From afar, Rhaegar gazed at the ruins of Harrenhal's towers and chuckled lightly. "That's right. That's the Hand of the King's castle. I've visited a few times."
Harrenhal was located in the heart of the Riverlands, ruling over fertile lands.
He had a good relationship with old Tully of Riverrun. Whenever he passed by Harrenhal, he would sometimes stop for a night's rest.
"Are we going to visit?"
Helena tilted her small head, her voice soft and gentle.
She had never traveled far from home before.
Rhaegar ruffled her hair and smiled as he declined. "Dreamfyre caused quite a commotion. We need to return to King's Landing first."
"Oh."
Helena nodded, but her big eyes remained fixed on Harrenhal.
Harrenhal covered a vast area.
It had five towering keeps.
Even though Balerion had melted parts of them, they were still taller than most castles.
From the Isle of Faces, the siblings could make out Harrenhal's silhouette in the distance.
"Fire."
Helena's expression turned solemn as she murmured a single word.
Rhaegar hadn't noticed anything amiss yet. "What?"
Helena stared blankly ahead, whispering, "The warhorses are charging."
"Helena, can you hear me?"
Rhaegar crouched down and waved a hand in front of her face.
Only then did he realize something was off.
The little girl had once again fallen into one of her strange trances, speaking words with a prophetic edge.
Helena blinked twice and looked confused. "Brother, I can hear you."
Rhaegar placed his hands on her shoulders and asked gently, "What exactly did you see just now?"
"I don't remember."
Helena looked innocent, tilting her head in puzzlement.
Rhaegar pulled her into an embrace, speaking softly. "It's okay. If you forgot, you forgot."
Helena rested her chin on his shoulder, muttering a sleepy "Oh."
Over the years, most of Helena's prophecies had been forgotten.
Perhaps it was her brain's way of protecting itself, preventing an overload of visions from overwhelming her mind.
Lifting her up in his arms, Rhaegar said, "Let's go. We're heading back to King's Landing."
Helena nodded quietly.
Dreamfyre had finished drinking from the lake and lay on the shore, lazily swishing her tail.
"Brother, I want to ride Dreamfyre."
Helena's big eyes stared intently at the dragon.
Rhaegar frowned. "Are you sure? Dreamfyre doesn't have a saddle yet."
"Mhm. I won't fall off."
Helena puffed out her chest with confidence.
She wanted to ride her dragon back to King's Landing herself, letting everyone see that she was a dragonrider.
"Alright. Hold tight to the back scales and communicate with Dreamfyre as much as possible."
Rhaegar chose to trust her.
All Targaryen children had to tame their dragons.
A saddle was just a tool—it wasn't a necessity.
When he was six years old, he had ridden Gluttonous without a saddle and flown across the world just fine.
"Brother, wait for me to take off first, then follow me."
Helena wriggled out of his embrace, jumped to the ground, and ran toward Dreamfyre.
"Screech…"
Dreamfyre let out a sharp cry, her slit-pupiled eyes locking onto her rider as she waited.
Helena stepped onto one of the dragon's wings and nimbly climbed onto her back.
"Dreamfyre, let's go."
Sitting astride the dragon, Helena put on a serious expression and gave the command.
Dreamfyre rose, shaking herself off, then flapped her wings powerfully and slowly lifted into the air.
However, instead of heading toward King's Landing, Dreamfyre circled around the Isle of Faces.
Even after decades, she still remembered the place she had lived for so many years—Harrenhal and the lake beside it.
She wasn't done playing yet.
Lying on the dragon's back, Helena pouted as she realized Dreamfyre wasn't listening to her.
Below, Rhaegar mounted Gluttonous, ready to intervene if necessary.
It was normal for a dragon that had been imprisoned for decades to be disobedient at first.
A good scolding from Gluttonous would set her straight.
Suddenly, he heard an angry shout.
"Dreamfyre, either you listen to me, or you throw me off and let me smash into pieces!"
Looking up, he saw Helena had somehow made her way to the top of Dreamfyre's head, gripping one of her horns and yelling furiously.
Her tiny face was flushed red with anger.
"Screech…"
Dreamfyre twisted in irritation, nearly tossing Helena off.
But Helena didn't scream. Instead, she shouted even louder.
"Dreamfyre, obey my command!"
Climbing back onto the dragon's back, she showed no fear.
With sheer determination, she set out to tame her disobedient dragon.
"Screech…"
**Dreamfyre let out a cry, reluctantly adjusting its course and flying toward King's Landing.**
Helena immediately laughed with joy, hugging the dragon's horn and rubbing her cheek against it.
Rhaegar, witnessing the scene, chuckled and said, "Glutton, let's follow them."
"Roar…"
Glutton let out a low growl, its hind claws carving a distinct mark into the ground before it spread its wings and took off.
Rhaegar's gaze flickered with curiosity—it was the first time he had noticed that Glutton had a habit of leaving markings.
---
**King's Landing, Red Keep.**
Alicent found her husband, her face filled with worry. "Viserys, Helena was taken away by that blue dragon."
Viserys pulled her into an embrace, comforting her. "Don't worry. Helena has been interacting with Dreamfyre for a while now—she's probably managed to tame it."
"That dragon has a violent temper. Rhaegar was injured by it before."
Alicent leaned against her husband, anxiety written all over her face.
She wasn't a Targaryen, having been deeply influenced by the Citadel of Oldtown and the Faith of the Seven.
There was an instinctive fear of dragons within her.
"Rhaegar went after her—he'll protect his sister."
Viserys smiled, full of confidence in his eldest son's abilities.
That massive black dragon, Glutton, was incredibly fierce—so much so that even the dragons in the Dragonpit feared it.
Dreamfyre wouldn't dare act recklessly.
Alicent still looked troubled, burying her head in her husband's chest.
She had severed ties with her father.
In this vast city, her husband was the only one she could rely on.
The two remained in each other's arms as time slowly passed.
Suddenly—
**"Screech—"**
A dragon's roar echoed across the sky above King's Landing, resounding through more than half the city.
Alicent quickly pulled away from Viserys' embrace and rushed to the window.
The sky was a brilliant blue, with white clouds drifting lazily.
A black dragon and a blue dragon weaved through the clouds, chasing each other as if engaged in an elegant dance.
Dreamfyre's vertical pupils were filled with vigilance as it abruptly dove, heading straight for the Dragonpit built upon the hills.
Glutton circled high above, its massive shadow covering the land below.
**"The Seven bless us, my child has returned."**
Seeing Dreamfyre land safely in the Dragonpit, Alicent clasped her hands together and whispered a prayer.
---
**That evening,**
Viserys held a celebratory feast.
It was in honor of his youngest daughter successfully taming her dragon.
---
**The next day,**
A court session was held in the throne room.
The members of the Small Council gathered.
Queen Alicent and Duchess Jeyne were also present.
Additionally, Rhaegar and his siblings attended—Helena, Aemond, and Daeron.
The Small Council, led by Lyonel, stood on the left side of the hall.
Rhaegar and Rhaenyra, along with their three younger siblings, stood on the right.
Alicent and Jeyne stood beside Rhaenyra.
Once everyone had arrived, Ser Steffon Darklyn of the Kingsguard announced loudly, "The envoy from Dorne seeks an audience!"
As the doors swung open, Ser Settle Dayne strode confidently into the hall.
His first glance was toward King Viserys on the Iron Throne, and he bowed respectfully. "Your Grace."
Then, he gave a slight nod to Alicent. "Your Majesty, the Queen."
However, his gaze lingered on the children surrounding Rhaegar.
Helena bit her lower lip, her eyes filled with hostility.
Aemond looked a little nervous, lacking confidence, and instinctively stepped in front of his sister.
Daeron, the youngest, was still just a small child.
He hid behind Rhaegar, peeking out curiously.
Sitting atop the throne, Viserys observed everything, feeling both comforted and guilty over his children's unity.
After clearing his throat, he spoke. "Lyonel, you may announce the decision."
"Yes, Your Grace."
Lyonel straightened his back, his large belly protruding as he declared proudly, "Envoy, the King refuses to wed the Princess away."
Settle furrowed his brows. "Why? A marriage alliance would bring peace and benefit both sides."
"Princess Helena successfully tamed a dragon yesterday and requested that His Grace not send her far away to Dorne."
Lyonel's tone was firm. "His Grace is a merciful and benevolent ruler. The Princess will remain in King's Landing, where she can enjoy the love of her parents and siblings."
This was the reasoning that Rhaegar had devised for Helena.
A Targaryen with a dragon and one without were two entirely different things.
Now that Helena had tamed Dreamfyre, her personal value had skyrocketed.
If she didn't wish to leave, she could simply fly away on her dragon—no one could force her.
Settle's expression darkened as he rejected the excuse. "A marriage alliance is a matter between two kingdoms. How can it be dismissed for personal reasons?"
The Targaryens had two princesses.
The eldest princess held an exalted status—if she refused a political marriage, it was understandable.
But the youngest princess was still so young, and yet she, too, was rejecting the proposal.
Were Targaryen princesses truly so superior that they could ignore Dorne's honor?
Was this not a direct insult to Prince Qoren Martell?
Hearing this, Rhaegar stepped forward, smiling. "Envoy, I hear that Prince Qoren has a daughter?"
Settle's eyes flickered. "Yes, Princess Aliandra just turned three."
"What a wonderful name—she will surely grow into a beauty."
Rhaegar complimented before changing the topic. "If Prince Qoren is truly sincere about forming an alliance, why not have his daughter wed into House Targaryen instead?"
"Prince, Princess Aliandra is only three years old!"
Settle did not appreciate the suggestion.
Rhaegar, unfazed, shrugged. "That's fine. They can be betrothed first and wed when she comes of age."
Settle let out a cold chuckle, sizing Rhaegar up with a mocking expression. "You're already thirteen. Can you really wait ten years?"
After all, women typically reached maturity at around thirteen.
At that time, only then could one marry and have children.
"No! I think you've misunderstood."
Rhaegar said calmly, "Princess Arianne is still young, just the right age to match with one of my younger brothers."
As he spoke, he pulled the bewildered Aemond and the hesitant Daeron from behind him, pushing them forward.
"Br...Brother..."
Aemond's face instantly flushed red, completely at a loss.
He hadn't expected that merely watching the situation unfold would result in him being dragged into it.
Rhaegar glanced at him sideways and said sternly, "Straighten your back. Show the envoy the royal demeanor. Who knows, you might just have the fortune to marry a Dornish princess."
Aemond's expression turned bitter, but he obediently stood tall and lifted his head.
He didn't dare to argue with his older brother.
Rhaegar ignored his reluctance as if he didn't see it.
After all, isn't that what younger brothers are for? When I don't want to do something, I make them do it instead.
Aegon was already sent to the Stepstones.
Aemond and Daeron should be put to good use as well.
These were all "political assets" that his "kind" stepmother, Alicent, had prepared for him.
*(End of Chapter)*