THE HEALER PRINCE ( House of dragon reincarnation)(OC x Alicent)

Part 12

Chapter 12

OTTO HIGHTOWER

Otto Hightower had thought that with the departure of Daemon Targaryen, he would have an easier time managing the King's Council, for he had thought the man to be the biggest source of his problems.

Yet how wrong had he been?

The King's announcement to allow Prince Aenys to establish his college had surprised him. The institution, if successful, could unravel the monopoly of the Citadel and House Hightower as the sole place of learning and progress. His elder brother had been wroth with the King's decision and had wanted him to influence the King to make him reverse the decision, yet the king had been adamant and had refused to budge.

"Is everything fine?" he spoke as the acolyte continued examining the rot on the King's finger while frowning. Grand Maester Mellos looked up at him and minutely shook his head.

"The wound refuses to heal. I have never seen anything like this, Grand Maester," commended the acolyte in a perplexed tone, and Otto saw the King glance at Mellos as well.

"It is quite intriguing indeed. I will have to scour the texts to see if I can find something like this, but before then, we must do what we can. Mayhaps, maggots would help control the rot," he said, and the acolyte nodded and went to the side to the required maggots.

"You see, Otto, it seems Aenys was right. I reckon he would have an idea about this," the King commented, and Otto could only nod.

"Indeed, if the Prince were here, he might have given his own input, but Alas! Has he written about when we could expect him to return from Essos," the King just shrugged as the acolyte returned with a pad of swarming maggots.

"He hasn't written yet, but his plan was to return in a month or so. Perhaps if I were to write to him, he could come back earlier and even bring Aunt Maegella along," the King mused, and Otto shook his head.

"I am afraid I would have to advise against mentioning your illness to anyone, your grace. In these trying times, such news could be extremely dangerous," and it would truly b dangerous.

The King had just spurned Daemon and named his eldest daughter as the heir. However, it was some solace that the Queen was alive and on the road to recovery.

However, if the murmurs he had been hearing were true, things were far graver than many thought.

"Dangerous? How?" asked the King, and Otto gulped before replying in an even tone.

"Your grace, you have just named your daughter as the heir, and we still have Prince Daemon in control of Dragonstone. Add to that the Pirates in the Stepstones. We can not give our enemies any chance," and Viserys nodded.

"Perhaps, it would be prudent to wait. I think I should write to Aunt Maegella and invite her formally. The Queen would like that," the King mused, and while Otto wanted to stop that, there was no way of doing so, and he could not afford another mistake after the debacle with the Valyrian steel sword.

"Your grave; I believe that a party from Vales is coming to Kings Landing," the King nodded, and Otto saw the King's face tighten slightly at the mention of the Vale.

"Indeed, Lady Jeyne Arryn is visiting her cousin, the Queen," the King spoke up, not mentioning the most important part.

"Your grace, according to the letters, she will also be joined by Lord Gunthor Royce and her daughter Lady Rhea Royce on this trip. I believe this trip has more than one purpose," he began and saw the King's face contort slightly. Everyone could guess what they would speak of upon reaching King's Landing.