The wedding, which had drawn blood but taken no lives, had passed a month ago. Dragon's Nest had once again returned to its peaceful daily routine.
Dragon's Nest, the Dragonpit, the nursery.
Viserys crouched sneakily outside the greenhouse's glass doors, pulling Lady Larra along with him, while Aegon stood beside them, looking exasperated. Viserys glanced at Larra, who was intently watching Aegarax inside the nursery, and quickly shuffled over to Aegon's side.
"Aegon, you're sure Zarafax isn't in the nursery right now?"
Aegon gave his younger brother a look that said there's no hope for you, or for your dragon. "I'm sure, I'm sure. I specifically had Yamor take it to another nursery."
Only then did Viserys let out a long breath of relief and sneak back beside Larra.
"So this is a dragon?" Though Larra had seen dragons before, this was the first time she had observed one at such close range. Her eyes reflected Aegarax's pale yellow, almost crystal-like scales and body. For a moment, she was utterly mesmerized, staring blankly as the sturdy little dragon rubbed its head with its leg, lazily crawling around as if searching for something. When it realized it was the only dragon in the nursery, it even let out a soft whimper—but the people outside couldn't hear it.
"Lady Larra, come on in." Viserys put on his best bright and confident smile, then proudly opened the bronze doors to the nursery, carefully leading Larra inside. As they stepped in, Aegarax immediately turned its wary gaze toward them, but upon recognizing Viserys, it quickly scuttled over, letting out a few soft cries.
Viserys translated the meaning of Aegarax's cries in his mind and couldn't help but shiver. Its message was simple—though hard to put into words.
"Where is my blue gemstone companion? I miss them."
Larra, however, remained entranced, her gaze still fixed on Aegarax's crystalline body. Seeing this, Viserys's enthusiasm surged, and he switched to High Valyrian: "Aegarax, come."
The small dragon cast a wary glance at Viserys, then at Larra, and seemed to understand something. It shot Viserys a sideways look but still slowly crawled forward.
"Lady Larra, you can touch it." Viserys reached out to stroke Aegarax's head, speaking in High Valyrian once more. "Aegarax, behave. Don't resist. She means no harm."
"Can I?" Larra asked hesitantly.
Viserys nodded, continuing to stroke Aegarax's head. The dragon let out another soft cry.
Viserys instantly understood what it meant: Fine, you can touch me—but bring Zarafax back soon. He even felt a hint of disdain from the dragon.
That made Viserys laugh in exasperation. You little sycophant, how dare you look down on me? But he didn't show any emotion on his face. Instead, he simply smiled and signaled for Aegarax to come a little closer.
Seeing that its request had been granted, Aegarax obediently stretched its thick, short neck forward, allowing Larra to gently place her hand on it.
The sensation was remarkable—it was like touching real crystal. A faint warmth seeped through the small dragon's scales, making it feel cozy and pleasant to the touch.
For a moment, Larra didn't even know how to describe her feelings. She only knew that her whole body felt warm, and for some reason, touching her fiancé's dragon filled her with pride and excitement. Aegarax, in turn, lifted its head obediently, allowing her to stroke more of its body.
Meanwhile, standing outside the door, Aegon couldn't help but cover his face.
Seven save us, what am I even witnessing? If their father found out about this… Aegon rubbed his teeth together in discomfort. Though he had done the same thing with Samantha before, it was different—they had both owned dragons. Viserys, however… well, there was nothing more to say. And as for Aegarax—it truly was a dragon that had hatched from Viserys's egg.
But Draezell knew none of this. He had already taken Rhaegor along with him to visit a large Silverblood estate. This estate was located in the Reach, on lands directly governed by House Vaelarys, and was the first Silverblood estate established in the region.
The estate was vast. A small river flowed gently past its farmland, where fields had already been cultivated—endless golden wheat stretched as far as the eye could see. Only by riding a dragon high in the sky could one truly appreciate the sheer scale of the farmland owned by the Silverblood estate.
A long stone wall enclosed the estate's farmland, pastures, and buildings, protecting everything within. Several tall towers were built along the wall, each with a sharp-eyed boy or girl standing watch. Inside the wall, well-constructed houses stood in stark contrast to the mud huts outside. The people within were better dressed—some had silver hair, others golden, while black-haired individuals moved in and out of the estate.
Just beyond the wall, a sizable marketplace had been set up with numerous stalls, suggesting that the nearby villages treated this place as an important trade hub.
At the center of the estate stood five longhouses with stables, along with a solidly built stone house—clear evidence that the estate was home to five armored and mounted Silverblood cavalrymen, as well as a Silverblood officer currently in service.
There was also a small sept within the estate. A brown-robed septon was struggling to hang clothes out to dry in front of it. Next to the sept, fields of radishes and grapes had been planted, though their intended purpose was unclear.
"Harald, what are you looking at?"
A middle-aged man with a limp waved his hand impatiently in front of the silver-haired stall owner, who was staring blankly at the sky. His tone was slightly irritated. "Are you still doing business or not?"
"Three copper pennies. Take the sausages and go," the silver-haired vendor replied absentmindedly, waving his hand dismissively while keeping his gaze fixed upward.
"What is it?" The limping man eyed his old companion curiously. Indeed, he and Harald had once served in the Silverblood Army together—he as an infantryman, while Harald had been a crossbowman. It was said that during the Battle of the Valley of Flowers, Harald had killed a Reach knight with a single shot.
"I think I just saw a dragon," Harald murmured, still in a daze. Then he added, "Hey, old cripple, leave the money before you go."
"Bah, don't spout nonsense in front of me," the crippled man scoffed, tossing three copper pennies onto the stall. "I know you've got sharp eyes—otherwise, I would've been the one chosen as a crossbowman back then. But a dragon coming here? Have you gone mad waiting to see His Highness? Stop dreaming. We should be grateful if the officers even glance our way."
Before he could finish his sentence—
A dragon's roar echoed from the sky, shaking the entire estate.