That smell reminded him of some distant things that were buried deep in his memory. Those things were blurred, like a picture seen through a layer of glass blurred by water vapor. He couldn't see the outline clearly, but he could feel the temperature.
Rhaenyra raised her head from his arms. Her eyes were a little red, but there were no tears in them.
She looked at his face, at his hair and eyebrows that had been burned away by the flames and had not yet fully grown out, and at his black eyes that were still bright in the dusk.
The corners of her mouth were slightly raised, with a complicated and unexplainable expression that seemed like she wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. Then she stood up on her tiptoes and kissed him.
The kiss was deep and long.
It's not a polite, ceremonial, casual kiss that should be done in front of everyone, but a real deep kiss, after being separated for too long, where you want to use your lips and tongue to confirm that the other person is still alive, still yours, and still there.
One of her hands was wrapped around his neck, and the other hand was grabbing the leather armor on his chest. Her fingertips were slightly hard, and her knuckles turned white, as if she was afraid that he would fly away the moment she let go.
Her lips were pressed against his, and the tip of her tongue penetrated, sweeping across his gums and palate, tasting the breath in his mouth, as if to confirm that he still tasted the same as she remembered.
Redd moved his hand from her back to the back of her head, inserted his fingers into her scattered hair, and used a slight force to fix her head, preventing her from moving away before she was fully satisfied.
His response was calmer than hers, but longer. He took her lower lip in his mouth, sucked it slowly, and then kneaded her tighter into his arms.
Viserys stood a few steps away, watching this scene, the smile still hanging on the corner of his mouth, but the hand holding the crutch changed hands at some point, and the free fingers curled slightly at his side.
He did not speak, and there was no expression of impatience or displeasure on his face, but the time his eyes stayed on the overlapping figures of Rhaenyra and Redd was a little shorter than the time a father should look at after seeing his daughter and her husband reunited after a long absence.
Alicent didn't speak either. Her eyes moved away from Redd and Rhaenyra and fell on the torch not far away, as if there was something worth studying in the flame. Her eyelashes cast a semicircular and shallow shadow in the light of the torch. Her expression was peaceful and peaceful, as decent as a real queen.
Then her eyes fell back on Rhaenyra, with that gentle and friendly smile still on her face. Only she knew that her fingers folded in front of her were slightly clenched under the dress.
Rhaenyra finally let go of Redd. Her cheeks were slightly red, and her lips were fuller and rosier than before, like roses that had just been rained on.
Her breathing was a little unsteady, her eyes were as bright as two stars burning in the dark night, her hands were still holding on to his leather armor, and she couldn't bear to let go.
Her eyes lingered on his face for a long time before she finally moved away and turned in the direction of Viserys and Alicent.
Redd followed her gaze and nodded slightly to Viserys. His posture was casual and natural, as if he was greeting an ordinary elder. "Your Majesty, you are recovering well."
Viserys's smile deepened. He let go of the Ruby that had been rubbed and was slightly hot, and stretched out his hand to Redd: "Redd, long time no see. I'm glad you can come."
He didn't say "Why did you come suddenly?" He didn't say "Why didn't you say hello in advance?" He didn't say anything that might make the atmosphere tense.
He just held Redd's hand with a gentle and measured force, like a hospitable father-in-law welcoming his son-in-law to the door.
Redd also held his hand. His hand was larger than Viserys's, and rougher. There were calluses on the palm and fingertips from holding a sword for a long time.
The strength of his handshake is also just right, neither too light nor too heavy. It will not make people feel that he is demonstrating or that he is perfunctory.
Their hands held each other in the air for less than two breaths, and then they let go at the same time, each retreating to their own space.
Redd also nodded to Alicent, his eyes lingering on her face for a moment. "Her Royal Highness, you look more radiant than the last time we met."
A well-placed, shy and joyful smile appeared on Alicent's face. He folded his hands on his abdomen and bowed slightly. His movements were gentle and elegant, like a dark green flower blown by the wind.
"Your Highness is joking. I can't be said to be so dazzling in my appearance."
Her eyes paused on Redd's face, then moved away, landing on Rhaenyra, and continued, "But since His Highness is here, he is just in time for the dinner.
The kitchen should be ready. If you don't mind, let's have dinner together tonight."
Redd glanced at Rhaenyra. Rhaenyra's hand was still holding the hem of his leather armor, and he nodded slightly, with a trace of expectation on his face.
She looked away from his face, turned her head slightly, leaned against his shoulder, and whispered in his ear, "It's been a long time since we had dinner together."
Redd responded, "Then I'm sorry."
The dinner was held in the banquet hall of Red Keep. The long table was covered with a white linen tablecloth and filled with silver candlesticks and porcelain plates.
Several huge chandeliers hung under the dome, and thousands of candles burned at the same time, illuminating the entire hall like daylight.
House Targaryen portraits of past kings hang on the walls. The gazes of these portraits fall simultaneously on the long table in the center of the banquet hall and on the people at the table. Some of them are smiling, some are glaring, some have calm eyes, and some have stern expressions, as if the entire family is watching every detail of the dinner at the same time.
The air is filled with the aroma of barbecue and spices, mixed with the faint smoke produced when the candles are burning, forming a unique atmosphere belonging to an ancient castle dinner.
Viserys is sitting at the head seat of the long table, Alicent is sitting on his left, Rhaenyra is sitting on his right, and Redd is sitting next to Rhaenyra.
There is nothing wrong with this seating arrangement from an etiquette perspective, but when interpreted from a power perspective, the information it reveals is unusual.
Viserys is sitting in the middle, with the queen on his left and his daughter and son-in-law on his right.
This is almost a simplified power structure diagram - on one side are the old forces, on the other are the new forces, and Viserys himself sits in the middle, like an increasingly narrow space sandwiched between two slowly approaching walls.