"Which dragon laid eggs?" Draezell nearly jumped out of his seat. Candlelight? His daughter's dragon? How old was it — six years? A six-year-old dragon laying eggs?
"It was Candlelight. Yamor found them today during his inspection of the dragon nests, in the one shared by the three young dragons," Rey said, though even he found it hard to believe. Candlelight's appearance made it difficult to associate with a female dragon. Among the known egg-laying dragons, Silverwing and Syrax at least had appearances that matched the role. And Candlelight was far too young — just six years old. Though already large in size, the thought of it laying eggs seemed absurd.
"Are you sure they're not Silverwing's eggs?" Draezell realized as soon as he spoke that it was impossible. Silverwing had never laid eggs outside her own nest, let alone in the makeshift nest of the three young dragons. Even with the recent renovations by Starys, their nest was nowhere near large enough to accommodate Silverwing. "How many eggs did Candlelight lay, and what do they look like?"
"Two dragon eggs," Rey replied. "One is blue-gray with spiral patterns, and the other is gray with white stripes. Yamor has already moved them to the incubation chamber. Their size and weight are perfectly normal." He paused thoughtfully. "I checked them myself before coming here; it's exactly as described."
"Alright. After this meeting, bring Valar along, and we'll visit the dragon nest to take a look," Draezell said, nodding and signaling for the next person to continue.
Rey retrieved his silver ring, and Aslan glanced at Hoffa and Sebastian before inserting his ruby-red ring into the slot. "Your Grace, over the past month, we have completed 125 Silverblood military estates as part of the resettlement process. The Silverblood estates in the new lands are now essentially complete."
"Hmm. Once this busy period is over, I'll take Lingar on a tour of the estates," Draezell said with a hint of sentimentality. When they first arrived in Westeros, the Silverblood army had numbered only six thousand. Now it had grown significantly. Apart from a thousand Unsullied, the Silverblood soldiers had become the core of the estates, spreading throughout the Borderlands under his direct control. Even established noble houses like the Tarlys, Caron, Manwoody, and Dondarrions had willingly accepted, to varying degrees, the presence of Silverblood estates in their territories.
These estates operated under a unique tax structure, with most taxes going to Dragon's Nest rather than the local lords, though a portion still went to them. The estates also pledged to respond to their lord's summons, provided the orders came from Dragonstone.
Typically, these estates centered around one or two cavalrymen residing in longhouses or stone homes. Around them were over thirty families capable of providing armored infantry, along with farm laborers housed in cottages or shacks. Most estates featured mills, bakeries, taverns, and septs, surrounded by either low or high walls. Some wealthier estates, owned by affluent cavalrymen, were even more luxurious than those of landed knights. This had prompted many villages to relocate closer to the Silverblood estates, drawn by the benefits. The estates' mills, under Draezell's direct authority, allowed villagers to avoid paying tolls to greedy millers or landowners.
Including the thousand cavalry provided by Argo's khalasar, the Silverblood army now boasted 4,000 armored cavalrymen, each equipped with at least two warhorses and various weapons. These troops were stationed in Draezell's castles and towns, with 700 carrying the title of Knight. In wartime, Draezell could mobilize no fewer than 6,000 cavalry from his direct holdings.
As for infantry, the Silverblood army maintained a standing force of 9,000 foot soldiers. Many Northmen had joined, bringing a wild, untamed spirit to the ranks. If war demanded, this number could rise to 16,000. Combined with the forces of the local lords, the Borderlands could muster an army of no less than 50,000 — a force rivaling any kingdom in the Seven Kingdoms.
"Your Grace, there's also the matter of the Silverblood army's faith," Aslan continued with a weary sigh. The Dothraki are relatively straightforward. Argo's khalasar has largely abandoned the Horse God in favor of worshiping the Winged Stallion Rider, the Great Sky, and the Mountain God, which essentially represent the Vaelarys as Dragonlords. Their religion is insular and doesn't spread or interfere with others, so the Faith of the Seven hasn't felt compelled to convert them.
However, the Silverblood army's composition was far more diverse. Many Volantene immigrants adhered to a modified form of R'hllor worship — a version reshaped by the Red Priests Ben thororo and Malak, who had been close to Draezell's father. They viewed R'hllor as the manifestation of the world's will, with the Vaelarys as its embodiment. Others had converted to the Faith of the Seven. The former belief was almost intolerable to the Seven's clergy, but there was little they could do. The Dragonlords themselves welcomed such devotion, enjoying the reverence of the Volantene immigrants. Even Aegon appreciated their fanatical admiration when they saw him atop his dragon.
With the Faith of the Seven now reduced to a symbolic institution and the efforts of Jacaerys moving the lower-ranking septons to tears, there was little room for opposition.
The issue lay in the increasingly fragmented faiths within the Silverblood Army. With the addition of Westerosi locals and the enlistment of three thousand Northerners, the religious landscape of the army had become chaotic. It encompassed the traditional Faith of the Seven, the modified Seven promoted by Septon Corlan, the reformed R'hllor doctrine, and the Old Gods worship of the First Men.
It was a mess.
When Aslan brought up the matter of faith, Draezell had already anticipated the issue. "I understand. I'll address this as I visit the various Silverblood estates." This was no easy task. The rapid growth of the region, coupled with the temporary reprieve from winter in the South, meant peace was encouraging population surges and intellectual reflection. The sooner this issue was managed, the better; leaving it unresolved could spell trouble later.
Satisfied with his report, Aslan retrieved his ruby ring. The next to speak was Hoffa, represented by his iron token. "Your Grace, your Bloodsworn Brotherhood could use new blood."
Draezell paused in reflection. Over the years, the ranks of his sworn brothers had dwindled. Adams had taken over Tallystead to uphold his rigid brother's obligations. Amos Fezer fell at the tail end of the Dance of the Dragons. Lynn Valtaken now safeguarded the Prince's Pass from his stronghold at Longsky Hold, having married the widowed Samantha Tarly. Last year, they had a son, Robert valtaken, whose name day Draezell attended personally, bestowing his blessings. Argo had relinquished his duties, dedicating himself to his khalasar as Khal Argo. Alan Tarly and Jon Dondarrion had inherited their family lands, while Samwell Harmosa now captained one of the Silver Fleet's vessels. Many others were either scattered or deceased.
Dragon's nest Tower had grown eerily quiet. It was indeed time to replenish the ranks.
"Hoffa, I leave this task to you," Draezell said, stroking his short, silver beard. He was no longer the youth who had first arrived in Westeros. Nearly a decade had passed since then. "Once Aegon selects his Kingsguard, I'll personally test the mettle of my new brothers."
"As you command," Hoffa replied, retrieving his iron token.
Sebastian was the last to speak, placing his golden ring on the stand. Financial concerns rarely warranted his attention. The Vaelarys coffers overflowed with gold, and wealth streamed endlessly into their cities and fortresses. However, the organization of Aegon's Kingsguard fell under his purview, so he felt compelled to speak.
"Your Grace, the venue is ready, and the knight candidates have been accommodated in the Summerfield lodges. Once His Majesty consents and Ser Steffon and Ser Erryk arrive, we can begin immediately."
"Excellent work. Anything else?" Seeing no further matters, Draezell rose from his seat. "Then this meeting is adjourned. Rey, come with me."
Rey followed Draezell through a side door, walking down a long corridor. At the hallway's end, they met Valar, summoned by the young squire, Revil Haydon.
"What's going on, brother?" Valar asked groggily, his exhaustion evident. He and Leyla had been up late the night before and were preoccupied with tending to young Daenyra.
"Come with me to the dragon pit," Draezell said, scrutinizing Valar. "Candlelight laid eggs. We need to inspect them."
"What?" Valar instantly perked up. "Candlelight laid eggs?"
"I was just as surprised when I heard," Rey chimed in. He glanced around to ensure no one else was present before continuing. "Brother, I think my theory might be correct."
"About egg-dragons and battle-dragons?" Draezell raised an eyebrow. He was familiar with Rey's hypothesis, which posited that dragons were not strictly male or female. Instead, they could be categorized as egg-dragons, which laid eggs, and Battle-dragons, which never did but excelled in combat. After all, dragons were magical creatures, and conventional sex distinctions might not apply.
"So, according to your theory, Silverwing, Dreamfyre, Syrax, and Candlelight are all egg-dragons?" Valar countered. "What about Vhagar and Meleys? They've also laid eggs. And my Silverwing is a formidable fighter!"
Rey patiently explained, "Meleys' egg-laying is only mentioned in a few maesterly accounts, and Dragonstone's records lack concrete evidence of it. As for Vhagar and Silverwing, consider their size; How could they ot be good in battle?"
Valar fell silent.
As they spoke, the trio reached the lift platform leading to the dragon pit.
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