Red // Otto Hightower (1)

22. Baby Fever

"My brother wrote. Said hes coming back next moon. Bringing all his stuff and hopes old man Otto is okay with a squatter." Aelsa laughed out but softened her giggles as Helaena opened her eyes. The queen had given birth. A little girl. Much to Viserys dismay of having to deal with another moody rhaenyra in the future they couldnt choose the gender of the babe. If women could aemma wouldnt have died and Viserys wouldn't be married to a child.

"Old man otto?" Otto countered shaking his head. "I thought your brother and I got on fine."

"He does like you. He likes that you make me happy even more." Aelsa added.

"Im glad to host young Alaric." Otto assured. "Aelsa... is this us starting a family?" Aelsa had baby fever around alicents children but she didnt think it was her time yet. She refused to have a bastard. Alaric was treated bad enough being born with clubfoot and then his father refused to legitimize him because of it.  She wanted her future children to have every opportunity. No reason for anyone to look at them the wrong way.

"You already have a family. To which you dont really like." Aelsa countered.

" that's a lie," he objected. "I just... OK maybe I don't like them all the time but who likes their family all the time?" He asked. "you certainly don't."

" I certainly don't." she agreed. "But I love my little brother, so I'm glad that you and I can help him through the maze correction labyrinth that is the capital."

" we shall get through this together. You and me."

+

'We should make landfall inside the hour, Princess.' Criston told her as they sailed

'How do you think he will take it?' Rhaenyra questioned looking out at the castle in the distance.

'Do you speak of how you rejected every suitor His Grace put before you, or how you abruptly ended the tour with two months remaining?' Criston mused but a dragon shrieking and rumbling caught their attention. Caraxes flew overhead, rocking the ship.

'Take cover!'

'Princess! You all right? Are you? Fetch the maester!' Criston said urgently as he helped Rhaenyra up she clutched at her head as she stared at Caraxes.

'I'm fine.' She assured. A smile curved her face. Daemon was the man she wanted.

The throne room was filled, whispered voices echoed Daemon's name. Viserys stood ready to reprimand his brother.

Daemon walked forward with confidence though, the kings guard unsheathed their swords ready to attack, to protect their king. A crown on Daemon's head he threw down his sword before them.

'Add it to the chair.' He offered it clattered before Viserys as the crowd murmured with anticipation.

'You wear a crown.' Viserys noted. 'Do you also call yourself "King"?' he sneered.

"This is ridiculous. Why are we even entertaining him?" Aelsa muttered.

"You wanted him to fail and he didn't." Otto remarked

"Of course I want him to fail. He is a constant nuisance to our beloved King. He needed to go, but now instead he one and comes back with a crown."

'Once we smashed the Triarchy, they named me "King of the Narrow Sea." Daemon informed him and the crowd murmured again, Daemon was no king. Everyone knew of his reputation. 'But I know that there is only one true king, Your Grace.' Daemon assured. 'My crown and the Step stones... are yours.'

" how generous of him don't you think? He has ulterior motives he always does. Dammit" she muttered fisting handed her side. "He's going to mess things up and you know it."

"What is he going to mess up? What do you have planned?" Otto questioned

"It doesn't matter what I have planned or what I don't have planned or what his plan for the future that I have yet to plan yet-" aelsa declared and ottos lips puckered trying to think that through. " what matters is he will definitely mess it up. And you know it." she pointed to finger at him quickly.

'Well, where is Lord Corlys?' Viserys questioned hesitantly, Daemon was not one to bend the knee willingly.

'He sailed home to Driftmark.' Daemon told him

'Who holds the Step stones?' Viserys countered

'The tides... the crabs, and 2,000 dead Triarchy corsairs, staked to the sand to warn those who might follow.' Daemon informed him. Viserys got closer to him and the crowd held its breath.

"Ty will be happy to hear that at least." Aelsa murmured. " at least part of my plan worked. He was supposed to go on a wild rampage and he won. The step. Stones are ours again, but he was supposed to die." Aelsa admitted.

"You are shameless." Otto decided.

'Rise.' Viserys said hugging Daemon as he rose and the crowd applauded, there would not be war, but peace. 'The realm owes you a great debt, brother. Come. This is our chance...''

"Here we go. Put on your civilest of faces Otto. We are schmoozing." Aelsa put on her sweetest smile as she walked forward. She was certainly an actress.

+

'Daemon, he would venture off, abroad, winning tournaments...'

'No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.' Daemon said immediately a smile on his face

'I will not revisit this debate. You were always mother's favorite.' Viserys told him.

'No, it's no great mystery.'

'You were.' Viserys assured 'Our mother, she had no regard for custom or tradition, rules. And I, sadly, was no great warrior.'

'Congratulations on your victory.' Rhaenyra remarked.

"What did I say about daemon and viserys?" Aelsa mused glancing back at them.

" you were right as always". He agreed. He reached out, touching the small of her back fingers slipping in between the open back of her dress, touching her warm sun kissed skin. Aelsa sighed leaning into his touch. How things could be so much easier so simple really. She wanted him. But what did that mean for their future? For her position in court? She refused to be weakened by her choice of men to be deemed as less then. She was a strong and powerful woman. She was brave, and she was smart, and she was cunning. She didn't ever want to be thought of his just a wife it's just a mother she wanted to be more she wanted to show she had more to offer the world, and she thought that if she married her purpose would be diminished that she would be labeled off of that like most women wear.

'I surmise the tour did not go well.' Alicent said walking over to Rhaenyra as she sat along on a bench staring at the gardens.

'I endured it for as long as I could.' Rhaenyra told her stiffly.

'To have every young knight and lord in the Seven Kingdoms fawning over you... What misery. It is rare for girls in this realm to get a choice between two suitors, no less two score of them.' Alicent reminded her.

'Those men and boys don't fawn over me. They only want my name and my Valyrian blood for their offspring.' Rhaenyra corrected

'I think it's rather romantic.'

'How romantic it must be to get imprisoned in a castle and made to squeeze out heirs.' Rhaenyra heard it as she said and looked over at Alicent with a pinched gaze. 'Sorry.' She murmured 'How angry is he?'

'The King went through great effort to arrange your tour. He is... frustrated. But I am glad you are home.' Alicent told her 'I find I have... few friends lately. I like to believe I'm still the Lady Alicent, but... all anyone sees when they look at me now is "The Queen." Alicent told her as Rhaenyra grabbed Alicent's hand

'I've missed you, too.'