Game of Thrones: I became a crown prince for a day.

Chapter 612: Gift of the Valyrian Steel Sword - "Dragon Claw"

As she spoke, the faint smile on her pretty face was exactly the same as that of her daughter Visenya.

The mother and daughter are simply cut from the same mold.

Rhaegar sat up straight and unexpectedly asked, "Belron, have you decided to tame a dragon?"

The eldest son was determined and rejected Gray Shadow many times over the years.

Could it be that you couldn't resist the temptation of riding a dragon?
"No, Father."

Belron scratched his head awkwardly and said, "I just want to give it a try. Silver Wing doesn't seem to be suitable for me."

The Silver Wing is very nice and beautiful, and its size should not be underestimated.

But a dragon with a gentle temperament is more suitable for younger brothers and sisters to ride.

As for the reason for taming the dragon, you can't say that it was abducted by your good uncle Aegon.

It's so shameful to be cheated by a fool!
Rhaegar had expected this and sighed, "If you were capable, you should have tamed a dragon earlier."

Several older children rode dragons and became praised dragon riders.

On the contrary, the eldest, Baeron, is still alone.

Nobles throughout the kingdom who learned of this could not help but talk about it behind the scenes.

It is a big taboo for the crown prince to be weak.

"I still want to wait a little longer."

Baerlon lowered his head and whispered: "Maybe it won't take too long."

Rhaegar rubbed his brows and advised, "Then you must make a decision as soon as possible. Silverwing is in the dragon cave, and there is Iragas on Dragonstone. Vhagar and Seasmoke are wandering around, and they all have bad tempers."

There are only these four dragons left that are temporarily ownerless.

The family grew and prospered, and the descendants gradually became prosperous.

If the eldest son does not take the initiative, he will inevitably be overtaken by those who come later.

"I will, Father."

Baeron is pardoned,
The chick nodded like pecking at rice.

He had a feeling that the day when he could ride a dragon was not far away.

And the premonition increases dramatically every day, clinging to it like a maggot in the bones.

It even made him a little uneasy.

Looking at his eldest son who looked like a child who had made a mistake, Rhaegar couldn't bear to disturb his mind.

The Targaryens are a combination of madness and greatness, and there are always some geniuses who do not follow the ordinary path.

At the age of six, he dared to confront the glutton and insisted on having this dragon-eating species.

The eldest son inherited his bloodline, so he would not be too cowardly to tame the dragon.

"Okay, let's talk about government affairs."

Rhaegar patted Rhaenyra's slender waist, indicating that her child was still there.

Rhaenyra smiled secretly and stood up to teach Visenya a lesson for playing with her brother.

What a nice baby boy, being pressed to the ground and used as a cushion.

The scene was cleared and the father and son faced each other.

Rhaegar took out a letter each and placed it on the table.

"what is this?"

Baelon stepped forward.

"Government affairs, I prefer to call them troubles."

Rhaegar stretched out three fingers and pushed the envelope forward, saying seriously: "You are not a child anymore, it's time to share my burden."

"Great!" Bellon wanted more than anything.

"There are three things in total, you can choose one of them."

Rhaegar's eyes were deep. He clicked on one of the letters first and said, "The red sea monster from the Iron Islands, an ironborn who burns, kills and plunders. Can you deal with it?"

Baelon was stunned when he heard this, and asked, "A Greyjoy?"

"That's right." Rhaegar said honestly, waiting for his eldest son's reply.

Baeron frowned and lowered his head.

The Red Sea Monster's reputation has spread far and wide, and it has thousands of Ironborn serving under its command.

He has no dragons and no army.

It's like an egg hitting a stone.

"Forget it, let's change the trouble."

Rhaegar had no intention of making things difficult, and chose the second letter: "Another batch of long-winged dragon eggs have hatched on Dragonstone. The long-winged dragons that were there before are roaming around, and the people in the King's Territory, Seagull Town, and the coastal areas of Stormlands are not tired of them."

"I……"

Beads of sweat appeared on Baerlon's forehead and he couldn't open his mouth.

Pterosaurs are beasts without intelligence. After hatching in large numbers, they harass the people around Dragonstone and prey on the herdsmen's cattle and sheep.

If this matter was put on his younger brothers Aemon or Maekar, or even his younger sister Dany, they might be able to handle it by gritting their teeth.

All three have dragons, and they are more majestic than the long-winged dragon.

But he...

Belron lowered his head almost to the floor and said in frustration: "I can't do it."

Rhaegar opened the third letter without changing his expression.

"Rhaegar!"

Rhaenyra looked worried and shook her head at him.

It is not easy for the eldest son to develop a cheerful and generous personality since he does not have a dragon.

If the suppression is excessive, it may lead to the creation of a second cruel Maegor.

Rhaegar glanced at her and continued, "Look up, there is a third thing."

Rainier frowned slightly and opened her thin lips.

"I said there's a third thing!"

Rhaegar's voice became louder, interrupting Rhaenyra's persuasion and shocking his eldest son who kept his head down and remained silent.

Belron mustered up his courage and gritted his teeth: "I can definitely do the third thing."

Even if there are many difficulties, even if a dragon is needed.

At worst, he could contact Silver Wing and try to gain the female dragon's approval.

He always wants to prove to his father and the world that he is not a coward!

"Haha~"

Rhaegar laughed and said, "Old Tully has passed away. Riverrun is inherited by his grandson, Elmon Tully. The royal family needs a representative to attend the funeral."

"Huh?" Bellon's eyes widened.

He was all ready to make a sacrifice and was burned by fire while taming the dragon.

"Silly boy, it's not that complicated."

Rhaegar leaned back and said calmly, "But it's not that simple."

"what should I do?"

Baeron took it seriously.

Rhaegar looked nostalgic and changed the subject: "Do you remember the A Song of Ice and Fire I told you about?"

"of course."

Belron kept this important inheritance in mind.

"The prophecy says there will be darkness and winter in the north." Rhaegar drummed his knuckles on the table and asked, "Ten years of long summer have passed. Does this mean that the next winter will be unusually harsh?"

To be honest, he had a nightmare.

In the dream, winter came and darkness covered the earth.

After waking up from the dream, he asked Varys and the Red Witch, and both of them said the same thing.

"When water is full, it overflows; when it is full, it must dwindle!"

The Targaryen family ushered in unprecedented prosperity, and the kingdom entered a period of unprecedented prosperity.

All signs prove that the Targaryens are closely connected to Westeros and will face a test of ice and fire.

Only by overcoming difficulties together can we survive.

Baeron's breathing stagnated, not daring to miss a word.

dong dong!

Rhaegar paused in his rhythmic tapping of his knuckles and made a decision: "Apart from the Conqueror's prophecy, the family has actually been facing many hardships."

For example, the free trade city-states of Essos and the remnants of the Three Women's Kingdom...

These are only the enemies on the surface. There are countless vultures coveting the dragon in secret, always eager to devour the flesh and blood of the fallen dragon.

We must take precautions before it happens.

Under his eldest son's expectant eyes, Rhaegar slid the envelope forward and said solemnly, "The Seven Kingdoms are too fragmented, and many nobles are hypocritical in their loyalty to the royal family."

"If disaster strikes, how can the Targaryens unite all of Westeros?"

"What should I do? Win over Duke Elmond Tully?"

When Bellon touched the envelope, he was instantly overwhelmed by a sense of responsibility.

"No!"

Rhaegar shook his head and said seriously: "Not only the Tully family, you also need to win over the most powerful nobles in the Riverlands and make them truly loyal to the royal family and to you!"

Baelon was stunned for a moment, puzzled: "But they have always been loyal to the royal family. Your influence is even greater than that of the Tully family."

Before my father inherited the Iron Throne, his basic territory was the Crownland, the Vale and the Riverlands.

Old Duke Tully obeyed orders and mobilized the river nobles to make great efforts in the campaigns to conquer the Stepstones and the Kingdom of the Three Women.

To this day, there are still many widows and orphans in the Hejian area.

"not enough."

Rhaegar changed his kind face and said coldly: "Influence does not mean control. The royal family must control unstable factors."

He once devoted himself to seeking the help of scholars to relieve his worries, and also traveled to the Eastern and Western continents.

We can get a glimpse of the local customs and city-state systems.

The aristocratic system follows the ancient feudal system, with the king and the nobles governing the world together.

The continent of Essos has a more progressive parliamentary and federal system, where people fight for power in open and covert ways.

Can't tell good or bad.

The former's rule is more stable, but the disadvantage is that the monarch can easily be sidelined.

The latter is centralized, but its disadvantage is that people’s hearts are complicated and no regime has lasted more than a hundred years.

Rhaegar thought for a moment, then said, "We are of Valyrian descent, outsiders to Westeros."

This also means that the best option for Targaryen is to integrate rather than break the existing system.

Rhaegar remained rational and continued, "There are nobles in all parts of the Seven Kingdoms who do not obey the king's orders. Your trip to the Riverlands this time is to win over the nobles who are loyal to the royal family and do your utmost to suppress and weaken the neutrals and fence-sitters."

"That would cause a backlash from the nobles."

Although he was young, Baeron knew the nature of the nobles very well.

When in danger, fight back desperately.

Rhaegar shook his head. "Don't be afraid. With the royal family's control over the riverlands, it won't be difficult to eliminate dissidents."

The Tullys, Strongs, and Blackwoods are all die-hards and very powerful.

Letting them act as vanguards would neither involve the royal family nor allow any nobles to resist.

"The riverlands, the valleys..."

Baelon muttered to himself, suddenly thinking of Dany and Anna returning to the valley.

The two sisters were called back by Lady Jenny, and it was rumored that a grand party was held in Seagull Town.

"I got it?"

When Rhaegar heard the Vale laugh, he added, "The Riverlands and the Vale are virgin territories for strengthening centralization. There will also be the Reach and the Stormlands in the future."

The three most difficult border areas to deal with are the North, the West and Dorne.

If the eldest son and Jenny both perform well, the River Bend and Storm Land will not be difficult.

For the remaining three realms, Rega was not opposed to using the dragon's intimidation.

In short, one point.

During his reign, nobles across the seven kingdoms suffered.

"Yes, I can!"

Belron's blood boiled after hearing this and he accepted the task without hesitation.

Rhaegar loosened his fingers, and his eldest son took the envelope. He stood up and said, "Lord Lyonel and his eldest son, Ser Harwin, will accompany you. They are nobles of the riverlands and can best assist you."

Then, he walked out: "Come with me, we can't be shabby when we go out."

Belron's face lit up with joy, and he followed like a little tail.

……

Go out and head to the King's bedroom.

Rhaegar opened his door calmly.

He doesn't actually live here very often.

Princess Rainier's bedroom was converted into the queen's chamber, where he always spent the night.

The door was open and the gauze curtains blocked out the sunlight.

Rhaegar entered and looked at a wall next to the fireplace.

"Wow~!"

Baerlon followed the line of sight and his eyes suddenly lit up.

A row of Valyrian steel weapons hung from top to bottom on the carved mural walls.

The long sword has a recast "Dragon Claw", a "True Fire" inlaid with a flaming red heart, and a "Black Fire" symbolizing royal power.

There was a spear named "Morning Dawn" inserted on the side.

Right above the fireplace, there is even a "Dragon Horn" hanging that is completely black and so big that two people cannot even hug it.

Finally, above the dragon's horn hung a three-edged arrow made entirely of Valyrian steel.

Rhaegar raised his chin slightly and said generously, "Choose one, my son."

Baelon was instantly ecstatic and ran to the fireplace to carefully observe each Valyrian steel weapon.

The true fire was as black as the night, and the blade was dotted with star-like patterns.

The blade of the sword is jet black, Blackfire, and it was once the sword of the conqueror.

Baeron stroked them one by one and landed on the last "Dragon Claw".

It feels cold to the touch, and the sword blade can cut hair.

The pitch-black dragon bones are carved into claws, as if to grasp the entire rippled sword.

"It symbolizes fearless courage."

Baeron's eyes were firm. He took off the flamboyant dragon claws with both hands and said favorably: "Father, I want your last sword."

(End of this chapter)