Rhaegar spoke softly, seeing the situation clearly.
He was the heir to the kingdom and the rider of the fully grown dragon, Glutton.
If he didn't go to the battlefield, should his sister Rhaenyra or his younger brother Aegon take his place instead?
Such cowardice would make him a laughingstock among the Seven Kingdoms.
The only way to restore the prestige of the royal family was to take the initiative, earn merits on the battlefield, and let his deeds be spread by word of mouth among the soldiers of the Seven Kingdoms.
This would also help him build his reputation for his future ascension to the Iron Throne.
"You've grown up and have your own thoughts now."
Viserys found no flaw in his eldest son's reasoning. Every word Rhaegar spoke was true, leaving the king with mixed emotions.
If Balerion hadn't died of old age, perhaps he himself would have once ridden into battle and become a king known for his military achievements.
Turning his gaze to Corlys, Viserys clenched his teeth and made a decision: "The royal family will send two dragons to accompany you in defending the Stepstones."
"Two dragons?"
Corlys was momentarily stunned and instinctively looked at Princess Rhaenyra, standing behind the king.
Did the king intend to send the princess to the battlefield?
"No! Rhaenyra is my daughter—I would never put her in danger under any circumstances."
Viserys firmly denied the assumption and declared, "I have four sons, two of whom have tamed dragons. They will both fight on behalf of the royal family."
"Prince Aegon?"
Corlys frowned and exchanged glances with his wife, Rhaenys.
In their eyes, Aegon was nothing more than a reckless young man.
His dragon was not even fully grown.
A noble youth like him might end up being more of a burden on the battlefield than an asset.
But Viserys was resolute. "Rhaegar is going to war. As his brother, Aegon must assist him."
In truth, he simply did not want his eldest son, Rhaegar, to fight alone.
With Aegon accompanying him, at least there would be someone to shield Rhaegar from any hidden threats.
To Viserys, none of his other three sons were as important as his eldest.
Corlys could more or less guess Viserys' thoughts and nodded in agreement. "Very well. Another dragon will help reduce the number of casualties among our soldiers."
Throughout the discussion, Rhaenyra remained silent, listening intently as the men made their plans.
Deep down, she wanted to join Rhaegar on the battlefield.
She had a dragon, after all—she was no helpless woman.
Rhaegar, on the other hand, felt a bit helpless.
He had never intended for Aegon to fight in this war. That fool wasn't cut out for battle.
Now, not only did he have to focus on the war, but he also had to keep an eye on Aegon to make sure the idiot didn't get shot off his dragon by a scorpion bolt.
"Lord Corlys, how many dragons will your family send?"
Viserys' sharp gaze fixed directly on Corlys.
He was sending two of his sons, and House Velaryon had three dragons of their own. The number of Velaryon dragons in battle had to be at least equal to—or greater than—the number the royal family was committing.
Corlys hesitated for a moment, ignoring the pleading look from his wife, before replying, "Your Grace, Laena has just given birth, and Vhagar is still roaming the Narrow Sea. She will not be able to participate in the war."
Viserys tapped his fingers against the table, unfazed by Corlys' reasoning.
"I will personally lead Vaemond and Laenor in defending the Stepstones. Rhaenys must remain at Driftmark to manage family affairs and patrol the Gullet," Corlys explained, then stated bluntly, "All the men of my family will fight, but we will only send one dragon."
That meant only Laenor's dragon, Seasmoke, would be joining the war.
Hearing this, Viserys' face darkened, and he glared at Corlys with displeasure.
He had made the difficult decision to send two of his sons into battle.
Yet with just a few words, Corlys was trying to keep his wife and daughter out of it.
His lips moved as if to curse the Sea Snake, but he ultimately held back.
He had refused to send Rhaenyra into battle simply because she was a woman.
Both Rhaenys and Laena were also women—one was responsible for managing the household, and the other had just given birth.
It was indeed difficult to force either of them onto the battlefield.
"Lord Corlys, have you asked Princess Rhaenys for her opinion?"
Rhaegar suddenly spoke, his gaze shifting between Corlys and Rhaenys.
Laena was the key to strengthening the bond between their two houses. She should remain in the Red Keep to care for her child.
But Rhaenys was no ordinary woman, and her dragon, Meleys, was a fully grown beast.
Both she and her dragon were formidable forces that could be invaluable in battle.
When Corlys had made his statement earlier, Rhaenys' expression had noticeably darkened.
---
It was clearly Corlys' unilateral decision.
When questioned, Corlys firmly insisted, "If Rhaenys doesn't stay behind at Driftmark, who will take care of my family?"
He himself didn't mention it, but his brother Vaemond and his eldest son Laenor had both gone to war.
Someone had to stay behind to manage affairs.
Rhaegar ignored his excuses and turned to Rhaenys. "Aunt, what do you think?"
He believed his aunt wouldn't want to hide in the rear.
Riding a dragon into battle was the true calling of the Uncrowned Queen.
For a moment, all eyes in the room were on Rhaenys.
Corlys turned his head slightly, as if indifferent to his wife's response.
"Corlys' proposal is for the greater good. As his wife, I support him," Rhaenys said without changing her expression. But then, her tone shifted. "Personally, I long to ride my dragon into war and defeat the pirates of the Triarchy."
She then looked at Viserys and spoke seriously, "Cousin, Driftmark needs a Velaryon to hold the fort. My daughter can fulfill this duty; it is not difficult."
"Rhaenys!"
Corlys was visibly shocked and turned to her in surprise.
They had already discussed this. The plan was to use Rhaenys' participation in the war as leverage to bring Laena and the children back to Driftmark.
If possible, they would even ransom Daemon and have him fight to earn his redemption.
Viserys hesitated slightly, furrowing his brows in confusion.
Were they having a disagreement?
Rhaenyra, sensing the underlying reasons, glanced at Rhaegar in surprise.
Rhaegar winked at her and smiled. "Lord Corlys, Aunt Rhaenys has always had a heart devoted to serving the realm."
He had previously promised Rhaenys that he would secure a position for her in the Small Council.
Now was the time to fulfill that promise.
"Father, while I was at Driftmark, I discussed some reforms with Aunt Rhaenys regarding the ownership of dragons between House Targaryen and House Velaryon," Rhaegar said solemnly.
The matter of dragon ownership was too important.
A mishandling of it could spark conflicts within the two houses—or even among all Valyrian bloodlines.
Viserys narrowed his eyes and responded firmly, "Oh? Dragons have always belonged to House Targaryen. Is there any debate about that?"
House Velaryon's dragons originated from House Targaryen.
During King Jaehaerys' reign, Rhaenys married Corlys and brought the first dragon to Driftmark.
Later, they had a son and a daughter. When Rhaenys and Viserys competed for the throne, Jaehaerys did not prevent Laenor from traveling to Dragonstone to tame Seasmoke.
Laena tamed Vhagar when she was fifteen.
At that time, Viserys, feeling guilty for rejecting a marriage alliance with Rhaenys, tacitly allowed Laena to claim Vhagar.
But that did not mean he acknowledged House Velaryon's ownership of dragons.
In the original story, Rhaenys was not the one competing with Viserys for the throne—it was Laenor, who was male.
This was why the Sea Snake fought so hard to secure power.
Perhaps Jaehaerys allowed Laenor to tame Seasmoke because he had a legitimate claim to the throne.
Laena's case, however, remained unclear.
Maybe Viserys was simply foolish, or perhaps he allowed it because Laena had Targaryen blood.
Either way, the protagonist's goal was to reclaim authority and prevent similar issues from arising in the future.
If not for Laena and Laenor's early deaths, and the extinction of dragons after the Dance of the Dragons...
Who knows how many noble houses would have ended up possessing dragons through marriage alliances and becoming as arrogant as the Sea Snake?
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(End of Chapter)