Yohn continued to ask, "What is Petyr's next plan?"
Lysa sobbed and shook her head, "I don't know, he's in King's Landing, he's the master of coin... He said once The Vale is stable, he'll come for me..."
When Lysa finally had nothing left to say and just knelt on the ground crying, Viserys scanned the nobles present.
"You've all heard it. Lysa Tully admitted to the crime of murdering her husband, and also exposed the role played by Petyr Baelish, the current master of coin for the false king. The Vale is not only ruled by a murderer, but also manipulated by a schemer far away in King's Landing."
"Now, I believe The Vale needs a new, strong ruler. Someone who will not be manipulated and who truly has the interests of The Vale at heart."
Everyone's eyes turned to Bronze Yohn. The Royce family is one of the oldest and most powerful families in The Vale, and his family had played a leading role in this event.
Moreover, they could see that Viserys intended for them to choose Royce. Little Robert was completely ignored; he was a child who looked like he was about to die, and more importantly, he was an enemy of the Targaryens—how could they possibly choose him now?
Lord Yohn rose and bowed to Viserys and the seated nobles.
"If you lords trust me, I am willing to temporarily act as the authority of The Vale before His Majesty reclaims the iron throne. I promise that every bit of The Vale's resources will be used for The Vale, and every measure of loyalty will receive a just reward."
His words were firm and powerful, and the nobles present nodded in agreement one after another.
Viserys nodded. "Then the resolution is passed. Lord Yohn will act as the Duke of the Vale, and the formal appointment will be issued after I reclaim the iron throne. As for Lysa Tully..."
Everyone's gaze focused once again on the woman kneeling on the ground.
"Lysa Tully, for your heinous crime of murdering your husband, you are hereby sentenced to death. Men, push her through the Moon Door." Viserys ordered. The reason he hadn't killed her from the start was to use this opportunity to gather all the nobles of The Vale and then settle the future of the region.
At the same time, he needed to present a positive image to everyone in Westeros so that they could accept the Targaryens once more; after all, the previous generations had behaved quite madly. People like the Lannisters would likely exploit this to manipulate public opinion among the commoners, which would probably lead to more bloodshed later.
Perhaps there truly was some curse in the Targaryen bloodline; Viserys found that his thirst for blood was growing. Although the influence wasn't great and he could control it, he still didn't want to be affected.
On the other side, hearing the words "Moon Door," Lysa's body began to tremble violently. She herself had used the Moon Door to dispose of many people before, and she never expected it would be her turn today.
She murmured, "Please, not the Moon Door..."
Lysa suddenly lifted her head, a flicker of lucidity flashing in her eyes. "Wait, I still have something to say. About Littlefinger—he didn't just want Jon to die. He also deliberately provoked the conflict between the Lannisters and the Starks; he orchestrated it all. He wants the entire Seven Kingdoms to fall into chaos. Let me go, I just want to be with my poor Robert."
"Push her through."
The two soldiers from the Royce family opened the Moon Door and pushed Lysa straight through; her screams soon faded away. Beside them, Little Robert, whose body had been restrained, was released; seeing his mother pushed down, he wanted to go to her to nurse, as he hadn't done so for many days.
Watching the little fellow jump down after her, the crowd didn't show much reaction. They weren't fools; this was clearly a show staged by Viserys and Royce to let them know the consequences of rebellion—not even sparing women and children, but exterminating them root and branch.
The affairs of The Vale were handled cleanly. The Eyrie changed hands, Lysa Tully and Robert Arryn both died beneath the Moon Door, and the Bronze Royce family took control of The Vale, promising full support when the Targaryen army returned to Westeros.
With everything settled, Viserys did not intend to linger in The Vale; the transition of power needed time to settle, and his staying here would only make some people overly tense.
The next morning, the three-headed dragon soared from the courtyard of The Eyrie, the gale kicked up by its wings making the newly replaced Targaryen banners in the castle flutter loudly.
"The Vale is entrusted to you, Lord Yohn," Viserys instructed. "And remember our agreement."
"I swear by the bronze and runes of the Royce family, Your Majesty." Lord Yohn placed one hand on his chest and bowed deeply.
Viserys said no more; Ghidorah's wings unfurled fully as he climbed rapidly.
Below, Lord Yohn and his son, Ser Nestor, and a crowd of Vale nobles gathered together, looking up to watch the golden figure vanish into the clouds. Their gazes were complex, filled with awe, relief, and a hint of unease and expectation for the future.
Viserys's goal was clear: Dorne. However, he did not choose the shortest straight path, but deliberately adjusted his direction; he wanted to see for himself what stage the war had reached.
Ghidorah soared over the Mountains of the Moon, below which were fields and forests shrouded in morning mist, followed by the winding tributaries of the Trident. He flew over the main battlefield of Riverlands, where the Lannisters and the Northern armies were entangled in a quagmire, though it seemed the Lannisters still held the upper hand. He had no interest in intervening in this meat grinder too early; let the wolves and lions continue to tear at each other.
He turned toward the southeast, and when the dark seawater appeared ahead, he adjusted his direction to fly toward Dragonstone.
Soon, the silhouette of Dragonstone gradually appeared in his sight.
Over a decade ago, it was from here that he set sail in a storm, beginning his long journey. Today, this island was an important stronghold for the House Baratheon.
However, the ships in the harbor were sparse now, and Dragonstone looked even more dilapidated than in his memory, with only a few windows showing scattered lights. It appeared that Stannis had taken most of the elite and the fleet, leaving behind only a pitiful few guards.
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