Better Than Revenge// Otto Hightower (1)

18. Used Me Too

'Welcome to Dragonstone, Otto.' Daemon said happily

'Your occupation of this island is at an end. You're to relinquish the dragon's egg, disband your army, banish your whοre... and leave Dragonstone by order of His Grace, King Viserys...' Otto told him sternly he needed to finish this so he could sort things with Gaena.

'Where is the King? I don't see him.' Daemon mused.

'His Grace would never lower himself to entertain such a mummer's farce.'

'Ser Crispin, wasn't it?'

'Ser Criston Cole, my Prince.' He corrected.

'Ah, yes, apologies. I couldn't recall.' Daemon remarked smugly.

'Perhaps my Prince recalls when I knocked him off his horse.' Criston retorted and Daemon chuckled so this cunt was going to keep bringing that up.

'Very good.' Daemon looked around. "No Gaena to sass talk me?" Daemon mused. "No Gaena to hold your hand when your scared?" he chuckled as he looked around the soldiers.

'This is a truly pathetic show, Daemon.' Otto told him. "Are you so desperate for the King's attention that you've resorted to skulking about like a common cutpurse?" This was already taking too long and he needed to fix things before Gaena spoke to Viserys with only half the facts and he lost her for good. The longer she had to think the more she would dig and the more she wound find and the more she found... Otto's face pinched as he looked to Daemon.

"I'm simply keeping with the traditions of my house, the same as my brother did for his heir." Daemon said innocently.

"Those traditions are for the trueborn children of royalty, not for bastards fathered on a common whοre." Otto corrected

"Lady Mysaria is to be my wife." Daemon corrected. "Honestly tell Gaena and Viserys I want them here to celebrate such a lovely occasion."

"This is an abomination. With every breath you soil your name, your house, and your brother's reign." Otto shouted at him.

"Our love does not know titles and traditions." Daemon told him smugly.

"And what of you, men of the City Watch? Aiding the Prince in his treason?" Otto tsked at them.

"The King made me their commander. They are loyal to me. You've come for the egg." Daemon moved grabbing the egg and held it out. "Here it is." Caraxes growled above them.

"Are you mad? You'd never survive this.'

"Well, happily, neither would you." Daemon retorted with a grin.

"To choose violence, here, is to declare war against your King." Otto warned.

"Wonderful." Daemon agreed. Let there be fucking war.

"Even if it ends in the death of your unborn child and its mother?" Otto countered and Caraxes came closer, Caraxes screeched and roared. Prepared for a fight, dragons trump... everything.

" All of you... sheathe the fսcking steel.' But there was a distant dragon rumbling, they turned to the sky to see wings flapping, they heard Syrax screeching, he roared getting closer.

'What are you doing here, Princess?'

'Preventing bloodshed.' Rhaenyra said dismounting Syrax and marching over to Daemon

"Ser Criston, please escort the Princess to safety." Otto instructed.

"Take care not to startle Syrax, my lords. She's rather protective of me." Rhaenyra warned. "I'm right here, Uncle... the object of your ire... the reason that you were disinherited. If you wish to be restored as heir, you'll need to kill me. So, do it." Rhaenyra told him standing face to face with him and it would have been so easy... to start a war and the crown would never be his. 'And be done with all this bother.' Daemon didn't move, Rhaenyra took the dragon egg and shoved it at Otto. She climbed back on her dragon.

+

"Alicent is... she has grown fond of your brother." Otto began and Gaena stared blankly at him.

''You change your mind like the weather otto.'' Gaena warned. ''Used to be sunny and 75 and now I need a cloak.'' She shrugged her shoulders.

''Gaena,'' Otto whispered walking towards her. He reached out for her. ''Dont over think this. Its nothing.''

''Lies.'' Gaena countered softly. ''And I dont really understand why.''

''Alicent... she saw my sorry state after my wife died.'' Otto reasoned. ''She didnt want the king to fall into similar patterns.'' Otto offered hopefully

''Do you have a sister?'' Gaena questioned

''What? No.'' Otto answered.

''So I don't see how my brother could fall into a similar pattern of fucking your sister.'' Gaena countered and otto let out a deep sigh that slumped his shoulders as he let go of her hand. ''I'm giving you two options because I do like you Otto.'' Gaena told him closing the distance between them. ''You resign. You and Alicent go back home or I tell Viserys and he throws you out for trying to manipulate him...'' Gaena looked down embarrassed. ''Manipulating me too.'' Gaena added softly as she turned away.

''Gaena dont do this.''

''I know Otto!'' Gaena spat turning around back around ''I fucking know! I know about the visits and the gifts I know about your talks with Alicent. I fucking know everything!'' Gaena shouted small fists pounded against his chest in anger. ''You used me too.'' Gaena said miserably

''No. I didn't. I wouldn't.'' Otto told her grabbing her hands stopping her from hitting him she looked up at him with the most miserable eyes Otto had ever seen.

''You used me. You fucked me and were trying to sell your daughter off to a man who considered you a friend.'' Gaena hissed pulling her wrists from his gentle grasp. ''You know how awful that feels?'' Gaena whimpered. ''To know it was all a lie?''

''It wasn't.'' Otto told her as she shook her head stepping back again. ''I do care about you Gaena. I love you.''

''Love.'' Gaena scoffed. ''You don't use and manipulate the person you love.''

''It was real.'' Otto whispered ''how I feel for you is real.'' Gaena almost believed him as she turned around.

''Tell Viserys you are leaving or I will.'' Gaena warned as she walked away but when she got to her room she collapsed a sob on her lips. She didn't think he coveted the crown but everyone did. She was never going to find a man that didnt covet the power of the Targaryen name and dynasty.

+

"You announced that we were to be wed? On the morrow. And that I was with child. Your child." Mysaria exclaimed

"Well, perhaps when we are wed, we can make that true." Daemon pondered but Myseria was not pleased.

"I ensured long ago that I would never be threatened by childbirth."

"Good." Daemon agreed. "Children can be such irritating creatures."

"You swore to protect me, Daemon." Mysaria reminded him.

"Dragonstone is quite secure." Daemon told her.

"Until the King decides to reclaim his ancestral seat." Mysaria countered, her blood boiling. "His men might not put the Prince's head on a spike, but what would they do with the common whοre he claims he's taken to wife and made with child?"

'No one will harm you.' Daemon said nonchalantly.

"I have been sold as property more times than I care to count, beginning in a homeland I can no longer recall. Most of my years have been spent living in terror." Mysaria told him.

"You're safe with me, I swear it.' Daemon didn't see why she was so worried he was the prince.

"You are Targaryen. You can afford to play your stupid games with the King, but I cannot. I didn't come into your service wanting gold or power or station. I came to you to be liberated." Mysaria reminded him.

"Liberated. From what?" Daemon questioned.

"Fear."