Hearing this, Oberyn Martell frowned.
Evidently, he detected a subtle hint of displeasure in Viserys Targaryen's tone.
"Rhaenys often said her fondest childhood memory was watching the waves of Dragonstone crash against the rocks."
Oberyn Martell used his niece Rhaenys to address Viserys Targaryen, saying, "She said that was the closest sound she'd ever heard to a dragon's roar."
Viserys Targaryen gazed at the dust motes shimmering in the shadows of the throne, suddenly recalling the dark-haired girl who always ran through the The Red Keep's corridors.
She truly resembled her mother, possessing the bravery and fearlessness of a Dornish woman.
"Rhaenys Targaryen was indeed captivating."
Viserys Targaryen's fingertips lightly caressed the ruby in his hand, tapping it idly against the throne.
"Let me guess..."
Viserys Targaryen leaned forward, "You plan to capture Dragonstone as Rhaenys Targaryen's dowry, because... the wights have already reached Dorne's borders!"
At this, Oberyn Martell's smile visibly stiffened for a moment.
He never expected Viserys Targaryen to be so direct.
"Your Majesty, the Long Night is coming, and we need a stronger alliance to resist the wights' invasion!"
At this moment, Prince Doran no longer had his original arrogant and untamed demeanor.
Indeed, from the very beginning, Viserys Targaryen had been wary of this distant relative.
In the original story, even when Viserys Targaryen and his sister Daenerys were living on the streets, Dorne offered them no help.
It was only after Daenerys Targaryen hatched dragons and became Queen of Meereen that their prince set his sights on Daenerys as a plump target!
To put it plainly, the alliance between them was nothing more than a community of shared interests.
In the face of family interests, there was no such thing as friendship!
"Your Majesty is far too cold and ruthless!"
The Red Viper's face turned incredibly grim.
From Viserys Targaryen's words, it seemed he not only wouldn't concern himself with Usurper Robert Baratheon's territory but also intended to ignore Dorne's deserts!
Dorne, after all, had two Dragonriders among its lords.
Even if Viserys Targaryen didn't help, he was confident he could persuade his nephew and niece to fight on dragons!
"Cold and ruthless?"
Viserys Targaryen sneered, "Compared to the iron throne, which can be negotiated with, those wights and Others are probably much harder to communicate with!"
Suddenly, the urgent cawing of a raven came from outside the hall, and Oberyn Martell, the Red Viper, instinctively looked towards the window.
In that instant, Viserys Targaryen saw the fleeting anxiety in his eyes.
It was a look he had long grown accustomed to.
Countless envoys from Westeros had arrived with that very expression.
Between life and death, all power, wealth, and status became insignificant.
"Besides the King, there will be no more princely titles in the Seven Kingdoms!"
Viserys Targaryen said coldly, "Hand over all maps of the Dornish desert oases and the supply lines buried in the desert."
At these words, Oberyn Martell, the Red Viper, immediately changed his expression dramatically.
Viserys Targaryen was trying to dig up House Martell's grave!
Compared to the other six kingdoms, only Dorne had remained outside the iron throne's control for centuries.
Their guerrilla tactics of retreat when the enemy advanced and harassment when the enemy was weary had long been perfected.
The reason was simple: the unique terrain of the desert.
But all of this depended on the oases in the desert and the supplies buried within it.
These were the foundation that allowed Dornish warriors to resist the iron throne for so long.
However, his subtle intentions had already been seen through by Viserys Targaryen.
He had attempted to use a grand marriage alliance as a cover, hoping to persuade Viserys Targaryen to dispatch troops to help him deal with the impending wights in Dorne.
"In that case..."
Oberyn Martell finally let go of his pride, "How will Your Majesty respond to this 'ulterior motive' proposal?"
Hearing this, Daenerys Targaryen immediately became anxious.
This was not the first time someone had coveted her Queen's throne!
Aside from that dark-skinned swindler from Qarth last time, none of the nobles present were on her side.
Who would want to be a princess in a small place for her entire life!
"Brother, here's another surrender letter!"
Daenerys Targaryen eagerly interrupted Viserys and The Red Viper's conversation.
Although she and her niece Rhaenys Targaryen were like sisters, she was still the rightful claimant to the Queen's position!
At this, Viserys Targaryen's gaze swept past The Red Viper and settled on the letter in Daenerys's hand, covered with the flayed man's sigil.
"Roose Bolton, is this a letter of surrender from the Dreadfort?"
Viserys Targaryen smiled.
When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter; when the wall collapses, everyone pushes it down!
Robert Baratheon seemingly still controlled the entire Seven Kingdoms, but in reality, people's hearts were already in turmoil.
From beyond the Wall in the North to the perilous Bloody Gate in the Vale, he had failed to hold even an inch of land.
Now the South was flat and defenseless, and the fall of King's Landing was only a matter of time.
"Your Majesty, unlike the others, my father has brought you a gift!"
The Bastard of Bolton smiled coldly.
The next moment, a tall, slender, beautiful young woman was roughly dragged forward by soldiers.
"Sansa Stark?"
Looking at House Stark's distinctive "brown hair," Viserys Targaryen's pupils involuntarily constricted.
He never expected that this "Little Dove" still couldn't escape the fate of being captured.
This Lord Roose Bolton of the Dreadfort was truly audacious, daring to directly abduct the legitimate daughter of Ned Stark, the Warden of the North!
"Your Majesty, Catelyn Tully secretly defied Ned Stark's military orders and sent her two daughters across the Narrow Sea. My father discovered this and captured her!"
"It's just that in the chaos of war, the little wolf Arya Stark got lost!"
The Bastard of Bolton said with a look of regret.
Everyone knew that Viserys Targaryen had personally intervened, snatching Bran Stark, the son of Stark, from amidst a multitude of troops.
And now, he himself was personally delivering Stark's legitimate daughter as a pledge of loyalty.
This gift was undeniably valuable.
"Tsk tsk tsk!"
Viserys Targaryen gasped.
No matter when, Catelyn Tully was always consistent in harming her own family!
As Warden of the North, Ned Stark naturally had to lead by example, taking the forefront.
He never expected that at the crucial moment, his wife would disrupt morale and lead the retreat!
It was just a pity that Viserys Targaryen captured Bran to disrupt the plans of the Three-Eyed Raven and the Night King.
And as for this little girl in front of him, no matter how beautiful she was, what good would it do?
"Your Majesty, I have always admired you. My father was forced into rebellion, and if you give me a chance, I will definitely persuade them to surrender to the embrace of the true dragon..."
At this moment, Sansa Stark was in tears, babbling endlessly with pleas for mercy.
Viserys Targaryen could see no trace of the North's wolf spirit in her!
Although he found her cowardice incredibly distasteful, Viserys Targaryen did not vent his anger on her.
The usurper's War had nothing to do with these children!
If not for his father, Aerys Targaryen, going mad, he wouldn't have forced most of the nobles to rebel.
"Understood, take her down and lock her up with Bran!"
Viserys Targaryen said casually.
He was not Emperor Joffrey, who enjoyed torturing young girls!
The next moment, Viserys Targaryen openly threw Roose Bolton's letter of surrender into an iron box nearby.
Following the direction Viserys Targaryen threw the letter, the Bastard of Bolton's triumphant expression instantly turned ashen.
The box was already filled to the brim with letters!
"Adapting to the situation and seizing opportunities is truly a mandatory course for the nobles of Westeros!"
The Bastard of Bolton couldn't help but smile bitterly.
He had thought he was full of sincerity.
He never expected his allegiance to be too late.
"Your Majesty, Dorne can help you reclaim Dragonstone!"
Oberyn Martell, the Red Viper, finally couldn't hold out any longer this time.
He knew that without paying a price, he would absolutely not gain Viserys Targaryen's help!
Before setting off, Prince Doran had repeatedly emphasized that no matter the conditions, they must secure Viserys Targaryen's support!
However, as The Red Viper, who had known the iron throne for many years, he was confident that he could rely on the friendship between the two families to secure Viserys Targaryen's aid!
"This damned internal competition!"
Oberyn Martell cursed under his breath.
The next moment, he immediately spoke up: "Dorne can support you in marrying two queens!"