Chapter 7

Soon, I did tell Robert about my wish, which was for him to open a couple of taverns and brothels under his name. In reality, they would belong to me. When he heard this, he was quite surprised.

"Why bother with such troubles? Can't you do it yourself? I think if you asked, Father would even let you build a castle, let alone some taverns."

"That's true, but I want to have my own income that no one knows about. I think you understand that relationships between brothers can be not the warmest, and Rhaegar might soon become king."

"And how would a couple of gold dragons help you in that case?"

"I'll leave for Essos, and although Solarax ensures my safety, I'll still need means to live."

"I've heard that you and your brother don't get along, but to this extent?"

"It's more of a backup plan. You know, it's better to have an escape route and not use it than to regret being unprepared in a moment of need."

"Again with your lofty speeches! You should have a woman in your bed at night, not a book, ha-ha-ha! And why don't you ask Stannis? You seem to be friends."

"First, Stannis doesn't particularly like brothels, unlike you, who fits the image of such establishments perfectly. Second, you are the heir and future lord who will definitely rule these lands, unlike your brother."

"Fine! I lost anyway, but know this: I'll visit them often, and since they're supposedly mine, I won't have to pay! Ha-ha-ha!"

"Hmph, somehow I expected nothing less from you. After I leave, Quilton will stay here to manage things."

"Is that the boy with the axe? He's from House Fell, right?"

"Exactly. Since I started catching bandits, we've gotten along quite well."

"I've heard he's as bloodthirsty as you."

"Do you condemn me?"

"Huh?! Condemn? No, I would deal with that scum the same way. I'm even grateful that you take these problems upon yourself, though Father reproaches me for it."

"It's hard to blame him. As far as I know, ever since you returned, all the whores in the Stormlands have been working overtime."

"Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Indeed!"

"That wasn't a compliment."

"Wasn't it?!"

With that, our conversation ended. I got what I wanted and was happy that my plans were starting to come to fruition. Once I have my own gold, I can act on a larger scale. I also began talking to Lord Steffon about building a new fleet.

Currently, in the Seven Kingdoms, all naval power is in three hands: the Reach, specifically House Redwyne, the Iron Islands, and the royal ships, most of which are stationed on Dragonstone, and it's quite obvious to whom they will be loyal. It's fair to say that all these forces are equal, so the appearance of a new player can significantly change the situation at the right moment, and it won't hurt the Stormlands either. Although Lord Baratheon is not enthusiastic about the idea, as it requires an immense amount of gold and the turbulent waters are not conducive, Stannis, on the other hand, is very excited about this possibility. I think together we can persuade his father.

Sitting on a rock, I watched the wonderful sunset and the raging Shipbreaker Bay, in which countless people have perished. It seems the island of Tarth is visible not far away, where you can always wait out bad weather and storms, but even this doesn't save unfortunate ships. Many ideas swirled in my head, but none could help me make this place safe.

My heavy thoughts were interrupted by hot air blowing on my back. Turning around, I smiled at Solarax, who tilted his head to the side and began to bring it closer to me. In response, I immediately petted him. All my life it seemed that our bond was stronger than Valyrian steel, but when I first climbed onto his back and we took to the air, it became clear that it grew even stronger. We completely trusted each other and, being above the ground, became one.

I had read many stories about how my ancestors tamed mighty beasts. Many died on the path to becoming a dragon rider, whereas I, on the contrary, did not face even the slightest problems. Perhaps because Solarax and I grew up together... it's hard to say for sure. I don't even know how Rhaegar's first flight went.

"Rraaaarrrr," came the quiet growl of my friend, to which I just smiled and said:

"You know, I quite like it here, but it's time for us to get some fresh air, don't you think?"

"Rrrrrrr."

"Agreed."

Soon, I climbed onto his back, adorned with a specially made saddle, and we soared into the sky, flying as high as possible, trying to reach the clouds. The cold sea wind blew in my face, tossing my silvery-golden hair, which had grown down to my shoulders. I was once again filled with a sense of freedom and excitement.

"Onward, Solarax!"

"Rraaarrr!"

Not long ago, I heard from Ser Oswell that pirates had appeared in the Stormlands Waters, a gang of vile bandits complicating trade, stealing, and raping. Fortunately, there aren't too many complaints yet, but the longer we delay, the more this thorn will irritate.

Flying over the island of Tarth and seeing nothing of interest, I directed Solarax towards the Dornish Sea. There's a high chance that such scum drifted to us from the Stepstones, a very troubled region. Since the War of the Ninepenny Kings, they have not been able to find peace. Perhaps because there's no High Lord, but that's not important right now.

After an hour's flight, I finally spotted three ships that, as surviving fishermen said, proudly sailed under a banner depicting the sun and sea. The ships themselves weren't very large, each carrying about 20 to 30 pirates. For now, I remained unnoticed; the setting sun and great height helped with that.

It's not that I need stealth, but observing the last actions of my prey is always satisfying. After a few minutes, I commanded Solarax to descend, after which we began to descend rapidly, and a predatory growl came from my partner.

Apparently, they noticed us after this, as I began to hear panicked cries on the verge of tears and hysteria. I didn't expect much from criminals, but to this extent...

Though someone was braver than the others, as a lone arrow flew towards me, but it didn't meet me, instead hitting the dragon's wing, leaving not even a scratch.

"Let's play, Solarax. Dracarys!"

In the next moment, a stream of golden flames, like his scales, erupted from the dragon's mouth, literally destroying the ship, leaving only burning debris and people screaming in terror and pain. Flying forward, I noticed the number of arrows increased, though the result did not change. Another descent, and the pirate ships were completely erased from the face of the earth.

Looking down, I noticed a couple of people who managed to escape, jumping into the sea beforehand, though they had a long way to swim to shore. But who am I to take away people's last hope, hm-hm.

"Let's go home, friend."

A couple of days later, Lord Baratheon summoned me. Frankly, I thought he would hear about it much sooner. Moving through the somewhat gloomy but majestic castle, I began to notice how people's attitudes towards me had changed over the years I spent here.

If before they bowed out of rules and respect for my house, now many people love me. I always understood the importance of reputation and tried to maintain it by learning the names of the servants, helping their families in times of need, and many other deeds. But there were also those who bowed out of fear; after all, various rumors about my slight penchant for harsh punishments of criminals circulate as well.

Approaching the hall, a couple of guards opened the doors for me and announced Lord Steffon.

"I heard you wanted to see me?" I asked, approaching the table where he sat and took a seat opposite him.

"Yes, Aeryon, I think you can already guess the reason."

"Oh, Seven, can we stop this already? I do what I must: I kill scum, thereby saving hundreds, if not thousands of innocent lives. Isn't that the essence of justice?"

"If I hadn't gotten to know you better over the years, prince, I'd think you're a saint knight. But actually, I was referring to your name day."

"Ooo..."

"Yes," he said with a smirk, "considering recent events and news, perhaps you'd like to go to King's Landing and celebrate with your family. I can write..."

"No need," I interrupted him and continued: "Of course, I miss my mother, and I would like to see my new younger brother, but it's not the right time yet. Besides, my name days there never passed without disputes and scandals, and I want to relax and have fun at least on my day. So, the burden of organizing the feast in my honor still lies heavily on you."

"Hah, I had hoped," after these words we exchanged glances and laughed together. Then he continued: "I'm glad you decided to stay."

"So am I."

The celebration itself was fun and quite intimate. Robert, as always, was the life of the party, involving everyone in his jokes and stories. Stannis, though much less talkative, still supported the conversation when needed. We exchanged stories and plans for the future, discussing the fleet's construction and our next steps.