Chapter 17: Rhaegar's First Valyrian Weapon
Beneath Maegor's Holdfast
The secret vault beneath Maegor's Holdfast lay silent once more, its ancient stone swallowing the lamplight.
House Targaryen's deepest treasury was not meant for mortal eyes. Even among kings, few had ever stood here.
Prince Rhaegar, cradled in his mother's arms, stared wide-eyed at the rows of dragon eggs resting upon racks of blackened dragonbone. Though too young to understand their full meaning, something in his blood stirred at their presence.
If all these eggs could hatch…
The thought vanished as quickly as it came.
The age of dragons had ended. Whatever magic once bound fire and flesh together had faded from the world. The eggs remained priceless, but they were no longer keys to dominion — only relics, wealth, and memory.
King Jaehaerys II turned away from the dragon eggs and led them deeper into the vault.
The Wealth of Fallen Kings
Beyond the eggs, deeper into the chamber, lay shelves of gold, silver, and jewels — tribute gathered across centuries. Crowns stripped of gemstones, chains heavy with history, and plates of beaten gold glimmered in the lamplight.
This was not treasure for indulgence.
This was the wealth of last resort.
So this is how House Targaryen survives when all else fails, Rhaegar thought dimly, sensing the gravity of the place even as a child.
At the far end of the chamber, a collection stood apart.
Its craftsmanship was unmistakably Lysene.
Gold shaped into blooming roses. Amethysts carved into heavy grape clusters. Gem-inlaid vessels depicting lovers in languid embrace — art born of excess and skill.
Princess Rhaella recognized it at once.
"These are from House Rogare," she said softly.
King Jaehaerys II nodded.
"From Queen Larra Rogare, wife to King Viserys II."
Rhaegar's gaze lingered.
House Rogare had once been powerful beyond measure — bankers, merchants, kings in all but name. Their fortune had flowed into Westeros during the aftermath of the Dance of the Dragons, binding Lys and the Iron Throne in gold.
Yet Westeros had never truly accepted them.
Queen Larra had returned to Lys in sorrow. King Viserys had ruled colder thereafter. And their son, Aegon IV, would become the Unworthy.
"During the recent war," Jaehaerys II said quietly, "we nearly broke these down for coin."
A king admitting such a thing was no small confession.
The Black Blade
Beneath the Lysene treasures, resting alone within a long blackwood chest, lay a weapon.
A curved blade, long and dark, its surface rippling like smoke frozen in steel.
Valyrian steel.
Rhaegar's breath caught.
House Targaryen had once possessed two Valyrian blades — Blackfyre and Dark Sister.
Blackfyre had vanished with the Blackfyres into Essos.
Dark Sister had gone north with Brynden Rivers — and never returned.
This blade was different.
"Shadow Sandoq's sword," King Jaehaerys II said.
Rhaegar looked up.
"Sandoq the Shadow," the king continued. "Once the personal guard of Queen Larra. A warrior from the east — mute, scarred, and deadly. He fought in the pits of Meereen and survived where hundreds died."
The king lifted the blade.
Despite its size, it was light in his hands — perfectly balanced, impossibly sharp.
"A scimitar," Jaehaerys II sighed. "Not a weapon our knights favor. Yet to melt it down would be unforgivable."
Rhaegar reached for it instinctively.
Not the gold.
Not the gems.
The blade.
Memory in the Steel
The moment Rhaegar's fingers brushed the Valyrian steel, his vision blurred.
Moonlight.
Sand.
A towering warrior with dark skin and scarred flesh moved like a shadow among men. His face was half-hidden, his mouth ruined, his silence terrifying.
The blade sang.
Enemies fell.
Not through brute force, but through precision, patience, and inevitability.
The steel remembered.
And through dragon-blood, so did Rhaegar.
When his vision cleared, he was still in his mother's arms, his hand resting upon the scimitar.
King Jaehaerys II stared at him for a long moment.
"It seems the blade has chosen you," the king murmured.
He glanced at Rhaella.
"Keep it for him. Hidden. Let him take it up when he is old enough."
Princess Rhaella nodded, watching her son with quiet awe.
Legacy
The blade was returned to its chest.
The vault was sealed.
Yet something had changed.
Rhaegar had not claimed a sword.
He had inherited a memory.
Status Update
Rhaegar Targaryen
Status: Prince of House Targaryen
Talents:
Natural Warrior
Sword Heart, Scholar's Mind
Dragon Dreamer
Achievements:
Game of Thrones (Minor Player)
Explorer (Royal Vault)
Valyrian Legacy (You have resonated with a Valyrian steel blade once wielded by Sandoq the Shadow. Steel remembers blood.)