Alicent's hand paused on the lace. She didn't look back or answer, she just tied the lace into a knot, then stepped forward and walked towards the Godswood exit.
Her pace was a little slower than before, and the soreness between her legs made her posture slightly awkward when walking, but she did not stop, did not look back, and did not make any move that would make people think she was showing weakness.
She took a few steps, and her voice floated back from the front, very soft and thinned by the wind. "You are really heartless."
Redd leaned against the trunk of the oak tree, watching her back pass through the light and shadow cut by the sun, the green tulle fluttering slightly behind her, like a retreating flag.
There was no expression on his face, no fluctuations caused by the words "ruthless", and no unnecessary softness towards her due to the fusion of bodies just now.
He watched her figure gradually shrink and disappear into the shadow of the intertwined branches and leaves, then he straightened up from the tree trunk and raised his hand to pat the bark chips and dust stuck to his shoulders.
Ruthless. She said he was ruthless.
Redd turned this word over and over in his mind and felt that it had no weight.
Alicent takes himself too seriously, so much so that he thinks that a little pleasure can make him give in to her in the power arena.
She thought that her body could outweigh the weight of Aegon II and Iron Throne on the scale, and that those warm touches and active kisses could be turned into a bargaining chip that could be spread out on the negotiation table.
She could keep this illusion, but he would not play this self-righteous exchange game with her.
His interest in her is limited to her body, to the short-lived pleasures he can get from her without any responsibility or consequences.
There was no affection, no love, no bonds and bonds that she thought could be established through the body.
He kept his word. If the day came that Aegon II and his brother Daeron, who was still in Alicent's belly, blocked his son's way, he would not hesitate, nor would he soften his heart just because she had panted in his arms, scratched his back with her nails, and said those warm words in his ears.
Not taking action personally to kill her two sons together was an act of kindness on his part to simply enjoy her body.
As for Rhaenyra, he also has no excess tenderness in his heart. He married her, supported her, and helped her secure her position as crown prince because she was valuable.
She gave birth to Jaehaerys and gave birth to his son, which more than doubled her value among the many people who could take advantage of her.
But her recent performance has made him more and more dissatisfied. She is greedy for power and indecisive. She wants Iron Throne but can't let go of those ridiculous family ties and reputation. She is wavering and procrastinating. She is not the material to be a queen at all.
Redd turned around and walked towards Godswood with a calm and steady pace. The sun cast a long slanting shadow behind him.
He walked through the paths covered with fallen leaves, the stone steps smoothed by time, and the heavy wooden door connecting the main buildings of Godswood and Red Keep.
The wooden door made a dull sound as it closed behind him.
He has already said the warning, it is up to Alicent himself whether he listens to it or not.
He did the foreshadowing that needed to be done, he drew the bottom line that needed to be drawn, and he also left the room that needed to be left.
If she insisted on hitting the south wall and felt that her head was harder than the wall, then he would watch her hit it and wait until the wall cracked or her head cracked, which would save him a lot of trouble.
He walked through several corridors, went around several corners, walked out of the Red Keep side door, and stepped onto the stone road leading to the dock.
The dock area of King's Landing is the most lively at this moment. Fishing boats and merchant ships are coming and going in and out of the port. The shouts of sailors and the chants of dock workers can be heard one after another.
The air is filled with the smell of salty sea water, fish, and various smells emitted by the cargo unloaded from the ship's hold - spices, wood, dyes, grains - mixed together to form a complex smell that is only found in ports, and makes people know which city they are in when they smell it.
He looked up at the sky and saw that the sun had passed the highest position above his head and began to tilt toward the west.
He calculated the time and it was almost time for Messalia to arrive.
The sea route from King's Landing to Dragonstone takes a little more than a whole day with a favorable wind. He remembers the time of her departure very clearly. If she didn't encounter any accidents along the way, she should be on a ship approaching the port now.
People were coming and going on the pier. Redd stood in a position with a wide view, scanning the ships that were docking and leaving the port.
A ship flying the flag of Dragonstone is slowly sailing into the port. The sails are embroidered with the three-headed dragon emblem, the hull is painted with dark red paint, and the broken waves on the bow are shining with wet water in the sun.
Standing on the side of the ship was a familiar figure, wearing a dark, neatly tailored traveling robe, which still stood out among the crowd.
The sea breeze blew her dark hair back, and she was squinting her eyes slightly, looking through the gaps between the masts and sails on the sea and landing on the dock, as if she was looking for something.
Redd saw her, and she also saw Redd. Away from a distance, across the noisy docks and crowded crowds, their eyes met in the air.
She didn't wave hard or call his name, she just raised the corner of her mouth slightly when she saw him, and then continued to stand quietly on the side of the ship, watching the ship's hull getting closer and closer to the dock more and more steadily.
Redd stood on the pier, waiting for the ship to dock. He put his hands in the pockets on both sides of his robe, his posture relaxed and casual, like a man waiting for a late ferry to go home.
The ship docked. Planks were put up from the side of the ship to the pier, making a dull crashing sound.
Mesalia's figure appeared at the top of the board. She lifted the hem of her robe and walked steadily onto the pier.
Her steps were neither fast nor slow, and she stepped firmly on each step, as if she was used to stepping on the waves on the deck and the stone steps of the castle.
Her eyes passed through the hustle and bustle on the port, and finally landed on the man standing at the edge of the crowd, wearing a black robe, watching her calmly. The corner of her mouth was still smiling, but under that smile, there was a deeper layer, as if she had finally stepped on the ground.
Redd watched her approach, stood a few steps away, then turned slightly sideways, motioning for her to follow. "Let's go, go back first."
Mesalia nodded and followed him, and the two of them walked through the bustling crowd in the dock area and walked in the direction of Red Keep.
The sea breeze blew from behind them, carrying a salty smell and news of unknown seas in the distance.
She didn't ask what happened just now, what he said to Alicent, or whether Rhaenyra was still lying on the bed or sitting somewhere else.
She just walked quietly beside him, looking straight ahead, and the smile on the corner of her mouth was still there, like a carefully collected silver needle, hidden in the most intimate pocket.