Viserys was throwing a tantrum, demanding to watch the knightly tournament. He even pulled the "prince" card, pressuring his attendants and nannies to let him go, which ultimately alerted the Duchess of Steffon. Apparently, the Duchess, who had three sons of her own, believed she understood all boys' admiration for knights, who embodied loyalty and bravery. She would never have guessed that Viserys thought jousting was idiotic. He had other motives for wanting to go. She considered the matter for a moment. Since the King hadn't forbidden Viserys from attending, she decided to take him and her own children to the viewing stands.
Thus, Viserys gained a close look at the young Stannis Baratheon, and the infant Renly Baratheon, who had been born not long ago.
They were both very handsome. Especially Renly, with his delicate features and upturned nose. His bright blue eyes gazed at the little silver-haired head that had entered his vision, and he let out a silly giggle.
"He's beautiful," Viserys complimented the Duchess, speaking sincerely as she held the baby. "His eyes are such a lovely shade of blue, like the sky today."
The Duchess affectionately stroked Renly's cheek. "This child looks a lot like his older brother, Robert. You'll see him compete later, Your Grace."
Yes, indeed. Robert Baratheon's name was famous. He was the one who killed his brother Rhaegar with a warhammer, seized the throne, and then tried to eradicate all Targaryen blood. But in terms of blood relation, they were all relatives, sharing the same great-grandfather, Aegon V. He wondered why he didn't just kill himself.
Viserys nodded obediently and sat down, but his mind was already racing: According to the plot, the Duke and Duchess were supposed to die in a shipwreck during a storm while Renly was still a baby. Consequently, the Baratheon family, who were staunchly loyal to the King, would eventually become rebels. To prevent this, he had to cut off the source. The Mad King had sent them out to sea with the intention of finding Rhaegar a highborn bride from overseas!
So, at this stage, he had to find a way to make Aerys give up the idea. If only his brother Rhaegar could choose his own bride. But was his destined love, Lyanna, in King's Landing now?
Viserys, sitting beside the Duchess of Steffon, was looking around. Jousting attracted many noblewomen, who sat in the stands on either side. They were all dressed meticulously and beautifully, each with their own style, but undoubtedly, Cersei, with her dazzling golden hair and bright green gold-brocade robe, was the most eye-catching. She wore a golden coronet inlaid with emeralds. When she haughtily raised her neck, her green eyes were brighter than gems. From time to time, Cersei's gaze swept over the men and women in the arena, then landed on her twin brother beside her, who wore a matching green and gold silk brocade top. Her expression was like the Queen in Snow White, asking the mirror, "Who is the fairest one of all?" Of course, it was her.
The reason why handsome Jaime was far inferior to his older brother, Rhaegar, wasn't just his face, but more importantly, his temperament. Viserys judged silently. Because of his silly expression, full of anticipation for the jousting, compared to his melancholic and steady older brother, he was like a rough cowherd.
The Duchess of Steffon noticed the little prince staring at a certain spot and casually said, "Cersei of House Lannister is indeed a rare beauty. But I always feel that a young lady should be more composed and ladylike. Just like Elia of Dorne. Look, the second person on the left over there."
Viserys followed her finger and saw a lady. She was wearing a very elegant and light pale yellow robe, made of silk. She was delicate and slender, her waist, adorned with a jeweled chain, was incredibly small. Fine jeweled hair ornaments were also inserted into her long, black hair, matching her temperament: an understated beauty, pure and fragile.
She was Rhaegar's original wife. But this was absolutely unacceptable. She was too delicate and needed protection. Their relationship... wouldn't his brother become even more melancholic? His brother should marry a girl who was as passionate, sincere, and energetic as fire, namely Lyanna of the North!
Viserys decided to emphatically cross out Elia's tragically fated marriage, and the tragic life that would result. He blinked his eyes and said loudly to the Duchess, "But, I don't like Princess Elia like that. She looks very weak! She doesn't look like she can ride a horse or wield a sword!"
The Duchess replied with a smile, "She is a lady, Your Highness. Elia doesn't need to know those things."
The audience in the stands where they were sitting, front and back, left and right, were all from various hereditary noble families. They noticed the conversation between the Duchess and the little prince.
"But—she looks like she'd have a hard time giving birth!" Viserys argued without restraint. "She's not nearly as strong as the other ladies. Hmm! She's the thinnest and weakest of them all!"
The Duchess of Steffon was extremely embarrassed, completely unprepared for Viserys's words, especially in front of so many people... Others who heard it began to whisper among themselves. Although it was just a child speaking, it seemed to make a little sense—the various noble lords were still very concerned about legitimate offspring. All those born to mistresses were bastards who could not inherit lands or castles. Therefore, they had to marry a healthy woman of high status to have children. Princess Elia Martell, while of high status, looked weaker than the other ladies, which made her seem less than an ideal match!
The Queen of Dorne was also watching from the opposite viewing platform. She quickly noticed that many people were whispering and pointing in her daughter's direction. She frowned—when she learned what everyone was saying, the Queen was furious. But before she could think it through, her son, thirteen-year-old Oberyn, had already jumped up in anger, ignoring her attempts to hold him back, and rushed towards the opposite side, shouting, "Who said that?!"
The future Red Viper hadn't yet figured out the source of those words. The Duchess of Steffon couldn't possibly discern that it was Viserys. She stammered, "I'm sorry—child, no offense—"
"The House Baratheon must apologize for this slander! Or the Dornish will demand justice through a duel!"
Stannis, who was beside the Duchess, also jumped up, his face stern, ready to face the challenge. But Viserys's shouting voice had already risen: "I didn't slander anyone! I just think Princess Elia is very weak! Can she even have children?"
This time, more people heard. Princess Elia's face turned pale, and she swayed, leaning on her companion to avoid falling. This further confirmed her weakness. The Queen of Dorne looked displeased, both pained for her daughter and annoyed that the matter had been stirred up by the young prince. King Aerys was extremely protective of his youngest son and would not possibly give fair judgement on this matter.
But the Lannisters, on the other hand, had different feelings. Cersei, not far away, slightly curled her lips; she was happy to see a potential competitor who might steal her thunder in trouble. And Tywin Lannister was even more satisfied: now he had a good excuse to refuse. He had received news from Dorne that the Queen intended to form an alliance with his family, having Oberyn marry Cersei and Elia marry Jaime. Tywin knew that if he agreed, it would make the person on the Iron Throne even more irritated. Aerys could not accept the two powerful families becoming inseparable. Since he deeply feared him, what about the Lannister family fully supporting the Targaryens in an alliance? His most cherished children, the beloved Joanna's two children, could stay in King's Landing.
Nothing could express Casterly Rock's complete loyalty to the Targaryen family more than the marriage of Rhaegar and Cersei, and Jaime becoming Rhaegar, the future king's, Kingsguard. He believed that if Aerys had even a shred of the planning skills that the young king he had sworn fealty to once possessed, he would not have rejected his marriage proposal.
Tywin, who was single-mindedly planning for his family, naturally couldn't imagine how far Aerys' madness had gone: he put humiliating and attacking him before all other interests. So much so that Viserys later privately speculated that Aerys' madness and viciousness all began with Tywin's happy marriage and blissful life with his wife. These two, this routine, could it be that the Mad King one-sidedly loved the unspeakable? The Targaryen family wasn't without a prince who loved a knight of the same sex.
Getting back to the matter at hand, Oberyn of Dorne couldn't duel a child of five years old, due to both age and status. He was angrily pulled away by his mother, but he remembered this grudge.
The jousting was about to begin. Viserys's shouting about the Dornish princess being unable to bear children reached the tent of Prince Rhaegar, who was concerned about his younger brother.
The prince, encased in heavy armor, removed his helmet and sighed. His younger brother spoke without thinking, and he knew he should apologize to the Queen of Dorne and the Duchess of Steffon on Viserys's behalf. If he could win the Rose Crown of love and beauty, he should also give it to Princess Elia to make up for her damaged reputation and offer some comfort.
At this moment, he heard another knight who wasn't participating, laughing loudly at the tent entrance, saying to his attendant, "That little guy isn't wrong, a woman, you know, should have a chest and a butt to be enjoyable."
Rhaegar frowned slightly and looked at the other person and recognized him by his weapon, a warhammer. It was Robert Baratheon, a tall man of the same age, whose armor had broad shoulders and a thick body, making him a first-rate warrior.
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