Chapter 405: Make Up Your Mind!

The little girl's voice was crisp and clear, with a conviction that could not be denied.

Rhaegar was stunned, gazing at the sister he had watched grow up since childhood.

In his impression, Helaena was a tender little girl. Trapped by the Dreamer talent, she developed a withdrawn personality. A poor girl who would cry at the slightest bullying from her brother Aegon.

As the two figures overlapped, Rhaegar couldn't help but be dazed and added, "You've grown up."

"Brother, don't exclude me," Helaena said hopefully. She had grown up and had her own ideas. It was her intention to gain her brother's approval in a silent way.

But her mother pushed too hard and tried to marry her off. If she didn't make up her mind today, she would only be further away from what she wanted in the future.

Rhaegar finally came to his senses and embraced the little girl with a complex expression: "Since you boast of being Visenya, you should understand my difficulties."

"Hmm!" Helaena sniffed and nodded as she buried her head in her brother's chest.

"I'll go out first and leave the troubles outside," Rhaegar said, rubbing her long hair, his voice soft. He had a headache, unsure if he should answer or not. In principle, this was the absolute wrong thing to do. One wrong move and the family he had worked so hard to create would fall apart, giving the vultures of the outside world a chance to take advantage of the situation.

Helaena read his struggle with her sensitive mind. Tilting her head, she looked at him with determined eyes and said boldly, "Brother, are you willing to marry me to another man and have me bear children for others?"

Rhaegar's heart sank, his mind racing with thoughts. Tearing away the facade, the simple question went straight to the heart. They had been together since childhood, and their feelings were strong. Marrying Helaena to a man other than a Targaryen, out of the family's core circle, how could there be no ripples in his heart?

Whether it was weighing the pros and cons, or emotions, looking at Helaena, whose eyes were red and stubborn, Rhaegar was speechless.

Helaena had already gotten the answer and broke into a smile, "Brother, the Targaryen bloodline is destined to make us attracted to each other." The world rules could not restrict the Targaryens.

Rhaegar was silent. He held her slender waist in his embrace and raised a hand to wipe the tears from the corners of her eyes. Helaena beamedand stared straight ahead.

She had finally succeeded. She didn't need any underhanded means, just the burning blood that flowed together. From time to time, her mother had drilled the ways of Hightower's establishment into her, but she didn't recognize them.

Her! Helaena! Targaryen! Dragons have their own way of living.

After a long moment, Rhaegar pursed his lips, seeming to release something deep within himself.

Rhaegar released her and said firmly, "You stay here. I'm going out first, alright?"

"What for?" Helaena asked crisply.

"Just step aside, little brat." Rhaegar pushed the door open, gently nudging Helaena back toward the bedroom.

Moving quickly, he slipped out the door, needing a moment of silence.

Thump—

The door closed, leaving Helaena alone in the room. She cupped her face, feeling the tear tracks and the lingering warmth of Rhaegar's fingers.

"How bold," Helaena murmured, rubbing her face until it turned red. Her heart pounded as she stared at the door in confusion. Everything had seemed fine, but now he was gone. She had hoped to bask in the moment a little longer, but it had fizzled out.

"Ugh..." Helaena sighed, slightly disappointed.

Bang...

The door burst open again, and Rhaegar stormed back in.

Helaena's eyes widened, "Back?"

Rhaegar exhaled deeply and sighed, "I couldn't stay away."

Stepping out, his mind kept replaying the potential consequences, just like the Viserra matter. He couldn't leave things unresolved.

"Brother," Helaena beamed, rushing toward him.

"Stop!" Rhaegar scowled, grabbing her by the back of the neck to keep her at a distance.

With a stomp, he shut the bedroom door. He looked around, then grabbed a red blanket, wrapping Helaena tightly like a small mummy.

Except for her feet and head, she was completely swaddled.

Bending his knees, he lifted the bundled Helaena and carried her to the balcony, laying her on a recliner.

She squirmed and protested, "Brother, not like that."

Rhaegar pressed her head gently toward his shoulder and backhandedly smacked her lightly on the buttocks, "Be honest. I'm trying to protect you. Don't get ahead of yourself."

He looked out toward the Godswood, his gazetouching the white tree trunk with its bright red, blood-like leaves, and the ghastly human face etched into it, pulling a wry smile.

With a thought, black fire emerged from Rhaegar's forehead, and a pitch-black dragon scale broke through his flesh. His aura surged, purifying his emotions and radiating an indescribable, dangerous majesty.

"Brother, you've grown scales," Helaena said, her eyes wide with confusion.

Rhaegar retracted his gaze, amused by her expression. "It's a small issue. Targaryens have their quirks."

The dragon scales quietly disappeared. Rhaegar tugged gently on her cheeks and asked, "How's the bronze runes I taught you coming along?"

"I've inscribed a good chunk of them, just have a few ones left to finish," Helaena replied, leaning her head on his shoulder.

Since her last stolen kiss from her brother and a stern warning from her eldest sister, she hadn't been this close to her brother in a long time.

Rhaegar concentrated on her progress, surprised. "A good part? Very impressive."

Rhaenyra was studying the same runes and was only halfway through. Helaena, being more introverted, had devoted most of her time to inscribing runes.

Rhaegar relaxed and began to draw a larger picture for her. "Carve them well. When you're done, I'll teach you the serpent rune."

The siblings were already close, and the serpent rune, though difficult, could be taught. This method would also keep Helaena distracted.

Helaena nodded, enjoying the feeling of being trusted.

Rhaegar shared some of his experiences, then tilted his head back and closed his eyes. He had given up on the idea of being alone and quiet, not wanting to tolerate Helaena's sadness. He needed to think about the future.

The threat of the Triarchy was gone, and the three city-states were in disarray. He pondered how to stabilize Rhaenyra and how to gain the endorsement of the Faith of the Seven for his plans to marry more than one woman.

So much trouble!

Thinking of Aegon the Conqueror, Rhaegar felt a surge of determination. "All Targaryens are blood related. If I'm sitting on the Iron Throne, what's wrong with marrying two more women?"

Two hundred years ago, Valyria was allowed to marry more than one. If he could stabilize the volatile Rhaenyra and Alicent, marrying Helaena would strengthen the family.

When Aegon the Conqueror and his three dragons subdued Westeros, he forced the High Septon to crown him. Now, the Targaryens had a dozen direct members and a dozen dragons ruling the skies.

The Faith of the Seven wouldn't dare to riot.

He wanted to see how many armies the High Septon could muster against him.

As Rhaegar's thoughts drifted, a faintly fragrant breeze blew past his ears, tickling them. He shook his head and looked down.

Helaena, her cheeks puffed out, was huffing and blowing with her mouth. Seeing Rhaegar's attention, she blew even harder.

Rhaegar was bewildered and unsure of her actions.

With a soft whimper, Helaena's blowing didn't work, so she arched upwards and bit Rhaegar's ear gently.

"Let go!" Rhaegar winced, reaching up to pinch her cheeks, forcing her to release him.

Helaena's eyes filled with suspicion as she pouted her pink lips.

"What was that for?" Rhaegar asked, clearly puzzled.

Helaena's head drooped in disappointment. "I saw that you were pleasured when your sister did this," she admitted, trying to please him.

Rhaegar laughed in annoyance. "Peeking is not a good habit," he said, shaking his head. "Rhaenyra can be too bold sometimes."

Unconvinced, Helaena leaned in and planted a kiss on his cheek, leaving Rhaegar stunned. She twisted her mummy-like body to move closer and continue the kiss.

"No!" Rhaegar quickly moved away, his voice lowering as he pressed Helaena's palm-sized face away. "You have to wait."

"You let me in," Helaena insisted stubbornly.

Rhaegar sighed and said solemnly, "I cannot do this while Rhaenyra is pregnant." After a pause, feeling incomplete, he added, "When you're older and a true adult."

He allowed himself certain liberties with Jeyne and the bastard lady, but those weren't for the sake of matrimony and were the occasional mistakes of a male in a noble class. However, cheating while Rhaenyra was pregnant would be a betrayal and deeply humiliating.

Rhaegar sighed and said solemnly, "I can't do this while Rhaenyra is pregnant." After a pause, feeling incomplete, he added, "When you're older and a true adult."

He allowed himself certain liberties with Jeyne, the bastard daughter, but those were for the sake of matrimony and were the occasional mistakes of a male in a noble class. However, cheating while Rhaenyra was pregnant would be a betrayal and deeply humiliating.

Not caring whether Helaena understood the deeper meaning, Rhaegar pressed her skull gently and said, "Hush! Sleep."

Reluctantly, Helaena blinked and lay back down.

Both siblings closed their eyes, quietly enjoying the sunlight and the cool breeze.

Suddenly, Helaena mentioned, "What about that Lord Peake?"

Rhaegar, still with his eyes closed, replied,"There's no rush. Having committed a crime, he's probably fled the Red Keep by now. Let him run for a while."

"Oh." Helaena adjusted herself into a comfortable position.

For a moment, the bedroom regained its peace. Sunlight bathed the room, with a handsome young man in silver hair and black clothes reclining in a chair, and a red-wrapped Helaena in his arms.

It was an intoxicatingly beautiful picture, provided one ignored the red caterpillar-like cocoon that Helaena was wrapped in.

...

At the Same Time

Upstairs, the Princess' Bedroom

Sara stood guard at the door of the quiet room. The princess was pregnant and often needed long naps.

Inside the bedroom, silk curtains draped over the floor-to-ceiling windows, blocking out the harsh sunlight. Rhaenyra, in a loose nightgown, slept quietly on her side. One hand was under her ear, the other resting on her round belly. She slept so soundly that she didn't realize she was dreaming.

In the dream:

Rhaenyra was lying in her bedroom, everything around her unchanged.

"Hmph ..." There was a strange sound in her arms, a faint whimper.

Confused, Rhaenyra looked down. Her rounded belly was gone, and her stomach was flat. In her arms were two small white babies, squeezed together, twisting and turning as they tried to roll over. After much effort, their chubby bodies wouldn't budge, their faces turning a suffocating red.

Rhaenyra recognized them immediately as her children.

"Grr..." The two little babies, tired of tossing and turning, their purple eyes darting around, nibbled at their little pink hands and arms. Rhaenyra watched silently, her heart melting.

"Roar..." Suddenly, a shrill roar echoed. There was more than one; several sounds joined together. Rhaenyra, still unaware that she was dreaming, instinctively wrapped her arms around the two babies.

"Roar..." A young bronze dragon, no larger than a house cat, flew out first, landing on the bed and spreading its wings.

"Roar..." The next moment, three more young dragons flew out from different parts of the bedroom, chirping and scurrying around. Tired of flying, each looked for a place to land. One landed on the headboard next to the bronze young dragon. Two landed at the foot of the bed, craning their necks to look back and forth.

Rhaenyra rubbed her eyes in dismay, unable to make out the appearance of the other three young dragons.

"Wahh..." One of the babies in her arms howled after exerting too much force. Crying, the baby quickly grabbed a wooden toy and threw it at the bed.

Plop--

The toy hit the bronze-colored young dragon precisely.

"Roar ..." Instantly, the four young dragons were frightened and flapped their wings to fly away.

"Hmph ..." The baby immediately stopped crying and arched into Rhaenyra's arms, searching for comfort. Looking at the scene, the baby seemed quite domineering.

(Word count: 2,070)