In the year 276 of the Aegonian calendar, at the Sunset Sea in the south of Westeros.
A merchant ship is struggling to navigate the turbulent sea. Inside the passenger cabin, a man lies weakly on the bed.
His face was ashen, almost transparently pale, the torment of illness and persistent high fever had long since robbed him of his ability to speak.
His name was Morton Cortoine, the eldest son of Lord Houghton Cortoine, and heir to the Cortoine family of the Three Towers of the Reach.
Eight months ago, he traveled to the continent of Essos with two bodyguards and servants.
After his travels, he boarded a merchant ship bound for the old town, but unfortunately fell ill on board just before the voyage was about to end.
His serious illness, coupled with the five-day storm, caused him, who was already prone to seasickness, to be unable to get out of bed after being confined to his bed.
No matter how meticulously his fiancée and servants cared for him, the lack of medical care and medicine on the ship could not stop the flame of life from gradually fading in his eyes.
Alice knelt beside his bed, tears streaming down her face like a burst dam, her hands tightly gripping Morton's growing cold hands.
She had long, silver-gold hair that cascaded smoothly down her slender back like a waterfall. Her eyes were a mysterious purple, like violets blooming in a deep valley, exuding a captivating and noble aura. At this moment, her belly was slightly protruding, clearly indicating that she was pregnant.
Morton looked tenderly at his lover, at her silver hair and purple eyes, which was his greatest gain during his travels: the bloodline of a dragon king.
The Targaryen family, with their silver hair and purple eyes, has ruled Westeros for three hundred years using dragons. Countless nobles and scholars believe they are the closest beings to gods. This situation has led to countless families yearning for Targaryen bloodlines during these three hundred years, especially for the women of this family, even though the dragons have been extinct for nearly a century.
However, the Targaryen family is extremely protective of its bloodline; even their illegitimate children are kept within Dragonstone and none have escaped. To this day, very few families have obtained them.
Morton's family, the Cortoines, is a small family in Westeros in the Reach, and they never even dared to dream of such a good thing.
Until he met Alice during his travels, a lowly innkeeper. At first, he was attracted by her appearance, but unexpectedly, he fell in love with her as they spent more time together. The secret she revealed to him at the end surprised and delighted him.
But at this point, his body could no longer sustain him on his journey back to his family. Relying solely on correspondence was insufficient to persuade his stubborn and indifferent father. He understood that this bloodline would ultimately be unable to integrate into his family.
Morton looked at Alice's slightly protruding belly and felt he should do something. So he forced himself to say, "Alice, our child is about to come into this world, but I... I'm afraid I won't be able to wait for that moment. If it's a boy, let's name him Gavin. Gavin, this name will give him courage and strength, allowing him to face everything bravely in the days to come." Morton was breathing heavily, each word seemingly squeezed out from the depths of his soul.
Alice, fighting back her grief, was already sobbing uncontrollably, but she still nodded and said in a trembling voice, "Okay, Morton, our child will be named Gavin."
Morton forced a smile, a smile that seemed to hold a deep expectation for the future, before slowly closing his eyes. The ship continued to rock, but it could no longer awaken his departing father.
After several days of rough seas, the merchant ship finally arrived at the port of the old town. The guards immediately summoned the Silent Sisters and asked the Hightower family for help in sending ravens to Three Towers Fortress.
Inside the castle, Earl Houghton Cortoine sat in his high seat, looking at the letter. His face was as gloomy as the sky before a storm, and his eyes were cold and sharp.
"This is a disgrace to the family!" Horton roared, his voice echoing through the hall like thunder. "The child in her womb has tarnished the honor of my family. Moreover, I will never allow my eldest son to marry a woman from Valantis!"
The Earl's roar silenced the hall. Maester Edric glanced around at his bowing retainers, hesitated for a moment, and then advised the Earl:
"My lord, forgive my bluntness, but the Kotoin family is currently small in number. If you are concerned about the continuation of the bloodline, why not..."
"No, this child is illegitimate and cannot be a member of my family. I don't know what dirty methods that Valantis woman used to seduce my eldest son, but I will never admit it."
Before Scholar Edric could say anything more, he was interrupted by the person on the high seat.
Earl Horton looked at the guard beside him and ordered, "Go and bring back my son's body, and protect it from damage." After hesitating for a moment, he added, "Bring that woman back as well, and let her stay in the castle to give birth, but she must leave after giving birth."
Then he ordered the maester opposite him, "Edric, go and deliver a raven to Highgarden, and tell the Tyrell family that my heir has died and that I want to make Edmund my new heir. Also, tell Edmund to resign his post and come back quickly."
"Yes, sir." Edric had no choice but to bow his head and obey.
Three Towers Fort.
In a dimly lit guest room, Alice slumped on the edge of the bed, tears streaming down her face like a burst dam. Morton had vowed to marry her and hold a wedding ceremony for her after returning to Westeros.
Although Morton had left, she believed that she and her unborn child would eventually be given a proper status, but when she arrived at Three Towers Castle full of hope, the cruel reality was beyond her expectations.
She tried everything, but couldn't even get an audience with the Earl. Every request was ruthlessly rejected, which made her feel as if she had fallen into an abyss. Sadness and despair almost swallowed her whole.
Six months later, in the year 277 of the Aegonian calendar.
It was still that dimly lit guest room. Alice's heart-wrenching screams echoed in the room, the excruciating pain nearly causing her to faint.
Finally, with the full help of the scholars and maids, the child was born with a clear cry.
Although the baby's hair was extremely sparse, it was still clearly silver. Scholar Edric picked up the child and examined him carefully for a long time before handing him to the weak Alice and saying, "Congratulations, it's a boy."
He then ordered his servants to help take care of him and hurriedly left. After several transfers, exhausted, he finally climbed a tower, raised his trembling hand, and knocked on the door.
"Knock knock knock"
A voice came from inside the house saying, "Come in."