The triumph ceremony at the Dragonpit in King's Landing was a classic multi-act affair: rewarding merits, knighting, and presenting captives.
It was simply a grander ceremony, the Dragonpit being more spacious than the Red Keep, with more nobles and enthusiastic commoners attending.
Prince Rhaegar, as the temporary Protector of the Narrow Sea and the Stepstones, was the most prominent part of the ceremony.
At twelve years old, he was effectively the King of the Narrow Sea and the Stepstones!
The Protector of the Narrow Sea was equivalent in prestige, and even more powerful, than an Admiral.
Not even the famously cruel Maegor, Jaehaerys the Conciliator, Daemon the Rogue Prince, or Daemon Blackfyre had ever risen so swiftly and shone so brightly. A star, a Silver Dragon of the main Targaryen line, was emitting a brilliant light.
Since the Dance of the Dragons, the main line of the Red Dragons had not seen a True Dragon as radiant as the blazing sun, one who could unite the realm. The House Targaryen's destiny seemed to wane with the decline of dragons, and no glorious Dragonlord like Aegon the Conqueror or Jaehaerys I the Conciliator had emerged since. They were either lacking in literary talent or martial prowess, or even had clouded minds; in short, almost all were flawed Dragonlords with serious shortcomings.
Rhaegar also knew that the Dragonbane was melancholic, Young Dragon Daeron was reckless, Baelor was devout to the point of folly, Viserys was harsh, Daeron II was wise but lacked strength, Maekar I was burdened by kinslaying, King Aerys and King Jaehaerys II were sickly scholars, and Aegon V, a king who should not have been king, incurred too much opposition from the nobles. As for Aegon the Unworthy, there's no need to elaborate. Among these True Dragons, the only one who was both a brave warrior on the battlefield and served as hand of the king for many years, a man of both literary and martial talent, Baelor Breakspear, the one on whom people placed great hopes, also died from his brother Maekar I's bewildered heavy hammer!
Now, with the resurgence of dragons, it seemed the House Targaryen's fortunes would also flourish, and a great Dragonlord would reappear. The Lords believed that Prince Rhaegar would, with high probability, be the great figure who would dominate this era, just like his ancestors Aegon the Conqueror and Jaehaerys I the Conciliator, bringing good fortune and a triumphant silver dragon.
"I, Jaehaerys II, King of the andals, the Rhoynar, and the first men, protected by the gods, officially name Rhaegar Targaryen as the temporary Protector of the Narrow Sea and the Stepstones. You shall possess all powers pertaining to conquest and below in these waters. May you honor this distinction," the King conferred.
"Rhaegar Targaryen, today I stand here as the temporary Protector of the Narrow Sea and the Stepstones, chosen by the Iron Throne and the grace of the Seven. I shall become the sword and shield of the Stepstones, the fire and thunder of the Stepstones. I shall protect the peace of the seas and defend the Narrow Sea and the Stepstones from intrusion. Today, and every day!" The young prince with silver hair and purple eyes officially accepted the seal and sword, declaring with fervor. In Truth, he didn't trust the Seven either, but with the High Septon present, he had to put on a show.
Rhaegar respectfully received the Silver Dragon longsword and displayed it to the crowd. Everyone saw the dazzling silver flame. Silver hair, a silver hairband, a silver longsword, the gleaming Silver Dragon on his black attire, and those vibrant, lively, and courageous purple eyes. His gaze swept across, his demeanor unmatched. Cheers erupted like thunder from the crowd, excited by the House Targaryen's main line, whose branches had withered after the Summerhall fire, now regaining vitality.
Rhaegar put away the Silver Dragon wax seal and sword, standing to the side, as the King was still the main star of the triumph ceremony. The sword was named Guardian, its pommel shaped like a Silver Dragon, the demon dragon's wings forming the crossguard, the blade emerging from the dragon's mouth, its eyes red gemstones, dazzling with crimson light. The dragon's body was also adorned with rubies arranged in the shape of the Stepstones, encased in a silver-gold wooden scabbard. This was Rhaegar's second treasured sword; the first was gifted by Lord Jon, and this one by King Jaehaerys II.
The storm-ravaged lands of the Narrow Sea and the Stepstones were his vast battlefield where he would spill his blood.
"Long live King's Landing! May the Seven protect the Iron Throne!"
"Long live King Jaehaerys!"
"Long live the triumphant silver dragon!"
"Long live the Triumphant Prince!" All the nobles and Lords began to applaud, their voices like a tide.
Some envoys from the Free Cities across the Narrow Sea, who had come to observe the ceremony, felt a chill in their hearts. From the looks of it, the Stepstones would likely never be handed back. The so-called ten years of peace was merely a prelude to the next round of military expansion and preparation. Unfortunately, the Kingdom of the Daughters' forces were not united, and with the Stepstones defense line established, the pirates of the Free Cities would be unable to rampage westward.
Next was King Jaehaerys II's gift. The King presented each of the great Lords and renowned knights who participated in the Stepstones War with a necklace as a special honor. It was a red-gold demon dragon necklace, with a gold medallion pendant depicting the shape of Bloodstone.
"This is to commend your merits in the Stepstones War," King Jaehaerys II kindly presented the necklaces to the saviors of Bloodstone: Prince Rhaegar, Prince Aerys, Ser Steffon, Lord Tywin, Prince Lewyn, Ser Mace, and others. From first-tier Lords like Baratheon, Lannister, Tyrell, and Martell families to powerful second-tier Lords like House Redwyne, House Whent, Royce family, and House Corbray, all shared in the glory. Another necklace belonged to Ser Brynden, who was in charge of Bloodstone's defense, but he had not yet arrived.
The heroes, one by one, were radiant and full of pride. The glory earned on the battlefield was always more appealing than that found in books.
Then the King announced the captains, officers, and excellent sailors of the Royal Fleet, the Redwyne Fleet, and Rhaegar's mixed fleet to come forward and receive commendations. Corlys Velaryon stood at the forefront, and there were even foreign friends in the ranks, Tyroshi sailors. Some Tyroshi sailors were even willing to pledge allegiance to the Iron Throne; they were people who made their living at sea and were more willing to fight alongside the Iron Throne, which possessed an air force. Prince Rhaegar's army offered better treatment and was more effective in combat.
"Work hard, and do not betray the glory of your ancestors. Lord Corlys valiantly supported the nation; the past is as vivid as if it were yesterday," King Jaehaerys II patted Ser Lucerys, who felt flattered.
Other heroes entered, mostly brave but low-ranking squires and veterans. Some were vanguards, being the first to land on islands or pirate ships. Some were courageous, killing pirate chieftains in one-on-one duels. Some were loyal, squires who not only saved knights but also repelled attacks from large groups of people.
However, because the Stepstones War only defeated pirates, there was no land to bestow. Most received honorary knighthoods and corresponding material rewards. The treasures plundered from pirates were now partly used to reward the soldiers.
Afterward, the Kingsguard knighted a batch of knights. Dressed in undyed woolen tunics, the knights stepped forward one by one to receive their knighthood from the Kingsguard. For Captain Gerold and others, this was also an honor.
"Surrender to the King!" Finally, Thrimm, the one-eyed, one-armed Dragonpit gatekeeper, herded a scattered group of pirates and Lysene captives onto the stage. He intimidated the captives: "You have been defeated by Prince Rhaegar. The Prince is a silver flame, bringing down fiery punishment. Swear allegiance to the King; this is your only destiny, thus deciding your fate."
Most of the islanders were utterly terrified, as those who dared to openly resist had mostly died in the Stepstones.
The captives scrambled to express their repentance, which greatly flattered the Westerosi knights. What would become of these consumables afterward, no one cared; they would be distributed by the King, perhaps sent to The Wall, or perhaps become beasts of burden or servants.
Once the ceremony officially concluded, after dusk, a grand ball was held at the Dragonpit.
Attending the ceremony was also physically demanding, and the royalty and nobles needed a hearty meal to prepare for the evening's ball.
Rhaegar was informed in advance to go to the children and ladies' table later. Given Rhaegar's height, he was not suited to sit at the ladies' and children's table, but by age, the prince was still a child king. His dance partner tonight was Roberta Baratheon, the dance of the Silver Dragon and the Doe. Cersei was furious, but she was too young to be considered.
Rhaegar found a moment to return to his familiar tent, the Dragonpit Camp tent.
Rhaegar pulled out a map of the known world from his ring and made various marks on it. He added a new mark in Dorne and Norvos; Dorne's desert had a crown symbol, and Norvos had an axe symbol for the Bearded Monk's region. Dorne had Aegon the Conqueror's lost crown, and Norvos might also contain runic mysteries; the Bearded Monk held some secrets.
The known world was also dotted with dense, different-colored markers, Rhaegar's version of a treasure map. He even made some marks in Sothoryos, having read the autobiography of the female Dragonlord Explorer of the Baelarys Family.
Rhaegar marked the places he wanted to explore with various colors: red for dangerous, green for ordinary. Rhaegar's map primarily marked ruins, places where magic existed, dragon eggs, and potential locations of valyrian steel.
Rhaegar's main goal was to find runes and lost treasures of the House Targaryen, such as the Conqueror's Crown, the Blackfyre sword, and dark sister, all of which were related to the propaganda of destiny. The Black Walls in Volantis and Tyrosh were also places Rhaegar wanted to explore.
Rhaegar looked at the marks on the map, first observing the lost treasures in various regions: the House Targaryen's Conqueror's Crown was lost in Dorne, the ancestral sword Blackfyre last appeared during the Blackfyre Rebellions, and dark sister was taken by Bloodraven and lost beyond The Wall. There were even more lost valyrian steel swords or divine swords from other families: House Stark's first Ice might have been lost beyond the Sunset Sea, disappearing with Brandon the Shipwright. House Lannister's Brightroar was lost near the Smoking Sea, House Hightower's Vigilance vanished during the Dance of the Dragons, House Peake's pilfered orphan maker might be across the Narrow Sea like Blackfyre, and there was the valyrian steel sword Truth that disappeared after the decline of Lys's House Rogare. Rhaegar currently held lament, which still needed to be returned to the Bronze Royce family.
What attracted Rhaegar most, and was most important, were definitely the runes. Rhaegar marked all suspected locations with red: beyond The Wall in the North, the Iron Islands, Gods Eye Lake in the Riverlands, and Stony Sept. On the Essos continent: the ruins of Old Valyria's Smoking Sea, the Rhoyne River ruins, Norvos and Qohor, Asshai, and Qarth. These places might all have traces of magic. The Wall had traces of the old gods, the Iron Islands worshipped the drowned god, and even the drowned god's enemy, the Storm God, showed divine power. The Hammer of Justice crypt in Stony Sept was also worth a visit. Not to mention the Essos continent, with its most diverse magical elements: the Smoking Sea ruins had traces of Valyrian Dragonlords, the Rhoyne River ruins had traces of Rhoynar Water Magic, and Westerosi called Qohor the "City of Sorcerers," hinting at the popular divination, Blood Magic, and necromancy there. There were also Qarth and Asshai, but those dreadful places were too far away.
However, places with traces of magic were also the most dangerous.
Rhaegar saw the egg-shaped marks on the map and thought of the unknown number of lost dragon eggs. The years and quantities of these lost dragon eggs were hard to pinpoint. Rhaegar knew that three were lost during the time of Jaehaerys I the Conciliator, some during the Dance of the Dragons, and others during the antics of Aegon IV the Unworthy. In short, there might be traces of dragon eggs all over the world.
Rhaegar's gaze swept across the Narrow Sea, looking through the winding coastline at the nine Free Cities. The most treasures and runes were still on the Essos continent. Rhaegar intended to explore these places, but he still needed to observe the development of the Narrow Sea situation.
The Free Cities can be broadly divided into four types: the three major powers are Braavos, with its obedient little brother Lorath, and its rebellious little brother Pentos, which was beaten to a pulp. The Kingdom of the Daughters, consisting of Lys, Myr, and Tyrosh, is in a state of division, and there's the ancient noble Volantis, which is a class unto itself. The inland cities of Qohor and Norvos formed an alliance to resist Volantis, an alliance that persists to this day.
Aside from the two distant inland city-states and Volantis, the other two major powers, Braavos and the Kingdom of the Daughters, had actually clashed with the Iron Throne.
"Even without exploring the unknown world, the mysteries of the known world are difficult to fully explore," Rhaegar thought as he slowly put away the map.
I still need to become stronger! Rhaegar thought. Only then would he have the confidence to search those dangerous or cursed lands.
Human power always has its limits. Westeros and even Essos do not lack first-rate fighters. Westeros's knight culture has produced many top-tier fighters, and the Essos continent also has categories of masters such as mercenaries, Water Dancer swordsmen, Dothraki Khal, and Meereenese arena gladiators. While they are indeed strong, they are still within a certain circle and have not escaped the realm of humanity.
In a real war, a puddle of water, a suit of armor, might decide the outcome of the battle; first-rate fighters do not have a decisive overwhelming effect.
Only magic can transcend the ordinary flesh!
It was only with fire and magic that Rhaegar felt he could firmly surpass other warriors.
Only the resurgence of magic can awaken the True Dragon's wrath!
The peak Valyrian Dragonlords were overpowered humans skilled in fire magic. They could control dragons with binding spells and magical horn, wield powerful magic, and turn stone into liquid with Dragonflame, shaping it into various forms with magic.
Cultivate! Explore! Seek fire and runes! Become a stronger Dragonlord!
In the face of an uncertain future, this was Rhaegar's best idea!
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