By the time Aegon left the Hall of Nine Voyages, Ser Alek Cargyll had been waiting at the entrance for quite some time.
The elder of the Kingsguard twins was on duty guarding the prince that day. His white cloak gleamed softly in the morning light, a longsword hung at his hip, and he stood straight as a pine.
Once Aegon emerged fully from the entrance corridor, Alek inclined his head. Without any needless pleasantries, he reported simply, "Your Highness, Ser Cole has found a place to train down by the beach."
Aegon nodded and followed Alek through the gates of High Tide, then down the gentle slope to the beach they had taken the day before.
The morning light bathed the entire beach in warm gold. Waves lapped gently against the rocks nearby, while a few gulls circled overhead, their clear cries ringing out.
The air carried the distinctive briny tang of the Narrow Sea and the crisp freshness of morning dew. In the distance, the cliffs where Vhagar rested formed a deep green outline in the morning light.
The training ground occupied a relatively level stretch of beach, well away from both the area where the dragons had settled and the cliffs where Vhagar rested alone.
When Aegon and Alek arrived, Cole was already drenched in sweat.
He had taken off his snow-white Kingsguard cloak and wore only light leather armor over a linen shirt, his sleeves rolled up to the elbows to reveal sturdy forearms. A blunt training sword in hand, he was sparring fiercely with Erryk Cargyll.
The two training swords clashed again and again, ringing sharply as their blades left flickering trails in the morning light.
Cole had plainly been practicing for a long time. His linen shirt was soaked through and clung tightly to