Rhaenyra could tell the Maester was going to do something stupid after the announcement of the new small council position. The man hated change. He hated when they made moves that would strengthen their position even more.
Rhaenyra could see it in his eyes, he hated every improvement and every step forward they took and both she and Daemon took great pleasure in it. The small folk of the realm were calling them the next Jeahaerys and Alysanne and Grand Maester Mellos hated it.
The only thing that kept him alive was their lack of evidence, he had not done anything stupid as of yet and they were just waiting for him to make a move. Rhaenyra knew Alicents impending marriage would push Otto in a corner, soon they won't have their supposed ‘spy’ to rely on. Not that she was very reliable to them in the first place but the Hightowers didn't know that.
They had known the Hightowers were patient but they hadn’t expected them to hold off this long after the birth of Aegon to make another move. They knew Otto had to be consolidating power in some way. They just had no idea how.
With their reputation getting better and better it will become harder to turn houses against the Crown. Most aren’t stupid enough to go up against dragons but then the Hightowers have always thought rather highly of themselves and as they had been successfully working against the crown for years now they had grown cocky.
Though not cocky enough it seems. Daemon has theorized that they are planning, taking a step back to see what happens before planning their next move. Otto Hightower was a smart man and rarely let his emotions cloud his judgment.
It was when emotions clouded Otto’s judgment that he made stupid rash decisions, it was hard to break that man's composure but when you did you could see the vile person inside show his true colors, it was why Daemon was an expert on the subject.
Daemon had always known how to get under Otto’s skin, always been able to poke and prod and find that one button to push for Otto to reveal his true intentions.
It had been Daemon that suggested marrying Alicent to Patrick Oakheart, he had seen the Heir to Old Oak watching her from afar, he had an interest. Daemon had thought about the match and immediately saw the potential, this would push that special little button he loved to push so much in Otto’s head.
The marriage would force Otto out of the shadows, make him stupid and rash. Even better was Otto had no idea how to deal with him now, at one-time Otto could find his own buttons but Otto was working under the assumption that Daemon was the same cocky young rouge prince as before.
Age had tempered Daemon but truly, it was fatherhood that calmed the fires. The fire that once burned uncontrolled and bright within him were now being harnessed and wielded like a weapon to protect the ones he loved most.
Otto Hightower had no idea how to deal with him now, it gave Daemon all the cards and left Otto in a horrible position. The man won’t even realize it until it was too late, he will try and predict his moves and come up short every time.
