Viserys Targaryen and Prince Oberyn, the true dragon and The Red Viper, stood on opposite banks, gazing at each other.
Prince Oberyn reined in his horse alone amidst the wild reeds, appearing quite abruptly.
Since the riverbank was not particularly wide, the two could see each other clearly.
Viserys raised an eyebrow slightly; this was his Dornish friend, always late.
But Viserys could not bring himself to criticize him too much, as back then, with their meager population, Dorne had gone all-in by sending over ten thousand Dornish spearmen to fight, which was already doing their utmost.
The tactical habit of the Dornish was light cavalry harassment and shock attacks, fighting guerrilla warfare by relying on the high temperatures and local advantages.
Making the Dornish charge against regular knights on a large plain was completely fighting against the meta, no different from seeking death.
The failure of the battle at the Trident River had severely wounded the vitality of Dorne, leading Prince Doran to become a defeatist strategist who was cautious in every move.
Moreover, for the sake of Rhaenys, he still had to provide a reception.
As for the marriage alliance with Arianne Martell, Viserys felt absolutely nothing; although Arianne possessed beauty, her lifestyle habits were somewhat casual.
Viserys did not quite like this personality, and besides, Viserys was a person who valued appearance, and the beauties he had dealt with before were all stunning.
Not to mention Black Pearl, and even those slightly less stunning like Moonshadow, Daughter of Darkness, and Nightingale.
Arianne's looks were slightly lacking, and she was too short.
As for the alliance with Dorne, both sides were originally blood allies, so it didn't matter whether they added a marriage alliance or not, especially with Rhaenys there.
The Red Viper was tall, slender, and elegant, as if he had merged into one with his mount.
The front of his tall, gilded helmet was adorned with a copper sun, and a round shield hung behind the horse, its polished surface engraved with the House Martell emblem of a gold spear piercing the sun.
On The Red Viper's horse were also bundles of throwing javelins prepared by the Dornish, along with a Dornish recurve bow used for mounted combat.
The Red Viper also saw the handsome youth wearing a straw hat; Viserys was similarly tall and robust, with silver hair and purple eyes, his appearance inhumanly beautiful.
A large red three-headed dragon was embroidered on his black Han-style shirt, and a long sword and dagger hung at his waist.
The silver-haired youth was not bound by minor details, but rather heroic and unconventional.
He needed no excessive adornment; merely standing there, he possessed a regal demeanor, because he believed in his own charm and prestige.
"Is this really the Viserys I knew?" The Red Viper felt his head spin; when he had met Viserys before, Viserys had been completely unremarkable aside from his appearance.
To be honest, in the beginning, the Dornish were not interested in Viserys at all, and the relationship between The Mad King and the Crown Prince Rhaegar and his wife was quite terrible.
The Mad King had even attempted to have him go to Volantis to find a princess with an ancient and noble lineage for Prince Rhaegar...
The court knew that The Mad King Aerys had some intentions of deposing the elder and establishing the younger, and the Viserys who remained in the Red Keep was a spoiled, arrogant boy.
The Red Viper had never imagined that this very Viserys would seem like a different person after his guardian William Dary died, reversing his character from The Mad King's irritable son directly to that of the conqueror.
While The Red Viper was still pondering how to organize his words, Viserys had already spoken.
"Boatman, dock the boat; my distinguished guest has arrived," Viserys commanded. "Gaelin, take my navy back to Viserysgrad; I want to have a private chat with the Prince."
"As you command, Your Majesty!"
Viserys disembarked and looked at the knight, The Red Viper.
The burly knight Argos followed Viserys, like a small mountain.
"Dornish warriors are as dense as sand, but this one alone is the best in the world," Viserys clapped and praised, taking off his straw hat.
"My brother, Prince Doran, is unwell and currently unable to travel," The Red Viper said, removing his helmet.
This was a long, melancholy face, with a pair of large, dark, shiny eyes like oil ponds beneath finely arched brows; his forehead and nose were equally sharp, and his glossy black hair contained only a few strands of silver.
The Red Viper, like Rhaenys, was a quintessential "Salt Man."
"Your hair?" The Red Viper asked curiously, seeing that Viserys had trimmed, short silver hair, whereas average noble sons all wore long hair.
In the past history of Westeros, only one person loved short hair, and that was Aegon the Conqueror.
"I prefer short hair; it is easier to manage," Viserys said.
"His Majesty Viserys has been crowned again, and I have arrived late," The Red Viper said, feeling a bit embarrassed. It was Viserys who had been conquering on horseback in the eastern continent, and they had endured for a long time before coming over.
The Red Viper had wanted to be rash, but he also had to submit to Prince Doran's command.
It was The Red Viper who had warned Prince Doran many times that Viserys's power was expanding too quickly, and if they continued to wait, they, the Dornish, would truly miss the boat, which was why Prince Doran had given repeated instructions for The Red Viper to set off quietly.
Prince Doran was a man who planned big things with small means; to put it bluntly, he took one step and looked three steps ahead, but his execution was quite lackluster. Even Prince Doran's chess pieces all had their own ideas.
If Viserys had kept drifting in the eastern continent and had truly become a beggar, he would never have waited for a single gold dragon from Dorne.
"There is an old saying in the ancient eastern lands: 'Good food is not afraid of being late,'" Viserys smiled calmly. "I am deeply gratified to have a great hero like Prince Oberyn visit."
The Red Viper nodded, unable to help but marvel at the changes time wrought upon a person. In a few years, Viserys was not only talented and versatile but had also become a wise man full of knowledge.
"That is my navy; what do you think of it?" Viserys pointed to his ships, small boats traversing the river.
"Very good, it reminds me of the Orphans of the Greenblood," The Red Viper said, watching the ships sailing away.
Originally, The Red Viper had been wondering to what extent Viserys's expansion in the Andalos had reached; now it seemed that Viserys had not only taken the Andalos but had also begun to harbor the remaining population of the rhoynar.
This speed of rise could not be explained by luck alone. Viserys's methods and abilities must be truly outstanding.
While Viserys was chatting with The Red Viper, he heard the sound of hooves again; it was Rhaenys Targaryen who had arrived with some knights.
"Your Majesty!" Rhaenys bowed to Viserys, and the knights brought the King's black steed and Argos's horse for Viserys.
Rhaenys was also wearing a black studded vest, and her horsemanship was getting better and better, as if they were a pair of centaurs.
Viserys affectionately ruffled Rhaenys's supple black hair.
The Red Viper remained silent.
"Good, let us mount our horses and talk," Viserys said to The Red Viper.
The group rode off, galloping in the direction of Viserysgrad.
"Prince Oberyn, were you not afraid of the spiders in Sunspear on this long journey?"
The Red Viper shook his head. "Even though spider webs are everywhere, a viper can still see small gaps to avoid them. Besides, the iron throne has no heart to manage us too much now; the news of the Andalos kingdom has already triggered clamor and commotion."
"I did not expect Prince Doran to send his right hand as an envoy," Viserys said. This was an exaggeration, but it also fit the current situation in Dorne.
Prince Doran stayed in the Water Gardens due to gout, living a secluded life, but his affairs were arranged very clearly. The ruling structure of Sunspear was pyramid-shaped, and the actual manager of Dorne was The Red Viper.
Prince Doran's cousin, Ser Manfrey, served as the acting castellan, the elderly and blind Ricasso served as the steward, his tax collector gathered taxes to be counted by the treasurer, Arron Qorgyle. His Magistrate managed the order of the Shadow City, his adjudicators presided over arbitration, and Maester Mace handled letters that did not require the Prince's personal attention.
Above these people, Prince Doran placed The Red Viper; while the heir Arianne's task was merely to drink, make merry, and entertain guests.
Within this framework, it was almost inevitable that the dissatisfied and crisis-prone Arianne would lose control.
"This is my sincerity; becoming Prince Doran's right hand cannot let me see the dawn of revenge, and I have waited long enough. Now I have a new idea; perhaps I can take a look at the new King's kingdom," The Red Viper said with emotion.
The sunlight shone on the Upper Rhoyne River, and also spilled onto the muddy roads and the green fields and trees.