Auris finished reading the ledger from cover to cover.
His hands were still shaking when he looked up at Baelon.
“Your Grace… is everything in here true?”
Baelon gave a light laugh.
“See? Even you start having doubts when something this important is on the line.”
“This is only a dragon-riding method. What I have to worry about is my own health and my dragon’s. So don’t blame me for being careful. Serve me well from now on and I’ll keep my word. I’ll give you an adult dragon of your own. Who knows—maybe our two houses can build something stronger together and bring back the glory of old Valyria.”
Auris was visibly moved.
He didn’t doubt a single word.
He couldn’t think of any reason Baelon would need to lie to him now.
He dropped to his knees again in front of Baelon’s chair.
“Your Grace, I will do everything in my power to help you stand again. Let’s go see your dragon right now. I need to check on his condition!”
Baelon smiled with quiet satisfaction.
“No rush. You’ve only had a little egg custard all day. Eat something first.”
“I haven’t eaten either. I had the kitchens make egg pancakes. They’re quite good.”
He rang the copper bell by the bed.
Cole pushed the door open and came in carrying a tray of thick, golden egg pancakes.
Baelon gestured for Cole to sit with them and nodded toward Auris, whose eyes were still red-rimmed.
“Ser Cole, there was a misunderstanding before. Auris has sworn his loyalty to me again. The two of you should put it behind you.”
“From now on you can focus on your own duties. I’ll be fine with Auris here.”
Cole gave Auris a cold look but lowered his guard enough to cut a piece of egg pancake and set it on the plate in front of him.
Auris stood up quickly, voice thick with emotion.
“Ser Cole, thank you for forgiving my earlier rudeness. His Grace has shown me more kindness than I deserve. I swear I will serve him faithfully from this day forward.”
Baelon glanced between the two men and hid a cold laugh behind a warm smile.
“Both of you, stop standing around. These egg pancakes are my own invention. So far only my sister and I have tasted them. My father hasn’t even tried them yet.”
“Fine white flour, eggs, and a pinch of salt mixed into a batter, then fried in olive oil with just a little lard. Eat them while they’re hot. They get a bit fishy when they cool.”
Both men looked at the pancakes with new respect—something even the king hadn’t tasted.
They picked them up and bit in without another word.
After the meal, Baelon sent Cole away despite his reluctance and had Auris push his wheelchair toward the dragonpit.
Auris looked puzzled, but Baelon paid it no mind.
At the dragonpit, Baelon had the dragon guards bring Ignir up onto the mounting platform.
He reached out and touched the warm scales on Ignir’s forehead, then looked back at Auris.
“How does he seem to you?”
Auris approached carefully.
When Ignir showed no sign of aggression, he moved closer to the dragon’s head.
He checked the eyes, felt the skin, and observed Ignir’s overall condition for a long moment before answering.
“Your dragon is in excellent health. Whether the magic has fully taken effect, I can’t say for certain yet. We’ll know from his appetite, his growth rate, and how the adult dragon he’s draining responds later.”
“He already ate six large sheep this morning—more than six hundred pounds of meat.”
Auris’s face lit up.
“Then congratulations are in order, Your Grace. His appetite is even greater than the records described. It looks like our method is working.”
Baelon stroked Ignir’s broad head and gave an order.
“Send for the dragon guard captain. I have instructions about Ignir. Wait outside.”
Auris bowed and left quickly.
A short while later the captain arrived and bowed.
“Your Grace.”
“Cole should have told you—starting today, prepare food for Ignir equal to one-fourteenth of his body weight every day.”
“Yes, Your Grace. But I still recommend he eat less on days he isn’t flying. That’s how it’s always been done.”
Ignir gave a low, unhappy rumble.
Baelon calmed him with a touch, then spoke coldly to the captain.
“I don’t accept your suggestion. Ignir will not be kept caged in the pit. He can come and go as he pleases. Do as I say, or he’ll start eating people instead.”
The captain stepped back quickly and bowed his head.
“I understand, Your Grace. It will be done exactly as you command.”
“Also, starting tomorrow the Gold Cloaks will be here to check personnel numbers and accounts. If there are any problems on this side of the dragonpit, tell me now. I’ll be lenient because you’ve taken good care of Ignir.”
“Your Grace, the dragonpit is clean. Our numbers and ledgers are accurate. We only look after the dragons. No one would dare short the dragons’ food.”
Baelon nodded.
“Good. Don’t be nervous when they arrive, but don’t hide anything either. Answer honestly.”
Half a month passed quickly.
The entire time, Black Stone Castle and all of Dragonstone sat under a tense, uneasy atmosphere.
The Gold Cloaks found nothing wrong with the dragon guards, but at the dragonglass mine they uncovered missing personnel and managers forcing miners to work brutal overtime.
When the Gold Cloaks first started their work they had no clear punishment guidelines, so they reported the issues to Baelon.
His answer was a single word: Kill.
Every person involved—overseers and managers alike—was to die.
No exceptions.
Then everything went wrong.
Cole came running into Baelon’s rooms.
“Your Grace, there’s a riot at the Dragon’s Tail mine. The mine master gathered a mob of miners. Only half of one Gold Cloak squad made it back!”
Auris’s face went white.
Baelon looked almost like he had expected it.
He asked calmly, “Tell me exactly what happened.”
Cole caught his breath and spoke fast.
“After you gave the order, the Gold Cloaks went straight to the mine and executed several of the managers. The rest panicked and fought back. The worst part is the Dragonstone guard responsible for mine security just stood by and did nothing. That’s what turned it into a massacre.”
“Understood. Go give the Gold Cloaks the voice-amplifying horn I had you make. Then write to my sister again and remind her about the gold dragons.”
“Auris, take me to the dragonpit. Ignir and I are going to the mine ourselves.”
Cole hurried out.
Auris looked at Baelon with open confusion.
“Your Grace… you seem to be in a good mood.”
Baelon sat back in his wheelchair, a relaxed smile on his face.
“Not especially good. Not bad either. The problems are about to be solved. After this, everything should go smoothly.”
When Ignir landed at the Dragon’s Tail mine with Baelon on his back, forty Gold Cloaks were already waiting.
Baelon’s face showed both grief and cold fury as he raised his voice.
“My brave men, what happened today breaks my heart and fills me with rage. Your fallen brothers will be honored. Those of you who knew them best will carry their bodies and the compensation back to King’s Landing. Ten years’ salary for each man—one hundred and twenty gold dragons.”
“Now follow me. We’re going to make them pay.”
The Gold Cloaks hadn’t expected their young prince to speak with such genuine feeling for common soldiers.
After a stunned moment they let out a roar of fury and charged after Ignir toward the rioting mine, murder in their eyes.