Compared to the cold desolation of the Wall, the climate of Pentos was much more pleasant. Although the arrival of winter had significantly lowered the temperature, it was still within a tolerable range.
From a distance, a cavalry unit carrying banners of three-headed dragons approached, their horses' hooves clattering on the smooth cobblestone road. They were escorting a low-key caravan through the city gates of Pentos, entering the grand and majestic ancient city.
"We're finally here," a voice murmured from within the central carriage. The curtains were drawn tightly, concealing the interior. Inside sat a young girl with olive skin, dressed in a sandy yellow dress. She exuded an exotic allure with every move she made. Pinned to her ample chest was a badge featuring a golden spear piercing the sun.
"Is this Pentos?" The girl from Dorne curiously lifted a corner of the carriage curtain, looking out at the world beyond. Her uncle, Oberyn, was currently stationed in some desolate camp east of Andalos as a legion commander and couldn't leave his post to welcome her. However, Oberyn had sent a letter, warning her not to show her face in public.
Although the girl was somewhat rebellious and unwilling to heed the words of her cunning father, she was obedient to her uncle's advice. Otherwise, given her personality, she would have jumped out long ago. Many in Dorne even believed that she was more like her uncle Oberyn than her father, Prince Doran.
"There are so many people."
"This place is even bigger than Sunspear."
The Dornish girl hidden in the carriage had deep black eyes, a high nose, a delicate chin, slightly dark skin, and a head of black curly hair. At the moment, she was curiously peering out, seemingly fascinated by everything here. After all, this was her first time traveling so far from home.
Although she was only fifteen this year, the girl had an unusually good figure, with tight thighs and a full chest. She was Arianne Martell, the eldest daughter of Prince Doran, and the other main character in Viserys' betrothal.
In the distance, she could see the Nine Towers Palace, towering over the edge of the sea. As Arianne had said, the population and scale of the buildings here far surpassed Sunspear, the capital of Dorne.
"Who exactly is Viserys?" Looking at the distant Nine Towers Palace, Arianne suddenly became curious about what kind of person her betrothed was. Why, despite being of a similar age to her, could he accomplish so much? Compared to him, her peers were still playing prince and princess games.
Last year, she left Dorne and embarked on a Martell family merchant ship bound for Andalos. Her father, Prince Doran, hoped that she would develop a relationship with Viserys first. Therefore, her original destination was Andalos. However, at the last stop, she heard about the dramatic changes in Pentos and the news of the 'Bloody Night'.
The dragons of House Targaryen had burned the prince's palace in Pentos, killed all the Magisters, and seized the entire city-state. Therefore, Arianne decided to change her itinerary on the spot, not going to Andalos, and ordered the family's merchant ship to head straight for Pentos.
She was also very much looking forward to meeting her betrothed, as almost everyone was talking about how handsome Viserys was, like a prince out of a fairy tale. Her uncle Oberyn also emphasized several times in his letters that Viserys was so handsome he could make people swo
on, and was the most handsome man he had ever seen. Arianne had always thought that handsome men were her weakness, so she was very eager to meet her betrothed soon.
Meanwhile, in the city of Pentos, Princess Arianne was riding in a carriage heading for the Nine Towers Palace where Viserys was staying. Unfortunately, Arianne's arrival had not been announced in advance, and Viserys was not in the palace at the moment. Instead, he was at the home of his appointed personal advisor, Jon Connington.
Jon Connington had come to Pentos two years ago after leaving the Golden Company, living under a pseudonym and arranged by Illyrio to become a member of the city's guard. Later, he became a captain of the guard due to his abilities. He had been living in Pentos all these years, and because of his 'integrity', Jon, who had been a captain for more than a year, hadn't gained too many benefits.
Everyone in the guard had taken full advantage, but Jon, just because he took a little less due to his conscience, became a representative of 'integrity', deeply loved by the merchants.
Even so, Jon's more than a year as a captain had allowed him to buy a house in the expensive city of Pentos, on the edge of the city, right next to the city wall. There were very few people in Jon's house, just a pretty brown-haired maid and a blue-haired boy who looked about eight or nine years old.
"This is my son, Aegon," Jon introduced, looking a bit nervous.
Today, he had suddenly invited Viserys to his home as a guest without mentioning what he wanted to do. Jon felt a bit abrupt after he spoke. However, since the words were already out, he couldn't take them back. He regretted it a bit, but could only look at Viserys with a stiff expression.
Viserys, after hearing Jon's invitation, looked at him for a long time. Just when Jon thought Viserys was going to refuse, he nodded in agreement.
"Alright."
Then Viserys, with a small escort, followed Jon Connington to his home. Hearing Jon's introduction, Viserys looked at the blue-haired boy who seemed a bit shy. The boy was also sneaking glances at Viserys, especially at his shining silver-gold hair and those magnificent light purple eyes.
"Aegon, say hello to His Majesty," Jon Connington turned to his 'bastard son' and said.
The boy named 'Aegon' was obviously well-educated and sensible. Prompted by his father, he quickly stepped forward, bowed slightly, and greeted, "Your Majesty, good day."
Viserys helped the boy up and patted his shoulder, "Good boy."
Viserys looked the boy up and down, noticing that his hair had obviously been dyed. The roots of his newly grown hair were clearly silver, proving that his original hair color was indeed silver. However, his eyes were not the purple or light purple that Viserys had imagined. Instead, they were a special deep blue color, which looked almost black under the light.