Tyrion Lannister, Viserys thought to himself.
A smile curled at the corner of Viserys's mouth; he wanted to verify something. He wanted to see if Tyrion was truly, as others speculated, the child of the original host's father, The Mad King Aerys II, and Tywin's wife, Joanna Lannister.
So he had Blackfyre and the other dragons lower their altitude, slowly circling over Red Keep and gradually approaching the tower where Tyrion was located, carefully sensing the bloodline within Tyrion.
Tyrion watched the dragons constantly approaching him from the sky, his legs going weak with fear, leaving him rooted to the spot. Blackfyre's wings even blotted out the sun, casting a massive shadow over the entire Red Keep below.
His face was pale, but in those mismatched eyes, there was not just fear, but also a more complex emotion.
"The Seven save me," he murmured to himself. "These dragons really are more terrifying than the legends."
Tyrion thought back to his childhood.
Once, his favorite uncle, Gerion, asked him what gift he wanted for his name day. He said he wanted a dragon. Gerion laughed and told him that dragons had been extinct for over a hundred years; they were gone.
At the time, he refused to believe it and pestered Gerion to tell him stories about dragons. So Gerion told him about Aegon, about Balerion The Black Dread, about Vhagar, and about Meraxes.
He had heard those stories countless times afterward, but he enjoyed them every single time. He had also imagined what a dragon looked like countless times, but only after seeing one with his own eyes did he realize his imagination could never compare to reality.
He used to dream of having a dragon, of one day being able to ride a dragon into the sky and look down upon the world.
Now, dragons had truly returned, but they were here to kill him. He started to wish he had never seen a dragon at all.
Fate really is a thing that likes to play jokes, he thought to himself, then closed his eyes, preparing to welcome his death.
Inside a room in Maegors Holdfast within Red Keep, Sansa Stark stood by the window, watching the dragons circling in the sky. Her hands gripped the windowsill tightly, and her gray eyes shimmered with tears.
That was a real dragon, and on the back of that three-headed dragon was Viserys Targaryen, her only hope now.
She took a deep breath and thought silently to herself that perhaps he would just land in front of her and take her away.
Unfortunately, she knew that was impossible. She could only pray that the dragons would breach King's Landing as soon as possible and pray that she would eventually leave this place alive.
Every time a Dragon Roar from the sky shook the heavens, Sansa's heart would surge along with it.
After taking Rhaenys for a few more circles around King's Landing, Viserys returned directly to the army camp, not killing Tyrion immediately.
He had now confirmed that Tyrion did indeed have Targaryen blood in his body; the dragons could sense it. Unfortunately, he had no desire to acknowledge this Targaryen bastard.
"Your Majesty." After he landed, Duke Connington walked to his side and asked, "When can we begin the siege?"
Viserys looked at the city ahead, at the panicked soldiers on the walls, and said, "Tomorrow. Tomorrow morning, we attack. Let everyone rest well tonight. Also, send word to Duke William that they are to attack from the Mud Gate tomorrow morning. We will enter directly through the Kings Gate."
Although he hadn't attacked King's Landing directly just now, and there were still some Lannister soldiers desperately maintaining order, chaos and fear had completely spread throughout the city.
At this moment, Tyrion was still standing in the same spot, but he had opened his eyes and was looking in the direction where the dragons had departed. He suddenly felt that the wildfire he had prepared might be completely useless.
"My lord." At that moment, a voice suddenly spoke from behind Tyrion.
Tyrion turned around and saw Varys, who had appeared behind him at some unknown time.
"Eunuch, how do you walk without making a sound?" Tyrion said, somewhat exasperated.
Varys smiled slightly and replied, "It's a talent, Lord Hand. Why did you send someone to find me?"
"Varys, did you see the dragons just now? They are truly massive." Tyrion turned back around after speaking, ignoring Varys's question for a moment.
"I saw them, my lord. Dragons are indeed the foundation upon which the House Targaryen was able to conquer the Seven Kingdoms." Varys replied in a tone that seemed shocked by the dragons earlier.
Tyrion turned around, staring intently at Varys, and asked solemnly, "What do you think the smallfolk in the city who saw the dragons are thinking? Is anyone plotting something in the shadows?"
Varys was silent for a moment before saying, "What the smallfolk think, my lord, you can see for yourself. The soldiers you've conscripted have no heart for the fight. As for plots in the shadows... that's been happening for a long time. I can confirm that some people are secretly connecting, wanting to open the city gates and surrender when the Targaryens attack."
"Do you know who they are?" Tyrion asked quickly.
"Some minor merchants, a few low-ranking officers, and some remnants who supported the House Targaryen during the War of the Usurper," Varys said. "However, I've already arranged for people to watch them. If you need, you can send men to arrest them at any time."
Tyrion nodded approvingly and said, "Don't move against them for now. Keep them; they might have other uses."
"Oh? What does my lord intend?" Varys asked curiously.
A flash of cunning crossed Tyrion's eyes. He walked to the edge of the tower, stood on his tiptoes to look down at the still-chaotic city, and spoke slowly, "If they want to open the gates, then let them. But not now, and not in their way. Viserys comes with his dragons, full of momentum, surely believing victory is in his grasp. We might as well set a small trap for him. These people who want to surrender are our best bait."
He paused, turned his head to look at Varys, and continued, "Think about it. When Viserys thinks the gates will swing open for him and his most elite troops pour in without defense, only to be greeted not by cheers but by the'surprise' we've carefully prepared—what kind of scene would that be?"
Varys looked at him and offered a flattering smile, saying, "My lord is indeed clever."
"I'm just trying hard to stay alive, so I have to consider a bit more." Tyrion turned, looking toward Viserys's army camp in the distance, and asked, "Varys, you've met Viserys Targaryen before. What kind of person do you think he is?"
Dear Reader,
A special 60% discount offer available Don't miss this opportunity to enjoy your favorite stories at a greatly reduced price.
The offer is available for a limited time only — grab it before it ends!
Ãdvåñçé çhàptêr àvàilàble óñ pàtreøn luffy1898