The warship broke through the calm sea and sailed quietly under the afternoon sun.
The sea after the storm is as quiet as a dignified girl. The flat, mirror-like sea surface reflects the golden sunshine, and the gentle sea breeze gently brushes the boy's cheek like a girl's bare hands.
Viserys was still standing on the highest deck of the Black Death, feeling the gentle caress of the sea breeze. His silver-gold curly hair was fluttering in the wind, and his cute little face was filled with tranquility.
This is the first time since he came to this world that he has slightly let go of some of the things that he had been hanging on to.
Different from the previous enlightenment of the old maester, this time Viserys really felt that the sense of crisis that was once so high was temporarily relieved.
At least after this battle, the threat in front of him was temporarily lifted, allowing him to breathe a sigh of relief and have more breathing room.
"We're almost to Dragonstone."
And at this time.
Cheers came from the soldiers on the deck below. It turned out that they saw the familiar island and knew that they were not far from home.
In fact, among the soldiers in this fleet, there are not many people on Dragonstone Island. They are mainly from the kings near King's Landing, and most of the soldiers are recruited here.
There are even some mercenaries from other regions, including the Western Region, Highgarden, Stormlands, etc., including some from the Eastern Continent across the Narrow Sea.
For these soldiers, the concept of home has long been blurred.
They were all poor people. Born in this era, as long as they were not nobles, it was almost difficult to get ahead. Being tall and strong enough to be a soldier was already a pretty good way out.
At least they can rob others without worrying about bandits coming to attack them.
For example, if you want to become a gold robe in King's Landing, you not only have physical requirements, but you also need to spend a lot of money to bribe the recruiting officer.
Now the soldiers are cheering that they have finally returned to Dragonstone. They have successfully survived the war this time, and living on a ship for a long time will make people numb. They are eager to return to land.
Viserys was actually a little excited in his heart, and this was clearly reflected in his beautiful lavender eyes.
Then the silver-haired boy held his hand on the railing and turned his head to look to the other side.
According to the navigation chart, the fleet is passing by the side of the sharp angle and passing through the Throat, which is one of the main shipping channels between the Eastern Continent and Westeros.
"That side...is Chaotou Island?"
Viserys stood on the deck, holding on to the railing with his young hands, looking at the outline of the island appearing on the sea level in the distance.
Then he turned around and asked the soldiers beside him curiously.
"Yes, Your Highness."
A dark-haired soldier wearing leather armor with a long sword hanging on his waist and a slightly chubby face who looked innocent nodded quickly.
Now the old sergeant is resting in the cabin. Following Viserys is a steward who is responsible for handling paperwork.
The old knight replaced the previous guard, and now this fat steward is responsible for protecting Viserys' safety and answering some questions for Viserys.
I don’t know what the old Sir’s considerations were for making such an arrangement.
Maybe the original guards were incompetent, or maybe Viserys really had a lot of problems.
What now appeared in the fleet's field of vision was the outline of an island, and the reason why the soldiers cheered was because they saw this.
Before departure, due to the approaching storm, the visibility on the sea was very low, and Viserys did not see the island that was so close.
But he also knows the other person's name.
Chaotou Island.
Tidehead Island was supposed to be a vassal of the Duke of Dragonstone. The owners of this island were the Velaryon family, who also had Valyrian blood.
It used to have a close relationship with the Targaryen family and had frequent marriages, but this relationship did not continue with marriages after Aegon III.
The Velaryon family used to be one of the overlords of the Westeros oceans. However, it suffered a heavy blow during the "Dance of the Blood Dragons" and eventually gradually declined.
These were explained to Viserys by the former Maester Daniel. The old maester asked Viserys to read the family history of each family and memorize their family emblems and mottos.
And now.
On the surface, the Velaryon family has not surrendered to the usurper, but at the same time they have refused the call of Dragonstone and seem to be sitting on the sidelines.
Viserys remembered that when he and his mother first came to Dragonstone, Queen Layla had summoned all the subjects of Dragonstone, but in fact no one responded to Queen Layla's call.
Although Chaotou Island was very close to Dragonstone Island, there was no response at all, as if they didn't hear or see it.
Viserys certainly understood this distant relative's choice.
But while expressing understanding, he must also be careful about possible betrayal by his neighbor.
"Velaryon also has a fleet."
And at this time.
A voice came from behind Viserys and the steward.
The old Sir walked out of the cabin. He heard the conversation between the two people, and the two people on the deck also turned their heads.
"Morford Velaryon was also a warlike man."
Sir Geoffrey's gray hair was fluttering on his head, and there were some age spots on his weathered cheeks. He held his belt with one hand and looked into the distance.
"But it is a pity that the fleet may have perished in the sea, and Lord Morford also lost his courage."
Viserys could hear the faint sarcasm in the old man's mouth. He was slightly curious, but did not inquire further.
This unprecedented storm destroyed any ship that appeared in the sea, even a piece of wood, and even many islands were submerged by the tsunami.
The old knight's words also told Viserys not to worry about the Velaryon family, and he seemed to hear something in Viserys's words.
The Targaryen fleet passed by Tidehead Island but did not land or say hello, but it shocked the people on the island.
Viserys stood on the deck closest to the island, and finally saw the panicked figures of the frightened people on the castle. The crowds of people seemed to be looking in this direction.
They feared that the Targaryen fleet would plunder Tideshead due to their previous silence.
However, neither Ser Geoffrey nor Viserys had such plans.
The fleet passing by Chaotou Island so close was actually just warning the people on the island with ulterior motives with the power of victory.
It's best to make your choice carefully.
Then the Targaryen fleet sailed into the distance.
Chaotou Island is very close to Dragonstone Island, only thirty nautical miles away.
Less than half a day.
As the sun set, the fleet finally broke through the red clouds on the sea and returned to Dragonstone Island.