On Driftmark, in Queen Alicent's chambers.
Inside the room, the fireplace burned low, its light reflecting off the tense face of Hand of the King Otto Hightower.
"Aemond! Do you know what you have done?"
Otto's voice was filled with anger.
Queen Alicent, hearing her father's scolding, silently dabbed the wounds on Aemond's face with a handkerchief.
"It doesn't hurt, Mother. Not with you here."
Aemond said softly.
Aemond turned his head and looked at Otto.
"By the way, Grandfather, I already said it wasn't me who struck Jacaerys."
"Who would believe that?"
Otto replied in a deep voice.
"Even if it truly happened as you said—if Lucerys was the one who drew the dagger first—everyone present now says it was you."
Aemond felt helpless.
Arguing with fools who swallow lies whole was pointless.
"I believe you. I saw everything that happened, Aemond…"
A gentle, timid voice sounded.
Everyone turned to look.
It was Helaena Targaryen.
Her silver hair fell to her waist like a waterfall, and her violet eyes seemed filled with stars. She had inherited her mother's beauty—tall, fair, and delicate.
Aemond looked at Helaena.
This was the sister who, in the original body's memories, had always loved him deeply.
Helaena noticed Aemond's gaze.
Heat and longing colored her cheeks, and she quietly lowered her head.
"Helaena, you were there as well?"
Otto asked in surprise.
Queen Alicent also looked doubtful.
How could her gentle, lamb-like daughter have been involved in such chaos?
"I… I saw it in a dream…"
Helaena lowered her head, her voice as soft as a mosquito.
At that moment, an ill-timed mocking voice rang out.
"Alright, alright~"
Everyone looked toward Aegon, who had spoken.
"Besides, Aemond's nature is withdrawn and unsociable, isn't it?"
After speaking, Aegon glanced at Aemond, but Aemond ignored him.
Otto silently stared at Aegon, occasionally wondering what was going on inside his eldest grandson's head.
He suppressed the urge to slap him awake.
He knew that since childhood, this elder brother had mocked Jacaerys' group to ridicule the original Aemond—saying he was unworthy of riding a dragon and fit only to ride a pig.
Thinking of this, the humiliation of the original body surged back into Aemond's heart.
Later, when Aemond became a true killer, Aegon had played no small part in it.
Aegon noticed none of the looks around him. He glanced at Aemond and Helaena, both with lowered heads, and spread his hands.
"What kind of brother am I supposed to be, anyway?"
"And that freak—"
Bang.
Before he could finish, Aemond's fist slammed into Aegon's face.
"If you want to laugh at me, I don't care,"
Aemond said coldly.
"But I won't allow you to talk about Helaena like that."
His eyes burned with fury as he pointed at Aegon.
The younger brother before him was no longer someone who could be bullied at will, as before.
Recalling what had happened earlier that day, Aegon's arrogance shrank into fear.
He was afraid that this younger brother might truly do something extreme.
Helaena, who had been lowering her head, looked up and saw Aemond standing in front of her, defending her.
She covered her mouth with her small hands, her eyes trembling with emotion.
Aegon dared not fight back and said irritably,
"Mother, Grandfather, did you see that? This guy—"
That night, he clearly hadn't done anything, yet he found himself caught between his mother and his brother.
Aegon finally cried out,
"Why did you hit me again?!"
In the end, Alicent still cared about her eldest son's dignity and did not say what she usually would—about him lying in servants' beds.
Aegon no longer dared to speak, afraid his mother might strike him again.
Aemond watched coldly.
Suddenly, Aemond turned toward his sister Helaena.
She looked at him with gratitude in her eyes.
When she realized Aemond was looking at her, she lowered her head again.
Otto broke the stagnant atmosphere.
"Aegon, I don't care how you view your younger siblings."
Faced with his grandfather's warning, Aegon nodded ignorantly.
At that moment, there was a light knock on the door.
Otto frowned slightly.
"Enter."
A close royal servant came in and whispered,
"Your Excellency, Hand of the King, His Majesty orders everyone to assemble in the hall."
Then the servant whispered a few more words to Otto.
Hearing this, Otto's tightly furrowed brows relaxed slightly.
After the servant left, he said wearily,
"That child… he didn't die."
Alicent let out a long breath of relief.
Otto smiled bitterly and murmured,
"But the price for this… was always inevitable."
"Let's go."
He pushed the door open.
Outside stood the knight beside the queen, Ser Criston Cole of the Kingsguard, who bowed respectfully.
This prince had indeed done what he wanted, yet dared not go too far—still, Rhaenyra's wild seed had nearly died.
Aemond felt Cole's gaze.
This man had once been Rhaenyra's sworn shield and had shared a brief relationship with her.
Aemond despised such people in his heart, yet had to admit that Criston Cole was an indispensable blade of the Green faction.
In another room.
Rhaenyra sat by Jacaerys' bed.
Her son had lost his left eye, and she wept uncontrollably as she looked at him, freshly stitched by the maester.
Only Prince Daemon, Lord Corlys, and the children were in the room.
From her second son, Rhaenyra learned that Lucerys had been the first to draw the dagger, causing his uncle to wound him by accident.
She was furious, yet had nowhere to vent it.
What mother could endure such a thing happening to her own child?
"Mother… I don't want to be blind…"
Jacaerys murmured in his sleep after drinking milk of the poppy.
The other children also cried softly.
Rhaenyra fell silent.
Even though she hated her former best friend Alicent, who had climbed into her father's bed, the remaining conscience in her heart told her that Lucerys was at fault.
Aemond, too, bore responsibility—but he was not the true culprit.
Daemon noticed her hesitation and said in a low voice,
"The Greens must pay a price to settle this matter."
Rhaenyra looked at him, tears streaming down her face.
Seeing this, Daemon's heart tightened.
"For example," he said,
"use this opportunity to completely disqualify the Green faction from competing with you for the throne."
Corlys added the decisive words.
"Rhaenyra, listen to us."
"We will have the king make a ruling on this matter."
"Jacaerys has lost an eye. Now we must ensure the throne will be his."
"Don't forget—Vhagar was claimed by Aemond. This matter must cost the Greens dearly."
Hearing this, the wavering Rhaenyra finally nodded.
As for her second son, Lucerys, it no longer mattered.
The root of everything was Aemond claiming Vhagar without permission, leading to the current situation.
Jacaerys could not lose an eye for nothing—better to secure his inheritance.
And Vhagar…
Today, the Greens would be forced to compromise.
And they would pay for it.