Chapter 24: Chapter 23: Lost
Inside Dragonstone.
In the castle's narrow corridors, a row of dragon claw-shaped torch holders extended from the walls. Flames burned fiercely, radiating light and heat.
The main fortress of Dragonstone was entirely constructed of black stone, giving it a somewhat somber and oppressive atmosphere. Those faint of heart walking within might even feel their hair stand on end.
At this moment, the castle's corridors were eerily quiet, a stark contrast to the raging battle taking place on the surrounding seas.
A timid little girl named Rhaenys walked through the silent corridors of the Stone Drum Tower, clutching a ragdoll in her arms. Swallowing nervously, she tentatively called out in a soft voice.
"Hello... Is anyone there?"
Only her echo and the faint sound of the wind returned her call. The silence remained.
Though Rhaenys had been living on Dragonstone for half a year, the brown-haired girl was just four years old.
The castle's grounds were uneven, built on a hillside with winding roads and complex interior rooms. There were even many hidden passages.
And so, Rhaenys was lost.
She had woken up in the middle of the night, wanting to find Viserys. Their rooms were close to one another. However, upon reaching his bedroom, she discovered a messy bed with no sign of him.
Even the queen's handmaid, who had been looking after them both, was nowhere to be found.
Left unattended, Rhaenys was free.
The brave little girl, clutching her ragdoll, ventured out in the middle of the night, determined to find the missing Viserys.
But after wandering around the castle with her doll for a long time, she couldn't find Viserys or Queen Rhaella, both of whom were at the Sea Dragon Tower.
Maester Daniel had suddenly fallen gravely ill, and they were paying their respects.
At that very moment, a distant sound echoed.
The lighthouse of Dragonstone sounded its alarm bell. The deep, distant chime spread across the entire island, striking fear into every heart.
The brown-haired girl had already spent half a day wandering the castle alone, and her heart was racing. Hearing the bell, her small body shivered, and the fear lurking within her grew exponentially.
Biting her lip, she dared not make a sound. She fled, trying to return to her bedroom and hide beneath her covers.
And then... she became hopelessly lost.
The castle was shrouded in darkness at night, except for where the torches burned. The visibility was nothing like it was during the day.
Because of her young age, Rhaenys was usually kept under strict supervision and rarely allowed out at night. Her current situation felt like being in a foreign land.
But, fortunately, the brown-haired girl was braver than most children her age. She didn't burst into tears, but her eyes reddened, and tears threatened to spill.
With one hand on the cold wall and clutching her ragdoll with the other, she listened to the wind whispering in her ears as she groped her way forward.
Above her, the flames flickered with the mysterious wind, casting a distorted shadow on the opposite wall.
"Ah!"
Rhaenys caught sight of her shadow and was startled, her scalp tingling.
Then, she instinctively leaned against the edge of the wall, holding her skirt with one hand.
At that moment.
Clang—
From the pitch-black end of the corridor came the sound of something small falling, as if something had dropped to the floor.
"Eh?"
The little girl's ears twitched as she heard the faint noise. She leaned against the wall, turning her head to look into the darkness in the distance.
"Viserys?"
Rhaenys called out softly, thinking Viserys might have just responded to her voice.
However, in the next second, she heard the sound of metal scraping.
Clang...
A grappling hook suddenly appeared, thrown in through a stone window not far away, landing on the floor and then being dragged back slightly until it caught on a crack in the wall.
Creak—
The hook adjusted its position, the metal scraping against the uneven stone battlements, producing a grating sound. It seemed someone outside was pulling on a rope to secure the hook.
Under the torchlight, the nearby grappling hook gleamed coldly, and from beyond the wall came the deliberately hushed, rough voice of a stranger.
"Ready... set..."
It seemed they were whispering something, but the wind carried the sound away.
Rhaenys felt the hairs on her body stand on end.
"Who is it..."
The little girl's face paled slightly, her lips trembling. One hand clutched her skirt, while the other hand holding the rag doll dropped it to the ground, but she didn't notice, pressing herself involuntarily against the cold black stone wall behind her.
She didn't know… what to do at that moment.
Nevertheless.
Rhaenys, though young, understood that whoever was sneaking into the castle like this couldn't be a good person.
She had also witnessed the bloody battle on the main road, with both sides hacking at each other, the gore flying. This had become the nightmare that jolted her awake countless times.
She likewise understood the dangers of this world.
Rhaenys certainly didn't want to die.
But then, she heard the sound of someone outside pulling on the rope, trying to climb up, and they seemed to be getting closer.
"What… should I do?"
The girl was terrified, a thin layer of cold sweat breaking out on her forehead, her brown hair sticking to her skin. She glanced around, looking for a way out.
In her desperation, the young girl tiptoed to reach the door handle, trying to pull open a nearby door and hide inside.
However, the door seemed to be blocked by something, and Rhaenys couldn't open it.
The faint noises from outside were getting closer.
Rhaenys' panic peaked, and her legs felt weak.
She abandoned the door and ran.
...
Splash—
Waves continuously lapped against the rocks.
A longboat, without any lights, sailed silently on the dark sea, stealthily approaching Dragonstone. Once ashore, everyone readied their weapons and disembarked.
They were a group of mercenaries from the disputed lands between Myr, Tyrosh, and Lys, located on the southwestern coast of the Essos continent, hired by the Iron Throne.
Lord Redwyne was unaware of this.
Robert Baratheon despised the Targaryens and vowed to eradicate the 'dragonspawn.'
However, he didn't entirely trust Paxter alone and split his forces, recruiting a team of lesser-known mercenaries from the eastern continent.
He tasked them with finding an opportunity to infiltrate Dragonstone and assassinate Viserys and Queen Rhaella.
Now.
After receiving a hefty down payment from King Robert, the mercenaries seized their chance. They slipped onto the coast of Dragonstone while the Targaryen fleet was preoccupied with engaging the Velaryon fleet from Driftmark.
Creak—
The grappling hook scraped shallow white marks onto the uneven stone wall as the pale moonlight shone through the window.
The next moment.
A burly figure appeared above the stone window, a sharp battle-axe strapped to his back, glinting coldly in the moonlight.
...
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
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