Chapter 232: Prince Jon the True Dragon, the Oath of the Wolf and the Dragon

In the attic of Harrenhal, Jon Snow was plunged into deep self-doubt.

The bastard of Winterfell—this had been Jon Snow's identity since he was a child; the peer beside him, Robb, was the heir to Winterfell, the Duke of the North, and House Stark.

That Theon Greyjoy, who had worn a smile since childhood, was Eddard's ward and also the hostage ensuring his father, King Balon, would not rebel; yet, Theon held another identity: the heir to the Iron Islands and the Seastone Chair.

In Winterfell, Jon had no status; with every extra bite of food he ate, he had to endure Catelyn's cold, harsh, and critical gaze.

During many days and nights in Winterfell, Jon Snow had constantly imagined what his mother looked like; in Jon Snow's fantasies, his mother was of noble birth and beautiful, yet another voice in his heart told Jon that she was a woman who had borne a bastard with Duke Eddard, perhaps of lowly birth, or even, perhaps, a prostitute.

Now, the truth was out: Jon Snow's mother was actually his aunt Lyanna, whom he had always thought her to be.

Eddard said, "No, back then at the Tower of Joy in Dorne, the Sword of the Morning Arthur Dayne told me himself that Prince Rhaegar had terminated his marriage with Elia in Dorne through the Church and secretly married Lyanna."

"In the last battle, I once fought under the skies of Harrenhal riding the magic dragon Rhaegal; a magic dragon that has had a rider is easier to tame, and with your Targaryen blood, there will be no problem at all in mastering the magic dragon Rhaegal."

That evening, under the gaze of the crowd, Jon Snow climbed onto the back of the magic dragon Rhaegal, and Queen Daenerys, riding on the back of Drogon, danced in the air with Jon Snow.

Prince Aegon said, "Uncle Oberyn, this is nothing but the one-sided word of the Wolf King Eddard; even if it were true, it would mean the Sword of the Morning was lying back then."

Daenerys glanced at Jon, then turned to Eddard. "You told Jon everything?"

"I have no obsession with power, but the Iron Throne was forged by Aegon the Conqueror from the broken swords of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros; the Seven Kingdoms were forged into one nation by Aegon the Conqueror and his descendants."

Varys stroked his smooth chin. "Why can Eddard's bastard master a magic dragon? Isn't it said that only those with Targaryen blood can master magic dragons?"

"By what right does Jon Snow ride my aunt's magic dragon?"

Prince Rhaegar died in battle at the Trident, and many years later, he was resurrected by a necromancer in King's Landing, reborn as a Death Knight; now, Prince Rhaegar is leading an army of the undead, ravaging the Riverlands.

"I believe Prince Jon's identity is real, and Prince Aegon's identity is also beyond doubt. But the problem is, even if Jon is Prince Rhaegar's son, Prince Rhaegar's wife at the time was Elia. The child Prince Rhaegar had with Lyanna, even if born of them, could only be a bastard!"

"Why didn't you tell me the truth sooner?"

Daenerys clenched her fists. "Even if I possess magic dragons, is it impossible to achieve?"

Having said this, Prince Aegon tossed his silver hair triumphantly.

Tyrion teased, "In Lys, one can find many people with silver hair and purple eyes; does that mean they are all Targaryens? In the history of Westeros, some Targaryens had black hair; the most typical example is Baelor Breakspear, who inherited the appearance of his mother, the Princess of Dorne."

"I have allied with the True Dragon Queen because you lead an army of hope made of liberators and the brave. In the future, I do not wish for us to clash, because if that happens, many followers of the direwolves and the true dragons will die in the game of thrones."

Daenerys closed her eyes, thinking of the miserable death of Eroeh on the Dothraki Sea, thinking of the bed slaves of Yunkai, the little boy Unsullied of Astapor, the children forced to duel with bears in the fighting pits of Meereen; she pondered for a long time, then took Eddard's hand.

Prince Oberyn had never believed that this Prince Aegon from across the Narrow Sea was his nephew; Prince Oberyn had traveled the Free Cities for years and was a frequent visitor to the brothels of Lys; he knew that in Lys, Tyrosh, and other places, it was easy to find people with silver hair and purple eyes.

"Because you are the son of the last Prince of Dragonstone, and your mother Lyanna entrusted you to me before she died; if your background were leaked, King Robert would surely take your life."

"Of course, the premise for all this is that humanity wins the Great War against the undead; otherwise, if the Long Night descends, everyone will be reduced to a dark servant. I will defeat the undead and break the Death Knight's curse; when that time comes, Prince Rhaegar, Viserys, and the Horse Lord Drogo will all regain their free will."

"Rhaegal will become your mount."

"I think Jon Snow's identity as a Targaryen prince is likely fabricated! Is there any substantive evidence?"

Eddard placed his hand on Jon's shoulder. "You don't need to worry; using the abilities of a skinchanger, I can easily control every magic dragon, whether it is Daenerys's magic dragon Drogon, Viserion, or Rhaegal, or the direwolves of Stark, Koi, and Eagle Eye."

Eddard smiled. "Indeed, by impersonating Prince Rhaegar's son, one can use schemes and tricks to conquer the Iron Throne."

And his father.

"Queen Daenerys, can we speak in private?"

Jon Snow nodded slightly.

Prince Aegon blushed with shame, and Varys said with a sycophantic smile, "Not every Targaryen is a dragonrider."

Eddard, whom Jon Snow had always thought to be his father, was his uncle, while his biological father was the famous Prince of Dragonstone, Prince Rhaegar.

Daenerys said sadly, "Is it fated that the direwolves and the true dragons must draw blades against each other for the sake of the Iron Throne?"

Prince Aegon gave a light snort. "Jon doesn't even look like a Targaryen; a true Targaryen must have silver hair and purple eyes, like me."

The Red Viper, Prince Oberyn, pushed through the crowd.

Eddard gripped Jon Snow's wrist.

"Wolf King, in order to defeat the slave masters, save the innocent, and win back my brothers and my beloved husband Drogo, I am willing."

Daenerys said gloomily, "If the war in Westeros ends and one day I sit upon the Iron Throne of Westeros, I long to lead my army back to Slaver's Bay to punish the slave masters once more and liberate the slaves."

"The child of Lyanna and Prince Rhaegar, Jon is half direwolf and half magic dragon; he is truly worthy of being the brother of Fire and Ice."

Prince Oberyn looked at Prince Aegon. "I do not know if you are a true dragon, just as Jon Snow here on the back of this magic dragon is."

"The Unsullied of Astapor are castrated from childhood, raised with puppies, forced to kill infants, and trained into emotionless killing machines. Everything remains the same."

Afterward, Eddard and Jon came to Daenerys's bedroom.

Eddard nodded, and Jon said, "Until today, I did not know that Prince Rhaegar was my father and you were my aunt."

"Will Rhaegal accept me as his dragonrider?"

"My eldest brother Prince Rhaegar and my second brother Viserys were both resurrected by necromancers as Death Knights; in this world, only the two of us are the last of the true dragon bloodline."

From a bastard of Winterfell despised by everyone to a true dragon prince of House Targaryen—this massive shift in identity made Jon Snow feel a bit dizzy.

When he was a child, Jon Snow often played hide-and-seek in the crypts with Robb, Sansa, Bran, and Arya; he often saw the statue of Lyanna, which was a great beauty, yet many old men in Winterfell said that Lyanna herself was far more beautiful than the statue.

Varys pondered for a long while and said, "The Usurper's War... no, during Robert's Rebellion, the beacons were lit and smoke filled the land; at that time, even my little birds could not accurately deliver messages."

Jon felt somewhat embarrassed.

"Prince Rhaegar took tens of thousands of warriors from Dorne and fought a bloody battle at the Trident; Wolf Prince, if what you say is the truth, Prince Rhaegar abandoned Elia, married your sister, and even led the Dornish army north to fight for the Targaryens, and countless Dornish warriors, including my uncle, Prince Lewyn of Dorne, all died at the Trident."

Eddard said, "Daenerys is your aunt; she knows your identity. Although Daenerys is one year younger than you, she is Stormborn, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, The Unburnt, Queen of Meereen, and Mhysa to the thousands of slaves in Slaver's Bay."

Eddard said, "Back then, Valyria relied on magic dragons to build the largest slave empire in history; relying solely on magic dragons makes it very difficult to liberate the slaves of the whole world."

"Of course, that is assuming Viserion doesn't roast you and eat you. Logically speaking, with your bloodline being so pure, why don't you appeal to the magic dragons?"

The Wolf King Eddard said, "Jon Snow is a pure-blooded Targaryen."

"Slave masters in both the East and the West will oppose you. Volantis, Qarth, New Ghis, Lys, Tyrosh, Myr, Qohor, Norvos, and even the Dothraki tribes of the Dothraki Sea will oppose your liberation of the slaves; you cannot shake the institution of slavery."

The Red Viper Prince Oberyn, the Griffin Hand Jon Connington, Ser Jorah, Greatjon Umber, Roose Bolton, and others all curiously crowded around.

Eddard said, "I fully understand your predicament; you are a Queen, and a Queen does not belong to herself, but to her country. The Golden Company possesses too many descendants of exiles; they long to take back the lands and castles their ancestors lost; the Dothraki long to follow you to conquer more land and win more glory; the Brotherhood Without Banners longs to have a foothold in Westeros and live as free men."

Prince Aegon was unconvinced. "Even so, Baelor Breakspear was an exception. In history, every Targaryen who sat on the Iron Throne was, without exception, silver-haired."

Eddard said: "Yet you are also of the True Dragon bloodline, and should rightfully become a Dragonrider. Daenerys's Magic Dragon Rhaegal is named precisely after your father, Prince Rhaegar. I once rode Rhaegal to battle against the frost dragons."

Tyrion said disdainfully: "If Wolf King Eddard can hatch Magic Dragons and ride them, and Jon Snow can ride them, what is there to be surprised about?"

Daenerys said: "Wolf King, now that we are joining hands to fight the Undead, I am grateful that you accepted me and my army of followers when I returned to Westeros."

Daenerys asked, heart stirred: "Really?"

Jon was somewhat afraid, "Ride a Magic Dragon? Daenerys's dragon does like me, but why would she be willing to share a Magic Dragon for me to ride?"

"However, I can help you realize your dream. I possess vast territories in Westeros—the Westerlands, The Vale, the Riverlands, and the North—all have Stark Estate holdings. Our cannons and Magic Dragons will destroy the slave system. From Lys, Tyrosh, and Myr, all the way to Volantis and Slaver's Bay, I will help you become a well-deserved liberator."

Eddard said: "Queen Daenerys, Aegon's Great Conquest did not only bring blood and slaughter; it brought order and stability."

"Your conquest in Slaver's Bay bears the heroic bearing of Aegon the Conqueror. You captured Astapor, Yunkai, and Meereen, and liberated a great number of slaves. It is only a pity that your reforms were too radical, ultimately leading to the encirclement by the slave-holding city-states. Slaver's Bay flowed with blood and was littered with corpses, yet failed to establish a new order."

Eddard said: "Robert Baratheon became a Death Knight, and your father, Prince Rhaegar, was also resurrected as a Death Knight. They have both become Dark Servants of the Great Other."

"Prince Aegon, I am curious. Back then, everyone knew Prince Aegon was smashed to death by The Mountain against the walls of the Red Keep. And you, appearing on the other side of the Narrow Sea—what substantive evidence do you have to prove you are the real Prince Aegon?"

"Now my nephew Jon and I share the True Dragon bloodline; the kingdom should rightfully be inherited by someone of House Targaryen."

"For so many years, even the Little Bird I planted in Winterfell did not detect any abnormalities."

"Rhaegar abandoned his wife and children and even drained the blood of the warriors of Dorne. What kind of 'Kedge Whiteye' behavior is this?"

"After you left Meereen, the Sons of the Harpy in Meereen immediately restored the slave system, and the same is true for all of Slaver's Bay. Today, in the fighting pits of Meereen, Gladiators perform deadly arts of bloodshed on the red sand, while the Bed Slaves of Yunkai practice the thirty-six cries of spring and eighteen positions."

"But it is also hard for me to concede. My people of the North followed me to conquer Skagos, Beyond the Wall, The Vale, the Westerlands, and annexed the Riverlands. My territory is the largest, my people the most numerous, and my military the strongest. In the future, after defeating the Undead, my supporters will believe that the Iron Throne and Westeros should belong to House Stark."

"Uncle, no matter what, you gave me fatherly love and allowed me to gain the love of Robb, Bran, Arya, Sansa, and Rickon Stark. I will always be a member of the Direwolf."

Jon Snow sighed.

Eddard said: "Daenerys, you might be able to capture Slaver's Bay once more, but it will be difficult for you to complete a thorough conquest there."

Eddard said: "Wait until I liberate the slaves of Essos, establish a vast empire in the Free Cities and the territory of Slaver's Bay, and return your beloved Prince Rhaegar, the Horse Lord Drogo, and Viserys to you. Would you be willing to give up the Iron Throne to become the Queen of the new empire?"

"This is a slander against my father, Prince Rhaegar. I will never allow it."

"Isn't there still Prince Aegon? He is the child born to Prince Rhaegar and Elia Martell of Dorne."

Daenerys signaled for her maids Missandei, Irri, and Jhiqui to leave; only Eddard, Daenerys, and Jon remained in the bedroom.

Jon Snow found it hard to accept for a moment; he took a deep breath and looked at Eddard before him with sorrow.

"So I should hate the drunkard King Robert Baratheon?"

"The slaves of Slaver's Bay—whether they are Dothraki, Lhazareen, the dark-skinned Summer Islanders, the yellow-skinned and black-eyed Yi Tish, the fair-skinned Qarthians, the thick-haired Ibbenese, the people of Naath who worship the Butterfly Spirit, the Yunkai'i, the Meereenese, or the Astapori—all are willing to follow the banner of the True Dragon Queen Daenerys."

"Many of my subordinates whisper around me, saying that you occupy too much territory and can even control all the Magic Dragons. In the future, you will seize the Iron Throne."

Varys hurriedly accompanied with a smile: "Wolf Prince, the identity of Prince Aegon is so sensitive and important, how could I possibly lie about such a matter?"

Eddard said: "Prince Aegon has silver hair and purple eyes, but he is just a Young Griff. His status as a prince was fabricated by Varys and Illyrio. The conspirators want to use Prince Aegon to seize the Iron Throne."

"Lady Lyanna gave birth to a child for Prince Rhaegar at the Tower of Joy in Dorne. The Wolf Prince brought the boy back and raised him in Winterfell as a bastard. Ah! What a great display of kinship!"

Daenerys stroked Jon's black hair, "Black hair and grey eyes; you do not look like a Targaryen. The most typical characteristics of House Targaryen are silver hair and purple eyes. However, you are a genuine Targaryen, and my Magic Dragon likes you very much."

Varys was shocked beyond measure, and Tyrion rolled his mismatched eyes. Both were men of supreme intelligence and quickly understood this to be the truth. Tyrion said: "Jon Snow is the child of Lyanna and Prince Rhaegar."

Prince Aegon looked at Snow in the sky, feeling somewhat jealous.

"Robert Baratheon hated Rhaegar to the bone; he would never allow Prince Rhaegar's child to live in this world. Moreover, Prince Rhaegar was deeply loved by the common people and some nobles. Some people will use you to incite rebellion. The True Dragon bloodline itself is a major threat to the newborn Baratheon dynasty."

Tyrion smirked: "Prince Aegon, the dragon has three heads. Queen Daenerys's Magic Dragon Viserion currently has no rider. If you are unconvinced, you can go ride it!"

It turned out that the mother Jon Snow longed for had long since entered the grave.

"That is why the Kingsguard—White Bull Gerold Hightower, Oswell Whent, and the Sword of the Morning Arthur Dayne—guarded Lyanna at the Tower of Joy until the very last moment of their lives."

"We should unite to defeat the Undead and end the curse of the Undead. If we do that, both Robert Baratheon and Prince Rhaegar might regain their self-awareness."

"Lady Lyanna had black hair; it is perfectly normal for Jon to look like his mother rather than his father."

"In the flames, she used blood and fire to hatch three Magic Dragons, allowing the Magic Dragons to return to the human world; she led the shattered Dothraki tribe across the Red Waste; in Qarth, she burned the House of the Undying of the warlocks and burned the Undying to death; in Slaver's Bay, relying on schemes and tricks, she seized the Unsullied army, leaving behind a trail of smoking cities, liberating countless slaves, and making the slave world tremble."

Jon frowned: "Daenerys seems to like me quite a bit, but I have never ridden a Magic Dragon."

At Harrenhal, Prince Aegon often curried favor with Prince Oberyn and the Sand Snake Lareza, but the Dornish always kept their distance from the nephew of suspicious identity.

"Jon, you are my nephew and Daenerys's nephew. You will become the bond connecting the Direwolf and the Magic Dragon, the bond of the alliance between Fire and Ice. You will ride a Magic Dragon together with Daenerys to resist the Undead."

"Perhaps, once the curse is lifted, I can find Prince Rhaegar and ask him clearly."

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(End of chapter)