"Dragons! It's dragons!" Arya cried out, her voice cutting through the chaos.
Indeed, many had seen the dragons. The three majestic creatures circled in the sky, their scales reflecting the eerie green glow of the wildfire below, making them appear as if they were part of the flames themselves.
'If there are seven of them. It's all over', Arya thought as she watched the dragons. Their wingspans were longer than their bodies, and they swooped down to finish off any ship that wasn't already engulfed in flames.
"It's over," Grand Maester Pycelle muttered, his usual composure shattered. Even if they had all the resources at their disposal, it would take at least six or seven years to rebuild the fleet. By then, Viserys would be unimaginably powerful. Although his words were audible to those nearby, they fell on deaf ears as everyone was transfixed by the sight before them.
Even Tywin, whom Pycelle always considered to have the bearing of a king, felt a wave of dizziness as he watched his once-mighty fleet burn to ashes. The Blackwater Rush seemed to twist and churn before his eyes, as if the wall of green fire were rushing toward him. The wildfire's sickly hue reflected off the faces of the nobles, casting them all in a ghastly light.
"Mother, it's a dragon..." Arya continued to shout, pointing excitedly at the three dragons, but Catelyn quickly clamped a hand over her daughter's mouth, silencing her.
The Red Viper, watching the scene unfold, felt a surge of exhilaration. The sight of Tywin's grim expression was particularly satisfying. 'If these are Viserys' dragons, he must be able to ride them. I wonder if he would take me with him.' He recalled Viserys's earlier offer to share a dragon egg, but now, standing before the dragons themselves, there was no comparison. The Red Viper knew better than to ask Viserys for a dragon.
Silently, he slipped behind the crowd, his eyes scanning the area to ensure no one noticed him. At that moment, Robert, Tywin, Redwyne, Stannis, and the others stood rooted to the spot, their feet seemingly nailed to the ground, unable to comprehend the reality before them. The guards and servants, sensing the paralyzing shock of their lords, dared not move either.
A strange, almost eerie stillness settled over the banquet hall. The nobles resembled statues, frozen in disbelief. Taking advantage of the moment, the Red Viper quietly moved closer to Viserys.
"What do you think? Surprised?" Viserys asked with a slight smirk, his eyes on the stunned crowd as he poured himself a glass of Arbor wine, savoring it with relish.
"You really hatched dragons?" the Red Viper asked, still a little incredulous.
"Didn't I already tell you in my dream? And there they are, flying around," Viserys replied.
"Aren't there seven?"
"The other four are in Tyrosh. There was no need to bring them all." Viserys enjoyed the panicked expressions of the nobles as he chatted with the Red Viper.
Just then, an old knight with white hair and a beard suddenly walked in. It was Barristan. He had come to tell Robert about the fire on the fleet, but he didn't realize they had witnessed the destruction of the warships from start to finish.
Viserys, looking at the situation through the dragons' eyes, saw that the thousands of warships had almost burned out, so he arranged for the dragons to retreat into the darkness. Unfortunately, just one dragon was not strong enough to protect itself, but the three dragons together could barely do it.
As the dragons disappeared, Robert, Tywin, and the others finally reacted. Tywin, in particular, seemed to have aged a lot in the short span of ten minutes. When he turned around, he almost fell. Lancel, Robert's cupbearer, hurried over to help him, but Tywin pushed him away.
The nobles, who had been full of confidence, suddenly became lifeless.
"Mother, Viserys's dragon will burn us all to death, won't it?" Joffrey, Tommen, and Myrcella were terrified by the fierce flames they had never seen before. The little fat boy and Tommen and Myrcella clung to Cersei's arms like frightened kittens.
But Cersei, though just as scared, was a mother now, and no matter how terrified she was, she could only put on a brave face.
Jaime, standing behind her, wanted to say something comforting, but he kept his mouth shut.
"No, don't be afraid, our army is still here!" Cersei pointed to the camps spread across both banks of the Blackwater River, stretching for tens of miles. There wasn't a single fire. This relieved some, but they soon realized there was a problem.
'Why didn't Viserys burn their camps?' Some of the clever ones had already figured it out: Viserys wasn't planning to do anything to them.
It's almost like saying: 'As long as you don't continue to stand with Robert, then you don't need to worry about dragonfire falling on your head.'
This idea spread like a virus through many minds. No one dared to speak up on this occasion, however.
"Don't think like that," said Brynden, Edmure's uncle, who knew what he was thinking. The Tullys, as the in-laws of House Stark and House Arryn, were naturally not spared. They had been the backbone of the rebellion that had supported Robert. Although Viserys had only demanded the heads of Tywin and Robert by name, they did not believe they would receive the same treatment as other ordinary nobles.
What's more, it was House Darry who had originally gained fame in the Riverlands, and the Tullys had only been able to dominate the Riverlands because of the support of the conqueror Aegon. To put it bluntly, they were also traitors!
Why wouldn't Viserys use House Tully as an example? Especially since they had previously been suppressing House Darry in Darry City. Who was Willem Darry? He was the one who protected Viserys and Dany for five years. He must restore the reputation of House Darry. It is only appropriate that House Tully should suffer.
Just as everyone was worrying, an insolent voice suddenly rang out. It wasn't loud, but it resounded in everyone's ears like a thunderclap.
"Hey—Robert!"
Who? Who is so bold? This was everyone's first reaction when they heard the voice. They all turned their heads to see who had the audacity.
When Sansa heard this voice, she trembled even more, feeling as if her heart were being squeezed. Robert is the king! Who dares to be so bold?
The others also turned their heads, searching among the servants for the source of that voice.
The Red Viper had jumped back as soon as Viserys had uttered his first sound. Robert had also heard the voice, and his expression was terrifying. His eyes bulged and bloodshot, his nostrils flared, his hair disheveled, as if he were about to become a raging beast.
"My lords, I am your Emperor, Viserys. You do not need to go to Tyrosh to see me. I am here."