A New Direction!

Half a cup of tea later.

Aemon came jogging back, panting heavily.

In his right hand, he clutched a crutch.

Aemon glanced back and snickered mischievously. "Just as expected of Clubfoot. His brain works pretty well."

Too bad his legs did not.

Bonfires were gradually being lit around the camp, so he casually tossed the crutch into one as kindling.

"Nicely done!"

Aemon smugly patted his dirty little hands.

Just moments ago, he had accomplished something big.

He had stolen a cripple's crutch and viciously kicked his other good leg.

That mere "Clubfoot" Larys had actually wanted to fool him into driving a wedge between Alicent and Rhaenyra, so he could choose a side and profit from it.

He had even explicitly pointed out that Alicent, whose father was about to lose power, lacked care and affection, making her the best target for a breakthrough.

"Heh." Aemon sneered.

Larys had plainly wanted him to join the Green Party and work with him, one in the open and one in the shadows, to scheme against Alicent.

What wishful thinking.

Alicent was his beloved friend, practically his own sister. How could he let her be deceived again?

"A second son is still a second son. Petty-minded to the bone."

Aemon muttered to himself, grateful that he was an only child.

Larys was probably still crawling out of a mud pit right about now.

He would consider it a small lesson—and thank Larys for showing him the way.

That was right. Under Larys's silver tongue, Aemon had come to an understanding!

"The Black Party and Green Party haven't even formed yet. What's the point of worrying about the ending?"

Aemon chuckled.

The real priority was to correct the mistakes before the blacks and greens took shape.

Rhaenyra and Alicent were both still dependents. Neither had risen to become the leader of the blacks or greens.

The current political situation was one of royal power striking at the power of the Hand and reshaping the Small Council.

Only after Hand Otto was dismissed and ordered back to Oldtown, leaving a vacuum of power within and beyond the Court, could Rhaenyra and Alicent rise with the tide.

Before then, neither of them had considered the road ahead.

"Then there's plenty of room to maneuver."

Aemon grinned crookedly and headed toward the Queen's Tent where Alicent was staying for the night.

It was not far, and he soon arrived at his destination.

"Prince, what business do you have here?"

Two White Knights stood guard before the tent. They were a pair of identical twins.

"I'm here to see Alicent," Aemon said.

No sooner had he spoken than Alicent's pleasant voice sounded from inside the tent.

"Is that Aemon? Ser, let him in."

The faint rustling of things being gathered accompanied her words, as though she were in a hurry.

The two White Knights exchanged glances. The one on the left said, "Please enter."

Aemon flashed a sweet smile. "Thank you, Ser Alick."

Alick froze for a moment, not expecting the Little Prince to be able to tell him apart from his brother.

"I have good eyes. I'm very good at archery."

Aemon giggled as he lifted the flap and entered the tent.

The Cargyll brothers of the Kingsguard could barely be considered part of the Queen Party.

Their duty was to protect the Queen.

The light dimmed once he entered the tent.

Alicent was kneeling on the carpet. She asked in surprise, "Aemon, why are you here?"

She instinctively touched the corners of her reddened eyes, not wanting him to notice that she had just been crying.

Aemon's smile vanished at once. "You were crying?"

Could it have been because of what happened that morning? Had he embarrassed her too much?

"No, I wasn't."

Alicent denied it immediately, forcing a cheerful smile onto her face.

"You're still saying you weren't."

Aemon looked unconvinced, and his mood worsened by a fraction.

He walked over to her and silently sat beside her.

Alicent at this stage was still far too fragile.

Her heart bore too much guilt, shame, and other negative emotions, leaving her to wear herself down with nowhere to vent them.

"I'm sorry, Aemon."

Alicent was dejected as she apologized on her own initiative. "I shouldn't have made things difficult for Rhaenyra or dragged Daemon into it."

She did not know what had clouded her mind.

She had simply wanted to make Rhaenyra lose face once, to release the grievances and bitterness that had piled up inside her like a mountain of trash.

She had nearly lost her only friend.

"You don't need to apologize."

After listening, Aemon rested his head against Alicent's chest and said softly, "I know you never wanted to hurt me. And I know you aren't happy."

"How could I...?" Alicent's expression turned unnatural.

"You can fool everyone else, because they don't care whether you're happy or not."

Aemon raised his head, his expression utterly serious. "But you can't fool me. And you can't fool your own heart, can you?"

Alicent opened her mouth to speak, but when she met those violet eyes, she could no longer deceive herself.

Of course she was unhappy.

She and Rhaenyra had once been friends, yet she had become the other girl's stepmother.

How could she not feel ashamed?

Her husband might be the King, the man with the highest power in the realm, but he was also a middle-aged widower who had lost both wife and son, more than ten years her senior.

There was no love between them at all.

And now, her father Otto wanted to support her son Aegon as heir to the Iron Throne, dragging her aboard his warship.

Defying her husband's will. Attacking her former friend.

None of it was acceptable to Alicent, who had been steeped in faith of the Seven since childhood. The pressure in her heart was immense.

Drip!

Alicent could no longer keep her expression together. Tears slid from her reddened eyes as she bit down hard on her lower lip without making a sound.

The emotions piled within her heart, their bitterness beyond words.

No one in the vast Red Keep truly cared for or loved her. They only called her Your Grace, the Queen, forgetting Miss Alicent.

Even her father saw her as nothing more than a puppet to win people over.

In those hopeless days, she felt like a walking corpse, living on while exhausting every ounce of herself.

Only Aemon's arrival had allowed her to see some hope in life.

They were the closest of companions, like an older sister caring for her younger brother, living together beneath the sheltering shadow of King Jaehaerys.

"I... I'm so lonely."

Alicent could not help choking back a sob.

She did not know how she was supposed to live. Her manipulated life had become a vast blank expanse, a path lost in mist.

Sometimes, she could not help thinking: if only King Jaehaerys were still alive...

"Alicent, do you remember your dream?"

Aemon pursed his lips and reached out to wipe away her tears.

He still remembered why he had come.

To help Alicent break free from her restraints and choose the path she wanted for herself.

"My dream?"

Alicent was at a loss for a moment.

She had not heard that word in so long that she had nearly forgotten it.

"Yes." Aemon held her pale face in his hands and said earnestly, "The thing you told me you wanted to do when you were little."

Alicent stared blankly at his youthful face.

She seemed to have said that when she grew up, she wanted to find a quiet place where no one would disturb her and live there with the people important to her.

Free of care, without restraints or worries.

"Do you remember?" Aemon asked again.

Alicent stared into space, dazed. After a long while, she said, "Of course."

"Alicent, do you trust me?"

Aemon's little face was solemn as he pressed his forehead against hers.

Alicent's eyes were clear as she nodded gently.

"Then listen to me. We won't let anyone bully us."

Without hesitation, Aemon said, "Your father is a politician, but he isn't a good father. You need to become strong yourself."

"But he's my father."

"We both have irresponsible fathers."

Aemon reminded her, "It's your father who needs you, not the other way around."

The Queen's status gave the Oldtown Faction confidence.

Otto was about to lose.

Alicent had to step forward, take over the Oldtown Faction, turn it into the Queen Party, protect herself, and stabilize the situation.

Without Otto egging her on, she would not be so ambitious.

Even if the struggle over the heir was unavoidable, it could still minimize the damage to the royal family.

By changing the course of events, they could smother the ending of the Dance of the Dragons in its cradle.

Alicent felt uneasy, but she gathered her courage and asked, "What should I do?"

Perhaps it was time to change.

Aemon shook his head. "You don't need to do anything."

She only needed to wait quietly.

Alicent was confused at first, then suddenly understood. "I get it."

"Hm?"

Aemon blinked. What did she get?

Alicent did not answer. She wiped away her tears and regained her smile.

Her greatest opponent was her father, but sometimes an opponent would fall from power all on his own.

Viserys had long been dissatisfied with him.

"You haven't wiped them all away yet. I'll help you."

Aemon patiently attended to her.

"Thank you, Aemon."

Alicent cupped Aemon's little face in return and pressed close to him as though seeking comfort.

She had figured it out.

Her father was someone important to her, while she was someone important to Aemon.

Compared to the pain the former brought her, she would rather protect the little innocence she still possessed.

Beyond Aemon's line of sight, Alicent's eyes turned fierce.

"Father, forgive me."