Chapter 24: Hint

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"A blackened dragonbone pendant, priced at nineteen gold coins, eight silver coins, and fourteen copper coins of Pentos. What do you think?" Illyrio had only the steward and the maid Annie, whose minds were still relatively sharp, so he summoned them.

"Too expensive," Annie answered first. "It sounds like some kind of code."

Illyrio looked at her, but the maid lowered her eyes and fell silent, so he looked at the steward.

The steward bowed his head in thought and finally said bluntly, "Master, I don't know."

It was an obvious cipher, but the three of them racked their brains and couldn't figure it out. Their brainstorming session didn't last long. Confirming that Viserys and Daenerys were indeed communicating with an outside force was more important than deciphering the riddle Viserys had thrown out.

Illyrio confirmed again that Viserys had not left the estate in the past twenty days. "In these twenty days, they haven't left the courtyard, nor have they said they wanted to leave?" Though the information might be inaccurate, it was hard for Illyrio to believe that Viserys could quietly stay within the small courtyard for over twenty days.

The steward affirmed again and again.

Illyrio also inquired about the area outside the courtyard. "Outside, has there been any unusual activity or spying?"

This courtyard area was a residential area for the high officials and dignitaries of Pentos. Aside from the streets, it was impossible to spy on other places. But if a nearby dignitary held a banquet, there would inevitably be a mix of people.

"No, it has been relatively quiet in and around the courtyard for the past twenty days," the steward replied.

Illyrio cautiously gave orders, "Send two more people outside to keep an eye on the street. If there is any unusual activity or if a stranger is acting suspiciously, notify me immediately."

...

After leaving the seaside pavilion, Daenerys couldn't calm down. She wanted to ask countless times but held back. Viserys had his reasons for choosing this way of communicating with her.

She thought back to her first meeting with Illyrio, remembering the fleeting greed on his plump face. She thought of the maid Annie's constant chatter and her overt and covert attempts at friendliness. She thought of the cryptic exchanges between Viserys and Illyrio, which she couldn't understand. Most troubling was the change in Viserys himself—he seemed like a different person, no longer quick to anger and brimming with confidence.

Viserys's newfound, unshakable belief often made Dany wonder about its source.

Now, it seemed the mysterious veil was being lifted slightly.

Dany's heart pounded.

They continued walking along the cobblestone paths of Illyrio's courtyard. Viserys led the way, and Dany silently followed.

As time passed, a new thought arose in Dany's mind.

At first, she had felt uneasy about Viserys's increasingly dismissive attitude towards her after his change. But now, as he seemed to be genuinely expressing some hope towards her, Dany felt anxious, unprepared for what Viserys expected from her.

'Just pretend you didn't hear it,' she suddenly thought. His voice was so soft, and the sound of the waves was loud. If he asks, I'll just say I didn't hear him.

'Wait, didn't he just ask me to remember any unusual feelings or dreams? What's there to worry about?'

She realized she had been overthinking. Viserys had only asked her to do a small thing, even though he made it seem significant. Given his exaggerated expressions lately, what was there to worry about in such a simple task?

'But what counts as an unusual feeling? What kind of dream is unusual? If I can't explain it, will he hit me or scold me?'

She suddenly thought of the past. When Viserys was angry, his face would contort with rage as he cruelly dug his fingernails into her skin, saying, "You have awakened the wrath of the sleeping dragon."

Unpleasant memories surfaced, causing Dany's steps to slow as she followed closely behind her brother.

"What's wrong?" Dany saw Viserys turn around, his face a mix of a smile and something unreadable, a strange glint in his violet eyes.

But seeing Viserys's face, for some reason, she wasn't afraid anymore.

"Nothing," she answered Viserys.

"If you're tired, go back and rest," Viserys said, smiling at her.

"I'm not tired," she replied.

We're family! Dany reminded herself.

Viserys was her only family. She didn't want to be beaten, nor did she want to be dismissed.

Thinking this, Dany saw Viserys nod at her, not saying anything more, and then turn back to continue walking.

Dany's heart gradually calmed down, and suddenly, she realized something.

Viserys needs her help!

Viserys was always wary of Illyrio and everyone else in the courtyard, which was why he spoke to her in hushed tones amidst the sound of the waves. That was what he truly wanted to convey.

As she thought this through, Dany realized she had always known that the garden's collar-wearing slave gardeners, the sword-wielding guards at the front gate, the dogs in the kennel by the back door, Illyrio with his sweet words, the ever-serious steward, and even the enthusiastic maid Annie were all people she and her brother needed to be wary of.

Understanding this, many of Viserys's exaggerated actions suddenly made sense. With this realization, all her random emotions vanished, and she was surprised at how long it had taken her to see this clearly.

Dany looked up at Viserys's back and suddenly felt that his figure seemed a bit lonely. Courage welled up in her heart, and she stepped forward, drawing a bit closer to him.

She wanted to fight alongside him.

Viserys, of course, had no idea what Daenerys was thinking. The reason he hinted to her at this moment was because the matter of the dragonbone seemed to be settled, and he would inevitably need to interact with her more closely, so he laid the groundwork to prepare her psychologically.

Moreover, he had just detected something resembling a dragon's soul in one of the dragonbone hairpins Illyrio had given, and he intended to conduct a small test on Daenerys.

He worried that she might, as before, lose control when coming into contact with objects containing dragon souls, so he subtly hinted at closeness.

When Dany's emotions shifted earlier, he thought the dragon soul might have triggered something in her again, but she quickly returned to normal, which disappointed him a bit.

He suspected that the amount of dragon soul in the hairpin might be too negligible to have an effect.

As the two siblings walked silently along the garden path, each lost in their own thoughts, they rounded an artificial hill and saw the courtyard's owner sitting on a bench ahead.

It seemed that this journey to the Seven Kingdoms had made the fat magister quite impatient.

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