To avoid attracting attention, Danyla quickly left the scene. Sensing her emotions, Dreamfyre and Myracis swiftly flew to the sky above her.
To keep them from frightening the crowd, Danyla hurriedly sent them a telepathic command to stay away from the people.
After spending three years with Dreamfyre, Danyla had long since mastered communicating with her through their minds.
To her delight, she discovered that she could now communicate telepathically with Myracis too, even though they had only been together for a few months.
Almost all the dragonriders of House Glian could share a mental bond with their Great Dragons, with Daemon and Rhaenys among the most accomplished.
But no one like Danyla had ever appeared before—someone who could share that bond with two Great Dragons at once and convey her commands precisely.
After running out of Fisherman's Village, Danyla mounted Dreamfyre and flew straight to the administrative hall in White Sheep Town.
Samwell was discussing the details of the tournament preparations with Medrick, Cameron, and Anne.
When they saw Danyla enter, they immediately rose and bowed respectfully.
Danyla asked Medrick directly,
"How much are you planning to charge the tournament vendors for their spots?"
Medrick could tell that Danyla was unhappy about something, even though the young princess looked perfectly calm.
He answered cautiously,
"Your Highness, we've provisionally set the fee at 1,000 Gold Dragons!"
"Raise it to 10,000 Gold Dragons. If House Lannister and House Hightower want in, give them the best spots and charge them 50,000 Gold Dragons."
"That much?"
Samwell was startled by Danyla's instructions.
Danyla replied confidently,
"Never underestimate how much those young nobles love to outdo one another!"
"Never mind showing off their families' wealth and power. Once they get together, they'll even compete over who can piss the farthest!"
Danyla's crude remark left everyone present embarrassed. Even Anne, her personal maid, discreetly tugged at the hem of her clothes.
Danyla continued giving instructions as though nothing had happened,
"Go ahead without worrying. Believe me, those young nobles will take things much further than you can imagine."
"Oh, and Medrick, I'd like you and Torrhen to do me a favor."
Medrick immediately replied respectfully,
"Your Highness, my brother and I would gladly carry out any command you give us. Please tell us!"
Danyla leaned close to Medrick and whispered in his ear,
"Spread a rumor that you once paid me 100,000 Gold Dragons to take you on a Dragonriding tour around Dragonstone."
"And that I held you in my arms!"
Danyla's words instantly turned Medrick's face bright red.
"Your Highness, that wouldn't be proper! It would damage your reputation!"
Danyla continued nonchalantly.
"Just do as I say. I don't care about any of that!"
"My reputation for being money-grubbing has already spread throughout the Seven Kingdoms. Why would I care about this?!"
"Do it well, and I'll reward you generously!"
After giving her instructions, Danyla left the administrative hall feeling thoroughly satisfied.
Myracis
"Ah! I haven't checked on those two Dragon Eggs for several days. Today would be a good time to take a look!"
As she came out of the administrative hall, Danyla suddenly felt the urge to check on the two Dragon Eggs, so she mounted Dreamfyre again and returned to her cave.
Gently stroking the two Dragon Eggs, which had been warmed by the underground fire, Danyla sensed a vigorous energy brewing inside them.
Only a few days had passed, yet the signs of life within the two Dragon Eggs had grown considerably stronger.
"It looks like this new volcano and these gems really are good for Great Dragons!"
"If only I could bring all of House Targaryen's Dragon Eggs here. Who knows how many more hatchlings we could get!"
But the Targaryen royal family strictly controlled its Dragon Eggs. Even Danyla could not obtain them easily.
"Ah! Still, I could use Mother's pregnancy as an excuse to pick out two Dragon Eggs and give it a try!"
She acted on the idea at once, mounting Dreamfyre again and flying toward the Dragonpit in King's Landing.
After House Targaryen finished building the Dragonpit in King's Landing, they had moved all their Dragon Eggs there.
In the three years since returning to Dragonstone, Danyla had only visited Tarth a few times after hunting over the Narrow Sea. This was her first trip back to King's Landing.
So when Dreamfyre appeared above King's Landing again, she immediately caused a stir among the city's people.
Danyla rode Dreamfyre straight to the Dragonpit, but rather than shutting her inside, she had her wait outside.
"May you be well, Your Highness!"
A Dragonkeeper greeted Danyla respectfully in Valyrian.
"I've come to choose two Dragon Eggs for the children in my mother's womb. Take me there!"
"Yes!"
The Dragonkeeper respectfully walked ahead, guiding Danyla toward the furnace chamber where the Dragon Eggs were stored.
To give the Dragon Eggs a better chance of hatching, House Targaryen kept all of them in furnaces, tending them daily with charcoal fires. As a result, the room where they were stored was very hot.
Upon reaching the furnace chamber, even Danyla, with her considerable tolerance for heat, found it somewhat difficult to breathe.
"Just wait for me at the door. I'll go inside and take my time choosing."
"Yes, Your Highness!"
"Your Highness, the farther inside you go, the older the Dragon Eggs are. There are even two that were brought over from Old Valyria!"
"All right, I understand."
Danyla replied calmly, but inside she was bursting with joy.
The bloodlines of Dragon Eggs from the days of Old Valyria were far stronger than those laid after the Great Dragons came to Dragonstone.
But Danyla did not rush deeper inside. Instead, she examined them one by one.
The furnace chamber was spacious, covering more than a hundred square meters. Forty or fifty furnaces burning coal were packed inside.
The shells of these Dragon Eggs looked as though they had been carved from dazzling gemstones. The eggs were enormous, and Danyla needed both hands to lift them.
Whenever she held one, she felt as though she were holding the weight of the entire world.
These Dragon Eggs had weathered the ages and become enduring fossils, yet they still shone with a mesmerizing luster. Their surfaces were covered in fine, fishlike scales, with brilliant colors and intricate patterns. Like the most beautiful gemstones, they radiated an enchanting charm.
Even though Danyla had admired them countless times, their beauty still captivated her every time.
At last, Danyla reached the two oldest Dragon Eggs.
Opening the furnace that held them, Danyla found that one was blood-red, with swirling patterns like a whirlwind. The other was coal-black, with beautiful silver ripples across its surface.
Gently stroking the two Dragon Eggs, Danyla sensed that the magical fluctuations within them were by no means weak. In fact, they were more substantial than those in most of the other Dragon Eggs.
"That's strange. If that's the case, why haven't these two Dragon Eggs hatched yet?"
Danyla Castle
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