A man hurried over to Viserys and handed him a letter.
Rhaegar gave him an undisguised once-over.
His blond hair was slicked back, and his beard was neatly trimmed. He looked like a respectable man.
Viserys took the letter and read it, puzzled. "A plea for help? That doesn't sound like something Daemon would do."
Talyn Lannister nodded slightly and sighed. "The letter was sent by Ser Vaemond Velaryon, the Sea Snake's brother."
"I knew it. With that bastard's pride, he'd never write to me, his older brother, of his own accord."
Viserys smiled knowingly.
He finished reading the letter soon after.
Viserys's expression shifted. He surveyed the assembled lords. "The Stepstones have reached a stalemate. The Crabfeeder cowardly refuses to fight, and Daemon and the others are bogged down."
"..."
The lords exchanged glances and offered their suggestions.
They amounted to either sending troops to help or waiting for Daemon and the Sea Snake's forces to lose.
Viserys rubbed his brow, troubled.
He hated war.
The war over the Stepstones had been started entirely at the Sea Snake's urging, with Daemon acting without permission.
Now they were in danger and writing to him for help.
Was he supposed to clean up after these men who showed no respect for the king?
"Rhaenyra, take your brother downstairs. This discussion won't end anytime soon. Don't let him get tired."
Viserys kissed Rhaegar on the forehead and entrusted him to his daughter.
Knowing the matter was complicated, Rhaenyra didn't object. She took her brother by the hand and left the hall.
After leaving the council chamber, the siblings stopped by a tall window in the corridor.
Rhaenyra gazed outside through the stained glass and asked, "Do you think Uncle Daemon can defeat the Crabfeeder?"
"Dear sister, your little brother just turned six."
Rhaegar glanced at himself, not even as tall as her hips, and furrowed his tiny brows in dismay.
"..."
After a brief silence, Rhaenyra slapped her forehead, defeated by her own foolishness.
"I'm such an idiot. I keep treating you like a little grown-up and forget you might not even know who the Crabfeeder is."
Rhaegar said, "If I hadn't heard Uncle Daemon call me the One-Day Crown Prince, I wouldn't have known I had an uncle."
Rhaenyra: ...
Tilting his little head, Rhaegar said softly, "I noticed Father is missing two fingers?"
"He's ill. The Grand Maester has been treating him."
Rhaenyra stroked his head and answered soothingly.
She thought her brother had been frightened by their father's wound.
Rhaegar only looked at her. He caught the little hand ruffling his hair and pinched a tender spot between his fingernails.
Then he squeezed hard.
"Ow! What are you doing? That hurts, you know!"
Rhaenyra snatched her hand back like a startled rabbit. A bloody red mark appeared on the back of it.
Under his sister's furious glare, Rhaegar said earnestly, "A little wound made you cry out. Father lost two fingers, and he may have other wounds too..."
He paused, then continued, "He's the king. He can't cry and show weakness."
"As his children, we shouldn't be thinking about a war one man started on his own. We should be thinking about how to grow stronger and help our father."
Rhaenyra stared at him, stunned, then pointed at her brother and stammered, "Y-you just said you were six, and now you're lecturing me?"
Rhaegar replied matter-of-factly, "My age limits my experience, but books can enlighten my mind."
"Sister, you should read more. Don't spend every day riding dragons or getting caught up in rumors."
Rhaegar pretended to reach over and pat Rhaenyra on the shoulder.
To his dismay, he couldn't reach, even on tiptoe.
Settling for her slender waist, he patted it instead.
Then he turned and walked away with a carefree swagger.
Rhaenyra stood frozen for a long while.
Only when a cool breeze swept through did she suddenly snap out of it.
The next moment, the girl's roar echoed through the entire corridor.
"Rhaegar, how dare you disrespect your own sister! Prepare to face the Fury of the Sleeping Dragon!!!"
Two days later.
A luxurious carriage rolled toward the Kingswood, followed by guards and attendants.
The royal family sat inside the spacious carriage.
Viserys sat in the middle, with Queen Alicent and Rhaenyra seated opposite one another on either side.
Aegon and Helaena sat beside Alicent, who held a baby in her arms.
Rhaegar sat beside his sister, naturally, and stared at the baby in boredom.
"Such a tiny thing, and it cries like there's no tomorrow. Terrifying."
Rhaegar muttered under his breath and made a face at the baby.
Alicent smiled kindly as usual. "Aemond still isn't used to carriages. He cries so much."
Viserys laughed. "He's got quite a set of lungs. He'll grow up to be a mighty warrior."
Alicent smiled sweetly, then held the baby out to Rhaegar and asked gently, "Would you like to hold him?"
"I can give it a try."
Rhaegar gripped the baby under the arms with both hands and let him kick and squirm as he held him up and played with him for a while.
Well, well.
If this little thing ever dared to get cheeky with him, he'd make sure to teach him a lesson.
Rhaegar's lips curled up as he pictured himself disciplining the boy in the future.
Before long, Aemond had had enough of being manhandled. He burst into tears and was returned to his mother's arms.
Viserys watched them, and the frown he'd worn for days finally eased.
His wife by his side, a fine carriage beneath him, and his children all around him.
What could be better?
Noticing Viserys's good mood, Rhaegar asked at just the right moment, "Father, is that Blackfyre beside you, King Aegon the Conqueror's sword?"
Viserys smiled and picked up the sheathed longsword beside him, his face full of pride. "That's right. Blackfyre, the symbol of royal power. The Conqueror used it to bring the Seven Kingdoms to heel."
"May I have a look?"
Rhaegar's eyes lit up as he gazed eagerly at Blackfyre.
Viserys handed him the sword, then pulled it back before he could take it.
Looking at Rhaegar's frail little frame, he said regretfully, "Not yet. Blackfyre is a blood-soaked weapon. You'll have to grow a little more before you can wield it."
"I want to try."
A sword passed down through the ages, with a history to rival Balerion's skull—Rhaegar didn't want to give up.
Viserys shook his head, put Blackfyre away, and refused his request.
Rhaegar lowered his head, looking disappointed.
"If you want to see a sharp blade, this will do."
Viserys seemed unable to bear seeing his eldest son unhappy. He unclasped a Dragon Horn Dagger from his belt and tossed it to Rhaegar with a mysterious smile.
Rhaegar fumbled to catch it, then stared at his father in bewilderment.
Viserys smiled. "Its former owner was also King Aegon the Conqueror. Before him, it belonged to Inys."
"Wow, that's ancient."
Rhaegar exclaimed in admiration and drew the Dragon Horn Dagger.
Swish—
The dagger slid from its sheath, and a flash of cold light seemed to rush toward him.
Rhaegar narrowed his eyes slightly. The dagger was covered in patterns, and its material and craftsmanship were beyond reproach.
"Is this a Valyrian steel dagger?"
Rhaenyra was drawn to the dagger and stared at it in astonishment.
Viserys nodded. "Everything passed down from our ancestors has something exceptional about it."
At the same time, the System prompt sounded in Rhaegar's ears.
"Lost treasure discovered. Contains trace magical elements. Beginning automatic analysis..."
"Magic?"
Rhaegar's spirits lifted.
The System prompt sounded again.
"Analysis complete. A dagger bearing the record of the Song of Ice and Fire. Begin exploration?"
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