Viserys seemed like a different person, becoming exceptionally diligent and hardworking.
Ser William Darry had been the master-at-arms at the Red Keep for many years. He had practically watched Viserys grow up. In his memory, the prince wasn't an easy child to manage, being mischievous and even somewhat unruly.
When Viserys had initially asked him to teach him swordsmanship, he hadn't taken it too seriously. It was likely Viserys would train for a couple of days and then give up because it was too difficult.
However, the courage the silver-haired boy displayed during the recent attack had earned his respect.
And then, the fact that Viserys had personally killed Kevan Lannister and tried to sever his head, only to fail, had genuinely shocked the master-at-arms.
A seemingly innocent and adorable little boy, wielding a longsword and trying to cut off his enemy's head, the sword getting stuck in the neck, blood splattering everywhere; he would probably never forget such a striking contrast.
Perhaps too many terrible things have happened recently, truly affecting him.
The middle-aged man with slightly curly hair knew that a lot had happened recently, things that even an adult might struggle to accept.
However, he was also delighted to see the complete transformation of Viserys, attributing it to a severe shock.
He was utterly loyal to the Iron Throne, just like his elder brother, who served as a Kingsguard.
Therefore, he naturally hoped that Viserys could pull himself together. Only if Viserys became a true 'True Dragon' could House Targaryen make a roaring comeback in the future, seeking revenge.
The middle-aged man leaned on his wooden sword with one hand, standing in place as he pondered other matters.
And at this moment.
Maester Daniel, quite old, shuffled along with some difficulty, hurrying past. He simply nodded to the instructor and Viserys as a greeting, then continued on his way.
"Eh?"
"What's going on?"
Ser William Darry scratched his head, a look of confusion on his face, while Viserys, panting slightly, stood his ground, wiping the sweat from his brow.
The boy watched the old maester's retreating figure for a moment, then turned and asked, "Won't the Maester fall if he walks so fast?"
His swordsmanship teacher was taken aback for a moment, then lowered his head to look at his student.
Sometimes Viserys was as mature as an adult, and sometimes he was as childish as a little boy. No, he was just a little kid.
Ser William Darry couldn't figure out whether Viserys was pretending or not.
And at this moment, he could only shake his head and explain, "Since the Maester is in such a hurry, something important must have happened."
The instructor frowned slightly, his tone a bit somber.
"And his complexion is very poor, it's very likely... this matter is not good."
The air in Egon's Garden was filled with the pleasant scent of pine. Tall black trees towered all around.
There were also wild roses and towering thorn bushes, and cranberries grew in the muddy ground.
Viserys and the instructor were practicing swordsmanship in the distance, while Queen Rhaella was playing with her granddaughter, Rhaenys, on the other side.
Rhaenys had originally wanted to go and play with Viserys, but the Queen told her not to disturb her uncle while he was practicing swordsmanship.
Viserys was Queen Rhaella's last hope. She hoped that her youngest son could be like his famous elder brother, becoming a pillar of the Targaryen family and reclaiming the rule of the Iron Throne.
And at this moment.
Maester Daniel arrived in a rush, his steps unsteady.
The old maester first leaned towards the silver-haired woman, whispering a few words into her ear. Then, he produced an anonymous letter and handed it to her. This was secret intelligence from King's Landing, sent by someone who, though outwardly aligned with the Baratheons, was still secretly supporting the Iron Throne's legitimacy.
The intelligence detailed everything that had recently happened in King's Landing, including a multitude of dire news, even down to the smallest details. Many major events had unfolded before this person's eyes, making the information more precise than the rumors that had circulated recently.
Queen Rhaella had initially seemed slightly puzzled when she heard the maester's words.
They had already fled to Dragonstone, and they had a fleet loyal to the Targaryens. The Baratheon family didn't have a powerful navy.
Dragonstone was, at least for the time being, safe.
Then, the silver-haired woman unfolded the intelligence she had received from Maester Daniel, her eyes scanning the lines.
However, after only a glance, Queen Rhaella's expression abruptly changed. Her eyes reddened, and she raised a slender hand to cover her mouth, tears streaming down her face.
"Your Majesty, the Queen."
Fortunately, the old maester reacted quickly and hurried to support her, or Queen Rhaella would have fainted directly.
The letter brought many bad news.
However, the top news was undoubtedly a bolt from the blue, so that Queen Rhaella couldn't continue reading after just one glance.
Then came the loud weeping.
And Rhaenys, who was accompanying her grandmother, was also stunned on the spot, a bit at a loss.
The young girl knew nothing about the situation in front of her, and didn't even know that her father was dead, and even if she knew, she might not understand.
Then Viserys, who was practicing swordsmanship not far away, and the middle-aged instructor saw this scene and hurried over as well.
The instructor didn't even glance at the intelligence report, but Viserys picked it up, read it over, and fell silent for a moment.
"This…"
Actually, he didn't remember everything that happened during certain periods, but he knew some of the details.
He understood that he couldn't escape his fate, especially now that he had no ability to change the situation.
That was why he was desperately practicing swordsmanship, not to achieve some grand ambition, nor to avenge the Targaryen family's blood debts in the future.
In fact, since he came to this world, he had never seen his father, the infamous 'Mad King' Aerys Targaryen II, the origin of all the stories.
He hadn't seen him even once.
Then he was hastily put on a carriage and fled King's Landing.
Therefore, he had never considered things like 'grand plans' or 'revenge' before.
All he had done was to change his own fate in the future, striving to survive, rather than becoming a 'beggar king' or even dying with a golden crown poured over his head.
"These beasts…"
The silver-haired boy, who was squatting on the ground, finally clenched his fists slightly and spoke.
Even though he had no emotions before, rescuing Rhaenys was just a casual act. He had even considered returning Rhaenys to them if his father sent soldiers to pursue him.
However, now.
After the once-mere words finally transformed into a bloody reality, his nephew Aegon was smashed against a wall, his head crushed, and his sister-in-law, Princess Elia, was raped and murdered by the Mountain, whose hands were still covered in Aegon's blood and brains.
This horrific act could ignite the anger of even the most cowardly man.