Game of Thrones: The Wrath of the Sleeping Dragon

She was voluptuous and beautiful, of noble birth, with a high nose bridge, thin lips, and eyes that seemed to possess an innate allure. Her movements were elegant and seductive.

The Sand Snake sisters also attended the Targaryen's dinner party, but they paled in comparison to Arianne, even the sweet-looking Treyne who frequently seduced Viserys.

Seeing that Viserys's gaze was entirely fixed on Arianne, the sweet-looking girl with blonde hair couldn't help but pout, and slammed her knife and fork heavily onto the plate.

However, there were many people attending the family banquet this time, and the noisy dining room in the palace didn't attract anyone's attention. Only her eldest sister, Obaya, glared at her troublemaking younger sister once again.

Obaya can still keep her sisters in check now, but as they grow older, she may find herself unable to keep up.

Jon Clinton, Viserys' newly appointed advisor, was also present at the dinner party, along with the new Chancellor of the Exchequer, Illyrio Mopatis, and the Prince of Raggedy.

Although the ragged prince was forced to massacre the governor's family of Pentos during the bloody night, he offended almost all of Pentos' traditional nobles.

However, after ascending to the throne of Prince of Pentos, the ragged prince still wanted to reintegrate into the traditional aristocracy.

So the ragged prince took the initiative to return to his former family and restored his surname and given name, which he had forgotten for many years.

"Harriman Quick"

As for the previous prince who had the surname Rodney, the ragged prince originally wanted to pardon this poor man who shared his plight.

But he later learned that Prince Rodney had also been reduced to ashes by a single burst of dragonfire from Viserys's dragon in the palace.

Young Aegon, who had just returned to the family and reunited with his relatives, naturally attended the family dinner and sat quietly next to his adoptive father Jon Snow.

Viserys didn't give his nephew a very detailed introduction, and only Ariane noticed the silver-haired boy.

Then all attention was focused on Viserys.

Princess Dorne sat beside Viserys, her faint fragrance wafting into his nostrils.

Even during the banquet, Arianne 'inadvertently' got close to Viserys several times, resulting in several physical collisions.

Viserys, on the other hand, behaved with great restraint, neither resisting nor infatuating, knowing when to advance and when to retreat, his eyes remaining serene throughout.

However, this only made Arianne even more satisfied with Viserys.

After the banquet ended and the guests left, Viserys bent down and ruffled Aegon's hair, showing him affection.

Young Aegon was very sensible and polite, calling Viserys "uncle," while "accidentally" or "slipping his tongue" calling Arianne "aunt."

This made Arianne smile, and then she gently kissed little Aegon on the forehead.

Meanwhile, among the Sand Snake sisters on the other side, Trinity watched this scene with a pout.

She didn't particularly like Viserys; rather, she enjoyed being the center of attention in any situation.

She feels very uncomfortable if she can't be the center of attention.

"Humph."

"This kid is young, but he's quite cunning."

Treyne watched as Arianne gently kissed Egan's forehead and snorted coldly.

The Sand Snake sisters are both Oberyn's illegitimate children. Before they were found, they lived various lives with their respective mothers.

Life's vicissitudes have given them a wealth of experience that most people lack, despite their young age.

Trinity saw right through Aegon's little scheme.

Her sister, Nymeria, watched the scene with indifference; her mother came from a noble family in a trading city-state.

Although Nymeria had always looked down on her sisters, she surprisingly agreed with Treyne's point of view at this moment.

"Aren't all the people living in the Wang family like this, living with a mask on all the time?"

Namelia gave a soft hum and spoke.

"Do you think Arianne can't see it, or Viserys can't?"

On the other side...

As a small theater in the eyes of the Sand Snake sisters, Viserys and Aegon chatted briefly before he asked the maid to take the boy away to rest early.

Then he took Arianne out for a walk.

The two had only heard of each other's names before but had never met. However, an engagement forced them to come together, which was equivalent to a matchmaking arrangement. In fact, most noble couples were forcibly brought together through balls or this kind of matchmaking arrangement.

The letter written by Prince Doran was undoubtedly a form of pressure, compelling Viserys to fulfill the promise he made years ago.

Viserys, who had nothing at the time, could not refuse Dorne's kindness and could only postpone it for the time being, citing his young age.

However, he is about to hold his coming-of-age ceremony this year, and it has reached the point where it can no longer be delayed. After all, although Dorn wants to avenge Princess Elia, he also has to pay attention to his immediate interests.

The Iron Throne can promise a princess a marriage to Quentin Martell, but Viserys is so slow and indecisive, even finding a wife is a struggle.

Therefore, Viserys had reached a point where he had no choice but to proceed. Although he currently had no feelings for Ariane, noble marriages were never based on affection but on interests.

The king was just a slightly higher-ranking nobleman.

Viserys's brother Rhaegar is a prime example of someone who, in pursuit of love, ultimately destroyed an entire nation.

Afterwards, Viserys took Ariane's soft little hand and took another walk in the palace under the cover of night.

And on the second day.

A rumor spread rapidly throughout the city of Pentos.

Chapter 240 Rumors

A rumor spread rapidly.

Yesterday, Viserys briefly introduced Aegon's identity at the family dinner, but somehow the news was leaked.

The news spread slowly throughout the city of Pentos the next day, without causing any major uproar.

After all, the people of Pentos were still somewhat unfamiliar with Viserys, and they were even more bewildered by his nephew who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

However, it was a month later that the matter truly took effect.

...

Then, another month passed.

Viserys has been in Pentos for two months since the 'Crimson Night' began.

Pentos gradually emerged from the shadow of that bloody night two months prior and slowly began to restore normal order. People seemed to have forgotten that a new ruler had taken over their lives.

Meanwhile, rumors about Aegon, which were gradually spreading, began to reach Viserys' ears.

These rumors were roughly divided into several versions, with some saying that the suddenly picked-up little Egon was Jon Clinton's own illegitimate son.

Some people say he was a Valyrian remnant whom Illyrio found from somewhere.

After all, there are still a large number of people with silver hair and purple eyes in places like Volantis and Lys, who survived the Valyrian catastrophe.

The last theory is that Aegon was Illyrio's own illegitimate son, since he was the one who gave Aegon to Jon Clinton. As for where he found Aegon, that remains unknown.

When these rumors reached Viserys' ears, he ordered a thorough investigation into their origin. However, although a few 'rats' who were spreading rumors were caught, too much time had passed to trace the source back to the beginning.

Jon Clinton then heard that Viserys was thoroughly investigating the matter, and rushed to the palace atop the Nine Towers that very night to explain to Viserys in person.

"This must be a conspiracy by the usurpers!"

"His Majesty!"

...

Jon, in a state of utter confusion, explained to Viserys.

The rumor continued to spread, reaching King's Landing across the Narrow Sea and landing on King Robert's desk.

The information was provided by Intelligence Minister Varys, but the chubby bald man was inwardly groaning.

Many of you here were witnesses to what happened many years ago.

First Hand Jon Arryn frequently turned to look at Varys, his eyes filled with undisguised suspicion.

Prince Rhaegar's eldest son, Aegon Targaryen, was killed by the Mountain and also raped and murdered Elia Martell, an event known to many throughout the Seven Kingdoms.

However, Princess Ilya could not be replaced, but a baby is still easily switched.

Furthermore, Ser Gregor Clegane did not know Young Aegon; he simply rushed in, snatched the child from the woman's arms, and threw it against the wall to his death.

When Tywin Lannister arrived, he was the first to arrive. Although he had seen Aegon the baby, he could not identify the body of the infant with his head smashed open.

Tywin then wrapped the bodies of Elia and her child in his gold and red cloak and presented it to Robert Baratheon, who had just entered the city.

From that point on, everyone accepted the fact that Ilya and her son were dead.

Apart from Aemon Targaryen, who served at the Wall and has been forgotten by the world, the remaining Targaryen remnants are...

That left only Queen Layla, who had fled with Prince Viserys. Before Viserys was put into the carriage, he reached out and pulled Layla onto it, thus saving the girl's life and preventing her from suffering a terrible fate.

This matter is a thing of the past that has been buried for many years.

Apart from Tywin and Varys, who personally experienced the event, everyone, including Robert and Jon Arryn, believed that the matter had long been settled.

I never expected that things would suddenly take a turn for the worse at this point.

However, Aegon's sudden 'resurrection' does not actually change the current situation of the Iron Throne.

Because the pillar supporting House Targaryen right now is Viserys.

This former Targaryen prince raised his banner on the continent of Essos, conquering a vast territory through numerous campaigns.

His army commanders and soldiers weren't drawn by the Targaryen name, but by Viserys' personal influence and power.

Therefore, Aegon's appearance was merely to reassure Viserys's subordinates before he had left any offspring.

Once Viserys left behind offspring, Aegon would continue to be marginalized, becoming a dispensable figure.

This event is neither a good thing nor a bad thing for the Iron Throne.

Everyone knew that Aegon hadn't come out earlier or later, so his sudden appearance now was just a ploy to get a share of the spoils.

However, Viserys, who knew the whole story, took a more tactful approach.

Even if he didn't care about Jon Snow, he still had to consider Reyne's feelings and his brother Rhaegar's. He couldn't let Aegon be killed the moment he jumped out.

He can't prove that Aegon is really Aegon, but he also has no evidence to directly deny it. What if he really is?

Moreover, he wasn't just some random person who jumped out and claimed to be Aegon; he was backed by Jon Clinton, Illyrio, Varys, and a whole host of others. Viserys had to keep him at least for now.

In any era, bearing the title of 'kinslayer' is no more honorable than Jaime Lannister's title of 'Kingslayer'.