hotmtlnovel Chapter 396: Helaena’s Prophecy
Chapter 396: Helaena’s Prophecy
Chapter 396: Helaena’s Prophecy
Seven days later.
It was midday, and the sun was shining brightly.
The hot rays poured down, adding a stifling heat to the already humid King's Landing.
Inside the Dragonpit.
"Roar......"
"Roar!"
In the dim environment, two unbound young dragons soared up and down, colliding like flashes of light.
One dragon, much larger, had cobalt blue scales with orange-red scales extending from its lower jaw to its abdomen, gaudy and elegant.
The other, only half the size of its opponent, had silver-white scales and golden vertical pupils, its head majestic and fierce.
These were Tessarion and the young dragon Stormcloud, bred in the Dragonpit.
"Roar..."
Tessarion moved dexterously, flapping its blue wings to fly high, ejecting cobalt blue mixed with orange Dragonfire from its mouth.
Poof!
Stormcloud bravely faced the dragonfire head-on, his silver-white scales burning with traces of scorched black.
"Roar.."
The distance closed, and Stormcloud instantly pounced on his opponent, opening his fangs to bite.
Tessarion retaliated fiercely, strangling Stormcloud's neck with one of his dragon claws and spraying dragonfire at Stormcloud's head.
The brilliant dragonfire burned brightly and struck with force.
Stormcloud hissed in shock, its golden pupils narrowing as its head withstood the blow.
Within a few breaths, the dragon's head burned to charcoal, and a pair of gray horns turned dark.
The tangle did not stop!
"Roar..."
Stormcloud flapped his wings defiantly, aiming his dragon's maw at Tessarion's head.
Its throat surged, and a mouthful of snowflake-like streaks of silver-white Dragonfire gushed out.
Boom!
Tessarion, careless and gullible, was hit squarely by the Dragonfire, letting out a hiss of pain.
Stormcloud saw its chance and bit the back leg of its opponent's locked neck, its fangs piercing the cobalt blue scales.
The scales shattered, and Tessarion let go of its claws in pain.
Stormcloud regained his free form and quickly disengaged from the mid-air battlefield.
"Roar!"
Tessarion, now truly enraged, stabilized his stance with the intention of pursuing.
Just then, a bright and loud scream rang out.
"Stop!"
The voice seemed to contain magical power. Tessarion's movements stopped, and its anger melted away like snow.
On the black stone slab, Rhaegar tilted his head and looked out, holding an ancient sheepskin book.
"Roar..."
Tessarion glanced at him, full of reluctance, and gave up the fight, retreating back into the Dragonpit in the corner to recuperate.
Stormcloud, on the other hand, landed on the ground, stretching out its shiny silver wings to reflect its handsome appearance.
The carriage crossed Silk Street and followed a wide, prosperous avenue straight to the River Gate. Along the way, Rhaegar occasionally looked out and observed the lives of the people of King's Landing.
The most common were three types of people: nobles spending money on pleasure, merchants running their businesses, and commoners living frugally.
"There are hardly any blacksmiths to be seen..." Rhaegar's thoughts drifted as he analyzed the various professions more closely. In a city-state, merchants and smiths were the mainstream.
Lost in thought, time passed slowly.
The carriage arrived at the River Gate, where workers were busy moving and transporting goods on the pier, and many ships were moored at sea. These were mostly nobles from all over the realm who had come for the Maiden's Day, along with some cargo ships following the reopening of the canal.
Tormund, dressed in black and white robes, stood conspicuously at the pier.
Rhaegar called him over to inquire about the arranged tasks.
Tormund replied, "Five hundred naturalized craftsmen were sent to the ships and have sailed to Lys."
"Otto is very meticulous in his work," Rhaegar acknowledged.
Lys and Myr were in dire need of all types of craftsmen, making it an opportune moment to distribute the craftsman registrations.
...
Red Keep
A large number of nobles poured into the Red Keep, bringing their families and children with them. The banquet hall, the castle courtyard, and the Godswood were all packed with people and buzzing with activity.
The weather was hot, so servants brought buckets of wine and dug up ice from the icehouse. Despite their best efforts, the nobles were still sweating profusely in the heat.
This stifling weather only encouraged the nobles to drink and sing even more enthusiastically.
Alicent was busy entertaining guests from all over the realm. Amidst the hustle and bustle, sweat soaked her back, and she reluctantly went to change, her smile strained but unwavering.
...
Queen's Bedchamber
"Green... Black... Tangled..."
The young girl's murmurs floated softly, her voice ethereal. Inside the chamber, the walls were adorned with murals of men and women, while a soft Lys felt carpet lay in the center of the room.
Three little silver and blonde-haired girls knelt in a circle on the felt, absorbed in their play. Helaena, with her head bowed, calmly manipulated two balls of thread.
Beside her, two other girls, one older and one younger, remained silent, not daring to disturb Helaena in her trance-like state.
The older girl, with milky white skin, was Layla, the bastard daughter of Volantis. The younger one, about seven or eight years old, was Jasmine, the daughter of Silver Denys.
Snap--
Suddenly, Helaena clapped her hands together, pressing the tangled threads onto the felt. Little Jasmine flinched, her fleshy face turning pale.
"Shhh!"
Helaena hushed her, eyes grave. "He wants a city, and he's going to pay for it."
Layla and Jasmine frowned in unison, puzzled by Helaena's cryptic words. Despite their brief time together, they had grown accustomed to Helaena's mysterious utterances.
Crunch--
The door to the room opened, and Alicent, her face flushed from the sun, walked in quickly.
"Your Grace, the Queen..."
The two little girls hurriedly stood and curtsied.
"It's you two."
Alicent maintained her composure, glanced at her impassive daughter, and said helplessly, "You girls go out first. I need to chat with Helaena."
"Yes, Your Grace."
The two little girls gathered their toys and obediently left the room.
Helaena remained with her head bowed, seemingly oblivious to the outside world.