court of lies | robert's rebellion

the ladies

"what happens next is out of your hands, what happens now is all up to you"

279, King's Landing

They were having supper together in the evening. Rhaella had a headache or so she told, she was resting in her chambers and Viserys was too tired. So they were sitting alone, father and son. With Gerold guarding the door on the outside. There weren't any servants to wait on them, Aerys preferred loneliness on these days.

"I heard you spent time with Viserys today."

Rhaegar swallowed the potato he was chewing. "Yes. We had a little archery training."

"Don't you think he is too young for that?", Aerys frowned.

"I wasn't trying to teach him everything.", he took a sip from his water -he wasn't a wine person. "Just some muscle memory."

Aerys only nodded and then kept eating. "How is your personal training going?"

"With what?", Aerys shrugged and Rhaegar pursed his lips in a thoughtful manner. "Arthur is taking care of it personally."

"Good.", Aerys approved. "Others might go easy on you because you are my son after all but Arthur wouldn't."

"If you would watch any of my training you would know the others -especially Gerold far away from treating me easy.", Rhaegar snorted. "He is torturing me."

"And make no mistake; he enjoys it.", Aerys smiled.

Rhaegar observed him for minutes, trying to come up with a sentence. "You are looking good."

"Why, thank you, son."

"No, no, I meant it.", Rhaegar was surprised when he entered the room and saw his father. Ever since Duskendale, it was the first time that he actually shaved and cut his nails, and took a proper bath. He was wearing one of his rich black outfits with his crown, he looked healthy, and even his skin wasn't ill-looking anymore. He had a little hair remaining, he was young but stress took it all despite that he was still looking relatively strong. Not as weak anymore. "You look healthy."

"My son is getting married. I thought it would be a nice change."

Rhaegar smiled. "About that, have you decided on my wife yet, father?"

"Varys tells me to find a foreigner one. He takes me for a fool.", Rhaegar only tilted his head and preferred to say nothing, but he was aware as everyone else was that Varys was not someone they should trust. "We all remember what happened the last time we had married with a Tyroshi or a Rogare. It would be inviting trouble to our walls."

"Varys himself is a foreigner, father. Don't you find him even a little suspicious?"

"He is not smart enough to play with us all."

Rhaegar looked sketchy but didn't argue. "And I assume Lord Tywin vouches for his own daughter?"

"And Lady Atera."

"Lady Atera?", he raised his eyebrows. "Well that's new.", he murmured to himself, taking another bite from his food.

"And Aethan will arrive at the court soon."

Rhaegar stopped chewing. "I thought Princess Lorenza had sent him into exile after she caught him-"

"With a maid in their marital bed, yes.", Aerys shook his head. "The audacity of her always managed to disturb me but I have to give her that, Aethan deserved this. You are going to marry soon, learn this son; marriage is a sacred bond that no other party has the right to break off."