"Rhaenyra, be quiet!"
Viserys barked at her, then turned back to Aegon.
"Tell me, did you bully Helaena?"
"Yes."
Aegon was so frightened he forgot to cry. He answered timidly.
"Did Rhaegar hit you because of that?"
"Yes."
"He threatened you with a red-hot steel bracelet, but didn't hurt you?"
"Yes."
Under his father's stern gaze, Aegon didn't dare lie. He answered each question honestly.
Viserys touched Aegon's swollen, reddened cheek, then glanced at Alicent's palm. He understood the whole story.
"Alicent, Rhaegar's way of disciplining Aegon was certainly inappropriate, but in my opinion, it wasn't as bad as you claim."
Viserys spoke in a low voice.
Alicent was unhappy with this interrogation-like questioning. She stubbornly said, "If no one had come to stop him tonight, who knows what Rhaegar would have done to Aegon?"
"But Aegon has no burns. Rhaegar didn't do that."
Viserys scolded her in a low, angry voice, glaring at her in displeasure.
Alicent tried to speak again, but Viserys cut her off. "Brothers squabble all the time. Daemon and I used to be the same."
"Did you ever corner Daemon and frighten him until he cried?"
Alicent held Aegon close, her eyes fixed on her husband.
Her father had once told her that Rhaenyra would never spare her children once she took the throne.
She hadn't believed him then.
Now it seemed entirely possible.
Rhaenyra hadn't even made a move, and Rhaegar was already itching to act.
Viserys irritably ran a hand through his hair, then helped Alicent up from the floor. Doing his best to rein in his temper, he said gently, "Let's leave it at that for tonight, dear."
"Rhaegar has to apologize to Aegon and promise not to threaten him again."
Alicent knew her husband's tendency to smooth things over. She had