We Bleed Silver(GOT/ASOIAF Fanfic)

Arrax landed first, followed closely by Vermax. The two young boys hurriedly jumped off their dragons and rushed toward the castle, with Lucerys nearly tripping over his own black cloak. Vermithor, being too large, flew slower than the two smaller dragons and had to land on the beach of Dragonstone.

Prince Draezell had just dismounted when Vermithor suddenly turned its head toward a small boat approaching the shore. The people aboard immediately raised two flags: one with a black background and a red dragon, the other bearing Princess Rhaenyra's personal sigil.

The first one was the Targaryen banner, one of the flags used by the Black faction. The other flag was Rhaenyra's personal banner, divided into four parts. The design featured two red dragons on black, the crescent falcon of her mother, Queen Emma Arryn, and the seahorse of House Velaryon.

Draezell squinted at the people disembarking from the boat, particularly the elderly man with a black cloak, beneath which he wore white armor and a white cloak.

"Prince Draezell," Sir Steffon Darklyn recognized him. He looked almost the same as he had six years ago, though the youthful softness had disappeared, and his face had become more hardened. Steffon had been present when they first arrived in King's Landing. He had witnessed the moment Draezell and his brother arrived.

Dozens of large ships with purple sails bearing silver dragons entered the harbor of King's Landing. The silver dragon and laurel leaf patterns on the sails were stitched with silver thread, glistening in the sunlight. Hundreds of tall, silver-haired knights wearing silver chainmail, draped in purple cloaks, and riding armored horses with tiger-striped coats paraded through the streets, causing the entire city to erupt with excitement, especially when the massive elephants from the Sothoryos forest, carrying crates of gold and jewels, appeared.

The long journey and unfamiliar terrain caused the elephants to walk unsteadily, and the jewelry, originally embedded in the elephant's clothes and tusks, fell off with the shaking crates, scattering across the ground. In fact, the elephants from House Velaryon didn't even survive the journey back to the Red Mountains—they all died on the way. Nevertheless, their arrival left a profound impression on the people of King's Landing.

The flea markets and streets remained brightly lit for several days, with a bustling atmosphere spreading through the city.

Sir Steffon still vividly remembered the sight of two massive dragons descending from the sky, and the two handsome young boys, only slightly differing in height and hair length, dismounting and walking toward them. He recalled the astonished expressions of him and his sworn brothers, and the utter silence in the throne room.

Even King Viserys on the Iron Throne remained silent for a long time, until Draezell's companions—one a black-haired, golden-eyed youth, the other a barbarian who dared not wear a shirt before the king—announced the brothers' names, at which point the king snapped out of his trance.

As the memories returned to his mind, Sir Steffon Darklyn felt a surge of hope. If Draezell was willing to side with Rhaenyra, the Blacks would surely be victorious.

"I am Sir Steffon Darklyn, King's Guard to the late King, now following his last will to protect the true Queen," Sir Steffon explained why he had come to Dragonstone.

Draezell nodded. "The princess will welcome you." He then turned and walked toward the castle.

"Your Highness, it is time to call her Queen," Sir Steffon insisted, tightening the bundle in his arms as he followed Draezell.

"The princess has yet to be crowned," Draezell replied with a smile. "But that 'legitimate king' in King's Landing had the crown of Conqueror placed upon his head in front of the people by the Captain of the Kingsguard. With that alone, plus the fact that Aegon is male, those two points alone are enough to sway most of the nobility in his favor."

"Perjurer," Sir Steffon Darklyn spat. "Criston Cole has stained his white cloak. The duty of the Kingsguard is to protect the king, not to involve themselves in the succession of the throne. He's gambling with the future of the Kingsguard."

Draezell shrugged slightly, signaling his usual reluctance to get involved in the palace's intrigues. Compared to the mire of King's Landing, he preferred to focus on his own lands.

As they spoke, they had already reached the courtyard of Dragonstone Castle, where Rhaenyra, though weakened, was accompanied by the members of the Black Council. Jacaerys and Lucerys were close to their mother, evidently having been conversing with her for some time.

"Prince Draezell, thank you for your support," Rhaenyra said, despite her frailty, her smile broad enough for everyone to see. "My council has already set aside a seat for you. Once the usurper's head is delivered, I'll give you whatever you want!"

Draezell smiled. "Your Highness, I am Jace's knight; his affairs are my affairs. But I also have my own lands to attend to. The Stormlands and the Reach are right next to my territory. If negotiations break down and war erupts, I must first consider my own lands."

"As long as you stand by my side, I will have the confidence to make the usurper pay," Rhaenyra responded. She didn't particularly care whether Draezell would fight at her side, but she was more concerned with whether this border lord would fight for her.

"Your Majesty," Sir Steffon Darklyn interjected, pulling a crown from his bundle. "I bring the crowns of King Jaehaerys and the late King." The white knight, his hair graying, exchanged a glance with his nephew, Gunthor Darklyn, before kneeling before Rhaenyra.

"Your Majesty, this is your rightful claim," the white knight said, reverently offering the crown.

"Long live the Queen!" Lord Bartimos Celtigar was the first to raise his hand, followed by all the Black faction's nobles and the soldiers in Dragonstone's courtyard, chanting, "Long live the Queen! Long live the Light of the Kingdom! Long live the rightful Queen!"

Daemon took the crown, carefully placing it upon his wife's head. "To Rhaenyra Targaryen, First Queen of House Targaryen, Queen of the Andals, Rhoynar, and the First Men, Queen of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm, we bow in reverence."

Draezell watched as the crowd erupted in cheer, Princess Rhaenys clapping, her expression a complex mix of pride and wistfulness. Rhaenyra straightened her back and slowly conferred the title of Protector of the Realm upon her husband, then named Jacaerys Prince of Dragonstone and heir to the Iron Throne.

"My Lords, Your Majesty, Your Highness," Lord Bartimos Celtigar stepped forward again, addressing the gathered crowd. "Prince Draezell's Vermithor has already arrived at Dragonstone. Now, we have three battle-ready dragons. The two princes dragons can also take to the skies. The usurper's dragon is still in Oldtown, while King's Landing only has three dragons. Five to three, the advantage is ours. Your Majesty, I suggest we send our dragons to strike and show the usurper the fury of the dragons."

"Lord Celtigar," Daemon spoke softly. "I understand your defense of my wife's power, but the situation is not so simple. Dragons are not the solution to all wars, especially not in the war of the Dragonlords. Westeros has a history with dragons, and we are not without records of Maegor riding Balerion to slay Silverwing. Dragon warfare is not foolproof, and unless absolutely necessary, we will not use our dragons to directly clash with the usurper." Daemon looked at Draezell. "Dragons are a deterrent. Like my Dark Sister, they are most feared when she's in her scabbard, coiled and ready. Once drawn, they are but another weapon."

He and Rhaenys had always believed this, which is why, despite preparing for dragon warfare, they had discarded the idea when they saw the two dragons enhanced by the mysterious energies of the Valyrian ruins. With only two Houses with dragon left, every dragon was precious. While human armies could be replaced, every lost dragon was a wound to their ancient family.

"Before drawing swords, we must first fight with words," Daemon continued.

Draezell nodded slightly and echoed Daemon's thoughts. "Aegon has the support of many smaller and medium-sized houses. His base of power is the Hightower family in the Reach and the Lannister family in the Westerlands. The entire Westerlands and much of the Reach are under his influence." Draezell said, "Lord Loras dares not cross House Hightower, but as Governor of the Reach, he still holds considerable sway. If he can maneuver with the Hightowers, that would be best. If not, I will have to stay in the south. Dorne may be broken, but they've promised to fight for the Queen. Prince Qoren Martell has sent 1,500 men to support your cause." Draezell stood in the center of the courtyard, analyzing the situation in the south. "And the Stormlands."

"The Stormlands will stand by my side," Princess Rhaenyra said.

Rhaenys nodded. "My mother, Jocelyn Baratheon, was a kinswoman of the late Lorr Boremund Baratheon. Lord Borros always supported Rhaenyra's and my rights."

"The Vale and the North will most likely side with us as well, but the North is too vast and distant," Daemon said with a smile. "If we wait for House Stark to march south, I may have already impaled the usurper's head on a spear."

"Daemon, do not underestimate the Stark of the North," Draezell said with a smile. "Though I'm on the frontier, I've heard of Lord Cregan Stark's great deeds. His decisive handling of Ser Bennard Stark impressed even me. As long as he stands with us, I can guarantee he will bring us surprises."

"Cousin, we need your Silver Fleet," Rhaenys interjected. "The Velaryon family will blockade the choke points, but that will require a significant number of ships. Relying on Velaryon alone will stretch them thin."

Draezell nodded. "I've already dispatched Sir Miles Harmosa with thirty warships north. The Silver Fleet still needs to patrol the Dornish Sea, as the pirates of the Stepstones have been restless lately."

"Thirty ships," Corlys knew that number was hardly enough, but reinforcements were better than none. "Prince Draezell, on behalf of House Velaryon, I thank you for your support."

Draezell nodded. "So, our task is likely to secure the support of the Vale, Stormlands, and the North's lords, and then seek the backing of the Riverlands."

"We have plenty of friends in the Riverlands," Daemon chuckled. "But we need a base from which they can boldly raise the Black Banner."

"Harrenhal," Draezell said.

Daemon nodded. "Your Majesty, I'll head to Harrenhal to secure the Riverlands' forces for you."

"I will remain at Dragon's Nest," Draezell said. "If there's trouble in the Stormlands, I'll suppress it immediately. As for the Reach, I will make the Hightower's understand the consequences of betrayal."

"House Velaryon will blockade the choke points," Lord Corlys said. "If the South descends into chaos and King's Landing is cut off from the Reach's food supply and the sea's supplies, hunger will destroy this city and the usurper."

Rhaenyra nodded in agreement with the strategy. She would remain at Dragonstone to recover.

"We'll send troops to help defend Dragonstone," Lord Bartimos Celtigar said. Their forces were limited, but they could easily defend a castle. Princess Rhaenys, on the other hand, would ride Meleys to patrol the choke points and Blackwater Bay, protecting the fleet and preventing enemy dragons from attacking. Dragonstone had a well-developed system of tunnels, making it less vulnerable to dragon attacks. What they feared more were mortal armies, as dragonfire had little effect on those who hid deep underground or in the mountains. However, human forces could dig them out.

"Your Majesty," Maester Gerardys said, now using the proper title. "I will send ravens to the lords we mentioned earlier."

"No need for ravens, Mother," Prince Jacaerys stepped forward, proudly showing his brown-black hair. "We have dragons. Dragons are more persuasive than ravens. Let me and Lucerys be the messengers."

"That's right!" Lucerys jumped up. "We are also Targaryens, and we will fight for your power."

"And me!" Eleven-year-old Joffrey also jumped out. "Tyraxes can carry people to the skies now, I can too!"

Lord Corlys chuckled at Joffrey's words. "You little rascal, you're still a Velaryon." But anyone could hear the pride and amusement in the Sea Snake's voice.

"Joffrey! Stop it!" Rhaenyra pulled Joffrey back, tapping his forehead with a frown. But she couldn't refuse Jacaerys and Lucerys's requests.

As a mother, she could only kiss both of her sons on the forehead.

"Remember, you're just messengers, not knights," she said seriously. "Absolutely no fighting, you must honor the laws of hospitality."

"Don't worry, Princess," Draezell said with a reassuring smile. "They're not knights yet."

"Heh, so after the war is over, can I be knighted?" Jacaerys laughed.

"Ha ha." Draezell chuckled. "We'll see after the war is over."

"Jacaerys, you're going to the Vale and the North. You're the older brother, you—"

"I understand, Mother." Jacaerys nodded, knowing his mother's concern. The North and the Vale were farther and more dangerous, more likely to be intercepted by the Greens dragons or lords loyal to them. Storm's End, however, was close to Dragonstone and even closer to Dragonstone's keep. Lucerys could fly there directly, and Silverwing was stationed there, so even Vhagar would struggle to escape the assault of multiple dragons.

"Lucerys, don't worry, you'll be warmly welcomed at Storm's End," Rhaenyra embraced her son, who had grown to almost her height. The years with Velaryon had turned the once-cute squirrel into a handsome young man.

"Princess Rhaenys carries the blood of House Baratheon. They will surely honor their oath and defend their rightful queen."

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