After her father pressured her, Rhaenyra returned to her room, dejected.
By then, Rhaegar had already left.
The empty bedroom only deepened the loneliness in Rhaenyra's wounded heart.
She had never understood why her father always wanted her to marry.
Could she not inherit the Iron Throne if she remained unmarried?
Would the whole realm oppose her?
Knock, knock, knock...
As she tried to compose herself alone, someone knocked at the door.
Rhaenyra turned around. Cole, clad in silver armor and a white cloak, had already entered the room.
"Cole, is something the matter?"
Facing the White Knight she had once been fond of, Rhaenyra hurriedly wiped the corners of her eyes and asked as though nothing was wrong.
Cole looked at Rhaenyra with concern and said softly, "Princess, the Queen was here just now. She asked you to meet her in the Back Garden."
"Alicent?"
Hearing that Alicent had asked to see her, Rhaenyra felt a little suspicious. The timing was too convenient.
After straightening her clothes, Rhaenyra said, "All right. I'll go now."
The Back Garden.
Rhaenyra came alone.
Alicent had been waiting beneath the Weirwood tree for quite some time.
The moment they saw each other, Alicent looked worried and asked urgently, "What happened last night?"
"What do you mean?"
Suspicion flickered in Rhaenyra's eyes, but she asked in an even tone.
Alicent continued, "I heard someone make a troubling accusation against you. Were you with your uncle?"
The words immediately put Rhaenyra on her guard.
She smiled faintly. "I hadn't seen Daemon in years. He took me out to have fun in the city."
"I'm your sister. You have to tell me the truth so I can help you, Rhaenyra."
Seeing that Rhaenyra wasn't telling her the truth, Alicent played on their bond. She stepped forward, took Rhaenyra's hand, and spoke with heartfelt sincerity.
Rhaenyra asked in return, "What did someone accuse me of?"
"Did I get drunk? Leave the castle in the middle of the night?"
Alicent said urgently, "He said you were with Daemon in a brothel."
As she said it, Alicent looked deeply troubled, as though she were terribly worried about Rhaenyra.
"That's a vile accusation!"
Rhaenyra would never admit to it. She immediately denied it.
But Alicent didn't believe her. "Is that so? The Targaryen family does have some strange customs."
"Daemon is clearly a reckless, ambitious man with ulterior motives."
"Enough, Alicent!"
At that, Rhaenyra sharply cut her off.
If she had truly done something wrong, she wouldn't have dared to scold Alicent so loudly.
But she was innocent, and she wouldn't let Alicent make baseless accusations.
She wrenched her hand from Alicent's grasp and glared at her. "Questioning my virtue is a treasonous offense! Who told you that!?"
Alicent was startled by her sudden outburst and looked away. "I... I was in your father's bedroom this morning."
"Very well. My father and the Prime Minister have already reached a conclusion, and yet you're using it to question me!"
Rhaenyra seized on her words and said coolly, "Alicent, Your Grace. We used to be sisters who told each other everything. Now you've changed so much I can hardly recognize you."
Alicent looked flustered and tried to make amends. "That's not what I meant. I overheard it by accident. I'm worried about you..."
"So you're accusing and slandering me with something you made up!?"
Rhaenyra wouldn't fall for that. Her words grew more and more heated.
Alicent was at a loss under the questioning and tried to explain, "I only wanted to help you, Rhaenyra."
Rhaenyra gave her a scornful smile. "We went to a tavern and drank. As it grew late, I said I wanted to go home, but Daemon hadn't had enough fun. He insisted on going to find prostitutes."
"We parted on the street and went our separate ways."
"When I returned to the Red Keep, a fire had broken out in the city. I don't know where Daemon went after that."
"I spent last night looking after Rhaegar."
Rhaenyra had already prepared her story, and her answer left no room for criticism as she fended off Alicent's questions.
When she was done, she left on her own, her expression cold, without giving Alicent a chance to stop her.
She had seen through Alicent's malicious intentions.
Alicent wanted to find out whether she had slept with Daemon, so she could smear her reputation.
Unfortunately, Alicent had miscalculated.
Elsewhere.
Daemon returned to the Red Keep in tattered clothes, staggering as he walked.
It was obvious he was still drunk.
Harrold, captain of the Kingsguard, hurried over with two other Kingsguard and ran straight into him.
Without a word, the two guards seized Daemon by the arms and took him into custody on the spot.
Harrold looked down at Daemon impassively and said flatly, "The King wants to see you, Prince."
At Harrold's words, the two Kingsguard lifted Daemon and dragged him away.
"Get your filthy hands off me."
Uncomfortable under their grip, Daemon struggled and cursed.
No one paid him any attention.
They hurriedly dragged him to the Iron Throne room and dumped him onto the cold black stone floor like a piece of trash.
Daemon didn't seem to care at all.
Left on the floor, he lay facedown, reeking of alcohol.
Harrold gestured, then led the two Kingsguard outside to stand guard.
Viserys appeared from the side, his face dark.
The King, seething with restrained fury, came to stand beside Daemon and said coldly, "My daughter. What did you do to her?"
Though he believed Rhaenyra, he couldn't help wanting to make sure once more.
Daemon belched drunkenly and mumbled nothing in reply.
Viserys's expression shifted. "You don't even want to deny it?"
"I need to know what I'm accused of before I can defend myself."
Apparently a little more sober, Daemon asked the question as if he didn't know the answer.
Thud—
At that shameless response, Viserys's anger erupted. He kicked Daemon hard in the stomach.
"You lured her out and tried to defile her!" he roared.
Daemon groaned and curled up.
Viserys was still furious. He kicked him again and demanded, "Did you succeed? Did you violate my daughter!?"
Daemon was kicked onto his side, but still had the gall to argue. "What does it matter? When we were Rhaenyra's age, we'd already visited every brothel on Silk Street."
Viserys laughed in fury. "We were young men then! She's a young girl, your niece!"
"Rhaenyra's grown up. I was the first man she was with. Some bastard got lucky."
Daemon kept up his shameless act.
"You damned bastard!"
Viserys was finally driven over the edge. He tackled Daemon, grabbed him by the collar, and PUNCHED him twice in the face.
Daemon turned his head aside, blood and a tooth spilling from his mouth.
Viserys still had him by the collar. He roared, "You'll ruin her! After something like this, what lord would be willing to marry her?"
"Who gives a damn what those lords think? You're the King. Your word is law."
The pain had sobered Daemon up, making him speak his mind.
Viserys was deeply disappointed. "I've spent my whole life defending you, but you're even more wicked than I thought."
Daemon sneered dismissively, as if he didn't care.
The brothers stared at each other in the silent hall.
Viserys suddenly laughed and taunted him. "You didn't succeed, did you? My son stopped you."
"What?"
Daemon was utterly confused.
Viserys released his clenched collar and stood over him. "Rhaegar, my eldest son. He's a hundred times better than you."
"He saw right through your cunning schemes, and he knows better than you how to cherish his family and protect his siblings."
Daemon's expression stiffened. He hesitated before asking, "Was the man in black last night sent by Rhaegar? Did he start that fire too?"
"He did. Clever boy, isn't he?"
Viserys was delighted. He looked at his battered brother with a mocking expression.
Daemon shook his head and laughed. "A six-year-old child? If he's that clever, you really should disinherit Rhaenyra and name your eldest son heir instead."
Fourth update of the day.
In an earlier author's note, readers mentioned Harwin and the bastard children. That's an unresolved hint for Branch 1, intended to keep close to the original story.
For now, Rhaenyra's heart has already turned toward Rhaegar. No outsiders have a chance.
Before you continue