[THIRD PERSON POV]
Inside the grand council chambers of the Red Keep, King Jaehaerys the First Targaryen sat upon his seat of power.
Beside him sat his trusted Queen, Alysanne Targaryen.
She was noticeably pregnant, carrying another child for the realm, but her belly was not yet too large to hinder her ability to join her husband in managing the intricate affairs of the Seven Kingdoms.
Joining the royal couple at the heavy wooden table were five other distinguished members of the small council.
There was King Jaehaerys’s Hand and his most trusted adviser after his wife, Septon Barth.
Beside him sat the Grand Maester Elysar, the Master of Ships Lord Manfryd Redwyne, the Master of Laws Lord Rodrik Arryn, and the representative for his Master of Coin, Lady Florence Fossoway.
The Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, Ser Gyles Morrigen, was noticeably missing from his usual post.
He had been tasked by King Jaehaerys earlier that morning to guard his royal children personally, ensuring their utmost safety.
“Perhaps we could discuss the proposed renovations for the City of King’s Landing today,” Queen Alysanne suggested to the gathered lords.
“With the rapidly surging number of residents settling inside this city, it would be exceptionally wise to plan ahead for the future. There is already so much filth and decay gathering in these crowded streets.” Queen Alysanne had been the most vocal advocate for sweeping renovations to be done in King’s Landing.
She had tragically lost a beloved daughter to the terrible sickness known as the Shivers, and she firmly believed that if the sprawling city had been kept much cleaner, perhaps her precious daughter would still be alive and with them today.
“Perhaps, Your Grace, but a project of this massive size would require a tremendously large amount of coin from the royal budget. It is an expense we simply cannot afford to spare at this current moment due to our ongoing projects for the Kingsroad, which are strictly necessary to enhance our trade networks,” Lady Florence answered Queen Alysanne with deep and unwavering respect.
“Your Grace, might I momentarily interrupt this discussion? I have urgent news to bring regarding Princess Rhaena,” Grand Maester Elysar suddenly announced, pausing the financial debate.
He had just been handed a small, sealed parchment by one of his diligent acolytes.
“What happened? Is my sister alright?” King Jaehaerys immediately asked with a visibly hurried and anxious tone.
Despite the two siblings having a rather rough and complicated relationship, Jaehaerys still deeply cared for his older sister.
He always made absolute sure to keep updated on her general welfare and safety.
“It turns out that Princess Rhaena had wed Lord Maegor Towers in secret, and she had been carrying his child over the past several months. She went into a grueling labor yesterday night and has successfully given birth to a healthy and strong son. Both the newborn babe and Princess Rhaena are perfectly safe. She allowed the resident maester under her service to officially send us the news of the birth of her son,” Grand Maester Elysar explained.
This massive revelation caused a widespread reaction of pure surprise from absolutely everyone present in the council chambers, especially from Queen Alysanne and King Jaehaerys.
“Dismiss the council for now, my lords. I want to have a private discussion with my Queen and my Hand,” King Jaehaerys ordered immediately after quickly recovering from his initial shock.
Queen Alysanne looked closely upon her husband’s face, and she could easily tell that a fiery anger was brewing inside him.
With the abrupt dismissal from King Jaehaerys, the other members of the small council began to scurry away from the room.
They all knew perfectly well that if they lingered on for too long, the King might not be able to hold back his immense anger and could potentially use them as an outlet for his royal fury.
When all the members of the small council had completely disappeared behind the heavy doors, leaving only Septon Barth and Queen Alysanne behind, King Jaehaerys immediately slammed his heavy hand down onto the wooden table.
“WHAT KIND OF JOKE IS THIS? HOW IN THE WORLD DID THIS KNOWLEDGE REMAIN ENTIRELY OUTSIDE OF OUR REACH? DO WE NOT HAVE CARETAKERS APPOINTED TO REPORT ANY NEWS REGARDING MY SISTER? THEN SUDDENLY, SHE HAD BEEN MARRIED AND GAVE BIRTH TO A SON, AND I WAS KEPT ENTIRELY BLIND TO IT?” King Jaehaerys went on to unleash his boiling anger.
It was not so much the actual fact of his sister wedding Lord Maegor Towers that angered him.
Jaehaerys had personally met the poor lord previously, knowing him to be a sickly man who was the very last of his ancient line.
It was the bold fact that she had chosen to keep it entirely as a secret from him that caused his rage.
“ARE WE NOT FAMILY, AND AM I NOT HER KING, THAT SHE WOULD KEEP THIS MASSIVE NEWS FROM ME? NOT EVEN HAVING THE DECENCY TO TELL IT TO ME HERSELF, BUT INSTEAD HAVING A MERE MAESTER DELIVER THE NEWS? DOES SHE TAKE ME FOR A CRUEL DEVIL WHO WOULD PROHIBIT HER FROM CHASING HER OWN HAPPINESS? AFTER ALL THE HORRORS THAT SHE HAD GONE THROUGH, DOES SHE TRULY BELIEVE THAT I WOULD PROHIBIT HER FROM CHASING HER OWN HAPPINESS?” King Jaehaerys added loudly.
Q ueen Alysanne, despite displaying a perfectly calm outward expression, was also deeply hurt by this secretive action taken by her older sister.
“Please be calm, Your Grace. I strongly believe that there is a proper explanation for this sudden matter,” Queen Alysanne then said gently.
She often had to be the steady voice of reason for her husband during tumultuous times.
She had personally seen what kind of fierce anger her husband possessed when their mother had suddenly wed Lord Rogar Baratheon without asking for his royal leave, and she knew full well that her husband did not appreciate being slighted or kept in the dark.
“Yes, I will certainly need a thorough explanation for this reckless action,” King Jaehaerys then said as he turned his sharp gaze toward his Hand.
“Barth, prepare yourself immediately. I will leave the heavy handling of the affairs of the entire realm squarely upon your capable shoulders. Alysanne and I will go to Harrenhal to demand a proper explanation,” King Jaehaerys then declared to Barth, who seemed deeply concerned by this rash plan.
“Would that truly be wise, Your Grace? She has only just given birth. If you suddenly came crashing in with royal demands and more, perhaps it could make her incredibly stressed and physically ill. With the cruel and tragic life that Princess Rhaena has experienced, perhaps you could give her your royal mercy for one last time. It would be best to wait and have a much clearer mind before going there,” Barth then said with as much respect and as gentle a tone as he could possibly muster.
Barth not only deeply pitied Rhaena, but the sheer tragedy of her life situation often made his own faith in the divine gods waver for a bit.
He simply did not know why the gods would bestow so much endless suffering upon one single person.
Hearing the wise words of Septon Barth, King Jaehaerys froze in place for a brief moment.
He closed his eyes and took a very deep breath to calm his racing heart, an action which made Queen Alysanne smile softly for a bit.
“My Queen and I will still be going. Prepare for a grand royal progress toward Harrenhal. I want to congratulate my sister face to face,” King Jaehaerys then finally decided.
The extensive planning for a full royal progress could easily take several weeks or even months to organize, which perfectly allowed King Jaehaerys plenty of time to cool his heated head while the extensive preparations were being made.
“Perhaps I could fly there myself first, husband? I truly want to congratulate our sister as soon as possible,” Queen Alysanne suggested to King Jaehaerys.
He immediately looked down upon her growing belly with a frown, which made Queen Alysanne feel a little bit annoyed at his overprotective nature.
“I am merely with child, not crippled. I am still quite far from giving birth. Grand Maester Elysar has already assured us that I will be giving birth much later after this year, so you do not have to worry excessively about my health,” Queen Alysanne then argued.
Her firm words seemed to make King Jaehaerys feel a little bit better about the prospect, though he still remained reluctant to agree to it immediately.