The boy disguised as a stable hand watched in shock as Viserys shot and killed his master.
His eyes were rounder than an owl's.
He wanted to run, but Viserys had already spotted him, "Stand still, or I'll shoot you too!"
Having witnessed Viserys's marksmanship firsthand, the stable boy didn't dare move a muscle. He could hear the sound of Viserys's footsteps steadily approaching.
Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud.
The stable boy felt his own heart pounding heavily and fast, his breathing slipping out of control.
"Turn around!"
Viserys commanded. The boy was terrified but had no choice but to obey.
Suddenly, he saw a few flashes of gold arc through the air before several coins rolled to a stop at his feet.
Gold dragons.
The mute stable boy recognized them instantly.
Some of the coins lay face up, showing the portrait of Aegon the Conqueror—or perhaps the inept King Aegon. Others had fallen backside up, displaying the sigil of the three-headed dragon.
"I'm leaving for Dragonstone tomorrow," Viserys said. "You'll stay here and continue watching. I'll keep paying you."
Hearing this, the stable boy relaxed slightly.
He hesitated, weighing his options, unsure what to do.
He was from the eastern continent. The first person he had met upon arriving in King's Landing was Varys.
Varys had trained him, given him a new identity and food. Now, having witnessed his master's death with his own eyes, it was impossible not to feel fear.
"Take your time thinking about it. I don't believe anyone will listen if you try to tell them. Oh, and if I'm not mistaken, the man who brought you from Essos was a fat merchant."
Viserys's voice grew colder.
"What you need to know is that they were working together. The man who cut out your tongue and sold you away from your homeland… he and Varys were allies."
With that, Viserys tossed aside his bow and left without a second glance.
After all, he would be leaving tomorrow. Even if someone picked up the weapon, it wouldn't matter. Besides, no one would believe a child could pull such a heavy bow.
The mute stable boy stood frozen, Viserys's words echoing in his mind.
The man who had always claimed to care for him had been in league with the one who had sold him.
As he watched Viserys's figure disappear into the distance, the boy bent down and picked up the dragonbone bow.
....
[Objective: Kill Varys, Master of Whisperers. Final Participation Rate: 100%]
[Essence Acquired: Spy]
Viserys absorbed the essence of Varys.
There was far more knowledge within it than he had expected—intelligence gathering, disguise, and even faceless techniques.
Though he had little use for such skills at the moment, what interested him most was Varys's memories.
Varys had been born in a brothel.
At a young and innocent age, he was sold to a circus master because of his looks. When he was about fourteen or fifteen, the circus master sold him again, this time to a sorcerer.
The sorcerer castrated him and then discarded him.
Penniless and mutilated, Varys turned to thievery.
His training at the circus made him exceptionally agile, and he quickly discovered that secrets and information were worth more than gold.
He began training children to steal secrets and ledgers for him.
During this time, he uncovered the truth behind the sorcerer's interest in him: Varys was a descendant of House Blackfyre, carrying the blood of the Targaryen dragonlords.
The blood of the dragon carried magic within it.
Though he never fully understood what that power entailed, he realized his lineage was extraordinary.
Later, he befriended an assassin named Illyrio.
The two became close allies, and through careful maneuvering, Varys entered the Targaryen court to serve King Aerys II.
By controlling almost all of House Targaryen's secrets, he and Illyrio amassed great wealth.
Today, Illyrio had become the governor of one of the Free Cities, Pentos. He had married a woman who also carried Blackfyre blood, and together they bore a son.
In the original timeline, they had planned to place this boy on the Iron Throne. However, the time was not yet ripe for such a plan.
Illyrio, Viserys recalled, also possessed dragon eggs.
With the awareness of the dragon bloodline's significance and no shortage of wealth, their ambitions naturally extended toward the dragons.
According to Varys's memories, they had only recently begun to pursue the dragon eggs.
They had learned that the Hightower family of the Reach and the Sealord of Braavos each held three dragon eggs.
Viserys tucked away this information.
In the future, it would prove invaluable.
He had also learned the location of a secret passageway hidden behind Elia's bedroom. The tunnel led to the Tashaia brothel, the Street of Steel, and a sewer near the River Gate.
Now, he needed to tell Elia about it.
Whether she could survive would depend on how quickly she could run.
From what Viserys remembered, Elia was a frail and gentle woman. While the secret passage could offer an escape, it would require her to flee on foot.
Elia's body had always been weak, and as a pampered noblewoman, she was unaccustomed to hardship.
Traversing an entire city with a son in her arms and a daughter by her side would be an overwhelming task.
Perhaps he could meet her at the River Gate exit, but Viserys knew he wouldn't easily slip away from Queen Rhaella's watchful eyes that day.
Once again, Viserys cursed his lack of manpower.
"Forget it. First, I'll tell Elia. We'll figure out the rest later."
.....
When the guards outside Maegor's Holdfast saw the silver-haired prince approaching, they thought they were seeing things.
For a moment, they were completely stunned.
Ruined. Completely ruined.
They had failed to keep watch over a mere child. Forget losing their jobs—they might even lose their heads.
No, it would probably be worse. This king preferred burning people alive. They might not even have the luxury of a quick death.
Cold sweat soaked the guards' bodies as if they had fallen into an icy lake.
Yet to their shock, Viserys spoke first:
"I'm leaving for Dragonstone tomorrow. You wouldn't want the king to know I slipped out, would you? So keep your mouths shut and pretend you saw nothing."
With that, Viserys brushed past them and entered Maegor's Holdfast.
He didn't go straight to Elia. After all, visiting his sister-in-law in the dead of night would not only arouse suspicion but also violate propriety.
Instead, he sat by the window and waited patiently.
Only when a sliver of golden sunlight pierced the darkness did he head toward Elia's chambers.
Elia's handmaiden was a petite woman with jet-black hair, brought from Dorne when Elia married Rhaegar. Viserys didn't know her name, but he knew she and Elia shared a close bond.
Most importantly, the handmaiden was willing to lay down her life for Elia.
Viserys handed her a sealed note.
"Give this to Elia. If she wants to save herself and her children, she'll know what to do."
___________________
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