"My Chancellor of the Exchequer, how are the ship preparations going?"
The next evening, as soon as Illyrio returned to his courtyard, Viserys eagerly sought him out.
Governor Illyrio chuckled softly, his beard twitching. "Preparations won't be quick. Since we're embarking on a long voyage with such a purpose, we need to maintain some secrecy. I'll prepare some goods, arrange trusted personnel, and have your ship disguise as a merchant vessel, making it easier for you to act covertly, won't it?"
Viserys didn't even utter a sound. "You're right." He didn't seem particularly pleased. "But the opportunity is rare; we must set off quickly. The people of the Seven Kingdoms might be waiting for us to act in unison."
Illyrio flattered him. "My King, you've waited most of your life; what's a few more days... or even a few more months?"
[The Dornish across the sea haven't made a single move.] Viserys pursed his lips. "
Did anyone inquire about the dragon bone pendant that was up for sale today?"
Illyrio replied, "Still no, Your Majesty. Speaking of dragon bones, you asked me to replace them with a new batch, which should arrive tomorrow."
"At least there's some good news, my Chancellor of the Exchequer."
By now, Viserys had given up on trying to obtain dragon eggs from Illyrio. Before he was powerful enough, he wasn't willing to let Daenerys handle dragon eggs.
The remnants of dragon souls in dragon bones were indeed thin, but their danger level was low. Although dragon bones containing dragon souls were rare—after Illyrio replaced several batches, there were often situations where none were found out of twenty—he could still rely on dragon bones for safety.
If someone knew what Viserys was thinking, they might think he was a coward, shrinking back, but he didn't care. Unrealistic bravery usually only led to a glorious death. He also believed that there were many people smarter and braver than him. If they had his advantages, they might already be on the Iron Throne, transformed into dragons, and chatting with the gods. But his talents are limited; spare him.
Eddard Stark taught his wolf cubs: only fear makes one brave.
Viserys's bravery will only slowly unfold as his power grows; the more magic he accumulates, the braver he will become.
Now that he has some self-defense capabilities, he is increasingly audacious in his demands of Illyrio. The fat governor always readily agrees, seemingly without suspicion, but even with Illyrio's cooperation, Viserys still finds it too slow. Heading
south is merely an excuse; his true purpose is to use the opportunity to search for dragon bones in the luxury shops of the various free cities. Viserys has considered openly and extensively recruiting them, but upon careful consideration, he feels that would be a foolish act only a fool would do. Currently, it seems only one unknown entity has discovered his secret and is watching him. If he were to openly do so, it would be tantamount to dancing under the noses of all mystical beings.
If he feels that the pressure from a suspected "god" is not enough, he can certainly do so.
Since that dream of the ghost of an ancient king, Daenerys no longer had similar dreams when she came into contact with dragon bones containing dragon souls. Instead, she felt her body being gradually sculpted by sparks outside the dark curtain, the heat in her blood growing ever more intense. Her constitution was visibly good; no matter how strenuous the training, her body always recovered quickly. Viserys dared not let her exert herself too much, fearing that others would notice something amiss.
The purple dust that Viserys absorbed through his dreams was decreasing, almost disappearing, but the medium that triggered his magical projections after entering the dream remained unchanged.
The unknown entity fell silent. To think positively... Viserys dared not think positively at all.
He desperately needed power to fill the void in his uneasy heart.
The task he gave Illyrio was a way of giving him an explanation. The fat governor and he had been performing against each other for so long; Viserys couldn't let him get nothing out of it. And if he really had a brain fart and acted according to Viserys's plan,
then good luck to him, and may the gods bless him.
But Illyrio was clearly not out of his mind; he was obviously trying to buy time, occasionally hinting that there was no movement across the sea, giving the seemingly hot-headed Viserys time to calm down.
The fat governor wanted to wait for news from the Seven Kingdoms.
He'd never get that chance. Viserys knew the nonsense he was spouting.
The Dornish silence would fuel speculation, but even if Viserys said there were no Dornish, the Fat Governor wouldn't believe him; he'd find his own reasons to convince himself.
Viserys was determined to leave. He knew the Fat Governor was never a resolute man; sooner or later, he'd tire of Viserys' foolish decision and let him go. Just like in the original story, when Viserys insisted on going with Drogo through Dothraki until Drogo fulfilled his promise and gave him the crown, Illyrio tried to dissuade him several times to no avail, and finally let him go.
Illyrio, like Varys, was always willing to respect foolish people doing foolish things.
Finally, when Viserys questioned Illyrio for the third time, the Fat Governor blinked and said everything was ready.
"My King," Illyrio said to Viserys, "the ships I have arranged for you are ready. However, the seas have been turbulent recently, and one ship may not be enough to deal with the rampant pirates and storms. I have taken the liberty of arranging a merchant fleet for you, consisting of three ships loaded with goods and disguised. If Your Majesty wishes, they may depart tomorrow. Captain Glory is the most capable captain under my command. Would you like to see him before departure?"
This arrangement was reasonable; Viserys had considerable experience sailing during his time wandering the free trading cities. He also knew that sailing the seas with only a poorly armed merchant ship was indeed unwise.
"You're very thoughtful," Viserys readily agreed. "To fill in any gaps in the King's knowledge is the mark of a loyal subject. I thank you, my Chancellor of the Exchequer. Has the captain arrived? I'd like to see him."
"It's my duty, Your Majesty," Illyrio replied. "Captain Groley is at a nearby inn. Shall I have him come to see you tonight?"
"Very well."
"Your Majesty, the King cannot be without guards," Illyrio added. "Should we recruit or hire that exiled knight, Jorah Mormont, to protect you on this journey?"
Viserys was still wondering when he would bring this up. He was already surrounded by Illyrio's men; one more wouldn't make a difference. Although Jorah was treacherous, he would still be useful. Just as the spy Annie could test poisons for him, having a guard dressed as a knight of the Seven Kingdoms by his side could avoid a lot of trouble.
Over this period, Viserys had accumulated more than ten dragon scales of magical power. He planned to face Jorah Mormont head-on; this amount of magical power would be enough for him to kill the armored knight with his dragonfire ray.
Jorah and Illyrio may not be of one mind. If King Robert orders Viserys' death, Jorah might assassinate him. However, King Robert's orders will pass through Varys and Illyrio's hands, and as long as Viserys doesn't act recklessly, they won't let him die.
But that doesn't mean they can't worry about assassination; it's merely a means to an end. Just like in the books, when Daenerys first faced an assassination attempt, Jorah even intervened to save her. What they need is Drogo's army, not Daenerys's corpse.
If King Robert were to order Viserys' death, Varys and Illyrio would be happy for Ser Jorah to carry it out, using him to teach Viserys a lesson, making him behave and learn how to communicate with his teammates before acting, avoiding impulsive and foolish actions.
"That's exactly what I was thinking," Viserys agreed. "What tests did you give him?"
"I had him guard my manor outside the city, which is frequently raided by bandits," Illyrio said. "The servants at the manor told me that this mercenary is quite different from others. He is highly skilled in martial arts, stern and serious, and ruthless towards bandits, yet he will protect women and children. Sometimes when people talk to him about his homeland, about his former king Robert and Lord Eddard Stark of the North, he will spit and then fall silent
." "Then arrange for him to come to me," Viserys said. "I want to speak with him."
"Yes, Your Majesty," Illyrio agreed, then added, "Considering you will be bringing your female relatives, I think it might be a little inconvenient to have only one knight with you. The eunuchs guarding the courtyard were originally arranged to protect you. Would you like to bring them with you on this trip?"
[Those pointed-hat eunuchs who never even look at me properly will listen to me?] "
Bringing too many guards defeats the purpose of the disguise." Viserys felt the fat governor had already crammed enough men around him; any more and he doubted he could handle it alone. "How about this: one eunuch guard is enough for the female attendants. I see an older one at the gate, with thick eyebrows, a dark red face, and he looks honest. What's his name?"
"Butch, Your Majesty. His companions call him Blackface Butcher," Illyrio answered seriously.
"…" Viserys considered the nickname. "He'll do."
.....
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