Chapter 365: Prince Doran's Plan
The morning sun bathed Pentos, reaching a corner of the spacious training ground within the palace atop the Nine Towers.
Passing servants and guards dared not stop, but they couldn't help but glance towards that corner.
A female knight, clad in bright armor and a snow-white cloak, stood guard here, her hand gripping the hilt of her sword.
Clang, clang—
The incessant sound of metal clashing echoed from this corner.
Oberyn, the acting Hand of the King, wielded a long spear, his movements fierce and swift.
Another man, slightly shorter and seemingly more slender, held an ordinary single-handed sword.
Facing Oberyn's storm-like assault, he seemed remarkably at ease.
Arianne, approaching in her long dress, was slightly surprised at the sight.
Oberyn was her uncle, his name 'Red Viper' renowned throughout Dorne.
Viserys was her betrothed, known in Essos as a brave warrior, often leading charges on the battlefield, recklessly advancing yet always returning unscathed, and the creator of the legendary tale of capturing a city with only two hundred men.
But she arrived in Pentos too late; Viserys no longer needed to fight personally, so she had never seen his swordsmanship.
Whoosh~
The spear narrowly missed the silver-haired youth, piercing only air. Viserys merely tilted his head.
Another sweeping attack followed, but Viserys easily dodged by bending slightly.
To the discerning eye, the outcome was already clear. The female knight was not surprised by Viserys's strength.
She had seen the silver-haired youth single-handedly take down a general from the Freehold in full Valyrian steel armor, wielding a dragonsteel longsword, in the ruins of Valyria.
The opponent was over seven feet tall and incredibly strong, like a giant. Mia felt that one punch from him could bury her in the ground, unable to claw her way out.
People outside couldn't possibly imagine how terrifying such a monster could be, what secrets this world still held.
Viserys could kill such a giant monster in an instant, let alone dealing with mere mortals.
Yes, mere mortals.
In Mia's eyes, her king was like a god. He wielded the 'black magic' passed down in the ruins of Valyria, capable of resurrection, and could transform into black mist. How could such a person be considered a mortal?
The fight continued. After several exchanges, the two seemed evenly matched, but the outcome was already decided.
Viserys finally retaliated, the momentum on the field abruptly shifting. His ordinary longsword penetrated Oberyn's exquisite spear technique, easily finding the weak point in his opponent's moves.
He forced Oberyn to drop his weapon, and his sword stopped just a foot from Oberyn's throat.
Click—
Then he sheathed his sword.
Mia, a seasoned warrior herself, was slightly dazzled by the scene.
She barely caught Viserys's movements, how he forced Oberyn to drop his weapon, and then smoothly pointed his sword at Oberyn's throat.
The match was decided.
Oberyn raised his empty hands high, a hint of bitterness on his face. His spear lay on the ground, and he lowered his hands.
Viserys returned the sword to a guard standing on the side, equally astonished. He had borrowed the sword from him.
At this moment, Arianne, who had been secretly watching for a while, slowly approached, lifting her dress.
"An astonishing duel."
"Uncle Oberyn."
She greeted her uncle first, then turned to Viserys. She leaned in close, her hand naturally resting on his chest, and kissed him on the cheek. Viserys could even smell her scent.
"My love."
Arianne also paid extra attention to the Kingsguard standing next to Viserys.
The woman's face was not particularly beautiful, just average, but her armor added a touch of valor. Her figure was excellent, though Arianne's was still superior.
Arianne didn't think this first-ever female Kingsguard appointed by Viserys would challenge her status.
The female knight, seeing the Princess of Dorne, held her sword and slightly bowed her head, speaking calmly.
"Princess."
"Ser."
Arianne nodded, symbolically greeting the Kingsguard.
Then her gaze returned to Viserys and her uncle. She took a letter from her bosom and handed it to Viserys.
"Another letter from father."
"Asking when we will march on Westeros."
In recent times, Prince Doran had sent several letters to Pentos, asking when they would march on Westeros.
The Targaryen and Martell families had an unbreakable alliance.
Prince Doran was very cautious in his military strategy, but due to the great distance between them, to launch a coordinated attack and avoid any information gap, it was best to agree on a time to march.
He believed the best opportunity was when the Seven Kingdoms' united army had gone to the Wall.
In the previous letters, Prince Doran proposed that the Targaryen army cross the Narrow Sea, with the three dragons, directly to King's Landing, capturing the usurper's family to form a threat.
Viserys would ascend the Iron Throne first, officially crowned as the King of the Seven Kingdoms, then issue a decree denouncing the usurper as a false king, and command all the nobles of the Seven Kingdoms to submit, gaining the support of the fence-sitters, except for Robert's staunch allies.
At the same time, Dorne would attack the Reach from three directions. Although the Reach was rich, the Tyrells were not adept at warfare and could not compete with the powerful Dorne.
Moreover, the Tyrell family itself was wavering and could easily surrender to the Targaryens.
By that time, Viserys would lead the Targaryen soldiers south to join the Dornish army in attacking Storm's End, the Baratheon stronghold.
The young and incapable Lord of Storm's End, Renly Baratheon, was not his brother Stannis.
He could not possibly withstand the fierce attack of the Dornish and Targaryen armies, let alone three dragons.
Once Storm's End was taken, it would be another heavy blow to the usurper.
Thus, the Seven Kingdoms would be divided.
The Targaryen army would control the south of the Seven Kingdoms, while Robert and his allies would control the north, with a clear division of power.
Prince Doran's plan was good; if successful, it could directly take Robert's life.
But unfortunately...
Dorne was too far from Pentos. By the time this letter arrived, the situation in the Seven Kingdoms had changed dramatically, or Prince Doran had not expected the powerful united army to be defeated so quickly and thoroughly.
Viserys read the letter, then handed it to Oberyn. After Oberyn read it, the two looked at each other, exchanging glances.
At that moment.
A guard hurried over.
"Your Grace."
"A messenger from the usurper seeks an audience. He carries the command of the false king's Hand and calls himself Petyr Baelish, the Master of Coin."
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