"You agreed?"
"Of course." Arianne lifted her face, her dark eyes shimmering. "I have waited for this day for a long time. Father finally admits that I am grown up and can shoulder the responsibilities of a Martell. As for you..."
She walked to Viserys's side, sat on his lap, and reached out to wrap her arms around his neck.
"I won't go to Valyria with you, at least not for now," she whispered into Viserys's ear. "Valyria is the territory of those Targaryen women. I haven't officially married you yet; what would I be going there as? To compete for your favor with them?"
"I don't think they would..."
"I know they wouldn't."
Arianne interrupted him. "But I'm afraid I would. I am the heir to Dorne, a daughter of House Martell. I can accept Nymeria and the others because I have a very good relationship with them. So I won't go to their territory before I marry you. Even afterward, it's impossible for me to live with them all the time. I'll wait for you in Dorne, and you can come visit me occasionally."
"During this time, I will work hard to govern Dorne well, so you can see a Dornish woman worthy of a Targaryen dragon."
Viserys turned his head and gave her a light kiss on the lips.
"You will be the most outstanding Princess of Dorne," he said.
"Are you leaving tomorrow?" Arianne asked finally.
"Yes."
Arianne nodded. "Then tonight, let me keep you company properly, just the two of us."
After dinner, the two returned to Viserys's guest room. That night, Arianne was exceptionally proactive, as if trying to compensate for the upcoming separation of unknown duration in this single night.
She didn't fall asleep until dawn was approaching, her face buried in Viserys's chest and her arms tightly encircling his waist. The two lay in bed like that, savoring the lingering afterglow of their intimacy.
They didn't get up until the sky outside was bright. Arianne personally served Viserys as he dressed, even standing on her tiptoes to press a kiss onto his lips. This kiss was light and brief, yet it was more moving than the lingering kisses of the previous night.
"Go on," she said with a smile, taking a step back. "I think Nymeria and the others should be waiting for you."
The path from the Tower of the Sun to the beach wasn't long, but Arianne held his arm the whole way without speaking. At the beach, Ghidorah was lying there basking in the sun, only lazily lifting its heads upon hearing the movement.
Oberyn and the three Sand Snakes were all present. Nymeria Martell was dressed in a crisp outfit today with a dagger at her waist; she arched an eyebrow when she saw Viserys. Tyene stood beside her, her cheeks slightly flushed, but her eyes filled with reluctance. Obara, as usual, held her spear with an expressionless face.
"Your Majesty," Oberyn stepped forward. "House Martell will always remember these past few days. Next time you come, we must have a proper drink."
"Alright," Viserys nodded, then looked at Arianne.
"Are you really not coming with me?"
Arianne shook her head, a firm smile on her face. Viserys didn't try to persuade her further, leaning down to kiss her goodbye.
After a moment, Nymeria stepped forward and also gave him a kiss on the corner of his mouth. "Your Majesty, why didn't you ask if I wanted to go with you?"
Viserys spoke with a smile, "Then do you want to go with me?"
"Forget it, I'd rather stay behind to keep Arianne company. I only hope you don't get so obsessed with those women in Valyria that you forget there are a few of us here in Dorne."
Tyrene also walked over. This time she didn't blush; instead, she stood on her tiptoes, gave him a light kiss on the lips, and whispered near his ear, "Be careful on the road, Viserys."
Obara stood at the back, arms crossed, watching the scene with a complex expression. Viserys looked at her, and she merely raised an eyebrow without saying anything.
After saying their goodbyes, Viserys turned and walked toward Ghidorah on the beach, leaping onto the dragon's back. Ghidorah stood up, shaking off the sand, its three heads rising simultaneously to let out a world-shaking dragon roar.
The dragon roar echoed across the beach, startling a flock of seabirds in the distance. Ghidorah's wings unfurled, kicking up a cloud of dust and sand.
Arianne and the others stood on the sand, the wind blowing their skirts and long hair, but they simply huddled together, looking up at that golden figure flying higher and higher until it finally disappeared into the clouds.
Ghidorah's speed was even faster than when they came. In just two days, Viserys could already see the familiar silhouette of the Valyrian Peninsula.
However, he didn't return directly to Dragonstone, but first circled once over the new city of Valyria. This city had been under construction for several years and had already begun to take shape.
Seen from the air, the streets were arranged as neatly as a chessboard. Most of them were built from stone sourced locally in Valyria, reflecting a dim light under the sun.
The dock area was filled with merchant ships loaded with construction materials, with flags from various city-states fluttering in the sea breeze. In the distance at the construction site, thousands of workers were busy building more houses and warehouses.
The Freehold—this was the name Viserys had given the new palace. Situated on a high point in the center of the new city, it was a magnificent castle built entirely of black stone.
The castle had five high towers in total. Besides the tallest Kings Tower in the center, the other four towers stood at the four corners of the castle, each spire carved with a relief of a three-headed fire dragon.
The reliefs on the castle's outer walls depicted the history of Valyria, from the glory of the ancient Freehold to the destruction of the Doom, and now to its current revival. The construction of the castle was nearly finished, with only some final interior decoration work remaining.
Viserys was quite satisfied after seeing it. Soon, he and Daenerys and the others would be able to move into this new castle.
The workers below, seeing the three-headed dragon in the sky, all excitedly raised their hands, shouting words of praise. Viserys guided Ghidorah to fly a low-altitude circle over their heads as if in response, which made the people below even more excited.
In order not to disturb their work and prevent a delay in his moving-in date, Viserys soon had Ghidorah turn toward Dragonstone.
When the familiar castle appeared in his line of sight, Viserys saw a small figure on the platform waving toward the sky.
Even from high up, Viserys could recognize that it was Daenerys.
She was wearing a form-fitting black and red dragon-riding suit, her long silver hair fluttering in the wind. Surrounded by her were three dragons lying on the ground—Vormax, Arrax, and Viserion—all of whom were now looking up and letting out excited screeches toward the sky.
Ghidorah landed on the platform, the gale from its wings forcing Daenerys to retreat behind Vormax. But as soon as the wind subsided, she immediately ran forward and threw herself into Viserys's arms just as he jumped off the dragon's back.
"Brother," she hugged his waist tightly, her face buried in his chest. "You've returned safely."
Viserys smiled and rubbed her hair. "Yes, I'm back."
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