Late at night, Dragon's Nest.
The dragons in the dragon caves of Dragon's Nest were known for their distinct personalities. Some preferred to stay in their nests for months without moving, while others loved flying around aimlessly. As a result, the latter were entrusted with the task of patrolling the territory.
On most occasions, the most active dragon, Sendros, wasn't around, leaving this task to be taken over by Shadowmare.
The skeletal black dragon silently spread its wings in the darkness, blocking the moonlight. The massive dragon soared over the towering spires of Dragon's Nest, gliding past the well-lit Summerfield, silently passing over the southern mountains, and eventually landing atop the Twin Sons Tower.
Once, this tower could comfortably hold it, along with Vermithor, Stormcloud, and Arrax, but now, even landing was a challenge. Shadowmare had to be cautious, avoiding spots that might collapse under its weight. Rey was already waiting at the top.
Among the three brothers, only Valar had aged noticeably. Draezell still looked like a man in his thirties or forties, and Rey was even more remarkable, rarely growing facial hair and showing no wrinkles at all. People knew, however, that this young, kindly-looking man was far more terrifying than his divine-looking older brother.
Because he truly could be ruthless.
Unreliable sources suggested that the fall of Oldtown might have some unspoken connection to him. Likewise, the profits gained by Vaelarys during the Stepstones War and the fact that House Baratheon hadn't fully achieved its original goals seemed to have been influenced by this key member of the Vaelarys family.
"Roar~" Shadowmare let out a comfortable roar, stretching its head towards Rey's outstretched hand, allowing its old companion to stroke its bony head.
Rey understood the meaning behind the roar.
Old friend, everything's calm in the territory tonight. But there seems to be the scent of another dragon around, though I'm not sure which one.
"It doesn't matter which one, old friend," Rey said, resting his head against the dragon's.
Just then, Shadowmare suddenly looked alertly at the sky.
In the distance, a golden-yellow dragon silhouette quietly slid out from the darkness.
Syrax immediately noticed Shadowmare, and the massive golden beast was about to roar, but was gently restrained by Prince Aegon.
"Syrax, calm down. The dragons here are more vicious than those in the dragon caves."
Syrax decisively swallowed the roar it was about to unleash, flapping its wings to increase its speed.
Shadowmare coldly watched as Syrax grew closer, then turned and took off, watching as Syrax carefully flew a loop and landed atop the Twin Sons Tower.
Shadowmare was now much larger than Syrax, and its bony, terrifying appearance made Syrax cautious, causing the golden dragon to curl up slightly when it landed.
Prince Aegon dismounted swiftly from his saddle, respectfully bowing to Rey.
Rey watched as Prince Aegon neatly completed the standard greeting ritual and glanced at Syrax before speaking, "Prince Aegon, if I'm not mistaken, didn't King Viserys assign you to the mission to Braavos?"
"Yes, Your Highness," Prince Aegon took a deep breath, realizing that facing this daunting great-uncle—or should it be this generation's uncle?—was no easy task.
"But I don't trust myself," Prince Aegon said sincerely. He wasn't unfamiliar with Rey's gaze, for Viserys had looked at him in the same way.
Wait, no.
Prince Aegon's alertness spiked. He knew well how others saw him. Normally, people would look at him like they did to Aemon and the others, or like uninformed outsiders who thought him an irredeemable libertine, a carefree and irresponsible young man unable to control his desires. Their gaze would be one of disdain, contempt, or even hostility.
But Rey and Viserys didn't look at him that way. Their eyes were curious about his next move, with a hint of frustration as if they wished he would do better. After all, Viserys knew him best, understanding exactly who he was.
But Rey had never really interacted with him.
Still, Rey didn't seem to harbor much frustration. His gaze was more one of curiosity, mixed with a hint of caution.
It seemed the intelligence reports had been accurate. Rey had also sensed the brief moment of wariness in Prince Aegon's demeanor. This made Rey raise the evaluation of the information gathered by Tigarro and Hegon considerably in his mind.
It seemed the older brother's old companions were reliable.
Prince Aegon was definitely not as much of a libertine as he appeared on the surface. At the very least, the man the public saw was not the same as the real Aegon.
However… perhaps the difference wasn't as great as Hegon had estimated.
After all, in that lad's assessment, Prince Aegon used his lustful reputation as a cover while secretly working on important matters. But after reviewing all the intelligence, Rey could only conclude that the boy was still too young. He had mistaken some of Prince Aemon's, Prince Illyon's, and especially Prince Viserys's clean-up efforts as being Aegon's doing.
That would obviously lead to problems.
"Your Highness, I would like to request an audience with Prince Draezell," Prince Aegon said respectfully. "Would you be willing to announce me?"
"My brother is already asleep," Rey shook his head. Since turning sixty, Draezell had grown fond of sleeping, much like Vermithor. And ever since Diana had begun to show signs of fatigue, Draezell cherished even more the warm hours spent with his wife on their velvet bed.
The children needed proper rest too.
Which was why the lights in the top chambers of the Silverblood Tower were often extinguished early in the evening.
"This…" Prince Aegon was momentarily stunned, countless thoughts flashing through his mind.
He hesitated—should he just tell Rey directly what he intended?
Forget it. Let it be for the sake of the family, to be worthy of his blood, and for Daeron's sake.
"Your Highness, may I speak frankly?" Prince Aegon looked sincerely at Rey. Rey could see the determination and honesty in his eyes.
There was at least some promise in this boy.
"I can restrain myself in Braavos—I won't go looking for women. I can also control Syrax, make her stop laying eggs. But I can't guarantee I won't fall victim to Braavosi schemes," Prince Aegon laid it all out plainly.
Rey tilted his head and raised a finger.
"I can offer you a few suggestions," he said as he looked at the prince. "Lys has a slow-acting poison that can kill your seed. As long as the dosage isn't too high, it won't affect your daily life or seriously harm your future offspring."
He saw the sudden gleam in Prince Aegon's eyes.
"But no one knows if too low a dose will render it ineffective, and no one knows exactly how long the effects will last."
Rey raised a second finger.
"You have a dragon. Use it to show the Braavosi the price of coveting a true dragon's offspring. Remind them how their ancestors once fled in terror."
Rey chuckled and looked between the prince's legs. "Or you can just find an excuse not to enter Braavos City at all. Then you won't have to worry."
"I can accept any consequence," Prince Aegon replied without hesitation after only a moment's pause. "So long as it doesn't harm the family's interests."