Vhagar
Dreamfyre-everyone liked her better, then!
Sheepstealer
Bloodworm Quicksilver
Viserys was not yet thirty. Although he was a little plump, he was tall and in his prime, and with House Targaryen's extraordinary looks, he was certainly a handsome older man.
The dashing figure he cut taming Vhagar, one of the Great Dragons of the Conquest, left all the serving girls watching with stars in their eyes.
Aemma, who was holding Danyla's hand, was positively glowing with happiness. Not only was Danyla safe, but her husband had also successfully tamed Vhagar, currently House Targaryen's largest Great Dragon of the Conquest.
Her husband, Viserys, was the only person who had tamed both Balerion the Black Dread and Vhagar, a Great Dragon of the Conquest.
His name would surely leave an indelible mark on the history of the Targaryen royal family.
The day had been a roller coaster for Aemma, and it had frightened her terribly. Although she knew Danyla was brave and Dreamfyre, the Great Dragon she rode, was powerful, Cannibal's fearsome reputation was not undeserved.
She often heard members of the royal family recount how Cannibal devoured young dragons and the island's inhabitants.
Now, not only was Danyla unharmed, but the savage Great Dragon Cannibal had been thoroughly restrained, making it difficult for him to wreak havoc again.
Her husband had finally resolved to tame another Great Dragon, too, and had succeeded on his first attempt with Vhagar, the largest Great Dragon alive.
At the very least, Viserys now had the power to protect his family. He would no longer have to worry about his loved ones Dragonriding alone to face outside threats.
High in the sky, seated securely in Vhagar's Dragon Saddle, Viserys was overcome by feelings he could scarcely describe.
He had never expected to finally tame another Great Dragon of his own, much less Vhagar, second only to Balerion.
From now on, he would no longer have to endure standing helplessly by while his loved ones rode their Great Dragons into battle alone.
Riding Vhagar not only filled Viserys with immense satisfaction, but also seemed to transform his entire spirit. A surge of pride and ambition welled up within him, ready to burst forth.
Just then, the storm finally arrived.
Fortunately, Danyla and the others had prepared well in advance, erecting tall tents over both the barbecue area and the resting spots on the beach.
Barbecuing amid the torrential rain had a charm all its own.
While Viserys rode his dragon through the storm over the Narrow Sea, Rhaenyra, who had gone to High Tide for reinforcements, appeared above Dragonstone alongside Princess Rhaenys, who rode Meleys, the Red Queen.
They both froze when they saw Viserys Dragonriding on Vhagar.
"Father?!"
"Viserys?"
Meleys, the Red Queen
Seeing that Princess Rhaenys had arrived, Viserys hurriedly guided Vhagar down to the beach. He stood happily in the rain before the tents, waiting for his cousin to join him.
To satisfy Vhagar's enormous appetite, the Dragonkeepers Guard had barely stopped roasting sheep.
Now those deliciously fragrant, plump roasted sheep were just the thing to thank Rhaenys and Meleys for coming.
"Congratulations, cousin!"
As soon as Princess Rhaenys received Rhaenyra's plea for help, she had set off on Meleys.
High Tide was not far from Dragonstone, and Princess Rhaenys's Great Dragon, Meleys, was the fastest dragon in Westeros.
They had rushed here without wasting a moment, yet the Dragon Battle was already over.
And the moment they arrived, they had seen Viserys soaring over the Narrow Sea on Vhagar.
Curious, she asked,
"Were you the one who rode Vhagar to defeat Cannibal, cousin?"
It was no wonder Princess Rhaenys asked. Apart from Vhagar, there really did not seem to be another Great Dragon capable of beating the savage Cannibal so badly that he lost consciousness.
Viserys explained proudly,
"Danyla rode Dreamfyre and defeated Cannibal first, with Sheepstealer's help."
"Then, while Cannibal was fleeing, Vhagar ambushed and intercepted him, leaving him badly wounded and unconscious."
"Danyla and Dreamfyre deserve the greatest credit for this battle."
"I see!"
Rhaenys looked at Danyla with approval and said,
"Good girl! You truly are worthy of being a princess of House Targaryen."
"Cousin, let Danyla marry into High Tide. I will love her as though she were my own daughter."
"You know me! Very few people catch my eye, but I am very fond of both your daughter and your foster daughter."
"House Targaryen and House Velaryon have a long tradition of intermarriage. Naturally, it would be a good thing if the two children could marry."
Viserys gave no definite answer.
"But they are both still young. Let them spend some time together first. There will be plenty of time to discuss marriage when they are old enough."
"That is all I needed to hear!"
Princess Rhaenys had always been forthright.
"In any case, I am determined to bring one of the two princesses to High Tide as a bride."
While Viserys and Princess Rhaenys discussed their children's marriages, Danyla had already ordered the roasted sheep to be brought before Meleys, the Red Queen, and Rhaenyra's Great Dragon, Syrax.
Exhausted and breathless, Rhaenyra threw her arms around Danyla and said happily,
"Danyla! I'm so glad you're all right! Do you know how terrified I was?"
"I kept urging Syrax to fly faster. Look, I rubbed both my hands raw."
Rhaenyra seemed on the verge of tears of joy, but she was already drenched by the storm, making it impossible to tell tears from rain.
"And on the way back, my Syrax actually managed to keep up with Meleys."
"She's the fastest Great Dragon in all of Westeros! It looks like my Syrax has plenty of potential, too!"
Rhaenyra's sudden affection left Danyla feeling a little awkward. It seemed the bonds of blood were most easily kindled in times of danger.
Seeing Rhaenyra like this, Danyla found herself growing rather fond of her! Even her filthy, soaking clothes went unnoticed by Danyla, despite her obsession with cleanliness.
To thank Princess Rhaenys for coming, Viserys and his family treated her Great Dragon, Meleys, to dozens of plump roasted sheep and invited the princess herself to Dragonstone Castle for a lavish feast.
By now, Dragonstone Castle's kitchens could be counted among the finest in all of Westeros. Princess Rhaenys thoroughly enjoyed the meal, and hosts and guest alike were delighted.
While everyone was enjoying the feast, Daemon finally returned on his dragon, Quicksilver.
"What's the occasion today?"
Having returned through the rain, Prince Daemon clearly had no idea what had happened that day.
But what greeted him was a large cup of Dragonfire Wine poured over his head by Viserys, followed by a furious tongue-lashing.
By the time they returned from the room beside the banquet hall, Prince Daemon's face was bruised and swollen.
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