Chapter 35: Taking the Initiative

"Yes."

Viserys keenly sensed the disappointment in the old knight's tone and felt slightly disheartened.

However, he maintained his composure and said, "If we want to reclaim the Iron Throne, our current ships and resources are not enough."

Viserys thought to himself that even Aegon the Conqueror, when he conquered Westeros, didn't rely solely on his three dragons. Aegon had armies at his side.

He first landed where King's Landing stands today, built a small wooden castle called Aegonfort, and quickly subjugated the Rosby and Stokeworth families, before officially commencing his conquest.

Moreover, the Targaryens no longer have dragons. Relying on a single fleet to retake Westeros is nothing but a fool's dream.

If they were to remain on Dragonstone without leaving, the lack of resources would only hasten their demise.

"You make a valid point, child, but you don't understand the reality of the situation," the old knight interrupted Viserys, his tone shifting from "Your Highness" to one more suited for addressing a child.

The old knight felt a slight disappointment, as Viserys had not yet reached the level of his older brother. However, he was still young and could be nurtured. If only Prince Rhaegar were here...

No.

Rhaegar had already perished.

In truth, if not for Rhaegar and Lyanna's selfish desires, the war against the usurper would not have erupted, and the kingdom could have persevered for a few more years under the Mad King's rule...

As these thoughts crossed the old knight's mind, he felt a sudden confusion, as if the goal he had been chasing had encountered a problem, and his voice faltered.

The hall fell silent.

Seated at the head of the table, Queen Rhaella, her belly swollen with child, had been experiencing a fragile mental state due to the recent series of devastating blows. She heard Viserys's words and became agitated once more. Dragonstone held significant meaning for her, and even though she understood the situation, she couldn't truly abandon it and flee to the eastern continent.

"Impossible!"

The silver-haired woman's usually beautiful violet eyes were bloodshot from a restless night, and her hair was disheveled. She slammed her hand on the table and exclaimed shrilly.

"Your Majesty..."

The old knight attempted to interrupt Queen Rhaella by raising his hand slightly.

But the emotionally-charged woman paid no heed. She absolutely refused to allow such a thing to happen.

"We will never abandon Dragonstone!"

"Your Majesty!"

Ser Joffrey abruptly raised his voice, interrupting Queen Rhaella's words once more, finally silencing her temporarily.

He had interrupted both Queen Rhaella and Viserys, but the queen did not dare lash out at him, as the last remaining force of Dragonstone's fleet was under his control.

Neither Queen Rhaella nor Viserys dared to offend him.

After silencing the queen, the old knight's eyes bore into Viserys as he evaluated him, then continued speaking.

"The reality is, Your Highness, the Nine Free Cities will not allow us to interfere."

The Nine Free Cities may appear loosely organized and rife with conflict, but they will stand united against external threats.

This is because it concerns their vital interests; they do not want a foreign power disrupting their balance.

Furthermore, while this force may not be incredibly powerful, it cannot be underestimated. Their identity could even spark a war in the future.

If only Viserys and his widowed mother had escaped to the continent of Essos, the nine Free Cities might have been more than willing to welcome them with open arms, just to cause some trouble for Westeros.

However, if Viserys had arrived in Essos with a fleet, the attitude of the Free Cities would have changed dramatically.

They knew that the Iron Throne across the Narrow Sea might ignore a widow and her child, but they would never allow the Targaryens to rise again on the continent of Essos.

So, it was very possible that a brutal war would erupt between the two continents, much like the War of the Ninepenny Kings years ago.

The Iron Throne would never allow a potential challenger to their position to survive, and they might even take the initiative to strike.

These unstable factors led them to accept Viserys and Queen Rhaella, and even actively help them escape to Dragonstone, just to cause some trouble for the Iron Throne.

However, they would never allow Viserys to arrive with a fleet.

"I see," Viserys said, his expression clearly stunned after hearing this.

He wasn't very familiar with these details. After all, his knowledge was limited to theoretical strategies. Viserys knew a lot, but there was still much he didn't know.

These were the subtle details hidden beneath the grand scheme of things.

Yet, many times these small details had a significant impact on the overall situation.

"I apologize, Ser," Viserys said, still sitting in his chair, somewhat troubled. He couldn't think of any better excuse. Any alliance would have its weak points, especially one like the nine Free Cities, which were constantly fighting amongst themselves.

Opportunities could be found if one looked for them.

However, Viserys didn't say this, as it would sound like an excuse, and the recent events had served as a wake-up call.

He couldn't base his judgments and decisions solely on what he thought. He needed solid evidence to prove the validity of his claims.

Viserys was grateful that he wasn't a ruler yet. If the old knight hadn't hesitated and followed his advice directly, it could have led to severe consequences.

If they had severed ties with the Free Cities, Viserys and his mother would be left with nowhere to turn.

With these thoughts in mind, Viserys felt a chill down his spine.

He then looked up at Ser Joffrey and apologized, "I was too careless."

But the old knight, standing in front of the map, uncharacteristically put away his haughty expression. His face relaxed as he accepted Viserys's apology, and then suddenly said, "However, Your Highness did remind me of something."

"What?" Viserys asked, slightly taken aback.

He had just been wallowing in the disappointment of his failed first attempt at making an impact when the old knight suddenly spoke up.

He then heard the knight continue, "We should not sit idly by."

"Instead, we must take the initiative to strike!"