Fire and Blood

Chapter 147: Hour of the Blood Moon (Part 1)

Red Keep ― Small Council chamber...

"Are you certain of what you've just seen?" Aemma inquired.

Baela nodded. "Though the gathering might seem small, they were mumbling rather loudly," she reported. "The people are turning on His Grace. A man called 'the Shepherd' is preaching against him, mobilizing what seemed to be his flock."

"Who exactly is this 'Shepherd'?" Jacaerys asked.

"No one knows. Some begging brother, most likely. He appeared in Cobbler's Square and started preaching that the king is in thrall to demons. He calls our dragons 'demons of godless Valyria' that we loosed on the city."

"After everything we've done, after all we've lost, all that pain and misery, some mad beggar takes to the streets to howl to the moon and turn people against us!" Aegon's expression became stern as he protested. Recalling Baela's description, he remembered a preacher from the city streets where he had stumbled in a drunken haze after hearing about the death of his twin, Viserys. The memory of the so-called 'Shepherd' lingered, particularly how he hurled vicious accusations, labeling Aegon and every Targaryen as incestuous abominations and derogating his mother, the queen, with foul names. No, Aegon would not tolerate this any longer. He turned to Farrier, the Master of Whisperers. "Well, Farrier, did your little birds report anything from the Riverlands? Have they heard anything yet?"

Farrier shook his head. "My agents were... forced to pull back, Prince Aegon," he said. "The fighting between His Grace and Aemond the Kinslayer had made the Riverlands too dangerous for them to remain any longer. As it stands, we've continued to have no contact with the king, nor do we have any leads on his whereabouts. But, rest assured, once the dust settles, all efforts will be made to―"

"If he even survived, that is," Alfred Broome, a household knight hailing from the Westerlands, responded in a gruff manner. He was characterized by his directness and a generally sullen demeanor, traits that rendered him unpopular among many council members. This unpopularity was mainly known among the younger Targaryen royals, who found his sour disposition particularly off-putting. "No one in living memory has even gone toe-to-toe against Vhagar alone and lived to tell the tale," he continued. "For all intents and purposes, the king could likely be dead."

"Mind your tongue, Ser Alfred," Jacaerys warned.

Aemma's face darkened. "I do not believe that," she said sternly. "And neither should any on this council."

Alfred turned to look at them. "The princess is well within her right of opinion regarding her father's well-being, but this council is rudderless without him here. Until we hear otherwise, we ought to assume the worst and must, instead, look elsewhere to lead us."

Aegon slammed his fist on the table, demanding silence. "Be silent, old man," he warned. "You speak before the royal family, not misguided children or dogs to be called to heel." He turned back to Farrier. "Now, I don't care how you do it, Farrier, I don't care how long it takes, tell your men back out there and find any trace of my father or his dragon... or so help me, Vhagar will be the least of their worries―"

"Your irritations are justified, Aegon, but threatening Farrier or his agents will gain us nothing," Alicent gently yet firmly hushed her second son. As queen consort, she maintained a steady and authoritative voice on the small council, despite the societal challenge of being a woman in power. With uncertainty swirling around her husband Aeonar's fate-no one was able to verify whether he was alive or dead-there remained a pressing issue that needed attention. "Will this Shepherd be willing to parlay?" she inquired.

"No," Baela shook her head.

"Men like him are as maniacal as they are fanatics. They will not change their minds or refuse to if they believe their cause is righteous, good intentions or otherwise," Rhaenyra replied. "They call my brother... 'Aeonar the Cruel' or... 'Aeonar the Deceiver.' We execute traitors, and the people hate us for it; we ask them to pay their costs for the war, and they call us tyrants."