While Viserys was planning to expand the family,
At Vaelarys' Black Keep.
This palace still bears a distinct Valyrian style, though it is much smaller in scale compared to the purple palace at Summerfield. Within the walls, there is only one somewhat square-shaped black stone palace. However, the pointed round towers at the four corners and the central tower of the palace clearly reflect the classic Valyrian architectural style. Aside from the central tower's pointed circular courtyard, the black walls also enclose a carefully arranged garden and fountain. The only thing that feels out of place is the massive dragon pit.
But for the dragonlord families, especially the current ones, the comfort of dragons is far more important than where humans reside.
A black dragon skimmed low over the sea, its claws precisely plunging into the water. The sharp talons sliced through the scales of a fish larger than a human as effortlessly as a hot knife through butter.
A melodic roar echoed over Blackwater Bay. After letting out a pleased cry, Starsong deftly tossed the large fish into the air. A burst of silver-gold dragonfire engulfed the fish, allowing Starsong to chomp down and swallow it whole. Rhaegor clung tightly to Starsong's back.
There was no dragon saddle.
The boy could only grip Starsong's dorsal spines tightly to avoid falling off. Starsong, aware that its partner was as young and inexperienced as itself, carefully adjusted its posture to prevent accidentally throwing the boy off, despite being told by the terrifying little "kin" and Vermithor before takeoff that this was a training exercise for emergency dragon-riding techniques.
After circling over the sea, Starsong gently landed outside the dragon pit. It was clear that neither Candlelight nor Vermithor was satisfied with the somewhat cramped pit. Candlelight lazily lounged at the edge of the pit, while Vermithor wasn't even inside.
It had settled on the platform atop the palace, its massive body occupying almost the entire space except for the central pointed circular courtyard. It was now sound asleep.
Though Vermithor had been "baptized" by the abundant magic in the ruins of Valyria, as a century-old dragon, it had gradually grown lazier. Spending entire days sleeping on the palace's rooftop platform had become its usual routine.
Starsong crawled forward a few steps. Seeing Starsong land, Candlelight lazily roared at it, its large eyes narrowing before it went back to resting.
Rhaegor, his legs trembling slightly, climbed down from the dragon's back and hugged Starsong's head. "Thank you, Starsong."
Starsong snorted and gently nudged Rhaegor with its nose before slowly crawling to the other side of Candlelight.
Rhaegor tried to steady his shaky legs and walked over to Draezell, who had been waiting nearby.
"Father, I discovered a trick," Rhaegor said, barely containing his excitement. Seeing that Draezell didn't respond, he confidently continued, "Starsong's dorsal spines have a noticeable extension at the spot where I usually ride. The corresponding spines there are harder than the others. I realized I can use those two spines to secure myself without needing a dragon saddle."
Draezell nodded, patting his son's head with pride. "The family's archives have lost the section on the origins of dragons, but I've told you before that the Valyrians likely modified both themselves and the dragons physically during the process of taming them. The spines you feel, which help you stay secure, were left by the dragons for humans to use in taming."
Though pleased that his guess was correct, Rhaegor quickly began deeper calculations. "But holding onto two spines won't work for prolonged battles. If it's a dragon duel and the dragon makes particularly intense movements during close combat, I could still be thrown off. If it's a duel against Candlelight..." Rhaegor glanced at Candlelight.
Candlelight seemed to sense someone watching it. Its large, watery eyes suddenly opened, darting around before settling on Rhaegor. After confirming it was just him, it relaxed and closed its eyes again.
"Candlelight's tentacles are a big problem. After getting Candlelight's permission, Samara and I tested it. Neither regular blades nor Starsong's dragon teeth could harm Candlelight's tentacles. It seems the same goes for Hovendes' whiskers. If I encounter an opponent like Candlelight in a dragon duel, and those things directly attack the rider..."
Rhaegor shuddered. He realized that a dragon as bizarre-looking as Candlelight posed a significant threat to more conventionally shaped dragons.
"It's good that you're thinking about these things," Draezell said with a smile. "In a dragon duel, it's about the dragon's combat ability and the bond between rider and dragon. If the bond is strong enough, your dragon will protect you from many external threats, like Candlelight's tentacles. Of course, your dragon would need to be larger than Candlelight for that."
Rhaegor lowered his head, realizing this was true.
"Father, aside from dragon duels and daily studies, what else should I be doing?"
Draezell thought for a moment, then handed Rhaegor a piece of parchment filled with notes.
The parchment contained nothing unusual, simply outlining what Rhaegor needed to learn.
First, it was straightforward: memorize the sigils, their variants, and the general genealogies of the noble houses of Westeros. This was a standard requirement for noble youths. However, Draezell's version included not only the native nobles of Westeros but also the Rogare, the newly enfeoffed nobles under Draezell, and the families behind the Black Walls of Volantis who claimed descent from Valyria dragonlords.
Draezell didn't trust that they had given up their ambitions. Of course, given his understanding of bloodlines, Draezell doubted that most of them would ever gain the recognition of dragons, though he worried a lucky few might. Still, as his heir, Rhaegor naturally needed to understand these old rivals.
Second, there were the gifts from Rey and Tigarro, which included knowledge of interpersonal relationships, methods for dealing with schemes and plots, and a general overview of poisons and medicine. As Draezell's eldest son and one whose blood had been purified through blood magic, Rhaegor's resistance to disease far surpassed that of others. However, he wasn't nearly as immune to illness and poison as Draezell, so he still needed to study these subjects. Of course, Draezell wouldn't let his son face such dangers unprepared. He had crafted a simple blood magic ring for Rhaegor that could neutralize most toxins, rendering the majority of poisons ineffective against him.
Third, Rhaegor was to study a wide range of historical tales, myths, legends, and religious knowledge. From the distant lands of Yi Ti and Asshai to Westeros, Rhaegor was to read through the historical texts collected by House Vaelarys at least once.
History often hides secrets. And secrets can ferment into something extraordinary.
While studying history, Rhaegor was also expected to become proficient in six languages: the Common Tongue, High Valyrian, dialectal Valyrian, Dothraki, and ancient Valyrian, to prepare for any eventuality.
Fourth, and most importantly, was what Draezell would personally teach his son:
Dragons, and magic.