Declining the Request

"Let's ride dragons! I want you to take me for a flight!"

Rhaegar blurted out what he wanted without a moment's hesitation.

Rhaenyra couldn't hold back her laughter. She ruffled his hair. "I knew you had to want something. Otherwise, you'd never come looking for me on your own."

"Then, my dearest sister, will you grant your little brother's request?"

Rhaegar let her muss his hair, looking up at her hopefully.

"I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you. Uncle Daemon and I agreed to fly to Dragonstone and back. We'll be very late."

Rhaenyra refused him gently.

"I can go with you to Dragonstone. I've never been back to our ancestral home, and I don't mind if it gets late."

His desire to ride a dragon overwhelmed his reason. Rhaegar grabbed Rhaenyra's hand and shook it.

Seeing the pleading look in her little brother's eyes, Rhaenyra hesitated.

She glanced at Daemon, her eyes asking what he thought.

Noticing his sister's expression, Rhaegar looked at Daemon too.

He wanted to see how his generous uncle would respond.

But Daemon didn't seem to care. He said calmly, "If he wants to go, take him. But your father might not be pleased if he finds out I took his heir and eldest son on an outing."

The meaning was clear.

I can take him, but if anything happens, who'll be responsible?

It was a clichéd way of refusing.

Rhaenyra had no choice. She squeezed Rhaegar's hand and said apologetically, "I'm sorry, Rhaegar."

"It really is too far to go today. How about I take you for a dragon ride over King's Landing another time?"

Rejected, Rhaegar couldn't hide his disappointment.

He was too conscious of his status to throw a tantrum like Aegon. It would ruin his dignified image as a prince.

Rhaegar slipped his little hand out of Rhaenyra's grasp and took a step back. Forcing a smile, he said, "All right. I'll be waiting for you to keep your promise."

He sounded very understanding, but there was no hiding the disappointment in his eyes.

"What a good boy. Once you've seen the Dragonpit, go back to the Red Keep early. Don't wander off."

How could Rhaenyra fail to see how disappointed he was? But she had made a promise to her uncle, so she could only harden her heart and pretend not to notice.

I'll make it up to you later, Rhaegar!

Just then, the Dragon Trainer unshackled Syrax and reported to Rhaenyra in High Valyrian.

"Princess, you may mount Syrax and take flight."

Rhaenyra replied in the same language, "I understand."

Rhaenyra took Rhaegar's hand again and led him to an open area far from the dragons, where she left him with Illyric.

"Keep an eye on my brother. Don't let him wander around the Dragonpit."

Illyric nodded. "Yes, Princess."

Only after patting Rhaegar's hair and offering him a few words of comfort did Rhaenyra walk over to Syrax.

Daemon had remained silent the whole time, watching the siblings talk.

"Uncle, let's go."

Rhaenyra climbed onto Dragonback and fastened the safety chain around her waist before speaking to Daemon.

"I thought you'd take him with you."

Daemon mounted Caraxes and chatted casually.

"Rhaegar's still young. He wouldn't be able to stand a whole day of wind on Dragonback."

Rhaenyra smiled as she explained.

"You were a Dragonrider at seven. Rhaegar's a boy. There's no harm in introducing him to dragons early."

Daemon's argument was perfectly reasonable.

After all, who in the Targaryen family wasn't a Dragonrider?

"There'll be other chances."

Rhaenyra hated all that talk about men and women being different. Changing the subject, she said, "Enough about Rhaegar. Let's see who can reach Dragonstone first."

Daemon shrugged and closed his mouth, unconcerned.

Behind them, Rhaegar stood before the crowd and watched the two dragons beat their wings and take flight, gradually disappearing into the clouds.

Illyric kept a close eye on Rhaegar. Only when he saw that the boy's calm face showed little sign of distress did he relax.

He wasn't the only one watching Rhaegar.

Menas stood among the crowd, his gaze fixed on Rhaegar's little fists, clenched quietly behind his back.

What a perfect opportunity!

Menas kept his expression composed, but inside he was shouting. His hands and feet trembled slightly.

He'd had enough of being looked down on.

The highborn Maesters looked down on him.

He had more knowledge than most Maesters he'd ever met, yet he still couldn't change their prejudice against him.

After being assigned to the Dragonpit, he'd hoped that his diligent work would earn him recognition.

Perhaps even the attention of the royal family.

Every member of the Targaryen family could ride a dragon. Maybe one day he'd meet someone who would take him under their wing, and his fortunes would soar.

Unfortunately, that was the kind of thing that only happened in dreams.

Dragonriders only needed the Dragon Trainers to lead their dragons. They didn't need Maesters standing by to report on what the dragons ate and drank or how they relieved themselves.

He had no chance at all to meet members of the royal family.

But now, an ideal opportunity was right in front of him.

A young prince had been left out by his sister. Wasn't this exactly when he'd need someone to comfort and keep him company?

The only condition was that he had to do something interesting.

He had to understand the young prince's needs.

After turning the idea over and over in his mind, Menas gathered his courage and spoke in a trembling voice:

"Prince, didn't you want to see dragons? There's another dragon in the Dragonpit, a great dragon named Dreamfyre. She's larger and older than those two."

At Menas's words, Rhaegar looked over and saw that the young Maester's face had gone pale. His voice trembled, and he nervously swallowed.

Rhaegar didn't mind this little thing.

A bastard who dared to approach a prince far above his station was bound to be under tremendous pressure.

Still, the suggestion was appealing.

"Take me to see her!"

Rhaegar's voice was calm, but left no room for refusal.

Illyric wanted to object, but Rhaegar turned to look at him, his gaze cold.

Illyric immediately lowered his head, unwilling to anger the prince while he was in a bad mood.

He knew the prince had been in a terrible mood since that morning.

"Let's go. There's still a long way to go today."

Rhaegar strode ahead, pushing past the Dragon Trainers who couldn't understand the Common Tongue. Menas led the way as they went downstairs.

There were many dragon lairs in the Dragonpit.

Most were underground, to keep the dragons from crashing into the ceiling and causing a collapse.

After receiving Rhaegar's order, Menas was overjoyed.

As he led the way, he used every word he'd ever learned to tell Rhaegar about the beauty and might of the great dragon Dreamfyre.

Dreamfyre was a temperamental she-dragon who had laid several Dragon eggs.

The Dragon egg Rhaegar had was laid by Dreamfyre.

"Dragons hatch their offspring from eggs, but strangely, dragons have no sex. People are wrong to distinguish between male and female dragons."

Menas eagerly shared his knowledge of dragons to show off his learning.

"So dragons reproduce asexually?"

Rhaegar responded listlessly.

Menas smiled. "I don't know. Centuries King's mount, Vermithor, and Silverwing are known to be mates, unlike other dragons, which live alone."

"All right, Maester. I've heard enough about dragons. When will we reach Dreamfyre's lair?"

Rhaegar impatiently cut him off. Menas kept repeating things without ever reaching a conclusion.

"I'm very sorry, Prince."

Menas apologized repeatedly, humility etched into his very bones. Nervously, he added, "But we've already reached the entrance to Dreamfyre's lair. I won't waste any more of your time."

Only then did Rhaegar realize, at Menas's words, that they'd already walked a long way through the tunnel.

A huge opening lay before them. The darkness within was so deep that he couldn't see his hand in front of his face.