Chapter 122: Laena and Daemon

Hearing Rhaenyra's envy, Rhaegar glanced at her and laughed, "You're making quite a profit from collecting ship taxes on Dragonstone Island, aren't you?"

"Not as much as you earn."

Rhaenyra moved a chair and sat aside.

Rhaegar shook his head. "The Mushroom Set caravan earns quite a lot but also spends a lot."

"Every year, the profit is divided: 30% goes to Old Tully as a dividend, 30% to maintain the lives of the free people, and 10% to fill the Princess's private coffers."

"In the end, not even half of the gold coins are left in my hands."

"Why, are you hurt?"

Thinking of the private treasury she had built for herself, Rhaenyra smiled.

It was a huge amount of resources. Not only gold dragons, but also all kinds of leather goods, jewelry, and exotic treasures.

Rhaenyra's expenses in King's Landing largely relied on this private treasury.

"This is compensation for you. It's just some gold and silver, nothing more."

Rhaegar valued emotional bonds over gold and silver. If they were really short of money, the treasury could be drawn upon. He just didn't want to ask his father for money. Freedom of wealth and providing for free people needed to be managed independently.

After a few moments of silence, Rhaenyra changed her tone and asked, "I have two pieces of news, one good and one bad. Which would you like to hear first?"

Rhaegar's hand paused for a moment as he wondered, "Where did that come from?"

"Rhaenys!" Rhaenyra gave the answer.

"I see, let's start with the good news."

The news came from Rhaenys, and Rhaegar had a slight headache guessing about what.

Rhaenyra mused, "Laena has given birth, a set of twin daughters, and the Targaryen bloodline is multiplying again."

"She's still very much in love with Daemon."

Rhaegar snorted and said, "Back then she risked treason to save our good uncle and in the blink of an eye a child was born."

Seven years ago, on a rainy night, he guessed that Daemon wouldn't be honest and would not face the law, so he took the Cannibals to guard Blackwater Bay in advance.

Daemon, unsurprisingly, escaped on a Caraxes, and Rhaegar caught him in the act.

After he left, Laena rode Vaghar to rescue Daemon, who had fallen into the sea.

To escape the king, the two hid in a free-trading city-state and organized a wedding.

"Rhaegar, I know you. You don't care about them anymore."

Rhaenyra put her hand on Rhaegar's shoulder soothingly.

After that night, Daemon and Laena were wanted by the kingdom and fled. But Rhaenyra knew that both her father and brother had tacitly refrained from mentioning them again, assuming that the culprits had fallen into the sea.

"Tell me the bad news."

Rhaegar was a little annoyed.

Rhaenyra nodded. "Laena sent me a letter; she misses her homeland, wants her newborn son to grow up in it, and begged me to plead with you and Father."

"You agreed?"

Rhaegar raised his head in surprise, not expecting Laena to make such a request.

Rhaenyra replied helplessly, "If I had said yes, how could I call it bad news?"

Rhaegar grunted and rubbed his forehead.

Personal bravery aside, Laena was now the greatest dragon rider in the world, master of the greatest dragon, Vaghar. Her family's power had grown in recent years and was now at its peak.

Not to mention, the massive fleet under the Sea Snake's command was formidable.

As for the dragons, Laena commanded Vaghar, Meleys, Caraxes, and Seasmoke - all experienced in war. On the other hand, the royal family had only three dragon riders including him: Rhaenyra with Syrax and Aegon, who had recently tamed Sunfyre.

Of the three, only Rhaenyra had combat experience. Syrax and Sunfyre were still young dragons, inferior even to the youngest of Laena's dragons, Seasmoke.

"The Sea Snake is not an easy man to contend with. What are you planning to do?" Rhaenyra asked gently.

Rhaegar's thoughts flowed as he considered the Velaryons' deep heritage. "Laena can come back, but her two children, bearing the Targaryen name, must be raised by the royal family."

He had thought it over. Daemon was a traitor, but his children had pure Targaryen blood. Raising two children who could control dragons while keeping Laena as their mother was a strategic move. It was a deal that made sense from any angle.

"What about Daemon? He won't leave his wife and daughters," Rhaenyra asked.

Rhaegar tilted his head back and murmured, "Daemon is a traitor, and the day he returns to Westeros is the day I will ride Cannibal to tear him apart."

For the sake of their blood ties, Rhaegar could tolerate Daemon living in the world—but not in front of him.

"All right, I'll tell Laena the answer."

Thinking of the plea in her best friend's letter, Rhaenyra could only lament that things had changed.

Rhaegar squeezed her hand and said solemnly, "Rhaenyra, you have very poor taste in friends."

"Why do you say that?" Rhaenyra frowned, questioned about her judgment.

Rhaegar said amusedly, "Look at your close friends. Alicent became our stepmother and Laena married Daemon."

"I blame Grandfather for having only two heirs, Father and Daemon, or you might have had some good friends for aunts."

"Rhaegar, you are too much!!!"

Rhaenyra's mind exploded at the comment.

...

Three days later at Dragonpit.

"Stay out of the way, or the dragon will stomp you!"

"I'm keeping my distance, brother."

"Then stay away, Sunfyre doesn't care if you're my brother or not..."

Rhaegar was making his routine inspection of the Dragonpit, and as soon as he entered, he heard a familiar voice.

He looked over and saw a golden dragon lying in the center of the Dragonpit, surrounded by dragonkeepers. Not far from the dragon stood two figures—one large and one small.

"Brother..."

Rhaegar was about to approach when he heard a soft, joyful call from the corner.

He turned and saw a little girl with silver hair and purple eyes sitting near a bonfire. She was about ten years old, pink and pretty, wearing a white dress.

"Helaena, why are you here?" Rhaegar asked, walking up to his sister and waving.

Helaena was pale, with some bottles and jars in front of her and a wriggling reptile in her hand. When she saw Rhaegar approaching, she hurriedly stuffed the reptile into a glass bottle and blocked it with the jars. Her brother didn't like her messing around with these little creatures.

Walking closer, Rhaegar glanced over Helaena's shoulder and said helplessly, "I already saw it. What's the use of hiding it?"

Helaena lowered her head like a child who had made a mistake. "I just looked, I didn't play with it."

"I'm not against you playing with bugs; I just think you should have more contact with humans," Rhaegar said, gently rubbing her little head.

He still liked his well-behaved sister, but for some reason, Helaena had become more withdrawn as she grew older. She spent all day locked in her room, playing with snakes and bugs that no normal girl would like. This was not a good sign.

(Word count: 1,198)