Chapter 11: First Confrontation with the King

"Thank you, Prince."

Receiving the young prince's guarantee, Arryk thanked him sincerely and led them into the camp.

The couple of children stayed out all night. Viserys was both angry and disappointed.

Disappointed not only in his children, but also in himself.

As a king, he was incompetent to let his subjects go to war on their own.

As a father, he was useless at disciplining his children.

After a night of counseling from Queen Alicent, Viserys, in a rare moment of clarity, he decided to do something about it.

Rhaegar entered the king's tent and saw Viserys sitting on the main seat.

When he looked around, none of the dignitaries who had celebrated yesterday were there.

Even the trusted ministers were not among them.

"Father, I'm back."

Seeing his not-so-happy father, Rhaegar took the initiative to greet him.

Viserys ignored him. A pair of cold eyes fell on the following Erryk.

"Kingsguard, would you tell your king what kind of offense it is to take a prince out of the camp on a private trespass?"

Erryk fell to his knees, his heart trembling with fear, "Your Majesty, it is indeed a crime of treason!"

"Good, you remember the law of the realm, for a while I thought you stopped taking it seriously."

Viserys laughed back in anger, "Men, drag this traitor down and cut off his head."

He really was mad as hell.

Daemon and Sea Serpent had started a war without his consent.

The ministers did not recognize his heir.

His daughter, who loved him with all her heart, didn't understand her old father's good intentions.

And now even the Kingsguard, who had sworn an oath of loyalty to him, dared to go against his wishes.

To take his sickly eldest son deep into the Kingswood.

What is he after?

What else does he have the nerve to do?

The lords and ministers will follow his example and challenge the king's authority if he is not severely punished.

Footsteps sounded outside the tent as Viserys gave the order.

Erryk closed his eyes, resigned.

He knew it was the guards at the door coming to condemn him.

Arryk, who had been escorting the king at the bottom, paled slightly. He gave Rhaegar a furtive wink.

Despite the degradation of the honor of the white robes on his body, the young prince was indeed his brother's only saving grace at the moment.

Rhaegar did not go back on his word.

As soon as Viserys had given the order, he stepped in front of Erryk at once.

Pretending to be confused, he said: "Father, why are you punishing Ser Erryk? There must be some misunderstanding."

Viserys gave him no sympathy, scolding, "Silence, do not think you can remain uninvolved just becaude I did not mention you."

"I have long since learned of what has happened from the mouth of the rider who fed the horse, Erryk failed his task, and you have a responsibility that cannot be avoided!"

The expression on Rhaegar's face froze, not realizing that his little trick had been seen through a long time ago.

The guards entered the tent. They neatly stripped Erryk of his white robes and disarmed his sword.

"Stop, you can't do this to him."

Rhaegar couldn't care less, and he opened his hand to protect Erryk, who was on his knees, blocking the guards' maneuvers to take him prisoner.

"Unbridled, will you go against the will of your father, the King , as well?"

Viserys shouted angrily, ordering the guards to bring Rhaegar down.

"Release me, it is no crime to have me in custody in front of my father."

Rhaegar broke free with such force that the guards dared not harm the King's Heir. They could only hold Erryk, who was in no mood to resist.

"Prince, please don't provoke the king anymore."

Seeing that the situation was getting more and more heated, the bound Erryk raised his voice in a deep tone.

He did not want to provoke the wrath of the king's sleeping dragon for himself, the condemned.

He was not naive enough to expect a young prince to rescue him.

It had occurred to him on the way back that this would happen.

"I said I'd take all the consequences. A Targaryen is as good as his word!"

Rhaegar crashed through the guards that stood in his way and quickly stepped forward, looking straight at his father with an angry expression on his face.   

He said loudly, "Father, I am healed, and Ser Erryk deserves the credit."

Viserys snorted: "I only knew Erryk as a knight, never did I know he also knew herbalism.

"Believe me, there was a white deer in the Kingswood that gave me a fruit that was full of blessings and it brought me back to health."

Emotions run high. Rhaegar throws out heavy news in an attempt to win back Erryk's judgment.

At the mention of the white hart, a flash of skepticism flashes under Viserys's eyes: "A white hart cured you with a fruit?"

Just yesterday, Prime Minister Lyonel had a report that there had been a sighting of a white hart in the Kingswood.

I said I would take the consequences, and a Targaryen is a man of his word!"

Rhaegar crashed through the guards in his path and quickly stepped forward, looking straight at his father with an angry face.

He said loudly, "Father, I am healed, and Ser Erryk deserves the credit."

Viserys snorted, "I only knew Erryk as a knight, never that he also knew herbalism."

"Believe me, there was a white deer in the Kingswood that gave me a fruit full of blessings that restored me to health."

Emotions running high, Rhaegar tosses out heavy news in an attempt to win back Erryk's judgment.

When he hears about the white stag, a flash of skepticism flashes under Viserys' eyes: "A white stag cured you with a fruit?"

Just yesterday, Prime Minister Leonor reported that a white stag had been spotted in the Kingswood.

Jason Lannister, hoping to hunt the white hart with the weapon he gave him, also offered a golden lance.

He did in fact enter the Kingswood to hunt, accompanied by a crowd of people.

But no white hart was seen, only a common horned stag.

His eldest son would not have known about this as he had left the camp earlier.

Then his words about meeting a white hart were most likely true.

Lei Jia, not knowing his father's countless thoughts, said, "Yes, the snow-white hart, It offered me a fruit that could heal me."

He ended by recalling, "We've become Friends!"

"Ha-ha-ha. That's one of my funniest jokes this year."

Viserys, not believing his eldest son's increasingly outrageous story, shook his head in derision.

Rhaegar looked resolute, "Ser Erryk can testify for me, and you can ask the maester who is with me for a diagnosis, and I assure you that my body is regaining its health."

The confident words impressed Viserys. He glanced at the silent Erryk in disbelief:

"While you still have your armor on, Erryk, tell your king the truth."

Erryk: "The prince speaks the truth!"

Viserys gives a slight nod and then lowers his head in silence.

No one knows what he is thinking right now.

The tent falls silent for a moment. The group's breathing is clearly audible.

"Do you believe what Rhaegar and your brother said is true?" Viserys asks Arryk after a moment.

"I have as much faith in my brother as you have in your own children, Your Grace!"

Arryk had no hesitation in vouching for his brother.

Without further ado, Viserys ordered, "Go and summon the Maesters who have been with you, including the physicians brought by the other nobles and knights, one by one."

"At your command!"

Arryk's voice was loud and clear as he lifted the curtain and walked quickly out.

The originally anxious atmosphere eased with this change of heart.

The guards looked at each other in disbelief, and then deliberately split into two sides in order to stand upright.

Rhaegar asked Viserys, "Father, do you trust me?"

"If it will make you well, I want what is said to be true."

For the time being, Viserys was emotionally reserved in his scrutiny of his young eldest son.

In fact, he had a small amount of faith in Rhaegar's words.

Two months ago, after Rhaegar had made his usual examination, the Grand Maester had told him.

"The prince's heart failure is severe, and if there is any further deterioration, it will be difficult for him to live past the age of ten."

His question had been whether there might be a cure.

Unfortunately, organ failure is a terminal disease nowadays.

There was no cure, and there was no way to even have an alleviation of the symptoms.

He had thought that this eldest son would not live long. That is why he avoided meeting him.

He didn't have the courage to face him as the boy's father, even as a king.

Yet.

Just now, he was amazed at the way Rhaegar had argued with him in a reasoned way.

Even though the familiar little face was still a pale one.

But the voice that came out was full of strength.

The aura that emanated from his body, the power that was carried by the words he spoke.

It was worthy of a descendant of the Old Valyrians.

(Word count: 1577)