119 Chapter 118: Regency
Toot—
The war horn sounded once more.
The boundless Dothraki had gathered again. After a night of rest, they were now in their prime condition.
Rumble—
They charged towards the city of Gohdo with great vigor.
…
Far to the east of the Velvet Hills.
An ancient city of the Rhoynar, Gohdo, now in ruins, was experiencing a rare large-scale battle in recent years.
The protagonists of the war were the declining Rhoynar and Andals, who had lost their ancestors' glory and joined forces.
They fought against the formidable Dothraki, who swept across the continent of Essos, their iron hooves trampling every inch of land, leaving few opponents in their wake.
An enraged Khal Drogo vowed to sever Viserys' head and let his corpse rot, covered in maggots.
Meanwhile.
Far away.
In the city of Andalos.
Viserys led his army on an expedition, seizing the opportunity of rebellion erupting across the Narrow Sea in the Iron Islands. King Robert's attention was focused on quelling the rebellion, deploying his forces to expand his territory in this unclaimed land. Gradually, he became a force that could not be ignored on the continent of Essos.
Unified under the city-state of Andalos, the Andals and some Rhoynar governed many villages and towns, boasting formidable military capabilities.
Viserys' half-year-long journey had only taken him back to Andalos a few times. The last time he returned to the castle was three months ago, after conquering the Rhoynar on both banks of the Upper Loone River. This time, Viserys headed towards the southern Velvet Hills and had not yet returned.
Viserys had left Andalos, but the city's affairs still needed someone to handle them.
The old knight, still commanding the fleet at Dragonstone, could not spare the time to manage the trivial matters within the city-state, as he was guarding against the victorious royal fleet returning to attack Andalos across the Narrow Sea.
As a result, all affairs in Andalos, big and small, were managed by Princess Rhaenys Targaryen, with Maester Gunthor personally assisting her and teaching her how to represent Viserys on the throne and handle state affairs.
By normal standards, Viserys' younger sister Daenerys Targaryen had a higher status and should have been the 'Crown Princess.'
However, although Viserys had not announced it publicly, he had informed his Hand of the King that he had temporarily designated his sister as his heir.
Thus, partly for compensation and because Rhaenys was older, and she had taken care of Daenerys more than he had, playing a motherly role, Viserys granted Rhaenys the title of 'Crown Princess.'
Now.
Although Daenerys was the designated heir, her age was too young, not yet able to discern right from wrong and unable to sit on the throne in Viserys' place to handle state affairs.
Crown Princess Rhaenys Targaryen was naturally the more suitable candidate.
Therefore, the brown-haired girl donned the ruby crown left by Viserys, which had once belonged to her grandmother, Rhaella Targaryen.
She then adjusted her bright red skirt, closed her fair and tight legs, and sat high upon the throne in the castle's great hall.
Still dressed in a plain gray robe and wearing his maester's chain, Maester Gunthor sat beside the Crown Princess, offering her advice when necessary.
.
"Maester Gunthor."
Then, Rhaenys glanced nervously at the maester, who nodded slightly to encourage the girl.
He then addressed the guards below in a loud voice.
"Please, let the first one enter."
Sunlight streamed through the castle's windows, illuminating the great hall. Soon, footsteps could be heard outside the hall, and a short man walked in, placing a hand over his chest and bowing.
"Your Grace."
"May the Seven Gods protect your uncle and all the Andalosians so they may return victorious."
Rhaenys, wearing her crown and sitting on the throne, corrected him as she gripped the throne's armrest.
"It's my brother."
"Uh...what?"
The short man below had just prepared to mourn and lament when Rhaenys's interruption stifled him. He then looked somewhat puzzled at the young girl on the throne.
The girl's playfulness naturally earned her a stern glare from Maester Gunthor. She then stuck out her tongue, giving an apologetic smile.
She had only made a small joke, and Rhaenys whispered an apology to her teacher.
"Sorry, Maester Gunthor."
Rhaenys then lifted her delicate chin, her beautiful eyes looking down at the man below, speaking in a crisp voice.
"It's nothing. You just misheard."
"Please continue."
...
Rhaenys was handling various matters in the castle's great hall for the first time, taking over for Viserys.
Meanwhile, the other princess in the castle, Daenerys Targaryen, was quieter and more prone to shyness.
In the six months since her brother Viserys had left, she had been consistently nurturing her dragon egg, never wanting to give up.
Early morning.
Rhaenys was already dressed and seated on the throne in the great hall, while Daenerys was still fast asleep, cradling her pale, cream-colored dragon egg.
The servant responsible for taking care of Daenerys had intended to wake the princess, but the old maid carrying the lamp saw the girl still in her room with the curtains drawn, hugging her dragon egg as she slept soundly, and felt a pang of compassion.
The old maid didn't disturb Daenerys and let her continue sleeping. She then picked up her oil lamp, closed the door, and left.
However, she didn't notice that when she turned around, a drop of burning oil fell from the lamp she was holding, landing on a bunch of insect-repellent plants in the corner by the door in Daenerys's room.
Due to Andalos's location near mountains, water, and not far from the sea, the air and climate were somewhat damp, and there were many mosquitoes in the castle.
Thus, Viserys had purchased some insect-repellent plants long ago to place throughout the castle, with a particularly large number of them in Daenerys's room. The young girl was terrified of insects and would feel uncomfortable if even one was found in her room. She could tolerate the pungent smell of the insect-repellent plants.
Rustle...
The old maid walked away from Daenerys's room with her oil lamp, her footsteps faltering. The sound of her receding footsteps echoed in the hallway.
However, no one saw a small flame growing stronger at that moment, gradually consuming the surrounding flammable insect-repellent plants.
Soon after, it spread rapidly.
...
