บท 240: Chapter 239: The Courtship
Despite his surprise, Ramsay, being quite clever, didn't voice any questions or doubts.
After reading the contents of the note, he committed it to memory and then, in front of Viserys, burned the note in the candle flame.
"I understand, Your Majesty."
Ramsay once again knelt and bowed his head, then turned and left Viserys's bedroom.
...
Due to the arrival of distinguished guests, tonight's dinner was undoubtedly hosted by Viserys himself.
Princess Arianne Martell of Dorne had changed into an even more magnificent gown, fully displaying her curvaceous figure. Her long, black curls cascaded down her smooth back.
Upon seeing her tonight, Viserys had to admit that the Princess of Dorne was indeed a stunning beauty.
She was voluptuous and beautiful, with a noble status, a high nose, thin lips, and eyes that seemed to possess an inherent allure. Her movements were elegant yet filled with temptation.
The Sand Snakes also attended the Targaryen family banquet. However, compared to Arianne, their beauty seemed somewhat lacking, even Tyene, who was constantly trying to seduce Viserys.
Seeing Viserys's attention entirely on Arianne, the golden-haired beauty couldn't help but pout, placing her knife and fork heavily on her plate.
However, there were many attendees at this family banquet, and the palace dining room was noisy, so no one noticed her. Only her older sister, Obara, once again glared at her troublemaking younger sister.
For now, Obara could still control her younger sisters, but as they grew older, she might find herself increasingly powerless.
Jon Connington, Viserys's newly appointed advisor, also attended the banquet, as did the new Finance Minister Illyrio Mopatis. The Beggar Prince also personally attended the banquet.
Although the Beggar Prince had been forced to slaughter the ruling families of Pentos during the Night of Blood, offending almost all the traditional nobles of Pentos, after ascending to the position of Prince of Pentos, he still wanted to reintegrate into the ranks of these traditional nobles.
So, the Beggar Prince voluntarily returned to his former family and resumed the surname and name he had forgotten for many years.
"Hariman Quic."
As for the previous prince, who bore the surname Rodeny, the Beggar Prince initially wanted to pardon this poor man who shared his plight.
But later, he learned that Prince Rodeny had also been turned to ashes by Viserys's dragon in the palace.
At this family banquet, the recently 'reunited' Aegon naturally attended, sitting next to his foster father Jon, appearing very low-key.
Viserys didn't make a big deal of introducing his nephew, only Arianne paid a little attention to the silver-haired boy.
Then she focused all her attention on Viserys.
Princess Arianne of Dorne sat next to Viserys, her faint fragrance constantly wafting into Viserys's nostrils.
Even during the banquet, Arianne 'accidentally' leaned close to Viserys several times, causing a few physical collisions.
Viserys, however, handled it with great composure, neither resisting nor indulging, maintaining a calm demeanor throughout.
But this only made Arianne more satisfied with Viserys.
After the banquet ended and the guests left, Viserys bent down to ruffle Aegon's hair, showing great affection.
And Aegon, being very sensible and polite, called Viserys 'uncle', and 'accidentally' 'misspoke', calling Arianne 'aunt'.
This
elicited a smile from Arianne, who then gently kissed Aegon on the forehead.
On the other side, Tyene of the Sand Snakes watched this scene with a pout.
She didn't particularly like Viserys, but she enjoyed being the center of attention in any situation.
If she couldn't be the focus, she would feel uncomfortable.
"Hmph, this little devil may be young, but he's quite cunning," Tyene said, watching Arianne gently kiss Aegon's forehead.
The Sand Snakes were all Oberyn's bastards, and before they were found, they lived various lives with their respective mothers.
Their varied life experiences, despite their young age, gave them insights that others lacked.
Tyene saw through Aegon's 'little scheme' at a glance.
Her sister, Nymeria, also watched the scene with cold eyes. Her mother came from a noble family in a trading city-state.
Although Nymeria always looked down on her sisters, at this moment, she agreed with Tyene's point of view.
"People living in royal families are all like this, living with a mask on at all times," Nymeria said with a huff.
"Do you think Arianne doesn't see it, or Viserys doesn't?"
On the other side...
In the small drama observed by the Sand Snakes, Viserys and Aegon had a brief chat, and then Viserys had a maid take the boy to rest early.
Then he took Arianne for a walk outside.
The two had only heard of each other's names before and had never met. However, a marriage contract forced them to come together, which was akin to a form of matchmaking. Most noble men and women were forced together in this way, through balls or matchmaking.
The letter written by Prince Doran was undoubtedly conveying pressure, forcing Viserys to fulfill the promise he had made years ago.
Back then, Viserys had nothing and couldn't refuse Dorne's goodwill, so he could only delay the matter due to his young age.
But this year, he was about to have his coming-of-age ceremony, and he had reached a point where he could no longer delay. After all, Dorne wanted to avenge Princess Elia, but they also had to consider their current interests.
The Iron Throne could promise a princess to Quentyn Martell, but Viserys was dragging his feet even when it came to marrying a wife.
Therefore, Viserys had reached a point where he had to move forward. Although he had no feelings for Arianne at the moment, noble marriages were never about feelings but interests.
A king was just a bigger noble.
Viserys's older brother Rhaegar was a clear example of someone who pursued love and ended up destroying the entire kingdom.
Afterwards, Viserys took Arianne's soft hand and strolled around the palace in the moonlight.
The next day...
A rumor quickly spread throughout the city of Pentos.
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