In the Red Fort's library, Rhaegar's small figure stood beneath the bookshelves.
Everyone in the Red Keep knew that Prince Rhaegar was not only precocious, but also excessively studious. He could read and write much earlier than other children, and he also appreciated armor, weapons, and fighting much earlier.
It is often said that when Princess Leila was pregnant with the prince, she not only swallowed books and candles, but also the heart of a lion.
Regardless, Prince Rhaegar is skilled in both literature and martial arts, and King Jaehaerys believes his grandson bears the hallmarks of Aegon the Conqueror and Baelor. He will be a great king, accomplished in both.
Aegon the Conqueror is slightly less eloquent, Daeron the Wise is somewhat inferior in martial arts, and the Young Dragon King is fierce but inflexible; Rhaegar will combine their strengths.
King Jaeharis II granted Prince Rhaegar permission to roam the Red Keep, to watch the gladiatorial games, or to peruse the ancient scrolls and books in the library. He was free to go wherever he pleased, provided his safety was ensured.
Réga's favorite place now is the library at the Red Fort, where he hopes to find interesting books.
This was no simple matter. The devout Baylor had once burned a large number of books, a great historical catastrophe. In particular, books containing rumors of magic and mysticism were considered monstrous by Baylor, and all of them were burned.
Grand Maester Paisell also had many books, but he was not a reliable man, so Rhaegar decided to start by scanning the library in the Red Keep.
The dragons are more interested in dances, banquets, and battles than books; these books are clearly hidden gems, rarely sought after.
"The books of theology, the books of power, these books could just be burned," Rhaegar thought, glancing at the books on the Seven Gods' faith.
"This is the library of past prime ministers?" Rega noticed some interesting books.
Throughout history, some of the Kings' Hands were learned men, but many more were rough and uncouth warriors. The books they had collected were also gathered together.
"The first Hand of the King, Oris Baratheon."
"The Hand of the King, the wretched King Aegon, and the cunning Ulwin Baker."
"The ousted regent of Mandalay."
Rega looked intently at the books. There were knightly manuals on combat and attack techniques, as well as books on how to breed livestock to get rich, but there were very few books with valuable or advanced content.
In particular, the library of Brynden Rivers, the Bloodraven who had the greatest influence on the Targaryens, was nowhere to be found. This unnamed figure had truly been thoroughly eradicated.
Bloodraven was undoubtedly the most authoritative and powerful figure in the Hand of the King. He played a key role in the King's Council of his brother Daeron II, and also assisted his brother's sons Aerys and Maelstrom, and his brother's grandson Aegon V, in suppressing three Blackfyre rebellions. People said that he held absolute power in the King's Council, and that the Grand Maester studied witchcraft with him.
Rega was somewhat disheartened, feeling that there was nothing of value to be gained today.
But for some inexplicable reason, he still found himself flipping through the books in the collections of those former prime ministers, thinking that reading was always beneficial, in case he found something interesting.
He turned to the bottom shelf, to the cunning collection of Ulwin Baker. This Earl Ulwin Baker, though he had once held immense power after the Dance of the Blood Dragon, was a coarse and mean man with a very fragile ego. He was particularly sensitive to money; his estate was filled with stones and soil, and the books he read were all about breeding livestock and expanding one's territory—the kind that led to wealth and prosperity—and even simple fables of the Seven Gods.
"He's only fit to be a cowherd." Rega shook his head. None of Pecker's books were of any quality. He didn't talk about chivalry or the Seven Gods; he only knew how to make money and manipulate power.
Rega picked it up, glanced at it again, and felt greatly disappointed.
Just then, he noticed that a small compartment had been deliberately carved out of the side of Earl Baker's library, concealing a book that was very well hidden. Although the book's packaging was simple and the pages were yellowed, its title was enough to make one's blood boil.
"My autobiography, Brynden Rivers." Rhaegar's heart pounded, a thousand thoughts racing through his mind. Even though Blood Raven was shrouded in the shadows of patricide, witchcraft, and mysticism, this archer, warrior, and Hand of the King still possessed a unique charm and legend.
"Why is it a blank sheet of paper?" Rega opened the book, only to be greatly disappointed. He found that it was a blank sheet of paper with no words on it.
Just as Rega was feeling disappointed, he felt a sharp pain in his finger, and a drop of blood dripped down. The book began to shimmer with an unnatural light again, and the images and words within began to appear.
"Lucky Targaryen, your life force and fortune are both exceptional enough to warrant reading my autobiography. Even though I have already reached the Wall, I still hope to add some fun and excitement to the world."
"What a restless soul," Rhaegar thought to himself. He could even recall the grin and humor on Bloodraven's grotesque face as he wrote those words.
The book is only half full now, and the rest is all blank pages.
Rhaegar considered a possibility: the latter half of Blood Raven might be witchcraft, but his own life force was not enough to ignite the latter half.
"Achievement: Explorer (Little explorer, you have discovered an autobiography of Duke Bloodraven. Some histories are written with pen and paper; the history of Bloodraven is written with blood, sweat, and tears. This book by Bloodraven is not cursed; please read it carefully.)"
Achievement: Game of Thrones (Little player, history makes one wise. You have read the autobiography of the legendary Blood Raven Brynden Rivers and will benefit greatly.)
Rega's Tree of Life panel also chimed.
"I once loved a brother, hated a brother, and longed for a woman," Bloodraven Brynden Rivers wrote in the first line of his book. Rhaegar understood the meaning of those words: the brother he loved was Daeron II, the one he hated was Cold Iron Eagle Rivers, and the one he longed for was Siri Yangxing, whom he had proposed to over fifty times without success. One can only say that the incestuous relationships of the dragon race are truly insane; Brynden Rivers' greatest love, hatred, and longing were all for his family.
"My name is Brynden River. My paternal line is of ancient Targaryen blood, and my maternal line is of ancient Blackwood. But I am neither Targaryen nor Blackwood. I am but a bastard son rejected by the Father and the Mother, a bastard son of desire and deceit."
"After my father Aegon died, I was willing to guard his Iron Throne and become a Targaryen paperhanger because of my brother Daeron's love. I would rather be in the darkness than not protect the light of the kingdom. Perhaps even the most beautiful flowers cannot bloom without the support of their dark roots." Rhaegar slowly read on; the contents of the book were truly fascinating.
The book simply recounts his life without any trace of mysticism or witchcraft. Blood Raven does not shy away from describing his spies and political schemes, but there is not a single supernatural account.
However, some of the content in the book also greatly benefited Rega.
The crafting method of the Blood Raven Longbow, and how the Blood Raven improves its archery skills.
The last page of the book with words is a map, showing the underground passages of the Red Keep, spread out like a spider web.