House of The Dragon:The Rise of the Emperor of the Seven Kingdoms

Chapter 168: Chapter 167 – Long Live the King (II)

While the voting took place at the Great Council, at the Dragonpit, things were not as calm as they appeared.

Gael, seated astride Dreamfyre, waited patiently as she scanned the sky for any sign of a fire arrow. The fire arrow was the signal she and Maekar had agreed upon to begin the usurpation of the throne.

Once launched into the air, it would mean Maekar had lost the Great Council, and the usurpation would have to begin.

Suddenly, the sound of heavy footsteps rang out, making Gael look toward the entrance of the Dragonpit with a cold expression. Dreamfyre, beneath her, rose from the ground and looked toward the entrance with hostility. By the scent alone, she could detect the ugly bastard approaching.

Bahamut, who had been lying down not far off, opened his eyes and lifted his enormous body. The platinum dragon stretched his body and fixed his golden eyes on the entrance of the Dragonpit.

Just as Gael expected, an enormous red head with a cruel look and two small horns emerged from the entrance. The dragon’s serpentine body followed soon after. Daemon could be seen mounted in the saddle. He wore black armor with draconic features, with wings on the helm and dragon heads on the shoulders.

Caraxes, seeing the two dragons, lowered his head and let out a sharp, piercing, threatening roar. It lacked the sheer power of Bahamut’s roar, or even Dreamfyre’s.

“Likiri, Caraxes.” Daemon spoke in a cold tone as he studied the two dragons, especially Gael atop the saddle.

Never in his life had Daemon expected to see Gael in armor, mounted on a dragon. The only thing he could say was that love changes people. Turning his head to look at Bahamut, the Rogue Prince’s eyes narrowed.

Were it only Dreamfyre and Gael, he was confident he could fight and even kill Dreamfyre, but Dreamfyre and Bahamut together? Distasteful as the thought was, Daemon knew it was impossible for Caraxes to fight two adult dragons at once.

Were one an adult and the other a juvenile, he would have felt confident, but not against two adult dragons, especially a giant like Bahamut. Daemon still wondered how a dragon so large had gone unnoticed until now.

Even Cannibal, with his black scales, was known, let alone a dragon with such striking scales.

Could he have come from the ruins of Old Valyria?

That was the only explanation Daemon could think of for how such a large dragon had gone unknown. As for whether he was right or not, the prince did not care; only the dragon’s existence before him mattered.

“Sevegon, Caraxes.” Holding the reins, Daemon gave the command, and the dragon did not hesitate to take flight.

“Sovegon, Dreamfyre,” Gael said loudly, and Dreamfyre took to the air the next moment, followed by Bahamut.

The three dragons flew through the sky, creating a magnificent spectacle for anyone to see. Caraxes was faster and gained some distance, but the difference in speed was not so great that Dreamfyre and Bahamut fell behind, and they kept the red dragon in sight.

In one of the castle’s towers, Rhaenys, who had been calmly reading a book, looked up at the three dragons in the sky with a bright gaze. She glanced at the door and, knowing it was locked, wore a sorrowful look.

Rhaenys set the book aside and stepped out onto the chamber’s balcony, watching more closely the three dragons about to enter combat. One could say that, since Aegon (son of Aenys I) and Maegor, this might be the first battle of dragons in decades.

Elsewhere, in the sky above King’s Landing.

Dreamfyre pursued Caraxes fiercely, the dragon beating her wings, propelling herself forward, keeping her eyes fixed on the slender red figure.

Gael watched Caraxes’s figure with a cold look; she could not allow Daemon to get close to the Red Keep, and, even if it meant fighting Caraxes, she would do so without any hesitation. With Bahamut to back her up, she felt confident she could kill both Caraxes and Daemon.

Watching Caraxes draw ever closer, Gael did not hesitate to give the order.

“Dracarys!!!”

Dreamfyre opened her jaws, and sky blue fire rained down upon Caraxes’s figure. Bahamut, beside her, did not hold back either, spewing platinum fire streaked with golden lines.

Caraxes let out a furious roar, feeling the heat of the flames, and twisted his body in the air with startling agility. He changed direction and lunged at Dreamfyre, focusing on the weaker enemy.

Both dragons entered combat in the air without any hesitation. Each spat flames at the other as they danced across the sky.

Even so, since both were adult dragons, the flames did not cause much damage to one another, which was to be expected. The same could not be said, however, when it came to close, physical combat.

Caraxes’s long neck swung to the side, and, without any hesitation, he opened his jaws and bit fiercely into Dreamfyre’s neck.

Yet, despite the advantage of his long neck, Caraxes had a weakness: because of that long neck, the dragon’s mouth was smaller than that of ordinary dragons with a stockier build. So his bites were not as large, but they caused more bleeding.

Dreamfyre was no less impressive than Caraxes. As a dragon born at the beginning of King Aegon I’s reign, she was enormous and could withstand a great deal of damage. Enduring Caraxes’s fierce bites, the female dragon used her claws and tore into Caraxes’s chest.

Blood, hot as lava, rained down from the sky as the two dragons coiled around one another in the air.

Throughout it all, Daemon and Gael felt as though the world around them were in constant motion; there was no way to keep their bearings while the two gigantic beasts fought in the air.

However, unlike Daemon, Gael had something the Rogue Prince did not. The princess touched the scales of the dragon’s neck and, using her own blood as the price to work blood magic, began healing the dragon’s wounds in the midst of the fight.

Had Daemon seen the sky blue dragon’s wounds healing, he would not have hesitated to shout that she was cheating.

After wounding Caraxes, Dreamfyre felt her wounds healing and grew even bolder. She attacked Caraxes without any hesitation, using her jaws, claws, and even spitting flames at the red dragon.

Bahamut, watching the two dragons fight, wanted to join the battle and tear the red noodle apart but sensed he would only get in the way and cause more harm than good. Even so, the dragon thought of something and, instead of attacking, used his own body as a wall, preventing the dragon from fleeing the battlefield.

Daemon was stunned. Had Dreamfyre gone mad? Despite the damage inflicted on Caraxes, equally severe damage was appearing on the female dragon’s body.

At that moment, Daemon felt he should retreat. He and Caraxes truly could die!

However, amid the ceaseless tremors below him, Daemon’s eyes caught sight of the platinum dragon, merely watching with a cold, predatory gaze.

That made Daemon’s heart run cold.

Suddenly, as he thought of a way to escape, he heard a powerful roar and looked toward the Dragonpit. A gigantic bronze-scaled figure was rapidly approaching. Behind the bronze dragon, a silver dragon, more elegant and slender, followed close behind.

Vermithor! Silverwing!

Daemon wore a joyful look. For the first time, he felt that grumpy old dragon was beautiful. However, it was the figures in the respective saddles that left Daemon’s face stunned.

The king and queen!

At that moment, Daemon knew he was saved. At the same time, he could not help but feel a deep humiliation. He had been saved by Jaehaerys once again, and this time it was not because of Maekar but because of his wife, whom he despised as weak and gentle.

Honestly, Daemon felt this defeat stung more than losing to Maekar. Maekar was, at least, a man with a great reputation. Losing to him meant the enemy was simply very strong. But losing to Gael was the same as throwing his own reputation in the trash.

Bahamut, seeing the two dragons approaching, let out a furious roar and rushed forward. However, just as he was about to unleash flames, he sensed his rider’s emotions and intentions and changed course, letting out a roar full of frustration.

Gael also noticed her father and mother’s arrival and, after hesitating for a moment, made Dreamfyre pull back with great reluctance. She had been so close to killing Caraxes and Daemon…

Her husband’s greatest enemy had been on the verge of death, but now it was impossible to kill Daemon in front of Jaehaerys and Alysanne. Not to mention that, from healing Dreamfyre’s wounds, Gael was already feeling lightheaded. Clearly, the cost of healing a dragon was enormous compared to a mere human.

Jaehaerys, watching the two dragons disengage and put distance between them, felt relieved and, at the same time, shocked.

He could see Caraxes’s condition. Blood, hot as lava, would not stop pouring from the deep wounds in his chest. One of the dragon’s legs was missing a large chunk of flesh, and the dragon’s neck bore multiple deep lacerations.

Looking at Dreamfyre’s condition, the dragon appeared nearly untouched, if not for the great amount of blood staining her sky-blue scales.

Taking a deep breath, he gestured toward the Dragonpit for Daemon and Gael to land, his expression cold and furious. He could not believe that Gael and Daemon had actually started a battle of dragons above King’s Landing while the vote had not even finished yet!

Minutes later, the five dragons landed at the Dragonpit. The Dragonkeepers quickly helped the king and queen down from their dragons, while Gael and Daemon were able to climb down on their own.

As Daemon dismounted, he threw his helm to the ground and looked cruelly at Gael. He looked like a venomous snake, ready to strike at someone.

“What do the two of you think you are doing!?” Seeing the two of them about to start a fight, Jaehaerys, who had already lost his patience, shouted furiously.

“How dare you start a dragon battle above King’s Landing!?” Looking at Daemon and his daughter, Jaehaerys asked in a cold, chilling tone.

“Daemon was heading toward the Red Keep with Caraxes.” Gael did not deny it and spoke in a cold tone, looking at Daemon with a look of regret. Looking at Caraxes’s condition, she realized just how powerful blood magic truly was.

A dragon that could once only be killed with the help of two dragons could now be killed with just one.

She now understood why Old Valyria had used blood magic and fire while riding dragons.

Jaehaerys looked coldly at Daemon; he understood the implications of Daemon’s actions perfectly well.

“I was going flying with my dragon.” Daemon certainly could not declare himself guilty. He would be exiled for many years over this attempt to usurp the throne.

“In armor?” Gael replied with a touch of sarcasm.

“I look better in armor.” Daemon answered indifferently.

Taking a deep breath, Jaehaerys looked coldly at Daemon. If there was one thing he hated in the world, it was usurpation of the throne. It brought back humiliating, painful, agony-filled memories.

“To the Red Keep, NOW!” Jaehaerys said in a cold tone, looking at the two of them.

Daemon looked at Caraxes, badly wounded, and could not help but feel reluctant to part from his companion in arms. Even so, knowing the Dragonkeepers would help heal the dragon, he walked toward the exit of the Dragonpit.

“Glad Grandfather saved your life once again?” Watching his figure leave, Gael could not hold herself back and spoke in a tone full of sarcasm and irony, not to mention the scorn on her face.

Daemon’s steps halted, and his body trembled, but he left the Dragonpit with slightly quicker steps.

As soon as Daemon left, Jaehaerys turned to look at Gael and Dreamfyre. He looked at the dragon’s superficial wounds and asked in a calm tone, “How did you do this?”

He could not believe that Caraxes, so powerful a dragon, had only been able to inflict this kind of superficial wound on Dreamfyre.

“Blood magic.” Gael did not hide it and spoke calmly.

Jaehaerys and Alysanne were startled, both exchanging glances and seeing the shock in each other’s eyes.

“We will speak of this later.” Jaehaerys said in a calm tone as he looked at his daughter, dressed in armor.

Jaehaerys seemed to see the Warrior Queen once more. He had lived his life as a hostage on Dragonstone under the eyes of the Dowager Queen Visenya, so he knew that venomous, powerful woman well. In this moment, he seemed to see Visenya’s shadow in Gael.

Taking a deep breath to push away the unpleasant image of that woman, Jaehaerys took Alysanne’s hand and left with Gael toward the Dragonpit exit. As for the dragons, the Dragonkeepers would return them to the Pit.

Though they had orders to keep Bahamut and Dreamfyre outside the Pit, per Maekar and Gael’s instructions.

——–

Read my other books:

House of The Dragon:The Rise of the Emperor of the Seven Kingdoms

Game Of Thrones: The God-Emperor of Planetos

Percy Jackson: Godwyn the Golden.

Game Of Thrones: The King’s Court Wizard