17 Chapter 17

Chapter 17

VISERYS TARGARYEN

His discussion with regard to the match between Aenys and Jeyne Arryn had reaffirmed his belief that it was the best match for his brother. It would also solve the issue of Daemon's broken marriage and finally have Aenys tied down to the realm as well.

Otto sat to his right as both of them waited for Aenys to speak up. They were just about done with their meeting when Aenys suddenly interrupted them. His face was still gaunt, with a small stubble present on his face. However, his brother's eyes weren't as hollow as they had been over the last few days.

"I believe I have important news to share with you," began Aenys, and Viserys nodded as he motioned for him to continue.

"I have decided to marry, and for that, I have selected a lady of the suitable station," and Viserys's eyes widened as he felt cracks appearing in his plans, and then suddenly, Aenys looked straight at Otto as he finished his sentence.

"I plan to marry Lady Alicent Hightower," and the whole chamber became quiet at his words. And Viserys half suspected that Daemon had somehow taken over his brother's body and was playing a cruel joke on them. Yet there was no laugh.

It was finally Otto who broke the silence.

"I am afraid that will not be possible. Alicent's hand has been promised to Lord Jason Lannister. Breaking such an agreement will not be possible," said Otto with a narrowed gaze. Truthfully, Viserys still did not know how to react to the news, so he nodded along.

"As Otto said, such a match will not be possible. However, I have another match I want to discuss with you…" however, Aenys cut him off in a sharp tone.

"I am afraid that will not be needed. I have had a talk with Lord Lannister, and we have reached an accord," and Viserys's heart dropped as he saw the glint in Aenys's eyes, for there was only one sort of accord to be made in such a case.

A duel. It had been many years since such a duel had taken place.

"Preposterous. You are lying. Why would Lord Lannister agree to your wager?" said Otto through gritted teeth, and Aenys threw a very specific object onto the table. And Viserys finally realized precisely how serious Aenys was.

He had wagered his Valyrian steel sword.

"I believe you are quite familiar with that sword. Everyone knows House Lannister has been looking for a Valyrian steel sword for years now. They couldn't possibly let such an opportunity go," said Aenys, and from the look on his face, Otto could scarcely believe what he was hearing.

"Preposterous. This is preposterous. I do not accept your offer. I will not allow you to tarnish the name of Hosue Hightower!" said Otto standing up from his seat. Aenys shook his head.

"Alicent is a woman grown. She can make her own decisions. Plus, the challenge has already been made and accepted. I believe it is too late for you to interfere now," said Aenys with a shrug, and Otto looked toward him.

"You must stop this madness, your grace. This will also sully the name of the royal family," Otto pleaded to him. Viserys was looking at Aenys and spoke up after thinking for some time.

"Leave us, Otto," he said, and his lord Hand nodded and gave Aeys a glare before he left the chambers with a huff.

Viserys finally stood up and spoke out at Aenys.

"Do you have any idea what you are doing? You know what the consequences of this will be. You will sully the Targaryen name with your actions. I cannot allow this! Plus, I have already made promises with House Arryn for a prospective match between you and Lady Jeyne Arryn," Viserys said with gritted teeth, and Aenys began to laugh at this.

"I will not be sullying any name. It's a gallant duel between two suitors for a woman's hand. Nothing more," and then, in an instant, the laughs vanished as Aenys's eyes narrowed as he looked straight at him.

"And by what right did you think you could make such promises about my life," questioned Aenys sharply. Viserys was taken by surprise, but he did not relent.

"By my right as your king and brother!" he replied firmly; however, Aenys laughed derisively.

"Brother! Do you really think you deserve to be called my brother? And as for King, let me remind you, Viserys, I am not Daemon who derives his self-importance from your whims and attention," said Aenys heatedly, and the sheer vehemence in his tone made him recoil.

"I am Aenys Taragryen. People all over worship me," and Aenys suddenly leaned forward, and his blazing eyes reminded Viserys of their grandsire.

"You don't own me, Viserys. No one does!"

And with those words! He left the room, leaving him all alone with his broken plans, a fracturing family, and a shaky realm.

"And Viserys, do you know why Daemon is so adamant about annulling his marriage!" Viserys was broken out of his trance by those words, and he frowned when he shook his head.

"I thought so. Well, let me tell you. Daemon's paramour is with child. And I don't think I need to tell you what will happen if that child is a boy."

And with those final words, Aenys closed the door and left him all alone. Viserys's mind raced as he thought about his words, and his fists clenched as he thought of Daemon's deception.

"Ser ARRYK!" he shouted, and the Kingsguard entered his chambers.

"BRING DAEMON HERE! NOW!" he ordered in anger, and the Kingsgaurd nodded and bowed quickly.

"As you order, your grace."

0000

ALICENT HIGHTOWER

In her room, Alicent sat talking to her brother about his rather secretive meetings with his dear Lady Elise Strong and the growing tension between them. Despite his insistence, their father had been adamant and hadn't listened to anything they had to say.

"ALICENT!" suddenly, her heart dropped as she heard her name being shouted. Gwayne was also unsettled by her side and stopped as the door to her room swung open.

And Alicent was sure she had never seen her father this enraged. His face was flushed, and his eyes lit with fury as he stepped towards it.

"What is the meaning of this Alicent!" he shouted as he stepped towards her. Yet Gwayne was quick enough to step up in front of him, stopping his approach.

"What are you doing, father? You need to calm down, tell me what has happened?" said Gwayne trying to diffuse the situation, yet her heart beat rapidly, and Alicent had a very good idea of the cause of such anger. Her father controlled himself as he looked at his youngest son and pointed at her.

"You ask me that! I think it will be better if you ask your sister that question," her father said with gritted teeth, and she noticed Gwayne frown as he looked at her perplexedly.

"What are you talking about, father?" questioned Gwayne again. And her father looked straight at her, and their eyes met.

"Your sister has somehow made the Prince interested in her. She disgraced both me and our whole family name," and she noticed Gwayne's eyes widen at that as she swallowed at the mention of Aenys Targaryen.

"The Prince? Prince Aenys wants to marry her," and then the wheels turn as he suddenly faces her. He said as Alicent gritted her teeth and looked down as both of her father and brother looked towards her.

"Indeed! I never suspected something like this from you, Alicent. You have greatly disappointed me." Said their father, but it seemed, Gwayne had different ideas than their father.

"What are you talking about, Father, the Prince wants to marry her. What's wrong with that?" said Gwayne, and her father seemed to have enough of him as he pointed to the door.

"You don't understand anything. So, leave!" ordered their father. Gwayne tried to protest, but their father ordered once more.

"I said leave!" Gwayne cowed slightly and looked at her. She gave him a slight nod, and with that, he left the room, leaving her alone with their father again. Her father walked around her room before sitting on one of the chairs and sighed deeply before speaking again.

"I never would have suspected something like this from you, Alicent. Never," he said in his usual grazy voice, yet there was a hint of disappointment and anger still present. She swallowed as she continued to stare at the ground.

"I don't know what is my fault in all this. The Prince's proposition has nothing to do with me," she said stiffly, yet her father shook her head.

"I know you went to see him yesterday. And I refuse to believe that his sudden interest in you isn't related to that visit yesterday," and she could feel him looking at her, struggling to speak. In the end, he finally spoke up.

"Has he spoi…" and her eyes widened as she understood his question.

"NO!" she answered before he could finish, and she noticed some of the tension leaving him as he suddenly stood up. He walked up to her, and she instinctively backed off when he raised her hand. However, he just made her look up, and she found herself gazing straight into those brown eyes, orbs that were a reflection of her own.

"You know your uncle and me have already arranged for you to marry Jason Lannister, and I believe you aren't oblivious to the consequences of breaking of such a contract," began her father slowly, and she swallowed before she replied.

"The betrothal hadn't been finalized ye…."

"Don't lie to me, Alicent. It had been finalized for some time, and you knew that." her father cut her off as he walked back and slumped onto the chair again, sighing deeply. She hesitated a lot before finally plucking up the courage to ask him.

"Did you reject his offer?" she questioned him, noticing how his eyes darkened at her words. And her heart dropped as he nodded.

"I did," and her breath hitched as she heard his reply, and before she could utter anything else, he continued.

"However, the Prince had a reply of his own. He has challenged your betrothed to a duel for your hand," and she was taken aback by his words—a challenge. And her face paled as she thought of the Prince.

"A duel?" she asked with trepidation. And her father nodded as he scoffed.

"Yes, a duel. He was able to bait Jason Lannister into accepting it by offering him that wretched Valyrian steel sword," and her heart skipped a beat at that. A Valyrian steel sword. He had wagered that for her hand.

"I want you to listen to me, Alicent. I don't know how or why the Prince insists on marrying you, but since you made him do this. You will also undo this. You shall make him withdraw the challenge," and he stood up, and she swallowed as she defended herself.

"I did not make him do this," she said, yet her father ignored her words.

"Regardless, you will go to him and refuse to marry him at all, and we can put this all behind us. The Prince has just lost his aunt. Everyone will consider it all a drunken misadventure and hopefully forget it within a week," he said as he stared her right in the eye.

"And if he doesn't?" she questioned, her voice shaky, and her father's eyes became hollow as he raised his hand slowly and brushed aside a strand of her hair.

"If the Prince steps out for that duel tomorrow, regardless of the result, you will be dead to this family," and Alicent's breath hitched at his words.

"Once and for all!"

0000

DAEMON TARGARYEN

It was the break of dawn, and the whole castle of Dragonstone was brimming with nervous activity. Nervous for the duel to take place in an hour. On the other hand, he was filled with rage—sheer unadulterated rage at his blood.

Viserys had called him into his chambers late into the night and had raged at him for his lies. In the end, he had forced him to send Mysaria out of the Seven Kingdoms on the threat of death. Daemon had been enraged, yet he had been forced to make that choice.

Mysaria was now bound on a boat leaving for Lys as he walked towards the chambers of the man responsible for all this. No guards were stationed outside of Aenys's chambers, and he entered them without a knock.

"You bastard!" Daemon screamed as soon as he entered the room of his younger brother. Aenys sat on his bed polishing his blade, the signature smoky ripples on the sword indicative of its unique mythical Valyrian smithy.

Aenys looked up at him, utterly unperturbed by his rage, which made his anger flare up further.

"You ungrateful and conniving bastard! You betrayed my trust. You told Viserys about her!" Daemon said in rage, and Aenys finally looked at him, his eyes dull and unimpressed.

"Ungrateful!" he scoffed, "I think you have me confused with Viserys," Daemon swung his arm as he countered he ducked and hit Daemon with his head pushing back.

"You are both the same. Both of you think you know better than everyone else! You couldn't just keep your mouth shut, could you? You just had to open it! And for what, for marrying that Hightower whore," he said derisively as Daemon steadied himself before he shoved him. Aenys was pushed back a couple of steps, "Her cunt must be something really special to ensnare you like that. Perhaps I shall try and have a go on it mys…." but Aenys was quick to react as he shoved him back with all his might making Daemon hit the wall.

"AGHH," daemon grunted as Aenys raged.

"Watch your fucking mouth Daemon! I am not Viserys who will let you wag away like a fucking dog, " yet Daemon wasn't perturbed. He just smirked and smiled cruelly as he continued.

"Ohh! Then what will you do? Will you kill me, you bastard! For Otto's bi…." and before he could finish the words, Aenys was swinging, and he punched Daemon in the face. Daemon was surprised, but Aenys hadn't been slacking in his time at Bravos. Daemon's face flushed as he looked him straight in the eye, and his eyes blazed with fury.

"You fucking bastard! You should have died on the day you were born, and you cursed bastard! You are a curse on this family!" he said as he hit back, kneeing him in the gut. Aenys coiled onto himself as Daemon pushed him off and tried to punch him again. Aenys ducked and kicked Daemon in the gut pushing him back, but instead of approaching Daemon, he reached for his sword lying on the bed and brought it to Daemon's neck.

"Yeah! Try it. Kill me just like you killed Mother and Gael. Come on, TRY IT!" Daemon hissed as he looked Aenys straight in the eye. And he saw Aenys's eyes narrow at his words as the sword stood at the edge of his skin.

"I hope you die in this accursed duel of yours, you bastard!" and with those words, he began to walk out of the room. Opening the door, he almost stumbled into someone else. his eyes narrowed as he recognized those brown locks, and he scoffed at the look of sheer terror on the face of Alicent Hightower. Aenys stiffened as he saw Daemon eyeing Alicent, who was pale as she stood there rooted to the spot. Daemon simply scoffed and walked past her as he shouted.

"Your father must be rather proud of your fucking cunt, you bitch! " And with a scoff, he walked off, leaving her alone.

His plans were shattered, but that did not mean he was done. Perhaps he should take Mysaria's advice and rid himself of his Bronze Bitch once and for all.

0000

AENYS TARGARYEN

Aenys took a deep breath as he tried to calm himself, his mind still ringing from Daemon's last words. He looked down at his reflection, in the smoky reflection of his sword, as Alicent entered his room, shaken and pale.

"I apologize for listening to…" and Aenys waved off her apology as he coughed and controlled his voice.

"The whole castle will have heard it with the way he shouted. So, it's nothing," he said as he placed the sword in its sheath and stood up, finally catching a full look of Alicent. Her eyes looked tired as from a lack of sleep, and her face was ashen pale and anxious.

"What happened?" he questioned her lightly, forgetting about his own pain momentarily, and he noticed how she struggled to speak before he finally completed a sentence.

"You don't have to do this. You should withdraw the challenge," she pleaded suddenly, and her words took him aback. However, the helplessness in her tone wasn't missed by him. So, he closed the distance between them.

"Why?" he asked, and she shook her head as her eyes reddened.

"I never thought it would blow up into something so big. You should just withdraw from this whole challenge. You could claim that you were drunk or just too distraught over Lady Maegella's death to think properly," she said in a single breath, tears slipping from her eyes as she spoke hurriedly.

Aenys frowned and stepped forward as he wrapped his arms around her, and she broke down in his embrace.

"What did your father say to make you say this? Tell me?" and he felt her stiffen on her arms as she looked up at him. The change in her expression showed him that his guess had been right.

"Tell me," he encouraged her once more as he wiped away tears.

"If you go out there, he will strip me of the family name. So, please, you don't have to do this for me, so I beg you. Please just stop," she pleaded once more, her voice shaky and broken, and Aenys felt pity seeing her like this and realized why he always hated Otto Hightower so much.

The man was ruthless even to his own family, it seems.

"Look at me, Alicent. Look at me!" he said as he cupped her face and made her look up, and their eyes met. His features softened as he saw the pain in her eyes, and he spoke slowly as he wiped away the moisture building in her eyes.

"I am not doing this out of pity for you. This is my choice, I need to marry someone, and you are my choice. It may not be out of the rather storied and fantastical love we often read of, yet it is my choice nonetheless," and he saw her eyes widen at her words as he continued. And he noticed her stiffen at his words.

"So, I won't take back my challenge because of your father. And have you met Jason Lannister?" he said in a scandalized tone, trying to cheer her up, and saw her lips quirk up at his tone.

"The man has an ego bigger than Casterly Rock itself. I can assure you I am a far better choice than the two of us," he joked, yet it was true. Jason Lannister was known as a skilled brute. On the other hand, his brother Tyland had the family's brains. His meeting with the man had proven it. During their conversation, he saw the man lusting after his sword.

Alicent seemed somewhat dejected by his words and replied shakily.

"You don't have to worry about that. I have a solution for that," and suddenly she reached up, her lips crashed onto him as she pushed him back. Her actions took him aback. However, he gently pushed her back.

"What are you doing!" he said in a scandalized tone. She looked abashed and embarrassed, and Aenys made her look up and sighed as he spoke up.

"You don't have to do that," and she swallowed as she suddenly whispered.

"If you go through with this, it will also break your family as well. I heard what Prince Daemon said, and I know that the King isn't happy with this. You don't have to do this for me," and he scoffed at her words, anger rising as he shook his head.

"Family! The only family I had died a week ago. Viserys and Daemon have never been my family, and I am done pretending that they are." He finished in a scathing tone, as he failed to try and control his emotions. He saw her lips turn down at his words, though she did not deny his words. He then looked at her once more and continued.

"But the question is do you want to be my family or not?" he finished as he looked her straight in the eye. He leaned forward and cupped her face in his hands as their foreheads touched each other. He could see his reflection in her brown eyes; they seemed so lost that day.

"And if you don't. Then I will back off," and he noticed as her eyes shook at his words and her eyes reddened. He saw her mind racing as she looked at him, her eyes reflecting her tumultuous emotions, though in the end, she nodded slowly.

"I do," she said and leaned forward, this time her action much slower and much more deliberate as he felt his lips touch his as she melted into each other. His arms tightened around her as he felt her lean closer as she arched her arms around him, broken yet defiant.

Alone yet loved.

0000

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