Unfortunately, Erlad did not want to be such a person at this moment.
He raised his wine glass, toasted Erlad, and said, "Cheers."
Erlad raised his glass and said, "Cheers." He drained the wine in his cup, put it down, and his expression became serious.
He gave Rayder a deep look, a hint of unease in his tone: "The Others are the biggest threat right now, Rayder, I hope you consider the bigger picture."
Rayder was very disgusted by such words, which were almost moral blackmail. This disgust stemmed entirely from his previous life's understanding.
He didn't even bother to respond, merely glancing at Erlad indifferently, his words carrying a clear warning:
"Erlad, since you've chosen not to stand with me, then don't meddle. How I choose to act is my freedom."
A surge of anger rose in Erlad's heart. He really wanted to complain about Rayder's self-centered personality.
In his opinion, Rayder always acted as he pleased, only thinking of himself, completely disregarding the lives of others.
If not for the North needing Rayder's help right now, he would have truly wanted to send him away immediately, telling Rayder to go as far as possible, the further from his Northern territory the better.
Just as Erlad was about to offer Rayder a few more words of advice, Viserys, the host of the banquet, walked over with his daughter Rhaenyra.
Erlad saw the future King and immediately realized that he must have something to discuss with Rayder, and the content might not be convenient for him to know.
He tactfully greeted Rayder, then respectfully bowed to Viserys, stepped back a few paces, and vacated the spot.
He also motioned for the surrounding nobles to move away, clearing out that corner of the entire banquet hall.
Viserys did not ask what the Prince of Dorne and Rayder had just said, as if he were completely uninterested.
He directly stated his decision: "I have considered your terms, Rayder, and I can agree.
But you must get engaged to my daughter Rhaenyra now, and you can marry when she comes of age."
Rayder had long anticipated that Viserys would agree, after all, this was a beneficial choice that could stabilize his iron throne; there was no reason for him to disagree.
As for why he was so urgent, Rayder guessed it might be related to the Prince of Dorne earlier.
After all, if he, this unstable factor, were to truly go to the Dorne region and unite with House Martell, the impact would be extremely detrimental.
If House Martell possessed three dragons, coupled with their existing military strength, they would certainly have enough capital to re-establish their independence.
This situation was absolutely something Viserys, who was about to become King, did not want to see.
So now he could only do his best to pull Rayder into his own faction and restrict his actions.
Rayder heard that Viserys had agreed to give him Dragonstone and decisively nodded in agreement:
"As long as you give me Dragonstone, I have no objection to holding the engagement ceremony tomorrow."
Viserys almost cursed, secretly thinking: "I'm paying to marry off my daughter, what objections could you possibly have? You're getting a bargain and still acting coy. It's a miracle you haven't died laughing in your bed, your sense of humor must be low."
The more he looked at Rayder, the less he liked him. Thinking of how the other party had even crippled his naive brother's arm, and his arrogant and disdainful attitude, he wanted to draw his sword and cut Rayder down.
But the reality of the situation left him no choice but to marry his beloved daughter to such a person to maintain the peace and stability of the kingdom.
If there had been any other way, he would never have allowed his daughter to marry Rayder.
Viserys took a deep breath, trying to calm his emotions. He extended his hand, smiling, and said to Rayder, "Then, I wish us pleasant cooperation."
Rayder looked at Viserys's outstretched hand. Although displeased, he maintained a polite expression.
He reached out and shook Viserys's hand, saying indifferently, "Pleasant cooperation."
Both knew that this so-called marriage alliance was, in reality, a transaction.
Viserys was using his daughter and Dragonstone to bring Rayder, an external unstable factor, into the Targaryen Family's camp.
Both sides were restraining themselves, maintaining a superficial peaceful coexistence.
Viserys pushed his daughter Rhaenyra forward and said, "Take this opportunity to get to know each other."
Rayder smiled at Viserys and said, "Understood, no problem."
Then he looked down at Rhaenyra and said, "My cup is empty, come pour me some wine."
Rayder's words were casual, even a bit like he was ordering a servant.
He showed no politeness, as if he didn't care about Rhaenyra's status.
Rhaenyra had been pampered since childhood; when had she ever been treated like this?
At this moment, she felt completely humiliated. A surge of anger rose within her, and she almost wanted to pick up the wine jug and smash it.
However, Rhaenyra was, after all, a well-bred Princess. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her emotions.
She picked up the wine jug, walked in front of Rayder, and filled his cup.
Her movements were elegant, but her eyes revealed a hint of coldness and displeasure.
Rayder seemed not to notice these things. He picked up the wine glass, smiled slightly at Rhaenyra, and then drained it.
Viserys watched this scene, his heart a mix of emotions.
This marriage alliance was undoubtedly a sacrifice for his daughter.
But he also understood that for the stability of the kingdom, he had no other choice.
He could only hope that, as time passed, Rayder and Rhaenyra would gradually accept each other and work together for the future of the Targaryen Family.
However, the road ahead was still long, and whether this transaction could bring true peace and stability still needed time to prove.
Viserys did not want to watch the subsequent situation, because he knew very well that his daughter Rhaenyra would definitely be in a disadvantaged position.
He resisted looking at his daughter again, greeted Rayder, and then left, leaving the two of them, hoping they could get along well.
As soon as Viserys left, Rhaenyra immediately placed the wine jug heavily on the table.
It was obvious that her earlier obedience was all an act for Viserys.
Rayder saw this and immediately said, "He hasn't gone far yet!" Rhaenyra said indifferently, "As long as it looks good on the surface."
Rayder looked at the still-young girl, who was so prematurely jaded, and warned, "You should know what your future destiny will be, shouldn't you?"
Rhaenyra, of course, knew what Rayder was referring to, but she looked at Rayder with an unwilling expression in her eyes and replied, "I won't completely surrender to fate."
Rayder's lips curled into a mocking arc as he chuckled, "With just you, who do you think you can defy? Me or your father?"
His words were full of contempt, as if he didn't even consider Rhaenyra to be worth his attention.
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