Chapter 186: Brother, When Can We…

The formation of the Confederation was already halfway complete. Tyrosh was firmly under Viserys's control, and Pentos was no longer an obstacle. The only remaining challenges were Myr and Lys. After all, they held the "fruits of victory," and at worst, Viserys could afford to wait them out. Given the substantial investments they had already made and the minimal risk the Confederation posed to their interests, it wouldn't be long before they came around.

Viserys knew that the hardest part was getting started. Once the Confederation was established, he could gradually transform it into a federation—or even an empire.

After a delayed celebration, the armies of Myr and Lys began to withdraw one by one. Denzo returned to Pentos, taking the detained soldiers with him. As for the gold dragons and weapons hidden by the Dotnere and Lightnere brothers, they revealed everything under Meris's torture. The spoils would be split between Viserys and Hoyt. Denzo also took the brothers back with him, leaving Viserys unconcerned about how Hoyt would deal with them.

With Tyrosh suddenly relieved of the burden of nearly 20,000 soldiers, the city began to relax. Finally, Dany had a chance to tell Viserys about everything that had happened in his absence—especially the tension between her and Arianne.

"She still insists I should marry her brother, so I told her off," Dany said angrily, leaning against Viserys's chest.

Viserys gently played with her pigtails, thinking for a moment before replying, "Dorne is indeed powerful, and we need them as allies."

Dany, still nestled in his arms, suddenly widened her eyes and asked cautiously, "Did I say something wrong?"

"No," Viserys reassured her, "I was just thinking that we might need to reconsider our marriage contract with House Martell."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Dany sat up abruptly, her eyes filled with a sense of injustice. "Brother, you're going to... you're going to..." Her voice choked as if a lump had formed in her throat, stifling the words she wanted to say.

To Dany, the Targaryens were just the two of them now, and the idea of a new marriage contract could only mean one thing—marrying her off.

"No, no, no!" Viserys quickly assured her. "I was thinking we could postpone any marriage and instead forge an alliance through our children."

"Our children..." Dany's initial feelings of shock and hurt turned into a deep blush. At twelve, she was no longer entirely naive, thanks to her time spent with Meris, who filled her head with all sorts of nonsense. She knew more than she let on, though she hadn't expected to be thinking about it so soon.

"But, Brother... I haven't... Meris said I can't..." Dany's voice grew softer with each word, her hands clasped together nervously. Her head was bowed, her cheeks flushed a deep pink that spread down to her neck, making her look endearingly innocent.

Her small feet curled together anxiously, and her toes, like ten shiny grapes, dug into the floor.

Viserys couldn't help but chuckle. "Of course you can't, you little brat."

He found her bashfulness amusing. "I'm going to talk to Oberyn about this tomorrow, so you don't need to worry."

"Oh..." Dany sighed in relief, though she couldn't help but feel a slight emptiness inside.

They chatted for a while longer before Viserys stood up to leave. Just as he was about to go, Dany grasped his hand and whispered, "Brother, when can we..."

"What?" Viserys asked, feigning ignorance.

"...Never mind," Dany murmured, her voice trailing off.

...

The next day, Viserys sought out the Red Viper in private and proposed his "new marriage contract." The Red Viper's face showed clear displeasure at the suggestion. His thin eyebrows arched, and the corners of his lips turned down as he questioned sharply, "You said you didn't want to fulfill the original marriage contract because you felt pressured, and we agreed. Now you want to change the terms? What's wrong—does the idea of marrying a daughter of House Martell repulse you that much?"

Viserys didn't back down. "Let's be reasonable here. If I hadn't relieved Prince Doran of his pain, would we even be having this conversation?"

Viserys paused for effect, his eyes locked on Oberyn's. "And let's not forget, the original marriage contract was signed by Ser Willem on my behalf—I had no say in it., and there's also a secret..."

Red Viper, his patience wearing thin, pressed on. "Go on, say what you need to say."

Viserys remained silent, his gaze unwavering.

Viserys remained silent, his gaze unwavering.

"What secret—speak!" the Red Viper demanded, frustration creeping into his voice, but Viserys still didn't respond.

Before Oberyn could push further, a voice came from behind him. "How did you know?" It was Arianne, her tone laced with shock.

She had followed them, suspecting that they might be discussing her, and now she had overheard the conversation about changing the marriage contract. A chill ran down her spine.

As Viserys mentioned "a secret," Arianne's mind raced, desperately trying to figure out what he was referring to. Her thoughts quickly landed on her secret affair with Daemon Sand, the bastard of Godsgrace. The loss of her virginity had been discreetly covered up by Prince Doran—how could Viserys possibly know?

Although Arianne wasn't certain that Viserys was referring to her secret, she couldn't help but ask, "Are you talking about... that?"

At her words, the Red Viper's confidence wavered, and his aggressive demeanor softened. Although Arianne had only hinted at the truth, Oberyn felt a pang of guilt, knowing exactly what she meant. 'No, it can't be', he thought. 'How could he possibly know? Witchcraft?'

Viserys sighed and spoke calmly, "Princess, everyone makes mistakes when they're young. We are allies now, and honesty is essential. If you accept my revised marriage proposal, we can remain close allies."

The room fell into a tense silence.

Sensing the shift, Viserys pressed on, "Prince Oberyn, I've always valued our time together, and I don't want to lose our friendship."

"Viserys..." The Red Viper began, but the words caught in his throat. Whether it was House Martell forcing the fulfillment of an uncomfortable marriage contract or concealing Arianne's loss of virginity, the blame rested on them. Moreover, before embarking on this expedition, Doran had even instructed the Red Viper to manipulate Viserys, which now felt even more inappropriate.

Even a nobleman's pride could falter under such circumstances.

As for Arianne, her face briefly betrayed a look of disillusionment, but she quickly masked it with anger. "Hmph! You Targaryens can rot in your dragon's nest for all I care!" she snapped before turning on her heel and storming out.