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Two knights, one in black and one in red, rode their steeds at the forefront, galloping across the vast wilderness.
Rhaenys Targaryen and Argus Blackwood followed behind them.
The Sand steed of Oberyn Martell, The Red Viper, was slender and swift, with a graceful neck and a beautiful face.
Meanwhile, Viserys Targaryen's black stallion was also frolicking proudly; the dothraki black horse was significantly larger than a dornish horse.
Originating from the Sands, the dornish horse is smaller than a common warhorse and cannot support full plate armor. However, Dornish legends say they can run for two days and a night without feeling the slightest fatigue.
Viserys also wanted to get some dornish horses for free, but they had too many limitations and could only be used with light cavalry.
To serve as heavy cavalry for a frontal assault, larger Andal and dothraki warhorses were still required.
"Seeing you reminds me of your mother, though she was a sickly lady from childhood. You are much healthier, Rhaenys," The Red Viper looked at Rhaenys Targaryen, as if seeing traces of Elia from years ago.
She was a Salty Dornish beauty with the same supple black hair, dark eyes, and olive skin, the difference being that Rhaenys was far more healthy and energetic than her mother, and she was also taller.
Elia Martell was a premature baby born a month early; although she survived, her health was permanently compromised, leaving her body frail.
Elia remained bedridden for a year after giving birth to Rhaenys, and she nearly died when she gave birth to Aegon.
After that, the Maesters told Rhaegar that Elia could not bear any more children.
"Her name and her presence are memories we both cherish," Rhaenys's voice grew somber.
Rhaenys's feelings for Rhaegar were complex, but for her mother, it was the purest form of remembrance.
"You should have come with me," The Red Viper said. "When I was in Braavos back then, I wanted to take you away."
"Apologize to Uncle Doran and my cousins for me; I know they all care about me. But I am a Targaryen, and I must be with Viserys and Daenerys. The true dragon will not be separated." Rhaenys bit her lip.
The Red Viper shook his head; Rhaenys was young, but her temperament was very stubborn.
"If the gods wanted to play a joke on the world, they should have made me the eldest son and Doran the third. I am bloodthirsty by nature. The iron throne should have been dealing with me, not my sickly, cautious, aging brother," The Red Viper said deeply and gloomily.
"Everything is arranged by fate. Only in the mortal realm is the journey difficult," Viserys mused, urging his horse forward. "If my brother Rhaegar Targaryen were still alive, perhaps I would still be the Prince of Summerhall. There is nothing wrong with being the Prince of Summerhall, but Essos might offer me a broader horizon."
Rhaegar died at the Ruby Ford, leaving everyone else to face all this.
"Rhaegar, that fool..." The Red Viper cursed angrily. "He was my brother-in-law; I shouldn't have been the one to curse him."
Rhaenys watched her uncle Oberyn lose his composure slightly but did not speak to stop him.
Rhaenys knew that The Red Viper and Elia had always shared a close bond, and Rhaegar's outrageous actions were indeed infuriating.
The knights passed through the riverside plains and saw the heads of bandits hanging from long spears.
Crows pecked at the remaining flesh in the eye sockets of the dead men's heads; their supple black hair and long braids were left to the wind and sun.
Some were rhoynar spies, others were dothraki remnants.
"These heads?" The Red Viper asked in surprise.
"Most of them were cut off by me; these people were a waste of food while alive," Viserys replied calmly.
"You executed them all personally?" The Red Viper scrutinized Viserys carefully, as if meeting this young man for the first time.
The Red Viper had already heard many rumors about Viserys—magnificent, bloodthirsty, just, fearless. At first, The Red Viper remained skeptical, but now seeing was believing.
"Don't overthink it; I don't have that quirk of House Stark where the one who passes the sentence must swing the sword. I simply feel it's better for me to personally slay these outlaws," Viserys said, looking at The Red Viper.
Killing is bloody, but stacking attributes is truly rewarding.
"Looking at you now, compared to Rhaegar, you are the one who is more like a dragon," The Red Viper lamented. "Rhaegar loved books and harp strings more than swords; when I sparred with him, I knew he never truly loved the sound of steel."
Rhaegar was like an outlier in the Targaryen Family—artistic, depressed, knowing nothing of joy, carrying a sort of sorrow from Summerhall.
Viserys, on the other hand, seemed to have returned to the Targaryen mean: a hot-tempered, magnificent, and dangerous warrior.
"You already know your enemies, His Majesty Viserys. But what about your next move?" The Red Viper said with some hesitation.
Seeing Viserys making such a stir in the East, The Red Viper was somewhat confused about Viserys's next direction.
"My enemies are now spread across the world, Prince Oberyn.
The Prestan family of Braavos, the Archon of Tyrosh, and perhaps even the Khals of the dothraki. But I will not forget the names of those in the West: The Usurper, Tywin, the Kingslayer, Stark, Old Hoster, Old Arryn. But for now, to go west, one must first go east," Viserys said self-mockingly.
Soon, he, Viserys, would be public enemy number one. When he eventually raises the banner of human liberation, that will be the true bolt from the blue.
But Viserys didn't care much; politics is about making the cake and dividing the cake.
Those with vested interests were never his power base; what he would lead was a group of avengers—rhoynar, Andals, and even slaves in the future.
"Are you afraid, Prince Oberyn?"
"The Red Viper of Dorne knows not the meaning of fear," a trace of a smile appeared on The Red Viper's face.
"I wonder if you have any interest in joining my team?" Viserys asked straightforwardly.
Currently, Viserys's team included knights, septons, and a Water Dancer, but the only one who seemed capable of being a regional commander was Donal Stone.
And The Red Viper was currently the only great lord with extensive administrative experience, so Viserys felt a desire to recruit such talent.
Rumors about The Red Viper were as numerous as ox hairs: his tourneys, his wars, his duels, his mounts, and even his sexual orientation—it was rumored he slept with both men and women, and had bastards all over Dorne, girls known as the 'Sand Snakes.'
The Red Viper had traveled the nine Free Cities, traded with poisoners to learn various dark arts; he studied at the Citadel, forging six links before growing bored and dropping out; he served as a mercenary in the Disputed Lands across the Narrow Sea, first with the Second Sons and later forming his own company.
Regardless of the nature of the rumors, they reflected The Red Viper's versatility and talent.
"I don't think I have much of a choice," The Red Viper nodded.
"Welcome to the cause of Viserys Targaryen," Viserys's voice was filled with joy; this was a successful recruitment.
The steeds galloped freely, and the majestic Viserysgrad was now before them.
Viserys led his distinguished guest toward the White Keep atop the hill. Viserys saw that The Red Viper still had something on his mind, which was most likely regarding that certain pact.
"Come, Prince, join me on the balcony of the True Dragon Tower for a chat," Viserys invited. "Rhaenys, you go and keep Daenerys company for a while."
"Alright," Rhaenys waved goodbye to them. The world of men was likely a new game of thrones.
"Thank you for your kindness," The Red Viper nodded.
Viserys and The Red Viper sat together on the white balcony of the True Dragon Tower. After a moment of thought, The Red Viper spoke. "As you can see, Your Majesty, please forgive my late arrival. There is actually one more matter weighing on my heart."
"Oh, and what might that be?" Viserys asked, knowing full well. He sipped his unsweetened lemonade and invited The Red Viper to speak.
"Arianne. You were supposed to have a Dornish wife. Six years ago, I went to Braavos and met Ser Willem Darry, who had rescued and protected you, Daenerys, and Rhaenys. In the presence of the Sealord of Braavos at the time, a secret contract was signed with Darry—that when you returned to claim the iron throne, Dorne would rise for you, and in exchange, you would marry the Princess of Dorne, Arianne Martell, as your Queen." The Red Viper spoke the name.
Viserys calmly sipped his lemonade, showing neither surprise nor excitement.
The Red Viper inwardly groaned. The original plan was for Viserys to marry Arianne and Quentyn to marry Daenerys; it looked like it was going to fail.
"We can still be allies, but I am not a bargaining chip," Viserys said. "Times have changed, and treaties need to change with the circumstances."
"Arianne... Arianne is also a beautiful Dornish girl. If we wish to win glory, we must also bear our responsibilities, Your Majesty," The Red Viper said softly.
"You are right, but this news reached me too late, Prince. It is a bit too late, both for me and for Arianne." Viserys set down his cup.
The Red Viper gloomily drank his lemonade; Viserys had directly dismissed Arianne.
"You certainly... you certainly have the standing for it. If my daughters weren't of such awkward birth, I would have wanted to introduce them to you," The Red Viper was still The Red Viper, laughing again as he quickly recovered his spirits.
Even without Arianne, there were still Rhaenys and Daenerys. However, not using such prime marriage candidates only showed that Viserys did not feel his allies were yet that precious.
Arianne might have held a noble status in the eyes of others, but Viserys was no longer a child under someone's wing; he was a king coming into his own, the dragon of the Rhoyne River who had left a trail of blood.
"We came late after all," The Red Viper lamented. "It's regrettable we were so blind. Back then, we were only afraid that if you knew of this marriage alliance, you wouldn't stay away for a day and would rush to Dorne, bringing doom upon the Dornishmen."
"Perhaps. When Ser Willem Darry died, I had to kill the boy in my heart. Prince, I have accepted my dreams and no longer indulge in fantasies."
"Besides the timing, I want to ask if you have any other considerations regarding Arianne," The Red Viper asked.
Viserys looked at The Red Viper and then replied calmly, "The wife of Viserys must be beyond reproach."
"I understand." The Red Viper rubbed his forehead. "Then this truly is a trick of fate."
Arianne had already shared a bed with Daemon Sand; that much was true.
They had hidden things left and right, and in the end, it turned into quite a mess.
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