Chapter 86: The Kingsguard

Bessi knew that the dragon eggs were of utmost importance to Viserys, but they still had not figured out the true intentions of Pentos.

How could the young king be so bold as to accept a one-on-one meeting?

"Your Grace, perhaps you should reconsider..."

However, Viserys waved his hand, cutting off Bessi's words.

"It's fine."

"What's there to consider about attending a feast? I trust the Magister's credibility."

Viserys spoke calmly.

"I only need to bring some of my personal guards for protection."

The young king then turned to Illyrio and asked,

"How about it, Magister?"

Illyrio stood in place, blinking slightly as if lost in thought.

He had not expected Viserys to accept the invitation to Pentos so readily without any hesitation. He had thought that he might need to put in more effort to persuade him.

Was this young king really so courageous?

Illyrio suddenly felt that Viserys' ability to lead his family out of their past predicament and create the current situation might not be solely due to luck.

Although Illyrio had no ill intentions towards Viserys, inviting the young king to Pentos was a collective decision by the other Magisters who wanted to meet the Targaryen heir.

Ever since the rise of Andalos, the Magisters of Pentos had been watching the emerging city closely, witnessing its growth into a powerful force that could not be ignored.

Even on the path of Andalos' rise, there had been some overt and covert assistance from Pentos, helping the city to develop rapidly.

The reason for Pentos' actions was perhaps known only to the Magisters.

"Of course!"

The Magister of Pentos immediately nodded his head. Since Viserys had agreed, everything would be easy to arrange.

"Your Grace, please be assured that Pentos also highly respects the rights of guests."

"Plotting against guests at a feast in Pentos is a heinous crime that even the gods will not forgive."

Illyrio patted his chest with a loud thud, assuring Viserys.

However, he then thought of something and asked,

"Ah, right... Your Grace."

"Just now, you mentioned bringing some personal guards. How many?"

Viserys had said he would bring 'a few' personal guards for protection, but in Illyrio's view, that would be six or seven people, or at most a dozen.

He had only brought fifty soldiers on this long carriage journey.

"Right."

Viserys nodded calmly upon hearing Illyrio's question and replied,

"I have about four thousand personal guards."

"How many?!"

The Magister of Pentos nearly jumped up upon hearing Viserys' words. Was the young king coming for a meeting or to attack the city?

Although four thousand soldiers could not possibly take Pentos, it would take tens of thousands of elite troops and siege weapons to forcefully conquer a massive city-state like Pentos.

Nevertheless, Viserys leading such a large force would undoubtedly cause panic among the citizens of Pentos.

Seeing the expression on Illyrio's face, Viserys shrugged slightly.

"Does the Magister not believe me?"

The young king then turned to Bessi and asked.

"Besie, are there four thousand in my personal guard?"

Standing beside the throne, the young knight held the hilt of his sword with one hand. Hearing Viserys' words, he breathed a small sigh of relief. It seemed the young king had not lost his cool.

Besie now knew of Viserys' bravery, having heard of his daring journey to Braavos as a child.

But what he didn't know was that back then, Viserys had been like a frightened rabbit, his face turning pale at the slightest hint of danger.

Besie nodded, gripping the hilt of his sword.

"Yes, Your Grace."

"Your personal guard indeed consists of four thousand men."

This pertained to the composition of the Andalos army.

Now, the city's standing force for foreign combat was just over four thousand valiant Andal warriors, all of them, in name, members of Viserys' personal guard.

Dragonstone's naval forces were stationed in a distant port, and the Targaryen traditional naval strength was not counted among them.

Discounting the three to four thousand sailors and navy personnel, and the more than four thousand valiant Andal warriors, there were roughly two thousand guards left to maintain the basic defense of Andalos.

For a city with a population of only eighty thousand, being able to scrape together an army of nearly ten thousand was impressive – a ratio of eight to one for citizens and soldiers. This was an astonishing figure, approaching an all-armed citizenry when compared to nomadic tribes like the Dothraki.

Now, Viserys intended to take the most elite four thousand Andal warriors from Andalos and accompany him to Pentos for a meeting.

"Your Grace, isn't a personal guard of over four thousand a bit too much?"

Illyrio saw that Viserys was not joking, and his oily face wrinkled like a bitter gourd.

He understood that Viserys didn't want to trust them.

"Indeed, over four thousand is a bit much."

Viserys stood before Illyrio, smacked his lips, and then casually agreed with a nod.

"How about I leave the four thousand outside the city and only take a hundred knights with me?"

"Of course, that's acceptable!"

Illyrio breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing Viserys change his mind and agree to take only a hundred knights into the city. He immediately accepted the offer.

"Hmm?"

However, as soon as his words left his mouth, the merchant prince hesitated.

Did he just fall for a trick?

Viserys' true intention might have been to bring a hundred elite knights into the city, so that even if they encountered danger, they'd have some resistance. They might even have a chance to join forces with the four thousand outside and make a break for it, rather than being captured helplessly.

"Well..."

"Alright."

Illyrio's plump face revealed a bitter smile. He hadn't expected Viserys to not only be brave but also cunning.

"In that case, Pentos eagerly awaits Your Grace's arrival."

...

Soon after, a few days had passed.

Doo-

A long, desolate horn sounded, and the four thousand elite Andal warriors of Andalos broke camp.

Roaring hooves and fluttering banners filled the air, and the raised spears shone coldly in the sunlight.

The soldiers protected their king on both sides, marching toward the Velvet Hills and aiming for the prosperous pearl of the bay – Pentos.

...