The King's Schemes

"Well done, short swordsman!"

"Good riddance, Dornish scum..."

Shiryu received countless cheers and accolades immediately after winning his duel.

The referee asked him if he wished to continue participating.

Shiryu, carrying his iron sword on his back, bowed to the King and the others in the stands with a smile. "Of course, I intend to win this tournament."

Viserys felt a certain goodwill towards the foreign swordsman who had killed the Dornish youth, watching with the detached amusement of an observer.

Shiryu was an exceptional swordsman, cutting a path through the competition and defeating several opponents in succession.

The tournament continued until noon, the sun high in the sky.

Viserys, having drunk his fill of wine and admiring Shiryu's elegant and effortless swordsmanship, was in high spirits.

Sensing the sun's increasing heat, he called a halt to the tournament.

Viserys stood up from his chair, stretching his tired back, and said with satisfaction, "What a thoroughly exhilarating tournament!"

As he moved, all eyes in the stands turned towards him.

"Summon that foreign swordsman forward. The King wishes to speak with him."

Viserys instructed the attendant standing behind him.

The attendant nodded and briskly walked down from the stands, whispering to the referee.

Shortly, Shiryu approached the edge of the dueling ground and knelt on one knee, looking up at the high platform.

Viserys looked down from above and asked, puzzled, "Swordsman, why do you not come onto the stage?"

Shiryu placed his sword on his knee and declared loudly, "I fight for honor. Once I win the championship of this tournament, I will pledge my loyalty to Your Majesty."

"Honor?"

Viserys gave a noncommittal hum, his interest piqued. "The tournament still has five days left. If you can win the championship, I will grant you one wish."

"I am grateful for your benevolence, Your Majesty."

Shiryu said thankfully, humbly.

Viserys waved him away no longer, took Rhaegar's hand, and turned to leave the venue.

As the King left, the other guests naturally followed.

Back in the Red Keep's study, Viserys left his two children behind and posed a question.

"Aren't you curious why I made that promise to the swordsman?"

Rhaegar looked confused.

Rhaenyra shrugged, bored. "You once said the best way to see through a person or a situation is through prolonged observation."

"Very good. It seems you still remember my words."

Viserys smiled slightly. "A capable ruler will nip risks in the bud."

"During this time, we can thoroughly investigate the source of the risk."

Rhaegar asked, bewildered, "What if we don't act in time? Won't we suffer repercussions?"

"Precisely. That's why I must teach you to always be wary of potential dangers and never let your guard down."

Viserys used the war in the Stepstones as an example. "The Stepstones lie between two shores, a strategic location of utmost importance."

"When the Three Daughters invaded, do you know why I didn't send troops proactively?"

Rhaenyra's expression faltered. She stared at her father for a long moment before replying, "Because you didn't want to provoke a war and face the questioning of the entire nation."

"Incorrect. The war in the Stepstones, strictly speaking, was an act of defending our territory. Posterity will only record the King's wisdom and might in defeating the detestable pirates of the Three Daughters."

Viserys disagreed with her answer.

He looked at Rhaegar and asked, "What do you think?"

Rhaegar frowned, uncertain. "Because someone would fight the Three Daughters..."

"Exactly. You've hit the nail on the head, Rhaegar. You have great talent."

Viserys clapped his hands and laughed heartily, praising him without reservation. "When the Three Daughters invaded the Stepstones, the first and most heavily affected were the family of the Sea Snake, Corlys. He would never stand idly by."

Rhaenyra was greatly puzzled. "And so? You let pirates plunder your subjects and let the Sea Snake sound the call to war, allowing him to win the war and glory in your stead."

In her view, the King's responsibility was to defeat the Three Daughters without hesitation.

Rather than allowing a subject to lead troops, which could impact royal authority.

Viserys was not angered by his daughter's questioning; he patiently explained:

"When the Three Daughters invaded, your mother had just passed away during childbirth, and Rhaegar had been in a coma since birth, unable to be named heir."

"According to tradition, my brother Daemon was naturally supported by the ministers, harboring ambitions for the Iron Throne."

"And I insisted on choosing my daughter, that is, you, as my heir."

"Later, I had a fierce argument with Daemon, and in a fit of anger, I banished him from King's Landing."

As he spoke, Viserys stared at Rhaenyra expressionlessly, "Do you think the royal family could afford the risk of a rash war at that time?"

"But we have dragons, and lords who have sworn allegiance to us!"

Rhaenyra tried to refute her father.

"Dragons? There are dragons in the Dragonpit and Dragonstone, but how many dragons could actually be deployed for battle back then?"

"Even if we sent an army, who would command them on the stormy seas?"

Viserys retorted.

Rhaenyra's expression faltered, realizing the crux of the issue.

Viserys put on a stern face, "At that time, the royal family had no dragons ready for battle, and the most suitable naval commander was none other than the Sea Snake, Corlys."

"Daemon has Caraxes, and I can accompany the army..."

Rhaenyra attempted to argue further, but Viserys interrupted directly:

"I personally drove Daemon away. He had just lost his chance at succession. Would he put aside his grievances to pledge loyalty to me, or to you, the heir?"

"Never! I wouldn't stoop to ask Daemon for help either."

"Syrax is a young dragon who has never been in battle. I'm not so foolish as to send the heir I've just chosen into the fray, only to receive news of your assassination one day!"

His sharp words pierced Rhaenyra's fragile heart like a sword.

She was rendered speechless, knowing it was the truth.

Viserys stopped scolding his daughter and turned to say, "But looking at the present, the royal family only sent three thousand soldiers. The Sea Snake, Corlys, and Daemon bore the stigma of starting a war privately, yet they fought hard to defeat the Three Daughters for the kingdom."

"And what were their efforts and rewards?"

"Years of grueling war, consuming countless manpower and resources, all for the sake of occupying a barren cluster of rocky islands?"

Viserys picked up his wine cup and took a small sip, his eyes calm, "They gained nothing!"

"Corlys's family was severely weakened by this, and they slunk home from the Stepstones to lick their wounds."

"Your uncle Daemon, after exhausting a large number of the second sons who followed him, gave up his crown and the Stepstones, and returned to King's Landing to bow his head in peace to me, his brother."

"In the same timeframe, the heir I chose grew up smoothly, and the kingdom enjoyed peace and tranquility."

Walking to Rhaenyra's side, Viserys said word by word, "My daughter, do you understand?"

Rhaenyra was deeply shaken by her father's foresight.

Her innocent mind had never considered so many intricate schemes.

For a moment, her father before her blurred with the image of the father she remembered, who smiled ingratiatingly at everyone.

Familiar, yet strange.

Rhaenyra pursed her lips and lowered her head, saying, "Father, the Seven Gods have bestowed upon you unparalleled wisdom, yet I doubted you. I am deeply ashamed of this."

As a King, Viserys was indeed indecisive, but he was not ignorant of politics.

Thanks to the gods' favor for a reward of 2000 points.

Thanks to Thirteen Caves for a reward of 100 points.