Chapter 29

The array erupted once again in a blaze of light, enveloping Viserys in a cocoon of red misty particles. These particles condensed into tentacles, piercing into Aerion's body.

"Ahrrrrr..h!" Aerion screamed, his voice thick with pain as the misty tentacles absorbed his vitality, transferring it gradually to his father.

Meanwhile, Viserys was also enduring immense pain. "Ahhhhhhh....!" he screamed, his agony echoing through the chamber.

Aerion had dismissed the king's guard and all the servants, leaving the source of the night's disturbance a mystery to the castle.

As soon as the tentacles broke away from Aerion's body, he slumped to the ground, his eyes fixed on his father, still surrounded by the red misty particles.

"Ha..a!, haaa!" Aerion took deep breaths, exhaling hard as he tried to stabilize himself.

Alicent rushed to his side, her voice trembling with worry and fear. "Aerion, what just happened? Are you alright? Should I call the Maester?"

"I'm alright," Aerion replied, his voice weary. "It's just the side effect of the ritual. I just need to rest, and I will be fine." He sat there, watching his father wail in pain.

Alicent turned her gaze to the red cocoon surrounding her husband, her voice laced with dread. "Is something wrong? Why is he still in so much pain?"

Aerion's response was calm, a stark contrast to the chaos unfolding before them. "Fear not, for pain is the harbinger of healing. His recovery now depends on his will to endure."

Viserys' cries persisted, a symphony of agony that lasted for what felt like an eternity, until at last, he succumbed to unconsciousness. The red mist and symbols dissipated with an explosive force, leaving only the echo of their presence.

Aerion approached his father, noting the acupuncture needles now stained with the blood of the ritual. Viserys, once frail and withered, had been transformed.

His frame was robust, his skin regained the suppleness of youth, and his visage was restored to a healthy pallor. The festering wounds that had marred his body were now healed, leaving not a single scar.

Alicent's gaze lingered on Viserys, whose newfound vitality seemed to defy the very laws of nature. "Is he truly free from his sickness?" she asked, her voice a fragile thread of hope amidst the uncertainty.

Aerion's response was measured, his tone laced with a gravity that belied his years. "He is not cured, but rather, his ailment lies dormant, its insidious tendrils held at bay. Whatever it was that once ravaged his body remains, lurking in the shadows of his being. I need time to study and understand it if I want to have any hope of curing him," he declared, his resolve unwavering.

Alicent nodded, her worry not entirely abated but tempered by Aerion's determination.

"How long will this last?" Alicent's whisper was barely audible, a testament to the weight of her concern. "How long can he bask in this fake glow of health?"

"The sands of time will flow at the same pace as before," Aerion admitted, his voice heavy with unspoken sorrow. "Any wound, any breach of his flesh, may become a festering echo of his past suffering."

Aerion words made the chamber fell into a tense silence, the echoes of their ordeal lingering in the air.

"Must we subject him to this ritual every time until we have a cure?" Alicent's eyes, brimming with worry, searched Aerion's stoic face for answers.

"No, the ritual cannot be repeated, at least not with my blood," Aerion replied, his resolve unshaken. "Perhaps with Rhaenyra, Daemon, or other close kin, but the cost is steep, and each can only contribute once. I cannot, in good conscience, ask others for such a sacrifice."he said.

"And I'm not sure, who amongst father's closest kin would be even willing to do the ritual." he added

Alicent's heart skipped a beat as she posed the question that had haunted her thoughts. "What toll did it exact from you?"

"Twenty-five years of my life, or to be precise twenty-five years worth of my vitality," Aerion confessed, his honesty stark and unadorned.

Alicent could not fathom the breadth of Aerion's lifespan, a gift from his diluted Asgardian lineage that stretched his lifespan to over a thousand years. To him, twenty-five years was but a fleeting moment in the grand tapestry of his existence.

A gasp escaped Alicent's lips. "Twenty-five years! How could you bear such a burden? Did your father know of this price?" she asked, shock evident in her voice.

"He did not," Aerion replied, his actions deliberate as he gathered the glass jars, each a vessel of potential insight to his father's illness. "He would not have allowed me to perform such rituals for his sake, had he known it."

A heavy silence fell between them until Alicent's voice cut through, tinged with solemn gravity. "Why would you endure such a cost?"

Aerion paused, meeting her gaze with unwavering determination. "While his past actions are unforgivable, he is my father," he said simply. "And for all the kindness and love my mother had given me, I would endure this cost to give him a second chance at life, even if it means sacrificing part of my own."

Alicent looked at him, her eyes filling with a mixture of admiration and sorrow. "You are unlike anyone i have seen or read from any text," she whispered.

Aerion shook his head. " It's what we do for our family."

Alicent nodded, her worry not entirely dispelled but now mingled with a deep respect for Aerion's sacrifice. "What do we do now?" she asked.

"We wait," Aerion said. "And we hope that this will give me the time I need to find a true cure."

Aerion turned to Alicent, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Sister Alicent I have shown you my determination and to extend I'm willing to for family and for my mother Aemma," he mused, locking eyes with her. There was a moment of shared silence between them as both looking at each other in the eye.