The Song of Ice and Fire

Small Council

SCENE ADDED.

Returning to King's Landing after so many years, soaring over the city on Dragonback, felt like a novel experience. Navigating the vast halls of the castle, I, with my long, cascading silver hair and a gown of regal blue, sought out the King's bedchambers. Walking down a dim, narrow corridor, I reached a door adorned with intricately etched gold. A soft knock preceded the door's creaking open, revealing a man with snow-white hair and strong cheekbones, but his once vibrant eyes were now dark and sunken.

My surprise slipped out as I recognized him, "Prince Aegon?" He had transformed into a grown man since our last meeting.

Aegon's gaze roamed shamelessly over me, and his words dripped with a mix of familiarity and insinuation. "Cousin, it has been so long. You've gotten... taller. Sorry to hear about your father, dreadful news. If you need anyone, and I mean anyone, do not hesitate to visit my chambers." His voice carried a smoothness that left a trail of discomfort.

"Alright. Out of my way," I pushed past him, disgusted, and entered his father's chambers.

"Where is the King? I need to speak with him immediately," I declared, scanning the room. One of my knights announced my presence, "Lady Laenys, of House Velaryon."

"Lady Laenys! It has been too long!" The raspy voice echoed with genuine happiness, and I turned to face the King, whose once majestic presence now bore the heavy weight of illness. His hair, nearly gone, barely clung to his weakened frame, and half of his face remained shrouded by my cloth. The stark reality of his deteriorating health unfolded before my eyes, each visit revealing a deeper decline. Seated beside a stone carving of King's Landing, he looked frail and weathered. As the doors closed behind me, I noticed only one King's guard and two of my guards accompanying me, emphasizing the solitude of his situation. I shifted my attention back to the King.

"I have raised this matter before, and you forbade me to speak of it, so I held my tongue... To have one child like Aegon is a mistake, to have THREE is an insult. To you, to the Iron Throne--." My words were abruptly cut off by him. "Laenys... are you only here to complain?" His voice carried a note of weariness, the tone of a leader grappling with the inevitable. Sighing, I stood straight and walked over to a chair directly across from him.

Gazing down at my hands adorned with silver rings, I began, "I am worried... about my house. Vaemond Velaryon seeks to claim the Driftmark throne. He conspires against my father's wishes and plots against his great-nephew with your wife, the Queen. He is certain that the greens will have him in their favor." My revelation left him more perplexed than before, struggling to comprehend the intricacies of the political machinations unfolding. "Nonsense, that will never happen."

A quick glance upward accompanied my next words, "Will it? The Queen and her father have you fooled, my King. They may come to your aid and do whatever you wish, but once the curtains close and the candles get blown out, they are planning something sinister. It will happen right under your nose... right under all of our noses. It started with Aemond losing an eye... then what will happen last? Your wife stealing the Iron Throne while you are left on your deathbed?" My question plunged him into contemplation, and he sighed, "I will speak to the small council." My shoulders relaxed, and I leaned back into my seat.

"I would not have flown out here if you were not my last option, Your Grace," I confessed, placing my hands on the arms of the chair. "I will demand a gathering on the morrow... come... defend your house," he urged, his commitment to aiding me evident. Perhaps it was my mother's influence with all her letters, occasionally expressing that Laenor and I deserved more. Maybe my dear mother was right.

"Thank you, Your Grace," I said genuinely, standing up from my seat and leaving the King to grapple with the weight of his thoughts, a realm in turmoil mirrored by the struggles within its ruler.