Chapter 156: Letter from the Vale

He avoided mentioning the North.

That bitter, cold land had always been out of touch with the rest of the kingdom.

By the time the Starks lead their armies south, the war would likely be over.

Tyland continued, "The unrest in the Vale is troublesome, but Gulltown has harbors that can support warships and large numbers of soldiers."

"While House Tyrell in the Reach must defend against Dornish invasion, House Redwyne on the Arbor has a powerful fleet that can support the battlefield. Additionally, Oldtown in the Reach and White Harbor in the North are among the largest ports in the kingdom."

The crowd listened quietly, agreeing with his analysis.

Rhaegar asked, "Lord Tyland, Oldtown and the Arbor are fine, but White Harbor is too remote, and Gulltown has to support the Eyrie."

"Prince, while the war has not yet begun, we should do our best to expedite our preparations," Tyland said.

Rhaegar waved his hand, signaling him to continue.

Tyland said, "The royal family has dragons, which fly faster than ravens, and a member of the royal family is more persuasive than a letter."

"A good idea," Viserys raised an eyebrow, "but there are too many places to travel for my children to cover them all."

"Your Grace, Aegon's maternal grandfather's family is House Hightower in Oldtown. If Aegon travels there, Lord Hobert will naturally help him communicate with the Tyrells and the Redwynes," Tyland explained.

"Princess Rhaenyra can go to White Harbor and convince House Manderly to send troops. Prince Rhaegar and Lady Jeyne are cousins, and the dragon can deter the mountain clans and gain the support of Gulltown."

It made sense, and Viserys' old habit of hesitation kicked in. He looked at Lyonel, hoping he would give his opinion.

Lyonel, always careful with his words when it came to royalty, said in a low voice, "The trip to the Vale may be accompanied by danger. The mountain clans are not to be underestimated. Several Lords of the Eyrie have died at their hands."

Corlys spoke up, "Your Grace, the mountain clans in the Vale are nothing more than a bunch of fools, and the dragons will overwhelm them."

Rhaenys thought for a moment and commented, "Let Laenor go. He has harnessed Sea Smoke and can bring word of the true state of affairs in the Vale."

Viserys hesitated. He was tempted to agree to Rhaenys's request, but Rhaegar, as the Heir, was more likely to represent the Crown.

Grand Maester Mellos rummaged through his satchel, seemed to remember something, and said indistinctly, "Your Grace, I have a letter from the Vale here that may clarify the situation."

A letter with a red lacquer seal was taken out, received by Cole, and handed to the king.

Viserys opened the letter and read it carefully.

"Runestone... Lady Rhea to... hold a wedding..." he muttered, his lips moving slightly as his voice trailed off, and he gradually frowned.

After a moment, Viserys handed the letter to Lyonel, displeased. "Lady Rhea of Runestone and her cousin Gerold Royce are engaged and intend to organize a wedding."

After Daemon left for the Free Cities, Lady Rhea had sought Viserys multiple times to urge for a divorce. Viserys, annoyed, had finally acceded to her request. Now, Lady Rhea had found someone to marry.

Jasper grimaced and said, "Runestone is in the center of the Vale, and if Lady Rhea is planning a wedding, it seems the situation in the Vale isn't too bad."

Lyonel quickly read through the letter, his expression surprised. Hesitantly, he said, "The letter says that Lady Jeyne will be traveling to attend the wedding, and they hope members of the royal family will attend."

"Pfft..." Tyland couldn't hold back a laugh and hurriedly covered his mouth.

Lady Rhea remarried and invited the royals. Is she inviting her ex-husband Daemon?

"That foolish woman - no wonder my brother couldn't stand to be bed her," Viserys muttered, grimacing at the thought of his former sister-in-law.

"Your Grace, that is actually good news," Lyman said slowly and methodically. "The Vale is at least still stable, and sending a dragon rider there will provide considerable support."

Viserys understood and turned to his eldest son. "Rhaegar, what do you think?"

Opening up Gulltown's harbor would enable troop support from the entire Vale, a significant advantage.

Rhaegar smiled, "No problem. The mountain clans are less of a threat now. They're hardly as dangerous as the savages of Crackclaw Point, and the Cannibal will take care of them."

"Father, I'll go with Rhaegar," Rhaenyra pleaded, resting her head on Viserys' shoulder.

Viserys frowned. "You still need to go to White Harbor."

"I haven't seen Cousin Jeyne in a long time, and I can keep an eye on Rhaegar."

Rhaenyra used Jeyne as a pretext, uneasy about her brother traveling to the Vale alone.

"That's one more thing to worry about," Viserys sighed, rubbing his brow.

Rhaenys interjected, "Laenor is up to the task. Corlys is close friends with Lord Manderly; he'll bring back good news."

Rhaenyra smiled gratefully at her aunt, who shook her head and avoided her gaze.

Rhaenys' two granddaughters were still waiting for their dragon eggs, so establishing this connection early was beneficial.

Seeing the family united, Viserys felt a rare warmth and urged, "Go and come back quickly. You still have two more children to look after."

"I will," Rhaenyra promised, happy to travel with Rhaegar in a dragon once more.

The meeting ended, and the advisors went about their business.

...

Night fell quickly over the Red Keep.

In the dimly lit forge room, the constant clanging of metal echoed.

Before a massive furnace, a foreign blacksmith wielded a hammer, striking a freshly forged rippled steel sword. An apprentice busied himself with the furnace, while another polished the sword on the floor.

Creak...

The wooden door to the forge room opened, and Rhaenyra, dressed simply, stepped lightly inside, scanning the room.

The fire from the furnace cast a red glow over half the chamber, the heat palpable.

"Rhaegar..." Rhaenyra spotted her brother reclining in a chair and approached him with a sigh.

Rhaegar had insisted on checking the progress of the weapon forging and hadn't even eaten dinner.

Facing the fire, Rhaegar had fallen asleep, his pale cheeks flushed with the furnace's heat.

Rhaenyra opened her mouth to wake him but decided against it. Rhaegar's sleep was always troubled, and she didn't want to disturb him when he finally found rest.

"Sleep well, you have your own little kitchen; you won't go hungry," Rhaenyra whispered, sitting on the edge of the recliner and gently stroking Rhaegar's face.

The blacksmiths continued their work, unfazed by her presence.

In his dream, Rhaegar found himself by a vast lake with an island at its center. The noon sun glistened on the turquoise water as a black swan played nearby.

"Roar..." A dragon's call echoed, and a silver dragon soared above the lake, its wings casting shadows over the water.

(Word count: 1,168)