The excitement from the pyromancers filled the air, and Rhaegal wasn't referring to wildfire.
The excited wisdom led Rhaegal through the dark halls of Dragonstone like a dog leading its owner to a prize that it had found. Shaena, Melisandre, Hallyne, and Ser Barristan followed. A part of Rhaegal did not want his sister to see what he was working on just yet, but if the wisdom's words were true then secrecy mattered little now.
As per the agreement, the Alchemists' Guild had been given their own space in the more secluded areas of the fortress to conduct their experiments. This allowed them to work in peace. It also made sure that no servants were accidentally caught in the wildfire if a mistake occurred.
Thankfully none had. Rhaegal didn't want to be remembered as the Targaryen who accidentally burned down Dragonstone. That would be an embarrassment.
It did not take them too long to reach their destination. Shaena had been constantly asking questions on their way there, mostly about what was happening. Rhaegal gave her no straight answer for now. He first needed to see what the guild had accomplished.
The chamber the so-called pyromancers had chosen was spacious. Rhaegal saw the ceiling was packed with sand, and there were stores filled with wildfire inside.
The more interesting sight was the black stone resting in the middle of the chamber. It was not a small piece of stone either, reaching almost to his eyes in height. However, one quick comparison to the stone that made up the room told Rhaegal everything he needed to know.
They were not the same. Not exactly. While the stone was black, Rhaegal could see a faint glimmer that seemed to reflect in the light. It was a murky green, and it was hard to see unless he focused on it. But it was undeniably there.
In other words, this was not "pure dragonstone." But was that surprising? The methods of production were very different.
"Welcome, Prince Rhaegal!" The Grand Master stepped forward from one of the corners of the room. Rhaegal knew the man. He had recently ascended to the position after the previous Grand Master died due to old age. This one's name was Rossart. He had been eager to continue the partnership between Rhaegal and the guild, knowing just how much of a boon it had been for the organization.
"I can tell from your eyes that you've realized it."
Rhaegal did not answer.
"Woah." Shaena looked to be in a trance as she approached the black stone. "It's beautiful."
Was it? Rhaegal's lip almost curled into a smile. He recalled how often Ashara complained about the aesthetics of Dragonstone, saying that it was a very terribly dark place. Rhaegal could not disagree more. It seemed his sister shared in his tastes.
"Your words warm our hearts, Princess Shaena," Rossart said with a hand over his heart. "For this has been our guild's greatest accomplishment in years!"
Yeah. Hundreds of them. Probably thousands.
"It's not dragonstone," Rhaegal said, still studying the black stone. He could feel….something radiating from it.
"Not exactly, no." Rossart made no attempt to hide it. "Wildfire is fundamentally different from dragon fire. We were able to shape the stone, but it was never as precise. Not until a few weeks ago."
Rhaegal quickly caught on.
"It appears as though the return of the dragons had an interesting side effect," Rossart continued. "The wildfire was strengthened once more, and it finally allowed us to complete our efforts at long last. After eight years of work, the stone has been shaped to perfection!"
It sounded monumental, but Rhaegal put little stock in words. He wanted to see how strong this modified black stone really was. If it was just as sturdy as the original, then its look would matter little.
"Ser Barristan." The knight stood at attention when his name was called. "Gather what men you can. Quickly. And find any blunt instrument that you can."
They had a stone to test.
---
Rhaegar felt the sweat cling to his body like a second skin as he ran through different maneuvers in the training yard, all of which seemed to do little as Arthur managed to keep up with his movements without much trouble. If Rhaegar wasn't already aware of his best friend's abilities, then he might feel disheartened right now.
Still, despite his apparent lack of success, Rhaegar felt some ounce of satisfaction when he saw Arthur actually struggle a couple of times as Rhaegar delivered a set of precise swings that had the Dayne scurrying back rather than continue trying to defend.
Rhaegar had no idea that having a Valyrian steel weapon made such a difference in his prowess.
Arthur noticed this too as he grinned. "That thing seems to be making you faster than normal. More precise too."
Dark Sister seemed to vibrate in Rhaegar's hands. "It just feels….right."
He had no other way to describe it. Dark Sister was lighter than any other sword that he had wielded, but it was also sharper. It was strange. Clearly, no normal weapon could compare to something of a magical nature.
"Yes, well, don't get ahead of yourself. Once I acquire Dawn, then we'll be on equal footing."
Rhaegar wanted to laugh at that. Equal footing? Even now, going all out as he was, Arthur was keeping up with him just fine.
Some people were just born to be warriors.
Rhaegar's interest in fighting was born out of a desire to keep up with his brother. If Rhaegal had not been born, would Rhaegar be half the swordsman that he was already? It was the question he had been asking himself recently, not just concerning his skills with the sword but with everything else. The dragons. Dark Sister. The strength of the crown. Rhaegal was shouldering it all.
In comparison, Rhaegar felt lacking. He never desired the throne, seeing it as too much of a burden. He still wanted to help his family. He just didn't know how to contribute more. But despite his growing fears of inadequacy, Rhaegal wished for him to become his Hand one day. That said more than words ever did.
"Distraction means death."
Arthur's words were followed by a flurry of movement. One moment he was standing some distance away. Then, he closed the distance between him and Rhaegar in what seemed to be less than a second, where he then proceeded to deliver several well-aimed strikes. There were vertical and horizontal cuts, with Arthur switching between them with ease.
Rhaegar was just able to react quickly enough to parry some of them, but unexpectedly Arthur was able to deliver a feint despite his rapid movement. It showed precise control of one's body that Rhaegar did not think that he had yet.
This had Rhaegar blocking nothing but air, which allowed Arthur to pivot to the left on his foot and lunge from the side, his sword extended forward.
Rhaegar didn't feel the blade of Arthur's sword, but he knew that his friend had it aimed right at his side.
"Seems you got careless," he said with that insufferable smile of his.
There was no need to ask for a yield.
Catching his breath, Rhaegar lowered Dark Sister while Arthur did the same with his own blade.
Just as in real combat, a practice match could end in a few decisive seconds.
A silence descended upon them.
The two of them enjoyed the silence for a few moments as they allowed their bodies to relax.
"Anything on your mind, Rhaegar?" Arthur finally asked.
When it was just the two of them, there were no titles. This was something that not even Rhaegal was aware of.
"Just thinking about the future is all," Rhaegar said honestly, valuing his friend's insight. "About my role."
"Your role?" Arthur looked incredulous. "You're a prince. And a dragon rider. And you have a Valyrian steel sword. I'm sure your future is an exciting one."
Rhaegar allowed himself to smile. "I know, friend. I'm not complaining about that. I just wonder about how things might be like if Rhaegal was not here. Where I would be. And what I should do for him."
He still remembered how he had sworn to protect Rhaegal when he was younger, even from himself. But was he really up for that task?
"Well, there's no one else like your brother," Arthur said with a small shrug. "I'm pretty sure even the Conqueror would have been excited to meet him."
Rhaegar did not doubt that.
"However, there's no one else like you either. I'm sure there are things that only you can do. It's just a matter of finding what that is. Like for me, for example. I have no desire nor skill when it comes to ruling. My abilities lie in combat first, so that's what I hone. So that I can be of use to you in the future."
That made sense. The problem was, what could Rhaegar do for Rhaegal beside being by his side?
'No, what am I thinking?'
Rhaegal had said it already. He wanted Rhaegar to be his Hand. Even Rhaegal could not rule by himself. He couldn't be everywhere. Rhaegar could establish his own connections. He could learn to rule in his own way, so that he could continue to offer his own wisdom when the time came.
No man succeeded by himself.
Yes, that was the type of thinking that he needed. Had he been fretting over nothing? Arthur said it himself. There was no one else in the realm who had as much freedom as he did. He was even being offered his own territory for him to rule in the future. Just what had he been thinking?
Rhaegar couldn't help but chuckle. "I think I was getting stuck in my own head."
Arthur smirked. "Swinging a sword can help with that."
It had.
Still. "I did not defeat you."
How maddening.
Arthur shrugged. "You were doing well there at the beginning. But like you said. You got stuck in your own head."
"T'ch, okay."
"Oh." Arthur looked surprised. "Did the prim and proper prince just click his teeth? That's a first."
Rhaegar narrowed his eyes. "Rhaegal has been too much of an influence on you."
The first time they met, Arthur had been the epitome of a knight. Even at that young age, he just had that air about him. It was hard to describe. It was why Rhaegar had been confused as to why someone like Arthur would pledge his sword to him but not his brother. After a while, Rhaegar stopped worrying about it. The curiosity did remain.
Maybe one day he would be brave enough to ask.
"Do you wish to continue?" Arthur asked after another silence fell upon them.
Before Rhaegar could answer, his eyes caught sight of movement coming from inside Dragonstone. A lot of people were moving about, all of them carrying a bunch of different tools in their hands. They were in a hurry.
"What is that all about?" He pointed at the movement for Arthur to notice.
His friend's eyes followed his hand, and he looked confused.
"I don't know."
Had something happened?
---
Rhaegal had his arms crossed as he watched many of the guards and other servants collapse to the floor in exhaustion after trying to create a dent on the black stone. War hammers, swords, knives. Hells, even coins were used. Anything and everything was tried to see if the black stone would break at least a little.
Nothing. There was not a single scratch on it.
It wasn't just the hardness that was tested. Water was poured to see if it was porous. Even if they couldn't see it, perhaps the stone had not been fused together properly and would need more work.
It passed that test as well.
The Grand Master had come prepared as well. He had produced some strange colorless liquid which he said could melt through regular stone in a matter of seconds. As a demonstration, he had poured the liquid on a regular block of stone, and while it had taken more than a couple of seconds to melt, the liquid did cut a hole through the stone.
Conversely, the black stone did not melt.
Everything but dragon fire had been tested on the stone, but Rhaegal knew what would happen if he did.
That, and a Valyrian steel sword.
The conclusion was evident. It was not the same dragonstone that the Valyrians had created. It was a bastardized version formed from wildfire, but after eight long years of research a similar black stone had been created, with all the benefits that the original provided.
Rhaegal had already summoned his father. He needed to see this for himself.
"Hmm. Remarkable." Melisandre was studying the black stone herself after everyone had tried to put a mark on it. "I genuinely believed that this venture would fail."
Hallyne looked offended. "Our guild has achieved much success over the years, my lady!"
Melisandre ignored him. "Without dragon fire, or a pyromancer's flames, there is no way to recreate dragonstone. And yet, you've achieved a similar substance with wildfire." She eyed him. "It's almost as if you've broken a rule, my prince."
Rhaegal took a gamble. The Valyrians had hundreds of dragons and an unknown number of pyromancers at their disposal. Meanwhile, in the present, there was only him. With five baby dragons. Which had not been alive eight years ago.
There was no way that he was going to succeed in recreating dragonstone the old way. He had to cheat with wildfire, and it had paid off.
"It's like Valyria then!" Shaena was invested enough to understand what was happening, and she was excited. She hugged Rhaegal. "This is amazing, brother! It's like going back in time!"
That was one way to put it.
They spent a few more minutes awaiting the king. In the meantime, Rhaegal continued to admire the black stone alongside his sister while the others just lounged around. Well, the guards and the servants that had been called to help with the testing were sent away, their job done. They were confused about what was happening, but they were also happy to have helped.
Then, Aerys appeared, followed by Ser Gerold and Prince Lewyn. Rhaella was with him, and she had Ser Jonothor at her side.
Surprisingly, Rhaegar and Arthur came walking into the chamber as well. They must have seen all the movement from the servants and got curious.
"What is going on?" Aerys appeared to be a little irritated as he walked closer to Rhaegal. "I was performing several important tests with Paarthurnax."
Important tests?
Never mind, Rhaegal would ask him later.
He gestured to the pristine black stone still sitting in the middle of the room.
"I present you with another gift, father. One that I did not think would be ready yet, but I'm happy to announce its success."
Aerys' irritation melted away when he saw what Rhaegal was gesturing to.
Rhaegal knew his father. He was obsessed with Old Valyria. He consumed any books about the old civilization that he could get his hands on. It was possible that he had been like that even before Rhaegal was born, but he knew that his father had become more fanatical in Valyrian superiority since his magical abilities were discovered.
What he was saying was that Aerys instantly recognized the significance of the black stone.
"Impossible." Aerys walked closer toward the black stone, his steps slow. Almost like he was afraid that he was dreaming.
Rhaella on the other hand appeared confused. "What is going on, Rhaegal? What is that?"
"Can't you see, mother?" Shaena bounced in place. "It's like Dragonstone! Rhaegal has traveled to the past!"
Well…not exactly, but close enough.
Only a dutiful mother like Rhaella could decipher Shaena's words, long used to her daughter's mannerisms. When she did, the queen began to glance around the room, taking in the black stone that made up Dragonstone and comparing it to the black stone currently sitting in front of her.
Her eyes began to widen.
"How?"
Rhaegar was similarly amazed as he walked up to Rhaegal. There was still sweat clinging to him. Probably from training with Arthur.
"You actually did it, brother."
Rhaegal could not look more smug right now if he tried.
Aerys ran a hand over the black stone, his movements gentle. It was just like when he had handled his dragon.
"Your work with the Alchemists' Guild. This is what it's been for." Aerys was able to connect the dots together.
Rossart nodded, looking pleased. "Exactly so, your Grace! Your family and our guild has done a lot of marvelous work over the years! This is just the latest example of what our partnership can achieve!"
Rhaegal was really beginning to dislike this guy. On the other hand, his empty flattery was useful.
"It's taken the guild eight years to accomplish this, father," Rhaegal said as he stepped closer to the king. "With the rebirth of dragons, the wildfire has become powerful enough to mold and fuse the stone together like this."
And the wildfire was easier to produce now too, lowering the manpower needed. This meant less gold spent too.
It was a huge benefit.
"You continue to amaze me, son." Aerys' tone was sincere as he continued to gaze at the black stone with admiration. "It's not entirely the same, but another part of our history has been returned to us. What this represents…."
"We'll rebuild the kingdom from the ground up," Rhaegal declared. "We'll start with King's Landing. I know you wanted to expand the city once, father. And I agree with you. King's Landing is far too small for the number of people living in it. The streets too narrow. The houses too weathered down. The water from the Blackwater too foul. And much more. There is not enough infrastructure. With your permission, I will transform King's Landing into a city befitting our family."
"Yes." Like before, Aerys did not hesitate to answer. His eyes were full of delight, captivated by Rhaegal's words. "A new King's Landing. New walls. A bigger city."
"And new roads for the Crownlands," Rhaegal said. "Which we can then expand to the rest of the kingdoms. The dirt roads that the Old King set up are just the first step. The ancient highways of Old Valyria should be our goal."
Braavos had a lot of experts on the subject. Not to mention they had the Sweetwater River. Rhaegal had first heard of it when he had set out to hire shipwrights to help rebuild Driftmark's shipyards. Sweetwater River was a marvel. If something similar could be built in King's Landing…
So many possibilities.
And the gold was there. For these initial projects, what the crown had been saving would be enough.
But again, Rhaegal had to remind himself to take it one step at a time. There was much to do, but if he wanted to achieve them then he had to keep his focus on one thing at a time. Try for everything at once and he risked it all.
By the time King's Landing and the Crownlands were rebuilt, the dragons would be big enough for Rhaegal's other ambitions.
"Yes. Yes!" Aerys turned swiftly to face him, his face full of determination. "We shall see this done at once, son! The small council will be informed of this once we return." He began to laugh, his back arched back in what appeared to be genuine joy. "Haha! We will have many news to share with the realm, son! I cannot wait!"
Rhaegal couldn't wait either.
---
Dragonstone was filled with a greater sense of wonder in the coming days. Not only were there dragons on the island once more, but the rediscovery of dragonstone had also introduced a new wave of excitement for all those who knew of it.
Of course, this did not mean that the job was done.
Rhaegal instructed the Alchemists' Guild to begin preparing for the creation of more bastardized dragonstone, but to not do it just yet. He was going to have to wait for his father to announce the crown's intentions before production could kick off.
In the meantime, Rhaegal ordered the guild to increase their recruitment efforts, especially from Dragonstone and Driftmark. Claw Isle was another contender. Basically, anyone with a drop of Valyrian blood was the main priority right now. They would be the ones to fill in the ranks for the new dragonkeepers. No doubt the dragons would feel more at ease with Valyrians overseeing them rather than Andals, and the inhabitants from these islands were the descendants from Valyria herself. Thankfully, the guild already had some members that came from these islands, so they were going to be the first members of the new dragonkeeper order. It would take a while for the order to return to what it once was, however. For that, knowledge would be needed.
Thankfully the dragons, young as they were, were smart and listened to Rhaegal's commands, and so the hatchlings were not giving these inexperienced men much trouble. Well, when they weren't hungry.
They were gluttons, that much was certain.
Rhaegal was already thinking of his other objective in recruiting so many new members, namely having his father place either Hallyne or some other wisdom in the small council as their Master of Whisperers. Small as their information network was, it was growing every day as new members were recruited and new informants were placed in different parts of the realm.
And they were sharing a lot of information, much of which collaborated some of what Brynden had told him. Speaking of the knight, he had apparently met up with his family the day that Rhaegal had departed. The meeting had not gone well, or so he was told.
A pity.
Rhaegal spent this time with Daeron as well. His younger brother had secluded himself inside his room. Not even the joy of being back on Dragonstone could cheer him up. There were times when he would still cry about not having a dragon, but Rhaegal swore to him that one day he would get his own. It worked to cheer him up, albeit slightly. Daeron had a lot of admiration for him, and he believed him. But Rhaegal knew that it would not stop some people from mocking his little brother for the "failure" of not being chosen.
In all of his excitement to show off the dragons, Rhaegal had never considered the possibility of his brother not bonding with one of the dragons. That was his mistake, and he was going to have to rectify that one day.
Rhaegal also practiced in the yard with Rhaegar and Arthur. The sound of two Valyrian steel swords clashing was quite the sound. It was so powerful that some servants claimed that they could hear it from the other side of Dragonstone.
Aerys had wanted to bestow Rhaegal with his knighthood for his bravery on Skagos, but Rhaegal wanted to prove himself in front of the realm in the upcoming melee. There, he could see just how good he was compared to the others of his generation.
Arthur was probably still his biggest opponent. He had signed up for the squire's melee as well. No doubt many others their age had done the same. Well, except for Monford. His childhood friend claimed that he had little interest in it, which was a pity.
Rhaegal also introduced his father to the Skagosi man that he had brought from Skagos. The man's name was difficult to pronounce, coming from the Old Tongue. So instead, Aerys had the brilliant idea of calling him "Stone."
Very imaginative.
The newly dubbed Stone did not seem to mind, and this was even after Rhaegal explained to him that bastards from the Vale were called as such. To him, such titles were the invention of Andals, and as such had little bearing on him.
It was such a casual dismissal that Rhaegal respected him for it.
Anyway, Stone and Aerys spent a lot of time together as the king expressed curiosity to learn more about Skagos. The king also included the man in his "experiments" with Paarthurnax, which meant playing games with the baby dragon. This ranged from seeing how long the young dragon could fly for, which would earn him treats in the form of finely cut meat, to seeing how strong his flames were against armor, which would also earn him more treats later.
There was much bonding there.
Aerys wasn't the only one. Rhaella would sing to her dragon in her room while Shaena would take hers to explore more of Dragonstone. She was only disappointed that she couldn't go out horse riding with Azurax. The island was too rocky and too steep for horses. When Rhaegal asked her why she wanted to go riding on a horse with a dragon, she said "because no one else has."
Truly, his sister had a very creative mind.
Finally, there were the small moments that he spent with Ashara, despite his mother's disapproval. The fact that he had brought her along in the first place seemed to have worried her. He recalled how Ashara had told him of her conversation with his mother.
It did not stop him from kissing her several more times, all of which Ashara eagerly returned.
The time spent on Dragonstone had accomplished more than Rhaegal had hoped for, but they were going to have to return to King's Landing soon.
The rest of the realm awaited them.
---
"You utter buffon! What do you mean you haven't spoken to the prince about your sisters!?"
Mina almost felt bad for her brother as their mother shouted at him from inside the godswood of the Red Keep, where they were served tea and other treats by the servants.
Mina had been expecting them to stay outside of the castle as most of the other families were. They were Tyrells, but they were not kin of the Targaryens. Nor did they hold any key position within the court.
Imagine her delight when Mace met up with them at the gates, proudly proclaiming that Prince Rhaegal had been kind enough to allow them stay within the Red Keep for the duration of their stay. It was great! Not only did Mina get to see more of the castle, much to her delight, but she didn't have to breathe in all of the nasty air of the city itself.
Honestly, King's Landing was nothing like Highgarden. How anyone could stomach living here was beyond her. At least there was more fresh air inside the Red Keep.
During their journey to the castle, Mace had regaled them of his time with the crown prince, of everything that he had seen. Of how he had participated in his first battle during his stay at Skagos and had emerged victorious. Mina wasn't sure how much she believed her brother, but she knew that it was true that the crown prince had gone to Skagos. It was how he had acquired the dragons in the first place….somehow.
It was here that Mace delivered the first shocking update. There were now five dragons, not three. Somehow, Prince Rhaegal had managed to discover two more eggs while in Winterfell, but Mace did not know the details, not having been part of that particular part of the journey.
Apparently everyone but Prince Daeron now had a dragon, something that surprised both mother and daughter. The queen was a rider before her son? How peculiar.
Or maybe it had something to do with the nature of dragons. They were wild, and understanding their thought process was next to impossible.
What a time to be living in, though. Not since King Jaehaerys I had the Iron Throne seen both king and queen as dragon riders.
'No,' Mina quietly corrected herself. Despite his disastrously short reign, Aegon II and his wife had also both been dragon riders.
Then there were revelations about the Wall, about the North regaining the Gift in exchange for the crown acquiring Skagos.
Their mother had gone quiet at that, not that Mace had seemed to notice.
Her brother then proceeded to tell them how Prince Rhaegal had found Dark Sister and gifted it to his twin brother, Prince Rhaegar. Now the two princes had dragons and Valyrian steel swords.
House Targaryen was looking more and more fierce by the day.
Their mother seemed to think so as well as she said that she wanted to pay her respects to the king and queen immediately and thank them for their son's generosity. Unfortunately, that would not be possible as the entire royal family had left the capital for Dragonstone days earlier. Her mother's groveling would have to wait for a different day.
It was after they had settled inside their quarters in the Red Keep that Mina and Janna were able to relax a little. Riding in a carriage for so long was more exhausting than she had imagined, and she missed the usual comforts of Highgarden.
So their mother prepared a small tea party for them inside the godswood, as their family was now whole once more. Of course, as with everything else, their mother had different motives for bringing them together like this. And it was to interrogate Mace about his efforts to convince the crown prince to bring either Mina or Janna to court to serve his sister.
Mace had sheepishly replied that he had forgotten all about that, which led to their mother losing her temper.
"A lot has happened, mother!" Mace tried defending himself. "There just wasn't a proper time or place to bring it up!"
Mina believed him, but she was disheartened.
Janna was too busy enjoying her treats to care. Good for her.
"This son of mine." Olenna seemed to despair as she massaged her temple. "Do you not understand how many opportunities you had, Mace? Why I agreed for you to go in the first place? And yet you failed in the most spectacular way."
"That's not true, mother!" Mace quickly shook his head. "I have earned the prince's friendship! He even allowed us to stay in the Red Keep! That counts for something! I'm sure I can just bring it up with him the next time I see him."
Olenna sneered. "Friendship? Do you think the dragons have a use for that?" She stopped herself as she looked around.
Mina did as well, wondering what her mother was looking for.
Seemingly satisfied, Olenna turned back to Mace. "I'm not sure what his motive was for bringing so many of you along on that trip, but friendship was not one of them. Don't be a fool. Already the lions have a strong presence in court. Those damned Velaryons too. And now I'm hearing that the Celtigars are stirring up. Minor houses that pale in comparison to the Reach, but we're the ones being left behind."
Mace looked offended. "Mother, don't say such things! Prince Rhaegal has been nothing but kind and cordial with me. I'm sure he wanted to establish closer ties with the realm that he will one day rule."
"When a kind dragon sits on that damned chair is the day that I will crap gold," Olenna said flatly. "Even King Aegon, with his supposed reforms, was not without his schemes. If they had succeeded, none of you would be sitting here today."
Right. That topic again. Mina would never say this out loud, but was her mother becoming wistful at not having married a Targaryen herself? Mina did not want to think about what this said of her deceased father.
"Mother, there's no need to be so crass!" Mace frowned. "I understand that I made a mistake, but I can easily rectify it."
"Forget it." Olenna waved him off. "I'll ask the queen myself when I next see her."
So she wasn't going to give up.
At this rate, Princess Shaena's ladies were going to outnumber the queen's.
Still, Mina allowed herself to dream of the possibility of being accepted, and then meeting Prince Rhaegar and falling in love. Would it not be quite something if she was the first Tyrell in history to marry a Targaryen? It was even possible that her children might marry Prince Rhaegal's in the future, in order to bring the two lines together. Then her own grandchildren could sit on the Iron Throne.
So many possibilities!
Her mother would continue to complain about other matters during the duration of their time together, namely about the Hightowers' lack of answer to her proposal. Mace looked disheartened about that. He had never met Alerie Hightower, but the fact that she had long silvery hair like a Targaryen was enough to make him believe that she was perfect to be his wife.
It made Mina mentally shake her head at her brother, but really, she shouldn't be surprised. A lot of men were apparently simple minded like that.
Mina and her family would spend another day enjoying themselves in the Red Keep. Mina did her best to explore as much of the castle as she could, with guards of course. She met many different people during this time, including the ladies that had been accepted into Princess Shaena's circle. There was a recent addition: Mylenda Celtigar. The girl was far the youngest, but it was just as her mother said. The Celtigars were making moves of their own.
If Mace had done his job, then that could have been her. How frustrating.
The Hand of the King, Tywin Lannister, had also brought his children to the celebrations. And they too were staying inside the Red Keep. Mina had the chance to trade a few words with Cersei Lannister and her twin brother, but she got the impression that Cersei was looking down on her. It would not surprise her if that were the case. Her mother often said that the Lannisters had too much ego that was just as vibrant as their hair and gold.
Mina had the misfortune of running into Euron Greyjoy. She never expected to see an Ironborn at the heart of the realm like this. The older boy had tried to seduce her, much to her horror. Thankfully the combined presence of Tytos Blackwood and Stannis Baratheon had been enough to deter him after they stepped in due to seeing how uncomfortable she was.
Honestly, there were too many people at the Red Keep. It was making Mina's head spin.
The Dornish prince was kind of cute, though. Very boastful and charming. His sister? More sullen and quiet. Mina did not know why Elia Martell was so depressed, and she did not ask.
The next day was far more loud.
As fate would have it, the Hightowers arrived at court the same day that the Targaryens returned to the city from Dragonstone.
It was only then that Mina caught a glimpse of the famous family for the first time. To say they were beautiful was an understatement. She had no idea that people could appear to be so….ethereal, for a lack of a better word. It was like their features were sculptured to perfection. Prince Rhaegal and Prince Rhaegar stood out from the rest, although from what she noticed Princess Shaena seemed to share in their beauty.
The entirety of the family seemed to be in good spirits as they entered the Red Keep to the applause of many. It was like the city came to life now that its rulers were back.
It was quite something to see the crowds lined up throughout King's Landing cheering for the Targaryens. The royal family was well loved at the moment. Of that, there was little doubt.
The only one who looked gloomy was Prince Daeron, and Mina knew why. He was the only one without a dragon. The servants would not stop gossiping about it. She felt bad about some of the things she had heard about the young prince, of his supposed inferiority. It made her want to hug him if she was being honest.
The small council was there personally to escort the king back to the Red Keep, and in a surprising twist her mother informed her how the Hightowers had requested an immediate audience with the king and his family.
This put Olenna in a difficult spot as she had been looking forward to cornering Leyton Hightower about his actions lately. There was always a chance of King Aerys rejecting the request, but instead the king accepted it.
Mina didn't understand why, but despite her confusion she found herself standing inside the throne room with everyone else as Leyton Hightower entered the Great Hall with his entourage, which included his children. There was Baelor Hightower, his firstborn and heir. He had silver hair, a mark of his mother's family from Lys. Garth Hightower was the lord's second son, and he had his father's light brown hair. Then there were the two daughters: Malora Hightower and Alerie Hightower. The two of them had long flowing silver hair, with Malora having a streak of light brown hair on her left side.
'The Mad Maid.'
It was the nickname that many had bestowed upon Malora Hightower for reasons that were unknown. But seeing her now, she did not look mad. It was the opposite. Her soft features, combined with her elegant dress, made her to be very beautiful.
Where had the rumors come from?
In the middle of the entourage there were a couple of men carrying a chest, but few seemed to pick up on this. Mina only noticed it after her mother pointed it out to her.
What was that about?
Leyton Hightower paid little attention to all the murmurs in the throne room, all aimed at him and his audacious request for an audience with the king just as they arrived. He carried himself with the usual lordly pride, his hair combed properly. His clothes neat and proper. He wore a brown cloak that was adorned with many jewels, a sign of the wealth that his family commanded.
"Your Grace." As soon as he was close, Leyton dropped to his knee, with his children all doing the same. "I thank you for this opportunity and answering my audience."
"You can thank my son and heir for convincing me to indulge in your disrespect, Lord Hightower," Aerys replied with a bored look.
"I express my thanks to the crown prince as well."
"H'mph, so you do." Aerys seemed to glare down at Leyton from his throne. "Now tell me, Lord Hightower. And do not be coy with me. What made you want to seek an audience like this?"
Under normal circumstances, the houses would all present themselves after the king called for them, not the other way around. Especially not on the same day that the king just returned to his city.
"I have a gift to present to house Targaryen, your Grace." Leyton glanced back at the men carrying the chest. "House Hightower has kept this safe for over a century. I believe that it is time it returned to its proper place."
The two men set the chest down in front of the Iron Throne.
Aerys looked curious now, and he gestured to his Kingsguard.
With understanding, Ser Harlan and Ser Jonothor stepped forward. They closed in on the chest, making sure that it was safe.
Leyton watched on in silence.
Once they were satisfied, the two Kingsguard began to open it. Once they did, Aerys' eyes widened a little at what lied within. All the others near the throne shared similar reactions, including the rest of the royal family.
Unfortunately, no one else could see what the chest contained, and it took Prince Rhaegal walking up to the chest and picking up what was inside for everyone else in the court to get a look at the object.
Mina's own eyes widened.
'Is that a dragon egg?'
It was. It was pale green with silver swirls. It was beautiful.
Another twist.
House Targaryen had just gained another dragon egg.