Chapter 96: The Fleet

Daenerys and Rhaenys, the two girls, both gave their dragon eggs the most fitting names.

Rhaenys wanted to commemorate her father Rhaegar, so she named her dragon Rhaego. Daenerys, who had never seen her parents or eldest brother since birth, had Viserys as her whole world. Therefore, the young girl named her dragon egg Viserion.

"So... what are you going to name your dragon egg?"

The slightly older girl among the two looked at the deep black dragon egg and raised her head curiously to ask the question.

Upon hearing the question, Viserys pondered for a moment.

He wasn't sure if it was a coincidence, but the white dragon Viserion and the green dragon Rhaego both happened to have these names. However, Viserys' black dragon was not going to be named Drogon.

"If it can hatch..."

Viserys nodded slightly, then hesitated for a moment.

"I plan to name it Balerion."

At this moment,

"Meow?"

Rhaenys' little black cat happened to pass by the window, and upon hearing Viserys' voice, it turned its head with a puzzled look, thinking Viserys was calling for it.

The atmosphere in the room froze for a second.

Then,

"Pfffthahaha!"

"I mean, brother, why would you name your dragon egg after a cat?"

The brown-haired girl couldn't help but laugh uproariously, leaning forward and backward, tears streaming down her face.

Viserys' expression darkened slightly.

"Rhaenys, go back and copy our family history!"

Of course, Rhaenys knew that Balerion wasn't just the name of a cat. She was the one who named the little black cat Balerion.

Balerion was also the name of the enormous black dragon ridden by Aegon the Conqueror when he conquered Westeros. The dragon was over 150 meters in length, known as the 'Black Dread', the true ruler of the skies.

The girl was merely teasing Viserys.

However, Rhaenys didn't know the full story behind the name 'Balerion.'

"Both of you listen well, I'll give you a little history lesson."

Viserys leaned against the table and sighed.

"Balerion is not only the name of the cat and Aegon's dragon, the 'Black Dread,' but it is also the name of a deity in the ancient Valyrian civilization."

"Meow~"

As Viserys was speaking, the little black cat jumped in from the window.

It rubbed its fluffy head against Viserys' pant leg, truly believing that Viserys had just called for it.

The silver-haired boy crouched down, picked up the affectionate little black cat, and held it in his arms while continuing to explain seriously.

Although Rhaenys had received an elite education from the royal family and had been provided with the best teachers, her knowledge was not as profound as Viserys'.

Viserys, in his quest to investigate the connection between the black fog and the Valyrian civilization, tirelessly read many books about this once-lost civilization and learned many ancient Valyrian stories.

"Aegon the Conqueror's three dragons - Balerion was one of the five dragons that survived the Doom of Valyria. Later, on Dragonstone, Vhagar and Meraxes hatched."

"The names of all three dragons come from the names of gods in the Valyrian civilization."

...

Viserys was educating two young girls about the ancient gods of Valyria.

At that moment, a knock came at his door.

Knock, knock, knock.

"Your Grace," called a guard from outside.

"Sir Joffrey requests an audience."

Upon hearing that the young king had returned from Pentos to Andalos, the old knight had ridden a swift horse from the harbor to meet him.

"Hmm?" Viserys paused upon hearing the news of the old knight's arrival.

He set down the black dragon egg he was holding, locked the chest, and returned it to its original position.

"Eh?" The two girls watched as Viserys closed the chest, worried he might change his mind. However, Viserys merely shook his head.

"I have some matters to attend to first," he said. "When I return, I will give you both these dragon eggs."

With that, Viserys hastily left the room and headed for the great hall.

In Andalos, Viserys wielded the majority of power. He managed the affairs of the city and commanded its soldiers.

Sir Joffrey, however, still controlled House Targaryen's fleet, guarding the coastline and Dragonstone. He also managed many affairs on Dragonstone, making him the second most powerful figure within House Targaryen.

His power and position were well established, and even the accomplished Prince Oberyn of Dorne could not challenge the old knight's status.

However, Andalos was far from the coastline, so Viserys was surprised that Sir Joffrey had come from either the harbor or Dragonstone. Clearly, something urgent had occurred, prompting Viserys to rush to meet him.

"Your Grace," greeted the white-haired Sir Joffrey, already waiting in the castle's great hall. A golden badge adorned his chest, making him look particularly spirited.

"Your Grace," chimed in Prince Oberyn, who commanded 2,000 guards in the city-state, as well as Maester Gunther of Dragonstone.

This was the highest level of assembly in Andalos.

"Sir Joffrey, it's been a long time," Viserys said as he took his seat. "You still look as dignified as ever."

The commander of the Dragonstone fleet, who also served as the Hand of the King and Master of Ships, was not only a guiding light in Viserys's life but also a father figure.

Due to the distance between them, Sir Joffrey would occasionally return to Dragonstone to handle affairs. The two hadn't seen each other for over half a year.

Nevertheless, the old knight remained loyal and without any ulterior motives.

"Your Grace, it has indeed been some time," the elderly man with white hair said, sitting closest to Viserys's left. His slightly yellowed, aged eyes looked at the increasingly sharp young man before him, and his last bit of concern vanished.

Viserys could manage the city alone and had not become arrogant or decadent due to a lack of control.

Then, Sir Joffrey leaned forward slightly, his expression growing serious as he put away his smile and got to the point.

"Your Grace," he began, "the Usurper's new fleet has been completed."