Chapter 109: Chapter 109: The Succession Council
Time passed, and two months went by in a flash.
At the port of King's Landing, one ship after another arrived, carrying guests from distant lands. The influx of outsiders brought a bustling energy to the harbor, with merchants increasing in number each day.
At the gates of King's Landing, carriages entered the city in an orderly procession under the watchful guard of soldiers. Each carriage was intricately carved with emblems: roaring lions, direwolves, crescent eagles, and more.
After two months of preparation, nobles from across the continent had flocked to King's Landing to attend the King's much-publicized Succession Council.
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Within the Red Keep, servants bustled about, decorating the castle and preparing ingredients for the grand banquet.
As Queen, Alicent was fully responsible for all these affairs.
During this period, she had become the busiest person in all of King's Landing. No one else came close.
After finalizing the selection of jesters for the banquet's entertainment, Alicent wiped the sweat from her brow and summoned a cleaning maid, urgently asking, "Where is Rhaenyra? Tell her to come help me. I can't handle all this alone."
Her husband was utterly hands-off, only making decisions about what should be done and never bothering to check whether she was managing.
She desperately needed someone to share the burden.
The maid kept her head down, murmuring timidly, "The Princess has gone to the Dragonpit. She said she was looking for the Prince."
"Seven hells!" Alicent exclaimed, on the verge of breaking down, her chest heaving with frustration. "In this massive Red Keep, is there no one to lend me a hand?"
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Meanwhile, at the Dragonpit, Rhaenyra ascended the stairs slowly, heading toward the open platform at the top.
She was well aware of the chaos in the Red Keep.
But what did that have to do with her?
She was the deposed princess, stripped of her claim to the throne. Was she expected to help organize a banquet for the Succession Council that would finalize her replacement?
The very thought felt cruel.
So, Queen Alicent would have to bear the brunt alone.
Reaching the empty platform, Rhaenyra immediately spotted a familiar figure.
"Rhaegar! I knew you'd be here," she called out, delighted.
Hearing her voice, Rhaegar turned around, sighing. "I only have two places I go. If I'm not at the Red Keep, I'm here."
Rhaenyra strode over quickly, tugging on her younger brother's ear. "You spend more than half the month at the Dragonpit. Have you decided to make this your home?"
Rhaegar winced in pain, scrunching up his face. "Soon, the entire continent will be mine. What difference does it make where I settle down?"
"Stop talking nonsense!" Rhaenyra snapped, her grip tightening. "Father still has decades to live. You're not running wild anytime soon."
Rhaegar offered no resistance, closing his eyes and enduring her scolding.
Seeing his lack of reaction, Rhaenyra's heart clenched, and her frustration surged.
Releasing him, she placed her hands on his shoulders and said earnestly, "Rhaegar, the Succession Council is the day after tomorrow. You need to pull yourself together."
"I know. I don't need you to remind me," Rhaegar replied nonchalantly, a faint smile on his lips.
Rhaenyra knelt down to look him in the eyes. "I've never blamed you. Please don't act like this, Rhaegar," she said, her voice tinged with sadness.
Since their return to King's Landing, the siblings had barely seen each other.
Rhaenyra knew this was because Rhaegar had been deliberately avoiding her, even moving into the Dragonpit to stay away.
She had already lost her position as heir and didn't want to lose her only full-blooded brother too.
"I'm fine, Rhaenyra," Rhaegar sighed, his voice low. "I've been studying dragon behavior and planning to redesign the Dragonpit."
He wasn't lying.
The Dragonpit served as the dragons' dwelling.
As a member of the family that had conquered the continent with dragons, Rhaegar had been comparing the current Dragonpit with the legendary ones from the Freehold era.
Rhaenyra cupped his face and asked, "Have you learned anything from your observations?"
"Not much yet. The Dragonpit is too crude, far from what I envisioned," Rhaegar admitted, shaking his head.
In Old Valyria, the dragonlords lived among the fiery peaks of the Fourteen Flames, a volcanic region filled with natural caves that served as ideal dragon lairs.
The dragonlords shared this divine gift from the heavens, raising their dragons in those volcanic sanctuaries.
In contrast, the Dragonpit in King's Landing was merely a massive domed structure riddled with tunnels. It lacked spaciousness, wide entrances, and the high temperatures essential for dragons to thrive.
Watching her brother's serious expression, Rhaenyra couldn't help but sigh deeply.
The thing she had dreaded most had already come to pass.
Rhaegar avoided her, no longer the kind and warm person he used to be.
Rhaenyra wrapped her arms around Rhaegar's shoulders, pulling him into an embrace. She kissed the hollow of his neck and said sorrowfully, "Rhaegar, I'm the one being rejected. You shouldn't distance yourself from me."
"This is truly cruel to me."
Hearing her words, Rhaegar froze for a moment. He turned his head to look at the stone walls, unsure how to respond.
He wasn't intentionally avoiding Rhaenyra—he simply didn't know how to face her.
Just like now, he didn't know what to say.
After a long silence, the sound of soft sobs reached Rhaegar's ears.
Rhaegar turned back.
Tears streaked down Rhaenyra's cheeks as she pulled a gold coin from her pocket.
She held the coin out in front of him, her voice choked with emotion. "Should I make a wish?"
Rhaegar stared at the coin in a daze.
After a long pause, he wrapped his arms around Rhaenyra's neck and said softly, "No, I've thought it through."
Rhaenyra hugged him back, warning him gently, "You are the anchor Mother left for me. No matter what happens, you must never run from me."
"You will be the Crown Prince. Your every word and action represents the royal family."
Rhaegar buried his face in Rhaenyra's hair and replied, "I understand. I am the flame that everyone must look up to."
He accepted his identity as the Crown Prince and was determined to rise to the challenge.
…
Two days later, in the morning.
The council to confirm the Crown Prince was held as scheduled. The gates of the Red Keep were flung open, and the participating nobles streamed in one by one.
Leading the procession were the lords of the great houses from across the realm.
Their clothing bore the crests of their respective families.
Following behind them were nobles from various regions, standing in support of their dukes.
Guided by the Kingsguard, the nobles didn't enter the castle's main hall but instead were led to the expansive rear gardens of the castle.
There, a large training ground, a pavilion, a pool, and a weirwood tree awaited them.
By the time the nobles arrived, King Viserys and Queen Alicent had already been waiting for quite some time.
The two stood hand in hand inside a pavilion, accompanied by Aegon, Helaena, and little Aemond, who was in a maid's arms.
"Your Majesty, Your Grace…"
Upon seeing the King and Queen, the nobles bowed respectfully. The scene was grand and solemn.
Many of these nobles hailed from the North, the West, and the Vale—regions far from King's Landing, often with perilous roads.
Traveling to arrive within just two months had been an arduous journey for them.
Viserys scanned the assembled vassals, a sense of pride welling up inside him. He glanced at his wife beside him, then spoke in a loud, commanding voice:
"Lords and Ladies, I thank you for enduring the hardships of your journey. It is an honor to see you all here today, and I extend my deepest gratitude and blessings!"
"Today marks a significant moment for the Targaryen dynasty—one that you will bear witness to personally."
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(End of Chapter)