Didn't Expect It, Did You? I'm Still Half Green

Didn't Expect It, Did You? I'm Still Half Green

Before entering King's Landing, Aemon had agreed readily enough.

After disembarking, his resolve faced a challenge.

At noon, the sea was calm.

The Prince Aemon crossed Blackwater Bay, and from the bow, Aemon could see the imposing Mud Gate in the distance.

"So many people."

Aemon leaned over the railing, standing on tiptoe as he watched the "little ants" bustling about the harbor.

The Vale Knights stood in formation, waiting quietly for the ship to dock.

The voyage had gone very smoothly.

Boom!!

Suddenly, a golden afterimage vaulted over the towering city walls, smashing through the drifting white clouds in the sky.

The next moment, the thin clouds scattered completely.

"Shriek!"

Before the ships on Blackwater Bay could react, the golden afterimage swooped down at tremendous speed, one broad fleshy wing skimming across the sea.

Waves instantly swept across the surrounding waters.

"A dragon! Protect the prince!"

The Seagull Knights cried out in terror, throwing themselves forward and pinning little Aemon beneath them.

Aemon's vision went dark, and the ship beneath him rocked violently.

Splash!

The seawater surged into waves, and several ships, including the Prince Aemon, were shoved about by the wind.

The Vale Knights shouted repeatedly, swaying so hard they nearly lost their footing.

It had come quickly and gone just as fast.

The golden afterimage shot straight into the sky, soaring a thousand meters high before vanishing beyond Blackwater Bay.

"What happened? Was that a dragon?"

Aemon did not know fear. He poked his head out and asked.

Ser Lyon watched the sky warily. Only after confirming the dragon's shadow had disappeared did he rise. "Yes. It looked like the princess's dragon."

He had once caught a distant glimpse of that golden beast in Gulltown.

Experiencing it firsthand had left his back drenched in cold sweat.

"Ser, could you get up first?"

Aemon had been crushed so badly he could barely breathe. He struggled free.

Ser Lyon did not dare delay and hurriedly got up to check on him. "Prince, are you hurt?"

"Thank you, Ser." Aemon patted his clothes, signaling that he was fine.

But inwardly, he thought, It's grown so much.

It was just a dragon. It was not as though he had never seen one.

After that brief incident, the ships quickly docked.

Surrounded by three guards, Aemon hopped down from the deck in a few steps and successfully arrived in King's Landing.

Looking up, he scratched his head in confusion.

There was no welcoming procession, no Royal Guard clearing the way, and no special carriage for him to ride in.

As a port, the Mud Gate was crowded with merchants and fishermen coming and going.

Besides commoners and merchants, nobles were mixed in among them as well.

The Vale Knights raised House Royce's great banner, while several other banners stood nearby.

Lannister's Roaring Lion, Baratheon's Crowned Stag...

Compared to those two ducal houses, House Royce, a vassal house of the Vale, was utterly inconspicuous.

"Let's go."

Aemon furrowed his little brows, somewhat unhappy.

Gonsal obeyed, his imposing frame opening and closing as he shoved aside the merchants blocking the way like an unfeeling bulldozer.

Aemon followed him toward the gate beneath the high walls.

Many Vale Knights had come along on this trip. Lady Rhea had to arrange their lodgings and could not walk with her son.

Of course, perhaps she simply did not want to see the King.

"Make way! Make way!"

Aemon had many thoughts running through his mind, but as soon as he entered the city, he heard wheels rolling.

Accompanied by the neighing of several sturdy White Horses, a luxurious White Carriage Palace blocked the street.

A gong sounded twice, and a group of Royal Guard bearing Three-Headed Red Dragon banners came forward.

A White Knight clad in silver armor and a white cloak leaped down from the carriage, bowing respectfully. "My apologies, Prince. There was a small problem on the road."

Seeing this display, Aemon's eyes shifted as he wondered whether it was true.

They couldn't have forgotten me and only sent someone to fetch me at the last minute, could they?

"Is His Majesty busy?" Aemon tilted his head, sensing something suspicious.

The White Knight lowered his head even further and answered every question. "The King is holding a Small Council meeting. The Queen will receive you when you arrive."

"Is that so?"

Aemon clasped his little hands behind his back and nodded generously. "All right, then. Thank you for the trouble."

"It is my duty!"

The White Knight carried himself with solemn dignity. He lifted the Little Prince into the carriage, settled him in his seat, then climbed onto the driver's bench and took up the reins.

The Royal Guard also provided several fast horses as replacement mounts for the prince's guards.

Beneath the Three-Headed Red Dragon banners, the White Carriage Palace proceeded at an unhurried pace toward the Red Keep.

The people along the road stopped to watch. Their curiosity toward an unfamiliar prince far exceeded their interest in nobles from elsewhere.

Red Keep, Maegor's Holdfast.

Led by the White Knight, Aemon passed through the crowded Castle Forecourt and entered the Inner Palace, where outside officials were forbidden to enter.

"Thank you."

Aemon quietly expressed his thanks, and the White Knight led the guards away to settle them in.

The corridor with its pale red brick walls was suddenly left with only one tiny figure.

Knock, knock!

A door was knocked upon, alerting the people inside the bedchamber.

Alicent Hightower stood with her back to the door by the window, holding a swaddled baby in her arms and humming patiently to soothe him.

Hearing the sound at the door, she turned her head in confusion.

First, a little boot poked around the door. Then came an adorable, fair and tender face with silver hair and purple eyes.

The little boy grinned mischievously and waved. "Hello, Alicent."

At the sight of him, the exhaustion on Alicent's face turned to surprise, followed by a blooming smile. "Aemon, is that you?"

She took a step forward, then remembered to hand the swaddled baby in her arms to a maid.

When she stepped forward again, her pace was noticeably lighter.

Seeing how delighted she was, Aemon raised his chin smugly. "I've returned from Runestone."

The moment he finished speaking, she seized his little hand and pulled him into the room, where he stepped onto the soft Black-and-White Carpet.

Alicent cupped Aemon's chubby cheeks in both hands, looking him over from side to side as she hurriedly asked, "How was life in Runestone? I heard Lady Rhea has a very proud temperament."

His cheeks felt plump and soft. He clearly had never lacked food or clothing.

Aemon's cheeks were squeezed into puffs as he mumbled indistinctly, "It was all right. She's my birth mother, after all."

"That's good. I was worried you wouldn't adjust to the Vale's climate."

Alicent was more excited than she had been in a long time, her beautiful face covered in smiles.

It had to be said, anyone chosen to be Queen could not possibly be unattractive.

Her features were beautiful and gentle, her temperament tender and captivating. Her slightly curled hair fell over the full neckline of her gown, lending her youthful body an additional air of maternal warmth.

When she smiled, she was breathtakingly beautiful.

Aemon rubbed his nose, breathing in the familiar faint floral scent as he told her about his ordinary life over the past few years.

Alicent did the same, even holding the Little One she regarded as a younger brother on her lap.

Especially when she saw the Embroidered Satchel at Aemon's waist, the smile on her face became as warm as tea on a winter's day.

They were good friends. They had been from the very beginning.

It all began when Aemon had just been born, and Alicent entered Court with her father to care for King Jaehaerys, who was enjoying his final years.

Aemon's parents could not stand the sight of one another, so naturally neither paid much attention to raising a child.

King Jaehaerys had lost his son in old age and felt great pity for his newly born great-grandson. Once the Great Council of 101 ended, he brought the Baby to his bedside to care for him.

The one who did most of the work was Alicent, who had still been a young girl at the time.

Everyone in Court knew that aged King Jaehaerys had two young people by his side who were exceptionally close.

It was not until Aemon was three, when his great-grandfather who had always cared for him so attentively passed away in his sleep, that he was sent back to Runestone in the Vale to be raised by his birth mother, Lady Rhea.

"Alicent, you have a child of your own now."

Aemon covered his mouth and snickered, pointing at the swaddled baby wailing in the maid's arms.

Yesterday, the scheduled release for Chapter 2 went wrong. It was set for 6 PM instead of 4 PM, and I only noticed half an hour late.

I'm posting earlier today to make it up to you, friends.

--

Hehe, twenty thousand words already! Time to enter the new book catalog.

You fellow rookies from the same batch, this rookie Zhou Zhou is coming!

Next up will be a bloody and brutal battle between rookies~

Coo-coo-cluck~