At this moment, Missandei, who had been following Daenerys quietly, also stepped closer. The Naath girl had grown taller, her demeanor becoming more composed and graceful, her brown skin very smooth.
Her intelligent large eyes watched the scene before her; the majestic Dragon Lord, who had always been dignified, was now being "held hostage" by the two princesses, a rare warm smile on his face.
The corners of Missandei's mouth lifted slightly. She stood quietly a few paces away, not disturbing this warm family moment, but her eyes betrayed a hint of envy. After being taken away by Viserys, she had used the empire's resources to search for her family, but had found no one.
Therefore, for her, accompanying these people who had given her a new life and dignity, and recording every little moment between them, was her greatest happiness and mission.
On a terrace not far away, another figure took in everything happening here.
Margaery Tyrell had been in Valyria for some time now. She watched Viserys embracing Rhaenys and Daenerys simultaneously, seeing the natural intimacy between them. Her exquisite brows furrowed slightly, and a complex light flashed in her eyes.
With her high emotional intelligence and maneuvering, she had not only established a good relationship with Daenerys and Rhaenys but had even learned of Viserys's true intentions through Rhaenys.
That day, after watching the training of the Young Dragons, Margaery did not go straight to rest but prepared to prune roses in the castle garden. As a result, she happened upon Rhaenys, who was lost in thought in the garden.
"Princess Rhaenys." Margaery put down the small golden shears in her hand and gave an elegant curtsy, a flawless sweet smile on her face. "Today's training seems to have gone very smoothly. Melyas is looking more and more magnificent."
"Thank you, Miss Margaery." Rhaenys forced a smile and sat down on a nearby stone bench.
Margaery was very perceptive. Sensing the princess's low spirits, she immediately dismissed her handmaidens and personally poured a cup of flower tea for Rhaenys, saying softly, "Does the Princess have something on her mind? If you don't mind, perhaps I could be a listener. After all, in this castle, we are of similar age and can be considered friends." She skillfully used the term "friends" to bridge the gap.
Perhaps it was the need to vent accumulated worries, or perhaps it was a lack of guard against this Rose of Highgarden who was always gentle, thoughtful, and understanding.
After a moment's hesitation, Rhaenys spoke softly, "Miss Margaery, tell me... if someone is clearly very good to you, protects you, and entrusts the most important things to you, yet they always maintain a distance, as if there's an invisible barrier between you... what does that mean?"
Margaery's mind raced. She guessed that Rhaenys had fallen for someone, but at that moment, she hadn't yet thought of Viserys.
She spoke carefully, "That depends on what the barrier is. Is it status? Responsibility? Or other concerns?" She then asked tentatively, "Has the Princess fallen for someone in the castle?"
Hearing this, Rhaenys instinctively blushed and spoke shyly, "My mother and father are no longer here. My brother is my closest relative, and he said he would marry me. I've already had my flowering, but..." She didn't continue, but her cheeks grew redder.
Margaery was shocked. She had thought it was some soldier or knight in the castle; she never expected it to be Viserys. But wasn't he supposed to form a marriage alliance with Dorne? But hearing the meaning in Rhaenys's words... she asked cautiously, "Princess, forgive my boldness. Do you mean that there is still a marriage contract between you and His Majesty Viserys?"
Rhaenys bit her lip. Since she had already spoken, she might as well tell her; it wasn't a secret anyway. "Brother said that Targaryens need to keep the bloodline pure; it's an ancient tradition. Our blood is linked, and in the future, I will stay by his side. Not just me, but Dany as well." Her meaning was very clear.
Margaery was truly astonished, her emerald green eyes widening slightly. She immediately thought of the marriage customs of the Dragon Lords during the era of the ancient Valyrian Freehold, and Aegon of the Targaryen Family. Was this Dragon Lord not only planning to revive the empire but also to restore such ancient traditions? If so, there would certainly be more than one queen.
So, previously, Viserys hadn't rejected the alliance with Highgarden for the sake of Dorne, but because of their request for Loras to marry the princess, which had annoyed Viserys.
This realization made her feel the complexity of the situation. Her original goal was to become Viserys's sole queen, even if it meant defeating the princess of Dorne.
But if he wanted to restore the old system, the situation was completely different. While competition still existed, there were more opportunities. The Rose of Highgarden might not be unable to secure a place, and might even better suit Viserys's need to balance various factions.
But to be honest, she didn't want to be such a queen; she had her own ambitions.
She quickly suppressed her emotions, her face showing a look of understanding and support. "This is a noble tradition of the Targaryen Family, and His Majesty is far-sighted. It's just that His Majesty might be quite busy right now, so he hasn't noticed your feelings in time. You might as well wait patiently."
Rhaenys's eyes were slightly red, but she nodded gently in agreement.
At that time, she also thought of Kinvara, the High Priestess of the Temple of the Red God who seemed to enjoy Viserys's "trust." The faith of the red god was spreading widely within the empire, and the number of believers among the common people was increasing daily.
If he intended to use a new belief system to unify the empire, or even replace the faith of the Seven in Westeros, then building a good relationship with the Temple of the Red God would definitely be beneficial and harmless to House Tyrell.
Thus, after that, Margaery began to intentionally or unintentionally increase her contact with Kinvara.
At first, she merely asked questions about Valyrian customs and the teachings of the red god to show her respect for the empire's culture. Gradually, she began to share bits of daily life to draw closer to her.
Kinvara did not reject her approach. Those blue eyes, which seemed capable of seeing through people's hearts, were always calm and rippleless, but occasionally they would reveal a somewhat meaningful look.
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