Get comfortable, turn the page, and let’s see what this story has been hiding 🔥 ✦ “A royal hunt!” Vaelor brightened at once.
Did that mean he was going back to King’s Landing?
“Aye.
I hear it is for the king’s son’s second nameday.
Nobles from across the realm have been invited.” Gunthor rolled his eyes, deeply aggrieved.
“The royal family has money enough to burn.
Our king acts as if the treasury cannot be emptied.” If it was not a tourney, it was a hunt in the Kingswood.
Even a child’s nameday had to be proclaimed to the whole realm and turned into a public celebration.
All of it was trouble for everyone else.
What kind of king did that?
Vaelor barely heard the complaints that followed.
His whole mind had already gone to the Kingswood hunt.
He had an unreliable father and a mother who mostly left him to grow wild.
His daily life had been fenced in by Runestone for so long that he was nearly cut off from King’s Landing.
But in King’s Landing, there were members of the royal family who shared his blood.
There were powerful dragons inherited from old Valyria.
And his good friend was there too.
“Little ghost, stop pulling weeds.” Gunthor’s sour face hardened.
To him, the things were not fit even for sheep.
Vaelor reacted quickly.
He grabbed Willam and ran for the castle.
He needed to ask his mother whether this was true.
Willam had not even understood what was happening before Vaelor’s small hand dragged him away with surprising force.
After sprinting more than a dozen yards, Vaelor suddenly slammed to a stop.
He lifted one little hand and pointed at the seven-foot giant with great seriousness.
“You are in charge here.
Supervise them while they collect Ula grass.” Gunthor froze.
He had not expected to be ordered around by such a small thing.
His noble Prince Vaelor pressed his advantage, put on a severe expression, and gave a small huff.
“Also, you must call me prince.
Rudeness is not allowed.” From a safe distance, he looked Gunthor up and down as if memorizing him.
Unfortunately, the “fierce” effect he imagined was badly limited by his soft child’s voice.
Whether the man took him seriously or not, Vaelor did not wait to find out.
He pulled his little follower away and withdrew at speed.
Only Gunthor remained, standing alone in the wind and looking faintly bewildered.
Vaelor rushed all the way back to Runestone and went straight to his mother, questioning her at length.
The matter was confirmed.
There really was to be a hunt in the Kingswood.
King Viserys had personally announced it to the realm and invited the nobility to celebrate Prince Aegon’s second nameday.
Lady Rhea, who was drinking at the time, made one point especially clear.
The raven’s letter to Runestone had named Vaelor specifically.
She had meant to tell him the night before, but the little boy had been exhausted.
If she had said it then, he might not have slept at all.
“Oh, that’s wonderful!” Vaelor was delighted.
He ran back to his chamber as if set loose.
At last, he could leave Runestone and see the wider world.
Three days later, the departure came.
A royal hunt was a major affair, and the nobility needed to prepare in advance if they meant to travel smoothly.
House Royce was no exception.
“Ride.” Lady Rhea sat on a brown warhorse, her face calm as she led a column of Vale knights.
There were no fewer than fifty riders, along with several wagons.
They were ready to set out.
Vaelor was inside one of the carriages, looking out at his mother in her martial splendor with open envy.
Royce bronze was called bronze, though much of it gleamed more like untarnished brass.
When important members of House Royce attended great occasions, they often wore armor built on calfskin and set across the upper body with bright orange-bronze plates.
Add a strong warhorse and a company of fully armed Vale knights, and they could walk proudly anywhere in Westeros.
Magnificent.
“When I become a knight, I want to look that impressive too.” Willam rode a small pony beside the carriage.
In his heart, he was already planning a suit of rune-carved bronze armor to become a family heirloom.
Vaelor glanced at him and pouted.
“Learn how to pull grass properly first.” In three days, Willam had only found two clumps of Ula grass.
Truly embarrassing.
Willam’s face darkened.
“What use is that grass?
Bronze armor is much better.” “Then have you found any bronze armor?” Vaelor lifted his chin and did not even look at him properly.
“Of course!” Willam finally found his chance to regain dignity.
“My family has an ancient suit of bronze armor.
I have also heard Gunthor’s family keeps one as a collection piece.
When I have time, I will bring both to you.” It was only bronze armor.
House Royce was vast, with more than a dozen cadet branches.
If they gathered what their families had kept, they should be able to produce several old relics.
“Heh.
Cousin, you did wonderfully.” Vaelor’s smile returned at once, and he raised an unstinting thumb.
He was very good at changing his face according to the person in front of him.
One string of compliments after another left young Willam so pleased he could hardly tell north from south.
At last, he lifted his chin and pretended to be modest.
“No need to thank me.
It is only right.” He still did not understand what Vaelor wanted with the armor, but their bond was close.
If the prince wanted it done, then Willam would do it properly.
Vaelor praised him a few more times, then withdrew into the carriage with a smile.
Runestone’s old bronze armor had been used up.
How could he leave the collections of his dear family untouched?
Once they returned from King’s Landing, he would sweep the floor clean.
He pressed down those clever little thoughts and looked at the two things neatly arranged on the seat: a basket stuffed with Ula grass and the black-steel heated vessel holding his dragon egg.
“Excellent.
This much Ula grass should be enough to weave a proper sleeping mat.” Vaelor smiled until his eyes became thin crescents, his round cheeks especially soft.
Over the past three days, they had found twenty-four clumps of Ula grass in all.
There was no more time to search, and the pasture seemed unlikely to hold much more.
Stopping now was just right.
He opened the Essence Panel with practiced ease.
On the white exchange screen, three faceup cards waited.
One was green and two were blue, all carrying prices he could not afford.
Vaelor’s gaze kept drifting to the third blue card, [Strength and Vigor], full of open longing.
With that talent, his body would be unusually strong.
He would surpass many people from the starting line.
Unfortunately, the price was a towering two hundred essence.
He could not afford it.
Not even close.
Forcing down the pain in his little heart, Vaelor looked at the golden hourglass below the panel.
[Essence Panel] Magic Essence: 31.
His heart warmed again.
With a thought, he closed the radiant panel and opened the black-steel vessel.
Heat rushed out, sending the carriage’s temperature sharply upward.
After checking that the black dragon egg still showed no sign of hatching, Vaelor sighed and brushed his fingers across the shell.
[Essence Panel] Magic-rich object detected.
Magic Essence +3.
After the pleasant chime, he closed the vessel again.
The dragon egg truly was worthy of being a living thing.
The magic essence it provided was generous.
Once every three days, three points each time.
A smile tugged at Vaelor’s mouth.
The future looked promising.
Before long, the prepared column officially set out.
The Mountains of the Moon lay northwest.
Lady Rhea led her riders swiftly south.
The mountain roads were rough, and King’s Landing was far away.
To the south lay House Royce’s old neighbor, Gulltown, which controlled the Vale’s only port.
Taking ship would save time.
Vaelor leaned eagerly out the carriage window, watching the scenery pass.
‘The outside world really is huge.’ Before nightfall, they should reach their first lodging place.
✦ ✦ ✦ 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.