*
Prince Rhaegor clutched the necklace on his chest, which Uncle Ray had secretly given him. It wasn't anything valuable; compared to the jewelry his sisters wore when he was still with the family, it was like a duckling meeting a swan. But its material, craftsmanship, and the ruby inlaid on it were excellent. If sold to a knowledgeable merchant, it could fetch at least 10 kinmony. Even if sold to small merchants, it could still bring in two or three hundred Silver Blood, enough to help Prince Rhaegor through his most difficult times.
However, in the practical context of Westeros, Prince Rhaegor didn't actually need to prepare extra property.
He had armor—though not Valyrian steel armor, it was made of Varezes blood steel. The original plate armor, breastplate, and pauldrons had pure silver and enamel inlaid with crest patterns and intricate designs, but these were removed by Hofa and his craftsmen before their departure.
He had a warhorse—a Varezes Silver Blood horse. This type of horse could be recognized as a good horse by knowledgeable people at a glance, but because it had only slowly become the standard warhorse for Silver Blood Army cavalry in recent years, many people didn't actually know it was a regulated military warhorse, nor that it was a new breed.
More importantly, he had swords, more than one, and even a spear with distinct Borderlands and Dorne characteristics.
Although he didn't know that the rapier at his waist was the Valyrian steel sword, Star Singer, he knew that in the land of Westeros, a man with armor, a warhorse, and weapons would generally not go hungry.
Even in peacetime, small Lords needed manpower to protect their lands, as liege Lords rarely paid attention to their interests, with Jacaerys and Dragonzel being exceptions. Merchants needed to hire Warriors to protect them as they traveled long trade routes, and Lords also needed people to prove their martial prowess. Whether a wandering Knight or Warrior won a tourney, they could potentially earn a Lord's money. At the very least, they could earn a Lord's food and bed—unless he was foolish.
Prince Rhaegor felt he wasn't beyond saving.
At least with his skills, he would never starve.
It was no wonder he was confident.
"Whoosh," the young man tucked the necklace back into the collar of his armor, patted the warhorse beneath him, and the warhorse, which he had also named Star Song, obediently sped up. "Sorry, Star Song," Prince Rhaegor apologized to his dragon in his heart. It was his fault for being terrible at naming; he had thought for a long time but couldn't come up with a good name for his warhorse. He tallied the money on him; he usually lived very frugally, most of his annuity was used to help his companions at Purple Palace, and the remaining part he secretly saved to buy gifts for his younger siblings. So now, his money pouch held 92 Silver Blood and 8 kinmony. Daniela had also hidden a small gold bar in the hilt of the Star Singer.
This money was secretly taken by his mother from her hidden stash in her room. Prince Rhaegor knew his mother knew he had hidden money, but he hadn't expected her to know where he had hidden it. Of course, his mother didn't take all the money out.
The money Prince Rhaegor had saved over the years was enough for him to buy a manor and become a landed knight himself.
"I need to buy a packhorse, preferably two." Prince Rhaegor knew very well that Star Song was a warhorse, and having it carry him in armor for extended periods would definitely cause problems. At this moment, the things Prince Rhaegor had learned in his daily life gradually reoccupied the high ground in his mind. "The horse prices in Father's territory are lower than in the surrounding areas. A warhorse of normal quality costs about eight to nine hundred Silver Blood, while a packhorse fluctuates between six and seven hundred Silver Blood. However, the cheapest would definitely be Kalasa of Ago settlement. If a sufficiently valuable gift is offered to the people of the settlement, one might even be able to trade for a Silver Blood horse."
Just as Prince Rhaegor was lost in thought on horseback, suddenly, the sound of hooves reached the young man's ears, instantly clearing Prince Rhaegor's mind. He vigilantly reined in his warhorse and slowly retreated to the trees beside the road.
No, it shouldn't be an enemy.
Prince Rhaegor closed his eyes, carefully judging the direction and source of the hoofbeats. Being able to hear them with his naked ear meant the riders were very close to him. If Prince Rhaegor wasn't mistaken, there were two horses galloping towards him and they would soon catch up.
Who could it be?
He knew there would generally be no enemies on this road.
In recent years, Dragonzel's most frequent official duties involved building towns and maintaining roads and bridges. The original Stone Road, which connected the Stormlands, Borderlands, and Eastern Dorne, was re-paved. The Stone Road extended north, successfully converging with the Kings Road. In addition to the Stone Road, with Princes Pass as the axis, two roads traversing the Borderland Principality from east to west were also completed in these years. The northern Silver Blood Road started at Summerhall, converged with the Stone Road, then proceeded west, crossing the Red Mountains, and extending like a spiderweb to various castles, manors, and market towns along the way, finally concluding at Starfall City in the western Reach.
Ray had always tried to promote Starfall City to replace Oldtown.
Unfortunately, Oldtown had unique hydraulic conditions; the Honeywine River, unlike the Mander River, was not too calm, full of reefs and sandbars, making it an excellent waterway. Even though Oldtown was no longer as prosperous as it once was and its urban area was dilapidated, it remained the most important port in the Reach.
So Starfall City ultimately did not become the next Lace Town and Silver Crown City.
The second Silver Crown Road started at Silver Crown City and split into two branches at Princes Pass: one connected north with the Silver Blood Road, replacing the former sand road of Princes Pass, and the other continued west, all the way to Starfall City.
After Daemon's death, Dragonzel took over the Realm's power. The Silver Blood Road, Kings Road, and Rose Road were officially connected. The Desert Road, starting from Sunspear and eventually merging into the Stone Road and Silver Crown Road, was also finally completed in these years.
The road network, which began construction during King Jaehaerys's reign to connect the Seven Kingdoms, was finally declared complete during Dragonzel's rule.
Even before the roads were completed, merchants had already begun to gather on them. For these overland traders, a flat, wide road was enough for them to do many things.
No bandits would dare to attempt robberies on this road either, as there were Silver Blood Army manors specifically responsible for protecting the road nearby.
So Prince Rhaegor was just curious why someone was running so urgently in his direction.
When the two horses appeared in his sight, Prince Rhaegor couldn't help but frown.
Why were it them?
Reigen Kaawen quickly scanned the crowd in front, behind, and beside him, then squeezed his horse's flanks with his legs, slowing down.
Strange, why didn't I see Prince Rhaegor? He shouldn't be taking the wilderness or a small road, should he?
Meanwhile, Ailarion, who was beside him, suddenly leaned towards Legan, quietly nudging the silver-haired young man's arm: "Legan, look, doesn't that person look like Your Highness?"
Legan looked in the direction Ailarion was pointing and indeed saw Prince Rhaegor on the roadside, also looking in their direction. The two young men quickly spurred their horses forward.
No mistake, even if his hair was black and his eyes had changed color, that face was unmistakable.
Legan recognized Prince Rhaegor at once, while Ailarion hesitated for a moment.
It's interesting to note that Legan's family, House Caron, is the chief vassal family of the Varezes family, and also a branch of the Varezes family. This family was established by the first generation patriarch, Rhaegor the Dragonless, a child born to a woman without dragon blood after the Varezes family migrated to Black Wall.
However, by Legan's generation, the dragon blood in House Caron was almost gone. Yet, he could still recognize Prince Rhaegor, whose appearance had been altered by blood magic and glamour magic, at a glance.
Not only because the two of them were very familiar, but also because Legan was more familiar with the "scent" of his distant relatives.
As for what it was exactly, Legan couldn't say.
Seeing that Legan had already pulled Ailarion to his side, Prince Rhaegor knew he could no longer conceal his identity. He knew Legan's familiarity with him was enough for him to recognize him instantly.
There was no need for sophistry then.
"You two…" Prince Rhaegor originally wanted to say, why aren't you two studying diligently at Purple Palace, what are you doing looking for me? Did you skip class again? But as the words reached his lips, he remembered the look in his father's eyes before he left, and the words Uncle Hofa had told him.
Hofa was self-aware; he knew very well that his strict adherence to rules and laws was purely because he was Dragonzel's subject. He served Dragonzel, and therefore, he had to perfectly uphold the rules Dragonzel set. But Prince Rhaegor was not like that.
In the future, he would not only be someone who followed his father's rules, but also someone who set his own rules. However, he actually only said one sentence to Prince Rhaegor.
"Be my subject, see me as your monarch."
Prince Rhaegor swallowed the words he was about to say, looking a little embarrassed at his friends who had caught up. Legan was one of his best friends, and the only non-family friend who had secretly ridden Star Song with him. Although Ailarion wasn't as close to him as Legan, he was also one of the children he played with well at Purple Palace.
Prince Rhaegor mostly knew why Legan sought Ailarion: this kid had brute strength and was the best in swordsmanship and horsemanship among the children of Purple Palace, especially swordsmanship. Whether it was a two-handed sword, one-handed sword, hand-and-a-half sword, or rapier, Ailarion wielded them with exceptional skill, no worse than adults.
Of course, he still hadn't beaten Aslan.
"Why did you two come?" Prince Rhaegor looked at his two good friends and jumped off his horse. The two young men followed him, dismounting. Ailarion skillfully took Prince Rhaegor's reins, along with his own and Legan's horses, and tied them together. The three young men went into the woods beside the road.
This patch of woods consisted of newly planted trees during the road construction. After more than ten years of growth, they had now grown considerably. Under the shade of the trees, the three young men found a clean spot on the ground and sat down. Legan looked at Prince Rhaegor with some surprise.
"Your Highness, shouldn't your first sentence be," Legan continued, pretending to be very serious, "'You two, why aren't you diligently studying with the Scholars and Ser at Purple Palace, and instead skipped class to come here? Do you want to be punished?'"
Prince Rhaegor scratched his brownish-black hair a little awkwardly. Legan was the only non-family person who dared to make such jokes in front of him. There was no special reason; it was simply that the kid was shameless, or rather, thick-skinned. Even if he was punished, he would still cling to him next time, and over time, Prince Rhaegor found that he could tolerate Legan's jokes.
And the jokes this kid made often hit the mark.
Just like today. He directly spoke the words Prince Rhaegor had wanted to say, which made Prince Rhaegor very embarrassed.
The fact that Legan and Ailarion risked punishment from Hofa to escape and find him was enough to prove their loyalty and friendship. His father had such friends, and so did he.
But would his past actions hurt his friends?
Prince Rhaegor didn't know.
But what Prince Rhaegor did know was that his father had taught him that when he found something he didn't know, he should learn and explore. "I will know, and I will let my friends see a new me."
Prince Rhaegor said in his heart.
His thoughts gradually returned to Legan and Ailarion.
"To be honest, I suspect Ser Hofa and the others deliberately let us escape, Your Highness. I used to wonder why the walls of Dragonzel's Palace were so low. Wasn't that intentionally leaving us a way to sneak out and play? So we never dared to take that path before, but this time when Ailarion and I climbed out, we didn't see anyone. Ser Hofa and the others wouldn't possibly overlook such a hidden place…"
"And we also got horses very easily." Ailarion also realized now. The situation wasn't quite right; everything was a little too smooth.
Prince Rhaegor smiled and shook his head; he naturally knew why. His father had "exiled" him because he was too naive, so naive that he didn't seem like someone who had been with him for so many years, but his father also cherished him.
After all, in terms of bloodline.
He and Samantha were the only two pure-blood Dragon Kings in this world.
Truly, pure-blood Dragon Kings without a speck of impurity.
Just as he and Samantha understood from Star Song and Zhuohuo whenever they visited the family's dragons in the Dragonpit. The dragons called Father Dragonzel a "dangerous kin," and called himself and Samantha both "kin" and "hatchlings."
This was also the fundamental reason why the two of them could never be together. If they were to unite, it would basically be impossible to have offspring.
Even if there were, they would be monsters that killed the mother.
"You two, even though Father exiled me, he wouldn't just stand by and watch me starve to death or be killed by some nameless nobody." Prince Rhaegor casually put his arms around the necks of his two good brothers: "So he sent you two to assist me…"
At this point, Prince Rhaegor suddenly lowered his head.
"Thank you."
Legan paused, tilted his head, and deliberately yelled loudly: "Hey, hey, Your Highness, your armor is too uncomfortable. Aren't you tired wearing this iron?"
Ailarion just then noticed Prince Rhaegor was still wearing a full plate armor and couldn't help but let out a chuckle.
Prince Rhaegor's face flushed: "It's because I haven't bought a packhorse yet, so there's nowhere to put the armor."
"Use my horse." Ailarion stood up and patted his chest. "That kid Legan is weak; Your Highness, you can't be without a warhorse, so use mine."
Anyway, if it came to fighting, Ailarion on foot was confident he could defeat most enemies.
"This…" Prince Rhaegor immediately straightened his face: "Ailarion, you are also a warrior. How can a warrior be without a warhorse?"
He raised his hand and said in an undeniable tone: "At least for now, I'm not tired. Star Song moving at a stop-and-go pace won't consume too much energy; it can last until the horse market."
Prince Rhaegor remembered there was a small market town nearby called "Steed Market," governed by a knight under the Caffuren family. Merchants in the market would regularly bring gifts to nearby settlements to trade horses with the Dothraki.
The Dothraki of Kalasa of Ago were now very familiar with "trade," although they still stubbornly referred to transactions as "returning gifts to friends."
But anyway, everyone made money, so they didn't care about these nominal differences.
"You are my friends, and also my family's subjects. How could I sacrifice your interests to satisfy my selfish desires?"
Prince Rhaegor said decisively.
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