บท 233: Chapter 233: First Meeting with the Horselord
"Brother, where are you?" Dany called out anxiously in her dream.
Unfortunately, she couldn't actively enter Viserys's dreams and could only wait passively for news.
"Soon," Viserys reassured her. "I'll definitely be there by the morning after tomorrow."
After leaving The Sorrows, Viserys was able to use the Golden Eagle again, and his calculations told him he would arrive in time. But Dany informed him that the Horselord wanted to meet a day earlier. This sudden change caught Viserys off guard. He couldn't fathom why the Horselord would suddenly make such a request.
"Tell Connington to buy as much time as he can. I'll get there as soon as possible."
"Brother, there are a lot of people here this time," Dany added. "Lady Meris, Lord Roth, and two people claiming to represent House Tyrell are here. I've put them in my guard."
"House Tyrell?" Viserys was surprised but found it plausible. They couldn't ignore the turmoil he had stirred in the Free Cities. And judging by the timing, Ned Stark and Robert Baratheon would have returned to King's Landing by now. It wouldn't be long before they considered moving against him. He needed to deal with Drogo before Robert's forces made their move.
"Good. Keep them at bay and tell them I'll return to meet with them soon."
"Yes, I understand," Dany replied. She then updated Viserys on the situation with Kambron, Tregar, and the others.
Viserys had anticipated their betrayal. If they hadn't made this move, he would have had no justification to act against them after killing Drogo. Their treachery now gave him the perfect reason to eliminate those who opposed him, paving the way to take full control of the Four Great Free Cities.
"Any news from the Faceless Men?"
"Not yet," Dany replied, "but I've equipped every tent with military dogs. If the Faceless Men can't mask their scent, they'll be detected."
"Don't be careless. Protect yourself," Viserys reminded her.
"I know, brother."
After their 'conversation' ended, Viserys turned to Regis. "Give me your horse. The plan has changed. I need to return early."
The only way to speed things up was to gather the other men's horses and rotate them to avoid exhausting any one horse. He had to ride hard and fast, but without pushing the horses to exhaustion, to get back before anyone noticed his absence and caused an uncontrollable disturbance.
...
Meanwhile, someone who had already infiltrated the army barracks was feeling a bit uneasy. For the Faceless Men, sneaking into places like army barracks was routine—especially for the Kindly Man. But upon locating Viserys's camp, he encountered an unexpected complication. The Unsullied led military dogs on daily patrols around the barracks, ready to sound the alarm at the slightest sign of a stranger.
However, this wasn't an insurmountable challenge for the Kindly Man. He simply needed to mask his scent and steal a soldier's uniform. The bigger the soldier, the better. It would just take some time to pickle himself in the right scent.
Assassinating Viserys was arguably the biggest contract the Faceless Men had received in nearly a century, and the Kindly Man was determined to see it through.
If he failed, the entire House of Black and White would come after him, even if it meant fighting their way through Viserys's forces. The news that Viserys was not in the barracks began to spread throughout the entire Confederation.
Although it was known that he would return soon, this still put pressure on Connington. Rumors circulated that Viserys was afraid of confronting the Horselord and had fled. While Dany's presence helped to quell some of the unrest among the ordinary soldiers, it wasn't enough to silence everyone.
It wasn't just the common soldiers who were anxious—powerful and influential figures were also growing curious about Viserys's whereabouts. Nobles from Myr and Lys were secretly celebrating, and those from other Free Cities, who had traveled from afar, expressed their "grave concerns." Even within Viserys's own ranks, aside from the Dragon Party, unease was spreading. Some within the Dragon Party itself were so worried that they frequently sought reassurances from Connington. To cope with the mounting pressure, he chain-smoked so much that the nails on his index and middle fingers had turned brown from the tobacco.
When Connington learned that Drogo wanted to meet Viserys ahead of schedule, his heart sank. The request seemed impossible to refuse. While he could pacify the ordinary soldiers with Dany's help and stall the nobles from the major cities on his own, Drogo's demand was a direct challenge. If Viserys didn't appear, the consequences could be disastrous.
Taking a sharp drag on his cigarette, Connington watched the embers quickly burn toward the mouthpiece. "Tell him we're preparing a banquet and ask him to wait a little longer," he instructed with a stiff upper lip, hoping to buy as much time as possible. With no other options, he was forced to stall.
The news that Viserys was about to meet with the Horselord spread quickly. "So, Viserys is finally willing to show himself," Roth remarked with some anticipation.
"Huh? Father?" Little Viserys thought Roth was calling him.
Methys laughed, stroking her son's head. "Not you, my sweet. It's the pretty sister's brother. When you see him later, make sure to bow and show respect, got it?"
Though he didn't fully understand the connection between himself and Viserys, the boy nodded vigorously.
Politicians like Alios and Nyessos were thrilled to hear that Viserys would finally make an appearance. This meant they would have the opportunity to bring up the non-aggression pact. Alios was particularly eager to finally acquire some Valyrian steel armor.
Arianne's mother, for reasons she couldn't quite explain, was suddenly aware of the marriage contract between Arianne and Viserys. She had no knowledge of the "new engagement," but as a mother, she had never forgotten her daughter and wanted to meet Viserys.
Tregar, Kambron, and the others were also taken by surprise. Since their last encounter in Tyrosh, Viserys had not made a public appearance. Even after the army settled, he remained unseen, which had led to growing doubts. But this was good news—Viserys showing his face would make it easier for the Faceless Men to strike.
With various motivations and expectations, the crowd gathered at the somewhat abrupt banquet Connington had organized. He had chosen a location by the river, nearly three leagues from the main camp. The Horselord, eager to showcase his bravery, crossed the river with only his Bloodriders, two Khals, and a few escorts—a perfect setup.
However, as Drogo approached, he quickly sensed something was amiss. Wasn't this supposed to be a private meeting? Why did it look like a banquet? While the Dothraki were not particularly concerned with formal attire, they knew that the nobles of the "Milk Men" took such matters seriously.
Drogo noticed that the number of finely dressed attendees almost matched that of his own guards. He couldn't understand why Viserys was making such a spectacle. 'Had he dressed his soldiers up as nobles?'
"Which one of those is Viserys?" Drogo asked his Bloodrider, Cohollo.
"Viserys is not among them, my Khal," Cohollo replied after scrutinizing the crowd for a long time. There were two or three silver-haired nobles present, but none of them was Viserys.
Drogo remained calm. Behind him was the bridge, and if anything went wrong, he could simply retreat and rally his army against the Free Cities with full justification. But as time passed and Viserys still didn't appear, Drogo grew impatient. He sent a Khal to hurry him along.
Meanwhile, Connington and Dany were growing increasingly anxious.
"My brother is dealing with some minor matters and will be here shortly," Dany said, trying to maintain a calm facade.
However, both the politicians from Volantis and their old acquaintance Roth sensed that something was amiss.
"I've heard rumors from King's Landing that King Robert is preparing to send a fleet to attack Tyrosh. He wouldn't...," Alios began, his voice trailing off. His connections kept him well-informed, and the fact that Viserys hadn't shown up only fueled their suspicions.
"I also heard that the Confederation's 'Mutual Defense Pact' doesn't cover the Iron Throne," added Nyessos. "With Viserys at odds with the Dothraki and harboring a grudge against the Iron Throne, he might be planning to yield to Drogo."
They speculated that Viserys, being under 18 and facing such a daunting situation, might have gone into hiding. The Roths were also filled with doubts.
"Viserys must be in some kind of trouble," Methys remarked.
"His situation is indeed not optimistic," Roth replied. "After all, no one can win two wars at the same time."
Roth was also a bit pessimistic about it. In contrast, Benerro remained much calmer. He sat with a group of red priests in an inconspicuous corner of the banquet. In his opinion, 'Nissa Nissa' would not die so easily—at least not at the hands of an ordinary person.
However, in the next moment, his calm demeanor faltered. He noticed the Black Goat Ritual taking place beside the Horselord. Although they were far apart, Benerro was too sensitive to the aura, one that resembled both the 'Great Other' and 'the God of Cold.'
"Keep an eye on that guy," Benerro instructed Moqorro.
Meanwhile, Connington was busy giving Drogo's envoy all kinds of reassurances and explanations. "Since Prince Viserys has agreed, he will definitely not break his promise. These are the fashionable cigarettes of the Confederation. You can offer them to Khal Drogo and let him try them."
Connington sent a servant away with Cohollo, who was holding a tray of cigarettes. The servant was responsible for teaching Drogo how to smoke.
Surprisingly, Drogo, despite being a first-time smoker, didn't look like a beginner. He liked the mild, spicy taste and even felt a sense of pleasure as the white smoke entered his body. He decided he would ask Viserys for at least 100,000 of these cigarettes.
The cigarettes effectively calmed Drogo's emotions, but the changing weather was unalterable. It started to rain. Drogo stamped out the cigarette butt under his foot and stood up abruptly. This simple action set off alarm bells in the minds of the surrounding Dothraki—they knew their Khal had run out of patience.
"These milkmen in their stone tents have no respect for me!" Drogo growled. If Viserys didn't show up soon, Drogo would use this as an excuse to attack the Free Cities.
"I will have his head, this arrogant milk men!" Khal Ogo added, echoing Drogo's anger.
The elderly Motho Khal also stood up, though he remained silent.
"Khal Drogo, they will pay for their defeat with their blood. Please, let me claim a head for you!" Haggo, the strongest of Drogo's Bloodriders, could no longer hold back. In the original timeline, it was he who broke Viserys's wrist.
"My lord Khal Drogo, Viserys's sister seems to be over there," said the hooded black goat priest, pointing in the direction of Dany. Although uncertain whether Dany was the savior, killing her was the order of the Black Goat God. This was also why he was willing to become Drogo's slave. He believed that if he could lure Dany over, he could kill her.
Drogo was unaware of the priest's intentions, but after a moment's consideration, he spoke: "Let that Daenerys come and tell me why Viserys doesn't want to meet!" This time, Drogo did not send Cohollo but Haggo to deliver the message.
"If Viserys is too afraid to meet our Khal Drogo, he can just send his sister clean!" Haggo was much more boorish in both tone and manner than Cohollo. In fact, he was there to provoke. In front of everyone, Haggo continued, "Otherwise, we Dothraki will repay your rudeness in our own way!"
"Prince Viserys has run into a little problem, but he will be here soon," Connington explained somewhat helplessly.
"What kind of thing is so important? Did you lose your manhood?" Haggo mocked relentlessly.
Dany's face was covered with frost, her expression growing gloomier as a dark cloud seemed to hover over her.
"I'll go!" she whispered angrily, standing up. However, Benerro hurriedly stopped her.
"Princess Daenerys, you cannot!" Benerro's objection seemed a little abrupt, especially since there appeared to be no special relationship between him and Dany. Although Dany had heard from Viserys that she was Azor Ahai, she could not care about that now. The burden of responsibility weighed heavily on her and her brother. If Drogo started a war on this pretext, the final blame would fall entirely on them.
Benerro's actions did not escape the notice of the black goat priest. Just as he was about to instruct Drogo to press on, a man in a long black robe on a horse burst into view.
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