This was bad. Aegon jolted at her words, his brain instantly overloading.
He instinctively took half a step back, his heel sinking into the soft sand, his expression a mixture of wariness and bewilderment.
But Rhaenyra, who had spotted the discrepancy, reacted even faster-
"A few days?" She released Laena's waist, looked at Laena, then at Aegon, the jealousy in her purple eyes blazing past the danger line. "Didn't you only meet once, five years ago, when we were all at Storm's End? Weren't you two only exchanging letters after that?!"
She wheeled toward Aegon, pointing a finger at the tip of his nose, her voice rising a full pitch.
"Aegon! Explain this to your sister-what exactly do you mean by 'a few days'?!"
"A few days... a few days means..." Aegon's mouth opened and closed, then closed and opened again. His mind worked ten times faster than it had during his surprise attack on Laenor, yet he could not squeeze out a single word.
What could he say? That he and Laena had done more than exchange letters over the past few years? That sometimes, while riding Vhagar above Blackwater Bay, Laena would "happen" to run into him on Sunfyre? That sometimes they even took private walks together inside Dragonmont on Dragonstone? That because today was their reunion, he had rushed to see her the moment he reached the island?
Seeing Aegon stammer and hedge, Rhaenyra's jealousy spilled over completely.
But just as she was about to press him further, Laena chuckled and reached out to pull Rhaenyra back into her arms. "All right now. Haven't we two gone a few days without seeing each other too?"
Those words poured a bucket of cold water over Rhaenyra's jealous fury.
Aegon's ears pricked up, and he swiftly caught the crucial