Sat up in her bed, Lady Rhea couldn't help but think of the man in the chambers on the opposite side of the corridor. Grabbing a chandelier, she rose from her bed and walked out of her quarters towards his. She knocked on his door and, to her surprise, the door opened, revealing an empty room. She stepped inside, calling the prince's name. Her heart sank as she realised he was not here.
Disappointed, Rhea walked back to her own bed. She wondered where her prince could have been and, as she fell asleep, she toyed with the King's stone figurine, holding it close to her heart.
The next morning, Rhea awoke and felt glad the previous day was well and truly over. She felt it had lasted a whole week and her body was as sore as if she had been riding a horse for a month. As she opened her windows, a strange feeling came over her. The candles had not been lit this morning, and a deafening silence filled the halls. Putting on a thick robe on top of her nightgown, Rhea shivered. Usually, by this time every morning, her handmaiden would have normally already knocked on her doors to bring her breakfast, but, this morning, she was not brought anything, nor had anyone came and knocked on her doors. She began to grow wary of the situation and went to open her doors to see the King, hoping he was alright, but as she pulled on the handles, the doors did not budge. She tried to pull them again, harder, but failed again. Her brow furrowed and she began banging on the doors with her fists, hoping someone would hear her.
Several minutes of trying to pry the doors open later, Rhea gave up and sat down on the edge of her bed. Something was wrong, terribly, terribly wrong. In all the nineteen years she had lived in the Red Keep, she had never been kept from leaving her quarters and worry seeped into her brain.
She remained there, locked in her chambers, for the most part of the day, her worry soon turning into anger as she understood she was made to stay inside, like a prisoner and she refused to be treated as such.
As night began to fall, and as hunger roared in her belly, Rhea, who was pacing angrily about her room, heard her door handles rattle and she turned towards them, grabbing her dagger and readying herself for a fight. She tried to muster up all the courage she could. She had imagined a thousand different scenarios as to why she was kept inside her chambers all day, and, as the doors pried opened and revealed Ser Willard Caldwell, she gasped.
"My lady, the Queen has summoned you in her quarters and I am to escort you there," the man spoke in a hurry, out of breath.
He must have been running to reach her as fast as he could.
"Escort me? Like I am some kind of criminal?" Rhea scoffed, truly vexed.
"For your safety, and the King's."
"The King's?" Rhea questioned as she followed the knight through the dark corridors of the Red Keep.
"Everything will make sense soon, my lady, I swear," the man promised as he pushed the doors from the Queen's quarters open.
As Rhea entered and gazed upon the Queen's solemn face, she knew something had happened. The woman thanked the knight and he left the both of them alone.
"Please, sit," the Queen gestured towards a chair.
Rhea did as her Queen bid her and waited for her to speak again.
"What I am about to tell you, my child, may never leave this room," the Queen ordered sternly. "Do you swear it?"
Rhea nodded, her eyes fluttering. She fidgeted her fingers around her rings, biting the inside of her cheeks.
"My dear child, the King is dead," the Queen stated gravely.
Rhea gasped as her head jerked to look at the Queen, she brought a hand to her mouth, pain overflowing her.
"Before he did, I swear it upon my life and my children's, he confessed in me his wish for Aegon to be King, not Rhaenyra."
Rhea shook her head, he couldn't have.
"You have to believe me, he told me Aegon would be the one to bring the Seven Kingdoms together against a common foe. I heard it from his lips, I swear it, Rhea."
The Queen appeared to truly believe her words, but Rhea could not believe it. Besides, even if the King had said such things, he was in such pain he could have said anything in his feverish state. Rhea remained silent, the Queen's words sinking in and the realisation she had lost her adopted father engraving itself in her heart.
"No one must know of the King's death, not before Aegon is crowned King," the Queen continued.
Rhea turned her head, an appalled look on her face. "Rhaenyra must now be back on Dragonstone, you must not tell her, do you hear me?"
Rhea's jaw clenched and her fists balled up.
"I will not keep such important matters from her. Rhaenyra is the King's heir, she is the Queen, now," Rhea finally dared to speak her mind without any restraint.
Fearing the Queen's reaction to her words, Rhea stepped away from her, but, to her surprise, the Queen smiled.
"And had the King not told me he wished for his son to be King in her stead, I would not have stood in her way. I am merely respecting my late husband's last wish. As must you, Rhea."
Rhea gulped hard, her eyes avoiding the Queen's. She had sworn loyalty to her sister, and just the night before, she had promised her word would always be true.
"My child, if word gets out to Rhaenyra, Aegon's life would be in danger, Helaena's. Their children's. Would you ever be able to look yourself in a mirror if you had caused their deaths?"
Rhea paused to think, as much as she wanted Rhaenyra to sit on the Iron Throne, she cared for the Greens deeply and did not wish to see them in harm's way.
"What you are asking of me is treason, my Queen," Rhea began speaking softly, finally locking eyes with the Queen. "Whatever happens next, I will not be comfortable with."
"You are to marry my son, still." The Queen stated.
Rhea's face flushed and she looked out the window, a hand on her stomach, trying to prevent herself from fainting.
"As I said, you, too, are to respect the late King's last wishes. And this was one of them," the Queen asserted.
"I was not trying to get out of the betrothal, your Grace. I was merely stating my disagreement to take your orders lying down," Rhea defied the Queen, her blue eyes starring daggers at the red-haired woman she cared for as a mother.
The Queen opened her mouth slightly, only letting a sharp draw of breath come through them.
"I know you are quite shaken by the news I have given you, so I will not hold your words against you, but I advise you to watch your tongue, still, my child," the Queen warned her.
Rhea backed away from the Queen; bowing her head slightly in apology.
"You knew I would run to Rhaenyra's side the second I learnt of the King's passing, why did you not let me rot away in my chambers, as you have done all day? Why did you summon me?"
"Because I love you, my child. So did Viserys, and I wish for you to stay with us in King's Landing. I wish for your House to declare its loyalty to Aegon once he is crowned King. I do not wish to loose you in some stupid fight for power."
Rhea scoffed.
"I am afraid I cannot speak for the entirety of my House, your Grace. I shall consult with them on the matter, yes. But anyone who disagrees with me, I will let roam the Seven Kingdoms freely."
"Rhea, listen to me. Do you realise what they would do to you, as the new King's sister-by-law?" The Queen had tears in her eyes and her hands were clutching the silver-haired woman's arms strongly. "If Rhaenyra bends the knew, Aegon will let her, and her children, live, it is a clemency I am afraid the Blacks might not have had, had they been in Aegon's place."
"Rhaenyra and Daemon care for me, as you do. They would not hurt me," Rhea contradicted the Queen.
"They might not hurt you, but they will harm the King's brother," the Queen put forward and Rhea blinked, taken aback.
The lady's eyes fluttered as she realised the Queen was right. Slowly, tears began streaming down her cheeks and the Queen held her close, pleading for her support.
"If you wish to protect Aemond, you will not tell Rhaenyra."