Chapter 36 Meeting

Both of them dropped their feigned ignorance upon realizing Valarissa was fine with only light injuries. The father and daughter then eagerly inquired about Valarissa's adventure on Dragonstone Island and how she claimed the dragon.

Valarissa began narrating the events, skillfully avoiding and concealing the real dangers she had faced to tame the dragon. Drawing on her knowledge from movies and stories, she crafted an exciting yet less perilous version of the story.

The two listened intently, seemingly convinced. However, internally, doubts lingered about how a wild dragon named Cannibal, known for its ferocious nature and history of attacking all who tried to calm it, became so docile in Valarissa's account. The story, with its unlikely turns, failed to fully convince both Viserys and Rhaenyra.

Both of them knowingly didn't pry into Valarissa's narrated story, content with her high spirits and health, which was all they cared about. The discussion strengthened their bonds, creating a happier atmosphere.

Despite considering bringing up her dispute with Otto Hightower, Valarissa discarded the idea, not wanting to spoil the pleasant mood and noticing the mending father-daughter relationship.

After some time, Rhaenyra was the first to leave the chamber for other matters. Valarissa followed suit, but as she was about to leave, Viserys called out, "Valarissa, you should rest for the day as you will have to attend tomorrow's small council."

Valarissa grinned, replying in an exaggerated and silly voice, "As ordered, my king." She then left Viserys in his chamber to change into more comfortable clothes.

After Valarissa departed, Viserys recalled something important and immediately summoned Ser Harrold Westerling, instructing him to bring Cerdic from the dungeon. Soon, Ser Harrold returned with a somewhat disheveled Cerdic, who knelt before his king.

"Cerdic!" Viserys called out, still dissatisfied with Cerdic's earlier actions.

"Yes, my King," he responded.

"As a knight who was sworn to protect my daughter, you failed miserably. Do you deny it?" Viserys asked.

"No, my king. I will not deny it and am willing to accept any punishment that your majesty deems fit this sinner," Cerdic said without hesitation, realizing his mistake.

"Look at me, Cerdic!" Viserys spoke seriously. Once they made eye contact, Viserys continued, "I will not kill you, nor will I punish you, as my daughter has safely returned. But hear me loud and clear: if I come to know of you neglecting your duties again, I will not hesitate to give you the most gruesome death you can ever imagine." Viserys threatened.

Relieved that Valarissa was safe and sound and also about his escaping the death sentence, Cerdic quickly nodded to Viserys, saying, "Yes, my king." He then rose from his kneeling position, bowed deeply.

"You may leave and protect my daughter; I will not give you another chance," Viserys's voice remained firm, expressing his dissatisfaction. Cerdic nodded solemnly, bowed deeply once more, and exited the chamber.

While Viserys didn't want Cerdic to continue as Valarissa's knight, he acknowledged Cerdic's assistance to his daughter in various matters. To avoid inconvenience to Valarissa, he decided to appoint a new guard after discussing it with her.

Valarissa, upon leaving her father's chambers, had no intention of resting. Despite fatigue and her father's advice, she needed to oversee the progress of the various duties assigned to her subordinates.

Entering her chambers, she found the two maids already preparing hot water for her bath. News of her return from Dragonstone had reached them, and the maester's servant had provided ointment with proper instructions earlier. Valarissa was ready to attend to her responsibilities, not letting weariness deter her and the bath was very timely.

"Princess," both maids greeted with happy smiles, and Elena informed, "Princess, the hot water is ready."

Valarissa, eager for a bath to rid herself of travel exhaustion and the lingering scent of the dragon, expressed her desire. The maids carefully removed her clothes and the cloth strips covering her unhealed wounds. Elena then led Valarissa to the bath, while Grace went to prepare the medicine as instructed by the maester's servant.

The bathroom, though small, exuded coziness, with warm light streaming in through an east-facing window. The tub, carved from a large block of marble, was filled with steaming water scented with rose petals. These arrangements were made unintentionally based on Valarissa's earlier remarks, but she didn't reject the luxurious setup, realizing the indulgence it offered.

After the refreshing bath, Grace and Elena provided new cloth strips for bandaging Valarissa's wounds and brought fresh clothes for her.

Addressing Grace, Valarissa instructed, "Inform Cerdic to call everyone for a meeting. Emphasize that I want to know about their current progress, so they should be prepared." Turning her attention back to Elena, who was dressing her hair, she added, "And Elena, you can also leave and prepare for the meeting."

Detecting hesitation in both of them, Valarissa inquired, "Is there something wrong?"

"No, Princess, it's just... Ser Cerdic was arrested in the name of dereliction of duty because he allowed you to leave with Prince Daemon," Elena informed her cautiously. "We are unaware of Ser Cerdic's current situation."

"What! Why didn't you inform me? Don't you know that this was important?" Valarissa expressed shock and anger. "You both should have told me. How could you keep this from me?"

After a brief pause and a deep breath to calm herself, she continued, "Alright, first things first. Elena, go and find the others and inform them about the meeting. I need to know what's going on and talk to my father." Valarissa issued orders, determined to address Cerdic's situation.

Feeling a sense of responsibility and guilt for the suffering Cerdic endured, she decided to discuss the matter with her father first before determining the course of action. As she prepared to open her door, she heard the familiar voice of Ser Cerdic from outside, requesting permission to enter.

With Valarissa's permission, Cerdic entered her chamber. Before he could speak, she asked the two maids to leave and prepare for the meeting. As soon as they departed, Cerdic knelt before Valarissa, detailing what had happened to him. He assured her that all responsibilities were taken care of, as he had arranged for his friends to manage things before his arrest.

Valarissa sincerely apologized for the consequences her actions had caused Cerdic, but he consistently expressed that he held no grudge and wasn't upset. This was the truth after all having known Valarissa from a young age, he was more concerned about her safety while he was in the dungeon.

With those concerns addressed, Valarissa asked Cerdic to call his friends for the meeting as well. She wanted to gather everyone to discuss the real progress of her people and formulate a plan of action.