GOT King of Dragon

Rolling on the ground, Rhaegar's head spun as he looked around in a daze. 

When he turned to glance behind him, he saw Elric, clad in silver armor and a white robe, shielding him protectively beneath his own body. 

"Elric, you were supposed to guard the entrance. Why are you here?" 

Rhaegar, still muddled and confused, asked in disbelief. 

"Your safety is my highest duty!" 

Elric's voice was deep and firm. Swiftly, he stood, picked Rhaegar up in his arms, and began to run. 

Rhaegar didn't catch what Elric said. His head turned involuntarily to look back—he wanted one last glimpse of Dreamfire. 

He had almost tamed Dreamfire. 

But the situation changed too quickly. Just when success seemed certain, it all unraveled. 

A sharp screech echoed behind them. 

Elric moved quickly, exiting the nest in a few strides and sprinting through the tunnel leading outside. 

Rhaegar's gaze remained fixed on Dreamfire, watching the pale-blue beast thrash in anger. 

Suddenly, Rhaegar's eyes caught sight of the chain around Dreamfire's neck. 

The beast writhed, its sharp teeth gnawing at a chain as thick as an adult's thigh, sparks flying with each bite. 

"It's the chain! The chain disrupted the bonding ritual and enraged Dreamfire!" 

A flash of understanding lit up Rhaegar's mind, and he shouted in frustration, his gaze burning with fury at the chain that had ruined his efforts. 

Realizing the cause, Rhaegar felt an uncontrollable surge of anger. 

His mood was no better than Dreamfire's frenzied rage. He desperately wanted to punish whoever had placed that chain on the beast. 

Before he could say more, Elric rounded a corner, putting Dreamfire out of sight entirely. 

In no time, they burst out of the tunnel, back to the cave entrance where they had started. 

"Your Highness! Are you hurt?" Menas ran up, his face full of concern. 

Elric shoved him aside with a scowl. "Shut your mouth. You'd better pray the prince is unharmed." 

He carefully set Rhaegar on the ground and crouched to examine him. 

Rhaegar, drowning in regret, let Elric handle him without protest. 

"Damn it, I was so close to taming Dreamfire!" 

His heart was filled with anguish. 

Elric tilted Rhaegar's head side to side, checking for injuries. Satisfied that his head was unscathed, he moved on to check his limbs. 

"Arms and legs are fine, fingers and toes accounted for…" 

As he muttered, his eyes fell on Rhaegar's back, and his expression darkened. 

Rhaegar's clothes were completely scorched away, revealing a back covered in blistering burns. 

"This is a severe burn!" 

Menas cried out as if the blisters had formed on his own back. 

"Be quiet. I'm not blind!" 

Elric shot him a furious glare, his tone dripping with hostility. He looked as though he wanted to run Menas through with his sword for coaxing the prince into taming a dragon. 

Having had a moment to collect himself, Menas regained his composure. 

He understood all too well the consequences if the prince's injuries were blamed on him. 

The thought of the gallows made his vision go dark. 

"Wait! I know herbal medicine. I can treat His Highness!" 

Terrified but still rational, Menas offered a solution. 

Fearing Elric might refuse, he pulled a necklace from under his robe. It held three different metal rings—one of black iron, one of silver, and one of gold. 

"Get out of my way. I don't trust you." 

Elric didn't hesitate. He scooped Rhaegar up and prepared to leave. 

During the earlier life-and-death crisis, Rhaegar hadn't felt much. 

Now, out of danger, Elric's movements made Rhaegar suck in a sharp breath, the pain nearly causing him to black out. 

"Sir… wait a moment… It hurts too much!" 

His back and neck were covered in severe burns. The constant, fiery pain was pushing his nerves to the brink of numbness. 

"Let me treat him for now. His injuries are too severe to withstand travel. He needs immediate care." 

Menas spread his arms, blocking Elric's path. 

Elric understood the gravity of the situation and hesitated before looking at Rhaegar. 

Rhaegar gritted his teeth and said, "Treat me! I can't hold on much longer!" 

Elric nodded and fixed Menace with a sharp glare, warning him, "If I find out you're up to any tricks, you'll regret it." 

Menace snorted and replied, "I value my life more than you think." 

He then instructed Elric to carry Rhaegar on his back and walk steadily out of the tunnel. 

"My residence is near the dragon's lair. I have herbs and tools there." 

After leaving the tunnel, Menace led them up a staircase and into a narrow wooden hut at the edge of the dragon's lair. 

"This is where you live?" 

Elric glanced at the shabby furniture and the musty air inside the hut, surprised that a scholar lived in such poor conditions. 

Menace hurried to the bed, crouched down, and pulled out a square wooden box from beneath it. 

When he opened it, it revealed all kinds of bottles and jars filled with powders, pills, and other medicines. 

"Lay the prince flat on the bed. I'll start with some basic surface cleaning." 

Menace spoke urgently, too focused to even argue with Elric. 

"This might hurt a bit. Please bear with it." 

Elric warned Rhaegar as he laid him down on the bed. 

"Ahh! Couldn't you have warned me earlier?" 

Rhaegar grimaced in pain, clearly displeased. 

"Don't talk. Save your strength, Your Highness," Menace interjected as he pulled out two ceramic jars and sprinkled a fine layer of powder over Rhaegar's back. 

"Ouch, ouch, ouch!" 

Rhaegar clenched his teeth, his hands and feet twitching uncontrollably from the pain. He turned his head toward Elric and asked in agony, "Why haven't I passed out yet? Shouldn't someone faint from pain like this by now?" 

Elric replied dryly, "People only pass out when the pain is unbearable. The fact that you're still conscious means it's not bad enough yet." 

"But it feels plenty bad to me!" 

Rhaegar protested hoarsely, trying to distract himself with conversation to avoid losing consciousness from the agony. 

"This is like the seventh level of hell! Such extensive burns caused by dragonfire... how are you even alive, Your Highness?" 

While applying medicine and bandaging, Menace couldn't help but marvel. Based on his knowledge, the dragonfire of an adult dragon could melt steel. 

Human flesh in contact with dragonfire would be reduced to ashes in an instant. 

It was unimaginable that Rhaegar, after being grazed by dragonfire, could still remain conscious. 

Hearing Menace's astonishment, Rhaegar instead asked, "Weren't you supposed to wait for me near the lair? Why was it Elric who came to rescue me?" 

Menace froze, his expression turning awkward. "I lost my head for a moment and led you into Dreamfyre's lair." 

"The moment you stepped inside, I regretted it." 

"I ran out to seek help from this honorable White Knight, afraid you might encounter danger." 

"But I didn't expect Dreamfyre to go berserk so quickly, causing you to suffer such severe injuries." 

Rhaegar ignored him and looked toward Elric. 

Elric didn't deny it. He knelt on one knee with a thud and said loudly: 

"The king entrusted me with the duty to protect you. Allowing you to face danger alone is a grave dereliction of my duty." 

"I... I have failed the white cloak I bear." 

With that, Elric lowered his head and tore off the charred remains of his white cloak. 

Looking at the burnt and tattered cloak, Rhaegar glanced at Elric's back with concern and asked, "Are you hurt, Sir?" 

Elric was momentarily stunned before replying, "No, Your Highness." 

Hearing this, Rhaegar breathed a sigh of relief and said bitterly, "Good. If I had caused you to get injured because of my recklessness, I wouldn't be able to forgive myself." 

"It's my duty," Elric replied calmly. 

"No, your duty was to remain on standby." 

Rhaegar buried his face in his arms, despondent. "Sir, thank you for saving me despite everything. I'm truly sorry!" 

---

This chapter sets the stage for future developments, so don't focus too much on the apparent failure regarding the bloodline. 

Strictly speaking, the protagonist has succeeded. 

He has already established a bond with Dreamfyre, but it was interrupted by the chains. 

Before Aemond tamed Vhagar, he also attempted to approach Dreamfyre, only to be scared off by a blast of dragonfire. 

Every Targaryen has their moments of growth. 

(End of Chapter)