"How is this possible?!"
"Keep your voice down." Viserys whispered, wiping the water stains from the table. "Whether it's true or not, you can find out for yourself. But I warn you, if you ever dare to put that idea into your head again, I'll cut it off! Get out!"
Seeing Jon Connington emerge from the room in a daze, Dany slowly walked towards Viserys.
"Brother," she said, her purple eyes fixed on him, as if she had understood something.
"Oh, my poor little Dany." Viserys hugged her tightly and stroked her head, trying to comfort her. He had the mind of an adult now, so it was fine for him to be schemed against. But these people were scheming against Dany as well. 'Damn it, a Targaryen's life is a mess!'
However, in Dany's eyes, was it really a hard life? She didn't think so. She felt no hardship being with Viserys.
What Viserys had written on the table was the true identity of "Young Aegon." It was only natural that Jon Connington couldn't accept it right away. But the man was smart enough. Viserys wasn't worried that he would go straight to Illyrio and Varys to ask questions. He would surely realize that if "Young Aegon" was an impostor, there must be a big conspiracy behind it. The wisest choice was to continue as normal.
In fact, Viserys didn't have any concrete evidence. But once the seed of suspicion was planted, it would sprout on its own. Perhaps Connington didn't want to believe it at first, but as he began to recall the details of his relationship with Illyrio, he would naturally discover some clues from the affection Illyrio had for "Young Aegon." Moreover, he didn't know who had leaked their plan. How did Viserys know about their scheme?
Connington might have been skeptical about Illyrio's guess that someone was helping Viserys in secret, but now he was convinced. At least, he dared not play any tricks on the brother and sister.
With the 'alliance' between the trio broken, Viserys looked forward to the day when Varys and Illyrio would begin to suspect each other and even try to kill each other. As for Connington, he still intended to use him. Connington was first-rate in terms of character, integrity, and personal ability. He had risen through the ranks in the Golden Company over the years. If he stayed, he might even become the leader.
There were rumors that Connington not only admired Rhaegar but also loved him. When he realized that because of his own mistakes, he had repeatedly put the only two blood relatives of the "Silver Prince" in danger, that kind of self-blame would make him extremely loyal.
Plus, it was Rhaegar who had interceded for him after the defeat in the Battle of the Bells. The Prince's kindness had been accumulating interest, and he hadn't yet repaid it.
Of course, Viserys would not treat him badly.
The next day, Connington appeared at the theater as usual, but his expression was tortured and complicated.
He looked haggard, as if he hadn't slept all night. On one hand, he didn't want to believe what Viserys had said. He truly hoped that Rhaegar had left a bloodline in the world. But on the other hand, he feared that he had really been deceived, and that would be a great sin. The reason he appeared as usual today was to not alarm the snake. He still needed evidence.
Regardless of Connington's turmoil, the tournament continued as scheduled. Yesterday's competition had determined the "top eight." This morning, the "top four" would be decided. In the afternoon, it would be the "top two." That meant the winner this morning would have to fight twice, which was very exhausting.
Viserys was scheduled to fight in the last match of the morning. If nothing unexpected happened, he would be in the first match of the afternoon. Sure enough, the first match was between a red-haired swordsman from House Fregar and a mercenary. The mercenary seemed to have been bribed; he pretended his sword broke and lost the match. The swordsman from House Fregar won without much effort, ensuring he would face Viserys in the afternoon with full energy.
The tournament quickly reached the fourth round. Many people were already impatiently waiting for Viserys to appear. Finally, the silver-haired boy emerged, and handkerchiefs and flowers were thrown at him as if they were free. This display left his opponent somewhat speechless, as if Viserys had already won.
This time, his opponent was from House Antaryon, the family of Sealord Ferrego. He was a young man in his late twenties or early thirties, with brown hair tied back and shining blue eyes.
"Lord Viserys."
"Lord Cole."
After the two exchanged greetings, the competition began. This was Viserys' first match without any trash talk, making him a bit uncomfortable. The swordsman named Cole was polite and fully immersed in the competition.
"Lord Cole, your steps are too unstable. You are agile but not stable enough," Viserys commented, starting his military training anew. This time, he wasn't as arrogant and used a voice only the two could hear to give advice. Cole was very receptive, trying to stabilize his steps, and it noticeably improved his performance.
Viserys gave him a few more pointers, all of which seemed to enlighten Cole. Feeling he had warmed up enough, Viserys said, "That's enough for now," and parried Cole's attack, placing his blade at Cole's neck. The match was decided, and Cole gratefully bowed to Viserys.
"Thank you for your advice, my lord."
"I've learned a lot from you as well."
"Viserys Targaryen wins!"
Last night, Jorah heard some rumors. Viserys seemed to have offended House Fregar, the strongest family in Braavos. People were worried about his fate, but House Fregar was not only ruthless but also powerful, so they only dared to grumble about it. Jorah thought he could no longer bet on Viserys winning.
"Viserys Targaryen wins..."
After hearing the news from the theater, Jorah investigated the backgrounds of the other three people who had entered the "top four." They were all from House Fregar. Jorah decided he should bet on Viserys losing next.
'Maybe he will die directly on the battlefield, and then I can capture Dany alive with Kyla. In that case, I might be able to get a pardon from the Iron Throne!' He envisioned a grand plan and thought he should raise the money for the journey. Counting the more than 100 gold dragons in his pocket, he set aside a small amount for living expenses and prepared to bet the rest on Viserys losing in the afternoon.
Meanwhile, on Tormo's side.
"Father, what should we do next?"
Tormo felt a little irritated for the first time. Viserys's swordsmanship exceeded his expectations.
"Is this Targaryen not seventeen years old yet?"
Vitus thought for a moment and said, "He's not even sixteen."
"He's not even sixteen, but his swordsmanship is so strong!" Tormo couldn't figure it out. He had targeted him so much, but it hadn't worked at all.
Vitus looked at his father quietly, waiting for him to make a decision.
"Don't worry about those two swordsmen. I just want this Targaryen's life!"
"Yes, Father."
Vitus knew he had to prepare some 'props' for the two swordsmen. Tormo felt frustrated for the first time. He had investigated the previous Andersen incident some time ago. Was this the feeling of failure, of being defeated time and time again by the same person?
'No! I must kill this Targaryen brat.'