GOT King of Dragon

At Terror Hollow Fortress, the enormous body of the Glutton lay resting on the ground, its deep breaths stirring up waves of heat with each inhale and exhale. 

Rhaegar approached the dragon's head, gazing at its tightly shut vertical pupils. He gently stroked its retracted fangs and snout, speaking with curiosity: 

"Glutton, you seem a bit down today?" 

"Hiss…grr…" 

The Glutton's throat rolled as it let out a soft hiss, shaking its massive head. 

Rhaegar understood its meaning. 

"It feels full of power but didn't have enough fun venting last night—it's disappointed!" 

Rhaegar shook his head with a chuckle. "Don't worry. When we return to Dragonstone Island, you can settle things with those two dragons." 

After spending days together, the bond between Rhaegar and the Glutton had deepened significantly. 

Rhaegar was confident that with the Glutton at its peak, it could easily defeat Wormisole and the severely injured Silverwing. 

As the man and dragon continued chatting, a group of figures approached. 

Turning back, Rhaegar saw Sam, Barbart, Baolan, and others cautiously eyeing the pitch-black dragon. They stopped several meters away from him, then knelt simultaneously. 

"What are you doing?" Rhaegar asked, puzzled. 

Sam spoke first: 

"Prince, you led us to victory over the evil curse. We hope you will continue to guide us in the future." 

Barbart quickly followed: 

"My brother made a grave mistake, and I don't dare to hope for the king's forgiveness. I only ask that you accept the loyalty of the Buren family so that we may atone by serving you." 

Rhaegar glanced at them, his gaze lingering on Baolan. 

This young woman had delivered a key contribution last night by striking the Shadowbinder's shadow with a precise arrow. 

After a moment's thought, Rhaegar spoke gently: 

"I promised Falcon I'd look after his tribe. I'll be taking the remaining members of the Peregrine Tribe with me. Is there something you wish to say?" 

Baolan raised her head. Her face, though not stunning, was determined as she replied boldly: 

"Prince, you've fought hard for the peninsula. You shouldn't abandon the fruits of your labor and leave." 

"Fruits of my labor?" Rhaegar asked, confused. 

Baolan continued calmly: 

"You lifted the curse and saved the residents of the peninsula. You should gather everyone and accept their pledges of loyalty." 

"And then?" Rhaegar felt it was unnecessary. 

"You'll gain the allegiance of both the peninsula's nobles and its wildlings, becoming the first hero in nearly a century to unite the peninsula. With honor, you can return to your family." 

Her reasoning was clear and logical. 

Rhaegar opened his mouth, intending to refuse, but Sam interjected: 

"Prince, the people of the peninsula are waiting for you. You should meet them." 

Frowning slightly, Rhaegar allowed himself to be led to the city walls. 

Beyond the walls, he saw a gathering of the Buren family, the Kleib family, wildling armies, and even the minor noble families he'd encountered before. 

The moment Rhaegar appeared atop the wall, the crowd fell to their knees in unison, their heads lifted toward him. 

No one spoke, but the silence was deafening. 

Seeing this, Rhaegar was momentarily stunned. 

The young prince turned to Sam and the others, asking, 

"Are they pledging their loyalty to me?" 

"Yes, peninsula hero, Prince Targaryen," they answered in unison, dropping to one knee and bowing their heads again. 

Pressing his lips together, Rhaegar sighed helplessly. "Tell them to stand. I'm leaving soon." 

"Prince, we implore you to accept the nobles' loyalty." 

"Prince, the warriors you appointed fight for you. They still follow your commands." 

"…" 

After a long silence, Rhaegar finally nodded. "Rise. I accept your loyalty." 

He thought back to the victory of the previous night. 

Everyone's eyes were on him, filled with hope and respect—a feeling he had never experienced before. 

Looking at the situation now, it was impossible to refuse their sincerity. 

Hearing the prince's response, the crowd was overjoyed. 

Soon, under Barbart's arrangements, the nobles of the peninsula—great and small—gathered in the fortress's guest hall. 

They all knelt before the young prince, offering their swords and pledging their loyalty. 

Once this was done, Baolan introduced Trangler, the representative of the Crab Claws, to Rhaegar. 

This wildling giant, over two meters tall and built like a bear, spoke in a low, rumbling voice: 

"Prince, some of the free folk wish to return to the wilderness, but a thousand of us want to follow you." 

Rhaegar nodded slightly and instructed, "Including the remnants of the Swift Hawk tribe and the families of these thousand people, how many freefolk are there in total?"

He didn't refuse.

Although he looked down on these simple-minded savages, he couldn't deny that they had indeed followed his orders, even at the cost of their lives. 

They deserved some of his consideration.

"Roughly two thousand people, conservatively speaking. Women and children will make up a large proportion," Baolan reported crisply.

"If we're taking two thousand people, we'll need a large ship," Rhaegar pointed out, posing the challenge.

Baolan responded, "The peninsula's nobles only have small boats, but I know where we can borrow a large ship."

"Let's hear it," Rhaegar said.

Baolan lowered her head and spoke in a muffled voice, "The Celtigar family on Crab Isle. They've been loyal to House Targaryen for generations and have a formidable fleet."

"You're from Celtigar?" 

Seeing her reluctance, Rhaegar became curious.

Baolan lowered her head further and gritted her teeth. "Yes, Bartimos Celtigar is my father. He had me with a fisherman's daughter."

"Then why did you end up on the Crab Claw Peninsula?" Rhaegar asked gently.

"Bartimos looked down on his illegitimate children and never cared whether we lived or died," she said bitterly. 

"Tormond and I were born of different women. Fate brought us together, and we ended up working as deckhands on a merchant ship."

"One time, the ship sank at sea. Tormond and I were washed ashore on the Crab Claw Peninsula, where Uncle Falcon took us in while hunting."

As Baolan spoke, her calloused hands clenched tightly, and her voice brimmed with resentment toward her fate.

"I see." 

Rhaegar sighed and said, "I'll go to Crab Isle to borrow a ship. You and the others organize the freefolk who will leave with us."

Another tale of an illegitimate child.

Rhaegar disliked it but refrained from prying further, unwilling to pour salt on her wounds.

---

Rhaegar mounted Glutton, soaring toward Crab Isle.

Crab Isle was located off the eastern coast of the Crab Claw Peninsula, not far from Whispering Sound.

With Glutton's speed, crossing the intervening sea took only about ten minutes before reaching Crab Isle.

The island was sizable, and its ruling family was House Celtigar.

Like House Velaryon, House Celtigar had followed House Targaryen from Old Valyria to settle in Westeros. Its members bore the distinctive Valyrian traits of silver hair and purple eyes.

House Celtigar was known for its unwavering loyalty to House Targaryen, a loyalty that endured to the present day.

Rhaegar rode Glutton, circling above Crab Isle and surveying the town below.

On the rolling hills stood a towering castle.

"This is the place."

Rhaegar patted Glutton's back, signaling for the dragon to land outside the castle.

*Screech…*

Glutton circled the castle once, unleashing a stream of dragonfire to proclaim the arrival of the King of Wild Dragons.

*Boom!*

The massive dragon landed outside the castle, stirring up a gust of wind.

Glutton straightened its body, its thick neck stretching as its ferocious head rose above the walls that could block entire armies.

The dragon's arrival caused an uproar on Crab Isle. Guards on the walls were visibly shaken, their courage barely keeping them from fleeing outright.

Rhaegar sat on Glutton's back, his eyes level with the guards on the castle walls.

Calmly, he said, "Summon your lord and tell him that the Prince of House Targaryen has arrived."

---

(End of Chapter)