A scandal?

Mrs. Hadak worked quickly, and before long, all ten fish were grilled. She carefully wrapped each one in flatbread, bundled them together in a dried lotus leaf, and respectfully handed the package to Danyla.

Danyla had never seen anything packaged this way before. Intrigued, she asked about it.

"What a novel way to wrap them! With this flatbread to go with the grilled fish, you don't even need another staple."

"But where did you get this dried lotus leaf? I don't think lotuses grow on Dragonstone!"

Lady Hadak made no attempt to hide anything and replied warmly,

"My husband sailed with Lord Sea Snake a few times and brought these lotus seeds back from the Summer Isles."

"We planted them in our pond. They're easy to grow, and the flowers are lovely. They grow enormous roots, too. You can eat them boiled, but they don't have much flavor, and they're strangely hard!"

"I see!"

Danyla took out another Gold Dragon and offered it to Mrs. Hadak.

"I'm quite interested in this plant. Sorry for the trouble, but could you bring some of its roots and seeds to Dragonstone Castle, Mrs. Hadak? This Gold Dragon is your payment!"

Mrs. Hadak refused Danyla's Gold Dragon and explained,

"They aren't worth much! If you like them, Your Highness, I'll bring some over. There's no need to pay me!"

Danyla gently placed the Gold Dragon at the edge of her stall.

"Please take it. Otherwise, I'd feel terrible making you go all that way!"

"I won't keep you from your business any longer. May business prosper, Mrs. Hadak!"

With that, Danyla took her package of grilled fish and quickly left the market.

With Dreamfyre to carry her, the dried lotus leaf was still warm when Danyla brought the fish to the kitchen building at Dragonstone Castle.

Seeing Danyla back so early, Aemma couldn't help asking curiously,

"You came back from King's Landing first thing this morning? Isn't this a little too early?"

Danyla unwrapped the lotus leaf and handed the grilled fish to her family as she explained,

"I came back last night! After forging dragonstone this morning, I passed a little market. The grilled fish seemed pretty good, so I brought some back for everyone."

"You came back last night? I had no idea! I've been feeling so heavy lately that I've been going to bed very early. No wonder!"

As she spoke, she looked at her husband, Viserys.

Her pregnancy already showing plainly, Aemma assumed she hadn't known about Danyla's return because she had gone to bed too early the night before.

"This grilled fish really does taste good!"

Noticing Aemma's gaze, Viserys hastily spoke up.

"You weren't the only one. I didn't know she'd come back last night either!"

"Didn't you say you were going to choose Dragon Eggs for the little prince in your mother's belly? Where are they?"

Danyla answered Viserys with an air of mystery.

"I put them somewhere nice. I'll bring them out when my little brother is born, of course. As for now? It's a secret!"

Myracis might look pretty good like this, too.

Just then, her older sister Rhaenyra suddenly spoke.

"Danyla, I heard you charged the Manderly brothers from White Harbor a hundred thousand Gold Dragons to hold them while taking them flying on your dragon. Is that true?"

At Rhaenyra's words, Viserys and Aemma both turned to Danyla. The news had left them stunned.

All Aemma seemed to register was that Danyla had held the Manderly brothers.

"You-you held the Manderly brothers?"

Although attitudes in Westeros were fairly liberal, the great noble houses still placed considerable importance on propriety and reputation.

Rather than answer her mother's question directly, Danyla turned the question back on her older sister Rhaenyra.

"Where did you hear that, sister? And what exactly did they say?"

At Danyla's question, Rhaenyra's face immediately flushed, and she began to stumble over her words.

"I-I heard it from the young noblemen! As for whether you held them, I-I don't know!"

"Did your maids tell you to say that?"

"So you wouldn't have to marry into House Manderly, with all its balding men? Is that it?"

Danyla saw straight through Rhaenyra's little trick and exposed it on the spot.

This little girl actually dared to play court intrigue with me?

Danyla had indeed instructed Medrick to spread the story that way.

But she was certain that, given Medrick's character, he would leave out the part about her holding him while they flew on her dragon!

Seeing Rhaenyra struck speechless, Viserys and Aemma knew Danyla had been right about everything. Their expressions darkened at once.

Viserys put down the food in his hand and looked gravely at Rhaenyra as he asked,

"Is it as your older sister says?"

Rhaenyra was only a ten-year-old girl, after all. She had little guile and had always been deeply doted on by Viserys and Aemma.

Even her envy and jealousy toward Danyla amounted to little more than the petty rivalries between sisters.

This time, her fear of being married off to White Harbor had clouded her judgment, and she had followed her maids' advice and embellished the story.

Now that Danyla had exposed her to her face, she couldn't think of any way to argue back, so she simply admitted it.

"Yes, my personal maids told me to say that. But it isn't their fault. I was just too frightened of being married off to White Harbor."

"Danyla seemed to get along so well with Medrick and his brother. I thought saying that might even help them!"

This one best captured Sheepstealer's demeanor.

Rhaenyra's words left Viserys and Aemma looking at one another, at a loss for what to say.

"Aemma! Both our daughters are growing up. It's time to be stricter with them. They're nearly old enough for us to discuss their marriages, after all! If this continues, their reputations really might suffer."

In the end, those were the words Viserys managed to squeeze out.

What could Aemma say?

"Yes, I'll be more mindful! Once this baby is born, I'll keep both of them close and see to their upbringing properly!"

"It's also time to replace Rhaenyra's maids. A few older ones, like those serving Danyla, would be much better."

"Danyla's personal maids aren't even as old as mine!"

The moment Rhaenyra heard that her mother wanted to replace her personal maids, she bristled.

Beside her, Danyla curled her lip and said,

"I think Mother means their mental age, or perhaps their intellectual age!"

"Those personal maids of yours are fine as playmates. But with brains like theirs, spending too much time around them could make anyone stupid!"

"I think you should listen to Mother, little sister, and get a few clever, sensible maids with decent manners!"