"So the dragons awaken once more," a soft voice rang.
Rhaegal was starting to become annoyed with dark spaces. This was only the second time that he was finding himself in one, but he was over it already.
This dark space resembled the one from before, only now it was more clear. Yes, a clearer darkness.
Rhaegal did not understand it either.
He was floating this time rather than standing, but he was too tired to move. He allowed himself to drift through the empty space.
"There is enough time. Just observe."
Rhaegal did not know who was speaking, but he had no time to question the voice as the dark space was suddenly filled with a barrage of images.
'No, not images. Visions,' he realized.
There were many. None made clear sense.
He saw an icy wall with winter roses. He saw a falcon and a wolf together, standing in opposition to a huge red dragon. He saw another dragon in the distance, a black one this time. It looked injured but still very much alive. A lion and a stag were running together, not as hunter and prey. But as…companions? A kraken arose from a giant sea only to be consumed once more by a giant raging storm raining thunder from the clouds.
The visions continued to flash one after the other. Rhaegal wasn't sure if he caught all of them. It wasn't just his body that was tired. His mind felt exhausted too. He wanted nothing more than to just close his eyes and sleep.
"Hmm. So you can feel tired. I suppose the ritual was taxing even for someone like you. Given the outcome, the price you paid was practically nonexistent."
Despite his exhaustion, Rhaegal had enough energy left in him to curse as the visions began to fade and he was once again floating in the dark empty space.
"You're saying much for someone who's too afraid to show themselves."
At least he could tell that the voice was female as opposed to before.
"Afraid?" The voice was right beside him this time, but there was still no one there. "No. Unfortunately, your mental defenses are still too much for me. Just doing this much is taking all of my concentration. The combination of your weakened state as well as the dragon dreams allowed the glass candle to finally penetrate, but only slightly."
Rhaegal wanted nothing more than to just sleep, but he forced himself to pay attention.
"You. You're the one that's been watching me all this time."
"I'm only one of many, young Targaryen. The world is changing. Now that dragons have returned, the world will continue down the path of magic. With your birth and the return of the dragons, magic will be strengthened to an unprecedented degree. Even the wolf mages of the past would struggle to contain your potential."
Wolf mages?
"Be warned. Many will come to lust after your dragons. For they are fire made flesh, and fire is power. I'm sure you must understand this simple truth by now."
Rhaegal would have chuckled if he could. "There are many who will be afraid, I know. But I care not for such things. I will burn any who try to harm me and mine."
"Hm. Be careful that your fire does not consume you, Targaryen."
Was it just Rhaegal's imagination or was the voice showing concern for him?
"Who are you?" He needed to know.
"Now is not the time. If you wish for us to speak again, then what you seek lies in the Citadel. An acquaintance of mine shall soon return there. He knows the importance of your birth."
The importance of his birth?
Rhaegal wanted to laugh. "Are you another who believes in prophecies?"
The voice did not answer this time.
Maybe it was because he was too tired, but Rhaegal still felt the need to call her out.
"There are no more prophecies in this world. Not after I came into existence. So whatever you think you're doing here means nothing. There are no more songs."
It was petty to feel this vindicated over something so meaningless, but Rhaegal did not care. It felt good to say it.
"...I know."
The two words caused Rhaegal's mood to sour again. He frowned.
"You know?"
"The red priestess you keep in your company, along with her order, will tell you otherwise. They will fill your head with tales of grandeur and prophecy, but even their flames can no longer glimpse into the future, for the future that they have been striving toward no longer exists."
They knew that much? Rhaegal had just discovered this truth!
This voice…this person, just who were they?
"However," it continued, "just because the old songs have been erased does not mean that a new one cannot be written. For we still face the same enemy, and it does not care for prophecies or heroes."
"The darkness, is it?"
"That is one way to describe it."
"So that's what you want from me?"
"I will try to show you the way."
Such a direct non-answer.
"I will not be your puppet."
There was no answer again.
And there wouldn't be, as Rhaegal felt his mind finally succumb to the realm of the unconscious.
---
"This one is yours, brother."
"Brother, are you sure? I thought…with the three heads of the dragon-"
"I already told you. I don't care for your prophecy. Besides, this little one already made its choice clear. It's why you had those dreams. And dragons choose their riders, not the other way around."
Those had been Rhaegal's words to Rhaegar before he passed out. He had given Rhaegar one of the newly hatched dragons, and Rhaegar could not contain the happiness in his heart.
Just like the Targaryens of old, Rhaegar was going to be a dragon rider.
Even now, as their group returned to Deepdown, that happiness continued to ring true as he watched the hatchling devour a large piece of roasted meat. The baby dragon was white, but its scales had red markings running on the sides. Its wings and horns were also of the same red color. The red reminded Rhaegar of blood, but it was still a sight to behold. The bright red eyes that occasionally glanced around the room were also full of mystique and allure.
The others were watching the baby dragon in awe as they gathered in the main hall of the keep. Lord Celtigar had marched their forces back to the keep so as to not overextend their lines. Now that the dragons were secured, there was no reason to have their forces camped out in the middle of the island.
Even with the wondrous occasion before them, the reality of the world still reared its ugly head.
And the reality was that they were still in potential hostile territory.
"My word, it's beautiful," Mace whispered as he watched the hatchling eat with clear fascination. "Look how it moves! I never thought I would see anything like this!"
"Heh, I never thought that I would live to see a day like this either. Dragons, walking among us. No one would believe it unless they saw it for themselves."
Despite Oberyn's bravado, Rhaegar could tell that the Dornish prince was very shaken up about what had occurred in the cave. They all were. They had witnessed something that was thought to be impossible.
There was no rational explanation for what had occurred. A miracle had happened, a miracle that was only possible because of magic.
Ser Brynden forced himself to tear his eyes away from the baby dragon to address Rhaegar.
"My prince, what is our next move?"
Rhaegar glanced toward the hall that led into the rooms where Melisandre had taken his unconscious brother along with the two other dragons. Both Ser Gerold and Ser Barristan had stationed themselves by the door of Rhaegal's room, standing watch until he woke up.
The red priestess had said that his brother only needed rest, and Qyburn had confirmed that he was merely sleeping. Physically, he seemed to be fine, so now it was only a matter of waiting until he regained consciousness.
The magical ceremony must have been taxing, for it was the first time that Rhaegar had seen his brother be so exhausted.
"We wait until the man of the hour wakes up of course!" Oberyn said with a shake of his head. "We can't actually move with him being like that, can we?"
Arthur's eyes were fixed on the dragon as he said, "Representatives from the two other houses are coming to meet with prince Rhaegal as well. We cannot leave until he hears what they have to say."
That was also true. Rhaegal hadn't told Rhaegar what his ultimate plans were for Skagos, but Rhaegar doubted that his brother planned on leaving the island alone. Many times he had confided in Rhaegar how he felt like the North was full of potential that was being squandered. Unfortunately, the Targaryens of the past had been more than happy to just ignore the North as long as it remained loyal.
Perhaps that had been a mistake.
Whatever the case, Rhaegar would follow his brother's lead. He had little reason to doubt him, and he wasn't going to start now.
"All we can do for now is wait. Then we can ask our questions," Oberyn said drily as he leaned back in his seat, trying to remain aloof.
Rhaegar did not miss the way he kept glancing at the baby dragon, however.
"I'm going to get some fresh air." Tytos announced his exit as he walked out from the main hall.
Rhaegar watched him go in silence. It was hard for him to know what his distant cousin was thinking. Ever since they had come back, Tytos had been the most quiet out of the group, looking unsettled most of the time.
'I doubt he'd tell me anything.'
They were not that close.
"My prince." Mace's voice caught Rhaegar's attention. The lord of the Reach was looking at the baby dragon with open admiration. "Have you chosen a name for it yet?"
A name?
Hmm. Now that he thought about it, Rhaegar had in fact not chosen a name yet. In all of the excitement of having his own dragon, Rhaegar had completely forgotten one of the most basic things.
Naming it.
Looking down, Rhaegar studied the dragon for a few moments. The hatchling for its part continued to chew on its meal, making purring-like sounds at times.
To think that this little being would grow into a ferocious beast. It was hard to imagine.
Still, a name. What would be most fitting for his dragon? Whitefyre sounded too obvious, and Rhaegar did not think that it was appropriate. There were many names that came to his mind, but one immediately stuck out to him.
"Aegorax."
The baby dragon paused mid-bite as it looked up at him. Rhaegar stared back without shying away.
Despite being so small, there was a great amount of intelligence behind those eyes. The fact that it had picked up on its new name like that….
'Fascinating.'
The only thing to wonder now was if it was a male dragon or a female dragon. Records show that there was no way to truly know, not unless the dragon laid eggs.
Time would tell.
In his heart, Rhaegar considered the newly dubbed Aegorax male. Why? Just a feeling.
Arthur held back a laugh. "Aegorax, you say? I swear, once you have a son of your own, you'll probably end up naming him Aegon as well."
Hmm, maybe. It was a good name. Shame so many had misused it over the years.
The others all just accepted the name with grace while the newly named Aegorax returned to his meal.
A new dragon had just been named. A dragon that signaled the start of a new era. This day would surely go down in history.
Rhaegar could not imagine himself happier than he was right now.
---
Melisandre didn't bother to hide her nudity as she embraced the sleeping Rhaegal in his room. Her robes had remained intact for the most part despite the intensity of the flames, thanks to her own protections, but she was going to need a change of clothes once she returned to her room.
At least her "injuries" had healed.
The two baby dragons were sleeping soundly between her and Rhaegal. The two had curled up against the other, behaving with a sense of familiarity that was somewhat surprising to see. She was sure that they were snoring too.
One of the dragons was as black as the night, but its scales had streaks of a vivid green color. It reminded Melisandre of wildfire if she was being honest. Its eyes were of similar color, and they were a sight to behold. Its wings were also of a dark green color, but its horns were a very sharp white.
The other baby dragon was more slender in appearance, its scales a pale blue color. However, there were silver markings dotting its body as well, which just made it appear all the more delicate and graceful. Its wings were also the same pale blue color, but its curved horns were silver. From what she had been able to see, the hatchling's eyes were silver as well.
Three dragons, all laid by the infamous Cannibal of legend. They had been awakened using a powerful combination of fire and blood. In her heart Melisandre knew that these three dragons would grow to become powerful beasts in time.
It made her heart beat in excitement for reasons she could not understand but did not dwell on.
Qyburn was shaking his head at her as he scribbled down in his journal. He had taken a seat by the door as he wanted to watch over the sleeping Rhaegal to make sure that no complications arose. And if something did come up, then he wanted to be close and ready to act.
His loyalty was admirable.
"You have little shame I see, my lady."
Melisandre's gaze drifted to him as she ran her hands over Rhaegal's short hair. She knew that the man had not looked at her nude form even once.
"Do you see a problem with my actions, Qyburn?"
Out of respect, Melisandre no longer addressed him as "maester." Those gray rats could disappear for all she cared.
"Commenting on the prince's preferences is far above my station, my lady."
Melisandre chuckled. "You misunderstand. The prince has never asked me to warm his bed. This is a first for me."
"Oh? Taking advantage of his weakened state? Some might call that dangerous."
"Some might," she agreed. "And yet, here I am."
Qyburn looked up from his journal. His eyes met hers. They never once wandered.
"You have placed a great deal of faith in the prince."
"As have you."
"I have learned a lot."
"About your science?"
"Beyond that." Qyburn looked pleased with himself. "For so long, the Citadel has dismissed magic as nothing more than a dark art of the past. I see it as a gateway to better understand ourselves. When we return, they will not be able to dismiss the truth."
"You underestimate the pride of people, their inability to admit their mistakes," she said as she hugged Rhaegal closer to her chest. "Even now, they secretly despise our prince. They are fearful of his future."
"Oh? Are you referring to the spies that they have tried to smuggle into Dragonstone?"
"That's just the first step of many, Qyburn. They want to monitor him, to study him. To hinder him if possible. They fear what they do not understand. And the prince has never given them a chance to get close to him."
Qyburn rubbed his chin as he hummed. "I admit that my order has little interest in magic and its applications, but to say that they would hinder the prince is-"
"A fact." Melisandre smiled, but it was full of mockery and scorn. "I have seen what could have happened if I were not present. They would have acted boldly and tried to ensure that our prince was alone."
"Hmm?" Qyburn's eyebrows furrowed. "What do you mean?"
"Prince Rhaegal was born of the union of Aerys Targaryen and Rhaella Targaryen. His twin did not inherit his abilities, but who is to say that any future child sired from Aerys and Rhaella's line wouldn't share his powers? Westeros would see a new Targaryen dynasty full of pyromancers. I'm sure that must have been their line of thinking when they formed their plans."
Realization dawned on Qyburn. "You cannot mean-"
"They would have tried to stop any future births, yes." She chuckled softly. "My presence deterred them, for they are rightfully skeptical of my abilities and do not want to be exposed. The king holds me in high regard for my service, and they did not want to jeopardize the secrecy of their group. You must realize that the Citadel holds more than one agenda."
Qyburn was quiet as he digested this information before speaking again. "Does the prince know?"
"No. For I cannot accuse them of a future that did not come to pass."
The flames were always speaking, always showing. The future was in constant flux now, and sometimes it was hard for even Melisandre to keep track of it all. Where a few whispers had once existed now there were hundreds. That was how much Rhaegal's birth had affected the natural order of things.
As expected of her god's chosen.
"You should have told him," Qyburn said. "If they are still acting rashly-"
"They cannot and will not," Melisandre cut him off. "That will soon change no doubt. With dragons returning, our prince's influence will only continue to grow. And that will frighten them."
Securing the dragons had always been their top priority. If it was up to Melisandre, then she would have gladly walked into the Citadel alongside her prince and burn the entire order to the ground by now. Unfortunately, she was aware of the political ramifications of such an event. While she did not particularly care what the people of Westeros thought, she knew that her prince intended to rule one day. He couldn't very well do that if everyone turned against him.
Now that the dragons were with them, they could turn their attention to the other pesky problems building up around them. It was why she was bothering to share this with Qyburn now. They could finally shift their focus elsewhere.
"Making such a decision like that on your own," Qyburn muttered. "I'm not sure I like it."
Melisandre chuckled again. "Fret not, my dear. Your old acquaintances will soon realize that they cannot stop what is coming. Besides, our prince is already vaguely aware of the threat. Why do you think he has chosen to stay away from your order? Apart from you that is."
To be frank, it was not the entirety of the Citadel that had been acting against magic in Westeros for thousands of years. Rather, it was a select group of members within the organization who held this agenda in privacy.
Melisandre just did not care to make that distinction. In her mind, they were all worthless.
"For all intents and purposes, I cut ties with the Citadel when I swore service to the prince," Qyburn said with a small shrug of his shoulders.
"And yet, they have never bothered to revoke your chains," Melisandre pointed out, amused.
"Yes. To save face."
Melisandre almost laughed. If only the man before her realized that he would have gotten kicked out of the order one day. If not for Rhaegal, he would have become more desperate with his attempts to prove his hypotheses. Now, he was happy to be patient and wait for the opportune time to start working on those experiments, all because Rhaegal asked him to.
That loyalty was the only reason Melisandre could stand to talk to the man. Well, he also had a pleasing personality, she supposed. From a certain point of view.
"Your expression tells me that you are making fun of me," Qyburn said. Despite his words, he did not sound insulted. Instead, he returned to his journal.
"If anything, I'm praising you," she reassured him.
"Coming from you, who holds most in contempt, I suppose I can count myself lucky."
"Oh, I wouldn't go that far. I just hold little interest in them. It is not my fault that all others pale before our prince."
"Try not to inflate his pride too much, my lady. I'm not sure the realm could survive it."
Melisandre laughed at this.
Her, inflate Rhaegal's pride? She could never.
For it was already as grand as it needed to be.
---
Waking up to a beautiful woman in nothing but his loose trousers would normally be a cause of celebration.
Rhaegal still felt annoyed as he walked into the main hall where the others were waiting.
Melisandre had just laughed softly when she picked up on his mood, joking "Not to worry, my prince. You are still pure."
She took too many liberties at times.
Rhaegal knew that he wasn't really annoyed at Melisandre. He felt nothing but gratitude toward her, for without her he would not have been able to so easily accomplish his mission.
No, he was annoyed at the fact that his mental defenses had finally been breached by one of his stalkers. It was a silly thing to fret over, as the female voice invading his dreams was probably the best visitor he could have had under the circumstances. All things considered, the cost to revive the dragons had been nonexistent. After so many of his ancestors had tried and failed to bring them back, Rhaegal had managed to do it relatively straightforward.
All the human sacrifices notwithstanding.
As he aged, Rhaegal was able to get a better handle on his emotions so that they matched his mental maturity more closely, but there were times where his actual age showed itself. This was one of those times.
Or maybe he was just naturally easily provoked when certain buttons were pushed. The verdict on that was still out.
Rhaegal did not dwell on that as he emerged into the main hall with a fresh tunic. The two dragons had awoken at the same as he had, and they were perched on his shoulders as they observed their surroundings with excellent comprehension.
Melisandre was walking beside him while Qyburn was hanging back. Ser Gerold and Ser Barristan tried to keep pace with him, but it was obvious that the two knights were not sure of how to behave in front of the two newly born dragons. They were understandably wary, but the dragons were still hatchlings. Besides bites and scratches, they were harmless.
His mind was still riddled with the words from his two unexpected encounters, and he wanted nothing more than to just lie down and ponder what he had learned.
Unfortunately, there was something else that demanded his attention at the moment.
When he reached the main hall, Rhaegal was met with new faces. Qyburn had informed him that he had been asleep for over twelve hours, and in those twelve hours some new developments had occurred in Deepdown.
Mainly that representatives from the other houses, or clans, had finally arrived.
Lord Crowl was seated beside the head chair of the table, a spot that he no doubt had reserved for Rhaegal.
"The dragon king arrives."
He was now a king, huh?
Everyone instantly stood straight when they noticed his presence.
Even Rhaegar with his dragon stood in attention.
"I apologize for my tardiness." Rhaegal gestured for them to return to their seats as he walked over to his. Melisandre came to stand beside him while the two Kingsguard flanked him further back.
Qyburn sat down in one of the available seats next to Rhaegar.
"It is no trouble, my prince!" Mace laughed, and it was a laugh full of delight. "I'm sure the day's events must have taken a lot out of you!"
Stannis nodded. "Indeed. It is no trouble at all." His cousin glanced at the two dragons perched on his shoulders.
Rhaegal did not think too much about it. Let his cousin be fascinated by them.
It was already dark out again, and so they were going to have to spend another night in the keep before they marched back to the beachhead.
More importantly than that, he was hungry and thirsty. So were his dragons.
Thankfully, Lord Crowl was more than happy to accommodate as he signaled for a nearby woman to bring food and drink to him.
The Skagosi was a far better host than Rhaegal had anticipated.
"Brother, are you doing alright?" Rhaegar's question snapped Rhaegal out of his thoughts.
"Hm? Yes. I'm fine. I just needed a little rest. Unfortunately, we will not be able to set sail until tomorrow."
"Another night here? I don't mind," Euron said, shrugging. "We're going to have to deal with a lot of nonsense when we return, and it's been fun hunting in the woods."
Oh? They had gone on a hunt? In these woods? How…reckless.
"It was nothing excessive, I swear," Brynden spoke up, already sensing where Rhaegal's thoughts were. "I made sure that it was safe."
"It was still idiotic," Stannis said bluntly while shooting a glare at the grinning Euron.
Oberyn also grinned. "You gotta learn to live a little. You're still young. Before you know it, you'll be a bitter old man with no friends to keep you company. Until then, learn to live a little."
Stannis clenched his teeth as he narrowed his eyes.
"Enough," Tytos jumped into the conversation here. "You are making fools of yourselves in front of the prince."
That was enough to make Stannis back down, but Euron and Oberyn just shrugged.
The fact that the two seemed to be getting along was a little worrying.
But Rhaegal was not focused on their childish back-and-forth. No, he was already studying the two men that had not been here this morning.
Like Lord Crowl, they were tall and muscular. They easily towered over everyone else in the room even when seated. They were dressed in a strange mix of leather and fur armor. One of them was also very hairy too, with most of his face covered in a beard that must have taken several lifetimes to grow.
Would Rhaegal ever have his own beard? Wait, no. Now wasn't the time for such thoughts.
As a plate of food and a mug of ale was brought to him, along with additional pieces of cooked meat to the two dragons, Rhaegal finally addressed the two men.
"Welcome to Deepdown, my lords. Or are you just merely servants to those lords?"
Unlike the rest of Westeros, the Skagosi did not seem to have the custom of "guest right" in their culture. Or at least, it wasn't ritualized like it was on the mainland. No doubt after pledging themselves, a Skagosi would never go back on that pledge. It was similar to the supposed honor that was in the North, but Rhaegal would have to experience that later when he traveled to Winterfell.
The hairy Skagosi chuckled. "So you're the dragon king, hmm? I was expecting someone taller."
Okay, so that really was his new title on the island. Good to know.
Ser Gerold scowled. "You are speaking to the crown prince! Show more respect."
As always, he was quick to take offense when none was intended.
Rhaegal waved the knight down as he took a sip from his mug. "There is no need to escalate matters here, Ser. They mean no disrespect."
Rhaegal was no mind reader, but it was clear that the Skagosi were not trying to show scorn. It was the opposite. He could see the respect in their eyes as well as their wariness when they glanced at his dragons. No doubt the fact that there were three dragons walking about, even baby ones, was causing these Skagosi to take him more seriously.
The other one spoke up, his tone more reserved, "We lead our clans. I suppose that would make us lords by your laws."
"Our laws," Rhaegal corrected him as he set his mug down on the table. "You are subjects of the Iron Throne, and thus you are bound by its laws."
The first Skagosi scoffed. "You've ignored us all this time. Why should we accept your rule now?"
"Because I can just as easily burn you down for disobedience," Rhaegal answered simply. "And I would not need my dragons to do so."
They knew what he was talking about.
The first Skagosi let out what appeared to be a growl. "You're threatening us?"
"No. A threat is too vague. I am stating what will happen. I would much rather work with you all, but I have no use for disobedient subjects."
There was no need for flowery words, not with these men. They did not play the same games that the southern kingdoms did. That made it all the easier for Rhaegal.
The second Skagosi, the one who appeared to be more solemn, frowned and asked, "What do you wish from us?"
"It's simple. Your loyalty. The Starks have been content to ignore you, and you have chosen to remain isolated from the rest of the world. However, I offer a future with more possibilities. You will come under direct Targaryen rule. I will establish a new hold on the island. You shall retain your positions, but you will answer to the dragon now, not the wolf. I have taken quite a liking to your island. There is potential here, and I will not be opposed to seeing you prosper so long as you keep to your vows."
It was a bold move. He was unilaterally ceasing territory from the Starks and transferring it to the crown. No doubt his decision would cause unrest, but Rhaegal did not care. It was the Starks who had chosen to turn a blind eye to Skagos. If they were not going to give their bannermen the opportunity to rise, then Rhaegal was more than happy to step up.
Of course, one glance across the room told Rhaegal that his words were causing discontent with many. Tytos and Brynden looked to be the most disapproving. He was surprised by the former, not the latter.
Stannis looked conflicted while Oberyn pretended to not care, but his eyes were gleaming with caution. No doubt he was already thinking of the possibility of something similar happening in Dorne.
Arthur's face was marred with worry. Rhaegar's remained impassive.
Only Euron and Mace did not seem to mind. Well, Euron simply did not care if the bored look on his face was anything to go by. Mace was just following the exchange along with a wide grin.
Lord Crowl was surprised. "The Starks will no longer rule us?"
Rhaegal almost snorted. "They barely rule at all, but essentially yes. You will have new ships so long as you promise to maintain the king's peace. I will also ask that a thousand of your warriors be transferred under my direct command."
Rhaegal still did not know the exact population of Skagos. He was going to have to introduce a census on the island, but relying on the maesters for this would prove annoying. Although, given the trajectory of the Alchemists' Guild, perhaps he wouldn't have to.
It wasn't just a census either. Rhaegal wanted to explore the mountain to see if anything of interest could be found. The same was true for the mountains on the mainland, but that would be far more difficult to accomplish. Even without any metals, Skagos was overflowing with other raw materials. New trade routes could be established so long as the island was pacified. House Manderly would probably be interested in the venture.
Anyway, given the fact that house Crowl was able to put together a fighting force of a thousand men, then it was not unreasonable to expect the two other houses to do the same together. This would very much increase Rhaegal's private fighting force as well. He could always use more manpower and trying to rely on the crown for it would attract too much unwanted attention.
The three Skagosi lords looked among one another. They were obviously caught off guard by Rhaegal's proposal. No doubt that they had expected for Rhaegal to just leave once he accomplished his mission.
But that was not the case. Rhaegal's main priority was secured. The dragons were with him. Now he could focus on his other projects. And if Melisandre's words rang true, then Skagos could very well become a second Dragonstone.
There was almost a full minute of silence as the three men seemed to hold a private conversation with one another as they traded glances. There was little noise save for Rhaegal taking sips from his mug while his two dragons feasted on their meal. Rhaegar's dragon chirped in excitement as it joined its two siblings.
It was a mesmerizing sight to be honest.
"Very well, dragon king." Lord Crowl was seemingly chosen as their spokesperson as he faced Rhaegal once more. "Your strength is apparent to us. We have remained closed off for a long time, but if you wish more of us then we shall follow."
The hairy Skagosi grunted. "It can't be worse than getting looked over."
The third lord just nodded, showing his approval.
Rhaegal smirked in satisfaction. "Then kneel and swear your fealty once more. Not to the Starks, but to house Targaryen."
It took the men a few seconds to get into position as they got up from their seats. The fact that they were reasonable enough to bend the knee like this showed promise for the future.
It was still going to be a long and probably difficult road to properly integrate these houses into the rest of the realm, not just politically but socially. And Rhaegal knew that once word got out of his decision to take over the island many in the Seven Kingdoms would see it as an unjust grab of power by the house of the dragon.
But at the moment, he did not care.
For the red dragon was going to once again tighten its grip over Westeros.