Alicent's fingers jumped in Viserys's palm. It was just a little, very light, so light that if he hadn't been waiting for her reaction, he wouldn't have noticed it at all.
There was no change on her face, her breathing was still steady, and her expression was still gentle, concerned and questioning, and just right.
But in her chest, the heart was beating faster than before.
"Father?" she asked, with a hint of surprise in her tone - not surprise, not expectation, just the instinctive and natural reaction of a daughter when she hears her father's name being mentioned suddenly, "Why did your Majesty suddenly think of him?"
Viserys did not answer this question.
He looked at the ceiling. The shadow of the dragon had stopped moving. The candle had burned to the end, and the flame was getting smaller and weaker.
The shadow of the dragon became lighter and fainter, becoming more and more blurred, and finally mixed with other shadows in the darkness. It was impossible to tell which one was the dragon, which one was the crack on the wall, and which one was just his own trance-like illusion.
"I need someone by my side." Viserys finally said what was in his heart. The exhaustion and helplessness in his voice could no longer be concealed, like a wall that had been in disrepair for a long time and finally collapsed.
The real, dilapidated courtyard behind the wall was revealed, "A person who will not be influenced by Rhaenyra, a person who will not be blinded by her light, a person who will think about me, not her."
Alicent's hand gently turned over and interlocked with Viserys's fingers.
Her palms were warm and dry, but Viserys's palms were a little cold, with a thin layer of sweat - the abnormal, weak moisture that only people who have been sick for a long time would have.
"Your Majesty, what you say will make Rhaenyra sad." Alicent's voice was as gentle as a furry cat's paw gently stroking the wound, "She is your daughter, she will not..."
"She knows how." Viserys interrupted her, her voice a little louder than before, but immediately softened after getting louder, as if something hit her vitals, "She already knows how. I don't know when it started, but she already knows how."
Alicent didn't answer the call anymore. She knew she didn't need to answer the call at this time.
Viserys was not talking to her, but to himself, to the ceiling, to the shadow of the dragon that had disappeared, was invisible, and could only be seen by himself.
She only needs to listen, only needs to hold his hand, only needs to give him a "hmm" or "yes" or "Your Majesty makes sense" when he needs a response, and then at the right time, lead the topic to an unobtrusive direction that allows Viserys to make the decision she wants without knowing it.
She waited for a moment, until Viserys's breathing became heavier again, until his fingers struck a few more notes of different tones on the back of her hand, and then she spoke.
"Aegon has been asking you recently," she said, with the right warmth and softness in her tone, as a mother would when referring to her son, "He said he hasn't ridden a dragon with you for a long time, and he wants to learn from you how to tame a dragon of his own."
I told him that your body has not fully recovered yet, and I will teach him when you feel better.
He counts the days in the castle every day, and the first thing he does when he gets up every day is to go to Dragonpit to see if his little dragon has grown up and if he can get a bigger one."
Alicent's voice is soft and warm, like a lullaby sung to put a child to sleep.
A smile appeared on Viserys's face. It was a genuine smile that came from the bottom of his heart and was not affected by any political calculations.
His son, his Aegon, his naughty, mischievous boy who always chased the maids, was always sued by his tutor, and always made him angry and laughing.
In a few years, he will be able to ride a dragon.
In a few years, he will be able to ride his own dragon and fly over King's Landing just like House Targaryen and Dragon King in previous generations, making all his subjects look up and making all enemies fearful.
"Okay." Viserys said, with a hint of vitality in his voice, as if someone had added a handful of dry wood to the fire that was about to go out. "When I feel better, I will teach him myself."
Alicent turned his head slightly and gently rubbed his forehead against Viserys's shoulder. The action was intimate and natural, like a cat coquettishly showing off to its owner.
"Speaking of riding a dragon," her tone became more casual, as casual as if she was remembering some insignificant thing, "my father used to take me and my brothers to ride horses.
He always said that a person from the Hai Tarth family may not be able to swim or dance, but he must not be able to ride a horse.
I haven't seen him for a long time, and I don't know if he is still strong or not."
Viserys's brows moved slightly.
Alicent didn't look at him, didn't ask questions, and didn't say anything more about his father.
Her forehead was still pressed against his shoulder, her eyes were half-closed, and her eyelashes were trembling slightly in the candlelight.
She just mentioned it casually, like something she said casually during a chat, without any purpose or intention, and could be forgotten after she said it.
Viserys was silent for a long time. His hands stopped tapping, his breathing became steady and long, his eyes stared at the ceiling, looking at the shadow of the dragon that had disappeared and that only he could see.
He has been thinking about whether to let Otto come back. He weighed this sentence over and over in his mind for a long time.
Otto is capable, experienced, and resourceful, and he is the most suitable person to be the "balancer" among the people he knows.
Otto will control the power of Rhaenyra within a reasonable range, and will make him, the king, the center of Small Council again. When the ministers are too inclined to Rhaenyra, he will pour cold water on them and make them sober.
Otto will also try every means to promote the replacement of the heir. He will constantly mention Aegon's name in Viserys's ears, constantly remind Viserys of the fact that "House Targaryen has never had a queen", and constantly plant the seed in his heart that "maybe Rhaenyra is not the best choice".
Once this seed takes root and grows into a towering tree, it will be difficult to pull it out.
Viserys remembered the deal reached with Redd.
The title of King of the Narrow Sea was exchanged for Redd's promise - the army will not cross Driftmark, will not set foot on Seven Kingdoms's territory, and will not appear in Blackwater Bay.
He made up his mind to make this deal after lying in bed and being tormented by nightmares and fears for countless nights. He couldn't tear up the deal. He didn't dare.