Chapter 296: An Old Father’s Mistake

Viserys froze at his son's words, looking at Rhaegar in surprise. His eldest son wasn't joking. Viserys restrained his smile, struck dumb. The question echoed in his mind: Have you ever thought about taming a dragon again?

Deep down, Viserys had always known the answer was "Of course!" He remembered taming his first dragon, the legendary Black Dread Balerion, the largest and oldest dragon of his time. His youthful pride and boldness drove him to pursue the strongest dragon, much like his pursuit of the Iron Throne.

But both endeavors had their shortcuts and hidden dangers. Balerion, over two hundred years old, was already nearing death. The dragon had grown too weak to respond to the Dragonkeeper's or accept food. No one dared approach him, let alone attempt to tame him, until Viserys met Balerion in the Dragonpit.

Perhaps Balerion saw something in Viserys, or perhaps the dragon wanted to soar the skies one last time. They bonded, and Balerion, despite his weakness, took to the skies for one final flight. Viserys had wanted to fly Balerion back to Dragonstone for his final rest, but the old dragon couldn't manage the journey, and half a year later, Balerion died in the Dragonpit.

The memory brought a wistful smile to Viserys' face. "Taming a dragon is not child's play, and I'm not fit to be a dragon master at my age," he said, shaking his head.

Taming dragons was dangerous. Even if Viserys wanted to try again, the Small Council would never agree. If a dragon went berserk, the king's life would be at risk.

"Father, while I was in Volantis, I discovered a secret dragon taming technique unique to the top Dragonlord families," Rhaegar said, his expression serious. He began to recite the forbidden magic spell of the Belaerys family.

Viserys' face clouded, his eyes shifting as he listened. When Rhaegar finished, the pent-up emotions erupted. Clutching his son's hand, Viserys' voice shook with anger. "Rhaegar, tell me frankly. Did you enter a dangerous place you shouldn't be and undertake an adventure you shouldn't have?"

He didn't believe in the so-called "coincidence." The Belaerys family had been a prestigious Dragonlord family, one the Targaryens could only look up to. Such top-secret knowledge couldn't be easily stumbled upon. Given Rhaegar's month-long disappearance in Volantis, Viserys could only think of the Smoking Sea and the Valyrian ruins.

Rhaegar hesitated, his eyes flashing with uncertainty. He didn't dare respond hastily.

Viserys shifted from his usual carelessness, scrutinizing every tiny detail. Turning to his daughter, he demanded sternly, "Rhaenyra, do you know anything?"

Viserys knew how close Rhaegar and Rhaenyra were. They rarely kept secrets from each other. Rhaenyra, looking uneasy, couldn't meet her father's gaze.

"Father, don't blame Rhaenyra. It was my decision," Rhaegar interjected, realizing he couldn't evade the probing questions any longer. He decided to come clean, giving a rough account of his trip to the Smoking Sea, carefully omitting the most dangerous details.

Despite the omissions, Viserys was furious. His anger erupted as he pointed at Rhaegar's head and cursed for an entire hour. The bedchamber echoed with his tirade.

Rhaegar felt as if he wanted to shrink into nothingness. Rhaenyra, feeling implicated, stood silently, absorbing the scolding.

When Viserys finally stopped, his voice hoarse and mouth dry, he accepted a drink of fresh water from Rhaenyra. His anger began to subside.

Rhaenyra, feeling the sting of her father's anger, remained attentive, but her heart ached for her brother.

Viserys grunted, his gaze scrutinizing. "Can forbidden magic spells really help tame dragons?" he asked, his voice heavy with skepticism.

Rhaegar quietly looked up, trying to read his father's expression. "Stop staring and answer me," Viserys snapped. "Can the secret dragon taming spell truly guarantee success?"

Rhaegar pondered for a moment before replying, "I can't say for sure. Dragons possess intelligence akin to humans and choose their riders. The forbidden spell only provides some assurance."

He knew that if he had the "flying spell," his chances of taming a dragon would increase, but the forbidden spell he learned merely reduced the dragon's ferocity, preventing it from incinerating him with its dragonfire.

Upon hearing this, Viserys felt a weight lift from his heart and breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good. The more demanding dragon taming is, the more secure our family's position remains."

The Targaryens were the last of the Dragonlord families, and their dragons were their strongest foundation. Easy dragon taming through a simple spell would have been a dangerous liability. If such a spell were ever leaked, other claimants to the Dragonlord lineage might seize the opportunity to steal dragons from Dragonstone.

Viserys then turned his gaze to Rhaenyra. "Are the Dragonkeepers on Dragonstone Island still sufficient?" he asked.

Rhaenyra nodded gently. "No problem, Father. There are Dragonkeepers patrolling around Dragonmont at all times. No one can get near there."

Since the incident of bribed Dragonkeepers, there had been a significant overhaul on Dragonstone Island. The dragons and their Dragonkeepers were now strictly monitored and enforced.

Satisfied, Viserys couldn't help but dwell on the possibility of taming dragons that Rhaegar had mentioned. After a moment of contemplation, he continued, "As I recall, there are still three dragons on Dragonstone Island?"

Rhaegar's eyes flickered as he replied calmly, "That's right! Vermithor, Silverwing, and Sheepstealer."

Almost as an afterthought, he added, "After the Kingswood hunt, I promised to take Aemond to Dragonstone to tame one of the dragons."

"And if none of these three dragons are suitable, you could try Grey Ghost in the Isle of Faces," he suggested, implying four potential dragons to choose from.

Viserys coughed lightly, ignoring the teasing tone in his son's suggestion. "The taming of dragons is a matter of great importance. I will consider it carefully."

Rhaegar lowered his head, hiding a satisfied smile. He knew the allure of taming a dragon was irresistible.

Leaving Viserys to his thoughts, Rhaegar gestured to Rhaenyra, and they quickly left the room. After being scolded so thoroughly, neither sibling wanted to linger a moment longer.

...

A white horse trotted by as the days slipped away. Outside King's Landing, a luxurious white carriage rolled along the royal road toward the Kingswood, flanked by white-robed Kingsguard on horseback. Behind them, cavalrymen held high the banner of the three-headed red dragon.

Inside the carriage, Viserys, draped in a black cloak, was in high spirits. "Isn't this great? Our whole family heading to the Kingswood for an adventure together?" he exclaimed.

He sat on a soft cushion on the left side of the carriage, with a sleepy Aegon on his right near the horses and a sharply dressed Helaena on his left. Alicent sat across from him, facing the door, with young Daeron lying on her lap. Rhaegar and Rhaenyra occupied the remaining cushion on the right, with a silent Aemond huddled beside them.

Hearing their father's question, the six children remained silent, none offering a response. The atmosphere grew tense.

Rhaenyra nudged Rhaegar with her shoulder, and the siblings exchanged amused glances.

Alicent finally broke the silence, displaying the grace of a good wife and mother. "Very well, it's been a long time since we've been to the Kingswood," she said gently.

Clang!

The carriage jolted violently as the wheels rolled over a rock. Alicent, wrapped in pale red fox fur, struggled to steady herself, clutching Daeron to her chest.

"Pfft..." Aegon couldn't suppress his laughter and quickly covered his mouth.

Viserys, seeing this, smiled ruefully and fell silent. He knew why he had ended up in this situation.

The journey to the Kingswood had been proposed by Rhaegar, with unanimous agreement from the children to travel by dragon. Even Aemond, who lacked a dragon, wanted to ride with Aegon on Sunfyre.

Viserys had strongly opposed this, insisting that the Kingswood trip should be on horseback. As a result, the dragon riders were now crammed into a spacious carriage.

"Roar!"

Cannibal's loud and clear roar echoed high in the sky not far from the carriage. Aemond's spirits lifted as he eagerly pulled open the curtains to glimpse the scene outside.

In the azure sky, several dragons of different sizes spread their wings and soared. The black-as-charcoal Cannibal led the way, with the golden Syrax and Sunfyre playfully chasing behind.

Hoo!

A light blue dragon, Dreamfyre, flashed past, gracefully soaring.

"Roar..."

Tessarion, with dark blue scales and copper highlights, hung far behind, roaring as it tried to catch up.

Aemond's eyes filled with envy as he murmured, "It's beautiful!"

Despite Viserys' insistence, the dragon riders had found a way to accompany their dragons. Privately releasing several dragons from the Dragonpit, they now escorted the carriage to the Kingswood.

Viserys sighed as he heard the dragons' roars, feeling the children's rebellion against his wishes. Rhaegar looked out the window and turned to his father with a smile. "Father, this Kingswood hunt is meant to impress the Stormlands' nobles. How can we not bring our dragons?"

Helaena eagerly nodded, her head adorned with a pillared headpiece.

"Yes, Rhaegar is right," Aegon chimed in, raising his hand.

Even Daeron, lying drowsily in Alicent's lap, opened his eyes and grunted in agreement.

He was young and rarely had the chance to ride a dragon. This trip, arranged by his older siblings, was a rare opportunity vetoed by his father.

(Word count: 1,657)