"Your Majesty, the proposal was made by the prince."
Corlys spoke in a low voice, carefully weighing the pros and cons of this decision for his family.
Upon hearing this, Viserys turned to his eldest son and asked sternly, "Rhaegar, what are your thoughts?"
He had long been aware of his son's deep interest in dragons.
Whether it was overseeing the Dragonpit or implementing its ongoing reforms, Rhaegar's dedication was evident.
Viserys trusted that if his son had raised the issue of dragon ownership, he must have a well-thought-out solution.
"Ahem..."
Clearing his throat, Rhaegar spoke thoughtfully, "Father, you are well-versed in the history of Old Valyria during the Freehold era. You should remember how the forty dragonlord families constantly fought among themselves."
"Of course. The great houses engaged in open and covert struggles, with the strong preying on the weak," Viserys replied, his gaze darkening as he recalled the terrifying power described in historical accounts.
At its peak, Old Valyria commanded over a thousand dragons, and the entire continent of Essos bowed before its might.
One could only imagine how intense the conflicts between those dragonlord families had been.
"That is precisely my point—dragons elevate the status of a name, a family," Rhaegar continued, sweeping his gaze over everyone present, his expression unwavering. "After the Doom of Valyria, only one dragonlord family remained in all of Westeros, indeed in the entire world—the Targaryens."
As soon as the topic of dragonlord bloodlines was brought up, the council chamber fell silent.
Dragons were magical creatures imbued with supernatural power.
No noble house could ignore the Targaryens' exclusive control over dragons, nor the unique heritage of their dragonlord bloodline.
Among the council members, Tyland Lannister had the most personal stake in this discussion.
Back when Rhaenyra was still the heir to the throne, both he and his older brother, Jason Lannister, had fervently pursued her hand in marriage.
One reason was the political power that came with her status.
The other was the opportunity to introduce dragonlord blood into their lineage, ensuring that their descendants, like the Velaryons, could one day tame dragons.
"Prince Rhaegar, my wife, Rhaenys, is a trueborn Targaryen princess. My children bear Targaryen blood," Corlys spoke after a brief silence, his voice measured.
He feared that Rhaegar was about to strip his children of their right to ride dragons.
The Velaryon family's strength lay not only in its mighty naval fleet but also in the deterrent force of the three dragons they commanded.
"Lord Corlys, don't be hasty—the prince has yet to finish speaking," Grand Maester Mellos interjected, his hands tucked into his sleeves as he calmly offered his reminder.
Corlys shot him a glance, a flicker of disdain passing through his eyes.
He despised the maesters of the Citadel—a bunch of bookish scholars who thought too highly of themselves.
"Rhaegar, since you emphasize the uniqueness of House Targaryen, what do you propose to do about House Velaryon?" Viserys asked, his doubt deepening.
Surely, he wasn't suggesting seizing the dragons by force?
Even if that were the plan, it would have to wait until after the war.
It would be foolish to antagonize the Sea Snake before the battle had even begun, potentially losing a crucial ally.
"Father, be at ease," Rhaegar reassured him with a steady look before continuing, "While House Targaryen remains singular in name, our dragonlord blood inevitably spreads through marriage alliances."
"Daughters will always marry outside the family—this is an unavoidable reality."
Rhaenys furrowed her brows.
"Then we must impose restrictions!"
Rhaegar declared firmly, "I propose that the Small Council create a new advisory seat dedicated to overseeing matters related to House Targaryen—managing marriages, funerals, and the education of our heirs."
"And what purpose would that serve?" Viserys asked, his confusion growing.
Traditionally, the head of the family had always handled such affairs.
As king, he was not only the ruler of Westeros but also the head of House Targaryen.
Establishing a separate council position to manage family matters seemed like an attempt to divide his authority.
---
"Father, our great-grandfather had twelve children in his lifetime. How many of them are still alive?"
Rhaegar countered.
Viserys was momentarily at a loss for words.
Jaehaerys had been a wise king, but the latter half of his life was fraught with hardship.
His chosen heirs, Aemon and Baelon, both died prematurely.
Several of his daughters passed away in childbirth or succumbed to illness.
A few disobedient sons and daughters were unruly and left Westeros entirely.
If not for the fact that all of those uncles and aunts were gone without exception, Viserys wouldn't have had the chance to become king.
At that moment, Viserys fell into deep thought.
The Targaryen bloodline had never been particularly prosperous.
Aegon the Conqueror had no brothers, only two sisters.
He fathered two sons—one inherited the throne but died young.
The other rebelled, killed his nephew, and perished on the Iron Throne.
Three kings later, Jaehaerys I ascended and fathered twelve children.
But fate was cruel—not a single one of them survived.
By the time it came to Viserys' generation, only his younger brother Daemon and their cousin Rhaenys remained.
Suddenly, Viserys shuddered as a disturbing thought crept into his mind.
"Will all six of my children survive to adulthood?"
A chill ran down his spine, and he instinctively sat up straight.
He swallowed nervously, his gaze fixed intently on his eldest son, then asked, "Rhaegar, your proposal is intriguing, but how would the new council position manage the dilution of our bloodline?"
"Simple. The Targaryens have a family record—every member is documented."
Rhaegar spoke plainly. "Female members who marry outside the family will have their children identified by surname to determine whether they possess the ability to hatch and tame dragons."
A child would either bear the Targaryen name or take their father's surname.
Targaryens had dragons; those with their father's surname did not.
"Westeros has always followed the father's name," Corlys said, his expression darkening.
"Dragons come from Old Valyria," Rhaegar replied without hesitation. "I propose naming this new position 'Prince of the Dragonblood.' If a newborn bears the Targaryen name, they will be raised by the royal family and granted a dragon egg with the right to tame a dragon."
"Moreover, each noble house that marries into the Targaryens may have only one direct-born child retain the Targaryen name."
Two key rules.
First, it would expand the royal bloodline while ensuring the child's surname and upbringing firmly integrated them into House Targaryen.
Second, it would prevent allied houses from exploiting marriage ties to overwhelm the royal family with sheer numbers, thereby undermining its authority.
"Prince, your conditions are too harsh! By your logic, Laenor and Laena would have to change their surname to Targaryen!"
Corlys' face was grim, barely containing his frustration.
This so-called "Prince of the Dragonblood" proposal was, first and foremost, a restriction on House Velaryon.
"Lord Corlys, you must understand one thing—dragons never belonged to House Velaryon."
Rhaegar refuted coldly. "Laena and Laenor's right to ride dragons was granted by my great-grandfather and father. I will not strip them of their names or their dragons."
"But with the establishment of the Prince of the Dragonblood position, House Targaryen must stand united. There will be no second dragonlord family!"
This was a direct restriction on House Velaryon.
Currently, the Targaryens had only three dragonriders—equal in number to the Velaryons.
Who, then, was the true dragonlord family?
"Prince, Laenor is not yet married. Would his future children be eligible to take the Targaryen name?"
Hearing that his own children were exempt, Corlys calmed down slightly but still sought to secure his family's future.
"They would not."
Rhaegar answered bluntly. "Laenor is the son of my aunt Rhaenys. Unless he marries another Targaryen, his children would be purely Velaryon."
This rule had to be set in stone.
To take the Targaryen name, one had to be a direct descendant of a Targaryen.
He had revised it over and over, pondering deeply, yet something still felt missing.
(End of Chapter)