GOT King of Dragon

"How is my sister doing now?" 

Sighing softly, Rhaegar felt a wave of concern for Rhaenyra. 

Ser Erryk didn't hide the truth: "The princess ran out of the tent before me. The guards said she headed into the King's Wood." 

"Alone?" 

"Ser Criston Cole followed closely behind her." 

Rhaegar nodded thoughtfully before asking abruptly, "Ser Erryk, what exact words did my father use when he sent you to find me?" 

Slightly puzzled, Erryk replied honestly, "His Majesty ordered me to bring the prince back and to ensure your safety." 

"Good." 

Rhaegar smiled and added, "Then I'll trouble you with that task." 

As Erryk gave him a confused look, Rhaegar jogged toward the nearest horse enclosure, ducking under the railing. 

"Prince, I don't understand what you mean." 

Erryk followed closely, bewildered. 

Rhaegar selected a tall black horse and asked, "How about this one? It looks sturdy." 

"Prince, don't tell me you're planning to head into the King's Wood?" 

Erryk, quick on the uptake, immediately tried to dissuade him. 

Rhaegar patted the horse's foreleg and said seriously, "No, we're going into the King's Wood—together." 

"His Majesty won't approve of you running off!" 

"It's not considered running off if I have a White Cloak protecting me," Rhaegar countered, giving Erryk no chance to refuse. 

He tugged gently at a tuft of the horse's mane and said softly, "Ser, I assume you don't want anything to happen to me?" 

With that, he exerted slight pressure with his small hand. 

The black horse, feeling the discomfort, pawed the ground uneasily and let out a loud whinny. 

Standing by the horse's leg, Rhaegar stared quietly at Erryk. 

"What's your choice, Ser?" 

Erryk found himself staring at the young prince, who was blatantly threatening him with his own safety. 

In that moment, Erryk couldn't help but pity the king. 

With such unruly children, his mind must be in constant turmoil. 

And he pitied himself. 

Erryk knew that he couldn't stop someone who was willing to risk harm to themselves. 

Swallowing his frustration, Erryk lowered his head. "I will take you to find the princess, but you must follow my instructions." 

"No problem, Ser." 

Rhaegar's pale face lit up with a faint smile as he released the horse's mane and spread his arms wide. 

Erryk stepped forward, lifting the frail prince and placing him on the horse's back. 

He untied the reins, led the horse out of the enclosure, and mounted. With one arm around the young prince and the other holding the reins, he gave the horse a nudge with his legs. 

"Hyah!" 

Before long, the black horse trotted out of the camp and onto the King's Wood trail. 

"Ser, do you have any idea where my sister might be?" 

Rhaegar's hair fluttered in the wind as he questioned the knight. 

Erryk's expression was grave as he replied, "Criston is a sharp man. He's left markers along the way." 

Hearing this, Rhaegar relaxed. 

Those worthy of joining the Kingsguard weren't ordinary men. Leaving clues like this would be second nature. 

Time passed quickly. 

The sun was high when they left camp, but now dusk was settling in. 

In the golden light of the setting sun, Erryk led the black horse slowly along a forest path thick with pine and cypress. 

"Ser, I have reason to believe that my luck is terrible. I'm not suited for searches," Rhaegar murmured weakly, slumped over the horse's back. His lips were pale, and a faint sheen of sweat glistened on his forehead. 

Erryk sighed. "Perhaps. Cole's trail disappeared halfway, and now we're like headless flies." 

"Heh, that must be Rhaenyra's doing. She doesn't want anyone to find her." 

Rhaegar shook his head with a bitter smile. 

Erryk didn't respond. He was too busy scanning the surroundings, trying to find the way back to camp. 

The King's Wood was vast, and Rhaegar's haphazard directions had led them too far. 

Rustle... rustle... 

Suddenly, the faint sound of footsteps crunching through the underbrush came from behind them. 

Erryk, ever vigilant as one of the kingdom's finest guards, immediately sensed danger and turned his sharp gaze toward the sound. 

Rhaegar, already exhausted and frail, had no idea what was happening. 

Erryk began to back the horse away slowly, his hand moving to the hilt of his sword. In a low voice, he said, "Prince, something's coming from over there. It's big." 

"Is it dangerous?"

Rega immediately adjusted his posture. 

"I don't know. It depends on the nature of what's coming—poachers or a wild boar?" 

Rega whispered cautiously, "Should we ride away quickly to avoid a confrontation?" 

Elyck's voice carried a hint of pride: "Don't worry, Prince. I'll shield you with my life." 

As they spoke, the noise grew louder and closer. 

A towering, snow-white stag emerged gracefully from the forest, appearing before the two of them. 

"A white stag!?" 

Rega stared in awe at the elegant creature. 

He had a penchant for reading history and knew a lot about various traditions. 

Before Aegon the Conqueror unified the continent of Westeros, in the time before dragons, kings of the land regarded white stags as symbols of good fortune and royal authority. 

Over a hundred years had passed since then, and white stags had long vanished from the eyes of the world. 

To Rega's amazement, one still roamed the royal forest. 

"Prince, now is not the time for curiosity. This stag is enormous—if it charges, it will be a force to reckon with." 

Elyck's expression shifted slightly as he fixed his gaze on the stag, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword, which was partially drawn. 

Only after hearing this did Rega take note of the stag's immense size. 

Without even counting its massive antlers, the stag's shoulder height was around two meters, and its body length exceeded five meters. 

Its silky, white fur gleamed like satin, concealing layers of powerful muscles beneath—a clear testament to the staggering strength this noble creature could unleash. 

"Can you take it down?" 

Rega sounded a bit worried. 

Elyck replied, "One-on-one, I'd say my chances are fifty-fifty." 

"What if I help?" 

"Pray it doesn't attack us first," Elyck answered, his tone tinged with resignation. 

Rega rested his hand on his forehead, feeling the weight of his own frail limbs. 

"Yoo~ Yoo~" 

Perhaps fate still favored them. 

The white stag didn't attack. Instead, it let out a soft call, its amber eyes filled with curiosity and innocence. 

"It doesn't seem to have a wild beast's aggression?" 

Noticing this, Rega's racing heart calmed slightly, leaving him with a faint sense of relief and exhilaration. 

"Yoo~ Yoo~" 

Seeing that they made no sudden movements, the stag slowly approached, its nostrils flaring as it sniffed the air. 

"Sir, help me down." 

The closer Rega looked into the stag's eyes, the more he felt its extraordinary nature. He asked Elyck for assistance. 

"Prince, it's dangerous…" 

"The white stag is a symbol of good fortune. I don't believe it's a mere beast." 

Rega interrupted Elyck's warning with a bright smile directed at the stag, beckoning it gently. 

"Come here, my friend." 

The stag slightly lowered its head, adopting a stance that hinted at readiness for defense, its curious gaze fixed on the young human atop the horse. 

"Hurry, help me down, Sir." 

"Be cautious, Prince—this is no joking matter." 

After Rega's repeated urging, Elyck reluctantly helped him dismount, his face filled with unease. 

Once on the ground, Rega untied a small pouch from his waist and retrieved a handful of red grapes he had stored away. Speaking softly, he called out: 

"My friend, would you like to try these?" 

The sight of the bright red fruit caught the stag's attention, its eyes lighting up as it involuntarily stepped closer. 

When the distance between them narrowed to less than three meters, Elyck's sharp eyes remained watchful, and his sword was silently drawn further from its sheath. 

Rega quickly intervened. "Put away your weapon. Don't frighten my friend." 

"But, Prince…" 

"That's an order, Sir!" 

Under the stag's wary gaze, Elyck reluctantly sheathed his sword and followed closely behind Rega. 

If danger arose, he was determined to shield the Prince at all costs. 

--- 

(End of Chapter)