The pages of Bloodraven's autobiography were yellowed and tattered, densely filled with words, and the leather cover had long since faded.
Yet, in Rhaegar's hands, the book was like a mountain of gold. The more he read, the more he felt sharpened—like a sword against a whetstone.
This was no longer an age of dragons. Targaryen power was no longer absolute. When Maekar I put down a rebellion, he died under a falling stone; Aegon V was hounded to exhaustion by disloyal nobles.
Rhaegar's sense of security came not just from his royal status but also from his own strength, intelligence, and access to information.
Bloodraven was an object he could study, a tangible link to a legend. The name Brynden Rivers, Bloodraven, was priceless. Like Prince Daemon the Wanderer and Baelor, who had perished at Maekar's hand, Bloodraven was a legendary dragonblood who had never ascended the throne yet was renowned across the Seven Kingdoms.
In the histories, Bloodraven could easily be counted among the great figures of his house. He had once shone brilliantly. Though disliked by some, all recognized his ability to command destiny; he was a man who shaped his era.
Rhaegar imagined the sensitive, sharp-featured face of the bastard in the mist: white-straight hair, pale bone-like skin, and the grotesque reddish-purple marks on his cheeks and neck that gave him the infamous "Red Crow" nickname. His stature was not as imposing as his brothers, yet his intellect far surpassed them.
Rhaegar read the book thoroughly: Bloodraven's joys and failures, his tumultuous but unfulfilled love with Serrei Yangxing, his love and hatred for Daeron, Harl Iron Rivers, and the Blackfyre brothers, and his successes and failures in ruling Westeros. Perhaps the only missing portion was the arcane, magical, and supernatural content in the latter half of the book—Bloodraven had hidden it, or perhaps Rhaegar lacked the ability to unlock it.
"Bloodraven truly was a legendary figure," Rhaegar thought as he carefully returned the book to his kagh—keeping it out too long in the library might raise suspicion.
Even this short session had been rewarding. The most precious insights were Bloodraven's techniques in archery, his network of spies, and his map of the Red Keep's secret passages.
Achievement unlocked:
Game of Power: Small Player — Immersed in Bloodraven's story, you have observed the rise of a giant. Your understanding of power deepens; congratulations, you are now a Small Player.
Exiting the library, aside from the attendants accompanying his mother, Rhaegar noticed a White Knight waiting. It seemed his grandfather, King Jaehaerys II, wished to see him again.
"Tell my mother I am going to see my grandfather," Rhaegar said.
"Yes, Your Highness," the attendant replied respectfully. The prince's silver hair and violet eyes made him seem almost divine.
The king's secret council chamber was dimly lit, casting sharper shadows on faces steeped in ambition and malice.
Power flowed not just in the Great Council or by the votes of thousands—it also moved in the plotting rooms, through conspiracies of two or three.
Seated at a long Goldenheart wood table were only King Jaehaerys II, the recently recovering Hand of the King Duke Mond, and the symbolic figure of young Prince Rhaegar. In front of Rhaegar were tangerines, figs, buffalo cheese, and red berries, gifts from his grandfather. Even amidst politics, the grandfather's love for his grandson was consistent.
Rhaegar observed silently as the adults discussed. Across the table, the king's carefully manicured schemes unfolded.
"The war over the Stepstones is nearing its end. The moment of decision has come," Jaehaerys II said. The ravens had brought the latest reports: the flames of war were about to die down. Yet with power came new troubles.
"These are rare peaceful years. The Ice Wolves and Mountain Eagles remain largely uninvolved; even the Roses and Trouts are relatively peaceful, and not even the sea serpents have troubled us. Only the West is on the brink—the struggle between the Yellow Lion and Red Lion has reached volcanic levels," Duke Mond nodded.
"The Iron Vault's Gold Dragons are due in three years. We need the West's gold; the West cannot descend into chaos," Jaehaerys II said gravely.
"Then we must support the Yellow Lion. While Lord Roger has shown boldness in the war, he is merely an inflated balloon. Considering lineage and strength, no family in the West can match the Lannisters. Before Conqueror Aegon arrived, only the Starks, Baratheons, and Arryns were born rulers," Jaehaerys continued.
"Yet that Smiling Lion, Tedros, doesn't seem decisive. He inherited after his two or three elder brothers died; he was never trained to rule," Duke Mond analyzed, drawing from his position as Hand and detailed knowledge of the Seven Kingdoms.
Rhaegar listened while eating. He understood that in every region, ambitious second-tier nobles existed—some trying to climb, others attempting to block them.
The Red Lion Lord Roger's family appeared bold and unruly, yet in reality their power remained limited. Their rise was exaggerated only by the odd figure of Tedros. Compared to the Hightowers, Redwynes, Boltons, or even the Freys, they were far less consequential.
"Supporting House Lannister does not mean supporting Tedros," Jaehaerys II shook his head. Rhaegar already guessed he referred to the twins, Tywin and Kevan.
"The Smiling Lion's sons have grown—strong men. Tywin has become a knight, and Kevan is also knighted by Lord Roger," the king noted. He had spies throughout the Stepstones, and Tywin's long residence in King's Landing allowed careful observation.
"This is indeed a good approach. Previous mediations always failed; the West fell into chaos again. We need capable men there," Duke Mond recalled.
"Let's see how Tywin fares against Tedros. I've prepared a gift for him," Jaehaerys II said silently, showing Duke Mond two sealed proclamations bearing the three-headed dragon wax seal, names stained with blood.
"Proclamations of treason?" Duke Mond's eyes widened. The two documents already declared the Red Lion House Reyes and their allies, the House Tabbec, guilty of treason.
Treason was among the most notorious charges in Westeros, almost certainly punishable by death—beheading, hanging, or impalement.
"Lord Roger fought valiantly in the Stepstones war. Though somewhat reckless…" Duke Mond hesitated. As a Hand from the martial Baratheon family, he still retained traces of honor and reluctance toward political cruelty.
"Sometimes the dead are more useful than the living," Jaehaerys II said coldly, feeding his grandson at the same time. With the royal seal of treason affixed, the Red Lion's death would appear inevitable.
This was a calculated move: both a favor to Tywin and a display of royal authority.
Jaehaerys II had seen through Tywin's cold-blooded nature and wished to test if the young man was as capable as imagined.
Rhaegar watched his grandfather—the old king, though frail, remained ruthless and calculating. He had already foreseen the Casterly Rock tragedy and was deliberately adding fuel to the fire for Tywin.
Achievement unlocked:
Game of Power: Small Player — Blood and fire are the currency of power. When compassion cannot resolve disputes, a touch of cruelty is required.
Rhaegar glanced at his panel; Lord Roger's fate seemed all but sealed.
Indeed, power was a bloody game, and the wheel of fortune had turned.
"Tywin is brave and cunning. If he rises, he may outshine even our son," Duke Mond remarked.
"Now is not the time to discuss that. First, the Iron Vault debt must be settled," Jaehaerys II said. Relying on the great houses was a necessity, not a choice. Even a dragon king had constraints.