-Chapter 186-
-POV Aemon Targaryen-
"We haven't managed to find the assassin of the Prince Consort," said my cousin Willem with a frustrated look.
He had been doing his best for several days to track down Laenor's killer, but the investigation had led nowhere.
I was aware he was trying hard, wanting to prove that I was right to place my trust in him despite his youth.
I frowned, because it had already been several days, and we still had no leads on the whereabouts of the man who had murdered my brother-in-law.
We had to assu that the possibility of Qarl Correy having escaped the capital before we launched the manhunt was becoming more and more likely.
This also ruled out the theory of a cri of passion.
'He would never have managed to leave the city before we sealed the gates without a well-planned sche in place.'
"So it was indeed a preditated assassination, planned by one of Laenor's enemies," I said, for to kill Laenor, Qarl must have gained sothing from whoever had ordered the murder.
I slamd my fist on the table, annoyed, finding it extrely difficult to accept the idea that I might not be able to catch the man who murdered Laena's brother.
'It will torture her not to know that justice has been served for her brother's death, I'm sure of it.'
The middleman knew Qarl's destination—but he also knew the identity of the one who had hired him.
"However, even though we haven't found the rat's hiding place, sothing caught my attention."
"What?" I asked, lifting my head, clinging to a sliver of hope.
"A man has been killed," Willem replied.
I frowned, because murders were frequent in the slums, nothing unusual, but I said nothing—for if Willem was bringing it up, sothing about this case had to stand out.
"We managed to identify the man," said Willem.
"Who was he?" I asked curiously.
"A minor mber of a lesser branch of House Beesbury."
'The middleman,' I thought, sighing in disappointnt.
Willem, noticing my letdown, tried to explain his reasoning:
"I believe it could very well be..."
"The middleman?"
Willem fell silent but nodded nonetheless, prompting another sigh from .
I said, unconsciously letting my frustration slip:
"That gets us absolutely nowhere."
"They're vassals of the Hightowers. A mber of House Hightower could have..."
"I know all of that, Willem, but what you seem to forget is that the Lord of House Beesbury is a loyal supporter of Viserys, and by extension, completely faithful to Rhaenyra despite his liege lord's wishes," I said first, then added: "Between Rhaenyra and Alicent, Lyman Beesbury would most likely be loyal to Rhaenyra. That doesn't an you're wrong—it's just the lord's personal stance—but it prevents us from being certain of who gave the order."
'We can't be sure if it was one or the other, because either could've had reasons to want Laenor dead and tried to pin it on the other.'
"Anything else?" I asked, seeing Willem hesitate. He nodded, unsure whether to speak or not.
I raised an eyebrow, waiting to hear what he'd found, and he said: "It only took knocking on a few doors to learn that the man did everything he could a few days ago to make another man disappear."
"That was predictable," I said, watching my cousin, who shook his head, sensing I hadn't understood what he ant. Then he added, more solemnly:
"He literally made him disappear… permanently… Qarl Correy is dead."
My eyes widened at the news, and this excessive zeal and caution imdiately reassured in my instinct that Rhaenyra couldn't be the culprit.
Though it's true she'd beco more cautious and mature over the years, I couldn't see her acting this way.
'Alicent, on the other hand…'
"Very well, continue pressing the capital's residents by offering rewards for any useful information, and punishnts for anything that might obstruct this investigation," I said softly, preparing myself ntally to announce the news to Rhaenys and Laena.
'If Rhaenyra is the scapegoat, who did it, if not her?' I wondered, not ruling out the possibility that soone in her inner circle had done it without telling her, to gain so advantage.
Aegon? I asked myself.
He might've wanted revenge for the attempted assassination carried out by his sister—by taking her husband from her.
The only tie he had left with House Velaryon, since her children are bastards—and the only dragonrider who might stand against him in the succession war that would erupt upon Viserys' death, which seed closer every day despite all the precautions I was putting in place.
'All while shifting the bla for the cri onto Rhaenyra to sever her bond with the Velaryons once and for all.'
'That's exactly the kind of move I would've made in his place,' I thought, wondering if I had been too good a teacher for my young cousin and if I needed to start being wary of him.
'Maybe it was Alicent?' I asked myself, recalling her recent behavior.
Trying to seduce to distract so she could stab Rhaenyra in the back and fully isolate her from the rest of us… A rather vicious move. Fitting of a cunning and patient woman like her.
'Or even Daemon?' I thought, not ruling out the idea that Daemon could have lied to successfully, waiting patiently for his ti to take my place and sit on the Iron Throne—using to isolate Rhaenyra, so he could later offer his help when she was at her lowest.
"What a fucking ss," I muttered, sighing in irritation as I sat back in my chair, taking the ti to devise several plans to try and force the serpent hiding among us to reveal itself.
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-POV Alicent Hightower-
Aegon said with a cheerful tone, handing a cup of water:
"Mother, rumors are spreading in the palace. Many are whispering that my half-sister hired that sword swallower to kill her husband." Read complete version only at NovєlFіre
"Court gossip is rarely reliable," I said softly, taking a sip, and then added after drinking: "In fact, it almost never is."
"But what if it's true?" asked Aegon, his joy seemingly muted, though not the sense of anticipation he felt at the thought of ruining Rhaenyra.
'He's burning for revenge,' I thought, recognizing the dangerous glint in his eyes.
I frowned and remained silent, which Aegon took as an invitation to continue laying out his plan:
"We absolutely have to help Aemon trap Rhaenyra. If we manage to find Qarl Correy and get him to confess that Rhaenyra gave the order to kill her lover, we'll instantly gain favor with Aemon. We might even forge ties with the Velaryons."
I shook my head and said:
"That would require us finding him… and Rhaenyra truly being the mastermind behind that vile murder."
Aegon shook his head, unconvinced, and said:
"Willem and Aemon are too focused on the capital. They can't imagine the killer might have slipped away. We can use all the resources at our disposal and avoid their tunnel vision."
I looked away, thinking for a few monts, but I didn't need to answer, because Bryndon, who had been silent until then, spoke:
"All our resources are currently being used to quell the peasant revolt that's burning through the Reach's fields."
"That was a stupid idea," said Aegon, adding: "I wonder who could've co up with it."
"A necessary idea," Bryndon corrected coldly, glaring at his increasingly undisciplined nephew.
"Which ultimately led nowhere," Aegon shot back.
'An idea that only brought us problems,' I thought, fully agreeing with him.
"One day, you'll thank us for what we're doing for you," said Bryndon, cornered by his nephew.
"That day is far off…"
I stopped Aegon from escalating the argunt further, sensing tensions rising. Then I said:
"That's enough. We're all on the sa side. Aegon, your uncle is right—so things are necessary. Leave us."
"But…"
"I heard what you had to say, but now I need to speak with your uncle alone," I said sharply.
Aegon frowned for a mont but obeyed with a groan.
He eventually left without saying another word.
I trembled, closing my eyes in irritation at the sound of the door slamming.
When I reopened them, I t my brother's smiling gaze.
Seeing that smile on his face made want to scream—but I couldn't.
If anyone ever found out what he had done, I'd be forced to watch him die.
'I can't lose anyone else.'
"I told you no one would suspect us," he said smugly, practically saluting his own genius.
"DON'T YOU…" I shouted in fury, then instantly cald down, bottling up all my rage before finishing quietly: "…suspect us."
"And I was right," he added, continuing: "The dragons think they're stronger and nobler than all of us. They treat us like cattle—but we're not re sheep."
I stayed silent at his words. I understood how he felt—but I didn't agree with what he had done.
I couldn't agree with him, because he'd put us in a difficult position—when our father's body wasn't even cold yet.
Bryndon broke the silence that had settled:
"There's nothing we can do against Aemon, fine. But we can use him to clip Rhaenyra's wings. That, we can do."
'The only good thing he's managed to do,' I thought.
That fool had simply wanted revenge on Rhaenyra—because she had sent assassins after Aegon.
'And also to avenge our brother's death—and our father's.'
Without thinking of the consequences of his actions.
But thankfully, I had learned through whispers that Laenor had considered renouncing his birthright that very morning.
'A blessing from the Seven,' I thought—for without that, we would undoubtedly be the first to die on the scaffold. And though I loved my brother with all my heart...
'Between him and my children, I will not choose.'
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A.N.: The one who ordered the hit was Alicent's brother Bryndon, who wanted to hurt Aemon by targeting his loved ones—while Alicent tries to help her brother cover his ss.
P.S.: I disappeared for a few days because my aunt ca to visit us from the U.S. and I had no ti to write, so here's a big chapter to make up for it.
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