The next day, at dawn, Viserys and his extended family arrived at the Dragonpit.
As soon as they entered the bronze gates, Aegon leaped out, boasting, "Who wants to ride a dragon with me?"
"Tsk!" Jaehaerys and Baena looked at him with disdain.
"You two, get on the boats!" Aegon fumed.
The siblings snorted, ignoring the childish gesture.
"Be quiet! The Dragonpit is not a place for you to play around." Laena approached, earnestly admonishing the siblings to be respectful.
Aemon paid no mind, simply enjoying the fun. As the newest dragon rider of the royal family, Aegon had reason to be proud. He was a bit cocky, though. It was a heartwarming scene, but few present took it seriously. This was especially true of young Aegon and Aemond, who were trailing behind the group.
Little Aegon was five years old, precocious and full of ideas. Upon learning of his mother's death, he nearly fainted from tears yesterday afternoon. This morning, he woke with a pale face, as if he would collapse at any moment. After much pleading, the king's finally allowed him to accompany them to see his mother one last time.
Aemond, on the other hand, was simple-minded and sensitive.
"Well, save your energy," Viserys said calmly, his mood uneasy. "I've told the dragonkeepers to feed your dragons today."
Everyone nodded and headed for their dragonpits. Soon, several dragons crawled out to the open space outside their lairs.
Just as they were about to depart, Helena's eyes flashed, and she suddenly said, "Wait a moment."
"What's the matter?" Viserys stopped, his voice gentle. He had always been patient with his little daughter, who seemed to have a talent for dream-walking.
Helena said nothing, walking alone towards a dragonpit.
"Sister!" Aemond exclaimed, trying to stop her. He had nearly entered the dragonpit himself not long ago.
Helena ignored him and continued on her way.
"Aemon!?" Viserys and Alicent looked worriedly at Aemon, the most experienced dragon handler present.
Aemon's eyes narrowed slightly. "Trust her."
Riding a dragon is a matter of chance. At sixteen, his grandfather, Baelon, entered the tourney as a masked knight, defeating several formidable foes. After his defeat, he removed his helmet and was publicly knighted with honor. As if by fate, he rode back to King's Landing that night, entered the Dragonpit, and easily mounted the masterless Vhagar.
Helena was twelve, the proper age for dragonriding. All the others could do was let her do it.
Everyone watched Helena's back disappear into the dark depths of the Dragonpit, their hearts hanging in the balance.
Time ticked by. After what felt like a lifetime, Viserys's face darkened, his leather-gloved hands clenching and unclenching at his sides.
"Is there danger?" Alicent whirled, her face thick with worry.
"Be patient," Aemon patted her hand, urging her to wait. No movement deep within the Dragonpit meant it was safe.
"Sister." Aemond stared blankly at the pitch-black Dragonpit, his face dazed.
Boom—
Suddenly, a heavy, muffled sound echoed from the depths of the Dragonpit, as if emanating from some immense being.
"Shhhhh!"
Accompanied by a resounding dragon roar, the entire pit's entrance began to tremble, shaking off a fine, rustling cloud of dust.
Everyone tensed instantly. Viserys and Otto, each on either side, shielded Alicent, who threatened to burst forth.
A moment later, the Dragonpit was illuminated by a blazing flame, a mixture of orange and pale blue. A majestic, pale blue dragon head emerged. Following it, a massive, sturdy body emerged, its forelimbs pawing at the ground with pale blue wings.
"Roar—"
Dreamfyre's pupils pierced the darkness, and she raised her head, letting out a low roar as her full form materialized before everyone. Anyone who beheld this elegant pale blue dragon would have thought it was less than formidable. As the second-generation dragon of the family, and older than Vermithor and Silverwing, Dreamfyre's size was already impressive enough. The dragon's head alone was larger than a house. When it completely emerged from the Dragonpit, its pale blue form filled a corner of the dragon's lair.
Aemon stepped forward, taking a closer look at the long-unseen pale blue dragon. Dreamfyre now measured over seventy meters from head to tail, a full circle larger than Silverwing in the Lonely Mountain dragon's lair. Clearly, it had never stopped growing.
"How beautiful!" Jaehaerys exclaimed.
Tap, tap, tap...
A familiar sound of footsteps echoed through the Dragonpit, now shrouded in the darkness of Dreamfyre's fumes.
"Helena!"
Alicent immediately spotted her daughter behind the dragon. Helena was now dusty, her neatly styled silver-gold curls now disheveled, a single strand of hair sticking out from her crown. Her pure, flawless purple eyes made it impossible to harbor any desire for harm.
"Hiss!"
Dreamfyre growled, dropping down before the silver-haired girl. Helena was startled by this, a smile playing on her lips as she gently reached out to touch the dragon's nose. Dreamfyre didn't refuse, gladly accepting the girl's touch.
Everything was as calm as water, yet seemed perfectly natural.
At this moment, Aemon: ...
No, Dreamfyre, why didn't you even offer a fight? You gave yourself up so easily? You weren't like this when we were together.
Dreamfyre seemed to sense something, glancing back at the envious Prince. She instantly recognized the handsome silver-haired young man as the once mischievous silver-haired cub. She snorted hard, then continued to enjoy the girl's touch without a care. The message was simple and clear.
Not my cup of tea.
Aemon's expression was blank, jealousy distorting him beyond recognition.
"Success? Good heavens!" Aegon looked surprised, his lip curled in forced indifference.
It's just a nearly century-old, massive, magnificent adult dragon that lays eggs.
His Sunfyre is... beautiful too.
"We should be able to get closer." Viserys was the first to get impatient, stepping forward with a smile. If one of his sons had tamed Dreamfyre, he might have been furious. But when his daughter Helena tamed Dreamfyre, he considered it destiny. It couldn't be better.
"Let's go and see it together," Aemon's voice was hoarse, determined to relieve his passion by stroking Dreamfyre.
It was too gender-biased. This was a gendered knight, a knight!
Helena hugged Dreamfyre's dragon head, both dragon and rider delighted in their newly formed bond.
"Can the Dragonpit provide a saddle for Dreamfyre now?" Viserys asked eagerly.
The elderly dragon handler nodded earnestly and ordered the younger one to fetch the saddle Dreamfyre had used before.
With her rider's comfort, Dreamfyre was surprisingly docile. The saddle was quickly installed. It was an expensive saddle made of black steel, a special fragrant wood, and padded with white snow leopard fur with black spots.
"Isn't that fur rotten?" Aegon asked sourly.
"If you can't talk, shut up." Rhaenyra glared, sparing him the embarrassment.
Dreamfyre's first owner was Rhaena Targaryen, the Queen Mother, the beloved daughter of Aenys I, the second king of the family. The materials used for the dragon saddles were the finest and most precious of the time. The only saddles that could rival them were the black steel saddle Aemon currently used and her own special saddle.
The black steel saddle came from old Valyria and once belonged to Balerion, the "Black Dread." Her saddle was simply a gesture of her father's love, giving her the best. So much so that after Aegon tamed Sunfyre, the saddle's material wasn't inferior, but simply not on the same level. After all, using gold for the saddle was something only Aegon, a vain man, could have dreamed up.
"This trip to Dragonstone will allow the family to bring another dragon," Viserys said to his youngest daughter, a surge of emotion. "Helena, ride your Dreamfyre and show everyone."
Helena hesitated for a moment, then, with Aemon's help, climbed onto the dragon's back. Unlike her brothers, she had never received formal dragon training. Taming Dreamfyre was a spur-of-the-moment decision. Now, waking from a dream, she felt apprehensive about riding the dragon into the sky.
"Relax, fasten the saddle chain," Aemon instructed carefully. "Trust the dragon beneath you and follow your instincts."
Dreamfyre was clearly a dragon she would protect, and would never do such a rebellious act as kidnapping a young girl and killing her.
Balerion, I'm talking about you!
"Thank you, cousin," Helena said honestly.
Aemon waved his hand, signaling that she could take off.
Helena nodded, imitating him by patting the dragon's back.
Rumble—
Dreamfyre stood up and slowly climbed out of the Dragonpit. As she walked, she raised a cloud of dust. When the sun's rays shone before her eyes, the blue sky was serene.
Helena took a deep breath, her chest slightly puffed out, and shouted softly, "Take flight, Dreamfyre!"
"Shhh!"
Receiving the rider's approval, Dreamfyre roared to the heavens and, with a push of its legs, soared into the air. Decades had passed before a human was once again carried aloft.
It was a morning in King's Landing. Citizens walked the streets, busy with their daily lives.
Suddenly, a shadow passed overhead. Looking up, they saw a giant, pale blue dragon spread its wings and soar, neighing excitedly as it soared. At first, the people paid no attention. The dragon Dreamfyre resided in its lair year-round, occasionally taking flight with the king's permission.
But this time was different.
"Look, there's someone on the dragon's back!"
Sharp-eyed people quickly spotted a slender figure crouching on the dragon's back as it glided sideways.
"It's Princess Helena!"
"It's really Helena, the king's daughter!"
The people shouted, waving at the dragon in the sky and cheering for the silver-haired girl atop it. They were the noble inhabitants of King's Landing, not the peasants of the rest of the Seven Kingdoms. Dragons might be a mystery to others, but those who lived in King's Landing could witness a royal family taming a dragon almost every few years. Every additional Targaryen dragon rider represented a further strengthening of the kingdom's power. Their prosperity depended entirely on the protection provided by these powerful dragons.
At the entrance of the Dragonpit, Aemon heard the roaring cheers from beneath the hills of Rhaenys and smiled as he gazed at Dreamfyre circling above King's Landing. He had to admit, Helena and Dreamfyre were a perfect match. He sincerely hoped that Dreamfyre would find a good rider, free from the gloom of the Dragonpit, and regain her right to soar freely.
Dreamfyre's past was too bitter. Her fate was similar to that of her first rider. Queen Rhaena Targaryen, the Queen Mother of the West, was the eldest and most beloved daughter of King Aenys I, and from birth she was showered with love and affection. The same was true for Dreamfyre. At the time, Queen Visenya retreated to Dragonstone, and Vhagar followed his master away from King's Landing. King Maegor I, estranged from his brother and sister-in-law, had taken Balerion, the Black Dread, far from home. The only remaining royal figure was the young dragon, Silver, who had accompanied Aenys I since childhood. Silver was the only offspring of Meraxes.
Therefore, Dreamfyre's hatching symbolized the infusion of fresh blood into the royal family and was considered an auspicious omen. Aenys I celebrated with a grand feast in King's Landing, distributing food to the common people. This treatment of one person and one dragon is rare in history. A true parallel would be the equally favored Rhaenyra and Syrax.
However, their fates were diametrically opposed. While the births of Rhaenyra and Dreamfyre were a moment of glory, their subsequent paths were both downward. Rhaena, without inheritance rights, was early betrothed to her brother, Aegon the Uncrowned, with whom she bore twin daughters. When Maegor seized power, the siblings were surrounded and nearly killed by civilians. Rescued, unwilling to lose the throne, they sneaked back to King's Landing in search of the dragon. Rhaena rode Dreamfyre, imprisoned in the Dragonpit, and Aegon the Uncrowned tamed their father's dragon, Silverlight, on the spot.
It all sounded thrilling, as if they were about to defeat their tyrannical uncle and reclaim the Iron Throne. However, Aegon the Uncrowned and Silverlight were soon slain at the Battle of Gaixia at God's Eye. Balerion, the Black Dread, easily tore young Silverlight apart, along with Aegon the Uncrowned on his dragon's back.
Thus, Rhaena and Dreamfyre were left with nothing but tragedy. A woman who should have been queen... the "Queen of the West," or rather, a queen. Forced into marriage by her uncle, Maegor, she earned the nickname "The Black Bride." After Maegor I's death, not only did she lose her inheritance rights, but her twin daughters were also ostracized from the family. She stayed at various fiefdoms along the way, repeating the cycle of being received, coveted, and then expelled.
With nowhere else to go, she surrendered to her brother, King Jaehaerys I, and sought residence on Dragonstone, the fiefdom that should have belonged to her brother and husband, Aegon the Uncrowned. In middle age, betrayed by her lover and then her third husband, and with the deaths of her twin daughters, Rhaena lost all hope, her life shrouded in darkness.
Leaving her heartbroken island, she found refuge at Harrenhal. The owner of Harrenhal was poor and frail, and the two remained friends for years. Upon his death, he bequeathed Harrenhal and its modest possessions. Of the vast Harrenhal, only Rhaena and a handful of servants remained. It is said that in her later years, Rhaena's hair had turned gray, leaving her a solitary old woman. The ignorant locals nicknamed her "the White-haired Witch."
But her greatest joy was the daily anticipation of travelers passing through Harrenhal. She would arrange a decent meal to entertain him, but due to her status and pride, she would not chat with him for too long and would go back to her room to rest. The next day, the passengers departed, and the next arrived, and the wait returned. And so, the lonely journey ended.
Dreamfyre had accompanied its master for years, residing in the dilapidated attic of Kingspyre in Harrenhal. After Rhaena's death, she was taken back to the Dragonpit and imprisoned there for decades. It wasn't until Aemon entered the Dragonpit that she was freed from her chains, allowing her to return to the skies periodically.
Today, "You've finally found your destined master," Aemon said with a smile, his eyes unusually gentle. He seemed happy for his friend, who had been alone for half a lifetime and finally found companionship.
"Shhh!"
Vermithor suddenly roared, flicking his tail sideways, nudging his foolish rider.
You're celebrating too soon.
"Vermithor, you wretch!" Aemon's sentimental drama was interrupted, and he erupted in anger.
Vermithor refused to yield, his fierce aura making all the dragons present bow down.
Why are you nudging me and not others? Look for the problem within yourself. I've flown with you for so many years, and that enchanting dragoness only rejected you once when you were little.
At the end of the month, Dreamfyre won MVP.
Vermithor is a capable fighter, a master of the game!
"You, you, you…" Aemon pointed at the bronze dragon and snarled, "You're so cruel!"
Noon.
Mud Gate.
A royal ship, its horns clashed with its head, set sail for Dragonstone, just outside Blackwater Bay.
"Hiss—"
"…"
A bronze dragon soared through the sky, its massive brown wings shrouding the clouds, protecting the ship below. Flanking the bronze dragon were four dragons, two large and two small.
Vhagar, with her imposing presence, flanked the ship's port side, stirring up a gust of wind with each flap of her broad, slightly ripped wings.
Dreamfyre flew in front, a mere black dot from a distance, yet her immense size was still evident.
Two young golden dragons trailed behind, forming a supporting horn.
The five dragons accompanying them were a truly impressive display.
"The children have grown up," Viserys said proudly, standing at the bow, gazing at the dragons galloping along. All three of his children had become dragon riders. No longer needing to rely on others, he, the king, could stand tall and give orders.
"The others will follow suit," Alicent said with a smile.
Meanwhile, Aemond, Jaehaerys, and a group of other little ones were on the boat, gazing enviously at the dragons as they gradually sailed away.
"What do you think of marrying Helena to Aegon?" Viserys suddenly blurted out.
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