"Fat Grape" Aman Greenvine was pulled from his folding chair by Viserys.
Viserys pierced Aman's palm with a sharp, black dragonbone-hilted dagger. The valyrian steel was incredibly sharp, passing through skin, metacarpals, and flesh without any resistance.
"Nobody move, Lord Aman. This time it's your palm; next time it will be your head," Viserys pinned the fat Aman's palm to the carpet, his strength driving into the ground.
"How ruthless," Aman Greenvine's expression twisted in pain, and large beads of sweat rolled down his fleshy face.
Lord Aman's eldest son, Jack Greenmantle, was so scared he hid by his father's side, startled by the impactful scene.
"Coward, coward," Aman Greenvine cursed his son in pain. "Get out of here!"
"Father," Jack Greenmantle murmured, flustered for a moment.
"Lord Aman, tell your men to stop," Viserys watched Aman, who didn't dare pull out the dagger and just kept wailing.
A long life of luxury had made this "Fat Grape" fearful of blood.
"You have no chance of winning, Viserys. My son Yon is coming with cavalry and mercenaries," Aman hissed in response.
"For now, you don't have a choice," Viserys drew his longsword, and the blade directly opened a bleeding gash across Aman's throat. Warm blood flowed, signifying the gradual loss of life.
"Everyone stop, stop!" Aman immediately ordered.
This was supposed to be a perfect plan: when the two parties met, the Greenvine Family's Unsullied and gladiators would ambush and abduct Viserys, ordering Viserys's guards to disarm.
Then, the mercenaries hired by the Greenvine Family would encircle them, and the entire Viserysgrad would collapse without a fight. This cartload of supplies was actually intended to ransom the Andal elders.
Viserys's power would vanish, and the Greenvine Family would be the true kings of the andals.
The plan was perfect, but what they hadn't anticipated was how cunning the young and spirited Viserys was. Not only did he bring hidden armor, but he was also ruthless, agile, and managed to seize control of the situation first.
"Stupid, I'm truly stupid," Aman was filled with such regret that his intestines turned green. Greed, like all merchants, had ruined his life.
The old Unsullied eunuchs stood silent as a forest, unmoving. And the gladiator, as if experiencing a delay, was still fighting Argus.
Gladiators are proud and bloodthirsty, unlike the Unsullied.
"Argus, don't get bogged down in battle!" Viserys commanded.
"At your command, Your Majesty," Argus responded.
The gladiator's speed was astonishing; his sword created a storm of metallic flashes in the air, but these storms were harmless to Argus.
Meereenese only had one flaw: they disliked wearing armor. In the gladiatorial arenas of Meereen, the nobles preferred to see gladiators bleed profusely.
"Coward, a coward in iron armor!" the gladiator cursed Argus. Seeing the situation had drastically changed and Viserys had control of the fat Aman, the gladiator also became nervous.
Argus only blocked the fatal attacks aimed at his head; other sword strikes, after being parried and deflected, hit his chainmail.
The gladiator struggled, unable to make progress. Correspondingly, his strength and speed slowed. He even turned to notice the wailing fat Aman.
Argus roared, seizing the gladiator's opening. His greatsword whistled as it cleaved down directly at the gladiator's abdomen.
While the gladiator was agile and bloodthirsty, their strength was not on the same level. The gladiator's intestines spilled out like eels and snakes, falling directly to the ground.
"Die!" Then came the second sword. Argus wildly swung his sword, directly decapitating the gladiator, and blood soaked his armor.
"The Greenvine Family violated guest right and ambushed King Viserys! Traitors to the Seven Gods!" Argus furiously raised his greatsword. The Greenvine Family's guards were almost entirely intimidated by his killing intent.
Argus strode forward. The dull Unsullied could only watch as Argus approached Aman's son and heir. This was a drawback of the Unsullied; they were like machines, but machines without instructions encounter bugs.
Viserys's cavalry all surrounded them, and the soldiers from both sides felt the urgency of impending conflict. Viserys's soldiers were particularly enraged, as violating guest right was an act scorned by the Seven Gods, and yet the Greenvine Family had stooped to such low behavior.
However, the Greenvine Family's soldiers were hesitant for two reasons: first, they had indeed violated guest right, and second, their lord was under control.
Viserys and Argus had already taken control of the enemy's most important figures, Aman and his son.
"Lord Aman, since you are so enthusiastic, why not come as our guest to Viserysgrad?" Viserys said.
"Abduction! This is abduction!" Aman's voice was distorted and shrill from pain and anger.
"Bring a carriage, and let's go to Viserysgrad."
"No?" Aman immediately shook his head. "Let go! You cannot succeed. My second son is bringing elite mercenaries from Tyrosh; they are unbeatable."
"Is that so?" Viserys looked at Aman. "Then I shall make you see how I deal with them."
"Argus!" Viserys said.
Argus tightened his grip on the blood-stained greatsword. Its blade hung over Jack Greenmantle's head; with just one strike, a new head would fall.
"Go, I'll go..." Aman replied in despair. Aman looked at his son's face; although compromising was a sign of impotence, he was still his eldest son.
Viserys waved his hand and pulled out the valyrian steel dagger. Aman let out another piercing scream. Regardless, his hand was now ruined.
Several of Viserys's soldiers shoved Aman into a carriage, to express their "warm hospitality" to the Greenvine Family.
"Come on, Jack Greenmantle, you'll accompany us too."
"Me?" Jack Greenmantle looked on in confusion as events unfolded. Not only his father Aman, but he himself had also become a captive.
"You come too, young master," Argus grabbed Jack and threw him onto his horse's back, like a small chick or duck.
The Greenvine Family's people were like defeated chickens, not just the Unsullied guards, but also the knights and servants. They hadn't expected Aman to put on such a clumsy farce, failing to control the situation and instead becoming the weak point himself.
"andals, all who believe in the gods will scorn the Greenvine Family's actions! Traitors, blasphemers! The Greenvine Family will surely face divine retribution! True andals should take up arms and fight for the destiny of andal, not pledge allegiance to the sword-thief Greenvine, who violates guest right and curries favor with Tyroshi slavers!" Viserys's voice rang out like steel. Many of the Greenvine Family's knights showed signs of shame on their faces.
"Those who wish to follow me, come. Those who do not, tell Aman's bastard that they want their father to come to Viserysgrad to claim him."
This performance was not just about killing, but about striking at the heart.
"Go!" Viserys spurred his horse and rode off. Some confused knights, their faces flushed, automatically followed behind. Aman, enduring intense pain, noticed that Viserys's subordinates, after riding for a while, stopped again, and he felt extreme fear.
"This isn't the way to the castle! Why are you stopping, you scoundrel!" Aman cursed.
Viserys came to Aman's carriage window, a dangerously magnificent smile on his face.
"I told you I would eliminate the Tyroshi. Didn't you doubt the strength of the andals? Today, I will open your eyes," Viserys replied.
Aman's trap had not worked, but Viserys's trap was different.
Among the hills and wilderness, there were still some silent longbowmen.
Aman's vision went black. Viserys had long ago arranged a proper trap, waiting for the death and decline of the Greenvine Family.
In terms of cunning and tactics, he finally understood Viserys's terrifying nature. Not only their people, but Viserys had no intention of letting these attacking armies live.
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