Chapter Twelve: Expletive.
Machiavelli might have been on to something when he said that fear had its uses.
For example, I was positively giddy at how terrified the men around me were as Sky and I (heh, that rhymed) followed the Lord Hand through the castle's candlelit halls. I refused to be separated from my dragon and it was not like anyone had the balls to try and pick a fight with a living flamethrower that had a greater social status than you.
They probably assumed that it was just a continuation of my childish behavior, which was better than realizing that I was conditioning the dragon to get used to being around people and the indoors.
Strangely enough Sky seemed pretty content to follow my lead with minimal fuss, taking casual note of the people and her surroundings for a few moments before deeming them beneath her notice. I had to admit that it was mildly irritating that my hernia was the exception to the rule still and that Sky seemed completely unperturbed by the man.
But those were secondary concerns in the face of my apprehension.
What in the Seven Hells flooded with syphilis did that fool do? That Lord Strong refused to elaborate further meant that he either did not know or that it was damaging enough that he would not say it in public.
I did not like either option.
I found that keeping one hand on Sky kept me calm even if relying on a homicidal apex predator for emotional stability did not say great things about where my life was going.
"How bad?" I ask while clearing my throat. The man already had a subpar impression of me, it could do little harm to ask, it was certainly better than the mounting tension.
The Hand looked over to me and arched a brow, "What do you mean my Prince?"
"You know what I mean," I sighed. "I-I want an idea so that I might prepare myself."
"You are an odd child," the man with those cold eyes noted. "As you said my prince. It is 'bad,' so much so that all save your royal mother had forgotten of your disappearance until the runner arrived."
I sucked in a deep breath, "That is bad."
"Quite," the Hand noted as we arrived in one of the audience halls of the castle. Unsurprisingly it was also shaped like a dragon.
I could already hear the muffled sound of yelling.
"Wait here a moment, My Prince" The Hand went in and left the door slightly open.
"Your Grace!" I heard the Hand announce and cut through the yelling. "The prince has been found!"
I thought that I heard Mothe-Alicent, Alicent say something with what sounded like relief.
The the king said something as well, I could not make out the words but the tone was clear enough.
Oh great, I grumbled internally. He is in his 'kill-maim-murder' mood.
after a moment of uncharacteristic hesitance. "Circumstances that required I bring him here immediately despite the situation."
"Is he harmed?" Mother asked loudly enough for me to make out the words.
"Not… exactly your grace," the Hand said.
"If it is so important as to require interrupting this," I heard disgust in the kings thundering command. "Whatever this is, then bring him in."
"As you say, your grace," the Hand acknowledged. Foe or not that guy needed a raise. "You may come in, my prince."
As I entered the room my world froze.
On the throne was Viserys with a look of visceral rage that trumped the pit-incident carved deep into his face. Honestly if he was not wearing a night shirt with his crown hastily put on a bedhead, I would say he looked terrifying.
Next to him was Alicent whose coloring made it clear she had been screaming quite a bit up until that moment although the sight of me seemed to have been enough to bring tears to her eyes.
Flanking them were Eustace, the rarely seen Court Septon (and the fat waste of space which I knew would screw us all later in his book), the Master of Laws (A Selmy, I believed but I had never been introduced to the man) and the kindly old Beesbury along with the annoyingly generic Harrold Westerling whom along with his six white brothers were occupying the room.
They were not the issue however.
The first one I noticed was Ser Criston whom looked on the verge (sadly just the verge) of a stroke with a red face and eyes so angry that they looked like they were about to shoot beams of pure rage at his target.
Said target was Daemon Targaryen who looked entirely too proud of himself as he sat across from his brother nothing but a pair of black breeches, Darksister and a satisfied smirk. Although there was an uncharacteristic stiffness to his back and a brittleness to his expression.
Across from him and the council was Rhaenyra wearing a look somewhere between horror and shame next to… Laena Velaryon who looked a great deal as if someone had just eaten her puppy in front of her …..
And both were wearing crumpled up gowns….
No…. I felt my eyes turned to saucers as my lips slowly mouthed what I was thinking.
What?! THIS IS THE FREAKING RIPPLE I GET?! NO! I DEMAND A RECOUNT AND AN IMMEDIATE EXECUTION FOR THIS DICK OF A GOD OR GODS OR WHATEVER THE HELL!
I started hyperventilating, my breathing become audible and increasingly ragged as I whipped my head from person to person.
Someone had started to say something but I cut them off as I finally worked up the cohesion of thought to roar at the top of my lungs.
"What. THE. ACTUAL. FUCK!" That made everyone in the room's eyebrows shoot up so high that it almost made them jump out of their chairs, although whether it was from the deranged scream, the language or my seeming on the verge of a heart attack, I could not really say.
As I ran out of breath the entire room went into a stunned silence… for about three seconds before Sky charged into the room, stopped in front of me, let out as impressive a roar as she could manage before spitting a stream of flame above her that looked suspiciously like an exclamation mark.
Then the screaming started.
…
A few minutes later I was sitting on a small chair between the two offending parties with Ebermen holding a firm hand on my shoulder while I stroked Sky's head on my lap. I was fairly sure my right eye was twitching wildly.
For her part Sky did not take much note of all the eyes in the room focused on her as she graciously accepted my attention.
"Y-you have a dragon," Alicent was whiter than the Hightower crest and she smoothed out her skirt with one hand and clutched onto Viserys with the other.
"Yes mother," Twitch. "I just got her today."
Twitch.
Alicent let out a nervous laugh, "I must say, that I wish you had made it known that wished to try it."
Twitch.
"I feared you might have thought it foolish mother," I answered back in a sweet tone. Twitch. "Clearly foolishness is not as irregular as I had thought."
Laena of all people spoke next, her soft voice making her soft voice and nervousness making her words into a squeaking more fitting of a twelve-year-old, "Well it seems mother was not mistaken about your boldness."
Twitch. I could swear that I heard my neck crack from how quickly it whipped to her as Sky growled ever-so-slightly.
"It was a calculated risk," I answered back as sweetly as before. Twitch. "The dreams and the books made it seem safe. Amazing how a seemingly safe course of action can be quite foolish in the long run is it not?"
She had the decency to further redden and not answer.
Good, she has a lick of sense, I had no clue how the little idiot could be so stupid as to jeopardize her family's reputation on a stunt with a married man and the heiress while being engaged to another.
"Enough Gaemon," Viserys said slowly. "I can appreciate that this moment is… difficult for you. But do understand that you do not have sole claim to outrage here and that you will face the consequences of being so reckless."
I gave him credit for not even flinching when Sky raised her head to smile at him.
No shocker, I admitted begrudgingly. Especially if the story of how he tamed the Black Dread has any truth to it.
"Of course, your grace," Twitch. He stopped for a moment and for the first time seemed to notice that I did not call him 'father'.
He grunted before clearing his throat, "Daemon."
"Yes, brother," Daemon asked carefully. If nothing else the shock had taken the brittle smirk off of the would-be Aegon.
What sort of lust-addled simpleton tries to have a threesome with fucking dragonriders? I wondered in my quiet outrage. I understood that my own morals had no place on Westeros but the man seemed as foolish as he was depraved to me.
That I felt just the slightest twinge of another sort of outrage faintly revolted me.
"I will ask this and this alone, what did you intend to achieve?" Viserys asked with something in his voice that made it clear that he was trying to find some sanity in his brother's madness.
"We were in our cups brother," he said with a sigh and a shrug. "It was an accident."
Twitch. Who the hell did you think was gullible enough to believe that?
"Is that so?"
Oh right of course.
"It is fortunate we were stopped in time to prevent Rhaenyra from participa-" He was cut off by a hiss from mother-
Twitch
From Alicent. Not the time to engage with that particular issue.
"There is a child in the room Daemon. Control your tongue or it will be ripped from your treacherous mouth dragon or no dragon," Viserys placed a controlling hand on her own as she took a breath to collect herself.
Daemon was convincing him! He was freaking pulling it off! That magnificent dick, I would be sure to preserve it in a jar after I fed him to Sky. Clearly his genitalia needed to be sealed into a jar buried in some unmarked part of the sea lest it come to life and proceed to continue to literally fucking up my plans.
"A child?" Daemon asked with a raised brow, surprised enough to forget that he not on the best ground. "Your grace, he has a dragon and speaks like a maester, he is as much a child as I a maid."
Twitch.
If he does not shut up, I am going to use his windpipe as a leg warmer.
"Regardless of his condition," Viserys said with the weight of stone. "He clearly still has the judgement of a child, do not insult my son again Daemon since clearly the child has more sense in his head than the lot of you."
Twitch.
Huh fatherly affection, that's a new one from you.
"Of course, brother," Daemon said with another shrug, seeming unconvinced.
"Do not attempt to be glib Daemon," Viserys said with a glare. "You are fortunate that I do not shorten you by a head."
Yes! Kill him, kill him! We need to exterminate him now! He must die now!
"Your grace," Eustace coughed before speaking in his annoyingly high-pitched voice. "It must be noted that no man is as accursed as the kin-slayer."
Viserys grunted, "Exile then."
"Your grace," Laena spoke up hesitantly. "I may speak-"
"No," Viserys said with the sidelong glance at the girl who froze as if she had seen a gorgon. "You may not. Pray for both your sakes that I do not tell your lord father of this, this… abomination."
"Abomination?" Daemon scoffed. "Come now brother! We are the ilk of Valyria! Nothing we did would condemned in our true homeland!"
"Risking the dignity of your house? Dishonoring your niece? Antagonizing a major vassal?" Mother listed off on her hands the very things I was thinking. "Why my dear Daemon, I had assumed that you were familiar with the Freehold? You must surely no that you would be dead on sight if you had done the same thing there! Should I fetch Lady Rhaenys so that she might duel you according to Valyrian custom and make you a eunuch should you emerge victorious?"
You tell him Mom!
Twitch, shit I was calling her Mom internally.
"Enough!" Viserys roared. "Daemon, you are hereby exiled from the Seven Kingdoms on pain of death!"
What?
"What?" Daemon asked as his face blanched of color.
"You have gone too far and have in doing so shamed our vassal, our family, my daughter, myself and our father's memory," As he went on with his list more and more pain showed on that moronic face. "He would be ashamed to see what you have become Daemon, I can only say that I am glad that he did not live to see this."
Daemon did not respond immediately but his face has gone as white as his hair by that point. With a bit of a tremble he pulled himself up before speaking, "Might I go gather my things brother?"
"You may," Viserys said curtly. "Ser Westerling and Ser Thorne will accompany you. Farewell Daemon."
"Farewell brother," Daemon answered robotically as he marched out of the hall tailed by the two Kingsguard, not looking at anything but what was in front of him like a horse with blinders on.
What the hell had he been thinking? I asked myself. He had been in such a good position at the court, he was working his way into Rhaenyra's confidence. What would make him think that he could have gotten away with trying to get them both into bed?
Then a thought occurred to me.
Would anyone have found out if I had not gone missing and half the castle had been roused to find me?
Holy crap. He could have gotten away with it and easily.
That magnificent son of a bitch.
"Laena Velaryon," Viserys said after the doors closed again. The girl must have been surprised because her spine looked straighter than a brand-new toothpick, her teeth visibly clattering behind her tight-pressed lips.
"Yes, your grace!" I guessed that she was not as fearless as her mother after all because her eyes were colored in fear.
Hmm, I guess her bravery did not last long when faced down by a King with no family support. I almost felt sorry for the poor little fool.
Almost.
"I must apologize," the King said slowly as everyone else in the room shot him a questioning look. "I fear that you drank too deeply at the feast and fell asleep in the halls."
Twitch, oh I see.
"Your Grace?" The girl asked as I sighed.
"He is giving you a way out," I said with razor-sharp annoyance. "I suggest you take it."
"O-of course your grace!" The Velaryon said quickly while nodding so hard that I was expecting her head to snap. "The drink, yes I drank too much!"
She repeated the words to herself again but the king was not quite done with the girl.
"Indeed, you did," Viserys said with a glare in his eyes. "You are invited to remain a guest of the court until your lady mother can be recalled. I do fear that it would perhaps be better that only she learns of the night's events, less your father engages in rash action."
Heh, it was amusing to see the owner of the world's strongest dragon be man-handled. Or it would have been if it had not nearly threatened my continued survival.
The threat was clear, if Corlys ever learned of this then he would try to avenge himself on Daemon, probably dying in the process.
"Of course, you grace! I thank you for the kind offer," she said hurriedly, beginning to fall to a knee but midway trying to change into an almost painful to see bow.
"Good!" Viserys said as his mood turned back to sunny with enough momentum that the entire room seemed caught off-guard. "Ser Fell, would you please take the Lady Velaryon back to her chambers?"
"Of course, your grace," The designated guard nodded as he followed the young Velaryon out of the room.
"Be sure that you stay outside of her room Ser Willas!" Mom shouted with simmering irritation as the doors closed.
Surprisingly Rhaenyra was not the next one on the chopping block.
The king finally looked over to me.
"You drugged Ser Bulwer," it was not a question.
I took a deep breath and forced myself to smile, "it seemed necessary."
"It seemed necessary," the King repeated. "It seemed necessary to drug your sworn shield."
"Ser Bulwer is a good if terse knight," I answered. It was not even a complete lie, even if the man irked me. He had at least proven reliable throughout the night's events. "He would have wanted to stop me or come."
"As he should have," Mother said with obvious annoyance.
"But I needed a dragon," I responded while looking down with a fond smile. "Now, I have her."
Viserys carefully brought a hand up to palm his face, "Why do you need a dragon lad?"
"Because no one will try to hurt me if I have a dragon," I answered simply.
A furrowed brow from the king and a questioning look from mother.
"But my dear, that's what Ser Bulwer is for," she explained with a sweet smile.
Alright, time to drop it. "Ser Bulwer protects me from people, Sky will protect me from dragons."
That got a moment of silence.
"Sky?" Viserys asked.
"I named her Clearsky," I answered and yet another round of pained faces. I was not good at names, sue me.
"It's a lovely name my dear," Mom said reassuringly, oh great.
You know you said something ridiculous when your own mother must reassure you.
"In any case," I stressed, trying to restore the impact of the moment. "Sky will keep me safe."
"Explain Gaemon," Viserys said slowly.
"Uncle Daemon scares me and in the dreams scary people with dragons kill people without dragons easily," I patted the little dragon. "If have a dragon, then I will be safe."
Surprisingly enough the Lord Hand snorted, "If nothing else he is practical, your grace."
"I am aware, Lord Strong," Viserys noted with some agitation. "Daemon, your uncle, would never try to harm you. He is a fool but that is a sight different from a kin-slayer."
"But once she can fly, I can fight!" I cracked a grin, "Or run away, smaller dragons are faster."
Viserys sighed.
"Very well, Rhaenyra!" He shouted and made Rhaenyra jump in place.
He is doing that a lot today. It almost seemed believable that he was the same man which had starred down the Black Dread as a boy of six.
"Y-yes father?" She asked.
"You are to instruct your brother."
"Yes father," she said without resistance.
"Good," Viserys said while scratching at his heavy red eyes. "Gaemon, I must speak to your sister alone. You may return to you chamber."
Really? That's it? Not even a slap on the wrist for almost getting myself killed?
"Of course, your grace," I stood up and bowed before wasting no time in getting the hell out of there.
As I made my way out of the room I overheard the beginning of another conversation that made me double my speed.
"Do you care to explain what exactly you were doing to Velaryon when you were found?" I did not need to know anything else.
What in the seven hells is wrong with these people?
…
As we walked to my chamber I was beginning to feel dead on my feet. I was as emotionally drained as I was physically drained.
"I lost control back there," I muttered.
My bull snorted as he walked in pace with the little she-dragon, "As you say."
"Not the time for lip," I muttered. Somehow, I had completely lost control of the day at some point. It had gone so freaking far sideways that I had lost all grips on what the hell had happened.
"You seem downtrodden for having succeeded in taming a dragon at such a young age," he observed.
"Tamed is a strong word," I shot back. "And I feel several centuries old right now."
"That would not be surprising," he observed again.
"Goodnight Ser Bulwer," I smiled at my hernia as I closed my door.
The shield nodded as he assumed his post next to my door, "Sleep well, you will need it."
As I was left in the relative peace of my room I let myself expel a long sigh before taking a deep breath.
Tonight, was meant to be a big success, instead it was a damned fine mess.
I chuckled, "Heh, that rhymed."
I did not make a lick of difference, everyone was still on the same route. If anything, the seeds for bitterness and resentment were even more thoroughly sowed than they were before.
Strangely enough I found it hard to care that much.
I was bone tired.
I was ready to sleep. Sleep for a long, long time.
Then I turned around to find that Sky has already coiled into a ball on my bed. Despite myself I smile.
"Fair enough," I mutter as I crawl onto what space is left and close my eyes.
Then I felt a thud as a Sky adjusted herself and laid her head on my chest.
"Greedy lizard," I muttered as I closed my eyes.
Fortunately, no dreams came that night.
The next day of course started off with Nessa trying to pry me away from a surprised dragon while Bulwer seemed quite content to watch the chaos.