Chapter 476: Daemon and the Sea Snake Join Forces Again

Lyonel Hightower, a young boy who had just lost his father, was in the arms of a knight, crying so hard that he nearly fainted.

Rhaegar surveyed the scene, assessing the extent of the damage caused by the fire. Ormund had perished in the blaze, along with several unfortunate Hightower relatives who failed to escape in time. The fire, which had broken out at the entrance to the High Tower, had blocked the guards' attempts to extinguish it. Many servants had also died, either in their efforts to combat the fire or because they were trapped inside.

Lyonel Hightower, looking at the charred remains of the High Tower, wept bitterly. Rhaegar knew that House Hightower would not be able to recover for at least ten years.

"Rhaegar," Rhaenyra called, approaching with their babies in her arms. She handed the children to Rhaegar and then walked over to Lyonel, who was surrounded and comforted by his servants. As she passed Rhaegar, she shot him a fierce glare, as if to say, "Look what you've done."

Rhaegar's lips curved up slightly, and he hummed a lullaby while holding the babies. He watched as Rhaenyra sent the servants away and coaxed Lyonel to stop crying. This was likely the tacit understanding between the two, reminiscent of the relationship between King Jaehaerys I and Queen Alysanne.

Rhaenyra condescendingly went down to help Rhaegar clean up. It was almost noon when Hightower's bannerman, who were close by, arrived in Oldtown to attend Ormund's memorial service.

Rhaegar received the guests and publicly announced that Lyonel Hightower would take over the territory and title, becoming the new lord of Oldtown. The cause of the fire was officially classified as accidental.

Many people privately suspected that Rhaegar was involved in the incident. After all, he had come to Oldtown to suppress the Hightowers. However, the fire had started from inside the High Tower, and traces of oil were found. Given the High Tower's heavy guard, it was unlikely that Rhaegar could have orchestrated the arson without inside knowledge of the secretpassageways.

Thus, Rhaegar was viewed not as the direct culprit but as the mastermind behind the scenes. However, no one dared to say this aloud, only whispering it within the castle.

The High Tower still stood, and House Hightowercontinued to reside in Oldtown, with Ormund's only son now the new Lord. Hightower's bannerman were pleased with this outcome. Ifthey had been truly loyal, they would not have refused Ormund's call. Now that Ormund wasdead, the conflict between Oldtown and the royal family was resolved, allowing everything to be rebuilt from scratch. The bannerman could remain loyal to Hightower without fear of repercussion.

It couldn't have worked out better. The truth of the situation didn't matter; what mattered was that peace had been restored.

The funeral was held quickly. Due to the youngage of the new Lord, House Hightower elected a regent to arrange Ormund's burial. Rhaegar coaxed his two sons to the front of the procession with Aegon and Aemond.

Rhaenyra bent down and whispered words of comfort to the sobbing Lyonel. Her eyes weregentle, and she exuded an irresistible aura of motherhood. Rhaegar smiled, looking at her with admiration. Rhaenyra truly had the potential to become a queen, radiating warmth andinclusivity. This quality had grown with each passing day as she matured, especially afterbecoming a mother.

Aegon, slumping his head in boredom, asked, "Is it over?"

"Shh!" Aemond quickly silenced him, warning, "Keep your voice down. Don't say anything."

"What are you afraid of? No one is watching us," Aegon snorted, his eyes falling on a beautiful maiden in the crowd. A flash of rejection crossed his face. "Why didn't they burn her to death? Then I wouldn't have to fulfill my marriage contract."

"That's your fiancée," Aemond reminded him.

"How about I give her to you?" Aegon offered.

"I have my own fiancée."

"Maybe we can marry two." Aegon nudgedRhaegar in the shoulder and asked, "You'll marry Jeyne and extend the exception, right?"

The Rule of Exception was a critical condition established to maintain Targaryen familytraditions after a compromise between King Jaehaerys I, the Faith of the Seven, and the Citadel.

The essence of the Rule is as follows:

The Targaryens were not descended from the First Men, the Andals, or the Rhoynar, but wereValyrian Dragonlords of the Freehold.

The Targaryens had a unique marriage tradition aimed at preserving the purity of their bloodline, which differed from the customs of Westeros.

The Citadel also played a role in formulating the Rule of Exception. Once the rules were established, holy brothers of the Faith of the Seven traveled across the continent, explaining the exceptions castle by castle and village by village to help the people of Westeros understand and accept the Targaryens' unique customs.

Rhaegar glanced at Aegon and, to avoid further conflict, carried the two children on his back. "Don't waste your time. The new version of the Rule of Exception applies only to the king and the heir," he stated. This was a private agreement he had made with his father.

The rule allowed the king to take additional wives for the purpose of breeding, but it was meant to prevent a scenario where younger Targaryens, like Daemon and Aegon, would marry multiple wives and start their own harems, leading to chaos.

For the first time, Aegon stood up for himself and argued, "Don't be so selfish."

Rhaegar snorted in derision, "What are you going to do about it?"

"Nothing!" Aegon glared at him and then stormed out of the room.

Aemond slapped his forehead and covered his one good eye, lamenting his brother's inability to assert himself effectively. "How could he be such a brother?" he thought.

Despite the day's turmoil, the funeral concluded.

...

The next morning, early dawn.

Four dragons soared out of Oldtown, headingback to King's Landing. Rhaegar rode Cannibal, silently calculating the time difference and pondering the recent events.

The Faith of the Seven had capitulated, signing a new version of the "Law of Exceptions" and taking responsibility for promoting it across Westeros before the spread of the new religion. The Citadelfared even worse, nearly emptied of its resources.Tru led dozens of Maesters and hundreds of Maester's Assistants in inventorying the spoils of the divided institution.

House Hightower had a new Lord, and his advisers had pledged their loyalty. The Blackmont and Daynes Houses, who had been raiding the farms, had vanished. Aegon and Aemond returned to King's Landing alongside Rhaegar and Rhaenyra.

"There's still Otto left to deal with," Rhaegar thought to himself.

At this moment, Otto was probably on his way back to King's Landing. Rhaegar hadn't killed Otto directly but had left him alive, observing his actions. Otto's decision to set the High Tower on fire suggested dissatisfaction with Ormund and a desire to replace him. Otherwise, he wouldn't have resorted to such extreme measures.

Rhaegar had subtly encouraged Otto's resolve. However, the heir was Ormund's son, leaving Otto, as the second son, with no significant influence. Rhaegar thought, "If Otto is left alive, he can be used to restrain Alicent and still be useful."

The Triarchy, the Disputed Lands, and the Dorne Kingdom all required a capable person like Otto to manage them. Death wasn't the end; there was still work to be done.

...

King's Landing

Four dragons soared above the city, slowly descending into the Dragon's Lair.

"Roar..."

Syrax's mischievous neighing echoed as it refused to be directed by the dragonkeepers, carrying Rhaenyra straight to the Red Keep. Syrax had its own mind about where to go—the Dragonpit was dirty and smelly, while the Red Keep's back garden was its favorite place.

Rhaenyra departed, holding a sleeping, sweet-smelling Baelon in her arms.

Rhaegar watched and then led his two younger brothers into the Dragonpit.

"Roar..."

A shrill squeal emanated from the main hall of the Dragonpit. A light green dragon lay on the ground, its head resting on the tip of its tail, its vertical pupils glaring at them with malice.

Helaena stood nearby, holding a chain tethered to a young dragon, the size of a domestic cat, which flapped its wings and struggled.

"Sister!" Aemond exclaimed in surprise, running over excitedly.

Rhaegar was slightly surprised but did not dwell on it.

"Prince," the old Dragonkeeper greeted, leading his apprentices and directing the three dragons away.

Cannibal's pupils were cold and indifferent as it retreated to its own pit. Sunfyre growled at Dreamfyre, who growled back before returning to the pit to rest. Sheepstealer bounced around,pestering the Dragonkeeper for food before falling asleep contentedly on the spot. Of all the dragons, it was the most rebellious.

"Brother!" Helaena smiled as she saw Rhaegar and trotted over with the baby dragon in her arms.

Aemond, who had been ignored, awkwardly withdrew his hands and turned to hug Aegon.

Helaena pointed at the baby dragon andexclaimed, "The Dragonpit has hatched a new baby dragon?"

She had been expecting to see Stormcloud or Tyraxes but found this dragon with a poisonous mushroom-like color instead.

Rhaegar, avoiding the stares of Aegon and Aemond, whispered, "This is the baby dragon that hatched from the Belaerys family's dragon egg,the companion of little Aemon."

"Aemon?" Helaena was confused.

Rhaegar realized she hadn't heard about Rhaenyra's baby and explained the situation. Helaena's mouth fell open, and she stammered, "I, I have a nephew."

Her voice was light and airy, with excitement rather than regret. She then noticed the tiny babyin Rhaegar's arms. Her eyes sparkled as she gently poked the baby's face, as if petting a puppy.

Aemon, with his big, watery eyes wide open and a little drool dripping from the corner of his mouth, looked at his little aunt with a puzzled expression. Not very bright.

Rhaegar laughed and called his two younger brothers, "Let's go back to the Red Keep."

Aegon and Aemond exchanged glances, their eyes lingering on Helaena before they fell silent. Helaena's expression shifted slightly as she putaway her teasing attitude toward her youngnephew. She hadn't heard about Rhaenyra's child but was aware of other news.

"Roar..." The young dragon let out a squeak, breaking the momentary silence. Young Aemon was attracted by the sound, his big eyes fixed on the young dragon, his mouth wateringuncontrollably.

The young dragon opened its pale red wings and tilted its head to look at the human cub, a flash of recognition passing through its pupils.

Then...

"Roar!" The young dragon flapped its wings and took off, screaming in panic and trying to escape. It remembered that when it first broke out of itsshell, it had been bitten by this human cub.

"Wa wa..." Seeing the young dragon's cry, little Aemon imitated it, revealing his pink gums.

"Haha, you're still very rude," Rhaegar chuckled, wiping the drool from his son's chin. He led Helaena and the others out of the Dragonpit.

Before leaving, he instructed the dragon keeper to occasionally bring the young dragon to the RedKeep to interact with young Aemon.

...

Red Keep, Banquet Hall

Learning that his children were returning, Viserys, despite his poor health, ordered his servants to prepare a sumptuous lunch. Rhaegar changed into fresh clothes, washing off the dragon smell,and the others followed suit. After a long flight, they not only smelled of dragons but also ofsweat.

At the banquet, Viserys sat on one side of the long table, looking at his children with a pale face and a smile of relief. In his arms, he cradled Baelon, who was chewing on his hand. Rhaenyra sat nearby, placing Aemon on the table andletting the little one show his teeth to his brother. Baelon glanced at him and continued to chew hishand.

Viserys was delighted. "Look at these two little ones. They will grow up to be great warriors."

Rhaegar smiled and nodded, occasionally glancing at Helaena and Aemond. Unlike Aegon, who seemed indifferent, these siblings were more sensitive, both distressed that Alicent could notattend the banquet. The prodigal son had returned home and couldn't bear to see hismother absent.

Rhaegar understood. He had been without a mother since he was a child and was used to it.

Halfway through the banquet, as the siblings had eaten almost everything, Rhaegar noticed his father hesitating to speak. He asked, "Father, is there any news from the outside world?"

This was a family feast, not a formal dinner. Lyonel and the other advisors were not present and had not received the news in time.

Viserys hesitated for a moment. "Braavos has sent envoys to offer peace terms."

"Is Ferrego so kind?" Rhaegar frowned.

Viserys shook his head. "It wasn't Ferrego. He died in a wildfire explosion. Braavos elected a new Sealord who wants peace."

"That's not a bad thing," Rhaegar thought of Braavos, far across the Narrow Sea, and asked, "Are the terms of peace proposed by the newSealord harsh? Otherwise, why are you sohesitant?"

Viserys looked around at his children, his eyes and brows showing signs of fatigue. He said sadly, "The new Sealord's peace terms are generous,but he wants the Iron Throne to stop its invasion of Dorne and sign a truce with Prince Qyle of Sunspear."

"His hand reaches far," Rhaegar said warily.

"Dorne has already submitted," Viserys explained. "The new Sealord wants to stop the Dragon's Wroth. He will persuade the Dorne rebels to put aside their prejudices and return to peace. The messenger also said that the new Sealord wants to reopen the trade routes to the Disputed Lands and restore the right to trade for both sides."

Rhaegar thought about this for a moment. He understood. He had killed too many people in Dorne, and the new Sealord sought to soften the conflict. In keeping with the Free Cities' tradition, the two sides would sign a peace treaty, and everyone would make money together.

But why did his father look so troubled? Rhaegar's mind flashed with a figure.

Viserys sighed and said bluntly, "The emissaries from Braavos not only visited King's Landing but also Driftmark, the Stepstones, and Sunspear. Daemon and the Sea Snake allied themselves and cut off the messenger's genitals as a way ofrefusing to stop the war."

Corlys Velaryon, known as the Sea Snake, was so outraged that he had once threatened to cut off the envoy's to pieces and send it back to Braavos in a box. He had lost his heir and would not rest until he had taken his revenge.

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