Nature was the hardest thing to tame

"Hey! You there, the one with the dogs! Don't you even know what sort of temper your own stupid dogs have?"

"If you can't keep them under control, why let them out to embarrass yourselves?"

"If you ask me, you might as well butcher useless beasts like those and have them with a drink! Hahaha!"

A lean, hook-nosed boy who also came from Skagos immediately began hopping about and jeering. His seven companions joined in with uproarious laughter.

Tyland Lannister deliberately put on a concerned expression and called loudly to his dog handler,

"If you can't hold them back, let them go! There's no reason to hurt your hands for nothing!"

"There's no use keeping beasts whose wild nature can't be tamed! Better to let them loose so they can find their own kind!"

At those words, the dog handler immediately released the ropes in his hands. The three large dogs charged straight at the boys from Skagos.

Danyla's Dragon Guards immediately drew their steel swords, ready to intervene.

But the eight boys from Skagos showed no fear at all in the face of the three savage dogs. The tall youth who had spoken earlier clenched his fists, his eyes blazing as he watched the three dogs race toward him.

Just as the dogs reached the boys and lunged at the tall youth with their jaws open, the bear of a boy swung his enormous fists. He sent two of them flying with a punch apiece.

Before those two yelping dogs had even hit the ground, the boy kicked the last one away as well.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The three dogs landed four or five meters away and could do nothing but whimper. None could get back up.

"Well done! Well done!"

"Bear, that was amazing!"

"Ah, what a pity! Even the dogs on the mainland have become this useless."

Seeing their companion display such might, the boys from Skagos waved their arms and stamped their feet in excitement.

Two boys clad in animal skins, their long hair hanging over their faces, suddenly darted forward. Each grabbed a still-whimpering dog and snapped its neck without hesitation.

Then they tore open the dogs' arteries with their teeth and began gulping down the warm blood!

The bloody sight made many of the noble boys from the Seven Kingdoms vomit on the spot.

But the boys from Skagos only shouted all the more excitedly at the sight!

It made the differences between Skagos and Westeros even more apparent.

Some of the more hotheaded noble boys from the Seven Kingdoms had already drawn their Valyrian Steel Swords, intending to teach those savage Skagosi "wildlings" a lesson.

Danyla's Dragon Guards stopped them in time, however. As men of noble birth from the Seven Kingdoms themselves, the Dragon Guards also looked down on these boys from Skagos deep inside.

But those Danyla had chosen to keep at her side were all men of reasonably good character. The Dragon Guards understood their duty very well: they had to ensure that no conflicts or accidents befell these guests visiting Dragonstone.

Otherwise, they would have failed in their duties, and Princess Danyla would surely dismiss them, just as she had their previously eliminated colleagues.

When Danyla and Dax noticed the commotion, they reluctantly had to leave the two young unicorns enjoying their meal and hurry toward the crowd.

As she walked, Danyla called to Myracis in her mind. There was no need to bring Dreamfyre out just to intimidate this bunch of immature boys!

Sheepstealer

By the time Danyla and Dax arrived, all three dogs had been killed, leaving blood all over the ground.

Looking at the two long-haired boys, whose mouths were still smeared with fresh blood, Danyla frowned and shot Dax a displeased glance.

The boys from Skagos reined in their arrogance somewhat when they saw Danyla arrive.

After all, hadn't their leader brought them all this way to Dragonstone for this princess who could ride dragons?

"Your behavior was utterly barbaric!"

Danyla spoke coldly to the two boys who had drunk the dogs' blood raw.

Neither boy from Skagos thought much of her rebuke. One even grinned and said,

"That's how things have always been on our island. The strong devour the weak. That's the way to survive."

"Besides, those dogs weren't going to live anyway. We couldn't let their precious warm blood go to waste!"

Danyla could not be bothered with a mere underling like him and turned her gaze to Dax.

To her surprise, Dax also seemed unconcerned as he explained,

"Your Highness, drinking the blood of freshly killed prey is a tradition on Skagos. They believe it gives men courage and good health!"

"Wolf One and Wolf Two grew up with wolves. Dog blood is their favorite drink!"

"That's why they behaved that way. Please don't hold it against them!"

Danyla was just about to speak when a dragon's roar rang out overhead. Syrax's immense form swiftly appeared in the sky above them.

As the golden Great Dragon slowly descended, her enormous wings stirred up a gale that made those present stagger.

Fear appeared on the faces of the boys from Skagos. They had never seen a creature so huge and ferocious.

"What a coincidence! You're all here!"

Her elder sister Rhaenyra sat atop the Great Dragon and called out with an imposing air,

"Danyla, some herders reported that Sheepstealer wrecked a breeding farm in White Sheep Town. Apparently, they lost quite a few breeding sheep. Let's go and take a look!"

"All right, sister! I'll call Dreamfyre over right away. Go on ahead!"

Danyla turned to Dax and spoke sternly.

"Dax, I don't intend to dwell on what happened today, but you must understand that this is not Skagos. Once you come to Dragonstone, you must follow Dragonstone's rules."

"I fully respect your traditions and way of life, but you cannot use them as an excuse to do whatever you please in my domain!"

"You had better understand what I mean, or else..."

Danyla gave Dax a meaningful look and said no more to him.

Instead, she walked over to the noble boys from the Seven Kingdoms and declared loudly,

"Nobility has never been a matter of outward splendor, nor is it something to flaunt or use to look down on others!"

"True nobility should be like sunshine and rain, bringing joy to those who behold it!"

"Truly noble deeds should be like beautiful music, stirring people's hearts and minds and influencing how they behave!"

"If you truly believe yourselves superior to others, then I hope that during your time on Dragonstone, you will show us your breadth of vision and generosity of spirit!"

With that, Danyla left with her head held high, surrounded by her Dragon Guards.

Seeing that there was no more entertainment to be had, Rhaenyra also departed on her Great Dragon, Syrax.

After watching the two princesses leave, the noble boys from the Seven Kingdoms quickly left as well, as though the boys from Skagos standing nearby were something filthy!

Dax swept his azure eyes over his companions, then said in a low voice,

"If they dare provoke you again, tear out their throats just as you did with those three vicious dogs."

"Only strength and blood can make people fear you and submit!"

"Yes!"

Syrax

Dax

Unknown handsome man