Sneaking Out

Leaving Rhaegar's room, Rhaenyra's dejected mood grew heavier.

She just wanted to return to her own room, take a hot bath, and sleep soundly in her warm bed.

Today had been too stifling for her.

Once she woke up from her sleep, it would be a new day.

Cole was guarding her door. Rhaenyra greeted him and walked into her room.

As she removed her earrings and accessories, she habitually poured a cup of clear wine from the table.

Suddenly, a package placed conspicuously on the table caught the corner of her eye.

The sudden appearance of the package drew Rhaenyra's attention, and she glanced around the room.

Confirming no one else was present, she pinched a corner of the package and turned it upside down.

A set of rustic linen clothes fell out.

There was also a white paper with a simple map drawn on it.

Picking up the white paper to examine it, Rhaenyra was surprised to find it was a guide to a secret passage in the Red Keep.

The contents on the paper corresponded to a spot in her room.

She went to the location marked on the map, which was a wall carved with murals.

She reached out and pushed hard. The wall opened outward, revealing the night view outside the Red Keep.

Beyond the wall, a staircase enclosed by an iron railing led to an unknown path.

Rhaenyra's lips curved upward, greatly intrigued.

She loved exploring, just like the thrill of flying on a dragon.

Returning to the table, Rhaenyra took off her magnificent formal gown and put on the patched linen clothes.

She sniffed it lightly; there was no strange smell.

Disguised, Rhaenyra slipped out of the room through the secret passage.

She walked through the dark tunnel, passing by the shrine where Balerion's skull was enshrined...

Finally arriving at a secluded corner of the Red Keep.

There, a figure in black had been waiting for a long time.

Under Rhaenyra's searching gaze, the black-robed figure turned around, revealing a familiar face.

"Daemon?"

Rhaenyra gasped in surprise.

Daemon smiled and proposed, "Want to go out for a walk and see some sights you haven't seen before?"

Glancing back, Rhaenyra hesitated.

She thought sneaking out with her uncle late at night wasn't appropriate.

Daemon, sensing her difficulty, deliberately said, "What, scared to go out? Want to go back to being your little princess."

A sense of defiance instantly ignited in Rhaenyra. She gritted her teeth and said, "I'm not going back. Let's go."

"Very well."

Daemon pulled up his hood and turned, leading her out of the Red Keep.

Rhaenyra followed closely, feeling uneasy yet incredibly thrilled.

Daemon led the way to the renowned Silk Street.

Compared to the free trade during the day, Silk Street at night was bustling and a mix of all sorts.

The uncle and niece walked through the crowded alleys, where all kinds of stalls and jugglers could be found.

There were even couples engaging in intimacy right there, completely unconcerned about being watched.

Their positions were quite... explicit.

Rhaenyra, who had always been educated in royal etiquette, was greatly shocked.

Her modesty made her raise her hand to shield her face, lest the vulgar scenes defile her eyes.

Curiosity, however, compelled her to peek through her fingers.

She had never seen such a scene before.

The two walked and stopped, arriving at a makeshift circus stage where many people had gathered.

The actors on stage were performing a play about the Targaryen royal family.

It was currently the most exciting part.

Two men were playing children, and a jester was playing a princess in a white dress.

The lead actor's movements were comical, and he narrated in a peculiar tone.

"Now, let's talk about the great Iron Throne, and whose ass will sit upon it?"

"Our merciful King has named his own daughter, a girl, as his heir."

"The former Queen bore a son, who sleeps all day."

"The new Queen, she too bore a child, a healthy son!"

"So, which heir will sit upon the throne?"

"The King's own brother? His daughter? Or his two sons, born of different wombs?"

As he spoke, the two actors playing children shoved each other, shouting names.

"I am Aegon, with the Conqueror's name, and a man's strength!"

"I am the Sleeping Whelp, the King is my father, accept the Dragon's Fury!"

The plot reached its climax, and the audience below cheered, applauding the comical performance.

Rhaenyra's smile gradually faded as she watched the performance with confusion.

Soon, the actor playing Rhaegar shoved his opponent down and pounced on him, shaking back and forth.

He shouted, "I am the King's eldest son, no one can contend with me…"

The actor beneath him begged for mercy, rolling on the ground in distress.

The audience became even more excited, cheering loudly.

Rhaenyra could no longer smile, and glared at Daemon with displeasure, indignantly saying, "A boring joke, and you brought me to see this?"

Daemon said calmly, "It is indeed a joke, but many commoners believe that as males, Rhaegar and Aegon should be the heirs."

"What they think doesn't matter."

Rhaenyra retorted, not wanting to watch the boring performance any longer.

Daemon followed behind, saying casually, "If you intend to rule the realm in the future, their thoughts will be of utmost importance."

"Tch, sometimes I really wish I could give up the burden of being heir."

Rhaenyra said self-mockingly.

"Heh, if you give up this position, it will only benefit others."

Daemon implied meaningfully.

Rhaenyra glared at him, displeased, "Including you!"

Daemon curved his lips, not denying it.

Seeing his defiant attitude, Rhaenyra grabbed some candied fruit from a nearby vendor and threw it at him, then took off running.

The noisy clamor could not drown out the girl's exultant cheers.

Daemon, with a blank expression, pushed aside the obstructing vendor and quickly followed.

The Red Keep.

As night deepened, Helaena, tired from playing, went to sleep, and Rhaegar extinguished his lamp and rested.

Lying on his bed, Rhaegar fell into a dream once more.

He dreamt he was wearing a white cloak, holding a sword.

Everywhere he looked, there were ruins and broken limbs, mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

Rhaegar was greatly confused, only feeling nauseated by the smell of blood.

He lowered his head to vomit, the white cloak falling softly to his side, a single bloodstain appearing out of nowhere.

Rhaegar happened to notice it.

Before he could get a closer look, the bloodstain, which had started as a single dot, spread outwards, more and more appearing.

In the blink of an eye, it covered half the white cloak, and filthy blood dripped down.

A gust of cold wind blew, and the white cloak billowed up, covering Rhaegar's head.

Seeing this, Rhaegar felt an inexplicable fear.

When the wind stops, the blood-stained cloak will surely fall upon me, the filthy blood staining my entire face.

A thought flashed through his mind, and Rhaegar bolted, trying to leave the white cloak behind.

This way, when the blood-stained cloak fell, it wouldn't touch him.

However, the half-white, half-red cloak seemed to be targeting him.

No matter where he ran, no matter how fast he ran.

It would follow the wind above his head, waiting for the moment the wind stopped.

A sense of powerlessness filled his heart, and Rhaegar could no longer run.

The cloak was about to fall.

"No!"

A cry echoed through the room. Rhaegar's eyes snapped open, startled awake by a nightmare.

As Rhaegar tried to sit up, the scabs on his back pulled, and the intense pain yanked him back to reality.

"Hiss~ Another nightmare!"

Tears squeezed from the corners of his eyes. Rhaegar pounded the pillow in pain.

It hurt so much!

Cuckoo... cuckoo...

Just as the pain began to subside, a cuckoo's call came from outside the window.

Rhaegar found it strange. "It's usually cicadas. Where are the cuckoos coming from?"

Cuckoo... cuckoo...

The bird's call continued, its rhythm remarkably uniform.

Rhaegar realized something was wrong.

There were absolutely no cuckoos in the Red Keep; they had all been eaten by those useless, stupid cats.

I considered it and felt it was time to review the previous chapters and re-examine the relationship between the protagonist and his sister.

Give me a little time. You can leave your expectations for the protagonist and Rhaenyra.

Will the tradition of close-kin marriage be followed?