Daemon looked her up and down.
Her voluptuous figure, exotic complexion, and sensual red lips were perfectly aligned with his tastes.
Daemon extended his hands with a faint smile. "Isn't my dance partner already here?"
"Hmph, someone abandoned me just a moment ago."
Rhaenys' daughter, Laena, carried a proud expression, placing her hands in his.
"I had more important things to attend to. Regrettably, I had to let a beauty down," Daemon said as he stepped into the dance rhythm, his gaze unguarded and filled with desire.
Laena was even bolder, her ample curves brushing against him as she whispered, "Have you figured out how to make your escape yet?"
She had inherited her mother Rhaenys' sharp intuition and tendency to think everything through.
In her eyes, Daemon was arrogant and self-absorbed, but he was unlikely to leave himself without an escape route.
"That, my little beauty, is a secret I can't tell you," Daemon chuckled, his hand sliding along her waist with growing audacity.
"I'll give you some advice: the dragonpit is now under the control of the new heir. If you plan to flee, do it quickly," Laena murmured with a slight frown, her tone cautious.
When she sent Vhagar to the dragonpit, she noticed some changes there.
It was easy to send dragons into the pit, but getting them out would be another matter entirely.
Daemon's expression remained unchanged as his hand roved, his demeanor suggestive. "Then I suppose I must hurry."
He discreetly glanced toward the hall's main entrance.
Two Kingsguard soldiers stood guard there. Without a weapon, he had no chance of forcing his way out.
Other hallways were also patrolled by guards, leaving him no opportunity to escape.
In truth, the moment he had stepped into King's Landing, he'd been under constant surveillance.
Inside the Red Keep, there was no way anyone would leave him an opening to flee.
The ball grew livelier as the night went on.
Daemon held Laena close, dancing patiently, showing no sign of urgency.
From a distance, Corlys noticed his daughter dancing with Daemon and wore a displeased expression.
Such interactions between them were not favorable for House Velaryon.
"Shall we call Laena back?" Rhaenys asked.
Corlys shook his head. "We've traveled alongside Daemon this far; our connection to him can't be erased now."
"Daemon won't escape easily," Rhaenys remarked, already envisioning the moment he would be captured.
"No rush. I want to see if our king has the heart to dispose of Daemon," Corlys said with interest.
"Hmph, they're all my kin. I have no desire to watch this," Rhaenys huffed coldly and rose from her seat.
The Targaryens were already a dwindling family. Years ago, for the sake of peace, she had willingly retreated to Driftmark, abandoning her claim to the Iron Throne.
But her two younger cousins had proven to be such disappointments, quarreling amongst themselves instead of standing united.
"Idiots, the both of them!" Rhaenys cursed silently as she walked away.
---
The night deepened, and the early hours of morning approached.
The ball reached its climax, the music becoming more intense, stirring deep-seated emotions within the guests.
Suddenly, a scream pierced the air.
"Fire! There's a fire outside!"
The stained glass windows of the banquet hall glowed with flickering flames from outside.
A fire had broken out within the Red Keep.
The blaze began in an unremarkable corner of the castle, sending thick black smoke curling into the air.
And it wasn't just the Red Keep—several gambling dens and brothels in King's Landing were also ablaze, with the flames spreading rapidly.
The fire's spread would inevitably demand manpower to extinguish it.
King Viserys, who had endured the ball through sheer willpower, was visibly exhausted but forced himself to remain composed, reassuring the nobles in the hall to prevent panic.
Laenor quickly organized efforts to put out the fire, dispatching men to the burning tower.
Even his eldest son, Harwin, was temporarily pulled away to assist.
"Your Grace, would you like to retreat to safety?" Laenor asked, concerned about the king's health.
Viserys shook his head. "No need. The fire is far from the banquet hall. I must stay here to keep our guests at ease."
Just then—poof—a candelabra in the hall suddenly went out, dimming the light.
Before anyone could react, more lamps extinguished one after another, as if someone were deliberately snuffing them out.
In a matter of moments, only a few fire pits remained to provide faint illumination in the hall.
"Guards! Protect the king!"
The change happened so quickly that Ser Harrold, Commander of the Kingsguard, immediately rushed toward the king, guarding him against potential assassins.
Ser Criston Cole followed close behind, placing himself in front of the king.
Chaos erupted in the hall.
Noblewomen and young ladies screamed in fear, their cries sharp and piercing.
"Where do you think you're going?"
In the dim light, Laena grabbed Daemon's belt with a serious expression, her grip firm.
Daemon grabbed her chin and said coldly, "Didn't you suggest I run? What a great opportunity."
"You really think you can escape?"
Lannal felt the pain and spoke with deep meaning.
"I have to try. I don't want to lose my head or end up on the Wall, never touching a woman again."
Daemon pushed her aside and took advantage of the chaos, heading toward a corner of the hall.
Watching his back, Lannal sighed in disappointment. "Arrogant fool."
...
Flames raged as Red Keep soldiers were mobilized, and the gold cloaks of King's Landing rushed to put out the fire.
Avoiding patrols, Daemon made his way to a secret passage within the Red Keep.
At the entrance, a hooded figure in a black robe had been waiting for some time.
"After this, our deal is complete."
The black-robed figure tossed him a cloak and said in a low voice.
Daemon replied coldly, "I suggest you come with me."
"No, I have other matters to attend to."
The figure refused outright and walked away, shaking his head.
Daemon didn't press the matter. He donned the black cloak and slipped into the passage.
Before long...
Dressed in black, Daemon emerged from the Red Keep.
Drizzle...
Perhaps the fire had disturbed the weather—rain began to fall from the night sky.
With rain soaking him, Daemon moved quickly through the city's narrow alleys.
The Dragonpit.
*Crack!*
A dragon guard had his neck snapped from behind, his limp body collapsing to the ground.
Another guard, startled, reached for his sword—only to be kicked in the stomach and slammed to the ground.
Daemon stepped forward and crushed his throat underfoot.
After dealing with the guards, Daemon slipped through a side door into the Dragonpit.
"Hisss—Gaaah…"
Caraxes let out a cry, sensing his rider's presence.
Daemon found his dragon with ease.
Using an iron wire, he picked the lock on Caraxes' chains and quickly climbed onto his back.
Caraxes moved even faster, scrambling out of the Dragonpit on all fours before spreading its wings and soaring into the rainy sky.
Just as Daemon and Caraxes disappeared, a shadow limped out from the corner.
...
Caraxes flew swiftly, leaving King's Landing behind and heading toward Blackwater Bay.
Drizzle…
The rain grew heavier, turning into a downpour.
Having escaped King's Landing, Daemon exhaled in relief, proud of his foresight.
If he hadn't arranged an escape route in advance, he wouldn't have dared face his brother.
"Hiss—Gaaah!"
Suddenly, Caraxes let out a sharp cry, twisting its body in unease.
Daemon frowned. "What's wrong, Caraxes?"
Their bond was strong—he immediately sensed something was off.
Caraxes' slitted eyes darted around warily, and it increased its speed.
*Boom!*
A thunderclap split the sky, lightning illuminating the storm clouds.
Daemon happened to look up.
In that instant, he saw an enormous shadow looming above, following close behind Caraxes through the clouds.
"Uncle, I've come for you!"
A sudden voice rang out—Rhaegar's. The massive shadow descended.
"Hiss—Gaaah!"
A roar, not from Caraxes, echoed through the storm, making Daemon's eyes widen in shock. His hair stood on end.
Vhagar dove down, its massive jaws spewing a torrent of green dragonfire straight at Caraxes' neck.
"No!"
Daemon tightened his grip on the reins.
Before he could issue a command, the green flames engulfed Caraxes, making the dragon reel in pain.
Vhagar's flames were always fierce—despite the rain, their power was undiminished.
"Vhagar, tear them apart!"
Rhaegar's violet eyes locked onto Daemon, flashing with unrestrained madness.
This uncle had dared to betray him, had even returned to King's Landing to provoke him.
Daemon had brought this upon himself.
He had expected Daemon to flee—so he had been waiting.
"Hiss—Gaaah!"
As the flames died down, Vhagar lunged, its massive, charcoal-black claws digging into Caraxes' spine, its jaws clamping onto one of the smaller dragon's wings.
Caraxes howled in agony, twisting desperately in an attempt to break free.
But it had already lost the advantage—its slender body was completely trapped by Vhagar's grip.
*Rip!*
It had been a long time since the glutton had tasted the flesh of its own kind. With a ferocious bite, it crushed Kolakshu's shoulder blade.
The poor Kolakshu didn't even have a chance to fight back before it was torn apart, its body covered in bloody gashes.
"Dragon Flame!"
Rhaegar's voice rang out again.
The glutton greedily tore off a chunk of Kolakshu's flesh and swallowed it. Another torrent of green dragon flames surged forth.
"Shriek—"
The searing flames touched Kolakshu's bloodied wounds, and it let out a heart-wrenching scream, its body spiraling uncontrollably as it fell.
"Kolakshu, hold on!"
Seeing Kolakshu so swiftly overwhelmed, Damon felt a chill run through his body as he urged it to steady itself.
But Rhaegar wasn't about to give them any opportunity.
The glutton unleashed a continuous stream of dragon flames, driving Kolakshu into a steep dive, determined to send it crashing into the ocean.
Heavy rain poured down, while thunder and lightning roared amidst the storm clouds.
In the relentless chase, the young Kolakshu couldn't withstand the glutton's pursuit.
With a loud splash, it plunged into the sea.
Damon didn't have time to untie the chain around his waist. Together with Kolakshu, he was pulled into the ocean.
The surface of the water erupted into towering waves. Dragon blood dyed the sea red, boiling the icy water.
Witnessing this scene, Rhaegar trembled all over, halting the glutton in midair.
He was still dressed in his regal attire, though it had long been drenched by the rain.
Raindrops trickled down his face. He lifted his head to gaze at the stormy night sky, his expression intense, his chest heaving violently.
Wiping the water from his face, Rhaegar's half-lit visage shone in a flash of lightning. His lips curled into a grim smile, his eyes radiating icy malice.
"Uncle, you forced me to do this!"
Rhaegar shouted in a voice that was both panicked and manic, "You owe me a dragon flame, and today I'm giving it back to you!"
"Father couldn't bring himself to kill you, so I'll take your life myself!"
With that, he guided the glutton into a few wide spirals before soaring higher into the sky.
The wind and rain grew fiercer, mirroring the storm within his heart.
Whoosh—
On the way back, a powerful gust of wind swept overhead, blowing Rhaegar's hair into wild disarray.
The glutton let out a cautious growl, slowing its pace.
Rhaegar raised his head to look at the storm-laden sky, hesitation written across his face, as if recalling something.
After a moment of contemplation, he gritted his teeth and issued a command: "Glutton, let's go!"
"Hiss—"
Obeying his order, the glutton flapped its wings urgently.
Glancing back one last time, Rhaegar found that the surface of the sea had already blurred into obscurity.
A bolt of lightning split the clouds, illuminating the other half of Rhaegar's face—haunted, conflicted, and full of struggle.
He murmured to himself, "You didn't chase me down at Dragonstone Island, so I'll leave you a chance at survival, too."
"Out in this vast ocean, I can only pray that Kolakshu truly lives up to its name as a dragon..."
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*(End of Chapter)*