In the height of summer, on the east bank of the rippling Upper Rhoyne River, a magnificent circular outer wall stood beneath Viserys Hills, protecting the newly built andal city, with Viserysgrad atop the hill.
Viserysgrad now truly resembled a city, with a bustling town below and the King's fortress on the hill.
Much like Maidenpool, the castle was situated on a hill, surrounded by town walls, with hills and soldier pines to the east of Maidenpool.
The soldiers standing by the walls and docks, cloaked in black with red dragons, appeared to be guardsmen, while the andal craftsmen, with seven-pointed star symbols painted on their faces, worked diligently without needing to be urged.
The andal craftsmen poured all their enthusiasm into the construction of the new city. Many called this city "Viserysgrad," and even more referred to it as the City of Andals.
The moat of Viserysgrad was being dredged to introduce water flow.
The craftsmen would also build a grand bridge in Viserysgrad, connecting the east and west banks of the river.
Upstream, an ornate longship flying the Black Pearl's banner cruised towards the town.
Through the window, the Black Pearl, dressed in a yellow gown, and the swordsman Quilo, in brown clothes, could see the bustling construction outside.
"Traveling by boat is still better than by carriage," the Black Pearl said, her beautiful eyes gleaming with a strange light. This was the ancient land of the Andals, now the territory of His Majesty Viserys.
"Indeed, if we hadn't taken a fast ship, I fear we wouldn't have made it in time for the King's coronation," Quilo said. "We rushed, but at least we didn't delay the Sealord's instructions."
"I think His Majesty Viserys will like the gift you brought," the Black Pearl said.
"Of course, this crown was originally a relic of Targaryen Family, and now it is returning to its rightful owner."
"I never thought he would actually succeed. Back in Braavos, he was just a boy under the wing of a patron," Quilo said with emotion, "called the landless king."
"A dragon is a dragon, regardless of size," the Black Pearl smiled.
She hadn't really expected such great things from Viserys either, but Viserys had indeed found an opportunity in the cracks, maneuvering to build a new stage.
As the longship approached, the guardsmen on the dock made a stopping gesture.
The Black Pearl extended a letter sealed with a red three-headed dragon wax seal, and the captain of the guard immediately showed reverence. Only honored guests of His Majesty Viserys received such treatment.
"Please, you are the King's honored guests," the captain of the guard said.
The Black Pearl curiously watched the road in the distance, where carriages were slowly but steadily pulling huge stones towards Viserysgrad.
"Where are these stones from?" the Black Pearl asked curiously.
"From the Velvet Hills," the captain of the guard replied. "There's a deep lake in the mountains there, and you can see a circle of standing stones by the roadside, said to have been built by giants. Since they're just sitting there, they're perfect for building Viserysgrad."
The Black Pearl nodded, vaguely remembering the story of the stone circle.
The Black Pearl and her party docked their longship and then transferred to an ornate carriage, traveling along the stone path up the hill to the fortress.
The Black Pearl and Quilo couldn't help but wonder what Viserys, who would soon appear before them, would be like. He was no longer a boy under the wing of others, but a dangerous warrior, a king of a vast land.
Viserysgrad had become neat and beautiful. The originally grayish-brown Viserysgrad now featured many marble buildings, some directly moved from the Greenvine Family's estate.
Because His Majesty Viserys's coronation ceremony was about to be held, Westeros Castle was bustling with activity, mostly with andal high society, as well as knights, warriors, and so on.
The Black Pearl and Quilo met Viserys in the white sept, beneath the statues of the Seven Gods. The statues of the Seven Gods were gilded, looking very magnificent.
In Viserysgrad, there were two septs. One was the King's own small sept, and the other was the grand sept in the town of Viserysgrad.
The two septs had different functions.
Viserys looked at the faces of the Seven Gods: the Father, the Mother, the Warrior, and so on. This grandly built temple, the Seven Gods, would have to empower his soldiers well.
"His Majesty Viserys!" the Black Pearl greeted Viserys. Though close today, there now seemed to be an unfathomable divide between them.
Viserys turned around, a young man with silver hair and purple eyes, possessing a handsome face, but with eyes as firm as steel.
He was dressed magnificently, in a black velvet coat, draped with a black cloak embroidered with a three-headed red dragon, like a bright sword newly drawn from its sheath.
The Black Pearl felt that Viserys was even more different than before. He was a creation forged from power, courage, and ambition, emanating a tremor of authority.
He no longer seemed like the jovial young man, but a true king and a great personage.
"It's been a while since we last met, Black Pearl, and Quilo, Lord Quilo even came along."
Viserys was still a bit surprised.
"To celebrate Your Majesty's coronation, the Sealord entrusted me with a small gift to express his regards. To avoid drawing attention, I could only accompany Miss Black Pearl's ship." Quilo shrugged. He took out a small cedarwood box.
"This is truly a pleasant surprise," Viserys said, opening the cedarwood box. Inside was a golden circlet inlaid with seven different colored gems—a king's crown.
Viserys accepted the gift, clearly seeing that the Sealord had gone to great lengths to find this crown.
The skill level of andal goldsmiths was limited, unable to compare with those in Lannisport, King's Landing, or the Free Cities.
Now, with this exquisite crown, the coronation ceremony's urgent need was met.
"The crown of Jaehaerys I, 'the Conciliator.' In the early days of the Dance of the Dragons, Ser Steffon Darklyn of the Kingsguard fled King's Landing with the crown and pledged allegiance to Rhaenyra Targaryen on Dragonstone. The Queen wore this crown until she was driven out of the capital by rioters. In Duskendale, she sold the crown to a Braavosi merchant to pay for passage back to Dragonstone," Quilo explained.
"Please convey my message to the Sealord," Viserys said. "I will forever be grateful for this gift from the Sealord."
Quilo nodded, "I will certainly bring this goodwill back to Braavos."
But Quilo knew that the Sealord's attitude towards Viserys was slowly becoming blurred. There was a sense of fear that Viserys would suffer, and also a fear that Viserys's power would expand too quickly.
After all, the Sealord had a psychological expectation for Viserys to make some waves in the Andals, but Viserys's methods were too clever, and his rise too rapid. The Sealord couldn't believe that this was the work of a teenager.
Viserys looked at Quilo: "I still have many places where I need the Sealord's help. This andal city is vibrant, but my enemies may arrive tomorrow, or the day after."
Quilo accepted Viserys's overture, "Are you speaking of enemies from Westeros, Your Majesty? They have just concluded a war with the sea monsters and will likely need extensive mobilization."
"I'm not talking about The Usurper and his lackeys, I'm talking about the Dothraki," Viserys said. "The Dothraki will destroy any town they encounter, and I don't think they'll have any goodwill towards me."
"I will convey your concerns," Quilo nodded. Through all these aspects, Quilo believed that Braavos did not need to be so anxious yet.
Even if Viserys's power was rising, he at least faced troubles from Westeros, the dothraki, and Tyrosh, among others.
And Braavos, on the contrary, was an ally Viserys needed to rely on.
"My deepest gratitude. At least on the path of opposing evil slavery and the evil Dothraki barbarians, the Sealord and I will have much room for cooperation."
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