Although the birth of Prince Aegon (who soon began to be called Aegon the Younger, to differentiate him from his uncle) brought immense joy to King Viserys and his court, many were quick to note the fact that His Grace did not appear to have lost his penchant for his daughter.
As the end of year 107 began to approach, Prince Aegon (known by many Aegon the Elder since the birth of his nephew) and Ser Otto Hightower tried to convince the king that it would be best to soon hold an ceremony in order bestow his son with the title of Prince of Dragonstone, and thus give the kingdom the heir that everyone had waited for so long. His Grace, however, ignored the advice and suggestions of his brother and his Hand, even when they both reminded him of the precedents of the years 92 and 101.
Thus, Princess Rhaenyra continued to sit at the foot of her father's throne when he held court, and not long after His Grace began bringing her to the meetings of his Small Council, on occasions even asking for her opinion concerning certain issues of lesser importance.
Grand Master Munkun speculates in his True Telling that it was this unprecedented favor which drove Aegon the Elder and Ser Otto Hightower to form a secret alliance in order to ensure that Aegon the Younger would not be robbed of his birthright.
Curiously, the writings of both Grand Maester Runciter and Grand Maester Mellos (those that have survived to the present day, in any case) make no mention of such an alliance, at least not at this early stage.
Whatever the case, in the year 108, King Viserys ordered a great and lavish tournament to be held in honor of his son's first name day. Naturally, the celebration attracted many nobles and well-known knights from all corners of the Seven Kingdoms, no doubt eager to see the young prince and, perhaps, win the support of the queen.
Rumors claim that the behavior of many of those present severely infuriated Princess Rhaenyra, however, since a considerable number of them decided to ignore her in favor of her half-brother, despite the fact that she was her father's heir.
Septon Eustace tells us that, upon seeing the princess's displeasure, Ser Criston Cole knelt before her and swore that, if she were to grant him her favor, he would make sure to win the melee and the joust, and to give her the victor's laurels, as was his custom.
"I would like that, Ser Criston", the princess said, smiling. "I would like that very much".
"I will not fail you, Princess", Ser Criston replied.
True to his word, Ser Criston proved himself the better man in melee and joust, defeating Ser Erryk Cargyll in the last combat, and Prince Aegon the Elder in the final tilt, giving both laurels to Princess Rhaenyra in a gesture that, according to many sources, filled her with great delight, and soon after the princess began to proclaim Ser Criston as the finest knight in all the realm.
Yet, Septon Eustace tells us that Ser Criston's victory, particularly his triumph over Prince Aegon, greatly upset Queen Alicent, who considered her goodbrother as one of her staunchest allies at court.
"This was to be a celebration in honor of our son", the queen commented to the king, once the festivities were over, "but it seems Ser Criston had other intentions".
"Ser Criston was only trying to please Rhaenyra, my love", the king remarked with a calm smile. "I cannot blame him for doing so".
"I can", was the queen's reply.
Although the outcome of the tournament turned into an uncomfortable argument between the king and queen, they both decided to forget the matter and continue their duties as monarchs after a heated night of discussion, if Septon Eustace's account is to be believed.
Some moons later, as Prince Aegon was being raised under the ever watchful eyes of his mother, her maidservants, and his wetnurse, and Princess Rhaenyra kept enjoying her father's favor, urgent news reached the king and his Small Council.
The victories of Prince Daemon and Lord Corlys in the Stepstones had grown in number, with the naval forces and the land host of the Triarchy suffering heavy losses, perhaps too many to be sustained. The death of the Myrish prince admiral Craghas Drahar, known as Craghas Crabfeeder (for having staked out hundreds of captured pirates on the wet sands, to drown beneath the rising tide), at the hands of Prince Daemon was a catastrophe for the fleet of the Three Daughters, and a remarkable achievement for the Seven Kingdoms.
"It seems that Prince Daemon and Lord Corlys have been more successful than expected," said Hand of the King. "They have only lost six hundred men since the begining their campaign, if the rumors are true, and most of them due to disease".
His Grace nodded. "Daemon must be enjoying his little adventure. He may not be the calmest of men, but none here present can deny his martial ability. I foresee nothing but victories and spoils in his future, my lords. Perhaps even in ours, too".
Impressive as the reports were, not everyone in the council shared the king's optimism.
"The war has caused a significant increase in smuggling along the trade routes", said Lyman Beesbury, Lord of Honeyholt and Master of Coin. "I fear, Your Grace, that unless Prince Daemon and Lord Corlys can restore order soon, this conflict could prove more expensive than we had thought".
The king simply shrugged. "Let us be patient, Lord Beesbury, and see what happens. We must not rush into action, I think. Why, I have always believed that, in situations like these, patience is most useful".
The Master of Coin nodded. "As you wish, Your Grace".
After discussing the matter of the war at the Stepstones, the Hand informed His Grace and the Small Council that, according to reliable sources, something troubling had happened concerning Lady Laena Velaryon.
The beautiful and wildful daughter of Lord Corlys, it seemed, had claimed and bounded with the great dragon Vermithor, the Bronze Fury, who had been the mount of the Old King for more than fifty years.