Author's Note: Of course there are a lot of changes in this story.
Rhaenyra and Aegon are 8 years apart (book canon). Aegon is pushing 14, Rhaenyra is 22.
Balerion is still (barely) alive. But he's important.
Ser Otto placed the pitcher of expensive wine carefully onto a silver serving tray. Arbor gold, the most finest (and expensive) wine known to the Realm. He had paid generously for it and was more than a little excited when it'd finally been delivered to his chambers that morning. But the priceless treat wasn't for him, nor were the plate of cakes and sweets that sat beside it. He had a careful plan concocted in his mind, one that he wasn't unfamiliar with.
He had performed a similar ritual years ago when his daughter Alicent was still a young maiden and devoted most of her evenings to keeping the freshly-widowed King company.
Otto never expected to be given such an opportunity like this again. His hopes for tightening his family's bond with the Targaryens and advancing his bloodline were originally lost when the King's heir was wed to the son of the Sea Snake.
Ever since then he'd been plotting to install his grandson on the throne. The scheme was of course much easier said than done, and he'd been working hard for years to garner an alliance for Aegon. After all, what was the purpose of his daughter's fertility if the throne was to pass over the King's firstborn son? Over all of the King's sons...
Gods work in mysterious ways.
He was pleased to receive many whispers of Ser Laenor whoring himself out to the handsome sailors and blacksmiths around King's Landing. Many weren't shy about boasting. Certainly unacceptable behavior that was unbecoming of a man who would be the Realm's future King consort.
But he need not inform the King about this. Viserys himself caught wind of the Prince consort's most recent disgusting behavior in a tavern. It was too much, even for the King's lenient standards. Mayhaps the King was already in a bad mood that day, for he was quick to order the annulment of his daughter's marriage to Laenor, saving the pride and dignity of his Targaryen family. It was an easy choice, as the former Prince consort never gave Rhaenyra children. Otto was quite certain that the two never even consummated their marriage.
This only made it easier for the Hand to offer his personal thoughts to King Viserys.
"Your daughter is to be the Queen. She deserves a real husband. A match that is much closer to home. One that can be trusted." he had casually suggested only days ago.
Viserys needn't ask what he meant. The offer wasn't anything new and had been proposed years back when he was finally blessed with a son.
Otto left it at this and went to work on his new plan. And it was nearly complete. All he needed to do now was locate his eldest grandson.
But his own wonders were answered when the Prince Aegon's angry bickering spilled obnoxiously into the hallways outside. Otto took in a single long breath through his nostrils and released it in hot air.