Fire and Blood

Chapter 78: Coup d'état (Part 1)

Red Keep ― Maegor's Holdfast...

The following morning was the start of a new day, although it was gloomy. The Red Keep, the seat of power in the Seven Kingdoms, was eerily quiet, the hushed atmosphere lending a sense of gravity to the proceedings. But unbeknownst to many at court, a power play was about to unfold. It was then that a young servant boy, scurrying through the castle's labyrinthine corridors, chanced upon Talya, a handmaiden to one of the noble ladies of the court. Kneeling to his level, Talya listened intently as the boy reported the news that would shake the very foundations of the realm - King Viserys had died in his sleep. Upon hearing this, Talya wasted no time in hastening to the next person she could trust with such a grave revelation.

Otto Hightower gazed into the flickering flames of the fireplace, struggling to comprehend the ancient High Valyrian texts without the aid of his grandsons. However, his current thoughts were elsewhere. So... his time had come. He served House Targaryen for thirty-one years, witnessing the reigns of both Jaehaerys I and his grandson, Viserys I. Rest soundly, old friend. You still have a son with Her Grace, Queen Aemma. I will do what I can to guide him as I did with you and make preparations for his ascension. "Who else knows?" he asked his daughter's handmaiden.

"No one, ser," Talya reported.

"Then there is a possibility the queen will know." She'll be making her move soon. "There is much work to be done. Send a raven to Dragonstone. Inform the Young Dragon what has happened without delay."

"Of course."

Upon Talya's departure from the guest room, Otto returned to the brazier. As a former Hand, he couldn't help but speculate about the inevitable move the Caltrops would make now that King Viserys had passed away. However, what caught his attention was the report he had received from an anonymous source detailing the return of the disgraced Prince Aegon the Elder. The prince had returned to King's Landing disguised as a commoner named 'Griff.' This information was particularly alarming as it suggested that the Caltrops were not the only ones planning something nefarious.

As Otto delved deeper into his investigation, he discovered that Lord Larys Strong, Queen Beatrice's spymaster, was the mastermind behind the recent events, including the tragedy at Harrenhal that caused the deaths of his successor as Hand of the King, Lord Lyonel Strong as well as Lyonel's eldest son, Ser Harwin. It was also revealed that Aeonar Targaryen's spies had been aggressively crossing paths with the Caltrops' spies more frequently. Otto quickly realized that Queen Beatrice Peake was plotting to usurp power.

This was just the beginning of a coup d'état.

Given the appropriate power and authority to govern King's Landing in his son-in-law's absence, Otto immediately began preparing to make the first move. The situation was dire, and time was of the essence. Otto knew that he needed to act quickly and decisively to prevent the coup from succeeding. Before long, the doors to his room burst open, revealing House Peake's guardsmen.

"Ser Otto Hightower, you are under arrest," Ser Mervyn Flowers informed him.

"On what charges?" Otto asked, unconcerned.

"For the murder of His Grace King Viserys Targaryen, the First of His Name."

"I must say, this situation is quite absurd."

"Don't even think to deny the allegations, old man. We have a witness who saw you exiting the king's room before he died."

"That's quite a claim. May I inquire as to who this witness might be?"

Right on cue, Beatrice emerged and played her role to perfection. With a convincingly distressed demeanor as a freshly made widow, she unleashed her fury on Ser Otto Hightower, the former Hand of the King. "Unbelievable! How could you! My lord husband trusted you, I trusted you, and this is the thanks the crown gets in return?! By repaying us with treachery?!"