"Dragons, such magnificent creatures. Look at these bones, how beautiful," Viserys said to Daenerys in the Common Tongue, playing with a piece of Dragon Bone and appearing to be back to his normal self.
"Can I touch these Dragon Bones?" Daenerys asked bravely. She tried not to look at Annie, the maid who was respectfully standing nearby, and attempted to maintain her usual demeanor.
"Of course, my dear sister." This was exactly what Viserys wanted.
Daenerys reached out to touch the Dragon Bones. She first picked up a bone fragment closest to her. This fragment was somewhat broken, with severe wind erosion covering various scratches. It was a raw material that hadn't been polished. She carefully examined the fragment. It felt cold and rough to the touch, the scratches were marks of time. Daenerys couldn't see anything special about it.
She soon picked up the next one.
Her brother didn't stop her.
Inspecting one after another, Daenerys examined the Dragon Bone raw materials that were obviously the least valuable. Aside from their black color, they seemed to be no different from ordinary stones.
She then moved on to the luxurious items adorned with jewels, carefully feeling them in her hands and examining them closely with her eyes.
She couldn't feel anything, nor could she discern anything. But she said, "How beautiful! Are these really for us?"
"They're on loan, actually. I borrowed them all from Illyrio," Viserys explained. "We'll have to return them in the future. You must be wondering why I borrowed these."
[Can I say it?]
Daenerys tried her best to appear normal, and responded, "Why?"
"These things would only gather dust in the hands of others," Viserys said in Valyrian. "Let me tell you, little sister, magic is hidden within the Dragon Bones, and the same goes for the Dragon Eggs. We are the descendants of the True Dragons; if we can unlock this magic, our goal of restoring the kingdom will be within reach."
A hint of fanaticism flickered in Viserys's eyes as he spoke.
But Daenerys wasn't sure if he was telling the truth or not, speaking in front of the maid.
Daenerys replied in Valyrian, "Really?" She couldn't help but seriously study the expression on Viserys' face.
Viserys continued to answer her in Valyrian, "Rumor has it that in the Shadow Lands of Asshai, there is magic for hatching Dragons. If only there were Dragon Eggs. Dragon Bones are readily available, but Dragon Eggs are hard to find." As he spoke, he casually handed over the Dragon Bone that Daenerys had been toying with.
Two pieces. Daenerys received them, feeling a subtle warmth.
Was it Viserys' hand that warmed it, or was it different from the others? Daenerys fell silent. She would always fall silent when she didn't know what to do.
Viserys looked at her expectantly, "Do you think I'm delusional?"
"No, I just..." Daenerys racked her brains, not knowing what to say at the moment. She said, "I don't know."
Daenerys didn't know what to say, but an impulse in her heart made her bolder. She casually put down the Dragon Bone object Viserys had given her and reached for the sharpened Dragon Bone Arrowhead.
Viserys didn't stop her.
She tested the arrowhead's sharpness with her thumb. "Ah." In a moment of carelessness, the arrowhead pricked her skin, and a bead of blood welled up on her fingertip.
"How careless," Viserys said immediately, hurrying over. He took Daenerys's hand with concern and without hesitation, put her thumb in his mouth.
Daenerys felt her finger enveloped in warmth and moisture.
After a moment, Viserys stopped, saying with concern, "You are too delicate, Daenerys, and that's not good. Lacks royal bearing." He frowned, thinking. "Hmm, let me think. From today on, you will come to me every day." He picked up the Dragon Bone Short Bow at hand. "I'll teach you how to hold a bow, and it will be exercise."
Daenerys couldn't hide the joy in her heart. "Really?"
Viserys replied with a serious expression, "Has your brother ever lied to you?"
Daenerys pretended not to hear him.
"Don't underestimate archery." With that, Viserys stood up and began to demonstrate for Daenerys.
With his left hand gripping the bow, and his right hand holding the string, Viserys stood with his feet slightly apart, his body leaning forward slightly. He stared intently in one direction, then raised the bow and drew the string back.
In a daze, Daenerys watched her brother stand there with the bow, an air of severity suddenly about him, as if he had become a different person.
"Did you see that clearly?" Viserys slowly lowered the bow, relaxing. "Come, it's your turn now."
Daenerys stood up as instructed and reached for the short bow that Viserys solemnly offered. For a moment, Daenerys thought of the story of Aegon the Conqueror.
Viserys told her, "First, learn how to stand. Keep your body straight, feet shoulder-width apart." He placed his hands on Daenerys' shoulders, correcting her habitual head-down posture. He gently nudged her feet apart, so she wouldn't stand with them together, looking timid and unsteady. "Lean forward slightly, while relaxing your shoulders and back. Look up a little. Don't look at me, look over there, at the painting on the wall, do you see it? Don't stare directly, use your peripheral vision."
Viserys corrected her stance, gradually making Daenerys look a bit like an archer.
Then, with his hands on hers, he indicated that he would teach her hands-on: "Control your breathing. Don't tense up, are you nervous?"
Daenerys' heart was pounding: "I…" She was trying very hard to control herself.
Viserys' voice told her, "Don't answer, control your breathing. Follow me, inhale — exhale — inhale — exhale —"
With a few controlled breaths, Daenerys's heartbeat gradually calmed.
He guided Daenerys's hand to the bow: "Hold the bow. Use your thumbs and index fingers to grip the bow handle, and your other fingers should rest on the bowstring. Don't grip the handle too tightly; you should hold it gently."
Daenerys followed his instructions, trying to imitate him.
Viserys adjusted her arm position, teaching her, "Good, now start to draw back the bow."
As she drew the string, Daenerys's fingers were gently guided by Viserys to grasp the bowstring and slowly pull it back. The bowstring was heavier than Daenerys had imagined, but most of the force came from Viserys's hand.
Daenerys tried her best to control her breathing. She remembered to focus on the target.
They drew the bow into a powerful arc.
Viserys continued to instruct her, "Yes, that's it. When you aim at the target, focus your gaze on the arrow tip. Since there's no arrow now, focus on the hand holding the bow, and imagine the arrow is there. Use your peripheral vision. Don't let your hand shake."
The draw took seven or eight breaths, until the target and her own hand seemed to distort in Daenerys's eyes.
"Remember this feeling. Good, lower the bow." Viserys continued speaking, "Remember, Daenerys, there's no arrow now, so you must slowly release the tension when you lower the bow. Dry-firing a bow is very dangerous, and can injure yourself and others, as well as seriously damage the bow. You must keep this in mind."
Daenerys's reply was short: "Yes."
Viserys hummed in satisfaction: "Good."
When the warm hand on hers left, Daenerys couldn't help but feel a little lost. Just now, she tried very hard to listen and learn, but her mind still couldn't help but think about other things.
She thought of Aegon the Conqueror and his sister-wives Visenya and Rhaenys in the stories, wondering if they had ever had such tender moments?
Before the blush could fully rise on her face, Viserys's serious voice interrupted her thoughts: "Alright, now you practice on your own. Start with your stance."
Too much had happened today, and Annie found it difficult to extract information from the fragmented, trivial events of the day. She felt that apart from the beggar king's lie in Valyrian – Dragon Bone, Dragon Egg, magic – the rest was unremarkable, all within expectations.
She needed to carefully consider how to report tonight.
The beggar king's reaction when eavesdropping on the garden conversation was worth mentioning. The master would certainly want to know about that, but the beggar king hid his emotions well, saying very little about the matter.
The beggar king's unusual obsession with Dragon Bones and Dragon Eggs was nothing new, but adding today's Valyrian lies might interest the master. She wasn't sure, but she definitely had to mention it.
The beggar king teaching his sister to use a bow was a new development, though his master might not care about it.
The beggar king and his foolish sister growing closer seemed like something worth mentioning, but what did it mean? The girl seemed to adore her brother, and her brother was a man who rarely spoke the truth.
Annie and Annie's master were both trying to guess the riddles the beggar king had thrown out, speculating on his flamboyant performance, and probing his background.
The beggar king was full of lies.
That was Annie's feeling. Among the people she had secretly spied on, this king's cunning ranked among the highest.
Even this time, she might be sent to serve him.
It just benefited that Lys whore, Doreah. Annie didn't know what the master and the beggar king had discussed in secret, but she heard that Doreah had been settled in the master's side chamber. That bed slave should have been the beggar king's handmaid, and the master had bought that whore for this purpose.
But now the beggar king's handmaid was Annie.
Annie knew very well. If the beggar king asked for her, her master wouldn't refuse.
Annie couldn't help but think about what might happen to her afterward, only to comfort herself that at least the beggar king wasn't bad-looking, and she could endure it as long as he wasn't too perverted. The master had bought her and taught her to read, just for this day.
.....
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(End of Chapter)