Pycelle made sure to watch his steps as he climbed the stairs inside the Tower of the Hand. Every year the climb became worse for him. Not that he was weak, mind you. Far from it. He still felt a certain vigor in his step. He could still run if he needed to. The stamina just wasn't there when it came to stairs, especially when dealing with so many of them. Age had a habit of catching up to everyone eventually.
Well, whatever. It was a pain that he was prepared to handle for now.
Pycelle wasn't a man who aspired for much in this world to be honest. He preferred to keep his head down and out of trouble. It ensured that it didn't come rolling off. The simple joys in life were more than enough for him. Food, sweetened ice milk, girls. Not women necessarily. Girls were fine too. He didn't discriminate.
Somehow, this philosophy of being content with his lot in life had been enough to earn him one of the most powerful positions in the realm. That, and his skills of course. Already he had served two kings and was serving a third. They were supposedly the most powerful men in the kingdom, and Pycelle had still outlasted them. Funny how that worked out.
It wasn't like Pycelle didn't have his own convictions, but those convictions mattered little when given the choice between comfort and a life of poverty. One had to be pragmatic if there was any chance at happiness.
Pycelle had begun to have a change of heart recently, however. He had come to admire Tywin Lannister and the skills the man possessed. He would never say it out loud, but he didn't think much of the king. The man was full of himself, but beyond that he possessed very little talent. His sons were far more impressive, but it was mainly through Tywin's administrative skills that the kingdom was thriving. That was what he believed. A man like Tywin was sure to reach high places, and so Pycelle had no problem latching himself to the lion's banner for the foreseeable future. People made the wrong assumption and thought that a crown gave you all the power. It did not. Not even close. Pycelle had lived long enough to understand that much.
And so, here he was, walking into the private chamber of the Hand of the King. Seated at his desk was of course Tywin. The man was facing away from the door, looking out the window.
"I have arrived, my Lord Hand," Pycelle said gently as he closed the door behind him.
Tywin did not answer him as Pycelle took one of the available seats on the other side of the table.
A minute passed.
"You wanted to speak to me?" It was only then that Tywin spoke, but he did not turn to face him.
Pycelle didn't mind and answered. "Yes, yes. I was just curious if you knew what prince Rhaegal's plans were regarding the upcoming celebrations. Lord Velaryon has not seemed fit to share it with the rest of the small council."
"Of what interest is that to you?"
"Curiosity. I believe the crown prince trusts maester Qyburn more than he trusts me, and it saddens me."
Tywin gave no answer.
Pycelle tried to keep the fear from his voice. "I know you wanted me to get close to the crown prince-"
"That hardly matters now." Tywin finally turned to look at him. His face was adorned with a scowl. "Aerys has already made his choice clear. As long as princess Shaena lives, he will not consider another match for prince Rhaegal."
"...what do you mean to do, my Lord Hand?"
Tywin's hard eyes fixed on him. "Nothing. Not at the moment. The future isn't set in stone, and opportunities always present themselves."
Pycelle wasn't sure what to make of that, but he didn't dwell on it. He changed the topic instead.
"My Lord Hand, I must express my concern in the prince's dealings with the Velaryons. It reeks of favoritism."
"Oh?" Tywin leaned back in his chair. "You are not the first to come to me about this, but you are the more unexpected one. What is your problem with it?"
"It feels like the crown prince is favoring house Velaryon just because they're a Valyrian house like the Targaryens. I'm concerned about the shift of power at court if this continues."
It could very well undermine the Lannister position. Driftmark was far from being the haven of commerce that it had been before the Dance, but it had recovered a lot in recent years. First it was because prince Rhaegal had diverted funds to rebuilding the shipyards on the island after he went on a personal tour on said island. He had done this by having Qyburn draft deals with the Tyrells for more wood shipments. He also had Qyburn work out a deal with Braavos to hire shipwrights to help boost the island's naval presence. Not just trading vessels, but also warships. Later, he advised his father to have the crown send additional funds to the island so that they could re-establish the old trade routes that had been a staple of the Sea Snake's rule. Supposedly they had found old charts and maps detailing the routes that went back to even before the Doom. All of this happened to coincide with the trade war that broke out in Volantis and some of the other Free Cities, so there was room for the Iron Throne to insert itself into the eastern markets without the Free Cities being able to immediately retaliate.
Lucerys Velaryon had married a noblewoman from Lys, and even though the woman had died in childbirth he still maintained connections in the city that helped to get everything rolling.
"Driftmark is under the rule of Dragonstone, and so under the crown prince's domain," Tywin explained, his face unbothered. "What prince Rhaegal decides to do with his bannermen is his prerogative. The small council does not interfere in such matters."
So Tywin didn't see the potential issue that could arise then. Or was Pycelle perhaps just being paranoid? He had a personal distaste for the Valyrian arrogance that seemed to infest Lucerys Velaryon and the rest of his house. They were nothing more than glorified seafarers. They hadn't been dragon riders like the Targaryens, and yet just because they shared the same ancestry they thought of themselves as automatically superior to the rest of the realm. Even after their prestige had waned after the Dance, that arrogance still persisted.
Personally, Pycelle had been interested in wanting to see them get knocked down a peg, but if Tywin didn't feel the need to act, then neither would he. It wasn't like he could anyhow.
"Will that be all, Grand Maester?" Tywin's voice interrupted his thoughts.
It was his cue to leave.
Pycelle stood up.
"Yes. Thank you for your time, Lord Hand."
---
Rhaegal felt refreshed after his bath. He now wore a simple black tunic as he wanted to relax for the rest of the day. It always felt nice to get a soak in after a few hours of hard training. He was also feeling elated from his talks with Monford and his father. Their preparations were complete. Now, he just had to get Aerys' approval.
That was his destination as he walked toward his father's solar, Brightflame proudly sheathed at his side. The scabbard was of the same color as the sword's grip, a sleek black color. It was simpler in design compared to the rest of the sword, but that was good enough for him.
Rhaegal spotted Ser Harlan standing guard at the entrance to the solar. The Kingsguard traded nods with him as he walked into his father's solar. As expected, he was already inside, wine in hand. Rhaegal was somewhat surprised to see his mother present too. Usually she would be out making sure that Shaena completed the rest of her lessons with the septa.
"Come here, Rhaegal." His mother gestured to the seat next to her when she spotted him. Rhaegal untied his sword from his waist and set it down next to the table before taking the seat. Instantly his mother wrapped her arms around him to bring him closer to her for a tight hug.
"Mother, you know that you don't always have to hug me, right?" Even after all these years, his mother's affection never wavered. It helped that she was like this with all of her children, but it was still embarrassing for him.
"Oh, hush now. You were too busy to have breakfast with us this morning. Just because you wanted to dedicate most of your day to your training."
He wanted to eat fast, so he had his breakfast brought to his room and then headed to the training yard right away.
"Don't belittle the child, Rhaella." Thankfully his father came to his defense. "He's excited about being knighted for his name day celebration."
Rhaegal and Rhaegar were competing to see if they could become the youngest knights in Westerosi history, apart from Daemon Blackfyre of course. Although, and this might just be his pride talking, Rhaegal sometimes felt like Daemon had only been knighted so young because King Aegon IV wanted to mock his other son, Daeron II.
"I need my hugs, and you won't stop me." Rhaella wasn't having any of it. "I already made sure to spend some time with Rhaegar earlier. Now it's Rhaegal's turn."
"But mother, I have something important to discuss with father."
"You can still talk like this, can't you?"
He wasn't getting out of this, was he?
Rhaegal sighed in defeat. He still couldn't win against his mother.
This time, Aerys didn't say anything, just snorted in amusement as he drowned the rest of his drink in one gulp.
"Well?" He placed the glass down on the table. "Lord Velaryon informed me earlier that he and you were in the middle of some talks. Something about your present for your name day celebration."
"Yes, father." Rhaegal nodded, or tried to. It was kind of hard to do when his mother was still smothering him. "I'm planning a trip to the North, and I want your permission. I also plan on inviting certain people to join me, provided that you approve of course."
"Oh?" Aerys blinked, caught off-guard by his request.
"Rhaegal!" Apparently his desire was enough to make Rhaella release him from her embrace, but it resulted in her glaring at him which was definitely worse. "What are you thinking!? The North is a dangerous place! It's a wild land!"
If she was acting like this already, then Rhaegal could only imagine what she was going to say when he told her where in the North it was that he wanted to go exactly.
"I want to hear your reasons." Thankfully his father wasn't immediately shooting down his idea.
However, Rhaegal still hesitated for a moment. It wasn't that he had been trying to keep this next point a secret, but he had wanted to have confirmation first before speaking about it.
"Father, Rhaegar and I have not told you this, but over the last few months…he and I have been having strange dreams."
Aerys and Rhaella instantly perked up when they heard this.
"Strange dreams?" Aerys leaned forward in his seat, his face full of curiosity. "What sorts of dreams?"
"Very abnormal ones. They're always the same, with some minor variations," Rhaegal explained. "There's snow and a cave which is surrounded by some creatures with a single horn. Neither of us can ever get a good look at them. These creatures are always on the run, like they're being hunted and they need to hide. Inside the cave we can both see a dragon, only that they're different. Mine is black with his scales slashed green. Same with his wings. And he has the darkest green eyes imaginable. Rhaegar says that his is white like the snow, with his scales and wings streaked red. They emerge from the cave, roaring and flying into the heavens. And then the dream ends."
There was a deep silence in the solar as the king and queen tried to process what they had heard.
It did not take long for Aerys to shoot up from his chair in excitement as he sprinted around the table to where he was.
"Dragons!" His father's face was brimming with excitement as he clasped Rhaegal's shoulders. "My sons are dreaming of dragons! This can only mean one thing! They must be calling to you! The dragons are sending you dreams of their return!"
Rhaella was still too stunned to speak.
"That's what we realized too," Rhaegal said.
"And the north…you think the source of the dreams is there!?"
"Melisandre seems to think so, and I'm in agreement with her. Where else would there be snow?"
"Yes! Yes! You're absolutely correct!" Aerys began to laugh as he walked back to his chair. "First your sword and now this! That red priestess has really come in handy!"
If only he knew.
"Perhaps it would be better if I started to look into her religion more closely," Aerys mused with a wide grin as he sat down. "She worships fire, doesn't she? And what are we, if not fire itself?"
Was his father suggesting that they were the god that Melisandre worshiped? It was a good thing that she wasn't here to hear this. She would definitely take offense to it. And when it came to her religion, Melisandre wasn't one to keep her mouth shut. He had learned that himself over the years.
Rhaella finally came out of her stupor to give Rhaegal a concerned look.
"Rhaegal, how sure are you of this? I'm sure you must know already. Dragon dreams have destroyed many in our family before."
"T'ch, don't talk nonsense, Rhaella!" Aerys almost growled as he slammed his fist on the desk. "Our son is different than them. He was born with the flames! It's no wonder that the dragons are calling for him! They recognize him as one of their own. You should be more surprised that Rhaegar has been having these dreams at all."
"They say that the dragon chooses their rider, father," Rhaegal said, coming to the defense of his brother. "It must mean that there's more than one dragon egg out there, waiting for us."
"The dragon eggs can speak?" Rhaella did not understand.
Rhaegal shook his head. "It's a bit more complicated than that, but it is a form of communication."
Dragon eggs were sources of magic, even when petrified. And if Melisandre was right when she said that the eggs his great grandfather had brought with him to Summerhall had played a part in his birth, then he had much to thank them for.
"Interesting." Aerys smirked. "I'm assuming you and the red priestess have been performing experiments on Dragonstone?"
"Yes…"
"Rhaegal, you need to be careful." Rhaella reached for his arm. "If the Faith believes that you are conducting blood magic or anything of the sort, then they will brand you as a heretic."
"Those fools can try." Aerys didn't look concerned. "We will not bend to their whims."
Was it wrong that he shared the same sentiment as his father?
"Mother, I have never considered myself a believer of the Faith." His tone was soft as he said this. He knew that his mother was different from his father. She was truly a follower of the Faith of the Seven. He didn't want to take that from her, but he wasn't going to lie either. "I don't believe in Melisandre's god either, but it is true that she possesses powerful abilities. She has helped me greatly over the years. And you don't need to worry. I've made sure that she hasn't performed any sacrifices while on the island."
He was not lying when he said this. The pyromancer from the Alchemists' Guild had said it himself. Magic had become more potent since his birth. This was also true for Melisandre's magic. She had told him Asshai had been the one place where magic had still thrived, where magic users were free to explore their arts without any limitations. Now that same freedom had spread to the rest of the world with his birth.
This also presented other problems, but it was something that he was going to have to deal with in due time.
The point was that Melisandre didn't need to rely on sacrifices in order to make her magic stronger. This did not mean that she didn't want to perform those rituals. Not out of necessity, but just because she wanted to. So far, Rhaegal had denied her.
"This path could lead you into conflict with them, son," Rhaella said, her tone full of grief.
"I've been trying to avoid that, but I will not run from it either."
"We are too blind to their intentions." Aerys' face was full of scorn. "Even in my own court, we lack information. If only I had a competent spymaster."
Rhaegal shared that desire. Over the years, he and Qyburn had been putting together a small spy network throughout the city as well as inside the Red Keep, but it was far from the kind that could have eyes and ears throughout Westeros. Melisandre's visions weren't reliable enough. They were always full of riddles. He needed solid information that he could work with.
"This is why I worry," Rhaella said. "Even after bending the knee, the North has remained isolated. We know very little of what goes on up there."
"Then it's time they were closer integrated into the realm," Rhaegal said in return. "Mother, it's not as if I'm going alone. I will have Lord Velaryon accompany me with his fleet. It's part of the reason why we've been strengthening it, so that it can serve me. I would also ask if two members of the Kingsguard would accompany me and Rhaegar as well. I will also bring trusted knights from the houses that are sworn to Dragonstone."
"Take Ser Willem Darry with you," Aerys cut in. "Now that Tywin's brother is serving as the Red Keep's master-at-arms, he will have need of something to do."
Rhaegal's face was hopeful. "So you mean-"
"Do I really need to say it?" Aerys' grin was wide. "This is exactly what you were born to do, my son. You will be the one who will restore the dragons to us. Once that happens, we won't have to worry about these petty theatrics. We shall rule the skies once more! Just as we were always destined to do."
"I will, father." Rhaegal's voice was full of conviction. Ever since he started having those strange dreams, he had been convinced that it was time to start making big moves.
"Rhaegal." His mother's frightened voice gave him pause, but as he turned to look at her he saw the acceptance in her eyes. "I know I cannot stop you. I've always had a feeling that a day like this would come, when you would set off on your first big adventure. I had only hoped that it wouldn't be for many more years."
"You shouldn't worry, mother." Rhaegal embraced her this time. "I will come back. I have a lot of people I can count on."
"I know, but as your mother I will still worry."
Yeah, he kind of expected that.
"You have my approval to take whomever you wish." Aerys' face was still dominated by his grin. "Show them the rebirth of our true strength."
His father really was giving him free reign to do as he wished, wasn't he? Perfect. This made things a lot easier for him.
"Daeron wants to go with you to Dragonstone," Rhaella said softly. "I don't know how long it'll be before you set off to the North, but-"
"I'm not taking him with me," he reassured her. He wasn't that mad. He then remembered something. "Shaena also wants to come to Dragonstone with me. She misses the castle."
His sister had only visited Dragonstone once before, but it had been enough for her to love the island.
Rhaella's shoulders sagged, defeated. "Oh, my children. What am I ever going to do with you all?"
"Continue to love us?"
Rhaella pulled back from his hug to smile at him. "You don't have to tell me that. You know that I always will."
And Rhaegal appreciated that, from the bottom of his heart.
---
With his father's approval, Rhaegal sent word to Qyburn on Dragonstone of his impending arrival. He also told Rhaegar and Arthur that they were finally ready to set off. The two had looked eager. While Arthur did not know the true reason for the trip, he was nonetheless excited about the idea of visiting a new kingdom.
The North was a vast land, after all.
Rhaegal also told Daeron and Shaena that they could come to Dragonstone with him, much to their joy.
Ashara said that she was coming with them too, and Rhaegal knew better than to try and deny her. When she wanted something, she always knew how to sweet talk him into it.
Rhaegal had chosen Barristan and Gerold to accompany him. Since his siblings were going to be staying on Dragonstone, Ser Gwayne Gaunt would be traveling with them as well, for their protection.
The night before they were set to leave, Rhaegal found his chambers invaded by his sister, who was crying.
"Brother!" she wailed as she jumped into his bed.
Rhaegal was only barely able to sit up before the girl threw herself at him.
What the heck was going on?
The guards at the door looked apologetic. "Apologies for waking you, my prince. The princess claims she had a nightmare and wanted to see you."
Shaena whimpered as she tried to bury herself into his chest.
So that was it.
Rhaegal nodded at them, still feeling tired but was coherent enough to understand.
"I'll take it from here. You can leave us."
The guards did as instructed.
Waiting until they were gone and the doors were closed, Rhaegal refocused on the crying girl. He started rubbing her back as she sobbed.
"Sister, what's wrong?"
"I saw it, Rhaegal! I saw a dragon! It was fighting and…! And those things were hurting it! It was terrible!"
Rhaegal was taken aback by her words. His sister was having dreams of dragons too? What did this mean? Was there a dragon egg out there that was trying to get in touch with her too? How many active dragon eggs were there?
'And it was fighting?'
Fighting what?
Shaena was unable to give him any more details as she sobbed. Whatever she had seen was not pleasant, that much was certain.
Rhaegal allowed her to spend the night with him. It was only in the safety of his arms that she was finally able to drift off and sleep.
Rhaegal on the other hand did not sleep much that night, not after realizing that perhaps dreamers were more common than he had realized.
---
The next morning came. It took some coaxing to finally get Shaena to disentangle herself from him and get their day started. Throughout the course of the night she had somehow wiggled herself until she was quite literally sleeping on top of him. She said that it felt nice, to have the heat radiating from his body underneath her.
That explained why she used to sneak into his bed when she was younger on a nightly basis. His sister must be part cat or something. Rhaegal had heard that they enjoyed the warmth from people too.
Rhaegal did not tell anyone about Shaena's nightmare. The girl herself seemed to have come out of whatever stupor she had been the previous night, and he didn't want her to become hysterical again by reminding her of it. Not right now.
Rhaegal had an inkling about what she had seen anyhow.
Breakfast was a grand affair. His parents were sending them off to Dragonstone while they remained at the capital, so of course they were making a big deal out of it. They were still going to be close, but with the way his mother was tearing up it was almost like they were going to the other side of the world.
Some in the small council had questioned Rhaegal's sudden departure to Dragonstone, but Rhaegal reassured them that he would be back in King's Landing in time for the celebrations. He did not tell them about his plans to visit the North. By the time he set off to the North from the Dragonstone, they will probably already have heard about his plans. It was hard to keep things discreet in this kingdom when you were the crown prince.
Aerys saw them off with much fanfare. The people of King's Landing cheered for them as they made their way to the harbor. Rhaegal felt the pompous ride was unnecessary, but his father was rarely subtle when it came to his ideas.
At the harbor Lucerys' new flag ship, the Sea Snake, was waiting for them. It was based on Braavosi design. It was meant for long voyages and built to last. It could sustain more damage than the average ship.
Daeron and Shaena were ecstatic as they boarded the ship while the rest of them maintained their composure, their enthusiasm more subdued.
Monford was at the helm with his father. His friend's excitement always grew whenever he was aboard a ship. It was the Velaryon blood in him he supposed. Last year he had taken his first true voyage to Lys with his father. His mother's family came from the Free City, and apparently some of them had been interested in meeting with the future Lord of the Tides.
"I was told by Shaena's maids that she did not spend the night in her room," Ashara said softly as they made their way to their cabins. "I'm assuming she went to see you. Did something happen?"
"I'll tell you later."
Ashara's eyebrow rose at the non-answer, but she knew better than to pry in public like this.
There were some last minute preparations to take care of, but soon they were sailing out of the harbor and into open waters.
The waters of Blackwater Bay were calm on this day. It was the perfect weather needed to set sail.
After settling into his cabin, Rhaegal made his way back onto the deck. He was no experienced sailor, but he did not mind being out in open waters like this. Perhaps he would go on a voyage on his own one day. Sothoryos was said to be a very nice place to visit.
"You seem to be enjoying yourself." Ashara came to join him out on the deck. She wasn't alone either. Rhaegal spotted Daeron and Shaena running toward the helm where Monford was.
Good, let his friend handle them for now. Rhaegal wouldn't be able to handle their enthusiasm on his own.
"It feels good to be breathing fresh air again," he joked.
Ashara crinkled her nose. "If there's one thing I don't think I'll ever get used to, it's the smell of your city."
His city, was it? He quite liked the sound of that.
"I wonder why none of you Targaryens ever bothered to do anything about it."
Rhaegal shrugged. "Too much work probably. The Old King tried to do something about it, but he didn't bother to finish it."
The Old King built drains, sewers, and wells, but even he struggled to keep up with the growing population. His successors never bothered to continue with his reforms, and places like Flea Bottom were poorly served even to this day.
"Do you have some ideas in that head of yours?" she said as she leaned in closer. Their shoulders were touching, but Rhaegal didn't pull back.
"I've been working on some things," he admitted. "I've been more concerned with making gold rather than spending it to be honest."
Ashara rolled her eyes. "Are you trying to become a literal dragon and hoard a mountain of gold to yourself? I know people like to call you the 'living dragon,' but I didn't think it was literal."
"That's just a myth." Dragons didn't like to hoard…probably.
"So are you going to keep that a secret too?" Ashara's voice was teasing, but Rhaegal detected a hint of vulnerability underneath.
Rhaegal briefly pondered why, but he didn't dwell on it. "I prefer to keep things close until I'm ready to unveil them. Saves me the embarrassment for when I'm wrong."
"Don't tell me. You have more magic that you're keeping hidden from us?" She said that as a joke.
If only she knew.
"Brother!" Daeron came running up to them. "Is it true that there are large caves underneath Dragonstone!?"
"Of course there are!" Shaena sounded annoyed as she also joined them. "The Dragonmont has them too! It's where the dragons used to live. Why would I lie about something like that?"
"Because you do it all the time!"
"Not about this!"
"They're connected," Rhaegal said, cutting in before they descended into a chaos driven shouting match. "There are a lot of abandoned hatcheries underneath the mountain and Dragonstone that stretch on for miles."
"See? And you didn't believe me." Shaena scoffed.
Daeron was too busy picturing those hatcheries in his head to answer.
Something about the look on his little brother's face made him a little uneasy.
"Make sure these two don't go exploring in places they shouldn't," Rhaegal whispered to Ashara.
"I'll try, but do you really think that they bother to listen to me?" she whispered back. "This is what happens when you spoil them too much."
"They're my family. Of course I'm going to spoil them."
"I worry for your future children then."
"Already thinking about that, are you?"
"Shut up." Ashara stomped away with red cheeks. If they weren't in public, then she probably would have hit him on the shoulder for that.
Rhaegal mentally cheered. It was a rare victory for him.
---
The laid back atmosphere couldn't last forever.
When they docked on Dragonstone, Rhaegal's mind was once again focused on all the work that was waiting for him.
The first stop was of course Qyburn. There was also the Alchemists' Guild that he was going to have to meet with later on.
Thanks to his patronage, the Alchemists' Guild had seen a resurgence in strength. With the funds that he was providing, the guild was able to expand its order and attract new members. When it was learned that the crown prince was the guild's official backer, there were many that were more than happy to sign up for the opportunity to serve the crown and reap the benefits. Since they started to work together, Rhaegal had allowed the guild to set up a second guild hall on the island. The guild hall had been built on one of the small villages which dotted the island. Since it was such a small community, the people living here knew what was going on but they didn't question it. As long as the guild didn't bother them, then they wouldn't bother the guild.
The Alchemists' Guild also served as impromptu informants for Rhaegal and Qyburn. Already spies had tried to infiltrate the island on several occasions over the years. Those spies always met the same fate: permanent disappearance. After they gave up what information they had of course.
The source of these spies quickly became apparent: they were hired by someone from the Citadel.
Since Qyburn wasn't willing to play nice and report to the maesters at Oldtown, they had been forced to resort to indirect methods in order to gather information. It was one of the reasons Rhaegal didn't trust the Grand Maester. He didn't know if the old man was following the Citadel's agenda or what.
What was the Citadel's agenda? That was hard to say. They had never sent any assassins after him, which was why Rhaegal considered them a mere nuisance if nothing else. Qyburn suspected that the magic-fearing wise men wanted to see how far his magical abilities had grown. After all, he had relocated his most trusted people to Dragonstone many years ago, leaving the order of maesters blind to most of his plans. The island was just far more secure than King's Landing could ever hope to be. Thanks to the low population on the island, any newcomer had a hard time trying to blend in. And that was if they managed to get around his security measures. There weren't many servants stationed on the island either, so bribing one of them was difficult. And even if they succeeded, that person wouldn't get very far. Not with Melisandre around.
Why the Citadel hadn't revoked Qyburn's chains was a different question. They were probably afraid of losing face if Rhaegal kept the man around even if they threw him out. That, and they would have to explain why they were expelling him from the order in the first place, something they wouldn't been too keen on doing. No doubt it was just far too inconvenient to do anything about it at the moment.
Rhaegal and the others soon arrived at the fortress itself. They were greeted by Qyburn, who bid them welcome. Rhaegal didn't want to waste time exchanging pleasantries, so he quickly motioned for the servants to show his younger siblings to their rooms during their stay here while he and the others headed for the chamber with the Painted Table. Ser Gwayne followed after his siblings, as his primary duty while on the island was to ensure their safety. Rhaegal ordered Ser Willem Darry to do the same.
Reaching the chamber, Rhaegal wasn't surprised to find Melisandre already waiting for them inside. The red priestess stood next to the main seat, the same one his grandfather had sat on many years ago when he had come to the island to see Rhaegal's magical abilities for himself.
Now, that seat belonged to him.
"My prince, I'm happy to see that you are in good health."
As if there were any doubts about that.
Rhaegal didn't answer her. He just took his seat while the others did the same, making themselves comfortable around the famous table. Only Barristan and Gerold remained standing, the two Kingsguard flanking his seat.
"Incredible." Arthur was impressed as he laid eyes on the table for the first time. "It was here where the Conqueror planned his invasion, wasn't it?"
"Indeed." Rhaegar also admired the table. He had seen it many times before, but it always captivated him.
"It is a thing of beauty," Lucerys agreed.
Monford silently agreed.
Unlike her brother, Ashara had been to Dragonstone once before and had seen the Painted Table. Not that it changed much for her. She was still as mesmerized as she had been the first time.
"My father has given his approval," Rhaegal began. "We will travel to the North in a few weeks. We shall send word to the Starks to prepare for our arrival. This will be the first time in almost two centuries since a Targaryen has traveled so far north."
Rhaegar looked eager. "What do we need to do?"
"I plan on inviting a few others to join us. It'll be an interesting trip, so I thought we should make it a bit more lively."
"Who do you have in mind, my prince?" Qyburn already had his paper and quill ready.
"From what I hear, my cousin Robert Baratheon is fostering in the Vale, so he's out of the question. I suppose his brother Stannis will do just fine."
"My prince, do you think that Lord Steffon will agree?" Lucerys asked.
"Without a doubt. I'm sure he's interested in maintaining a positive relationship with the crown." Rhaegal didn't doubt Steffon's friendship with his father. If possible, he would like to build a similar friendship with one of the Baratheon brothers. If Robert wouldn't do, then Stannis was also acceptable. The boy was old enough for the journey too.
It would also help him get over his lingering distaste for the Baratheons. He couldn't live under the uncertainty of his vision forever. It would just get in the way.
"Luthor Tyrell recently perished in a hawking incident, so his son has become the new Lord of Highgarden. The timing is unfortunate, but regardless, send a raven to Highgarden as well. Let's see if the Tyrells are interested in fostering friendship with the crown."
The fact that Mace Tyrell was now the Lord of the Reach might complicate things. If they turned down his invitation, then Rhaegal wouldn't hold it against them.
"Oberyn has been interested in seeing King's Landing for some time now, so send word to the Martells. I'm sure this is an adventure that he wouldn't want to miss out on."
"Just Oberyn?" Ashara asked, a delicate eyebrow raised.
Rhaegal's eyebrow rose in turn as well. "Yes?"
"Hmm. I see." She said nothing more.
Arthur and Rhaegar looked at one another but said nothing.
Rhaegal felt like he was missing something here, but he moved past it.
"Send a raven to Raventree as well."
This one caused several heads to snap up in surprise.
"Raventree?" Qyburn's quill came to a stop. "You mean to get in touch with the Blackwoods, my prince?"
"I do. They are distant kin. Why not see if they still remember that one of their own was the queen of the Seven Kingdoms at one point?"
Rhaegal wasn't sure what to expect from them to be honest. He was just doing it to see what kind of effect it might have.
He had wanted to invite Tywin's son as well, but Jaime might still be too young for a journey like this. It was a shame really.
That left him with one last pick.
"The Greyjoys might have some interest in this voyage. What do you think?" Rhaegal threw the question out, wanting to see what the others thought of it.
"The Ironborn?" Lucerys didn't look pleased by the idea. "Is it wise to extend an invitation to those brutes?"
"Those brutes are still part of the Seven Kingdoms." Rhaegal's voice was probably more fiery than he would have liked. "Just like with the North, the Ironborn have remained far too isolated for too long. It's about time that they played a bigger role in the kingdom's future."
"It would be the first time that a crown prince initiated contact with those islands in times of peace," Qyburn commented offhandedly as he continued to write in his parchment. Whatever his thoughts on the matter were, he would do as Rhaegal ordered.
"I don't have anything against it," Rhaegar said. He shared Rhaegal's sentiment. A more interconnected kingdom was only beneficial in the long run. If they could build positive connections with different houses right now, those connections could end up serving them well in the future.
"If you think it wise," Lucerys said with great reluctance.
Monford remained silent.
Rhaegal waited to see if anyone had anything else to say. When no one spoke, he nodded.
"Very well. Qyburn, send those ravens by the morning. I want to know who's coming as soon as possible. The sooner we can get set out, the better."
Ashara was sending him a questioning look, but he ignored it. No doubt she was curious why he was pushing for this so hard. He wasn't going to tell her about his dreams, though. Only if he succeeded would he share something so intimate with her.
With the names agreed upon, the meeting came to an end.
Many of them started to file out of the room. Qyburn left him with a pile of papers on the table for him to take a look at later. Rhaegal had a pretty good idea what they were about, and he was excited to go through them.
First, there was another matter that he had to address.
After ordering Barristan and Gerold to stand guard at the entrance, Rhaegal and Melisandre were the only ones left inside the dimly lit chamber.
"I suppose we can finally talk about what really matters?" she half teased as she stood up from her seat.
Rhaegal watched how she came around to stand beside him, draping herself over the chair and on to his shoulders.
"So, were you able to confirm it again?"
"Of course. Every time you leave my presence you attract many eyes upon you. They're all from different sources. The furthest is in Asshai." She half-smiled. "I daresay you have attracted the attention of another shadowbinder, my dear."
How annoying. The worst part was that Rhaegal couldn't even sense them. Melisandre was uncertain by what means they were keeping tabs on him, but the point was that they were somehow observing him.
There were some curious eyes from the North as well, which made it all the more tantalizing that he would soon be traveling up there. Melisandre had already burned several ravens that had been spotted around the castle, claiming that she had cleansed them of their "shadow."
In other words, a skinchanger.
It was another form of magic that originated from the First Men. No, it was more accurate to say that it originated from the Children of the Forest who then passed it down to the First Men. If it weren't for his own abilities, Rhaegal might have dismissed the Children as nothing more than a fairy tale.
Now? Well, odds were, they were probably still around somewhere.
How interesting would it be if he met one of them? They were said to be extinct, but something told Rhaegal that that wasn't the case.
"So our destination remains the same."
Melisandre ran one of her hands over his cheek. Rhaegal didn't stop her.
"You have already seen it in your dreams. The flames are your guidance."
Skagos. That was where the dreams were directing him toward. That backwater island,
Melisandre's flames hinted at the same thing as well.
"If you want more clear answers, then it is about time that you made up your mind, no?"
As always, she was insistent on him accepting her offer.
Rhaegal changed the subject. "My sister had a dream about a dragon as well."
Melisandre paused for a moment but then continued with her actions. "Oh? So the dragons have reached out to her as well. How very peculiar. It would appear that your flames have strengthened your family significantly, my prince. Or perhaps history has not recorded how common dragon dreamers are in your family."
"So the eggs are really reaching out then?"
"But of course. What other explanation is there? You and the dragons come from the same fire. It is only they that have the means to bypass your mental protection. Your flames recognize them as kin."
"And yet, your flames can't reach me."
"Only because you still refuse to believe. Deep in your heart, you still harbor doubts."
Of course he did. Rhaegal had never once denied his disbelief in her god. Magic had to come from somewhere, true. But an active god in their world? That was a separate issue. If there were gods out there, odds were that they had abandoned this world long ago.
"She made mention of the dragon fighting."
"What do you think that means?"
"A premonition."
"Mhmm. The one whose name may not be spoken is already marshaling his power. The sudden darkness last year proves it. Unless we defeat it, the world shall be encompassed by an even stronger darkness. Only men whose hearts are fire can prevail."
The "false winter." The fact that his birth had been the cause for that phenomenon left a bad taste in his mouth, but there was nothing that he could do about it.
"So the time is fast approaching."
And yet, he still felt like he knew so little.
"One day, you will understand. Everything that you need to know will be made clear."
Rhaegal didn't react. Even when she planted a delicate kiss on his cheek, he didn't react. He watched her leave the chamber in silence, his eyes drinking in her form.
The worst part about getting older? Recognizing the female form.
---
The very next day, Qyburn performed his duty well and sent out all the ravens needed to the different parts of the kingdom.
It would take a while for word to get back to them, and in the meantime life continued as usual on the island.
Shaena and Daeron explored Dragonstone to their heart's content. There were no septas on the island, nor was there a septon and so the two enjoyed a small break from their studies.
Over the years, a small sept had been built in Dragonstone as more and more Targaryens became believers of the Faith. When Melisandre had relocated to the island, the septon assigned to the fortress had left in protest, proclaiming that Rhaegal was making a huge mistake by hosting a sorceress. This had caused the sept on Dragonstone to become abandoned. Melisandre had wanted to burn the statues that depicted the aspects of the Seven, but Rhaegal had denied her that as well. Instead, he had the statues thrown in storage and let Melisandre use the area for her own purposes.
The fact that he had allowed this at all was already provocative enough. He didn't need Melisandre to start burning religious symbols on top of that.
As with everything else, the High Septon hadn't raised a word in protest.
Rhaegal continued his training with Barristan as they waited to hear back from the houses that he had contacted. He also continued with his magic lessons with Melisandre. His latest lessons involved seeing if he could transfer his flames to others without harming them. Almost like a boost if you will. Melisandre theorized that his inborn flames were passively strengthening him, which would explain his stronger physique when compared to his brother. However, this strengthening also applied to a resistance of poison and sickness. Melisandre had him test this. From the weakest of poisons to the strongest of them all. Whatever they could get their hands on, they experimented. Rhaegal had only been convinced to go along with her madness after Qyburn had been on standby with the antidotes in case anything went awry.
He was left feeling just fine after each one.
So when it came to conventional poison, he was pretty much safe. How convenient.
Fire as a purifier. Was there anything more poetic than that?
The most important bit of news during this time came from the Alchemists' Guild. That stack of papers that Qyburn had left behind for Rhaegal to read contained information on their progress in recreating dragonstone.
And they were getting pretty darn close.
Using large quantities of wildfire, the pyromancers of the guild had been able to start reshaping stone into fused black stone. The fires from the Dragonmont were also proving to be invaluable in helping the pyromancers fuse the stone more tightly. In their words, the volcano amplified the power of the wildfire to a stronger degree. The black stone still wasn't perfectly meshed, however. The balance was delicate, and the black stone still came out too brittle.
The progress was still there, and Rhaegal's heart was beating with excitement after reading through the report.
It wouldn't be long now, he was sure of it.
It was during one of these windy but peaceful days, while Rhaegal was inside the Chamber of the Painted Table with Ashara accompanying him, that an unexpected visitor greeted the island.
This visitor did not try to sneak in, but rather he publicly announced his presence, requesting a formal audience with him.
This visitor went by the name of Brynden Tully.