Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
About a year after the royal hunt at King's Wood, Rhaenyra Targaryen stopped at Storm's End on her tour to find a husband. Lord Boremund Baratheon presents her with several suitors, whom the princess finds either too old, like Lord Dondarrion, or too young, like Willem Nerbosc, or of too minor rank. While an argument breaks out between Willem Nerbosc and Jerrel Bracken, who made fun of him, Rhaenyra, exasperated, decides to put a premature end to her journey and return to King's Landing immediately. As she heads towards the exit of the room with her liege shield, Ser Criston Cole, she has just time to see Jerrel Bracken, mortally wounded, lying on the ground before the eyes of his father and his murderer, who starts to vomit. As Rhaenyra and Criston's boat arrives in sight of King's Landing, they see Caraxes pass overhead: Daemon Targaryen has returned to the royal court after four years of absence. clear
At the Red Keep, the throne room is packed, as the King of the Seven Kingdoms Viserys I Targaryen, wearing his regalia of power, welcomes his rebellious younger brother. Daemon enters the throne room, the warhammer of Craghas Drahar in his hand and his modest crown of King of the Stepstones on his head. Arriving at the foot of the throne, he is stopped by the point of Lord Commander Harrold Westrelin's sword, and he then nonchalantly throws the warhammer to the ground declaring that it can be added to the throne. Viserys asks his brother if he has truly become king, but he replies that there is only one true king, and he bends the knee, offering his crown to his older brother. clear The two Aenys and Alicent watched their uncle Daemon go down the stairs to join their father.
Viserys asks where Lord Corlys Velaryon is, and Daemon replies that he has returned home. The king then descends from the throne, and, after a moment of hesitation, he picks up his brother and the two embrace to the applause of the court (and of Rhaenyra, who entered surreptitiously). The king hosts a reception in Daemon's honor in the sacred grove of the Red Keep. A little tipsy, he explains to a small group of courtiers that Daemon has always been their mother Alyssa's favorite.
Princess Alicent Hightower approaches the group and suggests that Daemon come and see the new tapestries of Norvos and Qohor displayed in the gallery. Daemon isn't very interested, but Rhaenyra takes the opportunity to take Alicent aside.
She confides to him that her search for a suitor was cut short, because they are not attracted to her, but to her name and the prestige of the throne, and that she does not wish to lock herself in a castle to give birth there. to heirs. Seeing that her friend is hurt by these words, she apologizes, then, changing the subject, she inquires about her father's reaction to her premature return. Diplomatically, Alicent replies that he is not very happy about it, because this tour has required a lot of work. But she, on the other hand, is happy with this return, because she has very few friends now, and Rhaenyra takes her hand to comfort her.
