GOT King of Dragon

"Rhaenyra, keep quiet!" 

Viserys scolded loudly before turning back to question Aegon again. 

"Tell me, did you bully Helaena?" 

"Yes." 

Aegon, too frightened to cry, answered timidly. 

"Did Rhaegar hit you because of it?" 

"Yes." 

"Did he scare you with a heated steel bracelet but not harm you?" 

"Yes." 

Under his father's stern gaze, Aegon dared not lie and obediently confessed to everything. 

Viserys touched Aegon's swollen cheek, glanced at Alicent's hand, and pieced everything together. 

"Alicent, Rhaegar's way of disciplining Aegon was indeed inappropriate, but it doesn't seem to have reached the level you're claiming," Viserys said in a deep voice. 

Alicent, clearly displeased by the interrogation-like questioning, stubbornly responded, "If no one had intervened tonight, who knows what Rhaegar might have done to him?" 

"But Aegon wasn't burned, was he? Rhaegar didn't do that," Viserys retorted, his voice rising as he glared at her. 

Alicent opened her mouth to argue, but Viserys interrupted, "It's normal for brothers to fight. I used to do the same with Daemon." 

"Did you ever corner Daemon and scare him to the point of tears?" Alicent retorted, clutching Aegon tightly as she stared at her husband. 

Her father had warned her long ago that once Rhaenyra ascended the throne, she would never spare Alicent's children. 

At the time, she hadn't believed it. 

But now, it seemed more likely than ever. 

Rhaenyra hadn't even made her move yet, and Rhaegar was already showing signs of hostility. 

Viserys ruffled his hair in frustration and helped Alicent up from the floor. Controlling his temper, he said softly, "Let's end this here tonight, my dear." 

"Rhaegar needs to apologize to Aegon and promise not to threaten him again," Alicent insisted, knowing her husband's tendency to smooth things over. She seized the opportunity to fight for justice for her child. 

Viserys hesitated for a moment, glancing back at Rhaegar and Rhaenyra. Then he lowered his head and deliberated, "Both children are at fault. Let them apologize to each other." 

"Aegon started it by bullying his sister. He should go first," Viserys added. 

Alicent said nothing but looked down at Aegon in her arms. 

Aegon, his face tear-streaked and disheveled, timidly stole glances at Rhaegar. After a long pause, he finally mustered up the courage, closed his eyes, and blurted out, "I'm sorry, big brother." 

"Good. Now it's Rhaegar's turn," Viserys gestured toward Rhaegar, urging him to cooperate. 

Rhaegar's gaze darkened like deep water before a sudden smile broke across his face. 

"I accept your apology, and I apologize for my rough behavior. I shouldn't have scared you like that," he said. 

He didn't want to make things harder for his father, and humoring Alicent's motherly protectiveness was no trouble to him. 

Viserys gave Alicent a strained smile and suggested, "It's late. Let's have the children go back and rest." 

Alicent nodded, saying no more. 

She had achieved the fairness she wanted—Aegon was only frightened, and there was no further point in pursuing the matter. 

Viserys turned to leave, and Alicent held Aegon's hand. 

It seemed like the matter was about to come to an end. 

But then Rhaegar suddenly spoke. 

"Aegon, don't you like bracelets? Take it with you!" 

Viserys turned back and saw Rhaegar, expressionless, tossing the heated steel bracelet onto the floor in front of Aegon. 

Aegon jumped back in fright, retreating quickly to avoid being hit. 

Viserys was furious. "Rhaegar, it's over. Enough!" 

Rhaegar replied calmly, "I know, but Aegon likes the bracelet. I promised to give it to him." 

Fixing his gaze on Aegon, Rhaegar pointed to the bracelet on the floor and commanded, "Pick it up. Take it." 

"No... I can't pick it up..." 

Aegon shook his head repeatedly, cowering into Alicent's arms and looking at Rhaegar in terror. 

"It's yours. You have to take it," Rhaegar insisted. 

"I don't want it. I really don't. I'll never want it again..." 

Rhaegar ignored Aegon's pleading, his tone turning colder. "Pick it up. I said pick it up!" 

"No, I won't..." 

As Aegon became increasingly panicked and disoriented, Alicent's expression began to crumble. She stared silently at Viserys. 

Her tear-filled eyes seemed to say: 

"Do you see now? Your precious son dares to torment Aegon even in your presence."

The situation was on the verge of spiraling out of control. Rhaenyra took out a handkerchief, dampened it with water, folded it, and wrapped it around the bracelet before stuffing it into Aegon's hand.

Then, with concern, she turned to Rhaegar and said, "Let it go, Rhaegar."

Glancing at his sister, who was clearly thinking of his well-being, Rhaegar's icy gaze softened. With a hint of sarcasm, he said, "It's a simple task—how could Aegon fail at it?"

With the exchange between the siblings, the tense atmosphere in the cabin eased slightly. 

But everyone knew that the balance within this family had already been broken.

Viserys cast Rhaegar a complicated look before silently stepping out of the cabin.

Alicent snatched the damp handkerchief from Aegon's hand. Tears streaming down her face, she choked out, "Remember your promise. I'll make sure Aegon stays away from you." 

Rhaegar watched her leave, his expression indifferent. 

It was clear Alicent held a grudge against him. No matter how much he explained, in her eyes, it was all just excuses. 

He didn't feel like saying anything more.

Once they left, only Rhaegar and Rhaenyra remained in the cabin.

Rhaenyra shut the cabin door, leaned against it with her arms crossed, and sighed. "Who upset you? Why such a big outburst?" 

"I only meant to scare Aegon," Rhaegar replied helplessly. 

"In Alicent's eyes, it wasn't just a scare." 

"What could I do? She happened to catch me and immediately accused me of plotting against Aegon."

Seeing the fatigue in her brother's expression, Rhaenyra's heart softened. She stepped forward and pulled him into her embrace, stroking his silvery hair. "From now on, don't meddle in things. Alicent is like a lioness fiercely protecting her cubs." 

"So, because we don't have a mother, we're inherently inferior?" 

"You know that's not what I mean."

"It doesn't matter. Cubs without a lioness's protection must grow sharp fangs and claws even faster." 

Rhaegar pushed away his sister's hand that had been ruffling his hair and flopped onto the bed, frustrated. 

His original intention had simply been to stand up for Helaena. 

But Alicent treated him as though he were some kind of villain, using "motherly love" as an excuse to lash out at him. 

Wasn't it just because he didn't have a mother? 

If not for being fed up with Alicent's overbearing protective attitude, he wouldn't have troubled Aegon again. 

"Alright, calm down. Tonight, I'll sleep beside you," Rhaenyra said, fully understanding what her brother was feeling. She affectionately squeezed his right hand and lay down next to him.

She noticed that Rhaegar's hand showed no signs of change—nothing to suggest it had touched red-hot iron. 

"You really are different, Rhaegar." 

"Oh!" 

Rhaegar had no interest in continuing the conversation. He stripped off his clothes and pulled the blanket over himself. 

Rhaenyra didn't say anything further. She simply patted his back and softly hummed a lullaby, just as she used to sing to the unconscious Rhaegar when they were younger. 

…

By the next morning, the sailboat had braved the wind and waves, reaching the vicinity of the Gullet. 

On the deck, Rhaenyra held Rhaegar's hand as they gazed out at the sea. She began describing her observations: 

"The waters governed by King's Landing are part of Blackwater Bay. We've been sailing for a day and a night, and now we're about to enter the Gullet."

"Do you know what the Gullet represents?" 

Rhaegar, enjoying the fresh air, replied, "The Gullet is the gateway to Blackwater Bay. It's as important as a throat to the body." 

"Exactly. The Gullet is surrounded by Dragonstone, Driftmark, and Sharp Point—three fortresses forming an impenetrable maritime defense." 

Rhaenyra pointed toward a massive island's towering cliffs in the distance. "That's Driftmark, the ancestral seat of Lord Corlys Velaryon, the Sea Snake." 

*(Chapter Ends)*