Chapter 23

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The day leading up to the Prince's funeral seemed to pass by quickly

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The day leading up to the Prince's funeral seemed to pass by quickly. There was an unmistakable sense of mourning and sadness hanging heavy around the castle even though only few spoke of it out loud.

Viserra had been the last to arrive at the cliffside, joining the rest of them at the pyre. To her surprise, Helaena was there standing in between her mother and Aegon. She was dressed in a dark green gown that looked similar to the one she had changed into an hour before. A dark veil draped over her head making it difficult to truly see her expression underneath.

Though the Queen was physically present, Viserra had noticed that she seemed to be lost in her thoughts, not engaging with the world around her. Without saying a word herself, she took her place next to Aemond, only briefly glancing at him when she felt him staring in her direction. Something seemed to be left unsaid but it did not feel like the right time to dig into whatever it was.

It was Aegon who gave the command to Sunfyre, setting the pyre aflame and bringing the ceremony to a close. She noticed him seeming to bubble with irritation and anger, hoping that he had taken her advice and would channel it into something productive over the next little while.

Aemond helped Alicent with escorting his sister back into the castle. It had been difficult to get her to move, her eyes fixated on the flames in front of her and incoherent mumbling coming from her lips. Viserra hoped she would eventually pull out of this trance, but something in her didn't put much confidence into that thought.

Food had been brought to her chambers later that evening with the message that the family would not be eating together that night. It did not bother her though, the thought of having to sit through dinner while emotions ran high seemed to feel much more daunting.

It took a few more days for the darkness surrounding the castle to lighten some, the loss had been felt by everyone who had ever interacted with little Jaehaerys. Mourning for days or weeks was normal, but in the current conditions, a few began to feel anxious to resume the plans for war.

Four days after the funeral had taken place, Viserra woke in the morning deciding that she would take herself to the Black Cells. She personally felt that her own grief had now been replaced with the desire to seek justice and revenge. While they were already sure of who had sent the assassins to the Dowager Queen's chambers, there would be something satisfying about drawing that information out herself.

Barely making the time to scarf down a piece of buttered bread, she donned her breeches and her blades before heading out into the castle. The sun had barely begun to appear in the sky, meaning the hallways seemed to only be busy with the servants readying the keep for the usual happenings of the day.

Viserra quickly descended to the dungeons, where she was surprised the guards did not question her presence. She walked through cautiously as they let her descend further with no hesitation. To her knowledge, the Black Cells would be in the lower levels, probably the only place she had not yet been to. As the walls dampened and the upstairs light started to fade, Viserra came down to two more guards standing in front of a large, locked door.

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