-Chapter 59-

Sorry everyone, yesterday my little sister was hospitalized, and I wasn't in the right headspace, so I completely forgot to give you the bonus chapter you unlocked.

I'm making up for my mistake with a bit of delay.

Ghostrider0002

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-Chapter 59-

-POV Gunthor Royce-

Aemon and I were walking through the dark streets of the capital, heading to a brothel.

Even though I tried to silence the questions that kept bombarding my mind, I couldn't help but wonder what we were really going to do there.

I finally cracked because I knew my nephew well enough not to insult him by assuming he wanted to pay prostitutes for a few minutes of pleasure when he was just about to marry one of the most beautiful young noblewomen in the realm.

'A Velaryon, a dragon rider no less,' I thought.

"What are we really doing so late in a brothel, Aemon?" I asked.

'Even if he needed to blow off some steam, half of the noble ladies would willingly throw themselves into his bed if he gave them the chance,' I thought, watching my nephew, who walked with his usually platinum blonde hair now dyed black to hide his identity.

"All the pieces are in place. I just have one more thing to do to win this game," he said, once again speaking cryptically.

'Might as well say nothing,' I thought, slightly annoyed that he was speaking in riddles again.

"Everything okay, Gunthor? You look a bit nervous," said Aemon with a grin.

'He loves it when I don't understand what he's up to, even though we spend almost all our time together,' I thought, smiling slightly at my nephew's teasing expression.

"I'm nervous because I've barely slept in a week, and tonight will be even shorter than the last," I replied.

Aemon smiled and said, "I warned you. You should've alternated with Arnold so you could rest."

I snorted and said, "If something happened to you, your mother would kill me on the spot."

Aemon turned toward me with a grin, spreading his arms, and said, "What could possibly happen to me?"

'So many things you don't even realize,' I thought, recalling a conversation I had with my cousin Rhea before leaving for the capital.

'Make sure you're always with him when he travels, watch him like a shadow. He has a dragon, he's an excellent fighter, but there are far too many poisoned arrows shot from the shadows. Nothing must happen to him.'

"I assume we're meeting someone?" I asked, trying to make conversation without letting my guard down, keeping a close watch on everything around me.

"Hmm," Aemon responded, clearly not wanting to say more.

"Please tell me you're not going to see that...Daemon," I said, disgusted by the loathsome man.

The description Rhea had given me made me decide I could never tolerate that...thing.

'He's not even a man,' I thought, remaining silent.

"No, I'm not going to see him, though I would've liked to," Aemon said, surprising me, as I knew the resentment he harbored toward his father.

"With him in the mix, I could've had many more opportunities, but unfortunately, I can neither rely on him nor trust him with such things," he added.

'I should've guessed, this kid's hypocrisy never ceases to amaze me,' I thought, smiling inwardly.

"I take it it's not the princess or your little rat, so who else could you be going to see?" I asked, trying to change the subject to keep the mood light.

"You'll see soon enough. We've arrived anyway," Aemon said, changing the subject as we approached a small but luxurious and very private brothel.

'Nothing like Daemon's whorehouse.'

Aemon entered the brothel, and as soon as we arrived, a man approached us directly, bowed, and silently indicated the way to a private suite.

Once we reached the suite, the man left without saying a word.

I frowned at this suspicious behavior, but seeing Aemon calm, I relaxed slightly, though I kept my hand on the hilt of my sword.

A few moments after the man left, the door opened, and Aemon's little rat entered.

"My Prince," he said, bowing as best as he could given his condition.

"Don't bow to me; your leg is already causing you enough pain, it seems," said my nephew.

The clubfooted man nodded, silently thanking Aemon for sparing him the duty of bowing, before looking at him to see if he could sit on the chair opposite him.

Aemon nodded, gesturing to the chair in front of him, and the clubfoot took the seat, visibly relieved.

"So?" Aemon asked.

"No response," said Larys Strong.

"No message?" my nephew asked.

"No," Larys replied.

"That's strange, I hope…"

Just as Aemon began his sentence, someone knocked on the door.

"Enter," said Aemon, as if he owned the place.

Instantly, three hooded figures entered, dressed simply…

'But their gait clearly betrayed their status,' I thought, noting that the man in the lead was likely a lord, accompanied by two of his guards.

"You found the place easily?" Aemon asked, joking lightly.

"There was a map," said the man with black hair, whose voice I recognized instantly.

Aemon smiled and said, "I'm glad and truly touched that you trust me enough to come in person…Uncle Viserys."