-Chapter 198-
-19th day of the 9th moon of the year 121 AC-
-2 moons later-
-POV Viserys Targaryen-
Knock… Knock… Knock
"Your Majesty, the Hand of the King has requested your presence in the Throne Room."
I sighed, weary of the ever-heavier weight of my crown, even as my workload continued to lighten with each passing day as Aemon took control of my kingdom right under my nose.
I set down the wooden figurine of a dragon before struggling to my feet, my knees threatening to give way, though I did not fall thanks to my loyal Lord Commander, who caught me at the right moment and helped me stand on my own.
He handed me the cane I now used to walk, the illness I had contracted advancing more and more rapidly.
I saw a glimmer of pity in his eyes before he spoke after a brief moment of hesitation:
"I can inform the Hand that you are unavailable, so that he postpones…"
"My nephew will postpone nothing if I were to miss this audience," I said before being overtaken by a fit of coughing.
Once I regained my composure, I continued:
"If I do not go, he will decide everything without even bothering to consult me. And if he needs me present, the matter of this audience is serious."
Ser Steffon nodded, then took my arm to help me, but I signaled that it was fine. I would not give people cause to talk about Weak Viserys.
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-POV Aemon Targaryen-
"Are you sure about this?" my father asked me, watching Rhaenys, who was glaring daggers at me as she whispered incessantly to Rhaenyra, who looked utterly panicked.
"Hmm," I murmured, determined to see this through, unwilling to make any more compromises with them.
I might have just sealed the fate of any future pact with Rhaenys, but in return, I was about to seize the entirety of House Velaryon this very night.
"HIS MAJESTY KING VISERYS THE FIRST, KING OF THE ANDALS, THE RHOVNAR, AND THE FIRST MEN," cried one of the two gold cloaks at the door.
We all turned to Viserys, and I inwardly shook my head at how weak he looked — but above all, how… alone.
I felt not the slightest twinge of pity as I watched my uncle shuffle toward his throne like a slug. He had thrown himself willingly into the gilded cage I had built for him.
After several minutes of watching him painfully drag himself to the top of the Iron Throne, he finally sat down and looked at me, waiting to know why I had summoned him, given the small number of people present in the room.
I wasted no time. I stepped forward, then turned my back to him to address those gathered.
"I learned some terrible news a few days ago."
"What news?" he asked.
I signaled with my eyes to Willem, who was standing by the door with his men, waiting for my cue.
Once he received it, Willem left, while I continued speaking:
"The death of Corlys Velaryon."
I did not turn back, certain Viserys must be shocked by the news, though his reaction mattered little to me.
What I did observe were the faces of the others — and, as I expected, Rhaenyra and Rhaenys were not surprised, but furious.
'Laena told her mother,' I thought, not really surprised. This was not news I had expected her to keep secret.
'And that is precisely why I only told her this morning.'
I had learned the news a week earlier from Vaemond Velaryon, who had practically offered to hand me Driftmark in exchange for the regency of the island and its stewardship thereafter — an offer I had no difficulty accepting.
Accepting this offer, however, came at a cost: I was now going to truly earn the hostility of my aunt and mother-in-law.
'And rider of the Red Queen.'
Vaemond was seeking to take the head of House Velaryon in Rhaenys' place, and since I had not made any clear decision since the end of the tourney, this was a small knife I was driving into her back.
I was making it clear to her now that not only was I refusing her offer, but she was no longer welcome on Driftmark.
'Laena won't be pleased to learn that I have chosen to oust her mother from Driftmark,' I thought, already unsure how she was taking the death of her father.
'She's only just begun to recover from the death of her brother.'
Still with my back to the king, I heard him ask:
"Why didn't you speak of this earlier?"
"Because I was not certain of the information, and I didn't want to sadden Laena needlessly. But his body has been brought back, and Laena is with him now, paying her last respects before he is returned to Driftmark so that he may rest in the sea like his ancestors," I replied calmly.
"Like a true Velaryon," said Vaemond Velaryon, entering the Throne Room accompanied by Willem, who had gone to fetch him.
'Mapping the secret passages of the Red Keep greatly helped me get him inside without anyone catching wind of it.'
Rhaenys' eyes widened upon seeing him, and then she looked at me furiously, realizing what was happening but unable to counter me, for I had taken her completely off guard.
"I invited Vaemond Velaryon because he was practically regent of Driftmark during the late Lord Corlys' voyages, and he is the most suited to tell us who should succeed him."
"Everyone knows my cousin Corlys always wished for his son to take his place, but since his death, only a TRUE Velaryon could succeed him," said Vaemond, staring pointedly at Rhaenyra and her bastard children before continuing, this time looking at me: "I see no one better suited for the role than the Hand's eldest son. I would even be honored to teach him everything I myself learned from his grandfather."
A long silence hung in the air for a few seconds before I opened my arms and, turning toward Viserys — my back now to Rhaenyra and Rhaenys, who were both glaring at me — I said:
"If Your Majesty has no objection, it would be a great honor to entrust my son with succeeding his grandfather," I said, before adding in a lighter tone, directed at Rhaenyra:
"Unless someone wishes to contest his rightful claim to the succession?"
'Contest my right and I will contest yours.'
Viserys glanced at his daughter, then looked back at me and gave a slight nod with a kind of grunt.
I refrained from smiling, for this was not the time.
I nodded, then left without looking back.
'Mission accomplished.'
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