GOT King of Dragon

The next day. 

Rhaegar awoke in a soft goose-feather bed, frowning as he rubbed his eyes. 

"Prince, Lord Sam is waiting for you in the guest hall for breakfast," came the crisp voice of a maid from outside the modestly luxurious stone-walled bedroom. 

"I understand," Rhaegar replied, his voice slightly weary as he got out of bed. 

Once again, he had dreamt the night before. 

He dreamt of Rhaenyra crying incessantly, holding his hand, and expressing her worries about him. 

He also dreamt of his father. 

The king, who usually wore a sycophantic smile, had been consumed with rage for the first time. 

He punished many people, chopping off their heads and placing them on pikes along the shores of Dragonstone as a warning to others. 

"Don't worry. I'll be back soon," Rhaegar murmured to himself. Resolving to deal with the shadow creature as quickly as possible, he planned to return to Dragonstone immediately afterward. 

---

Rhaegar pushed open the door, where a teenage girl in a silk dress stood waiting. 

"Miss Yara, you didn't need to notify me personally," he said. 

The girl, one of Sam's many daughters, was too young for Rhaegar to comfortably accept such courtesies. 

Yara smiled faintly. "It's my father's instructions. I hope you don't mind." 

"Of course not. You're being too kind," Rhaegar replied with a smile. 

Sam Cleb was indeed a man skilled in diplomacy. 

The previous night, he had hosted a small, private family dinner for Rhaegar. 

The meal was abundant and satisfying, free from the noise of guests. 

Rhaegar had enjoyed both the food and the accommodations. 

The two made their way down the staircase to the guest hall, where Sam was already seated at the dining table, waiting. 

"Prince," Sam greeted with a smile as he stood. 

Rhaegar returned the smile, gesturing for Sam to sit before taking his own seat. 

As they ate the simple yet exquisite meal, Rhaegar asked, "Lord Sam, have you given any thought to my proposal from last night?" 

Sam paused for a moment, then replied solemnly, "The shadow creature is a threat to the peninsula. The Cleb family is willing to stand by the prince in this battle." 

Unlike the unruly wildlings of the peninsula's western region, the eastern region was governed by the Bren and Cleb families, leaving little space for wildlings to roam. 

To hunt down the shadow creature and rally the scattered wildlings, Rhaegar needed the cooperation of these two families. 

Having read many historical accounts, Rhaegar understood the importance of forging alliances with local nobility. 

The Bren family had been expelled and could be disregarded for now. 

The Cleb family, however, was an excellent choice for collaboration. 

Sam had no intention of refusing the prince's request and readily agreed. 

---

After breakfast, Rhaegar was still unsure how to lead an army to defeat the shadow creature. 

Sam offered a suggestion: "The wrecked ship where the shadow creature first appeared is still stranded on the beach. Previously, no one dared to approach it. But now, with you riding the dragon, it might be worth investigating." 

After a brief moment of thought, Rhaegar nodded. "Let's go with your plan, Lord Sam." 

The plan was set. 

A hundred fully armed soldiers were assembled within Whisperfort, with Sam personally leading the expedition. 

Rhaegar mounted his dragon, Glutton, soaring above the group as they marched. 

The wildling army remained unused for now, stationed in the wilderness. 

Whisperfort, built by the sea, was not far from the beach. 

An hour later, they arrived at the shoreline, where the wrecked merchant ship could be seen in the distance. 

"Glutton, descend," Rhaegar commanded upon spotting the ship. 

The vessel, battered by storms and the elements, was a dilapidated ruin. 

The bow was tilted upward, and the mast was broken in half. 

Sam dispatched ten soldiers to search the ship, pairing them into groups of two and instructing them to call out if they encountered danger. 

However, after a thorough sweep, the ten soldiers returned without incident. 

"The ship is completely empty," the soldiers reported. 

Rhaegar and Sam exchanged disappointed glances. 

"Return to Whisperfort and wait for any news from the wildlings," Rhaegar ordered before taking to the skies on his dragon. 

A simple search wouldn't be enough to catch the shadow creature; they would need bait to lure it out. 

--- 

**Whisper Castle.** 

The Glutton soared down from the sky. 

As soon as he landed, Rhaegar noticed a messenger on a white horse being stopped at the outer gate of the castle. 

The messenger was arguing persistently. 

The gate guards ignored him entirely, shoving and pushing him away. 

"Wait, who are you, messenger?" Rhaegar asked curiously. 

The messenger, seeing Rhaegar dismount from the dragon, broke free from the guards and hurriedly said, "Your Highness, I am a knight from Dread Hollow Keep. Please, you must read this letter." 

"Dread Hollow Keep… the Bryne family?" 

Rhaegar frowned and asked, "What does Wills want? I've already told him the peninsula is under a temporary truce." 

"Lord Wills has passed away!" 

The messenger's face was filled with sorrow as he dropped to his knees. 

"What?" 

Rhaegar froze for a moment, thinking he had misheard. 

The messenger said mournfully, "After parting ways with you yesterday, Lord Wills returned to the castle in a fit of rage. No one dared approach him." 

"This morning, when the maid went to attend to him, she found him dead in his bed." 

"How did he appear? Was it an assassination?" Rhaegar sensed danger. 

"There were no external injuries on Lord Wills' body. The maester examined him and concluded that a blunt object had pierced his nose, mouth, and ears, damaging his brain." 

The messenger recounted every detail. 

Upon hearing this, Rhaegar immediately realized that the shadow monster was responsible. 

"It didn't stay on the ghost ship but went after that fool Wills instead," Rhaegar murmured softly. 

The shadow monster had previously only attacked wildling tribes. 

But now that the tribes had united and fortified their defenses, it had targeted a noble lord. 

This was a very dangerous sign. 

It meant the creature's killings were unpredictable. 

If the shadow monster had not gone after Wills last night and instead attacked Rhaegar resting in Whisper Castle… 

Rhaegar felt a chill run down his spine, unwilling to think further. 

"No, I must eat and sleep with the Glutton from now on." 

Rhaegar reached out and stroked the Glutton's scales to calm himself. 

Once he steadied his nerves, Rhaegar took the envelope from the messenger and carefully read the letter. 

The contents described Wills' death, a consent to the truce with Whisper Castle, and an invitation for Rhaegar to attend a feast at Dread Hollow Keep. 

The letter was signed by Babette Bryne, Wills' younger brother. 

After reading the letter, Rhaegar exhaled and said, "I've read the letter. Wait here for Lord Sam. I'll go on ahead." 

Wills' death weighed heavily on him. 

He decided to visit Dread Hollow Keep to see if he could track down the shadow monster. 

With that, Rhaegar mounted the Glutton and took off. 

He flew directly toward Dread Hollow Keep, the seaside castle on the northern coast opposite Whisper Castle on the Crabclaw Peninsula. 

The two castles were separated by vast wilderness. 

Fortunately, the Glutton was incredibly fast, capable of making a round trip in just half an hour. 

… 

Soon, Rhaegar arrived at Dread Hollow Keep on dragonback. 

The sinister castle was built against the mountains. 

The Glutton circled the keep once before landing slowly. 

"Hissss-raaah!" 

The dragon roared and spewed a plume of green flame, announcing the arrival of a Targaryen prince. 

The soldiers on the castle walls were so terrified they went weak in the knees, completely losing the will to resist. 

Rhaegar looked down at the tightly closed gates of Dread Hollow Keep, waiting for its lord to emerge. 

As expected, the massive wooden gates opened from within, and a group of elegantly dressed men and women emerged. 

At the front stood a tall, slender, and handsome young man who bore a striking resemblance to Wills—about seventy percent similar. 

Behind him was a slightly plump woman with red-rimmed eyes and a burly middle-aged man in armor with a rough face. 

The Glutton landed in the open area before the castle. 

As the group approached, they found themselves face to face with the towering dragon. 

Startled by the dragon's imposing height, they froze in fear. 

Fortunately, they recognized Rhaegar seated on the dragon's back. 

Realizing he was a prince of House Targaryen, to whom they were sworn bannermen, the handsome young man stepped forward, bowed, and greeted him, "Honored prince, Babette Bryne of House Bryne greets you." 

Rhaegar looked at him with suspicion and asked, "Your brother has passed away?" 

---