God's Game | House Of The Dragon

ChapterEight ~| Hightower by Blood |~

Admist the silence, Jace and Luce leaned down to Rhaenyra and began whispering their twisted truth of the story into Rhaenyras ear.

Rhaenyra standing up enraged and putting her arms out to her children as she thought on what to do.

"Aemond...", Viserys walked up to his two children, leaning on his crutch. "A-..Aemma", he struggled to get out as he stopped in front of them. "I will have the truth of what happened. Now!"

"What else is there to hear? Your two children have been maimed. Her sons are responsible", Alicent spoke up for her two children, seeing as they didn't know how to reply to Viserys.

Not knowing wether they should tell the truth or just say it was their fault, as they knew either way Jace and Luce would not be punished whatsoever.

"It was a regrettable accident", Rhaenyra claimed.

"Accident? The Prince Lucerys brought a blade to the ambush. He meant to kill my two children", Alicent said to her in disbelief, eyes tearing up as her voice went down.

"It was my sons who were attacked and forced to defend themselves. Vile insults were levied against them", Rhaenyra then steered the topic of the conversation, speaking as if she was there herself.

Which showed how guilty her sons were that she had to do this in the first place. Just knowing that her father would hang onto every thread she spoke.

"What insults?", Viserys asked, falling right into Rhaenyras trap.

"The legitimacy of my sons birth was put loudly to question", she then announced to the hall with a slight pause at the start.

"What?", Viserys squinted his eyes.

"He called us Bastards", Jace then spoke up as he looked at the ground.

"My sons are in line to inherit the Iron Throne, Your Grace. This is the highest of treasons. Prince Aemond and Princess Aemma must be sharply questioned so we might learn where they heard such slanders", Rhaenyra proclaimed to Viserys.

Aemma looked worriedly to Aemond and her mother as she heard these words, they all knew what sharply questioned meant.

It was a lighter term for the word torture that Kings and Queens would use in front of people to not sound as bad.

Seeing his sisters look, Aemond then turned in his chair as he looked at Rhaenyra like she was a mad woman.

"Over an insult?", Alicent scoffed in utter disbelief. "My son has lost an eye! My daughters hands maimed!"

"It is still the highest of treas-"

Thinking back on the fight Aemond clenched his fists slightly as he cut Rhaenyra off from her sentence.

"I only called him a Bastard because he called Aemma a Hightower Cunt", Aemond spoke blatantly as he picked the dry blood out of his nails.

Alicent now turned her head accusatively toward Rhaenyra as she stared her down with a raised eyebrow.

"Aemma, is this true?", Viserys switched to her, his cloak swishing as he turned.

Looking up at the man she had to call father, Aemma shyly nodded a yes at his words. Viserys now turning back to Rhaenyra.

"Father, being called a...the accusation of my sons birth is surely worse than being slandered for one half of your family", Rhaenyra was drawing Viserys in once more to her side. "Aemma is a Hightower by blood!"

Thinking on his eldest daughters words Viserys nodded along to them as he then once again  switched up onto Aemond.

"You tell me, boy. Where did you hear this lie?", he questioned harshly, leaning down to look at him.

"The insult was a training yard bluster", Alicent interrupted, speaking for her son as she knew where he'd heard the term. "The lot of boys. It was nothing."

"Aemond, I asked you a question", Viserys leant down closer to him as he looked Aemond in his eye, ignoring Alicent.

The room was tense as everyone watched the King stare down his injured son, the very son whose side he wasn't taking.

"Where is Ser Laenor, I wonder? The boys father? Perhaps he might have some say in the matter?", Alicent tried to deviate the situation, even just for a moment.

"Yes. Where is Ser Laenor?", Viserys then once more turned to Rhaenyra, Alicents tactic proving successful.

"I do not know, Your Grace, I...could not find sleep. I had gone out to walk", Rhaenyra stumbled over her words as she met eyes with Aemma who was staring at her.

Rhaenyra knew that Aemma knew where she really was and who she was with, maybe not what she was doing with Dameon, but the girl knew enough to where Rhaenyra did not want that piece of information spoke aloud.

Once Rhaenyra broke eye contact from Aemmas eyes, Aemma turned her attention to the man leaning against the wall by the door.

Only to find Daemon already looking right back at her, his lilac eyes meeting her green eyes with the same specks of lilac littered amongst them.

As she looked at him, Daemon reached up toward his mouth with his finger and made a 'shush' motion at her.

Aemma tilted her head in thought as she glanced between him and Rhaenyra before humming to herself.

Confusing Daemon as he tried to get her attention back as she didn't make a motion back and just zoned back into the argument happening.

"Entertaining his young squires, I would venture", Alicent muttered to herself in a huff.

Once more swayed by Rhaenyras words Viserys then flicked back to Aemond who was sitting up straight in his chair.

"Aemond, look at me! Your king demands an answer. Who spoke these lies to you?", this must have been a cruel joke on Viserys behalf.

Asking Aemond to look at him when he's just lost an eye, demanding an answer from him.

Looking behind Viserys, Aemond looked to his mother. Everyone following his gaze over to Alicent who took in a shaky breath as she teared up.

Then looking to his father, Aemond knew he had to protect his mother. She'd been the only one to protect him his whole life and now he would return the favor.

"It was Aegon!", he spoke with confidence, putting it on as he watched his mothers eyes flutter shut.

"Me?", Aegon said in shock as he stared at the floor, not believing his ears.

"And you, boy?", Viserys limped over to stand by Aegon. "Where did you hear such calumnies?"

Looking at his eldest son like a mad man as he waited for an answer, not getting it quick enough Viserys screamed in his face.

"Aegon!", Aegon flinched as he did, his once unbothered demeanor switching. "Tell me the truth of it!"

Also wanting to protect his mother, Aegon took the blame for it. "We know, Father. Everyone knows. Just look at them", he spoke with disgust as he side eyed his Nephews.

As Viserys moved his head, all the heads in the hall followed his action from the scene of Aegon and Viserys over to where Rhaenyra and her children stood.