Chapter 21: Mysterious Bracelet

"Heh, she's doing a pretty good job of pretending to be an exemplary mother and wife."

Rhaenyra watched with a leathery smile as she walked between the ministers.

The resentment made Rhaegar shiver beside her.

"Sister, your grasp is hurting my hand."

Rhaegar complained, trying to pull back Rhaenyra's small hand.

Rhaenyra hastily removed her hand. "I'm sorry, I just forgot that you were still there."

"It's okay, just be careful of your image, a lot of people are watching the event."

Gently reminding his sister, Rhaegar pulled his small hand away.

Rhaegar lifted his hand and glanced around twice. Suddenly, a face caught his eye.

Only to see that it was Daemon who was standing next to Viserys at that very moment, watching faintly as his brother and sister-in-law confessed their tender feelings for each other, the corner of his mouth curling up in a hidden sneer.

Rhaegar's eyebrows furrowed, and he cocked his head to get a better look at them.

Suddenly, Daemon turned his head and locked onto Rhaegar.

Rhaegar was startled and couldn't help but start to step back.

"No, what am I afraid of, is he going to eat me?"

Thinking of his identity, Rhaegar's unconquerable energy rose, staring at him with wide eyes.

It wasn't his imagination.

Daemon looked up and down at Rhaegar with interest, then smiled and nodded, no longer paying too much attention to him.

Rhaegar nodded, looking a little disappointed and a little grateful.

"What a frightening look, the sense of oppression is too strong."

Rhaegar secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but in his heart, he thought of the sneer Daemon had just revealed.

What did this imply?

Why, seeing his father in love with Alicent, would he show such "contempt"?

Rhaegar suspected he was wrong.

But he couldn't get Daemon's slightly curved mouth out of his head. And he was sure that smile wasn't fake.

"Forget it, no one else saw it. I'd better be good and hide somewhere else."

Rhaegar was two paces behind Rhaenyra with this thought in mind.

The crowd took their seats as the banquet began.

Viserys called for Rhaenyra and Rhaegar to come closer to greet Daemon.

Rhaenyra had grown up worshipping her uncle. Needless to say.

"Rhaegar, my eldest son, there is no need to tell you that you already know," Viserys took Rhaegar's hand and introduced him to his brother.

Daemon nodded, his cold face trying to squeeze out a friendly smile that was a little out of place.

Viserys did not force his brother to smile, but smiled and said, "The Seven Gods have blessed us, Rhaegar had a chance meeting not long ago, and his ailment was cured, freeing him from his heart condition."

Daemon said, "I have heard of this, the magical fruit given by the White Hart. It sounds like a story out of a storybook."

"Haha, I didn't believe it when I first heard, but the will of the gods is always full of deep meaning and Rhaegar is a Targaryen blessed by the gods."

Viserys stared at Daemon with a strange look on his face, and his words were a shock to everyone in the room.

The eldest son of the King, the grace of the White Hart, and the name of divine grace from the mouth of the King...

What did the King's words mean?

Could it be that he was hinting at changing the heir, as rumored outside?

A single sentence, as if a heavy hammer had been struck into the hearts of all the people.

Rhaenyra's color changed slightly as she looked down at her younger brother, who was becoming more and more energetic with each passing day.

"I hope you're always healthy and that sickness stays away from you," Damon blessed, touching Rhaegar's head.

It was Alicent who was out of place.

Her gentle face froze for a split second, secretly digging her nails into the flesh of her thumbs and forcing a smile.

Sooner or later, she knew this day would come.

In the beginning, Rhaegar had been terminally ill and did not have many days left to live.

With the death of the king's eldest son, she would have her son, Aegon, in line for the throne.

Even if the king did not allow it, the ministers of the council would secretly support her. They would suggest to the king that he change the heir to the throne.

But she was undoubtedly dealt a fatal blow by Rhaegar's miraculous healing.

From now on, even if there were people who didn't like the idea of Rhaenyra being a woman as the heir to the throne. Their support would only be for the eldest son, Rhaegar.

There would be no effort to support Aegon, the second son.

"Could it be that all I've tried to do all these years was for nothing?"

Alicent's heart was despaired, and bloodstains were torn from her thumbs.

Alicent silently bowed her head and lowered her presence so as not to draw attention to this out-of-control behavior.

"Thank you, Uncle," Rhaegar replied politely, feeling uncomfortable in the face of his uncle's blessing.

"I hope you won't take it personally if I said something unintelligent in the past, we're meeting for the first time and will have a brand new future."

How could he hide his little thoughts from Daemon, it was obvious.

Daemon rolled up his cuffs, took off a silver-colored metal bracelet, and said in a deep voice, "After the Stepstones war, the soldiers looted many treasures."

"Uncountable amounts of gold, gems of different colors and jewels..."

Rhaegar listened intently, interested in the war.

Daemon handed over the bracelet, "This bracelet was recovered from the crushed treasure chest of the Crab Feeder, it is cast in Valyrian steel and is being given to you as a welcome gift."

"Valyrian steel? That is truly valuable."

Rhaegar's eyes glistened, but his pride caused him to control the hand he was about to extend and to look at his father in expectation.

Viserys nodded: "A gift from your uncle, no need to refuse."

"Yes, thank you, Uncle."

When Rhaegar was given the green light, he immediately threw the discontent of his heart with Daemon into the air and snatched the bracelet with a whoosh.

Whatever deep resentments existed in the past.

Daemon was his good uncle right now.

"It's beautiful, carved and patterned." 

He held the bracelet beautifully and wore it on his slim wrist.

"Maybe you should put that bracelet away, your wrist is too thin, it's easy to lose it," Rhaenyra said, touching her forehead.

"Hmph, I've always been a stickler for hard-won gains."

Rhaegar grunted softly in displeasure. He lifted his wrist to admire the forged Valyrian steel bracelet in the sunlight.

It was good enough to be used as a family heirloom.

"Exploration opportunity detected, the target is the mysterious Valyrian steel bracelet."

The corners of Rhaegar's mouth couldn't help but curl as the system beeped suddenly, adding to his already happy mood.

The system panel appeared with a thought.

[Mysterious Valyrian Steel Bracelet]

Exploration Progress: 0.5%

After half a year, Rhaegar got the chance to explore again. He couldn't say how happy he was.

With a face full of sincerity, he looked at Daemon and said gratefully: "I appreciate this, Uncle Daemon."

The sudden move was a bit of a surprise to Daemon.

But he gladly accepted it when he saw that his nephew liked it.

"You don't have to say thank you twice, especially to a loved one," Viserys said, patting Rhaegar on the back of the head.

"Uh-huh, Uncle Damon is family."

Rhaegar nodded his head, his pretty little face very happy.

Don't say anything about being kin or not.

Now that Daemon had dealt Alicent a blow, he had to applaud and say that it had been a clean hit.

"All right, put that embarrassing face of yours away and bring out the temper of a prince."

An eye-rolling Rhaenyra slapped her brother on the back of the head, teeth clenching in warning.

"Sure, hit me in the head, who's responsible for making me stupid?" said Rhaegar, covering the back of his head, unconvinced.

"I'll keep you in a little dark room of the Red Keep if you get stupid." 

Rhaenyra revealed a dangerous benevolence smile.

(Word count: 1390)