GOT King of Dragon

"Thank you, Your Highness." 

With the young prince's assurance, Arryk sincerely expressed his gratitude and led the two into the camp. 

Viserys was both furious and disappointed when he realized his son and daughter had been out all night. 

Not only was he disappointed in them, but also in himself. 

As a king, his vassals waging war without his command was a testament to his incompetence. 

As a father, his failure to discipline his children properly was proof of his inadequacy. 

After an entire night of Queen Alicent's counsel, Viserys uncharacteristically opened up his heart and decided to take action. 

When Rhaegar stepped into the royal tent, his eyes immediately landed on Viserys, seated at the head of the table. 

He glanced around—none of the nobles who had been celebrating yesterday were present. 

Even the most trusted ministers were absent. 

"Father, I've returned." 

Facing his displeased father, Rhaegar took the initiative to greet him. 

Viserys ignored him, his cold gaze falling instead upon the knight who had accompanied him—Ser Erryk. 

"White Knight, tell your king—what is the punishment for leading a prince out of camp without permission?" 

Erryk immediately fell to his knees, his heart filled with unease. "Your Grace, the crime is treason!" 

"Good. So you do remember the laws of the realm. I had assumed you no longer cared." 

Viserys let out a cold, furious laugh. "Guards! Take this traitor away and cut off his head!" 

He was truly enraged. 

Daemon and the Sea Snake had waged war behind his back. 

His council refused to accept his chosen heir. 

His beloved daughter failed to understand his painstaking efforts. 

And now, even the Kingsguard, sworn to loyalty, dared to defy him. 

Taking his frail heir deep into the Kingswood— 

What was he trying to do? 

What else did he dare attempt? 

If such disobedience went unpunished, what authority would the king have left? 

As Viserys gave the order, the sound of footsteps echoed outside the tent. 

Erryk closed his eyes, resigned to his fate. 

He knew—the guards at the entrance were coming for him. 

Standing beside the king, Arryk's expression changed slightly, and he subtly signaled to Rhaegar. 

Though it was a disgrace to the honor of his white cloak, the young prince was the only lifeline his brother had left. 

Rhaegar did not break his promise. 

The moment Viserys issued the command, he immediately stepped in front of Erryk. 

Feigning confusion, he asked, "Father, why must Ser Erryk be punished? There must be some misunderstanding." 

Viserys shot him a glare, his tone sharp. "Silence! Don't think you can remove yourself from blame just because I haven't mentioned you yet." 

"I already learned the whole story from a stable hand. If Erryk is to face punishment, you bear an undeniable responsibility!" 

Rhaegar's expression stiffened—he hadn't expected his little trick to have already been exposed. 

The guards entered the tent, swiftly stripping Erryk of his white cloak and confiscating his sword. 

"Stop! You cannot treat him this way!" 

Rhaegar could no longer stand idly by. He spread his arms, shielding the kneeling knight from the guards attempting to seize him. 

"Insolence! Do you dare defy your king and father as well?" 

Viserys roared in anger and ordered the guards to take Rhaegar away. 

"Let go of me! There's no need to restrain me before my own father!" 

Rhaegar struggled free. The guards dared not harm the king's son, so they instead focused on securing Erryk, who offered no resistance. 

"Your Highness, please don't provoke the king further," Erryk muttered solemnly, unwilling to be the cause of his prince's downfall. 

He wasn't foolish enough to believe a mere boy could save him. 

On the way back, he had already accepted his fate. 

"I swore that I would take full responsibility. A Targaryen keeps their word!" 

Rhaegar shoved aside the guards blocking his path and strode forward, facing his furious father head-on. 

He declared loudly, "Father, my illness has been cured—thanks in no small part to Ser Erryk!" 

Viserys scoffed. "I only know that Erryk is a knight. Since when was he also an expert in herbal medicine?" 

"Believe me! There is a white stag in the Kingswood—it gifted me a fruit filled with blessings, restoring my health!" 

Rhaegar played his trump card, hoping to overturn Erryk's sentence. 

At the mention of the white stag, Viserys' eyes flickered with doubt. "A white stag… healed you with a single fruit?" 

Just yesterday, Hand of the King Lyonel Strong had reported that a white stag had been spotted in the Kingswood. 

Ser Jason Lannister had even presented him with a golden spear, hoping the king would use it to hunt the beast. 

Viserys had indeed gone on the hunt, accompanied by his retinue— 

But he had never found the white stag, only a common red deer. 

His son had left the camp before this news was made known. 

So, if Rhaegar claimed to have seen the white stag— 

Perhaps he was telling the truth.

Rhaegar had no idea about the whirlwind of thoughts in his father's mind at that moment. He firmly said, "Yes, a pure white stag. I gave it fruit, and in return, it gifted me a fruit that healed me." 

He added as a reminder, "We're friends!" 

"Hahaha, that's the best joke I've heard all year," Viserys scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief at his eldest son's increasingly far-fetched story. 

But Rhaegar remained resolute. "Ser Elric can vouch for me, and you can also summon the maester traveling with us to examine me. I promise you—I'm recovering." 

The confidence in Rhaegar's voice moved Viserys, who shifted his gaze to the silent Elric and asked, uncertainly: 

"Elric, while you're still in your armor, tell your king the truth." 

Elric replied, "Every word the prince has said is true!" 

Viserys nodded slightly and fell silent, lowering his head. 

No one knew what he was thinking at that moment. 

The tent fell into a brief silence, the sound of everyone's breathing clearly audible. 

After a while, Viserys turned to Aeryk and asked, "What do you think? Do you believe what Rhaegar and your brother have said?" 

"I trust my brother, just as you trust your own child, Your Majesty," Aeryk replied without hesitation, firmly standing by his brother. 

Viserys said no more and gave the order, "Summon the maester traveling with us, along with all the other doctors and healers brought by the nobles and knights. Not one is to be left out." 

"As you command!" 

Aeryk's voice boomed as he lifted the tent flap and strode out. 

This sudden turn of events eased the previously tense atmosphere. 

The guards exchanged glances, then instinctively straightened into two orderly lines. 

Rhaegar turned to Viserys and asked, "Father, do you believe me?" 

"If it restores your health, then I hope what you say is true," Viserys replied. 

For now, Viserys managed to restrain his emotions as he scrutinized his young son. 

In truth, he was beginning to believe Rhaegar. 

Two months earlier, after Rhaegar's routine examination, the Grand Maester had informed him: 

"The prince's heart failure is severe. If it worsens further, he likely won't live past the age of ten." 

Viserys had asked if there was any way to treat it. 

Regretfully, organ failure was a death sentence in this era. 

Not only was it incurable, but there was no way to even slow its progress. 

He had resigned himself to the belief that his eldest son's days were numbered and had begun avoiding meeting with him. 

As the boy's father—even as king—Viserys hadn't the courage to face him. 

And yet. 

Just now, the way Rhaegar stood his ground and argued his case had astonished him. 

Though his son's pale, familiar face remained unchanged, 

His voice carried strength and vitality. 

The aura he exuded, the conviction in his words— 

Truly worthy of a descendant of Old Valyria. 

(End of Chapter)