Faced with that question, Aegon could hardly keep pretending to be tactless and call her out.
After all, he really did have proper business on this trip to Crackclaw Point. He was going to inspect the construction of castles, manors, ports, farmland, and roads in his domain. And he really was bringing only Rhaenyra because there was no need to bring anyone else.
Rhaenyra's gaggle of girlfriends was out of the question-their packing list alone would fill three sheets of parchment.
Several of the older boys in Aegon's own retinue were already gaining experience as Gold Cloaks in the City Watch, including Adrian Thorne and Robert Darklyn, who had taken over Alyn Celtigar's captaincy duties.
As for Alyn, ever since Aegon had acquired his own lands, he had voluntarily resigned his post in the City Watch and asked Aegon to appoint him to oversee Crackclaw Point in his absence.
After all, Aegon's own uncle Garwin was still with the Gold Cloaks. One more Alyn or one fewer hardly made a difference.
And Aegon's lands really did need someone he knew well and trusted to help manage them.
In other words, Alyn was almost frighteningly loyal!
But Alyn's move to Crackclaw Point hardly counted as being "demoted to the provinces."
Take House Celtigar, for instance-
Even before the War of Conquest, they had been unilaterally proclaiming themselves the protectors of Crackclaw Point.
Now that Crackclaw Point had become Aegon's fief, they did not even dare bare their teeth. Instead, they shamelessly kept sidling up to him, saying things like, "Claw Isle is part of Crackclaw Point too, and Prince Aegon is our liege lord."
Even Alyn, whom the family on Claw Isle had always looked down upon, had now become someone they courted.
There was no helping it. Compared with House