Preparing to depart

Viserys walked over and gently embraced her from behind, smiling. "They almost caught us."

Ashara nudged him lightly with her elbow, her voice still trembling a little. "It's all your fault."

"All right, my fault." Viserys readily admitted it, but tightened his arms around her. "But they've gone now."

Ashara understood his hint and went a little weak, though she still tried to pull away. "Don't. What if they come back?"

"They won't. I sent them to the garden." Viserys kissed her earlobe, his voice coaxing. "Shall we continue?"

In the end, Ashara yielded to his advances, though not without a little resistance.

This time, they deliberately kept quiet. Yet at the height of passion, a few involuntary sounds still escaped.

Ashara bit her lower lip hard, trying to stifle those mortifying sounds, but Viserys deliberately teased her until she could not stop whimpering.

Neither of them noticed that Daenerys had not actually gone far.

Rhaenys had led her some distance away, but she still wanted to sing for her brother. She quietly doubled back to see whether he had finished discussing his "important matters."

She was just about to knock again when she faintly heard Ashara's muffled, tearful voice from inside, along with her brother's low voice.

To the innocent little girl, it sounded as though Ashara was crying and suffering. She remembered occasionally hearing servants whisper that some ill-tempered men beat their wives.

Was her brother beating Ashara too? The thought frightened and saddened Daenerys. She no longer dared to knock, nor did she dare tell Rhaenys. She silently ran away, but a seed of worry had taken root in her heart.

She seemed distracted while singing that evening, too. When Viserys asked her about it, however, she merely said she had seen an injured stray cat that day and felt sad.

That continued until one evening, roughly ten days before their scheduled departure.

Just as Viserys was getting ready for bed, Daenerys knocked and came in.

She seemed unusually quiet that day. Instead of throwing herself into his arms as she usually did, she approached him in small steps and tilted her little face up, looking determined.

"Brother," she began, her voice trembling slightly. "There's something I want to ask of you."

A little surprised, Viserys lifted her onto his lap. "What is it, Dany?"

Daenerys lowered her head and took a deep breath, seemingly trying to find the right words.

Then, as though she had made up her mind, she raised her head and looked straight at Viserys. "Brother, could you please stop beating Ashara?"

"..." Viserys was dumbfounded, his mind utterly blank. Beating Ashara? When had he ever beaten Ashara?

Seeing her brother's bewildered expression, Daenerys thought he was refusing to admit it. She grew more anxious, and tears began to well in her eyes.

"That day when I said I wanted to sing, I secretly came back. I heard Ashara crying so badly, and she was asking you to stop. Brother, Ashara is so good to us. She teaches me to read, plays with me, and makes my hair look pretty. Please don't beat her, all right? If you're angry, you can hit me. I'll take her punishment."

By the time she finished, the little girl's tears had finally fallen. She did not cry aloud, but her little hands clutched Viserys's clothes tightly.

Buzz! Viserys felt blood rush to his head. Goosebumps rose all over him. In all his years, he had never been so embarrassed.

He looked at Daenerys's earnest, worried little face and knew she was genuinely afraid that Ashara was being hurt, and that she had truly summoned her courage to plead for her.

He drew a deep breath, struggling to keep his expression normal, and spoke as calmly as he could. "Dany, listen to me. I wasn't beating Ashara, and she wasn't crying that day. That was a way grown-ups express affection and intimacy. You'll understand when you're older."

"Really?" she asked softly.

"Of course. When have I ever lied to you?"

"All right, then." Daenerys finally smiled through her tears and hugged Viserys tightly. "I love you most of all, Brother."

That embarrassing little incident was put behind them, though Viserys later found an opportunity to mention it to Ashara.

After hearing what had happened, Ashara's face turned so red it seemed about to burn. She was so ashamed she nearly wished the ground would swallow her up, and for several days afterward, she felt embarrassed whenever she saw Daenerys.

Daenerys herself, however, seemed to have forgotten the whole thing completely, still calling out affectionately to Ashara every day.

The incident also made Viserys realize that he had become too absorbed in his private world with Ashara, somewhat neglecting his sister and niece, who also needed his care and company.

Rhaenys in particular was at that delicate age between childhood and adolescence, when her feelings were becoming more sensitive and nuanced.

So he deliberately set aside time to spend with Rhaenys alone.

When Viserys found Rhaenys, she was frowning over a book about the Dance of the Dragons. At her age, reading a history filled with political intrigue and bloodshed was indeed rather difficult.

"Need some help?" He sat down across from her.

Rhaenys nodded and pushed the book a little closer to him.

Viserys began with the dispute over Aegon II's succession, recounting the civil war that had nearly wiped out House Targaryen's dragons and devastated its family members. He not only described the events but also examined their underlying causes, explaining how power twisted the bonds of family.

"Remember, Rhaenys." He looked into her violet eyes. "We are bound by blood, and that bond is more precious than the Iron Throne. Whatever happens in the future, we must trust one another."

Rhaenys nodded quietly. "I understand. Family comes first."

Viserys smiled and ruffled her hair. "You're clever. You'll be a great help to me."

Rhaenys's eyes lit up. She lowered her head and went back to reading, but the corners of her mouth lifted slightly.

Suddenly, she asked, "Brother, is Valyria really safe now?"

"Of course," Viserys said with certainty. "And we have a dragon to protect us."

A wistful look flashed through Rhaenys's eyes. "Will there... be a lot of people there?"

"At first, it'll only be our most trusted companions and family. But more people will come in time. We will build a new country. And you will be its princess, and one of its queens in the future."

Rhaenys blushed faintly and lowered her head, fiddling with the hem of her clothes. She regarded marrying Viserys as something entirely natural, but hearing the word "queen" made her shy.

"I'll work hard," she said, lifting her head. "I'll help you build our country."

"Don't put pressure on yourself. Just grow up healthy and happy. I'll take care of everything else."

Before long, the eve of their relocation arrived.

Beneath the outward calm of their base lay a concealed sense of excitement and tension. Ser William directed the loading of the final supplies onto the disguised merchant ships.

Viserys made his final arrangements. He summoned Ser Jon Darry.

"Ser Jon, the first group will board tomorrow. You'll command the fleet, and I'll escort you the whole way on dragonback."

"As you command, Your Grace."

Then he turned to Ashara, Rhaenys, and Daenerys beside him. Daenerys was already drowsy, leaning in Ashara's arms and rubbing her eyes.

"Get a good night's rest," Viserys told them. "Tomorrow, we begin a new journey. Things may be a little difficult at first."

Ashara nodded, her gaze gentle. Rhaenys also said softly, "Brother, I'm not afraid of hardship."

Viserys hugged each of them in turn, then kissed Daenerys on the forehead. The little girl murmured, "Good night, Brother," and fell fast asleep in Ashara's arms.

Late into the quiet night, Viserys still felt no desire to sleep. He needed to connect with Blackflame first, so he could have the dragon follow the fleet at a distance tomorrow.