Aemon Targaryen

-Chapter 103-

-POV Aemon Targaryen-

I could tell that Uncle Viserys was truly fed up with the quarrels between Alicent and Rhaenyra, but I didn't want to discuss it right then and there, as everyone could hear us, making it far from the ideal moment.

If my triple play were ever discovered by either Alicent or Rhaenyra, it would make me lose the advantage I have over them all and jeopardize my position.

'All the more reason to compartmentalize and keep playing the hypocrite with them all. Anyway, they're not the ones who really matter,' I thought as I settled at the table, occasionally responding to questions from those around me.

The minutes passed slowly as I listened to everyone recounting their lives at court over the past half-year, until I decided to bring up a matter I wanted to settle quickly, as I didn't want any disagreement when presenting it to the council.

Clearing my throat and wiping the corners of my mouth with a napkin, I said:

"Uncle, as you know, I'm now the father of a beautiful little boy, and as a prince of House Targaryen and Master of Dragons, I've decided to gift him a dragon egg. But I wanted to seek your approval so it would be officially recognized, as it is the birthright of every prince in our house."

"Certainly, but one question remains: will your son inherit your title of prince, or will he become the lord of House Royce?" asked Otto Hightower suddenly, catching me by surprise. I knew he could have raised this question at the small council, but here, we were at a family meal, and...

'He's not part of our family; he's only here out of courtesy for his rank and because of his daughter,' I thought, narrowing my eyes at the King's Hand I had appointed.

I smiled and replied to the powerful but aging man:

"What an absurd question! My son will be the lord of House Royce and keep his birth name. He will be the prince of Runestone, Viserys Targaryen, just like me."

"Your situation is somewhat unique, and you know it perfectly well," he said, insinuating that my descendants shouldn't be allowed to hold multiple titles as I currently do.

"And so will that of my son and his descendants, if necessary. But I will ensure that their birthright is granted to them and not questioned by any random person," I said, becoming more forceful so he'd understand that the discussion was over.

Unfortunately, he didn't seem inclined to stop and added:

"I don't doubt your good intentions, Prince Aemon, but… are you sure that all the members of House Royce wish to see a lineage with thousands of years of history, a house that has counted kings among its ancestry, become a cadet branch of the Crown?"

'He's spoken with a Royce,' I thought, finding Otto's remark too precise to be spontaneous.

"I'm discussing this with my uncle purely out of courtesy. I could have, like my father, claimed a dragon or an egg at my own discretion, but I didn't. Even though I could have exercised the authority he has granted me, I respect him enough to come speak with him, rather than his servant," I said, reminding them of the incident last year when Daemon came to Dragonstone to steal one of the eggs from Silverwing's latest clutch without even informing me beforehand.

"I hold no personal grievance against you, but as Hand of the King, I must provide our king with all the information he needs to make a sound decision," he replied.

I didn't fully understand his motives, but I wondered what he hoped to achieve, as it wasn't wise to make an enemy of me, considering the delicate position in which he and his entire family found themselves.

I gave a cold smile and said, "Your position doesn't protect you from the dragon's wrath; I hope you're aware of that?"

"Aemon," said Viserys, choosing this moment to intervene, sensing that I was starting to become irritated.

'But his lack of response also betrays his inner hesitation. My distance from the capital has eroded much of the influence I held over him at the end of the tournament,' I noted with frustration, as I'd already observed a certain distance between us during my last visit to the capital.

No doubt, I had created this rift due to the civil war in the Vale, likely awakening my uncle's analytical and critical mind.

But I didn't regret it, as my power had continued to grow over the past year.

'In terms of pure military strength, I surpass all the houses in the realm,' I thought, having continued to recruit soldiers, now numbering 12,000 infantry and 2,200 knights.

In any case, none of this mattered anymore, as Laena and I held the advantage in terms of dragons.

'Vhagar and Urrax are the two largest dragons in Westeros,' I thought, having had the chance to correct one of the great misconceptions I once believed due to the fear inspired by Dragonstone.

The Cannibal wasn't as large as Vhagar; it measured around 240 feet, smaller than Urrax today, but remained the fourth-largest dragon alive, just ahead of Silverwing.

Before we learned of Laena's pregnancy, we often trained in the skies, chasing and evading each other with our dragons, who had gradually grown accustomed to each other.

I now felt confident enough to face any dragonrider out there.

As I weighed my next steps, Rhaenyra declared:

"I agree with the Hand."

I raised an eyebrow in her direction, but she added:

"Scattering dragons among our vassals would be a bad idea unless we're certain that House Royce will return to a Royce, and that Prince Viserys will remain loyal to the Crown."

"What do you have in mind?" I asked, already understanding her little plan.

"We could betroth our heirs," she said, a small triumphant smile on her face, thinking she had me cornered.