Jaehaerys spent almost another full day recounting to Danyla the history passed down by word of mouth among Valyria's dragonlord families.
King Jaehaerys was an excellent storyteller, and his many years of ruling had given him profound insights and sound judgment on a great many matters.
Thus, the seemingly dull and implausible tales of history came alive in his telling, making Danyla feel as though she had experienced them herself.
Yet even as Danyla became immersed in those stories, he still enabled her to view the past objectively, fairly, and wisely.
Danyla could not help thinking to herself, If King Jaehaerys could keep Viserys at his side and teach him properly for a few years, perhaps he wouldn't make so many basic mistakes after becoming king as he did in the original history.
"And we descendants of that mighty empire of the dawn endured countless hardships before finally hatching Great Dragons once more among the Fourteen Flames of Valyria. With their help, we built a vast empire that controlled all of Essos."
"But Valyria's rise and glory became a nightmare for the vast majority of people in Essos."
"To satisfy the dragonlord families' extravagant appetites and pursue ever more terrifying power, those great families and Warlocks committed countless atrocities."
"The people of the glorious, prosperous Valyrian Freehold, which seemed like a dwelling place of the Gods, lived lives rivaling those of deities, while the mines beneath the volcanoes echoed with the agonized cries of countless people."
"They lost the hearts of the people! Though Valyria remained glorious and powerful for over a thousand years, though they commanded the world's mightiest Great Dragons and all manner of magic, they ultimately vanished in the Doom."
"Whether it was punishment from the Gods or the work of human hands, it was the dragonlord