Later that night, his mother found him. Jaehaerys spent the hours after the fight in his quarters. He worked in whisky. He wanted to produce a purer liquor. He was writing down his knowledge of microbiology and chemistry. He would have loved to recreate tequila, but he had never heard of the agave plant in Planetos.
"That vision of you seems more like you," she said as soon as she saw him.
"Thank you. I enjoyed it more, too," he said, putting his pen aside.
His mother approached and carefully took the strange object.
"Another one of your inventions?" she asked.
"Yes, but I just need to change the ink periodically. It's more useful than dipping a quill every twenty words," he continued.
"Would you be willing to give one to your wise mother?"
"You can have it," he smiled. "This box contains cartridges," he said, showing her some thin glass tubes. There was wax at both ends and ink inside. "When the ink runs out, you have to change them. Remove the wax and put it together like this," he said, showing her how to take the pen apart. It was an invention that lightened his workload.
"I've never seen such small Myrian glass," she said, admiring the small device. It was delicate and difficult to produce.
"It doesn't come from Myr," he said. His mother's eyes widened. She nodded at his words.
"Knowledge is dangerous," she said, looking worried. "I don't want anyone to hurt you."
"The last time you thought they would hurt me was before the duel," he said calmly. "I can defend myself."
"And Dany?" she asked. "Can you promise me you'll protect her?"
"With my life, Mother. I'll protect her with my life," he said, taking her hand in his.
Soon, he found himself in his mother's warm embrace. She hugged him tightly. He knew she was worried, but he didn't know how much. Seeing him fight in a duel must have upset her, especially against a skilled opponent with a Valyrian steel weapon.
"The wedding is in two weeks, my children," she said, caressing his face. "I missed so much of your life," she said regretfully.
"When Harrenhal is repaired, I will build chambers for you. They will be fit for a queen." He kissed her hand.
"You still want to go to Harrenhal? I don't know what nonsense is going through your head," she said, walking away. Now, she was upset. "It's cursed and barely habitable," she said in a low voice. "Stay at KingsLanding. There are hundreds of lords who hardly ever set foot in their castles. You can join the small council and live here."
"Why do you always doubt me, Mother?" he asked. Pain tinged his voice. "Haven't I already proven what I'm capable of?"
"The last time I saw you, you were eight. Now you're back as an adult. But I can't forget the image of the child who held my hand as we walked through the gardens. I only knew about you through your letters and Varys's reports." Her eyes filled with tears.
"It's not fair, Mother. But I'm not a child anymore. I'm going to make Harrenhal a great place. Mine will replace the name of Harren the Black. History books will mention me first when discussing the castle. They'll talk about the city around it, too. I'll make you proud," he said in a low, raspy voice.
"Don't talk nonsense. I'm proud of you. Whenever Varys talked about your studies, I felt like my little prince was growing into a strong and kind man," she said, smiling at the memory. "You don't have to prove anything to me."
"I want to prove myself to myself, too," he said. "It's my ambition, and I need a place to fulfill it. I'm the third son. The king's little brother. I'm not close to the line of succession. I'm fourth in line— Sixth, if you count the princesses. I have to make a name for myself. I plan to make my name ring louder than the king's."
"You shouldn't say that lightly," his mother scolded, feeling moved by his words.
"I don't covet the throne. It would take time away from my research."
"Others won't think the same," his mother whispered more to herself than to him.
"Others?"
"What I'm about to tell you. Be sure to keep it to yourself," his mother said, looking at him with unusual seriousness. "The person who wanted you and Daenerys to marry is Tywin Lannister," she whispered.
"Why? What did Tywin want with the marriage? He got nothing out of it."
"I found out a few minutes ago. I intercepted a letter from the Imp," she said. It was as if stealing information was her daily bread.
"Are you watching the Lannisters? I thought Joanna was your friend."
"And it's because of Joanna that I haven't sent for the lioness to be whipped. Cersei is a stupid and dangerous woman. I'll keep an eye on her," she said venomously.
"I've already taken care of that," he said.
"Yes, Jaime's letter asked his father to send half a million gold dragons to Harrenhal. The stupid lion's face must be hilarious," she said, allowing himself a crude laugh. "Be that as it may, the halfman warned his father about the duel, telling him that his wish to see you and Dany together would be fulfilled soon. I don't know his motives. I only know that he is the hand behind the scenes," he finished in a conspiratorial tone.
"He fears me," said Jaehaerys after considering it for a moment.
"I don't think he fears anyone."
"I have certain business dealings with him. They are small, but they generate a good amount of gold dragons. Tywin tried to take them for himself. All in vain; the business is still mine. He's been trying to take it over for three years," he said, taking a sip of wine.
"Business in those parts?" asked his mother. "Tell me later. Now, tell me why Tywin fears you for that."
"Because I beat him," he said. "He fears that if I ever usurp Aegon, I might get it. Viserys is too clumsy to do it. Daemon isn't interested in ruling, nor does he have a head for politics." His words were not disparaging; they simply expressed the plain truth. "I, on the other hand, have done things there that he doesn't like. I have a small army there."
That's when I realized that Rhaegar's explanations were rubbish.
"An army?" asked Rhaella.
"Yes, to protect my merchandise."
"Merchandise?" she asked.
"A mixture of herbs that cause hallucinations when burned and inhaled," he replied. He created hallucinogens to sell to wealthy Essosians. They were expensive and kept out of the hands of ordinary people. There were others on the market, but they were of inferior quality. "The point is, he sees me as more dangerous than Viserys or Daemon. I'm not saying I can usurp Aegon, but I'm more capable than the two of them." There was no boasting, just the words of a confident man. "That's why using my marriage to Daenerys is the best option. It prevents me from taking a wife who could support me in a war," he finished, hoping his mother wouldn't pry into his drug trade.
Jaehaerys hadn't expected the old lion to be so cautious with him. Still, that was just a theory. He had shown a good head on his shoulders, nothing more. But in this world, though, such a thing was rare.
"If what you say is true, he'll be more cautious with you now that he knows you're a good warrior and that you're extorting Jaime."
"Jaime offered to make a donation," he clarified, but he received only indifference. "I can't marry the daughter of a great house. Even if I'm the best warrior in Westeros, without soldiers, I'm not a threat."
"What about your men?" she asked, worried.
"They're just five hundred, not enough," he said quickly.
"Be careful with him. Don't antagonize his family. He's a ruthless man; only Joanna can curb his cruelty. He won't hesitate to hurt you if he sees you as a threat."
"He can try," he said calmly.
"Jaehaerys!" his mother scolded. "You are brilliant, my son. But you are still mortal. Don't be reckless," she advised.
"I am a dragon. A young one, but no less dangerous," he declared, holding his head high.
He did not consider himself the second coming of Daeron the Young Dragon. However, he would not allow anyone to think he was inferior. If he had, he would have given up his business long ago.
"Suddenly, I feel like I'm talking to a proud lout," his mother said, sounding frustrated.
"Don't worry about me, Mother. It'll be a while before I start breathing fire," he joked.
Despite his words, he was aware of his own weakness when talking about armies. But not all wars are fought with troops. He wished he could awaken the dragons from the stones, though.
"I'm going to assume it's the alcohol making you an idiot," she replied.
She approached him and kissed him on the forehead. "I'm glad you're safe. Don't change that," she said, turning to leave.
Jaehaerys appreciated the silence. He took another pen from one of the drawers, loaded the ink cartridge, and prepared to begin writing.
"Come in," he said when he heard a knock at his door. A man in simple gray armor entered.
"Prince," said Torrhen, one of his guards. "I have news...unpleasant news."
"Be direct," he ordered.
"Gerold Dayne has been found innocent. The man said that it was Viserys who ordered him to hire the assassins. He claimed he was threatened with death," the man said.
'What the hell is Rhaegar doing?'
"Do you know when Viserys' trial will be?" he asked, feigning calm.
"Tomorrow."
"Withdraw," he ordered. The man nodded before leaving.
'Gerold sold Viserys out. The son of a bitch lied to me,' he said, his fingers intertwined beneath his chin. 'Was Viserys the culprit, or did they simply use him as a scapegoat?' he wondered.
'Why did they rush Darkstar's trial? Rhaegar wouldn't be that petty, would he?' He didn't believe his brother would have done it to punish him for not wanting to send Daemon away.
"I need to talk to Viserys," he decided, rising from his seat.