Chapter 112
-POV Viserys Targaryen-
"Congratulations, Prince Viserys, Lord of Riverrun and Protector of the Trident," Bronn said in a half-mocking tone.
I nodded absently, accustomed to his tone after so much time spent in his company, and then I said to the new lord of Stokeworth: "Are you enjoying yourself?"
"Somewhat," he said, drinking directly from the wine jar on the table to his right without even a hint of shame for his blatant lack of decorum.
I shook my head and he belched loudly, I was sure he did it just to make me even more uncomfortable, so I said nothing and ignored him.
He had repeated enough times that I had no power in the castle, and I wasn't going to reprimand him for something so trivial knowing he was Aegon's former cutthroat.
"You don't seem very happy even though the king is honoring you with a fief and a title," said Bronn, casually, a look he always took when he tried to probe my mind.
"About a fief that has lost almost all its fertile lands or a meaningless title that offers me no real advantage apart from being able to start a family that will be loyal to the head of this house," I said, drinking wine to ease the bitterness I felt over the loss of my dream.
"You know, not so long ago, I met your nephew who, by the grace of the seven, has become our king..."
'As if you could believe in anything other than gold,' I thought to myself.
"I know you don't believe I could trust anything other than gold and you're wrong, because as soon as I saw your brother, I knew he was different from the others..."
I rolled my eyes, not believing him, and he shrugged while continuing to say:
"...Not because he can remove a person's spine without touching them, no, I believed in him simply because he knew what he would become, he always aimed to reclaim his throne from the hands of the Baratheons and all the other illegitimate houses that would claim it, and that's what I like."
"And what? You wouldn't have betrayed him without his magical power?" I said, a bit bitter about his luck in being able to perform magic.
"I'm not saying I wouldn't have betrayed him without his miraculous abilities, but what I'm trying to tell you is that a person like him appears once every millennia."
"What exactly are you trying to say to me? Don't mince words with me, you've never done it before, don't start now," I said, irritated by all the praise he was giving to Aegon.
He smiled, emptied his cup, and then changed expression in a fraction of a second, he looked at me and approached me then said in a tone that chilled me: "I like you, Viserys, you're a good guy despite your somewhat princessy side, but I'll be very clear with you, if you ever decide to be stubborn, no one can do anything for you and it might even be that I'm ordered to kill you."
"Is that a threat, you dare..." I started before being interrupted by Bronn.
He said: "It's just advice and simply because I know what the king saw in you, don't disappoint him, that's my advice for you, Viserys."
"You say that as if your surveillance mission was over," I said sarcastically.
"It's over," said Bronn, surprising me because it meant that I was officially no longer a threat in Aegon's eyes.
'And also that at the first mistake, my head would fly like the others, but I don't have to worry as long as I am a dragon rider, I will always have an incomparable value,' I thought while watching Viserion fly in the sky.
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-POV Margaery Tyrell-
I watched the king talk in turn with all the lords present at this celebration, one after another, choosing the appropriate moment to go talk to him, but as I was about to take a step in his direction, I felt a hand gently grab my shoulder. I stopped and turned in the direction of the intruder, eager to know who had been so familiar with me. "The king does not appreciate being disturbed in public," she said.
I smiled and then I said: "And how would you know, Lady Cersei?"
"Lady Cersei Lannister, Regent of Casterly Rock," she said, emphasizing the new title she had surely won through great efforts in the king's private quarters.
"Congratulations on your new title, Lady Cersei, it's an unexpected appointment for a lady of your condition," I said.
She smiled softly, although I could grasp the fractures in her mask, and then she said:
"We could ally given the common goal we share."
"And what is this goal?" I said, pretending not to understand.
She smiled and then she lifted her chin to signal me to look in the opposite direction, where, in a magnificent dress with a tiara on her head, the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms and Heir Princess of Dorne was facing us.
I smiled and then I said: "I don't see what you're talking about."
She raised her eyebrows and then said before walking away: "I hope you realize it would be better for you to have me as a friend rather than an enemy."
'Bitch'
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-POV Arianne Martell-
Seeing all the nobles of the court gathered in one place to celebrate our victory strangely brought me no pleasure because I felt the gaze of Cersei, Margaery, and all the young noblewomen of the realm on me, waiting for me to make a mistake to precipitate my fall and become Queen of the Seven Kingdoms in my place.
I placed a hand on my stomach and smiled inwardly: 'Whatever happens, I'll remain queen at least until the birth of my son.'
Since our marriage, I had come to know Aegon, and if there was one thing I was sure of, it was that he placed great importance on friendship and family.
'Otherwise, why would he have spared that idiot?' I thought, looking at the ambitious and incapable Prince of the Trident, drowning his sorrow in drink over the loss of his title as Prince Heir.
"My dear," Aegon said with a big smile, placing one hand on my stomach and one behind my back.
I returned the smile, which did not reach my eyes, and then I replied: "Dear husband."
He turned to Lord Paxter Redwyne, with whom he was in deep conversation, and then he said:
"As I was saying, I imagine House Martell will be happy to get involved in this project we have in common because we could double or even triple our investment in just a few months, but I cannot speak on her behalf, only my wife can."
"What project is it about?"
Lord Paxter turned to Aegon, asking for his approval, which slightly annoyed me because I am the queen, but I let nothing show, and once Aegon nodded, giving him his approval, the head of House Redwyne began to explain the enterprise: "Given that the crown has managed to find a way to create refined sugar in such a large quantity..."
'What is this old bald man talking about,' I thought, not understanding what he was talking about.
"...House Redwyne offers its services to transport the entire stock of the crown to our trading partners in Essos, which you will obviously approve."
I ignored the fact that my husband had kept me away from this 'refined sugar' project and asked: "How could House Martell be useful to you given that my husband has the product and you have the ships? I don't really understand what you expect from my father."
"We need to be able to store the sugar, and for now, the Stepstones are not safe enough and do not have such infrastructure," said Aegon.
I nodded, understanding that Aegon was simply looking to save time and the limited resources of his merchant fleet.
I thought for a moment and then after a few seconds, I said: "I'll talk to my father."
Both appeared disappointed by this answer, and then I left, claiming an emergency while wondering what I could possibly gain in return for this service that could solidify my position as queen.