Rhaegal introduced Aemon during one of the family dinners. Shaena was excited to see her great uncle after writing to him so many times and happily hugged him. Daeron was more modest with his greetings while Jaehaerys was the one who was the most confused, not knowing who he was.
Rhaella happily hugged her uncle as well. Aerys was reserved. He was respectful but beyond that there was little warmth from him.
Aemon did not seem to mind. It was the opposite. He spent the whole dinner very happy. He was surrounded by his family for the first time in so long, so it was not surprising.
Only Rhaegar missed it, but he would greet Aemon a few days later when he returned from Summerhall with Aegorax in tow.
After hearing of the assassination attempt and being reassured that Shaena was safe, Rhaegar had his own news to report, saying that he had passed by several villages in the Kingswood that reported consistent bandit activity in the area.
There were parts of the Kingswood that spilled over into the Stormlands, and it was in those parts that the Dragonguard had no presence. This was where the bandits were carrying out their raids. Either the bandits knew that the Dragonguard did not venture there or it was a coincidence.
"We shouldn't discount them being more aware," Rhaegar advised. "It's better to overestimate your foe than it is to underestimate them."
True.
"It's still suicidal," Arthur said. "Attacking so brazenly?"
"I doubt Lord Baratheon cares for a couple of small villages," Rhaegal replied. "However, I don't want this spreading into the Crownlands. I'll send a letter to Lord Baratheon to notify him that the Dragonguard will take action."
"Do you think he'll agree?" Arthur asked.
"He will."
Unlike Tywin, Steffon Baratheon was still good friends with his father. Rhaegal was confident that the man would have no issue if he got rid of some bandits for him, especially ones that he had no desire to deal with on his own.
No doubt some of the lords would think that he was overreaching by sending in his own private force. A frivolous argument really. Regardless, this was the perfect pretense to have the Dragonguard move into other kingdoms. It would be a good precedent for later.
A knight from house Celtigar who had sworn to serve under Rhaegal would lead the attack against these bandits, an honor which the man eagerly accepted.
Several days later ravens were sent to every part of the realm. Casterly Rock and Lannisport would host a grand tourney to celebrate the birth of Prince Viserys as well as the third birthday for Prince Jaehaerys.
It would not be so for some months, but nevertheless the preparations were already underway. The Lannisters were going to bear a heavy brunt as they were going to have to feed dragons on top of catering to the lords and the royal family. It would be the first time that so many dragons would gather at Casterly Rock, and Tywin was feeling proud of himself for this fact.
"No other house could bear such an expense," he boasted one day to Rhaegal.
If not for the recent assassination attempt on his sister, then Rhaegal would be more amused to see Tywin acting proud over something like this. The Lannisters had the gold to pay for it, sure, but it was still such a petty thing to take pride in.
Rhaegal let the man have his moment, for what it was worth.
Tywin then left the capital first, riding for Casterly Rock in order to oversee the preparations personally.
As explained earlier, it was decided that most of the royal family would travel with their dragons to the castle. Only Rhaegal opted not to. Not because he didn't want to, but because neither Jaehaerys nor Viserys were old enough to ride the dragons. For that reason, they would travel with the carriages and the Dragonguard the normal way. Someone needed to look after them, and Rhaegal was more than happy to be that person.
His mother had volunteered, but Rhaegal reassured her that he could do it. He knew how much she enjoyed flying with Moonlight. He would not take that from her if he could help it.
Rhaegal wouldn't be alone of course. Ancalagon would travel overhead, hovering like a guardian over the procession at all times. Supposedly back when the Conqueror still lived, it was a common sight to see the Black Dread flying over his many tours throughout the realm.
History often rhymed, did it not?
There were other news that Rhaegal's mother shared with him one day.
"A letter from Sunspear. Loreza has gotten worse. She's now bedridden."
The Princess of Dorne had not been doing well over the past year. She had fallen ill pretty quickly. Some said it was because of her frequent wine drinking that had caused irreparable damage to her body, among her other carefree lifestyle choices.
Rhaella looked resigned as she added, "Elia will be returning to Dorne. Loreza wants to see her daughter."
It really was serious then. Was it possible that the Princess wouldn't survive the year?
'She already has a capable heir at least.'
Rhaegal did not know much of Oberyn's brother, Doran Martell. They were not close. However, everything that he heard about the man painted him as a capable administrator.
There had been other troubles plaguing Dorne in recent years, namely Oberyn and his exile from Westeros. Apparently the carefree Dornish prince was found in bed with the paramour of Lord Yronwood one day. This caused a duel to occur between the two, which resulted in the lord's death. As punishment, Oberyn was banished from Sunspear, going to the Citadel first before leaving Westeros altogether. In his letters, Oberyn explained how he was doing well riding with the Second Sons, a sellsword company.
Oberyn was making the most out of his exile. His punishment was no punishment at all.
As expected, trouble always followed wherever Oberyn went.
As the scandal did not escalate beyond a duel, Rhaegal saw no reason to involve himself in that whole affair. House Yronwood already had a tenuous relationship with the Martells. The Yronwoods were essentially to the Martells what the Reynes had been to the Lannisters before they were eradicated. The situation could have very well escalated into something more. The fact that it did not was a miracle.
Rhaegal did not feel much of anything to know that the Dornish princess was near death. This did not mean that his mother shared his opinion.
"Do you wish to see her?"
Rhaella pondered his question before ultimately shaking her head.
"If there was time, maybe. But I have other responsibilities now."
Rhaegal could see the pain in those words, but it was her decision. He would not question it.
Shaena shared his thoughts when he later told her that Elia would be leaving the Red Keep, not seeming to care all that much.
"That's too bad."
There was no sincerity in her words.
"You don't care?"
Shaena crossed her arms and frowned. "I don't really care for them, brother. Is that what you want to hear?"
Rhaegal patted her on the head, which caused her to pout a little. "You wear your heart on your sleeves, sister."
"They're liars. She tried to use mother."
Oh, so Aerys told her about that. Of course.
"Still, it's better for you to learn to not let your true feelings be known so easily. You make unnecessary enemies that way."
Shaena accepted the advice. "I guess you're right."
Rhaegal nodded. "Good. And be ready. After we return from Casterly Rock, there's a great many things that we must discuss."
It was time for his sister to delve into their more magical side….among other things.
Shaena seemed eager. "You'll teach me how to fight!?"
Rhaegal chuckled. "In a way."
That cheered her up.
During this time, Rhaegal also communicated with Malora, who remained on Dragonstone, through the glass candles.
"Is everything clear?"
"I haven't found any suspicious activity," she answered honestly. "Odds are, that man was working alone. Or whoever he was working with managed to escape after his death, which is unlikely. I hear the red priests and your Dragonguard were quite thorough with their search."
The Sorrowful Men. Once they learned of their assassin's failure, Rhaegal wondered what their reaction would be.
'If they haven't burned by then.'
The case was settled for now. The gates of the city were reopened as life returned to normal.
Just in time for Lord Manderly's arrival.
---
Wyman Manderly arrived at King's Landing with awe. He had been to the city four years ago for the celebrations of the twin princes. Back then, the city had been the same as always. Filthy and loud.
King's Landing was still loud. But filthy? Far from it.
The capital had undergone a rapid transformation. For months now Wyman had been getting reports from merchants and the like about how different King's Landing had become. At first, Wyman assumed they were just exaggerations.
He was wrong.
Not only was King's Landing cleaner, but it was also expanding. Wyman saw the new portions of the city being constructed on the other side of the bank as his ship pulled up into the port. Even from afar, Wyman was able to marvel at the new walls and the new streets of the city. He was also able to spot the new structure that brought clean water into the city. What did they call it?
The Dragon's Tail.
The Braavosi called the structure an aqueduct. Wyman had never seen the one in Braavos, but if it was anything like this one then it too must be a marvel of engineering.
'It's all in black stone.'
Wyman had come to King's Landing for various reasons, but one of those reasons was to verify the validity of the crown prince's promises to the Starks.
So far, Wyman could see that the crown prince's words had not been empty boasts. If he could accomplish this much in four years, what would happen after twenty?
Wyman hoped he was still around to see the young prince ascend the throne. It would be a historic moment, he was sure of it.
It was not just the construction that had Wyman impressed. He was greeted at the docks by the new Dragonguard. They were essentially the crown prince's private army. News of the Dragonguard had reached even the North with many of the Northern lords unsure of what to make of it. Lord Stark himself was a bit apprehensive about the Dragonguard's creation, but ultimately decided to keep his vow and maintain friendly relations with Prince Rhaegal.
That choice was paying off in more ways than one.
The Dragonguard was being led by Ser Brynden Tully of all knights, who greeted Wyman with the expected honors.
Brynden's reputation had soared since his showing four years ago. Even before that, he was known as a capable knight who inspired honor and duty. He had not only distinguished himself in the War of the Ninepenny Kings but had also participated in many battles and skirmishes throughout the Riverlands, purging bandits and the like. He was a well-known knight, eclipsed only by the Kingsguard. By swearing his allegiance to the crown prince, Prince Rhaegal's own reputation increased in the process.
It was still unclear why Brynden left Riverrun. Wyman suspected that the Tullys were making their own moves to secure more influence in the realm. If so, then they were succeeding. Not only was Brynden in a powerful position with the Targaryens, but Wyman was aware that Lord Stark was in the middle of talks with Hoster Tully about a possible alliance.
If such a future came to pass, then the Tullys would be in a far more secure position for years to come.
Wyman tried to maintain his calm as he was led through the city and to the Red Keep. He could barely recognize it from four years ago. Many of the houses and other buildings had been rebuilt using stone. More of the smallfolk were better dressed, and life overall seemed less depressing.
'I wonder how much it cost.'
No doubt it was the reward for taking advantage of the instability in Essos following the Blackfyre's demise. The king was wise to not associate himself with the trade war between the Free Cities, allowing their markets to remain open to all in a time when they desperately needed it.
The trip to the Red Keep was far too short for Wyman's liking. He was interested in seeing other parts of the city, but he supposed he could do that after he was finished here.
One of the Kingsguard was waiting for him in the courtyard. Wyman's eyes lit up when his eyes landed on the sword the knight carried.
Dawn.
'So this is the new Sword of the Morning.'
Wyman might be a Northerner, but he still admired knights and their tales. He would not let himself miss the news that a new Sword of the Morning had been knighted.
Wyman recalled the young knight at the prince's side four years ago during his visit to the North. To think that Wyman had housed such a famous figure but had not known of it at the time. Funny how things worked out sometimes.
Ser Arthur Dayne was his name, and he led Wyman inside the Red Keep. Wyman could greet the king later.
Wyman followed Arthur to the small council chamber. There, Prince Rhaegal was already seated. He was not alone. Prince Rhaegar was with him, as was another dark haired youth.
They were in the middle of a conversation but ceased when they noticed Wyman and Arthur walking in.
"My prince." Arthur bowed. "I have brought Lord Manderly."
"Thank you, Arthur." Rhaegal nodded.
The Kingsguard closed the door but otherwise remained in the chamber, his face impassive.
"I thank you for seeing me, Prince Rhaegal," Wyman said as he too bowed, to which Rhaegal just waved away.
"There's no need to stand on ceremony, Lord Manderly. Please, take a seat. We have much to discuss."
"I thank you." Wyman was thankful. He was not a young man anymore, and his legs were killing him from all the walking. "Prince Rhaegar, I am glad to see you that you are doing well," he added as he took one of the empty seats. Long ago, one of his ancestors had sat at this table during the regency of King Aegon III.
Such a troubled era that was.
Rhaegar offered him a smile. "Your words are appreciated, my lord."
Rhaegal gestured to the other sitting beside him. "This is Stannis Baratheon, a friend of mine. He accompanied me to the North four years ago."
Right. A Baratheon. That dark hair and blue eyes. There was no mistaking it.
"You keep good company, my prince," Wyman said, remembering all the others who had been in the prince's entourage four years ago.
Rhaegal did not comment on that. "Unfortunately, I am in the middle of some other affairs, so we will have to make this quick."
Wyman would appreciate that. He wanted nothing more than to lie down and sleep.
Their meeting was indeed short but also important. Wyman expressed Lord Stark's desire to know about the prince's plans regarding the roads that he promised.
"Trade has increased, especially with all the imports, but there is a lot of stagnation due to increased bandit activity and poor conditions of the roads."
The North was big and the roads were poorly kept, so trade always flowed slower there than in other parts of the realm.
"I understand Lord Stark's concerns. However, as you know, constructing roads takes time. I have not yet completed my work in the Crownlands. I did inform him that it would not be an overnight project."
Wyman knew that, as did Rickard Stark. Rickard was not expecting a miracle. Wyman was just here to act as an informant to see how things were progressing in the capital. After all, very soon, the Starks and Targaryens were going to become united in blood.
There was more. Rickard was curious to know if the prince was only planning on putting down his new roads through the Crownlands and the North, or if he had bigger ambitions. Rickard had hinted that Prince Rhaegal had bigger aspirations than that, but people changed. After all, the king had made a lot of promises in the past too, only for them to never come into fruition.
"I do have a suggestion for you to pass on, Lord Manderly. To better handle the increased bandit activity in the North."
Wyman perked up at this. "What would that be, my prince?"
The North could be annoyingly big, and bandits and other cutthroats were constantly a problem that were a headache to deal with. However, more had taken to this dark path with the increase in goods coming through the North and the goods that went out, such as timber, furs, and other raw materials. It wasn't so bad that it was out of control, but it was getting to the point that many lords had started to raise complaints.
Rhaegal smiled, but it was not a warm one. It was more….predacious.
"What would Lord Stark think about the Dragonguard entering the North to deal with these bandits?"
---
Rhaegal heard that Wyman spent a few days in King's Landing before he set sail back to the North. They spent more time discussing other matters, such as the danger of the pirates in the Stepstones, but in the end the lord left the meeting feeling pretty pleased.
That was the intention Rhaegal got anyway. He knew that it was pointless for Rickard Stark to expect the construction of new roads to begin right away in the North. He probably sent Wyman to come down south to do some investigation.
The man was being cautious, especially since an important announcement was going to be made soon, an announcement that could not be so easily retracted once it was made. His father had decided to announce the news at the upcoming tourney. Probably his way of snubbing Tywin for his attempts to replace Shaena with his daughter.
This might lead some to believe that Tywin was the one behind the assassination attempt, but Rhaegal doubted it was that simple. Besides, he had the lion under surveillance through his glass candle. Other than showing contempt toward his house being passed over, Tywin had not displayed any suspicious activity.
That left other suspects.
Rhaegal spent a few days searching for answers with his glass candle. Or really, it was more like meditation. He allowed his mind to relax inside the flames of the glass candle. It calmed him, and it also heightened his bond with the magical device.
On this day, as he lost himself within the flames, Rhaegal experienced several things.
The female voice came first, but the voice was not alone this time. It was accompanied by a dark red mask which almost seemed vibrant in the darkness. The eyes behind the mask shined brightly.
"See to the east. There, you'll find the one you seek."
Rhaegal wasn't able to answer, as the mask vanished. It was replaced by something else. A different vision came. It was that of a black dragon. It hovered right over Lys, and it led Rhaegal straight to one specific individual.
A young woman around his age. She had big blue eyes and pale golden hair streaked with silver.
Rhaegal knew what she was right away.
A Blackfyre.
---
Daeron was annoyed when he was told that he could not ride Bael to the Westerlands. Sure, he wasn't nine or ten yet, nor had he ridden on his dragon by himself, but he was confident that he could do it.
His mother refused him anyway. And so, he would ride with her on Moonlight.
How embarrassing.
They would not leave yet. The dragons would let them reach Casterly Rock much faster, and so Rhaegal would be leaving ahead of them so that they could all get there together. Unlike them, he would be traveling as normal with Jaehaerys and Viserys.
Their mother fussed over Rhaegal and the sleeping Viserys.
"Are you sure about this?" she was asking again.
Rhaegal chuckled. "Do not worry, mother. Even I can clean him."
"Won't you have the maids?" Daeron couldn't help but ask.
He could not imagine himself cleaning a baby.
"I know, but if need be, I can do it. He's my brother."
Daeron had to look away. His brother was always saying mushy stuff like that, and it embarrassed him. It embarrassed him more to know that he also liked it.
It was always a weird thing for Daeron to note. His brother was strong, but when he was around them he became softer and gentler. He was especially delicate with their mother and their younger siblings. Jaehaerys was always trying to cling to him, to follow him whenever possible.
There was a time when Daeron felt the same, but he knew that he couldn't stay like that. He had to prove that he was worthy of the Targaryen name too. He had his dragon, and he was thankful. But even that was not earned. It only happened because of Rhaegal.
Rhaegal had a dragon. He had Brightflame. And most of all, he had his flames. Rhaegal was father's favorite. He was the heir that their father wanted.
Daeron was just Daeron. Even Rhaegar had a Valyrian steel sword too. Dark Sister. Daeron often admired it. How could he not? It was one of the swords that had carved a realm. Unfortunately, it was not his.
There was something else that Rhaegal had that he didn't.
"Make sure to not get lost on the way," Shaena teased. "It would be really embarrassing if we arrived but you were nowhere to be found."
Rhaegal rolled his eyes at her. "I'm confident I can read a map."
"If not you, then Arthur can," Rhaegar joked.
"What's this? Are you two teaming up now?"
Rhaegar shrugged. "I think it's only fair. It can't just be me all the time."
Rhaegal looked like he wanted to respond, but before he could Shaena skipped her way to him. She then gestured to him.
"Bend down, brother. You're too tall."
"Hm?" Rhaegal raised an eyebrow at her but did as asked. When he bent down to her level, he looked a bit surprised when he felt Shaena's lips on his cheek.
Shaena had just kissed Rhaegal.
"Oh my." Rhaella smiled at the scene while Rhaegar tried to look cool and laid back.
"What was that for?" Rhaegal asked when the giddy Shaena stepped back.
"A good luck charm."
Rhaegal smiled at her. "Then I'll treasure it."
Shaena smiled back at him too. It was a smile of pure bliss.
Daeron had to look away again.
Most of all, Rhaegal had their sister's love.
---
Rhaegal left King's Landing with a contingent of the Dragonguard to guard him and his two siblings. Along with the Dragonguard were also a few of the red priests, which included Thoros. Four of the Kingsguard accompanied him: Arthur, Oswell, Jonothor, and the recuperated Lewyn.
The other three stayed behind in the capital with the rest of his family. They would ride together to Casterly Rock after his father and the others flew from the capital.
Stannis and Jon Connington were also in the procession, the latter of which arrived a couple of days prior so that he could accompany Rhaegal to the tourney. Rhaegal didn't know why. It wasn't as if he asked the Connington to do such a thing. Turning him away for no reason wasn't worth the hassle, so he allowed the heir to Griffin's Roost to follow him.
Jon's smile had almost blinded Rhaegal with how overbearing it was.
There were servants in the procession too, to help with the care of the young Viserys.
Ashara was part of the group, but she and Rhaegal remained separated for now.
"So Monford still hasn't returned?" Stannis asked.
He, Rhaegal, and Jon were riding together in one of the carriages. Jaehaerys was with them too, but the young boy had long since fallen asleep. It was the first time that he was leaving the Red Keep, so the excitement got the better of him and wore him out.
"Not yet." Rhaegal doubted that Monford would be back in time to join the tourney, and even if he could he would rather remain at sea sailing alongside his relatives than come for a tourney. The sea was much more interesting than the land, or so he said.
"A pity." Stannis had come to respect Monford, and the two had formed a friendship.
"Your brother will be there, as will your parents," Rhaegal reminded him.
"Yes." Stannis looked down. "My mother gave birth recently, so I do not know if she will come. They named him Renly."
"So you're an older brother now," Jon said. "Congratulations."
"It feels a bit strange," Stannis replied, his voice uncertain. "I have not been back to Storm's End in four years. I should have been there for my mother at least."
"You could have gone if you'd asked," Rhaegal said. He didn't want Stannis to think that he was keeping him away from his family.
"I know. I just got ahead of myself. Staying in the capital has been very informative," Stannis answered. "I have been learning much."
Jon crossed his arms. "You're going to have to make amends when you see them next."
"I suppose." Stannis sounded a bit reluctant. Rhaegal knew that Stannis did not have the best of relationships with his father, but to avoid Storm's End altogether because of it?
No, perhaps Rhaegal shouldn't think this way. His father had also played favorites. He was only thankful that Rhaegar never resented him for it. It was probably because he took the time to cultivate a relationship with his brother while Robert didn't show any interest in Stannis.
A complicated pair of brothers, no doubt.
The three of them would share more talks along the way. Rhaegal had planned the procession well, so they made many appropriate stops on their way to Casterly Rock. Ancalagon attracted the attention of all who saw him. Lords, knights, and smallfolk alike all pointed in excitement as the dragon flew over their heads while others cowered in fear.
"I've seen him many times, but he still terrifies me," Stannis admitted one day.
Jon scoffed at this. "You're thinking too small then, Stannis. The dragon is a part of Prince Rhaegal. It would never hurt us."
It helped that Jaehaerys often played with Ancalagon whenever the dragon landed at whatever castle they were staying in. Well, it was more like the dragon tolerated Jaehaerys' presence while the boy tried to climb him. Because of their bond, Rhaegal was able to sense when Ancalagon was growing tired of his brother's antics and to put a stop to things. He did not want to see Ancalagon snapping at his brother due to frustration.
"I want to ride a dragon too!" Jaehaerys declared again.
Rhaegal just chuckled. "We'll see, little brother."
Three dragons were still unclaimed, after all.
The trip to Casterly Rock continued like this, and it was mostly fine. The most annoying part was keeping his distance from Ashara. He missed her touch. It did not help that she drew attention from every man, be they lord or smallfolk, that they met on their journey.
'T'ch, I'm too possessive.'
Worse, he knew that Ashara could tell that he was getting annoyed, and it seemed to amuse her.
One of the worst moments was when they stopped at the keep of house Payne. Lord Payne was an older man with two sons. One of those sons served directly under Tywin while the older brother remained in the keep as heir. He was already married, but despite that there were moments where he tried to subtly hint to Ashara to share his bed.
They did not remain at the keep for too long.
The only regret Rhaegal had about the trip was not stopping by the lands of house Plumm. He recalled a particular bit of history regarding Princess Elaena Targaryen and her unfortunate first husband, Ossifer Plumm. He was curious to see if he could discern the history for himself, to see if any of the dragon blood still showed in the Plumms of today. It would be fascinating if that were the case.
Another time perhaps.
Houses Falwell and Hetherspoon were the last two stops on the road to Casterly Rock. During Rhaegal's stay at the keep of Ser Tybolt Hetherspoon, Ancalagon became too greedy and chased after a fleeing cow with eagerness, almost burning a nearby farm down to the ground in the process.
Rhaegal had to pay for the damages despite Ser Tybolt's refusal to accept at first. Rhaegal wasn't about to let a debt go unanswered if he could help it, especially since it was his dragon that had gone out of control.
Jaehaerys seemed to take pleasure in the scene. Viserys just slept through it all as he was carried by one of the maids.
During his one night stay at the keep, Rhaegal was attended to by the landed knight's daughter, Melara Hetherspoon. She was a pretty girl, younger than Rhaegal. She had long brown hair and had freckles.
The girl stammered her way into different conversations with him throughout the night as the knight hosted a modest feast in Rhaegal's honor. It was then that Rhaegal learned that Melara was a close friend of Tywin's daughter, Cersei. Normally she would be at Casterly Rock with her, but her father had summoned her to their keep.
Probably to have her speak to him once Tybolt learned that Rhaegal would be traveling through this way.
Despite already being engaged, Rhaegal found that there were still some families who did not learn and still pushed their daughters on him. This was just more of the same.
Realizing Tybolt's ploy, Rhaegal tried to maintain his friendly demeanor toward the girl. It wasn't her fault. She was just her father's pawn in all of this.
He tried to ignore the excited gleam in her eyes.
Hadn't Cersei looked at him in a similar way before?
'I can see why they're friends.'
Their conversations continued until eventually Melara asked him an unexpected request.
"My Prince, would it be too trouble to ask you if I could ride on your dragon with you?"
It was the first sentence the girl had uttered where she did not stutter, and it was to ask him something so audacious?
Rhaegal could almost praise her for it. Almost.
"Unfortunately, my lady, Ancalagon does not take to strangers very well. I would very much like to avoid you becoming his next meal."
His simple refusal was enough to scare the girl away.
Rhaegal was happy to leave the keep by the next morning.
---
Lord Walder Frey was getting older. He could feel it in his bones.
He was born in 208 AC, so perhaps that was stating the obvious.
These days, Walder much preferred to remain in the safety and tranquility of his fortress on the Green Fork. There, he had all the wine he could ask for and all the women he could dream of. Yes, he was on his sixth wife already, but what did that matter? The more women the better! The more children the better too. Sure, he could not give two fucks about most of them, but they would be useful in their own way in the future. More children meant more marriages, and more marriages meant that more of his blood would spread through Westeros.
The Frey blood. The blood that so many thought to look down on.
However, there was one target in particular that Walder was interested in attaining right now, which was why he even bothered to leave the comforts of his own keep to attend a damn tourney of all things. It was the first tourney that he was attending in a long time. The last one he bothered to go to was during the reign of King Aegon V.
This specific target wasn't meant for him of course. No, it was for one of his lovely daughters. Walder wasn't sure which one would be to his target's preference, or if he would enjoy more than one, which was why he brought all that were of child bearing age.
Who was Walder's target?
Rhaegal Targaryen.
Walder was no dreamer. He knew that even if the damned Targaryen didn't have a sister to one day mount he would never consider a Frey as his bride. In the end, if Walder succeeded, such a thing would matter little.
Walder was more interested in the crown prince's blood, after all.
Walder had heard many things about Rhaegal Targaryen over the years. As with many other lords in the Riverlands, he dismissed most claims as just lies propped up by the king in order to make his heir look better. Of course, even before that, Walder had already started plotting ways in order to advance his house's position. After all, it did not matter if the crown prince married one of his daughters. So long as he knocked one of them up, that would be enough.
Blood did not care about the law, and it was through blood that Walder saw an opportunity for himself.
He, like many others, wondered what made Rhaegal Targaryen different from the rest of his siblings. He was the only one who wielded flames. The only one who discovered dragon eggs and found a way to hatch them, bringing dragons back to the world.
Walder had cursed when he heard the news. He would never admit it out loud, but he was terrified of the Targaryens. He was terrified of what they would do now that they had damned dragons in their possession again. Worse still, from everything that he heard, the dragons were growing extremely fast.
And he was going to be seeing those beasts for himself during the tourney. The king announced that the royal family would be flying to Casterly Rock on their dragons. No doubt as a statement to all the lords who quaked under their power.
Unlike others, Walder was willing to set aside his fear and try to turn the situation around to his advantage. Rhaegal Targaryen was clearly different from the rest of his siblings, and that included his twin brother. His blood must be different too.
Now if that blood were to combine with the Freys, then Walder saw many new opportunities for himself and his house. He doubted that the crown prince would abandon any bastards that he sired, and from what information he gathered the Targaryens were thriving with their trade and other dealings. It was said that King's Landing was like a whole new city after the king started his projects.
'And if my own grandchild carries the prince's blood, the blood that can control dragons and fire…'
Yes. Houses Frey and Targaryen could finally be joined together in blood. His own grandchild could command fire and possibly even get their own dragon one day, all in service of house Frey. What would such a thing mean for his house? Hells, Walder would more than happily make that child his heir rather than any of his sons if it came to pass.
Walder could not help but laugh as he sat alone inside his carriage as he thought of the future.
It paid to have many daughters, even bastard ones.
One of them was sure to catch the prince's interest. From what Walder heard, Prince Rhaegal was not seen in the company of any woman at inappropriate times and was not known to visit any brothels. Surely this meant that the prince was ignorant to the ways of women. That would make it easier for one of his daughters to seduce him.
It would be quite simple really. One way or another, by the time the tourney was concluded, one of his daughters would carry the blood of fire and dragon within her. Walder was sure of it.