Inside the council chamber of the Princes Residence, the air remained thick with the tension left behind by the previous confrontation; even the breeze felt stagnant.
Daenerys remained standing in place, her knuckles white from the force of her grip, her violet eyes filled with the anger stirred up by Arianne.
Arianne curled her lips into a smirk, casting a sidelong glance at Daenerys, her eyes full of disdain for this naive dragon princess daring to speak of grand affairs.
"Decency?" Arianne's voice was languid, yet every word was sharp. "Princess Daenerys, you still don't understand. In these chaotic times, the most useless thing is this decency that only drags people down."
She looked at Daenerys and spoke slowly, her eyes filled with straightforward scrutiny: "Your brother, Viserys, has the title of king in name only, yet he is under house arrest and cannot even protect himself. He is of no use to the resurgence of the family, merely a burden who needs others to clean up after him."
"And you—"
Her gaze swept over the document in Daenerys's hand and across her face, which was forcefully holding onto a stubborn expression. Her mockery deepened: "You have the blood of the true dragon, yet you can't even handle the messy slave trade in Lys. You hit walls everywhere you turn and have to ask others for advice. With such naivety and weakness, how can you even talk about the dignity of the dragon family?"
"Dignity is won through strength, not propped up by an old treaty or a few accusations."
Arianne believed in strength and reality; she despised the naivety of Daenerys, who had good intentions but no iron fist.
She never minced words, her heart entirely focused on the future of Dorne and her own schemes. In her eyes, Viserys and Daenerys were nowhere near the caliber of Aegon; the so-called betrothal was merely a scrap of paper that could be torn up at any moment in the face of strength and interests.
Luciana stood quietly at their side the entire time, her expression calm and unruffled from start to finish, as if the dispute before her was nothing more than routine political business.
It was only after Arianne finished speaking, leaving Daenerys pale with anger and unable to retort, that she slowly spoke, her tone steady, impartial, yet carefully measured:
"Princess Daenerys has only just begun to deal with the political affairs of the Narrow Sea Realm. She holds good intentions and wants to reform deep-seated ills; her heart is in the right place. It is just that she is young and has not yet been tempered by political schemes, so it is normal for her to be inexperienced in handling matters. A little more practice will do."
With this first sentence, she exonerated Daenerys, attributing all the difficulties to her youth and lack of experience rather than incompetence. Immediately, she looked at Arianne, her tone remaining peaceful:
"As the Princess of Dorne, Your Highness Arianne has traveled far to the Narrow Sea Realm to weigh the pros and cons for the future of your family and make your choices. I can understand that. Everyone serves their own masters, and our positions are simply different."
Having pacified Daenerys without deliberately clashing with Arianne, she quelled the conflict with a single sentence. Then, she shifted the subject, not wishing to argue further: "The travel documents have already been prepared. Since Your Highness has made up your mind to leave, there is no need to discuss this matter further."
"Someone, come here."
Just as she was about to call for an attendant to retrieve the documents, the steady footsteps of guards came from outside the hall.
A guard wearing armor and a sword at his waist stood bowed at the door, reporting clearly: "Lord Triarch, the Red Priestess, Lady Melisandre, has been guided from the Port by attendants according to your instructions and is now outside the hall. Shall I bring her in?"
There was no surprise in Luciana's eyes, as if she had expected this long ago. She withdrew her gaze from the two women and replied calmly: "Let her in."
Previously, she had learned from Aegon's raven letters that Melisandre would return to the Narrow Sea Realm from Westeros to discuss important matters. He had even vaguely mentioned issues regarding the dragon egg, but she had not expected her to arrive so coincidentally, right in the middle of this dispute.
The wooden door of the council chamber was gently pushed open, and a figure walked in slowly.
She was dressed in a deep crimson robe with a simple design, devoid of complicated patterns, carrying the salty sea breeze of the Port with her, yet she did not look travel-worn in the slightest.
Her long hair was pulled back, her face was clean of makeup, and her eyes were deep.
Melisandre stood in the hall, her gaze sweeping calmly over the three of them. She did not perform the tedious etiquette of secular nobility, only nodding slightly to Luciana, who was the host, as a gesture of greeting. Her demeanor was peaceful, looking at everyone present on equal terms, without a hint of servility.
She looked directly at Luciana, her tone certain, without unnecessary pleasantries: "Triarch of the Narrow Sea Realm, Lady Luciana."
Luciana's brows moved almost imperceptibly, a trace of faint surprise appearing on her face. She asked in a deep voice: "I have never met the Priestess before. How did you recognize me at a glance?"
Melisandre's lips curled into a very faint arc, her voice clear and slow, carrying certainty, yet without deliberate mystique: "The flames of the lord of light can illuminate the past and the future. I have long since known of you, who govern the Narrow Sea and carry out the will of the Prince, in the shadows of the flames."
These words were not exaggerated or embellished, but merely a calm statement. Luciana was pragmatic by nature and did not care for supernatural claims, so she did not dwell on it and went straight to the point:
"The Priestess has traveled across the sea; the journey must have been arduous. Are things going smoothly for Prince Aegon in Westeros?"
Melisandre withdrew her gaze, her tone calm and steady, speaking only of the public situation: "King's Landing has been secured, and the Red Keep has returned to Targaryen control. The three-headed dragon banner is flying high. Prince Aegon is presiding over the capital, the new policies are being implemented steadily, and all quarters have submitted. The situation is stable; the Narrow Sea need not worry."
A short sentence, yet to Arianne's ears, it sounded like a thunderclap.
As a Dornish envoy, she had been detained in Lys for many days. The news passed on by her father, Prince Doran, was delayed and limited, and Luciana had deliberately kept things from her. She only knew that Aegon had taken Dragonstone and defeated Stannis, but she never imagined that Aegon had conquered King's Landing with such speed and secured his position as the legitimate Targaryen ruler!
Shock surged into her eyes, but she was, after all, the successor carefully cultivated by Doran. She instantly suppressed all signs of losing her composure, her lowered eyelashes concealing the turmoil surging in her eyes. Only her fingertips, involuntarily clenched tight, betrayed the agitation in her heart.
Her mind raced, and in a moment, she had sorted out the situation: Aegon held the dragons and had taken King's Landing; he was already the strongest contender for the iron throne. With no other forces in the Seven Kingdoms capable of contending with him, Dorne no longer had any room to sit on the sidelines.
If she wanted to secure her position as the successor of Dorne and obtain the greatest benefits for Dorne, the only path now was to rush to King's Landing immediately, ahead of everyone else, and conclude an alliance with Aegon!
All previous hesitation and probing had become a joke in the face of the four words "King's Landing secured." Only extreme determination and urgency remained in her heart; there was no longer any procrastination.
Just as Arianne was calculating in secret, Melisandre slowly turned around, her gaze falling upon the stunned Daenerys. Her tone was a bit more solemn than before, not out of reverence for the Princess's status, but due to the seriousness of the matter:
"Princess Daenerys, I have come under the orders of Prince Aegon. Besides delivering the news, I have another important task. Please take me to see those petrified dragon eggs, so we may discuss the subsequent hatching matters."
The words "dragon egg" made Daenerys snap back to reality. Her violet eyes flashed with astonishment and confusion, as well as a trace of helplessness regarding the sudden event, completely forgetting the dispute from just a moment ago.
Melisandre's voice also instantly pulled Arianne back to reality from her thoughts.
She immediately looked up at Luciana, all emotions on her face completely withdrawn, returning to the usual demeanor of a Dornish princess, though her tone hid an irrepressible urgency:
"Triarch Luciana, it is because I have been poorly informed in Dorne that I did not know the situation in Westeros had reached this point. Prince Aegon is mighty. I should proceed to King's Landing immediately to offer my congratulations in person and discuss the great matter of an alliance between Dorne and Targaryen. The travel documents must surely be ready by now."
She no longer had any of her previous pickiness or arrogance; her goal was clear, and she only wished to depart immediately.
Luciana did not care about this at all and nodded slightly, signaling to the attendant beside her.
The attendant immediately stepped forward, holding the travel documents—stamped with the seal and wax—in both hands, and respectfully handed them to Arianne.
Arianne reached out and took them, her fingertips gripping the documents tightly. She made no extra movements. After confirming the seal was correct, she looked up and nodded slightly to Luciana and Daenerys, without a word of extra pleasantries, and did not even glance at Melisandre.
"Farewell."
As her words fell, she turned without hesitation, her gorgeous skirt sweeping across the floor, her steps firm and hurried as she walked straight toward the door of the council chamber.
The Dornish Personal Guard outside the door immediately followed. The group's footsteps were hurried as they headed straight for the Lys Port to board the fastest ship, rushing to King's Landing, rushing to the center of power of the Seven Kingdoms.
The heavy wooden door slowly closed, shutting out the sounds from outside. The council chamber returned to silence, with only the crackling of the fire burning in the fireplace and the candlelight still flickering.
Luciana stood in place, her gaze looking calmly at the closed door, then slowly withdrew it.
Daenerys was still clutching the crumpled anti-slavery document in her hand, but her mind was already occupied by the matter of the dragon egg, her eyes filled with confusion and unease.
Melisandre stood quietly in the hall, her deep gaze falling upon Daenerys, waiting silently for her response.
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