“Helaena?”
Seeing the little girl muttering to herself, Baelon tentatively called her name.
Hearing someone address her, Helaena smiled and turned toward Baelon.
Then, without another word, she went right back to playing with the insects inside her jar.
In the little girl’s mind, that was apparently the proper way to politely greet Baelon.
“What is she doing?”
Baelon looked at Rhaenyra in confusion.
Rhaenyra explained, “Baelon, don’t worry.
Helaena is like that with everyone…”
She hesitated.
She had wanted to add that the maesters had examined Helaena and suspected that something might be wrong with her mind, but saying something like that in front of Helaena would hardly have been polite.
After thinking it over, Rhaenyra decided to leave it unsaid.
“Hmm… that’s just how she is!”
Rhaenyra nodded seriously.
Baelon remained puzzled, but as long as something did not interfere with his own interests, he had little reason to be overly curious about it.
After saying goodbye to Helaena, the siblings returned to their chambers.
Only then did Rhaenyra explain what she had left unsaid earlier.
“One looks like all she cares about is eating, while the other looks like a complete idiot.”
“Sister, do you think House Hightower has been cursed by the Seven?
Otherwise, how could they possibly produce children this strange?”
Baelon stroked his chin and seriously considered the question.
“Baelon, the thing we should be worrying about right now is how to make you healthy!”
Rhaenyra was furious.
Alicent was still young, which meant she was in the prime of her childbearing years.
Their father also placed great importance on the prosperity of the royal bloodline, so the Hightowers were certain to have more children in the future.
By contrast, the two siblings stood in a much weaker position.
One was a sickly and physically frail eldest son, while the other was a dragonrider who was constantly being suppressed by Otto and the other members of the Small Council.
“Sister, why do I feel like that’s actually a good thing?
I once read a truth in an ancient book from the Citadel: people often fight hardest for the very things they lack.”
“Isn’t Otto’s eagerness to suppress us proof that he’s afraid we’ll settle accounts with House Hightower once we come to power?”
Baelon’s confidence was not without reason.
During his six years in Oldtown, he had devoted himself mainly to two things.
The first was learning.
The second was having Maester Orwyle gather intelligence for him, especially information concerning the royal family.
The very year Alicent gave birth to Aegon, Otto Hightower had already tried to persuade the king that Baelon was too weak to inherit the throne and that Alicent’s second son, Aegon Targaryen, should instead be named heir to the Iron Throne.
The moment Otto voiced the idea, Viserys had subjected him to one of the harshest reprimands of his life.
In Viserys’s eyes, the eldest son and eldest daughter born to Queen Aemma were irreplaceable.
No matter how frail Baelon’s health might be, as long as he remained alive, he was the next heir to the realm.
“Baelon, you’re right.”
Rhaenyra nodded in agreement.
Otherwise, their father would never have insisted on keeping her as his cupbearer during meetings of the Small Council.
It was not merely a symbol of her status.
It also gave her the opportunity to listen to the affairs of the realm and gradually learn how the kingdom was governed.
For the next four days, unfortunately for Baelon, he was effectively confined to the Red Keep by his father.
Viserys knew very well how dangerous King’s Landing could be.
He specifically assigned Ser Erryk Cargyll of the Kingsguard as Baelon’s personal protector, entrusting him with the prince’s safety.
Viserys also ordered his men to keep watch over the prince and forbade Baelon from leaving the Red Keep to wander about before the royal hunt began.
With no other choice, Baelon spent his time in the gardens of the Red Keep, reading books and studying the history and lore of the ancient Valyrian dragonlords.
Whenever he did so, Helaena would carefully approach him with her jar of insects.
On the surface, she appeared to be playing with her beloved bugs, but in truth, she was secretly fascinated by the books in Baelon’s hands.
Baelon was not petty.
Since Helaena was curious, he would occasionally pretend to read passages aloud and explain their meanings to her.
Gradually, the two siblings who had once been strangers began to form a friendship of their own.
That friendship continued until the fourth day, when the royal hunt finally began.
…
A luxurious royal carriage slowly made its way toward the Kingswood.
Guards marched in two formations, one in front and one behind, protecting the carriage, while servants followed at the rear.
Inside the spacious carriage, King Viserys sat in the center, with Baelon and Alicent seated on either side of him.
Rhaenyra sat beside her younger brother and explained the rules and history of the royal hunt.
Aegon stared boredly out the window.
Helaena was happily playing with her collection of jars and bottles, while the youngest child, Aemond, slept peacefully in a maidservant’s arms.
“Isn’t this wonderful?
Our entire family traveling to the Kingswood together.
It will show all our lords and subjects that the king’s eldest son has returned, and we can celebrate his return together!”
Viserys patted Baelon on the shoulder.
The more he looked at his son, the more pleased and delighted he became.
“Thank you, Father.”
Baelon turned his head, placed one hand over his opposite shoulder, and inclined his head respectfully toward the king.
“My child, this is only what you deserve.”
Viserys spoke as though it were the most natural thing in the world.
He then added a reminder.
“When we arrive in the Kingswood, remember to stay beside Alicent.”
Baelon understood immediately.
…
The carriage traveled from early morning until nearly midday before finally reaching the Kingswood.
The nobles of the realm had already been waiting for some time.
Before stepping down from the carriage, Viserys deliberately turned toward Baelon on his left.
“My child, this is your first appearance before the nobles of the Seven Kingdoms.
Put on a good show!”
“Don’t worry, Father.”
Baelon had just woken from a nap and was now completely refreshed.
Viserys nodded in satisfaction.
With Blackfyre, the ancestral sword of House Targaryen, hanging at his waist, he stepped out of the carriage first.
The nobles of the Seven Kingdoms immediately erupted into cheers when they saw their king.
They greeted Viserys with enthusiastic applause and sincere-looking congratulations.
“Come along, my children.”
Alicent maintained the dignified bearing expected of a queen and smiled as she spoke.
Baelon and Rhaenyra were visibly disgusted by her performance, but this was an important public occasion, and neither of them could afford to openly react.
Baelon followed behind Alicent and was the third person to step down from the carriage.
The moment the nobles of the Seven Kingdoms saw the young prince, their cheers and applause became even louder.
Some nobles even shouted:
“Long live Prince Aegon!”
“Long live the king’s heir!”
The declaration immediately inspired a large number of nobles whom Otto had contacted beforehand to join in, repeating the same cries in unison.
Viserys’s smile instantly froze.
But with his subjects cheering around him, he could do nothing more than silently memorize the face of the noble who had shouted first before continuing forward.
Alicent maintained the perfect composure expected of a queen, exchanging friendly words with several noblewomen.
Rhaenyra sat inside the carriage, unable to tolerate another moment of it.
She was just preparing to rise and leave when Baelon gently shook his head.
Under Rhaenyra’s confused and angry gaze, Baelon looked toward Ser Erryk Cargyll, who was standing guard beside the carriage on the right.
He lowered his voice.
“Ser, please loudly introduce the king’s eldest son to the people of the Seven Kingdoms.”
Erryk gave a slight bow and nod.
Then he stepped forward and shouted:
“Make way and welcome Baelon Targaryen, eldest son of King Viserys I and heir to the Iron Throne!”
In an instant, the nobles’ cheers died in their throats.
The smiles froze on their faces.
Their expressions were as awkward as a man halfway through breakfast discovering a dead rat lying on his plate.
Baelon paid them no attention.
He simply turned around, took Rhaenyra’s hand, and followed his father, King Viserys, toward the royal encampment.