Get comfortable, turn the page, and let’s see what this story has been hiding 🔥 ✦ About a quarter hour later, in a corner of the feast, two silver-haired boys, one larger and one smaller, sat facing each other.
Vaelor wore a wicked smile.
He picked up a blueberry, pushed half of it into little Aegon’s mouth, then smeared the other half across the child’s face with its own juice and saliva.
By the time the small plate of blueberries was gone, little Aegon’s belly was round, and his face and mouth were smeared blue.
“Prince, the queen will be angry if she sees this.” The plump maid stood nearby, close to tears.
“It is fine.
If Alicent blames anyone, I will take responsibility.” Vaelor did not panic at all.
This was nothing yet.
“Wuu…” Little Aegon shook his head and stumbled through his refusal.
“Brother…
no more.” “You can speak?” Vaelor had never expected that, and certainly not in High Valyrian.
Had the little thing been forced to grow from hearing Vaelor speak it all the time?
“Mm, mm.” Little Aegon nodded like a pecking bird, no longer arrogant at all.
Vaelor put down the remaining blueberries and smiled in satisfaction.
It really had to be him.
At an age when the little thing could barely speak, he had directly learned his mother tongue.
That made Vaelor remember the days when his great-grandfather was alive and taught him High Valyrian together with Alicent.
High Valyrian’s short, crisp sounds reminded him of languages from his former world.
He had treated it as his main language while learning, and he was more fluent in it than in the Common Tongue.
“No.
I need to put my hands on my hips for a moment.” Vaelor smiled brightly.
One debt repaid with another.
Alicent would still have to thank him.
The future little Green king had been handled with one hand.
“Vaelor, what are you doing here?” Alicent’s voice suddenly sounded, followed immediately by a cry of alarm.
“Aegon!
What happened to him?” Vaelor froze.
He was no longer smiling.
Alicent hurried over, bent to pick up her son, and almost laughed from anger when she saw his blueberry-colored face.
“Vaelor, why are you teasing him?” She took out a handkerchief and wiped, only spreading the blue stain wider.
Little Aegon scrambled into her arms, aggrieved like the two-year-old round child he was.
“Mama…” “You can speak?” Alicent was startled beyond words.
Little Aegon went silent.
“How unexpected.
It seems Aegon really should spend more time playing with children.” Alicent thought about it, then teased, “Thank you, Vaelor.” Vaelor put down the little hands he had placed on his hips and smiled awkwardly.
“No need to thank me.” He looked like a child caught red-handed, honest on the surface and very eager to please.
Alicent sighed helplessly, wiped the tears from the corners of Aegon’s eyes, and carried him away to wash his face.
As she left, she glanced back with a complicated expression, lowered her head, and quickened her steps.
Vaelor waved and watched Alicent and her son go.
It was not hard to hear the light footsteps behind him.
When he turned around, Rhaenyra, whom he had failed to find earlier, had already come to stand behind him with a gloomy face.
Before he could greet her, Rhaenyra forced out a smile.
“Was teasing Aegon fun?” She had been brought back by Alicent from the Red Keep’s godswood.
“You are unhappy?” Vaelor looked up, his large eyes full of sincerity.
Rhaenyra froze and immediately denied it.
“No.” “Mm-hm.” Vaelor tilted his head, wearing an expression that said she should not bother lying.
The words “I am unhappy” were almost written on her face.
Rhaenyra grew uncomfortable under his stare and turned her head, finding an excuse.
“Fine.
There is no cake I like at the feast.” “So that is it.” Vaelor nodded and did not expose her.
It obviously was not that.
She was simply stubborn.
Today was Aegon’s nameday celebration.
Half the nobles of the realm were praising him and neglecting Rhaenyra, the heir to the Iron Throne.
Anyone would be upset.
“Do you remember what you promised me yesterday?” Vaelor thoughtfully changed the subject and smiled.
“Since there is no cake you like at the feast, let us go to the Dragonpit.” Whatever tension existed between Alicent and Rhaenyra could wait.
He had not forgotten his essence.
Rhaenyra looked around.
After confirming no one was coming to flatter her, she shrugged helplessly.
“Fine.
We can call it clearing my head.” “Excellent.
We depart.” Vaelor cheered and immediately set off.
No one at the feast paid attention to them, so they went smoothly to the forecourt.
The gate slowly opened, revealing the street outside the Red Keep.
Rhaenyra frowned.
“I did not call Cole.
How are we getting there?” With the city this busy today, even finding a driver would be difficult.
“Do not worry.
I prepared.” Vaelor patted his small chest with great confidence.
As soon as he finished speaking, Ser Steffon arrived with a white wheelhouse and stopped skillfully at the gate.
“See?” Vaelor smiled.
Rhaenyra was a little surprised.
She had not expected the little fellow to be so good at using people, and could not help laughing softly.
Ser Steffon was a practical man.
He lifted the little prince, who had already opened both arms, and placed him steadily inside the wheelhouse.
Of course, he was not the only escort.
Vaelor also called over the three guards who had been eating and drinking at the feast, and they followed behind on horseback.
Halfway there, the carriage rocked gently.
Vaelor and Rhaenyra sat on opposite sides, both quiet with their heads lowered.
Willam, close to Rhaenyra’s age, was also in the carriage, guarding the precious basket Vaelor carried whenever he traveled.
Click.
Vaelor pulled out the incubation vessel, opened the lid, and checked the dragon egg as usual.
White smoke rose.
The black dragon egg remained intact.
[Essence Panel] Magic-rich object detected.
Magic Essence +3.
Slightly disappointed, Vaelor collected the once-every-three-days harvest and closed the lid.
The dragon egg still had not hatched.
Even if it did hatch, by the time the Dance of the Dragons arrived, an undergrown young dragon would not be very useful.
‘Then I really can only take another path.’ Vaelor thought silently.
He did not speak, and Rhaenyra, already downcast, said even less.
As time passed, the atmosphere grew more and more dull.
“Cough.” Willam gave two light coughs, stole a glance at the noble and beautiful princess opposite him, and whispered almost inaudibly, “Prince, I will go learn how to drive.” He gave no one time to react before slipping out through the door.
Vaelor’s face went blank.
He silently cursed Willam for being utterly useless around refined company.
Rhaenyra came back to herself at the sound and smiled apologetically.
“Sorry.
I drifted off again.” “It is fine.
I was organizing things too.” Vaelor gathered his strength and put away the heavy incubation vessel.
Collecting essence was not easy.
Finding magical objects was difficult, and finding stable sources was harder still.
So far, only two things were stable enough.
Valyrian steel and dragon eggs.
The former existed in the Red Keep as the family sword Blackfyre.
Whether it could be harvested every few days still needed testing.
Runestone also had the family sword Lamentation, which he could use after leaving King’s Landing.
Its advantage was a larger yield.
By comparison, dragon eggs produced little essence, but there were more of them.
If nothing unexpected happened, this trip to the Dragonpit would be very profitable.
Vaelor’s thoughts turned, and he sighed inwardly.
‘If only I had a spell for finding magical objects.’ Then he would not have to grope around blind and could save a great deal of time for useful work.
“Right.
I have not checked today’s cards.” Vaelor had a sudden thought and called up the radiant panel.
Creak.
The white wheelhouse stopped, and Ser Steffon’s voice came from outside.
“Prince, princess, we have arrived at the Dragonpit.” “Good.” Rhaenyra smoothed the silver hair beside her cheek and forced herself to gather her spirits.
✦ ✦ ✦ Ready for more?
CREATORS’ THOUGHTS EmberHollow Thank you for reading.
I hope this chapter pulled you deeper into the story.
Stick around, because there’s still a lot waiting just ahead.