The Realm's Delight

Chapter 4

I felt different after that day. I was also in trouble when my parents returned.

Just as I remembered, my father was elected heir by the gathered Lords of the Seven Kingdom. The vote supposedly was a close one, but I hardly trusted the counts of the Maester. As learned as those men were, I remember reading about a particular eccentric Maester who alleged that the Maesters were responsible for the death of dragons. It was a conspiracy theory and while I hardly gave an ear to conspiracy, I had a feeling that I should not be ignoring this particular conspiracy.

As to the matter of me being in trouble, my parents did not approve of me sneaking to the Dragonmont. I was the one that told them with excitement, a habit I'm not sure if I developed here or in my last life. Regardless of that, I was lectured about how reckless I was and what if something had happened to me. I wasn't sure why they thought a four-year-old would think about so many things before doing something, even if said four-year-old had the mind of a grown adult.

My uncle had been the one to come to my rescue, pinning the blame on my dearly departed grandmother for giving me the impulsive genes. My father had to agree with him and I shot my uncle a grateful look.

They wanted to see which dragon I had claimed so all four of us went to the Dragonmont. I suspected that my parents and uncle were thinking of a young dragon when they thought about me claiming my mount. My suspicions were confirmed when all three of them just stared at Vhagar, who nudged me gently upon arrival. My uncle had been the first to snap out of it, laughing at the ridiculousness of the situation. My father had scooped me up in his arms and spun me, pride and happiness were clear on his face. My mother was slightly unsure of it all but she was happy nonetheless.

A few days after we were visited by my Great-grandfather, who had heard the news of me claiming Vhagar through a Raven. He was sixty-seven years old but rode his dragon as if he was still young and active. He talked to my parents first before he talked to me. He wanted to know everything about how I claimed Vhagar, so I told him exactly what had happened. Afterwards, he insisted that my parents and I moved to the Red Keep in King's Landing since my father was heir and the King wanted to teach him things about running a kingdom.

It was after we had moved that I met a family that I wanted to stab in the face. After the death of my grandfather, a new Hand of The King had to be selected. Great-grandfather heard the advice of his Maester and Septon before choosing Ser Otto Hightower. It was surprising to me how a man could be so blind as to see the blatant favouritism, both the Maesters and Septons were favoured by House Hightower after all. I chalked it up to senility and grief that made the Old King not think too hard about the choice offered.

Ser Otto Hightower had moved to the capital not long after my family and I had. From what I remembered, Ser Otto was well-educated, proud, domineering and a methodical man with great ambitions.

As for the matter of his daughter, I wondered what the 'true' Alicent would be like. From what I remember from my world, there had been two versions of the Green Queen. On one hand, was the older woman who had taken great care of the Old King and was not much of a friend to Rhaenyra, while on the other hand, there was the childhood friend who was the same age as Rhaenyra, open, innocent and welcoming.

The first time I met Alicent Hightower, I was afraid that she was like the book version. This Alicent was older than me, and if the dates in my head were correct, she would be nine years my elder. But when we talked, she behaved much like the show version, welcoming, kind and eager to make a new friend. If I were to befriend her, it might make things easier for me in the future.

Our friendship was a quick one, since we both shared a love for reading, particularly history that we practically fangirled over. I taught her how to speak, read and write in High Valyrian, which was a surprise to me that she hadn't already known. While she didn't exactly teach me anything, she had practically dragged me to her lessons with her Septa. I abhorred every moment of the old bat trying to indoctrinate me in the ways of the Seven and try to drag me away from my training and only focus on being a lady at court and a good wife in the future.