Time flew by, and half a month passed in the blink of an eye. During this time, King's Landing bustled with activity.
Thanks to Viserys's deliberate publicity campaign, news of Aemon's recovery of the dragon eggs and Rhaenyra's pregnancy spread throughout the Seven Kingdoms.
A special tourney was held to commemorate the event.
As nobles from across the Seven Kingdoms rushed to King's Landing, the city mobilized a large number of craftsmen to Harrenhal in the Riverlands.
As early as Aemon and Rhaenyra's engagement, Viserys promised to set aside a territory on the shores of the Gods Eye Lake where they could build a palace for their honeymoon.
Before the arrival of the warm winter, the craftsmen and materials were transported there.
. .
Mudgate.
Galleons from Slaver's Bay flew the three-pointed ensign of the dragon and eagle and docked at the harbor. Their sailors were dispatched to unload the heavily laden ships.
Three dragons crossed Blackwater Bay, soared over the city wall, and landed in the dragon's lair.
"Bless the Seven Gods! His Royal Highness has finally returned!"
Aboard a modest cargo ship, Taelan's face was filled with excitement as he formed a seven-pointed star with his hand across his chest.
Trade and marriage.
He had been putting it off, afraid to return to King's Landing and fearing that the king would blame him for his presumptuous actions. It was only with the return of His Royal Highness that he dared to sail back from the Stepstones.
Such bitter tears.
. . .
The Red Keep.
Aemon traveled in the White Wheel and arrived at the gates of the Red Keep.
Viserys came out to greet them as soon as the door opened, along with the princes and nobles.
"Aemon, my good nephew," he said.
Viserys smiled a prepared smile and opened his arms to greet them.
Although it was beneath the king's dignity to come out in person, who could stop him?
After all, he was welcoming his great-nephew, a great contributor to the Seven Kingdoms.
"Uncle," Aemon said, offering a generous hug.
"She hasn't lost weight or darkened. It seems all is going well."
Viserys made a small joke, unable to hide his thoughts, and peered out the wheelhouse window. "Where's Rhaenyra? Did she give you any trouble on the way?"
"No, she's going to have a child soon," Aemon said with a teasing smile.
The look in her uncle's eyes was filled with anticipation.
He couldn't be more eager!
Rhaenyra emerged from the wheelhouse with Laena at her side, helping her out.
Such meticulous care only made Rhaenyra feel awkward.
"How's it going, Rhaenyra?"
Viserys immediately let go of his nephew and rushed to his daughter.
Aemon's face fell. "Okay, okay! This isn't your good nephew anymore."
"I'm fine. The maester said I'm fine," Rhaenyra replied, her voice a mix of laughter and tears.
"Really?"
Viserys sniffed skeptically and frowned. "Did you ride a dragon back?"
Riding a dragon while pregnant was incredibly daring.
Everything was safe, thanks to the Seven Gods.
Rhaenyra rolled her eyes and said, "You're never happy when I ride a dragon."
The father and daughter always quarreled when it came to dragons.
Aemon waved, signaling to Ser Stevie, the driver, to bring out a large box.
"What's this?"
Viserys asked, his attention drawn to Aemon. He looked at his nephew inquiringly, a vague suspicion forming.
Aemon smiled and nodded, indicating that things were going just as he expected.
"Open it and take a look."
Viserys perked up, unwilling to wait even a moment.
With a click, the box opened to reveal six petrified dragon eggs piled on hay.
Viserys picked them up and examined each one intently, as if he were seeing newborn Rhaenyra for the first time. His eyes were filled with joy and hope.
Retrieving the lost dragon eggs was something that not even his grandfather had been able to do.
He had accomplished so many great things during his tenure. As expected of him!
"These eggs are very old and have lost their ability to hatch," Aemon whispered.
"That's fine. The fact that they can't hatch is good news," Viserys said cheerfully.
He looked beyond the surface, considering more.
Ideally, all the dragon eggs in the Sea of Smoke would be petrified so there would be no chance of them hatching. That way, they would be safer.
"Where's the other egg?"
Viserys put down the last egg he'd examined. His eyes still gleamed as if he were waiting for the main course after the appetizer.
"Wait a moment."
Aemon returned to the wheelhouse, pretending to search. Behind his back, he grabbed the golden-nosed rat and forced it to remove the perfectly preserved green egg.
The little creature resisted fiercely.
"Squeak, squeak!"
Translation: A rat's life counts!
"Is this it?"
The green dragon egg fell into Viserys's hands. He held it above his head and examined it carefully.
After a moment, a strange frown settled on his face. He whispered, "How come the dragon eggs from the Sea of Smoke look just like ours?"
He'd expected them to be larger and rounder, a testament to the mystical power of Old Valyria.
"Then it's a dragon egg, too," Aemon said, speechless.
Targaryen eggs, or Old Valyrian eggs, were all dragon eggs.
The Targaryen eggs had been brought from Old Valyria in the first place.
Vhagar was hatched from one of those eggs.
This clutch of dragon eggs must have come from a more powerful dragon family and undergone more rigorous training.
The resulting dragons might be superior to Targaryen dragons.
However, he couldn't expect much difference.
"You're right."
Viserys nodded vigorously, though regret still tinged his tone.
It couldn't be helped; he'd expected too much.
Come to think of it, the family's dragons weren't bad.
Not to mention Balerion. He was a dragon beyond the ordinary.
Even the surviving Vhagar was a formidable dragon.
A slightly younger one:
Then there was "Bronze Fury" Vermithor, who would soon pass the century mark, his might resounding across the Fjords.
. ...
Well, now Slaver's Bay knows it.
Of the three generations of dragons, Caraxes and Meleys were both formidable mature dragons, hatched from the same clutch of eggs.
Given time, they would be no less powerful than the aforementioned dragons.
According to the stories his grandfather told him about Old Valyria, the family's dragons weren't poorly bred. What was lacking was the family's foundation.
Powerful dragon lord families possessed more sophisticated dragon-controlling techniques and could even influence the dragons of weaker dragon lords.
In contrast, the Targaryens' dragon-controlling methods relied on shouts and whips.
They weren't on the same level.
"Keep it safe. It's an Old Valyrian breed, after all."
Viserys returned the lush green dragon egg, quite concerned about it.
The Targaryens of Old Valyria couldn't obtain eggs from other dragon lord families.
Another small accomplishment!
Viserys thought gleefully.
Aemon took the egg, glanced at Viserys briefly, and said, "I'll have someone look after it. After Rhaenyra gives birth, I'll place it in her cradle."
He immediately declared ownership.
Viserys was slightly startled, then instinctively glanced at his daughter.
Rhaenyra took Aemon's hand and said, "Yes, Aemon and I decided this together."
She liked the egg, too.
"Very well," Viserys said after hesitating for a moment. "But you'll have to think it over carefully. This egg is incredibly old, after all."
"It's all right. We'll find a way," Aemon smiled.
"I've prepared a welcome feast for you."
Viserys changed the subject.
After handing the dragon eggs to the handlers, they entered Maegor's Holdfast together.
As Aemon walked around, he suddenly felt that something was wrong.
Beneath the princes' and ministers' enthusiastic expressions, it seemed as if they were deliberately concealing something.
They deliberately didn't tell him.
Or rather, they were deliberately avoiding telling him.
"What happened during the time I was away from King's Landing?"
Aemon pondered secretly.
Soon, he discovered something.
The sea snakes were all in the crowd, but Daemon, who was supposed to be in King's Landing, was nowhere to be seen.
After thinking about it for a while, Aemon figured out the key.
Before setting off, Daemon had mentioned that the new bride of Lys was pregnant and that he wanted to give her legitimate status.
It was likely a ten-month pregnancy followed by a single birth.
His little prisoner was born in the coolie reserve.
That wasn't surprising.
Given Daemon's personality, it was hard not to stir up trouble.
Aemon's lips curled up slightly.
He'd always felt uncomfortable watching Rhaenyra scold her half-brother. He thought she was too kind.
Now she was pregnant too.
Let's set an example for Rhaenyra about the exploitation of unscrupulous capitalists.
His Highness never wastes a grain of food.
After dinner, Viserys took his daughter and nephew to the queen's chambers for a small gathering.
After dinner, Viserys took his daughter and nephew to the queen's chambers for a small gathering.
They were chatting happily when Cole, the guard, knocked on the door.
"Your Majesty, the Grand Maester wishes to speak with you."
Viserys reluctantly replied, "I understand." He said goodbye to the children and left to attend to an urgent matter.
The atmosphere suddenly cooled as he left.
"Three months?"
Alicent asked, a smile breaking across her pretty face.
Rhaenyra nodded. "Soon."
"Great! Although your year-end wedding was rushed, it'll be just enough time to cover up the baby bump."
Alicent glanced at Rhaenyra first, her eyes looking rather complicated.
Then she looked at Aemon, who was playing with little Daeron.
Reason told her that Rhaenyra was pregnant.
As a stepmother and a close friend, she should do her utmost to protect her.
But selfishness took over, and Rhaenyra's still-flat belly seemed to glow.
It was like a cold, flashing needle constantly dangling before her eyes.
She wished she could break it!
"Are you okay?"
Seeing her lost in thought, Rhaenyra raised her hand and waved it in front of her face.
"Ah? Very good."
Alicent came back to her senses, feeling half ashamed and half panicked. She tried to hide it and forced a smile. "Your baby is still unstable. Pay attention to your diet. Remember not to overeat."
"Really? I've got that."
Rhaenyra looked at her strangely.
On the brown blanket beside them,
Aemon was lying on his side, one hand cradling his cheek and the other holding down the rebellious little Daeron.
He watched their conversation unfold.
Compared to the clueless Rhaenyra, Alicent was clearly more preoccupied. Her thoughts, however limited, were practically written on her face.
Aemon wasn't worried about what Alicent might do.
She was classically stubborn, a trait largely attributed to her uncle, Viserys.
She was a good person.
Even if she harbored evil intentions, she wouldn't dare act on them.
She couldn't even overcome her own inner struggles.
Just like now.
She practically buried her face in her chest, exuding an aura of embarrassment.
As the one-and-a-half-year-old Daeron defied his cousin's dictatorship, his older siblings whispered quietly.
"Sister, there's little Daeron in my belly," said the clever Aegon.
"It's the baby, not Daeron," said Aemond, who constantly challenged his brother.
After Aegon was overpowered by Rhaenyra and beaten in front of his siblings, Aemond became bolder.
"Before Rhaenyra, you, Aegon, were the eldest brother, and I couldn't compete with you.
Now, with Rhaenyra, we're both younger brothers.
Let's hurt each other!"
Aegon glared at him and smugly said, "Daeron is the baby. The one in my sister's belly is also a baby. So it's like there's a Daeron in my belly."
Perfect logical consistency.
Aemond was speechless.
He looked like he was on the subway, either looking at an elderly person or checking his phone.
"Ignore him," Helena, who was fiddling with a butterfly specimen, suddenly interrupted. Without turning around, she said, "Arguing with a fool will drag you down to his level."
Aegon was unbeatable in this regard.
Aemond pouted in agreement with his sister.
"Idiot!"
Aegon, unable to argue, responded directly.
However, no one paid him any attention.
"Haha, interesting."
Aemon watched with relish as he peeled a banana and stuffed the peel into little Daeron's crotchless pants.
I hope the Green Party's children grow up quickly.
Even for a half-green, he could have some fun nurturing them.
"I'll have someone find some small clothes and diapers that Daeron used before so you can use them later."
On the other side, Alicent finished her speech and smiled again.
Rhaenyra shrugged, indicating it was no big deal.
Of course, after having a child, you should use the best, freshly made ones.
Who wants to use other people's leftovers?
"You'll understand later."
Seeing that she didn't care, Alicent smiled and stood up, telling people to prepare.
Aemon's eyes turned, and he let go of the tired little Daeron and followed.
It was not far, so there was no need to go outside.
Some small clothes filled the box and were placed in the bedroom.
Alicent saw him following her and looked at him in surprise.
"What's the latest news in King's Landing?"
Aemon smiled.
Alicent hesitated, glanced at Rhaenyra, who was rubbing the fruit plate in the living room, and considered whether to tell him.
"Go ahead," Aemon said.
Aemon was very calm. "You know my ability to find out information. You'll find out sooner or later."
"I really can't do anything about you."
Alicent sighed softly and explained everything in detail.
After listening, Aemon fell silent. He thought and closed his eyes.
With a single click and three actions, he was speechless.
Daemon was not a good person.
But his purpose was clear.
He was just disgusting.
Was he seeking revenge against his uncle for not allowing him to dissolve his marriage?
Aemon suddenly laughed.
People really do laugh when they are speechless.
Children?
And they're still doing this?
"Viserys just left. I guess he received a response from Lys," said Alicent as she rummaged through the boxes.
Aemon: ...
Alicent dragged out a small box, wiped her forehead, and turned to ask, "Do you think Daemon will come back?"
Aemon: ...
It's hard to say.
Given Daemon's temper, he might choose to fight to the end just to anger his uncle.
But he also cares about his family.
Even Daemon wouldn't be able to sleep if his uncle threatened to expel him.
"Let him be."
Aemon shook his head, his expression serious. "But the dragon egg must be returned."
If Daemon is truly capable, he will ask his uncle to dissolve the marriage.
If he wants to marry another woman and have a child he likes, that's his decision.
Aemon doesn't care if Daemon finds a stepmother or has half-brothers.
He has the means and patience to train them to be his right-hand men.
However, he has no status, yet he snatched a dragon egg and placed it in the cradle of his illegitimate child. He is undoubtedly on the lowest rung of the Targaryen ladder.
If he wants to be decent, he should return the dragon egg.
If he doesn't, Aemon will help him.
If His Royal Highness can retrieve a dragon egg from Slaver's Bay, then he can retrieve a dragon egg from Lys.
It just so happens that he wants to test the weight of "Bloodworm" Caraxes.
Aemon's eyes were determined.
---------------
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