Chapter 718: The High Priest

Dragons choose their dragon riders, but the riders, in essence, are also choosing their dragons.

On the second naming day of Viserys's daughter, Diana, he took her to the Kingswood to personally select a young dragon that would be more compatible with her.

The young dragons, having grown over the years, now exceed ten meters in size. Especially notable among them is the eldest, Vhagar. Although she is a female dragon, her size and ferocity still surpass her siblings.

When Viserys brought Diana to choose a dragon, these young dragons were also sizing her up.

Diana has half Dornish blood, but due to the now pure lineage of Viserys, the young princess's dragon-riding bloodline is also exceptional.

She caught the attention of the crystal dragon, Syrax, known as the 'Little Lady', and also the eldest dragon, Vhagar.

The crystal dragon has a beautiful figure and curves, a light green body, sharp bones on its horns and neck, and wings that shine like crystal, reflecting a rainbow of colors.

The grown Syrax is even more elegant and eye-catching than when she was younger, shimmering like crystal in the sunlight.

Every time she flies over King's Landing, she draws cheers and gasps from the people below. She enjoys the attention, so she flies over the capital more often than her siblings.

The 'Little Lady' seemed to take a liking to the silver-haired girl. She, quite unusually, lowered her pride and took to the skies, trying to catch Diana's attention. However, Diana's gaze was entirely captured by Vhagar, the elder dragon.

The massive red dragon let out a deep roar that made the entire Kingswood shiver. Even though she's a female dragon, her body is incredibly robust, with sharp, menacing claws digging into the ground and eyes that naturally exude a dominant aura.

Her roar made her siblings step back, including the proud, shimmering golden dragon, Teraxes.

Not far away, Rhaegal and Viserion, basking in the sun, couldn't help but look over. As for Balerion, he was sound asleep. His size is so vast that he seems like a mountain compared to these younger dragons.

Dragons are also social creatures. For this group, Balerion is the true Dragon King and leader. He protects the entire brood from external threats with his sheer might.

Princess Diana Targaryen eventually chose Vhagar, much like the tradition of choosing a weapon on one's naming day. She chose Viserys's sword, Dusk.

This choice was entirely Diana's own. She wasn't swayed by the shiny and more appealing crystal dragon, Syrax, but chose the dragon that caught her attention the most, Vhagar.

Diana's choice seemed to have hurt Syrax's pride. For a while, she was sulky. However, Viserys didn't console her, knowing that with Syrax's optimistic nature, she'd bounce back soon.

And sure enough, in a few days, the 'Little Lady' was back to her lively self.

"Vhagar is my gift to Diana," Viserys said, watching his daughter embrace her dragon. "They will grow together."

Diana is still young, but the dragon is only a year older than her. While the 'Red Queen' grows rapidly in size, human children grow just as quickly in intellect.

They may not have the massive bodies of dragons, but they have sharper minds at the same age.

Viserys met with Prince Doran in King's Landing. Meanwhile, the Imperial fleet, heading to Volantis, stopped here for a few days and was received by the Volantene Triarchs.

Volantis is governed by two parties, the Elephants and the Tigers. Currently, there are three Triarchs, two from the Elephant party and one from the Tiger party. Ever since the Century of Blood, the people's resentment towards the Tigers peaked. So, the political landscape of Volantis has been dominated by the Elephants.

The arrival of the Imperial fleet, representing the mighty empire with eight dragons and an army of over a hundred thousand, was bound to shake up Volantis's already unstable political scene.

Now, Asha Greyjoy, representing the empire, was visiting the Red Temple in Volantis, invited by the High Priest Benerro.

Benerro, the theoretical head of the R'hllor faith, has a significant influence. Melisandre, who met Viserys years ago and now serves as the vice-chancellor of the theological academy in King's Landing, is like a mere disciple in front of Benerro.

"Welcome, envoy of the Sun's Son," Benerro, a tall, thin man with sharp features and milk-white skin covered in flame tattoos, greeted Asha. His voice was so high-pitched that it startled her on their first meeting.

She soon learned that the followers of R'hllor believed Viserys to be the Son of R'hllor, the hero destined to save the world. Hence, they often referred to him as the Sun's Son or God's Son, rather than the King of the Seven Kingdoms or the Emperor of the Valyrian Empire.