“Your Highness, are you all right?”
Ser Erryk hurried toward him.
He could clearly see that Baelon had begun breathing irregularly.
The prince’s complexion had naturally regained the healthy color of an ordinary child, but his hands were frighteningly hot, almost as though they had been held over a fire and roasted like mutton.
“Ser Erryk, I’m fine.
In fact, I’ve never felt better.”
Baelon leaned against the trunk of a nearby tree and smiled.
Members of House Targaryen were naturally resistant to heat and flame to a certain degree.
But from Ser Erryk’s perspective, Baelon’s heavy breathing and the strange fluctuations in his body temperature were extremely dangerous symptoms.
Only Baelon himself knew the truth.
After the White Hart’s blood had entered his body, he could clearly feel the change within him.
His sluggishly beating heart had regained its strength.
At that moment, it was as though an inexhaustible flame had ignited inside his chest, slowly flowing outward and spreading to every part of his body.
“Your Highness, forgive me for speaking out of turn, but judging from your current condition, what I am seeing appears to be extremely dangerous.”
“I believe we should return immediately.
You need to be examined by one of the maesters from the Citadel!”
Erryk’s expression was grave and his tone firm.
He was unwilling to simply trust the words of such a young prince.
He was a knight of the Kingsguard, charged by the king himself with protecting the young prince.
If anything happened to Baelon, not only would Erryk’s honor be ruined, but his family could also face the king’s severe punishment.
“Ser Erryk, I understand your concern.
Let’s go back.”
Baelon nodded.
“Thank you, Your Highness!”
Erryk was visibly relieved.
He had not expected the young prince to be so reasonable, without a trace of the childish stubbornness he had feared.
After expressing his gratitude, Erryk lifted Baelon onto his horse and immediately hurried back toward the royal encampment.
…
Night was beginning to fall over the camp.
Rhaenyra was covered in blood.
Half of her silver-gold hair had been stained crimson, yet she sat happily beside the campfire, resting after her hunt.
Behind her, Criston Cole was directing several servants, ordering them to take the enormous wild boar to the finest cook in the camp.
Its heart, however, was to be saved for Rhaenyra.
“Where’s Baelon?
Why hasn’t he come to welcome his beloved sister home?”
Rhaenyra looked around before turning toward one of the servants.
“Princess, Prince Baelon went with Ser Erryk to the western hills to look at the scenery.
They are not expected to return until tomorrow morning.”
The servant answered respectfully.
“Tsk.
Does he have any idea how many wild beasts are in the Kingswood?
What if something happens to him?!”
Rhaenyra immediately stood.
Without even bothering to change out of her bloodstained clothes, she walked toward an untouched black horse.
She intended to ride west herself and drag her beloved little brother back.
“Princess, it is already too late.
You could encounter danger if you leave the camp now!”
Criston Cole hurriedly raised a hand to stop her.
“Move aside, Ser Criston.
I am going to find my brother.”
Rhaenyra’s tone was firm.
“My apologies, Your Highness, but I cannot allow you to leave.”
Criston was equally resolute.
Just as Ser Erryk had been charged with protecting Baelon, Criston’s duty from the king was to protect Princess Rhaenyra no matter what happened.
“Princess, Ser Criston is only concerned for your safety.”
“Besides, Prince Baelon has Ser Erryk with him.
Nothing should happen to him.”
Jason Lannister also stepped forward to advise the princess.
He was Lord of Casterly Rock, a member of House Lannister, and one of Rhaenyra’s most enthusiastic suitors.
Before the royal hunt, Jason had repeatedly hinted to King Viserys that he wished to take the princess as his wife, making the Westerlands the strongest ally of the Targaryen dynasty.
Viserys had refused.
In his mind, the ideal husband for his daughter was undoubtedly his eldest son, Baelon Targaryen.
Such a match would both honor the traditions of House Targaryen and prevent another situation like the one involving House Velaryon.
“If there is no danger, then why can’t I personally bring my brother back to the safety of the camp?”
Rhaenyra gave a cold snort and glared angrily at Jason Lannister.
If Criston was acting out of the duty entrusted to him as a Kingsguard knight, then Lord Jason Lannister clearly had another motive.
He wanted to use this opportunity to expose the prince to some sort of accident, thereby advancing his own marriage ambitions.
“Princess, I never said you could not bring the prince back.
I only worry that it would be dangerous for you to travel alone at night.
If you were to take me with you…”
Lord Jason Lannister was quick-witted.
Unfortunately for him, the Seven had no intention of allowing his plan to succeed.
“Oh?
Even if I took you with me, your thoughts might not necessarily be on me.”
Baelon’s breath was somewhat labored as he climbed down from his horse with Ser Erryk’s assistance.
“Baelon!”
Rhaenyra hurried over.
Do you have any idea how dangerous the Kingswood is at night?!”
She immediately began examining his body carefully, searching for any sign of injury.
“Sister, I wasn’t in any danger at all.
I even met the King of the Forest, the White Hart.
It used its blood to heal my body!”
Baelon openly displayed his newfound vitality.
“Really?”
Rhaenyra’s eyes widened.
“The White Hart is a symbol of good fortune and royal power.
For it to appear before you personally is proof that you are a child blessed by the Seven!”
“Is it possible that the White Hart simply recognized my own character and qualities?”
Baelon was more willing to trust himself than the Seven, whose will was as intangible as it was unknowable.
“Princess, forgive me for interrupting this touching reunion, but please allow the prince to be examined by a maester.”
Erryk called for a maester and briefly explained the unusual symptoms he had witnessed in Prince Baelon.
“Your Highness, please come inside the tent and submit to a thorough examination.”
The maester bowed respectfully, but his tone carried the unmistakable authority of an order.
Baelon entered the tent.
He intended to use this opportunity to announce to every noble attending the royal hunt that the king’s eldest son had recovered.
Outside the tent, Rhaenyra ordered a maester to send a raven to the king and then questioned Ser Erryk in detail about what had happened.
“That is everything, Your Highness.
We spent the entire journey admiring the scenery.
We never saw the White Hart the prince spoke of.”
“So you’re saying my brother is lying?” Rhaenyra questioned him directly.
“Your Highness, I am merely telling you exactly what I witnessed.” Erryk lowered his head and answered respectfully.
Rhaenyra turned her gaze toward the tent.
She believed Baelon was not a liar.
More importantly, he would never joke about something as serious as his own health.
But with things as they were, there was only one thing they could do.
They would have to wait for the maester to finish his examination before reaching any conclusions.
…
On the eastern side of the encampment, Alicent, as Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, moved among the nobles and their wives with her three children, speaking warmly with them while quietly forging alliances.
The nobles were equally friendly.
Having accepted favors from House Hightower, they naturally stood on Alicent’s side, praising Prince Aegon and proclaiming that he should become heir to the Iron Throne.
Nearby, Helaena sat beside the campfire, happily playing with the jars and bottles containing her beloved insects.
Then, without warning, she released them.
At that moment, fragments of images flashed through her mind.
“Blood and fire…”
“Will bring the dragon back to life…”