"Ho! The bear!" Viserys' Seagull scratched his head with his claws, quickly recalling the storyline involving Jorah Mormont, the bear. In the original tale, he met the siblings at Dany's wedding to the Horselord. Despite being captivated by Dany's beauty, he chose to spy for King's Landing, constantly feeding them information about the Viserys siblings. Later, as he fell in love with Dany, he became entirely devoted to her. Before that, he had been serving the Second Sons.
"What's going on? Why is he now a spy for King's Landing? And why is he plotting with Kyla to assassinate Dany and me?" Viserys' Seagull pondered intensely.
In the original plot, if Viserys hadn't traveled back in time, he would have fled Braavos six months earlier, warned by Dragon Dreams. It would have been difficult for King's Landing to locate the siblings, which is why they met by chance at Dany's wedding. But because Viserys had traveled back in time, he not only failed to escape Braavos but also caused quite a stir, attracting King's Landing's attention. Dany, also in the Free Cities, heard about it. Perhaps, like in the original storyline, Jorah sought amnesty by providing information to King's Landing, leading him to Braavos.
From his perch, Viserys' Seagull listened intently as Jorah and Kyla discussed their assassination plan.
"I've already approached Viserys as a maid, but he's too vigilant, and I haven't had a chance to strike," Kyla reported.
"What about poisoning?" Jorah asked.
"No, he keeps a dog and always lets the dog eat first," Kyla replied.
Lying is a necessary skill for an assassin. Jorah scratched his eyebrows, sensing Viserys' excessive caution.
"I heard he's good at martial arts?" Jorah asked.
"Yes, far better than the average person," Kyla confirmed.
"How can this be?" Jorah was perplexed, unable to understand the source of Viserys' martial prowess.
Kyla and Viserys' Seagull observed Jorah silently, curious about his next move.
"Well, isn't he going to participate in the Swordsmanship Competition? Let's assess his strength there," Jorah decided.
"Very well, my lord. I'll wait for your news," Kyla replied.
Jorah nodded. Since leaving Bear Island, no one had called him "My lord." Before departing, he glanced at Viserys' Seagull on the wall, but saw nothing suspicious.
"My lord, what should we do now?" Kyla turned to Viserys' Seagull and asked.
Viserys' Seagull stared back in silence, unable to speak. Kyla, realizing her mistake, apologized, "I'm sorry, my lord, I forgot that you can't speak right now."
Rolling his eyes, Viserys' Seagull took flight and soared away.
He flew around and found more than a dozen wandering singers and bards playing "Sailor". However, most of these performers were on the fringes of the festival, while the centre was dominated by the Nightingale's musicians. Suddenly Viserys' seagull heard a dispute in the distance and flew over to investigate.
He saw two groups of people in conflict, pushing and shoving each other.
"Listen to 'Sailor'! We were here first!"
"No, listen to 'Purple Wave'! We were here first!"
It seemed "Purple Wave" was a song from the Nightingale's side.
"You! Sing 'Purple Waves' for a day, and I'll give you 20 gold dragons!" one man shouted.
"I'll give 30! Sing 'Sailor'!" another countered.
In the end, the group wanting to hear "Purple Waves" won out, being more numerous and able to pay more. However, Viserys' Seagull noticed there were still plenty of people who preferred "Sailor." As time passed, the trend moved not only towards the outer areas but also towards the center of the festival. With two more days to go, "Sailor" seemed to be gaining popularity.
He then flew towards the three houses that had gathered near the Titan of Braavos. These houses owned property in the area and thus had secured good spots. To his surprise, he saw Tormo Fregar and Roth Zalyne sitting together, chatting happily.
"This is my House Fregar's mead. Would you like to try some?" Tormo offered.
"No, thanks. I brought tea from The Reach," Roth replied.
Without needing to ask, Roth's servant poured him a cup of tea. What Roth didn't realize was that House Fregar's preference for sweet wine meant they had the lowest level of lead poisoning among the three houses. However, Roth had switched to tea made with water straight from the Long Canal, so he didn't have to worry.
When Tormo learned that Methys had filled the soap vacancy, he immediately approached House Zalyne. The conversation did not go well. Tormo assumed Viserys had offered significant benefits or value to win House Zalyne's loyalty. But now, it seemed House Zalyne was willing to go to war with him for the survival of their lineage.
Could Viserys have solved the problem of House Zalyne not having a healthy child for nearly 20 years? Tormo couldn't fathom how a young kid could have such abilities, nor why Roth and his wife believed in him. It would take at least a dozen years to verify any solution.
"Haha, that's right. Lord Roth has a broad perspective, but I wonder if the swordsman you've chosen shares your business acumen?" Tormo Fregar quipped.
Over the years, House Zalyne had declined due to a lack of a successor. With fewer people willing to join them, attracting good swordsmen was a challenge.
"When I do business, I don't like to cast a wide net. When I find potential, I invest heavily," Roth replied, taking a sip of his tea. "Viserys is the one I'm investing in."
"I'm afraid that investment will be lost," Tormo retorted. "I'm the opposite of you. I invest in anything immediately profitable, turning small gains into large ones."
Their argument about "business experience" was subtle, a confrontation without raised voices.
"Listen," Roth said, cupping his hand to his ear. "This 'Sailor' song is quite good. My sailors love it."
"Oh? Really? But I clearly hear 'Purple Waves' louder," Tormo countered.
Roth, recognizing Tormo's ploy, smiled. "Lord Tormo, perhaps you've been in your own Bird Garden too long. I suggest you venture out and listen to different sounds. A philosopher once said, 'To only listen to what you want to hear is to deceive yourself.'"
"Interesting, but as long as I am strong enough, the world will only make the sounds I want to hear," Tormo replied confidently.
The two men were locked in a battle of wits, neither willing to concede.
As their debate reached a stalemate, a white shadow slipped away. Tomorrow marked the second day of the Ten-Day Festival and the first day of the Swordsmanship Tournament. Viserys pondered whether he should showcase his skills to intimidate Jorah or feign weakness to give him false confidence.