Get comfortable, turn the page, and let’s see what this story has been hiding 🔥 ✦ Perhaps the child who used to cry like that had been him.
Vaelor leaned closer, trying to get a better look at the baby in the swaddling cloth.
“Give Helaena to me.
Her brother should have a look at her.” Alicent looked helpless, but she took the bundled infant from the maid and passed her over.
Vaelor was not ready.
A moment later, the swaddled baby was already nestled in his arms.
“How am I supposed to hold her?” His whole body went stiff, terrified he would drop her.
Alicent boldly let go and said with a soft laugh, “Support her bottom.
That is all.
Do not be nervous.” “Oh.
Right.” His mind narrowed to one very small task, and he adjusted his posture with exaggerated care.
To be fair, the little thing was very soft.
“Ya, ya.” The baby girl squirmed in his arms.
Her tiny head, already covered in fine silver-gold hair, wobbled from side to side before bumping wetly against Vaelor’s shoulder.
Her arms and legs were trapped in the swaddling cloth, so the rest of her body wriggled furiously.
“I think she is biting me.” Vaelor tilted his head as far away as he could.
His neck felt cool.
There was probably drool on it.
Alicent covered her mouth and laughed, holding her daughter’s little round waist as she teased, “Helaena likes her brother.
Look, she has stopped crying.” Vaelor’s expression darkened.
“She is chewing on me.” Little Helaena was not pleased.
One soft hand fought free of the loose cloth, found Vaelor’s cheek, and prepared to take the attack one level higher.
The corner of Vaelor’s mouth nearly twitched.
Since he could not win, he could only dodge.
The child in his arms was tiny, but her hands had real strength.
His cheek actually hurt.
‘She would make a fine weed-puller.’ Knock, knock.
The three of them were getting along well enough when someone knocked at the door.
A bald old man in a rough maester’s robe stood outside.
His body was heavy, and his voice was unhurried.
“Your Grace, Prince Aegon will not stop crying.
Please come and see him for a while.” Alicent frowned.
“Grand Maester, where are the maids assigned to him?” “They have tried, Your Grace.
Nothing worked.” Grand Maester Mellos answered with an innocent face.
At that point, she had to go.
Alicent rose and smoothed her skirts.
She gave Vaelor an apologetic look and said with a helpless smile, “Stay with Helaena for now.
I will be back soon.” “It is fine.
Children cry.” Vaelor waved it off.
Helaena suddenly pushed upward in his arms and nearly headbutted him.
“Bring them cakes and tea.
Look after them well.” After giving the maids their orders, Alicent left to soothe her other child.
Grand Maester Mellos did not follow her at once.
Instead, he gave Vaelor one long, deep look.
He was looking at Vaelor, and Vaelor was looking right back.
“Is the king very busy?” Vaelor asked first, wearing a harmless little smile.
Grand Maester Mellos nodded kindly.
“Yes.
His Grace has a realm’s worth of affairs to manage.” Then he turned and left, giving the young prince no chance to continue.
Vaelor frowned.
Was the king not supposed to be in a Small Council meeting?
The Grand Maester should have been there.
“Strange,” Vaelor muttered, then decided not to waste too much thought on it.
He did not involve himself in politics, but he knew the Grand Maester was recommended by the Citadel and naturally leaned toward Oldtown and House Hightower.
Alicent held an extraordinary place within House Hightower.
Nothing should happen to her.
If there was a problem, then someone had probably set their sights on him.
“All right, little one.
Let us make this clear first.
No biting.” Vaelor tucked the overly lively Helaena under one arm and enjoyed the afternoon tea the maids brought in.
Helaena’s soft pink cheeks flushed red as she bared her little milk teeth and babbled at him.
Vaelor swatted her padded backside and changed faces with remarkable speed.
“Behave.
Your mother is not here, and you still dare show me your teeth?” His round face tried to look solemn.
Somehow, he did have a hint of older-brother authority.
Helaena pouted as if wronged.
Perhaps she understood he would not indulge her.
She lowered her head and made a few muffled noises, but stopped crying.
She was a tiny little bundle, yet her sense for danger was already impressive.
Toweringly impressive, even.
Vaelor nodded in satisfaction.
“That is better.” Wasn’t being in his arms perfectly fine?
She was not crying at all.
He did not know how Alicent usually soothed children.
Maybe he had been too sensible as a baby and had given her the illusion that all children she raised would be the same.
No wonder she went on to have several more.
Time passed bit by bit, and the sky began to darken.
Vaelor sat on the carpet, his small head nodding with sleep, holding an even smaller sleeping baby in his arms.
Beside him sat a delicate tea tray, now left with only crumbs and empty cups.
Without warning, he shivered and woke from his drowsiness.
“She still is not back?” A small head held a great deal of confusion.
What was Alicent doing?
Had Aegon cried himself to death on the way?
“No.
I need to move around.” Vaelor decided this could not continue and carefully placed the obedient, sleeping Helaena back into her cradle.
The little thing knew when to yield, but her temper was not small.
Even asleep, after being wronged while awake, her little brows remained tightly furrowed.
Poor tear tracks still clung to the corners of her eyes.
“I am leaving.” Vaelor told the maid, rubbed his eyes, and went out.
The corridor was empty.
Servants had already lit the candle stands.
He tugged his collar tighter and muttered, “Spring in King’s Landing is still cold.
The wind cuts right through.” Outside, the sun had already set.
“I cannot delay any longer.
Now, then.” His eyes shone with clever anticipation, and he rubbed his small hands together.
Runestone had too few good things.
He could not find many more magical objects there.
In that case, his rise could begin in King’s Landing.
Once his thoughts were clear, Vaelor confirmed his direction and set off immediately.
His first stop was the king’s bedchamber.
The small silver-haired figure moved quickly, slipping past the gazes of maids and servants.
Bang!
At the door to the king’s chambers, Vaelor opened it with a flying kick.
“Prince, you…” A passing servant saw it and nearly lost his soul from fright.
Vaelor turned back, raised a finger to his lips, and said calmly, “Do not panic.
You may report me if you like.” It was only the king’s bedchamber.
He had lived there three years before Uncle Viserys had.
He pushed the door open and entered as if he knew the place by heart.
The servant broke into a cold sweat and did not dare look.
Vaelor did not panic at all.
He did not even close the door, leaving it wide open.
Uncle Viserys was a comparatively forgiving king.
In Vaelor’s memory, there had always been a kind smile on his face, sometimes even a faint eagerness to please.
If he could not bring himself to punish his own brother Daemon, would he really punish Daemon’s son?
‘Just do it.’ Vaelor silently praised himself for being a child and began touching the furniture one item at a time.
As expected, all of it was ordinary.
He had expected as much.
His eyes brightened as they fixed on the black-sheathed longsword hanging above the fireplace.
The sword was straight and sharp, its blade and crossguard forming a severe cross.
At the end of the hilt was a seven-pointed star symbolizing the Seven.
“Blackfyre, the family sword.
Great-grandfather’s sword when he was young.” Vaelor dragged a chair over, climbed onto it, and took down the Valyrian steel blade passed down through House Targaryen.
The moment his hand touched it, the panel sounded beside his ear.
[Essence Panel] Magic-rich weapon detected.
Magic Essence +10.
“It really worked.
I knew it.” Vaelor smiled faintly and stroked the family sword with nostalgia.
When his great-grandfather was alive, he had often used it to coax Vaelor into playing.
When his fingers reached the end of the hilt, Vaelor pouted and complained, “Uncle really…
To please Oldtown and the Faith of the Seven, he replaced the rubies with a seven-pointed star.” It did not suit Targaryen taste at all.
✦ ✦ ✦ Ready for more?
CREATORS’ THOUGHTS EmberHollow Thank you for reading.
I hope this chapter pulled you deeper into the story.
Stick around, because there’s still a lot waiting just ahead.