!
.
He knocked on the door, received a response, and pushed it open.
Daeron stood at the door and saw Elia sitting by the window, breastfeeding her daughter.
Ashara stood by her side, her brows furrowed.