Year 160 After the Conquest.
The long summer still had not ended. Heavy stores of grain overflowed in warehouses across the realm, and the bountiful harvests had driven prices down to staggering lows. Even in the North, the cost of a pound of grain was less than half what it had been twenty years prior. The older generation was slowly fading, and the new one was steadily rising. With the passing of Jason Lannister, Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, and Borros Baratheon, who had closed his eyes amid the honor of conquering the Stepstones, only two of the elder Great Lords who had once taken part in the Dance of the Dragons remained: Lord Cregan Stark of the North, and Dalton Greyjoy of the Iron Islands.
That year, Draezell was fifty-four, Rhaegor thirty-four, King Aegon forty, and Prince Viserys thirty-eight.
Two years earlier, King Aegon had recalled Viserys and named him his Hand. Viserys returned to King's Landing with his eldest son, the twenty-one-year-old Aegon the Younger—not out of any great affection for the boy, but rather because the lad seemed overly fond of the activity of procreation. By the age of twenty-one, he had already sired at least three bastards in Oldtown. Though Viserys was privately ambiguous on the matter, he still worked publicly to clean up his son's messes. That same year, Aegon the Younger was betrothed to the eight-year-old Rhaenya Targaryen. While Queen Samantha privately disagreed with the match—she would have preferred Rhaenya marry her younger brothers, Jacaerys Vaelarys or Dan Vaelarys—she voiced no public objection. Thus, the betrothal ceremony proceeded smoothly.
That same year, Queen Samantha gave birth to a remarkably beautiful daughter named Elenna Targaryen. As she grew, she became so stunning that even Seryna Vaelarys, who came to visit her sister, could not help but exclaim in awe. Seryna, the third daughter of House Vaelarys and famed as the "Light of the Borderlands", found herself unable to look away. Elenna had striking violet eyes and platinum hair streaked with a pure strand of gold. Combined with her fair skin, she was already beautiful as an infant.
By the year 160 AC, the children of House Vaelarys were beginning to take on their adult responsibilities.
Draezell's second son, the twenty-one-year-old Jacaerys Vaelarys, had successfully bonded with the great dragon Skyfire three years prior—a dragon that had responded to his birth. That same year, Draezell chose a bride for him: Helena Rondell, daughter of Aslan Rondell, a brave and agile silver-haired girl. Though Helena, who loved riding and hunting, formed a deep bond—or perhaps love—with Jacaerys, they had yet to produce an heir.
Draezell's second daughter, twenty-eight-year-old Seryna Vaelarys—the famed "Light of the Borderlands"—married Orion Vaelarys, the nineteen-year-old eldest son of Rey. In 158 AC, they bore the second child of the third generation of House Vaelarys. This time, Seryna's honey-colored hair did not pass on to the child. She and Orion named their eldest son after a prominent figure in the family: Lord Sebastian Pyrebane, Lord of Starshuttle and The Golden Finger.
Orion Vaelarys, the year his child was born, bonded with his dragon—Hovendes.
Sebastian Vaelarys became the first male of House Vaelarys's third generation. However, the boy was born even weaker than Rhaegon. Were it not for Draezell's protection, he might have perished shortly after birth.
According to Maester Evens, who succeeded the late Maester Visari and the deceased Shadowbinder Zesar, the child's frailty may have been caused by an overabundance of dragonblood. But there was no definitive evidence—only speculation.
Draezell's third son, nineteen-year-old Dan Vaelarys, was betrothed to fifteen-year-old Valenna Vaelarys. Dan intended to marry her formally after taming Sendros, his chosen dragon. However, Sendros was far from gentle like its siblings. When Dan attempted to tame it at age sixteen, the ferocious beast attacked him outright.
Fortunately, before Sendros could unleash its fury, it was swiftly stopped by Starsong and Shadowmare, who had been overseeing the attempt. The bonding was thus aborted.
And so the matter had been delayed for several years.
Sixteen-year-old Jeyne Vaelarys had married Prince Daeron Targaryen two years ago. Despite Viserys's objections, King Aegon insisted Daeron come to Dragon's Nest to serve as Draezell's foster son and squire to Rhaegor.
Dragon's Nest welcomed him warmly.
But Viserys was privately displeased with the marriage—especially because Jeyne Vaelarys had no dragon. Rhaegor had prepared two options for his sister: the Blood Princess or a dragon egg.
Jeyne chose neither. While she enjoyed visiting the dragon pit and hatcheries, she had no interest in taming or riding a dragon.
In the year 160 AC, Dragon's Nest stood proud.
Now the second-largest castle in the Seven Kingdoms, the passage of time only made its grandeur more apparent. Its facilities continued to improve, offering House Vaelarys's members a life of comfort.
Summerfield had officially become the third-largest city in the realm—behind King's Landing and Silvercrown. Oldtown, though once again flourishing, had to settle for fourth place.
Children in the Violet Palace of House Vaelarys came and went in waves. But one thing remained unchanged: these children were the future lords and leaders of their House.
Dragon's Nest. The Silverblood Tower. The Hall of Shadows.
This hall was dim and enclosed, designed specifically for the "Shadow Finger", one of the Five Fingers of House Vaelarys. Here, the Shadow Finger oversaw the family's vast intelligence network, offering Draezell a thousand-and-one eyes.
"Long time no see, Hegon. How is Lord Tigarro?" Rhaegon Kaon asked with a bright smile, seated beside Hegon Dargaleon. Draezell now rarely dealt with administrative affairs, leaving most duties to Rhaegor. The Five Fingers, too, had retreated into the background, with only Sebastian Pyrebane and Hoffa Lawkeeper remaining active in the Council of Five Fingers.
The current Five Fingers of House Vaelarys were:
The Blood Finger: Jacaerys Vaelarys, with Ellarion Horst as his aide. The Golden Finger: Sebastian Pyrebane. The Shadow Finger: Hegon Dargaleon—eldest son and heir of Earl Tigarro. Three years ago, his father fell gravely ill after a failed poison experiment, prompting Hegon to take his place. The Iron Finger: Hoffa Lawkeeper. The Silver Finger: Rhaegon Kaon.
"He's holding on," Hegon replied softly. "But his condition hasn't improved. Even though the prince used magic to aid him, the poison was too potent. The maesters say it destroyed parts of his lungs and liver, throwing his body's fluids into constant imbalance."
The heir of Tearstone let out a long sigh. He wasn't optimistic about his father's health—otherwise, his father would never have allowed him to take over the intelligence network he had painstakingly built.
And then there was that phrase, repeated so many times it had long lost count.
"In front of the Prince, there are no secrets."
"So, Rhaegor, what are you doing here instead of dealing with affairs in the Laurel Tower?"
"I came to invite you," Rhaegon coughed lightly and said seriously, "His Grace the King and the Hand will visit Dragon's Nest in three days. They'll bring along members of House Targaryen, and we're expected to attend."
Hergon gave Rhaegon a look like he was staring at a fool.
Please, I'm the "Shadow's Finger". I oversee intelligence.
Rhaegon, do you really think I wouldn't know about the king's visit? Or do you think I haven't arranged everything already?
Rhaegon realized Hergon misunderstood and quickly leaned close to whisper in his ear: "His Highness wants you to keep an eye on Prince Aegon. Don't let him near the princesses. And don't let him leave any bastards in Dragon's Nest or Summerfield."
Hergon once again shot him a fool's look.
Though Viserys kept cleaning up Aegon's messes, you can't cover fire with paper. Aegon's infamy had already spread through the noble circles. It was, in fact, the reason Queen Samantha had initially refused to let Rhaenya be betrothed to him. But under pressure from King Aegon and Viserys, she had finally compromised.
"Don't worry. My men will be watching him the entire time. Ser Sedge is here too," Hergon reassured him. "Nothing will go wrong."
Only then did Rhaegon nod in relief and leave the Hall of Shadows.
He had other matters to prepare.
Meanwhile, at the Dragonpit—
Rhaegor stood on a high ridge, holding Daenerys in his arms, with Daenyra beside them. Starsong and Aurorae lay on either side of them.
Starsong was now a true giant among dragons—so massive she could practically swallow Aurorae whole.
Jacaerys sat astride Skyfire, nervously watching the deeper recesses of the pit. The young man had a rugged face. Unlike Rhaegor, who kept his face clean-shaven, Jacaerys had grown a beard even at his young age, making him stand out even more.
Zerafax and Hovendes also began crawling out of their caves, carrying their riders on their backs.
To help Dan and Valenna tame their dragons, all the dragonriders of House Vaelarys had come—everyone except Draezell and his lot.
No, that wasn't right—Draezell and the others were here too. They were in that cave overlooking the entire Dragonpit, the one Vermithor had claimed. The only thing was, the younger ones didn't know that.
Vermithor now spent most of his time in deep slumber. Unless Draezell summoned him, or he needed to feed, or a dragonfight in the pit turned serious, he wouldn't rouse. His enormous body had continued to grow, forcing the pit to stretch further into the mountain.
"Valar, are you out of your mind?" Rey snatched the wine cup from his brother's hand. "Did you forget what Evens told you? You've got wasting sickness! And you're still drinking like you've got a death wish?"
He looked at the now thoroughly out-of-shape Valar with a mix of anger and frustration. Of the three brothers, it was Rey and Draezell—who once looked the most different—who now resembled twins. Draezell kept a long beard, while Rey always shaved his clean.
Valar saw the looks on their faces and didn't dare speak. He had to admit—his health was in serious decline.
But he couldn't fully control himself. Especially after Lady Leyla passed away in 158 AC. He'd drowned himself in alcohol, roast meats, and eel pies. Even when Daenyra and Valenna wept, begging him to stop drinking and gorging, it had made no difference.
"That's enough," Draezell said through clenched teeth, shaking his head at Rey. Rey's expression flickered with unease.
He knew what his older brother meant.
Even if Valar quit drinking now and started eating less—
It was already too late. The Stranger had his hand on Valar's shoulder.
"Haha, brothers… Rey… why worry so much?" Valar forced a smile. "Look, the children are all grown up. The war is over."
Then, in a voice only he could hear, he muttered:
"They don't need me anymore."
And with that, he kept watching the scene below.
"Brother, Rey, this is their time now."
Valar patted his belly and stiffly changed the subject.
Dan Vaelarys was a handsome young man. Unlike his brother, he didn't have Jacaerys's tall, imposing figure. Compared to his sibling, he was slender and wiry, but very nimble.
It was thanks to that agility that he had once evaded the strike of Sendros, buying time for Starsong and Shadowmare to come to his aid.
"Go, Dan!" Seryna called out in High Valyrian. "Your sister is right behind you!"
Zarafax let out a series of powerful roars.
"Wood. No attacking dragonfire unless bird-rainbow-singing. Attack."
Hovendes and Skyfire gave similar roars in agreement. Hovendes even crept a step forward as Orion silently pressed a hand against the scales at the front of the saddle. A pale violet light glowed from Hovendes's throat.
It was a signal: Hovendes was ready to unleash dragonfire at any moment.
Skyfire's throat glimmered with a faint blue light as well.
Dan gave a firm nod, gently brushing off Valenna's worried hand, then turned to his betrothed and said with reassurance, "Don't worry, Valenna. This time, I'll tame Sendros for sure."
With determination, the youth stepped deeper into the dragonpit and called out in High Valyrian:
"Sendros, come!"
The response, echoed by the roars of the dragons, was a low, guttural sound that still clearly conveyed cruelty and rage.
Massive horns appeared first—like antlers of a great elk, or twin branches of weirwood—followed by Sendros's enormous head and jagged, dark green-scaled body. Its tail, ending in a bone hammer, lashed suddenly but deliberately avoided striking the stone walls of the pit.
The great dragon glared coldly at Dan.
As if to say—
Dan could see the disdain in its eyes.
But so what?
He was here to tame it.
Here is the genealogical list of House Vaelarys:
Draezell (Vermithor):
– Eldest son: Rhaegor (Starsong)
– Eldest daughter: Samantha (Candlelight)
– Second daughter: Seryna (Zarafax)
– Second son: Jacaerys (Skyfire)
– Third son: Dan
– Third daughter: Jeyne
– Fourth son: Rhaegon
Valar (Silverwing):
– Eldest daughter: Daenyra (Aurorae)
– Second daughter: Valenna
Rey (Shadowmare):
– Eldest son: Orion (Hovendes)
– Eldest son: Sebastian