Chapter 39

Chapter 39

AENYS TARGARYEN

The atmosphere in the nursery was chilling as their eyes met, and Aeny's heart thumped in his chest as he saw Daemon holding his son in his arms. There was nothing physically wrong with the gesture as he held his son in his arms, smiling down at the babe, yet Aenys did not miss the haughtiness of his smile or the malice hidden in those eyes.

"What are you doing here, Daemon?" he said through gritted teeth as he moved forward and took his son from his arms. Thankfully, the babe was asleep.

"Ahh, why such hostility, brother," Daemon began in a jovial tone as Anya came in behind them, red-faced and huffing, and halted as she saw them face to face.

"I just came here to see my dear nephew," Daemon continued, and Aenys handed Aenar to Anya, whispering for her to take him to Alicent.

"Have you heard? I have a son of my own. Baelon, Baelon Targaryen," he continued, and Aenys eyes narrowed as he saw how Daemon was clad in full armor.

"I have heard, though I believe that isn't quite his name now, is it," Aenys taunted and saw Daemon's eyes narrow at his words.

"He is my son! No matter what these hecklers at court say. And I will cut down the tongue of anyone who says differently," he said through gritted teeth.

"Then I am afraid you will have to cut the tongues of half the court," Aenys said with a wave of his hand and watched as Daemon's face flushed in rage. Yet before the bastard could go on another tirade, Aenys cut in.

"Why are you here, Daemon?" he questioned and saw his eyes narrow as he answered with a mocking smile.

"Didn't I answer it earlie…."

"Don't lie to me! And tell me, why are you here, Daemon?" Aenys questioned again and saw Daemon's expression shift as he began to pace.

"You see, some weeks ago, a foreign envoy interested in a venture of mine left my manse only to meet with a certain individual," he began, and Aenys finally realized what this was all about.

"This individual passed them a letter and would lead them to a certain newly built building. After this, miraculously, despite their initial eagerness to fund this venture of mine, this entity decided that they were no longer interested in it," he said as he picked up a toy dragon from Aenar's cot.

"Coincidence, wouldn't you say?" he finished, and Aenar smiled as he realized that the letter he had sent to Braavos had worked. It had taken some time to find the man leading the Keyholders. As he uncovered his dealings with Daemon, he had written a strongly worded letter to the man, with an implied threat, practically forcing him to stop all such negotiations.

"That seems unfortunate, but I don't see why that would bring you here?" Aenys answered as Daemon scrunched up his nose, his hand scratching the red-mottled skin on the side of his neck as he answered.

"Ahh, silly me. Well, the truth is I just came here to see my nephew before he went back to Braavos. You will be returning to the city soon, won't you be?" he began.

"And why does that matter to you?" Aenys questioned and frowned as he saw a smile appear on Daemon's face as he twisted the neck of Aenar's toy dragon, as he answered cryptically.

"Ahh, haven't you heard, Kingslanding can be quite dangerous…." But he couldn't finish, as Aenys swung his fist at the bastard's face before he could even react,

"AGH!" Daemon grunted in pain and tried to retaliate, but Aenys blocked his fist as he pushed his back flat against the wall and looked him straight in the eye as he reached for the dagger strapped to his back.

"Finish my thought, and I will end you, Daemon!" Aenys said as he saw blood drip from Daemon's mouth as he glared at him.

"You have no place here, Aenys! Go back to Braavos. You are not wanted here!" Daemon cursed and tried to move, yet stilled as he looked down and saw a dagger pointed at his gut.

"I will do whatever I want," Aenys answered.

"Then you will realize that there are consequences for one's actions," he answered, and Aenys was tempted to plunge the knife into his heart right there.

"Go back, Aenys, and take that Green whore with you. Both of you poisoned Rhaenyra's mind against me, giving her the delusion that she even has a choice in this matter," Daemon scoffed, and Aenys was surprised by the sense of entitledness and madness.

Daemon had always been cruel, yet this was not just simple cruelty. This was something else, something more primal, more dangerous.

"Rhaenyra can make her own choice about whom she chooses to marry. And have you lost your mind? She is the rightful heir to the throne, not you." Aenys cut in as the doors to the nursery opened, and half a dozen castle guards entered the nursery.

"My Prince!" they shouted as they saw both of them fighting.

"Rightful, heir," and Daemon spat to his side as he pushed him back.

"We will about that," he scoffed, and Aenys stepped back as Daemon wiped the blood dripping down his face and began to leave the room, though he halted at the room's door.

"Though, do tell Rhaenyra to make a better choice next time. Gwayne Hightower," and Aenys felt a cold chill pass through his spine as he saw the glint in those eyes.

"After all, anything can happen in a melee, right," and with that, he sauntered off, leaving him alone with six castle guards, before suddenly he heard a loud roar coming from the outside and looked through the window at the massive crowd gathered for the tourney.

And he knew that it was too late to stop Gwayne from entering the melee.

And he turned towards the guards, his mind made up as he questioned in a cold voice.

"Go and fetch my armor from the armory and tell the organizer to add another name to the lists!"

0000

RHAENYRA TARGARYEN

Rhaenyra paced in her room as she waited for Gwayne to show up. She tightly clutched the piece of red cloth in her hand, it was her favor, and today, it was meant for Gwayne Hightower.

She had talked to Alicent about the match, and after her initial surprise she had questioned her quite extensively about her choice. In the end, Rhaenyra had answered her question honestly. She was sure that a similar set of questions had been asked by her to Gwayne as well, and in the end, Alicent had given them her blessing.

There was a knock on her door, and she stopped as she recognized the all-too-familiar voice of Gwayne.

"Princess," and she gulped as he looked over herself in the mirror for one last time before she answered in her most regal voice.

"Come in," she had already sent away her maids, making it so that she was alone with Gwayne.

He entered her room, and she was surprised by his appearance. Gwayne usually wore loose clothes, and yet as she saw him clad in full glistening armor, the Hightower sigil molded into the breastplate as a small green cape hung from the shoulder.

The armor showed him as the man he was, and she felt her face heat up slightly as she noticed his gaze lingering on her form. Rhaenyra had chosen to dress in a red dress, one that hugged her figure. The arms were see-through, and she smiled as she saw his dazed look.

"AKHMM," she coughed and saw him shake his head as he looked away in embarrassment.

"You called for me, Princess," he questioned, and she nodded as she swallowed and questioned him in a serious tone.

"Your sister told me that you had an answer for me about my proposition," she told him and saw him nod, as her heart thumped in her chest. He looked towards her, their eyes met, and she saw him question in a barely audible tone.

"Why me, Princess? You could have chosen anyone. There were lords, young and old, rich and influential, throwing themselves at you. Yet you chose me, a third son with nothing to his name. Why?" he questioned, and she wet her lips as she answered his question.

"Because you didn't throw yourself at me. Because all those other lords and heirs you speak of see only a young, naïve girl that can be cajoled with tales and promises. They see me as an opportunity to become greater, a stepping stone. Yet you were different," she finished as she recalled the first time she had truly sat down with him.

"You stood up for Alicent when she had no one. You cared for her enough to defy your own father when you went to her wedding in Braavos. You spent months with me in Braavos, yet not once did you ever try to cajole your way into becoming my consort," she answered as she closed her eyes, reminiscing about the days she had spent with him Braavos.

"Ever since my father, announced me as his heir, every male I have ever met has looked at me like a prize to be won, like a conquest to be conquered. They think I don't see it as they smile at me. Yet I see it all, their greed, their gluttony," she said with a heavy heart. Being under such gazes had made her curl onto herself, and as she had thought about why her mother hadn't told her about her pregnancy, she began to realize that it was perhaps the reason.

Rhaenyra had often shared these thoughts with her mother, who had looked at her with pity. Perhaps she knew that going to Braavos, being with Aenys and Alicent, would be a respite for her and keep her away from the clutches of the hyenas circling her.

"Yet what about love, Princess? Do you love me, Princess?" and she stilled at those words and looked to find him looking at her with a complicated expression, and she could have lied, could have said yes.

And perhaps she even would have believed it, yet she didn't want to deceive him, so she answered in a small voice.

"No, at least not yet," she answered, and the whole room quieted down at her words as she looked down. She heard him step close to her as she a pair of hands cupped her face, making her look up.

"Then I believe I have a lot of work ahead of me to make the fairest lady in the realm fall in love with me," and her heart skipped a beat as she saw him give her a smile.

"Does that…" he didn't let her finish her question as he nodded slowly.

"Yes, I accept your offer, Princess," and she smiled as she felt tears well up in her eyes.

"I am yours, and I had hoped that you would allow me the honor of representing you as I step into the arena today," he said, and she nodded as she picked up the piece of cloth from the table.

Gwayne took off his sword from his side and presented it to her as she carefully tied the red ribbon to its hilt. She finished tying the knot and looked up, and their faces were inches from each other.

She could feel his breath hit her face as he stood there staring into her eyes. She pushed up her hand as she cupped his face and hesitantly reached forward before suddenly a loud shriek shook the whole room.

"SEVEN ABOVE!" she heard a familiar voice shriek, and in a hurry to pull back, she stumbled backward and began to fall down. Thankfully, Gwayne was quick enough to wrap his arms around her, preventing her from falling to the floor as both of them looked towards the intruder.

"ALICENT!"

"SISTER!"

0000

ALICENT HIGHTOWER

"You do know that you could have knocked," complained Rhaenyra in a hushed tone as they made their way towards the Royal Box for the tourney.

Her face was still flushed in embarrassment, and Alicent raised a brow as she replied.

"The door was left open. Who does something like that, leaving the door open," she answered, and Rhaenyra was about to reply but halted before she replied in a hushed tone.

"It was your damn brother who left it open, tell him that! Plus, don't act so innocent with me. It was not anything that scandalous. You must have kissed Aenys and will have gone much further than that with Aenys, given that we have Aenar now," Rhaenyra retorted in a childish manner. And Alicent barely held back her chuckle as she nodded.

"Ohh, we have, but we are married now. And I can assure you, we did keep the door locked whenever we did anything like that," she replied and she saw a blush appear on her friend's face.

"That's your brother's fault. He was the one who left it open. Talk to him about this!" Rhaenyra defended herself like a child.

"Ohh, I will. I promise you I will," she said, and she indeed was going to. She wasn't going to spare him his part of this teasing.

Rhaenyra shook her head as they entered the Royal box. The King had yet to arrive, and so did Aenys. Though two people were present, Laenor and Laena Velaryon sat in the chairs to their side.

Their eyes met, and she didn't miss their stiff faces as they greeted Rhaenyra with stiff voices, making her frown. The Velaryons had been somewhat agitated for some time now, as had been King Viserys.

This had all begun after Viserys had learned of Aenys's secret. The King had somewhat locked himself in his room and had rarely come out of it, and there were talks that he had rejected a possible match between him and Laena Velaryon.

"Speaking of my brother, given the compromising position I found you guys in. I believe he accepted your proposal?" she questioned and saw a blush creep up on her face as her friend nodded her head.

"Yes, he did," and Alicent smiled as she gave her friend a hug.

"I am so happy for you. I pray that the Seven bless you with all their blessings," she said, and Rhaenyra nodded.

"Thank you. After this, you will become my official sister," she remarked, and Alicent nodded as she wiped away the tears building up in her eyes. There was a time when she had wanted to be something more than a sister to her, yet she would settle for being a good sister as long as she could see her friend happy and smiling.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps, and she looked back and saw that the King had entered the Royal box, his loyal Kingsgaurd behind him and his loyal hand, her father Otto Hightower, by his side.

Their eyes met, and she looked away. Since her return, he had tried to meet her several times, yet Alicent had rebuffed him. She had no desire to see a man who would renounce her as a daughter as he had done.

Aenys was behind her and told her that she knew that he had tried to pressure him through the King, yet he had given her his full support, saying that she was her wife and had an absolute right to decide about whom she wished to see and whom she didn't.

She frowned as she didn't see Aenys appear. He should have been here by now as her father approached her.

"Princess," he greeted Rhaenyra first, as he should have given her status as the royal heir before he turned towards her.

She turned to look straight ahead, refusing to acknowledge him as he greeted her.

"Alicent," he spoke in his fatherly voice, and she gulped down as she replied.

"Lord Hand," her words appropriate, yet from the way, he stiffened not what he wanted to hear. He was about to speak up, when the King called him back, forcing him to move back.

She watched as Lord Corlys and his wife, Lady Rhaenys, entered the Royal box, stiff and proper, giving the King and Rhaenyra the bare minimum of greetings as they settled down beside their two children.

Rhaenyra frowned as she saw their stiff faces and commented.

"Something is going on with them," and she nodded.

"Yes, I feel the same," she replied, growing increasingly worried about Aenys's absence.

Why wasn't he here yet? And then she saw someone walk into the booth. It was Anya, the headmaid they had brought back from Braavos, and in her hands, she held a babe, her babe. Aenar. Alicent frowned at the sight as she motioned for the Kingsguard to let her through.

The maid hurriedly walked towards her, and another maid followed behind her, holding a small cot, as Anya reached her and leaned forward as she whispered in her ears.

"My lady, I bring a message from Prince Aenys," and her heart stilled as she heard her talk about what had happened in the nursery and what Aenys intended to do.

0000

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