"No, no, no! Get out of the way!" Kurland exclaimed, trying to calm the situation while urging his Unsullied to retreat. In Pentos, murdering a guest was an unforgivable crime.
"Prince Viserys, I overstepped. Let's start over," Kurland pleaded.
"I don't care," Viserys snapped. "I'll be leaving Pentos in the morning! If you really want to talk, come find me!" With that, Viserys stormed out.
Hoyt's assessment of them might not have been entirely accurate, but it was certainly fitting for the moment. That afternoon, Kurland urgently convened a family meeting, where it was decided that Pentos would join the 'Ring of the Narrow Sea' alliance and prepare for war. By evening, they sent a messenger to inform Viserys that Pentos would contribute at least 6,000 soldiers and twenty warships—virtually their entire naval force. They would also temporarily recruit a number of merchant ships. As long as Kurland approved, even House Berent would follow suit, meaning the alliance merely needed formal approval from the current Prince of Pentos.
This unexpected outcome left Feles overjoyed. He never imagined that negotiations could succeed in such an unorthodox manner. 'Could one really form an alliance by cursing out the other party?'
As for the Red Viper, after hearing the full story, he was more amused than surprised. He was eager to help Viserys take Tyrosh, and then move on to King's Landing for a reckoning with Varys. The idea of anyone daring to mock House Martell was intolerable. Oh yes, the soldiers—this fat spider was already on the path to his demise.
The one person who couldn't believe the news of Viserys's successful alliance was Illyrio. With 6,000 soldiers pledged, nearly two-thirds of Pentos's garrison, he wondered what Viserys had done to win over Kurland so thoroughly. 'Had Viserys married Daenerys off? Or had he married into House Berent himself?' But it didn't take long for Illyrio to realize the truth.
Viserys had been keeping something from him. The man who had looked so familiar was, in fact, Oberyn Martell—the Red Viper. "When did he start associating with House Martell?" Illyrio muttered to himself, feeling a surge of anxiety. The thought of Viserys aligning with the Martells threatened everything.
Illyrio knew he had to act fast. As he watched Aegon learning the ways of the holy sisters, a bold plan began to form in his mind. He decided to reveal Aegon's true identity to the Red Viper and then conspire with him to kill Viserys.
"That'll work!" The more Illyrio pondered it, the more convinced he became that this was an excellent plan.
First, Aegon is "the child of Rhaegar and Elia," making him the nephew of the Red Viper. Supporting Aegon seemed far more reliable than backing Viserys. Second, once he and the Red Viper conspired to eliminate Viserys, they could easily claim Viserys's "legacy" within the Windblown, including Daenerys. He also recalled that The Reach remained a stronghold of the "royalist party." With Dorne, The Reach, and the Loraqs supporting his son's rebellion, they would have enough power to topple Westeros.
'Yes, this will definitely work! And the people of Dorne don't seem to be too concerned about guest rights,' Illyrio mused, thinking of the "Young Dragon" Daeron and dismissing any qualms.
Having made up his mind, Illyrio approached the Red Viper's room later that night.
"Prince Oberyn, it's Illyrio," he called softly, standing in front of the door. Despite his confidence in the plan, he felt a twinge of nervousness. Twisting his greasy, golden beard between his fingers, he rehearsed his words.
The Red Viper, surprised by the unexpected visit, opened the door. He wasn't sure why Illyrio had come, though he doubted it was with good intentions. Moonlight spilled into the room, illuminating only the lower half of Oberyn's face while his upper half and dark eyes remained shrouded in shadow. He wore a loose silver-gray robe that revealed his olive-toned chest.
"Lord Illyrio, what brings you here at this late hour?" Oberyn inquired, his voice cool.
Illyrio tucked his hands into his sleeves and offered a placating smile. "Actually, I came to express my apologies. I didn't realize it was the Prince. I was disrespectful earlier. Please, don't hold it against me."
"You're too kind. How could I mind such trivial matters? It's all in the name of the alliance," Oberyn replied nonchalantly, though he was certain Illyrio hadn't come for such a minor issue.
As expected, after a brief exchange of pleasantries, Illyrio glanced around to ensure they were alone, then leaned in and whispered, "I came to tell you a secret."
"A secret?" The Red Viper's eyes flickered with a hint of mockery, though Illyrio didn't notice, as those dark eyes were still hidden in shadow.
"That boy, Griff," Illyrio continued in a hushed tone, "is actually Rhaegar's son—your sister Elia's son!"
Oberyn, a master of deception, played his part flawlessly. He grabbed Illyrio's arm with feigned excitement, his grip firm but not too forceful. "Gently," Illyrio cautioned, pressing a finger to his lips and gesturing toward Viserys's room to urge silence.
Illyrio then relayed the story he had carefully prepared, mirroring exactly what Viserys had told the Red Viper earlier. He even mentioned Jon Connington, insisting that he could corroborate the tale.
"No wonder… no wonder I felt such a connection with the boy. It turns out…" Oberyn's voice trembled with feigned emotion, as if he had just discovered a long-lost relative.
Seeing Oberyn's apparent reaction, Illyrio relaxed, lowering his guard. Now it made sense why the Red Viper had often watched Aegon so intently.
Oberyn, timing his move perfectly, "betrayed" Viserys. He told Illyrio of their encounter at Sunspear, omitting, of course, the details of Viserys using blood magic. As for why House Martell chose to support Viserys, Oberyn spun a tale about a secret marriage pact Ser Willem had arranged with him years ago.
"Does Viserys know the child's true identity?" Oberyn asked, his tone calculated.
Illyrio hesitated for a moment, then replied, "No, he doesn't."
"Good," Oberyn said, nodding. "We must protect the boy and ensure Viserys never learns who Aegon truly is."
"Yes! You're absolutely right," Illyrio agreed, feeling more confident than ever in his plan.
He felt a surge of smugness and deep admiration for Varys. This clever tactic of "bait and switch." was truly brilliant. Manipulating prominent nobles with such ease was a testament to their cunning. In Illyrio's mind, everything was progressing even better than anticipated. The two of them had established "trust" at lightning speed and swiftly moved on to business.
"If he were alone, I'd have my Unsullied and bodyguards kill him," Illyrio mused, "but he has his own Unsullied, so I thought we could do it at the banquet."
Illyrio's eyes gleamed with a hint of cruelty, as if he had been transported back to his ruthless younger days.
"Are you planning to poison him?" he asked.
"Yes, I've heard that Prince is also a master of poisons."
The Red Viper's lips curled into a knowing smile. "Of course, but the hardest part of using poison isn't in concocting it—it's in knowing when to use it."
"That's fine," Illyrio replied, his eyes lighting up. "We'll have plenty of opportunities at the banquet!"
"Indeed," the Red Viper agreed, pulling a small glass vial from his robe. "This poison is a blend of venom from seven different snakes and toxins from seven poisonous plants," he explained, rolling the bottle between his fingers. "Just one drop is enough to kill a man."
Illyrio could hardly contain his delight. 'He's actually giving this to me?' he thought, thrilled. The Red Viper's willingness to hand over such a potent poison was a clear sign of his commitment to their plot. This vial was tangible proof of their conspiracy, binding them so closely that betrayal was no longer an option.
"Tomorrow, I'll propose a celebration," Illyrio suggested. "We'll hold a small, discreet banquet, and once he's dead, we'll move against his men."
The Red Viper nodded thoughtfully. His plan was meticulous, and he assumed that the information flow between Illyrio and Varys was likely "synchronized." In other words, Illyrio was aware of how Varys had "deceived" House Martell. Thus, Oberyn feigned a determination to position his sister's child as the heir, making it seem as though he was acting behind Doran's back.
The priority was clear: kill Viserys first.
Illyrio readily agreed. After all, Viserys commanded a large following, and killing them all would be too noisy and risky. At the very least, Feles couldn't be harmed—he was essential for promoting the alliance. Additionally, during their interaction, Illyrio had come to understand the Red Viper's temperament. The entire discussion took less than half an hour, during which Illyrio became increasingly excited about the prospect of eliminating Viserys, viewing him as an obstacle that needed to be removed. Now, with one less obstacle and one more "friend," things were looking up.
As Illyrio walked back, trembling with excitement, he reached into his robes and pulled out his late wife Serra's hand, holding it to his cheek with a look of intoxication in his eyes.
It was as if his lover had returned to life, caressing him once more. However, Illyrio had yet to realize the gravity of the mistake he had just made.
No sooner had Illyrio left than the Red Viper went straight to Viserys's room and revealed everything about their conversation. He didn't even bother to hide his actions from Illyrio.
"What do you think?" Oberyn asked Viserys. "Should we just kill him?"