"Kinslayer!" was all that could be heard in the throne room.
"Silence!" roared the king. On Rhaegar's head rested a simple band of yellow gold set with seven precious stones of different colors: It was the crown of Jaehaerys the Conciliator. Rhaenyra Targaryen had sold the crown. The king spent a lot of gold to get it back. He hoped that, with it, he would be seen with more respect as the second coming of the Conciliator. All in all, he had fulfilled his promise despite the rebellion of the stag.
Jaehaerys looked at his brother, who was on trial. If he had had any doubts about his innocence before, he was certain now. He still did not know who the instigator was; he only knew that Viserys was not guilty.
Jaehaerys even thought it might be Rhaegar. But he dismissed the idea. The king was taking advantage of the situation to punish him.
'Did he expect him to fight like Viserys' champion? Or does he intend to send him to the Wall?' When he spoke to Viserys yesterday, he said that Rhaegar asked him to confess and go to the Wall.
The prince stood hunched over on a small platform, given the opportunity to defend himself. Three impartial Lords would judge the prince:
Jaime Lannister, Oberyn Martell, and Mace Tyrell. The latter looked at him angrily. He could often be heard muttering, "And to think that my beautiful rose was about to marry a kinslayer."
Jaehaerys walked among the whispers of the court. His older brother looked at him from the Iron Throne. There was nothing in his eyes.
His nephew Aegon looked at him sympathetically, looking tired.
Viserys looked at him uncertainly, but with hope in his eyes. Jaehaerys nodded in his direction and walked toward Rhaella and Daenerys. They both seemed uncomfortable. The queen mother did not know which side to take. He smiled softly at her as he took his betrothed's hand and kissed it.
"We will begin," the king said.
And the charade began. In addition to Gerold, several other servants were brought in to corroborate his story. They said they saw Viserys give Gerold a heavy bag and speak to him angrily.
There was also talk of Viserys' mistreatment of his employees. Those who spoke of him said he was a man already corrupted by the bitterness of being a spare prince.
There was even a stable boy who said he was used in unnatural ways.
They weren't just accusing him of trying to murder his brother; they were also trying to discredit him. No matter what the case may be, the marriage between Viserys and Margaery Tyrell would never come to fruition.
"Enough!" He seemed dwarfed in court at first; no one expected him to roar like that. "Since those damned imbeciles began to speak, I have heard nothing but lies against me. I am a Targaryen; I am dragon blood. You can be sure of one thing: I would never do anything against my blood or my brother," he said, his voice fading along with his rage.
The three judges looked at him: Jaime with surprise, Oberyn with amusement, and Mace with anger. The latter began to speak.
"How dare you speak? Your desire for Princess Daenerys disrespects the Reach and my daughter. Above all, the thought of a kinslayer sword-swallower becoming the husband of my rose is abhorrent," he said with shame and anger. He did not seem to notice the look the Dornishman gave him. Oberyn was well known for his fondness for men and women.
"Sword-swallower? You don't know how many times I've ignored the Knight of Flowers' advances." Many in the room lowered their heads to stifle their laughter. The Lord Paramount's face reddened further. "And I do desire my sister. May the gods strike me down if I deny it. How could I compare her to your insipid daughter, who seems eager to sleep with Aegon in front of her future husband?" Viserys wasn't exactly brilliant, but when he was angry, he spat fire.
"How could a flower compare to a dragon? Even so, regardless of my desire for her. I will admit that my brother is more worthy of her hand than anyone else." He calmed down and said those words from the bottom of his heart. "Even me", he ended sadly.
Jaehaerys looked at Dany; she seemed uncomfortable. She looks for his hand, trying to find peace.
"My daughter is not—"
"I demand a trial by combat." He interrupted Tyrell. "A dragon should only be pitied by the gods. Men have no right to judge me."
For agonizing seconds, silence reigned in the hall.
"I ask that you allow me the honor of fighting for the crown, Your Grace," said Ser Gerold Dayne as he knelt before the Iron Throne. "I was corrupted and used by Viserys Targaryen. I let fear guide me and did shameful things because of it. Allow me a little redemption." From above, Rhaegar heard everything, impassive.
"So mote it be," said the king, his voice booming through the hall. "Let the gods decide, then. That will ease the pain and doubt in my heart. You have a champion, or you will fight for yourself?"
"I will fight for him, Your Grace," said Jaehaerys. He watched his brother grip the throne tightly for a moment, surprise in his eyes. 'Rhaegar didn't expect me to come out?'
Jaehaerys thought of another reason why the king had brought forward the trial. Was it to give him a scapegoat as an excuse? That was unlikely. Rhaegar should know that he wanted to kill Darkstar.
'No. Rhaegar wasn't that stupid.'
If Viserys's statement had caused silence, then his younger brother's had caused chaos. It was uncommon for someone who had nearly been murdered to fight and risk his life for his would-be murderer.
"Are you sure?" Jaehaerys could taste the bitterness in Rhaegar's words.
"I am. Perhaps it is childish of me, but I believe my brother is innocent. So I will fight for him," he said.
His mother and sister looked on in surprise. They were both feeling better now, though. Not because Jaehaerys was going to fight for Viserys's life, but because he believed in his innocence. Rhaella no longer had any doubts about her son's guilt. Now, she was sure he was innocent. Daenerys squeezed his hand affectionately.
"Very well," said the king. "A date will be discussed."
"Why not right now? Here. Let's get it over with quickly," Jaehaerys interjected. "The three judges are here, and there are hundreds of witnesses. The High Septon is here," he said, looking at the fat man, who cringed at his gaze. "Here. My opponent is dressed in his armor. I have my weapon with me. There is no need to wait," the prince said, showing the three-section staff in his hand. Torrhen had brought it.
"Sir Gerold."
"I... agree," the man said. His voice was tense.
DarkStar had heard about the duel between Daemon and Jaehaerys. They fought evenly, and Jaehaerys won with an unexpected move.
Gerold had not fought the Rogue Prince, but he did not believe that he was less skilled. Still, he would be cautious.
"The rules are simple. The winner of the duel will be the one left standing, whether he kills or immobilizes his opponent. It has always been this way. I cannot make exceptions, not even for you, my brother," he finished with a sigh, as if it hurt him.
"Daenerys, it would be better if you left the room. There will be blood," said Jaehaerys. What he was about to do to the man was not something a person with a weak stomach should see.
"Women see blood more often than you gentlemen," said the Queen Mother. Daenerys nodded firmly and frowned defiantly.
He gave her hand one last caress before letting go, sighed, and walked to the center of the room. He removed his cloak, leaving him in a cotton shirt. His rival frowned.
"No armor?"
"The last man who judged me for that lost."
They formed a circle in the center of the room, leaving enough space for themselves. The lords watched, not daring to blink. They crowded together. Knights of House Targaryen formed a perimeter around Gerold and Jaehaerys.
"Don't hold back," a voice from the crowd said. It caused silence.
"Daemon," Lyanna said. Princess Visenya at her side refused to leave.
"I will leave for the North after witnessing the duel. I want to know what he's capable of," he said shamefully, hugging his sister.
"I don't plan on holding back. He's not lucky enough to share my blood." Jaehaerys said, looking at Daemon angrily. He wanted to get it over with quickly. He didn't want to antagonize Rhaegar, but he also wanted to show that he wasn't a toy to be manipulated at will.
"Supreme Septon," the king said.
Both rivals listened to the septon talk about the Seven Gods and other things.
Neither paid any attention.
"In the name of the Seven, may Viserys Targaryen's innocence or guilt be proven by these two warriors," he finished.
The duel began. The lords joked that the Septon took longer to deliver his speech than the prince took to finish off his rival.
-----
"It's a shame... Prince, but I will keep my promise from that day," in a room full of people, Gerold did not dare repeat his words.
"Do you know what a black dwarf is? It's what the last stage of stars is called... when they die." Jaehaerys said, though the comparison was unfair.
Black dwarfs are the last stage in the life of a small star...
Gerold was barely bigger than a candle.
Gerold didn't respond; he struck the first blow, but Jaehaerys stopped it, letting the sword bounce off the metal.
'He's strong. I couldn't budge him at all,' Gerold thought as he looked into the prince's eyes. They were purple, like his own. Gerold wondered if his eyes appeared that way to his rivals, not with hatred or anger, but with indifference. It was as if this duel were not against Darkstar; it was as if he were about to sacrifice a pig for a feast.
Gerold wished he could inspire half the fear he felt at that moment in his victims.
The second blow came from Jaehaerys. It was an upward arc that struck Darkstar's inner thigh. Grimaces of disgust filled the hall more than the air. The leg was broken with a crack, and the lords watched it rise and twist impossibly.
-----
A cry more befitting a maiden than a knight came from Dayne's lungs.
The cry of a baby echoed it.
"Who ordered you to hire assassins?" the prince asked. All he got was the knight's cry. He spat in disgust as the smell of feces and urine filled his nostrils.
He got no answer. What would he do if he pressed him further? What if he said that Rhaegar had ordered everything? It would make the house of the dragon look even more broken.
The third blow, also from Jaehaerys, crushed his rival's head, ending his suffering. The prince felt no pity. Anyone who attempts to take the life of a dragon deserves to die by its jaws.
There was no fourth blow.
The murmurs of the lords and the cries of the ladies ceased. Even the baby's crying stopped.
In the hall, only Daemon's footsteps dared to break the silence.