At that moment, Gael finally noticed Rhaenyra standing in the distance and called out sweetly, “Rhaenyra, you’re here!”
Rhaenyra nodded, just about to greet Gael, when she was interrupted by a massive roar.
“Rooar——!”
The thunderous roar of a giant dragon brought an instant silence to the camp.
The chatting nobles hurriedly stepped out of the large tent in a panic, then all looked up at the sky, wondering which dragonrider had arrived.
As the massive golden dragon slowly approached, everyone realized that the newcomer was Talvey, who should have been fighting in The Stepstones.
Could the war in The Stepstones be over?
Everyone pondered inwardly.
High above, Terentius carrying Talvey landed slowly on the outskirts of the camp.
Talvey leaped lightly off the dragon’s back and strode toward the distant royal tent.
His trip this time was not specifically to attend Aegon’s nameday celebration, but rather, upon his mother’s orders, to take his fiancée, Gael Targaryen, back to The Arbor.
Talvey’s mother, Visenyra, had wanted to bring Gael back to The Arbor long ago.
Because Gael’s birth mother, Queen Aemma, had passed away three years ago, Visenyra worried about Gael’s safety in the Red Keep and proposed to Viserys that she wanted to take Gael to be raised in The Arbor.
Viserys naturally would not agree—could there possibly be anyone in the Red Keep who would harm a Targaryen?
After long verbal skirmishes between the two, an agreement was finally reached: once Gael turned twelve, she would be taken back to The Arbor.
Later, due to the war in The Stepstones, it was delayed again and again.
Now that the war in The Stepstones had ended, Talvey naturally came to King’s Landing in person upon his mother’s orders to escort Gael to The Arbor.
Only after comforting his mother could he return to The Stepstones in peace and begin the development and construction of Bloodstone.
Therefore, after arranging all matters in The Stepstones, Talvey rushed to King’s Landing first, only to learn that Viserys was leading a party of nobles hunting in the Kingswood, and chased all the way here.
As Talvey walked into the camp, everyone inside nodded in respect to him.
Maintaining aristocratic etiquette, he acknowledged them one by one all the way to Viserys’s tent.
Inside the tent, Gael, upon learning the news of her fiancé’s arrival, hurriedly lifted her long skirt and trotted all the way outside, then looked at Talvey with a pleasantly surprised face.
“Talvey!” Gael ignored her father’s gaze, shouted excitedly, and ran all the way into Talvey’s embrace, pressing her cheek tightly against the lapel on his chest like a tame kitten.
In the end, it was Talvey who reminded her in a low voice before she reluctantly released him.
The two people Gael was most attached to were, first, her mother Queen Aemma, and second, Talvey.
Back when Queen Aemma passed away, Talvey happened to be in King’s Landing participating in the tournament at that time.
After winning the jousting tournament and just as he had presented the laurel wreath representing the ‘Queen of Love and Beauty’ to Gael, the news of Queen Aemma’s death arrived.
Young Gael was heartbroken, so Talvey deliberately stayed in King’s Landing to accompany her for several months.
Every day he took her to the garden, told her various fairy tales from his past life on Blue Star, and took her out for spring outings, until Gael gradually shook off the sorrow of her mother’s death, and only then did Talvey break away to return to The Arbor.
Afterwards, Talvey also frequently flew his dragon to King’s Landing to visit Gael, which was the reason why Gael was so attached to Talvey, apart from their engagement.
“I haven’t seen you in over a year, and you’ve grown taller again, Gael.” Talvey gently stroked the top of her head with his right hand.
Gael enjoyed Talvey’s stroking with a slightly blushing face, then said in a low voice, “Talvey, I’ve grown up, stop petting my head like you’re coaxing a child.”
“What? You don’t like it?” Hearing this, Talvey withdrew his right hand and asked with feigned seriousness.
Gael looked flustered, grabbed Talvey’s right wrist with both hands, placed it back on top of her head, and said, “I… I didn’t mean that, I like it very much!”
“Hahaha… I was just teasing you, what are you panicking for?”
Talvey smiled and lightly pinched the bridge of her prominent nose.
“Hateful…” Gael bashfully punched Talvey in the chest.
At that moment, Talvey felt a murderous gaze that made him feel as if needles were pricking his back.
He saw King Viserys staring expressionlessly at the two of them, his eyes hiding unconcealed displeasure and jealousy.
He had forgotten about his future father-in-law…
“Your Grace!” Talvey hurriedly stepped forward to bow before the King.
“Hmph~” Viserys responded with a light grunt through his nose, then turned and went back into the tent.
Helpless, Talvey turned his hand to hold Gael’s soft little hand, followed closely into the tent, wondering in his mind how to placate this future father-in-law. This chapter was taken from novelping(.)com without permission.
Following Viserys into the royal tent, Talvey walked straight to the empty seat on the King’s left and calmly took his place—this was the seat belonging to the Hand of the King.
Otto, the Hand of the King, showed no emotion on his face and still stood sternly to the King’s right.
“Is this your seat?” Viserys glanced at Talvey with annoyance.
He was extremely satisfied with Talvey as his future son-in-law in every aspect and knew he was fully worthy of his daughter Gael, but whenever he thought of Gael’s differential treatment toward Talvey and himself, he inevitably felt a bit displeased inside.
Only then did Talvey turn his gaze to Otto, “I suppose Lord Hand wouldn’t mind, would you, Ser Otto.”
“Of course I wouldn’t mind, Ser Talvey.” Otto nodded in greeting to Talvey, revealing a stiff smile.
It was rare for Otto, the Hand of the King, to smile.
He was the younger brother of Lord Hobart Hightower of Oldtown—Lord of The Hightower.
His face always carried a weather-beaten solemnity, and his demeanor was stern and humorless, earning him deep trust and reliance from Viserys.
“Father, Talvey just came back from the battlefield, what’s the big deal about him sitting in your chair? Hmph!”
Gael looked at Viserys with indignation, arguing eloquently.
“You haven’t even married into the Valthorn family yet, and you’re already taking his side like this. You’re going to suffer for it later.”
Viserys’s jealousy immediately surged.
He pointed vaguely at Gael and said, exasperated by her failure to meet expectations.
At the same time, he let out a long sigh inwardly: neither of his two daughters gave him any peace of mind.
His eldest daughter, Rhaenyra, was willful and reckless, turning a blind eye to his arrangements and still refusing to marry to this day.
Although his younger daughter had been gentle, well-behaved, sensible, and considerate since childhood, her entire heart was hung on Talvey; in her eyes, even her father had to come after Talvey.
“Your Grace, if you put it that way, I’m going to protest my innocence.
My mother treats Gael even better than she treats me, so you can rest completely assured.” Talvey spoke up to comfort Viserys, then took out a short sword and handed it over, “Look, this is the nameday gift for Prince Aegon, a Tyrosh noble short sword.”
Viserys took the short sword and examined it.
It was a Tyrosh short sword with a sheath made entirely of pure gold, embedded with red gems of various sizes.
Its decorative significance outweighed its practical combat value, which very much fit the Tyroshi’s obsession with gorgeous colors, precious metals, and gemstone carvings.
Reference image for Gael!