"Go to Valyria?" Ser Jonothor Darry asked, shocked, his face full of disapproval. "Your Majesty, it is now nothing but ruins, a cursed place. The Doom destroyed everything: smoke, poisonous gas, lava, and terrifying things that are said to still roam there.
For hundreds of years, countless explorers, treasure hunters, and desperadoes have sailed there, but only one in ten thousand has returned, and most of those who did were either mad or died soon after. It is a death zone cursed by the gods."
Ser Willem, though equally shocked, was more cautious. "Your Majesty, dreams may have other profound meanings. Rashly going to the ruins of Valyria carries too great a risk.
We are now establishing ourselves in Braavos, and the situation is still unclear. Moreover, you bear the heavy responsibility of revitalizing the Targaryen Family and must not put yourself in danger. Perhaps this dream is a warning of other perils, or symbolizes some difficulty we need to overcome."
Ser Arthur looked at Viserys's resolute eyes, knowing the young king had made up his mind. He said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, if this dream is truly some kind of guidance, why does it appear now, and why in Valyria?
Aside from destruction and death, what there could be related to you and the future of the Targaryen? If it's about dragons, we already have dragon eggs. You said before that dragons would surely return."
"Intuition," he whispered, then repeated, "The first thing I learned since I gained the 'Dreamwalker' talent was to trust this intuition; it led me to the dragon eggs.
Now, it shows me the Valyrian Freehold again. I believe there is something I need there that can help the family's revival. Ser Arthur, you just mentioned dragon eggs. But how are dragon eggs hatched? The Targaryen have not had dragons for a long time.
Ancient records are vague, only mentioning the maxim 'blood and fire.' Dragonstone has no answer, nor does Braavos. Valyria is the origin of dragons, the source of magic. If there is one place in this world that might hide the secret to awakening dragons, it can only be Valyria."
His gaze swept over the three loyal knights. "I am not going to blindly seek death. But we cannot be forever trapped in Braavos; trade and mercenary missions will not win back the iron throne.
Robert, Tywin, and the other rebellious nobles will not let us go. The olive branch extended by Dorne also has thorns; their support requires us to have sufficient strength to back it up, otherwise, we will be the ones eaten clean. We now need a force to break the deadlock, a force that can truly turn the tide. So, I must go and see the place guided by the dragon dream."
"But Your Majesty..." Ser Jon still wanted to dissuade him.
"My mind is made up." Viserys raised his hand to stop him, his tone brooking no argument. "But I will also act cautiously, first making a thorough plan before entering Valyria. However, Ser Jon, you are advanced in years but rich in experience, so I would like to ask you to stay and protect Daenerys and Rhaenys, as well as all the women and children of our staff. Their safety is more important than my personal adventure. If something truly happens to me, I ask you to continue to support Daenerys."
He then looked at Willem Darry. "Ser Willem, your organizational skills are unmatched. After I leave, you will be in full charge of all external affairs here in Braavos. Continue to engage with merchants, expand trade routes, manage finances, have the remaining soldiers participate in suitable mercenary missions, and maintain discipline and combat effectiveness. At the same time, closely monitor news from Westeros and Essos. This place is our temporary root and needs stability."
Finally, he looked at Arthur Dayne. "Ser Arthur, you will select the personnel to accompany me to Valyria. I need a capable team, numbering between one hundred fifty and two hundred people, who must be the bravest and most skilled fighters. Do not use too many ships; two will suffice. Announce that we are sailing to Volantis for trade. This team will be under your command to protect my safety."
Viserys's arrangements were clear and methodical, showing both his determination and his caution. The three knights exchanged glances, seeing worry in each other's eyes, but also the young king's unwavering resolve.
"Your Majesty," Ser Arthur knelt on one knee, hand over his heart, "I will follow you to the death and protect your safety. I will select the most elite warriors and make full preparations."
Ser Willem also bowed deeply. "As you command, Your Majesty. I will oversee things here in Braavos and will not fail your trust."
Ser Jon looked at Viserys, finally sighed, and lowered his aged head. "May the Seven, no, may the ancient Valyrian gods bless you, Your Majesty. Please, please be extremely careful. I will protect Princess Daenerys and Princess Rhaenys."
The plan was thus set. In the following days, everything was being meticulously prepared for the journey to Valyria. Ser Arthur screened personnel like a sieve, eventually selecting one hundred eighty warriors, of whom over one hundred twenty were veteran soldiers from the Dragonstone fleet and castle guards.
The rest were also free knights who had been strictly vetted and had good reputations. Most of them were nobles who had originally pledged allegiance to the Dragon family in Westeros, but were now ostracized by the iron throne and had crossed the sea to Essos to serve under Viserys.
The two ships were also the fastest and highest quality in the fleet. However, they were reinforced and modified, as this voyage was quite long and the destination was the dangerous ruins of Valyria.
They also bought some sailing charts to Volantis in Braavos, because Volantis is the closest free trade city-state to Valyria. They planned to rest and regroup there first, and also gather detailed intelligence about Valyria.
Daenerys and Rhaenys were naturally extremely worried when they learned that Viserys was going to a dangerous place. Seven-year-old Daenerys cried, clutching her brother's sleeve and refusing to let go. Rhaenys, though a few years older, tried to maintain a princess's composure, but her pale face and tearful eyes betrayed her concern.
Since birth, Daenerys had only her brother Viserys and her niece Rhaenys as family, so she often asked Viserys to sleep with her at night, sometimes with Rhaenys as well, and would ask Viserys to tell stories about their family and Westeros. Now that Viserys was leaving for a long time, they were naturally very reluctant to see him go.
Viserys spent a long time comforting them, assuring them that there was no danger this time, and that Ser Arthur and the bravest warriors would protect him and ensure his safe return. He also reiterated that while they remained in Braavos, they should listen to Miss Ashara.
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