IX / A Debt To Be Paid

To question Princess Rhaelys' virtue, was an act of treason, even if done by a princeling. And Rhaenyra knew this. Rhaenyra was ready to defend her daughter, and by extent, her right to the throne.

Rhaenyra stood up and looked at her daughter, who looked ashamed. "Aemond, I will have the truth of what happened," Rhaelys felt sorry for him. He was half a year younger than her and yet he had lost his eye and now his father was questioning him about it as if he had done something wrong. Of course, he had but Viserys need not put everyone over his children with Alicent so. Aemond was but a child. "Now," The King said firmly, as Alicent nearly broke to tears.

"What else is there to hear?" She questioned. "Your son has been maimed. Her daughter is responsible." Not completely, but all Alicent had to know what that it had been Rhaelys who, unprovoked, had attacked Aemond for no reason. Even if it did not seem like something he would ever do.

"It was a regrettable accident," Rhaenyra spoke as if Rhaelys could not speak for herself. She would leave well enough alone for now, it would not do well to cause more of a fuss simply because she wished to speak.

"Accident?" Alicent questioned as she was dumbfounded. "The Princess Rhaelys brought a blade to the ambush. She meant to kill my son, a Prince of the Realm," It had not even been her own blade. It was the one she had stolen long ago from Aegon.

"It was my daughter and my son Jace and their cousin Rhaena who were attacked first. Luke and Baela joined to protect them and they too were attacked. My children were merely forced to defend themselves," It had been Rhaelys' duty and she failed. Failed to protect her brothers and her cousins.

"Vile insults were levied against them. My daughter was called an unspeakable thing, and hideous insults were thrown at my sons." Viserys looked up at once, at the mention of Rhaelys. "What was she called? And of the insults, what of them?" He questioned as the room became silent. It was the unspeakable truth it seemed.

"He called me a whore, and my brothers bastards," Rhaelys told the room, with her grandfather's face growing furious.

Alicent looked shocked at her own son. This time it was Aegon who held her eyes, as she gulped. "What?" Viserys questioned, as Jace quickly spoke up, the blood still running on his face. "He called Rhaelys Aegon's whore," Rhae teared up at the mention of it. It was humiliating that it had to be repeated in front of everyone. "That cannot be right, father!" Rhaenyra shouted. Yes, Aemond's eye had been taken but Rhaelys had not done it out of spite. She had done it to protect her little brothers.

"My daughter is in line to inherit the Iron Throne, as are my sons. Her virtue remains untouched and to question it is the highest form of treason, same thing goes for legitimacy," Aemond wouldn't be punished, right? It wasn't totally his fault. All he had done was claimed a dragon.

"Prince Aemond must be questioned sharply to where he heard such slanders. Then, we may learn where he heard the vile things said about Princess Rhaelys." Alicent cried her eyes out more than anyone in the room.

"Over an insult? My son has lost an eye," She said and at this point, Rhae wanted to take out her own as well. "You tell me, boy, where did you hear this lie?" Viserys questioned his son, even if he did not see him as his son at all. Rhaelys looked to Aemond and heard a quiet answer after moments of silence. Before he could, his mother spoke up. "Where is Ser Laenor, I wonder, the children's father? Perhaps he might have something to say in this matter,"

"Yes, where is Ser Laenor?" Her father was a Velaryon; they belonged to the sea and no one else. Rhaelys could not be held down. She was cut from the same cloth as her father. "Entertaining his young squires, I would venture,"

"Grandmother, he has just lost his sister. He is mourning her as Velaryons do. By the sea. He and I talked about it earlier. Do not discredit him because he is experiencing loss," Alicent only smirked at Rhaelys' eagerness to defend her 'father'.

Criston laughed to himself but Rhaelys did not find it funny. No matter who her father by blood was, Laenor Velaryon would always be the man who had raised her. "You would do well to remember who my father is, grandmother. He will be Lord of Driftmark, the castle you stand in now. The one that belongs to my grandfather Lord Corlys. Do not direspect us Velaryons in our own seat, Your Grace," Rhae told Alicent, eyeing Aegon from the corner. He looked scared. She had never seen Aegon Targaryen with fear in his eyes.

"Aemond, look at me," He only could with one eye now, Rhaelys thought to herself. "Your King- no, your father demands an answer, boy. Who spoke these lies to you?" For a moment it would seem he was going to name his mother the Queen as the spreader. It would be the truth, Rhae thought. But then he turned it around completely. "It was Aegon," It felt like a knife was put in her stomach and twisted around a thousand times.

"Me?" Aegon spoke confused and Rhaelys looked in him in the eye. He looked at her and her alone and for a moment she held his gaze. That was before Viserys made his way to his firstborn son with Queen Alicent. How could Aegon have said that? Why would be call her is whore? He had enough lowborn whores, that Rhaelys knew.

"Is that so, boy? Did you call Rhaelys your whore?" Aegon looked at his brother and then at Rhaelys, and he nodded. "I did. And I also called her brothers bastards because that is what they are, father. We all know. Just look at them." It made Jace hide behind Rhae and Luke behind their mother.

Never had she known Aegon to be this cruel. She knew he was a brat and sometimes he did things she could not think of, but this was truly so ghastly that she thought she could never forgive him. How could he say such horrible things, but to her face act like a perfect saint?

It remained silent for a few moments before Viserys yelled again. "This interminable infighting must cease. All of you!" He yelled and everyone was truly quiet. "We are family!" He looked at Aemond with his eye sewed close and spoke again. "Now make your apologies and show goodwill to one another," He said calmly before screaming again.

"Your father, your grandsire, your king demands it!" Rhae was shaken. How could her grandfather speak so? It was not Aemond who had done anything wrong and yet he was to be treated as a criminal?

"That is insufficient," Alicent said, her voice shaky, as Viserys hobbled over back to his throne. "Aemond has been damaged permanently, my King. Good will cannot make him whole." Why did she speak as if he was broken now? He had lost his eye tragically, yes, but he was still the same person he had always been. "I know, Alicent, but I cannot restore his eye." Viserys told his wife and for a moment Rhaelys believed he actually cared for Aemond more than just as a pawn. "No, because it's been taken." Viserys got annoyed, even more so than before.

"What would you have me do?" He asked her but Rhaelys was sure he hadn't actually expected an answer. When one was given, the room remained silent. "There is a debt to be paid." Rhaelys looked at Alicent closely. What kind of debt?

"I shall have her daughter's eye in return," Rhaelys instantly got in front of her brothers. What happened to her mattered little, as long as Jace and Luke were alright. "My dear wife..." Viserys tried kindly, but it was to no avail. "He is your son, Viserys. Your blood," Alicent cried out, and Rhaelys hoped her grandfather could change her mind even if she doubted it. "Do not... allow your temper to guide your judgement." As he eyed her up and down, Rhae finally felt like she could breath again. That was before Alicent opened her mouth.

"If the King will not seek justice, the Queen will. Ser Criston, bring me the eye of Rhaelys Velaryon." Rhaelys wanted to call to the ground as Criston looked at her. She felt a pause. He looked as though he could not do it. As if he would not, more so. "Sister!" Both Jace and Luke got in front of their big sister, ready to protect her at the cost of their own lives. "Alicent," Viserys tried but Alicent was too far gone. She would not reason with anyone.

"She can choose which eye she wishes to keep, a privilege she did not grant my son." Rhae finally spoke up. "You will do no such thing. You would not wish for your own granddaughter's blood on your hands, would you, Queen Alicent?" Rhaelys held the eyes of a Targaryen, but the words of a Velaryon. "I am the sea and you will not break me." She spoke softly to herself. If this was her end, she would die with all the pride she had left. Which was very little.

"Stay your Hand," Viserys said, and Criston did just that. "No, you are sworn to me!" Alicent yelled out and all remained silent. It seemed so was closer to Criston than any of them could have imagined. "As your protector, my Queen." Not to take out the eye of a girl, she wanted to add for him, but she didn't. The way he looked at her made her feel worse. Instead of pity, he was actually sorry for her.

"Alicent, this matter... it is finished," Viserys told her as if she was a child. "Do you understand?" Of course, she did she wasn't stupid. Evil, yes, but stupid? No way in all the seven hells was she.

"And let it be known: anyone whose tongue dares to question the birth of Princess Rhaelys, Prince Jacaerys, Prince Lucerys, Prince Joffrey or Princess Daera Velaryon, should have it removed," Rhaelys thought of Daera, sleeping quietly in her cradle. She thought as well of Joff, who was still sleeping peacefully as well. All she wanted was to be with her little siblings, and hold them close, tell them that naught was the matter.

"Thank you, Father," Rhaenyra spoke, earning the ire of Queen Alicent once more.

Alicent stood for a moment as she breathed heavily. She rushed towards Viserys and grabbed the blade from his side. "Your Grace. Stay with the King!" The Commander told the Queen as Viserys sighed. "Alicent!" He yelled, as Rhaenyra turned around from the ground to find Alicent coming towards her. She stopped her from coming towards her children and she would continue to do so for the rest of her days.

"You've gone too far." Rhaenyra told her, and in the eyes of her wicked stepmother, she still saw her once beloved friend. "I?" Alicent breathed even heavier. "What have I done but what was expected of me? Forever upholding the Kingdom, the family, the law, while you flaunt it all as you please," The blade was the same one that told of the Song of Ice and Fire. "Alicent, let her go!" Viserys screamed at his wife, forever caring more about his golden girl.

"Where is duty? Where is sacrifice? It's trampled under your pretty foot again," Even Otto Hightower stepped in, defending Rhaenyra over his daughter. "Release the blade, Alicent," Was Alicent truly alone in the world, then?

"And now you take my son's eye, and to even that you feel entitled." Rhae could feel her own breathing getting quicker and quicker again. "Exhausting, wasn't it? Hiding beneath the cloak of your own righteousness. But now they see you as you are," Rhaenyra whispered as Rhaelys went to them, trying to help her mother. At that exact moment, Alicent threw the blade, which landed precisely in the spot where Rhaelys had been bleeding out earlier.

It seemed her and her mother had matching wounds now.

Without anyone noticing, Aemond had stood up. "Do not mourn me, mother. It was a fair exchange. I may have lost an eye, but I gained a dragon,"

He'd closed an eye.