-Chapter 63-
-The next day-
-4th day of the 11th moon, year 114 AC-
-POV Corlys Velaryon-
"Lord Velaryon," said the Hand of the King, Lyonel Strong, already seated in his place, always punctual, nodding in my direction.
"Lord Hand," I replied, nodding back to the Lord of Harrenhal.
I took my seat, placing my ball in its usual position, waiting for the others to arrive.
'It's already time to start,' I thought, annoyed, as I needed to convince Laenor to marry tomorrow.
The loss of his friend had weakened him to the point where he barely left his room, preferring to wallow in grief rather than seek revenge.
'The more time passes, the closer Viserys gets to Aemon. It won't be long before this sudden friendship spirals out of control and ruins all my plans.'
'I've sacrificed far too much to let everything collapse when I'm so close to achieving my goal. Laenor must be the next king,' I thought, firmly waiting for the king's arrival.
The council chamber doors opened, but it wasn't the king.
Grand Maester Mellos entered, accompanied by Jasper Wylde, the Master of Laws, and the aging Lord of House Beesbury, the King's Master of Coin.
"My Lords," said the Grand Maester as he entered the room, while the other lords simply nodded in acknowledgment.
I frowned but said nothing, waiting patiently for the king, not wanting to give myself more headaches than I already had.
I didn't have to wait long, as the doors opened again almost immediately, and the king entered—but he wasn't alone.
I was surprised to see Aemon accompanying the king, but what astonished me the most was the closeness and camaraderie they displayed.
King Viserys laughed heartily at a joke whispered by the prince, then took his nephew by the shoulder and said as he entered the room:
"Good day to all. I've invited Aemon to join us, though he fears his advice might not be appreciated given his young age."
"Age is not necessarily a sign of wisdom, My Prince," the Grand Maester quickly added.
'Bootlicker,' I thought, watching the Grand Maester, who hardly ever took sides and always agreed with the king.
"I have no objections," said the Hand of the King.
"Same here," the others echoed, one after the other.
"And you, Lord Corlys?" the Prince asked, looking at me with that hypocritical little smile.
I shrugged without saying anything. The king then turned to his nephew and said:
"It seems your worries were for nothing. We may be old men, but we're not as narrow-minded as you seem to think."
The prince smiled, and a servant brought a chair, placing it at the end of the table, directly across from the king.
I frowned at the seat the Prince had chosen for himself, but said nothing and focused on the meeting that immediately began.
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-POV Aemon Targaryen-
The council meeting was anything but peaceful.
I had to endure the endless complaints from letters sent by the lords of the realm, whining to the crown. In the meantime, Rhaenyra finally decided to show up and fulfill her duty as the royal cupbearer.
'I can see why Robert preferred to spend his time anywhere but here,' I thought, already bored after just one meeting.
I made a point of calling Rhaenyra every ten minutes to refill my water, enjoying the look she gave me each time I gestured to her.
'The only entertainment I've had so far,' I thought as I raised the cup to my lips.
"Well, we've covered everything for today. I suggest we reconvene in two…"
"Uncle," I interrupted.
"Do you have something to share with this council?" he asked.
"The Warden of the Vale is struggling to manage her vassals. She hasn't married and is contributing to the instability in the Vale, which in turn increases the mountain clans' incursions," I said.
"But she is still the Warden of the Vale," my uncle said, firmly holding his stance.
"Certainly, but she's a woman. She should not be allowed to rule, especially if she's contributing to making an entire region of the Seven Kingdoms unstable and on the brink of open war," I said, shocking everyone.
"What exactly do you want?" my uncle asked.
"That you place a man capable of taking over as Warden of the Vale," I said bluntly.
"Need I remind you that the heir to the throne is a woman?" Corlys Velaryon chimed in.
"She is not just a woman; she is the princess heir of House Targaryen, protected by the doctrine of exceptionalism. We Princes and Princesses of House Targaryen are not subject to the same rules as you common folk," I said, smiling slightly at the Sea Snake, who had nothing left to say after that.
"The Prince makes a very good point," said Grand Maester Mellos.
---
-POV Corlys Velaryon-
"You can't seriously be considering this ridiculous request. All he wants is control over the Vale through his puppet," I said to the king, noticing his hesitation.
"It's quite bold for a man who wants to marry his daughter to the rider of the greatest dragon in existence and his son to the heir of the throne. Some might accuse you of wanting to control the entire realm, Lord Corlys," said the Prince.
I was about to respond, but the king raised his hand and turned to the Princess to ask:
"What do you think of this?"
I turned my head toward Prince Aemon, expecting the Princess to shatter his fantasies, but what I heard left me stunned:
"I agree with my cousin. Jeyne has lost control of her region and no longer deserves the title of Warden of the Vale. Ser Arnold Arryn would make an excellent Warden."
"What?!!" I exclaimed, shocked by the Princess's words.
Only when I met Rhaenyra's unwavering gaze did I realize that these two little traitors were in on this together.
Prince Aemon said, "I suppose we are all in agreement."
The king, though visibly disturbed, finally nodded and said, "Very well, I accept. But House Royce must ensure Jeyne Arryn's well-being."
"I will bring her back on the back of Urrax. You have my word that no harm will come to her," the Prince promised.
'What a bunch of actors. They've all conspired to pull the wool over our eyes,' I thought, watching Prince Aemon, who didn't even bother pretending—he even had the audacity to wink at me.