Syrax circled above the Eyrie before descending gracefully into the courtyard.
Rhaenyra stepped forward, took Jeyne's hand, and invited her, "Shall we ride one dragon together?"
Jeyne glanced back and forth between the Cannibal and Syrax, her expression slightly uneasy. Shaking her head, she declined, "Let Joffrey ride with you. I'll take the black dragon."
The Cannibal was more than three times the size of Syrax, with a massive, jet-black body and a broad, sturdy back.
For Jeyne, who was afraid of heights, it felt far safer than Syrax.
Rhaenyra scoffed lightly but didn't insist.
"Cousin, I'll be troubling you," Jeyne said nervously, extending her hand toward Rhaegar.
Rhaegar naturally took her hand and helped her climb the soft ladder.
In a voice only the two of them could hear, Rhaenyra whispered, "Make sure Jeyne enjoys the ride."
Rhaegar was taken aback. "Aren't you two good friends?"
"She laughed at me for not controlling my appetite. Let's see if she remembers this lesson," Rhaenyra said with an undeniable tone before turning away and pulling Joffrey toward Syrax.
"Tsk tsk, no wonder Alicent and Rhaena don't get along with you," Rhaegar muttered as he watched Rhaenyra's cheerful figure walk away. Then he smirked, shaking his head. "But I like it."
Once on the dragon's back, Jeyne was fastening the newly installed chains.
Rhaegar plopped onto the other side of the saddle and quietly reminded her, "Hold on tight. The Cannibal flies very fast."
"Mhm."
Jeyne was so nervous she could barely speak, her eyes wide and unfocused.
Who would have thought that the Duchess of the Eyrie—the ruler of the highest castle on the continent—would be afraid of heights?
"Cannibal, take off!"
At Rhaegar's command, the Cannibal soared into the sky, heading toward Runestone.
"Screeeech—"
Syrax followed closely, flapping its wings to catch up.
Runestone was located north of Gulltown, near the Crab Bay. It was a seaside castle built along the coast.
As the two dragons flew over the Vale's plains and the southern mountain ranges extending from the Mountains of the Moon, they could see the Crab Bay stretching between the eastern Vale and the Claw.
The distance between the Eyrie and Runestone was roughly equivalent to the distance between King's Landing and Dragonstone.
At the Cannibal's usual flying speed, they would arrive before noon.
---
**Runestone**
"Screeeech—"
A deep, thunderous roar echoed through the valley as the massive black dragon appeared in the skies near the castle, its vertical pupils scanning the ground below as it circled.
Rhaegar looked down, surveying the scene below.
A grand castle stood in the middle of a flat valley.
This was the typical architectural style of most castles in the Vale.
"Land, Cannibal," Rhaegar instructed.
With one arm around Jeyne, whose face had turned pale, he guided the Cannibal toward the castle.
He swore—he truly hadn't meant to torment her.
Originally, he had planned to slow down and arrive at Runestone alongside Rhaenyra and Syrax.
But Jeyne had repeatedly pleaded with him, clearly terrified of being in the air.
So the Cannibal had flown at full speed, reaching Runestone as quickly as possible.
**Boom!**
The enormous dragon landed in the castle courtyard with a heavy thud. Hearing the commotion, Lady Rhea and a group of guests emerged from the castle to greet the royal visitors.
"We've arrived," Rhaegar said.
He unfastened the chain around Jeyne's waist and helped her down from the dragon's back.
"I feel dizzy. Greet them for me," Jeyne mumbled weakly.
Her face was deathly pale, and she looked like she was about to be sick. She slumped against Rhaegar, barely able to stand.
That dragon ride had nearly taken half her life.
Seeing the Crown Prince and Duchess Jeyne, the gathered nobles quickly stepped forward.
"Welcome, Your Highness," Lady Rhea said with her usual crisp efficiency as she approached the two of them, glancing at Jeyne's condition.
"Hold her steady. She's not feeling well," Rhaegar said as he handed Jeyne over, before politely adding, "Congratulations on your marriage, Lady Rhea."
"I just need a husband who can get me pregnant. As long as it's better than my first marriage, that's good enough."
Leiya was filled with self-blame and had a very pessimistic view of marriage.
"Leiya, how is Lady Jannif?"
As she spoke, a middle-aged man with a thick beard approached and asked with concern.
"She's fine, let's welcome the prince and Lady Jannif into the castle first."
Leiya responded indifferently and explained to Rega, "This is my fiancé, Jello Royce."
"Nice to meet you, Prince."
Jello quickly bowed to show respect.
"No need for formalities, Sir Jello."
Rega looked at his former aunt's fiancé, feeling somewhat uncomfortable, so he didn't engage in much small talk.
In the back of his mind, he thought about Damon, who was imprisoned in the King's Landing dungeon.
"My dear uncle, will he regret not being able to attend his ex-wife's wedding?"
Rega chuckled at his own thought.
As they got closer to the castle, more guests came to greet them.
"Prince, the Aelin family from Seagull Town sends their respects."
"Prince, the Graffson family from Seagull Town sends their respects."
"Prince, the Malco family from Old Anchor sends their respects..."
"Good day, my lords. Please forgive Lady Jannif and me for arriving from afar. We may need some rest for a while."
Rega looked around at the eager vassals and gave them a uniform reply.
He then turned to Jello and said, "There are gifts from the royal family and Eagle's Nest City for your wedding on the dragon's back. I'll go with you to retrieve them in a moment."
Jello turned to look at the gluttonous dragon whose back was as high as the castle, swallowing involuntarily.
"No rush, Prince."
He had seen a dragon before, namely his fiancée's ex-husband, Damon Targaryen's bloodworm, Koralaksh.
Damon would only return to Runestone every few years, and whenever he did, there was always a disturbance in the city.
He once had a big argument with Leiya, who was still his cousin at the time, and they parted on bad terms.
Jello had seen Koralaksh from a distance, a long, slender dragon with blood-red scales exuding an aura of evil.
But the pressure he felt from this green-eyed black dragon was far greater.
Its enormous size, eerie green slit-pupils, and terrifying, godlike appearance sent shivers down his spine.
"Hiss…"
It seemed to sense the gaze of the weak humans. The gluttonous dragon's head leaned forward, its slit pupils surveying the crowd in the castle's front courtyard.
Everyone was momentarily stunned by the dragon's action.
Instinctively, they shifted their steps, edging toward the perimeter.
"Gluttonous one, don't scare my friends!"
Rega suppressed the smile in his eyes and gently scolded.
"Prince, please come inside."
Jello hurriedly made a one-handed invitation, leading Rega into the castle with the guests following closely behind.
The first floor of the castle was a grand hall, decorated in an elegant fashion.
Leiya called for the maidservants and, together, they helped Jannif upstairs to rest.
Jello stayed downstairs to attend to the guests from various places.
Rega was seated in the chair just below the main seat, greeting the local valley nobles one by one.
Most of these nobles were from the southern part of the valley, unaffected by the recent uprising of the Mountain clans.
Jello's face was ordinary, but his manners were refined, and his speech was heavy, making sure to take good care of the guests.
During the event, Rega even met an old acquaintance from the Crabclaw Peninsula.
Yara Clebb from Whispering Fort.
After a brief greeting, Rega asked with curiosity, "Where's your father?"
Yara's beautiful face was clouded with sorrow as she forced a smile. "Father's health has been declining these past few years, so I've had to represent the Clebb family."
"That's truly unfortunate."
Rega nodded, offering some words of comfort.
After all, the Clebb family had loyally supported him since his youth, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia.
(The End of this Chapter)