Daniella’s favorite pastime was visiting the Dragonmont to feed the dragons.
Within Dragonstone’s Dragonmont, there were Dragonkeepers loyal to House Targaryen who were specifically responsible for caring for, feeding, and training the dragons.
Most of these Dragonkeepers were descendants of Targaryen bastards.
Perhaps because they still carried traces of Valyrian blood, the dragons rarely harmed them.
However, because their bloodlines were too diluted, it was equally difficult for them to form true bonds with dragons.
The Dragonkeepers were raised from childhood for this duty alone.
Most were illiterate and spoke only High Valyrian.
Their entire lives revolved around dragons.
In recent years, many Dragonkeepers had been transferred to King’s Landing to serve the growing number of dragons housed within the Dragonpit.
Only a dozen or so remained on Dragonstone.
Every day, the Dragonkeepers drove entire flocks of sheep into the caves of the Dragonmont, allowing the dragons to hunt and feed at will.
In Daniella’s opinion, this method was terribly wasteful.
While wool and sheepskins were not considered valuable among nobles, each sheep still possessed worth.
A single sheepskin could sell for one copper star, equal to several copper pennies, enough to purchase numerous loaves of bread for common folk.
For many smallfolk families, that amount of money could support several days of meals.
As a result, Daniella instructed the Dragonkeepers to slaughter the sheep beforehand, remove the hides, marinate the meat, and carry the carcasses onto large iron roasting racks near the dragon caves.
Naturally, the Dragonkeepers themselves did not dare remain close once the dragons arrived.
Daniella, however, stayed behind personally.
After all, dragons rarely attacked those carrying the blood of Old Valyria.
Over the years, Daniella had quietly accumulated thousands of golden dragons by selling the preserved wool and sheepskins.
Even after generously distributing half the profits among the servants responsible for skinning and transporting the carcasses, the earnings remained astonishing.
To streamline the process, Daniella personally selected twelve orphaned boys from King’s Landing to assist her.
She chose them from among hundreds of children, carefully selecting those with sharp minds and good appearances.
Daniella intended to train them into loyal personal guards.
To accomplish this, she even hired a seasoned sellsword from King’s Landing named Bronn to teach the boys swordsmanship and combat skills.
Bronn’s abilities were exceptional, and Daniella believed he was no weaker than many knights of the Kingsguard.
Under his guidance, the boys improved rapidly, while their speed skinning sheep also became far more efficient.
Princess Rhaenyra once mockingly referred to them as the Order of the Sheepskinner Knights.
Surprisingly, the ridiculous title spread throughout the Seven Kingdoms.
Daniella did not mind in the slightest.
Very few people in this world could turn reputation into wealth, but she certainly intended to be one of them.
Ever since developing her fascination with feeding dragons, Daniella had visited Vermithor the Bronze Fury, Silverwing the Good Queen, Sheepstealer the Wild Dragon, and Vhagar herself countless times.
Only one dragon was entirely excluded from her plans.
The Cannibal.
That ancient black monster was far too dangerous and cunning.
Even Daniella had no intention of provoking him.
Vermithor and Silverwing had remained upon Dragonstone for many years.
King Jaehaerys rarely rode them now, likely because old age no longer allowed him to fly as he once did.
Every time Daniella brought roasted sheep to Vermithor, the great bronze dragon would simply snatch the entire meal and retreat back into his cavern without the slightest courtesy.
Both Vermithor and Silverwing also preferred remaining near the Dragonmont rather than flying often.
Fortunately, Silverwing occasionally acknowledged Daniella’s presence and did not reject her attempts at closeness.
Sheepstealer, however, truly lived up to his name.
The wild dragon preferred stealing food rather than accepting it directly.
Every time Daniella prepared roasted sheep for him, he stubbornly waited until she left before emerging from hiding to drag the carcasses away.
And frankly speaking, he was incredibly ugly.
His muddy brown scales looked neither black nor gray and even carried a strange yellowish tint in certain light.
His dragon head was mostly bald, lacking the majestic horns and spines seen on other dragons.
In some ways, he actually resembled Vhagar.
At present, Vhagar belonged to Prince Baelon Targaryen.
However, the old she-dragon despised remaining confined within the Dragonpit of King’s Landing and frequently returned to Dragonstone on her own.
Unlike the others, Vhagar treated Daniella rather warmly.
After eating, the massive dragon would often roar several times toward Daniella before lazily flapping her wings.
Occasionally, she even lowered her enormous head and quietly stared at the girl as if acknowledging her efforts.
Vhagar particularly enjoyed resting upon the rocky shores near the sea cliffs.
She also ate sheep very slowly.
Fortunately, not only did she permit Daniella to touch her scales freely, she also tolerated Daniella sitting beside her and muttering endless nonsense beneath her enormous head.
Sometimes the ancient dragon would snort smoke from her nostrils as though responding.
On this particular day, Daniella rode Dreamfyre through the skies around Dragonstone several times.
From above, she could clearly see that after years of development, New Dragonstone Island had finally begun showing true signs of prosperity.
After completing today’s flight and returning to the castle, Daniella immediately sensed something was wrong.
The atmosphere throughout Dragonstone Castle felt unusually heavy.
Maester Gerardys stood within the hall wearing a grave expression as he addressed everyone present.
“Dark tidings have arrived from King’s Landing by raven.
Prince Baelon Targaryen has passed away.”
The entire hall fell silent.
Like everyone else, Daniella froze in shock.
Prince Baelon had been healthy and vigorous not long ago.
The news came far too suddenly.
At that moment, the calm and dependable Maester Gerardys gently reminded her,
“Princess, according to Targaryen custom, members of the royal family return to Dragonstone for their funeral rites and cremation.
Preparations must begin immediately.”
Hearing this, Daniella quickly regained her composure and began issuing orders.
“Ser Alfred, increase patrols throughout the fishing village and along the ports.
Carefully inspect outsiders entering Dragonstone.
Enforce a curfew during the funeral period.”
The scar-faced captain of the guard immediately bowed.
“Yes, Princess.”
“Maester Gerardys, please prepare the necessary supplies and accommodations.
I shall leave the remaining arrangements to you and Ser Alfred.”
The old maester respectfully lowered his head.
“As you command, Princess.”
“Anne, there will undoubtedly be many noble ladies and female guests arriving from King’s Landing.
Please oversee their reception personally.”
Anne, Daniella’s governess and a noblewoman from House Stokeworth, smiled gently and curtsied.
“Of course, Princess.
Leave everything to me.”
Daniella nodded lightly.
“Very well.
Everyone, begin preparations immediately.”
After assigning the various duties, Daniella slowly sat upon the carved stone seat near the Painted Table and silently gazed at the massive map of Westeros before her.
Dragonstone itself had been formed long ago through volcanic eruptions from the Dragonmont.
The island sat at the entrance of Blackwater Bay, rich in dragonglass deposits buried beneath the mountain.
For centuries, aside from Dragonstone Castle itself, the island had possessed only a single fishing village with roughly ten thousand inhabitants.
Countless ships sailing across the Narrow Sea stopped there to replenish water and supplies or to seek shelter from storms.
Although small, the settlement still provided a modest amount of taxes to House Targaryen.
Before Aegon the Conqueror united the Seven Kingdoms, House Targaryen’s primary source of wealth had come from maritime trade.
Now, with the support of an entire realm behind them, the Targaryen fleet had long since transformed into the royal fleet stationed at King’s Landing.
Southwest of Dragonstone lay Driftmark, seat of House Velaryon, another Valyrian family.
To the north stood Claw Isle, home of House Celtigar, the third Valyrian house that had accompanied the Targaryens from Old Valyria.
Despite Dragonstone’s strength and prestige, its vassals remained relatively few, and the surrounding islands lacked large populations capable of raising massive armies.
However, after the enormous new island rose from the sea years ago, King Jaehaerys relocated tens of thousands of refugees and smallfolk from King’s Landing to settle the area between old Dragonstone and the new landmass.
Over time, the settlement developed into a flourishing town sustained by sheep herding and agriculture.
The locals named it White Sheep Town.
After successfully becoming a dragon rider, Daniella immediately requested ownership of New Dragonstone Island and White Sheep Town from King Jaehaerys himself.
Because Daniella had become one of the youngest dragon riders in Targaryen history, and because the territory was viewed as little more than barren volcanic land, the royal family granted her request almost playfully, believing it merely a child’s whim.
Thus, Daniella became the first Targaryen princess in recent memory to possess her own personal fief.
Traditionally, only the heir to the Iron Throne could hold the title Prince of Dragonstone and govern the island.
At present, House Targaryen remained enormously wealthy.
The days when future kings would borrow heavily from the Iron Bank had not yet arrived.
With relatively few royal family members alive, everyone lived lavishly and comfortably, treating gold almost casually.
As a result, nobody took Daniella’s ambitions seriously.
To them, she was merely playing at rulership.
Daniella preferred it that way.
After all, New Dragonstone Island now legally belonged to her.
According to the laws of the Seven Kingdoms, no one could casually strip it away from her anymore.
And if anyone attempted to challenge her rights, she could always mount Dreamfyre and explain the matter personally.
After all, dragons were the ultimate authority in House Targaryen.
Daniella clearly remembered the future history of the Dance of the Dragons.
Rhaenyra Targaryen had technically won the war at one point, yet because her treasury ran dry, she resorted to imposing brutal taxes upon King’s Landing.
That single mistake eventually provoked the furious smallfolk into open revolt.
In the end, the so-called Realm’s Delight was driven from the capital by an enraged mob.
By the final stages of her downfall, Rhaenyra did not even possess enough coin to pay for passage back to Dragonstone.