Behind the black-and-red ferocious dragon stood a pale gold dragon and a bronze dragon. Their outstretched wings blocked part of the firelight, twisting Willas's shadow into a distorted shape.
Predatory ferocity churned in those round amber eyes, while the fire gathering inside the dragon's maw below grew ever more dazzling.
It was the first time Willas had faced the creatures of legend from such close range. Every slight movement they made carried a primal, lethal menace. His crippled legs had long since gone numb, and now Willas could not even move a finger, as though every bit of strength had been drained from his body.
His mind buzzed—no wonder House Gardener had perished. This was simply not something humans could resist—
On the other side of the hall, though Ser Barristan stood motionless, his back had stiffened even straighter. He had served Aerys II, who had been the most unpredictable of storms, and the memory remained vivid to this day.
His wrinkled hand unconsciously settled on his sword hilt, then slowly relaxed.
Daenerys was undoubtedly a hundred times wiser than the Mad King, yet at this moment, concern rose within him like a tide—
With the slightest loss of control, the heir to Highgarden would be reduced to ashes by dragonfire.
If that truly happened, the old knight knew perfectly well that he could not save the heir to Highgarden. When the time came—what should he do?
Willas could hear his own heart pounding wildly.
A dozen breaths seemed to stretch endlessly in the deathly silent hall, every second so heavy it was suffocating.
"Rhaego, stand down."
Willas swore he had never heard a voice so beautiful, like a stream flowing as ice and snow began to melt.
Hiss—Rhaego let out an unwilling growl. Its eyes swept over Willas once