Just as Baelon was about to return to his room, he suddenly stopped and spoke with absolute seriousness.
“Sister, I need a dragon.”
“A dragon powerful enough to suppress Daemon and the rest of House Targaryen, one that can strengthen the authority of the royal family!”
“But you’re only six years old.
Trying to claim a dragon that powerful is far too dangerous.
Even our grandfather, Prince Baelon the Brave, didn’t claim Vhagar until he was in his teens.”
Rhaenyra did not deny her brother’s determination to claim a dragon and strengthen their family’s position.
But he was simply too young.
Vermithor, Silverwing, and Dreamfyre would all be far too dangerous for him at his current age.
“Sister, if we wait that long, it’ll be too late!”
“Even if I’m willing to wait several years, what about the Sea Snake?
What about Daemon?
Do you think they’ll be willing to wait for me?!”
Their father had essentially laid the entire situation of the kingdom bare before them.
Internal problems and external threats were one issue, but the weakness of the royal family’s own power was another problem that had to be solved.
More importantly, Baelon was the heir to the Iron Throne.
If he himself lacked sufficient strength and had no dragon powerful enough to serve as a deterrent, the Free Cities might eventually stop respecting the authority of the crown altogether.
They could even trample on the royal family’s dignity whenever they pleased.
Rhaenyra crouched in front of Baelon and gently pressed her forehead against his.
“Baelon, I understand why you’re in such a hurry, but have you ever considered what might happen?”
“What if the dragon you try to claim rejects you?
What if it becomes enraged and something terrible happens?”
By the time she reached the end of her words, Rhaenyra’s emotions had clearly begun to overwhelm her.
“What would Father do?
What would happen to House Targaryen?
What would happen to me?!”
“Baelon, please wait a little longer.
Just a little longer, all right?”
Baelon let out a deep breath.
Under Rhaenyra’s worried gaze, he slowly nodded.
“All right.
I’ll wait for now.”
“But if something goes wrong with the Stepstones, Sister, you are not allowed to stop me from claiming a dragon!”
Danger was certainly involved, but if he could survive the ordeal, the prestige and benefits it would bring would be impossible to measure.
“I promise.”
Only then did Rhaenyra finally break into a relieved smile.
The siblings leaned against each other for a while before saying goodnight and returning to their respective rooms.
…
On the way back, Baelon’s thoughts remained fixed on claiming a dragon.
Although he had promised Rhaenyra that he would wait for a while, there was a saying in an ancient book from the Citadel that he considered absolutely correct: time was the most precious treasure anyone possessed.
That would not be saving his family.
It would be pushing them all into the fire.
“I must have a dragon of my own.”
When he thought of dragons, Baelon’s first thought wasn’t Vermithor or Silverwing.
It was the wild dragon that had accompanied his dreams ever since he was two years old and had nearly driven him to the brink of madness.
The Cannibal.
During the days he had spent back in King’s Landing training, Viserys and Rhaenyra had taught him a great deal about dragons, including how to claim them and how to coexist with them.
Among all dragons, wild dragons were the most difficult to claim.
They had never been accustomed to human beings, and whether it was their combat ability, ferocity, or ability to evade pursuit, they were far beyond the dragons of Dragonstone.
And Baelon had always possessed an inexplicable feeling toward the Cannibal.
It was somewhat like the lifelong bond between Rhaenyra and her dragon, Syrax, yet at the same time it felt like the mutual adjustment and understanding between a rider and his dragon.
“Forget it.
I’ll find the Cannibal first and worry about the rest afterward.”
Baelon pushed open his door, already planning to have Larys send a trustworthy messenger tomorrow to gather information about the wild dragon.
But the moment he stepped inside, a soft, adorable little girl carrying a red-covered book rushed straight into his arms.
“Helaena?
Why aren’t you asleep?
What are you doing in my room?”
“Brother, I can’t sleep.
Will you tell me a story?”
Helaena wrapped her arms around Baelon’s neck and affectionately rubbed her cheek against his.
Ever since Baelon had arrived at the Red Keep, Helaena, the normally quiet and somewhat peculiar little girl, had finally found someone she could truly cling to.
Other than sleeping, Helaena practically wanted to hang from Baelon every waking moment.
Baelon didn’t actually dislike her dependence.
Back in Oldtown, he had felt exactly the same way toward his older sister, Rhaenyra.
“What story do you want to hear?”
Helaena handed the red-covered book to Baelon, then pointed toward the left.
There, Aegon was sneaking snacks while trying very hard not to be noticed.
“He wants you to read this history of the Dragonlords in High Valyrian.”
Baelon turned his head and stared at Aegon in disbelief.
He genuinely couldn’t believe that the lazy little glutton was interested in the history of Old Valyria.
“I don’t mind reading it.”
“Aegon, is your High Valyrian even good enough to understand it?”
Aegon hurriedly swallowed the cream cake in his mouth and straightened his posture.
“I’m a child of House Targaryen!
How could I possibly not know High Valyrian?”
“Brother, Aegon is lying.
He only knows a few simple words.”
Helaena stood beside them and mercilessly exposed her brother’s bluff.
I’m your own brother!”
Aegon raised his hand and prepared to charge at her, but Helaena immediately hid behind Baelon.
With his path blocked, Aegon could only stand there helplessly.
Baelon clicked his tongue in annoyance.
“Aegon, go back to your room right now.
I’ll come find you personally tomorrow.”
Aegon was furious.
“Baelon!
I haven’t even done anything serious!
Why are you treating me differently?!”
“I don’t have the patience to explain it to you.
You’re not worthy of hearing it.”
Baelon maintained the smile expected of a gracious elder brother, grabbed Aegon by the front of his clothes with one hand, turned around, and tossed him outside.
“Ser Ryam, please escort Prince Aegon back to his room.”
“Yes, Prince Baelon!”
Ser Ryam nodded respectfully before turning toward Aegon.
“Your Highness, please don’t make this difficult for me.”
At that moment, Aegon felt as though ten thousand wild horses were stampeding through his mind.
Unfortunately, the person standing before him was his elder brother and the heir to the Iron Throne.
According to everything his mother had told him, Baelon was an extremely ruthless prince who held grudges for a very long time.
If Aegon refused to obey him, who knew whether his brother might one day buy him out so thoroughly that he wouldn’t even have a pair of breeches left!
Every time Aegon thought about that possibility, the hair on his body stood on end.
He quickly retreated to the safety of his warm bedroom.
…
Inside the room, Baelon leaned against the bed and patiently told Helaena the legend of the Fourteen Flames in High Valyrian while she rested comfortably against his chest.
“Brother, if someone possesses a dragon, does that mean the Dragonlord families of Valyria can do anything they want?”
Baelon thought about it briefly before coming up with an analogy.
“If we compare a dragon to a sharp sword, then House Targaryen is the person holding that sword.”
“No matter how powerful the sword is, someone still has to wield it personally and take it onto the battlefield.”
“Otherwise, it’s nothing more than a beautiful ornament that can be looked at but never used.”
The moment Baelon said the word ornament, another thought suddenly occurred to him.
The reason House Velaryon made his father so wary wasn’t merely because of their powerful fleet and naval strength.
More importantly, they possessed more dragons than the royal family, and those dragons were powerful enough to fight.
And the key to that numerical advantage was the Targaryens who could claim and ride those dragons.
Baelon, Helaena, Aegon, and the infant Aemond would, barring any unforeseen circumstances, all eventually become dragonriders of the royal family.
But if he had to choose who should come first, Baelon found himself leaning toward Helaena.
After all, between a peculiar little sister who loved nothing more than clinging to her elder brother and a younger brother who spent every day dreaming of eating, drinking, and doing absolutely nothing…
There really wasn’t much of a choice.
Of course, Baelon wasn’t stupid.
Before he could let either his younger sister or brother become a dragonrider, he himself had to become a dragonrider first.