The Tartered Dragon - Aegon, Son of Baelon)by mootjeman7)

Chapter 14

108 AC, The Red Keep

Otto Hightower POV

Otto watched the foreign dressed man wait with the men carrying in the small crate at the bottom of the stairs, waiting to brought into the Red Keep. His gaze washed over the men, intently studying them, and he could see that they were low born yet they wore fair quality garments typically expected of the merchant class.

One of the guards that escorted them in walked towards him.

"My Lord Hand." The guard bowed his head "These are the men who claim to be sent on behalf of Prince Aegon the Elder." The guard brought out two letters and Otto took them and he inspected the seal on the letters.

Both of them had the Targaryen seal, the same seal he'd seen four years ago, the last correspondence between the Iron Throne and the third son of Baelon.

Otto flipped the letters over and saw that one was addressed to King Viserys and the other to the Lord Hand, and he began to open the letter addressed to him.

It was standard procedure, to address towards someone of high rank in the capital when letters came from foreign dignitaries or merchants who wished an audience with the King.

It's the Prince's handwriting, Otto recognised after he read through the letter.

He closed the letter after having read through the inconsequential content which only bore to assuage that it did come from the Prince himself and what the gifts were, and Otto dismissively waved the men to come up.

"Have the rooms by the servants' quarters prepared." Otto said with cool eyes as he eyed the Prince's men once more before returning his gaze towards the guard as he began to turn away.

"And search the crate thoroughly."

It was later during the evening meal when he was with his daughter, the Queen, Viserys and Rhaenyra, that he had the gifts brought that were held within the crate.

"Your brother has brought gifts for his namesake and nephew whilst bringing gifts for Rhaenyra and Alicent." Otto told them before the gifts were brought in by the servants.

"Ah!" Viserys said exuberantly as he got up from his seat and made his way towards the gifts, as did Rhaenyra though his daughter Alicent sent him a quizzical look to which he only nodded slightly before she also got up to inspect the gifts.

The gifts were…worthy, Otto had to concede.

Two-foot-tall ivory statuettes of dragons and lighthouses were amongst the gifts given to the Royal family. His daughter received a jade gemstone necklace, Rhaenyra a diadem made of gold crowned with violet gems whilst his grandson received a dagger with ornately designed hilt that respected both of his heritage.

Extravagant gifts that he was sure could command a fortune, a fortune all but a few Houses could afford to part with at the best of times.

And Viserys would know it too, Otto thought with disgruntlement, and would only embolden the man to seek to return the 'wayward' Prince to Viserys' side.

Otto walked towards Viserys who was in conversation with Rhaenyra about one of the statuettes, about whether or not it resembled Balerion or Vermithor more, and he gestured Alicent to intercede when he needed her to. After she understood, he spoke up "Your Grace." Otto said respectfully, drawing Viserys' attentions.

Rhaenyra pivoted away towards Alicent who called on her and Otto decided then to lean in slightly, saying "Your brother wrote back."

He fished out the letter with the unbroken seal, the seal unbroken despite his own curiosity what the wayward third Prince wrote, from his inside pocket and Viserys eyed the letter with bright curiosity as he handed it over to the man. "May I suggest you read it later?" Otto said cautiously as he looked meaningfully to the girls.