Old King Jaehaerys had never seemed so lonely, and without the comfort and companionship of his beloved Queen Alysanne by his side, the feeling of loneliness became even stronger.
During his nearly sixty-year reign, Jaehaerys received more praise than any other king.
In everyone’s estimation:
Jaehaerys, at any age, always appeared noble and wise.
He had a long, well-groomed white beard.
The crown he wore was a golden circlet set with seven gems of different colors.
Simply put, he was a very dignified person.
Don’t think this is nothing; this kind of aristocratic dignity has been passed down through the ages, both in ancient and modern times, and in both Eastern and Western cultures.
Judging a book by its cover will never go out of style!
Jaehaerys was skilled with both bow and horse, proficient with the lance and bow, and acted and thought decisively and wisely.
He always resolved disputes through the most peaceful means, bringing many years of peace and prosperity to the kingdom.
Jaehaerys and Alysanne had thirteen children together throughout their lives.
Nine lived to adulthood.
His last two sons, the eldest Aemon and the second Baelon, both passed away.
At this moment, Jaehaerys silently gazed at the burnt-out pyre.
The Old King had always maintained a calm and composed demeanor.
Yet, the attending nobles still discerned a hint of melancholy on that eternally dignified face.
“Creak, creak, creak!”
Watching a pink Dragon crawl out of his son’s funeral pyre, even the Old King, known for his composure and calmness, rarely failed to maintain his expression, and a slight crack appeared on his indifferent face.
And as soon as this Dragon crawled out of the ashes, it immediately crawled towards Daniella.
Watching the pink Dragon crawl towards his grand-niece, Jaehaerys also followed.
Daniella had been closely watching the funeral pyre the entire time, after all, she had arranged for someone to discreetly place the Dragon Eggs into the pyre.
Didn’t the Dragon Mother hatch three Dragons this way?
Even if it didn’t hatch, there was no loss, but if it did, wouldn’t she strike it rich!
Watching the pink Dragon crawl towards her, step by step, Daniella gave herself a mental thumbs-up, congratulating herself on her success.
Daniella ran directly towards her pink Dragon.
The wildcat-sized Dragon was scooped up into her arms, and the Dragon affectionately rubbed its warm little head against Daniella’s chest.
Daniella also gently stroked her, and petting a Dragon was truly quite a dignified affair.
And Dreamfyre, who had been guarding Daniella, seeing that his master had a new favorite, immediately brought his large head over and stared intently at the pink Dragon.
Daniella then extended her hand and said loudly to Dreamfyre in Valyrian,
“From now on, you must hunt more good prey to feed the little pink Dragon, so she can grow up quickly.”
Dreamfyre snorted a puff of hot air from his nose in dissatisfaction, gave the little pink Dragon a disdainful glance, and then flew away.
“Little Daenerys, is this your Dragon?”
Jaehaerys bent down and asked Daniella kindly.
“Yes, Your Majesty. But to be precise, it’s a Dragon that just hatched from my Dragon Eggs.”
“There was nothing precious about it. I just thought of giving my most treasured Dragon Eggs to Prince Baelon to take with him, so he could look at the Dragon Eggs when he missed home. He would have the Targaryen Family’s Dragon Eggs to accompany him.”
At this moment, Jaehaerys was pondering why Daniella could establish such an intimate relationship with two Dragons.
“Daniella is a kind, beautiful child, with bright silver hair and black-purple pupils, which is somewhat different from others in the family. Most Targaryens have silver hair and purple eyes.”
“This black-purple eye color has never appeared before. Being able to hatch a Dragon and establish an intimate relationship with two Dragons suggests her bloodline purity is not low.”
“It seems that the children named Daenerys in the family are all quite extraordinary!”
“Your Majesty, look how cute my little pink Dragon is! There has never been a Dragon of such vibrant color in Targaryen history.”
“She is simply the embodiment of art. I think she should be called Meraxes.”
“Meraxes, the God of Art? An ancient deity of Ancient Valyria, and also the name of the only fallen Dragon among the three founding Dragons of House Targaryen. This is indeed a very good name.”
“Our little Daenerys has also hatched her own Dragon, Meraxes. Hahaha, excellent!”
“History is always a cycle; with passing comes new life. This is the simplest and most profound truth.”
Jaehaerys stood up, spread his arms, and loudly declared to everyone,
“Ladies and gentlemen, Meraxes of my House Targaryen has returned today! Congratulations, Daniella, and praise Meraxes!”
Every Dragon was an important strategic resource for House Targaryen.
The birth of a new Dragon at his son’s funeral was at least an uplifting event.
Moreover, the wise Jaehaerys had already sensed countless conspiracies closing in on him in his twilight years.
“Daniella truly is a child born with auspicious omens! What a pity if only she were a boy!”
Jaehaerys sighed inwardly and then dismissed Daniella.
Watching Daniella return to Aemma’s side, Jaehaerys turned back to continue the funeral.
There were still a series of procedures to follow: entombment, burial, prayers, and a banquet!
Daniella suppressed her excitement, holding Meraxes, and walked with light steps back to Aemma’s side.
“Congratulations, Daenerys. Meraxes is truly beautiful; she will surely be the most beautiful Dragon in House Targaryen.”
Aemma immediately offered her congratulations.
“My Dragon is much bigger than yours. Syrax is the deity who governs harvest and abundance. Not like your Meraxes, who was shot dead by an arrow.”
“They even suggested my Dragon be called Meraxes at first, but I didn’t agree. I chose the name Syrax myself; that name suits my Dragon.”
Rhaenyra proudly eyed Meraxes while sarcastically speaking to Daniella.
“Yes, my dear niece, everyone says the beautiful Princess Rhaenyra has a Dragon named Syrax, and Syrax, like her master, is the most beautiful in Westeros. She is the light of the kingdom! Then you must teach your aunt more in the future, how to raise a Dragon so well!”
After speaking, Daniella stared at Rhaenyra with sparkling, burning eyes.
“No, it’s not that exaggerated. You are my aunt, rest assured, I will protect you in the future.”
Rhaenyra first blushed, a little shyly, then puffed out her chest.
“Is that so? Then I’ll rely on Your Royal Highness’s guidance from now on!”
Little rascal, I won’t let you get away with this!
Rhaenyra, hearing this, seemed quite satisfied.
An aunt, it seemed, was also quite alright.
Then she took Daniella’s hand, and together they walked towards her mother, Aemma.
Daniella, possessed by her inner drama queen, instantly felt a bit embarrassed.
How to resolve this?!
By the time the series of procedures were completed, it was already evening, and the banquet began promptly in the Table Hall and Aegons Garden.