Chapter 154: Master of Dragons

"Your Grace, the point was raised by the Prince," Corlys said in a low voice, weighing the pros and cons of the decision for his house.

Viserys turned to his eldest son and asked sternly, "Rhaegar, what are your thoughts?"

Long ago, Viserys had recognized the importance his eldest son placed on dragons. Whether it was taking control of the Dragonpit or the ongoing Dragonpit reforms, it was clear that Rhaegar had a deep connection to these creatures. He believed Rhaegar must have a better solution when he proposed the allocation of the giant dragons.

"Ahem..." Rhaegar cleared his throat and spoke thoughtfully. "Father, you are well-versed in the history of the old Valyrian Freehold and know how the forty Dragonlord families fought endlessly among themselves."

"Of course," Viserys replied, his eyes darkening as he recalled the terrifying power described in the histories.

At its peak, Old Valyria had over a thousand dragons, and the entire continent of Essos was subjugated under its might. The internal conflicts must have been fierce.

"This is precisely what I want to address," Rhaegar continued. "The prestige a dragon brings to a family name, to a house, is immense."

Rhaegar scanned the room, his gaze resolute. "After the Doom, only one Dragonlord family remains in Westeros and even in the entire world: the Targaryens."

The mention of the Dragonlord bloodline silenced the room. Dragons were magical creatures with supernatural power. No family could ignore the Targaryen dragons and their unique Dragonlord bloodline.

Of all the advisors, Tyland had the most to say on this topic.

During Rhaenyra's time as Heir, Tyland and his brother Jason Lannister had each mounted campaigns against her, seeking the power associated with her status and hoping to add the Dragonlord bloodline to their family, enabling future generations to tame dragons as the Velaryons had done.

"Prince, my wife Rhaenys is a true Targaryen princess, and my children have Targaryen blood," Corlys said slowly after a moment of silence.

He feared that Rhaegar's proposal would deprive his children of the right to rule the dragons. The Velaryons' greatness was due not only to their sea fleet but also to the deterrent power of their three dragons.

"Lord Corlys, hold your tongue. The prince has more to say," Grand Maester Mellos reminded him in his usual old-fashioned way, hands clasped in his sleeves.

Corlys looked at him with a flash of disgust. He detested the Maesters of the Citadel, whom he saw as self-righteous and bookish.

"Rhaegar, now that you've mentioned the uniqueness of House Targaryen, what do you propose for House Velaryon?" Viserys asked, puzzled. Couldn't they just take the dragons back by force?

Even so, they should wait until the war ended, rather than risk losing an important ally like the Sea Snake before the conflict began.

"Father, be at ease," Rhaegar said, giving his father a reassuring look. "There is only one House Targaryen, but the Dragonlord bloodline will continue to spread through the realm through marriage."

"Women will always marry out; there's no stopping it," Rhaenys interjected with a frown.

"Then we need restrictions!" Rhaegar declared. "I propose adding a new seat in the Small Council to specifically to manage issues such as the marriage of Targaryen family members and the education of heirs."

"What's the point of that?" Viserys asked, his doubts deepening.

It had always been the patriarch's right to govern his family members. He was not only the king but also the head of House Targaryen.

Establishing a royal seat to manage family affairs seemed like a division of his authority.

"Father, our great-grandfather had twelve children in his life. How many are still alive?" Rhaegar asked rhetorically.

Viserys was speechless. Jaehaerys had been a wise king, but the latter half of his life had been fraught with loss. His chosen heirs, Aemon and Baelon, had died.

Several of his daughters died in childbirth or from illnesses or injuries. A few sons and daughters who were unruly or disobedient left the kingdom.

If not for his uncles and aunts, Viserys wouldn't have had the chance to become king.

Viserys fell deep into thought. The Targaryen bloodline had never flourished. Aegon the Conqueror had no brothers, only a pair of sisters. He had two sons in his lifetime, one of whom died early in his reign.

One of his sons died young after inheriting the throne, and the other rebelled against his nephew and died on the Iron Throne.

After three kings, Jaehaerys I succeeded to the throne and had twelve children. But none of them survived.

In Viserys' lifetime, there was only one brother, Daemon, and a cousin, Rhaenys. Suddenly, an absurd thought struck Viserys.

"Will my six children grow up safely?"

In an instant, Viserys' scalp tingled, and he sat up straight. Gazing eagerly at his eldest son, he gulped and asked, "Rhaegar, your proposal is good, but how will the new Royal seat manage the outflow of blood?"

"Simple. The Targaryens have a brief family history, and every member is recorded," Rhaegar explained bluntly. "Female members marry out of the family, and children are distinguished by their last name and whether they are qualified to hatch dragon eggs and tame dragons.

Either the last name is Targaryen, or they follow their father's last name. The Targaryens have dragons; those with the their father's names do not."

"The Westerosi tradition is that children inherit their father's name," Corlys interrupted, his face suddenly changing.

"Dragons come from Old Valyria," Rhaegar replied, his expression unwavering. "The new position I propose is the Master of Dragons. Newborns who follow the Targaryen surname are raised by the royal family and receive dragon eggs and dragon taming training. And only one newborn in the direct line of each allied family will be able to take the Targaryen surname."

These two key rules were clear: one was to add to the royal bloodline, ensuring the family name and upbringing thoroughly integrated the newborn into House Targaryen.

The second was to prevent allied families from having numerous children with Targaryen daughters and using their numbers to overshadow the rights of the royal family.

"Prince, your conditions are too harsh. According to your proposal, both Laena and Laenor will have to change their surnames to Targaryen!" Corlys grimaced, struggling to suppress his emotions.

The so-called Master of Dragons position would first restrict House Velaryon.

"Lord Corlys, you must understand one thing: dragons have never belonged to the Velaryons," Rhaegar rebutted calmly. "Laena and Laenor's ability to harness dragons was granted by my great-grandfather and father.

I will not deprive them of their family name or their dragons. But with the establishment of the position of Master of Dragons, House Targaryen will be united as one and not allow the emergence of a second Dragonlord family."

The restriction was aimed at House Velaryon. The Targaryens now had only three dragon riders, the same number as the Velaryons. In the end, who was the true Dragonlord family?

"Prince, Laenor is not yet married. Will his heir have the qualifications to change his family name?" Corlys asked, calming down slightly as he continued to fight for his heir's future.

"Not necessarily," Rhaegar admitted. "Laenor is the son of Aunt Rhaenys, and unless he marries another Targaryen, his children will be purely Velaryon."

This had to be clearly stated. The only way to change a family name was through a direct line of Targaryen members.

(Word count: 1,244)