Game of Thrones: Viserys the Three-Headed Dragon.

Chapter 104 Davos

"Really? You really saw it?"

"Really? The Dragonstone Pier was open for a while a few days ago, and I stayed at the Dragonstone Pier for two days with the previous ship. Every day I looked towards the castle. If I was lucky, I could see the Dragon King riding his dragon into Dragon Mountain. Before the Dragon Mountain shook, the Dragon King would ride his dragon back from Dragon Mountain in the morning, evening, or midnight. Don't you believe it?"

On the merchant ship heading to Chaotou Island, the idle sailors gathered together and chatted.

Someone asked: "Does the Dragon King's dragon really have three heads?"

The sailor who spoke was a man who could speak: "That can't be false, I saw it with my own eyes. I saw it through the telescope of the sailor in the lookout, and there were three heads, the same as those painted on the Dragon King's flag. That head was scary, with one eye, and it was so big that it could swallow a sheep in one bite!"

"A sheep? That's not that big."

"Not big? Have you seen it?" The sailor seemed anxious. "You haven't seen it! That's a dragon. It can scare you to death even from such a distance! I heard from the locals in the tavern that on the day when the Dragon King attacked Dragonstone, the dragon flames were like fire raining from the sky. In just a moment, the Dragonstone Castle raised the flag and surrendered."

"What. Dragonstone. Dragonstone surrendered?" The Onion Knight Davos Seaworth woke up with a start, and vaguely realized that everything was not a dream. He was indeed unconscious on the rocky reef where he was hiding, and was rescued by a merchant ship. He had a high fever and his head was dizzy, but he caught a few key words, "Dragon?" He staggered to his feet from the floor and grabbed the clothes of the sailor who was speaking, "You said dragon? Cough cough cough" Soon he began to cough continuously and painfully.

"Hey, hey, don't let him die, that's my reward!" someone shouted loudly, and a sailor hurried over to give him water.

Someone said, "He might be a lord knight of King Stannis's. What's a lord knight worth?"

"100 gold dragons."

"Damn, 100 gold dragons! It's a pity that I don't have a boat, otherwise I would have been fishing for people in Blackwater Bay for a while." Although the gold content of the new gold dragon coin has shrunk and depreciated a lot over the years, 100 gold dragons, even new gold dragons, are not a small amount of money for anyone.

"There aren't that many knights for you to get. The most you can get is a few ordinary soldiers."

"That can also be exchanged for a silver deer."

"How ignorant," said the sailor who was talking about dragons earlier, disdainfully. "If I had a ship, I would go around selling information. Do you know that the Dragon King had dragons before King's Landing? What do dragons look like and how big they are? How much can this information be sold for?"

"You have insight, why don't you make money by selling information?"

"You--how did I know this could be sold for money before?"

Davos fell into a drowsy sleep, and when he woke up again, he was already in the Maester's Tower of Driftfort.

"Ser Davos," the maester said as he woke up. "You are very weak. I must say it is a miracle that you are still alive."

Davos recognized the old maester, Coin, from his visit to Drifthead when he had called on Lord Montford of Driftmark to recruit him for King Stannis's campaign. Maester Coin had been present.

Davos was eager to know everything: "Maester Corne, Lord Montfort, King of Kings Stannis. Dragonstone. I."

"Alas, Ser Davos, Lord Stannis, defeated Lord Montfort at the Blackwater."

Seeing that he was awake, Maester Coin told him that Stannis was defeated by the Lannister and Tyrell coalition at the Blackwater River, his naval force was almost completely destroyed, and only one tenth of his army remained.

Drifthead received an order of death and deprivation of title from King's Landing, saying that Lord Montford of Drifthead was burned to death along with his ship, crew members and soldiers, and countless people died in that battle.

Everything feels like a lifetime ago.

Davos hesitated, but still asked: "Dragonstone?"

Maester Coin replied: "Dragonstone is now ruled by his majesty, Dragonlord Viserys Targaryen."

"Dragon King?"

"His Majesty Viserys Targaryen is called the Dragon King of Dragonstone, and now the lords of the narrow sea obey his command."

"You surrender, Targaryen?"

"Ser Davos, a lot has happened during this period," Maester Cone said. "You must know that your life was also saved by His Majesty the Dragon King. He ordered the vassal to offer a reward at the port for merchant ships to rescue Sergeant Stannis who had survived the Blackwater Bay by chance, and to have merchant ships send him to the ports near Dragonstone for treatment."

Davos' eyes were red. "What about Lord Stannis?"

"Lord Stannis is all right," Coin answered. "He has gone south to Storm's End."

Davos breathed a sigh of relief. He was too weak and lay down. After a moment of silence, he asked, "Does the Targaryen dragonlord have dragons?"

Maester Coin answered as if it were a commonplace matter: "Yes, Ser Davos."

Davos couldn't believe it: "How is it possible? People say that dragons have been extinct for more than a hundred years?"

"Well now that the dragon is back, get used to it, ser."

When Davos heard even the wise maester say this, he felt unprecedented doubt and confusion in his heart: "What will happen to me next?"

Maester Cohen said seriously, "A ship will come to take you to Dragonstone tomorrow. You are Lord Stannis's loyal knight, and His Majesty the Dragon King will put you in the dark cell. Several knights have already been taken there like you. The soldiers are better. His Majesty the Dragon King has ordered that ordinary soldiers with good attitudes will be sent home with IOUs in the presence of monks to borrow money for the journey, so that they can go home to plant autumn crops in preparation for the winter. If they have bad attitudes, they will be put in jail or sent to work as laborers for vassals to plant in the wasteland in autumn so that they can raise money to go home. If we don't like them and they have criminal records, we can also put them in jail directly."

"Maester, are you suggesting that I run away tonight by being so frank?"

"It was His Majesty the Dragon King who ordered us to be honest. Sir, it doesn't matter if you want to run away. Just remember not to commit crimes in His Majesty's territory after you escape. His Majesty does not want the people he rescued to bring danger to his rule. Crimes, especially murder, burglary, and bullying of women and children, will be severely punished."

".Master, did you just say that we should rush to plant autumn crops?"

"Yes, His Majesty the Dragon King believes that this long summer will last eight years, and the coming winter will be very difficult to endure."

"." Davos opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say. He just said curiously, "To be honest, Maester, I don't understand why the Targaryen Dragon King wants to save us again?"

Maester Cohen pursed his lips. "Well, Lord Montrey asked the same question as you when he met the Dragon King on Dragonstone, ser."

"Count Monterey, if I remember correctly, wasn't he only six years old?"

"Yes, ser," said Maester Coin. "His Majesty the Dragon King told Count Montrey a story."

Davos became curious: "What story?"

"After a storm, when the tide receded, many small fish were stranded on the beach. It wouldn't be long before the water in the shallow puddles would be absorbed by the gravel, and all the small fish would die. A boy was sparing no effort to pick up the small fish and put them back into the sea. Passers-by couldn't bear to see him wasting his energy. Someone told the boy, 'Son, there are hundreds and thousands of small fish in this puddle, you can't save them all.' 'I know.' The little boy answered without even looking up. 'Oh? Then why are you still throwing them? Who cares?' the man asked. 'This little fish cares!' The boy answered as he picked up a fish and threw it into the sea. 'This one cares, and this one cares too! And this one, this one, and this one...'"

Maester Cohen paused before asking him, "What do you think of this story, Ser Davos?"

Davos was speechless: "Are they small fish stranded in the Blackwater River?
Maester Cohen smiled and said, "Afterwards, when Count Montrey and I left, I heard that Lady Bar-Eamon asked the same question when she went to see His Majesty. Do you want to know what His Majesty the Dragon King answered, sir?"

Davos asked seriously, "Please tell me the answer, Maester."

"His Majesty the Dragon King said that all of you knights loyal to Lord Stannis can be used to exchange for ransom, including Lord Bale Emmon who was taken to Storm's End by Lord Stannis. Right now, the Narrow Sea is in ruins, and except for Dragonstone, there is not a single warship. What we lack is money."

Davos lay down on the bed. "Will I see your dragon lord tomorrow, maester?"

"That's a question I can't answer, ser."

"." Davos felt very tired. He closed his eyes. Before the maester left, he suddenly said, "If the story was about a poor child, he would pick up those hundreds or thousands of fish and make them into dried fish."

Maester Cohen asked curiously, "If it were you, sir, what would you do?"

"That's a question I cannot answer yet, Maester."

-

Davos was moved to the deck, and he found that the warship had a thin painted striped hull, a bronze figurehead, and billowing sails. There were repainted marks and names on the hull, but Davos could not read. But he could recognize that it was a Lys warship, which was supposed to be one of the assault ships accompanying Salladhor Saan's Valyrian. When leaving Tidehead at noon, Davos happened to meet the castle guards - all half-grown boys, led by the castle's old coach, escorting obedient prisoners from the prison to work in the wasteland near the castle. It is said that two of them were rescued Stannis soldiers. When they were sent to the castle for treatment, they tried to hold the maester hostage, but were caught by the castle guards who had been prepared and sent to the castle's black cell. Now they are undergoing "labor reform." It was too late to plant corn in the fall, so they could only plant a batch of beans and cabbages before winter. They had to be "reformed" for a month before they could decide how to deal with them according to the situation.

I heard that since the policy of receiving treatment was implemented, no bloodshed has occurred. Most ordinary soldiers can borrow money from the castle to go home after being rescued and can walk normally. This money will be borrowed under the notarization of the monks, with two copies of the IOU. The deadline for this loan is not specific, but it will be the next harvest summer. As for the reward money for the merchant ship rescue, the soldiers do not have to pay it back.

Sik 
There were many rumors among the maesters, all related to the new owner of Dragonstone. For some reason, Davos was looking forward to the trip to Dragonstone.

As Lys's ships set sail, Tidehead shrank into a long line behind them, while Dragonstone rose slowly from the sea in front of them. A wisp of gray smoke drifted from the top of the mountain, marking the location of the island.

From the sailors' accents, Davos could tell they were from Pentos, but as for the silent guards on the ship, it was difficult to tell where they came from.

The captain was also a Pentos man. When he learned that the person coming to pick him up was the famous Onion Knight, he immediately took him to the captain's room, insisted on treating him to food and drinks, and asked him about his legendary experience of becoming a knight. He was quite envious and had some regrets in his words.

The Onion Knight tried to find out where his regret came from, but the captain refused to answer.

After a brief chat with the captain, Davos remembered his lucky charm, a small leather bag he always wore around his neck, which contained four knuckles that his king had cut off on the day he knighted him.

During the year-long siege of Storm's End during the Rebellion of the Usurper, Davos sailed a small boat loaded with onions and pickled fish to break through the Redwyne fleet's blockade of the castle and deliver supplies to Stannis. Thanks to the food, Storm's End was able to hold out until reinforcements arrived. As a result, Stannis knighted Davos and gave him the fertile land of Cape Wrath. At the same time, as punishment for his previous smuggling crimes, Davos had to have the first knuckle of his left hand cut off.

However, after surviving the Blackwater River, his bag of lucky charms disappeared, along with the finger bones inside.

Davos was still too weak, and his stomach couldn't handle the greasy food and wine. After the meal, he vomited and had diarrhea for the rest of the voyage on the ship.

Listening to the heavy drum beats of the oarsman, the fluttering of the sails and the rhythmic creaking of the wooden oars, Dragonstone became larger and larger, and gradually the black stone castle with gargoyles and dragon-shaped towers could be seen. Listening to the sound of the wooden oars hitting the water and looking at the Targaryen flag flying on the bow, he remembered his smuggling experience in his youth.

Smugglers were always hunted down by the Sea Guard, and King Aerys II Targaryen showed no mercy to them. This made him, like the nobles during the Rebellion, have a bad impression of King Aerys, but in fact no king was lenient towards smugglers.

This dragon king Viserys is the son of "Mad King" Aerys. During his exile in Essos, there were all kinds of rumors. Now, less than a month after the capture of Dragonstone, the lords of the narrow sea have returned.
When approaching the Dragonstone dock, Davos keenly discovered that the Targaryen fleet was not large. There was only one galley of three hundred oars, plus the one he was on, a total of three Lysian warships. There was not even a longship for pursuit. It was hard to say that this was a "fleet" and he was not sure whether there were other ships carrying out other tasks.

Almost every dock on Dragonstone Island is crowded with merchant ships, moored and swaying by the breakwater. It is said that Dragonstone Island is now implementing strict "port entry control". Passing merchant ships can only enter the port if they are confirmed to be doing business on Dragonstone Island and have a guarantee from the town's merchants. Otherwise, they are not allowed to enter the port. The ships that are parked must leave at the agreed time and are not allowed to extend their stay. When passengers stay in the town, the hotel must report to the town guard. The inspection of ships traveling to and from King's Landing is particularly strict.

Now the best berth is empty. It should be the berth of the three-hundred-oared ship patrolling and inspecting outside the port.

Before entering the harbor they took down the sails and moved forward only by rowing.

On the dock, two silent guards continued to escort him, while the town guards responsible for town security received Davos from the warship. Davos recognized the new captain of the town guard, whose name was Ashe Sara.

"Please come with us, Ser Davos."

"Do you know me?" Davos tried to speak, but he burst into a cough and quickly grabbed the rope on the dock. "Where will I go?" he asked breathlessly.

"We'll take you to the 'reception' in town," Ash Sara said, "and someone will take you up to the castle shortly."

"Reception?" Another new word.

"There are too many people seeking to see His Majesty the Dragon King every day, so His Majesty has set up a reception desk in the town. Visitors need to apply and wait for a confirmation reply before they can go to the castle." However, even if you enter the castle, you will be received by the acting city lord, Count Gunther.

Davos was too weak to ask any more questions, so he could only nod.

There were a lot of people in the town, and the small commercial street with only one street, the taverns and shops were particularly busy. As far as Davos could remember, Dragonstone had never been so lively. It seemed that many people were attracted here by the "Dragon King".

Davos was then sent to an unused house next to the town guard post. Next to this was the so-called reception area, which was bustling with people. Most of them were dressed as merchants, but in the crowd, Davos also saw several free knights. Free knights refer to hired swordsmen with horses. More often, free knights refer to knights who are neither lords' retainers nor conscripted. Some of them are experienced hired knights, and some are desperate recruits or farmers. They usually do not receive rewards, but survive on spoils of war, hoping to be conscripted by the lord one day.

Davos was placed in a relatively quiet room, with only the two silent guards left to watch over him.

He was getting bored of waiting, and seeing that the two guards didn't care about him, he stood at the window and looked at the crowd queuing outside the so-called reception desk.

Suddenly, a flash of flaming red caught his attention.

A surge of anger immediately surged in his heart. It was her!

She seemed to appear before him: heart-shaped face, red eyes, long copper-red hair, she wore a long red gown, made of silk and satin, and her steps were like moving fire. She came from Asshai in the east, and on Dragonstone, she had won the heart of Selyse and the nobles of the queen's court with the spirits of a foreign land, and then won the heart of King Stannis Baratheon. The king had gone so far that he had taken the Flaming Heart as his banner, serving R'hllor, the Lord of Light, the Heart of Holy Flame, the Lord of Shadow and Fire.

It was she who brought the fire, it was she who burned them.

The flames of the Blackwater River never died in his mind, the devils holding whips of fire danced on the water, the living burned under the whip, turned into charcoal, his children died, his crew, everything he had.
He remembered why he had survived. He wanted to find Melisandre and kill her! Davos couldn't help but tremble. Everything was the conspiracy of the Red Woman. She devoured them with fire to punish Stannis for abandoning her. She tried to make the king think that he couldn't gain the world without her witchcraft!
It was she who did it, the red woman, Melisandre, it was her!
The priestess seemed to notice his angry look and turned to look at him.

Davos' heart suddenly dropped, and all the anger seemed to be punching a feather pillow.

That's not her.

Although the priest also wore a red robe, had red hair, and had a beautiful and enchanting face, he was not her.

But! Why would the priest of R'hllor appear here?
He stared at the priestess intently, trying to see her every move and understand her conspiracy.

But soon, there was a knock on the door.

He turned around and the door was already open.

"Greetings, Ser Davos," a young knight greeted him.

Davos remembered him, when the statues of the Seven were dragged out from the sept and burned at the town gates, and Ser Herbert Lambton and his three sons had stood guard at the sept, until they fell from the outnumbered, and Ser Herbert and one of his sons were slain, and the other two taken prisoner.

"You are Hubbard Lambton," Davos saw the Targaryen dragon mark on his body and the Lambton family crest on his armor, "I should call you Ser Hubbard."

"Your Majesty has ordered me to take the knights under his command to the castle." Hubbard's expression was solemn. "Please follow me up the mountain, sir."

Davos asked, "Did the Dragon King release you? Where are Brother Baal and Earl Gunther?"

Hubbard's answer was very official: "We were all saved by His Majesty, and now we all serve His Majesty the Dragon King." He himself did not have a good face for these accomplices who were loyal to Stannis and betrayed the Seven Gods and suppressed them in the past.

"." Davos sensed the other party's resistance and was speechless. He could only nod and said, "Thank you, Sir Hubbard."

Ser Hubbard and a well-dressed team took Davos from the two silent guards and led him up the mountain.

When he was leaving, Davos couldn't help but look at the priest of R'hllor, and found that the priest was looking back at him. He couldn't help but ask, "Sir Hubbard, what's the matter with this priest of the Red God?"

"Her?" Hubbard said disdainfully. "Never mind her. She came from Lys on a Pentos ship, seeking an audience with your majesty, trying to coax you as Melisandre coaxed Stannis. Your majesty was wise, and had no intention of seeing her. It was a mercy of your majesty to allow her to stay here in town, if you ask me." He didn't say anything else.

"."

The journey up to the castle was not an easy one, and Davos was still very weak, but no one in this team cared about him. They just escorted him and let him climb the winding mountain road by himself. The only thing to be thankful for was that they did not rush him, and were willing to wait for him to catch his breath and rest before setting off again.

By the time Maester Pylos came to the castle gate to pick him up, Davos was already speechless. He leaned against a wooden stake in the blacksmith shop at the castle gate, gasping for breath.

He had not yet recovered from a serious illness and was already extremely weak. After climbing such a long mountain road, he felt nauseous and wanted to vomit.

"Onion Knight!" When he heard Princess Shireen's voice, he thought he was hallucinating.

He looked up and actually saw Princess Shilin waving at him happily on the castle's arched stone bridge.

He suddenly felt dizzy, the head was spinning, and he fainted.

He could not see the dragon.

(End of this chapter)