Early in the morning, Aerys summoned the court officials, making the Red Keep feel strangely empty.
Elia stood by the window, holding her son, young Aegon, in her arms. She watched as Queen Rhaella, clad in a black cloak, boarded an unmarked carriage.
Following closely behind her, Viserys was ushered into another carriage.
Just as Viserys was about to climb aboard, he suddenly looked up at Elia standing by the window.
He gave her a slight nod.
Elia understood his meaning, though hesitation still lingered in her heart.
In the past couple of days, she had heard whispers about Viserys.
She never would have imagined that the Grand Maester, who had served the royal family for over thirty years, would turn out to be a traitor.
Nor could she believe that hidden within King's Landing was a band of assassins poised to ambush them. Even if Viserys's role in uncovering these threats was relatively minor, Elia still found it remarkable.
What astonished her even more was that Viserys knew the location of a secret passage—and had even shared it with her.
It was blatant defiance of Aerys's orders.
"Princess, I will stand guard outside. You must take young Aegon and the little princess and escape through the secret passage," Elia's maid whispered urgently at her side.
"Nymeria… but if you do that…" Elia trailed off, her heart heavy.
Nymeria, her maid, had grown up with her; they were nearly like sisters.
In Dorne, Nymeria was a common girl's name, symbolizing courage. Elia knew that once Aerys discovered her and the children were missing, he would never spare Nymeria.
Worry for her maid gnawed at her—but so did fear.
She was afraid of Aerys.
She was afraid of losing her way in the underground tunnels. She was afraid she would never find the exit.
She was afraid of the unknown.
In truth, she was simply afraid.
"Princess, do you really think King's Landing can hold out?" Nymeria pressed, frowning, but quickly softened her tone to soothe Elia.
"The prince is too far away. Robert's army will arrive before long, and the old lion of the West has betrayed us. Do you think you and your children will be safe once the city falls?"
"You must trust me. I can run very fast! And Prince Viserys told me the route through the secret tunnels during the night. He must have gone to great lengths to find it. Perhaps it was the Queen's will too?"
"Move out!" came a commanding shout from Willem.
Dozens of mounted knights led the way, with hundreds of heavily armed soldiers close behind.
The convoy rumbled away from the Red Keep.
"Quickly, Princess! Quickly!"
"But…" Elia still hesitated. She was about to openly defy the king's orders.
Nymeria, however, was far more decisive.
She practically dragged Elia back to her chamber. There, she knelt down before the little princess Rhaenys, instructing her carefully.
"Little princess, it will be dark down there. You must stay close to your mother, all right? Walk quickly, and soon you'll join Viserys on Dragonstone.
There are dragons to ride there. Stay close to your mother, and you'll see them!"
The four-year-old Rhaenys brightened immediately at the mention of dragons.
She did not yet understand what it meant for dragons to be extinct; she only knew that dragons had wings and could soar across the sky.
That was why she had named her little black cat "Balerion"—after the greatest dragon in House Targaryen's history, who had earned immortal fame during the Conquest.
"Okay! I will remember!" Rhaenys promised, her small face lighting up, her eyes sparkling.
Nymeria handed a candle to Elia, almost pushing her toward the darkness of the secret passage.
"Go, quickly! Go!"
Nearly turning back at every step, Elia was finally forced to press on once the entrance sealed behind them. The three of them moved painfully slowly through the underground.
A four-year-old girl.
A frail noblewoman carrying an infant.
The darkness was so thick it seemed to suffocate them, swallowing all sound and light.
Elia's arm soon grew sore and numb from holding the candle aloft. She had no idea how much farther they had to go. The way back was already lost in the gloom.
All she could do was grit her teeth and move forward.
Unbeknownst to her, a small stable boy carrying a bow and quiver was silently trailing them in the shadows.
......
Meanwhile, in the carriage, Viserys lifted the curtain, peeking out at the world beyond.
It was his first time leaving the Red Keep.
Before his transmigration, he had lived in a city of millions, so a city like King's Landing—with only half a million people—hadn't sounded impressive.
But the sheer density of the population made up for the numbers.
The main thoroughfares were packed to bursting. Steepled rooftops blocked the sun. Stalls and shops spilled over into the streets, reducing their width by a third.
The clamor of hawkers and the shouts of the crowd filled the air.
Soon, a nauseating stench—a sickly sweet rot, like apples fermenting alongside dung—assaulted his nose.
King's Landing was infamous for its stench, and it more than lived up to its reputation. Luckily, as a noble who was used to riding in carriages, Viserys did not suffer from motion sickness.
Otherwise, he might have vomited inside the carriage.
Thanks to their early departure and the knights clearing the way, it took just over an hour for them to reach the River Gate.
There, Willem's voice sounded from outside, "Your Grace, please wait a moment. I will send men to inspect the ships."
"Very well. Thank you. Could you also give this to my mother?"
Viserys stretched out his hand, passing Willem a folded piece of paper. Willem, without glancing at it, delivered it straight to Queen Rhaella.
Learning that it was from Viserys, Rhaella opened it immediately.
The contents left her stunned.
The message was simple: "Secret passage!"
"This boy! When did he…" she thought in disbelief. Soon after, she had her maid summon Viserys to her carriage.
"How do you know about the secret passage?" she asked.
"I... I dreamed it," Viserys answered.
"You dreamed it?"
Rhaella was no fool; she clearly did not believe him.
"I found a book among Maester Pycelle's things. It was called 'The Rogue Prince.' It said that Prince Daemon and King Viserys the First used to sneak out of the castle through a secret passage when they were young.
Then I had a dream about the room—Elia's room—where a passageway was hidden. That's how I knew."
Hearing his explanation, Rhaella's expression softened a little.
Dreams often mirrored waking thoughts. She herself had experienced such things in her youth.
Although Rhaella hoped Elia could survive, she did not truly believe the secret passage existed. She did not plan to linger long.
But for her son's sake, perhaps it was worth waiting a little longer. She could not bear the thought of Elia and her children dying with the realm.
After all, the rebel army would not arrive in an instant.
"Very well. We will wait a little longer. But only on the ship."
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