"What!?"
Viserys was shocked and hurried forward to investigate. Aemond's head drooped, his face dusty, but fortunately, he was uninjured.
"Why are you going to Dragonmount?"
Viserys finally lost his temper when he saw that his son was unharmed.
Aemond glanced up, then continued to keep his head down in silence.
"The older princes and princesses all have dragons, and Prince Aemond, unwilling to be left behind, is understandably acting on his own."
Corlys watched the scene with a sullen expression.
Viserys's face sank as he demanded, "Is that so?"
"Yes," Aemond said, immediately becoming obedient. The Sea Snake's words were harsh, but every word was true.
Viserys glared at his incompetent second son and said angrily, "Do you know how dangerous Dragonmount is? There are wild and untamed dragons there!"
Aemond said aggrievedly, "I want to tame a dragon."
Without a wild dragon, he wouldn't go. Unexpectedly, his plan went awry. As soon as he left the house, Jaehaerys ran into him. After threatening him not to tell anyone, he was captured by a patrolling dragon tamer just as he approached Dragonmount.
What bad luck! What bad luck! What bad luck!
"Then you should have prioritized your own safety. You're a precious creature." Viserys couldn't understand his son's impulsiveness. Sneaking into Dragonmount without telling anyone was sheer folly.
With this thought, Viserys glanced at his sleepy nephew, who yawned.
Aemon: Oh, don't bring me into this!
"They forced me to!" Aemond cried, recounting his recent grievances. He'd suffered so much humiliation for not having a dragon.
Viserys listened with a quizzical expression. "You mean to say they stumbled upon a wild, ownerless dragon and lured it to the Dragonpit to imprison it?"
He didn't recognize that his eldest son, Aegon, had conspired with the other boys to bully the younger; he only saw a foolish son blinded by lust. Besides, compared to simple humiliation, what about when he, as a child, took advantage of his age and kicked Daemon into a manure pit? Was that a sign of Daemon's strong mental fortitude?
"Haha." Daemon was amused by his nephew's complaints. He thought it was all because of that Hightower woman, Alicent, who had made the Targaryen dragon blood so weak. Instead of seeking revenge when bullied, he complained to his parents. When bullied as a child, he dared to urinate in his brother's wine flask and stuff his bed with horse manure.
"You..." Aemond didn't hear the comfort he expected, and looked around bewilderedly. He saw the "Dragon F4," including Aemon and the Sea Snake Corlys, either covering their mouths with their hands or with expressionless faces, showing no emotion at all about his suffering.
"Ah, Prince Aemond is still young, and he certainly needs some guidance," Corlys said politely.
The four adult men present had all experienced many hardships, so why would they care about the trivialities of children's quarrels? Fight back when bullied; this is the iron rule that the strong follow from birth.
Corlys was the eldest son of the family, with a twin brother, Vaemond Velaryon. Vaemond was an ambitious man, constantly striving to prove himself from a young age, vying to seize the inheritance from his older brother, who was born minutes before him. Corlys usually remained indifferent, allowing his younger brother to run wild. When his father died, he summoned Vaemond to the cabin of the Sea Snake and nearly beat him to death. From then on, Velaryon enjoyed unwavering unity, ushering in decades of rapid growth.
Seeing the attitude of the people present, Viserys sighed softly and said soothingly, "Go back. Send for a hot bath and a good night's rest."
"Father!" Aemond pleaded.
"Your king commands."
Viserys's face suddenly turned cold. This second son truly disappointed him. Though his eldest son, Aegon, was a scoundrel, he possessed the inherent pride of a true Targaryen, looking down on everyone equally. He also possessed considerable skill and luck. Arriving on Dragonstone at the age of twelve, he was already taming dragons, his achievements rivaling those of their grandfather, "Brave Baelon."
In comparison, the second son seemed unremarkable, possessing the pettiness of a woman.
"Alicent's education certainly needs improvement," Viserys resolved, determined to return and strengthen his children's upbringing.
"Yes," Aemond faltered, not daring to object, and turned to leave.
"Wait a moment," Viserys suddenly said.
Aemond wiped his eyes and turned back to look at his father in confusion.
Viserys felt a pang of displeasure, but he also realized he couldn't let his son, so hard-earned, go to waste. He spoke coldly, "If you truly wish to prove you're not a coward, try finding a viable dragon egg or subduing an unowned dragon."
"We have plenty of time on Dragonstone, anyway," Aemond said, biting his lower lip. Upon landing on Dragonstone, they discovered there were several unowned dragons on the island, excluding the cobalt blue dragon Daeron had intended. There was also a direct descendant of Syrax, the subadult dragon Arrax. And the dragon keeper had mentioned on the way: a small wild dragon with dark red scales and an unknown wild dragon with black scales. Both were recently hatched dragons, greatly increasing the dragon population on Dragonstone.
"I..." Aemond choked, wanting to say "I will." But meeting his father's cold gaze, the words on his lips were choked back.
Finally, he nodded silently and left.
"Alas!" After the door closed, Viserys couldn't help sighing again.
Turning back, the three grown men stopped watching the show.
"Raising a son is not easy, is it?" Viserys forced a smile.
"Haha." Daemon crossed his legs and was amused again.
Aemon glanced at him sideways.
Are you laughing at my grandmother?
Viserys was embarrassed.
Damn, Daemon didn't do anything, and his son grew up on his own. Damn Seven Gods, this is not fair at all.
Corlys at this time: ...
He took a deep breath, forcing himself to forget the flirtatious exchange between Laenor and the page during dinner. At least the rest of the time, Laenor's behavior was top-notch for a noble heir.
"Back to the issue of the Three Kingdoms' remnants. We need your word," Daemon said, changing the subject.
"Fight!" Viserys figured it out, then asked, "But who will go?"
Aemon closed his eyes, kicked his legs, and feigned death.
Whoever wants to go can go. I won't work overtime.
Daemon and Corlys exchanged glances. The latter straightened his clothes and offered the task. "Velaryon is the enemy of the sea."
"Lys has had a business conflict with Qohor recently, and I need to go back and resolve it," Daemon said.
"Is that so?" Viserys's eyes were suspicious, seriously suspecting a conspiracy between the two. But he had no proof, and the war had to be fought.
Acquiescing to their plan, he rose and left the room.
Aemon followed.
When they were alone in the room, Daemon's face was dim in the glow of the fireplace.
"Focus on curing Lys. Your descendants will benefit immensely," Corlys said first.
"When I die, everything in Lys will belong to that boy. My other two children will have nothing," Daemon said calmly.
"He's your son, too. Blood is irrevocable," Corlys said.
"Then I must leave something for my other two children." Daemon's gaze was penetrating, and he slowly stood up. "We've been targeted. Rather than waiting for death, we should seize the opportunity."
"I can privately support you with weapons and supplies. Once you're done, you must help me secure land in the Disputed Lands."
Corlys didn't bother to discuss matters, focusing solely on the long-term benefits.
The two easily reached a consensus. Daemon, after years of silence, once again set his sights on the Free City of Qohor, intending to conquer it. Corlys, however, played it safe, plotting to seize the vast unowned territories in the Disputed Lands.
Neither Tyrosh nor Lys were land-based city-states, and their control over the Disputed Lands was limited. Myr under Aemon's rule, however, had already established Myrland, establishing the small city-state of "Lake-town" in the heart of the Disputed Lands. Judging by Lake-town's growth, it wouldn't be long before it continued to expand into new territories.
The Disputed Lands were vast, but even the vastest lands had their limits. Corlys naturally had to make early plans.
That night, Aemond was summoned by his father and mother, receiving two scoldings. He returned to his room, took a quick bath, and began packing.
He stuffed a small bag with hard bread and cheese he had secretly scavenged from the kitchen for both storage and to stave off hunger.
"Aegon, I will prove myself," Aemond muttered nervously as he packed.
He was going to Dragonmount and tame a dragon belonging to Aemond Targaryen. He would make sure that all who had looked down on him would never again underestimate him.
With the conviction that he would die if he failed, Aemond went to bed early.
The next day, before dawn, he set out with his small bag, heading for Dragonmount. This time, with Viserys's permission, no one dared to stop him, save to report the news to the king and queen, who had only risen at dawn.
Alicent was terribly anxious.
Viserys was silent for a moment, then decided to let it go. His second son's awareness of this proved he had some courage.
Thus, Aemond embarked on his quest to find the dragon, a journey of a loser's rise.
Three days passed in a flash.
At the foot of Dragonmount.
"Hungry!"
Aemond, hair disheveled, eyes glazed, and filthy, lay on a leeward slope. Because of the leeward wind, he couldn't even catch a whiff of the northwest wind.
"Gurgle!"
Aemond's face paled as he clutched his rumbling stomach. Empiricism was a deadly trait. Dry bread and cheese were indeed tough to chew, but they offered no resistance to starvation. He had the strength to chew them, but afterward, he was exhausted and hungry again. On the morning of his second day, he had eaten all the food in his small pack, sleeping in the open.
"Step up patrols! The wild black dragons that have appeared recently are very dangerous."
An elderly dragon handler passed by and sternly instructed his handlers on precautions. A team set foot on Dragonmount and patrolled the rocky foothills.
Aemond: ...
Dragonmount is very close to the Stone Drum Tower, almost right at his doorstep. But he was too proud to go back. He had starved for two days and one night.
"But, the wild black dragon?"
Aemond's slow mind turned, and he struggled to get up. He had to give it another try. His cousin had said that a true warrior never gives up easily.
Stone Drum Tower, second-floor balcony.
Aemon leaned on the fence, gazing from afar at the foot of Dragonmount, where a thin figure with silver hair and green clothes moved step by step.
"What's he doing?" Aemon's expression was indescribable, and he couldn't understand.
Helena stood by, her hands folded obediently in front of her, and said, "He's too persistent. He'll wear himself out."
Aemond was speechless.
This kid really thinks he's a piece of cake.
Dragonmount is an active volcano. There's nothing but grass roots and withered vines, not even a piece of bark to chew on. If you're hungry, just come back for a meal, and then set off again when you're full. Why bother making yourself look like a savage?
When His Royal Highness broke into Dragonmount, he even brought two Kingsguards with him.
"Do you think he can tame a dragon?" Aemon couldn't bear to watch it anymore, so he turned to Helena.
Helena said calmly, "He has to close one eye."
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