Rhaegar Targaryen

King Aerys stared fixedly at Ghost, waiting for her response.

The sudden switch of languages, unfortunately, was no challenge for Ghost.

Ghost bowed respectfully and answered in Valyrian, "Thank you, Your Grace. From now on, I am your Rhaenys Targaryen."

"Good, very good... the blood of House Targaryen needs to be purified. Those lowborn people... hateful..."

King Aerys closed his eyes and leaned back on the throne, his voice gradually sinking as his head drooped.

Some people stood in the shadows, their faces obscured, whispering among themselves.

Varys hurriedly fetched a silk-covered cushion and placed it behind the king's back. He gave Ghost a look, and the two left the throne room.

Ghost breathed a sigh of relief. The guards inside had all been utterly motionless, unlike real people. They had put her under considerable pressure.

Varys said gently, "Good child, think of King's Landing as your home from now on. His Grace is tired today, so we will hold your welcoming feast another day. As for that side... you needn't worry. The prince is sure to be of one mind with His Grace."

Growing increasingly suspicious that Varys and Rickard were in league, Ghost asked in confusion, "Dorne..."

"Shh..." Varys patted Ghost's shoulder gently. "Princess Rhaenys must be tired. This servant will have someone take you to rest at once."

Ghost suddenly realized that she was already inside the Red Keep, the center of power, a place of chaos and danger. She swallowed the questions she wanted to ask. But...

"Wait, what do you mean, princess?" Ghost was stunned.

"Oh my, didn't His Grace just bestow that title on you himself? From now on, you are a princess of House Targaryen, His Grace's adopted daughter. Of course, it won't be just a title. You will certainly have lands of your own as well. This is His Grace's favor." Varys gave a coy laugh, looking gratified, as though he shared in the honor.

Ghost couldn't help rubbing the goose bumps on her arms. She didn't remember Varys being this twitchy in the Game of Thrones show. He was being a little too simpering.

Varys froze briefly at her reaction, then spoke much more normally. "Princess Rhaenys, this way, please."

A group of Gold Cloaks and servants approached to lead Ghost onward, with the mute septa following silently behind.

After walking a long way, Ghost looked back. Varys was still standing on the steps, watching her leave. Mixed feelings stirred in her heart.

For this spymaster to lavish attention on her unprompted, he had to be after something enormous...

Ghost considered herself an ordinary person, without some Mary Sue halo that could make others shudder and bow down before her. If Varys was paving the way for her like this, it could only mean that he had privately formed a political alliance with Rickard.

She knew all too well how dangerous Varys was. Rickard Stark was bargaining with a tiger for its skin. Varys might look soft and harmless, but perhaps he even had a hand in Rickard later being burned to death in the throne room.

Anyone who knew a little history knew that a hugely powerful eunuch with no attachments or weaknesses, who held firsthand intelligence, could influence an isolated king abandoned by everyone with the greatest of ease.

Ghost sighed deeply. She was growing increasingly pessimistic. She might end up among those whose bones lay buried in King's Landing.

If all else failed, should she just run?...

Ghost had a bad habit: whenever she thought about something, she easily became distracted and completely ignored her surroundings. Especially now that she had also developed severe shortsightedness.

She followed the others forward unconsciously, utterly unaware of the intimidating party of knights approaching from far ahead, their heavy armor stained with blood.

There were four of them. Three Kingsguard wore enameled steel armor with intricate, elaborate engravings, its white silver wire and clasps glittering in the light.

The knight at the front wore even more elaborate, heavy black plate armor, with the three-headed dragon of House Targaryen traced in gold wire across his chest. He wore a heavy black helm that exposed only his eyes. The helm was shaped like a roaring dragon's head, with a pair of metal wings extending from the ears.

Those leading Ghost had already dropped swiftly to their knees on either side of the path, not daring to breathe loudly. They watched helplessly as Ghost foolishly kept walking forward...

The Kingsguard were already drawing their swords... but the black-armored knight at their head raised a hand to stop them.

Rhaegar Targaryen stood where he was, watching with interest as the veiled young girl approached at a snail's pace...

And walked headfirst into his breastplate.

"Huh?"

Ghost looked up in confusion and instantly met a pair of amethyst eyes. Those clear eyes were like mirrors, reflecting her own foolish appearance.

Such beautiful eyes...

Rhaegar Targaryen had long since heard that the king had found him a Valyrian girl. He had originally thought he might not marry until after he succeeded to the throne...

The bewildered girl was still staring blankly at him. He could see himself in her eyes... amethyst and violet set each other off. These were the most captivating colors.

For an instant, both of them froze as their eyes met, as though time had stopped at that moment.

She was petite, wearing a pale gold veil close to the color of her hair, like a flower waiting to bloom.

Only... this girl doesn't seem particularly bright. She's been standing here staring at me for almost two minutes. Does she still not intend to move aside...?

As a knight, he could not treat a lady rudely... especially when she was already his fiancée in name.

But the corridor was rather narrow, and the young girl before him seemed to have no intention of moving aside on her own...

Rhaegar sighed. He reached up to undo the clasp at the side of his helm, removed the dragon-shaped helmet, and shook out his hair.

Walking under the sun with this thing on is truly painful...

After smoothing out his sweat-soaked silver hair, Rhaegar finally lowered his head politely.

"Lovely girl, could you let me pass?"

There was a phrase, "a single glance lasting ten thousand years"... it described Ghost's feelings at that moment very well.

She had read many descriptions of Rhaegar, but with him standing before her, she had completely forgotten those words.

A thousand words praising peerless beauty could not capture even a fraction of the man before her.

His bone structure possessed a beauty of exquisite proportion.

What drew her most were those deep purple eyes. His long silver hair clung messily to his cheeks and neck, and sweat slid over his Adam's apple, making her heart race.

His brow bones were high, his eyes deep-set. His long lashes trembled slightly, and when he lowered his head to look at someone, his gaze was intent and affectionate. Though his cheeks were lean, his features were sharply defined, as perfect as a Greek sculpture.

The body concealed beneath his heavy armor was tall and well-proportioned, but his neck was long and slender, showing that he still retained some of a youth's slightness.

His voice was clear and resonant too, somewhere between a boy's and a grown man's.

Ghost scrambled to clear the way for the young knight.

Rhaegar smiled and bowed to her, then headed toward the throne room with the Kingsguard. One of the Kingsguard scrutinized Ghost from head to toe and shook his head before following.

Ghost... her mind was no longer clear...

She wondered whether she was dreaming. She knew that face.

In her previous life, as a Harry Potter fan, she had drooled over GGAD on her screen along with countless fellow fans... that man just now looked incredibly like the actor who played young Grindelwald!

In her last life, Ghost had been quite obsessed for a while with this British actor. Although his main occupation was rock music, his beauty was a treasure for the whole world!!

His fans had affectionately given him the nickname-Goumi.

Anyone who hadn't seen young Grindelwald would surely understand if Caius in Twilight, or Marlowe in Will, were mentioned.

Ghost cupped her face and slowly crouched on the ground.

She was so happy~ To think she had gotten so close to Goumi. Ah, even dying would be worth it...

Ghost buried her burning face in her knees and could not get up for a long time.

The prince was already far away. The attendants and Gold Cloaks watched Ghost lose her mind, their faces full of pity and not the slightest surprise.

Prince Rhaegar truly had much to answer for. He had driven another one mad with infatuation.

They had seen far too many people go mad over Prince Rhaegar. The Red Keep even caught girls sneaking in to see the prince every so often.

There was not a woman in the Seven Kingdoms who did not love Prince Rhaegar. Not one!!