When Maekar settled into the saddle, the first thing he did was fasten the belt around his waist. The belt was secured by four thick iron chains attached to the saddle, designed to prevent the young prince from being thrown backward at the moment of takeoff.
As soon as Maekar finished adjusting himself, Bahamut rose from the ground. The dragon’s colossal body towered above the walls of Raventree. As he took a few steps forward, the ground gave way under his weight; his massive legs, capable of easily crushing several men lined up, moved with controlled force.
Every movement of the dragon represented a risk to everyone around—a living weapon of war. Valyria had built its empire with dragons, fire magic, and blood, becoming not only the greatest but also the cruelest empire the world had ever known for five thousand years.
Sitting in the saddle, Maekar watched the dragon’s long neck move and then looked down. For the first time, he understood what true power was. Not the political or military power he had helped Roderick build, but something truly powerful.
It was said that the Targaryens did not submit to the laws of gods or men, and at that moment, Maekar fully believed it. Possessing a dragon was equivalent to holding a living weapon that was impossible to face. No human army could challenge a creature eighty meters long with a wingspan of over two hundred meters.
Sensing his rider’s state of mind, Bahamut opened his jaws and let out a deep, menacing roar. Shortly after, he began to accelerate and, in a single movement, took flight. The impact was immediate. Maekar’s body was abruptly pulled back, but the belt kept him firm in the saddle. As he looked around, the world below began to recede rapidly.
With his hair fluttering in the wind, Maekar couldn’t contain himself and opened his arms, savoring the absolute sense of freedom. The dragon moved through the air, gliding and occasionally flapping its wings. The movements were surprisingly agile and graceful.
Suddenly, thinking of something, Maekar smiled and looked toward the fief of House Bracken of Stone Hedge. Since House Bracken was an enemy of his uncle, he decided to teach a small lesson to those arrogant and easily irritable stupid stone horses.
Sensing the rider’s intent, the platinum-scaled dragon took on a cruel expression and tilted its body in the air, changing direction.
As Stone Hedge bordered the Blackwood lands, Maekar and Bahamut reached the location after about half an hour of flight. The castle appeared in his field of vision, followed by vast fields of green grass where dozens of horses grazed.
Upon spotting the horses, Bahamut revealed a clear hunting instinct. Without hesitation, he tilted his body forward and began a rapid dive. Despite the high speed, the platinum and gold-scaled dragon captured one of the animals and tossed it into the air.
In the next instant, a jet of platinum flames, interlaced with golden threads, erupted from his jaws, carbonizing the horse’s body almost immediately. Then, Bahamut swallowed the remains in one gulp.
The dragon repeated the attack, taking down six more horses before being satisfied. Although the animals tried to flee, the combination of flat terrain, wooden fences, and the dragon’s presence made any escape impossible.
Observing the few remaining horses, now in a panic, Maekar smiled and ordered Bahamut to resume flight toward King’s Landing in the Crownlands.
As for what Lord Bracken would do, Maekar didn’t give it a second thought or have any intention of apologizing. Even if Lord Bracken went to the Court of King’s Landing to denounce him, Maekar wasn’t worried. His dragon was wild, and he had just claimed it; he couldn’t control the dragon completely, so it was perfectly normal for the dragon to be a bit uncontrollable.
Maekar laughed and felt like a true problematic teenager at that moment.
"King’s Landing, your true prince is coming," Maekar murmured with a smile.
King’s Landing, Capital of the Seven Kingdoms.
After Aegon crossed the sea riding Balerion, accompanied by his sisters/wives, this was the spot where the Conqueror landed. From a simple improvised wooden fort to a massive city with imposing walls in about ninety years.
On Aegon’s Hill, where Maegor built the House Targaryen castle, a massive red stone castle rose above the entire city; it was the Red Keep, the seat of House Targaryen and where the Court met in the Small Council.
At that moment, King’s Landing received an unusual guest. A majestic and powerful roar caused people to look toward the sky and see a massive shadow passing through it. A fleeting platinum blur in the air.
The city’s calm was broken in an instant.
Although they were used to seeing dragons, seeing an unknown dragon flying over the city was not good news.
In the next moment, another dragon’s roar sounded, and another figure was seen flying in the sky.
"Caraxes!!!" a commoner shouted loudly upon seeing the dragon, easily recognizable by its red color and serpentine body.
Daemon looked at the majestic platinum dragon in the air with a cold expression. Caraxes, without needing orders, moved through the air with simply shocking agility. The serpentine dragon’s body was truly a masterpiece of nature.
Bahamut, who was flying above the city, didn’t like Caraxes’s menacing roar one bit; the platinum dragon approached without hesitation. However, before he could do anything, he sensed Maekar’s thoughts and let out a reluctant roar before turning away toward the hill next to Aegon’s Hill.
Seeing the dragon heading toward the Dragonpit and a figure mounted on it, Daemon narrowed his eyes and knew it was a claimed dragon. As for who, he hadn’t the slightest idea, but he would find out in a few moments.
Caraxes followed the platinum dragon with its thin, elongated body.
Nearby, on Aegon’s Hill, another hill could be seen; a massive stone dome rose impressively. The Dragonpit is a massive domed castle.
The main gate consisted of massive doors, primarily of bronze with some iron, and was so wide that thirty knights could pass through it at once. There were also a dozen smaller entrances, some with oak and iron doors. The building’s walls were thick and the roof strong.
A massive dome was built over the pit. Stone benches were carved into the pit itself, which could accommodate eighty thousand people.
The outer region of the Dragonpit received another guest, a massive dragon with platinum and gold scales. The dragon landed with a thud on the ground, kicking up some dust. The dragon’s neck serpentined through the air and swept the surroundings with a cold, arrogant gaze.
Suddenly, the dragon’s attention was captured by the red dragon, landing shortly after. The two dragons roared at each other. And despite Bahamut being larger, Caraxes roared back. He showed no weakness even before Vhagar, let alone Bahamut.
Maekar unfastened the belt from his waist and slid down Bahamut’s wing membrane. Stroking the dragon’s neck to calm him, he looked at the tall, handsome man sitting in Caraxes’s saddle.
"It’s been some time, Daemon. I apologize for not attending your wedding, such a happy and sacred occasion," Maekar said in a calm tone, but anyone could hear the sarcasm in his voice.
Daemon had married three years ago, in 97 AC, by order of Queen Alysanne, an attempt to calm Daemon’s rebellious spirit, but the marriage failed miserably. Everyone already knew that Daemon despised his wife, Rhea Royce, or, as he called her, the bronze bitch.
Daemon’s eyes narrowed into a dangerous look; he smiled and dismounted from Caraxes with his hand on the hilt of his sword—a sword that once belonged to Visenya Targaryen, Aegon’s wife, Maegor, Jaehaerys for a brief moment, and finally Daemon.
It was Dark Sister, one of the two legendary swords of House Targaryen.
"I thought I’d have to fetch you from the damp hole you call home, Maekar," Daemon said with a smile, though his smile was somewhat dangerous.
"I’d probably vomit on you on purpose during the journey, so to maintain decorum between us, I came on my own," Maekar replied in a calm tone and didn’t hide his dislike. Daemon didn’t like him, and Maekar didn’t like Daemon either.
Knowing this, both sides didn’t hide the sarcasm and antipathy they felt for each other.
"I can see that," Daemon said in a cold tone, looking at the massive adult dragon behind Maekar. He had never seen such a dragon, but the dragon’s origin didn’t matter; Maekar had become a Dragonrider, despite Jaehaerys’s secret orders to prevent it. Thus, there was no dragon egg in Maekar’s cradle, and the teenager couldn’t reach Dragonstone.
"Worthy of being the son of the woman who seduced my father, even the dragon is dazzling." Daemon couldn’t help but smile, showing his impeccably white teeth. His purple eyes stared at the teenager with a sarcastic and even cruel look.
Maekar’s eyes turned terribly cold at Daemon’s words, but he wouldn’t give Daemon the satisfaction of victory.
"Are you still angry that my mother made your father forget Princess Alyssa? Don’t you feel rage when you think about it?" Maekar spoke in a gentle tone, but the provocation in his words couldn’t be more obvious.
In an instant, Dark Sister left its scabbard; a look of pure fury appeared on Daemon’s face. "How dare you, you filthy bastard!!!"
Bahamut, seeing his rider threatened, coiled his head around Maekar and roared menacingly. Something Caraxes imitated; both dragonriders and their respective dragons were on the verge of battle at any moment.
Read the advanced Chapters on my Patreon!
/GOTSW
Read my other books:
House of The Dragon: The Pale Prince
Jujutsu Kaisen: The True King
Game Of Thrones: The God-Emperor of Planetos (500,000 words written).
Percy Jackson: Godwyn the Golden.
Game Of Thrones: The King’s Court Wizard