Chapter 65: Nightmare

"You really did, you showed great courage!"

With tears streaming down her cheeks, Rhaenyra's heart swelled with a mixture of relief and gratitude as she spoke.

Rhaegar's smile widened as he heard her words. "Indeed, I have sworn to protect you."

But his fleeting joy was cut short.

Rhaenyra's laughter erupted, her cheeks flushing with amusement. "A true gentleman should dress appropriately before facing a lady."

A breeze whispered past, and Rhaegar looked down in embarrassment.

Exposed and naked, he hurried to cover himself, his cheeks burning with embarrassment. "Let's not dwell on the details."

"Get down, there's much to discuss." Rhaenyra wiped away her tears and stifled a laugh.

Rhaegar humbled himself and obediently dismounted from the dragon's back.

Approaching him, Rhaenyra wrapped her cloak around him, shielding him from the cold.

Struggling to hide his shame, Rhaegar gestured to Cannibal. "This is my dragon, Cannibal."

"Isn't that the name the fishermen gave it?" Rhaenyra, indifferent to dragon names, hugged her brother tightly.

Rhaegar grinned. "Cannibal likes the name, and so do I. It suits his dark nature, devouring all light."

"You're getting smarter, Rhaegar," Rhaenyra's eyes shimmered with a myriad of emotions as she planted a kiss on his cheek.

"Come on, Father nearly fainted when he heard you were captured by Cannibal."

Reluctant to let him go, Rhaenyra held on tightly.

With no clothes to cover himself, Rhaegar offered no resistance.

Turning back to Cannibal, he shouted, "Stay close, I will seek you out tomorrow!"

"Roar..."

Cannibal echoed the call, leaping down from the castle wall to perch on the surrounding cliffs.

Only when Cannibal's eyes closed did the castle guards cautiously emerge and gather around the siblings.

Rhaegar singled out one of the guards. "Prepare plenty of cattle for my dragon."

"Yes, Your Grace!" The guard's response was swift, filled with urgency.

Without delay, the guards obeyed their prince's command and ran to prepare offerings for the dragon.

...

As they entered the hall, Viserys was waiting at the door.

When Rhaegar saw Rhaenyra's embrace, his eyes bright with excitement, he nodded earnestly. "It's good to have you back and in one piece."

Rhaegar's grin faltered as he bowed his head. "Forgive me, Father, for not seeking your consent before secretly taming the dragon."

"It is forgiven. We were concerned for your safety, yet you accomplished what we thought impossible."

In a rare show of tenderness, Viserys moved closer and gently cupped Rhaegar's forehead. "Well done, my son. Your sister clarified your intentions in taming the dragon; it was not an act of selfishness."

"Not quite. I was looking for an adult dragon."

Rhaegar's sudden confession surprised him, revealing his true intentions.

He could not fathom settling for a young dragon; only a formidable adult dragon was worthy in his eyes.

When he heard of Vhagar, the mightiest dragon in existence, his fantasies soared.

Though Vhagar had been tamed by Laena Velaryon, fortune smiled upon him.

The fearsome beast, Cannibal, was waiting for him.

Its ominous face and brute strength stirred something primal in him.

Viserys smiled, his tone neutral. "As long as you remain dedicated to protecting your loved ones, that is all that matters."

Then, as if remembering something vital, his expression changed to one of determination. "You have both endured the rain. Go and take a warm bath, and I will have Lord Robert prepare a sumptuous feast to commemorate your conquest of the wild dragon."

His emotions had been on edge all day.

He had feared for the safety of his eldest son when he dared to tame a wild dragon.

But he had underestimated the boy.

With his noble lineage and the favor of the gods, he had miraculously tamed the fierce black dragon.

Born alongside Dreamfyre, Vermithor, and Silverwing, Cannibal had remained untamed, growing larger and more powerful as a wild dragon.

Heeding her father's advice, Rhaenyra led Rhaegar back upstairs.

Only now did she realize that her clothes were soaking wet, leaving her cold and drenched.

Pride and worry warred in his eyes as Viserys watched his children leave.

As he thought, he muttered, "The family now commands a grown dragon, another source of power."

He had no idea of Cannibal's true size.

He imagined it to be nearly eighty percent the size of Vermithor.

It should be a colossal creature, filled with destructive potential.

...

Alicent was absent from dinner.

The maid reported that she was indisposed and in shock.

Viserys felt a pang of disappointment, but he hid it from his children, maintaining a facade of contentment.

Rhaegar also felt a sense of disappointment; he had been eager to show off his dragon.

After dinner, Rhaenyra grabbed him and dragged him by force into her chambers.

Without a word, he was pushed onto the large, plush bed.

Rhaegar's expression was tense, his voice trembling as he asked, "Sister, what are you doing?"

"What do you think?" came her curt reply.

As soon as he crossed the threshold, Rhaenyra's demeanor changed abruptly, fixing him with a puzzled, cross-eyed stare.

"I did not mean to deceive you, but I wanted a full-grown dragon," Rhaegar murmured, his tone tinged with concern.

"Given your previous statements, what are your intentions now?"

Rhaenyra had not forgotten his earlier comments and was genuinely concerned that he might lead a dragon to the Driftmark and cause havoc.

A reckless child.

He dared to mount a wild dragon and then rode it recklessly as it spat fire into the sky.

"Don't worry, I'll behave myself. I understand that dragons aren't just tools," Rhaegar promised seriously.

Rhaenyra pinched his cheeks, pulling them sharply as she spoke, "When have you ever kept your word? Your credibility with me is nonexistent."

"So what's the verdict? I've tamed Cannibal. You can't stop me from riding him, can you?" Rhaegar lay sprawled on the bed, resigned. His mouth formed a retort, but his mind was already planning tomorrow's dragon ride, far away from here.

He longed for a short escapade to explore the world beyond King's Landing, now that he had a dragon at his command.

"Hmph, no funny business, at least until you're safely back from the Driftmark. You need permission for that," Rhaenyra said.

"All right, I'll obey," Rhaegar feigned obedience like a mischievous child.

Rhaenyra pinched his chin and nipped his cheek, a warning in her actions. "You better not forget!"

Her brother was a wild one, unparalleled in his boldness. Left unchecked, she feared he might challenge the gods themselves.

As their conversation ended, the room fell into darkness. Rhaenyra and Rhaegar sat on opposite sides of the bed, their backs to each other, a heavy silence enveloping the room.

In a haze, Rhaegar drifted off to sleep.

In his dream, he flew atop Cannibal, traversing the continent and leaving a trail of legendary exploits in his wake.

Returning to Dragonstone after a triumphant journey, the ominous dragon roars echoed from the island and jolted Rhaegar awake.

In an instant, two adult dragons emerged from Dragonmont and attacked Cannibal from either side.

With a command, Rhaegar urged Cannibal into battle, narrowly avoiding the onslaught of the massive dragons.

At the edge of safety, nestled against the cliffs of Dragonstone, Rhaegar believed they had escaped.

But from the shadows, an unseen behemoth lunged forward, unleashing a torrent of scarlet dragon flames that sent Rhaegar tumbling from Cannibal's back.

The other two dragons rejoined the fray.

Cornered and badly wounded, Rhaegar could only watch helplessly as Cannibal was torn apart by the attack of the three dragons, his once majestic form reduced to mere fragments.

In the aftermath, only the lifeless head of Cannibal remained, its emerald eyes gazing back at him reluctantly.

(Word Count: 1286)