That person is him.
Otto Hightower.
He unfolded the letter paper, spread it on the table, and read it word by word.
His reading speed is very slow, not because the words on the letter are difficult to read, but because when he reads each word, he will stop and think - what is the meaning behind this word?
What is the unspoken part of that sentence? How did Alicent feel when she wrote this sentence?
What is her tone? What is she hesitating about? What is she afraid of? What is she looking forward to?
"Rhaenyra went to Dragonstone last night and returned early this morning. When she came out of Dragonpit, she went straight to His Majesty's palace without changing her clothes or washing up.
She was stopped by the guards outside the door and had to wait for notification before entering. Her expression at that moment... she was confused as she finally realized that something had been lost forever."
Otto's fingers stayed on this text for a long time.
His eyes narrowed slightly, and his gaze slowly swept over the round and smooth handwriting, like a patient snake crawling slowly in the grass.
The guard stopped Rhaenyra. No entry is allowed without notification.
He nodded slightly.
This matter may not have been done by Alicent, it may have been done by Viserys himself - the king's palace is not a place where anyone can enter and exit at will, even the heir to the throne.
But Viserys has never enforced this rule on Rhaenyra before, so the difference between "before" and "now" lies not in the rule itself, but in Viserys's attitude towards Rhaenyra.
Viserys has begun to regard Rhaenyra as "someone else".
Not his daughter, not the crown prince, not the person closest to him, but "someone else" - an "other" who needs to be blocked from the door, needs to be informed, and needs to wait for permission.
This is the first step. Once this feeling of "others" takes root, sprouts, and grows into a big tree in Viserys's heart, then Rhaenyra's position in his heart will change from "my daughter" to "the woman who wants my throne."
When the position changes, the attitude changes; when the attitude changes, the behavior changes; when the behavior changes - everything changes.
Otto put down the letter, stood up, and walked to the window.
He opened the window, and Oldtown wind blew from the sea, bringing with it a salty smell and a faint, heartbeat-like noise coming from the distant port.
He overlooked the ancient city—the intricate streets, the densely packed red-tiled roofs, the towering towers, and the busy port filled with merchant ships and fishing boats.
This city is his hometown, his foundation, and his last retreat.
If one day he fails in King's Landing, if one day Rhaenyra rides on Iron Throne, if one day that woman remembers everything he has done over the years and begins to liquidate his crimes - he will escape back to Oldtown, close the city gate, hide in the high tower of Citadel, and pray that the dragon of Rhaenyra will not fly so far.
He didn't want that ending.
What he wants is to return to King's Landing, to the center of power, to the position that belongs to him that he has left for too long.
What he wants is - to make Viserys feel that he needs him.
Not because he begged to go back, but because Viserys personally sent someone to ask him to go back. It was because Viserys discovered that there was no more Otto·Hai Tarth's Small Council is like a ship without a rudder, drifting farther and farther under the control of Rhaenyra, drifting further and further to a dark, unknown direction that he doesn't want to go.
As long as Viserys feels that Rhaenyra is too strong, feels that his power is being lost, and feels that Small Council is full of people who support Rhaenyra, he will think of Otto.
Thinking of the person who always gave him the most accurate advice when he needed help the most; thinking of the person who always stood by his side when he was most lonely, shielding him from open and secret arrows; thinking of the person who was driven away by his own hands, who was loyal to him and never betrayed him.
Then, Viserys will write to him personally.
It's not an order, it's not an imperial edict, but a politely worded letter with a bit of guilt, as if to say "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have driven you away in the first place, can you come back and help me?"
Otto is waiting for that letter.
He walked back to the desk, sat down again, picked up the quill, and started writing a reply to Alicent on another piece of parchment.
His handwriting is not as round and smooth as Alicent. His handwriting is sharper and more angular. Each stroke is like being carved on a stone slab with a knife, carrying an unquestionable and decisive power.
"Try not to have any disputes with Rhaenyra," he wrote. "Don't show any hostility in front of her, don't say anything bad about her in front of His Majesty, and don't show your dissatisfaction with her in front of anyone."
You should always have a smile on your face, always say compliments in your mouth, and your posture should always be low, low enough to make everyone feel that you have no ambition for the throne, low enough to make Rhaenyra feel that you are a harmless opponent who can be ignored and not worth her energy."
"When Small Council is full of voices supporting Rhaenyra, when everyone feels that Rhaenyra is the unshakable crown prince, and when His Majesty finds that every one of his proposals has been approved by the meeting, every one of his orders has been executed, and every one of his words has been regarded as an imperial edict - he will begin to feel uneasy.
He will feel that his power is being lost, he will feel that the king's authority is being emptied, and he will feel that the ministers are not listening to him, but to Rhaenyra."
"At that time, at an appropriate time, in front of His Majesty, mention my name accidentally. Don't be deliberate, don't be solemn, and don't make people think that you are interceding on behalf of your father.
Just like remembering some insignificant little thing, I mentioned it casually - 'My father has dealt with similar things before and how he did it'.
Just let your Majesty know that I am still alive, I am still at Oldtown, and I can come back at any time."
Otto stopped writing when he wrote this. He looked at the words he had written, and the corners of his mouth raised slightly, revealing a determined, almost cruel smile.
Viserys will definitely personally invite him back to King's Landing.
It's not maybe, it's not possible, it's certain. Because he knows Viserys too well - that man has never really held power during his reign.
He is always relying on others. When he was young, he relied on his grandfather, his father, and his ministers. When he was middle-aged, he relied on Alicent, Otto, and everyone who was willing to make decisions for him.
He is not a person who likes to make decisions, he is a person who likes to have someone make decisions for him.
He needs someone who is by his side, thinks for him, makes decisions for him, takes responsibility for him, and is worthy of his trust.