-Chapter 23-

-Chapter 23-

-POV Laena Velaryon-

"So?" said mother with a little smile as she saw me return from my little excursion.

I smiled at her without saying anything and she did not insist, understanding everything she needed to know, a unique thing we had in common that made me immensely closer to her than to my father, who in this instance insisted by asking: "Did everything go well?"

I nodded and said, "The Prince was very courteous, he wouldn't dare upset Vhagar."

As if he sensed I was talking about him, he turned in my direction and, although his expression was displeased for some reason, it changed and lit up with his particular sly smile.

He mimed a word with his mouth and, although I didn't understand, I could instinctively feel that he was mocking old Vhagar once again.

I narrowed my eyes in his direction, distracted, and only snapped back when my mother caught my attention by saying: "Your father asked you a question, my dear?"

"Sorry, I didn't hear you, father, I was…"

He smiled without saying anything and then said: "I was afraid Prince Aemon's age would be a hindrance, but it seems that was just a preconceived notion of your old father."

"What are you talking about, father? You are still in the prime of life," I said, smiling at my father, whose smile froze as he turned towards me.

Confused, I turned around, realizing he was not looking at me but at someone behind me. I saw that Prince Daemon was looking at me intently.

"Don't get your hopes up, he's trying to annoy your son, he compared you to a whore in front of the king and they both smiled together in front of all the greatest nobles of the realm," said mother in a warning tone.

"I know, I have no illusions, I wanted to marry a dragonrider, not a thug," I said, pointing to his bastard.

'His,' as if he only had one, I thought, knowing like everyone the scandalous reputation of Daemon Targaryen in the Capital.

'In 10 years in the capital, he may have visited the brothels more than a hundred, even more than a thousand times. He surely has some hidden bastards somewhere.'

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-POV MC-

"You pay too much attention to that girl, look around you, many are watching you," said mother, seeing that I was looking for Laena.

I smiled and then stopped looking in her direction and turned to my cousin who was two seats across from me and said:

"Cousin William, it has been some time since we last saw each other. Did the journey here go well?"

The boy of 8 days' name said: "Everything went well. Uncle Gerold helped me settle comfortably and introduced me to Lady Jeyne."

I smiled and then said: "Was she kind to you?"

"Yes, very kind."

"That's good," I said, looking away from my cousin to look at Gerold, William's father's brother and my mother's cousin, who was not looking at me, although he had heard everything.

Gerold Royce was fiercely loyal to our house, but he did not consider me a Royce, which made him dangerous.

I know he will obey me if I give him an order, and that only out of respect for my late grandfather and my mother, but he is preparing William to take over Runestone one day in the name of the Royces, and that is unacceptable.

'I won't let this stubborn old man mess things up, either he sides with me, or…'

I felt my mother's hand on mine and she gave me a nod.

I took a small breath and then looked away from Gerold to focus on Gunthor who was a little further from us, deep in conversation with Arnold Arryn.

Those two earned their knight titles last year and successfully joined the forces of House Royce.

They fought bravely against the mountain clans several times, but what interested me was not their proximity, but their respective potential.

I was well aware that I could end up losing the title of Lord of House Royce one day, especially if my mother were to die before me, and those two were my plan to ensure total loyalty from the Vale in its entirety.

'My backup plan, so to speak.'

I would train Gunthor to be the puppet head of House Royce and Arnold to take Jeyne Arryn's place.

With the support of a dragon, and maybe even two in the future, even if the king can take Runestone from me, I would cause legitimate trouble by supporting those two to take the positions of Warden of the Vale and Lord of Bronze.

Gunthor met my gaze and raised his cup, and I did the same, as did Arnold who noticed our little game.

Jeyne, noticing this, stopped smiling while talking with her lady-in-waiting, and I smiled in her direction.

'I wonder what her choice will be once I break with her: endure the humiliation while trying to maintain maximum control in the Vale or use her family ties with Rhaenyra to force me to leave the Vale and become a lord without lands, given the broken pact between us.'