"Where are Rhaenyra and Henley?" King Viserys asks, looking around as he and the council enter the room and take their seats.

"Your Grace. This is the last thing any of us wish to discuss at this dark hour." Otto speaks up. "But I consider the matter urgent."

"What matter?" The King looks at him, clearly unaware of the subject for this meeting.

"That of your succession." Otto answers. Viserys and Corlys share a glance. "These recent tragedies have left you without an obvious heir."

"The King has an heir, my Lord Hand." Corlys pipes up.

"Despite how difficult this time is, Your Grace." Otto continues. Lyonel Strong looks shocked at The Hand's abrupt boldness to carry on such a matter now. "I feel it important the succession be firmly in place for the stability of the realm."

Lyonel takes his turn to speak. "The succession is already set by precedent and by law."

"Shall we say his name?" Corlys cuts in finally taking a seat. "Daemon Targaryen."

"If Daemon were to remain the uncontested heir, it could destabilize the realm." Ser Harrold points out.

"The realm? Or this council?" Lord Corlys asks, backing Daemon.

"No one here can know what Daemon would do were he King, but no one can doubt his ambition." Otto takes over once again. "Look at what he did with the gold cloaks. The City Watch is fiercely loyal to him. An army 2,000 strong."

"An army you gave him, Otto." King Viserys cuts in. Otto sighs, turning to his friend with a pointed look. "I named Daemon Master of Laws, but you said he was a tyrant." King Viserys stares Otto down. "As Master of Coin, you said he was a spendthrift that would beggar the realm. Putting Daemon in command of the City Watch was you solution!" His voice rises.

"A half-measure, Your Grace." Otto responds slowly. "The truth is, Daemon should be far away from this court."

"Daemon is my brother." Viserys raises a finger. "My blood. And he will have his place at my court."

"Let him keep his place at court, Your Grace." Mellos intercepts. "But if the gods should visit some further tragedy on you." Viserys sighs. "Either by design or by accident-"

"Design." Viserys repeats, fed up. "What are you saying? My brother would murder me, take my crown?" They stare at him. "Are you?!" He emphasizes. "Please." His dismisses such preposterous accusations.

From outside of the room, Daemon is lurking, listening.

"What are they saying in there?" Lady Henley sneaks upon him, desperate to hear. She can tell by Daemon's face he's clearly upset by it whatever it is.

"Nothing true." He tells her, his eyes stay trained on the men in the room spitting on his name.

"Daemon-"

"What are you doing here?" He asks, a bit harsher than he intended to. His face softens as he turns around to find Henley blinking as she stares at the ground. He knows that means she's trying to not show he upset her.

"I'm sorry for the interruption. Goodnight, my Prince." She dips her head, turning to leave.

"Wait." Daemon grabs her upper arm, skin heating as he does. "I'm sorry." His voice is softer now. Henley keeps her back to him, waiting for him to go on. "They-" He sighs in frustration. "They accuse me the possibility of killing my brother so that I could have the crown." He grits his teeth. He would never do that to his brother. His own flesh and blood!

Henley frowns. "I'm sorry." Her voice is laced with sadness. She knows even though they may not be as close now, Daemon has never wanted to get rid of his brother that way. She knows Daemon holds the upmost love for the King. "They shouldn't be saying that, especially behind your back." All Daemon cares about is if his brother truly believes it or not.

"Enough about that." Daemon clips, placing his hand on her shoulder to turn her to him. "How are you feeling?"

"I don't think I'm the person you should be asking that to." Henley shakes her head. "It was not my mother and brother who died today."

"No." Daemon agrees. "But your the only one that I care about asking. And that doesn't mean you can't be upset."

"Daemon, Rhaenyra needs me." Henley insists.

"You allowed to be upset." Daemon assures. "Rhaenyra is a big girl."

Henley exhales through her nose, almost forgetting just how persistent Daemon is.

"I just felt so... empty at the funeral. Hallow." Henley swallows, not even caring that Daemon has closed their proximity rather than extending it. "She's not coming back, Daemon, I know that. It's just so hard." Her voice cracks. "Rhaenyra and her mother were so close as I was with my mother. Whenever my father would pay no attention to me and all to Alicent I didn't care because I had our mother, it was a fair trade. Now I'm alone. I just wish for once our father could see me instead of comparing me to her." Henley exhales, feeling like a huge weight had been lifted off her chest and shoulders.

She can't say any of this to Rhaenyra because her mother just died, and before then there just never seemed to be the right time. And of course she would never say any of this to Alicent... Daemon is all she has. But she knows he won't always be here to listen, and she can't be naïve enough to think so.

"Do you feel better now?" Daemon studies her face.

She nods, throwing her arms around his neck. "Thank you, Daemon." She whispers. He chest swells with pride. He relishes when she calls him Prince, but it's more personal when she calls him by his name. The way it rolls perfectly off her tongue. "Goodnight." She finally lets go and he immediately misses her warmth and sweet berry perfume.

"Goodnight." He nods. "Oh, Henley?" He calls as she's about to round the corner. She looks over her shoulder. "You are not alone."

She smiles. "Well, for what it's worth, I think you would make an excellent King. Without killing your brother to earn it."

As she disappears, Daemon turns his attention back to meeting at hand, feeling better as well.

"Daemon has ambition, yes, but not for the throne." His brother defends him. He chuckles quietly, smirking. "He lacks the patience for it."

"The gods have yet to make a man who lacks the patience for absolute power, Your Grace." Otto comments.

"Under such circumstances, it would be an aberration for the King to name a successor." Mellos gently sides with Otto.

"Well, who else would have a claim?" Lyonel asks. They all just stare at him, at a loss for an answer.

Otto hesitantly speaks up. "The King's firstborn child."

"Rhaenyra? A girl?" Lyonel asks in disbelief, looking around. "No queen has ever sat the Iron Throne."

"That is only by tradition and precedent, Lord Strong." Mellos argues.

"If order and stability so concerns this council, then perhaps we shouldn't break 100 years of it by naming a girl heir." Lyonel claims.

"Daemon would be a second Maegor, or worse." Otto spits out, causing Daemon's amusement to disappear. He has no idea how this man was responsible in creating the breath of fresh air that is Henley Hightower. She is the complete opposite of her poor excuse of a father. "He is impulsive and violent." Otto carries on. "It is the duty of this council to protect the King and the realm from him." Viserys listens with a disapproving look. Otto turns to him. "I'm sorry, Your Grace, but that is the truth as I see it, and I know that others agree." The man persists.

"I will not be made to choose between my brother and my daughter." The King's voice waivers, looking around in disbelief.

"You wouldn't have to, Your Grace." Lord Corlys cuts in. "There are others who would have a claim." He refers to his wife.

"Such as your wife, Lord Corlys?" Lyonel bursts into laughter. "'The Queen Who Never Was'?"

"Rhaenys was the only child of Jaehaeyrs' eldest son." Lord Corlys defends. "She had a strong claim at the Great Council, and she already has a male heir." He snips.

"Just moments ago, you announced your support for Daemon!" Otto chuckles.

"If we cannot agree on an heir, then how can we expect-" Lyonel firmly starts back up until the King breaks up the entire debacle.

"My wife and son are dead!" He yells and the room falls silent, only the crackling of the torch's to be heard. "I will not sit here and suffer crows that come to feast on their corpses!" He snaps, finally having enough. With teary eyes he gives his Council one last look of audacity before rising from his chair as everyone quickly rises as well, and leaves.

Once the door is shut they all resume back to their seats and Otto lets out a sigh, shutting his eyes.

♔♔♔

Author's Note: Henley and Daemon's interactions give me life <3 I'm gonna be sad writing the episodes he's gone :(

Anyways, hope y'all enjoyed!! Buckle up, the next chapter is !!!!