Chapter 57: The Hand of the King

Viserys held the letter from the Sea Lord of Braavos in his hand, falling silent as he read its contents.

The entire throne room was quiet as a tomb.

Everyone looked at the young king seated on the Iron Throne, not knowing what was written in the letter. Its contents were highly confidential, but judging by Viserys's expression, they could sense his dilemma.

Without speaking, Viserys handed the letter to Ser Joffrey, who stood beside him.

As the commander of the fleet, Viserys had no reason to doubt Ser Joffrey. After all, without him, both Viserys and his mother would have been dead long ago.

Even if they had followed their original trajectory and Queen Rhaella had escaped with Viserys to Dragonstone, the presence of a fleet would have deterred any plot against them.

Though Viserys was unaware of the specifics surrounding the destruction of the Targaryen fleet during the storm, he assumed it might have involved bastards or other factions attempting to hand him and his sister over to the Baratheons, or something else entirely.

With Ser William's help, they eventually escaped to Essos and began their long exile.

Thus, Viserys unconditionally trusted the old knight and his mentor.

If he needed to create a Hand of the King badge at this moment, Viserys would probably award it directly to Ser Joffrey.

The white-haired old knight accepted the letter without hesitation, carefully reading it.

Viserys's gaze returned to the two Braavosi envoys.

"Truth be told, my mother, Dowager Queen Rhaella Targaryen, has passed away."

Viserys stood up from the cold stone throne as sunlight streamed in from both sides of the hall, creating dusty beams of light that fell upon the floor.

"Your Grace, please accept our condolences."

As the Braavosi envoy, Magister Kleris, once again offered his respects to Viserys, expressing his condolences. They had already heard the news when they disembarked.

"Please allow us to pay our respects to the late Queen before we leave Dragonstone."

Viserys waved his hand dismissively, knowing that these were merely formalities from the envoys.

They were not even aware that the Targaryens still spoke Valyrian, so their knowledge of his mother, Queen Rhaella, probably extended only to her name.

"Envoy, please stay on Dragonstone a little longer."

"As for the contents of Lord Ferrego Antaryon's letter, I need some time to consider."

What Viserys hesitated over was this very matter. Upon receiving the letter, he was certain that the envoys were indeed from Braavos.

However, he wavered over whether to accept the invitation to Braavos.

Despite foiling several Iron Throne conspiracies and winning an impressive victory alongside the fleet in Shipbreaker Bay, boosting morale, the balance of power between the Targaryens and the Baratheons remained significantly in the latter's favor.

It was as if the enemy had ten fingers, and Viserys had only managed to break one by seizing an opportunity. If they clenched their fists, they could easily crush him on Dragonstone.

After all, Dragonstone was too close to Westeros, practically within arm's reach.

Viserys felt no sense of security on Dragonstone, even though he knew that King Robert had no ships left. He was still afraid that one day he would wake up to find Dragonstone surrounded by a seemingly endless fleet.

Thus, Viserys had been pondering how to abandon Dragonstone, leading his people and fleet eastward, across the Narrow Sea to the safety of the eastern continent.

Having found a foothold and focusing on their development, Viserys knew that he and his sister would be safe, and they wouldn't have to live a life of constant upheaval.

Previously, Viserys had no idea how to approach this issue. After all, as the old knight had said, the Free Cities seemed loose but were resistant to foreign invasions.

Viserys dared not lead his fleet to invade the continent of Essos, as that would be tantamount to cutting off his own retreat.

But now, the letter from the Sealord of Braavos brought him another possibility.

Viserys was somewhat indecisive.

The idea was excellent and daring, but it also carried considerable risk.

If Braavos harbored ill intentions, they could easily bind him and send him to King's Landing in exchange for a handsome reward.

However, Viserys believed that he, as a living person who could cause trouble for the Iron Throne, was far more important than any insignificant reward for the Iron Bank.

So when Viserys was hesitating internally, he already had an answer in mind.

He just needed someone to support his decision, giving him the courage to stand firm in his beliefs.

This was akin to a gamble and a game of strategy.

Perhaps this was one of the reasons Maester Danyel thought Viserys was superior to Prince Rhaegar.

He would attempt self-redemption in dire situations, never giving up, and always proposing ideas that caught others off guard.

...

"Let's follow His Majesty's arrangement."

The two envoys from Braavos naturally had no objections to Viserys's plans.

After all, this was a secret negotiation between the Targaryen king and their Sealord. They were just messengers, with the overall situation as their priority.

Viserys gave a slight wave of his hand, and guards led the two envoys out to rest temporarily in the castle, as they needed to discuss this matter further.

When the envoys left, Ser Joffrey, who sat beside the throne, finished reading the Sealord's letter.

Like Viserys, the old man was deep in thought.

After a long pause, the old knight raised his head, about to say something but hesitated as he looked at Viserys.

The young king, having experienced much of the world, understood the old man's intentions.

He waved his hand again, dismissing the guards around him.

Soon, only the two of them remained in the hall. Viserys turned his head.

"Perhaps I should forge a 'Hand of the King' badge for you, Ser Joffrey."

The silver-haired boy, wearing a gold crown adorned with rubies, appeared taller in the slanting sunlight. His pale violet eyes sparkled as he spoke teasingly.

The old knight was about to say something but was interrupted by Viserys, a bitter smile appearing on his face.

"I'm not suited to be the Hand of the King, in terms of talent or character."