Maris hastily apologized, "We let our curiosity get the better of us. I'm really sorry."
Rhaegar looked at her, then at Helaena, who seemed lost in her own world, and couldn't help but feel despondent about Alicent. After a moment of thought, he said seriously, "You need to keep this a secret. Can you do that?"
"Of course," Maris agreed immediately.
Helaena: ...
Rhaegar looked at the seemingly shrewd Maris and said quietly, "Aemond is engaged to your sister, but they don't seem to get along very well, do they?"
Maris, choosing her words carefully, replied, "Prince Aemond is a proud dragon rider, and my sister is just a simple maiden."
"They're just betrothed, and there are still some lords with bastards sniffing around," Rhaegar remarked, emphasizing the word "bastards."
"Those lords are just vultures who want a taste of the flesh and blood of House Baratheon," Maris muttered indignantly. "Prince Aemond said he didn't care about the threats from these lords and bastards, and he's right."
Rhaegar sensed there was more to it and continued, "Cassandra inherited Storm's End. You might want to help ease her relationship with Aemond."
He wanted to see what the wisest of the Four Storms had to say. Cassandra had inherited Storm's End Castle as the eldest daughter, and Maris was only one step away from becoming a lady.
"Prince, don't you think..." Maris hesitated, her black eyes darting nervously. Finally, she lowered her head and whispered, "Prince Aemond and my sister might not be a good match?"
Rhaegar remained calm outwardly, but smiled inwardly. The young girl's insight was extraordinary.
If Aemond and Cassandra's marriage was not harmonious, the royal family would not jeopardize the benefits. Rather, Rhaegar would be the beneficiary. If their relationship soured to the point of enmity, like Daemon and the late Lady Rhea, Rhaegar could adopt and personally raise the Lord of Storm's End.
But such thoughts could not be discussed openly. After a moment of reflection, Rhaegar said sternly, "Lady Maris, I hope the marriage between your family and mine goes well, and I believe you will be a loyal supporter of the royal family."
"Yes, Prince," Maris nodded, her eyes averted. She wondered if the Prince wanted her to be an obstacle or a replacement in the marriage.
Rhaegar refrained from further explanation and motioned for Grey Worm to escort her away. No matter how she interpreted it, as long as the seed of doubt about Cassandra was planted in her heart, she would be a thorn in Storm's End's side.
Once the outsiders were gone, Rhaegar pulled the bewildered Helaena closer and pinched her rosy cheeks.
"Even if you eavesdrop yourself, how dare you bring outsiders to listen?" he scolded, though there was a hint of amusement in his voice. "You've certainly grown bold."
"Ow!"
The pain brought Helaena to her senses. Her bright purple eyes filled with pleading as she stuttered and struggled. After a moment, Rhaegar let go, feeling a bit remorseful.
Helaena covered her stinging face and pulled back, tears welling in her eyes. "It hurts!"
Rhaegar leaned against the pavilion pillar and asked directly, "Have you ridden Dreamfyre lately to do something you shouldn't?"
Helaena's face stiffened. She glanced at her brother and replied hesitantly, "No... no, I haven't."
Her guilty look and uncertain tone betrayed her words.
Rhaegar's frown deepened and his voice grew stern. "Tell me the truth."
Helaena's face turned pale, and she spoke with a tremor, "Yes, I did."
Seeing her fear, Rhaegar's eyes softened. He gently stroked Helaena's head and whispered, "Don't be afraid. If you tell me honestly, no one will blame you."
Helaena nodded repeatedly and began her confession.
During the Larys incident, Helaena had used Dreamfyre to burn the night watchman and prisoners to death. Dreamfyre, being an adult dragon, had unleashed a devastating fire. The person who prompted Helaena to act was her mother, Alicent.
One night, Alicent had confided in Helaena, explaining that Larys knew too many secrets and couldn't be left alive. Unable to resist her mother's pleas, Helaena agreed. Alicent instructed her to act as soon as the prison wagon reached the Goldroad, fearing someone else might rescue Larys first.
As Helaena spoke, Rhaegar's mind raced with thoughts. Based on Larys' confession, it was clear that Otto and Alicent had premeditated the rescue, with Ormund Hightower executing it.
Helaena's words suggested that Alicent had changed her mind and decided to eliminate Larys entirely, fitting her anxious and suspicious nature. Given that Aemond was already engaged toCassandra at the time, Larys was safer dead than alive.
Helaena and Dreamfyre's involvementcorroborated Larys' account, making it likely that Aemond and the Sheepstealer rescued Larys afterward and turned him over to Ormund Hightower. However, since Helena had acted first and Aemond appeared later, someone else must have rescued Larys first.
Rhaegar's head spun at the possibilities. Could a third dragon have been involved?
"Brother, that's all I know," Helaena said timidly, her eyes pleading for understanding. "I wasn't lying."
Rhaegar frowned and pinched her cheeks hard. "Next time, think before you act. You risked burning the whole wagon full of prisoners, and I had to take the blame."
He realized that neither Alicent, Otto, nor Ormund cared about the aftermath of their actions, expecting him to bear the consequences.
"I'm sorry, brother," Helaena whispered, her cheeks red from his grip and tears in her eyes. "Mother insisted I do it. I couldn't sleep for several nights afterward without Dreamfyre."
Rhaegar could not bring himself to punish Helaena. He raised his hand to pull her into a comforting embrace, but hesitated. Instead, he gently stroked her long hair and said softly, "You should not interfere in adult matters unless you are mature enough to understand them."
Helaena, seeking comfort, jumped into his arms and murmured, "Mother needed me. For the first time, she held me with such an expectant look, and then she fell asleep."
Rhaegar felt a twinge of uncertainty. He could not fully comprehend the maternal bond because he had never experienced it himself. He thought of Rhaenyra, who had always played a motherly role for him.
A sudden, unpleasant raven interrupted the moment.
Rhaegar snapped out of his thoughts to see a familiar raven land on a nearby willow. He patted Helaena's back, trying to be gentle. "Just be more careful next time."
Helaena shook her head and whispered, "There won't be a next time."
"Don't cry. Go and play," Rhaegar said, fully embracing his role as her older brother.
Helaena looked up with teary eyes and said, "I can ride Dreamfyre to help you."
"What?" Rhaegar didn't understand what she meant.
Helaena cupped his cheeks with her small hands and kissed him on the cheek. "I will help you!" she declared before walking away, her cheeks flushed.
Rhaegar sat frozen, his mind racing. What had Helaena meant?
A few moments later, he ran his hands through his hair in frustration and muttered, "Rhaenyra and Alicent are going to kill me!"
Despite Rhaenyra's pregnancy, he had no improper thoughts about Helaena. The Targaryens valued kinship above all else.
The raven flapped its wings and flew into the summerhouse, cocked its head and offered a mailbox strapped to its claw.
Suppressing his strange feelings, Rhaegar took the letter out of the box. The raven was Tormund's messenger, so the letter was from him.
Rhaegar opened it and read. After a long moment, his furrowed brow relaxed slightly, though a sense of irritation remained.
Tormund had discovered that Alicent's personal handmaiden was an eyewitness. Using the network of information Larys had left behind, he had extracted information from her. The handmaiden confirmed Rhaegar's suspicions.
Alicent and Otto had originally conspired to rescue Larys. Otto, serving as Master of Civil Affairs, had long been thwarted by Lyonel and Syrio. He hoped to use Larys to regain his intelligence network.
The plan was to find a replacement for Larys during the night and use a dragon to burn the convoy the next morning. Ormund Hightower carried out the plan, with Aegon and Sunfyre as the main force. Of course, they expected Rhaegar to take the blame.
Alicent feared that more might come out of Larys' mouth.
Before Ormund Hightower could make a move, she first asked her daughter Helaena to ride her dragon and take action. In the midst of these plans, an unexpected event occurred.
The younger sons of House Tully, seeking to gain favor through the Faith of the Seven, approached Ormund Hightower. Ormund, aiming for an alliance, discussed this with his brother, Otto. However, Otto, wary of crossing Rhaegar's jurisdiction, was reluctant to get involved.
Undeterred, Ormund secretly contacted Aegon, proposing that he bring the Tullys to him instead of Otto. Aegon, likely uninterested, refused. Ormund then turned to Aemond, stationed at Storm's End Castle.
Aemond, weary of dealing with the constant troubles from two bastards, saw an opportunity in Ormund's offer. Ormund promised to help Aemond deal with them after the mission, securing Aemond's cooperation.
The plan was set.
Before Aegon's departure, Ormund dropped Larys under the cover of night, sneaking in undetected. Helaena, anxious not to lag behind Aegon, rushed out before dawn, burning down her path in vain. According to plan, Aemond set off slightly later, arriving at the scene of a charred corpse to find the hidden Larys, completing the scheme.
As for Aegon, he ignored the intricacies and flew back to King's Landing on Sunfyre, seeking solace with prostitutes.
Never would he have guessed that the most loyal of several younger siblings was actually Aegon!
Rhaegar, overwhelmed by the convolutedmachinations, held his forehead in exasperation. Despite his frustration with House Hightower's conspiracy, he felt a twinge of guilt for doubting Aegon. Amid the chaos, Aegon proved to be the most loyal, though he simply wanted to enjoy life without entangling himself in schemes.
Aegon is a simple man after all, he simply wants to enjoy himself. He also seems like a good brother raised by Rhaegar, who beat himconstantly since they were children.
Laughing at the absurdity, Rhaegar's expression grew serious as he clenched the letter. "Ormund Hightower, the Faith of the Seven..." he muttered, feeling a surge of anger.
The interference of Oldtown was intolerable. Otto was involved as well.
"Crippling Gwayne was lenient," Rhaegar thought, a sneer forming.
It was a good thing that the truth came out and the rats that were in the gutter came out.
With the truth unveiled, it was time to eradicate Ormund Hightower and his influence. The Faith of the Seven's subtle manipulations had grown pervasive, even to the point of influencing his father into replacing the ruby on the House's sword, Blackfyre, with a seven-pointed star.
Softly, Rhaegar murmured, "R'hllor Faith," contemplating a shift in alliances.
(Word count: 1,801)