After Rhaenyra received Dark Sister, her popularity among the Great Lords present immediately soared. After all, they were all quite familiar with this ancestral sword of House Targaryen.
Thus, the Great Lords who knew their children were no match for Danyla turned their attention to Rhaenyra and hurried to gather around her. Many spared no effort in recommending their daughters to her.
Unlike Danyla, Rhaenyra had almost no female companions at her side. Their enthusiasm soon left her overwhelmed. Fortunately, her mother Aemma appeared beside her in time and held the crowd at bay.
Even so, the Great Lords remained just as enthusiastic. By the traditions of the Seven Kingdoms, Viserys was the likeliest candidate to become the next heir apparent.
If Viserys inherited the Iron Throne without any male offspring, Rhaenyra, as his eldest daughter, would actually rank above Danyla.
What followed was exactly as everyone had expected: King Jaehaerys bestowed the Valyrian steel sword Blackfyre and the Black Flame Armor directly upon Viserys. This was almost tantamount to announcing to the world that Viserys had become the new heir apparent.
King Jaehaerys had refrained from formally naming Viserys because he wanted to give him more time to consolidate his power. Such a nearly explicit declaration would also drive the forces lurking in the shadows to act, allowing him to uproot them while he was still around.
King Jaehaerys might have been old, but the sword in his hand remained razor-sharp!
Just as he had predicted, when Blackfyre and the Dark Armor were bestowed, the Great Lords who had long been secretly conspiring with House Velaryon immediately grew somber.
Boremund, the Duke of the Stormlands, and his eldest son Borros nearly voiced their objections on the spot.
But when they saw Daemon holding Cold Night and surveying everyone present