Aemon was stunned.
Upon receiving the letter, he learned the details.
The fall of the Three Daughters left many mercenaries homeless, forcing them to plunder the Summer Sea.
A group of Tyroshi mercenaries were attacked and forced to hide in the Smoking Sea.
In the ruins of Valyria, known as the Cursed Lands, a nest of dragon eggs was unearthed.
Fortunately, some of the mercenaries survived the Smoking Sea and returned with the eggs, whose authenticity was unknown.
The Sea Serpent's letter provided a more complete account.
His spies in Braavos reported that someone had secretly offered a high price for the eggs.
The Tyroshi mercenaries landed in Volantis, hoping to purchase a fleet of large ships.
However, due to a previous conflict between the two sides, Volantis refused to sell them any ships.
With no other options, the Tyroshi mercenaries had to change their route.
They planned to cross the Dothraki Great Grass Sea, head south to Slaver's Bay, and purchase ships for the voyage.
It was in Volantis that the news leaked.
"Come!"
Viserys shouted with suppressed fury. "Inform Lord Lyonel to call an urgent council!"
Creak!
Ser Harold pushed the door open and said hurriedly, "Wait a moment, Your Majesty."
"Wait," Aemon called out. He added sternly, "Write to Driftmark and inform Aunt Rhaenys to summon a council of the house."
Regarding the dragon eggs, both public and private matters must be communicated to the house.
"Yes!"
Seeing that the king remained silent, Ser Harold immediately rushed out.
The Small Council and the Family Council
Noon.
The sun was bright, and a gentle breeze blew.
Viserys stood on the balcony, quietly enjoying the view. The domed dragon lair was a sight to behold.
A flock of seabirds soared across the clear blue sky.
Light streamed into the council hall through the huge, floor-to-ceiling windows, but offered little warmth.
Meanwhile, the two sides of the conference table gradually filled up.
On the left sat the Small Council, led by Lyonel.
Aside from the Sea Serpent and Tyran, who had left for the Stepstones, the other three Lords of Justice, the Lord Treasurer, and the Grand Maester had arrived.
The members of the council of the house sat on the right.
Rhaenys sat at the head of the table, still clad in her soft red armor. She had arrived from Driftmark on Meleys.
Aemon sat to her right, flanked by Laena and Rhaenyra.
Daemon sat leisurely at the end.
He hadn't left King's Landing yet and was spending his time in Silk Street and Flea Bottom.
"Do you know why I called this emergency meeting?"
Viserys asked, turning his face toward them. It was gloomy and terrifying.
"Is there really a nest of dragon eggs from Old Valyria?" Rhaenys asked, her face grave and incredulous.
"Who knows?" Viserys calmed down and sneered. "Even Balerion returned from every place he went wounded. There must be something hidden within, don't you think?"
"Yes, whether true or not," Rhaenys replied seriously, taking a deep breath.
"The dragon eggs must not be allowed to escape," said Aemon, his face serious.
"Dragons are the foundation of the Targaryen family. Anyone who dares to take advantage of them is an enemy of the clan."
Otto pondered for a moment, then said, "Your Majesty, think twice before you act."
"We have no clear place to deploy our power," Lyonel quickly suggested.
Hearing this, Viserys fell silent, his eyes flickering.
This matter was riddled with doubts.
First, the Smoky Sea was incredibly dangerous and had been forbidden to explore since his grandfather's time.
Second, over two hundred years had passed since the Doom.
The incubation period for dragon eggs was about a hundred years.
Even with careful incubation, most of the first batch of dragon eggs brought to Dragonstone by Einar the Exile had lost their vitality, turning into cold stone.
The eggs in the Smoky Sea would be even worse.
The Tyroshi mercenaries were probably holding a clutch of stone eggs.
Viserys's face darkened at this thought.
"This matter is non-negotiable."
Noticing his uncle's hesitation, Aemon calmly and solemnly produced the letter the Sea Serpent had sent back and analyzed it:
"Someone has suddenly taken out a large loan with collateral from the Iron Bank. It's likely connected to this clutch of dragon eggs," the letter emphasized.
Someone in Braavos had secretly offered a high price for the eggs.
Judging by the collateral, it must have been worth at least one million gold dragons.
"That's more than the price of a collection of stone eggs," Viserys quickly grasped the key point.
Linman, who had been unable to get a word in, sighed softly. "The last time dragon eggs were lost, they didn't fetch that much."
Everyone recalled a moment of unease.
During the reign of the Elder King, there had been a terrible dragon egg theft incident.
The victim was the Elder King's sister, Rhaena Targaryen, the "Eastern Queen."
Like Rhaenyra, she had tamed a dragon, Dreamfyre, as a young girl and become its first rider.
While she lived on Dragonstone, her friend stole a clutch of Dreamfyre's eggs and sold them to the Sea King of Braavos in exchange for a fleet of ships.
Three eggs!
Fortunately, decades had passed and no hatchlings had emerged from them.
Therefore, based on the previous purchase price, there was only one possibility.
The eggs in the Sea of Mires had the potential to hatch.
"It's incredible." Laena sighed.
A two-hundred-year-old dragon egg buried in the harsh environment of the Smoky Sea surprisingly still had a chance of being alive.
"Things change," Daemon interjected calmly, toying with his identity stone orb.
After his initial surprise, he had digested the information.
Otto glanced at him and asked, "The egg is likely in the Dothraki Great Grass Sea. Who will retrieve it?"
"Well..." Viserys hesitated, glancing at his blood relatives to his right.
"Five dragon riders are enough to accomplish much."
But...
Finally, Viserys glanced at Ser Harold, who was standing behind him, and said seriously, "Send a few Kingsguard and prepare to sail east."
"Yes, Your Majesty," Ser Harold replied silently.
Seeing this, Rhaenys frowned and was about to speak.
"I'll go," Aemon interrupted.
Viserys was tempted, but his nephew had just returned to King's Landing. He said regretfully, "You still have to hold the betrothal ceremony."
Then he looked at Laena, who was dressed in a sea-blue dress.
Her face was impassive, and her waist-length, silver-gold curls were slightly disheveled. She had also returned from Driftmark on Vhagar.
"The engagement can be postponed, but the dragon egg is gone for good," said Aemon, taking Laena's warm hand on her thigh. His eyes were apologetic.
"It's all right," Laena replied, sounding sensible and ladylike. "The dragon egg is important!"
Rhaenys nodded silently.
She couldn't tell whether she agreed with her nephew's thoughts or was pleased with her daughter's generosity.
"Very well, then. You may go," Viserys said with a smile. "What do you need? Men, horses, or supplies? You can ask."
Aemon said he didn't need any.
He could reach the Dothraki Great Grass Sea in two days on his dragon.
More people would only slow things down.
"Father," Rhaenyra suddenly turned and stared at her father, the meaning clear.
"Are you going too?" Viserys's face paled slightly. He didn't want his daughter to go.
The Crown Prince should stay safely in King's Landing.
"Syrax is very good and can help."
Rhaenyra tried her best to argue.
Viserys was about to refuse.
"Your Majesty, let me go too," Laena whispered softly, as the father and daughter reached a stalemate.
Startled by her words, Viserys looked first at his cousin Rhaenys.
"I respect Laena's decision," Rhaenys said, spreading her hands to indicate that anything was fine.
As it happened, her trip wasn't in vain.
"The betrothal ceremony has been postponed, and I'm sitting idle on Driftmark anyway," Laena replied gracefully. She took Aemon's hand and said softly, "Why don't we go together? One more person means more strength."
Aemon smiled down.
The gentle aura that washed over him was enough to drown him in tenderness.
He was so happy!
"Okay, that's it," Viserys said, no longer resisting. "We'll feel more at ease if the three of you go together."
There were three elders present: his cousin Rhaenys, himself, and his brother Daemon.
The other two children had left, but he was the only one who couldn't bear to let go, making him seem out of place.
"We'll leave tomorrow," said Aemon, standing up and setting a date.
This matter needed to be addressed sooner rather than later.
Departure to the East
The next day,
Aemon set out early and arrived at the dragon's lair. While the dragon keeper was freeing Vermithor, Aemon took out his Flame Hammer and examined it.
In the dimly lit hall, the flame inscriptions on the hammer's surface twisted slightly, as if they were alive.
As a dreamwalker, he valued his dreams.
Two omens appeared in his dream:
The Lonely Mountain transforming into a volcano and a growing bronze sacred tree.
The former was reflected in the Flame Hammer, indicating that he would one day pry open the molten lava beneath the Lonely Mountain.
The other omen puzzled him.
The bronze sacred tree was planted in the dragon's lair and guarded by silver wings.
Outsiders could not enter.
He was not in Riverdale and had no idea if anything had changed.
However, Jansif had sent him a letter the previous night saying that everything was fine in Riverdale and that he shouldn't worry.
"I should find time to go back in person," Aemon muttered.
"What are you looking at?" Laena's charming voice came from behind him.
He turned around, raised his hand, and boasted with a smile, "A new hammer."
"Then you can forge a better tool?" Laena teased, her hands clasped behind her back.
Aemon was dazzled by her.
Only then did he realize that her outfit was different today.
A black corset top, red soft armor, and matching black leggings accentuated her curves.
He paid special attention to her waist.
Tucked in was an exquisitely crafted one-handed sword.
He had forged the weapon himself; it was infused with fire ore and called the Dragon Rider.
"I was just worried I wouldn't have a chance to use it."
Seeing Aemon's gaze fixed on her, Laena drew her sword. A look of solemnity crossed her face.
The slender, silver-gray blade gleamed coldly, a line of blood running through it like a pulsating vein.
It was clearly a formidable weapon.
"You're both here," Rhaenyra said sternly. After scanning the two of them, she looked specifically at the Dragon Rider.
Aemon was speechless.
Rhaenyra was also strikingly dressed.
She wore black dragon-riding garb and had her long, silver-gold hair braided and pulled back. At her waist, she wore her sword, the Light of the Realm.
Seeing her attention on the "Dragon Rider," Aemon conjured an image.
Is it just for me, or are all the other girls included too?
Over the Great Grass Sea
The three of them, riding their dragons, quickly set off for their destination.
The Dothraki Great Grass Sea lies inland from Essos and is home to the Dothraki, a race of horsemen.
To the east, across the Andalos Mountains, which divide the continent to the west, lie the Free Cities.
To the north lies the Forest of Qohor.
Qohor, one of the nine Free Cities, is a favorite destination for the Dothraki.
To the south lie the Valyrian Peninsula, Slaver's Bay, and the Red Waste.
After crossing the entire Great Grass Sea, a vast inland sea separates the land.
The Dothraki never cross the sea.
After several days of traveling, the vast green grass sea came into view.
Perched on his dragon's back, Aemon gazed down in awe at the wonders of nature.
Endless expanses of lush grassland stretched as far as the eye could see. Even from high above, the Great Grass Sea could not be fully seen at once.
The grass was half a man's height and dotted with pale yellow blossoms.
Aemon couldn't fathom the countless snakes, insects, rats, and ants that would crawl over someone trudging through it.
"Let's follow the Dothraki migration trail," Laena called out.
Dothraki society was relatively backward and still based on a tribal system of predatory behavior.
Whenever the rains failed, the tribes would migrate.
Large tribes of tens or even hundreds of thousands would trample a wide path across the Great Grass Sea.
Aemon glanced around.
They were currently on the eastern side of the Great Grass Sea.
Following the southeastern trail, they would reach Slaver's Bay.
"Roar—"
Vhagar's eyes were cold as his massive body swept through the grass. The dragon led the way.
Laena said.
She and Laenor had been to the Great Grass Sea before and were familiar with its customs.
Their ability to find their way alone gave them a significant advantage over the inexperienced pair, Aemon and Rhaenyra.
Aemon patted his dragon's back, and Vermithor followed closely behind.
Syrax, looking small in comparison to the two older dragons, hurried to catch up.
They flew for hours.
Aemon was tired, and the green no longer protected his eyes, leaving him disoriented.
The Great Grass Sea had a perpetually summer-like climate.
Scientifically speaking, its proximity to the equator meant longer daylight hours.
From his body's reactions, Aemon deduced that in Westeros, it would probably be sunset by now.
"Look! There are people up ahead!" Laena's sudden, delighted cry perked Aemon up. He rubbed his dry eyes and gazed into the distance.
It was a migrating Dothraki tribe.
Their vast numbers formed a long line across the Great Grass Sea.
Aemon could see at a glance that there were tens of thousands of them.
That's a lot in Westeros, but in the Great Grass Sea, it can only be regarded as a small tribe.
Of course, that's not the point.
What is gratifying is that there is a group at the end of the tribe that looks different.
They were like a piece of white bread with a speck of dust on it.
"What is this?" Aemon excitedly stuck his head out.
Several carriages were adorned with flags bearing the emblem of the Tyroshi mercenaries.
"Catch up, Vermithor!"
The dragon egg was right in front of him, and Aemon couldn't help but charge.
"Hiss—"
Vermithor roared, his bronze-bright pupils staring at the Dothraki tribe below. He lowered his head and dove down.
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