Three dragons chased each other in the sky, resembling streaks of silver, purple, and black light mixed with wildfire.
Their figures were swift, cheering and crying out in the air. Rhaegar could feel the joy and happiness of the young dragons.
The young dragons fought over roasted meat, priding themselves on flying the highest and performing the most difficult maneuvers.
Dragons had long, slender necks, fine scales, and large wingspans. Legend said these creatures resembled fire, and Rhaegar did not know why.
"Dragonflame!" The three young dragons began to breathe fire, flames of different colors, beautiful as stars in the night sky. The beautiful flames were like crimson flowers.
Rhaegar felt that the Silver Emperor's three dragons were truly gluttonous. Although they weighed less than animals of comparable size, their appetite was enormous, sometimes exceeding their own body weight.
After the young dragons grew tired of playing, they began looking for a place to sleep. The heat from the Purple Empty Nest had almost been completely absorbed by them, so they would need to go to Dragonstone when they had time.
In the night, Rhaegar also received an order from the Red Keep to attend a meeting in the Council Chamber.
The major figures in Kings Landing had very heavy duties. The grand tourney meant excitement, noise, fighting, and chaos, making the limited manpower of the Gold Cloaks appear severely insufficient.
Rhaegar entered the Council Chamber, where King Jaehaerys, Crown Prince Aerys, Duke Munde, Lord Tywin, and others were already waiting.
Rhaegar arrived on horseback, like a silver flame. His silver hair and indigo eyes, his handsome yet rugged appearance, and the scent of blood and fire left on him by war and the military camps, all made him seem dangerous yet captivating.
Lord Tywin looked at Rhaegar, feeling a sense of helplessness. His wife had repeatedly urged him to groom their daughter, Cersei, to become a Queen Consort, but currently, the hope of marrying the youngest and most dazzling dragon of the Targaryen Family seemed too slim. There was only one Silver Prince, and he was far too popular. Everyone wanted the crown, but there was only one crown.
The girls from Dorne and the girls from Storms End both carried dragon blood and were of a more suitable age. Especially the girl from Storms End; it was said that the entire court was very satisfied with her.
"This tourney is to celebrate the tenth anniversary of King Jaehaerys II's ascension to the throne, and even more so, to celebrate the reappearance of dragons. Therefore, the scale must be grand, but we must also maintain order in Kings Landing," Duke Munde spoke first. The Duke had aged somewhat, but his body remained robust.
Everyone nodded. Westeros was currently in a period of peace, with few enemies both internal and external. After the War of the Ninepenny Kings, the Blackfyre family vanished. Furthermore, the Kingdom of the Daughters had fallen apart after the Dance of the Dragons, with the cities viewing each other as enemies. In this environment, hosting a grand tourney to display royal dignity and ceremony was perfect. The only worry was the sheer number of attendees, which would inevitably lead to much chaos.
"The Great Lords confirmed to attend are the Princess of Dorne, the Warden of the East Duke Arryn, his wife, and heir; the Warden of the North Duke Stark, his wife, eldest son, and second son; the Warden of the South Duke Tyrell, his wife, and eldest son Mace; and the Duke and Duchess Tully of the Riverlands and their eldest daughter Catelyn." Crown Prince Aerys announced this major list; he would also serve as the Grand Master of Ceremonies.
This round consisted entirely of the Great Lords of Westeros; other powerful Lords like House Redwyne and House Hightower were temporarily passed over. Crown Prince Aerys felt that things were looking up again. Although he himself was not highly capable, he was the father of a Dragonrider, which was an honor when rounded up. Furthermore, he loved feasts and song-and-dance, which were beautiful things he could not forget.
King Jaehaerys had appointed him and Queen Rhaella as the Grand Masters of Ceremonies, managing the Heralds and compiling the guest list, which was a suitable arrangement.
"There are other points to note. Many of our foreign friends may also be coming, and how to host them is another problem. For example, we must avoid letting people from Lys, Myr, and Tyrosh get too close; they will argue and fight the moment they meet. Furthermore, the people of Braavos, Pentos, and Lorath once formed the Tripartite Alliance and fought wars against the Kingdom of the Daughters," Lord Tywin reminded them. These matters were obvious. The Free Cities lacked a unified power; these nations simply fought amongst themselves. Even the most powerful, Braavos, only intervened to maintain balance and ensure its transcendent status.
Rhaegar shook his head. Aegon the Conqueror choosing not to provoke Essos was the correct decision; no one could simultaneously control nine heads that grew freely and hated one another.
The conversation returned to the subject of dragons. The Small Council's concern was simple: how many more dragon eggs could be hatched.
But the answer left them frustrated: the other dragon eggs had not yet hatched. Even though King Jaehaerys had sent people to place dragon eggs beside his two other grandsons, the eggs showed no reaction.
Rhaegar also found it strange. According to later historical accounts, only Daenerys hatched dragons, but in reality, there were far more dragon eggs and people with dragon blood in the world. Several Targaryen Family dragon eggs had gone missing, and besides Daenerys, there were many wild Dragonseeds.
Perhaps only Daenerys had a strong Dragonlord bloodline, or perhaps the hatching of the three dragons was merely a coincidence that had not yet triggered a greater Magic Tide, preventing the other dragon eggs from hatching.
If King Jaehaerys had not personally witnessed Rhaegar's three dragons, he would have had no interest in the Return of the Demon Dragons. His own father had died at Summer Hall due to the fervent pursuit of the Return of the Demon Dragons.
But Rhaegar had already hatched dragons, representing another great historical opportunity, which the Dragonlord family highly valued.
"In other words, we currently only possess three dragons? And they are all young dragons?" Duke Munde frowned and said. Having dragons was certainly good, but they needed to be protected. Young dragons' combat effectiveness was still very weak; they were too small, and their temperaments were unstable. Dragonriders found it difficult to control hatchlings and young dragons. Right now, it was more like people had to protect the dragons.
"Lord Munde, these are the last three dragons in the world. We have all seen them; they are full of vitality and grow faster every day. Especially the silver one—it is the fiercest and the largest. Once they mature, they will be the powerful aerial overlords of this age. The Prince's three dragons are different from the last dragons of a hundred years ago, which were born sickly and looked as if they were about to die. These three dragons are all full of vitality and wildness," Lord Tywin added.
"But Prince Rhaegar owns all three dragons himself. Excluding the Silver Dragon, will the others accept different masters?" Duke Munde asked.
"I'm afraid it's unlikely. The three dragons hatched together; they are friends and difficult to separate." Rhaegar shook his head. The three young dragons truly acted like a three-headed dragon; they fought and competed with each other, but they are intimate partners, and no one can separate them. Moreover, they only obeyed Rhaegar. If Rhaegar had a wife and children, perhaps they would grow close to them?
Duke Munde and the others exchanged glances. These were currently the last dragons and the last Dragonrider, all extremely precious. Especially Prince Rhaegar; no amount of protection would be too much.
"We must properly protect the only three dragons we currently have," King Jaehaerys said. "Furthermore, we still possess many dragon eggs and two young princes—this is an enormous strategic resource for the future."
In Kings Landing, the tourney was about to commence, and colorful banners fluttered over the Dragonpit.
Black Banners with Red Dragons, Silver Seahorses, Roaring Lions, Crowned Stags, Ice Field Snow Wolves, and more.
Common spectators and Lords from home and abroad gathered here, not just for the grand tourney, but because the dragons were returning.
The crowd's attention was focused on an area that had not yet been opened—Prince Rhaegar's military camp, where rumors claimed the dragons resided. Although the people of Kings Landing had heard countless stories of dragons, the appearance of a true dragon was still exciting.
Prince Rhaegar led his soldiers out of the camp and signaled to the crowd.
The soldiers all wore black scale armor, standing gallantly beneath banners symmetrically displaying the Black Banner, Red Dragon and the Red Hawk.
Whistling sounds began to appear in the air. Three dragons circled up from the Prince's military camp, then landed steadily in front of Prince Rhaegar.
The Demon Dragons spread their leathery wings, and people could even see the chaotic swirl of wind.
People held their breath, looking at the three proud Demon Dragons before them—silver, black, and purple—which could be called the most magnificent creatures in the world.
Although they were only the size of small calves, based on a dragon's growth rate, these three dragons were continuously strengthening and would soon usher in the Return of the Demon Dragons. Especially the largest one, the Silver Dragon, which appeared even more robust.
"Dragonflame!" Rhaegar gave the command. The three dragons circled up and flew again. The young dragons spread their wings, raised their necks high, and various colored flames appeared in the sky, as if presenting a beautiful fireworks display for the tourney.
The Targaryen Family once conquered Westeros with three Demon Dragons, and now, three Demon Dragons have returned!
The Black Banner with the Red Dragon fluttered high, and the Red Dragon seemed to come alive.
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