Chapter 51: Revealing Talent

"Nonsense! I have witnessed your cruelty firsthand!"

Alicent's fervor blazed, her gaze piercing Rhaegar with disgust.

Rhaegar's lips curled into a sneer. "Had I truly intended harm, you would not have had the opportunity to intervene and cradle him in your arms like a nursing mother."

Alicent instinctively glanced down at her chest, only to find her nightgown soaked. Tears and mucus stained Aegon's face, mingled with droplets of spilled emotion.

Without a word, Rhaegar tossed her a cloak and averted his gaze. "You cannot discipline your own son, leaving me, as his brother, with the responsibility."

"I trust my own eyes," Alicent retorted, her hatred for Rhaegar palpable as she wiped the dirt from Aegon's face.

"Tell me, Aegon," she pleaded, her voice filled with desperation, "has he harmed you?"

Aegon sobbed uncontrollably, glancing anxiously at Rhaegar, too frightened to speak.

Rhaegar raised an eyebrow in smug satisfaction.

With clenched teeth and a racing heart, Alicent delivered a resounding slap across Aegon's cheek and snapped, "Snap out of it, Aegon!"

"Tell me, has Rhaegar harmed you?" Her voice rose to a shrill pitch.

Aegon flinched at the blow, his cheek reddening rapidly as he stammered through tears, "He struck me... and he burned me with fire..."

Rhaegar's brow furrowed slightly at the accusation, casting a scornful glance at the trembling boy.

"Brat, you dare add fuel to the fire!" he muttered under his breath.

Alicent's anger erupted as she confronted Rhaegar. "Do you hear me? Aegon accused you of beating him, and I saw you burn him with that searing bracelet! What could he have done to provoke such cruelty from you?"

Rhaegar stood speechless in the face of Alicent's accusations, unable to muster a response.

Alicent's words poured out, fueled by righteous indignation.

Reading Rhaegar's silence as indifference, Alicent's resentment flared, ready to unleash a torrent of rebuke.

Before he could speak another word, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed from the corridor, interrupting the tense confrontation.

Rhaegar's gaze lifted, settling on the arrival of Kingsguard Captain Harrold escorting Viserys, and Rhaenyra, cloaked, following close behind.

Despite his dizziness, Viserys forced himself to focus, his voice weak as he asked, "What is this commotion, disturbing the peace in the middle of the night?"

At the sight of her husband's arrival, Alicent's tears flowed freely, her cries filled with anguish. "Look at Aegon! If I hadn't intervened, he would have been subjected to Rhaegar's torture!"

Not one to remain silent, Aegon joined his mother's lament with his own cries.

A somber silence fell over the hut as all eyes turned to the distraught mother and son, locked in an embrace, tears mingling.

Viserys, his expression tinged with suspicion, turned his gaze to Rhaegar, his voice ringing with authority. "Rhaegar, is it true what your mother says?"

"She's not my mother, just a stepmother," Rhaegar retorted, his tone devoid of deference.

The confrontation escalated, with Rhaegar vehemently denying Alicent's accusations.

His biological mother had long since died in childbirth, leaving Alicent as his stepmother, a figure he viewed with disdain for coveting his sister's inheritance.

"Enough! Regardless of her status as your stepmother, she fulfills the role of a mother in your life, and you will show her respect!" Viserys admonished his eldest son for his insolence.

Rhaegar considered retorting, noting that it was his squire who tended to his needs. But acknowledging Alicent's position as queen, he chose silence, understanding that the credit would inevitably fall to her.

Observing her brother's defiance, Rhaenyra redirected the conversation. "Rhaegar, what happened? Why did Her Grace accuse you of mistreating Aegon?"

Her choice of words, substituting "torture" for "mistreating," did not escape Alicent's notice. In her heart, Rhaegar was a dutiful and obedient son, incapable of harming others.

Alicent picked up on the implication and retorted, "He's a fiend, burning Aegon with a red-hot steel bracelet!"

Viserys, sensing the tension, noticed with astonishment the reddened steel bracelet in Rhaegar's hand. "Rhaegar, the bracelet in your possession..."

There was no mistaking it - the bracelet gave off an intense heat.

Rhaegar's bold act of grasping the heated steel with his bare hands shocked his aging father to the core.

It wasn't until Viserys pointed it out that the others realized the truth, including Alicent, who had confronted Rhaegar moments earlier and had just turned the corner.

In the face of their stunned expressions, Rhaegar nonchalantly remarked, "After the burns healed, my tolerance for flames improved greatly."

"See? I told you he was a demon! What kind of man isn't afraid of flames!" Alicent's accusation rang out, her arms wrapped protectively around Aegon in horror, though her sentiment found no echo among the others.

Once Viserys had recovered from his seasickness, he quickly took command. "Captain Harrold, seal off the corridor. Let no one approach."

Harrold nodded dutifully, his gaze lingering on Rhaegar as he left, leaving only the family in the cabin.

Viserys drew a deep breath, his gaze fixed on Rhaegar as he asked again, "Rhaegar, do you feel any pain?"

"No, just a little warm," Rhaegar replied truthfully. Ever since he had been burned by the dragon's flames, the potency of the Blood and Fire seemed to have increased, rendering him largely immune to ordinary flames. Even as he held the blazing steel bracelet, his palm remained unblistered, with only a slight sensation of heat.

Viserys' astonishment was palpable as he looked at Rhaegar with newfound awe. "It seems that the dragon flame has awakened your ancient bloodline and given you fearlessness in the face of fire."

Throughout the illustrious history of House Targaryen, there have been many tales of gifted individuals and their extraordinary abilities. Though none were immune to fire, Viserys believed it was a manifestation of their shared heritage.

As the saying in their family lore went, "Blood and fire come from the same source."

Rhaegar made no protest, accepting his father's speculation. He knew he couldn't hide his abilities forever, and a prudent display of them now might pave the way for greater acceptance in the future.

Watching the exchange between father and son, Alicent interjected eagerly, her voice charged with urgency. "Viserys! Rhaegar has harmed Aegon; you must bring him to justice!"

In her eyes, Rhaegar's actions against her child were unforgivable. Aegon was her emotional anchor, and she would never tolerate anyone mistreating her children.

Viserys, now composed, surveyed the distraught Aegon, noting the red, swollen slap mark on his face and the visible signs of distress. His gaze then shifted to Rhaegar, his expression clouded with distaste. "He's your brother. Why did you strike him?"

"He provoked Helaena and tried to steal the bracelet I gave her. I merely hit him," Rhaegar recounted truthfully, gesturing at Aegon's cheeks with a hint of amusement. "The worst injury he suffered was not inflicted by me."

Aegon recoiled from Rhaegar's pointed finger and clung to his mother's arms, his head bowed in shame.

After a moment of contemplation, Viserys realized that the marks on Aegon's face did not match the force Rhaegar could have used at his age.

Approaching Alicent, Viserys took Aegon's hand firmly, his tone stern. "Aegon, look at me."

Aegon, overwhelmed with tears, obeyed, and Alicent shook him firmly, urging, "Your father is here for you. Show some courage."

"If you truly have courage, confront Rhaegar like you do when you bully little girls," Rhaenyra interjected, her tone laced with cold sarcasm.

Aware of Helaena's preference for Rhaegar's company and her own disdain for Aegon's bullying, Rhaenyra's words were meant to defend her brother.

(Word count: 1262)