The searing pain finally sobered Daemon completely and brought the words buried in his heart spilling out.
But Viserys looked at him with eyes full of disappointment.
"I've spent my whole life defending you." Viserys's voice was low and helpless, tinged with exhaustion and hurt. "I've cleaned up countless messes for you. I've forgiven your outrageous behavior time and again. I even tolerated you proclaiming yourself king of the Stepstones. But I never imagined your heart was even more wicked than I thought."
"And scheming against me wasn't wicked? I was the one who drew my sword back then, who stood firmly by you, who shielded you and won all this for you. And what did you do? You drove me away yourself!"
Daemon scoffed and turned his head aside, his face full of contempt.
The brothers stared at each other in the silent hall.
Cold daylight spilled through the high windows, stretching their shadows long across the Dragonglass Floor, where they twisted and overlapped like two entwined venomous snakes.
After a long silence, Viserys suddenly laughed.
It was a cold, mocking laugh.
"You didn't succeed, did you?" He looked at Daemon, his lips curling in derision. "My son stopped you."
"What?" Daemon, who had still believed Viserys was behind last night's plot, froze, the smile instantly stiffening on his face.
Viserys released his grip on Daemon's collar and stepped back, looking down at him with barely concealed satisfaction in his voice.
"Aegon. My eldest son." He enunciated every word. "He's a hundred times better than you. Not only did he see through all your schemes, he understands far better than you how to cherish his family and protect his siblings."
Daemon's face abruptly stiffened. He stared blankly at Viserys, disbelief filling his eyes.
"Those men last night... Young Griff