Rhaenyra gasped softly, her heart pounding wildly, a tingling sensation spreading through her body.
Hearing the sound, Rhaegar lifted his head and looked out the window.
A little girl crouched beneath the weirwood tree, her hands covering a small green caterpillar, her face full of innocence.
"Let it go! Bugs are dirty," a little boy ran over and reminded her with a look of distaste.
"Oh, okay!"
The girl widened her big eyes, picked up the tiny caterpillar, and placed it on a branch above her head.
The caterpillar landed right next to its companion and crawled toward another tender, round leaf, nibbling at it in small bites.
Judging by the way the two caterpillars were eating, the weirwood leaves must be delicious.
"Rhaegar, the banquet isn't over yet."
Rhaenyra's cheeks flushed, her heart trembling slightly as she looked up and glared at him.
"No one's watching us," Rhaegar glanced at the beaded curtain at the balcony entrance and lowered his head.
One looked up, the other looked down—four eyes met.
Rhaegar's piercing violet gaze flickered with uncertainty, his lips a deep red, his Adam's apple bobbing.
Rhaenyra's eyes were misty, her lips slightly parted.
The wind stirred the beaded curtain, making it sway. The strings of beads, once separated by a finger's width, drew closer together, merging continuously.
Outside the window.
The caterpillar on the weirwood tree was still eating when two pale snakes slithered onto the branch.
The white serpents coiled around each other, their heads pressed together, tongues flicking as if neither was willing to back down.
A terrifying scene, as if they were about to swallow each other whole.
---
### Second Floor, Banquet Hall
Janyce, dressed in an elegant gown, held a wine glass as she exchanged greetings with noble ladies and young women.
"Janyce, come here for a moment."
Jasiph, wearing a blue gown, strode over, clutching a slip of paper in her hand.
Janyce glanced at it and immediately recognized the raven-delivered message.
"Excuse me, I have something to take care of," she said, excusing herself from the group of chatting noblewomen. She set down her wine glass and stepped away from her seat.
Jasiph gave a polite smile to the watching ladies before following Janyce toward the stairway corner.
Handing over the note, Jasiph spoke in a low voice, "There's been an incident at Longbow Hall."
Janyce unfolded the paper, which contained only a few short lines:
**Longbow Hall repelled the Mountain Clans.
Jobert was ambushed on his return and is gravely injured.
The Mountain Clans are well-organized and may be planning a large-scale raid on the Vale's plains.**
"Jobert is wounded!"
Janyce's expression changed, and her hand tightened around the note unconsciously.
Jobert was her regent, the one who had taught her how to govern the Vale.
If something happened to him, it would be a devastating blow to the Eyrie.
Jasiph asked anxiously, "What should we do now?"
In her opinion, they should take advantage of the banquet to summon more vassals and launch an offensive against the Mountain Clans.
"The Mountain Clans hide deep in the forests—we won't be able to track their movements even if we gather forces."
Understanding her friend's personality, Janyce sighed and said, "Send word to every house to lock down their castles and prepare for battle."
"If we let the Mountain Clans pillage the Vale's plains, they'll have enough supplies to last for years," Jasiph worried.
The Vale was surrounded by the Mountains of the Moon, but its central plains were rich with fertile black soil, yielding abundant harvests.
If the Mountain Clans looted everything, this year's yield would plummet.
"Jasiph, you're misunderstanding me," Janyce said, rubbing her temples. "Go find Rhea and tell her I'll be returning to the Eyrie tomorrow. Have her prepare a carriage for me."
Jasiph opened her mouth as if to argue but, realizing she couldn't change her friend's mind, she nodded helplessly.
After taking a few steps, Janyce suddenly called out, "Have you seen Rhaenyra? I need to discuss something with her."
She wanted to talk to Rhaenyra about dealing with the Mountain Clans.
With two dragons in the Vale now, they had no reason to fear those savage, ignorant clans.
Jasiph thought for a moment before replying uncertainly, "Try looking for her on the second-floor balcony. But… she didn't seem to be in a good mood."
Last night, a raven had arrived at the Eyrie with news—the Kingsguard and the royal gifts had arrived.
---
The White Knight also brought intelligence about the Highland clans roaming the Brightmoon Mountains.
Following Jennie's instructions, she sought out Rhaenyra to express her gratitude and showed her the letter along with the attached list.
Rhaenyra barely glanced at it before her expression subtly shifted.
Jansive assumed she was merely concerned about the Vale's safety and didn't dwell on it.
"I understand. You may go," Jennie said, waving her hand wearily.
Jansive nodded, turned, and walked downstairs.
What she failed to notice was that, the moment she turned away, Jennie's usual gentle demeanor vanished. Her face became impassive as she stared at Jansive's retreating figure, her gaze flickering with an unreadable light.
After a long pause, Jennie exhaled softly, regaining her usual poise before heading upstairs.
Upon reaching the upper floor, she exchanged polite smiles with the noble ladies she passed, responding to their greetings without breaking stride, making her way toward the balcony.
Through the swaying beaded curtain, she could vaguely make out two figures—one dressed in red, the other in black—standing on the balcony.
*Clatter…*
Gently lifting the curtain, Jennie stepped inside and called out, "Rhaenyra, I came to find you."
"Ah!!"
Her voice startled Rhaenyra.
Jennie turned toward the sound, slightly taken aback.
Rhaenyra's face was flushed, and she looked flustered.
"Jennie, what are you doing here?"
Rhaegar, standing calmly behind the rocking chair, remained unfazed.
Jennie blinked in confusion, hesitating. "Did I interrupt your conversation?"
"No! You came at the perfect time," Rhaenyra replied vaguely, pressing a hand to her chest.
It really was *perfect timing.*
With that thought, she shot Rhaegar a glare.
Rhaegar, looking completely innocent, remained relaxed and composed.
"Jennie, what did you need?"
Left with no other choice, Rhaenyra shifted the topic to Jennie.
Snapping back to the moment, Jennie stammered, "I—I received new information and wanted to discuss it with you."
"Come sit, we'll talk slowly."
Rhaenyra motioned for her to join, then shot Rhaegar a look, silently telling him to *get lost.*
"Hmph~"
Rhaegar smirked, casually removing his outer coat and draping it over Rhaenyra's shoulders.
"I'll be going now. Rest a little longer."
With that, he brushed past Jennie, lifted the curtain, and left.
He had already said what he needed to say and heard what he wanted to hear.
Leaving was the natural course.
"Come on, ignore him," Rhaenyra said, motioning for Jennie to sit beside her as she pulled the black coat down to her waist.
Jennie glanced back and forth, sighed with a helpless smile, then took a seat next to her.
…
Outside on the balcony, Rhaegar emerged into view, attracting the attention of noble ladies and married women alike.
With his outer coat removed, he was left in only a black undershirt, revealing his well-defined muscles.
The young noblewomen blushed, hesitating as if they wanted to approach him.
The older women, more composed on the surface, subtly scanned him up and down with discerning eyes.
But Rhaegar, caught in his own thoughts, strode down the stairs without noticing any of it.
Upon reaching the lower floor, chaos reigned.
Two rough-looking middle-aged men stood glaring at each other, hurling insults, on the verge of a full-blown brawl.
"You foolish Covarts! You're so poor you can't stand to see others thrive!"
"You filthy Bonells! You're nothing but scum who deserve to have your guts ripped out and hung from the gallows!"
---