12 Chapter 11: Setting Sail
"Forget it."
With that, the silver-haired boy gave his hair a slight tug, deciding not to dwell on the matter any further.
He hadn't forgotten that even if he managed to flee to Duskendale, he still wasn't entirely out of danger. Only by leaving Westeros and reaching the open sea might he be able to breathe a little easier.
Now, having gone without sleep for a day and a night, even though the fusion of two souls made his spirit more resilient than others, he was beginning to falter.
What he needed now was rest. Then, after Ser William awoke, he would find him and his mother to discuss their departure from Duskendale and their journey to Dragonstone.
His understanding of the present historical context was limited, but he still remembered that the Baratheon stag-banner would continue to fly over Westeros for the next decade or so.
It was an inevitable trend.
The Targaryen dynasty was running out of time, destined to fall in this war of usurpers.
Now, as a seven-year-old boy, he could hardly achieve much, let alone turn the tide.
For Viserys, his current, and for a long time to come, sole mission was...
To survive.
...
A day and a night passed.
Dawn.
Finally awakening from his coma, Ser William Darry, who had suffered a severe wound with a sword through his ribs, regained consciousness.
The middle-aged maester's face was somewhat pale, but after treatment from the maester and ample rest, he had recovered considerably and could now walk with assistance.
Outside, the fluttering sound of wings announced the arrival of a raven from afar. It landed on a wooden perch, tilting its head slightly, its blue eyes shimmering.
A letter was wrapped around the raven's leg.
The maester in charge of the ravens quickly approached, soothing the bird, rewarding it with a treat, and then removed the letter from its leg.
The sound of footsteps gradually faded away.
Inside the Dun-Fort banquet hall, Lord Renfred Rykker sat cautiously beside Queen Rhaella.
He had seized the opportunity to take over Duskendale and Dun-Fort after the Darklyn family had been executed by the king following the Duskendale Uprising.
Now, in this war of usurpers, Lord Rykker had chosen to side with the royal family after much deliberation.
He believed that the Targaryen family would suppress the rebellion, and this would be another opportunity for his house to thrive.
"Your Majesty."
The slightly rotund Lord Rykker, with his protruding belly, sat in his chair, which creaked under his weight.
In his hand, he held a message from King's Landing, which he handed to the silver-haired woman.
Duskendale was not far from King's Landing, and due to the defeat at the Battle of the Trident, its location had become somewhat precarious.
However, the rebels had no time to deal with these loyalist nobles, as their forces were aimed directly at King's Landing.
On the other hand, Stannis and Renly Baratheon were trapped within Storm's End, besieged by the Highgarden forces led by Lord Mace Tyrell for over a year now.
Although Lord Rykker risked remaining loyal to the royal family in these increasingly dire times, it didn't mean he would blindly follow them to the bitter end.
He had been continuously sending people to gather information from King's Landing, ready to adapt as needed, and the message he now handed to Queen Rhaella was the result of such efforts.
On the surface, it seemed that the situation had not yet reached its most desperate point.
The Casterly Rock forces led by Tywin Lannister seemed to have arrived at King's Landing.
However, for some unknown reason, King Aerys II had not immediately chosen to open the gates of King's Landing to let the Western army enter the city. Instead, he had kept them all locked out.
"Perhaps His Majesty is being overly cautious," Lord Rykker mused.
Ser Rufus Leek, who was sitting nearby, cautiously observed Queen Rhaella's expression and ventured to ask:
"Shall I have Your Majesty write a letter to persuade His Majesty?"
However, upon hearing Ser Rufus Leek's words, Queen Rhaella's face remained unchanged, revealing nothing. She just held the intelligence report with such intensity that her fingernails turned white.
In the end, she took a deep breath and shook her head.
"There's no need."
"I trust the King's judgment."
She had initially wanted to use Castle Dun-Fort's ravens to send a letter, warning her husband to be cautious of House Lannister.
But now that she had received news that the armies from the West had already arrived at King's Landing, she knew it was too late.
Due to the time it took for the news to travel, she had no idea how much time had passed. A woman knows her husband: stubborn, mad, suspicious, fickle, but sometimes soft-hearted.
She believed that by now, House Lannister may have deceived their way into King's Landing.
The Targaryen dynasty's decline was inevitable, but even so, Queen Rhaella knew she had to remain strong for her two children and granddaughter.
Before leaving King's Landing, she had discovered that she was pregnant once again.
She did not know whether it was a boy or a girl.
This revelation filled Queen Rhaella with joy, for she had been pregnant many times before, but only Rhaegar and Viserys had survived; the rest were either stillborn or had died young.
She hoped to give birth to another child.
"We have been guests at Castle Dun-Fort for quite some time now."
The silver-haired woman fell silent for a moment. Sitting in the main seat, she put down the intelligence report and then looked up at Ser Rufus Leek, her voice as calm as possible.
"Ser Leek."
"I believe the ships bound for Dragonstone are ready."
Upon hearing Queen Rhaella's words, Ser Leek hurriedly stood up.
"Yes, Your Majesty. You may depart at any time."
He wanted to keep Queen Rhaella and Prince Viserys at Castle Dun-Fort for future gains, but with the rebels' power growing, Ser Leek dared not keep them there for long.
Otherwise, Castle Dun-Fort's modest forces wouldn't even be enough to serve the rebels tea.
...
Another half day passed.
Viserys finally achieved his wish and set out to sea.
Splash—
The gentle waves lapped against the hull. The sky and the sea seemed to merge into one, stretching endlessly.
Viserys sat at the bow, the sea breeze rustling his silvery-gold hair, his gem-like eyes blinking.
He was no stranger to the sea, but each time he returned, he could not help but be enthralled.
He loved the tranquil and peaceful atmosphere, which even allowed him to momentarily forget his troubles.
Today's sea was like a mirror, with only the two-masted ship breaking the surface and creating ripples.
Under the brilliant golden sunlight, the scattered view was dazzling, like scattered gold.
Behind Viserys, the deck was filled with people dressed in various styles, speaking in diverse accents. This was a merchant ship from one of the Nine Free Cities, and its owner was said to be a merchant from Braavos.
They needed to dock at Duskendale's small port to resupply before setting sail back to the continent of Essos, with their final destination being Pentos.
This two-masted merchant ship would briefly stop at Dragonstone while crossing the Narrow Sea.
So when Duke Leek contacted the owner of this merchant ship, they agreed without hesitation. They only charged a small sum of gold dragons to escort Queen Rhaella and Prince Viserys to Dragonstone. (To be continued.)
