"Ha!"
On the training ground, Vada vigorously swung the longsword in her hand, launching fierce attacks at Harold with every move. Her immense strength and the agile variations of her moves initially left him, Daenerys's sworn knight, struggling to keep up, drawing cheers from the onlookers.
However, as an excellent knight from the Dalkin Family, Harold's combat prowess was renowned even within the Seven Kingdoms. Moreover, after Cameron took command of the Dragon Guard, his strength advanced by leaps and bounds, so he quickly adapted to Vada's rhythm.
Seven knights from the Dalkin Family of Duskendale had served in the Kingsguard throughout the history of Westeros, making them the only family in the Seven Kingdoms to hold this honor. Furthermore, their ancestors had intermarried with the Targaryen Family, though the bloodline is now very faint.
Harold's brother, Ser Stephen Dalkin, is currently the youngest white cloak in King Jaehaerys's Kingsguard. This demonstrates how exceptional the knights of the Dalkin Family are.
"Miss Vada, pretty moves aren't necessarily useful in a life-or-death struggle!"
"A knight's sword is only for slaying and guarding, not for looking good."
Harold and Cameron had followed Daenerys to Dragonstone. They had plundered many pirates on the Narrow Sea, making them true battle-hardened knights, which made their moves very direct and practical.
Every move was decisive, so after a few quarters of an hour, Vada slowly fell into a disadvantage due to excessive physical exertion, and was finally seized by Harold who used the flat of his sword to knock her down.
"Tsk~"
Such a ruthless act against a lady drew gasps of disapproval from his brothers towards Harold.
"Ser Harold really doesn't know how to be gentle with women. No wonder he's in his twenties and still doesn't have a girlfriend!"
Besani pouted, clearly displeased with Harold's actions.
Margaery pinched her cheek and comforted her, "Oh, you! Ser Harold didn't hold back against Vada precisely out of respect. There's never any mercy in a knight's duel."
As expected of Margaery, Vada, who had struggled to her feet, respectfully bowed to Harold and said, "Thank you, I've learned a lot! You are a truly powerful knight, no wonder you can stand behind Her Royal Highness!"
Harold also smiled at Vada and said, "You're very good too, stronger than most knights who have fallen to me!"
Vada, with confidence and defiance, challenged Harold, "Within a year, I guarantee it will be you lying on the ground!"
"Oh~ Vada is mighty~"
Seeing Vada's spirit, everyone cheered for her. It was clear that the Dragon Guard, who were often put through harsh training by Harold, really wanted to see Harold get defeated.
"Actually, Ser Harold already has a son and a daughter, and they even have silver hair and purple eyes!"
Little Shirei's sudden remark stunned all the ladies-in-waiting who were watching the commotion from upstairs.
Even Daenerys looked at Shirei with disbelief and asked, "How do you know that?"
"Clang~"
Shirei waved her hand, summoning her prairie hawk, and took out a piece of dried meat from her personal pouch to feed it, saying, "Of course, I saw it through Atina's eyes!"
Everyone was instantly captivated by the huge secret Shirei had revealed, so they immediately surrounded her and began to inquire about the detailed specifics.
A woman's gossip fire burns the brightest!
"Your Royal Highness, we were negligent!"
Back in the room, Dona immediately apologized to Daenerys. As Daenerys's head attendant in the Red Keep, she was indeed somewhat derelict in her duties regarding this matter. However, it was understandable, as their attention had been entirely focused on Daenerys's potential enemies and the various noble families.
Therefore, some oversight regarding those close to Daenerys was unavoidable, but this also served as a wake-up call for both Daenerys and Dona. If they completely ignored those around them, any unforeseen changes could lead to immense harm and impact.
However, Dona's efficiency was quite good; by the time she came to apologize, complete information about Harold's mistress had already been collected.
"This woman named Vera is a descendant of the bastard bloodline of Prince Aegon the Uncrowned. Because her mother was from Lys, she also has silver hair and purple eyes."
"Vera and her younger brother operate a bakery in King's Landing. They met Ser Harold when he helped them during an incident where they were being harassed by ruffians, leading to their relationship."
"However, Vera did not want her background to affect Ser Harold's future, so she refused his marriage proposal and chose to be his lover instead!"
...
Daenerys wasn't particularly interested in Harold's romantic affairs. However, with Earl Reyes and his allies about to move against Marquis Frey, Daenerys instructed Dona and her team to immediately expand their surveillance and intelligence gathering to include all nobles in King's Landing, to prevent any uncontrollable events from occurring.
At the same time, she utilized the intelligence channels of Master of Whisperers, Maester Dean Ogian, and the network of Dragon Kiss Garden to meticulously re-examine the latest movements of the Seven Kingdoms and the great families.
"The Blinken Family, the Faith, the Citadel?!"
Looking at the information before her, Daenerys felt that this operation targeting the Frey Family far exceeded her previous assessment.
It seemed that Earl Reyes and the hidden hands behind him weren't merely trying to send a message to Daenerys's supporters; they were clearly weaving a larger dark web to ensnare Daenerys and the Viserys lineage.
"So what is their reliance? House Velaryon? Red Queen Meleys? These alone cannot contend with the power Daenerys controls!"
"These people are not that foolish. What kind of trump card are they still hiding?"
In the Godswood of the Red Keep, Daenerys placed her hands on the Weirwood, carefully examining the historical imprints left on the Weirwood by the families preparing to make their move, trying to find any clues within them.
"The Seven Gods and the Old Gods?!"
Daenerys suddenly understood something. The people making a move this time were clearly families devoutly faithful to the Seven Gods, while those on Daenerys's side who might be affected were more or less connected to the Old Gods' faith.
Vada and her mother's family, the Blackwood Family, are one of the few great families in the South that still worship the Old Gods. The only condition for Blinkon to join Earl Reyes and their scheme this time was to drag the Blackwood Family into it as well.
"Could that damned Three-Eyed Raven be behind this too?"
If that damned fellow truly was involved, then things would certainly not be simple.
"It seems I was too soft-hearted towards the Faith and the Citadel in Oldtown. I actually gave them an opportunity to launch a counterattack against me!"
"But this time, you will surely regret it!"
"Your Royal Highness, His Majesty the King summons you for an audience!"
Ser Ryan, the Kingsguard Captain, personally brought the summons, which immediately made Daenerys realize that something important was about to happen. So, she quickly followed him to King Jaehaerys's study.
"What? You want me to be an envoy to Braavos at this time?!"
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