Chapter 20
Otto Hightower was not having a good day. Actually since Queen Aemma and Prince Baelon died, he was having a bad day after another. First the King isn't attending council meeting, annoying but understandable under the circumstances, then he let his brother and the little monster attend in his place, he made Princess Rhaenys do the queen duties, and he could still see the smug expression on Velaryon face, then the little monster humiliated him in not one, not two but three council meetings. When the King finally came back he thought that he will have a respite, but did that happen? No. The King names Daemon his heir, announces that he has a new sister and if that wasn't enough he decided that he will not marry. After that he missed yet another council meeting and Maester Vaegon suddenly arrived. Targaryen appear in the capital like mushrooms after rain these days. Should he expect Saera and her brood next. The Grand Maester was scared shitless of Arch Maester Vaegon. When the little monster was rumored to be abed with some illness, Mellos refused vehemently to tell him what he knew, if he even knew anything that is. All this brings him to the current problem.
"What do you mean the King is nowhere to be found?"
"I am sorry my Lord Hand, but the King has not been seen since yesterday morning when he took of on dragon back with his brother."
"And nobody thought that it will be pertinent to let me know?!"
How do you loose a King? He is the King! He is surrounded by attendants, maids, council members and guards at all times.
"And their sister?"
"Gone as well, my Lord. We do not know if she left with the King and the Prince. Only the King was seen leaving with his brother in the Dragon pit."
"Bring my daughter to me!"
"Yes, my Lord."
His daughter... A beautiful yet simple minded creature. Sure she thought of herself to be intelligent and cunning. He thought that as well until she tried to seduce Daemon Targaryen when she was four and ten. He was trying to make her a Queen and she would throw away all her worth for Daemon Targaryen. A mistake he was currently working to rectify. Her child could be the next king and she was settling for a second son with nothing to his name.
"Father?" His daughter voice brought him out of his thoughts.
"The King is nowhere to be found at the moment. Hopefully,as he left with his brother, he only had gone to a brothel somewhere. When he gets back you will go to his rooms." He ordered and he saw her daughter's eyes widen.
"So soon father?"
"We can't afford to wait any longer, not with the Velaryon girl and his sister in the game." The little monster was an unknown. While he knew that they stand a chance against the Velaryons, the little monster threw away all their plans. The Targaryen have intermarried for centuries, the brothe/sister pairing being preferred.
"They are children."
"And so was Queen Aemma, when he first married her. I do not want him to make the little monster his queen."
"Wouldn't be better if I tried with prince Daemon? The King may not want to marry."
"Daemon will not stay heir for long and he already refused you once. The King may not want to remarry but I doubt they he threw away all his dreams at a male heir."
"I was a little girl then, I am a woman now. I think I stand a better chance if I try again with Prince Daemon."
"I said no, it's better for you to g..." He was interrupted by roars heard from outside. He quickly got out of his chair and got to the window, there they were. Three dragons and atop three silver haired riders. This had to be a joke. He didn't recognize the white dragon but the green beast was unmistakable. One of them claimed Vhagar. He didn't know what was worse, if the King claimed Vhagar or the little monster.
"They've gone to Dragonstone and claimed dragons!" He could feel his blood boiling. Not only did the King had a dragon now, but his monstrous little sister as well. "You will go tonight, wear one of your mother dresses."
***
When they touched down on Rhaenys Hill, horses, the Lord Commander and some soldiers were waiting for them. The Lord Commander didn't seem to be particularly pleased by their impulsive actions.
"Leave the dragons free today." He heard his sister say.
"Why would we do that?"
"Shrykos had never been in chains before, Vhagar is too big for the dragon pit anyways and I think Caraxes will appreciate the time to roam free. Plus they all need to bond with each other. Vagar and Caraxes hadn't flown together since Baelon was alive, and Vhagar only knew Shrykos as a hatching. "
"Very well." Viserys said and made his way throwards the Lord Commander.
"It is a good thing that the Princess, informed me and Maester Vaegon of your whereabouts my King, otherwise we would have a search party on our hands, looking for the missing royals."
"I only missed a day and a half." He tried to justify. He was feeling a bit like when he was a child and his father caught him putting bugs in Rhaenys bed.
"Three members of the royal family including the King were missing for a day and a half, your Grace"
When you put it like that...
"Tell me Lord Commander, what happened in our absence?" He said trying to change the subject.
"The Lord Hand almost had burst a vein when he found out you were missing, Princess Rhaenyra enjoyed her time with Maester Vaegon and I heard Maester Vaegon curse all of your names more than once in the last day and a half."
"So all was good then." Viserys replied and he could see the barely held eye roll of Ser Harold. Viserys knew that Ser Harold had to have nerves of Valyrian steel to put up with his family for so many years.
"Just so, your Grace. Congratulations are in order I see. You claimed the mighty beast Vhagar."
"Yes, thank you See Harold."
"Your father would be proud." He said more quietly.
They continued their way to the Red Keep in silence. Well almost, his sister was still trying to provoke his brother into talking to her. Since their fight his brother refused to utter a word to his sister. Viserys was confident what so ever that Daemon will crack at some point. Nobody could resist Maenera too long. He understood where Daemon was coming from, he really did, but he saw his sister point of view as well. It will take some time for her to adapt to her new situation. All her life she could count only on herself, Vaegon didn't count, not really. Sure they exchanged letters and if she needed help he would try and come to her, but he was hundreds miles away and his vows as Maester made him quite unreliable. She wasn used to have any family.
He knew that Daemon understood that as well, but Daemon reacts to hurt with anger. Not very healthy he had to admit. If he was honest with himself he was surprised that his brother had managed to put of their fight for so long, but he supposed that they had more pressing matters to address at the time.
***
Daemon was not going to give in. He really wasn't. So what if his sister was looking at him with those big watery eyes and her pouty lips and her repentant extension. So what? He was angry. Angry and hurt, usually those two emotions got hand in hand with him. He was entitled to his emotions. If he wanted to stay mad, he will! He was Daemon Targaryen, the Rogue Prince, the rider of Caraxes he wasn't going to bend at the will of his sister.
The little menace followed him to his rooms after they arrived. He shut the door in her face but of course the little bitch could not get the point. While he was changing his clothes the passage in his room opened up and low and behold there she was. He tried to ignore her, he really did but she put her hands around him and didn't want to let go.
"Let me go Maenera." He said trying to dislodge her.
"No. Look... I know you are angry and I just want to tell you that I am sorry. "
He could feel his anger fly away from his body. Damn it....
"I am sorry that I didn't tell you. I thought I had it under control."
"Promise it won't happen again. Promise that you will tell me if an episode is approaching."
"I promise."
"I'm sorry as well." He said returning her embrace." I am sorry I shouted at you. I am sorry I made you cry."
"I didn't cry!" She exclaimed.
"Of course you didn't." He responded with a little smile on his lips. He kissed her forehead and let her go.
"I better go to the City Watch barracks. They have been left unsupervised too much time." He said thinking about the amount of trouble those men could get into.
"You better came back tonight, I want us all to sleep together again. We sleep better this way."
Fuck, he didn't want to come back, he wanted to get lost between the tights of a beautiful woman tonight. He didn't fuck anyone since before Aemma died, he was going mad. He wanted to have a drink with his men and find a whore, or two, to spend the night with. But of course he couldn't say no to his sister. It seemed that was becoming a habit. And she was right. All of them were sleeping better when they were together.
"Of course, sister."
"Oh and find some men that you trust and ask them to come to the training grounds tomorrow. "
"Why would I do that?"
"I want to find a sworn shield. I will choose tomorrow after the council meeting."
"Of course princess."
He really couldn't say no to her, couldn't he?...
***
The night come quicker than expected and the three siblings were once again in Viserys rooms. They were all in various states of undress, Daemon without his shirt and shoes, Viserys without his doublet with his shirt opened, Maenera was the only one who maintained a small level of decorum the only articles of clothing that she shed being her shoes and her coat. It became apparent that Maenera was waiting for something, when she asked three of the maids to stay in the rooms while they had their dinner. Viserys didn't asked but even his sister seemed a little confused at the action, and she was the one doing it. Daemon just shrugged and began eating.
When they were close to finish their meal a knock could be heard from the door. Before Viserys had time to respond the door already opened and Lady Allicent Hightower let herself in. She was dressed into a revealing dress and in her arms she was carrying a big book that if he wasn't wrong was about the Valyrian Strongholds. When she saw all of them she froze. Her eyes moving rapidly between all of them, even the maids. All of them were just looking at her without saying a word and Viserys felt the need to break the silence.
"Good evening, my Lady. Is there anything we can help you with?" He asked and the spell broke. She started stammering some unintelligible words, her cheeks flushing. The maids began whispering between themselves.
"Your Grace, I am sorry for the disturbance, I didn't know you had company." She seemed to find her words at last.
"Why are you here my Lady?"
"When I was younger, After Queen Alysanne died, I started reading to the King. He said that he found my voice soothing. I had hoped that it will help you in your time of grief if I did it again."
He was looking at her flabbergasted. They really think he was that stupid? Thankfully he was saved of giving an answer by his sister.
"That would be highly inappropriate, my Lady. After all the Old King, was well, old, whereas my brother is a young widower. Anything could happen to a young lady like yourself. Didn't your septa teach you to never be alone in a room with an unmarried man? Unless of course that was your intention." His sister said and his brother began laughing.
"N-n-no your Grace, I just wanted to help his Grace in his time of grief. " She said and later realized how that sounded." I-I-I mean..."
"Is that your dress my Lady?" Asked his brother." I remember seeing your lady mother wearing it once." He said and Viserys could see the heat in her cheeks intensifying.
"Betha, please tell Ser Arryk to come in." Said his sister. And the maid quickly complied. When Ser Arryk came in he had a slightly panicked expression on his face. He bowed and awaited his orders in silence.
"Ser Arryk please summon the Lord Hand and the Lord Commander to the King's chambers. " Said his sister and the poor man let out a sight of relief and almost tripped over his legs trying to get out of the room.
"More wine brother?" Asked Daemon.
"Please brother. " He responded. He really needed the wine. This was a catastrophe waiting to happen. He was sure that his sister could handle it, but with Otto in the room he was going to have to speak. Otto wouldn't accept anyone's orders but Viserys. That was beginning to bother Viserys, the lack of respect for the rest of his family.
The girl seemed petrified in her spot. She was picking at her nails so bad that she started bleeding. When Daemon saw that, without a word he got up and took the book from her hands.
"She was going to ruin it." His brother responded to his inquisitive look.
The door opened and ser Harold, ser Arryk and Otto entered. Ser Arryk quickly retreated to his post outside. Ser Harold and Otto were quiet.
"Lord Hand, it seems that we found your wayward daughter." His sister said." Isn't she supposed to be in her room at this time of night?"
"Aren't you, princess?"
"My actions are not in question tonight, my Lord, your daughter's are."
"Of what is she accused of exactly?"
"We are not making any accusations tonight, Otto." Viserys interviened" We just called you here to elucidate, why a young maiden, entered my rooms without notice. Me, an unmarried man."
"I am sure it is not as it seems, your Grace..."
"Oh, I am sure. Her actions and subsequent punishment will be discussed in the council tomorrow. After all she is the daughter it the Lord Hand and she is part of my daughters household."
"Your Grace, I can assure you that Allicent..."
"This discussion is finished. Please, take your daughter to her rooms. We will meet in the morning in the council room. " Viserys dismissed Otto and his daughter both. After they left the room Lord Commander stayed behind awaiting orders.
"Lord Commander, tonight one of the kingsguards let an announced guest in the King's chambers." His sister said.
"I gathered as much, your Grace. What punishment would you wish for him to receive?" Westerling was angered, Viserys could clearly see that. He took his vows extremely serious and he expected the rest of the men under his command to to the same.
"I think that whatever punishment you find will be suitable." Replied Viserys. And with a bow the Commander got out of his, rooms. He dismissed the maids as well, he and siblings remaining alone.
"You knew this will happen tonight." Said Daemon.
"Actually I didn't. I knew there was a possibility for her to try, but I didn't know about tonight. I had a vision of her but it wasn't clear."
"Then how did you know to keep me here in the Red Keep?"
"A gut feeling." She replied.
"I think that we had enough excitement for one day. We should probably go to sleep." Viserys said.