Chapter 190: Helaena and Daeron

Rhaegar stared at the remaining bloodstains, deep in thought.

Over the years, many maesters had treated his father, but the results were minimal. The serpent rune had extraordinary properties, but the wound couldn't be completely eradicated.

"It's strange!" he muttered to himself.

"Rhaegar, I feel the pain easing," Viserys said, groaning with relief as the runic serpent disappeared. He turned around with a smile.

By the Seven Gods! The pain that had built up over the years was almost gone. He felt a decade younger.

"Really? That's good!" Rhaegar forced a smile, genuinely happy for his father.

Viserys, noticing his eldest son's concern, touched the wound on his back. There was no rotting flesh or sticky pus—just a faint thread of fresh blood leaking from a small cut.

Viserys's face changed slightly, his eyes flashing with surprise. His eldest son had said the wound would fully recover. Something had gone wrong.

"The wound has healed, and the pain has subsided. I'm already satisfied," Viserys said, not wanting Rhaegar to worry. "What I said is also true."

Rhaegar hung his head, whispering, "I'm sorry, father. The treatment will need to be regular."

He wasn't sure why the wound hadn't fully healed. But it was better to ease his father's pain than let the wound rot.

"That's good, isn't it?" Viserys said warmly, patting Rhaegar's shoulder.

Rhaegar forced another smile, his heart heavy with disappointment. He had searched for a cure for his father, including a looking for marsh marigolds at Crackclaw Point. But they were too rare to find in ordinary swamps, and the largest swamps were too dangerous even for Cannibal.

The serpent rune was supposed to cure the wound, but something had gone wrong.

Viserys pondered for a moment, then smiled bitterly. "It is said that the Iron Throne chooses its masters. Perhaps I'm not a good choice, which is why I'm cursed by it."

Starting from Aegon the Conqueror, similar incidents hadn't happened to Aenys, Maegor, or Jaehaerys. Viserys could only attribute his suffering to not being good enough for his position.

"No! You're a good king. You've made no mistakes," Rhaegar argued. His father didn't deserve this punishment. Compared to the weak Aenys and the cruel Maegor, Viserys was a good king. He was loved, the kingdom was at peace, and the people could eat.

Throughout the history of Westeros, such monarchs were rare.

"The gods don't make a man rich because he doesn't make mistakes. I should not lie to myself," Viserys said, relieved. "Don't worry too much about your father. I'm not that fragile."

He had endured the pain for more than a decade and now felt relief.

"Rhaegar, tell me about your trip to the Vale, including where you got your  new magical abilities," Viserys said, holding his son's shoulders.

When Rhaegar told him about the rune, Viserys hadn't believed his claim that everything had gone smoothly. Learning magic suddenly wasn't normal.

"Father..." Touched by his father's optimism, Rhaegar slowly recounted his experiences in the Vale. He spoke of the mountain clans and the ambush.

Viserys listened attentively, smiling on the outside but squeezing his son's shoulders harder and harder. Even with Rhaegar's feats, he could sense the danger.

...

Three Days Later

The Dragonpit

"Roar..."

A powerful dragon's roar echoed through the Dragonpit as a light blue dragon spewed fire, scorching a goat to a half-cooked state.

"Dreamfyre, eat the goat!" a young girl's clear voice commanded.

Dreamfyre stretched its neck, stamped its feet, and spread its wings wide. Helaena, her eyes wide with anticipation, watched from the protection of the dragon keeper.

Over the past few days, Dreamfyre had gone from rejecting her presence to listening to her commands. Today, it had even roasted the goat on her orders, filling Helaena with the hope of successfully taming the dragon.

"Roar..."

Dreamfyre roared again, flapped its wings, and climbed up the wall of the Dragonpit, flicking its tail proudly. Just because it had roasted a goat didn't mean it had to follow the orders of a small girl.

Seeing Dreamfyre's indifferent behavior, Helaena's big round eyes showed disappointment, and she tugged at the hem of her white dress.

"Sister, Tessarion listened to my command."

A childish voice came from the other side. Helaena turned to see a little boy with short silver-blonde hair and a face full of baby fat. The boy, around four or five years old, had bright purple eyes.

"Daeron, you did it?" Helaena asked in surprise, walking towards her brother.

Next to Daeron stood a dejected Aemond. Dressed in green, Aemond stood behind his younger brother, his eyes full of envy and reluctance.

There were only two untamed dragons in the Dragonpit. Helaena, being the oldest, was given the chance to tame Dreamfyre alone. Aemond and Daeron, on the other hand, were both trying to bond with Tessarion.

Surprisingly, Tessarion had taken a liking to Daeron. The haughty blue dragon would not attack Daeron and even obeyed his command to breathe fire.

On the open-air plaza of the Dragonpit

Rhaenyra looked down at the commotion below and remarked, "Tessarion has recognized Daeron. It looks like it will soon be tamed."

"Yes, our youngest brother is a genius," Rhaegar replied, hugging Rhaenyra from behind and resting his cheek against hers.

Rhaenyra tilted her head and laughed. "Daeron is about to break your record of taming a dragon at the age of six."

"That's not a record," Rhaegar said thoughtfully. "But Daeron is a good match for Tessarion. He is a true Targaryen."

Having awakened his own bloodline, Rhaegar was very concerned about his family's lineage. He and Rhaenyra had successfully tamed their dragons at the ages of six and seven, far earlier than the usual fifteen years old or so. He believed this was due in part to their pure bloodline.

After chatting for a while, Rhaenyra broke away from his embrace and said, "Lord Lyonel is returning to King's Landing today, so I have to help Alicent prepare for the banquet."

"Hard work," Rhaegar complimented her.

"If you really cared about me, you would help me," Rhaenyra teased, cupping Rhaegar's cheeks in her hands and kissing his forehead.

Rhaegar smiled and teased back, "Even if you bought me, I wouldn't help decorate the banquet."

He had other things to do.

"Hmph, don't get your hopes up," Rhaenyra said with a soft snort, turning to walk into the staircase.

"Princess!" she heard a voice at the corner. She bumped into Maynard and Syrio, who were walking up the stairs. They greeted her respectfully.

Rhaenyra nodded lightly and brushed past them.

(Word count: 1,103)