Chapter 149: Young Mother

When Viserys left Sunspear, he exchanged his swan ship for House Martell's longship, the Sunburst. The switch was intended to make him less recognizable. To further minimize the risk of being identified, he chose a route that took him west around The Broken Arm, avoiding the nearby Stepstones.

It had been less than half a month since he left Lys, but it was the longest he had ever been separated from Dany. Even when they fought pirates, they had been together. Viserys had never felt so worried about someone in his entire life. To keep her occupied and safe, he had arranged for Dany to run a slave relief station.

To demonstrate his "loyalty" to Kambron, Viserys instructed the old captain Hoyt to purchase property in Tyrosh. Since the Windblown's financial officer had his fingers chopped off, the old captain's financial situation had rapidly improved. With Viserys' support, it appeared that the old captain was preparing to retire in Tyrosh, a development that pleased Kambron. Tyrosh had suffered heavy losses in the Battle of Dragon's Flame Fortress, so keeping the Windblown close was beneficial.

Meanwhile, Dany's "slave relief station" was completed, a facility repurposed from an old warehouse. The slaves who arrived there were a mix of the disabled, the elderly, men, women, and children. Though Dany couldn't remember all their names, they had a special name for her in their hearts—Young Mother.

One night, Kyla sat with Dany beside a dying young slave. The boy wouldn't survive until morning, and a few other slaves, those still able to stand, gathered around to watch. The young slave had light brown hair and was emaciated from malnutrition. His body bore the scars and wounds of countless whippings.

His skin resembled old, worn fabric—dull, wrinkled, and marked with injuries. The boy had been severely beaten for accidentally breaking his master's beloved lampstand, then thrown out into the street. His breathing grew weaker, his face pale as paper, as if every breath was a struggle between life and death.

Life was slowly slipping away with each of the boy's labored breaths. If Viserys had been there, he would have immediately recognized the signs of ruptured internal organs—this poor soul would not live much longer. Dany had brought him to the "slave relief station," trying to offer some comfort in his final moments.

At this moment, the boy's life seemed to be concentrated in his eyes, which were fixed on Dany, the beautiful maiden who embodied all that was good.

"Young Mother," the slave boy whispered. Dany clasped his right hand, and the other slaves, young and old, stepped forward, drawn by the tender moment.

"Young Mother, please don't be sad for me," the boy said with a faint, mischievous smile. "I hope that after I die, I can become a stone slab beneath your feet. If, in the future, you feel a certain stone is especially comfortable to walk on, then you'll know it's me."

Though Dany had witnessed scenes like this more than ten times in the past two weeks, her heart still ached. She recalled the words Viserys had taught her about comforting the dying and gently touched the boy's head, whispering, "Then I will place you in my garden, and you can taste the tea I brew."

As if reassured by her promise, the boy nodded almost imperceptibly before closing his eyes for the last time. The slaves standing behind Dany wore expressions of sorrow, but their respect for her deepened even further. To some of the slaves who believed in the Faith of the Seven, Dany had become the embodiment of the "Mother of Heaven" and the "Maiden."

The slave relief station that Viserys had set up for Dany was a simple place for treating injuries and providing end-of-life care, yet its impact was profound. As someone with knowledge from another world, Viserys understood just how valuable such a small act of kindness could be. It was this simple gesture that earned Dany the title of "Young Mother" among the slaves of Tyrosh.

There's a saying that 'only a little sweetness is needed to make up for the bitterness of life.' If there is a place in the world of ice and fire where suffering is most intense, it is among the peasants of Westeros and the slaves of the Free Cities. These people are easily overlooked, yet they are a vast and neglected group. The glory of the nobles and the grandeur of their cities are built on the suffering of these individuals. Viserys had tasked Dany with running the relief station partly because he wanted her to understand who, in this world, was most worthy of being won over.

...

At the same time, he had considered the potential of this operation. He personally chose the location for the relief station: to the north lay Tyrosh's royal palace and the wealthy noble district; to the east, the densely packed workshops; and to the west, a copper mine with more than 30,000 slaves.

Viserys knew that the best outcome for this so-called coalition army would be to extract some concessions from Tyrosh through sheer intimidation. But if they truly wanted to conquer Tyrosh, they would need an army from within—a force willing to turn on the city. These slaves were the foundation of Viserys' future army. If the time was right and Tyrosh's forces were weakened, he might even incite a slave uprising and take the city for himself, without having to share the spoils with anyone else.

At this time, on the other side of the Narrow Sea, Viserys, Feles, and the Red Viper stood on the deck, gazing up at the crescent moon. It had been nearly seven days since they left Sunspear, and they expected to reach Pentos by noon the next day. The group looked out over the water as they discussed their next move.

"As long as we can bring Pentos into our alliance, Myr will naturally follow. You should handle the negotiations," Viserys said.

"Yes, my lord," Feles replied, determined. He knew this was an opportunity for him to prove himself, and he was resolved to secure the final step of the alliance.

"What are you planning to do?" asked the Red Viper.

"I'm going to buy lace workshop in Myr," Feles answered.

"Lace? What's that for?" The Red Viper was puzzled.

Just as Viserys was about to dismiss the question, he spotted a longship approaching through the Golden Eagle's view. The vessel was clearly one favored by pirates, making their identity unmistakable. Moreover, they had reached the entrance to Pentos Bay, where the narrow channel left little room to hide.

"Everyone, prepare for battle!" Viserys ordered. He positioned his men on the port side while the Red Viper took the starboard side.

Soon, they saw the longship with black and blue sails speeding toward them. The wind was not in their favor, and Viserys' swan ship was too slow to evade. It wasn't long before the two longships were closing in.

"Listen up, men on the ship! Leave the women and money, and our captain will let you go!" a pirate with a short neck and leather armor shouted.

But before he could finish, a dark figure swooped down from the sky. The pirate's scream echoed as the Golden Eagle's talons left three deep gashes across his face, even flipping his nose inside out. His already unsightly face now looked even more grotesque. By the time the others reacted and tried to shoot the eagle, it was already soaring out of range.

While the pirates were still disoriented, Regis shouted, "You dare to rob us! Do you know whose ship this is? This is the ship of Lord Viserys Targaryen!"

The Red Viper, hearing Regis seemingly negotiating with the pirates, ran over.

"Viserys?" The pirates were stunned. For the past six months, no name had been more feared in the pirate community than his.

"You really are Viserys?" a young pirate in his mid-twenties, with black hair and gray eyes, said as he looked around at his fellow pirates writhing and screaming on the deck.

Most of the pirates with any real courage had been wiped out by Viserys half a year ago. Without strong leadership, those who remained had been picked off by various forces, bringing an unprecedented peace to the Summer Sea and the Narrow Sea. The young pirate, shaken by Viserys' reputation, was already considering retreat.

But the pirate quickly composed himself and retorted, "No way! Viserys has silver hair. You can't fool me."

Just then, a pirate wearing a turban—clearly the leader—burst onto the deck. He glanced toward Viserys and then smacked one of his men on the back of the head.

"Lord Viserys, I'm sorry! We didn't know it was your ship!" the leader said, grinning obsequiously, any semblance of a captain's dignity gone. None of the other pirates found anything unusual about their leader's behavior—it was Viserys, after all.

Regis, the one who had made the announcement, shouted, "If you know what's good for you, get out of here! I don't have time to waste killing you!" His voice dripped with arrogance, and the thrill of scaring off enemies just by mentioning Viserys' name was palpable.

Hearing this, the pirates thought only of escape. But the leader hesitated, then suddenly called out, "Lord Viserys, please let me follow you!"

"Huh?" Regis stiffened, taken aback. What was this—a direct offer to join them? He exchanged a quick glance with the Red Viper.

"Let him come up. Let's hear what he has to say," the Red Viper suggested casually, clearly not taking the pirate seriously.

"Okay," Regis agreed reluctantly, then shouted, "Come on up!"

The crew lowered the rope ladder, and the pirate leader climbed aboard Viserys' ship alone. Viserys noticed the man's surprisingly neat appearance—his hair was well-groomed, and he even had a beauty mark on his forehead, much like the Red Viper. At first glance, he didn't look like a pirate at all.

"Lord Viserys, my name is Ronan. The other day at Orange Shore Bay—"

Suddenly, Viserys recognized him. "Wait, you're the one who tried to inspect my ship that day on the speedboat, aren't you?" It all clicked into place. After his former leader died, Ronan had gathered some men, robbed a couple of ships, and quickly formed his own crew. He had a reputation and a sharp memory, able to recall anyone he had seen. It was this memory that had just saved his life.

Ronan, now visibly nervous, stammered, "Yes, that was me... but who would have thought you were carrying a dragon egg, ready to kill everyone? Your wisdom is far beyond that of ordinary men." Ronan had risen to a petty leader because he was good at reading people and excellent at flattery. Compliments came to him instinctively, and even now, he couldn't help but use his "natural skills."

Ronan had grown tired of the pirate's life and was looking for someone powerful to ally with. Viserys was, without a doubt, a wise choice.

The Red Viper looked at Viserys with a tinge of envy. He had spent years calling himself a "traveler," stirring up trouble wherever he went. But compared to the whirlwind Viserys had created in just a year or two, his own exploits over the past twenty years seemed almost insignificant. Meeting an acquaintance while being robbed was nothing short of a miracle.

However, from Viserys' perspective, recruiting a pirate at this point seemed of little value. After a moment of thought, he asked, "When is your next gathering?"

Ronan was taken aback, his face twitching slightly. "Lord, I don't think there will be another gathering anytime soon. Most of the notable pirates have been killed—by you."

The Red Viper snickered, finding the situation increasingly amusing. Viserys scratched his head, uncertain of what to do with this unexpected turn of events. Then, an idea struck him.

"If that's the case, let's move on to the next step," he said, closing his eyes as if deep in thought. The others remained silent, the only sound being the rhythmic crash of the waves against the ship.

After a moment, Viserys turned to Regis and instructed, "Fetch him a thousand gold dragons."

Regis, though unsure of Viserys' intentions, did as he was told and soon returned with a heavy money box. Viserys handed it to Ronan, saying, "Take this thousand gold dragons and establish a stronghold near King's Landing."

The Red Viper glanced at Viserys, realizing it was actually a clever move. After all, no one would suspect that Viserys might have ties to a former pirate, making it a perfect cover.

But even with the offer of 1,000 gold dragons, wasn't Viserys worried the pirates might just take the money and run? What the Red Viper didn't know was that Viserys had used Moon's Revelation to gauge Ronan's intentions. It seemed clear that Ronan genuinely wanted to work for him.

With that in mind, Viserys decided to have Ronan set up a small base near King's Landing, a move that would make it much easier for the Red Viper to carry out any operations in the capital.