The Upper Rhoyne seemed to have settled back into its usual tranquil state, the rushing river waters reflecting shimmering ripples of light under the bright sun like an expensive silk ribbon.
Atop this ribbon, numerous small boats crisscrossed back and forth, ferrying wave after wave of captives toward Gohor.
There were one hundred and thirty thousand prisoners in total.
Aside from the forty thousand or so from Braavos, there were fully ninety thousand soldiers from Westeros.
Transporting and housing them all was by no means a simple undertaking.
Years ago, Viserys might have treated the latter group as bargaining chips, waiting for the Sealord to hand over grain and coin to ransom them.
But now, whether they were soldiers from Braavos or Westeros, he could do no such thing.
They had to be fed and maintained for the time being, forced into heavy labor such as digging mines.
Handling these prisoners significantly slowed the Targaryen advance toward Braavos, yet it afforded Viserys a rare moment of respite.
In the gardens of the Dragon Palace, Viserys was strolling alongside Clinton, discussing the current affairs of Westeros.
"Your Grace, regarding Dorne and Highgarden, I believe we could extend a measured degree of goodwill."
"Their failure to answer the call to defend the crown requires only light punishment," Clinton suggested.
Clinton feared that possessing absolute military power might turn Viserys into a warmonger, like a man holding a hammer who sees everything as a nail.
Though House Martell and House Tyrell had not sent troops to support the king, they had tied down a portion of Robert's forces to some extent.
Being overly harsh on them now might make reclaiming the Iron Throne far more difficult.
"Lord Hand, I understand your concerns.
Under circumstances where we were virtually at war with the entire world, their choices are understandable.
But their failure to remain loyal is still a fact, and I cannot simply overlook it," Viserys replied.
Hearing Viserys say this, Clinton felt somewhat relieved and asked, "Then what is your intention, Your Grace?"
"I intend to reform the laws and set up high courts. The practice of trial by combat ends now."
Viserys planned to use this opportunity to centralize judicial power across the Seven Kingdoms, taking his first step toward absolute control.
Although he had no immediate plans to march on the Iron Throne, exerting his influence through his present strength required little effort.
He had already implemented this in Gohor.
While he granted land to loyal retainers, he withheld all judicial authority from them, and trial by combat was strictly forbidden.
'It seems the world will soon behold a monarch more formidable than any before,' Clinton thought as he looked into Viserys' increasingly majestic eyes.
As the two walked through the Dragon Palace gardens, it was clear the space was no longer suited for the fully grown dragons, which had allowed the grounds to be redesigned and renovated.
Up ahead, they saw Elia and Arianne enthusiastically preparing to remodel the gardens.
Arianne quickly noticed Viserys.
Seeing her approach, Clinton leaned in and murmured softly, "Your Grace, you are seventeen now."
"Hmm? What?"
Viserys looked at Clinton in surprise, but the Hand merely smiled and walked away.
Though Arianne was the same age as Viserys, she was much shorter.
Even standing on her tiptoes, her head reached only to his shoulder.
Yet her figure was lush and full, bringing to mind a cluster of translucent, glistening grapes.
"Your Grace," Arianne greeted him, walking forward with a radiant smile.
Viserys looked at her, then instinctively glanced past her toward Elia.
But he saw only Elia's retreating back, as if she and Clinton shared a silent understanding.
In an instant, the garden was empty of everyone except the handmaidens and the two of them.
To put it plainly, stripped of their titles and royal duties, they were simply a young man and a young woman standing alone together.
A scent resembling sweet oranges drifted from Arianne, prompting Viserys to subtly breathe it in.
The fragrance of citrus mingled with the maiden's natural scent, and hormones began to take hold.
Purple eyes met black eyes, each reflecting the image of the other. Their breathing grew noticeably heavy.
Out of propriety, Viserys had not intended to keep staring into her eyes.
But Arianne's gaze was fiery and intense; looking away now would make him feel like her prey.
When Tormo joined forces with Volantis and the Slaver's Bay coalition to declare war on him, Viserys had told Arianne she was free to leave at any time.
Yet the girl had chosen to stay.
Perhaps in another timeline, she was a woman who used her body as leverage to gain what she wanted.
But now, it was time to let her experience the true might of a dragonlord.
Mmm!
A mixture of disbelief and delight flashed in Arianne's eyes. She had not expected Viserys to lean in and kiss her on his own initiative.
The surrounding handmaidens were equally startled. Rumors had long circulated among them that Viserys preferred men.
Though spoken of only in quiet whispers, a young man past seventeen who had yet to taste the forbidden fruit was a rare sight, whether he was a king or a farmer's son.
Viserys bent down while Arianne tilted her head up.
The height difference made the posture slightly awkward, but both were too consumed to care.
Saliva gathered and was drawn back and forth, the soft sound making the rest of the world seem utterly silent.
Arianne felt breathless, as if she were soaring higher and higher into the sky, leaving mountains and white clouds far below her feet.
After an unmeasurable time, a flushed, breathy Arianne clung to Viserys like a snake wrapped around his body.
"Take me," Arianne whispered into his ear, her arms clasped tightly around his neck.
Viserys gathered her soft, limber body into his arms and carried her back to his chambers.
From noon until the moon climbed above the treetops, neither could recall how many times they explored each other.
Arianne rested lazily against Viserys' chest, listening to the heartbeat inside his ribs thumping like a war drum.
Her eyes darted as a mischievous thought crossed her mind.
"Viserys, have you ever kissed another woman before?"
"I am not telling you," Viserys replied with a slight smirk.
"I have," Arianne said, closing her eyes tight while her entire body tensed.
She could feel the spark of jealousy ignite within the young man beside her.
'Damn it, was I still a step too late?' Viserys thought in frustration, casting a glance at the patch of red on the bedsheets.
"With Obara," she added.
"Prince Oberyn's daughter?"
"Mm-hmm. She guided me through it, saying if I had no experience, my teeth might clash during my first time."
Noticing Viserys' mood gradually settle down, a victorious grin spread across Arianne's face, though her head remained buried so he could not see it.
Viserys suddenly remembered that in the original timeline, Arianne's greatest pleasure was enjoying men alongside her Sand Snake cousins.
His feelings at the moment were undeniably complex.
However, Arianne soon brought up another matter that thoroughly displeased Viserys—
So much so that he began considering ending their physical relationship right then and there, keeping her by his side purely as a guest without ever letting her bear his child.
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