Veil of Shadows | Aemond Targaryen

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"The king has passed away." 

Dowager Queen Alicent's words hung heavy in the air as she delivered the devastating news to Visenya. The room seemed to spin, and Visenya felt as though her heart had stopped beating. Time stood still as the weight of the queen's announcement settled over her like a suffocating blanket.

Her mind raced with disbelief, struggling to comprehend the extent of what she had just heard. King Viserys, her grandfather, the pillar of their family, gone. It felt unreal, like a nightmare from which she couldn't wake.

Visenya's chest tightened with a surge of emotion, a whirlwind of grief and shock threatening to consume her. She fought to steady herself, her hands trembling as she struggled to find her voice amidst the deafening silence that engulfed the room.

But as the moments passed and the shock began to ebb away, a sudden clarity washed over her like a wave crashing against the shore.

She looked down at her hands, her fingers intertwined in a tight grip, and it dawned on her. The pieces of the puzzle fell into place with startling clarity, and she understood why she had been locked up in her chambers.

The realization hit her like a thunderbolt, jolting her out of her haze. It wasn't just a precaution or a simple matter of safety. No, there was something far more sinister at play, something that had been lurking beneath the surface, hidden from view until now.

Visenya's heart raced as she connected the dots, her mind racing with a thousand questions and fears. It all made sense now, the strange silence, the eerie atmosphere that had hung over the castle like a shroud. She had been kept locked away, shielded from the truth, isolated from the chaos that had unfolded in the wake of her grandfather's passing.

A cold shiver ran down her spine as the gravity of the situation sank in. She was trapped in a web of intrigue and deception, caught in the midst of a power struggle that threatened to tear her family apart. And now, more than ever, she realized the danger that lurked behind every corner, the shadows that whispered of betrayal and treachery.

Visenya's disbelief turned to suspicion as she glanced between the dowager queen and Ser Criston, a dawning realization creeping over her. With a shake of her head, she couldn't help but voice her thoughts aloud.

"Don't tell me what I think you're planning to do," she said, her voice laced with a mixture of defiance and apprehension. Her eyes locked with the dowager queen's, searching for any hint of confirmation in her gaze.

But dowager queen Alicent's expression remained inscrutable, her features composed and unreadable. There was a flicker of something in her eyes, a fleeting glimpse of uncertainty, but it was quickly masked by a mask of regal composure.

The tension in the room was palpable as Visenya awaited a response, her heart pounding in her chest with anticipation. She knew that whatever was unfolding, she needed to tread carefully, to navigate the treacherous waters of court politics with caution and cunning.

Dowager Queen Alicent's words fell heavily in the air, shattering the fragile stillness of the chamber. Visenya's expression contorted in disbelief, her mind reeling at the revelation. 

"He wished for Aegon to be his heir," the dosage queen's voice was composed, yet tinged with a sorrowful resolve. "It was his dying wish."

Visenya's brows furrowed in confusion and dismay. The weight of her grandfather's decision bore down on her like an insurmountable burden, leaving her speechless for a fleeting moment.

Dowager Queen Alicent's words sliced through the heavy air with a calculated precision, each syllable laden with the weight of her late husband's final decree. "Believe it or not," she added with a measured tone, as if bracing for the inevitable storm of disbelief that would follow. "Aegon will be king."