NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 116: Is This a Test of Sainthood?
According to the slave’s description, the Cloud Tea House was originally constructed during the Valyrian era as a place where Dragonlords would take their tea breaks. After Valyria’s fall, the locals divided it up, and it is now used by Volantis as an official venue to entertain important guests. The dragon relief stone pillars at the entrance and the human-faced dragon statues seem to whisper stories of a bygone age.
Regis, Caggo, and several others were led to a spacious hot spring, while Viserys and Dany were taken to a more secluded area. Viserys was given his own expansive bath, where several female slaves attended to him, their hands moving over his sculpted body with towels as though they were about to immerse themselves in their task. Such a physique was uncommon among the nobles within the Black Wall.
Seeing the thin, almost translucent clothing clinging to the slaves’ bodies and accentuating their graceful curves, Viserys closed his eyes, forcing himself to focus on other matters. According to Nyessos, his bounty should arrive soon. He no longer needed to worry about the human heads and could now sell the treasures from the ship. He would have to ask Jorah to keep an eye on the weapons and armor. Later, he planned to visit the temple of R'hllor to meet the Patriarch and learn fire magic, but there was no rush—he had only just arrived in Volantis.
As these thoughts passed through his mind, a soft voice called out, “Prince, Prince~” Opening his eyes, he saw two women in gauzy robes standing before him—one was voluptuous like an hourglass, the other slender like a willow. Their eyes were captivating, and it was clear they were well-trained.
When Viserys opened his eyes, the curvaceous woman spoke, “Prince, I am Selysia, and she is Mya. We are here to serve you.”
“You both are?” he inquired.
“Yes,” they replied in unison.
Suddenly, with a splash, Viserys stood up, and water streamed down his body, tracing the lines of his sculpted muscles. The light accentuated his physique, causing both women to gasp in surprise. Without hesitation, Viserys pulled them into the pool, one in each arm, and, holding Selysia by the chin, asked, “You’re not just here to serve me. What else are you here for?”
The two women were startled. They had expected Viserys to be a lecherous man, but instead, he was clear-headed and composed. Realizing that the young man before them was not to be underestimated, they began to move their hands over Viserys’ body with the fluidity of water snakes.
“Prince, we are indeed here to serve you, but we also have a message from Lord Nyessos,” they admitted.
“Speak,” Viserys commanded.
“The Lord’s message is this...” they began, speaking in perfect unison. Their coordination was impressive; no matter where one left off, the other picked up seamlessly. Viserys thought they would make an excellent duo in a crosstalk performance.
As they finished delivering their message, Viserys realized just how shrewd these politicians were. Nyessos had taken the initiative, hoping Viserys would claim he had been in contact with him before the pirate massacre. Nyessos wanted to take credit for the victory and use it to bolster his chances for re-election. As for the other two Triarchs, they were indifferent as long as the voting elites believed in their version of events. With Viserys as a witness and the “evidence” in place, any suspicions would lack the proof needed to challenge the narrative. To sweeten the deal, Nyessos had prepared an additional 50,000 gold coins as a “gift.” Viserys would gain wealth, and Nyessos would gain prestige—a win-win situation.
Feeling that everything was falling into place, Viserys was in high spirits. After all, who wouldn’t be pleased to receive 50,000 gold coins effortlessly? After two hours of splashing in the bath, Viserys emerged refreshed, leaving Selysia and Mya behind, utterly exhausted and content, lying like languid pools of water.
Viserys, draped in a loose robe, entered the tea room. A short while later, a silver-haired girl of about seventeen or eighteen appeared. She had the look of Valyrian blood, except for her striking green eyes. Her demeanor reminded Viserys of Selysia and Mya. He mused that since Nyessos had already accomplished his goal, he wouldn't bother sending two groups. "Did Alios also send you?" he asked.
The girl looked startled but quickly regained her composure. "Yes, Lord Alios asked me to serve you, Prince."
"You must have other tasks as well?" Viserys probed.
"I came mainly to serve you..."
They nearly spoke over each other, leaving the silver-haired girl momentarily flustered.
"Then come here..." Viserys instructed.
After another hour of conversation, Viserys understood Alios's intentions. Alios had heard about Viserys’s double victory at the recent festival and admired his talent, particularly after hearing three of his songs. The Lord hoped Viserys could compose a piece for his re-election campaign.
"The Lord... mainly wants to win over some nobles and commoners involved in shipping, so he hopes the Prince can compose with that in mind," the girl explained.
“No problem!” Viserys agreed, observing the girl’s glazed eyes as she struggled to complete her sentence. He realized she must have endured much to be trained like this. ‘The cruelty of slavery!’ he thought. Alios’s offer, however, seemed a bit stingy, with only 30,000 gold coins on the table.
After dressing and leaving the tea room, Viserys spotted Dany. Despite their time together, it was the first time he had seen her looking so relaxed.
“Brother, the maid in the tea house gave me a massage. It was so soothing,” Dany said, her voice carrying a note of contentment.
“You’re lucky. I’ve been giving massages instead of getting them,” Viserys quipped.
“Ah?" Dany blinked in confusion. Wasn’t Viserys a customer too?
“But it’s fine. I made quite a bit of money,” he added.
Dany felt a pang of guilt. Her brother was always focused on restoring their kingdom, while she was simply indulging herself.
“No, no, it’s not what you think,” Viserys quickly reassured her, sensing her unease. He explained that he had struck a deal with the Triarch of Volantis, earning some money, but it had nothing to do with giving massages.
Relieved, the siblings met up with Caggo and the others before boarding the carriage to attend the banquet prepared by Nyessos.
