Rhaegar and Jaehaerys II looked at the map of Westeros, upon which the sigils of the great houses were placed.
The North is too cold, Dorne is too hot, the Iron Islands are too small, and the Stormlands are too windy. Better areas include the mountainous but coastal Vale, House Tyrell's wealthy South, House Tully's Riverlands, and House Lannister's gold-rich Westerlands.
Jaehaerys II first bypassed the Wolf House of The North, then the Iron Islands, and finally Dorne.
"Do you think the kingdom will always be peaceful? My child. Will you remain peaceful after I die?" Jaehaerys II asked.
"No. I believe the flames of war are still accumulating," Rhaegar replied. He did not want to deceive his grandfather, especially since war would be one of the main themes of Westeros. The Lords would recover their strength from the Blackfyre Rebellion and dedicate their blood to the next conflict.
Jaehaerys II looked at his grandson with satisfaction, wondering why his wisdom had not been passed down to his son Aerys, but instead, his grandson was already showing the sharp edge of a Young Dragon.
Rhaegar knew that what Jaehaerys II worried about was the rise of the House of the Rose and House Lannister.
"The Westerlands and the Southern Reach, compared to the other Lords, possess unique advantages. Can you tell your grandfather about them, Rhaegar?" Jaehaerys asked.
"The wealth of the Westerlands lies not only in gold but also in the weakness of the secondary Lords. House Reyne seems aggressive, but their power is actually limited; mobilizing a thousand soldiers is their maximum. The wealth of The Reach lies in its population and grain. If House Hightower and House Redwyne had not remained unsubmissive, House Tyrell would have long since come to King's Landing to contend for power," Rhaegar replied.
"The great Lords each have their strengths, but in terms of land, resources, and people, The Reach and the Westerlands stand out the most. The Reach is the granary of Westeros, and the Westerlands is the treasury." Jaehaerys II raised a finger and placed the golden lion and the blooming green rose together. The rose and the lion possessed a unique aesthetic.
"Do you know what news has come from the Westerlands and The Reach, Rhaegar?" Jaehaerys II sat in his chair, recalling the intelligence he had recently received.
"I've heard a little. Tywin's brother is collecting debts and suppressing bandits in the Westerlands. As for The Reach, Duke Tyrell and his wife are trying to ensnare House Hightower with feasts and friendship," Rhaegar replied.
Rhaegar had also heard this news: the Westerlands was warring, and the Southern Reach was making peace. Tywin's brother was starting to flex his claws in the Westerlands, but the Red Lion, House Reyne, paid it no mind. Meanwhile, after allying with House Redwyne, House Tyrell began extending various courtesies to House Hightower. Whether through war or peace, these two great houses were already in the prelude to their rise.
"I have a feeling that the general situation in Westeros is about to change significantly. But after our family lost the Dragons, we cannot even refuse change; we can only seek opportunities within the changes," King Jaehaerys II said somewhat mournfully. He had seen the surging tide of history but was unable to stop it. The great Lords, having completed their consolidation, were about to emerge and urgently seek to change the situation in King's Landing. The broken engagements of Jaehaerys's siblings and the fire at Summer Hall accelerated the decline of the Dragon Family. Without Dragons, the family lost its greatest military power. Without the Dragon Family, the house also lost the foundation for strategic marriage alliances.
"The most notable are House Lannister of the Westerlands and House Tyrell of the South. Both houses are consolidating, and once complete, they will display their splendor to the world. The historical trend of Westeros will be the rise of House Lannister and House Tyrell. Duke Tyrell's Wife and House Lannister's Little Lion, Tywin, are not characters to be trifled with," Jaehaerys II said.
Jaehaerys II looked at Rhaegar and then thought of his son Aerys. No one knows a son better than his father; Aerys's talents were merely average, and his abilities were no match for the other players. He only hoped that he or Duke Monder would live a few more years to guide Aerys further.
Among the Seven Kingdoms, the Westerlands and the South stood out as possessing greater strength than the others. The Westerlands and the South were already formidable, but they faced many constraints. Once these constraints were resolved, they would shine brilliantly. The marriage alliance between Duke Tyrell and House Redwyne in the South had already forged an alliance between House Tyrell and House Redwyne. They were still expanding their alliances, and once House Hightower was drawn in, the combined power of the Tyrell-Redwyne-Hightower alliance would completely suppress the South, unleashing tremendous force.
"You must be vigilant and cautious about the rise of the rose and the Lion. Although Tywin has a good relationship with your father, vigilance is necessary. Also, House Tyrell was previously constrained by its weak reputation and powerful vassals, and the family had never produced prominent figures like a Queen or a Hand of the King. As soon as the roses, Redwyne, and Hightower twist together, they will certainly covet the position in King's Landing," Jaehaerys II said.
Rhaegar nodded. Rhaegar lamented the Old King's foresight, but the Old King had no effective means to stop it. Later developments proved exactly so.
King Jaehaerys did not predict the Wolf King's southward strategy, which was not his fault. Few people from the Wolf House were so eager to move south; they preferred the vast lands of The North. The Old Wolf's future impulse to move south was truly a sign of madness.
"Ah, speaking of which, that girl from House Redwyne was originally supposed to marry your great-uncle, Prince Daeron. But Prince Daeron loved men more than he loved ladies, and he had to abandon that marriage. And your grandmother was originally supposed to marry Duke Tyrell. But after the people in our family finalized their marriages, these two noble individuals ended up marrying each other," Jaehaerys II said, a bitter smile on his face.
Rhaegar looked at the King. The dominant force in Westeros was none other than King Aegon V and his entire family. Their regrets and marriages back then had profoundly changed the situation in Westeros. They also contributed to the rise of the rose.
Westeros's obsession with matching status and the principle of equivalence had become deeply ingrained. Under normal circumstances, great nobles could only marry great nobles, and the choice of alliance differed based on the birth order of the firstborn, secondborn, and so on.
Great-uncle Duncan arranged a match with a daughter of the Baratheon family; Grandfather Jaehaerys arranged a match with a girl from the Trout House Tully; and the third son, Prince Daeron, arranged a match with a maiden from House Redwyne. Although all possessed strong influence, the distinctions between them were clear.