GOT King of Dragon

"Yes, he was assassinated by an unknown assailant last night." 

Babatt spoke with regret before continuing, "Prince, please come into the fortress for a while. We are preparing a welcome banquet for you." 

"Your brother just passed away—let's skip the welcome banquet," Rhaegar said, shaking his head lightly. 

"Uh..." 

Babatt was momentarily speechless. 

The middle-aged man standing behind him said, "Wells was a foolish man. He brought this upon himself—his death is nothing for us to mourn." 

"In contrast, a Targaryen prince is someone truly worthy of our utmost hospitality." 

"Heh, then show me around this castle on the peninsula," Rhaegar said with a faint smile as he slid off the dragon's back. 

With Devourer outside, he had no fear of these people trying anything against him. 

His identity and his dragon were his privileges. 

No one could ignore either. 

As Rhaegar dismounted, the crowd gathered around him, ushering him into the castle with great enthusiasm. 

There was no trace of Wells' arrogance. 

Indeed, fools are always the first to die. 

Those who survive may not necessarily be brilliant, but they are never outright stupid. 

Upon entering the castle, Rhaegar played the role of an innocent and curious child, eagerly urging Babatt to take him on a tour. 

As a castle built on a peninsula, 

Dread Hollow Keep was not particularly grand. 

Apart from its eerie exterior, which gave it an air of intimidation, 

its design was rather ordinary—three stories high, surrounded by stone walls for protection. 

After making a round of the castle, Rhaegar returned to the guest hall to rest. 

As he sipped on the fruit juice offered by the maids, he glanced at Babatt, who stood beside him, and said, "Ser, it seems you have something to say to me?" 

"Yes, Your Highness." 

Babatt immediately responded. 

He dropped to one knee, received a sword from a servant, held it to his chest, and bowed his head. 

"I have heard that House Crab has sworn allegiance to you. On behalf of House Brynn, I offer our loyalty as well, and I humbly seek your response." 

Rhaegar took a sip of the grape juice, feigning curiosity. "Ser, your brother has just passed away. Have you already become the Lord of Dread Hollow Keep?" 

Only a lord had the authority to swear allegiance on behalf of his house. 

"Not yet, but I have already sent a raven to King's Landing. I believe a reply will come soon," Babatt said, beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead as he struggled to explain. 

Rhaegar set down his glass and shook his head. "Apologies, Ser. I do not have the right to accept a lord's fealty, and you do not have the right to swear it." 

"Your Highness..." 

Rejected, Babatt grew anxious. 

The middle-aged man behind him grabbed him by the collar and pulled him upright, scolding, "Enough! You and your brother have brought disgrace to House Brynn!" 

Babatt lowered his head even further, not daring to say another word. 

Rhaegar's gaze shifted to the middle-aged man, noticing the sigil on his chest. 

Unlike House Brynn's emblem of a withered tree hanging a skull, 

this sigil depicted a brown bear paw on a white background, surrounded by two brown borders. 

Rhaegar blinked, unable to recall which house it belonged to, and asked, "Which house do you hail from?" 

He omitted any titles, unsure of the man's rank. 

Hearing the question, the middle-aged man released Babatt and bowed. "Sorrel Brynn, from a knightly branch of House Brynn, our lands are in the Brown Hollow Hills." 

Rhaegar thought for a moment before realizing, "The descendants of the Brynn brothers—the two warriors who conquered the Crab Claw Peninsula and were hailed as heroes?" 

"Indeed, Your Highness, you are well-informed," Sorrel said with a smile, his hardened features softening slightly at the mention of his ancestors' great deeds. 

Rhaegar shifted the topic, sitting upright in his chair, mimicking his father Viserys' regal demeanor. "Ser, would you care to tell me the real reason you invited me here?" 

He didn't believe a letter summoning a prince was merely to mourn Wells. 

At his words, Sorrel's expression turned serious. "It was Babatt who invited you—he seeks your help to save House Brynn." 

"Explain," Rhaegar said, intrigued. 

Sorrel continued, "Dread Hollow Keep is cursed, and the source of this curse is Wells' foolishness and greed." 

"That wrecked ship indeed came from Qarth, but it was not engaged in any trade with House Brynn." 

"The vessel was returning from Braavos when it encountered a storm, drifting into the waters near Dread Hollow Keep. Local fishermen discovered and rescued it." 

"As lord, Wells summoned the ship's captain and the surviving crew." 

"After speaking with them, he learned that the cargo on board was incredibly valuable. So, under the cover of night, he sent men to sneak into the hold and plunder it while the crew was unaware."

"The plan was a success. The sailors and mercenaries didn't resist for long before being killed, leaving only one man in a black robe wearing a red mask." 

"That man claimed to be from the Land of Shadows, calling himself a Shadowbinder." 

Rhaegar's expression changed instantly, and he interrupted, "A Shadowbinder! Aren't they supposed to be the stuff of legends?" 

"The soldiers leading the charge thought the same thing. They attacked the Shadowbinder and even cut off his head." 

Solor nodded heavily. "Yes, but…" 

"What happened next? Did the Shadowbinder curse them as he died?" Rhaegar grew agitated, eager for the truth. 

Solor hesitated for a moment before replying, "You could say that. After the Shadowbinder died, his headless corpse turned into a black shadow." 

"The shadow slipped into the darkness and followed the soldiers back to Dread Hollow Fort, attacking several of them that very night." 

"After that, the shadow started launching sporadic assaults on the people in the castle." 

"A few days ago, the shadow suddenly disappeared, and Wills thought the curse had lifted." 

"But unexpectedly, the shadow reappeared and took his life directly." 

At this point, Solor showed no sadness over the lord's death. 

Instead, his tone was full of frustration, as though lamenting Wills' failure to meet expectations. 

"So Wills lied to me. He knew about the shadow creature all along," Rhaegar said grimly. 

Barbat fell to his knees, pleading, "He didn't mean to hide it from you. Attacking merchant ships is a grave crime, and he didn't dare…" 

"If he knew it was such a grave crime, he shouldn't have risked it." 

Rhaegar cut him off, his tone sharp. 

It was clear to him that these two brothers were fools: one reckless and now dead, the other timid and hoping to gain from the situation. 

Furious, Rhaegar declared, "The curse was brought on by Dread Hollow Fort's crimes, spreading disaster across the entire Crabclaw Peninsula. This alone is enough to have Wills executed a dozen times over." 

"And you all… you'd better figure out how to lift this curse and atone for your mistakes." 

"Should… should we report this to the king?" 

A timid, slightly plump woman spoke up hesitantly. 

Rhaegar cast an unfriendly look at Barbat and Solor. 

Barbat immediately said, "She's my brother's wife." 

"Do you really want to report this matter to the king?" 

Rhaegar rested his chin on one hand, narrowing his eyes. 

After days of running around, Rhaegar was already weary of the journey to the peninsula. 

But asking his father for help was something he couldn't bring himself to do. 

He believed that as the one who tamed the Devourer, he could resolve this mess on his own. 

This was a challenge meant for him and the Devourer alone. 

"Of course not. Wills made a grave mistake. Until we've rectified it, we have no right to seek the kingdom's aid," Solor replied firmly. 

As the eldest and most cunning, Solor's opinion held weight. 

With his stance clear, Barbat quickly followed suit. 

He declared that until the curse was lifted, the Bren family would remain in disgrace. 

Rhaegar shrugged and sighed. "Alright then, you lot are really working me to the bone." 

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*(End of Chapter)*