Viserys Made Up His Mind

Dreamfyre was much faster than Syrax, so Danyla immediately sped toward Dragonstone Castle, leaving Rhaenyra and her Syrax floundering in the air.

Danyla had Dreamfyre land in front of Dragonstone Castle's kitchen building. Seeing the princess arrive on her dragon again, with a huge shark clutched in Dreamfyre's claws, the cooks immediately called everyone over to help.

"Everyone, come over! Princess Danyla has caught something again!"

Such scenes had become commonplace in Dragonstone Castle's kitchens. Whenever Dreamfyre caught whales, sharks, or other large sea creatures, she brought them to the cooks to be processed.

Of the butchered meat and valuable parts, Danyla took sixty percent, Dragonstone Castle kept thirty percent, and the remainder was divided among the kitchen staff.

That was why the kitchen staff were so loyal to Danyla. Thanks to the princess, they had saved up quite a few Gold Dragons over the past few years.

With money, they could naturally give their families better lives. White Sheep Town also had Danyla Academy, which Danyla had founded. For just one gold coin a year, they could attend and study there.

For commoners, this was an exceptionally rare opportunity. In Westeros, the nobility and the Citadel monopolized knowledge, leaving commoners almost no chance of receiving an education.

The academy held examinations every month. The five students with the best results not only had their tuition waived, but also received free pens, ink, paper, books, and other rewards.

Danyla Academy now had over a hundred students. With Danyla's help over the past few years, the residents of White Sheep Town and the servants of Dragonroost Castle had all built up some savings.

Once they had money, they were naturally willing to invest in their children, because they knew Princess Danyla was exceptionally generous to people with useful talents.

Outsiders might not have noticed much happening on Dragonstone over the past few years, but the island's inhabitants clearly felt the changes Princess Danyla had brought them. They were now full of hope for their lives.

Today's great white shark would earn Danyla at least three hundred Gold Dragons. After her first dragon battle, that put her in an excellent mood.

The cooks worked with practiced skill. In just a few quarters of an hour, they finished cutting up the great white shark, which was over ten meters long.

The shark's most valuable parts were its fins and meat. People in this world had no custom of eating shark fin, so Danyla could be considered its inventor.

That delicacy alone was enough to earn Danyla a place in the bards' songs.

Shark skin, cartilage, liver, and heart were all nourishing foods, particularly beneficial to Aemma, who was currently pregnant.

Shark skin was also an excellent material for sword sheaths and leather bags. Danyla had already stockpiled a considerable quantity of shark, whale, and seal skins.

Dreamfyre roasted the scraps with a breath of dragonfire, then swallowed them. Many large animals in this world contained trace amounts of magic, so they tasted quite good. Even the great dragon Dreamfyre had now grown accustomed to the taste of this wild fare.

"Save the finest parts of the shark for His Majesty the King and the royal family. Prepare some shark sashimi for the noble lords as well."

"Oh, and make some shark fin soup for His Majesty the King and the royal family! Many of them probably haven't tried it yet, have they?"

"Hahaha! I don't know about the others, but Prince Daemon and Lord Sea Snake have certainly had it!"

The fat cook Bowys could not resist making that quip.

"Shut your filthy mouth! Or I won't mind cutting off that thing of yours and feeding it to the dogs! Her Highness is still here. Mind your tongue!"

The cook Padmo swung her rolling pin at Bowys. She, many of the other female cooks, and a number of castle servants had been placed in Dragonstone Castle by Danyla, who also paid their wages.

Besides developing New Dragonstone Island for farming and training a reserve of talented people, Danyla had also supported quite a few impoverished women with useful skills, employing them to prepare food, tailor clothing, weave fabrics, and do other work.

This not only provided them with a livelihood, but also ensured that whenever Danyla had a sudden inspiration, she had people available to turn her ideas into reality.

As a royal princess, Danyla had been entitled to an annual allowance of three hundred thousand Gold Dragons ever since she successfully became a dragonrider. Before that, she had received only fifty thousand a year.

She therefore needed no one else's approval to support and employ these people.

The allowances of House Targaryen's royal family were not fixed; they were adjusted each year according to royal revenue. However, they had barely changed in the decades since her great-grandfather Jaehaerys secured his throne.

Ordinary members of the royal family received fifty thousand Gold Dragons a year. As for luxuries such as silk, jewels, and fine wine, those depended on the king's mood. The differences between royal family members were still considerable.

Royal family members who successfully became dragonriders received three hundred thousand Gold Dragons, primarily to cover their dragons' food and the enormous expense of keeping them.

The Prince of Dragonstone received five hundred thousand Gold Dragons a year. His other rewards were far beyond anything the rest of the royal family could expect.

However, like other nobles, most members of the royal family spent nearly all these allowances on enjoying life and socializing with the nobility.

After all, even in the Red Keep, royal family members had to pay for banquets they hosted in a private capacity. If they called upon the castle's servants, they also had to provide extra gratuities.

They also had to pay the wages of their own guards and maids. Thus, most royal family members did not maintain particularly grand entourages.

Her cousin Viserys had few desires. Aside from a handful of companions he had grown up with, he had scarcely realized that he ought to cultivate a circle of capable people loyal to him.

Daemon's allowance had probably all gone toward drinking, debauchery, and women. At least he had indeed made quite a few "friends."

Once Dreamfyre finished eating, Danyla let her return to the Dragonpit on her own, while she hurried toward Dragonstone Castle's main keep.

Today's dragon battle certainly counted as a major event. As its most important participant, she naturally could not be absent.

"What? You're saying three more wild dragons have appeared on Dragonstone?"

Perhaps Daemon was still upset because he had not gotten to fight in the dragon battle. Why else did he seem so worked up?

Danyla deliberately rubbed her ears and complained in displeasure,

"Daemon! Why are you so surprised?"

"What's so strange about that? Plenty of wild dragons have been born on Dragonstone, haven't they?"

"Or do you think I can't even recognize a dragon?"

Daemon immediately apologized, looking embarrassed.

"Sorry, I was just too surprised! After all, apart from Syrax, whom Rhaenyra hatched, and Myracis, whom you hatched, House Targaryen hasn't had a hatchling in a very long time!"

Danyla smiled and teased him,

"If you could give us a few more little brothers and sisters, cousin, we'd surely hatch more young dragons! Looks like you'll have to try harder!"

"Hahaha! Danyla's right. You really do need to try harder!"

Her cousin Viserys was the first to agree.

King Jaehaerys found it amusing that Danyla dared to tease Daemon, but when he saw the undisguised desire Daemon showed toward her, a measure of worry rose in his heart.

"Still, Cannibal is cunning and extremely vindictive. He retreated for now because of all the dragons, but I fear he won't behave himself once we leave!"

"So, Daemon, you and Quicksilver will remain stationed on Dragonstone for a while. Once autumn comes and Cannibal goes into Dragonmont to sleep, everything should be fine!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Daemon agreed with remarkable obedience.

Danyla, however, could not shake the feeling that he simply had not had enough fun in Firekiss Garden yet!

"Also, Viserys, you should adopt Danyla as your daughter! She is old enough to discuss marriage now, so you and your wife will be responsible for that."

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Viserys and his wife had already been raising Danyla as their own daughter, so they happily accepted.

Becoming their adopted daughter would also elevate Danyla's status somewhat, so she naturally had no reason to object.

And so Danyla moved down a generation in the family, becoming Viserys's daughter.

At that moment, Viserys also quietly made up his mind.

For Danyla's sake, I should try to tame Vhagar after all! Only that dragon from the Conquest can overpower old Cannibal.