Chapter 73: -Chapter 70-
-Chapter 70-
-POV Corlys Velaryon-
I watched as Laenor left, escorted by Aemon and his two guards, Ser Arnold Arryn and Ser Gunthor Royce, to help him sober up quickly.
Once I managed to tear my eyes away from my son's back, I noticed that everyone was watching me: some with fear, others with disdain, but none of it affected me.
'It doesn't affect me anymore because all of these people are my inferiors,' I thought, subtly lifting my chin.
I then turned toward the king, who appeared both shocked and annoyed by the pitiful spectacle that would undoubtedly reignite rumors about Laenor's preferences.
"I apologize for this dreadful scene, Your Majesty."
Although I could see the slight irritation in his gaze, he chose not to ruin the celebration and remained magnanimous by saying:
"It's nothing; I completely understand his reaction."
I nodded respectfully in his direction, and he continued, looking slightly wistful for a moment:
"The pain of losing a loved one is the same, no matter our age."
He said this in a very soft, low voice, but as I had heard it, I was certain the queen, who was pretending not to be interested in our conversation, had heard it as well.
'It must be difficult to live with someone who loves a dead person, someone who is just a memory, someone you can never measure up to, no matter what you do,' I thought.
Although I was slightly lost in thought, I bowed almost mechanically before sitting back down.
Just as I was about to retreat into my thoughts again, I heard my wife's voice addressing her cousin:
"It's even more intense for my son because he will have to face his murderer for the rest of his life."
'No, don't reopen this debate,' I thought, as it was clearly not the right time to reignite hostilities, not with the queen or anyone else.
'A truth I only recently came to understand after the blow Aemon dealt me at the council.'
'And one you helped me grasp,' I thought, frowning as I looked at my wife.
"Ser Criston was only defending himself," the queen replied, clearly on the defensive, to which Rhaenys sniffed and coldly smiled:
"We clearly didn't witness the same scene. Everyone here knows how Joffrey died."
'But no one will support us, not even the king, because they see us as opportunists, social climbers, and usurpers,' I thought, realizing that despite our incredible power, we were particularly isolated at court.
'Even House Baratheon has begun to distance itself from us since the death of Boremund Baratheon,' I thought, noting the strange absence of Borros Baratheon.
The queen, particularly invested in defending her champion, declared: "He died like a traitor. He allied with Harwin Strong to assassinate the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, a member of the small council, and the king's foremost protector."
I frowned but remained silent, as this was a conversation between women. I didn't want to give the king any reason to silence Rhaenys by intervening.
Rhaenys shook her head, deeply disgusted by the queen's rhetoric, which was only a step away from calling us traitors in front of the entire court, and then she said:
"Joffrey Lonmouth was a good boy, a good knight, honorable, who followed the teachings of the Seven with fervor. He protected my son from a blow that could have taken his life. Without his actions, the outcome of this incident would have been very different."
'You're playing right into her hands,' I thought, watching Rhaenys get ensnared in the queen's web.
"A blow that would have undoubtedly set the entire kingdom ablaze," Daemon added casually, a small, mocking smile etched on his face.
"Daemon," said the king, warning his brother with a look.
'She's speaking from the heart, she's speaking like a mother, but this isn't the right way,' I thought, turning my attention away from the good-for-nothing.
The queen simply lifted her chin and said:
"If your son hadn't rushed in without permission to interrupt that fight, his… companion would probably still be alive. He has no one to blame but himself; it was his recklessness that got him killed."
I took note of how she said "companion," making it clear to everyone that the relationship between Joffrey and Laenor was suspicious.
'What a bitch,' I thought, squeezing Rhaenys' hand as she struggled to maintain her composure despite the fury that boiled inside her as she argued with the queen, who, unlike my wife, grew more and more comfortable as the conversation went on.
Seeing her mother in difficulty, Laena stepped in to assist her:
"Having lost your own brother in somewhat similar circumstances, I would have thought you would be more… compassionate toward my brother's grief."
'Well done, Laena,' I thought, subtly nodding in her direction.
"I thought you were a model of virtue, but it seems that appearances can often be deceiving," she added nonchalantly.
'Don't go too far, my dear daughter,' I thought, watching the king frown at Laena's second remark but say nothing.
'He's no longer addressing Laena Velaryon but the Lady of Runestone, rider of Vhagar,' I thought, suppressing the small smirk that threatened to appear on my face.
The queen replied in a slightly condescending tone, raising her chin:
"The situation was entirely different. The difference between my brother's death and that of your friend is that Ser Harwin killed my brother in cold blood, intending at the very least to seriously wound him—it was murder. Whereas Ser Criston merely defended himself against an attack by several reckless individuals."
I mentally shook my head, admiring how easily she could turn a situation to her advantage by using facts to justify things we all knew to be false.
But for our voices to be heard, either the king would have to punish the queen's champion and his own best swordsman, or someone neutral and powerful enough would have to speak out in our favor.
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