Chapter 124: Dragons at the Mouth of the Greenblood
Three dragons flew across the sky, then soared toward the ocean, beginning to hunt for fish.
Below the dragons was Planky Town, located at the mouth of the Greenblood, with direct access to the Summer Sea.
Planky Town was established by the Orphans of the Greenblood to facilitate gathering and mooring their boats. The fertile lands of Dorne consist of nothing more than the Red Mountains, the east and west coasts, and three rivers: the Greenblood, the Brimstone, and others. Although the central desert is vast, it is barren. The Greenblood is somewhat murky but is still the mother river of Dorne, the most abundant among the three rivers.
What interested Rhaegar most about Dorne were the Brimstone and the Orphans of the Greenblood. The Orphans of the Greenblood involved water magic, while the Brimstone was intriguing because natural brimstone rivers are rare; could this river also be related to volcanic traces? Volcanoes are what dragons most delight in and are best suited for their survival.
Rhaegar looked at Planky Town, which was probably the most city-like place in Dorne, with more people than the Shadow City, but it still appeared chaotic and small. Dorne was not a maritime city-state civilization; it had no true towns and was sparsely populated.
The residents of Planky Town looked up at the sky, hoping to see the Prince on the dragons, but the dragons flew higher and higher until they disappeared from sight.
Rhaegar walked through Planky Town wearing a common Dornish yellow robe, his face obscured by a wide-brimmed straw hat and a mask, revealing only a pair of indigo eyes. Humans and dragons were briefly separated, and no one would have imagined the Prince would be in Planky Town. With the Blood and Fire Chain and the Heart Charm, Rhaegar could precisely track the dragons' distance and direction. Moreover, he possessed Fire Sight, though this distance could not be too far for now, as the young dragons happily soared, competed, and fished in the river mouth.
Planky Town was built entirely on water, which indeed gave it a charming waterfront feel. The streets of this town were wooden planks, and its halls, residences, and shops were various merchant ships, yachts, and pole boats. However, Rhaegar felt that these Orphans of the Greenblood had a great zest for life; they all painstakingly carved and painted their boats beautifully, and the pole boats were meticulously carved and painted in bright colors.
After Planky Town developed, more and more ships from the Free Cities docked in its harbor. The Prince of Dorne built a castle near the town to guard the port.
Rhaegar saw many people from the Free Cities in the town: Lyseni, Myrish who resembled Rhoynar people, and even Braavosi. Most Lyseni also had blonde hair and blue eyes, so his indigo eyes weren't particularly conspicuous.
Rhaegar found a clean small tavern in Planky Town and took a remote window seat. This place mostly gathered slightly wealthier sailors and merchants. Everyone had secrets, and because there weren't many people, he could find a quiet spot.
"That Targaryen lad is about to be named Guardian of the Narrow Sea and the Stepstones. The construction of Bloodstone Customs is in full swing. They're working, but they haven't forgotten to collect our taxes. This contract, it seems, was all a lie," a Lyseni man whispered to his companion.
"The envoys were all incompetent. It's said the Lyseni envoy was immediately dismissed upon his return, and our envoy was mysteriously assassinated," the Myrish man also whispered.
"If we can't stop it, I'm afraid in ten years the Stepstones will be forever controlled by the Iron Throne." The Lyseni man was worried. Their trade, their beloved bed slaves, were partly achieved through sharing profits with pirates of the Narrow Sea. Now that the Iron Throne had suddenly taken the entire cake, they were filled with anger and hatred.
"It's that child. Though only twelve, even young dragons can't contend with him. He's now the Iron Throne's greatest military reliance, giving confidence to that sickly king on the Iron Throne. He also has those three terrifying dragons, and they're growing too fast. If we want to win, unless we use the simplest method to make the problem solve itself..." The Myrish man's eyes were fierce, but he didn't continue. This was Westeros, after all, and slandering the royal family too much could lead to charges of treason.
"Ah, how did I cut my hand!" The Myrish man was still emotional when he accidentally cut his finger.
Rhaegar turned and left, bestowing a bit of flame upon the Myrish man as he departed. The blood-black flame contained the curse of the Iron Throne and Harrenhal, a curse deep with malice.
Rhaegar walked out of the tavern and saw many half-grown children wandering barefoot in the streets. They were children of boat people, Orphans of the Greenblood, accustomed to freedom and naturally unrestrained.
The children skipped and hopped, singing sorrowful ballads, mostly reminiscing about their mother, the Rhoyne.
"Hurry, Old Man Gaeline is serving dinner."
"Old Man Gaeline is truly a good man, not only wealthy but also kind-hearted."
That group of orphans joyfully headed in one direction, where a large ship was moored. A slightly stout Rhoynar man was distributing free meals.
Old Man Gaeline had a long nose, dark skin, a slender build, and a jade earring in each ear.
The meal consisted of plain bread, long green peppers filled with cheese and onions, and fruit syrup. Although not elaborate, it was enough to fill these children's stomachs.
Rhaegar watched the children happily eating, radiating joy. Rhaegar watched for a while, and Old Man Gaeline also seemed to enjoy it, appearing to be a local worthy and timely helper in Planky Town.
"Big guy, don't you need to eat something? Aren't you hungry? Old Man Gaeline will feed everyone who comes to him," a child suddenly said, looking at Rhaegar.
Rhaegar shook his head; his tall stature indeed attracted attention.
Rhaegar turned to leave, only to find someone tiptoeing behind him—an Orphan of the Greenblood with long limbs and a golden tooth. Agile, but nothing more.
"Someone wants to see you, my lord!" the child said to Rhaegar on a winding path.
Rhaegar didn't make a move, following the child with interest.
The Rhoynar child led Rhaegar to a secluded spot. On a dilapidated pole boat, there wasn't even a child dancing; this was a boat only the poorest Orphans of the Greenblood would have, with no one coming or going.
"Forgive me for using this method to meet you, Prince," Old Man Gaeline appeared from the cabin, greeting Rhaegar.
"You are very clever, Old Man Gaeline," Rhaegar took off his straw hat and entered the cabin.
"Silver hair and violet eyes, a voice like steel, invincible in battle, and full of compassion—truly an extraordinary Targaryen," Old Man Gaeline began to praise.
"How dare you confirm it was me?" Rhaegar asked.
"I am the leader of the wealthy merchants here in Planky Town. People like me usually have sharper eyes and ears. Someone said dragons appeared in the sky, which indicated the Prince would arrive in Planky Town, and the Prince has always been known for his love of literature and ancient history; you wouldn't miss Planky Town. I've been sending people to wait. You can control three dragons, so controlling a single dragon would be easy. The Prince also saw those children eating my food; some are true orphans, and life on the river is full of dangers. Gaeline's food also represents Gaeline's friendship."
"With such foresight, you can indeed dominate Planky Town," Rhaegar said. Lords rely on power, wealthy merchants rely on money, both cultivating their networks and influence.
Old Man Gaeline suddenly said sadly, "However, my greatest identity is still an Orphan of the Greenblood, a wanderer longing for his homeland. Even though I am here, I still miss my mother river."
"After the Rhoynar people fled, the Rhoyne is now rampant with pirates," Rhaegar understood their sorrow, but it was indeed difficult for the orphans to return to the Rhoyne. The towns along the Rhoyne had collapsed, now occupied by thieves and escaped slaves, making a return truly arduous.
"We need powerful assistance, Prince!" Old Man Gaeline said.
"It's a bit inappropriate for you to seek me out. Back then, it was the Valyrian Freehold that destroyed the Rhoynar civilization," Rhaegar said. The world is truly like a game of chess; who would have thought that Rhoynar exiles would seek to cooperate with a dragonlord to return home?
"The general trend of the world is like a river, with surging waves, constantly changing and renewing. The destruction of the Rhoynar was a collective act; House Targaryen was not prominent back then. When the Valyrian Freehold still existed, we indeed had no basis for cooperation. But now the world has changed greatly; you have left Essos, and we do have a basis for cooperation," Old Man Gaeline said.
Rhaegar nodded, which was indeed true. Back in the Valyrian Freehold, the Targaryen dragonlords were definitely not the strongest; even if not down-and-out, they were firmly in the middle to lower ranks. House Targaryen had not mastered many of the dragonlords' core arts, such as binding spells, dragon horns, or the construction techniques of the Black Walls of Volantis
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