-Chapter 191-
-2 hours later-
-POV Aemon Targaryen-
"You should've told me," said Rhaenys, walking into my office without announcing herself.
I saw Gunthor at the door give me an apologetic look, and I motioned for him to leave us.
None of them would dare lay a finger on my wife, let alone her mother, who had practically become a second mother to me over the past few years.
"You wouldn't have accepted this outcome," I said mildly, not seeking conflict with her.
"Of course not," she said, glaring at me before adding, "How could you think a simple and pathetic execution would take away my urge to burn House Hightower to ashes?"
"I know that you—"
"It wasn't your child who died!!" she snapped, her tone authoritative before raising it further: "It was mine! So no, Aemon, you don't know a damn thing!!!"
I inhaled deeply before sighing, then said, "I completely understand your anger and I don't blame you, but that's precisely why I didn't tell you," I said, adding, "You want revenge."
"Damn right I want revenge, MY SON IS DEAD," she shouted at the end, slamming both hands on my desk.
I closed my eyes because I understood her feelings perfectly and would've probably done the same, but I had priorities, and if I didn't want to find one of my children with their throat slit one morning without knowing why, I had to avoid wars that were too long, too bloody.
'And most of all, pointless.'
I shut my eyes, then stood up to look her straight in the eyes, shedding all compassion, and said coldly:
"When you seek revenge, you must dig two graves. I'm not afraid of retaliation, but I refuse for one of those graves to be my child's. I will never sacrifice the safety of Viserys, Aerys, or either of the twins. Am I clear?"
My mother-in-law's chest was rising and falling quickly under the weight of her rage and frustration, but I had drawn a clear line: stirring the crowd too easily and leading them toward fanaticism would only bring one thing—our destruction.
'Be it poison, uprisings, or other means, they'll take us down one by one.'
I was likely not among the vulnerable thanks to my powers, which would only grow stronger if war were to break out, but I was a father, a husband.
I had men under my command who all had families.
I didn't want to risk that for disproportionate vengeance.
'The culprits are dead, our House's authority has been restored, Laenor has been avenged. That's all that matters.'
"Very well, Your Highness," she said sarcastically before turning and storming out of my solar.
Once she crossed the threshold and Gunthor shut the door behind her, I let out a weary sigh over all these problems.
But for some reason I couldn't name, I felt like this was far from the end of my troubles.
'This is my reward for taking power peacefully. I should've burned all my opponents to ash before the girls were born,' I thought, sitting back down, ready to resume what I had been doing before my mother-in-law arrived.
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-POV Rhaenys Targaryen-
Leaving my nephew's solar, I couldn't help but curse him with all my might in my heart.
I knew my nephew well, and I knew he understood my inner thoughts, but he deliberately chose to ignore them.
To him, I would've burned Hightower's High Tower with Cannibal's fire, lighting it up green so it could be seen from Asshai to the Wall.
'He's such a damn hypocrite,' I thought, because knowing him, if one of his daughters had been murdered, no matter the cost, he would've burned everyone in his path.
'He's selfish.'
Even if it were Laena or that whore Jeyne Arryn trying to take his place, he would've rallied every force.
But he didn't, because he didn't love Laenor and… deep down, her death suits him.
I was clear-headed enough to know that this death weakened Rhaenyra more than ever.
'I can't let Alicent get away with this. She's just as guilty as her brother. That bitch definitely knew,' I told myself inwardly.
I was determined to make that slut's life a living hell—and for as long as possible.
'Maybe she's… No, she's definitely the real mastermind behind the assassination,' I thought, changing my route to head toward Rhaenyra's quarters.
On the way, my thoughts kept clashing in my mind as I imagined all kinds of strange scenarios.
Not because they seemed unlikely, but because everything fit together perfectly as I pieced together, with alarming ease, the sequence of events since Laenor's death.
'That's why they tried to silence her. Aemon must've uncovered everything, and then tried to patch the holes in his ship by offering Alicent a deal to save herself or her brother,' I thought, finishing the mental reconstruction of what had happened just as I reached the door to Rhaenyra's private apartments.
'Unfortunately, he already sank—and a while ago,' I said to myself, knocking on her door, ignoring the guards who didn't try to stop me, even though I hadn't announced myself.
---
-POV Rhaenyra Targaryen-
'How could you fall so low, Alicent?' I asked myself inwardly, reveling in her downfall.
'After today, your son will never inherit the Iron Throne, because within his bloodline lies a vice and treachery exposed to all in under two weeks,' I thought, unable to suppress the smirk tugging at the corner of my lips.
Knock… Knock… Knock…
"Who is it?" I asked upon hearing someone knock at my door.
"It's me," said my mother-in-law at the door.
I quickly stood up, smoothed my dress, trying my best to calm down, then said the next second, "Enter"
The door opened almost immediately, and I saw my former mother-in-law enter, furious.
Her face was cold, brows furrowed, and I could practically feel the heat of the flames burning in her gaze.
"I—"
"I didn't come to talk to you about Laenor, Rhaenyra," said Laenor's mother, raising a hand to stop me from offering my condolences again.
I stayed silent, understanding she wasn't here to play the usual noble games, and that she truly had something important to say, so I listened:
"I offer the full support of House Velaryon on one condition: the destruction of House Hightower."
Those words first caught me off guard, but ultimately they sent me to cloud nine, because all my worries vanished.
'I was still wondering how to approach Daemon, but with Rhaenys' support, I don't have to worry about her getting in my way or withdrawing the meager support she was willing to give me,' I thought.
'Since she came to me, it means Aemon denied her vengeance,' I thought, scorning that cousin who was still so afraid of war.
'Now that she's lost his support, once I win Daemon over by offering him the crown on a silver platter, the balance of power will shift—and even with the two monsters they have, Aemon will have to acknowledge my superiority,' I thought, fighting with all my might to keep a solemn face and not let the smile tearing at my mask escape.
I nodded and said, "For Laenor"
Rhaenys said nothing, and for a moment, I thought she saw through my act, but in the end, she nodded and sighed softly: "For Laenor"
'YES'
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