Above the Red Door Court, a black cat walked along the wall, then roamed around the courtyard.
In the courtyard garden, Viserys and the new master-at-arms, Roland, stood facing each other.
Roland Lyk, unlike Syrio Forel and Moro of Braavos, was a true member of Viserys's retinue, a knight from Westeros.
Although Viserys also trusted Moro and Syrio, the Water Dancers were not involved in the Usurper's War.
They helped Viserys out of goodwill, but they wouldn't be fanatically tied to his cause.
Roland, who harbored hatred for the Lannisters and the Usurper Robert, was even more useful.
Currently, loyalty was the most important requirement, followed by talent.
Jon Connington was indeed talented, but he could only be said to be loyal to Rhaegar, and Viserys didn't have much expectation of him.
Roland Lyk might be less capable, but his loyalty was unquestionable.
"Ser Roland, from now on, you are my master-at-arms," Viserys said to Roland Lyk.
"It is my honor, Your Majesty. Besides being master-at-arms, I will also be responsible for protecting your safety," Roland Lyk replied without hesitation.
Viserys was pleased. Now he finally had two guards: Moro, borrowed from a courtesan, and Roland Lyk, an exiled royalist knight.
As for Syrio, being such a big shot, he could train Viserys, but he wouldn't constantly revolve around him.
Speaking of guards, Viserys again thought of the outrageous Rhaegar, making his teeth itch with hatred.
Rhaegar had sent several Kingsguard to the Tower of Joy at once; these men neither participated in the Battle of the Trident nor stayed in King's Landing to guard the castle, and Viserys didn't get a single one of them.
The Sword of the Morning and his companions died inexplicably, a complete waste.
Roland Lyk had escaped relatively quickly; otherwise, he too would have died in King's Landing or been sent north.
After Lyk's arrival, Viserys began receiving a double dose of warrior training.
The first type was the Water Dance, representing agility, suitable for assassination.
The second type was the Iron Dance of Westerosi knights, representing broad, sweeping movements, suitable for the battlefield.
"Your Majesty, if I may be so bold, what stage has your knight training reached?" Ser Roland asked cautiously.
Those who undertake great endeavors must first have a capable leader. Although Roland was unwavering in his desire to restore the kingdom, he still wanted to understand Viserys's specific abilities.
The courtesan "swordswoman" had praised Viserys extensively, calling him a genius in many aspects, but Roland was not entirely convinced.
From Roland's rough impression of Viserys, he only knew him as a prince spoiled by the Mad King Aerys, with an unpredictable temper.
In those days, the Mad King and Rhaegar were at odds. After his marriage, Rhaegar lived on Dragonstone, and Viserys was the only prince in the castle, doted on by the King and Queen.
Some even claimed that King Aerys intended to disinherit Rhaegar and name Viserys as his heir.
In short, he seemed like a spoiled prince, yet without talent.
Even if he had been displaced, it was unrealistic to think that a person could be completely transformed.
"I haven't really learned much," Viserys said, giving Roland a small shock right from the start.
Roland was somewhat taken aback. At fourteen or fifteen, he hadn't really learned longsword and spear. He felt a clear sense of foolishness and despair.
Viserys's answer was equivalent to a fourteen or fifteen-year-old still being in elementary school, utterly foolish.
"I never touched a sword in the Red Keep. After Braavos, Ser Willem quickly went half-blind, and no one taught me. However, recently my Water Dance has reached a proficient level."
Roland looked at Viserys in astonishment. To master it in a few months, could he truly be a genius and not just boasting?
Viserys quickly understood Ser Roland's meaning. To prove his greatness as a Targaryen, he would have to put on a performance.
Viserys was somewhat deeply tied to Aerys, and to shake off this negative asset, he could only rely on his own strength.
But it didn't matter. Strength was the best form of publicity.
As long as Viserys stood out, people would naturally forget the arrogant second son under the Mad King's wing. What would rise from the ashes would be a true dragon.
"This is what I just learned."
Viserys drew Dark Sister, then moved sideways and forward, with astonishing speed.
As he moved quickly, the gleaming blade of Dark Sister was already at the side of Roland's neck.
Roland was very surprised. He instinctively dodged, but he knew that with Viserys's explosive speed, he could have easily assassinated him.
Roland had seen Water Dancers in Braavos and was not unfamiliar with it. He could see that Viserys's technique and footwork were quite refined.
"Your Majesty, how long have you been learning?" Roland asked again, feeling the sharpness of the blade.
Viserys put away Dark Sister. He had to show off a bit for these people to be convinced.
"I learned the Water Dance from Moro for a few months, and now I'm learning from the former First Sword, Syrio," Viserys replied.
"A few months?" Roland scrutinized Viserys carefully, then his eyes burned with a fervent flame, and his heart, which had been in the Vale, was now drawn back.
"To reach such a level in a few months, it seems you truly are a once-in-a-lifetime genius. With such progress, becoming a top-tier warrior, even catching up to the Sword of the Morning, is not a pipe dream."
"I'm still far from it," Viserys said. "I started learning halfway, so I can only work twice as hard."
Viserys had once considered the battle between Rhaegar and Robert. Rhaegar was in a no-win situation on three fronts.
First, the training issue. Rhaegar was a late starter, while Robert received traditional knightly education.
Rhaegar was a cultured youth who later turned to being a warrior because Westeros revered warriors and knightly culture was prevalent.
Second, the strength issue. Rhaegar spent too much time on music and art; he didn't enjoy the clang of steel as much as Robert and the Kingslayer.
Third, the weapon choice issue. Blunt weapons were inherently less lethal than longswords, not to mention Rhaegar didn't have a Valyrian steel weapon.
Rhaegar was a late learner, and Viserys was even more talented than Rhaegar.
Ser Roland looked at Viserys, "With your talent, in the future, facing the Usurper on the battlefield, you will be able to avenge the King and Prince Rhaegar."
The Sword of the Morning was an overpowered SSR-level character, but with Viserys's talent and his cheat, surpassing the Sword of the Morning was also in the future.
"There's no time to lose, Your Majesty. I will arrange sword and shield training, as well as spear and archery training for you. Your talent is very high; we need to train day and night," Roland said joyfully. Viserys was not just any promising talent, but a genius.
Although there were only a few of them, at least their plan to restore the kingdom was not without hope.
"I look forward to becoming a first-rate knight," Viserys said.
While the two were chatting, the black cat once again jumped over the courtyard wall, then came to Viserys and meowed.
"It seems something's up," Viserys thought.
After bidding farewell to Roland, Viserys followed the black cat to find Rhaenys.
"I don't know why, but today, suddenly, ragged children have been observing around our neighborhood, then relaying messages to other children."
"Little birds," a cold glint flashed in Viserys's eyes..
The people Viserys most wanted to kill were Illyrio and Varys's doing.
It seemed the Pentoshi were also observing them.
He hadn't expected them to be so restless.
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