"Look at him," Rhaenyra's voice was so low that only Redd could hear it. Every word seemed to be squeezed out from between the teeth, "My mother's bones are still cold..."
He can't wait to let that girl from the Hai Tarth family take her place, and let her give birth to a son to replace me!"
"Anger won't solve the problem, it will only make you lose your temper."
Redd took a sip of wine and said calmly, "Look around, how many pairs of eyes are looking at you, waiting to see your reaction. Disappointment? Collapse? Or... acquiescence?"
Rhaenyra took a deep breath, forced himself to look away from his father and Alicent, and scanned the whole place.
She saw the reserved smile of Duke Lannister, and saw Duke Theon of Byra chatting and laughing loudly with others but his eyes flickered.
I saw the faces of the Vale, Riverlands, and the North princes who were either curious, thoughtful, or indifferent. They were all watching.
"They are all waiting to see the king's next move, and also waiting to see your response."
Redd seemed to have read her mind, "Viserys is asking for directions."
Use this party, use Alicent and the child in her belly to test everyone's bottom line, especially yours.
If you react violently, he will say that you are not considerate enough or consider the overall situation.
If you remain silent, he will think that you acquiesce, or at least have no ability to object."
"So what should I do?" There was an imperceptible tremor in Rhaenyra's voice. It was not fear, but extremely suppressed anger and helplessness.
"Come forward with a smile and congratulate them? Wish them to have a baby soon so that they can take away everything I deserve?"
"No." Redd put down the wine glass and gently held Rhaenyra's cold hand. This action attracted a lot of attention.
He turned around and faced her. His voice was not high, but it was clear and powerful enough for several nobles nearby to hear clearly:
"What you should do is to show your grace, your strength, and your... unshakable position."
He led Rhaenyra and walked towards the center of the dance floor, towards Viserys and Alicent.
The crowd naturally parted a path, all the chatter was muted, and countless eyes focused on it.
When Viserys saw them coming, the smile on his face faded a little, but he still maintained a cheerful look.
"Ah, Redd, my dear daughter, do you also come to enjoy this wonderful night?"
He patted Alicent's hand holding his, "Alicent, say hello to Master Redd and Princess Rhaenyra."
Alicent bowed obediently, but his eyes were a little dodgey, not daring to look directly at Rhaenyra. "Master Redd, Princess Rhaenyra."
Redd nodded slightly, with a calm posture, even with a sense of alienation from an Eastern ruler. "His Majesty the King, Miss Alicent.
The banquet is indeed grand, which shows that His Majesty is full of wonderful expectations for... the future." He paused deliberately and his eyes glanced at Alicent's abdomen.
Viserys laughed dryly, "Yes, the kingdom needs hope and continuation."
Rhaenyra spoke at this time, her voice was unexpectedly smooth, even with a hint of just the right concern. "Father is right.
It's just..." She took half a step forward, her eyes fell on Alicent's face, her violet eyes were deep,
"Miss Alicent looks so young and delicate. It is really hard to take on the important responsibility of the queen and give birth to an heir for the kingdom.
My mother used to..." She stopped at the right moment, a hint of sorrow flashed through her eyes at the right time, and then she put on a forced smile,
"May my mother's spirit in heaven bless you with everything going well, Miss Alicent."
These words, polite and considerate, even with "goodwill" concern, were like thin needles, pricking Viserys's guilty conscience, and reminded everyone present:
Queen Emma had just passed away, and her body was still cold; and the girl in front of her, no matter how favored she was, was still just a "young lady", not a queen;
More importantly, Rhaenyra mentioned "mother" and "heir"--
She was reminding everyone that she, Rhaenyra, was the publicly announced heir and the daughter of the late queen.
Alicent's face turned pale slightly, and he subconsciously shrank behind Viserys.
Viserys's smile completely stiffened. He looked at his daughter's calm but sharp face, and for a moment he didn't know how to respond.
Redd took over the conversation at the right time, as if unaware of the subtle atmosphere, turned to Viserys, and said in a tone like talking about the weather:
"Your Majesty, speaking of which, when I was in the East, the governors of Norvos and Lorath heard that your Majesty might be welcoming a new member of the royal family, and they all asked me to convey their congratulations to you.
He also expressed his expectation to develop more in-depth trade relations with Westeros in the future, especially with the legal heirs of Iron Throne.
After all, a stable inheritance order is the cornerstone of business prosperity, are you right?"
His words were not loud, but the words "Iron Throne's legal heir" and "stable succession order" struck everyone's heart like a heavy hammer.
He didn't specify who it was, but at this moment, combined with what Rhaenyra just said, its direction is self-evident.
More importantly, he mentioned "the governors of Norvos and Lorath" and "trade exchanges" - this is to remind everyone that he Redd not only represents himself, but also represents the huge economic interests of the city-states under his command.
Who you support may have a bearing on your future pocketbook.
There were muffled gasps and whispers all around. The eyes of some nobles who were just watching the fun became serious.
Viserys's face turned red and white. He stared at Redd, then looked at the expressionless Rhaenyra, and finally realized that his son-in-law and daughter were far from just attending the banquet.
What they brought was the power of the East, a silent warning, and a blatant display of Rhaenyra's inheritance rights at the celebration where he was trying to pave the way for the future prince.
"... Of course, stability is crucial." Viserys reluctantly squeezed out this sentence with a dry tone.
He could not refute Redd's remarks about "legitimate heir" and "cornerstone of trade" at this moment in front of everyone. That would be tantamount to openly denying his past oaths and offending potential huge interests.
"May Seven bless the kingdom with eternal stability and prosperity." Redd raised his glass with an impeccable smile on his face, and then naturally took Rhaenyra's arm.
"Your Majesty, Miss Alicent, please allow us to excuse you for a moment to greet some friends who have come from afar."
He turned around and left with Rhaenyra, leaving Viserys and Alicent standing there, bearing the baptism of complex looks from all directions.
The excitement and compliments that had surrounded them just now seemed to be covered with a thin layer of embarrassment.
Mysaria followed them quietly, with a glimmer of light flashing under his lowered eyes.
She noticed that several important nobles - including Duke Stark and Lady Arryn - looked thoughtful when Redd spoke.