“Everyone, prepare yourselves to receive His Grace the King and the assembled lords.”
Daniella raised her voice calmly, issuing orders to the gathered servants and retainers.
The crowd immediately straightened their clothing and regained their composure before standing solemnly outside the gates of Dragonstone Castle.
Ser Harrold leaned slightly closer and whispered into Daniella’s ear.
“Princess, Princess Rhaenyra does not appear to be with the royal procession.”
“Hm?…
Understood.”
Daniella was briefly surprised, but she quickly dismissed the matter from her thoughts.
Her relationship with Rhaenyra had never been particularly close anyway.
Before long, the royal procession led by King Jaehaerys finally arrived before the castle.
The sheer number of nobles, knights, attendants, servants, wagons, and guards entering Dragonstone took more than an hour.
The great lords of Westeros rarely traveled lightly.
Everything they required for comfort accompanied them wherever they went.
Luxurious tents, wines, furniture, musicians, personal cooks, hunting hounds, and even favorite bathtubs were routinely transported alongside noble entourages.
After all, enjoying life was considered the privilege of nobility.
The moment the procession settled, Daniella’s cousin Viserys Targaryen and his wife Aemma Arryn immediately approached her.
Viserys gently patted Daniella’s shoulder, and for the first time since arriving, a weary smile appeared on his face.
“Cousin, have you been well here on Dragonstone?”
Lady Aemma warmly held Daniella’s hands and smiled softly.
“It has only been a short while, but Daniella seems to have grown even more beautiful.”
“Cousin.
Cousin.”
Daniella obediently returned their greetings.
“I’ve been very well here.
I simply missed everyone terribly.”
Viserys snorted with amusement.
“I don’t believe a word of it.
Ever since you claimed Dreamfyre, it feels as though Dragonstone has stolen my little cousin from me entirely.”
He glanced toward the distant slopes where dragons rested.
“You seem to be enjoying yourself far too much here to remember us.”
Among the royal family, Viserys and Aemma had always treated Daniella kindly, so their relationship remained genuinely close.
Daniella suddenly looked toward Aemma’s slightly swollen abdomen before speaking seriously.
“Cousin, why not remain on Dragonstone for a while longer?
Perhaps then you will finally give birth to a healthy little prince.”
She lowered her voice slightly.
“We carry the blood of Old Valyria.
Dragonstone’s volcanic warmth and dragon aura may suit our blood far better than King’s Landing.”
Although both Viserys and Aemma found the explanation somewhat questionable, Aemma herself had already suffered multiple miscarriages.
Even the slightest hope was enough to move her heart.
“When House Targaryen still lived primarily upon Dragonstone,” Aemma said thoughtfully, “the survival rate of royal children did indeed seem higher.”
She looked toward Viserys uncertainly.
“What do you think?”
Viserys desperately desired a male heir of his own.
“Then we shall remain here for a time and see whether it truly helps.”
After some simple refreshments and brief rest, preparations began for Prince Baelon’s cremation ceremony at the Dragonmont.
Just then, several sharp dragon roars echoed across Dragonstone, instantly silencing the noise around the castle.
Prince Daemon Targaryen and Princess Rhaenys had arrived riding their dragons.
Princess Rhaenys Targaryen’s dragon, Meleys the Red Queen, possessed brilliant scarlet scales that gleamed like fresh blood beneath the sunlight.
The great she-dragon measured over fifty meters long, while silver barbs lined her neck and spine, giving her an exceptionally fierce appearance.
Among all living dragons, Meleys was widely recognized as the swiftest flyer.
Rhaenys and Meleys had fought and flown together for many years, forging an incredibly deep bond.
Although her size ranked below Vhagar, Vermithor, Dreamfyre, Silverwing, and perhaps the Cannibal, her combat strength undoubtedly remained among the most dangerous dragons alive.
Behind her flew Prince Daemon’s dragon.
Caraxes.
The Blood Wyrm.
Like Meleys, Caraxes possessed blood-red scales.
However, his body was far more slender and serpentine than ordinary dragons.
Most distinctive was his abnormally long neck, making him appear almost monstrous compared to other dragons.
According to old Targaryen records, Caraxes possessed one of the most terrifying dragonfire outputs among all dragons alive.
Perhaps this was related to his strange body structure.
Ancient Valyrian texts claimed dragons were created through blood magic by combining firewyrms dwelling within volcanoes together with wyverns.
Because of Caraxes’s elongated reptilian form, Daniella privately suspected those old stories might contain some truth.
Under Daemon’s command, Caraxes was unquestionably one of the deadliest dragons in the world.
Behind the two great red dragons flew a younger dragon with golden-yellow scales.
The dragon measured slightly over ten meters long with a wingspan approaching forty meters.
It was Syrax.
And upon Syrax’s back sat Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen.
Even Daniella could not help admiring the sight.
“Rhaenyra truly looks dazzling while riding a dragon.”
Just as the thought crossed her mind, another powerful roar echoed through the skies.
Dreamfyre descended from the northeast.
The blue she-dragon had grown enormously since returning permanently to Dragonstone.
Now nearly seventy meters long, Dreamfyre had resumed rapid growth thanks to the volcanic environment and abundant hunting grounds surrounding the island.
Every day she hunted whales, sharks, and giant fish across the Narrow Sea.
The roasted sheep provided by Dragonstone no longer fully satisfied her appetite.
Almost immediately afterward, Vermithor emerged from the Dragonmont after sensing King Jaehaerys’s presence.
Silverwing followed close beside him.
Vermithor, the Bronze Fury, remained the second-largest dragon alive after Vhagar.
His enormous body stretched close to one hundred meters long, while his bronze-gold scales gleamed beneath the sunlight like molten metal.
His wingspan exceeded two hundred meters.
Whenever he flew overhead, entire sections of ground fell beneath his shadow.
Silverwing, meanwhile, remained graceful and elegant.
Her silver-white scales shone beautifully as she circled beside Vermithor.
At over sixty meters long, she ranked among the largest dragons of the age.
The sight of so many dragons gathering together had not occurred for many years.
The sound resembled something between a scream and a howl.
Clearly, the Blood Wyrm wished to announce his dominance before the gathered dragons.
Only Meleys answered him with a low rumbling growl.
Because Meleys was the fastest dragon alive, she landed first near the funeral grounds.
Meanwhile, Vermithor and Silverwing continued circling above King Jaehaerys, displaying the deep affection they still held for their aging rider.
Then suddenly, another dragon roar echoed across the heavens.
But this cry carried unmistakable grief.
Vhagar had arrived.
The ancient she-dragon emerged slowly from the clouds, her colossal form dwarfing nearly every dragon present.
As though sensing the death of her rider Prince Baelon, Vhagar’s mournful cry carried heartbreaking sorrow.
The enormous dragon landed directly beside the funeral pyre.
Lowering her massive head, she repeatedly nudged and sniffed the shrouded body of Baelon Targaryen.
The sight left many nobles speechless.
Soon afterward, Caraxes landed nearby.
Vermithor and Silverwing descended not far away as well.
Dreamfyre landed directly beside Daniella, folding her giant blue wings protectively.
Rhaenyra upon Syrax arrived last.
The young princess still appeared visibly excited after completing such a long-distance dragon flight for the first time.
Looking at the bright smile lingering on Rhaenyra’s face, Daniella inwardly sighed.
“In a situation like this, could you at least try not to look so happy?”
The gathering of seven dragons upon Dragonstone stunned every noble present.
At the same time, countless hidden thoughts and ambitions inevitably stirred within the hearts of many lords.
Seven dragons.
Such overwhelming power was enough to shake the world itself.
Eventually, the dragons quieted.
King Jaehaerys personally stepped forward to preside over the funeral rites.
With the death of Prince Baelon, the old king appeared visibly more aged than before.
One by one, he had outlived nearly all his children.
After delivering a solemn eulogy, King Jaehaerys ordered Vermithor to ignite the funeral pyre.
Dragonfire erupted instantly.
The towering flames illuminated every face present beneath the darkening skies.
Everyone maintained solemn expressions.
Yet aside from King Jaehaerys and Baelon’s immediate family, how many people were truly grieving?
Behind those respectful faces, what ambitions and schemes were hidden within their hearts?
The crowd remained silent as the flames consumed the body upon the pyre.
Then suddenly.
“Squeak!
Squeak!
Squeak!”
An unexpected sound emerged from the burning ashes.
Everyone immediately turned toward the remains of the pyre.
Before countless stunned eyes, a tiny creature no larger than a wildcat crawled slowly out from the ashes.
It was a dragon.