If you want to support me, check out my patréon at https://www.patréon.com/athassprkr
I tend to upload drafts of early chapters on there to get people's opinions on them, so you can read up to 20 chapters ahead as a bonus.
[---]
123 AC, King's Landing
Viserys Targaryen stood in his solar in silence. He had barely spoken a word since the attack had ended. He looked at his model of Old Valyria, one that he had spent decades planning and carving, before the gods had cursed him with a slow, withering death. It looked so meaningless now, an old reminder of an old age, that mattered very little compared to the hardships of ruling the Seven Kingdoms.
He looked away from it and turned to the window in silence, a small habit from his younger years as King, one that disease had deprived him of. He often liked to look up at the air and imagine his grandfather, King Jaehaerys the Conciliator, staring down at him. He spoke to him, not expecting any response, but in the hope that the gods would find a fraction of his predecessor's wisdom.
And so, Viserys stared in silence, and then spoke up, "A thousand times I've imagined this moment, but never like this. All I ever wanted was to save the realm from my mistakes, from my blindness. Did it have to be like this, end like this?"
Despite himself, the King of the Seven Kingdoms poured himself a goblet of wine that he drank heavily, "Would you have done the same, I wonder? But I suppose you understood it too, once. Is there anything so undoing as a daughter?"
The Conciliator certainly had his issues when it came to his daughters, especially Saera, and yet that did not bring Viserys the comfort that he sought. After all, even Saera Targaryen had not been seen having killed the Queen's father and attempting to kill her own sister with madness in her eyes.
The thought of Otto's death sent a pang through his heart. His former Hand had been a great friend and wise advisor since before he became King. He had guided him through Daemon's troubles, through Aemma's death, and had returned to the Capital after Lyonel Strong's death in Harrenhal. They were family, through his marriage to Alicent, and the idea that Viserys's own blood had taken his life sickened him.
Rhaenyra had done her best to ruin any sort of reputation she had in the Seven Kingdoms, starting from her eldest children's parentage to outright treason to the Iron Throne. The only comfort he had was the letters that were found in Otto Hightower's room, ones addressed to the world, with a warning regarding the Red Priests who were scheming to influence the Crown.
Otto claimed that he had been investigating one of them, Melisandre, on suspicion that she had been an instigator in the riots against the Faith in Oldtown, a movement which had spread across the Seven Kingdoms. He had not expected her to be a witch, and she had put him under some sort of spell, to be brought to the Capital, with the aims to do the same to Rhaenyra. The letter clearly stated that to be careful around Rhaenyra and himself, since he did not know how long he would remain under their spell, followed by a warning to slay any Red Priest or Priestess that they could find around them, and not trust their words.
Viserys had privately imagined that Otto had hoped that the letter would make its way to him, that it was a warning, that even when he had been all but banished from the Capital, it was a show of loyalty beyond what most imagined. It was also the only chance to save his daughter.
The fact that this letter was found by the Kingsguard and brought to him in the middle of the Throne Room lent credence to its existence in the Seven Kingdoms, including the former Hand's seal and handwriting. He had a mind to raise Ser Steffon Darklyn as the new Lord Commander of the Kingsguard after Ser Criston's cowardly acts.
Viserys snarled at the thought of that coward, who had fled and hid away, while his three and ten nameday old son, who also had a single eye, had chosen to fight. For Viserys to have named a craven as Lord Commander of the Kingsguard… Was there anything that he had done correctly in his reign?
Examples would have to be made… Viserys would not allow the order to be tarnished under his rule. He also had to deal with the fact that his family's dragons had almost fallen to foreign sorcerers and that it had House Stark, of all people, who publicly saved them, as well as the Court, from that shadow beast.
House Targaryen was now more vulnerable than it ever was, and there, Viserys was now scrambling, trying to figure out what to do, while carefully ensuring that his daughter wouldn't be killed by an enraged mob of Smallfolk and Nobles alike, and restore order in the Seven Kingdoms.
He could not contain the rage inside him any longer, and he yelled, toppling over many of his models in his rage. Finally, a voice spoke up behind him, "I suppose I understand why you would feel frustrated."
Viserys turned, his face red, and glared at the source of the voice, of Harry Potter, "You! Where have you been? How could you have allowed this to happen?"
Unsurprisingly, the sorcerer was not in any way afraid of the enraged king. Instead, he simply raised a judgmental eyebrow, like a parent scolding a child, which both enraged Viserys further, but also reminded him who exactly he had been insulting.
He took a deep breath, "I apologise. This has been a… trying day."
"Don't worry. I can't imagine the stress you're under," the sorcerer answered calmly, "But it is your responsibility, not mine, to secure the safety of the Seven Kingdoms. Even then, let us say that there were many… layers to this attack, some of whom Daphne and I have had to deal with. There is a reason why the fatalities are so low, and even now, my wife is still discreetly healing the injured across the city."
Viserys took a deep breath. He could not deny the truth of these words. After the chaos had been reigned in, he had asked Daemon to temporarily take up his position as Commander of the City Watch, to apprise him of the situation, and to his surprise, the fatalities were extremely low. Furthermore, there had not been a single death with noble blood aside from Otto. It seemed that most guards were able to repel the attacking beasts, who had been far weaker than the creature that was in the Throne Room.
He'd thought it to be an act from the gods, but the Potters' involvement was more likely than any sort of divine help. Even Cregan Stark, who had arrived just in time to stop the Shadowbinders, was sent from the Potters' behest, and if it weren't for the situation that he was in, he would have loved to speak with the young lord who had fulfilled the Conqueror's prophecy and defeated the darkness beyond the Wall.
Whatever doubts he had about the young man's supposed feats were gone by the display of his might in the Throne Room. Cregan Stark had come in their hour of need with his glowing sword, moving like a legend from the Age of Heroes. He was sure that many eyes would be looking North in the coming years.
And yet, as grateful as he was, Viserys had a single question: "Could you have stopped Rhaenyra from falling under the spell of those witches?"
Harry took a deep breath as if he was debating something, "Otto Hightower's letter was a fake, Viserys."
The king stiffened at that, "What?"
"I forged it myself and put it with Otto's things for your men to find."
"But… Why?" Viserys asked despite knowing the answer. After all, this letter had helped him immensely, and knowledge of it was spread out. It allowed him to save what little remained of Rhaenyra's honour and stopped his wrathful lords from mindlessly attacking her and labelling her a traitor.
The king swallowed for a moment before continuing, "Did Rhaenyra… Did she truly…"
He could not finish the question, but it seemed that the sorcerer understood his query nonetheless: "Otto Hightower was tricked, yes. He sought a magical ally, given the growing resurgence of magic since the Second Doom of Valyria and now, the Others' death, and thought that the Red Faith might be amenable. Rhaenyra… Your daughter was not in her right mind, in the end, having become a champion of a volatile god. However, she made that choice of her own free will."
Finally, the man finished his sentence, and Viserys found himself utterly speechless before the man and simply stated, "Thank you!"
Despite how thankful he was for the act, Viserys didn't feel particularly enthused. He still had much to do, and he was holding court soon, which would likely not end well. He simply sat in silence, which the sorcerer eventually broke, "You know, there is a silver lining here…"
Viserys was too tired to be angry about it, though he spoke bitterly, "What could that possibly be? For the first time since its founding, King's Landing was attacked. My wife's father, my former Hand, my friend, is dead by my daughter's hands, a daughter who happens to be my heir, who also tried to kill her younger sister before half of the realm. House Targaryen's supremacy was challenged in a way that had never been done before, and hundreds have died at the hands of monsters that roamed by Capital."
The sorcerer shrugged in response, "All good things, of course. However, you might think of it as introducing your people to the dangers of magic, magic that had been getting stronger and spreading across the Narrow Sea. You defeated these Shadowbinders using your dragons, your martial prowess, and magic born in Westeros, in the form of Cregan. Mind you, that sort of magic has been growing across the Seven Kingdoms from the moment the Others fell, and the Wall's purpose was finally complete. This attack was bad, but if you play your cards right, you would be able to avoid a potential hunt for potential mages, and maybe even strengthen Westeros beyond the reign of any of your ancestors."
He… He had not thought of it like this. Viserys supposed that the man had a point. If it weren't for his daughter's… foolishness, he would have been perfectly happy with this scheme.
Then the sorcerer finished by saying this, "And in my opinion, this was also the wake-up call you needed to realise that maybe chaining your dragons down in a single place was probably a bad idea, huh?"
Despite himself, Viserys snorted in amusement, though it was tainted with bitterness, given the fact that he knew that he had come very close to losing his family's greatest strength and legacy. He turned to say something, only to realise that he was alone in his solar.
Perhaps Potter felt that he did not need to. In a way, despite the mess, Viserys had now found a way to salvage something from this disaster. It was not long until he had made his way back to the Throne Room and sat on the Iron Throne, seeing the delegations all waiting for him to address what had happened under his own roof.
He turned towards his family and saw Alicent looking utterly devastated by her father's death, though that did not detract from her beauty. She hadn't cried, not in front of the court, but he could see her fingers tremble even now.
Their children, however, did not seem quite as affected. Aemond was almost preening, though he was right to, given what he had accomplished before the realm. Aegon did not seem to care overly much, mostly focusing on looking at Helaena every few seconds, as if he thought that she would disappear. The girl, herself, had the exact same dreamy look on her face, as if nothing had happened at all.
Of his children, only Daeron, his youngest, seemed the most affected, likely having spent more time with Otto back in the Citadel. The boy had performed remarkably. According to Alicent, he had been the one who killed the witch, Melisandre, having found a Valyrian Steel dagger somehow. On the other side, Rhaenyra's children looked devastated, though thankfully, Rhaenyra, Corlys, and Daemon had gone there to comfort them.
Viserys started by speaking up, "Today… Today was a trying day for all of us. Today, the delegation of Asshai broke Guest Right and attacked our great city. They created wretched beasts to distract us, hoping to slay our dragons, to destroy the legacy of Old Valyria. And yet, despite their traitorous ways, we emerged victorious, our dragons just as powerful, and our strength intact. We defeated these wretched creatures, the last Shadowbinders of Asshai, ending the last remnants of a cursed city on another continent. This was a great victory, and like all great victories, there are those whose deeds must be honoured."
Excited whispers spread across the throne room, which he silenced by raising his hand. He turned towards his second-born son and spoke up, "Prince Aemond."
The boy walked forward proudly, though there was a flicker of surprise in his lone eye. Viserys gave him a proud smile and spoke up, "Many have seen your courage in this very room, as you braved dangers that made most knights cower. You have freed our dragons and struck a blow against the Shadowbinders who attacked our home. These were not the actions of a boy or a squire. And so… I ask that you kneel."
Aemond's eyes widened in shock, and he did just that. Viserys turned to his closest Kingsguard, Ser Steffon Darklyn, and gave him a nod. The knight complied and put his sword to his son's neck, "In the name of the Warrior, I charge you to be brave. In the name of the Father, I charge you to be just. In the name of the Mother, I charge you to defend the innocent. Arise, Aemond Targaryen, a knight of the Seven Kingdoms."
The entire room burst into applause, as Aemond shakenly stood up, looking prouder than he ever had before. After all, at three and ten namedays, the boy was likely the youngest knight in the history of the Seven Kingdoms, a legacy that would likely remain in the history books for some time, especially given the feats that he had faced. Aemond quickly walked back impassively to stand next to his siblings, though he stood straighter than he had before.
Viserys then raised his hand, and the crowd turned silent once more, "Lord Cregan Stark."
The stoic young lord walked alongside his white Direwolf in silence, allowing Viserys to continue, "Lord Cregan, you came to us in our greatest need, performed feats worthy of song. You have shown us the might of the magics of the First Men, and helped save the dragons of House Targaryen from destruction, and for that, the Crown owes you a great debt indeed."
The crown murmured, and he continued, "The Queen's Gift, granted long ago to the Night's Watch, no longer serves the purpose it once did. You have returned the North's oath to the realm twice over. Therefore, in recognition of your service and your lineage, I restore the Queen's Gift to you and to House Stark. Do with it as you will."
Cregan bowed his head and simply said, "Your Grace."
Viserys inclined his head in return. "Your aid shall not be forgotten, Lord Cregan."
Finally, the King finished, "Alas, victory often bears a high cost indeed, and on this day, we have tragically lost Otto Hightower, my Hand, my advisor, my goodfather… my friend. A man who gave his life defending the Queen… and this realm. Let it be known that Westeros stands today because of his sacrifice."
Alicent bowed her head, trembling, but Viserys took a deep breath and continued, "It is why I must call upon Rhaenyra Targaryen to come forth."
A ripple passed through the hall, and the doors of the throne room opened, revealing Rhaenyra walking towards him in silence. She looked haggard, her face pale, her hair dishevelled, and her eyes darkened. She did not raise her head at the insults hurled at her, just looking at the floor.
The sight of Aemma's daughter made Viserys want to walk down from his throne and embrace her in his arms, to comfort her. Alas, he was also king, and he needed to continue, "Rhaenyra Targaryen, you stand accused of the murder of Otto Hightower and the attempted murder of Helaena Targaryen. You are accused of treason and colluding with foreign priests, and yet, while there is proof and eyewitnesses of your actions, some newfound evidence revealed itself, evidence that I would have considered had it not originated from Otto Hightower, himself."
Rhaenyra suddenly looked up, her eyes filled with such naked hope that he continued, "The late Lord Otto sent a letter, a warning, that a witch hoped to put you under some sort of spell, a witch that, according to Alicent, perished by his and that of my youngest son, Daeron's, hands. If there is something that we have learned from this, it is that magic is an unpredictable force."
He could almost hear the outrage spread across the room, likely thinking that he would forgive Rhaenyra for her actions. Viserys raised his hand and yelled out, "I will have silence!"
The entire room stopped, and he continued, "Unfortunately, I cannot trust a single letter from a dead man, as trustworthy as he was, especially given that the crime was murder and treason against the crown. For that, you must bear the consequences of your actions. You are henceforth banished to Dragonstone. Your mount, Syrax, shall remain here, in the Dragonpit, for the duration of your banishment. And…"
The king hesitated before saying it, before uttering the words that he knew he could not take back, "And I cannot, in good conscience, make the Seven Kingdoms follow a Queen that betrayed them, willingly or not. From this day forth, you, Rhaenyra Targaryen, are no longer my heir."
Rhaenyra's eyes widened in shock, with tears starting to gather in them, and Viserys heard gasps across the entire room. People yelled, some in anger, some celebrating. It was no secret that the realm was divided, and this alone was proof of it. Many would have bet much on Rhaenyra being Queen, and others, likely not.
And yet, Viserys was mostly focused on his daughter, on the hurt she felt, but his decision was final. Rhaenyra had proven herself again and again that she would not make a great Queen. Nevertheless, he felt an aggravation rise within him at his subject's reactions.
He looked through his bond with Vermithor, and the great dragon roared loudly enough that it pierced through the noise, rendering the Throne Room silent once more.
Viserys stood up and continued, looking at his lords directly, "Given recent events, I have decided that my succession can no longer be in doubt, and I will not suffer divided loyalties on the matter any longer."
His gaze swept across the gathered lords and ladies, their faces tense, likely anticipating that he would name his eldest son, Aegon, as his heir. He looked at Daemon's furious face, the devastated faces of his grandchildren, and finally spoke up, "Therefore, in accordance with the precedence set by King Jaehaerys the Conciliator himself, I hereby call for a Great Council."
The hall froze as everyone registered what he had said, and pandemonium quickly followed.
[---]
AN: Finally. I've been planning this chapter for a while. A part of me thinks that Rhaenyra's punishment was too light, but there's also Viserys's love for her to count, so I guess it evens things out a bit. There will be other rewards given privately (I mostly chose Aemond and Cregan because they were the most impactful, and I didn't want to drag the chapter too much).
Some of you probably know where I'm heading with the Great Council, but I honestly think at this point, it's the easiest way to defuse the bomb that is Westerosi politics before the Dance of the Dragons. As usual, please let me know what you think and if you have any suggestions.
[---]
If you want to support me, check out my patréon at https://www.patréon.com/athassprkr
I tend to upload drafts of early chapters on there to get people's opinions on them, so you can read up to 20 chapters ahead as a bonus.
Thank you guys for your support in these hard times.