Hiss—
This bronze-colored little creature let out an angry hiss, spread its wings in an attacking posture, and protected Daenerys behind itself.
"Rhaegal..."
Rhaenys saw this scene and her throat rolled again, feeling a little scared. Her fingers paused in midair as she softly called its name.
Then she looked back at her teacher.
Maester Gunther's gaze towards the three little creatures was somewhat complicated, but he still nodded, encouraging Rhaenys to boldly try.
Immediately, the girl's dark eyes regained their determination, and she bit her lip, ignoring the little creature's warning, and reached out once more.
Hiss…
The bronze-colored little creature saw the detestable human in front of it daring to disregard its warning, and let out another angry hiss, like a combative rooster.
Opening its fang-filled mouth, it even 'puff' spewed a plume of black smoke.
Then, Rhaenys' fingers touched its nose.
Boop~
She gently poked it.
Nearly causing the little creature standing on Daenerys' thigh with spread wings to topple over, its body staggered slightly.
Huff, huff, huff...
Afterward, it flapped its wings desperately to regain its footing.
The bronze-colored little creature's nose was almost crooked with anger, and in an instant, its fury and body temperature skyrocketed.
It felt that its dignity as a sky ruler had been seriously challenged.
Hiss—
Roar~
Then, it opened its mouth wide, following its instinct, wanting to spew something out again.
However, at that moment, its nostrils twitched slightly, as if smelling something familiar and comforting.
Huh?
The little creature's attack halted, and its wide-open mouth closed again.
Then, it curiously sniffed its own nose.
Its anger seemed to dissipate unconsciously, leaving only a newborn's curiosity about this strange world.
It then brought its fierce head close to Rhaenys' finger, sniffing hard again, and even gently touched the girl's finger with its mouth.
This comforting familiarity intensified once more.
"Rhaegal..."
At this moment, Rhaenys' eyes were filled with tension as she took a deep breath and continued to softly call out.
She had just mustered the courage to touch the little creature, but now she somewhat regretted her impulsive action. After all, Rhaegal didn't understand human nature and couldn't speak. She was afraid that the little creature would suddenly become aggressive and bite off her finger.
However...
Gurgle—
An indescribable sound came from Rhaegal's long, fierce yet elegant neck.
Subsequently, the creature unexpectedly nuzzled its head into the girl's hand as if seeking her approval, like a little dog trying to please its master. The anger in its bronze-colored eyes softened.
"Rhaegal!"
The brown-haired girl's face immediately brightened with surprise and delight, for she knew that Rhaegal had accepted her.
Next, Rhaenys became bolder, taking the initiative to hold the little dragon in her arms, and this time Rhaegal did not resist.
However, instead of curling up in Rhaenys' embrace, it leapt onto the girl's shoulder, raising its head proudly and spreading its wings.
Rhaegal seemed to sense the Targaryen blood flowing in the girl, accepting Rhaenys.
The other two little creatures, possessing a high level of intelligence, understood that Rhaenys did not mean to harm their mother.
Soon after.
"Quick!"
"Be careful."
The girl remained kneeling on the ruins, her brown hair blowing in the wind, cautiously watching the green dragon on her shoulder.
The maester, seizing the opportunity, waved his hand, and the remaining soldiers approached, carrying away the still-unconscious Daenerys.
...
Soon enough.
The morning of the second day arrived.
The city, which had slept through the night, sprang back to life with renewed energy.
Bright sunlight streamed through the windows, casting a grid-shaped patch of light on the room's floor.
Due to the fire the previous day, the main castle of Andalos had been completely destroyed, and the ruins had not yet been cleared.
The two girls, now without a home, were forced to live in other rooms.
Servants hastily cleaned two vacant rooms in the castle, but Daenerys, for some unknown reason, remained unconscious and unresponsive.
The maester examined her personally but could not find any clues. The girl seemed to be sound asleep, but no matter how hard they tried, they could not wake her.
Subsequently, Rhaenys took matters into her own hands, washing away the soot and dirt from Daenerys' body.
Gently, she touched the girl's smooth, bald head.
To everyone's amazement and disbelief, Daenerys had not been harmed at all during her ordeal in the fire – only her hair had been burned away, leaving her body unscathed.
The three little dragons, though they had accepted Rhaenys, still refused to leave Daenerys' side.
However, Rhaenys thought they seemed more interested in playing in the water.
In the steamy room, the three little dragons repeatedly dove in and out of the water, splashing around and making a mess, much to Rhaenys' annoyance. In response, she tapped each of them on the head.
The dragons then jumped onto the edge of the tub and roared angrily at the brown-haired girl, as if they were arguing with her.
But after a day full of fright and worry, Rhaenys was too exhausted to engage in a proper squabble with them.
Daenerys' body, now clean, remained as fair and delicate as before, as if nothing had happened. She continued to sleep soundly, unaware of the calamity she had just endured.
It was nothing short of a miracle, and the red comet that had streaked across the sky at dusk seemed to confirm its occurrence.
Many soldiers who had seen Daenerys emerge unharmed from the fire believed the red comet had blessed the princess.
They thought it was the 'Maiden,' one of the Seven, who represented innocence and purity, and that she had sent her 'red messenger' to protect this innocent and pure girl.
However, this rumor However, this rumor did not last long. After the maester's reminder, Rhaenys quickly came to her senses.
She hastily issued orders throughout the night.
"The matter of the castle catching fire must be kept strictly confidential. No one is allowed to gossip about it."
"If I catch anyone..."
Rhaenys wanted to say something more threatening, but her kind nature prevented her from being as ruthless as Viserys.
"Hmph, I definitely won't let them off."
In the end, she didn't say these words out loud, but merely snorted softly.
"Furthermore, it is strictly forbidden to discuss this matter within the castle!"
"Do you understand?!"
"Yes, Your Highness, the Princess."
Following this, the castle strictly enforced a gag order, prohibiting any discussion or leakage of any details regarding this incident.
...