Noon.
Riding dragons all the way, they finally arrived at Tideshead Isle.
Located closer to King's Landing than Dragonstone, Tideshead Isle tightly controls the Narrow Sea's bottleneck.
This large island is home to three settlements: High Tide City, Shell Town, and Spice Town.
From afar, Rhaegar and his companions flew their dragons over Tideshead Isle, gazing down at the settlements below.
To the west stood a castle built atop a cliff, offering a strong defensive position.
The other two towns were located on the opposite side of the island, closer to the Narrow Sea, making them ideal for navigation and trade.
Rhaegar scanned the area and noticed numerous ships docked at the towns' harbors, the scene brimming with prosperity.
"Let's head to High Tide City."
After circling twice in the air to survey the area, Rhaegar guided his dragon lower.
"Rooooar…"
As they neared High Tide City, a thunderous dragon roar echoed from below, reaching the ears of all three riders.
"Rooooar…"
Before Rhaegar could react, Devourer, his dragon, issued a warning snarl, its green slit pupils filled with caution.
Rhaegar immediately became alert, turning his gaze toward the source of the roar.
In an open field near the beach, surrounded by wild grass, lay an enormous green dragon sprawled on the ground. Its amber slit eyes were fixed on the skies above.
The moment Rhaegar saw the green dragon, his eyes lit up, and his heartbeat quickened slightly.
He recognized this dragon.
It was Vhagar, the last of the Targaryens' great dragons.
Born on Dragonstone in 51 BC (Before Conquest), Vhagar's first rider was Visenya Targaryen, sister and queen of Aegon the Conqueror.
Her second rider was Rhaegar's grandfather, Baelon Targaryen, known as the Spring Prince.
The third was Laena Velaryon.
Today, this dragon had reached the advanced age of 169 years.
Studying the old dragon, Rhaegar thought to himself that Larys's information was fairly accurate—Laena had indeed secretly returned to Tideshead Isle.
"That dragon is Vhagar? It's huge!"
Aegon, who rarely ventured outdoors, stared wide-eyed in shock at his first sight of Vhagar.
"I told you to go out more. Staying in bed all day amusing yourself is turning you into a useless hermit," Rhaenyra retorted with a look of disdain.
"Rooooar!"
Noticing the three dragons above, Vhagar shifted its massive body and roared again, a clear declaration of its territory.
"Rhaegar, let's leave before we provoke this old dragon," Rhaenyra urged, recognizing the warning in Vhagar's roar.
It was common knowledge that Vhagar had a notoriously bad temper. Avoiding trouble was the best course of action.
Rhaegar nodded in agreement. "All right, we'll keep our distance."
"Grrr…"
Devourer growled low in its throat, its hostility toward Vhagar evident.
Though smaller and younger, Devourer was an imposing dragon with coal-black scales and a fearsome, demonic appearance.
In contrast, Vhagar's age showed in its sagging skin and drooping jaw. The once-formidable crown of horns atop its head had also eroded with time.
Yet Vhagar exuded a commanding presence, its scar-covered body and tattered wings—pierced by scorpion bolts—telling of countless battles. Its amber eyes were cold and merciless, projecting the aura of a seasoned war machine.
Sensing Devourer's eagerness for a fight, Rhaegar smiled wryly. "Easy, buddy. We're not here to pick a fight."
Even without considering size, Vhagar's legendary history alone made Rhaegar cautious.
Though Devourer had seen its share of battles, defeating Vermithor and Silverwing in the past, Vhagar's century of experience in countless wars far exceeded that of the younger dragon.
If a fight were to happen, it would have to wait until Devourer reached its peak, likely after its hundredth year.
"Huff…"
Heeding its rider, Devourer snorted before turning away and flying off.
It wasn't foolish enough to provoke the old dragon.
---
After leaving the beach, Rhaegar and his companions flew their dragons to the skies above High Tide City.
The three dragons circled the city twice before descending slowly, announcing to those in the castle below that the Targaryen prince and princesses had arrived.
Boom—
Devourer landed first, its massive body stirring up a fierce wind as it touched down on a patch of open ground near the tides.
Syrax and Sunfyre followed, keeping a safe distance from the aggressive black dragon.
Both dragons could sense Devourer's combative nature and wanted no part in its potential outbursts.
"We greet the prince and princesses…"
A group of guards stationed on the field stepped forward, led by a knight who bowed respectfully to the three.
"Lead the way, knight," Rhaegar, as the crown prince, naturally took charge as the spokesperson for his siblings.
"This way, Your Highness," the knight replied.
The captain of the guard had silver hair, a clear sign of Valyrian heritage.
Rhaegar called out to Rhaenyra and Aegon, signaling them to follow him.
High Tide Castle was located on a secluded, high-altitude island. To reach it, they had to traverse a narrow cobblestone path built above the tides.
While dragons could land directly in front of the castle, doing so was considered disrespectful to its lord.
They had come to celebrate a birthday and needed to observe proper etiquette.
After about ten minutes of walking along the cobblestone path and ascending the cliff, they arrived at a stone-arched gate.
"This way, please, Your Highnesses," said the captain of the guard, leading them through the archway into a flourishing yet open garden.
The towering castle stood directly ahead, facing the stone gate.
"Ah..."
As soon as they entered, the clanging of metal on metal reached their ears.
Rhaegar glanced to the side and saw two men sparring in the garden, attacking and countering each other with swords.
One of them had dark skin and silver hair, his facial features somewhat familiar to Rhaegar.
He paused for a moment before realizing who it was—the eldest son of the Sea Snake and a cousin with a fondness for him: Laenor Velaryon.
The group walked further through the archway, catching Laenor's attention.
Wiping the sweat from his brow, Laenor signaled his sparring partner to pause, then approached them with a bright smile.
"Rhaegar, Rhaenyra, and Aegon, welcome to Driftmark."
Laenor sheathed his sword and greeted them warmly.
"It's been a while, cousin," Rhaegar replied, smiling back as he returned the greeting.
At the same time, the castle's grand doors opened, and two men emerged—one bore a striking resemblance to the Sea Snake, while the other was a silver-haired, dark-skinned steward.
Rhaenyra leaned closer to Rhaegar's ear and whispered, "That's Vaemond Velaryon, the Sea Snake's younger brother."
Rhaegar nodded subtly, keeping his expression composed as his gaze fell on Vaemond.
Vaemond, sporting neatly groomed dreadlocks and wearing formal attire, carried himself with an air of pride.
Approaching Rhaegar, he bowed respectfully and said solemnly, "Welcome, Your Highness."
"Greetings, Lord Vaemond. I've heard much about your valor," Rhaegar replied cordially, glancing at the castle with a feigned look of curiosity. "Where is Lord Corlys, the Sea Snake? We've come to celebrate Aunt Rhaenys' birthday. Could it be he's not here to welcome us?"
Vaemond's reputation was nothing short of impressive.
As an experienced warrior and rider of the mighty dragon Vhagar, he was a formidable figure.
According to the lore, Vhagar—though aging—was larger and more battle-hardened.
By the book's logic, even the fearsome Cannibal would only stand a chance in a one-on-one fight by sustaining significant injuries, likely leading to mutual devastation.
(End of Chapter)