บท 182: Chapter 182: Give Me a Dragon Egg
[Upon touching the dragon egg, gain 25.3 attribute points...]
[Upon touching the dragon egg, gain 28.6 attribute points...]
[Upon touching the dragon egg, gain 24.4 attribute points...]
The dragon eggs from the Shadow Lands were far more potent than Viserys had anticipated. Their shells, crafted from glass and enamel, resembled large gemstones at first glance, with colors that matched the descriptions from the original stories. The black egg, which would eventually hatch Drogon, looked like obsidian, with a scaly pattern and dark red swirls. It was cold to the touch and heavy in weight. The second egg was a deep green with bronze spots, while the third was milky white with silver and gold streaks.
According to one theory, dragons originated from the Shadow Lands, and these three eggs had also been obtained by Illyrio from that mysterious region. Perhaps the magic there was more concentrated. Whether that was true or not, Viserys would find out when he consulted with Shiera.
The Red Viper, however, wasn't concerned with such details. He simply asked, "Viserys, can I have one?"
Viserys paused for a moment before replying, "Of course, pick one."
The Red Viper was taken aback by how readily Viserys agreed. He clearly remembered Viserys being intent on collecting dragon eggs. Why, then, was he so willing to give one away? Was it out of gratitude for Dorne's strength, or perhaps to thank him personally?
"I want this one," the Red Viper said, locking eyes with Viserys, as if worried the offer might be rescinded.
Viserys met his gaze and asked, "Are you sure? Once you choose, there's no going back."
"Of course," the Red Viper replied, though a bit puzzled.
"You can have it," Viserys said, "but leave it with me for now. I'm working on my fire magic and need the egg's assistance."
Hearing this, the Red Viper hesitated. After weighing the pros and cons, he reluctantly handed the dragon egg back to Viserys, who calmly placed it alongside the others in a brocade box.
Viserys knew he couldn't outright refuse his request to share the dragon eggs, nor could he afford to hesitate. The Red Viper was clever and far from a gentleman. Once he sensed an advantage, he would likely push for more. It was better to shut down the conversation before it escalated. While Viserys desired the dragon eggs, his priority was mastering fire magic—something far more impressive to show off.
So, Viserys concocted a plausible lie to placate him, without any guilt. Given their complex relationship and the scheming that defined it, complete honesty between them was out of the question. A limited amount of truth would suffice.
After all, Viserys had saved Doran from the torture of constant gout attacks, in return, had gained a valuable secret about his daughter. The Red Viper, in turn, had no intention of being fully transparent with Viserys either.
The two of them wandered through Illyrio's treasure room once more, taking in the array of exquisitely crafted garments made from luxurious materials. However, the style of the clothes was distinctly Dothraki, reminding them of the annual tributes that the merchants and magistrates of Pentos paid to the Horselord. It seemed that these well-dressed fools were due to make their offerings again.
As Viserys scanned the room, something caught his eye in a corner—a pure gold collar. It was more of a shackle than a collar, and as he picked it up, a memory surfaced. In the original tale, when Daenerys was bathing, Illyrio's maid had mentioned that the Horselord even adorned his slaves with gold shackles. When the Mother of Dragons was married, she wore a gold collar—a cruel symbol of her fate. At that time, the Horselord likely viewed Dany, not yet the powerful Mother of Dragons, as nothing more than a high-class slave.
As the Red Viper continued to browse, a sharp, grating sound suddenly filled the air. He turned to see its source and realized it was coming from Viserys. Just as he was about to approach, Conwyra entered the room.
"Prince, Commander Hoyt wants to see you," Conwyra announced.
"I know. Keep a close watch here. Don't let so much as a fly get in," Viserys replied, his voice simmering with barely contained anger. He regretted letting Illyrio die so easily.
"Yes, my lord!" Conwyra responded.
As Viserys left, the Red Viper glanced back and noticed a large gold ball, roughly the size of a sandbag, casually tossed aside. Deep fingerprints were clearly visible in the metal. Viserys's actions left the Red Viper puzzled.
...
Meanwhile, at the newly cleared Prince's Palace, Hoyt faced his first diplomatic challenge since taking power.
During past conflicts over territory between Pentos and Braavos, Pentos had suffered four losses and one draw. As a result, Braavos had imposed harsh terms, limiting Pentos to only the military forces necessary for maintaining law and order and defending the city, and restricting them to no more than twenty warships. This left Pentos's military strength severely crippled.
Now, the Braavosi ambassador was insisting that this treaty be honored even after the change in leadership. Neither Hoyt nor Viserys could accept such conditions. Viserys, in particular, found it unacceptable—Pentos, as the Free City closest to King's Landing, needed far more than twenty ships and a small army if it was to serve as a springboard for deterring King's Landing and possibly launching an attack on Westeros.
However, Viserys couldn't help but admire the Braavosi's audacity. Less than two days after the city changed hands, they had the nerve to show up and demand guarantees for their interests. This boldness highlighted the challenges that lay ahead for Viserys. Unifying the Triarchy—or even expanding it to include Pentos—was no small task. Internal dissent would need to be managed, and external forces like Braavos and Volantis would certainly resist the emergence of a powerful alliance. The Horselords loomed on the horizon, eyeing the grasslands, and the Iron Throne's Master of Ships, Stannis II Lannister, still commanded a formidable fleet. Then there was Tywin Lannister's Westerlands, also boasting a powerful navy.
Building up his own territory from scratch was going to be a monumental task.
When Viserys arrived at Hoyt's palace, he was met with an unexpected sight—a familiar face: Jalifah! Jalifah was the captain of House Zalyne, the man who had outmaneuvered Viserys in Braavos by playing the role of the mantis to Viserys's cicada, with the bird in the shadows.
Upon seeing Viserys, Jalifah was equally surprised. The cold, tense standoff with Hoyt suddenly dissipated. Both men were taken aback by the encounter.
"Viserys?" Jalifah asked tentatively, still unsure if the man before him was truly who he thought.
Hoyt and the Red Viper were both caught off guard, especially the Red Viper, who was beginning to realize that Viserys seemed to have acquaintances everywhere. Hoyt felt a glimmer of hope—if Viserys and Jalifah were on good terms, perhaps the Braavosi would be willing to ease their demands. After all, who in their right mind would willingly surrender so much wealth every year to those savages? A strong military was essential to breaking free from such burdensome obligations.
"This is Prince Oberyn of Dorne," Viserys introduced. "Oberyn, this is my friend from Braavos." Jalifah was surprised by the identity of the Red Viper but showed no signs of intimidation.
After the introductions, Viserys asked, "Weren't you with Roth's fleet? How did you end up here as an envoy?"
Now certain that he was speaking to Viserys, Jalifah's guarded demeanor softened, and he opened up like an old friend.
"This is all thanks to you!" Jalifah exclaimed.
"Me?" Viserys asked, surprised.
Jalifah explained that he had been given this relatively easy assignment because, a few months ago, Viserys had taken out the notorious pirates. With the seas now safer, the Narrow Sea route had become significantly more secure, allowing Roth to place Jalifah in a more strategic position and assign younger, less experienced men to escort merchant ships.
Though Jalifah didn't know why Viserys was in Pentos, his instincts told him that Viserys would play a crucial role in the upcoming negotiations. There was something different about him—a deadly aura, the kind that only someone who had taken the lives of many could exude. Jalifah's intuition was spot-on. Viserys had personally killed nearly 500 enemies when he took out Rovi's ships, not to mention the countless foes he had slain on the battlefield.
Despite this, Jalifah maintained his stance: the agreement between Pentos and Braavos should remain unchanged. Hoyt and the Red Viper turned their eyes to Viserys, waiting for his response.
But instead of agreeing or refusing, Viserys pivoted, asking about the current situation in Braavos, particularly the status of House Zalyne and House Fregar.
"Lord Roth is doing well, and young Viserys is in good health," Jalifah replied.
"A boy?" Viserys inquired.
"Yes, and Lady Methys is pregnant again. The High Septon says it's a girl this time, and they plan to name her Daenerys."
Viserys listened carefully, understanding the implications. Braavos was now largely under the control of House Zalyne and the Sealord's House of Antaryon. With his influence extending across three Free Cities, Viserys knew he had the power to significantly affect the balance of power in Braavos. He also realized that it was pointless to waste time with unnecessary pleasantries.
"Here's what we'll do," Viserys said decisively. "I'll write a letter to Lord Roth, and you can deliver it. We'll discuss the terms after that."
Jalifah recognized the need to give Viserys the respect he was due and agreed without pushing further. The situation in Pentos was temporarily stabilized, but Viserys knew he had to hurry back to Tyrosh to deal with the aftermath there.
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