She walked to Viserys's side, her watery eyes fixed on him. "Your Majesty, I always feel that only by being near you can I feel safe."
An alluring fragrance wafted from her, whether it was the natural scent of a young girl or perfume was unclear.
Her hand lightly rested on Viserys's arm, her fingertips cold.
"Your Majesty, are you tired? My mother taught me some methods to relieve fatigue..." Her voice grew lower, filled with suggestion as her body slowly leaned closer. The neckline of her nightgown was slightly open, revealing delicate collarbones and a patch of fair skin.
She was indeed beautiful, and this temperament that combined melancholy with seduction was extremely lethal to most men.
"Are you very good at this?" Viserys looked down at her, his tone unreadable.
A flush rose to her face, yet her eyes met his even more boldly. "It's my first time. I only wish to serve Your Majesty with everything I have."
What followed seemed to happen naturally. Viserys cooperated throughout, even appearing very infatuated. Afterward, Liana curled up in his arms, her voice lazy and satisfied. "Your Majesty, I truly wish I could stay by your side forever."
"You can stay," Viserys said, stroking her silver hair with a gentle tone.
A flash of triumph crossed Liana's eyes; it was the look of a plan succeeding. She thought this young Dragon Lord was nothing more than a lustful man who had fallen into her sweet trap.
Thereafter, news of Viserys "favoring" Liana spread like wildfire through the castle. He allowed her to visit the Dragonpit and shared private dinners with her. Liana's smiles grew brighter, and her demeanor gradually lost its restraint, replaced by a touch of the pride that comes with being "favored."
Her vigilance also gradually relaxed amidst this "favor." She began to secretly inquire about seemingly insignificant information.
Until one day, the Lysene obtained the information they wanted and prepared to leave. Those stationed at the harbor inn began to pack their belongings.
Through a gecko on the wall, Viserys clearly saw Liana poisoning the wine brought by the servant. She quickly dropped a bead of venom from a gemstone ring she wore into Viserys's glass of red wine.
Her movements were very fast, making her seem like a completely different person from her usual self.
This was the "Ash Kiss" of Lys, a slow-acting poison. If he consumed it now, he would die after some time. By then, the Lysene would have long since left Valyria, and she would die alongside Viserys.
This way, no one would suspect Lys.
Dressed provocatively, she carried two glasses of wine toward Viserys, who was leaning against the bed. "Your Majesty, have some wine to liven things up."
Viserys took the glass but didn't drink immediately. He swirled the deep red liquid inside and spoke in a calm voice, "Is this 'Tears of Lys' or 'Ash Kiss'? I've heard both are specialties of your Lys—colorless, odorless, and remarkably effective."
Liana maintained an outward calm. "Your Majesty? What are you saying? I don't understand..." She still wanted to make a final struggle.
"Don't understand?" Viserys stood up, looking down at her. "Hundreds of years ago, your Lys must have used the same trick to poison those Dragon Lords who were vacationing there during The Doom."
The disguise was completely stripped away. Liana's gaze changed, leaving only the sharp resolve unique to an assassin.
Her hand quickly reached for her hair, pulling out a long, slender, sharp hairpin that shimmered with a ghostly blue light—clearly coated in a deadly poison.
Like a specter, she lunged at Viserys, thrusting the poisonous pin toward his body with a speed far exceeding that of an ordinary knight.
But Viserys was faster. He simply stepped aside to dodge the fatal thrust, reached out with his left hand to seize her wrist, and twisted hard. A crack of breaking bone was heard. Liana groaned in pain but didn't give up; her left fingers, like blades, jabbed at Viserys's eyes while she drove her knee toward his groin.
Viserys parried her hand, blocked her knee with one leg, and used his other hand to slam her entire body violently onto the ground. The heavy impact made her groan, blood trickling from her nose and mouth as she struggled to get up. Viserys stepped directly onto her back, the force of it snapping her spine.
"You Lysene really never learn," Viserys said, still stepping on her, his voice cold.
Liana gave a venomous smile. "Dragon Lord, Lys will never surrender. We refuse to be ruled by anyone." Her eyes began to glaze over as she bit down on a poison hidden in her mouth. Her body convulsed a few times before falling silent.
"The ones who truly refuse to be ruled have always been the ruling class themselves. Why would the commoners care who is above them?"
The fact that Liana was an assassin sent by Lys was quickly made public by Valyria. Using this as a pretext, Viserys formally declared war on Lys.
When the news broke, the entire empire was incensed. Margaery was deeply shaken upon learning the details. She was shocked by Viserys's decisiveness and ruthlessness, and even more so by his seemingly prophetic insight. This made her more wary of Viserys, yet also more curious about him.
In the early morning, the port of Lys was the same as usual, permeated with a mixture of perfume and fishy smells.
Many workers and sailors had already begun moving cargo on the docks. Everything seemed no different from before. But looking closely, one would find that almost all of these people were loading goods onto ships; very few were unloading.
It turned out that just two days ago, the news of Viserys declaring war on Lys had reached this place. Because it was about to become a battlefield, merchants were all hurrying to move their goods out.
At that moment, the sky seemed to be torn apart by a roar.
The sound made the stone-paved roads of the port tremble slightly. The garrison, who had been somewhat bleary-eyed, were instantly jolted awake, peering over the battlements toward the sky. In the next second, their pupils suddenly constricted.
Two shadows approached at a staggering speed, reaching the sky above the city in an instant.
By the time they finally sounded the alarm, Ghidorah's wings had completely blotted out the sky above the Magister's palace. Her three heads turned slowly, six molten-gold eyes staring down without a hint of warmth at the magnificent building decorated with shells and white marble.
The people inside the palace had originally been filled with anticipation that their scheme might succeed.
But that anticipation was shattered completely by the news received two days ago.
The sleepless Magisters and nobles had just finished another round of arguing and were slumped exhaustedly in their soft chairs. But hearing Ghidorah's roar, they were startled back onto their feet.
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