Rhaenys finally stopped cutting the food, completely turned his eyes away from Rhaenyra, and turned to Redd.
She wiped the corners of her mouth elegantly with a napkin and showed a clear expression:
"A dragon as a guard? This is naturally a dream, and no matter how cautious you are about safety, you can't be too cautious. It's just a simple adjustment of the guard mission, and it's not troublesome."
She changed the topic and asked sharply with a bit of political probing, "You have now won Volantis, and your strength is not what it used to be.
Do you really have no idea about Disputed Lands who is so close at hand?"
She was very curious as to where the limits of this young Dragon King's ambition lay.
Redd met her gaze and answered calmly and clearly, "Volantis's reconstruction work has not yet been completely completed, and a lot of waste is waiting to be done, and a lot of energy needs to be invested.
More importantly, the Stone Men crisis around the city and even along the Rhoyne coast is a serious concern that must be dealt with first.
I will not rush into action against Disputed Lands until it is internally stabilized and an effective solution to the Stone Men problem is found."
The dinner continued in an atmosphere that seemed calm but was actually undercurrent.
Perhaps because Redd made concessions on the dragon matter (agreeing to send a dragon to protect Rhaenyra), Rhaenys felt that he could further test the bottom line of young Dragon King.
She lightly dipped the napkin at the corner of her mouth and mentioned it casually, but there was a hint of unnoticeable expectation in her tone:
"Speaking of dragons... I heard that the Wild Dragons named 'Grey Ghost' on Dragonstone has been imprisoned in Dragonpit.
Now that you have tamed it, I wonder... can you give my husband, Prince Corlys, a chance to tame it?
He has served the kingdom all his life, and if he can have a dragon, it will be considered as fulfilling his wish."
As soon as he finished speaking, Redd's hand that had just picked up the tableware paused slightly.
He raised his eyes and looked sharply at Rhaenys, and then regained his composure, as if he had just heard an ordinary little thing.
He did not refuse immediately, but brushed aside the question lightly, and even asked with a hint of joking:
"Grey Ghost? That dragon is too boring and inappropriate.
However, 'Sheepstealer' is idle.
If you are not worried about the risk of being widowed, Corlys Earl you can give it a try.
After all, taming Wild Dragons... is not a safe pastime."
Redd deliberately introduced "Sheepstealer", which is not generous.
He knew very well: if "Grey Ghost" is a stubborn and lonely person immersed in his own world, then "Sheepstealer" is a complete opportunist and insidious character.
This dragon is usually timid and cowardly, picking on weak targets, but once someone really thinks it is easy to bully and tries to conquer it by force,
It will immediately show its fangs and attack with a cunning and fierce attack, focusing on the vital points and never giving the opponent any chance to breathe.
With Corlys Earl's physical strength and reaction, if he really tried it, I'm afraid it would not be as simple as being shocked by Dragon Might. It is very likely that he would be grabbed by the funny-looking dragon's head as soon as he met, and the consequences would be disastrous.
Rhaenys is such a shrewd person. She immediately read the clear rejection and hidden warning from Redd's understatement and deliberate behavior of changing the Dragon Selection.
The phrase "don't worry about being widowed" is an almost straightforward risk reminder.
The faint smile on her face faded, her eyes flickered for a moment, then she lowered her eyes and focused on the plate in front of her.
"Since you said so, let's discuss this matter later." She brought up the topic lightly, her tone was calm, and she could not hear any emotion or anger.
At this juncture when the relationship between the two parties has just eased, she is not willing to challenge Redd's absolute control over the dragons for a dragon that is not sure whether it can be tamed, thus causing a stalemate in the relationship again.
But the name "Sheepstealer" and the words Redd stayed in her heart like a thorn.
She thought to herself: Taming Wild Dragons is indeed very risky, and the success rate is very slim.
Is it worth risking the life of your lifelong husband for a slim hope?
She needed time to weigh this idea carefully and carefully.
The dining table temporarily returned to silence, with only the slight sound of the silver tableware colliding with the porcelain plates, but the air between the three of them was a bit more solemn than before.
From Redd's point of view, Rhaenys, Viserys and even the entire King's Landing court had never really regarded him as "one of their own".
This can be seen from a small thing: King's Landing and Red Keep clearly have several sub-adult dragons, which are directly under the royal family.
However, Rhaenys - the daughter of the royal family who had already married House Velaryon - when her husband, Prince Master of Ships Corlys, needed a dragon to enhance his strength and prestige,
But he abandoned the near and sought the distant, and set his sights on his Dragonstone's Wild Dragons instead of directly speaking to the Viserys I king.
The meaning of this is self-evident: Viserys may also be intentionally or unintentionally restricting House Velaryon from obtaining the power of the dragon, and is wary of Master of Ships, who is powerful and wealthy.
This exquisite technique of checks and balances made Redd sneer in his heart.
During the break of walking, Rhaenyra leaned on the railing at the seaside, with the sea breeze blowing her hair. She said softly, "I have to set off to return tomorrow. Stepstones's war cannot be separated from the help of the dragon."
Redd was not surprised by this and did not offer any words to persuade him to stay.
Everyone has a battlefield that they must go to. He just nodded calmly. "Understood, I will personally send you to sea tomorrow."
Redd accompanied Rhaenyra on a walk on the ancient long bridge connecting Dragonstone and Driftmark.
The long bridge at night is shrouded in moonlight and starlight, and the sound of distant waves hitting the rocks is vague and rhythmic, creating a hazy beauty far away from the hustle and bustle of the world.
When the followers wisely stayed behind to ensure that the two of them had enough private space, Rhaenyra suddenly changed the subject, with a hint of complexity in his tone:
"According to the news from King's Landing, it is expected that in a few months, I may have a younger brother... or a younger sister."
Redd heard this, with a cynical curve at the corner of his mouth, turned to look at her, and teased her with a double entendre, "Why, you are soft-hearted, can't do it, are you ready to back down?"
Rhaenyra glared at him angrily, but did not deny it completely. He lowered his voice and said, "It's a bit... after all, it's still an unborn child."
"You can't stand firm, my princess."
Redd sneered, but his tone was a bit cold and insightful, "Maybe you don't need to take action personally at all. Someone is already secretly helping you 'handle' this matter."