On either side of the Iron Throne, members of House Targaryen and House Velaryon stood, each with their own thoughts as they watched the scene unfold.
With a smile on his face, Rhaegar stepped forward from the crowd and called out, "Father!"
Viserys looked at him and gave a slight nod.
Rhaegar approached, unfastening a scabbard from his waist as he walked.
Everyone noticed that the crown prince carried two scabbards—one long and one short.
Rhaenys also took note, her gaze filled with curiosity as she looked at her nephew.
Rhaegar held the scabbard horizontally in his hands and said with a smile, "Aunt, take this sword."
Rhaenys examined the scabbard.
She recognized this sword.
It was the ancestral blade—**Dark Sister**.
"Blackfyre is a symbol of royal authority, but Dark Sister should have its own purpose as well," Rhaegar said, gazing at the sword with a sense of reverence. Then, in a serious tone, he continued, "Its first owner was Queen Visenya, who once wielded it to protect Aegon the Conqueror, slaying more than ten assassins with her own hand."
"I hope that Dark Sister will come to symbolize the duty of a protector."
"I never imagined that I would one day possess Dark Sister," Rhaenys murmured as she took the sword with trembling hands, her expression dazed.
"Dark Sister has never belonged to any one person," Rhaegar explained. "From this day forward, it shall be the sword of every Dragon Prince."
Upon hearing this, Rhaenys' eyes grew resolute.
With a sharp sound, she unsheathed Dark Sister and solemnly declared, "I will not fail in my duty. I will bear the responsibility of protecting our family."
**Clap, clap, clap…**
Applause erupted once again, sending the atmosphere to a peak.
The celebration was not yet over. Led by Queen Alicent, the guests moved to the banquet hall.
However, Rhaegar and the other dragonriders did not follow; instead, they made their way to the Dragonpit.
Corlys Velaryon, along with Laenor and his two granddaughters, boarded a ship and returned to Driftmark.
The decisions had already been made in the Small Council.
With the appointment of the Dragon Prince settled, everyone resumed their respective duties.
---
### Over King's Landing
**"Screeeech!"**
With a chorus of dragon cries, five mighty beasts burst out of the Dragonpit.
Glutton, Meleys, Sunfyre…
The people of King's Landing stopped in their tracks, gazing in awe at the sight of dragons soaring together across the sky.
Meleys, swift as lightning, carried Rhaenys straight toward Blackwater Bay.
Aegon, looking sullen, flew Sunfyre toward the Riverlands.
"We should set off too!"
Rhaegar, his expression calm, guided Glutton into the air.
With a powerful beat of its wings, Glutton swiftly left the boundaries of King's Landing.
Behind him, Rhaenyra rode Syrax, while Laenor flew on Seasmoke.
The three of them would pass through the Vale and travel together for a time.
As the dragons disappeared beyond the horizon, the people of King's Landing continued to discuss the astonishing sight of five dragons flying in unison.
At the entrance to the Dragonpit…
Helena, dressed in a pristine white gown, held Aemond's hand as she stood on tiptoe, gazing up at the sky.
"Sister, the dragons are gone," Aemond said softly, his voice tinged with longing.
"I know," Helena replied, her face set in determination. Her large eyes shone with resolve as she pouted. "Come! Let's go tame a dragon too!"
"Okay!"
Aemond nodded eagerly, allowing his sister to pull him along.
---
### The Flight Over the Vale
Three dragons soared through the sky.
Departing from King's Landing, they passed over Sow's Horn, Harrenhal, and Saltpans.
By dusk, the dragons reached the Mountains of the Moon, overlooking the vast and rugged peaks below.
Before long, they arrived at the first gateway to the Vale—**the Bloody Gate**, said to be impregnable.
The Bloody Gate was a defensive fortification perched on treacherous cliffs along the mountain pass leading into the Vale of Arryn.
Two watchtowers clung to the rocky walls, connected by a timeworn gray stone archway, weathered by centuries of wind and rain.
For generations, the knights of the Bloody Gate had held firm, repelling countless enemies who sought to seize the Eyrie.
**"Screeeech!"**
Glutton let out a resounding roar that echoed over the Bloody Gate, drawing the attention of the knights below.
A dragon was the mark of House Targaryen.
With three dragons appearing at once, it could only mean that members of the royal family had arrived.
---
Amid a series of hurried footsteps, dozens of Blood Gate knights swarmed out, standing rigidly on the cliff walls flanking the sealed arch bridge.
A burly Blood Gate knight, clad in heavy armor, stood atop the sealed arch bridge, gazing at the three dragons in the sky.
Rhaegar looked down at the commotion below, finding it somewhat interesting.
"These are Blood Gate knights. Should we greet them first?"
Sitting atop Seasmoke, Laenor inquired gently.
The sky was already darkening, and traveling at night was not an ideal choice. He had decided to accompany Rhaegar and Rhaenyra to visit the Eyrie.
Before Rhaegar could respond, a Blood Gate knight below shouted loudly, "Who seeks passage through the Blood Gate?"
It was one of the knights' duties—to question those attempting to pass through.
Hearing this, Rhaegar chuckled lightly and glanced at the slightly weary Rhaenyra and Laenor before saying, "Since the Blood Gate knights have spoken, it is only proper to respond."
"I'll handle this," Laenor volunteered. He guided Seasmoke to descend slightly and replied, "Rhaegar Targaryen, eldest son of King Viserys I and heir to the Iron Throne."
The knight commander's pupils slightly contracted. Straightening his posture, he continued, "And your companions?"
"Laenor Velaryon, heir to Driftmark and dragonrider," Laenor added with pride.
"I understand. You may pass!"
The knight commander's voice rang out as he gestured for the Blood Gate knights on both cliffs to step back.
Rhaegar found the exchange amusing and said softly, "Let's go. We should reach the Eyrie before nightfall."
Rhaenyra and Laenor followed without hesitation, riding their dragons across the towering Blood Gate.
Since the Age of Heroes, countless armies had perished at this very spot, yet none had ever managed to conquer the Vale.
Except once.
During the Conquest, Queen Visenya had ridden her mighty dragon, Vhagar, effortlessly soaring past the Blood Gate before landing in the Eyrie's gardens.
At the time, the young Lord of the Eyrie was merely a child. He gazed in awe at the enormous dragon descending from the sky and was soon cradled playfully in Queen Visenya's arms.
When his regent mother arrived, she and Queen Visenya exchanged a glance.
No further words were needed.
The Eyrie, along with the entire Vale, bent the knee to Aegon the Conqueror.
As the three dragons soared past the Blood Gate, the fierce wind they stirred howled through the pass.
The knight commander dropped to one knee, pressing a hand to his chest, and once again called out, "The Vale extends its sincerest greetings to you, my prince!"
"The Vale extends its sincerest greetings!"
The rest of the Blood Gate knights knelt as well, offering their heartfelt salute.
Their voices carried on the wind, reaching Rhaegar's ears.
He smiled faintly, pressing his foot against the stirrup and urging Feaster to accelerate.
His mother, Aemma Arryn, hailed from the Eyrie's noble Arryn family.
The entire Vale was, by birthright, Rhaegar's natural ally.
As they passed through the Blood Gate, the mountain terrain grew steeper, the climbing paths narrowing.
Ahead lay the towering peaks of the Mountains of the Moon, culminating in the tallest of them all—the legendary Giant's Lance!
Rhaegar rode Feaster upward in a bold, unrelenting sprint. The thinning air posed no hindrance to his dragon, which sliced through the sky like an unstoppable force.
"Screeeech—"
In the blink of an eye, Feaster broke through the clouds, leaving even Giant's Lance beneath its talons.
The journey through the Vale would bring unexpected twists—ambushes, sieges, dragons, giants, and magic…
Most importantly, progress in matters of the heart.
Jeyne of the Vale would be a key figure.
(End of Chapter)