King Viserys spoke many kind words to appease the bannermen who had traveled from afar. The nobles responded graciously, applauding and cheering as the king finished his speech.
After a moment of calm, Hand of the King Lyonel stepped forward to preside over the meeting. Clearing his throat, he announced the main agenda.
"My lords, today is the last day of the year, and so we will hold the heir replacement ceremony as scheduled!"
The nobles reacted differently. Lord Jason Lannister wore a joyful expression, quietly discussing with those around him whether the princess would accept his proposal now that she had lost her heirship.
A Targaryen princess was important not just for the king's favor, but also for adding dragon blood to future generations of his family.
The Maiden of the Vale, Jeyne Arryn, seemed pretty downcast. She was Rhaenyra and Rhaegar's cousin.
She was 17 years old and a tall beauty with brown curly hair. As a woman, she'd always been Rhaenyra's most loyal supporter, both facing challenges from men and needing to stick together.
"It's a shame that Rhaenyra lost her heirship," Jeyne whispered to the middle-aged man standing beside her.
The man was Yorbert Royce from Runestone, the Lord Protector of the Vale and assistant to the Maiden of the Vale. With a heavy countenance, Yorbert lowered his voice, "The king has a son; this replacement is not surprising."
In addition to the main nobles houses, the Lords of each realm were also present.
Lord Stark of the North and Lord Baratheon of the Stormlands appeared indifferent, as if the choice of the King's heir did not concern them.
The Starks rarely ventured south, preferring to stay active in the North.
Lord Baratheon, once a supporter of the uncrowned queen, Princess Rhaenys, was also uninterested. They were cousins, but his loyalties lay elsewhere.
Lord Tully of the Riverlands and Lord Tyrell of the Reach, however, were all smiles, paying close attention to the speeches. They were supporters of the Targaryen House and favored a male heir, which aligned with their interests.
Lyonel wrapped up his speech pretty quickly, which let the two main characters come on stage. Viserys was smiling and holding Alicent's shoulders as they stood in front of the gathered nobles.
Lyonel stood by, maintaining a solemn demeanor.
"Where are the princess and the prince?"
"Has no one summoned their presence? Have they been forgotten?"
The murmurs grew as the princess and prince did not show up immediately. Some nobles began to whisper and speculate.
"Don't be in a hurry, my lords. The princess and the prince are on their way," Lyonel announced, attempting to quell the confusion.
The nobles exchanged doubtful glances, puzzled by Lyonel's words. What did he mean by "on their way"? Was the Princess refusing to relinquish her heirship and boycotting the heir chaging ceremony?
"Maybe there's something worth seeing," someone in the crowd suggested.
This comment sparked a wave of murmurs, as other nobles began to speculate quietly. Eyes occasionally darted to the king and queen in the pavilion, anticipating a potential royal scandal.
Out of nowhere, a gust of wind swept through the garden, causing the trees to rustle and the grass to sway. People looked up as the wind picked up.
"Roar..."
A powerful roar echoed across the sky, and in full view of the gathered crowd, a golden figure broke through the clouds, descending towards the majestic Red Keep.
"It's a dragon!"
The sharp-eyed among them quickly identified the enormous creature.
"This is the princess's dragon, Syrax..."
The nobles who had resided in the king's domain for years were well-acquainted with the golden dragon. Rhaenyra often traveled with her dragon, Syrax.
However, many nobles from the borderlands were less familiar with dragons. As Syrax, towering and majestic, swooped down, the crowd was visibly shaken.
This was a real dragon. One breath of dragonfire could wipe everyone out.
"Roar..."
Syrax sensed the crowd's attention and let out a loud roar, spitting flames that lit up the sky, showing off it's impressive size and power.
Rhaenyra, clad in black and red, rode in the saddle, her hands gripping the reins as she looked down at the assembly below.
"Land, Syrax."
After circling the Red Keep twice, Rhaenyra gave the command in High Valyrian, her expression cold and commanding.
"Roar..."
Syrax replied by folding it's wings and landing on a tower of the Red Keep, crushing the bricks and tiles.
It scanned the crowd below, tilting it's head with curiosity.
The nobles looked up at the beast on the tower, their faces tense. It was a bit unsettling to be scrutinized by a dragon.
After a moment, Syrax lost interest and looked away. At Rhaenyra's command, it spread it's wings and leapt from the tower, gliding around before landing gracefully in an open space nearby.
Boom—
As the dragon touched down, a gust of wind kicked up dust, forcing the nobles to step back.
Viserys watched the nobles, who seemed a bit confused, and allowed a small smile to form at the corners of his mouth. He looked at Rhaenyra on the dragon's back and they shared a look.
Rhaenyra remained silent, sitting regally in the saddle, her chin lifted as if dismissing the nobles below.
"Oh, is this a warning?" Jason Lannister muttered something under his breath. He was blown back by the dust and had to lean on his attendants to stay upright.
He acknowledged that a dragon was a formidable and intimidating force, but what did it matter in the grand scheme of things? In his mind, he knew a woman, even one in command of a dragon, would ultimately be subjugated by a man.
Jason's eyes burned with greed and desire as he stared at Rhaenyra. Young and unmarried, he saw the princess's loss of heirship as an opportunity.
With his status as the Warden of the West, he believed he could capture the heart of the now vulnerable princess.
"My lords, the princess is already here, and the prince will arrive shortly!" Lyonel announced, adjusting his wrinkled collar.
Since Rhaenyra had arrived on dragonback, it was clear there would be more than one dragon present.
"Roar..."
The crowd's murmurs were interrupted by another thunderous roar that seemed to shake the very air, rattling their eardrums.
Hoo...
A gust of wind followed, and the clear sunlight was suddenly obscured by a massive dark cloud, casting half of the Red Keep into shadow.
"Dragon! Another dragon!"
"Where did this black dragon come from? Does King's Landing have such a large black dragon?"
People looked up and saw a huge dragon, like a mountain of coal, coming into view. Its black scales, green eyes, and gray horns showed it was an adult dragon.
"Roar..."
Cannibal, following Syrax's path, burst through the clouds, green dragonfire splashing across the sky like ink. It was the undeniable centerpiece of King's Landing, circling above the city in its immense size and imposing presence.
The whole city was looking at the black dragon with blue eyes.
"Is it the Black Dread, Balerion?" people asked.
Those who didn't know about dragons were scared. They thought Cannibal was Balerion, the dragon who had burned everything in the Seven Kingdoms.
"Don't be afraid, lords," Viserys reassured the panic-stricken nobles with a smile.
"This dragon is Cannibal, tamed by my eldest son, Rhaegar. It is the largest wild dragon of Dragonstone Island."
The king's words aimed to calm the crowd, but the sight of two formidable dragons had already left a lasting impression on everyone present.